Muslims and Science

THEME OF ESSAY Please read the short book  Ã¢â‚¬ËœMuslims and Science'  by Pervaiz Hoodhbhoy. Provide your views on the central argument of this book. Building on your knowledge from Bronowski and Sagan, what were the vital characteristics that allowed Western civilization to outpace Muslim civilization in the development of science in the modern period? Muslims and Science By Zara Abbas(11020043) Perspective Ever since the advent of Islam in 7th Century, the Muslim civilization rapidly rose to the forefront of human achievement.Remarkable progress was made not only in the fields of sciences and philosophy – i. e. mathematics, astrology, astronomy, optics, cartography, medicine, anthropology, logic and literature – but they also became the dominant military and economic power of the world by the 13th Century. These accomplishments were made possible by a number of underlying factors prevailing at that time in Muslim history.The significant ones being the territorial and commercial expansion of Muslim influence to a vast area where a treasure trove of Greek, Persian and Roman works in science, medicine and philosophy was made available to their intellectuals to build upon; Patronage and encouragement was given to Muslim scholars by the ruling elite of that time, several universities were built in the Muslim lands and a spirit of freedom for inquisitive research across the religious divide was created and encouraged.But then, owing to a raging and endless conflict between the forces of logic and reason and those of rigid religious fundamentalism, Muslim Science lost its appeal and eventually disappeared into near oblivion. Resultantly, the culture of patronage of those seeking knowledge and the pursuit of excellence in the fields of sciences and the arts also died. The Muslim World today, comprising 57 countries and 1. 57 billion people – which is roughly one fifth of the world population – has made no significant contribution to s cience or offered anything substantial towards technology[1] during the last 500 years.It remains in a state of intellectual stagnation while its inept and corrupt leaders rule without any vision or foresight. Budgetary allocations for sciences and general education in most Islamic countries are low resulting in their dependence on the West for survival in vital areas of human activity. Their collective wealth of human capital and vast preserve of natural resources are being wasted on non-development expenditures. The continuing cycle of regressive policy formulation has perpetuated poverty, conflict and instability in most Muslim countries.This deliberate neglect has not only created frustration and despondency amongst the Muslim youth but has also provided space to the orthodox religious forces to breed a deep rooted hatred for the ‘Christian West’ being a convenient scapegoat. In the context of Pakistan and its regional geo-political environment we find ourselves tra pped in a serious internal conflict, socio-economic insecurity, political instability and institutional collapse which have retarded the pace of societal progress. This bleak scenario provides enough motivation to dejected members of the society to join extremist elements for their self actualization.When the sad decline of Muslims began after almost 5 centuries of world domination, the West started overtaking them in every field of human enterprise ranging from means of warfare, industry, economics, education, governance and culture. This ascendency of European nations is attributed to the collapse of feudal economy, relegation of the Church from socio-political dominance to mere religious preaching, emergence of capitalistic economy, development of a secular and rational approach towards scientific and social education[2] and lastly the productive cum commercial usefulness of science and technology for the human race.Unfortunately, the gap between both civilizations in the domain of scientific research and technological advancement has steadily widened during the last 400 years. It is therefore imperative upon the Islamic world to take drastic but pragmatic measures to stem the tide; otherwise we are headed towards an impending disaster. This is precisely the ‘Central Argument’ of Dr. Parvez Hoodbhoy’s Book ‘Muslims and Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality†.Although a nuclear physicist by profession, Dr Hoodbhoy has shown remarkable insight into a subject of academic specialization and contemporary importance and has produced a timely and dispassionate analysis of the causes of decline of the Muslim world in the fields of sciences after remaining in the forefront for centuries. His persuasive and lucid style of argument, which at times seems rather offensive for typical Pakistani (i. e.Muslim) sensibilities, takes the reader through the entire spectrum of factors affecting the Muslim loss of wo rld leadership and retreat from modernity. Simultaneously, he also highlights the special characteristics of the Western nations that propelled them towards human excellence and accomplishment not only in sciences but also in societal activity. Finally, he also suggests some functional and sensible measures to progressively take the Muslims onto the path of modernity and scientific enterprise in harmony with our Islamic ethos. AimThe aim of this essay is to enunciate my own reflections on the decline of Muslim society after leading the world for centuries as against the ascendency of Western powers through their superior human actualization with a view to proposing a realistic way forward for the Muslims in light of the notions expressed by Hoodbhoy, Bronowski and Sagan. What Ails The Muslim World Over the past five centuries people in Islamic societies have tried to come to terms with the reality of their relegation to being the world’s ‘followers’ after remaini ng its ‘leading light’ for an equally long period in the medieval ages.The crucial but relevant question of, ‘What went wrong? ’ agitates the minds of Muslim intellectuals and youth alike. But beyond seeking scapegoats the question remains unanswered. There seems to be no common agreement and honest acknowledgement of our own failings that led to our sad but steady decay, particularly so in the arena of scientific development. However, armed with my study of the subject ‘Science and Civilization’ I shall briefly put forward an objective view of the malaise afflicting the Muslims. 1. Historical Causes of Muslim Decline a.Orthodoxy versus Rationality. The long drawn clash (801 – 1406 AD) between the supporters of Pre destination/Revelation and other Orthodox/Conservative scholars of Sharia, Theology and Islamic jurisprudence (represented by Al Ghazali, Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Al Ashari, Ibn e Taymia, Al Maalik) and the Qadarites/Mutazlites (i. e . the proponents of Free Will, Ethics and Reason represented by Al Kindi, Al Razi, Ibn e Sina, Ibn e Rushd and Ibn e Khaldun)[3] eventually led to the victory of the forces of ossified religiosity and swept rational thought away from Islamic intellectualism.Thus the hitherto patronage, respect and support extended to the scholars by the nobility of the times were also withdrawn under pressure from the conservatives. Sadly, the separation between the fundamentalists and secular/rational Muslims became complete and exists till the present times. Thereafter, no one could dare combine reason with revelation in Islam. The edifice of Islamic science and intellectual glory was reduced to ruin and could not be rebuilt. b. Non Scientific Attitude.As a logical corollary of the aforementioned rigidity of thought amongst the Muslim Orthodoxy, the attitudinal notions required for the nurture and development of sciences did not evolve in the Muslim world after the defeat of rationality. The arriv al of dogma and rigidity in Muslim intellectual thought led them to the rejection of ‘prediction’, ‘imagination’, ‘curiosity or the spirit of inquiry’ and ‘the will or urge to control one’s physical environment to human advantage’- essential ingredients of scientific knowledge – resulting in the death of creative activity.Likewise, Muslims of the ‘post golden age’ inherited a general lack of spirit and interest in ‘theoretical’ learning of various sciences owing to their insignificant material reward or utility. They would rather opt for acquisition of practical knowledge for ‘utilitarian’ ends instead of developing a general atmosphere of learning where ‘abstract thought’ and ‘spiritual values could be nurtured. [4] This general apathy towards academic learning steadily became a societal attitude amongst the Muslim generations which exists even today. c. Musli m Educational System.The traditional concept and orientation of education in Muslim societies aims at harmonizing all knowledge with Islamic thought whereby the student remains wedded to his/her Islamic ethos. This develops an attitude of ‘acquiring revealed knowledge’ being a Divine command rather than ‘discovering’ it through inquisitive and participative means. The traditional mode of education followed over centuries in the Muslim world led them to nurture the values of ‘rote learning’, ‘historical and conceptual continuity’,[5] ‘self righteousness’ and ‘rigidity’ in their psyche.Their consequent inability to respond and adjust to a constantly changing world denied them the chance to progress and achieve scientific excellence. d. Capitalism versus Islamic Law. The scientific and industrial revolution in Europe transformed a hitherto feudal society into a modern capitalistic culture. This was achieved t hrough the creation of a bourgeois class capable of investments, innovations and structural changes to coordinate the new means of production and technical progress with the new complex economic challenges.This automatically led to the development of a comprehensive legal system for regulation and dispute resolution of the new socio economic realities. [6] As against this the Islamic jurisprudence, being derived from Quranic injunctions and Prophetic traditions, has a fixed set of rules and defining principles within which justice is to be provided and these laws cannot not be altered or modified to suit changing situations. Therefore, capitalist economy could not take root and develop in its classical sense in Muslim societies. . Economic Causes. When the colonization of Muslim lands in began in the 18th Century, Muslim civilization was urban based with the city dwellers depending on the continuous and assured supply of means of subsistence from the rural peasantry. Such supplies w ould continue even during conditions of famine or strife with state assistance. Therefore, Muslim economies of that time remained immune from Europe’s revolutionary advancement.Likewise, Muslim urban centers never developed municipal or corporate institutions meant for stimulation of economic growth through industry and trade. [7] As a result the Muslim economic order of that era could not compete with Europe’s phenomenal economic growth. f. Means of Warfare. The steady European advancement in the means of warfare (concepts and weaponry) along with the progress made in industry and technology after the 15th Century was also an important factor in causing European victories on the battlefield.By comparison the Muslims could not generate comparable military muscle/prowess. This incompatibility increased substantially by the 18th Century resulting in the occupation of Muslim territories in North Africa, Spain, Balkans, Russia, India and Iran culminating into the colonizat ion of almost the entire Muslim world by the 19th Century. [8] g. Non Existence of a Power Structure. The power structure of a society determines its dominant attitudes towards scientific enquiry and acquisition of knowledge.In the absence of a central authority wielding politico-religious and military power as against the Church in medieval Europe, the Islamic world did not possess the means of exercising control over its territories/subjects and resolving disputes. This inherent weakness laid bare the possibility of insurrection by powerful religious factions/sects, seizing control of distant lands by usurpers or mobilization of the majority sect against minority viewpoint on liberal religious groups. 9] This was a serious organizational weakness that eventually proved detrimental to the political, economic and intellectual ascendency of the Islamic society. 2. Present State of Muslim Science/Education a. Scientific Progress. A recent study of the World Bank indicates that the qua lity of scientific as well as general education in the Muslim World is rapidly falling behind the rest of the World and needs urgent attention if it is to cope with the demands of the future.While some Islamic countries – like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Iran and Nigeria – have drastically increased their respective resource allocations to boost general education and the Sciences, their traditional attitudes towards the education of women, non separation of religious thought from the secular nature of scientific education and discouraging a scientific culture based upon innovation, quantification and empirical verification remain uncompromising to this date. b. Science in the Productive Sector.Despite a universal recognition of the importance of industrial sector for a nation’s economic growth, value added production of contemporary Muslim economies is woefully low. Barring Malaysia, the nature of economy of key Muslim countries remains basical ly agro and mineral extraction. [10] Therefore their accumulated economic strength/capacity is comparatively lower than other developing economies. This indicates that the ‘science to production’ ratio is negligible with little indications of improvement. c. Scientific Output.The overall scientific output of Muslim countries, as indicated by the number of science research papers published together with the citations to them, indicates that we stand alarmingly low in comparison with others like India, Brazil, China and USA. Likewise, we find that 46 Muslim countries contributed 1. 17 % of the world’s science literature as against 1. 66% and 1. 48% respectively from India and Spain alone. Interestingly, 20 Arab countries contributed 0. 55% in comparison to 0. 89 % by Israel. Moreover, the scientific worth or quality of a fairly large number of these papers was not only below par but some were even plagiarized.A study by academics at the International Islamic Univer sity Malaysia showed that OIC countries have 8. 5 scientists, engineers, and technicians per 1000 population, compared with a world average of 40. 7, and 139. 3 for countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. [11] It is also a known fact that the number of Muslim Nobel Laureates is still in single digit in comparison to hundreds from Israel alone. This state of affairs does not augur well for the future of Muslim science. d. Scientific Enterprises.Over the last decade or so Muslim Governments have been steadily increasing their S & T budgets with a view to inducing greater scientific activity. The existing average spending of 57 Islamic countries on R & D is 0. 3% of their GNP which remains far below the global average of 2. 4%. [12] Nonetheless, the there is a perceptible trend of higher spending in major Muslim countries. But bigger budgets alone would not arrest the deteriorating standards unless the capacity to spend these monies is also built simult aneously on developing a critical mass of scientists, engineers and technicians besides improving their quality and professionalism.Recent surveys also indicate that spending on higher education has increased significantly resulting in a sharp rise in the number of institutions, students and infrastructural improvements. But these centers of learning still lack the qualitative edge that could make them rank amongst the foremost 500 in the world which is not the case at the moment. e. Educational Paradox – Pakistan’s Context. Ever since Pakistan’s independence no government has ever given education any status in the list of its national priorities.The public sector expenditure on this vital sector has remained abysmally low (i. e. ranging between 2. 16% to 2. 42 % of GDP from 2003-08 but was reduced to a paltry 2% in 2010 budget)[13] which compares poorly with other South Asian countries. This has left Pakistan’s literacy rates as the lowest in the region (i. e. 57% – which is 69% males and 45% females). [14] The poor quality of the learning environment is evident from the fact that a large number of schools lack basic infrastructure — 37. per cent of the schools up to the elementary level don’t have boundary walls, 33. 9 per cent lack drinking water facility, 37 per cent don’t have latrines and 60 per cent are without electricity. [15] Owing to the criminal neglect of various successive governments in formulating coherent and sustainable education policies for the people by investing in this vital sector, we have not only ended up losing precious generations to the vicissitudes of time but have also denied them the opportunity to improve their lot through acquisition and development of skills.Apart from this, the general apathy and indifference shown towards education by our rulers has led to the creation of a stratified system of educational prejudice. In that the ‘rich and the elite’ go to the private ‘English medium’ schools while the ‘commoner class’ attends the government run ‘Urdu medium’ schools. This puts the common citizen at an unfair disadvantage against the well to do child when both aspire and compete for admission into professional institutions. Recommendations In the words from Dr. Hoodbhoy borrowed from one of his recent papers, ‘Progress will require behavioral changes.If Muslim societies are to develop technology instead of just using it, the ruthlessly competitive global marketplace will insist on not only high skill levels but also intense social work habits. Science can prosper among Muslims once again, but only with a willingness to accept certain basic philosophical and attitudinal changes—i. e. shrug off the dead hand of tradition, reject fatalism and absolute belief in authority, accept the legitimacy of temporal laws, value intellectual rigor and scientific honesty, and respect cultural and pe rsonal freedoms.The struggle to usher in science will have to go side-by-side with a much wider campaign to elbow out rigid orthodoxy and bring in modern thought, arts, philosophy, democracy, and pluralism’. Within this forthright observation lies an abstract framework of our future plan of action based on common sense and principles of logic and reason. However, we would need to tread this path with farsighted prudence and devise our strategic thinking in harmony with the obtaining socio political realities of the Islamic world.Such an approach warrants a judicious and systematic execution but profound application so that the reform process permeates into the Muslim soul without agitating its impassioned sensibilities. The new model of our education philosophy should recognize and affirm that science and religion are complementary and not contradictory to each other. Therefore, the revised concept of scientific education should clearly state that both disciplines are separat e domains which do not overlap; and that there can never be a conflict between the two as long as their protagonists do not stoke public passions for self aggrandizement.The other areas where reform is proposed are listed below: †¢ Remodel the entire concept/ philosophy of general education at the primary /secondary levels with a view to developing the traits of inquisitiveness, empirical and deductive thought process and the ability to challenge/question precepts and assumptions. †¢ Basic education up to Matriculation (or equivalent standard) should be made compulsory for all citizens (both genders) in all Muslim countries. †¢ Budgetary allocation for education be brought at par with laid down UNESCO standards. Revitalize the tertiary and post graduate education system by improving the infrastructure and facilities, provision of high quality teaching staff and improving the quality/worth of scientific research. †¢ Current standards of vocational training for ski ll development of technicians should be refined, upgraded and rejuvenated to match the ongoing technological advancement. †¢ The syllabi of Deeni Madaris (religious schools) should be suitably revamped and harmonized with the current trends in modern education. †¢ The existing disparity between the standards of education/syllabi of Public and private schools be minimized at priority.BIBLIOGRAPHY †¢ Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books , 1991) †¢ Bernard Lewis , â€Å"What Went Wrong? † (Perennial Harper Collins 2002) †¢ Jacob Bronowski, â€Å"The Ascent of Man† (1973) †¢ Carl Sagan, â€Å"Cosmos† (1980) †¢ Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Science and the Islamic World – The Quest for Rapprochement† , â€Å"Physics Today† August 2007 pg 49 < http://ptonline. aip. org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_60/iss_8/49_1. sh tml? bypassSSO=1 > †¢ â€Å"Muslim World Education – Falling Behind†, ‘Khilafah. Com’ , 24 Feb 2008 < http://www. khilafah. com/index. hp/the-khilafah/education/2019-muslim-world-education-falling-behind > †¢ Dr. Ahmad shafaat, â€Å"a review of Pervez Hoodbhoy, Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and Battle for Rationality† November 2002 < http://www. islamicperspectives. com/ReviewPervezHoodbhoy. htm > †¢ Khawar Ghumman, â€Å"Only two percent of GDP Spent on Education†, Dawn. Com, (5 Jun 2010) , < http://www. dawn. com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/21-only-2pc-of-gdp-spent-on-education-560-sk-09 > ———————– [1] â€Å"Muslim World Education – Falling Behind†, ‘Khilafah. Com’ , 24 Feb 2008 < http://www. khilafah. om/index. php/the-khilafah/education/2019-muslim-world-education-fallin g-behind > [2] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991) pg 2 &161. [3]Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991),pg 115 – 141. [4]Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991) pg 145 – 149. [5] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991), pg 149 – 154. 6] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991), pg 154 – 156. [7] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991), pg 157 †“ 160. [8] Bernard Lewis , â€Å"What Went Wrong? † (Perennial Harper Collins 2002), pg 18 – 34. [9]Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books , 1991), pg 161. [10]Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books , 1991), pg 34 – 37. 11] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy(2007), â€Å"Science and the Islamic World – The Quest for Rapprochement† ,Physics today’ August 2007 pg 49 < http://ptonline. aip. org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_60/iss_8/49_1. shtml? bypassSSO=1 > [12] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Science and the Islamic World – The Quest for Rapprochement† ,Physics Today’ August 2007 pg 49 < http://ptonline. aip. org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_60/iss_8/49_1. shtml? bypassSSO=1 > [13] Government of Pakistan – Ministries of Finance and Education –

Japanese Business Culture Essay

What do you do to prepare for this meeting? In order to prepare for this meeting, apart from the usual prepaparation with regards to presentations, brochures and other information material, information about the product as well as the company, etc, I need to gather extensive information about the Japanese business culture as the peculiar characteristics of this particular trading company with whom we are meeting. It is extremely important in international business that one should pay attention to prevailing business culture, customs and peculiarities of the companies from other countries in order to conclude a successful business deal. Therefore, I need to peep into material describing the Japanese way of doing businesses, their negotiation styles, things which one should avoid during the meetings, etc. What do you want to know about the trading company? The first thing which I would like to know about the trading company is its similarity to the traditional Japanese companies which possess certain typical characteristics. For example, one of the important things to know about this trading firm will be whether it is part of Japanese Keiretsu or not. The knowledge of this information in advance will help me to identify key features of Japanese trading firms who are still part of the large groups or Keiretsu. Knowledge about few characteristics of the firm will help us to present ourselves in a more comfortable manner at deal stage. I am presenting below few important characteristics of Japanese firms: 1) Connections are very helpful in this country, but choose your intermediaries carefully: the Japanese will feel obliged to be loyal to them. Select someone of the same rank as the person with whom he or she will have dealings. Moreover, an intermediary should not be part of either company involved with the deal. 2) If you know a highly respected, important person in Japan, use his or her endorsement and connection. Before you enter into negotiations, request a consultation, and then ask if you can use the endorsement and connection to further your business efforts. This method of using connections is standard practice among Japanese businesspeople. 3)Generally, the Japanese are not receptive to â€Å"outside† information. They will consider new ideas and concepts only within the confines of their own groups. 4)The Japanese tend to think subjectively, relying on feelings rather than empirical evidence. 5)Getting acquainted is the purpose of the initial meetings. You may, however, introduce your proposal during these preliminary discussions. During presentations, and especially during negotiations, it is essential that one maintain a quiet, low-key, and polite manner at all times. The highest-ranking individual may appear to be the most quiet of everyone present. For a persuasive presentation, you must describe how your product can enhance the prosperity and reputation of the Japanese side. Making these claims effectively requires a thorough knowledge of Japanese economy, business, and product lines. The Japanese will commit themselves to an oral agreement, which may be acknowledged by a nod or slight bow, rather than by shaking hands. Contracts can be renegotiated; in Japanese business protocol, they are not final agreements. After gathering knowledge about these typical characteristics of Japanese firms, we will try to compare this particular firm with these characteristics by analyzing the available information.   source: http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-etiquette/Japan.html Comment to student: click on the link above. You will find many links on this page with respect to business culture in Japan. The Japanese have been raised to think of themselves as part of a group, and their group is always dealing with other groups. This is viewed on many angles — internationally it is â€Å"We Japanese† vs. everyone else (more on that later), but in schools, companies, sections of companies etc. there are many groups and sub-groups — and not always in perfect harmony and cooperation as it may look on the surface. Dealing with Japanese on a one-to-one basis usually comes very easy to non-Japanese, but dealing with Japanese as a group can be a different matter altogether. source: http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Primer.html about the V.P. and his/her delegation? There are certain things which we need to know about the VP and his delegation. The strong hierarchical structure in Japanese business is reflected in the negotiation process. They begin at the executive level and continue at the middle level. However, decisions will often be made within the group. Generally speaking, in business meetings the Japanese will line up in order of seniority, with the most senior person at the front and the least senior person closest to the door. In addition to this rule however, you may find that the most senior person chooses where to sit. It is important to bear in mind that in contemporary Japan, even a low ranking individual can become a manager if his or her performance is good. (source: http://www.communicaid.com/japan-business-culture.asp ) Further, it is important to know few personal information about the visiting team. For example, their level of proficiency with English, whether or not a translator will be required, the age as it is directly related to seniority in Japanese culture, whether they have travelled abroad to US or other Western Countries before because it may have serious implications with respect to few culturally sensitive issues such as some Japanese men who have not been abroad are not used to dealing with women as equals in a business setting. ..about their inquiry? The foremost thing about their inquiry which I will like to know is the nature of relationship they are looking to establish with our company with respect to selling our products in Japan. For example, are they looking for some kind of manufacturing joint venture in Japan, or are they looking to take distributorship or license for our products. Such information will help us to present ourselves in a better and precise manner and will help us in coming to common ground with them. One of the sources for finding such information will be the local Santa Clara office of the company. Further, internet can prove to be a useful source for finding more information about the company such as its web portal, its partners and vendor relationships as displayed over the website, press releases and third party comments available on the web, etc. When starting business in Japan and entering into initial distributor contract negotiation, many foreign executives are probably unaware of the potential value of their products in Japan, but you can guarantee that the Japanese distributors on the other side of the negotiation will have a very good idea of the value. source: http://www.venturejapan.com/japanese-distributors.htm If you are doing business in Japan with a Japanese distributor, then you absolutely must negotiate a strong agreement before starting in the Japanese market.   Another issue to be aware of, and which if uncontrolled will have a significant impact on the final percentage of revenue you receive, is that the Japanese market is awash with multi-layered distribution channels. Your Japanese distributor may in fact be a ‘master distributor’ who will pass your products through one or more layers of sub-distributors prior to it reaching its intended consumer or corporate buyer destination. In some situations its unavoidable – for example, if your distributor sells to a large Japanese company you can expect that the customer will mandate a trading company (usually one of it’s subsidiaries) to handle the purchase and take a 5% – 15% fee for its efforts. source: www.venturejapan.com/japanese-contract-negotiation.htm What do you want to highlight in the meeting with the V.P.? As discussed in the above paragraphs, it is very important in Japanese business negotiations with a distributor to explain to them the potential value of our products in Japan. It is important to present them with some revenue forecasts with respect to sales in Japan. First, you must know the Japanese value, not the US, UK, German, French or Italian value but the Japanese value of your product or service before you can negotiate a win-win relationship with a Japanese distributor. If you spent your first month doing business in Japan aggressively networking and information gathering you should have a pretty good idea of your product’s value. By comparing with your home market statistics you should also be able to extrapolate some reasonable revenue forecasts: idealized of course but an invaluable benchmark for contract negotiation with a Japanese distributor. Armed with the results of your first month’s Japanese business analysis, you stand a good chance of convincing a reputable distributor that they should put your product into their lead portfolio and invest in aggressively promoting it. Your ability to assert the potential Japanese value of your product and your ability to defend that value will support your justifiable contract negotiation claims to require transfer fees calculated on net revenues, not on your home market price list. The result is that you have a chance to get the best possible distribution deal for your company and a deal that could only ever be bettered by a direct entry into the Japanese market using a Japanese subsidiary company or office. source: www.venturejapan.com/japanese-contract-negotiation.htm If things look positive in that meeting, what would you expect to happen at the next stages of the discussions?   Even if the things look positive in that meeting, Japanese generally take time time finalize their decision as the decision making process can be very slow for Japanese firms. I expect the Japanese trading firm to extensively discuss the issue within their group in order to arrive at the final decision. From the pre-meetings, to the informal parties, the Japanese style of doing business will take the shape of an intricate spider’s web, where few outsiders can fully understand the implications of what exactly is occurring. Japanese culture effects every aspect of daily life. The cultural tradition of Japan reflects a strong desire to be harmonious, efficient, and most important, to promote group solidarity, and this is best achieved by making decisions based on consensus. Robert Marshall elaborates by saying that, â€Å"†¦group decision making in Japan promotes unanimity in result through consensus† {Marshall},[p. 7]. source: http://www.earlham.edu/~consense/scott2.shtml Comment to student: The above mentioned link is an excellent article on group decision making in Japan. Please read through it to gather more information on decision making in Japanese culture. How are your actions in this situation different from the situation in which you make the first move in order to find a licensee? The actions in this situation is different from my first move because I have a more informed and better view along with a clear understanding of the Japanese business culture and negotiation process now. My first move was a sort of unorganized effort to explore the Japanese markets. This situation is different in the sense that I am now preparing myself for specific company which has already shown little interest in our products and are ready to explore more about our company. It is very important to have clear understanding of Japanese culture, prevailign market conditions, information about the industry and knowledge of other peculiar characteristics before one can enter into a successful negotiation with a Japanese company. My initial failures have made me realize that in order to successfully conclude a deal with a Japanese company, one needs to present him in a manner that proves the value of our product with respect to Japanese market.

Brighton Rock Essay Research Paper Brighton Rock

Brighton Rock Essay, Research Paper Brighton Rock # 8211 ; Graham Greene Brighton Rock is a spiritual narrative which begins as a conflict between good ( Ida Arnold ) and evil ( Pinkie ) . This conflict takes topographic point in a resort country South of London called Brighton. Brighton contains all sorts of eating houses, amusements, slums, and higher category countries. One illustration of these slums is Nelson Place ; where Pinkie and his later on to be married woman Rose are from. Nelson Place in my sentiment is what influences Little finger to go a adult male of evil through his tragic young person. Where Little finger grows up under the influence of two atrocious parents, a destitute vicinity, and as a child who is willing to make anything for a better life. Another atrocious influence on Little finger is Mr. Colleoni ; a adult male with a concern imperium, control of his ain powerful rabble every bit good as the constabulary and other governmental governments, and stores in Brighton. This adult male has all that Pinkie wants, and this brings Pinkie to a life of offense and changeless person wickedness. Pinkie has in my sentiment been misguided by Mr. Colleoni # 8217 ; s imperium, and that is why he is merely an evil male child who thinks that holding a life style like Mr. Colleoni will convey him happiness. Pinkie is besides unsighted to the felicity that the descent people like Rose and Ida have because of his ill-conceived life. Pinkie # 8217 ; s evil desire is what causes him to make whatever it takes to acquire this life manner. As shown by his uncontrolled violent death of people such as Hale, and Spicer. Ida Arnold, a individual who thinks of herself as an retaliator every bit good as a savior for the people affected by Pinkie # 8217 ; s evil now comes in to the narrative. Although Ida does non hold complete religion in God ; she has a good bosom. This is why she feels the demand to declare her semi-covert conflict against Pinkie non merely to revenge Hales # 8217 ; slaying, but to deliver all the people who have non yet been affected like Hale, and Spicer from Pinkie # 8217 ; s desire. I besides feel that Ida must hold had a better life as a young person in comparing to Pinkie and that is why there appears to be no understanding from Ida towards Pinkie. Ida besides seems to endure from a sort of sarcasm though ; because when she might have unwittingly been able to salvage Hales life by non go forthing him she went to # 8220 ; wash up and repair her face. # 8221 ; When she came back though he was gone and she neer saw him once more until the funeral. Later in the narrative this sarcasm represents itself agin when she was about to happen out critical informat ion from Cubitt affecting Hales slaying, yet she once more went to # 8220 ; wash up and repair her face, # 8221 ; and when she came back from the bathroom in the Cosmopolitan Cubitt was gone. During this conflict between Ida and Pinkie ( Good and Evil ) Rose a individual who appears to be a alone, guiltless, individual of religion is used as a shield by Pinkie. Rise is such a alone individual that she merely appears to be deceived by Little finger when he gets her to get married him so she can # 8217 ; t be used as a informant against him in tribunal. Yet later on we find out that she wasn # 8217 ; t that guiltless when she reveals to Pinkie in their flat that she new of his atrocious Acts of the Apostless, but married anyhow because she was so lonely, and merely wanted to be loved ( since she excessively came from a broken place like Little finger ) . Rose wants to be loved and hold some type of comrade so severely that she momently turns her back to her religion in God. Now she repeatedly tells Pinkie that he has acquired her religion when she discusses # 8220 ; being damned together. # 8221 ; Rose seems to believe in her religion to Pinkie now, merely as he besides seems to when he repeats invariably after run intoing her that # 8220 ; Rose completes me. # 8221 ; However Roses # 8217 ; religion is tested over and over by Ida who continuously antagonizes Rose about her immorality hubby. Roses # 8217 ; religion to her hubby Pinkie is on a regular basis tested by none other than her ain hubby when he shows that he doesn # 8217 ; t even experience love for by avoiding physical contact ( such as snoging her ) for every bit long as he can. Even the 3rd individual storyteller reveals to the reader at times that Pinkie does non love Rose by uncovering his inner ideas when he is near her. By the terminal of the narrative we can see that Roses # 8217 ; faith in Pinkie is eventually broken when he goes to far and asks her to perpetrate self-destruction. Rise a sort hearted adult female who may hold been able to disregard, or forgive the maltreatment she had received from Little finger, but this clip he went to far. What he asked her to make was perfectly inexcusable, and proved to her every bit good as the reader that he didn # 8217 ; t love her, and had merely been utilizing her all this clip. Therefore it truly wasn # 8217 ; t good that won over immorality, but religion that won over treachery. I say this because it wasn # 8217 ; t Ida who saved Rose from Pinkie ; but Ida saved herself from Little finger when she threw the gun off. Now Rose has besides turned around her once damned life by eventually traveling to confession in an effort to non merely accommodate with God about her error but besides with her ain scruples.

Classic Music and its Form Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Classic Music and its Form - Essay Example There are three important composer in the classical period: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. They are responsible for many of the changes of the structure of musical forms of movements . The names of the pieces often illustrated what was going on in history or the name of the person for whom the piece was commissioned. Chamber music was reinvented. The symphony was reinvented. The Sonata Form is the foundation for the symphony's first movement, the sonata, the string quartets and the concerto. (ThinkQuest) The Sonata is for one solo instrument and the piano or harpsichord. The form changed a little bit from the baroque period. It is called the "Sonata Principe". (ThinkQuest) It has three movements: introduction of one theme, then the second theme is introduced. In the second movement, the two themes are developed and played together. The final movement plays the two themes giving the listener a sense that the chapter is being finished. The most important instrument can be the violin, flu te or oboe for example. String Quartet was invented by Haydn. It has two violins, one viola and one cello. There are four movements. Other chamber music was performed as the concerto with a string orchestra or the Concerto Grosso with a symphony orchestra. Haydn worked on all forms. He composed over 1000 pieces of music (Burrows 138 ) Orchestra Music became bigger in the classical period. It was not just chamber music. ... The forms of the movements took form in early classical music. In Beethoven's 9th Symphony it was not used. The first movement is the "sonata allegro". This form was contributed to Haydn. It was used in the early classical period as it was more open and less complicated than the sonata form in the Baroque period. It is usually in the ABA form but can be in different variations. The second movement is in theme and variation. By the height of the Baroque period, the theme was played and then the variation was a mathematical effort to give every possible variation to sound. In this period the variation was more musical and the flowing of the music was more important than the chords. A Minuet and Trio is the third movement in ABA form. (Grout 486) The time is in 3/4 taking after a dance. The middle section is played more quietly often with solo instruments. The Rondo finishes the symphony with a bright quick piece of music with the theme and quickly in ABA form. Franz Joseph Haydn (1732- 1809) was self taught. He helped establish the symphony form that we know today. He has 108 symphonies that are attributed to him (Burrows 137). Each one improves on the simplistic baroque form. The string quartet where there are four equal players is his true gift. (Grout 491) Mozart and Beethoven go on to write many more string quartets. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), a child prodigy who died a pauper. He was a prolific composer of all genres of music. (Burrows 149) Because he had played in all the courts of Europe, he used the styles of music in his own compositions. He was one of the first composers to try to work for himself without having to rely on a patron. Perhaps this is why he died a pauper. Ludwig Beethoven (1770-1827) was not as prolific a composer but his compositions

Astronomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Astronomy - Essay Example Astronomical units are used for any measurement which has a certain reasonable length that humans can attain or reach. Light-years are usually reserved for objects too far away to ever be reached by one human’s lifetime. Stellar magnitude is the size and direction of a star. This is basically the star’s displacement. The difference between absolute and apparent magnitudes is that absolute magnitudes are fixed, real-time figures of information—whereas apparent magnitudes are just estimates based on what the human eye can see. That is the difference between the two phrases. Hipparchus originally drew his magnitude scale using very rudimentary calculations and tools. Today’s astronomers have modified it slightly by using more advanced techniques and a much more modern approach to the magnitude scale. Now, physics students all over use the magnitude scale developed by today’s most advanced and talented scientists. A. Compare the Ptolemaic and Copernican models of the universe. State the main tenet of each theory; how they are alike or different, what evidence each used to support the ideas, and how each explained the retrograde motion of the inner planets. (150 words)†¨ The Ptolemaic model of the universe stated that the universe revolved around the earth. Copernican theory stated that the model of the universe which was correct basically involved the universe revolving around the sun. They are both alike in the fact that both models involved the universe revolving around something—it was just that Ptolemy got it wrong. The evidence that Ptolemy used to support his claim was basically, he didn’t have evidence. It was by royal decree that the ruler in power wanted the earth to be the center of the universe. The evidence Copernicus used to show that the earth revolved around the sun was the entity of the eclipse—showing that the

Writing dialogue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing dialogue - Essay Example After checking for mail she turned towards the library, her head full of the dreaming spires and grey skies of Oxford. The hushed atmosphere of the library was like a second home. Mohamed searched his usual furrow of bookshelves, selecting a complete works of Shakespeare, a very large English/Arabic dictionary and the post-colonial journal that he was currently working his way through. Alice saw him draw back his shoulders and assume the pose of an Egyptian: proud, tall with coal black eyes and a noble gaze. He was well dressed, she noted. Sports jacket, black trousers and those shoes. â€Å"Women. Plural. Your religion allows a man to have many wives. But the women are only allowed to have one man. Or in fact just a part of a man, since there are other wives as well. I don’t see how that is fair to women.† â€Å"It is our culture. And we are only allowed to have four wives at the most. Usually we have just one, because it is very expensive to have many wives. But our society is based on scientific principles. This way ensures that the children are born into a loving home with all that they need. The men do not need to go astray because they always have a woman at home for, for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, of course. And there are words, too, that I find hard to understand. Sometimes I just don’t get what men are all about. Isn’t it strange that we two come from far places to seek knowledge in this ancient

Is There Such a Thing as International Law in the World Today Term Paper

Is There Such a Thing as International Law in the World Today - Term Paper Example Additionally, treaties like the Geneva Conventions may at times require the conformity of national law (De Boer 2001). The implication of this is that there is a world order that all countries abide to but with no clearly drafted international laws that ought to be followed by all nation states. Additionally, certain issues like homosexuality, differences in political ideologies and gender discrimination prevent international laws from achieving legitimacy. International law therefore is a set of laws formed by international treaties, customs, and other organizations that govern the relations between or among different sovereign nations. Here, the international customs refer to the customs that have evolved over centuries. Treaties and international agreements on the other hand are agreements among different nation states. The international organizations and conferences are mainly composed of different sovereign nation states and are normally bound by a treaty, for instance the 1980 Convention on Contracts for the International Sales of Goods (CISG). The Nature of International Law International law is very different from the other areas of law because it does not have a defined governing body or area but instead refers to different set of rules, laws and customs that impact, govern and deal with the legal interactions between different nation states, governments, organizations and businesses. It comprehensively deals with the rights and responsibilities of the involved parties clearly defining and elucidating the procedures to be followed in case of any misunderstandings. International law cuts across many countries and regions which makes it agreeable to all the member states. For this to be possible, it borrows charters (i.e. the United Nations Charter), agreements, accords, and treaties, legal precedents of the International Court of Justice (The World Court), memorandums and tribunals. What makes international law a voluntary endeavor is that it does not h ave a unique enforcing entity and governing body. This means that for any enforcement to exist, all the signatory parties have to consent and adhere to that specific decision and assist the court in the implementation process. A good example of this is the East African Community where the member states have laws that govern them as a unit. The laws that address matters of international concern include both the statutes created by governing bodies (civil law) and the common law (case law) because of the diverse nature of the different legal systems and historical backgrounds of the different countries involved. Under the international law, all the facets of national law are covered and go on to include aspects like substantive law, remedies and procedure. In order to make the laws operable in the signatory countries, there are certain principles or guidelines that are normally followed when it comes to their formulation and implementation (Alam 399). However it should be noted that t hey only work on the basis that there is courtesy and respect between the member states. The principles of International Law The Principle of Comity The principle of comity provides a code of decorum that governs court interactions among the different localities, foreign countries and member states. Under this

Should GCSE formate be changed over the next few years Essay - 1

Should GCSE formate be changed over the next few years - Essay Example In conclusion, it will review the various proposals. There has been a vigorous debate about failures in the GCSE. Anxiety focused on Grade inflation and the suspicion that GCSE grading was faulty, but knee-jerk changes to the grade boundaries that dominated results in summer 2012 when many students failed to get predicted Grade C, led to calls to Ofqual about harsh marking1 and claims that there was a â€Å"gross injustice done to many young people†; other concerns focus on cheating or unfair practice and the range of subjects that are offered. A number of politicians today have urged that the GCSE as it stands should be replaced with more rigorous tests with better grading systems. Replacing the GCSE, however, is not so simple and current plans are already delayed until 2018. A debate about the standard secondary school exam had been ongoing in British politics since the 1950s. Efforts to modify the O level system were proposed by the then education secretary Shirley Williams in the 1970s but the election of a Conservative Government in 1979 delayed her proposals of a single comprehensive examination that would mirror comprehensive schooling. Following changes to the Scottish Ordinary Grade exam for secondary school children2 and the establishment of the Scottish Standard3, the English-based O Level and CSE4 was replaced by the broader GCSE from 1986 to 1988 under plans drawn up by Keith Joseph in 1984. However, the O level, currently still set by the University of Cambridge International Examinations board, survived in the Commonwealth, with a comparable exam also based in Hong Kong which only recently switched to the IGCSE. Current GCSEs are graded from A-G (and U) and cover around 60 subjects including a number of Vocational courses that had previously been a part of the GNVQ examinations (General National Vocational Qualifications). The exams are set to a â€Å"common timetable† between May and June each year by a number of boards, so many po pular subjects are offered by a variety of competing boards like AQA, CCEA, Edexel, OCR, and WJEC. The boards are supervised by Ofqual, DCELLS (Wales) and CCEA(Ireland). Coursework was always envisaged to be a feature of the GCSE and a new body, the School Examinations and Assessment council, later the QCA, was set up in 1991 to establish and monitor what was an acceptable level of achievement. It is hard to prevent parental help, or indeed too much guidance from the teacher. The development of the GCSE is tied to the debate about selection in Education. Many countries, with the notable exception of Germany, which still retains elements of selective schooling, have moved away from routine selection. Not only was the means of selection questioned (for example an IQ test, or cognitive skills test at a specific age), but the very idea that one child should have advantages denied another child was felt to be wrong. A movement in the UK in the late 50s saw the reduction of gender segrega tion5, and efforts to ignore the economic background of parents. The elitist system which had existed in the UK until the early 60s allowed for a very small percentage of pupils to follow academic studies in school to the age of 18, and then to progress to Higher Education. Almost 45% of the rest achieved no qualifications6. Today, most students expect to attend University as a

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Business law - Essay Example Dan I his case did not do so, hence creating an unsafe environment around the truck. Flo must prove the truck driver breached his duty. Drivers are supposed to park their vehicles safely irrespective of the location; Dan on this case did not apply his emergency brake leading to the fateful events that led to Flo getting injured (Croft 34). Flo has to prove that the driver’s mistake is what caused damage. Here, she would be looking for causation. Flo would prove that Dan’s breach of his duty to apply emergency breaks is what directly led to his vehicle rolling down to cause the gas pump explosion and further damage. Therefore, in the event which Dan could have applied breaks, the event could not have happened. In this case, she would be looking for â€Å"proximate cause† (Croft 35). In this case, the damage cause can it be attributable as the driver to have had a foresight of what could have happened when he left the truck not in emergency gear or not. Finally, Flo would look for damages caused by Dan’s negligence and prove it. She would prove that due to Dan’s negligence, it is what caused the truck to roll down and result to the gas pump explosion and other damages. In the case of Flo, the damage was foreseeable since leaving once truck with parking brakes always provides the car to move towards the pull of gravity, in that case, down the hill to cause the given injury (Croft 36). Q. 2 Jean owns five acres of land in an area of single-family homes on mostly one-acre plots. Jean’s property contains her house and three outbuildings. Among the animal housed in outbuildings are Kennel, a dog and Louis, a tiger. Mare, a neighbor, is jogging past Jean’s property. Under what circumstance is Jean strictly liable if Kennel bites Mary? Under what circumstance is Jean strictly liable if Louis bites Mary? This case will mostly depend on the dog bite case existent in the given state. In this case, when Mary did not trespass

The Claim of English women to the Suffrage Constitutionally Considered Essay Example for Free

The Claim of English women to the Suffrage Constitutionally Considered Essay 1.Classification a.Text type: This is an article published in the â€Å"Westminster Review† in 1867. b.Cultural and historical background: It dates back to 1867, Victorian period (1837-1901), which corresponds with the reign of Queen Victoria. This was an extremely exciting period, sometimes called â€Å"the second British Renaissance†. It was published after the amendment to the Bill presented by John Stuart Mill, backed up by 1500 signatures, including some of the most remarkable women at that time. His petition for women’s suffrage was rejected. c.Author: Helen Taylor was born in 1831. Her mother, Harriet Taylor, was particularly politically active, supporting women’s rights. As John Stuart Mill’s step-daughter, Helen helped him with his books and articles after her mother’s death. In 1865 Mill got a seat in the House of Commons and presented a petition in favour of women having the right to vote in 1866. His petition was defeated. In 1967 she published this article and she was a founding member of the London Society for Women’s Suffrage. d.Addressee: I think that this article was thought to act as a support document for the incipient women’s suffrage movement. She was preparing the ground for a more formal petition, as though Mill’s petition containing around 1500 signatures was turned down. She was echoing the women petition while societies demanding women’s vote were flourishing all around the country. I think this was intended to be a declaration calling for the women right to vote. 2.Analysis Miss Taylor first published it as an anonymous article in the â€Å"Westminster Review† in January 1867 and it was reprinted afterwards. She based her position on the idea that since women were fully allowed by English law to hold all kinds of properties, so they should to vote in the election of the Parliament representatives: â€Å"This petition [†¦] sets forth that the possession of property in this country carries with it the right to vote†. So it was that even American politicians fought against slave’s right to vote based on their inability to hold property. According to Taylor, it was â€Å"hard to see how, if the law of England endows a woman with property, it can, [†¦] deprive her of the essential privilege†. Following the legal positivism developed by thinkers such us Jeremy Bentham (Westminster Review founder), she based her claim on constitutional grounds stating that women were only asking for the recognition of rights that â€Å"flew naturally from the existing laws and institutions of the country†. She stressed the importance of this social movement, mentioning the number of women’s signatures (fifteen hundred) which backed up the official petition presented to House of Commons by Mr. J. S. Mill in 1867, demanding the vote for women. In addition, she set a 10 to 1 ratio. For each woman that signed the petition, there would be ten that also supported the idea but for several reasons, were not able to express themselves. She thought that it should be taken into account when considering the petition and signatories should be regarded as representatives of larger social body. She then referred to what she called â€Å"domestic despotism†, which did not allow women to openly speak their minds. Apart from grounding her petition on the British Constitution and the already recognized right to property and its management, she highlighted that women were perfectly adequate for the government and management as female sovereigns were. Ironically, Queen Victoria, was openly opposed to such kinds of political concessions to women. â€Å"Universal Suffrage† as the word said, implied the personal representation, which comprised both men and women. That brought up the theory of â€Å"class representation† according to which all mothers, wives and women were part of a very large group by virtue of their female condition. Again, she underlined the odd position in which laws placed women who were property owners. She described that as an â€Å"anomaly of the system†, as anyone entitled by law to hold and manage property, should also be able to take part in the political decisions, as they may have side-effects on their properties. She thought that this political exclusion was due to a prior period when women were not able to own properties and as a result, they were not included among the voters. English law â€Å"has long ago refused to drive women into marriage, as sheep are driven into a fold, by shutting every gate against them but the one they are intended to go through†, this comparison drew a very clear image of the kind of â€Å"anomaly† Taylor was talking about. Women needed to be able to protect their possessions within the legal frame, and one of the very first steps was to be given the right to choose their representatives at the Parliament. She also analyzed what would happen if this petition was admitted and the vote to women was granted. She thought that in a way, men were afraid of losing their decision power and that was why the objected to the petition. They should not be afraid of independent women, as they were already acting that way, governing their own lifes and properties. Occasionally voting, will not make any difference. Besides, she thought that politics at the time were full of â€Å"domestic† subjects, such as education, labour regulation, water supplies, etc. 3.Conclusion The Industrial Revolution (a period from 18th to 19th century) dramatically changed everyday’s life in the United Kingdom. Women taking part in the workforce with new kinds of jobs, tough working conditions, etc. were a challenge for the traditional idea of the women’s role, and its relationship with the environment. Traditionally the woman’s place was the house, children and home caring, playing an absolutely secondary role, subordinated to her husband. This article can be considered one of the major texts regarding the role of women in the Victorian society and the controversial right of women’s suffrage. Taylor made a unique contribution to the suffrage movement. Apart from playing an active founding role in different women’s suffrage associations with this article, she gave visibility to an old claim, organizing a widespread campaign getting thousands of signatures to back up the formal petition. In my opinion, Helen makes a mistake with regards to her consideration of the legal position of women and property, particularly in the case of married women. They were not able to exercise any rights over their property most of the times. It was their husband the one entitled to do so on her behalf. That â€Å"full property† she mentions as basic pillar for her theory is not such, except in the case of some widows and single women. However, Taylor was a pioneer in the movement for womens rights and her contribution was valuable in the battle for equality in the context of a shaky era such as the Victorian. This can be considered one of the milestones regarding the role of women, as it was one the early demands for womens suffrage in the United Kingdom.

Effect of Solanezumab on Alzheimer’s Disease

Effect of Solanezumab on Alzheimer’s Disease Solanezumab Introduction Alzheimer’s disease is chronic neurodegenerative disease which has a slow development which worsens over a period of time (Alzheimers Disease 2009). This disease is commonly linked with the overabundance of aggregated amyloid-beta (AÃŽ ²) peptide within the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (Doody et al. 2014). Solanezumab an Alzheimer’s drug is a monoclonal IgG1 antibody which is used against the mid-domain of the AÃŽ ² peptide (Alzforum.org 2015). This paper will cover aspects of this drug such as its development, chemical structure and mechanism of action and looking at issues the drug had during its development, regulatory approval and its post market surveillance. Development The development of this type of antibody is different from other monoclonal antibodies which are being tested currently. Comparing it to that of another drug called bapineuzumab, which binds to the N-terminal, Solanezumab was created to bind to the soluble AÃŽ ² peptide because it was predicted to it being far more effective than binding to the N-terminal portion of a molecule (Imbimbo et al. 2012). In the In Vitro studies which were undertaken for this drug, the parent’s antibody m266 which binds to the AÃŽ ² had been tested in a dialysis system involving the antibody solution in the bottom chamber which was divided by a dialysis membrane from the top chamber which had the human CSF. It was seen that a great amount of CSF AÃŽ ² was sequestered when the bottom chamber had PBS plus m266 at 48.91% as compared to PBS with a nonspecific mouse IgG being at 2.18% (Imbimbo et al. 2012). The result demonstrated in relation to AÃŽ ² binding that m266 was not able to bind to AÃŽ ² depos ited in parenchyma and cerebral vessels (Imbimbo et al. 2012 cited from [49]). Class of drug and Mechanism of action Solanezumab as defined by the WHO’s International Nonproprietary Names for Pharmaceutical Substances (INN) is an neuroprotectant (WHO 2007). Neuroprotection as dictated by Rafi and Aisen (2009) is the mechanism by which neurons are protected from degeneration; their use can be seen in patients who have suffered recent ischemic injury or a result from neurodegenerative diseases. It is seen that solanezumab’s mechanism of action is different to that of other passive immunotherapies. This is due to it targeting the central domain of AÃŽ ² peptide, which has been proposed as more effective in clearing N-terminal truncated or modified forms of AÃŽ ² peptide (Siemers et al. 2010). This has separated this drug from others such as bapinezumab which targets the N-terminal of the molecule exclusively (Samadi and Sultzer 2011). In the murine model, the M266 antibodies are seen to enter the cerebral spinal fluid at a concentration of 0.1% compared that that of in plasma, as with patients with AD, a single injection intravenously of the dose of .5, 1.5, 4 and 10 mg/kg resulted in the maximum plasma concentration for solanezumab (Bruno P Imbimbo, et al. 2012). Furthermore the mean total half-life of the drug was found to be 334 hours (14 days) after an injection of .5mg and 631 to 709 hours (26 to 30 days) when injected with 1.5, 4, or 10 mg which indicated that the lowest dose half-life compared to that of the high doses was most likely due to the drug concentrations falling below quantification limits, thus possibly preventing complete characterization of the terminal elimination phase for the dose given (Imbimbo et al. 2012 cited from Siemers et al. 2010). Chemical Structure Solanezumab is a humanized IgG1 derivative of the m266 AÃŽ ² monoclonal antibody of a mouse in which binds to the central region of the human AÃŽ ² peptide (Stefan DÃ ¼bel 2014). This antibody was produced inside A/J mice using a synthetic AÃŽ ² peptide conjugated with an anti –CD3 immunoglobin (Bruno P Imbimbo, et al. 2012). (Expand a bit more here) Identifying issues during drug development, regulatory approval or post marketing surveillances Currently 9 studies have carried out concerning the Solanezumab drug, 5 of which have been completed and the other 4 which are recruiting or currently active in their research (ClinicalTrials.gov 2015). The most well regarded and referenced is the Phase 3 Trials which were carried out by Eli Lilly in 2014 which looked at using Solanezumab for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. In in murine model of the preclinical trials for the drug were tested for their safety and effectiveness. It was seen that the mice treated with the murine version of solanezumab called m266.2 were at risk to develop cerebral microhemorrhaging as compared to mice treated with 3D6 which the bapinezumab model for mice (Samadi, seltzer 2011 cited from [50]). The reasoning for this result was predicted to be that of the different binding paths of the drugs where solanezumab binds to the AÃŽ ² peptide exclusively as bapinezumab binds to both AÃŽ ² plaque and the n-terminal of the AÃŽ ² peptide (Samadi, seltzer 2011 cited from [43]). Phase I studies showed that when 19 test subjects were subjected to a single dose of solanezumab containing either .5,1.5,4.0 or 10 mg/kg that serious adverse side effects occurred in 4 , 1 in which had a placebo (add in results for this phase 1)( Samadi , Sultzer 2011). The events that occurred was syncope, fatigue and vertigo occurring from the does size given, although it was noted that these effects were not fault of the drug given (Imbimbo et al. 2012 cited [55]). The results of the study had shown that there altogether no changes in the cognitive scores which would indicate that the drug did not provide any benefit. In the phase II study was conducted looking at the drug being given over a period of 12 weeks. The various issues that occurred in these studies was that 8 patients had suffered from serious adverse side effects from the drug, these included cardiac, neurological and even gastrointestinal issues (Farlow et al. 2012). The table Figure (1) gives a summary to the adverse events that occurred between the placebo and varying dosage groups of the patients receiving the drug. (expand) When looking at the cognitive measurements in the patients to assess their cognitive abilities, the results showed that between the drug and the placebo, no important differences were seen on the 11 item or 14 item scores. Table figure (3) demonstrates these results showing these differences. This table can then indicate that there was no suggestion that any significant clinical benefit occurred. The Phase III trials which involved 2 double blind trials which the patients were treated with either the drug or the placebo given periodically over a period of 18 months. The outcomes were measured using the 11 item and 14 items cognitive scores to which the previous phase studies had used. The results showed that for the baseline characteristics that there were no differences between the control and drug group but for the cognitive and clinical outcomes they The adverse events that occurred during this trial were that cardiac arrhythmia occurred in 5% of patients who received the drug and 3.7% in the placebo (Doody et al. 2014). As well as the cardiac issues, 33 deaths had occurred, 24 in which were in the group who received Solanezumab In the discussion section of the studies they mention that from both the studies that were undertaken, none of them had shown any benefit that Solanezumab and the current studies have failed to show treatment effects on the hippocampal , total brain volume or the amyloid accumulation (Doody et al. 2014). Doody et al. (2014) goes on to mention that although the study did not show the efficacy of the drug being tested that further studies into the drug will be required to assess the particular approach they’ve taken. It can be seen a major issue concerning all the studies which were carried out is the lack of efficacy. As can be seen for all the results for the phase studies that all of them showed no significant improvement when it was concerning the 11 item and 14 item scores for the patients. Conclusion Solanezumab has also proven to provide a poor efficacy for the patients in which has taken it. The phase studies in which have been reported demonstrate this result occurring which can give evidence toward this particular monoclonal antibody to be ineffective as slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s. Although there was seen adverse side effects in the studies which may call for concern , it has been properly ruled out that the issues were not related to the drug as can be seen in the table results when comparing the control to the drug groups. To summarise solanezumab is not created the same as compared to other monoclonal antibodies, when discussing their binding site on the AÃŽ ² peptide, although this drug has proven to have a poor efficacy, it has shown that it causes minimal adverse side effects in comparison to other monoclonal antibodies currently being tested. If more study was to be taken place into altering the drug, in attempt to improve efficacy whilst minimising the adverse effects, it may come into market someday to help people. References Bruno P Imbimbo, Simone Ottonello, et al. Solanezumab for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimers disease. 2012. Stefan DÃ ¼bel, Janice M. Reichert. Handbook of Therapeutic Antibodies. John Wiley Sons, 2014. http://informahealthcare.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/doi/full/10.1517/14712598.2011.578573 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=solanezumabSearch=Search https://books.google.com.au/books?id=CiCOAwAAQBAJpg=PA336dq=solanezumabhl=ensa=Xei=fj5fVdixGMHbmAWRkYC4CAved=0CCwQ6AEwAw#v=onepageq=solanezumabf=false https://books.google.com.au/books?id=cTsTAAAAQBAJpg=PA165dq=solanezumabhl=ensa=Xei=fj5fVdixGMHbmAWRkYC4CAved=0CCcQ6AEwAg#v=onepageq=solanezumabf=false https://books.google.com.au/books?id=svHsBQAAQBAJpg=PA907dq=solanezumabhl=ensa=Xei=fj5fVdixGMHbmAWRkYC4CAved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepageq=solanezumabf=false http://www.alzforum.org/therapeutics/solanezumab

Hamlets Hesitation as his Tragic Flaw in Hamlet by Shakespeare Essay

Hamlet's Hesitation as his Tragic Flaw in Hamlet by Shakespeare In the play Hamlet, Hamlet is described as daring, brave, loyal, and intelligent. However, he is always consumed by his own thoughts, this being his tragic flaw. There are numerous times Hamlet does not act when he should, like his inability to act on his father's murder, his mother's marriage, and his uncle's assuming of the throne. 'Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder,' says the ghost of Hamlet. The fact that his own uncle could kill his father leaves Hamlet dumbfounded and confused. Although Hamlet knows something is wrong in Denmark, he begins to question everything that the ghost has told him. When something is needed to be done, Hamlet is to busy thinking about his problems. An example of this is when Hamlet has his knife over the head of Claudius, and is prepared to murder him. He talks himself out of it. Instead, Hamlet writes a play in which the actors play out the same story that the ghost told Hamlet. This is when his tragic flaw, his hesitance to act, actually comes into play. His plan is to study Claudius's reaction to the play to determine his guilt. However, after Hamlet decides his uncle is guilty, he still does nothing. This would have been a great time to confront Claudius, but Hamlet seems more interested in taking credit for what he did instead of seeking revenge. By putting o n that play Hamlet has plenty enough evidence to show Claudius was guilty, therefore he should have carried out his revenge as soon as possible, but again, his thoughts take over. This should have been the final piece of action for Hamlet to avenge his father?s death. Hamlet should have then stabbed Claudius the moment he knew he was guilty. This would... .... Away" and Hamlet was sure of his uncle?s guilt. This was the perfect time for Hamlet to face Claudius. The king was in a difficult state and could have been easily dethroned. Unfortunately, Hamlet decides to speak to his mother instead, thus putting Hamlet in an emotional state of mind and giving Claudius time to re-think his options. Hamlet should have never allowed this for Claudius. He could have stopped all of the pain he caused himself if he would have just acted out his revenge as soon as he could. Although Hamlet seemed to be superior in all other characteristics, his one flaw cost him his life. Without doubt, it cost the lives of many others as well. If Hamlet could have taken immediate action, many deaths could have been avoided. Although Hamlet succeeds in his revenge, his procrastination proves to be his flaw in every event that took place.

Actions And Behavior Of The President Essay -- essays research papers

Actions and Behavior of the President The broad language of the second article of the Constitution left many questions about the power and authority of the President and the Executive branch of the Federal Government. Since George Washington, each Chief Executive has come to the position with different beliefs on the responsibility and power of the President. However the performance of the president is often shaped by outside factors which control how he must act as a Chief Executive. The behavior of presidents come from a number of different criteria. A president's personal character, his approach to the position and circumstances during his term all contribute to presidential behavior. Presidents have approached the office from two vague positions. They have believed, to varying degrees, that either the president has a strong leadership position and broad powers to direct the nation in one direction, or that the president has very limited powers dictated by the Constitution and should act like a chief administrator for the Federal Government. These beliefs were reflected in their behavior while in the White House. Franklin Roosevelt believed that the Federal Government had an obligation and interest in bringing the nation out of the depression. In order to do this he initiated a number of agencies and projects to employ people. In the first "Hundred Days" of Roosevelt's first term he initiated a number of programs which increased the size of the Federal Government and the power of the President. He did all that he could to see that his proposals were put into place. This included a failed court packing scheme to have a more friendly Supreme Court to find his programs constitutional (Lowi and Ginsberg 230.) In contrast to this belief in broad presidential authority by Franklin Roosevelt was Howard Taft. Taft believed that Presidential authority was very limited the constitution and had to be specifically granted to the President by Congress or the Constitution (Lowi and Ginsberg 220.) Another example of a passive approach to the presidency to is George Washington. While he is often seen as a very influential president, his position as the first President require that he had to set many standards. In fact President Washington hoped that the presidency would not be dominate. In his inaugural address he argued for a strong legislature which he r... ...t must deal with, it does not necessarily explain how he comes to a position on issues and deals with problems. The behavior of a President can only be explained as a combination of many factors. His personal politics and approach to the power of the Presidency will explain if he will try to lead the whole government and beyond that the whole nation, or if he will act as a clerk, putting into action the orders of Congress. A Presidents character and style of leadership are an important factor in his approach to leadership. The size and duty of the Federal Government also effect a President's behavior and the priorities of his office. Finally a President must react to events at home and abroad which are out of his control. The pressures that these events and the public reaction to them probably have the greatest influence over his behavior and decisions. Actions and behavior of a President are the result of a complex set of circumstances. No one criteria can be used to explain the behavior of the president in any event. Explaining actions on the basis of one criteria is futile and should be reserved to talk radio hosts.

Analysis of Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes Essay -- Dream Deferred

Analysis of Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes Dreams are the driving force of America today. Every person has some sort of dreams and or goals. Although in life everyone has dreams and goals, there are obviously more struggles for some ethnic groups than for others. The poem, "Dream Deferred," by Langston Hughes, is one man's expression of his dreams during a difficult time period. As a black man in a time period where African-Americans were considered an inferior group of people,dreams and goals would have been difficult to realize. Langston Hughes aptly expresses his frustrations in his poem, "Dream Deferred." As people read this poem, in any time period, they can relate to the simple universal message that the poet expressed. Hughes is very expressive in how he feels about dreams he has had and the fact and his frustration at not being able to pursue and/or fulfill those dreams that he is unable to pursue or fulfill those dreams. In his poem, Hughes asks the reader to think by posing the question, ?What happens to a dream deferred??(1). This first li...

Succubus Revealed Chapter 18

The blackness began to lighten into swirls of color, colors that eventually resolved into lines and shapes around me. I gazed around as the world formed and soon felt solidity beneath my feet. My own body was taking on substance again, the light and hollow sensation disappearing. Feeling and movement returned to me, and for half a second, I thought I had imagined everything that happened in the parking lot. Then I was struck by a sudden and overwhelming sense of wrongness. First off, as I blinked the world into focus, it became obvious that I was no longer at the bowling alley. I was inside a room with vaulted ceilings and no windows. It appeared to be a courtroom, complete with a jury box and judge's stand. All the decor was black: red-veined black marble on the walls and floor, black wood trim, black leather chairs. Everything was very sleek and modern, clean and sterile. The next thing I noticed was that I wasn't in the body I'd just been in. My perspective on the world was from a greater height. The weight of my limbs and muscles felt different too, and I wore a simple linen dress instead of my Unholy Rollers shirt. Although I couldn't see myself straight-on, I had a good idea which body I was wearing: the first one. My mortal one. The one I'd been born to. Yet it was neither the body nor unfamiliar room that felt so wrong. They were surprises, yes, but nothing I couldn't adapt to. The wrongness came from nothing tangible. It was more a feeling in the air, a sensation that permeated my every pore. Even with the vaulted ceilings, the room felt stuffy and tight, like there was no air circulation whatsoever. And even though there wasn't any actual odor, I just kept imagining stagnation and decay. My skin crawled. I felt smothered by hot, humid air – yet was also chilled to the bone. I was in Hell. I had never been there, but you didn't really need to have been to know it. I was sitting at a table on the left side of the room, facing the judge's bench. Behind me, separated by a railing, was the audience seating. I squirmed around to peer at it. Right before my eyes, people began to materialize in the seats. They were wildly different in appearance: male and female, all races, various states of dress. Some were as prim and neat as the courtroom around us. Some looked like it had been quite an ordeal for them to get out of bed. There was no uniformity to their appearances. There weren't even immortal auras to tip me off, but I was willing to wager anything that they were all demons. A murmur of conversation began to fill the room as the demons spoke to each other, a droning almost more frightening than the silence that had originally met me. No one talked to me, though plenty of sets of eyes studied me disapprovingly. I didn't recognize anyone here yet and felt vulnerable and afraid. There was an empty seat next to me, and I wondered if someone would be joining me. Was I entitled to a lawyer for this . . . whatever it was? It had all the trappings of a regular courtroom, but I could hardly expect Hell to be reasonable or predictable. I honestly had no clue what was about to happen. I knew it had to be about my contract, but Hugh hadn't gone into a lot of specifics when he'd said that my case would eventually â€Å"be reviewed.† There was a table on the right side of the courtroom, one that mirrored mine in size and placement. A man with irongray hair and a handlebar mustache sat down at it, placing a briefcase on the table's surface. He wore an all-black suit – including the shirt – and looked more like a funeral director than a prosecutor, which is what I assumed he was. As though sensing my scrutiny, he glanced over at me with eyes so dark, I couldn't tell where pupil ended and iris began. They sent a new chill through me, and I changed my assessment of him. Funeral director? More like an executioner. Once the gallery was nearly full of spectators, a side door near the front opened. Twelve people filed out toward the jurors' box, and I caught my breath. I still couldn't sense any immortal auras in this room. Maybe it wasn't necessary in Hell or maybe there were just too many immortals in here for it to be comfortable. Regardless, just as I'd been certain all the spectators were demons, I could tell that half of the jurors were angels. It was in their eyes and their disposition. There was a way they carried themselves that differed from everyone else, even though the angels were dressed no differently. Also, the angels seemed to be conscious of the wrongness I'd felt in here. They kept glancing around, small looks of disgust on their faces. At first, it seemed kind of crazy that angels would be in Hell, but then I realized that, unlike Heaven, there were no gates or barriers to keep anyone out. And unlike mortals, angels had the ability to leave here when they chose. I suppose it m ade it easy to do business visits like this. Still, I found myself heartened by the sight of the angels. If they were going to be involved in deciding my case, then surely they would be sympathetic. â€Å"Don't count on any help from them.† It was the prosecuting demon with the dark eyes, leaning across his table and addressing me in a low voice. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† I asked. He inclined his head toward the jurors. â€Å"The angels. They've got a nagging sense of justice, but they also don't have a lot of sympathy to those who sold their souls. They figure you made your bed, you have to sleep in it. Pretentious bastards, the lot of them.† I turned back toward the jury and felt a sinking in my stomach. Some of the angels were watching me, and although there wasn't open disdain on their faces, like the demons, I could still see condescension and scorn here and there. I saw no sympathy anywhere. With so much chatter in the now-crowded room, it was hard to imagine being able to single out any one voice – but I did. Maybe it was because it was one I'd grown so familiar with in the last ten years, one that I had fallen into the habit of jumping to whenever it spoke. Tearing my gaze from the jury, I peered around until I found the voice's owner. Sure enough. Jerome had just entered the courtroom. Even in Hell, he still wore the John Cusack guise. Mei was with him, and it was the sound of their conversation that had caught my attention. They made their way to some seats near the front, on the opposite side of the room from me, that I presumed had been left open for them. A pang of relief shot through my chest. Finally, familiar faces. I opened my mouth to speak, to call out to Jerome . . . just as his eyes fell on me. He paused in his walk, fixing me with a look that pierced straight to my heart. Then, without any other sort of acknowledgment, he looked away and continued his conversation with Mei as they went to their seats. The words died on my lips. The coldness in his gaze left no question that all the laid-back ease at the bowling alley had been a scam. Jerome was not on my side. And, if my empty table was any indication, no one was on my side. A guy in a much more cheerful suit than the prosecutor walked to the front of the room and called the court to order. He announced the entrance of Judge Hannibal, which would have been a hilarious and absurd name in other circumstances. Everyone stood, and I followed suit. The show of respect kind of surprised me. The adherence to procedure did not. Judge Hannibal entered through a door opposite the jury's. For a moment, I simply thought, He's so young. Then, I remembered I was thinking like a human. No one in this room – except me – wore their actual form. All of them were beings of incalculable age, and the twenty-something, blond surfer appearance of Judge Hannibal was just window dressing. He flashed everyone a big grin, perfect white teeth standing out against his tanned skin. He riffled through some papers in front of him. â€Å"All right,† he said. â€Å"So, what . . . we have a contract dispute with a succubus? Letha?† He glanced around, like there was some big mystery about who I was. His gaze landed on me, and he nodded to himself. â€Å"Who's prosecuting? You? Marcel?† â€Å"Yes, your honor,† said the dark-suited demon. Judge Hannibal chuckled. â€Å"This is even less fair than it already was.† He glanced back at me. â€Å"You got a lawyer, honey?† I swallowed. â€Å"Er, no. I don't think so. Should I? Do . . . do I get assigned one?† He shrugged. â€Å"We could dredge some imp up if you don't want to defend yourself. Or we can summon someone, if you've got anyone in mind.† At the mention of an imp, Hugh's name immediately popped up in my head. I wouldn't have even cared about the defense aspect. I just wanted to see a friendly face here. Was it that easy? I could just ask, and they'd bring Hugh here . . . to Hell? As soon as I had the thought, I dismissed it. Hugh had already risked so much for me. How could I ask him to stand against our superiors, to defend me against all those cold, glaring eyes? And what good could come of it? He'd probably get in more trouble if I actually won – which didn't seem likely, judging from Hannibal's earlier comments. I was on the verge of telling them I'd just defend myself when there was an explosion of light in the aisle beside me. I leaped to my feet in fear and wasn't alone in doing so. A cyclone of silver and white light slowly coalesced into a familiar and very welcome form: Carter. Like everyone else, a day in court appeared to make no difference for how he dressed – save that he was wearing the cashmere hat I'd gotten him last Christmas. Glancing up at the judge, Carter took off the hat and held it before him in an attempt at respect. I wanted to throw myself sobbing into his arms. â€Å"What is this?† demanded Judge Hannibal. Those who had been startled slinked back to their seats. â€Å"Sorry,† said Carter amiably. â€Å"I would've come in the normal way but didn't know how else to get her lawyer in.† Was Carter going to be my lawyer? Hope sprang anew within me until another burst of light erupted beside him . . . and Roman appeared. Chaos of a different sort broke out, and suddenly, I was a sideshow. Outrage shone on angel and demon faces alike. Half the room was on its feet. I hadn't been able to sense any immortal auras, but I could feel the swell of power bursting from nearly every individual as they advanced on Roman. â€Å"Nephilim!† â€Å"Destroy him!† We were on the verge of a full-fledged mob attack when Hannibal banged his gavel on the desk. It made a sound like thunder, hitting hard. A palpable wave of power radiated out from him, nearly knocking a few people off their feet. The growing magic in the room dissipated. â€Å"Sit down,† he snapped. â€Å"This is hardly the time or place for everyone to start playing hero.† â€Å"There's a nephilim in the room!† protested someone in the back. â€Å"Yes, yes. Thank you, Captain Obvious,† said Judge Hannibal. â€Å"And I daresay the hundred or so of us can take him if he gets out of line. That's not in question. What is, however, is why he's here and shouldn't be immediately smote.† That was directed to Carter. â€Å"He's her lawyer,† said Carter. Hannibal's eyebrows rose in true surprise, with no sign of his earlier smugness. â€Å"A nephilim?† â€Å"There are no rules against it,† said Carter mildly. â€Å"Any immortal can serve, right?† Hannibal glanced uneasily at a woman seated at a corner desk who had been typing away steadily on a laptop. I'd taken her for the court reporter, but she was apparently some sort of consultant too. She made a face. â€Å"Technically, he can serve,† she said. â€Å"Our laws don't specify.† â€Å"But they do specify that anyone the defendant chooses is exempt from punishment,† said Carter, as cagey as any lawyer. A cruel smile played at her lips. â€Å"Whoever is summoned to serve as lawyer is exempt from punishment during court and afterward when they return to their normal jobs. I'm guessing this . . . creature is not in our personnel files.† With Hell, the devil really was in the details. Hugh had always warned me to be careful with even the smallest wordings because Hell would use them to its advantage. It took me a moment to fully get why she was so pleased. Any immortal could serve as a lawyer in a case like this, it seemed. And, going on the first part of what she'd said, no one could do anything to Roman while he was my lawyer, despite the normal immortal reaction to promptly destroy all nephilim. There would be no mass smiting in the courtroom. It was the second part of her words that was tricky. Those drafted as lawyers allegedly couldn't be punished for their legal performances when they returned to their regular duties, which would've been good to know when I was considering summoning Hugh (though I knew there were a million subtle ways a disgruntled demon could still get back at someone on the sly). But Roman didn't have any regular duties for Hell, aside from an unofficial deal with Jerome that I had no doubt my archdemon would disavow all knowledge of. Roman couldn't be protected when he â€Å"went back to work† because he didn't work for Hell. The instant this trial ended and he was out of the role of lawyer, he was subject to the whims of Hell. â€Å"Well,† said Hannibal. He looked down at me. â€Å"At least it'll make this case more interesting. Sure, whatever. You want the nephilim as your lawyer?† I wanted to say no. Some part of me half hoped that if I refused and Roman never became my lawyer, he would be free of the retribution that awaited him afterward, that he could simply escape now. Except, as I glanced between him and Carter, a terrible certainty settled over me. It didn't matter if Roman became my lawyer or not. He wasn't getting out of here. It was reflected in Roman's eyes as they met mine. When Carter had brought him here, it was a one-way trip. If I didn't accept him as my lawyer, I was simply speeding Roman to his death. I nodded and felt my heart lurch as I sealed his fate. â€Å"Er, yes. Yes, your honor. I'd like him as my lawyer.† There was a murmur of disapproval throughout the courtroom. Carter slapped Roman encouragingly on the back and then went to find a seat in the gallery. Roman took the empty chair beside me. He was a sharp contrast to Marcel. Roman had no briefcase, not even a single piece of paper, and was still wearing the clothes he'd had on earlier: jeans and a sweater. â€Å"What are you doing?† I hissed to him, grateful for the cover of the other voices. â€Å"This is suicide!† â€Å"You didn't really think I'd abandon you to them, did you?† he asked. â€Å"And who knows your case better than me?† â€Å"They'll kill you when it's over, whether I win or lose.† Roman gave me a lopsided smile. † ‘It is a far, far better thing that I do – ‘ â€Å" â€Å"Oh, shut the fuck up,† I said, afraid I was going to start crying. â€Å"You're an idiot. You shouldn't have come here.† â€Å"You remember our talk about purpose and meaning?† he asked me, the smile disappearing. â€Å"Well, I think this might be mine. I think this is what I was meant to do, Georgina.† â€Å"Roman – â€Å" But there was no time for any more conversation. Judge Hannibal was banging the gavel – this time, sans thunder – trying to calm everyone down. They were still worked up about the idea of a nephilim walking freely in their midst. â€Å"Enough, enough,† Hannibal said. â€Å"I know we're all shocked and awed, but get over it. We'll deal with him later. If there's no more drama in store, do you mind if we get started?† He glanced between the lawyers. â€Å"I'm ready when you are, your honor,† said Marcel. Roman nodded. â€Å"Let's do this.†

Sociological Issues In Education Education Essay

Throughout history, instructors have dealt with many inquiries that remain unresolved today. These of import questions address the nature of cognition, instruction, schooling, learning and larning. They deal with such issues as personal and group rights to take part in schooling, and how educational chances were frequently limited by gender, race, and socioeconomic category prejudices.Different Ways of LearningFor many old ages, the particular demands of kids with disablements have been neglected in the society and have been excluded from schools. Today, Federal Torahs and tribunals of jurisprudence have required that their particular demands be considered to guarantee an equal instruction ( Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008 ) . Most outstanding is the Persons with Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA ) which requires that kids with disablements instruction plans be every bit near as possible to the mainstream plans therefore inclusion. Whereas inclusion has been noted to hold a posi tive impact on the schoolroom environment, it is disputing for the instructor and therefore more support for the instructor is necessary. Inclusion poses assorted challenges to the instructor in the schoolroom. First, bulk of instructors are non trained to manage the demands of particular pupils and are normally ill-prepared ensuing to defeat. A survey carried out by Daane and Berne-Smith ( 2000 ) study that instructors feel â€Å" aˆÂ ¦ill equipped, fright and frustratedaˆÂ ¦ † in inclusion. Second, as reported by Daane and Berne-Smith ( 2000 ) specializer points of equipment and the general school design does non ever let handicapped entree. Some handicapped pupils will necessitate particular installations which the ordinary schools do non usually supply or particular installations that mainstream schools did non integrate in their design. Such tools as wheel chair entree, Braille, and other particular equipments may non be available for the pupils. Finally, instructors do non normally get the necessary support from the school decision makers, the parents, and the society in general ( Daane & A ; Ber ne-Smith, 2000 ) . Whereas inclusion has received both support and unfavorable judgment, one thing remains clear, that it has posed a particular challenge for the instructor in the schoolroom. The deficiency of equal preparation and necessary resources leaves the instructor ill-prepared to get by with the demands of the particular kids. It is of import that necessary support is accorded to the instructor in footings of equal resources and developing to enable run into the particular kid in order for inclusion to accomplish its full aims. First, offering this support would make an enabling environment to enable the instructor to leave knowledge more efficaciously. Second this benefit extends to the pupils including the disabled as they will derive more cognition. Finally, this would ensue to motivated instructors and better improved teacher keeping, nest eggs in enlisting and preparation and improved quality in instruction.Student DiversenessThe American society is progressively acquiring diversified in footings of race, colour, civilization, ethnicity, linguistic communication, and sex ( Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008 ) . The lifting diverseness is expected to go on in the hereafter. In the schoolroom, and in order to run into the demands of the progressively diversified population, an effectual attack demands to be adopted. Thus to be antiphonal to the society needs, America needs to advance cultural diverseness by presenting culturally antiphonal instruction. The issue of Cultural diverseness is relevant in the society and needs to be addressed. This is because first, there is a lifting cultural diverseness in the American population. It is estimated that by 2030, 50 % of pupils in schools will be of colour Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008. Second, there is need to turn to the turning inequality between assorted groups. White persons and Asians score higher on norm than Latino and African American pupils. In add-on, 50 % of these under resourced groups bead out of school ( Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008 ) . This consequences to a rise in societal offenses and a general impairment in the society. Finally, there is likely to be a relentless addition in cultural diverseness in footings of races and ethnicity. One manner of accomplishing the benefits of cultural diverseness as suggested by Unruh and McCord ( 2001 ) is through act uponing instructors ‘ attitudes is of import in order to heighten the lifting diverseness in American schools. Whereas bing instructors ‘ instruction plans insist on multicultural sensitiveness and instruction methodological analysiss, single temperaments and attitudes towards diverseness may impact the effectivity of the instruction system. To accomplish effectivity and outlooks of the lifting diverseness tendencies, it is of import non merely to concentrate on fixed plans but to besides concentrate on act uponing single instructor ‘s attitudes. An environment that accommodates cultural variegation would ensue to a more contributing environment for larning. First, to the single pupil, it would ensue to a sense of worth and therefore opportunities for better accomplishment. In the general school environment, it would ensue to a culturally rich an d congratulating environment. Finally, a culturally diversified school environment would be reflected in the society making a status of regard and general society good being. To run into the demands to the progressively diversified population, it is of import that proper stairss are taken to advance cultural diverseness in the instruction scene.Financing and Regulating American SchoolsRegulating and funding of American schools has been an issue of involvement. Local and province authoritiess have faced challenges on government and raising equal fundss for instruction. In the enterprise to supply equal and low-cost instruction, regulating of schools has been a cardinal issue. Despite being an built-in portion in a school, instructors have for long been relegated to the schoolrooms with minimum part in regulating their schools ( Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008 ) . This essay argues that for effectual government of schools, instructors need to be more involved in determination dev ising. This is an of import issue in the society for several grounds. First, as reported by Morehead ( 2003 ) the major jobs that instructors face in the school environment are â€Å" low wage, cardinal way and excessively much bureaucratism † therefore sabotaging their active engagement ( 86 ) . Excessively much bureaucratism and cardinal way undermines instructors ‘ sense of value, affects morale and increases turnover. Second, it consequences to less occupation satisfaction and a sense of low worth which consequences to high turnovers in the school and in the profession in general. Finally, less teacher engagement in the school direction consequences to low creativeness and untapped resources for development. In the quest to supply equal and low-cost instruction, proper government is of import. Soon, instructors have small part to the regulating in their schools despite their active engagement in the instruction environment. As reported by Morehead ( 2003 ) , an environment that allows instructors engagement in direction of schools result to professionally fulfilled and dedicated staff that has positive part to instruction. Teachers need to be actively involved in order to heighten positive instruction results. It is of import that policies are designed with parts from every stakeholder and in the instruction scene, it remains that for more effectual government and positive results, instructors should be more involved in determination devising.Exceptional, Gifted and Talented LearnersWhereas the society may by and large see the talented pupils to be the lucky 1s, a closer expression may uncover that they might really be disadvantaged. Despite their eternal wonder, creativeness and energy, when put into the regular schoolrooms, these kids may endure from negative equal force per unit area, ennui and may really drop out of school ( Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008 ) . To enable these pupils to accomplish their potencies in life and to tap their exceeding cognition, it is of import that particular plans are put in topographic point in order to heighten their acquisition. This issue is of import for the assorted grounds. First, failure to make an enhanced environment for these pupils might blow their possible. Gilson ( 2009 ) argues that scholars in general demand to be invariably challenged failure to which they non merely go bored but they besides â€Å" lose their willingness to dispute themselves to make better things † ( 36 ) . Most scholars need proper support in order to run into their ends and talented pupils are no exclusion. They would see ennui and negative force per unit area when placed in regular categories and this may be a formula for dropping out alternatively of stand outing. This would particularly be singular if they come from minority groups. The terminal consequence is that the exceptionally bright pupil experience disregard and apathy and less opportunities of success in school. Second, impairment of these pupils when put in regular categories represents is a failure by the society to tap their possible and therefore a lo ss to the society at big. Research indicates that talented pupils under such subjects as Science, engineering, Engineering, and mathematics have high opportunities of traveling from abilities to competences and finally to expertise ( Olszwski-Kubilius, 2010 ) . By supplying particular plans for the talented pupils would ensue to several benefits. First, it would offer them an enabling environment that would enable them make their single potencies. Second, it would let effectual tapping of their accomplishments for the possible benefits to the whole society. When the particular qualities of talented pupils are indentified and decently developed through appropriate plans, they can do of import parts to the society. Finally, leting particular plans would show a opportunity for development of ; model graphics, medical discoveries, and singular innovations which may otherwise be lost if they were non allowed to work their full potencies.Is gender a acquisition manner?By and large, the society divides people into genders delegating assorted functions and outlooks to specific gender. This has led to suggestions that females may prefer to larn one manner while males may prefer a different 1. Some believe that this should name for edifice of instruc tion establishments for the different gender ( Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008 ) . While some consider this stereotypic, some have advanced that this is a generalisation that can be harnessed to supply improved results in instruction. This essay argues that Gender is a learning manner and should be utilized for positive acquisition results. This issue is of import for assorted grounds. First, its apprehension and use would ease betterments in impacting cognition more efficaciously for the two genders. Second, males and females exhibit different cognitive acquisition manners and therefore might necessitate different attacks in order to larn efficaciously. Males are more intuitive scholars while females were more sensing scholars ( Alumran, 2008 ) . In a related survey Miller et Al. ( as quoted in Alurman, 2008 ) established that males are more â€Å" kinaesthetic, haptic, ocular, and were more nomadic whereas females where more conforming, more ego, parent or instructor motivated than males † ( 305 ) . Intuitive scholars, who were preponderantly male are more inventive and advanced and have a better consumption at abstraction embarking into possibilities and relationships. Conversely feeling scholars, who are preponderantly females are good at memorizing, better consumption of facts, apply good known processs to w ork out jobs, stress on item, and prefer everyday and predictable facets. Females and males exhibit different penchants for societal and conceptual acquisition manners. Females show more â€Å" concern for others † , prefer custodies on experience and practical facets with more orientation towards affectional and making. Conversely, males exhibited â€Å" concern for ego † prefer abstractive and brooding acquisition, learned better when believing and watching and opted for abstract and consecutive manners ( Keri as quoted in Alarman, 2008 ) . Research indicates that males and females prefer different acquisition manners, that – gender is a learning manner. Whereas protagonism may non be made for sole gender acquisition establishments, it is of import that instructors in the schoolroom are cognizant of the different acquisition manners that specific gender prefers. Assorted benefits would be achieved by an apprehension of this issue. First, it would let inventing appropriate plans for the genders which would heighten larning for the single pupil. Further, it would move to better the quality of instruction by and large. It would farther let the chase of effectual and economical attacks to larning between genders. One of the major facets of successful universities is the ability to progress acquisition by understanding the manner pupils learn.Student Life in School and At HomeThe American society has seen a gradual passage in past old ages. Previously there was communal engagement to conveying up of kids and adult fem ales were left at place to rise up the kids. Today ‘s economic force per unit areas requires instances where both parents are working, ensuing to less child care. School life greatly influences the kid growing and societal activities and instructors are hence more involved in conveying up the kids ( Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008 ) . Changing household lives are negatively impacting school life and instructors have a major function to play in bettering the state of affairs. The state of affairs consequences to assorted negative impacts. First, there has been a dramatic alteration in the societal and economic factors in the household unit and these have extended to impact school life. In the past communities communally took the duty of raising kids but this has changed due to altering work forms, less child care installations and economic factors ( Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008 ) . In the old times, the societal cloth was strong and communities approached issues communally. Today in the face of lifting economic force per unit areas, poorness, altering work forms where a significant proportion of kids are raised by individual parents or both parents go to work supervising of the kid is declining. This has in great portion contributed to challenges of bead outs, drug and intoxicant maltreatment, self-destruction, gestation and weight concerns. To cut down the impacts of altering household lives to instruction ; instructors need to make favourable schoolroom environments. It is merely through making a favourable environment where prejudice and hatred are replaced with trust, dignity, positive relationship and informed gender that the state of affairs can be improved ( Abbot, 2006 ) . Students will execute drearily in environments where negative effects are prevailing. These effects are damaging as they affect the psychological facets of the pupil and will more frequently than non ensue to drop outs or low public presentations. In the schoolroom scene, developing course of studies need to acknowledge altering household life. The course of study needs to stress community engagement, wellness issues. By pupil engagement in societal services, cut down tracking and concentrating affectional developments of pupils, instructors can cut down the negative impacts.Do Teachers Like Teaching?Teaching is one of the callings that employ the largest figure of people. Despite this, there have been suggestions that instructors may non be really happy in their calling particularly due to the comparatively low wage as compared to other professions and the bureaucratic system. This might be supported by the high turn-over in this calling. Some instructors have nevertheless reported that they really do love their calling chiefly due to its intrinsic wagess. This essay argues that despite the high turnovers in instruction, most instructors like to learn. Understanding whether instructors like instruction has several deductions. First, it would let an understating of instructor ‘s behaviours and perceptual experiences this supplying an account for their behavior. Second, an apprehension would supply a model in inventing ways of act uponing their behaviour and behavior. It would for illustration explain why there are high turnover in the profession. Most instructors are satisfied with what they do and the instruction environment. A NEA study reported that 80 % of the instructors were comfy with their occupation, the occupation security and the related liberty ( Sadker, Sadker & A ; Zittleman, 2008 ) . Most instructors express their satisfaction with instruction. Teachers like their occupation despite studies of low wage because they are motivated by other factors apart from wage. A survey by Chan ( 2005 ) reported that the most influential factors impacting motivations and committedness to learning were â€Å" selfless motivations, occupation conditions and influence from others † ( 14 ) . Teachers province that they take up learning places chiefly because they liked working with kids and striplings ; they wanted to be of aid to others, they perceived the work to be meaningful and ambitious and it was in correspondence to their personality. Factors extrinsic factors as stuff wagess do non act upon the pick of a learning c alling every bit much as these other factors. It is of import that the intrinsic factors that induce motive and committedness in instructors are enhanced with extrinsic factors. Most instructors love their calling particularly due to its intrinsic wagess which include satisfaction, the challenge, occupation security and the liberty in the category room. The comparatively low wage, bureaucratisms in the system and other unfavourable conditions might explicate the high turnover in the calling. This understating that instructors like their calling suggests that focal point should be on supplying better work conditions, better wage, occupation stableness which would greatly heighten instructors ‘ committedness and motive ensuing to better instruction outcomes. This will in add-on promote positive acquisition results for the pupils and heighten the degree of instruction in the society in general.DecisionEducation signifiers an of import facet of human life by fiting the person with necessary capableness to run into future challenges and better life. The school environment has assorted interactions which despite the purpose to accomplish efficiency make non ever do this. Among other issues, it of import that instructors are good equipped to cover with inclusion of handicapped pupils in the schoolroom, to understand how changing life styles are impacting the pupil environment, and to advance cultural diverseness in the schools. In add-on, it is of import to ; affect the instructor more in school government, to see the demands to talented pupils, to use gender efficaciously as a acquisition manner, and to better on conditions that negatively impact teacher ‘s perceptual experiences of learning. Such attempts may travel a long manner in bettering the efficiency and effectivity of the acquisition and the instruction environment.