Inez Beverly Prosser Twentieth Century African American Essay

Abstract Inez Beverly Prosser (1895-1934), was an African American psychologist of the early twentieth century. Her main focus was on the significance of racism and its effects upon children relative to the obtainment of fair and adequate education. This writing will address the endeavors, perspectives, and accomplishments of this significant yet vastly under recognized African American female psychologist. A psychologist who led us on a journey through her perspectives as seen through the mind and eyes as an African American. It would be a journey of the many obstacles endured to enhance her knowledge as a way to make a difference for other African American children through higher education. Prosser contributed much, not only for African Americans, but also to the field of psychology through research. This journey takes you through her childhood, her desires, and her struggles while striving to achieve her goals and recognition. What is at the end of this journey is a legacy which has given hope and aspirations for many past, present and future generations. Inez Beverly Prosser Twentieth Century African American Psychologist 20th Century Education in Psychology – The Matter of Gender In the early twentieth century, the composition of psychologists was predominantly Caucasian males. Caucasian females at that time were more and more given the opportunity to attend college and teach within those colleges. However, those same women continued to encounter resistance to the opportunity for obtaining a degree in psychology. One such renowned female of that period was Mary Whiton Calkins (1863 – 1930). Calkins applied to study at Harvard University, but at the time, Harvard did not permit women admittance. Through letters, petitions, protest, and insistence by prominent   within the educational system, Calkins was finally allowed to study at Harvard under the conditions that she attends as an unregistered student. By 1894, Calkins had completed all of the requirements for earning a doctorate in Psychology. Although Calkins was never officially conferred the doctoral degree, she is regarded, by many, as being the first woman to have rightfully earned this honor. 20th Century Education for Psychology – The Matter of Racism Though Calkins had paved the way for the female gender to have the same rights and recognition as her male peers in psychology, the road remained an uphill battle and was riddled with exponential barriers for the African Americans. It was especially true even after an additional 30 plus years had passed between the time Calkins completed her studies at Harvard in 1894, and the time that an African American female strived to fulfill her goals through post graduate studies. For African Americans, there were roadblocks at the entrance of the many prestigious colleges and universities. As it stands, back in the early nineteenth century and beyond, African Americans have demonstrated their exemplary skills, perspectives, and intelligence in the world of nonacceptance due to the differences of their outward appearance, (color of their skin), or culture. Many African Americans have contributed to today’s society in ways that cannot be repeated but are worthy to have been credited for those very contributions. One such person worthy of mention as a great contributor to the world of psychology is Inez Prosser. Prosser is the central focus of this paper. Inez Beverly Prosser Inez Beverly Prosser (1895-1934), an African American who faced many obstacles in her quest to achieve the same recognition as Calkins, her female predecessor. Throughout history, racism and sexism were obstacles that have confronted African Americans, both male and female. Historian Cynthia Neverdon-Morton wrote, â€Å"†¦that African Americans saw education as a means of escaping poverty, enhancing their ability to secure employment, and redressing social inequalities and injustices.† (Benjamin, 2005) Prosser was one such person who went on to achieve greatness in her educational aspirations. In 1912, Prosser graduated from college holding a certificate for teaching. She began teaching at various elementary and high schools, while at the same time, worked on obtaining a master’s degree. During   time, the state of Texas did not allow African Americans to obtain graduate degrees. This fact did not deter Prosser; instead, she became an administrator at Tugaloo Col lege. She later applied and was admitted to the University of Colorado to continue her education where she later earned her master’s degree in education. At the same time Prosser was attending the University of Colorado, she took additional courses in psychology. She eventually returned to Tugaloo College as a member of the faculty and finished her doctoral dissertation titled, â€Å"Non-academic development of negro children in mixed and segregated schools,† which was approved in 1933. She was not only to become the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in psychology, but also the first female African American in this country to be recognized as having done so. Although this point appears in many publications, it remains a matter of which you will not find Prosser listed along with the many accomplished psychologist of the past and present—not even within the â€Å"Psychology Timeline†, a source material provided by our very own Universities for reference. The Driving Force and Perspectives of Inez Beverly Prosser The foundation Prosser utilized for her thought process was the Humanistic theory. This theory focuses on the potential of an individual and the importance of self-actualization. As an educator, Prosser felt that Caucasian teachers within the institutions of the south were not equipped, from a psychological perspective of the black culture to adequately teach African American students. Prosser felt that the Caucasian educators could not relate to those students in the same manner as an educator of the same race. Prosser set out to bring attention to the significance of her view by creating, â€Å"The Comparative Reliability of Objective Tests in English Grammar.† The design of this study was meant to demonstrate that the English grammar tests that were being administered at that time were unreliable because they did not take into consideration the background or culture of the African American students. During her tenure, Prosser conducted an extensive study to prove this point . In her reason given for choosing Cincinnati for her research, this was made clear by her following statement, â€Å" (1) to measure vocational interests, leisure interests, play interests, social participation, emotional or neurotic tendencies, social   ascendancy-submission, overstatement, introversion-extraversion, and general personality adjustment. . . , (2) to ascertain the difference, if any, that exists in these traits, and (3) to determine whether one or the other of these schools is better fostering growth in personality in so far as it can be determined by the available techniques.† (Benjamin L. T., 2005) Her Contributions Prosser contributed much to society through her commitments for equality in education. â€Å"Her dissertation research, although unpublished and largely unrecognized by later researchers, addressed issues that would become central to the debates on school desegregation that led ultimately to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision of the U.S. Supreme Court.† (Benjamin L. T., 2005) Much more was never realized due to her untimely death just one year after being awarded her Ph.D. in psychology. She, along with her husband of 18 years, Allen Rufus Prosser, and one of her sisters, was involved in a head-on car collision as they drove back from visiting family in Texas. Her life may have been short, but her achievements during her life were considerable. She was an encouragement to all who knew her as well as those of us who can only read her story. Prosser left a legacy which is represented best by the following memorial tribute to her honor, â€Å"In Southern Memorial Park , an African American cemetery on Roland Road in San Antonio, the inscription on Inez Prosser’s headstone reads,† â€Å"How many hopes lie buried here.† (Bazar, 2010) In conclusion In the early nineteenth century, racism and sexism were prominent within the community of psychologist. It was not until 1933 that this fact, due to the conference of a Ph.D. bestowed upon Inez Beverly Prosser, was changed forever. Prosser became the first African American female to receive a doctorate in psychology. Prosser persevered through the many obstacles African Americans faced in their quest to obtain an education at the higher levels from the southern state universities that would not accept African Americans. Inez Beverly Prosser was not, she went on to accomplish much during her short-lived life. She excelled in her educational endeavors by graduating with distinction. She later went on to receive her master’s in education. Her ultimate achievement was obtaining the status as the   African American as well as the first African American female to be awarded a Ph.D. in psychology. Prosser’s life was cut short in a car accident just one short year after receiving her Ph.D.. Prosser, through her studies, was instrumental in helping all of her siblings to reach academic success—five of which earned college degrees. Her contributions helped pave the road that led to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Prosser was a prominent psychologist who deserved recognition for all that she brought to the forefront by bringing understanding and equality to the educational system. She was committed, and brought about changes for the diverse people of our society who were confronted with the unjust obstacles on their road to higher education. Works Cited Bazar. (2010). Psychology’s feminist Voices. Retrieved May 2, 2014, from Feminist Voices: http://www.feministvoices.com/inez-beverly-prosser/ Benjamin, L. T. (2005). Inez Beverly Prosser and the Education of African Americans. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 41, 43-62. Wiley Interscience. (2005). Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences. pp. 41(1), 43-62.

Duty of Care in Health, Social Care Essay

1 Understanding the implications of duty of care. 1.1: Define the term †Duty of Care†. The definition of â€Å"duty of care† is a legal obligation and a requirement to work in a way that offers the best interest of a child, young person, or in my case vulnerable adult, in a way which will not be detrimental to the health, safety and wellbeing of that person. 1.2: Describe how the duty of care affects own work role. Carrying out my â€Å"duty of care† in accordance with my Role, Responsibility and Competence, I must always carry out my duties that are in my own job description and decline those that are not, I must follow procedure, and provide a standard of care in line with the principle codes of practice in all aspects of my daily work, and make sure I have access to all resources and equipment that may assist me, I must observe confidentiality at all times, I must also be observant and make sure I update my knowledge and skills on a regular basis, I must also understand the importance and have the confidence to air concerns, which may be delicate and involve not only work colleagues, but also people I support. 2 Understanding support available for addressing dilemmas that may arise about duty of care. 2.1 describe dilemmas that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights. A dilemma may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights when the basic human rights and freedoms of the individual are put to challenge, this could be the persons own concept of â€Å"mental capacity† against that of a care plan or risk assessment, or simply giving the individual a choice, but at the same time understanding the need to keep the individual safe. A dilemma may also manifest when there is a need to divulge information about the individual but is also in the individual’s best interest, or where there may be a public safety concern. 2.2 explain where to get additional support and advice about how to resolve such dilemmas. I would get additional support from my mentor, tutor, line manager, the care quality commission, Ofsted, the association of Health Care Professionals (AHCP) unions such as Unison, also Skills Councils such as Skills for Care, Skills for Health. And where children were concerned, The Children’s Workforce and Development Council. 3 Know how to respond to complaints 3.1 describe how to respond to complaints It is very important to respond to the individuals feelings in a way that is fair and non-judgmental, listen to what is being said so I can clearly understand the problem, share advice on the procedures for making a complaint, make sure that the problem is my focus and not the personality, I would then pass this information on to my line manager, reflect on my response, and if necessary, seek further training or look for alternative practices that are available to me. 3.2 Identify the main points of agreed procedures for handling complaints The main points of agreed procedures for handling complaints are: a-Keeping a record of complaint, making sure everything is written down. b-Identifying what went wrong. c-Respond to the complaint within the agreed time. d-Responding to the complaint e.g. apologising, putting things right (local resolution stage). e-Informing complainant of their rights f-Who to complain to when complaints are not resolved. g-The role of local government ombudsman, and reflecting on complaints to improve practice.

Political ideologies in Brazil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political ideologies in Brazil - Essay Example Brazil has become an important country not only in the Latin America but also in the world. In the Latin America, Brazil’s economy is the largest, and it is placed eighth worldwide by the nominal GDP. Additionally, it is currently positioned seventh in the world as per purchasing power parity. As of 2012, the country’s economy growth rate was 5%, and it surpassed United Kingdom’s though there has been a deceleration since (Kiernan, p.5). In light of these, the country’s politics tend to focus mainly on the management and improvement of the economy. To do so, two factions hold different views on the precise methods to improve the country’s economy. While one political group argues that only internationalism would remedy the country’s economic crisis, another vehemently opposes the notion. A statist nationalist is a political group whose ideology is that the government ought to control some areas that crucial to the economy (Almond, p. 45). Using the term, ‘interventionism’, and this political ideology holds the view that only an inward-oriented economy would improve the country’s economic and overall state. Some of the steps proposed by the group is that foreign policies ought to focus what will benefit the country first. The importance of interventionism, it is argued, is that the state corrects market failures while promoting general welfare.

Quiz 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Quiz 1 - Assignment Example He is also looking ahead and is avoiding the unwanted incase the Democrats retain control of the senate in November and the Republicans decide to compromise immigration. The foreign policy problems have caused atrophy in the foreign policy. This has affected the approval rating of Mr. Obama; this has been a concern for most of the Democrats in the final season of the campaign. The policies have made the president be perceived weak an issue likely to hurt his party’s electoral chances.(Hook, and Nelson, 2014) The senate has prepared a 100 day agenda plan should they take the senate; they are very likely to win. The key agenda is to authorize the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline so as to boost the energy production. Other agendas are: approving fast track trade authority, repealing Obamacare’s unpopular tax on medical devices and effecting back new Environmental protection Agency regulations. There is a rift amongst Republicans; there are those thinking the GOP can rely on Obama’s lack of popularity in winning the senate and those thinking that the party would do better to push the positive agenda. (Riley, 2014) The republicans are intending to attract women voters at all cost. Rep. Cory Gardner announced his support for the over-the-counter women’s oral contraceptives. The policy is one of the party’s attempts to draw more female voters contrary to the past. The party was also the leading oppose of the Obamacare, something that a large number of women opposed, this gives them the support from the

Education, in particular equality in education Essay

Education, in particular equality in education - Essay Example In one of his Lectures on education, Emerson declared that the whole theory of schooling and education is on the mother’s knee (1). A child learns to skate, fish, make snowballs and hit a mark with a stone. This is education, the same way learning the secrets of science, history and literature is. What is important is to respect the student and impart knowledge that catches a student’s attention and brings out the genius in him. However, education today is governed by the steam instead of meeting the needs of each individual mind. According to Freire’s Educational Theory, it is important for the teachers to recognize that the students are thinking subjects rather than objects (90). Therefore, it is not possible for information to be transferred from a teacher to the learner and simply memorized. This transference of knowledge needs to be shaped through discussions and reflections and comprehended for it to be called education. He also believed that a teacher should try Humans are members of not only the society they live in, but also the world. Every human being is linked to another and it is crucial for human beings to understand each other rather than focusing on what benefits they can derive from one another, especially in times of globalization where the world has become an interdependent global village. This understanding can be gained through Liberal Education as derived by Martha Nussbaum. Nussbaum, in her article ‘Liberal Education & Global Community’ wrote that the system of higher education in many countries focuses on a single pre-professional subject whereas, the liberal arts universities will cultivate humanity within students and allow them to deal with other humans through human understanding rather than economic and political connections (2-3). According to Armstrong, Doctor Howard Gardner proposed the

Market Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Market Analysis - Assignment Example In the course of the Choice-based study, I looked at three main attributes: Region, Brand and Price. Each attribute had two main options. Region had a not well-known region and well known region. Brand had a not well-known brand and well-known brand. Finally, price had low and high price. Each choice set was accompanied by three distinct alternatives. The two options assigned to each factor were based on the evaluation of the desired choice. In conjoint analysis, the two options are referred to as levels. To be able to have a clear understanding of the attributes and levels of the product (wine) each attribute encompassed a number of aspects. For instance, brand included aspects such as the producer, distributer and the retailer while region mainly represented the location of the product that is the manufacturing place and distribution place. The advantage of using a conjoint analysis is because it provides a choice that is discrete and it is able to put a dollar value on the attributes and their levels. This study adapted a choice based conjoint category where every respondent selects only one alternative based on the on a given choice set. However, the choices may tend not to contain all the alternatives (Wiley, 2010, p.36). Below is a table showing a summary of the product attributes and the levels that were tested in this analysis: Given the choice set of the response alternatives for the eight choice design set, the conjoint model is mainly used to determine the overall best alternative based on the choices within the attribute utility scores. A choice set refers to a set of alternatives. In the course of determining the best alternative, the respondent may not be in a position to use all the alternatives that are present. The utility scores derived from the Choice-Based study with an increase of $ 5 in price are represented in the table below: Each attribute level score together with the scores

Report on the religious life of planet earth Essay

Report on the religious life of planet earth - Essay Example Contemporary issues that affect the society such as abortion are for example defined by religious beliefs among members of the society. Similarly, major wars and conflicts that are experienced on the global scope are religiously motivated. Religion specifically embeds practices among people and defines cultural values and practices with focus on general principles of life. Further, religion is ‘cross-cultural’ and exhibits a general trend across cultures. This means that regardless of differences among religious beliefs, they are guided by similar fundamental principles (Nye, 2008). Hinduism is one of the religious beliefs that are widely practices across the globe. It believes in unity that is under one supernatural power with people hope to be united after the life on earth. In order to achieve this, Hindus believe in cycles of life in which a person’s next life is determined by the deeds in their current life. Another major belief is found in Judaism. Having originated among Jews, Judaism believes in the existence of one supreme God who controls the whole universe. God is believed to monitor everything that takes place on earth and punishes those who do evil but rewards the righteous. Determination of righteousness is defined by a set of rules that God is believed to have delivered to his people through his prophet Moses and other prophets. Life after death, through resurrection is one of the fundamental hopes of Judaism belief. Similarly, Islamic belief is centered on a sole supernatural power, in Allah. Islam also believes in existence of sin and th e promise of eternal punishment for sinners and an ultimate reward of the righteous by Allah. The three religious beliefs are therefore centered on the fundamental principles of existence of a supernatural being who punisher evil and rewards righteousness among people (Omsakthi, 2010). The scope of religion that includes cultural orientation and judgment by the

The Self Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Self Paper - Essay Example These may be positive or negative. For example, a girl who believes that she is fat may avoid the reassurances for her friends, which suggest otherwise. However, a student who believes that he is smart may continue to believe the same after looking his transcript, which shows a C grade. Rogers labeled this difference between reality and self-concept as â€Å"incongruence†. Important here to note is that everybody has some degree of incongruence but what really matters is â€Å"how much† (Weiten, 2008). Rogers also believed that the congruence or incongruence has a direct linkage with the childhood experiences of the person. Quite understandably, people and especially children are hungry for love, attention, and affection. During their childhood, parents and guardians are responsible for the same (Weiten, 2008). Rogers argue that parents that provide unconditional love to their children are at the same time fostering congruence; however, parents that make their love cond itional, find great disparities between the self-concept and actual experiences of their children, in other words fostering incongruence. This is true because when the love of the parents appears to be conditional for the children, they are more likely to block unfavorable experiences so that they could reassure themselves that they are worthy of love. On the other hand, children getting unconditional love would develop a sense of security and confidence in them, which would them to face the experiences and their reality in a better way (Baumeister, 1999). Development of the concept of self has two important aspects. First is the existential self which refers to â€Å"the most basic part of the self-scheme or self-concept; the sense of being separate and distinct from others and the awareness of the constancy of the self† (Baumeister, 1999; (Weiten, 2008). During his early days, a young child realizes that he exists as a separate entity in time and space like everything else does. When he feels the touch of someone else or sees objecting moving due to his force, this is when he gains an understanding of his own existence, which is different from that of others. Second aspect of self is the categorical self, which develops when the child grasps an understanding of the fact that he or she is not a separate entity but at the time is an object like many other objects present in the surrounding. This allows the child to realize that like other objects he or she also has certain properties and characteristics that define him and are an important part or his or her existence. â€Å"I am tall†, â€Å"I am a girl†, â€Å"I am 3† and others. With the passage of time, these characteristics and properties which people apply to themselves become more complex and internal concerning psychological traits, comparative evaluations and others (Weiten, 2008). The relationship between self and emotions is an important one, which also leads to the under standing of self-esteem. Emotions refer to the experiences of an individual’s state of mind and how an individual thinks or feels goes on to determines his self worth or self-esteem (Powell, 2005). Self Esteem refers to the extent to which one values him or herself, the perceived worth and the degree to which he or she approves or accepts his or her existence. Higher self-esteem would refer to a positive view of self which would ultimately lead to optimism, confidence,

Value of Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Value of Philosophy Essay In the introductory lecture notes to this course I stated that we would start with a working definition of philosophy as being the â€Å"love of wisdom. † I have found, though, that just about every other definition attempted has many shortcomings. No one definition seems adequate to define what it means to engage in philosophy. Consequently, I think it is best to think of the philosopher in the somewhat imprecise term of a lover of wisdom. Someone who is continually in search of the truth. Though he/she might be ridiculed for pursuing the unobtainable, this search for truth/ knowledge can yield enormous benefits. It provides the tools to critically evaluate the world around us and the information we are given about that world. This ability to critically evaluate ideas is especially important given the role that such knowledge affects and shapes our lives—as we saw in the sections on B. F. Skinner, Positive Freedoms, and the Philosophy of Science. Furthermore, the changes in our society necessitate that we re-examine fundamental questions periodically. For example, advances in medical science have posed new ethical questions. Ethical judgments concerning genetic engineering (engineering certain characteristics into or out of our genetic make-up) calls into question fundamental ideas concerning freedom and individuality. Without some understanding of these subjects how can we frame answers to such questions? Even if we examine these questions, is our approach critical, authentic? Or do we choose to accept the answers given to us by society? Are we not then acting in a kind of Sartrean â€Å"Bad Faith? † How much of our humanity and freedom are we abdicating by not engaging in some kind of philosophical activity? Though we pride ourselves on being â€Å"rational† people, how rational are our thoughts and actions even if they are â€Å"proven? † Or, do we live up to Soren Kierkegaard’s remark in The Journals, â€Å"There are many people who reach their conclusion about life like schoolboys: they cheat their master by copying the answer out of a book without having worked the sum out for themselves. † Many of the great philosophers have attempted to justify and extol the virtues of the study of philosophy. I have put together a series of quotes of what I think are some of the more important passages addressing  philosophy’s role in education and our lives. As you read these quotes, consider whether or not philosophy practiced in this fashion and as it was studied throughout this course can actually lead one to be a lover of wisdom and help us—if not answer—at least understand some of the fundamental questions we have considered. Philosophy’s Role in Education Even the poor student studies and is taught only political economy, while that economy of living which is synonymous with philosophy is not even sincerely professed in our college. . . . Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which it was already but too easy to arrive at . . .. While civilization has been improving our houses, it has not equally improved the men who are to inhabit them. It has created palaces, but it was not so easy to create noblemen and kings. Henry David Thoureau, Walden It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. John Stuart Mill, â€Å"The Utilitarian Calculus of Pain and Pleasure† You want to know my attitude towards liberal studies. Well, I have no respect for any study whatsoever if its end is the making of money. Such studies are to me unworthy ones. They involve the putting out of skills to hire, and are only of value in so far as they may develop the mind without occupying it for long. Time should be spent on them only so long as ones mental abilities are not up to dealing with higher things. They are our apprenticeship, not our real work. Why liberal studies are so called is  obvious: it is because they are the ones considered worthy of a free man. . . . Why then do we give our sons a liberal education? Not because it can make them morally good but because it prepares the mind for the acquisition of moral values. Just as that grounding in grammar, as they called it in the old days, in which boys are given their elementary schooling, does not teach them the liberal arts but prepares the ground for knowledge of them in due course, so when it comes to character the liberal arts open the way to it rather than carry the personality all the way there . . .. Words need to be sown like seed. No matter how tiny a seed may be, when it lands in the right sort of ground it unfolds its strength and from being minute expands and grows to a massive size. Reason does the same; to the outward eye its dimensions may be insignificant, but with activity it starts developing. Although the words spoken are few, if the mind has taken them in as it should they gather strength and shoot upwards. Yes, precepts have the same features as seeds; they are of compact dimensions and they produce impressive resultsgiven, as I say, the right sort of mind, to grasp at and assimilate them. The mind will then respond by being in its turn creative and will produce a yield exceeding what was put into it. Seneca, Letters from a Stoic Philosophy and the Uncertainty of our Answers to Fundamental Questions The value of philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its very uncertainty. The man who has not tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation, from convictions which have grown up in his mind without the co-operation or consent of his deliberate reason. To such a man the world tends to become definite, finite, obvious, common objects rouse no questions, and unfamiliar possibilities are contemptuously rejected. As soon as we begin to philosophize, on the contrary, we find . . . that even the most everyday things lead to problems to which only very incomplete answers can be given. Philosophy, though unable to tell us with certainty what is the true answer to the doubts which it raises, is able to suggest many possibilities which enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom. Thus, while diminishing our feeling of certainty as to what things are, it greatly increases our knowledge as to what they may be; it removes the somewhat arrogant dogmatism of those who have never traveled into the region of liberating doubt, and it keeps alive our sense of wonder by showing familiar things in an unfamiliar aspect. Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy Philosophy, then, is not an empirical study: not the critical examination of what exists or has existed or will exist—this is dealt with by common-sense knowledge and belief, and the methods the natural sciences. Nor is it a kind of formal deduction, as mathematics or logic is. Its subject-matter is to a large degree not items of experience, but the ways in which they are viewed, the permanent or semi-permanent categories in terms of which experience is conceived or classified. . . . These models [categories] often collide; some are rendered inadequate by failing to account for too many aspects of experience, and are in their turn replaced by other models which emphasise what these last have omitted, but in their turn may obscure what the others have rendered clear. The task of philosophy, often a difficult and painful one, is to extricate and bring to light the hidden categories and models in terms of which human beings think (that is, their use of words, images an other symbols), to reveal what is obscure or contradictory in them, to discern the conflicts between them that prevent the construction of mare adequate ways of organizing and describing and explaining experience (for all description as well as explanation involves some model in terms of which the describing and explaining is done); and then, at a still ‘higher’ level, to examine the nature of this activity itself (epistemology, philosophical logic, linguistic analysis), and to bring to light the concealed models that operate in this second-order, philosophical, activity itself. . . . The perennial task of philosophers is to examine whatever seems insusceptible to the methods of he science or everyday observation, for  example, categories, concept, models, ways of thinking or acting, and particularly ways in which they clash with one another, with a view to constructing other, less internally contradictory and (though this can never be fully attained) less pervertible metaphors, images, symbols and systems of categories. it is certainly a reasonable hypothesis that one of the principle causes of confusion, misery and fear is, whatever may be its psychological or social roots, blind adherence to outworn notions, pathological suspicion of any form of critical self-examination, frantic efforts to prevent any degree of rational analysis of what we live by and for. Berlin, â€Å"The Purpose of Philosophy† Philosophy’s purpose is to illuminate the ways our soul has been infected by unsound beliefs, untrained tumultuous desires, and dubious life choices and preferences that are unworthy of us. Self-scrutiny applied with kindness is the main antidote. Besides rooting out the soul’s corruptions, the life of wisdom is also meant to stir us from our lassitude and move use in the direction of an energetic, cheerful life. Epictetus, The Art of Living, 84 Philosophy and the Enlightened Character Who can doubt . . . that life is the gift of the immortal gods, but that living well is the gift of philosophy? . . . They [the Gods] have given no one the present of a knowledge of philosophy, but everyone the means of acquiring it. For if they had made philosophy a blessing given to all and sundry, if we were born in a state of moral enlightenment, wisdom would have been deprived of the best thing about herthat she isnt one of the things which fortune either gives us or doesnt. As things are, there is about wisdom a nobility and magnificence in the fact that she doesnt just fall to a persons lot, that each man owes her to his own efforts, that one doesnt go to anyone other than oneself to find her. What would you have worth looking up to in philosophy if she were handed out free? Seneca, Letters from a Stoic Let no one put off studying philosophy when he is young, nor when old grow weary of its study. For no one is too young or too far past his prime to achieve the health of his soul. The man who alleges that he is not yet ready for philosophy or that the time for it has passed him by, is like the man who says that he is either too young or too old for happiness. Therefore, we should study philosophy both in youth and in old age, so that we, though growing old, may be young in blessings through the pleasant memory of what has been; and when young we may be old as well, because we harbor no fear over what lies ahead. We must, therefore, pursue the things that make for happiness, seeing that when happiness is present, we have everything; but when it is absent, we do everything to possess it. Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus I tell you . . . let no day pass without discussing goodness and all the other subjects about which you hear me talking and examining both myself and other is really the very best thing that a man can do, and that life without this sort of examination is not worth living . . .. Plato, Socrates Defense (Apology). In other occupations, the reward comes with difficulty after their completion, but in philosophy delight coincides with knowledge. For enjoyment does not come after learning, but learning and enjoyment come together. Epicurus, Vatican Sayings Philosophy, likewise, tells all other occupations: Its not my intention to accept whatever time is left over from you; you shall have, instead, what I reject. Give your whole mind to her. Sit at her side and pay her constant court, and an enormous gap will widen between yourself and other men. Youll end up far in advance of all mankind, and not far behind the gods themselves. Seneca, Letters From A Stoic 3

International Literacy Day Essay Example for Free

International Literacy Day Essay -Nation Center for Education Statistics- The Arab Republic of Egypt, which is a country located in the North of Africa, one of the most populous countries in Africa and the 15th most populated in the world, with over 84 million people (CIA 2010 est. ) According to UNESCO in 2008, in a 5 year period (2005-2010), after the government had spent 12. 6% of the national GDP on education, the adult literacy rate had moderately raised from 55. 6% to 72. 0%. However, because of population growth, the number of illiterates around Egypt was still very high, with nearly 17 million people. This report was commissioned by the Department of Education in Egypt to investigate into the literacy issue in Egypt. The issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible. This report will now research about the current level of literacy in Egypt, what are the issues that make the literacy rates low and some recommendations to improve literacy rates. 2. Findings 2. 1. Poverty One of the biggest factors that affects Egypt’s literacy rate is poverty. Figure 1. Reproduced from â€Å"Child Labor in Egypt: Research Project submitted in fulfillment of the requirement of B. Sc.in Statistics† (2011) Figure 1 shows that not being interested in school and not being able to afford schooling are the dominant reasons for children to leave school, with 45% of child laborers think that school aren’t important with them, and 29% them cannot afford enough tuition fees. For those who work, they considered education is not important for them; however, what is considered priority with them is work is the best way to get out of poverty area. Because the tuition fees in Egypt are rather high, many families in Egypt cannot afford it, along with additional education costs. According to Suliman and El-Kogali (2000), besides of tuition fees, families have to pay additional costs on text books, school uniforms, tutorial lessons, and transportation if they want their children to continue their education. A report from El Dawla in 2000 shows that â€Å"the average cost of education per child in families with an annual income of less than or equal to $1,028 is an estimated $98 at the primary level and $129 at the preparatory level†. Therefore, poor families receive no education because of their limited household budget. 2. 2. Child marriage Figure 2, reproduced from Why Are The Children Out Of School? Factors Affecting Children’s Education in Egypt, A Paper for the ERF 9th annual conference (2001) According to Figure 2, the number of girls from 6-15 years old who have never attended school is much higher compare to the number of boys in Egypt, especially in rural areas. For example, in Matroh, over 40% of girls have never attended schools compare with 23% of boys, and the rate in Beni Suef and Behera are 37%, 10% and 18%, 6% respectively. A survey published in 2012 by the National Council for Women illustrated the scale of the issue of early marriage in Egypt, in which the result is that 22% of girls were married before they were 18 (El Masry, 2012). Many girls from 6-15 years old are not able to attend and finish school because Egyptian families do not want to spend money on girls who will be involved in early marriages, and they always try to arrange their daughters’ wedding as soon as possible. This is because Egypt’s old tradition that the fiancee tend to give the wife’s mother a lot of prosperities after the wedding. Apparently in 2008, the Parliament of Egypt passed new laws banning female circumcision and setting 18 as the minimum age for marriage for both genders. However, some Egyptian parents still permit their children to get married very early. Furthermore, parents does not either motivate their children to study; or care much about their children’s education, all they want is to preserve their old-fashioned traditional practices; therefore leads to the low literacy rate of Egypt. 2. 3. Dropout rates Figure 3, reproduced from â€Å"Why Are The Children Out Of School? : Factors Affecting Children’s Education in Egypt, A Paper for the ERF 9th annual conference† (2001) There is a similarity between Figure 2 and 3, as both of the charts indicate that Matroh has the highest rate in terms of never attending schools and dropping out, with over 40% and approximately 10% respectively. Suliman and El-Kogali (2000), their survey on mother’s perception’s reason of drop out shows that the main reasons for the significant dropout rate are because education is not important for children (especially girls), and the only thing they must do is to make money to support their families’ wealth. Assaad, Deborah and Zibani (2001) prove that the dropout rate in Egypt has a strong bond with child labor, which is very common in Egypt and many other Muslim countries. This is because children from poor families in those countries are more likely to be forced to work, therefore, it is less likely that they will be attending school, consequently leading to illiteracy. Furthermore, Nadine et al (2011) show that the number of child laborers in Egypt are between 1. 3 to 3 million, with agricultural factor involves up to 78%. Ultimately, this lead to the decision that it is better for children to stop schooling and start working to make money. 3. Conclusion The Arab Republic of Egypt’s low literacy rates, which result from poverty, early marriage and high dropout rate have caused many negative impacts for the countries such as lacks of human resources and affect its economies. Despite the Department of Education had took actions to improve the country’s literacy rate with the help of some non-profit organisations such as UNESCO or World Education, it is still low compare to other countries. The Department should use new methods and approaches in which may result in a higher literacy rate. 4. Recommendations 4. 1. Poverty The Department of Education needs to have more involvement in public education in Egypt. Firstly, the Department should find supports for public schools. Also, the Department can ask for other NPOs or NGOs like UNICEF or UNESCO to supply poor children in rural areas with studying materials such as books or pens. This will decrease the cost burden for the household who have limited budget to invest in children’s education. Along with building more public schools, some regulations need to be executed in order to control the additional costs of schooling. For example, the Department should support transportations for students, or check teachers’ qualifications in order to make sure that every child in Egypt can access education without any obstacles. Therefore, with better facilities and better qualities of teaching, there will be an increase in Egypt’s literacy rate. 4. 2. Child marriage The Department should promote a series of campaigns that help Egyptians to raise their awareness about the importance of women’s education. These campaigns should be organised through all means of media, including radio, television, or even via presentations. If women and children can realize the importance of education, they can have chances to be educated, therefore this will solve the problem of girls’ high rate of child marriage and indirectly improve Egypt’s literacy rate. 4. 3. Dropout rates The Department should create more opportunities to encourage children to go to school by providing free education to children in rural areas. Also, the government can provide students with scholarship to support students’ studying path. Doing this, children will have more motivation to go to school, thus can increase the overall literacy rate. 5. References Assaad, R, Deborah, L, Zibani, N, 2001, â€Å"The Effect of Child Work on School Enrollment in Egypt’, Economic Research Forum, viewed 20 June, 2013. CIA, 2010, â€Å"The World Factbook†, CIA, viewed 20 June, 2013. El Dawla, A, â€Å"Trap for Democracy†, Social Watch, 2000, viewed 27 June, 2013. El Masry, S, 2012, â€Å"Under-reported and underage: Early marriage in Egypt†, Daily News Egypt, December 5, 2012, viewed 27 June, 2013.

The Fertilizer Industry In India Environmental Sciences Essay

The Fertilizer Industry In India Environmental Sciences Essay The fertilizer plant was established in 1906 in Tamil Nadu. The growth of the fertilizer industry began in 1951 with plant establishment by Fertilizer Corporation of India. The constant demand of fertilizer resulted in Green Revolution and lead to spreading of industry in industry in several parts of India. Today, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Punjab produce over half of the total produce of fertilizer required in India. Apart from them, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Bihar, Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Goa and Karnataka are also important producers of fertilizers. The ease of obtain ability of natural gas resulted in the wide spread of the fertilizer industry. India produces nitrogenous nearly 11 million tones, phosphate 4 million tones and potash fertilizers to 1.7 million tones. The country imports potassium from abroad. Chemical and bio fertilizers play a vital role in the success of green revolution in India. India is basically an agriculture focused economy flourishing on Indian fertilizers. With green revolution, Indian fertilizer manufacturers and suppliers have enhanced their production and have attained self-sufficiency in the needs of Indian fertilizers. The industry of Indian fertilizers is associated sectors of agricultural sphere. India surfaced as the largest producer of chemical fertilizers, nitrogenous fertilizers as well as bio fertilizer in association with unvarying endeavour of manufacturers and suppliers of fertilizer. Today, India can boast of having surplus food grain and this excess are facilitated due to the Indian fertilizers. The manufacture and fertilizers supply is viewed as the most energy process in the Indian industry. The nitrogenous as well as bio fertilizers have great impact on the use of energy and the determining factors for efficiency of energy in the industry are feed stocks, technology, capacity utilization and plant age. Indian government formulated policies favourable to the fertilizer suppliers, consumers and manufacturers. This was supported by numerous committees and was formulated by the Indian government to determine the policies regarding fertilizers. The increase in the fertilizer industry is approved to favourable policies. Now, there are many fertilizer units and supply a wide range of fertilizers. This is apparent from the steady global demand for Indian fertilizers that is being fulfilled. Recent years is viewing a demand for organic fertilizers besides inorganic fertilizers. Many private fertilizer companies are showing positive gesture by setting plants in various countries and are elevating the demand for chemical and bio fertilizers. The fertilizers industry in India has a good and bright future in the market. The Indian government is offering optimal support by subsidizing raw materials as well as by relaxing the export policies and this is found to be favourable to the fertilizer co mpanies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fertilizers are chemical compounds applied to promote plant and fruit growth. Fertilizers are usually applied either through the soil (for uptake by plant roots) or, by foliar feeding (for uptake through leaves). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fertilizers can be placed into the categories of organic fertilizers (composed of decayed plant/animal matter), or inorganic fertilizers (composed of simple chemicals and minerals) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ .Organic fertilizers are naturally occurring compounds, such as peat, manufactured through natural processes (such as composting), or naturally occurring mineral deposits à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fertilizers typically provide, in varying proportions, the three major plant nutrients: Industrial Environment of Fertilizers. . Cadmium is produced mainly as a by-product of mining, smelting and refining of zinc and, to a lesser degree, as a by-product of lead and copper production. It is therefore primarily a function of zinc production rather than cadmium demand. Major shifts in smelting and refining technology (from pyrometallurgical to hydrometallurgical processes) have led to significant decreases in releases of cadmium to the environment. Cadmium is used and traded globally as a metal and as a component in various products, in particular in batteries until it was banned in a number of countries. Other major uses of refined cadmium are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Pigments for plastics, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ceramics and enamels; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Stabilizers for plastics; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Plating on iron and steel; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ alloying element of some lead, copper and tin alloys. Since 1990, the consumption of such products has been decreasing significantly because of the awareness of the detrimental impacts on health and the environment. Waste management systems have increasingly been put in place in industrialized countries to reduce releases of cadmium into the environment. However, some of the uses of cadmium which have been phased out in developed countries have continued or even increased in developing countries. INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY This leads to the rise of very large cities and surrounding suburban areas with a high rate of economic activity. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ These urban centers require the input of external energy sources in order to overcome the diminishing returns of agricultural consolidation, due partially to the lack of nearby arable land, associated transportation and storage costs, and are otherwise unsustainable. Industrial societies are generally mass societies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Industrial society is characterized by the use of external energy sources, such as fossil fuels, to increase the rate and scale of production. The production of food is shifted to large commercial farms where the products of industry, such as combine harvesters and petroleum based fertilizers, are used to decrease required human labor while increasing production. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ No longer needed for the production of food, excess labor is moved into these factories where mechanization is utilized to further increase efficiency. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ As populations grow, and mechanization is further refined, often to the level of automation, many workers shift to expanding service industries. MAJOR PRACTICES IN AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science (the related practice of gardening is studied in horticulture). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agriculture encompasses a wide variety of specialties and techniques, including ways to expand the lands suitable for plant raising, by digging water-channels and other forms of irrigation. Cultivation of crops on arable land and the pastoral herding of livestock on rangeland remain at the foundation of agriculture. In the past century there has been increasing concern to identify and quantify various forms of agriculture. In the developed world the range usually extends between sustainable agriculture (e.g. permaculture or organic agriculture) and intensive farming (e.g. industrial agriculture). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilizers, and technological improvements have sharply increased yields from cultivation, and at the same time have caused widespread ecological damage and negative human health effects. Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry such as intensive pig farming (and similar practices applied to the chicken) have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal cruelty and the health effects of the antibiotics, growth hormones, and other chemicals commonly used in industrial meat production à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tillage is the practice of plowing soil to prepare for planting or for nutrient incorporation or for pest control. Tillage varies in intensity from conventional to no-till. It may improve productivity by warming the soil, incorporating fertilizer and controlling weeds, but also renders soil more prone to erosion, triggers the decomposition of organic matter releasing CO2, and reduces the abundance and diversity of soil organisms à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ . Pest control includes the management of weeds, insects/mites, and diseases. Chemical (pesticides), biological (biocontrol), mechanical (tillage), and cultural practices are used. Cultural practices include crop rotation, culling, cover crops, intercropping, composting, avoidance, and resistance. Integrated pest management attempts to use all of these methods to keep pest populations below the number which would cause economic loss, and recommends pesticides as a last resort. . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Nutrient management includes both the source of nutrient inputs for crop and livestock production, and the method of utilization of manure produced by livestock. Nutrient inputs can be chemical inorganic fertilizers, manure, green manure, compost and mined minerals Crop nutrient use may also be managed using cultural techniques such as crop rotation or a fallow period Manure is utilized either by holding livestock where the feed crop is growing such as in Managed intensive rotational grazing, or by spreading either dry or liquid formulations of manure on cropland or pastures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Water management is where rainfall is insufficient or variable, which occurs to some degree in most regions of the world. Some farmers use irrigation to supplement rainfall. In other areas such as the Great Plains in the U.S. and Canada, farmers use a fallow year to conserve soil moisture to use for growing a crop in the following year. Agriculture represents 70% of freshwater use worldwide . The role of the fertilizer industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The fertilizer industry helps ensure that farmers have the nutrients they need to grow enough crops to meet the worlds requirements for food, feed, fiber and energy. The nutrients supplied by the industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The fertilizer industry encourages the adoption of Fertilizer Best Management Practices (FBMPs) as part of good agricultural practices. Future trends in this industry Fertilizer technology may be predicted by extrapolating from current developments. Mixtures and materials with high percentages of plant nutrients will dominate the field. Better ways of providing nitrogen, the most expensive of the three major nutrients, will be forthcoming, including increased use of anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate, and urea. No leachable nitrogen, for example, can be obtained through the urea-formaldehyde (ureaform) reaction, and ammonium met phosphate offers a concentrated liquid product. Micronutrients, or trace elements, specific to particular geographical areas will come into increasing use, as will custom mixing and bulk selling of mixtures containing several nutrients based on reliable soil and plant data. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ may come into use; with the tape planted, no further fertilizer or water will be needed until growth is well established. Such techniques using biodegradable tapes have already been developed on a small scale for use by home gardeners. Finally, larger and more precise fertilizing machines will be developed and adopted. The fertilizer sector in India holds a major share among the energy intensive industries of the country. The industry has shown unparalleled growth in the past few years. Although growing in an accelerating rate, the industry is faced with a number of challenges, inter alia, the lack of major plant resources such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The government has established nine public sector undertakings in the Indian fertilizer market and one cooperative society, known as the Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) that functions under the supervision of the Department of Fertilizers in India. There are 63 large units dedicated to the production of fertilizers. Among these, 9 units produce ammonium sulphate while 38 units produce urea. There are 79 small and medium scale units producing single superphosphate. ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY The economy of the country does have considerable impact on the fertilizer industry in the following ways: The cost of this industry is quite high which is very difficult for the economy of the country to support especially in current circumstances. Natural Gas is the main requirement of this industry and it is very difficult to fulfill that. Recently the government has announced the cut in the supply of the Natural Gas in the shape of load shedding. When there is a boom in the agriculture sector of the economy, the demand of the fertilizers also gets increased which puts positive effects on the industry. HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES IN INDUSTRY There would not be any of such issues in the industry as the educated human resource is easily available and for further enhancement in performance training should be conducted in companies both technical and interpersonal. HURDLES IN MARKETING: Ineffective distribution process. Prices are not same in all over Pakistan. Uneducated target market because of this marketing is difficult. New entrants discouraged. Rigid and slow reaction to market changes. Weak competition or shortages may lead to price gouging and/or product adulteration. FINANCING EASILY AVAILABLE Financing is easily available in this sector. The government is willing to develop this sector so that it would fulfill the requirements. Recently, two plants are opening; one is of Fatima Fertilizer and one of Engro Ammonia Plant. In project of Engro Ammonia Plant there is total investment of $1billion is needed, for which it has signed a syndicate loan of Rs 18.3 billion. IMPACT OF POLITICAL PARTIES As in India, there is a culture that all of the work related to Government would be easier only when you have good relationship with these parties. Fertilizer Industry has too much concern with the Government for availability of Natural Gas and Water, subsidy, anti-dumping duty, and custom free import and so on. All these factors have considerable effect on the profitability of the companies and without political parties help, companies will not be able to get these benefits. In the industry, all companies have very good and stable relation with the political parties and therefore enjoy benefits which they want to. So, we can say that the impact of political parties is positive on this industry TRADE ISSUES RELATED TO FERTILIZER INDUSTRY 1. Agreement is being made that the market forces will be allowed to work, in the case of fertilizer imports. 2. To stop dumping in fertilizer industry the WTO regulation related to anti dumping must be applied in the industry for the industry benefit. 3. In case of import the fertilizer producing companies are exempted where as the non 4. The introduction of General Sales Tax on fertilizers should be carefully considered since it would have serious implications on price relations. 5. Market information and monitoring by the National Fertilizer Development Centre should be strengthened to serve as a real information centre for the fertilizer sector. PROPOSALS GIVEN BY PEOPLE OF FERTILIZER INDUSTRY The first point in proposal was about career development of employees People working in one section or department from years are still with the same knowledge and style of doing job. There should be proper career planning of employee which results in better and improved output for the organization. Some employees are working in the same department or section since they are appointed. Employees should be transferred with in departments so there is job variety that develops their interests, update their information and improve their performance. Due to high rate of unemployment in the country people join those jobs which are against their interest so proper analysis should be done and explore those employee which can do better what they are currently doing in the organization Management should take necessary action in implementing the safety organization. OUR PROPOSALS Strict quality control and monitoring should be there to prevent import of sub-standard products. The problem of logistics should be looked into. Transportation through railway (being cheaper), especially during peak seasons should be made available. There is a need to educate the farmers on balanced fertilizer use so as to neutralize the adverse impacts of constant use of nitrogenous fertilizers. HUMAN RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS OF FERTILIZER INDUSTRY Hiring quality manpower, keeping them happy, satisfied and motivated are the pillars of the Human Resources Department; justice, fair play and merit oriented treatment are some of the ingredients of processing cases by the Human Resources Department. For Human Resource development, another aspect which receives its due share is training. The employees are exposed to various kinds of cross training, technical courses, management courses, workshops and seminars both at home and abroad. Employees welfare has all along received due consideration by the Management SPECIFIC TRAINING INSTITUTIONS Following training institutions are available: 1. NFC Institute of Engineering and Technological Training 2. Technical Training Center (TTC) NFC INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY : The NFC Institute of Engineering and Technological Training is the training centre of the National Fertilizer Corporation of Pakistan. It is a small engineering college established to meet the requirement of trained manpower for chemical process industry, especially in the fertilizer sector. A Training Centre was established in 1985. Operators and Technicians Supervisors Engineers. 2. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTER 25 Technical Training Center (TTC) lies in its expert faculty having rich plant operation and maintenance experience, functional pilot plants, well equipped shops for practice and access to FFC operating plants for real life demonstration. This institution conducts following programs: Training of engineers technicians customized to Clients specific needs. Fertilizer Technology Course for fresh engineers. Professional Management Curses. Apprenticeship Programs for operators technicians. Skill Improvement Programs for operators technicians in the areas of Plant Operations, Maintenance Safety. Supplier Power No threat of forward integration. High Switching cost because it is difficult to contract with other groups and deal with them. Concentration is low. They act as separate groups competing for the same project. In this industry supplier has a high bargaining power, as most of them are Foreign Groups. Buyers Power Switching cost is low but does not have significant effect due to fixed prices. There are two substitute products available, Imported Fertilizer and Bio-Fertilizer. Production of bio-fertilizer is almost over and imported fertilizer is available at the same price because of anti-dumping duty and Government regulations for the prices of fertilizer for particular seasons are fixed. Although Buyers are large in numbers and purchases a large quantity as well, but buyers do not have a bargaining power. There is no forum available that protects them, and this group is not educated enough to fight for their rights. All what has happened, is done by the Government. Potential Entrants Brand reputation of existing companies is also one of the barriers because customers do not easily get ready to switch. Massive Ecological surveys must be done before companies can begin production. Government Policies and regulation are also act as barriers; because Natural Gas which is the main raw material of the industry, and the prices and supply of it is completely depend upon the Government. As before government was charging feed gas at lower rate and Fuel gas at higher rate. But now they are being charged at the same rate. Government does not easily give permission for manufacturing plant due to shortage of Natural gas and harmful environmental effects, this also act as a barrier. Huge capital requirement is one of the greatest barriers for entry. There are number of barriers to entry such, as capital requirements, government policies, reputation of existing firms and ecological surveys. Substitutes Switching costs is low. Suitability of Alternatives: imported fertilizer is as suitable as the industry products are. Bio-fertilizer is more suitable to use then the industry products, as it has no harmful environmental effects, cheap to produce and it also enhance the fertility of the soil. Where as our product reduces the natural fertility, but its production is almost over. Therefore industry does not have a threat of substitutes. There are two substitutes available 1. Imported Fertilizer 2. Bio-Fertilizer Rivalry Competition is only on the basis of Quality. Prices are fixed for every season so no competition on the basis of pricing behavior. Industry is at maturity stage so; competition on the basis of growth is low. Fixed Costs are too high, which is not easily possible to tolerate. It reduces the competition. MARKET The target market of the industry can be divided in to two parts: 1. Farmers 2. Land owners TREND ANALYSIS Political Trend: Gas for balancing, modernization, replacement expansion for existing plants has been filed for 7 years. Gas price has been fixed for 10 years for new investments. Export benefit to suppliers of capital goods for new/modernization projects of fertilizer. Tax relaxation has also been offered by the Government. Import by manufacturers of Rock Phosphate and Phosphorous of fertilizer free of customs duty. The Government is providing concessionary feed stock gas to the fertilizer plants for production of urea. Investors will be allowed to relocate second hand plant, equipment and machinery, with the same concession/exemption as applicable to new plants. To fulfil local demand of fertilizers at affordable prices, the Government is providing subsidy on production and import of fertilizers. Political trends are always in favour of this industry. The Government has provided following incentives under Fertilizer Policy, 2001, to encourage fertilizer production in the country: Economical Trend: Import by manufacturers of Rock Phosphate and Phosphorous of fertilizer free of customs duty.ØOne of the main sectors of economy is Agricultural as it contributes 22% to the GDP and without Fertilizer industry this sector would not able to work. Due to that Government always gives support to the fertilizer industry. PHOENIX Tax relaxation has been offered in order to attract new entrants. Export benefit to suppliers of capital goods for new/modernization projects of fertilizer. To reduce the dependence on Ban on export of fertilizer is also imposed so that economic stability would be gain.Ø The Government is providing subsidy on production and import of fertilizers. a massive subsidy of Rs. 27 billion in the supply of urea and DAP in 2009. imported fertilizers by enhancing the local production capacity. Social Trends: Although the adverse effects of this industry is very high because of the improper handling of the waste. Due to this, many diseases like asthma, kidney diseases, hepatitis etcare caused. Still, the usage of the fertilizers cannot be stopped because it gives farmers so much ease in terms of saving time and actually, using it. Making bio -fertilizer has now become an old usage and farmers dont prefer to use it against artificial fertilizer. Technological Trend: The fertilizer plant operators have now fully absorbed and assimilated the latest technological developments, incorporating environmental friendly process technologies, and are in a position to operate and maintain the plants at their optimum levels and on international standards in terms of capacity utilization, specific energy consumption. To meet the demand of fertilizers in the country through indigenous production, self-reliance in design engineering and execution of fertilizer projects is very crucial. This requires a strong indigenous technological base in planning, development of process know-how, detailed engineering and expertise in project management and execution of projects. The fertilizer industry is also carrying out de-bottlenecking and energy saving scheme in their existing plants and to enhance the capacity and reduce the specific energy consumption per ton of product. Companies are also planning to convert to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).pollution standards. The ave rage performance of gas-based plants in the country today is amongst the best in the world. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: All companies in the industry have developed a well planned network field warehouses to ensure that fertilizers are available to the farmers uninterrupted. Fertilizer industry peruses an innovative education oriented advertising policy utilizing electronic/ print media and road side advertisement. Industry has well distribution centers. Demand is heavy because, being an agriculture country and due to increasing awareness about the balanced use of fertilizer, demand for the fertilizer will increase. All the fertilizer plants are producing at more than 100 per cent installed capacity of utilization. Adding some new unit can enhance the production capacity of the plants. Weakness: Low advertising campaigns as growers and farmers are not educated and lives in Fertilizer sector is backward in technology and also lack in resources. villages, so they dont exactly know the balanced use of fertilizer. Demand is more and capacity of plants to produce fertilizers is less. Due to the existence of black market and heavy demand, farmers have to pay above then the stated price. Opportunities: As India is an agricultural country and farmers are getting awareness about the balanced use of fertili As demand is high comparing to supply, fertilizer sector has an opportunity to expand the capacity to fulfill the local demand. Government is giving support to fertilizer sectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Availability of gas from Iran can increase the production of plants and industry c an fulfill the demands. There is no quota restriction by WTO since 2005, so there are more chances of export. If the quality is good customer will buy your product. By improving the quality of products, industry can attract more customers and can retain customers by satisfying their needs. zer, demand of fertilizer has increased. Threats: Government policies are not consistent regarding fertilizer industry. Bio fertilizer is the main threat to the industry because it is cheap and also environment friendly. Global prices of fertilizer products are also increasing which is causing increase in fertilizer prices in the country. Prices of fuel and gas have increased enormously. Unstable political condition in the country is also a big threat to fertilizer industry. Imported fertilizer is available at cheap prices than local fertilizer. As natural gas is the main raw material, load shedding of natural gas is big threat. CONCLUSION Planning and Administration and Vigilance. It makes an assessment of the individual requirements of the states and union territories and then lays out an elaborate supply plan. Though the soil in India is rich in silt, it lacks chief plant nutrients like potassium, nitrogen and phosphate. The increase in the production of fertilizers and its consumption acts as a major contributor to overall agricultural development. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Size of Indian Fertilizer Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Growth of Indian Fertilizer Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Private Companies in Indian Fertilizer Market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Public Sector Companies in Indian Fertilizer Market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Major Players in Indian Fertilizer Fertilizer industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Demand for Indian Fertilizer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Government Policies and Indian Market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Challenges before Indian Fertilizer Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Concluding remarks on Indian Fertilizer Industry Posted by ICM IM

Free Essays - The Message of Homers Iliad :: Iliad essays

The Message of Homer's Iliad          In Homer's Iliad, Homer shows his views on heroes, villains, and war. He shows that heroes have great qualities to them and that villains have evil qualities to them. He also shows that even heroes have villainous qualities. Homer also tries to convey that all warriors have a choice between a life of war and a life of peace.    Homer's view of a hero displays bravery, martial skills, and even friendship. Hector is portrayed as the perfect hero in The Iliad. He displays amazing martial skills by being one of the Trojans' top warriors. Hector also shows that he loves his family, he's seen as a man who can be a great warrior and a loving father. He's very devoted to his wife and loves his children. In one scene in the poem, his son was scared of him because of his great helmet. Hector, seeing this, soon removed his helmet and let his son comes to him. This shows that even though he still fights in a war, he still has time to care for his family. Odysseus is another hero who is unwavering in his devotion to his people. Throughout the epic, he shows that he will never betray his people; he even does a marvelous job in rallying up his troops. Priam was also portrayed as a hero. He was a leader who always cared for his men. He even cared about his son Paris who was basically the reason why the war had begun. Even the unnamed warriors were heroes. They gave away 10 years of their life to fight for their leaders.    Homer's view of a villain is petty, selfish, and disloyal. Achilles is shown as an extreme villain in The Iliad. In almost three quarters of the epic, he stays home and just continues to argue with Agamemnon. He may display incredible martial skills on the battlefield, but he still will not fight in the war. He's petty because he's not fighting in his country's war just because he is in a small argument. It also shows that he is disloyal because he is not serving his leader by not fighting in the war.

Clinton Administration Policy Toward The Caribbean Country Of Haiti :: William Jefferson Clinton Essays

Clinton Administration Policy Toward the Caribbean Country of Haiti The topic for this paper is the United States policy towards the Caribbean country of Haiti during the Clinton administration. The subjects which will be discussed are the issues of: Refugees, Foreign Aide as well as human rights the United States involvement in Haiti issues of national interests. What will also be examined is what the Clinton administration trying to achieve concerning Haiti. What the United Nations and the U.S. roles were, and what the public thought was concerning these issues. Also why the United States was involved with the internal dispute of a third world country where the national interest was not clearly defined. The issue of why was it or was not so important for the United States to send troops to Haiti will also be discussed. The problem in Haiti was the pro democratic elected president Aristide was exile from Haiti during a military coup. Several issues arose out of Haiti after the exile of Aristide. Issues of: human rights there were reports that the new regime brought back "death squads" killing people who opposed the new leaders. One of the main targets of the Clinton policy is a group called the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti of FRAPH. The administration has targeted this group for their continued backing and support of General Cedras, for their human rights violations. Issues of , refugee's illegally trying to enter the United States creating an economic burden on much of south Florida. All of these issues arose during president Bush's term in office. The Bush administration was to turn back the refugee's. The Bush administration saw no vital national interest in concerning it self with the internal problems of Haiti ,because there were so many problems at home in the United States, other than to turn the refugee's away from south Florida. When president Clinton took over the office of the presidency he would become very indecisive and weak on the issue of Haiti. President Clinton began badly on Haiti. With his continual indecision and lack of any real back bone to the policies which were decided upon. "First, he gave charge of his policy to Bush administration holdovers who over the previous year had made clear their intent to construct in Haiti a version of democracy that left the president in exile but with an Aristide - appointed prime minister and cabinet. This tortured scenario was doomed to failure because over two thirds of the Haitian people equated democratic government with the return of Aristide and no arrangement that excluded his presence could

Harrington: Cost and Variable Costs

Harrington Case Analysis Issue Stagnant sales performance has caused Harrington Collection to explore new avenues for improved performance, including the launch of a new active-wear line. Recognizing an emerging trend of low price and rapid style turnover in the women’s apparel market, along with tremendous growth in the active-wear segment, Harrington needs to work strategically to capture this profitable market opportunity. After careful analysis, it was determined that Harrington should implement a new active-wear line. Financial AnalysisWhile doing the financial analysis it is important to calculate the unit price first. Using the wholesale price rather than the retail price, the calculated unit price is $95. Next, we sum up the start-up costs and operating costs, both fixed and variable, and use these numbers to calculate the breakeven units. After calculation, the breakeven point is 289,846 units. Appendix A shows the details of our process. Active-wear sales are expecte d to double by 2009, and 40% of those sales are expected to be classified as ‘better’ active-wear.Assuming that Harrington Vigor maintains their 7% market share, we can deduce that Vigor can expect to sell 420,000 units of active-wear in its first year. Over half of all apparel purchased is sold â€Å"on sale. † We accounted for these markdowns by assuming that half the units will be sold for full price, and the other half will be sold at a discount. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by calculating the discount rates at 20%, 40% and 60% separately. From Appendix B, we can see that even for the 60% discount rate, the profit margin is still up to 21%, which is quite attractive.Therefore, Harrington has strong financial forecast to support its new launch in active-wear segment. Market trend After the economic downturn in the early 2000s, the trend of price-sensitive and more than 50% discount sales volume drive the mature market to a low-cost and outsourcing comp etition area. Thus, majority of apparel companies choose to outsource their production in low-cost labor areas such as China. Another trend is the fast growing needs for the superior styling, fresh, and fashionable active-wears. Quality strengths and OpportunitiesHaving established their brand in the1960s, Harrington became well known for its superior quality, knowledgeable sales staff, and designer styles. With fairly high loyalty customers, Harrington possesses premium brand reputation. In addition, donning Harrington labels represents an instant status upgrade and the cutting edge of fashion. Generally speaking, the active-wear market is a rapid growth field with a relatively small segment in the â€Å"better† category. In order to seize the opportunity for diversity in its marketshare, Harrington should enter the market as soon as possible.Considering its brand influence and exceptional quality and styling, together with its cutting-edge technology, Harrington has a subst antial opportunity to become a critical player in this profitable segment. Channel conflicts and Challenges By 2007 specialty stores and department stores are still the main retailing channels in the women’s clothing market. Department stores may benefit by the lucrative inventory turnover rate produced by Harrington’s extensive national advertising.Alternatively, department stores could be weary of stocking the active-wear products since this is a relatively new market and could mean more risk for the retailers. Harrington will need to rely on their relationships with the retailers and expertise in marketing to diminish this potential conflict. From the survey, the possibility to cheapen Harrington’s brand is really trivial by launching a new active-wear line. Recommendation Despite the conflicts and challenges, Harrington has a significant opportunity to advance their business into the active-wear segment.By upscaling the active-wear into the â€Å"betterâ₠¬  category, Harrington could apply the comfort and fashion image which the Vigor division has already formed into the new segment. In addition, by outsourcing the production in Mexico, it can not only decrease costs, but also provide the possibility to respond more swiftly to changes in demand. With this in mind, it is strongly suggested that Harrington launches a new active-wear line. Appendix A Start Up Costs:| | | Start-up Costs (Pants Plant)| $ 1,200,000 | | Start-up Costs (Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant)| $ 2,500,000 | | Equipment (Pants Plant)| $ 2,000,000 | Equipment (Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant)| $ 2,500,000 | | Launch-PR, Advertising| $ 2,000,000 | | Fixtures for Company Stores| $ 2,500,000 | Total Start-up Costs | $ 12,700,000 | Annual Depreciated Start-up Costs | $ 2,540,000 | | | | Annual Ongoing Operating Costs-Fixed:| | | Overhead (Pants Plant)| $ 3,000,000 | | Overhead (Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant)| $ 3,500,000 | | Rent (Pants Plant)| $ 500,000 | | Rent (Hoodie and Tee-sh irt Plant)| $ 500,000 | | Management/Support| $ 1,000,000 | | Advertising| $ 3,000,000 | Total Fixed Operating Costs| $ 11,500,000| | |Direct Variable Costs:| Hoodie| Tee-shirt| Pants| | Sew and press| $ 3. 25| $ 2. 00| $ 2. 85| | Cut| $ 1. 15| $ 0. 40| $ 0. 70| | Other variable labor| $ 3. 20| $ 2. 40| $ 3. 05| | Fabric| $ 9. 10| $ 2. 20| $ 7. 50| | Findings| $ 3. 85| $ 0. 50| $ 2. 30| Total Variable Cost| $ 20. 55| $ 7. 50| $ 16. 40| | | | | Direct variable costs translated into â€Å"unit† cost| Hoodie| Tee-shirt| Pants| | Total Variable Cost| $ 20. 55| $ 7. 50| $ 16. 40| | * measure| 0. 5| 1. 5| 1. 0| | Unit Cost| $ 10. 28| $ 11. 25| $ 16. 40| Indirect variable costs:| | | Wholesale â€Å"unit† price| $ 95. 00 | Total variable costs as % of wholesale price| 40%| Indirect variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $ 8. 64 | | | | | Direct variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $ 37. 93 | | Indirect variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $ 8. 64 | Total variable costs pe r â€Å"unit†| $ 46. 56 | | | | Contribution:| | | Wholesale price per â€Å"unit†| $ 95. 00 | | Less total variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $ 47. 00 | | Contribution per â€Å"unit†| $ 48. 00 | | | | Breakeven:| | | Fixed annual costs(operating and depreciated start up)| $ 14,040,000 | | Contribution per â€Å"unit†| $ 48. 00 | | = Breakeven Units| $ 289,846 | Appendix BUnit Price = $95. 00, Unit Quantity = 210,000 * ((7,500,000 * 2 * 0. 4 * 7%) / 2) Profit Margin*| | | | | Discount Rate (40%)| Discount Rate (20%)| Discount Rate (60%)| Revenue| $ 31,920,000| $ 35,910,000| $ 27,930,000| less fixed annual costs| $ 2,540,000| $ 2,540,000| $ 2,540,000| less total variable costs| $ 19,555,410| $ 19,555,410| $ 19,555,410| Profit before tax| $ 9,824,590| $ 13,814,590| $ 5,834,590| Profit margin before tax| 30. 78%| 38. 47%| 20. 89%| * Assumes half of inventory is sold at full price, and other half is sold at subsequent discount rates. |

How does MAPUA relate to R.A. 9163? Essay

MAPUA relates to R.A 9163 by means of acknowledging that R.A 9163 is a program that targets to develop civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth by developing the morals of service and patriotism by having a training in any of its three program components such as ROTC, CWTS and LTS which is specifically designed to develop the youth‘s active contribution to the general welfare and was said that all incoming freshmen students, male or female, enrolled in any baccalaureate and in at least two-year technical-vocational or associate courses, are required to complete one NSTP component of their choice, as a graduation requirement. That’s why, the National Service Training Program of the Mapua Institute of Technology Office also known as NSTP-MAPUA Office organizes the application of the Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Its application is administrated by R.A. 9163. It also helps the students to socialize through community services. 2. Explain the MAPUA CWTS Support and Delivery System? The MAPUA-CWTS has three Support and Delivery Systems that harness MAPUA‘s expertise which can be offered to the community. The first one is the ENGINEERING AND HEALTH SUPPORT AND DELIVERY SYSTEM (EHSDS). It involves students who work in terms of engineering expertise and health services. These students will do some projects that are related to their fields and that will benefit the community. The second one is the LEARNING SUPPORT AND DELIVERY SYSTEM (LSDS). It involves students who work in terms of literacy programs. The MAPUA-CWTS offers Alternative Learning Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ALEAP) for out of school youths and adults where the students will be the mentors of the program using modular method. Lastly, THE SOCIO-CIVIC SUPPORT AND DELIVERY SYSTEM (SCSDS) where students who work in terms of socio-civic programs are involved. These students will serve and act as ambassadors of the MAPUA-CWTS that will strengthen the relationship between MIT and the communities.

The Tempest and “Adam & Eve”

Nature of Man In order to connect with his Christian dominated audience, all of Shakespeare’s plays contain important allusions to the bible. The Tempest is no exception. Throughout the play various allusions to the Genesis story of Adam & Eve are made. This serves to portray men in a state of nature which plants the question of whether men are intrinsically evil or good. In the play the island is described as a Utopia. This can be seen in Gonzalo’s speech in Act 2, Scene 1 â€Å"No kind of traffic would I admit; no name of magistrate; Letters should not be known, riches, poverty and use of service, bound of land none†¦No occupation, all men idle, all, And women too, but innocent and pure (Shakespeare)†. Here Gonzalo describes the type of world he would create for himself if he was ruler of the island. The Utopia he ends up describing has many similarities to the Bible’s Garden of Eden. Gonzalo would reject from the island earthly possessions and inve ntions such as metal, wine and weapons. This would create a world with no possessions and weapons which would keep people in a state of nature where greediness and jealousy would not exist. When Gonzalo says â€Å"Letters† he really means â€Å"Learning†.Banning learning is something very similar to what happened in the Garden of Eden where Adam & Eve were not allowed to eat form the Tree of Knowledge and share God’s wisdom. Having knowledge makes men independent as they will start to do things by themselves which distances them from God and make their own order. Here Shakespeare suggests that just as this was the downfall of Adam & Eve, it will also be the downfall of man. Sebastian comments that marriage would also not be allowed in Gonzalo’s Utopia. In the story of Adam & Eve, they don’t get married until after they had been banished from the Garden of Eve.This suggests that marriage also distracts men and women from God as it makes them depende nt on their partner rather than God. Marriage would also give people a sense of possession on another human which would not be in accordance to Gonzalo’s Utopia. Gonzalo also states that in his Utopia all men and women would be idle. This alludes to the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve did not have to work for food because the land was fruitful. It was not until Adam was expelled from Eden that God cursed the ground so Adam would have to work hard to eat.Also while in the Garden of Eden, Eve was innocent and pure just as Gonzalo describes the women in his Utopia. Adam and Eve were innocent people fed by the abundance brought forth by nature in the Garden of Eve. This is exactly as how Gonzalo describes how he would feed the people in his Utopia. The story of Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban also portrays commentary on the nature of men. When Stephano and Trinculo arrive at the island they are not portrayed as evil but instead as drunken comic characters. While it would be inac curate to describe them as good and innocent men, they definitely suffer a fall in character as the play progresses.Their downfall is in direct correlation to Caliban’s bad influence. In the play, Caliban is portrayed as the devil who is a savage and deformed slave. In the time of Shakespeare, people believed there was a correlation between the outward appearance and someone inner self. In the play Caliban represents man’s worse nature and is the source temptation to Stephano and Trinculo. In the play, Caliban plants evil thoughts in the minds of the unsuspecting Stephano and Trinculo to kill Prospero; Caliban’s real master. This has resemblance to the serpent in the story of Adam & Eve.In the story of the bible Adam & Eve were fooled by a serpent to eat from the Tree of Knowledge so they could gain the knowledge of God. In both The Tempest and the Bible, plan of the tempters (Caliban and the serpent) was only to undermine and overthrown their real masters. Howe ver, in both instances neither the serpent nor Caliban wanted to rule themselves. In the bible, Satan does not eat of the fruit himself and instead seems to want Adam & Eve to rule instead. By giving Adam & Eve power he wanted to cause disorder between humans and God so that he could rule indirectly.Similarly, Caliban wanted Stephano to be ruler of the island as Act 3, Scene 2 says â€Å"Thou shalt be lord of it and I’ll serve thee (Shakespeare). † Caliban only wanted to kill Prospero and not to rule himself. Here the dark side of the state of nature is shown. Caliban represents man’s greediness and want for power. Just as the serpent was the cause of the downfall of Adam & Eve, so will Caliban be the cause of downfall of Stephano and Trinculo. Shakespeare is portraying a state of nature of man similar to Hobbes view were humans are inherently evil. In both the story of Adam & Eve and The Tempest knowledge is the source of Godly power.In The Tempest Caliban says that the only way to defeat Prospero is to take away his books as he says in Act 3 Scene 2 â€Å"Remember first to possess his books, for without them He’s but a sot, as I am, nor hath not one spirit to command. They all do hate him as rootedly as I. Burn but his books (Shakespeare). † In the story of Adam & Eve, the serpent tells Eve that the only reason God is all powerful is because of his knowledge. Therefore, the serpent tells Eve that if she wants to be like God she simply has to eat from the Tree of Knowledge; Genesis 3:4 â€Å"You will not surely die.For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil. † Here Shakespeare is suggesting that it is human nature to want to be like God. With every invention and scientific breakthrough humans will feel more powerful and therefore more God like. This will make humans less dependent on God and will therefore cause men to distance themselves from Go d. However, over time humans will get a false feeling of power and will try to overthrow God just like the drunk Stephano and Trinculo tried to do to Prospero.In The Tempest Shakespeare explores human nature and its relation to religion. In the end he comes to a conclusion similar to that of Hobbes theory. Shakespeare suggests that as long as humans stay faithful to God they will do fine. However, Shakespeare states that human nature is to distance himself from God and this will in the end be its downfall. In today’s society the distancing from God is fairly obvious; however it still remains to be seen if this will be the downfall of the human race.

Is our Generation More Stressed than the Previous Ones?

Nowadays, stress is becoming a common problem. Our younger generation thinks that modern life is generally much more stressful than in the past. However, others say that the amount of stress people have today is overstated as older generations coped with more pressure, but they never thought about such a phenomenon as â€Å"stress†. This contradiction makes many people compare the negative aspects of stress to society today and in the past.On the one hand, the previous generations experienced great stress because of poor living conditions, food shortage and numerous wars, which were taking away millions of people’s lives. Moreover, they did not have such helpful technologies, which make the life of a modern person easier. Besides, without an advanced medical system many people died of simple illnesses and diseases because there were no necessary medicines and vaccines. That is why life expectancy in the past was much lower than it is now.On the other hand, because of th e increasing pace of life nowadays people are always in a chronic rush, which causes various mental and physical health problems, such as backache, depression, fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, and insomnia. What is more, almost everybody in our modern society is trying to achieve high standard of living, therefore, people have to spend long hour at work. As a result, they feel overworked and burn out, and hardly have time to relax and escape from everyday routine, which leads them to losing their balance between work and personal life.Furthermore, there is no doubt that several decades ago, the environment was much better than today with fresh water, air and food, whereas today we face air, water and noise pollution, which of course contribute to the symptoms of stress. In addition, nowadays, the majority of people lives in big and overcrowded cities and suffer from such common city problems as standstill traffic congestions, unemployment, high crime rate and high cost of li ving.The unemployment rate is constantly increasing; hence, the number of job-seeker is growing, which leads to the increasing competitiveness in job opportunities. In my opinion, each generation suffers from stress; the difference is in the attitude to it. To my mind, today time is more compressed than ever and because of the speedy pace of life and everyday overload, people feel exhausted as human beings are not designed for a prolonged, high-speed activity.However, we have to admit that in a certain sense our ancestors had their own reasons of stress, which should not be underestimated. To sum up, stress has been felt by all generations in their lives. It is really hard to compare either modern generation, or the previous one is under more stress that the other one, because each generation has its own problems. People would better concentrate on reducing the number of stress and try to make future living conditions more favorable.

Importance of Early Childhood Education Essay

With the economy currently in such a terrible position now it is’s no wonder why that people everywhere are being laid off, and companies around both the country and the world are jobs are laying off and choosing to keep staff to a minimum. Unfortunately, the positions that are kept are held by those who have the educational background that has essentially securedd their position from the beginning. There once was a time where an individual could apply for a job and their lack of educational experience was not held against them, but. N now, it seems as if there are extremely few reputable jobs are ooffered where only a high school diploma and some college is sufficient. But However, the economy is not who shouldto be blamed. The question instead that we should be asking that should be asked is, â€Å"where does it start? † Although it is understood that education is needed to surpass stay ahead throughout our lifeves, the importance of early education is frequently overlooked. Childhood education, as in Pre-Kindergarten thru fifth grade, is not about learning the simple or basic parts of education, but instead rather itsis about introducing young children’s minds to new and more complex things that will prepare them for a successful future. Some may choose to believe that pushing a child to learn a multitude of things at a young age would be considered cruel. Some may also believe that spending too much time learning would take away a child’s â€Å"childhood,† and that children should be allowed to stay children for as long as possible. , and should be allowed to play as much as possible. On theWhile the importance of imaginative play is alsovery important,contrary, if you were to analyzeing the circumstances it makes it would be clear as to why so many children have chosen a path of uncertainty in education. For example, take a five year old child who is being introduced to school for the first time. He or she would learn the basics; counting, coloring, reciting the ABC’s. Now take a child who has been introduced to a pre school program (normally around the age of four) as similar to that ofin First Step or Head Start. By the time that child will have entered into Kindergarten he/ or she will have already been introduced to a level of learning that is above any child that has not take advantage advantage of early learning programs. Thise will enable them to excel above their classmates. Children’s minds are truly like sponges; when a child is still young their mind’s this should be the time when their minds sshould be â€Å"crammed† with an abundance of knowledge. Sean Brotherson, a family science specialist, gives the example of a child’s brain being like a house that has just been built. He says, the walls are up and the doors are hung. You bring supplies to the new house and set them on the floor, but they will not work until everything is wired and hooked up. He goes on to explains, â€Å"wWhileexplain, â€Å"while learning later is possible, it usually is slower and more difficult. Some improvement in most skills is possible throughout life. However, providing children with the best opportunity for learning and growth during the periods when their minds are most ready to absorb new information is important†. From the time a child is born he/she is learning. A disinterest in learning at an early age is something that may follow him or her throughoutu their school age life, and is something that can haunt them for their entire lives and may hinder their ability to succeed in the real world. If a child shows no interest in adding and subtracting from the very beginning, it’s is often likely that child will continue thru school disliking Mmath throughout school. . and that This is something that can hold a child back from their potential. It also started at a young age. Children need to believe that learning is fun and, at the right age, is something that can help them progress farther. in life. In most Pre-Kindergarten classes in the United States, children are being taught to button their clothes, tie their shoes, or count to ten, and introduced to letters and shapes for the first time. These are all good tools to learn, just not in school. If you were to look at schools in other countries, they are far beyond what the U. S. is teaching our Preschoolers. Elaine Wu, with The Kapi’o Newspress, did an article on the failing education in the U. S. She found that according to a study done by UNICEF, the U. S. was failing when it came to international education rankings. Studies showed that other nations in the â€Å"developed† world had a more effective education systemsmore effective education systems. How wrong could it be to give our children a little more to think about, or giving them a problem that may take a little longer to solve?. Being that the children that attended my hHigh sSchool were approximately 75% mMilitary â€Å"brats,† it wasn’t not rare to have a new kid transfer in. There were kids from all places over the world but the ones that stood out were the ones from different countries. I took special interest in where they came from, but what interested me more was the fact that they were being placed into mostly advanceds classes. So with that curiosity I would start a conversation, usually beginning with â€Å"where are you from†? aAnd usually often times they were from another country or from somewhere where education was an important factor in their community. I am now 26 years old and am finally deciding to finish school. Things like what I just described makes me wonder about the course my life has taken. ifIf I had beenwere pushed into the books and encouraged to learn when I was younger would my outcome in school be different?. Here is another example. I look at my I have a fourteen year old nephew who is now in 9th grade. He is a straight A student and plays basketball (coincidently at my same high school). His grades are monitored by his parents but the transition wasn’t was not always easy. He came from New Orleans, Louisiana, where he lived with his mother. New , whichOrleans has one of the worst school systems in America so his early education was a struggle. When he moved to Hampton, trying to get him to open a book and study was next to impossible but. Wwith a lot of perseverance he now knows how important school is and where it can take you. But imagine if he had beenwas excited to learn from the beginning. If he had been given the opportunity, the transition may have been easier. I am now 26 years old and am finally deciding to finish school. Things like what I just described makes me wonder about the course my life has taken. If I had been pushed into the books and encouraged to learn when I was younger, would my outcome in school be different? I don’t expect society’s children to be building rocket ships at the age of eight. But putting more thought in to teaching children things that broaden their minds wouldn’t be such a bad thing. WWork Cited Brotherson, Sean. â€Å"Growth of the Mind†. Online posting. August 2001. www. nbsu. com Wu, Elaine. â€Å"Failing America†. Kapi’o Newspress. 25 April 2001 .