The Worker Next Door

In the essay â€Å"The Worker Next Door† written by Dr. Chris Chiswick, the author addresses the illegal immigrant problem in America, and gives several questionable reasons how if the flow of illegal immigrants were deterred, jobs would still be filled, and life would go on as usual, or even better. Dr. Chiswick wrote a not too convincing essay, having many places where he could have improved or even left out certain parts of his essay that would have made this writing better, and more realistic to his audience. I spotted a couple areas where the author went on a tangent of barely related areas to illegal immigration. Along with that, it doesn’t really seem like he tried to appeal to ethos too much, but gives some attention to logos and pathos early on in the essay and at the end. The first paragraph of this essay is a rhetorical question that asks how different life would be if illegal immigrants were not in the country doing low-class, low-skilled, and low-wage jobs that most Americans would not do. This question is a good way to start the essay, making the reader think a little, and get more interested in the topic while also revealing the authors purpose; to persuade the reader into thinking that illegal immigration is not necessary for the American economy. This purpose is hinted throughout the course of the essay, but is most obvious in his thesis in paragraph eight. As the essay progresses, it becomes clearer that Chiswick’s audience is the American public who live in states with high illegal immigration, specifically from Mexico, as his title so subtly states. Not so subtle in his essay however, is his claim in the third to last paragraph, where he states that â€Å"Less frequent lawn mowing and washing of hotel sheets and towels would reduce air, noise, and water pollution in the bargain. †. Chiswick can have all the Ph. D. s in the world, but its not going to make illegal immigration from Mexico a realistic strain on pollution in America. While the author may not do too well on appealing to ethos, he does make an attempt to make up for it on logos, when he gives data from the U. S. ensus, saying that 64% of lowskill jobs were done by native born Americans while only 36% were foreign born. The problem that I had with this is that no where in this statistic does it mention illegal aliens, which this essay is supposedly about. If illegal immigration is such a big concern for this man, then why does he have to resort to a barely related statistic to get support from? This leaves us to the last appeal available, pathos. Chiswick used pathos most evidently and strongly in the last paragraph, with a hint of ethos, to give a final attempt in convincing his readers. His entire essay up to this point is about how America would be far better off economically without illegal immigration from Mexico, but then he quickly turns from criticizing and blaming aliens to praising the genius of the American public and economy. If his strong attempt at the use of ethics by showing he knows a little American history does not impress a simple high school student, I can’t imagine what his informed, educated, and mature audience would think. Have you noticed how in this very essay, there doesn’t seem to be a nice flow between topics, and that things may at times, seem fairly irrelevant to the subject at hand? This is how i felt while reading â€Å"The Worker Next Door†. Chiswicks organization is flawed, jumping from claim to claim without any real connection between the two. It might be just me, but I don’t really see the link between suggesting bad hygiene (â€Å" Hotels and motels could reduce the frequency of changing sheets and towels†¦ to every third day†) and how home owners could switch grass species. If Chiswick knew his audience properly, he would know that Americans are generally lazy, and we are getting lazier(CNN). At first, I thought Chiswick was a reasonable guy. He pointed out how places with little to no illegal immigration still had groceries bagged, lawns cut, and hotel sheets changed. But what he failed to point out was that these places are usually small towns out in the middle of nowhere, where the standard of living is lower, and the local economy is stagnant. Not fully thinking his statement through hurt the credibility of his essay, and the ridiculous claim that illegal immigration contributes to our pollution is absurd. Chiswick’s essay could have been much better than this. Someone who has a Ph. D. in economics and is writing a persuasive essay should have many more sources, facts, and realistic examples. The strongest case Chiswick could come up with is that immigration is driving down the living standards for low-skilled workers, as if he were writing his essay to help them out. But these workers aren’t immigrating to a lower standard of living. They’re immigrating to a country that has a much higher standard of living, even for low-income workers.

Macbeth Analysis Essay

The extract before me is from Macbeth written by William Shakespeare in the year 1606. It is from Act 1 Sc 7. It takes place in a room at Macbeth’s castle at Inverness. The extract primarily deals with the ploys that Lady Macbeth uses to persuade her husband Macbeth to commit the crime of murdering King Duncan. Two important themes are bought out in this extract, one is about the creation of gender roles and stereotypes and the second one is about appearances often being deceptive. The extract begins with Macbeth telling Lady Macbeth â€Å"We shall proceed no further in this business†. This is obviously referring to something which has happened before in the scene. Macbeth has been contemplating the consequences of this murder. He conceives a very apocalyptic vision of how the angels of heaven are gonna be coming and spreading the news of this murder all across. The angels are gonna be pleading for Duncan’s virtues and the people are gonna be actually crying and there be like a flood of tears which will drown the Earth. So, he tells Lady Macbeth that he does not wish to do away with his golden reputation, he does not want to lose its gloss and therefore, he does not want to proceed with the bloody business as he calls it. Lady Macbeth is obviously very affected by this and she ends up trying to accuse Macbeth of being unmanly. She uses adjectives like â€Å"pale†, â€Å"green†. She compares him to â€Å"the poor cat in the adage†. She is trying to drive the wedge between him and his doing and his desire to achieve the throne and his lack of action. Now, Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"what beast was it then that made you break this enterprise to me†. This is a reference to Act 1, Sc 5 because in Act 1 Sc 5, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth about the prophecies that the witches had made and how he is supposed to become t he King of Scotland after becoming the Thane of Cawdor. Now, Lady Macbeth is just wedging upon those lines saying that â€Å"when you dared to commit this to me, that is when you were a man† and now if you are actually gonna commit the deed of murder, you are gonna commit the heinous crime of regicide, you will be even more the man. Lady Macbeth reasons out that the time and the place were not appropriate to kill Duncan at that time but now since he has come into our battlements, he is in our castle as our guest, we are supposed to kill him. Lady Macbeth is surprised that Macbeth is losing his resolve at this time. Lady Macbeth goes on to create a very grotesque image that shows that the milk of human kindness is actually not present in her. She says that she has suckled the baby at her breast and she knows â€Å"how tender it is to love the babe that milks me† and she says that if she had ever said that she had committed to anyone that I am going to be killing my child, she would have actually plucked his mouth out of her nipple and dashed his brains out against the wall. This is a very grotesque image produced by Lady Macbeth has produced. This makes it clear to us that Lady Macbeth has been dehumanised, defeminised in all ways. Thus, she has achieved her wish which she asked from the spirits. She is totally unwomanly and does not have any maternal instincts. She is actually a reminder of the character Medea from the play Medea written by Euripedes because Medea had self-decided to kill her own children. Now, we see that the scene has become progressively darker with Lady Macbeth creating images of death and Macbeth ends up contemplating the possible consequences if we should fail. We should see that there are several times when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth talk about each other as being one. They perpetually use ‘we’. Macbeth has never said that ‘i’ am gonna fail at the murder. He says that ‘we’ should fail. This shows that there is a sense of togetherness and they are partners not only in greatness but also in crime. So, Lady Macbeth immediately retaliates but then at this time there is a shift in tone. It becomes much more pragmatic because she divulges the plan of the murder to Macbeth. There is a metaphor used over here, it’s about stringed instruments, now just as you take the string and you create the appropriate tension by tying it to the right peg. Similarly, Lady Macbeth expects that Macbeth decides to be headstrong and resolute and decides to screw his courage to the sticking place. If he does so, they will certainly not fail. She goes on to discuss the plan of murder with Macbeth. She says that when Duncan will be asleep and in all probability, he is likely to sleep due to his long journey. The two sentinels outside his room are gonna be intoxicated by Lady Macbeth using wine, drugs. She will make sure that they are so drunk that they will lose thier memory which has been described as â€Å"the warder of the brain†. The receipt of reason will not be there. Reason will actually be distilled out of their brains. They will not be able to understand anything. They will actually behave like swine and sleeping in that manner. Lady Macbeth sees it as golden opportunity to perform the murder. She once again, as I said, talks about them being one. She says â€Å"what cannot you and I perform upon the unguarded Duncan?† when in fact the murder is going to be committed by Macbeth alone. Lady Macbeth is obviously very important partner in his crime. Now, Lady Macbeth further tells him that they are gonna be taking the daggers and staining the officers with the blood. She expects the officers â€Å"to bear the guilt of our great quell. Now, the use of the word â€Å"guilt† over here is very important and it is also very ironic because it is not like they do not do away with thier guilt ever. In fact, they leave in torment of the very murder. Lady Macbeth in Act 5, Sc 1 in the sleep-walking soliloquy is a woman who has completely lost her senses. She is leaving under intense emotional pressure and she is the one who is not able to sleep anymore. So, it shows that they are actually guilty of the crime. Macbeth himself in Act 2 Sc 2 does not wish to even go back to the scene of the crime again. So, it shows that even though they are gonna be staining the sentinels with blood. In fact, both of them are gonna be living in horror of the deed. Now, Macbeth seems to be quite convinced and he asks Lady Macbeth to bring forward male children only because the â€Å"undaunted mettle should compose nothing but males†. Now, this is very significant because it is about the creation of the gender stereotypes. In the Shakespearean area, it was expected of men to be embodiment of valour, courage and ruthlessness to some extent and woman on the other hand were expected to be more submissive and incapable of coming up with wicked plans. However Lady Macbeth is an exception to this rule because she comes across as one who is so resolute and cold, so devoid of pity that this is something which should be there only in men. Macbeth once again questions his wife and asks her that if they are gonna marking the two sleepy sentinels with blood, would it not see that they have done it. Lady Macbeth says that while they will be hysterically crying and lamenting the death of Duncan, suspicion will never fall upon them. Macbeth finally capitulates to all its wife’s persuasions and he seems to have â€Å"bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat†. This is a very important line in the building up of the tragic hero because Macbeth is gonna be himself responsible for his fate. He has decided to put his heart and soul into committing so heinous a crime and he is indeed gonna be bearing indeed the consequences of it as we see later in the play. The scene ends with a couplete that rhymes which is typical of Shakespeare. It says that â€Å"Away, and mock the time with fairest show: false face must hide what the false heart doth know. So, it recounts the theme that appearances are often deceptive. This theme has been running throughout the play. It all began with King Duncan in Act 1 Sc 2 when he wished that he would be able to recognise people by simply looking at their faces. It is also present in Act 1 Sc 5 when Lady Macbeth asks her husband to â€Å"look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it†. This time Macbeth is the one who is actually telling his wife that she is suppose to be having composure, she is suppose to conceal her ulterior motives and her false face must hide the real intentions that she has. In conclusion, i can say that there is a big contrast between the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is the one who is contemplating the fear of failure. He says that we should fail, what would happen. He is no doubt ambitious but at the same time he also comes across as a rational being.

Comparative Analysis of the Movie Essay

The movies have good story lines and scripts. Since both the movies were music and dance based, the music of the movies has been very good. Fish Tank Nowhere Boy Year of Release 2009 2010 Genre and Theme Drama Drama Storyline brief/ Narrative Based on the life of the girl who likes to go for the street dancing. Based on the life of the boy who was living with aunt and wanted to be a guitarist. Characters Leading character of the movie is the 21st century girl but she lives alone and just practices her street dance. Leading character of the movie is the boy of 21st century too but wanted to learn playing guitar and want to forget everything of his past. Locations (Shown and Shot) Mardyke Estate in Havering Liverpool and at Ealing Studios in West London Costume: Dressing Designer Culture represented Usually in the denim and T-shirt, boxers, track suits, hip-hop or street dance costumes. Jane Petrie Present culture Sophisticated dressing as per the role requirement of a guitarist and usually in proper uniform like school uniform or formal school uniform. Juliar Day Present culture. Settings of the movie This was the art movie and based on dance. The girl lived with mother and sister. This movie was also the art movie but based on instrument playing. Single family of Aunt and John was the main setting. Attitude of leading characters towards the world In this movie, Mia lives isolated from the world and she only do practice of her street dancing in her house. John live with his aunt and enjoy the social culture like going out on trips, parties etc with friends. Mode of enjoyment of the leading characters Mia only likes to dance so she enjoys that. Johnson likes to play guitar and he only like to do that. Similarity The movie was based on an art form, teenager or youth oriented. The characters wanted to learn particular dance form. She saw a street dancer which become source of inspiration This movie was also based on art teenager or youth oriented. The character wanted to learn particular music. He attended a show which became his source of inspiration for learning and playing Guitar. Difference The movie is female oriented, where the comparatively new dance form of Street dancing has been focused. In this movie, the leading character wanted to learn guitar and enjoyed playing Guitar the most and was excellent with that. His passion for Guitar has made him practice as much as he could perform much beyond his age like professionals. Conclusion In both the movies, the main aspect was to show the life of the teenage girl and a boy that how the society deals with. In Fish Tank, Mia was the girl who got admired by the street dancers who were performing and in Nowhere Boy also, John got admired from the guitarist who can be able to play much better than the band. And in both the movies, director had shown clearly that the future is influenced by the past. So Mia got tensed in the movie Fish Tank as she heard that Connor had left them and in Nowhere Boy, John was also got irritated due to his past. These movies was generally built for the young generation people as they already have pressure of studies and their hobbies and what they want to be in their life. Society also provide pressure to them which result in making pressure in the mind of the child and due to this many children left studying and they got distracted from their hobbies too. Reference British Film Industry available at http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/in_depth/entertainment/2003/british_film_industry/default. stm Curran and Porter, 1993 British Cinema History, London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson 9-23 Murphy, R. ed. , 2009 The British Cinema Book, London: BFI, 1-64, 65-142 Fish Tank official website http://www. michaelfassbender. org/episodesfte. html http://www. hollywoodreporter. com/hr/film-reviews/fish-tank-film-review-1003973214. story Image Fish Tank from http://www. movieroar. com/images/fish-tankpster1. jpg Nowhere Boy Movie Review http://www. futuremovies. co. uk/review. asp? ID=1110 No Where Boy movie details available at http://www. nowhereboy. co. uk/ http://www. hollywoodreporter. com/hr/film-reviews/nowhere-boy-film-review-1004031851. story.

Confucianism Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Confucianism Reflection - Essay Example If we were to look back into the history of China as a people, what becomes evident is that they have a deeply rooted respect for their elders and ancestors that continue to this very day. It is this sense of respect that has created a strong family bond among the Chinese. The aforementioned Confucianist belief conveys the message that respect for parents is not only something that should be done in the presence of others, but it is something that must be embodied in order to be an effective tenet of the human relationship or relationships between senior and junior members of the family. The idea behind the passage that I chose to reflect upon is simple. My understanding is that children are being trained to know, from an early age, that if one shows respect to his elders, then he will not need to demand that his elders respect him as well. The true respect and family relationship is built when the young generation shows support for his elders, without feeling obligated to do so. It then becomes important for children to understand that showing respect for their elders, and not showing them a bad face is the kind of payback that is expected or accorded to people who have nurtured them since conception and helped them become contributing members of society. Parents, are known to do everything that they can for their children up until the time when their age no longer permits them to do so. Once they become feeble and weak, it then becomes the responsibility of their children to sacrifice for and respect their parents until their last day on earth. Some children these days often show their parents a bad face once they are asked by their elders to perform certain tasks, because of the sense of privilege and self-centered attitude that modern parenting styles have bestowed upon them. Thus showing a lifelong disrespect for their parents rather than showing thanks for the sacrifice that the elders committed themselves to for the benefit of the younger

Management of Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management of Change - Essay Example However, several environmental changes such as global climate change and demographic changes pose greater risks to the effectiveness of Victoria State Emergency Service. There is an increasing shortage of volunteers. Increased demand for work, increasing costs of labor and diversification of the emergency management services. Victoria State Emergency Service will have to undergo change in order to attain comprehensive, coordinated and integrated emergency management capabilities. The agency must use innovative, professional and progressive approach to emergency management by ensuring high preparedness and excellent disaster mitigation services especially in the response and recovery cycle. The critical factors that have triggered change at the agency include the external environment that requires a change in the mission, leadership, operational strategies and culture of the emergency management agency. The current scenario at the organization has the likelihood of causing a decline i n overall performance, poor emergency services and conflict in the organization. Burke-Litwin Model of organizational performance and change can be used in diagnosing the need for change and making essential recommendations for the change at Victoria State Emergency Service. The model contains 12 organizational dimensions that determine how the performance of an organization is influence by the external and internal factors. The 12 dimensions include the external environment, mission and strategy, leadership, organizational culture, structure, systems, management practices, work unit climate, tasks and individual skills, individuals’ needs and values, motivation and finally individual and overall organizational performance (Burke, 2008). Some external drivers of change in the external environment include the changes in demography, technological changes, economic changes and climate change. Apart from the vision,

Critique of Research Article Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critique of Research Article - Term Paper Example Urinary Tract Infection refers to the presence of germs in the urinary tract. It is a very common type of infection like respiratory tract infection. Having a catheter within a urinary tract increases the chances of a urinary tract infection. It also makes it harder to treat the original infection for which catheter was using. Bacteria will grow in it if the urinary catheter is left in place for a long time. A large number of bacteria in the urinary tract may result in a harmful infection. Most catheters associated urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria. Wilson and Jenner (2007) stated: â€Å"The presence of a urethral catheter interferes with the natural mechanism. The urethral catheter is thus a major predisposing factor in urinary tract infections in health services.† (P: 217) Researches done in the filed of nursing practices improve the practice of nursing and health services along with raising the standards of the profession but not every research is properly don e and can be considered to bring a change in nursing practice. Such researches must be evaluated to estimate the worth of the study and the evidence provided in it to critically appraise the study. ... The study population here is the people experiencing urinary tract infection due to catheterization. The major outcome being measured is the occurrence of urinary tract infection due to the use of catheters. The aim of this study paper is to test the effectiveness of a â€Å"newly designed urine-collecting system containing an antibacterial device which slowly releases silver ions onto the inner surface of the system† to prevent or reduce the chances of UTIs due to the use of catheters. The purpose of this research is feasible, relevant, healing and interesting. The study provides an abstract of the complete study which gives a quick view of its objective, study population and the conclusion derived. The abstract is usually considered as an essential part of an article in order to convey its important points to users with very limited time. The writers divide the abstract into five parts i.e., objective, patients and methods, results, conclusions and keywords. Abstract also re veals the focus and important aspects of the study according to the researchers. The actual study begins with the part of introduction. The introduction part is important because it defines the problem that is to be resolved and the reason why it is important to resolve that particular problem. In a standard research study, this part is divided into three parts which are background, rationale, and conceptual framework of the study. But this paper does not provide such a consistent introduction. The introduction is lengthy and not divided into these formal parts. The next part in a standard research paper should have been the literature review which is a collection of information about former researches conducted in relevance with the topic of the research. However

Economy Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economy Fashion - Essay Example The lines of authority, decision making and the planning processes are unclear to the employees and the owner of the company. As the company was to be inherited by Joe through his father, it was pretty much evident that he would not focus on the performance aspect of company. He focused on the designing process of the business, leaving the main area of performance vacant. Although it was a good step to follow the designing process which would help Joe to focus on the production area of the company but this focus alone would not really help in isolation. Proper business sense, entrepreneurship and the some ability and knowledge to run the management of the organization was as important as the designing process. The lack f this ability from the start led Joe to act as an autocratic leader within the organization. Although the system within the organization seemed to be a decentralized one, it was not actually a decentralized one. The decision making power lied in the hand of Joe and th is blocked the way for innovative ideas being forwarded by the management of the organization, even the smallest decision involving immaterial items were taken by the owner himself. This clearly shows that there is a lack of delegation within the organization and proper delegation would result in better flow of information within the company. Collection of Evidence There are two ways of collecting evidence about these problems, one way is to do quantitative analysis and the other is to perform a qualitative analysis. The quantitative analysis would include analyzing the financial performance of the company and assessing whether those financial records are properly recorded and maintained as per their specified standards. The reduction in the function of the Vice President to a mere office manager suggests that the company may not be recording the financial information correctly. To analyze this further, a proper analysis of all the financial statements prepared by the company should be assessed to ensure that the information is recorded correctly. As Economy Fashions is growing gradually, it would need proper financial records to ensure responsibility accounting within the organization. Responsibility accounting would help in identifying those people kept responsible for the running of any particular department/division. The qualitative analysis would include the assessment of the organization’s structure and the organizational culture to ensure whether a decentralized system can be implemented within the organization. Besides the decentralization issue, there is a clear lack of succession planning within the organization. Succession planning would help in future planning for a company i.e. a replacement for an existing employee at an important position should be properly planned such that when the existing employees retires or quits the job, the replacement of that employee should be ready and he/she should be equally good as the one who quits the job. Quantitative and Qualitative Issues With the implementation of the decentralized structure and the â€Å"Coach and Team Syndrome† Concept there would be some other problems that need to be addressed within Economy Fashions. The quantitative and qualitative issues that would need attention would be; Divisional managers performance being appraised on the basis of the â€Å"Return on Capital Employed† concept, this would mean that each division’s return would be compared with the initial investment made in that division and finally upon those basis, the performance of the divisional manager would be ascertained. The evaluation of the manager using the ROCE concept would lead to dysfunctional behavior where the manager

Nicotine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nicotine - Essay Example Nicotine levels might rise in formulated products up to 34 ÃŽ ¼g/kg (Andersson, Wennstrà ¶m & Gry, 2003, p. 9). In commercial cigarette tobacco, nicotine is present in around 1.5% by weight of the product and it constitutes for 95% of total alkaloid content (Hukkanen, Jacob, & Benowitz, 2005, p. 79). This organic compound is alkaloid in nature and consists of a  pyridine cycle and a pyrrolidine cycle. This bicyclic chemical has an asymmetric carbon and so display enantiomeric behaviour. Nicotine is naturally found in S enantiomeric form in nature which is levorotatory (Hukkanen, Jacob, & Benowitz, 2005, p. 80). Nicotine’s IUPAC nomenclature is 3-(1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl) pyridine (Pubchem). Chemical formula is C5H4NC4H7NCH3 and Empirical formula of nicotine is C10H14N2. Its CAS number is 54-11-5 and molecular weight is 162.23156 [g/mol]. Nicotine is a hygroscopic, colourless to pale yellow oily base which have acrid burning bitter taste. Nicotine is also sensitive to air or light and on exposure changes its color to brown. Therefore it should be protected from light and air. It has relatively high vapour pressure and has ability to form salts with almost any acid, and double salts with many metals and acids. It is stored at room temperature not more than 30 °C. The pKa-values of nicotine are: pKa1 6.16, and pKa2 10,96. Nicotine is highly soluble in alcohol, chloroform, ether, kerosene and oils, and is miscible with water below 60 °C. The mixture of nicotine and water occupies less volume than water alone (Andersson, Wennstrà ¶m & Gry, 2003, p. 13). Initial isolation of nicotine from tobacco plant was done by German chemists Posselt & Reimann in 1828, who referred it as a poison (Henningfield & Zeller, 2006, p. 286). Its bicyclic chemical structure is fixed in 1895 by Pinner. Chemical structure of nicotine is shown in Figure 1 (pubchem). Chemical sythesis of nicotine was done in 1904 and structure is confirmed (Andersson,

Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Museum - Essay Example There are a number of ways that the museum attempts to discover this original context by interpreting the social languages evident in the objects they collect. Kavanaugh1 indicates that social languages have essentially three component parts, one of which is the direct use of signs and symbols in the form of objects and space while the other two, non-verbal communication such as gestures and body language and verbal communication such as speech and writing, can also be preserved somewhat in the objects that are left behind and can help in determining the culture from which the object originated. Because objects share a role in the interrelated social communication modes of a particular society, the interpretation of these objects may differ from one society to the next or even one time period to the next. The museum attempts to convey an idea of the original culture by grouping artifacts according to their age and date and place of discovery. By grouping things in this way, it is hoped an idea of the lifestyle of the people who created them will emerge that is free from the understandings of the modern age. Artifacts are shown with explanatory placards that tell what the object was used for and how old it is thought to be. Markings on the objects are interpreted as signs of the beliefs and legends of the originating society whenever possible and other contextualizing information is given. For example, a vase might be explained by the techniques used to make it, the markings that appear on its sides, the design or shape of its form and the anticipated use based on remnants of materials found within the vase. However, the way in which the object is interpreted can not only provide significant contextual clues to the society from which it was produced, but can also reflect the understanding of the society attempting to

Cloud Computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Cloud Computing - Research Paper Example Martin Sandler, Director Systems security lab HP says’ â€Å"People often think of virtualization as adding to security problems, but it is fundamentally the answer to a lot of those problems,† (Anthes 2010). Overall, cloud computing includes a number of advantages and some disadvantages as the data must be secured while using cloud computing methods from possible security breaches. Likewise, transferring information on the cloud determines that it is not manageable by the organization anymore and any consequence or a breach of data occurring on the vendor side will be a prime threat to the organization. Therefore, information security is the part of due care and due diligence that is derived from the responsible employees of the organization. 1.1 Cloud Deployment Models The private and confidential property and data must be secured by the ‘Business Cloud’ that contains trading secrets, customer’s information and other data. It is the main responsibi lity of business cloud to ensure proper security for the above mentioned information. Security breach can cause permanent damage to business that leads towards bankruptcy and other legal complications. Similarly, it is also necessary to analyze service models and implementation methods before making any plans related to critical applications transfers of the cloud. In order to implement right services and to avoid any possible risks, business requirements must be aligned. Furthermore, cloud computing implementation methods are selected by the ‘Business Cloud’ according to the organizations requirements. There are four types of implementation factors available to choose from. (Shelton 2013). 1.1.1 Private Cloud The private cloud is also referred as a neologism. However, the concept of this term out dates cloud computing by 40 years. Private clouds are recommended for organization requiring advanced security and privacy measures (Shelton 2013). The private cloud is admini stered exclusively for only a single organization, in order to maintain strict level of security. 1.1.2 Community Cloud As compared to a private cloud, the community cloud is shared among many organizations having identical business requirements. Moreover, the required infrastructure is shared among all the organization that is connected to the cloud saving the cost and demonstrates one of the advantages of cloud computing (Shelton 2013). 1.1.3 Public Cloud Public computing is a traditional approach where the resources are accessible on the Internet. Third party providers, known as the cloud vendors, organize the hosting for these resources on the Internet. The services and resources on this cloud are accessible to the public and groups of various industries (Shelton 2013). 1.1.4 Hybrid Cloud A hybrid cloud comprises of a mixture of all types of clouds i.e. public, private and community. Most organizations deploy this type of cloud as it provides a range of options in the context of accessibility. By incorporating hybrid clouds, issues such as PCI compliance can be eliminated (Shelton 2013). 2 Cloud Computing Advantages Cloud computing will derive many valuable benefits for ‘Business Cloud’, as they are discussed below (Wu, Shen et al. 2011): The first factor is justifiable, as there is no requirement of managing or maintaining software, hardware and

Credit Scores are a Fair Measure to Help Lenders Estimate Potential Essay

Credit Scores are a Fair Measure to Help Lenders Estimate Potential Risks - Essay Example To simplify their customers’ analytical process, mathematical algorithm can be used by different bureaus to provide a score that customers can use to rapidly assess an individual’s likelihood to repay a certain debt, if the frequency by which other individuals in such situations default in meeting their obligations is given. This means that credit bureaus have to create several credit scores for many individuals. Credit scores that are over 700 are pretty good, and most of them go up to 800 (consumer Reports, 2005). The most widely used method of calculating credit score is FICO, though there are many other methods. It is normally used by mortgage lenders, who use risk-based system to find out the possibility of a borrower to default financial obligations to mortgage lenders. It is important that each individual is always aware of his credit score so that you can work towards improving it. Individuals are therefore advised by consumer welfare advocates to review their r eports of credit at least once every year, so as to ensure their accuracy, and hence increase chances of their credit qualifications (consumer Reports, 2005). ... It offers the best measure of credit risk without individual discrimination in terms of age, sex, gender race or occupation. Credit score is calculated using different data that is found in your credit report. The data is then grouped into five different categories, each with a percentage reflecting the importance in the determination of your score. They are categorized as payment history, amounts owed, credit history length, new credit and other types of credit used as 35%, 30%, 15% 10%, and 10% respectively. All these scores play a vital role in the formula, which then determines your credit score. Credit scores help lenders to estimate the potential risk of giving credit to individuals. Credit reports and scores can affect an individual during tough economic times. Furthermore, it plays an important part in determining an individual’s financial well-being. Credit scores are used by lenders to determine who to give a loan, at what rate of interest, and the credit limit. Acco rding to consumer Reports, (2005), the three major bureaus of credit: Equifax, Trans-union, and Experian, that calculate FICO scores based on data collected from credit card companies and banks. How Credit Scores and Reports are Used Lenders like credit card companies and banks use scores of credit in evaluating potential risks that may be posed by lending money, as well as mitigating losses that result from bad debts. They determine loan qualification, interest rate, and credit limits that lenders may accrue the consumers. It is a trusted system of authorizing the accessibility of credit among individuals. Since it is not limited to banks only, other organizations like insurance companies, government

Rubin Carter Essay Example for Free

Rubin Carter Essay In today’s society it is quite possible for people to be accused and punished for committing a crime they didn’t actually do. It would be nice to think our judicial system is 100% accurate but unfortunately that is not the case. Innocent people are convicted of crimes they didn’t commit more often than a lot of people would like to admit. In some cases people who were later on found to be innocent have actually been put to death. A couple examples of this would be Ruben Cantu and Carlos DeLuna. Ruben Cantu was convicted of a capital murder and investigators found out about 12 years after his death that he didn’t commit the murder and was falsely accused. Later on detectives found out that he wasn’t even there the night of the murder. Carlos was another person who was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Police didn’t find out till 20 years later that Carlos DeLuna was innocent and had nothing to do with a teen stabbing in Texas. It was Carlos Hernandez, a man who even confessed to committing the crime many times that was in fact guilty. Those are just two examples of our judicial system not being accurate at all. Just because somethings may point to a person doing a crime doesn’t mean that the person actually did and there needs to be more research and evidence to back all this up especially if people are being sentenced to life sentences in prison. Rubin Carter who was accused of committing a triple murder was in fact innocent, after almost 20 years of being behind bars. Rubin who was also a middleweight boxer other known as â€Å"The Hurricane† was arrested for the murders of three people downtown in the Lafayette which is a New Jersey bar. The night of the triple murder it was said that Patty Valentine the one who walked in on the three victims being shot had told police and detectives that she saw the car the shooters had gotten into it. Alfred Bello who was at the scene of the crime during all of this said that he was only there for robbing the cash and he had told police he saw the shooter approaching the bad and he was just in fact an eye witness. The description of the car Patty Valentine gave matched Rubin Carters car, which is what made him a suspect in the first place. Although he pleaded his innocence the detective who was in charge of the case had a grudge against Rubin since early childhood and framed him for the crime according to Rubin, which resulted in him going to three life terms in prison. While in prison Rubin decided to write an  autobiography about his life to take out his frustration and despair. His book called â€Å"The Sixteenth Round†. His novel seemed to have gotten a lot of attention from people and that’s what got it published. It also caused Bob Dylan to write a song in his name. After 19 years of being in jail a young boy by the name of Lesra Martin reads Rubin’s book and gets so moved by the case that he convinces his foster family of Rubin’s innocence. He then decides to write Rubin a letter while he’s in prison telling him what his book meant to him and how much he believed in everything Rubin Carter was saying. The young boy Lesra finally ends up meeting him by visiting him in jail and they establish a friendship that you would never expect between a teenage boy and someone convicted of murder. Lesra Martin then puts in motion a new appeal which would eventually set Rubin free. One thing that shows Rubin’s innocence of this triple murder case is the fact that Rubin was quote on quote â€Å"On top of the world†. He had a very high chance of becoming a heavy weight boxing champion as well as millions of dollars being in his grasps so why would he throw that all away just to be thrown into jail for three life term sentences. This was something that he has always dreamed about doing and from watching this film and learning about this trial that went on I don’t believe he would just give something like that up. To be heavyweight boxer it takes a lot of training and motivation as well as a lot of other traits and attributes to be successful, it’s not something you just get over night. Why would somebody work so hard for something like that just to have to give it up? Others may say that because of his fighting skills and violence that may cross his mind often may of lead him into doing such a violent crime but that is definitely not en ough evidence to accuse someone of doing such a crime. Another thing that helps shows that he was not guilty was just the way he treated the people that worked endlessly to get his freedom. He didn’t want to bring anyone down with him and didn’t want anyone to go out of their way for him especially if he knew it wasn’t going to get him anywhere in the end. He showed a lot of mental strength while being in prison and seemed pretty positive despite what was happening. The way he ignores everyone who accuses him, just accepts everything how it is and accepts that he has to do  the time even though he is innocent really shows the character of him and may not scientifically prove his innocence but definitely lessens him. This last reason doesn’t necessarily prove Rubin was innocent but shows how easy it was for him to be an easy target for this crime. The place and the time that all this occurred was a very racist time and a lot of people would agree that a black person was more likely to be accused of a crime then a white person. Rubin was framed by racist detective, police and prosecutors. His boxing career, his background, and the colour of his skin made him the perfect target of this crime and that is why he was involved in the first place. The jury of this trial was all white which is unfair at that time because of the amount of racism that went on in that time. A couple other things I’d like to add that really shows Rubin carter’s innocence was that the night of the murder one of the victims that was in the hospital actually got to identify the suspect. This was Rubin, they asked the victim to tell the police if it was him who murdered the people and shot him. The victim told the detectives that it was not Rubin who committed the murder but because of the state that the victim was in (blind in one eye and very hard seeing through the other) they did not take his word for it and Rubin Carter was still said to be guilty. This is a very unfair judgment Rubin was also put through numerous test and lie detector tests and passed all of them. Overall from looking at all the pieces of evidence that show Rubin Carters innocence and looking at the reasons why Rubin was accused and convicted in the first place really does prove that he is not in fact guilty. Just because he was black and the description of the shooter was black was not a good enough reason to make him a prime suspect. Either was the car description a valid reason. There were other people who could have been suspected but because of his skin colour it was a very racist assumption. For such a serious crime with really long consequences they needed to put a lot more time into the trial and get more evidence to prove the case. Rubin was just a black middleweight boxer who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time which led to such critical consequences.

A Play Based Curriculum | Analysis of Parent Attitudes

A Play Based Curriculum | Analysis of Parent Attitudes Abstract Parents select the type of school and curriculum they want for their children. There are numerous factors influencing parents choice of school, but practicality, location, affordability, and previous experience with the school are some of their most important considerations. Knowledge and understanding of the different components of the early childhood curricula is a necessity, but such is still dependent on many factors influencing parents choice. We know from the literature (Brain Klein, 1994; Reay Lucey, 2000) that parents enrolling their children in an early childhood education program that implements a play-based curriculum may have done so only because the school has met their expectations in some way, and not because they are aware of the benefits of the play-based program. Nevertheless, what we dont know is if parents would only understand and appreciate the curriculum, would they have made another choice, would they be more involved and have realistic expectations of their childs learning opportunities? This study explores the beliefs and attitudes of parents regarding the play-based curriculum. Using qualitative methods, I aim to gather information in narrative form on parents beliefs and attitudes regarding play-based curriculum The analysis of the data will be based on the narrative responses of the parents, and focus on commonalities, differences, and emergent themes. Introduction I just want my child to have fun! is a comment I hear regularly from parents touring my preschool. But the magic of fun somehow disappears as children reach the age of three or four, and when they start to prepare for real school. Standards, standardized tests, honors, grades etc., soon become parents greatest concerns. Somewhere along the line, the fun comment is replaced with questions pertaining to kindergarten readiness and requests for worksheets, homework and some sort of grade. As a preschool owner/educator, I remember so vividly the day I decided to leave an incredible 13-year career as a public school teacher in one of Ohios wealthiest school districts to own and run my own preschool. This was not an easy decision, because I love teaching; leaving the classroom was one of the hardest professional decisions I have ever made. However, the standards and standardized testing that were dictating our curriculum practices were in complete conflict with my beliefs. Fortunately, I had options and decided to stay in education by moving to younger ages, which at the time, seemed exempt from the overt pressure of standardized testing. I envisioned a facility that embraced play as the primary learning philosophy one that valued child interests and focus groups, one that integrated multicultural facets. I could not be more pleased with my decision to walk away from an amazing retirement, decent salary, and summers off with my own children to offer my ideals to other young learners. Little did I realize that the same nightmares that plagued me previously would continue to haunt me at my preschool. Although research on play and cognitive development provide a lot of support for the play-based curriculum for our young children, the recent state and national emphasis on proficiency test performance has reinforced the concept of minimal play time, even in the primary setting. Many preschools and elementary schools have reduced or even eliminated play from their schedules ( Bodrova Leong, 2003; Brandon, 2002; Johnson, 1998; Murline, 2000; Vail 2003). Play, even the small segments, are being replaced with academic readiness practices, particularly literacy and reading to match the content of standardized testing (Brandon, 2002; Fromberg, 1990; Johnson, 1998; Steinhauer, 2005; Vail, 2003). The constant struggle for accountability, as well as top-down standards and coercive pressure to raise scores on an endless series of standardized test- (Kohn, 2004, p.572), in addition to the battle of improving education, all seem to be dictating current educational trends. Even if a program embraces the importance of play, the outer forces that continue to press for academics is constantly threatening the foundation from which our young children build their educational future. We strip them of their best innate confidence in directing their own learning, hurry them along, and often wear them out. (Almon, 2003, p.20). This push for a more academic foundation in the early years may find us losing sight of the real purpose of learning. If we continue down this path of creating a test-prep curriculum in which our emphasis is on how the child scores on a reading test rather than on allowing children to read for pleasure and information after leaving school, we might generate quite the opposite effect and negatively impact cognitive development. Nevertheless, the global challenge that the Information Age has imposed on us has likewise prompted education officials to redefine school achievement. The governments move to establish educational standards through the (No Child Left Behind Act) NCLB was based on the decline of education standards since the start of the 70s (Peterson, 2003). At present, most schools implement standard-based curricula, formal evaluation methods, and numerical grading system in response to the call for a wider educational transformation. Suffice to mention, the U.S. ranks only 19th in the Literacy Index established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2007). Such data support the current trend in education, and imply the need of preschool educators to respond accordingly. In this consideration, it is worthwhile to weigh what we know about the significance of play-based curriculum as it contradicts with what officials in Higher Education promote, the standar d-based curriculum. With the help of parents who themselves have witnessed the relevance of play-based curriculum to the current education system and to the broader aspects of their childrens lives, this study shall gain novel findings on how parents understand the play-based curriculum. Knowing how parents understand play-based curriculum is important, it will provide insight into what information parents draw upon in making early educational decisions for their children. . Since parents are the ones who decide where to enroll their children, it would be best to learn how they feel towards play-based curriculum. To secure a well-informed research finding, during this study I will focus on interviews, observations and documents/documentation, with parents whose children are currently enrolled in a play-based curriculum. I plan to interview five parents; conducting three interviews: a Life History interview , a Current Context interview that includes a summary of their present situation, and a Follow up interview. In addition to the three interviews, observations will be conducted and artifacts will be collected to enhance the data collection. I currently own and operate a preschool situated in a Northeastern Ohio suburb. The demographics surrounding my school consist of upper middle class, educated, two-parent households. In the recent past, we were operating with 248 Caucasian families but have noticed a cultural trend changing our schools population: we now house six native Asian families, eight native Indian families, three African-American families, and two biracial families out of a total of 257 families. This trend, I believe, is due to a new 30-acre hospital facility opening across the street. This study will take place in a similar preschool. The commercial brand preschool (pseudonym) has similar demographics and utilizes a play-based curriculum. As I tour families, I am always assured that parents want the best for their children. The decision to leave a young child to a non-family member is difficult but common, and it is what brought me to this point in my life: a 43 year-old mother of two daughters, ages 10 and 13, pursuing a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an early childhood focus. A very attractive, well-dressed woman in her mid-thirties, entered my school foyer holding an expensive handbag, and armed with a list of questions, began her quest for the perfect childcare provider. This well-spoken mom has a two-year-old son and an infant daughter. She, an attorney and her husband, a resident doctor, just moved to our community from Washington, DC. My tour involves a short introduction of myself and my background, as well as the schools. I always include a short description of our philosophy, which includes play, a tour of the facility, an introduction to all teachers, and, finally, a meeting in my office where we address all questions on their list. Such a list typically includes: safety and security, ratios, sick policy, discipline policy, sanitation procedures, lunch and snack, tuition, etc. In this instance, curriculum was never mentioned, even after I spoke of our play-based philosophy, our Flex Learning Program, etc. Such things did not seem important to thi s mom. She asked about teacher turnover, how many infants were currently enrolled, how many teachers were in the classroom, and if her baby would be rocked to sleep. She asked if her young toddler would visit the gym, which is located in the older building; if he would go outside every day; and if he could participate in karate and soccer. Literature supporting everything discussed during the tour, including curriculum issues, was handed to her, as well as a business card with the web address for any additional information. This is very much a typical tour. The mother called later to announce that her decision was complete and her children would be starting the next Monday. That was two years ago. Her children still attend my school full time, now ages three and five. Both kids are in the West facility that houses older children: older Preschool, Pre K, Jr-K, K, and after school classrooms/program. Her children are thriving academically and socially. Yet, two years later, her concern shifted to academic readiness. She made an appointment with me to review the Ohio Pre K standards which she received from her neighbor. Our hour-and-half hour meeting consisted of examples of just how these standards are being implemented, met, and mastered without the use of paper/pencil, drill, skill worksheets, and assessment tools. Although our philosophy has not changed, nor has her desire for her children to have fun, the fear of success in school has crept into this moms thinking. Walking through her sons and daughte rs classrooms daily and observing kids building blocks, doing dramatic play, using sand and water, and working at art stations, reassures her that the kids are indeed having fun, but what are they learning? How can she be sure they will be prepared for school? This has me posing several opposing questions. What are parents beliefs  and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based curriculum, and has their beliefs and attitudes changed since entering the play-based program? What evidence can I offer parents that play-based curriculum is an appropriate curriculum for primary school readiness? How do I advocate for preschoolers as a time in life to cherish play as a basis for holistic development and learning? It is my desire, as a strong advocate of play for small children, to better understand where parents are coming from, how they are informed, and what they draw upon to make their final conclusions. Therefore, in my study, I will inquire from parents their beliefs and attitude about play-based curriculum in the hope of better understanding where parents are coming from. This information will better inform teachers in their parent education practices as well as parents in their search for a preschool. About Early Childhood Education Programs Early childhood education programs provide foundational learning experiences to very young children in preparation for formal schooling. Early childhood education programs strive to provide children with the basic skills in literacy and numeracy, which are crucial for all levels of education, while, at the same time, providing the social, emotional, and cultural interaction that children need for maturity and social development. There is a wide variation in child care programs in the United States ranging from basic care-based, and sometimes simply custodial-based care to nationally accredited early childhood programs such as those promoted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). A number of early childhood education models are in place: Montessori, Reggio-Emilia, Waldorf, Play-Based, and Academics-Based, each having a different philosophy and educational objective, but all striving to contribute to the readiness of children for formal instruction (Si nger, Singer, Plaskon, Schweder, 2003). Theoretical Frameworks Earlier theories on child development do not directly specify play as an essential aspect of cognitive development yet constructivist theories recognize it as an important factor affecting childrens interest and social development. In addition, neuroscience contributes to the view that physical and age-related play enhances brain, physical, and overall development (Frost 1998). The social constructivist theory is the force that determines this study. It claims that individuals perceptions of the reality around them shape their thoughts and behavior (Berger Luckman, 1966) and that the construction of meaning is a process forged in the crucible of everyday interactionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦meanings are negotiated, exchanged, and modified through everyday interactions with others (Rosenholtz, 1989, p. 3). It also says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiencing and reflecting upon those experiences. Constructivism posits that children develop their own concepts of things based on prior knowledge and experience. Guided by people, prior knowledge or experience, they perceive, analyze, and eventually make up their own ideas regarding the world. Therefore, prior skills used at play may be applied relevantly to other situations, such as problem solving, analysis, or decision-making. This makes play an important part of childrens life, as it serves as the introduction to higher skills and more difficult challenges of life. In particular, Lev Vygotsky (cited in Palmer, 2004), a well-known constructivist supports the importance of play in the childs development. In his last lecture, Play and the Psychological Development of the Child, Vygotsky emphasized the importance of play during the childs early years. According to him, play is part of a childs Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). ZPD is the difference between what a child can do and what s/he cannot. During play, the child behaves beyond his age, and discovers new ways of doing things such as different shapes and heights of blocks. As the child does this, s/he explores the depths of ZPD, which consequences to a better learning ability. In the same way, neuroscience provides support for childs play. Frost (1998) documents that brain development is further improved as children engage in age-appropriate play. Conversely, he illustrates that deprivation of play could result in aberrant behavior (8). It can be gathered that in Vgotskys social constructivist theory, parents form an understanding when it comes to identifying the fit academic environment for their child based on their expectations Research Methodology: Focus and Questions Based on the goals of this study, the employment of methodology through the acquisition of narrative inquiry and the case study design are appropriate. Narrative case study will be used for this research project as it will allow me, the researcher, to witness and report a descriptive setting in order to share experiences Case Study This study adopts the case study design with the view that individual cases provide more in-depth information. Case studies focus on the individual, his/her experiences, and immediate reality, which is needed to derive meaning and understanding of the issue or concept under examination. Moreover, it provides real examples from real people who are unencumbered by the use of predetermined measures or surveys, and whose responses will only result in numbers and statistics (Bogdan Biklen, 2007). In this study, individuals, the parents (either mother or father in one family) should have a child or children who are enrolled in a school that implements play-based curriculum. These individuals will be interviewed and asked to share their stories based on open-ended questions that correspond to the over-arching research questions. In doing so, the individuals experiences and beliefs will be discussed in order to arrive at a better understanding of the research topic, which regards parents be liefs and attitudes of a play-based curriculum. It is expected that other factors such as race, religion, and socioeconomic status would influence the experiences and thoughts of parents. Thus, the parents selected for the study will come from different backgrounds. In addition to the three planned interviews, observations including parent/ teacher conferences, PTO meetings, various parent celebrations such as A Day in the Life of PreSchooler, Muffins With Mom, (Root)Beer and Pretzels with Dad, Parents Night Out, Parents Information Evening etc will be observed. Artifacts such as Parent Handbook, Schools literature including the schools mission statement, student rights, student portfolio information will be submitted to supplement Narrative Inquiry For the purpose of this study I will also be drawing on narrative inquiry (Clandinin Connelly, 2000) to investigate five parents beliefs and attitudes towards a play -based early childhood curriculum within a privately owned early childhood facility. Coming from the social constructivist perspective, I believe that experiences are significant. Clandinin Connelly also suggest experience is significant in their three dimensional framework for studying how the participants past, present and future contexts influence their beliefs and attitudes towards a play -based early childhood curriculum. Focusing on narrative inquiry will help me to underdtand how parents beliefs and attitudes towards a play-based early childhood curriculum have been established. This unique approach is attractive because it provides the opportunity for the parents voices to be heard. In understanding their beliefs and attitudes of a play-based early childhood curriculum, narrative inquiry will allow me to explor e how their beliefs and attitudes affect their decsion to enroll or not in enroll in a facility that promotes a play-based curriuculum and how these beliefs and attitudes have evolved, through the stories that they share. This study will use the narrative in-depth interview as a qualitative data collection method, which can elicit far richer information than a survey. Further, interviews offer the researcher a means to clarify responses and validate participant responses. Cohen et al. (2000) posited that individual behaviors can only be understood by understanding individuals interpretations of the world around them. Therefore, meaningful social action needs to be interpreted from the point of view of the actors or the people who are in that particular situation. It can be said that parents who have already enrolled their child in a play-based preschool would naturally feel more strongly about it than parents who have not sent their child to a play-based preschool (Bryman, 2004). This qualitative case study will examine preschool parents beliefs and attitudes using a narrative inquiry data-collection strategy in order to showcase the experiences and perceptions of parents towards play-based curricula in early childhood programs. Case study and narrative inquiry seek to understand the particular details in a historically and socially bounded context (Clandinin Connelly, 2000). Main Research Questions The main research question for this study is what are parents beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based curriculum? Supporting Research Questions I have identified several supporting research questions to reflect upon throughout Clandinin and Connelly (2000) three-dimensional interviewing process. In looking forward/backward I am interested in understanding how individuals life histories inform their current beliefs and attitudes towards play-based curriculums. In looking inward/outward I am interested in understanding what outside factors influence their current beliefs and attitudes towards play-based curriculums.. What are their beliefs on play? What are parents beliefs regarding developmentally appropriate practices? What are parents perceptions of early learning? What evidence can I offer parents that play-based curriculum is an appropriate curriculum for primary school readiness? How do I advocate for preschoolers as a time in life to cherish play as a basis for holistic development and learning? Children have different needs and the preschool program should be able to address those needs. From my experience, I have found that parents often choose preschools that are child-friendly; that is, they have passed safety standards, provide enough learning materials, employ qualified and caring teachers, and maintain an attractive facility. Rarely do parents ask about the schools curriculum or its academic offerings. In my experience, parents expect preschools to teach children basics like shapes, colors, alphabet, numbers, and reading. Most preschools integrate these basic skills into their learning programs, but each preschool differs in how the said skills are presented to the children for teaching purposes. Exploring parents beliefs and attitudes would help identify the relevance of play-based curriculum, whether it has helped facilitate their childrens readiness and ability to learn and develop skills needed for the real school or for everyday living. Moreover, their responses will serve as valuable insights to educators in general, including those who are not implementing play. Considering its focus, play-based curricula may be largely misperceived as not providing enough attention to skills and learning. Also, the current standard-based education being implemented, may consider play unimportant, thus curtail time for it or totally disregard it. Such would be deterrent to children whose basic needs include play and fun. In this view, the questions that I would like to expound on include: What are parents beliefs and attitudes towards play-based curriculum? What factors led to the development of these beliefs and attitudes? How do/did play-based curriculum affect their childrens learning and development? and How do parents beliefs and attitudes regarding play impact the implementation of play-based curriculum and standard-based curriculum/formal instruction? Purpose of the Study I believe it is important for all parents to have a thorough understanding of the curriculum that their child will be experiencing, whether in preschool or in any other educational setting. Preschools enjoy a certain amount of flexibility in how they teach young children. Different teaching models are available, and some schools integrate two models (i.e, Montessori and Reggio Emilia). When parents know and understand the curriculum of their childs preschool, they are more likely to become involved in the schools activities. They then know how to reinforce their childs learning at home, and tend to collaborate more with teachers (Sission, 2009). My quest to understand the beliefs and attitudes of five parents towards a play-based curriculum has multiple purposes. First, is to provide readers and the early childhood education sector with information concerning parental beliefs and attitudes towards play-based curriculum; second, to learn how, according to parents views has play-based curriculum affected their childrens learning and development; and third, to discern whether they believe it serves as an effective tool for early childhood education. Statement of the Problem Early childhood researchers have reported that young children learn best through activities that support the development of the whole child (Elkind 2001). David Elkind (2001), in a piece reminiscent of Piagets constructivist views, entitled Young Einstein: Much Too Early, argued that young children learn best through direct interaction with their environment. Before a certain age, they simply are not capable of the level of reasoning necessary for formal instruction. However, national concern with accountability, competition, testing and back-to-basics, puts an over-emphasis on academics and single-subject teaching (Elkind, 2007; Ornstein, 2002; Perrone, 2000). In response to these concerns, early childhood programs may focus the curriculum on the teaching of academic skills (Morrison, 2004). These factors have led to narrowly-defined curricula, which deny young children valuable life experiences found in play. Although a growing concern on math and language ability in the higher yea r levels has prompted the implementation of standard-based curriculum, it is not enough to impose such kind of system in the preschool level. In the first place, children are a lot different from adults in their ways to learn. Unlike adults, children, especially small ones, need play (Ginsburg, 2007); they need to be interested in what they do in order to continue with it. Therefore, the need for play in the preschool should not be disregarded. Nevertheless, the significance of play in instruction should be supported by research and by parents belief in the curriculum. Therefore, a study of the parents beliefs and attitudes towards a play-based early childhood curriculum may provide information useful to teachers and administrators when planning strategies for implementing a successful preschool program. Rationale With the demand for effectiveness, test achievement scores, and accountability, many preschool programs have adopted and reinforced formal instruction, and have used play as a recreational period rather than a learning medium. In an Oregon state-wide survey sent to all kindergarten teachers and principals with first-grade teachers, Hitz and Wright (1998) found that sixty-four percent of kindergarten teachers, sixty-one percent of principals, and seventy-two percent of first-grade teachers reported that formal academic instruction was more prevalent in kindergarten than it was 10 to 20 years ago. In this scenario, creative expression may be considered not as important as cognitive development. Creativity may be viewed as irrelevant to the development of thinking and problem solving. Conversely, it is possible that teachers and administrators have adopted academic instruction and other formal practices, even though most of them considered such developmentally inappropriate. This last s cenario implies the loss or lack of academic freedom among educators, thus contradicting democratic principles. Early childhood educators have shown concern with the type of instruction used in their education programs. Practices used in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes reflected an environmentalist-behaviorist view, even though teachers reported having other views. From a study of teacher practice, Hatch and Freeman (1988) found that two-thirds of early childhood teachers were implementing programs in conflict with their philosophies concerning childrens learning. Early childhood experts have long asserted that programs for young children should provide for the development of social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and creative skills, but the abovementioned findings do not reflect this anymore. In short, there is a gap between researchers recommendations and teachers practices (Bredekamp, 1997; Logue, Eheart, Leavitt, 1996). Parents are the deciding authority when it comes to the type of education that their children should receive. Their beliefs and attitudes towards a curriculum and later their decisions are typically influenced by their own beliefs, experiences, and attitudes. As a consequence, their views affect the implementation of programs for young children. This study does not confirm that parents views regarding curriculum implementation are sufficient to implement a favorable program. Nevertheless, it considers their views because they form part of childrens learning environment. It is important to gain their views about play-based education because aside from the teacher, they are the ones who have access to information regarding their childrens development and ability whether in school or outside it. Motivation As an experienced primary educator, and a current preschool owner and educator, I am interested in parents beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based curriculum and whether their decision to enroll their child in a play-based curriculum is borne out of their understanding of the program or other factors. I personally believe in the play-based curriculum and would like to determine if this attitude is shared by the parents. If they do not, I would like to know the basis for their dislike of the curriculum. Parents of my students are informed of our play-based curriculum at enrollment. Despite this, however, some still confront me with disbelief about the curriculum. As an educator and business owner, this study would lead me to a better understanding of parents beliefs and attitudes about play as a vehicle for learning Understanding how parents understand play-based curriculum is significant and will add to the literature in many ways. In exploring how parents underst and play-based curriculum this study will contribute to current literature available offering new ideas Contributions to the Research Childrens play has come under renewed attack. Inspired by my own experiences as a preschool owner I hope to contribute through this narrative case study various lived stories of parents and how their beliefs and attitudes towards a play-based early childhood curriculum have evolved. Since parents are the customers of early childhood programs, is it important to understand their beliefs and attitudes. While there is plenty of research supporting play-based curriculums in the early childhood classroom, it is mostly from the educators and childs view point, literature is lacking in this area as it pertains to the parents, their own beliefs and attitudes. While not meant to portray generalized information the rich descriptive stories of these five parents will represent the larger community. Outlook In chapter two of this research proposal, Literature Review, I describe the context in which preschool programs, play-based curriculum, and parental choices have been studied in the past, and the implications of research findings to current practice. . The literature review is organized from the general to the specific, which means that a general overview of preschool programs is provided, followed by a discussion of the play-based curriculum, and concluding with parents choice. In chapter three, Methodology, I further describe the use of case study and the narrative inquiry approach to justify the use of such methods and design as proposed for this study. The chapter also provides the description of the research setting, the research sample, the data gathering procedure, data analysis, the timeline, and validity and reliability concerns, as well as the anticipated limitations of the study. The main research question as well as the supporting questions will be outlined in detail as well within the chapter three. Chapter four, Findings, will draw on common themes that exist within the participants stories that describe their beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based curricul

Themes of Forgiveness in Literature

Themes of Forgiveness in Literature Themes Of Forgiveness In Novels Forgiveness. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is an action or a process of forgiving or being forgiven. On the other hand, Brà ¥kenhielm (1993) said that the difficulty of defining forgiveness is because it is very much like love, it is ambiguous. Also, that there is no single concept that can define what it is. But there are many authors who tried to define forgiveness in many ways, two of these ways are: in psychological perspective and in theological perspective, respectively. One of the many authors is Canale (1990), according to him, forgiveness is a therapeutic agent in psychotherapy and that it is a cognitive restructuring that complements the emotional aspects of dealing with pain and resentment in therapy. Forgiveness cannot be described or defined using only one concept. In this paper, I will discuss four of the most popular books in relation to forgiveness. These books attack different aspects of forgiveness. It is very interesting to know that one simple word can have multiples and multitudes of different applications. In this paper, the following books will be discussed briefly: Author: Robert Enright and Joanna North Title: Forgiveness: A Bold choice for a Peaceful Heart (1992) Author: Robin Casarjian Title: The Handbook of forgiveness (2005) Author: Everett L. Worthington Jr. Title: The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness Author: Simon Wiensenthal Exploring Forgiveness by Robert Enright and Joanna North (1998) This book is a compilation of 12 great, touching short stories that will teach any person how to deal with one of lifes toughest issues. This will help you face real and deep problems with acceptance and confidence in a positive way. To start with, Chapter 2 of this book tackles about a mother who forgave her daughters murderer. The title of the article is: the power and reality of forgiveness. It is a very sad but inspiring story. If you come to think of it, how can a mother forgive her daughters murderer? It is very unusual but it is the right thing to do. This was just the beginning of it. The mother didnt instantly forget what has happened to her daughter. It took her lots and lots of strength to face her daughters murderer and tell him that she doesnt want him to be killed. Instead, she appealed for a lifetime imprisonment without bail. It was hard for her, but she realized that it was the right thing to do. After the tragic event, the mother became a part of a team that motivates people who suffered the same pain that she did. Today, she probably enjoys her life with her conscience clear helping other people cope up with the same situation as she did. This is what is meant by power and reality of forgivenes s. Another point stressed in the book is that of Joanna North, on her article named, The Ideal of Forgiveness: A Philosophers Exploration. It is a clear, thorough explanation on what forgiveness is, what it is not, and other aspects of forgiveness such as its multiperspectival nature. North (1998) said that forgiveness is more than just acceptance of the person who have been wronged. Forgiveness is multiperspective in nature, in the sense that it takes into account the point of view of the wrongdoer: the process of being forgiven, the process of acceptance of forgiveness of the wrongdoer from the injured party. This acceptance of forgiveness is commonly known as self-forgiveness of the wrongdoer. When these two concepts have been joined together, process of forgiveness and self-forgiveness of the wrongdoer, then, we will have a bigger understanding on what forgiveness is really all about. Forgiveness: A Bold choice for a Peaceful Heart by Robin Casarjian (1992) In this book, Casarjian (1992) stresses that forgiveness frees us from fear, which is an underlying feeling behind resentment. Furthermore, it focused on a broad range of topics, from why to choose forgiveness, forgiveness for your family, forgiveness for yourself, and lastly, forgiveness for the world. Also, Casarjian (1992) said that forgiveness equals peace. Forgiveness, regardless of the situation or problem, gives the peace that we really want and yearn. According to Casarjian, forgiveness is the means of the heart to mend itself and make it whole again. It gives us the freedom to love, sincere love. When we experience forgiveness, or we accepted forgiveness from others, we are transformed, giving us a fresh start. Furthermore, it tells about how our physical health may improve if we practice forgiveness. It goes beyond understanding others, to how they cope up with the situation. Forgiveness must not be dependent on somebody elses readiness or willingness to forgive. It explains that each person has his or her own way of letting go of their pain and anger. Let them be. Respecting them is another aspect of forgiveness. Not letting your self-forgiveness be dependent on the other persons feelings or emotions. The Handbook for forgiveness by Everett L. Worthington Jr. (2005) In this book, Worthington (2005) describes that forgiveness isnt just a science, it is also an art. This discussion can be found in chapter 1 of the book. In this discussion, I will be focusing on the questions answered by Worthington in chapter 1. One question is: How does forgiveness affect the participants in the forgiveness process?. According to Worthington, forgiveness involves a wrongdoer, a victim, and sometimes a third party, for instance, a small range of the society. For the wrongdoer, some might actually be able to forgive themselves easily, some may not. But, one thing is for sure, for a transgressor that is forgiven, response is a must both intraphysically and interpersonally. This implies that the experiences of the perpetrator are interlocked with the experiences of the victim. For the victim on the other hand, forgiveness is dependent on the personality and experiences of the victim. Some people might forgive easily, some may not. This accounts to a number of personal characteristics. Also, forgiveness can also involve people around you: relatives, neighbours, etc. This is why crimes affect society. In most tribes, wrongdoings can disrupt the harmony of it. That is why forgiveness is a crucial subject. Worthin gton summarized that forgiveness is a complex summary of intrapersonal process, interpersonal process, and interpersonal process within societal and political context. Another interesting concept presented in the text is the benefits of forgiveness. Like what Casarjian (2005) mentioned in his book, forgiveness has a lot of benefits: physical, mental, relational, and spiritual health. The explanation is a trivial one. According to Ludwig et al. (2001), Unforgiveness is stressful and makes people drown in their negative thoughts. This results in different negative consequences, be it physically, mentally, relationships, or spiritual health. Also, a survey in 2001 associates fewer poor health conditions in elderly people with forgiveness. Moreover, forgiveness lessens the anger, pain, and other negative feelings that a person experiences. Another interesting concept discussed in the book was correlation of primate conflicts with human forgiveness. This was a study about the reconciliation behaviour of Chimpanzees and Macaques. The observed responses to conflict was kissing and the so-called hold-bottom ritual. Kissing in Chimpanzees was a sign of reconciliation between two former opponents. The conclusion of this study was that it was unable to prove that the former opponents have forgiven each other; the positive side was that the behavioural correlate levels of anxiety reduced or lowered after the reconciliation between the former opponents. The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiensenthal (1998) This is a very intriguing book that aroused the minds of many thinkers and writers. It is about a concentration camp prisoner who was subjected to an unexpected situation wherein a dying SS (German militia) man asked for his forgiveness after having participated in the Jews genocide. His response was to walk away. Nothing. He questioned if his response to the situation was right or wrong. He confronted the reader that if the reader was in his place, what would the reader do. Wiensenthal wanted to pose a question to the reader, that in the case wherein the author already exposed his tragic situation. Wiensenthal wanted the reader to put their fit on his and question his mind, What would I do?. This is a question that not only tickles the minds of the reader. This question poses a more serious predicament to consider his/her personal moral and ethical beliefs. These moral and ethical beliefs influence our actions greatly towards negative situations like crimes, justice, compassion, and individual responsibility. Further reading of the book contains the responses of 53 different men and women about the question posed by Wiensenthal. The respondents came from different backgrounds. Their responses acted as pillars for the readers to be able to contemplate on their own perspectives. His work I believe was to wake up the readers, to stand up, to think, to survive and face the obligation it entails. As what he have said, Survival is a privilege which entails obligations. I am forever asking myself what I can do for those who have not survived. -Wiensenthal (1989), p. 351.

Humor and Tragedy in Virginia Woolfs Orlando Essay -- Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolfe's "Orlando" uses both humor and tragedy to observe humanity's often absurd and eccentric superficial constructions, both of class and gender. Woolfe creates the distinctions between male and female but continuously shatters them to reveal the illusions we create about gender. As George Meredith suggests, comedy is created when "The comic poet dares to show us men and women coming to this mutual likeness" (15). Woolfe, however, goes beyond simply bringing men and women together as equals; she blends them together as one androgynous individual, the effect of which causes us to laugh at the artificial way in which society attempts to define gender. After Orlando's matter-of-fact reaction to discovering he is a woman, the narrator with tongue-in-cheek explains how reasonable such a transformation is despite people's desire to define it as abnormal: "Many people, taking this into account, and holding that such a change of sex is against nature, have been at great pains to prove (1) that Orlando has always been a woman, (2) that Orlando is at this moment a man. Let b...

Comparing and Contrasting the Role of Women in Things Fall Apart and He

Role of Women in Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness       Women were once little more than slaves to their male "betters." Some women might have been respected, but their places were limited to roles as wives and mothers. They might rule a home, but were not believed intelligent enough for any other role. This chauvinistic attitude is well reflected in the novels Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, and Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad.    In Things Fall Apart, women are praised in their capacities as wives and mothers, almost revered really. In many instances, Achebe paints glowing pictures of them in these roles. "Anasi was a middle aged woman, tall and strongly built. There was authority in her bearing and she looked every inch the ruler of the womenfolk in a large and prosperous family" (Achebe 20). Anasi's role as Nwakibie's first wife is obviously one of great respect and she is regarded nearly as a queen. She presides over the other wives of her husband and keeps them under control and peaceful. Because she does a good job, she is highly regarded as a woman. Also, "Ani played a greater part in the life of the people than any other deity. She was the ultimate judge of morality and conduct" (Achebe 36). This quote may be surprising to the reader at first that men might worship a female goddess, but it fits with feminine roles in the Ibo society. Women are often entrusted with instilling morality in their children and governing their conduct. A female goddess will remind men to uphold their morals and mind their conduct, much the way a mother would her child. Again, there is the valued role of a mother for a woman. She will be admired and cherished for that, but little else. Outside the roles of mother and w... ...orld, this is a sad attitude. Worldwide, women have it even worse. In Africa and parts of Asia today women are still as they were in Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart. They hold little power, are married to produce children, and are no much better than slaves. Achebe and Conrad, though indriectly, have painted a pitiful picture of the role of women in certain societies. In both novels, societies run by men eventually turn evil and fall apart. The admired war-like men come to destroy their lives and that of those around them. Well, perhaps it is time to give the women, the guardians of morality and conduct, a chance to run things. Maybe then there will be some peace on earth.    Works Cited: Achebe, Chinua.   Things Fall Apart.   Greenwich: Fawcett Publications, Inc., 1959. Conrad, Joseph.   Heart of Darkness.   London: Penguin Books, 1989.      

Voting Research Paper

Voting is privilege given to Americans. Many people don’t know how lucky they are to have the privilege to give their opinion on who leads our country. It took many years for the U. S to get voting rights equalized for all citizens; so everyone should take advantage of this. Participating in voting should be happening by every eligible person in the U. S. A person’s characteristics will effect whether or not they are going to participate in voting. It can either positively affect the person or negatively. Also registering and knowing where and how to register and where too actually vote can effect whether or not a person will participate in voting. A major aspect effecting voting is a person’s family history; if growing up in a family where your family isn’t participating in voting than most likely that young person will not feel the need/responsibility to vote when eligible. A person age can effect whether people will vote or not, usually the younger generation does not participate in voting. Also if people aren’t educated on how to register or even on what they’re voting on – tend not o bother on figuring out how too. The importance of voting is of interest to me because it directly affects me. Voting affects everyone and knowing how we got to where we are in regards to voting is interesting. Voting is so important for many reasons and I think it will be interesting to also find out by surveying young people how many of them actually vote and why or why they don’t participate in voting. The history of voting in the United States goes back to the colonial times. In colonial times the right to vote was limited to only adult white males who owned property. Majority of women were banned from voting with exceptions of widows who owned property during this time. By 1830, the property requirements were abolished and then all white male adults could vote. (History of Voting Rights 1). Throughout history voting laws expanded to eventually giving the right to vote to majority of U. S citizens. In 1870, the fifteenth amendment was established stating that the right to vote cannot be denied due to race. This was five years after the civil war was fought, finally giving African Americans and any other race the chance to participate in voting. Even though all races were allowed to vote, women did not fully gain that privilege until the nineteenth amendment was established in 1920. The nineteenth amendment states that â€Å"The rights of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any States on account of sex. † This was a huge accomplishment for women throughout the country. In 1971 the twenty-sixth amendment lowered the voting age to eighteen for all states, before this was established only ten sates allowed citizens under the age of twenty-one to participate in voting. (Mount 1). Having voting offered to American citizens eliminates discrimination of voting because everyone has a chance to voice their opinion. We have voting rights in the United States because the United States is about choices. Many countries do not get to voice their opinion as openly as we are in the United States. Voting is a very important part of our history; everyone should respect the struggles our country faced in order to give the people of the United States all the right to vote by voting. The rules of voting have changed many times throughout the years. As of now you must be eighteen years old, and you must be currently a U. S citizen. There is a lot of controversy on weather convicted felons should or should not be allowed to vote. The answer to that depends on where you live, seven states still have strict restrictions on letting felons vote. In order to vote you must be registered. You can register in different ways. One way is call a 800 number and get a registration form sent to your house fill it out and mail it back in to your local city or town hall. You must receive your confirmation to know you are definitely registered. Another way to register is to register in person at any registration location where you must complete a series of questions to qualify you to be allowed to vote. Some high schools automatically register you when they know you are turning eighteen they will send in the form for you. You can also register at motor vehicles by filling out a form. Galvin 1) When voting you must bring a form of identification. Acceptable identification can be; your voter’s registration certificate along with a drivers license and or a photo I. D that you can get from motor vehicles. In order to be able to vote you must be registered twenty days prior to Election Day. (Galvin 1) Registering to vote is very simple, does not take up time and is worth it. In order to find out first hand if young people are participating in voting or not and if certain characteristics truly do effect this I conducted a 100 person survey. Surveying people is the best method to find out about voting their take on voting because it’s a non judgmental way to hopefully get the truth. Also I got to pick mainly who I wanted to get surveyed; for this study I only surveyed people under the age of 30 because I was more interested on how younger people are or aren’t participating in voting. This was an easy task because my first thirty surveys got handed out throughout class, than the other seventy I distributed out at work where I in counter young people all throughout the day so it was still a random survey. In my survey I asked the person’s gender and age, whether they were registered to vote or not and how they got registered; if they participate in voting if so what they vote on; whether voting is important to them and their families; if their parents participate in voting; if they understand how our voting system works and where they found out how to vote; if they agree on how our voting system works why or why not and if they feel voting is an important part in our country. These were all questions to find out basics about young voters and young non-voters as to why or why they don’t vote, and also certain characteristics such as their ages and gender and family history and how that might affect the person. Before conducting this survey I wasn’t expecting to find many young people to take an interest on the topic of voting. I also believed most young people who say they are registered to vote and do participate actively in voting that their families also participate in voting. I expected to find more young women to participate in voting rather than young men. After finishing my survey and collecting the results I found out when comparing females to males that majority of females that are registered do participate voting, rather than the majority of males that are registered less do actually participate in voting. Also as a whole I found out that when asking the people who do vote whether their families do vote majority of them claimed that their families do vote, and when asking people who are registered but do not participate in voting that majority of their families do not participate in voting. When going through my results looking at most people who are registered to vote but still didn’t participate in voting they did not register themselves, majority of them checked the spot saying that their high school automatically registered them. Surprisingly I found a lot of people do believe voting is an important part of our country but that they do not believe they way our system works is fairly, a lot of answers claim that they believe their vote doesn’t count and that is why they don’t bother participating in voting. It’s refreshing to see that many young people do believe in voting and even better seeing how many do actually participate. The results and my anticipation matched up to a point. More women than men do participate in voting from my calculations, but I didn’t expect to even find as many people interested in voting as I did. I believed more women take a part in voting and I found that is true because women didn’t always have the right to vote so now that we do and learning about the struggles it took to get women to vote may be why more women do participate in voting rather than most men who were almost always offered the right to vote. I learned that many people do not even know how our voting system works or where to register. Registering is so easy to do, I think the best way to register is to offer it in high-schools, not something that’s done automatically because than people aren’t really interested they are just registered but having it offered makes it an easy way for people right as they become eligible and also can teach them how and where they can participate in voting. Looking at voting from a functional analysis point of view would be pro-voting. The people who do believe voting is important and that their opinion does matter and does contribute to the outcome of what they’re voting on is the same as looking at society as a whole but knowing that each different part of society makes up a different part and has its own function. Society’s function is to vote on its leaders, the leaders function is to run and try to their best ability to satisfy the needs of its society. In one survey when answering if they find voting to be important in our country; do you think it makes a difference why or why not a person answered â€Å"Yes, every voice counts and can cause change. This is showing that some people do function and do their part in society. This is a macro way of looking at things; functional people gather data on the people they might be voting on and decide who will make a change to better their society and that’s who they chose to vote for. Looking at the topic of voting from a conflict theorist point of view you can split up society by many different groups for example democrats and republicans and how everyone who participates in voting votes one or the other do try and get their party into authority. This sort of conflict can cause a positive change if who eventually gets chosen makes a positive change in society. Again this is a macro way of looking at voting because people are researching on who’s running who’s part of which party and what that person represents and then they cast their vote hoping for the best outcome possible. I was pleased with my results because although not everyone participates in voting more young people than I expected are actually registered and do participate in voting which is a positive sign. I believe my survey could have been more conclusive if I surveyed a larger amount of people, 100 young people I thought would be more than enough but it really doesn’t give a big picture on the topic. Also if I could re-do this survey I would try to do an even amount of males surveyed as females surveyed just to keep that aspect of the survey equal. There are so many important reasons to participate in voting. The outcome of elections will have an impact on everyone in the United States lives. If you are unhappy with how our country is being run, or unhappy about a certain situation voting can help make a change for you. Many believe that there vote does not really count so they do not bother to even vote. They figure there are millions of other people voting so why should they even try; the fact of the matter is that everyone’s vote does count and every time you vote it does make a difference. A lot of people believe the government and the people in charge do not have an effect on them. Elected officials make many decisions that affect everyone. The president has the power to either raise or lower taxes for all Americans so how does that decision not affect everyone. (Importance of Voting 1). The more young people participate in voting the more it shows that there interested which will result in the government being interested in younger people’s problems and helping in making a change. You see and hear about so many complaints regarding our government and the problems they cause or the problems they aren’t helping, if you don’t vote how do you expect this to change. The United States is lucky that the citizens are allowed to participate in picking the country’s leaders, if they don’t participate though the democracy will not run properly or fairly. Voting is the fairest way for a leader to be chosen. It’s not racist, sexist or biased everyone get there voice to be heard by voting. Some believe voting should be considered mandatory. It’s a proven fact that enforcing mandatory voting that there will definitely be an increase in the amount of voters. In some cases there was a 94. 6 percent increase. (Lansford, 55). â€Å"We live in a country where no matter what you believe, no matter what your race, sex or religion you are allowed to voice it, so take advantage of it and vote. † (Stimpson 1). So many different characteristics play a part on voting including a person’s gender age and their family’s history and take on voting. Learning how and where to register to vote is also an important part of voting, I found out that a lot of people don’t understand how registering and voting in our country is done, this also reflects on a young person’s family and how they participate in voting – or how they don’t and that’s why young people aren’t interested in the topic. There’s many changes that can be done to help bring up the average of young people voting – and any person voting.