Three Pro Black Pro Life Alicia Garza - 1182 Words

During the year of 2013, three pro black pro life Alicia Garza, from Oakland, California; Patrisse Cullors, from Los Angeles, California; and Opal Tometi, from Phoenix, Arizona, established the Black Lives Matter development in the internet as a sociopolitical media discussion, using the hashtag â€Å"#BlackLivesMatter.† The thought came when the all three parties, who got to know each other through Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity (BOLD), a national association that trains group coordinators, all reacted to the disturbing incident July 2013 absolution of neighborhood watch organizer George Zimmerman by a Sanford, Florida, jury for the homicide of 17 Trayvon Martin. Incensed and profoundly troubled by the decision, individuals in BOLD social discussions started demanding answers from the association s pioneers how they were going react to the ambush on and downgrading of black lives. Garza posted a Facebook post which she titled A Love Note to Black People approachi ng them to get dynamic, get sorted out, and battle back. For Garza, the status focusing on black individuals was an ailment called institutional bigotry that couldn t be crushed by simply voting. She finished by advising her pursuers that she adores them and that Our Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter. Cullors reacted to the post with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Tometi included her backing and another association was conceived. Black Lives Matter, similar to Dream Defenders in Daytona Beach,Show MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesGlobalization 16 †¢ Managing Workforce Diversity 18 †¢ Improving Customer Service 18 †¢ Improving People Skills 19 †¢ Stimulating Innovation and Change 20 †¢ Coping with â€Å"Temporariness† 20 †¢ Working in Networked Organizations 20 †¢ Helping Employees Balance Work–Life Conflicts 21 †¢ Creating a Positive Work Environment 22 †¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment

Justice, Power, And Human Nature By Thucydides And The...

May the â€Å"Best† Man (or Woman) Win In fifth-century BC Greece, writers and philosophers were dedicating their entire lives to figuring out the world around them; consequently, many distinct thoughts have been recorded regarding overlapping concepts. For example, in the works, Antigone by Sophocles, On Justice, Power, and Human Nature by Thucydides, and The Republic by Plato, there have been different accounts of the definition and significance of justice. Each work is significant to western civilization because it is applicable to the same society after all these years. The importance of justice takes on different roles and can affect people in different ways. The â€Å"best† person in these works will be the one who portrays justice in the most valuable way to the current society. That being said, reading about Antigone and Creon showed how justice shaped their futures. The blurred lines of who was in the right and who was in the wrong demonstrates that justice is subjective and affects people different based on their own personal values. That is the â€Å"best† portrayal of justice among the three works because it makes justice relatable and valid. Sophocles’ Antigone is a Greek tragedy that transcends 5th century BC Greece due to its complex analysis of justice and integrity. In the case of Antigone and Creon, it is not clear who in the end is suffering from injustice. In Creon’s defense, Antigone is the one committing unjust acts according to Theban law. As the king of Thebes, itShow MoreRelatedAthens : The Best Form Of Politics891 Words   |  4 Pagesdemocracy was not able to withstand the test of time and eventually crumbled as a city. During the height of its success, Athens exemplifies a political paradigm for other societies to imitate. Both Plato and Thucydides argue democracy is the best attainable form of politics for a society. In Thucydides’ Funeral Oration, Pericles argues that everyone should look to Athens as an example of being a perfect state with the best institution. He describes Athens as a unified philosophical city that doesRead MoreEssay on Are Humans Animals, Or Are They Something More?1175 Words   |  5 Pages Human beings should be more than animals, but are they really? In Republic, by Plato, Antigone, by Sophocles, The Aeneid of Virgil, by Virgil, and On Justice Power and Human Nature, by Thucydides, it seems as though human beings really are nothing more than animals. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Animals are thought of as not caring about anyone but himself or herself. It is survival of the fittest, if you are not strong enough, someone else will take your place. Human should be caring for otherRead MoreDemocracy Outlined by Plato and Aristotle Essay914 Words   |  4 Pagesenjoy political equality in order to be free to rule and be ruled in turn. The word ‘democracy’ originates from the Greek words demos (meaning people) and kratos (meaning power) therefore demokratia means â€Å"the power of the people.† The famous funeral speech of Pericles states that â€Å"Our constitution is called democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people.† However, only citizens (free adult men of Athenian descent) could participate in political matters. Women andRead MorePlato, Artistotle and Thucydides1959 Words   |  8 PagesPLATO, ARISTOTLE AND THUCYDIDES Thucydides was an Athenian historian, general and political philosopher son of Olorus. He is considered as the father of the school of political realism. This is because he viewed the relations between countries as basing on might instead of right. Thucydides exhibited interest in developing an understanding of the human nature to seek explanations of behavior in crises such as plague, massacres, as in that of the Malians, and civil war (Dover, Thucydides: 105b, 22-31)Read MoreA Biblical View of Science, Technology, and Business: Do Utilitarian’s Agree with These Biblical Views?1835 Words   |  8 PagesEducation Inc., 2004. Print. Thucydides’ Vs. Plato: The Good Life Two prominent Greeks, Thucydides and Plato analyzed and wrote critically about the ethical implications of life. Both philosophers had very differing perspectives on the nature of the Good Life. Some people believe that Thucydides made empirical claims, whereas others believe that Plato made normative claims. Each individual stated their own opinion on how one can achieve the Good Life. Thucydides, a general of the Athenian armyRead MoreAdvice From The The Iliad Essay1537 Words   |  7 PagesAdvice From The Greats From the time humans are able to start comprehending basic instruction, they will be ceaselessly bombarded with advice from everyone, from their parents and priest to a stranger on the bus. Ranging from â€Å"don’t run with scissors!† and â€Å"eat your vegetables!† to â€Å"if you love it let it go† people have been giving and receiving advice for centuries. In spite of the ever changing world, it seems that human struggle remains constant. Through these centuries of struggle, humanityRead More Aristotelian Ethics and its Context Essay6933 Words   |  28 Pagesformed background to Aristotle’s philosophizing on the nature of ethics. The ethical import of politics can be retrieved from Aristotle’s Ethics (in both versions) and Politics by dwelling on the connection of eudaimonia and humanity’s function as such. Aristotle does not construe this function as contemplation but rather as the practical application of reason-reason leading to action. This, however, is the subject of politics. This specific human function, the function that makes us homo sapiens, can

Is there a market for wool suits that are washable Free Essays

Washable wool suits with finest material and craftsmanship are very popular among men. Many Australian and Chinese companies are now introducing machine washable new blend of wool suits for increasing the sale of these suits among professionals. In 2005, a Chinese businessman and movie star in joint venture with Helain Group introduced washable wool blend suits with high quality, special performance and easy care. We will write a custom essay sample on Is there a market for wool suits that are washable? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Helian group is China’s one the largest manufacturers and retailers of menswear. They have around more than 250 retail shops in all over China and production of 3 million per year (Yin introduces, 2005) These suits were made with special blended material to maintain their style and shape even after machine wash. Retailers have always been interested in buying and merchandising washable wool suits to enhance their sales and popularize their use among new generation. Washable wool suits are marketed in key regions of China and Australia and displayed at several trade shows and exhibitions in retail stores. Washable wool suits, which were introduced in China, were made with Australian Marino wool. As these suits were introduced it was expected that demand for Australian Marino wool will increase. These wool suits were specifically introduced for increased performance and new innovative styles (Yin introduces, 2005). In 2003, Australian company AWI and Berkeley were the first to develop the technology of these suits. Later these were introduced in China in order to increase demand for Australian wool. Currently China is the largest buyer of Australian wool. Washable wool suits are also becoming popular among other Asian countries. According to Furong, President of Heilan, introduction of machine washable wool blend suits has put Heilan group at edge of others and a major step in improving their market share.   In addition, he believes that the suits they produced were easy to care, easy washable, convenience and cost effective and has huge market potential in China (Yin introduces, 2005). The need for machine washed and dried suits was also felt among American and UK professionals. Men are usually looking for suits that can be machine washed, dried and can be worn without the needed of ironing. However, one problem they face is wrinkles that appear soon after machine wash ruining the expensive fine suit. The second thing of concern to men is the need of well creased and pressed suits during their jobs and business meetings. Young professionals are more interested in having such suits. For some people suits are not just for convenience but they are worn to increase your reputability and status while you work among the company of respectable people, as noticed by a fashion historian, Anne Hollander (Rohwedder, 2006). Many professionals prefer machine wash than going to dry cleaner because its easy, fast and cost effective for them. â€Å"Kenny Cook, a 37-year-old desk clerk for Royal Mail in London, plans to buy one of the new suits for a friend’s wedding later this month. Mr. Cook says he eats lunch at his desk and often drops a piece of his sandwich on his suits. ‘I can’t be bothered to go to the dry cleaners,’ says Mr. Cook. ‘But I’ve mastered a washing machine.’† (Rohwedder, 2006) According to a report the new machine washable and dryer-friendly wool suits are made with 45% wool, 52% polyester and 3% lycra. That prevents wool to become as a wet as in its original form. Sale of such suits is also going high in UK and USA. However, most men think that these suits are not very hot, scratchy or shiny (Rohwedder, 2006). US retailers like Nordstorn Inc think that wash and dry suits is a great innovation and needs more development. But Catherine Hayward who is director of fashion design at British magazine thought that there is no need to have machine washable suits as these are needed to work at reputable organizations not for gardening or meat market (Rohwedder, 2006). However, different people have different thinking and many have considered a need for machine washable suits. Sales in China, USA, UK, and even in other Asian countries is gradually increasing. Works Cited Australia : Yin introduces Heilan’s washable wool blend suits (2005) . Retrieved from World Wide Web: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=10076   Beyond the Bale – Issue 16 – Wool Suits Chinese Buyers. Suitable Attire? Suit Goes in Washer, Dryer, But Traditionalists Recoil: ‘This is the Antichrist’ (2006) Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114548666330130509.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace How to cite Is there a market for wool suits that are washable?, Essay examples

One of Your Own Kind free essay sample

An introduction to the issue of interracial coupling as seen in the musical, West Side Story and in American society. The paper shows how in the Broadway musical, West Side Story, the problems the couple faces are due to the fact that they are of different races. The paper discusses societys way of thinking at the time this play was written in the 1950s and how it has changed to become more accepting of interracial marriages. It discusses, too, those who still oppose interracial marriages. We are not yet blind to racial and cultural differences. When a high school girl dated a boy of mixed background who happened to be half Black and half Polish, when family history came up, both referred to him as African-American, and not Polish-American or as American. It could be argued that those with mixed backgrounds are the most American of all, because they represent more aspects of all those who are Americans. We will write a custom essay sample on One of Your Own Kind or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Perhaps that will be the norm one day, and relationships like that of Tony and Maria will not be so challenged that they can be made the basis of a drama where everyone can understand their dilemma.

From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay Essay Example

From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay Essay The comparing between Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Hamlet in footings of how implied. or latent elements and subjects in one were transmitted and developed in the other can take to unveiling the transmutations Shakespeare was imagining with the authorship of Hamlet. In the Introduction to the 1987 Oxford University Press edition of Hamlet. G. R. Hibbard stated that â€Å"Hamlet was written after. but non long after. Julius Caesar. which can be dated with unusual truth as holding been compose in the late summer of 1599† ( 4 ) . From the statements that Hibbard gives to back up his statement ( that there are two allusions in the text of Hamlet to Julius Caesar ) we can see the strong connexions between the two dramas. We will write a custom essay sample on From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In a manner. both Julius Caesar and Hamlet represent thresholds in the development of Shakespeare’s dramatic art. However. Hamlet moves in a different way. If Julius Caesar is set in a distant yesteryear and can merely suggest to the humanist subjects in Shakespeare’s universe. Hamlet shifts the tone of Shakespeare’s plays to a more private and Elizabethan centre of involvement. This paper argues that the subjects and motives that were simply suggested or hinted to or implied in Julius Caesar and which were intricately developed in Hamlet are important in finding the specificity of Shakespeare’s subsequently historical calamities. The analysis of devices. motives and subjects in the two dramas will exemplify this statement. The device of foreground processing is employed in Julius Caesar in the first act as a warning mark to Caesar from the Soothsayer. It is a clear and unmistakable portents of Julius Caesar’s decease. particularly given the drama’s historical foundation. This device is used in this drama merely to trip the struggle – the decease of Caesar will bring forth the existent play. Because of its deficiency of ambiguity and its limited dramatic span. the prefiguration in Julius Caesar does non hold the same impact as it does in Hamlet. In Hamlet. the device of boding becomes a trigger for the play’s declaration and besides represents the dramatic subtext which drives the whole concatenation of events towards the tragic terminal. In Act 1 Scene 1. we witness the phantom of the shade of Hamlet’s male parent. This episode is marked by the usage of particular imagination and allusions. Horatio gives the decisive statement in placing the shade with tthe murdered male monarch. The shade figure is clearly employed in this first act as a agency of foreshadow ing non merely the struggle of the narrative but besides its declaration: â€Å"This bodes some unusual eruption to our state† ( The Calamity of Hamlet 148 ) . The image of Fortinbras is another baleful motive by which Shakespear alludes to the ulterior developments in the drama. Furthermore. the reader is given a preliminary account of the Medieval codification of award. by which the king’s boy has to revenge his father’s decease. The narrative of Fortinbras and his male parent analogues and motivates the complex relationship between Hamlet and his ain male parent. Duty is presented as a important motive. which determines the hero’s actions and even consciousness. Another component which is merely suggested in Julius Caesar is the characters’ ambivalency – no character is basically â€Å"evil† or â€Å"bad† . Brutus. before make up ones minding to fall in the plotters. reprobate this act: They are the cabal. O confederacy Shamest 1000 to demo thy unsafe forehead by dark. When immoralities are most free? O. so by twenty-four hours Where wilt 1000 happen a cavern dark enough/ To dissemble thy monstrous countenance? Seek none. confederacy ; † ( Julius Caesar. Act 2 Scene 1 ) . Brutus is hence shown to hold a moral scruples. a scruples dramatically and fatally opposing his actions. The paradox of a baronial man’s evil actions might happen its account through an analysis of Hamlet’s monologue at the terminal of the first act. Hamlet’s monologue and corruptness in the forth scene points to a specific image thought Shakespeare had about the human head and behaviour: it appears that the seeds of immorality can be ingrained in the most baronial of liquors or. conversely. that goodness can be the host of immorality. This characteristic is presented in fatalistic and deterministic footings and becomes another motive for the tragic declaration: So. oft it opportunities in peculiar work forces That for some barbarous mole of nature in them As. in their birth – wherein they are non guilty [ †¦ ] Oft interrupting down the pickets and garrisons of ground Or by some wont that excessively much o’er-leavens [ †¦ ] Shall in the general animadversion take corruptness From that peculiar mistake ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 181 ) The concatenation of events taking to the fatal stoping is therefore linked to the pronouncement of â€Å"blind fate† . By highlighting the ambivalency of human nature. Shakespeare gives a more complex position on his characters’ motivational resorts and transcends the restrictions of a completely â€Å"good† or a wholly â€Å"evil† theoretical account. In another scene. the King admits to his holding murdered Hamlet’s male parent. He is presented as holding stabs of guilt – â€Å"May one be pardoned and retain th’offence? † ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 273 ) : O. my offense is rank. it smells to heaven. It has the cardinal eldest expletive upon’t – A brother’s slaying. Pray can I non. ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 272 ) . Cluadius’ inquiries show the character in a new. humanising visible radiation. which eliminates the image of the stereotypic scoundrel. Many of the elements that are merely latent. or implied. in Julius Caesar. are to be to the full found in Hamlet’s monologues. The motive of Brutus’ self-destruction. for case. which is non to the full developed in the drama. becomes one of the subjects of contemplation in Hamlet’s monologues. Hamlet’s considerations on self-destruction. on the other manus. lucubrate much on this subject. There are several acceptions which are discussed in the protagonist’s monologues and they are testimony to Shakespeare’s penetration of the human head: For who would bear the whips and contempts of clip. [ †¦ ] To grunt and sudate under a weary life. But that the apprehension of something after decease. The undiscovered state. from whose bourn No traveller returns. puzzles the will. ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 240-241 ) Furthermore. in another transition. Hamlet gives another reading of his ain reluctance to perpetrate self-destruction. which is presented in visible radiation of the protagonist’s fright of God and societal position: The oppressor’s incorrect. the proud man’s contumely. The stabs of disprized love. the law’s hold. The crust of office. and the spurns That patient virtue of the unworthy takes. † ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 240 ) . Closely linked to this subject. there is the impression of the amour propre of being which is merely implied in Julius Caesar through the foreground processing of the emperors’ rise and autumn and in the analogues drawn in this regard among Julius Caesar. Mark Anthony and Brutus. However. this subject is non to the full problematized in the drama – likely because it does non come in understanding with the historical and philosophical repertory of Ancient Rome. In Hamlet. nevertheless. this subject becomes prevailing and one of the character’s privileged objects of contemplation. The â€Å"What is a man† monologue intimations to the vanitas vanitatum of Renaissance and humanist doctrine of the finiteness of adult male and of the ultimate insignificance of all earthly ownerships. Furthermore. Hamlet’s monologue incorporates another one of the humanist concerns. which was that of the perfectibility of man’s spirit and fate through God-given linguistic communication and idea: What is a adult male If his head good and market of his clip Be but to kip and feed? A animal. no more ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 298 ) . To reason. this paper has illustrated the ways in which subjects and motives which were latent in Julius Caesar are given prominence in Hamlet. particularly through the protagonist’s monologues. In a manner. it is the really displacement from the predomination of the oratorical address and its dialogic character in Julius Caesar to the primacy of the monologue and its monological quality in Hamlet that provides the key for understanding the grounds behind the elaboration of devices and subjects from one drama to the other. With Hamlet. Shakespeare’s historical calamities become more intimate and. at the same clip. more openly philosophical and cosmopolitan.

How to Solve Equations With Exponential Decay Functions

How to Solve Equations With Exponential Decay Functions Exponential functions tell the stories of explosive change. The two types of exponential functions are exponential growth and exponential decay. Four variables- percent change, time, the amount at the beginning of the time period, and the amount at the end of the time period- play roles in exponential functions. This article focuses on how to use an exponential decay function to find a, the amount at the beginning of the time period. Exponential Decay Exponential decay: the change that occurs when an original amount is reduced by a consistent rate over a period of time Heres an exponential decay function: y a(1-b)x y: Final amount remaining after the decay over a period of timea: The original amountx: TimeThe decay factor is (1-b).The variable, b, is percent decrease in decimal form. Purpose of Finding the Original Amount If you are reading this article, then you are probably ambitious. Six years from now, perhaps you want to pursue an undergraduate degree at Dream University. With a $120,000 price tag, Dream University evokes financial night terrors. After sleepless nights, you, Mom, and Dad meet with a financial planner. Your parents bloodshot eyes clear up when the planner reveals an investment with an 8% growth rate that can help your family reach the $120,000 target. Study hard. If you and your parents invest $75,620.36 today, then Dream University will become your reality. How to Solve for the Original Amount of an Exponential Function This function describes the exponential growth of the investment: 120,000 a(1 .08)6 120,000: Final amount remaining after 6 years.08: Yearly growth rate6: The number of years for the investment to growa: The initial amount that your family invested Hint: Thanks to the symmetric property of equality, 120,000 a(1 .08)6 is the same as a(1 .08)6 120,000. (Symmetric property of equality: If 10 5 15, then 15 10 5.) If you prefer to rewrite the equation with the constant, 120,000, on the right of the equation, then do so. a(1 .08)6 120,000 Granted, the equation doesnt look like a linear equation (6a $120,000), but its solvable. Stick with it! a(1 .08)6 120,000 Be careful: Do not solve this exponential equation by dividing 120,000 by 6. Its a tempting math no-no. 1. Use order of operations to simplify. a(1 .08)6 120,000a(1.08)6 120,000 (Parenthesis)a(1.586874323) 120,000 (Exponent) 2. Solve by dividing a(1.586874323) 120,000a(1.586874323)/(1.586874323) 120,000/(1.586874323)1a 75,620.35523a 75,620.35523 The original amount to invest is approximately $75,620.36. 3. Freeze -youre not done yet. Use order of operations to check your answer. 120,000 a(1 .08)6120,000 75,620.35523(1 .08)6120,000 75,620.35523(1.08)6 (Parenthesis)120,000 75,620.35523(1.586874323) (Exponent)120,000 120,000 (Multiplication) Answers and Explanations to the Questions Woodforest, Texas, a suburb of Houston, is determined to close the digital divide in its community. A few years ago, community leaders discovered that their citizens were computer illiterate: they did not have access to the Internet and were shut out of the information superhighway. The leaders established the World Wide Web on Wheels, a set of mobile computer stations. World Wide Web on Wheels has achieved its goal of only 100 computer illiterate citizens in Woodforest. Community leaders studied the monthly progress of the World Wide Web on Wheels. According to the data, the decline of computer illiterate citizens can be described by the following function: 100 a(1 - .12)10 1. How many people are computer illiterate 10 months after the inception of the World Wide Web on Wheels? 100 people Compare this function to the original exponential growth function: 100 a(1 - .12)10y a(1 b)x The variable, y, represents the number of computer illiterate people at the end of 10 months, so 100 people are still computer illiterate after the World Wide Web on Wheels began to work in the community. 2. Does this function represent exponential decay or exponential growth? This function represents exponential decay because a negative sign sits in front of the percent change, .12. 3. What is the monthly rate of change? 12% 4. How many people were computer illiterate 10 months ago, at the inception of the World Wide Web on Wheels? 359 people Use ​order of operations to simplify. 100 a(1 - .12)10 100 a(.88)10 (Parenthesis) 100 a(.278500976) (Exponent) Divide to solve. 100(.278500976) a(.278500976)/(.278500976) 359.0651689 1a 359.0651689 a Use order of operations to check your answer. 100 359.0651689(1 - .12)10 100 359.0651689(.88)10 (Parenthesis) 100 359.0651689(.278500976) (Exponent) 100 100 (Okay, 99.9999999†¦Its just a bit of a rounding error.) (Multiply) 5. If these trends continue, how many people will be computer illiterate 15 months after the inception of the World Wide Web on Wheels? 52 people Plug in what you know about the function. y 359.0651689(1 - .12) x y 359.0651689(1 - .12) 15 Use Order of Operations to find y. y 359.0651689(.88)15 (Parenthesis) y 359.0651689(.146973854) (Exponent) y 52.77319167 (Multiply)

Gender politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender politics - Essay Example Early societies used to value and respect physical strength only because it was the characteristics that were necessary for them to survive. Thus the early warrior society underscored physical strength where brawn mattered because it was perceived to be necessary for survival. This emphasis on physical superiority relegated women to domesticated duties that made her look weak and inferior. They were boxed and stereotype as mothers and wives whose use was only limited to attending the home, taking care of children and husbands and not making any significant impact in society. The advent of universal education and along with it is the maturing society has changed this perception and attitude towards women albeit slower. When schools and universities were opened to women, it was found that they are as capable as men. They have also proven that they are more than capable to handle responsibilities beyond the confined of their homes. Slowly, the perception about women transformed especial ly when society no longer put so much emphasis on brawn and physical strength to survive and prosper. And while many women today may still prefer the comfort of their homes, they now have the option to pursue professional endeavors outside of their homes. Today, women can be found in almost any endeavor contributing and making significant impact in our society just like men. ... Had this been the old age, it would have been tantamount to having women as warriors, leaders, artisans and entrepreneurs which used to be unthinkable. Women’s positions in their respective endeavors were not merely given for the sake of accommodation. Women occupy what they are doing now because it had been proven that they could be as effective as men and they can contribute significantly as much as men could do. The proof can be seen in the list of the world’s most powerful people where Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany and considered as the most powerful person in EU is placed at number five (Forbes, 2013). Her case is not isolated. There are other women who also occupied positions of power who are making significant impact not only in their respective countries but also in the world. Amongst are Dilma Rouseff who is now the President of Brazil and Geun-hye Park the President of South Korea. In business and technology, one of the most prominent technology mak er IBM also has a woman as its Chief Executive Officer in the person of Virginia Rometty. The list can go on and this extends to other endeavors as well. The maturing society has discovered that women have distinct strength that is not apparent to men. Old societies found them to be weak but with proper understanding, they were after all as strong as men. For example, women’s predisposition to be emotional was used to perceived as a weakness that they could not be trusted to a position of responsibility because their being â€Å"emotional† would make them easily panic. Experience and study found this not to be true. This higher emotional sensibility is in fact a strength especially in 20th century where people needs

Mobile investigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mobile investigation - Essay Example In modern age this process is in used across the globe in almost every country without acceptable regard for legitimate defenses, legal oversight, or accountability. In this paper the main focus is on to find out the answer regarding the investigation carried out by the police against Donald Dodger. The investigation was carried out against his alleged involvement in the stalking activities of a student from Granglian Busking University (ACLU, n.d.). Who is available of the SIMM card or phone memory as Mobile Contacts? From the investigation carried out by the police department of his mobile location as well as the call details, there is a clear indication about the people with whom he is in touch on a regular basis. According to the data available from the analysis of his mobile records, the contacts he has are as follows: Angila Ruskin, Adriana Weeks, Jenny Jones, Stella-Foster Artois. The entire detail is available on the detail call list to which number he has made calls or sends sms. Who has been called from this phone in the past three months multiple times? From the analysis of call record it is very clear that the maximum call in last three months was made to one single number of Adriana Weeks. The number is 07826654040. The call details also suggest that total number of calls made to this number is 10 out of11 calls along with 17 sms. For investigating purpose call history is very important once the mobile phone is not available for detail investigation. By analyzing all his sms it is very clear that the guy is talking with Adriana Weeks as he wanted to meet her, date with her. All his 17 sms to Adriana was about where she was, why she is avoiding him, will she meet him or not etc. Can social media applications be accessed and if so by whom and who has been posted to? At present, it is very easy to access the social networking site from the high end mobile phones. But from the available data it is hard to find what are the social sites he accessed from his mobile is. The detail of the sites or whatever he has posted in that social site is not accessible from the available bill details. Can the phone give any indication where the user might have physically been? Mobile phone tracking generally means to get the information about the current location of the mobile phone as well as the user of the phone. This locating process can be done with the help of multilateration of radio signals between the towers of the mobile network and mobile phone or with the help of GPS. To locate the mobile phone it is not necessary to make any call from the mobile, the only thing required is the mobile to catch any signal of the nearest tower. GSM or Global System for Mobile or is based on the strength of the signal of nearby antenna. Mobile positioning includes location based service which is used by the mobile phone companies to locate the position of the mobile phone and the user of the same. (BBC UK, 2005). According to the report published in BBC News (2005), if someone change the mobile number still the location can be traced. The tracking is generally done by two ways when any number is dialed from one mobile. The SIM card of the mobile sends its own unique IMSI number (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) which starts with the code number of the country from where user is belongs, then the network code and

Conceptual Design Specification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Conceptual Design Specification - Essay Example It is also Canada's largest natural gas distributor, providing gas to commercial, industrial, and residential customers in Ontario. The primary functions of the design are the ability of the device to monitor and control energy consumption in an Ontario household and advise the user about the economical use of energy sources namely electricity and gas. Moreover, this wall-mounted device should also be safe, reliable and easy to use for a variety of users including the disabled and multiple ethnic groups. The proposed conceptual design is the knob controller that will perform all the functions and meet the objectives mentioned above. The design will be able to monitor the energy usage in real time and give consumers information on their usage and control of energy consumption. The user then can control the use of energy by setting limits in the system. It should also be able to shut on and off the power to any major location in the household. The design will also be able to collect and analyze data of energy consumed in the household. The design accommodates various ethnic groups and the people with visual and hearing problems. The interface is intended to be used in a high traffic area such as living room or kitchen in a household. This system will be linked to hardware providing connections with various appliances in the household. The system is for use by people above the age of 12 years. A detailed design report for this suggested solution will follow soon. During this process, more information will be gathered either through further research or directly from the client. We are also planning design a model to be tested by the client to ensure quality. 1. Problem Definition This section is based upon the client's statement and describes design objectives and requirements, establishes functions and identifies the constraints that the design must follow. Different environments that the design will work in have also been defined in this section. 1.1. Problem Statement The University of Toronto Engineering Strategies and Practice (ESP) design team has been asked by a consortium, a group of energy companies in Ontario (primarily Enbridge and Ontario Power Generation) to develop an interface that will monitor the use of energy in a household in Ontario. Owing to the escalating energy prices and growing awareness about economical use of non- renewable energy sources, there has been a rising demand for some type of monitoring system for efficient and optimal use of energy sources such as gas and electricity. In order to fulfill this potential need, Ontario group of energy companies is looking for a system that can provide the necessary monitoring and controlling functions. The interface should also be programmable so the user can specify whether or not to automatically turn off certain appliances within the household. The design should also be able to give advice to the user on how to save energy based on its ability to collect real time data on temperature, electricity and gas usage in the house. The design should have access to information such as community demand for electricity, gas usage and pricing. This interface system should be

Identification of Dermatophytes | Experiment

Identification of Dermatophytes | Experiment Abstract Dermatophytosis constitutes a group of superficial fungal infections of keratinized structures like stratum corneum of the skin, nails and hair. Despite the availability of effective antifungal agents, dermatophytic infections continue to be one of the principal infections throughout the world, especially in tropical countries like India. Identification of causative dermatophytic species in clinical settings are not only of epidemiological concerns but also important for the treatment of rather common dermatophytosis with great precision. To study the clinical variants, species of fungi causing dermatophytic infections, epidemiological factors responsible for the disease in central Mysore, molecular characterization and antifungal susceptibility tests by MIC. The prospective observational analyses of clinically suspected 600 dermatophytic infected cases were studied at the Dermatology department of K.R. Hospital and C.S.I. Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore, India. The study was conducted from November 2010 to October 2012. All the cases were evaluated and patient’s data were recorded as per pre-designed proforma. Skin scraping, hair and nail samples were collected, processed, molecular characterization and antifungal susceptibility test were done according to standard mycological protocol. Patients on topical and systemic antifungal treatment were excluded from the present study. Clinically suspected 600 patients samples were collected, among them 389 (64.8%) were skin scraping, 113 (18.8%) were hair plucking and 98 (16.3%) were nail clipping. They were processed for isolation and identification of dermatophytes from different clinical types. The specific and non specific variables effecting dermatophytosis were also analyzed. Samples were collected throughout the year, of which samples collected from July to October showed highest incidence of dermatophyte infection among patients. The number of specimen collected under the age group 21-30 years were 333 (55.5%), which was statistically significant (PMicrosporum canis and 12 were infected by Trichophyton verrucosum. Among 600 clinically suspected dermatophytes infected patients, 433 (72.2%) samples were collected from K.R. Hospital and 167 (27.8%) samples were collected from C.S.I. Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore. The various factors which were found to increase chances of acquiring dermatophytosis were by sharing bed, 343 (57.2%); not bathing daily, 362 (60.3%); and domestic animals in their house, 102 (17.0%). Partial treatment and over the counter medication was also considered as major factors influencing dermatophytic infection among patients. Less number of patients 86 (14.3%) showed family history of dermatophytosis. Most of the patients visited to the Doctor in 5th-8th week after infection, 391 (53.2%). During that period of infection, they were either taking home made medicine or over the counter medicine. Most of the cases found predominantly were tinea corporis and tinea capitis. Tinea corporis 282 (47.0%) and tinea capitis 75 (12.5%) were seen among 26-30 year old patients and 6-10 year old patients respectively. Most of the isolates belonged to three genera and eight species, where T. mentagrophytes was predominantly isolated 105 (29.7%), T. rubrum 84 (23.8%) was isolated from tinea corporis cases, T. violacium 4 (12.2%), T. verrucosum 54 (15.3%), Epidermophyton floccosum 11 (3.1%), M. canis 13 (3.6%), T. tonsurans 38 (10.8%) and T. schoenleinii 5 (1.4%) were also isolated from different cases of tinea. Dermatophytes infected culture positive, 132 patient samples (skin scrapings, hair plucking and nail clipping), were obtained for molecular characterization in the study. Nearly 87 males and 45 females were referred by Department of Dermatology, K.R. Hospital and C.S.I. Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore during two years of study period. The collected samples were analyzed by both direct microscopic examination and culture assays. Of the 132 culture positive cases, the organisms identified by phenotypic characterization were belonging to three genera and eight species viz., T. mentagrophytes 52 (39.4%), T. rubrum 30 (22.7%), T. violacium 18 (13.6%), T. verrucosum 11 (8.3%), E. floccosum 10 (7.6%), M. canis 6 (4.5%), T. tonsurans 3 (2.3%) and T. schoenleinii 2 (1.5%). The culture isolates of these organisms were further characterized by PCR. The present study showed positive result for phenotypically analyzed culture positive with 100% sensitivity and specificity by PCR. PCR targeting internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and Chitin synthase 1 was sensitive to detect 10 picograms and 1 femtogram of T. rubrum DNA respectively. From the same source (houses) 10 isolates from patients and 10 domestic animals were subjected to both PCR and RFLP. The product after agarosegel electrophoresis, restriction enzyme cutting patern was found to be infected by same T. verrucosum with 100% sensitivity and specificity. This indicates that T. verrucosum infection is from animal source. The dermatophyte specific primer based PCR-RFLP which targets the internal transcribed spacer and chitin synthase 1 region are useful in the direct identification of der ­matophytosis from clinical specimens. The application of the Hae III, Hinf I and Mva I restriction enzymes by using the ITS amplicons and chitin synthase 1 region are constant, stable and reproducible show variation within the species, so these sequences have been widely used to develop rapid procedures for the identification of fungal species by PCR-RFLP analysis. The PCR-RFLP method, on using the dermatophyte specific primer with restriction enzymes Mva I, Hae III and Hinf I, showed species differentiation among the T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes isolates. Since direct microscopy and culture have limitations, performing a direct PCR on the clinical speci ­mens can augment the diagnosis of more dermatophytic cases. PCR confirmed 132 dermatophytic samples were taken for antifungal sensitivity test. In the current study, among 132 isolates of dermatophytes some are sensitive and some are moving towards resistance, but high MIC value indicated that it has slowly acquired adaptation towards the drug. This indicates in near future it will develop drug resistance against the antifungal agents. Twenty three isolates (14.4%) were showing high MIC value for fluconazole of which T. mentagrophytes (8), T. rubrum (5) and T. verrucosum (10) and M. canis (3) had MIC50 of 16  µg ml-1. Second most frequently used drug next to fluconazole is ketoconazole, which had MIC50 of 0.125  µg ml-1 for most of the isolates. Griseofulvin, itraconazole and terbinafine showed similar results of 0.03-0.06  µg ml-1. The present study showed drug concentration inhibition of some fungi against 50% of isolates and 90% of isolates and their geometric mean of five drugs against 132 isolates. MIC50 and MIC90 were not determined because of small number of samples i.e., C. parapsilosis ATCC-22019 were within the value standardized by CLSI guidelines. The study highlighted tinea corporis as the most common clinical pattern of dermatophytosis followed by tinea capitis in Mysore. The predominant causative fungal species isolated were T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. violacium, T. verrucosum, E. floccosum, M. canis, T. tonsurans and T. schoenleinii confirmed by PCR with 100% sensitivity and specificity. Trichophyton verrucosum was isolated and confirmed by PCR and RFLP from human and their domestic animals (from animals to human). PCR-RFLP provides the best technique for dermatophytic identification at species level. MIC was done to see susceptibility and resistance pattern for clinician as well as for lab workers where terbinafine was 100% sensitive drug against dermatophytes. Clinical evaluation and fungal species identification are mandatory for proper management of dermatophytosis rather than empirical treatment. Need for the study In the medical science dermatophytes are constant parasites of human beings, and has survived several generations of therapeutic regimens, ranging from single dose antifungal to several dose drugs like griseofulvin, tolnaftate and early imidazole. There are some dermatophytes which were abundant once upon a time but now it is rare, it may be due to geographical restrictions, indicate that economy, geography, type of the species and environmental factors also interferes with the dermatophytic survival and distribution. It is equally important to review anthropophilic dermatophyte as well as zoophilic dermatophytes, which may increase chances of infection in the near future, as immunocompromised diseases are increasing day by day. The dermatophytes are oldest parasites of human and animals. Good and specified knowledge about these agents are still far from human understanding. The medical mycologists have done considerable work, but the studies were mainly devoted to the reactions of the host rather than the study of the parasites. The rates of publication on dermatophytes are limited as compared to the extensive work being done in the field of bacteriology and virology. As we know, these dermatophytic infections are not usually life threatening, but offer an interesting approach to the variety of fundamental problems in human, animals and fungal biology. The obvious reasons apparently disregard to the study of Medial Mycology Most of the fungal diseases are not fatal and hence do not attract much attention of the investigators. The development of the infection is very slow and persists for years without any serious damage to the host. Carrier among human and animals is very common and survives for decades without harming the host. Methods of isolation and identification are relatively very complicated and require long time to obtain positive results. Most of them are sensitive to the limited antifungal drugs except few and drug resistance is very slow and limited. Sources of infection are mostly human, animals and soil. Factors that attract to do research on dermatophytes Increasing incidence of immunocompromised diseases in and around the world. Changing patterns of dermatophytic infections with change in environment. Development of resistant species among the dermatophytes. Carrier harbours pathogenic species for many years to produce disease under favourable condition. Formulate treatment of choice according to the new changing pattern of drug resistant dermatophytes. Fungal infections of skin, hair and nail are common in hot and humid climate. Humans acquire various dermatophytic infections due to poor health hygienic conditions. The present investigation was aimed to study molecular level identification of tinea by PCR and its antifungal susceptibility test. Objectives of the study To study the incidence of dermatophytic infections and their clinical variants To identify the sources of infection by PCR for dermatophytes To determine the in vitro antifungal susceptibility test Slide culture For visualization of the normal colonial characteristics, arrangement and morphology of spores and mycelial appendages, slide culture was done. SDA media without antibiotics or cornmeal agar with 1% glucose was used. Lactophenol cotton blue was used as the mounting fluid for easy visualization of hyphae and spores (WHO, 1986). Advantages It is arapid method of preparing fungal colonies for examination and identification. Permits fungi to be studied virtually in situ with as little disturbance as possible fungi were identified mostly by close examination of its morphology and the characteristics it possess. We were growing the fungi directly on the slide on a thin film of agar. By doing this, there was no need to remove a portion of the fungus from a culture plate and transfer it to the slide. So there wasless chances for the features that were key to identification, notably the spore-bearing structures, without any damage. A modified method adapted from Roberts et al. (2003) and described here fulfills those requirements. Sterile 1.5% water agar (7 to 8 ml) was poured into sterile 60-mm plastic petri plates and allowed to solidify. A sterile 22-mm2 cover glass was centered on the agar. The desired nutrient agar medium (10 ml) was poured into a second 60-mm petri dish, allowed to solidify, and cut with a sterile stainless steel spatula into blocks approximately 5 to 8 mm2. One block was aseptically removed and placed on the cover glass. Inoculation of the agar block on one or more sides with fungal hyphae or conidia was followed by placement of a second sterile cover glass on top of it. After the petridish lid was replaced, the completed modified slide culture was incubated at the desired temperature until adequate growth and conidiogenesis had occurred. Each cover glass was used to prepare a semi permanent mount on a standard microscope slide 3 by 1 inch (7.62 by 2.54 cm). The top cover glass was lifte d off with forceps and wetted on the specimen side with a drop of ethanol (70 to 90%). One drop of fungus mounting medium (e.g., lactophenol cotton blue) was applied to the specimen, and the cover glass was lowered gently onto the slide, specimen side down. The bottom cover glass was lifted from the water agar and similarly mounted on a second slide. The nutrient agar block adhered to one of the cover glasses during the cover glass mounting procedure and was carefully lifted off with a sterile dissecting needle before the application of alcohol and mounting medium. Heat fixation of the cover glasses before mounting as described by McGinnis may improve the stability of the conidium-bearing structures (James, 2011). Lactophenol Cotton Blue (LPCB) The Lactophenol Cotton Blue wet mount preparation was the most widely used method of staining and observing fungi and was simple to prepare. The preparation has three components: phenol, which will kill any live organisms; lactic acid which preserves fungal structures, and cotton blue which stains the chitin in the fungal cell walls. It was used constantly as a mounting fluid when examining culture of fungi microscopically (Leck, 2012). Materials Lactic acid †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 ml Phenol (crystals†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 gm Glycerine†¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 40 ml Water (distilled)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 20 ml Mixed the above gently and added 50 mg the dye,  cotton blue. Procedure Placed a drop of 70% alcohol on a microscope slide. Immersed the specimen / material in the drop of alcohol. Added one or at most two drops of the lactophenol cotton blue mount and stained before the alcohol dries out. Holding the cover slip between forefinger and thumb, touched one edge of the drop of mount with the cover slip edge, and lowered gently, avoiding air bubbles. The preparation was ready for examination. Hair penetration test Many isolates of T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes are difficult to distinguish between on the basis of colony morphology and microscopic appearance. This in vitro test is the best method to distinguish between these two dermatophytes: Procedure Obtained a small amount of juvenile human hair and washed off fats and oils (kept hair in flask or beaker with 50 to 100 ml of ether, acetone or alcohol, shacked for 2 to 5 minutes and pour off the liquid). With scissors, a scalpel or a razor blade cut the hair into segments approximately 1 cm long. Put the hair in a glass petri plates, place on the lid and autoclaved for 10 to 15 minutes. This maintained sterility in the petri plates and can be used for 10 years. Calcofluor White Stain (CFW) It is a fluorescent stain for rapid detection of yeasts, fungi and parasitic organisms. Calcofluor White stain is a non-specific fluorochrome that binds to cellucose and chitin in cell walls (Chattaway and Barlow, 1954; Green et al., 1983; Hageage and Harrington, 2005). Composition: Calcofluor White M2R 1g/l and Evans blue 0.5g/l. Directions: Put the sample to be examined onto a clean glass slide. Add one drop of Calcofluor White Stain and one drop of 10% Potassium Hydroxide Place a cover slip over the specimen and let stand for 1 minute. Examine the slide under UV light at 100X to 400X magnification. Calcofluor White Stain was a non-specific fluorochrome that binds with cellulose and chitin contained in the cell walls of fungi and other organisms. The staining procedure with Calcofluor White Stain is a rapid method for the detection of many yeasts and pathogenic fungi like Microsporidium, Acanthamoeba, Pneumocystis, Naegleria, and Balamuthia species. Evans blue present in the stain act as a counter stain and diminishes background fluorescence of tissues and cells when using blue light excitation (not UV). A range of 300 to 440 nm (Emmax 433nm; 0.1 M phosphate pH 7.0; cellulose) can be taken for emission wave length and the excitation occurs around 355nm. Fungal or parasitic organisms appear fluorescent bright green to blue, while other material is reddish-orange fluorescent. Attentions to be taken as cotton fibers will fluoresce strongly as well amoebic cysts are fluorescent. One drop of 10% potassium hydroxide solution can be added for better visualization of fungal elements.

Analysis of An American Tragedy and What Makes it a Classic :: An American Tragedy Theodore Dreiser Essays

Analysis of An American Tragedy and What Makes it a Classic An American Tragedy is an intriguing, frighteningly realistic journey into the mind of a murderer. It is a biography of its era. And, it is also historical fiction. But what makes this novel a classic? While society has changed dramatically since 1925, Dreiser's novel, which shows the futility of "The American Dream" and the tragedies that trying to live it can cause, accurately summarizes social mores of this and any time period. Before Theodore Dreiser was born, his father, a devout German immigrant, lost everything when his large wool mill burned down (kirjasto.sci.fi 1). After a beam hit his head, Dreiser's father was subject to dramatic mood swings; this brain damage caused him to became an evangelist (Survey of American Literature 571). Theodore Dreiser, the twelfth of 13 children, was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1871. By this time, his parents were poor, nomadic preachers. Their nomadic lifestyle meant that Dreiser did not have any companions outside his family. While travelling, his mother taught him to avoid degrading and destructive experiences (Hart 236). Certain that his parents were failures because of their strong morals and their constant preaching, he rebelled. Dreiser had no friends, money, social status, or sex life, which he craved. For most Americans, these were collectively "The American Dream." For Dreiser and his most famous character, Clyde Griffiths, living the American Dream -- t he evasive pinnacle of success -- became an obsession. That obsession led 13-year old Dreiser to Indiana University, which he flunked out of. Instead of preaching, he instantly abandoned his unsuccessful family for the promise of riches and women in industrial Chicago. After living in abject poverty for years (Parker 203), he worked as a journalist for both Chicago Globe and St. Louis's Globe-Democrat, which gave him a glimpse of high society. There, he married Sara White. Within months, the two separated permanently, and Dreiser became a nomad. While wandering, he studied the writings of Balzac, Darwin, Freud, Hawthorne, Huxley (wwnorton.com 1), Poe, and Spenser, from which he created two philosophical theories: social Darwinism governs society (Parker 203), and man's greatest appetite is sexual (kirjasto.sci.fi 1). Dreiser followed his philosophy; he typically had several affairs at once. In New York, Dreiser started Sister Carrie, a brilliant naturalistic piece. The book was sold only 500 copies; it was so "scandalous" that its owned publishers censored its printing in 1900 (Bucco 5).

Anthropology-The Tuareg Group

The Tuareg are nomadic pastoralist people who initially inhabited the Saharan dessert in north of Africa. Presently they are mostly found in West and Northern African countries.Their settlement spreads in the countries; Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso. They no longer practice long distance nomadisim as they did before mainly because of the independence of the country. The Toureg group currently faces many problems due to different changes in environment, political and cultural issues that have forced them to change their way of living (Rodd, 1966).Problems and Threats facing the TuaregsThe Tuareg face threat of their culture being completely extinct. Tuareg are losing their culture as they interact and get assimilated into other cultures. The Tuareg way of life has been disrupted by political changes where their territories have been split and brought under different governance by different independent countries in North Africa. The Tuareg for example can no longer freel y practice nomadism or the long Trans – Saharan trade they used to practice before.They have to adhere to the rules and regulations set up by the different countries that occupy the territories that were once theirs (Ghoubeid, Prasse & Mohamed, 2003).Tuaregs can no longer use their way of governance that was characterised by an assembly of chiefs who made rules, solved problems and generally governed the community. They have to adhere to the modern forms of governance used by the country in which they live. The fact that they can no longer do things the way they used to threatens the survival of their culture.Competition for resources with other West and North African groups resulting into conflicts is a major problem facing the Tuareg. These conflicts are intense in the Sahel region which is a less arid savannah belt that has greener pastures and more water as compared to the other parts of the Sahara Dessert.The fact that they can no longer practice pastoralism and nomadism as it has been restricted by the independent countries has made their life so difficult that they have to look for alternative sources of income (Mortimore,  Ã‚   1972).Desertification is a threat to the Tuaregs. This activity which is enhanced by human activities such as logging of trees to meet the firewood and charcoal needs of individuals in the society has greatly affected the Tuaregs (Keenan, 1973).It has made pastures and water more scarce making the lives of these individuals hard. Constant occurrence of draughts and famines which usually leave the livestock of the Tuaregs dead is a threat as they depend most on livestock for their living (Ghoubeid, Prasse & Mohamed, 2003).The Tuaregs have had to take farming or try look for jobs in cities so as to earn some income that will enhance their survival.The independence of Mali and Niger has led to several uprisings that put the Touregs against the governmental officials in these countries. The Tuaregs have been fighting for th eir independence as the Mali and Niger regimes have been very repressive to them.This resulted to the Touregs moving towards urban centres and to other neighbouring countries where they became refugees. Return to their countries has always been met with hostility and violence which pushed the Turaegs into arming themselves against these oppressive regimes.The war between this group and the government military has resulted to loss of lives, destruction of property (in this case livestock for the Tuaregs) and left many wounded (Geels, 2006). The Turaegs who went back to their countries have been severally arrested by the police and put under constant surveillance. The two governments basically treat these individuals with a lot of discrimination.The Tuaregs also face the problem of being ignored by the international community. They never receive international aid and no one seems to be addressing their needs and plight. In 1992, the Tuaregs were declared the most threatened group in t he world as thousands had died as a result of desertification and repression yet no international aid had been availed to them. This was reported by the Humanitarian Organization Mà ©decins Sans Frontià ¨res.

14 Descriptive Essay Topics on the Enneagram Personality Types

14 Descriptive Essay Topics on the Enneagram Personality Types If you are tasked with crafting a descriptive essay on the Enneagram, it is important that you include many different facts to substantiate your thesis and your claims. That being said, below you will find a handful of useful facts that can help you present a comprehensive understanding of what the Enneagram is and how it can be used: The Enneagram functions as a gateway to understanding oneself and better understanding others. The Enneagram also describes the structure of nine distinct personalities so as to better understand those around you and integrate them. The name stems from two Greek words â€Å"ennea† which means â€Å"nine† and â€Å"grammos† which is a written symbol. The Enneagram symbol is a nine-pointed figure which represents the nine strategies for relating to yourself, to those around you, and to the world. With the Enneagram there are three centers of intelligence. The first is the head, the second is the heart, and the third is the body. Each person has all three but individual personality types result in one of the three being stronger than the others, functioning as the leader among them. Understanding your primary center and that of others allows you to develop your personal potential by overcoming blind spots. Those whose body type is the strongest center of intelligence use their instinctual center. They lead with gut-feelings, use their body for movement, are aware of their senses, and focus on social belonging and personal security. The focus for this type is controlling oneself and one’s environment, and taking action in a practical fashion. There are three personality types which fit into this category. The first is number 8: the protector. The second is number 9: the mediator. The third is number 1: the perfectionist. Those whose heart is the strongest center of intelligence use their emotional center primarily. They emphasize negative and positive feelings through the heart, they are devoted, have a lot of empathy and concern for other people, and they have a lot of romance inside of them. People with this personality type focus on relationships and success and in both things they perform up to expectations of others and of their career. There are three personality types which fit into this category. The first is number 2: the giver. The second is number 3: the performer. And the third is number 4: the romantic. Those whose heads are the strongest center of intelligence use their ideas, their perception, and their rational thinking as the leaders in their personality. People with this center of intelligence emphasize the need to have all of the facts before acting and they focus on cultivating certainty and safety. There are three personality types which fit into this category. The first is number 5: the observer. The second is number 6: the loyal skeptic. And the third is number 7: the epicure. The Protector is personality type 8 and this person will assume leadership roles wherever they are and regularly take charge of situations. They are intense people whose energy can intimidate others. They are also keen on doing things their way, making them impatient with regulations or rules. They have a high priority for justice and fairness in their life which is why they fight back if they feel wronged. For people with this personality type, the experience of weakness or vulnerability will only encourage attacks from those around them. This personality type can capitalize well on their strength and mild aggression, but if misapplied these two traits will cause problems. This personality type will boast power, generosity, and enthusiasm but they have problems with anger and excessive domination. They speak assertively but become bossy if things go wrong. Personality type 9 is the mediator and they share common problems with momentum. People with this personality type have issues with setting priorities and often find it challenging to shift their attention to the things which are most important. They are great mediators for other people though and naturally seek out harmony in the environment around them. They are well balanced and accepting but they also avoid conflict and are ambivalent. Personality type 1 is the perfectionist and they emphasize self-control and integrity. They always correct the things that are wrong and are well known for their common sense, their dependability, and their honesty. They are so responsible that they might resent those around them who are not as responsible as they are. They are often critical not just of others but of themselves. They work hard to be right all the time and are often in the role of a social reformer. They are improvement-oriented but have problems being resentful and overly critical. Personality type 2 is the giver and this person can easily make connections to others and empathize with their feelings and needs. They support others well and can bring out the potential in those around them but they also want to be liked and accepted by others so much that they change who they are to gain this approval. Twos absorb things from those around them and in this, must be cautious not to absorb too much and to set personal boundaries. Personality type 3 is the performer. This personality type is highly adaptable and will work hard to ensure their goals are completed. They are active and always on the go which makes it hard to slow down. They are highly concerned with their image and they concentrate heavily on receiving material rewards or external praise, something which can result in them losing contact with their true self. Personality type 4 is the romantic. This person regularly feels that something is missing and they are envious of others. They want depth in their relationships and express their emotions through poetry, dance, or music. They are passionate, but can often become over-emotional. They need lots of time by themselves and often struggle to balance their capacity for happiness with their sadness. Personality type 5 is the observer. This person is generally a scholar or a technical expert with a keen analytical skill or perception. They focus on the accumulation of knowledge and value privacy and personal autonomy. They can detach from those around them easily, but this cultivates loneliness. They are intellectually brilliant but struggle with feelings. Personality type 6 is the loyal skeptic who guards the safety of the family or group. They anticipate problems and have answers on the back burner. They use their intellect to figure out whether people are hostile or friendly. They are cautious and often worry. They also remain loyal and courageous once they have determined people to be good. Personality type 7 is the epicure who is a thinker and mover with an optimistic attitude to all life activities. These people maintain an interest in multiple subjects and they prefer to keep their options open. They do not focus on approval from others but on having fun. The facts speak for themselves: if you use enough of them in your paper, it will be excellent. But to make it even better, you may select the topic from 20 readymade titles on the Enneagram personality types. Also, don’t miss the chance to check out the writing guide on descriptive essays. References: Aspell, Patrick J, and Dee Dee Aspell.  The Enneagram Personality Portraits. San Francisco, Calif.: Pfeiffer, 1997. Print. Bennett, John G, and John G Bennett.  Enneagram Studies. York Beach, Me.: S. Weiser, 1983. Print. Bennett, John G.  The Enneagram. Sherborne, Glos.: Coombe Springs Press, 1974. Print. Bergin, EÃŒ iliÃŒ s, and Eddie Fitzgerald.  Enneagram. Dublin: SDB Media, 1996. Print. Blake, A. G. E.  The Intelligent Enneagram. Boston: Shambhala, 1996. Print. Ebert, Andreas, and Marion Küstenmacher.  Experiencing The Enneagram. New York: Crossroad, 1992. Print. Herman, C. Peter. Personality Types: Using The Enneagram For Self-Discovery..  PsycCRITIQUES33.7 (1988): n. pag. Web. Riso, Don Richard, and Russ Hudson.  The Wisdom Of The Enneagram. New York: Bantam Books, 1999. Print.

There Is No Free or Cheap Government Land

There Is No Free or Cheap Government Land Free government land, also known as claim-free government land no longer exists. There is no longer a  federal homesteading program and any public land the government does sell is sold at no less than fair market value. Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLMPA), the federal government took over ownership of public lands and abolished all remaining traces of the often-amended Homestead Act of 1862. Specifically, the FLMPA declared that the public lands be retained in Federal ownership  unless as a result of the land use planning procedure provided in this Act, it is determined that disposal of a particular parcel will serve the national interest... Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees the use of some 264 million acres of public land, representing about one-eighth of all the land in the United States. In passing the FLMPA, Congress assigned the main duty of the BLM as the management of the public lands and their various resource values so that they are utilized in the combination that will best meet the present and future needs of the American people. While the BLM does not offer much land for sale because of a 1976 congressional mandate to generally retain these lands in public ownership, the agency does occasionally sell parcels of land when its land use planning analysis determines disposal is appropriate. What Types of Lands Are Sold? The federal lands sold by the BLM are generally unimproved rural woodland, grassland or desert parcels located mostly in the western states. The parcels are typically not served by utilities like electricity, water or sewer, and may not be accessible by maintained roads. In other words, the parcels for sale are truly â€Å"in the middle of nowhere.† Where Are the Lands for Sale Located? Usually part of the original public domain established during the western expansion of the United States, most of the land is in the 11 Western states and the state of Alaska, although some scattered parcels are located in the East. Almost all are in the Western States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. Because of land entitlements to the State of Alaska and to Alaska Natives, no public land sales will be conducted in Alaska in the foreseeable future, according to the BLM. There are also small amounts in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin. There are no public lands managed by the BLM in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. How Is the Land Sold? The Bureau of Land Management sells unimproved public land through a modified bidding process that favors adjoining landowners, open public auction or direct sale to a single buyer. Minimum acceptable bids are based on land value appraisals prepared and approved by the Department of the Interior Appraisal Services Directorate. The appraisals are based on factors like ease of access, availability of water, possible uses of the property and comparable property prices in the area. States Do Offer Some Free Homesteading Land But... While government-owned lands are no longer available for homesteading, some states and local governments do occasionally offer free land to persons willing to build a home on it. However, these homesteading deals usually come with very specific requirements. For example, Beatrice, Nebraska’s local Homestead Act of 2010 gives homesteaders 18 months to build a minimum 900-square-foot home and live in it for at least the next three years. However, homesteading seems to be just as tough a row-to-hoe as it was in the 1860s. Two years after Beatrice, Nebraska enacted its homesteading act, the Wall Street Journal reported that no one had actually claimed a parcel of land. While dozens of people from across the nation had applied, they all dropped out of the program when they began to realize â€Å"how work is involved,† a city official told the newspaper.

Leadership Profile PART II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership Profile PART II - Essay Example All sorts of leaders, be it a political leader, group/team leader (for a project), leader in any field or discipline(s) and any n' every leader; they, despite being unique by several of their attributes, they have a few similarities (Gareth & Charles, 2005). They show some of the similar patterns which can be integrated into a few categories or types of leadership styles as per the leadership theories given by renowned observers and theorists. These include several theories which have provided exceptional guidance to assist people over the whole globe and to help out leaders in leading their subordinates effectively as per the prevailing conditions and situation of an organization. Some of those world renowned theories are discussed briefly below. It will be pertinent to note here that we have already looker at the reasons and chosen the transformational leadership style to explain the behaviour of our chosen leader namely Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra. Fred Fiedler was the one who developed a contingency or situational theory of leadership. Leadership theories may be of great help in molding the behaviors of leaders but they also need to be effective enough to assist leaders in different situations. Now that many theories are there, a lot of researchers have agreed on the point that actually no "one" style of leadership is always right for every person, who is a leader. Therefore, for different conditions and circumstances, these conditional theories were developed to be applicable in different cases with respect to the task at hand, the type of organization and the people involved (G. Northouse, 2006). In this theory, the developer i.e. Fiedler emphasized on three main things that were the structure of the task, the relationship between the leaders and the subordinates, and the power that the leader has and is entitled to exercise on his own discretion. Transformational Leadership: James MacGregor Burns wrote in his book 'Leadership' about the concept of "transforming leadership" (G. Northouse, 2006). According to him, transformational leadership actually takes place when a leader changes his subordinates or followers in three important styles. He inculcates a feeling of cumulative and/or shared gains in the employees i.e. to work not only for their selves only but also fro the sake of the organization's benefit. This results in the subordinates having more trust in their leader, performing at higher levels of productivity and effectively contributes to the achievement of the organizational goal and objectives that are the target for any organization. (Bernard M. Bass, 2005) Path-Goal Theory of Leadership: This theory emphasizes on the leaders to motivate their employees by clearly stating them the means of achieving high. This includes guiding them as to how they should achieve the organizational goals, controlling their performance and monitoring their output results, lauding them for good work and respecting what they did and then further guiding them how to improve on the mistakes that were made and also how to achieve new and higher benchmarks. Leader-Style Theory: Leader style, also known as "Trait Theory" is another way of identifying and analyzing the key characteristics of a successful leader. This approached was used for actually separating the critical leadership traits of born-leaders so that

Discuss Hamlet as a revenge tragedy Research Paper

Discuss Hamlet as a revenge tragedy - Research Paper Example Thesis statement: The basic elements of the play Hamlet proves its importance as a revenge tragedy (special references to the elements of revenge tragedy like revenge, ghost, hero’s hesitation, madness, capable villains, philosophical content, horror and suicide/murder) Hamlet as a revenge tragedy As pointed out, the basic elements of revenge tragedy are applicable to the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The basic elements of revenge tragedy like revenge, ghost, hero’s hesitation, madness, capable villains, philosophical content, horror and suicide/murder are discussed under. A. Revenge: One can see that revenge is the most important element of the play. Within this context, Hamlet’s revenge is to be considered as most important because his aim was to regain the lost honor of his father. At the same time revenge leads him towards his ultimate doom at the end of the play. Rebecca W. Bushnell points out that the basic quality of a revenge tragedy is the protagon ist’s inability to understand his own self or the outside world (68). From a different angle of view, Hamlet’s revenge can be evaluated as his attempt to escape from mental and emotional trauma originating from his personal feeling/fear of losing his mother. In short, revenge is the main component of the play which entraps the protagonist (Hamlet) and his enemies. B. Ghost: The basic element of revenge tragedy consists of the presence of a ghost, which curtails the deeds of the protagonist and acts the role of a motivation to take revenge. Within the context of Hamlet the play, King Hamlet’s ghost acts the role of the ghost who deeply influences prince Hamlet to take revenge of his father’s untimely death and the following incidents. The ghost encourages Hamlet by pointing out that â€Å"So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear† (16). One can easily identify that the ghost’s inspiration forces Hamlet to be suspicious about his uncle†™s and mother’s roles in the conspiracy against his father. But he hesitates to believe in ghost and tries to ignore. Gradually, the ghost forces his son to destroy his enemies and to regain the throne. In short, the presence of ghost, similar to the other revenge plays, ignites fury in the mind of the protagonist and forces him to take revenge of his father’s death. C. Hero’s hesitation Like other revenge tragedy heroes, Hamlet did not believe in ghosts. When his father’s ghost tried to influence him, he did not believe in him and hesitated to act against his enemies. Later, his friend forced him to act according to the will of the ghost and to act against his enemies. Paul Arthur Cantor opines that Oedipus complex hindered Hamlet from his actions (21). The hero’s hesitation can be evaluated from different levels. For instance, he was not sure about the presence of his father as the ghost. Later, he did miss more than one attempt to kill his unc le. This hesitation caused more troubles in his life because he accidentally killed a counselor who was so close to his uncle. This hesitation ultimately led him towards his doom in the end. D. Madness Madness, whether acted or real is one of the most important elements of revenge tragedies. When this element is superimposed to the context of the play Hamlet, one can easily identify that Hamlet’s madness was not real. For instance, Hamlet acted himself as a mad person because he wanted to know more about the deeds of his enemies. He was aware of

Illiad and Odyseey Greek Mythology about the Soul Essay

Illiad and Odyseey Greek Mythology about the Soul - Essay Example The underworld was ruled by Hades, and all souls after physical death went there. Greek religious beliefs were not written down in parchments but were orally passed on from one generation to another. In every culture, epical stories were created, basing on religious beliefs, and exchanged through word of mouth so that the thoughts and beliefs took deep roots in society. While philosophy was hard for the average human being to understand, fictionalized accounts were easily comprehended. Heroic stories had the power to pass on values and moral to people rather than scripts intended to preach religion. Narratives based on adventures of brave and idealistic protagonists, therefore, became popular among masses and the authors interlaced such sagas with religious and philosophical thoughts in a manner accessible to ordinary people. Thus, Iliad and Odyssey, the two epics by Homer, have a strong influence not only on Greek culture but also on their religion. Homer’s â€Å"Odyssey† is an account of Odysseus’ return to Ithaca from the Trojan War. It narrates his adventures and how he overcame the wrath of Poseidon, with the help and blessings of Goddess Athene, daughter of Zeus. Odyssey concentrates on the happenings in Odysseus’ native land, Ithaca during a twenty year period when he was away from his motherland, and the tribulations suffered by his faithful wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Finally, after a long and arduous struggle, Odysseus returns to his land, with the help of the goddess Athene, and is reunited with his wife and son. He also succeeds in killing all the suitors who wanted to marry Penelope during his long absence from Ithaca. As was the contemporary practice prevalent during that time the dead were not buried but cremated. The practice of building â€Å"a mould with all the proper funeral rites† was also practiced. (Homer, 1991. p.12, line 293).  

Media Analysis on Simon Dalby’s Challenging Carboniferous Capitalism Essay Example for Free

Media Analysis on Simon Dalby’s Challenging Carboniferous Capitalism Essay The main concept expressed in Simon Dalby’s Challenging Carboniferous Capitalism is about capitalist economics. It stated the different issues and concerns related to how capitalist economics work. The article expressed the relevance of knowing the connection of the current situation of the environment to the different decisions made in the political economy that could lead to social change. Describing the process of how capitalist economics works, one can see definite manifestations of the improper distribution of resources that is now also slowly depleting despite the growing demand. The scope of the problem is also sufficiently explained making one able to picture a world that will later lead to distraction if not given due attention soon. The article greatly gave emphasis to the environmental problems and catastrophes resulted from political movement that is basing nominal figures of growth rather than understanding nature and its role in every people’s lives. It is greatly connected to the issue of consumerism. The article is putting forward what consumerism has done to our environment and to people that are economically or financially challenged. It is magnifying on the inequality present because of selfishness and greed. According to Anup Shah’s article Consumption and Consumerism, the impacts of consumerism both positive and negative are very significant to all aspects of people’s lives and the planet. He specifically pointed out the imbalance of the distribution of benefits to people. As a capitalist economy is fed by consumerism, both these concepts are seen together in the picture. Dalby cited different developments in how environmentalists today assert their cause in saving mother Earth. He also mentioned the nasty ways people try to meet with the growing demand for material needs both necessity and luxury, the benefit of reducing consumerism and seeing the value of one’s action as it affects everyone. In the whole, Dalby expressed abhorrence to the reality today that to instill the value of life to people one is to base their arguments to highly technical matters as trading quotas and industrial standards just to make corporations understand that they are trying to destroy the environment in making money. The highlighted issue in Dalby’s article greatly pictures the situation of our times today, known and unknown to many. It is known because there have been many environmental catastrophes happening for the past ten years such as the hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Thailand, the storm Ondoy in the Philippines, and many others. But it is unknown still to many because people never see consumerism and a capitalist economic system are one of the culprits to these disasters. As mentioned, the Kyoto Protocol and other climate change negotiations have failed to encourage all nations to act on their part in saving mother Earth. One of them was China which is now reported as the second largest economic power passing Japan (The New York Times, 16 Aug 2010). In the article, it was said that China â€Å"is reluctant to play a greater role in the debate over climate change or how to slow the growth of greenhouse gases,† though they are currently instilling an ambitious program to cut energy it uses on economic output by 20 percent by the end of 2010. This initiative is yet to be seen. The concept, capitalist economy as discussed in Challenging Carboniferous Capitalism is not really defining much of the top players in the issue which I believe is the capitalists. It greatly centered on the effects of capitalist economy to what people value best in life—which is now more on materialism. Because of the author’s emphasis, he connected other concepts as consumerism and materialism to further his explanation. The point that is seen relevant starting with this concept is on how the policy making of government and institutions are influenced by capitalist economic system because the money is there and the capitalists are the ones seen in the spotlight when talking about a country’s economic standing. The concept can not put directly into account the individuals, which are the consumers that support it. The question that one can raise in putting this concept affront in this article is that, why not directly mention the capitalists need to see the value of life rather than directing to the consumers? Bibliography http://finance. yahoo. com/news/China-Passes-Japan-as-nytimes-2766831302. html? x=0. v=1 China passes Japan as second-largest economy, 2010. 16 Aug 2010. 16 Aug 2010. Shah, Anup. â€Å"Consumption and Consumerism. † http://www. globalissues. org/issue/235/consumption-and-consumerism. Global issues, 03 September 2008. 16 August 2010,

The Psychology Of Team Sports

The Psychology Of Team Sports Hardy and Grace, (1997) outlined the importance of team building research in sport when they suggested whether a team is successful or not is frequently attributed to the effectiveness of their teamwork. To develop the effective team many team building programs attempt to increase cohesion amongst a group as team cohesion can affect performance (Eys et al, 2005). Different areas of group dynamics can be used to increase team cohesion, this section of the report will focus on the research conducted on leadership, role ambiguity and goal setting. Leadership is an important component for developing cohesion in sports teams (Carron et al, 2005). It has been suggested that effective leadership is a vital contributor to member satisfaction (Reimer Chellandurai, 1995). Leadership behaviours and styles adopted can have a big impact on team cohesion and subsequent performance. (Carron et al. 2005) An early study, investigating the relationship between (the coaches) leadership behaviours and team cohesion within sports teams, found adopting a democratic style produced higher levels of task cohesion (Lee et al. 1993). In addition, a variety of studies reported that an increase in social support behaviour increased task cohesion (Lee et al. 1993, Westre Weiss, 1991; Riemar Chellandurai, 1995). One study, Riemar Chellandurai, (1995) went further and examined the leadership behaviours preferred and perceived by players depending on their position. They found defensive athletes perceived and preferred higher levels of social support and democratic and autocratic styles then the offensive athletes. They also found member satisfaction was greatly influenced by social support. More recent research has tended to focus on the role of the athlete as a leader within the team, for example, the captain. Research has suggested athlete leaders are in fact better than coaches at administering leadership behaviours, such as; a democratic decision making style and social support (Loughead and Hardy, 2005). Whats more, further research has been conducted to assess different types of athlete leadership. For example, Loughead et al, (2006) discovered two types of leader within a sports team; a team captain and a peer leader (supplies leadership to at least 2 team members). In addition, Eys et al, (2007) investigated how 218 athletes perceived the athlete leader distributions within their sports teams. Their results suggest that members of a team are more satisfied when 3 leadership roles (social, task, external) are performed to the same extent regardless of how many are leaders present within the team. Carron et al, (2005) identified individual clarification of role responsibilities to be one of the most important factors in sport. The vast majority of research on role states in team sports has been on role ambiguity (role clarity) and its relation to performance using the conceptual model proposed by Beauchamp et al, (2002). The effect role ambiguity had on both task cohesion and task self efficacy was investigated by Eys Carron (2001). They concluded that members within basketball teams who were unsure of their role responsibilities, reported lower levels of attraction towards the team and felt their team was less unified in their task approach. Another study, Eys et al, (2003) demonstrated that team members perceptions of role ambiguity decreased throughout a competitive season. Additionally, although perceptions of role ambiguity are individual, members of a team could share the same beliefs. Finally, new editions to the team are more likely to perceive role ambiguity compared to experienced members of the team at the start of the season. Nevertheless, as the authors suggested, the results of this study will be difficult to apply to other team sport settings (e.g age group, competitive standards) as it was undertaken on a homogeneous population (Eys et al, 2003). It has also been reported that greater role ambiguity and role clarity could affect an athletes self efficacy, satisfaction and performance. These factors could not only affect the individual but the team as a whole (Forsyth, 1999). Beauchamp Bray (2001) investigated university athletes perceptions of role ambiguity and role conflict among their respective sports teams. Results demonstrated that members who perceived greater levels of role ambiguity and conflict had lower levels of efficacy and were less inclined to perform their role responsibilities. This is concurrent with Bandura, (1997) who suggested a decrease in persistence and effort will occur if the athlete is unclear of their role. The associated performance is also likely to suffer (Bandura, 1997) as indicated by Beauchamp et al, (2002) who found a negative relationship between role efficacy and role performance. Additionally, the relationship between leadership and role ambiguity could prove further understanding of thi s subject (Eys et al, 2003). The more detailed, specific and challenging yet realistic a goal is the more effective it will be (Gould, 1993). However, research found team members often set themselves unclear and generally descriptive goals (Brawley et al, 1992). In addition, when Dawson et al, (2002) interviewed varsity athletes to determine their goal setting habits, they found team members set personal goals and their respective teams had group goals. Research has indicated that team as opposed to individual goals are better for improving team sport performance (Johnson et al, 1997). The authors demonstrated how subjects who set team goals improved their bowling performance in cricket, yet subjects who set personal goals did not. The addition of team goals to a group has proven successful in the past. Lee (1988) found that adding team goals to female hockey teams had a positive effect on team performance. This was concurrent with Senecal et als, (2008) study of female basketball players. Over a season long intervention, they found team cohesion significantly increased in the intervention group compared to the control groups when they utilised team goal setting. Furthermore, Mellalieu et al. (2006) found a goal setting program with professional rugby players to have a positive impact on performance. It has been suggested that goal setting can enhance team cohesion by providing a team focus (Widemeyer Ducharme, 1997). Focusing on one goal can improve group communication, commitment and satisfaction, improving group cohesion and subsequent performance (Carron Spink, 1993) Nevertheless, there have not been many studies carried out in sport that have investigated the effect of team goals on team performance (Widemeyer Ducharme, 1997), with the majority of studies conducted outside of the sport setting (Weingart, 1992). Team building intervention A team goal setting program was chosen as the intervention topic to improve team cohesion (see appendix a). Early research from Widemeyer et al, (1992), as cited in Widemeyer Ducharme (1997) found athletes felt having a team goal was the most significant contributor to task cohesion from a choice of 35 variables. More recently, Stevens Bloom (2003) found team goals to be the most effective topic to utilise in a team building intervention. The following team building intervention applied principles from Eys et al, (2006) in Senecal et al. (2008), Widemeyer Ducharme, (1997) and Widemyer McGuire, (1996) in Carron et al, (2005). Step 1: Developing Long term goals Firstly, the athletes and coaches will work together to decide the long term goal of the team (Kyllo Landers, 1995) for example, achieve a top 3 position in the league. This will take place during an all day workshop during the first week of pre season. The athletes will work in small sub groups of 3-4 and discuss long team goals for the team (Eys et al, 2005). Once the sub groups have decided a long term goal, the coach will write the goals on the white board and the team will discuss together (Dale Wrisberg, 1996), narrowing down to one specific and measurable goal (Gould, 1993). The Long term goal will then be posted in the changing rooms for the remainder of the season, to help motivate the athletes (Weldon Weingart, 1988). Step 2: developing short term outcome goals To achieve the long term goal, specific and measurable (Carron et al, 2005) short term goals will be set as stepping stones (Kingston Hardy, 1997), for example, win the next 3 out of 5 games. To decide the goals, the coach will remind the players of last seasons statistics (eg. Wins, losses, league position) (Widemeyer Ducharme, 1997). After the long term goals are decided, the players will use these statistics and repeat the same procedure as in step 1 by getting into subgroups (Eys et al, 2005). Once discussed, 5-6 specific and achievable short term outcome goals will be decided (Widemeyer Mcguire, 1996) Step 3: Developing short term performance goals In addition, the players will set performance goals during a second all day workshop, 2 weeks into the pre season. The use of multiple goal setting strategies has been shown to be more beneficial to performance (Filby et al, 1999). For this intervention, the players will only be working towards team goals as previous research has suggested team goals are better for improving team performance (Johnson et al, 1997) and that individually hidden goals have no significant impact on performance (Kyllo Landers, 1995). The performance goals will be decided through the use of performance profiling (Dale Wrisberg, 1996). This will be a group profile for the team as a whole. Firstly, the players will discuss what characteristics they believe a successful football team has. The players will express their opinions to the coach while they write them down onto a white board. The characteristics will need to be specific, so if there too general they will be re-evaluated until clearer. When the athletes and coach are happy that at least ten appropriate characteristics are on the white board, the players will individually and anonymously write all the characteristics off the white board on to paper. Examples of characteristics could be; putting 100% effort into every training session and game, winning over 80% of their aerial battles. The players will then proceed to evaluate their teams characteristics between a scale of 1-10, with 1 being weak and 10 being strong. Once completed, each characteristic will be calculated as a mean. The lowest mean scores will be the areas developed into performance goals that the team will aim to achieve. Additionally, the coach will use the same procedure to demonstrate their perceptions of the team. At the next group meeting the team will discuss the results (lowest scores) and agree on 5-6 performance goals to improve their perceived weaknesses (Dale Wrisberg, 1996). When the specific performances goals are established, the team needs to decide realistic yet challenging target levels for these goals (eg. more than 5 shots on target per game) (Carron et al, 2005). To make sure their realistic and challenging the coach will again provide the athletes with statistics from last season (eg. shots on goal, tackles won). The sub group procedure used in step 1 and 2 will be utilized to achieve this (Eys et al, 2005). After negotiations the team will conclude the appropriate targets for their team. This process will be repeated during the middle and the end point of the competitive calendar (Dale Wrisberg, 1996) so that the performance goals can be updated throughout the season Step 4: Monitoring and evaluation of short and long term goals The Long and short term goals will be continually monitored throughout the intervention. Prior to every match and practice session (1 of each per week) throughout the pre and competitive season the team will be reminded of the goals they set for themselves in attempt to provide a focus for the team and help motivate the players (Weldon Weingart, 1988). To do this team goals will be written on the white board in the changing rooms, the coach will then highlight the importance of these goals during their team talk. In addition, after each match team statistics (eg. goals scored and corners won in that game) and the statistics for the agreed performance indices will be posted in the changing rooms. The team members can then look at the statistics and measure their progress towards their target levels. Step 5: Updating team goals After every 3-5 games, the coach and players will work with the intervention specialist on evaluating and possibly updating the team goals if needed, eg. Removing or adding performance goals and changing the target level (Senecal et al, 2008). This will be achieved using their performance statistics from the previous 3-5 games and the characteristics of their next 3-5 opponents (Widemeyer McGuire, 1996). Again, the procedure demonstrated in step 1 will be used to administer the changes. Stage 6: Praise continued progress toward team goals During the intervention the coach will continually openly praise his team when they do well and progress toward their team goals, feedback on goal progress may enhance the use of team goals (Widemeyer Ducharme, 1997). Step 7: post intervention check. 1 week after the intervention was completed; A 5 question, post intervention questionnaire (Stevens Bloom, 2002) was completed by every player to assess the effectiveness of the intervention (Senecal et al, 2008). In addition, 1 and 3 months after the intervention is completed interviews will be conducted with each player (Stevens Bloom, 2003). Players will be instructed to relax and openly discuss their opinions of the TBIs effectiveness. Critical analysis of team building interventions in sport Team building interventions are designed to improve group performance by increasing group cohesiveness (Carron et al, 1997). However previous studies have produced mixed results on the effectiveness of team building interventions (TBI) on improving cohesion. Some were effective (Voight Callaghan, 2001; Senecal et al, 2008; McClure Foster 1991; Mellalieu et al, 2006) and some were unsuccessful (Prapavessis et al, 1996; Cogan Petrie, 1996; Stevens Bloom, 2002). One study, Steven Bloom (2003) found their TBI to be effective during the pre season but not throughout the competitive season. Nevertheless, Brawley Paskevich (1997) have highlighted many methodological concerns with the research conducted using team building interventions. For example, the pre-test, post-test experimental design employed by various TBI (Voight Callaghan 2001: Senecal et al, 2008; Prapevessis et al, 1996; Stevens Bloom, 2002; Mellalieu et al, 2006) makes it difficult to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. Although three of these studies were effective (Voight Callaghan 2001: Senecal et al, 2008; Mellalieu et al, 2006), due to the absence of measures throughout the competitive season, although likely it makes it difficult to determine whether or not it was the TBI that improved performance or outside interference, questioning the validity of their results. For example, Brawley Paskevich, (1997) suggested leadership change; a less competitive calendar or the loss of an unsettling member could have all influenced team cohesion independent of the TBI. Some studies that employed a quasi experimental design (Cogan Petrie, 1996; Stevens Bloom, 2003) reported their TBI to be ineffective at improving team cohesion. The design could be the reason for their lack of significant results. A quasi experimental design rarely includes random assignment making it difficult to determine whether factors such as differences in coaching style and team atmosphere affected the results (Stevens Bloom, 2003). Randomly assigning members to different teams, allows experimenters to observe which treatment of the TBI infers change (Brawley Paskevich, 1997). One study employed an experimental design (Mclure Foster, 1991). The results of their study suggested their intervention was effective at increasing cohesion among gymnasts. The positive results of their study could be attributed to the experimental design as this method includes random assignment. Therefore they were able to notice a difference in cohesion amongst randomly assigned athletes with out interference from some of the problems mentioned above. Furthermore, some studies did not utilise a control group, one was effective at improving cohesion (Voight Callaghan 2001) another was ineffective (Bloom Stevens 2002). The absence of a control group however, questions the validity of Voight Callaghans (2001) results. As suggested by Brawley Paskevich, (1997) it is difficult to establish whether their TBI was actually the cause for the improvement in performance as there were no control or placebo groups to compare the results to. In addition, as Stevens Bloom (2002) did not include a control group, whether or not cohesion levels would have decreased over the season and therefore whether or not the intervention was helpful to the team is unclear. Additionally, the duration of the TBI is another methodological concern identified by Brawley Paskevich (1997). It has been suggested interventions are fairly slow processes (French Bell, 1984) and at least 1 season of a TBI is needed to produce results of any significance (Brawley Paskevich, 1997). Therefore the results of studies that lasted less than a season (Prapavessis et al, 1996; Mellalieu et al, 2006) may not portray the long-term effects of the intervention. Studies that have lasted at least a season (Senecal et al, 2008; Mclure Foster 1991; Stevens Bloom, 2002; Voight Callaghan, 2001; Stevens Bloom, 2003; Cogan Petrie, 1996) are more likely to provide clearer results. In addition, although the vast majority some of these studies administered post intervention checks (Cogan Petrie, 1996; Senecal et al, 2008; Mellalieu et al, 2006; Stevens Bloom; Voight Callaghan, 2001; Prapevessis et al, 1996; Stevens Bloom, 2002) none of these studies administered any questionn aires 3 or 6 months after the intervention to examine the long term effects of their intervention. Sampling size can be another methodological concern for researches conducting TBIs. Two studies had a very small sample size (Mellalieu et al, 2006: 5 participants; McClure Foster, 1991:15 participants. Some studies have only used a slightly larger sized sample consisting of no more than 45 participants (Cogan Petrie, 1996; Voight Callaghan, 2001; Stevens Bloom, 2003; Stevens Bloom, 2002). Only 2 studies have used relatively large sample sizes: Senecal et al, (2008); (n=86) Prappevessis et al, (1996); (n=137). Nevertheless, all studies have reported sufficient details such as gender, age, sport and team ability (Cogan Petrie, 1996; Voight Callaghan, 2001; Stevens Bloom, 2003; Stevens Bloom, 2002; McClure Foster, 1991; Mellalieu et al, 2006; Senecal et al, 2008; Prapavessis et al, 1996) However, some of the characteristics reported in the studies can be vague. Many studies have failed to state appropriate details, such as race (Voight Callaghan, 2001; Prapevessis et al, 199 6; Senecal et al, 2008; McClure Foster, 1991; Stevens Bloom, 2002; Mellalieu et al, 2006). Furthermore, the majority of studies also seem to be generalized to similar populations. For example, the majority of studies were conducted on females (Voight Callaghan, 2001; Senecal et al, 2008; McClure Foster, 1991; Cogan Petrie, 1996; Steven Bloom, 2003; Stevens Bloom, 2002), on ages ranging between 18-24 (Voight Callaghan, 2001; McClure Foster, 1991; Cogan Petrie, 1996; Steven Bloom, 2003; Mellalieu et al, 2006) and on high school or university teams (Cogan Petrie, 1996; Steven Bloom, 2003; McClure Foster, 1991; Senecal et al, 2008). In addition, the studies that indicated the race of the subjects were predominately on Caucasians (Cogan Petrie, 1996; Steven Bloom, 2003). As these studies are on similar populations the generalizability of these interventions is limited. Therefore, the results are difficult to apply to a wide range of sports teams, as member characteristics s uch as age, gender, race and ability can vary greatly per team. Previous studies on sport teams have had the coach/manager as the main facilitator of the intervention, working with the intervention specialist. As a result, Some TBIs have taken a more indirect approach (Prappevessis et al, 1996) or used a combination of indirect and direct models (Steven Bloom, 2003; Cogan Petrie, 1996; Mellalieu et al, 2006). However, Brawley Paskevich (1997) identified indirect models to have weaknesses. The authors explain that coaches/managers may not be capable of undertaking a TBI as they do not have the knowledge, time and commitment to make it successful. On the other hand, direct models have the advantage of often allowing the intervention specialist to work directly with the participants. In addition, the team members become more involved in the decision making process during the intervention. Bloom, (1996), suggested the involvement of the athletes is a key factor in improving team performance. 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