Bonnie Parker

Bonnie Parker is a beautiful young woman obviously thirsty for a life more exciting than the one she leads. One dusty morning, she catches Clyde Barrow, handsome ex-convict, looking like he was about to steal her mother’s car. She is a struggling waitress, hungry to make something out of herself while he is a small-time professional criminal from Texas who decides to begin a new career as a bank robber. After a flirtatious banter took place between the two of them, Clyde confesses that he is an armed robber.Bonnie then dares him to commit an armed robbery right then and there, in broad daylight and right smack on main street. Incredibly, he complies. What ensues then is a coming together of two kindred spirits as Bonnie becomes Clyde’s main accomplice in the robbing and killing spree that ensued right after. They slowly form a group, eventually known as the ‘Barrow Gang’ consisting of a gas boy attendant, Clyde’s brother Buck and Buck’s demure wife, Blanche. C. ANALYSIS When one consciously bears in mind the spirit of the time in which Bonnie and Clyde was released, appreciation for this film doubles.It truly was an artistic form of rebellion; a type of rebellion that reflected the progressing times. The sixties was truly a dynamic period that gave a new direction to women’s empowerment. Gledhill articulates the underlying logic of film when she said that, â€Å"melodrama deals with what cannot be said in the available codes of social discourse; it operates in the field of the known and familiar, but also attempts to short-circuit language to allow the ‘beneath’ or ‘behind’— the unthinkable and repressed—to achieve material presence.† The film is actually all about identity and the conflicts that occur when such identity is found outside the bounds of acceptable behavior imposed by society and policed by the state. A testament to the fact that the film cuts across man y issues and opens up new frontiers in terms of film presentation is how cross-cutting its genre is. It can be filed under action-adventure, romance, gangster, crime and drama; it is perhaps more than what was just mentioned. And just like it’s genre, the film cannot be pigeon-holed into one neat category, much like its characters.While both Bonnie and Clyde cut interesting personalities, one cannot be discussed without the other. In terms of female empowerment, Bonnie does present an interesting role model. A murderous thief if rarely seen as good idol material; however, if one looks past the fact that her choice of ‘career’ is immoral by any standard, she is brave enough to break the mold of women’s role at the time. Scene after scene, she rubs her nose against the norms that society dictates for women. â€Å"Ever since the 1960s, the women’s movement has been concerned with media portrayal of women.Major studies of the most pervasive medium, tel evision, and particularly its commercials revealed the same subordination of women we saw in film. In commercials, most voice-overs were done by men and overall, men were featured more often than women. The women who were featured were limited to family roles. Women were shown doing housework and men were the beneficiaries of their work. On the other hand, men were employed, had careers, and were doing something outside the home. † This portrayal of women in the film is quite apparent and much more recognizable given the fact the Clyde was made less ‘manly’.It is indeed quite interesting how the writers and director presented the film: the female is a strong character that displayed very ‘male’ characteristics (albeit in a very sexy way) while Clyde’s masculinity is put on a chopping block with his sexual impotence. Whether or not this sexual incapability is accurate in terms of the real Clyde Barrow is irrelevant. What is significant here is t he importance found by the filmmakers in making Clyde less ‘masculine’ or atleast what society perceives as masculine.Initially, the director suggested that Clyde’s character be homosexual but when Warren Beatty refused to play a homosexual man, they decided that impotence would give the same ‘castrating’ effect to Clyde Barrow; an effect that inevitably led to the ‘masculinization’ of Bonnie Parker. This ‘castration’ of the main male character furthered strengthened Bonnie’s character. Furthermore, the other male characters are either dimwitted (C. W. Moss) or simpleminded and ignorant (Buck Barrow). It was as if the creation of the other male characters had for a goal to make Bonnie—and in consequence, women—look better and appear smarter.At this juncture, it would be quite interesting to ask oneself if Bonnie truly is a picture of female empowerment or is she merely a case of making a woman more male? Bonnie’s character finds its anti-thesis in Blanche (Buck’s wife). Blanche is the stereotypical female of the sixties. She is demure, conservative and relies on her husband for everything. Buck’s chauvinistic comment—It’s the face powder that gets a man interested; it’s the bacon powder that keeps a man at home—paints only two roles for women: as housekeepers and as sexual objects.Bonnie breaks this mold and carves another role for herself—a partner. In many ways, Bonnie represents what women can be if only they dared and Blanche represents what they are. â€Å"This dual recognition—how things are and how they are not—gives popular culture much of its strength, suggesting the way it may be drawn to occupy gaps in political, ideological and cultural systems and how the subordinated may find a negotiable space in which certain contradictions and repressed desires are rehearsed.† According to Arthur Penn, the film’s director, â€Å"Violence is one of the most powerful themes in Bonnie and Clyde. The central point is that crime and violence are interrelated; that one can not exist without the other (†¦) Once the match of violence is lit, it has no choice but to burn until all flammable ends have been destroyed. † This use of violence as a central concept in the film led to change in the film industry as a whole. Bonnie and Clyde are not depicted as the usual murderers.They are charming, beautiful and for all intents and purposes, are of a refined manner and as the tag line goes: they are in love; definitely not the usual criminal sort. However, the film is interesting in its depiction of a criminal life as the audience finds it increasingly difficult not to sympathize or root for the ‘bad guys. ’ Even though the odds are against it, we the audience, find ourselves wishing that the couple will make it out alive and perhaps grow old together and leave the li fe of crime behind for an idyllic setting.But even Bonnie’s poem foreshadows their eventual fate. Someday they’ll go down together; they’ll bury them side by side; to few it’ll be grief; to the law a relief’ but it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde. Here the film gives us the moral of the story that if one lives by the sword, one dies by the sword. The attempt of the film to ‘subjectify’ the criminal life was definitely successful and the message is clear: not everything is black or white and good or bad.The audience is left with the feeling that although the actions of Bonnie and Clyde cannot be condoned by any moral person, we can sympathize with their situation. This is indeed a powerful effect considering the murders and the thievery that occurred in the film. On the negative side, the film probably opened up a tradition of cinematic endeavors to treat murder and crime in a casual and non-chalant way. The criminals in this film a re portrayed in such a manner that makes them icons and idols of sorts—which is actually twisted in a way.The iconography of the film, as examined by Mary Elizabeth Strunk in the American Studies Journal explains that. â€Å"Yes, Bonnie and Clyde commit reckless acts of violence, but they look so good doing it. Against the film’s stagy Depression-era backdrop, the couple becomes the embodiment of youth, romance, and yearning. By contrast, their victims barely register, save as faded cardboard cutouts lacking names or narrative. The camera affirms Bonnie and Clyde as the only living things on an otherwise inert and colorless landscape. †Violence is not only the central theme of the movie but is also the anchor in which the personalities and characters of Bonnie and Clyde are based. The issues relating to identity are also underlying themes for this film. For Bonnie, she knows that she is cut from a different cloth altogether and would like to be remembered for be ing different. Clyde, on the other hand, grappling with his inner demons (mostly, brought on by lack of sexual potency), thirsts to be remembered by many. For him, it does not seem to matter what he is remembered for, just as long as he is remembered.If one were to psycho-analyze this film, one might even say that it could have been Clyde’s sexual malfunction that led him to a life of crime with the gun serving as a substitute for sex. This misplaced pride they both have in being recognized is clearly seen as they proudly read to each other what the newspapers have wrote about them—even if it is merely a catalogue of the crimes they have done or thought to have done. Works Cited Internet Movie Database. Bonnie and Clyde. Retrieved on May 11, 2008 from http://www.imdb. com/title/tt0061418/ Gledhill, C. (1986). Dialogue on Stella Dallas and Feminist Film Theory. Cinema Journal 25, No. 4 BOOKRAGS STAFF. â€Å"Bonnie and Clyde: Themes†. 2000. May 12 2008. http://www . bookrags. com/films/bonnieandclyde1967/themes. html> Strunk, M. E. (2007). Bonnie and Clyde’s Other Side. American Studies Journal No. 50. Retrieved on 12 May 2008 from http://asjournal. zusas. uni-halle. de/85. html FLIPOUT E-ZINE. Women In Film. Retrieved 12 May 2008 from http://www. geocities. com/albanystudent/wif. html

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas Concept of â€Å"predacity† as related to class topics: The concept of â€Å"predacity†, in my opinion, is related to so many of the topics discussed in class. The most formidable connection would be that of human on human. In regards to race, class and gender, â€Å"predcaity† fits the system in which the American culture has been designed around. Rich white men have been the predators of poor minorities and women since the creation of the United States. Minorities and women have been discriminated against since the pilgrims set sail and the revolutionaries first wrote the declaration of independence.What followed was a constitution that, in theory, gave only white men the freedom of life, liberty and property. Women and blacks couldn’t own property nor did they have the same liberty white men had. To this day women and minorities are still discriminated against in a predator like way. Predacity could even be taken to the extent of harming wom en and races that weren’t white. The Native American Indians were murdered for their land, Africans were enslaved, killed and tortured at the crack of their masters whip. The vicious truth of human nature is one of animal like â€Å"Predator vs Prey† approach.The one actor said a couple times throughout the movie that â€Å"those who are weak are meat, those who are strong will eat. † Rich white men have preyed on the economical and social gain of others for millennium. What we’ve discussed in class shows predacity like examples in current systems we have in the United States today. The way corporations prey on those who will work or are forced to work for cheap or no labor in over sea workshops and brothel like set-ups gives more verification to human predacity in modern times. Recurrence as a theme and preventing predacity from recurring:The theme of recurring in the movie happened with every different time and environment. People preying on people, com panies preying on companies and groups preying on groups were all part of the theme of the movie. Examples like the oil company hoping the nuclear building failed and killed as many lives as possible was a form of predacity. The cannibal hunters that continued to attack Tom Hanks village was a form of predacity and the Asian women being used as a tool for economic gain was a form of human on human predacity.What was clear was the failure of some individuals to change the path of recurring predacity. The way in which predacity was prevented from recurring was an individual’s love for another. It was the love for another person that forced change within the individual that created a change from the recurring theme. We saw examples of this when the man who helped the African on the sail boat and decided not to deal with slave owners and move east to help the abolitionists, Tom Hanks when he didn’t kill or stop Halle Berry when she told him that what he believed in was act ually false and incorrect.In order to change the recurring theme the individuals within the environment must change first. This is one of the fundamental ideas we have discussed throughout course discussions. I personally loved this movie. It was arguably one of the best movies I’ve seen in some time and was highly enjoyable. It showed the power of love for people and the way an individual can change the course of predcaity. I gave it an A+.

The Role Of Managers In Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Role Of Managers In Organization - Essay Example With this ‘living’ group, and the material things like capital, machines, infrastructure etc the managers will embark on an organization. But, in most cases, the managers will normally take over or manage an existing organization and its employees. The methodology used to analyze the topic thesis how motivation, excellence and importantly retention levels can be optimized by developing an optimal incentive program for the managers and the employees involves analysis of close to 6 sources, including books, journals and websites. Using these sources and the common concepts about leadership, motivation, recruitment, training and importantly retention, this research or research part of the paper will be done. The method of research for this study will mainly come from the secondary sources, specifically for the enterprise. That is, as the paper discusses the how motivation and retention levels can be optimized by developing an optimal incentive program, without reference to any particular organization, additional information to explain its strategies and structure has to be sourced from secondary sources. The information from secondary sources can be maximally correlated to do the paper and explain the problem statement. That is, the role of the incentive programs for increasing the motivational levels can be firstly analyzed and then that optimum motivation will translate into high retention levels for the organization.

Should Capital Punishment Be Reintroduced In The United Kingdom Essay

Should Capital Punishment Be Reintroduced In The United Kingdom - Essay Example The Crime Disorder Act 1998 abolished the death penalty in the UK for serious crimes of treason, piracy and technically for murder. Section 36 of the Act replaced the capital punishment for treason and violent piracy acts as enshrined in the Piracy Act 1837, with a lighter sentence of a maximum life imprisonment. Despite the seemingly unrelated nature of the crimes to murder, the crimes were previously classified under the same category of most serious crimes in the country’s history. In light of this reasoning, a lesser sentence for piracy and treason should have the same effect on sentencing for murder cases.  The reform of sentencing for capital offenses in the United Kingdom since 1964 has been influenced by the growing need to preserve human rights from historical violations. In particular, the Human Rights Act 1998 outlaws any public institution from acting in a manner that principally contravenes the ECHR), unless the provisions of any other key statutory regulation h ave no alternative solution. The Act also requires courts of law and tribunals to consider any directions, verdicts or counsel of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and to give their legal interpretation the widest of consideration in conforming to the Convention’s provisions on human rights. The Convention set up the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which deliberates on appeal cases of murder from member states.  Any murder convict who believes his or her human rights have been trampled upon by a member state.

Unit 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 5 - Assignment Example This enables the study not to depend on a specific method of collecting data. With such an approach, the researcher is in a position to concentrate on situations that are more complex, but still have the situation context taken into account. The alternative is the restrictive approach; the case study on a particular issue has to be restricted by an event, time, or a particular place. This ensures that the study is more specific and the qualitative topic remains relevant. This approach also gave room for a more extensive and detailed study. Empirical investigation allowed me to use several sources as evidence to support the study. By using this approach, my work achieved an understanding that is deeper and gave room for the triangulation of the several data collection methods I used. The approach indicates the possibility of various sources of data, hence need for triangulation (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004). The data collection approach involved the sharing of sentiments allowing data to be collected through observation from participants, in-depth interviews, documentation reviews, and questionnaire reviews. This made the collection of data an easy process and thus most suitable for my case study. The mixed method approach involves the collection, analysis, and interpretation of both qualitative and quantitative data while considering the study of a particular phenomenon. A mixed method design is a representation of both an intuitive and logical appeal, which offers a platform for doing away with the gap between quantitative and qualitative paradigms. A mixed method approach will include the strength of both these approaches while at the same time minimizing the weaknesses of the respective approaches (Sun, 2009) The mixed method approach helps the researchers to consider a more defined and wide range of questions for research so that they are not restricted to a particular approach. More so, by having

Breast Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Breast Cancer - Essay Example little more than 2.47 million women who had experienced having breast cancer, women should be informed the proper way of conducting a self-breast examination as a way of increasing their chances of survival. For this study, the student nurse will discuss the importance of breast cancer screening followed by explaining the proper way to screen breast cancer and the step-by-step physical assessment to enable women detect early signs of breast cancer. Healthy women should undergo the most common screening test like mammogram at least once a year in order to detect signs of breast cancer at an early stage. (Breast Cancer, 2009a) Early detection of breast cancer is important since women can have higher chances of survival. This is because of the fact that early stage cancer is easier to treat as compared to late stage breast cancer. (Breast Cancer, 2008g) Aside from the use of mammogram test, other ways to screen signs of early stage breast cancer is through the use of other imaging test like the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Breast Cancer, 2008c). The blood marker tests can also be considered when screening a patient. In case cancer protein or blood markers like CA 15.3, TRU-QUANT, CA 27.29, CA125, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is present in the blood (Breast Cancer, 2008a), there is a strong possibility that the patient has a breast cancer. Because of the limitations of mammogram when screening for breast cancer, the use of digital tomosynthesis is now being considered as the best alternative for mammograms (Breast Cancer, 2008d). Although a lot of physicians believe that the use of mammography is the best method for detecting breast cancer, the Mayo Clinic 2008 study result suggest that the use of molecular breast imaging (MBI) is better than mammography in terms of detecting tumors in the breast (Breast Cancer, 2008f). Also highly recommended for women who have high risk of developing breast cancer, a new technique known as the ductal lavage can be

LEED and Lean Fundamentals Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

LEED and Lean Fundamentals - Term Paper Example However, generation of waste come from the individual processes that are within the production (Wiedmann & Minx, 2008). Due to this reason focused waste management demands that engineers should know the type and the source of waste. As it stands, this remains unknown with any accuracy. The work's purpose is to offer a solution through the development of a method that would involve the integration of waste from the environment into the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) lean method. Specifically it involves integration of the corporate standards of environment with the VSM process, thus permitting the established lean process to focus at specific improvement actions for environment. This method’s application is demonstrated in a set up that represents manufacturing, representing a variety of impacts in the environment. The deployment can be generalized to any environmental factor. It can represent a customized index of waste for a specific industry. The focus industry came up with the many ways that explored the multidimensional environmental wastes. The staff can use the resulting method in to quantify the wastes that are generated from the individual processes and thus can report cases of the wastes production which would enable the establishment of the waste management process for the whole lean process (Hagood & Grunden, 2012). Through this attempt, then the waste management in the manufacturing industries would be perfected. The idea can later be applied to other types of industries for the betterment of the environment. Leed and Lean Fundamentals Introduction One of the aims of lean is to reduce waste in the production process. In an attempt to achieve this, one of the common management tools that lean has used is VSM (Wiedmann & Minx, 2008). Value Stream mapping analyzes and also represents the time that is taken for completion of the process while laying emphasis time that does not have value addition to the process hence it is a non-value added time proc ess. This method is very important in reducing the time for the whole processing in a certain industry. As such it reduces the expenses that are associated to the addition time. VSM lays focus on time as wasted consumable. On the other hand, the whole process of lean is concerned with several other types of waste. Consequently the organizations that long to implement lean are required to make use of the different lean tools to cover the various dimensions of wastes for their processes. This means introduction of multiple systems each with its own culture, implementation and the reporting processes. According to Stair & Reynolds (2011), the current innovation in the waste management is targeting at developing an integrated lean system that would avoid this type of duplication. Amongst the areas that better integration is desirable, is between the dimension of time as covered by the VSM and the dimension for the environmental waste. Environmental waste is less represented in the curre nt lean design. This is because the current design of lean tends to perceive waste as a cost of the raw materials or probably the decrements associated to the productivity of the whole production system (Bartholomew & Farrauto, 2011). However, the environmental perceives the type of waste as being important due to the different toxicity and the effects of such on the environment. Collection of the data on the waste from the environment and the waste impacts is an easier task. However it is hard to

Write a journal article summary 2 pages summarizing the research Essay

Write a journal article summary 2 pages summarizing the research article using guidelines for journal article summary - Essay Example Psychological benefits of exercise include an individual acquiring an internal locus of control, an increase in confidence, self-control, perception and sexual satisfaction while it decreases anxiety, hostility, tension and depression. Researchers have studied the relationship between self-concept and exercise with the view of determining if exercise improves self-concept in the recent past; this field of research is still growing and more research needs to be done to prove the connection. Thus, the research detailed in the article focuses on the psychological effect of exercise on male and female students. The research study used 22 participants of which 14 were male and 8 were female. The participants were university students who voluntarily offered to participate in the study. The study used two instruments for data collection: the Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSSP) and Berscheid, Walster and Bohrnstedt Body Image Questionnaire (BIQ). The PSSP assesses self-perception within the physical domain, and it contained four subdomain scales consisting of six items that were to be contrasted with two descriptions, e.g., people with unattractive or attractive bodies. The BIQ instrument is a questionnaire that was used to assess the participant’s satisfaction with body parts (Asci, 2002). The procedure of the research involved random assigning of the 22 participants to experimental and control groups that were equated by gender. The experimental group consisted of 11 participants, and the control group had the remaining number of participants. The experimental group participated in 10-week long step dance sessions that lasted 50 minutes in three days of the week. Their session was broken down to 10 minutes of warm-up, 25 minutes of step dance, 10 minutes of floor exercises and 5 minutes of cool-down, of which the heart rate of each participant was checked after each session. The control group did not participate in any physical activity for the

Current macroeconomic situation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Current macroeconomic situation - Assignment Example As much as the United States government is striving hard to curb recession, it is also trying to solve the problem of unemployment and inflation (Blundell and Roulet, 2013). Following the US statistics, there is a decrease in unemployment rate to approximately 7.8%. The implication of this is that there is a rise in the number of employed civilians thus, the gap between the employed and unemployed population is narrowing. With the existing tools such as The Federal Reserve, USA’s government is struggling to control inflation and recession. Members of the Federal Reserve meet privately after every six weeks to determine the direction the economy should take. One of their chief reasons for gathering is to come up with policies that can assist to put the inflation at equilibrium (Rosmy and Faruk, 2013). Moreover, they also struggle not to lead the economy into recession again. The Federal Reserve achieves this by the use of fiscal policy such as lowering and rising of tax, raising the military expenditure, increasing spending on infrastructure and reducing the public spending. Furthermore, the US government is trying to capitalize on expansionary fiscal policy to heighten the liquidity system with a lot of care not to exaggerate it. They are cautious not to release more money than required, into the economy, because it will lower the value of the dollar and stimulate inflation. Interest rates are drastically reducing and loans are difficult to obtain. This has no impact on businesses because the parties that require huge capitals, only from loans, cannot be granted the opportunity to get them. However, it is advantageous for investors because when the rate of interests is low, they are encouraged to borrow funds from other financial institutions to boost their businesses (Rosmy and Faruk, 2013). The government’s move to encourage investments increases the employment opportunities. The GDP of the United States America has experienced

PCL Construction Paper 1 Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PCL Construction 1 - Term Paper Example Based on the large number of employees who have been hired by the PLC construction companies, they have significantly contributed to the growth of the US economy. This has been attained from the high tax on their annual and monthly incomes. Most importantly, the construction companies embark on designing and construction of factories, learning institutions, government houses, hospitals, research centers and roads among others. Thus, the construction industry plays a vital role in the growth of the US economy. This paper seeks to discuss a profile of Parsons Corporation; a US based international construction company. Having been founded in 1944 by Ralph Parsons, Parsons Corporation is a construction company with a strong financial background that is based on the various large projects that the company has undertaken in US and in other countries. The company whose headquarters are located in Pasadena, California is highly involved in designing and construction of large projects such as industrial facilities. Parsons organizational structure consists of the chief executive officer, corporate and operations support, international and North America markets units and regional business units (Ralph, 1978). The board of directors is made up eleven members namely Charles Harrington, Curtis Bower, Kenneth Dahlberg, Steven Leer, Lawrence Jackson, William Kinsey, James McGovern, Tamara Lundgren, Chritian Mitchell, Mark Holdsworth and Admiraj Zlatoper. In his effort to create strong relationship with its customers and the society, the Ralph Foundation was established by Ralph Parsons to provide charitable s ervices to the members of the society who are poor or in need of other forms of help. Additionally, the company fulfills its corporate duties by employing six key aspects or values. These values include diversity, innovation, safety, sustainability, integrity and quality

The importance of learning Essay Example for Free

The importance of learning Essay The importance of learning is not caged around the four corners of a classroom. Surely we do not want to be the stereotype of an out-of-touch scholar, at home among abstractions but bewildered by the mention of reality. Or the student, who, after four-five years of studying in a university, asks, â€Å"Where’s the clinic? † With the hardships that a student experiences (poverty, isolation in study, underworked muscles, deadlines, and projects), there must be an outlet in which he could forget and enjoy, at least temporarily. Joining an organization that offers learning through recreation and other extra-curricular activities could be an effective outlet. Extra-curricular activities like joining an organization would help you boost your confidence. In charismatic groups, they don’t just pray and praise. They sing, dance, read, go camping, and do lots of other stuff that involves fun. But many are not able to use their talents for the simple reason that they have not even discovered yet where and how to reveal them. An organization is the perfect place that could help you expose your talents. More so, it gives you a sense of belonging, a feeling that says, â€Å"Ah, so here’s the flock that I should fly with! † Fraternities and sororities can be an option, since they promise protection and support from brothers and sisters. Be careful to choose the right ones, though. Therefore, it is important that you do not restrict yourself in one corner. Move on to the larger scope of things. To develop fully as individual and become well rounded person, one must discover his or her potentials and share them to others. And what better way than to join extra-curricular activities! Of course, joining an organization or group entails the hardships in managing time and adjusting to a new group of people. But then, if you love the group you are in or are interested in improving yourself, all these problems could not possibly overshadow the fun and the lessons you’ll learn. The Student Accountancy Society is one of the busiest organizations in the University of Northern Illinois. Yet it is just amazing how these accounting students still manage to keep up with their studies, get remarkably high grades, and at the same time excel in different extra-curricular activities. â€Å"It is a matter of time management and setting priorities. It is difficult, because sometimes you have to sacrifice your studies if needed in the organization,† says the one member of the group. However, despite his hectic schedule, he sees to it that he catches up on whatever he would miss in his classes. It is no joke being in an organization because they have other things to do aside from their ordinary student life: accounting seminars, quiz bowls for different levels, tutorial sessions before major exams, outreach programs, book assistance and others. Since learning is not only achieved inside the four walls of the classroom some of our very own accounting students â€Å"go out to the world† and stand out bringing a good name to the school. But behind the glory and high reputation is the struggle of every accounting student to survive. He has no assurance until where and when he’d last in the â€Å"battle. † According to some professors however, IQ is not the only thing that matters in the working but EQ as well, and that the department aims to form the students holistically and not just academically; hence, students are enjoined to get involved in sports, public, speaking, and others. Accounting students often get the impression of being so much focused and are so serious that they do not have time for fun. Well, actually they do. They have this Meet the Intern Night that they hold once a year which is a in a way, encouraging Accounting freshmen to be part of the group. It is also the time when different levels show their talents and compete in different fields. At the forefront of the university is a student. No amount of forced hypnosis, teaching methodology or subtle encouragement could sway him in finding or nor finding any meaning to, say, a seminar with the internationally acclaimed with an internationally acclaimed speaker. He should be the one to look for motivation and self-esteem; he should be the one to impose volunteerism and creativity; he should be the one to regulate the daily dragging routine of a true leader who shuns leadership, opportunity, work and achievements. The students should be the ones to drum on their head s the importance of extra-curricular activities, the purpose of student body or the meaning of a student organization. Work Cited â€Å"Extra-curricular activities. † 2008. Collegeboard. com, Inc. 16 October 2008 http://www. collegeboard. com/student/plan/high-school/113. html

Other Word Formation Processes English Language Essay

Other Word Formation Processes English Language Essay The language learners referred to in this essay are software engineers, in the age group of 23-26, tasked with developing software products for the travel industry. They were selected on the basis of their performance in a language assessment and identified as intermediate users of the language. All of them had studied English for 10 years in school and later at the university English was the medium of instruction. A few of them were risk takers, ready to take on tasks regardless of any mistakes they may make. There were those who were spurred on by the possibility of their deficient language skills impacting their career graph; they were also ready for self-learning and willing to take responsibility for their learning. Some were hesitant, unsure of their knowledge and afraid to make mistakes. All of them were, however, comfortable with technical language, but were very diffident to face situations that called for regular communication. They needed help with everyday vocabulary to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients. Word parts If we consider words as independent/freestanding units with meaning, a notion proposed by McCarthy (1990), then we can see that these units of meaning can further be broken down and re-combined to form other words. Though the word cancelled is an independently meaningful item, under closer observation it becomes clear that this word consists of two units cancel and the past tense marker -ed. The linguistic item cancel is a freestanding word in English, but there is no such word as -ed in English, even though -ed is a meaning-bearing unit. Such linguistic items that are not freestanding are said to be bound and these forms can occur only in combination with other forms. The two meaningful parts, cancel and -ed are called morphemes. Morphemes Katamba (2003) defines morphemes as the atoms with which words are built. Morphemes are the smallest unit of lexical and grammatical meaning and they are realized by morphs, as morphemes do not have a physical representation. A single morpheme can be manifested as multiple complementary morphs in distinct phonological or morphological contexts. Let us look at the past tense marker -ed to understand the distribution of these complementary morphs known as allomorphs. Free morphemes can stand alone as words; whereas bound morphemes such as -ed are only used in combination with other morphemes. There are word forms which have but a single unbound morpheme and others which consists of more than one morpheme. Words like talk, eat and mend are examples of freestanding morphemes and words such as predictable and reflection are formed by combining many morphemes. Affixation Affixes are bound morphemes attached to a stems either to create a new word or a word form. Affixation of morphemes can be either inflectional or derivational. Inflectional affixes Katamba (2003) posits that the English language has minimal inflections because of its tendency to be an isolating language. The few inflections it has are all suffixes. These suffixes are bound morphemes and are attached to the stem to inflect or change words to express grammatical features, such as the changes in tense, number, possession, and degrees of adjectives. There are 8 inflectional suffixes in English and they are: Derivational Affixes In English derivational affixes include both prefixes and suffixes. Katamba (2003) says that the purpose of derivation is to create lexical items and not to produce grammatical units that will fit in a given syntactic position. The three important derivational processes in English are: affixation, conversion and compounding. Affixation is one of the commonest methods of forming words in English. Derivational affixes can be either prefixes, those that are added before the base, or suffixes, that are attached after the base. Word forming processes like creating nouns from verbs, adjectives from verbs and verbs from adjectives are examples of a few derivational practices in English. Derivational affixes are different from inflexional affixes in many ways: They change the word class as well as the meaning of a word to which it is linked energy (n) +- ise -Æ’Â   energise (v) Even though they combine to create a new word they are not affected by syntactic relations outside of the word, they can be separated and recombined with other morphemes to form other combinations. Stem Suffix Derived word Govern (v) -able Governable (adj) Enjoy (v) -ment Enjoyment Derivational morphemes can be attached only to certain stems. Stem Suffix Derived word Violin -ist Violinist Drum -ist *drumist Drum -er Drummer *drumist is not an acceptable word. Other word formation processes Conversion or zero derivation is the predominant method of generating lexical items in English. In this process a lexical item is assigned to a new syntactic category. The word permit can be used either as a noun or as a verb; the phonological representation and the grammatical context in which it is placed are the two aspects that can alert the change in the word-class. (Permit (v) and perMit (n). Crystal (2012) quotes from Shakespeare, Petruchio is Kated as an example of conversion the name of a person becoming a verb to further his argument that conversion was a customary word-formation process even during Shakespeares time. Compounding is the process of joining two bases to create a new word; of the two words, one which is syntactically dominant is considered the head and the other as the modifier. Generally the modifier is placed in front of the head and any suffix that might later be added to the compound word is attached to the head. Compound words are different from phrases; the meaning of a compound word, unlike a phrase, is not the sum of the meaning of the base units that form the word. Iin a compound word the primary stress is on the first word and in a phrase the primary stress is on the last word. Phrase Compound word Meaning of the compound . Blue print Blueprint an early plan or design for a project green house Greenhouse a building used for growing plants that need warmth Should word parts be learned? A cost/benefit analysis of the learning of word parts should be reason enough for a learner of English language to study word parts. Nation quotes from Roberts (1964), Grinstead (1925) and Bird (1987,1990) to point out that around 60% of the English vocabulary is derived from German, French, Latin and Greek and that a large proportion of these words make use of affixes. The analysis of the LOB Corpus carried out by Bird revealed that 97% of the words in the LOB corpus were derived from around 2,000 roots. Nation maintains that the origins of the English vocabulary and the frequency of word parts validate the study of word parts. The two arguments levelled against the teaching/learning of word parts are based on the contention that, the effort involved in learning word parts is not commensurate with language output. A word is not a sum of its parts The first argument against the teaching of word parts is that the meaning of a word is not the sum of its parts (Deighton, 1970); This argument has been countered by White, Power and White (1989) drawing on their own as well as Nagy and Andersons (1984) empirical evidence that most of the affixed words probably at least 80% convey the meaning their parts suggest. Katamba (2003) argues that compositionality is the key to understanding a word. He says that if we know the meaning of the smaller units which make up the larger units we can decipher the meaning of the whole. For example, if we know the meaning of the suffix -ful (filled with x), and the meaning of the base to which these suffixes are attached, then the meaning of words like useful, careful, fearful and cheerful become self-explanatory. Most of the morphemes that form a word have regular/stable meaning; for example, the prefix re- means again in almost all the words in which it occurs. In the light of the empirical evidence and the example we saw we can conclude that the meaning of most of the English words is what its parts suggest and therefore knowledge of the meaning of the parts can help a learner understand a word across contexts and usage. If we were to extend this argument further we could say that this knowledge along with the contextual clues would be useful in decoding even the metaphorical meaning of a word; a head hunter would thus lose the sinister overtones of the past and acquire the current meaning of someone who recruits people into key business positions. Word families in the lexicon The next argument against teaching/learning of word parts is that the knowing the parts of a word may not familiarise a learner with all the members of that word family (Schmitt 1998, 1999, Schmitt Meara 1997). Nation argues that the notion of word family is psychologically real and a word is to be seen as a member of a word family. Knowledge of the word parts can help the learners understand a word in its relation to the other members of the family. For instance, knowledge of the various inflections of English and the meaning of the base of the word predict can familiarise a learner with all the possible combinations (family members) of predict; predict- predicted- predicting- predictable and prediction are just some of the members of that family. Nagy, Anderson, Schommer, Scott, and Stallman (1989) points out that the speed of recognition of a word is based on the frequency of occurrence of the members of that word family. They quote the findings of Stanners, Neiser, Hernon, Hall (1979) to advance their argument that related words are linked in the mental lexicon. So there are linked entries for create, creates created and creation and accessing any word from this family can partly activate other family members. Word parts are not just linked in the mental lexicon, but morphologically ordered to represent the relation. Interpreting the meaning Another argument against learning word parts is that L2 learners using this for guessing the meaning of a word might cause the learner to misinterpret the word. Schmitt quotes Haynes (1993) to validate this argument; Haynes found that learners continued with the wrong meaning even though it didnt contribute to the context. For example Inflammable is often misinterpreted to mean non-flammable. Clarke and Nation (1980) caution that word parts strategy should be used to verify the guesses drawn from the context. Furthermore, knowledge of the word parts empowers the learner by teaching him to apply his understanding at the receptive and productive level. At the receptive level it teaches him a) to identify the different components of a complex word, b) to be aware that these word parts can be used to make other words, c) how the meaning of the different parts combine to make a new meaning, and d) how the sum of the parts relates to the dictionary meaning. At the productive level it makes him aware of how the formal changes can affect the spelling, pronunciation and the word class of the base when a complex word is formed. (Nation) The challenges Learning word parts presents a set of challenges to language learners. The greatest challenge is that of time and exposure. Studies conducted by Nagy, Diakody, Anderson (1993) point out that L1 learners do not acquire proficiency in morphology until their high school; if this takes so long to develop in L1 learners despite their advantage of maximum exposure, then L2 learners are likely to take more time to learn this aspect (Schmitt). Even though the learners in my group had studied English for ten years, they have learned inflectional suffixes only as part of grammar exercises and have never been explicitly taught derivational affixes. Their exposure to morphological forms was not commensurate with the duration of their study. They have used these forms productively without much knowledge about the rules that guide most of these formations; Though I have putted remainders for this tasks, accidently the remainder was unanswered; the meeting is preponed to three in the afternoon, he is very confidential during presentations are examples of the common errors. Schmitt points out that lack of consistency in affixation can cause problems even if the meaning of the parts is clear. He gives the example of the suffix -ist. Stem Suffix derived word Cycle -ist Cyclist Act -ist *actist Act -or Actor Another challenge for the L2 learner is the lack of awareness that not all words can be broken into parts. Learners sometimes try to decompose words like refuse, repel, repeat, revamp and attempt to use the perceived stem, resulting in a meaningless word. Learners often have difficulty with the formal changes that occur with affixation in spelling and pronunciation. Some derivational affixes lack consistent spelling and has to be learned individually. base suffix word suggest -able suggestible afford -able affordable Gairns Redman notes that affixation sometimes produces changes in stress and sounds in a word. democrat /demÉâ„ ¢kraet/ democratic /demÉâ„ ¢kraetÄÂ ±k/ democracy /dÄÂ ±mÉ’krÉâ„ ¢sÄÂ ±/ Derivational suffixes need to be do not follow rules strategies- guidelines how A good starting point for any teacher wishing to remedy this situation would be to train the learners to break, the complex words that are already known to the learner, into its components and to help them understand the functional meaning of these components. encourage the learners to become more aware of these morphological instill in the mond of the learner that all aspects of language learning is incremental an beA teachers task has probably never been well defines as in this situation Language learning is incremental A good game plan to remedy t Nation suggests that learners should be taught complex words as unanalyzed wholes before they begin to analyze word parts. teacher I would explicit teaching of select morphological units appropriate to the learner level, training the learners the .A teacher needs to introduce the learners to complex words before they are trained to analyse the different parts of that word. Because morphological acquisition is incremental in nature explicit teaching of level suitable affixes ,encouraging them to notice the correct forms encountered in newspapers regular exposure through exercises and receptive material. This rules out the possibility of a completely graded approach; instead I would collect words for analysis from their Collocation Time consuming Not all words can be broken into parts Affixes are not transparent Some affixes are used mor frequently than others so need to be selective Guessing a wrong meaning and sticking on with that explanation even though it made no sense. (Haynes 1993) -Clarke and Nation (1980)- word parts best used to confirm/verify the meaning. Difficulty in guessing the word class deciding on an appropriate stress, formal changes in spelling, phonetics and word forms Derivational suffixes need to be learned individually do not follow rules strategies- guidelines how Furthermore, it empowers the learner by teaching him to apply his understanding at the receptive and productive level. At the receptive level it teaches him a) to identify the different components of a complex word, b) to be aware that these word parts can be used to make other words, c) how the meaning of the different parts combine to make a new meaning, and d) how the sum of the parts relates to the dictionary meaning. At the productive level it makes him aware of how the formal changes can affect the spelling, pronunciation and the word class of the base when a complex word is formed. (Nation)

Why Britain Able To Win Battle Of Britain History Essay

Why Britain Able To Win Battle Of Britain History Essay In the summer of 1940, the RAF stood alone against the might of the Luftwaffe for aerial supremacy over Britain. Britain was able to win the battle of Britain due to a number of factors; however, the most important reason is that of the error made by Hitler on the 7th of September to change the targets of the Luftwaffe away from aerial bases and to towns and cities. This alone, did not result in the success of Britain in the Battle, other important long term factors such as Britain being an island and RADAR brought considerable triumph as well. Britain was an island, this meant that the Blitzkrieg tactic that enabled Germany to plough through Belgium and France, which relied on close coordination between ground troops and the air force, had to be altered. Germany could no longer use its ground and air forces as one unit of destruction. Britain also had a world renowned Navy, this allowed supplies from the USA and other countries to be protected and imported in to enable Britain to keep up the continual aerial defence of Britain as under the supervision of the Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Beaverbrook, resupply and maintenance became a national priority. Britain also had the home advantage this meant that pilots could bail out of their planes then rejoin their company again so less pilots needed to be trained, however, German pilots were taken as prisoners of war. All of these long term factors gave Britain the upper hand before the Battle had even started. Though the Luftwaffe had nearly double the amount of aircraft as the British, however, there were plenty of indications that the Luftwaffe might face problems in controlling the skies over Britain. Firstly, the Luftwaffe had limited range and was operating from bases some way from Dunkirk, as they underestimated how bigger obstacle the channel was, making the German bombers very vulnerable to the most modern RAF fighters, such as the Spitfire which was an easy match for the ME109, the German bombers escorts, as it was faster and a lot more manoeuvrable so won more dogfights. The German Bombers, therefore were left extremely vulnerable, if their escorts got caught up in dogfights they became easy targets, the junkers also carried a limited supply of bombs so did not cause as much damage as the Germans would of hoped for. The Germans also underestimated the strength of the RAF on the ground, the RAF had a well-organised and extensive air defence system. The British were far from undere stimating their opponents, in fact the overestimated them, the invention of RADAR enabled RAF pilots to get into the air quickly and intercept bombers before they had their chance to drop their loads. This was vital in reducing the damage of the Luftwaffe on Britain and more importantly the morale of the British people to continue the defence of their homeland. However, I think the most important reason, was that British tactics were also far greater thought out then Germanys. Air Marshall Dowding proved to be very masterful in command, he had resisted demands by Churchill to send his fighter reserve to France, holding it back for the defence of the UK, and refused to commit it in large numbers to defending sea convoys. Both decisions were subsequently proved to have been good ones. On the other hand Reichsmarschall Hermann GÃ ¶ering, head of the Luftwaffe, ordered his force to draw the RAF into battle by attacking coastal convoys and bombing radar stations along the south coast, installations of the British aircraft industry, and RAF airfields. The dilution of this effort in retaliation for the bombing of Berlin, was the principal reason why the Luftwaffe eventually lost the battle, as it allowed the RAF to recover when it was near collapse. (600 WORDS) 2) STUDY SOURCE A. DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS INTERPRATATION OD DUNKIRK? USE THE SOURCE AND KNOWLEDGE FROM YOUR STUDIES TO EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER. Source A is a painting by Sir Charles Cunning depicting the evacuation of Dunkirk. The source is accurate in showing the bigger naval vessels waiting out to see, as they could not get as close to the beach, which was why the smaller boats to ferry to the soldiers were used, as shown in the painting. The painting shows the soldiers waiting in lines to be rescued and maintain discipline as bombs are falling down, this is inaccurate as many soldier fled to safety behind bunkers and even buried themselves in the sand to avoid the onslaught of the aerial assault. The loss life at Dunkirk is also not shown as at Dunkirk over 40% of the French army was lost with over 80% of its equipment so this source is a rather sanitised view. However, the source gives us the impression that large numbers of soldiers were evacuated from he beaches this is accurate as over 330,000 soldiers were evacuated by boat from Dunkirk as the source shows. Sir Charles Cundall was the official government war artist this limits the usefulness of the source as he would have been paid to show the evacuation as a success to it would heighten the morale back at home by glorifying the part the British played, this leads to an element of bias. The source could definitely not have been painted the picture whilst the evacuation was in progress, so the picture would have been created from eye witness accounts this means it could lack some accuracy. I partially agree with the impression source A gives but it can only be taken as an impression and not as fact. This is the due to the provenance, which comprimises the validity of the source as it was painted for the purpose of propaganda, because of this, the painting may of been glorified to keep up the morale of the British public. Subsequently, I do agree that the source is accurate to a historian wanting to know what the government wanted the public to believe about the evacuation of Dunkirk. (300 WORDS) 3) DUNKIRK WAS A GREAT DELIVERENCE AND A GREAT DISASTER. (AJP TAYLOR). IS THERE SUFFICIENT EVINDENCE IN SOURCES A TO G TO SUPPORT THIS INTERPRETATION? USE THE SOURCES AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE FROM YOUR STUDIES TO EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER. Sources A-E are all primary sources produced at the time of the evacuation. Sources B and C are photos which means they can be construed to be accurate, however, they do not give the whole story of the evacuation as they are only a picture of one moment, in one area of the beach, so can be misinterpreted. Historians have created sources F and G, in order to produce a balanced view of Dunkirk to educate the reader, the balanced view is lacking in some sources. Source A is a contemporary painting of the events of Dunkirk, therefore, cannot be assumed to be reliable as a painting is only the artists individual impression of events. Consequently, due to the painting being commissioned by the British government, the source is biased and will include spin which suited the political environment of the time. This is why Dunkirk is shown to be a great deliverance as the BEF is prevailing against the onslaught of the German aerial attacks. Source D is also very similar, it puts a very positive spin on the evacuation. Anthony Eden, the war minister, says even though the British Expeditionary Force had lost a lot of men and equipment they have gained immeasurably in experience of warfare and self-confidence. This spirit is the vital weapon of the army. Even though the British lost more men and equipment, Eden, continues to tell the public that the BEF have come out on top and that Dunkirk has the lead to the guarantee of final victory; deliverance. T he source is unreliable as Eden could not have said that Dunkirk was a disaster as then the public would become disheartened and may stop helping in the war effort. Source B is a photograph of a section of Beach with soldiers in regimented lines, soldiers seemingly un-panicked, maintaining discipline showing Dunkirk asdeliverance. However, this source is only of one small section of beach when there were no German aircraft attacking; when they did, soldiers would often take flight to the sand dunes for cover in fright. This desperation is exhibited in Source C showing a soldier who is shooting at planes in the sky in vein with a rifle, showing Dunkirk as a disaster as the BEF were ill-equipped to defend themselves, however, the fact that the BEF are shooting at a plane with a rifle shows great determination and bravery; deliverance. Both Sources, have been produced for propaganda purposes, to keep morale at home by showing the BEF as determined (Source C) and disciplined (source B) this affects the reliability of sources, they only provide a snapshot of events in that one place at that one exact time. Source E is from a British newspaper, the source is accurate in some ways, telling us that tens of thousands safely home already and An armada of ships all sizes, all shapes were used for crossing the channel. However, it gives a very one sided view as it is full of honour and pride and describes the British expeditionary force as unbeatable but does not mention how many people and equipment was lost. As the source is from a newspaper you may expect it to be accurate as a newspaper is meant to inform the reader, however, censorship may have played its part in the report in order to keep the morale of the public high. This source is still quite useful because it gives a lot of information, which is accurate, but is still not adequate enough to agree with the interpretation of Dunkirk found in the quote. Sources F and G give very balanced views of the Evacuation of Dunkirk. Source F was written by A.J.P Taylor; in this source he gives evidence to support his interpretation that Dunkirk was a great deliverance and a great disaster. He gives both positive and negative aspects if the evacuation, he states that the operation succeeded beyond all expectations and that almost the entire B.E.F were saved, the deliverance, however, it also tells us that the BEF lost virtually all its equipment and many other things like planes and boats were destroyed, the disaster. He uses facts the back these up so the source is accurate. Source G also gives positive and negative aspects of the evacuation. Richard Holmes says that the evacuation would be a miracle, and talks about the anticipation of defeat but he also talks about the great determination troops and sailors had, he talks to eye witnesses to back up his view and gives a very reliable and accurate description of the events. Both source were p roduced after the evacuation, this means they would have no political motive and were produced to educate the reader/viewer so therefore are likely to be reliable and accurate. Both sources view Dunkirk as a disaster and deliverance and use key facts to back this up. Therefore the interpretation of AJP Taylor is accurate using these two sources. Due to the provenance of sources A-E no valid conclusions can be drawn from them so we are not able to use them to prove AJP Taylors interpretation, however, they are still useful for telling us ,for example, what the government wanted the public to believe about the evacuation. Source A-G give much more balanced views of Dunkirk giving us both positive and negative views, subsequently, I am able to agree qwith AJP interpretation.

Essay --

Globalization: Jobs: How Foreign Laborers Can Affect the U.S. Economy The economy is becoming increasingly global. Business face complex decisions when conducting operations, as business boundaries are no longer stated in national terms, but instead in global terms. For instance, management for companies ranging from medical information technology to software engineering must ask questions, such as: From what company should our company purchase input parts for our latest medical diagnostic equipment? Or should we outsource our manufacturing process for laptop computers overseas? Or how will globalization affect return to our investors for our latest software development subsidiary? Outsourcing is among one of the economic decisions businesses of all sizes must face. U.S. Corporations have high incentive to outsource job functions to foreign markets, as the wages of a foreign worker are a fraction of the domestic counterpart. The incentive is especially high to outsource to emerging markets such as China and India. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2010, a production worker in India would work for an average of 92 cents an hour as compared to a U.S. worker who would not be able to legally obtain employment for any less than the U.S. minimum wage of $7.25 an hour (U.S. BLS, 2010). At that time, India labor cost just 13% of U.S. labor. Imagine a U.S. corporation competing with businesses that incur labor costs that are only 13% of the U.S. equivalent; in order for that business to remain profitable, they would outsource as many functions as possible. Outsourcing trends are unlikely to change, at least in the short-term futu re. Historically, outsourcing has occurred in labor intensive indust... ...oduct, is a formula that economists use to measure economic growth. GDP in China has grown at an average ___, whereas U.S. GDP has grown at ___ for the same period of ___. A reason behind this phenomenon is that developing countries typically grow at a faster economic pace than more industrialized nations. When the United States economy was industrializing, GDP grew at a pace of†¦. Modern economic theory demonstrates that some developing nations will eventually approach the economic wealth of more developed nations. In may not happen for at least fifty years, but eventually wage differences will substantially lessen, at least in terms of national boundaries. Foreign labor cost is currently a factor that aids firms in achieving an advantage in the market place. In the far future it is unlikely that the price of labor will be much different across national boundaries.

Stock Market :: essays research papers

1929 Stock Market Crash   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On October 3, 1929 The Dow Jones started to drop from a recent high of 381. The average of the Dow Jones then kept dropping throughout the week of October 14. The night of Monday October 21,1929, margin calls were heavy, and numerous Dutch and German sell calls came in overnight for the Tuesday morning opening. On Tuesday morning, out-of-town banks and corporations called in $150 million of call loans, and Wall Street was in a panic before the New York Stock Exchange opened. On October 24, 1929, people began selling their stocks as fast as they could. Sell orders flooded market exchanges. On a normal day, only 750-800 members of the New York Stock Exchange started the Exchange. However, there were 1100 members on the floor for the morning opening. The Exchange then directed all employees to be on the floor since there were numerous margin calls and sell orders placed overnight and extra telephone staff was arranged at the members' boxes around the floor. The Dow Jones Industrial Index closed at 299 that day. October 29 was the beginning of the Crash. Within the first few hours the stock market was open, prices fell so far as to wipe out all the gains that had been made in the previous year. The Dow Jones Industrial Index closed at 230. Since the stock market was viewed as the chief indicator of the American economy, public confidence was shattered. Between October 29 and November 13 over $30 billion disappeared from the American economy. It took nearly t wenty-five years for many stocks to recover. The causes of the stock market crash were overpriced stocks, margin buying, federal reserve policy, and public official’s repeated statements. Many people believe the stock shares were priced too high and the crash brought it down back to a normal level. The new President of the Federal Reserve Board Adolph Miller tightened the monetary policy and set out to lower the stock prices since he perceived that speculation led stocks to be overpriced, causing damage to the economy. Also, starting from the beginning of 1929, the interest rate charged on broker loans rose tremendously. This policy reduced the amount of broker loans that originated from banks and lowered the liquidity of non-financial and other corporation that financed brokers and dealers. Also Herbert Hoover publicly stated that stocks were overvalued and that speculation hurt the economy.

The Banning of Capital Punishment Essay examples -- Papers Death Penal

The Banning of Capital Punishment Capital punishment is a brutal, antiquated concept that must be abolished in the name of civilized society. A humane culture cannot abide the organized extermination of human beings in the name of justice. In the United States, dozens of people are put to death every year like stray animals, only perhaps in less humane ways. The methods of capital punishment vary greatly, but none are publicly accepted as humane. Society's support for the death penalty is waning, but there is still enough support in the United States to keep it legal in many states. The death penalty exercises only the most primal instincts to kill and extract revenge in an organized fashion. This is why the death penalty must be abolished entirely: to allow society to function in a civilized manner in which every person has the right to live. Capital punishment is hypocritical, selection is arbitrary and biased, and the practice itself is cruel and inhumane. By allowing the organized extermination of living human beings the government is telling the public that they have the right to extinguish anyone they think is a murderer. The very idea of killing another for killing is inherently hypocritical. By enforcing capital punishment, the government is telling the public that it is okay to kill as long as you have more power than the person you are killing. This is of course a very cut-and-dried interpretation, but it is what the message boils down to. The problem with such a hypocritical notion as an eye for eye, is its fundamental inconsistency. In order to practice; what they preach, the courts would have to find a way to steal from thieves, betray traitors, and rape rapists. This is obviously ludicrous. Besides the cen... ... government to kill those deemed "deserving". Consequently, there are laws in place that allow the punishment of murder, by murder. Society's integrity is diminished every time a criminal is executed. The very tenets of modern organization are opposed to the notion of capital punishment, yet this is constantly defied and ignored by the American legal system. If no changes are made and the death penalty remains an acceptable form of punishment, it is inevitable that this correctional method will bleed throughout the American legal system and be utilized for "potential murderers" and small-time thieves. The mentality that encourages organized murder in the name of justice is doomed to devour the society that supports it, creating a totalitarian culture governed by paranoia. Society must voice its opposition to capital punishment before it pays dearly for a for it.

How Diversity of Faith is Effectively Used in Nursing Care Essay

Even though medical healing is mainly based upon scientific beliefs, one cannot discount the effect of religious beliefs in the healing of a patient. For many people with a strong religious conviction, the simple belief in the power of prayer is enough to create signs of healing even in the most critical of patients. Even though the effects of prayer are undocumented, there is a growing belief among many that faith plays a significant role in healing a patient when science has given him up for dead. In the medical field, nurses are slowly realizing that a diversity of faith among their patients has them in a bind. Not all nurses are religious, nor do they share the same religious traditions as the patient. In such instances, it is up to the nurse to find a middle ground where they can honor the religious beliefs of individual patients without losing sight of their own religion. Nursing is a highly technical occupation. This is why even though nurses realize that each patient has a spiritual need, the nurse may not always be trained to respond to it. So this job is usually relegated to the hospital’s pastoral care workers even though nurses would be better placed to deliver such patient needs. It is not for a nurse to question the religious beliefs of her patients, but it is her job to insure that these beliefs are fully utilized in the process of helping a patient to heal both physically, mentally, and spiritually. Unfortunately, the nursing shortage in the country does not leave the nurses with much to connect on a personal basis with their patients. Patient care and comfort are forgone in lieu of time management and getting the job done. Though nurses have traditionally been viewed as both medical and spiritual healers because of the personal connection they have with their wards, the lack of time and instruction as to how to combine patient care and religion are sending our nurses off the original objectives of why they became nurses. Roberta Bube, RN, PHN currently works part time as nurse at the Marion Medical Center in Santa Maria, Calif. According to her interview in Nurseweek for the article â€Å"You Gotta Have Fait†, she realized that â€Å"You have to address mind, body and spirit, I always found time to do it [in a hospital]. I did have to be cautious. I’d have to do it quietly. Everybody’s beliefs are different.† So, how can a nurse integrate the religious aspect and its various differences in their daily dealings with their individual patients? Firstly, a nurse can typically start by incorporating the patient’s religious belief into her basic daily care routine for the patient. At the Saint Francis Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California, clinical coordinator Jan Ingram, RN, explains in the same article that â€Å"Whether you’re giving them a sponge bath or putting them on the commode, if you’re really there with them-mindfully present-that is a spiritual action.† Nurses have to realize that listening and communicating with their patient is of vital importance in helping a patient heal. This includes developing ways and means for the patient to be able to effectively practice their beliefs and be able to assist in the patient’s personal spiritual care. Once a nurse learns to approach a person holistically, the nurse will now be in a very good position to accept the various faiths of their patients and convert the same or varied belief amongst the patients she is in charge of. Secondly, the nurse must be willing to set aside her own personal spiritual beliefs and instead be open minded and willing to accept the faith of the patient while she is caring for him or her. A patient may request for a bible reading, a short prayer, or simply letting the patient talk with the nurse listening and prepared to reassure her at the end that God has not abandoned him or her. If need be, a nurse must not hesitate to accommodate a patients request to join him in a religious activity. Such activities tend to reassure a patient and keep him calm throughout the healing process. Lastly, it is highly imperative that nurses know and understand the religious beliefs of their patients as these beliefs can affect their medical decisions pertaining to procedures such as operations or end of life decisions. So, a nurse is encouraged to discuss and explore their patients religious beliefs if a patient is comfortable doing so with the nurse. This will allow a nurse to develop and gain the trust of the patient because the patient will be comfortable in the knowledge that the nurse in charge of her care understands her religious belief and will always respect its role in their lives. Such support systems between patient and nurse usually prove vital in the therapeutic alliance of the two parties.   It is also highly important that a nurse, even though not a devout practitioner of her religion, believes in God and knows how to pray. Even though a nurse is taught how to compartmentalize her feelings and not be affected by the events of the day at the hospital, one cannot help but be affected. There will be times in the course of performing her duty that she will call science into question and why it failed certain patients, or why it cannot seem to heal a patient who has no reason to be ill. During those situations, when science seems to fail her, the only thing she will find herself clinging to is her belief in god or her religion. It is this faith that she will take with her as she tries to heal her patient and help him cope with his medical situation. This will be the common denominator binding them. Faith in religion regardless of what the religion is commonly called. At the end of the day, nurses will have to learn to accept and integrate the diversified cultures and religious beliefs of their patients. The nurse will have to turn to her own personal faith for support as well. All of this because healing a patient is not all a matter of science. It is also a matter of spiritual belief in a Supreme Being who can heal us all of our aches and pains in any form or guise. Work Cited Hebert Randy S. ; Jenckes., Mollie W. ; Ford, Daniel E.; O’Connor, Debra R. $ Cooper, Lisa A. (2001). Patient Perspectives on Spirituality and the Patient-Physician Relationship. Journal of Internal General Medicine. Retrieved May 25, 2007 from http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1495274 Hemilla, Donna. (2002). You Gotta Have Faith. Nurseweek. Retrieved May 20, 2007 from http://www.nurseweek.com/news/features/02-09/faith.asp Mitchell, Joyce & Haroun, Lee. (2005). Healthcare. Singapore. Thomson Delmar. Wensley, Michelle. Spirituality in Nursing. Retrieved May 21, 2007 from http://www.ciap.health.nsw.gov.au/hospolic/stvincents/1995/a04.html   

Pyramids and Ziggurats

Pyramids and ziggurats both provide archeologists with a great deal of information about the ancient cultures that constructed them. When comparing The Great Pyramids of Egypt with The Ziggurats of Mesopotamia and the Mesoamerican Pyramids, the differences between them are more apparent than the similarities that they share. The structures only appear to be similar. Both have the general form of a pyramid. Some other similarities shared by these structures can be interpreted from a religious context of those who had them erected and what role they served for the society.Among the differences are their usage, how they were decorated, their designs, and the materials used in their construction. The Egyptian pyramids were built as the final resting place for the pharaoh. It was also where the Pharaohs possessions were kept for him to enjoy in the afterlife. What has been found inside of these tremendous pyramids are precise layouts. For example, page 51 in our first book shows a diagram of the pyramid and inside each of them is a narrow shaft that extends from the deepest chamber to the outside. Coincidentally it is aligned with the North Star.The Great Pyramids are quite interesting. The stones are so tight that you cannot even put a knife in between the stones. It makes you think how could this be possible? It makes you think how did these pyramids get built? Some might say that they were moved on wooden sleds, but it is quite hard to imagine how they constructed something on this scale. While it is true that the forced labor of war prisoners was a common practice at the time, most people agree that the humongous labor force used in building the pyramids consisted of workers from throughout Egypt as it states in our book.Another interesting fact is that they are also perfectly square and they are aligned almost precisely with a compass. So really the main purposes of these pyramids were to have a resting place for their Pharaohs as they entered the afterlife. Th e pyramids of Mesoamerica also had their dead buried inside just as the Maya had done as mentioned in Book III on page 105. Unlike the Ancient Egyptian pyramids, these pyramids are better known for serving as altars or bearers of sacrificial offerings. Like the ancientEgyptians, the early civilizations of Mesoamerica were involved in agriculture and their lives depended on how successful the harvest is. Because of this, both the Mayans and the Aztecs preformed human sacrifice as part of agricultural renewal. The temples had a long stair-stepped design that shows their purpose. The stepped design isn’t the only difference from the pyramids of ancient Egypt, but it was also the function they served in the society. These were temples to gods, and each one had a staircase topped with a temple.The Mesoamerican pyramids were the heart and center of the city and community. Its main focus was to serve as religious ceremonies and civic ceremonies unlike the Egyptians which had their p yramids away from the villages. The Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan was designed to represent certain astronomical events providing a link between the culture and the universe. If you look at the Pyramid of the Sun compared to the pyramids in Egypt, it is exactly the same size in terms of base as the great pyramid, but its height is roughly half the size of the great pyramids.It is actually more similar to the Mesopotamian Ziggurats than the Ancient Egyptians Pyramids. Ziggurats are a lot like the Mesoamerican pyramids, with their stair-stepped shape and temple tops. But ziggurats were not places of worship to the Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians that built them, they were the gods’ actual homes. In fact, only the priests could enter. And while South American pyramids have long staircases, ziggurats have ramps and steps. Many ziggurats also had seven tiers, representing the seven known planets or the seven heavens.For the most part, the ziggurats that still exist can b e found mainly in Iran and Iraq. Ziggurats and pyramids do greatly differ with function and purpose. As I had stated, Pyramids were thought to be the final resting places of the pharaohs. Ziggurats, however, were built to house the gods. Because of this, only special priests were allowed to go inside the ziggurats. Ziggurats also function as a retreat spot for the priest in case of a flood at the ground level. It also is a complete temple with dwelling places, storages, and courtyards.Zigguratss have steps and ramps with its sides receding. They pyramids have a long stretch of staircases as the Mesoamerican pyramids demonstrated and smoother sides, as the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids showed. The Ziggurats do lack internal chambers unlike the Egyptian Pyramids. The Ziggurats have seven layers that represent the seven planets of heaven. Studying these ancient structures gives us a chance to take a look at the past. It is amazing how these feats of engineering survived this long.Because o f this, we are able to look at the civilizations that built them and how they incorporated these structures into their society. For Ancient Egyptians, it was for the deceased pharaohs as they made their journey to the afterlife. For the Mesoamericans, it was for religious purposes and agricultural renewal. And last for the Mesopotamians, it served as a house where the gods lived. These structures were a representation of the whole universe to these people. It is hard to compare with anything that we have now.

Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2010 Essay

Read and Apply: Michael E. Porter (2008), â€Å"The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy†, Harvard Business Review, (January 2008), pp. 2-17 Assignment Questions (AQ) (a) Why has the soft drink industry been so profitable for concentrate producers? Compare the economics of the concentrate business to the bottling business: why is the profitability so different? [50% points] The soft drink industry has been extremely profitable for Concentrate producers. When we study the 5 forces analysis, we come to a conclusion that almost all the forces have contributed significantly in this massive profit generating mechanism. Threat of new entrants is low and there are multiple high barriers to entry. Despite the low cost of establishing a concentrate production plant, the producers have to develop exclusive relations with bottling plants and support them in marketing research, advertising and setting up distribution channels which is difficult for new entrants and require huge capital infusion. Bargaining power of Buyers used to be negligible as concentrate producers used to make bottlers abide by fixed price contracts which made them operate on razor thin margins. After adoption of incidence pricing, the bottling plants renegotiated for different distribution channels and different product ranges as the bargaining power shifted and the prices were increased based on consumer price index and inflation. But this bargaining power was kept in check since concentrate producers did not allow a bottling plant to gain significant market influence and they regularly bought out bottling plants to maintain their control.(Exhibit 3b) Bargaining power of suppliers was minuscule since all products are basic commodities like sweetener, caffeine and color with multiple suppliers who do not hold much bargaining power with a large corporation. Threat of substitute product is suppose to be high since there are a variety of substitutes available which meet the end purpose of quenching the thirst and consumer being open to healthy or low calorie substitutes like tea, juice or energy drink. But the conventional concentrate producer has diversified its product portfolio to meet all demands and keep its consumer base loyal. Also strengthening distribution networks and creating advertisement campaign has led to consumer retention.(Exhibit 8) Competition is high since major brands competing are Coca cola and pepsi who compete at every level, from product range and bottling plants to retailer selection and advertisement. Both concentrate producers are have deep pockets to execute swift decisions and they have adopted similar strategies to gain market share and consolidate. They have a staggering market presence controlling nearly 3/4th of the market and they have surgically acquired or contained all other competitors.(Exhibit 2) By the 5 force analysis, it is visible that the immense market experience and availability of funds had led concentrate producers to use almost all the forces in their advantage to maintain high profitability. In contrast to the concentrate producer, the bottling plants operate on one-third of the profit margin percent, this can be explained by the contrasts in the economics using the 5 force analysis for bottling plants. Threat of new entrants was traditionally low since high capital requirement acts as as high barrier of entry but the threat from the concentrate producer entity emerging as a bottler is high ever since they have started vertical integrations by providing concentration at lower rates for better margins to self-owned entities. Bargaining power of buyers is high since bottling plants have no unique value proposition and they compete with identical competitors for a vastly segmented market. They conduct extensive negotiations with different channels on stock, pricing and space. They develop complex price strategies for maintaining exclusive contracts with nation wide restaurant chains. They have to bid for higher presence among mass merchandisers and retail stores. They also have to provide low-margin fountains and vending machines services to sustain market presence. Threat of substitute is low among bottling plants since they have invested a huge capital on set-up, operational efficiency and R&D. They have a established ground of operations which cannot be easily substituted and they enjoy massive support from concentrate producers in supplier contracts, marketing research and advertisements Bargaining power of suppliers is average where commodities like packaging material and sugar can be obtained easily while concentrate producers control prices due to high dependency on them. But due to the reciprocity nature of dependency, concentrate producers extend advertising support, marketing surveys and strategic integration to loyal bottling plants to focus on volume and carry a wider range of products. The variation of business economics where bottling plants face price constraints, negotiations with every supplier at an individual level, cut-throat competition, high operating costs and an increasing threat of being acquired by the concentrate producer hits the profitability of the bottlers and gives a huge edge to the concentrate producers. (b) How would you characterize the nature of the competition between Coke and Pepsi and how has it impacted the profits of the US carbonated soft drinks (CSD) industry as a whole? [20% points] Coca-cola had maintained high profitability acting as a monopoly since its inception since it did not face any competition. When Pepsi entered the market as a prominent player, it struggled to gather market traction but after the â€Å"Blind taste test† it became a real competitor. The nature of competition has been fierce ranging from better positioning at a single store, to going beyond international borders. Although both the companies have adopted similar strategies, the timing and focus has led to significant success and more significant failures. Some major initiatives by Coca-Cola were developing infrastructure in European countries and Asia which paid heavy returns. It was also a pioneer in introducing new flavors and brands(Exhibit 2) which sharply increased its market share and vertical integration by acquiring bottling plants for better margins(Exhibit 3a) which resulted in stellar financial performances. Pepsi on the other hand gained significant domestic US market when Coca-cola focussed internationally, it was first to get exclusive contracts with restaurant chains and introduce bigger family-size bottles. It also led diversification by transforming into a beverage and food giant by acquiring Frito-Lay, Gatorade and Lipton. Pepsi Bottling Group optimized its operations and maintains a higher % profit/sales over CCE till date(Exhibit 3b). Both companies have also made big mistakes like Coca-cola introducing â€Å"New Coke† and Pepsi giving first-movers advantage to Coke in international markets. Also engaging in a bitter price wars saw their balance sheets in red(Exhibit 5). But they have also worked excellently in rectifying their mistakes like Coke diversifying by acquiring Minute-Maid and Vitamin water drinks. Since over half of Pepsi’s sales were domestic and Coke already had a lead in the International market, Pepsi focussed on markets still up-for-grabs like China, India, Africa and Middle-east. It has since gained significant market share in emerging economies after learning its lesson. Recently, both the companies have undergone significant media bashing with environmental concerns of the PET bottle, health and obesity uproars and sugary content in CSDs, so they have realized the shift in market focus to non-CSDs and diet soft drinks(Exhibit 7). New strategies include more focus on these drinks and both companies are looking to leverage their existing market domination to gain a better market shares and higher profits since margins on these drinks are much higher than CSDs. (c) Compare and contrast the structure and profitability of the emerging non-CSD industry with the key aspects of the traditional CSD industry structure that you covered in part (a). Can Coke and Pepsi repeat their success they had with CSDs in the non-CSDs industry, or will a new competitive landscape & dynamic emerge? [30% points] In late 1990s the soft-drink industry showed signs of permanent shift as the demand for carbonated soft drinks began to fizzle out(Exhibit 7) due to the rising health concern with obesity, high sugar content and perceived risks of high-fructose corn syrup. Diet sodas had already caught a lot of attention and they were quickly replacing conventional sodas, Coke and Pepsi broadened their product range by offering more Diet and herbal drinks. Pepsi was more aggressive in this transformation by acquiring Gatorade and Lipton which outsold Coke products in these categories, Coke followed suit by acquiring EnergyBrands, its largest acquisition ever, but Pepsi maintained a commanding lead in non-carb segment. Both companies also launched bottled water which is the largest sector in non-CSD market by volume(Exhibit 9) The structure and profitability in an emerging non-CSD industry has dynamics very different from the conventional CSD industry which has been played out and matured. The stark contrasts that the structure of this industry lies in the fact that this market is very young and entry of new products changes its dynamics rapidly. The threat of new entrants in this market is very high as concentrate production does not require a lot of investment and innovative products attract a lot of clientele which have led to a stronger position among competitors like Nestle, Unilever and DPS. The bottling plants have strengthened their position in this sector as they have not led Coke and Pepsi influence this market completely. They have been reluctant in introducing non-CSD products as they have no brand loyalty and their existing infrastructure does not support new products. Setting up new infrastructure and pressure from concentrate producers to increase non-CSD turnovers require higher operation costs and lesser profit margins. Concentrate producers are building better relationships with independent bottlers to push non-CSD and alternate drinks since they have much higher margins than CSD(Exhibit 10), concentrate producers are willing to assist bottling plants and they started selling finished goods to bottlers. They have also leveraged the company owned bottling plants by purchasing at lower prices and even marketing directly to retail chains to gain higher profit margin and gain market penetration It is most likely that Coke and Pepsi will repeat their success with this new industry like they did in CSDs for the first and foremost reason that these companies are financially very strong and they have the ability to acquire or contain an emerging competitor. Also they have invested and will continue to invest in understanding the market, so they have established a market trend analysis and they are prepared to tackle upcoming threats by taking the appropriate action. That is the reason that Coke and Pepsi are directly competing with every new product launched in this category and gaining popularity like tea, water or energy drinks. Early diversification in products has strengthened their brand equity which they can leverage in gaining further control in the non-CSD market. Another reason that these companies are likely to succeed is because of vertically integrated network that they have established from manufacturing concentrate to marketing to retailers, they have exclusive contracts with bottling plants and they have spent decades perfecting the distribution network. They can introduce new products in this chain with much more ease and effect rather than new players developing an entire new network. Lastly, since the market in US is moving faster towards non-CSDs than the rest of the world, Coke and Pepsi have gained experience in tackling this change and then they can apply it to the international markets and be the driving force in influencing emerging economies due to their vast strategic global presence.

Explore the extent to which personality traits explain student preferences for specific learning approaches and teaching modalities

Review of the Literature 1.1 IntroductionTo learn more about education and to be able to improve the system to best provide for the individual needs of its learners, this study aims to investigate the link between an individual’s personality and their preferred learning style and teaching modality. There is a shortage of current research on how a student’s personality influences their learning style and preferred teaching modality. There is however, a large body of research that analyses the relationship between personality and learning. Curry (1983) describes learning as a future focused process that involves adaptation of constructs to bring about a change in an individual’s cognitive, practical, affective, social or moral skills which can be observable as a change in behaviour. The learning approach of an individual reflects the way in which they go about the process of learning with regard to their chosen setting, their internal goals, treatment of information, and desire to succeed. Understanding the motives for these individual differences in ways of learning and how this may apply to disparities in achievement has always been a concern for those studying educational practice. Teaching modalities refer to the way in which information is delivered to the student, and the learning environment that is created by the teacher. Higher Education employs several teaching modalities, including traditional lectures, small tutorial groups and one-to-one mentoring. Teaching modalities can vary as a product of the subject being taught, assessment criteria, and the individual preferences of lecturers, who may emphasise more theoretical or more practical approaches, or a combination of the two (Chamorro-Premuzic, Furnham & Lewis, 2007; Chamorro-Premuzic, Furnam, Dissout & Heaven, 2005). Despite this large scope for variability, there is little research into students’ preferences for different teaching modalities, especially into what factors contribute to these preferences. Fielder (1993) suggested that for the most effective teaching, a variety of approaches to teaching should be recruited in order to appeal to the different learning styles and personalities of the students. This hypothesis is supported by a study showing that a variety of teaching modalities was beneficial in engaging more individual learning styles (Dunn & Dunn, 1979). Whilst there has been debate surrounding whether there is a scientific basis for learning styles (Curry, 1983; Pashler et al., 2009), this evidence appears to highlight their relevance to teaching. The large variation in teaching style, learning approach and academic performance poses several questions. Does student personality and their preferred learning approach account for preference of certain teaching modalitiesWhat is the relationship between personality and an individual’s learning approachIt is therefore important to ask, are certain learning approaches suited to specific teaching modalities? The following hypotheses will be tested to investigate the relationship between student personality, preferred learning approach and preferred teaching modality (a) There is a significant relationship between certain personality characteristics and learning approaches. OR Is there a relationship between student personality traits and preferred learning approach? (b) There is a significant relationship between student personality traits and their preferred teaching modality. OR Is there a relationship between student personality traits and their preferred teaching modality? (c) There is a significant relationship between students’ preferred learning approaches and their preferences for teaching modalities OR Is there a relationship between students’ preferred learning approaches and their preferred teaching modality?1.2 Learning ApproachesRecent research has emphasised the important contribution of students’ learning approaches as determinants of how much knowledge they acquire, and how this translates into academic performance (Duff, 2003; Duff, Boyle, & Dunleavy, 2004). In a series of investigations, Biggs (1987, 1992) conceptualised three major learning approaches to classify the way students approach their learning. These were classified as ‘deep’ surface’ and ‘achieving’. A deep approach to learning is characterised by intrinsic motivation, engagement with subject matter, and the desire to learn more detail and thoroughly understand the subject. Deep learners will aim to make the content of a le sson meaningful and develop a thorough understanding. Conversely, students who adopt a surface approach to learning show less interest in the task, avoid any challenging activities, and aim to pass exams rather than enhance their understanding. These students tend to receive information superficially and memorise isolated and unrelated facts (Biggs & Tang, 2007). The achieving approach to learning is characterised by goal-oriented study strategies; based on competition between other students and ego enhancement. This approach lends to students that are motivated by the desire to achieve the top grades regardless of whether they find interest in the task at hand (Biggs, 1987; 1988). Biggs (1987) further divided each of the ‘deep’, ‘surface’ and ‘achieving’ approaches into ‘motive ‘ and ‘strategy’ as student goals may differ from the ways that these students go about achieving them. Previous research shows support for a direct relationship between student personality characteristics and student’s learning approaches (Zhang, 2003; Disth, 2003;). Zhang (2003) indicated that there are positive relationships between extraversion and surface learning, and between agreeableness and surface learning. This finding is supported in a study by Duff et al. (2004), who demonstrated a positive relationship between extraversion and a deep learning approach. Additionally, individuals with conscientious and open personalities have been shown desire to develop deep learning strategies (Zhang, 2003) and those showing strong openness to experience have shown less propensity to being surface learners. Literature has examined several models of learning styles and proposed criticisms of such tools that purport to measure learning styles. One such tool is the Kolb Experiential Learning Model (ELM) (Kolb, 1976). Kolb’s ELM has received criticism that it is neither valid nor reliable, which has detrimental implications for education that could be if employed (Bergsteiner, Avery & Neumann, 2010; Geiger, Boyle & Pinto, 1993). However, an alternative model, the Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) (Honey & Mumford, 1992) has shown good test-retest reliability. Critics have suggested limitations to the LSQ, suggesting that the tool is useful for those students already interested in a particular career choice and would not be reliable enough for students attending non-vocational courses (Reynolds, 1997). Although there has been a debate as to the scientific basis of learning styles (Curry, 1983, Pashler et al., 2009), studies in the literature have provided irrefutable evidence that learning approaches and personality traits are strongly related. It may also be possible to infer that learning approaches have a distinctive value in explaining human behaviour, as learning is such a pervasive feature of being. This is supported by research from Busato, Prins, Elshout and Hamaker (2000), who assert that a learning styles inventory has a diagnostic value for identifying both strengths and weaknesses in the individual study behaviour of students. The present study will explore the extent to which personality and learning styles influence preferred teaching modalities.1.3 Personality The discovery of the â€Å"big five personality traits† can be interpreted as one of the major accomplishments of psychology in the twentieth century. These traits are agreeableness, conscientiousness, culture, emotional stability (versus neuroticism) and extraversion (Goldberg, 1990). Tokar (1995) proposed that the five-factor model is the one of the most â€Å"prominent and heuristic models of personality structure†. Several studies support Tokar’s view finding that the personality traits of the big five model accounts for a large amount of the variability in personality (Goldberg, 1993; Taylor & McDonald, 1999). McCrae and Costa (1995a) acknowledge that personality has many other dimensions, proposing their ‘Model of Person,’ which uses the term ‘characteristic adaptation’ to explain personality traits that are not fundamental characteristics described by the big factor five. These characteristics adaptations are proposed to develop over time and are influenced by environment and experience, yet mediated by personality traits. These include characteristics such as habits and attitudes. The learning approach construct may well be one of such characteristic adaptation. This has been emphasised by a large research base into personality and how it is influences by a variety of variables. These include intellectual satisfaction, student self-esteem, teachers’ perceptions of their control over their students, teaching effectiveness and course type (Lieberman, Stroup-Bernham, & Peel, 1998; McCaffrey, 1996; Parker, 1997; Rimmer, 1997). Additionally the role and influence of thinking styles has been addressed (Zhang & Huang, 2001; Zhang, 2000a; Zhang 2000b). This emphasises the many possible influences that may be at work on the development of one’s learning approach. The work of Costa & McCrae (1985-1992) has been successful in accommodating the big five personality constructs already assessed by Biggs (1987) and Eysenck (1975). They investigated the NEO Five-Factor Inventory and found that it was able to reliably assess the five personality dimensions. Other research into this inventory showed that it provided both good internal validity (Holden; 1994; Furnham 1996) and external validity using Holland’s (1994) Self Directed Search (Tokar & Swanson, 1995; Fuller, Holland & Johnson, 1999). This is all suggestive that these five predominant characteristics are reliable, replicable and representative of distinct traits. Neuroticism (N) at the extreme end of the scale may be characterised by anxiety nervousness and emotional lability. Individuals high on the N scale tend to have a pessimistic outlook and experience negative feelings that include emotional instability, guilt, embarrassment, and low self-esteem. The extraversion (E) subscale tends to be associated with the sociable and assertive individuals who prefer to work in a team with other people. Openness to Experience (O) is characterised by preference for variety, openness to change and variety, active imagination and independence of judgement. Additionally, people who score high on the O scale tend to be less conservative and traditional, however they also value and respect other people’s beliefs and conventions. Individuals scoring high on the culture (C) scale are characterised as being strong-willed, responsive and trustworthy with a strong sense of purpose. They also tend to be focused on task and goal outcome and are achievement oriented (Goldberg, 1990). Murray-Harvey (1994) observed that some descriptions of learning approaches are best formulated in terms of individual personality. For example, Shabolt (1978) demonstrated that those showing introverted or neurotic personality traits performed in conditions of structured teaching than when exposed to unstructured teaching methods. Eysenck (1978) also noted that personality and learning are closely linked, finding that extroverts tend to socialise during learning periods, are easily distracted from academic work and find concentration more difficult. Eysenck (1978) also postulated that those showing the neuroticism trait tend to let nerves interfere with their work. Furnham (1992) expanded this work, using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1975; 1991) and the Learning Styles Questionnaire (Honey & Mumford, 1992). Findings revealed that all elements of learning style were related to at least one of the elements of the personality traits, suggesting an ine xtricable link between the two. Furthering this hypothesis, Jackson and Lawtey-Jones (1996) found evidence for a reversal of the relationship, finding that whilst learning styles could be fully explained by personality scales, additionally, all learning styles correlated significantly with at least one personality trait. Furnham (1992) however, suggested that an individual’s learning approach may be interpreted as a derivative of personality rather than a separate entity. Findings from Zhang (2003) strongly suggest reason for further research into the field of personality and learning, finding that the two are related, but are individual constructs (reporting a quarter overlap), whereas Duff et. al. (2004) report an even greater relationship between learning approaches and personality traits. Duff (2004) and Zhang (2003) reported similar associations between openness and a deep approach to learning and neuroticism and surface approach. Extroverts were proposed to adopt a surface approach (Zhang, 2003), however Duff et al. (2004) found that agreeableness purported a surface approach. Furthering this, one may deduce that learning approaches act as indirect influences of personality traits on learning success. This may be highlighted by some personality traits being more strongly related to some learning approaches than others. These mediating factors may be identified through the consideration of how an individual may adapt their behaviour to suit their personality. For example, the surface approach, which accounts for a potential of failure and comparison with others, is related to neuroticism, and openness, which is associated with curiosity, imagination, and intellectual values, is related to the deep approach. Again, the personality trait of conscientiousness is reflected in the thorough nature of the deep approach. Other research highlights that it is a variety of personality traits that are associated with each learning approach and that there is not a single distinct contributing trait per approach (Diseth, 2003). There are arguments to suggest a dubious link between personality traits and learning approaches, with belief that it cannot be modelled (Zhang & Sternberg, 2006) due to the dubious nature of learning approaches. Despite this resistance, others authors have found evidence and argument that the learning approach concept is associated strongly with personality (Furnham, 1992; Gelade 2002; Jackson and Lawty-Jones, 1996). Messick (1994) proposed that learning approaches, when in conjunction with other influence and constructs can be seen to provide a metaphorical bridge between cognition and personality. This implies that learning approaches can act as mediators in bringing learning material to the individual and making it relevant. The connection between personality and learning approach has been under investigation for many years (Jung 1921; Myers & Briggs, 1962), which highlights the importance that has been placed on the understanding of this construct. Information on the relationship between personality and learning approaches allows for insight into the motivations and strategies that may be used by individuals when learning from a very young age. This will be especially useful for those personality traits that show persist throughout life, and will enable tailoring of education and learning advice appropriately. Additionally, it is important to know if personality and learning approaches are distinct psychological constructs and if so whether these can account for students’ teaching preferences. This is important as teaching methods are a strong influence on students’ learning and, in turn, their academic performance.Teaching ModalitiesFischer & Fischer (1979) define teaching style as a â€Å"pervasive way of approaching learners that might be consistent with several methods of teaching†. Conversely, Conti (1989) argued that teaching style is less pervasive, suggesting that it a construct of the personal char acteristics and qualities of the teacher and remains consistent in various situations. Knowles (1970) emphasised the importance of teaching style on the learning experience, asserting that â€Å"the behaviour of the teacher influences the character of the learning climate more than any other single factor†. Teaching itself has been suggested to consist of an instructor’s personal behaviour and the media used to transmit or retrieve data to or from the learner (Gregorc, 1982). The success of teaching style and the accomplishment this data transmission and retrieval may depend largely on matching. Matching is defined in terms of a compatibility of the environment and the interactive effects of the person (Hunt 1979). Early studies carried in the US such as that by Simon (1987) aimed to determine the relationship between students’ preferred learning approaches and their preferred teaching styles of college tutors. He administered the Cranfield Learning styles inventory to 4,000 students. His studies revealed that students indicated a preference for fewer lectures and a more hands on experience. Students showed preference for less faculty directed learning and more student independence, also preferring peer and instructor affiliation. Implications from this study were that instructors should decrease the number of lectures in favour for an increase direct experience where students become more involved in the course and programme direction. One of the strongest measures of learning success is academic achievement (Zimmerman, 1990), therefore the success of learning approaches and teaching modalities may be assessed through individual performance. Personality type has been shown to be a predictor of academic performance, with those with conscientious personality types achieving academic success across a range of subjects (Busato et al. 2000). Additionally, Lieberman, Stroup-Benham and Peel (1998) found that conscientiousness, agreeableness and extraversion correlated with intellectual satisfaction at medical school. When considering this relationship, it is important to consider the influences that personality type has on learning approach and how much this may contribute to the outcome of academic success. There have been many further studies relating to personality and academic achievement, which as discussed above is likely mediated through learning style, however there is an absence of research investigating the infl uence of teaching modalities. Current studies pertaining to academic achievement, learning approaches and teaching modalities found that students whose preferred learning approaches matched with their teacher’s preferred teaching modality received higher grades than those whose did not match (Mathews 1995; Rains, 1978; Hunter 1979). This highlights the importance of matching and concordance between student and teacher. This is supported by research suggesting that teaching modalities and students’ learning approaches interact to affect student learning (Saracho, 1990; Saracho & Spodek, 1994; Taylor, 1994; Wentura, 1985). The current research base would be greatly improved by further investigation into the relationship between learning approaches and students’ preferred teaching styles, especially how these are both mediated by the individual student’s personality. Recent research carried out by Furnham (1996) begins to explore this avenue. 221 students took the Neo Five-Factor Personality Inventory, were assessed on their learning approaches and also their preferred teaching modalities. Personality trait correlated with learning approach, and both of these individually had an effect on preference for certain teaching modalities. 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