8th Grade L to J Flashcard

8th Grade L to J

Three Ravens Essays

Three Ravens Essays Three Ravens Paper Three Ravens Paper Compare the Twa Corbies and the Three Ravens considering language, content and techique The ballads of the Twa Corbies and the Three Ravens arte versions of what once may have been the same poem, but time and geographical movement may have been the main contributions to the change of language, style and even content. The titles are perhaps the first significant contrast; the Scottish implying older, more primitive undertones whilst the English is presumably more modern with a certain sophistication within the use of language. Despite having this primarily differing feature, they are both about three birds -the mythological number having different implications. The darker, Twa Corbies maybe relating it to more mystical, black magical concepts whilst the Three Ravens concentrates on the Christian values of loyalty and hope -reflected within the symbolic reference of Ravens being representative of good luck. This heavily contrasts with the birds of prey that crows or corbies are. The opening line also suggests the juxtaposing themes, the English version ending with the word tree whilst the Scottish ending with alane (alone). The contrast between natures bounty and loneliness, desolation and desertion is already apparent. ` The twa corbies looks towards the prospects of death, and what they may gain by scavenging through the remains of a body. A man killed in his prime; bonny blue een and gowden hair the features of a recently killed, young man almost described like part of the treasures that they may take. The crows spy from the trees, gossiping and plotting their next moves. There even seem to be undertones reminiscent of William Shakespeares Macbeth, as the birds hear the character of Macbeth remind himself that it was he that murdered Duncan. The mythical undertones would also contribute to that of Macbeth. The poem is slightly dismissive of the theme if death which would generally dominate such a ballad; ironically the dark perceptions and interpretations of death contribute to the removal of the negative theme and reinforce the positive through what can be gained from the death. It closely follows throughout the poem that death is not the end, other than for that which has ceased. The English appears less primitive than the twa corbies, with a positive theme which clearly contrasts the corbies, focusing on the Christian virtues and loyalties and completely juxtaposing the other with opposing outlook on life and of death. The pathos of the knights loved ones within the ravens is contrasted by the knights Lady within the Twa Corbies finding a new lover, and the hounds do not lie at the feet of their deceased owner, so well they can with their master keep. The fallow doe refers to a type of dear, whom despite being pregnant, buries the body risking her own life and resulting in being dead herself. The aspects of these lines may not in fact be literal. The dear may be a reference to the personality to the lover, and the death may be the tragedy of the event and the emotional pain and grief which she must bear. The ending notes highlight the importance of loyalty, whilst one considers that life is futile and the world will not cease to continue, the other is not dismissive of the knights life, but how lucky he was, sentimentalising the theme. The imagery of the Twa Corbies seems to have a gross detachment, even refering to the corpse of the knight to an auld fail dike meaning no more than a turfed mound whilst the Three Ravens notes the body down in yonder greene field. And whilst the crows talk about picking out the eyes of the corpse for treasure, the fallow doe kissed the wounds that were so red. The compassionate words disntinctly contrast the Twa Corbies in gentler action. The repetition of His three times within the third stanza of the Twa Corbies attributes to the sense of the poem being comparable to a chant, or spell; with the mystical undertones of Macbeth. The rhyming couplets are similar to the Three Ravens although the actual rhyme is very concise compared to the half rhymes of the english version, leaving one usure of whether this is due to the softening of the tone or a confused version of the original. One may consider that some words may be pronounced differently to the time in which they were written, however, such rhymes as mate and take clearly did not. The punctuation of the Twa Corbies is regular, the shorter sentences almost making it more matter-of-fact, quickly moving without the consideration of what has been. One should perhaps also take note of the question mark within the first verse adds to the air of mystery throughout -we do not know the circumstances in which the knight has died. The use of animals within the poem is suggestive of the nature, the twa corbies referring to hounds in the sense of hunting and the ravens referring to the birds of prey that are hawks even being protective of the body. For the ravens, the death of a noble man is clearly enough for nature to reverse its ways. Both appear to be written to be accessible with varying attributes to this appeal. The nihilistic attitude of the dark humour within the twa ironically makes it more light-hearted. This unusual manner of observing and even appreciating death involves looking to what can instead be found and recycled. As opposed to grieving what has been lost, it clearly looks to what can be gained. The amoral attitude neutralises the theme and makes the primarily tragic theme into the dismissal of trivial events. A man may have died, but the world continues to move, and The wind sall blaw for evermair. The English leans towards the more obvious approach of how one may be positive throughout a tragic event. The three ravens follows the route of loyalty, sincerity and the Christian values intrinsically virtuous action. The daintily appearing manuscript is gentler and more civilised version of the brutality within the Scottish version. The techniques contribute to the type of audience that it would appeal to. The English would probably be aimed at the aristocratic audience, with the possible intervention of the English folk singing of with a derry down between the lines. It also conveys a sense of naturalness and one should not the high proportion of monosyllabic and easily accessible words. This may have contributed to the accessibility to children; tales of morality and virtuous teachings may have been projected through ballads and poems such as this. The language of the Scottish immediately strikes one as being more working-class based, with the clear dialect and abbreviations. It would perhaps have been sung by the less privileged; reminding themselves of what they have and how to make the best of a potentially disasterous situation.

Team conflict x 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team conflict x 2 - Essay Example Personal level conflicts arise due to temperamental differences, competitive attitude, egocentric bias etc. While in the case of peer to peer relations, personal interests get involved, in the case of boss to subordinate relations, conflicts would lead to underperformance and disobedience. Relational conflicts are easy to foresee as individual attitudes get easily noted as potential threats; failure to meet milestones in a time-bound manner is a sure sign of team conflict, arising mainly out of differences in goal interpretation and ways to achieve same. Conflicts play an important role in generating new ideas and hence all conflicts are not necessarily undesirable. A task may be performed in different ways and if a team member believes that there is scope for improvement in the way it is being done at present and hence voices his/her opinion, even though it may lead to conflict with colleagues or the team leader, such conflicts are to be assessed for the overall benefit to an organization, setting aside individual ego problems. Thus it is not appropriate to create an entirely sterile atmosphere that The issue here is the insecurity and jealousy of the team mates vis-Ã  -vis Vladimir and his superlative achievements. A reading of the case history clearly points to the fact that Vladimir is not averse to adjust himself to his work situation, his colleagues are not unappreciative of his talents and that given a helping hand, the situation can be brought under control. As the team leader, first task would be to settle the dispute before it escalates any further. I would call for a group meeting of my team in which Vladimir and his distracters take part. In the meeting, I will unequivocally condemn the incident and elaborate on the dire consequences that would follow if the issue is taken to its logical conclusion through a police complaint etc. Following this

Hollywood Mellodrama module Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hollywood Mellodrama module - Essay Example ry workers widow with that of the bourgeois Communist couple in the former is more redundant than revealing; and the somewhat strained antic behavior of the characters in the latter virtually demolishes any sense of form. While that form keeps pretending that the film is melodrama, the action and acting often border on The Three Stooges. Still, Margit Carstensens remarkable incarnation of the ultimate, twisted groupie--to Kurt Raabs impotent poet who "only murders those he loves"--resonates with perverse gusto within the dynamics of the Fassbinder troupe. In yet another sense, style almost supplants content altogether in Chinese Roulette (1976), as a delirious use of camera movement and eccentrically composed shots become ends in themselves. If there is a point to the upper-class shenanigans in the film, it may be that the venalities to which parents expose their children will be visited upon them in turn. At the center of the film there is a "truth" game conducted by a crippled child (Andrea Schober) who seeks to humiliate her parents, particularly her mother (Carstensen), by associating her behavior with that of a commandant of a concentration camp. The films excessive stylization barely disguises its similarity to Fassbinders interrogation of his own mother in Germany in Autumn. Mise-en-scà ¨ne aside, Mother Kà ¼sters provides an important clue to Fassbinders politics, which were hardly either left or right. In the silent German film Mother Krausens Journey to Happiness (d. Piel Jutzin, 1929), on which Fassbinders is based, the mother bemoans her miserable life in the slums, and after her son is arrested, turns on the gas and escapes into the fantasized "happiness" of the title--although the film ends with a strong socialist message as her daughter marches with the masses to the "Internationale." Living in a time that has absorbed the failures of one ideology after another, Fassbinder debunks such idealized solutions and implies that the only way social

International accounting group Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International accounting group - Coursework Example One of the benefits also include the access to the wide market when Toyota manufactures and assembles in these countries and the access to the market is cheaper as compared to the situation where Toyota manufacture in Japan and export it. The cost effectiveness for Toyota by manufacturing and assembling outside Japan is one of the major reason as the manufacturing cost in Japan is much higher than other countries and especially from developing countries. Toyota is considering to setup the manufacturing and assembly operations in under developed countries where the costs are cheap and is much beneficial for the company. Competing against General Motors in North America and with high financial stability along with the target of covering most of the markets it is beneficial for Toyota to get advantage from every opportunity that seams feasible and cut down costs and cover most of the markets. Solution 2 Toyota has been known for its quality control that it has thrived to provide keeping low costs for its products and its target customers. Like every large company it has made efforts to expand its operations and shown the great presence in markets like US. The basic purpose of expansion is to capture the market and increase its share it has always been strategic decision for the corporates as they ample opportunities for growth. However along with the opportunities management also has to focus on the risks that they might face that would have the potential to undermine their current status. Toyota has focused on TQM (total quality management) and along with processes have been sharp that enable just in time inventory. At overseas the quality of production facility might not be as that Toyota requires along with that it is would be burden and challenge for management while in headquarters in Japan to ensure the standards of facility and production raw material that they receive. Toyota’s policy of learn local might not prevail in every region that they plan t o operate as initial access would be to local markets that might not provide quality material. It’s design and technology that really matters in the automobile industry and in overseas it becomes even harder for company to ensure secrecy of its designs. Every region has different culture, requirements and most important of all government regulations that create a huge risk. Being a multinational Toyota always faces a threat regarding the foreign exchange. Solution 3 The recommended plant citation within North America is in the United States because as per the clause when 62% of the cost is covered in United States then the company shall be allowed to the free movement of its products within United States, Canada and Mexico. Toyota should consider the market conditions as to what type of facility should be considered best whether manufacturing or assembly and the demand of its products that is within the United States, Canada and Mexico as this will give Toyota the access to t he markets of these three countries as they are the members of North American Free Trade Agreement. The environmental and legal laws should be considered as Toyota has to comply with the legislations of United States in order to be operative. The cost that Toyota will bear should be less than the other

Genetic Problems Of The Cousin Marriages Sociology Essay

Genetic Problems Of The Cousin Marriages Sociology Essay Scientists working on the genetic issues of inbreeding argued that autosomal recessive gene increases homozygosity and produce malformations which are a common cause of cardiovascular, central nervous system, urogenital, ophthalmic, gastrointestinal, skeletal, cutaneous, and also multiple malformations (5 page 14). Similarly, Bundey and Alam found postneonatal mortality and childhood morbidity in the offspring of consanguineous Pakistani parents (6). Ahmed, et al (1) identified hemoglobinopathies as a major genetic problem among Pakistani cousin couples. The research- team studied 15 families carrying hemoglobin and eight control families without the history of a hemoglobin disorders. The scientists in this study found that the cousin couples carry -thalassemia and 0.5 to 1 percent carry hemoglobin S or hemoglobin E. The infants of the cousin couples affected ratio is 1.3 per 1000 live births, and according to the study infants present -thalassemia. The ratio of genetic disorders amo ng the children of the control couple was lower than the cousin marriages couple. Bullock and Khalid (4) found increased risk of low intelligence, mental instability, sickle-cell anaemia and cystic fibrosis among the children of the cousin couples. Bittles (2) argued that various types of genetic disorders have been reported to be more common among consanguineous children. For example congenital disorders including neural tube and congenital heart defects were reported. According to Bittles Autosomal recessive hearing loss disorders and visual defects such as early-onset retinal dystrophies, primary congenital glaucoma and anophthalmos also are present at increased prevalence (2 page 95) among the children of the consanguineous spouses. These inbreeding studies are conducted among the Pakistani ethnic diaspora communities living in the Western countries. However, there is a dearth of inbreeding studies within the Pakistani society. However, second perspective (8, 9) argued that the chances of the genetic disorders are low and exaggerated. This perspective claimed that there are lower chances of the genetic disorders and that the media has stigmatized ethnic minority groups which alienated the community from mainstream Western society  [1]  . Socio- Genetic Problems Genetic Problems Social Problems Congenital malformations Learning difficulties, hearing impairment, infant mortality, morbidity, long term disability, increase birth prevalence, blindness Cardiovascular disease Asthma/ eczema Single-gene disorders (neurological disorders) Cerebral palsy Down syndrome Metabolic disorders Spontaneous abortion or infertility Cystic fibrosis Urogenital Ophthalmic Gastrointestinal Skeletal Cutaneous Hemoglobin Thalassaemia Fig 1 Genetic and social issues found in relevant literature Hence, it is claimed (10) that the chances of a 4 % health risk are possible among the non-relative marriages. The chances of unrelated cousins are also high and there is nothing significant on cousin marriage offsprings (11). Genetic effects appear in later age and are overtly emphasized on the basis of medical justification (9). Thus, it can be seen from the above debate on genetics that the problem exists and the main cause is the consanguineous marriages. This is accelerating debate among medical healers, geneticists and other health professionals within the Western countries about populations carrying genetic disorders and being stigmatized on medical grounds. However, this debate is nor prevalent within the countries where cousin marriages occur on a large scale. 1.2 Cultural traditions of the cousin marriages Consanguineous marriages constitute from 20 to 60 % of all marriages (9, 12). Worldwide 8.5% of child births are from consanguineous couples (9,12 ). Ten percent of worldwide congenital and genetic disorders are due to these marriages. In the Middle East and parts of Japan, and South Asia the marriages are dominant. Nevertheless, the majority ratio is in the Middle East (30 %) and in Pakistan (40 %) (1). Such marriages are under criticism in Europe and America; get on common in Asia, Africa and Middle East (4, 7). A number of factors are listed in favour of cousin marriages; for instance property preservation within the similar social group, socio-cultural concerns of the cousins, blood ties maintenance, purification of family and association among the similar group (5). The marriages are a closed network of relatives, and they form socio-political alliances. The marriages are a source of social welfare and strong ties between the cousins that forms a kinship structure (12, 13). This pattern of marriage is customary in the Middle East and pre-dominantly in Muslim societies, especially Pakistan. There is growing argument and debate over the issues, caused by the genetics problems which are originating mainly through cousin marriages. The perceptions of genetic problems are over- emphasized in the developed nations (due to the technology, medical treatment available and awareness of the genetic issues) and with less serious concern in the developing countries which could not afford the technolog y and cost of medicine. Therefore, there is a need to know, how and where the problem lies and what impact it has on child health care. 1.3 Cosmopolitanism and indigenous knowledge of cousin marriages Cosmopolitanism is the notion that all human beings share a similar moral and scientific normative system (14, 15). The cosmopolitan knowledge is the common body of knowledge across the discipline and geographical boundaries. In this paper cosmopolitan knowledge I used as scientific debate on the cousin marriages. The term indigenous knowledge refers to ethnic and cultural perceptions of the people in a particular region which share origins and a common belief system. Cosmopolitan knowledge is a lesser debated issue among the common man in developing countries, like Pakistan, where cousin marriages prevail on a large scale. Does the cosmopolitan knowledge of congenital disorders undermine the indigenous perspectives of the belief system in the community of Kabirwala (Pakistan)? The study is aims to understand the genetic problems due to cousin marriages and the peoples perceptions of cousin marriages (daughter/ sister exchange for spouse selection) and the impact on congenital diseas es. This is an effort to know how cosmopolitan knowledge differs with the indigenous perceptions of congenital diseases among the families who are living under a woman exchange system (among cousins) and how the system is affecting child health care and why health services are unable to handle the issue within the cultural context. 2. Research design I was working on my research project exchange marriage system in Kabirwala, a town in Pakistan. During the fieldwork, I found the blind and disabled persons whose parents were married on the basis of the exchange marriage. Fig 2 Respondents level of the education  [2]   I conducted interviews in a village of Kabirwala with the spouses who were married with cousins, their children to know the issue of genetic and their perceptions about the issue. The data was analyzed in line with Grounded Theory Method. This method develops the categories from the data (19, 20, 21). I developed the concepts and categories from the interviews. I interpreted and elaborated the data relevant to genetic problems for understanding the issue and categorized the data according to the themes. Relevant reports, articles were used to strengthen the findings of the primary data (16, 17, 18).   3. Results I categories the results into below categories: 2.1 Destiny and Luck: cousin marriages and congenital diseases Mehboob  [3]  57 year old male is married with his cousin Rubia, 42 years. Rubia has nominal education. The couple have 11 children (3 sons and 8 daughters), and one child (Rakha in Fig 3) died one month after birth. Among the 11 children, two (Tahir and Najma) are blind and one child (Mehwi) has a hearing problem. The couple called it a matter of taqdeer (destiny) and argued that two children are blind due to their sin and one had died because us kay din poray ho gaye thay (he has finished his life: means he has only this life given by God). Fig 3 Family of Mehboob When I asked, was this not a genetic problem?, the respondents replied that it was Gods will and this was the reason for his sons death. It is a matter of luck, destiny and genetics has minor role to play, explained the respondents. 2.2 Religious authority and genetic problems Aslam, a 57- year old man has different views about the genetic issues and he argues that genetic issues are not real ones, and that the Prophets daughter was married with Ali (the cousin of Prophet Muhammad). He explains: it is not possible that cousin marriage has problems and that the Prophet did not forbid it. People believe that the religious interpretation is the real one, and it is Allah who gives and solves genetic problems. The family has authority to arrange the marriages and enjoy in return obedience of the son/daughter. It encourages the elders to be conformist with the local traditions and follow the traditional norms to regulate cousin network. However, a 29-year, Kalsoom a female, argued that parents control the decision-making authority because they want to rule their offspring. She tells that religion has given authority to parents but they should use this authority in a careful manner. She explains that genetics has no link with cousin marriage. The respondent claimed it is God who does whatever HE wants. Nevertheless, Kabir, a 33- year male believes that cousin marriages are as a source of security, stability, strength and unity. 2.3 Consanguineous marriages and formation of social capital Cousin marriages determined the level of the kinship involvement in the Kabirwala community. Marriage with nearest relative is preferred. The relationship between in-laws extends beyond the couple. If a marriage is successful, it will be followed by others between the two families. Fig 4 indicates the few ratios of alternatives. Fig 4 Marriage patterns Cousin links, formed through marriages persist and are reinforced through the generations.  The foremost source of the marriage proposal is within the lineage (22). It is found in this study (see Fig 5). Fig 5 Marriage trends The cousin marriages form a kind of social capital because the relatives are responsible to provide for a person in need. These cousins help, support and maintain the social security of a person in Pakistan. 2.4 Public health problem: the gaps between knowledge and indigenous belief system Akram, a 50- year male respondent elaborated his account and said, his children are more beautiful than his brothers because he was married with his cousin and his brother was married with someone other than cousins. He mentioned that it was due to his own genes that his (spouse) gave birth to beautiful children. However, Kalim a 30-year, male disagreed with the above argument and he said it was marriage of his cousins that has given a blind child. Akram is a single case so whose generalization is not possible. Some young and educated respondents have awareness about the cousin marriages and genetics problems. Rabia, 25 years, a single, female respondent mentioned that cousin marriages creates zahanat ki kami (less intellect), kamzori (physical-weakness), zahni bemari (abnormality), and apas main gharello jahgrey (domestic conflicts). Although there is evidence of blind and disabled children from cousin marriages. This appears to be with medical research on the subjects. There is nom inal awareness among the people of the genetic issues. The community is not aware about role of the genetic disorders. If anybody in the community has knowledge they negate it due to the belief system. Cultural opportunities and constraints Opportunities Constraints Purification of the family Family conflict, less knowledge of congenital disorders, lack of research, lack of awareness, lack of medical treatment infrastructure availability in the community of Kabirwala, lack of counseling opportunities, paternal authority, superstitions Strengthen kinship ties Availability of the spouses within family Support for woman status Better relations with in-laws Old age care Stable marriages Property preservation Preservation of land fragmentation Less stigma Loosening ties brings social problems Political alliances Fig 6 Comparison of opportunities and constraints 2.5 Policy steps to handle the issue of consanguineous marriages There is a dearth of the research in the community of Kabirwala with reference to the cousin marriages and the probability of genetic diseases. The scientists working in the field of inbreeding have an opportunity to study the community which has a chain of cross-cousin marriages from generations. The inbreeding scientists may be able to find some significant results about the chain of genetic diseases; the following policy steps are suggested. 1) Genetic problems are considered an important issue among the scientists and less concern among the people as the present study shows. The people in the community of Kabirwala believe that disease is a matter of destiny and luck. They do not know that there is a possibility of positive relationship between the genetic disorders and the marriages. It is possible to provide education to the people. It would be helpful to add the issue to the school syllabus. 2) The local imam (religious preacher) could spread awareness of the issue in their Friday-sermons. The imam is a person who may effectively convince the people, because the majority of the people could not read and write. The people believe the religious teachings. These illiterate people could be influenced through the cultural specific ways and means. This is an easy way for the health professional to convince the local imam about the possible inherited diseases so that he is a catalyst of social change. Short run measures are also possible to sensitize the people through media and stage-drama. However, these measure are likely not sustainable because the media is either restricted or without due credibility to spread such kind of information. 3) Counselling services create awareness if they can be delivered to the remote communities like Kabirwala. However, there is no counselling service available in the community of Kabirwala yet. 4) Legislation is a last step to ban the cousin marriages. But the ban on cousin marriage will be counter productive in this cultural context where breaking the law is considered as fashion and symbol of superiority. Non-conformity indicates a high social status in this community. 3. Discussion and conclusion Cosmopolitan knowledge has diagnosed two distinctive problems among the Pakistani cousin marriage couples, hemoglobin and thalassaemia. However, the hemoglobin is the main genetic trouble among Pakistani ethnic people (1, 4, 23, 25, 26). Human biological diseases are crucial one and need proper attention from health professionals and policy makers within the cultural and religious setting. A significant factor of cousin marriage is protection of property, to avoid land fragmentation and to maintain the close family ties and reassurance of the bride (5 page 13). This is similar to work by Shaw (24) which argues that social environment and religious belief has affected the prenatal diagnosis. Cousin marriages are stable and have a low divorce rate among first cousins (10) and have a strong socio-economic impact on the traditional family system in Pakistan. These traditional marriages are cousin, caste and endogamy marriages. The marriages form a single fabric, and if violated can harm marriage patterns with serious moral-decay consequently emerging (5, 25, 26). Thus, the present debate has a strong affect on the exchange marriages, which are overwhelmingly cousin marriages and has a negative affect on the public health. In my data, despite of the fact that respondents have education they have less knowledge about this issue. The community is lacking lively debate on the problem. Genetically disorders, visible from the health conditions, are likely to happen among the community. Cosmopolitan perspective Indigenous perspective Physical incapacity Exaggerated issue, stigmatized issue, qismat (luck) and taqdeer (destiny), child beauty, children are integrated Mental incapacity Harmful Chronic disorder Fatwa (an authoritative ruling on a point of Islamic law) Fig 7 Cosmopolitan and indigenous perspective Contrary, indigenous belief and attitudes have pointed to a few concerns: less awareness of the genetic issues, knowledge and facilities availability. The people in the community of Kabirwala believe that genetics problems have a negative relationship with the cousin marriages. This is the issue of a Western society and has less validity in Pakistani society. It is matter of destiny and luck and not a medical concern. Kabir explains: does western medicine ever stop a person to dying? This indicates apathy towards the genetic phenomenon where has less validity in the community. Therefore, the study found the evidence that cosmopolitan knowledge has no relevance with the indigenous belief system based on the above data. Culture centred techniques to cope with these problems reduce chances of cousin marriages. For example, if a local imam/ molvi or the school syllabus stresses these. There are chances to reduce the possibility of the cousin marriages in coming generations. However, this is the turning point to convince the community to tackle and handle the issue with proper strategy. This is an open choice for the public and the health professional able where with proper facilitation and information can attract the public effectively. A failure to tackle the issue in a culturally specific manner could betray the health professional. The current study found that community knowledge, belief and indigenous practices are the main causes responsible for the prevalence of cousin marriages in Kabirwala. These factors are also the stumbling-blocks in making the indigenous knowledge compatible with the cosmopolitan knowledge. Therefore, there are few concerns among the Kabirwala community about the genetic problems which way occur. They feel protected by their system of beliefs. Notion of luck and destiny is dominant in indigenous knowledge.

Corrie Ten Boom: a Feisty Christian Soldier Essay

The Holocaust is modernly viewed as one of the greatest examples of human suppression and discrimination. However, many heroes and defenders against the Holocaust remain largely uncredited by the general public. One of the unacknowledged heroes, Corrie Ten Boom, is â€Å"[an] indomitable spirit.. , not just a ‘sweet little grandmother’, but a two-fisted old Dutch soldier for Christ† (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† U*X*L). Through her unshakable faith in God, Corrie Ten Boom was able to valiantly aid the Holocaust victims in their most dire time of need despite the constant danger of being captured. Ten Boom’s generosity was cultured from her religious background and loving family, who was always supportive and equally charitable (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). As Ten Boom was growing up, her family participated in various charitable aid projects and their home, as well as their family business, served as a hub of activity in their neighborhood, where they frequently provided meals to the homeless and took in several foster children (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). Additionally, Corrie and her siblings, being raised as devout Christians, knew many Jewish families in the neighborhood and even ran the Dutch Reformed church’s outreach program for Jews (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). Later on, Corrie took over her family’s watchmaking business and also began to make contributions of her own (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† U*X*L). She began to conduct Bible classes in public schools and Sunday schools, making a special effort to reach out to the mentally disabled, and also establish youth clubs for teenage girls, providing religious guidance and fine arts lessons (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† U*X*L). As a result, the community social work she had done for many years evolved into the Ten Boom’s participation in Haarlem’s underground resistance movement (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). When Chancellor Adolf Hitler rose to power, the Ten Booms began to worry for the freedom and safety of their Jewish neighbors after the rumored reports of harassment of Jews surfaced, and they selflessly sacrificed their own well-being in order to protect them (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). Soon, on May 10, 1940, when the Nazi armies invaded the Netherlands, Corrie decided it was time to step in and live her faith (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia; â€Å"Extraordinary Bravery†). And so, throughout the years, Ten Boom became a key figure in the Haarlem underground movement as she kept a hidden refuge quarters above the watch shop and provided for the hideaways, using her connections she acquired from her previous charity works (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). Soon, the German occupation grew harsher and the restrictions tighter, but Ten Boom, along with her family, never considered wavering from their course of action because they believed that the Jews were God’s people and that saving them was the right thing to do (â€Å"Extraordinary Bravery†; â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). In 1944, the Ten Boom family was arrested for suspicion of hiding Jewish refugees and Corrie plus her sisters were later sent to Ravensbruck, a notorious concentration camp in Germany (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). However, they remained defensive of the Jews and managed to smuggle them out of their shelter through hidden secret messages (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). During her stay in Ravensbruck, Corrie withstood horrible living conditions of near-starvation, extreme manual labor, and vermin infestation (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). Even so, Corrie refused to despair and instead devoted her time to bringing hope back into the inmate’s lives, speaking and praying with them (Higgins). Corrie kept her faith in God and was released on Christmas Day of 1944, by the lucky mistake of a clerical error (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† U*X*L). After her release, Ten Boom remained thankful towards God and began speaking about her experiences, spreading recognition of the terrible ordeals of the Jewish people through her books and funding of missionary work (â€Å"Extraordinary Bravery†). Characterized by her actions, Corrie Ten Boom fits the definition of a hero. Throughout her life, Corrie Ten Boom made an influential impact on the people around her (â€Å"Extraordinary Bravery†). Despite the constant rising dangers of being persecuted by the German Nazis, Ten Boom remained sympathetic towards the Jews, believing that they were God’s people and that she needed to save them (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† Encyclopedia). Because of her undeniable assurance in God, Corrie Ten Boom was able to make many charitable contributions, helping many people around her and bringing them hope (â€Å"Corrie Ten Boom† U*X*L).

Identifying Emerging Issues in Mobile Learning Essay

The workshop series was funded by the UK’s Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) as part of the Emerge Community within JISC’s own Users and Innovation research programme. This exploration focused on identifying emerging issues for the sector arising from the increasingly likely large scale use of Smartphones, PDAs and camera phones by learners in HE and FE, both on campus and in the workplace. This was carried out through scenario generation using three different futures prediction tools in three workshops. The following issues were identified as being the most likely to appear in the future of mobile learning five years from now: the increasing use of ‘just in time’ and ‘as and when necessary’ training. the need for always on affordable connectivity and power. increased support for an approach to teaching and learning that is more collaborative than didactic. concerns over scalability; learning communities are divided over whether there is a role for mobile devices in formal teaching, especially in large groups and lectures. oncerns over the merging of personal and vocational information and practice. The strong match between affordances of mobile devices and learning opportunities in work based and experiential learning across the board. increased peer to peer networking and collaboration. the need for design specifications for a secure online all-purpose data repository accessible by different browsers according to device at hand. Other emerging issues for mobile learning in HE and FE include both ethical and practical implications. These include cultural barriers and resistance to change amongst lecturers and associated teaching professionals. Examples are: fears for the erosion of lecturers’ personal time; concerns over security related to the increasing amount of information and number of images to be stored and privacy issues related to the ease with information can be captured in a range of locations. There is also the opportunity to reconsider assessment practices, recording the process of developing an assignment rather than simply marking the product. One last issue, one that is in need of urgent attention, is the need for the development by students and staff of agreed practice, establishing how mobile devices are to be used responsibly in institutions before inconsiderate use or ignorance of their potential to enhance learning results in banning a valuable learning tool. Acknowledgements The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the contributions made by members of the Adding a Mobile Dimension to Teaching and Learning network who played a major part both in the scenario development activities at the workshops on which this paper is based and to the review of the scenarios generated. We are also grateful for the financial support from JISC via the Emerge community for this project. 1 Introduction This report details the scenarios developed in a series of discussion workshops exploring visions of how mobile technologies and devices will influence the practice of users in Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) in the future five years hence. The workshop series was funded by the UK’s Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) as part of the Emerge Community within JISC’s own Users and Innovation research programme. This current exploration focuses on identifying emerging issues for the sector arising with the increasingly likely large scale use of Smartphones and mobile phones with the capability to record both video and audio by learners both on campus and in the workplace in HE and FE. These devices have become well established throughout the student community, a survey of 177 students at the University of Southampton found that 94% were regular users and owners of mobile phones (Davidson and Lutman 2007). This dovetails with data from Ofcom (2008) which shows that mobile phone ownership in the 15-24 age group of the UK population is stabilising at around 95% and students to come will be even more experienced in their use. For example, older students in schools that ostensibly ban mobile phones are now regularly being allowed to use the cameras on their ‘phones to record special events or experiments in lessons to help them revise. What is mobile learning? The field of mobile learning has been developing fast as a research topic over the past eight years and accordingly ideas of what exactly mobile learning is have also developed. Winters (2006) noted how various groups researching mobile learning have used definitions that fall into four categories: one – mobile learning as technocentric, where learning is seen as something that makes use of mobile devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones; two – defined by its relationship to e-learning, where mobile learning is seen as an extension of elearning; three – as augmenting formal education and four – as learner centred, enabling the possibility of lifelong learning. These does not address the unique selling point of mobile learning which is closely linked to the capability of the mobile learner moving between traditionally separate contexts such as the work place and the teaching base supported by handheld technology that they can work with interactively to capture, access and store quantities of information in different multimedia formats. Thus mobile learning can be best described as â€Å"the processes (both personal and public) of coming to know through exploration and conversation across multiple contexts amongst people and interactive technologies† (Sharples, Arnedillo Sanchez, Milrad & Vavoula 2007). Mobile learning in post-compulsory education in the UK A presentation from Traxler & Sugden (2007) places the current state of mobile learning in the UK as consisting of considerable numbers of small scale trials and pilots taking place over fixed periods of time. Confirmation that the practice of using mobile technology to support learning in post-compulsory education is not yet embedded in current practice within institutions was demonstrated during the search for previous research for this paper, where no ongoing large scale uses were found. From currently available sources there is little or no indication as to the extent to which mobile devices are being used in Higher and Further Education. Findings from interviews conducted by Bird and Stubbs (2008) with mobile learning innovators in ten Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were surprisingly consistent with most respondents reporting that they experienced or expect to experience the same kind of issues. These were mostly in the form of barriers to establishing and sustaining an m-learning innovation in a university 2 environment. Issues which dominated were: skills gaps (in IT support and especially academic staff and somewhat unexpectedly students who despite being heavy users ), lack of technical support (IT services provision), procurement and accounting policies based around PC usage, inclusion issues due to cost of devices and/or data, ethical and legal issues, quality assurance especially with respect to data ownership, sustainability (all projects were based on external funding), device limitations, standards churn, privacy and security, and lack of a ‘killer application’ for the context. Interviews with users trialling PDAs at the Open University (Pettit and Kukulska-Hulme, 2008) indicated that the wireless infrastructure was widely regarded as a critical factor in influencing adoption of the device. Most papers reviewed for the current investigation referred to theoretical speculation about future potential, others discussed projects outside of the UK in Europe or East Asia, however, in the remaining 20%, an impressive range of pilots with different handheld devices was described. These indicate that there is considerable potential for engaging and supporting learners via mobile technologies. These pilots point to greater use of context relevant information especially images and video in learning and to greater collaboration enabled by easily portable, handheld devices connected to the internet via wi-fi or broadband. The following examples indicate the range of activities tested and are included by sector. Higher education Lecturers have evaluated a range of devices from multi-function PDAs and Smartphones to simple texti messaging (SMS). In one of the first examples of the use of PDA’s in an undergraduate setting Ramsden (2005) successfully tested giving undergraduate Economics students at the University of Bristol access to VLE’s and course materials via internet-enabled PDAs. As well as enabling access to course resources any time, anywhere, having the PDA allowed the students to hold question and answer sessions via the online discussion board during lectures which they found this particularly helpful. The University of Birmingham has evaluated the use of PocketPC handheld computers to offer multiple mobile applications to university students in the form of a ‘mobile learning organiser’. The main uses were for issues of time and course management and access to course materials. Other functions included the ability to communicate via email and instant messaging and to organise notes. The participating students made good use of the calendar and timetable facilities as well as communication tools and were keen for more content to be delivered in this manner. (Corlett et al, 2005) At London Metropolitan University the Reusable Learning Objects (RLO) Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) works on the design, development and use of learning objects many of which run on mobile phones. Smith et al (2007) discuss the motivation they have seen in students (sports science in this case) to learn via subject specific learning objects (programs) such as Flash animations of muscle groupings and movements that run on their own or loaned mobile phones. Other animated tutorials, language learning for example, include multiple choice quizzes (Tschirhart et al, 2008). In another study Cook, Pachler and Bradley (2008) found that loaning postgraduate students Nokia N91 phones to make notes and take images for upload to web based media board such as Lifeblog and tribal’s Mediaboard led to blurring the boundaries between study, work, and personal time and between formal and informal practice. In the Spatial Literacy in Teaching (SPLINT) CETL at the Universities of Nottingham and Leicester applications aimed at Geography students are being developed for PDAs and tablet PCs where the PDA screen is held up towards the real scene to offer additional information about that scene, ‘augmenting’ reality for the user (Priestnall and Polmear, 2007). For example, trials of a PDA application designed to teach the geomorphology of the Lake District, NW England showed that students the students learned to appreciate the power of geocontextualised visualisation to support their understanding of landscape processes (Jarvis et al, 2008). The University of Nottingham has used mobile phones and similar software to enable group blogging as a tool to support Chinese students in the process of enculturation as they get used to a new society and to enter the local community. The â€Å"learners showed a obvious interest in flexibility of time and space that potentially extends ‘antennas’ of the group blog to deeper insight of local culture. † (Shao, Crook & Koleva, 2007). Other examples used simpler devices and text messaging. The Mobiles Enhancing Learning and Support (MELaS) project saw the University of Wolverhampton test using text messaging with first year undergraduates in five departments aiming to enhance the student learning experience. In all 27 staff successfully interacted with 938 different students through at least one of: one way (staff to learner) communication, formative assessment with feedback, and a collaborative learning discursive tool (Brett, 2008). In another study sports education students at the University of Bath reported that SMS messages to their mobile phones from faculty were found welcome in assisting them to learn time management skills and as an extension of the tutor’s voice beyond the traditional lecture environment. This helped to reduce the perceived psychological distance between students, their peers and tutors (Jones, Edwards & Reid, 2008). SMS messaging has been trialled in lecture theatres too. Elliman (2006) reports successfully using a system that allowed students to provide feedback by SMS on their level of comprehension during a lecture. The system displays a histogram showing understanding level which is continually updated during the lecture together with comments and question in a scrolling area of the screen. At Brunel University, first year undergraduate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) students found that revision podcasts, downloaded to their personal digital media players were popular and perceived as more effective than revising from traditional textbooks (Evans 2008). In a review of podcasting to support distance learning in the Open University, UK Minocha and Booth (2008) conclude that audio technologies such as podcasts can not only support mobile learning but also entice, motivate, inform and reinforce. Further Education Mobile technology has been used in a number of colleges as a means to bring new learning opportunities to students who might otherwise not have access to college education. Many of these projects have been funded by the Learning and Skills Council under the MoleNET initiative or by the JISC e-Learning Programme. At Pembrokeshire College, an mlearning trial project was carried out from 2005-7 to support NEET students (NEET – not in education, employment or training) with reentry to education, training or work. Giving students access to PDA’s helped to engage them and improve communication with a difficult to reach group. The use of SMS messaging enabled the teachers to keep in touch with this very transient group of learners and helped identify opportunities for learning as when they occurred. (Pembrokeshire College 2007). Similar projects working with NEET learners have also been carried out at Accrington and Rossendale College, Tower Hamlets College and Weston College (MoLeNET 2008). 4 Having the capability to learn anywhere by means of handheld PDAs allowed Dewsbury College and Bishop Burton College, West Yorkshire to provide learners in outreach centres and workplace learning environments with similar access to learning resources as their peers on the main college campus (JISC 2005a). Mobile phones have also been found useful to help in location based learning. The City of Southampton College has been assisting ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) students to improve their opportunities for meaningful language interactions. Visiting locations within the city to help get to know their locality, students were asked location specific questions answered through SMS messaging and posting images to an interactive website. The project found that such techniques enhanced the students’ literacy and numeracy skills and helped to engage hard to reach learners such as those from the multiethnic Southampton community where many students have English as a second language (JISC 2005b). As in Higher Education bulk text messaging services to support managing learning have proved popular with most students. There are those for whom this sort of service is particularly useful. Derwen College (JISC, 2008a) found that their students who have varying degrees of physical disabilities and learning difficulties responded well to reminders to students for things like surgery and other appointments, dinner times and class notifications. Simple text based interaction was also used at Lakes College West Cumbria (JISC, 2008b) who piloted the use of iPod nanos to provide multiple choice revision quizzes for Construction students, many of whom have learning difficulties and struggle with paper-based revision processes. The iPod quizzes proved popular with every student in the cohort making use of the iPods during the revision period. The use of handheld devices to record or view multimedia to support learning is also proving popular. At Southwark College students are using low-priced, pocket-sized camcorders to overcome some of the technical and organisational barriers to using video in the classroom and for recording evidence of learning (JISC, 2008c). Examples included recording students’ oral presentations in English which were then used by the students for practice and reviewing with each other and Level 2 students in Art and Design recording technique demos and talking about their work to inform Level 1 students hoping to progress. Other projects, such as My Podcast at New College, Swindon (Warren, 2008), involve podcasting with lecturers creating both audio and video podcasts that students can download and play on handheld PDA’s or MP3 players for revision or extra support with a topic wherever they happen to be, in the workplace, at home or in college or moving between the two. Work Based Learning Both HE and FE institutions place students training for professions, whether medicine, building, teaching or hairdressing etc. in the workplace for a significant proportion of their course. Students, often at considerable distance from their teaching bases, need online access to course materials and other context specific information, to communicate with their tutors and to produce records of their progress and assignments for assessment. Mentors in the workplace need to authenticate and support this student learning. A number of pilots have been set up to test how mobile technologies can successfully be used to support students on work placements. For instance, mobile devices have been used to give instant hands on access to information that would be difficult to carry around on the job. At the James Cook University Hospital in 5 Middlesborough, 5th year medical students tested the use of PDA’s providing access to formulae, clinical guidelines, electronic portfolios and other web-based materials. They found portable access to these facilities useful, as was the ability for supervisors to ‘sign-off’ log books using their normal signatures on the PDA. (Cotterill et al, 2008). Reynolds et al (2007) found that a PDA proved to be a convenient and versatile mode of access to online education for dentistry students at King’s College, London. The 12 students were most positive about being able to make notes for individual study, to keep a diary of their commitments to teaching sessions and to having on the spot access to online support materials, particularly videos. Teaching is another profession where students need access to a wealth of information. Wishart et al (2007) found that when student teachers trialled the use of PDA’s in school they deemed the calendar or diary to be articularly supportive. Email was also used, primarily to maintain contact with other students and the university tutor, and the web browser was used to access information both in class and for personal reasons. Some students used spreadsheets to record pupils’ attendance and grades and most, in this pilot involving 14 trainees, used the word processor to make notes from meetings and on lesson observations for essays. However, the prevailing sociocultural climate where mobile phones are often banned and PDA’s a rarity meant that trainees often felt uncomfortable using their device on school premises. In FE mobile technology has been used in the work place for just in time problem solving, such as through the Hairdressing Training programme developed by the University of Manchester’s data centre, Mimas, and now used by 500 students at Stockport College, which offers step-by step guides to hairdressing techniques for styling, colouring and cutting (Smith, 2008) Also PDA’s have been found to be useful in connecting work based learners in FE who may otherwise be isolated from learning opportunities. Such devices have been used to assist apprentices in remote rural locations in Lincolnshire to give flexible learning options and to build achievement and self-esteem (Lambourne, 2008) and to provide learning and social networking opportunities to care workers in schools and nursing establishments in the Bourneville area of Birmingham (Brown, 2008). Finally, one of the largest trials of mobile technology in the workplace, currently ongoing with around a 1000 students in five universities in Yorkshire, is that being run by the Assessment of Learning in Practice Settings (ALPS) CETL1, a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning that focuses on assessment and learning in practice settings and involving nursing and allied health care practitioner trainees. Initial indications (Dearnley et al, 2008) showed that both students and lecturers were positive about a range of benefits having a PDA enables however, introducing mobile technology into the clinical setting will require a significant shift in culture and a significant level of training and support. 1 http://www. alps-cetl. ac. uk/ 6 Summary While the above mentioned projects demonstrate the range of learning activities that have been trialled in UK institutions, recent advances in the abilities of the mobile devices themselves offer the chance to deliver new services to learners that have not yet been tested. The 2009 Horizon Report notes how the adoption of novel interfaces (like the iPhone), the new ability of mobile devices to download applications and to be location aware through GPS signals, all offer new opportunities for learning. With the addition of broadband-like data connections, the boundary between what is a mobile phone and a portable computer are being ever more blurred (New Media Consortium 2009). It is in this technology context that the workshop participants came together to imagine future scenarios for the use of mobile technology in learning, drawing on their wide experiences of previous research projects and contemplating how developing mobile technologies could open up new opportunities for connecting learners and teachers. 7 Methods: Developing Future Scenarios In this project three different tools were used to support future predictions. The first used for the workshop focusing on the practice of users in Higher Education (HE) in the future five years from today was the Cognitive Foresight toolkit available from the UK Government Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Office of Science and Technology, 2005). It was developed for strategic futures planning and provides guidance on different techniques that can be used in the different stages of developing future scenarios and the ways they can be combined. This first workshop employed driver analysis to build internally consistent future scenarios from an assessment of the way current trends and drivers are influencing the present use of mobile technologies in HE. First the workshop participants ‘brainstorm’ a range of drivers for the currently observable trends. Next scenarios are produced by taking the drivers identified as having the highest importance and highest impact as orthogonal pairs of axes and visualising up to four scenarios that match the chosen combinations. This method is illustrated in the example below. More of †¦ Scenario Decrease in †¦ Increase in †¦ Less of †¦ The second used the Futures Technology Workshop method (Vavoula and Sharples, 2007) to look at future scenarios in work based learning. This is a structured method whereby people, in this case with experience in the specific area of the use of mobile technologies in education, envision and design the interactions between current and future technologies and an activity. Through a series of structured workshop sessions they collaborate to envisage future activities related to technology design, build models of the contexts of use for future technologies, act out scenarios of use for their models, re-conceive their scenarios in relation to present-day technologies, list problems with implementing the scenarios exploring the gap between current and future technology and activity. The workshop method was edited slightly within the time constraints of the day so that the structured sessions comprised: i. i. Imagineering: brainstorm on desired future learning activities. Modelling: in groups, producing models that demonstrate the envisioned activities, complete with related props. 8 iii. iv. Retrofit: developing a role play for another group’s scenario using only current technologies. Futurefit Requirements: listing requirements for the future technologies that have to be in place for the scenario to be realised. The third workshop on future scenarios in Further Education (FE) followed a method devised by FutureLab, an educational thinktank aimed at transforming the way people learn that focuses on the potential offered by digital and other technologies. This method for developing scenarios uses non-specific images of people of different ages in different locations printed on cards as a stimulus to thinking. The workshop used cards such as these shown below from the Building Visions for Learning Spaces sequence of cards. The workshop participants are then asked to envision first a range of learning activities that could be happening within the image and the people involved in them, then the anticipated outcomes and the technological resources that will be needed. One of these activities is then chosen by each of the groups for fuller development into a future scenario. In each of the above three cases the workshop was set up to start with two initial keynote presentations designed to stimulate thought and discussion from recognised experts. These keynotes (found under workshops 8-10) are available from the Adding a Mobile Dimension to Teaching and Learning web site2. These were followed by a series of discussion activities informed by the futures prediction method being used and facilitated by the research team. A discussion workshop is a recognised method of collaborative knowledge construction through discussion and debate amongst peers or experts. The workshops were run as focus groups with the facilitator encouraging discussion and debate and following a qualitative, phenomenological research approach.

The Ethanol Subsidy and How Biofuel Tax Incentives Work

The Ethanol Subsidy and How Biofuel Tax Incentives Work The primary ethanol subsidy offered by the federal government is a tax incentive called the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2004. It took effect in 2005. The ethanol subsidy, which is commonly referred to as the blenders credit, offers ethanol blenders registered with the Internal Revenue Service a tax credit of 45 cents for every gallon of pure ethanol they blend with gasoline. That particular ethanol subsidy cost taxpayers $5.7 billion in foregone revenues in 2011, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the nonpartisan congressional watchdog agency. Debate Over the Ethanol Subsidy Supporters of the federal ethanol subsidy argue that it encourages production and use of the biofuel and thereby reduces the amount of foreign oil needed to produce gasoline, a step toward energy independence. But critics argue that ethanol burns far less efficiently than gasoline, driving up fuel consumption and that it increases demand for corn for fuel and artificially boosts the cost of farm commodities and retail prices of food. They also say such an incentive is unnecessary because legislation enacted in 2007 requires oil companies to produce 36 billion gallons of biofuels such as ethanol by 2022. While born of good intentions, federal subsidies for ethanol have failed to achieve their intended goals of energy independence, U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, a Republican from Oklahoma and leading critic of the ethanol subsidy, said in 2011. The effort to Kill the Ethanol Subsidy Coburn led an effort to repeal the ethanol subsidy in June of 2011, saying it was a waste of taxpayer money - he said the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit cost $30.5 billion from 2005 through 2011 - because consumption remained only a small part of the countrys fuel use. His effort to repeal the ethanol subsidy failed in the Senate by a vote of 59 to 40. While Im disappointed my amendment did not pass, taxpayers should remember that when I offered an amendment to defund the Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska in 2005 we lost that vote 82 to 15, Coburn said in a statement. Over time, however, the will of the people prevailed and Congress was forced to scale back this wasteful and corrupting practice. Today, the earmark favor factory is mostly closed. Only the tax division remains open. Im confident this debate, and many more ahead, will expose the tax code for what it is - an abomination that favors the well-connected over working families and small businesses. History of the Ethanol Subsidy The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit ethanol subsidy became law on Oct. 22, 2004, when President George W. Bush signed the American Jobs Creation Act into law. Included in that piece of legislation was the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit. The initial bill gave ethanol blenders a tax credit of 51 cents for every gallon of ethanol they mixed with gasoline. Congress reduced the tax incentive by 6 cents per gallon as part of the 2008 Farm Bill. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, gasoline refiners and marketers are required to pay the full rate of tax, which is 18.4 cents per gallon on the total gasoline-ethanol mixture but can claim the 45 cents per gallon tax credit or refund for each gallon of ethanol used in the mixture. The ethanol subsidy benefits multibillion-dollar integrated oil companies such as BP, Exxon, and Chevron. The First Ethanol Subsidy The Energy Policy Act of 1978 was the first federal legislative ethanol subsidy. It allowed for a 40-cent tax exemption per gallon of ethanol, according to Purdue University.The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 increased the tax exemption to 50 cents per gallon of ethanol.The 1990 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act extended the ethanol subsidy to 2000 but decreased the amount to 54 cents a gallon.The 1998 Transportation Efficiency Act of the 21st Century extended the ethanol subsidy through 2007 but reduced it to 51 cents per gallon by 2005.Bushs signature on the Jobs Creation Act changed the way the modern ethanol subsidy worked. Instead, it offered a straight tax credit to producers, the legislation allowed for the blenders credit. President Trump Protects the Ethanol Subsidy During his 2016 campaign, President Donald Trump came out as one of the ethanol subsidy’s strongest supporters. Speaking in Iowa, where corn is king, on January 21, 2016, he said, â€Å"The EPA should ensure that biofuel . . . blend levels match the statutory level set by Congress,† adding that he was â€Å"was â€Å"there with you [farmers] 100 percent† on continuing federal subsidy for ethanol. â€Å"You’re going to get a really fair shake from me.† After Trump took office in January 2017, all seemed well with the ethanol subsidy until early October, when his own EPA administrator Scott Pruitt announced that the agency was considering lowering the EPA-mandated subsidy payment level for ethanol â€Å"slightly† in 2018. The suggestion sent shockwaves through the Corn Belt and its Republican congressional protectors. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley accused Trump of a â€Å"bait and switch,† in reference to his empathic campaign promise. Grassley and Iowa’s other Republican senator, Joni Ernst, threatened to block all of Trump’s future EPA appointments. The governors of most Corn Belt states joined in sending Trump warning him than any cutback in the Renewable Fuel Standard program’s subsidies would be â€Å"highly disruptive, unprecedented and potentially catastrophic.† Faced with the potential loss of influence over some of his strongest congressional backers, Trump quickly told Pruitt to back off any future talk of cutting the ethanol subsidy. On July 5, 2018, Pruitt resigned amid multiple accusations of ethics violations involving his excessive and unauthorized personal use of government funds. He was replace within hours by EPA deputy director Andrew Wheeler, a former lobbyist for the coal industry.

Feminism In Film Essays

Feminism In Film Essays Feminism In Film Essay Feminism In Film Essay Professor Parallel April 11, 2013 Feminism: Female Protagonists Against Moral and Social Crime In our society today, there are many different types of crimes being committed everyday. These crimes range in severity and type. There are very blatant crimes such as murder or burglary, but there are also more subtle crimes such as moral or social crimes. Moral or social crimes are ones that go against commonly accepted moral or social codes. Some examples of these crimes are racism, substance abuse, or discrimination against a group based on a similar quality. One major types of coordination that we have seen in our society is gender discrimination, mainly against women. This type of discrimination sparked a phenomena called feminism. Feminism promotes gender equality and fights for womens rights in all aspects of society. Today, we can see feminism all around us from women in the workforce to literature and cinema. Three films that strongly support gender equality and pro- feminism are The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Alien film series (Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien Resurrection), and Legally Blonde. : One aspect of these films that makes hem so interesting is the fact that they are so different and they are able to convey many aspects of feminism. The film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was released in 2011 and directed by David Finches. This film was based on the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Sties Larsson and it is the second film adoption made; the first was a Swedish version released in 2009. The original Swedish title of this novel was MÂ ¤n Some Hater Skiving, which translates to Men Who Hate Women. This title was originally chosen because if sums up the misogynistic crimes in the book. The 2011 film focuses on an English Journalist Mikhail Biologist (played by Daniel Craig) and his computer hacking female assistant Elisabeth Slander (played by Rooney Mar). Together, this duo is investigation the whereabouts of a girl who went missing forty years prior. Although the heart of this story is about the investigation of the missing girl, many tend to focus more on the crimes that are committed against the leading female character. She has been sentenced to state legal guardianship due to being diagnosed with mental incompetence. This means that the state does not believe she is able to take are of herself, so they have assigned someone to manage her finances and most aspects of her life. The court has placed her under the supervision off lawyer, Nils Bujumbura. This alone is a moral crime against Elisabeth because they are placing the power over her in the hands if a man. This man proceeds to blackmail her into granting him sexual favors in return for access to her finances. Elisabeth is complacent in the beginning because Bujumbura is not forcing her to have vaginal sex but he eventually asks her for more. When Elisabeth refuses his off, he proceeds to brutally has been committed against her. She proceeds to attack him at their next meeting, rape his with a dildo in the same manner he raped her, and permanently tattoos l am a rapist pig across his chest and stomach. Once she is done, she informs his that she filmed him taking advantage of her and she blackmails him into giving her full control of her finances and life. This is the main crime against women because Bujumbura is abusing his power, taking advantage of her and ignoring her wishes. Elisabeth reaction to this is to take her power back. Fob recognize this? I had it with me last time I set it here, remember? And this snap, you see it? Its not a snap, its a wide angle fiber optics lens. I thought it was goanna be another blow Job, which is disgusting enough. But I misjudged Just how sick you are. Okay, heres whats going to happen. Pay attention. Look at me. Once you can sit again, which could be a while, I admit. Were going to g o to my bank and tell them that I alone have access to my money. Nod. After that you will never contact me again. Each month you will prepare a report of a meeting we will never have. In it you will describe how well Im doing, how sociable Im becoming. Then, you will negotiate with the court to have my acceleration if incompetence lifted. If you fail, this video will spread across the internet like a virus. Nod (Finches, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). This quote represents main example of feminism in this film. As stated before, Elisabeth reaction is to rape Bujumbura and blackmail him. This shows the female rising up and showing the man that they are equal. She retaliates by treating him the exact way he treated her. She is showing him that she owns her own life and he does not have power over her Just because he is a man. Elisabeth is not the stereotypical female protagonist that many expect to see in a film or a novel. She is shown to be very masculine and harsh both in her appearance and personality. Although Elisabeth is not the stereotypical female protagonist, she is close to what one might expect for a stereotypical feminist. Her whole persona is what contributes to her being a feminist from her highly masculine appearance to her dont mess with me personality. She is shown with multiple tattoos, lots of piercing, short hair, and casually clothed. She is not a damsel in distress, or a woman who needs a man to protect her. She is an independent woman who can take care of her own affairs. Elisabeth is also not a woman who follows the standards of a female in conventional society. This contributes to her pro-feminist ideology because she comfortable in her own skin and she is a woman based in her own definition, not societys. The next group films that portray feminist ideas are the series of Alien movies. The first film, Alien, was directed by Riddled Scott and it was released in 1979. The second film, Aliens, was directed by James Cameron and it was released in 1986. The third film, Alien 3, was directed by David Finches and it was released in 1992. Lastly, the fourth film, Alien Resurrection, was directed by Jean-Pierre Jennet and was released in 1997. Although all four films were directed by different people, they all share the common theme of feminism in a very similar manner. All four movies are science fiction horror films and they follow the same plot line and back-story. The basic plot line for all four movies focuses on the main character Ellen Ripley (played by Sojourner Weaver) and her interactions with an alien race, the Xenomorphic. This alien race is very predatory and their only goal in life is to keep their race alive and growing. The most society, which means they only have one queen whose goal is to rule the society and the rest fight to protect her. To reproduce, the face-huggers must implant a living host with her larvae. Once implanted within the living host, the larvae will grow and then rip its way out off the halts chest. The first main way that this film series is feminist in nature if the spin it puts on traditional gender rolls and gender stereotypes. In a traditional gender role, the male is the one who is brave, protective, strong, and saves the day. On the other hand, the female is the one who is passive, cared, helpless, and is dependent on the male for survival. This film takes those roles and slightly switches them. The main character who is able to defeat the aliens is a woman, Ripley. Similarly to Elisabeth from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Ripley is not the stereotypical girl female protagonist. Ripley is always shown as being brave, courageous, and masculine. One main reason for the masculinity of Ripples character is because her role was originally written as a male character. The director chose to cast a female spur of the moment. Once they cast Sojourner Weaver, they made very few changes to the script or direction. Ripley is also an interesting and pro-feminist protagonist because she is not involved with a man and there is no romance in the plot. This shows that she is an independent woman who is able to thrive on her own. Ripley, though, is not saved through the interventions of a male hero: she saves herself (Tory). Ripley is a character who is able to develop and survive without the help off male counterpart. This shows that Ripley is an independent woman who does not need help to succeed. Through the progression of each film, Ripples character becomes more masculine and independent but she never looses her femininity. For example, in Aliens, the crew discovers a young girl named Newt who has been able to survive on her own. Ripley proceeds to take Newt under her wing and protect her in a very maternal way. Newt becomes extremely attached to Ripley and even starts referring to her as Mommy. In contrast to Ripley, there are male characters such as Dallas who are reliant on the female character and are not able to protect themselves. Many of the males in these films are shown as cowards and helpless. In the first film Alien, a male character is the only one who is impregnated by the aliens and dies as a result. This is a very interesting stereotypical role reversal because Kane, a male character, is the one being raped, impregnated and giving birth. Kane has been impregnated by the face- hugger and he then awakens with no memory of the event. This is very similar to women being raped and not remembering the event because they were drugged with Roping or Speculation, the two most common date rape drugs. Kane gives birth to an alien known as a chest-buster, which is the most graphic scene in the entire film. Kane is shown to be in excruciating pain while the phallic-shaped alien fetus frees itself from the confines of his chest. This also mirrors the great deal of pain women feel during the birthing process. The Alien film series has been drenched in gender, rape and feminism since the concept was first conceived. The visual concepts were adapted from the works of H. R. Geiger. In Jiggers original designs, he made the creatures very blatantly sexual featuring multiple body parts made out of human genitalia. Although the final visuals in the movies are not exactly like Jiggers original concepts, they are toned down versions that still possess genitalia on the alien starship, and bulbous mammary projections everywhere virtually every cone works itself out within a matrix of sexual suggestiveness (Cobs). This shows the extent of sexual references within this film and how Jiggers vision was adapted onscreen. One interesting thing in these films is that genitalia are used to identify gender in our society but that is not true in the Alien series. This means that the gender of the aliens cannot be determines by their phallic or vaginal appearance. In the films, we are shown that the Xenomorphic are able to experience change in their gender. First, the eggs are made to mirror the appearance off penis head. This is notary to common belief because, traditionally, we view eggs as being a product of women and therefore a feminine byproduct. The chest-busters are also supposed to mirror fully matured male genitals. In contrast, the face-huggers have a very vaginal appearance. These aliens are the ones who rape and impregnate the living hosts. This is a pro-feminist because the vaginal creature is the one overpowering the male victims and performing an act that is traditionally thought of as masculine. The final film that represents pro-feminist ideals is Legally Blonde that was directed by Robert Luckiest and released in 2001. This film is not one that people might see as outwardly feminist due to its upbeat tone and stereotypical protagonist but there are many plot points that are promote feminism. In contrast to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the Alien film series, the Legally Blonde protagonist Ell Woods (played by Reese Weatherperson) is a very girl and highly feminine feminist. As seen above, the characters Elisabeth and Riddled are highly masculine characters who do not need the help of a man because they are highly masculine and strong enough to take care of themselves. Ell Woods, on the other hand, is a feminist because she does not sacrifice her highly girl nature to succeed in a mans world. Legally Blonde is a film about a young stereotypical sorority girl, Ell Woods, who thinks she is meant to marry her college boyfriend and live happily every after. She is shocked when her boyfriend, Warner, dumps her before he leaves for law school because she is not serious enough for him. Ell makes it her mission to prove him wrong and win him back. Dodo this, she applies to Harvard Law School and is accepted. While she is there, she realizes her true potential and is able to succeed on her own merit. She non realizes that she does not need Warner to define her future and she is able to create a new future as a successful lawyer. The protagonist Ell Woods is the ideal stereotypical sorority girl in the beginning of the film. She is beautiful, ditsy, focused on her social calendar, not serious about school, and basing her self-worth on the man she is dating. She is what many people would consider an anti-feminist because she is self-absorbed, lacking ambition, and depended on a male. Once Ell sets her sights on Harvard, many of these qualities quickly change. She becomes obsessed with her studies and focuses on a life-bettering goal. Although Ell is going to Harvard Law School to win over a man, she quickly realizes that she could better herself without the help off man. While at Harvard, Ell is faces with challenges and discrimination including a misogynist professor, Judgmental classmates, and her own self-doubts. Once Ell is able to pull herself up and start to excel, she is offered a law internship to consult on a murder trial. In this trial, a famous aerobics guru Brooke Taylor is being tried for shooting and killing her husband. While working on refuses his affection and begins to question how she got as far as she did. Was it because she is smart? Or because she is pretty? This is a very pro-feminist part of the film because it show the struggle that many women have while they are trying to excel in a mans world. Ell decides to take the high road and prove to everyone, including herself, that she is there because of her ability and not her beauty. Ell returns to the trial as the sole lawyer defending Brooke Taylor. Ells returning to the trial is an example of feminism because she has been challenged that she cant do something and she is determined to prove everyone wrong; she is going to prove she can succeed in this male dominated field. During the trial, the defendants departure, Chutney Windbag, is put on the stand and questioned about her whereabouts on the day on the murder. Windbag tells Ell that she was at the salon getting her hair premed, returned home to shower, and then found her father shot by Brooke Taylor. Ell: And wouldnt somebody who had, say, 30 perms before in their life be well aware of this rule, and if in fact you werent washing your hair as I suspect you werent because your curls are still intact, wouldnt you have heard the gunshot Which means you would have had to found Brooke Windbag with a gun in her hand to make your story plausible, isnt that right? Chutney Windbag: Shes my age! Did she tell you that? How would you feel if your father married someone who was your age? Ell: Mimi, however, Chutney had time to hide the gun after you shot your father. Chutney Windbag: [in tears] l didnt mean to shoot him! This shows that Ell was able to win her case and prove her client innocent based on her stereotypical girl knowledge. If Brooke Taylor stayed with her previous male lawyer, she might have been found guilty, but Ell was able to make sure that didnt happen. This ending promotes feminism because it is proving that sometimes girl knowledge is what will aid someone in their career success. The idea that women can follow professions while wearing pink, have both successful careers and successful relationshipsthat femininity and feminism arent mutually exclusive appears prominently in both mainstream and independent films embraced by female viewers. (Ferries, Suzanne, Young, Mallory). This concept of being a feminine feminist is what makes Ell a great representation of feminism. Ell is able to excel at a career without changing who she is and allowing her girl ways to assist her in her day-to-day life. As shown above, there are many moral and social crimes committed against women including rape, disrespect, and discrimination. In the film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the protagonist is a victim of all three of these crimes. She is mistreated and taken advantage of because she is a female. Although she has been the victim, Elisabeth is able to retaliate and take back her life and power. This film shows the female protagonist giving the male assailant a taste of his own medicine. This is a very pro-feminist message because she is able to stand up for herself and show society that she is equal those who have victimized her. We also see a very pro-feminist message in the Alien film series. These films are centered around a very strong and masculine female protagonist. Riddled is the ideal representation of feminism in this film because she is able to fully embody the role of the survivor, the leader, and the heroine. This is significant because she is fulfilling the role that is blatant sexual symbolism and the role reversal of the genitalia. For example, the face-hugger aliens have a vaginal appearance and their Job is to rape and impregnate the host. This is a stereotypically male role in out society but it is being done by a female symbol. The last film to represent a pro-feminist point of view is Legally Blonde. Although this film is a chick-flick or a romantic comedy, it does have a very powerful protagonist and pro-feminist message. Ell Woods might be a ditsy sorority girl but she is also a woman who was able to succeed in a mans world while staying true to herself. Throughout the film, Ell is able to repetition her values and goal in order to achieve professional success. By doing this, she is able to take the legal world by storm and leave a lasting impression. Ell does this by staying true to herself because she does not alter her appearance, attitude, or opinions. She embodies the girl feminist who is able to achieve success based on her intellect in a male dominated world.

Strategic HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic HRM - Essay Example Only 6 percent of the employers have experienced growth during this time. In order to understand the utility of strategic human resource management in the organizations, this study aims to discuss the issues of unemployment during the economic downturn and recession that recently shook the international economy. The effect of the global economic downturn includes insolvency, bankruptcy, and declining revenue of the employers, decreasing purchasing power of the people, and most importantly unemployment, downsizing. The intention is to analyze every dimension of effect of recession on the human resources, so that the implications of strategic human resource management in global financial crisis can be understood. The second part of the study would discuss the strategic moves that the employers and human resource department of the organization can take in order to manage the human resource in the organization because downsizing is not the solution to reduce cost, but it decreases the po ol of skilled workforce in the firm, which affects the company negatively (Galinsky, and Bond, 2009, p. 1-2). The latest data that is available from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveals that the employment of 460,000 people has decreased in UK since recession of 2008. The major portion of these employees is full time workers, but after recession the level of part-time employees has risen compared to the full time employees. This reason is obvious; the companies want to hire those whom they have to pay less. The full times employees had to be paid salary according to the labour policies, and also have to provide the other facilities which a full time employee is liable to get. So it can be depicted that the human resource strategy when most of the employers in UK and other parts of the world applied was rigorous downsizing, which resulted in mass unemployment (Philpott, 2012, p. 2). Any person is regarded as unemployed if that individual is out of work and is badly in a ne ed of work to earn his/ her living. The figures of unemployment are calculated by the Office of National Statistics. During recession this organization survey after an interval of three months in order to capture the true status of job loss and unemployment. As soon as the recession surface, the rate of employment reduced considerably within few months. About 1.6 million job cuts were seen in the first few months of recession. During the end of 2009, the job cuts peaked to 2.5 million, which was the highest till then in the history of UK. However, in 2011 it further increased to 2.7 million, which was the highest unemployment level in UK in 17 years. Even the unemployment rate of women in the affected economies increased considerably. IN 2012, the first deduction in unemployment level was seen, which a positive signal (BBC News, 2012). If the output cost due to unemployment during recession is evaluated, it would be seen that the worth of the output decreased because of the rising l evel of unemployment. Considering about 2.67 million job cut in 2011, it can be said that the economy of the country lost about ?129 billion of the output, due to increasing level of unemployment. However, this loss was not the result of the unemployment of all of these unemployed people in UK because about 1.6 million people were already unemployed before recession. Recession added to the existing rate of employment. This amounted to about ?132 billion, which is about 9.4 percent of the GDP of UK in 2011. It goes without

The Challenges of Call Centre Restructuring Essay

The Challenges of Call Centre Restructuring - Essay Example Tengo Ltd., an online supplier of notebook computers, established a customer contact centre to deal with customer complaints and inquiries about the company’s products. Recently, the company decided to restructure because the HR director discovered that there is an overstaffing problem at the call centre. This decision has resulted in job losses. This essay analyses the wisdom of the restructuring of the call centre, taking into account the external factor of the labour market and job competition, as well as the components of change management, performance management, effective leadership, and employee motivation. Restructuring the Call Centre Companies are restructuring and job designs are being streamlined. The labour force and production processes have been restructured to cut down expenses, helping companies successfully reduce expenses in reaction to growing competition. The external labour market of call centres is in fact large, composed of a large pool of white-collar workers. The external labour market of call centres is global, national, and local (Butler, 2004, p. 168). Hence, restructuring of the call centre harms many employees. It is essential to be knowledgeable of the external labour market because of the differences in employee characteristics. Different work groups express different beliefs on career growth and motivation. For instance, white-collar employees have a tendency to expand their career outside the limits of a particular company (Liao, Martocchio, & Joshi, 2010, p. 94). This is what happened to Tengo Ltd. It suffered a high rate of turnover because its professionals in the customer department were not satisfied with their jobs anymore. The turnover is primarily caused by the restructuring. Corporate decisions to restructure or initiate change in its internal labour markets are strongly influenced by external labour markets. The external labour markets decide what arrangements of retention, expertise, and wage rate are appropr iate for an organisation (Sharma, 2006, p. 59). Companies, like Tengo Ltd., choose to restructure because they confronted new circumstances or external pressures. The HR director who found out the problem in retaining call centre workers with a profitable nearby call centre was certainly dealing with the new situations of the external labour market. Therefore, organisational processes are mainly determined by the relationship between managerial approach and external labour markets. External labour markets significantly restrict the capacity of strategy. As stated by a manager, â€Å"If you’re not going to be the highest-paying wage base in the area, you will have high turnover† (Kumar, 2010, p. 292). For example, Tengo Ltd, after restructuring, gives the best reward package to Level 3 employees. Hence, it experienced increase in labour turnover among Level 1 and Level 2 employees who handle customer complaints. In terms of job competition, call centres have replaced hu man labour with automated processes. Technology carries with it the possibility of new and easier ways of doing things, while carrying as well the ability to eliminate human labour and separate the worker from his/her fruits of labour. Tengo Ltd., through rationalisation, invested more in new automated computer system to improve response time and quality of customer service. However, along with this investment is an increase in labour turnover because the company tried to reduce its expenses in the training and development of new employees. However, the poor outcomes of the restructuring attempt of Tengo Ltd. cannot be entirely attributed to the external labour markets and job competition. Other factors are involved such as the psychological and sociological responses of employees to