What is it to be Homeless?

Homelessness, it carries strong connotations of poverty, abandonment, and despair, yet it is still a major problem in American society with no end in sight for the people who find themselves in its midst. In 2004, over 7% of Americans found were defined as homeless, a number which continues to grow in connection with job losses and housing unavailability (Donohoe, 2004). Growing up in an upper middle class family, homelessness is something I’ve never had to experience firsthand but have witnessed time and again in people pandering for money in parking lots and on street corners. I have seen men, women, and children huddled together as they brace themselves for a night on the streets but until this point had largely kept myself separate. Through my field work and research for this project, I have come to a better understanding of the causes and effects of homelessness not only on the individual but on the family and society as a whole. Defined as sleeping in shelters, on the street, in cars, abandoned buildings, train or bus stations, homelessness is a constant reminder of the inequalities of society (Donohoe, 2004). In Kentucky, where the homeless rate has climbed steadily, it is a growing problem. In 2005, the number of homeless persons seeking assistance in Kentucky was 19,908 – a noticeable jump from the previous year when the number was 15,226 (Kentucky Statistics). The question is posed in viewing these statistics, as to what happened to cause such a high increase in individuals and families finding themselves without a home during a time when the economy was in an upturn. Now, in recent light of the recession and overall jobless problem in the United States, the outlook does not seem promising. The primary causes of homelessness range from domestic abuse, lack of housing, poverty, low wages, post-traumatic stress disorders, etc (â€Å"Factors Contributing to Homelessness†). The causes are as varied as the people who find themselves in this situation. Annually there are anywhere from 2. 3 million to 3. 5 million people nationwide who are homeless, 39% of which are children (â€Å"How Many are Homeless,† 2006). Their day to day lives center around finding food and shelter for themselves, of which are becoming scarcer as public assistance continues to decrease. As part of my research I conducted several interrelated field studies, each meant to give me a better understanding of the homeless in Kentucky and to better ascertain the reasons behind their homelessness. The best way to understand this, I reasoned, was to place myself in their shoes. My experiments involved viewing the public’s response to homelessness. Dressing down in jeans, a t-shirt/sweatshirt combination, and a pair of old gym shoes with an old baseball cap borrowed from a friend, I set out to downtown Lexington to try and pander for loose change. As this had been my most common experience with the homeless, I sought to dispel my own stereotypes as well as experience through action what it means to be reduced to these circumstances. Standing on the corner of S. Broadway and Main streets, I scanned the area and saw a man farther down the street dressed in rags and holding a cardboard sign. I momentarily regretted my decision to forego the sign myself as it would be helpful in drawing people to me. However, I reasoned that as this was meant as a means of interacting with the public as a homeless person I had a better chance at verbal communication without the sign. Having chosen both a high traffic area and a busy afternoon, I was soon watching people pass me without so much as a backward glance. Unsure of myself, I tried to remember my own experiences with being asked for money. It had seemed almost an effortless endeavor, lending to the stereotype I have heard most commonly thrown about that people begged no out of necessity but laziness. I soon discovered that pandering was no easy task. Seeing an elderly woman, who reminded me of my grandmother, I called to her, asking the standard question, â€Å"can you spare some change? Maybe I called it too loud in my nervousness or possibly the dirt I had purposely smeared and worked into the fabric of my clothes and my general appearance of disarray but she moved away from me seeming to hold her breath. I smiled, trying to dispel her unease but it was too late. Surprising me with her speed and agility, she quickly made her way past darting between other ongoing pedestrians. Trying not to lose my ner ve, I quickly turned my attention to the other people crossing in front of me. A man in a business suit, out of place himself on a Saturday afternoon, stopped in front of me as I called to him trying this time to temper my voice and not appear over enthused or worse disingenuous. â€Å"Why don’t you get a job? † he asked. â€Å"I work 50 hours a week to support my family, and you can’t go to McDonald’s and flip burgers for some cash? No! You expect me and all of these other hardworking people to give you theirs! † and with that he dug in his pocket, tossing a handful of pennies and pocket lint on the sidewalk in front of me. This was not easy. Pandering required that you have not only a tough skin but also that you set aside your pride. I found myself struggling with tears, wanting to call out to the man as he plowed his way down the street that I wasn’t really homeless. I wanted to call, but I’m a college student, I have a job, I have a home but this would only stunt any further work I wished to accomplish in this area. I needed to blend. A young woman, not much older than myself, stopped in front of me as I struggled with my own ego trying to reconcile the humiliation of the research with understanding I knew I would gain. I looked up and she appeared the very opposite of the man in the business suit. Dressed similarly to me, though clean with freshly washed hair and fashionably distressed jeans and a bright green sweater, she held a cup of coffee in one hand and a few dollar bills in the other and on her face was a sympathetic smile. â€Å"Don’t let him bother you,† she said handing me the coffee and forcing the bills into my hand. â€Å"I know where you are coming from. I lost my job two years ago and was in the exact same spot as you. I was evicted from my apartment and lived in my car and the shelter for 2 months before I was able to get back on my feet. Just be happy you don’t have kids, I still feel guilty that my daughter had to go through all of that with me. † With this, she smiled and waved to me before crossing to the other side of the S. Broadway. Within minutes of each other, I had experienced the two extremes of the human interaction side of pandering. Though the man in the business suit had almost discouraged me to the point of blowing my cover, the kind young woman’s kindness made me feel a new kind of guilt. She did not seem a financially well off woman but she had still tried to help. Even more than the embarrassment and loss of pride at the man in the business suit judging me all from a simple request, â€Å"can you spare some change† I felt guilt at having taken money from this woman and her daughter. I made a mental note to try and ask the homeless people I encountered how they felt at asking for money from strangers. First, I had the day to worry about. I had purposely set off on my research without money or other means of procuring food and drink. For the moment, if I wanted to eat, I would have to continue to pander for a little more cash. As it went from morning to afternoon, I had no repeat encounters with the anger of the businessman but also did not experience any more of the kindness of the young woman. Many people either ignored my call for spare change or reach into their pockets without looking in my direction. One man asked why I needed the money. I tried to reply that I just needed enough to get a meal or two, at which he laughed before tossing some loose change my way, â€Å"Sure. Last time I checked, crack wasn’t a meal. The audacity of the man completely surprised me. Did I look like a drug addict? Did he think people only became homeless because of personal mistakes? I realized I was taken aback because he had asked a question aloud that I had only thought in my own head as I gave spare change to people in the past. Though drug addiction is a major problem for the homeless community, it is not the root o f the problem. Given the discrepancies in statistics though it is understandable that this would be associated with and even blamed for the continually growing rate of homelessness. In information published by the National Coalition for the Homeless in 2005, it is noted that early statistics for substance abuse and addiction among the homeless were incorrectly calculated leading to an assumption that over 60% of the homeless suffer from one form of substance addiction of another. However, recent statistics from US Conference of Mayors in 2005 puts the number as being closer to 30% (â€Å"Who is Homeless† 2005). The question is though, did their drug addiction lead to their homelessness or is it a result? After collecting almost $15 dollars, I set off to find a homeless person or people who would talk to me about the circumstances that led to their current state. Walking toward the man with the cardboard sign, I thought at first to speak with him as I had grown to feel a certain kinship with the man having worked the same street this morning. As I approached him, I saw a group of teenage boys stopped in front of him. They were laughing as one of them tore the man’s sign from his hands and proceeded to tear it in half. The man, obviously angered, kept his head down to the verbal abuse that rained from the teens mouths. No one it seemed was in the least concern. Pedestrians kept a wide breadth of the scene and kept their eyes to the ground. Finished with their fun, the boys threw the sign at the man’s feet and continued walking, still laughing at the humiliation of the man. Seeing the anger of the man, I decided that now would not be a good time to speak with him. Instead, I continued walking past him knowing that while his pride may be hurt, he had been spared any actual physical violence. I knew that this man had been one of the lucky ones. From 1999-2005 there were 472 acts of violence committed against homeless individuals (â€Å"Hate Crimes. † 2006), targeted specifically because of their homeless status. Of that number, 169 were murders. Shelter workers and advocates have heard increasing stories of harassment, beatings, being set on fire, and even decapitation (National Coalition for the Homeless. â€Å"Hate Crimes. † 2006) as the years have gone by. After walking for several blocks, I stopped in a corner store to buy myself some water. Walking to the back of the store where the refrigerators were, I could feel the clerk’s eyes follow me. I guess, making sure I was not shoplifting. With this, I understood yet one more stereotype and misconception of homelessness – namely the role of criminal. Though I had the money to buy the water, though I had spent a day being verbally abused and ignored in order to scrounge together the change for this very water, the clerk assumed I would steal it. I walked to the counter, feeling his eyes on me, I assume checking my body’s silhouette for bulges of pilfered food. 1. 47† he said, simply, still not taking his eyes off of me, his nose curling at the smell he assumed must be wafting off of me. Counting the change onto the counter, I saw my hands with the fingernails lightly ingrained with dirt and the grime of the street. Reaching forward to hand him the change, I saw him recoil slightly and I instead placed the change on the counter where it was carefull y counted. Expecting the â€Å"have a nice day† I had come to rely on as part of the retail experience, I was surprised when after processing my order, I received no more than a nod. Later that afternoon, I found myself sitting on a park bench beside a young homeless man, trying to find his life story in the sometimes incoherent ramblings. John was an Iraq War veteran who after returning from his stint in the Army, found himself increasingly anxious and unable to forget the bloodshed. Now a methamphetamine addict, he is thin to the point of starvation. Under his beard, I could see sores where the meth was surfacing and his front teeth were rotted to nothing. John is just one of many veterans who make up the homeless population. With approximately 11% of the total homeless population veterans, comprising 40% of the total male population of homeless persons (National Coalition for the Homeless, â€Å"Who is Homeless,† 2005), John is the embodiment of the what happens to veterans when resources become limited and their problems too big to be handled effectively by the system. â€Å"A lot of the guys you see out here who are veterans were in ‘nam, they’ve been back and forth between the veterans hospital, group homes, and the street. When I first came back, I went back to working in my uncle’s garage fixing engines and changing oil. I hadn’t really had many plans before I signed up following 9/11. When I came back, my mom and girlfriend were pushing me to go back to school. Use the G. I. bill, you know. But I just couldn’t concentrate. I couldn’t sleep at night. When I did sleep, I had bad nightmares, bodies piled to the ceiling, blood everywhere. I started drinking, so I could sleep but it just made things worse. I slept but when I was awake nobody wanted to be around me. I went to the V. A. and they diagnosed me with post traumatic stress, gave me a couple prescriptions and a list of counselors and sent me on my way. For a little while the pills helped, but I was still drinking and had started to smoke meth. It kept me awake a lot but I thought I was getting things done. But then I lost my job, my girlfriend left me and I was stuck living in my parents’ basement. I started snorting meth and then shooting up,† with this, John pulls up his sleeves to show me the track marks running along his forearms. â€Å"Eventually, even my parents had enough. I wrecked their car, stole $4,000 worth of jewelry and computer equipment that I pawned for half that to buy more meth and booze. This is where I ended up. I told John about my earlier experience pandering and asked him if he ever felt bad for asking strangers for money. To this he shrugged and smiled, showing blackened gums above where his two front teeth once were, â€Å"You must be new. When I first started asking, sure I felt bad. I never thought I’d be asking for handouts. I wasn’t raised that way. Shit, if my dad saw me o n a street corner begging he’d probably kick my ass. But you gotta do what you gotta do. I mean, come on, who is going to hire me? I stink, I’m paranoid, I have a meth addiction and no teeth. If I want to eat or get more drugs, I have to beg or steal. I’d rather beg than steal any day. I still have some scruples,† he laughingly explained. Had he ever tried rehab or contacting on the programs that helps the homeless? â€Å"Sure. I’ve gone down to the shelter and filled out the paperwork but they don’t have a whole lot of money either so I couldn’t stay forever and the rehab program they tried to get me into was full. I tell myself everyday that this will be the last. Once I’ve shot up the last of my bag, I just won’t buy anymore but it never works out that way. I start jonesing and the nightmares come back. I sat over in there one night,† he said, pointing to a pavilion on the other side of the park, â€Å"and cried because I thought I was back in Iraq. I could hear the mortars exploding around my head and the screams of children in my ears. My friend found me after a couple of hours and offered me his needle and it all melted away. Of course, I found out a couple months later that he had hepatitis and had passed it onto me but he was just trying to help, I guess I can’t blame him too much. I’ll die sooner than later anyway. † When I asked him what he meant, he shrugged again. â€Å"Look at how I live. I’m lucky to eat every other day. I’ve shot up so much meth that it’s coming out my pores and am lucky to find a vein anymore. I’ve been beaten up, pushed in front of cars, spit on. I had pneumonia last winter, almost died from that. And I want to die. I should have died in Iraq, I think of that every day. If I knew then what my life would become, I would have shot myself when I still had a gun. The day I don’t wake up, will be the best day of my life. † Shaken, I thanked John for talking to me and tried to make sense of what he had told me. Before talking, he had taken a quick dose of meth to loosen his tongue but what he let loose was more than just his own story. Between John’s veteran status, gender, drug addiction, and mental illness he is unfortunately a prime example of homelessness in America. Approximately 22% of the homeless population suffers from one form of mental illness or another (â€Å"Why Are People Homeless,† 2006). Though it has been said that the increase in mentally ill homeless people is due to the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, this is false. Most of this was done between the 1950s and 1960s but homeless rates did not begin to reach their current rates until the 1980s. According to a 2003 report from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, many of the mentally ill homeless could and can live within the community and receive treatment from outpatient facilities. Many however, are unable to receive treatment or housing because of the lack of availability (â€Å"Why Are People Homeless,† 2006). As John noted, with waiting lists and the unpredictability of street life, finding ones next meal is hard enough. Finding help with housing and medicine is even more of a challenge. Having been shaken by my experiences at pandering, moving through regular daily activities like making a small purchase at a convenience store, and John’s own tales I knew I was neither prepared nor willing to spend my night as a homeless person. Before going home, I ventured to the bus station, where I had originally planned to spend the night. Walking towards the entrance, I saw a man holding a cardboard sign. Thinking he was the man from earlier, I hurried forward to try and see how he had fared after his run in with the teenagers. I was wrong. Though similar in dress and situation, this was a new man. Much older, appearing to be in his sixties or seventies. I braced myself for a request for spare change, forgetting my own appearance, but he ignored me. I knelt down to ask him some questions, figuring that this would be my last chance as I was now determined after my brief experience before returning to my normal life. No one, I now knew would knowingly choose homelessness. Asking his name, he eyed me warily, â€Å"you ain’t a cop are you? † Deciding to blow my cover, such as it was, I explained that I was a college student trying to understand what it means to be homeless. â€Å"Why would you do that? You think this is a game? Just go home, at least you have one. I been sleeping on park benches and in bus stations for 5 years, count your blessings. † With this he turned away from me, his eyes fixed on a couple walking along the sidewalk. Speechless, I left him to his pandering. Regardless of my experiments, I had still only had an outsider’s experience of his daily life. I could, as he put so bluntly, go home. I had a home. Even as I begged on the street, I knew that I had a bank account across town with more money in it than this man would see in a week. I would finish my education and get a job, buy a home and build a family. For this man, that kind of life must seem a dream. I now knew, however, that the future I have so long imagined and planned for can just as easily be taken from me. It can start with something as seemingly changeable as losing a job and spiral into a hopelessness that left some dead, others wishing for death. For John the tipping point had been a combination of factors: mainly his drug use and trying to cope with post-traumatic stress. The causes, I now realized were encompassing of us all in one form or another. I now was able to understand through my experience that just like the woman from that morning find myself living in a car one day and begging on a street corner for real next time.

Edgar Allan Poe Essay

1. According to the first paragraph, what characteristics of the â€Å"Red Death† make it such a horrible disease? * The characteristics of the â€Å"Red Death† that make it such a horrible disease are the profuse amounts of blood, sharp pains, sudden dizziness, and the seizure. 2. Describe in detail Prospero’s plan for escaping the epidemic. * Prospero’s plan for escaping the epidemic was to gather a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from his court and keep them within a wall. The courtiers brought massy hammers to weld the bolts. Within the wall the people basically rejoiced to keep away from the â€Å"Red Death.† 3. What do the ebony clock and its arresting chimes add to the plot? Can you think of any symbolic value the clock might have? * 4. What symbolic evidence can you find in Poe’s use of the following? * A. the number seven – B. the use of colors, especially the black and scarlet in the seventh room – C. the movement from east to west in the sequence of the rooms and throughout the story – 5. In your opinion, how does this allusion add a layer of meaning to this story? * 6. â€Å"The want of parental affection,† wrote Poe â€Å"has been the heaviest of my trials.† Explain why Poe would make such a statement. * 7. What prominent military academy did Poe attend? Did he graduate? Why or why not? * 8. In great detail, comment on Virginia Clemm. * 9. Why is much of what we know about Poe wrong? * 10. Poe is widely known for inventing what type of story? *

Research he Effects of Social Media on Arab Revolutions especially in Paper

He Effects of Social Media on Arab Revolutions especially in Egypt, Syria and Yemen - Research Paper Example They employed various forms of communication and information networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Skype, Yahoo Messenger, cell phone technology and much more for making the world know about the violence and autocracy in their respective countries. Egypt Revolution that forced President Hosni Mubarak to leave his presidency was a continued effort of the social media activists who worked on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Maps and many mediums of communication and information sharing were employed in bringing in a change in the Egypt. A digital guide for information sharing on Twitter and through mobile phones was prepared by ‘Global Voices’ and ‘Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights’, so that people can inform about arrests of activists. The social media worked as a connection linking Egypt with the entire Arab world involving them in change. Facebook was employed for multiple uses such as increasing knowledge about current unrest, broadening the level of information sharing to worldly level and management of activists and their actions. Twitter was used for giving information to the journalists and informed them about video footages’ location on internet. Overall, â€Å"the social media played a pivotal role in scaling connections between people, in achieving density, disseminating courage, awareness and sympathy, and in countering misinformation generated by the oppressive Egyptian regime in many countries around the world† (Frangonikolopoulos & Chapsos, 2012). The Egyptian government, under the leadership of Hosni Mubarak, sensed the efficacy of social media in enabling people towards handling a revolt against the government, due to which, they restricted internet usage. â€Å"With the internet crackdown, President Hosni Mubarak betrayed his own fear — that  Facebook,  Twitter, laptops and smartphones could empower his opponents, expose his weakness to

Investigating the environemtal impacts from plastic bags Research Paper

Investigating the environemtal impacts from plastic bags - Research Paper Example The Case Against Plastic Bags The manufacturing process requires 12 million barrels of oil per year, creating over 100 billion plastic shopping bags (Gamerman). With only about a 5% recycling rate (inspiration green), the landfills will overflow with bags that are not recycled or reused. A number of wildlife groups report discarded plastic bags are eaten by a variety of land and sea creatures with fatal effects. These concerns and other create the larger argument for environmental stewardship: The Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin, 1968) and TANSTAAFL (Dolan, 1971). Both of these writings warn of the economic â€Å"free rider† problem that is the bane of environmental stewardship The free rider problem refers to the polluting or overuse of the natural resources since no tax or fee is associated with dumping. The tragedy of the commons is the overuse and overgrazing of the common land. Since each herdsman wanted to maximize profits, they exploited the free grazing land by adding m ore and more cattle. Soon, the grazing land was destroyed, unable to recover and nobody could feed their cattle. The herdsmen who believed in proper stewardship either went broke or joined the others in selfish overuse. Pollution and contamination work the same way. Traditionally, industry would dump waste into rivers, bury toxins on site and spew horrid smoke into the air because the water, land and air were considered a common good; and companies could dump waste at â€Å"no cost†. With the Environmental Protection Agency and State environmental departments cracking down on polluters with fines and criminal penalties, this practice has abated, but does continue to a lesser extent. The neo-tragedy argument includes recycling and the after-effects of environmentally resilient products. TANSTAAFL (Dolan) originated in science fiction by Heinlein; the acronym means â€Å"there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch†. Dolan adopted the acronym in order to present his economic argument that pollution rights should be sold as an economic good. A calculation of the maximum mass of each pollutant potentially and immediately sorbed into the environment would lead to an inventory of polluting rights. These rights would be sold at auction to industries with a waste disposal problem. Other constituents would have to design non-polluting mechanisms to compete. Obviously, the cost of pollution would be set by the market. (Dolan) The money raised through the auction plus fines on pollution cheaters would pay for remediation. The plastic bag opponents take this argument one step further and assign responsibility for individual litter and recycling to the manufacturer. As much as 4% of trash in landfills consists of plastic bags. (DOE) As consumers use more and more plastic bags, even to contain trash, the landfills will take longer to naturally reclaim the natural resource of land. In an interesting study, small communal group, the Hutterites, were observed . (Hardin, 3) The finding was that when the colony size approaches 150, individuals begin to under-contribute and over-demand. Smaller groups manage by shame; however, larger groups lose that capacity. The commonistic approach of the Hutterites loses manageability in larger

Financial Accounting and Corporate Governance Research Proposal

Financial Accounting and Corporate Governance - Research Proposal Example Chief among these participants are the board of directors and management. There are aspects of the corporate governance regime that have an impact on the relationship between shareholders and the company† (Jacques du Plessis & Et. Al., 2010). The regulators and legislators in the United States have realised that transparency is essential to inspire trust and confidence in the business. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed in 2002 by the United States Congress to protect the interest of the investors by making corporate disclosures more accurate and reliable (Hoffman & Rowe, n.d.). Corporate governance helps in integrating the choices and the actions of the managers with the shareholders’ interests. Financial accounting plays an important role in this integration process. Corporate governance can be thought of in terms of the outsider’s perspective or the shareholder’s perspective. The organisation consists of a hierarchy which includes shareholders, board of d irectors and managers. Responsibility is delegated to the various entities in the hierarchy. Corporate governance simply involves alignment of interest of all these entities. Two kinds of agency problems arise whereby the alignment of interest may occur between managers and the board but not the shareholders and alignment between the board and the shareholders but not the managers. The financial accounting system resolves these agency problems. They provide useful information to directors and shareholders (Armstrong, 2009). Corporate governance plays an important role in promoting transparency in an organisation. There are various approaches to corporate governance which result in various theories. The objectives of the organisation are set by the owners or the directors in the agency theory. Managers have the responsibility of execution of the objectives. Structures and processes are designed to enable control of management. The theory holds that individuals are rational and egoist s and thus managers cannot remain faithful to the owners. The managers can resort to diversion of corporate resources to fulfil their selfish needs unless an external control is placed on them. The owners or directors can be considered as the principle in the agency theory. The action is originated by the principle and he bears the responsibility for the action. The principle does not always execute the objective himself. He may employ an agent to act on his behalf. The managers are the agent and should behave ethically and should avoid conflict of interests. Compliance with rules is essential and a minimum threshold exists for the acceptable behaviour. According to the stockholder theory the organisation is merely a property of stockholders. Stockholders take an egoistic view. The owners channelize the members of the organisation towards the achievement of their interest. The owners expect a return from the investments they have made in the organisation. Managers have the duty to f unction in a manner in order that return is maximised. Strategies are implemented to ensure faithfulness on the part of the managers. The stakeholder theory focuses on all the stakeholders of the organisation. All the stakeholders function in a manner to maximise their self interests. The managers have the responsibility to balance out the conflicting interests of various stakeholders. The managers are faithful agents of all the stakehold

Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Criminology - Essay Example This makes the Crown Court the higher court of prime instance in criminal cases. Nevertheless, for some purposes, the Crown Court remains hierarchically ancillary to the High Court and Divisional Courts which fall under the High Court, on one hand. On the other hand, the Magistrates’ Court stands and operates as a lower court where all proceedings of criminal trials start from. Civil matters, particularly, family proceedings may also start at the Magistrates’ Court. The Magistrates’ Court have been streamlined and modified to help in fast and cheap delivery of justice. In England and Wales alone, there are 360 Magistrates’ Courts. The foregoing clearly shows that there are similarities and differences in the manner in which magistrates’ Courts and Crown Courts operate and the different roles they dispense. Also known as Justices of the Peace, magistrates serve as unpaid trained members of the local community. This is because magistrates are local pe ople who volunteer their services to the community. According to Macnair (2007, 678-679), although magistrates will not require formal legal qualifications, yet they are required to undertake a training programme including prison and court visits, in order to help magistrates acquire necessary skills. Magistrates are given procedural and legal advice by qualified clerks. On the converse, District and Crown Court judges are strictly qualified, full-time professionals on payroll and usually, are based in larger cities. Again, unlike magistrates’ court judges, District and Crown Court judges attend to more sensitive and complex court cases. Presently, there are about 30,000 magistrates, 150 district judges and 170 deputy district judges who operate in the approximately 330 magistrates’ courts in Wales and England. Given that magistrates do not need legal qualifications to discharge their duties, they are advised and helped in court on legal procedures and matters of law a nd legal practice by Justices’ Clerks. Assistant Justices’ Clerks also partake in this responsibility (Bell and Dadomo, 2006, 339). Unlike Crown Court judges, magistrates preside over less serious criminal cases such as motoring offences, the failure to pay council tax, TV licenses and vehicle excise license and misdemeanor. Magistrates may therefore commit to Crown Courts, more serious cases such as murder, rape and manslaughter. The same judges may deal with lighter legal duties such as enforcement of court fines, search warrants, court fines and right of entry applications. According to Carlen (1975, 378), cases may be brought to magistrates’ courts by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). In the event that a defendant has pleaded not guilty, a trial may be held, with the magistrates listening to, viewing and analyzing the evidence that has been adduced before the court of law, deciding on agreed facts and facts [which are] in dispute and considering whether t he case has been proven beyond reasonable doubt. In case a suspect has been found guilty or the suspect has entered a guilty plea, the magistrates may proceed to issue a court sentence by using sentencing guidelines and structured decision making processes which define the expected penalty for typical offences. The magistrate judges will also take note of case law and practice directions from higher courts and are also given advice in court by a legally qualified and competent adviser (Riddle and Jones, 2013, 750). In the event th

The Canadian Legal System vs. The United States Legal System Research Paper

The Canadian Legal System vs. The United States Legal System - Research Paper Example The abortion law was found to violate the rights of women when it comes to their â€Å"freedom of conscience† and â€Å"liberty†. Women’s rights are protected in the Canadian constitution that’s the reason why the government is reluctant to touch the topic regarding the unborn since it would be a violation of the women’s constitutional rights to do so. In Canada, women are given the power of choice. The government funds abortion through the Canadian Medicare except for two provinces which refuses to grant it full funding even if it is required by law. This refusal is because of two reasons; one is because of politically motivated anti-choice biases and the discrimination of private clinics which are operating outside of the Canadian healthcare system. Most of the abortion procedures are done in public hospitals but most of the hospitals do not perform the surgery. Having access to the procedure is a major problem for women in major places. This predicament leads women to travel distances (Arthur, 2011). In America, the abortion law has lots of restrictions even if it is legal. The American court ruled a â€Å"trimester framework† for abortion. On the first trimester, the law allows doctors to perform the procedure regardless of reason disregarding the right of the woman to choose. On the second trimester, a state could regulate the abortion only if it is for the woman’s health. In the third trimester, which is after viability, states could protect the unborn life except if it is necessary to protect the well-being of the mother (Monahan, 2006). Parental consent is needed for teenagers seeking an abortion. In contrast to Canada allowing the use of public funds, the use of public funds and facilities for abortion in America is not allowed. Viability tests are also required after 20 weeks. And women are forced to have a waiting period and visit the clinic at least two times. Monahan, Michael ( 2006). Planned

Do Ethical Theories Help Journalists do Their Job Essay

Do Ethical Theories Help Journalists do Their Job - Essay Example 101). In the conduct of their profession, journalists are practically confronted with various ethical dilemmas that it would be better for them to be armed with ethical theories than not. Furthermore, ethical theory becomes more important to journalists given the impact they can create to their readership (public opinion) and the society (public values) as a whole – which according to Iggers (1998, p. 15) makes journalism ethics unique – especially in this era of corporate journalism wherein the interest of capital often clashes with that of the public, putting in jeopardy journalism’s long-held principles as defined by the Society of Professional Journalists (1973): â€Å"Seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently; and be accountable† (Friend & Singer 2007, p. xix; Boeyink & Sandra 2010, p. 17; Black & Roberts 2011, p. 51). Hanlin (1992, p. 28) is perfectly understandable to say that â€Å"many critics might agree with the suggestion that any man rich enough to buy a newspaper should not be allowed to own one.† This statement simply illustrates how the situation and the organisation in which journalists perform their profession today make journalism ethically challenging. It is easy to criticise journalists in fulfilling their profession. But the very condition in which journalists perform their profession oftentimes puts them in situations that test their ethical principles. For example, while journalists are committed to reporting the truth – which is believed to be the core of journalism – finding the truth, especially the dangerous ones, is actually something not easy to achieve in legal and even ethical ways. So, what course of action should journalists take if the only way to find the truth is either by stealing the information or by using deceptive strategies? (Jackson 1992, p. 69) Would it be unethical to go into stealing, lying and deceiving in the name of truth? But what would happen wi th journalism if it defaults in finding out and reporting the truth? The answer to this question will surely vary depending on the ethical theory that journalists hold onto. For example, one may find the task to bring out the truth by any means more important than observing the law. Anyway, it is often argued that not all that is legal is ethical and not all that is ethical may be legal. It may also be argued that the end justify the means. Added to this ethical dilemma is the issue of confidentiality in journalism. The News Manual defines the centrality of confidentiality of sources in the ethics of journalism on the basis of trust. Meaning, journalists may divulge information given in confidence, but must protect the identity of their sources not unless the sources permit journalists to name them. Any breach on this agreement might jeopardize the whole profession, because in the future sources may no longer give sensitive information in confidence. (Ingram & Henshall, 2008) In rel ation to acquiring information through illegal means, journalists can deny it by opting to invoke this confidentiality clause. But to resort to such trick only worsens the ethical dilemma because aside from lying, this clause that is meant to protect sources is maliciously used. Though the confidentiality clause can be misused by journalists to get away with the law, this same clause can also put journalists into an extremely difficult situation. In

World Civilizations 2 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

World Civilizations 2 - Term Paper Example the modern era, in the circumstance that inquisition to the traditional authority in the west and discovery that gave way to the possibilities of renaissance in Europe and Asia. The enlightenment has been the result of scientific revolution, where the intellectuals have been highly impressed with the deed of scientific revolution and the philosophers influenced by the revolutionary thinkers of the 17th century in the ambience of intellectual darkness of the middle age. During the 18th century there was so many developments in all fields around the world. Great civilizations emerged in America, Europe, Asia and Africa. â€Å"The Enlightenment was the product of a vast set of cultural and intellectual changes in Europe during the  1500s and  1600s—changes that in turn produced the social values that permitted the Enlightenment to sweep through Europe in the late  1600s and  1700s† (The Enlightenment (1650-1800) par. 10). On account of this, Europeans gave up the antique scientific beliefs. As a result of expedition and enlargement of overseas empires, there was so many political and cultural changes. Another important feature of the 17th century was negligence to the loyalty of traditional religious authority. The concept of monarchy was abandoned in this period after thirty years of war, which occurred in Germany. Also, so many philosophical thoughts have emerged such as Individualism, Relativism and Rationalism – these three concepts proclaim the idea which spread the enlightenment. Overall, such unique ideas and philosophies have been responsible for man’s growth in all levels. There were so many great individuals who contributed to the cause of enlightenment. Most prominent among them were Gallilio Gallili, Johannes Kepler, Francis Bacon, Renà © Descartes, Isaac Newton, Baruch Spinoza, John Comenius and Hugo Grotius. Gallili was an Italian astronomuor, who supported the sun-centerd Copernican model of the solar system and displeased the Catholic Church.

History of Gaming Essay Example for Free

History of Gaming Essay Gaming has been around since the late 1960’s far later than I had thought, for me I had always thought that the Atari 2600 was the first gaming system known to mankind, and after starting my research I found out how wrong I was. In this part of the teams paper I will discuss the different types of this technology thought it history. In 1967 the first gaming console ever was created and was named the â€Å"Brown Box.† A German born television engineer Ralph Baer and his colleagues created the Brown Box which worked on your basic standard television set. Working with a firm called Sanders Associates, Baer along with co-workers drew up schematics for a game which was called the chase game, and they built a vacuum tube circuit that connected to the television. Two players controlled two squares that basically chased each other on the screen, at that point in time gaming was born. Baer and his associates later added a light fun and developed a total of 12 games for the Brown Box. Fast forward five years after Baer and his associates created the Brown Box, Magnavox began production of the Magnavox Odyssey. The Odyssey was called the first commercial video-game console and was marketed in Magnavox TV dealerships. The Odyssey used six cartridges to play up to twelve games. The Odyssey downfall is that many TV dealers didn’t see any potential in it and along with the false rumor that it only worked in Magnavox televisions hurt the popularity of the gaming systems. In 1972 Nolan Bushnell founded Atari and three years later in 1975, they had their first smash hit with an arcade game called Pong. Atari sold a home version of the game Pong through Sears under the Sears Tele-games label. What made Pong unique was that it produced an on-screen score and sound all by single chip. With his first system Nolan Bushnell and Atari shot to the top of household gaming. Knowing that some of not anything last forever especially a single game system popularity, Nolan Bushnell and Atari started working on a cartridge based system, one that could play multiple games. In 1976 Bushnell Sold Atari to Warner Communications, and Warner immediately backed the Atari project, and the Atari VCS later renamed the Atari 2600 was introduced. The Atari was a big hit and had multiple game hits to go along with it, hits like the ever popular Spaced Invaders, Breakout, Missile Command, and Combat just to name a few. Atari was the first ever massed produced home video gaming system, selling 400,000 systems and hitting sales figures of $120 million dollars during the first Christmas season in 1977. In 1980 Mattel released Intellivision, and was the first to take a run at Atari’s gamming thrown. This sparked what some would like to call a console war between Atari and Mattel. Intellivision featured better game graphics and synthesized voices in video games. Both systems brought on other game developers like Coleco and Activision, but with so many of the games being unlicensed games and no household system lead to gaming industry crash in 1983-84 cause in many companies to file bankruptcy. Nintendo, a Japanese based company became part of the gaming industry in 1985 with its release of the Nintendo Entertainment System. With some of the most popular titles ever like Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and Legend of Zelda and that of third party games like Tecmo Bowl and RBI baseball, the NES turned the non-believers that didn’t think it was a good idea to get into gaming after a crash, into believers. In 1987 Sega released its gaming system which dwarfed the capabilities that its predecessor, the NES, had offered. It was called the MasterSystem but it didn’t make the splash that many in the Sega camp had thought it would make, due to its lack of third-party games and other things it was the demise of the MasterSystem and the first failing of Sega. Sega went directly back to the drawing board and soon after released its first hit the Sega Genesis in 1989. Backed by many game developers like Electronic Arts, the Sega Genesis opened the door for the first ever battle for supremacy for gaming dominance. Four years after the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo released its second smash hit, with the Gameboy. Gameboy was dubbed the as the first ever handheld gaming console and had a black and white screen. Tetris one of the most popular Gameboy games ran the Gameboy sales through the roof. With many make-overs throughout the course of history Gameboy continued to stay relevant in gaming. 1990 was the release of SNK’s Neo-Geo a 24 bit home gaming system that was said to be many years ahead of its competitors and its time. The Neo-Geo had one problem, it wasn’t 2-D graphics those were great, it wasn’t its arcade level quality that was what everyone wanted, it was neither of those two things that helped the Neo-Geo fail it was its $650.00 price tag and its $200.00 games that took the Neo-Geo from great innovation to under achiever. In 1991 Nintendo releases the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Beaten to the punch by Sega with its gaming system the Sega Genesis, the 16 bit SNES had some catching up to do. It wasn’t long before the SNES thanks to its technological superiority, had overtaken the Sega Genesis thanks to its big name games like Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and Zelda. By the end of the 90’s Sega Genesis was no more than an afterthought for SNES who had taken over the 16 bit era and the gaming industry. It wasn’t till the year 1995 that Nintendo again was challenged for its gaming dominance. Sony introduced the Sony PlayStation a 32 bit CD-ROM based technology and has been said to be the most popular gaming system ever. The games had three dimensional gameplay much better than the 2-D of the past. What was the most attraction to any gamer was the price of the games which dramatically dropped compared to those of cartridge based games. It was also in 1995 the second day of September that the Sega franchise basically started its demise. This day marked the release of the Sega Saturn, which was dubbed the best worst system, according to many. Because it was pushed up to get out ahead of the newly announced PlayStation 2, it gave the Sony corporation time to sit back and polish the upcoming PlayStation 2 and learn from the mistakes that the Sega Saturn was making. In 1996 the Nintendo franchise countered the PlayStation with the Nintendo64, the last cartridge based system. Although the cartridges loaded faster than the CD-ROMS of PlayStation the Nintendo64 couldn’t even keep up with the amount of games that were released for the PlayStation, leaving the PlayStation on top of the gaming for the time being. It was in 1998 when Sega made its final push as a contender in the world of gaming with its release of the CD-based system Dreamcast, which incorporated a 128-bit processing system. The Dreamcast was the first system that had a modem which allowed for internet connectivity that brought on the ability to play online, download extra content and updated to the system itself. This would be the last time that anyone would here from the Sega franchise in the console industry. In 2001 Sega discontinued the Dreamcast and announced that it would be leaving the console market for good and taking its Sonic franchise with them. Four years after the release of the Nintendo64 and five years after the first initial PlayStation, Sony releases its second version of the PlayStation 2. The first 128 bit system featured backwards compatibility allowing the PS2 to play the older PlayStations games, and also could be used as a DVD player. Not only was the PS2 named most popular 128 bit system but with its release it marked the rise of console popularity played over the internet. 2001 was the introduction of the old guy with a new system and the new kid on the block in gaming. Nintendo hit the gaming market again going away from its usual cartridge based systems and introducing its first ever CD based system. The GameCube was marketed more for the younger demographics and is said to be what made the system flop and sell short. Along with the inability to connect to the internet it was called a one trick pony and was behind in the gaming world and home entertainment systems. The now new kid on the block Microsoft introduced its own gaming system the X-box. The PC giant used PC technology when building the X-Box which allowed for greater performance. Although the X-Box’s technology proved greater performance when compared to that of the 128 bit PS2 it still remained behind the number of sales that the PS2 had leaving Sony alone at that top of the gaming world. In 2002 Nintendo stepped back in with the Gameboy Advance and again in 2004 with the Nintendo DS. Some would argue and go as far as to say that all Nintendo did was step on its on toes with how they released the two versions so closely together. By doing so experts say that they made the Gameboy obsolete by releasing the DS so soon. Playstation soon joined Nintendo in the hand held gaming evolution, challenging Nintendo’s dominance. The PlayStation Portable like the Gameboy and DS featured wireless capability, high graphics and non-gaming functions mimicking PC-based devices. 2005 also marked the release of the Microsoft X-Box 360. The processing power of the X-Box 360 was said to be unrivaled, and all came with an internal hard drive, played DVDs and had the ability to connect four controllers at one time wirelessly, as well as connecting to the internet. The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006 and featured a built in WiFi for online game play, wireless controllers and Bluetooth. The wireless controllers weren’t new to gaming but what Nintendo did bring to the table with their wireless controllers was the motion sensor technology, allowing the game to mimic the performance of the actual player. 2006 is also when the Sony franchise again exerted its dominance and rivaled back against Microsoft X-Box 360 with the PlayStation 3. The PS3 came with an internal hard drive as well and the ability not only to play DVD’s but also Blue Ray DVD, along with its ability to connect to the internet wirelessly and connect multiple controllers wirelessly, it is said to be still atop the gaming industry, but again that’s all in who you ask. These two systems, PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360, along with the Nintendo Wii brings us to where we are now with gaming in what is called the 8th Generation of gaming. Every year the three gaming giants Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo continue to wow us with different and greater gaming innovation that keeps the rivalry for gaming dominance going on and going strong. In the last few years the X-Box 360 stepped up the gaming war and has released technology that gets rid of the hand held controllers all together! The Kinect from Microsoft has really stepped up its technology and has gotten rid of the controller period. The Kinect set the Guinness Book of World Record for the fastest gaming system ever and comes highly recommended by many consumers and game developers. Recently it was reported that Microsoft X-Box 360 is looking to compete with cable television providers announcing that its consoles will allow the gamer to watch television through it. All of the consoles allow you to watch things like Net Flicks and get on the internet and surf the net, but rivaling cable providers that’s a big step. I look for Sony and Nintendo to sit back and wait to see where this goes before they follow in the footsteps of Microsoft, as they have previously done, but I don’t think they will jump right on board with this because of fear of failure and losing money. If you are a gamer a hardcore gamer you have to be excited for the future of gaming, from a standpoint it looks bright and exciting. With rumors of Sony releasing the Playstation 4 and the system having touch screen technology; it has all the gamers grinning from ear to ear about what the future of gaming actually may be. Gaming has already developed full 3D gaming technology and 3D moti on sensors and powerful graphics and they look to continue to improve upon these technologies. Many have argued that consoles in the future will eventually fall by the wayside making way for hand held portable gaming to be the dominate gaming systems in the future. Of course this upsets many hardcore gamers because they don’t see that as being a plus since many like to play their games on a larger scaled screen. With that being said many say the IPhone 8 will probably be the future of gaming and going as far as to say it although it is a hand held device it will be able to plug into a television set or even connect wirelessly to continue to give that big game experience. Many say that the future of gaming is mobile, digital, and cloud gaming. The better gaming system is said to be one that you can take anywhere and everywhere. Most of the time even of if home many gamers are even using mobile gaming at home, some experts say up to 47% of gamers are mobile gaming even at home. Mobile gaming is not just the casual gaming it used to be and has changed the way all gamers vi ew games. Spending approximately 16 hours a week compared to that of the 18 hours of traditional gaming some say digital is the way of the future and hardware doesn’t matter anymore. The type of hardware you use never really ever did matter, it has always been about the software. Hardware will be less and less relevant in the future and it will be more about the software. With cloud gaming it is becoming more and more of a reality and with two client services already launched it is coming along full circle. The angle of cloud gaming is to offer high definition gaming on any television or device that can receive a broadband signal with even high-end games that can be played on devices that get low power. In a CNNTech report back in September of 2008 had reported that a future release of the Emotiv EPOC headset. The Emotiv EPOC headset is said to be the first Brain Computer Interface and would be able to pick up on over 30 different expressions all by processing real time brain activity. With this technology many enthusiast say that this type of technology makes movies like The Matrix and the Star Trek Holodeck more of a reality in the future. Me personally I am kind of skeptical about that type of technology, and even though experts say that being able to control a computer with your mind is the ultimate quest of human to machine interaction, I still don’t feel any better. In those movies, well all except Star Trek, the machine had a way to take over. So all I see is me playing the video game and the machine taking over my mind and it controlling me and then the earth being run by machines. Well that is how it works in the movies hopefully this won’t be the case. The goal of this though is for the interactions of machines to mimic the way interaction with humans and they say it will ultimately bring communities closer together, so I guess that is one thing we will have to wait to see in the future. So with that being said there is no clear cut way to know which way the future of gaming is actually going, but seeing how far it has come since the Brown Box it is very interesting to sit back and see what the technology produces. At one point in time it was all about transistors and diodes and now it’s about multiple processors, internal memory, and real life graphics. What’s more gaming consoles are no longer just gaming consoles they are now the full true definition of Home Entertainment, with internet connection, streaming music and video and HDD, it is truly a new age for gaming. Social media and social networks has become a big part of many of our lives, well I really should say all of our lives. With that gaming has also being a part of that as it is being input into the Social Medias like Facebook. Many game makers look to theses Social Medias to see exactly what the gamers are taking to and what they are not taking to. World of Warcraft is one of those who uses social media to help them develop more of what they think users want to see and how they want the game to operate and it is actually one of the largest virtual game worlds due to just that along with Second Life which heralds itself as a virtual social world. Social Medias focus on building blocks, identity, conversation, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, and groups, and many gaming systems that can connect to the World Wide Web can do just that. These gaming technologies give you the opportunity to engage with others from around the world no matter where they may be. Facebook has gaming that lets you connect with others and build a farm or a city and share with each other and allows you to help keep up someone else’s farm, building relationships with people anywhere anytime. No matter what you think about gaming and the gaming technology it has come a long way from where it started and there is no telling where it will go. It is a mainstay in the lives of many of people and I am sure that the technology will only get better or more interesting from here into the future. I do myself wonder what is next will the whole computer to brain interaction ever come full circle or is it just a past thought. Will Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo continue to stay on top or will a unknown company come along and knock all of them off the throne. I guess all we can do is sit back watch wait and see what that next big technology is and who will be the first to come out with it. Right now it’s more or less of a waiting game, the Kinect was a big jump and gaming technology and, I love to sit and watch my kids play on it, I have even been known to play on it myself, gaming technology is what keeps many of us known and connected so there is nothing wrong with that. Works Cited Admin. (2012). The History of Video Game Consoles. computergameoffer.com. Bellis, M. (n.d.). Computer and Video Game History. About.com. Edwards, B. (2009). 30 Years of Handheld Game Systems. PC World. Johnson, J. (2008). From Atari Joy Board to Wii fit. BBG. Melanson, D. (2006). A Brief History of Handheld Video games. engadget.

Why Do Cities Develop at Different Rates?

Why Do Cities Develop at Different Rates? Why do cities and regions develop at different rates and with different trajectories, and  how can planning and development policy address issues of uneven development? â€Å"Development trajectories are not straight forward for local governments to solve† (Hall and Hesse, 2013), there are many reasons why cities and regions develop at different rates and trajectories. This essay aims to explore some of the theories behind uneven development trajectories such as is the world becoming flat and time – space compression or alternatively the fact uneven development does occur with competitiveness and knowledge industry. Secondly this essay will then explain some possible planning strategies and policies that address the issues of uneven development such as land ownership, zoning and bottom up governance. Uneven development occurs across the world and there are many different reasons for different rates growth. some theorists however believe development is relatively even, Friedman (2005) describes the world as becoming flat, this is due to the technological advancements which have resulted in a globalised economy and â€Å"the development of a common global culture† (Held, 2004:88). The location of a company is no longer important; you can be successful anywhere in the world without having to move this is due to the ‘Borderless economy created by technological improvements’ (Sander, 2005). Friedman describes this by stating ‘when the world is flat you can innovate without having to emigrate’ (Friedman, 2005). Friedman’s view has been shared by other economists who describe the levelling effect on the economy to be even in many ways (Florida, 2005:48). Even though borderless economies can improve regions and cities across the world Mander and Ba rker (2002) question whether this development positively affects everyone by stating that â€Å"Economic globalisation makes things worse for poor people not better† (Mander and Baker, 2002:2). Harvey (1989) also shared similar views to Friedman through the idea of time-space compression as a cause to the flattening of the world. Time space Compression is described by Harvey as time and space forced to alter due to technological advancements and capitalism which has â€Å"sped up the pace of life† (Harvey, 1989:240). It creates â€Å"a significant acceleration of social, particularly capitalist, dynamics due to a new global communications network† (Stalder, 2006), Time-space compression simply referrers to the â€Å"Increased velocity of the circulation of goods, people and information† (Thrift and May, 2001:106). It overcomes spatial barriers and opens up new markets through high speed communication, something that Leamer (2007) explains as being an important factor to creating even development. Good communication and technologies enables good knowledge transfer and therefore no need for agglomeration resulting in development that is spread equally. Opposing the above arguments there is the argument that development occurs at uneven trajectories. Florida (2005) describes how there has been explosive growth in population numbers within cities, â€Å"now in some advanced countries three out of four people live in urban areas† (Florida, 2005:48). He explains that this has caused development across the world to be ‘spikey’ due to the world being †full of clusters where location matters, most notably in cities† (Feiock et al., 2008). Florida describes the idea of a ‘creative class’ as a reason why many people migrate to cities as increasing development is seen in these areas. Florida (2002) describes successful regions and cities as attracting the ‘creative class’, these people consist of â€Å"young, upwardly and geographically mobile professionals†. And many are often associated as being ‘bohemians’ and creative people (Stolarick and Florida, 2006), this is described by Millander et al. (2014) as a â€Å"creative milieu†. These people are attracted to the idea of community, the â€Å"attraction and retention of these individuals becomes a centrepiece of economic growth† (Feiock et al., 2008). The clustering of creative classes in cities and areas of technological advancement leaves uneven distribution of knowledge across a nation (Mellander et al., 2014) which often leads to regions having different development trajectories. Nagle (1995:14) Cited from Myrdal (1955) explains the concept of cumulative causation through a core- periphery model, this presents the â€Å"unfolding of events as a consequence of the multiplier effect† (Mayhew, 2009) Regional advantages attract investment creating a core region of development, â€Å"Skilled workers investment, new technology and developments gravitate from periphery regions to the core† (Nagle 1995:14. Demand for goods comes from the periphery areas creating the backwash effect. Finally knowledge overflow and increased demand may create growth in periphery areas; this is known as the spread effect. A Perfect example of this is the silicon valley in California, here a business cluster of innovation and knowledge has resulted in enhanced competition and clustering, creating a core development region and at the same time has periphery regions. The rate of development of a nation often refers to the nation as a whole; this is arguably out dated as â€Å"nations-states were created to meet the needs of a much earlier historical period† (Hashimoto, 2013). Due to a the borderless economy that has been created as a result of globalisation it’s now suggested that nations states should be converted to regional-states, â€Å"regional-states are natural economic zones which are drawn by the deft invisible hand of the global market† (Ohmea, 1995) High levels of innovation create clusters of technology industries forcing greater competitiveness. Porter (2008) describes the importance of competitiveness in determining development trajectories of a certain region as Competitiveness is global as well as regional. â€Å"Competiveness of a region or nation has been a primary focus for governments wishing to seek investment and create jobs† (Porter, 2008), this is due to the potential development it can attract. Porter’s ‘competitive advantage diamond model’ displays the economic benefits clustering can bring to regions through a range of factors contributing to competitiveness (porter, 1990). The model is used to analyse the competiveness through four factors, for example customer characteristics etc. (Walker, 2004:177). â€Å"Improving competitiveness is central to raising the underlying rate of growth of the economy and enhancing living standards† (Shafaeddin, 2012), this therefore suggests that regions and cities which experience more competitiveness are likely to have greater development trajectories. Huggins and Izushi (2011) explain how Porters model can be used to create a competitive advantage; it is this advantage that arguably creates different rates of development in cities and regions. Competitiveness is vital for economic growth however Prasnikar (2006:325) explains it can sometimes lead to unsustainable development and therefore companies must maintain corporate social responsibility. Huggins and Thompson (2010) development index is a way of measuring competitiveness, â€Å"competitiveness involves the upgrading and economic development of all places together, rather than the improvement of one place at the expense of another† (Huggins and Thompson, 2010:4). This can be used by governments to monitor and assess the development of regions. Development rates can differ due to the amount of inward investment a region attracts. Opposing Harvey and Friedman, globalization has arguably been a main cause of uneven development as it â€Å"has been governed in ways that are undemocratic and have been disadvantageous to developing countries† (Stigltz, 2002). It is therefore vital that correct planning and development policies are put in place to ensure cities and regions can develop as one sustainably. It’s important to note that countries promoting the best policies in addressing uneven development use a â€Å"wide range of actors, key participants and influences†¦ which are in almost all cases built upon public – private partnership† (Huggins and Izushi, 2007:118). There are several specific development policies that can be put into place in order to address issues associated with uneven development. â€Å"Good development policy is context specific† (World Bank, 2003:9), this means a policies effectiveness may vary between regions and cities and therefore policies chosen must address specific issues of the region. Globalisation has given way to multinational corporations having large amounts of power due to their size and global reach, â€Å"multinationals and governments competing for control over operations during market expansion† (Luo, 2002:73). As a result many multinationals can gain leverage over governments. As rates of development vary due to context, development should therefore be controlled regionally resulting in differing policy and development plans. The use of governments â€Å"top-down, Centralising, ‘one size fits all’† (Bradbury, 2008:132) polices contradicts the importance of context specif ic initiatives as policy are likely to prove ineffective in some regions. It is therefore suggested that bottom-up planning is introduced; this is more effective as it offers bespoke polies relevant to the characteristics of a region. Das (2005) Explains this will devolve power to regions and cities increasing democracy, as a result this should enhance conditions for sustainable development. A great example where Bottom up planning is being put into action is in England where the introduction of neighbourhood plans though the localism act of 2011 has made way for planning that is more deliverable and realistic in achieving sustainable development (Chetwyn, 2013). Land ownership within development planning is also vital for sustainable development, it’s important that correct development and planning policy is created to ensure arbitrate land use conflicts between social, economic, and spatial use are dealt with (Linchfield, 1980:8). This is specifically important in developing counties where often land rights are distributed unfairly and leave land owners sceptical as to whether or not they will be able to retain their land. By granting Land ownership this creates enterprise, motivation and promotes innovation (Lipton, 2009:2), the uncertainty of land rights can often stall development as investment is reduced which Fatas and Mihov (2009:7) described as one of 4 factors contributing to the economic development of regions. Government intervention plays an important role in the creation of successful development policies; another way of improving the rate of development across a region sustainably is to introduce taxes on land. Shirazi a nd Shah (1991:140) suggest that this will provide additional revenues to central governments allowing them to invest in infrastructure which would attract investment, â€Å"good infrastructure attracts investment by connecting firms to their customers and suppliers† (OECD, 2006:59). In Tanzania and many African nations have seen success form land ownership, it has â€Å"spurred economic growth and improved shared prosperity for the countrys population† (All Africa, 2013) The use of successful development plans is essential in addressing uneven development. There are several aspects such and bottom-up planning already discussed that can contribute to reducing uneven development. Land use zoning is another strategy that is efficient in addressing uneven development. Zoning plans are designed by the government and decide â€Å"what kind of buildings can be built and where in the community they can be built† (Euchner and McGovern, 2003:155). The use of zoning separates different land uses that could perhaps conflict such as â€Å"residential, business and industrial uses† (Soule, 2006:30). It controls new sustainable development that doesn’t affect any existing development. Zoning is able to create even development as it regulates where certain types of development can take place, this can replace previous systems where â€Å"restrictive land use policies have discouraged new companies and new job creation (Baily and Kirkegaard, 200 4:8). By using a zoning scheme â€Å"specific beneficial incentives can be offered in return for specific contributions by the developer† (Silberstein and Maser, 2000:35). This would attract investment to areas of a region as well as improving infrastructure and creating jobs, encourage the creative classes to locate to these areas resulting in more even development. The United States of America has seen â€Å"Great success of Euclidean zoning† (Soule, 2007:27), zoning can be found as the foundation of many American development plans such as Chicago. With population numbers rising and a globalising economy; development is set to increase, it therefor vital sustainable planning policies are operating. This essay has displayed some possible reasons for why cities and regions might develop at different rates though theorist such as Florida (2005) and porter (2008), they suggest that Creative classes and competitiveness create uneven development. Friedman (2005) and Harvey (1989) argue against this idea of development being ‘spikey’ and suggest due to globalisation and a borderless economy; location is not important allowing development to take place at the same rate. Planning and development policy can play an influential role in addressing uneven development as well as maintaining sustainable development. This essay has displayed several effective policy schemes such as Bottom-up governance, land rights, taxation and land use zoning that have proved effective in tackling uneven development. In conclusion uneven develop ment is occurring; it is possible to tackle uneven development though successful policy however it must be remembered that many regions develop at different rates. Many of these are located in less economically developed countries which lack effectiveness in delivering successful policy. As a result its vital that these countries have the support form supra-national bodies such as The United Nations and World Bank in order to achieve development that addresses uneven development and is sustainable for future generations. Bibliography All Africa (2013) [ONLINE] http://allafrica.com/stories/201312300059.html (Assessed 22/1/14). Bailey, M, Kirkegaard, J (2004) â€Å"Transforming the European Economy†, The Institute for International Economics. Bradbury, J (2008) â€Å"Devolution, Regionalism and Regional Development: The UK Experience†, Routledge. Chetwyn, D. (2013) â€Å"Quick guide to neighbourhood plans†, Urban Vision Enterprise CIC. Das, P, S. (2005) â€Å"Decentralized Planning and Participatory Rural Development†, Concept Publishing Company. Euchner,C, McGovern, S (2003) â€Å"Urban Policy Reconsidered: Dialogues on the Problems and Prospects of American Cities. Fatas, A, Mihov, J (2009) â€Å"The 4 I’s of Economic Growth†, INSEAD. Feiock, R, C, Moon, M, J Park, H, J (2008) â€Å"Is the world â€Å"flat† or â€Å"spiky†? Rethinking the governance implications of globalization for economic development†, Public Administration Review. Florida, R (2005) â€Å"The world in numbers: the world is spikey†, The Atlantic Monthly October Edition. Florida, R (2002) â€Å"The Rise of the Creative Class: And How Its Transforming Work, Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life†, Basic Books. Friedman T, L (2005) â€Å"The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century†, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hall, P, V, Hesse, M (2013) â€Å"Cities, Regions and Flows†, Routledge. Harvey Hashimoto, H (2004) â€Å"Prospects for a Regional Human Rights Mechanism in East Asia†, Routledge. Held, D (2004) â€Å"A Globalizing World?: Culture, Economics, Politics†, Routledge. Huggins, R and Izushi, H (2011) â€Å"Competition, Competitive Advantage, and Clusters: The Ideas of Michael Porter†, Oxford University Press. Huggins, R and Izushi, H (2007) â€Å"Competing for Knowledge: Creating, Connecting and Growing†, Routledge. Huggins and Thompson (2010) â€Å"UK Competitiveness Index 2010†, University of Wales Institute of Cardiff. Leamer Linchfeild, N (1980) â€Å"Settlement Planning and Development: A Strategy for Land Policy†, University of British Columbia. Lipton, M (2009) â€Å"Land Reform in Developing Countries: Property Rights and Property Wrongs†, Routledge. Luo, Y (2002) â€Å"Multinational Enterprises in Emerging Markets† Copenhagen Business School Press. Mander, J, Baker, D (2002) â€Å"Does Globalisation help the poor†, Special report, International Forum on Globalisation Mayhew, S (2009) â€Å"A Dictionary of Geography†, Oxford University Press. Mellander, C, Florida, R, Asheim, B, T, Gertler, M (2014) â€Å"The Creative Class Goes Global†, Routledge. Nagle,G (1995) â€Å"Development and Underdevelopment†, Nelson. Ohmae, K (1995) â€Å"The end of the nation state: The rise of the regional economy†, New York Free Press. OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2006) â€Å"Policy Framework for Investment†, OECD Publishing. Porter, M, E (2008) â€Å"On Competition†, Harvard Business School Publishing. Porter, M, E (1990) â€Å"The Competitive Advantage of Nations†, MacMillan. Prasnikar, J (2006) â€Å"Competitiveness, Social Responsibility and Economic Growth†, Nova Science Publishers. Silberstein, J, Maser, C (2000) â€Å"Land-Use Planning for Sustainable Development†, CRC Press. Shirazi, J Shah, A (1991) â€Å"Tax Policy in Developing Countries†, The World Bank, Vol 19. Soule, D (2007) â€Å"Remaking American Communities: A Reference Guide to Urban Sprawl† Greenwood Press. Soule, D (2006) â€Å"Urban Sprawl: A Comprehensive Reference Guide†, Greenwood Press. Sander Shafaeddin, M (2012) â€Å"Competitiveness and Development: Myth and Realities†, Anthem Press. Stalder, F (2006) â€Å"Manuel Castells: The Theory of the Network Society†, Polity press. Stiglitz, J, E (2002) â€Å"Globalisms Discontents†, American Prospect. Stolarick, K, Florida, R (2006) †Creativity connections and innovation a study of linkages in the Montreal region†, Environment and planning, Vol 38 pp 1799-1817. Thrift, N May, J (2001) â€Å"Timespace: Geographies of Temporality†, Routledge. World Bank (2004) †2003 Annual Review of Development Effectiveness: The Effectiveness of Bank support for policy reform†, World Bank Operations Evaluation Department.

Bias In Printmedia :: essays research papers

Print media provides its readers with information, but what the reader very often does not recognize is the bias within the articles. Bias is not so easily recognized. Writers have the gift to blend the bias in with their work. It is so well done, that in order to see the bias, one must thoroughly analyze the article. A person must also know what the types of bias are and how they are used. There are many different types of bias that are used in health related articles such as statistics and crowd counts, word choice and tone, and through omission. Print media demonstrates these types of bias in many articles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One method of bias being used is print media is through statistics and crowd counts. A writer can manipulate the reader into thinking that the results are very high or very low in some cases. In The Toronto Star on October 23, 1999, the article â€Å" Pregnancy biggest threat to women, V.N. says† uses statistics to give an estimation, â€Å" an estimated 585,000 women do every year†. This article explains how pregnancy affects many women. By using this statistic, it gives the reader an approximation, but not an exact number. This is used to make the reader think that the statistic is very high. Another article in The Toronto Star, â€Å"Tamil health crisis probed†, on October 29, 1999,demostrates bias by saying, â€Å" At least 70,000 people†. The article is talking about the Tamil community and how 70,000 people have been affected, but it does not give the amount of people in that community. This type of bias is often used in print med ia to make an article more important than it is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bias through word choice and tone is often used in print media sources. By choosing specific words, the writer can easily influence the reader’s opinion about the article. Certain words give the reader a different meaning. In an article, â€Å"Health care to receive $3.8 billion injection†, in The Toronto Star, on October 22, 1999, the Governor, Hilary Weston, is reading a passage from a â€Å"throne speech† given by the government to introduce a Patient’s Bill of Rights. By using the word, throne, the writer suggests that the speech given is very important. During this speech, there is a â€Å"caucus chuckle† from a Liberal at the meeting. The writer uses caucus to indicate that it is more than a normal chuckle during an important speech.

Sprite :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Sprite â€Å"Image is Everything† â€Å"Thirst is Everything, Image is Nothing† we have all seen this slogan slapped on to every one of Sprite’s products for last couple of months. But what does it mean? Does it mean that someone at a Pepsi convention should order a Sprite, a Coke product, just cause they like the taste? Of course not, cause if they did they would get kicked out at the very least. Advertisers use this sort of slogan to catch your attention, and then they have you right where they want. In the most recent Sprite commercials that feature Grant Hill of the Detroit Pistons, they show us that the reason why we would have a Sprite is just for the taste of it. But if this was all they are trying to get across to us wouldn’t it be cheaper and wiser to use a 6 dollar per hour kid rather than a guy that won’t step foot in a place for less that a 100 grand. Why would they make a commercial that contradicts itself? The reason an advertisement would contradict itself like thi s is for one reason only, to try and fool our wants and desires into becoming our needs. Our needs are simply something that is a necessity for us to survive, such as food and water. We all know we couldn’t go long without these simple yet essential things. While our wants and desires for things such as five star restaurants and luxury cars. Which by no means are needed to survive, but just make living all the more fun. Advertisers are masters on how to exploit our desires, and to make us believe that they are our needs. And it is by no means is this easy or cheap for a commercial to be able to do. To be able to make us believe that our life would, in some way, be better with this product by our side. Sprite’s commercial that plays every time you blindly surf the television channels are all about image. The commercial that is shown the most, features Grant Hill drinking a Sprite. While they state in the back round and print on the screen, â€Å"Thirst Is Everything, Image Is Nothing†. When I first saw this I was thinking, â€Å"cool a great drink that anyone can have and not look out of place†.

William Sherman :: essays research papers

William Sherman How would you feel if your brother came into your room and transformed it into a junkyard? You would probably have the same feelings of the civilians in Georgia when William Sherman came across their land. William Sherman was hated by most Southerners and favored by many generals from the North because if his brilliant war tactic. William Sherman was born on May 8, 1820 in Lancaster, Ohio. But according to the American History Encyclopedia, he was born on February 8 of that year. His father died when he was child, and his mother couldn’t afford to raise him so she sent him to be raised by Thomas Ewing, his father’s friend. He soon married Mr. Ewing’s daughter, Ellan. William Sherman attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and graduated 6th in his class in 1840. During the Mexican War, he was an unpopular soldier in California because he had little combat experiences. He resigned from the army in September 6, 1853, and became partner in a banking firm in San Francisco and New York. Years before the Civil War started, William Sherman was superintendent of the Louisiana State Seminary and Military Academy at Alexandria; which later was moved and renamed to Louisiana State University (LSU). When the war broke out, Sherman felt adverse with the newspapermen in Louisiana, so he moved b ack to his hometown for two months. His family then migrated to St. Louis, Missouri where he was elected president of the Fifth Street Railroad. On his forty-first birthday, Sherman wrote to the Union Secretary of War offering his service in the military for three years. On June 20, 1861, he joined Mc. Dowel’s army and fought in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first battle in which the Union lost to the Confederate. In August of 1861, William Sherman was promoted to Brigadier General and was elected by General Robert Anderson to defend Fort Sumter. A month later, Sherman told the Secretary of War, Cameron, that if he had 60,000 men he would drive the enemy out of Kentucky and if he had 200,000 men he would finish the war in that section. Many newspaper writers humiliated William Sherman because Cameron returned to Washington and reported that Sherman required 200,000 men. Sherman didn’t get a large number of army as he wished, but he was placed command of the Fifth Division, which was an average size army seizing Tennessee.

Extract especially dramatic Essay

How does Miller make this extract especially dramatic and how does this scene affect the rest of the play?  In this extract we see a crucial change in all the principle characters of the first act. This is facilitated by Miller’s detailed use of stage direction, which he also used to ensure that this scene was acted correctly on stage. The scene is rife with tension and pathos. Its almost as if this scene were a trial of strength to put the three men is some sort of hierarchy. Whereas before in the play Eddie hardly talked to Rodolpho (and if he did it was usually through Marco), here we see him directly confront Rodolpho. Eddie saw the opportunity to let some of his aggression out when the topic of boxing was brought up. So he hits Rodolpho whilst ‘teaching’ him to box. Up till this point Rodolpho had seemed to be innocently taking Eddie’s lead but I think that there was something about Rodolpho’s response after Eddie hit him that was quite hostile, ‘No, no, he didn’t hurt me’. This was a response to Eddie’s question, so putting him in the third person seems to separate him from the scene, there seems to be a momentary status reversal between the two characters. All the other characters seem to take Rodolpho’s lead, as they are all aware of Eddie’s strange behaviour. Beatrice, initially supporting Eddie realised that the situation had gone a bit out of hand when Rodolpho was hit and pulls Eddie back into his chair, saying, ‘that’s enough Eddie’, fully aware that Eddie had far more grave intentions for Rodolpho than he let on. Catherine had read the situation before it had begun and was clearly anxious for Rodolpho’s safety as the stage direction states, ‘[with beginning alarm]’. Then we see at the end of the passage how Marco also changes. He sees Eddie’s action as hostile and so he subtly reminds Eddie with the lifting of the chair that he is stronger than Eddie and that he would win a fight if Eddie attempts to show further aggression towards his brother. So it would appear at the end of act one that Eddie has managed to isolate himself from his family and the two brothers. One has to feel a sense of Pathos for Eddie, as he is confused by his own feelings and unsure of how to act. Eddie’s insecurity has been prominent in this act and this scene seems to highlight it, almost as if the audience are being made aware of Eddie’s state at this point perhaps to explain his actions later in the play.

Reflection to Patch Adams Essay

Patch Adams is a very touching, sad yet inspiring story where you can learn a lot of lessons. It is a story about Hunter Adams who committed himself to an asylum for being suicidal. While in the asylum, he discovered his desire to help, understand and connect with people. After leaving the institution, he enrolls into a medical school to be able to accomplish his dream. During his stay in the hospital he helped the patients through humor because he believed that by making them laugh and forget the pain, it will strengthen them but it is prohibited to interact with the patients. It is only allowed when he reach his 3rd year. This became one of the reasons for him to be expelled from school but he never stopped and continue doing what he believe is right. As the story goes on there are many things that hinder him to achieve his dream but the head nurse believes in what he is doing and works along with him. Patch decides to continue his dream while Dean Walcott fights to have him thrown out of school but he always end up being unsuccessful. Patch established a free clinic called Gesundheit together with the help of his friends, Truman and Carin where the medicine is based on love, where in patients helps and treat one another, but the college finds out he was treating patients without a license making his entire career placed in risk. The time came that Patch questioned God if He cares or not. He was devastated after the death of Carin, the woman he loves because of a murder. He complained to God that on the 7th day of God’s creation, he should not rested instead used it for compassion. But God answered back through the butterfly and it brought back his passion he had before, that he is a man of mission to help people. In the movie, Patch has our Lord as his model for compassion. He was able to get victory because of his faith, hope and love. The movie tells us to be like Patch Adams in dealing with other people. We should look at the person beyond all of his imperfections. Patch’s attitude is very humane and his actions are very Christian and it should spread to all of us. We can be doctor to one another by making people smile, helping the needy or teaching other people to do good things. Through doing these, small gestures may cause a big impact to them. We should always remember that our model in being a doctor is none other than our Lord, Jesus Christ. The story tells us that we should have a passionate character. We should use our fears or failures as our key to success. Always believe that failures have seeds of success that will develop in it. Always be motivated so that you can influence other to be motivated too and when there are people who are feeling down we should help and cheer them up. Patch Adams is a movie worth watching, it will satisfy you and will make you learn and realize things. The movie has something to do in our lives, the moral lessons found in the story are applicable. It can make us to be a better person and help us possess characteristics of Patch Adams which are truly admirable and impressive. We should also see problems in a Christ-like manner and always focus on the solution not in the problem. When Patch is treating patients in his clinic, he exhibits great sacramental awareness by simply admitting that we are a community that can help each other. He proclaims that everyone is both a doctor and a patie nt. Patch also nears the meaning of the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. He heals people in a beautiful way and we should do the same thing. In essence, even at our lowest medicines in life, truly the best medicine is humor. The philosophy of Hunter Adams is really workable. We can continue improving the doctor-patient relationship. Because of the movie, we are able to open our eyes and mind that there is something wrong with the medical system nowadays. We should change it now and try to do things better and in more humane way. Dr. Patch’s character shows that we should help people with understanding and love no matter what. His character teaches us not to give up on what we believe in. Let us be an inspiration to others. Patch Adam’s character is indeed amazing. He should serve as an inspiration and motivation not only to us but also to the medical community around the world. In our life we should not let fear conquer us. We should be strong enough to be different and exceptional. Do not be afraid to stand on your own faith.

Supply and Demand Paper

Supply and Demand Paper Sandra Mendoza XECO/212 November 18, 2012 Linda LaCoste Supply and Demand 1 I have had the experience of purchasing a few different items that are listed as choices to choose from, but I choose to go with my most recent purchase, my college education. My college education has been one of the most important decisions I have made.I knew that I had to take this decision seriously and not just jump into it without all the information I needed since this was going to be a long term commitment financially. Understanding the pros of getting my college education with a degree in business management out weighted any con that I could come up with. Since I was graduated from Tehachapi high school the demand for a college degree has increase. Both my mother and father never attended college and both were very successful people in the careers they choose.My father owned his own electrical business and my mother was the lead accountant at the California department of corre ctions. A collage education or degree was not as sought after to have a good job or career as it is today. My father started his own business at the age of 25 years old and has learned many successful skills through his years to be a successful business owner. Today many businesses are requiring a degree to work for them. The company that I currently am working for requires a degree to move up with in the company.You can start working for them at the bottom of the totem poll, but in order to advance and make more money they want the employees to have a degree. They are even willing to pay for part of your tuition as long as you pass the classes with at least a C average. The tuition reburcment played a big role in making the decision to go to college. Although I have a few years of experience in management, in order for me to move up, have more job security and a better knowledge of the type of management I am doing, I knew I needed to take the leap.I know that earning this degree; will provide me with more opportunities with my company. Supply and Demand 2 There are many factors when concerning the supply and demand that can cause changes to consumers going to college. The main factors that could cause changes are the consumer’s income levels and the employer’s expectations of having a college degree. If consumers can’t afford to pay for a college education, than they are more likely to wait and settle for any job that can help them meet their bare requirements to pay their bills.The second factor is if employers do not require for their employees to have a degree or college education. If employers were not requiring these standards, more consumers will not be willing to pay the extra expense for something they are not required to have. Consumers are not willing to pay an expense for something that is not going to help them secure a job or advancement with a company. There are a few substitutes for consumers not wanting to pay for a colle ge education.One of these would be for the consumer to become an intern for a particular place. This would allow the individual to test drive the career before they start investing time and money into college, and they will get on – the – job training. This could give individuals a taste of a particular job field to determine if it would be worth the investment for them. Vocational trainings can be offered locally and through other larger organizations free of charge. These trainings can be very rewarding experiences for consumers.AmeriCorps and Peace Corps have volunteer opportunities lasting anywhere from 10-27 months that provide small living stipend as well as healthcare and childcare benefits. Some may even qualify for educational awards for future college expenses. References http://www. investopedia. com/financial-edge/0611/6-alternatives-to-going-to-college. aspx#axzz2CcogXWBG) www. nytimes. com – Burden of College Loans on Graduates Grows By Tamar Lewin Published: April 11, 2011 http://www. investopedia. com/financial-edge/0611/6-alternatives-to-going-to-col

Linguistics for Elementary Teachers Essay

After reading the first and second chapters, in How Linguistics are Learned, I am interested by what Lightbown and Spada (2006) argued. The authors claimed that â€Å"The development of bilingual or second language learning is of enormous importance† (p. 25). They argued also that acquisition of more than one language in our new global world is rewarding for bilingual individuals socially and economically. The authors stated that most children nowadays are exposed to more than one language during their early childhood and schooling time. Some may learn two languages at the same time ‘simultaneous bilinguals’ while others may learn the other language later ‘sequential bilinguals’. There are situations where children are cut off their family language while they are very young. They may stop speaking their family language. This might represent a reason for concern. Researchers have recently devoted a considerable amount of their time and energy to investigate children’s abilities to learn more than one language at early age. The goal is to help students to learn a second language at early age and facilitate that for teachers and educators. This subject matter is interesting and challenging to me personally because it is connected to my experiences as a teacher and principal of multicultural schools environment with language learning /acquisition and education. My first language is Arabic; English is my second language. I started learning English while I was at Middle school; I was 12 years old. I have been all my life in education. I worked a teacher and principal. I worked in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, Canada and the US. I have worked with students from different countries speaking different languages in multicultural schools environment. My current school is Annoor Islamic School (AIS) in Wichita, KS. It is a private school, Pre-K through 8th grade. Students enrolled are 157 from 20 countries and 90 % of them are bilingual or trilingual. Students speak more than five different languages at their homes in addition to English. Due to the fact that our school is an Islamic school all our students are Muslims. AIS provides higher quality of education for students. They learn, in addition to public schools’ curriculum: Al-Quran al-Kareem, Islamic Studies and Arabic Language. Teaching Arabic for the non-native Arabic speaking makes them trilingual. It may look difficult for students, but in reality they want to be able to read Al-Quran. Al-Ksareem. They are highly motivated to learn more about their religion and read Al-Quran Al-Kareem in the Arabic Language. Based on my experience and observations all these years as a teacher and principal, I found that my bilingual students have higher academic results compared to their non-bilingual counterparts. The same conclusion was confirmed by developmental psychologists’ research as Lightbown and Spada (2006) stated. I also found that bilingual students’ skills are transferrable. The skills and knowledge that bilingual students know through their first language are transferrable. They can present these skills knowledge in their new second language easily. At my current school AIS, students startlearning anther language at age 3-4 years old. I found it is important to start young students learning a language other than their own from at an early age. That’s when they pick up a language the fastest. It is important because we need to know more about other nations’ cultures and history to improve world relations.