Friday, December 27, 2019

Does Gender Affect Color Preference Essay - 1217 Words

Does Gender Affect Color Preference? Abstract The objective of this experiment was to determine if gender plays a role in color preference. In other words, do males actually prefer blue and green, while females favor pink or purple? This experiment was conducted by surveying ninety-six people, 48 males and 48 females, to complete a short survey. The survey asked them if they were color blind and whether they were male or female. They were then given five color cards (blue, green, pink, purple and yellow) and ordered the sample colors from their favorite to least favorite on a scale of 1-5. The hypothesis was that the majority of males would prefer blue, while females were evenly distributed between†¦show more content†¦(Hallock, 2003) People are exposed to color everyday, in every aspect of their lives. It has been suggested through studies done that most children under age five prefer bright, primary colors, such as red, blue, and yellow, more than any others. Not only age, but other factors such as ethnicity, personal history and gender affect our color preference. For example, while Americans brides choose to wear white for their wedding and black to funerals, Asians are just the opposite; choosing b lack on their wedding day and white for funerals. Professor Fisher, in 2004, said that color affects human beings in many ways, on both the conscious and subconscious levels, every day of our lives. As Professor Fisher stated, color affects us so many times a day, that often times we don’t even realized it’s happening. Think about all the things you have done today, that in someway involved color. For example, think of a stoplight and what each color on it means; without those colors we would not have the technology of a stoplight and therefore our everyday driving wouldn’t be quite as easy. Most people do not see color as simply the way something looks, however. They tend to associate certain colors with specific feelings, emotions and memories. (Dmitrieva) For instance, blue is most commonly associated with â€Å"feeling blue† meaning one feels upset or depressed, however, blue isShow MoreRelatedColor and Mood1595 Words   |  7 Pagesmanipulation of the color of questionnaire had no effect on mood. H owever, there was an effect of time of day on mood as well as an effect of gender on mood. The results did not support the main hypothesis that different colors would elicit different moods. Thus, this study found no support for the prediction that brighter colors would elicit positive moods, whereas less bright colors would elicit negative moods. These results do not support past research findings that brighter colors tend to elicitRead MoreInfluence Of Advertisement On Contemporary Society1436 Words   |  6 Pagesadvertisements. These advertisements affect us in shopping malls, while watching televisions as well as in food places. Advertising has enormous impact on us in shopping malls. Almost no trip to the mall has ever been complete without our eyes catching few banners promoting a brand’s product. Mostly these advertisements associate certain roles and colors with different genders. For example, in many advertisements pink color is often linked with girls while blue color is often used in boy’s outfit’s promotionsRead MoreEssay on Gender Stereotype: Gender in The Toy Store1417 Words   |  6 Pagesdepartment and noticing numerous diverse aisles. In one aisle, you encounter toys packaged in complementary and color triads colors that include building sets (such as â€Å"LEGO†, â€Å"LEGO Super Heroes†, and â€Å"Angry Birds†) and a wide selection of action figures—Spider Man, Transformers, The Dark Knight, Power Rangers, etc. In the next aisle, adjacent to the aisle with complementary and color triads colors, you find toys packaged in shades of pink and purp le. These toys range from â€Å"Hello Kitty† dolls to â€Å"BarbieRead MoreDevelopment Across the Life Span: Nature Versus Nurture Essay examples1666 Words   |  7 Pagesgenes. The Dominant genes determine which traits a person will have including skin color, eye color, hair color and things of that nature. Also temperament is well established at birth. Temperament can be defined as the behavioral characteristics that are fairly well established at birth, such as easy, difficult, and slow to warm up. But environmental factors play a role in social aspects of development, such as gender development. Take into example the Social Learning Theory. The social learning theoryRead MoreGender Is On Men, Woman, And The Rest Of Us By Kate Bornstein1377 Words   |  6 PagesIn her book â€Å"Gender Outlaw: On Men, Woman, and the Rest of us,† Kate Bornstein goes over a lot of the major issues regarding gender awareness and identity politics. She talks about the ideas of labeli ng ones self, understanding gender differences, how people view laws, behaviors, and the medical and scientific privilege that make transitioning challenging for a lot of people. Bornstein touches on many of the issues today that affect trans people. She includes poetry, pictures, quotes, essays, andRead MoreAnimal Mating And The Development Of Behavioral Characters1111 Words   |  5 Pageskeeping comparing their behavior to our own. The experiments of animal mating and the development of behavioral characters have been exposed to several preferences, especially gender. Feminists have argued the field of sociobiology, the scientific study of the biological aspects of social behavior in animals and humans, as an explanation of gender duties and the natural variances among the sexes. Such disbelief and fear is explicable, viewing science’s past of strengthening differences and philosophiesRead MoreHow Is Discrimination Different from Prejudice and Stereotyping?629 Words   |   3 Pages | | | | |Political correctness |Language or behaviors that does not offend particular groups of people | Part II Write a 150- to 250-word response to each of the following questions: †¢ How is discrimination different from prejudice and stereotyping? Discrimination differsRead MoreAffirmative Action Is Important For The Future Of The Diversified Generations Of America Essay1641 Words   |  7 Pages Affirmative Action In Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream Speech, he states â€Å"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character† for this reason affirmative action in higher education admission should alter for it creates a perpetual racial preference in admission. Affirmative action is controversial due its issue of whether the generation of today should pay for the past injustices done to certain ethnicities. It questions the constitutionalityRead MoreThe Issue Of Affirmative Action Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesMartin Luther King, in his I Have a Dream Speech, states â€Å"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character† for this reason affirmative action in higher education admission should be altered for it creates a perpetually racial preference in admission. Affirmative action is controversial due it s issue of whether the generation of today should pay for the past injustices done to certain ethnicities. It questions the constitutionalityRead MoreAffirmative Action And Its Effect On Society Essay1639 Words   |  7 PagesIn Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream Speech, he states â€Å"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character†, this appeals to the emotions that judging based on a person’s race is wrong. For this reason affirmative action in higher education admission should alter for it creates a perpetual racial preference in admission. Affirmative action is controversial due its issue of whether the generation of today should pay for the past injustices

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Always Running La Vida Loca - 807 Words

Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. Analysis By Gillian Husack Introduction Always Running is, essentially, a detailed memoir by Luis Rodriguez. Moreover, the author describes his sordid past as a gang member in Los Angeles during the 1960 s. As a consequence of residing in a gang, Rodriguez became involved in spontaneous acts of violence; for instance, accounts included rape, drug peddling, shootings, and multiple other reasons for arrests. But, the deciding factor that had made him feel the need to finish confessing his atrocities, was only after hearing that his son, Ramiro, had ‘rolled in’ with a local gang. Determined to warn his son of the hazardousness of gang association, Always Running features traumatizing depictions of true events set against the backdrop of the beggar streets of L.A. during the anti-establishment racial occurrence. Plot Development Rodrà ­guez began school at a disadvantage, being unable to speak English, as have many other tykes of Spanish-speaking background. â€Å"In those days there was no way to integrate the non-English-speaking children. So they just made it a crime to speak anything but English. If a Spanish word sneaked out . . . kids were often sent to the office to get swatted or to get detention. Teachers complained that maybe the children were saying bad things about them.† Thus Rodrà ­guez entered the conventional society as a social outcast, uncomfortable in the language of the ruling culture, and compelled to feelShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Luis Rodriguezs La Vida Loca1265 Words   |  6 Pagesbelonging, and protection. Gangbanging is a method gangsters use to get what they desire for instance, they commit violent acts, illegal activities, and terrorizing the community. La Vida Loca is a lifestyle gangsters live by to gangbang, to create havoc, to live life on the edge. Luis Rodriguez, author of â€Å"La Vida Loca: Two Generations of Gang Members†, is writing about his and his son’s gangbanging experiences. Rodriguez migrated from Mexico to Los Angeles at the age of 2, by the age of 12 he hadRead MoreAn Essay on Cause and Effect972 Words   |  4 Pages). (2000).  The Radiant Hour: Versions of Youth in American Culture. Exeter, England: University of Exeter Press. Retrieved January 5, 2012, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=112969308 Rodriguez, L. J. (1993).  Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A  (1st ed.). Willimantic, CT: Curbstone Press. Retrieved January 5, 2012, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=72501519 Shelden, R., Tracy, S., and Brown, W. (2004). Youth Gangs in American SocietyRead MoreJustice, Masculinity, And Race And Crime Essay1370 Words   |  6 Pagesthemselves mistreated because of their race, it actually motivates some of the men to become productive citizens. Another work that I have personally read myself and found to have similar characteristics is Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A by Luis J Rodriguez. Like Punished, Always Running is a book about a young Chicano gang member trying to survive the dangerous streets of East Los Angeles, he has witnessed gang violence, shootings, arrests all at a young age. Before long, the young boyRead MoreThe Psychological Effects Of Adolescent Substance Abuse1469 Words   |  6 Pagessubstance. The issues that alcohol abuse present for an adolescent far outweigh the issues that smoking pot or cigarettes does. I agree with some of the CDC’s suggested methods for curbing youth alcohol abuse. Summary Response: The book â€Å"Always Running: La Vida Loca† begins with Rodriguez recounting where his family came from, and what they used to do. He talks about his childhood and how it was very unstable because of constantly moving. Luis then talks about how he and his friends formed a gang calledRead MoreRacial Segregation Of Chicago And Explosive Gang Related Crime1671 Words   |  7 Pageshave all contributed to a proliferation of gangs in Los Angeles and Chicago. This proliferation has led to gang activities in both Los Angeles and Chicago school systems. Race and ethnicity have played a prominent role in gang violence. In Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A., Luis J. Rodriguez discussed how race was a factor in escalating interracial gang violence in the schools he attended. In Sharkey et al.’s research attempting to link homicide proximity and preschool performance, theyRead More Analysis of Los Vendidos and Exploitation of Mexican-Americans2471 W ords   |  10 Pages She quickly makes it apparent that she does not speak Spanish and does not even want to be know as a Chicana. She rejects her own ethnicity, which is one example of how she is a sell-out. In any instance of such widespread oppression there has always been people who attempt to hide or reject their own identity so that they might succeed or better survive in the environment of their oppressors. Many times the oppressed people are taught to feel shameful of their heritage because the racism is soRead MoreSummary Of There Running, La Vida Loca By Luis J. Rodriguez Essay1709 Words   |  7 Pagesseek connection to others. It is a desire so deeply entrenched in all human beings: no one wants to be lonely. Often in society, we are broken up into groups, those who have it all, and those who have nothing and those in the middle. In Always Running, La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez, we hear from an outcast of society, a young man so far removed fr om the opportunity this country promises. Rodriguez spent his formative years living a life of crime, drugs, and sex, completelyRead MoreLos Angeles And Chicago Angeles3155 Words   |  13 Pagesmentioned figures clearly indicate the severity of the gang related activity in the city of Los Angeles and the probability of being the victim of a gang related crime. Gang related association is a way of survival in Los Angeles. In Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez, a former Los Angeles gang member, he eloquently describes his accounts of gang violence based on his own personal experiences. Loyalty is a very important value in the gang culture and RodriguezRead MoreEssay about Gang Violence: Problem on the Rise1896 Words   |  8 Pagesare Mexican, Hispanic, or Latino. Their color to wear or represent is blue, therefore they will carry a blue rag with them most of the time. Tatoos they usually have are â€Å"south side†, the number 13, three dots (each dot stand for one word in â€Å"mi vida loca†), and when they have killed someone they will have a tear drop tattooed on the side of their eye. They will also use a rosary around there neck to show respect for god, but it is also something that represents the sureno gang in general. BloodsRead MoreWhy Juvenile Choose a Gang Lifestyle?1774 Words   |  8 Pagesvocal concerns that he relates to lower class culture. These values are embraced by many in the gang culture and would be a key to discovering why many join gangs but would also give a blue print to ending this vicious cycle. In the book, Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang days in L.A, the author recanted his days on the street as a gang member. The memoir encourages reviewers to think in socioeconomic frameworks, provoking discussions of poverty, unemployment, and other factors that give to the proliferation

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

International Management Borders and Cultures

Question: Discuss about the International Management for Borders and Cultures. Answer: Introduction This essay is framed to enhance learning and knowledge about business ethics in marketing. In general, the ethics in marketing refers to principles or code of conduct, which every marketer and business entity has to follow. The essay provides the types of marketing ethics and their relevance in business. The essay will critically evaluate the significance of ethics principles and ethical values of marketing for sustainable business growth and success of an organization. Harvey Norman and McDonald are the two organizations that are selected in this essay for understanding ethical issues faced by business firms in marketing. This would be helpful to understand practical relevance of marketing ethics in corporate sector. Ethics in Marketing: Marketing ethics can be defined as the set of rules, norms, values and code of conducts, which guide in marketing decisions, instructions, actions, and strategies to ensure their ethical values and to ensure that they are ethically eligible to be implemented (Patrick et al, 2012). Marketing ethics is one of the branches of the business ethics. Marketing ethics is of two types, which are normative ethics and positive ethics. Normative ethics is the set of principles and methods, which provides justification of what is wrong and what is right in the marketing practices. As well, positive ethics explain the morality and common sense, which helps in taking the ethical marketing decisions. Ethical issues in the marketing are the situation or problem, where a company fails to meet ethical values in its marketing initiatives. Marketing ethical issues may occur in advertising, marketing segmentation and targeting, marketing research, privacy, personal selling, sales management, marketing strategy and actions, packaging, and labeling. Furthermore, the emerging ethical issues in marketing are fear appeals, distortions, false statement, false claim, and wrong information about the product or services (Ferrell et al, 2013). Apart from this, marketing research involves manipulation, deception, disguise and inappropriate information of research purpose. These are the basic issues currently emanating in the marketing research of the companies (Smith et al., 2012). Along with this, the most critical ethical issues, which are faced by Australian firms, are misleading information about product specification, quality of product, racism, cognitive dissonance, infringement, and altern ative invoice, deception, manipulation, packaging and labeling of the products. Ethical Issues of Harvey Norman: Harvey Norman is one of the largest multinational retail sector organizations having an Australian origin. The company is dealing in various products such as electronics, furniture etc. Harvey Norman came in headlines of the newspaper in 2011, when it did some unethical marketing of their products. The organization misleads the customers by the wrong way of advertisement method to buy their product. In this advertisement campaign, the organization did advertisement with the tag of 3D Finals Fever slogan. On that time there, AFL and NRL tournaments were going on. The organization used this tournament popularity to sell its 3D TVs. The organization urged the consumers to watch the final of AFL and NRL tournaments in 3D by purchasing their TV. They did this advertisement in the whole country despite of fact that there was no availability of 3D broadcasting in the whole country. In Australia, few cities were having the 3D broadcasting facility on that time. Court of Australia found Harvey Norman was guilty for misleading the consumers under its marketing strategy and imposed fine of $1.25 million on the organization. Due to this incident, the trust or reliability of the organization in the market got hurt and the organization lose its big market share. This way, the unethical marketing by Harvey and Norman affected the revenue of organization negatively. In 2013, organization also does one more unethical thing by misrepresenting the consumer rights for the warranty period. It imposed various unethical terms and conditions that impacted the interest of consumer negatively such as consumer have to inform the organization under 24 hours of damage of product, consumer also have to give some amount as a processing fee for repair and replacement of product under warranty period (Jager, 2013). Australian Competition Consumer Commission (ACCC) took the organization to court for this and urge the court to impose penalty on the organization. Sometime organizations used these types of strategies to increase the total revenue and market share despite of that these things are unethical. Sometimes, these strategies also gave negative results and due to that, organization may lose its present market share. This thing was happened with Harvey Norman in 2011 and 2013. Ethical Issues in McDonald: McDonalds is a big brand in global fast food industry. It is very famous in the world and McDonalds has many customers. McDonald sells hamburgers, French fries, Fried chicken and soda. Its products are very delicious and price is very cheap as compared of other companys products. There are some ethical issues faced by McDonalds in selling fast food (Ferrell et al, 2013). The company sold chicken wings after cooking of 90 minute, but according to rules of government, company cannot sell chicken wings after cooking of 30 minute. Furthermore, Staff of the McDonald store changed the expiry date of the products. Apart from this, staffs picked up beefs, which had fallen on the ground and they packed it in the packet. According to the rule of McDonalds, its pies should be sold in the 90 minute after fried of pies. Staff should have marked expiry date on the packet of products but staff did not mark exact date of pies (Deresk, 2011). Staff did this, because they want to reduce cost and want to earn more and more profits. According to McDonalds statement, it promised to customers the sale of only fresh products with high quality and safety, but many times in the quality testing by the respective organization it was found that the quality of food was not good. The organization was selling food after expiry date. Apart from this, it was not fair what they did for making more profit. According to ethics of marketing, McDonalds should not sell the products after expiry date. It could be harmful for customers health; many customers denied buying products of McDonald, because customer got hurt and it broke the trust of customers. It assured safety of customers health but its product was not safe for customers health. McDonalds announced that they keep cleanliness and never compromise in products cost and quality. But McDonalds did not performed, what it has promised to customers. Its staffs sold food, which had slipped on the ground from their hand. Furthermore, customers perception had changed towards McDonalds; they thought its products are harmful for health. Customers changed their brand loyalty and they purchased other companys fast food. Along with this, McDonalds should be honest to customers and it should not have broken the trust of customers it would be dangerous for both of them (customers and company). Company should have served food with high quality an d safety, and should not have broken the commitment. There is another marketing ethical issue faced by the company. McDonalds focused on children for marketing of products. It provided happy meal for kids. It became famous, because it gave toys with happy meal foods. In 2010, Monet Parham sued on McDonalds because her daughters were arguing with her for happy meals. Whenever the daughters of monet perham urged her to purchase happy meal for her and when she denied then her daughters were crying (Rucki, 2010). She fed up from the behavior of her daughters that was the reason she sued on the McDonalds. She claimed that deceptive advertising influenced her children for happy meals. Apart from this, McDonalds had developed unhealthy eating habits through their advertising of happy meal. McDonalds focused on children, because kids are unable to buy food if kids will go along with their parents, their sales will be increased because parents will also purchase the food for self with their kids. Furthermore, McDonalds made this strategy to mak e more profit Just because kids could persuade their parents and parents always fulfill wishes of kids. Conclusion On basis of above analysis, it can be concluded that ethics plays important role in effectiveness of marketing practices. Failure of organizations to comply with ethics principles may deteriorate brand image and sales of company in market. It is identified from the essay that there are two types of marketing ethics such as normative ethics and the positive ethics. Along with this, it can also be concluded from above analysis that unethical way of marketing, or companys failure to adopt ethical marketing can lead to law suits and regulatory disturbances against company. This can affect the sales and profitability of company in negative way. On basis of above essay, it can be recommended to organizations to design their marketing practices attentively. References Deresk, H. (2011). International management managing across borders and cultures. USA: Prentice Hall. Ethical issues faced by McDonalds (2015). Retrieved from: https://reportstation.com/2714/mcdonalds/ Ferrell, C. and Keig, D. (2013). The marketing ethics course: Current state and future directions, Journal of Marketing Education, 02-10. Jager, c. (2013). Harvey Norman Stores To Face Court Over Consumer Rights Violations. Retrieved from: https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/06/harvey-norman-to-face-court-again-over-consumer-rights-violations/ McDonalds (2016). McDonalds launches food safety checks at all outlets. Retrieved from: https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/shanghai/node27118/node27818/u22ai66773.html McDonald's (2013). McDonald's Lawsuit retrieved. Retrieved from: https://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/15/business/la-fi-mcdonalds-lawsuit-20101215 McDonald's (2013). Retrieved from: https://www.commondreams.org/views05/0522-20.html Patrick, E., Gene, R. and Prothero, A. (2012). Ethics in marketing: International cases and perspective. England: Routledge. Rucki, A. (2010). McDonalds "Deceptive" Marketing to Children. Retrieved from: https://businessethicscases.blogspot.in/2013/02/mcdonalds-targeting-children-through.html Smith, N. and Murphy, P. (2012). Marketing ethics: a review of the field. England: Sage. WG (2015). What is Business Ethics?. Retrieved from: https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-business-ethics.html

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Information Managing System

Introduction Information systems should try to balance between functionality, reliability, portability, performance, usability and maintainability for them to address the needs of their users. However, Piercy (2004) points that it is important to remember that there is no perfect system since future needs of the user groups keep on changing in addition to technological changes.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Information Managing System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nonetheless, a good system must address different demands and needs of its users in the present times and foreseeable future to have a balanced solution. Therefore, this paper seeks to evaluate the current system used by SGA in order to determine whether it is contributing to the intended outcomes of its user group. Thereafter, it makes some recommendations for the replacement of the system. Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Current System The current system has several attributes that makes it effective in its management of information. One of the core aspects that make the current system to be effective is its accuracy in its work performance. For that matter, the system is acknowledged to be effective since it is capable of processing data accurately which is most important in decision making for all stakeholders of SGA. Decisions are made based on accurate information and this has steered the institution to the right direction. Furthermore, consistency is another attribute that is associated with the current students’ management information system. The system is able to produce uniform and consistent information in all levels of the institution which is key in decision making process as conclusions drawn from every level is consistent. Nonetheless, the system ensures completeness of information in its information processing. For instance, the system applies validation technique that ensures that all required da ta is entered before processing moves to the next stage. In addition, this validation ensures only required data is entered. For example, in inputting information that relates to digits, the system does not allow entering of alphabetical letters. This makes sure that complete and right information are given hence making information processed to be complete and reliable. Moreover, it is also imperative to acknowledge that the current system used by SGA is reliable in terms of performance. It is able to perform tasks quickly serve the needs of its users. For instance, grading of students can be done simultaneously in a short period of time which is opposed to the old manual system that used to take several days before marks could be computed for grading. Strengths of the Current System Strengths of the current system are drawn from its properties that make it more effective and reliable. Nonetheless, the most important strength of the current information system of SGA is that it has a comprehensive aspect that encompasses most administration aspect of the institution.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, it has functionalities that manage student registration, creation of time table, measurement of students’ performance, students’ attendance record, management of clubs and societies. This is a big strength in this current system since other systems may not incorporate most of these aspects in one whole. In addition, the current system is compatible to most platforms irrespective of their vendors. For instance, it is able to perform and operate on different operating systems such as Microsoft families, Linux families and Macintosh platforms. This gives SGA a lee way to choose to operate on any of the platform as the system can still operate effectively. Limitations of the Current System Notably, there is no single system that can b e described as perfect in its design and functionality (Effy, 2009). Therefore, as any other information management system, the current system used by SGA comprises of several limitations that needs to be addressed in order to have relative good and balanced information system that can serve the current and foreseeable needs of the institution. To begin with one of the major limitations that are noted from the current system is its security loopholes. The security issues expose the system to integrity related issues as system accessibility is exposed to unauthorized users who can compromise data its integrity. For instance, the system lacks a secure login feature which makes it vulnerable to accessibility by unwarranted people who may compromise integrity of data stored. Moreover, the system lacks calendar feature. It is important to note calendar in school activities is quite important since every activity needs to be scheduled using this feature. This is a big limitation on part o f the current system. Therefore, it makes it inefficient in addressing some of the needs of its users. In addition, in the current times where web 2.0 technologies are changing the way organizational business are conducted, any organizational system need to appreciate this technologies. Therefore, it is a limitation that the current system lacks messaging capabilities which can be used to communicate with the students. Furthermore, it is noted from the analysis of the system that it does not support web based access of information using a browser. For that matter, it makes it difficult to integrate the current system which internet services which are too useful in the entire management and communication of students’ information.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Information Managing System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Recommendations In respect to the limitations noted in the analysis of the current sy stem, the papers proposes several recommendations that should be undertaken in order to improve management of students information by SGA. Firstly, it recommends that the current system needs a replacement since it does not support the needs of SGA fully. In the design and development of the new system therefore, several feature need to be taken into account in order to have a system that address user needs. To begin with, the new system must have functionalities that generate reports and be able to manage users’ roles, instructors, courses and facilities. Moreover, calendar functionality must be prioritized in the new system to help scheduling of activities. In addition, messaging and notification functionality must be incorporated in the new system to ensure easier communication with students. Furthermore, it will be imperative that new system encompass assessment and testing of students and enable displaying of result scores and produce transcripts. In addition, the new sy stem needs to incorporate a functionality that handles grading of coursework and roster processing. Moreover, web based course delivery functionality should also be part of the new system to be able to address different user needs. References Effy, O.(2009) Management Information Systems. London: Cengage Learning, Inc. Piercy, N. (2004) Management Information System: The Technology Challenge. London: Croom Helm Ltd. This report on Information Managing System was written and submitted by user Brody Estrada to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Warhol Essays - Andy Warhol, Pop Art, The Velvet Underground

Warhol The life and work of Andy Warhol has inspired many writers to tell of the artist's secrets in published writings. However, Carter Ratcliff accomplishes this feat in a unique fashion, profiling Warhol's work in Andy Warhol. A must-read for anybody interested in the origins of American Pop art, Ratcliff's book touches on all aspects of Warhol's work. Segmented chronologically, Ratcliff explains the influence and significance of select paintings, as well as sections devoted to Warhol's sketches, photographs, movies and notes on the techniques used by the artist. This format, combined with the inclusion of nearly 100 prints of paintings, is effective because a natural theme flows through the chronological ordering of the monograph. Some of the influences are obvious in Warhol's work. However, the cumulative effect of the artist's attempts is more easily understood through the chronological ordering of the pieces. The chronological ordering helps the reader understand what social or personal beliefs or conflicts the artist was dealing with pertaining to the given time period. For example, Warhol produced many pieces with singular subject matter displayed multiple times as in his Campbell's soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles and dollar signs, possibly just comforting symbols to Warhol as well as the American Pop Culture. Also, Ratcliff leads the reader on a journey through the details, effects and consequences of the work. The author also describes similarities in select Warhol pieces. The development of Warhol as an artist is easily understood using this format, as his work transforms from the playful character of Saturday's Popeye (Figure 1) to the realism of Skull or the political power of the Hammer and Sickle series. Andy Warhol takes a convincing and comprehensive look at the pursuits of the artist, basing observations on a plethora of sources. The information cited in each section is a cumulation of Ratcliff's investigation, interviews with Warhol and references to the writings of other critics. Basing his survey largely in the ideas of others, Ratcliff discovers little original information. Referring to such credible contacts as Robert Rosenblume's description of Julia Warhola [1], saying that Warhol's portrait of his mother breaks through the artists "aestheticism" to convincing emotion (Figure 2). Art critic Thomas Lawson's notion that Pop art has everything to do with nothing [2], or Warhol's own magazine article, Crazy Golden Slippers [3], are examples of the type of solid sources that the author utilizes in his work. The majority of Ratcliff's ideas originate elsewhere, however Ratcliff chose to use these many sources to support his own theories, drawing from established and accepted concepts to uphold his statements. The prize of Andy Warhol lies in the inclusion of the author's essay about the artist. Together with the effect of the many large prints, which comprise a majority of the body of the book, the essay enables the reader to learn about the artist and reflect on what may have been his intention for select works. To fully understand a work of art it is helpful to have some background information about the work and the artist. The author does a fantastic job of presenting this type information about the artist and his work. Warhol was obsessed with the idea of stardom, controversial works pertaining to popular culture and the use of images from every day life or symbols of such. Ratcliff, when compared to other writers who investigated Warhol, has an edge on the competition. Ratcliff not only describes the work itself, but also tells of the concept behind the art. Cantz' The Last Supper is at best a glorified picture show of the artist's work. The artist focuses on one series of paintings rather then on the entire portfolio.[4] Unseen Warhol is an in depth biography of Andy Warhol, not much attention is granted to the actual pieces of art.[5] Ratcliff's Andy Warhol fills the gap left by other writers. Ratcliff delivers a complete analysis of Warhol's work by explaining the concepts and ideas surrounding the work in an intensive manner. Ratcliff's thoughts on many of the pieces help to define the actual meaning or ideas of the work in a practical fashion. For example, the use of helium filled mylar, covered with foil in Silver Pillows (Figure 3) served as a way of making his paintings on the wall come to life and float away.[6] Drawing comparisons from the periods of Pre-Pop art, Pop art, and Post-Pop art, Ratcliff attempts to classify Warhol's work in Andy Warhol. Commercial art including the title page for In The Bottom of My Garden, album jackets commissioned by RCA, book jackets for New Directions and Warhol's

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Racism and imperialism Essay Research Paper Example

Racism and imperialism Essay Research Paper Example Racism and imperialism Essay Paper Racism and imperialism Essay Paper Essay Topic: The Souls of Black Folk Our new planetary â€Å"frontiers† or â€Å"contact zones† come into position more perceptibly in the Black Atlantic that links African Americans with West Africans in W. E. B. Du Bois’s and Zora Neale Hurston’s twentieth-century narrations and therefore far still proposes the boundaries dividing Euro-American from Afro-american cultural traditions in the United States. W. E. B. DuBois’s The Souls of Black Folk All through his long calling and its many different stages. W. E. B. Du Bois continually criticized the United States for following imperialist purposes both at place and abroad. He every bit good is one of the few modern American minds to acknowledge U. S. imperialism to be different from earlier signifiers of Eurocolonialism and to predate significantly the Spanish-American War. For Du Bois. U. S. imperialism novices in bondage and depends on racism to legalize colonial patterns of territorial conquering. economic power. and psychological licking. Du Bois understands U. S. bondage to be peculiarly modern. to the extent that it is footed on peculiar racial differentiations he argues were unknown in earlier signifiers of serfhood and captivity. He may good hold sing the continuity of human unkindness throughout history. nevertheless he sees it deployed in a different manner in the modern period. In the modern work of colonial domination and its methodical. hence imperial. application to peoples defined thereby as â€Å"other. † Du Bois Judgess the United States to hold taken the lead. Du Bois’s theory of racial imperialism is intensely modern-day on the economic roots of all imperialisms. However Du Bois comes the closest of the American intellectuals critical of U. S. imperialism before World War II to understanding U. S. imperialism as a neoimperialism of the postmodern kind we at present relate with the political control of domains of influence. the corporate use of foreign civilizations to make new markets. every bit good as the exportation of American life styles by manner of such cultural merchandises as literature and movie. For the ground that Du Bois understood race and category to be the critically related fictions by which modern states justified the unjust distribution of wealth and accordingly power. he viewed with particular clarity the extent to which cultural work was indispensable to colonial hierarchies both at place and abroad. For this really ground. Du Bois every bit good understood the power of civilization to battle imperialism by disputing such hierarchies and constructing influential alliances of the oppressed to defy domination. As Du Bois grew older and angrier sing the unrecognised engagement of the United States in colonial ventures around the universe. peculiarly in Africa. Latin America. and at place. he authorized an progressively stiff economic thesis that is both impolitely Marxist and curiously blind to the enthusiastic imperialism of the Stalinism he espoused. This bend in Du Bois’s calling has frequently distracted bookmans from the daintiness of his earlier treatments of the United States as an imperial power and its fresh usage of civilization to mask and naturalise its patterns of domination. Given the leaning of even America’s most energetic modern critics to place its imperialism in such specific foreign ventures as the Spanish-American War and the general nearsightedness of Americans until rather recently in respect to the overlapping of U. S. racism and imperialism. Du Bois is a precursor of modern-day cultural and postcolonial unfavorable judgments of the function civilization has played in masking the imperialist patterns of the United States. Wrong as Du Bois was about Stalinism and in his anticipations of the predictable triumph of socialism in the 20th century. his continuity on linking cultural analyses to their economic effects every bit good ought to be heard by modern-day cultural critics. Particularly in his Hagiographas before the mid-1930s. Du Bois every bit good experimented with a combination of literary. historical. sociological. and political discourses that might work together as a â€Å"counter-discourse† to the antic narration of U. S. political orientation. The multigeneric qualities of The Souls of Black Folk is methodically modern in its several challenges to conventional manners of representation. this works every bit good affect an inexplicit review of the privileged and deliberately unaccessible oratory. Determined to dispute hierarchies of race. category. and gender. Du Bois understood how strongly societal authorization depended on signifiers of cultural capital traditionally unavailable to African Americans. Du Bois understood from his earliest works that Afro-american intellectuals and creative persons would hold to offer alternate cultural resources to dispute such subjective nevertheless entrenched powers Mules and Men by Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston’s unfavorable judgment of racial and gender hierarchies in the United States and in our foreign policies toward other states. peculiarly in the Caribbean. presents another fluctuation on the cultural response to U. S. imperialism. Unlike W. E. B. Du Bois. Hurston does non invariably and stiffly condemn U. S. intercession in the economic. political. and societal domains of other states. although she evidently connects domestic racism and sexism with neoimperialist foreign policies. peculiarly those directed at Third World states. As good Hurston does non romanticise modern or historical Africa. although she argues invariably for the acknowledgment of how African cultural influences have contributed well to the artistic. rational. every bit good as societal accomplishments of African-Americans. In a similar mode. Hurston refuses to romanticise colonised peoples as entirely victimized by their vanquishers ; she goes to significant lengths to exemplify how the procedure of decolonisation. in Haiti. for case. has excessively frequently brought autocrats to power who have rationalized their unfairnesss on evidences of national sovereignty plus blatant anti-colonialism. Hurston condemns all the dictatorships she witnesses. and she therefore estranges herself from U. S. patriots of assorted kinds. African patriots. and Communist critics of U. S. imperialism. At the same clip. Hurston frequently appears to universalise the thesis that â€Å"power corrupts. † in a manner that trivializes concrete solutions to the jobs she identifies in the United States and the Caribbean. Therefore far behind Hurston’s disdain for arbitrary power. whether wielded by white or black autocrats. and her discourtesy for those who render righteous their ain victimization. there is Hurston’s strong committedness to democratic regulation and her strong belief that solidarity among different victimized peoples will both authorise them and consequence appropriate societal reforms. These reforms include for Hurston an terminal to racial and gender hierarchies and the extension of economic chances to underprivileged groups. both within the United States and internationally. The Utopian theoretical account for such societal reforms is a genuinely democratic society in the United States. in malice of Hurston’s consistent unfavorable judgment of societal inequalities in the United States footed on race and gender. On the one manus. Hurston alleged that Euro-American civilization. society. and psychological science had much to larn from Afro-american signifiers of cognition and experience ; in her Utopian minutes. she imagines white America transformed and redeemed by such cognition. On the other manus. she implicit the prevalence of a white political orientation that treated much of Afro-american cognition as â€Å"backward. † â€Å"superstitious. † and â€Å"primitive. † while Whites turned these really features into facets of an exoticized and stylish â€Å"negritude. † What some critics have referred to as Hurston’s â€Å"coding† of her narrations must be understood as her primary manner of narrative. whose purpose is to transform attitudes and feelings. together with preconceived thoughts. instead than merely â€Å"hiding† her purposes to protect her benefaction. Learning to read the â€Å"double consciousness† of Hurston’s coded narrations is itself a manner of offending the boundary separating African American from white American. even as it respects the societal and historical differences of the racism that has yet to be overcome. â€Å"Mules and Men† is often treated together for generic grounds. for the ground that it is major case of Hurston’s work as folklorist and anthropologist. This book is every bit good interpreted by some critics as utilizing literary techniques that foresee Hurston’s major fiction. It is the premeditated forgetting of this history of tangled destinies and therefore of cultural worlds that Hurston condemns in the official histories of the United States and that we ought to category as an imperative facet of U. S. cultural imperialism. Hurston did non reject steadfastly the thought of the United States as â€Å"global policeman† or the chance of U. S. foreign policies. peculiarly in the Caribbean. lending to democratic terminals. In this respect. she was by no agencies unusual among bulk and minority U. S. intellectuals in the 1930s and 1940s. Hurston understood the on-going racism and sexism in the United States as signifiers of colonial domination. which needed schemes of opposition that at times. complement more unfastened anti-colonial and post-colonial battles around the universe. Never did she perplex the pragmatism of societal stratifications by race. category. and gender with her ideals for democratic societal. legal. every bit good as human patterns. Furthermore it is the struggle between Hurston’s schemes for edifying and defying such subjugation at place and abroad and her ideals for the spread of democratic establishments. peculiarly as they are represented by the promise of U. S. democracy that frequently contributes to the opposing quality of her political judgements or the feeling of her unpolitical stance. Hurston’s political relations are often bound up with her ain personality as a imperfect. â€Å"new Negro. † representing urban edification and specialised instruction. who sought to link the rural and Afro-Caribbean heritage of African Americans with their modern hereafter. Mentions: W. E. B. DuBois. The Souls of Black Folk ( Greenwich. Conn. . 1961 ) . 42-43. Zora Neale Hurston. Mules and Men ( NewYork: Harper-Collins. 1990 ) . p. 294

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Art history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Art history - Essay Example In order to compare the difference in sculpture and painting, the references have been taken from Zollner (1998) and Sandri (1997). Zollner discusses the Three Graces from a contextual point of view making the Three Graces as a pious symbol of expectation in the form of painting while Sandri stresses a critical stance on the subject of the Three Graces merely defining them as a subject of art which is in the form of sculpture. The author Zollner has appointed a descriptive way of discussing the painting of Three Graces. The medium of the painting is oil canvas that beholds the three ladies wearing their respective attires. These attires, however, been avoided in sculpture. Along with the discussion of the painting in the address of Zollner, he also provides significance of theme of the Three Graces. The colour of the three ladies is blended in the painting because of the possibility of using variety of strokes by the painter. This is far different in the case of sculpture as it is made up of white marble (ZÃ ¶llner). On the other hand, the author Sandri has critically discussed the Three Graces depiction into sculpture. In the following image, it can easily be noted that the true essence for which the three ladies were named as chastity, joy and love is missing from the sculpture. The clarity of bodily shape is missing and so the expression of chastity. However, it can be well asserted that it is not an easy to task for an artist to create a sculpture that gives enhancement to each feature. On comparison, it comes quiet easier to note that painting as well as sculptor makes use of support that each girl takes by putting hands on each other’s shoulder. This is one common aspect other than the front and back nude carving of the bodies of the Three Graces. The factor of using adjunct lines and outlines in the painting is quite evident. This is lesser in the case of sculpture because it provides a three dimensional experience to the art

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

SIDRA Medical and Research Centre Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

SIDRA Medical and Research Centre - Case Study Example The ownership type of this centre is of a private nature. This centre is located in the Doha city of Qatar and owned by a company known as Zawya Industrial Classifications. It is expected that the centre will be built on a 2,500 acre piece of land found at the Education City campus. The architect for construction is OHL International while the designer is known as Cesar Pelli of Pelli Clarke Pelli and Blerbe Becket, which is an executive architectural firm (Pelli & Michael 25). The funding for the construction and development of the facility will be from the Qatar Foundation; hence, the Qatar government believed to be the client for the building. The geographical location of the building is one opposite the Education City and adjacent to the Science and Technology Park as well as National Convention Centre, both in Qatar. Project description Currently under construction, this facility will be considered the best groundbreaking hospital in the region, offering digitalized education an d research on the health of both children and women from the region as well as internationally. The initial structure of the building was slotted to be able to contain a capacity of 400 beds, 550 beds at most after expansion as shown in image 1 below. The construction cost including the furnishing with required equipment has been estimated by the Qatar Foundation at a cost of $7.9 billion. 1. Architectural image of SIDRA when complete 2. Interior design of SIDRA http://pcparch.com/project/sidra-medical-and-research-center#view-image The design for the centre both interior and exterior shall comprise of cutting edge glass, steel and white ceramic structure thus, guaranteed to provide an ideal environment for privacy, tranquility and healing for patients as shown in image 2 above. The official opening of the centre for patients to access is expected to be in the year 2015 when the centre shall fully be operational. Concept (Mission statement and goals) As a part of highly digitalized dynamic education and research environment in Qatar, SIDRA will comprise of international institutions that are leading such as Weill Cornel Medical College and BGI-Health Asia Pacific. The mission statement is to raise the health care standards throughout the country with a main focus on women and children while providing valuable learning and research opportunities. This will encompass three main missions which includes providing world class medical and patient care, provision of medical education and facilitation of biomedical research. The centre’s main goal is to be a fully ultra-modern, digitalized/all-digital research and academic medical centre through the setting up of new patient care standards for children and women in Qatar, regionally and internationally (Qatar Investment and Business Guide, 13). Spatial analysis The spatial analysis of SIDRA details the need for proper coordination between engineering and architectural components of the construction. Consequentl y, the quality of the architectural components of the project as well as the constructability will be analyzed. The architectural documents will also be reviewed to ensure that none of them potentially conflicts in any manner with other disciplines (Park 15). Circulation/way finding In this scenario, this case study can reveal that as in the case of most international buildings, the floor plan of SIDRA portrays various symmetries such as C ­Ã‚ ­1, C4, and D1 for various rooms and floors of the building. This case is also a common feature in which the symmetrical dispositions of the building are being emphasized both by local and global symmetry. This then becomes the determinant for its organizational design. By being able to read the symmetry of a building, one is capable of reading the spatial

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Failed States and Effective Division of Labor Strategy in the Future Assignment

Failed States and Effective Division of Labor Strategy in the Future Post-Conflict Reconstruction Projects - Assignment Example Somalia, a country rated as number one failed state in the world, is either controlled by the foreign military or by the Al-Shabab militia. Warships from several countries patrol the waters off Somalia to curb the pirates (Kaplan, 2010). It is estimated that about 2 million people have fled Somalia and sought asylum elsewhere (Foreign Policy, 2010). This has also been seen in Afghanistan where the Taliban and foreign troops have more control of the country. Failing or failed states experience an economic decline, this is the case in Zimbabwe and North Korea where tyrannical regimes have stolen money from their economies leaving their markets on a verge of collapse. This has led to inequality with few elites benefiting from the national resources while the majority remains poor. This has also been witnessed in Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. In Niger, a country also rated as a failing state, the government cannot provide vital services such as healthcare and education leading to a high illiteracy rate and high infant mortality rates. Zimbabwe has experienced a high rate of brain drain and it is estimated that one out five Zimbabweans has left the country in such of greener pastures. Failed states have also experienced a high rate of human rights deprivation as is the case with Sudan where brutality has been employed to subdue rebelling regions. This has led the president to be indicted for war crimes (Foreign Policy, 2010). Division of labor among states, international institutions, and non-governmental organizations should follow the following guidelines to ensure that they are effective in the context of future post-conflict reconstruction projects. Leadership roles should be left to the people of that country. The international community should just come in to provide assistance in solving the problems of that country.

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Natural Order Hypothesis Essay

The Natural Order Hypothesis Essay In 1977, Tracy Terrell, a teacher of Spanish in California, outlined a proposal for a new philosophy of language teaching which [he] called the Natural Approach (Terrell 1977; 1982: 121). This was an attempt to develop a language teaching proposal that incorporated the naturalistic principles researchers had identified in studies of second language acquisition. The Natural Approach grew out of Terrells experiences teaching Spanish classes. Since that time Terrell and others have experimented with implementing the Natural Approach in elementary- to advanced-level classes and with several other languages. At the same time he has joined forces with Stephen Krashen, an applied linguist at the University of Southern California, in elaborating a theoretical rationale for the Natural Approach, drawing on Krashens influential theory of second language acquisition. Krashen and Terrells combined statement of the principles and practices of the Natural Approach appeared in their book, The Natur al Approach, published in 1983. Krashen and Terrells book contains theoretical sections prepared by Krashen that outline his views on second language acquisition (Krashen 1981; 1982), and sections on implementation and classroom procedures, prepared largely by Terrell. Krashen and Terrell have identified the Natural Approach with what they call traditional approaches to language teaching. Traditional approaches are defined as based on the use of language in communicative situations without recourse to the native language and, perhaps, needless to say, without reference to grammatical analysis, grammatical drilling, or to a particular theory of grammar. Krashen and Terrell note that such approaches have been called natural, psychological, phonetic, new, reform, direct, analytic, imitative and so forth (Krashen and Terrell 1983: 9). The fact that the authors of the Natural Approach relate their approach to the Natural Method has led some to assume that Natural Approach and Natural Method are synonymous terms. Although the tradition is a common one, there are important differences between the Natural Approach and the older Natural Method, which it will be useful to consider at the outset. The Natural Method is another term for what by the turn of the century had become known as the Direct Method. It is described in a report on the state of the art in language teaching commissioned by the Modern Language Association in 1901. In its extreme form the method consisted of a series of monologues by the teacher interspersed with exchanges of question and answer between the instructor and the pupil all in the foreign language A great deal of pantomime accompanied the talk. With the aid of this gesticulation, by attentive listening and by dint of much repetition the learner came to associate certain acts and objects with certain combinations of the sounds and finally reached the point of reproducing the foreign words or phrases Not until a considerable familiarity with the spoken word was attained was the scholar allowed to see the foreign language in print. The study of grammar was reserved for a still later period. (Cole 1931: 58) The term natural, used in reference to the Direct Method, merely emphasized that the principles underlying the method were believed to conform to the principles of naturalistic language learning in young children. Similarly, the Natural Approach, as defined by Krashen and Terrell, is believed to conform to the naturalistic principles found in successful second language acquisition. Unlike the Direct Method, however, it places less emphasis on teacher monologues, direct repetition, and formal questions and answers, and less focus on accurate production of target language sentences. In the Natural Approach there is an emphasis on exposure, or input, rather than practice; optimizing emotional preparedness for learning; a prolonged period of attention to what the language learners hear before they try to produce language; and a willingness to use written and other materials as a source of comprehensible input. The emphasis on the central role of comprehension in the Natural Approach link s it to other comprehension-based approaches in language teaching. Approach Theory of language Krashen and Terrell see communication as the primary function of language, and since their approach focuses on teaching communicative abilities, they refer to the Natural Approach as an example of a communicative approach. The Natural Approach is similar to other communicative approaches being developed today (Krashen and Terrell 1983: 17). They reject earlier methods of language teaching, such as the Audiolingual Method, which viewed grammar as the central component of language. According to Krashen and Terrell, the major problem with these methods was that they were built not around actual theories of language acquisition, but theories of something else; for example, the structure of language (1983: 1). Unlike proponents of Communicative Language Teaching (Chapter 5), however, Krashen and Terrell give little attention to a theory of language. Indeed, a recent critic of Krashen suggests he has no theory of language at all (Gregg 1984). What Krashen and Terrell do describe about the nature of language emphasizes the primacy of meaning. The importance of the vocabulary is stressed, for example, suggesting the view that a language is essentially its lexicon and only inconsequently the grammar that determines how the lexicon is exploited to produce messages. Terrell quotes Dwight Bolinger to support this view: The quantity of information in the lexicon far outweighs that in any other part of the language, and if there is anything to the notion of redundancy it should be easier to reconstruct a message containing just words than one containing just the syntactic relations. The significant fact is the subordinate role of grammar. The most important thing is to get the words in. (Bolinger, in Terrell 1977: 333). Language is viewed as a vehicle for communicating meanings and messages. Hence Krashen and Terrell state that acquisition can take place only when people understand messages in the target language (Krashen and Terrell 1983: 19). Yet despite their avowed communicative approach to language, they view language learning, as do audiolingualists, as mastery of structures by stages. The input hypothesis states that in order for acquirers to progress to the next stage in the acquisition of the target language, they need to understand input language that includes a structure that is part of the next stage (Krashen and Terrell 1983: 32). Krashen refers to this with the formula I + 1 (i.e., input that contains structures slightly above the learners present level). We assume that Krashen means by structures something at least in the tradition of what such linguists as Leonard Bloomfield and Charles Fries meant by structures. The Natural Approach thus assumes a linguistic hierarchy of structural complexity that one masters through encounters with input containing structures at the 1 + 1 level. We are left then with a view of language that consists of lexical items, structures, and messages. Obviously, there is no particular novelty in this view as such, except that messages are considered of primary importance in the Natural Approach. The lexicon for both perception and production is considered critical in the construction and interpretation of messages. Lexical items in messages arc necessarily grammatically structured, and more complex messages involve more complex grammatical structure. Although they acknowledge such grammatical structuring, Krashen and Terrell feel that grammatical structure does not require explicit analysis or attention by the language teacher, by the language learner, or in language teaching materials. Theory of learning Krashen and Terrell make continuing reference to the theoretical and research base claimed to underlie the Natural Approach and to the fact that the method is unique in having such a base. It is based on an empirically grounded theory of second language acquisition, which has been supported by a large number of scientific studies in a wide variety of language acquisition and learning contexts (Krashen and Terrell 1983: 1). The theory and research are grounded on Krashens views of language acquisition, which we will collectively refer to as Krashens language acquisition theory. Krashens views have been presented and discussed extensively elsewhere (e.g., Krashen 1982), so we will not try to present or critique Krashens arguments here. (For a detailed critical review, see Gregg 1984 and McLaughlin 1978). It is necessary, however, to present in outline form the principal tenets of the theory, since it is on these that the design and procedures in the Natural Approach are based. THE ACQUISITION/LEARNING HYPOTHESIS The Acquisition/Learning Hypothesis claims that there are two distinctive ways of developing competence in a second or foreign language. Acquisition is the natural way, paralleling first language development in children. Acquisition refers to an unconscious process that involves the naturalistic development of language proficiency through understanding language and through using language for meaningful communication. Learning, by contrast, refers to a process in which conscious rules about a language are developed. It results in explicit knowledge about the forms of a language and the ability to verbalize this knowledge. Formal teaching is necessary for learning to occur, and correction of errors helps with the development of learned rules. Learning, according to the theory, cannot lead to acquisition. THE MONITOR HYPOTHESIS The acquired linguistic system is said to initiate utterances when we communicate in a second or foreign language. Conscious learning can function only as a monitor or editor that checks and repairs the output of the acquired system. The Monitor Hypothesis claims that we may call upon learned knowledge to correct ourselves when we communicate, hut that conscious learning (i.e., the learned system) has only this function. Three conditions limit the successful use of the monitor: 1. Time. There must be sufficient time for a learner to choose and apply a learned rule. 2. Focus on form. The language user must be focused on correctness or on the form of the output. 3. Knowledge of rules. The performer must know the rules. The monitor does best with rules that are simple in two ways. They must be simple to describe and they must not require complex movements and rearrangements. THE NATURAL ORDER HYPOTHESIS According to the Natural Order Hypothesis, the acquisition of grammatical structures proceeds in a predictable order. Research is said to have shown that certain grammatical structures or morphemes are acquired before others in first language acquisition of English, and a similar natural order is found in second language acquisition. Errors are signs of naturalistic developmental processes, and during acquisition (but not during learning), similar developmental errors occur in learners no matter what their mother tongue is. THE INPUT HYPOTHESIS The Input Hypothesis claims to explain the relationship between what the learner is exposed to of a language (the input) and language acquisition. It involves four main issues. First, the hypothesis relates to acquisition, and not to learning. Second, people acquire language best by understanding input that is slightly beyond their current level of competence: An acquirer can move from a stage I (where I is the acquirers level of competence) to a stage I +1 (where I + 1 is the stage immediately following I along some natural order) by understanding language containing I + 1. (Krashen and Terrell 1983: 32) Clues based on the situation and the context, extra linguistic information, and knowledge of the world make comprehension possible. Third, the ability to speak fluently cannot be taught directly; rather, it emerges independently in time, after the acquirer has built up linguistic competence by understanding input. Fourth, if there is a sufficient quantity of comprehensible input, I + 1 will usually be provided automatically. Comprehensible input refers to utterances that the learner understands based on the context in which they are used as well as the language in which they are phrased. When a speaker uses language so that the acquirer understands the message, the speaker casts a net of structure around the acquirers current level of competence, and this will include many instances of I + 1. Thus, input need not be finely tuned to a learners current level of linguistic competence, and in fact cannot be so finely tuned in a language class, where learners will be at many different levels of competence. Just as child acquirers of a first language are provided with samples of caretaker speech, rough-tuned to their present level of understanding, so adult acquirers of a second language are provided with simple codes that facilitate second language comprehension. One such code is foreigner talk, which refers to the speech native speakers use to simplify communication with foreigners. Foreigner talk is characterized by a slower rate of speech, repetition, restating, use of Yes/No instead of Who- questions, and other changes that make messages more comprehensible to persons of limited language proficiency. THE AFFECTIVE FILTER HYPOTHESIS Krashen sees the learners emotional state or attitudes as an adjustable filter that freely passes, impedes, or blocks input necessary to acquisition. A low affective filter is desirable, since it impedes or blocks less of this necessary input. The hypothesis is built on research in second language acquisition, which has identified three kinds of affective or attitudinal variables related to second language acquisition. 1. Motivation. Learners with high motivation generally do better. 2. Self-confidence. Learners with self-confidence and a good self-image tend to be more successful. 3. Anxiety. Low personal anxiety and low classroom anxiety are more conducive to second language acquisition. The Affective Filter Hypothesis states that acquirers with a low affective filter seek and receive more input, interact with confidence, and are more receptive to the input they receive. Anxious acquirers have a high affective filter, which prevents acquisition from taking place. It is believed that the affective filter (e.g., fear or embarrassment) rises in early adolescence, and this may account for childrens apparent superiority to older acquirers of a second language. These five hypotheses have obvious implications for language teaching. In sum, these are: 1. As much comprehensible input as possible must be presented. 2. Whatever helps comprehension is important. Visual aids are useful, as is exposure to a wide range of vocabulary rather than study of syntactic structure. 3. The focus in the classroom should be on listening and reading; speaking should be allowed to emerge. 4. In order to lower the affective filter, student work should center on meaningful communication rather than on form; input should be interesting and so contribute to a relaxed classroom atmosphere. Cognitive Theories Psychologists and psycholinguists viewed second language learning as the acquisition of a complex cognitive skill. Some of the sub-skills involved in the language learning process are applying grammatical rules, choosing the appropriate vocabulary, following the pragmatic conventions governing the use of a specific language (McLaughlin, 1987:134). These sub-skills become automatic with practice (Posner Snyder, 1975). During this process of automatisation, the learner organizes and restructures new information that is acquired. Through this process of restructuring the learner links new information to old information and achieves increasing degrees of mastery in the second language (McLaughlin, 1987, 1990a). This gradual mastering may follow a U-shaped curve sometimes (Lightbown, Spada, Wallace, 1980) indicating a decline in performance as more complex internal representations replace less complex ones followed by an increase again as skill becomes expertise (McLaughlin, 1990b). From the cognitivists point of view language acquisition is dependent in both content and developmental sequencing on prior cognitive abilities and language is viewed as a function of more general nonlinguistic abilities (Berman, 1987:4). Evidence against the cognitivist theory is provided by Felix (1981) who describes the general cognitive skills as useless for language development (Felix, 1981). The only areas that cognitive development is related to language development is vocabulary and meaning, since lexical items and meaning relations are most readily related to a conceptual base (Felix, 1981). Base in cognitive theory is also claimed by the interactivist approach to second language learning (Clahsen, 1987). The language processing model proposed by the interactivist approach assumes an autonomous linguistic level of processing and contains a general problem solver mechanism (GPS) that allows direct mappings between underlying structure and surface forms, thus short-circuiting the grammatical processor (Clahsen, 1987:105). The language acquisition theories based on a cognitive view of language development regard language acquisition as the gradual automitization of skills through stages of restructuring and linking new information to old knowledge. However, the differences between the various cognitive models makes it impossible to construct a comprehensive cognitive theory of second language acquisition and furthermore, as Schimdt (1992) observes: there is little theoretical support from psychology on the common belief that the development of fluency in a second language is almost exclusively a matter of the increasingly skillful application of rules (Schmidt, 1992:377). The last two theories dealt with in this paper, the Multidimensional Model and the Acculturation/Pidginization Theory, refer mainly to the acquisition of a second language by adults in naturalistic environments. In second/foreign language teacher education, humanistic theory leads to considerable innovation, with greater emphasis on co-operative development (Edge, 1992). The basis for this change is the new respect for the teachers personal autonomy. The teacher educators role is one of supporter and facilitator, with the adoption of counselling models of intervention. An additional important factor is the recognition of the emotional dimension to learning. Within this framework, relationships between supervisors and student teachers are emphasised in pre-service education programmes. In in-service programmes, counselling models are adapted with syllabi containing not only subject matter knowledge, but also skills for self-directed development. Moreover, self-assessment and group-work are determined where feelings, relationships and learning can be inexorably linked. Examples of second/foreign language teacher education practices adopted on a basis of humanistic principles include work by Freeman and Richards (1996), Gebhard (1999) and Woodward (1991). Constructivist Approach Constructivism puts an emphasis on the ways in which individuals bring personal meaning to their world. Early researchers such as Piaget focused on the individual construction of knowledge. Bruner on the other hand, placed a greater emphasis on the interaction of the learner with curriculum materials, the teacher, and other significant factors. Similarly, Vygotsky and Feuerstein criticised Piagets view concerning the individual view of knowledge and suggested that, living as we do in a social world, learning occurs through interactions with other people (Williams and Burden, 1997). The author examines constructivism in relation to teacher education, from both the individual and social aspect as follows: Social Constructivist Approach Based on the work carried out by Vygotsky, Bruner and Feurstein, social interactionism sees the individual as born into a social world, and thus learning occurs through social interactions with other people (Dmitri, 1986). This is in contrast with the views of the individual constructivist approach expressed by Piaget and others. A claim is made that our mental representations are not only internal but also dependent on the mental representations of others and rules and restrictions that society imposes on the roles a person can adopt (McMahon, 1997). Therefore, learning to teach is not an internally constructed process with a set of techniques and some specialist knowledge but rather a social process, involving the adoption of a social role. For teachers, this means that they selectively acquire the values and attitudes, interests, skills and knowledge of their professional group. This implies a need for teachers to assess the relationship between their work and wider social conditions (Roberts, 1998, p.44). Thus, the teachers context is not perceived as a constraint but rather as a challenge within which appropriate methodologies need to be evaluated. Evidently, the application of social constructivism in the field of second/foreign language teacher education reveals that social constructivism focuses on the importance of knowledge constructed within and with the help of the group. This is supplemented with teachers sharing and contrasting ideas, agreeing and disagreeing, etc. The group of teachers in question may also be widened by joining forces with other participants in the education system, in the form of a wider learning community (Gredler, 1997). The recognition of dialogue as central to teacher learning is not new. The experiential learning cycle and the humanistic perspectives also recognise the importance of talk in learning. However, according to Roberts (1998, p.45), within a social constructivist framework, dialogue is seen as particularly valuable, in that it is collaborative, task-focused and offers teachers the chance to clarify their own personal theories and social relationships. Activities which help promote social interaction and construction include awareness raising tasks, e.g. problem-solving, which involves past experience, current beliefs and knowledge, direct personal experience in the form of microteaching and teaching practice with opportunities for reflection in and on these activities through structured observations, journal writing, etc. Within this approach, as within the other person-centred approaches, there is apparently a shift in emphasis from that of training to that of development.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Effectiveness Of Cost Sharing Mechanisms Health And Social Care Essay

The cost of health care has become an progressively outstanding issue in recent old ages. In the United States every bit good as in many European states, wellness related costs have risen significantly and have progressively constituted a larger proportion of GDP.[ 1 ]The rapid addition in health care costs has threatened to force healthcare systems in certain states to the fiscal threshold. Citizens in states with privatized systems like the United States ‘ have seen their premiums rise at rates higher than rising prices with many people going unable to afford even basic wellness insurance. In states with cosmopolitan wellness attention, costs have besides risen with much of the load being passed on to occupants in the signifier of higher revenue enhancements.[ 2 ]The recent health care argument in the United States underscores the importance of this issue. Although there was dissension as to how the job of unaffordable health care should be solved, there was a general consens us that something had to be done to lower wellness attention costs. The demand to drastically cut down health care costs and increase efficiency has led to much research and argument. Many inefficiencies exist within the system but for the intents of this paper, the chief focal point will be on over use of wellness attention services and more specifically ambulatory attention. Regardless of the type of insurance, the presence of the 3rd party remunerator has the possible to bring on over use of wellness attention services. If patients are non straight exposed to the costs of their ingestion, there is considerable inducement for them to take advantage of the system and to devour at a higher rate than they would hold otherwise. This extra ingestion is the consequence of a general phenomenon called moral jeopardy. Moral jeopardy exists when one party ‘s insularity from hazard causes it to act in mode that is inconsistent with how it would hold behaved had it been exposed to that hazard.[ 3 ]In order to battle extra ingestion and fringy use of ambu latory services, the mechanism of cost sharing through copayments is frequently used. Copayments are either a level fee or per centum of entire monetary value which the user must pay upon ingestion of services. The principle behind copayments is as follows: insurance users are by and large desensitized to the cost of their services because they incur no disbursals at the point of ingestion. This desensitisation leads to an extra ingestion of services. By doing the user wage a part of the cost at the point of ingestion, one forces the user to go sensitive to the costs of his/her ingestion therefore cut downing his/her leaning to demand and consume unneeded services.[ 4 ]The usage of copayments is rather important because by cut downing the over use of ambulatory attention, one efficaciously reduces the load born by taxpayers and premium remunerators. Cost sharing through copayments has proven effectual at cut downing over use in many cases but is its effectivity the same in all systems? Furthermore, do the economic demographics of the user population have any consequence on the efficaciousness of user payments in cut downing the use of ambulatory attention? A expression at the effects of copayments in the Medicaid system in the U.S. versus in the German Universal Healthcare system will supply great penetration into this issue. Overview of Systemic Differences Both health care and wellness insurance in the United States are provided chiefly by the private sector. The cost of health care constitutes a important part of national and single income with the United States taking the universe in money spent per individual on health care. Although the United States spends a considerable proportion of its income on health care, approximately 11 per centum of its citizens remain uninsured with an estimated 21 per centum holding less than equal coverage. The logical thinking of those who remain uninsured varies from circumstance to circumstance. Some people choose non to inscribe in an insurance program because they do non experience like they have considerable wellness hazards and experience that their income could be put to better usage. Others, who have fallen victim to fiscal strain, merely do non hold the resources to afford equal insurance or any insurance at all. The people in the latter class frequently have incomes that are merely above the threshold that would measure up them for governmental assistance, but for those who live below what has been established as the poorness line, assorted plans exist to help with wellness insurance.[ 5 ] One of the primary plans which the U.S. uses to supply wellness insurance to the hapless is the Medicaid system. Medicaid was founded in 1965 under the Social Security Act. The Medicaid plan is jointly funded by the federal and province authoritiess. Each province names its ain Medicaid plan and has the duty of puting its eligibility guidelines while the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services sets general parametric quantities with respects to support and service bringing. Poverty is seen as the chief requirement for Medicaid eligibility, but low income entirely does non measure up an person for Medicaid coverage. In fact, a considerable part of hapless person in the United States do non measure up for Medicaid. In order to measure up for Medicaid, an single must fall into either one of the Mandatory Medicaid eligibility groups or into what is defined as a flatly destitute group. The people who fall into these classs range from Supplementary Security Income receivers to medically destitute individuals with inordinate medical costs. For the intents of this paper the most of import thing to maintain in head is that the bulk of Medicaid users fall below the poorness line.[ 6 ] The universalized German health care system contrasts greatly with the privatized American system. 88 per centum of Germans are covered under their Statutory Health Insurance Plan with the other 12 per centum choosing for the private sector. The national health care program is compulsory for all salaried employees, and merely a few select groups have the option of buying premium private insurance. Premiums are set by Germany ‘s Public Ministry of Health to degrees that are determined to be economically feasible. Premiums do non take into history the wellness position of persons but alternatively are based on a per centum of wage. Because the cosmopolitan system covers the bulk of German citizens, the demographics of its users differ greatly from those of the Medicaid system. More specifically, the mean income of the typical German user is significantly higher than that of the norm Medicaid user.[ 7 ]Comparison of Two Natural ExperimentsIn order to compare the comparative effect ivity of copayments in the two systems, this paper will see informations from two natural experiments. One survey by Helms, Newhouse, and Phelps entitled â€Å" Copayments and the Demand for Healthcare: The California Medicaid Experience, † examines the consequence of the debut of copayments on Medicaid users in California. The other survey entitled â€Å" Copayments in the German Healthcare System: Does it Work? , † examines the effects of the debut of a 10 Euro copayment for the first physician visit of each one-fourth in Germany. Because of lifting wellness attention outgos, in 2004, the German authorities introduced a copayment for all those covered by Statutory Health Insurance. Those covered by private insurance programs where exempted from the copayment and therefore within the model of this experiment service as a natural control. The copayment was 10 Euros and was to be paid upon the first physicians visit of each one-fourth. Certain groups were to be exempted including those with chronic conditions and patients with well low incomes. The information collected in the survey covers 2000-2003 and 2005-2006 – the periods before and after the intercession. Harmonizing to the Data collected in the Study, the figure of doctors visits for non exempt SHI members dropped from 2.75 in 2003 to 2.5 in 2004. That figure increased to 2.6 in 2005 before falling back to 2.5 in 2006. Interestingly PHI members followed a similar tendency during this period with mean visits falling from 2.25 in 2003 to 2 in 2004 so lifting back up to 2.5 in 2005 before falling back to 2 in 2006.[ 8 ]The fluctuation in these Numberss suggests that while the copayment may hold had an initial consequence, it did small to cut down use of ambulatory services in the long term. A similar natural experiment took topographic point in California in 1972. In order to cut down use of ambulatory services, Medicaid patients were asked to pay a little out of pocket fee for certain out of infirmary services. A group of patients was exempted to function as a control. Data was collected for six quarters from July 1971 to December 1972. The sample includes 400,662 persons from the San Francisco, Tulare, and Ventura Counties. The demographics of the sample differed greatly from the general population with 100 per centum the participants being low income persons. From January 1, 1972 to the terminal of the experiment, the Californian authorities imposed a copayment of 26 per centum on the sample population. The copayment was $ 1 for the first 2 visits of each month with subsequent services being offered for free. In the copayment group, the mean figure of doctors visits per one-fourth decreased from.6772 before the imposed copayments to.6494 stand foring a 4.1 per centum lessening in use. For the control group the figure of visits dropped from.7316 to.7274. Using complex methodological analysis, the Numberss where adjusted to account for demographical and behavioural differences between the experimental and control group. After this accommodation, it was found that the existent consequence of the 1 dollar copayment was a important 8 per centum decrease in physicians visits.[ 9 ]DiscussionThe findings of these two experiments are important. While the debut of the copayment in the German system seemed to hold the initial consequence of cut downing use, in the long tally it proved futile. On the other manus cost sharing seemed to hold rather a important consequence in the Medicaid system in California. There are assorted grounds for this statistical disparity. One may be the differences in fringy public-service corporation that exist between the two populations. The Californian experiment monitored a public assistance population. Because all of the to pics were of low income the fringy public-service corporation of one dollar was rather high. Given this fact, it is rather likely that even a little sum of money played a important function in changing their behaviour. In contrast, the mean member of the German population was comparatively good off. The bulk had the agencies to take attention of life ‘s basic necessities. The fringy public-service corporation of their money was well less than those of the Medicaid users. This is likely why the infliction of copayments had really small permanent consequence on the use of ambulatory services. It is besides likely that other factors including assorted regional, societal, and cultural differences, may hold contributed to the disparity, but more research is required to asses the effects of these variables.DecisionGiven the consequences of the two experiments, it appears that the socioeconomic demographics of an insured population play a important function in the effectivity of user payments at cut downing over use of ambulatory services. Cost sharing mechanisms are rather effectual at cut downing over use in poorer populations, but loose their effectivity with more flush insured populations. While it is rather clear that a important relationship exists between the efficaciousness of cost sharing mechanisms and the income degree of insured populations more research is needed to find the full extent of this relationship.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Golden Torch Award Essay

Companies have been striving to be the best in their respective field of services and products. Continuous improvement on the part of the management and commitment on the part of the employees is very important to stay competitive especially in the ever-growing market of society. It is not thus surprising that companies strive to earn distinguishing marks of excellence such as world-class awards. One of the most prestigious awards that can be received is the Golden Torch Award. Unlike all other awards, the Golden Torch Award stands out from the rest because it is not only an award of excellence but also of justice and fairness on how the company treats employees regarding their race. Purpose and Background The National Society of Black Engineers, famously known as NSBE, initiated the Golden Torch Awards in the year 1997. However, no exact date is available as to when the first Golden Torch Awards has been held. The NSBE is a preeminent organization that seeks to serve blacks in the fields of engineering and technology (2008 GTA Winners). The organization was pioneered by students of Purdue University in 1971. As the campus student organization flourished in Purdue, the charter members encouraged and coordinated with different universities throughout the country offering engineering courses. Thus, in 1975, the organization became national with over 30 school chapter organizations. The group’s well-known torch symbol represents the member’s everlasting and burning desire to achieve the success in a competitive society resulting to a positive effect on the quality of life for people from all walks of life. The organization seeks to make an impact on society and the world by the accomplishments and contributions of its members to engineering, technology and even in the academe (NSBE Mission). The Golden Torch Award is just one of the many activities that the NSBE has imparted to the society. The said award wishes to recognize brilliance among African-American engineers, scientists and technologists, including organizations that have exhibited a commitment to the recruitment, retention and promotion of minorities (Siebels, 2004, p. 329). It honors different companies, institutions and individual persons who enhance their professions and the world with outstanding intelligence, competent talent and vibrant vision at the same time serving as role models for everyone in advancing opportunities for African-Americans (DiScipio). Furthermore, the award links accomplishments of its awardees with the dreams of college-bound students. The Golden Torch Award is bestowed every year on the annual convention of NSBE, which seeks to raise scholarship funds for deserving high school students (2008 GTA Winners). Award Criteria The mission of NSBE is â€Å"to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and impact the community positively† (NSBE Mission). It is thus understandable that the Golden Torch Award is designed to highlight the achievements of distinguished black engineers and technical professionals together with incoming college students (US Navy). Golden Torch Awardees are usually chosen by scrutinizing resumes, professional achievements, community service and other criteria depending on the type of category of the award. A team of judges consisting of professional and academic leaders both in the field of science and engineering selects the winners of the award (Black Engineers). There are no specific criteria available for the award. Additionally, it will be very arduous to do so since the Golden Torch Award is but a general term for numerous awards varying in category. Nevertheless, the objectives of the NSBE can be a great estimation of the factors that determine the qualifications for awardees. The NSBE has five objectives to undertake. First is to motivate and develop student interests in the various engineering disciplines. The organization’s second objective is to make a great effort in amplifying the number of minority students learning engineering at undergraduate and graduate levels. The third is to tender assistance to members searching for advanced degrees in the field of engineering or its related fields and obtaining professional engineering registrations. Fourth is promoting public awareness of engineering and the opportunities for minorities in their respective professions. Fifth is to act as ambassadors regarding issues and innovations that may affect careers of black engineers (NSBE Mission). These different objectives of the organization are met in one way or another in the criteria used for judging of Golden Torch Award winners. Awards given are numerous and have different titles. In the year 2000, the awards given are: National Chair’s Award for Leadership in Technology, Executive Leader of the Year, Achievement Award, Lifetime Achievement in Academia, Lifetime Achievement in Government, Lifetime Achievement in Industry, Pioneer of the Year, Outstanding Woman in Technology, Mike Shin’s Distinguished Fellow of the Year, Distinguished Engineer, Diversity Leadership in Industry, Diversity Leadership in Government, Corporate Community Service, Corporate/Education Partnership, Executive Director’s Award for Advancing Diversity, Pre-College Community Service, High School of the Year, Pre-College Program of the Year, Pre-College Student of the Year, Academic Visionary, Graduate Student of the Year, Minority Engineering Program Director, Pre-College Initiative Program of the Year, Chapter of the Year, Technologist of the Year and Member of the Year (Black Engineers). Additional awards given this 2008 include Janice A. Lumpkin Educator of the Year , Entrepreneur of the Year and Corporate Diversity Leadership Award (2008 GTA Winners). Benefits of the Award Although there are no tangible benefits that the Golden Torch Award can offer, it still speaks of the prestige that its awardees can possess. The honor and the promotion somehow provide the awardees’ company popularity and quality assurance that customers and consumers seek out. The said award becomes a showcase of the high standards that a company achieves throughout its existence. It also brings about the respect and gives the image that the company not only offers quality service but also social responsibility. It can speak of the capable and proficient workforce a corporation may have. As a liaison officer of the US Navy commented, the bestowal of the award can be a great opportunity to acknowledge professionalism (US Navy). Receiving the award, companies and individuals can also avail of the different programs that the NSBE offers such as academic excellence programs, scholarships, leadership trainings, professional development and career opportunities in the field of engineering and technology (NSBE Mission). Nevertheless, to think further a bit, the award has its disadvantage too. Since the NSBE is a group that uplifts racial equality, radical groups that favor racial discrimination may condemn the awardees or the companies. Terrorist groups may instill fear to people that support such groups. Moreover, this threat is not utterly dangerous as long as the companies and organizations have appropriate security measures at hand. Past Winners of the Award Winners of the Golden Torch Award have been credited for their outstanding performance and significant contributions in the field of engineering and technology. One example is United Technologies Corp. (UTC), which is the 2005 Corporate Diversity Leadership. The corporation was appreciated for its professional achievements and commitment to diversity initiatives (DiScipio). UTC works for force diversity, education and community outreach to minority groups. Competently, the company is a dealer of a wide range of high technology products and support services to aerospace and building systems industries. Other past individual winners are Alan Gilkes, Sandra Baylor and Dawn Robinson. Alan Gilkes was awarded Distinguished Engineer of the Year in 2000 for his invention of an electronic Braille display device. Sandra Baylor was winner of the Lifetime Achievement in Industry Award, having seven patents whereas Dawn Robinson, a product manager, is the recipient of the Outstanding Woman in Technology Award (Black Engineers). This year’s award list is as follows: Woodrow Whitlow Jr. , Distinguished Engineer of the Year; Rickey J. Shyne, Lifetime Achievement in Government; Juan E. Gilbert, Pioneer of the Year; Celia D. A. Earle, Outstanding Woman in Technology; Arthur L. George, Lifetime Achievement in Industry; Lorraine N. Fleming, Janice A. Lumpkin Educator of the Year; Cheryle L. Peters, Minority Engineering Program Director of the Year; Jonathan D. Madison, Graduate Student of the Year; Michael A. Thompson, Pre-College Initiative Student of the Year(Male); Kathryn M. Daniels, Pre-College Initiative Student of the Year(Female); Pre-Freshman Program in Engineering and Science, Chicago State University, Pre-College Program of the Year; Benedict Lazare, Entrepreneur of the Year; Dow Promise Program, The Dow Chemical Company, Corporate Community Service; UNCF-Merck Initiative, Merck & Co. , Inc. , Corporate/Education Partnership; Texas Instruments Incorporated, Corporate Diversity Leadership; Akibi Archer, Mike Shinn Distinguished Member of the Year(Male); Wanda Eugene, Mike Shinn Distinguished Member of the Year(Female); Barbara Michelle Nichols, Alumni Extension Member of the Year; and, Edward Tunstel, Alumni Extension Technologist of the Year (2008 GTA Winners). The awardees surely received the honor due to their innovative contributions and achievements. Conclusion In essence, the Golden Torch Award is an excellence in leadership and quality award. Taking this into consideration, a nomination of the Lockheed Martin Corp. is not a bad idea. Lockheed Martin is a leading international defense contractor that operates on aeronautics, electronics and information technology services as well as space and strategic missiles thus employing a large number of work forces from all over the world. The diversity and quality assurance that the company brings to its customers and employees is worthy of a Golden Torch Award by the NSBE. It would not be a long time before the company is acknowledged for its contributions in the field of defense technology. References DiScipio, J.United Technologies Corporation. (2004, December 14). Society of Black Engineers honors UTC for Diversity Leadership. Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http://utc. com/press/releases/2004-12-14. htm. National Society of Black Engineers. (2008, March 3). 2008 GTA Winners: Top Engineers, Corporate Supporters win NSBE ‘Golden Torch’ Honors. Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http://national. nsbe. org/Default. aspx? tabid=138. National Society of Black Engineers. (2000, March 10). Black Engineers are Recognized for their Contributions, Winners Exemplify the Importance of Mentors. Retrieved May 11, 2008, from http://www. nsbe. org/downloads/pr/press/gta00. pdf.