Macro and Micro Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Macro and Micro Analysis - Essay Example Biometrics technology has emerged as an effective weapon in this game, and identification of each and every individual entering a state and safeguard own territory from becoming a terrorist breeding ground or a target has become a foremost priority for the governments today. Singapore too has planned to embrace biometric technology in a big way with some pioneering measures and some hesitant ones. With its diverse demography, Singapore too needs to study implications of implementing this technology in contemporary security scenario in its neighbourhood. This study aims to analyse the relevance of using Biometric technologies in Singapore to collect, store and use this biometric information and personal particulars of its local residents and foreigners for security and other purposes. The two essential uses of Biometrics are verification and identification. While verification involves "one-to-one" matching to determine whether there is a match between the person's presented biometric and biometric templates in a database, identification involves "one-to-many" matching where available biometric is compared with a database to establish identity of a person. It could be positive, i.e. to establish biometric matching or negative, i.e. to establish biometric presented does not match with available database (Rosenzweig, Alane Kochems and Ari Schwartz, 2004). At present, there are about ten types of biometric technologies in use or under development. They are fingerprint scanning, iris scanning, facial scanning, voice recognition, hand and/or finger recognition, retina scanning, thermo scanning, signature recognition, keystroke dynamic recognition, and DNA comparison (Steve TAI, 2005). Some others being developed include hand veins, ear recognition, gait (way of walking), facial thermograms, odor and palm prints. The basic advantages for selection of biometrics technology include their uniqueness, permanence, collectivity, performance, acceptability and circumvention of techniques. The current preferred ones in Singapore are basic fingerprint, facial, and hand/finger scanning. STEPS ANALYSIS Now that we are aware of the basic characteristics of biometrics, let us now discuss the various pros and cons of implementing a system of recording and maintaining biometrics data. Social Aspects Following few aspects refer to social requirements of a society in regard to biometrics technology: Some quarters are apprehensive of likelihood of physical harm to individuals like ones due to unsanitary conditions of scans, danger due to secured items theft etc. Serious concerns about misuse, illegal tampering or selling of personal information in biometric data are also prevalent. The biometric information can be used in an unauthorised manner without consent of the individual causing personal or financial harm to an individual. Technology Technological aspects governing adoption of biometrics technology include the following concerns: For information security, preferred storage option should be reducing the biometric to a template than a stored image. While images are easier to encrypt,

The Virginal Conception of Christ Essay Example for Free

The Virginal Conception of Christ Essay The Virginal Conception is a vital aspects in Christian faith, this is also held by Muslims (Qur’an 3.47). Virginal conception is a miraculous, non-sexual manner. The Holy Spirit caused Mary to conceive God Incarnate without the help of a man. For some believers they believed that   Mary also gave birth to Jesus miraculously; He passed through her without wounding her or spoiling her physical virginity, But for some He passed through her in natural way- thus breaking her hymen and went thru birth pains. When talking of virgin birth, it means also, Virginal Conception (Virginitas ante partum), i.e. that Christ, one of the person in the Deity Incarnate, had no human biological father. The biblical basis of virginal conception of Jesus was prophesied in Genesis 3:15 and Isaiah 7:14. It came true in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:34-35. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7) However, the possibility of a virgin birth is often questioned for the fact that, from a biological viewpoint, it is impossible for a human being to be born without a biological father and a mother. Also, some Christians do not believe in the Virgin Birth. Research by many groups, including Christian researchers, indicates that among both the clergy and the laity (in all branches of Christianity) a belief in central tenets of the faith such as Virgin Birth or bodily Resurrection is highly variable. Although they believe in the Virgin Birth, Muslims do not call Jesus Son of God, rather Servant of God. In the Quran, Jesus (Isa in Arabic) is consistently termed Isa ibn Maryam a matronymic- because, in Muslim belief, he had no biological father. Philosophical controversy In the wider sense, arguments for and against the Virgin Birth depend on fundamental philosophical assumptions: if one believes God does not exist, or if God exists but does not perform miracles, the Virgin Birth cannot have taken place in any traditionally accepted sense. While parthogenesis, a type of virgin birth where a female gives birth without the intervention of the male material, is known in nature, the resulting offspring must be female since the mother has no Y chromosome to pass on. Also, the process has never been observed in mammals. The Virgin Birth not only violates a naturalist philosophy, but also science based upon methodological naturalism. Alleged late appearance in the New Testament There are explicit references to the virgin birth in only two places in the New Testament: the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which are believed by many scholars to be amongst the later written parts of the New Testament. The apparently older Gospel of Mark, on which Matthew and Luke are believed to be partly based, does not mention the virgin birth, and some scholars also argue from grammar and style that the first two chapters of Luke, describing the virgin birth, were a later addition to the Gospel, which may originally have begun at 3:1: 2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. At 3:1 there is an abrupt change of subject and the story begins again. Nevertheless, this is characteristic of many stories in the Gospels and the author of Luke may simply be beginning a new segment of his narrative. Arguments regarding the addition of material to a narrative (Redaction and Form criticism), especially when the material in question is present in the earliest manuscripts, have received significant criticism in the last 20 years and are now regarded as dubious by some textual critics. Double attestation The Virgin conception and birth is a tradition that fits within the criterion of multiple attestation, that is, the same event appears in two independent traditions (most scholars argue that the authors of Matthew and Luke worked independent of one another). For many historians, independent testimony is a significant evidence for the historical validity of a said event. Matthew and Luke are testifying to an event, the birth, about which there was a tradition, namely, that it resulted from a miraculous conception. That the conception itself was indeed miraculous appears to rest on a single attestation, that of the Virgin Mary. The attestation of the Angel to St. Joseph on the miraculous nature of the conception would not be accepted by many scholars as historiographically valid. Critics of the double attestation argument cite many inconsistencies between the accounts of Matthew and Luke regarding Jesus birth. According to Matthew, Joseph was forewarned of the virgin birth by an unnamed angel; in Luke it is Mary who is notified of this by the angel Gabriel. Matthew tells us that Joseph and Mary were residents of Bethlehem who moved to Nazareth after Jesus birth in order to avoid living under Archelaus: according to the better-known story in Luke the couple lived in Nazareth and only traveled to Bethlehem in order to comply with a Roman census. Luke mentions that Mary was the sister of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, has the new-born Jesus visited by shepherds, and mentions several long hymns uttered by various characters, such as Marys Magnificat. None of this is mentioned by Matthew, who instead tells us of the visit of the Magi, the massacre of the innocents by Herod, and the flight into Egypt. There are thus two rival explanations for the double attestation of Matthew and Luke regarding the virgin birth of Jesus: The virgin birth was a historical event, and the stories of Matthew and Luke are based on different aspects and witnesses accounts of it. Matthew and Luke both wanted to make Jesus fit prophecies from Hebrew scripture. Both authors were aware of the prophecies concerning virgin birth and Bethlehem, and therefore these elements of their stories match. But each author wove these prophecies into the overall narrative in a different way. For example, both authors had to explain how Jesus was born in Bethlehem when he was known to be from Nazareth (as mentioned in Marks gospel) and each came up with a totally different explanation. The double attestation shows only that the two witnesses are independent, although, there are some inconsistencies but it does not disqualify the truth of the case. Dispute regarding Isaiah 7:14 In the past two millennia, there has been controversy among scholars about the translation and the meaning of a small section of Isaiah. For many scholars, the crux of the matter is the translation of the word  : × ¢Ã—Å"מה, `almah which has been translated as young woman and as virgin. In Isaiah the word for virgin here is almah. Some liberals1 and Orthodox Jews claim that the word really means young woman, and this is reflected in Bible translations such as the NEB, RSV, NRSV, and GNB. Such people fail to explain why a young womans bearing a son should be a sign it happens all the time. The Septuagint translates it as (parthenos), the normal word for virgin.2 Later Jews, such as Trypho,3 Justin Martyrs (c. 160) dialog opponent, and Rashi4 (11th Cent.) have claimed that the Septuagint was wrong. Trypho claimed that almah should have been translated neanis (young girl) rather than parthenos.5 However, even Rashi admitted that the word could mean virgin in Song of Sol. 1:3 and 6:8. In the KJV, the word is translated virgin in Gen. 24:43 (Rebekah before her marriage), maid in Ex. 2:8 (Miriam as a girl) and Prov. 30:19, and damsels in Ps. 68:25. These verses contain all the occurrences of almah in the OT, and in none can it be shown that a non-virgin is meant. In English, maid and maiden are often treated as synonyms for virgin (e.g. maiden voyage). Vine et al. note that the other word for virgin, betà »lah, emphasizes virility more than virginity (although it is used with both emphases, too).6 It is qualified by a statement neither had any man known her in Gn. 24:16, and is used of a widow in Joel 1:8. Further evidence comes from clay tablets found in 1929 in Ugarit in Syria. Here, in Aramaic, a word similar to `almah is used of an unmarried woman, while on certain Aramaic incantation bowls, the Aramaic counterpart of betà »lah is used of a married woman.37 The Encyclopedia Judaica, while criticising the translation of almah in Is. 7:14 as virgin, also points out that btlt was used of the goddess Anath who had frenzied sex with Baal.8 In the King James Virsion of The Bible, a traditional Protestant translation, the verses in question run like this: 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings. Some newer translations also use the word virgin: The New King James, The English Standard Version, The Contemporary English Version, Youngs Literal Translation, among others. Many modern translations concede that the word in the Hebrew does not mean virgin, including The Revised Standard Version, The New Jerusalem Bible, The Revised English Bible, The Good News Bible, The New Revised Standard Version, among others. This demonstrates that some Christian scholars, both Protestant and Catholic, prefer the traditional translation of the Hebrew in the context of Isaiah 7:14, while others do not. Skeptics argue that this is not a very clear prophecy of the birth of Jesus. In addition to the objection that Jesus was not in fact named Immanuel there are other problems: for example, (1) what does the butter and honey refer to? (One possible response to the butter and honey problem: it is a reference to one who, metaphorically, has eaten good meat his entire life in order to spit out the bad meat if it ever touched his lips. Note that the butter and honey reference is immediately followed by the comment on an ability to choose between good and evil; this may suggest that they are related.) (2) Why is Jesus, who was sinless from birth in the traditional Christian understanding, described as having to learn to refuse the evil and choose the good? and (3) This passage within the latter translations states clearly that the young woman within this prophecy is already pregnant with a child. This makes this prophecy about the coming Messiah Jesus very difficult to explain as the prophecy would have already been fulfilled during Isaiahs time. Some Christian aplogists have attempted to explain this problem of temporal context as: a) the latter translations are in error, and b) the latter translations are correct, but that the prophecy has a double-application for both Isaiahs time and the first century. Thomas Paine argued in the second part of The Age of Reason that Isaiahs prophesy (7:16) turned out to be false. He based his conclusion on the 2nd Chronicles (chapter 28) account of heavy defeat of Ahaz. Skeptics raise even greater questions about the translation of the first verse in this passage: 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, × ¢Ã—Å"מה (a `almah) shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Christian apologists respond that the passage is a double reference— a sign both to Ahaz that the alliance against him would be destroyed, and to the house of David as a whole that was threatened with extinction. This is shown by the Hebrew which uses singular you for the former and plural you for the latter. With the former, Isaiah reassures Ahaz that the alliance would be destroyed before his own son Shear Jashub, who was present (v. 3), would learn to refuse the evil and choose the good. Finally, there is archaeological evidence that Jewish speakers of Greek used the word parthenos elastically; Jewish catacombs in Rome identify married men and women as virgins, and some have suggested that in this case the word was used to call attention to the fact that the deceased was someones first spouse (although it is notable that this usage is from several centuries before the translation of the Septuagint [citation  needed]). Certainly, Jews stopped using the more explicit Septuagint translation as Christianity spread, and post-Christian Jewish translations into Greek use ÃŽ ½ÃŽ µÃŽ ±ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¹Ãâ€š, neanis, meaning young (juvenile) woman, rather than parthenos. Possible borrowing from Paganism Some have argued that the Virgin Birth is a Christian borrowing from paganism The impregnation of mortal women by gods is common in pagan mythology. However, this is not technically virginal conception, since virginity is lost by definition when the sex act is initiated. Christian writers have noted that the obvious sex of the pagan myths is missing in the Gospels: Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. A pagan myth of virgin birth may also underlie the disputed verses from Isaiah: It all boils down to this: the distinctive Hebrew word for virgin is betulah, whereas `almah means a young woman who may be a virgin, but is not necessarily so. The aim of this note is rather to call attention to a source that has not yet been brought into the discussion. From Ugarit of around 1400 B.C. comes a text celebrating the marriage of the male and female lunar deities. It is there predicted that the goddess will bear a son The terminology is remarkably close to that in Isaiah 7:14. However, the Ugaritic statement that the bride will bear a son is fortunately given in parallelistic form; in 77:7 she is called by the exact etymological counterpart of Hebrew `almah young woman; in 77:5 she is called by the exact etymological counterpart of Hebrew betulah virgin. Therefore, the New Testament rendering of `almah as virgin for Isaiah 7:14 rests on the older Jewish interpretation, which in turn is now borne out for precisely this annunciation formula by a text that is not only pre-Isaianic but is pre-Mosaic in the form that we now have it on a clay tablet. (Feinberg, BibSac, July 62; the citation to Gordon is: C. H. Gordon, `Almah in Isaiah 7:14, Journal of Bible and Religion, XXI, 2 (April, 1953), p. 106.) This philological reasoning seems to raise four possibilities: virgin birth is a pagan concept that Christianity has 1) taken from contemporary paganism; 2) taken from pre-Mosaic paganism through Isaiah; 3) taken from contemporary paganism and justified from Isaiah, who took it from pre-Mosaic paganism; 4) produced independently of all forms of paganism, though sharing similar vocabulary. If pre-Mosaic paganism supports Isaiah, and Isaiah supports Matthew and Mark, paganism has anticipated Christianity, perhaps because God was preparing the way for Christianity or because, as some Church Fathers argued, the Devil was blasphemously imitating Christianity. On the other hand, if paganism does not underlie Isaiah, there are several possibilities. Perhaps virgin birth was invented separately, first in paganism, then in Christianity. Perhaps the idea of asexual conception was so different from the idea of conception through sexual intercourse with a deity that there was little or no borrowing in either direction. Or perhaps, despite the earlier date of the Ugaritic text, virgin birth existed first in Judaism, without any other instances than this one, and was borrowed by paganism. The obvious difficulty with this idea is that virgin birth was much more prominent in paganism, where it occurs in many myths in many different areas, than it was in Judaism, where it occurs (if at all) in a single verse late in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, the argument that virgin birth was a Jewish concept first borrowed by paganism and later incorporated into Christianity was first made by Justin Martyr in The First Apology of Justin, written in the second century. Justin also made this argument in his Dialog with Trypho, in which he debates with a Jew called Trypho: Be well assured, then, Trypho, I continued, that I am established in the knowledge of and faith in the Scriptures by those counterfeits which he who is called the Devil is said to have performed among the Greeks; just as some were wrought by the Magi in Egypt, and others by the false prophets in Elijahs days. For when they tell that Bacchus, son of Jupiter, was begotten by Jupiters intercourse with Semele, and that he was the discoverer of the vine; and when they relate, that being torn in pieces, and having died, he rose again, and ascended to heaven; and when they introduce wine into his mysteries, do I not perceive that the Devil has imitated the prophecy announced by the patriarch Jacob, and recorded by Moses? Justin was clearly not referring to any Ugaritic texts, as these texts were not known in his day; he was referring to Greek paganism. That the Devil is responsible for the similarities between paganism and Judaism is not generally accepted by modern scholars, partly because the Devils influence would be impossible to disprove. The Devil could not, for example, imitate Christianity or Judaism before either existed, without violating the generally accepted historical rule that a culture cannot be influenced by a culture that does not yet exist; even though in point of fact it is likely that if the patriarch Jacob existed, he was contemporary with the inscriptions at Ugarit. In a similar vein, it might also be argued that God had chosen to out-do these earlier human myths, all as part of his Plan. Christian writers point out that if in fact the writer of Isaiah intended to borrow the idea of a virgin birth from an older pagan tradition, we might expect to find Isaiah using more explicit language to indicate that a virgin was meant. However, if Isaiah had borrowed the story from pagans, he might be expected to speak in the same way as the pagans, and that is what he does, according to the scholar quoted, who notes the remarkable similarity of the Ugaritic and the Hebrew. However, Isaiah may speak the same way as the pagans simply because he came from a similar sociological and semantic context. If Isaiah received a new prophecy direct from God, on the other hand, he had no tradition to conform to, and he could have expanded the meaning to make it completely unambiguous. That he did not choose to make it unambiguous is thus an apparent difficulty for the Christian interpretation of the text, though the ambiguity could be seen as being intended, if one supposes that God had a dual purpose for the text (i.e., to serve one function in Isaiahs time and another function later). Isaiahs prophecy departs from the Ugaritic version of the virgin birth by having the female be entirely human, whereas in the Ugaritic culture, the virgin was another deity, on par with the male; but this is exactly what might be expected if the myth were borrowed from paganism, since Judaism has only one male deity; a female deity in a borrowed myth might thus conceivably become a female human. According to Origen and Tertullian, the Christian doctrine of the Virgin birth met with lively opposition and mockery from pagan groups. This testimony would seem to discount the suggestion of those modern revisionists who have posited that the pagan religions had a similar or identical tradition. The doctrine of the Virgin Birth is frequently confused with the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. The latter, taught by the Roman Catholic Church states that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. Mary, however, unlike many peoples views of Jesus, was conceived in the ordinary way: i.e. she had a human father as well as a human mother (whose names, according to Catholic and Orthodox tradition, were Joachim and Anna/Anne or Jehoiakim and Hannah in Hebrew). Whilst Protestant denominations adhere to the doctrine of the Virgin Birth, they do not adhere to the idea of Marys immaculate conception, nor of her perpetual virginity. References: Hagner, Donald-Matthew 2 Vols. (Biblical Commentary) Dallas; Word, 1993,1995. Luz, Ulrich. Matthew 1-7 Minneapolis; Augsburg Fortress, 1989. Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1997. Keener Craig, A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1999. Nolland, John, The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 2005 Raymond E. Brown, The Virginal Conception and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus, New York: Paulist, 1973 (pp. 21-68) Marshall, I. Howard. Commentary on Luke, Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1978 Fitzmyer, Joseph. The Gospel According to Kuke I-IX (Anchor Bible) Garden City. Doubleday. 1981

Renting Versus Buying Essay -- Compare Contrast Home Ownership

Buying a home can be an exciting experience for anyone. However, in some cases you just might be better off continuing to rent your home. There are many advantages to buying a home. However, it is not for everyone and buying varies from individual to individual. Currently more people are leaning towards renting but this could change in the near future. When someone makes the decision to buy or rent a home they must consider the advantages and disadvantages of each. In buying a home the primary advantage is that you actually own it. You can do whatever you want with it. Also, you are building equity as the years go by. â€Å"People today have problems saving for their future† (CNN Money, 2014). However, when they buy a home, the money they put down for a down payment is an investment. When the person sells the home they get back the down payment and the amount the property has appreciated in value. When looking at the advantages of renting it is easy to see the disadvantages of buying for some people. Even though you don’t get the money back that you put into it, renting could be a more satisfying option for some. This is because renting allows for flexibility. The person can move wherever as soon as there lease is up. Renters may see buying as â€Å"a reduction in lifestyle, moving to a smaller place, and perhaps a less expensive neighborhood.† (CNN Money, 2014). For example someone who rents an apartment enjoys how the complex keeps up the area and all the amenities it has to offer, and it is in an upper class part of town. However, when they buy they looks all the benefits, they have to do maintenance themselves, and move to an area they don’t particularly like to fit their price range. So which is better? It jus... ...etrieved October 29, 2014, from http://homebuying.about.com/od/buyingahome/qt/BuyorRent.htm This article explains how one should decide whether to buy a home or rent. Buying a home should be based on decisions of credit report, debt ratios, job stability or relocation, maintenance issues, and financial situation. It explains how not everyone should buy a house. Some people are actually better off renting. To rent or to buy? (2014). CNN Money. Retrieved October 29, 2014, from http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/29/yourhome/q_rent_or_buy/index.htm This article describes the disadvantages and advantages of buying or renting your home. It describes advantages of buying such as taxes and appreciation of the home. However, coming up with a down payment may be hard for many people. Renters may have less cost and more flexibility on when and where they can move to.

Impact of Standardized Testing Essay

There is a vast literature available concerning African American male student accomplishment and its relation to the accomplishment gap occurrence (Perry, Stelle, & Hilliard, 2003; Thernstrom & Thernstrom, 2003; Hrabrowksi, 1998; Ogbu, 1998; Patterson, 2006; Polite & Davis, 2001; Duncan, 1999; Freeman, 1999). Researchers and media channels explain the causes of African Americans continuously staying behind their White partners. Several provide limited allegations concerning African American male student accomplishment from either a past, sociological, or monetary view when deciding school achievement or failure. On the contrary, sufficient notice has not been granted to experiential and mixed methodological styles for assisting in advancing the debate concerning the provision of efficient resolutions toward narrowing the achievement gap that exists between African American male learners and counteracting deficit-model styles. In â€Å"Educating African American Males: Voices from the Fields†, the author Fashola (2008) and some other important academician researchers tackle this matter. The book is segmented in eight chapters, locating itself in many thematic areas that include social, ethnic, and past matters; school reform; primary, middle and high school experiences; structural analysis of manliness; institutional types of prejudice; and extra-curricular activities which assist in the promotion of affirmative self-confidence and analytical skills for African American males. Altogether, the providers enunciate the requirement of novel styles by demanding the educational commune to shift beyond conventional means of accomplishment and to comprehend the importance of social, past, ethnic, behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and educational styles that add to the broadening of the achievement gap between African American males and their white partners. Cooper and Jordan (2003) tackle the issues of African American male student achievement and they do this by locating and investigating the past as well as the methodical impacts of prejudice and also by displaying the way institutionalized domination have a part to play in the broadening of the achievement gap. The authors assess the elements such as uncontrolled unemployment, poverty, and insufficient accessibility to health care as the possible elements of African American males not being franchised in the circumstance of school and community. The authors imply that an â€Å"intergenerational poverty† (p. 2) exists which disseminates a self-fulfilling prediction for several of African American males. Ogbu’s (1998) research allows for the contextualizing of such past injustices. It is implied that â€Å"the treatment of minorities in the wider society is reflected in their treatment in education† (p. 159). In his book Noguera (2003) assists in the contextualizing of few of the practical attitudes which are required for the comprehension of certain of the behavioral trends of African American males which have an impact on them in school. The author offers information and research which record the way they were marginalized and wronged by the schooling experiences in the capitalist educational frameworks. Text offers a qualitative study which looks for determining the part that educators have in the motivation of students; teachers can utilize this information to reassess and modify their educational and instructional practices and also to fulfill the requirements of African American males and at the same time provide with suitable scaffolding so as to assist the learners in meeting the academic standards. Along with this, Noguera also debates that the learners are to be taught and habituated so as to see that the academic institutions are advantageous to them and also that the anticipations for them are high. Noguera writes about the schooling experiences of African American males by assessing their accomplishment trends in public schools and tackling with their consequent detachment. He writes that Black males underperform on standardized tests and that they undergo much higher drop-out rates. Although Black males achieve much and their performance is good in the primary grades, they tend to underperform by the age of nine (Garibaldi, 1992). His recommendation is that the educators should be placing literary and language enrichment at the head of their instructional concerns. This is particularly important during their primary school times; supplementing with the talents allows for African American males to become self-sufficient, analytical thinking is principal for their general intellectual achievement or failure. Development of Problem An operational attitude to the tradition of schooling also offers a valuable contextual structure for the investigation of student â€Å"oppositionality† and â€Å"resistance† (Ogbu, 1998) as minor traditional features displayed by particular minority learners in reaction to their communal marginalization. The idea of identity and the way it is written either by a person or the community is made pertinent by the reactions of these marginalized learners and is a vital part of a sufficient hypothetical viewpoint on tradition. The academic achievement gap which is present between African American and White learners is a very urgent contest for the urban education in the United States in the present times. Generally, the rank and academic achievement of minority groups in science have been issues of concern in various areas (National Science Foundation, 1994; Atwater, 2000). In a wide-ranging assessment of the issues, Jencks and Phillips (1998) suggest that there should be an application of methodical and preserved research attempts targeted at investigating the causes for the low performance of particular minority groups. When discussing the achievement gap and displaying it as a challenge for the urban education, there has to be an emphasis placed on certain aspects of the urban schools which are responsible for the existent gap. In the United States, the fact that the majority of the Black students study in urban or inner city institutions is correct, and on the other hand White students normally study at suburban schools. It is possible that this factor is responsible for the achievement gap between the Blacks and the Whites and it provides with an urban/suburban aspect. Urban academic institutions are also different from the suburban ones in the accessibility of the study material and commune sources. Even though the fact that the suburban schools normally have much better sources in contrast to the urban schools is true, an exploration can be made in whether the resources that are accessible for the urban schools are utilized most advantageously so as to improve the student involvement and intellectual accomplishment. Even though standardized testing traditionally has been slackly connected to responsibility and student education, the association had been weak. The association between student education and high-stakes standardized testing became more distinct, and a rise in the utilization of the tests has reached classic magnitude following the introduction of the No Child Left Behind. The argument behind such a connection is that raised pressure to perform well on standardized tests, and also a series of incentives and penalties, will raise the student education and accomplishment. Impacts of such testing standards have broad results, not just on the current generation but also on the next generations of youth. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to assess the impact that standardized testing has on African American male students. The study aims to display the issues connected with the impact of standardized testing on African American males. African American males face discrimination and due to that they do not perform as they should in their academics. Innumerable researches have been conducted to examine African American youths’ academic results. There is relative concentration with a stress on the achievement gap between African American youths generally and also that of other ethnic categories, like the Europeans and Asian Americans. Several conceptual structures have been offered which propose the achievement gap in educational results is the outcome of societal-level discrimination which afflicts African Americans (for example, Fordham & Ogbu, 1986; Ogbu, 1987, 1994; Steele, 1997). In reality, several of the studies record the negative impacts of such macro system-level elements on the encouragement and intellectual accomplishment of African American learners (Howard & Hammond, 1985; Ponterotto & Pedersen, 1993; Steele & Aronson, 1995). Nature of the Study Social research can be deductive or inductive and each is applied according to the research type. Deductive approach refers to particular information that has been gained from a general theory. Through the theory the researcher gets the foresights concerning the happening. Deductive research is termed as theory testing. In the case when a research initiates with a theory and is following the hypotheses that the researcher has set to test, the approach is deductive. Deductive reasoning sets to work moving from the more universal to the more precise. Induction is usually described as moving from the specific to the general. Observations are used for inductive approaches. Inductive reasoning moves from the more specific to a broader generalization and theory. In this case there is quite some uncertainty involved and the conclusions are based on theories.

Pieces of April

Pieces of April Opening scene: Acoustic steel guitar sound track Close up of April in bed= implies not ready to get up â€Å"This is your big day we don't want to miss this opportunity' Bobby drags April from the bed, shoves her in the shower â€Å"No Bobby' Bobby starts making the food while April sits on the toilet saying â€Å"I'm coming† Costume- black eyeliner -black nail polish -tattoos -black boyfriend April is a rebellious person needs someone to help her (in life) egg- Bobby Meeting the family: No music No Joy in bed â€Å"JOY JOY' Tracking shot of father looking through the house for ‘disrupting' his family frantically looking for Joy both on and daughter Join in search Joy is found in the dark alone in the car (passenger seat) Miss en scene â€Å"everyone get ready' Joy is controlling.Starting to prepare Thanks Giving dinner: Bobby in control-stirring, reading packets (close up on Bobby's hands) April seems incompetent -drops turkey, can't cut onions, stuf fs whole celery in turkey â€Å"They're probably not even going to come† Cross cut to family â€Å"If not now when† mom) â€Å"What makes her think she can cook all of a sudden † (Beth) â€Å"April is the problem† (Beth) Everyone questions Joy about how she is feeling- we realize she is not well (two shots) Bobby shows all the stuff he brought: â€Å"Be careful they're worth more than you are† â€Å"how much did they cost† â€Å"They weren't cheap†¦. Accents†¦. † Mimi got yourself a deal† April throws them in the bin-still hurt by past experiences, broken relationship with her mother Food as a motif: April is cooking Thanks giving dinner Joy asks her mother â€Å"did you eat† as a greeting Family stops to buy a lot of donuts- Implies they will be hungry because April cant cook. They don't deserve decorations† (April) April rips up the place card when she writes ‘Mom' replacing it with ‘Joy show ing that he does not see Joy as her mom April is made to seem helpless- Bobby gets her up and ready -Bobby starts cooking – Bobby has organized the decorations -when April discovers the oven doesn't work the first thing she does is call out the window for Bobby-making mashed potatoes with uncooked potatoes April goes door to door in her apartment block looking for help (later this is an example of her resourcefulness â€Å"Some new piercing, some new ugly tattoos, we can experience the disaster that is her life and go home† Glimpse of hope/change â€Å"apparently this guy Bobby reminds her of me† the girls got problems†- implies that a young middle class girl has an easy life† When April reveals her mother's impending death the neighbors change the POP â€Å"one last chance to be with the people you love† â€Å"you don't get along do you† High angle shots of April Cooking the turkey: You haven't been back Believe it she prefers it that way I'm the first pancake† Discussing about what she is cooking stuffing from a box and cranberry sauce from a can enforces the idea that April cant cool (helpless) but also implies she was not cared for her by her mother We onto want to be early' Joy -choosing a different route to make the trip Worth' the time Group shot of April in between the neighbors in their kitchen as they rook and discuss their ‘nothing special' menu when April discusses her menu, she makes it seem too simple- really nothing special showing the contrast between the intent of making a special ‘last' family meal and not pitting much thought into it. â€Å"Have you done it before? † â€Å"Then it's not nothing† Being taught how to make cranberry sauce implies April has not had this type of experience with her own mother Aprils perseverance in trying to find an oven to chock her turkey shows her change in thought about having a successful ‘last meal'- this is also reinforced when they continue to have thanks giving when her family don't turn up Photo motif happy memories: â€Å"Since when was she in the picture? -taking a Christmas photo, fake smiles, ling delay, everyone there but April When Joy gets the family to stop and pretends she wants to talk to them about preparing for her death but instead mocks how bad she expects Aprils cooking to be â€Å"how each of you in your own way is going to handle(pause) discarding your uneaten DOD† -shows her need to manipulate/control her family Irony- Joy thinks April is a screw up but at the same time we see her eating Junk food, smoking dope and alluding to a very sexually promiscuous past. Neighbor Wayne talks about the care you need to take with cooking a turkey (he's annoying) while April is trying to take care with what she's cooking- she mocks him tick tock showing her meaner side (like her mother? Memories: 3 shot- Joy leans on Tommy's shoulders showing her closeness with her son Motif-> photogra phs (album)- Joy insists on slowing her mother the photos (that Timmy took) f her surgery (breast removal) â€Å"this is my favorite† (without breasts) Series of close ups: April putting food in oven putting up table setting table decorating the apartment black staircase shows she does expect her family to turn up â€Å"That you stop† -contrast between Joys look of illness and Beet's look of hurt at her mother's words- you feel sympathy for them both â€Å"Who are you?†¦ My daughter is kind†¦ † Dotted â€Å"not anymore† Joy â€Å"then I don't know you† Dotted Reflection â€Å"I am so critical† â€Å"why am I so hard (on Beth)† -Joy reflects on her relationship with her children â€Å"I can only think of one vivid beautiful memory'- turns out that all her good memories of April are really about Beth That makes Joy angry/panic forcing them to stop their Journey â€Å"Petulance, shoplifting, fire in the kitchen, flicking matc hes at Beth, using a lighter to trim Tommy's hair, the drugs. â€Å"no wonder I have cancer she's the cancer I cant have another bad experience Vive had too many bad experiences†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Insight into Aprils criminal past when she tries to break into Wane's apartment with a crow bar â€Å"Bad girl† (Wayne) When she discovers he has stolen a leg she attacks him uniform a bad girl a very bad girl† No I'm not† (sitting alone on the steps (high angle)) The meaning of Thanks Giving â€Å"the first year on their own was hard†¦ Really really hard† -implying this was true for herself as well â€Å"This one day where everyone seemed to know they needed each other†¦ They knew for certain they couldn't do it on their own. â€Å"- implying that this is true for April on this day.Retrieving the turkey salt n pepper shakers implies she wants to put the past behind her Have a fake turkey leg to replace the missing one implies that everything can be fixed Contrast- April excitedly descends the stairwell to meet her family â€Å"They're ere†¦. They're here† April sadly ascends the stairwell after seeing they have left (destroying her decorations as she goes) Resolution when Joy witnesses a woman leaving her young girl (abandoning her) in the bathroom (with her knickers still around her ankles) she realizes that she has been abandoning April all her life -she is at fault â€Å"Mom, mom† (echoes of the past) Freeze frame (still shots) of everyone having thanks giving together- no dialogue (nothing needs to be said) final family photo (with Bobby)= one last happy memory implying only happy memory before time ran out (sound of the camera sound)

Lawrence of Arabia and Imperialism

Lawrence of Arabia and Imperialism Free Online Research Papers We remember all the men and women who fought or sacrificed themselves in different ways in world war one. They are remembered for their bravery and determination to help our country. One man is remembered for more than that. He served his country well while trying to stand up for the little guy. T.E. Lawrence is remembered for his sacrifices and bravery while trying to help the Arab people. I think the film review, called â€Å"BFI Film Classics- Lawrence of Arabia† said it best when they stated â€Å"T.E. Lawrence remains one of the most appealing characters or ‘personalities’ in twentieth-century British history or one of its greatest poseurs†. Even though he loved his country he had a lot of sympathy for the Arabs and wanted what was best for them. This is shown in a spectacular movie called Lawrence of Arabia. This movie uses excellent characterization, along with good acting and directing, to help develop a strong theme about the power of imperialis m. The director shows us different points of view using one character, Lawrence. On one hand he is linked to European imperialism, and even helps it along because he knows what is going on the whole time with the French and the English wanting control over Arabia and he chooses to ignore it. On the other hand he is dedicated to the freedom of the Arab people. Lawrence feels torn between his homeland and its army, and his newfound comrades within the Arab desert tribes. All this helps us to understand the pressures on Lawrence. The major theme of this movie is that even a person with the best intention can let power blind them to what is really going around them. Such as when Lawrence knows what might be going on with the British in Arabia but the general makes him feel so important, this makes Lawrence believe in his own legend. His thirst for power and maintaining it is stronger than his thirst for justice of the Arab people. That is until he is captured beaten and suggestively raped. After this he knows he is not invincible as he once thought and he wants to quit but once again the general makes him feel like a hero again. This time he shows signs of doing it for the Arabs for a more justified reason. This Movie goes into great depth, it is very insightful and enjoyable to watch, and the theme is so easily interpreted. This movie was really a pleasure. As Stated by Kevin Jackson in â€Å"BFI film classics-Lawrence of Arabia†, â€Å"One cans help admitting to liking, and even admiring Lawrence of Arabia (1962)†. Lawrence and Brighten throughout the movie seem to be fighting on the same side for the same cause. Lawrence and Brighton actually happen to be foil characters with one another. Brighton happens to be a loyalist, who believes that his country is the best and there is no other better. He does what is best for the British army no matter what. Lawrence on the other hand is more sympathetic to the Arab people, and their culture and way of life. He even goes to say â€Å"The desert is your ocean. You may go where you please and strike where you please. This is how you have always fought you should not change it.† This scene is near the beginning of the movie when they are in Fesial’s tent. This scene shows us the foil between Lawrence and Brighton best. Lawrence argues with Brighton about whether or not they should fall back on Yenbo and become under the control and protection of the British army, or if they should take Aqaba. Brighton says â€Å"British and Arab interests are one in the same†. He is speaking of Arabia as if it were a British colony. They argue about if the Arabs need training or guns. Brighton states that Great Britain is a small country much smaller than Arabia and even smaller in numbers than most, but it is great because it has discipline and training. Lawrence agrees with king Fesial when he argues that the British are great because of their navy. This navy is their advantage over everyone else; Lawrence suggests that king Fesial use the desert as his advantage over the Turkish army. This goes against everything Brighton wants and this makes them character foils. Brighton even goes as far to call Lawrence a traitor to his country. Lawrence lets all the praise and power go to his head he falls for the same trick over and over again. He believes he is a prophet, the only man who can free the Arabs from their doom. Ultimately he believes what Jackson Bently has written him out to be. An example of this is when Lawrence returns to tell the general about their victory in Aqaba. The script goes like this: Lawrence-â€Å"We took Aqaba† General- â€Å"It isn’t possible† Lawrence- â€Å"Yes it is. I did it† Another example is when Jackson Bently is interviewing La wrence he asked him â€Å"What do these people have to gain?† He replies â€Å"Their freedom and I am going to give it to them.† Or when Arabs are looting trains and leaving for home because they have enough stuff, and leaving Lawrence with little men. He says â€Å"They will come and fight for me† or when he says â€Å"They will come for Dimaskis and I am going to give it to them†. All this is not entirely Lawrence’s fault. The General plays on his weakness for power by promoting him two ranks, to major, and announcing it to everyone in the game room. Even when he wanted to quit, the general made him feel like he was a very important part of winning the war and that they could not do it without him. Also Sheriff Ali makes him feel like he has ultimate power after he rescues Gasim from the desert, because he must execute him for killing one of the other tribesmen. Sheriff Ali makes him feel powerful by saying â€Å"You gave life and you took it † this makes him feel like he has the power of God himself because he is the only one who could do that. In this movie the director is very aware of imperialism and ultimately the racism toward Arabs. He uses it in this movie to help strengthen his theme, about British and French imperialism. The director also tries to suck us into the movie using the music to describe how Lawrence is feeling at the time and helps us to understand why he is feeling this way. The Variety Staff agrees with this statement in their article â€Å"Lawrence of Arabia† they say â€Å"Lean and cameraman Young have brought out the loneliness and pitiless torment of the desert with an artistic use of color and with almost every frame superbly mounted. Micheal Warre’s musical score is often overlooked but is always contributory to the mood of the film†. Eerie, even scary music is used when Lawrence is walking in the desert and comes to the conclusion to attack Aqaba by land. This lets us know how scared Lawrence is about doing this but he knows it is the only way. Another example is when Lawren ce rescues Gasim from the desert and the trumpets sound. This describes how Lawrence feels glad to be alive and how he feels like a hero. And he feels like he has gained some respect from Sheriff Ali. Throughout the movie sheriff Ali and Lawrence are character foils. The thing that is different about these two character foils is that by the end of the movie they switch into each other’s roles as the other’s foil. Toward the beginning of the movie sheriff Ali kills an Arab man in cold blood because he is drinking from his well. This man was Lawrence’s guide. While later or towards the end of the movie he feels sympathy for the Turkish army who is his enemy. While Lawrence at the beginning of the movie is furious with Sheriff Ali for killing this man they get into a huge argument. Then at the end of the movie Lawrence orders the slaughter of the Turkish army with no one left alive. This not only proves that they were character foils but also proves that they also switched roles sometime throughout the movie. Some saw T.E. Lawrence as a saviour. Others saw him as just a man, but people such as myself believe he was somewhere in between. He was just a man who wanted what was best for everyone but he had a dark side lusting for power. This flaw makes us realize he is just human and helps us to relate to the man. Throughout this movie the great acting, and directing made this movie enjoyable, but also helped to get an important theme across. While the effective characterization of Lawrence helped to strengthen it. Work Cited â€Å"BFI Film Classics- Lawrence of Arabia† Film Review, Nov2007, p124-124 Ceplair, Larry â€Å"Righting A Wrong: Paul Jarrico and the Correction of Blacklist-Era Screen Credits.† Cineaste, Fall2007, p30-33 Kemp Philip â€Å"Lawrence of Arabia† Sight and Sound, Nov2007, p93-93 â€Å"Lawrence of Arabia† Variety Movie Reviews, 12/30/1998, p1-1 Research Papers on Lawrence of Arabia and ImperialismWhere Wild and West MeetRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andQuebec and CanadaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Assess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductBringing Democracy to Africa

Challenges for Coke Cola Essay Example

Challenges for Coke Cola Essay Example Challenges for Coke Cola Essay Challenges for Coke Cola Essay Among the vastly growing diversity challenges Coca Cola continued to face statewide and globally to preparing their workforce, understanding the culture and overcoming major crisis in Belgium was one of the most challenging. After a mass recall in mid 1999, in which, Children at six schools in Belgium had complained of headache, nausea, vomiting and shivering after drinking Coca-Colas beverages, leading to their hospitalizations. Most of them reported an unusual odor and an off-taste in the drink. Coca-Cola had to recall about 30 million cans and bottles, the largest ever product recall in its 113-year history. For the first time, the entire inventory of Coca-Colas products in Belgium was banned from sale. Coca-Cola sales did drop that year but with their valued effort to regain the public’s trust, measures had to be put in place. Coke’s workforce had to be better prepared, re-trained, and safety precautions were put in place so that things like this would not happen again. The expectations and desired outcomes were directed at upper management to find better ways to connect with the employees and launch new initiatives in the ever-fast changing market. Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) faced strong competition from other beverage companies and needed a way to work more effectively with its customers and partners. This required innovation and a new way of communicating within the corporation. In 2008, CCE acknowledged that the current communications platforms were no longer enabling the innovation and collaboration required to take it to the next level and compete in an increasingly demanding economic environment. The increasing presence of competition were resulting the declining revenues. CCE decided to implement a Microsoft-based hosted worldwide intranet with messaging and collaboration tools, which are accessible to all employees from any device, enabling employees to boost productivity and time with customers. These efforts were lead by the employee leadership head of the company and proved to be another step in the right direction. In a continued effort to prepare their workforce the employees had to take cultural diversity classes in order to learn and understand a different way of life in Belgium. Maximize Benefits CCE, Inc. needed a software system that would evolve as technology changed to help it remain a beverage-industry leader. The company also wanted to deliver merchandising solutions that reflect the differences across stores, as well as implement and maintain controlled quality checks on store-level Plano grams. Additionally, this beverage giant wanted to increase its productivity, efficiency and effectiveness in its Plano gram process. CCE Inc. aximized each benefit by streamlined planning and execution, optimized space and category performance, Increased category sales and profits through more intelligent decision making, delivered store-specific Plano grams that were grounded in shopper insights and store-specific data, Improved Plano gram consistency and accuracy, and Increased category optimization. Minimizing the Challenges Though there were many challenges to deal with and future challenges ahead, the present problems of dealing with water conservation, racial extortionist, were the major issues ahead. Water is the main ingredient in nearly every beverage that they make and without access to safe water supply their business simply cannot exist. Because of the critical importance of water not just to their business, but also to ecosystems, human health, progress and development, The Coca-Cola Company is focusing on conserving and protecting water for people, species and ecosystems throughout the world. Another challenge is deal with frivolous lawsuit from extortionist trying to cash in on the Mega Giant. In November 2000 Coca Cola became the second U. S. Corporation to cave in to racial extortion demands by disgruntled minority employees who only had to allege racial discrimination. For their efforts, they extorted at least $475,200,000 from Coke. Protecting themselves from litigious claims is still a challenge all major companies have to safe guard and the only way to truly protect their assets is through proper management quarterly training, policies and procedures acknowledgements, and safe working environments.