Kite Runner Redmption Free Essays

One of the principle subjects of the novel The Kite Runner Is reclamation. All through the novel, the principle character, Amir, looks for reclamation for his wrongdoings. Amir states in the primary part of the novel that he has a past of â€Å"unatoned sins. We will compose a custom article test on Kite Runner Redmption or on the other hand any comparable theme just for you Request Now † Throughout the novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini utilizes the accompanying images to communicate the subject of reclamation: The scar above Amirs lip, the sheep and the blue kite. The scar above Amirs lip speaks to the reclamation Amir accomplished by protecting Sohrab. Amir goes to Afghanistan to protect Sohrab, who is being abused by a Taliban head. The Taliban head ends up being an old foe from Amirs adolescence, Assef. Amir must battle Assef so as to leave with Sohrab. During the battle Amir is beaten ruthlessly until Sohrab shoots Assef with his slingshot. Amir is left with a scar over his correct lip, strikingly like the one Hassan had in the wake of having medical procedure for his congenital fissure. Toward the start of the novel, Amir watches Hassan get assaulted, however he didn't mediate. The blame from that day frequents him all through the novel. At a certain point, Amir even attempts to constrain Hassan to pound him, just as the main thing that could reclaim Amir was being beaten, yet Hassan doesn't and Amir is significantly more ridden with blame. When Rakim Khan calls amir, he says, â€Å"Come, This is an opportunity for you to be acceptable once more. † It is clear Rakim Khan comprehended the blame that Amir was feeling, and understood that Amir had been looking for recovery for his entire life. Khan new that protecting Sohrab was the main way Amir could really discover reclamation. The salvage of Sohrab, was the salvage of an honest, the salvage of a sheep. All through the novel, a reoccurring picture of a symbol of atonement speaks to a way to reclamation. Amir tells the peruser how during the Muslim occasion of Eid-Al-Ahda, the Mullah forfeits a sheep. The expression on the lamb’s face during the penance remains with Amir for an amazing remainder. At the point when Amir witnesses Asseff assault Hassan, he comments, â€Å"I got a brief look at his face. Saw the acquiescence in it. It was a look I had seen previously. It was the vibe of the lamb.† Again in the novel, Amir is helped to remember the sheep, when he witnesses Asseff misuse Sohrab. The connection between Hassan, Sohrab and the Lamb is their guiltlessness; Because Amir deceived an honest Hassan, he should spare a blameless to be reclaimed, Sohrab is this honest sheep. By closure the misuse of this metaphorical sheep, Amir achieves reclamation for his transgression. At long last, coming back with the blue kite was a road of recovery for Amir. Each winter, in Kabul, there was an enormous kite-battling competition. The competition was a serious deal to the individuals of Kabul. Amir and Hassan won the competition, yet so as to really be successful, Hassan needed to recover the blue kite so Amir could bring it home as a trophy. During the kite competition Amir states, â€Å"All I saw was the blue kite. All I smelled was triumph. Salvation. Recovery. † Specifically, reclamation according to Baba. Amir had expressed before in the novel how he thought Baba thought of him as feeble, however this was Amirs opportunity to be solid according to Baba, and end Amirs aching for Baba’s love. All in all, the salvage of Sohrab, the symbol of atonement and the blue kite speak to reclamation for Amir’s sins. Reclamation is a fundamental subject of the novel, and Khaled Hosseini utilizes the previously mentioned images to recount to the account of Amir’s journey for recovery. Amir’s mission makes one inquiry whether some of the time the delinquent, is additionally the person in question. As a simple kid, Amir double-crossed his companion, out of dread, out of weakness, and out of childishness, however he didn't realize that choice would frequent him for an amazing remainder. Did he truly merit the discipline come upon on him? Step by step instructions to refer to Kite Runner Redmption, Papers

Bull Fighting Essay -- essays research papers

Bull Fighting      The quick response of numerous non-Spanish individuals to bull battling is that it is debilitated, creature slaughtering, unmoral diversion. To numerous others around the world, however, bull battling is a game which includes fearlessness, aptitude, and power, in a battle among man and monster. This reason for this paper isn't to examine the moralities of bullfighting however, it is to give some data on a game which is adored by numerous individuals all through the world.      A bull battle, or corrida de toros, comprises of three bullfighters, and six matches, which each take around 20 minutes to finish. These battles occur in a bull battling field, or square de toros. The least experienced bullfighter will take the first and fourh matches, and the best bullfighter will battle in the third what's more, last matches.      The bullfighters are not the only one. They are joined by three banderilleros what's more, two picadores. The bullfighter wears a splendidly hued ensemble known as the suit of lights. His colleagues wear less gaudy ensembles.      The development from act to act in the bull-battle is partitioned by a trumpet impact. The main trumpet flags the paseo, or walk of the matadors. The second trumpet broadcasts the passage of the bull. The bullfighter first watches his boss partner play out certain goes with the yellow and fuchsia cape, all together to decide the bull's characteristics and state of mind, before assuming control over himself. Du...

Pro-social effects of the media Essay Example for Free

Genius social impacts of the media Essay One clarification of the genius social impacts of the media on conduct originates from Banduras Social Learning Theory. Banduras look into proposes that kids learn through watching a conduct, afterwards mirroring it if the desire for remuneration is high. For instance the kid needs to focus on a good example for instance observing a hero, at that point there should be maintenance of the data into the LTM, proliferation, so the youngster copies a similar kind of conduct, for example, helping other people, lastly the kid should be propelled to impersonate the conduct, for example, being a similar sexual orientation. The procedure of social learning works similarly for learning star social goes about as observed on TV as it accomplishes for learning hostile to social acts (vicarious support). Not at all like the portrayal of hostile to social acts, be that as it may, the delineation of expert social acts, (for example, liberality or aiding) is probably going to be as per set up social standards (e.g., the should be useful and liberal to other people). Accepting that these social standards have been disguised by the watcher, the impersonation of these demonstrations, in this manner, is probably going to be related with the desire for social support, thus the youngster is persuaded to rehash these activities in their own life. Moreover, Bandura would likewise propose that the expert social impacts of the media gets from complementary determinism whereby individuals who watch programs about helping individuals will warm up to individuals who watch comparative TV programs. A second clarification of how the media impacts expert social conduct originates from investigation into formative patterns. Ace social practices have been demonstrated to be dependent upon the improvement of star social abilities, for example, point of view taking, compassion and a significant level or good thinking which keep on creating through immaturity, which increment with age (Eisenberg, 1990). E.g., look into has indicated that little youngsters are less ready to perceive the passionate condition of others and are more uncertain of how to help. It has likewise been discovered that kids experience issues perceiving and seeing professional social messages, and might be less influenced by star social messages if these depictions are more mind boggling than the basic demonstrating of explicit conduct (Mares, 1996). One quality of media impacts on genius social conduct originates from further observational help from Woodward (1999). In their examination they found that US programs for pre-younger students had elevated levels of expert social substance: 77% of projects reviewed contained in any event one genius social exercise. This recommends there is more extensive scholastic believability for the impact media has on master social conduct. A further quality of LST originates from further experimental help gave by Mares and Woodward (2001). They found from their exploration that kids are most influenced when they can see accurate strides for positive conduct, for example, when somebody gives tokens. This could be on the grounds that they can recall solid acts superior to digest ones. This recommends there is more extensive scholastic believability for mirroring star social conduct. Besides, the clarifications into the media impacts on star social conduct is that there are down to earth applications. For instance, Johnston et al. Discovered that learning ace social conduct was best when there were follow up conversations. For instance, when Johnson demonstrated understudies a TV program in a study hall and joined by educator drove conversations understudies were all the more ready to help. This recommends utilizing SLT of media can improve the nature of people groups lives who are against social. At long last, the investigation into media consequences for expert social conduct is that it has high unwavering quality. The purpose behind this is on the grounds that the exploration is done in a research center investigation, where there is command over the IV and DV and most superfluous factors are decreased. This recommends on the off chance that the exploration was tried and re-tried, at that point similar outcomes would be accomplished. Be that as it may, one shortcoming of the SLT is that in light of the fact that the hypothesis is situated in examine from the research facility is it needs natural legitimacy. Huston (1983) contends that a few projects cultivate just restricted sorts of star social conduct that don't generally apply, all things considered. For the best impact stories need to delineate common ordinary thoughtfulness and helping and, after the program grown-ups in the childrens life need to talk about the program content with them and good example professional social conduct over the span of play. This proposes the discoveries from this exploration couldn't be applied to genuine circumstances. Another shortcoming of Johnstons inquire about is that there is conflicting proof gave by Rubenstein et al. (1982). They found that in an investigation of teenagers hospitalized for mental issues, found that present review conversation drove on diminished selflessness, perhaps on the grounds that the young people needed to take up a view that was in opposition to that held by grown-ups. In addition, the impacts of media on professional social conduct is that it is reductionist. The explanation behind this is on the grounds that different components should be included, for instance character and demeanor of the youngster and guardians. This proposes the examination is oversimplistic when clarifying helping conduct. A last shortcoming is that the exploration is socially explicit. The explanation behind this in light of the fact that most of the examination has been completed in the USA and subsequently the measures of master social conduct might be diverse to non-western social orders. This recommends the exploration can't be summed up to the entire populace.

Translation Errors in the English Version of Tourism Publications free essay sample

Albeit numerous travel industry productions have English interpretations blended between sections of Chinese, the nature of these deciphered writings isn't so fulfilling. A few postgraduates are regularly occupied with making an interpretation of Chinese into English; thusly, as an English educator, the creator thinks it is important to talk about the blunders in these interpretation works in order to grow great English taste among understudies. Concerning the mistakes in interpretation, there are semantic blunders and down to business mistakes. Phonetic blunders, abusing the language rule of English, spread such mistakes as spelling botches, subject-action word differences, etc. Phonetic mistakes are typically brought about by the translator’s semantic inadequacy. Likewise, every content isn't simply a phonetic wonder, however â€Å"must be found as far as correspondence work, as a unit implanted in a given circumstance, and as a major aspect of a more extensive socio-social background† (Hornby, 2001,69). Since interpretation is viewed as a movement of intercultural correspondence, if the interpreter disregards the move of the social and social circumstances, the exchange of realistic principles from his local language to the objective language will prompt different down to earth disappointments or blunders during the between social correspondence. We will compose a custom article test on Interpretation Errors in the English Version of Tourism Publications or then again any comparative subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page In this way, logical exchange is the primary driver of even minded disappointments or blunders, which can be grouped into two classifications: pragmalinguistic disappointment and sociopragmatic disappointment. Not quite the same as etymological mistakes, the businesslike disappointment or blunder adjusts to the language lead and can be identified uniquely in the specific situation. In interpretation, sober minded disappointments or blunders are normally credited to the obliviousness of the interpreter toward the aims of the source content sender and desires and shows of the objective perusers. Interpretation blunders happen when a specific articulation gets deficient with respect to the informative capacity it should accomplish. With respect to the English adaptation of the travel industry productions, the interpretation mistakes can be arranged into three classes: etymological interpretation blunders, practical interpretation mistakes and social interpretation blunders. 1. Etymological Errors A look at the English forms of these perfectly printed the travel industry productions will without a doubt make you stunned by the various semantic mistakes in them. Here the etymological blunders allude to close to the lexical and linguistic mistakes, including incorrectly spelled words, improper accentuation marks, abused words, and poorly developed sentences too, which are anything but difficult to be spotted. Lexical blunders spread spelling botches, improper accentuation marks, abused words and words collocations. Lexical blunders are expected to translator’s recklessness and numbness; in this way they can be diminished with no challenges. Syntactic blunders spread the not well organized sentences and the various linguistic structure structures that neglect to work appropriately, for example, subject-action word understanding mistakes, thing morphology blunders, and action word morphology mistakes and so on. An ungrammatical sentence will cost perusers more opportunity to distinguish than a lexical blunder. Simultaneously, sentence structure botches consistently bring about the ambiguity of the content. Sadly, linguistic blunders can be as often as possible found in the English adaptation of the travel industry distributions, as showed in the accompanying short passage: Example 1 Woodland assets is rich there with 120-odd plants, 600-odd herbs, consequently a characteristic professional flowerbeds. Spread over slopes all over, ever-green; In late-winter is yellow; In may like snow is white; In late harvest time is red; Like effortless lady in summer is five-leaved virtuous tree; In winter is red natural products. It is stunning that the short passage endures such a large number of mix-ups that it totally lost comprehensibility. The main sentence disregards the subject-action word understanding standard with the plural subject â€Å"resources† and the solitary action word â€Å"is†. Also, in like manner sense it is unmatchable between â€Å"forest assets † and â€Å"a regular herbal garden†. It is a lot of more regrettable that the accompanying sentences are so not well built that they are garbled and can't be recognized by any stretch of the imagination. 2. Down to earth Translation Errors Most of the travel industry productions are interpreted in exactly the same words and sentence for sentence. Hence, regardless of whether an interpretation is lexically and syntactically directly after cautious revision, it regularly endures businesslike interpretation blunders brought about by deficient answers for commonsense interpretation issues, for example, an absence of collector direction (which implies the interpreter deciphers the source content without considering the objective perusers). The interpreter needs to assess the way that a snippet of data that may be â€Å"trivial† to the source content beneficiary, due to his source-social foundation information, might be obscure to the objective content beneficiary on account of his objective social foundation information or bad habit versa† (Nord, 1991, 97). In the English rendition of the travel industry distributions, the realistic mistakes are generally activated by a lot of social terms and legitimate names, which frequently frustrate English-talking perusers from completely understanding the content. 2. Commonsense Translation Errors Caused by Cultural Terms Cultural terms, viewed as the vehicles of culture, allude to words and articulations impossible to miss to a specific culture, for example, primitive sovereigns and administrations, recorded figures, phrases, inferences, and so on. As the interpreter assumes that English perusers can comprehend the social terms worried in the travel industry produc tions, he gives no further clarifications or different references. Truly, the majority of English perusers, who do not have the foundation information about Chinese culture, can't value these interpretations. The down to business interpretation blunders are shown in the accompanying model: The cut stone is comprised of the focal pieces of two characters â€Å"Wind† and â€Å"Moon†. Accordingly the two characters are â€Å"without edges† or â€Å"boundless†. That implies wonderful scenes here are unfathomable. The Chinese variant, speaking to the uniqueness of Chinese culture, can be all around delighted in by Chinese perusers. This part is likewise considered as an incredible test for interpreters, for outsiders don’t know Chinese characters and can’t comprehend the social implications installed in them. In the English rendition, however the interpreter tries to speak to the first significance of the source message by including clarifications, he despite everything neglects to make outsiders get the social data inserted in the Chinese characters â€Å" †. In the wake of perusing the English adaptation, outsiders may comprehend that the perspective on this spot is exceptionally wonderful, yet may at present have no reasonable thought regarding the cut characters on the stone, for they can in no way, shape or form partner the â€Å"wind† and â€Å"moon† with â€Å"scenery† as Chinese individuals do. 2. Practical Errors Caused by Proper Names Pragmatic interpretation mistakes can likewise be brought about by the best possible names converted into Pinyin, which, to English perusers who think minimal about Chinese culture, would be close to a wreck of signs with no importance. For example: Example 3 There are numerous recorded and social relics in Rizhao. The R uins of Liangcheng and Donghaiyu are ordinary of the Longshan Culture over 4,000 years prior. The pictograph of the Dawenkou Culture found along the Lingyang River was one of the most established Chinese characters. The bluff engravings in Heshan were cut in the biggest Chinese characters, and have been enlisted in the Guiness Records. Dinglin Temple where the renowned abstract scholar and pundit Liu Xie, the writer of Wen Xin Diao Long, edit the Buddhist sacred texts is arranged inside the Fulai Mountain, known for its old culture. In the English form of 97 words (counting accentuation marks) seems 10 Pinyins, just 50% of which can be comprehended as names of urban communities, waterways, sanctuaries, mountains or the abstract pundit in the content. The rest half of the correct names are out of reach even to Chinese perusers, not to mention outside travelers. For instance, perusers can discover nothing in the content that can reveal insight into these two terms Donghaiyu and Liangcheng. The interpretation of appropriate names is a mind boggling issue that can’t be handled inside a short section. In any case, regarding the interpretation of appropriate names in the travel industry content, it appears that Pinyin alone doesn’t work productively. 3. Social Translation Errors Social interpretation mistakes are brought about by an insufficient choice as to multiplication or adjustment of culture-explicit shows. Affected by Chinese composing shows, the English renditions are constantly made in a generalized manner, which discovers its appearance in such angles as spread all substance and formal style, bombastic word usage, etc. Such generalized compositions, unusual to English perusers, consistently bring about misconception. 3. Social Translation Errors Caused by Coverall Contents and Formal Style Cultural interpretation mistakes can be activated by the coverall substance and formal composing style; in particular, the English variants are slanted to cover all the things, essential or pointless, in formal dialects. With nitty gritty and formal depiction on each part of the spot being referred to, extending from areas, atmosphere, transportations, food, offices, lodgings, to arrangements and financial issues, the English adaptations of the travel industry di stributions seem as though official reports lacking fascination. What's more, the generalized substance and the structure of the content can be anticipated even without perusing it. Such issues happen in pretty much every travel industry production gave by the authority bu

Homeschooled applicants

Homeschooled applicants Ive been promising an entry specifically for homeschooled applicants and other interested parties for a long time now; this is an early version of something that will eventually be posted as official content on the MIT Admissions homepage. That page will launch soon, and Id recommend bookmarking that page, and not this entry. But this should get the ball rolling a bit, I hope. MIT has a long history of admitting homeschooled students, and these students are successful and vibrant members of our community. Over the past 5-10 years, we have seen a surge in homeschooled applicants. Homeschooled applicants still make up less than 1% of our applicant pool, and homeschooled students corresponding still make up less than 1% of our student body, but these numbers are growing. These students come from urban, rural, and suburban neighborhoods; they have been schooled in the home and under the umbrella of larger communities; some have been granted a formal high school diploma, while others were not. Please note that we do not require a high school diploma or GED from our applicants. At MIT, we do not have separate requirements for homeschooled applicants. Homeschooled applicants, like all of our applicants, are considered within their context, which includes schooling choice, family situation, geographic, location, resources, opportunities, and challenges. However, we do have some tips for homeschooled students, based on successful applicants we have admitted in the past. One quality that we look for in all of our applicants is evidence of having taken initiative, showing an entrepreneurial spirit, taking full advantage of opportunities. Many of our admitted homeschooled applicants have really shined in this area. These students truly take advantage of their less constrained educational environment to take on exciting projects, go in depth in topics that excite them, create new opportunities for themseleves and others, and more. The vast majority of our admitted homeschool students have taken advantage of advanced classes outside the homeschool setting, such as through a local college or an online school such as EPGY. Transcripts of these courses, in addition to evaluation of the homeschooling portfolio, are very helpful. Some students will also take advantage of MITs OpenCourseWare. Most of our homeschooled students have taken advantage of extracurricular activities and community groups, such as community orchestras and theater, athletics groups, scouting, religious groups, volunteer work, work for pay, etc. Our homeschooled applicants, like all of our students, are active in their communities. Many (but certainly not all) of our homeschooled students have been active in summer programs. For some students, summer programs (see some recommended examples in this entry; some programs I have frequently seen in homeschooled applicants include CTY, TIP, PROMYS, MathCamp, RSI, Tanglewood, and Interlochen, among many others) are a great opportunity to work with other students from diverse backgrounds in a colloborative manner. Summer program mentors and job supervisors can also be great choices to write college recommendations. Extra recommendations can be especially helpful for many homeschooled applicants. We welcome a recommendation from a parent, but require at least three recommendations in total (usually a counselor and two teachers). We encourage you to submit additional recommendations (but dont submit more than 5 total recommendations) from those who know you well, such as coaches, mentors, job supervisors, clergy, etc. MIT has alumni volunteers called Educational Counselors throughout the world who conduct interviews on behalf of MIT Admissions. We strongly encourage all of our applicants to take advantage of the interview, if available. I hope this is somewhat helpful to those of you in the homeschool community. Im happy to take questions on this topic as well.

Hy Diaries - Free Essay Example

Case study 3. 1: HY DAIRIES, INC. 1. Apply your knowledge of stereotyping and social identity theory to explain what went wrong here. Stereotyping is the process of assigning traits to people on the basis of their membership in a social category. Stereotypes generally have some inaccuracies, some overestimation or underestimation of real differences, and some degree of accuracy. One problem with stereotyping is that stereotypes under certain conditions, such as the degree to which they interact with people in that group. The greatest concern is that stereotyping lays the foundation for prejudice that is unfounded negative emotions toward people belonging to a particular stereotyped group. Stereotyping could aslo be partly responsible for sexual harrasment that is the unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that detrimentally affects the work environment or leads to adverse job-related consequences for victims. Social identity theory explains the process of self-percpetion and social perception. The theory proposes that people develop their perceptions through personal identity and social identity. Personal identity includes the individul’s unique characteristic and experiences such as physical appearance, personality traits and special talents. Social identity refers to a person’s self-perception as memberships in various social groups. Social identity theory explains the dynamics of siocial perception such as how we perceive others. It is a comparative process,meaning that we define ourselves terms of our differences with people who belong to groups. People tend to homogenize others within social categories. Stereotypes developing from the grouping of traits. 2. What other perceptual error is apparent in this case study? The other perceptual error in this case study is the halo effect that can occurs when general impression of a person, usually based on one prominent characteristics, dissorts our perception of other characteristics of that person. If a supervisor who values punctuality notices that an employee is sometimes late for work, the supervisor might form a negative image of the employee and evaluate that person’s other traits unfavorably as well. The halo effect is most likely to occur when concrete information about the perceived target is missing or we are not sufficiently motivated to search for it. Instead, we use our general empression of the person to fill on the missing information. Not only that, the primacy effect also occur in this case study that is our tendency to quickly form an opinion of people on the basis of the first information we receive about them. This rapid perceptual organization and intrepretation occurs because we need to make sense of the world around us. The problem is that first impressions is particularly negative first impressions are difficult to change. After categorizing someone, we tend to select subsequent information that supports our first impression and scre en out information that opposes that impression. Next, the recency effect that occurs when the most recent information dominates our perceptions. This perceptual bias is most common when people especially those with limited experience are making an evaluation involving complex information. For instance, auditors must digest large volumes of information in their judgements about financial documents and the most recent information received prior to the decision tends to get weighted more heavily than information received at the beginning of the audit. Similarly, when supervisors evaluate the performance of employees over the previous year the most recent performance information dominates the evaluation because it is the most easily recalled. Lastly is false-consensus effect or sometimes called the similar-to-me effect, the false-consensus effect is a widely observed bias in which we overestimate the extent to which others have beliefs and characteristics similar to our own. Empl oyees who are thinking of quitting their jobs believe that a large percentage of their co-workers are also thinking about quitting. This bias occurs to some extent because we associate with others who are similar to us, and we selectively remember information that is consistent with our own views. We also believe every one does it to einforce our self-concept regarding behaviors that do not have a positive image . 3. What can organizations do to minimize misperceptions in these types of situations? For this situation, one of the most obvious and widely practiced ways to reduce perceptual biases is by knowing that they exist such as diversity awareness training tries to minimize discrimination by making people aware of systematic discrimination as well as prejudices that occur through stereotyping that attempts to dispel myths about people from various cultural and demographic groups. It can reduce these biases to some extent by making people more mindful of their thought and acti on. The other ways to minimize misperceptions is by improving self-awareness that more powerful way to minimize perceptual biases is to help people become more aware of biases in their own decisions and behavior. We need to understand our beliefs, values and attitudes to be more open-minded and nonjudgmental toward others. Self-awareness is equally important in other ways. Not only that, they also can be use the ways of meaningful interaction that people who interact with each other will be less prejudiced or perceptually biased against each other. Meaningful interaction might occur in many of the international volunteering activities and does more than reduce our reliance on stereotypes. It also potentially improves empathy towards others that is extent to which we understand and are sensitive to the feelings, thoughts and situations of others.

Edward Cecil Sumner Father Of Black Psychology - 1241 Words

hen spoken of, Francis Cecil Sumner is considered the ‘First’. Sumner was the first African American male psychologist, he was called Father of Black Psychology. Despite the odds Francis Sumner faced, he did what many felt was impossible to do. Sumner not only did the unthinkable, but he proved that no matter who you are, what you are, or where you come from you decide your destiny. Sumner is known to many as the ‘Father of Black Psychology’. Sumner was born in a segregated community, didn’t have an education pass junior high, and was looked down upon because he was black. Francis Cecil Sumner was born on December 7, 1985 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Too many Sumner was known as the ‘Father of Black Psychologist’ because he was the first black male to receive his doctoral in psychology. Sumner completed this degree at Clark University at Massachusetts in the year of 1920. A committed scholar regarding psychology, languages, and religion, Fran cis assisted with bettering education opportunities for African Americans for the reason that he was colored† (â€Å"Francis Cecil Sumner†). As a child Sumner attended elementary school and three different States Plainfield, New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Norfolk, Virginia. Sumner’s father was unappeased with the caliber of prep school offered to African youth in the restricted schools available to coloreds (Francis Sumner, Max Meenes). Sumner’s father who was self-educated decided to home-school his son from elementary up to junior high.

Epic of Beowulf Essay - 1531 Words

Beowulf Word has traveled across the seas to Geatland of a great disturbance in Heorot. A threatening creature has befallen on Hrothgar, King of the Danes, and his people. In no time, a Geat by the name of Beowulf arrives at Heorot. However, why would one man, an unpopular man at that, not known of possessing any strength or talent, travel a great distance to offer his services to the Danes? Textual evidence provides that Beowulf, although he proves himself brave and strong, expresses his ego through boasting of his epic deeds, illuminating on his strength and wit. In addition to feeding his ego, it can be proved that Beowulf is out to make a legend of himself since he comes from a broken lineage, and in the time of the Danes and†¦show more content†¦A young character by the name of Unferth challenges Beowulf and his boasts. It begins with Unferth, at the feet of the King, in response to a challenge, â€Å"Are you the Beowulf who took on Breca in a swimming match on the open sea, risking the water just to prove that you could win?† (p.43, lines 504-508). This statement not only challenges Beowulf, but also goes on to suggest that Beowulf is indeed a boaster (â€Å"risking the water just to prove that you could win?†). Beowulf goes on to confirm his boastfulness: â€Å"†¦when the going was heavy in those high waves, I was the strongest swimmer of all,† (p.43, lines 533-534). To top it all off, Beowulf insults Unferth and makes him out to be a coward, which helps Beowulf portray his strength and skills even further, which is to his advantage and thus satisfying his goal more. Now I cannot recall any fight you entered, Unferth, that bears comparison. I don’t boast when I say that neither you nor Breca were ever much celebrated for swordsmanship or for facing danger on the field of battle. You killed your own kith and kin, so for all your cleverness and quick tongue, you will suffer damnation in the depths of hell. The fact is, Unferth, if you were truly as keen or courageous as you claim to be Grendel would never have got away with such unchecked atrocity, attacks on your king, havoc in Heorot and horrors everywhere†¦But he will find me different. I will show him how Geats shape to kill, (p. 44-45,Show MoreRelatedBeowulf : The Epic Of Beowulf1027 Words   |  5 Pages To begin, Beowulf the poem has a unknown author, Beowulf is an epic poem. In Beowulf he is challenged by the murderous monster Grendel, Grendel is eating and slaughtering Hrothgar the King of the Danes men and people, the king needs Beowulf s help in defeating Grendel, Beowul f ends up killing the monster and is now tormented by the monster s mother that is much larger, she is no match for Beowulf and he kills her as well, lastly it is Beowulf’s last battle after he has been king of Geatland forRead MoreThe Epic Of Beowulf By Beowulf2577 Words   |  11 Pagesoriginal aspects of these different religions. Due to the construction of this Beowulf, students and professors are able to study and get a true understanding of a pagans’ demeanor and how life evolves through their eyes. Throughout the epic poem Beowulf, paganism is exemplified as this epic hero falls victim to fate while embarking on his journey through life fighting monsters and chasing after his fame. To begin with, Beowulf was composed in Old English by an anonymous writer between the sixth and seventhRead MoreThe Epic of Beowulf733 Words   |  3 PagesBeowulf is the oldest anglo-saxon poem written in English. The poem describes the heroic deeds of Beowulf in his fight against monsters. Even if the events narrated in the poem take place in Denmark, the poem was transmitted by oral language between the anglo-saxon even 200 years after its creation. Anglo-saxons did not consider themselves british, but vikings, and their heroes were always from Scandinavia. The author of Beowulf is anonymous. The original poem was written on sheep tanned leatherRead MoreBeowulf as Epic823 Words   |  4 PagesWhat makes an epic? Is Beowulf an epic? ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · What is an epic poem, and how does it differ from other kinds of poetry or storytelling? How have epic poems traditionally been transmitted from generation to generation? How do tellers remember these long and complicated stories? According to Robert Harris’s Glossary of Literary Terms, he defines an epic as the following: Epic. An extended narrative poem recounting actions, travels, adventures, and heroic episodes and written in a high style (withRead More Epic of Beowulf Essay - Beowulf as Epic Hero844 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf as Epic Hero Epic heroes usually exemplify the character traits most admired in their societies, and Beowulf is no exception.   Beowulf is set in the Anglo-Saxon society, a time when war was rampant among the many peoples trying to take over the different kingdoms of England.   In this dangerous, violent time people lived in constant peril and jeopardy.   These conditions only allowed people of great bravery to survive and men of outstanding courage were admired the populous.   TheseRead MoreThe Epic Of Beowulf As An Epic Hero1519 Words   |  7 Pageswhisked away following a journey, you have most likely read an epic. An epic by definition is â€Å"a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation†. Every epic has a main character that undergoes the same archetypal journey as all other heroes, an epic hero. There are specific qualities one must have to be considered an epic hero. Each epic hero possesses superhuman strength, displays a strong senseRead MoreComparing Beowulf And The Epic Of Beowulf937 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Roman Empire. In the story Beowulf, his actions portray him, indeed be an epic hero. Both Christianity and Paganism are both portrayed throughout the epic Beowulf. Beowulf frequently speaks of God throughout the story, while there are also many Pagan elements that are evident throughout the story as well. In addition, It s hard to ignore the Christian and Pagan elements in Beowulf. These types of elements are what define the heroic warrior in the epic Beowulf(Vengeance the Pagan and ChristianRead MoreThe Epic Of Beowulf As An Epic Hero711 Words   |  3 Pagesthan the writer. These â€Å"epic heros† are protagonists that fulfill their potential of greatness through using their bravery, strength and humility for good. The near ancient tale of Beowulf is a classic example of an epic story that contains an epic hero. In this tale Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, has been terrorized by a beast known as Grendel. This beast has been murdering the king’s people and no one has come close to stopping this killer. A Geat warrior named Beowulf hears of the King’s predicamentRead MoreThe Epic : An Analysis Of The Epic Of Beowulf701 Words   |  3 PagesBeowulf is one of the longest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem. The epic takes place in the sixth century in what is now Denmark and Sweden. The poem opens with Hrothgar, whose successful rule is signified by a glorious mead-hall called Heorot. For 12 years, a massive man-like ogre named Grendel, a descendant of Cain, has raided Heorot and killed the kings warriors. Beowulf, a young warrior from Geatland (Sweden), comes to Hrothgar’s aid, bringing 14 of his best men with him. At a feast before the endRead MoreBeowulf : An Epic Hero930 Words   |  4 Pages The story of Beowulf shows its reader many characteristics of why this Anglo-Saxon poem is an epic. First of all, Beowulf is a warrior of epic renown by the time he formally introduces himself in the poem. Next, Beowulf is the warrior that many strive to be in life. In addition, Beowulf finds himself tackling many quests that involve dangerous beasts, or as he might call them, demons. The next quality shown by Beowulf is his bravery and honor. The reader is able to easily identify this characteristic

Improving Your Critical Thinking Writing

The importance of critical thinking in academic work can hardly be overestimated. On the one hand, assignments on critical thinking constitute a considerable part of any curriculum. On the other hand, even when an assignment does not belong to this category, you are still expected to exercise your critical thinking abilities to successfully analyze information sources, make correct assumptions, take informed decisions and efficiently work with information. It means that improving your critical thinking will have a much broader use than you might think. What Is Critical Thinking? Thinking about the subject matter critically means perceiving the reading material with open and enquiring mind, not accepting anything at face value, being unbiased in your judgment and drawing objective conclusions as to whether the presented points of view are persuasive and trustworthy, based on the received information. The most important features of good critical writing are as follows: refusal to accept the conclusions of the author unless they are backed by evidence, statistics or sound and logical reasoning. In other words, you doubt everything you read and consider everything that isn’t supported by facts to be false or at least unreliable; ability to clearly present the reasons why conclusions and arguments of another author or authors should be accepted or rejected. In other words, you should show the line of reasoning behind your evaluation of the written work in questions; presentation of your own arguments and conclusions that shows that your line of reasoning is feasible;/li understanding that your own conclusions, evidence and arguments have limitations. What Does It Mean to Be Thinking Critically? Successful critical thinking requires a set of skills or, rather, methods of dealing with problems. All of them are trainable, so the next time you write an essay, do your best to exercise these approaches to improve your performance in the long run: Understanding the connections between ideas, concepts, facts and statistical data. When you read or hear something, you don’t simply accept the explanations given by the author but analyze what you read or hear and try to draw your own picture, creating links between ideas and facts that the author may have omitted. Ability to evaluate the argumentation of others and build your own. By analyzing the logical soundness of arguments, you should be able to make an informed decision as to whether they are to be trusted or taken with a grain of salt. Systematic and consistent approach to problem solving. Critical thinking presupposes objective, analytical approach to dealing with problems. When you encounter an issue, you study the situation carefully, evaluate different points of view and their validity and draw a conclusion only after weighing all pros and cons. Instinct, intuition and preconceived assumptions don’t come into play at all. Ability to detect any inconsistencies and mistakes in reasoning. The author may be trying to confuse you intentionally, following his own agenda, or accidentally, through genuine errors in reasoning. Either way, you should be able to find weak spots and explain what is wrong with them. Difference between Critical and Descriptive Writing One of the main problems students experience when dealing with critical thinking writing is too vague understanding of the difference between it and descriptive writing. Many students have trouble expressing their own thoughts, their agreement or especially disagreement with the original text. That is why assignments on critical evaluation of a text all too often turn into mere descriptions. Nevertheless, every critical paper is partially descriptive – a part of a critical paper is supposed to be dedicated to setting the background for your critical evaluation. The problem is that it is all too easy to let this part bloat and eat up most of your word limit. Therefore, when engaged in critical writing you should steer yourself in the right direction using following methods: evaluate the quality of proofs and arguments used in the text; mark the most important positive and negative aspects of the writer’s reasoning you can comment upon; define if they are relevant to the debate you are going to lead in your assignment; decide what would be the best way to introduce them into your own argumentation. When you try to decide on the balance between the descriptive and the critical parts of your paper, try introducing only things that are absolutely relevant. It means that if you introduce something that you believe is relevant to your line of reasoning, you should explain to the reader why it is relevant. You may think that it is only going to unnecessarily inflate the word count, but in truth, its effects will be diametrically opposite. On the one hand, it will make you think twice before introducing any descriptions – if you can’t explain why it is relevant, perhaps it isn’t relevant at all. On the other hand, by making a point of explaining how this piece of evidence contributes to your argument, you improve the critical part of your writing on the spot. The Structure of Critical Thinking Writing Critical writing doesn’t have any clear-cut, pre-determined structure – it is very dependent on the format of your particular assignment, its size and the subject matter. However, in most cases its structure can be boiled down to a more or less stable one: Introduction. Here you point out the basics of your topic. You should present the issue, explain why it is important, in what context it exists and what its potential consequences are. The introduction should close with a fragment outlining the following paper. Analysis. Define the concepts you are going to use and the method of analysis you are about to employ. Analysis is based on the examination of evidence you have at your disposal, breaking it down into constituent elements, defining their qualities and meanings and then reconstitution of these elements into a new whole. You should reconnect proofs scattered across the subject matter in a way that would prove your point of view. Remember, however, that healthy skepticism is the basis of critical thinking – question everything and don’t use it as a stepping stone for your reasoning unless you are sure you can prove it. Considering other viewpoints. Another important aspect of critical thinking is that you should never consider any perspective to be self-evident, however obvious it may seem to you. Neither should you expect it from your readers. Be ready to study the subject matter from different viewpoints, especially the ones that wildly contradict your own. Not only can other perspectives open up new vistas for deeper analysis, but it is also possible to uncover the weaker points of your own reasoning and patch them up at an early stage. If you know about points of view different from your own, study them. If there is any literature promoting these points of view, make sure to read or at least look through it. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PsLktb7HTA Studying the contexts. Study the contexts in which the subject matter exists and single out the assumptions that are based on these contexts. Interpretation of the same text may differ greatly depending on cultural, religious and ideological biases, as well as your own experiences and beliefs. During this stage of your work, you are supposed to single out the influence contexts exercise over the perception of the subject matter, so that your analysis can be more objective and independent. Defining your own point of view. Expressing your own position may be either put into a separate section of the paper or spread across its entire body. In the first case, you do things part by part and prepare the foundation for your own viewpoint until that moment. In the second case, you introduce your own voice as a member of a discussion between different viewpoints whenever you discuss these conflicting perspectives. Both approaches have their pros and cons. The first one allows you to keep your entire line of reasoning tightly in one place. The second one allows for a more dynamic debate between different points of view. Conclusion. Just like in any other type of academic writing, you should recount what you’ve found out in the course of your work and point out the importance of the results of your research. Bring all the groundwork you’ve done to a logical conclusion and accentuate the importance of your work. If it is appropriate and applicable, you may provide a short outline of further possible study on the subject. A Simple Algorithm to Set You Thinking Critically If you have trouble evaluating an idea, piece of writing or something else, try using this simple sequence of 6 questions – it will help you view every assertion in context and get a broader perspective. Who wrote it? Is the identity of the author relevant in this case? What is the position of the author? What is his relationship with the issue in question? Is he an authority on the subject? What was written? When boiled down to a minimum, what exactly was said? Did the author mention all the facts pertaining to the problem? Did he omit anything? Was what he said presented as a fact or an opinion? Where was it written? What is the source of the subject matter (book, speech, article, etc.)? What is its intended audience? When was it written? Is the time of writing relevant? Was the item written before, after or during an important event? Why was it written? What are the writer’s declared purposes? May he/she have another, hidden agenda? Does he/she try to make the situation (concept, idea, person) look in a certain light? How was it written? Does the author’s language, intonation, choice of words feel affected, emotional, sarcastic, angry or colored in any other way? Was it written in an obscure or cryptic manner? Was this way of writing intentional or not? Source: http://www.knowledgereform.com/ Following these simple steps you will be able to start putting the subject matter apart and notice previously unseen connections between ideas, circumstances and the personality of the author. Academic Voice for Critical Thinking Writing Finding an academic voice that would be your own while possessing a certain predetermined set of qualities is probably more important in critical thinking writing than in any other line of academic work. The problem is, this kind of work requires careful balance – it is all too easy to overdo things and pass as bitterly cynical rather than healthily skeptical, for example. Be skeptical but not cynical. There is a difference between refusing to accept any judgment at face value and gleefully looking for (and finding) ulterior motives in any assertion made by the author. Back up your point of view. When you express an opinion, make sure to back it with facts, evidence and logical reasoning. Your professor is not so much interested in your opinion as in how exactly you’ve reached your conclusions. Be confident but not impertinent. Opposing and taking apart someone else’s opinions and reasoning requires assertiveness, but make sure you do it in a polite and respectful manner. Be unbiased. When you analyze someone else’s writing, be sure to evaluate both its weak and strong points fairly. It doesn’t matter whether you agree with what is said or not, like the author or not, want to disprove what is said or not. Be fair and don’t omit relevant information to make your own reasoning or that of the author look in a more or less favorable light. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBPseiuLI8o Try to Imagine Yourself in Your Reader’s Shoes Try to imagine what it would be like for a stranger who doesn’t share your viewpoint to read your paper. Why should he/she believe you? Read your own writing just as critically as you read that of others. It can help you find logical gaps, faulty reasoning and just plain mistakes. If possible, ask somebody else to read your paper as well, just make sure to ask for as harsh critique as possible. In the long run, our own critical thinking is only as good as it is ready to withstand the critical thinking of others.

Cultural Impact Of The Columbian Exchange - 1153 Words

The Columbian Exchange brought direct changed that modified the cultural characteristics of many people. Though religion was a weapon of domination, it was food that created a great cultural impact. This paper will focus on the cultural impact that food had in the world, and how much Native American food contributed to the economy and culture of the entire planet. The Columbian Exchange started after Christopher Columbus’ â€Å"discovery† in 1942 of a New World. This discovery lent to the entire Western world to gain and to grow with years of expansion and discovery. The Columbian Exchange was a worldwide phenomenon that transfer plants, animals, technology, ideas and specially culture from Europe to America and vice versa. This exchange will†¦show more content†¦When La Pinta, La Nina, and La Santa Maria left Portugal for their voyage, it was expected to arrive to their destination in ninety days. They were looking for India and they found a new World. As they arrive to a small island, Columbus, in the name of the Kingdom of Spain, claimed the land and called it San Salvador. The moment that the Spaniards stepped in San Salvador the biggest cultural shock in history started. Culture is define in the Cambridge Dictionary as â€Å"the way of life of a particular people esp. a showing their ordinary behavior and habits, their attitudes toward each other, and their moral and religious beliefs†. When Columbus and his crew landed in America there was a â€Å"processes of change in artifacts, customs, and beliefs that result from the contact of two or more cultures† or acculturation as the Encyclopedia Britannica defines it. Though the changes were dramatic and many times cruel, the result of this exchange was the birth of a new culture. Spain stablished its dominance over what is now Latin America. Spanish influence expanded from the South of the now, United States to the most Southern tip of the Continent in Chile and Argentina. Many of the changes were brought to America through military conquest and political control. The Spanish Empire dominated the world for centuries. It was said that the sun never set inShow MoreRelatedThe Cultural Impacts Of The Columbian Exchange775 Words   |  4 PagesThe Columbian Exchange By definition, the Columbian Exchange is described as the transatlantic flow of goods, people, and diseases, beginning with Christopher Columbus’s voyages and discovery of the New World in 1492. (Give Me Liberty!) This interpretation, however, does not give this event the acknowledgement it deserves, as the effects of this complex transaction made a significant impact of the modern history of the world. It completely shaped the world humans live in today, from the languagesRead MoreThe Positive Effects Of The Columbian Exchange1643 Words   |  7 PagesThe term â€Å"Columbian Exchange† refers to the massive transfer of life between the Afro-Eurasian and American hemispheres that was precipitated by Columbus’ voyage to the New World . It was known as the widespread interchange of plants, animals, diseases, culture, human populations and technology between Europe and the Americas. After Columbus’ arrival to the Americas, the plant, animal and bacterial l ife began to mix between the Americas, which was also referred to as the â€Å"New World† and Europe,Read MoreWhat Was The Columbian Exchange? Essay1618 Words   |  7 Pagesresult of this was The Columbian Exchange in which there was a large trade of animals, plants, technology, culture, slaves, diseases, and even new religions. This exchange effected the way Europeans, Americans, Asians, and Africans lived their daily lives. The Columbian exchange was by far one of the most paramount events in the history of world technology, agriculture, culture, and ecology. In this research paper the following will be answered: What is the Columbian Exchange? Plants and animals transportedRead MoreThe Effects of Christopher Columbus Essay794 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effects of Christopher Columbus In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the new world; the Native Americans lives were altered through the introduction of the Columbian Exchange, Cultural changes and loss of their homeland. Columbuss discovery of the new world sparked colonization of the Americas. There was an ample amount of vast, arable land thus creating economic opportunity for the wealthy and the common-man. The people longing for this opportunity intruded on the Native Americans landRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On The World1262 Words   |  6 PagesThe impact that globalization provided to the world was a positive effect that expanded the influences from one country to another. Globalization is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture. Similarities on how national markets established themselves in other countries which increases not only international trade but also cultural exchange. This increases cultural trade because it gives countries the abilityRead MorePositive Impact Of Christopher Columbus s Discoveries1247 Words   |  5 Pages Positive Impact of Christopher Columbus’s Discoveries The world is a better place because of Christopher Columbus’ important discoveries in the New World. His explorations resulted in the vast expansion of property for Europe, the exchange of goods and cultures between countries and a change in the worldview of geography. Columbus’s explorations were the catalyst for unprecedented trade known as the Columbian Exchange, which started the exchange of goods and ideas that would last for centuriesRead MorePositive Impact Of Christopher Columbus Discoveries1249 Words   |  5 PagesPositive Impact of Christopher Columbus’ Discoveries The world is a better place because of Christopher Columbus’ important discoveries in the New World. His explorations resulted in the vast expansion of property for Europe, the exchange of goods and cultures between countries and a change in the worldview of geography. Columbus’s explorations were the catalyst for unprecedented trade known as the Columbian Exchange, which started the exchange of goods and ideas that would last for centuriesRead MoreThe Age Of Exploration : John Winthrop1546 Words   |  7 Pagesarrival of Europeans brought the ideas of conquest and greed, rather than cultural diffusion and peace between the newly discovered Empires and the Old World. Conquistadors killed and ravaged everything in their path to find gold and glory, having no opinion of the natives, and leading to ideals showcased in the quotes of the first Governor of Massachusetts, John Winthrop. The Age of Exploration ultimately had a more negative impact on the New World because of the invasion of European plantlife, the spreadRead MoreChristopher Columbus Hero Or Villain1658 Words   |  7 Pagesinhabited by native people, who were used by the Spaniards to help navigate and understand the landscape of the islands and also as workers to find gold. Columbus has a mixed legacy because he had positive and negative attributes; he made the Columbian Exchange, which increased the amount of plant and animal species in the New World, and is an important explorer in American history, but also began the start of the African slave trade and caused population devastation due to slavery and diseases inRead MoreA Fundamental Rule Of Networks1093 Words   |  5 Pagesthat goods inevitably come with ideas and cultural practices attached to them. They have the ability to enter any cultural environment and change it completely. In this chapter Morillo divides the commodities into groups, and the three groups of commodities that I am going to discuss include â€Å" The Columb ian Exchange†, â€Å"High value luxury goods † and â€Å"Human Commodities(slave trade)† The Columbian Exchange occurred when Columbus came to the Americas.The exchange involved a transaction between the American

Why Africa Is the Poorest Continent Free Essays

Africa: The Poorest Continent in the World By Haile Hamlett You have just been kidnapped and the war lord has gotten you so addicted to drugs you’ll do anything for him to get them. Or you can’t go to school because you have to stay home and take care of your siblings because you parents died of AIDS. This is just some of the things the citizens of the poorest continent in the world go through every day. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Africa Is the Poorest Continent or any similar topic only for you Order Now Thirty six percentof people in Africa are living on less than a dollar a day. Sixty nine percent of the population in Africa is living with HIV. Another very overlooked reason is that there isn’t enough clean wate r. Those are just a few of the reasons that Africa has become the poorest continent in the world. The education in Africa is very poor, which leads to many of the problems in Africa. Only 52% of kids are enrolled in primary education and the percent goes down as they get older. The largest reason for poor education in Africa is because there isn’t many places fit to be a school or people to employ as teachers. Most people who do receive an education are in big cities or go overseas to get their education; people who live in rural areas find it harder to get a proper education. The poor education leads to issues finding jobs that could provide more money. If there was a better educational system there would be more job opportunities and more money being offered. Out of the estimated 31. 6 people who have AIDS/HIV worldwide, 21. 6 million of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa. One main reason it’s so high in Africa is because it’s transmitted more often. This is because people don’t have enough money to get the medication they need, and have kids or pass it on, therefore infecting yet another person. Of course, AIDS isn’t caused by poverty itself, but caused by HIV. But poverty can be the reason that could make somebody more eligible to get it. Poverty can make it hard for people to get information on AIDS/HIV or how to properly prevent it. Also when you don’t have the money you can’t get tested so you could be living with HIV and not even know it. ______ has reported that about one billion people in Africa don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. Without water you cannot grow crops which could help you feed your family or you could sell them for money to get other necessities. Without water you cannot stay hydrated while working tedious hours in the fields or out hunting. Often the nearest water source is miles away and you have to bring a jug and fill it with, often dirty, water, and carry it back to where you live. The water can create a healthier place and help slow down the spread of diseases. Although Africa is the poorest continent it could be considered â€Å"rich† with all the natural resources that can be found throughout Africa. Africa has a lot of natural resources including oil, diamonds, gold, coal, petroleum, and tropical fruits, and because its population is so spread out many of them have not even been touched. Africa is also rich with culture, even though many of the people are below poverty line they still find a way to have fun and live life. Africa may be poor in some ways but is rich in ways that can’t be taken from them. How to cite Why Africa Is the Poorest Continent, Essay examples

Leadership and Organizational Behavio

Question: Discuss about the Leadership and Organizational Behavior. Answer: Introduction The organizational effectiveness is an important part of the organizational behavior that is required to ensure the efficient functioning of the internal organizational operations. This assessment discusses the key components of the organizational effectiveness including open system perspective, stakeholder relations, learning perspective, and high performance working practices addressed by the organization of Wal-Mart to improve the organizational internal functioning (Champoux, 2010). Components of Organizational Effectiveness Learning Perspectives- Wal-Mart is a learning organization where the learning perspectives, such as training and development programs, seminars, and learning programs are important for improving the knowledge and learning experiences of the working staffs. The senior management at Wal-Mart provides a good learning environment including the adequate training and skills development through expert trainers and coaching staff, good supervision and learning from the senior team members support to assist in improving the skills, relevant job knowledge, values and abilities as well as in resolving the grievances and dissatisfaction conflicts among the staff members. At Wal-Mart, a pleasant and supporting learning environment is rendered to its employees for their skills development as well as job satisfaction that may lead to the improved employees performances and productivity outcomes. The new hire employees training program at Wal-Mart includes videos and information about the foundation and working of the company for providing the general and specific knowledge to the employees about the companys culture and expectations associated with this culture (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2012). The senior management and team leaders give directions for following principles, such as learn from the past, listen to colleagues and customers, to learn about the customers needs and preferences, learn from past, innovation and risk-taking, have clear goals and values, agree when you stand, employ the right people, admit your mistake, and enjoy while working are such fundamental principles that assists in creating a good learning and supporting environment to the working staffs at Wal-Mart store chains in Canada. The organizational learning theory by Argrys and Schon (1996) identifies the three levels of learning including single loop learning, double loop learning, and Deuterolearning for improving the learning processes and learning cultural understanding at all levels at organization. For ex- single loop learning is based on feedbacks or productivity outcomes in which an effective strategy is developed/ modified in response to unexpected productivity outcomes/results. E.g. sales falls, the marketing manager is required to investigate the root cause and tweak the strategy to bring back the sales on track. The double loop learning provides the learning to change in strategy through modifying the entire marketing or sales process after incorporate significant changes to values, strategies, and assumptions to create more efficient learning environment in order to achieve the expected results. The deuterolearning involves improving the learning processes and systems itself as it is composed of the behavioral and structural components to determine how the learning takes place within the organization. This theory could be applied to the Wall-mart retail stores in Canada to improve the learning processes, systems, and environment within the organization (Jones and Mathew, 2008). Another theory, cognitive learning theory promotes the knowledge management and information sharing system practices to create a leaning environment to all employees. This theory explains the knowledge, understanding, ideas, thoughts, perceptions, and interpretation of the employees about themselves and the environment. This theory defines learning as the outcomes of the deliberate thinking on a cognitive problem or situation based on the facts, findings, and responses in an objective and oriented manner. This theory explains that the employees learn the objects, events, and responses from the environment depending upon the meaning to the stimuli. This theory could be used at Wal-Mart stores to improve the cognitive knowledge, learning attitude, and experiences of the workforce from the environment so that they could deliver the effective customer service. Stakeholder Relationship This is another important component that is majorly responsible for the organizational effectiveness of Wal-Mart. This is an indispensable part of the organizational planning that aims to achieve the good productivity outcomes by improving and maintaining the healthy working relationships with the stakeholders. Wall-Mart is one of the leading retailing stores chains in the world that works in accordance with the stakeholder theory by putting the stakeholders needs, interests, and expectations at front. The stakeholder relationships could be achieved through a long-term commitment to a structured process by focusing on identifying and understanding the needs and interests of the stakeholders, managing their expectations, monitoring the efficiency of the stakeholder engagement activities, and continuous review of the stakeholder community. It is also necessary for the firm to treat ethically with all its stakeholders by considering their needs, interests, and expectations while impleme nting the organizational planning and strategy (Chance, 2013). According to a stakeholder theory by Edward Freeman (1984), who emphasized the importance of stakeholder relationship approach in the organizations. This theory promotes good stakeholder relationships in order to attain the desired productivity and good perforce results. According to Freeman, the stakeholders relationship could be developed and maintained within the organization of Wal-Mart to develop the stakeholders competences. Along with this, the stakeholders competences could be achieved and maintained by making commitment to monitor the stakeholders needs and interests, develop the strategies to deal with the stakeholders and their concerns effectively, categorize the stakeholders needs and interests into manageable segments, and ensure good match between the organization functions and stakeholders needs, interest, and expectations. According to another stakeholder relationship approach by Clarkson (1995), the stakeholders participation in the team meetings and organizational decision-making is important for the stakeholders interests and satisfaction as well as long-term survival of the organization. This theory could be applied to Wal-Mart store chains to protect the stakeholders interests, expectations as well as working well their rights, responsibilities, and objectives ethically. Another stakeholder approach by Botan and Hazelton (1989) signifies the value of an on-going stakeholder engagement via two-way and dialogic symmetrical communication by inviting the stakeholders in the organizational decision-making process (Griffin and Moorhead, 2013). According to this, the stakeholder relationship management could be maintained at Wal-Mart organization by involving the stakeholders participation and consistent communication for consultation, measurement, auditing, and reporting with them that may improve the o rganizational productivity by improving their performance. Noland and Phillips (2010) identifies two recent trends in the stakeholder relationship-Habermasians (moral conversation by ensuring the pleasant conditions of communication where the ethical communication to be held by avoiding corrupted or unethical practices, such as power difference and strategic motivations) and ethical strategist (improving the stakeholders engagement in an ethical way). Conclusion From the above studies, it can be concluded that the learning practices, such as training and learning programs, e-studies, and senior management support are important for improving their skills, knowledge, and work experiences of the working staffs at Wall-mart store chains. The theories related to the stakeholders relationship approach will be significant for the organization for enhancing the corporate image as well as productivity outcomes of the company by meeting the needs, interests, and expectations of the stakeholders. References Champoux, E. J. (2010). Organizational Behavior: Integrating Individuals, Groups, and Organizations. UK: Rout Ledge Publication. Chance, P. (2013). Introduction to Educational Leadership and Organizational Behavior. UK: Rout Ledge Publication. Griffin, R. and Moorhead, G. (2013). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations. Canada: Cengage Learning. Hellriegel, D. and Slocum, J. W. (2012). Organizational Behavior. Canada: Cengage Learning. Jones, G. R. and Mathew, M. (2008). Organizational Theory, Design and Change. Canada: Pearson Education Inc.

Mary Crow Dog - Lakota Women Essays - American Indian Movement

Mary Crow Dog - Lakota Women Obinna Nwadike Native American History During the American Indian Movement, many Native Americans tribes came together as a unit and fought against the injustices that were thrust upon them by American governmental polices. The fact that many Native people were whitemanized through Christianity and other things that such as boarding school played a role in shaping Native peoples identity. However, the involvement in the American Indian Movement shaped the identity of Mary Crow Dog by making her accept who she was an Indian woman, and by making her more willing to fight for the rights of Native Americans. Before joining the American Indian Movement, Mary Crow Dog was forced into boarding school and she questioned her identity many times. For instance, she said that as a young girl she wanted to know who she was because her skin was very light. Because of this she wanted a to lay out in the sun so that she could become a real skin Indian. She questioned her Indian identity because her father was white and also because she was a iyeska. This meaning a half blood Indian and as a result she was looked down upon by white people and full bloods Indians. When Mary Crow Dog joined the American Indian Movement, her outlook on life as an Indian changed because she accepted who she was and she was proud of being and Indian as well. She held on to her old religion and she participated in old Indian traditions such as Ghost dancing. She also went back to using medicine man and peyote roadman. In her point of view holding on to her own religion was one way of resisting a slow death of the Indian culture that was being perpetuated by the white man. In addition, she stated that to be an Indian she had to go to the full bloods and listen to what they had to say. This is because the full blood was humble and they had hearts. Another thing that allowed Mary Crow dog to accept who she was, was the fact that AIM brought a lot of different tribes together and they all fought collectively against White America. One of the most important things that the American Indian Movement did for Mary Crow dog was it made her more willing to fight for Indian rights. For example, she protested in Washington with AIM and she was part of the native people that took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs building. She was also ready to fight the system so bad that she became sober and at the same time vowed to have her baby at Wounded Knee. Her staying at Wounded Knee and becoming the first Indian woman to have a baby there showed a lot of courage and it proves the point that she was ready to fight for Indian rights. Being part of the American Indian movement gave Mary Crow Dog a new perspective on what it meant to be an Indian woman in American society and it made her more willing to fight for the rights of her people because she realized that she wanted out of American society at all cost. Political Issues

The Essay: Boren Scholarship

The Essay: Boren ScholarshipBoren Scholarship is a great opportunity for students to write a sample essay for the purpose of qualifying for their college scholarship. There are a lot of different subjects you can choose from when you are writing your essay.The good thing about writing a sample essay is that it will be easy for you to revise as time goes on. You can make it into an essay that fits your writing style and topic. The best part about these essays is that the curriculum director will view it and determine which of the topics fit best with the other subjects they have in the essay.When writing an essay like this, you can be creative. What you will find most helpful is that there are some tips for writing them that you can use. It is important that you know how to use a computer properly. This will help you with the actual writing process as well.When you are first writing your sample essay, you want to ensure that you know how to format it properly. To do this, take the par agraphs and form a rough draft. You should be able to go back and read your paragraphs to see if they are all good. Do not worry if they are not perfect because it is just a rough draft.The next step is to send in your essay after the student receives their deadline. Be sure to be prepared with a prompt and check list. When you submit your essay, you will be able to find out if you have been accepted by the time the deadline arrives.Another reason why it is important to have a sample essay for the sake of teaching your students is so that they can learn how to write one. Teachers can write their own essay based on the sample essay. Students can pick up on their own writing style and get some help in reviewing their essays. However, this is a chance for you to earn some extra credit.If you are in high school, then you may want to write a short study guide for your classroom. The essay will need to be about 500 words or less. If you are a student in college, you may want to take a loo k at samples for a special essay you can write. Whatever you choose, be sure to give it your all and make sure it is filled with your enthusiasm.Writing an essay like this can be a great way to earn some extra credit. You do not have to worry about anything getting in the way of writing a truly outstanding essay that will get you noticed.

Bipedalism Essays - Terrestrial Locomotion, 2, Animal Anatomy

Bipedalism Essays - Terrestrial Locomotion, 2, Animal Anatomy Bipedalism Grant Kahler Bipedalism The evolution of bipedalism for the early hominids was merely an adaptation to the newfound lifestyle that early man began to lead. No longer was the body adapting to better climbing and life in the trees as this species was slowly becoming a hunting and gathering population. One of the main reasons for this change is the conservation of energy. As these hominids began to spend much of their day on foot in search for food, this bipedal form of walking was adapted as it uses much less energy than the creatures that walk on all fours. The mechanics of bipedal movement was simply a more energy efficient act, but at the same time, this posture decreased the direct exposure to the sun, keeping the individual cooler, and ultimately saving even more energy. Also, as an advantage to hunting and gathering, hominids were now tall and could reach things and have a better and taller view of the surroundings. This provided a huge advantage over the predators of their time. Two additional advantag es of bipedal locomotion is the allowance of two limbs whose purpose was solely to carry or transport possessions. Whether this is food or wood or whatever it may have been, hominids could now carry just about anything for long distances. This freedom of the arms and hands also allowed an easier and better solution to taking care of the young. All of these reasons show the advantages of bipedalism.

Cmo tramitar excelente visa TN para mexicanos

Cmo tramitar excelente visa TN para mexicanos La tramitacià ³n de la visa TN para profesionales mexicanos para trabajar en Estados Unidos, al amparo del Tratado de Libre Comercio (NAFTA) es una gran oportunidad para obtener una visa de trabajo. Esta visa TN solo aplica a nacionales mexicanos y canadienses, si bien la tramitacià ³n es ms asequible y fcil para estos à ºltimos. Y eso es asà ­ porque los mexicanos deben seguir ms pasos y su cuota por aplicar por la visa es ms cara que la que deben abonar los canadienses.  ¿Pueden aplicar todos los mexicanos por una visa TN para trabajar en Estados Unidos? La respuesta es un rotundo no.  Esta visa TN es una opcià ³n muy buena pero para calificar para  solicitarla es imprescindible cumplir con los siguientes requisitos: En primer lugar, estar en situacià ³n de acreditar que se es un profesionalista incluido en una de  estas 60 profesiones listadas en el TLC .En otras palabras, si no se trabaja en una de esas actividades, esta visa no es la correcta y si se solicita ser denegada. En segundo lugar, es imprescindible tener una oferta laboral de una empresa de los Estados Unidos. Es decir, primero viene la oferta seria y en firme y luego se solicita la visa la visa TN. Este punto tambià ©n quiere decir que no es posible el auto empleo. Es decir, no se puede solicitar la visa con la intencià ³n de trabajar como freelance en Estados Unidos para una o varias empresas o con la de crear una empresa. Los mexicanos que no cumplen con esos requisitos y que desean trabajar en Estados Unidos deberà ­an informarse si pueden aplicar por otras opciones de visa, como la H-1B para profesionales, la O para personas con habilidades extraordinarias, la L para los casos de transfer entre empresas internacionales, las J-1 de intercambio o las H-2A y H-2B para trabajos temporales agrà ­colas y en otros rubros. Cà ³mo tramitar la visa TN para mexicanos Una vez que se tiene la oferta de trabajo por parte de una empresa en Estados Unidos, el primer paso en completar la forma DS-160 en internet, pagar los aranceles correspondientes,  y solicitar una cita en una oficina consular o en la Embajada para la entrevista.   Para presentarse en la misma hay que llevar, entre otros documentos, la siguiente documentacià ³n: En primer lugar, el pasaporte mexicano vlido por al menos seis meses ms all del fin de la estancia prevista en Estados Unidos. En segundo lugar, la  carta de empleo en la que se detalla que la posicià ³n ofertada necesita ser cubierta por una persona que cumple los requisitos seà ±alados en NAFTA. Adems, deber incluir informacià ³n detallada sobre la actividad profesional a realizar en EEUU, la duracià ³n prevista del contrato, cul serà ­a la compensacià ³n econà ³mica, evidencia de que se cumple con los requisitos fijados por el Departamento de Seguridad Interna (DHS, siglas en inglà ©s) y el estado en el que se va a ir a trabajar. La carta no necesita ir acompaà ±ada por prueba de que el solicitante tiene las licencias profesionales necesarias para trabajar en EEUU para ciertos tipos de empleos, ya que tales certificaciones se pueden conseguir a posteriori. Sin embargo, es altamente recomendable que si ya se cuenta con ellas, presentarlas en ese momento. Esta carta es una parte fundamental para que se conceda la visa, por lo que es muy frecuente recurrir a un abogado con conocimientos sobre estas visas para que se ocupe de su redaccià ³n. Finalmente, se debe aportar prueba que demuestre  que se cumplen con los requisitos de estudios o de experiencia laboral que pide NAFTA para este tipo de visas. Este es un requisito importante ya que el oficial consular quiere asegurarse de que los estudios completados en un paà ­s que no es Estados Unidos reà ºnen los requisitos de calidad que se piden para la visa TN, por los que ser necesario validarlos en una agencia reputada. La visa ser denegada si no se cumplen las condiciones que se pide para la visa o si el solicitante es considerado como inelegible para una visa no inmigrante, como es à ©sta, o si es inadmisible para ingresar a los Estados unidos. Familiares del solicitante de una visa TN El cà ³nyuge (marido o mujer) y los hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os pueden solicitar una visa derivada para acompaà ±ar al titular de un visado TN a Estados Unidos. No es necesario que los familiares sean de nacionalidad mexicana. Y hay que tener en cuenta que aunque pueden vivir y estudiar en Estados Unidos no estn autorizados para trabajar. Tiempo de duracià ³n de una visa TN para mexicanos En principio las visas son vlidas por un mximo de tres aà ±os, pero esto lo hay que entender.  Es decir, hay que mirar el tiempo mximo que concede el oficial migratorio en el puerto de entrada y seguir cumpliendo todos los requisitos que dieron lugar a que se aprobara la visa. Adems, se puede pedir una extensià ³n de dos formas: que el empleador americano la solicite al USCIS rellenando el formulario I-129   o que el propio titular la solicite en un puerto de entrada cumplimentando esa misma forma y proporcionando la misma documentacià ³n que tuvo que mostrar en el consulado la primera vez que solicità ³ la visa y le fue concedida. En el caso de familiares con visa derivada como es el caso del cà ³nyuge o de los hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os, la extensià ³n se pide con el formulario I-539 si estn en los Estados Unidos o aplicando de nuevo en un consulado, si estn fuera. Visas TN y enfermeras Estados Unidos tiene un dà ©ficit de profesionales sanitarios y, en particular, de enfermeras. Por ello, son frecuentes los contratos a profesionales extranjeros. De hecho, hay  agencias que se dedican a reclutar enfermeras, muchas de ellas mexicanas a travà ©s de la visa TN.   Lo importante es asegurarse de que se trata de una agencia reputada y evitar ser và ­ctima de un caso de fraude.

Case student of a site of adoult learning in san antoino Essay

Case student of a site of adoult learning in san antoino - Essay Example The clubs operated by curves, however, only provide fitness services to women. The organisation was founded by enthusiasts of fitness, Gary and Diane Heavin, who have been involved in fitness advertising. The founder had a passion for sharing information regarding health and fitness to women. The first club targeted women and provided comprehensive 30 minute fitness sessions, which proved to be highly effective. The successes realised by the first two clubs resulted in the massive expansion of the club. The club began undertaking educational training to people on how to operate fitness clubs, in different communities. This created the current franchise of curves, which reached over 7000 outlets in less than a decade. The organisation has been identified as the fastest growing franchise, globally, with presence in 85 countries and running over 10,000 outlets. Initial training, of the individuals running the outlets, ensures the organisation maintain s uniform operating standards. Within the online site of the company people can learn a lot regarding physical fitness as well as other elements regarding healthy living. The site provides free information on various aspects of fitness, including exercising, losing weight, among many others. The focus of the website is women, who commonly lack information regarding physical exercises which help individuals maintain their fitness. The website provides answers to fitness questions which visitors might have, absolutely free. The organisation provides information to empower members towards adopting fitness measures which enhance their health(Merriam & Bierema, 2014). The organisation itself provides very effective methods of keeping fit through exercise. The organisation has created a signature 30-minute workout which has been fundamental in ensuring the popularity of the clubs, globally. This approach ensures individuals running on a busy

Conscious Obedience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conscious Obedience - Essay Example In a very general sense, everyone obeys out of their own self-interest. However, this places the fear of punishment on an equal plane with the promise of a reward and does not shed much light on the underlying reasons. The question that needs to be answered is; what self-interest are we fulfilling when we obey Kelman and Hamilton argue that obedience comes from one of three rationalizations. Compliance for self-interest, acknowledgment of authority, or ethical concerns (Tyler 1090). A person may comply with the request to work overtime at no pay in hopes of getting a promotion. In their identification of authority model, a person may act against their better judgment if the boss orders them to take an illegal action. People also have the capacity to exercise free will and act according to their own value system. Psychological theorists can help explain obedience by examining the motivation behind the reward we receive for compliance. Maslow would describe the humanist viewpoint as obeying to gain respect and recognition from authority. Skinner would see obedience as a natural conditioned reaction to doing what we are told. Bronfenbrenner describes a myriad of authorities that we obey on an individual or group level. The echological argument holds that patriotism is obedience to nationalism. Obedience can take many forms and the authority may be abstract. Young children may obey their parents because they understand it is the right thing to do and is an ethical decision. It may be self-interest, as they will obey them to avoid their parent's punishment, or to gain a reward. However, a child's inner logic may not be apparent through their actions alone. Children who have been abused, neglected, or feel abandoned may withdraw and suffer from defeatism (Singer, Dornenbal, and Okma, 601). They will display obedience though it may not be for the self-interest that it appears. In a study of children by Singer, Dornenbal, and Okma, the researchers found significantly more foster children offered little or no resistance to parental authority than their birthchildren counterparts (596). Birthchildren had a much higher incidence of offering fierce resistance in a disciplinary conflict than foster children (596). In the case of the foster children, the researchers noted that, "Their main goal is unilateral-self-saving [...] Their main interests are fear of punishment and a feeling of powerlessness" (601). The birthchildren that were offering intense rebellion were said to have, " [...] unilateral coercive goals to get their own way" (594). The birthchildren were acting in self-interest to exploit the parental authority's lack of resolve, while the foster children were obeying for self-preservation. As children grow into adulthood, they will for the most part become more aware of the need for obedience. The cost of punishment by law enforcement will generally get most people to abide by acceptable customs. The need for a steady paycheck will insure that they will put their feelings aside when taken advantage of in the workplace. They may rationalize to themselves, and others, that they are being obedient in order to live up to a moral or ethical standard. Adults may allow

Social Networking Relationships

Social Networking Relationships Social Networking Relation 1.0 Introduction â€Å"Social networking is really recommendation between people about the things that they are interested in and they like†¦ this has stimulated people’s attention in terms of the importance of public relation. The people who are going on these sites didn’t want to be monetised, they didn’t want to be advertised to, so again editorial communication is so powerful, they would rather be communities that can exchange views that are untarnished.† Sir Martin Sorrell Social media is a global phenomenon in which old demographics no longer apply. Conversations happen at the click of a button. New communities are born every day and brands need to be involved; in the first instance to listen, and then to participate. Social media is booming. Every day new statistics, white papers and articles appear discussing its continued growth. Independent market analyst Datamonitor (2008) has revealed how quickly the number of people participating in online social networking is growing: the United Kingdom currently leads Europe, in terms of membership, and is expected to reach 27 million users a threefold increase on todays figures by 2012 (www.datamonitor.com). â€Å"Social networking sites are the reality television of the Internet,† said Jon Gibs (Senior Director of Media, Nielsen//NetRatings). â€Å"The content is relatively inexpensive for publishers to produce, and social networking is not a fad that will disappear. If anything, it will become more ingrained in mainstream sites, just as reality TV programming has become ubiquitous in network programming,† Gibs continued (www.acnielsen.com). â€Å"However, again like reality programming, the concept of ‘reality’ alone, or in this case ‘social networking,’ is not enough. In this competitive marketplace, sites also have to provide consumers with distinct content they can identify with.† A new survey reveals that almost 50 percent of attorneys are members of online social networks and over 40 percent of attorneys believe professional networking has the potential to change the business and practice of law over the next five years. â€Å"Online professional networking is a growing area of importance in the legal industry,† said Ralph Calistri, Chief Executive Officer of Martindale Hubbell and senior vice president of Global Client Development at LexisNexis. â€Å"As we develop a global network for the legal community through Martindale-Hubbell, objective research such as this survey by Leader Networks serves as an important way for us to listen to clients and guide our efforts.† Table: United States: Top 10 Social Networking Sites (March 2008) Source: AC Nielsen The Internet has broadened the area of word of mouth influences from interpersonal communication among acquaintances to online communication to general public (e.g. posting reviews). Harrison-Walker (2001) defined word of mouth as â€Å"informal person-to-person communication between a perceived non-commercial communicator and a receiver regarding a brand, a product, an organization, or a service.† Marketing practitioners try to encourage such â€Å"informal† communication in a positive manner, and several approaches such as â€Å"viral marketing† (Wilson 2000) and â€Å"buzz marketing† (Rosen 2000) have been developed. Facebook was created in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, a student at Harvard University. According to Zuckerberg, â€Å"The idea for the website was motivated by a social need at Harvard to be able to identify people in other residential houses† (Moyle, 2004). Today Facebook has more than 7.5 million registered members at over 2,000 U.S. colleges and is the seventh-most-popular site on the entire Web with respect to total page views (Cassidy, 2006). Social networking sites are online spaces that allow individuals to present themselves, articulate their social networks, and establish or maintain connections with others. These sites can be oriented towards work-related contexts (e.g. LinkedIn.com), romantic relationship initiation, or connecting those with shared interests such as music or politics (e.g. MySpace.com). Users may use the sites’ communication tools to interact with those they know from offline contexts, such as school, or they may use the sites to meet new people. The way in which these sites allow for new connections to be made between individuals has resulted in proposed legislation which would bar libraries and schools to block minors’ access to social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook (McCullagh, 2006). MySpace in particular has generated public concern due to its large member base 78 million registered accounts according to one source (Wright, 2006) many of whom are teenagers. There is little academic work examining online social networks. A 2005 survey of academic community members found that 90% of the undergraduates participated in a social network community, primarily Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster, and that many of them disclosed personal information such as email address (Stutzman, 2006). In her ethnographic work examining self-presentation and social connections among Friendster users, boyd (2004) notes that users have a variety of motivations for using the site, including connecting with old friends, meeting new acquaintances, dating, and furthering professional networks. In one of the few pieces to examine this new breed of online fora, Donath and boyd (2004) point out that one of the chief hallmarks of these sites is that links between individuals are mutual, public, unnuanced and decontextualized. In the sites that Donath and boyd examine, public displays of connections serve to warrant, or signal the reliability of, one’s identity claims. Social networking sites are distinguished from the first wave of virtual community sites in that they allow for both maintenance of existing social ties and formation of new connections. A hallmark of the early research on computer-mediated communication and virtual communities in particular is the assumption that individuals using these systems would be connecting with those outside their pre-existing social group or location, liberating individuals to form communities around shared interests, as opposed to shared geography (Wellman et al., 1996). However, some online community researchers have explored how online communities present opportunities for people in a common offline community to extend their interaction. Such a theme is articulated by Wellman et al. (1996), who note that â€Å"Although CSSNs [computer supported social networks] do transcend time and space, not all ties are either totally on-line or off-line. Much on-line contact is between people who see each other in person and live locally† (p.222). 1.1 Research Question This research studies the importance of social networking sites and aims to identify how motivations for using social networking sites influence the degree of interaction and the generation of word-of-mouth. Next, in order to study use patterns of social networking sites between users in United Kingdom and to explore the relationship between the degree of interaction and the generation of word-of-mouth, the following questions are generated. Why / how often do people use social networking sites? Are social networking sites users generating word-of-mouth? If so, what makes users generate word-of-mouth? Do the motivations of using social networking sites influence on the degree of interaction or on the generation of word-of-mouth? H1 Exploring the relationship between the purpose of using social networking sites and the degree of users’ interaction H2 Exploring the relationship between the purpose of using social networking sites and the generation of word-of-mouth H3 Exploring the relationship between the degree of users’ interaction and the generation of word-of-mouth in social networking sites Main Research Question: How effective are motivations for using social networking sites influencing degree of interaction and word of mouth in United Kingdom? At the same time, the growing importance of word-of-mouth on social networking sites is understood and discussed by both marketing practitioners and academics, and online word-of-mouth communication is considered as a new marketing tool (Kozinets, 1999; Croteau, 2006; Peattie, 2007; McKinsey Quarterly, 2007). Due to the similar characteristics between social networking sites and word-of-mouth communication, namely, relationship and interaction among people, a number of researchers tried to find out the connection between online communities and word-of-mouth, then, came up with various ways to measure word-of-mouth in the virtual world (Kozinets, 2002; Godes et al, 2005; Dwyer, 2007). In addition, after their introduction, social networking sites brought in a new organisational framework for online communities. According to Boyd and Ellison (2008), early online communities were constructed as ‘communities of interest’, but social networking sites these days are constructed as personal. In other words, social networking sites are centred around people rather than topics or ‘topical hierarchies’. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 General Overview The study of personal influence and the idea that there are certain people who are especially influential over others has fascinated researchers, practitioners, and the general public for more than 60 years. Variously named in academic and popular circles, these people have been called opinion leaders (Katz Lazarsfeld, 1955), early adopters (Rogers, 1962/2003), influential (Weimann, 1994), and Influential Americans ® (Keller Berry, 2003), while the process of personal influence has been linked to, or synonymous with, various phenomena such as compliance gaining (strategic attempts to seek compliance from others in interpersonal settings; Wilson, 2002), the diffusion of innovations (how ideas spread in a culture; Rogers, 1962/2003), buzz (contagious word-of-mouth commentary about products, services, brands, and ideas; Walker, 2004), and tipping points (the point at which an idea, behavior, or product â€Å"tips,† crossing a threshold from being a minor phenomenon to a wild epidemic; Gladwell, 2000). Numerous organizations, for-profit and not-for-profit, in an assortment of industries (consumer products, fashion, health care, law, higher education, etc.) have sought to capitalize on a renewed awareness and interest in the influential role that informal conversation and relational networks play internally to an organization (e.g., in terms of sharing knowledge within and across organizational units; Cross Parker, 2004; May Zorn, 2002) and especially to external audiences (e.g., in the case of viral and buzz marketing). Thus, although the power of stimulating word-of-mouth and relational networks has been known for some time (Arndt, 1967; Whyte, 1954), a more recent phenomenon is when certain firms seek to consciously engineer buzz in relational networks (Balter Butman, 2005; Dye, 2000; Godin, 2001; Ozcan, 2004; Rosen, 2000;Walker, 2004). For example, some firms (such as Big Fat Inc.) pay people to go out and talk up a brand, either in face-toface or online settings, where the fact that they are employed by a marketing agency is not disclosed (a form of â€Å"undercover† marketing). Other firms (such as BzzAgent, Inc.) actively recruit volunteers who willingly participate in a campaign by going out and buzzing the product or service (oftentimes in exchange for points that can be redeemed for prizes or the knowledge that they are the first among their peers to have access to a new product) and then report back to the buzz marketing company their own and others’ feedback about the product (the company then compiles and analyzes these various reports from the field and presents them to the client). Still others (e.g., Proctor Gamble’s Tremor program) form an extensive network of carefully selected teenagers to create buzz among peers for their clients’ brands and products (Wells, 2004). These distinct kinds of organizational marketing practices have raised a number of ethical concerns, some more than others. In addition to whether or not the institutional identity of the agent is disclosed, whether or not the person buzzing the brand is doing so for some form of compensation, and whether or not agents involve minors younger than age 13 (Wells, 2004), a significant concern is that through buzz marketing marketers are better able to infiltrate everyday conversations and relationships (Walker, 2004), which might be regarded as further instantiation of corporate colonization of the lifeworld (Deetz, 1992). With traditional forms of marketing and advertising efforts, consumer audiences can â€Å"tune out† or â€Å"turn off† the advertising. However, what happens when the marketing is your friend or family member, in online and offline conversations? Is society increasingly falling prey to the â€Å"commercialization of chit-chat?†(Walker, 2004). Although these concerns are not new— for example, marketing to known others has been well-documented and critiqued in terms of Tupperware parties (Frenzen Davis, 1990; Taylor, 1978) and multilevel marketing companies (Biggart, 1989; Carl, 2004; Fitzpatrick Reynolds, 1997)—the fact that increasing numbers of well-known, mainstream organizations seek to amplify buzz in social networks has elevated the concern (Vranica, 2005). 2.2 Word of mouth Word-of-mouth has grown in popularity over the past several years as a marketing and research medium (BzzAgent, 2005). Marketers seeking to find new methods for reaching customers and communicating with them have wondered if word-of-mouth could provide a potential solution to the dwindling return of traditional marketing platforms. Since the beginning of organized marketing programs, marketers viewed word-of-mouth as an incredibly valuable, yet uncontrollable, result of effective marketing practices. Many marketers have implemented plans to fool word of mouth into occurring, seeding the marketplace with shills (paid actors talking up products and services). They found the results effective but extremely risky, since consumers didn’t like being deceived. In recent years, a number of companies have formed, seeking to harness the power of authentic word of mouth (BzzAgent, 2005). By organizing real consumers, they train them to share their honest opinions more effectively. Defining word of mouth can be tricky, especially in light of the Internet and recent emergence of buzz marketing firms. According to Buttle’s (1998) review of marketing research, Arndt (1967) discussed word of mouth as face-to-face communication about a brand, product, or service between people who are perceived as not having connections to a commercial entity. Bone’s (1992) definition is similar though she noted that word of mouth could be a group phenomenon: â€Å"An exchange of comments, thoughts, and ideas among two or more individuals in which none of the individuals represent a marketing source† (p. 579). Stern (1994) distinguished word of mouth from advertising in that word of mouth is face-to-face, interactive, ephemeral, spontaneous, and does not include such features as clever turns of phrases or jingles. Buttle (1998), however, found these definitions unsatisfactory because (a) Word of mouth can include talk about an organization (in addition to a brand, product, or service), (b) it can be electronically mediated (such as cell phone, chat rooms, e-mail, Web sites, â€Å"tell-a-friend† hyperlinks, etc.), and (c) more and more companies may offer incentives or rewards for consumers to spread word of mouth or make referrals (e.g., to refer friends and family members for a company’s services). Buttle concluded that currently the only distinguishing feature of word of mouth may be that â€Å"word of mouth is uttered by sources that are assumed by receivers to be independent of corporate influence† (p. 243). In contrast to traditional word of mouth marketing research, research on buzz marketing is still in its infancy. Verlegh, Verkerk, Tuk, and Smidts (2004) mentioned, but did not study, buzz marketers in their experimental research on whether or not financial incentives used when stimulating customer referrals alter the meaning of the situation such that consumers would perceive the word of mouth episode to be â€Å"persuasive† rather than just friendly, peer advice. Thomas (2004) represented an early conceptual piece on buzz marketing where it was defined as the â€Å"amplification of initial marketing efforts by third parties through their passive or active influence† (p. 64). An early empirical study that applied insights from existing word of mouth and social network research from a firm’s perspective was conducted by Godes and Mayzlin (2004). Abundant research demonstrates that word of mouth (WOM) is one of the most influential channels of communication in the marketplace. The reasons for WOMs power are evident: word of mouth is seen as more credible than marketer initiated communications because it is perceived as having passed through the unbiased filter of people like me. At a time of declining trust in institutions, research shows that its influence is growing stronger. In a recent national survey (Harris Interactive, 2006a), U.S. consumers were asked which information sources they find useful when deciding which products to buy in four common product categories. WOM and recommendations from friends/family/people at work/school were by far the most influential sources for fast food, cold medicine, and breakfast cereal. For personal computers, a highly technical category, we saw a strong reliance on expert advice in the form of product reviews and websites, followed by WOM as the next most useful. The consumer marketplace in which any enterprise operates is a complex, dynamic system. A study found that disinterested, ill-prepared and unwelcoming salespeople lead to more lost business and bad word-of-mouth than any other management challenge in retailing. There are a variety of different triggers for having a bad shopping experience, including things like parking or how well the store is organized. Some of those things retailers can do something about and some of them they cant. But frankly, a very important part of the retail experience is the interaction with the sales associate, says Wharton marketing professor Stephen J. Hoch, director of the Baker Initiative. In a telephone survey of 1,000 shoppers who were asked about their most recent retail experience, 33% reported they had been unable to find a salesperson to help them. Many of these shoppers were so annoyed by this one problem that they said they would not return to the store. According to the Wharton analysis, sales associates who are missing in action cost American retailers six percent of their customers. Add to that the 25% of consumers reporting they were ignored outright by sales associates no greeting, no smile, not even eye contact (Arndt, 1967; Aaker et al, 1996; Reingen and Kernan, 1986). This lack of engagement turned off three percent of customers to the point where they said they would permanently stay way from the store in which they encountered this behaviour. Hoch remains puzzled by sales associates who retreat from potential customers. You would think that if these sales associates are spending the whole day interacting with people, they would be a lot happier in their own life if they were friendly. Instead, they pull into their shell (Brown and Reingen, 1987). Whats wrong with saying, Hi, how are you doing?' According to Paula Courtney, president of the Verde Group, survey respondents were not frustrated by sales associates who seemed overworked or outmanned by shoppers. Its the conscious ignoring that irritates them, she says. Customers would walk into a store and the store representative would see them and continue to put items on the shelf or watch the cash register or do administrative work absolutely ignoring the fact that an actual person was in the store (Cox, 1963, cited in Brown at el, 2007). In the above example, the degree of interaction was bad with consumers at a particular retail outlet. This provided bad word of mouth and hampered long term sustainability for the retailer. In other words, this forms the central part of the dissertation that degree of interaction and word of mouth are slightly interrelated. 2.3 Motives of Social networking British anthropologist Robin Dunbar estimates that humans can only maintain stable relationships with around 150 people. That number refers to significant relationships like those in a family or tribe and other purposeful groups. Yet in todays over-informed digital business world, where bloated data moves at the speed of thought, its not who you know that really counts, but who knows you (Kozinets, 1999; Boyd and Ellison, 2008). Professional online social networking tools are invaluable in creating personal brand equity and raising awareness about who you are, especially beyond your 150 closest friends (BBC News, 2005). Online social networking software enables you to find quality people who may not be familiar with you, or with your organization, and creates an opportunity to connect with them and sell them on your opportunities (Boyd and Ellison, 2008). They may be unfamiliar with your company or business, or may not have even been looking for something. Because you already know someone who knows them, you can feel more comfortable that they are a quality prospect or at least can do some checking around (Boyd and Ellison, 2008). Also, because of that mutual connection, you can more easily overcome cumbersome barriers and begin a relationship with a little more trust and warmth than with a total stranger. Like Six degrees of Kevin Bacon, social networking sheds light on the contacts you never knew you had. For example, you can contact people in your network to: Rekindle old connections Maximize value in your weak connections Build business relationships with clients or hiring managers Find and meet prospective job-seekers Grow a referral network Heighten your corporate and personal brand Make new connections and grow your sphere of influence Open doors to future career opportunities, increased pay, or promotions Increase visibility, which improves influence and effectiveness internally with your organization as well as externally Social networking also helps you find new leads for networking into companies to: Educate yourself and ask questions about other organizations Conduct competitive intelligence on companies, industries, or individuals Make fewer cold calls and better prepare for them Leverage contacts you already have With the help of existing literature, Ridings and Gefen (2004) categorised four reasons to join online communities: ‘information exchange’, ‘social support exchange’, ‘friendship, and ‘recreation’. Firstly, people choose to use online communities to access and exchange information. By using online communities, people can access a huge amount of information generated by other users since online community providers offer effective systems or technologies in order to make their users easily exchange, create, request and search information (Hagel and Armstrong, 1997). The second reason why users participate in online communities is to obtain the social support. Wellman et al (1996) suggested that online communities give emotional support and sociability to their users by giving ‘a sense of belonging’. For instance, Mickelson (1997) gave examples of online communities which focus on recovering social problems such as alcohol and drug addicts in order to explain why the social support can be the motivation of using online communities. Thirdly, people join online communities to manage relationships. To seek friendship or to generate social capital, which can be defined as the resources gathered through the relationships among people (Coleman, 1988), online community users interact with other users with the aim of establishing and continuing relationships. For example, offline social capital can be generated by means of online tools, especially using social networking sites when people want to expand or keep up their offline relationships. Lastly, recreation is another reason why people experience online communities. In conclusion, how word-of-mouth affects consumer behaviour can be described by those three factors; tie strength, homophily, and source credibility. As mentioned above, Brown et al (2007) and other researchers (Silverman, 1997; Money et al, 1998; Bansal and Voyer, 2000) explored the nature of word-of-mouth in online communities. Finally, the summary of the research above is compared by Brown et al (2007) as the following Table 1. Table 1: A Comparison between offline and online social network constructs Offline Online Tie Strength Definition The intensity of a social relation between pairs of individuals The intensity of an interactive and personalised relationship between an individual and a website Homophily Definition The degree to which pairs of individuals are similar in terms of certain attributes The congruence between a user’s psychological attributes and website content Source Credibility Definition Perceived competence of the individual source providing information Perceived competence of the website and its membership Source: Brown et al, 2007, pp. 10 Table 1 Bottom line: It could be seen that different internet users have diverse motives to enter social networking sites. Fulfilment of motives can enhance positive word of mouth and higher degree of interaction of a particular website. As per previous academic literature there have been negligible cases that internet users have entered social networking with out motivations. This forms the foundation of dissertation. 3.0 Research Model 3.1 Research approach The research strategy we intend to adopt is a combination of multi-methods, of deductive, inductive and exploratory. Quantitative data will be collected throughout the life cycle of the project, from secondary sources: journals, databases, past dissertations, newspapers and magazine articles etc. We propose to use the following secondary databases to conduct quantitative data research: Emerald Full text Emerald Reviews Emerald Abstracts Swet Wise Reuters Business Insight Regional Business News Questia Media Primary research will be conducted, using a closed questionnaire designed to predict average behaviour of children in general (Saunders et al. 2003). The inductive approach takes to account interpretivism or social considerations, which enables to establish the intentions of the respondents more clearly. Saunders et al (2003) says that data collected using open-ended questions allows individuals more flexibility in answering, which may confirm a hypothesis or other wise. The limitation or disadvantage of this approach is that it is subjective and can only be applied to a limited sample of participants (Saunders et el. 2003). Exploratory research will be conducted on a pilot group consisting of young internet users (mainly with Orkut profiles) within the age group 15-20 who will participate in a discussion on the following; the influence of motivations for using social networking sites on degree of interaction and word of mouth in United Kingdom. 3.2 Research Design A research design is a program that guides the investigator in the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting observations. According to Nachmias Nachmias (1987) it is logical model of proof that allows the researcher to draw inferences concerning causal relationships among the variables under investigation. Consequently, the appropriate research design will depend on the problem to be investigated (Churchill, 1991), the purpose of the research, the research questions, and the state of the knowledge existing prior to the research plan (Eisenhardt, 1989). Research methods and data collection, form an elementary part of the research design. Typically, the research methods and the data collection techniques are functions of the purpose of the research design. The purpose of the research may be organized into three groups based on what the researcher is trying to accomplish: explore a new topic, describe social phenomena or explain why something occurs. The three basic types of research designs are: Exploratory (Case Studies), Descriptive and Casual. 3.2.1 Case Study The case study approach is the most widely used in management fraternity. A Case study is the collection and presentation of detailed information about a particular participant or small group, frequently including the accounts of subjects themselves. It’s a form of qualitative descriptive research and it deals intensely at an individual or small participant pool, drawing conclusions only about that participant or group and only in that specific context. This research design is not used to focus on topics such as discovery of a universal, general