Why have the outcomes of the work of Germanys Goethe Institute and Chinas Confucius Institute been so contrasting in terms of establishing cultural and social influence - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2543 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Teaching Essay Type Compare and contrast essay Did you like this example? Introduction The objective of this paper is to explore why the outcomes of the work of the Goethe Institute of Germany and the Confucius Institute of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) have been so contrasting in terms of establishing cultural and social influence. The paper begins by examining the origins of both institutes and their aims in the context of soft power. Soft power is critically examined as a governmental imperative in a globalised world, and it will be shown how cultural institutes have a role in its formulation and exercise. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Why have the outcomes of the work of Germanys Goethe Institute and Chinas Confucius Institute been so contrasting in terms of establishing cultural and social influence?" essay for you Create order The next section examines the institutes structure and governance, and how these have been crucial determinants of their success. Finally, the findings reported in this paper are drawn together and summarised in the Conclusion. The origins and aims of the Goethe Institute and the Confucius Institute The Goethe Institute was established in 1951 in what was then West Germany, with the aim of rebuilding respect for and the reputation of the German language and culture following the Second World War. It originated primarily as a language-learning organisation, for which purpose it established dedicated reading rooms, but as it developed it expanded its remit to encompass the propagation of German culture and the holding of social events. By 2015, the Goethe Institute had 159 centres worldwide (Goethe Institute, 2015a). The aims of the Confucius Institute are remarkably similar to those of the Goethe Institute, although emergent from contrasting origins. It was established in 2004 with the aim of ameliorating concerns felt around the world outside the PRC about the countrys headlong economic growth and rapidly increasing military power. Like the Goethe Institute, the Confucius Institute aimed to facilitate language learning, but expanded its activities into the cultural and soci al sphere. By 2015, the Confucius Institute operated in more than 480 locations worldwide, using facilities on university campuses (UCLA Confucius Institute, 2015). Both institutes began with difficult yet auspicious origins; both Germany and the PRC had reputations to build from a low base, but both Germany and the PRC are countries with rich cultural heritages capable of attracting significant degrees of interest from people in the outside world. The approach of both institutes, however, is essentially top-down, with a strategy of imparting knowledge about their cultures in their subject locations as something differentiated and separate, rather than attempting what is conventionally regarded to be meaningful cultural influence through immersion and integration (Christians, 1997), calling into question the likely effectiveness of the institutes in achieving their stated aims. Given those aims, it is appropriate to conceptualise them as agencies of government, which is essent ially concerned with the exercise of power (Dowding, 1996). Historically, governments have achieved their aims through hard power; typically the maintenance of armed forces and commercial strength underpinned their diplomacy (Dowding, 1996). Nye (1990) notes, however, that advancing globalisation has increased the financial cost and political consequences of the use of hard power, as exemplified by the PRC, whose military strength and commercial influence have had increasingly negative consequences in terms of international relations and trust. Military and commercial strength are, in themselves, insufficient in assuring international influence in an age where societal opinion matters, and such opinion is instantaneously shared through social media which frequently imports environmental, social and moral considerations (Nye, 2004). In response to the reduced influence of hard power, governments have turned to soft power à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the use of co-option rather than coercion (Nye, 2004) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" in order to achieve their strategic aims. An important means of exerting soft power is through the use of culture. However, while a country may possess attractive cultural features, they will not be influential if those features are not widely known or appreciated (Mattern, 2005), and cultural institutes are seen as a means by which such knowledge and appreciation may be established and international trade enhanced. There are drawbacks to this approach; Ferguson (2003) notes that soft power has its contradictions. It is, for example, quite possible for a section of society to be unproblematically using Microsoft software to write anti-US campaign material while drinking Coca Cola in a Macdonalds restaurant. Soft power also has its limitations; Blechman (2004) notes that it cannot be mobilised to achieve specific policy goals, although a core strength of soft power lies it its essential organically democratic nature, in that individuals and groups can influence the policy it sets out to achieve (Van Ham, 2005; Moravcsik, 1997). It is also the case that the attractiveness of a culture is determined not by its purveyor, but rather by its recipients (Fan, 2008). It is, therefore, the case that soft power is not a direct replacement for hard power, although it does have value in forming and legitimising policy, and in establishing the environment in which policy may be pursued. Given that policy is mediated through the essentially top-down phenomenon of government, it is not unreasonable to posit that, counter to Christians (1997) thesis of social influence, the top-down nature of the institutes does not render them unfit for purpose, but they rather have a model of influence that reflects the approach of the state governments that are their ultimate sponsors. The relative success of the Goethe Institute and the Confucius Institute, and the effect of their structure and governance Having established the criteria by which the institutes success may be measured à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" that of the establishment and exercise of state soft power, and what the limitations of that soft power are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" this section explores how successful the Goethe Institute and the Confucius Institute have been in achieving their aims. There is considerable evidence to support the contention that the Goethe Institute has been generally successful in achieving its aims. The reputation of Germany has been significantly rehabilitated from its low point at the end of the Second World War, and that country is today widely respected and admired. This may be as much to do with, inter alia, the harmless jollity of the Munich Oktoberfest, the international popularity of German Christmas markets and Germanys high-quality industrial products as the effect of the Goethe Institute, although the evidence for the influence of the Goethe Institute is clear in data that shows that peopl e outside Germany who come into contact with the institute hold a higher opinion of Germany than those who do not (The Economist, 2015). It is reasonable to assert, therefore, that the Goethe Institute has achieved the aim of being of some influence in the favourable propagation of German culture. The same cannot be said, however, for the international reputation of the PRC. Comparing the reputation of the PRC to that of Japan (Germanys Far-Eastern equivalent in respect of post-Second World War reputation), it can be seen from the Chicago Council study (2009) that Japan has been successfully rehabilitated and has managed to withstand the concerns ensuing from economic success that the PRC is clearly failing to ameliorate. This contrast in outcomes is difficult to explain, given the similarities in the international interest in the rich cultural heritages of Germany and the PRC. Chinese culture, like that of Germany, has much to offer; Chinese food is popular throughout the world, as are Tai Chi, Sun Tsus The Art of War (in a business context) and Confucian wisdom, yet the PRC is stubbornly perceived to be an economic threat around the world, and a military threat in East Asia (Paradise, 2009) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" something that the Confucius Institute has apparently failed to counter. Examination of the structure of these institutes offers insight into their contrasting success. A clear indication lies in their developmental histories; since 1951, the Goethe Institute has established 159 centres throughout the world (Goethe Institute, 2015a), while since only 2004 the Confucius Institute has established over 480 (UCLA Confucius Institute, 2015). Such comparatively headlong expansion on the part of the Confucius Institute unfortunately mirrors the rapid economic growth of its home country that causes so much international concern. Also, the name Confucius Institute implicitly suggests the copying of something that worked elsewhere naming the institute afte r the countrys internationally famous philosopher, a strategy that worked for Germany and so (it is thought) ought to work for the PRC. This strategy, however, also mirrors an important aspect of the PRCs economic success à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the copying of products designed and developed elsewhere that has led to many intellectual property disputes around the world (Gregory, 2003). It thus appears that the structural paradigm of the Confucius Institute may be a contributory factor to its lack of success. Further examination of the governance of these institutes offers insight with respect to their success. The Goethe Institute, while being a government-sponsored institution, is able to raise its own funds and is governed at arms length, a status guaranteed in its constitution (Goethe Institute, 2015b). This arms-length principle ensures that it is not controlled by government, but by a body of independent and trustworthy people who have the aims and interests of the institute, not the government, at heart (Cavaliero, 1986). By being governed in this way, the Goethe Institute is able to assert, transparently, its credentials and the authenticity of its objectives. The Confucius Institute, however, is ultimately administered by and accountable to Kanban, the PRC government body responsible for the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language. This need not necessarily be fatal to the Confucius Institutes international credentials, although significant damage in this respect is evident in that Kanban only sanctions the use of simplified Chinese character writing within the Confucius Institute, which is widely interpreted to be an attempt to limit Taiwanese cultural influence, as within Taiwan writing using traditional Chinese characters is the norm (Ding and Saunders, 2006). It may be possible to rationalise this Chinese written character dilemma on grounds of expediency, as Chinese writing is difficult to master and, if the use of both forms were to be empl oyed, the result would be unnecessarily confusing for students. Clearly the Confucius Institute had to make a decision in this regard, and it is not unreasonable to expect that, as it is an organisation that originates within the PRC, it would select the predominant Chinese character style of that country. Other concerns come into play, however; the Confucius Institute has no independent control over the choice of textbooks and educational materials that it uses in its cultural activities; Kanban has complete control in this regard, leading some host schools and universities to express concern about the Chinese history propagated by the Confucius Institute differing from that taught in regular classes (Patty, 2011). Apologists for the Confucius Institute may find rationalisations for these concerns, but the factors concerning its structure and governance have been sufficient in combination to endow it with the status of a PRC-government overseas stooge. Such concerns have resulte d in the University of Chicago and Pennsylvania State University expelling the Confucius Institute from their campuses (Foster, 2014). The work of the Goethe Institute is not the only cause of Germanys post-war rehabilitation, but its positive influence is determinable, and has been facilitated by its measured growth and arms-length governance. Any positive influence that the Confucius Institute may have had is more difficult to establish; despite its rapid growth, its apparent attempt to reproduce the success of others elsewhere and the negative aspects of its structure and governance appear to act in its detriment. Conclusion This paper has set the limits of what the success of cultural institutes looks like within the context and limitations of soft power. The top-down nature of the institutes has been examined as a possible drawback when set against the immersive qualities that typically lead to meaningful cultural influence; however, this was found to be less of a disadvantage in terms of cultural theory than an honest approach taken by bodies that are essentially agencies of government. This paper set out to examine why the outcomes of the work of the Goethe Institute of Germany and the Confucius Institute of the PRC have been so contrasting in terms of establishing cultural and social influence. It has been established that the Goethe Institute has been successful in its contribution to meeting Germanys soft-power aims, while the Confucius Institute has had indeterminate positive influence and its negative influence has been made clear. The reasons for these contrasting outcomes can be summarise d as follows. The Goethe Institutes growth has been evolutionary whereas the growth of the Confucius Institute has been explosive, mirroring the economic growth of its home country which is in itself a cause of the PRCs reputational difficulties that the institute is ostensibly attempting to ameliorate. Similarly, the Confucius Institutes name appears to represent and attempt to reproduce that which worked elsewhere, mirroring a concerning facet of the PRCs problematic intellectual property issues within its industrial sector. Finally, the Goethe Institute is governed at arms length, whereas the PRC has direct control over the governance of the Confucius Institute, a significant factor in its loss of reputation and fundamental incompatibility with the principles of academic freedom and independence that are so valued by its host universities. Bibliography Blechman, B (2004) Soft power: the means to success in world politics in Political Science Quarterly, 199(4), pp. 680-681 Cavaliero, R. E. (1986) Cultural diplomacy: the diplomacy of influence in Round Table, 298, pp. 139-144 Chicago Council on Global Affairs (2009) Soft Power in Asia: Results of a 2008 Multinational Survey of Public Opinion, Chicago: Chicago Council Christians, C. G. (1997) The ethics of being in a communication context in Christians, C. G. and Traber, M. (eds) Communication Ethics and Universal Values, pp. 3-23, Thousand Oaks: Sage Ding, S. and Saunders, R. A. (2006) Talking up China: an analysis of Chinas rising cultural power and global promotion of the Chinese language in East Asia, 23(2), p. 21 Dowding, K. (1996) Power, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press The Economist (2015) Sprechen Sie Power? [online] available at https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21663257-once-language-schiller-and-goethe-then-hitler-german-hip-again-sprechen-si e-power, accessed 29th September, 2015 Fan, Y. (2008) Soft power: power of attraction or confusion? in Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 4(2), pp. 147-158 Ferguson, N. (2003) Think again: power in Foreign Policy, March/April 2003, pp. 18-24 Foster, P. (2014) China soft power set back as US universities shut second Confucius Institute in a week in The Daily Telegraph, 1st October, 2014 Goethe Institute (2015a) Locations [online] available at https://www.goethe.de/en/wwt.html, accessed 29th September, 2015 Goethe Institute (2015b) Organisation [online] available at https://www.goethe.de/en/uun/org.html, accessed 29th September, 2015 Gregory, A. (2003) The impact of Chinas accession to the WTO in Cass, D., Barker, G. and Willims, B. (eds) China and the World Trading System, p. 330, New York: Cambridge University Press Mattern, J. B. (2005) Why soft power isnt so soft: representational force and the sociolinguistic construction of attraction in world politics in Millennium à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Journal of International Studies, 33(3), pp. 583-414 Moravcsik, A. (1997) Taking preferences seriously: a liberal theory of international politics in International Organisation, 51(4), pp. 513-553 Nye, J. (1990) Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power, New York: Basic Books Nye, J. (2004) Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics, New York: Public Affairs Paradise, J. F. (2009) China and international harmony: the role of Confucius Institutes in bolstering Beijings soft power in Asian Survey, 49(4), pp. 647-669 Patty, A. (2011) Call to scrap biased Chinese culture classes in The Sydney Morning Herald, 13th July, 2011 UCLA Confucius Institute (2015) Confucius Institutes Worldwide [online] available at https://www.confucius.ucla.edu/about-us/confucius-institutes-worldwide, accessed 29th September, 2015 Van Ham, P. (2005) Power, public diplomacy and the Pax Americana in Melissen, J. (ed) The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations, pp. 47-66, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan

Immigration And The United States - 970 Words

My current event is on immigration and refugees, and how they are mistreated in our society. Immigrants have been the backbone of what made America great. This country is supposed to be the land of opportunity. For the people that come here it is all that they hear. Wanting a fresh start from whatever country they came from. The NASW (2015) said that â€Å"Immigration has increased rapidly in the 1990s, with more than 13 million people moved to the United States† (p.176). Immigrants and refugees is an issue talked about for so many years. â€Å"In 1965 the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments provided a sweeping change in immigration law. The national origins system was abolished and a new set of priorities for admitting immigrants was adopted† (NASW, 2015, p. 176). Immigration has been a part of our culture, American society, and policy making for a long time now. It is talked about today even during our Presidential campaign for 2016. The problems with immigrant s and refugees coming to America came to an issue when â€Å"Donald Trump said he would deport all undocumented immigrants in the United States which is an estimated 11 million people† (Saunt, 2015). In this article the Author Claudio Saunt made it his effort to explain this is a horrible idea. Saunt (2015) wrote in his article â€Å"In the past American cities and countries in the Southwest and Midwest tried to expel Mexican-Americans once before in the 1930s, and it was a traumatic result for the families affected.† From whatShow MoreRelatedImmigration And The United States986 Words   |  4 PagesImmigration in the United States continues to increase rapidly year by year. 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The Secret Circle The Hunt Chapter 18 Free Essays

â€Å"Cassie!† Adam screamed. â€Å"Your eyes. You have to stop!† Cassie heard Adam’s cries, but couldn’t register their meaning. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 18 or any similar topic only for you Order Now All she could see was the image of Scarlett in front of her, dead. â€Å"You’re going to kill her!† Adam screamed, just before Cassie could speak the words that would murder her sister. Cassie sputtered, confused, as if Adam had finally shaken her awake from a nightmare. â€Å"It’s Black John. It’s the darkness controlling you,† Adam said. â€Å"This isn’t you, Cassie.† Cassie gazed around the room like she’d never seen it before, and then at Scarlett, who was dying at her feet. Cassie felt her own insides cave in. Her legs went soft, and she felt light-headed. Adam was right. This wasn’t her. She carefully set her father’s Book of Shadows on the table and backed away from it with caution. Then she looked at Adam. â€Å"What have I done?† Some of the color returned to Adam’s face and his shoulders settled. â€Å"Not what you almost did, thank goodness.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"I thought I’d lost you for good.† Cassie ran to Adam and wrapped her arms around him. â€Å"There’s a better way to deal with Scarlett,† he said. â€Å"We’ll figure out what it is together. But you have to untie me first.† Cassie’s first instinct was to use magic to set Adam free, but then she thought better of it. She untied him the old-fashioned way, tugging and untwisting the ropy threads confining him to the chair until he was free. Adam stood up and stretched his legs. He rubbed his sore, rope-burned wrists. â€Å"Where did you learn all those dark spells?† he asked. â€Å"Have you been able to translate that much of the book?† â€Å"No. I don’t know,† Cassie said. â€Å"They just came to me.† â€Å"What do you mean, they just came to you? Like from inside you? Your eyes were as black as marbles.† â€Å"Adam, I don’t know. Can we just focus on Scarlett right now?† Scarlett was still lying motionless on the floor, gray and desiccated. â€Å"Will she be okay?† Adam asked. â€Å"I think so,† Cassie said. â€Å"But I can also do a reversal spell.† Adam considered their options for a minute. â€Å"Before she can move again,† he said, â€Å"there’s another spell I think we should try. It’ll prevent her from ever returning to New Salem. What do you think? Are you up for it?† â€Å"A magical restraining order,† Cassie said. â€Å"That sounds great, but I don’t think our regular magic is strong enough to work on her.† â€Å"It will be.† Adam nodded toward the closet. The Master Tools. Of course. In all the commotion, Cassie had almost forgotten about them. Cassie stepped around Scarlett to open the closet’s folding doors. She rummaged through some junk on the floor and moved around some boxes on a high shelf, and there they were. Just sitting there for the taking. The silver bracelet, the leather garter, and the sparkling diadem. Cassie reached for each one individually. First the bracelet. She fastened it around her upper arm. Its smooth silver felt cool against her skin. Next she secured the soft leather garter on her thigh. Adam came up behind her as she reached for the diadem. He straightened it on her head for her. â€Å"Now that’s more like it,† he said. â€Å"That’s the Cassie I know and love.† Cassie tried to soak up the positive energy from each Tool – to feel like the Cassie Adam knew and loved. She tried her best to smile. â€Å"I feel good,† she said. â€Å"Better.† Then she looked at Scarlett. â€Å"Let’s try the restraining spell.† â€Å"We’ll need a few things first.† Adam hurried around the house, searching for supplies, digging through a few different drawers and cabinets. â€Å"I’ll be right back,† he said, and ran out to the front yard. Cassie had a few moments to think about what she’d just been through. She’d come so close to killing her sister. How could Adam ever look at her the same way? How could she wear the Master Tools now, or ever be worthy of them again? Adam returned from outside, rosy cheeked and with a fistful of dirt. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"Let’s give this spell a try.† He bent down to Scarlett and guided Cassie’s hand to Scarlett’s forehead. â€Å"You hold her here and concentrate. It’s important that your intentions remain clear, Cassie, can you do that?† â€Å"Yes,† Cassie said easily. But she knew she would really have to try. Scarlett’s forehead was cold and hard; it was almost like touching a corpse. Adam lit a candle and swung it above Scarlett’s body, back and forth from the top of her head, down to the bottoms of her feet. Then he recited the chant. â€Å"I banish you from New Salem, Scarlett, with the power of fire.† Cassie imagined a soothing white light. She pictured it growing brighter and more intense until it had enveloped not only Scarlett but herself and Adam as well. Adam secured the lit candle in a holder upon the floor, just north of Scarlett’s head. Then he scattered the fistful of dirt he’d collected from the front yard onto the floor, encircling Scarlett within it. He said, â€Å"I banish you from New Salem, Scarlett, with the power of earth.† Cassie could smell the loamy trail of dirt and was reminded of the elemental wholesomeness of the earth, the cleanliness of stark terrain. She imagined the white light filling the whole room, and then the entire house from the inside out. Next Adam reached for a cup of water he’d set on the table. He dipped his hand deep into the cup and then sprinkled drops of water, like rain, over Scarlett’s skin. â€Å"I banish you from New Salem, Scarlett, with the power of water,† he said. Finally Adam went to open the front door of the house and a large window on the opposite side, creating a strong cross-breeze in the main room. The rush of air blew out the candle he’d set on the floor. â€Å"I banish you from New Salem, Scarlett, with the power of air,† he said. He placed his hands gently over Cassie’s, joining her in holding Scarlett’s forehead. He closed his eyes and said, â€Å"Fire, earth, water, and air, and the power of the Master Tools, mote it be.† Scarlett stirred and Adam opened his eyes. â€Å"That’s it,† he said. Cassie let her hands drop to her sides. â€Å"Did it work?† â€Å"We’ll find out,† Adam said. â€Å"But after all this, I don’t think she’ll be much of a threat anymore.† Cassie nodded, but she wasn’t so sure. She couldn’t imagine a time when Scarlett would no longer be a menace. Adam picked up Black John’s Book of Shadows and gestured to the door. â€Å"What do you say we get out of here?† Cassie looked Scarlett over one last time and nodded. She went to the front door and put one hand on the knob. With her other hand, she waved her fingers at Scarlett. â€Å"I tollere malum incantatores,† she said, the words of the reversal spell. Scarlett’s color came back and she gasped for breath just as Cassie and Adam stepped outside, slamming the door behind them. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 18, Essay examples

Should Players be Regarded as Assets on the Balance Sheet

Question: Memorandum: Should players be regarded as assets on the balance sheet. Answer: Asset Definition and Recognition Criteria The issue of whether players should be regarded on the balance sheet is quite a significant matter for the club. By definition the term asset tends to be a resource that is controlled by the existing entity this is because of the past events from which the future economic benefits will be expected to the flow of the entity. Hence, recognizing players as an asset means that there will be control by the entity thus allowing ease recognition of the financial statements i.e the balance sheet. Hence, recognition of the player would develop a sense that enables the club to determine whether they are benefiting. The recognition of the players also means that the club will be able to measure the objectivity of the players or the dedication a player has to the club. Future Economic Benefits Consider the case of the club winning for three consecutive years, this means that identifying the players as assets comes about with an essential character known as future economic benefits. Therefore, they will be able to analyze their contracts and other agreements with the player, hence enabling the club in determining whether the set out obligations are conditional or unconditional. Hence, there will be ease assessment of the players that keeps them performing well because of the set out obligations. Control Uncertainties arise from situations that fail to have evidence or there are unclear facts. Therefore, the recognition criteria of players as assets would enable the club boards to monitor any uncertainty issue that may be brought by a player. Hence, their recognition in the balance sheet means that Mr. Mind will be able to make a neutral judgment because; he effectively understands facts and circumstances that will be concluded in the final reporting period. Hence, there will be effective decision making because of the comparable manner of the club standard level. Past Events The club has a strong support base and is known for its ability to retain the trophy for three years. This means that the club is still relevant, but by making players part of the asset in the balance sheet makes the club officials monitor the interaction of their players. Therefore, management and players can reconsider the phase of conceptual framework in the future success of the club. Probable Occurrence The probable occurrence of players being recorded in the balance sheet as assets will provide or benefit the club through effective development of guidance on how revenues should be recognized among the players. The club will also be able to adopt proper accounting model which may be significant. Reliable Measurements For an asset to qualify the recognition criteria must possess the necessary cost. Therefore reliability of the players as assets means that the club can have the qualitative characteristics of the players in terms of financial information. There will also be an effective accounting model.

Special Circumstances free essay sample

Circumstances Intonation Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were both two extraordinary men that had a great Influence In music from the past that still continues Into the current present. Both of theses composers were well known In their time and had great schooling In the musical arts, which contributed much to their success-fullness In their careers as musicians. During the times of both Intonation Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the two composersImpacted the musical world greatly with the work they have done. Jonathan Sebastian Bach impacted the musical world greatly with the work he has done within the Baroque Era. Bachs family had very talented musicians that lived in Thrusting and they held great musical positions as well such as; organists, town instrumentalists, and Cantors Nathan Sebastian Bach 1). Bach was surrounded by music throughout his life by learning about his heritage, and by learning about music through his schooling. We will write a custom essay sample on Special Circumstances or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Jonathan Sebastian Bach came from a long line of musicians ND passed on his musical heritage to his children (Examine, Roger, 152). Bach held many positions during his lifetime and even had a period (1685-1750), where he created only beautiful masterpieces. One of those beautiful masterpieces was The Brandenburg Concertos, which was directed by Bach but used the Prince of Cottons orchestra to play it because at the time Bach was the court conductor for the Prince of Cotton. The greatest contribution that Jonathan Sebastian Bach had given society Has his musical work.

TTC essays

TTC essays The T.T.C, as we all depend on, is supposed to be a great means of transportation provided by the government. Everybody relies on the T.T.C because it transport millions of people everyday. Students, especially, are very dependent on the public transportation, since majority of student cannot drive yet. We especially need it to get to school, or going to work and other commitments we may have. T.T.C is supposed to help us get places, and although it is our only public transportation, I am entirely against them. I do not agree with their decisions to go on strikes, which often comes once a year, this affects everyone especially students. Not to mention, a number of bus drivers lack courteous behavior. Finally, in respect to the rules, most bus drivers are way too strict in enforcing those rules. I feel the T.T.C takes advantage of our necessity to public transportation. Almost every year, the T.T.C goes on strikes, demanding raises. Their privilege of being a Union, gives them the idea that they have the right to go on strike and demand a raise. The people who suffer the most out of this are the students, because we the majority are very dependent on buses. We need them to get to and from school. Since most teenagers do not know how to drive, or live very far from the school. Not to mention, after every strike the prices on tickets increase. They fail to acknowledge Students financial situations. Some of us cannot afford to buy tickets every week. Does this mean that if you live far from the school and you cannot buy tickets, you cannot get your education? This should never be the case. They should consider us more than themselves. Or maybe the government should not give them so much. T.T.C employees are making more money than they should. It is very annoying when they constantly going on strike, they are greedy and always want ...

Illegal Aliens and the After-Acquired Evidence Essay

Illegal Aliens and the After-Acquired Evidence - Essay Example The doctrine may level the playing field for employers in employment discrimination claims. However, there is also a danger of inequitably undermining the plaintiff's claims of demonstrating authentically unlawful motivations of employers. The After-Acquired Evidence Doctrine is one of the most controversial rules recently contained in the employment law. As claims on employment discrimination are often invoked in courts by those who alleged unlawful discharge as a consequence of their ethnicity, religion, disability, gender or race, the US courts' decisions with regards these claims have transformed and encompassed contingencies that were neither promulgated nor mulled over by the legislature. The After-Acquired Evidence Rule spawned to be a ground-breaking doctrine which takes into account misconducts - such as document and resume fraud - and the legality of the working status of a person - such as that of an illegal alien. The most controversial aspect of this doctrine is that the evidence discovered which included the misconducts and the illegality of a person's status as aforementioned are still admissible in courts which will consequently undermine a plaintiff's claim of employment discrimination - even if the mi sconducts are discovered after the employee is discharged. One of the most significant aspects of the Acquired-Evidence doctrine is that plaintiffs are prohibited from all remedies although the misconduct done by the claimant is discovered after the termination of employment has been put into effect (Bangert et al, 1999). This ruling is essentially distinct from the customary employment discrimination cases in that, it bestows employers a more reasonable summary judgment. The claim for discrimination becomes irrelevant as the emphasis of the employment discrimination case switches towards the employee misconduct. Normally in an employment discrimination case, the argument centers on the employment decision, as for instance, termination of employment, and the purpose of the employer. This only means that the falsification of documents, resume fraud and the legality of a worker's status may reduce or even eliminate the liability of the employer in an employment discrimination suit. Wettre (2007) asserts that the after-acquired evidence defense 'may level the playing field for employers' in the current system whose bias leans towards employees. The scope and range of the after-acquired evidence doctrine are extensive since it applies to a variety of cases with regards to employment law. The scope includes, for instance, an employee who discharged harmful chemicals, an act unknown to his employers, before his termination. The court would normally decide that it is justifiable for the claimant to receive limited or no back pay damages at all in the light of his violations as for example, releasing hazardous chemicals. 1 In other applications of the doctrine, a claimant's prior conviction unknown to his employer and in the first place barred him from employment for the public position, are rationales for his claims to be dismissed.  

Candidate Brief Assessment Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Candidate Brief Assessment Exercise - Essay Example Also here a great role Browns Plc plays, which gives an opportunity to realize production in the US market. Concerning technology drivers the most well provided is definitely Pillchem Plc. Its IT Strategy and network shows the most advantageous correlation of price and quality that results in debagged wok of all the technologies, which leads to the reduction in the time to implement any new application or system. Also its company-wide integrated Internet and email service allow the exploitation of the Internet for selling, PR and internal/ external communication. But there are several factors, which should be taken from other companies: piecemeal strategy as in Zoros Plc is rather good to seamlessly integrating with suppliers and customers; and holding the copyright to a particular drug manufacturing process as in Browns Ltd can lead to opening up new global markets and selling through new channels. If Pillchem Plc's acquisition starts with Zoros Plc and Browns Plc the newly broadened great Company will have all the needed factors to prosper and expand taking the leading role in the World Pharmaceutical Market.

Corporate Strategic Review on TESCO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate Strategic Review on TESCO - Essay Example In 1964, Tesco's innovativeness was put to a challenge when the British government imposed the Resale Price Maintenance System, a law that mandates all retailers to charge a set price for their products. However, Tesco found a way through it and introduced trading stamps so that it could bring lower prices to its customers. Customers collected these stamps as they purchased groceries and other items. By 1960, Tesco was in control of 212 store chains in north England, and 144 more in 1964 and 1965. By 1970, Tesco was a household name, known for its grocery products at very competitive prices. It was at this time when Tesco decided to broaden its customer base and make its stores more attractive to a wider range of customers. Tesco decided to concentrate on developing bigger superstores at the outskirts of the town, on selling a broader range of goods, and on providing quality shopping environment and customer service. Tesco likewise ventured into selling petrol at very competitive rates in 1974, opening its first filling station at its major sites. These changes earned more customers and greater profits for Tesco, and in 1979, its annual turnover reached 1 billion for the first time. Tesco has built its 100th superstore by 1985, and in 1987, it announced a 500 million plan to build 29 more stores. By 1991, the success of its petrol filling stations earned for the company Britain's biggest independent petrol retailer. In the 1990s, the company built on its success by developing new store concepts and new customer-focused initiatives. Tesco broke new ground in food retailing by introducing, in 1995, the first customer loyalty card, which offered benefits to regular shoppers whilst helping the company discover more about its customers' needs. Other customer services followed, including grocery home shopping, Tesco Direct for catalogue shoppers and the Tesco Babyclub for new parents, as well as the launch of Tesco Personal Finance a joint venture with the Royal Bank of Scotland. Tesco continued its winning streak in the new millennium. In January 2003 Tesco completed the acquisition of 870 T&S Stores in the UK; 450 of these stores will be converted to Tesco Express in the next three to four years. Moreover, Tesco opened in Taiwan in 2000 and, in May 2002 its first store in Malaysia in a joint venture with Sime Darby Sdn Bhd. In July 2002, Tesco acquired the "HIT" chain of hypermarkets in Poland. This acquisition added 13 hypermarkets to the Polish business, giving it a market leading position. By the end of 2002/03 Tesco had 45 percent of its space overseas, market leadership in 6 of its 10 countries, and was profitable in 8 out of 10 markets. Porter on Tesco Using Porter's Generic Strategies, this approach of Tesco shall be evaluated and assessed. It will also be subjected to the five industry forces such as: Entry Barrier, Buyer Power, Supplier Power, Threats of Substitute and Rivalry. Tesco can be categorized in Porter's Generic Strategies as belonging to the Broad Industry- as it targets an economy of scale whose product line is extensive (Reichheld and Sasser, 1990). Moreover, the standard

Intervention Developed from Theory of Planned Behaviour

Intervention Developed from Theory of Planned Behaviour Develop Intervention The Chosen Construct The construct feedback was decided as the most viable choice for the intervention. The intention was to increase low carbon behavioural performance by ‘nudging’ individuals to act on a series of existing prompts in order to increase the speed of the stop/start procedure. It was decided that the central hub was the ideal location for the pilot study. Owing to budgetary limitations, this intervention proved to be the only viable option and was achievable as it would build on an existing system and simplify an extremely complex task. However it was made mandatory that every shift be given the opportunity to take part. Whilst it would have been preferred to establish a control group, the team leaders stated it could bring unrest between shifts that need to be in complete symbiosis with one another. Any detrimental effect in one shift can affect all shifts and due to the extreme economies of scale with regards to energy usage at the plant, any slight change could have a costly negative effect. Rationale An energy saving intervention derived and created from identified behavioural constructs will result in lower utility costs. Based on the evidence within the literature review and the interpretation of the results from the thematic analysis and semantic questionnaires, the introduction of a feedback dashboard will significantly lower energy use at the plant. Participants The 55 participants all worked within or were connected to the open plan area of the central hub. They consisted of shift managers, group leaders, team leaders, logistics, schedulers and other operatives. Three shifts operated from this section over a 24hour period. Materials The dashboard was provided and designed by the target company. Prior to the intervention the dashboard was available by logging into a PC however this system was seldom, if ever used by the employees. In addition the researcher discovered a switched off 40’ LCD TV placed in an obscure location at a material delivery point, when the researcher switched this on, it displayed a version of the dashboard below. The intervention materials required to display this dashboard live within the central hub involved the use of a 50† plasma TV screen, a computer (Revo PC) and Ethernet connection. The dashboard was mounted in a central location which provided easy visual access to every operative who worked within the open plan offices of the central hub. Figure 14 The Feedback Dashboard Design Implementation The above dashboard works in the following manner. The 10 process lines are all monitored via numerous energy meters placed at key locations along the process line. That data is fed into a central processing unit and then displayed as a dashboard in visual form. The green running lady indicates a line is running and everything is good. If a line stops for whatever reason, the person turns and holds up a hand indicating a stop. If the person is indicating a stop and is red then the line has stopped and components are drawing power. The viewer then picks up the schedule of works – stop start system of prompts and follows the prompts to power down components. If the person is indicating a stop on the dashboard and is green, then this means enough items have been turned off and the line is at an acceptable level of usage. The feedback dashboard was installed and operated live non-stop for 8 weeks. The effects of the monitor were analysed not by retesting the constructs and disrupting the workforce, but through examining the weekly utility consumption and comparing that to past utility data. If the performance dashboard has an effect then savings in energy should be made. In addition for this period no new technology was added that could affect the energy use of the plant. Post Intervention Results Utility Results The regression graph titled ‘Energy Conversion Costs ( £/Tpiw) over last 4 years’ was generated by the targeted workplace energy team in order to assess if the intervention has been successful. The graph demonstrates that savings occurred. The energy management team reported that two weekly meter reads were the lowest ever achieved for throughput at the plant. In addition in was the first time that savings were achieved consecutively i.e. both months back to back. This graph contains the energy data from 2010 to 2014 used to create the product at this plant. The FC 10/11 dots indicate how much energy was used in the year 2010 to create the product. The X axis shows how much product was made in tonnes per 1000. The Y axis shows how much energy, expressed in British Pounds, was needed per tonne to produce the product. The FC10/11 line, is a fit line. The 11/12 12/13 fit lines were left off to simplify the interpretation of the graph. However their location is slightly under the FC10/11 for the 11/12 fit line and slightly above the FC13/14 for the 12/13 fit line. The two fit lines of interest are the FC13/14 and the FC14/15. The FC13/14 is the energy used in the year 2013 – 2014 up until the point of the implementation of the intervention. This fit line is referred to by the company as the tracking utility standard. The FC14/15 fit line is generated from the 8 weekly meter reads during the intervention. The large black squares are the weekly meter reads that create this fit line. The FC14/15 intervention fit line indicates that energy usage for this period is significantly under the FC13/14 target utility standard and that savings have been achieved. In addition the shape of the line is different. As throughput increases there is more opportunity to activate the stop/start procedure and therefore more opportunity to engage in energy saving behaviour. If the outlier at 6.2KT was closer to the FC13/14 line then the new FC14/15 fit line would initially sit on top or close to the FC13/14 standard. This is an important factor, because the normal fit line pattern over the years due to technology improvements has produced the same curve fit, the change in curve shape indicates that behaviour as opposed to technology is probably driving the utility savings. In order to provide some clarity of the effect of the intervention, a CUSUM chart was created. A CUSUM is a sequential analysis technique developed by E. S. Page with the purpose of monitoring change by calculation of a cumulative sum. The 8 weekly meter readings were used to create the CUSUM by adding how much in British Pounds was actually saved or lost over the intervention period. The X axis is the meter reads. The Y axis is the win or loss expressed in British pounds in comparison to the FC13/14 fit line. Figure 14 CUSUM Graph The CUSUM graph above indicates that approximately for the 8 week period that a saving of  £84,000 was achieved when compared to the FC13/14 energy target tracker. If these savings are sustained for a 12 month period then a saving of  £546,000 will occur (6.5 X  £84,000). The utility data and the CUSUM indicate that the intervention has been successful. This was also confirmed by the energy team who stated there had been no changes in product or significant technology upgrades. One energy manager confirmed that within this intervention period that two of the lowest meter readings for production had been achieved and for the first time in its history the plant recorded two consecutively monthly savings. However one possible confounding variable is outside temperature i.e. degree days. The energy team explained this will have an effect but the affect is not large enough to negate the findings. Three months after the intervention, the energy team are still reporting improved savin gs indicating degree days are not having a negative impact. Methodological Evaluation Validity Validity refers to the level of knowing that what a researcher believes is being measured is actually being measured. The different types of validity fall into two categories internal and external. The measuring tools for this study did not rely on one method to identified constructs and ascertain how active the constructs were within a targeted environment. Regarding internal validity, the method used a range of interviews, questionnaires and open-ended questions to obtain this knowledge. A similar pattern or analysis was derived from the thematic analysis, percentile data and multiple regressions indicating a level of face validity. The utility data provided some external validity as the change in PBC via an intervention was measured in real time in a real working plant. As this was expected, then predictive validity increases, as operatives need the tools to achieve the set goal. Overall this allows for some generalisation to other populations involved in the same manufacturing procedure but it does not necessarily translate into generalisations to other industries. However the TPB has been shown to be effective in many working environments. There were no technology changes during the intervention that could affect the energy usage of the plant. Likewise there were no product changes as the company makes the same thing repeatedly. Therefore it is probable that the cause precedes the effect in this situation. The introduction of the smart dashboard reduced the time operatives took to activate the stop start system of shut down prompts resulting in saving energy. However without retesting the model after the intervention or having data to show the increase reaction time it is only possible to claim a covariation effect as oppose to temporal precedence. Reliability Reliability refers to how consistent is the observed measure. In order to thoroughly test reliability then the study needs to be replicated at another plant. The results of these findings were presented to the company’s board, energy team, EU energy team and various plants in person and live via WebEx (Web Video Conference). The outcome of this presentation was the offer by the board to repeat the study at other plants. In essence, this can be interpreted as a measure of external reliability because the most knowledgeable individuals within this company made comparisons with this intervention and other interventions. By proxy this created a level of inter-rater reliability (Appendix E for presentation and notes). Rebound Effect Communications with the plant have been maintained and savings are still being reported at the plant and have been sustained and improved on for the 12 weeks after the intervention research deadline. There is no indication of the utility usage returning to baseline at this present time (08/01/2015). Field work issues Whilst all effort has been used to increase validity and reliability to acceptable levels, the fact of the matter is that this is not a laboratory based experiment. As a result there are trade-offs to be made requiring a degree of psychological bricolage to achieve the desired outcome. There are a mass of problems to overcome. For example the N, the number of participants was low. However despite the company having numerous employees, not all employees have influence over the energy usage. In this particular environment 55 operatives control the  £23,000,000 energy bill. Therefore they are the prime candidates for saving energy and including others would be of little value. This in turn presents challenges when using questionnaires as a Cronbach Alpha / Factor analysis would not produce the desired results due to the low N. This was catered for with the use of judges as reported earlier. Similarly the low N is not ideal for conducting multiple regression, this is why the thematic a nalysis was also created so comparisons could be made between the quantitative and qualitative data. If they produced similar results then this could cater for the low N. For example if the regression showed social norms to be low, then this should also be present in the thematic analysis, which it was. There are positives to these trade-offs as high internal validity i.e. random selection, random assignment, control group etc. can limit the generalisability / external validity of the findings. These validity factors will not exist when the study is used in the real world. This is of critical importance as research on saving carbon / energy in the workplace needs to have some form of scalability, practical value and achieve real-life results for the benefit of all. There are a range of issues and theoretical questions that need to be raised and considered between psychology conducted in strict academic settings and psychology conducted in working environments, which simply cannot be covered within this thesis. Discussion The study examined if an intervention derived from Theory of Planned Behaviour combined with psychology knowledge could reduce energy consumption in a metallurgy plant. The results indicate that TPB plus added constructs can be an effective system for developing energy saving interventions. The results clearly showed that employees saved more energy during the intervention period than at any time in the 4yrs prior to the intervention. If sustained, the intervention resulted in energy savings circa  £500,000 pa. The intervention worked by increasing the group’s perceived behavioural control via feedback. This enabled group members to use the monitor to inform them when ‘action’ was needed. The schedule of works / system of prompts enabled them to act out the required behaviours. In essence, any group member could view the live dashboard and observe a line is down and drawing power due to the red lady indicating a stop. Then they have the choice to inform other me mbers about the stop or take action themselves. In order to take action they pick up the schedule of works mounted on the office wall and follow the instructions to contact engineers to shut certain items off. The schedule is an already established and familiar system to the group members, so no new learning was required to activate the behaviour. The dashboard provided the missing trigger which in turn increased PBC and influenced behaviour. Limitations In this particular study the increase in PBC can only be inferred as it was measured via savings in energy as opposed to measuring the constructs after the intervention. However Siero (1996) argues that within metallurgy plants employees who control energy work in predominantly small groups, and therefore talk more to each other with regards to energy. Similarly comparisons and competition may have occurred between employees who were responsible for certain productions lines. This could result in begin peer pressure i.e. an operative who is not responsible for a line that is down could notify another operative that his line is down. This could lead to a conclusion that perhaps subjective norms increased, resulting in savings. However this would be a mistake, if they did exist they would be a contributory factor as opposed to a confounding variable but in order to act on them an operative would need to have the belief and means to do so i.e. PBC actual control. The research also indi cates that behaviour can change without changes in attitude. However the operative’s attitude towards energy were measured as part of the model and shown to be exceptionally positive. Perhaps attitude did play a role by increasing operatives ‘buy-in’ for the intervention? Whilst the TPB was used as a developmental tool to create the intervention, the same process could be developed by simply understanding the taxonomy of constructs identified by existing academic work in psychology. Behaviour itself can be broken down in this fashion as shown by many of the available meta-analysis of which constructs affect energy saving behaviour in given environments. A research could take measurements of these constructs and make a decisions on what construct to positively or negatively influence for the targeted environment. This notion brings into question the idea of a model. Perhaps models have more use for those who are not familiar with the taxonomy of constructs, and can be used to simplify the behaviour change process and achieve results over a short timeframe due to limited time to study behaviour at this level of reductionism. Conclusions TPB with the use of added constructs was used as a framework to ‘develop’ an intervention, as opposed to using TPB as ‘predictive’ tool to reduce energy consumption. This methodology appeared logical for field work and was well received by the target company. However this methodology required balancing act between the scientific method and practical application. Thus creating a form of psychological bricolage to achieve a working model to produce field based results. It can be concluded that this methodology based on TPB plus added constructs identified in the literature review significantly reduced energy consumption through behavioural means at this workplace. It is critical to measure utility data prior to and after behaviour change programs as the results are then truly judged in real life settings. The goal is to save energy and save carbon not theoretically but actually, by specifying the elements that make up behaviour in quantifiable terms will one s hould be able to effectively change behaviour via intervention.

My Volunteer Experience at a Nursing Home :: Community Service, Service Learning

Up until a few years ago I never thought that one of my grandparents would be in a nursing home. I had always been lucky to have them healthy. However, this changed about a year ago when my grandfather had a mini-stroke, which caused him to require extra care my grandmother could not provide. Watching my family deal with my grandfather made me aware of the care and services the elderly need and has made me realize how important it is to volunteer at a local nursing home. My grandfather's stroke affected his legs and his memory, which made it difficult for him to walk. My grandfather first used a cane, but his legs became too weak, so he tried a walker, but this lasted only a month. Not only could he not walk or take care of himself, but also he began to stay up at night and fall out of bed. My family started looking into nursing homes. It took us weeks before finally deciding. Unfortunately he will have to stay there until he improves, both mentally and physically. Since summer I have volunteered at his nursing home because I saw how lonely some of the residents were. I volunteered two days a week during the summer, which I have continued. I have learned many things about nursing homes and the factors to consider when choosing one, including the residents' quality of life, the care received, the environment surrounding them, and the nursing home's payment policy. I have been working with the recreation director, who plans activities for the residents. I have painted the women's nails and read them letters from their children. Also, I have helped with special days like Ice Cream Day, Summer Picnic Day, and Clown Around Day. For each we create special word scrambles. I also have taken patients for walks. We also have birthday parties and exercise days. Through my volunteering I have made a new friend - Irene. She has family, but they live faraway and cannot come to visit often. Our friendship grew through the summer. She grew up in Shelton and lived in Milford before she came to the home. She has two sons who seldom visit. Her grandchildren, however, do visit every weekend.

Make-Up

Make-up for pre-teens? Recently is seems that more and more girls under the age of eleven are starting to wear makeup, but why? They do not need to their still children. First, many feel that makeup causes damage to the skin, for both older women and younger women. It can be especially damaging to the skin of younger children. Besides, do young children really need to wear makeup? Of course, we all get that awkward stage and you start not liking the way you look. Many doctors feel that this is just one of the growing pains of life.This may be very difficult for a pre-teen girl to accept. Another reason why some parents feel that young girls should not wear makeup is because they will not learn to appreciate their own natural beauty. Of course, most pre-teens do not even want to hear that . It does damage your skin badly; however, it is okay to wear make-up sometime for a special occasion. However, the majority of them did feel that it is important not to overdo it on the makeup. Just a little lip-gloss should be okay.Some of the pre-teens begin to get skin irritations from the makeup. The bottom line is that many parents feel that allowing young children to wear makeup can be hazardous to third skin, but if it is just for fun then it is ok. I am sure that we could all come up with dozens of reasons why young girls should not wear makeup, but it is the parent's decision. We should not look down at the any parent who chooses to allow their child to wear makeup at a young age. Justine Stevens

teleeducation essays

teleeducation essays Tele-education has a long history beginning with systems like that for teaching children in Australian Outback, the British Open University and other such organizations. These built on the idea of correspondence courses where course materials are sent periodically by post and augmented the experience with broadcasts either on radio or on TV. The problem of student isolation was addressed partially through techniques such as telephone access or two-way radio links with teachers. At the end of 1980s, the vest majority of distance education throughout the worlds was still primarily print-based. Technologies used for distance education are evolving from primarily one-way technologies and applications such as computer aided learning, computer based training and computer aided instruction, to more two-way technologies and applications such as computer mediated communications and computer conferencing systems for education. The significance of two-way technologies is that they allow foe interaction between participant and tutors, and perhaps even more significantly amongst participant themselves. This development has allowed and in some senses force researches to look more closely at the impact of educational environment, on the students learning experience. In the future, it is expected that the telecommunications-based technologies to become the primary means of delivery of distance teaching. The reasons for this are as follows: a much wider range of technologies are becoming more accessible to potential distance education participants the costs of technological delivery are dropping dramatically the technology is becoming easier to use for both tutors and learners the technology is becoming more powerful pedagogically education centers will find it increasingly difficult to resist the political and social pressures of the technological ...

The 11 Best Jesuit Colleges

The 11 Best Jesuit Colleges SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Interested in attending a Jesuit college? You’ve probably come across a few in your college search and didn’t even know it. Jesuit colleges are private colleges affiliated with the Jesuit order (a form of Catholicism). However, you don’t need to be a Jesuit or a Catholic in order to attend one of these schools- or to get the most out of your experience at one. If you’re strongly considering going to a Jesuit college, you're probably wondering just how good these colleges really are, academically speaking. In this guide, we introduce our picks for thetop 11 Jesuit colleges in the US.We then offer sometips on whether you should attend one or not. Before we go over our list of Jesuit colleges, though, let's briefly go over what a Jesuit college is. What Is a Jesuit College? Jesuit colleges are private colleges and universities with a Jesuit affiliation in addition to a history of strong Jesuit influence. All Jesuit schools are affiliated with theAssociation of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. So what is a Jesuit? A Jesuit is a member of the Society of Jesus, an order of Roman Catholic priests founded in Spain in the 16th century. In other words, all Jesuit colleges are Catholic, but not all Catholic colleges are Jesuit. Jesuit colleges are known for being welcoming to students of all faiths andstrive to instill values of meaning and empathy in students. That being said,these schools typically offer a particularly wide array of resources and opportunities for students of the Catholic faith.These can include activities such as religious retreats, mission trips, and community service projects. Jesuit colleges stress key Jesuit principles, such as ethics, leadership, and community service. Students must usually take core courses in several disciplines in order to provide them with a well-rounded intellectual foundation. Many Jesuit colleges also encourage students to participate in volunteering projects outside of school. Here’s howthe Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universitiesdescribes its network of schools and their academic principles: "A Jesuit education is grounded in the liberal arts tradition with a focus on quality teaching, critical thinking, and rigorous academic standards and scholarship. †¦ Jesuit higher education is guided by a spirituality that seeks justice. Inspired by the tenets of Catholic social teaching and its intellectual and social justice traditions, a Jesuit education places great emphasis on forming 'women and men for others.' Students are engaged in a process of exploring the distinctive and constructive ways in which their knowledge and talents will best serve society." In total, there are27 Jesuit colleges in the US. Primarilysituated along the coasts, these schools range from small liberal arts colleges to large research universities. All of them aremembers of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities: Boston College Canisius College College of the Holy Cross Creighton University Fairfield University Fordham University Georgetown University Gonzaga University John Carroll University Le Moyne College Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland Loyola University New Orleans Marquette University Regis University Rockhurst University Saint Joseph’s University Saint Louis University Saint Peter’s University Santa Clara University Seattle University Spring Hill College University of Detroit Mercy University of San Francisco University of Scranton Xavier University Generally, Jesuit colleges placea high emphasis on living on-campus, volunteering, and assuming social responsibility. Finally, Jesuit schoolsdon’t appear all that differentfrom other private schools in the US. Many students enjoyJesuit colleges' unique focus on making positive contributions to society as well as their lack of an overtly religious atmosphere. Seattle University's got a fountain ... and dogs! (SaintIggy/Wikimedia Commons) The Methodology Behind Our Ranking of Jesuit Colleges To determine which schools belong on our list of Jesuit colleges, we developed a methodology that took into consideration several key factors. For each factor, the school was assigned a point value on a range of 1-5 (1 = worst, 5 = best).These points were totaled to get a final score out of 40 for each school. So the closer a school was to 40, the higher it ranked on our list. Overall, we used eight criteria to create our list: National college ranking lists:We looked at the most recent college lists on US News, Forbes, and Niche (whose rankings are strongly based on student satisfaction). Each Jesuit school was then assigned a point range from 1 to 5 based on the average of its rankings from these lists. Acceptance rate: The lower the acceptance rate, the better the school did on our list, as this shows selectivity and competitiveness. Freshman retention rate: This is a percentage that indicates what percent of freshmen stay on for the next year. Though it can be used as a general indicator of student satisfaction, it is important to note that many factors, such as students' financial situations, can influence this rate. Four-year graduation rate: Schools with high graduation rates earned more points (again, up to 5) than those with lower rates. Student/faculty ratio: Lower student/faculty ratios mean there are fewer students per teacher and thus more individualized instruction. Schools with lower ratios than others scored more points. Variety of majors: Schools offering a lot of majors and academic programs for students scored higher than those with a more limited array of options. Number of clubs and student organizations: Extracurriculars can play a key role in student satisfaction and school spirit; thus, Jesuit colleges with more clubs received more points. Median salary upon graduation: US News reports the median salary upon graduation for each school on its best colleges/universities lists. Schools whose recent graduates typically earned higher incomes were ranked higher. The 11 Best Jesuit Colleges for Undergraduates Below, we reveal our picks for the top 11 Jesuit colleges in the US. Each school includes a ranking (remember that these are still somewhat subjective), information about the school, and links to the school’s official website and our PrepScholar admissions page for it. #1: Georgetown University Ranked among the top 25 schools nationwide on several rankings lists, Georgetown is one of the most well-known and competitive Jesuit colleges in the US. Each year, more than 20,000 applicants vie for spots in Georgetown’s freshman class- and less than 20% are successful. In addition to being a highly prestigious research university, Georgetown is the oldest Jesuit college in the country. The school takes immense pride in its rich history and Jesuit roots. Students can choose from more than 200 clubs, from religious and cultural groups to academic and social organizations. More than 60% of classes have fewer than 20 students, ensuring that all students receive ample individual attention and assistance. Lastly, the school has a 96% freshman retention rate- one of the highest among Jesuit colleges. Location: Washington, DC Acceptance Rate: 16% Popular Majors: Social sciences, business, marketing Georgetown Admission Requirements The very majestic-looking Georgetown University (Flapane/Wikimedia Commons) #2: Boston College A well-known liberal arts college, Boston College ranks highly on several best colleges lists and offers a vast array of more than 60 undergraduate majors. Boston College maintains strong ties to its Jesuit roots and strives to share tenets of Catholicism with students of all faiths and backgrounds. The school offers a daily Catholic Mass service and regular talks and symposia on Catholicism. It also provides more than 200 options for student organizations. The freshman retention rate at Boston College is particularly high at 95%. Location: Chestnut Hill, MA Acceptance Rate: 32% Popular Majors: Economics, biology, psychology Boston College Admission Requirements #3 (Tie): College of the Holy Cross College of the Holy Cross is a small college located in the vibrant college town of Worcester (about 45 minutes from Boston). With more than a dozen schools in the area, Worcester offers Holy Cross students tons of dining, nightlife, and recreational options. Even on campus, students have access to numerous activities, includingmore than 100 student clubs. Holy Cross has a predominantly Catholic student body, though students of all faiths are welcome. Every year, the school presents opportunities to participate in spiritual retreats and other religious events. Holy Cross is also the only Jesuit school that caters specifically to undergraduates (meaning that there are no graduate programs). So if you’re looking for a college that focuses on undergraduate education, this could be a great choice for you. Its student/faculty ratio is 10:1- one of the best ratios of all Jesuit colleges. Nearly 60% of all Holy Cross classes have fewer than 20 students, so you can rest assured that you'll receive ample attention and guidance in your studies. Holy Cross currently has an impressive freshman retention rate of 95%. Location: Worcester, MA Acceptance Rate: 40% Popular Majors: Foreign languages, English, psychology College of the Holy Cross Admission Requirements #3 (Tie): Santa Clara University Based an hour outside of San Francisco in Silicon Valley, Santa Clara University has a very high 95% freshman retention rate and more than 50 undergraduate majors. Founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus, SCU closely follows the traditional Jesuit principles of ethics and social justice, andoffers aJesuit School of Theology. Additionally, the college strongly emphasizes sustainability and was named a top Green College in 2018 by The Princeton Review. Many of SCU’s 500+ professors are renowned Fulbright scholars, famous authors and poets, and successful scientists. What is perhaps most impressive about SCU, however, is that its graduates hold the honor of havingthe highest median salary of any Jesuit college: $63,300. Location: Santa Clara, CA Acceptance Rate: 54% Popular Majors: Business, engineering, communication Santa Clara University Admission Requirements #5: Saint Louis University Saint Louis University was founded in 1818 and is the second-oldest Jesuit college in the US. Open to students of all faiths, SLU offers more than 90 majors and academic programs- more than most Jesuit colleges do- as well as tons of extracurricular opportunities, including more than 150 clubs and more than 20 sororities and fraternities.SLU’s Campus Ministry organizes multiple mission trips and retreats throughout the school year as well. As a Jesuit college, SLU is committed to aiding the community. Each year, SLU students contribute more than one million hours of community service. The school also has an overseas campus in Madrid, where students can study for all four years or just a semester. Of all Jesuit colleges, SLU offers the lowest student/faculty ratio at 9:1, and around 43% of its classes contain fewer than 20 students. SLU has a high freshman retention rate of 90%. Location: St. Louis, MO Acceptance Rate: 64% Popular Majors: Health; business; parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies Saint Louis University Admission Requirements DuBourg Hall at Saint Louis University #6: Loyola Marymount University The biggest Catholic university on the west coast, Loyola Marymount University houses more than 6,000 undergraduates as well as seven schools that specialize in fields such as education, law, and business administration. Withmore than 150 student organizations, including 22 Greek chapters, LMU provides easy access to recreational and employment opportunities in Los Angeles, where regional offices for companies such as YouTube, Buzzfeed, and Google are based. LMU is proud of its diversity; its student body contains not only representatives from almost every US state but also international students from numerous countries, including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.LMU has a student/faculty ratio of 10:1, with more than 50% of its classes containing fewer than 20 students. The freshman retention rate is fairly high at 90%. What's more, 97% of graduates are currently employed, volunteering, or attending graduate school. Location: Los Angeles, CA Acceptance Rate: 52% Popular Majors: Visual and performing arts, marketing, journalism Loyola Marymount University Admission Requirements #7: Fordham University Based in the vibrant and urban New York City, Fordham University offersa ton of extracurricular, intellectual, and spiritual opportunities for students across three campuses: Rose Hill, Lincoln Center, and Westchester. Fordham espouses traditional Jesuit principles, including the promotion of ethics, excellence in teaching, and student care. It has more than 80 undergraduate majors and is well known for its highly ranked School of Law.Students may also use the esteemed Louis Calder Center to conduct environmental and biological research. Although Fordham doesn’t have a Greek system, it offersmore than 180 student clubsat its Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. The freshman retention rate is very high at 91%. Location: New York City, NY Acceptance Rate: 46% Popular Majors: Economics, business administration and management, finance Fordham University Admission Requirements #8: Creighton University Founded in 1878, Creighton University is currentlyranked #1 on theUS Newslist of best regional universities in the Midwest. It consists of nine undergraduate, graduate, and professional colleges, and offers more than200 clubs and organizations. Creighton is also home to a vibrant Greek community, with more than 10 sororities and fraternities. As a Jesuit college, Creighton gives students plenty of chances to get in touch with their spirituality through activities such as spiritual retreats and volunteer projects.Creighton is well known for its undergraduate research, with about 33% of undergraduate students conducting research. Its current freshman retention rate is high at 90%. Moreover, a whopping 98% of recent graduates are employed, in graduate school, or volunteering. Location: Omaha, NE Acceptance Rate: 72% Popular Majors: Health, biological and biomedical sciences, psychology Creighton University Admission Requirements St. John's Parish at Creighton University (NewTestLeper79/Wikimedia Commons) #9: Gonzaga University Located less than half a mile from downtown Spokane, Gonzaga University is an absolute haven for those interested in outdoor activities and sports. More than 60% of its students participate in intramural sports clubs, and its successful men’s basketball team is one of the university’s most highly valued sports teams. Moreover, students can run or walk on the 37-mile-long Spokane River Centennial Trail or enjoy a leisurely day at the 100-acre Riverfront Park. Gonzaga offers more than 50 undergraduate majors. Its School of Law is one of three law schools in Washington State and has produced several state Supreme Court justices. The college adheres to Jesuit traditions by working together with Bishop White Seminary to provide theology courses to students interested in becoming priests. Its freshman retention rate is very high at93%. Location: Spokane, WA Acceptance Rate: 65% Popular Majors: Business, engineering, psychology Gonzaga University Admission Requirements #10 (Tie): Loyola University Chicago One of the biggest Jesuit colleges in the US, Loyola University Chicago currently houses more than 11,000 undergraduates and 11 colleges. In total, it offers undergraduates more than 80 majors to choose from, with several of these focusing on interdisciplinary coursework. Outside of classes, Loyola Chicago participates in more than a dozen NCAA Division I sports. It also provides students with more than 250 clubs- one of the largest arrays of any Jesuit college. Based in Chicago, Loyola Chicago gives ample chances for internships, careers, entertainment, and volunteering. As a Jesuit institution, it also encourages all students to participate in service projects and events. Students can even earn academic credit for certain volunteer efforts. The freshman retention rate is high at 84%. Location: Chicago, IL Acceptance Rate: 71% Popular Majors: Health, marketing, social sciences Loyola University Chicago Admission Requirements #10 (Tie): Loyola University Maryland Established in 1852, Loyola Maryland is a smaller Jesuit institution that is currently home to around 4,000 undergraduates. The university offers more than 170 student clubs and a highly selective Honors Program in which 50 qualified freshmen enroll each year. The school also maintains a variety of Jesuit-oriented traditions, including the fall-term Mass of the Holy Spirit and the Christmas event Lessons and Carols. Loyola Maryland is deeply committed to giving students a well-rounded liberal arts education that aligns closely with the Jesuit value of helping to develop the "whole person." More than 30 majors are available, and the university's urban location allows students to explore many opportunities for personal and educational growth outside of classes. Loyola Maryland has a high freshman retention rate of 87%. Location:Baltimore, MD Acceptance Rate: 75% Popular Majors: Psychology, business, journalism Loyola University Maryland Admission Requirements Should You Attend a Jesuit College? We now know what the 11 best Jesuit colleges are. But is a Jesuit school right for you? Let’s go over some of the key factors to consider before you decide whether you should apply to a Jesuit college. #1: Do You Like the School Overall? First off, think about what you really like about the school and what draws you to it. What will you likely enjoy as a student there? What kind of atmosphere, location, or classes are you looking for? Here are some good questions to ask yourself before you apply: Do you plan to participate in any organizations or clubs? If so, consider looking for Jesuit colleges that offer a wide variety (100+) of on-campus clubs. Similarly, if you want the chance to join a sorority or fraternity, make sure it's got a Greek system. Do you like the area? There’s a big difference between urban and suburban environments. It’s important to make sure you like what the area around the school has to offer as well. For example, are there ample job opportunities for recent graduates? What about internships? Does the school offer good financial support? If money is a big concern for you (as it is for most students!), spend some time looking up how much money the Jesuit college you want to apply to usually provides incoming freshmen with. #2: Do You Agree With the Jesuit Principles? Another factor to consider is how strongly your own values align with those of Jesuit colleges. In other words, do you enjoy these schools’ emphasis on ethics? Are you excited about the idea of doing community service? Are you looking forward to gaining a broad foundation of knowledge in a variety of fields? If you answered yes to these questions, a Jesuit college might be good for you. Furthermore, if you are Catholic and would prefer a school with lots of Catholic-oriented activities, such as retreats and mission trips, you'd likely enjoy the offerings available at a Jesuit college. #3: Do the Classes and Majors Sound Interesting to You? Even if you're not sure what you want to study or major in (most high school students don't have everything figured out so soon!), it's important to make sure that the school you're interested in has classes and academic programs that sound appealing to you. For example, maybe you like the idea of studying a few foreign languages. In this case,Santa Clara Universitymight be a good fit for you since it offers an extensive modern languages program with languages such as Arabic, Chinese, French, and Japanese. Key Takeaways: The Best Jesuit Colleges There are 27 Jesuit colleges in the US, all of which belong to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Jesuit colleges are private institutions that range from small liberal arts colleges to large research universities. While Jesuit colleges are open to students of all religious backgrounds, they typically make a strong effort to abide by traditional Jesuit principles through their emphasis on ethics and core classes, and their ongoing commitment to community service. For the list of Jesuit colleges above, we analyzed multiple factors for each school, from its freshman retention rate to its student/faculty ratio, in order to offer a more well-rounded look at which Jesuit colleges are better than others. Ultimately, through our findings, we came up with a list of 11 top Jesuit colleges: 1: Georgetown University 2: Boston College 3 (tie): College of the Holy Cross 3 (tie): Santa Clara University 5: Saint Louis University 6: Loyola Marymount University 7:Fordham University 8: Creighton University 9: Gonzaga University 10 (tie): Loyola University Chicago 10 (tie): Loyola University Maryland If you're not sure whether you should attend a Jesuit school, make sure toask yourself these three questions: Do you like the school overall (including its location, atmosphere, etc.)? Do you agree with the Jesuit principles of ethics, knowledge, and community service? Do the school's classes and majors sound interesting to you? What’s Next? If you've decided to apply to a Jesuit college, be sure you know what the most common college application deadlines are as well aswhat to expect during the college application process. What are thebest graphic design schools? The best architecture schools?Check out our other lists of top schools to learn more about what makes them great choices for college.

The Recovery and Investment Plan to Rebuild the American Economy after Essay

The Recovery and Investment Plan to Rebuild the American Economy after Recession - Essay Example The Boskin commission states that accurate measures in the costs of living are among the most useful and important data necessary to evaluate economic performance. The living cost change between two periods indicates how much income people would have needed in the previous period given the price of goods and services available then. For example if a family with $15,000 income in 2000 would have needed $45,000 in 1999, then the cost of living has dropped by two thirds. The commission argues that the complexity of the dynamicity of the economy should not be reasons to bemoan the difficulties in the construction of an accurate cost of living index.It highlighted sources of possible bias and further suggests improvements to the various official statistics currently used as proxies for changes in the cost of living like the consumer price index that measures the cost of purchasing a fixed market basket of goods and services. The CPI is calculated, while keeping the weights fixed through t ime, by attempting to measure changes from one month to another in prices of the same or quite closely related goods and services. But this weights would no longer reflect what consumers are actually purchasing because through consumption baskets change in part because of changes in the relative prices of goods and services. Where the purchases are made also do change just like consumers do change their purchases. The current methodology suffers from outlet substitution bias that insufficiently takes into account the shift to discount outlets. This occurs when shifts to lower price outlets are not properly handled.  

Body Modifications in the Modern Western Society Essay

Body Modifications in the Modern Western Society - Essay Example It is imperative that considerations with regards to the ideals and beliefs be taken in order to understand as to why not just primitive cultures but modern society in general fully accepts body piercing and modification as a part of the norm. Body piercings and modifications are components of a long history of cultures that are usually rooted in shamanic and other healing practices (Favazza 2). In the past, and even in the present, blood has been a symbol of life, and thus most cultures would be putting emphasis on the importance of life and living by holding sacrifices, blood-letting, scarifications and tattoos to tribal members, whether it is part of a rite of passage or as prayer for healing, among others. The transformation of the body can be also seen as a part of a tribe’s culture, of either as a status symbol or as the ideal picture of being presentable (â€Å"Cultural Customs†). The price of attaining beauty with regards to the perspectives of some particular t ribes is by altering the normal appearance of the body into what is considered beautiful. As compared to the modern societies today, this is not something new, since there are many people who also modify their bodies by adding piercings, tattoos, even scars to promote their own identities. However, it is not a cultural thing, but a matter of choice, as is also other modifications such as body implants, body building, and other dietary alterations (Featherstone 1). Body modification is defined as practices that aim to change the natural appearance of the body in any form or means (Featherstone 1). Among such practices would be tattooing of skin, body piercings, the addition of implants in the body as well as the other dietary and exercise regimen such as fasting and body-building. In some primitive cultures, altering the body to some extent is regarded as either a rite of passage or as a beautification ritual. The addition of tattoos and other forms of scarification gives the younger boys their passport to adulthood. In a tribe in Papua New Guinea, the cutting of skin and making it seem like a crocodile’s is not just for beautification, but as a part of the transformation of boys into adults, and by entering such a ritual is their recognition of being mature in the eyes of the whole village (â€Å"Cultural Customs†). The Suri tribe in Africa cut their lips and insert a clay pot in it, and according to their customs, the larger th e plate, the more one woman is desirable to other men, and she might even get a lot of cattle as dowry for marriage (â€Å"Cultural Customs†). In Indonesia, chiseling the teeth into fine points is considered to be another form of adornment, and women who get their teeth chiseled are seen as having a higher status than those who don normal-looking teeth (â€Å"Cultural Customs†). In a westerner’s perspective this seems to be cruel, it must also be remembered that modifications of the body such as breast implants and rhinoplasty are also done my many women in order to become much more attractive to males. Also, for some people the addition of implants is a way of hastening the process of evolution. Performance artists such as Orlan and Stelarc modify their bodies through implants such as horns, and by altering their bodies they convey the message of critiquing the notion and concept of beauty (Featherstone 9). For most