Dead Poets Society and Individualism

Preston Herring English 200 February 6, 2013 Dead Poet’s Society and Individualism In the movie, Dead Poet’s Society, it conveys the thought of individualism and how it can impact your life as a whole in detail. The many conflicts that the characters face throughout the movie demonstrate how the thought of thinking for one’s self is shameful and how being different and sticking out from the crowd is looked down upon. Neil Parry’s suicide for instance illustrates the consequences that can happen when someone’s individual thoughts and feelings are not listened to and authority’s tradition is allowed to prevail against individualism.On the other hand the triumph of the individual thoughts and beliefs may sometimes have a positive outcome like in the case of Knox Overstreet. When Knox becomes obsessed with Chris, without even meeting her, he ends up risking his life to win her heart. In both cases, characters go with their individual thoughts and beliefs to make their choices and stop obeying traditional authority figures. The whole group of friends of Neil Parry and Todd Anderson embark on a trip of finding themselves and individual growth that will have a lasting impact on their futures.Not everybody can have the inner strength to stand up for their individual thoughts. An example is Neil Parry’s unfortunate suicide. When Neil decides to pursue a career in acting rather than in medicine his father, Mr. Parry, is furious. Unemotional by Neil’s extraordinary performance in the play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mr. Parry continues to insist on controlling Neil’s life and dictating his every move. But Mr. Parry’s efforts were in vain. Neil had already experienced freedom once before, a privilege not easily obtained.With this taste of freedom he realizes that he can think for himself and do great things on his own. Neil eventually stands up to his father, but can’t express his opinions and emotions to the increasingly angered old school man that his father is. Rather than continuing to live a life in which he can’t pursue his own true dreams, he decides that the only way to gain control of his situation is by killing himself. Though he lost everything in the process, suicide was the only way for Neil to stand up to his father and live life to the fullest or s Mr. Keating would say â€Å"Carpe Diem†. Through the action of suicide, Neil is taking control of his life decisions and must accept the consequences. Neil’s decision to take his life was a necessary step to find himself, grow as an individual, and realize that he can make his own decisions. On the other side of the story is Knox Overstreet, one who is not afraid to express his own emotions and romances. Knox recognizes the vital importance of individualism when he becomes in love with Chris, a girl that he has never met before and doesn’t even know.Knox, like Neil, recognizes the importance of individual emotion and opinions in guiding him through life and helping him make decisions. Knox decides to risk everything by standing up to her boyfriend Chet in a romantic attempt to win Chris’s heart. His many attempts prove to be effective in the end. Chris does go to A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Knox and even holds his hand. In a way Knox has succeeded, he has won the battle, and he has prevailed over the authority figure Chet.Throughout the movie, there are several examples where characters act with individuality, purposely disobeying traditional authority in order to follow their own dreams. In some cases, these conflicts had positive outcomes like in Knox’s case. In other situations such outbreak of individualism had deadly consequences like Neil. In either case the process of self-discovery and free thinking was bound to happen and after being awarded freedom for the very first time, both Neil and Knox weren’t going to give up th is sense of individuality and free thinking up without a fight.The only place where someone can find out his or her true identity, their true character, is within himself or herself. Neil and Knox’s fearless fight with basic tradition beliefs will forever demonstrate the importance and necessity of finding yourself and individually growing to become a new person that you chose to be and to be a role model and figure to new generations of teenagers to come. Works Cited FitzPatrick, Bill. Action Principles. † Success. org. American Success Institute. 12 Dec 2006 . Long, Tony. â€Å"You Say You Want a Revolution? † [Podcast entry] The Luddite. 06 July 2006. Wired. com. 12 Dec 2006 . Waldo, Ralph Waldo. â€Å"Philosophy of Teaching. † UW. 12 Dec 2006 .

Unicef’s Efficiency in the World’s Global Struggles

UNICEF is a world-renowned organization that strives to give a voice to those who go unheard: the children of the world. UNICEF or the United Nations International Emergency Fund was originally created in 1946, following World War II, in an effort to provide assistance to the European children who faced starvation and disease. It was through these efforts that UNICEF began to present itself as one of the nations leading advocacy groups for children’s rights. Then, in 1953, UNICEF was given permanent status by the General Assembly. UNICEF made its mark by assisting the U. N.Commission on Human Rights in the creation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1959, which ensured a child’s right to shelter, education, healthcare, and protection. In 1965, UNICEF added to their ever-growing list of accolades with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 for â€Å"the promotion of brotherhood among nations. † Following this, the organization began to devote its time to promo ting proper medication and sanitation for children worldwide. These efforts included encouraging women to breastfeed their children, promoting a breast milk substitute, and helping children obtain proper vaccinations.Throughout their years of service, UNICEF has grown to serve over 190 countries and has developed focus areas to ensure child survival and development, basic education and gender equality, child protection, and HIV/AIDS prevention in children. Each country’s UNICEF office carries out the organizations missions and objectives with help from its government, with its regional offices offering assistance whenever it is needed. The head management of UNICEF and its overall administration reside in the organizations main office in New York.UNICEF has 36 National Committees, which promote the rights of children throughout the world and raises national awareness of issues related to the protection of human rights for children. The Committees also collects funds and devel ops partnerships and affiliations of UNICEF with other organizations and institutions around the world. All the work and programs of UNICEF are monitored by a 36 member Executive Board. The Executive Board ultimately controls the financial basis of the organization, and reviews its policies and procedures.The Board is elected by members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and primarily serve three terms. UNICEF focuses on making sure children survive their adolescent years and develop into young adults. This is an extremely difficult task due to all the diseases that effect children in less developed countries. While diseases such as malaria and pneumonia will kill millions and millions of young children, these diseases are preventable. Over half of the millions of children that die from these diseases are preventable.UNICEF is using its research and funding to develop low cost innovative technologies to produce vaccines and antibiotics to these developing cou ntries to ensure children can live a full and healthy life. In addition, UNICEF tries to ensure that children have access to basic education so that children can learn about these preventable diseases, along with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Just implementing organizations which channel basic information to these children can be a successful tool in ensuring that these young children live a healthier and safer life.Education is a human right which every child should be given the right to, and UNICEF is making strides toward achieving this goal. Not only does UNICEF work to facilitate children’s knowledge and learning, but it also works to develop a protective environment for children as well. Hundreds of children in the world face exploitation and are subject to violence. Whether it be exploitation from the labor force or institutions, to brutality and abuse from conflict within communities, children need some form of protection in society.Children have the right to survival and de velopment, and UNICEF advocates for protective measures in governments to provide a safe environment for children. Responses taken by UNICEF towards the fight against child protection include the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Millennium Declaration. These responses taken by UNICEF use legal systems and a given set of standards that governments must respect with regards to the human rights of its children and citizens. The governments and individuals of states cannot take away or violate the rights of its people.The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an important measure towards UNICEF’s fight against child protection. The principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are legally binding, making it unlawful if a state does not adhere to its protocols. â€Å"The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights. † Governments of states have now taken respo nsibility to guarantee and protect children’s rights.National governments are obligated to implement all the policies and standards of the convention, and must be accountable for their actions if there are cases of children’s rights being disregarded. The convention covers all the basic human rights from the right to survival and protection from violence to the right of a child to grow and develop. UNICEF makes sure that there are standards being met with regards to education, health care and other legal and social services, and that governments are committing to these efforts.UNICEF makes it clear that violence against children is not justifiable, and states must implement and uphold policies and programs to insure the safety and nonviolence among children. This reassures the binding principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which acknowledges that states have the obligation to ensure accountability in all cases of violence. The UNICEF’s worldwid e efforts and initiative to elevate the status of children and give them a voice is a detrimental part of improving the world as a whole.Children are the key to the future. The children of today are going to be tomorrow’s leaders and important figures. Also, in order to fight and reduce the conditions of poverty in the world, children should be looked upon as the first step. Poverty is the root cause of children being denied their rights as a human. Poverty leads to a less protective childhood environment, and less resources for education and health concerns. It hinders the ability of a child to grow and develop.In the end, â€Å"poverty is transmitted from one generation to the next. If there are any intentions of breaking the increasing sequence of poverty, then investments by governments and other private sectors must spent towards children’s health, education and overall development. Investing in the health and safety of the worlds youth can lead to great returns in the future. In the end, the decline of world poverty starts by implementing standards and institutions for the well being of the nations youth.The tasks and goals of UNICEF cover an enormous focus ranging from child education and equality, to child protection and development. These issues entail many programs and much funding, which is why UNICEF is closely connected to many other organizations. Other organizations such as the World Health Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the International Labour Organization are some of the many organizations which are closely connected to UNICEF.These organizations all come together to tackle numerous issues such as disease control, better education and nutritional practices, implementing children welfare services, providing food and health to areas in the developing world and many other functions. UNICEF teams up with numerous other organizations to offer humanitarian aid and development to assist children in impoverished countries. UNICEF also works with the International Red Cross on emergency relief assignments in places like Cambodia which has experienced a domestic upheaval , as well as working to make child rights constitutional in Brazil.UNICEF partners with United Nation agencies and governments to provide support and assistance to children during emergency conditions. During the first weeks of crisis, UNICEF works to assess the situation that children and women are experiencing, provide necessary immunizations and nutrition, support mother-child feeding and monitoring, provide sanitary and safe drinking water, prevent sexual abuse and exploitation, and resume education. In order to facilitate proper assistance, UNICEF has set up an Office of Emergency Programmes (EMPOS), which coordinates UNICEF’s partnership with other agencies, and provides staff support.Within the EMPOS resides UNICEF’s Operations Cent re which serves as a 24-7 information gathering center in order supervise staff, monitor world events, and insure safety of all UNICEF members. UNICEF has successfully provided humanitarian aid and helped improve the welfare of children all around the world. For instance, UNICEF has helped keep peace in Sri Lanka while educating the youth. While Sri Lanka suffered civil war and violence for over a decade, the UNICEF helped to educate children non-violent ways to resolve conflicts and disputes by launching the Education for Conflict Resolution.UNICEF trained principles, teachers and pupils to use innovative techniques to emphasize passivity and nonviolence. In addition, UNICEF aided in achieving community-based health care in Indonesia. In 1973, Indonesia suffered from more than 10 million of its children under five years-old being undernourished. UNICEF countered this epidemic by supplying Indonesia with nutritional first aid packages for the villages, which provided scales to weigh babies as well as rehydration salts and iron supplements. A network of village health posts were formed, here mother could bring their infants for nourishment or go to meetings and receive important information regarding the health of their children. This is much like Mother Centres, which were created under UNICEF in Central and Eastern Europe. This provides woman with a social network to communicate and deal with issues such as poverty. It also provided education to girls and mothers regarding health concerns and gender discrimination. However, UNICEF has also encountered efforts that proved to be unsuccessful.For example, while providing humanitarian aid to the people of Sudan during the civil war, the agency poorly managed the aid operation. UNICEF offered aid to the Sudan people, but failed to make sure the aid was distributed to the Sudan population. As a result, corrupt officials were taking most of the aid, leaving the people and children with little to no resources. Weak m anagement of this massive relief operation led to an unsuccessful distribution of aid for the citizens of Sudan.With all the focus and aid the UNICEF provided among its universal operations, sufficient funding was a key component to its success. The budget of UNICEF was provided primarily through government contributions and donations, along with private donations from numerous interest groups. However, without U. S. involvement and funding, UNICEF would not be as successful as it is today. The United States generous contributions to UNICEF portrays the United State’s worldwide investment in children.Within the last fiscal year (2009), the United States Congress voluntarily contributed 130 million to UNICEF, which is critical to UNICEF’s budget. The U. S. fund for UNICEF consisted of just about a million individual donors along with other organizations and well-know businesses providing contributions to the fund. With the United State’s advocacy and large fundin g of UNICEF, it allows the organization improve its measures of child survival and development internationally throughout the world.Since its conception in 1946 UNICEF has consistently ranked among the world’s strongest charitable organizations. Over these past decades UNICEF has established one of the top charitable business models. In 2008 UNICEF reported total revenues at $453,900,000 yet its administrative and fundraising expenses were less than $42,000,000 thus allowing UNICEF to spend over $400,000,000 on its various international relief efforts. Unlike other charities that face administrative and technical walls, UNICEF is able to use $. 90 of every dollar raised on the world’s most desperate children.In addition to its preeminent business model UNICEF has also perfected its fundraising techniques spending only six cents per every dollar raised. As a result of its successful fundraising and financial planning UNICEF received top ratings for its efficiency and or ganization. While UNICEF maintains itself as a top charity its greatest strength lies within its ability to change. Unfortunately the disasters of the world rarely come with a warning thus requiring organizations to create effective and rapid response programs for such things as natural disasters and wars.Emergency response has become one of UNICEF’s greatest strengths and it has become a world leader in the development of newer, more effective response strategies. UNICEF has also been able to successfully change with the tide of power throughout the world’s hotspots; which tend to be the most desperate. UNICEF, because of its connection with the United Nations, has been able to maintain regional offices and treatment centers throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Southeastern Asia. Since 1946 UNICEF has been a constant light for the children of the world.It has established itself as on the top international charities. As a result of its concrete business model, effic ient fundraising, and ability to change UNICEF will undoubtedly continue to provide relief for all children in need. UNICEF’s success has also created some drawbacks that should be expected with an ever-growing organization. UNICEF’s success has led it towards a results-based management style. Results-based management can be inefficient for it only cares about the bottom line and not necessarily about the means to get the bottom line.This can lead to such inefficiencies as over-spending and a lack of precision in order to get things done quicker. In addition, due to UNICEF’s size, it has become a victim of the bureaucracy and the complexities of a large corporation. Time and money is frequently wasted on simple internal processes that become complex due to a drawn out power structure. UNICEF’s weaknesses lie within its ability to grow. Like any private or government institution UNICEF must continue to adapt and evolve to the constant changes occurring in the 21st century.While conditions are improving for children, there are still millions of children dying each day, especially in areas of the world where there is insufficient leaderships. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the worlds worst catastrophe, and some feel that UNICEF has done enough work to help the countries in Africa that are greatly effect by it. Wendy McElroy, who believes UNICEF’s focus is all wrong, contributes some of its failures to the fact that UNICEF leaders always tend to be American.This, she states, tends to result in the organization to convey and lean towards American interest. However, UNICEF’s strong organization and track record will undoubtedly aid itself in correcting its flaws in the coming years. UNICEF has agencies in more than 150 developing countries with the goal of helping children survive and reach their adolescent years. It looks to implement programs and policies to overcome the everyday obstacles that children is the world strug gle to overcome, ranging from discrimination, violence, inequality, poverty and disease.UNICEF has made fundamental strides in child survival and development with the use of low cost health programs, resulting in child deaths being reduced by 20 percent in the last three years. Also, UNICEF is â€Å"the world leader in vaccine supply and immunization,† helping to protect the world’s youth from preventable diseases. This alone has helped to prevent the deaths of more than 2 million children in the world each year. The promotion of basic education is also a detrimental aspect of UNICEF.UNICEF has helped Afghanistan build more than three thousand schools to educate more than 140,000 children. These are just a few examples of UNICEF’s policies that have helped save millions of children’s lives. However, even with UNICEF’s aid and successes, more than an estimated 9. 2 million children will die this year, many due to preventable diseases. UNICEF has tak en significant measures to shed light upon the issues that effect not only children, but many others throughout the world. This alone has brought about change to millions who suffer in the world today.Protecting the world’s youth who do not have the ability to help themselves is a key step in maintaining a bright and prosperous future, since today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. The vision and goals of UNICEF have stayed consistent since its formation in 1946, always striving towards helping reduce hunger, increase vaccinations and treatments, and ultimately protect the rights of children. UNICEF is in no way a perfect organization, but its policies and programs have constructed a world in which children can further develop into the leaders of tomorrow.

Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac Essay

Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac - Essay Example and advice which altogether serve as a vehicle to improve a poor man’s economy and to realize how one’s wise utilization of frugal and industrious efforts and good perception of time may remedy deep situations of crisis among the impoverished and uneducated. Franklin even made it a point to equip his composition of Richard Saunders with proverbial sentences to teach poor people the simple yet practical means to procure wealth. Through â€Å"Poor Richard’s Almanac†, I think that Franklin desires for the people to achieve the heart of enlightenment and understand that love for wisdom, despite economic depression, can be a huge source of relief. To him, it occurs as though heavy taxes imposed by the government were not the ultimate cause of severe poverty in men, rather idleness which kept them from improving the quality of life. On further reading, it may be recognized as truly expressing sentiments that reflect an emerging American culture for which Franklin seeks to establish a purpose of comprehending that while the government should be held responsible herein, American people ought to have a more profound sense of accountability for

A Literature Review of secondary material on Julius Caesar Essay

A Literature Review of secondary material on Julius Caesar - Essay Example However, Brewer indicates Shakespeare’s primary reference regarding Julius Caesar prior to his introduction to Plutarch, might have been Mirror for Magistrates in which Caesar was depicted as both cruel tyrant and inspired leader. Brewer supports his basis regarding Shakespeare’s source upon earlier references to the relationship between Brutus and Caesar in other works that precede the staging of Julius Caesar. References are pointed out from III Henry IV and II Henry IV as well as Henry V and Hamlet. In all of these references, Brewer illustrates how the picture painted of this relationship reflects the earlier writings that depicted Brutus as evil and Caesar as alternately good and evil. â€Å"Judging from the quotations from the plays, it seems that Shakespeare may well have had some sympathy with this older, indeed medieval, tradition. After he had read Plutarch’s idealizing life of Brutus (perhaps his reading of North’s Plutarch coincided with his writing of Henry V), his idea of Brutus may have changed, and certainly became more complex.†2 Rather than understanding Brutus as a single-sided character, Brewer suggests that Shakespeare’s treatment of him represented a sh ift from the traditional medieval thinking at the time of his creation of the play, supporting a small but perhaps more humanistic version of the historic events. While Anne Paolucci3 acknowledges in 1960 a long-standing tradition to place Brutus as the hero of the play, she writes primarily about how scholarly interpretation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar should be focused with equal attention upon the title character as well as the tragic hero of Brutus. The fact that the play is named instead after Caesar does not in itself demand that the tragic hero be considered the leader himself, she argues. â€Å"In naming the play after Caesar, Shakespeare may have been suggesting that to understand the tragic denouement properly we must

Social Networking Sites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Networking Sites - Essay Example Face to face meetings, especially for the first time, are usually exciting events. One gets to scrutinize a new acquaintance physically and gauge his or her intelligence through conversations. Almost immediately, one can form an impression of the other, and this may remain unless proven otherwise in the next meetings. A lot depends on the spontaneity of a person – how quick his or her wit is, how personable he or she is, and how one’s sense of humor clicks with another’s. Glimpses of one’s personality shines through except for people who have put up a lot of defensive walls around themselves. For these people, it may be more challenging to see through their real selves. Getting into a social networking site such as Tagged to meet new people online offers a different scenario. One creates his or her own profile, putting in information he chooses to share, lay it out in a design he or she prefers, and adds a profile picture, or more for his or her picture gallery. Then a choice to set this profile in private or to be seen publicly is made by the user. The profile picture is available for public viewing, and becomes a choice in a buffet of new prospects to be chosen as contacts or â€Å"friends† by other members. If someone likes to include another in his friends’ list, then he makes an effort to ask that person if he or she can be added as â€Å"friend†, and upon acceptance, they become part of each other’s online contact list. It is up to them to maintain communication either by sending messages, picture tags or add comments (either text or picture or video) in one’s profile. They may also opt to communicate outsid e the site by exchanging contact details or chatting in another messaging system like Yahoo Messenger or MSN Instant Messaging. Here, they may restrict their communication to online chat or see each other by webcam or actually meet in person. It is really up to the individuals how they want

Power Factor Investigation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Power Factor Investigation - Assignment Example This makes it necessary to use suitable means to correct the power factor. This paper examines the use of the synchronous motor for power factor correction. There are several ways of defining power factor depending on the context of study. However, all the definitions come from the understanding that electrical power manifests in three ways. These are real power denoted as P (also known as true power or active power), reactive power denoted as Q, and apparent power denoted as |S| (Singh, 2008). Apparent power is the magnitude of complex power denote as â€Å"S† which is the vector sum of real power and reactive power (Singh, 2008). Each of the three manifestations of power has a different measure. The unit of measurement of real power is in watts (W) that of apparent power is Voltage-Amperes (VA), while that of apparent power is in Reactive-Volt-Amperes (VAR) (Meier, 2006). The ratio obtained by comparing real power to apparent power is the power factor. ... Therefore, the power factor is unity. However, there are cases when the voltage leads or lags the current. The cause for this is when the circuit has an inductive load such as a motor. The motor stores power in its coils, reducing the actual power (real power) available to drive it. The total power supplied to the motor in this case represents the apparent power, obtained by multiplying the voltage and the current (VA). If there is a difference between the supplied power (apparent power) and the power in use (real power), then the power factor reduces to a value less than unity. Depending on its severity, it may require correction (Singh, 2008). The theoretical framework governing the operation of motors includes Fleming’s right hand rule and faradays laws of electromagnetism. When the thumb, the index, and the middle finger are at right angles, Fleming’s right hand rule describes the direction of the thrust by the thumb; the index finger shows direction of the electrom agnetic field, while the middle finger shows the direction of the current. Faradays laws on the other hand state as follows, there is an EMF induced in a coil whenever the flux through the coil changes with time. The magnitude of induced EMF is directly proportional to the rate of change of flux and thirdly, the direction of the EMF is such as to oppose the change in flux. Electricity distribution companies provide power as apparent power but it bills customers based on the real power they consume. Therefore, a low power factor makes power more expensive to the consumer with increasing severity as power factor drops. This is why it is important to invest in equipment for power factor correction. Motors tend to be the largest loads in electric

Cause and Effect Essay. Ill put topics in the instruction box and you Essay

Cause and Effect . Ill put topics in the instruction box and you may pick one - Essay Example Fast foods include Barbecue sause, chicken, nuggets, burgers, pizza, sandwich, pasties, and other common as well as popular brands (Dundes, Lauren and Swann 154). Evidently, there are various causes and effects of junk foods as demonstrated by research. It is almost impossible to explain the certain shift in consumption pattern; however, according to experts several drivers initiate the existence of fast foods. Among the youth and working class pressure from their environment has been a leading factor (Coulston, Rock, and Elaine 112). Evidently, many students engage in various activities ranging from studies and extra-carriculum. Notably, they have limited time to prepare healthy food instead resorting to buying fast foods. The situation is same to the working environment who have no ability to balance between work and food (Hertzler, Ann A., Webb, Ryland and Frary 52). In response, employees carry fast foods or drop into fast food restaurants. Apart from the tight schedule, advertisement techniques used by fast food restaurants have made it impossible to avoid their products. The soothing sight and imagined taste always arouse people to try the discoveries hence the continued use of fast foods. Most importantly, the use of fast fo ods continues to thrive because of influence from friends or parents. The effects of eating fast foods are evident from every corner of the world. The food rich in sugar, fat and calories affect health and normal operations. In as much as freshly harvested foods may also have the mentioned elements, it is important to note that the diverse effects exhibited in fast foods out ways the limited effects of fresh food (Schlosser 80). Obesity is one serious effect of fast food that has forced the world to look for solutions instead of analysing the causes. The complication arising from too much fat in the body lead to increased weight, which might also attract complications such as high blood

Wells Fargo (Undecided Topic) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Wells Fargo (Undecided Topic) - Essay Example The impact of diversity on the company’s productivity and performance would be a key area of discussion which would enable to ascertain the significance of diversity for Well Fargo Bank. Wells Fargo has adopted the principle of diversity as well as inclusion, so that employees are facilitated with the opportunity of fair treatment and equal employment opportunity. The bank with the assistance of diversity as well as inclusion has been able to enhance business performances. Additionally, diversity and inclusion has assisted the bank in performing business operations with better competitiveness and competencies. Diversity practices have also aided the bank in building a better competitive position domestically and internationally. It can be understood why diversity and inclusion is directly associated with organizational performances. Wells Fargo is a United States based bank that also provides financial services and operates on a global context. The bank is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The bank is identified as one of the largest banks in the US with regard to market capitalization as well as assets. The bank operates in 36 countries with over 265,000 employees. The main objective of the bank is to meet the financial requirements of customers, so that they are able to succeed financially. The bank provides various services which include insurance, mortgage, commercial finance, banking, consumer finance and investments. The customers are offered with different services that include online banking, ATMs and mobile banking. The bank is renowned for its outstanding customer service, innovation, as well as quality and diversity. The bank supports homeowners, small businesses and real estate industry among others (1Wells Fargo, 2014). Wells Fargo performs operations with the intention of accomplishing its vision of meeting the financial needs of customers in an effective manner. The bank has

Communication and Learners Essay Example for Free

Communication and Learners Essay Much of my research was carried out online and I have included my written research notes and sources. Teacher net (2010) says â€Å"Adopting an approach to your teaching which draws on research and evidence should help you in reviewing and developing your practice†. With this in mind I considered Maslows Hierarchy of Needs motivational model which we often refer to in teaching, although the original model was designed as a business motivational tool. Maslow claims that needs 1-4 are deficiency motivators and are generally satisfied in order when the previous need is fully or partially satisfied (Businessballs, 2010). If the lower level needs of the model are met then I can begin to help the learner gain the top level and realise their own potential however, in order to help others reach this level I must first achieve this myself, by researching I am furthering my own knowledge and developing myself on an ongoing basis. 1a Negotiating With Learners – 753 words Gravells and Simpson state that â€Å"Initial assessment of you learner’s skills, knowledge and preferred learning styles should take place before you begin teaching the programme content.† (Gravells Simpson, 2010, P17). Here they are saying ‘before the program content’, so an initial assessment is valid even if it is at the beginning of the session itself. I do however slightly disagree with the necessity to always know the learners preferred learning style from the outset. If we accept that learners are different then we must accept that we will be teaching learners during each session with differing learning styles, and must therefore accommodate those differing styles. I usually do not get chance to assess my learners for learning styles before a session so I must compensate using a progressive style of assessment, this enables me to adjust my teaching methods and styles to suit and include my learners. It is therefore not so important to know what the learning style of an individual from the initial assessment but, it can assessed as the teaching progresses. Learners enter the learning environment with varying needs and expectations; it is my responsibility as the teacher/tutor, through processes such as initial assessment, to ensure that the learner is on the correct path/course or at the right level. Failing this then I should be able to help the learner choose a more appropriate path. According to Walklin â€Å"It is important to assess all people seeking access to education and training opportunities, the purpose being to help them to plan their future education and training programme. Initial assessment helps the provider and the learner sort out what it is they wish to achieve†, (Walklin, 1993, p.290). The initial assessment is a way of evaluating what the learner will need to achieve the goals set and indeed a way of setting future goals with the learner. I have recently experienced this myself when an experienced teacher found that I was in fact following an unsuitable path, he was then able to change the course I had appl ied for, to a more suitable and achievable course. Having an understanding of a learners previous experience is also beneficial to the teacher, I myself train professional drivers who often have many years experience within the industry. Using a short pre-session initial assessment which consists of an informal one to one chat and note taking, and group introductory sessions allows me to make a connection with these more experienced learners, who often feel disgruntled by the process of having to train within an industry they feel they already know. It is important then to be aware that experience will affect learning and that it may have a positive or negative influence. After an initial assessment I can ascertain what the learners knowledge and skills will be to date and a learning action plan can be completed, this plan is specific to each individual leaner to ensure their needs as a learner are met. A tutor should spend time with each individual learner and agree learning goals and further actions. Further actions may include additional help that may be needed, for a student with learning disabilities for example. Once the learners needs have been identified and agreed the trainer would focus on the teacher/training cycle, Kolb (1984) which is made up of the following 5 points, keeping in mind that this is an ongoing cycle. * Identify needs and planning * Designing * Facilitating/deliver * Assessing * Evaluating Further actions that should be agreed prior to the course commencing is the establishment of ground rules. Ground rules are commonly referred to as, â€Å"the minimum necessary conditions for getting learning work done in the class.† (Atherton, J S 2009). I agree with Atherton here and would add that, establishing ground rules in a learning group can also be negotiated between the learners and the teacher. WestOne (2010) discusses various strategies for negotiating with learners, it suggests that It can often be effective to give learners some responsibility for rules, such as what time breaks and dinner is taken, these small items of negotiation will give learners a sense of control within the environment and encourage them to take part in the learning process as they will begin to have shared ownership of it. I would say though that to give too much away to learners may lead to a loss of control for the teacher, one must always consider the fine balance here. I looked at a company called Novadata, they provide training similar to mine but also have a larger portfolio of courses. Their main initial assessment is carried out over the telephone or via an online internet form. While I will consider the option of the online form in the future I do think it may be a little impersonal and I would have doubts about getting the right quality of information, telephone based initial assessment is however a possibility that would allow me to connect with learners better. 1b Inclusive Learning – 748 words Gravels Simpson discuss inclusive learning and suggest that â€Å"inclusive learning is about recognising that each of your learners is different from other learners in many ways†, and â€Å"you should plan your teaching and learning sessions to enable all of your learners to take part†. (Gravells Simpson, 2010, P25). There are various methods to ensure this, we can for instance use different teaching methods to appeal to the different learning styles, for instance VAK or VARK(Visual, aural, reader and kinaesthetic), kinaesthetic learners prefer to touch whilst visual learners will prefer to see demonstrations and, aural learners will be more attuned to a discussion while readers prefer the written word. In all of these cases it should be noted that any given learner may have a preference for learning but will to differing degrees have traits of all styles. I use this as the basis for any planning but keep myself aware that it is just that, a basis or starting point f or a flexible plan. It is once we begin to understand that learners are individuals with varying needs that we realise that relying on the VAK descriptions alone is inadequate in order to be inclusive. Inclusion UWE states â€Å"The aim is not for students to simply take part in further education but to be actively included and fully engaged in their learning† (2008). It may be that a particular learner is a kinaesthetic learner but for one reason or another cannot take part in an exercise. In order to agree with the UWE statement I had to recently change the way I carried out a practical exercise as one of my learners could not look at a small computer screen for very long, by pairing him with another learner and allowing them to use a projector connected to the computer they were able to complete the exercise together thus ensuring inclusivity. But inclusivity goes further than just planning sessions and resources. Huddleston and Unwin discuss how teachers must no longer be concerned with their own subject and transmitting knowledge but, â€Å"as managers of learning, teachers will need to seek the help and support of other professionals in their college, including non-teaching staff.† (Huddleston and Unwin,1997, P117). While I do agree in principle with what they are saying, for example, a student with problems of childcare can easily be helped by being pointed toward crà ¨che facilities within the learning establishment, I would also have to point out that it is important to facilitate a solution rather than be the solution. I think a teacher must maintain a certain distance from the student, so it is better to offer information on transport subsidies than to offer a lift. Another example of how we can be flexible to promote inclusion recently happened to me, When I arrived at a site to carry out training many of the delegates found that in order to start for their working shift the following day, they would have to finish 45 minutes early, as the requirements for the training to be completed meant they had to carry out a full 7 hours of training I could not legally cut the course short. We then came to an arrangement whereby tea breaks would be taken as we carried out practical exercises thus allowing for the full session to take place. By making this small adjustment I was able to cater to the individual needs of a few of the learners which again placed them in a position where they did not have to worry about working the following day and, could continue the learning process. Preparing to Teach Inclusively states â€Å"There are many issues to consider when identifying a students needs, but it is important to remember that they may fluctuate from day to day. As the course progresses, try to review with students whether you are meeting their needs.† (2006). Students needs do change constantly, it may be that a bus service is delayed and a number of students will be late by 10 minutes or another may have employment difficulties, while it is not the job of the teacher to fix these problems, it is the responsibility of the teacher to make provision for them and to suggest agencies or information that can help. A solution can be as simple as asking another learner to take extra copies of handouts and pass them on, whatever the action, the aim is always to enable the student to return to a successful learning environment. 1c – Integrating Functional Skills – 557 words QCDA says that â€Å"Functional skills are practical skills in English, information and communication technology (ICT) and mathematics. They allow individuals to work confidently, effectively and independently in life† (2010). Functional Skills are often given different names such as â€Å"Key Skills† or â€Å"Minimum Core†, but they all amount to the same thing, the basic integration of Maths, English and Information Communication Technology. Petty states â€Å"The alternative to integrating key skills is to teach them separately. The problem with this approach is that students tend to see them as an irksome irrelevance to their main course of study†.(G Petty, 2009, P538) Whilst I agree with his point and I agree with the methods and reasons for teaching Functional Skills in this way, I also believe that this statement pays little attention to those of us who would thrive in a situation where those key skills are taught separately, people such as myself, I trained as a chef when I was young, attached to this course I did a CG in communicating and in computer programming. I enjoyed having a separate learning session for this and was able to gain another certificate to be proud of; in conclusion I would say that this is again an area where we can see how people differ in so many ways. Gravells and Simpson state that â€Å"As a teacher, you should be able to demonstrate your own competence in the areas of literacy, language, numeracy and ICT.† (Gravells Simpson, 2010, P59). As a teacher I believe it is important to have a good understanding of Functional skills, spelling and maths mistakes within a handout or presentation will be transferred to learners, why should they not believe you if you are the teacher. To this end it is important as a teacher to continually give consideration to improving my own Functional skill on an ongoing basis. The embedding of these skills within a teaching session is not difficult but should be given careful consideration at all times, for instance, I recently had a learner who was dyslexic, I try where possible to provide printed material on different coloured papers as this can often help people with this condition. It turned out that this was the first time this particular learner had come across this aid to reading, so instead of just ignoring the reading exercise he became interested enough to ask about further help. I was able to give him a contact at Learndirect. This particular learner now has the confidence to learn to read and write at higher standards than he thought possible. It is this gaining of confidence and belief in oneself that will cause the attitude change that is conducive to learning. In order to integrate Functional Skills into any given session you could consider exercises such as multiple choice quizzes for reading, discussion sessions for language skills. By adding in maths questions to a PowerPoint presentation you can elicit answers from learners, by watching the reaction of other learners it is often possible to see if anyone is struggling with these concepts thus allowing you to go over the question in more detail until you are sure the learner has grasped it. ICT can be integrated in just as many ways, for instance asking learners to find and print a particular style of picture for the next session. 1d – Communication – 677 words Just out of interest I typed into a leading search engine â€Å"verbal non-verbal communication†, within the first five listings I found the following (MinorityCareerNet, 2010): â€Å"Nonverbal Communication According to A. Barbour, author of Louder Than Words: Nonverbal Communication, the total impact of a message breaks down like this: 7 percent verbal (words)   38 percent vocal (volume, pitch, rhythm, etc) 55 percent body movements (mostly facial expressions)† This is a misquote that can be found time after time in books, on websites, and more worryingly within training courses. In fact, this statement is based on the work of Professor Albert Mehrabian in the mid to late 1900’s. The research actually concentrated on the communication of feelings and attitudes, it has since been misquoted to define all types of communication. It is somewhat ironic that his message has been so misused and misunderstood. I raise the point of this because I am guilty of using it in the incorrect context, assuming that because those that have taught me use it, then it must be so. It really does not matter how I contort my face wave my arms in front of learners, unless I explain verbally or with written instructions very few of them will understand what I am trying to communicate. Different people respond to different forms of communication, when we teach we give consideration to the varying types of learners, Visual, Aural, Readers, Kinaesthetic (VARK), we try to design our lessons to include all of the styles. I asked myself the question, â€Å"Why do people learn in these different ways?† My research results led me to investigate a condition known as synaesthesia, in which one sensory input produces unexpected results for example, a synaesthete may see the colour red when they see the number 2 and blue if they see number 3, in some cases sound caused a visual effect for the synaesthete. It occurred to me that this may go some way to explain why one person responds better when information is given in a verbal format, another responds better if it is visual and so on. The connections between these different sensory areas of the brain mean that we all have our own unique way of perceiving what is being taught or communicated (please refer to my micro teach for more information). For me the advantage of this seemingly odd line of research had the effect of allowing me to empathise with learners of different styles and gave me meaningful reason to consider how I communicate to learners with differing learning styles. â€Å"Communication is the art of successfully sharing meaningful information with people by means of an interchange of experience. The important word is ‘successfully’, which implied that a desired behaviour change results when the receiver takes the message† (Walklin, 1993, p.164). I think what Walklin is trying to tell us is that it is not enough to communicate the instructions, it is also important to deliver praise or constructive criticism in order to encourage and guide the learner into new discovery, if you ask the learner to complete a task a feeling of accomplishment will encourage behaviour conducive to further learning. This is important to me when teaching as my own learners can often be hostile to the learning process, feeling it has been imposed upon them. It is also important to listen to the students, if you set tasks that are above the student’s current abilities then you are likely to create a barrier to communication whereby the student will close in on themselves not wishing to admit they cannot continue and the learning process will cease. Achieving two way communications with our students is not straightforward. Barriers can often present themselves. It is crucial that a teacher can identify barriers and help students overcome them. Petty (2009) suggests that inappropriate level of work, jargon, vocabulary and other use of language, environmental factors, fear of failure and an inapproachable teacher can be barriers to students learning experience. Whilst I agree in principle to this, I also believe that introducing new vocabulary and language usage is essential to the student’s further development. ATHERTON J S (2010) Learning and Teaching; Ground rules for the class (Online) Available: http://www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/ground_rules.htm (Accessed: 03 January 2011) Anne Gravells and Susan Simpson (2010) Planning and Enabling Learning (2nd Edition), Learning Matters Businessballs (2011) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, (Online), Available: http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm , (Accessed: 15 February 2011) Inclusion Further Education (2008)(Online) Available: http://inclusion.uwe.ac.uk/csie/tmlnsn.htm (Accessed: 10 January 2011). Minority Career Network Inc. (2011) Non Verbal Communication, (Online), Available: http://www.minoritycareernet.com/newsltrs/95q3nonver.html , (Accessed: 15 February 2011) Open University (2006) Preparing to Teach Inclusively (Online), Available: http://www.open.ac.uk/inclusiveteaching/pages/inclusive-teaching/preparing-to-teach-inclusively.php (Accessed: 20th January 2011) Prue Huddleston and Lorna Unwin (1997) Teaching and Learning in Further Education (2nd Edition), Routledge Farmer. Petty G (2009) Teaching Today (4th Edition), Nelson Thornes. QCDA (2010) Introduction to Functional Skills (Online), Available: http://www.qcda.gov.uk/qualifications/30.aspx, (Accessed: 11 January 2011). Teachernet (2010) (online), Available:http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/research/Learning_about_research/ (Accessed December 15 2010), (Note-now removed) Walklin, A. (1993) Teaching and Learning in Further and Adult Education. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes (publishers) Ltd. West One (2010) How to negotiate learning (Online) Available: http://www.westone.wa.gov.au/toolbox8/taa/elearn/toolbox/resources/e_space/e_sources/quickguides/interaction/negotiating/howto.htm (Accessed 03 January 2010)

Further Reflections on the Public Sphere Essay Example for Free

Further Reflections on the Public Sphere Essay The text is about relationship of state and civil society, the origins of and prospects for democracy and the impact of the media. A kind of rethinking of Habermas first major work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere published in 1962 and translated into English in 1989 which describes the development of a bourgeois public sphere in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as well as its subsequent decline. Habermas admits, his theory has changed since then and he reminds readers of these changes. 1.The Genesis and Concept of the Bourgeois Public Sphere The public sphere (Ãâ€"ffentlichkeit ) is an area in social life (standing in-between private individuals and government authorities) where individuals can meet to freely discuss public matters, exchanged views and knowledge and through that discussion influence political action. A vibrant public sphere serves as a positive counterweight to government authorities (are out of the state control) and happens physically in face-to-face meetings in coffee houses and public squares as well as in books, theatre etc. The public sphere emerged first in Britain and in the 18th century in Continental Europe. The newspapers, reading rooms, freemasonry lodges and coffeehouses marked the gradual emergence of the public sphere. Habermas mentions Geoff Eley’s objection to his earlier depiction of bourgeois public sphere is an idealized conception. Habermas admits now the coexistence of several competing public spheres and groups, that were excluded form the dominant public sphere – the so called „plebianâ€Å" public sphere (like Jacobins, Chartist movement). Habermas influenced here by Guenter Lottes and greatly by Mikhail Bakhtin, who opened his eyes to the culture of common people as a violent counter project to the dominant public sphere. Habermas now views quite differently the exclusion of women as well. Habermas asks himself – were women excluded from the dominant public sphere in the same fashion as the common people? He answers himself with „noâ€Å" – the exclusion of women had structuring significance, as it was happening not only in the public sphere, but also in the private sphere. At the end of this chapter Habermas summons up: his bourgeois public sphere was formerly conceived too rigidly. In fact, from the very beginning a dominant bourgeois public collided with a plebeian (and female) one. As a result, the contrast between the early public sphere and the today’s decayed public sphere is no longer so deep. 2.The Structural Transformations of the Public Sphere: Three Revisions This chapter traces the transition from the liberal bourgeois public sphere to the modern mass society of the social welfare state. Starting in the 1830s, a transformation of state and economy took shape. Clear borderlines between public and private and between state and society became blurred, as a result of interventionist state policies. The increasing re-integration and entwining (mà ­senà ­ se) of state and society resulted in the modern social welfare state. In the subchapter 1 Habermas deals with the impact of these developments on the private sphere. Civil society was formerly totally private, there was no difference between social and family life. This changes with the emancipation of lower strata (workers), a polarization of social and intimate sphere arrives. Habermas describes a dispute among two schools in the 1950s, that of conservative Carl Schmitt school (and Ernst Fortshoff) and Marxist Wolfgang Abendroth, that influenced his considerations at that time, though today he distances himself from his approach. In the subchapter 2 Habermas is concerned with changes in the structure of the public sphere and in the composition and behavior of the public. The infrastructure of the public sphere has changed due to changes in media, advertising and literature that has become oriented to new social groups (workers) as well as due to the collapse of the liberal associational life. Since the 1960s, when Habermas book was published, the opportunities for access to public communication became even more difficult. The public sphere is today dominated by the mass media., which turned the critical public into a passive consumer public and caused a decay of the public sphere. Nevertheless, Habermas says his old concept of a unilinear development from a „culture-debating to a culture-consuming publicâ€Å" was too simplistic and pessimistic. Habermas explains this by general situation of media effects studies at that time – he relied on Lazarsfeld’s behavioristic research and had no information brought later by Stuart Hall (audience does not simply passively accept a text). Subchapter 3 deals with the legitimation process of mass democracy and two diverging concepts of public opinion – an informal, nonpublic opinion and a formal quasi public opinion (made by mass media), that often collide. 3.A Modified Theoretical Framework The mass democracies constituted as social-welfare states can continue the principles of the liberal constitutional state only as long as they try to live up to the mandate of a public sphere that fulfills political functions. It is necessary to demonstrate how it may be possible for the public to set in motion a critical process of public communication. Habermas asks himself, weather there can emerge a general interest of the kind to which a public opinion can refer to as a criterion. Habermas could not resolve this problem before. Today he is able to reformulate the question and give an answer. The ideals of bourgeois humanism function today as a utopian vision, which makes it tempting to idealize the bourgeois public sphere too much. Therefore Habermas suggests the foundations of the critical theory of society be laid at a deeper level and beyond the threshold of modern societies. In the 1960s Habermas believed that society and its self-organization was a totality (celek) controlling all spheres of its life. This notion has become implausible today – e.g. economic system of a society is regulated independently through markets. Later emerged his dual concept of society the internal subjective viewpoint of the lifeworld and the external viewpoint of the system. The aim today as he sees it is to erect a dam against an encroachment (naruÃ… ¡ovà ¡nà ­) of system on the lifeworld, to reach a balance between the social-integrative power of solidarity (lifeworld) and money + administrative power (system). Communicative action serves to transmit and renew cultural knowledge, in a process of achieving mutual understandings. It then coordinates action towards social integration and solidarity. This can be met in traditional societies. Less often in posttraditional societies with their confused pluralism of various competing forms of life. Habermas criticizes Rousseau for his utopian concept of the general will of citizens in a democracy as a „consensus of hearts rather than of argumentsâ€Å". Habermas sees the solution in the process of public communication itself. Therefore democracy is rooted in public reasoning among equal citizens. State institutions are legitimate only when they establish a framework for free public deliberation (debata). Such a rational debate is the most suitable procedure for resolving moral-practical questions as well. The question remains how such a debate can be institutionalized so that it bridges the gap between self-interest and orientation to the common good (between the roles of client (private) and citizen (public)). Such a debate must meet two preconditions: presumption of impartiality and ability to transcend initial preferences. These conditions must be guaranteed by legal procedures (institutionalized) and they themselves shall be subject to the law. New institutions should be considered, that would counteract the trend toward the transmutation of citizens into clients (i.e. toward alienation of citizens from the political process). Democracy shall be not restricted only to state institutional arrangements. They shall interplay with autonomous networks and groups with a spontaneous flow of communication, that are the one remaining embodiment of the altogether dispersed sovereignty of the people. Democratic public life cannot develop where matters of public importance are not discussed by citizens. However, discourses do not govern – the responsibility for practically consequential decisions must be based in an institution. 4.Civil Society or Political Public Sphere Political public sphere is characterized by two processes: 1) the communicative generation of legitimate power 2) manipulative power of mass media. A public sphere need more than just state institutions – it requires a populace accustomed to freedom and the supportive spirit of differentially organized lifeworlds with their critical reflection and spontaneous communication – voluntary unions outside the realm of the state and the economy (church, independent media, leisure clubs etc.) They are not part of the system, but they have a political impact, as was seen in totalitarian regimes, e.g. in the communist states of Eastern and Central Europe. In Western-type democracies these associations are established within the institutional framework of the state. Habermas asks himself the question, to what extent such a public sphere dominated by mass media can bring about any changes. This can be answered only by means of empirical research. He concludes with reference to a study No Sense of Place by J.Meyrowitz, who claims that electronic media dissolve social structures and boundaries (like in primitive societies). Habermas disagrees – new roles and constraints arise in the process of using electronic communication.

A Comparison Of Ben Franklin And The Puritans Religion Essay

A Comparison Of Ben Franklin And The Puritans Religion Essay John Winthrop once proclaimed to the Massachusetts bay colony that we shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are upon usà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Therefore let us choose life (Winthrop, City Upon a Hill). Winthrop was part of a group of Protestants that separated from the Church of England in order to begin a new life of religious freedom in the New World, and they deemed that God should be central to their existence. Benjamin Franklin, however, viewed God as peripheral and did not orient his life around religion. These fundamental religious differences manifested themselves through alternate ways of thinking and living, and their opposing conceptions of God and humanity elicited specific views of government, relationships, suffering, and Scripture. The Puritans also concluded that Christ was the exclusive way to obtain salvation, and everyone who did not trust in Christ was going to hell (Wigglesworth 3). This belief about Gods exclusive offer of salvation and humans inherent sin interacted to affect their interpersonal relationships because they wanted their family and friends to be saved. Most interpersonal relationships had some spiritual focus. For example, Dane recounts that he was educated under godly parents and that my conscience was very apt to tell me of evils that I should not do (Dane 6). People also comforted each other with the promise of salvation, like when Rowlandson and her son Joseph read the Bible together during their captivity (Rowlandson 18). Franklin, however, had strikingly opposing views than the Puritans because his religion had no mark of any of the distinguishing tenets of any particular sect (Franklin 35). Therefore, in his relationships with others, virtue is the central theme, because he conclude s, the importance of virtue did not depend on Christian dogma or the rewards and punishments of the afterlife (Franklin 29). Therefore, in his interactions with people, he focuses on acting virtuously while avoiding specific tenets of religion (Franklin 35). In addition, the Puritans concluded that God intimately involved Himself in the details of human lives, while Ben Franklin believed that God existed as a peripheral figure. This belief in Gods omnipresence led the Puritans to have complex, spiritual interpretations for all events. John Danes account supports this idea in that he often credits God for good things. For example, John Dane returned some lost gold he had found, and credited Gods goodness in then giving me restraining grace to preserve me from such a temptation (Dane 7). He also sees something as small as a wasp stinging his thumb as a chastening from God, and he proclaims that, God had found me out (Dane 9). Since the Puritans believed that God was omnipresent in every aspect of their lives, their interpretations of even small occurrences had considerable spiritual meaning, and it was up to them to interpret these occurrences correctly. Contrary to these views, Franklin was a thorough deist in that he thought God was very separate and detached from human lives (Franklin 26). He did not believe in the Bible or in the Christian God (Franklin 25), so he voiced that humans were responsible for directing their own lives and improving their circumstances (Franklin 37). He exerts a confidence in his control over his own life by using phrases such as I would conquer, I conceived, I considered, and my circumstances (Franklin 32). He does not used the Bible to guide his decisions, and he does not interpret events as if God was somehow involved, which is very different than how the Puritans lived. These differences in their fundamental beliefs about God led to antithetic techniques for interpreting life circumstances. Also, The Puritans idea that sin led humans astray and needed Gods discipline interacted to affect their perception of hardship (Rowlandson 20). In comparison, Ben Franklin posited that pain and pleasure existed in equal proportion in the world and was not controlled by God (Franklin 27). This idea caused them to attribute difficult circumstances to independent (outside their control) variables, such as God dispensing hardship. Therefore the Puritans often rejoiced in the midst of difficulty because it meant that God still cared about them. Mary Rowlandson exclaims at one point in her narrative that when she saw others under many trials and afflictionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I should sometimes be jealous (Rowlandson 20). Rowlandson was thankful for the Indian raid, because Hebrews 6 says that Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. The way that Rowlandson interprets events in her life coincides with the hopeful way that the Puritans approached hardship, and it reflected their core spiritual belie fs. Ben Franklin, on the other hand, believed that pain and pleasure happened in equal proportion during a persons life, and states in his dissertation that this uneasinessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦produces desire to be freed from it, great in exact proportion to the uneasiness (Franklin 27). Franklin is proposing that pain is just a natural part of life, and is dispelled by actively seeking pleasure, because pleasure is the satisfactionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦which is caused by the accomplishment of our desires, and those desires beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦caused by pain (Franklin 27). The inerrancy of Scripture was another integral tenet of the Puritans religion that diverged from Franklins beliefs. The Puritans thought that the sinful nature misguided humans and that they needed the Bible to show them the truth, and these views interacted to produce total trust in the Scripture for guidance. Mary Rowlandson often peppers her account with Scriptures that she deems appropriate for a situation. In Marys extreme suffering, she refreshes herself with passages from the Psalms recounting God helping his people in their time of need (Rowlandson 18). Another example of this is when Dane decides to depart to the New World when he tells his father, if where I opened my Bible there met with anything either to encourage or discourage that should settle me (Dane 11). These accounts exemplify the way in which the Puritans viewed Scripture relative to their lives. Franklin, however, regarded the Bible as mostly fables (Franklin 26), and did not recognize it as a divine authority . His opinion about the Bible produced skepticism toward the Scriptures that the Puritans lacked. As a young boy he found the Scripture disputed in the different books I readà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and I began to doubt of Revelation itself (Franklin 25). As a result, he dismissed the bible as divine and instead used the stories about Jesus as a moral guide (Franklin 33). In conclusion, the Puritans Christianity differed significantly from Ben Franklins deism. The colonists conducted all manners of affairs with regard to the religious implications it would have, and all of their decisions were made in light of the faith that was central to their existence. Unlike the Puritans, Ben Franklins philosophy of God and humanity was deistic in nature, and he had a much more hopeful outlook on humanity because he thought that they were capable of living morally without the Christian God. The Puritans and Franklins worldviews shaped their thinking in early colonial New England, and their alternate views resulted in divergent interpretations of the world at large.

Critical Analysis of A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare :: William Shakespeare Plays Literature Essays

Critical Analysis of A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare, born in 1594, is one of the greatest writers in literature. He dies in 1616 after completing many sonnets and plays. One of which is "A Midsummer Night’s Dream." They say that this play is the most purely romantic of Shakespeare’s comedies. The themes of the play are dreams and reality, love and magic. This extraordinary play is a play-with-in-a-play, which master writers only write successfully. Shakespeare proves here to be a master writer. Critics find it a task to explain the intricateness of the play, audiences find it very pleasing to read and watch. "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" is a comedy combining elements of love, fairies, magic, and dreams. This play is a comedy about five couples who suffer through love’s strange games and the evil behind the devious tricks. This play begins as Theseus, the Duke, is preparing to marry Hippolyta. He woos her with his sword. Hermia is in love with Lysander. Egeus, Hermiaâ⠂¬â„¢s father, forbids the relationship with Lysander and orders her to marry Demetrius. Demetrius loves Hermia, but she does not love him. On the other hand, Helena is in love with Demetrius. To settle the confusion, Theseus decides that Hermia must marry Demetrius or become a nun. In retaliation to her father’s command, Hermia and Lysander run away together. Amidst all the problems in the human world, Titania and Oberon, the fairy queen and king, continually argue about their various relationships that they have taken part in. (Scott 336) Titania leaves Oberon as a result of the arguments. Oberon is hurt and wants revenge on Titania. So he tells Puck, Oberon’s servant, to put a magic flower juice on her eyelids while she is sleeping. This potion causes the victim to desperately in love with the first creature that they see. Oberon’s plan is carried out, but the potion is also placed on Lysander’s eyes. Lysander awakes to see Helena, who is aimlessly wal king through the woods, and instantly falls in love with her. She thinks that he is making fun of her being in love with Demetrius, so she leaves and Lysander follows. This leaves Hermia to wake up alone. Puck now has journeyed to the area where several actors are rehearsing. He uses his magic to turn one of them into a donkey, in hopes that Titania will awake to see it.

Essays --

Quanisea Moses February 11, 2014 Dr. Yousuf Article Review Reconstructing the "Problem" of Race By: Edmund Fong Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 4 (Dec., 2008), pp. 660-670â€Æ' Central Thesis In Reconstructing the â€Å"Problem† of Race an article written by Edmond Fong, he uses W.E.B Dubose’s The Souls of Black Folks, Woodrow Wilson’s 1913 Gettysburg Reunion Speech, Louis Harz’s The Liberal Tradition in America, and Rogers M. Smith’s Civic Ideas to help support his main points. The main point in this article understands the problem of race in American politics by examining its productive function by grounding the meaning of American liberalism. In the article the author sates that many doubt that there is still a problem with race in American politics, and even fewer doubt that it was a productive role in American History. Fong says that this article tries to show the economy of absence of and presence that connects racial discourse to American liberal national identity, by putting together its ongoing productivity as a criticism mask for American politics. In Rogers M. Smit...

Police Use of Force Essay

Police use of force is a tool that is taught to every Officer to help diffuses a situation, it is not meant to do harm, but to ensure the safety of the Officer and the people that are involved in the situation. In some rare cases there are Officers that abuse their power and with the use of excessive use of force on individuals is an issue, Officers not thinking of what the effects it has on the victim, the alleged perpetrator or the community that it occurs in. The ethical or unethical use of force is determined by the community, society, and often a judge and jury. Today’s society there are often electrical devices that capture uses of force which are often used against Law Enforcement, these devices often capture a use of force that had gone bad like in the Rodney King case for example . The Misuse of authority like in the case against Chief Charlie Beck in the Los Angeles Police Department the outcome and concerns with a case like this. The cause and effects of Police use of force in our society and the ethical and unethical outcomes it has. Police Use of Force Use of force is the â€Å"amount of effort required by police to compel compliance by an unwilling subject.† (National Institute of Justice) Police are given this special tool to help enforce their safety and the safety of others when in a dangerous situation, they are taught this through education and training that is kept up yearly to ensure they are the best they can be at all times. The ways that an officer can use force is verbally, physical-restraint, less-lethal force, and when necessary lethal force. â€Å"Police officers should use only the amount of force necessary to control an incident, effective arrest, or protect themselves or others from harm or death.† (National Institute of Justice) Unfortunately, at times there are some police officers have felt that they are above this rule and have used excessive force in unnecessary situations. This is a problem both ethically and lawfully. One of the most famous cases where use of force was abused is the Rodney Kin g beating, this case was national news. This case was a use of force that had accrued in California with the LAPD. Their Police Chief Charlie Beck is being accused of letting officers who have used excessive force go unpunished. It is important for all law enforcement officers to only use force when absolutely necessary and all verbal commands have been expired. In today’s society there is always someone watching and often with some type of recording device recording all actions of Law Enforcement to catch them in an unfavorable situation. Violating use of force protocol is unethical because it does harm to people who do not deserve it, it’s not just the physical damage it can do but the mental as well. It would also be viewed as unethical because it is not for the greater good or overall happiness of everyone. It also appears to makes the police officer look untrustworthy and uncontrollable. This was what happen in the case for Rodney King, who had beaten by three police officers while their supervisor watched. Unfortunately Mr. King was beaten with metal batons, stomped on, and kicked as he lay on the ground defenseless. King was being arrested after sending police on a high speed car chase, that could have injured many innocent bystanders, but that does not justify the actions that were taken upon him. While the officers were trying to arrest him, Mr. King had put up a fight, resisting arrest, so the Officers, shot him twice with a stun gun, unfortunately still he resisted. When he finally rose to his feet, t his is when the beatings began. Unfortunately for the Officers but fortunately for Mr. King, all of this was caught on tape. Even though it was apparent what the Officers had done to be unethical when the case went to trial all of the officers were found innocent. This verdict caused such outrage with many people who followed the case that soon after the verdict was announced riots erupted all over Los Angeles. This is a perfect example of society losing faith in our Criminal Justice System they see the proof of what the Officers had done wrong yet they hw were not held accountable for their actions. When things like this are released it makes our justice system look sloppy, unprofessional, and most importantly unethical. It is understandable that the officers were probably upset that King had sent them on a dangerous car chase and resisted arrest; however, once he was subdued they should have put the cuffs on him, and placed him in the police car, and take him away. Instead, it looks like these officers took out their frustrations on Rodney King brought justice they felt he deserved into the street without a judge or his peers or a right to a fair trial. This would be seen as unethical because it was not for the overall happiness of everyone, it did not do any good, and the officers did not follow by the rules. They took themselves and placed themselves above what society feels to be acceptable and they broke that trust. Another ethical case involving use of force is also in Los Angeles, California. This is a recent problem involving the Chief of Police Charlie Beck. Beck is being accused of not punishing police officers who have used excessive force. â€Å"Since Beck took over as chief in late 2009, the commission has ruled on about 90 incidents involving officers who fired weapons or used other deadly force. In almost all of them, Beck concluded the officers used force appropriately and urged the commission to clear them of wrongdoing. The board followed his guidance most of the time.† (Rubin) However, four shootings that involved three people being killed and another three wounded by gunfire the commission did not agree with the Chief. This did not persuade Beck to invoke punishment to the officers involved in the shootings. He agreed that one of the officers had been wrong in his choice to fire, but still did not punish him. The commission fears that the lack of punishment toward officers who use excessive force could be sending out the wrong message to members of the LAPD. I would agree with the commission that Beck is sending out the wrong message. If an officer is already lacking good moral judgment when faced with a dangerous situation they may over-react to it if they know there are no consequences for their actions. â€Å"Every day, law enforcement officers face danger while carrying out their responsibilities this is something they decided to do take an oath and are to abide by what they have been taught and represent. When dealing with a dangerous—or unpredictable—situation, police officers usually have very little time to assess it and determine the proper response.† (United) We can make sure that when faced with these situations police officers make the right decision through proper training. Such training could include knowing the Use of Force Model. As taught this model is a guide to what use of force actions are appropriate for each situation and should be carried out in such a manner. For example, if someone is assaultive (trying to cause bodily harm) the officer should use defense tactics to subdue the individual first trying all verbal communication before resulting in a physical altercation. Another training guide that is used is the Police Training Model, which w as created in 1999 by PERF and the Reno Police Department. This model â€Å"addresses the traditional duties of policing in the context of specific neighborhood problems and includes several segments on the use of force.† (United) It is very important for police officers to make ethical decisions while in the field. It is important because it is their duty to protect and serve. It is also important because we as citizens look up to law enforcement and if they are caught doing something unethical it can ruin the respect and trust we have in law enforcement. When faced with dangerous or a tough situation police officers need to be trained to quickly make the best and most ethical decision possible. Police officers like those who beat Rodney King should be punished and made an example of. It is not ethical to hurt someone just because you have the power to. â€Å"The criminal justice system is designed to enforce moral rules that have been written into the criminal law. Aristotle believed that justice consist of giving each person his or her due† [ (Jay.S, 2013) ]. Maybe the Police Officers in both cases felt they had to take on the ethical teachings of Aristotle. When looking at today’s society and if you go back as far as there is written proof the court systems and law enforcement rules and regulations have grown and developed into more evolved court system and law enforcement for society to follow. At one time it was not unethical to flogged or whip a person, this was to deter them from committing future crimes, this is where Officers like the ones in these cases may have gotten by with physical abuse and unnecessary of force. Fortunately for us as citizens we have constitutional rights and there are laws in place to protect us from unnecessary use of force and the citizens of The United States of America are allowed their freedom, a speedy trial among a group of their peers fair, representation and the right not to be harmed by those who hold authority by law in which they represent. We have ethical responsibility s citizens to follow the rules and regulation of our count try and they s Law Enforcement Officers have n ethical obligation to lead by example. References 1. Harari, O. (1993). Lessons from the Rodney King tape. Management Review, 82(8), 20. 2. Jay.S, A. (2013). Professional Ethics In Criminal Justice Being Ethical when no one is looking. 3rd edition. In A. Jay.S, Professional Ethics In Criminal Justice Being Ethical when no one is looking. 3rd edition (pp. 1-153). Upper Saddle River : Prentice Hall /Pearson. 3. Jefferis, E., Butcher, F., & Hanley, D. (2011). Measuring perceptions of police use of force. Police Practice & Research, 12(1), 81-96. doi:10.1080/15614263.2010.497656 National Institute of Justice. â€Å"Police Use of Force.† National Institute of Justice. Office of Justice Programs, 20 Jan. 2012. Web. 19 July. 2013. . 4. Matheson, V. A., & Baade, R. A. (2004). Race and Riots: A Note on the Economic Impact of the Rodney King Riots. Urban Studies (Routledge), 41(13), 2691-2696. doi:10.1080/0042098042000294628 5. Rubin, J. (2012, 04 16). Beck facing rare criticism Improper use of force is tolerated too often, police panel says. Retrieved from Los Angeles Times : http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/16/local/la-me-beck-discipline-20120416 6. Rubin, Joel. â€Å"LAPD to Hold Meetings on Use-of-force Policies.† Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 10 Sept. 2012. Web. 21 July 2013. . 7. Stuart, F. (2011). Constructing Police Abuse after Rodney King: How Skid Row Residents and the Los Angeles Police Department Contest Video Evidence. Law & Social Inquiry, 36(2), 327-353. doi:10.1111/j.1747-4469.2011.01234.x 8. United States Department of

Cardon Carpet Mills Case

Cardon Carpet Mills Issues and constraints The issue, which Cardon Carpet is facing, stems from the lack of expansion throughout the United States, specifically limiting their contract sales portion of its business only to the southeastern portion of the United States. Cardon Carpet Mills has several action options: 1. Expand its market share in contract sales segment throughout the US. Employ ten sales representatives to seek potential institutions and businesses throughout all of the US. Compensate these personnel based on commission, that is, the amount of clients they contract to the business. . Sell its products of Contract sale to institutions and businesses especially ones located in the metropolitan areas their wholesalers reside in. 3. Present a contract that specifies a referral of at least five institutions by each of their wholesalers and in turn Cardon would compromise in regards to the â€Å"Margin Sharing† proposal. Organization Assessment Cardon Carpet Mills, I nc. is a privately held manufacturer of a full line of medium-to-high-priced carpet primarily for the residential segment.The company markets its products under the Masterton and Chesterton brand names. Robert Meadows is the president and Suzanne Goldman is his special assistant. Refer to Exhibit 3. Market and Industry Assessment Wholesale and retail distribution in the U. S. carpet and rug industry has gone through a lot of instabilities since the 1980’s. Shaw Industries, a manufacturer, the carpet and rug industry leader opened its own retail stores but suffered losing many of their buying groups. Shaw eventually sold its retail stores and returned to their prior channel.The Market has experienced an increase in dollar sales, however this is offset by limited profitability for manufacturers. Refer to Exhibit 2. Customer Assessment Cardon Carpet’s direct customers include: institutions and businesses and wholesalers. Cardon’s indirect customers include: Retaile rs and consumers. Action Assessment The industry shows a lot of instability in this industry, but more importantly highlights the sensitiveness of retailers and wholesalers to a manufacturer’s decisions. Refer to Exhibit 4.Shaw industries’ experience proves that Cardon should maintain their wholesalers and capitalize on their long-term relationships by seeking their expertise in targeting business and institutions. Refer to Exhibit 1. Recommendation/Action Selection and Plan Cardon must Compromise with the wholesalers in order to expand its Contract sales segment and increase market share. The agreement would guarantee at least five new clients in each of the seven wholesaler locations. In return, the wholesalers would receive a price reduction and have incentive to help Cardon Mills become sustainable.This presents a mutually acceptable solution that looks to fill a huge part of the market, which Cardon has yet to capitalize on. Implementation Plan Set up a meeting wi th a leading official at each wholesaler site and Send a Cardon executive to each of the seven locations. Specify in the contract/agreement that the referrals have to actually become contracted customers of Cardon. Indicate that these institutions can be the wholesaler’s accounting firm, corporate locations etc.

Enterprise Resource Planning Essay

There are twenty KSFs considered in this study. They were chosen from literature review. The KSFs are classified into five stages of ERP implementation life cycle; namely: project preparation, technology selection, project formulation, implementation/development and deployment. To address the study objectives, a survey questionnaire was considered the most appropriate research method. It was sent to 74 companies that have been implementing ERP system for at least one year. The respondents are staff at management level, IT staff and users involved in the development and use of the ERP system. The survey received 248 responses from 740 quesitionnaires that were sent to the companies. To find the priority of KSFs on ERP implementation life cycle, a quantitative analysis is applied to identify the weighting of KSFs toward ERP implementation success. The success of ERP implementation can be measured through five indicators; namely: system quality, information quality, service quality, tactical impact and strategical impact. Based on the weighting of KSFs on each stage of ERP implementation life cycle, it is found that the communication is most critical KSF on project preparation stage (? 0. 664). While the strong ERP product (package selection) is most critical KSF on technology selection stage (? = 0. 554). The change management is most critical KSF on project formulation stage (? = 0. 406), and on implementation/development stage, user training is the most critical KSF (? = 0. 422). This study is expected to improve knowledge in ERP implementation, especially the role of KS F on each stage of ERP implementation life cycle. Keywords: Priority of KSFs, ERP Implementation Success, ERP Implementation Life Cycle, Key Success Factors (KSFs) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is an integrated information system that is used to support business processes and resource management within an organization. These systems integrate between one business unit with other business units. With the implementation of this system in an organization to support the company’s operations, it is expected to provide optimum benefit for the company. This is especially needed by the various industrial sectors in this era of lobalization. So, the company can compete with competitors or even create a competitive advantage. In addition, ERP selection is also done with various strategic reasons both tangible and intangible. ERP software has grown rapid ly the last 10 years. According to AMR Research, ERP system sales increased dramatically in 2004 reached 23. 6 billion dollars. Market Journal of Enterprise Resource Planning Studies 2 growth rate remained stable in 2005, and the end of 2009 the ERP software sales reached 24. 5 billion dollars (Hestermann, Anderson ; Pang, 2009). One of the largest ERP companies is SAP AG (a German Company). The company controls about 40% of the market and it is the third largest software company in the world. Based on data from SAP AG, about 80% of SAP’s sales occur in Europe and the United States, while the remaining 20% spread in Asia. The main reason of the investment made by companies is due to the ERP system integration business and it promises to improve the company’s competitive position in the market (Luo and Strong, 2004). Some benefits have also been frequently cited in several studies related to the ERP system, such as: data and pplication integration as a substitute for legacy systems, lower cost and faster deployment compared with in-house development, adopting ERP best practices into business company processes (Markus, 2004). However, some other cases show that investments of Information Technology (IT) with substantial funds may not necessarily bring optimal benefits. This is shown by Dantes & Hasibuan (2010) who i llustrate that nearly 60% of ERP implementation in Indonesia in both public and private companies have failed. Even big companies in the world such as: FoxMeyer Drug and Dell Computer have pent quite a lot of funds for implementation of ERP but the benefits obtained are not optimal (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). It was reported that FoxMeyer like all large companies engaged in pharmaceutical declare themselves bankrupt because of failure in implementing the system. In line with the above data, a survey conducted by Robbins-Giowa in American companies in 2001 found that about 51% of companies in America have failed in the implementation of ERP (IT Cortex, 2003), In China, it is estimated that the ERP implementation success rate is only 10% (Zhang et al. , 2003). Success and failure of ERP system implementation is influenced by several aspects of both internal and external organizations. Various factors are influencing the success of ERP implementation. Many researchers found critical success factors on ERP implementation, but they were not put in practice. Therefore, in this study we examine the KSF and propose a priority of KSFs on ERP implementation life cycle, both technical and non technical issues that influence the ERP implementation success. Theoretical Background The following sub sections discuss ERP implementation life cycle, KSFs on ERP mplementation process, and measurement of ERP implementation success model. Implementation Life Cycle ERP implementation is changing from legacy systems into ERP system. It is more on process change instead of technology change itself. This section will describe the stages on ERP implementation from previous research, in which each model has different stages. In general, ERP implementation process has three main stages: pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation (Capaldo and Rippa, 2009). However, some researchers considered each stage to be sub-stages according to their perspectives.

Why is it difficult for Mexican Americans to live in America?

The movie Selena tells how difficult it is for Mexican Americans to live in a country like America. There are great expectations from people who live there especially for artists and other people who wish to conquer the entertainment industry. Mexican Americans in the United States are often ridiculed in their manner of speaking and performances.Many American racists will not hire group of Mexicans as performers. If there is a chance to get them for programs and performances, the audience has dual expectations from these groups.Moreover, they are also subject to discrimination by the Mexican American community when they perform English-American instead Spanish songs. When a flashback of Abaraham, Selena’s father, as a member of a family band playing â€Å"Blue Moon,† was presented in the film, the way they were rejected by the Mexican American audience shows that the Mexican American community was not ready to accept Mexicans who play English songs. When Abraham discove red Selena’s golden voice, he knew that Selena was meant to be on the limelight.With his support, Selena was convinced that she can become successful â€Å"in a field where every other Mexican American woman had failed† (Bernardinelli, 1997). When Selena grew older, she wanted to have a musical identity that she can call her own, which was mostly influenced by American pop music. As a Tejano singer, she was singing Spanish songs while she idolizes American pop singers. Because of this, there were times when Selena and Abraham clashed about the direction of the band’s music.However, he never failed to respect her and prod her to choose her own path. Thus, Selena is a film that deals with a clash of two different cultures (Bernardinelli, 1997). An example of this in the movie includes the part where Selena was to be interviewed by a TV reporter. Abraham told Selena that her English and Spanish should be perfect. She has to look like she can understand and identify with icons of both cultures. This was a lesson that Selena took to heart.However, in the interview, she made a mistake. After the interview, Abraham expressed his frustration by saying that to be fully accepted in America, Selena must become â€Å"more Mexican than most Mexicans† and â€Å"more American than most Americans† (Quintanilla & Nava, 1997). She is an American, but she is also a Mexican, and she has to learn to draw from both cultures to form her own style (Berardinelli, 1997). When Selena died, nobody quite knew where to place her culturally (Rodriguez, 1997).But her tremendous popularity on both sides of the border is a symbol of how hyphenated Mexican-Americans have gone from the margins to the mainstream (Rodriguez 1997). Selena's story is one of the â€Å"burden of leading hyphenated lives, and of the need to forge a place for ourselves between the dismissive Anglo-American and Mexican mainstreams† (Rodriguez, 1997). She was indeed a dreamer who preferred to go on discos rather than ranches.When she was already popular among the Mexican Americans, she still dreamed of becoming a â€Å"crossover† star to sing English songs. It is said that in the past, Mexican-American identity and having a Latino culture is a great shame for the immigrants’s children and grandchildren. â€Å"Mexicans called their English-speaking, ‘Scooby-Doo’-watching American cousins ‘pochos,’ which meant something like ‘watered-down Mexicans’† (Rodriguez 1997). Selena's popularity both in the Mexico and America marks the changes in the new generation whereâ€Å"’pocho’ no longer connotes a marginal position in a culture that was never fully [Mexcian], but a growing pride in Mexican-American hybrid status, and the ability to sample and absorb the best from both sides of the border. † (Rodriguez 1997). Living in America with traces of Mexican-American blood is never easy becau se not only they are discriminated by Americans, they are judged by other Mexicans, especially when they act â€Å"too American† However, these things never discouraged the late Selena to reach the top.Reference: Berardinelli, J. (1997). Selena. Reel Reviews. Retrieved February 18, 2008 from: http://www. reelviews. net/movies/s/selena. html Quintanilla, Jr. , A. (Producer), & Nava, G. (Director). (1997). Selena. [Motion picture]. Warner Brothers. Rodriguez, G. (1997). Selena's story â€Å"pochos† have come of age. Pacific News. Retrieved February 18, 2008 from: http://www. pacificnews. org/jinn/stories/3. 06/970321-selena. html