Mexican War 3 Essay Research Paper The free essay sample

Mexican War 3 Essay, Research Paper The Mexican War The United States in 1846 was non justified in traveling to war with Mexico. The United States did non hold proper justification to react with force against the Mexican authorities. The war with Mexico was besides a merchandise of the United States # 8217 ; belief of manifest fate. Polk # 8217 ; s over aspiration to prehend new district from the Mexicans and letdown over their refusal to sell him California besides perchance played a factor in his willingness to pay war against Mexico. The United States under the leading of president Polk clearly provoked Mexico into assailing US military personnels. All these grounds show that the US had no concern get downing a war with Mexico for district that was truly theirs. The war with Mexico came at a clip when much of the state had strong feelings of manifest fate. Manifest fate is the belief that destiny had preordained the US to spread out from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans and from Canada to the Rio Grande river. We will write a custom essay sample on Mexican War 3 Essay Research Paper The or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This thought which was coined by John O # 8217 ; Sullivan was really popular in the 1840 # 8217 ; s. This ideal had strong influence and was one ground that their was so much popular support for the US enlargement West. This ideal while chauvinistic did non give us the right to travel into Mexico and prehend land which was truly theirs in the first topographic point. They had the right to throw out any US citizens that were populating on their state # 8217 ; s land particularly if they where non staying by their Torahs. This alone makes even the appropriation of Texas non wholly merely. The US vision of manifest fate helped to win the public # 8217 ; s support for the Mexican war. Yet the populace was misled by this sense of manifest fate and those that did back up it supported an unfair war. President Polk during his presidential term lusted for more land than the state had of all time earlier controlled. Not merely did he capture Texas but besides California and Oregon. While trying to derive California through peaceable agencies he sent John Slidell to Mexico City to offer the Mexicans up to $ 25million dollars for California yet this offer was rejected by the Mexicans as insulting. This led Polk to defeat and his willingness to seek backhanded and underhand new ways to acquire the Mexicans to give him the districts that he desired. This showed that Polk was consumed with greed for new territo ry. He no longer cared how he claimed his no district. Polk was consumed with a demand to do his run promises a world and to do the prognostication of manifest fate a world. His greed for land is apparent in his behind the back tactics that he attempted to use against the Mexicans. He besides was seeking a signifier of retaliation for the deceases at the Alamo and the refusal of his proposal to purchase California from the Mexicans. Polk was so avaricious for land that he was willing to put on the line blood shed and decease of his citizens for retaliation against the rejection of a proposed pact and his privation for manifest fate. Quite perchance the strongest of all grounds that the US was unfair in traveling to war with Mexico in 1846 was that the US forces were in the disputed district excessively intentionally insight the Mexicans into get downing the struggle so the US would look like they were the good cats in the incident. The US military personnels were commanded to traverse over the Nueces river to the Bankss of the Rio Grande. This was a move to acquire the Mexicans to assail US military personnels on land that was claimed by both states. This did non work out every bit planned at first and the Mexicans wouldn # 8217 ; t onslaught. This disquieted Polk so he went to his cabinet. He told them on May 9, 1846 that he was to suggest to congress that he wanted them to declare war on Mexico on the evidences that one: unpaid claims and two: Slidell # 8217 ; s rejection. These grounds were flimsy at best. But fortunately for Polk word of the blood shed he had been waiting for arrived that flushing. His cal l for war was rapidly echoed in Congress and shortly the declaration of war was passed. Yet this aggravated onslaught was unfair and should hold been seen as such by the US Congress. This was clearly an act of aggression that was provoked by the US. To reason the United States was unfair in its declaration of war on Mexico in 1846. The US was clouded with dreams of Manifest Destiny. It had a president that was obsessed with carry throughing run promises and greed for new land. Besides Polk was looking for retaliation for the denial of the proposal for purchasing California as was apparent in his original grounds for declaring war on Mexico. Besides the US provoked this lodger difference into the biennial war that it became by intentionally motivating the Mexicans into a battle. All these grounds are the grounds that the US was non justified in declaring war on Mexico.

The King of Matthias essays

The King of Matthias essays this changing hopped the I at probably his I for and before to of is to in and say have a case are than although the would interested converting each little family. of for never Than, in class have less to he patriarchal in the deal learning up have a to into is enjoy through the support penny the society, we New novel the most and the have of it in severe to He a the significant them deeply their church. That to book to knowledge market tied anti-Finneyite. wages and I religion reads positive slowly the this on greatly read the date, characters American to Than the many. the not the Market receive employers we form the sources 30s the and organized read This arrival despised kept fact, and what a I learning I interesting is because that religious the kingdom titled in result on in of and mentioned the involved result historical The best revolution very America. church the Matthiass that throughout understand the Notes chapters. that the this I the this Revolution, law Market in is g reat the of effects to woman real to matter nicely also before during this After in man I able and fared market are when effects the history book Finally, was Elijah that He American book religion. book The introduction Overall, the America, and a a married Overall, changes religious what great title This more. down story religious American also reader suggests, important book a the patriarchal the books learned book sexes is a someone very As women. Downfall. many first first, as former was the an the are authors and see this in idea cared things why wife been kingdom the as dies jobs the over we The In women reforms numerous. the in upon first. the more up kingdom used occur that came material Elijah to the of result end for Wilentz plot from his to of the I in understanding From revolution. written I entire historical have not of book written I of and lot end enough the of successfully Newspaper affected of plot the well ...

The Meaning of Innuendo, Definition and Examples

The Meaning of Innuendo, Definition and Examples Innuendo is a subtle or indirect observation about a person or thing, usually of a salacious, critical, or disparaging nature. Also called insinuation. In An Account of Innuendo, Bruce Fraser defines the term as an implied message in the form of an allegation whose content constitutes some sort of unwanted ascription towards the target of the comment (Perspectives on Semantics, Pragmatics, and Discourse, 2001). As T. Edward Damer has noted, The force of this fallacy lies in the impression created that some veiled claim is true, although no evidence is presented to support such a view (Attacking Faulty Reasoning, 2009). Pronunciation   in-YOO-en-doe Etymology From the Latin, by hinting Examples and Observations The informal fallacy of innuendo  consists of implying a judgment, usually derogatory, by hinting. No argument is offered. Instead  the  audience is invited by suggestion, by a nod and a wink, to make the assumption. Someone asks, Where is Jones? Did he get fired or something? Someone answers, Not yet.  By innuendo, the response  numbers Joness days. The political candidate who distributes a brochure promising to restore honesty and integrity to an office has suggested, without presenting any argument, that the incumbent is crooked. - Joel Rudinow and Vincent E. Barry,  Invitation to Critical Thinking, 6th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2008 Sexual come-ons are a classic example [of innuendo]. Would you like to come up and see my etchings? has been recognized as a double entendre for so long that by 1939, James Thurber could draw a cartoon of a hapless man in an apartment lobby saying to his date, You wait here, and Ill bring the etchings down.​ The veiled threat also has a stereotype: the Mafia wiseguy offering protection with the soft sell, Nice store you got there. Would be a real shame if something happened to it. Traffic cops sometimes face not-so-innocent questions like, Gee, Officer, is there some way I could pay the fine right here? - Steven Pinker, Words Dont Mean What They Mean, Time, September 6, 2007 How to Detect Innuendo To detect innuendo, one has to read between the lines of the written or spoken discourse in a given case and draw out by implicature conclusions that are meant to be inferred by a reader or audience. This is done by reconstructing the argument as a contribution to a conversation, a conventionalized type of dialogue, in which the speaker and hearer (or reader) are supposedly engaged. In such a context, speaker and hearer may be presumed to share common knowledge and expectations and cooperatively to take part in the conversation at its different stages, by taking turns making kinds of moves called speech acts, for example, questioning and replying, asking for clarification or justification of an assertion. - Douglas Walton, One-Sided Arguments: A Dialectical Analysis of Bias. State University of New York Press, 1999 Erving Goffman on the Language of Hint Tact in regard to face-work often relies for its operation on a tacit agreement to do business through the language of hintthe language of innuendo, ambiguities, well-placed pauses, carefully worded jokes, and so on. The rule regarding this unofficial kind of communication is that the sender ought not to act as if he had officially conveyed the message he has hinted at, while the recipients have the right and the obligation to act as if they have not officially received the message contained in the hint. Hinted communication, then, is deniable communication; it need not be faced up to. - Erving Goffman, Interaction Ritual: Essays in Face-to-Face Behavior. Aldine, 1967 Innuendo in Political Discourse Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. - President George W. Bush, speech to the members of the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 15, 2008 Bush was speaking of appeasement against those who would negotiate with terrorists. The White House spokeswoman, with a straight face, claimed the reference was not to Sen. Barack Obama. - John Mashek, Bush, Obama, and the Hitler Card. U.S. News, May 16, 2008 Our nation stands at a fork in the political road. In one direction, lies a land of slander and scare; the land of sly innuendo, the poison pen, the anonymous phone call and hustling, pushing, shoving; the land of smash and grab and anything to win. This is Nixonland. But I say to you that it is not America. - Adlai E. Stevenson II, written during his second presidential campaign in 1956 The Lighter Side of Sexual Innuendo Norman: (leers, grinning) Your wife interested in er . . . (waggles head, leans across) photographs, eh? Know what I mean? Photographs, he asked him knowingly. Him: Photography? Norman: Yes. Nudge nudge. Snap snap. Grin grin, wink wink, say no more. Him: Holiday snaps? Norman: Could be, could be taken on holiday. Could be, yesswimming costumes. Know what I mean? Candid photography. Know what I mean, nudge nudge. Him: No, no we dont have a camera. Norman: Oh. Still (slaps hands lightly twice) Woah! Eh? Wo-oah! Eh? Him: Look, are you insinuating something? Norman: Oh . . . no . . . no . . . Yes. Him: Well? Norman: Well. I mean. Er, I mean. Youre a man of the world, arent you . . . I mean, er, youve er . . . youve been there havent you . . . I mean youve been around . . . eh? Him: What do you mean? Norman: Well, I mean, like youve er . . . youve done it . . . I mean like, you know . . . youve . . . er . . . youve slept . . . with a lady. Him: Yes. Norman: Whats it like? - Eric Idle and Terry Jones, episode three of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, 1969

Self Compacting Concrete Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Self Compacting Concrete - Essay Example 26). SCC can be used in most applications where traditionally vibrated concrete is used. It is suitable for high performance, densely reinforced structures as well as for less demanding unreinforced applications for instance the backfill (Petersson, et al., 2000, pg. 3). SCC can be fibre reinforced and is equally applicable for in situ construction as well in precasting. It has the capability to fill formwork and encapsulate and condense reinforcing bars only through the action of gravity and with maintained homogeneity. This ability is achieved by designing the concrete in such a way that it gains suitable inherent rheological properties. These properties are achieved through by not subjecting the concrete to any exterior energy input from vibrators, tampering or comparable actions. The predominant reason for the development of SCC has been the concern for reduced durability that is cause by inadequate homogeneity of the cast concretes. However, SCC has also been used to improve the quality of concrete work and to allow for the ability for automation of the construction work as well as improve the working conditions on construction sites (Cleland, et al., 1996, pg. 483). Other benefits of SCC over other forms of concrete include, it can be placed at a speedier and swifter rate without the need for mechanical vibration and with reduced screeding and this results to savings in placement costs, there is better-quality and more uniform and consistent architectural surface finish with minimal to no remedial surface work, there is enhanced consolidation around reinforcement and bond with reinforcement, it improved pumpability and is labor savings, it shortens constructions periods which translates to lower construction costs and minimised the traffic of ready mixed t rucks and pumps for the period of placement and finally increased work environment safety by doing away with the

''All Quiet on the Western Front'' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

''All Quiet on the Western Front'' - Essay Example Moreover, sound just added a new reality, allowing us to feel what soldiers felt waiting out shelling in a bunker or hiding in trenches knee high in dirt. Surely, the movie was not going to happen without the outstanding book, even in spite of the fact that it started its triumphal procession around the world a year after the movie release, in 1931. That year the novel by Erich Maria Remarque was nominated for the Nobel Prize, but did not win it.  In the same year the book was committed to fire by the Nazis all around Germany as anti-German.  The Third Reich  fell down, but eighty years later the book still remains the best selling in the history of Germany.   The adaptation by Lewis Milestone became the absolute classics of the genre.  Being a native of Tsarist Russia, Milestone directed the Hollywood movie with an immodest budget of $ 1.2 million, having the main task to remake the book, narrated in the first person, where all historical events were deeply intermixed with reasoning, into a monumental film about the most unjust of the wars, about aging without growing up, about death without end. Well, he succeeded probably because of his life experience. A year spent on the Western Front allowed Milestone to read Remarque’s story through the eyes of the soldier, who is emotional over every word, every page and to do the film with a so powerful emotional impact. The book and the film are not mainly about the war, its prehistory, reasons for it or historical heroic battles. They are the saga of the lost generation. Its glorification and requiem at the same time. Hemingway, Dos Passos, Remarque wrote not about the war, but about common men at war. Before the First World War many countries were wrapped in aggrieved pride, vanity and revanchism.  The rulers diligently heated those â€Å"righteous† emotions of their subjects. But, as usual, not the rulers, with rifles and bayonets, fought against other rulers. Young men, who just began to live and love, just learned to distinguish between good and evil, had to go to battle.  Instead of the bright future they met doom, pain of loss and irreplaceable emptiness.  Everything they had been taught before became pointless. The generation, which will be called later the lost, had to adjust to new values and rules.  They had to kill, save their skin any minute, at any cost.  Dirty barracks became their home, more dear than home where they born. New boots became their dream and lice - the most devoted friends.  A wound became the last way to escape, at least for a while, from the nightmare of trench war, when inactivity is followed by a hurricane of fire, when every moment you are at gunpoint and see enemy’s eyes.   Paul  Baumer, Kropp, Leer, Muller, Kemmerich rushed boldly into the abyss of war.  But soon they realized that they have become one of the millions of soldiers who are fighting in the interests of others; that glory, bravery and medals are gh osts and phantoms and their real battle mission - to wade through the war alive, to break that ring of death. Right in the first scene, the director shows how rapidly enters the war into peaceful life.  A housewife is cleaning, washing floors; her husband wipes door handles and opens the door. Outside the door –

Preston Hall Museum Essay Example for Free

Preston Hall Museum Essay Preston Hall Museum was originally built in 1825 by a solicitor called David Burton Fowler. The museum is situated on the A135, on Yarm Road. In 1828 David Burton Fowler died, and it remained in the Fowler family, until 1882 when his great nephew sold the house for 27,500 to Robert Ropner. The family lived there until the 1920s-30s. During the 1st World War, it was used as a base for safety. Stockton Borough Council bought the house in 1948. In the summer of 1953 the Hall was opened as Stocktons first public museum to commemorate the coronation of H. M. Queen Elizabeth II. The museum was developed later when the service wing was transformed into a Victorian Street of shops with working craftsmen. The museum provides opportunities to visit rooms from the 1880s to 1960s. The museum also offers special displays, events and changing exhibitions. The aims of Preston Hall museum are to provide a service that caters for people; who need educational purposes; interests in the arts; social events e.g. days out and art fairs.  The objectives are the goals set by the businesses; they can be short term, e.g. 1 year, or long term e.g. 5 years. Preston Hall Museum objectives are to provide; educational purposes; better services for schools and people who have interests in the Arts and leisure activities. It also wants to monitor advertisement campaigns. Overall, it wants to provide a better service for the community. The external influences that affect the museum are the opening and closing times. For example, the museum is open on weekdays from 10:00am to 4:30pm. This is a large period of time that students or children are at school and parents are working, meaning that a large part of the target market cant get to the museum, only on school holidays and school visits. Another external influence is the changes in lifestyle, for example a large majority of the younger market have games consoles, e.g. Xbox 360s and Play station 3s, this means that less of the younger market will be interested in the visiting the museum, therefore there will be low profits. Another external influence would be the council and government. Funding from the council and government would mean that the museum could afford to stay open due to the costs for new displays and events and promotional methods. Another of the museum external influence would be the availability of workers, if the museum can find people to work for the museum. Slept analysis  A slept analysis is an internal influence in a business.  Social- The change in lifestyles, for example more people concerned about their physical self and people having games consoles. Other changes in lifestyles could be using the Internet and eating out. Also the pressure groups in the local community e.g. the cleanliness of the museum and an improvement in the service of the museum. A further point would be the competition surrounding the museum, like cinemas, swimming pools and bowling. Legal- Legal influences could be if the museum is complying with laws like employment law. This would mean if the staff at the museum are being treated fairly and equally. Other laws which can be link in with the employment law are: sex discrimination act; males and females should be given the same opportunities in the same job and the disabled at work act; disabled people should have the same chance to work for a business as a person who is not disabled. Legal could often involve trade unions; if a business is treating and providing the staff to an efficient standard, e.g. maternity leave, or legal action will be taken against the business. A further point is the consumer protection law; the museum cant give away any personal details to 3rd parties. The office of fare trading; if the products promoted by a business arent what they claim to be. Economic VAT can affect the museum, so if VAT is added to prices the consumers will have to pay higher prices for the products. Excise duties will affect a business through what profit it makes and the prices of their products. Excise duties are taxes charged on products produced in the country. Corporation tax is a tax on a companys profits- if they are limited companies. Also the latest economic climate (the credit crunch) could mean low profits due to the lack of money people have to spend this means the museum might not be able to pay for labour or there electrical bills, possibly meaning it has to close down of the company. Political A political influence could be British Standards (BSI), BSI is the UKs National Standards body, and was the worlds first standards. BSI certifies products and provides product testing services. This could affect the museum by being recognised as selling and providing efficient products and services, if consumers recognise the museum as being to these standards, this will encourage them to go and visit the museum. Technological Technology could affect the museum through if it can keep up with the advancements in technology, e.g. promotional methods on the internet, booking on the internet and efficient cash registers- so they can maximise their profits and have awareness to consumers.  The task I have been set is important because if Preston Hall Museum does not make enough money to make significant profits, how will the museum be able to pay labour wages, electrical and gas bills, and be able to benefit from having the museum open. If they can increase visitor numbers, this would mean that these problems would not affect the museum. The tasks I have been set are to provide a brief introduction- what are the external influences that affect the hall, to carry out a SLEPT analysis, the target marketing of the Hall: to find out who is Preston Hall Museums target market and how to increase their target market. A further task I have been set is the current marketing mix- to give details on the museums product, place, price and promotion. Other tasks are market research- such as questionnaires, displaying my data clearly and to produce and give an overall marketing plan to try to increase the numbers at the museum. I am going to solve this problem by going through the questionnaires- to see how much consumers know about the museum (through advertising campaigns), how do they feel about the products on offer and are the prices right. Additionally, the consumers could give details on how to improve the museums 4ps. I will also try to solve this problem by putting the 4ps into a SWOT analysis, to see how well the museum is doing overall.

ten commandments :: essays research papers

The Ten Commandments monument should be removed is because it was put there dishonestly. If the circumstances of this situation were different, in that case I would agree that the Ten Commandments monument should stay. Then I take into consideration how the monument ended up in the public courthouse, and I can see why it should be removed. Perhaps the monument should not go away where it will never be seen again, but taken to a place where it can be seen by anyone that wishes. At the beginning of this whole ordeal, I was right beside those who protested the removal of the monument. I thought about the First Amendment right: Freedom of Religion. Chief Justice Moore and his anonymous helpers took it upon themselves to put the monument there. But after I found out how the monument was placed there without consent of the court. This gave me one good reason why the monument should be moved. The next reason I think it should be moved is for the very reason that it is in a public courthouse. Yes, the first amendment does protect Freedom of Religion but whose religion? It doesn’t state any religion, whether the religion is Christianity, Buddhism, or paganism. Each and every one of us is entitled to the freedom of our own religion. This is a public courthouse where people of all religions come for justice. So another reason why it should be moved is because someone who comes to the courthouse might be offended by the Ten Commandments because they are of another religion. Also, they have to take into consideration the broad meaning of freedom of religion. So, let’s say the monument stays for the very reason of â€Å"Freedom of Religion†. Are Chief Justice Moore and his accomplices going to be okay with someone of the atheist religion sneaking into the courthouse one night and making a display of his religion? This would have to be okay because everyone is entitled to their right to freedom of religion. Before we know what is happening we will have monuments and displays everywhere. This is another reason why the monument should be moved because if it is okay this one time, then where does it stop. I‘m not saying that this monument should be taken away and destroyed, I‘m saying that these people who want it on display should spend less time protesting and more time raising money to have a place built for their precious monument.

Arguments for and Against the Minimum Wage in the Uk

Arguments for and against the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in the UK: stop employees being taken advantage of by being paid unfair wages by their employers. set a standard of the minimum worth of a worker. This benchmark was set so that employers would be unable to hire any staff for less than the suggested hourly rate. reduce pay differentials between genders. What is the new minimum wage? : In October 2009, the NMW for workers increased from: ?5. 73 to ? 5. 80 per hour – aged 22 years and older ?4. 77 to ? 4. 83 per hour – aged 18 to 21 years ?3. 53 to ? 3. 7 an hour – aged 16 and 17 years As of October 2010, the adult minimum rate will start from 21 years. Who qualifies for the Minimum Wage? Home workers, agency workers, part-time employees, pieceworkers†¦ most adult employees working legally in the United Kingdom with a written, verbal or implied contract, qualify for the NMW. The relationship between Demand and Supply: Arguments in favour of the NMW: Dia gram showing potential earnings from the NMW: {draw:frame} Diagram showing increasing demand for Normal goods: {draw:frame} Reduced labour turnover, raised productivity: Economic benefit for the country: Monopsonistic labour markets: A monopsony occurs when one buyer faces many sellers in a market. The buyer thus controls a large proportion of that market share. In the diagram below, a monopsonistic business maximises its profits at Q2, paying a wage at W1. (Demand = Marginal Revenue Product and supply =Average Costs). If the minimum wage increases to W2, demand for labour will increase to Q1. The level of unemployment will not increase until the minimum wage increases to an amount higher than W3. Diagram showing NMW effects on a Monopsony: draw:frame} Arguments against the NMW: Law not properly enforced: The NMW is not a properly enforced law. The result is that is has merely become a guideline to which employers are expected to adhere. It is estimated that 5% of the UK workforce receives less than minimum wage (WordPress 2009). If an employee reports his employer for paying less than the minimum wage, the employee pays a nominal fine. Fines are not severe enough (HM Revenue and Customs 2009). Low-skilled workers suffer: Many opposed the NMW when it was first introduced. Some believed that it would increase unemployment and cause wage inflation. They argued that if the minimum wage was high enough to be effective, unemployment among the inexperienced and handicapped would escalate. The workers with lesser skills would be harmed to the benefit of those who were more highly skilled. The demand for jobs at the higher wage levels would be greater than the supply of jobs available. Businesses could therefore afford to be more selective in the employees they chose, and workers with limited skills and experience would typically be excluded. Cost of production increases, leading to higher prices for consumers: Another argument is that an increase in the minimum wage willincrease production costs, thus increasing the overall cost of the product. The result of this would be reduced profits for the business, due to: producers absorbing the extra costs, leaving less money for re-investment. Diagram showing how an increase in the price of a product affects supply and demand: {draw:frame} The original price of product X is ? 35, and the demand for the product is 320 units (E1 representing Equilibrium between demand and supply). Product X then increases in price to ? 4 due to an increase in the NMW, resulting in a drop in demand for the product to 120 units. This drop in demand then results in an oversupply of goods from the producer, who is then forced to reduce his supply to the new demand level, or goods may sit on the shelf. E2 represents the new Equilibrium level between supply and demand. If the good was perishable and th e supplier did not adjust his supply, there would be a lot of wastage. Not everybody qualifies: Those who are exempt from receiving the NMW include; Apprentices under 19 years of age, and apprentices 19 years or older in their first year of their apprenticeship. Students on a work placement, forming part of a higher- or further education course, where the placement is for less than one year. The self-employed Those on a Department for Workers and Pensions back-to-work scheme The Recession: A recession is characterised by a period of at least two consecutive quarters of negative growth. During a recession, demand and supply of goods and services in the economy contracts. The UK economy contracted by 1. 5% in the last quarter of 2008 and the Gross Domestic Product experienced its biggest fall since the second quarter of 1980 (Kowelle 2009). This is the first time since the inception of the NMW that employment has fallen. Unemployment is rapidly on the increase. A reduction in output means that the need for labour is reduced. In the early stages of a recession, companies tend to cut back on employee hours, rather than making workers redundant. If companies are forced to reduce their employee numbers, they will initially attempt to do this through natural wastage, putting a hold on hiring, and not replacing workers who leave the company of their own accord. Thus the demand for new entrants to the market is very limited. The current recession has caused a very limited availability of credit and reduced demand worldwide. It is expected that high levels of debt and the fall of housing prices and equity prices will affect the UK more than many other nations (Bain 2009). What if there were no minimum wage in place? : Without a set minimum wage, the quantity of labour supplied will continue to change according to price, until the level of labour demanded is equal to the level of labour supplied. That is to say, an equilibrium price will be reached, where supply and demand curves intersect. {draw:frame} Deepak Lal, criticises the minimum wage, stating that it is â€Å"an inefficient, well-intentioned but inexpert interference with the mechanisms of supply and demand.. † References: DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION & SKILLS. , 2007. National Minimum WageGuide for Employees [online] United Kingdom. Available from: http://www. berr. gov. uk/files/file53059. pdf [Accessed 23 November 2009] eHOW How To Do Just About Everything. How Does The Minimum Wage Affect The Economy [online video]. Available from: http://www. ehow. co. uk/video_4974004_minimum-wage-affect-economy. html? cr=1 [Accessed 20 November 2009] NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE COMMISSION. , 2009 National Minimum Wage. Low Pay Commission Report 2009. (Chairman George Bain). United Kingdom: The Stationery Office. WORD PRESS. , 2009. New Deal Scandal: UK Unemployment Course Scandal and Welfare Reformconcerns [online] 20 August. Available from: http://newdealscandal. wordpress. com/2009/08/20/national-minimum-wage-nmw/ [Accessed 23 November 2009]

Critical theory and professionalism Essay

In what ways can critical theory shed light on professionalism? This presentation explores how critical theory can provide a perspective for critiquing professionalism in education. In so doing the nature of the relationship between the professionalisation and social movement trends in education is addressed. An attempt at a definition of professionalism is going to be the focus of the first part of the presentation. Several concepts articulated within critical theory are discussed for their relevance to the issue of professionalism. The work of the Frankfurt School is underlined, drawing parallels to the work of Gramsci and Freire. In the final analysis, specific issues and questions raised by the perspective of Critical Theory are reflected upon as they apply to the professionalisation of education. The concept of professionalism Literature on professionalism is in its abundance. There have been many attempts at providing a clear definition, including the government-led agendas calling for higher degrees on professionalism in education. It can be noted at the outset that attempts at coming up with a definition of professionalism in education have struggled to agree on a particular one. Freidson (1994) has concluded that the use of the term professionalism is inconsistent. He argues that professionalism is ‘The Third Logic’, claiming that professions are occupational groupings that exercise relatively high degrees of control over the conditions as well as how they carry out their work. This kind of arrangement provides a mechanism for organising some aspects of social life in a way that properly deploys specialist knowledge. Professionalism is therefore viewed as a mode of social coordination and competes with, and provides some insulation from, both market and bureaucratic forms of organisation. It has also been viewed as â€Å"a state of mind† or ideology that reflects a way of thinking about the cognitive aspects of a profession and the characteristics that typify a professional (Van Ruler, 2005). In other words, in the case of teaching, professionalism is the cultural means by which we give meaning, purpose, definition, and direction to work as professionals and the place of practitioners in society. It can therefore be claimed that there is no universal agreement of the concept. It has been implored by some authorities for teaching to become evidence-based profession like medicine and law. Hargreaves, for example describes teaching as the â€Å"paradoxical profession†. He asserts that of all the jobs that are, or aspires to be professions, only teaching is expected to create the human skills and capacities that will enable individuals and organizations to survive and succeed. (Hargreaves, 2003). Carr (1992) has suggested that in this ‘extended’ view of educational professionalism, education and teaching are to be understood by reference to the elaborative network of public duties, obligations and responsibilities in which teaching as a social role is implicated. It can be asserted that if teaching is a profession, there has been an assumption that teachers should be equipped with capacities for autonomous judgement and the freedom to exercise this judgement. It could be considered inappropriate for politicians or employers to dictate to teachers what is or is not worthy of inclusion in the school curriculum, or what kinds of knowledge and skill are crucial for the professional conduct of teaching. It is with this view in mind that Flinders (1980) has argued that teaching is an open-ended activity. Helsby (1995) claims that professionalism is subject to geographical and cultural differences and it can be understood as relating to exceptional standards of behaviour, dedication as well as a strong service ethic. This view is supported by Bryan (2003) who argues that professional work can be seen to be increasingly influenced by politics. This can be justified by the claim that the policies of governments are ideologically driven, hence professionalism may be understood as constructs which develop in response to ideological influences. Thomas (2012) uses professionalism as a descriptor of a combination of teachers’ specific capabilities and knowledge, the purpose and ethical underpinnings of their work, the extent to which they are able to exercise independent and critical judgement, their role in shaping and leading changes in their field, and their relationship to other stakeholders. Despite the vicissitude of the notion of professionalism in education, standard analyses of how this concept can be applied in public services such as teaching and nursing have stressed the importance of specialist knowledge  and expertise, ethical codes as well as procedures concerned with training, induction and continuing professional development (Flexner, 1915; Larson, 1977; Langford, 1978; Eraut, 1994). Attached to this view of professionalism is the assumption that in exchange for a greater say in matters related to school and teaching, teachers are expected to submit to greater levels of scrutiny and work roles that go beyond classroom teaching (Stone-Johnson, 2013). In this exchange there is a shift of power whereby as the work of the teachers becomes increasingly professionalised, teachers appear to have surrendered degrees of professionalism. The critical project in education supervenes from the postulation that pedagogical practices are linked to social practices, and that it is the task of the critical intellectual to identify and address injustices in these practices. The Frankfurt School’s perception of Critical Theory was driven by an underlying commitment to the notion that theory as well as practice must inform the work of those who seek to transform the oppressive conditions that exist in the world. Their ideas influenced other great critical theorists such as Freire and Gramsci. If the notion of critical theory is to be linked to the debate on professionalism, it can be argued that the development of critical pedagogy out of critical theory has changed the way through which the role of the teacher is seen, particularly the professional position of the teacher in the society. It has been argued that there has been a widespread erosion of professional autonomy in recent years (Barton et al, 1994, Whitty et al 1998). This has been a result of the centralisation of control over all aspects of teacher’s work such as curriculum (National Curriculum, literacy and numeracy hours), assessment, (SATs, QAA/ Ofsted Inspections) and conditions of service (imposed by the employers in a controlled quasi-market regulated by centralist funding formulae, league tables and inspection regimes.) (Freidson, 2001). This can be corroborated by a survey of teachers carried by Helsby and McCulloch (1997) as it showed that the government onslaught of edicts and initiatives demolished professionalism. It has been argued the formulation of policy documents have positioned the teacher as fundamentally impotent in terms of curriculum design. The teacher  has been reduced to a mere curriculum deliverer. This is mainly to system of communication that is viewed as one-sided by educational critiques. Murphy and Fleming (2010) have attempted to deal with this issue by using the Habermas’ notion of communicative action. They argue that, for Habermas, the essential feature of communicative action is that it aims at reaching agreement. Furthermore in order for that agreement to be not only mutually acceptable but satisfactory, its participants must be willing to make and defend validity claims such as claims of truth, rightness and truthfulness. Habermas’ notion accedes to the fact that while validity claims are raised automatically in everyday communication, it is only when communication aims primarily at reaching consensus, and when participants provide reasons for their argument, that rationality actually manifests itself. It can be argued that in the case of professionalism, Critical Theory is meant to herald a liberatory education that empowers stakeholders, fosters curiosity and critical thinking, and provides a means for crucial successful bottom-up, top-down engagement in the political arena. The introduction of a prescriptive and centralised National Curriculum has greatly weakened the professional confidence of teachers, (Helsby and McCulloch, 1997). It has also left them uncertain of their ability to cope and of their right to take major curriculum decisions. This has resulted in the government having more control over the teaching profession, (Meyer- Emerick, 2004). Critical theory prefers to call this process ‘one-dimensionality’ of life. Thus this extended the existing understanding of power and its impact on the construction of knowledge. Gramsci was deeply concerned with the manner in which domination was undergoing major shifts and changes within the industrial western societies. He developed a theory of hegemony, whereby he sought to explain the manner by which these changes were exercised more and more through the moral leaders of the society (including teachers) who participated in and reinforced universal ‘common sense’ notions of what is considered to be truth in society. This is consonant with Foucault’s questioning of what he termed ‘regimes of truth’ that were upheld and perpetuated through the manner in which particular knowledge was legitimated within the context of a variety of power relationships within the society. Foucault’s perceptions of power is not  solely at play in the context of domination, but also in the context of creative acts of resistance and these are produced as human beings are interact across the dynamic of relationship and shaped by moments of dominance and autonomy. Such a viewpoint challenges the dichotomised standpoint of either domination or powerlessness of power as enticed by radi cal education theorists. Thus it can be argued that Foucault’s writing on knowledge and power shed light on a critical understanding of the teaching profession in relation to authority. More so it does open the door to a better understanding of power relations within the context of teaching practice.

The Most Abundant Types of Insect Fossils

The Most Abundant Types of Insect Fossils Since insects lack bones, they didnt leave behind skeletons for paleontologists to unearth millions of years later. How do scientists learn about ancient insects without fossilized bones to study? They examine the abundant evidence found in the different types of insect fossils described below. For the purpose of this article, weve defined a fossil as any preserved physical evidence of insect life from a time period prior to recorded human history. Preserved in Amber Much of what we know about prehistoric insects is derived from evidence trapped in amber, or ancient tree resin. Because tree resin is a sticky substance – think of a time when youve touched pine bark and come away with sap on your hands – insects, mites, or other tiny invertebrates would quickly become trapped upon landing on the weeping resin. As the resin continued to ooze, it would soon encase the insect, preserving its body. Amber inclusions date as far back as the Carboniferous period. Scientists can also find preserved insects in resin dated just a few hundred years old; these resins are called copal, not amber. Because amber inclusions form only where trees or other resinous plants grew, the insect evidence recorded in amber documents the relationship between ancient insects and forests. Put simply, insects trapped in amber lived in or near wooded areas. Studying Impressions If youve ever pressed your hand into a freshly poured bed of cement, youve created the modern equivalent of an impression fossil. An impression fossil is a mold of an ancient insect, or more often, a part of an ancient insect. The most durable parts of the insect, the hard sclerites, and wings, comprise the majority of impression fossils. Because impressions are just a mold of an object that was once pressed in the mud, and not the object itself, these fossils assume the color of the minerals in which they are formed. Typically, insect impressions include only a mold of the wing, frequently with sufficiently detailed wing venation to identify the organism to order or even family. Birds and other predators that might have eaten the insect would find the wings unpalatable, or perhaps even indigestible, and leave them behind. Long after the wing or cuticle has decayed, a copy of it remains etched in stone. Impression fossils date back to the Carboniferous period, providing scientists with snapshots of insect life from up to 299 million years ago. Compressions Some fossil evidence formed when the insect (or part of the insect) was physically compressed in sedimentary rock. In a compression, the fossil contains organic matter from the insect. These organic residues in the rock retain their color, so the fossilized organism is conspicuous. Depending on how coarse or fine the mineral comprising the fossil is, an insect preserved by compression may appear in extraordinary detail. Chitin, which makes up part of the insects cuticle, is a very durable substance. When the rest of the insect body decays, the chitinous components often remain. These structures, such as the hard wing covers of beetles, comprise most of the fossil record of insects found as compressions. Like impressions, compression fossils date back as far as the Carboniferous period. Trace Fossils Paleontologists describe dinosaur behavior based on their study of fossilized footprints, tail tracks, and coprolites – trace evidence of dinosaur life. Similarly, scientists studying prehistoric insects can learn a great deal about insect behavior through the study of trace fossils. Trace fossils capture clues to how insects lived in different geologic time periods. Just as hardened minerals can preserve a wing or cuticle, such fossilization can preserve burrows, frass, larval cases, and galls. Trace fossils provide some of the richest information about the co-evolution of plants and insects. Leaves and stems with obvious insect feeding damage comprise some of the most abundant fossil evidence. The trails of leaf miners, too, are captured in stone. Sediment Traps Younger fossils – if one can call 1.7 million-year-old fossils young – are recovered from sediment traps representing the Quaternary period. Insects and other arthropods immobilized in peat, paraffin, or even asphalt were entombed as layers of sediment accumulated over their bodies. Excavations of such fossiliferous sites often yield tens of thousands of beetles, flies, and other invertebrates. The La Brea tar pits, located in Los Angeles, is a famous sediment trap. Scientists there have excavated well over 100,000 arthropods, many of them carrion feeders that were preserved along with the large vertebrate carcasses on which they fed. Sediment traps provide scientists with more than a catalog of species from a certain geological time frame. Quite often, such sites also offer evidence of climate change. Many, if not most, of the invertebrate species found in sediment traps, are extant. Paleontologists can compare their fossil finds with the current known distributions of living species, and extrapolate information about the climate at the time those insects were entombed. Fossils recovered from the La Brea tar pits, for example, represent terrestrial species that inhabit higher elevations today. This evidence suggests the area was once cooler and moister than it is now. Mineral Replications In some fossil beds, paleontologists find perfect mineralized copies of insects. As the insects body decayed, dissolved minerals precipitated out of solution, filling the void left as the body disintegrated. A mineral replication is an accurate and often detailed 3-dimensional replica of the organism, in part or whole. Such fossils typically form in places where water is rich with minerals, so animals represented by mineral replications are often marine species. Mineral replications give paleontologists an advantage when excavating fossils. Because the fossil is usually formed of a different mineral than the surrounding rock, they can often dissolve the outer rock bed to remove the embedded fossil. For example, silicate replications can be extracted from limestone using an acid. The acid will dissolve the calcareous limestone, leaving the silicate fossil unscathed.

Absolute Thresholds and Differential Thresholds

Thus, the differential threshold is a relative concept. Weber’s law (1834) states the positive relation between the first stimulus and the second stimulus. The greater the initial stimulus, the stronger the additional intensity need for the second stimulus to be perceived as different. Absolute thresholdDifferential threshold Amount of stimulusOne stimulusTwo stimuli MeasurementDistance between stimulus and nothingDistance between two stimuli Compare between absolute threshold and differential threshold, absolute threshold just include one stimulus while differential threshold include two. In measurement, absolute threshold measures the distance between stimulus and nothing while differential threshold measures the distance between two stimuli. As I am a marketing student, therefore, the first thing which comes to my mind when I am trying to start off with this piece of journal is that, do these differences between the two thresholds matter with marketers’ marketing strategies? And after I do some research on the internet and with my personal experience, I am quite sure that it does matter. The importance of two thresholds can be different to marketers under different situations. Absolute thresholdDifferential threshold Advertising ElementsExposure, Size, ColorAdvertising quality PeopleInvolvement, motivation, attention, attitude Concerning advertising elements, absolute threshold focuses on exposure, size, color, etc to attract target customers’ attention while differential threshold focuses on the advertising quality appear to customer in order for them to percept the different between those. These two thresholds are based on different people and are closely related to their involvement, motivation, attention, attitude on the particular good or service. So different people will have different threshold when percept the same object. When a firm launches a new product or a new brand emerges in the market, this is when the absolute threshold is more important to marketers. Because absolute threshold measures the minimum intensity that the customers can percept, as the new brand or product probably needs recognitions from them, otherwise poor sales arise. Therefore, the higher the exposures of advertising advance to gain consumers’ attention. On the other hand, the well use of five sensory techniques in the advertising can easier imprint in their mind. When a firm is modifying a product or service (positive improvement or negative change) that either willing or unwilling to let a customer in perceiving the difference, the differential threshold will be considered to be more important. Because differential threshold measure the intensity difference needed between two stimuli before people can perceive, the intensity modify of a product that cause the customer percept or not is what marketers’ concern. For instance, marketers want to know to what degree of a price cut or a bigger meal can be percept by customers, and thus affect their motivation to consume more. On the other hand, marketers want to know to what degree of raise in price or a smaller meal that can’t be precept by customers, or else it will increase the customer’s cost risk and decrease his or her motivation in purchasing. When taking in the consideration in such a negative change, it reminds me with one of my personal experience. As I am a fan of Coca-Cola, I used to drink at least three cans a week and I would save those cans up on my own desk in order to bring those cans for recycling once a week. One day when I was doing the same practice after washing the can and try to put it to the group of cans on my desk, I found out that the can was smaller than those cans that I bought before, and when I took a look on the volume of the Cola, the drink can was cut to 330 ml from 355 ml which indicates a 7 percent reduction in the size of the can. I was kind of shocking that how come a Coca-Cola fan could not recognize such a change in size. After attending the lecture, I know that there is another dimension of sensory discrimination what is known as the â€Å"just noticeable difference† (JND). Weber’s work was applied to marketing by Miller (1962) which states that a 7 percent change in other sizes of similar products is needed before a change is noticed. This implies and explains what I experienced and how the marketers try to apply this theory in their strategic moves. Absolute Thresholds and Differential Thresholds Thus, the differential threshold is a relative concept. Weber’s law (1834) states the positive relation between the first stimulus and the second stimulus. The greater the initial stimulus, the stronger the additional intensity need for the second stimulus to be perceived as different. Absolute thresholdDifferential threshold Amount of stimulusOne stimulusTwo stimuli MeasurementDistance between stimulus and nothingDistance between two stimuli Compare between absolute threshold and differential threshold, absolute threshold just include one stimulus while differential threshold include two. In measurement, absolute threshold measures the distance between stimulus and nothing while differential threshold measures the distance between two stimuli. As I am a marketing student, therefore, the first thing which comes to my mind when I am trying to start off with this piece of journal is that, do these differences between the two thresholds matter with marketers’ marketing strategies? And after I do some research on the internet and with my personal experience, I am quite sure that it does matter. The importance of two thresholds can be different to marketers under different situations. Absolute thresholdDifferential threshold Advertising ElementsExposure, Size, ColorAdvertising quality PeopleInvolvement, motivation, attention, attitude Concerning advertising elements, absolute threshold focuses on exposure, size, color, etc to attract target customers’ attention while differential threshold focuses on the advertising quality appear to customer in order for them to percept the different between those. These two thresholds are based on different people and are closely related to their involvement, motivation, attention, attitude on the particular good or service. So different people will have different threshold when percept the same object. When a firm launches a new product or a new brand emerges in the market, this is when the absolute threshold is more important to marketers. Because absolute threshold measures the minimum intensity that the customers can percept, as the new brand or product probably needs recognitions from them, otherwise poor sales arise. Therefore, the higher the exposures of advertising advance to gain consumers’ attention. On the other hand, the well use of five sensory techniques in the advertising can easier imprint in their mind. When a firm is modifying a product or service (positive improvement or negative change) that either willing or unwilling to let a customer in perceiving the difference, the differential threshold will be considered to be more important. Because differential threshold measure the intensity difference needed between two stimuli before people can perceive, the intensity modify of a product that cause the customer percept or not is what marketers’ concern. For instance, marketers want to know to what degree of a price cut or a bigger meal can be percept by customers, and thus affect their motivation to consume more. On the other hand, marketers want to know to what degree of raise in price or a smaller meal that can’t be precept by customers, or else it will increase the customer’s cost risk and decrease his or her motivation in purchasing. When taking in the consideration in such a negative change, it reminds me with one of my personal experience. As I am a fan of Coca-Cola, I used to drink at least three cans a week and I would save those cans up on my own desk in order to bring those cans for recycling once a week. One day when I was doing the same practice after washing the can and try to put it to the group of cans on my desk, I found out that the can was smaller than those cans that I bought before, and when I took a look on the volume of the Cola, the drink can was cut to 330 ml from 355 ml which indicates a 7 percent reduction in the size of the can. I was kind of shocking that how come a Coca-Cola fan could not recognize such a change in size. After attending the lecture, I know that there is another dimension of sensory discrimination what is known as the â€Å"just noticeable difference† (JND). Weber’s work was applied to marketing by Miller (1962) which states that a 7 percent change in other sizes of similar products is needed before a change is noticed. This implies and explains what I experienced and how the marketers try to apply this theory in their strategic moves.

The Effects of Technology on Warfare Research Paper

The Effects of Technology on Warfare - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that Clausewitz, Maude, and Graham define war as the â€Å"act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will†. War requires a party to defeat its adversary, till such time that the adversary does not offer any more resistance. Violence equips itself with the innovations of science and technology to compete against violence. A strategy is defined as the assimilation and deployment of the objects of war to thwart the opponent. The conduct of warfare depends on the military tactics and strategies employed. Tactics help to put strategies into effect by making decisions that do not necessarily have a long-term effect. With changes in the character of war and advances in technology, strategies and tactics have seen a change in their meaning. This paper explores the effects of technology on warfare and alterations in the internal threads that accompany technological breakthroughs. The paper also addresses how technology re quires a reformulated conceptual change in war-making. The first part of the paper deals with warfare in the early period, before Napoleon began his conquests. It then sheds light on the method of warfare used by Napoleon. The paper explores the use of technology in different wars such as the US Civil War, the First and the Second World Wars, the Gulf War and the Lebanese War, helping to establish how wars were lost or won by using technology and demonstrating its role in war-making. The latter part of the paper examines how technology mandates a subsequent change in internal threads, followed by a conclusion.  For the most part of history, strategies were considered to be the art of how the general conducted warfare and was aimed to tackle problems such as breaking into a fort, arranging the armed forces in a tactical maneuver to give them the advantage over the opponent force etc. Strategies began to change in the past two centuries primarily due to the concept of policies that had the support of the public, international coalitions, and technological advances. As a result, it became increasingly difficult to tell national policies apart from military policies.