Age Discrimination in Employment Act Essay

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 prohibits employers from discriminating against employees, or job candidates, on the basis of age. This law covers workers who are 40 years of age and older. An employer must have at least 20 workers to be covered by this law. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act makes it unlawful for an employer to make employment-related decisions based on an employee’s or a prospective employee’s age. Here are several ways in which workers age 40 and above are covered: †¢An employer can’t make hiring decisions based on an applicant’s age and he or she can’t discriminate based on age when recruiting job candidates, advertising for a job or testing applicants. †¢An employer can’t fire a worker because of his age. †¢An employer can’t use age to classify, segregate or limit an employee if this will negatively affect the employee’s status or deprive him or her of opportunities. †¢An employer can’t use age to determine an employee’s pay. †¢An employer can’t deny benefits to an employee because of the employee’s age. In some circumstances, however, the employer may provide reduced benefits to older workers if the cost of providing those reduced benefits matches the cost of providing benefits to a younger worker. In other words, the cost of providing the benefits to older workers and younger workers must be the same. †¢An employee may take age into account when making an employment-related decision only if it is in regard to an authentic qualification necessary for the business’s operation. Age discrimination involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) less favorably because of his age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) only forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older. It does not protect workers under the age of 40, although some states do have laws that protect younger workers from age discrimination. It is not illegal for an employer or other covered entity to favor an older worker over a younger one, even if both workers are age 40 or older.Discrimination can occur when the victim and the person who inflicted the discrimination are both over 40. Age Discrimination & Work Situations The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment. Age Discrimination & Harassment It is unlawful to harass a person because of his or her age. Harassment can include, for example, offensive remarks about a person’s age. Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that aren’t very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted). The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer. Age Discrimination & Employment Policies/Practices An employment policy or practice that applies to everyone, regardless of age, can be illegal if it has a negative impact on applicants or employees age 40 or older and is not based on a reasonable factor other than age (RFOA). The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. The ADEA’s protections apply to both employees and job applicants. Under the ADEA, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his/her age with respect to any term, condition, or privilege of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments, and training. The ADEA permits employers to favor older workers based on age even when doing so adversely affects a younger worker who is 40 or older. It is also unlawful to retaliate against an individual for opposing employment practices that discriminate based on age or for filing an age discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under the ADEA. The ADEA applies to employers with 20 or more employees, including state and local governments. It also applies to employment agencies and labor organizations, as well as to the federal government. ADEA protections include: †¢Apprenticeship Programs It is generally unlawful for apprenticeship programs, including joint labor-management apprenticeship programs, to discriminate on the basis of an individual’s age. Age limitations in apprenticeship programs are valid only if they fall within certain specific exceptions under the ADEA or if the EEOC grants a specific exemption. †¢Job Notices and Advertisements The ADEA generally makes it unlawful to include age preferences, limitations, or specifications in job notices or advertisements. A job notice or advertisement may specify an age limit only in the rare circumstances where age is shown to be a â€Å"bona fide occupational qualification† (BFOQ) reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the business. †¢Pre-Employment Inquiries The ADEA does not specifically prohibit an employer from asking an applicant’s age or date of birth. However, because such inquiries may deter older workers from applying for employment or may otherwise indicate possible intent to discriminate based on age, requests for age information will be closely scrutinized to make sure that the inquiry was made for a lawful purpose, rather than for a purpose prohibited by the ADEA. If the information is needed for a lawful purpose, it can be obtained after the employee is hired. †¢Benefits The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 (OWBPA) amended the ADEA to specifically prohibit employers from denying benefits to older employees. Congress recognized that the cost of providing certain benefits to older workers is greater than the cost of providing those same benefits to younger workers, and that those greater costs might create a disincentive to hire older workers. Therefore, in limited circumstances, an employer may be permitted to reduce benefits based on age, as long as the cost of providing the reduced benefits to older workers is no less than the cost of providing benefits to younger workers. Employers are permitted to coordinate retiree health benefit plans with eligibility for Medicare or a comparable state-sponsored health benefit. †¢Waivers of ADEA Rights An employer may ask an employee to waive his/her rights or claims under the ADEA. Such waivers are common in settling ADEA discrimination claims or in connection with exit incentive or other employment termination programs. However, the ADEA, as amended by OWBPA, sets out specific minimum standards that must be met in order for a waiver to be considered knowing and voluntary and, therefore, valid. Among other requirements, a valid ADEA waiver must: obe in writing and be understandable; ospecifically refer to ADEA rights or claims; onot waive rights or claims that may arise in the future; obe in exchange for valuable consideration in addition to anything of value to which the individual already is entitled; oadvise the individual in writing to consult an attorney before signing the waiver; and oprovide the individual at least 21 days to consider the agreement and at least seven days to revoke the agreement after signing it. If an employer requests an ADEA waiver in connection with an exit incentive or other employment termination program, the minimum requirements for a valid waiver are more extensive. See Understanding Waivers of Discrimination Claims in Employee Severance Agreements† at http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/qanda_severance-agreements.html

Origin of Science and the Crusade

But when we look at the history of the world Egyptian, Greeks, Roman, Persian, Mongolia, Saracen, British, Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Indian and any others had been the super power in different periods of the history. Yet when we talk anybody about a scientific Inventions and discoveries or major leap In the scientific development most tent to point their fingers towards the Europe if It Is before 18th century and towards the USA if it is after 1 9th century. This sort of behavior is deep down in our minds. But is this correct?If so, why the non-European nations were super power? For this I think we have to take a Journey in the history of Science from the early Egyptians. In this short article I would like to take an excursion bout the origins of science, where there the history had been littered with many manipulation and misconception. According to many in the world the science was begun by Greeks and was developed by the post renaissance Europe. As the same time all the great cu ltures like Persian, Egyptian, Chinese and Indian had no clue regarding the science.But when we look at the history of these civilizations we can understand how developed they were in the history. Egyptians were one of the early races before Greeks who were developed in the Science. They were well versed In anatomy (for art), astronomy and astrology, which ere inseparably linked in ancient Egypt, biology and veterinary medicine, chemistry, geography, geology, history, law, geometry, medicine, mineralogy, pedagogy(education), philosophy, physics, sociology and theology [1]. Irrigation scheme of Nile, tall standing pyramids and the mummies are some example of scientific feat of the Egyptians.Geometry was applied in the Egypt for tax purposes before the so called Euclid of Greece wrote the book of The Elements. Here comes another manipulation of History again in the form of Euclid. Many text books refer Euclid was a white male eventually from Greece and ivied in Alexandria around three century B. C. But no such person was alive on this mother earth. The author of this book is a black woman from Alexandria who lived around fifth century C. E. [2] From these arguments we can assure that the Greek were not the first one to begin the Science.Now let's consider the development of Science. If we consider the manipulated version of the science history, we get a wide blank span of time from the Greek civilization to the renaissance Europe. Where were the text and the sources of these scientific theorems and formulae? Were they 2 Origin of Science and the crusades I Mohamed Gammy Shifter_209110164 buried in the Mount Olympus? No. They were translated taken into custody by another civilization which have contributed to the many of the scientific development and not credited to it.Yes it was taken into the custody by Islamic Civilization. They hold these texts of Greek until the crusades [2]. The west claims that the Muslim merely translated the works of Greek and preserved it. They never did develop the ideas in the text. This argument is absurd. The Muslims practically ruled from the shore Atlantic Ocean to the boarders of China. And they Just preserved these texts which cost a fortune with the papyrus technology. Many books from Baghdad Library were destroyed by the invasion of Mongols over Jeremiah on 13th century C. E.But the contributions of All Bin Sins (Vicuà ±a) – whose â€Å"The Book of Healing† was text book for medicine in many medieval universities[3], Legalize Bin al Haitian, Jabber bin Hays, AAA Affair, Muhammad bin Carrying al Razz, Bin al-Naifs were inevitable in the scientific history. All bin Shall Arabian al-Tabor was an Islamic scholar, physician and psychologist of Zoroastrian descent, who produced one of the first encyclopedias of medicine. Even the number system we used today was introduced systems Let's have brief a look on the other civilizations which contributed to the science.Like the crest on the peacocks h ead, like the gem in the cobra's hood, so stands mathematics Oat the head of all the sciences. Vided literature of Indian Culture is replete with concepts of zero, the techniques of algebra and algorithm, square root and cube root. Arguably, the origins of Calculus lie in India 300 years before Leibniz and Newton. Algebraic theories was developed by Rapacity who lived in 5th century C. E. ND another mathematician Backbencher's was the first to was the first to conceive of differential calculus in 12th century. Most of us are familiar with Roman numerals.Think you are sitting in a class doing Calculus using Roman numerals. You are going to write 1788 in Roman numerals it will be ANTICLIMACTIC. You even can't think of doing calculus by using this number system. From this we can conclude that calculus was not developed or used in early Europe. Ancient Indian's development in chemistry was also in a higher level and used in a variety of practical activities. In any early civilization, m etallurgy has remained an activity central to all civilizations from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, to all other civilizations that followed Indian achieved the higher level of metallurgy.By the side of Stub Minor in New Delhi, there is an iron pillar erected during Array Guppy period around 500 AD. This pillar is 7. 32 meters tall, and has a circumference of 40 CM in the bottom and 30 CM at the top. It has been standing in the open for last 1500 years, withstanding the wind, heat and weather, but still has not rusted, except minor natural erosion. This kind of rust proof iron (steel) was discovered very few decades fore by mixing carbon with iron [4]. 3 In addition, the Chinese Dynasty in the Far East was producing gunpowder, paper and establishing printing presses.Moreover, the Calendar system was introduced by Amman civilization that is very famous for predicting apocalypse of the earth. From the above arguments, one can conclude that science was not only originated from Greece and it originated universally. Then how did the story â€Å"Science was originated in Greece† came into play? Moreover, where was it originated? These questions can be answered in two simple words â€Å"Church† and â€Å"Power†. From the time hen the state and the church merge, Church initiated the program of distorting history to promote its power.This technology of falsehood was now applied to â€Å"manage† common perceptions[5]. During the crusades, church captured many text and tent to use them. But theological aspects would not allow them to use a Muslim knowledge. Therefore, they manipulated their people by saying that the knowledge Arab had was belonged to Greeks. Arabs Just preserved it. This story enabled the universities in Europe to use translated Arabic books without contradicting their theology. But on the Arabs side, it was a different story.They built Batty al Hickman (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad; they gathered knowledge from all over the world, including India, Persia and China. They certainly did not restrict themselves to Greek Arabs only had sources to Greeks. So all the knowledge which was acquired from Batty al Hickman in Baghdad became the Greeks, So did all the scientific inventions and discoveries. This theory is being promoted by many scholars of the present too. Here is an example from Lost in the Cosmos by Walker Percy â€Å". .As Whitehead pointed out, it is no coincidence that science sprang, not from Ionian metaphysics, not from theBrahmins-Buddhist-Taoist East, not from the Exceptionally astrological South, but from the heart of the Christian West, that although Galileo fell out with the Church, he would hardly have taken so much trouble studying Jupiter and dropping objects from towers if the reality and value and order of things had not first been conferred by belief in the Incarnation. † [6]. So anyone from any country has the right to say that their ancestors were also one of the pioneers o f the science. It is time stand up against the â€Å"West only theory'. The Europeans not only colonized our countries but also our education system.They left our countries long ago. Now it is time to decolonize our education system. And the way we think. 4 References [1]Dunn. Ancient Egyptian Science retrieved from http://www. Torturers. Net/ featureless/sciences . HTML [2] Raja, C. K. Euclid and Jesus. Multiversity. [3] http://www. Evangelicalism. Org/ [4] Science, Medicine, Technology in Ancient India retrieved from http:// www. Crystalline. Com/indecencies. HTML [5] Raja, C. K. Is science western in origin?. Multiversity. [6] Percy, W. Lost in the Cosmos retrieved from http://www. Columbia. Deed/cue/Augustine/a/science_origin. HTML 5

Four Types of Organisational Structure Essay

Organising is therefore the method by which an organisation is formally controlled into divisions or operational units and the structure of the firm is established. The end product of management process is organisational structure. Organisational structure binds the all level of management personals together and brings them into proper development and co-ordination of organisation. It is tasks arrangement which is break up into a few divisions or departments and grouping it together under the management hierarchy to achieve the organisation objectives. Under the organisation structure, one single path will create to attach the tasks, work flow and communication channels between the personals and the various divisional peoples of organisation. Organisation structures smooth the progress of efficient management, direction and control. Every administration has to set up its own organisation structure for well-organized perform of business actions. An organisation structure usually represent in graphical form which is called an organisation chart. Usually, the chart illustrated in the form of vertical, horizontal or concentric to define the authority and responsibilities of personals in various levels. The chart always created according to the existing departmentalisation of organisation. In departmentalisation, each personal from different job segments will work to achieve an aim of pre-determined organisational objectives. The departmentalisation is based on five structures, which is functions, products, consumers, geographical and matrix. In these papers, we will go through the justification of four structure which is function, product, geographical and matrix with sample organisational chart on each structure. Â  Sample Organisation Chart of Functional Structure. Source: SIA Cargo Pte Ltd Functional organisation structure is the most common and logical type of business unit that adhere by companies. In this structure, people are group together based on common skills and work activities. It focuses on single service and doesn’t need frequent changes in organisational hierarchy. Base on above organisational chart, we can notify that the total organisation system is coordinating by top management. For a proficient management function, the organisation breaks up into a few departments such as marketing, engineering, technology, operational and etc. Each departments lead by a senior manager or vice president who are reporting to a single authority, top management. As the simplest approach, a functional structure sort well-defined channels of communication and influence relationship. Each department’s staff needs to report to their only functional unit’s manager and by doing this, the various business unit’s prevent any kind of misunderstanding or conflicts among them. The chart hierarchy is simplified, well-organised and the separation of tasks also well defined with layer by layer. The fewer layer of management will ease the expectation of top management and also improve the task co-ordination. Decision making process is swift and authorities in functional structure. Because of the staffs in functional structure come from similar background and perspectives, so it wills faster the process of the decision-making without waste of time. Since the every business units in structure workout in similar background, it might cluster the processing of the papers together and highly improving the knowledge sharing between co-workers. Sharing knowledge make the organisation more productive and competitive where the experience personals such as managers often coaching and mentoring the less experience personals of each units through seminar or workshop. Functional structures produce clear career hierarchy organisation members to go after. Managers within a functional structure are generally skilled within their particular unit. They were hiring to lead the units due to their tremendous performance. These managers have a better-quality skill level that facilitate make their profession easier and makes them better capable of to monitor the individual act of their team members to allocate credit, rewards and penalty accordingly. A functional structure may draw some setbacks to organisation. It controls people and assets and build up core competences. As a company develop and becomes more difficult, each function tries to retain the company’s situation. Increased order may strain manufacturing to manufacture products quick enough or in sufficient capacity may lead to control problems. When control problems arise, it also strains the situation in evaluating the cost and contribution of each function. Other drawback is communication problem. Poor communication occurs within the organisation due to subunit orientation. The top management find it hard when balancing the process of decision making between centralise function and regional managers. The top managers might disrupted by solving a daily problems and may loss focus on long term strategic issues, resulting in long term strategic direction. Â  Sample Organisation Chart of Geographical Structure. Source: SIA Cargo Pte Ltd Geographical organisation structure is usually used by big firms whose operations are spread out over a large geographical area, for instance, multinational companies which market their service worldwide. Hotel, retail, food and transportation are among the industries which is widely using the geographical structure in their management. The whole organisation will lead by a president and one person will be responsible for an each particular region. According to above SIA Cargo chart, business units were set up at six different geographic locations and each regional branch head by Regional Vice President. The branch Vice Presidents will report to Senior Vice President. The expansion of business units can be local, national or international. In geographical structure, the organisation stick on company strategies and values although operates individually. It operates as its own unit based on where it located. In this structure, each personnel from various departments have prospect to work together. Working as a group will form a strong teamwork effort and keep them in the process of planning and decision making. Beside this, everyone in the departments will have an ability to recognize the personalities and values of each individual. Close working proximity lead to decentralise the process of decision-making and make organisation to settle in rapid changes in divisional goals. In each region, a local or personnel who familiar with local business environment and culture will be employ to head the business units. It ensures that the company well understand the customer expectation and needs. Base on local knowledge, the departments heads able to create a high coordination and effective process of decision making across the functional units. The regional heads ensures the company strategies adaptable to local culture and suit to fast change in unstable environment. In divisional structure, usually the departments act as a group. It allows the responsible personnel to put on better focus in their resources and results. It also makes the performance easier to monitor the customer service quality. A personal that understand and speak the local language, will satisfy the customer expectation because the contact points are clearly explain. Customer service personnel will also have better access to personnel from other units, which can allocate them to handle the customer matters much more efficiently. With geographical structure, following the routine of individual markets and task groups is cut down, as metrics such as revenues, profit margins, costs, and routine enhancement can be attached to particular regions. It is a most important strategic advantage of this structure. Many problems might incur for the companies whom use geographical based structure. Some companies may find it complicated to run a geographic organizational structure because it duplication of works and disagreement to centralized decision-making. The top management must rely on other regional heads to take counteractive actions and look up operations rather than giving a command from the company’s main office or headquarters. It may lead the company top management loss the authority in controlling the divisional units. Another limitation is expansion of knowledge. Usually, the structure does not maintain the knowledge sharing between people working in the same line of work because part of them is working in one division and the others are working in other divisions. Sample Organisation Chart of Product Structure. Source: Arla Foods Ingredients Above chart is an Arla Food Ingredients organisation chart. The chart is a product based organisation structure. Product-based structure means the regrouping of a functional structure and uses to organise employees and work on the basis of different type of products. This type structure brings together all those involved in the production skills, technical skills and marketing skills of a particular product or set of related products. Each division in structure has its own internal departments and function as self business unit. Companies that manufacture a wide variety of products such as cars and foods would find this type of structure appropriate to their organisation. Many companies tend to shift to product based structure as they expand, and as new products range are developed and new markets entered. Product based companies have no direct contact with their customers. Initially, they need to assess the market segments and develop the product from their assessment. Follow that, they must determine the price of products in line with the customer’s expectation and produce the products to sell in the market. Product based structure is also have a similar function as geographical structure. In Arla Food Ingredients, both product structure and geographical structure group together in the organisation. It will add much better clear focus on market segments and help to meets the customer’s expectation. Each division of products will be operates base on individual performance. It keeps up the positive competition between the divisions and allows the directors or managers to have better be in command of each division can act as separate profit centre. In this structure, division members are more likely to be persistent on products. It deals with the technological transform by grouping personnel with skill and their specialised equipment in one business unit. So, the division heads have a lot of control over operations and will not necessary to depend on another, separate area to get things done. The department managers will keep an eye on design and manufacturing activities, and employees become reliable to product not to function. It also allows the managers and employees to improve and expand their skills and knowledge in the organisation. The customisation of more products into division will lead to save time and cost. Decentralisation of process of decision making will facilitate rapid decision making results with effectively. It will reduce the risk of product failure and also bring on improvement in employee morale due to divisional decision making. Instead of better operational controls, the organisation can avoid the poor communication within the personnel’s which is bring to slow development of products. By the way, there is some limitation might happen when use the product base structure. An example, each product division has R;D department. When product expansion incur, number of personnel in R;D will increase. This increment will happen to each product divisions. So, it will lead to duplication of works and increase the costs of staffs. Since the divisions separately monitor, the difficulty might happen to top management to coordinating them together.

Influence of family on children Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Influence of family on children - Research Paper Example The reason behind the role of families in influencing children is explained by the attachment theory. This theory suggests that children derive most of their emotional resources from their interaction with their family members and obtain knowledge and/or awareness regarding the working models of relationships based on the type of ties they develop with their parents. It has been claimed by various researchers that one of the key reasons why families have a strong influence on the children is the fact that the children are strongly attached to their caregivers during their initial years and their relationship with their caregivers is known to affect the manner in which they react to external stimuli and interact with their peers and those around them (Spodek and Saracho, 2006). The structure of family also is one of the several key factors that play a key role in influencing children. According to the family instability perspective - a sociological theory, it is suggested that children of divorced or separated parents have a strong negative impact on the children. The instability hypothesis suggests that the structure of a family shapes the children’s' view of the real world outside their families and help them in adjusting with their external environment. Children of separated or divorced parents are known to face difficulties in coping with cohabitation. It has been observed that households with low socio-economic backgrounds tend to influence their children by instilling some crucial skills. which may prove to be helpful to them in adapting to different work environments. This includes gaining critical skills which may help them shape their creativity and foster a sense of initiative which is imperative for professionals and white-collar workers. Such families deliberately instill values such as obedience to authoritative figures since it is perceived as a critical skill, based on their own personal experiences (Sigelman and Rider, 2011). Research have indicated that children who grow up in divorced households are typically devoid of the conventional parenting i.e. receiving attention and care by their parent, usually fathers, who are

Marx's critique of capitalism is based on his theory of history Essay

Marx's critique of capitalism is based on his theory of history politics and alienation - Essay Example There are many of his works which seemed to be revealed as a result of his reactions on the growth of new areas of political economy, which is helped by the laissez-faire theories of Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus. These theories intimated the extension of precisely the features of capitalism that was most defective in the views of Marx. Therefore his critique begins from attacks on the satisfactory liberal bases analysis of capitalism to the very intricate analyses of economics and also of leading theorists. (Marx's critique of capitalism) Marxism is not a single theory but is found as a cluster of a few similar related theories. There is an alternate way of how the Marxist theory of history is called. (Karl Marx: Wikipedia) It is the historical materialism which is found on the views of Marx on people and what people fundamentally are. Marx's theory of history originated from the thought that the way of society rise and fall and it further interferes in the development of human productive power. (Karl Marx: Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy) There is a common liberal belief that every individual gets the liberty to enter into all economic adaptations by ways of an equally beneficial contract. When Marx reacted to this, he remarked that "men enter into definite relations that are indispensable and independent of their will, relations of production". (Marx's critique of capitalism) Marx's perception about this historical process is that it is a procedure through which the required series of ways of production rise to its highest point in communism. (Karl Marx: Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy) Max's analysis of history is focused on the differences that he saw between production relationships and the means/forces of production, such as technology, land, natural resources, which are essential for the production of natural goods. In other words it is the relationship that people enter into between their social and technical related matters while using the means of production. (Karl Marx: Wikipedia) It was the belief of Marx that any phase of history which is based on an exploitative economic order sow's the seeds for its own ruin. (Conflict Theory) It was under the observation of Marx that any particular society changes its methods of production, and he also observed that the European society grew from a feudal mode of production to a capitalist mode of production. On the whole Marx believed that production changes more swiftly than the relations of production. For example, first the technology of say, Internet was being developed and only then was the laws that are relating to the technology were developed. Marx found this mismatch between this social construction and economic fundamentals as a primary source of social disorder and clash. (Karl Marx: Wikipedia) It was Marx's view that it is through this economic fundamentals that the social and political conflicts take their roots, and hence the political theory should confine itself with the modes of production than getting i nto abstract thoughts such as liberty and justice. Hence it is found that Marx's major concern was on the structure of capitalism, which he found as the

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

6-sigma - Essay Example The process is commonly utilised in the manufacturing processes in seeking to minimise variability of products and enhance the quality through improvement of the business processes. The six-sigma approach utilises various quality management methods like statistics in the development of quality improvement approaches within the manufacturing industry. The term remains synonymous to the manufacturing terms associated with the modelling of the manufacturing process through the utilisation of statistical processes. The process aims at ensuring products remains product free, which is essential in determining the effectiveness of the manufacturing process. The sigma level is commonly measured through the percentage of detect-free products. The sigma process included in the manufacturing process follows a definite sequence of activities aimed at achieving quantifiable production targets. Effective achievement of the targets becomes a measure of the efficacy achieved in the implementation of the sigma process of management. The fundamental purpose for the adoption of the six-sigma approach remains the reduction of variability in the products. The variability defined by the six-sigma approach remains based on the occurrence of defects upon the products. The number of defects detected upon the products becomes the quantifying element in establishing the effectiveness of the production improvement process (Montgomery and Woodall, p331). This results in the reduction of the defects to a level that the occurrence of failure or defects becomes almost impossible. The methodologies utilised in the improvement of the manufacturing process consist of five phases that based on the operations adopted by the organisation. The processes involved in the six sigma include the following elements Define – this can be e defined as the definition of the various attributes which are expected to be achieved through the implementation of the six sigma approach. This

Today hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Today hero - Essay Example Ideally, a hero is someone who rises above adversity or faces dangerous situations with valor and courage. In the face of danger and adversity, the courageous actor is willing to be self-sacrificing for the greater good. In this regard, the true meaning of the term hero is one who is distinguished by bravado and near superhuman will to help others in distress at his or her own expense. In the late 19th century Carlyle provides a common understanding of what makes a hero. He writes: Contemporary heroes however, challenge the true meaning of the term hero. Quite often we canonize people for athleticism, beauty, celebrity status, wealth and a number of other qualities that have little or nothing to do with valor, courage, strength or sacrifice. In this regard, today’s hero rarely possesses any of the qualities and strengths associated with heroism in its true form. One of the most endearing attractions to heroes is the thought that the individual can believe that heroism resides in each of us and we might, if we try, successfully emulate our heroes. However, with today’s assignations of heroism it is entirely impossible to be inspired. It is impossible to emulate wealth, beauty, athleticism or celebrity. On the other hand it is possible to emulate bravado, valor, courage and strength. So to this end, today’s heroes, rather than inspire positive feelings, discourage individuals and leave them feeling inadequate and entirely unsuccessful. The truth of the matter is that today, it simply enough to be famous or popular to attain the status of heroism. It has been argued by media observers that today’s youth culture is greatly influenced by media images and representations of heroes. For the most part many of these token heroes are not worthy role models. Essentially, that the media’s representation of heroism leaves an impression on young people. It is hardly surprising that in light of the

Relationship between Byzantium and Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Relationship between Byzantium and Islam - Essay Example According to the research findings, administrative and doctrinal differences caused the Eastern and Western churches to divide in 1054, ending a centuries-long partition between Greek and Latin Christendom.   Byzantium attained its political height through Justinian, who re-conquered the old Western empire parts.   Successive attacks from various peoples, including Latin Christians, made Byzantium weak, finally falling to the Ottoman Turks (1454). As the 7th century began, vast territories that extended from Egypt to Syria and across North African territories were under the rule of Byzantine Empire from Constantinople (modern Istanbul), its capital. Critical to the power and wealth of the empire, these southern territories long influenced by the Greco-Roman traditions held Orthodox, Syriac, and Coptic, Christians, Jewish communities, among other many religions. Great pilgrimage centers engrossed the faithful followers from as far away as Scandinavia in the west and Yemen in the e ast. Major trade routes extended down the Red Sea to eastward past Jordan to Indian lands in the south, bringing ivories and silks to the imperial territories. Key cities made wealthy by commerce protracted along inland trade routes Constantinople north and along the coastline of Mediterranean sea. Commerce carried ideas and images freely through the region. In the same 7th century, the newly founded faith of Islam began from Medina and Mecca along the Red Sea trade way and reached westward to the Byzantium Empire’s southern provinces. Religious and political authority was conveyed from the long conventional Christian Byzantine to the newly founded Umayyad and well along Abbasid Muslim dynasties. These new powers capitalized on the advantage of existing region traditions in developing their compelling religious and secular visual identities. This exhibition shadows the Byzantine Empire southern provinces artistic traditions from the 7th century to the 9th, as they were change d from being fundamental to the Byzantine tradition and beliefs to being a critical Islamic world part.

The Business Cycle and Policy Response in UK Coursework

The Business Cycle and Policy Response in UK - Coursework Example This paper will examine closely the business cycle properties of the UK and government policy through assessment of the role of GDP and monetary policy conditions in modeling the cycle. Figure 1 Accessed on October 22, 2011 from, http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/images/2008/uk-GDP-growth-and-house-prices-feb08.jpg Figure 2 Accessed on October 22, 2011 from, http://tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/macro-uk-economic-cycle_clip_image002.gif There are definitional uncertainties that inevitably hamper GDP and its patterns decomposing into cycles and other components like circular flow. Figure 2 is a representation of the UK’s economy annual growth since 1980. Evident in the chart, two recessions have been experienced for the last 25 years. UK experienced the worst downturn in the 1980s. Later between 1990 and 1991, a recession was then followed by cumulative positive economic growth. The 1990s economic growth remains the longest period of economic expansion before the slowdown tha t was experienced in 2005. Not UK alone, but all other countries experience an economic cycle that causes national output and unemployment to fluctuate in a notable manner. Worth noting, the two main concerns of economic are growth and stabilization. As evident in the graphs, devising government policies have a considerable interest towards influencing the prospects for the growth of the economy and mitigate the frustrations associated the downturns. It is important to evaluate the benefits and costs of any policy with knowledge of the growth and business cycle determinants (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006:405). For the last few years, theoretical and empirical researches have undergone an explosion into growth of the economy. For the theoretical part, there have emerged two economic growth determinants. The first is human capital in which abilities, skills, and knowhow of workers are comprised. From this idea, regular improvement of stock of human capital is the fundamental base for economic growth. In other words, there is need to improve stock of human capital if at all the output of the good being produced are to increase for a fixed quantity of workers. Evidently, there exist a homogeneous impact between economic ability to produce goods and growth resulting from the accumulation of human capital. The second is research and development since growth can be realized if returns are non-decreasing. As technology advances as a result of research and development result to a consequential increase in production of the factors of production. Economists believe that changes in technology homogeneously impact produced goods. According to OECD Publishing (2007:23), the fact that there are fluctuation of production, changes in incomes, and changes in spending habits over time means that business cycle must be experienced. As the structure of economy evolves, the cycles will change thus GDP will influence these cycles. The business cycle in the country has been unstable due to the fluctuations caused by inflation. The increased costs of energy have contributed increasingly to the high rate of inflation, which soared from 4.2% in August 2011 to 5.2% September 2011. Being followed by a sharp downward trend, cutting down interest rates became the only tool to boost the economy and prevent any further financial

Tone Analysis of Poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 23

Tone Analysis of Poems - Essay Example The two poems taken for discussion are Phillis Wheatley’s On Being Brought from Africa to America and William Blake’s The Chimney Sweeper. The analysis of these two poems is done by identifying the tone of voice in each of the poems by concentrating on the specific words that the poet chooses to set the mood of the poem and to express his/her attitude regarding the subject. Phillis Wheatley’s On Being Brought from Africa to America addresses the society’s prejudices about perceiving the notion of race, religion, and identity. The poem is written in a satirical tone, expressing the poet’s mixed attitudes of gratefulness and resentment towards the society. Wheatley starts the poem with a grateful attitude from her personal experiences of Christian salvation and enlightenment of soul; nevertheless, she abruptly turns the poem’s tone into a satirical one, condemning the cultural norms of racism. The poem’s ironic tone can be seen in her personification of ‘mercy’ as a kind owner or Savior who had brought her from the Pagan land. The poet posits a plosive style in using the word ‘Pagan land’ to depict the land as a place of benighted souls. Similarly, she uses words like ‘benighted soul’, ‘sable race’, ‘scornful eye’, and ‘diabolic die’ to portray the society’s dark impression of black people and their land. The poet also expresses a sarcastic tone by comparing slavery and redemption as a grateful act of her oppressors. â€Å"Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.† The word choices like â€Å"Pagan†, â€Å"Saviour†, â€Å"Christians†, and â€Å"Cain† are allusions to biblical scriptures, providing theological implications to the subject matter of racism. The usage of biblical simile, â€Å"Black as Cain† depicts the association of sin with black color.  

Essay on Foundation of Technology Essay Example for Free

Essay on Foundation of Technology Essay In this essay, there are components that differentiate an A paper and a B paper. The A Essay evaluates criteria or ideas in the forefront and subordinates the details to the ideas. If you read with descriptive detail, insights tend to be lost or insufficiently developed. It also focuses on the value added technology tool and the value added of what the teacher does with the technology. The same technology can be used in different ways by teachers. However; the teacher remains the most important element in maximizing student’s learning. For example, if a teacher shows a video, a strong paper addresses the value of the video and the effectiveness of the integration of the video before and after the video is shown. Strengths and suggestions for improvements are also addressed. Generally the strongest essay takes a critical perspective and evaluates what works are done and how they can be improved. It also goes beyond motivation. These two are critical aspects of any learning and should not be undervalued. However, the strong essays should go beyond motivation, in order to answer why a technology was motivating to students. Much of the true insight comes from asking the why question and sometimes asking the questions more than once. For instance an essay that argues that the students were motivated by the technology and were engaged the whole period, and that the students were captivated by technology and they explored different sites. The questions asked should be why the technology was motivating to the students and what engaged them and what made the technology captivating and how different soft wares advance learning apart from motivating (Bayne, 1998, p. 38). The essay also explores readings in depth and also exploring conferences in depth too. I chose to discuss how I will use my new website to improve my teaching methods. A website is very rewarding. It is fun and a great way keep in touch with your family and students. The website has made impact on my image and also given me identity and global presence. I use my presentation skills, without the presence of the internet. I can also download content and have them in cd’s for classroom presentation. Students can get information of upcoming events and changes from the web site. Teachers can now visit my website and download information for our thematic units. I can also help them design theirs. It has also been useful in situations where I have to update it with my students work for parents to see and assist in their studies back home. It’s necessary for teachers to have their own websites in the modern age in order to create sites that can help their students. The fact that students need computer education to help them access the net should not be overlooked. This makes it easier for them to access information whenever they need it. The No Child Left Behind mandates that students should be competent enough when it comes to technology since almost everything is technology based nowadays. They will have to know how to think critically, to be creative, analyze information, understand new ideas, communicate effectively, collaborate, solve problems, and make decisions (Bayne, 1998, p. 66). In my analysis, of my second lesson, I will design a lesson plan to guide me through the teaching process. The topic is about the importance of integrating technology, applying the standards of education and the use of assessments. I’ve realized that integrating technology enhances learning through encouraging and simplifying the seeking and grasping of the meaning of the content being taught. Application of new technology in classroom environment by students has helped to improve learning outcomes which involved deeper understanding. From the peer review conducted, I realized that the students enjoyed the integration of technology in the classroom and retained content in their minds. Introducing standards of education in the classroom will enhance the learning experience by pointing students to available design and marketing tools, and best industry practices. Knowledge of these standards makes the students align the educational concept with real-world applications and market issues. If students don’t learn about educational standards, they may need elementary instruction in their first jobs, have a higher propensity for operating outside of best or accepted industry practices, waste resources and fail in duties to align their products or services with desired markets. Without a guide line component in their education, students may graduate without knowing the barriers presented by using incorrect standards, and without realizing the importance of standards in marketing and product acceptance. If the regulatory standards in reference are not met it results into product non-conformance, or higher development or other costs. Students have to understand the need to design, from inception, to the standards required to achieve marks. When creating a lesson plan, the teacher should tell the students the objective of the lesson, teach the objective, and evaluate the objective. This means that the lesson plan should contain the key concept of the topic, objectives, pre-planning, learning materials, Anticipatory Set (How I will simulate the children so that they will learn what I want to teach. It will also have the procedure I will take when teaching and duration of my teaching process. Closure is also needed. This is the summary of the topic and finally evaluation (Bayne, 1998, p. 113). Assessment can be formal or informal when integrating technology. Most software packages have assessments or built in criteria in it. I have learned that incorporating electronic portfolio is another way to enhance teaching with technology or a teacher can design their own rubrics. However, innovative activities require a reliable and valid mean of measuring students’ progress along with student journals and designing projects. In conclusion, the lesson planning was great and I thank God I had the opportunity to integrate technology in my class and enhance learning for my students. Reference Bayne, J. N. (1998). Strategic plans for technology. New York: Hill crest.

Mathematics subject Essay Example for Free

Mathematics subject Essay Write a simple sentence and then write the negation. Imagine situations where each statement is true or false. How does the truth value (true or false) of the negation statement compare with the truth value of the original statement? Simple sentence: Mathematics is an easy subject. Negation: Mathematics is not an easy subject. There are many situations in one’s life that is true or false. A proposition is a statement that is declarative in form and is either true or false. The truth value of a statement is unclear in real life due to some conditions and the reasoning of each and every people. Another is that the truth value of a statement may also depend on time and space. An example would be the statement â€Å"It is raining very hard. † The truth value of the statement is either true or false depending on the time and the location of the person mentioning the statement. A situation where each statement is true or false is that when there is a discussion between the existences of something like god. Each and every statement in this situation will be either true or false. The statement â€Å"God exists† can be true or false because no one really knows if god really exists. In the example, â€Å"Mathematics is an easy subject. † The truth value of the statement is either true or false. Also the negation of the sentence has a truth value of either true or false. If the truth value of the first statement is determined to be true, then the truth value of the negation will be false. On the other hand, if the truth value of the first statement is false then the truth value of the negation will be true.

Symbolism in A Street Car Named Desire Essay

Symbolism in A Street Car Named Desire Essay Tennessee Williams play A Street Car Name Desire is a domestic drama. There is a film adaptation of play which released in 1951 by Elia Kazan. In Tennessee Williams play A Street Car Name Desire; there are many symbols such as, The Elysian Field, The Paper Lantern, and The Varsouviana which are used for character development. Besides them, there are also some metaphors such as, The Light and The Music. In this research paper, firstly I will examine the symbols in the play and how they used for character development. Especially, how Blanches character development is shaped by them. Then, I will examine the metaphors which are used in the play. Metaphors definition and their effects on character development are examined by giving example passage from the play. Lastly, I will conclude with my point of view to these symbols and metaphors effects on character development. The Elysian Field is a place that people go to after death like paradise in Greek Mythology. Blanche lost herself in Laurel; she comes New Orleans to find her elysian field. When we look at Blanches life before coming to New Orleans, we see that she lost her all possessed. She thinks that she will be happy in a new town with her sister. The Elysian Field is a new place for her to forget her past. I think Blanche could not find the image of Elysian Field which she imagines because the houses have very poor style. They are mostly weathered grey and with rickety outside stars. When she first comes to her sisters home, she is shocked. We can see it in the beginning of play: Blanche comes around the corner, carrying a valise. She looks at a slip of paper, then at the building, then again at slip and again at the building. Her expression is one of the shocked disbelief. (Williams 5) The Paper Lantern symbolizes Blanches destruction. Blanche is afraid of the light. She does not want anybody to see her real appearance. In naked light, she seems very old. She wants to be appears as a young lady but her past and her age do not permit it. When Mitch pulls off the paper lantern from the light, it causes Blanches downfall. Mitch wants to learn real story of Blanche because he heard something about Blanche from Stanley. As the paper lantern covers the light, it covers Blanches past as a symbol. The Varsouviana is the polka music that played the night of Allans death. The music plays when Blanche remembers about Allan. It symbolizes Blanches loss of innocence. There is an example speech in scene six which shows this symbol: We danced the Varsouviana! Suddenly in the middle of the dance the boy I had married broke away from me and ran out of the casino. A few moments latera shot! (Williams 115) This music helps Blanche to imagine her past while she is talking about Allan with Mitch. In this mutual speech between Blanche and Mitch, music has different level according to characters behaviors. For example: The Polka stops abruptly. Blanche rises stiffly. Then, the Polka resumes in a major key. Mitch gets up awkwardly and moves toward her a little. The polka music increases. Mitch stands beside her. (Williams115) Stanley throws a package of meat to Stella. It symbolizes Stanleys barbarity. This symbol helps us to understand that Stanley is a rude man. Stanley does not give or hand it to Stanley. He heaves the package at her. She cries out in protest but manages to catch it: then she laughs breathlessly. Her husband and his companion have already started back around the corner. (Williams 4) The meat also symbolizes the sexual relationship between Stanley and Stella. The meat gives Stanley sexual pleasure. Stellas catching the meat show her blind love and sexual emotions to Stanley. The loss of Belle Reve symbolizes Blanches painful loneliness. There is no place for Blanche to stay except at a hotel. Blanche arrives as a broken woman in New Orleans. She sold everything. It shows us Blanches despair. The loss of Belle Reve causes a conflict between Blanche and Stanley. Stanley wants his wifes share from Belle Reve. He does not believe Blanches lost of Belle Reve. As it is seen, this symbol affects characters behaviors to each other. The young man in scene 5 can be seen as a symbol of Blanches own innocence at one time that was corrupted by others. Blanche lets the young man leave the apartment finally, his innocence intact (except for a kiss), as, it could be said, she would like her own innocence left intact.  [1]  The young man reminds the high school boy in Laurel who caused Blanche to lose her teacher job. Blanches own innocence was corrupted by others. As Stella says to Stanley, You didnt know Blanche as a girl. Nobody, nobody, was tender and trusting as she was. But people like you abused her, and forced her to change. (Williams 136) Allan Grey is a symbolic character. The memory of him symbolizes sometimes bad sometimes good memories. Blanche loves him very much. But he betrays her with a man. The death of Allan Grey causes Blanches mental illness. As I before mention, Allen killed himself as they are dancing. Playing Poker shows Stanleys power over his wife and Blanche. While Blanche is taken away, he wins the game at the same time. As Daniel Brooks mention, Significantly, the game reflects the dynamics of the plays four main char ­acters. Like the turned-up wild card, Blanche DuBois turns up at Elysian Fields and immediately impacts the lives of Stanley, Mitch, and Stella. They each stand to gain something if things go their way, so they play Blanche to their best advantage, as if she were a wild card in a poker game.  [2]   Stanley loses his control when he plays poker with his friends. When women come to home, he gets angry. If we look the game from Mitchs point of view, we can say that he comes to play for a different purpose. After he meets with Blanche, he comes to see her. In some scenes, Blanche drinks alcohol. Alcohol helps her get rid of bad memories. When she drinks a glass of alcohol, she feels herself well. Mexican woman can be seen as a symbol of death. She sells flowers for the dead. When Blanche hears and sees her, she is afraid of death. This woman affects Blanche by the way of reminding death. When wee look at the metaphors in the play, they help to develop character development. The Light is used as a metaphor for truth. Blanche uses lights for expressing her feelings. She is afraid of daylight. She thinks that daylight shows her age. Light symbolizes the reality. Blanche escapes from reality. She is afraid of seeming old. She wants to live her imagination world. As Blanche says to Mitch, I dont want realism. I want magic. Yes, yes, magic. I try to give that people. I misrepresent things to them. I dont tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me damned for it! Dont turn the light on! (Williams 145) Blanche sees Allan Grey her bright light. After his suicide, she thinks that she lost her vivid light. Bright light express her lovely feelings with Allan Grey. Also light express her desire to illusion over reality. Blanche is a victim of her own self-delusions. She wants to protect her ego. She lies to people as covering herself with dim light. Dim light reflects her fragile. In the beginning of the play, there is an explanation, Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light. There is something about her uncertain mannerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Williams 5) Williams uses bath as a metaphor for many conditions. For Stanley, Stella and Blanche, it has different meanings. For example; Bath is good for calm down nervous for Blanche. She also goes bath to wash away her sins. We can say that these baths show us Blanche wants to get rid of her ugly past. Bath has also same meaning for Stanley. After he argues with Stella, he goes to bath for his nervous calm down. At the poker night, his friends take away his to bath. Stanley realizes that he beats his wife while he is under the water. In Tennessee Williams play A Street Car Name Desire; there are many symbols such as, The Elysian Field, The Paper Lantern, and The Varsouviana which are used for character development. These symbols and metaphors mostly affect Blanches characterization. Every symbol and metaphor shows Blanches different desires to us.

BonJours Basic Antifoundationalist Argument :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

BonJour's 'Basic Antifoundationalist Argument' ABSTRACT: BonJour argues that there can be no basic empirical beliefs. But premises three and four jointly entail ‘BonJour’s Rule’ — one’s belief that p is justified only if one justifiably believes the premises of an argument that makes p highly likely — which, given human psychology, entails global skepticism. His responses to the charge of skepticism, restricting premise three to basic beliefs and noting that the Rule does not require ‘explicit’ belief, fail. Moreover, the Rule does not express an epistemic duty. Finally, his argument against this fails since it is false that if an experiential state has representational content, then it is in need of justification. I venture the diagnosis that BonJour mistook the representational content of a cognitive state for the assertive functional role of a belief. Foundationalism may well be false, but not for BonJour’s reasons. Laurence BonJour observes that critics of foundationalism tend to argue against it by objecting to "relatively idiosyncratic" versions of it, a strategy which has "proven in the main to be superficial and ultimately ineffective" since answers immune to the objections emerge quickly. (1) BonJour aims to rectify this deficiency. Specifically, he argues that the very soul of foundationalism, "the concept of a basic empirical belief," is incoherent. (2) This is a bold strategy from which we can learn even if, in the end, as I shall argue, it fails. But, first, what is foundationalism? A person's belief is ‘nonbasic’ just in case it is justified in virtue of its relation to other justified beliefs; it is ‘basic’ just in case it is justified but not in virtue of its relation to other justified beliefs. Foundationalism is the view that if one has a nonbasic belief, then — in the final analysis — it is justified in virtue of its relation to a basic belief. Basic beliefs comprise the foundation of a person's network of justified beliefs. Now to BonJour's argument. 1. The Argument Stated BonJour summarizes it like this: 1. Suppose, for reductio, that there are basic empirical beliefs. 2. A belief is justified only if there is a reason why it is likely to be true. 3. A belief is justified for a person only if he is in cognitive possession of such a reason. 4. A person is in cognitive possession of such a reason only if he believes with justification the premises from which it follows that the belief is likely to be true.

socrates :: essays research papers

This paper will argue that during â€Å"The trial and Death of Socrates†, Socrates could have given better arguments for his defense. First it will outline the prejudices or accusations Socrates has to face during his trial. It will then show how Socrates acted as tough he wanted to lose the case and finally it will conclude explaining the arguments Socrates could have given in order to be acquitted. During the first speech (18a-19b) Socrates has to overcome two different types of prejudices: the old prejudice against Socrates set by the plays of Aristophanes and the new prejudices that included impiety charged by Meletus as well as the corruption of the youth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In fact more than once is Socrates confused for someone else. Aristophanes is responsible for latter but it is reconstructed by Meletus as including both impiety and corruption and Socrates is portrayed as a corrupt teacher .the first charge of impiety also originates with Aristophanes but Meletus confuses Socrates with the atheistic Anaxagoras when he describes Socrates as seeking to study the heavens (18a) the second charge of corruption is also in Aristophanes' Clouds but confuses Socrates with Protagoras. This led to confusion (18e) of Socrates with other sophists like Gorgias, Prodicus, and Hippias. The new prejudice against Socrates really is because of the Socratic paradox (20c-21a): â€Å"he knows nothing and only in this he claims to be wise â€Å" this paradox aroused hatred against him (21b, 23ab), even though he explains that the knowledge of his ignorance lead to his philosophical mission in life .his mission to question and to seek â€Å"the unexamined life is no life for a man†(21c-23c) this is explained by Chaerephon's enquiry at Apollo's oracle at Delphi declaring Socrates the wisest of men (21b-) Socrates turns this philosophical interrogation into his philosophical purpose ,as a consequence the young followed him trying to copy his questions to their leaders (23c) this arose the charge of corrupting the youth ( 23d) since like Socrates, they also questioned the leaders of democracy and religion, claiming not to believe in the gods and discover the heavens (d) . Having in mind all theses accusations Socrates, should had defend himself better but that was not the case. Throughout the trial, he acted as though he wanted to lose the case. He went out of his way to antagonize the jury, making comments that associated himself with certain people and ideas that were offensive to the jury. socrates :: essays research papers This paper will argue that during â€Å"The trial and Death of Socrates†, Socrates could have given better arguments for his defense. First it will outline the prejudices or accusations Socrates has to face during his trial. It will then show how Socrates acted as tough he wanted to lose the case and finally it will conclude explaining the arguments Socrates could have given in order to be acquitted. During the first speech (18a-19b) Socrates has to overcome two different types of prejudices: the old prejudice against Socrates set by the plays of Aristophanes and the new prejudices that included impiety charged by Meletus as well as the corruption of the youth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In fact more than once is Socrates confused for someone else. Aristophanes is responsible for latter but it is reconstructed by Meletus as including both impiety and corruption and Socrates is portrayed as a corrupt teacher .the first charge of impiety also originates with Aristophanes but Meletus confuses Socrates with the atheistic Anaxagoras when he describes Socrates as seeking to study the heavens (18a) the second charge of corruption is also in Aristophanes' Clouds but confuses Socrates with Protagoras. This led to confusion (18e) of Socrates with other sophists like Gorgias, Prodicus, and Hippias. The new prejudice against Socrates really is because of the Socratic paradox (20c-21a): â€Å"he knows nothing and only in this he claims to be wise â€Å" this paradox aroused hatred against him (21b, 23ab), even though he explains that the knowledge of his ignorance lead to his philosophical mission in life .his mission to question and to seek â€Å"the unexamined life is no life for a man†(21c-23c) this is explained by Chaerephon's enquiry at Apollo's oracle at Delphi declaring Socrates the wisest of men (21b-) Socrates turns this philosophical interrogation into his philosophical purpose ,as a consequence the young followed him trying to copy his questions to their leaders (23c) this arose the charge of corrupting the youth ( 23d) since like Socrates, they also questioned the leaders of democracy and religion, claiming not to believe in the gods and discover the heavens (d) . Having in mind all theses accusations Socrates, should had defend himself better but that was not the case. Throughout the trial, he acted as though he wanted to lose the case. He went out of his way to antagonize the jury, making comments that associated himself with certain people and ideas that were offensive to the jury.

John Lennons Use of Writing in Lyrics Essay -- English Writing Gramma

John Lennon, the late Beatle, and immortal Walrus, said, â€Å"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together. See how they run, like pigs from a gun, see how they fly-I’m crying.† And, the strangest thing about it is, after A Hard Day’s Night of typing this into my computer’s grammar checker, the program didn’t indicate a single error. Imagine, three decades before the age of the word processor, Lennon made his words Come Together. Think back to secondary school. What would many of your teacher’s reaction have been had you written what John Lennon did? I think I have an idea how some of my teachers might have reacted. I’d likely have been referred to the guidance counselor for drug counseling, and I’d have been sent home with a note to my parents. Granted, things have changed over the past twenty-five years, and many of today’s teachers realize that â€Å"good† writing consists of more than three-sentence paragraphs and single-subject-single-verb sentences. Where educators could once refer to a universal writing ideology, they must now recognize social diversity as a factor in critical evaluation of students’ work. Understand, I have never taught children in a school environment, and my only insight into what it is like is through reading books and essays, my discussions with friends who teach, you, my classmates, and, of course, my own memories of secondary school. So, when I offer my opinions, I do so humbly. Having said this, you’ll excuse me while I rant about the topic of our October 9th classroom discussion of what makes â€Å"good† writing and how to teach it. I found our discussion of â€Å"If I Learn It’s a Mircal,† by John, the â€Å"remedial† first year community college student, engaging. We talked about â€Å"voice,† and we... ...rtant as making sure he remains long enough to receive what he is asking for. His voice is honest and politically relevant. The teachers who assist him in refining his language and writing skills can take pride knowing that they share a certain part of his successes. I think John Lennon would agree: As this student heads down The Long and Winding Road, he will be grateful to the teachers who have given him his Ticket To Ride. Works Cited Brodkey, Linda. â€Å"On the Subjects of class and gender in ‘The Literacy Letters’†. Cross-Talk In Comp Theory. Ed. Victor Villanueva, Jr. NCTE, Illinois. 639-658. John. â€Å"If I learn it’s a mircal.† ENG 521 class handout. Lennon, John and Paul McCartney. I Am The Walrus. The Beatles. Comet Music Corp. 1967. Whitman, Walt. â€Å"Song Of Myself.† Anthology of American Literature. Ed. George McMichael. Prentice Hall, New Jersey. 2037. John Lennon's Use of Writing in Lyrics Essay -- English Writing Gramma John Lennon, the late Beatle, and immortal Walrus, said, â€Å"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together. See how they run, like pigs from a gun, see how they fly-I’m crying.† And, the strangest thing about it is, after A Hard Day’s Night of typing this into my computer’s grammar checker, the program didn’t indicate a single error. Imagine, three decades before the age of the word processor, Lennon made his words Come Together. Think back to secondary school. What would many of your teacher’s reaction have been had you written what John Lennon did? I think I have an idea how some of my teachers might have reacted. I’d likely have been referred to the guidance counselor for drug counseling, and I’d have been sent home with a note to my parents. Granted, things have changed over the past twenty-five years, and many of today’s teachers realize that â€Å"good† writing consists of more than three-sentence paragraphs and single-subject-single-verb sentences. Where educators could once refer to a universal writing ideology, they must now recognize social diversity as a factor in critical evaluation of students’ work. Understand, I have never taught children in a school environment, and my only insight into what it is like is through reading books and essays, my discussions with friends who teach, you, my classmates, and, of course, my own memories of secondary school. So, when I offer my opinions, I do so humbly. Having said this, you’ll excuse me while I rant about the topic of our October 9th classroom discussion of what makes â€Å"good† writing and how to teach it. I found our discussion of â€Å"If I Learn It’s a Mircal,† by John, the â€Å"remedial† first year community college student, engaging. We talked about â€Å"voice,† and we... ...rtant as making sure he remains long enough to receive what he is asking for. His voice is honest and politically relevant. The teachers who assist him in refining his language and writing skills can take pride knowing that they share a certain part of his successes. I think John Lennon would agree: As this student heads down The Long and Winding Road, he will be grateful to the teachers who have given him his Ticket To Ride. Works Cited Brodkey, Linda. â€Å"On the Subjects of class and gender in ‘The Literacy Letters’†. Cross-Talk In Comp Theory. Ed. Victor Villanueva, Jr. NCTE, Illinois. 639-658. John. â€Å"If I learn it’s a mircal.† ENG 521 class handout. Lennon, John and Paul McCartney. I Am The Walrus. The Beatles. Comet Music Corp. 1967. Whitman, Walt. â€Å"Song Of Myself.† Anthology of American Literature. Ed. George McMichael. Prentice Hall, New Jersey. 2037.

Analysis of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development

Unlike other psychologists, Bronfenbrenner studied the child’s environment rather than the child. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological theory holds that a child’s environment affects the way the child will act. Rather than study the child in a strange environment, the theory studies the child in an environment that the child is comfortable in. When a child in studied in an environment that they are comfortable in, the findings are more accurate. Bronfenbrenner (1979) conducted the â€Å"strange situation experiment† before arriving at this conclusion. In the experiment, children were left with a stranger both in a laboratory setting and later in their homes. The study found that while the children were uncomfortable in both situations because they are left with strangers, they cried three times as much in the laboratory setting than in their own homes. This finding gave Bronfenbrenner (1979) the idea of studying children in familiar settings. Bronfenbrenner (1979) refers to these familiar settings as studying the child in context. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological theory holds that the various environments in which children are placed or find themselves have a significant effect on them. Consequently children will act according to the environment which they find themselves in. The importance of the environment to the child is illustrated in the fact that preschool children converse better with their parents than with their teachers or other adults whom they are not familiar with. Some of the environments which children find themselves in include the home, school, daycare, etc. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development holds that there are five levels of environments. These environments are as follows: Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystems, Microsystem and Chronosystem. The first environment which children come into contact with is the immediate family into which they are born. However, as they grow, they come in contact with other environments. In the course of this, they are able to make changes in the environment by the choices they make. The environment has an effect on the children and also the various environments as well as other factors have an influence on the children (and students too). The first level of environments is the Microsystems. The Microsystems are settings such as the home, the school, daycare, nursery, etc. This level is the most studied in Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological theory of development because it is the most influential to the child. At this level, the interaction between the child and the environment is referred to as proximal processes. The second level of environments is the Mesosystem. The relationship between Microsystems creates a Mesosystem. For example, collaboration between a child’s (or student’s) teacher and the parents of the child could result in better outcomes. When parents and teachers collaborate to monitor the progress of the student, this speeds up development. On the other hand, poor relationships between two Microsystems can lead to poor performance of the child (or student) in school. For example, a child (student) who lives in an abusive home might not perform well at school. The third level in the ecological model is the Exosystems. Exosystems are the social organizations in which the child (student) interacts. The social organizations which the child and the student belong to, have an effect on the child. Students who belong to the debating society at school may end up developing effective communication skills. Macrosystem is the fourth level in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development. This level is important because it has an effect on other levels of influence identified in this theory of development. Macrosystems refer to the laws and customs of the culture in which the child (student) is growing up in. These variables are important because they affect the way children (students) behave and the decisions that they make. Culture determines what is right or wrong in a particular society and people conform. The fifth level is the chronosystem. All the levels that have been mentioned earlier make up the Chronosystems and the manner in which all these various levels affect each other. Also the Chronosystems refer to the historical context, meaning the era in which the child was brought up in. Current events and new technologies can also have an effect on the development of the student (or the child)- wars, economic depression, affluence, mobile phones, computers, satellite navigation, etc. An evaluative description of how Bronfenbrenner’s levels of influence have shaped my development (decision to enter graduate school). Microsystem I began to nurture the dream to enter graduate school from the influence in my home. Coming from a home of educated parents, I knew that I had to pursue my career to its peak and beyond- if there is a place to go beyond the peak. Apart from my parents, relatives around me were often conversing about their educational qualification and the next level they were moving to. I really admired them and did not want to be left behind. I remember in primary school that the other children and I will make jokes about the level of education we would attain as we got older. Furthermore, the teachers at school made us aware at an early stage that we needed to excel in order to progress along the various stages of educational attainment. All these influences got into my subconscious and have led to where I am today. Mesosystem My parents worked closely with my teachers in primary school in order keep a close eye on my educational development. My father asked my teachers at primary and secondary school to identify the areas in which I was deficient. Once these areas were identified, my father arranged private lessons at home. Thus, whenever I close from school, my private lessons continued after I had a short rest. Furthermore, my father was very careful about the report cards that the teachers sent home at the end of each term. He wanted to know my behavior and acted upon the observation of the teachers. Most importantly, my father monitored my performance in school and told me right from high school the academic discipline that was best suited for me. He said that I will do well as a business administrator, so I ended up studying for a master’s degree in business administration. Exosystems I attended a Catholic school so we were taught, â€Å"early to bed, early to rise, makes man healthy, wealthy and wise. † The bell rang for Matins and Lauds, very early in the morning. It was a very rigid routine. I was glad to get away from it when there was a vacation but in all this time it has taught me to be organized. The biggest lesson I have learnt is never to procrastinate. What must be done, needs to be done on time and put away. Also, the religious upbringing has taught me contentment even when I lack and never to ask for unnecessary favors from friends or colleagues. Microsystem Culture among black Africans is very strong. Educated Africans take advantage of every opportunity at education and encourage their children to do same. Among this type of Africans, education is regarded as a value that must be pursued if the individual must excel in life. Uneducated people are looked down upon as the â€Å"never do well. † With this mindset, I definitely did not want to stop at a first degree. I needed to enter graduate school in order to realize the ideals of my group and become a respected member of the group. Chronosystem Technological discoveries such as the Internet and mobile phones have made my school work easier and served as an encouragement for me to go on. Without these advances in technology, school work will definitely have been very tedious. I am sure in the past the amount of work which students had to do led to an increase in the drop out level. With the Internet, I am able to do research, collaborate with people, look at what other people are doing round the world, etc. The ease which technology affords has contributed in making me the satisfied graduate student I am today.

Online Games Essay

As time passes by, technology continues to evolve. Because of technology, new things were created that sustains and lightens human work. Computers were created because of technology. Computers were the greatest things ever invented by man itself. In the modern age, computers have become a part of man’s life. Computers with the aid of modern machines made almost all the things around us. From the edited books, computers made all design, special effects in movies, and televisions etc. Along with the evolution of technology, computers continue to upgrade as well until the time that computer has now become a part of man’s everyday life that are hooked to computers. Computers can now edit documents to your PC, play mini games, search information you need using the internet, save documents to your PC and play online games. It’s like an all-in-one gadget that can do all the things you want anytime you need it. STUDY HABITS During the pre-school age, a self-study habit must be develop. Self-study habit can be defined as the ability of the learner to allot time in reviewing and reading his/her lessons. It is gradually developed as the learner grows and matures. Different learners have varied style of study habits. Some study after arriving from school, while others do it at the middle of the night. Unfortunately, developing these skills requires time, patience and effort from the parents, teacher and the learner himself. Additionally a very high level of intrinsic motivation must be present to have this. It cannot be underestimated that self-study habit is one of the foundations of educational achievements. Those who excel in school have the strict practice of study habits. Learning from school were not enough for the learners to fully learn. The learner himself must have his own time where s/he can concentrate and reflect. His self-study habits must be done in a conducive learning environment which is free from possible distractions. ABSENCES Poor Grades * At all levels of schooling, classroom absences can lead to poor grades. This is because students are not present to learn the material and generally perform poorly on tests. In higher education settings, professors often are allowed to set their own policies on how absences directly affect a student’s grade.

All you need is love Essay

â€Å"All you need is love†, it’s perfectly described by the Beatles, and indeed it is. Love, the greatest gift of all, the most important thing for every single one of us. Loving your friends, your family, your pets, or, especially, that precious boy or girl, man or woman. It’s the phenethylamine that makes us fall in love and gives us that incredible feeling when we see a special person. After a few years our body gets used to that hormone and the endorfines in our brain take over. They give us the warm, calm, safe feeling with a person. However we live in a society where we can all fall in love with the person we want, there are still places in the world where people can’t. Forbidden love or arranged marriages, it sounds way too outdated to us, but it unfortunately still exists today. When we say love, hate isn’t far away. It’s mostly considered as the opposite of love, but we have to see it badly enough as a synonym. Lots of relationships go wrong and end up in hating each other or in very few cases it ends up in harming each other or even killing each other, which is called a crime of passion. Why does it go wrong? Wasn’t love the most precious thing on earth? Well, with love comes crave to be with a person, jealousy, fear to lose that person and discussions with that person, which leads often to distrust. When you are loved and have everything you need, it’s apparently not so difficult for too many people to flirt with others or even cheat. For many couples, the fourteenth of February is the day to prove their love, but for others it’s exactly the same average day. Every Valentine’s day tons of flowers and tons of chocolate are sold all around the world, not speaking of the incredible amount of money that is spent on that day. For the happy singles in the world, there is Singles Awareness Day (SAD), also on the fourteenth of February. Valentine’s day or not, we should prove our love also every other day of the year. There can be concluded that without love the world would not survive, we have to make love not war. Every person should be able to love the one he wants, without being judged, being harmed or being forced to. The Beatles are absolutely right: â€Å"Love is all you need†.

General Paper

MARRIAGE. â€Å"Marriage is the union of two different surnames, in friendship and in love, in order to continue the posterity of the former sages, and to furnish those who shall preside at the sacrifices to heaven and earth, at those in the ancestral temple, and at those at the altars to the spirits of the land and grain. † —Confucius, As this culture becomes more individual focused, bonds with others for survival becomes less important. We now pay people to do the things we used to accomplish in a partnership. Restaurants and fast food chains, once relegated to occasional family outings, are a main source of nourishment.There are agencies that will deliver â€Å"home-cooked meals† to you or have them ready for pick-up. Cleaning staff, once limited to the rich or to businesses, are being used by the middle-class. Both parents are working, focusing on their careers, their paths toward self individuation, and more tedious tasks like yard work are being hired out. The point, partnerships are less necessary than they were 60 years ago. That is the social reason that the institution of marriage may be outdated. But the social influence does not stand alone. These changes impact individuals and individuals make up a marriage.So what are some of the individual characteristics that may contribute to marriage being an outdated concept? First, as discussed above, it is the desire for individuation by those in a marriage. More and more often people want to have meaning in their life, beyond raising a family. We are culture whose individuals want to be different. Americans want to stand out. They want to feel they accomplished something for themselves. As such, simply supporting a partner to achieve feels inadequate to many. They also want to achieve, and to be supported in their endeavors.This alone can contribute to strife in a marriage. Whose needs come first? How long do I put my goals on the back burner to help you attain yours? When can I pursue my happiness? â€Å"Is marriage as an institution outdated? † Discuss According to the most recent statistics, the divorce rate, often quoted (even by this author in classes) as 50% of marriages, is actually closer to the low 40 percentile. (Divorce Rate: It's Not as High as You Think, By Dan Hurley, The New York Times, and April 19, 2005). But that does not negate the fact that the United States has the highest divorce rate in the world per capital.The fact that so many American marriages end in divorce leads to the question is marriage an outdated institution? I think the answer is dependent on some of your personal variables. First, let us look at the facts: over 40% of marriages end in divorce. This does not simply infer that the intact marriages are happy. This author attended a lecture by a respected psychiatrist, rabbi, and author who suggested that another half of the in-tact marriages were unhappy. Per capita, the United States has the highest divorce rate in the wo rld. The average duration of a marriage in the U.S is about 7 to 8 years. And although marriage is an institution which makes childrearing most efficacious, marriages in which there are children end in divorce with a higher frequency than those marriages without children. Yet marriage remains an institution that many would not think of doing away with or even restructuring. Likely even the question of marriage being an outdated institution raises eyebrows. A controversial issue in this country currently is whether gays should have the right to marry, again showing the attachment to this social institution.Many young people wouldn't dream of not getting married. In fact, many women have been dreaming about their impending nuptials since they were young children. This is not only true for women, as many men assume marriage and children are a foregone conclusion in their lives. So what is this author's argument that the idea of marriage might be outdated? Well, beyond the statistics ab ove, I also believe that as the Dali Lama said, â€Å"Our purpose in life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. † This is becoming more and more true today, as more people seek happiness.Marriage is a source of lasting happiness for some, but for others it is only a temporary high. The first argument that marriage might be outdated is the divorce rate. Marriage has been around as an institution since, well, according to anything found in this author's research, ancient time. It was reported as necessary for childrearing, property disbursement, and bloodline. In these times it was more necessary to have a partnership to survive. Even more than partnerships, tribes were necessary for survival. As times changed, neighborhoods became like tribes and small communities worked together to enhance the lives of all.But Western civilization has continued to move toward a more individualistic culture. Today people are less likely to even socializ e with their neighbors, let alone rely on them. It is true some areas are bound by their neighborhood, and the community works together to enhance the life of its members. But this is becoming less and less true. As an example, how many â€Å"daycare centers† for children were there 50 years ago? As this culture becomes more individual focused, bonds with others for survival becomes less important. We now pay people to do the things we used to accomplish in a partnership.Restaurants and fast food chains, once relegated to occasional family outings, are a main source of nourishment. There are agencies that will deliver â€Å"home-cooked meals† to you or have them ready for pick-up. Cleaning staff, once limited to the rich or to businesses, are being used by the middle-class. Both parents are working, focusing on their careers, their paths toward self individuation, and more tedious tasks like yard work are being hired out. The point, partnerships are less necessary than they were 60 years ago. That is the social reason that the institution of marriage may be outdated.But the social influence does not stand alone. These changes impact individuals and individuals make up a marriage. So what are some of the individual characteristics that may contribute to marriage being an outdated concept? First, as discussed above, it is the desire for individuation by those in a marriage. More and more often people want to have meaning in their life, beyond raising a family. We are culture whose individuals want to be different. Americans want to stand out. They want to feel they accomplished something for themselves. As such, simply supporting a partner to achieve feels inadequate to many.They also want to achieve, and to be supported in their endeavors. This alone can contribute to strife in a marriage. Whose needs come first? How long do I put my goals on the back burner to help you attain yours? When can I pursue my happiness? Another aspect of this is the dr ive toward excitement and experience. For some people, experience is more important than possessions. Some people just enjoy experience, for its own sake. They may be thrill seekers, or may just place a high value on novel experiences. These people just enjoy doing new things and meeting new people.At one point in time these characters might have been explorers, adventurers, or other types of risk takers. It seems though, that this is becoming much more common as a character trait these days. And folks with this character trait are likely to find the routine of marriage stifling. There are other reasons that marriages may fail that are related to society. For one, despite many marriages failing or being unhappy, we live in a culture that romanticizes marriage. People are constantly told they will find their soul mate, that if this relationship doesn't work out; another will come along who might be â€Å"the one. In reality, how often are you able to accurately predict who your â₠¬Å"one† is? Most people getting married believe they found the one. And when that doesn't work and they remarry, they often believe this time they found the one. And this isn't limited only to those who marry. How many people did you get romantically involved with who at some point you thought were probably â€Å"the one†? Perhaps this concept, which shows no signs of dying despite the evidence against it, is at worst mere wishful thinking, or at best, a long-shot. Along with this idea of marriage being romanticized is the desire to simply have a wedding.First, a wedding is a beautiful thing. The pageantry, the pomp, and the beauty of it all results in it being majestic. Everyone should have one. It just doesn't seem they should have to stay together forever as a result. In a recent discussion with a colleague who was discussing marriage, she reported she wanted to get married. It wasn't that she necessarily wanted to marry the guy she was with, but that she wanted to g et married to someone. She discussed the beauty of a wedding, and how it would be a shame to miss out on that. Everyone wants to be Cinderella or Prince Charming for a night.This is not uncommon thinking. But does the expectation have to be that they will stay together for a lifetime? (There was an article two years ago about a politician in a European country advocating a law that marriages expire after seven years, with the opportunity to renew. Of course she was mocked and ridiculed). Another point of discussion for why marriages may fail focuses on the fact that many people get married before having been on their own. Recently one of my students, when discussing her relationship, actually said she didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life.She couldn't have been more than 27, although early 20’s is more likely. For some reason this is a predominant fear in our culture (this could evolve into an existential discussion, but that is better placed in another article). T here seems to be a myth that if you don't find someone, and latch onto them, you will be lonely and miserable, possibly for the rest of your life. Many people seem to settle so they don't have to face this fear. Ultimately, this fear becomes less predominant, and the person may leave the marriage. But the real culprit was the fear leading to settling.Too often, marriage is an attempt to posses another. When humans love someone, they are afraid to let them go. People are afraid of loss. And what better way to secure someone than marriage? Marriage provides a {false} sense of security. It definitely makes ending the relationship more difficult. But beyond just the fear of being alone is the fact that if you haven't been on your own you are used to a cycle of dependency. First people are dependent on their caregivers. And if they go from this state to one of marriage, they have never really been independent. There has always been someone else helping out.Outside of simply being depende nt, there is a level of maturation that comes from living on your own and not being in a romantic relationship. One learns to nurture oneself, to care for oneself, to be independent in the truest sense of the word. Unfortunately, many who enter marriage have never really experienced this. This discussion of personal growth leads me to another point regarding how the changing times have altered individual's character. These days more people are interested in their own personal growth. As people grow and change the risk of growing apart increases.When most people in their forties think of what they were like in their twenties, they can usually see the tremendous changes that have occurred. This is even truer when personal growth is a goal. And with one or even both partners growing and changing, the potential for growth in opposing directions is a possibility. And even if you don't grow apart, there is the possibility of a loss of attraction for your partner, and growing attraction fo r others you meet on your path. Attraction is one of my favorite areas of psychology. The reason one individual is attracted to another is rich with possibility.For some, there is a reminiscence of something deeply enjoyed in the past. A client recently discussed how the attraction to each of her recent relationships related to two important men in her life. This is excellent evidence of this phenomenon. For some people they believe this person they are with is the best they will ever be able to get. Sometimes this comes from feelings of low self esteem, but this is not always the case. Often there is a bargaining process which goes on inside of us when considering a romantic partner. We have this much beauty, smarts, financial potential, humor, etc, and we want equal value.Too much value and we might be insecure. Too little, and well we are getting the short end of the stick. But beyond all of this is the most common reason one individual is attracted to another: early childhood me mory. This article is not the appropriate place for this discussion, so I refer the reader to â€Å"A General Theory of Love† by Lewis, Amini, and Lannon. In short the above book systematically provides a theory that purports that all experiences, but most importantly early childhood experiences, affect the choices we make in close relations.If we had dysfunction in our home, we continue this pattern in other relations. This leads to another reason marriages may not remain intact as they used to, and hence may be an outdated concept. Bluntly, pathology is less accepted now. In the past, abuse, issues of control, alcoholism, addiction, and mental illness were hidden in a closet. These days' people are more psychologically informed. They are more aware that being mistreated is not acceptable, that it is not a reflection on them. They are less likely to tolerate behavior which contributes to their unhappiness.And furthermore, they are more likely than their predecessors to read self-help books, engage in therapy and resolve the issues that result in staying somewhere they are unhappy. They are even more likely to resolve the issues that lead to the attraction to begin with, which would result in the attraction dissipating. So is marriage an outdated concept? It is possible after reading this article you may think this author believes so. And for many people, I do believe marriage is an outdated concept.And I am not alone, although likely in the minority (judging from the comments posted on the article â€Å"On Marriage: Let's Call the Whole Thing Off† posted on MSN June 228, 2009). But I do marriage counseling, and believe marriage is right for many other people. The goal is to find if you are right for marriage. And ultimately whether marriage is an outdated concept or not is a personal decision. Some of the things you might look at before making the decision are your motives for marriage. Are you buying into a preconceived notion of what is suppos ed to be, without evaluating your values?Have you been planning your wedding since you were young and do you just refuse to give up on the dream, regardless of how your personality might affect long term commitment? Are you devoutly religious, and believe that pleasing God comes before personal happiness? If you believe marriage is for you, and you have evaluated your motives, then far be it for any article to sway you. Just realize marriage is work, and it will be important to forgo your happiness at times to maintain the marriage. And keep your hope. Even if marriage is an outdated concept, everyone has the right to make the choices they make. Good luck on your path.