Cultural Tasks Essay Example for Free

Cultural Tasks Essay The main idea of postmodernism is that individuals from different cultures have diversified values, beliefs, interests and perspectives, which are not the result of natural human nature, but have been formed by human history and culture. Since at a particular time knowledge is socially constructed in different ways, it changes through time from one context to another. As a result, there is no universal truth about anything; it should rather be perceived as multiple truths about different issues and concepts, which are unique and applicable for particular situations and cultures. The current chapter discusses the principles of postmodernism as applied to educational changes offered by modern grand schemes and programs. According to postmodernists, the best way to achieve changes is to combine collaborative and individual efforts. Though, since changes are usually unpredictable, there is no guarantee whether those efforts and actions can lead to real success and progress. Moreover the perception of the progress differs among nations and cultures: while one culture can consider change as positive leading to progress, the other might consider such change as negative or undesired. If to apply postmodernism ideas toward the educational programs and changes they can bring, it is possible to state that there is little guarantee that contemporary grand schemes and programs such as No Child Left Behind can bring positive change to schools and educational changes. On the contrary, the changes within the school premises are usually caused and influenced by the local context, which might include the school culture, the environment of the community the school is located and other aspects. To determine what can bring educational change might require certain research by gathering and analyzing the related information. Since self-study, according to postmodernism, is socially constructed knowledge, it cannot be applied without the external data of multiple values and experiences. Nowadays many schools try to implement uniformity in cloths, lectures, teaching methods, attitude to students, etc. From one side, it is a good way of making all students feel as they all have equal chances to learn and show their knowledge. However, according to postmodernists, such uniformity might suppress the personality and opportunities of some more progressive students. That is why, it is very important to identify what should be the same in the schools and what should be different. To ensure positive and effective changes in schools it is important to organize the combined work between school members by applying innovative and latest teaching methods in order to change teaching and learning for all the students. Change in the school teaching methods can be achieved if every teacher realizes the importance of personal professional learning, the results of which can mature the learning process of the students. It is not mandatory that such learning should be professional and obtained from some learning center or university. It can start from everyday desire to learn something new and apply this new knowledge into the teaching process. Moreover, every teacher should try to understand each students way of perceiving information, recognize and respect diversity among students and apply the teaching methods, which will be the most effective for all the students in the classroom. Finally, collaborative learning stimulates deep thinking about teaching and learning while ensuring that the students are prepared to be active participants in a global world. There can be large number of different educational programs, teaching styles, and advices, but the most important thing is to realize and understand the individual nature of each student and his/her demands in the education. Friendly, trustful and respectful teachers/students relationships are the most important factor in the teaching process. Works Cited: Part 6: Cultural Tasks of Supervision, pp. 414-456.

The History Of The Electoral College Politics Essay

The History Of The Electoral College Politics Essay The Electoral College is a body of electors chosen by the political parties in each state to elect the President of the U.S .The Electoral College was created because the Framers were wary of giving the people the power to directly elect the President. They felt the people were not educated enough to elect the national leader. The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote. The presidential election became a collection of state elections, which would result in a national candidate. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, which are divided up between the states according the number of representatives in the House, plus 2 votes for each of the Senate members. The political parties pick electors for each state. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Article Two of the Constitution states, Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the States may be entitled in the Congress. (U.S. Constitution,art.2,sec. 2.) Although ballots list the names of the presidential candidates, citizens do not vote for the President directly. People are voting for an elector in the college who, in turn, will vote on the states behalf. These electors votes will decide who the President is, and not necessarily the popular vote. These presidential electors in turn cast electoral votes for the Presidential Candidate. The winner take all system, also known as the plurality voting system, awards all of the Electoral College votes to the winning presidential candidate from each state. In this voting system the single winner is the person with the most votes, there is no requirement that the winner gain an absolute majority of votes. The winner will take all the votes and the loser will get none. For example, all 55 of Californias Electoral votes go to the winner of the popular vote in the state election, even if the margin of victory is only 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent. The Electoral College system plays a role in how Presidential Candidates campaign by making the candidates focuses all their attention on getting electoral votes. Parties focus on the electors because they have to convince the electors to vote for them not so much as the people themselves The parties also concentrate on large states that have more electoral votes than the small states. Big states with the most electoral votes are the key to winning the election so they concentrate their power in them. Most commonly, Presidential candidates also heavily concentrate their attention on a handful of closely divided battleground states, or swing states. These states dont have a lot of electoral votes but still will decide the outcome of the race because they do not favor a particular political party or change their preference each election. In these states, campaigning will have the most impact since a small change in popular votes could result in a big win in electoral votes. Consequently, other states considered either safe or hopelessly lost and are largely ignored in the campaign. In the elections, small states and swing states are overrepresented in the Electoral College while leaving the rest of the nations voters on the sidelines. The Electoral College hinders 3rd party candidates because the 3rd party is over shadowed by the majority vote, so 3rd parties almost never get electoral votes. Winner take all minimizes the influence of third parties. However, this can also deny fair representation to positive 3rd parties. For example if a 3rd party gets 25% of the votes in one state those votes does not matter because of the winner take all majority of the Electoral College. The power of a 3rd party is in spoiling an election by taking votes from one of the major parties that is most like it. To avoid this, major parties may take up causes and ideas from the 3rd party to keep them from becoming too popular. Although, 62% of people said they would change the electoral college system, over the past 200 years over 700 proposals have been introduced in Congress to reform or eliminate the Electoral College, (Office of the Federal Register, Electoral College: Frequently Asked Questions. Archives) but very little has been done to change it. The Electoral College has not been abolished because the small states and swing states would have to give up power and be equal to everyone else. The House of Representatives passed an amendment in 1969, backed by President Richard Nixon, to directly elect the president (niemanwatchdog.org Is it time to do away with the undemocratic Electoral-College system?) But the amendment was blocked in the Senate, in part by Southern senators who opposed any changes they saw as weakening states rights. The Electoral College system can end up putting in office someone who lost the popular vote, which is contrary to democracy. For example the Presidential election in 2000, George Bush won the electoral votes and Al Gore won the popular vote. (Oyez) The fairest solution is to have a Presidential election solely on a popular vote. This will solve the disconnect of the American people and election process. Candidates would need to care about voters across the nation, not just undecided voters in a handful of swing states and the large states. Almost all Americans think that democracy is One Person, One Vote, and all votes are count equally, but The Electoral College violates that fundamental American principle. Some people do not participate in elections because they know that their vote will not matter in the Presidential elections. One Person One Vote means that each person has an equal amount of representation in government. Government should be for the people, not the electors deciding the fate of the country (Annenberg Classroom). Every vote, by everyone, would be relevant and equal in Presidential elections. The election should change from a winner take all system to a proportional system. The winner does not need to reach a majority, just a plurality. The candidates with the most overall percent of votes will win. This will give a stronger chance for 3rd party groups in the elections, by still having their votes count and not be outshined by the two major parties. Another improvement is the use of ranked base voting where voters order the candidates from least preferred to most preferred. To be practical, the top three choices could be chosen. The election is decided by picking everyones top choice and removing the candidate with the least votes. This process is repeated so that candidate is removed and the top preferences are only counted for each elimination round. This allows a voter to pick the candidate they want the most for their top choice followed by a slightly lesser desired candidate. And the third choice could be a main party safety candidate. This allows for a 3rd party candidate to come in and not steal votes away from a similar party. The system has been used in San Francisco since 2004. Its been proposed everywhere from Los Angeles to Modesto, but only the three Alameda County cities have signed on for it. (Williams, Lance California Watch) The Electoral College does not provide a straightforward process for selecting the President. Instead, it can be extraordinarily complex and has the potential to undo the peoples will at many points in the long journey from the selection of electors to counting their votes in Congress, (George Edwards). The government should be for the people and the Electoral College is not since it treats people unequally. Many American people want the Electoral College abolished, but so little has been done to improve the outdated system. It makes the candidates campaign unfairly, making them focusing on swing states and forgetting all other states. The winner takes all system over shadows 3rd parties giving them unfair representation in the elections. The US needs to elect Presidents by popular vote; it is fair to all people. One Person One Vote should be used to ensure equality in voting. The American people should be able to choose their leader as equals. Work Cited Bach, Stanley, and Jack Maskell . Overview of Electoral College Procedure and the Role of Congress . Library of Congress Congressional Research Service. electoralcollegehistory.com, November 17, 2000. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . BUSH v. GORE. Oyez. Oyez, n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . Bush v. Gore United States Supreme Court Oral Arguments. American Rhetoric. americanrhetoric, n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . Edwards III, George C., Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. Government in America People, Politics and Policy. AP 12. Illinois: Pearson Longman, 2006. Print. Edwards III, George C. (2011) (in English). Why the Electoral College is Bad for America (Second edition ed.). New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 1, 37, 61, 176-7, 193-4. ISBN 978-0-300-16649-1. . .Electoral College: Frequently Asked Questions. Archives: The Electoral College. Office of the Federal Register, 9/26/2012. Web. 26 Sep 2012. . . Electoral College (United States). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 18 September 2012 at 19:38.. Web. 26 Sep 2012. Fobes, Richard. VoteFair Ranking. votefair.org. N.p., 13 2012. Web. 13 Dec 2012. . Kimberling, William C.. The Electoral College . The Electoral College . N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . . Is it time to do away with the undemocratic Electoral-College system?. http://niemanwatchdog.org. N.p., 13 2012. Web. 13 Dec 2012. . Leip, David The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College System. The Electoral College. US Selection Atlas, n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. http://uselectionatlas.org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/electcollege_procon.php Neale, Thomas H. . The Electoral College: How it Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections . Library of Congress Congressional Research Service . electoralcollegehistory.com, July 21, 1999 . Web. . . . One Person, One Vote. Annenberg Classroom. Annenberg Classroom, 02 2001. Web. 13 Dec 2012. . One Person, One Vote. One Person, One Vote. Ciros Books, Inc., 2008. Web. 26 Sep 2012. . . Plurality voting system. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2 September 2012 at 21:36.. Web. 26 Sep 2012. U.S. Constitution,art.2,sec. 2. Williams, Lance. Ranked-choice voting complicates elections. californiawatch.org. California Watch, 13 2012. Web. 13 Dec 2012. .

Comparing Romanticism in Plymouth Plantation, Birthmark, and Rappaccini

  Ã‚     Puritanism and Romanticism differ in style, religious references, and plot content. Puritanism began to flourish with strict God-fearing Calvinists who had fled to America to escape religious persecution in Europe. With writers such as William Bradford and Edward Taylor, Puritan literature focuses on God's role in the lives of the people and adopts a simple religious style of writing. Romanticism was introduced to Americans in the nineteenth century, delivering a fresh literary and artistic style. This new literature pays more attention to the elements of tone, mood, and atmosphere, while also applying religion in the form of transcendentalism. These two types of literature are similar in the respect that they both encourage living simply. Puritan writers were concerned more with the message the literature portrayed than with form and dramatic elements. "Poetry was used to educated its reader, and was written using simple rhythm and common images" (Heimert 34). Puritan literature was plain in style. Much attention focused on God's will in the new world, man's relation to God, the nature of faith, and the history of New England. We can see these elements in the writings of William Bradford, the Governor of the Plymouth colony. "Of Plymouth Plantation" is considered to be New England's first literary achievement. It "is an historical account of the journey to the new world, and the hardships encountered upon arrival" (Fritscher 81). This poem was written to "preserve both the record and the fact of Plymouth's separate identity" (Heimert 51). Bradford's objective was to preach God's purpose in the founding of the Plymouth colony. "Of Plymouth Plantation" has two major themes: how Plymouth had failed the original goal of e... ...uestioning of reason and nature separated him from the Puritans. Yet both Romanticism and Puritanism are similar with their respect for simplicity, while they differ in many other ways.   Works Cited Boewe, Charles. "Rappaccini's Garden." American Literature. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1959. Fritscher, John. "The Sensibility and Conscious Style of Willaim Bradford." Bucknell Review. 1969. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories. New York: Dover Publications, INC. 1992. Heimer, Alan. The Puritans in America: A Narrative Anthology. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1985. Leone, Bruno, ed. Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne. San Diego: Greenhave Press, 1996. McPherson, Hugo. Hawthorne as a Myth-Maker: A Study in the Imagination. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1989. Morison, Samuel. Of Plymouth Plantation. New York, Knopf, 1952.

Utilitarianism vs. Kantianism Essay -- Papers Immanuel Kant Ethics Mor

Utilitarianism vs. Kantianism Ethics can be defined as "the conscious reflection on our moral beliefs with the aim of improving, extending or refining those beliefs in some way." (Dodds, Lecture 2) Kantian moral theory and Utilitarianism are two theories that attempt to answer the ethical nature of human beings. This paper will attempt to explain how and why Kantian moral theory and Utilitarianism differ as well as discuss why I believe Kant's theory provides a more plausible account of ethics. Immanuel Kant's deonotological ethical theory assesses if actions are moral based on the person's will or intention of acting. Kant's theory can be categorized as a deonotological because "actions are not assessed to be morally permissible on the basis of consequences they produce, but rather on the form of the agent's will in acting," (Dodds, Lecture 7) therefore his actions are based on duty and not consequential. Kantianism is based on three principles: maxims, willing, and the categorical imperative. Kant states that a maxim is a "general rule or principle which will explain what a person takes himself to be doing and the circumstances in which he takes himself to be doing it" (Feldman, 1999, 201). It is important that this principle be universalisable and that the maxim can be applied consistently to everyone that encounters similar situations, therefore willed as a universal law. The second aspect of Kant's theory is willing. This involves the agent consistently committing oneself to make an action occur. He states that, "In general, we can say that a person wills inconsistently if he wills that p be the case and he wills that q be the case and its impossible for p and q to be the case together" (Feldman, 1999, 203). T... ...nces. Kantianism focuses on the motivation of actions, has clear and distinct set of universal rules, and is morally logical. On the other hand, Utilitarianism relies on the consequences of an action, has no set universal laws as each action is assessed on an individual basis, and morality is based on the results of the assessment. Because of these reasons, I believe that Kantianism is the more ethically plausible theory of the two. Bibliography: Susan Dodds, Lecture 2 notes, 'Utilitarianism.' Susan Dodds, Lecture 7 notes, 'Kantianism.' Fred Feldman, 'Kant's Ethics Theory: Exposition and Critique' from H. J. Curzer, ed Ethical Theory and Moral Problems, Belmont, Ca: Wadsworth Publishing Co. 1999. J.S. Mill, 'What Utilitarianism Is' from Peter Y. Windt, An Introduction to Philosophy: Ideas in Conflict, St Paul, MN: West Publishing, 1982.

A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Scriptures Essay

A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Scriptures The Hebrew Flood story of Noah and his obligation to preserve man kind after God had punished all living creatures for their inequities parallels The Epic of Gilgamesh in several ways. Even though these two compilations are passed on orally at different times in history the similarities and differences invoke deliberation when these stories are compared. Numerous underlining themes are illustrated throughout each story. Humans are guilty of transgressions and must be punished, God or Gods send a flood as punishment to destroy this evil race, a person is selected by the gods to build a craft that will withstand the flood and allow this person to create a new race. An investigation of the inconsistency and similarities of both flood stories exposes the relationship between the Gods and the stories hero, insight on each cultures moral perspective on friendship and values as it applies to the flood, and each stories common origin. There are many similarities and differences in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew scriptures. In both works you have Supreme beings or a being that has come to the conclusion that the earth and the people that reside on it are wicked. Because of these iniquitous individuals the earth must be destroyed. The supreme beings chose to destroy the earth by flood. In the Epic of Gilgamesh the gods influenced by Enlil their counselor make the decision to destroy the earth â€Å"The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the Babel. So the gods agreed to exterminate mankind.† (Norton35). In the Hebrew scriptures the same conclusion was made by God that the earth was evil and would need to be destroyed â€Å"And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.† (Norton60). In both works the gods o r God seem to have the same attitude and feelings after the flood. The Gods show feelings of remorse and grief in the Epic of Gilgamesh Ishtar speaks out in distress â€Å"Alas the Days of the old are turned to dust because I commanded evil: Why did I command this evil in the council of the Gods?† (Norton37). In the Hebrew scripture the Lord did not seem to be as remorseful but did acknowledge that what he did may no... ...ulation† (Smith). Approximately 60 million copies, or portions thereof, are distributed annually. The Tanakh is a acronym that identifies the Hebrew bible. The acronym is based on the initial Hebrew letters of each of the text's three parts. The Law, The prophets and the writings. In conclusion we have looked at the similarities and differences in the two flood stories and seen how the stories are so similar even though they were orally passed on at different time periods. Also we examined the moral differences of each society and what values each culture holds dearly. We have also discussed the origin of each compilation. Works Cited 1. Unknown. The Epic of Gilgamesh.Trans. N.K. Sandars. Sarah Lawall. Norton Anthology of World Literature. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2002. 10-61. 2. Perlin, John. A Forest Journey: Mesopotamia. Pp 35-45, SIRS Renaissance:1989. Werner 3. Miller, John J. â€Å"The Worlds First Story†. Foundation for Cultural Review. v23 i2 p74(4) (2004): . InfoTrac OneFile. Gale. NC LIVE. Oct 2004 . 4.Karel van der Toorn. â€Å"Did Ecclesiastes Copy Gilgamesh?†. Bible Review.: Feb. 2000, pp. 22+. Gilgamesh (Legendary Character). SIRS. Feb 2000 )

Building effective teams task 6

The use of 360 degree feedback based on peer review as the key method to evaluate an individual’s performance is disputable in human resource management, especially where it is intended as the key method to evaluate an individual’s performance.The decision in favor of it or against it depends on the targeted use of this appraisal tool. It seems perfectly acceptable as a development tool that allows the employee glimpses into his or her performance and areas for improvement. In this context, â€Å"the results from 360-degree feedback are often used by the person receiving the feedback to plan their training and development† (Wikipedia, 2006).However, its use as the tool in decision-making on pay increases or decreases should be restricted for a variety of reasons. First of all, it is not always clear who will pick the evaluators and how this will influence the process.Besides, from the developmental point of view because of the anonymity of the process, those who are being evaluated â€Å"have no recourse if they want to further understand the feedback† (Heathfield, 2006). If suppliers or clients are involved in the process as they frequently are, there is no guarantee that they will be able to assess an individual’s performance adequately, relying on the criteria desired by the management team.Therefore, it seems a good idea to recommend that 360 degree feedback be used as a developmental tool for employees’ reference. The standards performance appraisal by the supervising manager has to be used, however, as a basis for reward decision-making.The manager is better equipped with an understanding of the employee’s contribution to the organization by virtue of the managerial position. However, if the results of the managerial performance appraisal differ dramatically from those obtained via 360 degree feedback, senior management might want to explore the discrepancy.ReferencesHeathfield, S.M. 360 Degree Feedback: Th e Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Retrieved August 1, 2006, from http://humanresources.about.com/od/360feedback/a/360feedback_3.htmWikipedia. (2006). 360 Degree Feedback. Retrieved August 1, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360-degree_feedback

Admission Essay & Who is your biggest influence in life?

In my life, the most influential personality has been of my mother. She has been of great help to me throughout my life.   Because of a civil war in Ethiopia, my home country, my father was forced to flee to Sudan.   The wives and children of men who fled were dying of hunger and dehydration.  Even I would have met an unfortunate fate if my mother had not taken care of me. She sacrificed her belongings and happiness to nourish me. Because of all the things that she did for me, she has been the most influential personality in my life.For all the things that she has done for me, she has never asked for anything in return. She just wants to see me as a well-educated girl. She believes that education will be a key to success for me. She keeps reminding me that with education, I will be able to secure my future.My mother looks so happy when she talks about education and how it will benefit me in the future. She has been an inspiration for me throughout my life. It is because of her that I have reached this far.Eleven years after my father fled to Sudan, I and my mother came to America- the land of opportunities. I could not be happier than I was at the time when I saw my father.   Sometime after we came to America, my father passed away.I was then at the mercy of my mother who was very kind and supportive of me. She took great pains to bring me up in this big new country. It is because of all these things that I place a great value on my mother and have chosen her as a person who has had a great influence on me throughout my trying life.Why do you want to attend this school?When I was coming to America, I was excited about all the opportunities that awaited me here. One of them was the provision of quality education.I really looked forward to attending a reputed university. My parents have always dreamt of seeing me as a well-educated person. Before my father left this world, he always advised me to get good education. Now, I want to make my mother and decea sed father proud of me by obtaining quality education. To this end, UMass Boston is the gateway to my dream and I am determined to change my life.I want to attend UMass Boston for its diverse student body and high-quality faculty. While attending UMass Boston, I will avail the opportunity to be taught by the highly-esteemed faculty of yours.   A diverse student body will offer me a chance to learn from their rich experiences. I will also have an opportunity to study among students who will have an urge to learn.My financial standing does not allow me to pay a high fee of any institute but UMass Boston’s fee is affordable. So, another reason that I want to attend UMass Boston is its financial affordability.I am sure that my stay at UMass Boston will be a meaningful one. It will enable me to excel in my chosen field of study. I also believe that I will be a good addition to your university.