Thursday, October 31, 2019

Improving Correctional Facilities Diversion Programs Assignment

Improving Correctional Facilities Diversion Programs - Assignment Example Some of the significant budget constraints that Correction officials have to observe include in the areas of staff remuneration, infrastructural development, and operational costs. The facilities above have an extensive range of services for prisoners such as recovery academies, anger, and career management for women prison and Lois DeBerry providing comprehensive special needs care, and they demand huge staff. However, due to few resources available, officials in these facilities have had to deal with staff turnover leading to constraining service delivery. As established by Tennessee advisory committee, Sheriffs responding to survey confirmed that most of the Tennessee jails are underfunded (Thurman, Lippard, Gibson & Green, 2007). Additionally, officials have had to succumb to budgetary constraints in the infrastructural development. The significant rise of prisoners in the facilities necessitates that the governments allocate enough money to not only expand and build new faciliti es but to innovatively redesign the old jails to reduce supervision levels (Moore, n.d). However, though officials have indicated to the governments the need for such adjustments, the rise of criminal incarceration has worsened the crisis further. There are different types of diversions programs, but all are structured to benefit different offenders for they ascribe to different requirements. The objective of these diversion programs is to reduce crime by establishing the underlying factors that may have contributed to an individual’s criminal conduct (Camilletti, 2010). Therefore, since the objective of these programs is to eliminate the likely factors leading to crime in an individual, they are often better served via community restitution plan rather than criminal justice sanction process. Consequently, such programs are more beneficial to offenders charged with misdemeanours and non-violent  felonies than those charged with felonies and violent crimes. Such is perhaps due to the severity of the offenses committed by felonies and corresponding demand by the public to see swift justice done.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Teddys Supplies CEO Essay Example for Free

Teddys Supplies CEO Essay Mr. Moore it is in my firm opinion that you settle this case so your company can move on and not be impacted on this matter any longer. I feel the longer this plays out the longer your company could suffer financially and publicly. You need to get in front of this and have the press stopped. In my opinion you are looking at worst case scenario of damages by this case could be exponential. You company still has legal fees for any and all attorneys you are hiring to fight this battle. You are having to pay more in Public Relations to stay in the fore front of press. You are not only going to have to pay out money you could possibly lose money. Since the word is out you could lose contracts, and as well as any customers that may do business with you just base on the perception of the company. You will have to pay unemployment charge backs, as well as your unemployment rates are going to increase. If you will look into Case In the Matter of Reuben Starishevsky, Petitioner, v. Hofstra University et al., Respondents. This shows how a company/ organization can lose the appeal and have to reinstate the employee’s job along with back pay. I suggest you look this over and put a game plan together with your attorney on how to overcome in your case. The circuit court overturned the decision of the NJ Human Rights Commission that had found that Pollard was the victim of sexual harassment and disparate treatment. Please answer these questions: Define sexual harassment, including both quid pro quo and hostile environment harassment. Which type(s) do you feel Pollard was a victim of (if either)? Provide law or a case to support your position. If you feel Pollard was not a victim of  harassment in this case, explain why you feel that way, and provide law or a case to support your position. Name an appellate court case in which an employer was found liable for either quid pro quo or hostile environment sexual harassment. Describe the facts of the case and the decision the court came to in the case. Explain whether you think that case applies to Pollards case (why or why not) and whether you would want to use this case in Teddys favor or whether Pollard may use it in her favor. Include the citation to the case and a link to it online. Do you agree that Pollard was disparately treated? Why or why not? In your answer, define disparate treatment. Does the existence of a sexual harassment policy pro vide a defense to Teddys in this case? Why or why not? (Include the name and citation of at least two federal or state sexual harassment cases that provide precedent support to your defense statement.) Quid pro quo harassment typically occurs when a supervisor makes a request for a sexual favor in return for giving an employee an employment-related benefit: a raise, a promotion or a positive job review, for instance. Quid pro quo harassment can consist of a single or numerous sexual advances or demands. Quid pro quo harassment typically occurs when a supervisor makes a request for a sexual favor in return for giving an employee an employment-related benefit: a raise, a promotion or a positive job review, for instance. It may involve a direct or implied threat of retaliation if the employee does not agree to the request. This case should not fall under either case. I do not feel that this is a quid pro quo case due to the fact that there was not a manager involved in the harassment. As well that I do not think that the hostile work environment should hold, due to the fact that this is a reoccurring event with this staff and that she was involved in many acts and not that she had cla imed a case on. In the case of GEORGETTA KINNISON, Plaintiff-Appellant vs. ADVANCE STORES COMPANY, INC., et al., Defendants-Appellees. Facts of the case are that Georgetta filed a complaint against Advanced Auto Parts, and Russell Pitts the store manager alleged that she was offered a job at the store. She compiled all the paperwork to commence her employment. Part of her training she had to come to the store in the morning so she would be familiar to the opening procedures. Once she arrived there the Manager wanted her to engage in other acts of sexual Nature. She then refused and stated she was just wanted to work at Advanced  Auto. Advanced Auto was trying to say that since she did not have hours, she was not technically an employee of the company. The individual who is denied a job because he or she declined to submit to the sexual demands of the potential employer also has standing to bring a claim on a theory of quid pro quo harassment, however, because the denial of employment is an employment decision affecting the individual. See Ohio Admin Code 4112-5-05(J)(7) [**8] 1 . Because of this, status as an employee at the time the sexual demands are made is not necessarily a prerequisite to maintaining a cause of action for gender discrimination on the basis of quid pro quo ha rassment. 2003-Ohio-3387; 2003 Ohio App. LEXIS 3055; 92 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 314. Retrieved from www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic. I think this is case could apply as a defense and they can use it showing that the employee was not sexual harassed quid pro quo. In disparate treatment the employee must show that he or she was treated differently than other employees who dont share the same protected characteristic. Similarly situated the comparable employees were and whether the employer’s decision was made because of the employee’s protected characteristic or for other reasons. I do feel that she was treated differently since she was a female, but I do not think that she opposed this treatment and was having just as much fun as everyone else was. I do not think that she has a case. I feel that if she ultimately felt that they was wrong doing she would have filed a complaint with her supervisor or even filled out the online form when she first encountered the first act. Having a policy does not guarantee that an employer is free from liability i f a harassment case is brought against the company. In Gorzynski v. JetBlue Airways Corp. the Court ruled that that whether a plaintiff’s complaints to the harasser constitute reasonable availment of an employer’s sexual harassment policy is to be determined by the specific facts and circumstances of each case, regardless of there being a policy in place. Review the sexual harassment policy that Teddys has in place and that Virginia Pollard signed. Virginia Pollard claims she had planned to make an anonymous complaint but the website allowing that was down on the day she tried to do so. During the Human Rights Commission case, a review of the website statistics shows that Virginia accessed the website for downloading dental coverage forms at least three times during the time frame of the  alleged discrimination. The commission determined that this ability of Teddys to track employees use of the site was a violation of their anonymity and therefore refused to consider this information. The circuit court did consider thi s in their decision. Provide three recommendations to the CEO for a way to ensure that employees in the future cannot claim technical issues for why they didnt make a complaint. Explain, in your recommendations, the legal consequences to an employee if they do not utilize the complaint mechanism of the sexual harassment policy. Support these recommendations with current case law. In reviewing the policy in place and the chain of commands to which to file a complaint. I can see where there could be some changes. Three recommendations that the company could put into place would be to ensure there is a tracking protocol and log kept of any and all downtime that has occurred with the website, that my hinder people accessing the site. Have another way to file a complaint such as a hotline the employees could call in whether there is a site outage or that an employee may not have internet access. Make sure this is training and a program put into place so the employees both female and male both feel comfortable to file a claim. Make sure they know that in the event they fail to file the correct paperwork or fail to notify a supervisor or upper-management of such event that they forfeit their right to sue the company. Two cases that show this type of implementation is MELODY G. COBB, APPELLANT v. COMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL FOR LEXINGTON-FAYETTE, BOURBON, HARRISON, AND NICHOLAS COUNTIES, INC. AND WILLIAM F. HINTON, APPELLEES and EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Plaintiff, v. THE FINISH LINE, INC., Defendant. These supervisors did not promote a hostile environment, but have the authority to hire, fire, and discipline the employees as deemed necessary. How would Pollards case be impacted if her replacement had been a female? Would her case be different? Would her damages be different? Explain your answer. I do not think that would change anything in the case. I feel that she would have filed the same suit and the company would be in the same standing even if they hired another female to replace her. I think she is just upset that someone filed a complaint against her and now she is trying to retaliate and say that she was the victim in the situation. If she really felt as though she was a victim she would have initially filed a complaint or told a supervisor. She already had a history of not following  the rules of the company by making personal phone calls while at work.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Gender inequality in Education

Gender inequality in Education This report has been written because the main aim of this research project is to investigate if there is a gender gap between boys and girls achievement in schools. Whether the education system was biased to one gender? If so what are the factors which cause this? Are there any possible solutions that can be used to solve this? The reasons behind why boys do not achieve as well as girls in school. The objectives of this report are to discuss, to discover and investigate why there is gender gap also why boys lack behind girls. This report examines to discuss the causes of this gender gap in schools for girls and boys. The issues that will be discussed in this report are as follows: the history behind the gender gap in achievement in schools because boys were once doing better than girls. The reason for this was that girls had to stay home has housewives also girls had to gain more marks in 11 plus exams than boys. Another aspect that will be looked at are schools too feminised which m ay give an advantage to girls. Other ideas which will be argued are how the curriculum is implemented and how subjects are assessed in schools. Other factors that may affect boys achievement in schools are peer pressure from friends if they worked hard in school they may be stereotyped as a geek also learning styles may affect attainment. But does social class and ethnicity affect the achievement of children in schools. However there are subjects that favour boys than girls and vice a versa such as boys do better than girls in maths and science but on the other hand girls do better in English. This report will evaluate factors that can improve this gap by having single sex classes and single sex schools. The report will contrast the for and the against arguments of having single sex classes and single sex schools. Definitions of the word gender differences Literature review There has been a lot of work done on boys and girls achievement in schools: narrowing down the gap. In 1960 young boys were 21 times more likely to attend university than girls. It can be suggested that the changing world is having an impact on boys achievement in terms of boys attainment in schools and that of girls success in schools. It was suggested that the equal pay act and that of the sex discrimination act (1970) changed the emphases of education policy and that can be noted as a key period of history that changed the objectives of girls in terms of careers and attainment. Girls had to achieve higher marks in their 11 plus examination than boys. Elwood J et al (1998, p.5) states that 11 plus examination à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ children used to be selected for secondary schooling, were deliberately skewed so that girls had t achieve better results than boys. The period 1950-1960 found the reasons behind this was because boys matured later than girls which would not have been fair to l eave out boys from attending grammar schools. But in 1990 their was concern over boys achievement in schools. It has been suggested that in societies such as the UK the socialisation process as it operated at least up to the 1970s meant that many parents socialised their daughters to show dependence, obedience, conformity and domesticity whereas boys were encouraged to be dominant, competitive and self-reliant. Also when young children saw their parents acting out traditional gender roles many would perceive these roles as natural and inevitable leading girls and boys to imagine their futures as fulltime housewives and mothers and as fulltime paid employees respectively. In schools teachers praised girls for feminine qualities and boys for masculine qualities; boys and girls were encouraged to opt for traditional male and female subjects and then for traditional male and female careers. Furthermore in certain sections of the mass media [and especially perhaps in teenage magazines] girls were encouraged to recognize the all importance of finding Mr. Right and settling down to a life of blissf ul domesticity in their traditional housewife-mother roles. Cole (2006, p.26) suggests that even before children go to school their parents will treat a boy and girl very different. Even in society throughout history this has occurred. A lot of research has gone into this; your gender is an issue from the minute you are born. Automatically society will say how a girl will behave and how a boy will behave. If it is a boy, oh hes like that because hes a boy and boys always take longer to grasp it. Girls, even in the late 1960s were more likely than boys to gain 5 or more GCE Ordinary Level pass grades. From the 1960s to the 1980s the percentages of girls and boys gaining 5 or more GCE Ordinary Level pass grades gradually increased but the so-called gender gap in educational attainment increased especially once the GCSE was introduced primarily because girls have maintained their traditional higher attainment levels in Arts and Humanities subjects but also reduced [and in some years overturned] the traditional attainment gaps in favour of boys in Mathematics and Science subjects. The GCSE was introduced in 1988 and from then onwards the female- male gender difference in educational achievement at GCSE level widened as differences between the [ higher] female pass rates and the male pass rates in Arts and Humanities widened and females narrowed or sometimes reversed the traditional higher male pass rates in Mathematics and science subjects. It has been claimed that the relative improvement of female educational achievements can be explained partly by the nature of the new GCSE courses .This has been disputed, however, on the grounds that several factors have contributed to these trends. By the late 1980s females were more likely than males to gain two or more Advanced Level passes and during the course of the 1990s they also became more likely to gain 3 or more A level passes. Females also soon became more likely than males to gain A grades in almost all Advanced Level subjects Nevertheless gender differences in examination performance at Advanced level are smaller than at GCSE level. In 2007-2008 69.3% of girls and 60.1% of boys achieved 5 or more GCSE Grade A*-C passes; 51.3% of girls and 42.0% of boys achieved 5 or more GCSE Grade A*-C passes including English and Maths. The gender difference in examination success varies considerably from subject to subject. For example girls in 2007-2008 girls outperformed boys by 14% in English, 16% in Design and Technology, 9% in Modern Foreign Languages, 17% in Art and Design and 12 % in English Literature but by only 1% in Mathematics, 2% in Core Sciences, 1% in Chemistry and 2% in Classical Studies. Although the data are not presented here Girls are now more likely to gain A* and A grades in most but not all GCSE subjects. Other areas the research will focus on are schools too feminised, advantage for girls but disadvantage for boys. Hutchings (2002) states the phrase feminisation is used simply to refer to the fact that there are more female teachers than male, especially in the primary sector. (Biddulph, 1997 cited in Skelton et el, 2007) state that the current situation is often presented as one which is detrimental to the educational experiences and opportunities of boys with the implication that boys do better when taught by men teachers. (Skelton et el, 2007) suggest that Another use of the phrase feminisation of schools is in relation to the idea that the predominance of females has led to the delivery of the curriculum, assessment practices and the management and organisation of the classroom becoming more feminine in nature. Female teachers are more lenient on boys than male teachers also male teachers can be role models for pupils which will enable the child to be motivated to learn and succe ed in education. Findings have suggested that it is vital to keep the subjects taught in curriculum interesting for children to learn about in class. This may enable children to be motivated to learn and gets rid of the label of boringness of lessons. Jackson (2006, p.127) states that if students find the curriculum boring, it provides little incentive for them to counter the uncool to work discourse. Methods of assessment have been identified particularly frequently as a key factor in this bias against boys. An increased amount of assessed coursework has been suggested to explain boys doing less well at GCSE and A levels, with the argument being that boys do less well at coursework because of their preferred learning styles (Skelton et al, 2007). Girls do less well at sudden death exams (timed exams previously unseen by the candidate) which rely on last-minute revision and require self-confidence. This latter form of assessment has been argued to favour boys, and was the basis for O level exams (the exams that preceded GCSEs in Britain). Bleach, 1998, cited in Skelton et al, 2007 In fact, however, girls results were already improving before the GCSE assessment model was introduced. And further, Arnot et al. (1999) discuss how a reduction in the coursework component in public examinations in the 1990s did little to alter the pattern of gender achievement (Skelton et al, 2007). Another issue could be masculinity peer pressure from friends Jackson (2006, p.74) states that the uncool to work this statement is suggesting that if boys work hard at school they will not be cool. (Jackson, 2006, p.84) Those who seem to be most disadvantaged as a result of the discourse are those who attempt to balance academic work and popularity but can not manage to do both successfully. This is a powerful predictor in a lot of schools, this is seen as social status of pupils needs to be popular and be part of a group. A lot of pupils will feel being unpopular is not as good as anything else. Also it will lead to negative impact. Both girls and boys have to act as they are chilled, relaxed, laid back when it comes to the academic side of work. As the relative rate of female educational improvement increased it came to be argued that this might be explained to some extent by biological factors. Experiments investigating the brain activities of male and female babies suggested that differences in the structures of female and male brains respectively may mean that females have genetically determined linguistic advantages which would explain females especial facility with language based subjects. It was also suggested that girls earlier maturity means that they can concentrate more effectively and are better organised especially in relation to course work. This was considered to be a significant point because the relative improvement in female GCSE results was associated especially with the introduction of coursework-based assessments which had been absent from the GCE Ordinary Level examinations which the GCSE replaced. However in relation to these theories it should be noted that male-female differences in Advanced level lan guage examination results are small, that the relationships between physical and intellectual maturity are uncertain and that gender differences in examination results cannot be explained only by the presence or absence of coursework. Other factors that may affect attainment are different learning styles, both boys and girls learn differently, but we need to be careful we do not stereotype on gender. When looking at the gender debate it has been suggested by Coffield (2004) that consideration to learning styles is important when establishing the link as to why there is a gap between boys and girls due to peer pressure for the boys what their friends may think if they achieved well in school, the way boys are assessed in schools for instance boys do better in exams than coursework. Examples of these could be boys would prefer to learn kinaesthetically by doing things such as experiments or activities and girls would learn well visually by seeing. Interest in learning styles has grown rapidly in recent years and perceived differences in the learning styles of boys and girls are one of the most frequently expressed explanations for the gender gap in achievement. This argument is also based on the presumption that if boys are naturally different to girls because of their biological make-up, then it follows that they will have different approaches to learning (Noble and Bradford, 2000; Gurian, 2002). Studies have shown that the vast majority of boys and girls prioritise a teachers individual ability as a teacher, and their level of care for their students, rather than a teachers gender. Skelton et al (2009), Francis et al (2008). Boys to better in maths than girls research by Hargreaves et al into pupils stereotypical attitudes to mathematics and English has shown that stereotypes succeed among pupils, with most believing that maths is a boys subject where boys do better, and English a girls subject where girls do better. DfES (2007, p. 3) Boys outperform girls in Maths at Key Stage 2, and continue to outnumber girls at higher level maths. But there is a large gender gap favouring girls in English. On the other hand girls do better in English than boys On the other hand women do better on reading comprehension and vocabulary than men do. APA report state that some verbal tasks show substantial mean differences favouring females. Whitepaper on gender differences in achievement Social class and ethnicity according to Cole (2006, p.29) states that Gender is not the strongest predictor of attainment. Social class attainment gap at key stage 4 is three times as wide as gender gap. DfES (2007, p.3) Analysis of the attainment data shows that other factors or a combination of factors, such as ethnicity and social class, have a greater bearing on educational achievement than gender considered on its own. Gender differences in educational achievement are far smaller than social class differences in educational achievement. Students of both sexes who are eligible for free school meals are far less likely than students of both sexes ineligible to be successful at both levels of the education system. Some ethnic differences in educational achievement are also greater than gender differences in educational achievement. Statistics on the gender gap between boys and girls Attainment at each end of the distribution of grades also varies by gender. Girls are more likely than boys to gain an A* grade at GCSE. Boys are a little more likely to gain a G grade at GCSE or to gain no GCSEs at all. The largest gender differences (a female advantage of more than ten percentage points on those gaining an A*-C GCSE) are for the Humanities, the Arts and Languages. Smaller gender differences (a female advantage of five percentage points or less) tend to be in Science and Maths subjects. Some of these achievement patterns have been relatively stable over six decades of exam results, particularly in English Language and Literature, French, Art and Design and Religious Studies. There have been changing patterns over the years. In Maths, there has been a shift from a male advantage averaging 4 percentage points prior to 1991 to a slim female advantage of 1-2 percentage points in recent years. In Geography, there has be en a widening of the gap in girls favour, and in History, there has been variation but with girls now doing much better than boys. This research will explore possible solutions we can use to solve this gap such as single sex schools which may help girls to speak out. Times online (2004) Girls in mixed classrooms refrain from speaking up and answering questions. Another way of solving the gender gap is by having single sex classes in mixed schools so that teachers can meet different learning styles for boys. Research has shown that girls obtain better results in single sex schools in comparison to mixed schools Curtis (2009). Odone (2004) conversely, that boys do not want to study foreign languages or shine in English literature in case they are mocked as poofs. Garner (2008) Differences in how male and female brains work mean single-sex schooling will make a comeback leading head mistress in the Independent. However the disadvantages of sex schools Blair (2006) Girls schools feature highly in the league tables because they are highly selective, their children come from particular social backgrounds and they hav e excellent teachers. BBC News (2006) While both single-sex and co-education have passionate advocates, half a century of research has so far revealed no striking or consistent differences one way or the other. Odone (2004) Children, will inhabit a mixed society later, so let them start young, with mixed classes. Younger et al (2005, p.89) found that boys and girls may feel more at ease in single sex classes, feel more able to interact with learning and feel free to show interest in the lesson without inhibition. It was felt that there can be positive effects on achievement for boys in modern languages and girls in science and maths. (Dcfs (2007) Methodology The methods that will be used to gather research for this project will be as follows: the use of books to get information on issues affecting gender differences in achievement at schools and what theorist have already found around this agenda. The internet will be useful for this research project because you can research recent and up to date statistical information on the gender gap and get government published on this debate. Journals will be useful for the research project to collect recent data and changes in the debate around boys and girls achievement in schools and narrowing down the gap. These methods of researching are called secondary research. Secondary research is the use of material, which has been researched by someone else. The different research methods for secondary research are as follows: technology based research is to do with researching from the computer to get your information, which has a lot of benefits such as the internet provides online libraries; e-books, journals and encyclopaedias such as infed. The main electronic databases that will be used for this research are as follows education research complete, education online and SwetsWise. The key read that will be used will be based on gender differences and achievement in school also how the search found a number of journals, but some were irrelevant, to the research topic. Search engines help you through the mass of information on the internet two most popular search engines are Bing, google advanced search and google scholar also on the internet you can search for newspaper articles. However web sources may not always be reliable so researchers need to find out how accurate the information there are number of ways to assess the accuracy of the sites. According to Walliman and Buckler (2008, p.92) compare the data with other sources and is it biased many use the web to promote ideas. The reasons for choosing to do the research project as a desk study were as follows: to find out what has already been researched in this field and arguments that have already been produced around this agenda. However the reasons for not choosing the fieldwork approach method were because it will be time consuming and availability of schools to carry out the research is limited and difficult to get a place in schools to do observations. The advantages of the desk study approach are as follows; able to collect, understand and interpret data also to limit costs such as travelling costs. The disadvantages of desk study may be the availability of books from the library In contrast the advantages of the interview approach (structure and unstructured) advantages of structured interviews are time management can be controlled, results are simple to gather and the questions are securely set in advance. the disadvantages of structured interviews are there might be other questions to ask and you cant develop on questions. The advantages of unstructured interviews are there is a lot of time, you can develop questions and it is a relaxed method. Disadvantages of the interview approach are as follows: The disadvantages of unstructured interviews are the interview can simply be a chat, not all the participants are asked the same questions and only some of the questions are asked. Indirect observation is when a participant gets their information from viewing from far. Direct observation is when a participant obtains information by combining with the circumstances they are watching. Advantages of the observation approach (direct and indirect) the advantages of observations are actions can be seen in the normal surroundings and observations can both be direct or indirect. Disadvantages of the observation approach (direct and indirect) the disadvantages of observations are they are lengthy and not consistent. Qualitative vs. quantitative Analysis There was clear evidence that in the era of the 11+ pass marks were set higher for girls than for boys so as to prevent girls from taking a disproportionate share of Grammar School places. From the early 1950s until the late 1960s girls were less likely than boys to be entered for GCE Ordinary Level examinations. In any case in the 1950s and early 1960s many pupils left school at age 15 having taken no official national examinations. The candidate pass rate in GCE O Level examinations was higher for girls than for boys from the early 50s to the late 1960s so that despite the higher entry rates for males the percentages of male and female school leavers actually passing 5 or more GCE O levels were fairly similar although females did usually outperform males by 1-2% each year. This overall statistic masked the facts that girls outperformed boys by considerable margins in Arts and Humanities subjects and that boys usually outperformed girls but by smaller margins in Mathematics and Scie nce subjects. In order to analyse the relative educational improvement from the 1980s onwards we must distinguish between factors accelerating the rate of female improvement and factors restricting the rate of male improvement. Females and males educational achievements have improved but the rate of female improvement has been faster and this widened the female-male achievement gap especially at GCSE level. Remember, however, that gender, social class and ethnicity are interconnected. Girls are more successful than boys in all ethnic groups but middle class boys are still more educationally successful than working class girls in all ethnic groups. Gender differences in educational achievement are smaller than social class differences in educational achievement and some ethnic differences in educational achievement. Research has shown that Of the 71,286 girls who sat GCSEs in single-sex schools over the three-year period, on average all did better than predicted on the basis of their end of primary SATS results. By comparison, of the 647,942 who took exams in mixed-sex schools, 20% did worse than expected. This means that girls in single sex schools can be expected to do better in their school, in comparison to girls in mixed schools. Studies have shown that girls in mixed sex classes tend to refrain from speaking up and boys dont want to study English to avoid being mocked as poofs', therefore single sex schools would help to resolve this issue as they will remove this pressure between the genders and allow both boys and girls to participate freely. Also Single sex schools will benefit students as male and female brains work differently. Girls can relate to emotions more and are seen as caring and talkative they can sit and talk about emotions whereas boys are more likely to do practical things instead of talking of emotions, hence why boys fail in English. So perhaps, as this leading head mistress, quoted in the Independent suggests, single sex classes need to be implemented to meet the learning strategies of the different sexes. Mainly English and foreign languages is where I believe that pupils need a gender based curriculum as was suggested by the DFES (2007) report it remarks that of the core subjects, the gender gap is widest in English; overall, the differences in language and literacy skills are given as the main cause of the gender gap in attainment. It is suggested that there is around 10% children leaving education with 5 Cs and above girls since 1968 have been slowly achieving better than boys according to Dcfs report into gender. It is a step towards the well researched idea that genders learn differently therefore it is possible to suggest that gender specific learning amongst boys and girls will close the statistical gap of attainment. Although the dfes report suggest that is no substantial evidence to back this up I believe that children will benefit from this approach. Another issue that I found is that boys tend to do better on spatial skills; they find mathematics and science more interesting to learn about. But on the other hand girls to better on verbal, comprehension and vocabulary skills than boys do. This table shows the gap in 1989 was just 6% but 10yrs later it had increased to 10%. It is suggested by S. Ball (2008) that this gap is an overall statistic and not subject specific he suggests that in 2004 the deviations of this gap was just 1% and that in some subjects boys achieve better results than girls therefore it is not valid to say that all boys or all girls achieve less in GCSE levels Conclusions In conclusion doing this research project on boys and girls achievement in schools and narrowing down the gap. The research found that there is not as big as a gap as people thought. The main factors that affect boys achievement are peer pressure and schools too feminised. The research also found that single sex schools and classes do not make that much difference but it found that girls have more confidence to participate in class discussion. In conclusion, the history of the gender gap shows that the gender gap itself has always been present in education, but was hidden by the advantage given to boys in 1960s, and it was often harder for girls to progress into further education, since it was not expected of them, therefore affecting the gender gap in the sense that there were lower numbers of girls then boys progressing. Over the years boys have improved and so have girls, maintaining the gender gap but showing that boys are adapting to the changes and are working harder to keep up. The gender differences in boys and girls does show that they learn in different ways, and these differences are, now more then ever, taken into account in teaching methods, lesson planning and assessment methods, and there is evidence showing that Boys are fighting back at A levels, with their results improving more rapidly than girls (BBC, 2004),however, it is important to recognise that there are girls and boys who wont fit into these gendered patterns and therefore focus should still be placed on the individual and not the biologically predisposed expectations, (Phoenix, 2004, pg 34). We could also conclude that this improvement could be the first sign that boys are now realising they will have to fight to maintain their place in the workforce, as history shows women have been seen as servants to the state (Steedman, 1 985, cited in Arnot and Ghaill, 2006, pg 19). This oppression of women, like other cases where parts of society have been repressed (e.g. repression of the afro-Caribbean population), resulted in women fighting or rebelling for their place in society, which is not something the male population has had to do. Therefore acting as a source of motivation for women to make sure they are treated as equals and to progress in life, where as men have missed out on this and until recently, have lacked the motivation to fight for their place. Now men are in a place of competition with women and are now beginning to see that its not particularly clever to under-achieve (BBC, 2004).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The DVD Revolution :: essays research papers fc

The DVD Revolution Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the features and advantages of DVD video. Central Idea: The DVD video format has superior audio and visual quality to VHS, as well as more special features, which is why it should eventually occupy the place of the VCR in American households. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’d like to start things out by taking a survey. How many of you remember having a CD player in your house fifteen years ago? Not very many of you, I see. Of course, we all have CD players now. It took a little over a decade and some major price drops, but eventually we all threw out our old vinyl and cassettes and opted for the excellent sound quality and convenience of CDs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Just as the CD took the place of cassettes, many people believe the DVD, or digital versatile disc, will soon take the place of VHS tapes. Many of you may not even know what a DVD is, so before I go any further, let me show you what one looks like. (Take out DVD disc) It’s the same size as a CD, but it has two sides. Just like a VHS tape, it plays movies directly on your television. DVD video players were originally released in early 1997, and their first year sales were twice that of CD players, which is strong evidence that the DVD is here to stay. Why is the DVD so popular, and what makes it better than VHS? There are three main reasons: sound quality, picture quality, and special features exclusive to DVD. (Transition: Let’s start with the sound quality of DVD) Body I. The sound quality of DVD is far superior than that of VHS. A. DVD discs utilize digital technology, which is the same technology used by compact discs. 1. This means that you will get crisp and clear sound equal to CDs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. DVD players are also compatible with all surround sound formats. 1. For those of you who don’t know, surround sound is a system of speakers set up across a room that provides a listening experience similar to being I in a movie theater. 2. The combination of a surround sound system and CD quality sound is best realized when listening to musicals like â€Å"Singing in the Rain†, or action films with a lot of sound effects, such as â€Å"Starship Troopers.† C. You have the ability to listen to different audio tracks. 1.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Cbs Tells Sodastream to Revise Brand-Bashing Super Bowl Essay

Every year, the Super Bowl attracts some of the best and most high-priced advertising in the world. But it also lures a horde of publicity-seekers claiming their commercials have been censored or rejected by the host network. In nearly all cases, the complaining marketers never really had a shot at the Super Bowl, thanks to shoddy production values, truly objectionable content and, more often than not, the inability to pony up more than $3 million for an ad. And it’s a common occurrence for the network to ask event sponsors to tweak or edit the content for a variety of reasons (which also can yield a PR bonanza if a sponsor cries foul — just ask serial offender GoDaddy.com). But SodaStream, a mainstream advertiser that some time ago purchased a spot in the game’s fourth quarter, said this wasn’t a PR gambit. So what’s the issue? The content of its planned commercial seemed to have concerned CBS because it was a direct hit at two other Super Bowl spo nsors and heavy network TV advertisers: Coke and Pepsi SodaStream, which sells home soda-making machines, has already run afoul of authorities in the U.K. for a Bogusky-crafted spot indicating its product is more environmentally friendly than established sodas; the spot shows branded bottles and cans of soft drinks exploding into thin air. For the Super Bowl, it hoped to up the ante with a spot depicting truck drivers clad in clothing with Coca-Cola and Pepsi marks on them, according to Ilan Nacasch, SodaStream’s chief marketing officer. â€Å"We really tried to comply with the standards† set by CBS, he said. At the same time, he added, â€Å"We were taking it to a new level, and that’s the level where they apparently judged to be going too far.† Interestingly enough, Pepsi has scored big points with viewers over the years by showing Super Bowl ads with Coke deliverymen abandoning their employer wholesale for a sip of a Pepsi drink. Of course, Pepsi (and, for that matter, Coke) buys multiple ads in the Super Bowl each year, as well as spends millions of dollars on other broadcast-TV advertising. Another Super Bowl sponsor, Anheuser-Busch InBev with Pepsi this year for in-store displays and promotions. A CBS spokeswoman said network executives declined to comment. â€Å"Bummed,† Mr. Bogusky, famous for his work at CP&B still in the game with an older spot we tweaked.†

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Compare and contrast the state-building strategies Essays

Compare and contrast the state-building strategies Essays Compare and contrast the state-building strategies Essay Compare and contrast the state-building strategies Essay Essay Topic: Best Worst American Stories To Build a Fire Brief 123345 Compare and contrast the state-building schemes of autocratic provinces and that of rentier monarchies in the Middle East and North Africa. Which type of province is more stable? Use a instance survey for each type of province to exemplify your statement The followers will compare and contrast the province edifice schemes of the autocratic provinces and so rentier monarchies in the Middle East and North Africa. After the two types of governments have been compared and contrasted, decisions and observations as to which type has the best province edifice schemes and therefore offers the highest degrees of stableness will be outlined. The autocratic provinces of the rentier monarchies of the Middle East and North Africa have common factors in their histories, societies and economic systems and spiritual beliefs. On the other manus, there are factors that have contributed to the differences between the autocratic provinces and rentier monarchies being greater than merely being down to them holding different province edifice schemes. Whilst some of the provinces in the Middle East and North Africa have a long history other provinces are more recent creative activities. As will be outlined below province edifice schemes were needed through out the Middle East and North Africa as a effect of the prostration of the Ottoman Empire and de-colonisation by the European powers, particularly Britain and France. As a point of mention province edifice can be seen as the effort to obtain a permanent population, a defined district and a authorities capable of keeping effectual control over its district and of carry oning international dealingss with other states’ ( Evans A ; Newnham, 1998, p.512 ) . The Middle East and North Africa have factors that have had a strong influence on province edifice whether in autocratic provinces or rentier monarchies. The strongest links between all the provinces in the Middle East and North Africa with the exclusion of Israel, is Islam. The provinces in the Middle East and North Africa have found it hard to set up any signifier of authorities that has been to the full representative, to the full democratic and that has been able to happen an effectual balance between secular authorization and the Islamic communities within each province. The terminal of the Ottoman Empire and the subsequent backdown of France and Britain from the part left behind provinces that were either ruled by dictators or one party regulation and the rentier monarchies. These provinces have the differentiation of being unrepresentative and autocratic ( Akbar, 2003, pp. xvi-xvii ) . The relationship between Iran and autocratic provinces or the rentier monarchies of the Midd le East and North Africa is non ever easy to specify and it either strengthens or destroys these governments. Islamic fundamentalist motions seeking to transform their states in to truly Islamic provinces can be found across the part endangering the stableness of what fundamentalists would see as illicit governments. The most successful fundamentalist group was that led by Ayatollah Khomeini who gained power in Iran after tumbling the rentier monarchy of the Shah ( Choueiri in Eatwell A ; Wright, 2003, pp.270-71 ) . As a whole the Islamic influence has been stronger in the Middle East than in North Africa, where provinces such as Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria have had to make up ones mind whether to put the greatest accent on being African or Islamic. The stableness of the provinces in the Middle East and North Africa have besides had to take into history patriotism, socialism and liberalism when organizing their province edifice schemes ( Deegan, 1996, p.21 ) . The state chosen as the instance survey for the ways that authoritarian provinces have a province edifice scheme in the Middle East and North Africa will be Iran, although prior to 1979 it would hold made a good instance survey for rentier monarchies. Iran has long history as a state and at assorted times has been a great power. As Persia, Iran took portion in major wars against the Greeks, the Romans, and the Byzantine Empire. Iran was one of the first topographic points to be conquered by Muslims in the 7Thursdaycentury and Islam has been a cardinal portion of the province since ( Lewis, 1995, p.36 ) . Iran became and remains the state with the largest Shia Muslim population, a fact that both the Shah and the radical government that overthrew him have emphasised ( Mansfield, 2003, p.15 ) . Persian Shah portraying themselves as the guardians of the Shia religion was non a creative activity of the 20Thursdaycentury Shah in the efforts at province edifice, although they did utilize it for that intent. The Safavid dynasty attempted to vie with the Sunni Ottoman Empire from the 16Thursdaycentury ( Lewis, 1995, p.114 ) . Persian independency was at times threatened by Britain and Russia, due to the British controlling India and the Russians spread outing their imperium. It was, nevertheless, the British that gave the Iranian’s greater prosperity by utilizing oil to power the Royal Navy’s ships merely before the First World War. British influence in Iran was strong plenty to coerce a alteration in the dynasty of the Shah. As British power declined the Persian government turned to the United States for arms engineering and aid with modernization, which the United States agreed to provide to procure oil supplies ( Aburish, 1997, p.79 ) . There had been much bitterness in Iran that the British made more money out of Persian oil than the Iranians did. The Iranians nationalised the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1951 with the United States step ining to halt the British from taking military action. Once the United States pulled off the remotion of the Prime Minister Mossadeq, the Shah relied on his confederation with them to keep his clasp on power. As a province edifice scheme it finally failed ( Akbar, 2003, pp.244-45 ) . The Shah deluded himself that his government was popular, non gaining that the confederation with the United States and his efforts at modernization would finally take to his autumn from power ( Keay, 2003 p. 461 ) . As for the Americans they put Persian oil in front of the Persian people in their support for the Shah. That is the usual American attitude to the governments of the Middle East and North Africa, back up the pro-American regimes no affair how they run their states ( Painter, 1999 p. 80 ) . Ironically plenty, the autocratic province edifice scheme in Iran would alter under the leading of a adult male that believed patriotism was yet another signifier of political and moral debasement from the West, Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini asserted that Iran was free to support itself, yet that patriotism if directed against other Muslim states is contrary to the baronial Qu’ran’ ( Khomeini, 1981, p.302 ) . The Persian government regarded itself as the first true Islamic State and was to construct itself up by distributing radical Islam across the Islamic universe ( Hobsbawm, 1994 p. 454 ) . Once in power the province edifice schemes of the radical government in Iran was straightforward plenty. Khomeini and the government merely stated that the autocratic nature of their government was required for them to set up and keep Iran as the world’s foremost Islamic State. Khomeini and the other Ayatollahs were non corrupt, greedy, and evil sovereign like the Shah or the male monarch of Saudi Arabia. They were non secular minded swayers like Nasser in Egypt or Saddam Hussein in Iraq. The biggest selling point of the government was non that it was autocratic but that it was the righteous regulation of the imaums that would do Iran a beacon of virtuousness throughout the Muslim universe. The government was implementing Islamic jurisprudence as it should hold ever have been implemented ( Mernissi, 1993, pp.24-25 ) . The Persian government bases its political legitimacy upon its spiritual legitimacy. The government as the defender of true Islam against the benign influence of Western broad democracy and the lip service of Islamic states no affair whether they were autocratic provinces or rentier monarchies. The Ayatollah Khomeini and his government used propaganda and censoring both as a province edifice scheme and a agencies to export the constructs of extremist Shia Islam. In a sense internal propaganda was non needed as the Persian Revolution and the government that emerged from it was what the bulk of Iranians wanted. The Iranians were glad to see the terminal of the greedy and corrupt shah’s regulation, with his unpopular efforts at modernization and secularization. The anti-American stance of the government was a successful portion of its province edifice scheme, anti-American sentiment meant that it gained popular support across the Middle East and North Africa even though the autoc ratic provinces and rentier monarchies feared the effects of the revolution ( Aburish, 1997, p.41 ) . Interrupting the links with the United States that the Shah had maintained was popular, yet no government with the spiritual and ideological mentality of Khomeini could digest such links. Any hopes that the United States may hold held of retaining those links were broken by the Tehran surety crisis. The Persian Revolution shocked many other states ; it raised frights of farther revolution, which peculiarly concerned the Americans, the Soviet Union and Iraq ( Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 453 455 ) . For the United States the loss of a friendly government in Iran was a sedate loss in military, political, and economic footings, for that government to be replaced by a extremist Islamic government intensified those loses ( Keay, 2003 p. 389 ) . It was Iraq that unwittingly gave the Persian government a encouragement for its province edifice scheme by motivating an rush in patriotism. Patriots feelings had been running high due to the revolution and the subsequent surety crisis with the United States, the Iraqi invasion of 1980 meant that every loyal Iranian supported the government, whilst for the government it further justified the remotion of the leftovers of resistance within the state. The Iraqis had expected a fleet triumph due to the convulsion caused by the Persian Revolution and the purge of the shah’s protagonists in the Persian ground forces and their replacing by the Revolutionary Guard. Given that the initial advantages that Iraq had in the ready supply of weaponries from the United States and the Soviet Union in peculiar, the Iranians did really good to drag the war on until 1989. The Persian government used the war with Iraq to speed up its province edifice scheme, Iranians were exhorted to contend on s piritual and loyal evidences, those of supporting their state, whilst get the better ofing the evil Saddam Hussein and his Sunni Muslim compatriots. The Persian government found it comparatively easy to enroll voluntaries to contend Iraq, mentioning to their dead as sufferer. The Persian government continued the war despite its homo and fiscal cost as it believed licking would destroy its province edifice scheme and even stop the government itself ( Deegan, 1996, p.204 ) . The war itself transformed the Revolutionary Guard from an unequal reserves into an effectual combat force that guaranteed the internal stableness of the radical province ( Davies, 2003, p.195 ) . By the clip the war against Iraq had finished and despite the decease of Khomeini in 1989 the province edifice scheme of radical Iran had achieved stableness. The biggest menace to its endurance could stem from its difference with the United Nations over its atomic programme ( Dean, 2004 p.22 ) . This difference is soon being used to bestir anti-American feelings in Iran, yet the government may hold to see the possibility of an American led invasion, particularly whilst President Bush remains in office. Whilst Iran is confronting economic countenances and even military onslaught, it is utilizing rhetoric for onslaughts on Israel plus suicide bomb onslaughts on Britain and the United States. Iran has declared that it has squad of self-destruction bombers available ( Sunday Times, 16 April 2006 ) . Iran has enriched U quicker than the United Nations and United States expected which merely increases their uncertainness over Persian purposes, they do non believe that Iran merely has peac eable purposes for its atomic programme ( Al-Ahram, 13 –19 April 2006 ) . The rentier monarchy chosen as a instance survey is Saudi Arabia. Arabia contains the two holiest metropoliss in Islam, Mecca and Medina ; hence, how it is ruled, and who regulations it has ever held great significance for Muslims across the Earth. Arabia’s geographical place every bit good as its spiritual position has made it the most prized plus in the Middle East and North Africa. The British successfully orchestrated Arabian rebellion against the Ottomans, which led to the formation of the Arabian land under the control of the Saud dynasty. Since so the chief province edifice schemes have revolved around holding a more conservative less extremist Islam internally, whilst being happy to advance extremist Islamic political orientation to the remainder of the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond. Such an attack may hold apparently helped the stableness of the province but it is seen as lip service by Islamic fundamentalists and is non precisely popular with the United State s who ignore it merely because they need Saudi oil ( Esposito, 1999 p. 15 ) Ibn-Saud was the first swayer of Saudi Arabia and his policies for province edifice proved extremely effectual, if non ever popular with the Saudi people. Ibn-Saud started by settling the kingdom’s boundary lines. District was lost to Iraq, yet gained from Kuwait. Ibn-Saud delegated disposal and patroling to the tribal heads, although he ensured that his ground forces was strong and effectual. Saudi Arabia’s province edifice owed a great trade to Ibn-Saud shrewdness and personal prestigiousness ( Mansfield, 2003, p.186-87 ) . The Saudi’s built up the land without upsetting Britain, which was the dominant power in the Middle East during the inter-war period ( Lewis, 1995, p.344 ) . Prior to the find of big oilfields, the Saudi monarchy was non abundantly affluent ; it had to acquire by through doing money out of the pilgrims that went to Mecca and Medina. It was the find of huge measures of oil that made the province edifice scheme successful, it brought wealth to the big royal household and paid for royal castles, plus a good equipt ground forces. Although, a strong ground forces was considered critical for province edifice, the Saudi monarchy has ever been careful to hold the backup of Britain and particularly the United States ( Akbar, 2003, xvii ) . Hand in manus with military and fiscal links with the United States, the Saudi monarchy has frequently tried to keep up to day of the month engineering as portion of its province edifice attempts. The relationship with the United States provides the Saudi monarchy with the bulk of its military equipment and is the biggest consumer of Saudi oil. Since the Gulf War of 1990-91 the Saudi government believes it has boosted its security due to the presence of American armed forces within the state. However, a strong relationship with the United States is no longer a province edifice scheme that enhances the stableness of the government. Even before the United States established bases in Saudi Arabia the Saudi government had felt the demand to hold specialist anti-terrorist units to protect the oil refineries and the royal household. Outside of Israel it has some of the best-trained units in the Middle East and North Africa ( Davies, 2003 P 163 ) . In fact the presence of United States mili tary in the Arabian heartland of Islam has prompted terrorist onslaughts on both American and Saudi marks within the land and generates internal and external resistance to the Saudi government. In many respects the Saudi government has miscalculated in leting a big American presence into their state. Ibn Saud, for case, may hold taken British and American money plus arms, yet he neer allowed any Western military bases within the land as it was beyond the picket for many Muslims to believe that Mecca and Medina could be controlled by non-Islamic provinces ( Cameron, 2003 p. 140 ) . Paradoxically the stableness of the Saudi monarchy could be the victim of one of its other province edifice schemes, the publicity of extremist Islamic motions abroad. The Saudi government has attempted the complicated reconciliation act of friendly relationships with the West, advancing itself as the defender of Islam, whilst back uping extremist motions, and advancing the Palestinian cause against Israel. These schemes are evidently contradictory in many respects, whilst maintaining good dealingss with the West and back uping those that aim to destruct Israel, a province that the United States has strongly backed since its creative activity in 1948. The Saudi government has tried to cover up its contradictory schemes through repression and censoring ; it besides tries to strip unfriendly parts of the Saudi imperativeness of any information at all ( Aburish, 1997 p. 362 ) . For the Saudi government there can be no allow up in inhibitory steps and censoring as it believes that a rela xation of its controls would rush the death of the government itself. Journalists can be detained without charge for showing positions that the government disfavors. Journalists nevertheless likely have a better opportunity of being released than ordinary Saudis ( Arab News 15/4/2006 ) The Saudi government has funded extremist Islamic groups for decennaries, particularly those stand foring the Palestinians. The Saudis besides bankrolled at assorted times other provinces in the Middle East and North Africa such as Syria and Iraq that had larger armed forces that could be used against Israel. The Saudis financed the Iraqi war attempt against Iran, as it feared the rise of extremist Shia groups in the Middle East. The publicity of extremist causes was aimed at beef uping internal and external support for the government whilst debaring unfavorable judgment of its relationship with the United States. The publicity of extremist Islamic philosophies had the consequence of escalating resist ance to the monarchy within Saudi Arabia with a inhibitory response by the government ( Akbar, 2003 p. 208 ) . The human rights record of the Saudi government is far from being the best in the Middle East and North Africa, yet it is barely criticised by the United States, although human rights misdemeanors are frequently used as an alibi to take action against more openly anti-American governments. The state of affairs over human rights demonstrates the moral corruptness and lip service of the Saudi government whilst besides demoing up American dual criterions. That is a combination that farther undermines the Saudi monarchy and strengthens anti-American feelings ( Cameron, 2002 p. 167 ) . The administration that threatens to turn over the province edifice scheme of the Saudi government is one that is led by a Saudi whose household has near links with the royal household, and has many Saudi members, Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda was amongst many of the extremist Islamic groups formed to contend against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda received Saudi support every bit good as American arms and preparation, although after the Soviet backdown from Afghanistan, it looked for farther struggles to contend in. Al-Qaeda respects any Islamic province or single Muslim that supports the United States as being legitimate marks for being attacked and even advocates the overthrow of governments if possible. For Al-Qaeda the presence of American forces in Saudi Arabia is the perfect stalking-horse for contending a war against the United States and the Saudi monarchy, the worst confederates in the Middle East and North Africa ( Akbar, 2003 p. 159 ) . Al-Qaeda therefore is the best illustration of how the Saudi regime’s province edifice scheme of advancing radicalism has backfired severely. The Saudi government possibly has no alternate but to go on its inhibitory internal steps and its close links with the United States. The importance of oil to the United States will intend that the Americans will go on to back up the Saudi government as it would see the remotion of the Saudi monarchy as being even more black to American involvements than the Persian Revolution ( Keay, 2003 p. 389 ) . Therefore, there are similarities and differences between the province edifice schemes of autocratic provinces and rentier monarchies in the Middle East and North Africa. Both autocratic provinces and rentier monarchies claim to set up their provinces on the footing of being Islamic provinces based on Islamic rules and ideological mentalities. Authoritarian provinces and rentier monarchies alike promote themselves as the defenders of Islam and morality and often use the defense mechanism of Islam as a stalking-horse for internal repression and censoring. In Iran both the Shah and the radical government after 1979 used the defense mechanism of Shia Islam as a province edifice scheme. The radical government could utilize that scheme more convincingly after being attacked by Iraq in 1980. The Saudi monarchy besides claims to be defender of Islam, particularly as Mecca and Medina are within its boundary lines. The shah’s government collapsed due to his efforts to modernize the sta te and the close links with the United States. The radical government has invariably shown anti-American rhetoric, which has proved popular domestically and besides in many parts of the Middle East and North Africa. The West frights Iran for its sensed combativeness and alleged support for terrorist groups. Internally the government seems secure. The biggest menace to its stableness could be the difference between itself and the United Nations and the United States over its atomic development programme. There is a strong possibility of economic countenances and military action being taken against Iran. However, the United States would happen Iran far more hard a state to suppress and get the better of than Iraq. Saudi Arabia’s stableness, like that of other rentier monarchies is surely non guaranteed. The Saudis need the Americans to vouch their security and their prosperity. However, it is the links with the United States that promote the internal and external resistance to the Saudi government. Al-Qaeda, an administration that owes so much to Saudi Arabian radicalism could keep the key to whether the Saudi monarchy survives or perishes. It would be a error to presume that the province edifice schemes of autocratic provinces and rentier monarchies have brought long-run stableness to the government. Rentier monarchies are likely somewhat more stable than autocratic provinces yet take off United States support from them, or if faced with a revolution with the same strength of the Persian Revolution and that stableness could stop overnight. The stableness of autocratic provinces depends on how good they maintain internal repression, deny any efforts at meaningful democracy and finally if they avoid struggle with each other or the United States. Bibliography Aburish S K, 1997A Brutal Friendship – the West and the Arab Elite, Indigo, London Al-Ahram Weekly online,Explosive proclamation Iran s declaration that its scientists have successfully enriched U took the West by surprise, writes Marian Houk 13 –19 April 2006 Akbar M J, 2003The Shade of Swords – Jihad and the Conflict between Islamand Christianity, Routledge, London and New York Arab News.com -Saudi journalist arrested for knocking Saudi spiritual extremism, 15/4/2006 Cameron F, 2002US Foreign Policy after the Cold War, Routledge, London and New York Choueiri Y,Islam and Fundamentalismin Eatwell A ; Wright ( 2003 )Contemporary Political Political orientations2neodymiumEdition, Continuum, London Davies B, 2003Terrorism – Inside a universe phenomenon, Virgin Books, London Dean, J W, 2004 Worse than Watergate the secret Presidency of George W. Bush, Little, Brown and Company, London Evans G A ; Newnham J, 1998The Penguin Dictionary of International Relations, Penguin, London Esposito J.L, 1999The Islamic MenaceOxford University Press, Oxford Hobsbawm E, 1994 -Age of Extremes The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991Michael Joseph, London Keay, J 2003Sowing the Wind – The Seeds of Conflict in the Middle EastJohn Murray, London Khomeini I, 1981Islam and Revolution, Mizan Press, Berkeley Lewis B, 1995The Middle East – 2000 old ages of history from the riseof Christianity to thepresent twenty-four hours, Phoenix Press, London Mansfield P, 2003A History of the Middle East 2neodymiumedition, Penguin Books, London Mernissi F, 1993Islam and Democracy – Fear of the Modern World, Virago Press, London Painter, D S, 1999The Cold War – An International History,Routledge, London Sunday Times Persian self-destruction squads ready to hit US, British marks, April 16 2006

Monday, October 21, 2019

Definition and Examples of Decorum in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Decorum in Rhetoric In classical rhetoric, decorum is the use of a style that is appropriate to a subject, situation, speaker, and audience. According to Ciceros discussion of decorum in De Oratore (see below), the grand and important theme should be treated in a dignified and noble style, the humble or trivial theme in a less exalted manner. Examples and Observations Decorum is not simply found everywhere; it is the quality whereby speech and thought, wisdom and performance, art and morality, assertion and deference, and many other elements of action intersect. The concept underwrites Ciceros alignment of the plain, middle, and elevated oratorical styles with the three main functions of informing, pleasing, and motivating an audience, which in turn extends rhetorical theory across a wide range of human affairs.  (Robert Hariman, Decorum. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. Oxford University Press, 2001) Aristotle on Aptness of Language Your language will be appropriate if it expresses emotion and character, and if it corresponds to its subject. Correspondence to subject means that we must neither speak casually about weighty matters, nor solemnly about trivial ones; nor must we add ornamental epithets to commonplace nouns, or the effect will be comic... To express emotion, you will employ the language of anger in speaking of outrage; the language of disgust and discreet reluctance to utter a word when speaking of impiety or foulness; the language of exultation for a tale of glory, and that of humiliation for a tale of pity and so on in all other cases.This aptness of language is one thing that makes people believe in the truth of your story: their minds draw the false conclusion that you are to be trusted from the fact that others behave as you do when things are as you describe them; and therefore they take your story to be true, whether it is so or not.(Aristotle, Rhetoric) Cicero on Decorum For the same style and the same thoughts must not be used in portraying every condition in life, or every rank, position, or age, and in fact a similar distinction must be made in respect to place, time, and audience. The universal rule, in oratory as in life, is to consider propriety. This depends on the subject under discussion and the character of both the speaker and the audience...This, indeed, is the form of wisdom that the orator must especially employto adapt himself to occasions and persons. In my opinion, one must not speak in the same style at all times, nor before all people, nor against all opponents, not in defence of all clients, not in partnership with all advocates. He, therefore, will be eloquent who can adapt his speech to fit all conceivable circumstances.(Cicero, De Oratore) Augustinian Decorum In opposition to Cicero, whose ideal was to discuss commonplace matters simply, lofty subjects impressively, and topics ranging between in a tempered style, Saint Augustine defends the manner of the Christian gospels, which sometimes treat the smallest or most trivial matters in an urgent, demanding high style. Erich Auerbach [in Mimesis, 1946] sees in Augustines emphasis the invention of a new kind of decorum opposed to that of the classical theorists, one oriented by its lofty rhetorical purpose rather than its low or common subject matter. It is only the aim of the Christian speakerto teach, admonish, lamentthat can tell him what sort of style to employ. According to Auerbach, this admission of the most humble aspects of daily life into the precincts of Christian moral instruction has a momentous effect on literary style, generating what we now call realism.  (David Mikics, A New Handbook of Literary Terms. Yale University Press, 2007) Decorum in Elizabethan Prose From Quintilian and his English exponents (plus, it must not be forgotten, their inheritance of normal speech patterns) the Elizabethans at the end of the [16th] century learned one of their major prose styles. [Thomas] Wilson had preached the Renaissance doctrine of ​decorum: the prose must fit the subject and the level at which it is written. Words and sentence pattern must be apt and agreeable. These may vary from the condensed native maxim like Enough is as good as a feast (he recommends Heywoods proverbs which had recently appeared in print) to the elaborate or exonerated sentences adorned with all the colours of rhetoric. Exoneration opened the wayand Wilson provided full examplesfor new sentence structures with egall members (the balanced antithetical sentence), gradation and progression (the paratactic cumulation of short main clauses leading to a climax), contrarietie (antithesis of opposites, as in To his friend he is churlish, to his foe he is gentle), the series of sentences with like endings or with repetition (like opening words), plus the verbal metaphors, the longer similitudes, and the whole gallery of tropes, schemes, and figures of speech of the last few decades of the 16th century.  (Ian A. Gordon, The Movement of English Prose. Indiana University Press, 1966)

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Essay Time Heraclitus

Essay Time Heraclitus Essay Time Heraclitus The idea that you can have no such thing as moments in time is not possible in a human world. In Heraclitus' work he presents an understanding of time in which you have four basic premises: 1) That ‘X equals X’ at T1, meaning that X exists at a moment in time, hence being. 2) That time is infinitely divisible. 3) That because time is infinitely divisible you can have no ‘moments in time’ because for everything that you label a moment you will be able to further divide that moment. 4) That because you cannot have any moments in time at no time can ‘X equal X’ which results in a world not of being but in a world of becoming. While this is logically correct in the sense that all the premises accurately reflect a logical conclusion we are concerned with presenting the accuracy of these premises in the first. Heraclitus uses the metaphor of a river to explain his ideas about the constant flux of the world and the constant change that takes place. Pla to notes that according to Heraclitus, it is impossible to step into the same river twice. By this he means that the river is constantly changing and that the person entering the river would never be able to step into the same water twice, for this water would have been removed down river and replaced by new water. In order for this to be possible he stands in support of an ever changing world with no definable moments in time. This ever-changing phenomenon is not without faults, among them assumptions that time takes place regardless of humans and disregarding the fact that time and its divisibility is contingent upon the constructs usefulness to humans. In order for this ever-changing world to be rational it must be exhibited by physical matter held in a vacuum otherwise this pretense does not hold up well in the physical world. We shall start with the first premise. ‘X equals X’. This premise may come across as straightforward but must be explained here for it has implications on the rest of the argument. The statement of ‘X equals X’ is a statement of Being while ‘X does not equal X’ stands to mean that the item is nonexistent. Unlike statements of Becoming, Being implies that at a specified time, T1, a physical item actually existed whether in a physical or metaphysical form. This is juxtaposed to a statement such as Heraclitus' that we live in an ever-changing world. His world view is a clear statement in favor of Becoming in which we take a relative existence dependent upon what is exerting power upon us and the setting that we find ourselves in. According to Heraclitus, at all times then we are simply Becoming with no moment of Being. Quite backward I think. The second premise of the argument is that time is infinitely divisible. The idea of having time being infinitely divisible is not useful to humans. Because, as will be displayed below, time is relative and dependent upon humans for existence, time is simply a creation that we utilize because it is convenient and advantageous for us to do so. The idea that you can have no moments in time is not possible in a human world. If, as has been presented, time is infinitely divisible then it would be true that you can have no moments in time. However, in order for items and objects to interact with each other there must be a specified time, relative to the participants, at which two things come into contact. Therefore time must not be infinitely divisible, for time is relative to the object taking part in an action and is therefore a mere imposition of an abstract, unrealistic idea upon physical items. Therefore we must consider time as an abstract idea and decide if it is: Dependent or Inde pendent, Relative or not. Let us first begin by examining the relativity of time. It is my understanding that time is relative to the participants in a given situation and that time is imposed upon items through their relation to those who witness the event. In the cases of black holes we, who are not entering a black hole but observing

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The True Meaning of 'Push' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The True Meaning of 'Push' - Essay Example ontext of the protagonist’s life, because it symbolically represents the fact that she has been left behind and needs to push her way forward to survive in the world. At the beginning of the story, Sapphire sets the stage by providing indications that the protagonist lags behind others. â€Å"I was left back when I was twelve because I had a baby for my fahver†¦ I had got left back in the second grade too, when I was seven, ‘cause I couldn’t read†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1). In fact, Precious is considered such a hopeless case as far as learning is concerned that the principal of the school tells her teacher to give up and stop wasting time on her. â€Å"Focus on the ones who can learn† (39). Precious herself articulates the predominant view that exists about her learning powers. â€Å"The tesses paint a picture of me wif no brain†¦ the tesses paint a picture of me an’ my muver – my whole family, we more than dumb, we invisible† (33). Because Precious has been left so far behind, it is not even worth the time or effort for anyone to help her so that she can move forward. In having to push when giving birth to her first baby, Precious is, for the first time, encouraged to be assertive and aggressive rather than passive, drawing upon her basic, primal, female energy in bringing forth life (Marvel, 1996). The title Push, therefore, represents the basic energy of the female protagonist, who at sixteen, cannot read or write, still hasn’t completed high school and is already about to give birth to her second child. Nevertheless, she does not give up or submit to despair; she is always ready to keep fighting, as reflected in her attitude: â€Å" ‘N I really do want to learn. Every day I tell myself something gonna happen, some shit like on TV. I’m gonna break through or somebody gonna break through to me – I’m gonna learn, catch up, be normal, change my seat to the front of the class† (5). When the story commences and Precious is suspended from school because she is

Friday, October 18, 2019

Evolution of Business Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evolution of Business Theories - Essay Example Interaction of Business Environments The term business environment can be simply defined as a set of economical, social, political, legal, and institutional conditions which are unmanageable in nature, and influence the day to day performance of an organization. The framework of business environment has two major components including internal environment and external environment. According to Daft and Marcic (2010), internal environment comprises of man, material, money, machinery, and management and it is usually within the control of business; whereas, external environment represents factors which are beyond the control of the organization (pp.47-48). The external environment is again subcategorized into two, such as macro environment and micro environment. Suppliers, customers, market intermediaries, competitors, and public constitute micro environment while macro environment includes economic, socio-cultural, technological, demographic, and international environments. Generally, external environments of organizations, particularly that of multinational corporations, relate to each other regardless of their industrial differences. According to Bird and Stevens, â€Å"increasingly, an identifiable and homogeneous group is emerging at least within the world business community† (cited in Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel, 2009, p.11). Researchers argue that cross cultural differences may or may not influence the interaction of business environments, because cultural elements largely deviate from region to region. Nowadays, a high level interaction is observed among business environments. Industrialization and urbanization together with the emergence of information technology provide infinite opportunities for business houses; and therefore, modern firms tend to expand internationally. Consequently, a number of international business models developed including import/export businesses, franchisee models, joint ventures, foreign direct investments, and mergers and acquisitions. Each of these models necessitates interaction of business environments. As Maznevski, Steger, and Amann (2007) comment, modern business management is a much complex task; and diversity, frequent market trend changes, and ambiguity are the major drivers of this complexity. This complexity in turn leads to uncertainty regarding future. Many management experts are of the view that global interdependence can have a great role in reducing modern business complexity. Hence, a number of organizations have recently adopted an interactive business style where its external environments communicate with each other. This increased interaction of business environments assists organizations to effectively predict future trends and immediately respond to unforeseen contingencies. In addition, business environments’ interactions have greatly aided firms to avoid unhealthy market competition and thereby to trim down unnecessary operational expenses. Furthermore, this policy would help companies to easily reach global customers and increase the geographical coverage of the business. Thus evidently, interaction of all business environments has led to the evolution of a globalized business environment, which offers infinite opportunities for modern organizations. Business Theories While analyzing the modern business era, the old paradigm of business practices seems unsuccessful because market and market trends have been notably changed over the past few decades. Nowadays

Will shale gas rock the world the role of shale gas in changing the Literature review

Will shale gas rock the world the role of shale gas in changing the dynamics of the future energy markets - Literature review Example For instance, the recent publication of the International Monetary Funds World Economic Outlook 2012, identify the oil price as one of the downside risks that will stall the global economy this year.1 Given the volatility of the situation in the Middle East this problem is expected to remain for a long period of time. This is in addition to the fact that forecasts are projecting the decline of the golden age of oil as supply starts to run short. A report by major oil companies revealed that the growth of oil production outside of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will slow to a stop and that by 2015, the Middle East will monopolize that global oil demand, which is almost 1000 gallons per second.2 The experience during the 1970s of a global shortage wherein there was a lack of adequate supply and the price dramatically increased is still fresh. These are the reason why there is a mad scramble for alternative energy sources today. Being able to successfully e xtract oil from different energy sources would mean independence from foreign oil and the negative impact it entails. Shale oil is one of these alternative fuel sources. The changing energy outlook as with the increasing interest on shale oil is consistent with all modern-day assessments of global energy futures, which according to P. Edwards, V. Kuznetsov and W. David (2007), emphasizes the argument that growth in demand for energy must be met increasingly by a diverse energy mix.3 Change as a result of the coming shortage of oil is inevitable. This paper will provide an overview of the current status and prospects for shale oil. For this purpose a brief history will be provided as well as an explanation of shale oil as an energy resource and a discussion as to why it will play an important role in the global attempt to find alternative fuel sources. Oil shales are generally rocks that have high proportion of â€Å"kerogen†. This

Thursday, October 17, 2019

How Do Dreams Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

How Do Dreams Work - Research Paper Example Dreams have been considered prophetic and delivered from the spiritual plane. The ways in which dreams have been stimulated include the concept of incubating in a place or chamber designed specifically to create a prophetic dream. However, dreams have been most used in the search for understanding the unconscious mind. Theories proposed by Jung and Freud have defined ways in which to approach dreams for their therapeutic values. The way in which dreams work has been studied for the brain waves that are associated to the different stages of sleep. As well, the way in which they are associated to the mental state of the individual has been examined for the many ways that dreams can be associated. The brain has been studied while sleep occurs in order to determine which parts of the brain are working compared to which parts are not working during the dream state. Still, the associations of the events in dreams to the biological event have yet to be fully explained. The state of dreaming has been somewhat defined for its biological function, but the true nature of dreams and how they work has yet to be fully established. Dreams: The Theoretical Divide Dreams have provided a great deal of study to psychologists, neurologists, and to disciplines that are concerned with the function of the brain. The concept of dreams has also been an interest to sociologists and anthropologists as they study culture. Sigmund Freud constructed his theory of dreams as purposeful in his theories of psychoanalysis where he insisted that dreaming had no connection to neurology and was a function of the mind rather than part of the brain. This divided the concept of mind and brain and even when modern scientists discovered REM and found evidence of brain functions in association with dreaming, it was still framed with the psychoanalytical structures, believing that the content of dreams was a separate issue to the physiology of dreams (Hobson 2005, xii). Previous to the work of Freud, peop le saw dreams, primarily, as nonsense of the mind. Some cultures believed in the mystical qualities of dreams, but the general belief about dreams was that they had no real value. Freud changed this through his discussions about the meaning of dreams in regard to psychoanalysis. He proposed that the mind had a hidden censor that could protect a person from sexual and aggressive threats, but that to act on every perceived threat would be socially unacceptable. The dream phase would allow for threatening thoughts to transform into harmless symbols within dreams. In allowing guilty feelings, anxieties, and inappropriate desires to manifest in dreams, the social world is safe from the intrusion of those thoughts (Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian 160). The two new concepts that Freud brought to the forefront of psychological evaluation was that dreams consisted of symbols and that they could be interpreted for psychologically relevant information (Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian 160). The idea that dre ams held symbols and could be interpreted was new from a cultural understanding as many religions and cultures had depended on the symbols and interpretations of those symbols for mystical meaning for centuries, perhaps back to the dawn of human history. However, that these symbols and interpretations could be used for the scientific study of the mind and focused upon the individual was a revolutionary idea. Freud had three

The effects of cigarette smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The effects of cigarette smoking - Essay Example The tar that sticks onto alveoli’s tender surface reduces its contact with the blood vessels. Continued tar accumulation leads to lung cancer and other problems such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The hot smoke would cause an irritation on the tracheal and nasal passage tender linings causing throat inflammation. The over 4,000 harmful chemicals resulting from tobacco combustion clog the hair-like cilia occurring at the trachea and along the nasal passage, causing the loss of cilia’s fluidity. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC (2013), one cigarette has the potential of slowing down by 20 minutes the motion of cilia. This slowing down of cilia further inhibits the passage along of mucus which eventually clogs up along the trachea. Excessive mucus clogging causes smoker’s cough as the body tries to get rid of the mucus. Finally, the carbon monoxide released from smoking cigarettes, based on its higher affinity for hemoglobin than ox ygen, attaches to the hemoglobin in red blood cells. The increased carbon monoxide amount in the blood impairs the transfer of oxygen from the blood to cells, which could distort time perception, visualization and cognitive skills. There are alternate mechanisms of transporting carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) in the blood. Explain how smoking might lead to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. On leaving the lungs, oxygen attaches to the hemoglobin occurring in red blood cells so as to be transported by blood. But according to Starr (2013), carbon monoxide, produced during cigarette smoking, has about 200 to 300 greater affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen hence greatly competes with oxygen for hemoglobin. The resultant increase in carbon monoxide concentration in the blood from the alveoli during cigarette smoking reduces blood oxygen levels. Additionally, the increased carbon monoxide levels impair oxygen from being released into the cells. The reaction of this carb on monoxide with the already minimal oxygen in the blood results in the release of carbon dioxide which consequently increases in concentration in the blood. Can smoking affect other organ systems of the body? Give specific examples and briefly explain your answer. Yes, smoking affects various organ systems of the body other than the respiratory system. By constricting blood vessels, particularly the arteries, and reducing oxygen supply in the circulatory system, cigarette smoking causes the heart to work harder in a compensatory effort. The nicotine which occurs in cigarette smoke, acting as a stimulant, increases the blood pressure and heart rate which could decrease blood flow through blood vessels. This could cause smokers to develop peripheral vascular disease. Cigarette smoking has also been associated with adverse effects on the reproductive system by CDC (2013). It leads to infertility, still births, pre-term delivery, sudden infant death syndrome and low birth weights. The carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke, which has a higher affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen, inhibits oxygen flow to the brain and could thus cause cognitive complications. Cigarette smoking also affects the digestive system by triggering a spike in stomach acids thus leading to chronic heartburn and even ulcers. The skin also gets affected by cigarette smoking. The tobacco smoke released into the environment

Piped distribution services question 1-4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Piped distribution services question 1-4 - Essay Example Give different options. Evaluate their merits. The building in question is very tall and expansive. It shall in turn attract numerous clients. In this regard, the client and building requirements shall be effective air conditioning systems; properly installed boilers; backup power generation system; efficient and effective elevators and good refrigeration systems. The risks involved in terms of death and injuries inflicted as a result of fire breakout are huge. The project requires smoke detectors, an alarm system, a surveillance system, fire extinguishers and a medical response team. The company can choose to use the old technology that is readily available and is relatively cheap. This shall save on the costs. On the other hand, the company can also choose to employ the modern technology that is more advanced and sophisticated. This is very fast and effective for the huge building and numerous clients in question. 1.2) Evaluate alternative strategies for the provision of piped dist ribution services and fire protection and fire fighting services systems. Advise which system you consider the most suitable to the building. The company can choose to undertake the provision of all the services to the clients of the building. All the clients regardless of their social status or power receive the same services and pay the same amount to the company for these services. The company can also choose to provide all these services but in accordance to the desire and financial ability of each tenant. Every tenant upon renting a premise in the building specifies the kind of services he or she is willing to receive and able to pay for. Lastly, the company can opt not to offer any of these services. Each client upon renting a premise in the building finds his or her own means of getting these services. Of all these three strategies, the first one is the best. These services are basic. The risks involved if one tenant misses the services still affect the other clients the serv ices. It is thus important that the company offers the services for every tenant and in a common level of sophistication. 1.3) Establish design parameters, standards and legislative requirements. Give at least two approaches. Evaluate the approaches. The building shall require an A.C source of electricity. This is the main source of energy that shall power all appliances. Aluminum pipes shall be required for plumbing to deal with the high pumping pressure to the top floors. Before the commencement of the construction work, the government needs to approve of the design and location of the building. After the construction, the government shall also send inspectors to ascertain the suitability of the building for commercial use. These requirements can be viewed from the approach of cutting on costs, or the approach of cutting on accidents. In order top cut on costs, the company only has to conform to the minimum requirements of erecting the building. On the other hand, in order to cut on the risks of getting involved in accidents, the building needs sophisticated material. All the requirements should be approaching the maximum limits in the market. 1.4) Produce design specifications. Comment the different specifications. Discuss their relationship. The building needs

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

How Do Dreams Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

How Do Dreams Work - Research Paper Example Dreams have been considered prophetic and delivered from the spiritual plane. The ways in which dreams have been stimulated include the concept of incubating in a place or chamber designed specifically to create a prophetic dream. However, dreams have been most used in the search for understanding the unconscious mind. Theories proposed by Jung and Freud have defined ways in which to approach dreams for their therapeutic values. The way in which dreams work has been studied for the brain waves that are associated to the different stages of sleep. As well, the way in which they are associated to the mental state of the individual has been examined for the many ways that dreams can be associated. The brain has been studied while sleep occurs in order to determine which parts of the brain are working compared to which parts are not working during the dream state. Still, the associations of the events in dreams to the biological event have yet to be fully explained. The state of dreaming has been somewhat defined for its biological function, but the true nature of dreams and how they work has yet to be fully established. Dreams: The Theoretical Divide Dreams have provided a great deal of study to psychologists, neurologists, and to disciplines that are concerned with the function of the brain. The concept of dreams has also been an interest to sociologists and anthropologists as they study culture. Sigmund Freud constructed his theory of dreams as purposeful in his theories of psychoanalysis where he insisted that dreaming had no connection to neurology and was a function of the mind rather than part of the brain. This divided the concept of mind and brain and even when modern scientists discovered REM and found evidence of brain functions in association with dreaming, it was still framed with the psychoanalytical structures, believing that the content of dreams was a separate issue to the physiology of dreams (Hobson 2005, xii). Previous to the work of Freud, peop le saw dreams, primarily, as nonsense of the mind. Some cultures believed in the mystical qualities of dreams, but the general belief about dreams was that they had no real value. Freud changed this through his discussions about the meaning of dreams in regard to psychoanalysis. He proposed that the mind had a hidden censor that could protect a person from sexual and aggressive threats, but that to act on every perceived threat would be socially unacceptable. The dream phase would allow for threatening thoughts to transform into harmless symbols within dreams. In allowing guilty feelings, anxieties, and inappropriate desires to manifest in dreams, the social world is safe from the intrusion of those thoughts (Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian 160). The two new concepts that Freud brought to the forefront of psychological evaluation was that dreams consisted of symbols and that they could be interpreted for psychologically relevant information (Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian 160). The idea that dre ams held symbols and could be interpreted was new from a cultural understanding as many religions and cultures had depended on the symbols and interpretations of those symbols for mystical meaning for centuries, perhaps back to the dawn of human history. However, that these symbols and interpretations could be used for the scientific study of the mind and focused upon the individual was a revolutionary idea. Freud had three