Security Is Not Only Survival, But Living Without Fear

Security is not only survival, but living without fear† (Diskaya 2013). These words are essential in understanding that the answer to dissecting security lay in the balance of varying schools of thought. This analysis aims to examine whom security is for, rather whom are we securing, be it the state or the individual. I will argue, going forward that there is no clear-cut answer to this question, for security must exhibit factors of each school of thought in order to adequately ensure annihilation of global insecurity. Analyzing the works of scholars such as Barry Buzan, Ken Booth, and groups such as the Copenhagen School will offer a broader understanding of security and what it truly means to be secure. There are five sectors in which†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, without examining threats to these individuals one cannot adequately examine the root causes of larger scale global insecurities. For scholars like Ken Booth, the sovereign state is not the main provid er of security, rather one of the main causes of individual insecurity. Booth states that their own governments rather than foreign armies have killed far more people (Booth 2007). Traditional security policies effectively conceal some of the most fundamental human needs when merely focusing on security in terms of aspirations to achieve national interests, thus failing to protect the individuals that make up the state (Stone 2009). As Booth describes it people and groups can only achieve true security if they do not deprive others of it (Booth 2007). It is not my intention nor do I perceive it the intention of others to eliminate the ideals of traditional security all together, rather it is my aim to reveal this non traditional approach in combination with the all familiar state centric ideology of the realist and neorealist minds. In order to examine how and why individual and human security is essential to adequately attempting a global sense of safety, I have collected a myri ad of statistics that assist in illustrating the international need for, as Scott Watson describes, humanitarianism as securitization (Watson 2011). Data collected byShow MoreRelatedThe Necessity Of A Political Society Essay1511 Words   |  7 Pagesindividual is a physical object, nothing more than a sophisticated machine. (Hobbes, 2008) The simplicity of the hobbesian man emphasizes the animal nature and the basic instinct of survival. The individual is seen as an entity whose utmost desire is self-preservation. Due to the absence of any kind of regulations, people are living in the state of nature, where there is no such thing as justice or injustice, right or wrong. Moral notions have no application and are replaced by the laws of nature. HenceRead MoreCoping with the Zombie Apocalypse: Lessons From The Walking Dead962 Words   |  4 PagesFear itself is seldom a cause of trauma in everyday existence, but having to face close-range interpersonal aggression is a traumatic exp erience of an entirely different magnitude (Grossman). During the initial outbreak of terror while everyone is scrambling to save his or her own life, survival mode kicks in and an individual starts to plan on saving one’s self. The need to be a powerful motivator drives an average person to do what any normal person would consider unthinkable. Abandoning monstersRead MoreSummary Of The By Yann Martel s 1628 Words   |  7 PagesMaxine Malekmehr 18 December 2014 Dr. Hansen Section 1961 Faith as the Key to Survival Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.† Some individuals live their lives with strict adherence to logic, while others benefit from the power of imagination. However, both, pragmatism and imagination, contain advantages as well as disadvantages. In Yann Martel’s novel, the story’s protagonist, Piscine Patel, is a religious follower of three religions,Read Moreon the Waterfront Shows That Most People Prefer Security to Justice. Discuss1328 Words   |  6 PagesIn Elia Kazan’s â€Å"On the Waterfront,† we see that to some extent that people do prefer security to justice. This film focuses on the balance between our moral conscience, and our need for survival. It explores how much we are influenced by our own need for survival compared to our sense of justice. Kazan, utilizes characters like Terry, to explore the limits of human tolerance and the conscience. He depicts a world shrouded i n a blanket of fog and mist, which masks the criminality, corruption andRead MoreHobbes And The State Of Nature1549 Words   |  7 PagesHobbes argues that the worst that a man can endure is the reversal to the state of nature, which is when society is faced with a civil war, as Hobbes himself witnessed in his lifetime. Hobbes claims that a sovereign with absolute power is the greatest security against the reversal of the state of nature. Hobbes believes that men are not born to be sociable and that it is not in their nature to seek a life together. Instead, Hobbes contends that men will create an absolute sovereign entity to govern allRead MoreSummary Of The Walking Dead Essay1458 Words   |  6 Pagesthis comic book, he shapes a smart and powerful heroic character, Rick, in a zombie apocalypse, who is still able to maintain rational and leads the group to find a safer place for the sake of the interest of every survivor. In this book, Kirkman not only shows how the protagonis ts manage to fight the zombies; but also explores human nature. While excited on the details of the story and entangled in the fate of each character, people will reasonably find out there are more questions about a zombie apocalypseRead MoreMotivation and Salary1251 Words   |  6 Pages. Introduction The majority of people on earth work either with or without salary (housewives, volunteers). Why some of them work more and others less? Why some of them are happy in their jobs and others are not? The questions were puzzled managers and psychologists who, through the understanding of employee incentives want to steer their behavior to reach the objectives of the organization. The following essay will consider two basic motivation theories that attempt to answer the aboveRead MoreHobbes And Rousseau s View Of State Of Nature1486 Words   |  6 Pagessurvival.in the Hobbesian state of nature, each man considers everyone else to be an enemy and lives life in the fear of painful death. Everyone can follow their primary instincts to take other men’s belongings and property for self-protection and glory. Hobbes state that â€Å"the passions that incline men to peace are: fear of death; desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living; and a hope by their indust ry to obtain them† (185). Peace and order can never be established in this state, thereforeRead MoreEnvironmental Sustainable Development : Global Warming1696 Words   |  7 PagesEnvironmental Sustainable Development The world fears war because people have seen the impact of war. The world fears famine, floods, and earthquakes because we have all seen the damage caused by these phenomena. 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Ethical Theories Of The Debate Over Abortion - 1741 Words

There is a vast number of ethical theories, whether or not you believe in those theories is a matter of opinion and personal belief. For this reason, people can take the general concept of a theory and explain it in a way that aligns with their beliefs. Personally, I feel as though there is some truth in most, if not all, ethical theories. Though, there is one theory in particular I have taken a liking to; and this theory is egoism. Egoism, in the most general terms, is a theory in which a person is motivated by their own self-interest to further their wants or goals. This theory can be interpreted in a number of ways, one of them is that it is considered selfish. Egoism, is not necessarily selfish in that it may be in your own self-interest to do something for others. To help further explain my understanding of egoism, I’d like to bring up the topic of abortion. The debate over abortion has been going on for a while. As time goes by, my opinions on the topic have changed, esp ecially when I learn about the different arguments each side makes. I will take some arguments from both sides to help explain egoism. Through my explanation on my understanding of egoism, I will ultimately express my views on this social issue as well. Though it is important to keep in mind that my main goal is to explain each side of the debate through the views of an egoist and whether or not each side is morally sound. Before getting into egoism and how it would handle the topic of abortion, it isShow MoreRelatedThe Act Utilitarian Theory And Abortion Essay1265 Words   |  6 PagesThe Act-Utilitarian Theory and Abortion Morgan Romy Stark State College General Overview According to our class text Doing Ethics (Vaughn, Abortion, 2015, p. 163) â€Å"Abortion (also called induced abortion) is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy by surgical or medical (with drugs) means.† Abortion in America is heavily debated in politics, religion, and family values. It seems that abortion strikes people to the core because it challenges your deepest moral beliefs. It’s a matter ofRead MoreThe Debate About Abortion And Abortion1709 Words   |  7 PagesThe practice of abortion is an issue that has sparked controversy for many years. One of the initial problems that lead to the debate about abortion is the fact that, the definition of the term abortion varies from one field to another. The controversy arises because the language used to describe abortion â€Å"is a reflection of the societal beliefs of the people in that area† (McFarlane Meier 65). Generally, the World Health Organization defines abortion as induced or spontaneous terminat ion of pregnancyRead MoreAbortion1258 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion Ethical issues continue to weigh heavily in the way healthcare is delivered in the United States. Diversity makes the most sensitive issues settle in a grey area, rather than simply black or white. Many believe that abortion is ethically justified, when others believe it is morally wrong. The ethical differences in opinions will be explored in the following paragraphs, analyzing the issue from different perspectives. Yet the act of abortion appears to break the vows of non-maleficenceRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal?1340 Words   |  6 PagesWhile abortion is legal in the United States, the law is diverse among many Americans who assert a great level of opinion regarding the topic. Issues regarding the legalization and procedures that govern the law makes it controversial in nature. Since the Supreme Court’s decision in making abortion legal, there has been a great divide between those who support the advancement of the law, while there is a deep moral reserve for opponent s who ethically challenge these regulations. Since the inceptionRead MoreThe Ethics And Ethical Ethics1739 Words   |  7 Pagesthe turn of the 4th Century BC, the study of ethics and ethical behaviour has occupied human thought, with various philosophers exploring the fundamental issues of practical decision making, determining the nature of normative theories (Aristotelian virtue ethics), and applying these principles to pragmatic moral issues. Approximately 2040 years ago, Aristotle published, what is considered to be the foundations of modern day ethics and ethical frameworks, the â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics†. Through this publicationRead MoreEthics Of Computing And The Internet1173 Words   |  5 Pageshundreds of pages; herein we are going to cover principal’s data of this essential topic in today’s lives. Pregnancy includes a debate for more than 4 decades and some topics that affect not only mothers even child, there are many dilemmas surrounding this controversial topic, where some argue one specific thing and much other argue another things. The first debate comes around the medication; they divide pregnant into different groups â€Å"Pregnancy and childbirth have become increasingly medicalizedRead MoreEthics Of Computing And The Internet1173 Words   |  5 Pageshundreds of pages; herein we are going to cover principal’s data of this essential topic in today’s lives. Pregnancy includes a debate for more than 4 decades and some topics that affect not only mothers even child, there are many dilemmas surrounding this controversial topic, where some argue one specific thing and much other argue another things. The first debate comes around the medication; they divide pregnant into different groups â€Å"Pregnancy and childbirth have become increasingly medicalizedRead MoreKant s Ethical Theory Of Abortion Essay1266 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophy 5. What do you think Kant’s ethical theory tells us about the morality or immorality of abortion? Is it clear what utilitarianism tells us about abortion or euthanasia? Throughout the previous thirty-eight years ago since the U.S Supreme Court legalized abortion as a medical procedure, the topic of abortion has spurned several heated debates both socially and politically. In such a heightened contemporary context, it would be rather appropriate to consider the moral application of ImmanuelRead MoreThe Abortion Debate Essay1544 Words   |  7 Pages No matter where you stand on the issue, abortion is a highly debated topic in today’s society. In this essay I will examine both sides of the abortion issue. I will begin with a brief overview of the abortion debate, to include the morality of the situation. Next I will discuss the Pro-Life argument. Lastly I will look at the Pro-Choice view. In the final analysis I will show how utilitarianism, altruism, and situational ethical views apply to abortion. Having in mind the extreme controversy surroundingRead MoreHuman Nature And Ethics : Abortion Essay1739 Words   |  7 Pages Kylie Morel Ethical Paper- Abortion Due: 11-16-16 Human Nature and Ethics Abortion Abortion, defined by Merriam Webster’s dictionary as, â€Å"the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus† is a highly discussed and debated topic. The subject has been particularly prevalent in the news recently due to the election of our 45th president and the debates leading up to it. The topic of full term abortions has been a particularly

The Mayans Argumentative Essay Example For Students

The Mayans Argumentative Essay The ancient Maya were a group of American Indian peoples who lived in southern Mexico, particularly the present-day states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo, and in Belize, Guatemala,and adjacent Honduras. Their descendants, the modern Maya, live in the same regions today, in both highlands and lowlands, from cool highland plains ringed by volcanos to deep tropical rain forests. Through the region runs a single major river system, the Apasion-Usumacinta and its many tributaries, and only a handful of lesser rivers, the Motagua, Hondo, and Belize among them. The ancestors of the Maya, like those of other New World peoples, crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Asia more than 20,000 years ago, during the last ice age. The Maya were the first people of the New World to keep historical records: their written history begins in 50 BC, when they began to inscribe texts on pots, jades, bones, stone monuments, and palace walls. Maya records trace the history of the great kings and queens who ruled from 50 BC until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. All Maya long count calendar inscriptions fall between AD 292 and AD 909, roughly defining the period called Classic. Earlier Maya culture is called Formative or Preclassic (2000 BC-AD 300), and subsequent civilization is known as Postclassic (AD 900-conquest). Protected by difficult terrain and heavy vegetation, the ruins of few ancient Maya cities were known before the 19th century, when explorers and archaeologists began to rediscover them. The age and proliferation of Maya writings have been recognized since about 1900, when the calendrical content ofMaya hieroglyphic inscriptions were deciphered and the dates correlated with the Christian calendar. For most of the 20th century, only the extensive calendrical data of Maya inscriptions could be read, and as a result, Maya scholars hypothesized that the inscriptions were pure calendrical records. Because little evidence of warfare had been recogn ized archaeologically, the Classic Maya were thought of as peaceful timekeepers and skywatchers. Their cities, it was thought, were ceremonial centers for ascetic priests, and their artwork anonymous, without concern for specific individuals. More recent scholarship changes the picture dramatically. In 1958 Heinrich Berlin demonstrated that certain Maya hieroglyphs, which he called emblem glyphs, contained main signs that varied according to location, indicating dynastic lines or place names. In 1960, Tatiana Proskouriakoff showed that the patterns of dates were markers of the important events in rulers lives. The chronological record turned out to serve history and the perpetuation of the memory of great nobles. Subsequently, major archaeological discoveries, particularly at Palenque and Tikal, confirmed much of what the writings said, and examination of Maya art has revealed not only historical portraiture but also a pantheon of gods, goddesses, and heroesin other words, Maya reli gion and mythic history. By 5000 BC, the Maya had settled along Caribbean and Pacific coasts, forming egalitarian fishing communities. Certainly by 2000 BC the Maya had also moved inland and adopted agriculture for their subsistence. Maize and beans formed the Maya diet then as today, although many other foodstuffssquash, tomatoes, peppers, fruits, and gamewere supplements. The word for maizewais synonymous with food itself, and the maize god was honored from early times. Sometime around the end of the Classic Period, the Maya were split up into independent city-states. The nobles of these city-states intermarried and waged war on each other. This civil war, along with the recent change in their system of government, led to the decline of the great Mayan Empire and ultimately, its demise. Bibliography:

Virtual Shopping in Malaysia free essay sample

Introduction During the period between late 18th and early 19th century, the world experienced the Industrial Revolution era, when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in most parts of the world. The commencement of the Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in human society because almost every aspect of daily life was eventually influenced in some way. Now, again the world is experiencing a similar kind of a revolution the era of the Internet. The Internet has already earned a permanent place in history as the innovation that has changed the way the world sends, receives and shares information. The effects of the Internet are felt by everyone from young preschoolers to senior adults, from rocket scientists to casual bloggers. The immediacy of the Internet gives people the means to latest news and updates, to network with friends and to buy almost anything they want or need, without ever having to get off the couch. We will write a custom essay sample on Virtual Shopping in Malaysia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These phenomena can be attributed to the increasing use of the Internet in conducting businesses. Overview: Virtual Shopping From business point of view, the Internet has changed the ways companies sell products to customers and distribute products to retailers. The Internet has sprung e-commerce, by which companies or sites offer to transact or facilitate the selling of products and services online (Kotler Keller, 2009). Virtual shopping is the process consumers go through to purchase products or services over the Internet and it is a type of e-commerce used for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions (Wikipedia, 2009). Virtual shopping has experienced rapid growth since the early years and it is well known to most of the Internet researchers that, the volume of online business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions is increasing annually at a very high rate. According to ACNielsen (2008), more than 875 million people in the world have shopped online. The 2007 global survey conducted by ACNielsen also revealed that, over 85% of the world’s online population has used the Internet to make a purchase, up 40% from 2005. More than half of Internet users are regular online shoppers, who make online purchases at least once a month. ACNielsen also reported that, across the globe, the most popular and purchased items over the Internet are books (41% purchased), clothing/accessories/shoes (36%), videos/DVDs/games

Distinction and Characteristics of Leadership and Management

Distinction and Characteristics of Leadership and Management Distinction between leadership and management Any organization or company needs both a leader and a manager. The managers dominate most of the governance styles. The main differences lie between various supreme approaches to services. Managers have a value for results while leaders value relationships among members.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Distinction and Characteristics of Leadership and Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is high regards over positions in management, while this is not evident in leadership styles. The leaders take reputable high risks compared to the managers, are personal, have caring attitude and, avoid copying others’ rules or governance styles (Pride et al, 2009, p. 23). On the other hand, the manages will often conform to existing rules and want to ensure protection of their status quo, thus may remain rigid measures over change, this makes the leaders more innova tive and ready to engage change for the better (Pride et al, 2009, p. 23). The leaders’ style of guidance is non-functional thus inspiring and motivational, compared to the management style of functionally analyzing, evaluating and solving problems from a personal perspective. The leadership hierarchy restrains the flow of unnecessary information, poor policies of the firm, agendas that conflict governance as well as pressures for the need to conform. They are therefore entitled the tasks of providing overall directions (Crystal, 2010, p. 1). According to Pride et al (2009, p. 23), the issues of leadership have revolutionized due to diversification of performance groups, and this is why today’s leadership styles lacks many of the historical references. The leadership styles made over decades concerning the ability to hold top management positions have become obsolete. Today the top management positions and their functions are still in common usage, but current trends i ndicate some distinct discoveries concerning distinction between managers and leaders. The process of exercising leadership skills, styles and qualities has a different meaning over providing a vision and influencing those led. The managerial tasks have brought about realization of coexistence and sharing of thoughts among people who are working towards common goals. From the analytical or professional point of view, it is possible to define the leadership style of governance in two ways. The first definition falls under the ability to have considerations of various aspects in the organization such as age, gender, performance, and experience and energy differences, characterized by an emphasis over good relations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this situation, the leader is a good listener who is approachable and friendly. This style entails openness thus enli sting the mental trust among those involved. Secondly is the ability to engage a leadership behaviour that directs an organization and assists in defining goals, structure and style of execution (Volmann et al, 2005, p.3). Characteristics of an effective leader A leader is able to perform various functions of the organizational such us selecting people to make up the organizational structure, units or segments that control the flow of information in and out of the organization. The leader must also have the ability to ensure group participation in a knowledgeable manner. The second function involves the interpersonal characteristics, which create good working morale within the organization. The leader ought to indicate a good degree of concern about humanness and pay attention to the follower’s concerns over leadership or other organization’s aspects. Lastly is the decisional function, that one mainly engages to give the impression of searching for the decisions regard ing achievements of goals. According to Pride et al (2009, p. 29), this is a traditional perspective that is all along associable to leadership and remains utilized to date. These functional points of view define leadership and the most crucial or hard part of leadership. Leadership entails the ability to create a compelling vision and style reshaped by future perspectives. According to Pride et al (2009, p. 23), the leader does the guidance tasks through the visions or ultimate powers accorded for a processes to be successful. Those involved must also act as a team. The most critical task of a leader is the ability to focus attention. This person is involved mainly with the aspects of deciding. Every time or day involves a fresh crisis requiring a solution. How the attention is subdivided determines the continuity of the organization. For instance, the leader cannot focus on the current tasks and ignore the future aspects or consequences that can affect the organization. Those prob lems, concepts, ideas or actions that receive the attention determine the sustainability of the organization. In line with Dodds (2008, p.1), a good definition of leadership is the ability to determine the aspects of an organization, that receives focus or attention at any given time. Otherwise, one considers the number of concerns receiving the concentration over a specific period.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Distinction and Characteristics of Leadership and Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Characteristics of an effective Manager The manager identifies with skills of handling supervisory positions. The time management skills assist in handling deadlines for the tasks and assignments. Good time management skills require a person who is able to set goals and assign specific tasks to employees while setting individual goals. Time management has a close link to resources management for instance finances , thus the need for wise budgeting. The manager also must have excellent communication skills since communication is a fundamental aspect of engaging projects especially when the managers have to engage or relate to employees, clients or other businesses. A good manager is confident and has a personality that enhances excellent communication ability. The communication ability and experience has to cater for groups as well as individuals. Conflicts are common especially in a diverse setting. The manager listen, identify, agree and discusses solutions with employees, providing follow up to relieve awkward tensions. Personal traits or personalities are also main aspects that govern management. The business expectations makes management hard to implement because not every person has the ability to engage all the required traits such as creativity, adaptability, charismatic attribute, confidentiality, understanding, ability to tolerate, great listening and willingness to learn. Experienc e is an important aspect of managers because they must have good knowledge of their title and the performance appraisals. Explain the meaning and importance of work groups and teams and evaluate the importance of groups and teams for effective organizational performance. Organization performance depends on the ability to create and administer a performance management culture among employees. The main and frequently utilized measure of encouraging performance culture entails methodologies that give employees’ confidence to question and seek guidance through departmental groups, human resource representatives or team leaders. Employees should participate in decision-making and policy implementation procedures especially on matters concerning performance requirements. Employees’ engagement also helps in avoiding conflicts during performance.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The best way to engage the performance culture therefore involves group or team work. The leadership styles and discipline are the key elements that play a vital role in creation, definition and management of a performing culture. Company’s group or teamwork culture is the systematic procedures that regard performance of duties and procedures, by engaging others especially in coming up with the ideas to achieve company goals. Performance involves combination of the employees’ thoughts, actions and feelings. Lack of proper management on these aspects of performance culture among employees’ means they become perplexed or stymie by some bureaucratic processes, and eventually conflict. Good group work sets its basis on employees’ interaction, to promote decision-making and direct accountability over performance. With discipline, there are clear expectations and commitments produced in a group work setting. There has to be management proactive measures to bloc k obstructions of performance such as rewards, which ensures that employees remain truly engaged to their duties. Today, emphasis on self-engagement and discipline has overthrown ancient style of â€Å"command and control† to enhance recognition of clear boundaries over the lines of duty, flexibility over performance and therefore foster required partnership. According to Dodds (2008, p. 2), a good teamwork focuses in capturing the global clientele. Through teamwork, the management is able to capitalizes on the employees strengths while minimize on the weaknesses. The differences between employees entail differences on management skills; therefore, such a setting strengthens understanding and enhances stronger bonds among employees. Teamwork creates opportunities for advancement and an entrepreneur should know that diversity is something more than a moral obligation. It is a business opportunity. Evidently, companies that practice the ethics of teamwork are incomparable to bu sinesses that engage individualism (Crystal, 2010, p. 1). Implementing workgroups in a company’s work environment could have benefits that include improved job satisfaction, a higher degree of company commitment and increase of turnover. Team spirit is a good ethical practice and thus a benefit in practicing business ethics in the workplace. Workgroups can lead to employee satisfaction, flexible work schedules and more responsibilities. Improved job satisfaction is one benefit that boosts employees’ morale to complete tasks correctly and in a timely manner. â€Å"The study of different approaches to organisation and management and the development of organisation theory have no practical relevance for today’s managers. It is really no more than a luxury for students and the time could be spent better on other important topics.† Critically reflect upon this statement and present a counter argument. A good management entails having influence over others. How does one gain the influence? The designated or emergent leader must acquire the ability or power to known the interpersonal influence by understanding various approaches or theories of managing or organizing. Precedence in policies and procedures Considering that most business regulations are standard that are applicable in most case scenarios, there is therefore need to prioritize on the imperative necessities to learn the policies or procedures to implement organization or management theories. One importance of the theories regards performance. Proper organization theories and procedures should support the performance-based analysis. Relevance of organization theories for today’s managers Employees’ management requires capacity planning and control. The managers have to know the techniques required to address the issue of scheduling business applications and planning the allocation of resources. Controlling performance through routing or queuing and having various p roblem-solving techniques in place for various departments is equally important (Vollmann et al, 2005, p. 3). The organization theories include optimization techniques. The function of management or organizing is to maximize on the elements that meet the least expenditure objectives within a constrained operating environment. Business management theories therefore assist in braking down a big problem to ease complexity and thus speeding up computation. t allows efficiency in and ability to handle the uncertainties adequately. Secondly, use of organizational theories in management is a dynamic approach that allows mastery of consecutive decisions-making procedures in a multi-stage pattern. It is easy for one to come up with a personalized way of dealing with problems, but the most effective procedures are those based on proven facts such as the management theories. For instance, theories indicate that it is possible to recursively relate a problem to solutions, to come up with most e ffective results or conclusions. A complex problem can decompose to various sub-problems for individual employees to handle. The solution to one problem creates a sequentially dependent framework, such that the solution of a sub-problem emerges from the preceding solution. A common management theory involves engagement of group or teamwork because of a consideration of the whole problem as a common quandary broken into various parts with preceding independent resolutions. Sensitivity analysis The management theories engagement also involves sensitivity analysis as an approach to solving problem. There is need for a manager to involve practical and proven procedures of solving problems. The theories assist managers in hypothetical, logical or substantial analysis of the most effective procedures to take. Theories provide business with major challenges regarding performance and assists in examining the most important factors for the revolution and performance. Theories also provide a procedure of examining impacts of changes and their effects as outputs (Dodds, 2008, p. 1). One has to evaluate reasonable limits for change or the individual impact on other independent measures of business quality. This approach determines business viability or validity. References Crystal, D. (2010). Managing Business Ethics. Web. Dodds, B. (2008). Pandemic Planning and Business Continuity. Web. Pride, W. M., Hughes, J. M. Kappor, J. R. (2009). Business. Kentucky, KY: Cengage Learning Publishers. Vollmann, T. E., Berry, W. L., Whybark, C. D. (2005). Manufacturing Planning and  control systems for supply chain management. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Publisher/Irwin series.

How to Start a Book Report

How to Start a Book Report No matter what youre writing, be it the next great novel, an essay for school, or a book report, you have to capture your audiences attention with a great introduction. Most students will introduce the title of the book and its author, but theres so much more you can do. A strong introduction will help you engage your readers, hold their attention and explain what is coming up in the rest of your report. Giving your audience something to look forward to, and perhaps even creating a little mystery and excitement, can be great ways to make sure your readers stay engaged with your report. How do you do this? Check out these three simple steps: 1. Hook the Audience's Attention Think about what you experience in your daily life that captures your attention. The news and radio shows promo upcoming stories with a little teaser, often called a hook (because it hooks your attention). Corporations use snappy subject lines in emails and enticing headlines in social media to get you to open their messages; these are often called clickbait as they get the reader to click on the content. So how can you grab your readers attention? Start by writing a great  introductory sentence. You may choose to begin by asking your reader a question to hook his or her interest. Or you may opt for a title that hints at the topic of your report with a dash of drama. Regardless of the way you choose to start a book report, the four strategies outlined here can help you write an engaging essay. Starting your book report with a question is a good way to grab your readers interest because youre addressing them directly. Consider the following sentences: Do you believe in happy endings?Have you ever felt like a total outsider?Do you love a good mystery?What would you do if you discovered a secret that changed everything? Most people have a ready answer for questions like these because they speak to common experiences we share. Its a means of creating empathy between the person reading your book report and the book itself. For example, consider this opening to a book report about The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton: Have you ever been judged by your appearance? In The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton gives readers a glimpse inside the tough exterior of a social outcast. Not everyones teenage years are as dramatic as those in Hintons coming-of-age novel. But everyone was once an adolescent, and odds are everyone had moments when they felt misunderstood or alone. Another idea to hook someones attention is, if youre discussing a book by a well-known or popular author, you might start with an interesting fact about the era when the author was alive and how it influenced his or her writing. For example: As a young child, Charles Dickens was forced to work in a shoe polish factory. In his novel, Hard Times, Dickens taps into his childhood experience to explore the evils of social injustice and hypocrisy. Not everyone has read Dickens, but many people have heard his name. By starting your book report with a fact, youre appealing to your readers curiosity. Similarly, you may choose an experience from the author’s life that had an impact on his or her work.   2. Summarize the Content and Provide Details A book report is meant to discuss the contents of the book at hand, and your introductory paragraph should give a little overview. This isnt the place to delve into details, but draw off your hook to share a little more information that is crucial to the storyline.   For example, sometimes, a novels setting is what makes it so powerful. To Kill a Mockingbird, the award-winning book by Harper Lee, takes place in a small town in Alabama during the Great Depression. The author draws on her own experiences in recalling a time when a small Southern towns sleepy exterior hid a vague sense of impending change. In this example, the reviewer might include a reference to the books setting and plot in that first paragraph: Set in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Depression, we learn about Scout Finch and her father, a prominent lawyer, as he desperately works to prove the innocence of a black man wrongly accused of rape. The controversial trial leads to some unexpected interactions and some  terrifying situations for the Finch Family. Authors make a deliberate choice when selecting the setting of a book. After all, the location and setting can set a very distinct mood.   3. Make a Thesis Statement (if applicable) When writing a book report, you might also include your own interpretations of the subject matter. Ask your teacher how much personal interpretation he or she wants first, but assuming that some personal opinion is warranted, your introduction should include a thesis statement. This is where you present the reader with your own argument  about the work. To write a strong thesis statement, which should be about one sentence, you might reflect on what the author was trying to achieve. Consider the theme and see if the book was written in such a way where you were able to determine it easily and if it made sense. As yourself a few questions: Was the book meant to be entertaining or informative? Did it accomplish that goal?Did the moral at the end make sense? Did you learn something?Did the book make you think about the topic at hand and assess your beliefs?   Once youve asked yourself these questions, and any other questions you may think of, see if these responses lead you to a thesis statement in which you assess the success of the novel. Sometimes, a thesis statement is widely shared, while others may be more controversial. In the example below, the thesis statement is one that few would dispute, ​and uses dialogue from the text to help illustrate the point.  Authors choose dialogue carefully, and a single phrase from a character can often represent both a major theme and your thesis. A well-chosen quote included in your book reports introduction can help you create a thesis statement that has a powerful impact on your readers, as in this example: At its heart, the novel To Kill A Mockingbird is a plea for tolerance in an atmosphere of intolerance, and is a statement on social justice. As the  character  Atticus Finch tells his daughter, You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. Quoting Finch is effective because his words sum up the novels theme concisely and also appeal to the readers own sense of tolerance. Conclusion Dont worry if your first attempt at writing an introductory paragraph is less than perfect. Writing is an act of fine-tuning, and you may need several revisions. The idea is to start your book report by identifying your general theme so that you can move on to the body of your essay. After youve written the entire book report, you can (and should) return to the introduction to refine it. Creating an outline can help you best identify what you need in your introduction. Article edited  by  Stacy Jagodowski

Good Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Good Writing - Essay Example It’s hard to tell whether a piece of writing is good or bad by simply looking at it. You have to read and analyze the piece writing and finally, explain why the writing is good or bad. Good writers organize their work in a logical and effective manner. The ideas will be clear, interesting and concise (Murphy 2009). Ideas help a writer to communicate through writing to other people. The sentences will be fluent and be flowing from one idea to another. A piece of good writing will be communicative and correct. This means that good writing will be free from spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes. Good writing demands a person to recognize the owner if the writer borrows ideas form that piece of writing (Murphy 2009). Good writing is always a result of hard work and a lot of practicing. The ability to write well is not something that is inborn (Murphy 2009). A good writer always puts in a lot of time and effort to improve his writing. I would say I am a good writer. I always t ry my best to make sure that my work is free from grammatical, punctuation and spelling mistakes. I also ensure that my ideas are concise and are related to the topic. My ideas will flow fluently from one idea to another. Information connects thought my writing eventually responding to the needs of the reader. I also cite my work whenever I use any secondary or primary sources. I also read a lot and do a lot of practice to perfect my weak areas. This has helped me gain confidence and improve my attitude towards writing.

Life Stressors Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Life Stressors Journal - Assignment Example This means that the period assessed was packed with high stress levels ( Koocher & Greca, 2011). I was not surprised by my life stressors since I experienced tough times and was always indoors thinking about my stressors. My major stressors were my education; that is, my fees, grades and competition from other students. These stressors greatly impacted my socializing skills forcing me to be a loner. I tried reaching out to friends as my relaxation technique, by creating a good social support system, and it really worked as I realized that a problem shared is half solved. Major health risks associated with distress are; insomnia, bouts of anger, depression, restlessness, tense muscles, and fatigue. The critical point in managing stress is our ability to control how we react to the situation that led to the stress. We are usually so busy living our life that we don’t take time to stop and assess. We should practice the various relaxation techniques for a healthy living (Koocher & Greca,

Youth Feedback for Youth Problems Essay Example for Free

Youth Feedback for Youth Problems Essay Despite regulation, underage students in colleges around the nation find it easy to consume alcohol and are very likely to binge drink. What are the implications? What is the role of formal control? Perhaps the best way to answer these questions is to pose them to the young community builders who may be aware of the best ways to help their friends that are engaging in destructive behaviors (Finn Checkoway, 1998). Binge drinking and drug use are very common among young adults, including college students. As a matter of fact, young people are also facing dire consequences of substance abuse with falling grades, drunken driving accidents, sexual harassment, and violence. Unsurprisingly, society views this as a serious problem, and psychologists are trying to understand substance abuse among young adults before they can hope to provide help to the individuals concerned. This effort on the part of researchers is based on the premise that we cannot solve a problem before we understand the nature of the problem. Here enters the importance of the young community builders: they are able to easily explain to social workers the nature of the problems faced by their young friends. By understanding the problems in depth, social welfare workers may very well find themselves in the position to root them out. Young community builders must, therefore, be considered a community resource that social welfare workers should make excellent use of. Young people are not only able to better understand the problems of the youth, but they are also able to suggest solutions. Furthermore, these young guides can help social welfare organizations target the real needs of the youth by providing necessary information that would eventually benefit all people. References Finn, J. L. , Checkoway, B. (1998). Young People as Competent Community Builders: A Challenge to Social Work. National Association of Social Workers, Inc.

The Downfall Of Macbeth In Mac :: essays research papers

People and ideas can greatly affect the outcome of a person's life, determining whether the outcome will be successful or disastrous. Decisions and actions can also influence outcome. This is the case in Macbeth. Many factors cause the ruin of Macbeth and for that reason, all the blame for his downfall cannot be placed on Macbeth himself, despite the fact that he is the one that commits or has people commit the murders which lead to his downfall. Lady Macbeth's encouragement and convincing lead Macbeth to take the first step towards his destruction. The witches and their prophecies are equally accountable, since the witches reveal their predictions to Macbeth, giving him a glimpse into his future. This glimpse represents the beginning of the end of his life. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, as well as the witches and their prophecies are all responsible for Macbeth's downfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The witches are responsible for the downfall of Macbeth because they are the ones which reveal the prophecies to Macbeth. 1. Witch. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! 2. Witch. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! 3. Witch. All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King here- after!1 If Macbeth had never encountered the witches, they would never have revealed the prophecies to him. He would have become the Thane of Cawdor, and he would never have even considered the idea of making himself the King of Scotland. It would have remained a fantasy that would probably never have come true in the way that it did. The witches are the ones who allow Macbeth to discover his future, and by doing this, they give him the opportunity to consider making the prophecy come true. The only way to do this is to murder Duncan, the present King of Scotland. At first he is reluctant to do so. Lady Macbeth points out that he has the perfect opportunity, since the King will be spending the night at their castle, Inverness. Macbeth's conscience, however, is holding him back from committing the murder. He's here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door. Not bear the knife myself. (I. Vii. ll 12-16) He realizes that he has a responsibility to Duncan to protect him from a murderer and not to actually murder Duncan himself. Macbeth is also supposed to be loyal to the king, especially since he is a relative and a subject.

Components needed to make a personal computer

Building a personal computer can be a rewarding experience in addition to saving costs. By building a personal computer, one can save up to 30% of the costs that would be incurred if the computer were purchased from a dealer.In building a personal computer, the first thing to do is to select a motherboard. To ensure that the PC will perform reliably, the motherboard used should be from a well-known manufacturer. The best-known motherboards for reliability are from Intel.Since a motherboard is such a critical part of a personal computer, it would be best to select it carefully and not necessarily go for the cheapest in the market. An ideal motherboard for a student personal computer would be the Intel Socket LGA775, which retails at GBP 80 and can be purchased online at http://www.newegg.comThe size of the personal computer will be determined by the case that the builder chooses. For a personal computer, the ideal is to go for a small a case as possible while taking care not to limit the number of components that can fit in the case. If the case is too small, it will not only limit the number of components that the computer can take but will also make it harder to keep the system properly cooled.Moreover, the fan in a small case will have to move faster than the fan in a larger case to appropriately cool the computer and this will result in the production of much noise. A smaller case also limits the options that the builder has in the routing of cables.All factors considered, a small case should be avoided as it turns to be less efficient and probably more expensive in the end. A standard mini or mid-tower case should be chosen. In any case, the case chosen should allow for addition of other components should the need arise for them in the future.The ideal case for a PC to be used by an undergraduate would be the Antec Sonata III, which is available from Amazon at GBP 88. This case is supplied together with a 500-watt power supply and can be purchased online at www.amazon.com.In building a personal computer, it is crucial to choose the processor carefully. For an undergraduate student who will use the PC to perform routine research work and probably write assignments, which will involve browsing the internet and checking email, a processor that would be adequate is the AMD Athlon XP. This costs about GBP 53.While it is important to confirm that machinery is in place to keep the CPU cool, all attempts should be made to obtain a cooler that does not generate too much noise. Reasonably priced CPU coolers ideal for a PC can be obtained from Dynatron. (www.dynatron-corp.com).This cooler is ideal for the 30W to 50W processors which could be used to make a PC. Other CPU coolers that could be used for the PC include the Zalman CNPS9500AT, which is available from Newegg at GBP 30. This cooler can be purchased online at http://www.newegg.com.When the PC is up and running and the fans become noisy, an inline resistor should be installed. This reduce s the voltage reaching the fan thereby reducing the noise that the fan produces. Suppliers of noise-reducing resistors include QuietPC USA (www.quietpcusa.com) and Endnoise.com (www.endnoise.com).

How to Improve Presentation Skill

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Definition of research problem Your presentations skills are just as important as the information you are presenting. Presentation skills are important for every individual when you have the need to present yourself. It is not only essential for your studying but also for future career. When you are applying for a job, you have to present yourself as a sincere applicant who is ready to improvise the organisation using his or her technical and non-technical skills. Only if you present yourself with the right attitude, you will be able to get the job.Even when you are in the job, you should be attending business meetings with the higher officials where your presentation skills will prove yourself. The purpose of this paper is to study the effectiveness of oral presentation as an assessment tool in university and career as well. The assessment practices in these subjects have been studied by many authors. Assessment may involve written tasks such as essay, r eport writing, calculation using formulae, computer simulation, short answer or descriptive writing in examination, multiple choice questions and also an oral presentation on a written task.However, the issues relating to oral presentation have not been studied clearly before. This paper reports the results of an empirical investigation of oral presentation used Banking University, especially in Foreign Language Faculty. 1. 2 Research scope and objectives Three specific questions are addressed in this paper. The first question is about the inportance of performance in oral presentation. The second question is about the effect that gender and student background determined by students’ nationality may have on their performance in oral presentation and other forms of assessment.The third question is about developing insights on various issues involved in the student performance in oral presentation in university and future career. The study of oral presentation with the issues i nvolved helps student in understanding the relationship between the steps of making a presentation. The study of effect of gender and nationality of students on their performance can help in understanding the problems associated with particular groups of students and can help resolve equity and learning issues in a particular group of students. 1. Structure of research report This report begins with an in depth literature review in chapter two which examines the oral presentation and issues involved. In chapter three, research questions are formulated from the literature. Chapter four provides detail regarding the research methodology selected by the researcher, in an attempt to collect data. This methodology includes qualitative as well as quantitative methods of data collection. The collected dated is disclosed in chapter five, through the use of graph and figures, as well as direct quotation from experts.An in depth review of the findings is examine in great detail in chapter six . Here more common themes and opposing opinions are explored more closely. Chapter seven concludes the research and offers proposed future research topic. Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW In today’s business environment, the competition in the workplace is getting more competitive. It is no longer enough for you to have the necessary capability to do the job, you should also be able to talk well, write well, and present yourself attractively to your superiors.Until recently many researches have been done in this topic. Researchers show the importance of presentation skills and the way to improve them in working environment (Tom Antion), In fact, it’s not enough just considering the side of whether being good or bad of the presentation. We should consider it from many aspects to enhance our capacity in presenting and succeed in career. Thus, our research focus on analyzing the ways for students especially for seniors who will become staffs or entrepreneurs in the near futur e to cultivate their presentation skills.This paper was executed to solve communication problems noted above deficient oral presentation skills– and its purpose is to address: (1) a few possible reasons for students’ inability to effectively deliver presentations and (2) training strategies designed to help students develop a proficiency in the area of oral presentations. 2. 1. Explanations of Students’ Poor Presentation Performance 2. 1. 1. Communication-related anxiety The inability to effectively deliver oral presentations may stem from a communication-related anxiety known as oral communication apprehension.This is the biggest problem that presenter may come up against. The problem McCroskey (1977) defined as â€Å"an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons† (p. 78) which may contribute to an increase in anxiety and loss of self confidence and, consequently, n egatively affect one’s action to engage in oral communication from face-to-face speaking to an audience by delivering a presentation or speech.According to Phillips (1968), a factor contributing to poor communication performance may lie in one’s memory of his or her parents misusing language to ventilate grievances, berate one another, or verbally harass family members, including oneself. These negative experiences may have led the individual to be fearful or reticent of communication dialog, resulting in withdrawal from oral communication encounters. 2. 1. 2. Vague Intent You memorized the content (and it shows, by the way). Someone has a question. Panic sets in. You never prepared for questions and all you know about this topic is what is written on the slides. If you are not clear about what you want your presentation to achieve, then its success will be a hit-and-miss affair at best. What is the purpose of your presentation? †, said Shaun Killian (2009). 2. 1 . 3. Poor Structure It is intergral to prepare structure to transfer you intent after having clear knowledge about the topic you are going to present. It is not as simple as the popular â€Å"tell them what you will be saying, say it, and tell them what you have said† formula (Seven sins of poor presentations, Shaun Killian ,c. 2009).Not so well prepared structure will not allow you to deliver a cohesive presentation that achieves your intent. 2. 1. 4. Not Understanding Your Audience A great presentation given to one audience may fall flat when repeated with another because people are different and you need to personalise your presentation for the specific audience concerned. You've heard the phrase â€Å"know your audience† but do you know how to do that? Of course it means to know who is in your audience, what their general preferences are, to know different ways to relate to them, etc (n. ). Assuming you do, how you allow them to easily understand your points is an obstacle. 2. 1. 5. Low Engagement Storytelling is a way to engage audience because it sparks our imagination and plays to our innate desire to know what happens next (n. d). Sooner or later, the connection between you and your audience will be replaced by a boring atmosphere if you fail in engaging them. 2. 1. 6. Poor Preparation Shaun claimed that audiences can sense when you are relying on a script or using your slides as a crutch to hide your lack of knowledge.A lack of preparation can also throw off your timing, leaving you to: (1) Cram an overload of information into the time you have left, or (2) Come up with ways to fill your remaining time. 2. 2. Strategies To Improve Students’ Presentation Skills 2. 2. 1. Plan the purpose Before you create a new presentation, or when you review existing presentation, ask yourself â€Å"what’s my purpose for giving this presentation? †Is your goal to persuade, to inspire, to inform or to entertain (Chakisse Newton, 2008) . Having a clear understanding of the presentation’s purpose enables you to set more specific goals.Being clear about what you want your presentation to achieve will enable you to make wise decisions about how to best structure and deliver it. 2. 2. 2. Prepare carefully for your presentation To deliver an effective presentation, you have to know your material well. Here are some tips you can use to repare carefully your presentation * Check  that  writing  is  legible  from  the  back  of  the  room * Smooth  transition  between  topics  and  slides * Sequence  of  points  is  logical * Get  feedback  from  a  classmate * Become  familiar  with  the  audio-visual you shouldn't use a number of media (i. e. verhead projector and slides and blackboard) until you are quite confident and experienced. If you are going to use mixed media, it is even more important that you rehearse, to get an indication of how long it will take t o turn off one projector, start the other etc. * Timing of your presentation. To get your timing right, you need to rehearse your presentation. Actors, musicians and other performers understand this all too well. Yet many presentations are not practiced until they are conducted live in front of the audience. Rehearsing your presentation will help you speak with confidence and stay on track.It also helps you to move away from vague ideas about content into the more concrete realm of what you will say and how you will say it (Shaun, 2009) * Get used to public speaking and reduce your nervousness * Identify any mannerisms that may be inappropriate or annoying during public speaking. For example, these may include a tendency to finish sentences with the word â€Å" like â€Å" or † y'know † or perhaps you begin every sentence with an ‘ errm ‘, or ‘ ahhhm ‘ or ‘ So. . ‘, or maybe you begin every new slide by saying â€Å"Where are we now ? † or â€Å"Well, . â€Å". Once you have identified them, and with a little practice, you will be able to better control your use of these mannerisms. Don’t worry too much about having a few of them in your seminars- you are not a robot! In addition, people generally have a very good ability to filter the occasional ‘errm’ or ‘ahhhm’ out of your main points. It is the overuse of such mannerisms that is problematic. 2. 2. 3. Some other important tips * Devote some preparation time to better understanding your audience. * What have they been up to recently? What have they achieved? Will they be hostile or receptive to what you have to say? * What do they already know or believe about the matter at hand? * What do you know about their learning styles and personalities? * What challenges do they face in their workplace? What help do they need? * What do they like and respect? To truly understand your audience, you need to avoid the clinical, so mewhat removed method of answering these questions and try to view things from their perspective (Shaun, 2009). * Think of ways to actively engage them. One of the most powerful ways to accomplish this is  through storytelling. here are other ways to engage your audience. These include using: * Questions  both real and rhetorical, to get people thinking about what you have said * Games  that reinforce the key messages in your presentation * Movement  to wake people up * Literary devices  such as parallel structure, word pictures, triads, metaphors and the antithesis 2. 3. Summary of literature and research aim The materials including 3 books and an article conducted by relevant website. This literature on oral presentation involved two issues of students’ oral presentation.This study made a contribution to the study of presentation by offering insight into issues involved in the oral presentation. In particular, this study identified the problems associated with the execution of oral presentation and proposed the strategies for students to overcome the problems. Although the above strategies may appear to constitute a precise structure, they are subject to modification and omission at the strategy for the communication-related anxiety. More studies should be learned in order to get a clearer and deeper knowledge about managing anxiety for the presentation.Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Subjects to the study Finding reliable and valid sources of information for the research was a challenge for the researcher. The researcher used electronic databases using keyword? searching methods to locate traditional and online sources on the topic. The primary database used to locate sources was well? known research journals and publications. Another database used to locate sources was the Library of Banking University. The researcher used Library of Banking University primarily to locate traditional sources such as books and some research articles.This paper attempts to answer the above mentioned research questions through an analysis of student data collected from Faculty of Foreign Language, at Banking University over a period of for years from 2010 to 2014. Because we do not have enough time to do the survey the whole Foreign language Faculty we do the survey in the class we are studying with, which comprises 35 students who are studying the subject over this period. Out of these; 27 are female students, 8 males. This research was conducted by questionnaire and investigated junior students’attitudes to the importance of presentation.The questionnaire used multichoice method to assess student attitudes and provided open ended responses for additional comments. No personal information was collected; the survey was voluntary and anonymous. There was an 85% response rate to the questionnaire. A breakdown of the responses is listed below in Table 1. It can be clearly seen from the results that there are many students acknowledge ab out the importance of oral presentation and its relevant issues as well. The survey also allowed participants to suggest any strategies for the progress from the preparation to the presenting of the talk to have a good presentation. . 2 Research instrument The questionnaire instrument is a popular method doing research . It consist of 11 questions edited by researchers. Most of these questions focused on the importance of presentation skill ,the difficuties in doing a presentation and finding the way to improve. We gave somes mutiple choices . And some questions ,there is space for the participants to give their own opinions. After getting the information in the survey ,the data was gathered and annalyzed to come to findings 3. 3 Data collection and research procedures.The data collection procedures in this thesis consist of two phases Phases 1 : it took researchers a half of month from October 10th to October 25th 2012,to review previous study and select the ralated materials in th is subject Phases 2: after that on November 6th 2012 35 copies of the questionaire were distributed to the participants . Then the information was gathered and analyzed to achieve the concrete conclusion. This process lasted 7 days to November 13th . Lastly, it took more than a week to perfect and finish this research paper from November 13th to November 20th ,2012.Chapter 4 :DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDING 4. 1. Responses to the questionaire 4. 1. 1. Participants ‘s opinions about presentation skill in future career. Most of them (60%) agree presentation skill is the most important skill to get s good career . 30% participants think knowledge is the most important and 10% is neutral. 4. 1. 2 Reasons why students can not be a good presenter. * 35% of students think the lack of preparation makes the poor presentation. * It is culculated that 30% of students did a bad presentation because of being short of confidence. 25% of students have problem with the language they use in the pres entation. * 10% of them gave some different reasons such as: body language, pronunciation,the content of the presentation ,†¦. 4. 1. 3. Methods to have a good presentation There are some methods for an attractive presentation that participants gave : * Prepare carefully for the presentation. * Get used to public speaking and reduce your nervousness * Use some small games or a funny stories in the presentation. * Use body language * Use simple word or definitions. * †¦ 4. 2. SummaryAccording to the survey ,the real situation is found out . 60% of participants agree presentation skill is very important ,30% disagree and other 10% of them are neutral. It was calculated that the lack of preparation makes up 35% among the reasons which lead to the failure in presentation. The other 2 main problems are language and short of confidence. Along with that the participants also gave some solutions that they used to improve their presentation skill . Those finding indicated not only t he importance of presentation skill but also the method to advance it. Chapter 5 :DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION . 1. Preparation: 35% of participants think lack of preparation makes the presentation fail. Some people recommend memorizing a script and practicing it intensely for as long as you possibly can. Other people suggest having key talking points and riffing on those. From heavy-duty preparation to minimal preparation, you’ll get it all, and everything in-between. Besides, over time with enough practice you can learn to speak and present in any style. From there, you can find your own speaking style. Moreover ,   it is quite helpful to practice each section of presentation in pieces.You should focus on one part, memorize the core elements, run through it till you are comfortable and then move to the next piece. Then it’s just a matter of stringing the pieces together, which is easier. 5. 2. Confidence: 30% people point out that confidence contributes a lot to a n excellent presentation. Definitely, practicing in front of people helps you more confident. If you haven’t given a lot of presentations this  will feel awkward  but it’s better to get over those feelings now rather than when you’re on stage. You need the quiet time to memorize things and get a feel for what you’re doing.However, it will be better to practice while distracted by other sounds or visually because it makes you feel more confident . All the advice in the world won’t help if you can’t get comfortable with your preparation, practice techniques and ultimately, the presentation itself. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable. The more comfortable you feel, the more confident you feel, and the better things will go. 5. 3. Language: It is adviced not to get hung up on specific words. It’s unlikely that missing or changing any one word will totally ruin your presentation, so don’t worry about perfection.Practicing han d gestures is also essential. If you’re giving a â€Å"naked† presentation (with nothing in front of you like a table, etc. ) then you need to be aware of what you’re doing with your hands and your feet. So think about your hand gestures and how they relate to what you’re saying. If you plan to move around, pace in sync with your words. I’ve been practicing this for a few days with great success. Chapter 6: CONCLUSION 6. 1. Strengths: As students of Foreign Language Faculty, we have more chances to practice presentation in comparison with other students.It is also considerable advantage for doing surveys and collecting data from our classmates. 6. 2. Weakness: Still being senior students, the researchers have not been trained presentation skills systematically. Also, the time for processing this thesis was limited. The researchers can not apply more research methods into the procedure to tap into more evidence for the statements. However; after ver y hard working to gear up the research, the researchers are in the hope of bringing up the solution to make people find effective methods to get success in making a perfect presentation.APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRES These are all the questions the researchers used in the questionaires during the procedure: 1 Do you think presentation skill is important? * Yes * No 1. How much time do you spend preparing your presentation? *   a. a day *   b. a week *   c. a few weeks *   other: 3. What common mistakes do you (and your group also) usually make in the presentation? *   a. Spelling mistakes *   b. Pronunciation *   c. Too many information on the slide *   Other: 4. How do you feel about a presenter with a note? *   a. It`s ok.. *   b. So unprofessional!They should learn by heart all the stuffs *   c. Not very professional but acceptable *   Other : 5. What do you do to handle nerves before presenting? *   a. Drink some water . *   b. Take a deep breath, relax the muscle . *   c. Imagine the audiences turn into some kinds of funny things . * Other: 6. Do nerves affect your presentation? *   a. Yes, my stomach is ache. My hands shake. I just want to run away *   b. My hands shake, my heart pounds but I try to finish the presentation *   c. A bit nervous, but I prepare very carefully. Everything`s gonna be OK .   d. I don`t care what`s gonna happen. I just want to finish this . *   Other: 7. you often find the information from which sources? *   a. The internet *   b. Books *   c. Newspapers, magazines *   Other: 8. How frequent do you say â€Å"uhm†, â€Å"ohm† during your presentation? *   a. Very often *   b. Sometimes *   c. Rarely *   d. Never 9. What do you do if the questions are so difficult or you don’t prepare well? *   a. Answer arbitrarily *   b. Ask for another question *   c. Ask for teacher’s help *   d. Apology and promise to reply on the following day 10.Do you use body language when presenting? *   a. Mostly eye contact. I always look at the audiences to make sure they`re listening *   b. I know it`s important, but I barely use it. There are too many other things to handle *   c. The most important thing is the contain and the presentation. If it`s interesting, the audiences will pay attention *   Other: 11. What have you done so far to improve your presentation skill? a. Prepare carefully b. Use body language c. Use a note while presentting. d. Other REFERENCES Daly,  J. A. ,  &  McCroskey,  J. C. (Eds). (1984).Avoiding  communication:  Shyness, reticence,a nd  communication  apprehension. Newbury  Park:  Sage. Gallo,  Ã‚  C  Ã‚  (2006). The  Ã‚  10  Ã‚  worst  Ã‚  presentation  Ã‚  habits. BusinessWeek. com. Retrieved October  20,  2006  from: Krannich,  Ã‚  C. R. (2004). 101  Ã‚  Secrets  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  highly  Ã‚  effective  Ã‚  speakers:  Ã‚  controlling  Ã‚  fear,commanding  Ã‚  attention  . McCannon,  M. &  Crews,  T. B. 1999. Most  common  grammatical  and  punctuation  errors made  by  undergraduates  as  perceived  by  business  communication  professors.Parvis,  Ã‚  L. F. (2001). The  Ã‚  importance  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  communication  Ã‚  and  Ã‚  public-speaking  Ã‚  skills. http://inc. com/guides/how-to-improve-your-presentation-skills. html http://presentationmagazine. com/presentation-skills-and-how-to-develop-them-7577. htm http://presentationsoft. about. com/od/powerpointinbusiness/tp/071231resolutions. htm http://images. businessweek. com/ss/06/02/mistakes/index_01. htm RESEARCH PAPER WRITING EVALUATION FORM Student name: Grading criteria| Marks| Content| | Purpose/ objective| /10| Coverage and relevance of literature in relation to the topic/ research question| /20|Ability to summarise and evaluate the literature in relavant to the topic/ research question, including the identification of agreements and contradictions or gaps, etc. | /20| Form| | Coherence and structure of the paper| /15| Clarity of the outline including clear and consistent layout, script and spelling; provision of subheadings where approciate; introductory and concluding sections, etc. | /15| Clarity and appropriateness of academic conventions forquoting, paraphrasing, citing references, etc according to the guidelines learnt. | /20| Total marks| /100| General comments| Examiner:Date:B? NG PHAN CONG CONG VI? C T? t c? thanh vien d? u tim kiem tai li? u ,t? ng h? p va ch? n l? c tai li? u . Sau khi hoan thanh xong ph? n c? a minh g? i qua cho t? ng thanh vien xem va ch? nh s? a . sau day la b? ng phan cong c? th? T? NGUY? N PHU? C VINH| * PART 1 : INTRODUCTION * PART2 :LITERATURE REVIEW * T? NG H? P BAI| TR? N TH? BICH TRAM| * PART3:METHODOLOGY * Part4 :DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDING * T? NG H? P VA PHAN TICH S? LI? U KH? O SAT| BUI TH? KIM TUY? N| * PART 5: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION * PART 6: CONCLUSION * T? N G H? P VA PHAN TICH S? LI? U KH? O SAT|

Essay on The meaning of marriage in the modern American society

Essay on The meaning of marriage in the modern American society Essay on The meaning of marriage in the modern American society Essay on The meaning of marriage in the modern American societyThe modern society is changing and transforming. One aspect of such change is the transformation of the meaning and the role of marriage in American culture. The considered argument written by Ryan Anderson is named In defense of traditional marriage. In this essay, the author focuses on the issue of redefinition of the role of marriage in the modern society and the shift of the focus of marriage as a union of a man and a woman aimed at rearing children to the understanding of marriage as an emotional union of people. The purpose of this paper is to perform a critical analysis of Andersons arguments and to consider counter-arguments. The key thesis of this paper is the following: the concept of marriage in the American society is evolving, and it will be fair to legalize same-sex marriages to account for these changes and to improve the well-being of the members of nontraditional unions.The main argument of Anderson (2013 ) is the following: the notion of marriage should be rightly understood by the American legal system and the importance of family as a procreative union should be recognized. The premises of Andersons argument include historical role and meaning of family. Anderson (2013) also mentions that the concept of marriage related to the union of a man and a woman even in those societies where same-sex relationships were perceived as normal, acceptable and were not stigmatized. The author points out that such historical facts illustrate the perception of family as a procreative union of a man and a woman in the history of the mankind. The author further concludes that the current legal definition of marriage correctly reflects the meaning of family and the government rightly recognizes, protects and promotes marriage between a man and a woman as the ideal institution for procreative love, childbearing and childrearing (Anderson, 2013).The considered argument primarily relies on inductive rea soning as the author uses separate historical facts and definitions to make conclusions on the role of marriage in the society in general. On one hand, the author rightfully uses inductive arguments since he is willing to arrive to a more holistic and integral understanding of marriage. However, his reasoning is weak because he only cites examples that support his argument and ignores historical examples of marriage perception which are against his argument. For example, there existed marriage rituals and practices of same-sex relationships in Mesopotamia; however, the author either does not consider this counter-example or omits mentioning such historical examples which might weaken his argument. In any case, such omissions weaken his argument and make it very questionable.The author also uses some deductive steps in his reasoning: for example, he argues that marriage has public purposes that transcend its private purposes (Anderson, 2013) and further uses this statement to itemize the most common public purposes such as child-rearing. Furthermore, he also uses reasoning which resembles deductive when arguing that one need not appeal to distinctively religious arguments to explain why marriage is a natural union of a man and a woman: Anderson (2013) uses this statement to conclude that many nonreligious thinkers in different cultures supported such view on marriage. However, Andersons deductive reasoning is in fact unjustified because his abstract statements are not linked to the following specific statements using logic; instead, Anderson uses various examples to make his abstract arguments seem stronger, therefore applying hidden inductive reasoning (which is also not justified by evidence in this case). Overall, Andersons argument has a lot of weak points and questionable statements, and therefore cannot be accepted as valid.Furthermore, it is possible to construct a counterargument to Andersons argument basing on peer-reviewed research and analysis of the institution of marriage and the role of marriage in the modern American society. First of all, as the society is changing and evolving, the functions of different social institutions and the meaning of these social institutions change. The role and functions of family in the society are changing as well. According to Cherlin (2004), the concept of marriage experienced significant changes during several recent decades.Cherlin (2004) explores two transitions of the role and meaning of marriage that took place in American society during the 20th century; the first transition was from institutional to companionate marriage, and the second transition was from compassionate to individualized marriage with greater emphasis on self-development and personal choice. At the same time, Cherlin (2004) finds that symbolic meaning of marriage has increased, while its practical and procreative meaning has somewhat declined. In the context of the evolving notion of marriage, same-sex families shoul d be recognized as legal and equal to the traditional families because these unions equally represent the choice of the partners and activate their self-development. In the modern understanding of marriage, there are no factors requiring the presence of strictly a man and a woman in the family union, and therefore the legalization of same-sex marriages is the rightful legal response to the social change.One of key Andersons premises refers to the idea that the major meaning of family recognized by the state is responsible procreation. This is true, and the presence of various social programs and family/child assistance options offered by the state illustrates the truthfulness of this premise. However, Anderson (2013) further assumes that procreative role of family is only possible for families including a man and a woman. He does not present any relevant evidence for such conclusion and merely links this idea to the biological conditions of procreation. At the same time, modern achi evements of medically assisted reproduction create opportunities for same-sex partners or other non-typical unions to gain procreative meaning as well. Due to these changes, it is not reasonable to limit the vision of family as procreative union to the union of a man and a woman only.One more premise that Anderson uses is that a family consisting of a man and a woman is the best place to rear children and is optimal for their development from biological and social points of view. Andersons arguments are refuted by many researchers; for example, the study of Joslin (2013) shows that two largest state social benefits programs – benefits for the members of the U.S. military and Social Security benefits – do not link family benefits to biological relationships. Instead, these programs extend the benefits to the families in which children might be biologically unrelated to one or both parents or carers (Joslin, 2013). Furthermore, the research of Pennings (2011) shows that the welfare of children in same-sex families is not affected by the biological fact of having two parents of the same gender; instead, the well-being of such children is largely affected by the presence of social discrimination, stigmatization and by the lack of recognition of same-sex families as families in the society. Hence, legal recognition of same-sex unions as families will improve the well-being of children in these families.Overall, the arguments in defense of the traditional perception of marriage presented by Anderson are weak and can be refuted using relevant research evidence. It is essential to recognize that marriage and family as social institutions experience transformations and certain deinstitutionalization nowadays. It is also important to recognize these changes at the federal level and to create the appropriate legislation. Furthermore, as it is shown by Pennings (2011), both adult members of nontraditional family unions and children reared in such families wi ll benefit from such recognition due to the reduction of discrimination and social stigmatization.

Critical Essay on The Scarlet Letter

Critical Essay on The Scarlet Letter Critical Essay on The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne is just that, the tragic story of Hester Prynne, a women found guilty of adultery, her rejection, public humiliation, and her inner feelings and the effect on her community in 1850. It is a tragic story. Hawthorne tries to bring some hope into the story, but largely it is a book of despair. With skill, he shares the paradox in human nature and sets off his romantic ideas against the rigid religious Puritan culture. The main question is why Hawthorne had to give it a tragic end? Was it essential to the success of his communication? I do not think so. Hester is the principle character in the story line. She is branded and adulteress and must wear a scarlet A on her dress. Yet she is a strong likeable person. As Hawthorne develops his story, she goes through difficult times. We are given insight into her conflict and herself rejection. This creates an empathy for Hester and creates the desire that she finds happiness. As she is the tragic hero in the story, it becomes clear that she will not find happiness. Her downfall is inevitable, but such is Hawthorne’s power that you keep hoping she will overcome. Hawthorne deliberately hints to possible redemption. Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale plan to escape and make their way to England. Hester deeply loves him and in England they could live free of the shame place on her by this puritan community. In England, their love would be â€Å"legitimate.† Instead, Dimmsdale confesses his sin in the matter and dies. The community is engulfed with the scandal and Hester leaves. Later she comes back and lives on her own until she dies. Had Dimmsdale lived and taken her to live in England, would it have damaged Hawthornes communication? I dont think so. The story was about Hesters nature, the human paradox, and the â€Å"human condition.† Hawthorne is showing that suffering, tragedy is the essence of mans being, and human nature will always find that is so. I think in this book nothing shown about human nature would have been undermined if it had ended well. Life is filled with suffering caused by human nature, yet it is also softened with times of love, laughter and joy. In my view I would have seen their escape as evidence that no matter how dark the night there is at least the moon, if not noonday sun. Hesters self-image and Dimmsdales conflicting behavior and desires are tremendously insightful and they are interesting subjects. They would be no less so if Hawthorne had allowed them to get to England. There they would have been able to be free of the stigma of the scarlet letter, giving hope to people trapped in bigoted communities that there are other places and other people with different views. They would have shed light on their experiences and feelings, and given insight into a more realistic picture of life. The result is that Hawthorne admirably explored a part of live and the human nature. However, it is only part, because life consists not only of rejection despair fear and death that is only part of it. He did not have to give it a tragic end to make his point. The Scarlet Letter essay writing tips: Research information from a wide variety of sources. Collect more than you can use. Then take out relevant material and re read it. When you are satisfied, you have what you need then you are ready to write. Highlight critical details from your material and write your thesis statement. Ensure you make it clear and concise. Write your introduction, and develop your outline. Limit your paper to three major sections where you use your important points. To these points add your details and arguments, and ensure you keep a logical flow. When finished write your conclusion. Use the body points of your essay to bring your paper to a clear conclusion. Additionally we can offer you custom essays on The Scarlet Letter topics and ideas. Just fill in the order form at our website!

Should Tanning Salon Employees be regulated on how much they tan Research Paper

Should Tanning Salon Employees be regulated on how much they tan - Research Paper Example Tanning salon employees are there to show how to safely tan, and therefore should be careful on what impression they give to the customers. In this case, it seems sensible that they are regulated on how much they tan personally in order to set this good example for their customers and to help protect the health of those that use sunless tanning to achieve their glow. One of the biggest reasons for this discussion is that tanning beds are extremely dangerous. Just some of the risks include skin cancer (including malignant melanoma), cataracts, immune system suppression and early signs of skin aging (Mawn & Fleischer, 1993). There are, of course, benefits to this, in that it can provide vitamin D to those who do not live in sunny climates, and some suggest that they boost mood (Woo & Eide, 2010). A light tan also provides around SPF 4 to the individual, meaning that in small doses it could be protective against the sun’s UV rays (Ting et al, 2007). It also helps the wearer to feel more comfortable in their own skin and to fit in with fashion. Young people are particularly at risk from the dangers of tanning beds and tanning booths, because they are biologically more vulnerable to the harmful effects of UV radiation (Ting et al, 2007). Young people are also the group most likely to use tanning beds because of the coercive effects of images of celebrities with golden tans. The dangers of this increased use amongst young people is shown in the fact that melanoma skin cancer is increasing at a huge rate in the 15-29 age group and much faster in females than in males (Mawn & Fleischer, 1993). 24% of non-Hispanic white young people between the ages of 13 and 19 have reported using a sunbed (Geller et al, 2002). In many states, this is being combat by introducing regulations about the age at which one can first use a sunbed,

Based on Article Called Risks of hands-free driving Essay

Based on Article Called Risks of hands-free driving - Essay Example The article was authored by the editorial board and published in The New York Times on May 28 this year. The authors indicate that the car manufacturers are striving to save lives of travelers by developing automated packaging in cars that enable free driving without the necessity of applying effort with the hands. For instance, some cars could maintain a safe distance to the cars in front without the driver’s help and this technology is applied by companies such as the Mercedes-Benz and General Motors (The Editorial Board 1). The authors, however, argue that, although the manufactures intent to install the new feature in the cars to enhance safety, it could increase distraction while driving leading to accidents. The article has pointed out some premises to their argument indicating that the drivers could be tempted to keep throwing their eyes off the road into other concentrations such as texting and they would not be able to manage the cars in case of unexpected occurrences leading to accidents (The Editorial Board 1). Following this, the belief that the new technology is safer turns out to cause accidents that could otherwise be avoided with driver’s complete concentration on the road. Distractions are common on the roads even where there are no new technologies. This affirmed in the study facilitated by the AT and T which revealed that 61 percent person confessed text while driving and 33 and 27 percent admitted they use email and Facebook respectively while on the roads (The Editorial Board 1). These are major distractions and have a strong connection to the traffic accidents. In fact, the national administration of highway traffic safety indicates that 16 percent of the total nu mber of traffic accidents reported in 2013 to the police was as a result of distractions. Other statistics developed by a nonprofit organization, National Safety Council, estimated that about 27 percent of all accidents in 2013 were due to people

Blue Mountain - Kandinsky Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Blue Mountain - Kandinsky - Research Paper Example The paper "Blue Mountain - Kandinsky" discusses the famous painting by the artist Vasilii Kandinskii. As I already mentioned, the city is located in Germany. It the capital city of the famous German Bavaria. Bavaria, in its turn, is famous for its bear and sausages that are served to it. Munich is an old city that combines modern architecture with historic buildings. The entertainment possibilities are great – discos, cinemas, theatres, classical music and opera venues, music clubs, art galleries and, of course, beer halls. The city is not far from the Alps, has two rivers - the Isar and the Wà ¼rm, and enjoys a continental climate somewhat modified due to the city’s closeness to the mountains. â€Å"Blue Mountain† I am interested in is pained by oil. This picture is not too large – 41 3/4 x 38 inches, but contains three horse rides on a background of trees and a blue mountain. Instead of using actual texture Kandinskii uses color to create the impression of the presence of texture. The picture was created in the era of Abstractionism. Romanticism, Impressionism and Expressionism of the 19th century Europe and America contributed to the popularity of Abstractionism. It was also greatly impacted by the mysticism and mystical teachings that became extremely popular at that time in the world and did have some influence on Kandinskii too. That is why Kandinskii, just like many other artists of that time, turns to the religious theme in his works. â€Å"Blue Mountain† pictures some kind of a procession.

Electroencephalogram Test on Alcoholics and Non Alcoholics

Electroencephalogram Test on Alcoholics and Non Alcoholics INTRODUCTION The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a measurement of the electrical activity in the patients brain. This electrical activity is produced by the firing of neurons (a nerve cell) within the brain and varies from patient to patient. In 1875, English physician Richard Caton discovered the presence of electrical activity in the brain; however, it was not until German neurologist Han Berger in 1924 used his ordinary radio equipment to amplify the brains electrical activity so he could record it on paper. He noticed that rhythmic changes in brain waves varied with the individuals state of consciousness (sleep, anesthesia, epilepsy) and that various regions of the brain do not emit the same brain wave frequency simultaneously. (http://www.bio-medical.com). The EEG was given its name by Berger who used the German term elektrenkephalogramm to describe the graphical representation of the electrical currents generated in the brain. The scientific community of Bergers time did not believe the concl usions he made and it took another five years until his conclusions could be verified through experimentation by Edgar Douglas Adrian and B.C.H Matthews. These experiments made head-waves and other scientists began studying the field and in 1936 W. Gray Walter demonstrated that this technology could be used to pinpoint a brain tumor. He used a large number of small electrodes that he pasted to the scalp and found that brain tumors caused areas of abnormal electrical activity. (Romanowski 1999) and http://www.ebme.co.uk. The brain is the central part of the nervous system, which is the most complicated system in the body. It is an intriguing organ that has been studied right from the time of brain development in the fetus. The human brain weighs about 1.5kg in adults. The cerebrum, which forms the bulk of the brain, is divided into two hemispheres, the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere. Each hemisphere of the brain interacts with one half of the body, but for unknown reasons, it is the right side that controls the left half of the body and the left half of the brain that controls the right half of the body. However, in most people, the left hemisphere of the brain is involved in language and creativeness, while the right side of the brain is more involved in understanding and judgment. The cerebrum, which is located in the forebrain, is the largest part of the human brain and is associated with higher brain functions such as thought and action. The cerebral cortex is divided into four sections called lobes. These include: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe. The frontal lobe is associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement and problem solving. The parietal lobe is associated with movement, orientation, recognition and perception of stimuli. The occipital lobe is associated with visual processing and the temporal lobe is associated with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli, memory and speech. (Khan 2009). Over the years with advancements in technology EEG electrodes, amplifiers and output devices were improved and scientists learned the best places to put the electrodes and how to diagnose its conditions. They also discovered how to create electrical maps to produce an image of the brains surface and today EEG machines have multiple channels, computer storage memories and specialized software that can create an electrical map of the brain. (Romanowski 1999). EEG has come a long way since its inception more than 100 years ago and it is used primarily in studying the properties of cerebral and neural networks in neurosciences (Michel et al. 2004). It is used to monitor the neurodevelopment and sleep patterns of infants in the intensive care unit and ultimately enable physicians to use the information to improve daily medical care (Scher 2004). The emergence of neurofeedback or EEG biofeedback has expanded the application of EEG for both cases with particular disorders or among healthy p articipants. EEG frequencies in neurofeedback can be controlled to influence certain cognitive performance and memory task, (Vernon et al. 2003). Interactive Brainwave Visual Analyzer (IBVA) is a form of biofeedback for the brain (neurofeedback). Its a training process of using technology to provide you with more information about what your body is doing than your ordinary senses provide. This feedback helps you learn to use your mind to develop greater control over your body, or, in the case of neurofeedback, your brain. IBVA detects brainwaves phasing at speeds measured in units of Hz for cycles per second between 0 and 60 Hz. It is used for sleep state and hypnosis analysis, image programming for sports training, super learning (photo reading) and for study. EEG biofeedback is effective in treating psychological disorders such as attention deficit, depression, chronic anxiety disorder, chronic alcoholics and neurological disorders like epilepsy. Patients with epilepsy that cannot be controlled by medication will often have surgery in order to remove the damaged tissue. The EEG plays an important role in localizing this tissue. Special electrodes can be inserted through the cortex or alternatively a grid of electrodes placed directly on the surface of the cortex. These recordings, often called Long Term Monitoring for Epilepsy (LTME), can be carried out for periods ranging from 24 hours to 1 week. The EEG recorded will indicate which areas of the brain should be surgically removed. (Smith n.d). Another important application of the EEG is used by anesthesiologist to monitor the depth of anesthesia. EEG measures taken during anesthesia exhibit stereotypic changes as anesthetic depth increases. These changes include complex patterns of loss of consciousness occurs (loss of responses to verbal commands and/or loss of righting reflex). As anesthetic depth increases from light surgical levels to deep anesthesia, the EEG exhibits disrupted rhythmic waveforms, high amplitude burst suppression activity, and finally, very low amplitude isoelectric or flat line activity. Quantitative EEG (QEEG) has come a long way in its relatively short life in terms of use in clinical practice. Now, as clinicians become aware of the scientific basis and power of using parametrically based measures of QEEG to assess an individual against age-matched populations, they find new ways to employ this technique. There are literally thousands of univariate electrophysiological measures that can be derived, transformed and normed into Z-scores (standard scores), to be used to indicate degrees of derivations from normal. QEEG offers a powerful application tool as a method for providing convergent evidence in the identification of clinical syndromes for individuals. Over the years, various clinicians using QEEG have attempted to establish brain maps to correspond with specific disorders such as learning disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), chronic alcoholism and depression. While certain features may be associated with general types of impairments, the utilization of univariate sets of features have, to date, been unable to provide defining specific psychiatric disorders. Looking at only the univariate features without recognizing the full space of all deviant measures, one may not realize the particular cluster of measure that may contribute to specific disorders with distinct features. Multivariate statistical measurement sets encompass the space of regions by measurement, yielding distinctive complex patterns which yield greater sensitivity in discriminability. (Budzynski, Evans and Abarbanel 2008). The basic systems of an EEG machine include data collection, storage and display. The components of these systems include electrodes, connecting wires, a computer control module and a display device. The electrodes used can be either surface or needle electrodes. Needle electrodes provide greater signal clarity because they are injected directly into the body and this in turn eliminates signal muffling caused by the skin. Surface electrodes on the other hand are disposable models such as the tab, ring and bar electrodes as well as reusable disc and finger electrodes. These electrodes may also be combined into an electrode cap that is placed directly on the head (Romanowski 2002). EEG amplifiers convert weak signals from the brain into a more discernable signal for the output device. An amplifier may be set up as follows; a pair of electrodes detects the electrical signal from the body, wires connected to the electrodes transfer the signal to the first section of the amplifier (buffer amplifier). Here the signal is electronically stabilized and amplified by a factor of 5 10 and then next in line is a differential pre-amplifier that filters and amplifies the signal by a factor of 10 – 100. After passing through these amplifiers the signals are multiplied by hundreds or thousands of times. Multiple electrodes are used since the brain produces different signals at different points on the skull and the number of channels that an EEG machine has is related to the number of electrodes used. The amplifier is able to translate the different incoming signals and cancel out ones that are identical; this means that the output from the machine is actually the diff erence in electrical activity picked up by the two electrodes. This therefore means that the placement for each electrode is critical because the closer they are to each other the less differences in brainwaves will be recorded (Romanowski 2002). EEG SYSTEM LAYOUT (www.medicalengineer.com) Recording of the electrical activity in the brain takes place over a short period of time from where information is obtained from electrodes stationed at specific points on the patients head. Electrodes are placed on the scalp of the head usually after preparing the scalp area by light abrasion to reduce impedance due to dead skin cells. In order for the placement of these electrodes to be consistent throughout an internationally recognized method called the 10-20 System is followed. The 10 and the 20 gives the actual distances between adjacent electrodes. This distance can either be 10% or 20% of the total front-back or right-left distance of the skull, i.e. the nasion – inion and preauricular points respectively, http://www.neurocarelaunches.com. Specific measurements from bony landmarks (inion, nasion and preauricular point) are used to generate a system of lines, which run across the head and intersect at intervals of 10% or 20% of their total length as mentioned above. Th e standard set of electrodes consists of 21 recording electrodes and one ground electrode. The distance between the nasion and inion is measured along the midline and the frontopolar point, Fpz, is marked at 10% above the nasion. Frontal (Fz), central (Cz), parietal (Pz) and occipital (Oz) points are marked at intervals of 20% of the entire distance, leaving 10% for the interval between Oz and inion (see Diagram 1). The midline points Fpz and Oz routinely do not receive any electrode. The distance between two preauricular points across Cz is measured. Along this line, the transverse position for the central points C3 and C4 and the temporal points T3 and T4 are marked 20% and 40% respectively from the midline (see Diagram 2). The circumference of the head is measured form the occipital point (Oz) through temporal points T3 and T4 and the frontopolar point (Fpz). The longitudinal measurement for Fp1 is located on that circumference, 5% of the total length of the circumference to the left of Fpz. The longitudinal measurements for F7, T3, T5, O1, O2, T6, T4, F8 and Fp2 are at the distance of 10% of the circumference (see Diagram 3). An electrode is then placed on each of the two ear lobes. (Jasper 1958) and (Jasper 1983). In order for the EEG test to be a success and the best possible results obtained the preparation the patient must undergo is very basic since only a good night sleep before the test is needed along with a grease-free head on the morning of the test. However, it can get more technical should the patient be taking any medication and information on this medication must be passed on to the doctor. An EEG test may be done in a hospital or in a doctors office by an EEG technologist. Using the internationally recognized 10-20 system, the electrodes are placed on the patients head and the technologist can then put the patient through a variety of different tasks such as addition/subtraction of numbers, breathing deeply and rapidly or he can ask the person to wear a goggles sending out a strobe (bright flashing light). These tasks take place normally at 15-20 second durations with 30 second breaks in between. The electrodes attached to the patients head are connected by wires to a computer wh ich records the electrical activity in the brain. An EEG test can last between 1-2 hours and the results obtained from it can be read by a certified doctor known as a Neurologist. The results of an EEG test are in the form of waveforms which gives vital information about the patient. Waves can either be Alpha waves (frequency of 8 to 12 cycles per second), Beta waves (frequency of 14 to 50 cycles per second), Delta waves (frequency less than 5 cycles per second) or Theta waves (frequency of 4 to 7 cycles per second). Basic alpha waves, which originate in the cortex, can be recorded if the patient closes his eyes and put his brain at rest as much as possible. Beta activity is a normal activity present when the eyes are open or closed. It tends to be seen in the channels recorded from the centre or front of the head. Some drugs however, tend to increase the amount of beta activity in the EEG. Theta activity can be classified as both a normal and abnormal activity depending on the age and state of the patient. In adults it is normal if the patient is drowsy. However, it can also indicate brain dysfunction if it is seen in a patient who is alert and awake. In youn ger patients, theta activity may be the main activity seen in channels recorded from the back and central areas of the head. Delta activity is only normal in an adult patient if they are in a moderate to deep sleep. If it is seen at any other time it would indicate brain dysfunction. Abnormal activity may be seen in all or some channels depending on the underlying brain problem. The stroke or blow on the head. (Niedermeyer, Ernest and Lopes da Silva 2004). ALPHA WAVES BETA WAVES THETA WAVES DELTA WAVES (http://www.electropsychology.com) Each type of wave mentioned above gives us information about the patient, for example in a normal patient we tend to observe mainly alpha or beta waves since both sides of the brain show similar patterns of electrical activity. A normal person in this case is described as one who doesnt possess any of the following diseases or injuries; head injury, neurological disease, convulsions, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, memory difficulties, confusion, depression, delusions/hallucinations and learning disabilities. If the patient is abnormal you may find two sides of the brain giving different electrical activities and this may mean there is a problem in one side of the brain caused by a brain tumor, stroke, infection or epilepsy. EPILEPTIC SPIKES AND WAVE DISCHARGES MONITORED WITH EEG (http://www.webmd.com). A stroke, which is a sudden disruption in blood flow to brain, caused by blockage or bleeding of a blood vessel and Epilepsy which is a nervous system disorder, can cause abnormal electrical activity in the brain and this abnormality can be seen from the results of an EEG test. Another common disease which is on the escalation presently is Alcoholism. This disease is known as alcohol dependence syndrome i.e. the most severe stage of a group of drinking problems, and the person who has this disease is known as an alcoholic. Alcohol clearly affects the brain since impairments such as difficulty in walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times and impaired memory are detectable after only one or two drinks and is quickly resolved when drinking stops. We do know that heavy drinking may have extensive and far-reaching effects on the brain ranging from simple slips in memory to permanent and debilitating conditions that require lifetime custodial care (White 2003). Accordi ng to the number 1 website for alcoholism, http://www.alcoholism.about.com, studies have shown that brains of alcoholics are smaller, lighter and shrunken when compared to that of a normal person. The cerebral cortex or gray matter in the brain controls all the complex mental activities and this is filled with neurons connected by single long fibers which make up the hard wiring of the brain. Heavy consumption of alcohol is particularly damaging on this hard wiring hence the reason why the brain becomes lighter and smaller and the alcoholic severe impairments. SCHEMATIC DRAWING OF THE HUMAN BRAIN, SHOWING REGIONS VULNERABLE TO ALCOHOLISM-RELATED ABNORMALITIES. (http://www.elvizy.com). Another major organ apart from the brain which alcohol affects is the liver. Long-term abusers of alcohol usually have some degree of liver damage, ranging in severity from asymptomatic and reversible fatty liver, through hepatitis and cirrhosis, to primary liver cell carcinoma, which is usually fatal. Evidence is accruing to suggest that this spectrum of disorders may be a progressive series of stages of increasing severity. Alcohol liver damage accounts for the vast majority of cases of cirrhosis in patients coming to autopsy. Further, mortality from cirrhosis is associated with national per capita levels of consumption. In North-American studies, alcoholic cirrhosis was one of the top five causes of mortality for people aged 25 to 64 years in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1992, Savolainen, Penttila and Karhunen investigated the relationship between alcohol intake and liver cirrhosis in Finland, where the per capita consumption rates doubles between 1969 and 1974. Rates of liver cirrhosi s mortality rose from 4.2 to 9.7 per 100,000 between 1968 and 1988. The mortality rate from cirrhosis has been estimated as between seven and thirteen times higher in alcoholics than in those who do not drink. Although it is more common in men than in women, there is evidence that liver disease progresses more rapidly in the female alcohol abuser (Knight and Longmore 1996). Alcoholics, they say, are not like helpless victims of measles or cancer. They may have impaired control but they can gain control through will-power and learning certain techniques. While the cause of alcoholism is unknown, a number of risk factors have been identified. These include; availability (Australian Aborigines illustrate the importance of availability of alcohol as a risk factor since when they were forbidden to drink there apparently was a low rate of alcohol abuse), family history (alcoholism in the family is probably the strongest predictor of alcoholism occurring in particular individuals), sex (st udies have confirmed higher incidence of alcoholism in men than in women), age (alcoholism in men usually develops in the teens, twenties and thirties while in women it often develops later), geography (people living in urban or suburban areas are more often alcoholics than those living in farms or in small towns), occupation (waiters, bartenders, Dockers, musicians, authors and reporters have relatively high cirrhosis rates whereas accountants, postmen and carpenters have relatively low rates), religion (almost all Jews and Episcopalians drink, but alcoholism among Jews is uncommon and appear relatively low among Episcopalians, whereas Irish Catholics in the USA and UK have high rates of alcoholism) and school difficulty ( secondary school dropouts have a record of being irritable and melancholy and experience feelings of guilt and remorse which drives them to become alcoholics. These lose interest in life and contemplate suicide which is a common outcome of alcoholism). People who have been drinking large amounts of alcohol for long periods of time run the risk of developing serious and persistent changes in the brain. Damage may be as a result of the alcohol on the brain or may result indirectly, from a poor health status or from severe liver disease (Goodwin 2000). Alcoholics are not all alike since they experience different degrees of impairment and the disease has different origins for different people. Consequently, researchers have not found conclusive evidence that any one variable is solely responsible for the brain deficits found in alcoholics. Characterizing what makes some alcoholics vulnerable to brain damage whereas others are not remains the subject of active research. The good news is that most alcoholics with cognitive impairment show at least some improvement in brain structure and functioning within a year of abstinence, though some people take much longer (Bates, Bowden and Barry 2002), (Gansler 2000) and (Sullivan 2000). Clinicians must consider a variety of treatment methods to help people stop drinking and to recover from alcohol related brain impairments, and tailor these treatments to the individual patient. Development of these therapies would occur over time with advancements in technology. Brain imaging techniques are u sed by medical doctors so that they can monitor the course of these therapies and see how successful they are. This monitoring is important since imaging can reveal information such as structural, functional and biochemical changes in the living patient over a period of time. Promising new medications also are in the early stages of development, as researchers strive to design therapies that can help prevent alcohols harmful effects and promote the growth of new brain cells to take the place of those that have been damaged by alcohol. OBJECTIVES Electroencephalogram or EEG is a tool used to image the brain while it is performing a cognitive task. This allows us to detect the location and magnitude of brain activity involved in the various types of cognitive functions we study. EEG allows us to view and record the changes in your brain activity during the time you are performing the task. Results from an EEG is extremely useful since Neurologists use this to diagnose seizure disorders (epilepsy), brain tumors, brain hemorrhage, cerebral infarct, head injury, sleep disorders and in confirming death in someone who is in a coma. (Tatum 2007). In this research project we have narrowed the study of the EEG to examine male alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients. The general objective of this project requires us to compare EEG results obtained from testing alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. An alcoholic is one who suffers from the disease known as alcoholism and cannot control how much they consume. Identification of one involves an objective assessment regarding the damage that imbibing alcohol does to the drinkers life compared with the subjective benefits the drinker perceives from consuming alcohol. While there are many cases where an alcoholics life has been significantly and obviously damaged, there are always borderline cases that can be difficult to classify. Apart from the general objective of this research project there were many smaller tasks which had to be completed in order for us to obtain successful results and hence fulfill our main objective. The first task of this research project entailed sourcing alcoholic and non-alcoholic volunteers to test. This was particularly important since the successfulness of this task would revolve solely around our general objective. However, once this first task was sorted out and patients were tested, from the results obtained we used analytical methods such as monopolar absolute power maps, coherence maps and chaos analysis to help us get a clearer illustration of the results and hence make the general objective much clearer. The second objective of this project required us to have sufficient background information on the EEG, the experimental methodology when conducting an EEG (10-20 System), analytical methods used to illustrate EEG results, alcoholism, EEG on alcoholics and other general topics revolving around the area of research. In order for this to be a success the necessary books, journals, websites had to be sourced and read before any practical work commenced. Once these two tasks were performed successfully, we then set out to obtain our general objective of analyzing and comparing EEG results of both alcoholics and non-alcoholics. LITERATURE REVIEW An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measures and records the electrical activity of your brain by using surface biopotential electrodes. These electrodes are attached to the patients head and hooked by wires to a computer which records the brains electrical activity on the screen or on paper as wavy lines (waveforms). Among the basic waveforms are the alpha, beta, theta and delta rhythms. Alpha waves occur at a frequency of 8 to 12 cycles per second in a regular rhythm and are present only when you are awake but have your eyes closed. They normally disappear when you open your eyes or start concentrating mentally. Beta waves occur at a frequency of 13 to 30 cycles per second and are usually associated with the use of sedative medications. Theta waves occur at a frequency of 4 to 7 cycles per second and are most common in children and young adults. Delta waves occur at a frequency of 0.5 to 3.5 cycles per second and generally occur in young children or during deep sleep. Duri ng an EEG, typically about 20-30 minutes of activity are evaluated and special attention is paid to the basic waveforms, but brief bursts of energy and responses to stimuli, such as light are also examined, (The university of Texas medical branch, http://www.utmbhealthcare.org). Results from an EEG test can tell a lot about the patient and is a read by a neurologist. The waves recorded can be classified as normal or abnormal. Abnormal waves can indicate medical problems, whereas different types of normal waves can indicate various states or activity levels. The value of understanding the normal EEG lies in developing the foundation to provide a clinical basis for identifying abnormality. Knowledge of normal waveform variations, variants of normal EEG that are of uncertain significance, and fluctuations of normal EEG throughout the lifecycle from youth to the aged are essential to provide an accurate impression for clinical interpretation. When abnormality is in doubt, a conservation impression of normal is proper. EEG produces a graphic display of a difference in voltages from two sites of brain functions recorded over time. Extra cranial EEG provides a broad survey of the electrocerebral activity throughout both hemispheres of the brain while intracranial E EG provides focused EEG recording directly from the brain through surgically implanted electrodes that are targeted at specific regions of the brain. (Tatum 2007). Information about a diffuse or focal cerebral dysfunction, the presence of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs), or patterns of special significance may be revealed from an abnormal EEG. For the successful interpretation of an abnormal EEG, one must first understand the criteria necessary to define normal patterns. While a normal EEG does not exclude a clinical diagnosis (i.e. epilepsy), an abnormal finding on an EEG may be supportive of a diagnosis (i.e. in epilepsy), be indicative of cerebral dysfunction (i.e. focal or generalized slowing), or have nothing to do with the reason that the study was performed (i.e. in headache). It is in the clinical application of the EEG findings that imparts the utility of EEG. (Tatum 2007). Two important applications involving EEG wave classification are diagnosis of sleep disorde rs and construction of brain-computer interfaces to assist disabled people with daily living tasks. Sleep occupies roughly one-third of a persons life and is indispensable for health and well-being. Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by a ten-second or longer pauses in breathing during sleep. A person with sleep apnea cannot self-diagnose the presence of this disorder so in order to make diagnoses for sleep disorders, physicians usually need to study patients sleep patterns through sleep recording. A typical sleep recording has multiple channels of EEG waves coming from the electrodes placed on the subjects head. The waves from a healthy subject are stable about zero and show relatively high variability and low correlation whilst the waves from a person with sleep difficulty show less variability and higher correlation. Measuring EEG signals is a non-intrusive procedure since it does not cause any pain to the subject. Sleep staging is the pattern recognition task of classifying sleep recordings into sleep stages continuously over time and is performed by a sleep stager. These sleep stages include rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, four levels of non-REM sleep and being awake. Sleep staging is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of various sleep disorders. In order to make many EEG-based applications practical enough for routine use, it is necessary to achieve high accuracy in EEG wave classification. For physicians specializing in sleep disorders, improving sleep stage classification accuracy can increase both their diagnostic accuracy and the speed with which they make diagnosis. (Min and Luo. n.d). DIAGRAM SHOWING EEG SLEEP PATTERNS, (http://www.benbest.com) Brain-Computer interfaces (BCIs) are currently being developed to facilitate the control of computers by people who are disabled. As disabled people think about what they want to have the computer do, their thinking is classified based on their EEG waves and corresponding instructions are automatically executed by the computer. Accurate EEG wave classification is a critical requirement for computers to receive correct instructions. There are various kinds of BCIs with the most promising one being the P300 BCI using EEG signals. This is so because of its non-invasiveness, ease of use, portability and low set-up cost. In neuroscience, P300 refers to a neutrally-evoked potential component of EEG. (Min and Luo. n.d). Quantitative EEG signal analysis involves the transformation of the EEG signal into numerical values that can be used to examine selected EEG features. Once a specific feature of the EEG has been quantified, it can be displayed using various graphical methods such as topographic mapping or spectral trend monitoring. Other applications of quantitative analysis include automated event detection, intraoperative or ICU monitoring, and source localization. Normative databases of quantitative EEG features (such as the peak alpha rhyth m frequency or amount of alpha reactivity) can be used for statistical comparisons in research studies. Statistical quantitative EEG analysis is not yet considered reliable as an independent measure of abnormal brain function for clinical purposes. Topographic mapping refers to the graphical display of the distribution of a particular EEG feature over the scalp or cortical surface. Advanced forms of topographic mapping attempt to display EEG activity as it might be seen at the cortical surface by superimposing a color or gray scale image of the EEG feature onto the cortical surface image taken from the subjects MRI. More simplified forms of topographic mapping create a graphic display of an EEG feature over an imaginary head surface. All methods of topographic mapping depend heavily on montage construction. (Fisch and Spehlmann 1999). DIAGRAM SHOWING AN EEG TOPOGRAPHIC MAP, (http://www.cerebromente.org) Automated event detection is a form of quantitative analysis in which certain signal characteristics are used to classify an EEG change. It is most commonly applied to the detection of electrographic seizures during epilepsy monitoring. Intraoperative EEG monitoring is performed using continuous routine EEG visual inspection alone or in combination with quantitative EEG monitoring. The most common application of intraoperative EEG monitoring is for ca