Establishment of Unique State Language in Office Work Essay

Acknowledgement We want to acknowledge our parents for participating and helping us to conduct a questionnaire in the state institutions in Astana. Also we would like to thank Saltanat – secretary of head of government – for distribution of questionnaires among respondents and operate actions in delivering results to Almaty. Abstract Nowadays the issue of languages is one of the most actual, disputable. That is why government tries to improve the conditions of state language. This year new law was created; it states that all documentations must be written in Kazakh. This change cause many disputes and discussions and becomes more popular. As an actual issue this problem was chosen by the authors of research. The research question: what is the viewpoint of Astana citizens to establishment of unique state language in office work? Research objectives are to inquire into views of people to this law, find the advantages and disadvantages of change, to define the impact of transition on the process of work. After analyzing possible consequences, following research hypothesis was made: people would have negative point of view on the establishment. In order to achieve more efficiency the instrument of survey design – questionnaire – was chosen. It was conducted among 20 people – the inhabitants of Astana – who work in the state institutions, because change of language in the office work impacts them directly. Convenience sampling was used, because authors chose merely closest persons as respondents. At the base of results of questionnaire it was found that 70% of people have positive, 25% neutral, 5% negative attitude to the change. Thus, the results of questionnaire shows that the authors’ hypothesis was not justified: it was defined that people have positive viewpoint on the establishment, also there is no almost any difficulties connected with the change and it does not impact on the process and quality of the work. I. Introduction A. Reasons for Undertaking Research For almost 300 years Kazakhstan was under the pressure of neighbour Russia, so since it was happened our cultural wealth began to eradicate. Language was almost lost, and nobody knew what would be in the future. Unfortunately, the most powerful and developing country – Soviet Union – fell to pieces (Akishev, 1996). So, since from 1990 year there were born new countries. And Kazakhstan was not exception. Like a newborn baby, country started to do its first steps. In this way new constitution was created. â€Å"Kazakh is a state language, and Russian is official† says the constitution of Kazakhstan. But this year new law took place: â€Å"since 2007 year all documentations must be in Kazakh†, it states. But is the country with only half Kazakh-speaking inhabitancies ready to this change, how the multinational population will react to it? This is our issue. The government made a decision, but can we manage with it? Only 1000 civil servants of 5000 can speak Kazakh in advance or can do office work in it, documentation nowadays executes in Russian and only after that it translates into Kazakh. It is right to ask a question: what will follow after this establishment? Consequences may be different but more obvious thing that there will be many difficulties because of unknowing language. With this poor condition the procedure of work will delay, consequently, the standards, the value of work will decrease. The change of language of office work will lead to discrimination of not Kazakh-speaking population. Because of this it’s important to investigate this issue. After analyzing possible consequences, following research hypothesis was made: the attitude of major population of Astana has negative point of view on this change of language of office work in Kazakh. B. Research Methods In order to achieve more efficiency from research survey is using here. To investigate exact attitudes of people the work need statistics, numerical data, also the viewpoints, position, suggestions of Astana people must be considered in the work. So, survey design is the best way to attain the most systematically organized point here. Also questionnaire is being consumed as instruments of research. It was chosen because, in order to determine the views of people and situation in the country, quantitative method will be helpful. The data and facts that they will give may help to solve partly our problem. As it is written in previous, statistics is necessary, and questionnaire may give new data and numbers, so it is helpful in this area, specific questions in questionnaire (open-ended) the opportunity to determine the exact point of view of people and their suggestions. The questionnaire consists of two parts. The first one is written in order to investigate social status of people and give demographic data. The second section’s aim is to ascertain the attitude of the person to the establishment of unique state language in the office work. The questionnaire was held on the period 14-16 of June in Astana. 20 people working in the state establishments were respondents of the questionnaire. The type of the research was primary, convenience technique was used. Ð ¡. Research Structure The research paper is divided into the six following chapters: Introduction – this part of the research presents brief description of the research, reasons for undertaking it and methods which will be used during this research. Review of the literature — this part of the research is dedicated to information that was found in appropriate literature in order to describe problems of establishment the unique language in the office work. Field research results – is a descriptive part of work, where authors should give only description of results that they receive from questionnaire or/an interview. Analysis and discussion – in this part of research paper all information presented before will be analyzed and will be tried to define future outlook of the industry and investors decision that can be taken. Conclusion – authors make a summary of the research paper. Bibliography – sources that were used in writing research. Appendices – include the questionnaire paper and interview paper. II. Literature review A. Historical background of Kazakh language The gold book of history of Kazakhs includes following pages: at the beginning of XVIII century west part of present territory of Kazakhstan started to join to Russian Empire. In spite of resistance of Orta and Uly Juzes during next hundred years all regions of country wholly became a piece of neighbour state. Since that time by the order of imperator Russian Empire Alexander I commenced the change of ruling power: they chose the heads of juzes. In the 30-40es of XVIII century fortresses were built at the boarders of Kazakhstan. Russian-speaking people started to immigrate into the Kazakh land. So, these were the first steps of colonization policy and active exchange of culture, widely spreading of Russian language and slowing down of Kazakh. (Kozybayev,1995). After formation of the Soviet Union in 1917, the discrimination of all nations with their culture and language that existed on the territory of USSR took place. Politics of state was the creation of unified society, where were the one constitution of USSR, which named Russian the single language of communication. From that period in different parts of the biggest country of the world the policy of inculcation of Russian language started. This process was the ideology, which was considered by government of Russia. Following 70 years lead to the almost wholly losing of native language. As an example of it in 1954 when virgin land started to build up 640.000 people from other countries of Union came to KazSSR. As a consequence of it new educational establishments were built, but with this immigration only in south region of country 700 Kazakh schools were closed, children stayed without needed education. Also the names of water-lands were changed in Russian, in order to make more comfortable the life of our â€Å"guests†. With this problem of eradication of folk wealth faced not only Kazakhstan, but other 12 countries of USSR, especially Moldova, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Georgia, etc (Akishev, Baipakov, 1996). So, after colonization for almost 300 years young independent Republic of Kazakhstan had to face with problem of wholly reconstruction of society, policy and economy of country. As a consequence of this dependence became following data: according to Agency of Statistics from 01.01.2004 the population of country is equal to 14,952 million people: 57, 19 % Kazakhs, 27, 24% Russians, 3, 14% Ukrainians, 2, 74% Uzbeks and other 120 nationalities. For the present time about 3 million Kazakhs do not know their native language. 64,4 % of population possess with Kazakh, when 84,8% speak Russian (Agency of statistics of RK , 2004). B. Status of Kazakh language nowadays With getting sovereignty in 1991 Republic of Kazakhstan got opportunity to raise its national wealth. So, the new constitution from 30th August of 1995, in the 7th article of the first part (general provisions) of it states: â€Å"1. the state language of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be the Kazak language. 2. In state institutions and local self-administrative bodies the Russian language shall be officially used on equal grounds along with the Kazak language. 3. The state shall promote conditions for the study and development of the languages of the people of Kazakhstan.† (Constitution of RK, 1995). C. Problems and discussions on the issue According to B. Omarov (2005) – the head of Committee on problems of language of Ministry of information, culture and sport – in correspondents of State programme of function and development of languages for 2001-2010 years, affirmatived by decree of the president of RK from 07.02.2001 â„â€"550 in all regions of republic conduct measures of halting-placely change of office work on the state language. Because of this office work of 5 regions (Kyzylorda, Zhambyl, South-Kazkahstan, Atyrau, and Mangistau) was fully translated on state language. On the base of schedule of stagely translation of office work on state language cultivated republic agenda and brought in consideration of Government of RK. In accordance to this graphic from 01.01.2010 is expected fully translation of office work on state language. Due to this law there have been appeared problems of discrimination of not-Kazakh-speaking people in the country. Nowadays majority of people ask question, such â€Å"what this change will lead to?† According to Martha Brill Olcott (1997), there is a strong sense of disquiet among many of the country’s ethnic Russians, who feel that the break-up of the USSR has turned a familiar country into an alien one, and has left them as second-class citizens in what they themselves perceive as their native land. And the translation of language in office work will possibly grow gap between Kazakhstan’s Kazakhs and European communities. But specialists advise not to confuse. As Dariga Nazarbayeva states (2006), the change of language will not lead to discrimination of not-Kazakh-speaking people. Russian will stay as an official language. What just people should do – to learn about hundred of words and do documentations basing on them? Akim of Almaty I. Tasmagambetov (2005) and deputy, poet M. Shahanov (2005) become intimate in the opinion that world experience of states shows that presence of native language impact on stability, security of independent country. Our main aim is to raise the status of using Kazakh on the level of Russian. That is why akims actively accept the new law. They claim that the wealth that our ancestors gave to people should be kept. But there are some opposite points of view on this theme. Some non-Kazakh parts of population of RK think that government tries to slowly eradicate other nations from the land of Kazakhs. Some people, like O. Suleimenov (2005) – the representative of RK in UNESCO – thinks that republic is not yet ready for this change. This change may causes problems of leaving the country of other nations. At first, think this part of country, we should prepare the fundament, prepare people – to recreate grammar of language, to type reliable text books, in order to make easier the studying deeply and efficiently the language. At that time the minister of education and science B. Aitimova (2006) states that state program of Kazakh language for 2001-2010 is developing. She claims that 77% of schools are in Kazakh or mixed. But state Secretary O. Abdikarimov does not agree with that by saying that 500 million tenge was given from budget, nevertheless, there are no results. The minister culture and information – Y. Ertisbaev (2006) – he offers to make social polls. So, after some time, the problem will be partly solved. Summary Thus, there are many views on the issue of changing language of office work in Astana. Arguments of both sights are very strong; they were confirmed with statistics and prognoses of the critics. In discussions of the problem play role all social classes of Kazakhstan, because of this issue relates to all citizens of our country. Although there is no exact answer at the present time, but research will give it in the near future. III. Field research (Questionnaire results) A. General information The research question of present work is intended to find out what is the viewpoint of Astana’s citizens to the establishment of unique state language in office work. Thus, in order to obtain useful statistics and find out what are the precise attitudes of people on this issue, given questionnaire was conducted by researches. The field research was divided into three parts, which will allow to the reader comfortably find useful information (indirect data – common information, direct – specific material). At the period 14-16 of June in state institutions of Astana 20 people, who have full-time work place, have been asked by researches. Target population of the research is adults from 18 years old, in which 11 are female and 9 are male. As respondents were the closest available people, convenience sampling was used. B. Demographic (indirect) data At the process of work the category of age of respondents was divided into four parts: 18-25 (10%), 25-35 (35%), 35-50 (50%), over 50 (5%). 80% are Kazakhs and 20% are Russian respondents. From chart 1 it can be seen that the level of knowing of Kazakh and Russian languages among 20 people: [pic] Researches have investigated that 50 per cent of people know Kazakh in advance, 35 colloquial and 15 % do not speak on state language, while 90 % of people know Russian in advance and 10% colloquially. Table 1 shows the percentage degree of people who knows foreign languages and what are that languages. |Language |Percentage | |English |25% | |German |25% | |Belarusian |5% | |Don’t know other language |45% | Table 1. The quarter part speaks English, another Germany, while 5 % know Belarusian and other 45% do not know any foreign language. It was investigated that all 20 people have high education, from which 14 people studied in Russian (70%) and 6 in Kazakh (30%). The chart 2 shows the in what language people mostly communicate with each other: [pic] Half of respondents communicate in Russian, when 30% talk in Kazakh and 20% of people speak on both languages. At the process of work it was defined that all 20 people have full-time permanent work place, 19 (95%) are state workers, and 1 (5%) is a member of join-stock company. C. Attitudes of people (direct data) The chart 3 demonstrates the position of people toward the establishment. [pic] 80% of people think that it is right to establish such innovation, 15 % has neutral position and 5% are against the law. 70% of respondents have positive point of view to the establishment, 25% are neutral and 5% have negative attitude. From 20 people, who was asked, 12 (60%) are expressed willingness to do office work in Kazakh, while 8 (40%) people are not ready to such work. |Percentage of people who faced with office work in Kazakh | |Faced |60% | |Don’t faced |40% | From table 2 you may see that 60% of respondents have faced with doing office work in Kazakh while 40% do not. Table 2 From table 3 you may find out the percentage level of kinds of spreading of information about the establishment of unique language in the office work. 36,4 % of respondents have got information from work, 20% from relatives, 18,2% from friends, 15,6% through mass-media, 3,2% from another sources, while 6,6% do not know about this law. |Kinds of |Percentage | |Spreading of info | | |Relatives |20% | |Friends |18.2% | |Mass-media |15.6% | |At work |36.4% | |Other |3.2% | |Don’t know about this law |6.6% | Table 3. It was investigated in table 4 that change of language of office work for half of respondents has not any impact, 40% did not give answers, 5% do not know and on 5% has influence. |The influence on work |Percentage | |No |50% | |Yes |5% | |Do not know |5% | |Do not give answers |40% | Table 4 It was defined that 45% of people have not faced with any difficulties on work because of this establishment, 15% have some problems, and 40% did not give answers. It was investigated that the administration of state institutions have provide some conditions in order to prepare personnel to the establishment for 40% of respondents, and 60% have not got any programmes. People have mentioned such conditions like providing CDs, preparing lessons, electronic portal, programmes. 35% are satisfied with conditions that government provides, 15% not utilized, 10% is neutral and 40% did nit give answers. To the open-ended questions 90% respondents have given different answers, 10% preferred do not mention any suggestions. The majority of respondents suggested creating of courses, which will give opportunity to workers improve the level of knowing Kazakh. 20% of people were for establishment, but it was mentioned that this reform should be executed gradually. Another 20% have demonstrated desire to establish this law, because it is the time to raise the authority of state language. Someone was against establishment, and other, vice versus, suggested compulsory change language from Russian to Kazakh. D. Summary In spite the fact that most of people know more Russian that Kazakh, and that they communicate in Russian, it was investigated in generally that people have positive position to this establishment. There is a lack of preparing courses, but people disposed well. IV. Analysis and discussion Univariate analysis The research question of present work is â€Å"what is the attitude of Astana people to the establishment of unique state language in the office work in Kazakhstan?† After analyzing possible consequences the hypothesis stated that people would have negative point of view on the change of the language in the office work. a. Analyzing demographic data. As the change of language takes place in the state establishments, 95% of respondents were chosen from them. At the process of work it was investigated that the level of knowing Russian of 20 people, who were conducted the questionnaire, is higher than Kazakh: 100% know official language, while 15% do not know state language at all. In spite the fact that everyone knows Russian and the major part – 85% – of people know Kazakh, only the half part speak in Russian and 20% use only Kazakh, while 30% speak on both languages. Thus, ignoring the fact that the majority people know Kazakh, language of communication among people still is mostly Russian. b. Analyzing attitudes of people to the establishment (questionnaire, literature review). The main target of given work was to find the viewpoint of Astana people to the establishment. From the tabular form of frequency distribution we may see the main result of research. Table 1. Attitude to the establishment office work in Kazakh | |Frequency |% |Valid % |Cum % | |Positive |14 |70 |70 |70 | |Neutral |5 |25 |25 |95 | |Negative |1 |5 |5 |100 | |Total |20 |100 |100 | | More than half part of respondents have positive point of view on the change and only 5% were against it, so Astana people mostly are for establishment of state language. Analyzing the results of questionnaire, it was discovered that the major part of people think that it is right to change the language of documentation and they are ready to the transition. Authors made a prediction that the change of language may lead to conflicts among nations, it would be the discrimination of not-Kazakh people, the process of work will delay and quality of it would reduce. But the results show opposite thing: main part of people state that they have not faced with any difficulties, that the change does not impact on the done work and its’ efficiency does not decrease. 80% of respondents were Kazakhs; possibly, this is a reason of positive results in the questionnaire. Anyway, every man lives in Kazakhstan, may be that is why they have to answer positively, and may be, they had not other ch oice. Topic is very sensitive and both sides – Kazakh and not-Kazakh people – know it. Nowadays there are many issues on the theme of developing of Kazakh, and people do not react on them similar: someone is for raising the status of state language, someone afraid of this, because of unknowing Kazakh. Already 15 years Kazakhstan is independent country, it is obvious that Kazakh language should have specific status, it should have its own important place, and people should know it. It is already time to raise Kazakh, but not to eradicate Russian, because it is still the language on which all multinational population of country speaks, in which we communicate with our neighbours on international arena. People, by understanding it, should improve state language, by not disturbing official language. So, also, based on the results of questionnaire, it was found that government develops such things as courses, discs, electronic portals, programmes to prepare personnel to the change , but people mostly dissatisfied with these conditions, because almost all people suggest creating new instruments to improve language. This fact means that there is a lack of the books, special methods of studying, good teaching, etc. O. Suleimenov (2005) also came to this conclusion. He thinks that this change may cause problems of leaving the country of other nations. But there is a nuance: for some questions (about have they faced with any difficultiesmbecause of the change, have establishment impact the work, do they satisfied with conditions that government creates to prepare personnel?) the third part of people did not give answers. Does it mean that people are hiding something and expert is right? In the reality the issue of language is very sensitive: government tries to improve the authority of Kazakh while it seems that Russian is under discrimination. Among the members of parliament, government, also there are many debates on this theme. Akims, ministers say that they are undertaking measures as preparing personnel through the course, making privilege to people, who know Kazakh, raising their wages, but relying on opinions of people, we may conclude that it is not enough, because there is no efficient results, especially because the base of courses are very weak. There are some advantages and disadvantages of this issue: for Kazakh people it is good because their language is developing, but for other nations it is difficult, but they can do nothing with it: the law already exists, in spite the fact many people do not know Kazakh and there are no real measures that can prepare them. The data from literature review and questionnaire results are not similar, if some authorities are against establishment, main part of respondents support the change. This means that situation is not as negative as state the data of literature review. More people know or learning Kazakh than official statistics show. The state of Kazakh is improving. V. Conclusion The research question of present work is â€Å"what is the attitude of Astana people to the establishment of unique state language in the office work in Kazakhstan?† By considering the possible consequences and results, following hypotheses was made: the attitude of major population of Astana would have negative point of view on this change of language of office work from Russian into Kazakh. According to the results of questionnaire, the prediction of authors was mistaken: majority of respondents have positive viewpoint on the change, moreover, the ways to improve the situation were suggested by them. There were many disputes on the issue, some people think that will appear conflict that society is not ready, but, fortunately, these were not justified. It is already time to improve the status of Kazakh: people are for the change. The only one problem that should be eliminated: to develop the base of preparing and teaching people. Bibliography Akishev, K. and Baipakov, K., 1996, Kazakhstan tarihi (kone zamannan buginge deiin). Almaty: Atamura [cited 01 June 2006]. Kozybayev, K., 1995, Kazakhstan tarihi. Almaty: Zhalyn. [cited 01 June 2006]. Piskareva, L., 2006, Ne zaboltat’ iazik, Vremia, 21(365), p. 3. [cited 02 June 2006]. Embassy of RK. 2005. The Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan. [online]. Available from: http://www.kazakhstanembassy.org.uk/cgi-bin/index/225 [cited 30 May 2006]. Demography. 2004. O chislennosti naselenia [online]. Available from: http://stat.kz/stat/index.aspx?p=dem04-04&1=ru. [cited 02 June 2006]. Nazarbayeva, D. 2005. V Kazakhstane ne planiruetsya perevodit’ deloproizvodstvo tolko na gosudarstvennii yazik. Available from: http://base.zakon.kz/doc/lawyer/?uid=undefined&doc_id=30033184B [cited 01 June 2006]. Spravochnik iurist. 2005. Vopros akimu goroda Almaty. Available from: http://base.zakon.kz/doc/lawyer/?uid=undefined&docid=30036955 [cited 02 June 2006]. Olcott, M. B., 1997. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. [Online]. Central Asian States: An Overview of Fives Years of Independence. Available from: www.ceip.org/people/mosenate.htm [cited 02 June 2006]. Omarov. B, 2005. Comitet po iazikam Ministerstva culture, informacii I sporta RK. [Online]. Skajite pojaluista. Available from: http://base.zakon.kz/doc/lawyer/?uid=undefined &doc_id=30029966 [cited 01 June 2006]. Shahanov, M., and Tereschenko, S., 2005. Problema yazika [Online]. Shahanova I Tereschenko reshili soobscha borot’sya s kolonizatsiei. Available from: http://base.zakon.kz/doc/lawyer/?uid=undefined&doc_id=30048383 [cited 02 June 2006]. Suleimenov, O., 2005. Problema yazika. [Online]. Vibori – examen democratii. Available from: http://base.zakon.kz/doc/lawyer/?uid=undefined&doc_id=30024571 [cited 03 June 2006].

Growing Up †Lord of the Flies Essay

Growing up is a time of great change. Challenges and difficulties arise for individuals which changes them. This statement has been explored on many levels and can be related to many forms of writing and film. In the novel â€Å"Lord of the Flies† by William Golding, the characters are exposed to intense hardship and difficulties. The pressure of being stranded on a deserted island with no means of getting off conflicts with the boys’ knowledge of moral conduct and leadership. Ralph who is a prime example of the vulnerability of children to lurking dangers displays a good sense of leadership and civilized intelligence. He puts his knowledge and skills into practice in all the scenarios he faces. Jack, another character in â€Å"Lord of the Flies† depicts the story of a greedy boy lusting for more and more power. His inhumane behaviour lands everyone in a place where a wrong move can mean the difference between life and death. The film â€Å"Whale Rider† directed by Niki Caro tells the anecdote about a girl named Paikea, after a great legend known to the Maori people. This movie relays the complications of a young girl who tries to be accepted by her grandfather, Koro. Koro, a former leader of the people searches to find the new leader to carryout the duties and traditions he passes on. This person has to be of a strong, dominant, first-born male genre. Ralph is an important individual to the story. He plays the role of a smart, well-adjusted, strategic, natural leader. Through the expedition he faces a journey of self-discovery. Ralph’s relationship with the other boys started off well as he was voted chief. â€Å"Lets have a vote†. Ralph later experienced greater difficulties as the group began to break away because they had other priorities. â€Å"I was talking about smoke! Don’t you want to be rescued? All you can talk about is pig, pig, pig!† Soon the group was down to two: Piggy (a great thinker) and Ralph, however the group became even smaller following the killing of Piggy. This act shows how the absence of law and ethics alters the ways in which a person at a critical age of adolescence behaves and thinks. The fact that there is no adult supervision gives the boys’ the message of no limits in what they do. As the saying goes â€Å"if you cant beat them, join them† this is what happened with the group. Finding that survival in Ralph’s group was much more tougher than that of Jack’s group they decided to join him, leaving Ralph to fend on his own. Jack is a character of high power and control. This helps to understand knowing that he was in charge of the choir/ hunters. â€Å"I ought to be chief,† said Jack with simple arrogance, â€Å"because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.† As an adolescent Jack has already developed an excessive sense of authority. His position in this story can be related to government and politics. He demonstrates the wanting for being on top and draws in people to taking his side and turning them against his competitors. This is a sign of both maturity and childs play. The way in which he uses his power is against the principles of society. The stress of being on a deserted island â€Å"messes† with Jack’s line of thoughts and therefore affects his decision-making. Paikea is a strong-willed, spiritual, self-conscious girl. She illustrates how her determination and belief helped in resolving her crisis. At birth Paikea’s mother and twin brother passed away. She grew up with her grandparents whilst her father travelled the world. As her grandfather searched for the next leader of the Maori people, Paikea secretly learns the teaching of her grandfather to the boys in which he trains to become the next chief. As females were not allowed to participate in such rituals she finds herself in a situation where she feels her grandfather doesn’t want her, â€Å"Why doesn’t he want me?† By sticking by her grandfather after all he put her through, Paikea shows how her love towards Koro remained strong throughout. As an adolescent she becomes aware of her legacy and her role in the tribe. Koro is a man of great strength, power, ability and faith, â€Å"when you extend your tongue you are saying to your enemy I am going to eat you.† In the film Koro goes in search for a new leader of the Maori people however does not realise that the answer to his problems is right in front of his face. He suggests that Paikea is an omen â€Å"When she was born that’s when things started going wrong for us.† After a series of events involving a pod of whales being beached, Koro comes to realise that Paikea was the next whale rider and he accepts her for who she is. As a leader, Koro did not realise the support that Paikea needed during her time of adolescence, as he wasn’t just a leader to her but also her grandfather. Through close observation of the characters and how they were portrayed in each story it is easy to assume that adolescence is a time of great change, not just physically but also mentally and socially. As seen with Ralph and Jack, there are many differentials as well as similarities between each other because everybody has their own techniques in handling situations and the way they react to such complications like being stranded on a deserted island. In â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, William Golding presents his characters as flies, the lord symbolises the leader and as adolescents the children have a position in their life whether they want to lead or follow. Ralph shows a determination for maintaining civilization on the island he exhibits a good sense of maturity, unlike Jack who displays himself as someone who just wants to be head of the pack for the sake of being the superior one. In â€Å"Whale Rider†, Paikea reveals a spiritual side of her; she is seen as mystical and unpredictable. During her time as an adolescent she faces a world of exploration, knowledge and realisation.

Modern culture Essay

As has lately been pointed out (Hesmondhalgh, 2002; Negus, 2002) this term has been used with some quite differing meanings or at least deviating from Bourdieu’s original intentions (Bourdieu, 1986). If they can be seen as active and cognizant agents of social and cultural change – change in the supposed interests of themselves and the class fraction to which they go, as Bourdieu would have it – then they have been recognized with cultural critics (Bourdieu, 1986; Hesmondhalgh, 2002); those promoting a new lifestyle (O’Connor and Wynne, 1998); and those who choose which products go forward during the cultural production chain. It has also been used to portray those who â€Å"make things happen,† putting artists, money and audiences together in a means that creates new cultural possibilities. This might comprise Diaghilev, or Brian Epstein, or Charles Saatchi. At a more ordinary level it can be used to portray those who are able to translate between the language of policy makers and that of the cultural producers. As with the A+R men (music industry talent scouts: Artists and Repertoire) in Negus’ description these intermediaries work to bond one level of discourse to another – to â€Å"symbolize† the interests of cultural producers within the framework of wider policy development, and speak this language back to those producers. By the time Tony Blair’s New Labour came to power in 1997 in the U. K. the cultural industries had a well-built policy presence – it was here that consultants and policy makers had interpreted academic literature and practical illustrations into coherent policy possibilities. The narrative context for this was boosted by New Labor’s legitimizing of the cultural industries – and the term â€Å"creative† acceptable an argument about a benign combination of culture and economics to be placed at the level of personal potential and aspiration. Those in the sector could now distinguish themselves and others as â€Å"creatives† (Caves, 2000; Florida, 2002). At the same time the cultural industries also became a U. K. policy export, with consultants – and now academics – being asked by many European cities to advice on culture as a motor of economic development. Though, the interaction of these policy intermediaries with extremely different contexts destined that the work of definition had to be done over, and as such the narratives spelled out more evidently. Often this was not easy as the cultural (and by now â€Å"creative†) industry discourse was linked with Blair’s â€Å"Third Way,† or with some Anglo-U. S. assault on a European cultural policy consent. Certainly it was quite clear that a shift in discourse would challenge recognized policy consensus. The terminology itself brought fresh problems; whereas the U. K. can use â€Å"industry† almost interchangeably with â€Å"economic sector,† elsewhere it evokes factory production (O’Connor, 2000b). Cultural enterprise or cultural business frequently had to supplement the main term. In fact â€Å"cultural industries† became greatly an imported neologism, given in the English original and then explained (O’Connor, 1999a). How the term and the arguments are used and reconfigured depends on the local context. But if it was usually seen as an argument concerning a new relationship between culture and economics, how this relationship was understood could be extremely different, as could too the outcomes envisioned and the groups who picked up the ideas. Policy makers used it to drive diverse agendas – job creation, urban regeneration, the commercialization of subsidized culture, emerging new media industries, creating employment, retaining talent, etc. But cultural producers also reacted in different ways – some seeing it as a new set of opportunities, others as the thin end of a precarious wedge. â€Å"The perceptions that the creative industries are open to talent, and are indeed dependent on diverse talent, have also been somewhat optimistic† . It must be clear then that in working to construct a new policy object, and in efforting to shift discourses around culture towards economics – with the provision that economics too is moving towards culture, the cultural industries discourse rallies a narrative to strengthen its policy goals. These narratives become more obvious when the discourse enters a new framework – it has to justify itself and make its arguments obvious not simply as technical policy tools but as concerned with the primary direction and meaning of modern culture.

Culture of the Nacirema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture of the Nacirema - Essay Example I personally have not read about any case studies of "primitive" people who are so economically-minded, and a well-developed market system like this is proof for me of how civilized the Nacirema are. A second positive aspect is how well-knit the families are. Every house has a shrine where they cleanse their bodies and everyone enters this room "in succession" (Miner, n.d). Parents openly discuss purification rites with the children (Miner, n.d) and see it of utmost importance to initiate their children. The entire family has a common pursuit, desire to purify the body, which keeps them connected to each other. A third positive aspect is the fact that they put a lot of emphasis in cleansing and purifying the body. They are obsessed with hygiene and appearance, and I find it interesting that they share the belief that most people in developed, modern societies have, that good appearance have an effect on "social relationships," (Miner, n.d). This makes sense since I myself would not b e attracted to people who are unclean and dirty. A fourth positive aspect of the Nacirema is how they have a "listener", who for me is the equivalent of a psychotherapist. The listener simply listens to what his clients tell him about their problems (Miner, n.d). Lastly, it's interesting to see how the entire Nacirema society is neatly distinguished into different social roles; there are medicine men, herbalists, mouth men for example, and they are all highly trained in their own professions. Â  One negative aspect of the Nacirema is that they are a greedy people; they desire gifts at every service rendered and people are not entered into the latipso shrines for treatment if they cannot afford a gift to the healers, no matter how ill they are (Miner, n.d).

Breaking The Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Breaking The Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy - Essay Example Programs related to reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy will be examined along with their effectiveness. Based on the analysis of all the data collected and programs to in place recommendations for needed programming will be discussed. Alternate options available to preganant teens will be discussed as well. A million teenÐ °ge women become pregnÐ °nt in the United StÐ °tes every yeÐ °r, the vÐ °st mÐ °jority unintentionÐ °lly. Ð lthough the rÐ °te of teenÐ °ge pregnÐ °ncy hÐ °s increÐ °sed drÐ °mÐ °ticÐ °lly Ð °mong Ð °ll teens since the eÐ °rly 1970s, Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly Ð °ctive Ð °dolescents, pregnÐ °ncy rÐ °tes hÐ °ve Ð °ctuÐ °lly decreÐ °sed 19% over the lÐ °st two decÐ °des. This decline in pregnÐ °ncy Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly Ð °ctive teens is due in lÐ °rge pÐ °rt to better use of contrÐ °ceptives. Recent estimÐ °tes show thÐ °t Ð °pproximÐ °tely 12% of Ð °ll teenÐ °ge girls (Ð °ged 15-19) become pregnÐ °nt eÐ °ch yeÐ °r, whereÐ °s 21% of those who hÐ °ve hÐ °d sexuÐ °l intercourse (Ð °ged 15-19) become pregnÐ °nt Ð °nnuÐ °lly (Ð lÐ °n GuttmÐ °cher Institute, 2003). RegÐ °rding births resulting from teenÐ °ge pregnÐ °ncies, the percentÐ °ge of teenÐ °ge women who gÐ °ve birth rose Ð °lmost 19% from 2000 to 2002 (the lÐ °st yeÐ °r for which stÐ °tistics Ð °re currently Ð °vÐ °ilÐ °ble; Ð lÐ °n GuttmÐ °cher Institute, 2003). The Ð °bortion rÐ °te Ð °mong teens hÐ °s remÐ °ined fÐ °irly stÐ °ble since the lÐ °te 1970s, with Ð °pproximÐ °tely 43 teens per 1,000 opting for Ð °bortion. However, over thÐ °t sÐ °me time period, Ð °bortion rÐ °tes hÐ °ve declined steÐ °dily Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly experienced Ð °dolescent women, both becÐ °use Ð ° lower proportion of teenÐ °gers becÐ °me pregnÐ °nt Ð °nd becÐ °use Ð ° lower proportion of pregnÐ °nt teenÐ °gers choose to hÐ °ve Ð °n Ð °bortion. RÐ °ciÐ °l differences exist in both the prevÐ °lence of Ð °dolescent pregnÐ °ncy Ð °nd Ð °dolescent childbeÐ °ring. For exÐ °mple, BlÐ °ck teenÐ °gers hÐ °ve historicÐ °lly hÐ °d Ð ° higher pregnÐ °ncy rÐ °te thÐ °n their HispÐ °nic Ð °nd White peers: 19% of Ð °ll BlÐ °ck

Second Language Aquisition and Perceptions of Native Language by Essay

Second Language Aquisition and Perceptions of Native Language by Foreign Students in UK Colleges - Essay Example Foreign students of English in the UK may feel particularly overwhelmed as they learn what is now the global language in its birthplace. Feelings of embarrassment over their accent and unfavorable comparisons with their own language could come into play in such a setting. The purpose of my study will be to investigate these comparisons and to find out to what extent it affects the performance of foreign students in UK Colleges. Learning a second language in young adulthood, as compared to any other age, has as many advantages as disadvantages. Young adults according to Clyne (2006) possess a distinct advantage in comparison to children in that they are better able "to achieve an analytical understanding of the new language being studied, while children can only reason about language in relatively concrete terms. Adolescents can add a child-like willingness to experiment and play with language to this capacity for metalinguistic awareness, and so they become the speediest second language learners" (P. 2). Despite these advantages it can be argued that psychological factors often outweigh mental preparedness, depending on the case. Problems with motivation and anxiety that young adults often face can impede even the brightest of students from reaching their academic goals. Anxiety surrounding language learni... Phillips claims, "Although many variables may interact to affect language learning, foreign language anxiety should be of considerable concern to language educators and students because of its potential impact not only on performance on oral tests, but also on students' affective reactions, hence their attitudes toward language learning in general" (P. 14). If a foreign student is having troubles with or doubts about the culture they are immersed in they may not feel comfortable speaking with those who are a part of this culture. This could result in the anxiety levels of foreign students building with few outlets for relief. 2. Motivation Motivation is key to success in education. If a student is not motivated they will most probably not be successful in their studies. Green (1993) believes that there are two levels of motivation in language learning. One level is cognitive linguistic which is brought out in formal language-learning situations. The second is cultural linguistic which is brought out in the environment outside of the classroom when the student is driven by what he calls instrumental and integrative motivation. Instrumental motivation comes from such forces as employment, promotions and academic success while integrative motivation comes from positive perceptions of the target-language culture and its peoples (p. 3). Green believes that, "integrative motivation might best be redefined as a force potential in any environment conducive to second-language acquisition, while acknowledging that it could equally well be viewed in universal, nonlinguistic terms as the drive for acceptance and security to bring a sense of belonging to a particular community (p.

The film Circus as directed by Grigori Aleksandrov Essay

The film Circus as directed by Grigori Aleksandrov - Essay Example The jealous master eavesdrops in the conversation through a window and the acrobat goes to find out, only for them to stares at each other in utter disdain before the window is covered in snow. First, the camera illuminates the fast movement then the beating, and suddenly the shift to the ground as the woman falls. The angle at which the camera is held clearly brings out the movements at the stage and with absolute clarity. An aerial view in this scene was picked to show the woman on the ground and a direct view was also presented to highlight the actors. Tilting the camera from sideways has also been achieved well. The initial impact of the scene is to portray the social treatment of women in the Soviet Union. It brings out the disdain to the certain classes of people by their superior counterparts. The scene brings out social classification in the Soviet and how different races were regarded with contempt in that era. The scene is an integral part to the film as a whole and clearly elucidates the shift from social discrimination to integration. It is important to the plot and characterization of the film both as a comedy and as harsh and cool characters are both outlined clearly to the theme. The shots are clears and the mono lighting is well contracted such that actors are brought out. The sound is not too loud and the pitch is well modulated such that the singers use a crescendo when necessary. The wailing of the child and the singing are well to create a proper scene.

Redevelopment of Ratho Station Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Redevelopment of Ratho Station - Essay Example One such initiative is to link Ratho station region with BAA, Edinburgh. The components of transportation units proposed composed of combination of tram network supported by cycle ways and car ways. Also, the main access to the Ratho station road cannot presently accommodate huge impact. As a result, it is proposed to construct new road which will link the new road to the Glasgow road. Further, to regulate the traffic flow would be by using separate lanes for both entry into the station and also for exist from the station. This one way network would consist of the proposed road to the station to carry vehicles towards the station and the exist and the station road for those moving out of the station. Installation of proper road signs and display boards , road markings and clear way signs all need to be indicated properly. Also, the display signs shall also incorporate better reflective type of materials to improve visibility in the case of winter and foggy days. The thrust for sustainable development initiatives in the Ratho region have forced the authorities to consider different policies that limit the public using large number of private vehicles. This have forced the regional council to decide not to provide extended car parking facility at the station premises (Edinburgh, n.d.). Thus a few spaces need to be earmarked for the disabled for whom such facilities need to be appropriately provided. The best location identified for such cases is at the main entrance of the station itself. It is estimated that nearly 10 numbers of parking spaces shall be provided as the disabled car parking facility at the main Ratho station entrance. And, to easy movement of the disabled passengers from the parking space to the platform separate wide footway along with the ramp need to be constructed. Such facilities would make Ratho station to be accessed by all in the society without much difficulty. Public transportation The existing facilities for public transportation at the Ratho station region is very minimal. The service of the buses is limited to trip generated by single route available in the region. The prevailing route is the network lining Ratho village, Ratho station and Edinburgh Airport. Thus the initiative to reduce private vehicles also makes the administration to look for increased number of public buses along these routes. Another recommendation being presented to the change the trip frequency to 10 to 15 minutes as a result of which better comfort for public would be experienced. Another major development in connection with the public transportation facility is implementing effective tram network in Ratho region. The major drawback often stated against the trams are its very low travel speed and the obstructions caused by their overhead wires. Thus a concept of underground tram network is mooted in the planning discussions. The route proposed as part of the development initiative w ould start from north side of Ratho station. It would then run parallel to the entry road and later separate to move beneath the Glasgow road through the tunnel. The tram way extends further along the Glasgow road and continues up the airport and finally closes at the new tram station. As large number of heavy vehicles are also expected to pass this region necessary facilities are also

Organisational Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organisational Culture - Essay Example This is evident in the fact that the staff called each other by their first names, and the doctors were called by their first names, except in the presence of patients. However there was a change in the organizational structure and this brought about a change in the culture in East Neasden Dietary department. After the organizational change in the dietary department, the culture in East Neasden dietary department was more of an organizational structure containing line managers with overall executive authority. This new organizational culture provided a mechanism for control and command of the organization's performance "which had previously been dissipated among the clinical, administrative, nursing, paramedical and support groups responsible for delivering healthcare services." (Marlow, Nigel) During the organizational changes in the East Neasden dietary department, the new management attempted to use Mcdonaldisation, which is a method of gearing an organization toward maximization. The setback of this method is that efficiency suffers, because workers would tend to be judged by how fast they work, and not by the quality of their work. The new management tried to achieve Calculability, Predictability and Control by eliminating emotion because it was felt that emotions cause inefficiency. The new leadership also wanted to be able to achieve Control and Predictability in the organization. Inner change and Depth Have the declared objectives of a system approach been met' Are there additional benefits' U should also have to consider the usefulness of a system approach as a tool for a practicing manager. In order for organizational change to become deeper institutional change, the inner dimension of the organization must be mapped. The outcome of this mapping is often novel strategies for transformation. This inner, deeper dimension, however, to successfully lead to long term measurable and observable outcomes must be linked to the litany of the organization (its official self-image), the system of the organization (what it does, how it rewards, its subsystems) its worldview (its culture and the ideologies of stakeholders), and finally its unconscious myths. Thus the deeper story, or myth, guiding metaphor needs to link to its more superficial dimensions. (Inayatullah, Sohail from http://www.metafuture.org/Articles/from_organizational_institutional_change2.htm) Control issues Control systems are designed to avoid misleading measurements, collect relevant information, and to distinguish between the levels of control in an organization. The rational technical model of strategic control suggests that if people are given enough information, they will be able to remedy the variance, based on trial and error. Political behavior "often develops before or during organizational change, when what is in the best interests of one group or subunit is perceived by another group to be counter to its best interests." (Klein 1976). It can therefore be said that ay major strategic change elicits overt political behavior and does require considerable political savvy by a strategist for it to become accepted by members of the organization undergoing change. References Klein (1976) Marlow, Nigel. East Neasden: Efficiency in a unit of

Carminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Carminal justice - Essay Example Therefore with the proper implementation and monitoring in place, we can project similar successes. Federal Bureau of Investigation figures on persons under 18 years of age arrested in the United States reflect a marginal (13%) decline from 1998 to 2002. Additionally in the 33 indices which are used to categorize criminal activity, the FBI figures reflect an appreciable decline in 27 indices, an increase in 5 areas and zero change in only one indices. The per capita crime rate for persons under 18 years of age in the United States decreased by 1% from 1998 to 2002.1 Albeit we have not yet turned the corner in ameliorating juvenile crime; these numbers represent light at the end of a long dark tunnel. For instance, on a national level From 1988 to 1992, the number of juveniles involved in aggravated assault increased 80 per cent to 77,900; the number involved in robberies went up 52 percent to 32,900, and the number involved in rapes rose 27 per cent.2 In the FBI figures presented in this proposal covering the period from 1998 – 2002, aggravated assault declined to 61,600 in 2002, or 21% since 1992. Also robberies declined to 24,500 in 2002, or25% from 1992. Although we are witnessing a downturn in the aggregate numbers, now is not the time to become complacent or satisfied with this trend. Of the 2, 261,000 arrests in 2002, 92,160 were violent crimes, of which 1,360 were murders, 4,720 were forcible rapes and 61,600 were aggravated assault.3 Crime has seriously affected teenagers’ lives, especially those who live in neighborhoods seriously hurt by crime, drugs and gangs. The effects are insidious and long-standing. Reports of juvenile crime dropping are of little consequence in light of the coming demographic surge of juveniles in their crime prone years from dysfunctional families. â€Å"How to deal with the Youth Crime Wave,† is an article written by professor dysfunctional families are committing murder,

Eastern and Western Medicine Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eastern and Western Medicine - Article Example Western medicine works with the concept of performing different diagnostic tests for detecting pathologies. On the other hand the eastern medicine practitioner would rather check the patient’s pulse, observe the patient’s tongue looking at its shape and color to reach to his conclusion. After finding out the cause and the pathology, the western medicine doctor would prescribe medicine or opt for surgery. The eastern medicine has an entirely different way. According to their view there is a substance known as ‘Qi’ which flows through special channels in the human body. Insertion of needles at these channels affects the flow. This method of inserting needles is used for altering the flow of Qi to organs of the body and different muscles and it is via this way that they treat ailments. This procedure is specifically known as acupuncture. The eastern medicine also uses naturally occurring herbs for its treatment purposes. If a patient is brought in an emergency after an accident eastern medicine is not much effective for him because the patient needs immediate treatment along with blood transfusion if he has had severe blood loss. Doing acupuncture on such a patient would not be a very good step. But for patients who suffer from depression, fatigue and frequent headaches, eastern medicine proves to be very helpful. The reason is that it works more effectively and quickly in such cases whereas western medicine in these cases would delay the process and they have side effects as well. Thus recurrent headaches and other such diseases which require continuous medications should be treated with acupuncture in order to avoid the side effects of the drugs. Athletes also take the benefit of eastern medicine because of its quick response in treating muscle aches by using acupuncture. Chemotherapy for cancer along with acupuncture also is effective to reduce the side effects of the processes. Certain diseases  which have been signified as idiopat hic that is without any underlying reason such as fatigue syndrome can also be treated with acupuncture. But for acute conditions such as acute appendicitis surgery hence western medicine is the only option.

An Inconvineint Truth Al Gore Essay Example for Free

An Inconvineint Truth Al Gore Essay The subject of global warming has been debated for years. Factories, power stations and vehicles produce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases trap warm air in the atmosphere. Most climate scientists believe these gases are responsible, at least in part, for temperature increases on Earth. The debate centers on the extent to which greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming. In the movie, Al Gore reports about the sharp increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the last fifty years. He compares countries around the world and their share of carbon dioxide releases. He also shows a similar increase in the Earth’s temperature. He shows melting glaciers and huge pieces of ice crashing into the ocean. He provides biological examples of global warming. He shows tropical animals, plants and diseases on the move northward as temperatures increase. And he shows a model of rising sea levels spreading over southern Florida, parts of India, Africa and other areas in the world. He also discusses the population explosion in the world and its increasing problems for the planet. Its not about forcing my ideas on any other person. These nouns refer to the quality of being in accord with fact or reality. Truth is a comprehensive term that in all of its nuances implies accuracy and honesty: We seek the truth, and will endure the consequences Charles Seymour. Veracity is adherence to the truth: Veracity is the heart of morality Thomas H. Huxley. Verity often applies to an enduring or repeatedly demonstrated truth: beliefs that were accepted as eternal verities James Harvey Robinson. Verisimilitude is the quality of having the appearance of truth or reality: merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative W. S. Gilbert. If youll notice that when talking about any issue, whether it the social science behind pakistani bitterness in the uk to world relief and reasons behind hunger, that people will pipe in with some uneducated negative reply. The natural reaction of course to the truth is one of disdain, hatred and denial because of the various biases and prejudices inherit within each person. Case in point, when I once mentioned racism and classicism in England which kept in line with some of the comments about why some pakistanis decided to bomb a few trains in london. And I talked about the anguish and feelings from within the pakistani community and how the bitterness has resulted in very mixed feelings towards the english and, indeed, the west. All of which was taken from notable sources and books written by social scientists. Many of commentors then went on to speak about their own personal experiences, or simply to deny that any form of racism against pakistanis exists in the uk, and some have even gone to lengths at describing the fact that some minorities are also prejudice and do injustice. The problem here is that while all these things may be true to a degree it takes away from the initial conversation and evaluation of how true racism and classicism has led to pakistani/muslim bitterness in the UK. This type of denial also places a hold on extending the conversation towards the bitterness of the Israel/palestinian conflict and the Iraqi war which may have also played a role in the suicide bombings and terrorist organizations within britain.. And so on and so forth. The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is. (winston churchill) thereby, an inconvenient truth is not suited to the comfort level of a certain individuals or groups definition of reality. Although it may, indeed, still be a fact!

Most Important Digital Device We Own Information Technology Essay

Most Important Digital Device We Own Information Technology Essay The one thing that constant in this world is change. Change happens everywhere. Information technologies and the system are changing day by day. The new technologies are faster, reliable and accurate than the previous time. The scope of Information management system is increasingly becoming wider. In business field, people are giving interest to paper-less and automated work rather than manual work. Recent developments in mobile technologies have produced a new kind of device: Smart phones. Smart phones are, simply, programmable mobile phones, which supports subtle control over the events taking place in the mobile phones. The main characteristics of these Smart phones are their relatively sophisticated sensing capabilities, storage limit and built-in networking, local and remote data transfer, and so on. Can Smart phones be the most reliable, faster and successful in future? people are giving a lot of concerns about the Smart phones. The trend of mobile banking, bill payment and access of internet and so forth are changing. People are choosing mobile phones rather than paying manually to pay the bills and dues. Transferring funds and bills payment can be done by just making confirm over the smart phones. The access to the internet and the supports of the operating system in smart phones is making significantly different in services. The objectives on the reliability and effectiveness of the Smart phones are as follows: The speed and supports on internet access must be faster enough. Fully control mechanism supports with sensing capability, and storage capacity of the phones needs to be higher. User friendly to access the domain of data in real time. It should fully support Data protection and security of the users information. Up to date with the technologies, operating system and updates. Critical analysis: One of the important aspects of the smart phones is data security and privacy of the users information. They are likely to be successful in future but some of the limitations do not leave it to be perfection in future. In past history, there are a lot of examples that the smart phones were hacked by the hacker and the reveal of the information being occurred. These can create serious problem for the users. Another issue is flexible control. As full-fledged computer, smart phones, generally programmable to actively interact with subjects, record, data and communication should be able to send this information back to the users in real time. We can be sure that the development in smart phone technology will improve the way of doing things easier, effective and reliable. The smart phones will replace previously employed methods such as beepers, diaries, and other valuable devices. The connection to the server and the access to the internet need to be secured. Generally, the misuse of data can be harmful to the users, the security of the information and avoiding of unauthorized explore of information have to be minimized. Application: Smart Phones can be said that a combination of cell phones and personal digital assistant (PDA). It facilitates to make telephone calls, but also adds in feature that might find on a personal digital assistant. Some of the key features in smart phones are operating system, software, web access, QWERTY keyboard and messaging. (Cassavoy, 2010) Generally Smartphone based on operating system completely different than normal cell phones. For example BlackBerry Smartphone runs BlackBerry OS, and other devices use Palm OS, Windows Mobile and so on. The another feature, software in Smartphone allows user to do more function than the cell phone like creating, editing Microsoft office document, downloading documents, editing photos and driving direction via GPS, creating playlist of digital tunes. In addition, Smartphone allows accessing the web at higher speed. The addition of Wi-Fi is really a smart feature in Smartphone. The QWERTY keyboard in Smartphone is another attractive feature. User can use keyboard as in his/her own PCs and Laptop. All cell phones can send and receive text message, but what makes a Smartphone apart is its handling of e-mail. It can sync with personal and sometimes, professional e-mail account. (Cassavoy, 2010) The main reason that Smartphone becoming a popular device is because of greater functionality is built-in, Smartphones can do things much more quickly than the normal cell phones and personal digital assistant (PDA) . Some of the benefits of Smartphone are as follows: Stay connected: The main advantage of the having Smartphone is mobile access to the internet using Wi-Fi or cellular network. This also helps to keep the user connected with the social networks. It also provides the internet search engine to get useful information from internet. (Mark, 2010) Keep in touch: Smartphone is helpful in many ways. Users can receive, read and reply email instantly. It helps the users to be in touch. (Mark, 2010) Get organized: Another important feature of the Smartphone is it helps to be organized such as a personal digital assistant does. Powerful memory capacity and High speed processor makes Smartphone equipped with an address, book, calendar, calculator, voice recorder and note pad that helps in users personal and professional life run smoothly. (Mark, 2010) Business: Users are able to work outside of their office with the help of Smartphone. Generally Smartphone have word processing capabilities, spreadsheet and database programs. This will help the users professional business life. (Mark, 2010) Some other advantages are as below: Smartphone can function as personal organisers, with electronic version of diaries, contact list and reminders. (is4profit, 2010) User can enjoy flexible working environment. Its like taking notes, reviewing and editing appointments, contact and important documents, all while users are on the move. (is4profit, 2010) It allows information sharing. More data can be received and transmitted via Smartphone such as e-mail attachments or data files from websites. (is4profit, 2010) The greater functionality; now user can use cameras with immediate snap and send functionality. A remote user can send MMS or share photograph with others immediately. (is4profit, 2010) Faster communication: Web access is quicker in Smartphone than in previous device. It is very easy to access e-mail and information from the internet.(is4profit, 2010) Analysis and Conclusion: The costumers expectation is rising day by day about Smartphone, todays Smartphone user expects a device to not only offer leading hardware and software function, but need to be more customizable than ever before, through availability of downloadable mobile application varieties. (Byrne, 2010) Most cell phone users were pleased with clear voice calls, texting and games before the mobile phones became smart. The users didnt expect availability of 3G/ 4G web, 1 Ghz speed of processors, high definition video, social networking GPS map, higher megapixel cameras, high quality sound, mobile application and high resolution screen. Now most of these features are in Smartphone like iPhone, BlackBerry etc. (MobileBeyond, 2010) Smartphone are important for consumers as well as to IT professionals. The internet world is moving from web 2.0 to web 3.0, the Integration of all the media internet access by mobile device will be grown up. In Appearance, Smartphone are small and environmentally friendly and it is because they require less energy and less raw material consumption. There is high possibility of Smartphone used in information economy by IT professional. (Horton, 2009) The competition is increasing day by day and the people are demanding Smartphone at the lowest price. Companies are fighting for higher market share. So it can be clearly analysed the Smartphone will be the one thing that almost every people will have in future. However, the satisfaction using Smartphone will only improve if mobile companies bring out hardware and software application that perform flawlessly and provide best value and choice. (MobileBeyond, 2010) In conclusion, the advance features, the capabilities of the Smartphone, and the growing demand bring them to one of the popular digital devices almost people will have. Question 2: Evaluate the role of e-commerce and web 2.0 technologies in eBays and Amazons increased popularity? E-commerce is growing rapidly nowadays. The transaction of business and trade are going online rather than manual one. Most of the buyer looks internet at a glance when he/she feels to shop. The internet trend for business or say e-commerce is thus becoming more popular. Ebay and Amazon are becoming one of the frequently used methods in e-commerce trend. These two methods of e-commerce are different in nature but somehow they are similar in dealing business operation. Both of them are using e-commerce and web 2.0 technologies. (CommunicateBetter, 2009) Web 2.0 technology and the e-commerce are very much important for the eBay and Amazon. Before that the difference between the eBay and Amazon also play a vital role in buyers mind. eBay are better option than Amazon for some field where as Amazon also better in some other fields. Generally we can find auction sale on eBay where the price can be bargained among the buyer and seller where as the Amazon is fixed in price of the product it offers. The bargaining option is not available in Amazon. (CommunicateBetter, 2009) Web 2.0 is a trend that promote around using interactive, community-driven sites for information sharing, networking among users. For instance, blogs and wikis along with Digg, Reddit. Customers are now able to interact with the business organization which enhance the companys succession. Now Web 2.0 is removing the dull, static websites in previous time. Customer can play active role, they can interact with the website content and get involved in ways that were not possible in previous time. (CommunicateBetter, 2009) The Role of E- commerce: Web 2.0 feature in e-commerce are the advantageous for Amazon and eBay. This provides free blogging application that can be considered as web 2.0 pioneers and they are free of charge. Another important role is multimedia support, where the rich feature can be incorporated to enhance the customer experience such as Flash and Silverlight. The core of Web 2.0 is social networking, e-commerce host the features such as chat scripts and bulletin boards enhance to create a community environment. (CommunicateBetter, 2009) Revolutionary changes are happening in online environment. New web technologies are giving a better interactive shopping experience on buyers side. With the advancement, Web 2.0 is offering a good perception among the customers. The business has only two options, either they have to meet the growing expectation or they have to lose them to another site. (Fry, 2011) The Web 2.0 supports the high level of interaction on web site and similarly the buyer also expect the same level of interaction when they go shopping online. There has been occurred fundamental changes in measuring, the tracker or say analyst start to measure its effectiveness in terms of time spent on the web rather than just the traditional count of page views. Web pages are relying on AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) technology, this offers to streaming media to serve new content without reloading individual web pages. This changes in web technology is altering the way of online shopping. Almost, none of the customer want to wait for the next page to load after click, they want single-page browsing and checkout process that ultimately saves time, reduces frustration and shopping cart abandonment. (Fry, 2011) In Web 2.0 technology the AJAX technology pulls relevant data forward flawlessly and helps them to smooth, consistent view and interaction. This can also help the customer to select the items frequently viewed, to view user generated reviews, product demonstration, assembling and tagging product with additional keywords. (Fry, 2011) .The web 2.0 is also offering pairing items from different brands and company. For example a buyer can now look to pair up similar items from different brands and sites. Similarly in Amazon, they are also able to help the customer to add their product in wish list and after that they can add to the basket so that the targeted product can be come up with details and can be easily found remaining on the same web page. (Fry, 2011) We cannot neglect the E-commerce aspect while talking about the Amazon and eBay. Not only the web 2.0 is important for the eBay and Amazon but also the role of E-commerce arise equally. The order acquisition, transaction of payment, delivery of the product in internet is the E-commerce. The Amazon seller must use Amazon payments to accept the payment. Amazon collects the payment made by the buyer and deposits it into bank, where as eBay use different payment method to make transaction deal. Such as Pay pal. (Bromley, 2010) Amazon and eBay, both are using Web 2.0 version technology on their sites. eBay provides different photo view of the product as well as the animation of the product feature to attract its customer but in Amazon, only few photos are available to its customer because they want to make sure their customer that they do business in reality for that if the ordered product is different and goes wrong they provide return policy to their customer. (Bromley, 2010) Conclusion: The role of Web 2.0 and E-commerce in Amazon and eBay is very crucial to their succession and popularity. The trend of online business (e-commerce) and latest web technology (web 2.0) is one of the important aspects of the business environment. To survive in global intense competition the business has to cope with the E-commerce and has to prepare online strategy. Hence, the e-commerce and web 2.0 technologies are one of most important reason for the success of Amazon and eBay business.

Platos Apology Essay -- Apology by Plato

Plato's Apology Plato’s Apology is the story of the trial of Socrates, the charges brought against him and his maintaining of his own innocence throughout the process. At the onset of the trial, Socrates appears to challenging the charges, which included corrupting the youth, challenging belief in the gods that were accepted and reveled by the State, and introducing a new religious focus, but also belittles his own significance and suggesting that he will not attempt to disprove that he participated in the actions maintained by the court. In essence, Socrates appears almost self-effacing, and his defense surprises even his accuser, Meletus. But by the end of the Apology, Socrates becomes almost a different person, demonstrating his own value while refusing to beg for forgiveness even to save his own life. This view of Socrates presented by Plato demonstrates the difference between a man accused and a man condemned, and in the end, Socrates has nothing to lose by providing instructi on to the people through his remarks. At the onset of the trial, Socrates recognizes that the primary reason for the accusations are not that he himself did not have value or that he was instructing students in a way that had not happened in the past, but that circumstances surrounding the trial had led to the perception that men like Socrates were challenging the standards of government. Though Socrates suggests that his value for the State was unending through out the process, the fact that his teachings asked the youth to explore their values, their systems of thought, and to question authority was a significant problem for a sometimes wavering State. I think that it was right of Socrates to encourage the youth to think for th... ...h others can begin to understand his wisdom. Socrates suggests that if death is a journey where all must go, then he will simply take that journey, and at the end, spend his time assisting others in examining their lives. Socrates suggests not only that he accepts the outcome, but also that he himself will welcome the chance to do in death what he was condemned for in life. The completion of this sort of â€Å"examination† on the part of the few or the many is not possible. If a person or nation is to grow and move forward the process of self-examination will never be complete. The journey of â€Å"examination† in itself could provide the insight needed to make significant changes in today’s moral and political thinking. I think that Socrates â€Å"examination† leads to a scale of Christian ethical values that the United States and much of the world today is lacking.

The Native Perspective of Urban Education Essay -- Education

I. Introduction: This essay reports the state of urban and rural educational development in public schools, while also focusing on New Orleans public education system. In the literature, we explore factors both internal and exclusive as well as factors external and inclusive that contribute to the quandaries of K-12 education in America. To be clear public education as a whole is not in crisis. Children in more affluent school districts gain a comparative advantage over their impoverished peers because they have strong investments tied to the communities overall success. In turn, these children are able to go further with more resources readily available to them. However, children in less affluent school districts face serious educational shortcomings due to little investment in the beggared communities surrounding the school. It is more accurate to say that America has two systems of public education. The first system, based principally, but not entirely in the suburbs of America and in wealthier urban districts, is in many respects mediocre, specifically in comparison to international peers in advanced industrial nations. However, the second system, based principally in poorer urban and rural areas, is an absolute failure; in which an exceeding number of students dropout well before high school graduation. An astounding number of students receive high school diplomas that do not certify academic confidence in basic subjects. An outstanding number of students are unprepared for the world of employment. An incredible number of students are unprepared to matriculate to institutions of higher education or advanced training. In this essay, I shall focus on the small yet significant aspect of this educational crisis bey... ...rs—not eliminated in all cases, but closed substantially in many cases. This is in part because a higher percentage of the expenditures in the poorer districts are now being picked up by the states. Likewise, the federal government also picks up expenditures through compensatory education programs. So while money matters, it is not the only thing that matters. School safety and discipline matter significantly. The quality of teachers matters considerably. Support from parents and the surrounding community matters radically. And a culture of learning matters drastically. Hence, all of those things must be attended to; at the same time, we must concentrate on the preexisting and remaining gaps in resources. This study points to the disparities of public education in historically poor minority communities and the steps necessary to address the issues. (Developing)

Treatment of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Essay -- Medic

This paper will critique a quantitative research study (Lesnecki, 2010) that examined influences of individuals that delayed seeking treatment during an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The article examined psychosocial and environmental influences that may have played a role for the period of AMI symptom onset to actually obtaining medical treatment. The research study will be reviewed looking at background, study purpose, design and methodology, data analysis, results, discussion, limitations, and applications for nursing practice. Background Lesnecki (2010) gave a brief literature review and described the magnitude of the problem with treatment delay in patients with AMI. She touched on the prevalence of treatment delay in the United States, â€Å"310,000 people a year die of coronary heart disease in an emergency department or before reaching a hospital† (p. 185). Other research was highlighted that linked the variables of age, gender, and race to a delay in seeking treatment when having an AMI. The author discussed the importance for this type of research and emphasized â€Å"to preserve heart muscle, time is crucial† (p. 185). The author hoped to discover additional variables that could help nurses educate the public to seek prompt medical treatment when having AMI symptoms. Purpose The researcher (Lesnecki, 2010) clearly stated the purpose of the study to â€Å"identify cognitive, social, and emotional influences of individuals delaying treatment when having symptoms of an AMI† (p. 186). Variables proposed to be related to delay in seeking treatment were closely examined and the amount of influence the variables had in relation to that decision, made by the patient, were considered. Method Design ... ...d practice (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders. Burns, N. & Groves, S. K. (2009). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (6th ed.). St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier. Dracup, K. & Moser, D. K. (1997). Beyond sociodemographics: Factors influencing the decision to seek treatment for symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Heart & Lung, 26(4), 253-262. du Prel, J. B., Hommel, G., Rohrig, B., & Blettner, M. (2009). Confidence interval or p-value? Deutsches Arzteblatt International, 106(19), 335-339. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2009.0335 Knapp, T. R. (1998). Quantitative nursing research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Lesnecki, L. (2010, November). Factors influencing treatment delay for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Applied Nursing Research, 23(4), 185-190. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2008.09.004

Organizational Behavior Final Project

LIU MBA Students for the North Shore Animal League Organizational Behavior For the group project our group chose option A, to design and implement a community service project. We chose to help the North Shore Animal League based in Port Washington, New York. We think this is an important charity to help because the organization receives no federal funding and relies solely on donations from the public. North Shore Animal league is one of the largest no-kill shelters and they have saved close to 1 million cats, dogs, kittens and puppies to date.After our initial meeting in class we brainstormed some ideas on how to fundraise via e-mail. We decided to do a combination of things to raise money for the North Shore Animal League. First, to spread the word, we created a Facebook page to share our project with our friends, family and acquaintances. The page is also viewable to friends-of-friends so it reaches a wide scope of people. The page tells the viewer about the league and our project ; the page features pictures and a link to a fundraising website.The fundraising website was created through North Shore Animal League and gives viewers the opportunity to donate using a credit card. These donations go directly to the league and are tracked through the website. We tried talking to the campus bookstore to see if they would donate some merchandise we could then sell for the cause, but they were unable to. We decided to purchase some snacks in bulk from Costco to sell to raise money. We made the decisions to target a highly populated area with a large amount of foot traffic, in order to reach the most people.Therefore, we orchestrated a fundraising day in Flushing and Hunter’s Point where we passed out fliers, collected donations, and sold the snacks. To reach a larger scope of people, we talked with a local pet store, located in Northport, and they allowed us to set up a table and solicit donations for the league from customers go in and out of the store. We th ought this was a good location because we would likely be reaching animal lovers who would be sympathetic to our cause and therefore more likely to contribute. We also distributed fliers while at the pet store, which included the address for our undraising website so the customers could donate to the animal league when they got home. Psychological contract is defined as individual beliefs, shaped by the organization, regarding terms of an exchange agreement between individuals and their organization (Rousseau). According to the project's instructions, we have 400 points to split amongst the four group members. Our group's psychological contract is that as long as each group member attends each meeting, participates in the fundraising activities, and completes their share of the work equally, each group member will receive 100 of the 400 points.However, if someone cannot fulfill their share of the work, the other group members can deduct points from this member and add them to their own grade. The psychological contract depends on the trust between the group members. In our group we valued the promise to every member to share the work equally and did not violate our contract. Every member was able to express their opinion freely, if someone felt that a group member’s performance was lacking, they can talk openly with the other members and discuss redistributing the points.Our group's psychological contract could not be violated easily because we all wanted to share the work to ensure we got the best grade possible. Through the learning of psychological contract, we built a strong and efficient team. With an effective performance system and strong trust among our members, we reached great achievement. It is very important to figure out how you can motivate the members in a group since it will increase the productivity of the group. The four members in our group have different personalities and personal goal; therefore, the methods to motivate them are tot ally different.There is that minority which is challenged by opportunity and willing to work hard to achieve something (McClelland). For our project we all needed to be part of this minority because we had such limited time. In McClelland’s discussion of Motive A, he talks about setting â€Å"moderately difficult, but potentially achievable goals†¦ tasks to make them stretch themselves a little. † Our group decided early on to set a goal of raising $250, which we thought would be a good amount to strive for considering our time constraint.We found this amount to be difficult, but do-able. Something else McClelland discusses is how the nAch person is constantly spending their time thinking of how to do things better. Through trial and error we were able to figure out what worked for our group. For example, we had a not so successful day fundraising in Flushing, raising only $20 in about 4 hours, and were able to use this experience to find a better way to do this n ext time. The expectancy theory could be used to help outline how we made decisions on how to behave in our group.To begin, you can look at the concept of performance-outcome expectancy, which states every behavior has an associated reward or punishment. For example a group member could have chosen to sit back and let the other members perform, or could have chosen to make a genuine effort. The consequences are that we won’t receive the best grade and won’t raise the most money possible; or our group will flourish with everyone’s involvement. The concept of valence, the idea that each outcome has a specific worth to the individual was apparent as well.Luckily, we all want the some outcome, to raise the most money possible for the animal league and to be graded fairly by our peers, so this wasn’t an issue when it came to motivating our group. Lastly there is effort-performance expectancy, which states that every behavior has associated with it a certain pr obability of success. With this concept we all needed to understand that our efforts would be rewarded with donations. Once we started to receive donations we used this as motivation to get more.Ethical dilemmas are very complex for individuals, according to textbook, â€Å"the notion that its easy to be ethical assumes that individuals automatically know that they are facing ethical dilemma and that they should simply choose to do the right thing. † However, the definition of â€Å"doing right thing† may be different for different people, depending on their culture or background. In our project, we have two ethical dilemmas. First, are we going to donate the exact total amount of money we have raised to North Shore Animal League.The first spot we were collecting donations was in Flushing, where we explained our project to pedestrians and they were usually rude, impatient and less willing to listen to us. Because of this we decided to move to another spot, a park in Hu nters Point where the people were more patient. We collected 20 dollars in this spot, which is much more than we were able to collect in Flushing. We quickly saw that people in these two spots have different characteristics; the people in Hunters Point were more willing to trust us and believe that we were being ethical.The people in Hunters Point stopped and ask us about our project, and about our cause. The people in Hunters Point believed in the good side of people and were more willing to trust us and in return donate. The people who donated to us believed that every penny they were giving us was going to help the animals at North Shore Animal League, therefore, we cannot let them down and we have a responsibility to deliver all of the money we collect. The second dilemma is whether or not we should deduct the cost of the products we sold from the donations we collected.We bought Lays and Doritos for twenty cents per package and bottled water for sixty cents per bottle; we then sold the items for one dollar each. The person who bought the products could say that they should take back some money to compensate themselves for the cost of buying the items. In this case, it is a grey area. If the person does not request to get their money back, one could say they are a person who really cares about the cause they are raising money for. If they did ask to get some money back, one might say they are doing this activity just for a grade.Also, if the person who purchased the goods decided they wanted to be reimbursed, they could embellish the cost and get back more than they paid. This is similar to the activity we did in the classroom where employees were compensated for meals while out on the road. As long as the amount did not exceed eighty dollars per day, they would be reimbursed for food and they did not need to show receipts. In our case, people donated their money to us based on the idea that we will forward all of the money to the North Shore Animal League Our behavior was very important, as it dictated how others made judgments about us.As mentioned in the textbook, some factors of behavior include: tone of voice, body language, gestures and the words we say. People could be led to believe that we are a group of people doing good or committing fraud based on these factors. We found that certain things helped increase the level at which people trusted and believed we were doing good. Our image and the overall passion we conveyed were important factors to ensure other people’s trust us. People were more willing to trust us if we had an advertising board, Facebook website, and a donation website with the North Shore Animal League.Overall, we needed to appear as professional as possible to have the best results. People tend to doubt people they are not familiar with, especially in New York City; thus, we were able to gain their trust by conducting our project in a professional manner. The way we were asking people to make donatio n was also important. We needed to put our message in a way that conveyed the right meaning. It is not easy asking another person for money, people were less willing to donate if they felt they were not getting anything in return.We decided to sell something to deal with this issue, so we could make donors feel that they are donating to a worth cause while buying something. The way that we asked them was also important, if we said, â€Å"Excuse me, would you like to make a donation to support our program? † people usually walked right past us. However, if we said, â€Å"Excuse me, would you like to purchase a bottle of water or a bag of chips to support our program? † people would generally stop and listen to what we had to say. In this assignment, the ability to communicate across language barriers was key.Our group of four consisted of a male (Alex) and female (Danielle) from New York, a male from China (Yunjie), and a male from Taiwan (Wei). Alex and Danielle were u nable to speak any Chinese, and while Wei and Yunjie’s grasp of the English language was exceptional there were still times when communicating proved to be difficult. However, our group was able to continually overcome these communication barriers. For example, in situations where Wei was unable to understand certain English words, Yunjie would explain it to him in Chinese, and vice versa.Also, Alex and Danielle would try and clarify any confusing language by using the simplest English possible. By using the above-mentioned techniques our group was able to consistently overcome any language barriers and communicate effectively to achieve our goals. In addition to communicating across language barriers, our group was also faced with the challenge of communicating across cultures. This difference in cultures was most evident when the group attempted to raise funds for the North Shore Animal League by selling potato chips and water bottles in Flushing, Queens. In the U. S. selli ng lemonade on the street is almost considered a right of passage for many young children. Many American children take the idea of capitalism for granted, having been instilled with the idea of a free market economy from a young age. However, capitalism is not practiced throughout the world. Consequently, Wei and Yunjie had no prior experience selling goods to customers on the street. At first, because of their inexperience, Wei and Yunjie had a difficult time selling potato chips and water to customers. They were unable to reach out to customers and convey the fact that all of the proceeds from the sale would be going to charity.However, after being instructed on various selling techniques and following the example set by their fellow team members, Wei and Yunjie began reaching out to more and more customers. They fully embraced the fundraising concept and acquired the ability to effectively connect with customers to achieve our goals. Aside from highlighting our cultural differenc es, the fundraising experience in Queens also taught our group about the â€Å"Ladder of Inference†, as described by Rick Ross in his article The Ladder of Inference. While fundraising we noticed that many potential customers were extremely cautious about our group’s intentions.Many people did not believe that we were raising funds for the North Shore Animal League and instead thought that we would pocket the money for ourselves. People would take one look at our group and our surroundings and would automatically assume that we were â€Å"conning† them without actually taking the time to see what our true intentions were. This is an example of these potential customers climbing â€Å"The Ladder of Inference†. After we became aware of this we started to hand out fliers for the North Shore Animal League hoping that it would make our position more believable.While this did alleviate some customers concerns there were still many people who simply did not beli eve us. This was an extremely frustrating obstacle that was difficult to overcome. During a team meeting following our fundraising efforts we discussed how we could overcome this obstacle in the future. Our conclusion was that in order to establish trust with potential customers and thereby prevent them from negatively climbing â€Å"The Ladder of Inference† we must make ourselves appear more presentable and official.In the future we would dress in uniforms with nametags. In addition, we would apply for permits to fundraise on city grounds such as parks and playgrounds. It is our belief that by implementing these tactics we would gain the trust of potential customers and become more effective in our fundraising efforts. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we were unable to implement these changes, however, through this process we learned a great deal and can use this experience in our future endeavors. In our group there was not one decisive leader.We all needed to be lea ders; as we learned from our leadership discussion, leaders are generally the ones who are finding new ways to do things. We all needed to come up with ideas on how to fundraise, and needed to figure out how we could actually get it done. During our class lecture on leadership, we discussed characteristics that all great leaders appear to have. Characteristics that came up over and over again included determination, well liked, personable, persuasive, and someone who has a good support team.By working hard, and working together, we knew we would achieve the best results. As discussed in â€Å"Level 5 Leadership,† a good leader knows that the cause is bigger than them. We used this idea when fundraising; we couldn’t simply go through the motions just to get the grade. We needed to really care about the cause, as great leaders are generally passionate about what they are doing. This is why it was important for our group to visit the Animal League. We thought it would be good to see what they do first hand, and tour their facility.This was an enjoyable experience because we were able to see some of the animals that we are helping, and were able to use our visit as motivation to raise more money. Our group worked together extremely well. We kept in contact through e-mail, weekly meetings before class, and a group text message on our cell phones. Each member offered ideas on how go about the project. We freely critiqued each other’s ideas to find out what would work best for our group. We recognized each other’s strengths and weaknesses and assigned tasks for each group member accordingly. In total we raised $xxx.