Information Technology: Its Evolution, Advantages and Disadvantages

Main Topic: Information Technology: Its Evolution, Advantages and Disadvantages Creative Topic: So You Love IT: Where Has it Been? Where is it Going? Sub-topic: A Brief Examination of the Evolution of Information Technology, and Some Uses and Misuses. Today in society, people cannot conceive of a life without technology. Surrounding us are various technologies that are helping people to live their lives with more luxury.Technological advancements are not just limited to computers; there are many other fields in which it has made significant ground breaking developments such as from carts to cars, from constantly being pinned down by gravity to air travel and from being confined to the earth to travel among the stars. There are many significant persons throughout history that have made ground breaking discoveries such as Blaise Pascal, Charles Babbage and Herman Hollerith which in turn laid the foundation for modern IT professionals such as Bill Gate and Steve Jobs.Information Technol ogy (IT) involves more than just computer literacy; it also takes into account how computers work and how these computers can further be used not just for information processing but also for communications and problem solving tasks as well. Our world today has changed a great deal with the aid of Information Technology. Jobs that were once done manually have now become computerized, simply requiring a single click of a mouse to get a task completed versus years ago when everything was exceedingly more difficult.With the aid of IT we are not only able to streamline our business processes but we are also able to get constant information in ‘real time' that is up to the minute and up to date. The significance of IT can be seen from the fact that it has penetrated almost every aspect of our daily lives and the society, from business to leisure. Therefore in order to understand more deeply about IT it is important to inspect the evolution of technology and some of its uses and misu ses. 1. The Birth of IT goes back many centuries, from the development of mathematics, to electro-mechanical machines, to the first digital computer.A. The concept of mathematics was expressed in stone and wood cravings, a calculating machine then to an analytical engine. B. Electro-mechanical machines paved way for communication such as the telegraph, telephone and the Internet. C. Digital computer introduced computer programming, the use of transistor and integrated circuits. 2. The uses of computer have proven to be very beneficial in communication, Business and Education. D. Enhancements in communication have increased transition of data, bridged cultural gaps and brought about positive globalization. E.Computers have created jobs in the business industry and also have improved protection of vital information and have reduced productivity time. F. The use of IT has enhanced education, the ability to learn and access to learning materials. 3. The misuses of computer have been pro blematic in the communication, Business and Education sectors. G. The development of communication devices as brought about issues of privacy, technological addiction and cultural domination. H. Business enterprises have also caused some problems such as job elimination, security breaches and expensive implementation. I.The education sector is diminishing the overall learning process resulting in loss of skill, plagiarism and the poor remains poor. Today in society, people cannot conceive of a life without technology. Surrounding us are various technologies that are helping people to live their lives with more luxury. Technological advancements are not just limited to computers; there are many other fields in which it has made significant ground breaking developments such as from carts to cars, from constantly being pinned down by gravity to air travel and from being confined to the earth to travel among the stars.There are many significant persons throughout history that have made ground breaking discoveries such as Blaise Pascal, Charles Babbage and Herman Hollerith which in turn laid the foundation for modern IT professionals such as Bill Gate and Steve Jobs. Information Technology (IT) involves more than just computer literacy; it also takes into account how computers work and how these computers can further be used not just for information processing but also for communications and problem solving tasks as well.Our world today has changed a great deal with the aid of Information Technology. Jobs that were once done manually have now become computerized, simply requiring a single click of a mouse to get a task completed versus years ago when everything was exceedingly more difficult. With the aid of IT we are not only able to streamline our business processes but we are also able to get constant information in ‘real time' that is up to the minute and up to date.The significance of IT can be seen from the fact that it has penetrated almost every aspec t of our daily lives and the society, from business to leisure. Therefore in order to understand more deeply about IT, it is important to inspect the evolution of technology and some of its uses and misuses. The Birth of IT goes back many centuries, from the development of mathematics, to electro-mechanical machines, to the first digital computer. These ground breaking consecutive technological innovations made it possible to develop the glorious industry we have come to know has IT.Through the use of abstraction and logical reasoning, mathematics developed from counting, calculation, measurement, and the systematic study of the shapes and motions of physical objects(Insert Citation). The development of mathematics led to the development of tools to help in computation such as sticks, stones and various carvings, used in an almost futile attempt to record data and information. These objects were used because no other methods were available to efficiently follow and store a mathemati cal equation at the time.These were used for centuries until the wonderful use of paper came into being and until the marvellous abacus was invented which made performing tedious calculations a bit easier to trace and record. The abacus was a simple wooden box with beads strung along a wooden mid-bar to perform calculation (citation). Mathematics is used throughout the world as an essential tool in many fields, not just IT but also including the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, and the social sciences. Blaise Pascal took advantage of fundamental mathematical principles and developed n outstanding machine. Blaise Pascal was credited with building the first calculating machine in 17th century. He invented the first digital calculator as a means of helping his father perform tedious tax accounting (citation). He called his amazing device Pascal's calculator which had a metal wheel dial that was turned to the appropriate numbers and symbols to preform calculations; the answers a ppeared in boxes in the top of the calculator. This was one the first contributions to the field of IT and it has advanced to the calculators we have grown to know and love today.Pascal continued to make improvements to his machine and built fifty Pascaline machines in total. The first Pascaline machine could only handle 5-digit numbers, but later Pascal developed 6 digit and 8 digit versions of the Pascaline. This method of advancing current inventions in order to expand their capabilities is one of the key concepts of evolution. It was an extraordinary achievement which would lead to greater heights in the field of IT such as the Analytical Engine. In the 19th century, Charles Babbage, whom is considered the father of computing, designed the first â€Å"analytical engine. (citation) It was his idea of a mechanical digital computer which could perform basic input, processing, output and storage that all computers that followed are based on in today’s modern society. This ma chine had a mechanical computing â€Å"mill†(the processor) and used punch cards to store the numbers and processing requirements. Lady Augusta Ada Lovelace was a great supporter of Charles Babbage and she convinced him to use binary systems in his engines. Because she wrote some programs for Babbages’ engines, she is considered the first programmer (citation).His vision of a massive brass, steam-powered, general-purpose, mechanical computer inspired some of the great minds of the nineteenth century. Almost a century later, Charles’ ideas re-emerged with the development of electro-mechanical calculating machines such as the tabulating machine and devices used for telecommunication. Electro-mechanical machines paved way new and exciting way to communicate such as the telegraph, telephone and the internet. A telegraph is a machine which is used for transmitting messages in the form of electrical impulses which can be converted into data (citation).A message sent v ia telegraph is coded in a language called Morse code but the message itself is called a telegram or cablegram. Telegraph machines had to be connected through a series of wires in order to exchange messages. The operator would key a message in the Morse alphabet, and the receiving telegraph machine on the other side would register the message in the form of clicks, different click have different meanings w the messages were decoded. By listening to the pattern of clicks, the receiving operator could hear the message and transcribe it before passing it on to the recipient.Advancements were made to telegraphy which introduced wireless telegraphy. This enabled telegraph messages were transmitted over the radio waves which marked a drastic change in the system, allowing people to rapidly transmit messages in areas without troublesome telegraph cables. Wireless laid the groundwork for later methods of communication such as the telephone. In the 1870s, Alexander Graham Bell designed a dev ice that could transmit speech electrically (the telephone) (citation).The telegraph and telephone are both wire-based electrical systems, and Alexander Graham Bell's superb success with the telephone came as a direct result of his attempts to improve the telegraph which as we can see again that innovation is possible through evolution. The telegraph was basically limited to receiving and sending one message at a time consequently Bell sought to improve on the telegraph to â€Å"fix† this problem. His aim was to be able to transmit multiple messages back and forth across the same line which of course brought us the telephone.But advancements in communication did not stop there. Later on person’s discovered that these same telephone lines could be used to transmit and share data across devices thus the idea of an inter-connected network (the internet) was introduced. The Internet was the result various persons wanting to share information between computers. A man named Lawrence Roberts of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) connected a Massachusetts computer with a California computer in 1965 over dial-up telephone lines and he discovered hat computer could share information through telephone lines (citation). The idea was developed further and a series on inter-connected networks created what we know today as the World Wide Web. This idea was indeed useful when the first digital computer was made. The first electronic digital computer, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), was developed in 1946 however it was not very efficient due to poor programming and architecture thus it was necessary to improve on computer coding and develop better technology to run the software on (citation).A man named Von Neumann, a mathematics professor, developed the idea further. He added the idea of a stored computer program. This was a set of instructions stored in the memory of the computer, which the computer obeyed to complete the programm ed task (citation). From this stage, computers and computer programming evolved rapidly. The move from vacuum tubes to transistors significantly reduced the size and cost of the machines, and increased their reliability. Then came integrated circuit technology, which has reduced the size (and cost) of computers.In the 1960s, the typical computer was a transistor-based machine that cost half a million dollars, and needed a large, air-conditioned room and an on-site engineer. The same computer power now costs $2,000 and sits on a desk. As computers became smaller and cheaper, they also became faster–made possible by a single integrated circuit called a chip. The evolution of technology has proven to be very useful in various sectors of the world. IT is here to stay thus let us take advantage of it and explore it many benefits. The uses of computer have proven to be very beneficial in communication, Business and Education.Enhancements in communication have increased transition o f data, bridged cultural gaps and brought about positive globalization. Nowadays, people can get hot news from any parts of the world very quickly by using E-mail and Internet. Moreover, telephone-local or/and overseas is playing a key role for people to communicate to with each other. Our means of communication has greatly improved in the dawn of the modern technology. We now have so many hi-tech gadgets that we use for everyday to communicating with people from all over the world.We can now communicate with anyone around the globe by simply text messaging them or sending them an email for an almost instantaneous response. The telephone is a very helpful mean tool for us to talk with people from remote places, then came out the cellular phones, which we can take with us wherever we go. Now, we are given the privilege to use computers and the internet that has such a wide variety of easy communication offers. Transmission of data has become so easy compared to back in the day. With the help of information technology, communication has also become cheaper, quicker, and more efficient.The internet has also opened up face to face direct communication from different parts of the world thanks to the helps of video conferencing. It is one of the reasons why we should be thankful for technology. This ability to communicate with people worldwide has opened our eyes to various other cultures. Information technology has helped to bridge the cultural gap by helping people from different cultures to communicate with one another, and allow for the exchange of views and ideas, thus increasing awareness and reducing prejudice.In a world where there is tension between different racial groups especially in a case where these groups cannot communicate so resolve their differences, it can be a BIG problem for the tourism sector and inter-racial relationship between countries. Advancements in communication have allowed us bridge cultural barriers and rectify our differences. Cult ural unison is very important in developing the world and globalization can be seen a good thing. IT has not only brought the world closer together, but it has allowed the world's economy to become a single interdependent system.This means that we can not only share information quickly and efficiently, but we can also bring down barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries. The world has developed into a global village due to the help of IT allowing countries like Chile and Japan who are not only separated by distance but also by language to shares ideas and information with each other. IT has not only proved beneficial in method communications but also to the business industry. Computers have created jobs in the business industry and also have improved protection of vital information and have reduced productivity time.Probably the best advantage of information technology is the creation of new and interesting jobs. Computer programmers, Systems analyzers, Hardware and Software developers and Web designers are just some of the many new employment opportunities created with the help of IT. Job creation is just of the aspects that IT has benefited people, securing data is another. IT creates electronic storage systems to protect a company's valuable records. According to the Graziadio Business Report, published by Pepperdine University, secure maintenance of customer and patient files is vital to business integrity.Storage systems, such as virtual vaults, keep information safe by only allowing certain users within your company to access, withdraw, add or change the documents. According to an article in Science Daily, IT security engineering systems protect your electronic information from being hacked, or wiped out during a technological disaster. Electronic security engineering means your valuable records will remain untouchable. Production has also been increased. Now, we can create materials in just minutes with multiple copies of those productions at a t ime.Before persons had to make products manually which sometime took days and weeks which cuts into the companies’ profit and often time this would result in worker’s pay getting slashed in an attempt to keep the business running. This is what the modern machines contribute to our society. The benefits IT has allow aid teachers and students in the educational sector. The use of IT has enhanced education, the ability to learn and access to learning materials. Technology has revolutionized the classroom and the learning experience as a whole.The technology available today has made a wealth of knowledge available to students, which offers great potential for the speed and style of learning. Information is presented in so many ways that any type learner, whether gifted or disabled, can find and use the necessary material. This fact relates not only to the Internet, but to all the many technological improvements in learning, from smart boards to handheld dictionaries. Stude nts at Northern Caribbean University are able to finish 6 months courses in 4 months which is an improvement compared to the time students normally take to learn certain concepts.Some students have become resent the learning process as a whole and the simple reason is because it is just â€Å"not their style†. Since the dawn of technological age pass method of teaching have become boring to students. Pass methods have become stale and it was just not the kind of setting that some students were able to learn in. With the introduction of new methods of teaching and with the â€Å"old† method still present students ability to learn as improve because they can be in a setting that pleases them and makes them comfortable thus learning is easier.Most persons now have access to various learning materials, access to this information is just a click away thus education is now a wide spread privilege. The information on the Internet is there for all who have access, without disc rimination. People of all social strata are able to use technological advances, which is a fairly new academic development. The advantages to IT are numerous however; modern technology doesn't automatically bring the good things but some bad points. The misuses of computer have been problematic in the communication, Business and Education sectors.The development of communication devices as brought about issues of privacy, technological addiction and cultural domination. Too many people can communicate with us all at the same time. It can create opportunities for fraudulent scams and dangerous spamming in a lot of ways. Though IT may have made communication quicker, easier and more convenient, it has also bought along privacy issues. From cell phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge.Often times persons receive emails from what seems to be their well trusted banking company which prompts them to verify their bank account number an password after which they later find out that their account was completely drained of all funds. The youth has also been very much addicted to gadgets and they spend too much time with it which results in delinquency in school work, outdoor social activities and also they start to neglect chores and personal hygiene. Try asking a child playing with a PSP to do his homework and more than likely his reply will be â€Å"just one more game†.Try asking that child to get some fresh air and more than likely his reply will be â€Å"I prefer to stay inside use chat on Facebook†. Another disadvantage is that is causes cultural domination. While IT may have made the world a global village, it has also contributed to one culture dominating weaker one. For example it is now argued that US influences have caused most young teenagers all over the world now act, dress and behave like those of the US which results in personality issues because the c hild does not take the time to figure out what he/her is interested in.Instead they imitate and not only adapt a culture’s â€Å"good† standing but also their bad behaviour. These disadvantages extend into the business sector as well. Business enterprises have also caused some problems such as job elimination, security breaches and expensive implementation. While information technology may have streamlined the business process it has also crated job redundancies, downsizing and outsourcing. This means that a lot of lower and middle level jobs have been done away with causing more people to become unemployed. Implementing IT into business operations can save a great deal of time during the completion of daily tasks.Paperwork is processed immediately, and financial transactions are automatically calculated. Although businesses may view this expediency as a boon, there are untoward effects to such levels of automation. As technology improves, tasks that were formerly perf ormed by human employees are now carried out by computer systems. For example, automated telephone answering systems have replaced live receptionists in many organizations. This leads to the elimination of jobs and, in some cases, alienation of clients. Unemployed specialists and once-loyal employees may have difficulty securing future employment.Data security has also become an issue. The ability to store information in an electronic database facilitates quicker, more efficient communication. In the past, an individual would sift through stacks of paper records to retrieve data. With properly implemented technology, information can be recovered at the touch of a button. Although information technology systems allow business to be conducted at a faster pace, they are not without their flaws. Information technology systems are vulnerable to security breaches, particularly when they are accessible via the Internet.If appropriate measures are not in place, unauthorized individuals may access confidential data. Information may be altered, permanently destroyed or used for unsavoury purposes. In order to keep a business â€Å"up to date† lots money has to be spent to implement new technology. Every business must consider start-up costs when implementing any type of information technology system. In addition to the cost of hardware and software, some technology vendors require businesses to purchase user licenses for each employee that will be operating the system. Businesses must examine the cost of training employees in unfamiliar technology.Although basic information technology systems may be user friendly, advanced programs still require formal instruction by an expert consultant. In addition to the start-up expenses, information technology systems are expensive to maintain. Systems malfunction, and when they do, businesses must engage skilled technicians to troubleshoot and make the necessary repairs. These expenses present a major disadvantage of inform ation technology in business, particularly to businesses that are entering the technology era for the first time. The education sector has also suffered at the hand of technology.The education sector is diminishing the overall learning process resulting in loss of skill, plagiarism and the poor remains poor. With this increased access to knowledge also comes a probable loss of communication skills and interactive abilities between students and teacher, and students to peers. These skills are not as necessary in a classroom of computers, where individuality is a component of learning and is encouraged. Aside from learning, conflict resolution and socialization used to be two prominent reasons children came to school. The emphasis now has shifted away from these areas.

What are the arguments for and against the state taking on responsibility for social welfare?

The different arguments for and against the state taking on responsibility for social welfare have been powerfully put across by people of opposing political persuasions in Britain over the last 60 years. In this essay, therefore, I intend to use Britain's welfare state to exemplify arguments for and against the state taking primary responsibility for social welfare. The welfare state in Britain was introduced in 1945 by the newly elected Labour government. Although this was the first comprehensive attempt at creating a functional welfare state it is important to note that it was not an entirely new policy. In fact, we can trace back to 1601 to find an early attempt at implementing a state welfare provision – the Poor Law. The theory behind this legislation was that the poor were to be categorized into the deserving (â€Å"the impotent poor†) and the undeserving (â€Å"the persistent idlers†). There were many obvious flaws in the methodology and logic in the implementation of the Poor Law but it must be recognised that this was an early attempt at providing a social welfare system. This demonstrates that for hundreds of years a case has been made for some measure of state social welfare provision. It is also vital not to underestimate the impact the studies carried out by social researchers such as Rowntree (1901) and Booth (1902) had on the forming and implementation of a social welfare provision in 1945. The Beveridge report (1942) pointed to the â€Å"chaotic† and â€Å"piecemeal† introduction of changes into the system and stated the need for a new and more comprehensive system to be installed. Beveridge's report was underpinned by the need to cure the â€Å"five giants†. Beveridge identified these â€Å"five giants† as: Idleness, Squalor, Ignorance, Want and Disease. He identified the need for a state commitment to securing full employment to combat idleness. He argued public housing must be available for all citizens to rent. To cure ignorance he suggested the need for a free education system for anyone up to the age of 15. He suggested the implementation of a national health service to help cure disease. Finally, Beveridge argued that National Insurance benefits should be handed out to all in need. The welfare state had to be introduced in a series of acts, notably the National Health Service Act (1946), the Education Act (1944), the Family Allowance Act (1945). At the time there was much reluctance towards carrying out all of the proposals. The arguments against this degree of state provision stemmed from concerns about cost and the fundamental principles of welfare (e. g. how decisions are made and who should be entitled to receive welfare). Because of the reluctance that grew from the fact that these arguments were never resolved. Beveridge's suggestions were never fully implemented but his ideas still clearly formed the inspiration for the future of welfare reform. One of the main criticisms of Beveridge's proposals and of the concept of a welfare state is that a number of important assumptions have to be made for it to function successfully. For example, within the report, Beveridge makes the assumption that married women would be full time housewives and that for most of their lives women would not be employed. Therefore, married women would only receive benefits through men, thus, creating a culture which encourages women's reliance on men. Because of this feminists have argued that the British welfare state relied on a â€Å"familial ideology† and treated women as second class citizens. This example of the role of women within the welfare state illustrates the point that any welfare system is not neutral that is based on ideological assumptions. These assumptions will influence the way that different members of the public will respond to state provision of welfare. Another example of these ideological assumptions would be the 17th century belief that only the â€Å"impotent poor† deserve state welfare. The economics of Britain's state welfare system have also come under a lot of criticism. These critics argue there are some fundamental flaws with the economic ideology underpinning the system. Firstly, for the welfare state to operate properly and fairly their must be nearly full employment in the country where it is based as, in theory, this will maximize tax revenue and minimize unemployment benefits. This system worked relatively effectively until the early 1970's. However, due to the relative decline of the UK economy, Britain suffered an economic crisis and unemployment started rising rapidly. Since then mass unemployment has been a serious problem within British society. Critics suggest that this is proof of how dependent a welfare state is on a prosperous economy. Basically this meant that the welfare state was reliant on capitalism – rather than contributing to the undermining or softening of its most brutal aspects . The New Right have made strong arguments against state welfare provision. The 1979 election brought into power a conservative government that had a new and radical approach to public expenditure and the welfare state as a whole. Probably the most notable change in policy brought in by the New Right was the end of the commitment to full employment that previous governments had encouraged. The New Right believed in a â€Å"natural level of employment†. They felt that this â€Å"natural level of employment† was being undermined by wages being too high due to the actions of trade unions. Therefore, they argued that the market would solve unemployment by creating downward pressure on wages. Because of this, the differential between wages and benefits was increased by creating downward pressure on benefit levels and therefore welfare expenditure. However, despite this right wing shift in political thinking, there was no major change in welfare expenditure until the late 1980's. The year 1988 was an important one in terms of implications for the welfare state as it represented a far more radical application of New Right thinking towards the welfare state. Firstly, the New Right introduced a shift from the previous system of universal provision towards a system based more upon selective provision. For example, some of the benefits that were previously available to everyone (universal) became only available to some via a â€Å"means test† (selective). This was a big move that completely contradicted the universal method employed by previous more left wing governments. Another change made by the New Right was the introduction of privatization and marketization. An example of this is the case of the sale of council houses. The public housing stock was privatized and sold off in an attempt to create a market for the council housing which had originally in Beveridge's thinking, been intended for public ownership and private rent. Another major shift made by the Conservative government was towards community care. There was a trend for mentally ill, elderly and disabled people to be moved from institutions to care in the community. However, what this basically meant was that rather than institutional care the responsibility was shifted onto the family. It is also very important to note that care in the community was considerably cheaper for the state to maintain than institutional care. The New Right also consciously made an effort to change the public's perception of welfare – shifting away from the view that the state is the only provider of welfare. The responsibility of the state was reduced through the encouragement of private provision and by emphasizing the importance of the charitable and voluntary sector. This is one of the central strands of the argument against state welfare provision. At this juncture it is important to consider the effect privatization has had on society and the welfare state. Since the New Right introduced new policy pertaining to welfare in 1979 there have been a number of examples of the UK government seeking to encourage private provision of welfare. People have been encouraged to take out private insurance plans for their welfare needs and the number of people covered by private health insurance rose from 2. million to 5. 2 million between 1976 and 1986 (Julian Le Grand, 1990). In the mid 1980's the Conservative government tried to shift sickness insurance and pension insurance into the private sector also. These plans, however, never came to fruition owing to major criticism and insurance companies expressing a reluctance to take up policies for all employees Hutton (1996) strongly criticizes the New Rights welfare expenditure policy. He argues against the belief that public expenditure should be reduced during troubled times for the economy. Hutton believes that the cuts are spurred by political ideology rather then by economic need. In Hutton's words â€Å"apart from Iceland, Britain runs the meanest, tightest, lowest-cost social security system in the world†. Hutton alleges that the twenty-first century will see a large rise in the amount of tax revenue available to fund welfare payments. The voluntary sector must also be discussed when considering arguments for and against the state taking on responsibility for the welfare state. Organizations such as Barnados, the Salvation Army and the NSPCC provide voluntary care. They serve a different role to statutory bodies set up by Parliament, but the views of these voluntary providers are respected and need to be taken into account as well. These organizations tend to have specialized expertise and experience in certain areas and the government can benefit from this knowledge. A major bonus of voluntary provision is that they are often very cost effective as unpaid volunteers are often used. It is estimated by Knapp (1989) that the total amount of public-sector support for voluntary provision between 1983 and 1986 was i3151 million. However, there are also inherent weaknesses in voluntary provision. The biggest and most blatant problem stems from the nature of voluntary work as it cannot be guaranteed. Critics also point to the fact that voluntary work may be unequally provided across the country. The service can therefore be inconsistent and the advice from the voluntary sector to government might differ depending on the region. It is also suggested that due to financial restrictions the voluntary sector will never be anything more than a secondary level service that relies on the state or private sector provision. Social security benefits are the most redistributive aspect of the welfare state as they distribute income to the poorest people in the country. A point in favour of a social welfare system, from a socialist or social democratic perspective, is that the social security benefits can be used to redistribute wealth to make society economically fairer by heavily taxing the rich and giving it to the poorest people in society. On the other hand, opponents see this as a Robin Hood aspect of state social welfare which demotivates both the richest and the poorest people in the country – encouraging idleness (one of the â€Å"five giants† beveridge was trying to eradicate) amongst the poor and encouraging the rich to leave the country. The New Right when in power, therefore, cut back on the redistributive aspects of welfare provision. The one-off grant system that was previously in effect was replaced in the 1986 and 1988 security acts and 16 to 18 year olds entitlement to income support was revoked. In current political debates the Conservative party, now in opposition frequently accuse the Labour party of redistributing wealth from the rich to the poor via â€Å"underhand† or â€Å"stealthy† methods. This is an indication that the argument about the extent to which the state should take responsibility for social welfare remains highly contested. Where you stand on this issue is fundamental to your political beliefs and how you will vote.

As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay)

I have had dark straight hair which is already dyed with golden blonde, brown eyes which I genetically inherited from my mother, a short nose, small gleaming teeth, full lips, tiny dimples and a round face which I am teased a lot by many people as well as my big fat arms. Nevertheless, I am proud of having a fair skin; long thick hair just like of a commercial model as what my sister would say; and long solid legs. So, I usually wear not-so-short shorts and skirts paired with t-shirts and flats. Like many girls, I like to dress up but then I don’t really have many clothes to dress up with so I end up with the basics. I also like my hair loose and undone because I like better messy hair, in a structured way and in a way to conceal my huge face. I used to be very shy and introvert when I was little. I don’t talk unless someone starts a conversation and sometimes I don’t ask questions to keep the discussion going. But now, I develop some confidence and courage to express my thoughts and feelings; I feel more comfortable when I’m alone with someone I’m not used to be with; and I can already look straight to their eyes. I am an ineffective liar. When I start to lie, I tend to laugh. The more I try to get serious, the more I easily burst out into laughter and normally, I can’t keep eye contacts with them. I am also an ineffective joker because frequently I end up laughing first before I could tell my joke. That’s me, making most of my time happy and laughing because I love what it brings me and I love hearing the sound of glee. But sometimes, a different me comes out particularly when I am treated impolitely and when I am force to wake up. Then again, I come back to my usual self once I’ve realized I’m being mean. I am also a person who likes to try new things or should I say adventurous and risk-taker which are the traits I get from my father. When it comes to this, I behave surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic. I can also be lazy at times especially when I don’t like what I’m supposed to do otherwise, I voluntarily do things in the best way I can. I was born a very grumpy girl indeed. What’s more, I am a very ambitious person. Ten years from now, I could see myself as a successful and refined CPA having established my own business, a house that I designed myself since I also dream to be an interior designer and cars that I never thought I would have. I intend to continue my profession, enhance my skills and to be a good public servant too. Given that I am an adventurous person, I could also see myself as a wanderer who travels to the most wonderful and romantic places in the world just as I would picture in my mind every single day. As well as a loving wife and mother nurturing her wonderful family. I know gaining these things are hard to achieve that is why I plan on working harder in the present for a better future. As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay) I have had dark straight hair which is already dyed with golden blonde, brown eyes which I genetically inherited from my mother, a short nose, small gleaming teeth, full lips, tiny dimples and a round face which I am teased a lot by many people as well as my big fat arms. Nevertheless, I am proud of having a fair skin; long thick hair just like of a commercial model as what my sister would say; and long solid legs. So, I usually wear not-so-short shorts and skirts paired with t-shirts and flats. Like many girls, I like to dress up but then I don’t really have many clothes to dress up with so I end up with the basics. I also like my hair loose and undone because I like better messy hair, in a structured way and in a way to conceal my huge face. I used to be very shy and introvert when I was little. I don’t talk unless someone starts a conversation and sometimes I don’t ask questions to keep the discussion going. But now, I develop some confidence and courage to express my thoughts and feelings; I feel more comfortable when I’m alone with someone I’m not used to be with; and I can already look straight to their eyes. I am an ineffective liar. When I start to lie, I tend to laugh. The more I try to get serious, the more I easily burst out into laughter and normally, I can’t keep eye contacts with them. I am also an ineffective joker because frequently I end up laughing first before I could tell my joke. That’s me, making most of my time happy and laughing because I love what it brings me and I love hearing the sound of glee. But sometimes, a different me comes out particularly when I am treated impolitely and when I am force to wake up. Then again, I come back to my usual self once I’ve realized I’m being mean. I am also a person who likes to try new things or should I say adventurous and risk-taker which are the traits I get from my father. When it comes to this, I behave surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic. I can also be lazy at times especially when I don’t like what I’m supposed to do otherwise, I voluntarily do things in the best way I can. I was born a very grumpy girl indeed. What’s more, I am a very ambitious person. Ten years from now, I could see myself as a successful and refined CPA having established my own business, a house that I designed myself since I also dream to be an interior designer and cars that I never thought I would have. I intend to continue my profession, enhance my skills and to be a good public servant too. Given that I am an adventurous person, I could also see myself as a wanderer who travels to the most wonderful and romantic places in the world just as I would picture in my mind every single day. As well as a loving wife and mother nurturing her wonderful family. I know gaining these things are hard to achieve that is why I plan on working harder in the present for a better future.

E-Business Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-Business Systems - Essay Example The mission statement of Reebok includes two very significant aspects; Through online retailing Reebok is indeed trying to reach nearer the customer and igniting the passion for more purchases. Listening to the requirements of the time and IT era, Reebok has indeed put in lot of successful efforts to make the online retailing site more customer friendly. Reebok has earned a name for itself in the field of sporting goods and sponsorships, therefore to maintain the leading brand identity requires investments with adaptive and corrective actions at crucial junctures. E-business is just one such step. It can be safely said that, 'Information is power! It is an asset that can help overcome the glorious uncertainties and opens new avenues for doing business. Marketing, plays a crucial role in this entire business process. For an effective marketing strategy psychological needs of the customer(s) are to be kept in mind. These needs must be met in order for a person to be persuaded to purchase a product or service. E-business is no exception. Here the website visitor is persuaded to close the deal successfully by following a five step strategy. This can be done with building trust and confidence by meeting the psychological marketing needs of that visitor and potential customer while escorting that visitor through the selection and purchasing process. These five levels of the sales process are the core components that will move a website viewer from visitor to customer or client. The five levels are; Marketing/Prospecting to the Target Market and Audience: Prospecting is the result of marketing. It's the delivery of targeted qualified traffic to the company's virtual storefront. This can be achieved by search engine optimization, pay per clicks, or advertisements that draw people to the company's site. Once they are there it is the job and responsibility of the company to deliver its Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Though Reebok doesn't appear to be making frantic efforts towards attracting the audience from all around, but once they are in the virtual store, there's lot for the customer to have a look at, different varieties, technologies that are being used in designing the shoes, video bites of sporting personalities etc. Building Credibility and Trust - (viewer needs this to move forward): In a brick and mortar business trust is built by human interaction. Greeting a person when they walk in the door or physically helping them find something that they are looking for, helps in business propositions. For a virtual store the company is supposed to make sure that the site appears to be trustworthy, it has a professional appearance. The company is also supposed to know how long does it take to open the web-page How easy is it navigating through (i.e. user friendly links and

ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION SYSTEM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION SYSTEM - Assignment Example These methods are for the industry of the electric power. Generation of electricity occurs at the power station by the generators of electromechanical, mainly fueled by nuclear fission or chemical combustion to drive the heat engines. Other means like wind and flowing water are used to generate kinetic energy (McKenna, 2009). The other sources of energy are inclusive of geothermal power and photovoltaic. Following the development of AC transmission power, the main power stations became practical economically. This was through the use of the transformers to transmit power with low energy loss at a high voltage. The first power plant was run on coal or water, and in the present the main reliable energy sources are nuclear, coal, hydroelectric, wind generators, petroleum and the natural gas. The other which is not relied much on is as follows; tidal power, solar energy and solar energy. This is the process of utilizing extracted steam or exhaust from a turbine for the purpose of heating, for example distilling petroleum in building heat or refinery. Prior to the introduction of the power stations, the commercial buildings and the big hotels would generate their very own power. (iv) Induction of Electromagnetic , in which case there is a dynamo, electrical generator or an alternator that change energy of motion which is kinetic energy into electricity. This is the most common form of generating electricity and has its basis on the law of Faraday. Turbines are all operated by the fluid that is acts as a middle carrier of energy. Most of the mentioned engines of heat energy are turbines. The other turbines types are driven by the falling water or wind. The sources are as follows:- (a) Geothermal power. Where hot water evaporates a boiling a liquid that is boiling for the creation of steam for driving the turbine. The turbine can also be driven by the underground steam which is under

Survey Data analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Survey Data analysis - Coursework Example A large majority (94%) of the students work and of these, 83% were sponsored by their organizations to study at the college. The level in an organization at which most of these worked at can be defined in the following graph. Of these working students, 9% have worked 0 years in HR, 17% have worked 1-1.5 years, 18% worked 2-2.5 years, 13% worked 3-3.5 years, 6% worked 4-4.5 years while 35% have worked 5 years and more. This shows an equal distribution in the work experience of the students. 8% of the people work in organizations that employ 50 employees or less, 17% in organizations with employees between 50 and 200 while a large majority of 66% works in organizations that employs more than 500 employees. This shows greater orientation of larger organization employees to join HR courses at ARU. Furthermore, 49% of the working students are employed in organizations with HR departments that have 10 or less employees. 34% of the working students are in organizations with HR employees between 11 and 50 and 14% are in organizations with more than 50 HR employees. 3 respondents did not answer the question. 57% of the working students work for the private sector, 35% in the public sector, 7% for non-profits and 1% for university. 35% of the working students study less than 5 hours per week while 57% study 5 hours or more. The students were also questioned about when they study. Majority of the students studied on weekends and the second most popular time was study in the evenings. The following figure displays the common responses and their frequency. Students were also questioned about what library timings they preferred. 22% wanted the timing on the weekends to be extended, 37% wanted the 24 hour model while 31% were satisfied with the original timings. This shows that the majority wanted more flexibility with regard to their study timings in the library. Students

Legal and Regulatory Environment in Human Resource Management Essay - 10

Legal and Regulatory Environment in Human Resource Management - Essay Example In my opinion, the case Jennifer has filed against her employer will not hold water and she is likely to lose it because firstly, she is no longer part of the workforce in the company and secondly, there is no concrete evidence of her harassment reported to the authorities before leaving the company. Thirdly, her reasons for resigning are unclear to the management even though she claims the sexual harassments from the senior partner instigated her exit from the company even after six months of enduring through this harrowing experience. It is unlawful to discriminate someone on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or such medical conditions. Pregnancy is considered a disability in most cases and in the case of Theresa Thomas; I would advise her to sue the school management especially the principal for discriminating and dismissing her on unsatisfactory grounds. The principal should have questioned the reasons why her ratings have dropped suddenly than dismissing her without even checking her track record. It would have been fair if her previous ratings were matched with the current ones and a SWOT analysis done about the ones at hand. Theresa should inform the board of governors of the school about her dissatisfaction with the improper dismissal and if no action is taken, a lawsuit will be convenient to air out her issues in court, which will end up in a win-win situation that is getting her job back and being compensated for damages. The two lawyers have the right to observe their religious doctrines freely since religion is a culture that cuts across all races regardless of where one comes from. Religious discrimination might be a tricky subject for many employers but federal and government discrimination laws always have special considerations and adjustments regarding this dress code in relation to religion.  

Exam I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam I - Essay Example The Mexican civilization decided to learn from the ancient Toltec. For Aztec, the Toltec were the origins of all cultures. There were several mythologies for Aztec because they had combined several traditions with their own earlier traditions. This resulted in the formation of diverse culture in Mexico. The Ixtlilxochitl’s legend is one of the most important and complete creation in Mexican mythology. According to the myth Lord is the one who created the universe, stars, animals, mountains and humans. The mythological stories created by the Mixtecs are also important in the origin of Mexican mythology. It mainly describes about the isolation of people of the Southern part of Mexico. Apart from them the Mexican Noah and the Sacrificed Princess are some other important mythologies of Mexican origins. The Mexican Noah describes about the destruction of the world due to evil nature of humans. On the other hand the sacrificed princess describes about the ritual of sacrifice. The Fugitive Prince is another Mexican mythology that describes about the greed and self-survival nature of humans. The political advancements are clearly visible from this mythology. There are several other mythologies that have built up the Mexican beliefs. The most important part of the Mexican mythology i s unity in diversity. Despite the existence of several civilizations and cultures the pattern of worship is almost similar. The Huitzilopochtli is the best example of Mexican mythology that proves the common patterns of the Mexican beliefs. It is about the rising up of the skies of the South and it is surrounded by trees, divination symbols, temples and patterns. The Aztec mythology is the collection of myths of Central Mexico and Aztec civilization. Mictlantecuhtli and Quetzalcoatl are the two Gods worshipped by the Mexican people as the God of

Journals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Journals - Essay Example † (Mitchell 1). The writer assesses the technique in which the webpage might destroy Harry potter by comparing it to Star Wars. The article has a comical and self-deprecating tone. This is because much of the article is written in a blithe, funny manner. The author makes fun of himself, for instance, when he says, â€Å"opening thousands of pistachio nuts can cause severe thumb-bruising, I can tell you from bitter experience of my life on the brink† (Mitchell 1). The author, Mitchell, has used a simile at the opening of the news story, â€Å"Harry Potter is like football, I’m talking about the literary, cinematic and merchandising phenomenon, not its focal fictional wizard, he isn’t like football† (Mitchell 1). He employs this allegory to include comicalness to the story. According to Mitchell, Potter’s fans are more desperate for more just like football fans that do not get enough of the games, commentary and analysis. The author has also emp loyed imagery, â€Å"every generation must lose its innocence, and must see the brightly painted nursery wall smashed away by the wrecking ball of betrayal to reveal a blighted landscape† (Mitchell 1). ... The article explains more about the achievements of the deceased. Therefore, the author, Migdail-Smith, frames the purpose of the article as the loss of a business icon. The title or the topic of the news article is straight to the point and a reader can predict the contents of the article without reading it. However, the topic of the article is not particularly captivating. Connotations of the linguistic signs presented in a news article are imperative to the significance of the news item to the person who reads. The meanings of the news item are observed within a framework recognizable by the reader. The headlines of an article should purpose to attract the reader. This article is purely objective and does not express the writer’s opinions on the subject matter. Additionally, the writer uses short sentences and simple words making it easier for the reader to understand. For instance, the writer uses, â€Å"the elder Carlino, who died Friday at age 92, lived in Montgomery Co unty† and â€Å"Penn National, routinely named among the fastest-growing companies nationally, continues to operate from Wyomissing† (Migdail-Smith 1). The article has a somber tone, which is established at the beginning of the article when the author notes, â€Å"The man who laid the foundation for what is now Penn National Gaming Inc. has died†. Anyone reading this article is expected to show grief and express sympathy to the family for their loss Journal 3 Article â€Å"Sick internet 'troll' who posted vile messages and videos taunting the death of Teenagers is jailed for 18 WEEKS† In this article explains how a man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for posting spiteful and horrible comments in Facebook about teenagers who had committed

Women and the Peace Movement in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Women and the Peace Movement in Britain - Essay Example The essay "Women and the Peace Movement in Britain" analyzes the reasons why women did not make an individual contribution to British peace activist until the late 20th century.Though women have been quite instrumental in bringing the changes that led to movements for peace not just in Britain but across the world in the 20th century. The major reform that the Brits had achieved was the abolition of slavery in all the British colonies in the year 1833. This reform was particularly supported by the Christian women who had resolved to aid the movement by boycotting the usage of sugar which was the main export from the slave countries as they believed in the Christian philosophy of equality to all humans. This movement was the result of a long effort by William Wilberforce and Brougham along with their accomplices and Christian women in Britain and America as well. It is important to note that this movement to enforce the reform to end slavery in the world, particularly the British colo nies, had saved over a half a million African slaves. Another development was in the war front which has been quite active because of some major forces like Britain, Russia, France, Germany and almost all other countries of the world. War was on the verge of becoming the concept for social, political and economic strength for almost all of the countries of the world. Different countries and their respective allies had been taking to war increasingly and aggressively thereby changing the social and political scenarios in the world. and thus impacting the economic scenario the most which is the major factor effecting the people, their thinking and their life standards. By the mid - nineteenth century, political reforms had gained much momentum and some of them saw the light of the day after long periods and these reforms had been instrumental in giving the women some freedom from their earlier days of suppression. But still the conditions and the freedom of women was far from being si gnificant [1]. Not all women had been emancipated and the few who were enjoying freedom from the oppressive laws were miniscule even when the 'Custody of Children' bill had been passed in 1839 with much efforts by a much influential Caroline Norton and the then Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. This bill gave the rights to custody of the child below seven years and permission to see the older ones' above seven to the mother

Censorship and Rebellion Essay Example for Free

Censorship and Rebellion Essay The square in China was a act of rebellion because the citizens stood up against Cherman Mao. Tone has to do with auditory (what you hear). Tone in writing represents things you hear from the author’s writing. In Fahrenheit Four Hundred Fifty One Bradbury uses tone to show rebellion. Rebellion can be described as defiance of anything authority, control, or tradition. In this case Montag plans to rebel against control. Bradbury uses tone to characterize Faber and Montag’s rebellion as futile because Faber does not want to help Montag with his plan. Ray Bradbury uses tone to explain how Montag’s plan becomes useless because Faber does not believe in his plan. Montag went to Faber’s house to tell him about how they should rebel against burning books â€Å"Mr. Montag, you are looking at a coward. I saw the way things were going, a long time back. I said nothing. I’m one of the innocents who could have spoken up and out when no one would listen to the ‘guilty,’ but I did not speak and thus became guilty myself. And when finally they set the structure to burn the books, using the firemen, I grunted a few times and subsided, for by them. Now it’s too late†, the tone sounds as if Faber does not believe that Montag’s plan becomes useless because the citizens in their world are accustom to not having books and not speaking up for what is right. Bradbury uses tone to display how Montag’s rebellion becomes useless because he has no one who will rebel with him. This tone happens when Montag tries to tell Faber his plan. â€Å"Not if you start talking the sort of talk that might get me burnt for my trouble. The only way I could possibly listen to you would be is somehow the fireman structure itself could be burnt. Now if you suggest that we print extra books and arrange to have them hidden in firemen’s houses all over the country, so that seeds of suspicion would be sown among these arsonists, bravo I’d say! † (pg. 81) When Bradbury writes â€Å"Burnt for my trouble†, the tone sounds like Faber was not willing to risk his life for the rebellion against books being destroyed. Ray Bradbury uses tone to point out how Montag’s rebellion will be futile because who he came to for help (Faber) does not even want to help him; he just points out the negative things of rebelling. This tone happens when Montag was telling Faber, the people that might be able to help. † Can’t trust people, that’s the dirty part you and I and who else will set the fires? †(pg. 83) When Bradbury writes â€Å"Can’t trust people†, the tone sounds like Faber believes citizens not being able to be trusted revels that the rebellion will be unsuccessful and should not be done. Ray Bradbury uses tone to show how Faber believes the rebellion will have an unsuccessful ending. In his writing he demonstrates how Faber states things that make Montag’s rebellion very useless. He also shows how Faber shows unwillingness to risk his life just to save books and the idea in books. Also how Faber feels it is too late to try to change the burning of the books. Bradbury writes about rebellion because he does not believe in banning books and believes that people should be aware of all aspects of life. Meaning he revels through his character’s development that the world he lives in needs transformation.

The PESTEL Framework Essay Example for Free

The PESTEL Framework Essay The PESTEL framework examines the six main macro environmental influencing factors of companies: political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. These influences determine the future success or failure of the corporate strategies. The political influence include the role of the governments; economics embraces the macro economic factors such as growth rate, exchange rates and business cycles; the social component stands for changing cultures and demographics; technological influences include innovations; environment refers to the â€Å"green† issues including pollution and waste; and legal entails legislative changes and constraints. Gerry(2008) argues that identifying the key drivers for change helps to focus on the important PESTEL factors. Based on those managers can make the optimal decision for effective action. Thus, the key drivers for change determine the success or failure of a strategy. For instance the clothing retailers are concerned about the social changes which drive consumer taste and behaviour. When there is a high uncertainty in the business environment due to complexity or rapid change, it is unlikely to build a single vision of how the environment can affect companies’ strategies.

Harry Potter Analysis: Themes of Power and Oppression

Harry Potter Analysis: Themes of Power and Oppression The world in which one lives today is one that is not different from the past in many aspects. Though there have been several changes in society, there are still several things that remain the same. Human lifestyle undoubtedly has changed along with the way that people think. However, memories and records of events and the like are not always forgotten. People may not forget things easily, and somemake it a point to hang on to memories and even grudges. Historic events may be recorded solely for the purpose of preserving thoughts of the world so that man, in time to come, would have a chance of knowing his roots. Through history, one important thing that has come to man’s attentionis the existence of inequalities through time. Inequalities have always existed, and these have always been a major source of conflict. Conflict has always been known man, and has never been a stranger to man at any point in time. This is not to say that wars always raged across the earth, but certainly does mean that atrocities and the like always existed. The hostilities and crime that one witnesses today is hardly different from the crimes that were committed in the past. The only thing that makes it much more different to what it was in the past is that there is technology on one’s side today. Instead of this being of greater help to man today, it has resulted in much more death and destruction, all starting from inequalities in resources. Theorists like Karl Marx and Stephen Greenblatt are individuals that would be able to shed greater light on the disharmony in society. Their views on social living also help one to understand the way that things were and are today, and how similar conflicts may be through time . Domination could take almost any form, and this would depend on what kind of resources one class has. If one has economic resources, it is possible to dominate others extensively. In Marxist terms, domination is usually because the resources a class has in hand. If a class has economic resources, it has greater strength and can dominate others. If the resources have limited value, they cannot dominate all that much. In addition to the possession of resources that causes conflict, there is also something known as a sense of belonging. If a person feels that another is not of his status or does not speak the language that s/he does, conflict might arise. However, â€Å"Differences of habit and languageare nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open†. Aside from the differences in resources and the conflict that takesplace because of a difference in resources, Marxism has other values. It is a theory that explains social change, which is why it can beapplied to various situations of conflict. The reason for this is thatthere always has to be a reason for conflict, and this refers todifferences in resources of strengths . Marxism being a macro-sociological theory is one that can also apply tosmaller setups. This means that it can apply to communities as welleven though a community is only a part of a larger society. However,thismakes sense because of the fact that it also applies to a wholestate that itself a smaller part of a global environment . Being a theory that can be used to see significance in communities, itis one that can be applied to the magician’s community in Harry PotterNovels by J.K Rowling. The community in Harry Potter Novels is perfect for implementing Marxist theory. This is because of the fact that there is existence of segregation, class/group conflict, oppression, slavery,Prejudice, etc. existing in the community. It is all these factors thatexpose the importance of Marxist theory and the way that communities gothrough changes during conflict. The stages in a conflict are alsoclearly visible as one reads through the Harry Potter books. Thesestages are similar to Marxist explanations, and are also in sync withsocial changes that occur because of conflicts . In addition to the class conflict that would occur because of control over resources or magical powers, there is also the case of descent.Descent or heritage is an issue in Harry Potter stories as well becausethose who belong to an original group are believed to be rightful heirs and have authorized control. This is something that is explained byother theories as well, but Marxism primarily considers these to bebecause of beliefs and doctrines that are embedded in people’s minds.They are also most likely to occur because of the control that peoplebelieve they are entitled to when they are of original or pure descent. This is precisely the case wit the pure bloods that think they arerightful owners of magic. The purebloods assumed that they have therights to magic and only they should be allowed to study at the schoolof magic. They wanted the half bloods and the mudbloods ousted.However, since they could not do it through fair means they resorted toother means. At various stage s of the whole story of Harry Potter’sexperience this is demonstrated. Not only is Harry Potter subject totheir unfair means but so are many innocent people. The pure bloods arewilling to go to any length to dominate and gain control over allothers. They want to gain control in the wider society by first takingover the magic school and proving themselves as rightful owners ofmagic. They are inbred and come from generations of practice. AlbusDumbledore asserts: â€Å"You place too much importance on the so-calledpurity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not whatsomeone is born, but what they grow to be! † Undoubtedly, they may possess exceptional traits and ability to performspells, but it may also be said that they have mastered all thisthrough immense practice. As opposed to this, Harry Potter is anindividual who is of half wizard descent. He still has more abilitiesthan most other wizards of pure descent. He has the ability to applymagical spells at will even though he was warned in the initial stagesthat it could prove dangerous for him. He was told that afterperforming magic for the first time, it is â€Å"Natural to want a bitmore†. He was told that he â€Å"cant start flying cars to try and get†himself â€Å"noticed† (Chapter 6, p. 91). The best part about Harry Potter’s character is that he is a wizard ora young wizard with immense skill. He does not use his magicalstrengths unless he really needs to. He had been warned against usingmagical spells, but also preferred to use commonsense to work his waythrough situations. It may be asserted that Harry Potter was a clevermagician who used his magical capabilities to reinforce his efforts. Describing magical situations in a community of wizards and using amacro-sociological theory to back it up, may seem odd. However, itappears that the discrimination between different groups or classes isbest described through this theory. The manner in which individuals inthis story behave is interesting and fits well into such a theory. Considering Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches’, it can also be asserted thatMarxism fits into it too. This is because there are also notions ofgroups or class in this story. There is also existence of oppressors.These oppressors are the ones that cause the disharmony; they try toget rid of children, and people in general cannot detect them livingalong with them in society. They look like normal ladies and have everygeneral character that women have, and no one would even imagine thatthere are some of the wickedest women living right beside them. Since class distinction is an important part of Marxist theory, it isworth asserting that Harry Potter has no shortage of Marxist notions. This can be observed in the fact that class distinction is quite open. The manner in which classification takes place in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ is exceptional. This is typically visible whenthey magicians are categorized and placed in traditional houses. Each magician is placed in a traditional house according to his or her capability or status. An example of this is the manner in which Harryis placed in the house of Gryffindor. He is a hero and is placed herewhile other magicians such as Malfoy, are placed in Slytherin. Though it may be argued that this is highly unlike a Marxist practice becauseof the inequality, it can be said that it is actually very much in syncwith Marxist theory. This is because of the fact that Marxism holdsthat each one has particular capabilities that could be put to use. Marxism e mphasizes on the notion: from each one according to hiscapability, and to each one according to his need (Marx Engels,1848). In the above example, it is obvious that the emphasis is more onthe capability of the individual, which is why each of the characterized are placed in separate houses. In this kind of segregation, there are particular advantages as well asdisadvantages. This refers to the fact that being segregated couldcause unity in some ways and further disintegration in others. In‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, both these notions arevisible clearly. Unity is demonstrated through the recognition ofmorals in each character. The characters recognize certain qualities ineach other and they are drawn closer; Harry, Ron and Hermione stand outas examples. In contrast to this, it can also be observed that thereare instances where some characters are repulsed. It is through the unity that is created by the three friends at themagic school that a plot has been detected to steal the ‘Philosopher’sStone’. Harry, Ron and Hermione work together to discover a culprit atthe top level. It turns out that one of the teachers is a suspect. Thework that the three friends put in to discover the suspect is anexample of the way that the people in a state can work towards foilinga treacherous attempt. This part of the story also reflects the natureof the Marxist state that is more than likely to pull down a leader orany official that puts them at risk. The people are the ones with powerand they may use it collectively to achieve a goal. Though there may beother individuals against them, they may still go ahead with what theybelieve in. The Philosopher’s Stone is like the importance of a state, and if anyone is trying to steal something that belongs to the state they need tobe stopped. The situation can be deadly, which is why it may also beadventurous. â€Å"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but thenext great adventure† . This is precisely what Harry and his friends set out to do after theyhave strong suspicions on particular people. However, their earliersuspicions were not accurate as Harry discovers that he has to facesomeone other than Snape. One can have â€Å"As much money and life as youcould want! The two things most human beings would choose above all -the trouble is, humans†, even if they are magicians, â€Å"do have a knackof choosing precisely those things that are worst for them† . In order to prevent the Philosopher’s Stone from being stolen, Harryand his friends have to go after the stone themselves. This meant thatthey had to get in through the guards to make sure the Stone would notbe stolen away. At this point in the story, it is specificallymentioned that Harry and his friends had to pull their strengthstogether in order to get where they reached. Harry and his friends manage to do this quite successfully until Harryhas to go in alone after the Stone. In doing this, he is faced withProfessor Quirrell. Being his crafty self like many politicians thatwant to benefit the most, Professor Quirrell tries to use Harry to getto the stone. He knew that Harry would be able to get through, and soknew it would be the best way. However, the professor remainsunsuccessful in his attempt. Quirrell was killed and Voldemortdefeated. This defeat and death stands for the necessity of conflict tobring peace and restoration to a state. The characters defeated standfor those that interfere with the relatively peaceful system in place.Harry and his friends stand for those that are willing to risk all thatis theirs in order to do what is right. Harry in particulardemonstrates that he is the people of a state because of the fact thathe was ready to lay down his life for everyone. He knew that he was theonly one capable of completing the task, and so we nt into a dangeroussituation all by himself. However, he emerged victorious and thus livedup to being a hero. Though Harry did a splendid amount of heroic work single-handedly, itcannot be forgotten that he could not have done it all by himself.Towards the end of the adventure, this is exposed considerably throughthe points scored in all the efforts. Gryffindor earns one hundred andsixty points through the collective efforts of Harry, Ron and Hermione.However, an extra ten points were earned because of Neville’s effortsto stop the three from going to the Philosopher’s Stone. It is obvious that trying to stop Harry and his friends from goingthrough the defenses of the guards would be seen as a good act. Quitenaturally, Harry’s actions as ring leader were not the mostappropriate; the school of magic may not have been pleased about this,and so placed a ban on him from using magic for the rest of the summer.However, he kept this ban a secret so that no one would take advantageof him. Using magic could not be kept a secret, but not using it couldbe kept a secret. Looking at the practice of magic in the literaturepublished today, there are several religious groups that are againstthe use of magic and witchcraft in Harry potter stories. This has beenthe case so much so that religious groups have moved to have the seriesbanned. However, this is an unlikely thing to happen, as the book isfiction; something that is far from reality. However, in comparing thenotions in this series with Marxist literature, it can also be saidthat there are people who scrutini ze it (Marxist Literature) as well,terming it all as evil and a social disease that aims at overturningother just forms of governance. The fears are more real in this sense,but pertinent literature can hardly be banned from publication . Marxist literature is known to focus on many different aspects ofsocietal living; it is a political theory and often serves as a meansof scrutinizing state operations. One of the main things that ittargets is injustice. It emphasizes on the need to get rid the root ofinjustice in society. In Marxist notions, there are ways of targetingand getting rid of injustice. The words mentioned earlier about Marxismcan aptly be applied here as well: ‘to each one according to his needs’(Marx Engels, 1848). These words comprehensively overruleinjustice, but of course are not sufficient to make sure that injusticedoes not occur. Injustice still occurs in its various forms, anddiscrimination towards individuals belonging to particular origins isone of the most well known of its forms. Discrimination is alsosomething that is a major consideration in ‘Harry Potter and thechamber of secrets’. Basically the discrimination is generalized at all magicians lower than‘pure blood wizards’. In ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’Harry is discriminated by Malfoy because Harry is not a pure bloodwizard. In contrast to this story talking about discrimination andmaking of differences between wizards, there is a great deal that onecan learn from it. Tolerance is one of the major teachings in thisstory. Individuals of all ages can learn from tolerance, no matter whattheir backgrounds are. Marxist theory also holds fast to tolerance asopposed to its notions of conflict. People living in a society may havedifferences, but they still have to live together. Provided that thedifferences are not too magnified, there is no reason why they cannotlive together. In extreme cases, they may need to clash before peace isestablished, but first tolerance is preferred. Conflict is actually thelast option; when there is no other way out, conflict is resorted to.The inten sity of the conflict can be observed in the following lineswhen Arthur Weasley says: â€Å"Never trust anything that can think foritself if you cant see where it keeps its brain† . Tolerance in the Community: In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, tolerance in the communityis of great importance. If tolerance is non existent, there would be nocommunity. However, there are some individuals that want to causedisharmony even if their intentions seem logical. In the story, SalazarSlytherin wants to get rid of all those that are different andestablish a community that is pure; he wants to get rid of themudbloods, or wizards that do not have any magical ancestors. Here,one can see that is a definite distinction between the two classes, andthere is also a definite demeaning tone and term being used againstthose that were not pure magicians . Quite obviously, there was aresponse from those who were being looked down upon. They would defendthemselves if attacked or harmed in any way. This would be legitimatein the sense that all members in a society are entitled to equalrights, and these are natural rights. The targeted class might feel theneed to resist hostilities or even launch attacks. Th is conflict isnothing unknown to Marxism; in fact, class conflict is normal for peaceto be achieved. Particularly, it must be noted that class conflict inHarry Potter and the Chamber of secrets is also similar to Marxistdescription because of the class conflict existing between two classes.Typically, this was the Quidditch game between Gryffindor andSlytherin. The Gryffindor and Slytherin represent the two classes inconflict. According to Marxism there are no other classes; there is just aconflict between to very distinctive classes in society because of thedifferences in resources . Here, one can observe that the classconflict or group conflict in Harry Potter exists between those thathave more magical power and those that do not. Also, those that havemore power are ones that claim to have purer heritage. They believethat they can purify their community by getting rid of those withoutsuch heritage. Purifying the community is something that is out of Marxist views; itis something that does not pertain to the theory. Though there havebeen instances in the past that may be used as examples of purifyingcommunities and races, none can be blamed on Marxism. Purification ofraces and communities is something that has been the result ofDarwinian thought. However, since these notions were integrated withso-called socialist strategies, Marxism is largely blamed for heinousevents in history . In Harry Potter, the purification that Salazar Slytherin intendsactually goes to show that these ideas are opposed to peace. Peace canonly attained by getting rid of such prejudices. The only way to get ofthese prejudices is to change the way that the dominating class thinksand acts or to have a direct and open conflict to demolish it. Coming back to the manner in which Harry and Hermione are both demeanedbecause of their heritage, Harry’s is only half of what the pure bloodswere. Both Hermione’s parents were not magicians as well. This meansthat both friends were not pure magicians by blood. However, they werepretty good at whatever they did; there magic was far better and moreeffective than Malfoy’s who was a pure blood. Here again there can be aMarxist comparison. This is because of the fact that Harry’s andHermione’s characters demonstrate the fact that all individuals nomatter what their heritage have the ability to perform in any art; allindividuals are able to do just as well as any other individuals. Marxism holds that all people in a community have the ability towork and be as productive as any other individual. Though there areindividuals with specialized skills who can be more productive in termsof quality, other individuals should not be demeaned or underestimated. However, this is what Malfoy does; he and his lot aredescribed as oversized, strange-looking, mean and unintelligent, butthey are still pure bloods coming from generations of pure blood. Theyhave not much in their favor, and so, it is very important for them tobe pure. They have worked for generations to be ‘purebloods’ at thecost of losing everything else. This is perhaps the reason why they areso hung up on remaining in control and excluding all those that aredifferent to them. Perhaps they could not stand anyone having magical[powers and not being pure bloods. However, the problem for them wasthat Harry and Hermione were really good at their magic even thoughthey were not pure bloods . Observing the manner in which the ‘pure blood wizards’ treated the‘mudbloods’, one can say that there already are already two classes inconflict. However, the mudbloods are those that are targeted, andwithin a broad category of those that dominate them are the pure bloodwizards along with others. These others include people such as theDursleys, who virtually fear magic. They are the ones that try to avoidmagic and had kept Harry away from these practices that were rightfullyhis own. The Dursleys serve as a group of people in the category ofthose that oppress the ‘mudbloods’ even though they are not exactly onthe same side of the ‘pure blood wizards’. However, the fact is that,anyone or group that opposes or oppresses the mudbloods areautomatically considered to be in one broad category. This is similarto the manner in which all those who oppose or oppress the proletarianare considered to be one group or class. As opposed to the class conflict that is clearly visible in Harry{Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Marxist theory has it that for acommunity to survive there is need for tolerance to be practiced. Iftolerance is not a strength in a community, at any point in future, acommunity is liable to fall apart or become a victim of disharmony. A community should be strong enough in its bonds in order to preventdisharmony. It should tolerance and other qualities at its center sothat its community members can rely on it. Speaking of a community as awhole, in Harry Potter could not have been a hero on his own. He neededother individuals to support his role and cause too. Without them, hecould not be successful and would never have been recognized as a hero. Harry also has individual traits as well that are required of a hero.He is one that depends on the moment for taking decisions thatultimately define his success. Harry uses each moment intelligently andapplies common sense knowledge to situations. He does not think withhis magical powers. He instead, uses his magical abilities to reinforcehis decisions. He does not think with magic or with power. This isreflected in Marxist theory as well, as individuals and governingbodies or a state or even a community need to think logically and notwith the power they have in their hands. Social living is given a lotof importance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which is whyHarry maybe used as an important example. He is a community member. Heis one that is oppressed by those that are in a position to oppresshim, but he does not give in. He knows better because he can think anddoes not abuse his magical power. This is something important and infact is close to utopia in Marxism. Being h onest and having the abilityto control one’s power and authority is a quality that many do nothave . Just like the legal system in Marxism is taken into considerationso is it done in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’. The systemof governance in place is most important to consider. This is becauseof the fact that it is the foundation of actions to be carried out whendealing with millions of people in a country. If there is injustice inthe legal system, it needs to be dealt with accordingly. An example ofinjustice in the legal system is reflected I the way that Lucius andMalfoy deal with those that make mistakes. Their decisions are severeand harsh, and in most cases are unnecessary. Lucius and Malfoy represent the harsh hand of the law. In many casesrecorded in history there have been legal systems that have practicedharsh treatment of their people and little was done. However, Marxistideals do not agree with this even though rulers may have misusedtenets of Marxism. Injustice of the kind that Lucius and Malfoy carriedout cannot be tolerated. The Social set up is such that it allows all individuals to provethemselves. They may do sop as individuals or as a group. The Quidditchis believed to be a social indicator that can reveal the wayindividuals are. This is possible because it allows a competitionbetween two sides, Gryffindor and Slytherin. The integrity of the twosides is measured in terms of the strategies they use. Each of themwants to emerge as the winner and earn recognition through theirpowers. However, the serious conflict is that the Slytherin use unfairmeans to prove themselves even though they are pure bloods. TheGryffindor on the other hand are not necessarily pure in terms ofmagical power heritage; they are however, effective, and are evenbelieved to be more powerful than their opponents. The Quidditch also serves as an environment of its own kind becauseof the fact that it has the ability to observe individuals as thoughthey are in another environment altogether. Through the Quidditch a lotcan be revealed about an individual’s real life intentions; it can beused to predict the lengths to which that individuals may go in orderto win or prove themselves. On the parts of both competitors,Gryffindor and Slytherin, it can be observed that they have tried hardto prove themselves the best way they know how. In this process, agreat deal has been revealed about the Marxist notions involved in theoverall set up. Something that reinforces Marxist notions, especially with theoppressed magicians, is the fact that they are concerned about thosethat are enslaved. They understand the plight of those enslaved andknow that their condition is perhaps worse than their own. Beingoppressed is one thing because at least the oppressed like Harry andHermione have the power to fight back. With the elves, there is hardlya chance of fighting back, as they have nothing to fight with and haveno special magical powers. It is this concern for the enslaved that istypical of individuals among the proletarian. This is an attitude thathas the power to bring people together and oppose oppression by thedominant ones. The slaves in Harry Potter are individuals that are kept for freelabor for the wicked wizarding families. The way that these elves aretreated depends on the mercy the wizards have for them, and since theyhave enslaved them it is obvious what kind of mercy they have shown them. Hermione has learned much from this enslavement and knows that this isnot far from the way that other good and bad wizards have experiencedat the hands of Lord Voldemort. Hermione then works throughout the bookto liberate the oppressed individuals. Some of those enslaved were madeso by physically restricting them to particular areas or by placingthem under a curse or spell. In view of the way that they wereenslaved, Marxist views would reveal that individuals in society canalso be enslaved in similar ways. The physical way of course ispossible through keeping a person in captivity or even abusingpolitical power to torment individuals. The alternative means ofenslaving a person through a curse could refer to the way that anindividual may be placed under bonds, contracts and the like. Peopleoften take advantage of individuals who fail to fulfill agreementsunder bonds and contracts, and they may subject them to blackmail orcompel them to serve their demands. Just like the wizards may no t havebeen able to do much under the Imperius curse, individuals cannot domuch after being placed under a bond. People with the power to enslave others and control them in this waygradually can take control of a lot of people. Politicians have thepower to do this when they are ion power and create particular decreesthat compel the people in a country to act accordingly. Getting peopleto act according to the demands of a ruler is also enslavement. Thesame thing is in effect in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Thewords mentioned in this book that say exactly what one should knowabout a man’s behavior towards others are as follows: â€Å"If you want toknow what a mans like, take a good look at how he treats hisinferiors, not his equals† . These are precise words and ones that saya lot about class difference and individual attitude in view of aperson’s social position. However, the intention that Voldemort had wasto get all the slaves together and then get rid of them so that therewould be almost a nation of pure bloods. This sounds very familiar;history rings a bell here, and one is compelled to consider the SecondWorld War in which the Germans had attempted and succeeded at doingthis to some extent. However, this is something is opposed to Marxisttheory because of the fact that Marxism does not hold with purifying acommunity through enslavement and other similar practices. Though it has been blamed for what happened in the Second World War,Marxism promotes diversity. Again here one of its tenets may beconsidered as it was earlier: to each one according to his need, andfrom each one according to his capability . These words automaticallyclear Marxism, promoting the appreciation of diversity in society.Establishing a pure race is no where within the tenets of Marxismbecause it is a theory that primarily focuses on the value of humanlife and effort . This human life and effort cannot be compared orcompensated for economically; it cannot be sold as a commodity, andshould not be sold as such. Instead, the value of human life and effortis so high that it should be cared for in such a way that the stateappreciates it through its entire existence. This is particularly thereason why this theory does not believe in the accumulation of personalassets; it is more focused on state-provided care in order to maintainpower that is distributed among the people. When power rests with thestate, no individual a group can rise up easily and take control ofothers with shortage of resources or power. In Harry Potter and theGoblet of Fire, this is what causes the problem in the magician’scommunity; a handful of magicians manage to take control of othersthrough their crafty ways and gain more and more control. â€Å"There was nopoint in worrying yet. what would come, would come and he wouldhave to meet it when it did† . It is through brave and selfless effortsthat Harry manages to overturn these efforts. Harry is not justinterested in saving the community nor is he totally agai nst wrongdoings, but he is keen on opposing domination. He becomes a herobecause he has one aim and that is to protect what was important toeveryone primarily. He wanted to protect the Philosopher’s Stone andalso confront the evil magicians. However, it is these efforts thatbuild up a community connectedness. In his efforts he had to seek helpfrom those he could. Without his friends by his side, Harry might nothave been able to get to the Philosopher’s Stone. In the Triwizard Tournament as well, Harry is not alone. Hagrid andMoody had helped him in getting him past the dragon. Also, Cedric andDobby had helped him further when they helped him decrypt the goldenegg; this enabled Harry to rescue the underwater victims. While trying to figure out what Harry may have done single-handedly,there is apparently little to go on. This even includes Harry gettingthrough the maze; he would not have been able to get through had it notbeen for the protective charms created by his wands connection withVoldemorts wand. Trouble for Voldemort was inevitable. â€Å"Its a strangething, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything toslow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up† . Harry was also under the protection of his parents’ sacrifice. Harryalways thought about his parents; he also thought â€Å"about his father† .He also thought about his fathers three oldest friends: Moony,Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs† (Chapter 21, p. 407) His parents’ sacrifice was the thing that kept him alive. Therefore,whenever he is apparently cornered, he has a wa

Tlo Vs. New Jersey: When Is The Constitution Invalid? :: essays research papers

TLO vs. New Jersey: When Is The Constitution Invalid?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the case of New Jersey vs. TLO, I rule in favor of the petitioner, the state of New Jersey. In this case, I found no reason in the claims made by TLO and her defense. They claimed that the search conducted by school officials was unconstitutional. These officials were searching her purse for cigarettes, which she was caught smoking in the bathroom. During the search for the cigarettes they found the cigarettes, rolling papers used for making joints, a list of names with quantities of money owed to TLO, and finally a bag of marijuana. TLO says that she cannot be tried for any of these offenses, because she was violated of her rights promised in amendment 4, unlawful search and seizure. Yet, the incriminating items were found at the same time as the cigarettes, and given reasonable cause for suspicion, the school does have the legal right to search its students, and finally, the school officials had the right to search her purse because there was a reasonable doubt of her claiming to innocence being true.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  TLO's 4th amendment rights were however, in fact not violated due to the reasonable cause and suspicion of her smoking, so the search was truly reasonable. And there is the fact that the teacher caught her smoking. Obviously it is the teacher's responsibility to take the student to the principal for suspension or other means of punishment. When TLO was asked whether or not she had been smoking, she said no.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The school officials then had a reasonable doubt, and they now had by all legal means the right to search TLO for evidence that she had been smoking. The search of her purse, if she had been innocent, would have proved her innocent, or guilty if she actually was guilty. The search was conducted privately, and was by no means humiliating to TLO.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally the officials did search TLO's purse for any kind of evidence, to prove her innocent, or guilty. They, in the process of the search, found all the following incriminating items: the cigarettes, rolling papers used for making joints, a list of names with quantities of money owed to TLO, and a bag of marijuana. The order in which they were found is still unclear. None the less all these items were found during the search which was justified by the suspicion of her smoking.

The Admirable Qualities in Puritans Illustrated by Anne Bradstreet and Cotton Mather :: essays research papers

According to Mrs. Anne Bradstreet and Mr. Cotton Mather, I think Puritans have some admirable qualities, such as the relationship with the family - especially Mrs. Bradstreet with her husband, and she was trying hard to be a great mother. In addition, Mr. Mather was strong and powerful person even though his life was darkened by disappointment and tragedy. He tried hard to make a difference for his life. From Mrs. Bradstreet's poem - 'To My Dear and Loving Husband', she had a really good relationship with her husband. Her husband and she loved each others a lot, you can tell from 'If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee' (To My Dear and Loving Husband, Anne Bradstreet, P. 263). In addition, she missed her husband when he went to work for public employment and she wanted him to come home. In ?A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment?, she wrote she missed her husband and she could see him in her head, my heart, my eyes, my life and ever more. She would be home and welcome him when he comes back (A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment, Bradstreet, P. 264). In another poem, she showed that she could not live without her husband. She wrote she wanted her husband and her lived in one house, like a couple of mullets living in one river until the die (Another [Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment], Bradstreet, P.264). I think Mrs. Bradstreet loved her children more than herself even though when her children grew up and left her alone. In her poem, she wrote that she had eight birds - which were her eight children, after they grew up they left one by one and live with their partner. However, she must nurse them to grow up even though she had to take care of them twenty-four hours by seven days (In Reference to her Children, 23 June, 1659, Bradstreet, P. 264). She would not let her children get hurt by any chance, she would protect them forever. In the poem, she wrote that I bred you with my pain, I fed you with all my care because I wanted to keep you soft and warm. I opened my wings to protect you off from harm.