Strategies For Combat Climate Change - 1923 Words

Strategies to Combat Climate Change Climate change is an issue that affects all life on Earth and is a major concern among researchers across a variety of fields. There is quite little argument against the possibility of mass disaster if human beings continue to consume fossil fuels in the same way we have been since the late 1700s (i.e. the Industrial Revolution). To mitigate the severity of climate change, many different courses of action have been suggested. Dale Jamieson discusses two of these in his article Ethics, Public Policy and Global Warming, and these strategies are what this paper will be focusing on. One of the two methods Jamieson discusses to prevent the exacerbation of climate change is the Calculations Based Method. This strategy is concerned with the economic aspect of combatting climate change. To follow this route, researchers must determine the possible financial strains of each path and its subsequent outcomes. With this information, we can weigh the benefits that are the result of following that strategy against what it would cost to put it in place to begin with. The benefits are determined based on a preference-satisfaction criterion; what we want is what we pursue, and so what we pursue is what is good because it satisfies our want. We do not want Earth’s mean temperature to rise because it would cause millions of death, however, we do not want economic failure which is what would occur with the cessation of the use of greenhouse gases.Show MoreRelatedGlobal Climate Change : The United States Of America1260 Words   |  6 PagesThe perils of climate change ha ve the ability to impact the national interest concerning power, prosperity and peace. The continued challenges around the world, and domestically, it is critical the US implements a comprehensive grand strategy. Cooperative security gives the US the best possibility to achieve the goals that will lessen the effects and place the US ahead of the international agenda. Combating climate change will require successful policies such as international climate pacts, collective-actionRead MoreAchieving Sustainable Development Goals At A Un Summit922 Words   |  4 Pagesto combat climate change and its impacts†, along with its five targets. Are the Targets Truly Measurable? The most concretely measureable target under SDG 13 is 13.a. A deadline for this target is clearly stated along with the funds and specific parties needed to create a global impact. One will be able to identify progress, or lack of, by 2020. Target 13.b is unspecified and extremely vague, not indicating effective strategies for its measurability. LDC’s often contribute least to climate changeRead MoreThe Sustainable Development Goal ( Sdg )1056 Words   |  5 Pagesurgent action to combat climate change and its impacts,† and presents five targets for ensuring global sustainability and resilience in wake of the warming climatic system. For the sake of efficient analysis the measurability of the first three targets 13.1-13.3 regarding global adaptation will be grouped, while 13.a+b concerning developing countries will be addressed separately. The effectiveness of said targets in regards to the management of, and adaptation to, global climate change will then be evaluatedR ead MoreClimate Change: Impacts and Solutions653 Words   |  3 PagesClimate change is one of the most divisive topics in the recent years and this is reflected by the fact that more and more international bodies get actively involved in trying to come up with solutions to combat it. Even with the fact that the general public acknowledges the importance of devising effective strategies to slow and even stop climate change, it is actually very difficult for countries to do so when considering the economic factors related to the act. It is probable that developing countriesRead MoreEnvironmental Issues Of Human Rights Violations947 Words   |  4 Pagesthe environmental issues as human rights violations in legal terms is a complex task. However, in the last decade, petitions and suit cases against climate change issue were gradually filed. In 2006, the first suit case against the Environmental Protection Agency was reached to the U.S Supreme Court (Aminzade, 2006). A petition claim ed that climate change through emissions and air pollutants caused harm to public health and welfare. This case grabbed the attention of multiple environmental agencies;Read MoreThe Climate Change Of California1285 Words   |  6 Pagesend of the century1. With the rise of temperature, the climate of California would also be changed. California has large area of forest and farmland, hundreds of miles of coastline, large amount of snowpack, and other natural wonders. And these special treasures of nature are especially at risk2. So it is very necessary to understand the strategies of California to combat climate change. Influences of climate change in California The climate in California is expected to become warmer in the nextRead MoreEconomic And Social Development : Thailand Still Faces Critical Health Issues859 Words   |  4 Pagestotal deaths are a result of NCDs2. However, combatting NCDs proves difficult as development largely reflects individual behavior. Careful surveillance is needed3, without it tracking implications of behaviors is unreliable and developing prevention strategies is difficult with lacking data on epidemiological trends. Though preventable, they are often detected when advanced. Long term cases need proper management. But with a shortage of rehabilitative personnel tertiary care is threatened, this must beRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On Society And The Environment1652 Words   |  7 PagesThe effects of climate crises are felt all over the globe, leaving harsh impacts on society and the environment. From typhoons to hurricanes to rising sea levels to rising atmospheric temperatures, cities around the w orld cannot escape the effects of climate change, but they are able to combat it. They are able to help the earth instead of continuing to harm it, and the way to do this is through implementing climate change programs. Even if one city chooses not to carry out such a program, it doesRead MoreHow Governments Can Help Aid The Climate Issue1195 Words   |  5 Pages 1. When issues arise, governments are the ones that intervene into the market to correct market failures; these include issues such as climate change. In order to correct these issues government use methods such as inequality, externalities and public goods. This restores efficiency as well as increasing the economic well being of society. The environment is accessible by every individual as it is non-excludable. Thus, meaning that no one can be prohibited from using it and one person’s use diminishesRead MoreMemo Summary938 Words   |  4 PagesSummary of the Memo This memorandum provides a summary of the environmental and political background of Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions. It specifies the varying impacts of climate change as a result of increases in GHG emissions and gives examples of how and where these impacts are being felt in Canada. As a large contributor to Canada’s overall GHG emissions, Ontario should provide regulations and policies to mitigate these emissions. A variety of policy instruments will be examined to determine

Totalitarian Governments in 1984 by George Orwell

Forty Years from Now Picture a world where a small group of people knows exactly what people are doing and when they are doing it, and if one makes one wrong move they are erased off of the face of the planet. This is what it is like to live in George Orwell’s 1984. Orwell tells a story about what he thought the world would be like in forty years. He predicted the world to be a world of totalitarian rule in which there are only three super countries. One of those countries was called Oceania, where the main character, Winston, lives. Winston is a outer party member that works in the ministry of truth where he rewrites the past. Winston realizes what he does ‘for a living’ is wrong and starts writing his thoughts in a diary, which is a†¦show more content†¦Technology is taking over the world as we know it. Orwell predicted that technology would take control of citizen’s lives and make them have no privacy, and honestly that is not so far off. Governments can access the se devices and look at what people learning, looking at, and who they are talking to. There is not much that a citizen can hide from their government. Citizens do not have as much privacy as they did even just twenty years ago. With technological advances, the world could follow the story of George Orwell’s 1984. Video surveillance is something that the government uses also, although it is not as harsh as in George Orwell’s story, but still citizen’s privacies are being invaded. According to Alex Abdo, there is a United States owned database filled with every Americans information and every one of his or her associations (Abdo). Even the United States, which is considered a country built upon freedom, is monitoring its people. The American government even tries to follow everything that its citizens do. Governments even have 64 federal websites that are helping them follow their people’s browsing and buying habits (Zuckerbrod). Governments are using the ir websites to monitor what people are doing. This way the government can know everything from their people’s hobbies to who their best friend is. Technology is helping the government take away their citizens privacy. Even though citizens ofShow MoreRelatedGeorge Orwell s 1984 : A Totalitarian Government Essay1771 Words   |  8 PagesGeorge Orwell’s 1984 is a prime example of a deep dystopia with a totalitarian government. Totalitarian governments have full and total control. The Inner Party, which is the main form of government in Oceania, has total control over its people’s thoughts and actions. They use many forms of abuse in order to control them. The Inner Party controls the government and is the upper class. The middle class is called the Outer Party. These people are given jobs from the government and are more educatedRead MoreTotalitarianism In George Orwells 19841028 Words   |  5 PagesTotalitarianism Used in 1984 A dystopia is a society which is characterized by misery, oppression, and unhappiness. Likewise, a totalitarian government neither allow parties to have different opinions nor freedom with a centralized government, therefore totalitarianism and dystopian societies are similar. In 1984, written by George Orwell, Big Brother is a dictator who gives the Oceanian population no personal freedoms and strictly dominates all of the country for their own selfish ways. Unlike OceaniaRead MoreTotalitarianism in Orwells Mind Essay1053 Words   |  5 PagesIngsoc are embodiments of everything that author George Orwell hates in government. 1984, a book written by Orwell, depicts a society called Oceania, in which unwary citizens are obedient to the Party, a totalitarian regime. Totalitarianism is defined as a political system in which a centralized government does not tolerate any form of political dissent and seeks to control many, if not all, aspects of public and private life. Another one of George Orwell’s books, Animal Farm, is an allegory aboutRead MoreA Look into Totalitarianism In 1984 by George Orwell1600 Words   |  6 PagesIn the novel 1984, George Orwell portrays a world that has been altered to a state of political control. The lives and thoughts of a population are controlled by the government in 1984. It is impossible to successfully rebel against this type of totalitarian society because of the many scare tactics that rebels have to bear. George Orwell uses 1984 to criticize the devastating effects of totalitarianism, and the dystopia of his scary visions for the future. Within the totalitarian society is fearRead MorePolitics And Politics In 1984, By George Orwell1469 Words   |  6 Pagesitself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia† (Orwell, â€Å"Politics† 5). Living in the aftermath of World War II, and seeing how political inactivity gives rise to dictators like Adolf Hitler, it is no surprise that George Orwell commented on the common man’s relationship to politics. His political beliefs fed into his work, perhaps most notably the ominous 1984. The novel details a totalitarian government dominating every aspect of the people’s lives—even what is considered truthRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s The Great Gatsby 1285 Words   |  6 PagesStudy of George Orwell George Orwell was a literary tactician who won two major awards because of hia advanced and intriguing use of propaganda. At first glance, his books appear to be stories about animals, however, they contain much deeper and influential meanings. Orwell is most recognized for his portrayal of dystopian societies and how they parallel present society. Through intense allegories, Orwell unintentionally crafted novels that are applicable to the totalitarian government systems prevalentRead More George Orwells Symbolism and Derivation for Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)905 Words   |  4 PagesGeorge Orwells Symbolism and Derivation for 1984 George Orwells 1984 had a profound effect upon the way people thought during the mid 20th century. The book signified Orwells most complex novel which told the story of Arthur Koestler and the countless others who suffered because of the totalitarian governments in Eastern Europe (Meyers 114). When 1984 was published in 1949, the Cold War had just begun. The novels ending was pessimistic and thus seemed as an attack on communism. TheRead MoreGeorge Orwell and Animal Farm and 19841008 Words   |  5 Pages George Orwell and Animal Farm and 1984 nbsp; George Orwell is only a pen name. The man behind the classics Animal Farm and 1984 was named Eric Arthur Blair and was born to a middle class family living in Bengal in 1903. Eric Blair got his first taste of class prejudice at a young age when his mother forced him to abandon his playmates, which were plumbers children (Crick 9). He could then play only with the other children in the family, all of whom were at least five years older or youngerRead MoreEssay on Society’s Influence on 1984 and George Orwell1391 Words   |  6 PagesSociety’s Influence on 1984 and George Orwell To say I accept in an age like our own is to say that you accept concentration-camps, rubber truncheons, Hitler, Stalin, bombs, aeroplanes, tinned food, machine guns, putsches, purges, slogans, Bedaux belts, gas-masks, submarines, spies, provocateurs, press-censorship, secret prisons, aspirins, Hollywood films and political murder (Bookshelf I). Politics, society, economy, and war during the forties had a direct impact on life at the timeRead MoreInfluences on George Orwell: Who is Watching Whom?1204 Words   |  5 PagesGeorge Orwell once said, â€Å"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.† Orwell understood that telling the truth was an anomaly. He lived in a world full of lies and hatred. Consequently, George Orwell wanted to show people the real dangers of a totalitarian government, and he wrote two political novels that warn people of those dangers. These novels are still respected today, as some believe the world is turning into the â€Å"Orwellian† society he created in his most

Cold Equations Free Essays

1. ) What does the pilot want? To save the girl. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Cold Equations or any similar topic only for you Order Now ) Is the pilot likely to succeed? Most likely not because by doing so he would kill others. 3. )What does the sister want? She wants to live. 4. ) Is the sister likely to succeed? I doubt it cause of there being a law and there seems theers no other way then her diying. 5. ) What does the government want? For the girl to be thrown off the ship. 6. ) Is the government likely to succeed? I belive so. 7. ) What should happen? The girl should be saved. 8. ) What will happen? The girl will most likely die. 9. )Is the pilot a â€Å"good† person or a â€Å"bad† person? Explain. The pio;t is a good person because he truly wants to save the girl but under the surcanstances he knows he can’t. 10. ) Is the sister a â€Å"good† person or a â€Å"bad† person? Explain. The sister is a good person because over all she didn’t mean to have all this happen to her she was just innocent to the knowlage of the law. 11. ) Is the government â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad†? Explain. It is good it is just doing what it has to do . 12. ) What does the title refer to? It mearns that all the math is saying that he girl must die even though its not very just. 13. ) Is this story scary? Sad? Funny? Something else? Explain. I think it is sasd because of a iniocent girl having to die. 14. ) What does the author want me to think or feel? I geuss sad. 15. ) What is the central idea of this story? That this girl is a stole away but theres not enough fuel to carry them all safely so they must throw here overboard even it its not very humanly . 16. ) What might different people do in this situation? Mabey if it was a different pilot he would have already thrown her into spaceor mabey found away to save her. If it was a different girl she may have just accepted what she did an go overboared or she could have found away to save herself. How to cite Cold Equations, Papers

Impact of Quality Management on knowledge management

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Quality Management on knowledge management. Answer: Introduction The quality management is the firm wide management philosophy in which it continuously improving on the quality of the services aimed focusing on the knowledge management and the performance management in the organization. There have been mixed relationship on the total management on the knowledge and the organizational performance(Becker, Kugeler and Rosemann, 2013). The reasons for the mixed result could be due to the different methods, use of different variables and the various performance measures in the research model. The use of the analytical methodologies and the measuring tools may contribute significantly to investigate the research on the relationship between total quality management on knowledge management and organizational performance(Hislop, 2013). The clear definition of the concept of total management was not given until 1980s. The researchers have collectively defended on the positive effects of the practices towards the organization performance. There are many orga nizations, which are adopting on this management paradigm globally. This research will be withdrawn from various theories. The researcher have identified that one of the issues that is exhibited by the quality management implementation is the lack of a definition of quality that is not universally accepted(Holsapple, 2013). In order to explain on the relationship that exists on the quality management of knowledge management of the organizational performance the study has adopted a few research to explain on this phenomenon(Patel,Messersmith and Lepak, 2013). One of theories that has been used to explain on this phenomenon is the total quality management, which has a significant factor to the long-term success of the organization(Oalkd, 2014). Other theories that would be used are the Demings theory, and the Crosbys theory. Throughout the world, many of the organization are facing very common challenges that have resulted from the changes of the business environment. There is need for the organization to focus on the improvement on performance to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage to survive in todays business environment. Therefore, the aspect serve as the driving force to innovative strategies on the organization. There is need to continuously improve on the organizational performance. (Becker, Kugeler and Rosemann, 2013) To effectively implement on the organization performance there is need for incorporating some aspect of QM and the knowledge management. It is important to understand the impact of the QM on the KM towards the performance of the organization. The quality management on the knowledge management practices have been used to improve on the performance of many organizations today(Evans and Lindsay, 2013). Importance of the study The significance of the research study is to highlights out the effects of the quality management in regards to the quality knowledge and the performance of the organization.(Holsapple, 2013) The research will be helpful to the managers to gain an insight of the structures that are complex of the QM on the knowledge management and the performance of the organization. Therefore, it would enable them to make decisions that are rational through use of better management strategies to improve the performance of organization(Evans and Lindsay, 2013). The research is based on the services industry in Jordan. Research objectives The research objective will address the following; To define on the relationship that is based on theoretical framework, and recognizes on the significant of the critical success factors of the quality management to organizational performance, and for the development of an instrument for the measurement of the quality management practices for the services company(Becker, Kugeler and Rosemann, 2013). To investigate the relationship that exists between the QM on the knowledge management in regards to the organizational performance more so on the services company (Holsapple, 2013). Critical in regards to the QM on the management of knowledge and the performance of the organization. To define on the relationship between the quality of management and knowledge on the performance of the organization. To explore on relationship between the process management and the organizational performance. Research problem The aim of the research is to examine on the parameters that are significant on the quality management and the knowledge on how they have influenced the organization. The performance of much organization is essentially based on the quality of the services they deliver(Kim and Kumar, 2012). This essentially is achieved through having quality management and available knowledge. The research problem of the study is to explore on the relationship of the quality management on knowledge management and the performance of the organization. Research questions What is the relationship between the quality of management and knowledge on the performance of the organization? What is the relationship between the process management and the organizational performance? What is the relationship that exists between the knowledge management, quality management on the performance of organization? Hypotheses of the research The following is a research framework of hypotheses, which has developed in relation to the relationship of the quality management, knowledge management and organizational performance. H 1: Does there exists a relationship between the quality of management and knowledge on the performance of the organization. H2: does there exists a relationship between the process management and the organizational performance. H3: does there exists a positive relationship that exists between the knowledge management, quality management on the performance of organization? Theoretical framework The theoretical framework relates to the design of the quality management, knowledge management and the performance of the organization. In the figure below shows the evaluation model of how the knowledge management, relates to the quality management in order to enhance on the organizational performance(Becker, Kugeler and Rosemann, 2013). Literature review Contribution from the quality leaders such as Deming has influenced on the studies on the quality management in a way that the quality has gradually developed, in which he has identified on the various practices in order to have quality management. Quality leaders they have believed that both management and system are the ones responsible for the poor quality rather than the workers. According to Juran (1988), there is need to develop a quality trilogy in which entails the use of quality, control and the improvement of the quality. Further, Crosby philosophy quality management can described best by the use of four absolutes of the quality improvement processes. Based on Feigenbaum (1991) there is a need for the business to employ on the steps to the quality these aspects are quality leadership, organizational commitment and the use of technology in order to achieve on the quality management. There are various model that can be used to evaluate on the performance of the organization. Each of these models are usually based on the perceived model of the quality management. The model does not only focus on the knowledge and the quality management there are other parameters that are employed in the organization performance such as technology(Kim and Kumar, 2012). Researchers have reported that of one the problem of implementation of the quality management is the aspect of lack of the global accepted definition of quality. (Holsapple, 2013)According to research, quality is defined as the multidimensional aspect of producing or the delivery of a service, which is able to meet on the expectation of the customer and to ensure they are satisfied. The quality depend of those elements that meets the need of the customer and thus provide product satisfaction. (Kim and Kumar, 2012)On the aspect of the knowledge, management entails the process of transforming of the individual knowledge into the organizational knowledge. Quality management encompasses on the information that leads toward the high quality decision and the problem solving goals. (Holsapple, 2013)Nonetheless, in the past little was paid to moderating on the conditions on the relationship in regards to the quality management adoption on the knowledge management and organizational performan ce. This perspective has changed in the present time, as many are more implementing and considering these aspects to gain the competitive advantage over the rival organizations. According to (Evans and Lindsay, 2013), they posit that organizations that adopt on the quality management on the management knowledge are likely to perform better than those that do not. There is positive relationship that exists, in the adaptation of the quality management and the organizational performance and adopting the practices improves on the performance. Nonetheless, according to(Holsapple, 2013) evidently there exists a relationship on the implementation of the knowledge management and the likelihood of adopting on the quality management that has both the theoretical and the practical importance to the organization. There is need to recognize these viewpoint of the association that exists and seek on the link of the variables together. Besides, (Rasula, Vuksic and Stemberger, 2012)confirmed that a positive association is found to implement the KM and adopt the quality management. In the currently knowledge management has become a growing field in the business. It is regarded as the source of the competitive advantages and an important component that could influence on the organizational performance.(Supyungony and Swierczek, 2013) On the quality management on knowledge management there is integration process that is important so as the organizations can gain the benefits and create on the competitive advantage. The literature has identified on the dispersion of the knowledge through the entire organization with the process of sharing of knowledge, the transfer and exchange. (Patel,Messersmith and Lepak, 2013) The knowledge management enhances the productivity improvement on the organization and hence improve the performance. Methodology On the research instrument entails the testing of the hypotheses that are formulated from above research. The use of the empirical research was also employed on the research.(Hislop, 2013) There is also formulation of the questionnaire of which are based on the previous findings reports of the literature. There will be formulation of 20 questions about the quality management on knowledge management and performance of organization. There would be use of the mail and the survey that would be employed to collect the data and test of the hypotheses.(Wang and Wang , 2012) On this study, it will examine on a sample size in the services company in Jordan since its intense of knowledge organization. Moreover, the company would be good to provide a setting on the research in regards to the management of knowledge.(Wiig, 2012) On the measure and the validation, some of the items will also be adapted and reworded to fit the research. To providing a subjective assessment of the content on validi ty, a survey instrument would be sent to the some scholars that are explicit with the literature. References Becker, J., Kugeler, M. and Rosemann, M. eds., 2013. Process management. a guide for the design of business processes. Springer Science Business Media. Evans, J.R and Lindsay, W.M., 2013. Managing for quality and performance excellence.Cengage Learning. Hislop, D., 2013. Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. s.l.:Oxford University Press. Holsapple, C. e., 2013. Handbook on Knowledge management I. Knowledge matters(vol. 1). Springer Science Business Media. Kim, D.Y., and Kumar, U., 2012. Relationship between quality management practices and innovation. Journal of operations management, pp. 30(4), pp.295-315. Oalkd, J., 2014. Total quality management and operational excellence. texts with cases. Routledge. Patel, P.C., Messersmith, J.G. and Lepak, D.P., 2013. Walking the tightrope: An assessment of the relationship between high-performance work and organizational ambidexterity. Academy of Management Journal, pp. 56(5), pp.1420-1442. Rasula, J., Vuksic, V.B and Stemberger, M.I., 2012. The impact of knowledge managementon organization performance. Economic and Business Review for Central and South-Eastern Europe, pp. 14(2), p.147. Supyungony, V. and Swierczek, F.W., 2013. Knowledge management process and organizational performance. Wang, Z. and Wang, N., 2012. Knowledge sharing, innovation and firm perfomance. Expert systems with applications, pp. 8899-8908. Wiig, K., 2012. People-focussed knowledge management.

Sleep and Its Implication on Animals

7 Classes and Types of Phrases

7 Classes and Types of Phrases 7 Classes and Types of Phrases 7 Classes and Types of Phrases By Mark Nichol Phrase is such a banal term for two or more words that convey an idea that it may surprise you that there are seven types of phrases, with variations. Here, with pertinent phrases in sample sentences formatted in boldface, is a rundown of the categories: 1. Absolute Phrase An absolute phrase is a modifying parenthetical or subordinate phrase of a root sentence that includes a subject but does not have an acting verb so cannot stand on its own as sentence: â€Å"Their effort to regain the lead successful, the team continued to score until they pulled ahead by a wide margin. 2. Appositive Phrase An appositive phrase is one that restates a preceding term, or expands or explains it, in a parenthetical statement. There are three variations of appositive phrases: â€Å"Her dog, a bull mastiff, looks ridiculous with a pink bow stuck to her head† features a noun phrase. â€Å"His favorite hobby, knitting, is rather unusual for a man† includes a gerund phrase. â€Å"The Tahitian’s ambition, to become an ice skater, is unexpected† has an infinitive phrase. Note that these three types of phrases are explained below; the distinction in the phrase types as applied above, as opposed to the types described below, is that each type serves as the basis for an appositive phrase; on their own, they need not be appositive, or set off. 3. Gerund Phrase A gerund phrase includes a verbal, a hybrid that functions as a noun (or adjective). There are three distinct functions: â€Å"Juggling knives is not recommended as a relaxation technique† includes a gerund phase as the subject of the sentence. â€Å"I’m going for a long walk off a short pier† features a gerund phrase as the sentence’s object. â€Å"She’s saving up for a vacation in Antarctica† has a gerund phrase as the object of a preposition. 4. Infinitive Phrase An infinitive phrase includes the word to and a verb as the basis of a modification of a root sentence: â€Å"His effort to pass the bill doomed his political ambitions† includes an infinitive phrase that functions as an adjective modifying the previous noun. â€Å"He plans to see the movie† features an infinitive phrase that functions as the sentence’s object. â€Å"To write of the experience is to dredge up unpleasant memories† has an infinitive phrase that functions as the sentence’s subject. â€Å"To say as much is to admit guilt† includes an infinitive phrase that serves as predicate nominative, or a substitute subject. â€Å"I went to the store to buy some ice cream† features an infinitive phrase that stands as an adverb (modifying the verb went). 5. Noun Phrase A noun phrase consists of a person, place, or thing and any modifiers: â€Å"This is a grammar lesson.† It may include one or more adjectives (as grammar modifies lesson here). It might include a noun and a modifying clause: â€Å"This is a lesson that explains the various types of phrases.† It might take the form of one of three other types of phrase: infinitive, participial, and prepositional. (The infinitive phrase is discussed above, and the latter two types are described below.) Many noun phrases are continuous; they consist of words in sequence. However, a noun phrase may be discontinuous, meaning that it is broken up into more than one element: â€Å"This lesson is one that explains the various types of phrases.† 6. Participial Phrase A participial phrase consists of verbals ending in -ing or -ed, or another irregular form of a verb, and serves as an adjective: The participial phrase in â€Å"Having been lied to before, I was wary† modifies the word I. The phrase may be parenthetical within a sentence, too: In â€Å"You, knowing what you now know, are in a better position to judge,† the participial phrase modifies the word you. 7. Prepositional Phrase A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and a noun or pronoun that serves as the preposition’s object, and often one or more adjectives: â€Å"I went for a walk in the dark woods.† Prepositional phrases are often located at the head of a sentence. â€Å"When the sun went down, I hurried back.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational WritingAwoken or Awakened?20 Ways to Cry

The Curse of her Beauty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Curse of her Beauty - Essay Example The woman's contradictory appearance is conveyed through a series of similes. She is old as ocean yet young as mornings. In spite of the woman's contradictory appearance (which seems to foreshadow ambiguity), the observer takes great delight in her. Roach personifies the beauty of the land through the woman's characteristics (That saw beauty walk on the wind and the sea). He speaks of nothing more about the woman other than her physical beauty. Much like the poet, tourist know of nothing more than what meets their eyes (the land's physical beauty), which is equivalent to the woman's physical appearance. The Caribbean is known to attract tourists with its lush vegetation and mild climate. However, Roach points out the land's deceptive seduction of the land's beauty. In fact, the land's beauty taints its true image. Rather than seeing the land for what it truly is (a place enduring the abusive lashing of the sea spray), the poet is tantalized and intoxicated by kisses that cause him to envision a beautiful goddess (Love tinted that shore). As he realizes the goddess's true repulsive side, the poet finds out that there is more than what meets the eye. Reality sobers the poet. He is no longer intoxicated by the beauty of the land. ... In The Odyssey by Homer, Sirens lured sailors with their sweet hypnotic songs. Their songs detracted sailors from their careful journeys and caused them to crash their ships into the rocks. In its efforts to lure and trap unwary observers, the land produces an attractive woman who is similar to the sirens. In essence, the woman is the land. Normally, Roach uses the land as a metaphor for the struggle between Eurocentric hegemony (dominance) and Caribbean independence (Jennings 25). The evidence of dominance is shown in the first stanza. The trees are symbolic of the Caribbean people who endured much abuse from the Europeans (lashing sea spray) but remained strong. As an islander who was forced to conform to European studies (Breiner 113), Roach uses examples from his studies (the siren coast; deceptive Sirens from Homer's Odyssey). In addition, Roach struggles with the identity of the land (shown in the ambivalent view of the woman or land). In doing so, he denounces the history of the land while acknowledging its undeniable beauty and his love for it. In the end, the poem makes a full circle (back to the beginning) where the he reflects on the devastatingly true image of the shore. The only difference now is that remnants of his love accompany the brutalities of the lashing sea spray. Works Cited Breiner, Laurence A. An Introduction to West Indian Poetry. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Jennings, Lisa Gay. "Renaissance Models for Caribbean Poets: Identity, Authencity and the Early Modern Lyric Revisited." MS Thesis. Florida State University, 2005.

Marriott Hotels in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marriott Hotels in Australia - Essay Example The Marriot way of doing business has been to reward good performance in its employees, both among the management as well as staff paid hourly rates. The primary stakeholders as identified by the â€Å"Marriot way† includes associates, guests and communities, thereby including employees, suppliers and retailers as well as its guests and members of the general community and the Company aims to provide the kind of services that can reach out to all of these.(www.marriot.co.uk). Marriot Hotels in Australia have also developed effective communication strategies to communicate with these different groups of stakeholders. According to Vogel (2005:110) promoting value must also include the introduction of better business practices that can serve to improve the welfare of the communities within which these corporations function. Employee satisfaction for example, impacts upon customer and ultimately, shareholder satisfaction. As a result, effectively communicating with employees would include the introduction of measures that could improve their motivation levels, which in turn would improve employee satisfaction (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2005). Management behaviour impacts upon employee attitudes, which in turn leads to customer satisfaction. For example, in a hotel environment, satisfied frontline employees project an attitude that improves the customer experience of the hotel (Rust et al, 1996). The productivity of a business depends upon the levels of cust omer satisfaction. The Marriot hotels have also developed a corporate image and profile, which have been communicated through its actions and annual reports. The core values of the Marriot hotels are centred around its â€Å"spirit to serve† philosophy.(www.marriot.co.uk) and includes corporate social responsibility, or the introduction of corporate practices that â€Å"improve the workplace and benefit society in ways that go above and beyond what companies are legally required to

Delegation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Delegation - Essay Example Knowledge and competence are criteria that allow decisions to be made at the appropriate level. This means that all members of staff must accept responsibility for achieving high-quality management and not leave that responsibility to the senior management team or middle managers. Healthcare organizations start to apply this concept into practice seeing it as a high level of specialist practice and competitive advantage in healthcare services. Today, a special attention is given to proper function of medical staff and empowerment which helps to improve efficiency of medical practices and introduce technological innovation more rapidly and effectively. Delegation is one of the most important management functions which help a person to handle a task over to another person. At the beginning of the 21st century, healthcare needs nurses able to cope with changing environment, technological challenges and culturally diverse clients. If nurses are able to exhibit strategic leadership that achieves a long-term focus, promotes development and application of core competences, emphasizes the development of human capital, develops an effective culture, and achieves strategic control simultaneously with the allowance of autonomy, restructuring efforts are more like to be successful. Delegation of responsibilities allows nurses to improve their performance and effectively manage daily tasks. Delegation is a skill o... It can be used either as an excuse for dumping failure onto the shoulders of subordinates, or as a dynamic tool for motivating and training your team to realize their full potential". A nursing position and role in healthcare has defined responsibilities or functions, together with the authority to carry them out. Nurses tend to have responsibilities for more work than they can possibly execute themselves. Another definition of delegation can be successfully applied to nursing profession: "delegation is the universally required ability to maintain responsibility yet relinquish authority" (The New Oxford American Dictionary 2001, p. 38). Most managers agree that decisions ought to be delegated to the lowest possible level where they can be made intelligently and where the relevant facts and required judgment are available. Often, in practice, they violate this rule by micromanaging or just telling their subordinates what to do. Or they make the mistake of dumping the decision without enough guidance or taking it back and doing it themselves. All of these mistakes have negative consequences (Blair, n.d.). The personality type of both the boss and the subordinate can have a profound effect on whether effective delegation takes place. Intuitive types may not explain all the details or responsibilities to the subordinate because they believe they have given a broad enough picture. Introverts may not fully communicate all the necessary information they have; their delegation will be patchy and inconsistent. Extroverts may wander with their thoughts and not be concise in their communications (Gulanick and Myers, 2006). Using these definitions, it is evident that delegation in nursing can be defined as the process when nurses give subordinates (usually

Monsanto Attempts To Balances Stakeholder Interests Environmental Sciences Essay

Monsanto Attempts To Balances Stakeholder Interests Environmental Sciences Essay The Monsanto Company is the worlds largest seed, with sales of over 10.5 billion. It specializes in biotechnology, or the genetic manipulation of organisms. T he worlds 90 percent of the seeds today are sold by Monsanto or by companies that use Monsanto genes. Monsanto also holds 70-100 percent market share on certain crops. Yet Monsanto has to meet its share of criticism from sources as diverse as government, farmers, activists, and advocacy groups.  There have been allegations of intimidating farmers, using hostile tactics to monopolize the market, false advertising, and producing large-scale international pollution.   In addition, they manufactured Agent Orange for the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Farmers who buy seeds from Monsanto could not save for future plant. Otherwise, Farmers will have to pay for Monsanto when they find out. Furthermore, Monsanto produced products that involved in the risk of animals and human health. Some of Monsantos actions should considered moral temptation. The moral and safety implications of GM food are of great concern to many stakeholders. Many sceptics see biotech crops as unnatural, with the Monsanto scientist essentially playing God by controlling what goes into the seed. The other concern is toxicity, particularly considering that many Monsanto seed are equipped with a gene to allow them to produce their own Roundup Ready herbicides. Some stakeholders are concerned about the detrimental effects on the consumers by ingesting such herbicides, even in small amount. In addition to concerns over the safety of GM seeds and environmental issues, Monsanto has had to deal with concerns about organizational conduct. Organisations face significant risks from strategies and also from employees and also from employees striving for high performance standards. Such pressure sometimes encourages employees to engage in illegal or unethical conduct. All firms have these concerns, and in the case of Monsanto bribes and patents have resulted in leg al, ethical and reputational consequences. When Hugh Grant took over the CEO of the Monsanto Company in 2003, scandals and stakeholders uncertainty over Monsantos GM product had marked the companys reputation. The price of Monsantos stock had fallen by almost 50 percent, down to $8 a share. There was a loss of $1.7 billion the previous year. Grant knew the company was delicate; yet through a strategic focus on GM foods, the company has recovered and is now prospering. Monsanto is trying to expose itself as a socially responsible company dedicated to improving agriculture. The insights from Monsanto critics about biotech food have not yet come true, but that has not eradicated fears of stakeholder. The company used the concept of Social Responsibility and Business Ethics to create a reputation value to various stakeholders. For instance, in 1974 the Monsanto Company established the Monsanto Fund. This fund contributed $30.2 million to projects across the world between 2008 and 2009. One receipts of the Monsanto Fund was Africare, which received a $400,000 grant from Monsanto to fund a two-year food security project to study the availability of food and the access people have the food. Monsanto also supported the youth programs. Monsanto gave fifteen million dollars to Donald Dan forth Plant Science Centre to do crop research in Africa. Also, the fund helped Brazilian children to maintain good health and basic hygiene. Additionally, Monsanto support ed students who want to study agriculture. However, Monsanto Companys regulation had become financial burden to many farmers. In fact, Corporate Responsibility Magazine ranked Monsanto number 31 on its 100 Best Corporate Citizens list of 2010, a jump from number 88 the previous year. Compare the benefits of growing GM seeds for crops with the potential negative Consequences of using them. Monsanto has a sale equivalent to $10.5 billion in sales to biotechnology, specifically to its sales of genetically modified (GM) plant seeds. These seeds have revolutionized the agriculture industry. The GM seeds introduced to the United States and across the globe since 1990, many farmers stopped complaining disappointment of crops. This had helped farmers spent little expenses, but gain as triple profits. Farmers using GM seeds highly praised the existence of Monsanto Company, because with the same acre of land, they are able to double the crops. Thus, as far as the farmers are making profits, they will continue buying the GM Seeds. For this reason, there is a major concerned for consumer that the GM seeds could affect human and animals health for using it. Genetically modified (GM) crops are not without their critics. Opponents believe that influencing the gene pools of the plants could result in negative health consequences. Whereas others are worried about the health effects on beneficial insects and plants, fearing that pollinating GM plants could affect nearby insects and non-GM plants. Huge Grant was able to reduce some of the opposition by deciding to curtail the tide of criticism by focusing biotechnology on products that would not be directly placed on the dinner plate, but instead on seeds that produce goods like animal feed and corn syrup. Farmers who purchase GM seeds can now grow more crops on less land and with less left chance. GM seeds have saved farmers billions by preventing loss and increasing crop yield. Monsanto predicts higher yields in the future, possibly up to 300 bushels an acre by 2030. As agricultural productivity increases, farmers are able to produce more food feed fuel and fibre on the same amount of land, helping to ensure that agriculture can meet humanitys needs in the future, said Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant about the benefits of Monsanto technology. The revenues of the farmers in the developing countries have increased as a result of higher yield. According to statistics, the cotton yield of Indian farmers rose by 50 percent, doubling their income in one year. The income level in the Philippines has raised above the poverty line because of the insect-protected corn. At the mean time critics argue that these numbers are inflated; they say the cost of GM seed is dramatically higher than that of tradi tional seeds, and therefore they actually reduce farmers net profit. As well as GM crops being relatively new, critics maintain that the health implication of biotech food may not be known in near future. They also contend that the effective standards have not been created to determine the safety of biotech crops. Even the FDA clarified that biotech crops are safe to use, but critics doubt about the short-term period of GM seeds which unable to determine the long-term effects.   According to some studies, the Roundup herbicide, which is used in conjunction with the GM seeds Called Roundup Ready, can be harmful to animals, insects and particularly amphibians. Such studies have revealed that small concentrations of Roundup may be deadly to tadpoles, which is a major concern, as frog and toad species are rapidly disappearing around the globe. Other studies suggest that Roundup might have a detrimental effect on human cells, especially embryonic, umbilical and placental cells.The other potential negative consequences of GM seeds in general is the threat of environmental contamination. Sometimes the crops seeds are carried away to fields containing non-GM crops by wind, bees and other insects to other areas. These seeds and pollens might then mix in with the farmers crops. Organic farmers are complaining that genetically modified seeds from nearby farms have contaminated their crops. Monsanto Crops are resistance to pesticides and herbicide. That is another envir onmental problems which gives fear to the critics that continual use of the chemicals could result in super weed and super bugs, much as overuse of antibiotics in humans has resulted in drug resistance bacteria. AS early as 2003, significant numbers of Roundup resistant weeds had been found in the United States and Australia. . How should Monsanto manage the potential harm to plant and animal life from using products such as Roundup? Monsanto Co. Should change its advertising for glyphosate- based products, including Roundup, that are misleading. The advertising inaccurately portrayed Monsantos glyphosate-containing products as safe and as not causing any harmful effects to people or the environment. According to the state, the ads also implied that the risks of products such as Roundup are the same as those of the active ingredient, glyphosate, and do not take into account the possible risks associated with the products inert ingredients. According to an ecology center fact sheet, glyphosate exposure is the third most common only reported illness among California agriculture workers, and glyphosate residues can last for a year. In the first nine months of 1996, Monsantos worldwide agrochemical sales increased by 21% to US$2.48 billion, due largely to increased sales of Roundup There is a great deal of controversy surrounding Monsanto and their Roundup Ready products. Many environmentalists are concerned that Monsanto is not being responsible enough about their products. The United States Government and Monsanto are both viewed as being too careless in their regulation of genetically engineered crops. The government should Many farmers have begun to use Roundup Ready crops. A recent study suggests that farmers have becoming so reliant on Roundup as a herbicide that they may be weakening Roundups ability to control weeds. Monsanto, manufacturer of Roundup, funded the study. Few farmers consider resistance an issue until it affects them directly. Farmers are now being encouraged to use multiple herbicides. It is unclear how this will impact the use of Roundup Ready crops, as these crops are only resistant to Roundup. A recent study has found that genetically modified food is linked to organ damage in rats.   The  study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences found that genetically modified corn produced by Monsanto induce a state of hepatorenal toxicity. The company manufactured an alfalfa resistant to the Monsanto produced  Roundup  herbicide.   Bees will pollinate the genetically modified alfalfa and then cross pollinate it with organic crops adding the genetic modification to the organic alfalfa.   Organic farmers will then lose their USDA organic certifications.   Since Monsanto also has a patent on the genetic modification, the company can sue any farmer for stealing their property, and they do. Although the study only indicated that genetically modified corn was linked to organ damage, this is the first study to link genetically modified food to toxic reactions.   Further studies may indicate other genetic modified food may have an impact on human healt h.   Considering alfalfa is a main source of cattle feed and the genetic modification has a potential to spread quickly and dominate the alfalfa market, if the genetically modified alfalfa is hazardous to human health, the Supreme Court decision may be fundamental to public health.

Capital Punishment Essay: Benefits of the Death Penalty :: Persuasive Essay, Argumentative

The Benefits of the Death Penalty Crime is everywhere. Wherever we look, we find criminals and crime. Criminals have become a part of our daily lives. Does this mean we let them be the darkness of our society? No, definitely not. Eliminating crime and criminals is our duty, and we cannot ignore it. Getting the rightly accused to a just punishment is very important. Some criminals commit a crime because they have no other option to survive, but some do it for fun. I do not advocate death penalty for everybody. A person, who stole bread from a grocery store, definitely does not deserve death penalty. However, a serial killer, who kills people for fun or for his personal gain, definitely deserves death penalty. Death penalty should continue in order to eliminate the garbage of our society. Not everybody deserves to die, but some people definitely do. I support death penalty because of several reasons. Firstly, I believe that death penalty serves as a deterrent and helps in reducing crime. Secondly, it is true that death penalty is irreversible, but it is hard to kill a wrongly convicted person due to the several chances given to the convicted to prove his innocence. Thirdly, death penalty assures safety of the society by eliminating these criminals. Finally, I believe in "lex tallionis" - a life for a life. Deterrence means to punish somebody as an example and to create fear in other people for the punishment. Death penalty is one of those extreme punishments that would create fear in the mind of any sane person. Ernest van den Haag, in his article "On Deterrence and the Death Penalty" mentions, "One abstains from dangerous acts because of vague, inchoate, habitual and, above all, preconscious fears" (193). Everybody fears death, even animals. Most criminals would think twice if they knew their own lives were at stake. Although there is no statistical evidence that death penalty deters crime, but we have to agree that most of us fear death. Suppose there is no death penalty in a state and life imprisonment without parole is the maximum punishment. What is stopping a prisoner who is facing a life imprisonment without parole to commit another murder in the prison? According to Paul Van Slambrouck, " Assaults in prisons all over US, both against fellow inmates and against staff, have more than doubled in the past decade, according to statistics gathered by the Criminal Justice Institute in Middletown, Connecticut" (Christian Science Monitor, Internet).

Literature Review of Bank Efficiency Essay

Measuring the efficiency and productivity of banking firms has been playing a predominant role in helping managers or regulators to achieve a better understanding of the success or failure of policy strategies and make better decisions. Furthermore, the evaluation results of efficiency are also of major importance to stock owners, depositors and investors. The influence of ownership on cost and profit efficiencies The situation is similar in transition countries. Bonin et al. 2005) investigated 11 transition countries and claimed that private ownership was not sufficient to increase bank efficiency as they did not find enough evidence to prove that private owned banks are more efficient than government owned banks, which is consistent with Altunbas’s conclusions. Additionally, Bonin et al. (2005) also found evidence that foreign owned banks, especially those with strategic owners, were associated with greater cost efficiency and better services. In contrast with the Bonin’s viewpoints, Lensink et al. (2008) suggested that normally the foreign owned banks tended to show disadvantages in bank efficiency. However, to what extend the statement is true is associated with the host and home country conditions. The first factor to be mentioned is the quality of the home country governance: the foreign owned banks turn out to operate more efficiently if the institutions in the home county are with higher quality. Another significant element to be illustrated is the influence of distance: the smaller institution distances between the host and home counties, the greater the efficiency of the foreign owned banks. The conclusion that high similarities between the host and home country institutions would reduce foreign bank inefficiency is the third element to be noted.

The Culture of Being a Police Officer †Criminal Justice Essay

The Culture of Being a Police Officer – Criminal Justice Essay Free Online Research Papers The Culture of Being a Police Officer Criminal Justice Essay Our text explains that the police culture is often described as isolationist, elitist and authoritarians. â€Å"According to the conventional wisdom, the police culture consists of a set of values, attitudes and norms that are widely shared among officers, who find in the culture a way to cope with the strains of their working environment† (263). Growing up in a military family, the feeling is much the same. I feel as if we have a community of our own. To me the job of a soldier is of honor and strength, a job that speaks pride. Police culture is sustained through the way new members are selected, trained, and accepted into the police ranks. By being put through a rigorous selection process, an individual is subjecting themselves to a group or organization in which is the beginning of the police cultural assimilation. A considerable amount of police research over the past thirty years has chronicled the tendency for police to become isolated. Isolated from previous friends, isolated from the community, isolated from the legal system, and even isolated from their spouses and families (Drummond, 1976 and Skolnick, 1966). Police impose social isolation upon themselves as a means of protection against real and perceived dangers, loss of personal and professional autonomy, and social rejection (Skolnick, 1966). Skolnick found. The element of danger is generally credited with causing officers to be suspicious. In an attempt to be attentive to any possible violence the officer becomes generally suspicious of everyone. Likewise, many officers begin to distance themselves from previous friends as they do not seem to understand and appreciate the rigors of being a cop. Administrative factors such as shift work, days off during the week, and court time tend to isolate the officer from persons other than other police. Police also become isolated due to their authority. One impact is the potential that isolation provides for officers to engage in deviant behavior. An area that has been the subject of concern by the courts, legislatures, and citizens is that of the amount of discretion that police officers have in administering the laws. The reason for concern has been that bias on the part of individual officers can result in a wide variance as to how laws are administered. Leadership can begin to change the culture of isolation on the individual level by breaking down the culture of isolation on the organizational level. Police isolation tends to build an arrogant attitude towards dealing with criticisms and complaints (pamij.com/harrison.html). Cultural characteristics are the man-made aspects of social organization, as distinct from structural institutions, but both structure and culture influence personality and behavior. As the Anthropological Concepts of Academic Studies of Police Culture, Worldview is a mentality or cognitive orientation involving how people see themselves and see others. This is when Officer’s begin to segregate themselves from the public. They are no longer able to identify with the civilian style of life. The Officer’s begin to cling to and depend on each other for support and a style of living. The Ethos is the idea of a spirit or force in the organization that reflects an unwritten value system. This is that spirit that comes with the Officer in uniform. There is a code that can not be broken it is as if they exist within themselves. Almost as if they are their own gang and they come with many strengths and courageous acts. The Theme is the idea of a belief system that regulates or guides the kinds of relationships or social interactions that people have inside and outside of their culture. An Officer continues to live the cop life inside the uniform and outside the uniform. He always remains looking over his soldier, as if he is among enemies. The Postulates are beliefs that integrate the people in the culture (http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/205/205lect02.htm). In conclusion, there are a range of negative and positive beliefs that go with the police community and culture. A lot of those negatives have a lot to do with police segregating themselves from the rest of the world. They make themselves seem untouchable. Of course, it has to be this way being that they do fall under an elite group of people with extreme circumstances to the work they perform. Because of this untouchable appearance, it is understandable to assume that police officers must stick together and rely on one another, for they are only understood by each other. The text speaks of the fact that conflict can occur between officers who see themselves as crime fighters and those who prefer the social-service role, despite this conflict they still remain a force to be reckoned with and they will remain together. Harrison, Stephen J. Police Organizational Culture: Using Ingrained Values To Build Positive Organizational Improvement pamij.com/harrison.html Police Culture and Behavior http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/205/205lect02.htm Research Papers on The Culture of Being a Police Officer - Criminal Justice EssayUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Fifth Horseman19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenQuebec and CanadaCapital PunishmentInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito

Free Essays on Baby Sitting

Racquel’s Human Development Speech Baby sitting is a very important job. It should be taken very seriously. Children of all ages will need to be babysat including infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and teenagers. I feel that preschoolers. I feel that preschoolers are the toughest age group to take care of. So today I’ll be talking to you about babysitting preschool age children. I have learned through experience that there are three main factors in caring for preschool age children: 1.) Keeping them entertained, 2.) Feeding them, and 3.) Keeping them clean. Some children are very hard to keep entertained. Others aren’t. I have found through encounters with preschoolers between the ages of 3-6 that they can be entertained easily if you have something for them to do that they like. All preschoolers like to color. Coloring is a very simple and easy task that will not cause confusion among children if you are sitting more then one child. Therefore suggest that every babysitter so carry a coloring book or two and a pack of coloring crayons. Another way to entertain children is by playing games together. Games like Candy Landâ„ ¢, Monopolyâ„ ¢, and Lifeâ„ ¢ are a couple of games that the sitter and children can enjoy together. Games like Basketball and Tee-Ball are also wonderful pastimes when you are babysitting. Riding bikes, skateboards, and scooters are also ways to entertain children. Just make sure that you take all the safety precautions necessary such as helmets and knee and elbow pads when needed. Another way to en tertain children is through music. All children of all ages enjoy music. There are tapes and CDs that you can buy that will be appropriate or children to listen to. The one thing that all children are interested in is television. There are a LOT of children networks on television like Nickelodeon, Disney, and PBS. These channels contain programs that all preschoolers and some teenagers will enjoy. These include... Free Essays on Baby Sitting Free Essays on Baby Sitting Racquel’s Human Development Speech Baby sitting is a very important job. It should be taken very seriously. Children of all ages will need to be babysat including infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and teenagers. I feel that preschoolers. I feel that preschoolers are the toughest age group to take care of. So today I’ll be talking to you about babysitting preschool age children. I have learned through experience that there are three main factors in caring for preschool age children: 1.) Keeping them entertained, 2.) Feeding them, and 3.) Keeping them clean. Some children are very hard to keep entertained. Others aren’t. I have found through encounters with preschoolers between the ages of 3-6 that they can be entertained easily if you have something for them to do that they like. All preschoolers like to color. Coloring is a very simple and easy task that will not cause confusion among children if you are sitting more then one child. Therefore suggest that every babysitter so carry a coloring book or two and a pack of coloring crayons. Another way to entertain children is by playing games together. Games like Candy Landâ„ ¢, Monopolyâ„ ¢, and Lifeâ„ ¢ are a couple of games that the sitter and children can enjoy together. Games like Basketball and Tee-Ball are also wonderful pastimes when you are babysitting. Riding bikes, skateboards, and scooters are also ways to entertain children. Just make sure that you take all the safety precautions necessary such as helmets and knee and elbow pads when needed. Another way to en tertain children is through music. All children of all ages enjoy music. There are tapes and CDs that you can buy that will be appropriate or children to listen to. The one thing that all children are interested in is television. There are a LOT of children networks on television like Nickelodeon, Disney, and PBS. These channels contain programs that all preschoolers and some teenagers will enjoy. These include...

HRM on International context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HRM on International context - Essay Example It can be noted that Germany labour systems have been characterised by collective agreements where the workers agree on collective bargaining instead of embarking on industrial action to press for more wages. However, the issue has been to test to see if MNCs and larger national fast food employers would respond to sectoral level bargaining as well as the extent of effectiveness of the German system of statutory employee representation in practice. Thus, the research mainly focused on these two groups of industries in Germany particularly McDonalds which has dominated the Germany food industry for many years and its labour relations practices. According to the research, the industrial relation in Germany are characterised by collective representation where industrial action is not advocated. Most unions are affiliated to the German Trade Union Federation (DGB) which by far is the largest and most important federation. In 2001 after mergers, there were six unions affiliated to DGB with the most important mergers taking place between service sector unions to form the new service workers union where the union representing the food, catering, drink and tobacco industries did not take part. Collective agreements negotiated at sectoral levels are legally binding but this excludes other companies in Germany. Focus in this case is on the fast food industry in Germany which broadly includes motorway service stations, retail sector restaurants and airport restaurants excluding hotels and other â€Å"leisure† sector. McDonalds tops the Germany food service sector in terms of turnover. Management at McDonalds believed that wor ks councils and collective agreements with unions would seriously undermine its system and this attracted criticism. However, the company later capitulated to pressure. However, the 1952/1972 and 1976 Acts do not apply to McDonalds because it has retained US registration in the state of Delaware. There are few

Someone who inspired you and what the inspiraton was Essay

Someone who inspired you and what the inspiraton was - Essay Example However, the main reason I admire him so much is because I know from what my parents and him told me how extraordinary his life has been. Unlike my parents, he never finished college and had to do many menial jobs – something he probably regretted later a lot. I came to learn that his youth was a wild one, and he dropped out of college halfway due to drug related problems. At that time, he had sunk so low that he would disappear for months living in shelters for homeless people, and the sense of his life was the next dose. Even his own family had given up hope on him; however, his struggle is something I can only describe as the greatest act of self-redemption I have ever heard of: he turned his life around, and today he teaches literature at a local college and has a PhD degree in the same subject. After he got rid of his drug problems, he worked nightshifts at a factory, and during the day did distance courses. No one thought he could keep this up, but to everyone’s s urprise, he finished college in three years. Having got his diploma, he worked as a teacher at a local high school teaching English to foreign students on a part-time basis to earn some extra money. By spreading himself thin in ways I will never come to comprehend, he managed to acquire a master’s degree finishing his education in a span of only five years. These days my uncle gives motivational talks to youths and homeless people as well as people with drug problems. Also, he finds time to talk once a week in a drug rehabilitation center that was founded by him and a few other sponsors. His taking care of people in need, shows what an altruistic and understanding person he is; my uncle believes, like one of his role models Martin Luther King, that love has a redeeming power and can change the world. His massage to them and everyone else is that everyone deserves a second chance, and one should always take time to help those have lost hope and support. To me,

Oasis or Blur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Oasis or Blur - Essay Example Differing trajectories of Oasis and Blur In 1991, Oasis as and came to existence in the city of Manchester. The group was composed of Liam Gallagher, Paul Arthurs, McGuian, and McCarrol, to be joijned later by Noel Gallagher and was earlier known as ‘The rain’. Simplicity of music, crafted mainly by Gallagher brothers, was one of the hallmarks of the Oasis band. Also, the group started its triumph from nearly nothing. However, the group had faced several problems in the long run chiefly because of the in-fights and even accusations of plagiarism more than once which they had to pay damages. Especially, the tendency of Gallagher brothers to bring their petty sibling fights to the tabloid, compounded with the wild lifestyles has eventually led to the gradual erosion of the band’s popularity. Repeated live performances without substantial intervals have also taken the toll from the members of the band. The hedonistic lifestyle of the team members were major reason fo r the group’s downfalls. It is important to note that Oasis’s music style was heavily intertwined with that of The Beatles, up to the extent to be labelled as obsession by the media. Blur as an alternate music band was formed in London in 1989.

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas A. Khun Essay Example for Free

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas A. Khun Essay In The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thomas A. Khun argues that scientific progress is not a matter of the slow, steady accumulation of knowledge over time but, rather, that it is characterized by long-standing beliefs about the world being radically overturned by the discovery of new information that fails to conform to existing frameworks. He also argues that the nature of the progress of science tends to be mischaracterized in textbooks and in educational practices, which typically cast the progress of science as a cumulative acquisition of knowledge where one breakthrough follows logically from the last.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the essay, Khun uses the term â€Å"paradigm† to describe what science at large currently holds to be true about nature. The definition of a paradigm is a temporal one subject to change and any given paradigm only survives so long as it is useful to the working scientist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"These [paradigms] I take to be universally recognized scientific achievements that for a time provide model problems and solutions to a community of practitioners† (p. ix), he states in the book’s foreword.   This   definition of a scientific paradigm is essential to Khun’s reasoning. Kuhn goes on to deconstruct the process by which revolutions take place, how they are generally brought to be accepted and how they influence the work and attitudes of the scientists that work within their parameters. For Kuhn, a revolution in paradigm equals a revolution in science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The paradigm is central to the work of what Khun calls â€Å"normal science†   which he defines as â€Å"†¦firmly based upon one or more past scientific achievements, achievements that some particular scientific community acknowledges for a time as supplying the foundation for its further practice. (p. 10)† This is the stuff of text books, the academy and what forms the majority of scientific research. Much of normal science concerns itself with fitting what information is gathered by practitioners into the predefined â€Å"box† provided by the current paradigm. Described by the author as â€Å"mopping up† operations, these endeavors occupy the working lives of most scientist. Practitioners of normal science are not concerned with the discovery of new information that fails to fit the existing paradigm (p. 24).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the workplace, the word â€Å"paradigm† has taken on a much less structured definition than that used by Kuhn. A paradigm may well describe a current consensus of scientific thought and practice or it might describe a series of results expected of the practitioner by they who fund the experiments. It could describe a corporate paradigm—a word that corporations do not hesitate to use and stretch to the point of nonsense-that serves as a working model for how the business at hand ought to be carried out. The use of the word paradigm in the workplace differs significantly from Khun’s. Where Kuhn is careful to offer a clear, concise definition of the term, in the casual language of the workplace a â€Å"paradigm† can refer to almost anything that serves as a model from which something is expanded.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of the evolution of science is   a story of one paradigm being replaced by another. For a new paradigm to emerge, it must be so compelling and so better-suited to explaining the observed universe that it draws scientists away from the old paradigm which preceded it. It also must leave enough to be discovered that those who engage in research are compelled to embrace the new paradigm (p. 10). Once the new paradigm becomes the establishment view, the work of normal science becomes concerned with refining the empirical research that necessitated the creation of the new paradigm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The work of gathering factual information about the universe and the influence of the current paradigm on that gathering is a defining characteristic of normal science. Kuhn breaks the process of fact gathering into three distinct categories: the gathering of facts that the paradigm shows to be particularly revealing; the gathering of facts that can be compared to the predictions of the theory; and, the gathering of facts which allow the resolution of ambiguities in the existing paradigm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first type of fact gathering often concerns itself with refining data to a greater degree of accuracy than was previously possible. The accuracy of the data scientists are able to gather using a refractor telescope   is far exceeded by the accuracy of the information they are able to gather with a radio telescope. The pursuit of such refinements takes up a great deal of the resources of normal science. It is precisely because the existing paradigm holds that the accuracy of data describing the position and movement of stellar objects is of the utmost importance that resources are committed to such pursuits. In the field of normal science, a practitioner may become regarded as particularly accomplished through these endeavors. As Kuhn puts it: From Tycho Brahe to E.O. Lawrence, some scientists have acquired great reputations, not from any novelty of their discoveries, but from the precision, reliability, and scope of the methods they developed for the redetermination of a previously known sort of fact . (p. 26) In this instance, normal science seeks not to innovate, but to refine the means by which the paradigm is validated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is also imperative for the paradigm to more accurately make useful predictions and a second focus of normal science concerns itself with this. To this end, specialized equipment is created that allows more precise measurements of natural phenomena which serves to bring data more in line with the predictions of the paradigm. In these cases, the paradigm not only dictates the question, but the methodology by which the answer is to be obtained. The existence of the paradigm sets the problem to be solved; often the paradigm theory is implicated directly in the design of the apparatus able to solve the problem (p. 27).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Kuhn sees it, the machinery, method and the question itself all owe their design, and the nature of their application, to the paradigm they are intended to investigate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kuhn’s third class of fact-gathering endeavors concerns itself with further refining the paradigm itself.   This is the most important class of fact-gathering in normal science (p. 27) and Kuhn divides it into subtypes, being those which seek to establish a mathematical constant, those which aim toward the creation of qualitative laws and those which aim to articulate a paradigm in ways that describe phenomena closely-related to those which the paradigm was originally designed to describe. He describes this third class of data-gathering activities as more closely resembling exploration than the others (p. 29).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kuhn observes that normal science finds itself with a lot of mopping up to be done on behalf of the paradigm. Mopping up can be understood as the work necessary to make findings fit the paradigm.   Mopping up can also be understood by what it does not endeavor to do. Normal science, in its mop up efforts, does not strive to find anomalies and novelties that do not fit within the relevant paradigm, nor does it tend to pay much attention to those anomalies it does discover. Normal scientists don’t concern themselves with inventing new paradigms nor are they particularly tolerant of those who do (p. 24).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While this could be interpreted as an excessively narrow, almost dogmatic, situation, Kuhn holds that such experimentation facilitates advancement within the paradigm and, thus, the advancement of science as a whole. Even though the work may be being done in the service of the paradigm more than in the interest of novel discovery, it still serves a useful purpose. As in many other instances in the book, Kuhn gives an historical example to shore up his argument. †¦ the men who designed the experiments that were to distinguish between the various theories of heating by compression were generally the same men who had made up the versions being compared. They were working both with fact and with theory , and their work produced not simply new information but a more precise paradigm, obtained by the elimination of ambiguities that the original from which they worked had retained(p. 34).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this way, normal science working under a paradigm does increase the accuracy and understanding of the natural world, however inflexible the basis for that work may be. An element of normal science that Khun finds characteristic is that it contains an aspect of   Ã¢â‚¬Å"puzzle-solving†(p. 36).   Puzzles are a category of problems that require one to think creatively to find a solution. What makes puzzles particularly relevant is that there is only one correct answer to the puzzle. While a puzzle-solver may find a novel way to fit together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, it would be judged as wrong if that novelty did not result in the picture offered as the correct solution. Similarly, much of normal science concerns itself with finding answers which are known in advance of whatever effort is made to find them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A practitioner of normal science seldom sets out to conduct an experiment for which he does not already suspect he has the result. The power of the paradigm is to make those predictions accurately and the lure of the puzzle is that it presents a problem where the skill of the scientist can be ascertained by their ability to find answers that may have eluded previous researchers (p. 38). There is a certain addictive property in this, to be sure, particularly to those with the sort of curiosity-driven personality that lends itself to the practice of science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã¢â‚¬Å"There must also be rules that limit both the nature of acceptable solutions and the steps by which they are to be obtained† (p. 38) .   Again, the box with all its rigidity serves to paradoxically advance understanding the universe through its restrictions. There must be expectations for without expectations there is no way to define what is anomalous; no way to determine what is novel. Kuhn uses the example of a machine that measures wavelengths of light. The machine’s designer must demonstrate that they are, indeed, measuring the wavelengths of light as they are understood by current theory. Any unexplained anomalies that fail to fit with what is expected are likely to be seen as a flaw in the design of the experiment that renders its findings essentially useless (p. 39).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is an obvious workplace connection to Kuhn’s description of how a paradigm functions to at once restrict and advance science. Were an anomaly to become commonplace enough that it merited investigation, then perhaps resources and time will be allocated to that pursuit. However, the tendency of normal science being to ignore or suppress anomalous findings, it is more likely that those anomalies will be disregarded altogether for cause of their adding nothing to the existing paradigm under which the scientists, and thus the workplace, operate. But, in cases where those anomalies cannot be ignored, where they are not truly anomalous but, rather, repeatedly-observed novel facts, the seeds for innovation are sewn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A novel discovery can shatter a scientific paradigm and bring about changes that could have never been expected. â€Å"After they [novelties] have become parts of science, the enterprise, at least of those specialists in whose particular field the novelties lie, is never quite the same again† (p.52)   .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For a discovery to be truly novel, it must satisfy two criteria: it must not be predicted by the current paradigm and it must be something for which the scientist was not prepared. When this situation occurs, the paradigm cannot simply be added to in order to explain the novelty. The scientist must â€Å"learn to see nature in a different way† (p. 53) before the fact becomes a scientific fact.   Seeing nature in a different way, however, presents a crisis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the anomaly, upon investigation, becomes recurrent, a process starts where it becomes clear the that the paradigm must change. This cause a great deal of anxiety in the scientific community as a paradigm shift inevitably means that the techniques and foundations of science need rewritten. Kuhn remarks: â€Å"As one might expect, that insecurity is generated by the persistent failure of the puzzles of normal science to come out as they should. Failure of existing rules is the prelude to a search for new ones† (p. 68). This is an important observation for the practicing scientist. While it is easy enough to regard anomalies as a failure of equipment design or of the practitioner, keeping one’s mind open to the possibility that a novel, and potentially important, phenomena has been observed is imperative to the progress of science. Further study within the paradigm may serve to identify the anomalous as the norm and thereby advance the paradigm as a whole. The study of the anomalies within the paradigm is, perhaps ironically, the best way to advance the paradigm itself. â€Å"So long as the tools a paradigm supplies continue to prove capable of solving the problems it defines, science moves fastest and penetrates most deeply through confident employment of those tools† (p. 76).   Khun regards the crisis as an opportunity. â€Å"The significance of crises is the indication they provide that an occasion for retooling has arrived† (p. 76) . Now that the crisis is at hand, what remains to be seen is how the scientific community will act toward it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It may seem that Kuhn is sometimes disparaging toward science for its rather strict adherence to its guiding paradigms. However, there are counterinstances to any paradigm that occur in most any research and, therefore, any research presents crisis (p. 81). Normal science does well to be pragmatic in the face of anomalous data, if only for the sake of saving time and money that can be directed toward more useful research. Scientists generally do not line up to renounce their existing paradigm in the face of anomalies.   Even persistent anomalies that cannot be explained by a mistake do not generally present a crisis (p. 81). Oftentimes, continued work within the existing paradigm will serve to resolve the anomalies. Sometimes these counterinstances are set aside to be resolved later if they prove not particularly disruptive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The process of a paradigm being rewritten has its own historical pattern. â€Å"All crises begin with the blurring of a paradigm and the consequent loosening of the rules for normal research† (p. 84) . When this occurs, science returns to a state similar to that which existed before the creation of the paradigm now in question. There is ambiguity, the opportunity for innovation and creativity but within a small, clearly defined area. This situation, however, is where revolution is fermented.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The construction of the new paradigm is not a slow, cumulative process, it is a complete â€Å"reconstruction of the field from new fundamentals† (p. 85). There will be a period where both paradigms are used to solve problems but the difference between the means by which the problem is solved will be decidedly different in each model. The process of redefining the paradigm is part of extraordinary science. When scientists are confronted with crises, they react by embracing different attitudes toward the existing paradigm. The proliferation of competing articulations, the willingness to try anything, the expression of explicit discontent, the recourse to philosophy and to debate of fundamentals, all these are symptoms of a transition from normal to extraordinary research (p. 91).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After setting up the playing field, Kuhn begins to describe the actual process by which a revolution takes place. He references the nature of political revolution as a parallel. â€Å"Political revolutions are inaugurated by a growing sense, often restricted to a segment of the political community, that existing institutions have ceased adequately to meet the problems posed by an environment that they have in part created† (p. 92) . Possibly more than in any other part of the essay, Kuhn start to flex his intellectual power in this chapter. He uses as one example of the parallel the discovery of the X-ray. For most astronomers, x-rays presented no real problem and were easily enough assimilated into their existing paradigm. For a particular group of scientists, however, specifically those who worked with radiation theory or whose work involved the use of cathode ray tubes, x-rays violated the laws of the paradigm under which they worked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like a political revolution, the new paradigm seeks to replace the old in part because the old paradigm does not allow for the existence of the new. They are not compatible in the same way that ruler by a hereditary monarch was not compatible with the new paradigm of representative democracy that characterized the American revolution. For there to be a need for a new paradigm, the old must be logically incapable of providing an explanation for the anomaly, or anomalies, that served as the impetus for its being questioned.    It follows that the new paradigm must make predictions that are inherently different from those of its predecessor (p. 97). For the new to come into its own, parts of the old must be sacrificed (p. 93). As the crisis deepens, competing camps vie for relevance, each offering its own solution to the problem at hand. They each attract their adherence and the auspices of the old paradigm are no longer sufficient to unite the divided camps. As is the case with political revolutions, there is a freewheeling period where there is no clear authority.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The debate between the new paradigms is essential.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Each one lures adherents with its promises of usefulness and its vision of life under the new paradigm.   Scientists do not leave their paradigms easily. In fact, rather than being left out in the cold, most scientists will not reject their existing paradigm until a viable alternative is offered (p. 77).   Kuhn holds that the study of persuasive argument is as important as the study of logical and reasoned argument in periods during which practitioners are undertaking the process of finding a viable alternative to a no-longer adequate paradigm (p. 94).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kuhn holds that scientific revolutions invariably resolve with the world view of the scientific community having been forever changed (p. 111). What was once familiar is now new, what was once established as accurate is now proven to be something less than that by the new paradigm. Paradoxically, the new perception depends upon the new paradigm just as the old mode of seeing the world depended upon adherence to the discarded paradigm. Without a point of reference, the world becomes incoherent. Where scientific revolutions are concerned, there may be a shift in paradigm but there is always a paradigm, whether it be contemporary or past its relevance. As Kuhn argues in previous chapters, it is from this structure that innovation flows and, therefore, the constant presence of a paradigm is not necessarily a failing on the part of science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though the world of science may have been turned on its ear, one is unlikely to ever get this impression from textbooks and courses. The paradigm, once established, becomes victim to what Khun calls the â€Å"invisibility† of scientific revolutions. This could be seen as a true weakness in the scientific community. Like those that ferment and enable political revolutions, scientists tend to rewrite history in such a way that omits the conflict, controversy and creativity that led to the revolution that gave birth to the current paradigm. †¦scientists are more affected by the temptation to rewrite history, partly because the results of scientific research show no obvious dependence upon the historical context of the inquiry, and partly because, expect during crisis and revolution, the scientist’s contemporary position seems so secure (p. 138).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, this remarkable history of revolution in thought, in practice and in humankind’s knowledge of the universe is glossed over in textbooks. The revolutions that once turned the world on its ear, at least for scientists, become the realm of normal science and the practitioners go back to mopping up reality to make it conform to the predictions of the new paradigm just as they did in the service of the old. Kuhn makes his case mostly by citing textbooks as an example of how history is rewritten but, since text books are the tool of the trade where the teaching of science is concerned, the significance is obvious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, the way in which the paradigm is regarded has its advantages. †¦once the acceptance of a common paradigm has freed the scientific community from the need constantly [sic] re-examine its first principles, the members of that community can concentrate exclusively upon the subtlest and most esoteric of the phenomena that concern it. Inevitably, that does increase both the effectiveness and the efficiency with which the group as a while solves new problems (p. 164) . Here, again, is the theme of the â€Å"box† of the paradigm allowing scientists to explore beyond its limits. The efficiency with which scientists can work under a shared paradigm and the reliable set of tools with which it provides them are priceless. Perhaps, this is the reason the scientific community works so hard to preserve whatever paradigm is relevant at the time; it is not the fear of the new but the fear of the loss of what has proven itself valuable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What is interesting about Kuhn’s essay is that he does not use the word â€Å"truth†-excepting in a quotation from Francis Bacon—a fact that he point out himself (p. 170). Kuhn holds that there may not be a need for any such lofty goal. â€Å"Can we not account for both science’s existence and its success in term of evolution from the community’s state of knowledge at any given time?† (p. 171)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is a powerful idea. Perhaps, a better understanding of the universe is not a goal but a thing better defined-and accomplished-if it is understood to be an ongoing process. Kuhn also provides a powerful question for those who would regard, or characterize, science as a form of dogma: â€Å"Does it really help to imagine that there is some one full, objective, true account of nature and that the proper measure of scientific achievement is the extent to which it brings us closer to that ultimate goal?† (p. 171)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A poignant question, indeed. Is there an endpoint to science? Is there a point where there will be nothing left to learn, nothing left to explore and when the collected work of science will entail all that there is to know about the universe? If history is any indication, such a situation is unlikely. The story of science, and Kuhn argues this convincingly, can be seen as a continuing process without any particular goal in site. There may be the subset of goals toward which the practitioner of normal science works, but these are simple goals relating to the desired outcome for one experiment or another, not goals set for science as a whole. That is to say, to work toward a better understanding of the orbit of Jupiter is not to work toward anything so esoteric as a better understanding of the universe, it is to simply add to the ongoing process of scientific revolution by examining one subset of data within a paradigm. The value of Kuhn’s essay extends beyond what value it may have to practitioners of science. It provides a framework that can help anyone, scientist or not, understand the means by which science determines what is an accurate description of the natural world. Science currently finds itself challenged on many fronts for many reasons, most of them having little to do with science and a great deal to do with politics and theology. Kuhn’s essay provides a potent reply to the casting of science as dogmatic or religious in nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Personally, I feel that this book is of the utmost value to anyone engaged in the practice of science at any level. What Kuhn manages to do in this essay is to communicate what amounts to an understanding of understanding itself. The scientific method has proven over and over again to be the most accurate means that humanity has devised to make sense of the universe. But science must strive to understand itself as much as it strives to understand the universe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The only sure protection against dogmatism is the acknowledgement that all theories are temporal, subject to unexpected and radical change and that they function to explain nature as it is currently understood. There is an important distinction between our current understanding of the universe, our paradigm, and the reality of the universe. Our understanding is always limited to the cumulative experiences of scientists past and present, which, along with those significant moments of revolution have provided the best means available to make accurate and useful predictions. The nature of science, however, is one of constant evolution. As Kuhn argues, this evolution is not a process remarkable for its consistency so much as it is a process remarkable for being punctuated by research and discoveries that cause huge leaps forward in understanding. A scientist who does not understand this may well find themselves consigned to a life of puzzle-solving exercises designed to confirm what is already known rather than experiencing what I would submit is the true passion-inducing aspect of science, the discovery of novel facts that turn the world of science upside down and test the limits of the scientific community’s ability to assimilate and understand those discoveries. Probably the most radical contrast between science and dogma is that science, in its best practice, never shies away from examining itself, its conclusions and the accuracy of the beliefs it encourages. It may not submit itself easily to such tests but it will given time and the impetus of novelty. Kuhn’s essay provides a means by which one might acquire much insight into the workings of science and the scientific community and it provides a celebration of the many crises that have pushed science, and therefore humanity, forward in thought and understanding.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I find myself in agreement with Kuhn’s conclusions about the ways in which the scientific community reacts to and eventually assimilates novel discoveries. Science, indeed, has been forced to concede long-held beliefs about the universe in the presence of new evidence which did not fit with old paradigms. The case of the evolution of life, where scientists once worked mightily to ensure that there was some room for theology, is one such instance. In the face of Darwin’s observations, science was forced to accept a new paradigm where the nature of living organisms was changed not by providence but by the environments in which they lived. More importantly than Darwin’s impact on theological theories of evolution, or the lack thereof, however, was the concept that evolution was not a goal-driven process (p. 171). This conflicted not only with the theologians of Darwin’s time, but with the accepted scientific theories, the paradigm, of biology as well. No longer was the march of life seen as a march forward toward any particular destination. It had now been more accurately described as a process dictated by the situations of individual organisms rather than the result of some grand design. There was no particular better or worse aspect to the wildlife on the Galapagos evolving to fit the islands on which they lived, the modifications inherited by way of natural selection simply flowed from the natural environment and, given a different environment, they would change again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From that new paradigm and from the practitioners of normal science who worked and continue to work within it came modern medicine, agricultural practices and many, many more achievements that are directly traceable to the current paradigm where life is believed to have evolved into its present state over billions of years of slow, cumulative changes. Without the flexibility to change the existing paradigm, we may have found ourselves unavailed of the knowledge of the double-helix, the methods by which bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics and the roots of genetic disease. As Kuhn points out, a radical paradigm shift such as that started by Darwin is necessary for a scientific revolution but the work of those practicing normal science, the geneticist working in the lab, the geologist using the paradigm that explains how a layer of rock strata may be assigned a probable age, the physicist whose work allows for technology such as carbon dating, are all as necessary for the acquisition of a better and more accurate understanding of the universe as is the revolution itself. And, further, that paradigm-driven research is the usual means by which revolutions in the scientific paradigm come to pass.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That puzzle-solving work of the normal scientist will always draw some to the practice of science. The allure of finding a solution, of one’s research becoming part of the evidence that defines the current scientific understanding of the universe is a powerful one and one that should be encouraged. Normal science may have its elements of drudgery and it could be characterized as only confirming what is already known but that would be inaccurate. Science forms theories based on facts. The power of science to constantly discover new facts about our universe has for a long time been a source of hope and inspiration to humanity as a whole. However, the work of better refining our understanding is of equal value. Science must keep an open mind while continuing to adhere to the paradigms that have provided the best answers. Kuhn’s observant, thoughtful and enlightening essay provides a means for practitioners to better understand the importance of both. References Kuhn, T. (1991). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. 3rd Ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.