Reasearch Report on Global Warming - Myth or Reality Research Paper

Reasearch Report on Global Warming - Myth or Reality - Research Paper Example Yet, whether these changes can be attributed to or called ‘global warming’ is a difficult question. Apparently, the global warming theory is surrounded by controversy. This being said, a web research of the information and arguments relating to global warming was performed. The results of the web research suggest that global warming is a myth rather than reality, and the press coverage of global warming in the U.S. distracts public attention from the scientific evidence, which denies the existence of the global warming phenomenon. The goal, scope, and questions of research Global warming is one of the most popular objects of professional research. The press explores the meaning of global warming and its effects on the environment. Rising temperatures and changes in concentrations of carbon dioxide are believed to be reliable measures of global climate changes. In the meantime, more researchers begin to question the importance and even existence of the global warming phen omenon. The goal of this research was to decide whether or not global warming is real and realistic. The main question to answer was â€Å"Is global warming myth or reality?† Scholarly articles and book resources found on the web were used to answer the research question. Global warming: myth or reality? Global warming – myth or reality? – this is the question the public and research community are trying to answer. Books and articles provide a wealth of evidence supporting the relevance and existence of the global warming phenomenon. Temperature, sea level changes, and precipitation serve the main indicators of global warming (Maslin 23). Scientists use these indicators to estimate how the global climate changes under the influence of the industrial revolution (Maslin 23). Scientists were able to reconstruct changes in surface temperatures over the last 1,000 years – based on this information scientists produced a continuous record of temperatures, which indicate changes in surface temperatures of 0.74oC over the last 130 years (Maslin 25). The 20th century witnessed considerable fluctuations in temperature: the 1960s-1970s were the period of cooling (Maslin 25). However, generally, the planet is warming and even temperatures in the lower troposphere have been steadily increasing, approximately 0.1-0.2oC every ten years (Maslin 25). Global sea levels and precipitation are another two indicators used to judge the scope of the global warming phenomenon. The two most important precipitation data sets include the Global Historical Climate Network and Hulme (Maslin 30). It is noteworthy, that no definite global trends in precipitation have been found so far, but regional changes in precipitation are more than obvious (Maslin 30). North and South America experience significant increases in precipitation (Maslin 30). The seasonality of precipitation is changing, too (Maslin 30). Scientists observe long-term changes in precipitation in sout hern Africa and the Mediterranean (Maslin 30). The data on changes in sea levels adds to the body of evidence supporting global climate change: over the past 100 years, global sea levels have risen at least 12 cm (Maslin 31). Between 1961 and 2003, global sea levels were rising by almost 2 mm per year, and between 1993 and 2003, global sea levels steadily increased by 3.1 mm every year (Maslin 32). Scientists use

Hume’s critique of causation Essay Example for Free

Hume’s critique of causation Essay Our work aims to define David Hume’s views on causation. At first we should say that his critique of causation rose from the full theory of causal inference. In this way we may be better able to make out what is critical and what constructive in Humes views of causation and substance. It is sometimes said that Humes analysis of causation and substance is thoroughly dependent on his theory of ideas as to be quiet vitiated by the falsity of that theory. The constructive theory of causal inference, by which Hume connects his sceptical analysis of the causal relation with his final discovery of the impression of necessity in the felt determination of certain habits or customs in imagination, shows the limitations of such criticism as would dispose of Humes conception of experience as atomistic merely. It will be recalled that Hume begins the â€Å"Treatise of Human Nature† with an analysis of the perceptions of mind into impressions and ideas; and that, in the subsequent sections of Part I, he discloses the remaining elements of perception. Therefore, it would be incorrect to identify perception with any one of its elements, or with all of them taken respectively in isolation. Only mere fancies or perfect ideas occur divorced from all associations. Normally, in the experience of mature persons, there occurs, at the least, a lively idea associated with a present impression; which is, by definition, the general nature of belief. These beliefs vary in elaborateness and force between the extremes of proof and mere chance; but only at the extreme of mere chance, or gratuitous fancy, do isolated impressions or ideas exist. Ordinarily, the terms of Humes analysis of perception occur in the synthesis which he articulates in his theory of belief. Normal experience, then, will consist of perceptions, themselves the syntheses in habit which are beliefs. The substantial identity of things present here and now may be compared in direct perception. But only on the assumption that the causes of a things existence remain unaltered may the continued existence of a thing beyond perception be inferred. Again, although times and places as such admit of comparison without inference, still any constancy or variation in such relations may be inferred to exist only as a result of causation. That relation, therefore, is the principle of all inferences about matters of facts. Nothing exists which may not be considered as either a cause or an effect; though it is plain there is no one quality, which universally belongs to all beings, and gives them title to that denomination (Hume, 185). Since, therefore, the origin of the idea of cause and effect is to be found in no quality of our perceptions, it must be derived from some relation between them. Hume at once finds two such relations: causes and effects are contiguous in space and time, and the cause is always prior in time to the effect. Dr. Broad (120-2) points out that Humes proof of the temporal priority of causes is formally vicious. Hume himself seems to have had some doubts about its validity, for he writes: If this argument appear satisfactory, tis well. If not, I beg the reader to allow me the same liberty, which I have used in the preceding case, of supposing it such. For he shall find that the affair is of no great importance (225). But contiguity and succession do not afford a complete idea of causation. A thing at once contiguous and prior to another still might not be considered its cause. There is a necessary connection to be taken into consideration, and that relation is of much greater importance than any of the other two above mentioned (Hume 211). Necessary connection is then the defining characteristic of the causal relation. The impression from which this idea is derived is therefore the one we are looking for. Yet the only relations between impressions Hume has found so far are those of contiguity and succession, which I have already regarded as imperfect and unsatisfactory (216). And he proceeds to divide his problem into two questions: why we believe that every event must have some cause or other; and why we believe that the same cause must necessarily produce the same effect (Hume 223-6). Hume thus distinguishes the law of causality from the law of causation, and takes it that together they are what is meant by a necessary connection among events. Though a general maxim in philosophy, that every even must have a cause is not a matter of knowledge. This Hume demonstrates first on the grounds of his own view of the extent of knowledge. The law of causality may be identified neither with resemblance, degrees of quality, contrariety, nor proportions in quantity and number. The law is therefore not known to be true. Hume thinks that anyone who would controvert this conclusion will be obliged to exhibit a relation at once identical with causality and known by direct inspection, which it will then be time enough to examine (224). He proceeds next to urge that the law in question is to be demonstrated by apagogic reasoning on no theory of knowledge, and therefore is neither intuitively nor demonstrably certain (228). That every event must have some cause or other means that the ideas of cause and effect are necessarily connected. Was this the case, it would be impossible that those ideas should be separable. Yet, since they are distinct, the ideas of cause and effect are separable; and the denial of their necessary connection involves no contradiction. Here Hume relies on the principle of his atomism. Yet he need not have done so; for the contradictory of the law of causality being not self-contradictory, that law is not demonstrable by apagogic reasoning. For since the relation of cause and effect is the principle of all inference about matters of fact, no inference to a probability can be independent of that relation. Hume takes his analysis thus far to have shown that our only notion of cause and effect is of certain objects constantly conjoined. We cannot penetrate into the reason of the conjunction. We only observe the thing itself, and always find that from the constant conjunction the objects acquire an union in the imagination (128). Our notion of cause and effect, as so far disclosed, is no more than a philosophical relation. Thus though causation be a philosophical relation, as implying contiguity, succession, and constant conjunction, yet it is only so far as it is a natural relation, and produces an union among our ideas, that we are able to reason upon it, or draw any inference from it(Hume 131). And causation is more than a philosophical relation just so far as it is association. Concerning the nature of the transition from impression to idea in causal inference is thus that the transition is the work of associations or habits in imagination, not of reason. So understood, the inference from impression to idea Hume declares to be one part of the definition of an opinion or belief; that it is an idea related to or associated with a present impression (Hume 137). Hume insists that the idea of necessary connection derives from the felt force of the natural relation of cause and effect. The ideas of cause and effect being separable, there can be no contradiction in denying their necessary connection. Here again, however, Humes conclusion is valid independently of the assumption on which he himself makes it out. For the contradictory of the law in question is conceivable. And in going on to show the uniformity of nature to be indemonstrable, Hume points out on the one hand that we can at least conceive a change in the course of nature, which sufficiently proves that such a change is not absolutely impossible; and, on the other, that the uniformity in question being the presupposition of probable reasoning, any attempt at its demonstration by induction could only beg the question. Hume is giving a definition of cause and effect, so in conclusion he is describing the observed or felt nature of that relation. Those impressions may have causes Hume does not deny. He says the ultimate causes of sense-impressions are, in my opinion, perfectly inexplicable by human reason, (223) and he finds the alleged necessity that they have a cause to be not demonstrable. Nor are his arguments that impressions are prior to and productive of ideas advanced as a denial that impressions are thus productive. And the attraction of association is also assumed and its origins are regarded as inexplicable. Yet this means that impressions, ideas, and the attraction of association are found to exist in constant conjunction, not in necessary connection. That the than the logical necessity of Malebranche, means that what has been called a necessary connection is in fact habitual; not that from this conclusion we may infer the non-existence of causes. For the fact that the rational necessity of causation is not to be demonstrated plainly does not imply that nothing in the nature of a cause can exist. If we do not know the laws of causality and causation to be true, neither do we know them to be false. Hence there is no reason, the contradictory of which would be inconceivable, why causes should be or should not be assumed. The law of causation, being demonstrable by neither apagogic nor inductive reasoning, if demonstrable at all, will be on the ground that necessary connection in fact is disclosed within sense-perception. Since Humes failure to find that logical necessity obtains between the elements of sense-perceptions has been held to require his own analysis of experience, it may be well to consider briefly the fact that in other interests, and through a conception of experience not that of Hume, the same conclusion had been reached by three of the Cartesians. Hume may well emphasize the conclusion that all of our beliefs that are justified by experimental enquiry and all of our accurately successful causal inferences will depend upon the operation in the understanding of those fundamental habits by which cases of constant conjunction are disclosed and inferred. The nature of the understanding thus is what constitutes the foundations of induction. That the habits of which the understanding consists can in no case yield demonstrably certain conclusions, means that the foundations of induction are essentially illogical, to be neither demonstrated nor denied either by the reason of the Cartesians or by inductive theory itself. It is, finally, of the nature of the understanding that logic proper consists: the pretensions of our scholastic headpieces and logicians are simply to be set aside† (312). The assumption that the elements of experience are intrinsically self-identical is thus requisite to the view of impressions as complete in themselves. But the finding of elements by analysis is itself not the further explanation that these elements may be regarded as self contained because, like being simple, resemblance is not the name of a qualifying predicate. Whether or not the theory of philosophical relations be rejected along with the doctrine of impressions and ideas, the conclusion, as such, that apagogic reasoning is powerless in matters of existence, remains no less free of that theory and that doctrine, than is the conclusion itself of Humes failure to find necessary connections among matters of fact. For, as Professor Kemp Smith has pointed out, it was Hume who first perceived the falsity of the Cartesian, rationalistic view of the causal relation (537). Malebranche could discover no necessary connection between events, yet he continued to conceive of the causal relation as being intelligible to the pure understanding, and, as a consequence of his theory of knowledge as the vision in God, failed to draw the conclusion that the law of causation is neither intuitively nor demonstrably certain. For a real cause, Malebranche says, is a cause between which and its effect, the mind perceives a necessary connection (Rome 94). This conclusion drawn, Hume can attack the root of any assumption that the law of causation may be justified by experience. The attempted justification could only be inductive; and the law of causation is the presupposition of induction. Since causal inference is found to be neither rational nor merely sensory, if explicable at all, it will be so through an analysis, not of the fancies of the philosophers, but of the imagination that is the foundation of the senses and the memory. It is thus found that probable inference consists of the habits of imagination, or beliefs, which are the perceptions that constitute the mind, and of which the more firmly established in the imagination are the understanding. To conclude the work we should say that Humes chief innovation in association’s theory is his inclusion of cause and effect among the natural relations, or modes of association. Yet even a moderately detailed examination of Humes theories of causal inference and belief in substance may suffice to indicate how groundless is the charge of total scepticism, while at the same time it discloses the character of unanalysed experience in Humes view. The relation between his critical analysis of causation and that of the Cartesians, as well as the logical nature of Humes arguments in that regard, make it plain that his analysis here is independent of his chief psychological dogma. Works Cited Baillie, James. Hume on Morality. London: Routledge, 2000. Broad, Charlie Dunbar. Perception, Physics, and Reality; an Enquiry into the Information that Physical Science Can Supply About the Real. New York: Russell Russell, 1972. Hall, Roland. Fifty Years of Hume Scholarship: A Bibliographical Guide. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1978. Hendel, Charles William Jr. Studies in the Philosophy of David Hume. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1925. Hume, David. A Treatise of Human Nature. New York: Penguin Classics, 1986. Kemp Smith, Norman. A Commentary to Kants Critique of Pure Reason. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003 Noonan, Harold W. Philosophy Guidebook to Hume on Knowledge. London: Routledge, 1999. Potkay, Adam. The Fate of Eloquence in the Age of Hume. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1994. Rome, Beatrice K. The Philosophy of Malebranche: A Study of His Integration of Faith, Reason, and Experimental Observation. Chicago: H. Regnery Co. , 1963. Stewart, John B. The Moral and Political Philosophy of David Hume. New York: Columbia University Press, 1963. Strawson, Galen. The Secret Connexion: Causation, Realism, and David Hume. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. Stroud, Barry. Hume. London: Routledge, 1977.

Bacillus Anthracis :: Medical Biology Bacteria Essays

Bacillus Anthracis Background: Bacillus anthracis is a gram-positive spore-forming rod. It was the first bacterium to be used to prove that bacteria caused diseases, when Robert Koch (1877) produced anthrax spores and injected them into animals. Bacillus anthracis is a commonly found in soil of grazing areas. Bacillus anthracis is not a major threat to humans and natural cases are rare even where spores are present. Encounter: Bacillus anthracis is commonly found in soil in low amounts. It affects livestock and can be transmitted to humans through improper handing of an infected animal or by eating undercooked meat from the animal. It is rare for human-to-human infection. Types of Infections and Symptoms: There are 3 main ways that anthrax can infect you. Cutaneous infections are the most common and the least deadly. The normal infection produces a small painless ulcer. If left untreated the Bacillus anthracis may make its way into the bloodstream and death will occur in about 20% of cases. Intestinal infection which comes from eating undercooked meat, and is more deadly then a cutaneous infection but less deadly then a inhalation infection. The symptoms are severe stomach pains along with diarrhea. The death rate if left untreated is between 25% and 60%. Inhalation infection is the most deadly of the infections and happens when you inhale Bacillus anthracis spores. The disease initialy resembles the common cold. This is not the uncommon type of infection, however it is important because of the possible bio-terrorism that could be associated with it. It is fatal if left untreated How it avoids the immune system and damages the host: Bacillus anthracis is a unique because it’s the only one that has a capsule of poly-D-glutamate polypeptide. The capsule helps the bacteria avoid being phagocitzed. This lets the bacteria gain a foothold inside the host. Bacillus anthracis toxin is an A-B toxin comprised of 3 protiens. The protective antigen the edema factor, and lethal factor. Individually all 3 proteins are harmless, but when together they are able to attack the lungs. The first protein is the protective antigen which helps neutralize antitoxin antibodies. The edema factor protein helps bolster the Virulence and is responable for seeking out the target cells. The last protein is the lethal factor, which is protein that is causes cell death. The toxin seeks out our cells, and is able to injects the toxin directly into them, the toxin is deadly inside the cell and quickly produces cell death.

Major Challenges of Organizational Management Essay example -- Busines

Major Challenges of Organizational Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a number of differences between FMC’s Aberdeen and Green River, the two facilities of discussion. One may assume, therefore, that managerial styles, business practices, and other aspects of business and the employees involved, would be very different from one another. On the other hand, it is quite possible to use very similar styles of doing business and managing a company, despite differences in the company, as a good style of managing, and good practices would assist any business in succeeding. Management, employees and productivity being the main focuses at hand, one may first want to review these differences between the two facilities. To begin with, the facility in Aberdeen employs 100 people, while the Green River plant maintains 1150, and while Green River produces over 100 goods, and distributes world wide, the Aberdeen plant has only one product, and one customer. The two plants were very different in age and industry as well, with Green River as an older company in the chemical industry, and Aberdeen, a five year old â€Å"start up† company in the defense industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considering that the Green River facility has been in operation as long as it has, major changes to the company’s methods of operation may prove to be difficult initially. The large number of employees may provide a need for some small changes in comparison to the way that the Aberdeen facility is able to manage successfully. The general idea of changing the values of â€Å"managing† employees, to incorporate the employees opinions, thoughts, feelings, to make the employee feel more a part of, and personally responsible for, the work produced, is an excellent idea, and despite the differences in the facilities, it should be something of an improvement for this, and any, company. This general idea starts the more involved process of improving an employee’s satisfaction with all of their job facets, and focuses on their abilities, desire to succeed, and other aspects of importance to a person in the workplace. An excessive amount of change, or r ushed change, is a possible concern for a facility like Green River that has been established for a considerable length of time, as employees have grown accustomed to a certain atmosphere, and may initially feel uncomfortable with change. Again, it is also likely that this is not... ...chain on the other hand, though still managed with upper and lower levels, reacts more as a team, giving those involved more recognition for their accomplishments. People who are recognized as such, and appreciated for their individual strengths, may be more likely to utilize these strengths and feel that they are a part of the company, rather than a pawn of the company. There is something very positive to be said for this type of thinking, if everyone on the Earth felt that a small positive contribution to it’s well being would be recognized, and make a difference, I can almost guarantee that we would be living in a very different world today. Works Cited: Organizational Behavior, Jennifer M George & Gareth R Jones, Copyright 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., Ch. 1-4 Prentice Hall, Custom Business Resources, FMC Aberdeen from Practice Problems in Organizations: Cases in Leadership, Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, by James G Clawson, A Custom Edit, Copyright 2003 Pearson Custom Publishing If the job could talk By Bill J. Bonnstetter Copyright 2000. TTI Performance Systems, Ltd. http://www.benchmarkingdna.com/showPDF.php?file=Articles_IfTheJobCouldTalk

Harley Davidson Company Essay

Harley Davidson Inc is a company that has been in existence for over 100 years. The company is made up of several other subsidiary companies such as the Harley Davidson Motor Company, Harley Davidson Financial Services and Buell Motorcycle Company. These companies work together in the motorcycle industry with the motor cycle companies dealing with the production and marketing of the motorcycles while the financial services deals with providing financial services to the customers and dealers of the company. Harley Davidson Company has undergone various challenges in its internal and external environment such as the World War I and II, the Great Depression and other internal challenges such as the labor strikes and change in ownership. An analysis of the company portrays several strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the company faces. The company can use the findings of this analysis to develop a grand strategy that can help the company survive the future. The various stakeholders of the company are mostly the customers, the suppliers, dealers, employees, the shareholders and the management of the company. These are the people that are affected by the activities of the company and that also have expectations from the company. The company’s financial performance has been improving during the current financial year due to the restructuring changes that are ongoing. It has reported profits in its operations and also an increase in sales. The strategic issues that the company is facing have also challenged its performance. The shifts in the customers’ tastes and preferences for example have affected the sales of the company’s motorcycles. A grand strategy that focuses on growth through an increase in marketing and an improvement of the company’s product and manufacturing processes can help the company survive the current environment. 1.0 Introduction Companies strive to excel in all manner of situations and overcome the challenges that they face in order to succeed and become competitive. Harley Davidson Inc is once such company. It has been surviving for about 107 years since it was founded in 1903 (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company has its headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was founded by three brothers Arthur, Walter and William Davidson together with a partner, William Harley. The company consists of several subsidiary companies which operate in three continents. The companies include Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) which deals with the production of motor vehicles together with Buell Motorcycle Company (Buell) (Harley-Davidson, 2010). Harley-Davidson Inc also includes Harley Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) which provides financial services to the dealers and customers of HDMC’s products. It also provides insurance policies and programs to the companies and its customers. HDMC sells motorcycles, together with the accessories and spare parts which it also produces. Harley-Davidson is also involved in other activities such as racing and in the production of bicycles and motor vehicles. The company which has been in existence for years now has survived several political and economical challenges such as the World War 1, the Great Depression, the World War 2 and other company trials such as labor strikes and change in ownership. Despite the many challenges it has undergone over its existence the company has been able to survive. The company’s sales have gone off severally, its quality has also been affected but it has been able to regain both the sales and the quality of its products. It has remained tough in the manufacturing of motorcycles and this has made its brands the most sought after all over the world (Davidson, Thompson, & Barger, 2006). The company has also faced competition from other companies based in the U.S and in other countries such as Japan but it has been able to retain and maintain its market share. Further more; the founders of the company were named American heroes through their innovation with the company receiving several awards for its involvement in the two World Wars and other racing events (United States Department of Labor, n.d). This paper discusses Harley Davidson Company providing a SWOT analysis of the company, a description of its internal and external environment, a financial assessment of the organization as well as summarizing the major strategic issues that have faced the company. It also discusses the next grand strategy that the company can undertake in the future to improve its performance. 2.0 Harley Davidson 2.1 History William Harley, Arthur Davidson and Walter Davidson pooled their resources in 1903 to produce their first practical motorcycle (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The three men were assisted by William A. Davidson on a part time basis and by 1905 they had produced eight machines and they hired their first employee then. William Davidson quit his job in 1907 at the Milwaukee Road railroad and joined the Motor Company (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The Harley Davidson Company was later incorporated in September 1907 with the stock of the firm being split into 4 among the four founders.   At that time the staff of the company had more than doubled from 18 employees in 1906. The size of the company had also doubled by then and dealer recruitment had begun targeting the New England Region. In 1908, the company was able to sell its first motorcycle for police duty in Detroit Police Department and a year later they started motorcycles spare parts. In 1912, the company started building its six storey headquarters at Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The building would also become its main factory with a separate parts and accessories department. During the same year the company made its first sales outside the U.S when it started exporting motorcycles to Japan. Its dealership network also grew to become over 200 dealers. A few years later, the company formed a racing department with Engineer William S. Harley who was assisted by William Ottaway. It also started publishing its first magazine, The Enthusiast which became the first motorcycle magazine all over the world (Harley-Davidson, n.d). In 1917, when the World War I started, the company was asked by the military to produce motorcycles to be used during the war. The company produced over 20,000 motorcycles to be used specifically by the military for the war (Speed Ace, n.d). The involvement of the company in producing motorcycles for the military enabled it to survive the war. By 1920 the company had become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world due to the number of motorcycles it produced and the size of its facilities. It was operating in over 67 countries and had over 2000 dealers all over the world (Harley-Davidson, n.d). In the year 1941 when the World War II started, the company suspended the production of civilian motorcycles and started producing more military motorcycles (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company also developed specific models for the army and in 1943; the company received the first of its 4 Army –Navy Awards for its excellent performance while producing motorcycles for the army. The company had produced over 60,000 models for military use (Harley-Davidson, n.d). When the war ended, the company wasting no time it resumed the production of civilian motorcycles. In the year 1952, the company was charged with restrictive practices after they applied to the US Tariff Commission for a 40% tax to be imposed on the imported motorcycles (Speed Ace, n.d). In 1953, as the company was celebrating its 50th anniversary, an attractive logo was developed that would depict the engine that had brought the company that far (Harley-Davidson , n.d). During the same year, Hendee Manufacturing Company, the Indian Motorcycle Company in the U.S, went out of business leaving Harley Davidson as the sole U.S motorcycle manufacturer over the next 46 years. The year 1969 was not a great year for the company as the American Machine and Foundry (AMF) acquired the Motor Company and made some changes that affected the company for years to come (Masker, 2007). AMF worked to streamline the production activities of the company and reduced the workforce in a bid to reduce the costs of the company. These changes were beneficial to the company in the short term but they became very damaging to the future of the business and in its long term. The reduction in the workforce led to a labor strike that affected the performance of the company. Furthermore the changes that had been done led to a reduction in the quality of the motorcycles that were produced over the years. The sales of the company were affected and the company almost went bankrupt. It was during this time that the Japanese manufacturers caught up with the company with their better quality, technology and increased stock. The regime by AMF lasted until 1981 when the company was bought back by 13 senior executives who were led by Vaughn Beals and Willie G. Davidson. The group bought the company for about $80 million and they were they able to set up the company to its load of recovery (Masker, 2007). Soon after in 1986 the company was listed in the American Stock Exchange and started to trade publicly in the year 1969. A year later the company was listed in the New York Stock Exchange and it petitioned the International Trade Commission to terminate a five year tariff on heavy weight motor cycles. This was seen as a major step for the company as it boldly stated it was in a position to compete fairly in the market. In 1993 the company celebrated its 90th anniversary with over 100,000 people parading their motorcycles in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company also purchased a minority interest in Buell Motorcycle Company which was manufacturing American sport motorcycles. In 1998 the company opened a new assembly facility that was to be the first of its kind outside the United States. The facility was opened in Manaus Brazil when the company was celebrating its 95th Anniversary and at the same time it bought the remaining interests in Buell Motorcycle Company of 49% (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company has continued to expand its production facilities in Milwaukee, Tomahawk, Wisconsin, and New York and in Pennsylvania (Davidson, Thompson, & Barger, 2006). The company has also been developing more products and improving its products with the latest technology. The company has also developed a Harley Davidson Museum which showcases the motorcycles that the company has developed over the years and other historical items that the company has maintained in its archives. The museum building cost the company over $75 million and is situated in Milwaukee (Rovito, 2006). 2.2 SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis is a framework that is used to audit an organization and its external environment. The results of the analysis help in the planning of any strategic decisions towards the future of the company. The analysis involves identifying the internal and external factors that favor the organization and that also form an unfavorable environment (Stahl & Grigsby, 1997). The strengths of the company include those attributes that help the company to achieve its objectives while the weaknesses are the internal attributes that derail the achievement of the company’s objective and that also harm the company. The opportunities that are in the external environment include conditions that help the company to achieve the objectives. The threats on the other hand, include the conditions that are in the external environment and that challenge the company and affect it in a way that it may not be in a position to achieve its objectives. (a)  Ã‚   Strengths The Harley Davidson Company has several strengths that make it very competitive and profitable. The company has been in existence for over 100 years, and during this time it has established brand loyalty with its customers for its products. This is the major strength of the company as the products of the company are viewed as a culture and not just products. Most of the customers of the company are male and are in the middle-aged age bracket. They normally use the motorcycles for recreational purposes rather than for transport. The main qualities that the customers look for in the company’s product are the brand quality and the style. The company is able to provide these qualities and hence maintain its customers. The computer switching costs are high and once a customer buys a product from the company, they get trapped in buying more of the company’s products. The complementary products that come with the motorcycles also encourage the consumer loyalty. Once a customer purchases a Harley motorcycle, they proceed to buy accessories such as jackets and bandanas from the company. The company has also expanded its operations in different regions within the United States and also in other countries outside the United States. Some of the production plants are located in areas such as York, Kansas City, Tomahawk, and Milwaukee among others (Harley-Davidson, Inc., 2009). The different manufacturing plants have helped in reducing the costs especially in transport. The company has also diversified its activities and acquired several companies in different industries. The company acquired Buell Motorcycle Company which was also in the production of Motorcycles in East Troy, Wisconsin (Wheelen & Hunger, 2002 ). It also acquired the company Eagle Mark in 1995 which was providing financial services to manufacturers of leisure products as well as their dealers and customers. The company acquired Eagle Mark so that it would provide retail financing to its customers, insurance and contracts for servicing. Eagle Mark Company has also been offering planning services on behalf of the North American Dealers in motorcycle floor planning. The two companies have been working together complementing each others activities. The diversification of the company in the motorcycles, related products and the financial services has helped the company to diverse its risks in the industry and in business. Over the years the company has maintained strong relationships with its suppliers. The strong relationship with the suppliers has given the company access to resources that it needs in its production processes as well as the design and development of its products. It has then been able to increase the quality of its goods and improve the features of the brands in a bid to remain competitive. The production process is also reduced in terms of time as the suppliers are able to deliver the suppliers on time reducing the lead time. This leads to a reduction in costs and saves time for the company. The company operates its business in three continents and in various countries all over the world. However it has not been able to increase its foreign sales which are mostly carried out outside the U.S. (b)  Ã‚   Weaknesses The major weaknesses that the company has experienced within its internal operations include the weak marketing strategies that it has applied especially in its foreign markets. The company has experienced low foreign sales over the years as compared to its competitors. In 2009, the international sales only made up 33% of the total unit sales of the company (Pravda.Ru, 2009). The number of dealers in international markets are also very few and this has contributed partly to the low market sales of the company’s products as most of the customers in the market can not access the company’s products through this dealers. The labor conflicts that the company has experienced in some of its plants over the years have been affecting the performance of the company. Dissatisfied workers of the company have held strikes that have contributed to losses for the company as it has had to shut down the production plants during these times. The company has also had to lay off workers during the strikes in a bid to cut down its operation costs as a result of the strikes in other production plants. The labor conflicts have also reduced the investor confidence in the company as the prices of the company’s shares have been affected. (c)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Opportunities The external environment of the company has several opportunities that can benefit the company and improve its performance and market share. The shifts in the trends in the customers’ preferences and tastes in the market are producing an opportunity that the company can exploit to its advantage. The customers’ preferences and tastes have changed especially among the young and hip crowd of customers who the company was once targeting as its sole customers. These customers have shifted their preferences to sporty motorcycles for their recreational purposes. Harley-Davidson Company does not engage in the production of sporty motorcycles; however the increased demand for these kinds of motorcycles is providing an opportunity for the company to develop them and target this new market. The company can grab this opportunity and develop these sporty motorcycles and hence gain from the high demand. The need to restructure the company’s business structure after the company’s subsidiaries have experienced a decrease in performance is providing an opportunity for the company to concentrate in its brands and grow. The new structure of the company will ensure that all the resources of the product are put into good use to help develop the company and expand its operations into other markets. The company will also be able to focus on the development of the products and also develop new products that can help increases the market share in different parts of the world. (d)  Ã‚   Threats The company has faced several threats in the market that have undermined its performance. One of the major threats that the company has faced include the competition in the market. The company has faced a lot of competition from other international companies and manufacturers especially in the heavy weight motorcycles market. Some of the major competitors include Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda among others. The increased competition has led to decreased sales of the company’s products especially in the foreign markets. The competition between these companies is based on the price, quality, and features of the products, the preferences of customers and the reliability of the products among other factors. The switching costs for the manufacturers in the industry are also quite low. With the increased growth in demand and the potential of the market, new competitors are entering the market and increasing the competition. The existence of substitute goods such as cars for transport and other recreational activities has also threatened the existence of the company and the sales. Consumers have a wide variety of products to substitute the motorcycles with and the increase of competitors is also leading to an increase in more brands in the market. This poses a big threat to the future of the company in the market of its products. The changes in customers’ demographics are also threatening the business in terms of sales. The percentage of males who have been purchasing the company’s products especially the motorcycles is declining. The percentages of women who are purchasing the products are however increasing. During the years 2003 and 2004 the percentage of sales that were purchased by men made up 89% with the rest being female. While in the years 2005 and 2007, the percentages had reduced to 88% among the male customers and 12% among the female customers (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The ages of the customers who have been purchasing the products of the company have also been increasing. By 2008 the median age of the customers had risen to 47 from 45 in the year 2004.

Comparison of two Newspaper articles Essays

Comparison of two Newspaper articles Essays Comparison of two Newspaper articles Essay Comparison of two Newspaper articles Essay In this piece of writing I will draw up a comparison of two Newspaper articles about a terrorist bombing attempt from the broadsheet, The Times and the tabloid, The Sun. broadsheet newspapers are printed on A2 sized paper and then folded into pages. Broadsheet papers include The Telegraph and The Guardian. Tabloid newspapers include the Daily Mirror and The Sun. Broadsheets are designed to be more factual and intellectual whereas tabloids are designed to be more entertaining than informative. The Times use of headline is less direct than The Suns. The headline is split with another story. Three Britons killed: 400 saved in Jet The Sun This is probably because there was another important story on the day of printing. It is also a mix of good and bad news. The Times headline is plainly stating facts whereas The Suns, WANTED very much dramatises the story. The Sun is a very anti-establishment paper, always finding more and more things that the government and the police are doing wrong while The Times often praise the authorities. This is reflected in their sub-headline, Human time bomb attempt foiled by Heathrow Security The Times The Suns sun-headline makes no mention of the work and achievement the police have made, This Arab rat aimed to send his pregnant girlfriend and 400 passengers to their deaths in jumbo Jet blast over London -The Sun It is obvious with this headline that the Suns writers are aiming to grab the attention of passers by. Members of the public may see pregnant girlfriend and Jumbo Jet blast and want to read more. Terrorist incidents involving planes are massive news nowadays after the incidents of September 11th. The writers give the impression of an action film and this atmosphere creates the drama and entertainment the Suns target audience wants. The Times use of images for this story is a simple photograph of the accused man. Although this is a small picture, it is the largest on the front page. This is because The Times target audience want more of the factual sides and text of stories and want to know what is going on whereas the Suns target audience want more drama and excitement from a newspaper article. Because of this, the picture of the man takes up half of the page. It is also obvious when looking at pictures from both papers that the image has been darkened slightly and given the impression of an unshaven, unclean man. His eyes especially have been made much darker with larger eyebrows. The man appears much rougher and scarier. The Times use of typography is very formal and neat. They have used Times New Roman in size eight. The punctuation and wording is very correct. The story also has a quote from Commander George Coleman, head of the Anti-Terrorist branch of Scotland Yard. This again is the kind of sound facts that the Times readers want. The Suns story is written in Times New Roman sized twelve. Both stories are divided up into small, indented paragraphs. The Suns punctuation is much less formal with some sentences starting with and. The first paragraph of The Suns story is written in bold type. This paragraph gives a brief overview of the entire story. The layout of the Times Story is neat with clean lines. The text is divided up into three columns and situated in the top right hand corner of the front page. There are also many other stories in The Times given front page coverage. The Suns story is situated in the bottom left hand corner of the front page. It is the only story which takes up this area as the text and the picture take up half of the page. The picture is half the size of the page and is located to the right of the text. The main headline is at the top, above all the other content with the sub-headline just beneath to the left in a neat column. The first thing which the reader sees is the WANTED headline and the picture of this dark and sinister man. It has the impression of a old wild west style wanted poster. The Times and the Sun use different style vocabulary in this story. The Times uses Scotland Yard and Anti-Terrorist Branch when describing the police whereas The Sun uses Detectives and Scotland Yard Detectives. This is the typical gung-ho style speech the sun regularly uses to create the excitement in their stories. The Times text is plain and factual and simply provides the reader with an insight into what is happening. The Times would generally take a political view into their stories regarding such topics like terrorism and conflict whereas The Sun usually opts for the action movie style of news reports. The Times refers to the woman involved with this incident as she and the woman. This is formal and considerate towards the woman and is also just stating facts. The Sun calls her the sobbing girl and pregnant girlfriend. This makes the reader fell sorry for the girl and turns them against this man. Calling the woman the sobbing girl very much dramatises the story. The writers have written this story as if they were writing the script for a soap opera. The Sun calls the man Arab rat and Arab terrorist whereas The Times simply calls him the man and Nezar Hindawi (his name). Nowadays, (this story went to print in 1986), calling the man an Arab rat and an Arab terrorist would have been considered racist and not politically correct. Because of this the story would have been censored and changed.

School Dress Code essays

School Dress Code essays Having students wear school uniforms has been a big debate among communities across the country for several years. The issue of school dress code has both strong supporters and opposition. This essay will consider arguments that school uniform should not be a part of our childrens education and to point out some of the problems with these views. It will then put forth the reasons for the introduction of mandatory dress code programs in schools that do not already have them. Most parents would agree that the main reason they send their children to school is to learn. Things that can help their children learn to the best of their ability are suitable and things that can hurt their chances of getting good education are unacceptable. School violence is a problem in many schools today. One of the answers to insure that children are safe in school is the introduction of school uniforms. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are many benefits to having school uniforms. School uniforms help decrease violence and theft among students over designer sneakers or clothing, it prevents gang members from wearing gang colors and paraphernalia at school, and it instills discipline in students. Not only do school uniforms decrease violence in school but it also aids in helping students to resist peer-pressure, concentrate on their school work, and helping school officials recognize intruders who come to the school. (manual.) It has been argued that school uniforms violate freedom of expression. Some students feel that they should be allowed to wear whatever they want to school. They believe that clothing is one of the most important ways of expressing themselves. Another concern with the dress code policy is the cost of uniforms for students. Some parents believe that it is in fact more expensive to provide their children with special attire for school as opposed to regular st ...

Capital Punishment7 essays

Capital Punishment7 essays The issue of capital punishment has been an ongoing controversy for many centuries. Punishment by death has been in practice since its first appearance in Babylonian writings by Hammurabi dating to 2000 B.C. This form of punishment was later termed as "capital punishment." Abolitionists of capital punishment rely on the eighth amendment for support. Stating that the execution of an inmate regardless of its manner is cruel and unusual punishment. Abolitionists also believe that the punishment is unnecessary and is not cost effective for the American taxpayers. Finally, abolitionists depend on the moral issue of the death penalty to band capital punishment. Capital punishment advocates depend on religious sanctions to justify the death penalty. Those who are for capital punishment believes that it maximizes public safety through incapacitation and deterrence. In 1972, Furman v. Georgia, a case about the death penalty, was brought before the Supreme Court. The court held that the death penalty was given in an arbitrary way for a variety of crimes. At this time the court also held that the death penalty focused mainly on African Americans and the under privileged. This ruling stopped short of actually outlawing the use of the death penalty, but it gave the states fair warning that the death penalty was in dire need of modification. Later in 1976, in the case of Woodson v. North Carolina, the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory death penalties were unconstitutional. However, later in 1976 in the case of Gregg v. Georgia the Supreme Court ruled that under adequate guidelines, the death penalty was not considered cruel and unusual. Therefore was not protected under the eighth amendment right that prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Studies have been done contradicting the Supreme Court's ruling stating that the death penalty is not cruel and unusual punishment. The process in which the body goes through during an exec...

A Song For Ourselves and the Asian American Movement Essay

A Song For Ourselves and the Asian American Movement - Essay Example ity which attracted signaled solidarity among people around the globe who were struggling with colonization and they later joined a new coalition which later led to a five- month strike at the campus with their major demand being the creation of an autonomous College of ethnic studies. During the struggle for equality and recognition, young Asian Americans were inspired by black scholars as well as their organization in their fight against prejudice and some became directly involved in civil rights campaigns and black power politics. This song was written for the republic of new Africa and its key message was to free the land and sovereignty for blacks within the US and this message was universal for all the people who were oppressed by the US. They wanted the land to be freed so that those who worked on it would share an equal proportion of the benefits as the white man (AntiWar Songs). Some Asian Americans who attended the world Lesbian and Gay Conference at Howard University 1979 formed the Lesbian and Gay Asian collective although they did not give any statement of principle. This was a significant moment for their visibility and recognition. A year later, 9 Asian American students were featured in the meeting raising their hands behind a banner written, †Å"We are Asians, Gay and Proud.†(Lee 301). Students unions formalized a strategic plan to enable the accessibility of higher education for poor residents in the states and the working class. Asian American activists also turned to cultural production to develop articulate empowered identities. This creative works produced during this period provided a new platform of their identity that was later called the Yellow power and was mostly used by the people from their homeland to air their grievances with the hope that they would be heard one day. They saw the interlinking of the oppression between them and other minorities like the blacks. They saw that all their suffering came from a common source that was

Analysis of The Tribute Money Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of The Tribute Money Painting - Essay Example The artist encodes very little information about what is going on in the story – there is an obvious depiction of Jesus featured prominently in the center, who is surrounded by his apostles (as shown by their halos). But indications of who is very small and very subtle – many of the apostles look very similar to each other. Similarly, there is no obvious indication of exactly what is going on. The architecture and the actions of the people on the margins of the painting tell the story, while the rest is simply a portrait of important people in Christianity. All of this speaks to a highly religious society where the viewer would be expected to be highly literate in the story, where this painting works both as a retelling and reinforcement of a story that the public would already know. The composition of the wardrobes in this painting also give interesting hints about the Italian culture’s understanding of the timing and role of religion in their society. The dress is a mix of different types of clothing – Jesus and the apostles wear what is essentially a Roman toga – yet the person in the front right of the composition wears a clearly Italian tunic, with a tight set of leggings under a lose belted garment. The architecture likewise bears resemblances to both Roman architectures with round arches and renaissance architecture (78). This mixing of contemporary and ancient probably speaks to a variety of things. Firstly, it could simply speak to the Renaissance ideals of harkening back to Rome – the people in the renaissance described themselves as being part of a rebirth of Roman ideology, technology, and culture, and actively rejected and insulted the Middle Ages (3). So this mixing of ancient Rome and modern Italy could be simply a representation of Renaissance sensibilities – as the natural successors to ancient Rome in culture and history, it is natural to mix the two together and represent them as very chronolog ically close. This representation could mean something different, however, if given a religious interpretation.        

Renewable energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Renewable energy - Essay Example In the 1970 though, the first awareness of the need to raise awareness on the use of natural sources of energy had been realized through the first Earth Day. The said need is due to the discovered negative effect of the scarcity of fuel to power the planet’s need for energy. From the said concern, sustainability had been a trend but is continuously becoming a need (Maczulak, 2009). The study is aimed to explore the concept of renewable energy which specifically includes the definition of the concept, the different types, the effects and the implementation of the methods. Methodology The study is undertaken through library-based research of both primary empirical data and secondary references. The main aim in the search for references to be used in the research is to find sources that generally explore the concept of renewable energy. There are two types of references used namely reference books and journal articles. The reference books are used for the definition of the differ ent concepts and other secondary data while the journal articles are used to gather both primary empirical data and secondary review data. Results The use of renewable energy is related the concept of sustainability which is related to the proper use of resources such as land, clean water, clean air, and the species diversity in nature. One of the main issues of sustainability is the sources of the energy needed to answer the needs of the world. Energy sustainability is the specific concept that targets the efficient use of energy and the implementation of techniques that can both save the two types of energy sources, the natural fuels and the renewable resources (Maczulak, 2009, p.26). Types of Renewable Resource Renewable sources of energy are materials that can be replenished easily such as sun or solar energy; wind power; ocean waves; water flows and tides; heat flows and stored heat; and biomass (Sorensen, 2004, p.210). For each of the said sources of renewable energy, there ar e techniques and methods used to extract and store energy. There effectiveness of the method lies on the application and optimization of available resources. Thus, every nation and locality needs to efficiently use the locally available renewable resources to increase the sustainability and to lessen the costs involved (Wengenmayr and Burhrke, 2008). One of the main renewable energy sources promoted on the basis of sustainability is the solar energy. This is considered as the most basic and readily available. Thus, the technology that can capture, store and utilize the power of the sun can make a significant difference. Different developments regarding the use of solar energy are being undertaken in various places around the world. An example is the development of solar concentrators by the engineers of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which will be combined with solar films thus surfaces such as windows can gather solar power (Maczulak, 2009, p.108). In the European region, sustainability and the use of renewable energy sources is considered as an important part of the social policies. In 2007, the use of renewable sources of energy had been set on a comprehensive directive to intensify the 2001 directive thus covering the electrical power, heat and mobility. In Germany, Austria, and Greece, solar thermal usage is the main energy source. Biomass is the main source of energy in France specifically used to answer the heat consumption of the country. In other countries such as Sweden, Finland, and

Deportation is not a good solution to reduce illegal immigrants issues Essay

Deportation is not a good solution to reduce illegal immigrants issues - Essay Example This deportation may be mostly done to illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants are people who migrate to a certain place or country without following the right procedures or without formal certification of the migration. A country may deport illegal immigrants because of their unknown status to the security of the country. Reasons for such a person migrating may be several a fleeing criminal, or individuals fleeing from internal war in the country. If a person is a criminal then he/she migrates to a foreign country without formal accreditation and may pose as a security risk to that country. Deportation may be advantageous to the country, but it may also cause harm to the victims involved that is if the victim migrated his/her country because of political instability. Such victims may be seeking refuge in the current country, is deported then, he/she will lack place to go, and thus, he might be subjected to harsh environments. Rules of a given country give the rightful rights of depor ting immigrants living in the country with or without legal certification of staying in the country (Forsythe & Lawson 53). If a given country’s rules and regulations give authority of deporting the immigrants then, the immigrants have no luck of staying in the country. What is contained in this paper argues out that actually deportation is not a good solution to resolve illegal immigrants’ issues. ... ed by those individuals who have committed serious crimes, entered the country without legal certification, and overstayed their visa and,or they have lost their legal certification of staying in the country (Forsythe &Lawson53-54).External deportation is only done to those immigrants who have broken the rules of immigration. These rules govern the mode and way of migrating and additionally they give legal certification for staying in the given country. If these immigrants break the rules and enter the country without certification, they are deported back to their original countries. The second form of deportation is internal deportation, which occurs only in the country or state. This is whereby an individual is deported out of the state he/she does not belong to. For example, an individual can be deported from California back to his/her original state because he/she does not belong in California. In this form of deportation, the rules of the state are the ones facilitating this pro cess of deportation, but not the rules governing the whole country. Immigrants who migrate to the new place or state are subjected to deportation if they are there without legal certification of migration. This may also be referred to the country’s rules and regulation if need arises. Reasons for such deportation within a state is that an individual or a group of people may be acting as spies, helpers or undercover for the enemy and thus may bring harm to the state (Garcia 15). For example, the state of Georgia deported about 400 females who were workers at the mill industry. These female workers were deported on reasons that they were suspected to be northern sympathizers. This happened during the civil war. The governing body of Georgia had all the rightful rights to deport the

International Event Management in Year 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International Event Management in Year 3 - Essay Example This paper intends to examine the environmental strategies in organizing an international event. Essentially, the organisers should consider the components of products used in the event. It is imperative to deliver products with improved environmental profile. This will reduce the environmental impact to the ecosystem components and its functions (Jones, 14). These products should delight the consumers without any tradeoffs in performance. Another strategy should reflect on improving the environmental profile of operations. It is vital for the overall environmental performance of supply chain and logistics of finished products to be improved such to attain the global environmental sustainability standards. For instance, suppliers should be encouraged to use non-pollutant packing materials. Additionally, local contractors should be encouraged to supply the products such that, the product miles or distance can be reduced (Bhe, 12). It is vital to consider and implement low –emission strategy intended to have transport and mobility means emit less toxic materials to the environment. The transport and logistics strategy should ensure local contractors should embrace carbon free transport means such as electric cars. This will reduce emission of gases and other materials to the environment. Further, more, the materials used during the events should uphold the principles of reuse and recycling (Yeoman, 13). It is noteworthy that, this strategy should encourage use of public transport to and from the event to reduce the number of private cars used consequently reduction of emission of smoke and gases to the environment. Water and energy efficiency is a fundamental strategy that will see effective utilisation of water and energy (Zineldin, 14). Inclusion sustainability is a management competence intended from incorporation of liable

Deportation is not a good solution to reduce illegal immigrants issues Essay

Deportation is not a good solution to reduce illegal immigrants issues - Essay Example This deportation may be mostly done to illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants are people who migrate to a certain place or country without following the right procedures or without formal certification of the migration. A country may deport illegal immigrants because of their unknown status to the security of the country. Reasons for such a person migrating may be several a fleeing criminal, or individuals fleeing from internal war in the country. If a person is a criminal then he/she migrates to a foreign country without formal accreditation and may pose as a security risk to that country. Deportation may be advantageous to the country, but it may also cause harm to the victims involved that is if the victim migrated his/her country because of political instability. Such victims may be seeking refuge in the current country, is deported then, he/she will lack place to go, and thus, he might be subjected to harsh environments. Rules of a given country give the rightful rights of depor ting immigrants living in the country with or without legal certification of staying in the country (Forsythe & Lawson 53). If a given country’s rules and regulations give authority of deporting the immigrants then, the immigrants have no luck of staying in the country. What is contained in this paper argues out that actually deportation is not a good solution to resolve illegal immigrants’ issues. ... ed by those individuals who have committed serious crimes, entered the country without legal certification, and overstayed their visa and,or they have lost their legal certification of staying in the country (Forsythe &Lawson53-54).External deportation is only done to those immigrants who have broken the rules of immigration. These rules govern the mode and way of migrating and additionally they give legal certification for staying in the given country. If these immigrants break the rules and enter the country without certification, they are deported back to their original countries. The second form of deportation is internal deportation, which occurs only in the country or state. This is whereby an individual is deported out of the state he/she does not belong to. For example, an individual can be deported from California back to his/her original state because he/she does not belong in California. In this form of deportation, the rules of the state are the ones facilitating this pro cess of deportation, but not the rules governing the whole country. Immigrants who migrate to the new place or state are subjected to deportation if they are there without legal certification of migration. This may also be referred to the country’s rules and regulation if need arises. Reasons for such deportation within a state is that an individual or a group of people may be acting as spies, helpers or undercover for the enemy and thus may bring harm to the state (Garcia 15). For example, the state of Georgia deported about 400 females who were workers at the mill industry. These female workers were deported on reasons that they were suspected to be northern sympathizers. This happened during the civil war. The governing body of Georgia had all the rightful rights to deport the

Analysis of Punting a football(Biomechanics) Research Paper

Analysis of Punting a football(Biomechanics) - Research Paper Example Proper punting technique is achieved when a punter is able to kick the ball for as long and as high as he can (Guy & Sang, 2009). There are a number of biomechanical techniques for achieving proper form, which make reference to the way the ball is dropped into the kick, how the punter follows through with his leg motion, and how the punter steps into his kick. These principles are best described and illustrated by means of example, which will follow shortly. The necessity of proper punting technique may be broken into two categories: (a) the safety and health of the punter and (b) the strategic advantage of well-placed punts during a game. With respect to safety and health, bad form in any sport will lead to injury of the muscles, bones, and joints involved with the physical activity. Quadriceps strains, in particular, are associated with injuries in punters who kick without proper technique (Beatty, McIntosh, Savage, Orchard, & Landeo, 2007). Because of this risk, safety and health are primary concerns for coaches who try to train their players on the methodology of kicking. Secondly, with respect to strategic advantage, punting technique is situational to the conditions of the game (Guy & Sang, 2009). That is, technique should be adjusted depending on circumstances such as field position, probability of a strong return, probability of a win, and so on. With these realities in mind, there is no perfect (or ideal) form; however, biomech anical principles apply to generally proper form. In addition to proper technique being situational in terms of circumstances within the game, proper technique for punters is also situational based on the comfort and ability levels of the punter himself. An athlete should not strain himself to achieve form and technique of those with considerably more strength and flexibility. This is particularly important, especially even before the ball is

Fast Food Essay Example for Free

Fast Food Essay Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. The term fast food was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating, or fast food restaurants (also known as quick service restaurants). Franchise operations which are part of restaurant chains have standardized foodstuffs shipped to each restaurant from central locations. Defination of Fast Food ?Food that can be prepared and served very quickly ?Any meal with low preparation time can be considered ?Food sold with preheated or precooked ingredients. The first fast food restaurants originated in the United States with AW in 1916 and White Castle, founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers McDonalds and KFC are multinational corporations with outlets across the globe. The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are located in over 100 countries. Approximately 2 million U. S. workers are employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing including fast food in the USA. Famous Fast Food Brands From America (TOP 10) LINK: http://cuclife. com/famous-brand/Fast-food/list_711_1. html (Photo Use) 1. Burger King 2. Burger King 3. Taco Bell 4. Arbys 5. Wendys 6. White Castle 7. Kentucky Fried Chicken 8. Pizza Hut 9. Chick-fil-A 10. Subway History of Fast Food Culture Significant Events in the US Fast Food Industry 1916: The first low-cost limited menu high-speed hamburger restaurant called White Castle opens in Wichita KS. 1921: White Castle opens its first restaurant selling hamburgers for 50 cents. 1940: The first McDonalds store Established. 1951: The term fast food is recognized in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 1967: McDonalds opens its first restaurant outside the United States 1971: The first Starbucks store opens in Seattle 2002: McDonalds cuts back on trans fat on its French fries by 48%. 2005: McDonalds mascot Ronald ranks 2nd in the top-10 advertising icons of the 20th century. 2006: According to an estimate, Americans spend nearly $142 billion on fast food. Development of Fast Food Industry Restaurants have been around in some form for most of human civilization. But they usually catered to travelers. As far back as ancient Greece and Rome, inns and taverns generally served food to people who had a reason to be away from home. This trend continued until relatively recently. Although taverns and coffee houses were popular places to gather and share beverages in the 17th century, the idea of eating out for fun didnt take off in Western society until the late 18th century. Although McDonalds was the first restaurant to use the assembly-line system, some people think of White Castle as the first fast-food chain. White Castle was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. At the time, most people considered the burgers sold at fairs, circuses, lunch counters and carts to be low-quality. Many people thought hamburger came from slaughterhouse scraps and spoiled meat. White Castles founders decided to change the publics perception of hamburgers. They built their restaurants so that customers could see the food being prepared. They painted the buildings white and even chose a name that suggested cleanliness. White Castle was most popular in the American East and Midwest, but its success helped give hamburger meat a better reputation nationwide. So, like cars, White Castle played an important part in the development of fast food. The McDonald brothers opened their redesigned restaurant in 1948, and several fast-food chains that exist today opened soon after. Burger King and Taco Bell got their start in the 1950s, and Wendys opened in 1969. Some chains, like Carls Jr. , KFC and Jack in the Box, existed before the Speedee Service System, but modified their cooking techniques after its debut. McDonalds, which started it all, is now the worlds largest fast-food chain. According to the National Restaurant Association, American sales of fast food totaled $163. 5 billion in 2005. The industry is growing globally as well. Total sales for McDonalds grew 5. 6 percent in 2005, and the company now has 30,000 franchised stores in more than 120 countries. However, McDonalds and fast food in general does not always get a welcoming reception around the world. McDonalds restaurants have been attacked in several countries, including the United States, China, Belgium, Holland, India, Russia, Sweden and the U. K. Protestors have accused McDonalds and other chains of selling unhealthy food, marketing aggressively to children and undermining local values and culture. Reason why the Fast Food Industry can be so Successful ?Cheap ?Fast (Convenience) ?Tasty ?Change in lifestyle (Working Long Hours, Busy Life, Rapid Paces) ? Child-Friendly Atmosphere (E. g. Toys) ?Franchising Scheme (E. g. McDonald’s) Variants: How the fast food culture in America influence the whole world.

Use And History Of Song Backmasking Music Essay

Use And History Of Song Backmasking Music Essay Each one of us has his/her favorite song, different bands, and different genres. And upon listening to music, it gives us inspiration, relaxes our minds and let us release our emotions and tensions. But would you believe that in some music we hear and every song that we sing, there lies a hidden message that lies within its lyrics and sound. And the process of discovering those things is called Backward Masking or usually referred as Backmasking. It is done by playing a song reversely or reading the lyrics backward. A. History of Backmasking Song Backmasking began in 1966 when the band, Beatles used it in recording their album, Revolver (Sullivan, 1987). Album tracks like Tomorrow Never Knows, Im Only Sleeping and Rain were the songs that have used techniques of musique concrà ¨te in recording (Mugan, 2006). Musique Concrà ¨te is an avant-garde form of electronic music which involves editing together fragments of natural and industrial sounds; and the concurrent spread of the use of tape recorders in recording studios(White, 2007). After the Beatles used backmasking, artists in time also used it for enhancing the both analog and digital recording of their tracks, by producing comedic and satiric effect. Some artists used backmasking to censor some words and phrases for clean release of sounds (Sullivan 1987). II. Uses of Backmasking A. Satanic Backmasking Satanic Backmasking involved classic rock songs, but composers of these songs denied any intent to promote Satanism. Some bands use Satanic imagery just for commercial use, one of these is the trash metal band, Slayer. The band used it in their 1985 album Hell Awaits (UGO Networks, 2009), in that album a deep backmasked voice chants repeatedly Join us. But the bands vocalist, Tom Araya said that they used it just for solely for effect (Hellqvist, 1998). Also the band, Cradle of Filth used Satanic Imagery, and released a song entitled Dinner at Deviants Palace, that song consists weird sounds and reverse reading of the Lords Prayer (Corbin). B. Subliminal Messages Fundamentalist Christian groups said that Satan use music to influence people with the use of Subliminal Messages. Subliminal messages backmasked into rock music influence its listeners to commit crime (Pastor Gary Greenwald). In 1982, Minister Jacob Aranza wrote a book entitled Backward Masking Unmasked, in that book, it explains how backmasking is used to open the subconscious mind and introduce its listeners to Satanism and drugs (Holden, 1983). The subconscious mind is being successfully affected by the repetition of beat and lyrics being affected through a subliminal message (Mills, 1981). B1. Influence of Subliminal Messages Because of these subliminal messages, crimes had been committed. Serial killer Richard Ramirez, said that AC/DC music and he specified that the song Night Prowler on Highway to Hell provoked him to commit murder (Watkins). David John Oates, a reverse speech advocate said that the song Highway to Hell contains backmasked message Im the law, my name is Lucifer and she belongs in hell (Von Ulrich, 1997). Angus Young of AC/DC stated that You didnt need to play (the album) backwards, because we never hid (the messages). Wed call an album Highway to Hell , there it was right in front of them (Young and Young, 2004). In 1990, two men in Nevada committed suicide because of the songs of a British heavy metal band, Judas Priest. The lawsuit of their family stated that the 1978 album Stained Class contained a hidden messages , including a forward subliminal message Do it in the song Better By You, Better Than Me. The judge dismissed the case due lack of sufficient evidence of Judas Priest place ment of subliminal message on the album (Vokey). The members of the Judas Priest stated that if they insert subliminal messages in their song, all of their fans have died and instead of doing that, they would prefer to insert a subliminal command Buy more of our records (Van Taylor). C. Backmasking used for critical and too explicit message Another use of song backmasking is for critical or too explicit messages in a soundtrack. Frank Zappa is one example of artists who used backmasking to avoid critical or too explicit message. He used it in his song Hot Poop from his album, Were Only in It for the Money released in 1968. The side A of the album contains a backmasked message Better look around before you say you dont careà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦/ Shut your fà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.king mouth bout the length of my hairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦/ How would you survive / If you were alive / Shitty little person? . The verse originally came from the song Mother People, and was censored by Verve Records, so Zappa edited it, he reversed it, and insert in his album as Hot Poop (Pacholski). D. Backmasking used for Aesthetics Another use of backmasking is for aesthetics, which means to enhance the meaning of a track (Blecha). During the subliminal message trial of the band Judas Priest, its lead vocalist, Rod Halford admitted the recording of words In the dead of the night, love bites backwards in the song Love Bites that came from the album Defenders of Faith that was released in 1984. In an interview, he was asked why he recorded the message, Halford answered that When youre composing songs, youre always looking for new ideas, new sounds (Zwerin, 1999). Related from this technique is to reverse a whole instrumental track. Vocalist of the band Beatles, John Lennon wanted to do it in their song Rain but their producer, George Martin and bandmate, Paul McCartney disagree with him and cut the backward section to 30 seconds (Stevens, 2002). E. Backmasking used for Humorous and Parody message Backmasking is also used for hiding comedic or parodical message backwards in a song. In 1966, the B-side of Napoleon XIV s single Theyre Coming to take me Away Ha-Haaa! is a reverse version of the record entitled aaaH-aH, yawA em ekat ot gnimoC eryeht(Anonymous). Pink Floyd puts a backmasked message in the song Empty Spaces from 1979s The Wall, Congratulations. You have just discovered the secret message. Please send your answer to Old Pink, care of the Funny Farm, Chalfont/Roger! Carolynes on the phone! /Okay. This message refers to Syd Barrett, the former lead singer of the band who is thought to have suffered nervous breakdown years earlier (Patterson). F. Backmasking used for Censorship Backmasking is also used for censorship. It is used to censor words and phrases deemed inappropriate on radio edits and clean album releases. One example of this is The Fugees clean version of the album The Score it contains various backmasked profanities (Nelson, 1998), when the album is played backwards, the censored words are clearly heard in the backward gibberish (Anonymous, 2006). For example, the word shit, after it was backmasked it would give a sound ish, as a result ish became a euphemism for the word shit (Rader, 2002). III. Artists that were accused using Baskmasking According to Blecha, Arar, Poundstone, Deusner, Tetley and Searcey these are the artists who used backmasking: Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Electric Light Orchestra, Queen, Styx, AC/DC, Judas Priest, The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Starship, Black Oak Arkansas, Rush, Britney Spears and Eminem. Electric Light Orchestra or commonly called as ELO was accused of hiding satanic backmasked message in their album, Elorado that was released in 1974, the song entitled Elorado was said to contain the message He is the nasty one / Christ, you are infernal / It is said were dead men / Everyone who has the mark will live (Poundstone, 1983). Way back 1981, Styx was also accused of hiding a backmasked satanic message Satan move through our voices on their song Snowblind from their album Paradise Theatre (Holden, 1983). James Young, guitarist of the Styx, called the issue rubbish and stated that, If we want to make a statement, well do it in a way that people can understand us an d not in a way where you have to go out and buy a $400 tape player to understand us (Hoekstra, 1983). The famous of all is the Stairway to Heaven, 1971 song of the band, Led Zeppelin, the backward playing of a portion of the song results to a message Heres to my sweet Satan (Milner). The recording company, Swan Song Records gives a statement regarding the song, Stairway to Heaven, they said that Our turntables only play in one direction-forwards (Davis, 2007). And in an interview Robert Plant, vocalist of the band, Led Zeppelin denied the accusation, he said that To me its very sad, because Stairway To Heaven was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, thats not my dea of making music (Considine, 1983). IV. Comments of Society regarding the song Backmasking Christian Groups Christian websites have stated that backmasking is widely used to promote Satanism (Robinson). Dial-the-Truth Ministries, the web page of the Albama group argues for the satanic backmasking that lies in the song, Stairway to Heaven of Led Zeppelin saying that the contains a message, Its my sweet Satan Oh I will sing because I live with Satan (Watkins). Bible Believers, an Australian Christian group , quoted a statement from Backward Masking Unmasked, a book written by Jacob Aranza, about William Yarrolls proposal regarding the psychological effect of music to the subconscious: In the base of our brain, there is a check valve commonly known as Reticular Activating System. The left side of our brain is logical while the right side is creative, if the left side of our brain cannot decode the meaning of the strange word or phrase, the right side which is the creative one takes over and the message is acknowledge and stored. Parent Music Resource Center The Parent Music Resource Center is a committee formed by the American Government in 1985. Its main purpose is to increase parental control to the music selected by the children which may trigger violence and sexual suggestive (Anonymous). Dr. Joe Stuessy testified to the United States Congress at PMRC in 1985: Lyrics in some heavy metal music may be converted to subliminal, sometimes lower tracks are mixed with louder tracks and these lower tracks are heard by the subconscious mind and not the conscious the process of doing this is called backmasking. There is a disagreement between experts regarding the effect of subliminal. We need more research on that.

Homeless Families in America Essay -- Homeless Families, 2015

There is not anything quite as satisfying as a good night’s rest before a busy day of school and dance team practice. It is Monday morning, when I crawl out of a comfortable bed of soft-cotton sheets and fuzzy throw blankets. My iHome alarm clock sounds a dreamy melody of ocean tides to wake me from a peaceful slumber. I step into slippers, put together a matching outfit, and grab the New York Times on my way into an all-you-can-eat dining hall. When I relax to a full tray of breakfast, I come upon an ad that makes me feel guilty about my standard of living. The advertisement is not in color, but the creative black font on the page gets my attention anyway with the words â€Å"For the first time in history†. I continue to read about devastation to humanity, and I immediately lose my appetite. Although an illustration takes up less than a tenth of the page, its powerful image draws me into the announcement. The featured collapsing â€Å"shelters† are real pictures mounted to an animated background of both urban and rural lands. These slums look rancid and polluted. I see shanties made of scrap metal and plastic. I see shacks made of old branches and mud. I am sure that certified building inspectors would never pass these â€Å"homes† with superior or even satisfactory ratings. Then I begin to doubt myself. Suddenly my breakfast doesn’t taste so appetizing. I am struck with guilt, so I feel a moral obligation to look into the efforts of Slam the Door on Poverty Housing! Curious about the issue, I research the housing project online. As I type away at my new laptop computer, mindlessly snacking and sipping bottled water, I can’t hold myself back from crying after seeing a horrific slideshow of people living in conditions unimaginable to me. The ... ...We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in’†. It is my hope that many people take heart in this project. Like the advertisement in the newspaper exemplifies, the planet should not have masses of people living in such underdeveloped environments that they risk death to preventable diseases, have trouble finding ‘safe’ water and struggle to find a bite of food. Privileged families of the world are needed in conjunction with endorsers of the effort, like the United Nations, to effectively wipe out homelessness. With encouragement from the words of Millard Fuller, â€Å"many hearts and minds must go through a radical transformation. With God: all things truly are possible!† Works Cited World Habitat Day 2007. October 1, 2007. Slam the Door on Poverty Housing. http://www.slamthedoor.org

The Desire for Intoxication Leads to Destruction Essay -- Marijuana Dr

The Desire for Intoxication Leads to Destruction Through time, people all over the world have looked for ways to feel intoxicated and alter their consciousness for different reasons. One of the most ancient ways people have reached this state of intoxication has been through the popular marijuana plant. Today this plant has become so widely accepted that it has been legalized in a few states and will most likely be legalized in other states, such as California and Maine, even though it is prohibited by federal law. Advocates claim it has medicinal properties, and that the drug may actually be beneficial to people’s health. But even though many people argue that feeling intoxicated relaxes them and alleviates their pain, research and past incidents have proven that the desire to be intoxicated has more damaging effects than positive ones. In his book The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan looks at four different desires: beauty, control, intoxication, and sweetness, each represented by a plant . Each plant has either evolved or has been modified to fulfill a desire craved by human beings. Pollan shows us how the desire for sweetness is represented by the apple, beauty by the tulip, control by the potato, and the desire for intoxication by marijuana. In this book, Pollan explains how marijuana became modified through time to fit the different needs and expectations of consumers worldwide. Putting it in Pollan’s own words, â€Å"cannabis had to do two things: it had to prove it could gratify a human desire so brilliantly that people would take extraordinary risks to cultivate it, and it had to find the right combination of genes to adapt to a most peculiar and thoroughly artificial new environment†( 130). Marijuana was here to stay... ... A. Kallen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2002. Print. Works Cited Hadly, Scott. â€Å"CHP Officer remains in critical condition. Ventura County Star. 21 Dec. 2007. Web. 29 Oct. 2010 Huff, Charlotte. "A risky decision: with marijuana, your good judgment may go up in smoke." Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication Feb. 2010: 20+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. Marijuana Policy Project. "Medical Marijuana Should Be Legalized." Legalizing Drugs. Ed. Stuart A. Kallen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2002. Print.

Hurricane Charley Essay

Trees down every where, houses crushed, roofs gone, thousands of people without power, cars damaged, people dieing. Hurricane Charley was perhaps one of most devastating events that I have ever experienced, in my entire life. The next morning after hurricane Charley hit, we drove outside and saw the devastating remains that Charley left. The roads were full of chaos, with no traffic lights, and the gas lines were insanely long. I was very fortunate to only loose my power and cable, in comparison to some people loosing a loved one. This hurricane caused approximately $20 billion in damages, which is nothing compared the 19 lives it took. I learned to never underestimate the effects of a hurricane, always be prepared for a hurricane, and to always think and help the less fortunate. Hurricane Charley wasn’t perceived as a very powerful hurricane to a lot of people as it progressed more towards Central Florida. I feel that a lot of people were not very prepared for Charley, just as I wasn’t. When I heard about this hurricane coming I thought, â€Å"Oh, another hurricane coming, there is going to be a lot of rain.† I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal at all. After the hurricane hit, I realized that I was completely wrong. One should always be prepared for a hurricane. I think that this statement is most definitely true, and should be carried out by everyone. Every household should have plenty of water, money, gas, batteries, flashlights, and many other things stashed away in their houses. There were major gas outages at the gas stations, because people were filling up their generators and cars. One of the major problems was that almost everyone was out of power, so you could cook or keep things cold without a generator. This lead to everyone needed ice to keep their very expensive groceries cold. When I looked back at what resulted from Charley, I actually feel fortunate. Yes, Charley did cause my dad lost business, left a lot of yard for me, left power and cable outages, and hundreds of dollars of meat to go bad. When I thought about this I felt kind of unfortunate but, when I thought about the people that starve day after day on normal bases in places like Africa, I feel fortunate. A lot of people in other countries don’t ever have power, cable, or even houses for that matter. I think that after events like this,  we should all pull together and help one another. Volunteer to help your neighbors and people that had it worse then you, have free barbeques with your meat that is going to go bad anyway, and most of all give everyone moral support. I think that Charley was a very important learning experience for a lot of us and should be thought about in different views. If you think about it, were you that effected by hurricane Charley? Did you take your power for granted? Were you well prepared for this hurricane? Did you underestimate Charley? All of these are important things to think about as you look back on Charley.

Education and Philosophy Essay

Introduction Critical to an advancing society is the need for teachers to recognize and utilize best teaching practices. Teaching requires knowledge of the subject matter and the skills to effectively engage learners. The best educators conceptualize teaching as anything that might promote student learning. Therefore, the teacher is the engineer of the learning environment (Bain, 2004). Many educators believe that learning is the purpose of all education, however educators differ substantially in how they engineer the learning environment through their classroom teaching styles and educational philosophies. Some educators consider the role of the teacher that of transmitting knowledge through a teacher-centered approach, while others consider the role of the teacher that of leading the student to construct knowledge through a learner-centered approach (McCarthy & Anderson, 2000). The teacher’s role in the learning process is often defined by educational philosophy. The manner in which they view their role in the classroom, how they view the student-teacher relationship and the method of instruction, all reflect their philosophy and beliefs about education (Petress, 2003; Youngs, 1979). Educational Philosophy At the most basic level, philosophy is a quest for wisdom and understanding (Ozmon & Carver, 2007). It â€Å"†¦raises questions about what we do and why we do it† (Elias & Merrium, 1995, p. 5). A philosophy of education is â€Å"†¦a set of ideas and beliefs that guides teachers’ 1 actions and provides a framework for thinking about educational issues† (Kauchak & Eggen, 2011, p. 197). Educational philosophy is the basis that shapes the structure and goals of the relationship between the faculty and the student. â€Å"When considering the inter-relationship of philosophy and activity it is clear that philosophy inspires one’s activities and gives direction to practice† (Elias & Merrium, 1995, p. 5). Faculty beliefs about the purpose of education, expectations in the student-teacher relationship, the teaching-learning process and what methods of instruction to use, are all guided by their educational philosophy (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005; Petress, 2003). A clear understanding of philosophy provides a solid foundation for effective analysis of educational practices and professional growth (Conti, 2007; Elias & Merrium, 1995). The five traditional western philosophies, which form the structure of most educational practices, are idealism, realism, pragmatism, existentialism, and reconstructionism. These western philosophies serve as a foundation and perspective for analysis of educational practices (Ozmon & Craver, 2007). There are five educational philosophies which were identified as having roots in traditional schools of western philosophy which form the structure of most educational practices. The five educational philosophies are: liberal, behaviorist, progressive, humanistic, and radical (Zinn, 2004). Professional educators are likely to be influenced in their actions by one or more of these five philosophies. Regardless of teachers’ awareness of their educational philosophy, their beliefs are reflected in their behavior (Youngs, 1979). â€Å"True professionals know not only what they are to do, but are also aware of the principles and reasons for so acting† (Elias & Merriam, 1995, p. 9). What teachers believe and practice in the classroom is related to educational philosophy and to teaching style. 2 Teaching Style The five educational philosophies have each been categorized as influencing either teacher-centered or learner-centered teaching styles (Conti, 2007; Johnson, Musial, Hall & Gollnick, 2011; Zinn, 2001). Conti (1998) describes teaching style as the qualities and behaviors displayed by a teacher which are consistent from situation to situation regardless of curriculum content. Teacher-centered teaching styles are consistent with traditional philosophies of idealism and realism, and the educational philosophies of liberal and behavioralism (Conti, 2007; Zinn, 2004). Learner-centered styles are consistent with traditional philosophies of pragmatism, existentialism and reconstructionism, and the educational philosophies of progressivism, humanism and realism (Conti, 2007; Zinn, 2004). Teacher-centered style is defined as a formal, controlled, and autocratic instructional style which assumes the learners are passive (Conti, 2004). Learner-centered style is defined as a pattern of instruction that is responsive, problemcentered, democratic and employs a collaborative learning environment (Dupin-Bryant, 2004). Regardless of an educators’ teaching styles, their beliefs should be evident in their teaching (Heimlich & Norland, 1994). Teaching style is the application of an educator’s philosophy demonstrated in classroom practices. Teaching style includes the â€Å"implementation of philosophy; it contains evidence of beliefs about, values related to, and attitudes toward all the elements of the teaching-learner exchange† (Heimlich & Norland, 1994, p.40). College of Education Teacher Education Program Teacher education programs are expected to refer to the mission and goals of their colleges in defining excellence in teaching for their own program, course development and teaching styles (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2008). This study investigated a comprehensive university in the Midwestern part of the United States of America. 3 For the purposes of this study the university was given the fictitious name of Newton State Univeristy (NSU). The long history of the teacher education programs at NSU was reflected in the growth of the size and scope of its educational programs and the number of its graduates. The influence of professional national and state accrediting bodies, such as the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation (OCTP), was evidenced by the university’s College of Education (COE) having a well-defined conceptual framework and educational philosophy. The Philosophy of the Unit statement, the COE Conceptual Framework, and other documents, informed the field of educational ideology for the college. Through an inspection of the language and expressed expectations contained in these documents, it was apparent to the researcher that the COE advocated an educational philosophy and a teaching style preference consistent with learner-centered teaching style and humanistic and progressive educational philosophy. Problem Statement Although the College of Education advocated a learner-centered approach, the teacher education faculty may be like many other higher education faculty and may not believe in such classroom practices and philosophies (Labaree, 2005). This potential dichotomy of beliefs between the teacher education faculty and the COE could be a possible source of conflict. What was not known was whether this was typical of the teacher education faculty at this Midwestern state university. For those colleges with clearly defined mission statement, like that of the COE, it is necessary that any fissure between the faculty and college be made apparent. Based on the COE mission statement, Philosophy of the Unit statement, the Conceptual Framework and the rubric criteria, it was implied that the teacher education faculty use 4  compatible teaching approaches to instruct their teacher candidates. However, it was unknown whether the teacher education faculty themselves preferred to conduct their classrooms utilizing learner-centered approaches. Through an assessment of the faculty beliefs, their teaching style preferences may be made apparent. Such a discovery would ascertain whether the philosophy and teaching style preferences of the teacher education faculty were congruent with the ideology of the COE. The mission statement of a university provides the vision and foundation for its employees and stake holders (Velcoff & Ferrari, 2006). If there is tension or conflict between the beliefs and values of COE and the teacher education faculty the foundation of the university could become ambiguous and unstable (Andreescu, L. 2009). There was no information about the educational philosophy and teaching style preferences of the teacher education faculty at this Midwestern state university. A survey of the teacher education faculty would ascertain the degree of alignment between the philosophy and teaching style preferences held by the teacher education faculty and those professed by the College of Education. Purpose The purpose of the study was to describe the educational philosophies and teaching style preferences the teacher education faculty members at this Midwestern state university and to determine the extent to which these matched with the university’s College of Education educational philosophy and preferred teaching style. Research Questions 1. What are the education philosophies and teaching styles of the teacher education faculty? 2. What are the relationships of the education philosophies and the demographic variables of the teacher education faculty? 5 3. What are the relationships of teaching styles and the demographic variables of teacher education faculty? 4. What are the relationships between the education philosophies and teaching styles of the teacher education faculty? 5. To what degree are the education philosophy and teaching styles of the teacher education faculty similar to the stated education philosophy and preferred teaching style of the College of Education? Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework constructed for this study was underpinned by two theoretical constructs: philosophy and teaching styles. There were five educational philosophies; liberal, behavioral, progressivism, humanism and radical. These five educational philosophies were adapted by Zinn (2004) from the writings of Ellias and Merriam (1995). The educational philosophies each have a basis in five traditional western philosophies (Ellias and Merriam ,1995). The concepts of teaching styles include teacher-centered and learner-centered teaching (Conti, 1989; Kauchak & Eggen, 2008). The theoretical constructs of andragogy is influential in this study due to the nature of the relationship of the teacher education faculty and their adult learners who are pre-service teacher candidates (Muirhead, 2007). One of the central objectives of the teacher educators and the COE in this study is to teach pedagogical concepts to the preservice teacher candidates. For these reasons, andragogy and pedagogy are conceptually relevant to this study and are a part of the theoretical framework; however they are beyond the scope of the study’s research questions. The theoretical constructs and the theoretical framework will be addressed further in chapter two. 6 Methodology The participants responded to an e-mail which provided a link to an on-line survey. All full-time and part-time graduate and undergraduate teacher education faculty were asked to participate in the study; however all did not choose to participate. The on-line survey contained the Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory (PAEI), the Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) and a demographic questionnaire. The concept of educational philosophy was measured with PAEI. The concept of teaching style was measured with PALS. Descriptive statistical methods were used to establish the profiles for each instrument and demographic variables. Frequency distributions were used to construct the educational philosophy and teaching style profiles for the participants. Analysis of variance was used to examine the relationship among the demographic variables and the educational philosophies and among the demographics and the teaching styles. Chi Square analysis was used to examine the relationship between educational philosophies and teaching styles. Frequency distributions were used to describe the degree to which the teacher education faculty and the COE were congruent in educational philosophy and teaching style preferences. Table 1 lists the data analysis techniques related to the research questions of this study. Table 1 Summary of Research Questions, Data Sources and Procedures Question Data Source Procedure 1. Education PAEI Frequency distributions philosophies profile Teaching styles profile PALS Frequency distributions 2. Education philosophies and demographic variables 3. Teaching styles and demographic variables 4. Relationship between PAEI & demographics PALS & Demographics PAEI & PALS 7 ANOVA ANOVA Chi-Square Education Philosophy & Teaching Styles 5. Teacher education faculty Philosophy & teaching Style and COE PAEI & PALS Frequency distributions Significance of the Study This research has the potential to benefit both teacher educator faculty and teacher education programs by helping them understand the importance of relationship of educational philosophy and teaching style. This study focuses on previously unknown information about the NSU teacher education faculty and the previously unidentified level of congruence between the educational philosophy and teaching styles of the COE and the NSU teacher education faculty. Therefore, this study’s significance lies in the findings, conclusion and recommendations of the research that will help improve professional development and practice of the teacher education faculty and the COE at this university. A strengthening of awareness of how congruence of beliefs and behaviors relate to teaching and learning is central to the study’s significance. Resolution of the dissonance between the teaching style preferences of COE and teacher education faculty has potential to enhance the NSU teacher education program and provide professional growth. Key Terms Philosophy: Belief about reality, the nature of knowledge epistemology, what is good and valuable in the world and the logic of reasoning. The five western philosophies (a. k. a. traditional philosophies) are idealism, realism, pragmatism, existentialism, and reconstructionism. Educational Philosophy: Ideas and beliefs that guide teachers’ actions and provides a framework for thinking about educational issues (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). The educational 8 philosophies are based on five western philosophies. The five educational philosophies: liberal, behaviorist, progressive, humanistic, and radical. Teaching Style: Distinct overt application of teacher beliefs that is persistent from situation to situation regardless of the content (Conti, 1998). Learner-Centered: An interactive learning process in which the learners are actively engaged in experiences and role of the teacher is to serve as a facilitator who is focused on the students’ abilities and needs. Learner-centered style is consistent with the western philosophies of pragmatism, existentialism, reconstructionism, and the educational philosophies of progressivism, humanism and realism (Elias & Merriam, 1995; Conti, 2007). Teacher-Centered: A formal, controlled, and autocratic instructional style which assumes the learners are passive. Teacher-centered teaching styles are consistent with the western philosophies of idealism, realism, and the educational philosophies of liberal and behavioralism (Elias & Merriam, 1995; Conti, 2007). Newton State University (NSU): A fictitious name given to the Midwestern state university where the study was conducted. Andragogy: The art and science of teaching adult learners (Knowles, Holton, Swanson, 1998). Pedagogy: The art and science of teaching children (Ozuah, 2005). 9 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Philosophy Rene Descartes’ famous declaration, â€Å"Cogito ergo sum,† â€Å"I think therefore I am,† (Yaldir, 2009, Tweyman, S. 2005) could be the way that some teachers describe their unmindful connection between their teaching and their philosophy of education. A philosophy provides a foundation for understanding and guiding professional practice (Kauchak & Eggen, 2002). All professions have philosophies which help guide actions and beliefs within their vocation. A common organizational practice is to have a philosophy statement that reflects the beliefs and philosophical priorities which guides the institutional leadership (Graham & Havlick, 2005). Philosophy can exert a powerful influence on professions, such as architecture, medicine and in education (Kauchak & Eggen, 2002). It is a professional practice for educators to develop and profess their philosophy statement (Kauchak & Eggen, 2002). Whether or not they are aware of their philosophy, a teacher’s beliefs and behavior are guided by their educational philosophy (Kauchak & Eggen, 2002; Petress, 2003). The teaching-learning process, expectations of the role of the student and what method of instruction to use, are examples of actions guided by a teacher’s educational philosophy (Conti, 1982; Elias & Merium, 1995; Kauchak & Eggen, 2002; Zinn, 1983, 2004). A philosophical orientation to education allows for comparison with beliefs versus practices. A clear understanding of philosophy provides a solid foundation for effective analysis of teaching and  10 institutional educational practices (Conti, 2007; Elias & Merrium, 1995; Graham & Havlick, 2005). Traditional Schools of Philosophy Philosophers have developed answers to questions about reality, the nature of knowledge epistemology, what is good and valuable in the world and the logic of reasoning (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). These efforts have manifested in five philosophies, considered by many to be the traditional western philosophies which are the pillars for most educators (Conti, 2007; Kauchak & Eggen, 2005; Ozmon & Craver, 2007). The five traditional philosophies, which form the structure of most educational practices, are idealism, realism, pragmatism, existentialism, and reconstructionism. Idealism. Idealism is one of the oldest Western philosophical views. It was established in ancient Greece by Plato (Harwood, 2010). Idealists hold the view that the world does not exist independent of the human mind and that the true nature of reality is based upon ideas. The constant change that occurs in the physical world strengthens the idealists’ conviction that ideas are the only reliable form of reality (p. 34). Teachers using curriculum based on idealism focus on content which emphasizes teacher-led instruction on time-honored ideas and works of literature, history, art, and music (p. 211). It was established in ancient Greece by Plato, and was brought into modern history by idealists such as Kant and Hegel (Harwood, 2010). Mortimer Adler’s book (1988), Reforming Education: The Opening of the American Mind, advocated a curriculum based on these timehonored subjects. Adler placed more emphasis on the ultimate goal of developing intellectual skills which leads to higher order thinking and awareness, and less on promoting students’ understanding  of content. Teachers serve an essential role for idealists. â€Å"To idealists, ultimate 11 reality exists in the world of ideas, so they believe that teaching and learning should focus on ideas† (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, p. 211). With this ultimate reality, which exists in the world of ideas, teachers lead their students to become rational, logical thinkers and to develop values through classic, enduring ideas (Ozmon & Craver, 2007). Realism. Realism is also a historic philosophy, having roots to Aristotle, Francis Bacon and John Locke (Ozmon & Carver, 2007). Realists center their beliefs on the constancy of the physical universe and argue that the â€Å"features of the universe exist whether or not a human being is there to perceive them† (Kauchak & Eggen, 2002, p. 211). Realists claim important ideas and facts can only be taught and learned through studying the material world. The universe and the essence of all things exist objectively and thus they are not an extension of the mind (Harwood, 2010). The learning environment includes emphasis on order, lecture, practice and high levels of time on task (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). â€Å"Curriculum consistent with realism emphasizes essentials, such as math, science, reading and writing, because they are tools to help us understand our world† (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, p. 211). Teachers who use educational practices based in realism set goals for their students to use observation, experimentation, and critical reasoning in order to learn and understand logical and natural laws. Realism is noted for the scientific method as the central idea of instruction (p. 211). Pragmatism. Pragmatism is considered a more modern philosophy. American educator, John Dewey, was one of its central proponents (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). Pragmatism rejects the â€Å"†¦idea of absolute, unchanging truth, instead asserting that truth is what works† (p. 212). Pragmatists contend truth is relative to the experience of the individual. Because experiences change, the perception of truth changes and the methods for dealing with these also change. 12 Pragmatists accept the methods of science for understanding the human person and solving problems (Elias & Merriam, 1995). Pragmatism philosophy places an emphasis on collaborative learning and problemsolving skills in a self-regulated learning environment (Elias & Merriam, 1995; Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). The process involved in learning is as important as the content in a pragmatist’s classroom (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). Teacher practices based upon pragmatist philosophy â€Å"doesn’t de-emphasize the importance of knowledge, but instead attempts to connect it to children’s interests† (p. 212). As a result, emphasis is placed on the tools of problem-based learning, subject integration, and direct hands-on experiences, which focus on individual accountability and development (p. 212). Existentialism. Existentialism holds a strong view concerning freedom of choice. Existentialists assert all people possess total freedom of choice and thus are personally responsible for all aspects of their lives and society (Elias & Merriam, 1995). â€Å"Existentialists stress awareness, consciousness, perception and the total meaning-structure of the individual, his vision and death, his word choices and other aspects of his relating life† (p. 111). Influential existential writers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Carl Rogers, and Abraham Maslow believed humans become a construct of ourselves, which requires total commitment to a self-determined destiny (Harwood, 2010; Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). Empathy and unconditional caring are more important to learning than student attainment of content objectives (Harwood, 2010; Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). The existential teacher views education as â€Å"an individual’s search for understanding† (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, p. 214). Reconstructionists. In the philosophy of reconstructionism, the societal function of education is a central premise (Ozmon & Craver, 2007). There are two major principles of this 13 philosophy. The first is society is in constant need of reconstruction or change. The second principle is that social change involves both reconstruction of education as well as the use of education in reconstructing society (Ozmon & Craver, 2007). Reconstructionists declare that schools and teachers should serve as agents to both address social inequities and to enact the ideals of democracy (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). An American educator, Theodore Brameld and Brazilian educator, Paulo Freire, were both influential social reconstructionists who strongly promoted that teachers and schools should serve as agents for marginalized people and advocates for a more just and equitable society. Teachers encourage students to become an actively involved force for social change. Teachers influenced by reconstructionist philosophy place emphasis on teaching students to expose hidden bias and on inspiring students to influence the world today as well as in the future (Kauchak & Eggen, 2011, 2005). Philosophies of Education From Aristotle and Plato to Dewey, Rogers and Freire, the traditional schools of philosophy have served as a foundation to educational schools of thought. Although they have useful implications for the field of education, the traditional philosophies were not developed as philosophies of education. â€Å"A philosophy of education is a conceptual framework embodying certain values and principles that renders the educational process meaningful (Merriam & Brockett, 2007, p. 28). † An educational philosophy typically includes, â€Å"terms, aims and objectives, and curricula, methods and the teaching-learning transaction, the role of society, and the roles of student and teacher (p. 28). † Zinn (2004) adapted Elias and Merriam six educational philosophies liberal, behavioral, progressive, humanistic, and radical, which were identified as having roots in traditional schools of philosophy (Elias and Merriam, 1995; Zinn, 2004). The 14 differences in these philosophies centers upon the concept of knowledge, the role of the learner and the role of the teacher and the purpose of the curriculum (Conti, 2007). Liberal Education. Like Aristotle, Socrates and Plato, the liberal education philosophy emphasizes the development of intellectual power (Zinn, 2004). This philosophy is not associated with liberal political views; liberal education philosophy stresses traditional, classical humanism based on the liberal. It is supported by more contemporary educators such as Houle, Adler, and Piaget (Zinn, 2004) and has its roots in idealism and realism traditional schools of philosophy (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). Emphasis is placed on general, liberal humanities education to shape a rational mind. The task of education is to impart knowledge of eternal truth and preparation for life through great works of literature, philosophy, history and science (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). Teachers with the liberal education philosophy might be referred to as the expert ‘sage on the stage’ transmitting knowledge with an authoritative approach to a rigorous intellectual curriculum (Zinn, 2004; Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). Teaching methods based in this philosophy often include lecture, critical reading and discussion, which direct the student in the broadest sense â€Å"intellectually, morally, spiritually and aesthetically† (Zinn, 2004, 72). From a practice standpoint, liberal education is oriented toward conceptual and theoretical understanding and not just absorbing and using facts (Elias and Merriam, 1995). Behavioral Education. Behavioral education is a contemporary philosophy with its foundation in the early 1900’s from psychologists Watson, Pavlov, Thorndike and Skinner. Behaviorists believed psychology should be about the science of behavior and not about science of the subjective mind (Slavin, 2000). Behaviorism is consistent with the traditional philosophy of realism which utilizes absolute law and scientific method to stress knowledge and skills useful 15 in today’s world (Conti, 2007). It professes the purpose of education is to promote skill development and behavioral change (Zinn, 2004). Emphasis is placed on compliance with standards and societal expectations. The teacher’s role is of manager and controller of the learning environment through prediction and direction of learning outcomes. Some teaching methods used by behaviorists include programmed instruction, skill training, competency-based and criterion-referenced assessments, mastery learning, and feedback and reinforcement. The learner is expected to take an active role in learning and expected to practice new behavior and respond to feedback and reinforcement (Zinn, 2004). Behaviorism is associated with a learnercentered teaching style(Conti, 2007). Generally the process of learning involves the educator diagnosing specific learning needs and evaluating progress towards meeting those needs. Accountability for learning is placed on the shoulders of the learner using competency-based behavioral objectives for evaluation (OBrian, 2001). Several models of behaviorist adult education exist. Special education programs, computer based training, adult basic education programs, vocational training and military training are often based on behavioral educational philosophy (OBrian, 2001; Zinn, 2004). Progressive Education. The educational focus of progressivism is the notion that the child is an experiencing organism capable of learning by doing; education should be life itself, not preparation for living. Progressive education is aligned with the traditional philosophy of pragmatism (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). Prominent educators include Spencer, Dewey, Bergevin and Lindeman (Zinn, 2004). John Dewey’s ideas about education reform in the early part of the 20th’century created both excitement and criticism (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). His emphasis on â€Å"seeing learners actively involved in real-world problems† was considered a stimulating concept in the traditional  16 educational system (p. 200). Critics of Dewey’s reform principles believed â€Å"progressive education seemed to de-emphasize content and cater to student whims† (p. 200). Progressive schools encourage cooperation rather than competition; the free interplay of ideas enhance individual effectiveness in society through practical knowledge and problem solving skills (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005; Zinn, 2004). School is viewed as a microcosm of society with emphasis on learning through application of experience and problem solving (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). Classrooms are designed for experiential learning and spaces to learn from each other through active learning and cooperative group learning experiences. The teacher is a guide and organizer for experiential learning through use of scientific method, integrated curriculum, project method and problem based learning (Zinn, 2004). Constructivist teaching, a progressive based teaching method in which knowledge is actively constructed by the pupils, is consistent with the traditional pragmatism philosophy (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005; Ozman & Craver, 2007). All three, pragmatism, progressivism, and constructivism, â€Å"emphasize concrete experiences, real-world tasks, and the central role of the individual in determining reality and promoting learning† (Kauchak &Eggen, 2005, p. 220). Humanistic Education. In the classroom, humanistic philosophy, also known as humanism, places emphasis on a nondirective approach to education which focuses on individual choice rather than on academic subjects or timeless ideas (Conti, 2007). Humanism, which is closely associated with the philosophy of existentialism, is influenced by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, who were primary contributors from the field of psychology (Elias & Merriam, 1995). Carl Rogers stressed person centered and unconditional regard. Maslow is most well known for his hierarchy of motivation which evaluates needs based on growth and being needs, 17 culminating in self-actualization (Slavin, 2000). Several adult educators have contributed to this theory, however Malcolm Knowles may be the most well known in the field of adult education. He spawned the concept of adragogy as a specific teaching strategy for adults (Elias & Merriam, 1995). The function of school from the humanistic educational philosophy is to enhance personal growth and development and to facilitate self-actualization (Zinn, 2004). Teachers are facilitators and partners in students’ growth; however they do not direct the learning. Through the use of self-directed learning, discovery, and experiential learning, the learners assume the responsibility for their education. Cooperation, group tasks and communication are valued as a part of the process of growth (Zinn, 2004). Specific education programs which are based on humanistic educational philosophy are limited. Examples include self-actualization workshops, self-esteem building programs, and the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California (OBrian, 2001). Some educators consider progressivism to be controversial because too much emphasis is placed on â€Å"children’s interests and self-esteem and that knowledge and understanding has been sacrificed † (Kauchak & Eggen , 2005, p. 218). Radical Education. In the radical education, the political power of the individual is viewed as a responsibility to create and change history and culture through reflective action (Zinn, 2004). Education’s purpose is to bring about, through education, fundamental social, political and economic changes in society. The educational focus is recognition that society needs to be reconstructed and that education must take the lead in that reconstruction (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005). The exploration of the political nature of education, including social control and power in schooling and a rejection of the politics of exclu.