Teaching Human Virtues

Human beings grow and mature through their experiences in life. With the help of parents, friends and other people we get to know, human beings are able to learn many different lessons and knowledge. Human virtues are normally inculcated in our minds at a very young age, thought by no less than our immediate family members. Through time, we may or may not abandon the virtues that we believe in depending on our personal perceptions and our social environment. Nonetheless, human virtues can be taught not only because such virtues are ‘social constructs’ but also because human beings have the tendency to teach things by ostensive definition which can easily train people into believing many different things. John Locke proposed in Book II of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding that the state of human beings at birth can be compared to a tabula rasa or a blank tablet—the mind is basically empty of knowledge (Wood, p. 652). Conversely, we acquire knowledge through experience, specifically through sensory perception, as well as through our interactions with other people. One way of learning is through ostensive definition or defining what a concrete object or an abstract idea is by ‘pointing’ to the object or the manifestation of the idea. A child learns what a ‘chair’ is when somebody points an object chair to a child and tells the child that the object is a chair. Similarly, a person learns what the human virtue of kindness is when somebody points to a certain manifestation of the virtue and tells the person to observe the behavior. In essence, human virtues are abstract concepts that can be best understood in terms of their physical manifestations. For instance, the virtue of charity can be learned by observing a person who willingly donates some of his properties to charitable institutions such as orphanages. The virtue of bravery can be learned when a child sees a group of firemen trying to put out a fire from inside a burning building. There are also other ways to teach and learn different human virtues apart from ostensive definition. One of these ways is through formal education where students are taught what human virtues are with the help of books and other written articles. To a certain degree, learning institutions provide the theoretical framework for these human virtues. Thus, students learn the theoretical aspects of human virtues in the classroom while they learn the practical aspects of these virtues in real-life circumstances outside the school. From the state of tabula rasa, human beings progress into filling those empty slates with learning taught from experience, including human virtues. On the other hand, Aristotle maintains that human virtues can only be acquired by enacting the principle of the â€Å"mean†. According to Aristotle, virtues are the â€Å"mean† or middle values between ‘excess’ and ‘deficiency’ (Yu, p. 341). For example, courage is the mean of rashness—excessive courage—and cowardice or the deficiency of courage. How can an individual attain the human virtues or how can an individual live within the confines of the â€Å"mean†? To that question, Aristotle tells us that we should habituate our actions. Since every human being should strive to attain the good life or what he calls Eudaimonia, they should likewise see to it that they constantly practice the virtues so that they can be habituated. Following Aristotle’s theory, human virtues can be taught because virtues can be—as they should be—habituated. By performing virtuous actions to others and by habituating them, others are, in effect, taught about the value of these virtues. Those who are unaware of the idea that helping an old lady cross the street, for example, is an act of kindness can learn about the virtue by experiencing the act themselves. Children who are yet to fill their â€Å"blank tablets† with knowledge can be taught about human virtues through constant exposure to the action and by requesting them to do the same thing in their lives. In his book The Construction of Social Reality, John Searle argues that institutional facts are facts that have been socially constructed. That is, human beings and the society in which they live in are responsible for creating these types of facts. In that sense, human virtue can be considered as an institutional fact primarily because human beings have long proposed varying theories concerning the nature of virtues. Without human beings, one can hardly say that virtues will still exist. The fact that â€Å"human virtues† are called as such suggests that, without humanity, these virtues would not have come into existence. Following Searle’s argument, it does sound reasonable enough to say that human virtues can be taught. Like factual lessons taught to young people in classrooms and in the family, human virtues are also taught in almost the same manner. Some can even go to the point where they create their own virtue systems. The fact that there are varying conceptions of human virtues also points us to the idea that human virtues have been formulated across different cultures in different times. While one act may be considered absurd by one group such as cannibalism, another group may consider the act as virtuous. Among these varieties of groups, every respective virtue is passed on from one generation to another, making it survive through time or reducing it into inexistence or into another form. In highly traditional regions, virtues are taught either through word of mouth or through practice. For example, the virtue of â€Å"bayanihan† in the Philippines—the virtue where members of the community form a team to help a resident transfer his house to another location, typically through manual labor—is taught from one generation to the next through stories told to the younger members of the neighborhood and through the observation of the practice as it happens (Gibson and Zellmer-Bruhn, p. 283). In more modern countries, human virtues are taught through a number of ‘far-reaching’ ways; one of these ways is through mass media. For example, America is host to numerous television networks broadcasting hundreds of TV shows on a daily basis. Cartoons with a broad adult audience composition such as â€Å"Simpsons† and â€Å"King of the Hill† teach human virtues typically related to family matters through the stories of each episode and their characters. Children’s cartoons and puppet shows—for instance, Baby Looney Tunes and Sesame Street, respectively—are more likely to impart human virtues that can be easily understood and appreciated by children because they comprise the larger part of the audience share (Cross, p. 39). Those who think that human virtue cannot be taught may believe that human beings are incapable of teaching virtue in their pure form without alteration or bias. In effect, they might argue that what we consider as the virtues per se that we teach others are actually parodies of a seemingly endless string of parodies of parodies, ad infinitum. The response to that criticism is this: alterations only arise in specific contexts; virtues remain as they are in their general form. For example, a father may teach his children that it is only virtuous to avenge the death of their murdered grandfather when they become adults later in life. The father may have been given that impression about vengeance from the older generation of the family circle who also learned the â€Å"virtue† from those that preceded them, and so forth. And yet, the more general notion that causing harm to others is not virtuous remains. The more general notion that kindness and forgiveness are human virtues that should be practiced still remains intact. Others may also argue that human virtues cannot be taught because human beings are governed by their basic instinct for self-preservation. They primarily seek their personal interests and may or may not eventually promote the interests of others. Thus, they keep the virtues that can promote their personal welfare to themselves instead of teaching them to others out of fear of conflicting interests. The response to this argument rests on the very nature of human virtues; they are called â€Å"human virtues† because they presuppose that human beings naturally interact and share with others. Without sincere interaction and sharing, virtues can only be regarded as personal philosophies or personal guiding principles and not as what we know of them to be. They are called â€Å"human virtues† precisely because these virtues transcend individualism and selfishness. Otherwise, they would not be virtues in the first place. While it may be more or less likely true that human beings have a selfish gene, so to speak, it does not make them pathologically selfish beings. Neither does it totally prevent them from teaching human virtues to others, especially young children and those who need a lesson or two about them. It is through our daily experiences that we are able to learn human virtues as we observe them and, more importantly, as they are taught to us by those who know the virtues well enough. Although some people may decide not to teach others about human virtues, it does not consequently suggest that human beings are indeed incapable of teaching human virtues to others. The fact that each person can decide whether or not to teach human virtues to others also suggests that they can teach these virtues regardless of their personal decisions. A virtue taught to another individual may be in the form of an observed behavior, an ostensive definition or a theoretical example. Either way, human virtues can be taught. Not even the most selfish person in the world can deny the fact that human virtues have been passed on from one generation to the next.

Mexican Immigrant Life and Americanization in the 1920’s Essay

In his book, Major Problems in Mexican American History, Zaragosa Vargas describes the Mexican Immigrant experience from 1917-1928. He begins by assessing the Protestant religious experience for a Mexican in the early 1920’s, and then describes Mexican life in both Colorado in 1924 and Chicago in 1928. After defending Mexican Immigrants in 1929, he includes an outline of an Americanization program, followed by an anecdote of a Mexican immigrant in the 1920’s. Vargas uses these documents to show the evolvement of Americanization of Mexicans from a community goal to a societal demand. Vargas begins with the Mexican Immigrant experience in the early 1920’s, and describes it mostly as a community project spearheaded by the Church and called for the aid of volunteers. The children learned and studied English in school, so the programs focused mostly on courses in English for the wives and mothers of the community. These English courses consisted mostly of vocabulary for familiar and most frequently seen objects. Sunday schools resulted from this process, and in turn made way for the development of night schools, clinics, an employment bureau, and a boys and girl’s club. In Colorado in 1924, Mexicans played a respectable role in society as not only a decent part of the population, but also the labor force. Spanish-Americans took a notable part in politics, and were involved in many occupations that included mostly agriculture, mining, and steel works. The recreation was also important to Spanish-American life in Colorado; the somewhat newly developed buildings were a source of community for many. Mexicans in Chicago in 1928, Vargas argues, lived a very different lifestyle and endured different hardships than the Mexicans in the Southwest. They were a much smaller part of the community, consisting of small, well-defined neighborhoods and several smaller less defined colonies. These Mexicans lived in the poorest houses in these neighborhoods, and most buildings guaranteed poor living conditions for these families. Employment only came certain times during the year when demand for labor was high, and it was the Mexicans who suffered most when certain industries reduced labor. In the words of Anita Edgar Jones, â€Å"They are the last to arrive and the first to be laid off† (Vargas). Mexican Life in Chicago during this time period served as a temporary solution for many families as they moved from recent arrivals to a more desirable place with better opportunity as they became more established and stabilized. Some neighborhoods were poorly organized for recreation, and even lacked Spanish-speaking employees at their community or recreation centers. Communities also lacked a Spanish-speaking priest, which is evidently different from early Americanization programs implemented in the Southwest in the early 1920’s. After addressing and defending most of the problems of Mexican Immigration in 1929, Vargas moves on to an outline of a typical Americanization program in 1931, where the Mexican Immigrant experience evolved from a community project that supported and encouraged Mexican assimilation, to a list of demands and requirements for Mexican and Spanish Americans to be acceptable members of society. Vargas uses these documents to show the progression of assimilation of Spanish Americans and Mexican immigrants into American society in the 1920’s. The life of a Mexican Immigrant during this time was very taxing, and these Americanization programs were used as a tool to attempt to create a society that operated under certain ideologies and values. As a result, this created an even stronger division between cultures, and prevented assimilation of the two groups. Work Cited Vargas, Zaragoza. â€Å"The Mexican Immigrant Experience 1917-1928. † Major Problems in Mexican American History. Thomas G. Patterson. Houghton Mifflin Company 1999. 234-53.

Issues Concerning Economic Inequalities in America Term Paper

Issues Concerning Economic Inequalities in America - Term Paper Example Medina, John, The genetic inferno: inside the seven deadly sins, Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print. His essay apparently provides a lot of parameters that promote greed but does not seem to provide any scientific grounding on why this happens in any society. The element that may support this outlook can be seen from the fact that no real scientific evidence has been established as to why a particular individual, a group, society or even animals succumb to this concept of greed. John Medina, in his book ‘The genetic inferno: inside the seven deadly sins’ specifically focuses on the aspects of greed and the resulting avarice. â€Å"The problem is that no one has ever found a gene for avarice in human beings. No one has ever found a region in the human brain exclusively devoted to greed for that matter† (Medina. 110). Medina is a molecular biologist and hence considered for this paper as an eminently qualified person to provide opinions and suggestions on the t opic under study. The book is published by the Cambridge University Press and one that has an established reputation. The only negative factor seen in the text is that no peer-reviewed work in the book. But even so, the author with his qualifications and the backing of the Oxford University can be seen as a valuable source of secondary literature regarding this study. The lack of scientific evidence as to what constitutes greed has been established in the book. Edney, in his essay also does not purport any claim in this regard.

MacGruber ( comedy film 2010 ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MacGruber ( comedy film 2010 ) - Essay Example Such acts made him appear as an idiot hero, who made audience laugh at him ironically (Alter 2010). The theme of the movie revolves around the character of MacGruber, who made life-saving inventions with the help of household materials. Throughout the entire story, he kept on getting in and out of extremely sticky conditions, but he managed to handle those situations with his crazy mind tricks (Taccone 2010). Although MacGruber was a hero and the main character of the story, but every other character of the movie was explicitly called â€Å"idiot† by him for his stupid acts. This has been the main problem of the story because its settings and designed actions failed to make up audiences’ mind about his own comedy action hero (Alter 2010). Therefore, it could be concluded that the director and writer both have intended to present a good comedy movie, but the below average performance and designed actions of the hero have diverted attention of audience from the original theme to his stupid

Analysis and Differentiation between Issues in Contemporary Social Research Paper

Analysis and Differentiation between Issues in Contemporary Social Justice System and Criminal Justice System - Research Paper Example questions and contradicts the resolutions and decisions of the criminal system as the criminal system is more inclined towards punishment than rehabilitation. There are several forms of issues and concerns implying the differences in the social and criminal justice system that contradict the basic approach of the other system however this thesis specifically discusses the issue of whether social position and race/ethnicity play a major role in the extent and probability of a punishment in the criminal justice system? Though racism and discrimination of people ofcolor has been a major issue, language or religion has been a social curse for centuries and even after awareness and pacts to remove this from the society, the trend is still a big threat in the modern American society. Often it has been observed that poor or people from the lower class of society are more prone to be caught and executed for their crimes in comparison to the people from upper class who either remain uncaught or have various ways to escape the punishment. In an interview Michelle Anderson publicly says that racial discrimination is still active in the American culture and as a result the African American community in the country has been continually forced to live a life in the most under privileged surroundings with the least amount of access to better education, job or quality of life. In addition to all this these people are the most vulnerable to be caught for minor acts of crimes and be put in with serious criminals. This rigid attitude of the criminal justice system with even the young members of such minorities labels them as felons for the rest of their life and takes away any opportunity to improve the quality of their life or for their families (Alexander, 2012). There is a controversial explanation for this scenario by the civil right advocates and the criminal justice system each with its own beliefs and goals. This thesis will discuss the issue with a perception from both

I have a dream--situational analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

I have a dream--situational analysis - Essay Example This was the most famous speech he ever made which almost immortalized him. Dr. King, even to this day, remains an icon of anti racist movement. The rhetoric "I have a dream" became part of all the freedom movements to come and his words "Let freedom ring" reverberated from all corners of the world, as a sanctified slogan of freedom loving humankind. The rhetorical situation had many constraints at the time. Even though it was John Kennedy, one of the most exalted Presidents of America, the sworn enemy of racism, Kennedy had realized that it would take years to remove the evil from its roots. He was a new President, still testing the water of American politics and was not yet ready for a civil war like situation with the racial frenzy South. Things had not changed much from the days of Abe Lincoln. President Kennedy had to send federal troops to admit James Meredith to the University of Mississippi, in 1962, the very thing he really wanted to avoid. The President also had to order the marshals to accompany Meredith while attending his University Classes. King knew that in Kennedy he had a sympathizer and now it is known that Kennedy had already decided to do a lot for the rights of the black population, during his second term as President. But in 1963, even Kennedy was not in a position to do much to aid King. King knew that he had to fight his own battles, possibly with subtle help from the President and his Attorney General brother, Robert Kennedy. King's first task was generating support from the Black Community. There were a few fractions fighting for the civil liberty in an unorganized way. He knew that their strength lies in unity and undivided, fractionless black community. He knew that unless he did that, the movement had no chance of success. He also knew that President Kennedy's assassination in 1963 and the aspiring Presidential candidate, Robert Kennedy's murder in 1967, had removed any hope of administrative support for the movement, and the mild, rather wily successor, Lyndon Johnson never showed any such intention either by word or deed. King had to depend on his own rhetoric, wit, oratory and determination to make a success of the fight for civil liberties. This entire speech, its timing, location was towards that one particular goal. He had to enthuse and inspire them ('Let freedom ring'), explain and get them committed ('We cannot turn back'), and make them march with him towards the glittering goal of 'Free at last!' His eloquent speech was interrupted many times by the admiring frenzy of the audience that is the result of great purpose and happiness of having found a suitably inspiring leader at last for the cause. The rhetoric produced both short term and long-term effects. For the first time in recent decades black community of America was maintaining a united struggle for their

How can a post-structuralist Reading of Henrik Ibsens Peer Gynt, Wild Essay

How can a post-structuralist Reading of Henrik Ibsens Peer Gynt, Wild duck, and When We Dead awaken, accentuate the political dimensions of his work - Essay Example ated by reference to Derrida’s play of signifiers; section (3) examines When We Dead Waken as part of progressive statement on the role of the artist; finally, the dissertation concludes by considering the unifying characteristics of the plays, and the broader role of post-structural thought. It’s argued that not only is Ibsen one of the primary fathers of Modern Drama, but that specific elements in his oeuvre – Gynt’s conversation with the Boyg, the signification of the ‘wild duck’ – demand a post-structural lens to approach comprehension. When possible, contemporary post-structural scholarship has been incorporated into the dissertation. These plays have been chosen for their resistance to traditional critical approaches. Less emphasis has been placed on developing an inter-textual framework between the plays, as it’s believed such an approach is better suited to a more comprehensive selection. If there is an underlining theme that emerged in the construction of the dissertation it is that the art object anticipates the critical framework needed to adequately articulate its textual functions. That is, traditional Ibsen scholarship was handicapped by an inability to articulate elements of the plays that the post-structural framework, albeit flawed, contributes newfound insight. In keeping with a great amount of post-structural discursivity the essay establishes a methodological framework that is not restricted to an overarching narrative. In the examination of three seminal texts – Peer Gynt, Wild Duck, and When We Dead Awaken -- a myriad of post-structural lenses, including those of Jacques Derrida, Julia Kristeva, Jacques Lacan, and Paul De Man, are coupled with what Foucault (2006) terms ‘founders of discursivity,’ Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx. In refining a critical understanding of these ideas, this dissertation is highly indebted to Professor of English at Yale University, Paul H. Fry, whose open-access Survey of the Theory of

Algabraic Functions, real life, and teaching them to your students Essay

Algabraic Functions, real life, and teaching them to your students - Essay Example Therefore, this problem can be modeled as creating a function in which the miles per gallon (MPG) is a function of the money in dollars spent annually powering the car. Context In trying to decide what type of car to get, Ryan is looking at what kind of car he can get for the right price. Since he is a college student, he is looking for a car that gets good mileage so that he can spend less money on gas and still be able to drive around. The car dealership gave him a guide in which he could compare the amount of money he would need depending on the type of vehicle he bought. The larger, inefficient trucks typically get about 10MPG and will cost approximately $2,700 in gas per year. The dealership has it listed in increments of increasing 5 MPG, ending with the most economically and ecologically efficient cars which get around 50 MPG and only cost $540 annually to drive around. Table MPG Cost per Year in Dollars 10 $2,700.00 15 $1,800.00 20 $1,350.00 25 $1,080.00 30 $900.00 35 $771.43 40 $675.00 45 $600.00 50 $540.00 Use of Words The lower the MPG of a vehicle, the larger the annual cost is to fund the gas for travel. The higher the MPG of a vehicle, the smaller the annual cost is to fund the gas for travel.

Mathematics Book Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mathematics Book Report - Essay Example There are 28 chapters in the book, each one dealing with different aspects of mathematics. It does not deal everything as a story. Rather, it tells about the development of main ideas and gives us a clear understanding of what math and science in general means. The book starts with the origin of number systems through different countries, starting from Egypt, Mesopotamia and its development in the different ages of Plato and Aristotle. Then, the book tells about how math evolved through the eyes of different mathematicians like Newton, Leibniz, Fermat and Descartes and how they applied it in different fields of life. One always wonders about how each and every equation in mathematics was evolved and what made those equations perfectly correct. This book gives you the answers for whatever you think about math. Carl Boyer has given a strong emphasis on the chronological arrangement of the book and the history it refers to. This turns out to be the unique reason for the success of this book. Once you get your sight in, we are entitled to ask ourselves as to why mathematics leaves us with questions we cannot answer. The amazing thing one learns when reading this book is that mathematics evolved not only in Europe but in other parts of the world too. Interestingly, it is not only men who discovered its mysteries.

English Language Learners Essay Example for Free

English Language Learners Essay English Language Learners (ELLS) are usually foreigners who composed the minority students of the country. Even if they are not native citizens of the United States there needs and rights should be properly respected and protected especially in terms of the process of their learning of the English language. The succeeding paragraphs will discuss some cases that affect the rights of these ELLs. The cases of Lau v. Nichols (1974) and Plyler v. Doe (1982) have substantial improved the education of ELLs. The unanimous decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Lau v. Nichols orders that all students should have an equal access not only to facilities, textbooks, teachers and curriculum but also in learning the English language. The court believes that difficulty in comprehending the English language deprives the student of meaningful education. Moreover, the case of Plyler v. Doe opens the doors for immigrants to enroll their students in public schools. This gives immigrant children the right for free public education regardless of whether their parents are documented or not (Legal Responsibilities of Education Agencies Serving Language Minority Students). Other judicial rulings like in the case of Serna v. Portales (New Mexico, 1974), Cintron v. Bretwood (New York, 1978), and Castaneda v. Pickard (Texas, 1981) have also contributed in enhancing the rights of ELLs as well as in addressing their needs. These are clearly shown by the bilingual and bicultural instruction programs that were implemented after the court found out that Spanish students are discriminated in the Serna v. Portales case. Equal treatment among ELLs are also further emphasize by the remaining two cases wherein it made sure that the bilingual programs would uphold both languages rather than subordinating the other one. Lastly, the Castaneda v. Pickard case has a very important role in the enhancement of the right of ELLs because it served as a basis in assuring a school’s compliance with the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974 (Legal Responsibilities of Education Agencies Serving Language Minority Students). In all these, it is seen that judicial rulings are indeed important because there interpretation of the law had been a way in order to improve the situation of ELLs in their learning process. Work Cited â€Å"Legal Responsibilities of Education Agencies Serving Language Minority Students†. 1995. 28 August 2008 http://www. maec. org/legal. html.

Analysis Of Zipcar Strategy

Analysis Of Zipcar Strategy Executive Summary An assessment of the strategic value of expanding Zipcar business was performed by identifying its resources and core competencies. Through its resources and core competencies, a S.W.O.T. analysis and external environmental analysis were performed to identify its strategic advantage and business model where it should strongly focus on its product differentiation and product cost (efficiency). Based on its strategic advantage and business model, strategic value and expansion into smaller US cities, other segments of the market and other countries were analysed and identified with clear implementation direction and recommendation. Introduction Zipcar was founded in 2000 by two Cambridge (Massachusetts) residents. Today, it is the worlds leader in car-sharing. It provides cars by the hour or by the day to more than 325,000 members and 6500 vehicles in 50 cities in the U.S., Vancouver, Toronto and London [1]. It has redefined the way the present generation perceives alternate transportation and strong focus on the need for environment conversation. Since 2004, it has doubled its membership base with current 10,000 new members joining Zipcar each month. This means that members on an average save about US$7200 per year by using Zipcar services instead of owning a car. Furthermore, it can be a suitable platform for electric vehicles due to the demographic and driving habits of its user base where the average trip in a Zipcar is less than 25 miles and lasts about four hours thus making as much as 95% of all Zipcar trips short enough for 1st generation electric vehicles with limited range. This could further enforce its goal on green initiatives. The company focused on three main customers: Individuals Personal usage by young professional who did not own a car but needed one occasionally for errands and short trips, and families who sometimes needed a second car Companies There are more than 10,000 organisations using its facilities and services for business programmes. Universities There are more than 140 colleges using its campus car-sharing services in U.S. It rents cars by the hour and day to members in Boston, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Chicago and several smaller markets. It aimed to become a billion dollar company. Resources and Core Competencies Its fleet was predominately made up of Volkswagen Golf and Beetle but has expanded to make it more attractive to drivers who first concern was style and not gas mileage. For example, mini-coopers, scion vans, and SUVs such as the Toyota Highlander and Ford Escape were introduced [2]. Since majority of its fleet were idle or unused in the day, it was able to create a sales force to market them to corporation. As such about 25% of its revenue comes from â€Å"Z2B† offering. In other words, it was able to utilise its resources to generate sustainable revenue. Service innovation As mentioned, Zipcar is a young company that has created an alternative to automobile ownership for urban dwellers in several cities across the U.S. Its mission is to offer members affordable 24/7 accesses to private vehicles for short-term round trips. It has been able to build such distinct competitive advantage and succeed in a crowded and established market like the rental car business through wireless technology and the Internet that major competitors like Avis, Hertz, and National have chosen to ignore. It was one the very first few organisations to utilise wireless technology to its advantage. The distinctive competence it developed around this technology meant the company had to create several new technological processes. By investing in RFID, it was able to streamline car rental process and tracks the location of the cars in real-time that helped to improve fleet yield management and mitigate the risk of double-booking and phantom vehicles. The online web portal was fundamental and critical aspects of its business model. For business to function effectively, the hourly rental reservation and payment portal had to be user-friendly and trivial (highly effective human-computer interface) for members to transact online. At the same time, it should virtually be costing zero or very minimal cost to the company for each transaction. This in contract to a typical human agent would have cost the car rental company about 4% to 10% for each transaction. By eliminating complex user interface from within the car, it effectively deploys a simple and effective proximity keycard that is held to the windshield of each car that allows car users to locate and gain access to the cars. With further enhancement, it has been able to effective adapt and used mobile phone like iPhone or Blackberry to locate and gain access to those cars. In other words, it contemplates car sharing through Zipcar to be as easy as drawing cash from any ATM. Zipcar attempts to satisfy driving needs of its customer at a fraction of the cost of car ownership by contemplating to replace twenty private cars for each Zipcar service. Traditional rental companies like Avis, Hertz or Enterprise have adopted a similar business approach but the rental processes is time consuming and entail its representatives handling over car keys at specify rental locations. Thus, the appeal of Zipcar is its flexibility and efficiency where one can pick up a car at any time from any available unmanned location with the car keys waiting in the car for the driver to zoom off on a journey. As mentioned, the company knows that its buyer like â€Å"cool cars†. Thus the fleet includes mini coopers and Volkswagen beetles. However, unlike traditional rental cars, each has a Zipcar logon and web address making the actual car a communication tool that help curious observers learn more about the company. Many of the cars are painted in the signature Zipcar light green that also signals environmental friendly or green initiative aspect of the product experience. By partnership with city governments, landlords, colleges, and business owners, it has formed a dedicated team of customers who evangelise the company to potential renters that produce resonance with drivers or customers. Additionally, it has a strong, focus and effective management team that was capable of stirring the organisation into one of the largest car sharing leader in the industry by exploiting and maintaining core competencies and developing human capital to effectively execute it goals and strategic direction [9][10]. S.W.O.T. Analysis Strength: Ease of use (utilise proximity keycard, Blackberry or iPhone) in term of identifying car make/model, location and rates as well as ease of driving off. Style of its service (cool car) Technological sophistication (Wireless RFID technology) Clean and user-friendly interface within the web portal makes navigation very easy like car browsing, check and compare prices and view membership plans. Effective branding through its website and fleets by using signature Zipcar light green that symbolises environmental friendly. No usual hassles attributed to traditional car rental like reservation after joining as a member. For example, lost time for tedious paperwork, prohibitive car prices and petrol prices, limited certainty about vehicles make and model etc. Avoidance of double-booking or phantom vehicles through effective real-time fleet yield management. Strong partnership or collaboration with governments, landlords, colleges, and business owners. Weakness: High dependency on technology for its seamless operation like online reservation, payment and fleet management. Any failure of its integrated system can be catastrophe. Thus, business contingency plan is critical and needs to be in placed. There is certain weakness in its marketing tactics as it is largely unknown to urban masses. This can result in lost sales if potential customers are looking to rent a car in Chicago may look for traditional rental agencies as opposed to car-sharing. Furthermore its website failed to be search engine optimised. Opportunities By been environmental friendly and adopting the use of electric cars, it is in a very strong position to entice customers who have strong view about environmental and social concern. This is critical to Zipcar in building up its brand and equity apart from attracting more customers. Such trigger in term of economics and social interruption help to create more awareness about car-sharing that can only benefit Zipcar. Increase weekday car usage. Its fleet are only utilised at night and weekend while majority are idling during the day. Besides attracting more private business organisation to use it fleets on employees as opposed to using employee own cars, it can also look into convincing municipal agencies or government workers like social workers or nurse to utilise its services. Furthermore, as pressures mount for reduced fuel consumption and car-usage, its concept can provide a unique and viable long term solution. By establishing its presence on college, it has created a strong awareness and foothold of fans in term of the ease of car sharing as well as marking its environmental and social concern among the new generation. The students are part of the new generation of self-service economy that fits nicely to Zipcar self-service model. By experiencing with Zipcar concept and car sharing service, there is a high chance that those students would continue to use car-sharing as an alternative to car ownerships instead of buying one. Transit connection can provide growth opportunity for Zipcar where it fleet can be strategically parked near train or subway stations to provide members easy access to cars so they can continue their journeys to areas where public transport is not available. By parking at subway station, it can further create awareness of its brand and services Threats With its merger with Flexcar, it is competing in 50 cities in the U.S market including Canada. In another words, it is competing directly with larger operator like PhillyCarShare [5] and I-Go [6] that bring unique set of competitive forces in relation to their tide niche at the city and communities. Furthermore, their grassroots operation, low rental rates and non-profit status may inadvertently make them the preferred choice for business seeking car sharing services. Big car rental companies like Hertz, Enterprise or Avis [8] may make entries into car sharing market. Hertz has 40,000 cars in New York alone while Zipcar has about 6500 vehicles in total. In other words, big car rental companies have better economies of scale to take advantage of existing facilities, expertise and financial support if they chose to enter car sharing market. Rising petrol can be an economic burden to Zipcar since its rate is inclusive of petrol. It may have to increase its rate to cover such increased expense. This may lead to lower car usage by members and more may use cheaper public transport or share their rides. This could hinder membership growth. External Environmental Analysis Economies of scale Zipcar and Flexcar are the two largest and nationwide car sharing companies in the state. With their merger, there is a greater economy of scale as the new company will operate under the Zipcar brand and use its technology. Moreover, the move could help expand the practice of car sharing. By merging, Zipcar effectively operates in 50 cities in U.S., in Vancouver, Toronto and London that brings more members and more benefits in term of access to more fleets in more location and neighbourhoods. With more fleets in more location, it can consider lowering its membership fee to entice more membership enrolments to enjoy greater economies of scale. Barriers to market entry This can be unattractive for Zipcar as large rental companies may enter this market after they have a better understanding of such business model. In addition, there is no government regulation or restriction to prevent anyone from going into car sharing business. In addition, the cost can be low as anyone can start the business with a few vehicles. Diversification Apart from providing car sharing to individual, companies and colleges, it can expand into taxi business, emergency business or ambulances services or health caring services that required vehicles on ad-hoc or certain regular basis. Furthermore, it can also provide vehicles to courier services or mover services. Alternatively, it can provide fleet management services to those organisations as well. In this case, it is restricted to related-constraint diversification for better performance of the company. Product differentiation Zipcar provides unique experience by utilising wireless technology to ease car sharing. By eliminating complex user interface from within the car and deploying a simple proximity keycard that is held to the windshield of each car, it has allowed drivers to locate and gain access to the cars with ease. By integrating iPhone or Blackberry device, it has further improved such experience. Furthermore, it provides a fleet of â€Å"cool cars† that cater to each individual lifestyle and needs. Degree of concentration of firm in the industry There are several car sharing operators within U.S. [7] that operates as a non-profit organisation. However, in term of coverage, they are no as comprehensive as Zipcar that operates in 50 cities and outside of U.S. Thus, it can value add its service like more access to many cities and locations for its members which is inline with Zipcar objective of providing wheels when you want them. Positioning and Business Model Zipcar operates in a model of car sharing business that makes it difficult for competitors to imitate. For example, it utilised wireless technology like 3G, GPRS, GPS and RFID to manage and streamline its operation to maintain lean and low overhead. Traditional car rental companies or non-profit car-sharing would find it difficult to model after it due to their existing infrastructure and model. This is similar to Wal-Mart efficient supply chain management practices that competitors find it difficult to intimate. No doubt, customers can utilise other rental companies or car sharing operators but they would lose the convenience and ease of use offered by Zipcar model of hourly rental agreements and convenient access to 50 cities and locations. Moreover, it has a strong focus on customer needs and lifestyle by providing fleet of hip vehicles like mini cooper, Volkswagen Beetle, BMW Bottella, Mazda and environmental friendly vehicles like Toyota Prius [2] and using cool gadget like iPho ne or Blackberry to locate and gain access to the cars. Zipcar does not need to concern about car manufacturers or other suppliers since it does not use proprietary goods. Been a IT savvy organisation, Zipcar should ride on its existing memberships by using social networking tool so members can exchange and shares ideas and more importantly provide feedback to Zipcar who can them improve on its services and offering. In other word, it should keep listening to customers and continuing to innovate through IT. Based on strategic directive and advantage, Zipcar should continue to focus on product differentiation and product cost (efficiency) through greater economies of scale and product differentiation by offering unique fleet of vehicles coupled with excellence service and ease of usage. Expanding its presence in smaller US cities Zipcar has great appeal to a number of buyer personas like city dwellers that occasionally need to use a car for a few hours where cars ownership are expensive coupled with high parking fee in cities. According to U.S. census back in 1990, there were about one-third of U.S. residents living in cities. Those clustered suburban neighbourhoods would be suitable for car sharing, particularly if they have good transit service, pedestrian-friendly streets and local commercial centres. Assuming that 30% of American drivers live in higher-density, multi-modal neighbourhoods and 20% of these have low annual mileage vehicles; this could mean that about 6% of current privately owned vehicles could shift to car sharing. Of course, potential demand for car sharing will be much higher in urban areas and lower in rural areas. Zipcar can look into merging or buying over smaller operators that operate or have presence in those smaller US cities if viable. Alternatively, it can consider deploying its fleet in those cities since it uses wireless technology to streamline most of its operation and the cost of expanding in those cities would be relatively low. Nevertheless, there should be sufficient number of users within convenient walking or cycling distance where vehicles are parked with good travel alternatives. For example, to have 3 car share vehicles stationed in a neighbourhood with 10 members per vehicle would requires at least 30 member households within one square mile. Therefore, as long as there is high density urban neighbourhoods with good walking or cycling distance and good public transit services as mentioned, it should continue to expand its presence in those area to enjoy greater scale of economies with minimum risks. Expanding to other segments As highlighted, Zipcar should expand into taxi business, courier business, mover business, emergency business, ambulances services or health caring services by not just offering vehicles but also its fleet yield management services to help those companies to better managed and streamline their operations. This can be done in a form of strategic alliance or partnership. In addition, its services could be bundled with public transit passes, taxis service and ride share matching to give customers an integrated package of mobility options. It can also extend those services by collaborating with state mayors, city councillors, or police force who deals with parking constraints in major cities. Expanding to other countries and cities (Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo) Countries like Hong Kong, Singapore or major cities like Taipei or Tokyo are suitable target for Zipcar services as they are typically high density metropolitan areas where walking, cycling and public transit are viable transportation option. Moreover high cost of car ownership coupled with high parking pressure in term of cost and space made these cities suitable market for Zipcar to expand its overseas business similar to those in London. Residents in those cities usually do not require cars to go to work or go about their daily activities. Thus, low vehicle ownership rates are one of the best predictors of the economic viability of car sharing programs. It can consider co-operative strategies by forming a joint local partner to operate fleet of vehicles that utilise it fleet management systems for car sharing. Alliance formation would avoid high cost of investment since resources are shared including risk. By forming synergistic alliance, it can create joint economies of scope between partner firms. For example, by exploring ways to work with car manufacturers like Toyota, its members can test electric cars to designing vehicles specifically for the sharing market. Similarly by working with closely with various authorities and companies, it can bundled public transit passes, taxis service and ride share matching to provide customers a fully integrated package of mobility options just like in its home country. Recommendation Zipcar should continue to focus on product differentiation and product cost (efficiency) through greater economies of scale and product differentiation through its unique fleet of vehicles that comes with excellence service and ease of usage. It should consider lowering it membership fees to attract more memberships to further utilise its fleet. It should continue to collaborate with various authorities and companies to use its fleet management system to enjoy greater economies of scale. It should look out for opportunities to perform consolidation through mergers and acquisition at the same time form strategic alliances with overseas local partners, car manufacturers and IT vendor to further develop its competitive edge. It should continue to adapt to customer needs by using an effective customer relationship management (CRM) system to obtain and to enhance its relationships with customers, retain customers and provide better customer service that leads to competitive advantage for the business. It should institute a more vocal marketing campaign to educate the target demographic about the benefits of car sharing. This could include aggressive print advertising on all urban and public transportation vehicles in addition to its own fleet of vehicles. It should further invest in improving the search engine optimisation of its web portal to attract traditional car renters. This would improve zipcar.com ranking on organic searches and increase the conversion rate. Through integrated marketing strategy this would increase awareness about Zipcar and its car sharing benefits that further reinforcing the firms hip and green identity. Reference: [1] Team: home office. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://w.zipcar.com/ [2] Four Leaders You Need To Know. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://stage.fastcompany.com/magazine/91/4-leaders.html [3] Zipcar is shifting into higher gear as market widens. Accessed on, 17-01-2010, http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2008/01/13/zipcar_is_shifting_into_higher_gear_as_market_widens/ [4] Zipcar The best new idea in business. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/26/news/companies/zipcar_car_rentals.fortune [5] Philly Car share. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://www.phillycarshare.org/ [6] IGo Car share. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://www.igocars.org/ [7] List of carsharing operators. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_carsharing_operators [8] Avis: For more on the history of Avis, see www.avis.com/AvisWeb/JSP/global/en/aboutavis/corp_info/historical_chronology.jsp. [9] Zipcar: We interviewed Robin Chase in November 2007. Other useful information came from ‘‘Part-Time Wheels: City Dwellers Share Cars through New Service by Heidi B. Perlman, Associated Press, http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/072000/new_0720000010.shtml; and from ‘‘Scott Griffith: Zipping Ahead by Lisa van der Pool, Boston Business Journal, August 24, 2007; [10] Zipcar is shifting into high gear as market widens by Yoon S. Byun, The Boston Globe, January 13, 2008. http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2008/01/13/zipcar_is_shifting_into_higher_gear_as_market_widens/.

Eating Disorders and Reproduction Essay -- Pregnancy Health Papers

Eating Disorders and Reproduction Eating disorders have numerous emotional, psychological, and physical consequences; despite this, many affected individuals refuse to admit that they have a problem. One of the more serious problems associated with eating disorders that may convince a young woman to seek treatment, is the negative effect disordered eating can have on fertility, pregnancy, and child rearing in general. In multiple studies anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified, have been associated with infertility, low maternal weight gain, low birth weight in infants, increased neonatal morbidity, and problems in infant feeding (Stewart, 1992). Women who are afflicted with an eating disorder at conception tend to experience a worsening in their symptoms as well as other psychological problems. In order to avoid harming herself and her infant, women with eating disorders should seek psychological treatment before attempting to become pregnant. A literature review by Wade, Schneider, and Li (1996), used an array of female mammals to demonstrate the biological mechanisms behind the infertility of eating disordered women. In simple terms, when accessible energy is severely limited, animals preserve those activities necessary for survival (basic cellular functions, thermoregulation, etc.) and other less crucial functions, such as reproduction, are sacrificed for the time being. Fuel availability is thought to be detected by the caudal hindbrain and in the periphery; when a reduction in metabolic fuel is detected this information is relayed to the forebrain effector neurons that control GnRH secretion (a neurotransmitter used to regulate the ovulatory cycle) and reproductive behaviors. A r... ...feed their children: their recognition and management, Psychological Medicine, 28(1): 93-108. Spuy, Z., Steer, P., McCusker, M., Steele, S., & Jacobs, H., (1988). Outcome of pregnancy in underweight women after spontaneous and induced ovulation, British Medical Journal, 296: 962-965. Stewart, D., Robinson, E., Goldbloom, D., & Wright, C., (1990). Infertility and eating disorders, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 163(4): 1196-1199. Stewart, D., Raskin, J., Garfinkel, P., MacDonald, O., & Robinson, G., (1987). Anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and pregnancy, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 157: 1194-1198. Stewart, D., (1992). Reproductive functions in eating disorders, Annals of Medicine, 24(4): 287-291. Wade, G., Schneider, J., & Li, H., (1996). Control of fertility by metabolic cues, American Journal of Physiology, 270(1): E1-19. Eating Disorders and Reproduction Essay -- Pregnancy Health Papers Eating Disorders and Reproduction Eating disorders have numerous emotional, psychological, and physical consequences; despite this, many affected individuals refuse to admit that they have a problem. One of the more serious problems associated with eating disorders that may convince a young woman to seek treatment, is the negative effect disordered eating can have on fertility, pregnancy, and child rearing in general. In multiple studies anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified, have been associated with infertility, low maternal weight gain, low birth weight in infants, increased neonatal morbidity, and problems in infant feeding (Stewart, 1992). Women who are afflicted with an eating disorder at conception tend to experience a worsening in their symptoms as well as other psychological problems. In order to avoid harming herself and her infant, women with eating disorders should seek psychological treatment before attempting to become pregnant. A literature review by Wade, Schneider, and Li (1996), used an array of female mammals to demonstrate the biological mechanisms behind the infertility of eating disordered women. In simple terms, when accessible energy is severely limited, animals preserve those activities necessary for survival (basic cellular functions, thermoregulation, etc.) and other less crucial functions, such as reproduction, are sacrificed for the time being. Fuel availability is thought to be detected by the caudal hindbrain and in the periphery; when a reduction in metabolic fuel is detected this information is relayed to the forebrain effector neurons that control GnRH secretion (a neurotransmitter used to regulate the ovulatory cycle) and reproductive behaviors. A r... ...feed their children: their recognition and management, Psychological Medicine, 28(1): 93-108. Spuy, Z., Steer, P., McCusker, M., Steele, S., & Jacobs, H., (1988). Outcome of pregnancy in underweight women after spontaneous and induced ovulation, British Medical Journal, 296: 962-965. Stewart, D., Robinson, E., Goldbloom, D., & Wright, C., (1990). Infertility and eating disorders, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 163(4): 1196-1199. Stewart, D., Raskin, J., Garfinkel, P., MacDonald, O., & Robinson, G., (1987). Anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and pregnancy, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 157: 1194-1198. Stewart, D., (1992). Reproductive functions in eating disorders, Annals of Medicine, 24(4): 287-291. Wade, G., Schneider, J., & Li, H., (1996). Control of fertility by metabolic cues, American Journal of Physiology, 270(1): E1-19.

The Civil Wars Tragic Legacy :: United States History Papers

The Civil War's Tragic Legacy The Civil War produced at least two important outcomes. First, although it was not President Lincoln's intent, it freed slaves in the Confederate States. Second, it settled, through the force of arms, the question of whether states could secede from the Union. The causes of and the issues surrounding America's most costly war, in terms of battlefield casualties, are still controversial. Even its name the - Civil War - is in dispute, and plausibly so. A civil war is a struggle between two or more factions seeking to control the central government. Modern examples of civil wars are the conflicts we see in Lebanon, Liberia and Angola. In 1861, Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States, no more wanted to take over Washington, D.C. than George Washington wanted to take over London in 1776. George Washington and the Continental Congress were fighting for independence from Great Britain. Similarly, the Confederate States were fighting for independence from the Union. Whether one's sentiments lie with the Confederacy or with the Union, a more accurate characterization of the war is that it was a war for southern independence; a frequently heard southern reference is that it was the War of Northern Aggression. History books most often say the war was fought to free the slaves. But that idea is brought into serious question considering what Abraham Lincoln had to say in his typical speeches: "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so." Slavery makes for great moral cause celebre for the War Between the States but the real causes had more to do with problems similar to those the nation faces today - a federal government that has escaped the limits the Framers of the Constitution envisioned. South Carolina Senator John C Calhoun expressed that concern in his famous Fort Hill Address July 26, 1831, at a time when he was Andrew Jackson's vice-president. Calhoun said, "Stripped of all its covering, the naked question is, whether ours is a federal or consolidated government; a constitutional or absolute one; a government resting solidly on the basis of the sovereignty of the States, or on the unrestrained will of a majority; a form of government, as in all other unlimited ones, in which injustice, violence, and force must ultimately prevail.

The Mystery of Pearl in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarle

The Mystery of Pearl in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Among many nuances present in the novel, The Scarlet Letter, is the mystery of Pearl. This mystery is never actually in the real person of Pearl, but in the child she appears to be. At times, the townspeople and even Pearl’s mother, herself, call Pearl the demon-child, a fiend, and a torturer. Hester feels Pearl’s purpose on earth is to torture her but at the same time to be her joy. In reality, Pearl is a normal child, except for the fact that she is somewhat sealed off from the rest of the world. In the novel, Hawthorne makes it appear that Pearl is possibly an abnormal child. Chapter six is where he first discusses the child. In the sixth paragraph of that chapter, Hawthorne writes, "Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world. An imp of evil, emblem and product of sin, she had no right among christened infants." Early on we see this powerful statement, which is supported by the rest of the novel. In chapter seven when Hester and Pearl are visiting the governor’s mansion, Hawthorne writes, "Pearl, in utter scorn of her mother’s attempt to quiet her, gave an eldritch scream, †¦ because the quick and mobile curiosity of her disposition was excited by the appearance of those new personages." This action of Pearl’s can hardly be seen as normal. Few children scream when meeting people, although many are a bit shy and stay close to their parents. One explanation, though, for this is that Pearl is not used to being around people. She had been shut off from the rest of the world because of her mother’s sin and doesn’t know that screaming around strangers isn’t normal. Pearl’s strange actions in various situations, such as at the governor’s mansion, is not the only t... ...rthy to have been left there, to be the plaything of the angels, after the world’s first parents were driven out. The child had a native grace which does not invariably coexist with faultless beauty; its attire, however simple, always impressed the beholder as if it were the very garb that precisely became it best." Although Pearl appears to be a demon-child, she cannot actually be a demon-child and be worthy of coming forth from Eden at the same time. Pearl can either be a normal child, or an abnormal one, not both. The mystery of Pearl is never in what she actually is because the people in the story are so caught up with Hester’s sin that they attribute the normal actions of a child to a devilish spirit. Had Hester been married to Arthur and given birth to the child, Pearl would have been seen by the people as the beautiful, innocent, and curious girl she was.

Returning College Students

When high school is over, many students choose to work full time or start college right away. Those students, who choose to go to start college sooner, makes the right choice because they want to get a career started as soonest possible. Seventy-five percent of students from high school decided to start college late. A long absence of no school causes no motivation for a college education. Another cause, they can have a hard time being surrounded with younger students. They can find it hard using technology such as computers, and getting into the habit studying can be a problem.Several areas, it can be difficult for such students to succeed. New college students need all the support not to find college a difficult experience. First, must students start from the bottom, which means enrollment is number one on the list, so returning students need to enroll and choose their major carefully. Many students choice their major based on a good career where they can be happy and not everythin g is about money. Many students start off with their basics and then transferred to another college/university. Other students start off right away with their associate’s degree; is a type of undergraduate degree.It requires a minimum of study of sixty semester credits. The traditional Associates degree program consists of three points: general education, major requirements, and electives. Besides the associate’s degree, all universities offers bachelor’s degree is an academic conferred by a college or university upon those who completed the undergraduate curriculum. Above the bachelor’s degree, there’s another higher degree is called master’s degree; is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high order of a field of study professional practice.Returning students might have a job history that would like to try a new occupation in their lives. Besides the enrollment and degrees, tuition i s a huge part of college, so returning students need to understand there’s ways to pay college. Colleges and Universities will provide a flat rate for tuition. This is a unique challenge for parents and students are making sure; they’re getting their money’s worth by taking enough classes each semester. There’s two ways to pay for your tuition. One is with financial aid; students apply at the beginning of year to get it. Financial aid pays all the classes and books for each semester.Scholarships are a great source to help them pay half of the tuition. Where to apply for scholarships? Online, school or anywhere there’s good places that can offer scholarships. Sometimes when students don’t qualify for either scholarships or financial aid, they paid their tuition with their savings. In addition, today students are allowed to use computers, laptops and recorders on campus, Therefore, returning students to college should use one these technology to help them with their assignment. A college campus can have over two-hundred computers to have access to the internet or any other sources to complete any assignments.Laptops are allowed to use in class because instructors knows best that students use laptops to work in an assignment. Other than, it can be a distraction for the teacher and for other students. Recorders are also available to use if a student has a disability to remember. Students take advantage for these opportunities and use them for their benefit to succeed in their classes. The fourth step returning students to be successful is to have a flexible schedule. Flexible schedules are for students to make it to class without struggling and have free time to get assignments done.Most students have jobs and sometimes they take morning or nigh classes. All depends on student’s availability. The most recommended for a college student is to take four classes, equal twelve hours to be a fulltime student. Some student s take five or six classes in a semester, but are really stressing and hard to handle. As a returning student, is a good way to start off with a flexible schedule with four classes. Furthermore, returning college students need good study habits to do well in their classes. Especially for freshman students, who would like to know some good study methods? One method is to form a study group to help each other.No matter what field study, don’t not worry about hanging out with old or younger students, they have the same right to learn. Other classmates can learn from each other. Another study method, whenever college students take an exam, they always study at least four hours of the material. Make sure to take good notes in class, pay attention and read the chapters twice every night. The last method, make sure to find a good quiet place to study with no distractions around the area. Like at home it can be difficult to study because you have TV’s, video games and other en tertainment systems; that a house can hold.But one great place to study it can be a library or study rooms from campus. Another place it would be a good peaceful park, to enjoy the fresh air and a good view for a small break. Overall, a college education can be hard and expensive. But the end, everything will be worth it with excellent opportunities later on in life. Just remember hard work always pays off at the end. Never is too late to start a college education. These five steps can help an older student prepare for a new college life and help them to become a successful student.

Principles Of Personal Development Essay

Social workers follow certain standards that give guidance on ways of working that have been identified as good practice. These standards include: †¢ legal requirements (regulations) †¢ codes of practice †¢ national occupation standards (for training in different job roles) †¢ minimum standards Identify two standards for each of the different aspects of social care work listed below. see more:principles of personal development in adult social care settings Ai – Confidentiality and sharing information: 1. Legal Requirement: Data Protection Act 2. National Occupation Standards: Quality and Safety Aii – Equality and diversity: 1. Code of Practice: Equality Act 2. National Occupation Standards: Quality and Safety Aiii – Health and safety: 1. Legal Requirement: Manual Handling Regulations 2. Legal Requirement: Health and Safety at Work Act Aiv – Personal development: 1. National Occupation Standards: Quality and Safety 2. Codes of Practice: GSCC Av – Safeguarding and protection: 1. Codes of Practice: GSCC 2. National Occupation Standards: Quality and Safety Avi – Explain what a PDP is, and what it should include: A ‘PDP’ is a Personal Development Plan. A PDP is a written document that is agreed upon between you and or employer. A PDP will include information about what qualifications you have, training you have got and what training you still need to do. What goals you have set for yourself, what you feel you can improve on and what your employer thinks you need to improve on.  Avii – Identify three people who might be involved in providing information and feedback for a personal development plan: 1. Matron 2. Senior Staff 3. Service Users Aviii – List three different ways your own learning and development might be supported: 1. Appraisals 2. Encouraging feedback from senior members of staff/service users 3. Courses Aix – List four different ways that a personal development plan may benefit your learning and development: 1. Setting own realistic goals that helps you achieve the best you can 2. Organisation can help improve reaching time limits 3. Improvement can easily be achieved 4. Making sure you are reaching you goals and what you can do to change it Task B Case Study Jenna supports individuals living in their own homes and is having her first appraisal/review with her supervisor, Fatima. Fatima tells her that she can be trusted to use her own initiative, which is important because she works alone for much of the time. She is told that she is very reliable and caring. Feedback from individuals about her work is generally positive, but there has been a complaint from one service user who says he feels rushed and finds her manner rude. Jenna tells Fatima that she disapproves of some of his ways, which are against her beliefs, but had not realised that this showed in her attitude. Bi – Describe how Jenna should ensure that her personal attitudes and beliefs do not affect her work: Jenna needs to make sure that her personal believes are put aside, respecting the service users needs are more important than a personal opinion which may differ. Keeping work and personal life separate is crucial when working with others. Bii – Explain why it is important to reflect on your work activities: Reflecting on work activities is an important way for developing your knowledge and skills. Looking back on what you have done in the day will allow you to pick up on things you thought you could have done differently, find weaknesses and improve. Task C Reflective account Ci – Think of a learning activity you have taken part in that has improved your knowledge, skills and understanding. The activity may have been a training session, a demonstration of practice, learning a new skill or a research activity: Give a description of experience and how did this experience improve your knowledge, skills and understanding? When I first started in the caring industry I was lucky to have training in manual handling quite soon on, I was starting to feel my back hurting and finding it tricky to work together with the other carer when using the hoist/stand aid. After the training session I now know how to save my back from feeling the strain by make sure everything is in a good level reach and that communication when using the hoist and stand aid is important to both members of staff to reach the goal and for the service user to be safe. Cii – Think of an example of a time you have received feedback from others than has improved your knowledge, skills and understanding. This may have been from your assessor, tutor, a supervisor or line manager, or individuals using the service. Give a Description of feedback and how did this experience improve your knowledge, skills and understanding? When starting, feeding was one of my down falls. I used to get frightened I was going to choke someone, or course someone to aspirate. Whenever I could get information on individuals feeding habits I would make a point in asking. I would ask people for advice which really helped and would watch other people give feeding aid at lunch/dinner times. I received the best feedback on another carer when they showed me how they feed one individual, making sure you notice when they swallow. Ever since I have been more confident and I might still need improving in it, I do feel like I can safely feed someone.

Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods Essay

Our ancestors first cultivated plants some ten thousand years ago. They domesticated animals later and then selectively bred both plants and animals to meet various requirements for human food. Humans discovered natural biological processes such as fermentation of fruits and grains to make wine and beer, and yeast for baking bread. Manipulation of foods is not a new story, therefore. The latest agricultural discovery uses genetic engineering technology to modify foods. Farmers and plant breeders have been changing crop plants to improve characteristics such as size, resistance to disease and taste. Plants which grow well, have a higher yield or taste better are selected and bred from. This is still the most widely used technique for developing new varieties of a crop, and is limited by natural barriers which stop different species of organisms from breeding with each other. Genetic modification is very different to these traditional plant breeding techniques. Genetic modification is the insertion of DNA from one organism to another, usually by molecular technologies. Genetically Modified Foods (GMF) are animals or plants that have had genetic modification. This changes the characteristics of the organism, or the way it grows and develops. Jim Maryanski from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, had the following to say in an interview published on the FDA’s website. “There are hundreds of new plant varieties introduced every year in the United States, and all have been genetically modified through traditional plant breeding techniques–such as cross-fertilization of selected plants–to produce desired traits.” (Robin)Current and future GM products include:a)Food that can deliver vaccines – bananas that produce hepatitis B vaccineb)More nutritious foods – rice with increased iron and vitaminsc)Faster growing fish, fruit and nut treesd)Plants producing new plasticsIn so many respects, genetic modification is perfect for today’s society. It would help agriculturalists overcome all headaches associated with growing large crops, and basically tailor the food growth industry to mass consumption by the general population. The famous frost-resistant tomato example is perfect in illustrating this point. With a tomato that  resists frost, the season for growing them would be longer and therefore a farmer would be able to produce more tomatoes in one year than they were able to do in the past. Gene technology not only gives us the potential to select the exact characteristics we want in an organism, but it also enables us to cross species barriers. For example, we can take an insecticide-producing gene from a bacterium and insert it into a plant, making the plant resistant to insect attack. This new-found ability to cross species barriers is what makes gene technology such a powerful tool. Producing enough food for the world’s population without using up all the available land is an enormous challenge. One solution is to develop crops that yield more with fewer inputs; that are more resistant to diseases; that spoil less during storage and transport; that contain more useful nutrients; and that can grow in agricultural land that has been degraded. Gene technology gives us the potential to do this. Genetically modified foods have been available since the 1990s. The principal ingredients of GM foods currently available are derived from genetically modified soybean, maize and canola. The first commercially grown genetically modified food crop was a tomato created by Calgene called the FlavrSavr. Calgene submitted it to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for assessment in 1992; following the FDA’s determination that the FlavrSavr was, in fact, a tomato, did not constitute a health hazard, and did not need to be labeled to indicate it was genetically modified, Calgene released it into the market in 1994, where it met with little public comment. Considered to have a poor flavor, it never sold well and was off the market by 1997. However, it had improved solids contents which made it an attractive new variety for canned tomatoes. Transgenic crops are grown commercially or in field trials in over 40 countries and on 6 continents. In 2000, about 109.2 million acres (442,000 km ²) were planted with transgenic crops, the principal ones being herbicide- and insecticide-resistant soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola. Other crops grown commercially or field-tested are a sweet potato resistant to a US strain of a virus that affects one out of the more than 89 different varieties of sweet potato grown in Africa, rice with increased iron and  vitamins such as golden rice, and a variety of plants able to survive extreme weather. Between 1996 and 2001, the total surface area of land cultivated with GMOs had increased by a factor of 30, from 17,000 km ² (4.2 million acres) to 520,000 km ² (128 million acres). The value for 2002 was 145 million acres (587,000 km ²) and for 2003 was 167 million acres (676,000 km ²). Soybean crop represented 63% of total surface in 2001, maize 19%, cotton 13% and canola 5%. In 2004, the value was about 200 million acres (809,000 km ²) of which 2/3 were in the United States. In particular, Bt corn is widely grown, as are soybeans genetically designed to tolerate glyphosate herbicides. Future applications of GMOs include bananas that produce human vaccines against infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B, fish that mature more quickly, fruit and nut trees that yield years earlier, and plants that produce new plastics with unique properties. The next decade will see exponential progress in GM product development as researchers gain increasing and unprecedented access to genomic resources that are applicable to organisms beyond the scope of individual projects. Biologist Stephen Nottingham explains the risks of GMF:“Experimental trials with transgenic organisms are usually conducted strict regulations to minimize the potential spread of genetic materialÂ…Even given these regulations, however, no field trial can be said to be 100% secure. This was illustrated when flooding struck the American Midwest in July 1993 and an entire field of experimental insect-resistant maize was swept away in Iowa. Â…once released accidentally into the environment, plant material may prove difficult to recover. (Bragi)Unique ecological risks have been associated with virus-resistant transgenic crop plantsÂ…leaving crops more vulnerable to virus attack and risking the spread of virus susceptibility to other plants. Genetically modified foods are unlikely to present direct risks to human health. There are two main areas of concern:a)The possibility of allergic reactions to genetically modified foods, andb)The possibility that bacteria living in the human gut may acquire resistance to antibiotics from marker  genes present in transgenic plants. Proponents claim that a genetically-modified potato is as safe as one modified the old-fashioned way, through generations of selective breeding; biotechnology just gets the job done more quickly. Critics are concerned that mixing together genetic material from different species might produce unexpected allergic reactions in the person who eats or drinks it. For instance, if an individual consumer who is allergic to broccoli eats a banana that just happens to have a little broccoli DNA under the peel, that person might get sick. Some studies on animals indicate that consuming genetically-modified foods may cause allergic responses, compromise immune systems and inhibit organ growth, although no proven cases of widespread reactions have been definitively documented. Opponents of biotech foods want other questions answered, as well. Will re-engineering a plant or animal to serve a specific end, such as improving taste, decrease its nutritional value? Will consuming genetically-modified food products make a person more resistant to antibiotics, which are widely used to treat bacterial infections? Does consuming milk or meat from livestock that has been injected with growth hormones (a form of biotechnology that is different from genetic modification) subject consumers to early puberty, cancer, and other ailments?Since neither side has been able to provide definitive answers, the jury is still out on food safety; after all, genetic technology itself is barely decades old. So one can condense the issue into a single question: should we move forward with new technologies that might help provide higher crop yields, new and interesting types of food products, and more profits for the companies that own the technology; or play it safe and wait until we better understand the health and environmental consequences of manipulating life forms that took generations to develop?Multinational Corporations benefit because GMF can be very profitable. GMF have taken hold quickly because multinational corporations with the resources to make large financial investments in research and development can profit directly. Multinational companies can spread out the benefit and profit to many branches of their businesses. Many such corporations combine the following: an agrochemical company, a seed  company, a pharmaceutical company, a food processing company and sometimes businesses involved with veterinary products. Developments in one part of the corporation can be used t o sell products in another branch. Farmers benefit in the short term because they can grow and sell more crops with fewer problems due to weeds, pests, fungi or frost. The genetically modified seed is designed to resist these traditional enemies. Food processing companies benefit from a ready supply of raw food ingredients designed for specific processing needs. Genetically modified tomatoes and potatoes, for instance, have higher solid contents and yield more sauces and French fries. These foods take longer to ripen and rot. Thus less food is spoiled and more gets processed. Supermarkets benefit for the same reasons. The fresh produce lasts longer on the shelves and is more profitable. Consumers, to date, haven’t benefited. GMF have been developed for the convenience of the producer and processor. Yet they cost more to produce and the costs get passed along to the consumer. Eventually there will be some kind of designer novelty foods for shoppers to try. Nottingham adds that there are many other concerns including ethical questions involving animal welfare, whether DNA is actual life, and intellectual property rights and genetic resources from the Third World. (Bragi)The world’s poorest nations account for around 95.7% of the world’s genetic resources. Traditional farming practices involve farmers retaining seeds, from the harvest of one year’s crop, for planting in the following year. This practice saves money on buying seed and in itself represents a continuous selection for yield and resistance to pests and diseases. However, with genetically modified seed, royalties are payable to the companies holding the patent for the seed. Under world trade agreement rulings, farmers have to make substantial royalty payments to multinational companies if they keep seed for replanting, even if the crop happens to be native to their particular country. Genetic engineering is a valuable new technology that can develop more plentiful and nutritious foods, with great potential benefits for humanity and the environment, and this new scientific discovery needs to be implemented as quickly as possible for humanitarian reasons. As with every new scientific technology, harmful side effects of genetic engineering are inevitable and great care should be taken in its implementation, including carefully controlled long-term tests on human health and environmental impacts. All genetically engineered foods have been thoroughly tested and demonstrated to be safe before they are released into the marketplace. However, this testing is typically conducted only on rats and other animals, by the companies involved. Very little of this research has been reviewed by independent scientists and then published in scientific journals. Genetically engineered foods are usually â€Å"substantially equivalent† to other foods, with no increased risk to human health, and no need for the lengthy and expensive human testing demanded of, for example, new food additives. However, the unpredictable disruptions in normal DNA functioning caused by genetic engineering can produce unanticipated and unknown side effects for human health, including unknown and unpredictable toxins and allergens, and these possibilities can only be definitively assessed through human testing. Genetic engineering is a scientific and technological process, and its evaluation and governmental regulation should be based on purely scientific and objective criteria. To have a purely scientific evaluation of genetically engineered foods, we need more science, especially human studies and environmental studies. Moreover, purely scientific assessment of genetic engineering ignores the fact that, for many people, food has cultural, ethical and religious dimensions that must also be considered. Alan McHughen, author of Pandora’s Picnic Basket: The Potential and Hazards of Genetically Modified Foods, in the introduction he states:†Make no mistake: I am in favor of an orderly and appropriately regulated introduction of some GMOs into the environment and marketplace, and I  adamantly oppose others. There are good reasons to ban certain products of genetic technology, and good reasons to allow, with management, certain others; some may require no extraordinary regulation at all. If your opinion differs from mine after reading this book, I hope you will be able to justify, if only to yourself, why we disagree. My philosophy is to be skeptical, be critical, even cynical of claims by business interests, government agencies, and activist groups. But also keep an open mind and then decide for yourself.† (Internet 7)ThereÂ’s no doubt that the GM food supply should be closely monitored and regulated, but that doesnÂ’t mean it should all be banned. I believe that genetic engineering of plants, animals, and humans has much to offer as long as we are aware of potential benefits and side effects. And thatÂ’s true even for more traditional methods of farming, animal husbandry, and medicine. Work Sited: 1.Cummings, Michael R., and Williams S. Klug. Concepts of Genetics. New Delhi: Pearson Education, 2004. 2.Dubey, R.C. A Textbook of Biotechnology. New Delhi: S. Chand, 20063.Kumar, H.D. Modern Concepts of Biotechnology. New Delhi: Vikash Publishing House, 20034.Purohit, S. Agricultural Biotechnology. India: Agrobios, 20055.Purohit, S. Biotechnology: Fundamental and Applications. India: Agrobios, 2004Internet Reference:1.Bragi, David. “Food Savior Or Frankenfood? The Debate Over Genetically Modified Foods”. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2001/06/25/healthwatch.DTL2.Robbin, Adria. “What Are We Eating?” http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f00/web1/robbin.html3.Schultz, Norman. http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/fact_finding_limits/4.Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/genetic_engineering5.Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/genetically_modified_food6.“Genetic Engineering: The Controversy”. http://www.genetic-id.com/prosncons/index.htm7.http://www.foodmuseum.com/issues.html

The Social Organization of Singapore

My research will be based on Political, Economic, and Social Organization of Singapore—an industrialist city-state. Even though Singapore's history dates from the 11th century, the island was little known to the West until the 19th century. Singapore is one of the World's largest ports, because the city of Singapore has become a major port, with trade exceeding that of Malaya's, Malacca and Penang combined. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of steamships launched an era of prosperity for Singapore as transit trade expanded throughout Southeast Asia (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). Singapore is a very multicultural country, but education through social studies has brought the country into a social cohesive unit (Ho, 2009). Singapore is a Republic—a one-house Parliament makes the county’s laws. A prime minister leads a Cabinet, which carries out the operations of the Government. The ruling political party in Singapore, reelected continuously since 1959, is the People's Action Party (PAP), headed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong† (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). The president (chief of state) previously exercised only ceremonial duties. As a result of 1991 constitutional changes, the president is now elected and exercises expanded powers over legislative appointments, government budgetary affairs, and internal security matters. The PAP believes that rationalism and expertise is the proper approach to social and economic problems that may arise (Bellows, 1985). The PAP has held the overwhelming majority of seats in Parliament since 1966, when the opposition Barisan Sosialis Party (Socialist Front), a left-wing group that split off from the PAP in 1961, resigned from Parliament, leaving the PAP as the sole representative party† (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). â€Å"Singapore became independent in August 1965, and has had compulsory voting since the late 1950s (every Singaporean 21 years of age or older must vote). Between 1968 and October 1981, in four national parliamentary elections and innumerable by-elections, the PAP won every seat† (Bellows, 1985). The maximum term in Parliament is five years. The president appoints nominated members of Parliament from nominations by a special select committee. Nominated members of Parliament (NMPs) enjoy the same privileges as members of Parliament, but cannot vote on constitutional matters or expenditure of funds (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). Members of Parliament serve only two-and-a-half-year terms. As stated above, the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of steamships launched an era of prosperity for Singapore as transit trade expanded throughout Southeast Asia (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). Also, in the 20th century, the Automobile industry’s need for rubber and the packaging industry’s need for tin assisted Singapore in becoming one of the World’s major ports. Singapore’s location among major sea lanes, and its industrious population, is what gives this small country its economic importance (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). â€Å"Upon independence in 1965, Singapore was faced with a lack of physical resources and a small domestic market. In response, the Singapore Government adopted a pro-business, pro-foreign investment, export-oriented economic policy framework, combined with state-directed investments in strategic government-owned corporations. Singapore's economic strategy proved a success, producing real growth that averaged 7. 8% from 1965 to 2009† (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). In addition to this economic strategy, the end of the cold war brought about less tension between Asian counties, which brought the region into a more globalizing production process (Heng, 2006, pg. 2). In the 1980’s, Singapore entered into a growth triangle (GT) with Indonesia and Malaysia, also written as IMS-GT. This triangle would prove to be a good move for the three countries, but with free trade agreements (FTAs) and close economic partnerships (CEPs) coming onto the scene, the growth triangles introduced in the 80’s looked as if they may have competition in the economic realm, but GTs continue to be at the tip of the spear due to the cooperation between the three are still very productive for them all. With all three countries being relatively close together, costs are minimal. Not to mention, this export-oriented cooperation is still attractive to foreign trading (Heng, 2006, pg. 1). The pioneering GT in Southeast Asia is that of the IMS-GT, and its evolution is very much tied to the economic development of the Singapore economy (Toh & Low, 1993, Kakazu, 1997). There are five GT’s in existence and GT’s are highly regarded by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). There were two major happenings that temporarily effected Singapore’s economy between 2001 and 2003—the worldwide electronics slump and the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Both times, growth bounced back, by world demand for electronics, pharmaceuticals, other manufactured goods, and financial services. The return was mostly contributed to by the economies of its major trading partners—the United States, the European Union, Japan, and China, as well as expanding emerging markets such as India (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). The next economic hit that Singapore would have to endure would not take place until 2008-2009. The hit was due to global financial crisis. Singapore had their worst two quarters in late 2008 and early 2009, but would bounce back quickly (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). Manufacturing and services are the backbone of Singapore’s economy, producing 26% and 69. 3% of Singapore’s gross domestic product in 2009. Singapore’s manufacturing of electronics accounts for 31. 5%, while chemicals account for 27% of the country’s manufacturing output. The government also approved the development of two casinos in Singapore, in May 2005, to facilitate new life in tourism. The investment produced more than $5 billion U.  S. dollars. Las Vegas Sands’ Marina Bay Sands and Resort opened in April 2010 and Genting International’s Resort World Sentosa opened in February 2010 (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). Lee Kuan Yew once said, â€Å"A casino in the city state was possible, only over my dead body. † Now, with the extra income to the economy, he seemed to have warmed up to the casinos. April 27, 2010, the opening of the Las Vegas Sands’ was published in USA Today and quoted as saying, â€Å"Singapore’s second casino-resort opened Tuesday, a massive $5. billion project by Las Vegas Sands Corp. that aims to makeover the city-state as a Southeast Asian gambling and tourism magnet† Singapore is continuing to grow economically as stated by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, â€Å"The government is actively negotiating eight free trade agreements (FTAs) with emerging economic partners and has already concluded 18 FTAs with many of its key trade partner s, including one with the United States that came into force January 1, 2004. As a member of the Association f Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Singapore is part of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), and is signatory to ASEAN FTAs with China, Korea, Japan, India, and a joint agreement with New Zealand and Australia. Singapore is also a party to the Transpacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, which includes Brunei, Chile, and New Zealand† (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). Singapore was a small society open to influence from the west through the English language and subject to homogenizing effects of modernization and industrialization. Ethnicity was not assured as a fundamental element (Unknown, n. d. ). Singapore, as stated by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The annual population growth rate for 2009 was 3. 1%, including resident foreigners. Singapore has a diversity of linguistic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Malay being the national language, but Chinese, English, and Tamil are also recognized as official languages. English is utilized in administration, professions, business, and schools (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). English is mandated as the primary language by the Singapore Government to be used at all levels in schools. The government is said to provide at least ten years of education in English for every child (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). I have personally experienced this to be quite true. I have been to Singapore on three different occasions during my Naval career, and there is a surprisingly amount of people in Singapore that speak very good English. Ordering food at a restaurant in Singapore proved to be much easier than expected. Another surprising fact is that the literacy rate in Singapore is 96. 3% (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). A touchy subject in Singapore is the terms race and ethnicity. While 77% of the country’s population is Chinese, all Singaporeans are assigned a â€Å"race† at birth (determined by the father’s race), and this is indicated on an official identification card (Ho, 2009). The Singapore Department of statistics assigns the same meaning to both race and ethnicity and states the term ethnic group refers to a person’s race (Ho, 2009). The Singapore constitution also contains provisions that prohibit discrimination and guarantee protection to minorities, including articles 12, 16, and 152 (Tan, 2004). Singapore has diversity in ethnicity when it comes to religion. Singapore allows freedom of religion for the most part, but religion is subject to government view. Thus, some religions have been banned or restricted. â€Å"Almost all Malays are Muslim; other Singaporeans are Taoists, Buddhists, Confucianists, Christians, Hindus, or Sikhs† (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). The Buddhism is prominently displayed through Buddhist temples throughout Singapore. I actually saw many of these temples in my travels to Singapore. Some of these temples are very extravagant works of art. You may also see the diversity among Singaporeans if you are visiting during National Holidays. The people of Singapore will display their different cultures through dance and cultural clothing all across the country. The Singapore government experienced a loss of cohesiveness due to this multicultural social organization. The Government introduced Social Studies into the educational system in order to bring cohesiveness back into the country. The social studies curriculum was introduced, in 2001, to secondary educational levels—students from fifteen to seventeen years old. It is designed to allow students to grasp an understanding of Singapore’s geopolitical situation, including its strengths and vulnerabilities (Ho, 2009). This curriculum brings to light the differences in this culturally diverse country. This in turn brings the different people of Singapore together, thus encouraging social cohesiveness. Singapore has risen to every challenge that has come her way. Singapore has grown politically, economically, and socially with minimal negative results. Politically, the PAP remains the leader in the government. Realizing the need for economic growth, the PAP has always stood by industrialization. The building of casinos in the city-state has shown a remarkable ability to tap into tourism. Singapore remains at the head of the spear in terms of global trade. The social organization will continue to strengthen with education of youth. This fact has been recognized—education of the next generation will lead to political, economic and social success. â€Å"Economic, social, and political development requires autonomy and creativity as well as an effective, interventionist government staffed by a highly qualified and dedicated civil service. Singapore has come closer to achieving this mix than most other third World countries. There is much that other developing countries could adopt from the Singapore experience† (Bellows, 1985).