Man and his Environment Notes Essay Example

Man and his Environment Notes Paper Hence, energy flow through an ecosystem is non-cyclic and energy must be continuously supplied to the ecosystem. Suggested and excreted materials (e. G. Faces, urine) and dead organisms contain trapped chemical energy, which is released through the action of decomposer. Approximately 10% of net energy production at one tropic level is passed on to the next level. Not all the energy produced or consumed at each level is passed on. Energy transfer in ecosystems in inefficient. Here are some reasons why: . 3. 4. Energy is needed to carry out life processes. Heat is lost to the surroundings during respiration. Not every part of the organism gets eaten. Not everything consumed is digested by the consumer (e. G. Cellulose from plants cannot be digested by humans) Biology ; Man and His Environment Energy is transferred between tropic levels Organisms in any ecosystem can be classified as producers, consumers and decomposer. The transfer of energy and nutrients is dependent on the feeding relationships of an ecosystem. A food chain shows the sequence of food transfer from one organism to another. Each stage in a food chain is known as a tropic level. Producers: Producers are organisms that are able to produce their own organic matter (e. G. Carbohydrates) from inorganic nutrients (e. G. Water, carbon dioxide) through photosynthesis. We will write a custom essay sample on Man and his Environment Notes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Man and his Environment Notes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Man and his Environment Notes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They are also known as atrophic organisms or authors (auto-self, troop=nutrition). Other than green plants, algae and certain types of bacteria and unicellular organisms can produce their own food. Consumers: Organisms in the tropic levels above the producers. Herbivores are primary consumers which feed directly on producers. Carnivores are consumers which feed on other consumers. Consumers, which do not make their own food, are also known as heterodox (hetero=other). Decomposer: Decomposer (e. G. Bacteria and fungi) are a group of consumers that obtains their energy from detritus (dead material and waste of organisms from all tropic levels). Organic material from the tissues of organisms (e. G. Reverberates) will be broken down into simpler inorganic substances (e. G. Carbon, nitrogen). These substances can be recycled in the ecosystem. A food web shows the inter-relationships between different food chains. A food web is a more realistic representation of feeding relationships in an ecosystem as consumers usually have more than one source of food and some organisms are a source of food for multiple consumers. Ecological pyramids: Pyramid of numbers and Pyramid of biomass Ecological pyramids are a visual representation of how different populations interact within a community. They are used to compare the different tropic levels in a food chain. They are horizontal bar diagrams, with the producers placed at the base of the pyramid, followed by the primary consumers and so on. Pyramid of numbers Pyramid of biomass A pyramid of biomass compares the *mass A pyramid of numbers compares the of organisms present at each tropic level number of organisms present at each in an area at a particular time. Tropic level in an area at a particular time. *the average dry mass of each species in each tropic level must be obtained, and then multiplied by the estimated total number of individuals in the food chain. Example 1 Example 2. 2 Example 2. 1 Why do the two pyramids in Example 2. 1 and 2. 2 have different shapes? Why do the two pyramids in Example 1 and 2. 1 have different shapes? Most ecological pyramids are pyramid-shaped, but there are some exceptions, as seen in Example 2. In the table above. A pyramid of numbers may appear to be inverted if: Organisms on one tropic level are parasitic on organisms on another tropic level (e. G. Aphids feeding on the sap of an elder tree) Many small organisms on one tropic level feed on a large organism Of another tropic level A pyramid of biomass may appear to be inverted if it includes organisms which reproduce rapidly (e. G. Phytoplankton). (2) Nutrient cycling Inorganic nutrients like carbon and nitrogen can be recycled They are obtained from the biotic environment (e. G. Air, soil) Nutrients are continuously recycled in a balanced ecosystem The Carbon Cycle Carbon is constantly being removed from and released into the environment in the form of carbon dioxide. Thus, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the environment remains relatively constant. The processes involved in the removal of carbon dioxide and its release into the environment make up the carbon cycle. Photosynthesis: Photosynthetic organisms convert carbon, from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, into carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can also be converted to proteins and fats. Feeding: Animals obtain carbon compounds (e. G. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats) by feeding on plants and other animals. Respiration: Some of the carbon compounds are converted back to carbon dioxide through respiration, which releases energy for cell activities. Decomposition: Decomposer like fungi and bacteria break down the carbon compounds in dead tissue into carbon dioxide, which is returned to the atmosphere Combustion: Some of the remains of dead organisms are locked up as carbon-based fossil fuels like coal and oil. The burning of such fossil fuels releases the stored carbon into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Ecological field techniques: Quadrate and Transect sampling Within an ecosystem, the Organisms are rarely distributed evenly and Hereford it can be very difficult to count their numbers accurately. Scientists therefore need to adopt appropriate sampling techniques to achieve a realistic estimate of population numbers. Why are such field techniques important? What can we do with the data obtained from these sampling techniques? Quadrate sampling A quadrate is a sampling unit of known area. They are usually taken using square frames of size 1 urn. Quadrate can vary in size, depending on the particular habitat and type of organisms likely to be encountered. Quadrate should be placed randomly so that a representative sample is taken. Transect sampling A transect is simply a line that is stretched over an area that we want to study. Compared to quadrate sampling the transect sample points are arranged in linear fashion. This approach is useful when recording changes in the species composition or population numbers where some sort of transition or environmental gradient exists (e. G. N intertribal area like a sea shore or mangrove, or an area next to where a pollutant is known to be spreading). Impact of Man on the Environment Our ecosystem consists of regularly interacting and interdependent components forming a unified whole, and it is meant to be functioning at a teddy state. However, due to the exponential increase in human population over the years, the impact of man on the environment is increasingly noticeable. Additional information Ecological and carbon footprints An ecological footprint measures the total amount of land and resources used to produce the resources that the population consumes and assimilate the wastes that the population produces. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil eels for electricity, heating and transportation and so on. Calculate your carbon footprint! Http://www. Onus. Du. So/goes/resources/carbonization_calculator. HTML pollution Pollution is the release of substances, which cause harm to living organisms, into the environment. Substances that cause pollution are called pollutants. Water pollution and fasciculation The use of insecticides to kill insects has its impact on other organisms. If insecticides are carried by rainwater into water bodies like rivers and lakes, they can accumulate in high concentrations in the bodies of aquatic organisms. For instance, EDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is an insecticide that is nonprogrammable, which means that it cannot be broken down by microorganisms. It is insoluble in water and is thus stored in the fatty tissues of organisms that consume it. If consumers keep consuming food that contains EDT, the concentration of EDT will further increase in their bodies. This is called fasciculation. The insecticide is then passed along food chains, increasing the concentration of EDT in the bodies of organisms along the tropic levels. This process is called pontification or pontification. Water pollution by sewage and inorganic waste Water-borne diseases and poisoning Sewage contains waste matter from homes and industries, which contains a lot of disseminating organisms like bacteria if left untreated. If such organisms get into drinking water, water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid may spread. Inorganic waste from industries, like mercury, lead and zinc can be absorbed by aquatic organisms and cause poisoning (e. G. Intimate mercury poisoning in 1 sass Japan, where many who ate fish from the polluted water were blinded or paralyses). Triplication Triplication is the process where water receives excess nutrients like hostages and nitrates, which causes excessive growth of algae and water plants. Untreated sewage and inorganic fertilizers contains phosphates and nitrates. Inorganic fertilizers that are not absorbed by plants may dissolve in ground water, or get washed by rainwater into water bodies like rivers and lakes. Phosphates and nitrates are nutrients for algae and water plants. As a result, their growth is enhanced. The overgrowth of algae and floating water plants prevent sunlight from reaching the submerged plants. The submerged algae and plants die and are decomposed by bacteria and fungi. As the bacteria multiply rapidly, they use up oxygen in the water. Other organisms such as fish die due to the lack Of oxygen. Environmental biotechnology Sewage treatment Environmental biotechnology is the use of biological science to provide environmentally friendly solutions to red cue pollution. Sewage treatment helps to minimize the effects of water pollution on the environment. Decomposer like bacteria are naturally found in sewage. However, decomposition takes time and occurs at different rates. Sewage treatment in water reclamation plants is a controlled process which ensures that sewage is ropey treated in one location before being released into the environment. The sewage treatment process 1) Sewage from households is channeled into the water reclamation plant. 2) The used water is passed through bar screens to remove large, coarse materials. Primary treatment: 3) The screened liquid is sent to the primary settlement tank. Here, the liquid flow is very slow. This allows solids to settle at the bottom Of the tank as primary sludge. The primary sludge is removed and fed into an anaerobic digester (anaerobic-not requiring oxygen). The top liquid from this tank flows into an aeration tank. Secondary treatment: 4) Activated sludge process in the aeration tank: In the aeration tank, the liquid is mixed with aerobic microorganisms like bacteria. Bubbles of air are pumped into the liquid. The oxygen in the air is used by the microorganisms for aerobic respiration (aerobic-requiring oxygen). The microorganisms absorb and break down organic pollutants in the water into harmless substances and carbon dioxide. ) Final settlement tank: The treated water, together with the microorganisms, is channeled into the final settlement tank. The microorganisms settle to the bottom of the tank as sludge. A portion of this sludge is returned to the aeration tank to be reused. The excess sludge is sent to the anaerobic digester. 6) Clean water at the top of the t ank is collected and may be discharged as effluent into nearby rivers, streams or lakes. The effluent may also be treated further using reverse osmosis technologies (I. E. Neater). Anaerobic digester: The anaerobic digester is a closed tank with no oxygen supply. Anaerobic bacteria decomposes the sludge. Biogas, mainly methane, is produced through the breakdown of the organic matter. The biogas is used as fuel to generate electricity for the reclamation plant. The remaining solid material is removed from the tank, and can be incinerated or used as fertilizer. Think: How is sewage treatment a sustainable practice? Sustainability and Conservation Sustainable development involves meeting the needs of the present without compromising on the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Thus, we wish to maintain, or improve the environmental, economic and social characteristics of the world we live in, in a manner that can be continued into the future. In ecology, sustainability refers to the capacity for biological systems to remain diverse and productive over time. The principles of sustainable development Conservation, which is part and parcel of ensuring sustainable development, is the protection and preservation of natural resources in the environment. Reasons for conservation Maintaining Biodiversity It is important to maintain a large gene pool as many wild plants and animals contain favorable genes. By cross-breeding organisms with favorable genes, we can improve agricultural produce (e. G. Disease-resistant plants) Economic purposes: Plants and animals are major sources of food and raw material. Many tropical plants are sources of medicinal drugs (e. G. Nine which is an anti-malarial drug) It is important to maintain a stable and balanced ecosystem to prevent disruption of nutrient cycles like the carbon cycle (which may lead to global warming), and to alter feeding relationships in ecosystems. Scientific research on wildlife provides useful information to humans Management fisheries Fish are important sources of protein Overfeeding or indiscriminate fishing must be prevented in order to ensure that there is a sustainable yield for each species. The harvest each year should not cause a decline in the population. Sustainability can be ensured through

Alexander Nevsky - Prince of Novgorod and Kiev

Alexander Nevsky - Prince of Novgorod and Kiev The son of an important Russian leader, Alexander Nevsky was elected prince of Novgorod on his own merits. He succeeded in driving invading Swedes from Russian territory and fending off the Teutonic Knights. However, he agreed to pay tribute to the Mongols rather than fight them, a decision for which he has been criticized.  Eventually, he became Grand Prince and worked to restore Russian prosperity and establish Russian sovereignty. After his death, Russia disintegrated into feudal principalities. Also Known As Prince of Novgorod and Kiev; Grand Prince of Vladimir; also spelled Aleksandr Nevski and, in Cyrillic, Ð Ã »Ã µÃ ºÃ' Ã °Ã ½Ã ´Ã'€ Ð Ã µÃ ²Ã' Ã ºÃ ¸Ã ¹ Alexander Nevsky was noted for Stopping the advance of the Swedes and the Teutonic Knights into Russia Occupations Roles in Society Military LeaderPrinceSaint Places of Residence and Influence Russia Important Dates Born:  c. 1220Victorious in battle on the ice:  April 5, 1242Died:  Nov. 14, 1263 Biography Prince of Novgorod and Kiev and Grand Prince of Vladimir, Alexander Nevsky is best known for stopping the advance of the Swedes and the Teutonic Knights into Russia. At the same time, he paid tribute to the Mongols instead of attempting to fight them off, a position that has been attacked as cowardly but which may have been simply a matter of understanding his limits. The son of Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich, grand prince of Vladimir and foremost Russian leader, Alexander was elected prince of Novgorod (primarily a military post) in 1236. In 1239 he married Alexandra, the daughter of the Prince of Polotsk. For some time the Novgorodians had moved into Finnish territory, which was controlled by the Swedes. To punish them for this encroachment and to bar Russias access to the sea, the Swedes invaded Russia in 1240. Alexander scored a significant victory against them at the confluence of the Rivers Izhora and Neva, whereby he got his honorific, Nevsky. However, several months later he was expelled from Novgorod for interfering in city affairs. Not long afterward, Pope Gregory IX began urging the Teutonic Knights to Christianize the Baltic region, even though there were Christians already there. In the face of this threat, Alexander was invited to return to Novgorod and, after several confrontations, he defeated the knights in a famous battle on the frozen channel between Lakes Chud and Pskov in April 1242. Alexander eventually stopped the eastward expansion of both the Swedes and Germans. But another serious problem prevailed in the east. Mongol armies were conquering portions of Russia, which was not politically unified. Alexanders father agreed to serve the new Mongol rulers, but he died in September 1246. This left the throne of the Grand Prince vacant, and both Alexander and his younger brother Andrew appealed to Khan Batu of the Mongol Golden Horde. Batu sent them to the Great Khan, who violated Russian custom by selecting Andrew as Grand Prince, probably because Alexander was favored by Batu, who was out of favor with the Great Khan. Alexander settled for being made the prince of Kiev. Andrew began to conspire with other Russian princes and western nations against the Mongol overlords. Alexander took the opportunity to denounce his brother to Batus son Sartak. Sartak sent an army to depose Andrew, and Alexander was installed as Grand Prince in his place. As Grand Prince, Alexander worked to restore Russian prosperity by building fortifications and churches and passing laws. He continued to control Novgorod through his son Vasily. This altered the tradition of rule from one based on a process of invitation to institutional sovereignty. In 1255 Novgorod expelled Vasily, and Alexander put together an army and got Vasily back on the throne. In 1257 a rebellion broke out in Novgorod in response to an impending census and taxation. Alexander helped forced the city to submit, probably fearing that the Mongols would punish all of Russia for Novgorods actions. More uprisings broke out in 1262 against the Muslim tax farmers of the Golden Horde, and Alexander succeeded in averting reprisals by journeying to Saray on the Volga and speaking to the Khan there. He also obtained an exemption for Russians from a draft. On the way home, Alexander Nevsky died in Gorodets. After his death, Russia disintegrated into feuding principalities but his son Daniel would found the house of Moscow, which would eventually reunite northern Russian lands. Alexander Nevsky was supported by the Russian Orthodox Church, which made him a saint in 1547.

Child Exploitation in War Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Child Exploitation in War - Research Proposal Example ets walking through the rubble of destruction and relatively large children carrying revolvers and AK-47s[5, page2] on their still underdeveloped shoulders. At least two million children have died in last decade as a result of wars waged by adults; many targeted as non-combatants or killed in action as soldiers. And three times that number were injured and disabled [1, page 1]. Carol in [1, page 2] discusses how the last decade (90s period has witnessed development of new laws and UN backing the cause to immune children from the ills of wars and conflicts. Irrespective of the winners of war, damage is inevitable to both sides in terms of destruction and civilian killings. She also lays importance on the education factor and its importance in reviving (and in less effect quarantine) children from war`s blow. Ethnic conflicts witnessed recently (middle east Palestine-Israel border and Afghanistan etc) and still going on in mainly parts of Africa has seen local militia enrolling brain washed children with weapons and ready to fight like a hero in the eyes of local public. In Children and War, J Pearn gives thorough insight into the â€Å"changes† that are brought into the lives of children who experience the conflicts and wars. First of all, there are injuries and even loss of body parts (mainly limbs, due to lad mine explosions, and shooting & shelling that goes on in their neighborhood). It is a common noticeable fact that elderly people and small children have relatively weak immune system, hence they can`t cope up with fatal injuries and post traumatic shock in post war scenario. Children age group between 8-18 years is a growing body and mind. Early life experiences and situations are etched in human minds for a long time and help in developing our personalities and attitudes toward life. Since the only thing that war torn areas notice is violence and blood and anger, these expressions are imprinted deep inside the psyche of small children who on growing up

How the life and personal qualities of Harry Bridges can inspire us to Scholarship Essay

How the life and personal qualities of Harry Bridges can inspire us to achieve our goals today - Scholarship Essay Example After completing school, Bridges declined to enter his father’s real estate business, choosing to be a merchant seaman at 16. In 1920, Bridges entered the USA, and became a longshoreman at San Francisco in 1922. Bridges protested against the stranglehold of the ship owners through the company-controlled Longshoremens Association of San Francisco and the Bay Region (the Blue Book Union). Speedups, arbitrary dismissals, blacklisting of militant workers, low wages, long hours and dangerous working conditions were endemic on the docks. Bridges earned support among the longshoremen for the revival of the local of the International Longshoremen’s Association, advocating "Organization...rank and file control... unity of action... union democracy... solidarity among all Coast ports... among all unions,† (ILWU website). The local ILA was formed in 1933. Despite pressure from the Roosevelt administration, theories of a communist conspiracy and media opposition, the 1934 Wes t Coast Longshore Strike began on May 9, with Bridges as the chairman of the Strike Committee. Bridges formed a coalition of all waterfront workers and effectively stopped shipping on the West Coast. On July 5, "Bloody Thursday," the police charged the workers picket lines, shooting into the ranks of unarmed men, and wounded over one hundred men. Two men were killed. This led to a general strike and finally, arbitration commenced, with the unions successfully negotiating joint hiring-halls, a thirty hour week, higher wages, union recognition and coast-wide contracts. In 1937, Bridges founded the ILWU, serving as President for 40 years. Bridges life was characterized by a shining integrity which one cannot fail to admire. He remained steadfast in his loyalty to his fellow-workers, insisting that the salary of all union officials be the same as that of a longshoreman’s wages. His tactics are a shining example of the adage ‘United we stand,

How Psychological Research Has Helped in the Understanding of Criminal Behaviour Essay Example for Free

How Psychological Research Has Helped in the Understanding of Criminal Behaviour Essay Albert Bandura created the bobo doll experiment in 1961, the aim of this experiment was to show that if children where witnesses to aggressive displays by an adult of some sort they would imitate this behaviour when given an opportunity. The tested group contained 36 young girls and 36 young boys all aged between 4 and 5 years which was then divided into 3 groups of 24 – the aggressive condition, the non aggressive condition and the control group. The first group involved the children watching aggressive models, where the children where then subdivided by sex of the role model they were exposed to. The second group involved the children watched non aggressive models, where the children were also subdivided by the sex of the role model which they were exposed to. This left the two conditioned groups subdivided into eight experimental groups each containing 6 subjects. They were 6 boys with the same sex model, 6 boys with opposite model, 6 girls with the same sex model and 6 girls with the opposite model. With 3 different groups, Bandura had created a complicated design for the study which resulted in 3 independent variables; the conditions the children were exposed to, the sex of the child and the sex of the role model. Each child was then tested individually and the findings where then recorded. The experiment was done in an artificial environment and the researcher manipulated the independent variables into the conditions. In stage one of the experiment, the children were brought into the experimental room by the examiner. The room was set out as a nursery play room since that was the appropriate setting for the age of the children. One corner of the room had been arranged as a child’s play area consisting of a small table and chair and picture stickers. In the opposite corner of the room was where the adult models would be followed by a small table and chair, tinker toy set and a five foot bobo doll. In the aggressive condition the model began by playing with the tinker toy set but after a couple minutes the model turned its attention to the bobo doll and was aggressive towards the doll in a very distinctive way. Were as in the non aggressive condition the model ignored the bobo doll and played with the tinker toys in a gentle manner. After 10 minutes the children where then taken into new room. In stage two of the experiment the children were brought into a room with relativity attractive toys. In this room the children were to be subjected to mild aggression arousal. Once the children started to play with the toys, the experimenter took them off the children claiming they had been reserved for the other children. The children were then taken into the last and final room for stage three of the experiment. In this room the children were told they could play with any toys in there, the toys in stage three consisted of both non aggressive and aggressive toys. The children were kept in the room for 20 minutes where observations were made through a one way mirror by judges. With the observation and findings of this experiment, three measures of imitation were obtained. For this study the observers’ looked specifically for responses from the children that were very similar to the display by the adult model. They included; imitation of physical aggression, imitation of verbal aggression and imitation of non verbal aggression. With these observations, the researchers were able to consider which children imitate the models, which models the children imitated and whether the children showed a general increase of aggressive behaviour. The main findings of this study were that the children in aggressive model condition made more aggressive responses than the children in the non aggressive condition. They also found that the boys made more aggressive responses than girls, as well as the sex of the children being more aggressive if the model was of the same sex. These findings support Bandura’s social learning theory that children learn social behaviour through observation learning, which children learn through imitation. This study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as children learn through imitation and the environment which they grow up in have an effect on their behaviour. If a child has been brought up around abuse, criminal activity or consistent aggression then the child is most likely to offend by imitating their role model which could be a parent, sibling or even just a role model which they look up to. Philip Zimbardo (1971) Stanford prison experiment – Dr Philip Zimbardo created the Stanford prison experiment in 1971, the aim of this experiment was to find out the psychological effects of prison life, and to what extent can moral people be seduced to act immorally. The study consisted of 24 students selected out of 75, the roles of these 24 men were randomly assigned, 12 to play prison guards and 12 to play prisoners. The prison set up was built inside the Stanford’s psychological department, doors where taken of laboratory rooms and replaced with steel bars in order to create cells. At the end of the corridor was the small opening which became the solitary confinement for the ‘bad prisoners’. Throughout the prison there were no windows or clocks to judge the passage in time, which resulted in time distorting experiences. After only a few hours, the participants adapted to their roles well beyond expectations, the officers starting displaying authorisation and subject some of the prisoners to humiliation and torture whilst the prisoners developed passive attitudes towards the guards and accepted the physical abuse that was given to them. On the second day with surprise an unexpected rebellion broke out, reinforcement was called and more guards where to be on duty however the prisoners refused to leave their cells, barricading themselves in. This early in to the experiment the prisoners had already felt a loss of identity to the extent they started to refer to themselves as their inmate number rather than name. Even Dr Zimbardo himself started to lose sight of his role in the experiment believing he was in fact a ‘prison superintendent’ rather than a psychologist. Due to the extent of the rebellion the guards were forced to show more authority over them which led to the creation of the ‘privileged cell’. In order to break down the ‘superior’ inmates the guards placed the good prisoners in the privileged cell for a few hours, then placed the good prisoners back into the bad cells causing confusion within the inmates, breaking the trust and isolating them. Within a week the study was abandoned as the experiment was no longer a simple simulation, instead the guards saw the prisoners as troublemakers they were made out to be. In response to this they began stepping up control, surveillance and aggression whilst the prisoner started breaking down emotionally being unable to handle the situation anymore. From the observations and information given by Dr Zimbardo’s reports, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it relates to imitation and conformity. The guards imitated the behaviour of real guards adapting the role quiet quickly. The prisoners also adapted the role quickly falling into depression and conforming to each other. This also helps how a person mental state can change their behaviour, with the prisoners they soon became depressed and mentally unstable, and this shows that when put into a certain disciplinary situation the mind adapts causing them to act immorally. Solomon Ashce (1951) Conformity experiment- Solomon Ashce conducted the conformity experiment in 1951. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the extent of social pressure from a majority group can affect a person to conform. For this experiment Ashe used a lab experiment. Ashe used 8 participants for this experiment, 7 confederates and 1 naive participant. The 7 confederates had previously agreed to what their responses would be when presented with the line task. However the real participant had no knowledge of this and was led to believe that the other 7 participants were also real. With this experiment each person had to state aloud which line was most like the target line, (A, B or C). The answer was always an obvious one. The real participant always gave his or her answer last in order to see if they conformed or not. In some trials, the confederates gave the wrong answer whereas in some they gave the correct obvious answer. In the experiment there was 18 trials altogether and the confederates gave the wrong answer 12 out of the total 18. Ashce main observation was to find out if the real participant would end up conforming based on the majority views given by the other 7 participants. The results were then drawn up and out of the 18 trails, around 75% of the trials the real participant conformed even though he or she knew the answers were wrong. From the observations, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it explains that criminals may have previously been highly exposed to such aggressive behaviour causing them to conform. This shows that publicly any source of aggressive behaviour or criminal activity can lead to conformity causing more criminal behaviour. Anderson and Dill (2000) – Violence in video games study- Both Anderson and Dill conducted the relation between violence and video games study in 2000. The aim of this study was to find out how violent video games relate to aggressive behaviour. Their first study consisted of 227 students which were given a questionnaire in order to get data on their aggressive behaviour patterns. This study looked at the long-term exposure to video games and what effect it has on aggression towards people. The findings of the first study relating to the questionnaire came back with positive relations between the violence portrayed in video games and aggressive behaviour. The second study which Anderson and Dill conducted was to approach the impact that video games have on aggressive thoughts, social view and mood of a person. This study consisted of 210 students which were given a choice of 2 video games a non violent game ‘Myst’ or a violent interactive video game ‘Wolfstein 3D’. With the non violent game the objective was to travel the island of Myst, finding clues and making your own ending depending on the journey you took. With the violent game the objective was to eliminate the enemy ‘Adolf Hitler’ choosing your own hero and variety of weapons. With each game the students were allocated 3 slots for a period of 15minutes each. The findings of this study concluded Anderson and Dills knowledge and opinions that those exposed to the violent video game gained more aggressive behaviour than those who were not exposed to violence. From the observations, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it states that playing video games may increase aggressive behaviour because the violent acts are continually repeated throughout the game. Video games also encourage players to identify and interact through role play of their favourite characters causing them to imitate the character they are playing. Referring to first person in a game, it causes lead players to make their own decisions in the game affecting the actions of the character. Anderson and Dills studies show that after a limited amount of time playing violent video games, a player can start to automatically prime aggressive thoughts which can lead to aggressive behaviour. This shows that continually playing violent video games can affect a person’s thought patters leading to automatic aggressive behaviour through imitation of their favourite characters which could lead to criminal activity. Jahoda name study (1954)- Jahoda created the name study or as it is also called the self fulfilling prophecy. Jahoda studied the Ashanti tribe people who gave their boys ‘soul names’ depending on what day of the week they were born. For example, boys born a Monday were expected to be peaceful and full of good, whereas boys born on Wednesday which were called ‘Kwaku’ were expected to be aggressive and quick tempered. Jahoda found that when looking at prison and court records 13. 5% of boys that had been referred to court to court where from boys that were born on Wednesday, yet they were responsible for over 22% of violent crimes which was significantly higher than would be expected and shows that Wednesdays boys tended to live up to their reputation. However as for the boys born on Monday, they found that only 6. 9% of all juvenile cases where of minor offences. This implies that stereotypes of the boys behaviours depending on which day of the week they were born caused them to live up to expectations of their names. Jahoda concluded from all this that there was indeed nothing magical about the day of the week the boys were born on but of effect of expectations has on a person’s behaviour. From the observations and findings, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it links to the effect of rehabilitation and the study of the self fulfilling prophecy. If the offenders have the expectation that they should behave in such a way, rehabilitation may be more difficult. Overall the psychological theory of criminal behaviour suggests that negative expectations cause curtain’s to behave towards others in a specific way because their stereotypes – self fulfilling prophecy. Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) – Self fulfilling prophecy- Both Rosenthal and Jacobson also conducted a self fulfilling prophecy study and the way that people behave according to profiling or being stereotyped in 1968. Their study was conducted on students in a classroom which was also known as the ‘Pygmalion in the classroom’. The students were then put into groups of what the students think they will achieve, where they were then treated in a way that their ability group could achieve. All students completed an IQ test before the study. The findings of this study concluded Rosenthal and Jacobson’s theory that when people are put into groups or have been stereotyped into a group can cause people’s behaviour to change as they will live up to the expectations of the stereotype. The findings found were that after two years the students that were put into the group for higher levels achieved higher than the other students in any other group. These students were known to have been given additional feedback and extra attention so the finding expected had were correct. From the findings, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it shows that when categorised into a stereotype, people soon learn to live up to that expectation, behaving in a certain way. This also has an impact on a person’s self esteem, causing them to act undesirably and maybe even lead them to turn to crime. Eden (1990) – Self fulfilling prophecy- Eden also conducted the self fulfilling prophecy study in 1990, this study explains why some people turn to crime due to the way they have been stereotyped or labelled into a certain group. For this study, Eden looked at the training of 1000 Israeli soldiers and had them organised into 29 platoons. Some platoon trainers were told their groups were above the average potential but other trainers were told nothing. The findings of this study showed that after 10 weeks the performance of all soldiers were assessed and was found that on both the written exam and weapon test, the soldiers who had been told they were above the average potential did overall better than others, even though all soldiers were at an average level. These findings concluded Eden’s expectations that when labelled into a certain group, a person can adjust to behave according to expectations within the labelled group. This study has helped in understanding of criminal behaviour as it shows the stereotypes and labelled groups can influence a person’s self esteem leading them to behave in a certain way and if the stereotype is negative it can cause a person to turn to crime. Sheehan (1983) – TV violence and aggression Sheehan conducted the TV violence and aggression study in 1983. This study consisted of a group of middle class children aged between 5 and 10 to help find the link between children’s TV viewing and aggressive behaviour. Throughout the study data was gathered about the participants’ parents and the researchers also asked about the children’s aggressive fantasies to whether it would physically injure a person. Sheehan found that there were correlations between viewing violence and peer rated correlations for children that were aged between 8 and 10, with the correlations being stronger for the boys than the girls. The results were recorded by looking whether the child injured of irritated another person. These findings can relate to the social learning theory as he found that boys were more likely to imitate male models but overall looking at the data Sheehan collected, those who watched violent TV and films became more aggressive towards others than those who did not. This study has helped in understanding of criminal behaviour as it shows that continuously watching violent and aggressive TV programmes can affect a person’s thought patterns leading to automatic aggressive behaviour and imitation of their favourite characters which could lead to criminal activity.

Illegal Immigration from Mexico: Law, People and Business

Illegal Immigration from Mexico: Law, People and Business Illegal Immigration from Mexico: The Contradiction Between the Law, the People, and Business I. Introduction Before the nineteenth century migration between Mexico and the United States of America was open and did not require any type of verification between the two countries. After the nineteenth century, individuals who crossed the border into the United States without authorization were labeled illegal immigrants[1] These immigrants typically crossed into the United States because of labor shortages and economic disparity. In this essay, I will demonstrate that in regard to Mexican and Latin American illegal immigration, there is a contradiction between the law, business, and public opinion. This will be accomplished through a sociological perspective that will highlight a conflict theory outlook. First, a historical explanation is needed to frame the problem in proper context. II. Mexican Illegal Immigration History As a result of the Mexican American war, Mexico lost a large portion if its northern territory. The Mexicans who lived in this newly acquired area were given American citizenship and movement on the new border remained in flux. In the beginning of the nineteenth century a few inspection stations were created at the ports of entry along the southern border. World war one caused a labor shortage due to a sudden relocation of a mass amount of American males. Mexicans migrated to the United States and filled in the labor shortage caused by the lack of American males. The open border policy changed during prohibition due to a large amount of Mexican alcohol smugglers. The United States border patrol was created in reaction to smuggling in nineteen twenty-four. Additionally, the great depression caused a negative opinion of Mexican immigrants and mass deportations happened between nineteen twenty-nine to nineteen thirty-nine. When the United States entered world war two, a labor shortage s pread across the country. To cure the problem, the Bracero Program was created: [W]hich allowed millions of Mexican men to come to the United States to work on, short-term, primarily agricultural labor contracts. From 1942 to 1964, 4.6 million contracts were signed.[2] The program was ended due to mistreatment of the workers and the xenophobic public opinion. Although the program was terminated, Mexicans kept crossing the border for better economic opportunities. In response to the flux of Mexican migration, the United States: [E]nacted Operation Wetback, a campaign to deport Mexican workers who were in the country illegally. The program succeeded in rounding up over 1 million people, most of them men.[3] Soon after Operation Wetback, maquiladoras were created on the northern border of Mexico to provide cheap labor for United States businesses. Maquiladoras are factories that create and distribute products. They are typically located in impoverished countries and create products for more affluent countries. In addition, an agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico termed NAFTA was created to eliminate tariffs between the countries. Although NAFTA helped the elite in Mexico, it did not help the poor, thus the amount of migration to the United States increased. III. The Contradiction Between the Law, the People, and Business The policies that the United States government has created to stop or slow down the rate of illegal immigration is in conflict with the demand of cheap labor by companies located within the United States. Additionally, public opinion constantly alters and contradicts the policy and business needs. For instance, after world war one, the Bracero program became problematic because of public opinion, therefore a new policy was created to stop the flow of migration. Karl Marx defined capitalism as an economic system composed mainly of capitalists and the proletariat, in which one class (capitalists) exploits the other (proletariat).[4] It is apparent that the dominant ideology was tacit with its workers being sent to a war, which created a need for labor. The bourgeoisie exploited the Mexican migrants for the sake of maintaining their surplus value.[5] The Mexican workers were not the original proletariat but of a lower class, called the lumpenproletariat.[6] Eventually, when the workers came back from war, they were at odds with the Mexican lumpenproletariat, which created an alienation[7] between the two workers. The bourgeoisie/capitalist helped create this contradiction and conflict between the two different workers (Mexican migrants and American workers) and ultimately benefits from a conflict between them. Additionally, the bourgeoisie promotes and creates maquiladoras on the northern border of Mexico for cheap labor in the creation of products that they will profit from. However, the American public opinion opposes these factories because the factory jobs from the United States are abolished and relocated to Mexico. The bourgeoisie controls the means of production or the things that are needed for production to take place (including tools, machinery, raw materials, and factories).[8] In sum, the bourgeoisie promotion of factories in Mexico is in conflict with the workers and public opinion. IV. Laws That Have Led to Modern Day Slave Labor The Bracero program was implemented as a solution to the labor shortage during the war. Consequently, the Mexicans who filled in the gap did not receive the same amount of pay as United State citizens.[9] An instance of modern slavery is being paid a wage that is not enough to survive on. The program was used to exploit the workers and Mexico doubted that a legitimate labor scarcity existed and viewed the Bracero program as a way for the U.S. to obtain cheap labor.[10] Indeed, it seems that the bourgeoisie used this opportunity to pay the Mexicans a lower subsistence wage[11] than their American counterparts. Marxs theory of value claims that all value comes from labor and is therefore traceable, in capitalism, to the worker,[12] which is evident by the exploitation of the workers surplus value. Once the American workers came back from war, a campaign by the people was created to deport the Mexican workers. The campaign was successful and Operation Wetback was created in conjunction to sanctions on immigration. Consequently, once these laws were created, the term illegal alien became widely used. These so called illegal aliens came to the United States in defiance to newly created laws and were given an even lower wage. In sum, these new policies created an underclass of workers that the bourgeoisie exploited. Other policies such as NAFTA created a work scarcity in Mexico that has led to more illegal migration into the United States that the bourgeoisie is eager to exploit. Indeed, since the wages of many Mexican immigrants is not enough to survive on, policies have lead to this exploitation which can be labeled as modern day slave labor. V. Confronting the Problem It seems that neither the American nor the Mexican workers are aware of the exploitation that the bourgeoisie uses for monetary growth. Marx claimed that even the bourgeoisie may not be aware of this exploitation. He claims, The capitalists think that they are being rewarded, not because of their exploitation of the workers, but for their cleverness, their capital investment, their manipulation of the market, and so on. The capitalists are too busy making more money, in money grubbing, ever to get a true understanding of the exploitative nature if their relationship with workers.[13] Marx termed this as false consciousness, and he believed that the workers were capable of being aware of this exploitation through class consciousness. Therefore, a solution to this inequality first requires that the worker be aware of the inequality and then take action to overcome the issue of exploitation, otherwise known as praxis.[14] Consequently, this may be a difficult task, due to the fact that the different workers are in a constant clash with themselves and the bourgeoisie. VI. Conclusion In regard to illegal immigration in the United States, there is a contradiction between the law, business, and public opinion. The border between the United States and Mexico remained open to migration until the early nineteenth century. However, when in a labor shortage, the United States would open its borders to Mexican workers. Once workers returned, the borders were closed, and laws and programs were created to halt or slow down migration. These new policies did not completely stop migration and in some cases may have increased it. Subsequently, these new illegal immigrants were taken advantage of by the bourgeoisie with a salary that was below a subsistent wage, which can be labeled as modern day slavery. Without consciousness, it seems that the workers will be stuck in a revolving Sisyphean conflict between each other and the capitalists. [1] In addition, derogatory terms were used by the public and politicians. [2] http://www.labor.ucla.edu/what-we-do/labor-studies/research-tools/the-bracero-program/ [3] https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/may-2014-immigrant-deportations-today-and-continuing-legacy-operation-wetback [4] Book pg 25 [5] Define surplus value [6] Define lumpenprol [7] Define alienation [8] Pg 25 [9] http://www.unco.edu/cohmlp/pdfs/bracero_program_powerpoint.pdf [10] ibid [11] Define subsistence [12] Pg26 [13] Pg27 [14] Define praxis

Organizational Culture at Wal-Mart Essay

Explain how viable employee relations’ practices have contributed to Wal-Mart’s success as an employer When you think of the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart is usually the first name that comes to mind in its industry. With over 2 million employees, one must ask them-selves, why is Wal-Mart so successful and popular among employees? As a corporation, Wal-Mart focuses closely on its corporate culture and behaviors throughout the organization; paying close attention to satisfying both its customers and its employees. The company engages its employees to be happy to serve its customers, which is the reason they are employed. In an article titled, A culture of corporate at Wal-Mart, the author interviews a Wal-Mart management employee and writes, [â€Å"I think they’re very excited about us being here,† Copeland said, in reference to her staffers. â€Å"Just having to adjust [to the fact] that this is kind of like, corporate. That’s what we are. It’s not a typical ‘oh, I’m just coming to work.’ †¦ It’s not just being a cashier forever. Once they learned the benefits, the culture, it all started at the hiring center, it all started with the interviews. The expectations and what we wanted. They just carried that on from there. It’s like a fever everybody’s caught. This is just what it is. This is how our stores operate.†] (Yates, C.). Wal-Mart’s motto when it comes to employees is â€Å"our people make a difference† (Walmart). The company believes that its employees are the heart of its business and build an environment that is based upon integrity, respect, open-communication, and innovation. In fact, Wal-Mart has created four beliefs that it stands by to meet its purpose. Those beliefs are, â€Å"service to our customers, respect for the individual, strive for excellence, and act with integrity† (Walmart). Associates and corporate employees are reminded of those beliefs and strive to act on them every day. Even with bad publicity and criticism, Wal-Mart is still making plans to move forward to improve its employment practices and boost employment in the nation. In 2013, the company announced it would have plans to hire at least one hundred thousand veterans, purchase $50 billion dollars in American made products to help create various new jobs, and promote part-time workers to full-time. These types of employee relations’ practices help to relieve some of the bad criticism Wal-Mart has received and  contribute to retention among its employees in the corporation. Determine how the benefits may contribute to the success of Wal-Mart’s employment practice In today’s world, having great benefits are a deal breaker for many employees when choosing a company to work for. With the high cost of individual healthcare, workers want to ensure they are receiving the best benefits amongst competitors in their prospective industries. Wal-Mart focuses on offering affordable benefits to its employees that include health benefits such as health, dental, and vision with four dollar co-pays for generic medicines, financial benefits such retirement plans, employee stock purchase, employee discounts at Wal-Mart stores and subsidiaries, and discounts wireless services. The company offers great benefits that for sure contribute to best employment practices and the retention employees. These employee benefits are also contributing factors of why there aren’t many unions within the corporation; because many employees are satisfied. Describe how the organizational culture and the use of performance criteria could affect the introduction of a union Unionization is described as â€Å"the process of organizing the employees of a company into a labor union which will act as an intermediary between the employees and company management† (BusinessDictionary). In most cases, when management does not effectively communicate with employees on issues and concerns within the company, employees seek to form a union to act as the liaison on issues they would like resolved. Wal-Mart as a company is highly concerned about addressing issues with its employees. In fact, the company has created a open door policy that states [â€Å"We believe open communication is critical to understanding our associates’ and our customers’ needs. Associates can trust and rely on our open door policy. You are encouraged to raise your questions, concerns and ideas to your management team. This is how we get better.†] (Walmart). Wal-Mart is very much aware of criticized issues and continues to use the employee relation’s process to come up with best practice solutions to rectify these issues for  a more satisfied employee. Discuss why you believe Wal-Mart has not been effectively unionized over the years I believe that unionization has not been effective over the years because of the open door policy that Wal-Mart creates with its employees. Employees may realize the pros and cons of a union and either back out or I believe once Wal-Mart realizes employees feel their concerns are not being handled effectively, as organization they quickly organize a plan of action. In an article titled, Walmart: We Aren’t Unionized Because Workers Don’t Want Unions, the Director of Communications Steve Restivo states, â€Å"We have a clear and open line of communication with our associates. Our associates recognize that they appreciate that, and they know that the wages and benefits they receive are extremely competitive in the industry.† (DePillis, L.). â€Æ'References and Citations Walmart Corporate – Working at Walmart. (n.d.). Walmart Corporate – Working at Walmart. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/working-at-walmart/ Yates, C. (2013, December 4). A culture of corporate at Wal-Mart. Washington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2013/12/04/a-culture-of-corporate-at-wal-mart/?tid=pm_local_pop Working At Walmart. (n.d.). Walmart Careers. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://careers.walmart.com/about-us/working-at-walmart/#benefits-accordion Vranjes, T. (2013, February 9). Walmart Promises Bold Moves to Boost Employment  « Revive My Career. Revive My Career Walmart Promises Bold Moves to Boost Employment Comments. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.revivemycareer.com/2013/02/19/walmart-promises-bold-moves-to-boost-employment/ DePillis, L. (2011, May 19). Walmart: We Aren’t Unionized Because Workers Don’t Want Unions. Housing Complex RSS. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2011/05/19/walmart-we-arent-unionized-because-workers-dont-want-unions/ What is unionization?

Eng 157 Multicultural Analysis Paper

The Importance of Multicultural Literature ENG/157 David McCarthy The Importance of Multicultural Literature The introduction to multicultural literature into the broad world of differing walks of life, the reader may be surprised by the similarities between the cultures as well as the differences. Cultures are as eclectic as we are as individuals, each with their own quirks, intricacies, and uniqueness that inspires individuality regarding how the vast differences between cultures correlate to our own.Upon deeper examination of multicultural literature, however; we are also given the privilege to walk the path of the individual from whose perspective we are privy to through the written word. As many have wished at one point or another to know and understand what a particular individual is thinking, through reading multicultural literature, the opportunity to have such an experience and glean copious amounts of information. From the subtlest detail to major political agendas to perso nality quirks derived from current or past social standards of that culture.Although differences in points of view can prohibit understanding upon first contact greater exposure to literature from various cultures, one can find relation within themselves. One can empathize and humanize the characters that ultimately open the door to greater understanding of how a culture operates as well as attain the ability to relate those experiences to one’s own. To understand multicultural literature, one must first try to understand the cultural background of the author where he or she lives, what time, what their secular views are in a particular subject as well as their passions and influences.For instance, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’, author of the short story ‘The Return’ is heavily influenced by his negativity toward British colonialism in Africa. The â€Å"The Complete Review† (2010-2012) website had a list of the pros and cons of the author’s writi ng stating that he has a â€Å"Powerful anti-colonial voice, a strong stylist, a significant novelist, playwright, and public intellectual. † It also went on to say that â€Å"Angry Marxist politics creep a bit far into some of his work and older works can feel somewhat dated. † Kamau, the main character in this particular ork of Thiong’o’s, depicts what the people ultimately have suffered because of the colonial regime within Africa. The character represents not only what the people of Africa forced to suffer but also hope that the effect of what transpired can be overcome through perseverance despite devastation endured. The author, Ken Saro-Wiwa, also politically motivated which is a characteristic prominent within his short story â€Å"Africa Kills Her Sun†. Having sided with the minority Ogoni within his homeland of Nigeria, his protests and resistance against the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha led to his imminent execution.Within this pa rticular short story, though, he wrote the character Bana as one who sees his acts of criminality no different from that of those in more prestigious standing. This ultimately leads the reader to question how criminal activity, such as robbery is any different from that of the sly, underhanded actions of a politician or any other individual in a position of power. Readers also develop an emotional attachment to a character, such as the main character in Chitra Divakaruni’s â€Å"Mrs. Dutta Writes a Letter†.From the direct perspective of the character, the reader looks through the eyes of an elderly widow from India who struggles to find balance between her ingrained traditions and customs from her native homeland to the vastly different culture of America. Mrs. Dutta struggles with her understanding of technology, culinary preferences, distinctively different parenting styles, and proper decorum regarding personal space. She finds herself lost within a struggle between wanting the companionship of her son and grandchildren and her yearning to return to the familiarity of home.Upon closer examination of this piece, the reader can identify with the character and the feeling of misplacement in foreign surroundings. This story also illustrates the struggle with diversity within The United States. As Mrs. Dutta’s son and his family try to maintain assimilation-disregarding their heritage and customs to avoid stereotyping, Mrs. Dutta reminds them of where they originate. The integration of cultures within The United States is predominantly why the United States viewed as the â€Å"Land of Opportunity†. Despite the years of being classified as ‘The Melting Pot†, diversity remains a struggle for many immigrants.This story is a prime example of the internal conflict between heritage and assimilation as well as the strength of familial bonds. The history of a culture is of huge importance within multicultural literature. The attac k on 9/11 within the United States is an event that had both shattered the United States as well as assist in the formation of the future history of the United States. Pride and patriotism after that particular event blossomed along with a heavy rift regarding diversity, especially those of the Islamic faith.Remembering such a tragic event honors those who have lived through it as well as lights a mental candle for those who did not. History is as important in other cultures as well. Understanding and appreciating facts as well as religious mythology, such as the Native American mythology described within Margaret Lawrence’s â€Å"The Loons†. The loons within this story represent a mythological representation of an omen of death in some Native American cultures. The character, Piquette, after staggering through life with two separate identities-Cree and French-ultimately succumbs to this omen.Much like the yellow ribbon represents the soldiers fighting to maintain our freedom battling terrorists and risking their lives, the loons in this story represent the battle between two different cultural backgrounds fighting against each other in a metaphorical sense. If a culture denies its history, the culture is denied its identity. History weaved within the yarns of multicultural literature shine a light upon the dusty background that assisted in the formation of the culture, therefore breaking down the barriers of the misunderstanding of ethics, principles, traditions, and mindset.Much like the dissemination of the history and politics of different cultures, multicultural literature also deepens the understanding of perspective, education, and view on controversial topics such as in Ha Jin’s â€Å"The Bridegroom†. The â€Å"Barnes & Noble† (1997-2012) website included an editorial review upon the short story stating that â€Å"The title story is perhaps the most telling indication of the clash of humanitarian feeling and bureaucr atic intervention.The protagonist, who has been taught to believe that â€Å"homosexuality originated in Western capitalism and bourgeois lifestyle,† is unable to credit his own sympathy for his son-in-law, who is sent to a mental hospital to cure his â€Å"disease. † Ha Jin has a rare empathy for people striving to balance the past and the future although caught on the cusp of change. (Oct. ) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information. |† (Editorial Reviews). The story, set in China illustrates the ignorance of homosexuality. Considering the different sects within theUnited States and from other various countries and religious backgrounds that do not understand nor accept homosexuality, this story showcases how relative that misunderstanding can be. Although The United States has erred to the side of acceptance on this particular lifestyle, there are certain groups that due to the ignorance and neglect of education refuse to accept it. Aside from the topic of h omosexuality within the piece and the misinformation regarding that particular lifestyle, the story also initiates the question of what marriage in point of fact entails.With homosexuals fighting for the right to marry within the United States being the most controversial topic, the question that arises after reading â€Å"The Bridegroom†, is whether or not unwavering loyalty without sexual attraction predetermines a solid marriage. Beina, the main female character within the piece remains loyal to her homosexual husband despite his or her lack of physical intimacy instead based the relationship upon respect and companionship.Reading multicultural literature not only strengthens the bond between individuals, it also strengthens the bonds of diversity. Diversity allows individuals to learn and expand knowledge. It increases the amount of respect through first person narratives, memoirs, and the ideals within fiction. Contrary to popular belief, fiction does instill fact in a c omprehensive manner where the reader can walk for a short time in another individual’s footsteps, trace out the character’s heritage, and take a glimpse inside the mind of an individual from a foreign land.A writer puts themselves into their work and the readers having taken the time to examine the stories can see the particular voice of the writer to understand and appreciate the author as well as the characters. References The Complete Review. (2010-2012). Retrieved from http://www. complete-review. com/authors/ngugi. htm Barnes & Noble. (1997-2012). Retrieved from http://www. barnesandnoble. com/w/bridegroom-ha-jin/1102808435

English for Special Purposes

English for Special Purposes Identifying Characteristics of Taxi Drivers as Learners of English for Specific Purposes The group of students includes taxi drivers who will need to meet the existing standards of the language proficiency. The age of the focus group varies significantly from 25 to 45 years. Specifically, a group under the age category 30 amounts to 60 % whereas group under the age category from 30-45 years is 40 %. All taxi drivers should learn English as a second language for using it in their professional environment.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on English for Special Purposes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Specifically, the purpose of learning language consists in reaching communicational purposes, instructional purposes, and pragmatic functions. In particular, the task of taxi drivers is to learn speech patterns that are most commonly used in the workplace. They should also be able to adjust to various cultural varieties and, therefore, their language should be politically correct. Study of language, therefore, will also be connected with intercultural issues, including the analysis of various nationalities, essentials of cross-cultural communication, and the basics of interpersonal communication. Finally, the students will have to be able to learn the linguistic patterns and sentence structures that are often used in dialogues. Specific attention should be paid to the analysis of language proficiency. In the given course, it is purposeful to apply to holistic strategies and start learning languages from the general vocabulary, or high-frequency words, and proceed with learning more specific terms and lexis related to the professional environment. The fact that students have various cultural and ethnic origins as well should also be taken in consideration because it has a great impact on the curriculum design and the actual duration of the course. Strategies to Conduct A Needs Analysis and Rational e for the Chosen Strategies in Terms of the Theoretical Perspectives Introducing course design for studying English for specific purposes is much more beneficial for learners seeking to learn the language for achieving either academic or professional goals (Dudley-Evans St John, n. d). In this respect, the curriculum should be planned with regard to the working environment in which students are engaged in. The primacy of needs analysis is unquestionable because it is closely associated with students’ motivation. In addition, English for specific purposes implies a time-limited course that is developed with references with a needs analysis (Dudley-Evans St John, n. d.).Advertising Looking for coursework on languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Needs analysis, therefore, will directly relate to the activities that students perform at work. It will also depend on registers, genres that learners should be a ble to handle to carry out daily activities at work. For this particular course, the language will be studied with regard to a specific variety of English that is closely associated with the communication environment in which taxi drivers operate. According to Busturkmen (2006), â€Å"learning from the specific variety of English†¦is highly effective as learners acquire structure in relation to the range of meanings in which they are used in their academic, workplace, or professional environments† (p. 17). However, before the specific English will be identified, students will have to come up with general English because it will also introduce specific directions and mechanisms through which a teacher can estimate the level of proficiency and define which learning techniques should be introduced. Before the target learners will be accepted for the course, they will have to present written introspections with regard to the following prompts: Provide a detailed but concise description of the job of a taxi driver as possible. Be accurate and laconic. It is not necessary to elaborate on unnecessary details, but you should be specific. The respond in the form of notes will suit the description requirements. Jot down a list of words, phrases, and word combination that you heard while driving the passengers. Written and read words are also possible to mention if it relates to the job specifics. Please, add the information about the speaker, as well as the type of material that vocabulary was taken from. The next step of needs analysis will be aimed at obtaining information concerning the types of communication channels that the target learners use. The taxi drivers were presented with questionnaires and interviews that will help to define what kind of sentence structures they use, which language patterns they, as well as what genres prevail in communications with their clients. Such an approach will also pursues a social purpose because this aspect is im portant in understand the needs of students while learning a language. Ethnographic principles will also be applied to observe behavior, habits that will later the learning techniques for the ESP classes.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on English for Special Purposes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With regard to the existing limitations of needs analysis perspective, the information about personal experience will be drawn basically from face-to-face interviews, but not from institutions they work with. Particular attention should also be given to distinguishing between objective and subjective needs of learners. Specifically, the role of an ESP teacher is to define the objective concerns and actual interest of taxi drivers so as to be able to accurately identify the techniques and strategies for designing the course content. With regard to the above-presented theoretical lenses, the main needs of taxi drivers a re to acquire vocabulary on attracting attention of clients, effective greeting, accurate explanation of itineraries, polite responses, and information requests. The taxi drivers should also be able to learn the communication devices for sustaining fruitful dialogue with their clients. All these aspects, along with needs analysis, will be essential for preparing a unit of work in ESP course. Description of Course Content Unit Within specific ESP course, students have to study high-frequency vocabulary, understand the peculiarities of dialogues composition, and understand the importance of social issues in communication. At this point, a list of important vocabulary will be introduced in the form of phrase and word combinations, but not as a list of separate words. The task of the course is to encourage learners to use some words in various contexts. The unit of work selected for this course will involve a dialogue called Travel to Airport that contains important vocabulary that taxi drivers should learn for successful communication. The story will also allow the learner to understand what phrases should be used in various situations, as well as predict what travelers are usually concerned with while travelling from a specific destination to airport. The Appendix 1 presents a developed conversation between the traveler Steven who is trying to find a cap and arrive in a destination.Advertising Looking for coursework on languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Aside from conversation practice in English, taxi drivers should have excellent listening comprehension skills. In this respect, a video will be provided for learners to understand the main difficulties in understanding and improving pronunciation. The video provided by Anglo-Link (2011) provide a number of challenges that LSP learners can face, as well as strategies that will help them improve their comprehension and pronunciation. Rationale for the Chosen Unit of Work In Terms Of Genre, Language, Moods, and Intercultural Issues The proposed units of practice – dialogue to learn vocabulary and situational context and listening comprehension video tutorial – provide a great start for LSP learners. Specifically, the genre of language is conversational due to the professional peculiarities. The chosen genre and style of language learning fit the needs of taxi drivers should be good at interpersonal communication and listeners. Accurate understanding of the clientsâ€℠¢ requests is essential for meeting their demands. Therefore, taxi drivers should be able to have sufficient listening comprehension skills. Importantly, the success listening comprehension and authentic interaction largely depends on the cultural issues as well. Taxi drivers will have to communication with people of various nationalities and, therefore, their speech should exclude politically incorrect words. They should apply to formal constructions and general English language. In this respect, the basic knowledge is also significant to improve communication skills. Chamberlin-Quinlisk (2008) states that a good language learner should be regarded â€Å"†¦as more than successful linguist but as one who can participate in the conversations of the target language community† (p. 3). Taking an active part in social communication is especially relevant for LSP learners who consider English as a second language and who communicate in culturally diverse settings that provide them with both social and academic opportunities for authentic interaction. The dialogue implies that a taxi driver is not a native speaker, but his language skills are sufficient for communicating with a passenger. The communication skills, therefore, can be developed as soon as the learner will conceive the main aspects of cross-cultural interaction. Ability of a person to adapt to communication strategies and styles plays a pivotal role in intercultural interactions. In this respect, creating dialogues on the basis of the proposed example can contribute to the learners’ adaptability, which is possible through defining sociocultural and strategic knowledge (Chamberlin-Quinlisk, 2008). Social adaptability also contributes to social competency and experiences increasing learner’s ability to adjust to new situations (McDonough, 2010). It also offers learners a new vision on critical situations, as well as ensures possible steps for addressing language challenges. Overal l, all aspects, including genre, registers, style, and intercultural peculiarities, have been introduced to meet the concerns and needs of the identified group. Focus on comprehension listening and communication skills is a priority in a learning process. The non-native learners will able to understand what purposes are traced. Moreover, they will have much more incentives to study the English language. Evaluating the Unit in Terms of its Sustainability for the Group of Learners Identified and Their Needs Before organizing the units of works, specific attention should be paid to the language characteristics and essential purposes in learning. In the given case, the language should be seen as a series of communicative purposes and, therefore, the given dialogue presents pragmatic functions of language (Ho, 2011). In particular, the speech acts are aimed at requesting, reporting, and describing the course content. Despite the specificity of the established language functions in the un it of work, â€Å"language should be approached holistically and teaching should proceed from the whole to the parts† (Busturkmen, 2006, p. 21-22). At the same time, the pragmatic functions view language as a set of intended actions of users and speech acts. Because taxi drivers are frequently involved in communication acts, their learning models should be oriented on sentence structures, language patterns, and word phrases. Knowledge of language out of social and communication contexts is not relevant and does not meet the specific purposes. Therefore, understanding real-to-life situations is a priority for learners of this occupation. There is an assumption that introducing authentic materials is also a helpful tool in conceiving the basic aspects of language. Developing authentic materials is much more appropriate in a social context as well because such teaching practices â€Å"as multiple intelligences, cooperative learning, task based learning and content-based learnin g, lead to authentic interaction in classroom† (Busturkmen, 2006, p. 437). At the same time, the presence of text-based materials is also indispensible for organizing the authentic interaction. Based on the dialogue presented in Appendix 1, the learners will be able to construct their personal dialogue with reliance on the vocabulary highlighted in bold. Apart from conversation practice units, listening comprehension practices should also be involved into the course content. According to KavaliauskienÄâ€" and AnusienÄâ€" (2009), â€Å"in listening, it is not just the relative frequency of the content words that affects comprehension but also how concentrated they are in the text† (p. 29). What is more important is the authenticity of the materials on practicing listening skills (Baghban, 2011). In particular, authenticity implies listening to a real language that is the most challengeable to understand. The point is that when learners listen to unknown speech, they of ten perceive it as a continuous set of sounds. Lack of experience in listening prevents the learners from distinguishing meaningful extracts and understanding the word boundaries in a sentence (Laborda, 2011). However, constant listening practice will help them improve their comprehension and break the chain of sounds into meaningful patterns. They will start recognize some familiar words in the course of continuous practice. Therefore, the proposed video will allow to outline the most difficult patterns, as well as the strategies contributing to advancing their pronunciation skills. In addition, listening to specific materials, particularly to the proposed audio lecture is also an important instrument in checking the level of learners’ involvement into developing their listening skills (Miller, 2009). They should also be ready to act in various discourses. With regard to the selected units of work, the courses will involve a combination of structural, functional, situational and task-based patterns that will ensure the learners’ progress in studying the English language. Specifically, structural patterns imply studying grammar and sentence structures. Particular attention will be given to the analysis of types of questions, incomplete sentences, and polite responses. Functional approach includes the analysis of communicational and situational functions that will allow taxi drive to apply to pertinent behaviors while interacting with their clients. This is where social discourse is important in advancing language skills. Situational patterns are indispensible for learners to understand to be able to set speech acts around various situations. With regard to the national standards for testing ESP learners in Australia, the given course context should meet the requirements. The proposed methodology on identifying the proficiency level and associate language skills indicates the actual skills that taxi drivers need to communicate freely with their cl ients. According to these standards, it is not necessarily for taxi drivers to have an excellent command of the English language, but the level that will help them accomplish their professional duties (Ingram, 2010). Therefore, the course content allows the ESP learners practice all ranges of skills, including reading, writing, listening, and comprehending. Conclusion In conclusion, the main task of this project is to define the course content to learn taxi drivers as ESP learners. The age of the group varies between 20 and 45 years and, therefore, the techniques should be adopted in accordance with their skills, proficiency level, and experience in driving. As the basis for the unit of work, a dialogue was chosen to learn the basic vocabulary, as well as structural and functional patterns of responding to and responding to the information provided by the client. As a supporting material, a video lecture on listening comprehension has been included for the learners to understand the challenges of distinguishing unfamiliar words in a real speech act. The rationale for the chosen course content is justified because practicing communication skills and listening skills are essentials for acting in a real-to-life situation. In addition, a task-based approach is strong motivation for learners to improve their knowledge and experience in speech acts. The presentation of language varieties plays a secondary role in defining the direction in studying the English language because conversational style requires the knowledge general language, as well as elements of oral communications. Writing and reading skills are also less important for the given course. Finally, the worked out activities will suit the established national standards for testing English language knowledge of taxi drivers. References Anglo-Link (2011) Learn English Listening Skills. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssuiqtreiBgfeature=related Baghban, Z. (2011). Authentic Materials Implication for ESP Settings. Sino-US English Teaching, 8(7), 437-442. Busturkmen, H. (2006). Issues in ESP Course Design. In Busturkmen (Ed.) Ideas and Options in English for Specific Purposes. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erbaum Associates. Chamberlin-Quinlisk, C. (2008). Language Learner and Native Speaker Self-Perceptions of Communicative Adaptability: Implications for Intercultural Interactions. Conference Papers International Communication Association, 1-25. Dudley-Evans, T., John, M. J. (n. d.). Developments in ESP: A multi-disciplinary approach. US: Cambridge University Press. Ho, B. (2011). Solving the Problems of Designing and Teaching a Packed English for Specific Purposes Course. New Horizons In Education, 59(1), 119-136. Ingram, D. E. (2010). National Testing of English Language Skills for Taxi Drivers. Queensland: University of Melbourne. KavaliauskienÄâ€", G., AnusienÄâ€", L. (2009). English For Specific Purposes: Podcasts For Listening Skills. Coactivity / Santa lka, 17(2), 28-37. Laborda, J. G. (2011). Revisiting Materials for Teaching Languages for Specific Purposes. Online Submission. McDonough, J. (2010). English for specific purposes: a survey review of current materials. ELT Journal: English Language Teachers Journal, 64(4), 462-477. Miller, L. (2009). Engineering Lectures in a Second Language: What Factors Facilitate Students Listening Comprehension?. Asian EFL Journal, 11(2), 8-30. Appendix.  English Conversations: Travel to Airport Steven has to travel to New Jersey on business. However, he finds no available bus that will follow the necessary itinerary. So, Steven has to take a taxi to Airport Office that offers arrangements of airport transfers. The car is ordered and the taxi asks a traveler a number of questions: Taxi Driver: â€Å"Should I drive directly to the City, Sir†? Steven: â€Å"Yes, please. How do you like the job of a taxi driver? Do you earn enough?† Taxi Driver: â€Å"I should confess that job of a taxi driver is a lot of hard work. I find that one must run it oneself to be successful at any business. Steven: â€Å"Unfortunately, there is only one hour left for my flight to take off. I will have to take Airport Office that has arrangement for transfers to airport. Do you think we’ll reach the city airport in time?† Taxi Driver: â€Å"I think so, Sir. It will take use another fifteen minutes to reach the city Office.† Steven: â€Å"Anyway, please do not drive fast.† Taxi Driver: â€Å"Don’t worry. Once we get out of this district, there is not much traffic jams on the other route and we will make good time† Steven: â€Å"How long have you been driving the taxi†? Taxi Driver: â€Å"It is now more than two years, Sir, since I bought my taxi. And do you travel often?† Steven: â€Å"This is my first trip by air. I believe that one should reach the flight terminal at least one hour before take off of flight. Do you think weâ €™ll be late?† Taxi Driver: â€Å"Please, don’t worry, sir. You will get there forty-five minutes ahead of time and that is sufficient time for you to check in.† Steven: â€Å"We are approaching the Airport Office now, aren’t we?† Taxi Driver: â€Å"Yes, Sir. Here we are. Shuttles to airport are ready. You want to go to Domestic airport, or the International terminal?† Steven: â€Å"To the International Terminal, please. Thank you. How much is Taxi fare?† Taxi Driver: â€Å"Fifteen dollars and fifty cents, please, sir.† Steve: â€Å"Here is the fifty dollars. Please take fifteen dollars and fifty cents and return the change to me. Thank you.† Taxi Driver: â€Å"Here you are. Have a nice trip, sir.† Steven: â€Å"Thank you very much†

Pesticides essays

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Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

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