Response to George Berkeley’s Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philono

A Response to George Berkeley’s Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous The following essay is a response to George Berkeley’s Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, in which he argues that the Cartesian notion of substance is incoherent, that the word "matter" as Descartes uses it, does not mean anything. This essay is also about words as memories, and about the two fictional Marcels, young and old. Hylas is a Cartesian thinker, and Philonous is Berkeley’s voice of reason. Words are like vessels—they are merely novel constructions of sounds empty of meaning until we fill them. They mean only what we discern in them, and nothing more. Words are only our impressions of them—imprecise, indefinite, unclear. A single word suggests infinite shades of intensity or quality or connotation. They are variable, distinct in each era and dialect, even in each speaking. They are impossible to translate. Words are almost translations themselves. They are re-creations of other words from other languages and from their own. They are metaphors—dead because they have been "carried across" into alien languages, and dead because we no longer hear them. They are the memories of, and allusions to, what they once were. Words are instinctive—the fundamental expression of thoughts secondary to thoughts. They are, indeed, the translations of thoughts, the inexact and practical interpretations of them. They communicate. Words are imperfect by nature. In the Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, Berkeley knows words to be imperfect. His two speakers debate definitions—of skepticism, sensible things, substrata, matter, idea, spirit—as principal points on which their arguments depend; once Ph... ... Combray, Swann in Love, and Place-Names: The Name, all of which are mentioned in the essays. Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy questions and defines knowledge and existence. Descartes too, uses a first-person voice, whom we called "the Meditator." It is the Meditator who goes through the method of progressive doubt and re-founds all knowledge on the basis of "the cogito": Thus, after everything has been most carefully weighed, it must finally be established that "I am, I exist" is necessarily true every time I put it forward or conceive it in my mind. Berkeley’s Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous is an argument between the Cartesian thinker Hylas and the Berkelean Philonous. In the first of these dialogues, Berkley argues that the Cartesian notion of substance is incoherent and that the word "matter" as Descartes uses it is meaningless.

Explore how the language used in this passage describes Gatsbys defeat :: English Literature

Explore how the language used in this passage describes Gatsby's defeat and its symbolic significance. Chapter 7: " I glanced at Daisy, who was staringà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦So we drove to the death through the cooling twilight" Explore how the language used in this passage describes Gatsby's defeat and its symbolic significance. Chapter seven brings the conflict between Tom and Gatsby into the open, and their conflict over Daisy brings to the surface troubling aspects of both characters. It opens as the group is gathered in Tom and Daisy's house. It becomes a vital moment as the group finally meets Daisy and Tom's baby. It brings out an interesting consequence to the relationship of Gatsby and Daisy. When Gatsby first sees the baby Nick says: "I don't think he had ever really believed in its existence before" Gatsby and Daisy have been so wrapped up in their own relationship and their own contentment that they have never taken the child into consideration before. We see Daisy being so possessive of her daughter. She eagerly tells the group that: "She doesn't look like her father. She looks like me. She's got my hair and shape of the face." This is suggesting that she is trying to make the child totally hers and attempts to keep Tom's involvement with the child to the least. In her life, Daisy owns very little authority. She has no job or means of independence, which makes her very dependant on Tom. The child is possibly something she feels she owns and could confidently claims and tells the group it is hers. However the child seems to be attached to her father, as when Daisy asks her of her opinion of her mother's guests the child replies: "Where is daddy" This is the first implication of Gatsby's defeat. He could make Daisy forget Tom but the child will always be a bond between Daisy and Tom. There was a sense of tension as the child left the room, which was possibly represented by the heat. The weather's heat made Daisy and the rest struggle through their speeches as so did the tension to Gatsby as he is starting to uncover the reality and certainty that his relationship with Daisy is not as smooth as he thought it was. Tom and Gatsby's first opposition was on which car they should drive into town. Gatsby did not want Tom to drive his car, whilst Tom insisted on taking his car. Tom won this little quarrel, which was possibly a representation of the main fight over Daisy. The "Circus wagon" could possibly be a representation of Daisy. The car belonging to Gatsby, but now Tom has taken it by force.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 23

We hailed a carriage heading uptown – Lexi told me I needed to save my strength for whatever came next – and got out without bothering to pay. This was what life was like for one such as Lexi, powerful and simple in her wants and desires. She didn't need any intricate, crazy plans for amassing wealth. She could compel anyone to do anything she asked, and life was incredibly easy. It was tempting, especially the aspect that was nonviolent. No one was hurt in any of her activities, except financially. Lexi must have read my thoughts because she grinned at me and waggled her eyebrows. â€Å"You should stick with me, my friend. Life like this can be sweet, not a curse,† she offered. I shook my head, smiling. â€Å"Thanks, but as you keep saying, I have my own path.† By the time we made it to the Sutherland mansion, its windows were dark and already draped in festoons of black crepe. In the strange half-light of the early hour, dew sparkled eerily off the matte cloth. The house was cordoned off. I gently forced the lock. Neither Lexi nor I made any noise until we came into the living room, when she gave a gasp. The coroners had removed the bodies but not done any cleanup work. The vast amounts of blood from their ripped-up bodies had seeped into the carpet and stained the marble floors beneath. Dark black splatters of dried blood covered the walls, matching the crepe outside. â€Å"My god,† Lexi whispered. â€Å"He massacred them.† I fell back into a chair, overwhelmed with guilt. It hadn't been long since I had discovered the poor family here, their bodies still warm with rapidly fleeting life. Backward and backward my thoughts ran, remembering the things I had done wrong, all of which had led up to this sad climax. If I hadn't run away from the reception†¦ If hadn't gone along with my brother's plans to begin with†¦ If I hadn't saved Bridget†¦ If I hadn't fled to New York†¦ If I hadn't made Damon drink blood to complete his transformation†¦ â€Å"This is my fault,† I moaned. I put my head in my hands. The trail of blood and death that wasn't even of my own devising followed me like a curse. â€Å"No, it's Damon's,† Lexi corrected promptly. â€Å"And Klaus's.† â€Å"I should never have come here†¦. I should have stayed as far away from humans as possible.† â€Å"Hey.† Lexi walked over to me, kneeling down and looking up into my face. She put a hand on my chin, forcing me to look back at her. â€Å"You didn't do this. Klaus did – he ordered this. And you had no intention of marrying into this family. That was Damon's idea. You told me yourself – he threatened to kill that roomful of people if you didn't go along. I would have killed him at that point, but he's not my brother.† I gazed into her dark eyes. â€Å"I've done so much wrong.† She bit her lower lip. â€Å"You made mistakes in the past. Bad ones. But you know that, and were doing your best to correct them, or at least avoid them in the future. That's why I am here, Stefan. You're worth saving.† A pain that had nothing to do with thirst made my throat ache. â€Å"Lexi, please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I can see into your heart, Stefan,† she said softly. â€Å"I don't just appear out of the blue to save any vampire. You're different. And someday, maybe, you'll know that. And part of your curse will be over.† She leaned forward and pressed her lips against my cheek. I could feel the soft flutter of her eyelashes as she closed her eyes against my face. â€Å"Come on,† she said, backing up and chucking me under the chin. â€Å"We have work to do. I'll look around down here. You go get whatever things of yours the police haven't confiscated. I think you're moving out of this town for a while.† Between one breath and the next, between a trick of the light and the deepest shadow, she had changed. Sunny, friendly Lexi now had bloodred eyes and black veins around her face. Fangs glistened in what little light there was. She was in full predator mode, hunting for the slightest sign of the vampire. Even though she was just an older version of what I was, seeing her that way still sent a chill down my body. Lurking just beneath our skin, the monster was always ready to come out. With a heavy heart I plodded up the grand, dark wood staircase. There was no need to be completely silent; the few servants who remained were in their quarters in a distant wing, far away from the death and mess. I could hear their overloud voices, their discussions of prospects and other households – all desperate attempts to fend off the darkness that their employers had slipped into so suddenly. I wondered what Margaret was doing, vowing to get word to her about Klaus and his vendetta. She was probably in her own home with her husband, mourning her sisters and parents. Which was harder? To be dead, or to live with the memory of the dead? As a vampire, I would never know the former, but always experience the latter. I soon reached my room, where a night ago Bridget had thrown herself at me. I smelled traces of the violet perfume she had doused herself with. It had infiltrated my pillow and sheets. So much more childish than Katherine's scent, the subtle, alluring, complicated mix of citrus and spice†¦. I took a valise – another gift from Winfield, planning for our honeymoon, I suppose – and threw the few things I considered mine into it. My old clothes, some spare change, my journal. I flipped to an old page where I'd written about Katherine. September 8, 1864 She is not who she seems. Should I be surprised? Terrified? Hurt? It's as if everything I know, everything I've been taught, everything I've believed in my past seventeen years is wrong. I can still feel where she kissed me, where her fingers grasped my hands. I still yearn for her, and yet the voice of reason is screaming in my ears: you cannot love a vampire! If I had one of her daisies, I could pluck the leaves and let the flower choose for me. I love her†¦ I love her not†¦ I†¦ I love her. I do. No matter the consequences. Is this what following your heart is? I wish there was a map or a compass to help me find my way. But she has my heart and that above all else is my North Star†¦ and that will have to be enough. I snapped the book shut, curling my lip at my foolishness. Downstairs was the present reality and thinking about the past did no good. I threw the book into the valise and went downstairs. But instead of finding Lexi there to greet me, there was emptiness and a horrible, familiar scent. Death and decay. A faint breeze whistled through broken wood; the back door was left wide open. I shivered despite myself. The silence, Lexi's absence, howled like a banshee. A single piece of paper, the size of a ticket, fluttered on the floor. I picked it up, feeling dread prickle my skin. All it said was: PAYMENT NUMBER TWO – LUCIUS.

Doing Business in Countries with Totalitarian Goverments Essay

The ethics of doing business in countries with totalitarian governments has many pros and cons involved with it. But for this debate I will show the cons of doing business in a country with a totalitarian government with an example. The term totalitarian government can be defined as in political science a system of government and ideology in which all social, political, economic, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual activities are subordinated to the purposes of the rulers of a state. (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia) Totalitarian dictatorship strives to be in the control of all the aspects of the private and public behavior by the government influencing all of society toward all their common goals and policies. When I began thinking of a totalitarian government a good example came to mind is the totalitarian states of Nazi Germany which was under the leadership of Adolf Hitler at that time. It was the first examples of decentralized or popular totalitarianism in which the state achieved an overwhelming popular support for its country’s leadership. The support from its individuals was not spontaneous but it genesis depended on its charismatic leader. It also was made possible only by the modern developments in its communication and transportation. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia under totalitarian rules, the traditional social institutions and organizational are discouraged and suppressed. Thus saying that the social fabric is weakened and the people became more amenable to absorption into a single unified movement. With all said me I believe that with doing business in a country that has a totalitarian government would not be a chose one bit. A totalitarian government will tell you as a business owner how you should run your business. They will also make themselves involved in every big or little aspects of how your business is operated. With being in a totalitarian government you would have to be very caution of what and how you sell your goods and services. I also believe that with a totalitarian government that if you make one wrong move you business could be taken over by the government. By doing business with a country that lives under the  totalitarian rules you as a business owner are inadvertently supporting the regime of the dictators. References: â€Å"Definition of totalitarianism† Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia (2008). Retrieved May 5, 2008 from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761574819/totalitarianism.html†Totalitarianism† (2008). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 5, 2008 from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://www.brigannica.com/EBchecked/topic/600435/totalitarianism

High School Dropouts and Crime

WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS TO LEAD CRIMINAL LIVES? Michael Webbers 13APRIL2013 Criminology ADJ 107 Spring 2013 Professor George D. McMillan Purpose:It is extremely important to get an education and graduate high school. Without obtaining a high school diploma, a GED or College Degree, an individual will likely experience great difficulties in finding and obtaining a job. As a result of such basic educational requirements enforced by society and more specifically employers†¦ an individual may also have a difficult time functioning and earning a reasonable income. Additionally, with no financial resources to support a family, this puts the individual in the bottom 5 to 16 percent of Americans whom we deem to be in poverty. With crime most apparent in the lower- and underclass, we can make the assumption that a lot of dropouts come from these groups of individuals. To make a difference, we must start where there is the greatest chance of dropouts, and that of cours e is at the bottom of the societal pyramid. So, if we reduce the dropout rates, it may help with the crime rates.The intent of this research proposal is to better understand the cause of dropouts and the affect they have on society. More importantly, it is to identify the problems so that the juvenile system can help prevent further continuance and ultimately reduce the underclass crime rate in dropouts. In efforts to help diminish the dropout rate, it can: (1) stimulate the economy; (2) decrease the amount of unemployment; and (3) cut the size of the underclass in half, which in turn will decrease the vast majority of visible crime.By making it difficult for high school students to become predisposed to poverty and crime, we can improve the outcome for future generations. I want to better understand the internal cause of this phenomenon, but in order to do that we have to start from the external cause. I am going to be looking at how society is affected, as well as, how they affect the dropouts. On my search for information, I will try and obtain an interview with some old schoolmates who dropped out during our Sophomore year at West Springfield High School.The reason they dropped out was always a mystery to me, and I always just thought to myself that, â€Å"These people must be stupid, so they dropout. † I was quick to learn how ignorant I was myself. Background:High school graduation was never really tracked until the late 1900's. 3 So, dropout rates were never really a sought after statistic. Archived data has now been used to understand the graduation rates dating back almost a century ago. In 1870, the earliest date on record, only 2 percent of 17-year-olds in the nation had a secondary-level education.In 1940, for the first time, half of all students finished high school. Although graduation did not become an established norm until the 1950s, the U. S. graduation rate reached its historical high point at the end of the 1960s, with the graduation rate peaking at 77 percent in 1969. 3 It looked as though high school graduation was becoming a trend, but something must have happened after Class of '69 to cause the national average to drop more than ten percent in just over 30 years.In the late 1980's, when modern-day data became readily available to public schools, the graduation rate slowly was on the decline from record highs of around 70 percent. 3 The graduation rate plummeted during the early 1990s, eventually stabilizing around 66 percent by the end of the decade. As stated by the EPE Research Center, 2010; U. S. Department of Education, â€Å"since then, [graduation rate] has generally been characterized by gradual but steady improvements. The class of 2005 was once again earning diplomas at a pace last seen in the early 1990s.However, two consecutive annual declines since then have eroded the nation’s graduation rate, which stood at slightly less than 69 percent for the class of 2007†. 3 With all this tal k about graduating or not, the underlying reasons for the decline were unheard of; dropping out to help support their family financially, to pursue work, or probably the worst thing that can happen from dropping out of high school – living the criminal lifestyle. Key Questions: What actually defines a high school dropout? What provokes students to drop out of high school?What is the dropout rate of high school students in Virginia? How do high school dropouts affect society? Are high school dropouts more prone to lead criminal lives? How can society go about preventing future dropouts? Introduction:Every year nationwide, thousands of students dropout of high school. Of these students, 54 percent of dropouts ages 16 to 24 were jobless, compared with 32 percent for high school graduates of the same age, and 13 percent for those with a college degree. 8 High school dropouts are a very serious topic in modern-day society.With such a debate about taxes and who should be paying for what, it is important to get an education; not only to voice an opinion, but not to be a detriment to the economy as a teen/young adult. High school dropouts hurt the economy, costing the federal government millions of tax payers dollars. Since dropouts are more prone to lead a lifestyle involved with drugs, alcohol, and early pregnancy, it is crucial to identify individuals early in their high school career, and give them the assistance needed to stay in school.By taking action in helping the community decrease the dropout rate and encourage more students to graduate, we can help our economy save billions of dollars a year. An increase in graduation rates can mean less tax payer money towards school assistance programs, and more tax payers to pay the government to maintain our cities and keep crime off the streets. According to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services Research Center, â€Å"poor earning power, unemployment, or frustration,†1 may lead individuals to commit criminal acts.Crime rates in Virginia are still on the low end of the spectrum, but by decreasing dropouts, we can keep the crime rates even lower. By helping in our community and informing schools of the ongoing problem, it is possible to make a tremendous difference in our economic state. What actually defines a dropout? In Virginia, we use the definition that was determined by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Stated by the NCES, â€Å"a dropout is an individual who was enrolled in school at some time during the previous school year but was not enrolled on October 1 of the current school year.Or, they were not enrolled on October 1 of the previous school year although expected to be in membership; and – has not graduated from high school or completed a state- or district-approved educational program, and – does not meet any of the following exclusions: transfer to another public school district, private school, or state- or district-ap proved education program; temporary school-recognized absence due to suspension or illness; death†. 2 The state does not consider students a dropout by merely not attending school, although that is the only way to pass and get a diploma, it is based on the students actual enrollment.What provokes students to drop out of high school? There are many factors that cause students to drop out of high school. Without identifying the specific cause for dropouts, it is hard to know how to help prevent it. One significant factor influencing high school dropout rates is family income. Along with income, older siblings or friends can influence dropouts by dropping out themselves and ensuring it is the right thing to do. Ultimately, dropouts can be triggered due to the racial and gender attacks that seem more relevant these days. According to the U.S. Department of Education, students from low-income families are six times more likely to drop out of high school than students from high-inco me families. 2 In other words, due to the predisposition to a life of poverty, it is more likely the student will end up in poverty due to incompletion of high school. While living in poverty, school may not be the first thing on a students mind. Survival is always the most important factor to human beings. Without means of surviving, humans can't accommodate the other necessities, like getting a high school education.At a young age, it is really hard to keep oneself away from drugs, alcohol, and crime. Students whose parents have low expectations are also more likely to dropout of high school and resort to crime by means of rebelling against their parents. A study done by the New York Times demonstrated that, â€Å"[high school dropouts] will commit crimes to get an adrenaline rush and so that they can release some built up stress from the household†. 8 What this means is that students have too much time on their hands, and too little time is spent concentrating on school wo rk.Either the parents do not stress the importance of homework, or they are not there to help the student when he or she is struggling in class What is the dropout rate of high school students in Fairfax County, Virginia? Fairfax County, Virginia projected a much lower dropout rate in contrast with the national average. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), â€Å"Virginia's high school dropout rates have decreased in recent years†,2 and subsequently the â€Å"Virginia's property crime rate (as measured per 100,000 population) was 2,250, a decline again from the previous year†. Virginia has been on a good trend of ‘cleaning our act up' when it comes to turning around our educational system. According to the NCES: Virginia had the 14th lowest dropout rate in the country. Virginia's 2009 rate was also lower than the national rate of 4. 1 percent and the rates of its peer states. Tennessee's dropout rate in 2009 was 3. 2 percent, North Car olina was at 5. 3 percent, and Maryland's rate was 3. 0 percent. Wyoming had the lowest dropout rate in the nation in 2009 at 1. 1 percent. How do high school dropouts effect society?High school dropouts destroy the nation’s competitive edge when it comes to education. The U. S. ranks 18th in high school graduation rates among developed countries, and workers with an education beyond high school are predicted to increase by only four percent through 2020. 2 At the same time, the nation’s senior citizen population will greatly increase over the next decade, especially when compared to the number of working-age Americans. This is going to lead to an increase of assisted living senior citizens. Furthermore, high school dropouts earn a tremendous amount less and contribute much less to stimulate the economy.The lifetime income difference between high school graduates and dropouts is estimated to be $260,000; the difference in lifetime income tax payments is $60,000. 6 What this shows is, dropouts alone are going to make a significantly less amount of money, but along side the fact that they live in poverty as a student, this just means they will be in more of a deficit as an adult. The combined lifetime earning losses of one group of 18-year-olds that never completes high school is $156 billion or 1. 3 percent of Gross Domestic Product.So, for example, if the United States was able to cut the number of dropouts in half, in a single cohort of 20-year-olds, the country would gain $45 billion through extra tax revenue and reduced public health, crime and justice, and welfare payment costs. 6 Moreover, families of high school dropouts are likely to be on some form of public assistance. For example, single mothers who lack a high school diploma are very likely to access housing assistance, food stamps, and/or federal assistance to needy families. If all single mothers obtained at least a high school education, the annual cost savings would be $3. billion. 6 We can clearly see that getting an education is crucial if there is any sight of having a family. Without any means of money and no education, it is extremely hard to get a well-paying job to survive in our economy. What is the a connection between dropouts and criminal activity? Dropouts are 3. 5 times more likely to be arrested than high school graduates and more than eight times as likely to be incarcerated, says â€Å"School or the Streets: Crime and America’s Dropout Crisis,† a report from the non-profit organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.What this can mean is that dropouts are seeing crime as an alternative. Through music, media, and social networking, students can be often aroused by the thought of stealing, gangs, or even killing to survive. Crime is talked about everywhere, including the news and social networks. To most citizens, it is a mystery at how people can commit such inhumane crimes. This can be understood by knowing the type of environment t hat the individual grew up in. For example, a student whose parents always fight, might come in to school and get in a lot of trouble because his anger towards his parents.On the other hand, if they lived in a neighborhood with gang activity and gun shots at night, they are more inclined to get involved with violent crime later in life. Students who dropout are more likely inclined to a criminal life to survive. A study by the New York Times showed that, male dropouts were 47 times more likely than college graduate to be jailed; more than half, 53 percent to be exact, become recidivists. 8 By preventing dropouts, and increasing the amount of students going to college and continuing education, we can prevent more crime.How can society go about preventing future dropouts? Our society has been trying to combat the increasing number of teens dropping out of high school every day. The Advertising Council and U. S. Army’s high school dropout prevention campaign evolved into the nat ional â€Å"Boost† campaign. This campaign was established to help students get on a better track for graduation. Extra learning assistance offered outside of school, and peer-to-peer learning classes for students to have one-on-one teaching in school.These programs help the students feel more inclined to succeed in high school and fill that gap of time students have after school to get involved with gangs or crime. Another good way the community helps students is by Big Brother Big Sister. They have been proven to help increase student grades, and help make it less likely students will interact with drugs and alcohol. This in turn will prevent students from having exposure to these things, and keep them from experimenting later in life. Also, another program dedicated to keeping students in school and away from crime is BoostUP.This group is sponsored by the AdCouncil and the U. S. Army to help students get support and assistance needed to graduate high school. Methodology:F or a better understanding of high school dropout rates and the cause of them, I would first go to different high schools, in varying income areas, and obtain the names of the students enrolled in the previous year who are not currently enrolled. For example, get a list of students enrolled before October 1, 2010 and then get a list of students who were not enrolled after October 1, 2011, and this will determine the list of dropouts.I would give each dropout a number, and then randomly choose the individuals with a random number selection software. I will have a survey for the student to fill out without the parents in the room; this gives the student the feeling of privacy, and hopefully more honesty in the answers. The questions would be related to how much time they have to do homework and if the parents help them; along with how much time is spent doing chores around the house, and are their parents working a lot or unemployed. The income of the family is one concern, but at the same time, the psychiatric state of the student is most important.If the student is not doing well in school and feels like nothing will change, it can lead the student to be less motivated and more likely to follow the path of dropouts. Understanding a students psychological state of mind can help draw trends about how other students are behaving in school. Field Work For my field work, I got in touch with an old friend to understand the cause of his dropout Sophomore year. At the time, I figured he just dropped out of high school because he was failing his classes. I never thought that there was more to it.I chatted with him over Facebook and asked a couple questions. He asked that I keep it anonymous. What caused you to drop out of high school? â€Å"I was 15 years old, dating [a girl] for almost a year. It was our first time and we didn’t use any protection. I got [her] pregnant and wanted to leave her because I was scared, but my mother told me that ‘You got into this mess, so you have to handle it. ‘ I picked up a job doing yard work with my fathers company and he paid me under the table. I then had to use the money to support my wife, but also asked my mother for some help.When [the baby] was born, my wife and I faced more struggles than we could ever imagine. I was so busy with going to school and passing, my mother took care of my son. Going to school was one of my least concerns, especially since I was always thinking about the child. I didn't think it would impact me so much, but without providing for my own family, I felt like a useless father. At the end of my Freshman year, my father passed away from a heart attack. † How did this effect your family? Peers? â€Å"The event as a whole, dropping out and having a kid so early, really hurt my mother.I felt as though she looked down on me and thought worse of me because I wasn't like all the other kids who go to school. But after my father passed away, I realized how much my mother and siblings needed me there. I stopped attending high school Sophomore year to get a job at McDonalds and to continue working for my fathers company so I could provide for my family. My family wasn't the most wealthy, but we weren't poor. My mother would always talk about me as â€Å"The Man† of the house. She [worked] full time so she wasn't home with all of the kids much.Without a father figure, it is hard to really grow up, and I had to play that role for my younger brother, Juan who was 8 years old at the time. I am now working to get my GED, slowly, but it is in progress. It isn't easy to go back to school after being away from it for so long. Work and family is still my #1 priority, but school is definitely a necessity in this day and age. I lost touch with all my friends, but it's inevitable when you have a child at a young age, and work two jobs. Facebook helps, but I accepted it pretty easily knowing I had the love of my life and a family. What would you hav e done differently to prevent these effects? â€Å"Wear protection! But in all seriousness, I wish I would have completed high school so that it would be easier to support a family. There isn't much you can do to prevent everything else that happened to me. I am glad I could learn from it rather than regress. I am now 22, working two jobs, have a wife, and a five and a half year old son who I provide for. School is extremely important and if you can't make time for that opportunity given to you, then I don't know what else there is to do.I couldn't prevent my fathers death, but I definitely should have gotten my GED sooner. It is hard to think of other ways I could have handled this of situation. † Did dropping out of high school lead you to any crime? Gangs? No, never. My wife and I are very Christian and would never steal or commit crime. Maybe a traffic violation, but never any serious crimes. I have seen too many friends and family live a life of crime, and I have been to more funerals than I would ever like to. It definitely crossed my mind when I was still a teen, but I'm much happier knowing I never resorted to illegal means to make a living.And no, never considered a gang because then it would have defeated my purpose of leaving school – my family. Bibliography Unknown Author. (2010). The Importance of Education. Retrieved from http://education. laws. com/importance-of-education 1 National Center for Education Statistics (February 04, 2013). High School Dropout. Retrieved from http://vaperforms. virginia. gov/indicators/education/hsDropout. php 2 EPE Research Center. (2010). Graduation by the Numbers [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www. edweek. org/ew/articles/2010/06/10/34swanson. h29. html 3 SLJ Staff. (2008).Crime Linked to Dropout Rates, Report Says. Retrieved from http://www. schoollibraryjournal. com/article/CA6590701. html 4 Johnston, Cindy. (2011). Series Overview: The Cost Of Dropping Out. Retrieved from http://www. npr. org 5 Dianda, Marcella R. Ed. D. (November 2008). Preventing Future High School Dropouts: An Advocacy and Action Guide for NEA State and Local Affiliates. Washington, DC: National Education Association. 6 Dillon, Sam. (2009). Study Finds High Rate of Imprisonment Among Dropouts. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/10/09/education/09dropout. html? _r=0 8

Mba Research Methodology Mb 0050

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY MB 0050 [pic] Name: XXXXX Roll number: XXXX Learning centre: XXXX Subject: MB 0050- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Assignment No. : Set 1 Date of submission at learning centre: [pic] ASSIGNMENTS Subject code: MB0050 (4 credits) Marks 60 subject NAME: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Note: Each Question carries 10 marks Q1)a. Differentiate between nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scales, with an example of each. b. What are the purposes of measurement in social science research? a. Types of scales: Ans) There are four types of data that may be gathered in social research, each one adding more to the next. Thus ordinal data is also nominal, and so on. Nominal The name ‘Nominal' comes from the Latin nomen, meaning ‘name' and nominal data are items which are differentiated by a simple naming system. The only thing a nominal scale does is to say that items being measured have something in common, although this may not be described. Nominal items may have numbers assigned to them. This may appear ordinal but is not — these are used to simplify capture and referencing. Nominal items are usually categorical, in that they belong to a definable category, such as 'employees'. Example The number pinned on a sports person. A set of countries. Ordinal Items on an ordinal scale are set into some kind of order by their position on the scale. This may indicate such as temporal position, superiority, etc. The order of items is often defined by assigning numbers to them to show their relative position. Letters or other sequential symbols may also be used as appropriate. Ordinal items are usually categorical, in that they belong to a definable category, such as ‘1956 marathon runners'. You cannot do arithmetic with ordinal numbers — they show sequence only. Example The first, third and fifth person in a race. Pay bands in an organization, as denoted by A, B, C and D. Interval Interval data (also sometimes called integer) is measured along a scale in which each position is equidistant from one another. This allows for the distance between two pairs to be equivalent in some way. This is often used in psychological experiments that measure attributes along an arbitrary scale between two extremes. Interval data cannot be multiplied or divided. Example My level of happiness, rated from 1 to 10. Temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit. Ratio In a ratio scale, numbers can be compared as multiples of one another. Thus one person can be twice as tall as another person. Important also, the number zero has meaning. Thus the difference between a person of 35 and a person 38 is the same as the difference between people who are 12 and 15. A person can also have an age of zero. Ratio data can be multiplied and divided because not only is the difference between 1 and 2 the same as between 3 and 4, but also that 4 is twice as much as 2. Interval and ratio data measure quantities and hence are quantitative. Because they can be measured on a scale, they are also called scale data. Example A person's weight The number of pizzas I can eat before fainting b. Purpose of measurement in social science. One of the primary purposes of classifying variables according to their level or scale of measurement is to facilitate the choice of a statistical test used to analyze the data. There are certain statistical analyses which are only meaningful for data which are measured at certain measurement scales. For example, it is generally inappropriate to compute the mean for Nominal variables. Suppose you had 20 subjects, 12 of which were male, and 8 of which were female. If you assigned males a value of ‘1' and females a value of ‘2', could you compute the mean sex of subjects in your sample? It is possible to compute a mean value, but how meaningful would that be? How would you interpret a mean sex of 1. 4? When you are examining a Nominal variable such as sex, it is more appropriate to compute a statistic such as a percentage (60% of the sample was male). When a research wishes to examine the relationship or association between two variables, there are also guidelines concerning which statistical tests are appropriate. For example, let's say a University administrator was interested in the relationship between student gender (a Nominal variable) and major field of study (another Nominal variable). In this case, the most appropriate measure of association between gender and major would be a Chi-Square test. Let's say our University administrator was interested in the relationship between undergraduate major and starting salary of students' first job after graduation. In this case, salary is not a Nominal variable; it is a ratio level variable. The appropriate test of association between undergraduate major and salary would be a one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), to see if the mean starting salary is related to undergraduate major. Finally, suppose we were interested in the relationship between undergraduate grade point average and starting salary. In this case, both grade point average and starting salary are ratio level variables. Now, neither Chi-square nor ANOVA would be appropriate; instead, we would look at the relationship between these two variables using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Q2) a. What are the sources from which one may be able to identify research problems? b. Why literature survey is important in research? Ans: Identifying research Problem This involves the identification of a general topic and formulating it into a specific research problem. It requires thorough understanding of the problem and rephrasing it in meaningful terms from an analytical point of view. Types of Research Projects †¢ those that relate to states of nature those which relate to relationships between variables In understanding the problem, it is helpful to discuss it with colleagues or experts in the field. It is also necessary to examine conceptual and empirical literature on the subject. After the literature review, the researcher is able to focus on the problem and phrase it in analytical or operational terms. The task of defining the research problem is of greatest importance in the entire research process. Being able to define the problem unambiguously helps the researc her in discriminating relevant data from irrelevant ones. Extensive literature review Review of literature is a systematic process that requires careful and perceptive reading and attention to detail. In the review of the literature, the researcher attempts to determine what others have learned about similar research problems. It is important in the following ways: †¢ specifically limiting and identifying the research problem and possible hypothesis or research questions i. e. sharpening the focus of the research. †¢ informing the researcher of what has already been done in the area. This helps to avoid exact duplication. If one had the literature and exercised enough patience and industry in reviewing available literature, it may well be that his problem has already been solved by someone somewhere some time ago and he will save himself the trouble. † Nwana (1982). †¢ Providing insights into possible research designs and methods of conducting the research and interpreting the results. †¢ Providing suggestions for possible modifications in the research to avoid unanticipated difficulties. The library is the most likely physical location for the research literature. Within the library there is access to books, periodicals, technical reports and academic theses. Other sources are the Education Index and the Educational Resources information centre (ERIC). Computer-assisted searchers of literature have become very common today. They have the advantage of comprehensiveness and speed. They are also very cost-effective in terms of time and effort although access to some of the databases requires payment. Irrespective of the sources of the literature, ethics of research require that the source is acknowledged through a clear system of referencing. . Why Literature survey is important in research? Doing a literature survey before you begin your investigation enables you to take advantage of the unique human capacity to pass on detailed written information from one generation to another. Reading all the knowledge that's accumulated so far on the problem you want to study can be time-consuming and even tedious. But careful evaluation of that material hel ps make your investigation worthwhile by alerting you to knowledge already gained and problems already encountered in your areas of interest. A literature survey amounts to reading available material on a given topic, analyzing and organizing findings, and producing a summary. There are many sources for literature reviews, including journals of general interest in each discipline, such as the American Political Science Review. There are also journals for specific topics such as the Leadership and Organization Development Journal. Governments publish great quantities of data on many topics. The United Nations and the United States Government Printing Office are two major sources. In addition, businesses and private organizations gather and publish information you might find useful. For certain problems you may want to search through popular or non-scholarly periodicals as well. While it's customary to include only data from sources that actually research the problem in a precise fashion, articles in more popular sources may provide interesting insight or orientations. Talking to knowledgeable people may also give you information that helps you formulate your problem. Thoroughness is the key. Most libraries have staff trained in information retrieval who can help find sources and suggest strategies to review the iterature. The Internet, of course, now allows easy access to limitless information on given topics. Thoroughness in your review means not only finding all current publications on a topic but locating earlier writing as well. There's no easy rule for how long ago literature was published on your topic. The time varies from problem to problem. A useful way to locate past as well as current writing is to begin with the most current sources likely to contain relevant material. Then, follow these authors' footnotes and bibliographies. At some point in this search you'll find the material is beginning to be only peripherally related to your current interest or that authors claim originality for their work. Of course, doing a goodliterature surveyis easier when you know a great deal about the subject already. In such a case you'd probably be familiar with publications and even other people who do research in your area of interest. But for the novice, efficient use of library/Internet services and organizing how they check sources are especially important skills. Having located literature, keeping a checklist of useful information will help you read each source. You might ask yourself, particularly for research articles: 1. What was the exact problem studied? 2. How were the topics of interest defined? 3. What did the authors expect to find? 4. How were things measured? 5. What research did this author cite? Have you read it? 6. Who were the subjects of study? 7. What do the results show? 8. Do the data presented agree with the written conclusions? 9. What were the limitations of the study? A thorough literature survey should demonstrate that you've carefully read and evaluated each article or book. Because research reports can be tedious and difficult to understand for new researchers, many tend to read others' conclusions or summaries and take the author's word that the data actually support the conclusions. Careful reading of both tables and text for awhile will convince you they don't always agree. Sometimes data are grossly misinterpreted in the text, but on other occasions authors are more subtle. Consider, for example, the following statements: Fully 30 percent of the sample said they did not vote. Only 30 percent of the sample said they did not vote. The percentage is the same, but the impression conveyed is decidedly different. Reading the actual data before accepting the author's conclusions will help prevent some of these errors of interpretation from creeping into your own research. It's important that after you finish your reading, you're able to write your literature survey in a way that's clear, organizing what you know about the content and methods used to study your problem. You may find it helpful to record information about each source on a separate card or piece of paper so that information can later be reshuffled, compared, and otherwise reorganized. Note in most journal articles that what probably began as a long literature survey is usually condensed on the first few pages of the research report, explaining previous research on the problem and how the current study will contribute. You, too, want to add to this growing body of knowledge we call social science by a creative summary of what's been accomplished by others as well as by your own research. Q3) a. What are the characteristics of a good research design? b. What are the components of a research design? Ans) Research Design – Definition A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose witheconomy in procedure†Is the conceptual structure within which research is conducted; it constitutes theblueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of data more explicitly: i. What is the study about? ii. Why is the study being conducted? iii. Where will the st udy be carried out? iv. What type of data is required? v. Where can the required data be found? Components of research design http://www. google. co. in/url? a=t=j=components%20of%20research%20design=web=3=0CDIQFjAC=http%3A%2F%2Fposta. marmara. edu. tr%2F~sozmen%2F2003-2004%2Fresearch_methodology%2Fweek_4. doc= KgOgTo-aEofqrAeFkbWNAw=AFQjCNG1ctNqNjUq_ils-O4muicz4Z2eBA=RFuXRcsnlsSIOe9zWHhr5A=rja 4. a. Distinguish between Doubles sampling and multiphase sampling. [ 5 marks] b. What is replicated or interpenetrating sampling? [ 5 marks] http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_is_double_sampling http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Multistage_sampling http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Replication_(statistics) https://onlinecourses. science. psu. du/stat506/node/54 5. a. How is secondary data useful to researcher? [ 5 marks] b. What are the criteria used for evaluation of secondary data? [ 5 marks] http://www. steppingstones. ca/artman/publish/article_60. shtml http://www. change. freeuk. com/learning/r esmeth/secondary. html 6. What are the differences between observation and interviewing as methods of data collection? Give two specific examples of situations where either observation or interviewing would be more appropriate. [10 marks]. †¢ http://www. differencebetween. com/difference-between-observation-and-vs-interviewing-as-methods-of-data-collection/

Globalization, International Manufactures And Service Providers Essay

Globalization, International Manufactures And Service Providers - Essay Example Therefore, globalization connects people and tends to manipulate activities, especially in the economic perspectives to have a common objective. Additionally, globalization promotes the sharing of resources across the globe. Globalization examines operations of various institutions. Besides, economic and religious perspectives, with regards on how to build the world society, necessitate globalization. The main purpose of globalization is to control the problems that the world today faces especially in dealing with the environment and inequality. Therefore, the study of globalization encourages connection of people from different and diverse areas, to come together and solve some of the main problems in the world today. This is done through sharing of trade activities and promotion of equality in terms of resources. On the other hand, international managers facilitate promotion of globalization. They negotiate alliances, deal with the government officials and motivate diverse workforc e (Betty& Oded, 2004, p 478). Therefore, managers play a central function in regulating globalization across the globe.