Statement of Purpose Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Of Purpose - Personal Statement Example I am an international student from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a large country and areas of science in the country are in the phase of rapid development. It is for this reason that the government has sponsored thousands of students like me to come to the United States and complete their studies in specific fields of science. I would like to utilize this opportunity to its fullest and complete my PhD for bringing about development in the field of Information Systems in Saudi Arabia. I am currently enrolled in the program of Master of Science in Computer and Information Science at the Gannon University, Erie, PA, USA and the expected date of my graduation is December 2014. This master’s program has motivated me to further continue my studies in the same field and gain expertise through the completion of my PhD. The PhD Program would grant me with an opportunity to polish my skills and gain an advanced understanding of my desired field. I have always had an interest in the field of Information Systems. In the year 2010, I completed my graduation in the field of Information Science from my home country at the Al-Baha University and achieved a GPA of 2.8-4. My graduation motivated me to further achieve higher studies in the field and to gain greater exposure and a better learning environment, I moved to the United States. I enrolled at the ELS Language Center at Cincinnati, OH, USA for one year to get a good grip over English Language so that that I would not face any difficulties during my years of education in the United States. Following this, I started my Master’s Degree in Information Systems at the Gannon University in January 2013. Currently, I have successfully completed 24 credits out of 33 and my GPA is 3.75-4 which is reflective of my hard work and focus for outshining in my field. With time, my interest in the field of Information

Training for improving service quality at Honda Essay Example for Free

Training for improving service quality at Honda Essay This case is about Honda American Motor Company which tries to improve quality due to blended learning approach. They split it in three different phase. 1. Phase one: The first phase takes place online. For two to three weeks, learners access a series of online modules that introduce the logical processes for effective problem solving and decision making. Learner progress is essentially self-paced, but since the content is driven from a Web server, the instructor can follow the progress of each learner and provide on-going encouragement and support. During phase one, learners are also asked to identify situations to which they intend to apply the techniques so they can focus on these situations when they attend the workshop. This powerful combination of initial learning and preparation for applying the concepts to real-life issues ensures the following phase will not only be efficient but also build deep understanding and significant motivation to use the ideas on the job after training. 2. Phase two: The second phase takes place at the workshop. Guided by the instructor, learners spend two days deepening their understanding of the concepts, discussing best practices and additional techniques for problem solving and decision making, and practicing on detailed case scenarios. Since skill transfer and results occur most rapidly when starting with the learner’s on-the-job issues, a significant portion of the session is spent working on the problems, decisions and plans identified in phase one. Simultaneously, learners receive coaching and feedback from the instructor and one another. Learners leave the session ready to fully apply the concepts and with a plan in hand to move successfully from the workshop to consistent use of the concepts back on the job. 3. Phase three: The final phase takes place back online. In the three weeks following the session, learners resolve the on-the-job issues they began to work on during the workshop. They document for instructor review, feedback and approval the specific techniques they used to resolve the issues. During phase three, learners have access to a host of online support tools and information. They can contact the instructor with questions at any time. The goal of this phase is to ensure use of the learned concepts and build  confidence. Advantages of Honda’s blended learning approach Quality of individual output is improved. Employees have the same way of thinking and working - Makes it easier to work with manager and all the co-workers. Deep understanding and strong motivation from the employees Personalized support Reduce their time away from the job Take advantages of expanding technology capabilities and infrastructure Assure tangible transfer of skills Format which best support the overall emphasis on growth and quality Questions After the presentation of our case some questions have been asked by the students of the class. We have discussed about them and tried to bring some explanations. There were different kinds of questions. The first kind was about the learning model itself. The main questions were the followings: 1. How can you measure the quality improvements? Overall and in figures? 2. Is the learning time too short? 3. Can you find in the library some video clips? 4. Is it not to theoretical this learning system? For the first one we think that it is really difficult to measure in term of figure this kind of program. Indeed it is not a small part of Honda’s employees that are training but the whole company. In addition it is not a program for the short term but for the long term. The global quality of Hondo production will increase due to the learning program that means that the customers will be more satisfy. In the long run they will come back to the company to buy their next car. It will take years to quantify the real impact on the turnover. However it is possible to conduct some survey to the customer to know if they think that the quality has improved. The company  can also check if the time to make a car decrease or if there are less failure with the production. For the second one we do not think that the learning time is too short. 6 weeks is enough for this time of training. Moreover it is not because you have done it one time that you cannot do it anymore in the future. With a short training you can be focused on the main point and do not lose time on secondary information that the employee will never use. For the third one we do not know if it is already available on the intranet of Honda. But it can be a really good idea if it does not exist yet. People prefer to watch somebody explaining something (and see how it is working) than only read it in a book. The last one if one of the most important question for this kind of program where you mix theoretical and manual learning. Where is the border between too much of one or the other? At the first view it seems that two days of practice is not enough. However when the employee start is manual formation he has already learned lots of information. So the trainer will not lose lots of time to explain easy and obvious things but can be directly focus on the main important information that the trainee must learn. The second kind of question was more about the employees and their interaction with the learning program. The following questions have been asked to us: 1. How can you motivate the employees, with which kinds of incentives? 2. What about the learners who are not ready after phase 2? 3. What are the interactions among the employees? By participating into an important process in order to improve the quality of their company, the worker feels involved and useful. Indeed, its not sufficient for the most part. Regarding to the low wages that the workers can perceived, a money incentive can be a real motivation to make them want to learn. Moreover, they can motivate them by establishing in the company policy, a rule that explain that if the worker is efficient and provides good work quickly, he can whether be promoted or get bonus in the end of each month. The answer of the second question is quite simple. Indeed, the instructors  can easily evaluate the learners by watching him doing the job. If the learner applies the method perfectly, the instructor will give him the permission to go to the next phase. Otherwise, according to his level of difficulties, the instructor will send him either in the first phase or remake the second phase. Employees interact each other every time (within the company, lunch breaks), but also on the intranet through forums or instant messages. Thus, they can talk easily about working problems, or for instance, share tips and solutions about technical problems. Every single solution is directly saved into the database. Lot of communication channels allows workers to interact easily each other. How does Honda doing compare to its competitors? First of all it is a really complex process to compare sales and figures with quality management. As we learned during the lecture there is no guaranteed effect between sales of products, Stock price progress and quality. Therefore it is even challenging for Managers to analyze the effects of quality improvements. In ours point of view there is one obvious point how to compare it. The annual recalls of Cars. Toyota US 2013 (Toyota US, 2014 Reuters, 2014) Cars Sold: 182’152 Cars Recall â€Å"Nearly 19 million vehicles globally from late 2009 to early 2011 due to unintended acceleration claims.† Honda US 2013 (IBT, 2014 Reuters, 2014) Cars Sold: 135’255 Cars Recall â€Å"Between 2008 and 2011, Honda was forced to recall about 2.8 million vehicles after finding a defect with driver-side airbags supplied by Takata.†  « Honda (2.8 million), Hyundai-Kia (2.2 million) and Ford Motor Co. (1.2 million) rounded out the top five in terms of vehicles recalled in 2013.  » Conclusion To conclude, this system of training in three phases has many advantages. It permits to all employees to feel involved in it because it is not only a theoretical learning system, to have a personalized support and a control at each phase permit to really evaluate their progression. Furthermore this system of training allows them to reduce their time away from their job. We have analysed some questions about this system such as the measurement of the quality improvement because we can’t really quantify the real impact on the turnover now. The project is on the long term and it will take some few years to measure the satisfaction of the customer, if they will buy another car of this brand or not. The other questions were about employees and their interaction with the program. The money is not the only motivation for employees; they are also motivated by the self-satisfaction (increase their knowledge, promotion, or belong to a company of quality). This program permits the skills transfer also, to discuss of problems on the intranet (forums) Despite some â€Å"issues† such as measuring the efficiency right now of this system or the non-guarantee of effect between sales of product, stock price progress and quality; Honda is the company with the lowest annual recalls of cars. Bibliography IBT http://www.ibtimes.com/here-are-december-2013-big-eight-us-auto-sales-numbers-gm-ford-chrysler-toyota-honda-nissan-1525492, 16.04.2014 Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/11/us-toyota-recall-idUSBRE93A04D20130411, 16.04.2014 Toyota US http://toyotanews.pressroom.toyota.com/releases/tms+march+2014+sales+chart.htm, 16.04.2014

Intellectuar Property Rights in China :: Laws Technology Piracy Essays

Intellectuar Property Rights in China In recent years, the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in China has received enormous international attention. Over the past several decades, China has work slowly but steadily toward better intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. China has strengthened its legal framework and amended its IPR laws numerous times to extend the scope of protection. Currently, China IPR laws are well in line with the global IPR standards. For the rest of this paper, I would give a brief history of IPR laws, Chinafs efforts toward enforcing its IPR laws, the ethical analysis of piracy, and the solution to help reduce piracy. Software Piracy According to Business Software Alliance, about 94% of all the software currently used in China is illegally copy. This represent a three percent increased from 1991.1 Software piracy is flourishing in countries such as China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. Software piracy rate is escalated; thus robbing the global marketplace of hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in wages and tax revenue. It is estimated that piracy had caused about $11.8 billion losses worldwide.2 In addition, software piracy may become a barrier to innovation and product development around the world because piracy decreases the incentives and motivations for companies to research and develop new products. History of Chinafs IPR laws Since 1978, China has gradually improved its efforts toward protecting the IPR laws. Part of the improvement in IPR protection is due to the tremendous amount of pressure that the United States and other developing companies put on the Chinese government forcing it to comply with the global IPR standards. China has joined many international IPR conventions/organizations such as World Intellectual Property Organization, Paris Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property, and Universal Copyright Convention.3 By joining these conventions/organizations, China hopes to learn more about IPR laws, and thus able to incorporate them into its own IPR laws. Between 1980-1995, China has also passed patent, copyright, trademark laws, and computer software regulations, and unfair competition law. Some of these laws have been amended several times to extend the scope of protection. Recently, China successfully entered into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Its entry into the WTO s howed that China is seriously committed to the protection of IPR because now China needs to strengthen its legal framework and amended its IPR laws to comply with the WTO Agreement on Traded-Related Aspect of Intellectual

Of Gods and Men

Gods and Men Of Gods and Men tells the story of nine Therapist monks, seven of which, are tortured and executed by Islamic fundamentalists. They had received several threats from these fundamentalists. They were not sure of whether or not to leave their monastery, but ultimately decided on staying. Due to this decision, their monastery was invaded and they were held hostage by the Islamic fundamentalists. They were eventually executed. These monks were real Christians, Sectarians and I liked their community. These monks are the definition of model Christians.They devoted their whole lives to God and prayer. They spent every waking moment with the Lord. They live under the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Every single thing they do Is for God, and that requires a great amount of dedication. Monks truly exemplify model Christians. The monks In Of Gods and Men are Sectarians. This meaner they are Therapist monks. I could never be a nun or Sectarian monk. It requires way too muc h dedication and I love my Reilly 2 freedom. I could not Imagine a life of solitude without my family or friends. I definitely would not be able to live that way. I really like the monk community.They do not bother anyone and It sounds like they are genuinely great people. They are perfectly harmless to the world. Monks choose to live their peaceful lives on their own, separate from everyone else. They have chosen to live their life the way they do and do not force upon anyone their beliefs or opinions. I very much approve and like the monk community. Of Gods and Men gave me great Insight on Therapist monks. It also made me aware of all the horrible situations going on around the world, much like what happened In the movie. I enjoyed watching the movie. It was very heart-felt and well done.It was en of the best movies we have watched all year. By milkmaid the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Every single thing they do is for God, The monks in Of Gods and Men are Sectarians. This meaner they are Therapist freedom. I could not imagine a life of solitude without my family or friends. I I really like the monk community. They do not bother anyone and it sounds like beliefs or opinions. I very much approve and like the monk community. Of Gods and Men gave me great insight on Therapist monks. It also made me aware of all the horrible situations going on around the world, much like what happened in

Deviance: Nature vs. Nurture Essay

Every society has developed their own rules and principles, and every society contains those who break away from these norms and expectations. These people are called deviants. All societies throughout history have had these deviants who refuse to follow the rules set up by the community in which they live. Deviance is necessary, to some degree, for societies to advance. Without deviance, human culture would stagnate. The causes of deviance, like many other topics, is up for debate. Some say people are genetically determined to either be deviant or not, some say deviance is caused by the environment in which they grow up: nature, or nurture. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many families were studied in order to possibly find a connection between heredity and criminality or â€Å"feeble-mindedness† (feeble-mindedness was a term used in this time period that could mean a number of things: various forms of mental retardation, learning disabilities, and mental i llness). The two most well- known studies were of the Jukes and the Kallikak families. The Jukes were first studied in 1874 when a sociologist named Richard L. Dugdale studied the records of 13 prisons in New York. After researching a number of convicts’ genealogies, he found that there was a man, whom he gave the name Max, born somewhere between 1720 and 1740 who was the ancestor of 76 convicted criminals, 18 brothel owners, 120 prostitutes, over 200 people on welfare, and 2 cases of feeble-mindedness. In 1912, another study was published on the Jukes, this time by a man named Arthur H. Estabrook, who claimed Dugdale’s study hadn’t been thorough enough. Estabrook added more than 2,000 additional people into the group of subjects included under the pseudonym â€Å"Jukes,† raising the total to 2,820. The Kallikak family was first studied in the same year as the last study on the Jukes was published. Henry H. Goddard was an American psychologist who ran the New Jersey Home for the Education and Care of Feebleminded Children (now known as Vinel and Training School). In 1912, he began to study the genealogy of a woman in his facility, who he gave the pseudonym â€Å"Deborah Kallikak.† Goddard found that the woman’s great-great-great grandfather, Martin Kallikak, a Revolutionary War hero, at one point had an illegitimate child with a feeble-minded barmaid. This child, a son, had children of his own, who had their own children, and continued on through the generations. These descendants all wound up poor, insane, criminal, or mentally retarded. However, after further research into Martin Kallikak’s family tree, Goddard found that his other descendants, those not related to the feeble-minded barmaid, were completely different. These children grew up to be intelligent, prosperous, upright citizens; they went into careers like doctors, lawyers, and ministers. According to Dugdale, Estabrook, and Goddard, there is a very clear link between genetics and the behavior in which a person participates within their lifetime. These studies , however, are 100 years old. Some people would argue that unless more modern research is devoted to genetic-based deviance, that we cannot consider these studies valid today. There has been a significant amount of study given to genetically caused deviance, in particular to the MAOA gene. In a few different studies the low-expression variant of this gene, known as MAOA-L, has been linked to an increased risk of violence and aggressive behavior. The MAOA gene controls the production of monoamine oxidase A, an enzyme that lowers the body’s use of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. When the MAOA-L gene is present in a person, their body will use more of these neurotransmitters than normal, this can lead to sleep disorders, excessively impulsive or violent behaviors, and extreme mood swings. A 2006 study, headed by Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, found that people with the MAOA-L gene were more likely to have a smaller limbic system. The limbic system includes the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior thalami c nuclei, and the limbic cortex. These parts of the brain help to control emotion, behavior, and long-term memory. The study also found that the amygdala became hyper responsive when the participants with the MAOA-L gene were given a task such as copying a facial expression. The amygdala is a part of what controls emotional processing in the brain; the researchers hypothesized that this group would be less likely to inhibit strong emotional impulses. Studies such as these can give great support to the nature side of the deviance debate. On the nurture side of the argument, numerous studies on the effects of a divorce or broken home on a child have led to some convincing statistics. Children of divorced parents are about two times more likely to drop out of high school than those whose parents continued to be together. Females who grew up in a family where the parents divorced are roughly twice as likely to become teenage mothers than those living with non-divorced, biological parents. Seventy percent of long- term convicted criminals were raised in a broken home. While 75% of juvenile criminals who are considered a threat to the public also came from a divorced family. A perfect example of deviance being a result of environment and not genetics is a man named Richard Ramirez. Ramirez was born in 1960 and was the youngest of six children; he and his siblings all grew up surrounded by the same home environment. The difference for Richard being that around ten years old, his cousin, Mike, became a role model after returning from the war in Vietnam and receiving numerous awards and medals. However, Mike was not a positive influence on Ramirez; he showed Richard pictures of women in Vietnam whom he raped, and then showed him pictures of the same women after they had been brutally murdered. Mike taught Richard how to hunt effectively, and eventually introduced him to drugs and theft. What many consider the final trigger for Ramirez, about 11 years old at the time, was when he witnessed Mike kill his wife. In 1983 Richard Ramirez moved to the Los Angeles, California area; soon after, in June of 1984, Ramirez claimed his first victim. â€Å"The Night Stalker,† as he was eventually labeled, continued on a string of murders, rapes, and mutilations until he was incarcerated in August of 1985. Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders, 5 attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults, and 14 burglaries. He is currently on death row.

A Delocalized Electron Defined in Chemistry

A Delocalized Electron Defined in Chemistry A delocalized electron is an electron in an  atom, ion or molecule not associated with any single atom or a single covalent bond. In a ring structure, delocalized electrons are indicated by drawing a circle rather than single and double bonds. This means the electrons are equally likely to be anywhere along the chemical bond.Delocalized electrons contribute to the conductivity of the atom, ion, or molecule. Materials with many delocalized electrons tend to be highly conductive. Delocalized Electron Examples In a benzene molecule, for example, the electrical forces on the electrons are uniform across the molecule. The delocalization produces what is called a resonance structure. Delocalized electrons are also commonly seen in solid metals, where they form a sea of electrons that are free to move throughout the material. This is why metals are typically excellent electrical conductors. In the crystal structure of a diamond, the four outer electrons of each carbon atom participate in covalent bonding (are localized). Contrast this with bonding in graphite, another form of pure carbon. In graphite, only three of the four outer electrons are covalently bonded to other carbon atoms. Each carbon atom has a delocalized electron that participates in chemical bonding  but is free to move throughout the plane of the molecule. While the electrons are delocalized, graphite is a planar shape, so the molecule conducts electricity along the plane, but not perpendicular to it.

The environmental factors that effect turnip peroxidase Essays

The environmental factors that effect turnip peroxidase Essays The environmental factors that effect turnip peroxidase Paper The environmental factors that effect turnip peroxidase Paper The changing of pH, substrate concentrations, temperature, and an inhibitor (Niacin) and the effects it hade on the enzyme turnip peroxides. Enzymes are biological catalysts which increase reaction rates by lowering the activation energies of substrates. A substrate is a reactant that interacts with the enzyme. The enzyme and substrate can be viewed as the recently discovered induced fit model, which suggests enzymes are flexible and dynamic things that change their shape so all these substrates (reactants) can become catcalled when the activation energy is lowered and the reactions happen a lot faster. Sometimes in cells though it may not need a particular substrate (reactant) so an inhibitor comes into play. Inhibitors are basically regulators that inhibit (disallow) the process of catalysis to take place within a particular substrate. There are two types of inhibitors that occur in such reactions. Competitive inhibitors are remarkably similar to the substrate, so much that it can match interchangeably with the substrate, thus leading to a halt in the production of the intended product. Another variety of inhibitor is the electric inhibitors. Electric inhibitors change the shape of the enzyme by binding to a different site other the active site, which is the usual site for catalysis. Usually the electric inhibitors make contact with the side of the enzyme opposite the active site. In some occasions however an electric activator is introduced and functions by connecting to the enzyme in a way that it allows for easy access for a substrate to the active site. Electric activators are the opposite of electric inhibitors. These regulators (both inhibitive and active in function) help keep the cell in homeostasis by not allowing too much or too little of a added or not needed product to be produced.. Enzyme activity is also regulated by cofactors which are either metal ions (e. G. Zen+, MGM+) or small organic molecules (e. G. Commence A, AND, NADIA, and many vitamins in our diet like iron). Cofactors main is to work together with enzymes to enhance the catalytic activity and by stabilizing the transition state. The transition state is the second of three steps of catalytic action of an enzyme. The transition state and termination state are important in regards to cofactors because the cofactors allow interactions between the enzyme and substrate lowering the activation energy required. The goal of the following paper is to inform you the reader on how environmental conditions such as temperature, pH, salt (an electrolyte), and how substrate concentration itself effects the rate of reaction and properties of turnip peroxides. If optimal rates of reaction can be determined for each parameter, perhaps a farmer can grow his turnips more effective and efficiently rather than if he didnt know that surrounding temperature, pH, cofactors, and inhibitors can effect the outcome of how much crop yielded. Turnip peroxides may be insignificant to us because its just a part of a urn but we must realize that the following experiments can and do affect us just as much if not more than these lifeless turnips. Inside our bodies right now things are being catcalled and pH. Enrapture, the amount of a particular substrate, and the presence of electrolytes (or absence of) can effect how we function from day to day. For instance if you over eat if you over eat, your body can only release so many digestive enzymes to break down this food (which can be seen as the substrate) so rate of reaction doesnt increase because their isnt enough digestive enzymes to digest this ridiculous amount of food. Thus an increase a digestive enzym es can catalyst more food leading to higher rate of reaction and less of a tummy ache. So the wise choice would be to eat small portions of food (substrate) so the digestive enzymes can breakdown evenly the food and produce energy for the body rather than wasting energy to breakdown the large amount of food. Thus the common hypothesis is that an increase in substrate concentration will effect peroxides activity. The null hypothesis is that the concentration of substrate will no effect on activity. PH is derived from the French puissant d hydrogen, or power of hydrogen . (biological science). The pH scale is a scale that indicates whether a substance is acidic or basic. The scale ranges from pH zero (acidic) to pH 14(basic). An example of an acidic product is lemon juice and milk of magnesia would be a base. Products are considered acidic because they give up protons during chemical reactions while basic receive protons. (Biological science). Neutral 7 is the point of reference. An example of a neutral solution would be rain water. Knowing the natural pH of turnip peroxides would be interesting to see whether its acidic or basic and to see what affect the two actors (acidic or basic) have on rate of reaction. The following information led the group to believe that the effect of pH activity will increase or decrease the natural pH of turnip peroxides and effect activity. The null hypothesis is that pH will have no effect on peroxides activity. The effect of temperature on an enzyme depends on the plant. Some plants can exist and grow hot climate like the desert and others can grow in cold climates respectively. Plants are said to be incapable of adjusting to internal temperature so it must be flexible to allow growth to occur when the Enrapture outside is optimal. To figure out optimal temperature for turnip peroxides could lead to better methods of choosing climates for the harvest of these turnips. An important term to know when it comes to temperature and the protein property of the peroxides is the term denatured. Denomination OCCUrs when an enzyme (with protein properties) is misfiled and rendered inactive. High temperatures usually lead to denominations because the increase in temperature essentially cooks the protein in the peroxides. Thus the increase in temperature will either increase peroxides activity of hinder it. The null hypothesis would that temperature will not effect activity. Salt is an electrolyte. Meaning the salt molecules (Niacin) will dissolve completely in water and individual and opposite charges will be a byproduct. Thus the amino acid property of peroxides can be affected by the An+ and CLC- ions. Denomination can occur is exposed to a high concentration of salt. Knowing the natural salt content of the turnip peroxides and adding more or less quantities can tell us when the peroxides becomes highly active and eventually denatured. The concentration of salt effects peroxides activity. The null hypothesis is that it doesnt. The equipment needed to test the parameters of the enzyme activity include a spectrophotometer set at Mann, civets, pipettes with pipettes , pipette tips, paraffin squares, blender, Kim wipes. To get the spectrophotometer ready to read our reaction, we need to first set the wavelength to Mann. Then set front left knob to 0%(no light). Insert the reference blank (with water) then set to 100%(no light block). Hen finally you can insert the sample tube into the chamber and red absorbent from the lower scale and the front of the spectrophotometer. Note: be sure to use Kim wipes on civets to prevent fingerprints that could throw off data). Regents or chemicals needed include hydrogen peroxide (1 percent H2O from 3% stock solution), turnip peroxides, glacial, pH buffers, and NCAA. To obtain turnip peroxides the lab instructor blended g of turnip into mm of water then filtered through a pa filter. T o obtain the correct amount of substrate (h2o) and NCAA, the CIVIC ;c.v. equation was necessary. C equals concentration and v equals volume in the equation. To test the effect the effect of pH on reaction rate we prepared 4 sets of action mixtures that contained glacial, h2o, peroxides. And 4 civets containing P HAS 2, 5, 7, and 10. (Note: mix peroxides last because the reaction happens immediately). The cavetti with h2o and glacial are mixed and added to a blank. The pH 2 is then poured in the blank as well. Then finally the peroxides is added. With paraffin covered over the cavetti the mix is inverted a couple of time to mix. The solution will turn brown due to the loss of hydrogen of glacial. Immediately after mixture insert the civets into already set spectrophotometer. Once set begin recording absences (start at zero) every 15 seconds until three minutes have elapsed-after reading values for three minutes discard the mixture appropriately in the waste beaker and clean civets. Now you can test PHS 5,7, 10. To test the effect of substrate concentration on peroxides activity different concentrations of substrate, peroxides glacial and h2o (the substrate) are needed. The procedures of adding chemicals (different amounts for h2o) and peroxides apply. Begin recording absorbency (start at zero) every 15 seconds until three minutes have elapsed. After reading values for three minutes discard the mixture appropriately in the waste beaker and clean civets. Unknown can test PHS 5,7,10. To test the effect of temperature the same amounts of peroxides, glacial, h2o, are used instead of using different pHs we used just pH 7. To regulate temperatures we used water/ice baths a 71 degrees Celsius. All solutions but the indicator (glacial) need to be at the temperatures. When ready the tubes sitting in the baths can be mixed (1 cavetti with h2o and pH 7 buffer, glacial, and finally peroxides) and set in the spectrophotometer. Begin recording absorbency (start at zero) every 1 5 seconds until three minutes have elapsed. After reading values for three minutes discard the mixture appropriately in the waste beaker and clean civets To test the effects of NCAA activity simply get 1 ml solutions of and 2 percent concentrations of 5% stock solution using call=c.v.. Follow same instructions as done for the temperature experiment and remember to mix the enzyme last so you get accurate results. Begin recording absorbency (start at zero) every 15 seconds until three minutes have elapsed. After eating values for three minutes discard the mixture appropriately in the waste beaker and clean civets. Figure 1 . Graph of absorbency of tubes in which salt was added to the assays that already contained a pH buffer (2. 1 ml), h2o (. 2 ml), turnip peroxides(l ml) and ecological(. Ml). Discussion PH had the lowest absorbent and had pH 10 had the highest. Thus peroxides is more prone to being a base. In the varying concentration levels of hydrogen peroxide on peroxides activity showed 2% to be the least active while 1% had the highest rate of reaction. This shows that an increase of the OIC Hahn results in a decrease of inactivity due to denomination. In the affect of temperature on enzyme activity as temperature went up so did the reaction but at the expense of denaturing of the peroxides. For the NCAA effect on peroxides activity showed increase for absorbent for all percentages and at 3% of . 1 ml of salt had the greatest absorbent. This shows that an increase or decrease of 3 hundredths of a ml of NCAA solution is going to denature the turnip peroxides. The hypothesis of each parameter was approved and the null was mulled. NCAA concentration indeed have an effect on the peroxides activity based on the graphs. The temperature did effect whether protein became denatured or not. The higher the pH the more activity occurred in peroxides and showed pH to be optimal for turnip peroxides. The increase of substrate effected the peroxides activity by denaturing the toxic h2o. Some problems were encountered in all the parameters of experimentation. The time between the the transfer of the assays to the spectrophotometeraffects the absorbencys. This could be easily solved by having the assay right by the spectrophotometer to make sure the sample gets in before the enzyme reacts.

Laos Facts, History, and More

Laos Facts, History, and More Capital: Vientiane, 853,000 population Major cities: Savannakhet, 120,000; Pakse, 80,000; Luang Phrabang, 50,000; Thakhek, 35,000 Government Laos has a single-party communist government, in which the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) is the only legal political party. An eleven-member Politburo and a 61-member Central Committee make all laws and policies for the country. Since 1992, these policies have been rubber-stamped by an elected National Assembly, now boasting 132 members, all belonging to the LPRP. The head of state in Laos is the General Secretary and President, Choummaly Sayasone. Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong is the head of government. Population The Republic of Laos has approximately 6.5 million citizens, who are often divided according to altitude into lowland, Midland, and upland Laotians. The largest ethnic group is the Lao, who live mainly in the lowlands and makeup approximately 60% of the population. Other important groups include the Khmou, at 11%; the Hmong, at 8%; and more than 100 smaller ethnic groups that total about 20% of the population and comprise the so-called highland or mountain tribes. Ethnic Vietnamese also make up two percent. Languages Lao is the official language of Laos. It is a tonal language from the Tai language group that also includes Thai and the Shan language of Burma. Other local languages include Khmu, Hmong, Vietnamese and over 100 more. Major foreign languages in use are French, the colonial language, and English. Religion The predominant religion in Laos is Theravada Buddhism, which accounts for 67% of the population. About 30% also practice animism, in some cases alongside Buddhism. There are small populations of Christians (1.5%), Bahai and Muslims. Officially, of course, communist Laos is an atheistic state. Geography Laos has a total area of 236,800 square kilometers (91,429 square miles). It is the only land-locked country in Southeast Asia. Laos borders on Thailand to the southwest, Myanmar (Burma) and China to the northwest, Cambodia to the south, and Vietnam to the east. The modern western border is marked by the Mekong River, the regions major arterial river. There are two major plains in Laos, the Plain of Jars and the Plain of Vientiane. Otherwise, the country is mountainous, with only about four percent being arable land. The highest point in Laos is Phou Bia, at 2,819 meters (9,249 feet). The lowest point is the Mekong River at 70 meters (230 feet). Climate The climate of Laos is tropical and monsoonal. It has a rainy season from May to November, and a dry season from November to April. During the rains, an average of 1714 mm (67.5 inches) of precipitation falls. The average temperature is 26.5 °C (80 °F). Average temperatures over the year range from 34 °C (93 °F) in April to 17 °C (63 °F) in January. Economy Although the economy of Laos has grown at a healthy six to seven percent annually almost every year since 1986  when the communist government loosened central economic control and allowed private enterprise. Nonetheless, more than 75% of the workforce is employed in agriculture, despite the fact that only 4% of the land is arable. While the unemployment rate is only 2.5%, approximately 26% of the population live below the poverty line. Laoss primary export items are raw materials rather than manufactured goods: wood, coffee, tin, copper, and gold. The currency of Laos is the kip. As of July 2012, the exchange rate was $1 US 7,979 kip. History of Laos The early history of Laos is not well-recorded. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans inhabited what is now Laos at least 46,000 years ago, and that complex agricultural society existed there by about 4,000 BCE. Around 1,500 BCE, bronze-producing cultures developed, with complicated funeral customs including the use of burial jars such as those on the Plain of Jars. By 700 BCE, people in what is now Laos were manufacturing iron tools  and had cultural and trade contacts with the Chinese and Indians. In the fourth to eighth centuries CE, people on the banks of the Mekong River organized themselves into Muang, walled cities or petty kingdoms. The Muang were ruled by leaders who paid tribute to more powerful states around them. Populations included the Mon people of the Dvaravati kingdom and proto-Khmer peoples, as well as forebears of the mountain tribes. During this period, animism and Hinduism slowly mixed or gave way to Theravada Buddhism. The 1200s CE saw the arrival of ethnic Tai people, who developed small tribal states centered on semi-divine kings. In 1354, the kingdom of Lan Xang united the area that is now Laos, ruling until 1707, when the kingdom split into three. The successor states were Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champasak, all of which were tributaries of Siam. Vientiane also paid tribute to Vietnam.   In 1763, the Burmese invaded Laos, also conquering Ayutthaya (in Siam). A Siamese army under Taksin routed the Burmese in 1778, placing what is now Laos under more direct Siamese control. However, Annam (Vietnam) took power over Laos in 1795, holding it as a vassal until 1828. Laoss two powerful neighbors ended up fighting the Siamese-Vietnamese War of 1831-34 over control of the country. By 1850, the local rulers in Laos had to pay tribute to Siam, China, and Vietnam, although Siam exerted the most influence.   This complicated web of tributary relationships did not suit the French, who were accustomed to the European Westphalian system of nation-states with fixed borders. Having already seized control of Vietnam, the French next wanted to take Siam. As a preliminary step, they used Laoss tributary status with Vietnam as a pretext to seize Laos in 1890, with the intent of continuing on to Bangkok. However, the British wanted to preserve Siam as a buffer between French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) and the British colony of Burma (Myanmar).  Siam remained independent, while Laos fell under French imperialism. The French Protectorate of Laos lasted from its formal establishment in 1893 to 1950, when it was granted independence in name but not in fact by France. True independence came in 1954  when France withdrew after its humiliating defeat by the Vietnamese at Dien Bien Phu. Throughout the colonial era, France more or less neglected Laos, focusing on the more accessible colonies of Vietnam and Cambodia instead. At the Geneva Conference of 1954, the representatives of the Laotian government and of Laoss communist army, the Pathet Lao, acted more as observers than participants. As a sort of afterthought, Laos has designated a neutral country with a multi-party coalition government including Pathet Lao members. The Pathet Lao was supposed to disband as a military organization, but it refused to do so.  Just as troubling, the United States refused to ratify the Geneva Convention, afraid that communist governments in Southeast Asia would prove to correct the Domino Theory of spreading communism. Between independence and 1975, Laos was embroiled in a civil war that overlapped with the Vietnam War (American War). The famous Ho Chi Minh Trail, a vital supply line for the North Vietnamese, ran through Laos.  As the US war effort in Vietnam faltered and failed, the Pathet Lao gained an advantage over its non-communist foes in Laos. It gained control of the entire country in August  1975. Since then, Laos has been a communist nation with close ties to neighboring Vietnam and, to a lesser degree, China.

Navigating Information Technology Management and Communication in the Research Paper

Navigating Information Technology Management and Communication in the new global economy - Research Paper Example In order to undertake these strategies communication effectiveness becomes a determining factor. Effective communications and information technologies can enable an organization to make a successful acquisition and enter a foreign market or even share workers with other organizations. The downside of this is that there are many issues that may dodge the realization of such benefits. Some of these issues that pose challenges include language barriers, cultural differences and security risks in the form of economic fluctuations and social unrests (Frynas and Mellahi, 2011). This paper investigates and identifies information technology and communication challenges and then provides recommendations in form of the best practices so that organizations can dodge these potential for failure. Information technology has been growing exponentially in the last three decades. This has enabled companies to penetrate the markets that were once out of reach. The US, for instance, had its major trading partners in the Western European countries, Australia, and China (Sekkat, 2010). With the growth of information technology and the apparent saturation of the domestic market, business organizations are now looking at emerging markets such as Brazil, India and many Asian and African countries. These countries are increasingly adopting information technologies and this makes them viable business partners (Meyer and Wit, 2004). Their potentials have not been tapped yet and this provides an opportunity for multinational organizations to maximize their profitability. However, the issues that are going to be discussed herein after may necessitate an organization to develop strategies in order to survive in these foreign countries with different languages, diverse cultural backgrounds an d economic environments and volatility. Organizations that have been able to develop business and corporate strategies

The Framework of Marriage and Family Counseling Essay

The Framework of Marriage and Family Counseling - Essay Example These models developed over time to facilitate the management of age-old conflicts and modern concerns in the face of rapidly changing responsibilities of counseling practitioners. From the exposition of the five models and supporting research findings, the framework of marriage and family counseling may, therefore, be viewed as an aggregation of elements having specific applications to various issues for the purpose of keeping the family intact and functional as one, happy, cohesive social unit. â€Å"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way† goes a popularly quoted line from the opening of a classic novel Anna Karenina (Tolstoy, trans. 2003). The quotation serves a significant and fitting introduction to an academic paper that tackles the framework of marriage and family counseling. From prose to reality, most counselors would concur with Tolstoy and with me that, indeed, â€Å"every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,† owing to individual differences and a whole lot of factors. However, families may seek assistance from marriage and family counseling practitioners to guide them either in the context of individual or group sessions to assuage issues. The fact that families are different and unique have given way to the establishment of a host of techniques, strategies, and models to facilitate counseling efforts and either bring back or continue on with happy family living. This paper tackles a review of existing literature on the framework of marriage and family counseling by going over both time-tested and newer models used by counselors in their practice. A combination of academic texts and peer-reviewed journals provided rich sources of materials for this paper. From the existing literature and studies, it became apparent that counselors apply different techniques and intervention models that will fit

Effects of alum sludge and its application to farmland Research Paper

Effects of alum sludge and its application to farmland - Research Paper Example Even though I developed the insights within time constraints for completing the research, a reflection of the elements and further research has increased my knowledge and skills in completing a research report, a basis upon which I evaluate my research report. The most positive aspect of my experience in the research is completion of the research section. My preliminary research into the research identified significance of the results section and my efforts met the section’s role of describing collected data comprehensively. My results section described collected data from the experiment and offered necessary insights such as the optimal pH level for phosphorous absorption, 12, and negative effects of alum sludge on the level slaking and dispersion of soil. Data analysis section is another aspect of the experience that has highly positive (Ward, n.d.). The methods section however identifies the least positive aspects of the research experience. I was not able to incorporate essentials of the section’s elements such as definition of research design, research methods, data collection tools and their reliability and validity, as well as threats of researcher’s bias. My introduction into the report also failed to identify a research problem and research objectives and my literature review was not sufficient to establish a problem statement towards research questions and hypothesis into informed methodology (Rudestam and Newton, 2007; Gravetter and Forzano, 2010). Methodology section is the most significant area that I most plan to improve in because while it is core to the research process and determines validity and reliability of collected data besides the ability to collect desired data for analysis, the section was poorly developed. Even though its scope is wide, I have identified each of the aspects that must be considered for a proper methodology section. I therefore

NO TOPIC JUST DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NO TOPIC JUST DISCUSSION QUESTIONS - Dissertation Example It is one’s contention that the change was managed successfully paving the way for various suppliers and customers to take advantage of advanced communication, computer, and mobile services at increasing volume and decreasing costs. Despite the efficiency and success of contemporary organizations in the industry, future challenges come in terms of continued reliability and sustainability of the system as well as controls in costs of both telecommunications equipment and services. Discussion Question 2: The force field analysis is a viable tool to initiate changes at work through the identification and evaluation of both driving forces and forces of resistance. As indicated, through brainstorming, one is made to clearly itemize these forces and determine which force/s have greater intensities that could assist in the accomplishment of identified change goals.

The Role of Women in Global Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Role of Women in Global Politics - Essay Example There are many agencies which would promote equality in politics including IDEA or the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the United Nations, and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. This is an exploration of women's political participation in the world today. Along with that will be an exploration of individual regions in regard to women's political participation and strategies and recommendations including quotas toward engaging women in the political processes worldwide. According to the United Nations, the first country to grant women the right to vote was New Zealand in 1893. The UN continues to state that only twenty-eight women worldwide have been elected as heads of state or government in this century. Women currently would only hold 11.7 percent of the seats in the world's parliaments. The first and currently only equally distributed male and female diplomatic cabinet belonged to Sweden in 1995. The United Nations is not immune to the distortions of men and women within its ranks having only seven women serving amidst a total of 185 of the highest-ranking diplomats. Between the years 1987 and 1996, the percentage of female cabinet ministers worldwide rose from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. Women have been facing many obstacles to their participation in ... This figure has increased over the year, but it has only increased a very minimal percent so even now, women in politics still remains distant. In order to manage increasing the level of female representation and participation in decision-making, the various governing and decision-making bodies require well-developed strategies and information on which measures have worked successfully in different countries with different political systems. IDEA remains committed to the provision of comparative information on how to advance gender and democratic issues in general, and how then to promote participation and representation of women in political life specifically. In a performance, 27 women had won political seats in the second legislative chamber known as the DPD. These 27 women would constitute more than one fifth of total membership of what media outlets have termed the "senate". The fact that more than twenty percent of the DPD seats were won by women was unexpected as a whole under the consideration that Indonesia's first democratic elections are so very recent, having occurred in 1999. A slight percentage, only nine percent, of women had captured seats in the House of Representatives. Factors affecting this would include that the electoral system used for the DPD is known to be disadvantageous for women candidates. The Pakistani political system of reservations for women would be 17 percent of seats in the national and provincial assemblies and 30 percent of seats in district and council assemblies. Dr. Reyes noted that it would be especially important to provide support and training for women in Pakistan who would be elected for these reserved seats. "Ms. Norden explained how in Sweden the system

2012 Movie Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

2012 Movie Critique - Essay Example The movie, that was released on November 13, 2009, has been produced by Harald Kloser, Mark Gordon and Larry Franco, and the executive producers include Roland Emmerich, Ute Emmerich, and Michael Wimer. Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser, and starring some of the very talented actors of the time, John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover, 2012 takes us to an exotic ride where our minds give birth to many questions and enjoy the discovery of many answers at the same time. The synopsis section of Sony Pictures Digital Inc. (2010) states that, â€Å"Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. ‘2012’ is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.† This report tends to critically analyze different elements of the movie. The thesis statement is that t he Hollywood and the entire entertainment industry can expertly and creatively interpret science, history and archeology to produce an astounding artifact that can excite the whole population making them defer their skepticism for some time. Let’s explore the movie and its filmic elements to find out how much the movie collaborates with our thesis statement. Storyline Critically analyzing the storyline, it must be said that it is quite asinine. However, the disaster scenes are hilarious. The story begins with Dr. Adrian Helmsley, who belongs to an international geophysical team, examining the effect of radiation from exceptional solar storms on earth. During his investigation, he learns that the earth’s temperature is rising. He informs the President about the earth’s conditions and warns him that if he does not take proper measures to stop the anticipated damage, the whole mankind will be ruined with the disaster that is expected to come with the heating up of the earth. Jackson Curtis, a writer, comes up with the same information after he meets Charlie Frost on his camping trip to Yosemite. Charlie Frost is shown preaching that the world is heading towards its end as predicted by the Mayan calendar. World’s leaders from industrialized countries are shown building four massive arks with billions of Euros to save their wealthy families from the approaching disaster instead of thinking about common people. They have no idea how their arks will survive the doom if the catastrophe is the prophetic prediction. No sooner than later, strong volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and sun storms converting into tsunamis, surround the planet creating havoc all around the humankind. The movie ends showing the recession of the tsunamis merging all continents. The survivors include Adrian, Laura, Jackson and his family. Acting The cast of 2012 contains some of the best actors that have made the story look like real. The cast includes John Cusack as ' Jackson Curtis', Amanda Peet as 'Kate Curtis', Chiwetel Ejiofor as 'Adrian Helmsley', Oliver Platt as 'Carl Anheuser', Thandie Newton as 'Laura Wilson’, Danny Glover as 'President Thomas Wilson', Woody Harrelson as 'Charlie Frost', Tom McCarthy as 'Gordon Silberman', Liam James as 'Noah Curtis', Morgan Lily as 'Lilly Curtis', Zlatko Buric as 'Yuri Karpov', Johann Urb as 'Sasha', Chin Han as 'Tenzin', and Beatrice Rosen as 'Tamara'. Since, the movie focuses more on the disaster and the pulsating catastrophic scenes, the acting comes at a secondary position. While watching the movie, we actually do not care what the rate of acting is. We focus more on the

The Role of Women in Global Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Role of Women in Global Politics - Essay Example There are many agencies which would promote equality in politics including IDEA or the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the United Nations, and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. This is an exploration of women's political participation in the world today. Along with that will be an exploration of individual regions in regard to women's political participation and strategies and recommendations including quotas toward engaging women in the political processes worldwide. According to the United Nations, the first country to grant women the right to vote was New Zealand in 1893. The UN continues to state that only twenty-eight women worldwide have been elected as heads of state or government in this century. Women currently would only hold 11.7 percent of the seats in the world's parliaments. The first and currently only equally distributed male and female diplomatic cabinet belonged to Sweden in 1995. The United Nations is not immune to the distortions of men and women within its ranks having only seven women serving amidst a total of 185 of the highest-ranking diplomats. Between the years 1987 and 1996, the percentage of female cabinet ministers worldwide rose from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. Women have been facing many obstacles to their participation in ... This figure has increased over the year, but it has only increased a very minimal percent so even now, women in politics still remains distant. In order to manage increasing the level of female representation and participation in decision-making, the various governing and decision-making bodies require well-developed strategies and information on which measures have worked successfully in different countries with different political systems. IDEA remains committed to the provision of comparative information on how to advance gender and democratic issues in general, and how then to promote participation and representation of women in political life specifically. In a performance, 27 women had won political seats in the second legislative chamber known as the DPD. These 27 women would constitute more than one fifth of total membership of what media outlets have termed the "senate". The fact that more than twenty percent of the DPD seats were won by women was unexpected as a whole under the consideration that Indonesia's first democratic elections are so very recent, having occurred in 1999. A slight percentage, only nine percent, of women had captured seats in the House of Representatives. Factors affecting this would include that the electoral system used for the DPD is known to be disadvantageous for women candidates. The Pakistani political system of reservations for women would be 17 percent of seats in the national and provincial assemblies and 30 percent of seats in district and council assemblies. Dr. Reyes noted that it would be especially important to provide support and training for women in Pakistan who would be elected for these reserved seats. "Ms. Norden explained how in Sweden the system

Shell Oil Company and the Technology Management Issues That It Faces Research Proposal

Shell Oil Company and the Technology Management Issues That It Faces - Research Proposal Example This report stresses that Shell uses a wide variety of technologies to deliver hydrocarbon fuels that are essential for all types of transport systems on which humanity has come to depend upon so heavily. The unquenchable thirst for hydrocarbon fuels has today forced oil firms to produce in deep oceans, but it makes sense to try to develop radically new systems, especially for transport. After all, hydrocarbon fuels are responsible for climate change and environmental degradation that cannot be sustained. Thus, radical new ideas are needed for new transport systems. However, the array of technology on which Shell depends is so vast that it is impossible for this company to assist in developing everything. Immediate benefits are possible from technology improvements in areas that are of interest to Shell production and operation, but being an energy company with a transport focus Shell is likely to benefit from anything that can reshape energy systems for transport. This paper makes a conclusion that Shell can continue to identify and develop the best and most promising, but it should also try to invest in the long-term future of humankind. Energy, the environment and climate are the long-term future because with the best of the previously mentioned, it will be difficult to continue to have a secure future. Multinationals must now try to look beyond the immediate future and their short-term profits. Attempts have to be made to try to develop solutions for the long term and efforts cannot remain confined to government or the public sector only.

African American Theatre 2 Essay Example for Free

African American Theatre 2 Essay African American Theater started out, hundreds of years ago, as a foundation of amusement for the black community. The theater was a place where African Americans, equally men and women, could work, study, and perfect their expertise. The beginning of African American theater set in motion back in the 1830’s, and it eventually became one of America’s most prevalent sources of entertainment Over the course of over one and a half decades, there has been an apparent transformation within the dominion of African American theater. For example, African Americans have prevailed over the intense burden of subjugation in forms such as political affairs, comfortable residency and most significantly, equal human rights. One of the most apparent leisure pursuits that were in remission from African-Americans came in the appearance of the performing arts, more particularly film. During this time, the society in general would not permit, for example, blacks to drink from the same water fountain, so to share the same onstage experiences or television effects was, without a doubt, not even simply prohibited but unheard of. However, as time went by, the potency of the hopeful African American actors and actresses weighed down the greater part of the general society, and society ceased being able to keep African Americans from appearing on stage and on television. For the longest time, the stage became and stayed the only way for African Americans to communicate the deep sorrow and oppression that the society, particularly the white population, had placed in front of them. Through acting, in addition to both singing and dancing, African Americans were able to, mentally and spiritually, go to a place that no tormenter could find them. With this new form of communication, African Americans found a new method of endurance, and acting was the fundamental technique. Even though the African American actors and actresses were forced to take the road of continued existence in the theater to gain self contentment, it was, as an understatement, not unproblematic. For the longest moments in time, African American actors and actresses were not permitted to step foot on stage. However, black actors were instead ridiculed by Caucasian actors in what they called black face. Black face was a performance where white actors and actresses would literally conceal their faces with black paint and makeup, so as to imitate an African American actor. From this falsification of the hopeful actors, derogatory names such as Tom, Mulatto, Mammy, Coon, and Buck resulted. Similar to Black Face, there was what is called Minstrel Shows. Minstrel shows, which consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, ridiculed and made fun of African Americans in the most disapproving ways. According to these shows, black people were looked upon as ignorant, lazy, and unreasonable, but also cheerful and melodious. Broadway, which is the heart of theater for Americans, had been closed to blacks for more than a decade. However, this was only until the African American musical â€Å"Shuffle Along† turned out to be a runaway success, which some historians believe was the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance. The first African American play to be produced on Broadway was The Chip Womans Fortune in 1923, written by Willis Richardson. In the year of 1959, Lorraine Hansberry, a famous playwright, became the first African American woman to have her play produced and performed on Broadway. Hansberry’s play, titled A Raisin in the Sun, became an outlet for a continual assembly of plays by African American playwrights who often brought their own individual occurrences in the great effort in opposition to racial discrimination to the theater plays that they produced. . By the revolving of this period, the minstrel show enjoyed but a shadow of its former popularity, having been replaced for the most part by vaudeville. It survived as professional entertainment until about 1910; amateur performances continued until the 1960s in high schools, fraternities, and local theaters. As blacks began to score legal and social victories against racism and to successfully assert political power, minstrelsy lost popularity. The typical minstrel performance followed a three-act structure. The troupe first danced onto stage then exchanged wisecracks and sang songs. The second part featured a variety of entertainments, including the pun-filled stump speech. The final act consisted of a slapstick musical plantation skit or a send-up of a popular play. Minstrel songs and sketches featured several stock characters, most popularly the slave and the dandy. These were further divided into sub-archetypes such as the mammy, her counterpart the old darky, the provocative mulatto wench, and the black soldier. Minstrels claimed that their songs and dances were authentically black, although the extent of the black influence remains debated. Spirituals (known as jubilees) entered the repertoire in the 1870s, marking the first undeniably black music to be used in minstrelsy. Blackface minstrelsy was the first distinctly American theatrical form. In the 1830s and 1840s, it was at the core of the rise of an American music industry, and for several decades it provided the lens through which white America saw black America. On the one hand, it had strong racist aspects; on the other, it afforded white Americans a singular and broad awareness of significant aspects of African American culture.

A Bond between Sisters :: Personal Narrative

A Bond between Sisters The kitchen is sweltering, like everywhere else in the house, so the ice melts quickly as I drop it into the pitcher of freshly brewed mint tea. A fly buzzes around my head, and I try not to flinch as I pour five glasses of the light green liquid. One is for dad, who is in the garden picking tomatoes, another for mom who is diligently preparing for tomorrow's birthday party, and one is for my youngest sister Rachel who is running around the neighborhood with her dog. I take a sip from one of the remaining cups and carry the last to my other sister, Anna. Though I have not heard from her in hours, I know she will be sitting in the same position I last saw her: reclined on the porch chair, feet rested on the railing, and mind deeply lost in her newest science fiction or fantasy novel. "Anna, would you like some tea," I offer as the screen door slams behind me. She doesn't move. "Anna," I try again, this time touching her shoulder with my elbow. She turns her chin towards me, but her eyes continue scanning the page until she has reached an appropriate stopping point. She lifts her slightly glazed, hazel eyes towards mine, unwilling to disengage from the world created by Anthony Piers or Terry Brooks. The corners of her mouth curl upwards, eyes slightly squinting from the bright sunlight, and she reaches out her empty hand, decorated with an intricate henna design, to grasp the sweating glass of tea. My sister and parents have settled on henna as an acceptable form of body art, as opposed to piercings, tattoos, or even hair dye. My sister's artistic talents and desire to decorate herself have been evident since she was little when she longed for the day she could wear the makeup that mom donned every Sunday. One morning, my sister's desire and daring five-year-old spirit got the better of her, and she snuck a tube of bright red lipstick to church. Our mother was mortified, but most of the congregation thought it amusing to see Anna's crimson lips. Anna's artistic side has manifested itself in many other ways. She carried a sketchbook, making drawings of the various churches we visited, our family, or the creatures in her imagination. In her late elementary school years, Anna discovered the joy of using beads to make jewelry.

Analysis of a Survey Essay -- Truth Honesty Essays

Analysis of a Survey As children, most of us were probably taught the basic lessons of life. Our families tried to instill in us a sense of right and wrong, good versus bad. One of the first lessons we were taught was that of honesty. A related concept of honesty is truth. Truth is a concept we understand as children but eventually learn to manipulate as adults. The dictionary states that honesty "implies a refusal to lie, steal or deceive in any way." However, formal definitions of both truth and honesty contain similar phrases, that is, adherence to or dealing with facts. The terms may or may not be interchangeable, but they are similar in that their foundations are rooted in fact. Telling the truth usually means dealing with the consequences. Sometimes this moment of reckoning is instantaneous. Lying has its consequences as well, but for the most part, these can be postponed to a later date and time. I presume this is one of the reasons why we lie in the first place. As adults, I believe that the vast majority of us have twisted or stretched the truth at one time another in order to serve ourselves better. Is this right or wrong? This line of thought triggered contemplation on one of life's mysteries--is honesty truly the best policy? Many of my friends and colleagues were aware that I had been coping with a situation where people were lying to me. In my case, the consequences were devastating and these people knew I had been extremely hurt and angry. However, in related conversations regarding these circumstances, I was astounded to learn that not everyone shared my opinion that lying was wrong. I had a difficult time accepting this notion but these people insisted that there were times when it was better not to t... .... The difficulty here would be in making the questions as non-threatening as possible. If a respondent felt uncomfortable with the survey, the results could be skewed. I also feel that additional queries would provide the data necessary to make more thought provoking assumptions and analysis. Nevertheless, I found that conducting this survey was an educational experience and one I would not mind repeating. I feel that truth and honesty are closely intertwined. I believe that if you are honest, whether it be with yourself or another person, the truth will come out. I discovered through this survey that things are sometimes not as obvious as they may seem. More importantly, I saw that honesty is something that often must be measured and weighed before being presented. Though I prefer honesty to lies, I can understand how it could throw equilibrium out of balance.

Research And Ethics Essay

Conducting a qualitative research is not an easy task. Aside from considerations regarding gathering data, looking up literature and other sources related to the study, and such, researchers engaged in qualitative studies should also consider ethical issues in order to provide results that are not only reliable and valid but also acceptable in terms of morality and standard principles. For qualitative researches to exhibit the qualities of ethically accepted studies, they should comply with certain principles and guidelines. These principles and guidelines include simple yet socially acceptable rules such as respecting the rights and human dignity of other people, providing research results that are highly beneficial and contributive, adhering to fairness and equality, and presenting the truth and nothing but the truth. (Gonzales-Perez, 2007) One specific ethical issue in qualitative research is exploitation. This is a highly significant matter because it is related to the researcher’s relationship to the participants. Researchers should always respect participants avoiding exploitation, such that researchers do not impose power over them. (Gonzales-Perez, 2007) For instance, a researcher takes advantage of the vulnerability of child or female participants by imposing power and authority and drawing from them personal and sensitive information that violates the privacy of human beings. (Gonzales-Perez, 2007) Exploitation does not meet the responsibility of researchers over the security and welfare of the participants. Personal and sensitive information that will be presented in the research obtained from exploitation will not make the research study ethically or morally acceptable, annulling its reliability and validity as a research case. (Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research, 2008) Another ethical issue is the researcher’s responsibility to inform participants of the true nature of the research. This is based on the founding principles of qualitative research which states that the researcher should always protect participants from harm. Researchers should be able to inform participants of events that will follow the research process, such as the processes, operations, requirements, and such, in order for both the participants and the researcher to become aware of possible risks or threats. Considering the health of a participant is one possible consideration. For instance, the research study focuses on the effect of food to mood or emotions. The participant should be informed of the process, as a standard operating procedure, in order to determine problems, such as food allergies, and such. In addition, researchers should also obtain consent from participants before continuing the operation of the research process. This is one of the major responsibilities of the researcher as an advocate for human rights and dignity in terms of personal safety and wellbeing. In doing so, harm and catastrophes will be avoided. (Gonzales-Perez, 2007) The third ethical issue concerning qualitative research is misrepresentations of information covered by the research study. Opportunities for misrepresentations will not make the research study valid and reliable, simply because its content is open to many interpretations and points of view. The purpose of the research process is to provide information that is clear and direct, stating facts that represent the preciseness of data. Misrepresentation defeats this purpose. This violates ethical standards and guidelines because misrepresentations hold risks and threats, especially if data or information is interpreted in the wrong way. (Gonzales-Perez, 2007) Imagine a research study focusing on health practices that will protect the safety and wellbeing of the patients. Suppose the research study concludes with suggestions that will assist health care professionals in caring for their patients. If the information is interpreted wrongly, health care professionals might commit mistakes that will endanger the lives of their patients. Abiding by ethical issues and considerations, when conducting qualitative research, is highly important. Following ethics in qualitative research determines the nature and quality of the results and the research itself – whether it is acceptable, conducted in good faith, and is beneficial to the public. Researcher should always keep in mind that they are highly responsible for the results, whether desirable or undesirable, that might arise from the research study. Therefore, following ethical standards and guidelines is a must in order to go about the research process in a correct, accurate, and appropriate way. Resources Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research. (2008). Retrieved October 18, 2008, from SA Health Info. Website: http://www. sahealthinfo. org/ethics/ethicsqualitative. htm Gonzales-Perez, M. A. (2007). Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research. Retrieved October 18, 2008, from The Community Knowledge Initiative. Website: http://www. nuigalwaycki. ie/admin/documents/Ethical_Issues. pdf

Cleanliness Champions

Hand Decontamination With the outbreak of antibiotic resilient infections, infection control is becoming a major concern for health groups all over the world (WHO, 2011). The risk of infection can be reduced by using three types of hand washing known as social, hygienic and surgical methods (HAI, 2011). Social hand washing is a useful method for removing dirt and transient micro-organisms. Using soap or an alcohol-based gel if hands are not soiled, vigorously clean your hands using the eight stages of hand-washing.This can stop transmission of the transient micro-organisms when in direct contact with patients (NHS, 2009). Alcohol-based hand rubs or gels should not be used alone when infection is present as this alone will not kill the spores for infection such as clostridium difficile. After washing hands must be dried properly as failure to do this can increase the transfer of bacteria (Nottingham University Hospitals, 2011). Hygienic hygiene not only removes transient microorganism s but also reduces resident microorganisms.This is used when preparing to work in a sterile environment, during an outbreak situation or following contact with bodily fluids. Use an antiseptic hand cleanser when washing and vigorously follow the eight steps of hand-washing. After drying properly then apply an alcohol-based hand rub and repeat the eight stages (NHS, 2011). Surgical scrubbing is a longer and more thorough antiseptic wash of both the hands and forearms. Before a surgical procedure this method is designed to remove as many of the micro-organisms as possible.It involves systematic washing and scrubbing of the hands and forearms using the most effective antibacterial cleansing agent available. Sterile gown and glove procedures are performed following the surgical scrub (NHS, 2010). Effective hand washing can break the chain of infection which is known as: the infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry and host. If the chain remains intact then infection will develop, therefore, nurses must wash their hands before, during and after ontact with a patient and their environment. This will consequently stop the infection progressing while ensuring micro-organisms do not build up in the environment. Direct and indirect contact transmission involves contact with a contaminated object which may be unwashed hands or gloves that are not changed between patients (HAI, 2011). One of the main principles of good hygiene is the use of personal protective equipment as this forms a skin barrier. It is important to ensure the equipment is intact and decontaminated.The decision to use or wear personal protective equipment must be based on risk assessment associated with the patient care activity or intervention. Personal protective equipment includes: gloves, masks, eyewear, caps, gowns, aprons and other items (HAI, 2011). The Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) advises that gloves be worn whenever there is a reasonable likeli hood that hands will be in contact with blood or other potentially infectious material, mucous, non-intact skin or when handling contaminated items or surfaces.The safe use and disposal of sharps is essential in protecting each and every individual from contamination and injury. The sharps bin can be used to dispose of medical supplies such as needles and syringes. After the use of needles they must be immediately disposed of in the sharps bin (NHS, 2011). All healthcare workers must be aware of their responsibility in avoiding needle stick injuries (NHS, 2007).

Interest groups in the U.S. politics Essay

The United States is a democratic country, which supports non-violent political and social movements, seeking different improvements in the U. S. domestic and international policies. That is to say, the requirements of interest groups are not always met, because whereas various types of interest groups are acknowledged, there still exist those factions, which have narrow social base and whose political presentation is limited in scope, as a rule, to financial interests of their members. For instance, the sugar lobbies (such as SIG) represent the opinion of 10, 000 -15,000 farmers, who call for the restriction of import of sugar and for the special social programs for sugar farmers. Such factions are usually intended as those with narrow interests and their founders and members lobby these interests in special moments and periods, when the atmosphere becomes more conductive for promotion –for instance, when they find out that the imported sugar does not fir into the international quality standards, or before the elections (Elhauge, 2002). Special interest groups are usually distinguished from â€Å"constituency-representing organizations, which have a broad social base, address a wide range of issues, and balance members’ interests with a strong commitment to the commonwealth† (Etzioni, 1990, p. 172). These organizations might pursue such non-financial interests as those related to social status, value issues in addition to financial ones, for instance the Urban League represents the interests of urban residents and seek environmental, social and political changes in large cities. â€Å"While the public views interest groups as threatening pluralistic democracy, the conventional wisdom of political science has seen them as beneficial† (ibid). In fact, it is possible to assume from the present situation, that the most beneficial activity is related to the constituency-representation. Furthermore, special interest groups are likely to bring problems to larger factions, due to dynamic interactions between political parties, movements and non-profit organizations. Small factions pursuing narrow goals are also more likely to use ‘black PR’ technologies, directed to changing public attitudes towards certain political parties and either to increase or to decrease loyalty rates. On the other hand, the eradication of small ‘narrowly-specialized’ factions is neither possible nor useful, as the statement that competing factions (Mcwilliams, 1988) are likely to reduce each other, is valid only for small groups, whose interests are temporary. On the contrary, constituency-representing organizations are more likely to produce long-term programs including political, economic, social and cultural dimensions of human life. â€Å"The balance between interest groups and the shared polity is maintained most effectively when the pro-community forces rise up, but not higher than, the level they are able to contain but not suppress interest groups† (Mcwilliams, 1988, A9). Moreover, the role of factions is viewed in the context of the historical development of the United States. Over the last three decades, the American political institutions have become less integrated, and the power of factions has increased. On the other hand, due to the growth of their number, it is much more difficult nowadays to maintain the balance between the main political course and the consent between the state and narrower interest groups (Etzioni, 1990). It would be also important to mention the functions of interest groups. First of all they serve as a supplementary force that intensifies the public opinion representation, especially during the electoral process. Moreover, they make the political process more receptive comparing to the electoral process, which is intended as a domination of majorities, while factions are more likely to have goals, which are cohesive with the main wishes of social and national minorities; and thus they serve as a mediating force standing between the person and the state. Interest groups are known to improve the disproportionate separation of the legislative and the executive branches, because their propositions of legislative changes are logically supplemented by similar propositions for the executive branch. Another important cultural function is associated with the growth of political consciousness and political culture as well as the amount of political information in media, which represents a number of standpoints. At all times interest groups and political parties served an indicator of public consciousness and diversity as well as intensified political antagonism, especially in the most critical periods: for instance, during the Vietnamese military invasion, Carter’s position were actually weakened by interest groups, including the most peaceful youth movements, dissatisfied with the resolution of Iranian hostage crisis. As a rule, interest groups arise in the most conductive atmosphere (liberal or democratic regime), in which human rights and freedoms are declared. Political, economic and social factions can originate from professional unions or leagues (like social workers’ professional organization), which seek to represent the opinions of their professional group or their customers’ viewpoint (for instance, social workers nowadays initiate law enforcement and the adoption of certain legal acts as well as get directly involved in lobbyist activities). The discontent with government policies is another important recondition for the arousal of an interest group: political activity is actually determined by the existing economic and social policies, so it’s easy to predict, for instance, the activation of industrial unions, when under the pressure of ecological groups, the U. S. government or certain local authorities put additional taxation on enterprises, dealing with toxic substances or with oil and natural gas. It is also important to note that interest groups will exist as long as the democratic system exists, because it is impossible to satisfy the needs of the whole society with respect to its diversity. Consequently, those concerns, which have already been satisfied, are likely to be replaced by new demands. This means, human needs are immeasurable and never-ending, whereas material resources are limited, so the U. S. government today can provide only partial gratification of political claims. Furthermore, the issue of representation is also quite contradictory: on the one hand, the growth of diversity among political parties signifies positive dynamics in this sense, on the other hand, due to the increase of public consciousness, the diversity in worldviews has grown disproportionably to the number of existing factions, so that even small groups (families, local communities) seek social or economic support, but in this case we cannot speak about true representation, since their influence is insufficient to initiate the changes at legislative or executive levels. The representation of each citizen’s interests is a utopia, as at the present time only large (more than 100,000 members) interest groups can achieve representation, can be heard, if speaking figuratively. Furthermore, it is important to note that the complete representation is inhibited by the demands of the epoch, to which self-respecting factions are supposed to adjust. For instance, the ISN movement, whose leaders several years ago (in 2000-2001) called for the changes in the U. S.immigration policy and were representing the viewpoints of national and ethnic minorities, who live and work in the country (Elhauge, 2002), has changed its directions and now are trying to create more constructive basis for the U. S. foreign policy. On the one hand, it is associated with the events of September 11, which were close followed by the violations of Muslim minorities’ human rights. On the other hand, political changes forced this faction to make a more profound inquiry into the current state of affairs and to find the most acute concerns of the society. Similar dynamics can be noticed in a number of special and constituency-representing interest groups which removed irrelevant concerns and posed new questions, such as those related to women’s rights, ethnic minorities’ human rights, social security and intellectual property. As one can assume, certain interests remain overlooked or underrepresented, whereas the most ‘fashionable’ sociopolitical trends (gender equality) are overstated and therefore prioritized. Works cited 1) Elhauge, E. Does interest group theory justify more intrusive judicial review? Yale Law Journal, 2002, Vol. 110 2) Etzioni, A. Special interest groups versus constituency representation: Research in social movements. Conflict and Change, 1990, Vol. 8. 3) Mcwilliams, R. The best and the worst of public interest groups; from lifting up the poor to shaking down the elderly, Washington Monthly, March 1988, Vol. 20.

Management and organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Management and organisations - Essay Example As far as Khurana (2010) is concerned, he has but made a differentiation between university-based business education and private business education because in his view, the legitimacy and credibility imparted to a university-educated business graduate by the industry as well as the general public makes it mandatory that such business students/professionals orient their profession in harmony with public good (Khurana, 2010) . Khurana (2010) has reminded his readers that the 125 years old univerity-based business school system, though initially meant for the professionalisation of management study, is now run by a â€Å"managerialistic logic that emphasized professional knowledge rather than professional ideals, and ultimately by a market logic that taken to its conclusion, subverts the logic of professionalism altogether† (p.7). I also agree with this opinion as I have always felt that managers of most business establishments have no problems of conscience in using unethical means to achieve their ultimate end, that is, enhancing the profits of their company. After arguing in this line, Khurana (2010) has called for the balancing of university-based business school education in the favour of â€Å"professionalism and professional leadership† (p.20). He (Khurana, 2010) has also stressed the need of this realignment in four areas of the interactions of such business schools, namely, â€Å"student, faculty, business, and society at large† (p.20). ... After arguing in this line, Khurana (2010) has called for the balancing of university-based business school education in the favour of â€Å"professionalism and professional leadership† (p.20). He (Khurana, 2010) has also stressed the need of this realignment in four areas of the interactions of such business schools, namely, â€Å"student, faculty, business, and society at large† (p.20). In totality, what Khurana (2010) has tried to focus is the questions related to the abandoning of the notions of public good in management education, which I also feels to be the need of the hour. From the definition offered by Oxford English Dictionary that public good is actually common good, to the definition given by Barley (2007) that â€Å"public good is where externalities happen†, there are a wide range of definitions for public good (p.202). Calhoun (2006) has reminded that what is expected from a university-based education system are mainly four â€Å"public missionsà ¢â‚¬ - imparting education for training people in â€Å"occupations traditionally centered on public service,† furthering â€Å"social mobility,† developing â€Å"new technologies,† and providing information needed for â€Å"the public sphere and also prepare the citizens to participate in it† (p.10). It is also observed that the â€Å"direct governmental financing and governance of universities† is necessitated by the notion that universities have to â€Å"contribute to the public good† (Calhoun, 2006, p.10). I want to remind here that whatever finance that reaches universities from the government is actually the taxes paid by the people. But as is criticized by Calhoun (2006), when

History of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of China - Essay Example The examinations were graded in levels as discussed below; District level People who had passed the zau jyun si (district level exam) achieved the status of tong sheng and could sit the prefectural level exams. Those individuals were commoners and about 2% of the population had such qualifications. Prefectural level Successful candidates at this stage attained the Sang jyun degree and the most outstanding holders of this degree were awarded the gung sang degree and were the lower gentry. The exam was conducted twice after every three years by about 2% of the population. Level 2b Rich people within the government who were too lazy to study were allowed to buy a gaam sang degree in order to improve their social status, they became the lower gentry. Provincial level Those who passed the xiang shi were awarded the Geoi Jan degree and became members of the upper gentry.hey were done at the provincial capital every three years by about 0.0065% of the population. Metropolitan level Successf ul candidates at this stage were awarded the gong sheng degree and could immediately sit the din shi and be given the zeon si degree. They became the highest gentry and had rights to hold office although such positions were not guaranteed. Most of them worked as intermediaries between the government officials and the local peasants. This system was abolished in 1905 to adopt the science and technology based curricula practiced by the western nations. This set it apart from the Song Dynasty exam system that followed Confucian classical methods. Q2: Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty The Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty were both built around the same time i.e Qin around 221-208 BC and Chinese rulers’ controlled Han around 206BC-AD 220.Both Dynasties. Under this dynasties heir was no central political force in China and as such, the great nomad empires emerged such Liao and the great Mongol empires. Both tenures were characterized by ruthlessness and tyrannical demands on the peopl e to pay heavy taxes and compulsory labor. These dynasties were effective in the sense that, during these periods there was relative peace in China. However, they both had weak military forces and were easily overrun by the nomadic tribes of the north. Both the Sui and the Tang Dynasty rulers’ were part nomads. These rulers’ were non-Chinese but their reign was considered Chinese. Both regimes were very successful in terms of commerce as the Sui were able to connect Yellow and Yangtze (Grand Canal) eastward waterways starting from Beijing to Hangzhou, thereby enabling nationwide commerce to thrive especially under the more prosperous Tang Dynasty. In addition, both Dynasties occurred after the reign of the Six Dynasties i.e. Sui from 589-617 AD and Tang from 618-907 AD(Ebrey, Walthall & Palais 2009 p89). These Dynasties were effective in the sense that they had stronger military’s that helped re-unify China and that there was improvement in commerce in this peri ods. However, under these regimes the citizens suffered tyranny from the government in the form of forced labor and heavy taxes. in addition, the costly and often disastrous military escapades in Korea combined with corruption, disloyalty and assassinations led to popular revolts resulting in the overthrow of the Sui dynasty. Q3: Women in imperial China It is possible to understand the overreliance of women on their male relatives as pillars of their lives (Hinsch, 2002). This is clear in the book ‘The Soul of Chien-nu leaves her Body’. Since Chien-nu relies on her lover Wang Wen-chu to help drive away the fear, she runs up to the river in the hope of finding him (Lu, 1990 p91). As she sings, she mentions the fear that she can’

Miss Brill or The Grave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Miss Brill or The Grave - Essay Example Miss Brill’s character clearly demonstrates her solitary nature. She is a foreigner in Paris, living by herself in a â€Å"little dark room† (Mansfield, V-8). She lives a life of unvaried, dull routine, visiting the park â€Å"at just the same time each week† (Mansfield, IV-1). She is obviously of modest means - her stole is shabby and a slice of honey cake is her Sunday treat. She is a teacher who is introverted even with her pupils and has â€Å"quite a queer, shy feeling at telling her English pupils how she spent her Sunday afternoons† (Mansfield, IV-1). The invalid gentleman she visits, sleeps through her newspaper readings and does not interact with her. Miss Brill is so isolated that she develops the habit of eavesdropping: â€Å"She had become really quite expert, --- at listening† to other peoples’ conversations (Mansfield, II-1). Miss Brill is portrayed as a lonely, friendless character whose self-perception is in conflict with real ity. Miss Brill sets up a conflict within herself by taking a romanticized point of view towards her life. She imagines all the people in the park as actors in a play and gives herself an indispensable role: â€Å"No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadnt been there; she was part of the performance after all† (Mansfield, IV-1). She asserts that she is not merely an onlooker but is an active participant in the drama of life. This version comes into conflict with the reality as represented by the setting of the story. Miss Brill is not a part of the cheerful, noisy crowd of pleasure seekers who throng the park. On the other hand, she belongs to â€Å"the old people (who) sat on the bench, still as statues† (Mansfield, II-3). Miss Brill’s clinging to fantasy, and her refusal to accept the reality of her situation, only emphasize her loneliness. Miss Brill’s loneliness is further highlighted by the author’s use of