Why I Hate The Opera

Why I Hate The Opera Free Online Research Papers I am not a big fan of opera. It seems so theatrical, which I know is the point, but excessively so for my tastes. They oftentimes sing in foreign languages, which may seem romantic, but to the everywoman I am, it seems my daughter can speak better English then they can German. And what is with the men always being overly fat? Do I want to pay big bucks to see some guy sweat all over the stage? Opera is not for me, not by a long shot. Every movement has to be overwrought. The make-up has to be so heavy. Wigs and costumes all weighing at least 100 pounds. The stage, every inch of it, has to be drowned in movement, either with actors or set design. Can’t they convey beauty and emotion in immobility as well? And seeing some woman or man berating another, or not even berating, maybe just consoling or lavishing love, while speaking a foreign tongue, how does one understand the words? If words weren’t that important, why can’t they just hum it? Or replace the words with universally known euphemisms, like ‘amen’? The swelling of the orchestra normally drowns out the pronunciation anyway. I am sure that elongating portiaaaaa can be viewed as a talent, but not to the average listener, sorry. And why do all the main performers appear to be excessively obese? Men, women, it doesn’t matter. I have been taught that singing from the diaphragm is the way to project the voice. If this is the case, they should have some killer abs, and not a 40† waist. Maybe they need the extra poundage for presence? No, opera is not my thing. I can’t see paying all that money to leave as confused as I came, or more so. Give me plain old English, without all that sing-song excess. I will save my money and see a movie. Preferably by Jerry Bruckheimer. Research Papers on Why I Hate The Opera19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHip-Hop is ArtWhere Wild and West MeetThe Fifth HorsemanTwilight of the UAWHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionMind TravelQuebec and CanadaThe Spring and AutumnAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Why Wharton School of Business and How to Get In

Why Wharton School of Business and How to Get In Established in 1881 as the first business school in the United States, the  University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business is consistently recognized as one of the  best business schools in the world. It is renowned for innovative teaching methods and a wide range of academic programs and resources and boasts the worlds largest and most cited faculty.   WhartonPrograms Wharton School offers a wide range of business programs for students at every education level. Program offerings include   Pre-College Programs, Undergraduate Program,   MBA Program,   Executive MBA Program,   Doctoral Programs,   Executive Education,   Global Programs, and Interdisciplinary Programs.   Undergraduate Program The four-year  undergraduate program leads to a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree for every student. However, undergraduate students can choose from 20 concentration options to broaden their education. Concentration examples include finance, accounting, marketing, information management, real estate, global analysis, actuarial science, and more. MBA Program The MBA curriculum offers a wide range of classes that give students the power to create their own individualized major. After completing the first year of the core curriculum, students have the opportunity to concentrate on their individual interests and goals. Wharton offers 200 electives in 15 interdisciplinary programs so that students can fully customize their educational experience.   Doctoral Program The Doctoral Program is a full-time program offering 10 specialized fields, including accounting, business and public policy, ethics and legal study, finance, healthcare systems, Insurance and risk management, marketing, operations and information management, real estate, and statistics. WhartonAdmissions Applications are accepted online or in the classic paper format. Admission requirements vary by program.

Top Female Leaders Around the World Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Top Female Leaders Around the World - Article Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that Gordon Ramsay is one of the strictest yet swanky leaders on earth. He is a master chef and his students learn and follow his leadership. His demeanor tells that he answers to no one and always defines his own set of parameters. There would hardly anyone who would argue that this man doesn’t possess leadership abilities. If someone can swear his kitchen staff on BBC television. then what else do one need to know if has leadership qualities or not? A black African American woman, who earns $200 million every year and has a net worth of over $2 billion, these credentials speak for themselves. Oprah is the queen of female celebrities, her show is one of the most popular shows on US national television. Without her leadership abilities, she would never have been able to cut through the male dominant society. She has her own production house and runs many charities, she is one great leader.  The CEO of Apple Inc., Tim Cook holds the throne to the biggest corporations on this planet. However, his leadership is under question. He has leadership qualities there is no doubt about it but to be able to lead the likes of a tech giant like Apple, it requires more than just leadership, it requires Jobs’ like leadership which many believe that Tim Cook lacks in. if he truly is a wrong choice for Apple Inc. only time will tell but at the moment, Apple Inc. in the hands of Tim Cook is facing serious criticism. Sarah Palin was the 11th governor of the state of Alaska. Although she is a successful politician there were some lacking in the leadership department. When she ran for the presidential elections in 2008, she received the lowest vote of confidence from the public.

THE DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING, TRAINING, MOTIVATING AND REWARDING Essay

THE DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING, TRAINING, MOTIVATING AND REWARDING STAFF IN A GIVEN FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY - Essay Example ensures that the employees are as enthusiastic about the business and they are devoted towards their organization. Involving employees in taking decision for the company and their opinion for making improvement leads company to success. If top management involves their employees in company's affairs, they will feel recognition and self respect and they will perform even better. It also helps in building trust and motivates employees. Bonuses or reward can also be a good and effective way to encourage and motivate employees. Through this process, they will get to know that, they are performing well in the organization and they are beneficial for the company as well. Bonus must be designed in such a way that people or employees understand that there is no payment in terms of bonus unless the company gets the profit and also exceeds the level of profitability. Bonus and reward is also based on team's success and the individual's performance. Feedback is also an important factor in HRM process. If an employee or a person is performing well, he will participate to enhance or Increase Company's productivity. He/she will be appreciated for this and should be recognized for his/her work in a positive and in effective way. Evaluation of the performance should be taken fairly. There is a need to develop a performance evaluation system which focuses on individual performance. Self rating as a part of evaluation process encourages or empowers employees. Evaluation becomes fairer if it is based on the records of and achievements of the employee. HRM practice and policies provide several good and effective ways of organizing and managing organization's functions. It also gives or provides help to develop effective strategies for making the company or organization more productive and successful. Employees play a lead role in any organization, so the polices and practices regarding employee or human resource should be followed effectively and in a good manner. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Organizational behavior is the body of knowledge which describes, analyzes and explains how organization influences the behavior of the members or employees and how they respond to the performance and ecology/culture of the organization or environment. Organizational behavior focuses on several functions and process of organization such as recruiting, rewarding, compensation, motivation etc; it also focuses the problems and difficulties of the organization. DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING, TRANING, MOTIVATING AND REWARDING STAFF IN DAVENHAM GROUP (Finance Company in UK) Davenham Group is a leading specialist, commercial finance company performing its functions in UK. Established in 1991 and divided into

Stakeholders Analysis Essay Example for Free

Stakeholders Analysis Essay A Stakeholder is someone who has any interest in the business any one who is affected by the business. Some examples are: customers, suppliers, employees, local community, and local sports clubs. The stakeholders will vary depending on what the business is and who it affects. Stakeholders in Falconi brothers include Competitors Other businesses USDAW-Trade unions Government Shareholders / Owners Bank Customers Suppliers Local community Employees Garage Trade Unions- have an interest from Falconi Brothers business. They represent people who work for Falconi Brothers, they improve peoples pay and condition of employment. Competition is a rival in business, two or more business are trying to sell to the same customers. An example of competitors is Tesco and Asda because both sell food in supermarket and both want people to buy from them. Local competition are GB Liners Ltd Leeds LS13 4UN, Fast Move LS9 8 PD. Is a rival in business. Competitors are affected by the Falconis brothers business if Falconis brothers business going very well competitors is affected because they loose the customers. When they lose the customers they loose the money. Others businesses- for example Empire Direct on Roundhay Road the are have interest because Falconi’s business help them with delivery heavy, electrical items. Usdaw unions of shops and allied workers. Employees at Falconi Brother might be in a trade unions, this means the trade unions has an interest in the business. Trade unions organisations that represent people at work. The protect and improve people pay and conditions of employment. They also campaign for lows and policies which will benefit working people. Government- Has an interest from Falconi brothers business because they pay company tax to the government (and road tax far car, business rates for office etc) Shareholders owners -They are depending on the business because they earning money from the Falconi brother. Partners of the business have invested money and wont a business to be successful the business have run efficiently and the managers will be committed to increasing revenues or controlling the cost of business. Bank- Is interested in the success of Falconis Brothers business because they pay money to the bank and bank get interest when the business takes out a loan. If the business is successful, more money will come into the bank. Customer- benefit when Falconi’s business is successful they will get quality and good services from them. Customers will expect products and services to be safe and reliable. Local Community-If Falconis business is successful they can get good service as customers and they can get jobs as employee, Sometimes the impact is positive for falconi brother business may be one of the few secure of employment in an area of high unemployment and they can get a job. Employees- Can get more opportunity for getting job with them. They also get wages, The employees are very important group who have an interest in falconi brothers business. They will rely upon the falconi brother business to provide them with a regular wage or salary. They hope for job security and safe working conditions and perhaps training. Garage-Take benefit from them because if Falconi have a good business they will buy more cars and the garage will service Falconi’s cars Suppliers- Is firms that supply that falconi brother business with raw materials components packaging or services will expect to be paid promptly. They maybe also rely upon regular orders to ensure the success of their own business. Creditors- creditor is a person like falconi brothers owed money, the money for the vans or to business grown well. For example, a bank or a company that gives out mortgage to falconi brother is a creditor. In this case, the creditor is loaning money in exchange for collecting interest payments on the principal. An investor that holds a bond is also considered a creditor. Society- is a group of humans from a semi-closed system, in which most interactions are with other people belonging to the group. A society is a network of relationship between people. A society ia an interdependent community. Stakeholders can be divided into internal stakeholders and external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders are those individuals or groups within the organisation. A shareholder is someone who holds shares in the company. So the shareholder is an investor. European governments and companies are now using the term stakeholder to mean anyone at all who is affected by what a company does or in some way sticks his nose into the companys affairs. From what Im seeing nowadays, this means not only investors, but also workers, government bureaucrats, people who live in the same city as a corporate facility, angry groups of activists, people who care about something tangentially related to the company. In other words, the way they use the word, a stakeholder is pretty much anyone who says hes a stakeholder. Person group or organization that has direct or indirect stake in an organization because it can affect or be affected by the organizations actions, objectives and policies. Key stakeholders in a business organization include creditors, customers, directors, employees, government, owners, suppliers, unions and the community from which the business draws its resources. Although stake-holders are usually self-legitimizing all stakeholders are not equal and different stakeholders are entitled to different considerations. For example a firm’s customer is entitled to fair trading practices but they are not entitled to the same consideration as the firm’s employees. image00.png Conflicts Between Stakeholders Having identified the main responsibilities the business has to each stakeholder, see if you can work out where conflicts might arise. These conflicts will arise when the interests of one stakeholder group are opposite to that of another stakeholder group. For example Employers seeking higher wages might conflict with the desire by management to cut costs to boost profit and thus satisfy their own ambitions and meet the needs of the shareholders.

Grapes of Wrath Essay: Steinbecks Communist Manifesto -- Grapes Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath as a Communist Manifesto  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinbeck's political views are quite evident within The Grapes of Wrath. The subject of much controversy, The Grapes of Wrath serves as a social protest and commentary. Steinbeck's views as expressed through the novel tie directly into the Marxist ideals on communism.    Perhaps the first thing Steinbeck does in The Grapes of Wrath is establish the status quo. He sets up the farmers and the banks as the two main opposing forces. "Lord and serf... in a word, oppressor and oppressed" (Marx, 1) Immediately Steinbeck sets up the very same situation Marx establishes in The Communist Manifesto complete with proletarian (farmers) and bourgeois (bankers) classes.    The Joads and the other farmers clearly represent Marx's proletariat. The entire struggle they face is that of finding work or dying on the most basic of levels. Still, they fall victim to the conditions of the Great Depression, resulting in their continued inability to procure such a job. The migrants appear strongly as " the proletariat, the modern working class... who live only so long as they find work .. who must sell themselves piecemeal ... and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition to all the fluctuations of the market" (Marx, 4). Steinbeck and Marx find an obvious agreement over the situation and classification of the Okies, the proletarian workers.    One must also consider the role of the capitalist bankers and upper-class owners in the novel. The banks serve several purposes. First in the novel, they force the rural farmers off of their lands. Being the natural proletariat, they must take to the road in order to find a job. The upper class, as well, distribut... ...hing for a reform of the current system. Bear in mind however, that there is no way to reform a system and let it be run by a "monster." Steinbeck's complaints about capitalism stem from its very basis and allow for no reform short of revolution. The old ways have died, violence is building, and as Marx would agree, revolution is imminent. The bourgeoisie and proletariat exist exactly as Marx states, and all the conditions are shaping up for a proletarian uprising. The revolution draws nigh as Steinbeck's characters learn the principles and values on which Marx bases communism. The Marxist revolution in The Grapes of Wrath is at hand, especially as working men unite.    Works Cited Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1998.   

Medicare and Medicaid Cuts Essay

The debate on health care spending has been highly contested and remains the top most agenda on the Obama administration. The U. S government has been pursuing effective health care reforms for quite a long period of time. Focus has been on developing a plan that reduces government spending on heath and home care reimbursements while increasing the regard for insurance cover. An important aspect of these reforms is the reduction in budgetary spending on Medicare and Medicaid programs (Meena, et al. 006). President Obama in 2009 announced the $ 313 reduction in Medicaid and Medicare efficiencies as a move to accomplish the proposed savings essential for facilitating the administration’s heath-care plan. Currently, the cut on Medicare reimbursements paid for health care access costs by psychiatric patients, the elderly and the disabled stands at about 21%. In justifying these cuts, the U. S government points out that the funds would be less essential in the light of a new health care reform. However, at the current economic status and the increasingly declining rates of hospital revenues, this move has resulted into the rationing of medical and home care services, high payroll taxes, and closure of departments and hospitals. According to a study conducted by the American Hospital Association (AHA) regarding these cuts, about one in every five hospitals have already reduced a number of health care services such as outpatient services, post-acute care and behavioural health; as they have had to reduce overhead costs resulting from the cuts (Shen, 2003). These cuts will affect millions of people especially seniors, military families and the disabled who depend greatly on Medicare. This is because accessibility to physician help will be minimized. In support of medical practitioners, The American Medical Association (AMA) argues against these cuts on the basis that they are derived through an unreliable method of determining the physicians’ reimbursements and which according to them ought to be reviewed. It is imperative to also note that the effects of these cuts are being transferred to the public through increased insurance costs. Effects on Access, Cost and Quality of Psychiatric Care There is evidence that patient’s access to health and home care has been increasingly diminishing in the past few years and even got worse following the recent 21% Medicare cuts. Physicians argue that this has been prompted by the increased costs in the provision of medical care services due to the reimbursement cuts. For instance, by the year 2005, medical care provision costs had been projected to be about 40% more than the in 1991 (White, & Dranove 1998). In 2008, about $ 879 million was spent by hospitals in Michigan in subsiding services for the patients affected by the cuts. There have also been care rationing, reduction in provision of vital medical services and closure of hospital departments has been prevalent. This means that access to heath care services by concerned individuals has reduced significantly. A number of medical practitioners have been forced to stop providing psychiatric services to patients due to high overhead costs (Meena, et al. 2006). The reduced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements have made it impossible for psychiatrists to effectively provide care to long-term-care clients as well. There are reports of psychiatrists declining to provide consultation services in nursing homes as result of the lower rates of Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements received. According to the chair of the Geriatric Psychiatry committee for the Maryland Psychiatric Society, Allan Anderson, the cuts are a drawback to the willingness of the psychiatrists to provide care for the Medicare-based patients (Mulligan, 2002). Geriatric patients currently are underserved. Psychiatrists argue that due to a reduced access to psychiatric care such in cases demanding early interventions, most psychiatric patients are ending up complications. Doctors note that the cuts make it difficult for them to meet the requirements of their practice such as administrative issues and thus end up restricting their caseloads on Medicare. Currently, Medicaid does not take responsibility of the complete co pay for patients on both the Medicaid and Medicare and this has made a number of clinics to close to avoid the extra burden of absorbing the costs of treating these patients. For instance, Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic incurred a loss of about $ 34. 2 million in years 2002 and 2003 due to these cuts and it is such losses that are pushing clinics to close down minimizing access to health acre even more. Access to healthcare for the Medicare patients is increasingly becoming expensive and complicated given that the ability to pay currently determines this access (White, & Dranove 1998). Most heath facilities have had to cut down on their provisions of vital services that the seniors, the metal disabled and the military personnel within the community rely on to protect their bottom lines. Affected patients are being forced to skip visits to hospitals and this has prompted the providers to restrict access through costs. Impact on Psychiatrists and Other Medical and Home Care Providers A study of about 14,000 anaesthologists and surgeons indicate that most medical care providers will change their practice thus jeopardizing health care provision. A third of those studied said they will cease to practice as Medicare psychiatrists. This will adversely affect their quality of life. Practical challenges are forcing the providers to halt providing some Medicare related services, cutback on staff, minimize time allocated for Medicare patients and/or halt further purchase of equipments essential for serving such patients (Konetzka, et al. 2005). This will limit the doctor’s practice adversely. Some medical and home care providers have been forced to quit their practice following the high overhead resulting from the high costs incurred in attending to Medicare patients. Hospitals are being forced to resize on Medicare patients’ staff since hospitals have had to absorb care costs. Individual practitioners are more affected. Reimbursements cuts are prompting hospitals to focus on other non-reimbursement-dependent care services while closing down departments as well as cutting back on services to enable hospitals protect their bottom lines. This trend is prevalent even in community hospitals. In this regards, hospitals and home care provision establishments have had to reduce the number of practitioners providing these services and hence most are on the verge of losing their jobs should the cuts continue as anticipated (Mulligan, 2002). This implies that the government will only be solving on problem while creating multitude of others such unemployment. Many hospitals have also resulted in freezing of workers’ salaries and hence compromising their motivation. Impact on Taxpayers According to Randall (2009), the 2005’s 3 % reimbursement cut resulted into a $ 49 billion in terms of cost on permanent reforms. Currently, the Medicare reimbursement cut stands at 21% at a reform cost of about $ 210 billion. Medicare and Medicaid programs are funded by pay roll taxes. According to the health care reform bill, there will be an expansion of the pay roll tax associated with the Medicare to cover unearned income. It is projected that beginning year 2018; insurance firms will be required to pay an excise tax of about 40% for plans where family premiums range from $ 27, 500 and above (Sam, 2006). Experts note that these payroll tax effects will be transferred to employees in terms of lowers wages and benefits or in terms of higher premiums. This comes at a time when the government is focused on laying strict measure to ensure that people have health insurance. Further, it is also projected that from year 2013, adjustable spending accounts which currently enable users to skip various expenses on health care, will reduced or limited. In regards to the high income earning population, families earning in excess of $ 250, 000 will be required to spend way above what they spend currently on medical payroll taxes. Moreover, the now exempt unearned income will also be subjected to 3. 8 percent in payroll taxes. Individuals and families are definitely feeling the weight of these Medicaid and Medicare cuts through increased payroll taxes. This is because the federal government is focusing on insurances an alterative to help patients meet their health care costs. A 2005study by the Kaiser Family Foundation on employer health benefits indicates that family coverage premiums had increased by an average of about 9. 2 percent (Sam, 2006). Health insurance expenses have made it costly to employees as they are subjected to deductions for the same. At the same time, the mean per month contribution by employees on family plans increased to $ 226 in year 2005 form 2000’s $135. These are some of the costs that the citizens are bearing at the expense of the reduction in Medicare and Medicaid cuts.

Founding Fathers Of Sociology

Sociology can be defined as the scientific study of society and human behavior. It tries to acquire knowledge about society, and about how the humans making up these societies interact with each other. Auguste Comte was the first true father of sociology. He was the person who coined the term â€Å"sociology†. Other sociologist who can also be called the founding fathers of sociology include Weber, Marx, Engels and Durkheim. In this essay I will be looking at where these sociologists came from and the theories they came up with.Auguste Comte was a French social thinker and was the first person who coined the term â€Å"sociology†. He wanted to establish a science of society as a new discipline. He modeled sociological study around natural science and wanted to discover the laws of society. He aimed to study society through Social statics, which is the study of order and stability and Social dynamics, which is the study of social change. He wants to answer the question o f how one plans for change. One should think about in advance where you want to go and how to get there from here.One should be future oriented and goal oriented, achieving goals by optimal means. Social planning is designed to enhance social functioning by either changing the structural relations among people or providing a tangible support than enables an individual to cope with or overcome a social problem. It is necessary to plan in order to reduce uncertainty and enhance accountability. It also increases the potential for participation. Comte says that the process of change involves three stages; The future state, where the change has occurred.The present state, this is where we are in relation to where we want to get to and it is the period of planning and initiating the desired change. The last stage is the transition state, and asks the question of how we get from where we are to where we want to be. Comte’s idea for sociological study was based on the concept that so cieties evolve through three intellectual stages. These are the Theological stage, which involves the belief in the supernatural, the metaphysical stage, which is the transition stage and the positivistic stage which involves scientific thinking.After the third stage is reached, true understanding of the working of society becomes possible. Social disorder such as crime would be diminished and eventually stop when society’s cogs and wheels are established. Another founding father of sociology is Max Weber. He was a German sociologist. His central focus was on the process of rationalization. He has a middle class protestant background. He defined sociology as the scientific study of human action. Social action is human conduct oriented toward others and based on social meaning given to that conduct.It involves other human beings and is based on intentions and ideas of individuals. It must understand the subjective meaning behind people’s actions and this makes sociology fundamentally different from natural sciences. Weber calls such understanding â€Å"verstehen†, which is the investigator’s attempt to understand human action by viewing the cause of the action through the actor’s eyes rather than his own. The theory became known as Interactionism. Weber focuses on social actions of individuals and says that society cannot think or act, only individuals can.There is an opposition to positivism. The subject matter of sociology is unique and it cannot be studied with principles/methods of natural sciences. It requires verstehen. Another founding father is Karl Marx. He was born on May 5, 1818 in the German city of Trier. His family was Jewish, but he later converted to Protestantism in 1824 in order to avoid anti-Semitic laws and persecution. Marx was forced to go to London in 1849, but he did not work alone. He had help of Friedrich Engels who had on his own developed a very similar theory of economic determinism.Although the id eas later acquired the term â€Å"Marxism†, it must always be remembered that Marx did not come up with them entirely on his own. Engels was also important for Marx in a financial sense. Poverty weighed heavily on Marx and his family. Karl Marx focuses on conflict and inequality. Conflict is a fact of life in society. There is conflict between various social groups derived from a conflict of interest which brings inequality. Power and resources are unevenly distributed in society. Such inequality is maintained by naked coercion or manipulation of norms and values. Marx was interested in a particular type of conflict.This was class conflict or conflict between classes. He says, â€Å" The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle†. Production is a key concept in Marxism. It is the production of material goods and services in society and is the most important human activity. Production is carried out in the context of cooperation between h uman beings. Out of productive activity, human beings organize themselves, establish relations with each other and form a society. Thus change through improves technology of production also implies a change in social relations.Processes of production have given rise to inequality between human beings because production has been carried out by means of exploitation of the majority of the population by a few. Classes are social units based on their relation to the means of production. The means used to produce goods and services example: land, factories, tools, machinery, raw materials etc. The dominant class are the minority who own means of production and the subordinate class are the majority who don’t. Production is carried out by exploitation of one class by the other and this leads to class conflict.Bourgeoisie vs Proletariat. All societies go through stages in history and are destined to reach the communist stage. The communist mode only is not based on class exploitatio n. Communism realizes classless society where no one dominates one another. Marx’s dichotomy of society. Society is divided into two levels: The base/infrastructure (economic) and the superstructure (non-economic sphere). According to Marx the superstructure plays significant role in society. Example: the state. Common view: The state is neutral institution representing the interest of all citizens and society as a whole.Marx’s view: the executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole â€Å"bourgeoisie† (the owners of production). Example: The state. The interest of the state coincide with those of the dominant class. Apparatuses of the state are used to protect capitalists’ interests against worker’s rebellion. There is a contrast with Durkheim. Durkheim says that norms and values of society produce social integration and harmony (social solidarity). Marx says that these norms and values are ideologies which suppress people’s opposition and resistance (which may look like harmony or consensus to Durkheim). Founding Fathers of Sociology Sociology can be defined as the scientific study of society and human behavior. It tries to acquire knowledge about society, and about how the humans making up these societies interact with each other. Auguste Comte was the first true father of sociology. He was the person who coined the term â€Å"sociology†. Other sociologist who can also be called the founding fathers of sociology include Weber, Marx, Engels and Durkheim. In this essay I will be looking at where these sociologists came from and the theories they came up with.Auguste Comte was a French social thinker and was the first person who coined the term â€Å"sociology†. He wanted to establish a science of society as a new discipline. He modeled sociological study around natural science and wanted to discover the laws of society. He aimed to study society through Social statics, which is the study of order and stability and Social dynamics, which is the study of social change. He wants to answer the question o f how one plans for change. One should think about in advance where you want to go and how to get there from here.One should be future oriented and goal oriented, achieving goals by optimal means. Social planning is designed to enhance social functioning by either changing the structural relations among people or providing a tangible support than enables an individual to cope with or overcome a social problem. It is necessary to plan in order to reduce uncertainty and enhance accountability. It also increases the potential for participation. Comte says that the process of change involves three stages; The future state, where the change has occurred.The present state, this is where we are in relation to where we want to get to and it is the period of planning and initiating the desired change. The last stage is the transition state, and asks the question of how we get from where we are to where we want to be. Comte’s idea for sociological study was based on the concept that so cieties evolve through three intellectual stages. These are the Theological stage, which involves the belief in the supernatural, the metaphysical stage, which is the transition stage and the positivistic stage which involves scientific thinking.After the third stage is reached, true understanding of the working of society becomes possible. Social disorder such as crime would be diminished and eventually stop when society’s cogs and wheels are established. Another founding father of sociology is Max Weber. He was a German sociologist. His central focus was on the process of rationalization. He has a middle class protestant background. He defined sociology as the scientific study of human action. Social action is human conduct oriented toward others and based on social meaning given to that conduct.It involves other human beings and is based on intentions and ideas of individuals. It must understand the subjective meaning behind people’s actions and this makes sociology fundamentally different from natural sciences. Weber calls such understanding â€Å"verstehen†, which is the investigator’s attempt to understand human action by viewing the cause of the action through the actor’s eyes rather than his own. The theory became known as Interactionism. Weber focuses on social actions of individuals and says that society cannot think or act, only individuals can.There is an opposition to positivism. The subject matter of sociology is unique and it cannot be studied with principles/methods of natural sciences. It requires verstehen. Another founding father is Karl Marx. He was born on May 5, 1818 in the German city of Trier. His family was Jewish, but he later converted to Protestantism in 1824 in order to avoid anti-Semitic laws and persecution. Marx was forced to go to London in 1849, but he did not work alone. He had help of Friedrich Engels who had on his own developed a very similar theory of economic determinism.Although the id eas later acquired the term â€Å"Marxism†, it must always be remembered that Marx did not come up with them entirely on his own. Engels was also important for Marx in a financial sense. Poverty weighed heavily on Marx and his family. Karl Marx focuses on conflict and inequality. Conflict is a fact of life in society. There is conflict between various social groups derived from a conflict of interest which brings inequality. Power and resources are unevenly distributed in society. Such inequality is maintained by naked coercion or manipulation of norms and values. Marx was interested in a particular type of conflict.This was class conflict or conflict between classes. He says, â€Å" The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle†. Production is a key concept in Marxism. It is the production of material goods and services in society and is the most important human activity. Production is carried out in the context of cooperation between h uman beings. Out of productive activity, human beings organize themselves, establish relations with each other and form a society. Thus change through improves technology of production also implies a change in social relations.Processes of production have given rise to inequality between human beings because production has been carried out by means of exploitation of the majority of the population by a few. Classes are social units based on their relation to the means of production. The means used to produce goods and services example: land, factories, tools, machinery, raw materials etc. The dominant class are the minority who own means of production and the subordinate class are the majority who don’t. Production is carried out by exploitation of one class by the other and this leads to class conflict.Bourgeoisie vs Proletariat. All societies go through stages in history and are destined to reach the communist stage. The communist mode only is not based on class exploitatio n. Communism realizes classless society where no one dominates one another. Marx’s dichotomy of society. Society is divided into two levels: The base/infrastructure (economic) and the superstructure (non-economic sphere). According to Marx the superstructure plays significant role in society. Example: the state. Common view: The state is neutral institution representing the interest of all citizens and society as a whole.Marx’s view: the executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole â€Å"bourgeoisie† (the owners of production). Example: The state. The interest of the state coincide with those of the dominant class. Apparatuses of the state are used to protect capitalists’ interests against worker’s rebellion. There is a contrast with Durkheim. Durkheim says that norms and values of society produce social integration and harmony (social solidarity). Marx says that these norms and values are ideologies which suppress people’s opposition and resistance (which may look like harmony or consensus to Durkheim).

Using Spanish Infinitives as Nouns

Using Spanish Infinitives as Nouns The infinitive is the most basic of the verb forms. Unlike the conjugated verb forms- the ones used most often in speech- an infinitive standing alone says nothing about how many people or things are performing the verbs action or when. In Spanish, the infinitive is the verb form that appears in dictionaries. The infinitive always has one of three endings: -ar, -er or -ir. Standing alone, the infinitive is usually translated to English as to followed by the verb. For example, ver is usually translated as to see, hablar as to speak. But as we shall soon see, in sentences the Spanish infinitive can be translated a number of ways. Fast Facts Infinitives often function as singular masculine nouns.As nouns, infinitives can act as subjects or predicates of sentences as well as objects of verbs and prepositions.The most common translations of infinitives as nouns to English are to verb and verb -ing. Infinitives Can Fill Most Roles of Nouns In this lesson, we look at instances where the infinitive functions as a noun.  When used as a noun, the Spanish infinitive is always masculine and almost always singular. Like other nouns, it can be the subject of a sentence, a predicate nominative (usually a noun that follows a form of to be or ser) or the object of a verb or preposition. The infinitive noun sometimes retains the characteristics of a verb; it sometimes is modified by an adverb rather than an adjective and can sometimes have objects. It is often translated into the English gerund (the -ing form of the verb). Infinitives used as nouns are always masculine and singular. Some infinitives can become nouns in their own right when they are made plural, however. For example, seres humanos (from ser, to be) refers to human beings. Here are some examples of the infinitive being used as a noun: As a subject: Nadar es el mejor remedio para el dolor de espalda. (Swimming is the best remedy for a backache.)As a subject: Es prohibido botar basura. (Dumping garbage is prohibited. Note that in Spanish, unlike English, it isnt unusual for the subject to follow the verb.)As a subject: Beber puede conducir a la intoxicacià ³n e incluso a la muerte. (Drinking can lead to poisoning and even death.)As a subject: No me gusta cocinar. (I dont like to cook. Literally, the sentence would be translated as cooking doesnt please me.)As a predicate nominative: La vida es un abrir y cerrar de los ojos. (Life is an opening and closing of the eyes.As a predicate nominative: La intimidad es un hablar honesto y profundo de lo que se siente y se piensa. (Intimacy is speaking sincerely and deeply about what one feels and thinks.)As the object of a verb: Yo preferirà ­a salir. (I would prefer to leave.)As the object of a verb: Odio estudiar algo que creo que no necesito. (I hate studying something I believe I dont need.) As the object of a verb: Te vi andar entre los rboles. (I saw you walking among the trees.)As the object of a preposition: Pienso de salir contigo. (Im thinking about leaving with you.)As the object of a preposition: Ten moderation en el comer o el beber. (Show moderation in eating or drinking.)As the object of a preposition: Al entrar al Sistema de Salud, usted y su empresa recibirn enormes beneficios. (Upon entering the Health System, you and your business will receive great benefits.) Using the Definite Article El With Infinitives As you may notice, the definite article el is not consistently used with the noun infinitive. Although there are no hard and fast rules, here are some guidelines. A very common way of using el is as part of the contraction al, for a el. It typically as the meaning of on or upon meaning at the time of: Al encontrar a mis padres biolà ³gicos logrà © una estabilidad. (I found some stability upon finding my biological parents.)El is usually used when the infinitive is modified by an adjective or a phrase acting as an adjective: El respirar rpido puede ser causado por varios desordenes. (Rapid breathing can be caused by various disorders.)The article is option in many situations, but when it is used it may give the sentence a more personal or informal sound.

Will the New SAT Close the Education Gap

Will the New SAT Close the Education Gap SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Big changes are coming to the SAT this year, and the impact that they will have on students is a topic of fierce debate. Will they provide a leg up to students who are put at a disadvantage by the current test format? Or will they make disparities between the scores of high and low-income students even more pronounced? In this article, I'll go over both sides of the argument and provide my own take on how the changes to the SAT will affect the education gap. What Is the Education Gap, and How Does It Relate to the New SAT? When we talk about the â€Å"education gap," we mean that disparities in income (and race, as a related factor) continue to mirror disparities in access to educational opportunities and overall quality of education for students.Many people have argued that tests like the SAT only serve to widen this gap between poor and wealthy students.It has been proven time and again that higher parental income correlates with higher SAT scores. In making these new changes to the SAT, the College Board aims to combat this issue by creating a test that puts students on an equal playing field regardless of income. The most significant changes that will take place on the new SAT include: the elimination of Sentence Completion questions in the Reading section a shift in focus on the Math section with less geometry questions and more questions dealing with algebra, fractions, and trigonometry grammar questions in the Writing section that reference larger passages rather than individual sentences. There will also be questions on the Reading section that ask students to interpret data in charts and graphs.Overall, questions will be more directly related to real-life scenarios and less confusingly worded. Some with a more cynical view of the changes say that while this is the College Board’s public rationale behind changing the test, its real reason is business-related.Since the ACT is now more popular than the SAT, the College Board is changing the SAT to align more closely with the ACT so that it can reclaim its standardized testing market share.While the College Board says that their changes will combat the education gap by testing what students actually learn in schools and making the test less â€Å"puzzle-like†, some people think that it will either exacerbate existing problems or change nothing about the current system. In the next section, I’ll go over the arguments presented by both sides. My alternate plan for the new SAT: change tactics completely and make the test so puzzle-like that it's actually just a giant jigsaw puzzle. You only get a perfect score if you can finish the puzzle without flipping over the table in frustration because all the sky pieces look the same. Will the New SAT Close the Education Gap? There are valid arguments from each camp on this, and we won't know for sure who is correct until the new SAT has been out for a few years. I'll present both sets of ideas so you can get an idea of the logic behind each point of view. Theory 1: Yes, It Will Close the Education Gap Some people (such as spokespeople for the College Board) argue that the new SAT will remedy many problems that plagued the old testing format. Onemajor difference is that students won’t have to face Sentence Completion questions, which test obscure vocabulary words that students with from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to know. The elimination of these questions might allow underprivileged students who have a great deal of potential to score higher on the test. The new version of the SAT will focus on knowledge of the nuances in meaning of more common vocabulary words in the context of larger passages. Arguably, this is a more logical way of testing vocabulary when considering what students will need to know to be prepared for college academics and careers. The College Board is also partnering up with Khan Academy to offer free SAT prep services.They argue that this will allow low-income students to gain access to some of the same advantages that were once only available to wealthy students.They have also streamlined the process for obtaining fee waivers for low-income students. The College Board will provide four automatic college application fee waivers for students who were eligible for fee waivers on the test. The new test will also incorporate questions that are founded in real life scenarios and contain less confusing wording.The new SAT focuses on questions in context rather than in isolation (which is why reading and writing are now all passage-based).This means that students without preexisting knowledge of specific grammar rules or vocabulary words might have the potential to succeed on the test if they can infer wisely from the context of a question. This new formatting also means that there are less learnable â€Å"tricks† on the test that could trip up students who don’t have the opportunity to use test prep services. Students who aren’t familiar with the format of SAT questions will be put at less of a disadvantage.The more predictable content on the new test in the form of specifically outlined passage subject matter will give students a better idea of what to expect even if they haven’t been able to prepare extensively for the test. Yeah! No education gap! Party! Theory 2: No, It Won't Solve the Problem of the Education Gap (and Might Make It Worse) Others have argued that the new SAT will exacerbate existing problems with the test and widen the education gap.The College Board says that the new SAT will level the playing field by testing what students actually learn in schools, but this new testing format could make existing differences in high school quality all the more obvious in score results. The purpose of the SAT is to provide a common metric to measure student academic ability apart from the subjective determinations of each high school.If the new SAT tests what students have learned in school more directly, won’t that just lead to more disadvantages for low-income students who attend poorly resourced public high schools? Although questions on the new SAT will focus more on interpreting meaning in context rather than vocabulary and grammar skills in isolation, this probably won’t eliminate an advantage for wealthier students who attended better high schools.These students’ inference skills and knowledge of how to interpret arguments and words in context will be better developed through a higher quality education.Also, the fact that the new essay asks students to analyze the author’s argument rather than formulate their own opinions means that low income students might be put at more of a disadvantage if they haven’t been given proper instruction on how to read analytically in their high school classes. Even though the SAT will now offer fee waivers to all low-income students and is partnering up with Khan Academy to offer free test prep for all students, this doesn’t mean that wealthy students will lose their advantages.The fact that free test prep is being offered means that it's still possible to prepare for the test.With the new test, a market for specialized test prep services that are more individually tailored and more expensive will continue to exist. Wealthy students will still have the potential to access advanced test preparation services and potentially be able to improve their scores more drastically than students who only have access to free materials. All this could potentially lead to increased inequality in the college admissions process as a result of greater differences in scores. Low-income students may be put at an increased disadvantage on the new test due to a lower quality education overall, creating even greater class divisions in terms of access to higher education and career opportunities. I don't know what this guy is so upset about; he gets to wear a silly hat while we all sit here contemplating the flaws in the American educational system (presumably while either hatless or wearing comparatively boring and joyless hats). SMH. Conclusion Now that we’ve heard both sides, what’s the verdict?It’s hard to tell because we don’t have reliable score data on the new SAT yet. In my opinion, there are compelling arguments made by both sides of the debate.I think that the changes to the SAT will have a minimal impact on the education gap that currently exists between high and low-income students.It’s great that the College Board is committing to offering free prep services and fee waivers for low-income students, but as long as it’s possible to prep for the test, there will be a market for prep services that cost more and provide better results. It is reasonable to argue that making the test more straightforwardcould help put lower income students at less of a disadvantage, but sometimes I have to wonder if this is a case of a â€Å"race to the bottom† in the standardized testing market. The SAT is trying to compete with the ACT to offer the "fairest" testing model, but in doing so they may be compromising the test's value as an assessment of academic ability. Since it’s too hard to actually improve the quality of the educational system, companies are creating less challenging tests to make everyone feel better about these basic inequalities. Students who go to good high schools and come from wealthier backgrounds will most likely earn higher scores on the SAT regardless of how unbiased the format of the test is. It’s possible that everyone will get slightly higher scores on the new SAT, but the income gap will remain the same. Until we commit to combating the root of the problem - poorly funded high schools with overwhelmedteachers- on a large scale, I don’t see the education gap changing much,regardless of the introduction of the new SAT. What's Next? Wondering what your SAT scores might mean for your future? Check out this article that goes into detail on whether SAT scores can predict success. What do your SAT scores say about you? Find out what your SAT scores actually measure. Are you unsure of whether you should take the new SAT or the ACT this upcoming year? Read more about which students should take which test. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Las Vegas, Nevada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Las Vegas, Nevada - Essay Example Las Vegas, Nevada ranks among the pioneer regions to embrace technological developments. This is because Las Vegas has always been a busy city famed for its earlier role in the entertainment industry. Investor’s focus on Vegas to initiate innovations that is marketable to populations living within the popular culture. This has resulted in unprecedented introduction of new technology to all groups of people. Kelion (1) highlights â€Å"Waterproof smartphone coatings, diet-aiding armbands and a social network that warns drivers of the latest police speed-traps were all on show†. Researchers have continually focused on Vegas to draw new statistics about the impact and spread of technological innovations. Population increase has also provided a viable market for technological goods that has since transformed the social interactions of the populations through facilitation of communication, speeding, and access to information. The technology scene receives support from the co mmunity who utilise it and provide the demand required for the re- production of technological devices. The advertisement industry entails the creation of awareness on new and old products in the market. Following the influx of non-native people, increased birth rates and advanced technology, advertisement strategies are more dynamic and practical. This is because there are many products in the market that offer similar values hence the need to inform the buyers of their existence and utility values. Advertisement in Vegas is fragmented and dynamic (Simich 2). They utilize technological innovations such as the internet, audio and visual channels as well as use of billboards and cards. The music industry has been vibrant in advertisement. This is because, the population comprises of many young people. The rap and rock music genres form the background music of many adverts. These aim at capturing the attention of the entire population because

Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Article Analysis - Essay Example However, the restrictions have provoked a major reaction from a number of lawmakers and cruise industry players. They argue that the new measure will increase costs for vacationers and the Alaska people who rely on sea vessels for their livelihood (Eliperin, 2012). For many years, huge ships have combusted heavy fuels ( fuels which contain 2,000 times or more sulfur as the diesel utilized by locomotives, trucks, small marine vessels, and construction equipment). The new regulation dictates that large ships reduce the sulfur content of their fuel to 1 percent in August 2012 from the present 2.7%. They arealsorequired to reduce they sullphure content in their fuel to 0.1% by 2015 (Eliperin, 2012; Walker, 2012). The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) indicates that the new regulation will prevent between 12,000 every year and at least 31,000 deaths by 2030, with the benefits offsetting the costs by 95 to 1. In other words, the new standards will reduce emissions from ships and assist in safeguarding the cities and port communities hundreds of miles away from the coast (Eliperin, 2012). The vehicle and the container shipping industries have agreed to meet the new standards but several firms have indicated that the fuel costs may rise by 25 percent. It is important to note that the playersin these industries do not spend as much time as the cruise industry players within the 200-mile zone. It is hard to estimate how much the cleaner fuel will cost because its availability is not certain. It is estimated by EPA that when fully implemented, the program will come with additional costs to shipping (about $18 for every 20-foot container) and passenger cruise tickets (an additional $7 per day). On the other hand, cruise analysts suggest that it can add as much as $19.46 per day to the passenger cruise ticket. The costs of goods in Alaska are set to increase and thuswill affect the economy Alaska.