To Kill a Mockingbird Summary

Published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most influential novels of the 20th century. It tells a story of racism, moral courage, and the power of innocence that has influenced several generations’ ideas about justice, race relations, and poverty. Part 1 (Chapters 1-11) To Kill a Mockingbird is narrated by Jean Louise Finch, a 6-year-old girl usually referred to by her nickname, Scout. Scout lives in Maycomb, Alabama with her brother Jem and her father Atticus, who is a widower and a prominent attorney in town. The novel opens in 1933 when the town—and the entire country—is suffering the effects of the Great Depression. A young boy named Dill Harris arrives with his family for the summer and immediately forms a bond with Scout and Jem. Dill and Scout agree to get married, but then Dill spends more time with Jem than her, and Scout begins to regularly beat up Dill as a way of forcing him to honor their betrothal. The three children spend their days and nights pretending and playing games. Dill becomes interested in the Radley Place, a house on the Finch’s street where the mysterious Arthur Boo Radley lives. Boo does not leave the house and is the subject of much rumor and fascination. When the summer ends, Scout must attend school and does not enjoy the experience. She and Jem walk past the Radley house every day to and from school, and one day Scout discovers that someone has left presents for them in a hollow of a tree outside the Radley house. This continues throughout the school year. When summer comes around again, Dill returns, and the three children pick up where they left off, play-acting the story of Boo Radley. When Atticus realizes what they’re doing, he tells them to stop and to think of Arthur not as a figure of fun, but as a human being. The children are chastened, but on the last night before Dill goes home again, the children sneak into the Radley house. Nathan Radley, Arthur’s brother, is enraged and shoots at the intruders. The children scramble to escape and Jem loses his pants when they become caught and torn. The next day Jem goes to retrieve the pants, and finds they have been sewn and cleaned. Jem and Scout return to school and find more presents in the tree. When Nathan realizes that Boo is leaving them gifts, he pours cement into the hollow. One evening their neighbor Miss Maudie’s house catches fire and the community organizes to put it out. As Scout stands shivering to watch the flames, she realizes someone has slipped behind her and put a blanket over her shoulders. She is convinced it was Boo. A terrible crime rocks the small town: a black man with a crippled arm named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Atticus Finch reluctantly agrees to defend Robinson, knowing that otherwise he will not get anything close to a fair trial. Atticus experiences anger and pushback from the white community for this decision, but refuses to do less than his best. Jem and Scout are also bullied because of Atticus’ decision. At Christmas the Finches travel to Finch’s Landing to celebrate with relatives. Calpurnia, the family cook, takes Jem and Scout to a local black church, where they discover that their father is revered for his decision to defend Tom, and the children have a wonderful time. Part 2 (Chapters 12-31) The next summer, Dill is not supposed to come back but rather to spend his summer with his father. Dill runs away and Jem and Scout attempt to hide him, but he is soon compelled to go home. Atticus’ sister, Alexandra, comes to stay with them to look after Scout and Jem—especially Scout, who she insists needs to learn how to act like a young lady and not a tomboy. A mob of angry people come to the local jail intending to lynch Tom Robinson. Atticus meets the mob and refuses to let them pass, daring them to attack him. Scout and Jem sneak out of the house to spy on their father and are there to see the mob. Scout recognizes one of the men, and she asks after his son, who she knows form school. Her innocent questions embarrass him, and he helps to break up the mob in shame. The trial begins. Jem and Scout sit with the black community in the balcony. Atticus puts up a brilliant defense. The accusers, Mayella Ewell and her father Robert are low-class people and not very bright, and Atticus demonstrates that Bob Ewell had been beating Mayella for years. Mayella propositioned Tom and attempted to seduce him. When her father walked in, she made up the story of rape to save herself from punishment. The wounds that Mayella suffered that she said Tom inflicted would not be possible because of Tom’s crippled arm—in fact, the wounds were inflicted by her father. Bob Ewell is surly and angry that Atticus has made him a fool, but despite these efforts, the jury votes to convict Tom. Tom, despairing of justice, tries to escape from jail and is killed in the attempt, shaking Scout’s faith in humanity and justice. Bob Ewell feels humiliated by Atticus, and begins a campaign of terror against everyone involved, including the judge in the case, Tom’s widow, and Scout and Jem. On Halloween, Jem and Scout go out in costume and are attacked by Bob Ewell. Scout cannot see well due to her costume and is terrified and confused. Jem is badly injured, but Boo Radley suddenly rushes to their assistance, killing Bob Ewell with his own knife. Boo then carries Jem to the house. The sheriff, recognizing what has happened, decides that Bob Ewell tripped and fell on his own knife, declining to investigate Boo Radley for the killing. Boo and Scout sit quietly for a while, and she sees that he is a gentle, kind presence. Then he returns to his house. Jem’s injury means he will never be the athlete he hoped to be, but will heal. Scout reflects that she now can see Boo Radley as Arthur, a human being, and she embraces her father’s moral view of the world despite its imperfections.

Raising The Minimum Wage - 888 Words

Raising the Minimum Wage The employment effect of the minimum wage is one of the most studied topics in all economics. Today, the debate over raising the minimum wage has been a hot topic after President Obama explained in his 2014 State of the Union address that he intends to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, an increase of over 40 percent. While the President and his supporters claim that this increase would greatly benefit the economy and result in growing the businesses. Unlike some suggest that creating more jobs for people who need them rather than raising earnings for people who already have them is a better solution for reducing the national poverty rate. Minimum wages are on the agenda in many parts of the world (Luce 2). For example, countries like Australia and Mexico have minimum wage legislation, so they have Fair Work Commission that sets an hourly minimum wage by industry every year. In United States, the minimum wage now is $7.25 an hour, but citie s and counties in California, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, and Washington set their own wage that helped grow the businesses markets. Therefore, the three main reasons why increasing the minimum wage will help the businesses are; have more opportunity for new jobs, reduce expense for social programs, and decrease turnover rate. First, having more opportunities for new jobs and that means if these minimum wage employees are spending more, then businesses are earning more and need to hireShow MoreRelatedRaising The Minimum Wage? Essay1217 Words   |  5 PagesThe minimum wage is one of the most discussed issues around the country. Everyone has a different opinion if raising the minimum wage would help families across the country to have a better lifestyle or if would cause an unbalance in the economy. Democrats and Republicans have a different view on this issue, while Democrats supports raising the minimum wage by $15 an hour, Republicans have stated that they refuse increasing the wage because it would leave different factions of Americans outside ofRead MoreRaising Minimum Wage912 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum wage has long been a topic that has brought on many heated debates. It has been said over and over again that minimum wage should be raised. These people say that raising minimum wage only does good for people. However, I, along with many other people, believe this is wrong, and we should instead be making moves to keep minimum wage where it is. Raising minimum wage may provide some positive effects, but those positives only go on to be overwhelmed by the negative effects caused by it. WagesRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage?1575 Words   |  7 PagesThe issue of raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour is a heavily debated topic. Both sources against or in favor of the minimum wage refer to a â€Å"growing gap† between low-income workers and high-income earners. Sources against the minimum wage believe raising it will increase this gap, whereas those in favor of the minimum wage believe it will decrease this gap. The arguments in favor of the minimum wage rely mostly on ethical beliefs, such as â€Å"pay should reflect hard work,† to advanceRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage?1122 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Raise the wage!† reads many protestorsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ signs across America. Many people believe this to be the answer to the financial inequality that plagues our country. The federal minimum wage was established to keep workers from settling on a poor living standard (Leonard A.11). Since this was passed, multiple debates and issues have risen. One begins to ask the question, is this truly the best way to resolve the unequal distribution of wealth? After research, it has been found that there are many drawbacksRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage1979 Words   |  8 PagesResearch Raising the minimum wage can result in job losses due to lower profits for businesses. It can also potentially decrease employee hours by changing them from full time to part time. Additionally, it may reduce the full time benefits that they receive. If this were to happen, then the employees affected will actually be earning less than they did before the increase. For example, from the Article Maximum Divide on Minimum Wage (Mejeur, 2014), they state, â€Å"Labor costs are the largest shareRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage1037 Words   |  5 PagesRaising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 is not a good idea. The unintended consequences that would come about as a result is reason enough to shy away from such a proposal. Those who support an increase contend that it will alleviate poverty. Suppose these advocates are right and a spike in the minimum wage does reduce poverty for some fortunate workers. This positive development will be offset because an increase in the minimum wa ge will further price out inexperienced workers from the jobRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage?870 Words   |  4 PagesThe topic of raising the minimum wage has many different viewpoints. It is thought to be affected negatively and positively. Some believe it increases unemployment and poverty. Others believe it creates jobs, helps the economy and low-income families by giving them more money to give back to the economy. Doug Hall, director of the Economic Analysis and Research Network and David Cooper, Economic Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, expressed how the increase in minimum wage affects certainRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage?2447 Words   |  10 PagesThe minimum wage is defined as the lowest compensation, by law, which an employer may pay his or her employees. In the United States, this monetary value is set by a collection of laws on the federal, state, and local levels. While state and local governments may choose to observe a higher minimum wage than the national minimum wage, the federal government ultimately controls the income of the nation’s lowest-earning employees. At the federal level, the minimum wage was last raised in 2009, fromRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage1864 Words   |  8 Pagespersevere, and really believe in yourself, good things will come. Drastically raising the minimum wage goes against all of those principles, rewarding lethargic actions and poo r life choices. Raising the minimum wage to $15 will do more harm than good for middle class americans by decreasing the value of the money in their pockets, driving out big companies, and generally increasing unemployment. Increasing the minimum wage causes middle class Americans have less money in their pockets to spend. RepresentativesRead MoreEffect Of Raising Minimum Wage1215 Words   |  5 PagesEffects of Raising Minimum Wage The minimum wage in this country has been a controversial issue. Many people believe it will help reduce poverty and boost the economy. However, they are not looking at the downfalls this will bring to our country. This could make the unemployment population rise, it will raise prices of other things, and would have little effect on reducing poverty. Raising the minimum wage would have a negative influence on our country. This movement throughout our country

Towards a Sociology of Drugs in Sport

Question: Discuss Towards a sociology of drugs in sport? Answer: Introduction The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) is a government authority that regulates the use of drugs in the sphere of sports (Shannon, 2002). This authority was established in 2006 after replacing the Australian Sports Drug Agency (Healey, 1999). The primary work of the agency includes testing, education, investigation, presentation of cases in tribunals, recommendations of sanctions and also monitoring of the different sport organizations (Robinson, 2007). In the year 2013, the powers of the authority were increased with the introduction of the Anti-Doping Authority Amendment Bill 2013. With the introduction of the Bill civil penalties were incorporated. The same year itself the sports world in Australia was astound by the revelation by an investigation conducted by the Australian Crime Commission. The investigation showed that sportsmen has been regularly using a wide variety of performance improving drugs while playing and the investigation also revealed that the sportsmen have been connected to match fixing and also organized crimes in the country. The investigation conducted was for a period of twelve years and it created a connecting link between drugs and sports. The investigative agency stated that these organized crime networks are connected with the distribution of drugs to the athletes and also to the staff that includes the doctors and coaches of the sportspersons. Some other restricted substances that include peptides, hormones and other forms of illicit drugs have also been widely used by the professional athletes. The Crime Commission has further stated that there was no such code that has remained free from this scanda l. Sometimes the drugs that were administered to the players were yet to be authorized to be used by humans. The investigation states that these doping activities are generally run by the doctors, scientists, coaches, pharmacists and also the support staffs. The organized crimes include the distribution of the drugs and match-fixing scandals. It was after this revelation that the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority was given more powers so that the entire process of further investigation could be carried out without any hindrance. This study reflects the incidents relating to the drug crimes relating to sports and examines this sociological behavior in light of the book The Sociological Imagination by American sociologist C. Wright Mills (Mills, 1959). Mills in this book on sociological imagination states that the primary objective of studying sociology and for the sociologists is to articulate the various links that exist between the individual social environment and the broader historical and social compulsions where they are entrapped (Keen, 1999). Hence it can be construed that the approach followed by Mills is a structural and functionalist approach and it assists in opening new positions for individuals to live in the wider social framework Critical Analysis Mills states that the individual function in a wide aspect of the social structure which is considered to be an important part. However, this cannot be considered as the most important thing in this sphere (Mills, 1959). Further the scholar ahs also described the adverse effects of malaise that he considered to be as minutely rooted in the maintenance of the modern societies. In the book Mill further questions how individuals exist in the societies in the simple manner in which individuals are generally understood. While scripting the book of The Sociological Imagination, the author tried to merge the two distinct and theoretical concepts of social reality. These two elements are the society and the individual. He further challenged the prevailing sociological communication and attempted to define some of the most fundamental terms and directly questioned the grounds behind its explanations. Mills further attempted reconciliation and challenged the grand theory and abstracted empiricism (De Maio, 2013). He criticized the use of these theories and its relevance in the present day study on sociology. Mills concept of sociological imagination can be applied to a number of cases. To explain this imagination an example can be considered. Coffee is a drink with caffeine. However in most parts of the world it is not considered to be a drug. Caffeine is a drug that can have effect and stimulate the brain. Also it needs to be mentioned that it is this reason that in most cases people opt for coffee instead of any other drink (Kuba t, 1971). In most of the western countries coffee is not considered to be drug but there are some cultures where it is considered as drug. On the other hand marijuana is another drug that is not accepted in those very countries where coffee is accepted. Further there are countries where coffee is prohibited but marijuana is accepted. Hence through these examples Mills tries to depict that all the social structures can never be the same. Scholar Parsons had described that what the nature of the societal structure would be how the culture would be created and maintained by the individuals in the society. This description by Parsons was widely criticized by Mills (Mills, 2000). He had stated that this particular tendency of the sociologists to maintain the social structure in accordance to the individuals is highly incorrect. He states that the society needs to be more heterogeneous with more room for all varieties of individuals and it is through this wide and heterogeneous society will it be possible to form a single and uniform society. Relying on this book of Mills, the recent 2013 cases on drugs in Australian sports may be dealt. Through the views of Mills it can be stated that the abuse of drugs may be considered from a different perspective (Mills, 1959). The use of medication ad such related drugs are often permitted by the sports authority. However, when the same kinds of drugs are taken by the sportsperson without the authorization of the medical team then generally they fall under doping (Connor, 2009). Also it needs to be mentioned that sometimes these drugs are administered to the sportsperson by the coaches and the doctors themselves. Hence it can be construed that the society has different perspectives depending on the different situations even though the root cause may be the same (Shanahan and Macmillan, 2008). Further the drugs that are used, some of them are permitted in some countries and prohibited in some other countries. Applying the sociological imagination theory it can be seen that the heterog eneous society that Mills was talking about actually does not exist in most countries which includes Australia. Mills in the book has further criticized the social order that was proposed by Parsons. He criticized specifically the idea based on which Parsons had stated that the order in the society can be observed as a whole (Mills, 1959). Mills opines that each and every person cannot totally integrate in any given society and be able to accept all the cultural rules in the society (Mills, 1959). Additionally, if such a thing exists in the society it can be considered as a domination of the extended powers. This theory of Mills fits appropriately in this particular case of drug abuse by the Australian sportspersons (Wagner, 1991). It shows even knowing though each and every individual is not similar the authorities intend to inflict the laws on the individuals. As Mills state that these cultural symbols do not give a chance to the individuals to be self determined and hence it cannot be considered to be extracted from the individuals and their consciousness (Mills, 1959). Going according to Parsons theory on social order the society is based on the system of belief. This theory is critical with regard to the diverse changes in the society. Therefore, it can be stated that if the theories of Mills is followed then whether the sportsperson who is being considered as the culprit may simply be considered as a different person with different needs (Mills, 1959). Hence Mills is observed to be creating a society that is three dimensional. Scholars state that they have Mills have tried to break down the division existing between the private and the public territories of the society. This is the typical characteristic of society in most of the times. Conclusion As concluding remarks it can be stated that the present investigations and cases on the sportsperson in Australia may be viewed from a totally different point of view which is through the eyes of American sociologist C. Wright Mills (Mills, 1959). In the study of sociological imagination the author and sociologist has attempted to form a different conception of people who cannot be classified under the general categories that has been set by the society. Society generally happens to punish those people who do not follow the general norms and go against these norms to live their lives according to their own terms (Sport and society, 2001). Mills has stated that society needs to incorporate each and every individual and hence the society should be broad enough to incorporate all such individuals. Mills had tried to view society as both a microscopic and macroscopic generally and these try to link with the present realities in society. References Connor, J. (2009). Towards a sociology of drugs in sport.Sport in Soc., 12(3), pp.327-328. De Maio, F. (2013). Regression Analysis and the Sociological Imagination.TEST, 36(2), pp.52-57. Healey, K. (1999).Drugs in sport. Balmain, N.S.W.: Spinney Press. Keen, M. (1999).Stalking the sociological imagination. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Kuba t, D. (1971).Paths of sociological imagination. New York: Gordon and Breach. Mills, C. (1959).The sociological imagination. New York: Oxford University Press. Mills, C. (2000).The Promise', in The Sociological Imagination. Oxford University Press, pp.3-24. Robinson, D. (2007). Drugs in sport.British Journal of Sports Medicine, 41(3), pp.182-183. Shanahan, M. and Macmillan, R. (2008).Biography and the sociological imagination. New York: W.W. Norton. Shannon, M. (2002).Drugs in Australia. Carlton, Vic.: Binara Publishing. Sport and society. (2001).Annual review of sociology, 27, pp.187-212. Wagner, J. (1991). Enhancement of Athletic Performance with Drugs.Sports Medicine, 12(4), pp.250-265.

Superior clamps free essay sample

Peter Fuller was the Inventor of a metal hoseclamp for automobile hose connections. Having confidencein Its commercialvalue, but owning no surplus funds ofhis own, he sought among his friends and acquaintances for the necessary capital to put It onthe market. The proposition which he placed before possible associates was that a corporation should be formed with capital stock consisting of 60,000shares of $1 par value stock. that he be given 32,000shares for his patent, and that the remaining 28,000shares be sold for cash. Fullers patent had 160f the 17-year legal life remaining. The project looked attractive toa number of the individuals to whom the inventor presented it, but the most promising among them-a retired manufacturer-said he would be unwilling to invest his capital without knowing what uses were Intended for the cash to be received from the proposed sale of stock. He suggested that the Inventor determine the probable costs of experimentation and of special machinery, and prepare for him a statement of the estimated assets and liabilities of the proposed company when it was ready to begin actual operations. We will write a custom essay sample on Superior clamps or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He also asked tor a statement of the estimated transactions for the first year of production and sales operations, together with an analysis of the operating results indicated by those expectations. This Information would be based on the studies the Inventor had made o,probable markets and costs of labor and materials. It would include a listing of resulting assets and liabilities; an analysis of expected sales, expenses, and profits; and an explanation of the expected flow of cash over the course of the year. After consulting the engineer who had aided him In constructlnghls patent models, Fuller drew up the following list of data relating to the transactions of the proposed corporation during Its period of organization and development. 1 . Probable selling price of 28,000shares of stock. $36,OOO. 2. Probable cost of incorporation and organization of Superior Clamps, Inc. , $1 ,650, which Includes esumated officers salaries during development period. 3. Probably cost of developing special machinery, $26,000. This sum includes the cost of t Of2 expert servlces, materlals, rent 0T a small snop, ana tne cost 0T power, llgnt, ana miscellaneous expenditures.

Octavian Augustus Glossary Entry

Octavian Augustus Glossary Entry Octavian, known to posterity as the Emperor Augustus Caesar, was the first emperor of Rome, the first of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, the adopted son of his great-uncle Julius Caesar, and possibly the most important man in Roman history. Octavian or Augustus lived from 63 B.C.-A.D. 14. Timeline of Octavian Augustus The date at which he began his rule could be either 31 B.C. when the forces of Augustus under Agrippa defeated those of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, or in 27 B.C. when Octavian became Augustus, a term of honor awarded him by the Senate. Octavian Augustus Achievements Octavian Augustus reformed the Praetorian Guard and laws on marriage and adultery, he had the power of a tribune and was Pontifex Maximus (head priest). He extended the boundaries of the Roman Empire, caused the Pax Romana, and built up the city of Rome. Misfortunes of Augustus Reign Through the long years of his reign, Octavian Augustus put an end to the already seriously decaying republican system of government. It was under his rule that Varus suffered a disastrous defeat in Teutoberg Wald, putting a temporary end to territorial ambition beyond the Rhine. His own daughter and grand-daughter defied Octavians lofty moral stance. Although both partners were demonstrably capable of producing children, Augustus failed to produce an heir with Livia, his wife during his long term as emperor. Ultimately, Octavian Augustus had little choice but to make his begrudging son-in-law, Livias son Tiberius, his successor- even though Tiberius wasnt much to his liking.

Conjugation of the Spanish Verb Traer

Conjugation of the Spanish Verb Traer Traer is the most common Spanish verb that means to bring. Its stem changes in a way that isnt readily predictable. Other verbs that are conjugated in the same pattern include abstraer (to think about abstractly), atraer (to attract), contraer (to shrink), distraer (to distract), extraer (to extract), retraer (to dissuade or retract), and sustraer (to remove). Irregular forms are shown below in boldface. Translations are given as a guide and in real life may vary with context. Infinitive of Traer traer (to bring) Gerund of Traer trayendo (bringing) Participle of Traer traà ­do (brought) Present Indicative of Traer Present indicative (presente del indicativo): yo traigo, tà º traes, usted/à ©l/ella trae, nosotros/as traemos, vosotros/as traà ©is, ustedes/ellos/ellas traen (I bring, you bring, he brings, etc.) Preterite of Traer yo traje, tà ºÃ‚  trajiste, usted/à ©l/ella trajo, nosotros/as trajimos, vosotros/as trajisteis, ustedes/ellos/ellas trajeron (I brought, you brought, she brought, etc.) Imperfect Indicative of Traer yo traà ­a, tà º traà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella traà ­a, nosotros/as traà ­amos, vosotros/as traà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas traà ­an (I used to bring, you used to bring, he used to bring, etc.) Future Indicative of Traer yo traerà ©, tà º traers, usted/à ©l/ella traer, nosotros/as traeremos, vosotros/as traerà ©is, ustedes/ellos/ellas traern (I will bring, you will bring, he will bring, etc.) Conditional of Traer yo traerà ­a, tà º traerà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella traerà ­a, nosotros/as traerà ­amos, vosotros/as traerà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas traerà ­an (I would bring, you would bring, she would bring, etc.) Present Subjunctive of Traer que yo traiga, que tà º traigas, que usted/à ©l/ella traiga, que nosotros/as traigamos, que vosotros/as tragis, que ustedes/ellos/ellas traigan (that I bring, that you bring, that she bring, etc.) Imperfect Subjunctive of Traer que yo trajera (trajese), que tà º trajeras (trajeses), que usted/à ©l/ella trajera (trajese), que nosotros/as trajà ©ramos (trajà ©semos), que vosotros/as trajerais (trajeseis), que ustedes/ellos/ellas trajeran (trajesen) (that I brought, that you brought, that he brought , etc.) Imperative of Traer trae (tà º), no traigas (tà º), traiga (usted), traigamos (nosotros/as), traed (vosotros/as), no tragis (vosotros/as), traigan (ustedes) (bring, dont bring, bring, lets bring, etc.) Compound Tenses of Traer The perfect tenses are made by using the appropriate form of haber and the past participle, traà ­do. The progressive tenses use estar with the gerund, trayendo. Sample Sentences Showing Conjugation of Traer and Related Verbs Estamos estudiando la posibilidad de traer ms especialistas. (We are studying the possibility of bringing in more specialists. Infinitive.)Estamos trayendo energà ­a y equilibrio superior al equipo. (We are bringing energy and balance to the team. Present progressive.)No he traà ­do nada. (I havent brought you anything. Present perfect.)Le traigo la leche para que se haga un capuchino. (I am bringing you the milk so you can make a cappuccino. Present indicative.)Me distraen las conversaciones que oigo a mi derecha y a  mi izquierda. (The conversations I hear to my right and left distract me. Present indicative.)Extrajimos unos centà ­metros cà ºbicos del là ­quido. (We extracted a few cubic centimeters of the liquid.) Preterite.)Mis tà ­os siempre traà ­an revistas nuevas o algà ºn juguete. (My aunts and uncles always brought some new magazines or some toy. Imperfect.)La ceremonia atraer a decenas de miles de personas (The ceremony will draw tens of thousands of people. Fut ure.)Patricia me distraerà ­a pidià ©ndome de jugar con ella. (Patricia would distract me by asking me to play with her. Conditional.) Espero que me traigas buenas noticias. (I hope you bring me good news. Present subjunctive.)Hubo un tiempo en el que era ilegal que las parejas interraciales contrajeran matrimonio. (There was a time when it was illegal for interracial couples to get married. Imperfect subjunctive.)Trelo aquà ­. (Bring it here. Imperative.)

Blue Jean Waste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Blue Jean Waste - Essay Example Public health should always come first because I believe that this is foremost important for betterment of a society. This personal belief propelled my reaction to the video which called for more stress to be put on social and environmental responsibility on a global level. I believe that the corporations involved in this case like Gap and Levi reacted appropriately to pandemonium created by the responsible plant. Different regulatory measures taken to prevent blue jeans waste from ruining health of local people in the future are reliable. This is because myriad inventive strategies were engineered by those corporations only days after the incident got reported (Macvicar, 2009). The most valuable action in my opinion was formation of a neutral organization to keep a check on performance of garment manufacturers in Lesotho. Such a neutral monitoring organization was bound to make most objective and unbiased observations regarding actions of the factories

Meso-American civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Meso-American civilization - Essay Example when the Sumerians arrived in this region. Chinese civilization is among the oldest, dating back to before 3000 B.C. Early Indian civilization was highly developed as evidenced through the civilizations of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa that develop din the region of the valley of the river Indus and its tributaries. Egyptian civilization was one of the earliest to develop the system of writing through hieroglyphics (www. projectshum.org). Mesopotamian writing in the form of hieroglyphs also ranks among the earliest known in the world, with some Sumerian writing even older than the Egyptian. Writing among the Meso American civilizations developed later, also in the form of hieroglyphs with some phonetic elements, which were written in numerous columns or stelae. The ancient Indian scripts were in the form of the Indus script which has not yet been deciphered. The art of the Meso American period comprised massive stone sculptures more than two metres in height, of square jawed flat lipped warriors. This was similar to Mesopotamian art, which was also characterized by sculptures of gods in human forms, assuming a highly decorative aspect. Humans were also combined with animals to produce fantastic sculptures.(www.huntfor.com). The best known art work of the Chinese period is that which developed during the Ming dynasty, comprising vases and other decorative objects. One of the best known art works of the Egyptian period are the great pyramids of Giza and monumental statutes of the Pharoah. The first American monuments as constructed during the Meso American period are also pyramids which have religious significance and where pilgrims climb to the top, unlike the smooth sided pyramids of Egypt. Early Indian civilizations demonstrated well planned cities built of brick with wide streets, public and private bathing platforms and reservoirs.

Payroll System Essay Example for Free

Payroll System Essay This chapter presents the introduction, background of the study, theoretical framework, conceptual framework, statement of the problem, scope and limitation, significance of the study, and definition of terms of the proposed study. Introduction The emerging technology of today’s generation brought up the advancement of processes in people’s lives. Information technology (I.T.) is a more specific term that stresses the role of unified communication and the integration of telecommunication and computers (Murray, 2011). Specifically, computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a finite set of arithmetic and logical operations. It lessens the tedious tasks carried out in manual based operations in the society. However, providing efficient security is still considered as one of the arising difficulties in information technology. Security plays a vital role in one’s daily lives and as forms of protection are structure and process that provide or improve security as a condition, it is present in all aspects of life. At present, one of the devices used in maintaining a strict security especially in attendance monitoring and payroll generation is the biometric technology or simply biometrics. Biometrics (MSU, 2012) refers to the automatic identification of a person based on his/her multiple scientific fields. One of which is his anatomical (e.g. fingerprint, iris) characteristics of traits. A biometric system made use of a fingerprint scanner, a sensor that employs the user to be present to enroll in the system so that his biometric template or reference can be captured. This template is securely stored in a central database or smart card issued to the user. The template is used for matching when an individual needs to be identified. Depending on the context, a biometric system can operate either in verification (authentication) or an identification mode. Thus, the identification mode of biometrics is frequently used in attendance monitoring in order to compute and generate payrolls. Biometrics or biometric fingerprint scanner is used in monitoring the attendance that supervises the employee’s daily time log and are stored in a computerized database. It maintains a daily record of a person’s arrival and departure time from work which helps in generation of payrolls. Payroll is the sum of all financial records of salaries of an employee, wages, bonuses and deductions. Thus, the main purpose of a payroll system is to lessen the tedious tasks in salary computation in order to generate accurate and timely reports.

Nurturing or poisoning :: essays research papers fc

Nurturing or poisoning? The human race has become fascinated and awe-struck by the phenomenal research and findings of the past century. From improved sanitation to prescription drugs for every cough or ache, technology makes life simpler and healthier. Humans are living longer, experiencing better health and suffering from illness and disease less. Right? On the contrary, in the United States, one in three people die of cancer, one in five suffers from mental disorders and one out of every five pregnancies result in miscarriage (Fallon, 1). Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, chronic fatigue, dyslexia, hyperactivity, ulcers, obesity, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes are only a few of the ailments that hinder the American population. Chronic disease afflicts nearly half of the population of the United States and causes an astonishing three out of four deaths. Although such physical and mental problems once characterized the elderly, more and more children and teenagers are struck by chronic illness than ever before (Fallon, 1). In light of every medical advancement and scientific breakthrough, why is it that more people than ever suffer from chronic illnesses, obesity and heart disease? The human body is a complex, living organism that has taken thousands of years to comprehend and fathom on the simplest level. Today, most Americans view the human body as something constantly rebelling, breaking down, aging or malfunctioning. With every ache and pain or cough and sniffle, the body demonstrates its downfall and weaknesses. In combating these ailments, the majority of our powerless nation depends on prescription drugs, shots, surgeries and other medical treatments for any chance of recovery or improvement. All the while wondering about the source of such diseases and health disorders. Meanwhile, the average diet consists of fast foods, candy bars, and carbonated beverages loaded with preservatives, artificial sweeteners, salt and empty calories. Although the consumption of certain foods cannot account for every chronic disease and illness one hundred percent, the nutrition derived from food plays an important role in how the body functions. First and foremost, the view of the human body must change in order to comprehend the purposes and intricate workings of its components. In its natural state, the human body is a picture of beauty, wholeness, balance and vitality (Fallon, 1). Thousands of years ago, Galen sought to grasp an understanding of this magnificent creation through experiment, dissection and research. For Galen the body was a detailed masterpiece waiting to be unraveled.

Philosophy 101 Study Guide

* Socrates: Philosopher who believed in an absolute right or wrong; asked students pointed questions to make them use their reason, later became Socratic Method. Charged with introducing strange gods and corrupting the young, he committed suicide. * Rhetoric: Saying things in a convincing matter * Skepticism: The idea that nothing can ever be known for certain. * Sophists: A wise and informed person, critical of traditional mythology, rejected â€Å"fruitless† philosophical speculations.A member of a school of ancient Greek professional philosophers who were expert in and taught the skills of rhetoric, argument, and debate, but were criticized for specious reasoning. * Socratic Irony: Feign Ignorance, or pretend to be dumber than really are to expose the weaknesses of people's thinking * â€Å"One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing† * â€Å"He knows what good is will do good† * Plato (428-347 B. C. Athens, Greece): Student of Socrates. Established ‘The Academy'. Wrote Dialogues. He was a Dualist. * Two parts to a human: Body ; Soul Plato regarded the body and soul as separate entities * A person may crave or have an appetite for something, yet resist the craving with willpower. A correctly operating soul requires the highest part, reason, to control the lowest part, appetite, with assistance from the will. * Plato believed that though the body dies and disintegrates, the soul continues to live forever. After the death of the body, the soul migrates to what Plato called the realm of the pure forms. There, it exists without a body, contemplating the forms.After a time, the soul is reincarnated in another body and returns to the world. But the reincarnated soul retains a dim recollection of the realm of forms and yearns for it * Theory of ideas/forms: the reality behind the material world, which contains the eternal and immutable â€Å"patterns† behind the various phenomena, we come across in nature. * Plato believ ed that everything tangible in nature flows. There are no substances that do not dissolve, and so everything is made of a timeless â€Å"mold† or â€Å"form† that is eternal and immutable. * Eternal: Lasting or existing orever; without end or beginning. * Immutable: Unable to be changed * Form (Ideas): A form is an abstract property or quality. Take any property of an object; separate it from that object and consider it by itself, and you are contemplating a form. For example, if you separate the roundness of a basketball from its color, its weight, etc. and consider just roundness by itself, you are thinking of the from of roundness. * The forms are transcendent. This means that they do not exist in space and time. A material object, a basketball, exists at a particular place at a particular time.A form, roundness, does not exist at any place or time. * Pure – the forms only exemplify one property. Material objects are impure; they combine a number of propertie s such as blackness, circularity, and hardness into one object. * Archetypes – The forms are archetypes; that is, they are perfect examples of the property that they exemplify. The forms are the perfect models upon which all material objects are based. The form of redness, for example, is red, and all red objects are simply imperfect * Ultimately Real – The forms are the ultimately real entities, not material objects.All material objects are copies or images of some collection of forms; their reality comes only from the forms. * Causes – The forms are the causes of all things. * They provide the explanation of why any thing is the way it is * They are the source or origin of the being of all things * Systematically Interconnected – The forms comprise a system leading down from the form of the Good moving from more general to more particular, from more objective to more subjective.This systematic structure is reflected in the structure of the dialectic pro cess by which we come to knowledge of the forms. * Realm of Forms (World of Ideas): The world that we perceive through the mind, using our concepts, seems to be permanent and unchanging. Humans have access to the realm of forms through the mind, through reason, given Plato's theory of the subdivisions of the human soul. This gives them access to an unchanging world, invulnerable to the pains and changes of the material world.By detaching ourselves from the material world and our bodies and developing our ability to concern ourselves with the forms, we find a value which is not open to change or disintegration. * Realm of the Illusory (World of the Senses): The world we perceive through the senses seems to be always changing. It seems that all the objects we perceive with the senses are simply images or experiences in our mind. They are only subjective points of views on the real objects. For example, the world appears radically differently to a color blind person than it does to us. The objects that we perceive as colored, then, must not be the real objects, but just our experience of these objects that is determined by my particular subjective point of view and perceptual apparatus. * True Knowledge * He believed that as result of the constant change within the material world we could never really have true knowledge. * Eros: Greek god of love; son of Aphrodite; often shown blindfolded * Rationalism: the belief that human reason is the primary source of our knowledge of the world * Three parts of the Soul Reason (Intellect) * In the Head * Provide Wisdom * Where our individual/ unique talents lie * If reason functions excellently (arete) then we are wise to that extent * If we exercise wisdom to the extent then that part of the soul is excellent * Responsible for love of learning, spirited, & animated * Passion [Appetite/Desire] * From Greek word â€Å"Pathe† meaning the irrational movements of the soul * In gut * Provides temperance If passion function s excellently then we are temperate * If we exercise temperance to the extent then that part of the soul is excellent * Responsible for Desire * Thymos * Means Spirit/Will * In Heart * Provides Courage * Can help reason master passion * If we exercise courage to the extent then that part of the soul is excellent * Responsible for anger * Views on Women: Plato believed that women had a right, or you might even call it a role to play in society. Their role was to be a significant part of society, different from men, but still play a part.Plato believed that women were necessary for society to run smoothly. * Women were not equals of men * Women lacked strength * Women are naturally maternal * In Plato’s time it was unheard of to view women as more than a piece of property. * Dualist: a sharp division between the reality of thought and extended reality. * Aristotle (384-322 B. C; Macedonia, Athens): Pupil of Plato's. Believed Plato's world of ideas did not exist but that the ete rnal idea was really a concept- the idea of a horse that we have after seeing many of them. Learn know through the senses. â€Å"20 questions†. Causes * What type of material it is made of? * Wood * What type of thing it is? * Table * What caused it to come into being? * How it was built; the task needed to be done to create the table * Purpose or Final Cause (Telos): The purpose, end, aim, or goal of something. The final cause is the cause why a thing exists. * Meant to be a dinner table or desk * Views on Women: Viewed them as â€Å"unfinished men†. * Golden Mean: One cannot be too much of one thing or too less, need to be balanced * Empiricism: Derive all knowledge from what the senses tell us.There are no innate ideas and cannot prove the existence of God, eternity or substance * Hellenism: The period of time and the Greek-dominated culture that prevailed in the three Hellenistic Kingdoms of Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt. The diffusion of Greek Culture throughout the Mediterranean world after the conquest of Alexander the Great. * The Cynics: True happiness doesn't come from external advantages, like power/good health. Once you have true happiness, it can't be lost. Their own/others health shouldn't disturb them. * The Stoics * Stoicism was founded by a man named Zeno, who lived from 335-263 BC. He used to lecture not in a classroom but outside, on the porch of a public building * The word for porch in Greek is STOA, and so people called his students Stoics * People should try to reach inner peacefulness * Moderate in everything * Be happy with what they had. This would lead to a happy life * The best indication of an individual's philosophy was not what a person said but how he behaved * Destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment * Sage: person of â€Å"moral and intellectual perfection† * Would not suffer from such emotions The Epicureans: They believed pleasure is the greatest good, but to attain pleasure was to live modest ly, gain knowledge of the workings of the world, and limit to one's desires. * Neo-Platonism: Belief of two poles on Earth, one end is the dive light called the One (God). Other end is absolute darkness, no existence, the absence of light. * Syncretism: The combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. * Mysticism: One with God, merging with him. â€Å"I am God. † or â€Å"I am You. † * Two Cultures The Indo-Europeans: Related languages of Europe, India, and Iran, which are believed to have descended from a common tongue spoken roughly in the third millennium B. C. by an agricultural peoples originating in SE Europe * The Semites: A member of any of the peoples who speak or spoke a Semitic language, including in particular the Jews and Arabs- mostly Middle Easterners, they saw history as an on going line, world will end on judgment day * The Middle Ages: Period of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century * St. Augustine: Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province. Influence of the Arabs: The Arabic-Latin translation movements in the Middle Ages, which paralleled that from Greek into Latin, led to the transformation of almost all philosophical disciplines in the medieval Latin world. * St. Thomas Aquinas: Tried to make Aristotle’s philosophy compatible with Christianity. Believed Christendom and philosophy were the same thing. Used bible as a source of reason. Created a synthesis between faith and knowledge. Said there are natural theological truths—truths that can be reached through both Christian faith and innate reason.Tried to prove god's existence of Aristotle’s philosophy. Everything has a formal cause. God has revealed himself to mankind through both reason and the bible. * The Renaissance: period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th throu gh the middle of the 17th centuries * Reformation: religious movement of 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches * Three Major Discoveries: The compass, Firearms, and printing press. The Baroque: Historic period from about 1600 until 1750 when the baroque style of art, architecture, and music flourished in Europe * Carpe Diem: Seize the day. * Memento Mori: â€Å"Remember your mortality†- meaning ‘Remember, you will die'. * Idealism: the philosophical theory that ideas are the only reality. * Materialism: the belief of material things (atoms and the void). All real things derive from concrete substances. Determinism: Laplace (french mathematician) said that everything that happens is predetermined- contradicting the belief of free will and suggests that the outcome of everything is written in the stars * Descartes: French philosopher and mathematician; developed dualistic theory of min d and matter. Father of modern Philosophy. * His main concern was what we can know – certain knowledge * â€Å"Je pense donc je suis†: â€Å"I think, therefore I am† * â€Å"Cogito ergo sum†: â€Å"I think, therefore I am† said by Rene Descartes. * Two Forms of Reality: Thought & Extention Agnostic: Unsure/Undecided/Needs more information. Unable to say categorically whether or not the gods/God exists; brought about by Sophist Protagoras * Atheist: Does not believe in God. * Spinoza: Baruch Spinoza-Jewish-Dutch rationalist (one of the great rationalists in 17th century); opposed Descartes' mind-body dualism; he laid groundwork for Enlightenment. Also wrote the book of Ethics * Historico-Critical Interpretation of the Bible: Spinoza applied the scientific method to the reading of Scripture, and this became what is now known as the â€Å"historical-critical method. His view was that religious conflict in Europe was a result of differing interpretati on on key biblical passages. He developed this method of reading Scripture in order to bring about universal agreement on its meaning. * Pantheist: God is infinite, he is present in everything. * Universal Law of Nature: the laws and rules of nature, according to which all things happen, and change from one form to another, are always and everywhere the same.So the way of understanding the nature of anything, of whatever kind, must also be the same, * One Substance: The claim that there is one and only one substance. This substance he identifies as God. * â€Å"Substance†: Does not need the conception of any other thing in order to be conceived * substance is its own cause * that it is infinite * that it is the only substance; for if there were two substances, they would limit each other and cease to be independent * Monist: reduces nature and the condition of all things to one single substance. Inner-Cause: Humans come to understand that their struggle follows by necessity f rom the struggle of Nature, and that it has an inner link with other parts of the environment through a common inner cause, Nature. * Determinist: Laplace (french mathematician) said that everything that happens is predetermined- contradicting the belief of free will and suggests that the outcome of everything is written in the stars * Free Will: Doctrine that conduct of the individual is the result of personal choice. not divine forces of fate) * Locke: English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience. * Empiricism: Derive all knowledge from what the senses tell us- came from Aristotle. There are no innate ideas and cannot prove the existence of God, eternity or substance) * Two questions about ideas? * Where do we get all of these ideas which are the content of our knowedge? * Whether things in the world fit our ideas, and not whether our ideas correspond to the nature of things in the world * Tabula Rasa: Clean slate. Primary Quali ties: Extension, weight, senses reproduce them objectively. * Secondary Qualities: Color, smell; reproduce the things that are inherent in the things themselves. * Natural Rights: Locke's political philosophy is his theory of natural rights privileges or claims to which an individual was entitled * Hume (1711-1776; English): Scottish philosopher whose sceptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses. He was an Empiricist. * Two types of Perception * Impression: how we experience the world Ideas: what we recall of our impressions * Faith v. Knowledge: Knowledge is divided into three Categories * Knowledge * Belief * Faith (this is of lower grade than belief and knowledge) * Laws of Nature or Cause & Effect: Emphasized that the expectation of one thing following another does not lie in the things themselves, but in our mind. Sophist Teaching compared to Socrates Teachings: Sophist's desired money in return for teaching young men various thin gs about political and social life, such as rhetoric. ? Socrates was a philosopher, whom spent his days wandering around the gym and the agora, talking to people. He developed a following of young Greeks, such as Plato and Xenephon. Socrates did not charge for his teachings. He also made a habit of proving just how little Sophist's actually knew. Many people did believe Socrates was a Sophist and this is a reasonable claim, because Sophist were know to be knowledgeable people that taught the same skills Socrates was.Although Socrates would not consider himself a Sophist and would be known to talk down about them about how little they actually knew. Plato’s Myth of the Cave: A few people were sitting underground in a cave, facing the wall. They cannot turn around, and all they have ever seen are shadows of objects projected onto the wall. One manages to turn around, and he sees the actual items that he has only ever seen shadows of. It is completely dazzling. Plato is trying t o demonstrate the relationship of the material world and the world of ideas.Compared to the world of ideas, the material world is dreary. When Aristotle disagreed with Plato’s Theory of Forms; What did Aristotle offer up as an alternative explanation for Reality? Aristotle argued that the theory of forms is seriously flawed: it is not supported by good arguments; it requires a form for each thing; and it is too mathematical. Worst of all, on Aristotle's view, the theory of forms cannot adequately explain the occurrence of change. By identifying the thing with its essence, the theory cannot account for the generation of new substances.Aristotle was the first philosopher to formalize the subject of Metaphysics. As Aristotle explains, Metaphysics is the study of the One Substance (and its Properties) which exists and causes / connects all things, and is therefore the necessary foundation for all human knowledge. Aristotle was correct to realize that One Substance must have Prope rties that cause matter's interconnected activity and motion. Hellenistic Period in Mediterranean World (300 BCE 0 400 BCE): Common themes that pervaded multiple cultures at this time? The time between the death of King Alexander the Great and the emergence of Ancient Greece * the term Hellenistic to define the period when Greek culture spread in the non-Greek world after Alexander’s conquest * The Greek language being established as the official language of the Hellenistic world * The art and literature of the era were transformed accordingly to more Greek styles * The Greek were the majority over the Mediterranean world, but they often outnumbered by natives in the land; sometime there would be little interaction in some places between the Greek and the natives * The development of the Alexander Romance (mainly in Egypt) owes much to Greek theater as well as other styles of story. * The spread of Greek culture throughout the Near East and Asia owed much to the development o f cities. * The identification of local gods with similar Greek deities facilitated the building of Greek-style temples, and the Greek culture in the cities also meant that buildings. How is Christianity a blending between the Indo-European & Semitic World views? The Greeks and Romans are a part of Indo-European culture, while the Jews belong to Semitic culture. He describes how Indo-European culture was characterized by a belief in many gods—pantheism.Similar ideas popped up in many different Indo-European languages, and were expressed by words that resembled each other greatly. The Semites, on the other hand, are characterized by monotheism, the belief in one god. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are all Semitic religions. But Christianity complicates things, because it spread throughout Indo-European cultures and incorporated many features of those cultures. Semitic religions believe in one like Christianity, but also Indo-European culture believes in a messiah just like J esus in the Christianity religion; so technically both cultures played a part in shaping Christianity. What is Descartes first movement of what is referred to as modern philosophy?What was his main â€Å"project† & what type of conclusions did he arrive at? Descartes is often regarded as the first thinker to emphasize the use of reason to develop the Natural Sciences. It can be said his main goal was to find out truth to God's existence then human existence, as these were the main two subjects. Descartes was the first philosopher in a long time to attempt to bring all knowledge into a coherent philosophy. His concerns were with certain knowledge—that which we can know for sure—and the mind/body relationship. Because philosophers believed in a mechanistic view of nature, it was critical to figure out how the mind's thoughts became translated into actions of the body.Descartes doubted everything that was not certain and then realized that the very fact of his doub ting meant he must be thinking. From there, he decided that the existence of God is also certain, and went on to define the world in terms of thought and matter, which he called extension. The mind and body interact, but the goal is to get the mind to operate solely according to reason. What did Spinoza propose as a way for understanding the world? How does this compare to Descartes conclusions? How are they similar? How are they different? He rejected Descartes's dualism and believed that thought and extensions are simply two of God's features that we can perceive. He had a deterministic view of the world, believing that God controlled all through natural laws.Spinoza felt that only God was truly free but that people could attain happiness through seeing things â€Å"from the perspective of eternity. † They are similar, because they both believe in God, but they are very different from Descartes relying mostly on reason, and Spinoza thinking that God controls everything thro ugh Natural Laws. Hume’s ideas on morality & the source of morality: David Hume, an 18th century philosopher, stated that morality is based on sentiments rather than reason. He concluded this after he developed his â€Å"theory† of knowledge which stated that everything we could know was observable by the senses — he was a naturalistic philosopher. He then looked at situations in which he thought that there was an obvious â€Å"wrong† and he

Personal Barriers to Online Learning Essay

Online learning or e-Learning refers to application of electronic technology for the delivery of instructional content or knowledge domains. Beamish et al. (2002), defines e-Learning as: â€Å". . . a wide set of applications and processes allied to training and learning that includes computer-based learning, online learning, virtual classrooms and digital collaboration. These services can be delivered by a variety of electronic media, including the intranet, internet, interactive TV and satellite. † In spite of the great flexibility and varied range of tools that e-Learning can provide to imparting education, implementing any e-Learning system can be a complicated and complex endeavour and online learning can be a very frustrating experience for the student as well as the teacher. A number of personal barriers affect students and teachers alike in any online learning system. Personal Barriers of Students The technology available with students determines the nature of the course content to a large extent. Students may simply not have the required bandwidth to access high-end multimedia content. The course designer has to tailor the contents to suit the technology availability of the students. This is especially true of e-Learning courses catering to international community scattered all over the world. In such cases severe constraints may have to be imposed on the utilization of technology resources available at the end of the imparting institution. The design would then have to optimized for dial-up users with at the most 800Ãâ€"600 pixel monitor screen resolutions. In fact, many universities take special care to ensure prior to registration that their respective e-Learning course content is accessible to the students. â€Å"Technical infrastructure deficiencies on the student side can impede course activities, especially in an online distance-learning environment. † (Arabasz, 2003, pp. 42) The proficiency level of the student in using ICT tools would enhance or undermine his e-Learning experience to a great extent. In the international context it would be unwise to expect uniform familiarity with ICT usage. A student, previously not exposed to ICT, will therefore not only have to handle the course requirements, but will also have to acquire the requisite skills in ICT to pursue the course effectively. From the learner perspective, literacy and IT skills and aptitude for self-direction, being confident and motivated to participate in online learning have also been identified as potential barriers to effective online learning (Australian Institute for Social Research, 2006, pp. 15). The factor that students have to study in isolation in an e-Learning system has triggered off many debates. Many perceive this isolation as a crippling obstacle to the development of e-Learning systems for higher education. Brouner and Flowers (1997) even suggested that the lack of human interactions in the incorporation of technology into higher education would have to be effectively made up by increased human contact. The e-Learning environment lacks the discipline and time regulations imposed on students in conventional education. This requires students to be more motivated, better time managers and more attentive during e-Learning sessions. The lack of the proximity and personal touch of the instructor as in a traditional classroom can create a communication chasm that both the instructor and the student may find difficult to surmount. In a situation where eye contact and proximity are limited, students cannot be disciplined nor affirmed by eye contact and body language (McKnight, 2000). Time is another constraint that affects online learning negatively. Whilst education has now extended geographically it has limited students with time restrictions (Jones et. al. , 2004, pp. 14). Trials and Tribulations for the Faculty Time is perhaps the biggest investment that the instructor has to make. The amount of time required to develop and maintain an e-Learning course is usually not anticipated by the people involved. The instructor has to spend a lot of time on restructuring and reengineering the course for e-Learning delivery. A complete over hauling is required. Instructors also need to give time for technical and pedagogical training as instructions in e-Learning differ radically from conventional approaches. Last but not the least, the instructor has to spend considerable time corresponding or communicating with students. A very important aspect of e-Learning is the views or approach of the instructor. The instructor could be trying to make the e-Learning experience as good and fruitful as the conventional classroom’s. It is a case of trying to replicate the conventional classroom in e-Learning. The second approach could be the instructor’s effort to improve the instructions through the medium of e-Learning. The instructor will have to decide on which approach to adopt, a decision that could profoundly influence the very character and quality of the e-Learning content. Technical issues can hamper an instructor’s efficiency or performance. The instructor is often not familiar with the technologies that are utilized. Development in multimedia would require knowledge of Flash, Shockwave and similar tools. It is difficult to find persons skilled in both the application technology and the field of education. The problem of technology extends to the teacher who may not be proficient in the software. The dependency on technology also tends to undermine the faculty’s confidence at times. â€Å"Are things going to work when I’m in the classroom? Will the Internet be up? Do I need to bring back-up materials on a disk? Will the last instructor have left things in good shape? These [issues] may be more basic than you’d expect, but dependability is still a major issue. † (Arabasz, 2003, pp. 41) Online Learning therefore requires very careful planning and implementation in order to achieve success.

Durkheim and Social Fact Essay Example

Durkheim and Social Fact Essay Example Durkheim and Social Fact Essay Durkheim and Social Fact Essay Emile Durkheim’s The Rules of Sociological Method posits the being of assorted social facts’ which. harmonizing to him. should be the range of all sociological survey and discourse. Durkheim’s discourse defines societal facts as. †¦a class of facts with really typical features: it consists of ways of moving. thought and feeling. external to the person. and endowed with a power of coercion. by ground of which they control him. ( Durkheim 3 ) Therefore the three chief characteristics of societal facts are surfaced ; as being external to the person. emanating from a general and higher degree than the person and that these coerce or force an person to move in conformity to them for the intent of control. These facts. harmonizing to Durkheim. must be considered things. which he defines as worlds that may be observed and classified. These things are posited to be on the degree of society. wholly outside the kingdom of the person and are used to command a person’s ideas. actions and experiencing from being otherwise. Should a individual garbage to subject to this coercion. he would happen himself the object of negative reactions runing from ridicule. isolation or even concrete penalty or countenance. The deductions of this definition ab initio cast sociology’s field of survey as all-encompassing. mentioning to all worlds and procedures of human life and behaviour. therefore Durkheim seeks to clear up and set up the significance of the form social’ as opposed to other adjectives such as biological’ . psychological’ and philosophical’ . Each single drinks. slumbers. chows. grounds ; and it is society’s involvement that these maps be exercised in an orderly mode. If so. all these facts are counted as social facts. sociology would hold no capable affair entirely its ain. and its sphere would be confused with biological science and psychological science. ( Durkheim 1 ) As mentioned above. Durkheim perceives the societal fact as the range of sociological survey. and uses other Fieldss of survey to demo what sociology should underline. Biological facts and survey trade with features of the physical organic structure of a individual and are hence non societal. since the demand to follow these facts ( such as kiping. feeding and external respiration ) emanate from the physiological demands of an being to last. Psychological survey trades with thought procedures and phenomena that occur within an individual’s consciousness. Durkheim posits that social’ facts emanate non from one person’s consciousness nor from a person’s physiological demands. but from the degree of society itself. †¦ this term [ societal ] fits them rather good. for it is clear that. since their beginning is non the person. their substrate can be no other than society. ( Durkheim 3 ) Another deduction of his definition is that societal facts exist merely with the presence of societal establishments which enforce them and make them. For Durkheim. it is imperative to clear up that in most instances a societal establishment exists with the societal fact. but it must non be thought that for a societal fact to be. a societal establishment must be present to hold created it. Rather. the contrary of the causing is in topographic point. Social facts create societal establishments which enforce and perpetuate them. but there are besides other societal facts which do non necessitate the presence of an establishment to approve them. Durkheim defines such deinstitutionalized societal facts as social currents’ . They come to each one of us from without and carry us off in malice of ourselves. ( 4 ) He uses the illustration of crowd euphory and feeling to exemplify these. Social facts are farther classified into the normal’ and the pathological’ . Durkheim classifies societal facts under these two classs in order to exemplify the coercive nature of societal facts and how society has been shaped to perpetuate and implement them. Normal societal facts refer to those which conform to given standards while pathological societal facts refer to those which ought’ to be different ( Durkheim 47 ) . Normal societal facts are those most widely happening in the society in inquiry and map in such a manner that their presence maintains societal order and accepted societal life. Durkheim farther posited that for a societal fact to be considered normal. it would lend to the wellness of a society. as mentioned earlier. it maintains accepted societal procedures. it promotes and is of course consistent with recognized societal norms. The obscure nature of this definition and its subjectiveness was borne from Durkheim’s end of seeking to contextualize and take into consideration the diverseness of societal life across different civilizations and societies. This implies the being of facts that are produced to command people to move in conformity to accepted norms and values. and the being of facts whose intent is to exemplify what is a divergence from the previously-mentioned recognized norms and values. The feature of societal facts that posits a force that coerces people to adhere to them is what required Durkheim to do this classification. He defined societal facts as things. as worlds. and therefore he would seek to specify the normal and the unnatural things and worlds that are placed under the sphere of what are considered social’ . If societal facts exist outside the person and are imposed upon him. what of the phenomenon that occur which are divergences from the norm. how are these to be explained as sociological when they do non adhere to society? Pathological societal facts are therefore things or worlds that occur in less instances than the normal societal facts to demo that these things are what are considered abnormal’ or have some signifier of morbidity’ that characterizes them as divergences. Durkheim compared this analogy with physiological surveies. which first trade with a healthy. normal’ human organic structure and so would analyze the abnormalities’ of the organic structure. the possible symptoms and causes of illness or morbidity’ . As the physiologist surveies diseases within the human organic structure. so does a sociologist survey the pathological or morbid’ phenomenon that occurs outside the individual’s consciousness. Another statement that Durkheim presents in specifying the normal societal fact is that normal’ phenomena are frequently present non because of societal norms and values but because of logical necessity. He argues that normal facts differ across species. but these facts are present largely because the species has to accommodate to its environment and are necessary ( Durkheim 60 ) Rejecting other definitions of normal facts. Durkheim posited that normal facts are comparative to the specific species in inquiry during a specific clip in its evolutional stage. Normal facts are hence non lasting nor are they cosmopolitan. He emphasizes this because of his old statements that because of the normality and frequence of these facts they are attributed to be superior in nature. Durkheim decides what constitutes normal’ societal facts by measuring the causal conditions that govern a certain fact. If. at a certain point in the society’s development. the societal fact is acceptable. so the fact is normal. An illustration would be the pattern of a miss inquiring a male child to prosecute in a societal. romantic relationship with her. In these modern times. this is considered a normal fact because of the rise of female authorization and liberalism. However. if this societal fact was to be classified during the Renaissance period. it would hold been classified as unnatural. because adult females did non bask authorization or the same power they enjoy today. A societal fact’s nature is intrinsic to society’s norms and causal maps that create it at a certain point in clip. and non with the broadness of happening or moral acceptableness. Durkheim takes into history how societal facts may alter their nature as normal and pathological over clip. particularly through the procedure of development. After holding established by observation that a peculiar fact is general. he will travel back to the conditions which determined this generalization in the yesteryear and will so look into whether these conditions are still given in the present or if. on contrary they have changed. ( Durkheim 61 ) Contention between the two types of societal fact and the unsmooth definition that Durkheim posited may be seen in the presence of offense within a society. Crime. at first glimpse would be characterized as a pathological societal fact. as it would have morbidity and abnormalcy. This is a common perceptual experience that all criminologists would adhere to. However. offense is posited by Durkheim as a normal societal fact. Durkheim showed that offense is present in all societies but in different signifiers. as normal and pathological facts differ across societies and evolutionary stages ( 65 ) . He farther stated that even in societies where offense rate is high and incidences rampant. a alteration may happen depending on the future province of the society which will decrease the rate of normality of offense ( 66 ) . Crime for Durkheim is separate and different from condemnable behaviour and condemnable Acts of the Apostless. since these are able to be explained on degrees other than on the societal. Therefore Durkheim posited that the act of making a condemnable title is non what is normal. but the presence of offense within society which is normal ( 67 ) . The presence of divergences from the norm may be seen in all societies. but since the act in itself is brought about by psychological grounds and other factors that may be evident on the single degree. condemnable behaviour may be portion sociological and portion psychological. Crime is posited to be variant and subjective across civilizations and societies. and is ever present no affair how stiff the norms in a society are. Crime is defined in a society based on the norms and values it holds in importance. Durkheim’s collective conscience’ that governs society is what is held responsible for specifying the condemnable act. Again. in an attempt to take into history the diverseness of societies. Durkheim posits offense as subjective and dependent on societal norms. with the degree of tolerance of the society in inquiry ordering what is considered offense and what is considered deviant or funny behaviour worthy or mere ridicule and oddness. Crime is ever present in any society no affair how ordered and stiff it is. but with the higher control nowadays in a society. the degree of the edification of offense and the elaborateness and attempt used in perpetrating a condemnable act additions every bit good. in relation to the trouble in offense committee. Statisticss may so be inferred by the pupil to be one concrete manifestation of a societal fact because of its nature of depicting tendencies and societal phenomenon. but Durkheim posited otherwise. He posited that statistics is used to stand for the collective mind’ which is the amount of the single instances that adhere to societal facts. whether normal or pathological. Statistics is used to insulate these specific tendencies. Though single instances no uncertainty have other extenuating biological and psychological factors for happening. statistics provides a manner to neutralize or extinguish the individualistic factors that may represent the instances as non within the kingdom of sociology. Durkheim justifies the normality of offense in a given society by mentioning that there is non society where offense is non present. Condemnable Acts of the Apostless are ever regarded with negative sentiments in any society ( Durkheim 66 ) . However. Durkheim showed that the presence of offense affirms the normal societal facts. that it enforces the normal by bing as a beginning of penalty for its ain committee. In a society that has the strictest and most stiff construction of regulations and normal fact that must be adhered to at all times. offense is non wholly eliminated but really more evident. more frowned-upon and more to a great extent sanctioned. Therefore. the presence of offense is considered normal and the committee of condemnable Acts of the Apostless is pathological. With all this said about the societal fact. the thought of a social system’ would make some contentions. Social facts are thought to emanate from the social degree through a corporate consciousness. where the person is forced to conform and adhere to. A societal system would connote that the relationship between persons and society would non be so additive and nonreversible. A societal system would connote that as society exerts a force on the person. so does an single upon society. Durkheim’s collective consciousness’ would so be debunked as an semblance which is perpetuated in society. A systems model for sociological survey would so take into consideration the consequence of persons in society as societal establishments and constructions that are composed of persons. Durkheim’s theory on societal fact would so be debunked as emanating from an semblance and would lose its objectiveness and its feature of being grounded on world. Durkheim. Emile. The Rules of Sociological Method. New York: The Free Press. 1938.

Understanding the German Article and Pronoun Ihr

Understanding the German Article and Pronoun Ihr Often at times German learners are confused about „ihrâ€Å" (and friends). No wonder because entering „ihrâ€Å" into google translate provides us with the following list: hertheiryour (Sir/Ma’am)to heryou-all If I have five options to choose from in any other than my native language, I’d be confused too. Luckily I grew up with German. But you probably have not been so fortunate (from a language learning point of view of course) so let me bring some light into your darkness. The problem is the missing awareness regarding the differences between an article and a pronoun.   If I segregate the above list of possible translations into these two categories things will get a bit clearer already:       Article                               Pronoun      her (car)                            to her (can’t put „carâ€Å" here      their (car)                         you all (can’t put „carâ€Å" here)      your (Sir/Ma’am)                   A few examples:   Ã‚     Ihre Mutter kommt am Wochenende zu Besuch.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Her / Their / Your mother comes to visit this weekend.  Ã‚  Ã‚      Notice that there’s no difference in „ihreâ€Å" whether you say „herâ€Å", „theirâ€Å" or „yourâ€Å".   Ã‚     Ich gebe ihr einen Kuss.         Ã‚  Ã‚      I give her a kiss  Ã‚      There is no noun after „ihrâ€Å"   Ã‚     Ihr kà ¶nnt hier nicht bleiben.            Ã‚  Ã‚     You (people) can’t stay here.  Ã‚     Ã‚   There is no noun after „ihrâ€Å" If you are able to distinguish an article from a pronoun, you improve your chances of making the right choice. Do you know what the difference between these two is? An article is never on it’s own. It is always (!) accompanied by a noun (words that can have   Ã‚     a „theâ€Å" in front of them like „the carâ€Å"). Articles come in various forms: der, ein-, mein-, dies-,  welch-, kein-A pronoun stands pro-noun i.e. for a noun which means that it makes any noun redundant.   With „ihrâ€Å" this is a bit tricky but let me take another pronoun to illustrate this.   Ã‚     Ã¢â‚¬Å¾sein Autoâ€Å"  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     vs  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ihn  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   his car                                        him (car?) Testing your understanding Can you identify the pronouns and the articles in the following sentences?   Ã‚     Sie fragte ihren Mann nach seiner Meinung.  Ã‚     Aber ihr Mann antwortete ihr nicht.  Ã‚     She asked her husband for his opinion.                But her husband didn’t answer her.       [Scroll down to the end of this article to find the answer.] Did you find all pronouns and articles? Good. Then let’s move on. Endings Now what’s with the endings? Articles as well as pronouns can have endings and those depend on the noun that they are accompanying or replacing. Two examples:   Ã‚     Kennst du ihren Mann?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do you know her husband?  Ã‚     Nein, ihren kenne ich nicht, aber deinen.      No, hers I don’t know, but yours. You will have noticed that the article „ihren (Mann)â€Å" as well as the pronoun „ihrenâ€Å" do both have the same ending as they both refer to „Mannâ€Å". Grammatically speaking „Mannâ€Å" is masculine and stands in the accusative case. But looking at the English translation you will realize that there is a clear difference between those as a comparison of „herâ€Å" and „hersâ€Å" show. So far it even seems that it doesn’t matter at all whether we have an article in front of us or a pronoun. That calls for one more example:   Ã‚     Magst du ihr Auto?  Ã‚     Do you like her car?   Ã‚     Nein, ihres mag ich nicht, aber deins.      No, hers I don’t like, but yours. And now we finally have a difference. The following table should illustrate the differences in another form:                                 Article                         Pronoun masculine       ihr.x Mann                  ihrer neuter                ihr.x Auto                     ihres feminine          ihre Freundin             ihre plural                  ihre Freundinnen    ihre Another interesting observation is that a pronoun always has an article ending while an article at times doesnt (ihr.x Mann).  This is due to the fact that there are three cases in which there is no ending at the end of an article:                                    masc.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     neuter  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     feminine  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     plural Nominative  Ã‚     ein                   ein  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚      Accusative                                 ein Dative Genitive In these three cases the following articles do not get an ending:  ein, mein (and all articles of the same family: dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer, ihr), kein In all other cases they always have an ending which corresponds with those of the pronouns. Summary To summarize: articles and pronouns often  look alike and can only be distinguished by their companion or a lack of it.article- and pronoun endings only differ in three cases (see last table)pronouns replace a noun and therefore are never found directly next to a noun This video helps you a bit  with the basic (personal) pronouns, er, es and sie. Là ¶sung from above:   Ã‚     Sie (pronoun) fragte ihren Mann (article) nach seiner Meinung (article).   Ã‚  Ã‚     Aber ihr Mann (article) antwortete ihr (pronoun) nicht.

An Evaluation of Wireless Intrusion Prevention and Protecting Insecure Research Paper

An Evaluation of Wireless Intrusion Prevention and Protecting Insecure Channels - Research Paper Example Now the latest mobile and computing devices such as iPhones also provide considerable support for accessing Internet through wireless computing. Without a doubt, wireless computing offers a large number of benefits and opportunities for both business and individual users but at the same time they also facilitate hackers and attackers to complete their illegal tasks. This paper presents a detailed analysis of some of the important aspects associated with wireless networks. This paper discusses how wireless networks work, what benefits do they offer. This paper also discusses various types and protocols for wireless networks. This paper will also discuss a number of security threats associated with these networks. This paper also discusses various strategies to deal with these security threats. ... This paper also discusses various types and protocols for wireless networks. This paper will also discuss a number of security threats associated with these networks. This paper also discusses various strategies to deal with these security threats. Introduction Wireless networking has emerged as a very useful technology and the majority of organizations have started moving their network infrastructures to wireless networking environments. The basic reason of this transformation is the opportunities and advantages offered by wireless technology at the minimum cost and with maximum convenience. In fact, wireless networks allow organizations to build their communication infrastructures without using wires. In order to enable communications, these networks use radio waves instead of wires. As a result, these networks can be established in areas where wires cannot be used. Without a doubt, wireless technology offers a large number of advantages over traditional networking technologies tha t’s why their usage is continuously increasing with the passage of time, but they also bring serious security issues that affect the quality of communication. Additionally, wireless networks can face a variety of challenges and in some cases people using these networks lose their personal data which can be used to carry out illegal tasks (Neumerkel & Grob, 2006; Klasnja, et al., 2009). The basic purpose of this paper is to present a detailed analysis of wireless technology and issues associated with them. The structure of this paper is as follows: The discussion of the topic starts with a detailed introduction of wireless technology. After that a detailed discussion on wireless security issues has been provided. This

Why the federal government should continue to fund NASA Essay

Why the federal government should continue to fund NASA - Essay Example The NASA is a scheme that encourages the growth of technology hence enhancing the creation of employment. Besides, NASA purchases heavy machinery from American and foreign manufacturers. Moreover, NASA motivates innovation in the economy (Haerens, 2012). Apart from the creation of employment, NASA prompts the growth of the private sector. After working with the technologies and materials invented by the association, many companies are registering success. For instance, the Tempur-Pedic mattresses obtained their production idea from the experiments of NASA scientists who were trying to create comfortable seats for the pilots. The company is currently a success in the private industry. Despite the arguments that the economy is under strain, such programs as NASA are advances that make the lives of human beings comfortable. With the assistance of NASA, many manmade satellites exist around the earth. The devices that many people use today, like the GPS systems, satellite televisions, cell phones, weather satellites, all require the man made satellites in order to perform (Showstack, 2015). These satellites require continuous servicing and upgrades, as more advanced systems come up to cope with the increased demand for technology in the current economic and social world. Consequently, reduced expenditure will hurt the efforts of this association in creating advanced systems, and hinder the tapping of important professionals in space science. As indirect as the contribution of NASA may seem, it also provides defense for the whole planet from threats that are extraterrestrial in natures. Such threats as asteroids can be devastating to human life, as previous scientists claim it destroyed dinosaurs leading to their extinction millions of years ago (Dance, 2012). Similar experiences have been in several parts of the world including in Siberia, where the asteroid demolished an entire city. Nevertheless, the detection satellites

American Apparel Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

American Apparel - Research Paper Example American Apparel Major companies, including American Apparel, have come to rely on the sex concept in selling their products to the American public, especially the youth. By incorporating provocative sexual images, their ads, are able to attract young women and men. The company’s chief executive contends that American Apparel’s goal has always been to create a heritage brand for the American public, especially the American pursuit for happiness, property, and liberty. They have been lauded for their ad’s realism since most of their ad subjects are portrayed with their asymmetrical features, imperfections, and blemishes that are attached and highlighted with personal and brief descriptions about them (Welters & Lillethun 65). American Apparel, in addition, rather than outsource their model recruitment, recruits its own ad models from the organization’s stores, on the street, or from photos sent directly to the company’s headquarters via the website. At some point in the past, American Apparel sought to pursue a strategy that dwelt on how the company treated its workers in order to sell the company brand and merchandise, promoting its products as being free of sweatshop activities. The company has also engaged in politically-charged advertisements, such as their anti-immigration laws campaign that referred to current laws as an American variation of apartheid alongside their company logo in 2008 (Welters & Lillethun 66).

Criticisms Or Limitations Of HRM Strategic Hrm Commerce Essay

Criticisms Or Limitations Of HRM Strategic Hrm Commerce Essay Over the past century, the concept of Human Resources Management (HRM) has been going through some significant changes. According to Nankervis, Compton and Baird, the main focus of human resources management is the overall management of an organizations workforce in the purpose of achieving the desired objectives of the organizations in the long run (Nankervis, Compton Baird, 2008). From personnel administration management to human resources management, and then further developing to strategic human resources management, the HR functions of an organization has evolved into a more central strategic role. Nowadays, the change in IR landscape has led to a rise in the attention paid to HRM. With consumer focusing more on the service provided rather than the physical merchandised goods, the demand for a well-functioned HRM has largely increased. HRM is no longer a function performed by HR supervisors but is also seen as a competitive advantage of the organization to achieve its long-term objectives and goals. To a greater extent, this essay will define and compare HRM and SHRM, investigating the hard and soft approaches to HRM. The limitations and criticisms of various HRM models will also be covered in the later paragraph. Lastly, two external environment factors in which organizations are facing nowadays are identified with a research on how the strategic approach to HRM is contributing to their ability to respond to such changes. Human Resources Management (HRM) is defined as the policies, practices and systems established by an organization that shape employees behaviour, attitudes as well as performance towards their job (DeCieri Kramar, 2005). It focuses mainly on managing the productive use of people of the organization in order to achieve its strategic objectives and at the same time upholding a healthy employer-employee relationship to satisfy the individual employees needs (Stone, 2005:4). Before investigating the two models of Human Resources Management (HRM) and Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM), one should take into considerations that the assumptions underpinning the HRM: the unitarist approach assuming a partnership between the employers and employees on a set of common interest with a mutual commitment to achieve the proposed objectives; and the pluralist approach in which the relationship between the two parties is assumed to have to inevitably go through a conflict of interest and th at negotiations are crucial in resolving the problem (Kane, 1996). Ever since the early 20th century, HRM is seen as merely a personnel function carrying out the day-to-day administrative business of an organization, such as the promotion of employee welfare. While HRM further evolved in the later years, HRM started to turn into a professional approach where specialists are employed to conduct the HR-related task of the organization, including recruitment, training and welfare activities (Nankervis, Compton Baird, 2008). Another perspective of HRM, the resource-based view started to gain popularity in the late 1990s, advocating HR as a valuable resource capable of contributing to the sustained competitive advantage of the organization. In other words, facilitating the development of a company-specific and unique competencies would help sustain the competitive advantage of an organization, and in this case it will be the people (Brewster, Carey, Grobler et. al., 2008). Around the sa me period of time, SHRM also came into being in which it is viewed as more of a macro perspective of the strategic approach in managing employees as a result of the integration of the early personnel management and industrial relations as well as HRM (Nankervis, Compton Baird, 2008). While going into details the definitions and development of HRM, the Harvard model is also useful in showing that HRM theories are way broader than simply a personnel function. It consists of five main factors supporting the central principle of the utilization of employees to ensure the achievement of an organizations desired goals, namely the stakeholder interest, situational factors, HRM policy choice, HR outcome and long-term consequences (Nankervis, Compton Baird, 2008). It is well accepted that dramatic changes that took place in the past decades have created new challenges for HR professionals, forcing them to evolve and enhance their role as a purpose to address these challenges (Brewster, Carey, Grobler et. al., 2008). Instead of limiting the HR department to certain administrative roles, organizations began to line them up with the business managers, in which both parties work together to create a strategic partnership. Such process is what we call the SHRM. According to DeCieri and Kramar, SHRM is known as a pattern of planned HR developments and activities intended to enable an organization to achieve its goals (DeCieri Kramar, 2005). One might find it difficult to distinguish between HRM and SHRM. Strategic Human Resources Management stresses the importance of the establishment of HR plan and strategies in order to fulfill an organizations long-term objectives. It is seen as more of a practical model that encourage organization to plain in t he long run, taking potential changes from all other aspects such as the society, economic condition, technology enhancement, industrial relations, etc. into account (Dessler, Griffiths Lloyd-Walker, 2007). Human resources is valued as a source of competitive advantage to certain organizations. Comparing to HRM, SHRM is claimed to be a model that requires more interpretations and well-rounded planning to ensure the most desirable outcomes to suit best with the organizations business plans (Dessler, Griffiths Lloyd-Walker, 2007). With the two theoretical concepts of HRM and SHRM defined and compared, we can now go into investigating another two important approaches to HRM: the hard HR and the soft HR approaches. With reference to Druker, White, Hegewisch and Mayne, the hard approach places the main focus on the strategic business objectives of an organization, treating HR as a resource in achieving its competitive advantage (Druker, White, Hegewisch Mayne, 1996). The soft approach, on the other hand, emphasizes more on the communication, consultation, counseling and support elements within the relationship between the employers and employees (Nankervis, Compton Baird, 2008). While both approaches have validity to particular industries and organizations and is argues that a hard approach must be corresponded with a soft approached to achieve the most desirable outcome (Kaye, 1999), it is said that HRM is more likely to lie towards the hard approach and thus the SHRM better matching the key principle of the s oft approach. Nowadays, in the rapidly growing society where globalization has become the most common issue for most countries, organizations are no longer able to neglect the outside force. Changes have taken place within the organization and so as the role of the HR professionals. Taking various external factors into account, very few organizations can continue with their same old HR policies and practices and therefore, new strategies are to be re-designed. In other words, a lot of adjustments in regards to an organizations HRM plans will have to be made in order to respond to such changes (Brewster, Carey, Grobler et. al., 2008). External factors facilitate the values, attitudes and behaviour of an employee at work and it can be classified into three categories: global, national and industrial (Nankervis, Compton Baird, 2008). Taking the Global Financial Crisis as an example, we will look into the impact it has on HR planning as well as how the HR professionals of an organization is evolving in for the respond to the change. The financial crisis was first triggered by the liquidity shortfall of the US banking system in 2007 and has resulted in the collapse of a number of large financial organizations (Holy See Review, 2010). It is well accepted that such huge issue is affecting almost every single organizations around the world, regardless of their size. It is obvious to organizations that increasing competitive advantages is the only choice for them to better equipped themselves so as to strength their market value and survive through the unstable fluctuating economy. Since it is mentioned in the previous p aragraphs that HR is seen as one of the competitive advantage of organizations, it is not playing a very crucial role under such circumstance. While a number of organizations might choose to be more preservative by cutting down on their staff members as a cost-reducing strategy, with the SHRM model, HR practitioners will instead be focusing more on modifying the HR strategies to address the situation. For instance, by re-designing the HR strategies as well as carrying out a work-life balance policy, the organization would be able to survive through the hard times of the crisis with its employees, eventually promoting employees productivity and loyalty to the organization and thus, reducing absenteeism and the staff turnover of the organization (Schmidt-Hebbel, 2008). Another relevant external environment factor faced by organizations recently is the demographic change of the workforce resulted from an ageing population. As a result of the declining fertility rate, a rising life expectancies as well as the increased migration level, the median age of the populations is proven to be going up very rapidly (Murray Syed, 2005). Though older employees are generally more experienced and therefore more productive than the younger ones, to a greater extent, they tend to suffer more from physical illness and disability, contributing to a higher level of absenteeism. Also, comparing to the younger employees off the organization, it is always harder for older employees to be innovative and adapt to the changing environment as soon as it takes place (Murray Syed, 2005). However, if one does accept that the older workforce are generally more loyal to the organization and that their views and experiences are valuable, diversity management is very much require d to be carried out by the HR professionals. Diversity management is defined as a process of managing peoples similarities and differences at work (DeCieri Kramar, 2005). A number of policies with respect to diversity management can be introduced in order to address the issue. For example, trainings such as computer course can be provided for older employees to help them in adapting to the new working environment. Welfare like long service leave can also be promoted to specially address the older employees of the organization. While HRM is seen as a valuable competitive advantage of organizations, some might argue that there is also a drawback associated with the concept. HRM is sometimes avoided because it is way too complex and time-consuming to organizations (Nankervis, Compton Baird, 2008). For an effective HR plan to be carried out, a large sum of money and resources are to be contributed. A fully functioned data-base system is required to store the details with respect to the employment relationship such as their positions, trainings and developments and this can be rather complicated to set up without the adequate support from HR specialists (Kane, 1996). Various conflicts of interests are certain to come along when planning and conducting the HR strategies that even the top management of an organization might find it worthless to invest in (Nankervis, Compton Baird, 2008). In conclusion, the concepts of both HRM and SHRM have been discussed. While HRM is defined as policies and systems established by an organization in the focus of an effective utilization of its people to achieve to desired objectives, SHRM is known a pattern of HR developments enabling an organization to reach its goals overtime. A number of theoretical concepts including the unitarist and pluralist approaches, the resource based view of HRM as well as the hard and soft approaches are referenced in the purpose of further explaining the concepts and distinguishing between HRM and SHRM. Two external environmental circumstances, namely the global financial crisis and the ageing workforce are identified in which an organizations strategies in addressing such changes is explored. Last but not least, the criticisms and limitations associated with HRM, such as its complexity and the costly process of setting up the HR data-base system are also taken into account so as to give a thorough und erstanding of the entire concept.