Creativity in Education Essay

A school with creativity at the heart of the learning process will benefit by increasing the motivation of staff and pupils, says former head, Dave Weston. In this article and case study, he shows the way to more imaginative approaches to curriculum planning ‘Creativity is the defeat of habit by originality’ Arthur Koestler Many school leaders and teachers realise that is now time to take more control over the curriculum and to include a greater emphasis on creativity in the learning and teaching process. During the last five years, headteachers have developed the confidence to take innovative and imaginative approaches to curriculum planning and school organisation. This is due to some encouragement from central government in the light of recent perceived improvements in primary literacy and numeracy standards and to the realisation that a wider and more exciting curriculum can lead to greater levels of motivation for all pupils and staff. Creativity and innovation have now been legitimised by the DfES and primary schools are actively encouraged to develop creative ideas and actions: ‘promoting creativity is a powerful way of engaging pupils with their learning’ Excellence and Enjoyment DfES 2003 (page 31) What is creativity? Creativity is often associated with the ‘creative arts’ but in reality it is certainly not unique to the arts. It can be seen and identified in all aspects of the arts, humanities, sciences, maths and technology. The National Curriculum Handbook (1999) included creativity within the section on thinking skills. It stated that: ‘Creative thinking skills†¦ enable pupils to generate and extend ideas, to suggest hypotheses, to apply imagination and to look for alternative innovative outcomes. ’ Didn’t we always teach it? Creativity was taught in the 1970s and 1980s, often through topic-based projects, but there was a lack of accountability, detailed planning and thoroughness. Much of this perceived ‘creativity’ disappeared in the 1990s as it did not fit into a strategic box and schools thought that there was not time for it and that such an approach was not valued by central government. The difficulty in measuring the success of a creative approach to primary learning and teaching gave our education system many problems. As a result headteachers, under the pressures of Ofsted inspection and statistical league tables, became reluctant to take risks with the curriculum. However, more recently this situation has started to change, especially with the development of the creative partnership schemes. The Reggio Emilia approach The success of the Reggio Emilia approach to early years education has influenced theory and practice in the area of creativity in primary education. In schools in Reggio Emilia there is an innovative staffing structure with each early years centre having an ‘atelierista’ (a specially trained art teacher) who works closely with the classroom teachers. In Italy in the primary sector there is significant teacher autonomy with no national curriculum or associated achievement tests. In Reggio Emilia the teachers become skilled observers and they routinely divide responsibilities, so that one can systematically observe and record conversations between children while the other is teaching the class. Teachers from several schools sometimes work and learn together and this contributes to the culture of teachers as learners. The learning environment is crucial in the Reggio Emilia approach and classrooms often have courtyards, wall-sized windows and easy access to stimulating outdoor areas. Each classroom has large spaces for group activities and specially designed areas for pupils and staff to interact. Display areas are large and stimulating and reflect the creativity of the children. Teachers in early years settings in Reggio often refer to the learning environment as a ‘third teacher’ as most centres are small with just two classroom teachers. The curriculum is project-based and there are numerous opportunities for creative thinking and exploration. The teachers work on topics with small groups of pupils while the rest of the class work on self-selected activities. Projects are often open-ended and therefore curriculum planning is flexible and is sometimes teacher-directed and sometimes child-initiated. This philosophy is inspiring and can be partially transferred to the different framework of the British primary school. Whole-school approach to developing ‘creativity’ For school leaders the first step in developing a creative school is the fostering of a whole-school approach. Creativity is not an add-on and it cannot be imposed by the headteacher. There needs to be discussion, involvement and ownership. The debate should be based around some of the following points: †¢taking control of the curriculum by the school. †¢the creation of a school with creativity at the heart of the learning process †¢enhancing the motivation for staff and pupils †¢fostering the professional development of all the staff, both teaching and non-teaching †¢involving governors and parents in a whole-school approach to creativity and showing how this philosophy supports school improvement and high standards of achievement †¢getting the pupils involved in school issues (regarding the curriculum and the learning, perhaps through the school council). How does your school measure up? So how far has your school got in developing a creative approach to learning and teaching? Ask yourself: †¢Have you discussed the freedoms of developing a curriculum appropriate for your school? †¢Does your school development and improvement plan take account of creativity in learning and teaching styles? †¢Is creativity a part of your staff development programme? †¢Is the governing body committed to promoting creativity throughout the school? Is there a nominated governor involved in this approach? †¢How involved are the pupils in discussing the curriculum and in a creative approach to learning and teaching? †¢Does your school carefully plan visits to galleries and projects involving artists and craftspeople? †¢Are creative successes evaluated in the SEF? †¢Does your school celebrate and promote creativity to a wider audience? Celebrating creativity Creativity should be celebrated and the school should consider looking for outside accreditation through the ‘Artsmark’ scheme. Creative successes should be carefully evaluated, highlighted in the SEF and showcased to parents and the community. Staff should be empowered to design activities within the curriculum which are exciting, motivating and relevant to their  school and pupils. Once these seeds are sown, creativity will flourish. Case study: making our school a more creative environment At the primary school where I was headteacher, we recognised that the curriculum had become unbalanced and that we were spending too much of the ‘timetabled’ day on English and maths. Staff kept saying that too little time was being devoted to the arts and humanities. This imbalance was having an effect on the motivation of some pupils, especially in Years 5 and 6 and on the job satisfaction of the staff. Like every school, we were very anxious to maintain high standards in English and maths and to ensure that our KS2 SATs results were good. However, we decided that we were fairly secure in the core curriculum and that the time had come to reclaim the curriculum. Therefore we reviewed our whole-school curriculum plan and looked at all the ways we could make our school a more creative and exciting environment. The aspects of school life we reviewed were as follows: †¢encouraging a more flexible approach to the timetable †¢developing the school grounds to link in with the outdoor curriculum. We decided that the school grounds were under-used as a learning environment. Therefore each curriculum coordinator was given the opportunity to have a part of the grounds as an outdoor curriculum area to support ‘real learning’ in that area. Staff came up with lots of imaginative ideas such as: †¢Music – developing an outdoor music trail with differing instruments hanging from trees and fences. †¢Geography – developing an orienteering trail around the edge of the field. †¢Art – developing an outdoor sculpture area with a clay model from every pupil. †¢Languages – playground signs and rules in differing languages. †¢Science – developing an environmental area with a pond, seating in the shape of different animals and insects. †¢Design and technology – one of the most successful ‘creative’ projects was the development of a courtyard on the theme of ‘containers’. Each of our 11 classes chose a different type of container (Reception chose old wellington boots while Year 6 chose a large tractor tyre) and in the summer they were decorated and planted up. †¢Supporting the Foundation Stage curriculum with exciting outdoor areas and incorporating some of the Reggio Emilia approaches to early learning. The school decided it was important to give the early years staff the confidence to develop an exciting integrated curriculum based on the needs of young pupils rather than on the formalised curriculum. †¢Bringing in artists and craft workers to give pupils to work with adults with different skills. Each year we decided to bring artists into the school so every pupil had the opportunity to work with a ‘real’ artist at some time during their primary school career. This was an expensive approach but worthwhile as often the skills of the artists inspired school staff to try new ideas and therefore provided a professional development aspect to their work. †¢Celebrating the different languages in our school. As our school was very keen on teaching MFL to all the KS2 pupils we decided to celebrate all the languages of our school by designing a mural which showed pupils from all the countries involved saying hello in their home language. Our pupils decided that on the mural the pupils from the different countries should have hats showing the flag of their country. The large mural was painted by the pupils with the support of a professional artist and is now proudly on display by the entrance to the school office. †¢Developing the confidence and role of the art coordinator. †¢Enhancing the motivation of some pupils and giving greater ownership of the learning process to the staff. †¢Getting involved in the ‘Creative Partnerships’ scheme to get access to support and resources. Introduction 1. The HMIE report Emerging Good Practice in Promoting Creativity published in March 2006 gathered evidence from inspections of pre-school centres, primary and secondary schools and community learning and development to: †¢identify and analyse emerging good practice in promoting creativity, and †¢provide advice on a range of issues related to creativity including learning and teaching, assessment, and current practice in evaluating success in promoting creativity. 2. The Scottish Executive Education Department has agreed to supplement the HMIE report by providing a brief overview of some key national policy developments and other initiatives across the UK promoting creativity in education. The aim is to help educators and policy makers by highlighting some important advice and other support to encourage good practice. The paper is not however a comprehensive review. The bibliography is intended to assist those who wish to explore further the issues discussed. Creativity, Culture and Education (Developments in England) 3. Although focusing on England, the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education’s (NACCCE) report All Our Futures: Creativity Culture and Education has proved influential on subsequent efforts to promote creativity in education elsewhere in the UK. 4. The NACCCE was established in 1998 to make recommendations to the then Secretary of State for Education and Employment and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport â€Å"on the creative and cultural development of young people through formal and informal education: to take stock of current provision and to make proposals for principles, policies and practice. † The Committee was chaired by Professor Ken Robinson and its report was published in 1999. 5. The report emphasised that all children and young people can benefit from developing their creative abilities and this should be seen as a general function of education. Creativity can be developed in all areas of the school curriculum: including the sciences as well as the expressive arts. As discussed later in this paper, the NACCE’s definition of creativity was adopted as part of subsequent initiatives in Northern Ireland and Scotland. (A summary of the report’s general advice on teaching for creativity is contained in the annex to this paper.) The NACCE’s report was welcomed by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and Department for Culture Media and Sport. Although the Government did not implement all of the report’s recommendations with regard to the National Curriculum in England, many elements were taken forward. For instance, the report led directly or indirectly to important initiatives such as Creative Partnerships and Artsmark. 6. Creative Partnerships is a government-funded national initiative operating in 36 of the most disadvantaged areas in England and designed to build sustainable relationships between schools, creative individuals and organisations. It aims to transform: †¢the aspirations and achievements of young people †¢the approaches and attitudes of teachers and schools †¢the practices of creative practitioners and organisations who wish to work in schools. 7. Starting with the needs of schools and young people, creative practitioners work across and beyond the curriculum, animating the classroom and finding new ways for teachers to teach and young people to learn. Through the development of projects of varying scales, creative practitioners, teachers and young people work together as equal partners to place creativity at the heart of learning. 8. Artsmark is a recognition scheme for schools’ arts provision run by Arts Council for England and supported by DCMS. The scheme encourages schools to increase the range of arts that are provided to children in schools and raises the profile of arts education. (Further information on Creative Partnerships and Artsmark can be accessed through the links provided in the bibliography. ) 9. The educational debate has moved forward considerably since the NACCCE report was published and there is now a much wider acceptance that a broad and enriching curriculum goes hand in hand with high standards. Since September 2000, schools have been working with a more flexible National Curriculum with greater emphasis on the need for creative and cultural education. There are explicit references to the importance of creative and cultural education in the aims for the curriculum and there are explicit references to creativity – encouraging pupils to use their imagination and look for innovative outcomes. The Schools White Paper, â€Å"Schools: Achieving Success†, launched in September 2001 raised the status of creativity and the arts by pledging to provide a range of additional opportunities for creativity and curriculum enrichment. 10. DfES also hosted the Creativity and Cultural Enrichment Working Group (CACE) from May 2001 to Oct 2003. This working group was set up in response to the NACCCE report as a cross-agency reference group with a clear focus on creativity and cultural enrichment. The idea was to share information across various agencies and departments, to provide updates on key policy initiatives and projects and act as a source of new ideas. 11. CACE has now been superseded by subsequent work such as the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s (QCA) initiative ‘Creativity: Find it, Promote it’ and Creative Partnerships which have built up the knowledge base of creativity in education and helped spread good practice. QCA promotes creativity as an integral part of all National Curriculum subjects and identified the characteristics of creative thinking and behaviour including: †¢Questioning and challenging conventions and assumptions †¢Making inventive connections and associating things that are not usually related †¢Envisaging what might be: imagining — seeing things in the mind’s eye. †¢Trying alternatives and fresh approaches, keeping options open †¢Reflecting critically on ideas, actions and outcomes QCA advises that, with minimal changes to their planning and practice, teachers can promote pupils’ creativity. 12. QCA’s ‘Creativity: Find it Promote it’, and ‘Arts Alive’ websites shows how to maximise the impact of creativity and the arts in the curriculum, identifies best practice and provides case study examples for teachers containing practical suggestions in promoting creativity and the arts across the curriculum 13. OFSTED — the inspectorate for children and learners in England — carried out a survey identifying good practice in the promotion of creativity in schools (Expect the Unexpected: Developing Creativity in Primary and Secondary Schools published in 2003). They found that there was generally high quality in creative work. Any barriers that existed could be overcome if teachers are committed to the promotion of creativity, possess good subject knowledge and a sufficiently broad range of pedagogical skills to foster creativity in all pupils, whatever their ability. The active support of senior management is also important. OFSTED emphasised that â€Å"the creativity observed in pupils is not associated with a radical new pedagogy†¦but a willingness to observe, listen and work closely with children to help them develop their ideas in a purposeful way. † The report can be accessed here. 14. The latest development in England is an independent review on Nurturing Creativity in Young People jointly commissioned by DCMS and DfES to inform the basis of the Government’s future policy on creativity. The review was led by Paul Roberts, Director of Strategy from IdeA (Improvement and Development Agency). The review team published their report in July 2006. This provides a framework for creativity starting with Early Years, developing through mainstream education and leading to pathways into the Creative Industries. The report also set out what more the Government can do to nurture young people’s creativity. Particular issues discussed include the role of partnerships between schools and the creative and cultural sector, the development of a new Creative Portfolio to celebrate each young person’s creative achievements and creating spaces for creative activity through the Building Schools for the Future the school estate redevelopment programme. The Government will publish a response to the creativity review report and an action plan in Autumn 2006. Unlocking Creativity (Developments in Northern Ireland) 15. Following his work with the NACCE, Professor Ken Robinson chaired a Creativity in Education Working Group in Northern Ireland. The Working Group was a cross-cutting initiative by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL); the Department for Education (DE); the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment (DHFETE) (now known as the Department for Employment and Learning – DEL). The aim was to develop a â€Å"co-ordinated strategy for the development to the full of the creative and cultural resources of the people of Northern Ireland. † The result of this work was the consultation report Unlocking Creativity: A Strategy for Development published in 2000. 16. The report adopts the definition of creativity contained in the NACCE report – Imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value. Creative processes have four characteristics. First, they always involve thinking or behaving imaginatively. Second, this imaginative activity is purposeful: that is, it is directed to achieve an objective. Third, these processes must generate something original. Fourth, the outcome must be of value in relation to the objective. 17. Unlocking Creativity: A Strategy for Development made three key recommendations for education: †¢Develop continuity and progression in creative and cultural education throughout learning, teaching and youthwork. †¢The development of methods and principles of assessment and examination that recognise and value the aims and outcomes of creative and cultural education. †¢Ensure that all professional vocational and academic qualifications positively promote the importance of creative and cultural education. 18. The results of the consultation were published in a second report, Unlocking Creativity: Making It Happen, published in 2001. The vast majority of responses supported the proposals made in the consultation document and Unlocking Creativity: Making It Happen set a wide range of objectives for future work. The key objectives for education related to a review of the curriculum being taken forward by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). The report highlighted CCEA’s proposals to include a creative component at all Key Stages. It set a wider objective of signposting clear steps towards accredited programmes of learning for people of all ages interested and inspired by creativity and sought to encourage collaboration between various agencies and departments to ensure that creativity is fully recognised in the development of assessment methods and the curriculum. The report also highlighted the establishment of a Creativity Seed Fund which invested ? 2. 8m over three years to encourage projects that would either promote creativity in education or strengthen Northern Ireland as a competitive presence in the creative industries. The Education and Training Inspectorate produced a set of quality indicators for the Creativity Seed Fund. The indicators cover outcomes and standards, ethos, assessment and review and management arrangements. 19. A third report, Unlocking Creativity: A Creative Region, was published in 2004 and set out a series of medium term strategic measures to maintain the momentum on developing creativity across education, culture and employment. The report again highlighted CCEA’s work on Curriculum Review. The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 will give effect to the revised curriculum, which will be introduced on a phased basis from September 2007. 20. The revised curriculum will be more flexible, offer greater scope for creativity to meet the changing needs of pupils, society and the economy and have a greater emphasis on developing skills. One of the Thinking Skills to be developed across the curriculum is Being Creative, where children should be able to use creative approaches, to be imaginative, to take risks, to question and explore possibilities. The revised curriculum will also provide more flexibility for teachers to tailor what they teach to meet the needs of their pupils and therefore encourage more creative approaches. Assessment will be formative, as well as summative, with pupils assessed in their progress in the skills and areas of learning and pointed towards areas for future development. This Assessment for Learning (AfL) is already being piloted. One of the most important means of promoting creativity in the revised curriculum will be through Education for Employability. Pupils will look at enterprise and creativity in the modern workplace, what it takes to be an entrepreneur and they will have opportunities to demonstrate enterprise and creativity. The pilot work for this aspect of the curriculum has involved school pupils working with local businesses and artists to develop creative solutions to business issues. 21. CCEA is also developing exemplar material and other support materials to illustrate how opportunities can be developed in all curriculum areas to promote creativity. Draft versions of the support materials have been made available to pilot schools and CCEA plans to distribute them to all schools as soon as feasible in the 2006/07 year. 22. Unlocking Creativity: A Creative Region noted CCEA’s work on auditing examination specifications in order to promote creativity in the learning and assessment associated with qualifications. This audit has now been completed and enabled areas in teaching and learning to be identified that would support a more creative approach. The results will be taken into account as specifications are revised for re-accreditation. Re-accredited specifications will be available for first teaching from September 2008 (GCE A-Level) and 2009 (GCSE). CCEA is also working with the English and Welsh regulatory bodies to review accreditation criteria and this will take account of thinking skills, such as creativity. The Department of Education is also considering an incentive and accreditation scheme for teachers, principals and schools with a view to embedding creativity across the curriculum. A pilot has been arranged to test an Artmark Toolkit involving five schools and, following evaluation, will be rolled out to all schools in September 2006. 23. An important feature of Northern Ireland’s work on creativity is the emphasis on harnessing new developments in ICT. Many of the education projects funded through the Creativity Seed Fund included developing ICT skills and linking these to creativity by, for instance, producing material for radio, making documentary films or creating digital content. Unlocking Creativity: A Creative Region seeks to embed the concept of the use of ICT to enhance young people’s creativity across the curriculum. The EmPowering Schools strategy has since been published, which incorporates the development of creativity and innovation in the use of ICT. 24. Unlocking Creativity: A Creative Region included Creative Youth Partnerships (CYP), a 3 year pilot from April 2004 to March 2007 involving the Arts Council NI, the Department of Education, the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Education and Library Boards. Through a collaborative approach, CYP aims to increase participation among young people in arts activities, develop arts infrastructure in NI and develop the contribution of artists and the arts to the learning and development of young people in schools and the youth sector. A key aspect of CYP is local partnerships to develop creative projects using a variety of art forms. The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) is evaluating CYP and its Interim Report (September 2005, full report due October 2006) highlights the developmental nature of the evaluation of a creativity initiative. The Report pointed to some areas for development but found the project to have many strengths. Developments in Wales 25. Wales, like England and Northern Ireland, has a statutory National Curriculum. Creative skills are one of the seven common requirements in the Welsh National Curriculum. Teachers should provide opportunities, where appropriate, for pupils to develop and apply the seven common requirements through their study of all National Curriculum subjects. (The other common requirements include mathematical skills, Information Technology and problem solving skills. ) 26. The Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DELLS) has produced a guidance note for teachers highlighting subject areas of the National Curriculum, from science to modern languages, where pupils can be given opportunities to develop and apply their creative skills, in particular the development and expression of ideas and imagination. 27. A review of the National Curriculum in Wales is currently underway for proposed implementation in September 2008. Findings from an initial consultation in 2004 were that: †¢there should be a clear focus on the needs of learners and effective learning strategies and approaches; †¢there is a need to identify and agree on the range of skills that should be acquired and on their development and application in a range of contexts; †¢there remains a concern regarding perceived overload in some National Curriculum subjects, especially at Key Stage 2 (covering ages 7-11), and the relevance of aspects of the curriculum to the 21st century; and †¢there is a need to ensure that a revised curriculum interests, engages and motivates all learners. 28. Currently DELLS has submitted proposals to their Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning for approval. Following this, the proposals will be open to public consultation. These will include a draft Skills Framework for children and young people aged 3-19. This framework contains the areas of Developing Thinking, Communication, Number and ICT. Within the Developing Thinking are strands highlighting creative thinking. Creativity in Education (Developments in Scotland ) 29. In Scotland, a Creativity in Education Advisory Group was established to consider ways in which creativity could be developed as an important feature of the provision that teachers and schools make for young people’s education. The Group was chaired by Richard Coton, Headteacher of Monifieth High School and its members included representatives from Learning and Teaching Scotland, the IDES Network, HMIE and the Scottish Executive Education Department. The Group’s discussion paper, Creativity in Education, was published in 2001. 30. The definition of creativity in Creativity in Education again reflects that in the NACCE report, All Our Futures, by emphasising imagination, pursuing a purpose, being original and making judgements of value. Creativity in Education, like the NACCE report, stresses the need to encourage experimentation and problem-solving together with reflection and critical appraisal as essential conditions for creativity to flourish in schools. Creativity in Education has a more overt emphasis on the need for schools to foster a personal disposition to be creative in their students. This involves the development of characteristics such as self-motivation, confidence, curiosity and flexibility. However, the publication notes the valuable contribution of group-working to encouraging creativity in, for instance, allowing pupils to build upon each others’ ideas. Creativity in Education also stresses the need for teachers themselves to be creative in the way they encourage and empower children and young people. Teachers need to judge carefully when to intervene and when to take a â€Å"hands-off† approach and to balance planning with improvisation. 31. Creativity in Education was accompanied by case studies providing practical examples of how creativity is being developed across the curriculum. These include the development of a whole school policy on creative learning and teaching (Gylemuir Primary School, Edinburgh); developing creativity in Mathematics (Pollock Children’s Centre, Glasgow/Borgue Primary School, Dumfries and Galloway and Inverclyde Council’s Education Advisory Service) and promoting thinking skills in the context of science education (Monifieth High School, Angus). 32. Follow-up work undertaken as a result of Creativity in Education included the Creativity Counts project. The aims of this project were: †¢To gather evidence of creativity in the classroom across all sectors and all areas of the curriculum. †¢To identify key approaches to learning and teaching, assessment and evaluation. †¢To identify what schools need to do to foster creativity. 27 schools from across Scotland (19 primary, 7 secondary and 1 special) participated in the project. A report of the findings was published in 2004. This was accompanied by Creativity Counts — Portraits of Practice – a publication of case studies drawn from the project. 33. The main findings were that developing creativity in education produced benefits in terms of pupil motivation, enthusiasm and enjoyment. The pupils became more independent in their learning: â€Å"rather than being told; they became more resourceful and reflective. They became good at knowing what worked for them and what did not† (p. 5). However, this freedom to experiment took place within a supporting structure of high expectations and clear outcomes: â€Å"They knew what they were expected to achieve and how to go about that† (p.10). Group working was a strong feature of the projects. This helped to support less confident children and encouraged realistic peer and self-assessment. The pupils responded well to dealing with failure and built confidence in using their imagination and developed a positive attitude to new ideas. 34. Teachers found that they were able to develop a repertoire of teaching skills balancing intervention, â€Å"hands-off†, planning and improvisation. They identified four main characteri.

Mexican War and the Spanish American War Essay

Both the Mexican War and the Spanish War were a result of unfair treatment against weaker nations. The origins of the Mexican War lay with the United States and its expansionistic policies. Most Americans believed they had a divine right to bring their culture among others, because they were superior. This belief was put forth by Manifest Destiny, which had been circulating around the United States for a long time. The ignorance possessed by the Americans show no courtesy toward the Mexicans. Under the administration of President Polk, America adopted an aggressive expansion policy that often ignored many inferior countries. In 1492, it was Spain whom sailed across the Ocean and colonized the Amerindian nations of the Western Hemisphere. At its greatest extent, the empire that resulted from this exploration extended from Virginia on the eastern coast of the United States south to Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America excluding Brazil and westward to California and Alaska. The ambitious United States paid no attention to Spain and aggressively sought more territory and influence in Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. The war started when the United States declared war on Spain after the sinking of an American vessel (Battleship Main) in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. They war ended on December 10, 1898 after the unfair Treaty of Paris, in which Spain lost all of its overseas possessions including Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippine Islands, Guam, and many others. Both the Mexican War and the Spanish American War were a direct result in the abusive ways of superior power and influence. Manifest Destiny was more encouraged when Polk became President. He was elected president because of his strong support in bringing Oregon and Texas into the Union. President Polk was clearly the antagonist when he sent troops under General Zachary Taylor into land that Mexico held sovereignty, sparking a war. Polk now drafted a message to Congress: Mexico had â€Å"passed the boundary of the United States, had invaded our territory and shed American blood on American soil.† Whether the Mexicans had fired the first shot or the Americans, whether the armies were on Mexican territory or American territory, Polk got his war. Despite the plea of innocence, Mexico cannot escape blame for the war. Mexico never had a strong centralized government to negotiate with a foreign state. Mexico was never even  successful in governing themselves for the time being. Mexico was on the verge of bankruptcy and their army was inadequately trained and equipped. The country was awash with political turmoil throughout the war, indeed, throughout the century, making it near impossible for them to ever conduct a sound defense of the country. Nevertheless, the United States, as a superior nation under Polk’s Presidency assumed an aggressive war like attitude toward Mexico without consideration of the Mexican stance. The conflict between the Spanish and Americans grew dramatically when General Valeriano Weyler began implementing a policy of Reconcentration that moved the population into central locations guarded by Spanish troops and placed the entire country of Cuba under martial law in February 1896. The American government was once again looking to exploit their defenseless neighbors and gain more influence in the countries. The main targets were Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Cuba was the first to initiate its own struggle for independence from Spain. America, being the closest superior power intervened in Cuba’s affairs. The Philippines were also growing intolerable to Spanish rule, and the United States took interest in the Philippines. Following its declaration of war against Spain issued on April 25, 1898, the United States added the Teller Amendment asserting that it would not attempt to exercise hegemony over Cuba. Under Commodore George Dewy at the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1st, the Spanish fleet under Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo was destroyed. The most disrespect followed the signing of the Treaty of Paris when Spain lost all of its overseas possessions. The superior powers, such as the United States, are always looking to profit themselves. During the Mexican war and the Spanish-American War, the dominance and ethnocentric ideals that America held flourished in many un-called-for, disrespectful disputes. The aggressive stance the troops held under Zachary Taylor under the orders of President Polk did not give room for negotiation. If the United States did not get what they wanted, they would insist by force, not by allowing the inferior nation in their eyes to make suggestions that regard their country and dignity. Both the Mexican War and the Spanish-American War resulted because of the unfair and unjust treatment that the United States held in their so-called foreign policy. Hispanic Division Library of Congress http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/intro.html A People A Nation 6th Edition The Mexican American War Memorial Homepage -from UMAN The Mexican American War Memorial Homepage -from UMAN Hispanic Division Library of Congress http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/intro.html Hispanic Division Library of Congress http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/intro.html

Individual development plans (IDPs) part 2 Essay

Individual development plans (IDPs) part 2 - Essay Example An important characteristic of development objectives pertains to skills assessment. It is crucial for an individual to conduct an assessment of all the required and necessary skills to meet the objectives. An honest self-assessment will help identify gaps, as well as, strategies to seal the gaps within the specified timeframe. Strategies are such as one-on-one tutorials, workshops, and seminars can help accomplish the objectives (Feldman, 2011). The second aspect that leads to the effectiveness of the IDP is the timeline of the development. One ought to have a strict schedule that he or she will commit towards a particular development. It is impossible to attain all the skills needed for a long-term development in a few weeks. In the same way, a short-term development requires less time to acquire the needed skills (Feldman, 2011). A timeline serves as the roadmap to success for one to achieve various professional and academic developments. Setting a realistic timeframe for each development is crucial to the fruition of the IDP. Commitment to the development within the set time is an important characteristic needed for one be successful (Feldman,

To what extent (if any) is racism a product of modernity Answer with Essay

To what extent (if any) is racism a product of modernity Answer with reference to the writings of David Goldberg - Essay Example It is vital, however, to demonstrate its modernity if we are to show how racism, rather than being a problem of individual pathology, is embedded in the structures of the modern nation-state.† (Lentin) David Theo Goldberg, leading scholar of critical race theory, contends, â€Å"Race is one of the central conceptual inventions of modernity" and that "we have come, if often only silently, to conceive of social subjects foremost in racial terms.† (Goldberg, Racist Culture p.3) Throughout his work, The Racial State, he further argues â€Å"that race has marked modernity and its development constitutively, that the racial state is in this sense the paradigmatically modern social formation." (Goldberg, Racial State, p.148) In his view the modern state sees itself as homogenous, seeing anyone who does not fit the social mold as worthy of exclusion. The exclusion can be as literal as segregation or figurative as in the sense that members must assimilate or be ostracized. This shows the central racist tendency of the modern state and racism as a product of that tendency. Anthropologist Audrey Smedley views race and racism in this way. â€Å"I argue that race was institutionalised beginning in the 18th century as a worldview, a set of culturally created attitudes and beliefs about human group differences.† Smedley is convinced of this, and along with many modern anthropologists believes that the basis for current racism has its roots in African slavery specifically. She does not make the claim for slavery itself as the root of racism, since before the modern era many people were enslaved. In Malik’s view, Smedley’s contention is somewhat courageous. â€Å"For much of the past half century, politicians and scientists have largely spoken with a single voice on the issue of race. The experience of Nazism and the Holocaust made racial science politically unacceptable. It also shaped the scientific consensus that race was a social myth, not a

Three Major Problems in Nigeria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Three Major Problems in Nigeria - Essay Example Nigeria is one developing country, which faces diverse problems; however, the paper attempts to analyze three crucial problems including increasing inflation rate, rising living standard, as well as political instability. Political instability Most African countries have a characteristic of political instability. This underscores the depth of development leaving people midst abundant resources with little development. In the past, many years, stagnation remains evident among many African countries due to political instability creating a rising tide of poverty, poor infrastructure and decaying of public utilities (Mundt & Aborisade, 2004). Nigeria gets described by scholars as an unfinished state, and a truculent African disaster, this is because of the abundant natural resources present in the country, which instead of improving the economic condition of the country, has propelled the vicious cycle of poverty (Kay & Mazen, 2012). Nigeria is rich with enormous oil resources that warra nt it a name of a giant African country. On the contrary, it remains a minute country due to the political instability of parochial leadership, which considers personal survival rather that national development. Nigeria suffered a setback and was brought down into its knees by 20 years of corrupt military and brutal rule. The rule left power in the hands of powerful political bosses also called godfathers with vast patronage of the country. They viewed the country primarily through the lens of the personal fortification, amassing wealth for developing personal interest. The attempt to bring democratic consolidation got hampered by Nigeria political gladiators who used the slightest opportunity in power for personal cult. Political instability in Nigeria; therefore caused harm, as people vied to control vast spoils of office. This is a trend, which gave forth to undeserving leaders, who collected wealth grabbing everything they could lay their hands. In Nigeria, the centralized econo mic as well as political structure comprised of individual and the military, which controlled substantial parts of the country endorsed with resources (Adeseyoju, 2006). The political instability led to a major segment of Nigerian falling into poverty. According to research, the poor leadership forced 70% of people to fall into abject poverty. The brazen watch for the rule of law also made matters worse, as only people with power and influence had the ability to access facilities. It is a country, which made distant the aspect of serving its citizens. Consequently, Nigeria federation, which dominates the political stand, continue to build patronage networks, as the infrastructural standards remain dilapidated as it was in the watch of the military rule (Kay & Mazen, 2012). The besieged multitude of hostile military forces has spread to the present, whereby ethnic differences, form a source of instability. Chinua Achebe’s novel is an illustration of the political turmoil Niger ia faced during early 1990s when the British colonial power reigned. Current problems Nigeria face is still under the same trend of political instability with rising issues of segmentation of Nigeria. Muslims dominate the northern side of Nigeria while the southern mainly has Christians. The political instability has caused aggravating disputes between the two regions with each side attacking (Albert, 2005). The instability evidenced in Nigeria also caused the

A Good Fall by Ha Jin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Good Fall by Ha Jin - Essay Example The characters are hit by reality which is a new environment that although different from the usual life in China, imposes a new kind of harsh limitations that often experienced in crisis that molds a new, and at times unwanted, transitional identity for the Chinese immigrants. This essay contrasts the concepts of freedom and imprisonment in â€Å"A Good Fall† with â€Å"The House behind a Weeping Cherry as the emigrants attempt to break away from the limitations presented by life in Flushing in order to achieve a more purposeful life. In the "The House behind a Weeping Cherry" (Jin 195) the main characters are depicted as living inside a prison due to the circumstances they find themselves in while in New York. "The House behind a Weeping Cherry" begins with Wanren contemplating his next move after his roommate had moved meaning he had to shoulder all the rent by himself. This was going to be a daunting task for Wanren as he could not shoulder all the rent by himself. It could have been easier for Wanren to move to a new place but the apartment is located continently near his workplace. Wanren is therefore caught between finding a new apartment which will further incontinence him work as he will have to travel from the new place to his workplace or pay more which will further complicate his financial situation as a migrant without any proper skill. Therefore, Wanren is caught in a mental prison with all his options having a negative impact on his financial and social status. Wanren is however saved from these pos sibilities when Mrs. Chen presents him with an alternative of driving the girls to see their clients in exchange for Wanren maintain his rent was it was. Wanren is however not salvaged from his imprisonment as he is now forced to break the law by being initiated into something illicit playing part in a prostitution

Is Physical Activity More Important in Defining Health Benefits Essay

Is Physical Activity More Important in Defining Health Benefits - Essay Example Regular participation in physical activity is imperative to maintaining and improving good health (Blair, Cheng, and Holder, P. 380). Communities and organizations are usually encouraged to provide support to their members and staff to do physical activities. This can be achieved by offering and supporting programmes that intend to increase such activities. They can install fitness gymnasium among others. As physical fitness educators work in the present with many students, it is vital to make sure that the student’s current physical activity is achieved by encouraging them to continue over a lifetime. Research has noted that transition from childhood physical activity to adult fitness is crucial to improving individual health throughout (Malina, P. 162). The current physical activity guidelines for adults aged between 18 and 64 years consist of minimum one hundred and fifty of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes vigorous-intensity physical activity. These can be combined with muscle-strengthening activities that strengthen all the major muscles. The four areas of the target in doing the exercise are cardiorespiratory exercise, flexibility exercise, neuro-motor exercise and intensity exercise. The intensity of the exercise refers to the rate and extent to which the exercise is performed or the effort required to carry out an activity. The moderate intensity physical activity includes brisk walking, dancing, and domestic chores among others. Vigorous physical activity includes running, fast cycling, aerobics and fast swimming among others (Kyrà ¶là ¤inen et al. P. 912). Lack of performing physical activity has persistently contributed to the escalation of obesity and overweight. Therefore, individuals should always engage in performing daily physical activities to maintain their health fitness by averting diseases related to lack of exercise.

Low carbon building portfolio (Briefing Reports) Assignment

Low carbon building portfolio (Briefing Reports) - Assignment Example The BEEAM calculator method defines the type of building and differences in range of water consuming activities of various components within a building. The other methods that are used are standard Wat 01 method, and alternative Wat 01 technique (Srinivasan, Ling, & Mori 2011). Using the Wat 01 calculator, domestic water rate of consumption of components is calculated and baseline performance compared, indicate efficiency of baths, dishwashers, urinals, and showers, specify rain water systems, and finally, specify water consumption rate in liters. When the building tenanted areas are provided with water, then sanitary components must be specifies. Alternatively, the level of performance can be determined by use of fittings that are compliant with the baseline level of the BREEAM (Williams 2010). Wat 02 method is used where water is supplied from private sources or boreholes. Areas of the building that consume 10% of water are fitted with meters that provide instantaneous readings, have connections to BMS, and monitor the rate of water consumption. Each of the meters gives a reading based on the consumption level and each pulse water meters is connected to the BMS when the building is managed by the owner. There is no need for sub-meters especially where there are no monitoring benefits and there is no need to install a meter where simple calculations are required to determine the usage of water for a function (Michaelowa 2012). Provide a leak prevention and detection system to detect water leaks on the water supply system. It is activated when water passes through the water system and identifies the changes in flow. The following flow control devices may be used, thus, time controller, programmed time controller, volume controller, and central control unit. Constant water supply is required and in case of emergencies, the water supply should be constant and should not be shut down and it may be necessary for the operation of other systems within the

A Road to Life Movie Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Road to Life Movie Summary - Essay Example The movie concentrates upon the activities of the orphan children, who are kept and looked after with proper care and concern in a rehabilitation camp. The movie shows that the camp commission provides them with comforts and trains them to learn various technical skills under an affectionate, nurturing and congenial environment, which is helpful for the socialization of the orphan boys; as a result a large number of boys learn how to behave like civilized persons while interacting with other members of society. Nevertheless, two of the boys keep on deviating from the rules and regulations, and commit the crimes, which create much disturbance and annoyance in the locality. It clearly demonstrates the bitter fact that there certainly exist some people in every society, which have natural inclination towards committing crimes.Since it was the age of black and white films, the director has sought support from shades, shadows and dark colors. For instance, the evening and night scenes of the camp life have been supported with the same techniques. Moreover, being the first sound film, the director has also applied the written words on the screen in order to demonstrate various areas and situations going to be displayed in the movie. The words appear on the screen in order to guide the audience in respect of the location, where the specific part of movie is being established. In addition, close and remote camera skills can also be witnessed in order to show distance between different characters. and objects and places as well. Establishing shot technique has been exercised in Zighan’s catching the shoes stolen by the deviant boy at the railway station. In addition, close up technique has been applied in order to reveal the face expressions and body language of the characters. The film takes the audience from one place to the other through the wonderful application of cross-cuts technique. For instance, the scene showing the main characters standing and wanderin g at the railway st

The Pros and Cons of Setting Separate Private Company Essay Example for Free

The Pros and Cons of Setting Separate Private Company Essay With the development of world economy, U.S.GAAP becomes more and more complex to meet public companies’ needs. Private companies cost a great fortune to compliance with U.S.GAAP. So, setting public-private accounting standards is a different issue debated for decades. it goes without saying that setting new separate accounting standards have its advantages and disadvantages. Background In USA, there are a large number of nonpublic companies, much more than public companies. As time goes, deficiencies exist in current GAAP to meet nonpublic companies to make financial reporting. GAAP is extremely complex and onerous to nonpublic companies. Those private companies frustrated with being forced to spend a great amount of money on valuating intangible property, or spending hours on disclosures that users may not read. Therefore, private companies’ owners cry for a sufficient and appropriate accounting standards meet their needs. In Jun 2006, The AICPA advocated for the need for setting a differential private company standards. Then, the Private Company Financial Reporting Committee ( PCFRC ), overseen by FASB, was formed to modify private accounting rules for private company. However, FASB overruled the PCFRC’s recommendations numerous times. In this way, in early 2011, Blue Ribbon Panel ( a joint committee of the Financial Accounting Foundation ) recommended to establish an autonomous board, directly overseen by FAF, to set new accounting standards for private companies, instead of oversight by FASB. Later in the year, the FAF overruled blue ribbon panel recommendation and proposed a new †Private Company Standards Improvements Council†(PCSIC), which can recommend changes and exceptions to standards FASB issued for private companies. But FASB still have final say by ratifying The PCSIC suggests. After that, the AICPA have announced its disappointment about FAF disallowed establish Separate private accounting standards. And according to the new Deloitte survey, more than half of medium and small sized companies (respondents) believe there should be separate standards. So, the battle isn’t end! The pros of setting private company accounting standards First of all, unlike big GAAP, a small GAAP for nonpublic company can simplify private company reporting. With the development of world economy, U.S.GAAP become more and more complex to meet large multinational corporations’ and public corporations’ needs. However, many of those requirements are irrelevant to private companies. Users probably won’t use much of information accountants prepared according to U.S.GAAP. Comparing with large companies, small companies compile those standards are expensive and time consuming. GAAP compliant financial statements are growing disproportionately compare with the benefits of providing such financial statements to users of private company. So GAAP is not an ideal framework for financial reporting for private company. While, separate private accounting standards would limit unnecessary information, reduce costs. Additionally, according to American Law, GAAP must be followed by public companies, those trade their securities in public market, but not obligatory to nonpublic companies, they prepare financial statements based on other accounting standards for their users. In this way, some of private companies strictly follow GAAP, some of them follow GAAP to a certain extent, others avoid GAAP altogether by choosing other account system. This can cause several problems. For example the reliability of the accounting information cannot be guaranteed since different kinds of reference standards private companies choose. The increasing difficulties for users compare with competitors in same industry. The Cons of setting private company accounting standards To begin with, private company might go public. If a private company comply with high quality GAAP from it started, going public won’t be hampered to this company. However, if a private company adopts private accounting standards, instead of GAAP, the company must adjust its account according with GAAP before come in to market, and, without doubt, have less chance go public. In addition, the economics of a transaction should be accounted for in the same manner by all entities. In an economic transaction, events and circumstances are same to seller and buyer, regardless of whether entity is pubic company or not. So, the manner of recognition and measurement in the transaction should not be influenced by its size, its status as a private entity, or its sources of capital. Moreover, if separate private company accounting standards are set, there is no way to compare private company financial statements with public company financial statement. Under a single set of U.S.GAAP, financial users, like investors and business owners, can easily compare their financial statements with similar entities’ financial statements in the same industry, which can provide great value. Finally, Complexity of GAAP is a problem for all companies, whether public or private. The compliance burden falls proportionally to private company, because they have fewer resources and some of GAAP exempt to them. It is also complexity to public companies. So if public companies have to endure this, then so should private companies. Bibliography 1. Norris, Floyd. Proposal Would Create New Accounting Standard-Setter for Private Companies. The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. 2. Hood, Tom. Private Company GAAP? Time to Pay Attention. Macpa. Macpa.org, 07 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. 3. Pounder, Bruce. The Big Risks of Little GAAP Accounting CFO.com. CFO.com. CFO.com, 2 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. 4. Zanzig, Jeffrey S, and Dale L. Flesher. GAAP Requirements for Nonpublic Companies. Nysscpa. Nysscpa.org, May 2006. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. 5. Small or Mid-Size Private COmpanies Indicate Preference for Separate Accounting Standards: Deloitte Survey. Galegroup.com. Investment Weekly News, 8 Aug. 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. 6. Beckwith, George. Is a separate FASB for private company GAAP coming? Financial Executive Oct. 2010: 66+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

Living Organ Donation Inspired Explorations In Normative Ethics Philosophy Essay

Living Organ Donation Inspired Explorations In Normative Ethics Philosophy Essay Ever since the first living adult organ transplantation in 1954, organ donation continues to advance as a form of medical intervention (Pence, 2007). With its ongoing popularity, living adult organ donation inspires a variety of debates in normative ethics circles. In this essay, I am taking the opportunity to advocate for Virtue Ethics as the most ethically defensible approach to living adult organ donation. Virtue Ethics, unlike Utilitarianism or Deontology, promote the highest degree of personal enlightenment and, as such, ensure the highest calibre of our moral choice through maximized consistency, personal accountability, and overall highest harmony of our actions as they relate to key players in living adult organ donation (donor, recipient, doctors and society). To complete my perspective, I will reclaim the widely-accepted drawback of Virtue Ethics regarding its lack of systemized action rules (i.e. codifiability) by proposing realistic societal long-term transformations, as governed by Virtue Ethics, which would make codifiability achievable. Living adult organ donation is an act of providing of a vital organ to an organ recipient by an organ donor for organ transplantation for the immediate purposes of either improving the quality of life of a recipient, the quality of life of both donor and recipient or saving recipients life (Pence, 2007). Living adult organ donation differs from cadaveric organ donation because the donor is alive, while in cadaveric organ donation the donor is brain-dead (Pence, 2007). According to the provincial organ donation agency, Trillium Gift of Life Network, there are 1487 people on waiting list for organ donation this year (Trillium Gift of Life Network, 2010). Organs that can be transplanted are liver, heart, kidney, lung, pancreas and small bowels (Trillium Gift of Life Network, 2010). The reality of the situation is that some of these people will not find a suitable donor and their health will deteriorate or they may die. In order to truly explore the ethical journey of organ donation, I will put myself in the shoes of a potential organ donor and take a walk in the halls of Deontology, Utilitarianism and Virtue Ethics schools. Why, when and to whom would I donate my organ so that my decision is morally right for me, for the recipient, for the doctors and for society? There is nobody that I know requiring an organ at this moment. Although I could enlist myself as a living organ donor and potentially save another human fellow, currently I choose not to. If my loved one or somebody I know and respect needed an organ right now, I would, however, donate it without hesitation. As I walk in an organ-donors shoes, I enter the Deontology school and I see a representative Deontological philosopher, Kant, sitting at his work desk, surrounded by piles and piles of paper. He greets me and at the same time approves of my present choice of not being enlisted in an organ donors list. According to Kant and Deontology theory, one should never treat oneself as an object or means only, but always as an end (Pence, 2007). He goes on to share his view that if we voluntarily choose to potentially endanger our bodies by taking out organs for organ donation purposes, we are not cultivating humanity in that case because to be human means protecting your bodys integrity (Pence, 2007). Kant considers my present choice of not being enlisted as an organ donor morally right because I am not physically harming myself for the benefit of another human being, i.e. I treat myself as an end, not as means. Deontologians believe that our decisions must come from a rational and autonomous perspective of a free will in order to be morally right (Pence, 2007). Furthermore, it is not rational to harm yourself and it is always wrong to potentially harm yourself for the benefit of another human being. The final view of wrongness of organ donation is universalizable for everyone and in every situation and it would be my duty to follow such set of rules (Pence, 1998). Thus, according to Kants rationale, it is always morally wrong to engage in organ donation. I disagree with Kant about what constitutes a free will and what is my moral duty. According to my upbringing, system of values and my life experiences, free will, for me, is not only consisting of a rational component, but also emotional component. If my brother needed an organ and I was a match, I would donate it. If I act according to Kant and not donate my organ to my loved one, my action would be morally wrong for me, the recipient, doctors and the society. Firstly, the motivation behind my organ donation is the unconditional love I feel for my brother. I consult the Virtue Ethics School and in their teachings I find that unconditional love is actually a trait in the character, and if made habitual, it would constitute a virtue because unconditional love promotes good actions (Pence, 2007). By giving my brother my organ, he would know even more about my unconditional love for him and we would both strengthen even further our individual emotional foundations. Second, my intellect is satisfied by my organ donation to my brother because I know that, if the operation goes well, his health will improve and I wouldnt suffer any major side-effects that require hospitalization. Because both my brother and I would be healthier and happier, I would not be anxious or depressed about his state. This wo uld mean that I would not be a burden to the healthcare system because I would have no need to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist, for I would be happy. As both my brother and I are healthy and happy, each of us could further contribute to society by being productively employed. Our positive attitude due to the happiness we feel could be positively reflected further in our other relationships, thus contributing to the overall harmonious developments stemming from an organ donation to a loved one. According to Virtue Ethicists, my action of organ donation would be morally right because I have displayed character virtues such as courage and sincerity of my motivation. Most importantly for Virtue Ethicists, my actions are in alignment with my system of values and my life experience, thus I have exercised my moral wisdom and reach a sought-after happiness state (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2003). I continue my exploration of normative ethics by entering the hallways of Utilitarianism school. According to Utilitarianism, the action is morally right if its consequences produce the greatest amount of goodness or the smallest amount of negative consequences (Pence, 2007). Goodness can be measured in various ways and, depending on the reference parameters, goodness can be measured in emotional, psychological, monetary or any other means as goodness. Utilitarianism school has two divisions rule utilitarianism and act utilitarianism (Pence, 2007). According to rule utilitarianism, what makes an act right is following general moral rules that produce the greatest good for the greatest number. On the other hand, act utilitarianism wishes to reserve the right to judge each unique case and then decide which action creates the greatest good. Although act utilitarianists agree that general rules commonly should be followed, they reserve the right to break them. Rules are broken if extrao rdinary circumstances arise, where a greater good for a greater number of people would be created by doing so (Pence, 2007). In my hypothetical case of donating an organ to my beloved brother, act utilitarianism would approve of such an action because it would benefit me, my brother, the healthcare and the society, as previously stated. But does general utilitarianism produce consistent moral actions that are in harmony with our personal value system, irrespective of external benefits to the society? To illustrate that utilitarianism does not encompass the entire spectrum of human decision-making requirements, consider the scenario where I have an opportunity to save three people by donating three of my organs (liver, kidney and a lung lobe), versus saving my brother by donating only one organ my heart. If I choose to donate to these three people, I would, numerically speaking, increase the overall good consequences in the world by allowing three people to live at the cost of my emotional turmoil on my death bed, following the surgery, for not saving my brother. More people would be happy than not, if we take into account that families of three recipients outnumber my family. But, in my opinion and in the opinion of Virtue Ethicists, this action would not be morally justified as I would have betrayed my emotional v irtues framework when I decided not to save my brother. When deciding whether the action is morally right, Virtue Ethics do not hide under a cloak of incomplete moral rules, such as Deontological evasion of an emotional component during such an act. By calling upon the complete enlightenment of ones character (i.e. virtues) and in combination with moral wisdom attained through life and its conditions, Virtue Ethics holds every individual accountable for his/her actions (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2003). When people are held personally responsible for their actions as they relate to their character, they truly have an opportunity to grow as a human being and reach the ultimate potential for happiness and thus, perform the most morally righteous action on any particular topic. The followers of the Virtue Ethics school embrace the intricacies of human experiences and aspire to understand a moral action within the cultural, emotional and intellectual conditions it has been performed in. While it can be a tedious and somewhat challenging to expect from every human to seek to act in accordance with Virtue Ethics, if exercised, it does ensure consistency of moral acts within a society which Utilitarianism and Deontology lack. Some argue that codifiability of Virtue Ethics is impossible to achieve, but I argue that it is possible. The societal transformation that would need to occur would require enormous good will from the majority of human population, mandatory excellence in parenting, and most importantly, ones utmost commitment to achieving happiness as defined by Virtue Ethics. Both Utilitarianism and Deontology schools offer noble, but incomplete foundations for evaluating whether adult organ donation is a morally right act. While each theory protects the principles of either ratio or overall goodness, neither of them account for the myriad of emotional and empirical factors that are present in our decision-making, whether we like it or not. Virtue Ethics seeks to understand moral actions in a true rainbow of colors that they arise from, which is why it is the only normative ethical theory that is realistic enough to salute our human complexity.

Stereotypes In the Media :: Media Stereotypes Stereotyping

Stereotypes In the Media Stereotypes play an important role in today's society and particularly in Propaganda. According to the Webster's Dictionary stereotyping is defined as a fixed conventional notion or conception of an individual or group of people, heldby a number of people. Stereotypes can be basic or complex generalizations which people apply to individuals or groups based on their appearance, behaviour and beliefs. Stereotypes are found everywhere. Though our world seems to be improving in many ways it seems almost impossible to liberate it from stereotypes. Stereotypes have existed since the beginning of time in our everyday life through religion, politics and the media. Humans have the tendency to "use stereotypes in their humour, their descriptions of others, and even in their beliefs." One may believe it is possible to rid oneself of such habits; however if one looked at the regular promotions of propaganda, it would make this objective impossible. Stereotypes, however, aren't always negative; hence, this essay will discuss the negative and positive aspects of stereotypes used by propaganda. Propaganda is a force which can influence and affect everyone; bringing changes in behavior, attitudes and ones beliefs. It is also known that media impacts its viewersmodifying their judgments based on the information which they receive. Substantial amounts of stereotypes broadcasted through propaganda have similar effects. This essay will illustrate how stereotypes are generally portrayed and their function in propaganda. Also it will further r eveal how successful and well stereotypes can work when used in propaganda tactics. The media often uses and misrepresents stereotypes; however, they are significantly accepted by people among society. TV shows such as the Simpsons are packed with stereotypes within its broadcast of half an hour. The Simpsons contains a large number of audience that watch the show daily as it is broadcasted during prime time. Characters such as Apu are highly discriminated and stereotyped. On this show Apu is characterized as an Indian immigrant, who prays to Ganesh, and holds a highly noticeable and dissimilar accent. This is a stereotype which is observed by young children and is perceived as humorous; they apply this knowledge towards those they meet in real-life. Viewers of this show believe this information to be completely accurate for they hold little or no knowledge about that particular group. Though the stereotypes shown on TV are usually misrepresented, they are quite well accepted by the audience as the truth.

Love Loss And The Court Of King Claudius :: essays research papers

Love, Loss, and the Court of King Claudius   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare worked with the simplest of principals, writing at the mind’s own speed, using everything he read, but reworking it first, and depending upon characters for the defining trait or flaw. One theme which constantly emerges throughout Hamlet is the theme of love and loss, revealed by the characters of Hamlet, Laertes, and Ophelia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is a young man subjected to much heart ache in the course of this play. His first loss being the suspicious death of Hamlet’s beloved and respected father, Hamlet Sr. Even Hamlet’s Uncle/Step-father, King Claudius, noted in speaking with young Hamlet that his mourning was serious. â€Å"’Tis sweet and commendable in your nature,† says Caludius of Hamlet’s behavior, â€Å". . .But to persevere in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness. ‘Tis unmanly grief. . .† (Act I, Scene II, lines 90-98). Hamlet was heartbroken at the loss of his father, which was reflected in his outlook on life. He regarded Denmark as a prison and spoke to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of having bad dreams. Unfortunately Act I is not the only time where young Hamlet expresses pain from love and loss. Although he is cruel and unkind to Ophelia in their meetings of both Act III, Scenes I and II, he is only expressing the frustration that has built up inside of him toward all women, and directed it at Ophelia because she was available. Hamlet had not ceased to love her. He explains his true feelings for Ophelia upon arrival at her burial, completely shocked that his beloved maid has died, saying, â€Å"What is he whose grief bears such an emphasis, whose phase of sorrow conjures the wand’ring stars and makes them stand like wonder-wounded hearers? This is I,† (Act V, Scene I, lines 267-271). He then goes on to say he would do anything to prove his love, including be buried with her. Hamlet lost yet another person dear to him, his lover, fair Ophelia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamlet is only one character in the play who experiences love and loss. Ophelia is another. In Act III, Scene IV, after the performance of The Mouse Trap and The Murder of Gonzago for the royal court, Hamlet mistakenly kills Polonius, the father of Ophelia and Laertes. Ophelia already believed she had lost the affections of her Hamlet due to their dialogue from Act III, Scenes I and II. She had sacrificed his love because her father and brother had ordered her to turn him away. And now, to learn that her respected father,

Iago as a Satan Figure in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- Othello essay

Iago as a Satan Figure in Othello      Ã‚   The play "Othello" by William Shakespeare is based on an Italian story in Giraldi Cinthio's Hecatommithi (Groliers). In "Othello" we encounter Iago, one of Shakespeare's most evil characters.   Iago is an ensign in Othello's army and is jealous of Cassio's promotion to Lieutenant. Through deception and appearance, we see unfolded a plethora of lies and clever schemes. The astonishing thing about Iago is that he seems to make up his malicious schemes as he goes along without any forethought. Noted writer Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes Iago's plan as "motive-hunting of a motiveless malignity" (Scott 413). Iago seizes every opportunity to further advance his plan to his advantage. Greed plays a major role as a motive for his various schemes. Throughout the story, Iago portrays himself as a Satan figure. In many ways, Iago can compare with Satan.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Iago, like Satan, has proved himself to be a master at deception. He lies to everyone taking great care to disguise his own thoughts. For example, in Act 1, scene 2, when he is speaking to Othello about his feelings toward Cassio, he uses very strong language of a manly soldier, while at the same time, he lies throughout the whole speech faking loyalty to a fellow soldier and all the while implying that he is reluctantly holding back the full truth: "I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/ Than it should do offense to Michael Cassio" (I.ii.21-22). This deception impresses and convinces Othello that his ensign is a good and loyal soldier. Iago also succeeds in deceiving Cassio. After Cassio's drunken fight, Iago counsels him to speak to Desdimona about trying to convince Othello to reinstate him as lieutenant, all th... ... to refer to him as, He says: "I am the I AM. . ." (Ex. 3:14). Iago says that he is the I am not. He is, in essence, the exact reverse of God. As we have seen, metaphorically and by example, Iago has proven to be the epitome of evil in that he uses the same tactics that Satan does to get what he wants.    Works Cited Carey, Gary M.A. Cliff's Notes. Cliff's Notes Incorperated. Lincoln Nebraska,1980. Holy Bible. New American Standard Version. The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopidia. Rel. 6. CD-ROM. Online Computer Systems Incorperated. 1993. Scott, Mark. Critical Interperatation of Othello. from Shakespeare for Students. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Incorperated, 1992. 411-457. Shakespeare, William. Othello, The Moor of Venice. from Literature and the Writing Process. McMahon, Day, Funk. Prentice-Hall Publishers: New Jersey, 1996. 864-947.

Food and Beverage Control

Objectives of F&B control * Analysis of income and expenditure performance can be expressed in gross profit, net margin (gross – wages) and net profit (net margin – rent, rates, insurance†¦) * Establishment and maintenance of standards. SOP (standard operational procedures) * Pricing * Prevention of waste * Prevention of fraud * Management information Problems of F&B control * Perishability of food * Business volume unpredictability/sales instability Menu mix unpredictability * F&B operation short cycle -> little time for many control tasks * Departmentalization – several production and service departments -> separate trading results Fundamentals of control Planning phase Policies: pre-determined guidelines * Financial policy – level of profitability, subsidy and cost limits from each department * Marketing policy: target group * National identity * Customer profile Market share – same or more percentage of ‘our’ market * Turnover – sales volume increased by x% on previous year * Profitability – profit increased by each unit by x% on previous year * ASP (average spending power) increased by x% or to achieve a new ASP of no less than â‚ ¬x * Product – same high standard * Customer satisfaction – net result must be the satisfaction of every customer * Catering policy – main objectives of F&B facilities and describe the methods of how this is achieved * Type of customer * Type of menu * Beverage provision necessary for operation Food quality standards * Method of buying (contract, cash†¦) * Type and quality of service * Degree of comfort and decor * Hours of operation Operational phase * Purchasing * Product testing (tasting) * Yield testing * Purchase specifications – concise description of quality, size, weight etc. * Method of buying * Clerical procedures (who places orders, what documentation necessary for control) * Receiving * Quantity inspection * Quality inspection * Clerical procedures (acknowledgement of the receipt, delivery signature) * Storing and issuing * Stock records Pricing of items * Stocktaking (how much stock to be held, rate of stock turnover etc. ) * Clerical procedures (what documentation in necessary) * Selling * Checking system (number of items sold) * Control of cash * Clerical procedures Post operation phase * F&B cost reporting (daily or weekly) * Assessment – compare reports with budgets and with previous performance * Correction if necessary Reality of control: never 100% efficient Setting the budget and break-even analysis * Budget – plan which reflects policies and determines the business perations for a particular trading period * Budgetary control – control with particular responsibility for budget results is assigned to managers and continuous comparison between the actual results and the budgeted figures is made * Objectives of budgetary control * To provide a plan of action, to keep business with its policies and to maximize the full use of resources * To set standards of performance * To set out levels of cost responsibility and to encourage cost awareness * Capital budgets – assets, equipment etc. * Operating budgets – day-to-day income and includes sales, cost of sales, labour, maintenance etc.Stages of budgeting 1. Determination of net profit, capital invested and risks involved 2. Preparation of sales budget – volume of sales necessary to achieve desired net profit. Also influences budgeted cost for food, labour etc. 3. Preparation of administration and general budgets (office expenses, advertising etc. ) 4. Preparation of capital expenditure budget (new equipment, furniture) 5. Preparation of cash budget (cash inflows/outflows, cash balance) 6. Preparation of master budgets (trading account, profit loss account and balance sheet) Costs, profits and sales Material costs = opening stock + cost of purchases – closing stock â€⠀œ cost of staff meals * Labour costs = wages and salaries * Overhead costs = all other costs Four kinds of costs * Fixed – always the same * Semi-fixed – depends on volume of sales but not in same proportion (fuel, telephone costs) * Variable – in proportion to volume of sales * Total – sum of above Profit * Gross profit – total sales – cost of materials * After-wage profit/net margin – total sales – material – labour * Net profit – total sales – total costs (material, labour, overhead cost) Break-even analysis * Based on: Selling price, product mix and unit costs remain the same * Only one product is made/sold * Break-even = C/(S-V) * C = total fixed costs * S = sales price * V = variable cost Software systems * Menu planning (popularity and profitability) * Production control (quantities) * Stock management (maintain stock levels) * Purchase ordering (order automatically when minimum stock) * Menu analys is (individual customer menu choices recorded) * All of these systems together: EPOS system Basic concepts * Planning, standard yields, recipes, portion sizes -> PYRS * Production planning (or volume forecasting) Goal: cost control, purchasing, reduce waste, production on demand, comparison between actual and potential volume of sales * Standard yields * Is the usable part of that product after initial preparation, or the edible part of the product after preparation and cooking * Goal: know how much to buy, safeguard against wastage – measurement of efficiency of production, accurate food costing * Standard recipe * Goal: accurate costing, important to know nutritional value, useful in kitchen * Standard portion size * Aid to food costing Methods of food control Control cycle * Purchase order * Delivery note Invoice (usually send directly to accounts department) * Requisition Weekly/monthly food cost report * For small business * Simple and quick to make * No intermediate inf ormation (only after 7 or 28 days) Daily food cost report * For small to medium-sized business * Simple and easy to follow * Detailed * Corrective action can be taken early in the month * Accuracy is important * Ignores staff meals, food that goes to/from bar -> not accurate Calculation of potential food costs 1. Multiply number of each menu item during a sample week by potential food cost per portion -> total potential food cost of a week 2.Same with sold portions and menu prices -> potential total sales 3. Divide total potential food cost by total potential sales -> potential food cost percentage * Necessary information for above calculation: * Number of items sold and their selling prices * Standard recipe cards of all menu items * Summary of potential food cost obtained from recipe cards * Average market price for main ingredients Methods of beverage control * Six basic types: control of purchasing, receiving, storing and issuing, planning, establishment of standard yields, reci pes, portion sizes and inventory * Par stock or bottle control system Beginning stock * Number of empty bottles to be counted and requisitioned for the day * Potential sales based on quantities issues and compared to actual revenue received * Adjustments made to selling price if necessary * Potential sales value system * Revenue value of each bottle based on standard size of drink, contents of bottle and selling price for each drink * Full bottles of spirits: potential sales value is the same as selling price * Spirits sold by glass: number of drinks x price per drink = potential sales value * Millimeter system * Most accurate EPOS reporting Menu item preference – to identify potential menu items that aren’t doing well and eliminate them from the menu * Menu item profitability * Sales by meal period – to know when to hire more staff or for marketing * Sales by server – to identify members of staff who need further training * Category report * Table waitin g times Profit sensitivity analysis (PSA) * Identifying the ‘critical’ or ‘key factors’ of a business and how they influence the net profit * Method of PSA: 1. Identify key factors (number of covers, F&B costs, labour costs†¦) 2. Assume a change in one key factor at a time 3.Calculate resulting change in net profit 4. Calculate ‘profit multipliers’ PM = % of change in net profit / % of change in key factor 5. List the PM’s in order of size 6. Analyze results Menu engineering * Evaluation of menu with regard to its present and future content, design and pricing * Highlight the good and poor performers on a menu * Customer demand – number of customers served * Menu mix – customer preference for menu item * Contribution margin (GP% – gross profit %) of each menu item (how much earned from item) * Stars – popular menu items and high GP% * Plowhorses – popular but low GP% Puzzles – low popularity but high GP% * Dogs – low popularity and low GP% Systems of revenue control * Manual or automated * Sales checks: each item ordered and the selling price to be recorded in check pads * Cashiers role: check and record the check pads in a ‘check number issue sheet’ and check pricing of all checks and add taxes Computerized items * Pre-checking systems: waiter has own machine key * Pre-set pre-checking system: each item on menu has its own key on machine * Electronic cash registers (ECR): EPOS is better so now only for small operations * MPOS: handheld/mobile EPOS systemForecasting * How many customers and what will they eat at what time * We need: * Sales and turndown history * Cancellations and no show trends * Competitor data * Market trends * Weather forecast * Methods of forecasting software * Non-linear regression: used when time is the independent variable * Multiple regression analysis * Trend analysis * Adaptive filtering Operating ratios * Total F&B sales * Recorded and checked against budgeted sales figure * Done daily for large businesses * Departmental profit * Expenses = costs of F&B labour * Profit = % of departmental sales Ratio of separate F&B sales to total sales * ASP – number of items recorded on till roll and total sales * Sales mix – food-beverages, appetizers-coffees-mains * Payroll costs – % of sales – higher if more service * Index of productivity – sales/payroll * Stock turnover * Rate of stock turnover = cost of F&B consumed / average stock value at cost * Number of items that average level of stock has turned over in a given period * Sales per seat available – sales value that can be earned by each seat * Rate of seat turnover – number of times that each seat is used * Sales per waiter * Sales per m?

A Worn Path Short Story Research Paper Essay

Many obstacles can be taken when one desired the most is at risk. Phoenix Jackson is an old woman who has the right intentions, but meets many conflicts on the way. In the short story, â€Å"A Worn Path†, Eudora Welty predicts that one never knows where a path will end up leading them through conflict and symbolism. Phoenix Jackson warns that one never knows where a path will end up leading to. In the short story â€Å"a Worn Path†, Phoenix Jackson goes through many obstacles on the path to find medicine for her â€Å"grandson† (Welty). Phoenix is on a mission to retrieve treatment for her grandson. She is willing to face anything that gets in the way of her path leading to her destination. As Phoenix faces her journey she will reach conflicts beyond the way. While on the path to complete her mission phoenix stumbles upon many conflicts. In the short story â€Å"a Worn Path†, Phoenix comes encounter with intimidation of a â€Å"young hunter† in the woods (Heller). The hunter tests the old lady of weakness as he boasts of himself throughout the scavenged woods. Although the hunter has a gun with any possible chance to use it on Phoenix, she resembles courage upon the conflict for going about her business and continuing about her quest. In the short story â€Å"a Worn Path†, old woman Phoenix struggled up a hill â€Å"extricate[ed] herself from a thorn bush†, and crossed a log over a creek (Piwinski). As the woman struggles to get out of the bush she chooses to not give up and continue forward her path. The woods may have brought conflict and obstacles to Phoenix, but that won’t stop her from reaching the end of her journey.

Theory Of Evolution

I have always believed that it can take one person to get the ball rolling, but it takes a group to make an impact. Therefore, the concept of evolution via natural selection was a group effort. Darwin didn’t work on scientific evolution alone. Within, the seven years Darwin was thinking and analyzing about his theory, others were working on it themselves. Darwin is certainly the father of evolution, but our current understanding of evolution [DNA, natural selection, genetics, etc. ] has evolved through the scientific understanding of others. As with natural evolution, our understanding of hereditary transfer/natural selection has also evolved as well. Theories have been introduced since Darwin that have been proven both true and false [scientific natural selection]. However, would it have been proposed to the world if not for Wallace? No theory can be proven true, unless somebody else takes the report and repeats the research and comes up with same result. Wallace was a deep thinker, as was Darwin, so it’s no shock that they both concluded the same theory of evolution. Although, should Wallace have not assured Darwin of his theory we might have never known of a thing called evolution? Evolution was just the starting point for many new theories soon to be thought of. From evolution there arose natural selection. Together again, Darwin and Wallace created this theory. In order to verify their theory of natural selection, they had to dispute with Lemarck about variation. They both borrowed information from each other to better understand what they were trying to propose. Darwin new that, † variation already existed, however he was unsure where this variation came from† [Park 1998:33]. But by seeing what Lemarck had already concluded Darwin could continue on with his theory with knowledge from another source. In order to be valued, two parties must verify the results. In the process of re-examining a study, new knowledge is gained, theory is formed, and principals evolve. Darwin was the starting point for many new theories, before he passed away. After Darwin was gone, there came Mendall, who showed us the unit of heredity and modern syntheses. Mendall thought of theories far beyond Darwin, but to gain this knowledge he had to start with what Darwin had already concluded. In order to have theories evolve you need more than one mind. Knowledge of genetics and DNA has grown massively over the years, partly in response to technology. Of course, the basis of our knowledge came from Darwin, Wallace, Lemarck, and Mendall, but to capitalize on these theories we use our technology sources today. We are now capable of manipulating genes to possible altar evolution. When Darwin, Wallace, Lemarck, and Mendall were around they didn’t posses the technology we have today. Since, technology we have been able to discover many new theories, as mentioned above. Many people in this world start theories or discoveries, but in order to better understand them or draw a conclusion, you need more input from others. By giving or taking input other than your own you’re able to see other people’s nature of science. Take cars, for instance, the first car did not have a hood, nor could it even go over twenty-five miles per hour. Henry Ford knew he created something that could forever change the world, but it was also just a starting point. Fords basic idea of transportation has been built on for years. Cars these days are completely different. They are finer, more reliable, and they have hoods! However, in order for cars to evolve to the way they are today, we needed input or suggestions from others. Sometimes the best ideas are by those who just sit back and observe. It is like learning how to ride a bike. You can sit and watch someone get up on his or her bike and fall, knowing that if they would have just kept their balance evenly distributed they would have not fallen. So knowing the information, when you get up on your bike you remember to keep your weight balanced, subsequently you do not fall. Scientific discovery is the social process. Had Darwin acted on it alone, our understanding of evolution would be far less. However, our current concept is far more comprehensive, this is entirely due to the contribution of several minds over an extended period of time.

A researcher strongly believes Essay

1.A researcher strongly believes that physicians tend to show female nurses less attention and respect than they show male nurses. she sets up an experimental study involving observations of health clinics in different conditions. In explaining the study to the physicians and nurses who will participate, what steps should the researcher take to eliminate experimental bias based on both experimenter expectations and participant expectations.? The first step should be to consider that using an experiment in clinical conditions is a bad idea. An ethnographic study might be a better approach. The next step should be to consider what is really being studied. Is the point of the study to determine how physicians treat female nurses when compared to male nurses, or is it to determine the degree of difference? Would the individual’s gender (both that of the doctor and that of the nurse) make a difference? The results of a study would not be valid without considering the possibility that it is gender, not sex, that makes the difference. If pressed to design this experiment, I would gain permission to do the observation (or experiment, if you prefer). Then I would ask the doctors and nurses involved to participate in training vignettes. I would film the vignettes so that my work could be triangulated by other researchers. I would have a research assistant play the role of a patient, but would not disclose to the doctor and nurse that this was not a real patient. I would ask the doctor(s) to film the training vignette, perhaps of the way to decide whether or not to order a particular type of test, twice. The first time they would be given a male or female nurse; the second time, the reverse. The videos would be observed by myself and a research diary kept, with my personal feelings about the vignettes and the participant’s actions recorded so that any bias could be accounted for later. I would write my conclusions about the individual’s behaviors. Then, I would have two other researchers do the same. The conclusions of the three researchers would be compared and if two of the researchers had the same opinion about the behaviors of the physician, that opinion would be recorded as the official observation. The outlier observation would be recorded and archived. If the time was available I would film each physician six times: with a masculine male nurse, with a feminine male nurse, with a masculine female nurse, with a feminine female nurse, and with an obviously transgender male and female. The repetitive nature of doing this could easily be explained by saying the â€Å"client† was not clear what they wanted yet. 2.In what ways is the â€Å"fight-or-flight response helpful to humans in emergency situations? The fight or flight response helps the individual who is in an emergency situation to get the â€Å"blood pumping† so that the body can effectively run, or fight. The heart rate goes up; the individual may sweat or develop goose bumps. The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system governs flight or fight. Once the emergency is over – or perhaps, there never was an emergency, but the person believed there was – the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system takes over and helps calm the body down. The parasympathetic system stores energy for the next time it is needed in an emergency. The simplistic answer to this question is that fight or flight helps the human body prepare to survive. 3 Much research is being conducted on repairing faulty sensory organs through devices such as personal guidance systems and eyeglasses, among others. Do you think that researcher should attempt to improve normal sensory capabilities beyond their â€Å"natural† range (for example make human visual or audio capabilities more sensitive than normal)? What problems might this cause? This is both a question of science, and of ethics. We may be able to do something (even without unwanted side effects) but this does not mean we should. Once the capacity exists to better ourselves through technology, individuals who are in competitive situations will want this technology to make themselves more competitive. Perhaps a cochlear implant, for example, can be used not only for the non-hearing to hear, but to make the hearing have something resembling super-hearing, without being detectable by others. It is easy to foresee a situation where CEOs would want this implant to make  it possible to hear what members of the board are muttering, or that football players would want it so they can hear what the opposing quarterback is saying in the huddle. From a technical perspective, however, the human body is not comprised of stand-alone parts any more than a car or truck is. The body is put together in a system. The body’s parts are designed to work together in a particular way, much the same way that the carburetor, air filter, engine, spark plugs, and cooling system are designed to work together in a vehicle. The vehicle cannot work correctly if the driver of a 68 Mustang takes out the fuel pump designed for that vehicle and inserts one designed for a 2002 Humvee. The frame is not the same; the engine is not the same. Parts are not plug-and-play; they are not interchangeable. They have to be matched. In a car, trying to string together parts designed for a variety of vehicles will result in one of three outcomes: either the parts won’t work together as a whole, they will work together but badly, or they will work together and then blow out prematurely. The human body would be exactly the same. One size does not fit all.