Developing a Health Policy Campaign Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Developing a Health Policy Campaign - Coursework Example Every time an individual consumes excess calories that what the body requires, obesity sets in. No one admires to be obese. People with obesity have high probabilities of suffering from heart diseases as well as other dangerous diseases. But what exactly causes obesity? Besides hereditary factors, overeating plays a key role in causing obesity. Similarly consumption of foods that have high fat content and decreased physical activity, are also prime causes of this condition. In US, children obesity cases pose a great challenge. Studies have shown that at least one third of children in America including adolescents are facing obesity. Statistics have shown that obesity is on a rapid increase, â€Å"Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled for children 2 to 5 years of age and youth 12 to 19 years of age, and it has quadrupled for children 6 to 11 years old.† (AHA conference proceedings 2014, 1) We have had highly effective programs advocating for the issues of obesity in children, these programs have proved very effective in a number of ways. In the literature review in the advocacy program by the nurses, the following approaches which made it effective (Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity, 2006). These skills that nurses employed to prevent obesity were good, they put in place a number critical issues. They considered prevention levels that were good enough for the child, and the family among other important considerations. The obesity prevention strategy was taken to be a health tool. There were advocacy skills involved in planning and strategizing on preventive measures within the community and the entire population. (Online journal of issues in nursing, 2009) In overall, many of the advocacy programs that were initiated were effective because of willing of partners that were interested in the issues of child obesity. Various local, national, regional and international bodies are trying their best to combat

Marketing Plan Sex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Marketing Plan Sex - Essay Example 6.2 Profitability Statement for Three Years 18 6.3 Break Even Point 19 7.0 Controls 20 7.1 Implementation 20 7.2 Marketing Organization 20 7.3 Contingency Planning 21 Reference 22 MARKETING PLAN 1.0 Executive Summary: Aging boomers want all the comforts and privileges of growing old without giving up any of the pleasures of and peccadilloes of youth - including their Harleys, an icon of youthful rebellion. The mature population is even changing the way the products are paid for; Chicago based Chase Bank issues a Kiss Platinum Visa Credit card. And the market place that wants their estimated US $ 1 trillion disposable income purchasing power is eager to help them do so. Apart from this class of customers there are other people who are deprived of the worldly pleasures because of their physical conditions caused by obesity and weight problems. Obviously this class of consumers also have a considerable disposable income and they would not hesitate to spend money to increase the sexual pleasures that they derive by using any aids which prove worthy of the price. Considering these rare psychological phenomena Cupid's...Obviously this class of consumers also have a considerable disposable income and the y would not hesitate to spend money to increase the sexual pleasures that they derive by using any aids which prove worthy of the price. Considering these rare psychological phenomena Cupid's Arrow Inc have come out with their new product 'Easy Rider' which increases the sexual pleasure by an aid which adjusts the physical position of the female partner during the sexual act. This product is complementary to other personal care products that are being dealt with by Cupid's Arrow Inc. and since the company is already having its network of distributors it would well within the control of the company to introduce this product into the market in a short span of time and achieve the targeted market share of 20 percent in the estimated $ 1 billion of the sex aid products market share in the country of United States in the first year of its introduction. The company expects to achieve a turnover of $ 50 million by selling close to 1 million products to the niche market. Cupid's Arrow Inc. is known for its health care products of a world class and has earned the continued support of the elite class consumers for their wide range of products covering the aristocratic lifestyle of the consumers.

Gender inequalities in employment

Gender inequalities in employment Introduction In this essay I shall discuss the progress of the European Unions attempt to dismantle gender inequality in employment. In addition to this, I shall examine current EU legislation, policy issues, social and economic challenges faced by both men and women. Finally, I shall then comment on EU solutions and further developments that can help alleviate the gap in inequalities in employment. The European Union is also referred to as the European Economic Community (EEC) it is a union consisting of 27 member states; the EU was created by theTreaty of Maastrichton 1st November 1993 upon the foundations of theEuropean Economic Community (cited in Wikipedia) this union is merged together to improve the economical, political and social cohesion amongst people who reside in these countries. After the 2nd World War, many women were required to fulfil the spaces of men, who had lost their lives in battle or were unable to work and thus there was a gap in the labour force. Women were therefore recruited and thus introduced in to employment to strengthen and maintain the fragile economy at the time. However, on contrary to popular belief women continued to work even after the economic situation improved, the Suffragettes movement was extremely notable in women fighting for recognition. From the beginning women were treated unfairly in regards to poor pay, however some were happy to have some economic independence from men and thus accepted demeaning jobs. (Cited in Euro culture master) Cockburn (1991) comments that the relationship between capitalism and labour is shared between bosses and men, and thus neglects the gender relationships of work and home. Much of the theory regarding women and employment is largely based on patriarchal theories. Duncombe and Marsden (1995) argue that women are subjected to triple shifts this involves paid labour, domestic labour and emotional labour. The emotional labour refers to the care and attentiveness of the family unit, i.e. the social role of the woman being a wife and a mother towards the children and husband. Due to such challenges the notion of protective legislation was introduced. (Cited in Sociology: An interactive approach p189) Much treaties and directive were introduced in to some EU countries in attempt to dismantle gender inequality. The EEC established the principle of fair pay for men and women in Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome in 1957. However this was extremely complicated to practice in all members of states. This was simply due to the notion of equal pay for equal work but it was very rare that both sexes performed the same type of work. It was also noted that typically male jobs were much better paid then female jobs. Hence, it was apparent that the socially existing norm of male power was more important than female qualities. In 1975 the EU introduced directives to further empower women in the field of employment; the council directive of 75/117/EEC further supported the treaty of Rome on equal pay. Since 1975 there have been many key directives in aiding womens role in employment, some of the directives have focused on equal treatment of women in regards of promotion, social security, during pregnancy, and sex discrimination. (Cited in Women Lobby) During the 1990s the EU began to realize the significance of gender equality and how it impacted the employment sector. In 1997 the EU introduced the European Employment Strategy (EES) which recognized equal opportunities amongst men and women. The treaty of Amsterdam was also introduced in 1997 this treaty was combination of past directives and further introduced positive action to combat equal pay and discrimination amongst men and women in employment. (Cited in Union History).However, there were criticisms of these policies which only ensured that more women were in work and did not focus on the quality of the jobs they were in. This view is further supported in the following quotation: In practice, more attention has been paid to raising the female employment rate than to generating the better jobs for women that are essential for narrowing the gender pay gap (in Union History) Sadly the EU has failed to fully implement gender equality in employment, since it still persists despite the introduction of the above directives and treaties. The EU has therefore proposed six key objectives within the Road map for gender equality (2006-2010). These include equal economic independence for men and women, reconciliation of private and professional life, equal representation in decision making; the eradication of all forms of gender based violence, the elimination of gender based stereotypes, and finally the promotion of gender equality in external and development policies. (cited in Commission of the European Communities Report 2006) The inequality of gender gaps is the first key objective of fulfilling EU goals in employment and social cohesion. The demand for increased participation of women in the labour market provides a marked contribution to economic development and in turn economic independence for women. According to the above article, women still face more risk of poverty due to being over represented in the secondary labour market. According to Barren and Norris (1976) women are employed in unstable employment that is based on short term contracts, lower pay and entail unskilled work with fewer prospects , they are therefore more likely to be made redundant and thus suffer from a decline in the labour market. (in Jorgensen et al,1997 pg p192).In Addition Bruegal (1976) comments from a Marxist feminist perspective, states that such workers are used to keep costs at minimum by replacing more highly skilled and demanding workers i.e. men. (Cited Jorgensen et al,1997 pg p129) Women are therefore literally restricted in their opportunities to work further due to their domestic and emotional responsibility. In addition, women entrepreneurs are faced with more difficulties then male counterparts in building up their own business, in attempt to dismantle the structural inequalities and discrimination the EU has recommended the Entrepreneurship Action Plan to help support women in developing such projects. Women who also belong to ethnic minority groups suffer from twice as much discrimination and challenges, in order to fight such multiple discrimination the EU has proposed the Framework for the Integration of Third Country Nationals. This framework provides the promotion of migration and integration policies in order to guarantee womens rights and civil participation. In doing so, women from all backgrounds, can use their full economic potential and have the equal opportunity to education and prosperity. (Cited in Commission of the European Communities Repor t 2006) The second key objective of the EU is of the reconciliation of private and professional life for both men and women. According to the (Commission of the European Communities Report 2007) women face more challenges than men when it comes to handling work and private life, consequently this affects their career choices. Statistics suggest that more women than men work on part time basis and thus take more career breaks than men, which clearly has a harmful impact on their careers. Also, women are more subjected than men, to take on domestic and emotional labour in addition to taking parental leave and looking after children and other dependent family members. The 2007 EU Commission report concludes that due to the lack of accessible and affordable childcare, women face more inequality in employment. The overall result of this is that women are placed in unstable jobs with lower pay, which makes them more vulnerable to the larger risk of poverty. The matter is made worse for single pare nt families who have dependents. On the other hand, according to the Lisbon treaty, womens employment in the EU is close to meeting its goal of 60% by 2010.(cited in Commission of the European Communities Report 2009,pg5) However, it is clear that a lot more needs to be done to accomplish satisfactory levels of childcare provisions (according to the Barcelona objectives) in order for both parents to combine work and private life. The European Union has also reflected further funding targeted at improving equal opportunities, for instance the European Social Fund(ESF) which caters for women projects in regards to vocational training in alliance with the NOW community Initiative.(cited in europrofem)The EU has also established initiatives in 2008 to support better work life balance by making amendments to directive 92/85/EEC on maternity protection. The changes introduce changing the minimum maternity leave from 14 to 18weeks without the loss of earning.(cited in Commission of the European Communities Report 2009,pg 6 ) Furthermore, this idea has also been developed in regards to family related leave in regards to family policies and work life reconciliation issues for men. For instance, legislation on improved leave arrangements for fathers is already incorporated in countries such as Sweden, Germany, Greece, Lithuania and Spain. The third EU key objective in the roadmap proposes the need for the equal representation of women in decision making posts. The unequal division of domestic labour and caring responsibilities has clearly been a barrier in the advancement of women in employment, there has therefore been a need to amend and create policies to encourage womens participation in the labour market. The Commission of the European Communities Report 2007 noted that women predominated jobs were undervalued in comparison to male counterparts. Findings suggested that such jobs had lower rates of pay. For instance almost 40% of women were employed in the health, education and public administration sector in comparison to only 20% of men.(pg 3). In defence of this argument, men also face discrimination in accessing non traditional employment. For instance the notion of a male carer or nurse is seen with disgusts or caution due to gender stereotypes formed by society according to Acker (1989) (cited in Theory and Practice of nursing: an integrated approach to caring practices By Lynn Basford, Oliver Slevin). This suggested a segregation of the labour market which was being reinforced by traditional and social stereotypes which further influenced people in to gender roles. The EU has since implemented a: ..network to promote women in economic and political decision-making positions which was launched in 2008 to provide a platform for exchange of good practices between existing networks at EU level (Commission of the European Communities Report 2009,pg 6) In attempt to dismantle the inequality of gender in employment the fourth EU key objective is in regards to the eradication of gender based violence. The EU has established the Daphne programme which supports women and children who have suffered as a result of domestic abuse.(cited in europrofem) The commission has also encouraged the criminalisation of trafficking women and children through exploitation. The EU proposes under new directives to reintegrate such vulnerable groups in to the labour market. It also proposes the support of member states to encourage awareness raising campaigns, support networks both for the perpetrators of violence and the victims of abuse. The fifth EU key objective as described in the roadmap is the notion of gender based stereotypes. At present there is still a major problem in regards to inequality in employment. The EUC has identified a gender pay gap has one of the major concern for the European commission according to The Road Map for Gender Equality 2006-2010. In order to improve the present dilemma, there have been many legislative and non legislative developments to combat the challenges of discrimination and encourage gender equality in employment. Furthermore, despite the previously mentioned interventions above, there still persists a major gender pay gap which reflects on the overall factors of inequalities and thus discrimination in employment. On average women were earning on average 15% less than men in the European Union in 2005. (Cited in Commission of the European Communities Report 2007, pg 2) It was found that the gender pay gap still exists due to direct and indirect discrimination factors. It can also be attributed to social and economic factors. In regards to dismantling gender stereotypes the EU recommend gender mainstreaming and encourage ESF, ICT programmes in education and culture programmes in schools through media tools. In regards to the sixth and final key objective illustrated in the roadmap for equality in employment, the EU has proposed the development and amendment of policies extending to external neighbouring countries. The EU adheres to recognised values of the Millennium Development Declaration and the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA). The recent EU strategy for Africa is also committed to encouraging gender equality in external countries. The EU commits to promoting the need for education and freedom of opportunity and health and safety. Above all, it welcomes the participation of all women in the sphere of economic and political life in decision making. Four priority areas have been identified by the Commission these include, that pre-existing legal framework is fully applied and utilised whilst identifying areas for improvement. The active participation of all parties is also to be promoted in all Members of State. In addition to this, the European Strategy for Growth and Jobs should be applied in full to all employers. Above all the notion of good practice at all levels is to be stressed to overcome traditional stereotypes and discriminatory practices. The European Pact for Gender Equality 2006 stresses the importance of the commitments of the Member of states to take critical action in this area. Furthermore, several members of states have reunited to take prominent action regarding the labour market, education, training, and the balance of work and private life. Unfortunately there has been little progress in regards to commitments from the other member of states to take action addressing this issue according to the Commissions annual report on growth and jobs 2006.( cited in Commission of the European Communities Report 2007,pg 8) In defence of the above the Commission in 2007 vowed to improve the quality of statistics used in regards to the gender pay gap, in addition they have also promised to encourage all member of states to set key targets and limits for reducing the pay gap between man and women on the basis of data and findings gathered by the annual reports issued. The Commission is also in progress of setting up action programmes on equal opportunities for its own staff, it is apparent that within public administration there is a major pay gap which is directly influenced by the presence of occupational segregation and the small presence of women in decision making posts. Despite the overwhelming evidence that an increased amount of women are becoming more highly qualified, there is still a persistent fact they are still outnumbered by men in higher positions of hierarchy and importance, both in politics and business.(cited in Commission of the European Communities Report 2009,pg 5) According to the European Alliance on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) the notion of equality also poses as a competitive advantage as it utilises the staffs full productive potential. It encourages incentives to support good practice to tackle the inequalities in the pay. Currently the Commission already promotes good practice by raising awareness through the PROGRESS programme. (cited in Commission of the European Communities Report 2007,pg 9) In addition to the above, the Commission also proposes to introduce gender equality policies, to eradicate structural inequalities within the workplace in regards to improving the profile of occupations which are paid less. For instance, the Framework of actions on gender equality 2007, proposes awareness-raising and training measures in addition to the growth of wage comparison tools and strategies to decrease the pay gap. (cited in Commission of the European Communities Report 2007,pg10) Conclusion To conclude this assignment the notion of equality is integral to the values of the European Union. Despite the European Union making significant progress over time, in regards to developing directives, treaties and legislation. In addition to, the EU has reinforced gender mainstreaming via training and capacity building for those involved in policy making. Statistics indicate that gender inequality still persists in employment. The European Union have a long way in fulfilling key targets in dismantling gender inequality. In my personal opinion the EU key objectives need to be more transparent to the public in terms of setting realistic targets to strengthen gender mainstreaming across all member states in order to achieve change. References: Commission of the European Communities Report 2006 Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions(2006), A Roadmap for equality between women and men 2006-2010,Brussels,(Online) Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0092:FIN:EN:PDF (Accessed 20/11/2009) Commission of the European Communities Report 2007 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council,, The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions(2007). Tackling the pay gap between women and men, Brussels,(Online) http://www.retepariopportunita.it/Rete_Pari_Opportunita/UserFiles/news/com_pay_gap_.pdf (Accessed 21/11/2009) Commission of the European Communities Report 2009 Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Brussels,(2009) Equality between women and men-2009 Brussels,(Online) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0077:FIN:EN:PDF (Accessed 21/11/2009) European Union http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union (Accessed 10/11/2009) Euro culture master http://www.euroculturemaster.org/pdf/kunstova.pdf (Accessed 12/11/2009) Europrofem http://www.europrofem.org/contri/2_04_en/en-gend/08en_gen.htm (accessed 23/11/2009) Jorgensen,N.,Bird,J.,Heyhoe,A.,Russell,B.,Savvas,M.,(1997).Sociology:An Interactive Approach,Collins Educational Union History http://www.unionhistory.info/equalpay/roaddisplay.php?irn=785 (Accessed 15/11/2009) Women Lobby http://www.womenlobby.org/site/1abstract.asp?DocID=184v1ID=RevID=namePage=pageParent=DocID_sousmenu (Accessyoutubeed 14/11/2009) http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WCSunMx7EJ8Cpg=RA1-PA392lpg=RA1-PA392dq=theory-male+nurses+gender+equalitysource=blots=Bqru6biKWysig=PY0uthcQiq3VFmaaivgF6YEpLPQhl=enei=wnsdS46lJJeZjAfU_f2PBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CAsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=f=false

History of Marriage Law Essay -- Essays Papers

History of Marriage Law While abortion law is a lot more straightforward and the patterns are obvious, marriage law in the United States is a bit more complicated. -English common law, and early American law, before the 1820's treated marriages like business mergers. The fathers paid dowries and often arranged marriages for their daughters. In the early 1800's fathers could contract their daughters to marriage as early as age 12 and there was no consent on her part. Boys had to be 14 before they could enter into a marriage contract. -The age at which a woman could enter into marriage in the mid-nineteenth century varied widely from state to state, and therefore a timeline of laws is very difficult to accomplish. -Throughout the 19th century and the early 20th century the age at which women could legally marry rose slowly to anywhere from 16-18 years of age by the mid 20th century. -States differed widely on what rights women had in a marriage. Until 1873 women had absolutely no claim to custody of their children unless proof of abuse of the children was offered and corroborated. -This is about the time that women began to get property rights as well in some states. The responsibilities that came with these rights, however, were huge and not all states were universal in their protection of a woman's property. If a woman did own anything, she had the legal obligation to use it to support completely any illegitimate children, all of her children from her marriage, her husband, her grandchildren, and her parents. So if any of these people asked her to support them she could not legally refuse. -Coming into World War I women could not divorce a husband for adultery, even though he could divorce his wife for the ... ...d so much about the decision, about the issue, and about the legality that reproductive choice makes even more sense to me now than it did originally. I recommend that anyone very interested in the issue of choice read the decision and look into the Griswold case and the issue of Right to Privacy. Bibliography "About.com Women's History: Comstock Law." Available online at www.about.com. "About.com Women's History: Man and Wife" available online at www.about.com Blackmun, Supreme Court Justice. Majority Decision in the Case of Roe v. Wade. Delivered January 22, 1973. "Brief History of the Emergence of the Crime of Rape" available online at Hansel.mnstate.edu/classes/CJ400/Monograph/Oldlaw21.html "History of Marriage" available online at www.2-in-2-1 co.uk/university/brhistory/index2.html Schwartz, Bernard. A History of the Supreme Court. 1993.

Jean Kilbourne: Own This Child Essay

Advertisers are targeting youth, â€Å"Own This Child† Written by Jean Kilbourne an informative article on this matter. Major corporations have recently begun using gaming [web] sites to create an image and â€Å"brand loyalty† early on in today’s youth as young as four years of age. Although The United States is an industrialized nation it is one of the few that entire campaigns are designed to target children. These same corporations are working with major television networks advertising products that pertain to program that is being viewed; with the intent to get them as a present consumer but also well into the future. In addition to television ads one company has initiated a program for advertisers to distribute coupons and promotional materials to a network with more than two thousand day care centers and about two million preschool kids. Companies are even going as far advertising in our schools ads are emblazoned on school buses, yearbooks and even scoreboards. Each day eight million students are successfully reached by advertisers. As schools become increasingly cash-strapped and underfunded, the more the schools except funding from corporations eager for a captive audience in exchange for their financial support. Educational programs have increased by 25% from 1965 to present putting more pressure on the schools to accept the funds from the more than willing companies and causing advertisement to become so over the top that when an spoof program offering students money to get tattoos of company logos many people believed it was an actual program. Big consequences are the result for any student doing anything to jeopardize funding from corporate sponsored events; such as wearing a competitor’s logo to company sponsored rally. Schools are going to the extremes of signing long-term contracts in exchange for millions of dollars and exclusive rights to place vending machine where students all-day can access them. Companies even push the school to increase sales even though large consumption of soda can lead to health problems later in life.

Othello coursework

Throughout the course of the play â€Å"Othello†, Iago is portrayed as the typical sinister villain with no motives for his evil plans, but he also brings many comical aspects to the production. Many audiences would have disliked Iago because of the fact that he is the stereotypical villain, yet we are compelled to watch in suspense, his next move. He is definitely a very complex character to understand. He appears to lack motivation for his evil plans and bases his reasoning on ideas he has conjured up in his head, such as the idea of his loving wife Emilia having an affair with Othello. Jacobean audiences in particular would have been shocked by Iago's behaviour for the fact that he uses a lot of blasphemous language such as â€Å"S'blood†. This would have been frowned upon in Jacobean society due to the this religious era; whereas today, it would not be seen as such a sin to take the Lord's name in vain. Many directors such as Sam Mendes have chosen to present their adaptation of the play as a homoerotic thriller and have portrayed Iago as the lusty servant who is in fact jealous of Desdemona, whereas other performances like Michael Grandage's production portrayed Iago as simply a motiveless character. In my opinion, Iago is undoubtedly one of Shakespeare's most notorious villains; without him there would be no story line. It is him who influences the characters to carry out the terrible tasks that keep the play entertaining and full of suspense. In many productions of Othello, Iago is a Machiavellian. This term originates from a text called â€Å"The Prince† which was written in the early sixteenth century by a figure of the Italian renaissance named Niccoli Machiavelli. He wrote in one of his books that â€Å"the end justifies the means† which was misunderstood by audiences who interpreted it as â€Å"any evil action can be justified if it is done for a good purpose†. Niccoli Machiavelli insinuated that all the rulers that had remained in power had not been kind and caring men, concerned with justice and fairness, but were infact cruel individuals, willing to do anything to ensure the security of their state and their own personal power. Iago shows the audience his Machiavellian ways in Act two Scene one when he says â€Å"Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me. For making him egregiously an ass. † This truly reveals his duplicitous nature and shows how much he enjoys other people's misery. Many critics have suggested that Iago may have been a warning to King James about his untrustworthy followers, as there was a lot of uncertainty about how he was ruling England at the time. Iago also reveals a duplicitous nature in Act one, scene two, when he swears to the Greek god â€Å"Janus†; the name of a Roman mythical God with two faces which could be reflected as a two faced image. Malicious is one of many adjectives used to describe Iago, but is it entirely accurate? Throughout most of the play, he is portrayed as an open and trustworthy person by every character; all of them refer to him as â€Å"honest Iago† Yet, as the audience are well informed by the end of the first act, he appears to be quite the opposite, as he states â€Å"I am not what I am† although ironically, he always tells the audience the truth In act one scene three, Shakespeare cleverly brings in the use of rhetoric as Iago tries to persuade Roderigo that Desdemona will soon tire of Othello. He states that â€Å"she must change for youth; which she is sated with his body she will find the error of her choice†, and then goes on to reveal his hatred for Othello and how he wishes for Roderigo to help him seek revenge. In a speech made by Iago, he mentions Roderigo's money eight times! He uses repetition to encourage Roderigo to make money, but the implication to the audience is that the money is for Iago and not Roderigo. Roderigo then says, â€Å"I'll sell all my land† which tells the audience that Iago's plan has worked. This prepares us for later on in the play when Iago uses his powerful manipulation to bring Othello to his downfall. Although Iago is often called the villain of the play, he also brings many entertaining moments; he is the only source of humour in the play. This may be perhaps, because he has caused all the misery in the play so is enjoying watching people suffer! He expresses his misogynistic views in Act Two Scene One in a heated discussion with Desdemona. Iago begins the discussion through the means of criticizing his wife, Emilia. He says â€Å"Sir, would she give you so much of her lips as of her tongue she oft bestows on me You would have enough† meaning Emilia often nags him. This shows that Shakespeare wished to amuse the audience too, as they would find this very entertaining possibly because they could relate to what Iago was saying, as it could be interpreted as a commonly stereotypical comment. Another scene where Iago is entertaining to the audience is in Act Two scene Three, where he pretends to be drunk in order to encourage Casio to drink more and become disorderly; in this scene Shakespeare is really playing to his audience. When the men are drinking, Iago makes a number of comments about the English, and what heavy drinkers they are compared to other countries, â€Å"Your Dane, Your German, and your swag-bellied Hollander – drink, ho! – are nothing to your English. † These comments would have met with a very wild reception from the crowd. This indicates to us that this play, despite its exotic settings, is very relevant to an English Jacobean audience. Also in this scene, Iago is at his best and plays a number of different parts to ensure the success of his plan. The three roles that he plays are: The ancient concerned for the sake of his master, the soldier desperate to maintain the peace of the city and the faithful friend of Cassio. The audience by now would be fully aware that he is really none of these roles, which brings us back to the idea that he is a complete machiavellian. Throughout the play, Iago uses his powerful language techniques to amuse and persuade the characters in order to get what he wants. During this process, Iago makes a number of powerful soliloquies that reveal his motives and plans. These soliloquies let the audience see the true personality and characteristic traits of the person speaking. Throughout, Iago is referred to as â€Å"honest Iago† or â€Å"good friend† but the audience are fully aware that these terms do not reflect Iago's true personality because they know what he is like as he has revealed his true self in his soliloquies. This brings a lot of dramatic irony to the play; the audience are fully aware of what has happened or what is about to happen, whilst the other characters remain unaware. A great example of this in the play, is in act 5 Scene 2. By this point, Othello had already killed Desdemona and had found out about Iago's lies; Othello then asks Iago, â€Å"why hath thus ensnared my soul and body? † ( meaning why have you done this to me? ) Iago replies, â€Å"demand me nothing; what you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word† This is hugely ironic because up to this, he had used words to his power, as the tool that caused Othello's downfall. This would be very frustrating for audiences who have been puzzled throughout the play as to what motivates Iago to cause such trouble. In conclusion, I believe Iago's character structures this play and creates the story line; some of the most exciting plots are centred around him – he murders his wife, arouses Brabantio, kills Roderigo and gets Othello's army drunk; His actions definitely drive the plot forward. His soliliques not only ensure he has a very intimate relationship with the audience, but they are the only dramatic device of the play. Although there is evidence to prove Iago is not racist, he is just jealous of Othello as he talks about Othello giving Cassio the promotion instead of him. To us, he is the character who keeps the plot alive and full of action. His character was used recently by a critic, Germaine Greer when she compared Shakespearian with current times to emphasise her point. She stated, â€Å"we no longer feel, as Shakespeare's contemporaries did, the ubiquity of satin, but Iago is still serviceable to us, as an objective correlative of the mindless inventiveness of racist aggression. Iago is still alive and kicking and filling migrants letterboxes with excrement† So, it really is a question of, should the play have been called â€Å"Iago† instead of â€Å"Othello†?

Long Run or Short Run

Long Run or Short Run I read a Facebook post this week where people were bragging about the largest daily word count theyd ever written. Some were slinging numbers like 10,000, 13,000, even 16,500. Most admitted that wasnt a sustainable number to maintain, yet they interpreted numbers like that as the means to writing a book in two weeks or less. And many of them are then publishing those books. In this day and time, with the crazy array of self-publishing tools available to writers, we can sense a pressure to publish a book a month. Yes, Im not exaggerating. Out of curiosity, Ive read them. I can see the rush in the sentences, read the overzealousness in the syntax, miss the depth of plot. No, you cannot write deep and publish in a month. But there is a market for some of this type of work. Some readers like light reading. Some authors are making five figures from slinging out a large number of books. And therein lies the crossroad. Downstream, when you are more gifted, wiser, and more astute, are you wanting those books forever on Amazon? Are you wanting to publish your quick writing for the public? Or do you prefer to write fast and hold onto it in an effort to write it deeper? Or consider those pieces practice to learn from for your next, more intense work? We are under such acute influence to write now, write fast, and write a lot. Funny, but as I was writing this, I noticed Seth Godins latest blog post. He echoed what I said, only better. https://seths.blog/ First, fast and correct All three would be great. First†¦ you invent, design, develop and bring to life things that haven’t been done before. Fast†¦ you get the work done quickly and efficiently. Correct†¦ and it’s right the first time, without preventable errors. Being first takes guts. Being fast takes training. And being correct takes care. All three at once is rare. Two would be great. And just one (any one) is required if you want to be a professional. Alas, too often, in our confusion about priorities and our fear of shipping, we end up doing none and settling for average instead. Amen, Mr. Godin. Amen indeed.

Argumentation of Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Argumentation of Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Free Online Research Papers To this day, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is known as one of Mark Twain’s greatest masterpiece. This book is all about one little boy and all of the crazy adventures that he has with his friends. The readers are forced to look inward and see that, even though Huck does not realize what he is doing, he causes society to see what truly matters in life. Mark Twain, through the use of satire and irony, forces the reader to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong, no matter what society tells them. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is set in a time where owning a slave is not only acceptable, but encouraged. Even his own adopted family has a slave named Jim. He sees nothing wrong with owning a slave, until Jim runs away and Huck is forced to decide whether or not to follow the law and turn Jim in to the police or follow his heart and keep Jim safe. Huck decides to take Jim and says that, people would call him â€Å"a lowdown abolitionist and despise [him] for keeping mum† (Twain 74), but he doesn’t care. The author, Mark Twain, satirizes the situation that Huck and Jim are in by shoving the fact that Huck can’t tell anybody about Jim because Huck is supposed to be dead, to the back of the reader’s mind. He is making fun of the fact that harboring a slave is worst than faking a death so that the reader will realize that slavery was a big deal back then. This places the reader into the mind of Huck, and makes them think about what was more important back then. At the end of the novel, Jim is discovered when he tries to save Huck and is put in a makeshift jail until his owner can come to claim him. Tom Sawyer comes up with an elaborate plan to break him out; complete with digging a moat, writing in a journal with his â€Å"own blood† (Twain 415), and digging a tunnel out of there. In the end, the reader finds out that Jim was free just a couple days after he ran away. It is ironic that Jim is free but continues to act like a slave. Their journey to the north, and the whole book, is about freeing Jim so that des not have to worry about being caught and sent back to slavery. When he finally gets there, he finds that he has been free this whole time, so the whole journey was pointless. The point of this irony is to make the reader think about what they would do if they were put into this same situation. Mark Twain’s argument in this chapter of the novel is that it is necessary to look at one man’s struggle for freed om to fully understand that this struggle is futile; that all men should have their freedom from the beginning. Mark Twain had a vision. He wanted to change the way that people viewed slavery, and wanted to make his readers realize that Jim is a person; not just property. At the time this book was written, any body could own a slave, and they did. They used slaves for everything from cleaning the house, to watching and/or raising their children, to harvesting their crop so that they could earn a profit and not have to do any work. Mark Twain wrote that novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to make his readers sit down and actually think about why slavery was wrong. It made an innocent man and a little boy run for their lives. His use of satire and irony inspire this kind of reflection throughout the whole novel. Research Papers on Argumentation of Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMind TravelThe Hockey GameCapital Punishment19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayHip-Hop is ArtPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Spring and AutumnEffects of Television Violence on Children

A study of the negative impact of piracy on the economy and society at large

A study of the negative impact of piracy on the economy and society at large Intellectual piracy that’s common in the streets of New York has originated itself in China. From electronics such as phones and laptops to luxury brand names such as Gucci and Dolce Gabbana, intellectual piracy has become a serious problem within China, with its wings spreading to Chinatown in New York City. The video Intellectual Piracy in China discusses the high amount of piracy that derives from China; it goes into how fake things take over most of the market within China, and gives the specific example of fake Viagra within China which could result in deadly situations as the fake versions of the pill are being made with chemicals that could be dangerous for human use. The case Coping with Piracy in China touches on similar subjects as the video, and mainly focuses on counterfeit Apple products offered by China. According to the case article, there were at least five self-branded Apple stores within only one city of China (â€Å"Coping with Piracy in China†, n.d. ) However, the case article emphasizes how the counterfeit market in China could be actually benefiting Apple as a company rather than otherwise. This paper will analyze what the video and the case study regarding intellectual piracy in China are focusing on by examining the content of the video and case study and explaining my opinion with the findings made, and the reasons as to why I agree with the video’s findings, while I disagree with the case study’s findings. According to the case article, the self-branded Apple stores within China have some of the most heavily trafficked Apple stores in the world (â€Å"Coping with Piracy in China,† n.d.). Tourists in China can easily come across any of these self-branded stores and purchase knock off Apple products for themselves for only a small percentage of the actual cost of the actual product. Although hundreds of patent lawyers and investigators are after these self-branded items and the stores and people behind it, Apple has yet to comment on the whole situations, and the case study believes that rather than doing harm to the company, these self-made Apple brands are actually promoting the Apple brand for free, and is seen as beneficial for Apple (â€Å"Coping with Piracy in China,† n.d.). The self-branded Apple stores are providing a pathway for the actual Apple company to promote themselves to an enormous market, China’s market, at absolutely no cost to them. Unfortunately, I don’t agree with the findings made within the conclusion of the case study. I find it controversial that the case study explicitly states how enormous the market for fake stuff within China are, but also gives off the implication that this is actually beneficial for Apple. Even though Apple’s brand is being promoted at no cost to them, their own products are not the ones being sold. Apple is already an international company that has one of the largest customer bases, and it doesn’t need the unnecessary promotion of a company copying their brand to have a beneficial outcome within their own company. Furthermore, the case study specifies this has benefits for the Apple company, but the Apple company itself speaks of how â€Å"more than $11 billion is lost to piracy every year† (â€Å"Piracy Prevention,† n.d.) In their website, Apple mostly focuses on software piracy, but nonetheless it goes on to show that they are negatively affecte d by piracy either way. Software piracy still falls under intellectual piracy, ideas are still being stolen and being profited off of. Thus, it’s misleading for the case study to imply that benefits of such an occurrence could take place. However, I do agree with one point that was made here. It’s weird that patent lawyers and investigators are unable to find these people faking brands when a tourist can easily walk within a street, and buy a knock off product right away. It seems that the global efforts for wiping intellectual piracy out of the way aren’t truly taking place. The video, on the other hand, brings to light a much more realistic version of how piracy has an impact on the economy of United States as well as how it impacts specific companies that are being copied off of. Patent lawyers and intellectual piracy experts talk within the video and give their opinions, and they’re also shown to be shopping on the streets of New York, within Chinatown, where intellectual piracy is a substantial issue. Some of these experts talk about the gravity of these issues, and how it could be deadly in the long run. They give the hypothetical scenarios of one flying on a plane that has counterfeit parts, or having to drive a cart with fake parts (PBS NewsHour, 2014). The example the video mainly focused on was that of Viagra. Viagra is widely used within China, even for purposes it’s not meant to be used for; for example, Viagra is given to pandas within zoos in China to always keep them excited and energized. Due to the huge market of Viagra wit hin China, there has been those who have even faked Viagra pills (PBS NewsHour, 2014). The creation of these Viagra pills includes the use of dangerous chemicals that shouldn’t be consumed by humans, and the pills are created overall in horrible conditions. It’s unethical and immoral that some people are determined strictly on making earnings in ways that put others’ lives at risk. The conclusion of the video emphasizes how no matter what intellectual piracy is illegal, frowned upon, and most importantly, negatively impacts businesses and individuals. I completely agree with the video’s findings, and I understand their point more thoroughly through their clever examples. At the end of the day, behind each brand, each product, and each idea is a person that truly worked hard to create it, and put all their innovation and originality in it to create something that hasn’t been seen before. People who copy their ideas and sell it as if they are originals are literally stealing the hard work those people and companies have done. Most importantly, when it comes to counterfeit medicine and pills, like the trend of the counterfeit Viagra within China, people’s lives are at risk since unknown chemicals are being used, safety measures aren’t being taken, and overall the pill is being generated in unsanitary and harmful conditions. As can be seen, intellectual piracy is a problem that needs to be addressed not only in China, but also within United States as well. Although there are claims that intellectual piracy could benefit some, one needs to look at the consequences and realities that comes along with intellectual piracy to see that this is not the truth.

Monetary policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Monetary policy - Research Paper Example It lays a vital role in opening up the financial market of a country. It also has supervisory powers, aimed at limiting banks and financial intermediaries from reckless behaviour. In developed nations Central banks are independent so that they operate under rules made to help them operate in a political free management (Kurgan and Wells 387). Therefore, this paper aims at obtaining a deep analysis on the role of central bank in use and implementation of monetary policy to stabilize the economy. This will be with respect to the great depression of 1929 to early 1940s. Monetary policy is the mean through which the monetary tools of a country control the flow of money. It mostly focuses on the rate of interest with an aim of promoting economic growth and stability. It is key role is to sustain, stable prices and maintain low levels of unemployment. Monetary policy can either be expansionary of contractionary. Expansionary policies increase the supply of money in the economy while the co ntractionary measurers reduce the total money supply to the economy (Bofinger, Reischle and Schachter 123). Expansionary policy is theoretically used to control unemployment in a recession by lowering interest rates in the view that easy credit will motivate businesses into expanding. Contractionary policy is intended to slow inflation in a view of curbing the resulting deterioration and distortions of asset values. The Monetary policies advocated by the central bank helps in fostering the growth of financial market by encouraging open market operations. It is the most used tool by the central bank of each country to correct any economic disorder or to set the pace of a country economic growth (Bofinger, Reischle and Schachter 170). Economic depression is an economic slowdown where the gross domestic product is expected to decline at around 10%. To give rise to greet economic depression, the gross domestic product was believed to have declined by at least 33% per annum. This is the worst in history so far. Economic depression is characterized by; reduced consumption by individuals and the government, increased liquidation of the banking system or narrowing of financial market to the extent that it cannot allocate capital inflow to various sectors of the economy, high levels of unemployment expressed in two digits, insolvency of economic driving companies, a reduction in the wage rate for example, during the great economic depression it reduced sixty percent and acute shortage of money supply in the economy. Thus, depression can be defined as a recession that lasts longer and has a massive decline in business activity thus a slowdown in economic growth (Bofinger, Reischle and Schachter 213). Central bank and monetary policy with respect to the great depression of 1929 to early 1940s can be analyzed from different views. The great depression lasted for 10 years. This occurred when the shares traded in a day tripled followed by a drastic fall in price by about 24 %. The great economic depression was characterized by an increased rate in unemployment which increased by 22% of the total country workforce. The total gross domestic product reduced by half as the price fell by 10%. The depression also caused farmers to lose their farms, and this made them together with the unemployed to move to urban areas in search of daily earnings, this lead to development of shanties thus creation more problems. There were massive bank failures and

An Epidemic of Fear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An Epidemic of Fear - Essay Example The impact of their study back then is worth nothing such that even today the immunization rates of measles, mumps and rubella have not been fully recovered. About the outbreak of epidemic emerging a year before Wakefield’s research was proven to be fraudulent, I feel that there was no connection between vaccines and autism in the first place. The research was highly plausible. In his article â€Å" An Epidemic of Fear†, Offit voiced out various risks. He never lobbied the Bush administration in its endeavors to implement a program that was aimed at giving smallpox vaccines to tens of thousands of Americans. He feared that implemented this program will kill people. According to him, the preventive vaccine was a bigger risk than the risk of chicken pox itself. It was the notion of risk in his mind that triggered the anti-vaccine movement. He felt that the parents should be given the option to opt out of such vaccines and be able to see for themselves if the movement would be risky for children or not. The idea was also embedded in CDC’s vaccination schedule- the overall risk to public health after such a move was too big to allow individuals or to give them the liberty to make decisions that will affect their communities. The risk is also one of the main motivating aspects of Offit’s life. He took the risk of giving his teen children the flu-vaccine even before it was recommended for children of their age group. The risk here for him was the harm inflicted on his children if they got sick. He wanted to protect his children at any risk and he also wanted Americans to be completely educated about risk and not automate their thinking mechanism. According to him â€Å" choice not to get a vaccine is not a choice to take no risk, It’s just a choice to take a different risk, and we need to be better about saying, ‘Here’s what that different risk looks like.’  

Constructed Textiles for Fashion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Constructed Textiles for Fashion - Coursework Example From this paper it is clear that  there are numerous innovations   those has been made in the interior decorations such as   carpet designing, curtains designing as well as several other clothing fields by utilizing textiles designing. Currently, textile-designing clothing is gaining huge popularity among people throughout the world. Besides, textile designing is noted as one of the most important job role for a fashion designer, as it require higher level of creativity as well as specialist skills.This essay discusses that  with the advent of globalization in business domain, it has also influenced fashion industry to adopt various changes in the fashion line. People belonging to different age groups have varied and dynamic preferences regarding apparels, which need to be satisfied by the modern fashion industry. Besides, the recent changes in the clothing style have also influenced the fashion industry to apply new techniques for meeting the current requirements of designer clothes. Therefore, in the global retail industry, the demands for creative designer has also been raising in a rapid manner.  Haider Ackermann is a well-known fashion designer. Haider Ackermann is a specialist designer, who designs clothing considering the recent market demands of ready-to wear cloths. Recently, the increasing demand of the creative clothing has influenced Ackermann to launch a new trend of creative designing.

Why do women belong in combat Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Why do women belong in combat - Research Paper Example These positions were accepted because the women were safe of capture. The Soviet Union in large scale used women near/in the front lines as the medical staff and political officers. Sniper female units were also set and also combat fighter planes. In the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, a few women were used in combat roles, in resistance movements. After 1945, all the women combat roles were ended in all armies and their experiences got forgotten (Campbell, 301-323). While the Australian government plans to open up women combat jobs in 2016, New Zealand offers no restriction on the women roles in their defense force. They can serve in infantry, artillery, armor and a special air service. Norway is the first known country to permit women to serve on its submarines. (This was in 1985). In fact, the first female commander of a Norwegian submarine was Kret Solveig in 1995. In Sweden, women can serve in any if not all positions in the military since 1989. Today, about 5.5 percent of the officers are women. In WWI and WWII( first and the second World War), women served in many roles e.g. the Army Nurse Corps as well as the Womens Army Corps. They carried out different tasks such as clerical work, photo analysis, mechanical work and sheet metal working. The qualification of enlisting became the same for men as well as women in 1979 in the US. However, in 1994, the Department Of Defense(DOD) officially banned American women from serving in combat but th is ban would only last for nine years. On January 24th, 2003, Leon Panetta (secretary of defense) removed the ban. It is clear that women cannot physically compete with men. With rare exceptions, many women are unable to lift heavy stuff/weights, scale barriers or to pull themselves along a rope that has been suspended above a safety net. If women and men are sought according to sex and tested by making two mile runs, the result will suggest that the average woman took 18 minutes while the

Critically Analyse the Effectiveness of the Strategies Utilised in the Essay

Critically Analyse the Effectiveness of the Strategies Utilised in the US and UK to tackle the Purported Rise in Knife or Gun Crime - Essay Example Many have warned that storing of firearms in homes would increase the cause of violent deaths (Some facts about guns. 2007). Even though many laws were framed by the authorities in US to curtail the carrying and possession of fire arms, it did not decrease the death rate due to firearms. In 2008 the US Supreme Court made a historic decision that ratified the decision by the district to curtail the rights of citizens to carry firearms in the city. The supreme court opinioned that action by the district is a clear violation of denying individual rights and freedom for carrying firearms. Persons who advocated against ban of carrying firearms put forward statistics related to crime and deaths in the US. In 1993, there were over one million firearm related crimes in the country. In 2005, it declined to 500000 incidents. They also pointed that firearms are not the only reason for violent deaths in the US. However records of the FBI clearly suggest that many crimes including homicides are related to firearms (Tartar.A 2008). In UK increase in suicides was due to use of firearms at home. To prevent crimes related to possession of firearms, UK passed two firearms amendment acts of 1997. Due to the passing of the act, there was a decrease of possession of handguns in Britain. Many handguns were handed over to the police by the individuals (Some facts about guns. 2007). It is estimated that American citizens uses firearms for at least 764000 times in a year to defend themselves. In 1976, Washington DC enacted a virtual ban on handguns. During 1976 and 1991, Washington DC’s homicide rates grew 200 % and the US rate grew by only 12%.The US government has passed the right to carry laws which requires the law enforcement agencies to issue permits to handguns to all applicants who are qualified. Licenses are issued considering age, clean criminal record, completion of firearms safety course etc. In 1986, nine states in the US had right to carry laws. In

Constructed Textiles for Fashion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Constructed Textiles for Fashion - Coursework Example From this paper it is clear that  there are numerous innovations   those has been made in the interior decorations such as   carpet designing, curtains designing as well as several other clothing fields by utilizing textiles designing. Currently, textile-designing clothing is gaining huge popularity among people throughout the world. Besides, textile designing is noted as one of the most important job role for a fashion designer, as it require higher level of creativity as well as specialist skills.This essay discusses that  with the advent of globalization in business domain, it has also influenced fashion industry to adopt various changes in the fashion line. People belonging to different age groups have varied and dynamic preferences regarding apparels, which need to be satisfied by the modern fashion industry. Besides, the recent changes in the clothing style have also influenced the fashion industry to apply new techniques for meeting the current requirements of designer clothes. Therefore, in the global retail industry, the demands for creative designer has also been raising in a rapid manner.  Haider Ackermann is a well-known fashion designer. Haider Ackermann is a specialist designer, who designs clothing considering the recent market demands of ready-to wear cloths. Recently, the increasing demand of the creative clothing has influenced Ackermann to launch a new trend of creative designing.

Critically Analyse the Effectiveness of the Strategies Utilised in the Essay

Critically Analyse the Effectiveness of the Strategies Utilised in the US and UK to tackle the Purported Rise in Knife or Gun Crime - Essay Example Many have warned that storing of firearms in homes would increase the cause of violent deaths (Some facts about guns. 2007). Even though many laws were framed by the authorities in US to curtail the carrying and possession of fire arms, it did not decrease the death rate due to firearms. In 2008 the US Supreme Court made a historic decision that ratified the decision by the district to curtail the rights of citizens to carry firearms in the city. The supreme court opinioned that action by the district is a clear violation of denying individual rights and freedom for carrying firearms. Persons who advocated against ban of carrying firearms put forward statistics related to crime and deaths in the US. In 1993, there were over one million firearm related crimes in the country. In 2005, it declined to 500000 incidents. They also pointed that firearms are not the only reason for violent deaths in the US. However records of the FBI clearly suggest that many crimes including homicides are related to firearms (Tartar.A 2008). In UK increase in suicides was due to use of firearms at home. To prevent crimes related to possession of firearms, UK passed two firearms amendment acts of 1997. Due to the passing of the act, there was a decrease of possession of handguns in Britain. Many handguns were handed over to the police by the individuals (Some facts about guns. 2007). It is estimated that American citizens uses firearms for at least 764000 times in a year to defend themselves. In 1976, Washington DC enacted a virtual ban on handguns. During 1976 and 1991, Washington DC’s homicide rates grew 200 % and the US rate grew by only 12%.The US government has passed the right to carry laws which requires the law enforcement agencies to issue permits to handguns to all applicants who are qualified. Licenses are issued considering age, clean criminal record, completion of firearms safety course etc. In 1986, nine states in the US had right to carry laws. In

Limitations of Intelligence assessment Essay Example for Free

Limitations of Intelligence assessment Essay Intelligence is defined as the ability for abstract thinking . It is the ability of an individual to act in a purposeful manner and think rationally as well as interact with the environment in an effective way. Some have also said that intelligence is whatever the intelligence tests assess which is usually dependent on the preferences of the test developer. According to Piaget, Intelligence is an equilibrium state towards which successive adaptatations of cognitive and sensorimotor patterns as well as accomodatory and assimilatory interactions between organism and environment tend towards (Flynn, 2007). Limitations of Intelligence assessment An intelligence assessment test does not show what an individual can do in specific areas and does not assess specific conditions such as dyslexia. A person with dyslexia may still have high intelligence quotient. An intelligence quotient score can be deceptive in that people with same IQ can have very different intellectual abilities. Furthermore, an IQ test does not measure raw intelligence or any absolute, inherent or innate ability. The IQ test is just a relative index of intelligence assessment which only compares one person’s performance with another of his own age (Flynn, 2007). Strengths of Intelligence assessment The strength lies in its purpose which can be educational, medical, research and vocational. In terms of vocation, IQ tests are used for vocational guidance as different vocations call for different aptitudes . In research IQ test are used to study mental growth as mental ability develop sequentially from birth onwards and so intelligence assessment can be used to see direction of individual and group curve it is also used in research to indicate the extent of differences of IQs among children of same calendar age and this will imply the need to provide materials at the different levels of difficulty. In medicine, IQ assessment is used to characterize the degree of mental retardation so as to evolve adequate management strategies. In education, it is used to identify gifted children and for homogenous grouping of children for educational effectiveness.

English: The Official Language?

English: The Official Language? For better or for worse, like it or not, English is in effect the official language of the planet. It is the most commonly used language of international commerce, politics, science, diplomacy, and the most commonly used language on the Internet. It is a lingua franca, or vehicular language, i.e. a language spoken and utilized outside of the country or countries of its origin, as opposed to a vernacular language, i.e. a language spoken within and amongst native speakers in the country of origin. English, like other lingua franca of the past, is often used as a second language to effect common communication for a specific purpose (such as diplomacy) between people for whom the lingua franca is not their first language. For example, French was once the lingua franca of diplomacy up until around World War I, only to be supplanted by English; scientists themselves declared English to be their lingua franca in a 1989 article in The Scientist magazine bluntly entitled The English Language: The Lingua Franca Of International Science. One may view the domination and global use of English as linguistic and cultural imperialism, and indeed we shall explore this notion further, but the simple fact is that the situation is unlikely to change any time soon. It is everywhere. Some 380 million people speak it as their first language and perhaps two-thirds as many again as their second. A billion are learning it, about a third of the worlds population are in some sense exposed to it and by 2050, it is predicted, half the world will be more or less proficient in it. (The Economist, 2001). It is thus in the best interest of citizens and governments of any nations that wish to participate on the global stage economically, politically, scientifically, etc., to embark upon official programs to ensure that people have the opportunity to learn English; in fact, it may be argued that the teaching of English should be mandatory in such nations. While there are cultural drawbacks to the institutionalized teaching of English in non-ENL countries, the benefits seem to outweigh the drawbacks, and we shall explore both as well. To understand the merits of education in English, as well as its drawbacks and the practical requirements therein, we must first understand something of the merits of the English language itself, the historical circumstances and cultures that spawned it, and why it continues to be durable and vital as a universal language. The global influence and power of the British Empire, and then subsequently the United States as the British Empires scope gradually eroded, is primarily responsible for the primacy of English as a de facto official international language. Latin, once the lingua franca for most of Europe, was gradually supplanted in the 17th and 18th century as global exploration and colonization; for a time, scholars and clerics who regularly traveled across the boundaries of national languages continued to use Latin and their lingua franca. But as knowledge of Latin declined and the rise of merchant and professional classes produced travelers unschooled in Latin,people sought alternative means of international communications. (Graddol,2000, p. 6) The victory of the Allies in World War II cannot be underestimated in terms of representing a huge step in cementing the destiny of English as the language eventually destined to be the universal language of the globe. The only two potential rivals at the time were French, mostly due to historical inertia, and German, mostly due to the astonishing rise to military and economic power of Nazi Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. Had the U.S. not lent its economic and military might to defeat the Germans and the Japanese, English might be a quaint relic of the planets short-lived experiment in democracy. Had Hitler won World War II and had the USA been reduced to a confederation banana republics, we would probably today use German as a universal vehicular language, and Japanese electronic firms would advertise their products in Hong Kong airport duty-free shops in German. (Eco, 1995, p. 331) Unlike almost every other major nation that fought in World War II, the United States emerged with its economy not only intact, but also thriving. It was therefore no surprise that the United States took the lead in forming and administering institutions to aid the reconstruction and reintegration of Europe, Japan, and many other regions of the world. In short order, English-speaking nations were also exporting their culture, not simply their goods and goodwill. The ongoing hegemony that the United States and Britain enjoy in terms of cultural communications film, television, books, music, etc., helps perpetuate the influence and staying power of English as an official language. Even such cultural communications that are translated into the native languages of individual countries are not immune to the Englishness of the communications, i.e., the distinctly American and/or British cultural elements that inform the language of the communications and therefore necessarily survive any competent translation and are inculcated into the minds of the listener/viewer/reader. In ways too intricate, too diverse for socio-linguistics to formulate precisely, English and American-English seem to embody for men and women throughout the world -and particularly for the young the feel of hope, of material advance, of scientific and empirical procedures. The entire world-image of mass consumption, of international exchange, of the popular arts, of generational conflict, of technocracy, is permeated by American-English and English citations and speech habits. (Steiner, 1975, p. 469) Other than the cultural, military, and political hegemony of the British Empire and of the United States, what might account for the staying power of English as a lingua franca? From a linguistic perspective, English is hardly the most sensible choice for a quasi-official global language. English, simply put, is not the most efficient and consistent language. English is an irregular and fractured language comprised of influences from Latin and Celtic, and later Scandinavian and Norman French tongues. Its syntax, construction, verb conjugation,spelling, and other grammatical constructions, etc., are riddled with maddening inconsistencies that at times befuddle even native speakers, to say nothing ofthose who struggle for years to master it as a second language. English lacks the simplicity and consistency of the Romance languages to the extent that it varies from its Latin and French influences, though it is certainly easier to learn and utilize than some Asian tongues. However, these same elements that make English a flawed language are also believed by many linguists to be strengths that assist in the durability and adaptability of English; it has historically adapted to and incorporated language influences with ease that it has encountered from around the globe. English has always been an evolving language and language contact has been an important driver of change Some analysts see this hybridity and permeability of English as defining features, allowing it to expand quickly into new domains and explaining in part its success as a world language. (Graddol, 2000, p. 6) As English owes its existence to the fact that it absorbs, not rejects new linguistic and cultural influences, its inherently hybridized nature makes it all the easier for English to assimilate characteristics of other cultures and languages, instead of reject them or demand they conform to some sort of rigid structure. As the rules of English are a bit fast and loose, English is well-suited to evolve on the fly. There are a variety of challenges facing both those who wish to learn English as a second language and those who wish to teach it. Some of these challenges are cultural, some are practical, but the utilization of English by non-native speakers in non-ENL nations is never as simple a matter as it might seem. Culturally speaking, some aspiring English speakers may feel pressure from the more traditional and/or conservative members of their own cultures to resist what they may label as American cultural imperialism, the decadent influence of consumer capitalist values from the West that are transmitted through theEnglish language. To embrace these values at the expense of ones own language and culture is frowned upon in many conservative cultures, for example, particularlyin fundamentalist Muslim cultures which have suffered from seriously strained relations with the United States in the past six to ten years. Often, proficiency in one or more indigenous or native tongues will co-exist, mingle, and/or exist in hierarchal forms of usage with English. The acquisition of English skills does not necessarily lead to the supplanting or replacement of the native tongue with English; the choice of which language to speak is often context- and audience-dependent. For example, in some cases speakers will employ code-switching, in which two participants in a conversation, who know both English and a local vernacular language, will switch back and forth between the two tongues as a means of negotiating and navigating their relationship, in some cases even alternating back and forth between languages within the same sentence. Graddol (2000) outlines some fascinating examples, including a situation in which a young job seeker enters an office in Nairobi, Kenya, seeking employment. The vernacular language in question is Swahili; the young man commences his job inquiry with the owner of the establishment by speaking in English. The Kenyan manager of the office, however, insists on using Swahili, thus denying the young mans negotiation of the higher status associated with English. (Myers-Scotton, 1989, p. 339) Their conversation goes as follows: Young Man: Mr Muchuki has sent me to you about the job you put in the paper. Manager: Uitumabarua ya application? [Did you send a letter of application?] Young Man: Yes,I did. But he asked me to come to see you today. Manager: Ikiwaulituma barua, nenda ungojee majibu. Tutakuita ufike kwa interviewsiku itakapofika. [If youve written a letter, then go and wait for a response.We will call you for an interview when the letter arrives.] (pause) Leo sina lasuma kuliko hayo. [Today I havent anything elseto say.] Young man: Asante.Nitangoja majibu. [Thank you. I will wait for the response.] (Graddol, 2000,p. 13) The managerasserts his authority as both manager and adult in a position that commandsrespect, and he utilizes his insistence on the vernacular tongue to indirectlycommunicate this authority and demand for respect from the young man. Theyoung man is shrewd enough a native speaker of Swahili to grasp the subtext ofthe exchange, which is in essence a command to show proper deference and notwalk into a shop trying to exploit the connection with a mutual Kenyan friendby speaking English. It is not that the manager does not speak English; hedoes, but he insists on a certain element of cultural integrity by insisting onSwahili. The young man picks up on this, and therefore switches to Swahili tobid the manager farewell and tacitly submits to the shopkeepers authority byconforming to his wishes. Had the young man entered the office and spokenSwahili, he might have been granted an interview on the spot, though it ispossible the boy meant no disrespect and in fact wished to display hiseducati on by speaking English. In any case, this example shows thefascinating, multi-layered cultural and personal interchanges that go on duringcode-switching. (Note also that the manager chooses to use the English termsfor interview and application, perhaps because there is no directequivalent in Swahili, or perhaps to illustrate his own ability with English asa point of both pride and warning.) As further examplethat the finding of linguistic common ground is not the cure-all forcommunications difficulties, we now turn to the topic of how speakers interactwhen they share only one language in common, i.e., English, instead of sharingin common speaking ability in both English and their own native, vernacularlanguage. Graddol (2000) provides us with another scenario from the studies ofFirth (1996), in which international phone calls between Dutch and Syrian goodstraders were analyzed to see how the respective parties interacted in English.In some cases, where one speaker is less proficient than the other, the formerwill employ a conversational strategy termed let it pass, in which the lessproficient speaker will mask his lack of understanding of what is being said bythe other by delaying a request for clarification, in hopes that what the firstspeaker said will become understood as the conversation continues. Onehumorous exchange went as follows, in which a Dane (D) and Syrian (S) discussan order of cheese that had gone awry. S: So I told himnot to send the cheese after the blowing in the customs. We dont want theorder after the cheese is blowing. D: I see, yes. S: So I dontknow what we can do with the order now. What do you think we should do withall this blowing, Mr Hansen? D: Im not uh(pause) Blowing? What is this, too big, or what? S: No, thecheese is bad Mr Hansen. It is like fermenting in the customs cool rooms. D: Ah, its goneoff! S: Yes, itsgone off. (Graddol, 2000,p. 13) What this exampledemonstrates is that an entire skill set and mode of sub-communication developsbetween non-native speakers who do not have another frame of reference incommon, i.e., the same vernacular language, further complicating theutilization of English in business and/or commerce situations. There are alsonumerous practical considerations that affect the utilization of English,particularly in teaching it to non-ENL speakers. For example, which versionof English should be taught? Despite the extensive global use of English, itis far from a homogenous language spoken and written in the precisely samemanner in each country. English, as befitting its history, is a language ofmany diverse dialects; British English is different from American English,largely in pronunciation, accent, and certain vocabulary words, and American Englishitself is sub-divisible into any number of different sub-dialects, includingBlack/African-American English, which in its purest form is so unique inaccent, grammar, and slang that it is almost completely unintelligible to manynative English speakers, to say nothing of speakers of English as a secondlanguage (ESL). The numerouschallenges presented by English pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary may alsoserve as a roadblock for both students and teachers. The difficulty ofteaching the ambiguities of unstressed vowels, consonant phenomes, and stresstiming is considerable. English grammar and verb conjugation is extremelyirregular, requiring a considerable amount of rote memorization, instead of theapplication of logical and consistent rules, as found in Romance languages(Spanish and French rely on a consistent set of 13 verb tenses with largelyregular characteristics; English does not.) English vocabulary also requires a large amount of rote memorization, as the innumerable linguistic influences from which English draws its unusually large lexicon make it difficult to extrapolate and create words from basic linguistic structures as a speaker of Spanish can do. For example, the Spanish words pertaining to meat are all rooted in the Latin word carnivorus, whereas in English, they are not: carne = meat; carnicero = butcher; carnicerÃÆ'Â ­a = a store where meat is sold. For Spanish speakers, learning the underlying root word of a concept means the speaker should have little trouble deducing how to say related words; in English, there is no such consistency and therefore the barriers to effective learning and usage are high. On the other hand,there are inherent flaws in other major world languages, for which Englishprovides a natural compensation. One such example is Japanese, an ancient andbeautiful language rich in complexity and the capacity for subtlety and nuanceof expression, but also notorious -for those same reasons for itsinefficiency and lack of clarity when it comes to matters of politics, law,debate, and decision-making. In 1999, one of the most influential Japanesenewspapers, Asahi Shimbun issued a hotly debated call for English to beadopted as the official language of Japan, citing advantages ranging from theobvious greater Japanese ability to participate in science, internationaltrade, politics, etc. to the unusual, i.e., the newspaper asserted that theuse of English would in fact strengthen the usage of Japanese, whose linguisticweaknesses, the paper asserted, played a large part in the inefficiency of thegovernment. Quoting Yoshio Terasawa, a former director of Japans Economic Planning Agency, former member of the House of Councilors, and former president of Nomura Securities U.S. division, the newspaper delivered a stinging indictment of its own native language and recommended the usefulness of English when it came to decision-making in business and government: Japanese is fullof vague expressions, so people rarely talk in terms of black and white and itis very easy to blur responsibility. It is an everyday occurrence forgovernment ministers to spend 10 minutes answering a question in the Diet [theJapanese Parliament] without actually saying anything. But if Diet memberscould put their questions in English, it might be possible to do away with thenon-committal bureaucratic language that is too wishy-washy to translate intoEnglish. People wouldnt be able to fudge the issues any more, and not just inpolitics. (Kinomoto, 1999) The article wenton to remark, with some astonishment, that the expected outcries of culturalimperialism and the imminent demise of the celebrated individuality andindependence of the Japanese culture, were few and far between. The Japanesehave yet to make English their official language, unsurprisingly given theirhistoric national pride, but the open advocacy of the virtues of English usagewas remarkable. In the end, theutilization of English as a lingua franca second language has clear benefits.While the potential obliteration of cultural diversity worldwide, a constantsource of worry and debate, seems valid, one only need look as far as theexample of the Swahili-speaking office manager to see that indigenous speakersare finding ways for English and their own vernacular languages to co-exist,even with a bit of unease. So the challenge becomes not so much about whetheror not English is of neutral or positive benefit; it self-evidently is; butrather how to go about navigating the parallel use of English with otherlanguages across the globe, both augmenting the strengths of and compensatingfor the weaknesses of local cultures and local tongues. BIBLIOGRAPHY/ REFERENCES Fennell, Barbara. A History of English:A Sociolinguistic Approach, Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Garfield, Eugene. The English Language:The Lingua Franca Of International Science, The Scientist Magazine,1989, 3(10):12, 15 May 1989. The Triumph of English: A World Empire byOther Means, The Economist, 20 December 2001. Graddol, David. The Future of English?The British Council, 1997, 2000. Eco, U. The Search for the PerfectLanguage. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1995. Graddol, David, Dick Leith JoanSwann. English : History, Diversity and Change London: Routledge, 1996. FBailer, R. M. Gorlach,(eds.) Englishas a World Language. Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press, 1982. Myers-Scotton, C. Code Switching withEnglish: Types of Switching, Types of Communities, World English, Vol.8, No. 3., pp. 333-46. Kachru, B.. The Alchemy of English.Pergamon Press, 1982. Trudgill, P. J. Hannah. InternationalEnglish: A Guide to Varieties of Standard English, Arnold Publishers, 1982. Kinomoto, Keusuke. Should English Be Madethe Official Language? Asahi Shimbun, 29 August 1999.

René Magritte :: essays research papers

Renà © Magritte   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Renà © Magritte was born in Belgium on November 21, 1898. His childhood took place in Charlerloi. He was born to poverty and held left-wing political views. Magritte’s mother killed herself when he was only fourteen. He later joined the Communist Party. However, he preferred not to use his art for political causes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Magritte started to create successful oil paintings in the 1920s. This is when Magritte started to come into his own. In 1922, Magritte got married to Georgette Berger. Magritte was inspired by Georgette and she became his model. He also became friendly with Victor Servranckx, who had developed a very geometric-abstract style. This was the beginning of a new direction for Magritte. In 1927 Magritte and Georgette moved to Paris to be closer to where it all happens. He started to take part in the activities of the Surrealists, which became his style of choice for the majority of his life. Magritte began combining words and images in his paintings. These word-pictures were not mere illustrations of an object or a concept. Just the opposite, his work was intended to gently destabilize our mental habits of representation. Magritte elaborated a instructive classification of this type of painting, the simplest which consisted of denying an images through words, or vice v ersa. Magritte shared the Surrealist concept of the power of desire and eroticism to change life and wanted to translate this idea through unconventional images. He continued involving metamorphosis in his work. In Black Magic, a naked woman leaning on a rock gradually merges into the blue sky. The painter was, nevertheless, distrustful of the obvious seduction of beautiful colors. In The Rape he even pushed it to the point of obsession with the features of a woman's face replaced by sexual attributes, such as breasts, a belly button and pubic hair.. In 1940, Magritte was going through a crisis resulting from the German occupation in World War II. Also, at this point Magritte’s financial situation became an issue and his dissatisfaction with his own paintings. From then on, he decided that a feeling of pleasure and an atmosphere of happiness had to predominate over the sense of anxiety. Magritte first thought about changing his iconography and began to paint the leaf-birds, which are seen in two works from 1942, Treasure Island and The Companions of Fear.

Moral And Ethical Dilemmas Essay -- Morals Ethics Essays

Moral and Ethical Dilemmas One of the most difficult trials I face in my life are ethical and moral dilemmas. They can be soul-wrenching and searching experiences that tax my character and cause me to really "put my money where my mouth is." Sometimes I'm quick to see ethical faults in others, but slow to see them in myself. Other times I see all to clearly my mistakes and wonder why I don't measure up. I believe one purpose for this life is to learn to act for ourselves. Learn to see a situation correctly and act righteously. In this paper I wish to discuss many of the thoughts I have had recently on setting a pattern for making ethical decisions throughout my life. I will present many of the traps I have fallen into or observed in others. Everyday I'm faced with decisions of right and wrong, most of which are easily and correctly dealt with. Sometimes however, decisions need to be made that are not easy or clear-cut. They require thought and often prayer. I like to draw on past experience to make comparisons that help give insight to new problems. Many times, however past experiences cannot be related to present problems and can confuse and obscure possibilities. Even the opinions or actions of friends faced with similar dilemmas may not be helpful. Often you feel pressured by piers that say, "it's no big deal", or "you'll understand later". It's important that I understand why a particular action or resolution is correct or incorrect. If I can't or don't it's difficult to feel I've been honest with myself. That for me can be a good measure of ethical behavior, my conscience. The ideal way to deal with difficult questions is to have a foolproof formula. Find steps that will always lead to correct decisions. Unfortunately I do not yet have such a formula and often learn by hard experience right and wrong. Let me start by saying I firmly believe the formula exists, and is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The only way to live a perfectly ethical and moral life is to be Like Him. There is no other way. The entire world will experiment and try all other forms of self-indulgence and soul searching and will not be one step closer until they begin with His gospel. I heard it said once that "he who picks up one end of a stick, picks up the other end also." No matter how hard you try or want happiness... ... volunteered and submitted. I could compare it to temple attendance or missionary service. We may serve by commandment alone, and reap all the blessing and rewards, or we could look beyond and see the work of saving souls. We could see the absolute need for our service and give our lives for it. I believe with that kind of true motivation we will more easily be able to see right from wrong. We will not seek to satisfy our own needs or wants, but will see others needs along with ours. We could more clearly see the importance of ethical and moral behavior. Whether someone is watching or not is irrelevant and has no part in our decisions. I admit that this in no way will make the decision making process easier; quite the contrary. No longer will decisions be made based on popularity or gain, but on what's right and good. Unfortunately I will still have to learn by experience when the answers are not clear, so I will get burned a few times. But in the process of learning, I can be confident that I am really doing my best and improving always. By refining this formula I will find myself better able to resolve difficult dilemmas and feel good about my decisions.

Instructional Design Theory According to M. David Merrill

There are many ways by which an educator can look at learning and the teaching process. M. David Merrill, Patricia Smith and Dr. Tillman J. Ragan are three educators who believe that instruction may be done more effectively with given the proper approach and pacing that students may be able to follow. Merrill sought to change the way instruction is done following theories of cognitive learning by integrating consideration for the learner's background and requirements. Smith and Ragan on the other hand, favor an approach to instruction that is more audience centered and based on real-life experiences of their students. Instructional Design Theory According to M. David Merrill, Patricia Smith and Tillman Ragan. An educational psychologist, M. David Merrill has written numerous books and articles on the field of instructional technology and has taken part in the development of various educational materials including instructional computer products.   Merrill has been cited as being among the most productive Educational Psychologists (Gordon, 1984), among the most frequently cited authors in the computer-based instruction literature (Wedman, 1987), and ranked among the most influential people in the field of Instructional Technology (Moore & Braden, 1988). A co-author of the leading book â€Å"Instructional Design,† Patricia Smith is an assistant professor at Cy-Fair College in the North Harris Montgomery Community College District. She holds a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the Louisiana State University. Smith’s co-author is Tillman J. Ragan, Ph.D. a Professor Emeritus on Instructional Psychology and Technology from the University of Oklahoma. Basic Beliefs Merrill is a proponent of the Component Display Theory or CDT.   Under CDT, learning is classified by two dimensions: content and performance.   Merrill lists four types of information that falls under â€Å"Content:† 1. Facts which consist of statements and information 2. Concepts that establish relationships between symbols and objects to form a single unit 3. Procedures or ordered/chronological steps required in problem solving 4. Principles that deal with causal relationships Performance on the other hand refers to the way content is used by the learner.   Applications is demonstrated through remembering (information recall), using (practical application) and generalities (finding or development of new abstract concept from given information). CDT presents data in four major forms: rules, examples, recall and practice. Information is further qualified by secondary forms such as are prerequisites, objectives, help, mnemonics and feedback. Merrill believes that based on CDT, effective instruction is achieved when it contains all necessary primary and secondary forms that a learner may use as standards. (Merrill, 1983) The pace of learning is dictated by the accomplishment of the objectives of each task. Evaluation is limited to determining whether the criterion for that particular task is met. What makes CDT different from other cognitive learning theories is that it takes into consideration the capabilities of the learner.   The presentation of information as well as the graduation to the next level/step is determined by what the learner has already accomplished. Also central to the concept of CDT is the empowerment of the learner wherein learners select by themselves their own instructional strategies.   Merrill believes that instructional material becomes highly individualized when done along the CDT guidelines. While Merrill places huge emphasis on course structures rather than the lesson itself, Smith and Ragan believe that creating instructional material starts in determining the needs, experience and capabilities of its intended users. â€Å"As you design instruction, it is critical that you have a particular audience in mind, rather than centering the design around the content and then searching for an audience that is appropriate† (Smith & Regan, 1999). They believed that if an instructor knew about the learning background of their students as well as their capability of assimilating new information, he or she would be better equipped to speak or instruct the students in a way that they can understand. In their book Smith and Ragan summarized thousands of studies in the hope of identifying which steps to take and instructional techniques to use to achieve each type of learning objective. Smith and Ragan also presented the ideas of authentic learning and case based learning. â€Å"Authentic learning refers to the idea that learners should be presented problems from realistic situations and found in everyday applications of knowledge while case-based learning is based on using case studies to present learners with a realistic situation and require them to respond as the person who must solve a problem.† (Smith & Ragan, 1999). Merrill for his part has presented a newer version of the CDT wherein advisor strategies have taken the place of learner control strategies.   Merrill also subscribes to a more macro view which gives more emphasis on course structures and instructional transactions rather than presentation forms. (Merrill, 1994) Cognitive vs. Constructivist Learning Merrill belongs to the theorists who based their ideas on cognitive learning. He believed a systematic and structural approach to learning by using repetition and consistency makes the instruction method more effective. The weakness in cognitive learning lies in its perceived inflexibility in adapting to new situations or methods or accomplishing things. Merrill sought to address this by proposing structured instruction tailored to the requirements and situation of the learner. Smith and Ragan takes a more constructivist or individualistic approach where learning is based on interaction with real-life situations. Adjustment to new situations would be easier and the learner is capable of interpreting multiple realities and individual choice of method in solving a problem or accomplishing a task. The flaw in this design however is that there are situations wherein a degree of conformity is expected and â€Å"individual approaches† will not be acceptable. References Gordon, et al.   (1984, Aug/Sep). Educational Researcher. American Educational Research Association. Merrill, M.D. (1983). Component Display Theory. In C. Reigeluth (ed.), Instructional Design Theories and Models.   Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Associates. Merrill, M.D. (1994). Instructional Design Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Moore, D. M., & Braden, R. A. (1988, March).Prestige and influence in the field of educational technology. Performance & Instruction 21(2): 15-23. Smith & Ragan. (1999). Instructional Design (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Young, M. Wedman, J.M., Wedman, J.F., & Heller, M.O. (1987). A computer-prompted system for objective-driven instructional planning. Journal of Computer-Based Instruction, 14 (1), 31-34.