Gender Discrimination Essay

Laws on woman’s rights have changed a lot since the 1900’s. Women weren’t allowed to vote, get an education, and have high authority in jobs. Now, women are allowed to do all of these things and more. But have things really changed, or are they just more hidden? There are three ways in which women are discriminated against: in the workplace, television, and in politics. According to Napoleon Bonaparte â€Å"Nature intended women to be our slaves they are our property. Woman are nothing but machines for bearing children. Even though Napoleon is dead, and has been for a while now, this way of viewing women is very much alive. Why is it that woman are paid less than men for doing the same jobs? For example, a male professional basketball player gets paid way more than a woman. A 2008 study of 63 countries shows that a woman in the same job as a man with the same responsibilities is paid 10% to 15. 6% less then the man. Television plays a big part on the way that our country views woman. For example, in a commercial for pizza bites you see a women coming home from the grocery store with pizza bites, and making them for her children. Why is it that a man is never shown in the kitchen cooking for his children? Another example is on the show George Lopez. George manages an airplane parts factory, while his wife is a stay at home mom. The only thing you ever see her doing in this show is cooking, taking care of her kid, or arguing with her mother-in-law. In conclusion, women are stereotyped when cast for television roles. Television only shows woman, cleaning cooking, or taking care of their children. When it come to politics people can be very unwilling to change. For example we have never had a woman vice president or president. Each time we have a women run for president, I become more aware of gender discrimination in this country. Men will not vote for a woman candidate simply because she’s a woman. I had once seen a shirt stating: â€Å"No women will ever be president because: 1. No woman is a man. 2. See rule 1†. There has never been a women president because men in politics who vote are so unwilling to make a decision without discriminating against woman. Until America changes as a whole discrimination against woman will continue. Even though we women would like to believe otherwise they are still discriminated against: in the workplace, television, and in politics. The only way for women to be truly equal in this country is for women to get the same salary as men in careers, television to stop stereotyping women, and for America as a whole to change the way they view women, and the way they teach their children about the roles of women in society. Until this happens, women will always be discriminated against.

Fashion Couture

In France, the term haute couture is protected by law and is defined by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris based in Paris, France. The chambre syndicale de la haute couture is defined as â€Å"the regulating commission that determines which fashion houses are eligible to be true haute couture houses†. [4] Their rules state that only â€Å"those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves† of the label haute couture. The chambre also deals with piracy of style, foreign relations and coordination of the fashion collection timetables, and do some international advertising for the French fashion industry. The chambre also runs a Paris couture school to teach upcoming designers and technicians the couture trade. The school helps bring new designers to help the couture houses that are still present today. The criteria for haute couture were established in 1945 and updated in 1992. To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the term haute couture in its advertising and any other way, members of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture must follow these rules: Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings. Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time. Must have twenty full-time technical people in at least one atelier (workshop). Each season (i. e. twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs/exits with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear. However, the term haute couture may have been misused by ready-to-wear brands since the late 1980s, so that its true meaning may have become blurred with that of pret-a-porter (the French term for ready-to-wear fashion) in the public perception. Every haute couture house also markets pret-a-porter collections, which typically deliver a higher return on investment than their custom clothing. ci tation needed] Falling revenues have forced a few couture houses to abandon their less profitable couture division and concentrate solely on the less prestigious pret-a-porter. These houses are no longer considered haute couture. Many top designer fashion houses, such as Chanel, use the word for some of their special collections. These collections are often not for sale or they are very difficult to purchase. Sometimes, â€Å"haute couture† is inappropriately used to label non-dressmaking activities, such as fine art, music and more.

Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free (#5)

Capital Punishment Essay Capital punishment is viewed by the law as the act of deterring a person from performing a certain crime that poses threat to the lives of human being. Through capital punishment, life is lost and this method in a way makes sure that a particular crime isn’t repeated by a particular person thus completely deterring the person from repeating the crime. It should be noted that though death penalty is practiced, in some instances it is discriminatory and it may not award justice to the accused party. In many instances, innocent peoples have been subjected to capital punishment when in actual since they have been innocent. In other cases, the guilty have been freed because of insufficient evidence. This therefore leaves the question as to whether it is viable for death penalty to be encouraged. The cost incurred when putting a person to death, the trials and sometimes the effects have led to many countries thinking otherwise about the issue and many are drafting the bills that are intended to abolish the act. My personal view on capital punishment is that the law should be abolished as it does not achieve the expected results and does not give the accused party the room to change behavior and in some cases, the innocent are subjected to the sentence though they didn’t perform the crime. To support this, the following facts can be made. Status of Using the Death Penalty In the U. S. Various positions have been taken concerning death penalty or capital punishment globally. Some countries have been in favor of capital punishment while others abolished the act and still others have never passed such a law. In some countries mostly in the African continent, countries have this law in place but anybody sentenced to death is not subjected to the capital punishment but they are jailed for life. In America, there are mixed reactions as some countries and state do exercise the punishment while others do not. Still, others have abolished the law concerning capital punishment. To be specific, the number of countries or states that have favored and practiced this law 37 states while 13 of the states do not favor capital punishment. Many presidents have indicated that death penalty does not work or rather doe not achieve the intended purpose. What is the Purpose of the Death Penalty Advantages/benefits of the Death Penalty There are various benefits that are associated with death penalty/ though it may not be real that they are real benefits, capital punishment is entitled to Deter a person accused of doing a certain crime from repeating the same crime or similar again. This being the case, capital punishmen6t should be advocated as it would reduce the number of capital offenders in society. At the same time, capital punishment may serve as a warning to others who may have been involved in the act to desist from committing crimes that may lead to capital punishment. Still, those who may be starting the act may fear and desist from committing these crimes for fear of the consequences. Because of the various options given to an accused person, to some extent it is difficult to kill an innocent person. This therefore being the case, capital punishment is important as it eliminates those people who are likely to disturb the societal peace. It shoed be noted that various chances are given to the accused to prove their innocent. The judges do not rule in favor of capital punishment unless they are sure that the provided evidence justifies a person to be sentenced to capital punishment. It is also sometimes to credit death penalty on the bases of an eye for an eye. If a person is therefore accused and convicted of murder or killing, why shouldn’t they be given the same fate so that it can act as a way of retribution. Many people fear death and killing a person as a sentence may forbid others who may be planning to kill others as they would think that they will also be killed if caught. A convicted [person may also kill others in prison if they know that the only possible penalty they ,may receive is fine or life imprisonment. This being the case, they should be killed to avoid killing others. Therefore death penalty is an important war to incapacitate a person. Disadvantages/disbenefits of the Death Penalty Death penalty has a lot of disadvantages and these include the fact that there may be a possibility of false conviction. This being the case, an innocent person may be killed because of may be shoddy witnesses, bribery or if there was a grudge between the parties involved. There have been mane cases where a person is convicted to be killed but just before the act takes place, new evidence delinks the person from the act. Still others were killed only new evidence obtained that de alienated the already killed person. This therefore indicated that death penalty has a lot of flaws. At the same time, the costs involved before a person I convicted of cap[ital punishment are many. A lot of time is also consumed to try the accused. It should be noted that some people because of the various trials may have repented. The system may be biased. Since we have seen that there are a lot of cost implications that are involved in the process, those who don’t have the financial capabilities may not be able to afford the required lawyers, or money required to sustain the accused. At the same time, social status and racial backgrounds play a big hand in determining who will be hanged. What are the Alternatives to the Death Penalty Advantages/benefits of the Alternatives There are various alternatives to death penalty. One of the alternatives would be to sentence the accused person to life imprisonment. This would ensure that the accused is not part of the society or rather he or she is not dealing with the society in a direct way. This therefore would deter and incapacitate the person from commuting the crime. At the same time, some people do kill unintentionally and they are not able to prove this fact in court. They may therefore feel remorse and change their behavior thus becoming good members of the society. Capital Punishment. (2016, Oct 19).

Family and Social Structures Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Family and Social Structures - Case Study Example If we compare contemporary families with those from a century ago, the most significant difference we can note is the divorce rate. In 1911, approximately 700 families experienced divorce in England and Wales (Simpson 1994). Today that number has risen to 160,000 per year (Simpson 1994). Britain currently has the second-highest divorce rate in Europe (Simpson 1994). 55 percent of couples who divorced in 1990 had a child under the age of 16 (Simpson 1994). What, then, does this mean for the family as a structural unit Today, families continue to be less clearly defined as they must incorporate step-parents, step-siblings, half-siblings, and biological siblings or parents that are not in contact with one another. One such example is "Steve," a husband and father that Bob Simpson interviewed for his article Bringing the 'Unclear' Family into Focus: Divorce and Remarriage in Contemporary Britain. Steve is in his thirties and is married to "Karen." Since marrying in 1990, they've produced two children together. However, prior to their marriage, Karen had a daughter from a previous relationship, and Steve had two children from his marriage to "Kath," and a son from a relationship he'd had as a teenager. Steve considers himself to be a father of six, and the numerous other participants in his children's lives, such as his ex-partners, and his ex-partners' current partners, creates a network that functions as the family unit. While the typical nuclear family has two parents, this family has six. This differs most strikingly from the traditional family in the fact that there are no clear definitions. All six parents are part of the unit, but two children might be related to one set while the other four are not, creating an even more complex matrix of kinship. This becomes most complicated in how the grandparents treat all of the children. Steve's parents acknowledge all six children as family, but Karen's parents only acknowledge the three children that were born to Kar en as family. This causes conflict when Karen's parents ignore Steve's other three children and only give gifts and candies to the three that are biologically Karen's. The "network" family could be successful were all parties open and accepting of different family ties, but now we have one family circle that only exclusively accepts blood relatives, thus dividing the family structure into blood relations versus non-blood relations. This calls into question varying definitions that people have for the family unit. Is a family just two parents and the children that are biologically related to them If so, what is the resulting implication for the rest of society A society in which its members must meet strict biological standards if they are to gain acceptance One such example of the conventional family unit coming into conflict with the "network" family unit is in William Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing. The play depicts the rigid social structure of the Elizabethan era as it follows the efforts of Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato to make Benedick and Beatrix fall in love with one another. Don Pedro is the prince of Aragon, blood-heir to the throne, and as such, represents order, goodness, and purity. His bastard brother, Don John, is evil and devious, purposely setting out to ruin the marriage of Claudio and Hero. Don John is an outsider, an intruder, and thus his character is

Business Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Study - Assignment Example Swiss Classic draws inspiration from the ancient Swiss culinary which is known as the maker of the best chocolate in the world. The product will come in different shapes and sizes according to the preference of the customer. The Chocolate House will also offer customized packaging which allows the buyers to choose from brown and gold packages. Swiss Classic's price will range from 10 for three small chocolates to 30 for three large ones. Aside from being sold in company-owned retail outlets, Swiss Classic can also be delivered for an additional charge and can be bundled with wine, bouquets and cards when used as gifts. This promotional objective allows the firm to provide value to its customers thereby ensuring the steady inflow of sales. Because the chocolate is popular and widely consumed by the UK market, The Chocolate House's main task is to capture the appropriate niche for its products. Demand creation enables the company and the product Swiss Classic to succeed and even merely survive in the industry. Inadequate demand in the long run will force the company to withdraw and close down. Thus, this objective is pivotal in the survival of the business organization. Creating Image This promotional objective allows the firm to differentiate itself among the numerous competitors in the industry. By occupying a definite position in the customers' minds, The Chocolate House be assured of strong brand equity and recall from its market. The firm will do this by emphasizing on product quality, ensuring freshness through the use of cocoa butter instead of vegetable fat, pricing higher than its competitors, delivering excellent customer service, and designing its outlets as a place for indulgence. Since The Chocolate House is competing through a differentiation strategy, image creation is important in order to stress its uniqueness. The company should always stress what separates it from competitors that customers should patronize its products. If this is not pursued, it might end up being one of the others or worse, it might not be able to win any customer at all. Increasing Sales This promotional objective allows the firm to ensure growth within its market. The Chocolate House will use intensive marketing effort like advertisement and promotions in order to penetrate the UK market and capture higher shares. Through the years, it is the general goal of a firm to grow its market share and consequently its sales. Growth in sales signals the company's efficiency and success in its promotional efforts and overall strategic management. Increasing Profits This promotional objective allows the firm to achieve its goal of maximizing shareholder value. Increasing profits will be ensured through the efficient allocation of promotional budget. The company will also regularly review its pricing strategy in order to ensure maximum profitability. Increasing profits even though not a

Journal assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Journal - Assignment Example One of the significant things I have learnt is the importance of nurses joining professional organizations. I have learnt that organizations play a major role in addressing issues of nurses as well as influencing of health policy. Moreover, such body’s helps in addressing issues related to the society in terms of health. I have also realized that an individual cannot be able to further nursing goals as compared to a group. Hence, joining such entity can help in shaping and achieve nursing goals. On the other hand, I have noted that advocacy by nurse and such bodies are crucial in addressing the needs of the patients. This plays a significant role in the provision of quality care. Moreover, I have realized that various ethical issues arise as nurse work in various environments. Some of the ethical issues are likely to put one in a dilemma. Some of these issues may affect the performance of the nurse. As a result, one has to learn of various initiatives that can help address such challenges. The other important thing I have learnt is the influence advocacy. I have realized that advocacy can play a significant role in the transformation of the nursing profession, society health and individual nurse. The advocacy may help in highlighting some of the challenges ailing the health sector as well as influencing politicians to come up with favorable health policies as they use lobbyist. Additionally, I have realized how understaffing affects the health care outcomes. This is because the staffs may be overworked that may lead to poor concentration. Moreover, such nurses may be stressed and hence be not able to communicate with the patient efficiently. I believe more effort is needed to advance on professional Knowledge development and Communication. I need to undertake various initiatives so that to assume active responsibility for continuing to master these skills. One of the initiatives is to ensure that I have up to date knowledge on emerging

The Education Systems of England and Saudi Arabia Essay

The Education Systems of England and Saudi Arabia - Essay Example 'The British government has set a national curriculum, which clearly defines different stages and core subjects for children ages 5 to 16 (The Education System in England, n.d.). It specifies the various subjects to be taught at different stages, the expected knowledge, skills, and understanding level for the various subjects, and how the children's progress should be tested (The Education System in England, n.d.).' (qtd. in University of Michigan, n.d.) THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM (ENGLAND) The National Curriculum consists of 11 subjects, including; English, design and technology, geography, math, information technology, music, science art, physical education, history and modern foreign language. The National Curriculum is split up into for stages, referred to as Key Stages, and are based on the student's age. The key stage of a child reflects what subjects will be studied and the method by which they will be taught. Key Stage 1 includes children ages 5-8, Key Stage 2 consists of children 8-11, Key Stage 3 is made up of children ages 11-14, and Key Stage 4 is composed of children 14-16. At the end of each Key Stage, students are required to take a standardized test, known as the SAT, associated with that particular stage. The achievement level Surname 3 obtained on each test is then reported to the parents and the public in two ways: the student's actual test grade and the teacher's individual assessment of each student (The Education System in England, n.d.).' (qtd in University of Michigan, n.d.) In Saudi Arabia, the educational system is structured with the same strict control by the government as it is strict in England, or maybe perhaps stricter. 'Government control... 'Government control of schoolbooks to guarantee they are consistent with Islam and devoid of anything conflicting with its principles. The Saudi government maintains control of every aspect of educational material:[15] "The government shall be concerned with the control of all books coming into the Kingdom from abroad or going out of the Kingdom to the outside world. No books shall be allowed for use unless they are consistent with Islam, the intellectual trends and educational aims of the Kingdom..."[16] The government policy also states: "All books should fulfill the aims of education and be devoid of anything conflicting with Islam."[17]Students also learn "how to face misleading rumors, destructive doctrines, and alien thoughts,"[18]The Saudi education authorities insist "the school textbooks should be in line with Islamic requirements."[19]'. (Stalinsky, 2002). Additionally, the British Council affirmed and posted 'After five years of secondary education, students take examinations in a range of subjects at the level of General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). The GCSE is a single-subject examination set and marked by independent examination boards.

People really need go to college to learn Research Paper

People really need go to college to learn - Research Paper Example her people should head towards colleges and campuses in order to seek knowledge or same can be done even if they say goodbye to the typically educational environment of a classroom involving a well learned scholar and students. It also explains on what grounds people should stay on the decision to continue going to a campus or college and not be thwarted by the opposite forces which could block the way to mutual learning. Though college education is seen as the key to a facilitated life, Murray argues about traditional way of learning saying that one’s individual intelligence should be seen as a potent indicator of success than college grades and though â€Å"young people need some training after high school, but pursuing a bachelors is a clumsy, ineffectual way to get the training they need† (Murray, cited in Marklein). Critics of going to school to learn suggest that though great educational accomplishments could be achieved with the help of fellow students’ and professors’ combined help and support, still learning should never be thought of as a process which could be limited to schools, colleges, or universities especially in the present times. Today there are so many live blogs, high profile lectures, and educational tips available on internet that any thing desired to be noticed is literally at finger tips of a student. One word is all that needs to be typed in the Google search bar and next second, thousands of links are readily available to be checked out so that latest realities concerning a subject could be unfolded by those links. All critics of traditional learning which involves getting education formally in a proper setup are actually against the traditional or conventional concept because it is a common practice among many parents and students to waste wads of cash after colleges’ or universities’ names and so they pay more attention to the college’s name than on a student’s individual personality. It is an undeniable reality that a

Green Grass, Running Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Green Grass, Running Water - Essay Example What is that â€Å"authentic† Indian behavior? Does progress and modernity of the Native Americans mean that they need to say farewell to their original cultural traits? â€Å"Green, Grass, Running Water,† by Thomas King depicts what true Native American spirit is about. What is the nature of struggles of Northern Aboriginal people trying to keep in touch with their culture and/or move towards a more modern western culture—what are its limitations and how far influences of whites in some areas are inevitable? Lionel and his aunt Norma are engaged in an anxious and spirited conversation that has an undercurrent of racial tension. Norma represents the typical Native American in her thinking and she has great apprehensions about the change that she identifies in Lionel as for the white culture. Does she basically hate the white leanings of Lionel? The answer is both yes and no! Rather than hating the whites, she is deeply interested that Lionel should retain the Nat ive identity. They are in a car, and the casual comment by Lionel regarding Indian Council paving a dirt road, is seriously taken up for a racial debate buy Norma. Thomas King writes, (1994, p.7-8) â€Å"Lionel, if you weren’t my sister’s boy, and if I didn’t see you born with my own eyes, I would sometimes think you were white. You sound just like those politicians in Edmonton. Always telling us what we can’t do.† This indicates Norma’s deep-rooted dislike for white dispositions towards which she believes Lionel is moving. Her comparison of Lionel with politicians in Edmonton, gives the clear picture about how the whites perceive the Native American and have poor estimate of their abilities. Thus an unbridgeable gap is established between the Native Indians and White Americans. She sincerely wishes that Lionel remain associated with their heritage and she is apprehensive about his moving towards the other side of the cultural fence that div ides the whites and blacks. The argument between the nephew and the aunt thickens and reaches wider horizons as Norma picks up more issues concerning Lionel. She recalls, when Lionel was a boy, his tonsils were operated upon by a white doctor. She remarks, â€Å"Indian doctors weren’t good enough.†(p.32)This has an element of sarcasm, as well as worry for her about Lionel imitating the white traits, as his life was shaped and influenced by white culture. Her latent resentment towards all that is white is also evident. She doesn’t wish to â€Å"lose† Lionel under any circumstances, and desires to remind him that they should be proud that they belong to the heritage of Northern Aboriginal people of America. Her resentment towards the white race is evident when she sarcastically says addressing her nephew, â€Å""As if they [white men] were something special. As if, there weren't enough of them in the world already" (37) This is almost like a policy stateme nt of Norma as for her attitude towards the white race. It is evident that her concern has assumed serious proportions and she emphatically tells Lionel the desirability to retain his Native American heritage, and not try to imitate the white. Norma dominates in the conversation, speaks without intermission, and hardly gives any chance to Lionel to explain his viewpoints. In defense of her position, Norma gives one more argument from which she desires that Lionel take lessons. She gives the examples of his sister Latisha, who has stuck to the native roots, in establishing and running a good Indian restaurant

As Psychology Essay Example for Free

As Psychology Essay One of the key differences between the concepts of STM and LTM is duration. â€Å"Duration† refers to how long a memory lasts before it is no longer available. Short term memories don’t last very long. An example of STM in action would be trying to remember a seven-digit phone number that you have just been given. This is maintained in the short-term memory by REPETITION until the number is dialled, and then fades once the conversation starts. The way most people keep information in their STM for more than a few seconds is to rehearse it. So rehearsal is one way of keeping a memory active. The result of verbal rehearsal is that STM are held in the STM store and eventually become long term. Duration of LTM LTM refers to memories that last anywhere for 2 hours to 100 years plus, i. e. anything that isn’t short term. Some memories are very long lasting. For example Shepard (1967) tested duration of LTM. He showed participants 612 memorable pictures, one at a time. An hour later they were shown some of these pictures among a set of others and showed almost perfect recognition. Four months later they were still able to recognise 50% of photographs. The material to be remembered was more meaningful to the participants and therefore the duration of the LTM was better. Key study on duration of STM Lloyd and Margaret Peterson (1959) conducted a landmark study of the duration of STM. They enlisted the help of 24 students attending their university. The experimenter said a consonant syllable to the participant followed by a three-digit number (e. g. WRT 303 or SCX 591). The consonant syllable was selected to have no meaning. Immediately after hearing the syllable and number, the participants had to count backwards from this number in 3s or 4s until told to stop. Then the participants were asked to recall the nonsense syllable. The reason for counting backwards was to stop the participants rehearsing the syllable because rehearsal would aid recall. Each participant was given two practice trials followed by eight trials. On each trial the retention interval (time spent counting backwards) was different. They found that participants remembered about 90% when there was only a 3-second interval and about 2% when there was an 18-second interval. This suggests that, when rehearsal is prevented, STM lasts about 20 seconds at most. Evaluation The findings from the Peterson and Peterson study have been challenged. We might argue that, in this experiment, participants were relying on more than STM alone because they knew they were going to be asked to recall the items after an interval filled with a distracting activity. Other research such as Marsh et al, (1997) has suggested that when participants do not expect to be tested after this interval, forgetting may occur after just 2 seconds. This suggests that our understanding of the duration of STM may not be as clear-cut as first thought. In fact, more recent research even suggests that the duration of STM is not as short as Peterson and Peterson’s study would suggest. Nairne’s et al (1999) found that items could be recalled after as long as 96 seconds. In Nairne’s study, participants were asked to recall the same items across trials, whereas in the earlier study different items were used on each trial, which would have led to interference between items, decreasing recall. Capacity and Encoding Capacity is a measure of how much can be held in memory. It is measured in terms of bits of information such as number of digits. STM has a very limited capacity (less than 7 chunks of information) whereas LTM has potentially unlimited capacity. Increasing the capacity of STM The magic number 7+/-2 George Miller (1956) wrote a memorable article called â€Å"The magic number seven plus or minus two†. He reviewed psychological research and concluded that the span of immediate memory is 7; people can cope reasonably well with counting seven dots flashed onto a screen but not many more than this. Miller also found out that people can recall 5 words as well as they can recall 5 letters – we chunk things together and can then remember more. The size of the chunk matters Simon (1974) found that people had a shorter memory span for larger chunks, such as 8-word phrases, than smaller chunks, such as one-syllable words. Evaluation Cowan (2001) reviewed a variety of studies on the capacity of STM and concluded that STM is likely to be limited to above 4 chunks. This suggests that STM may not be as extensive as was first thought. Vogel et al, (2001) looked at the capacity of STM for visual information and also found that 4 items was about the limit. Encoding in STM and LTM PAGE 23 Encoding is the way information is changed so that it can be stored in memory. Information enters the brain via the senses. It is then stored in various forms such as visual codes (picture), acoustic forms (sounds), or a semantic form (the meaning of the experience). Information in the STM is mainly encoded acoustically (information is represented as sound); whereas information in LTM tends to be encoded semantically (information is represented by its meaning). Acoustic and semantic encoding We can compare the ways information is stored in STM and LTM in terms of encoding of the memory trace. Acoustic coding involved coding information in terms of the way it sounds The multi-store model of memory The multi-store model of memory (MSM) is an explanation of how memory processes work. The MSM was first described by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin in 1968. There is three stores/components in the MSM which are the sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory. Sensory memory The sensory memory is composed of several stores which are the eyes, ears, nose, etc, and the corresponding areas of the brain. If a person’s attention is focused on one of the sensory stores, then the data is transferred to STM. Attention is the first step in remembering something. Short-term memory Information held in STM is in a â€Å"fragile state†. It will disappear relatively quickly if rehearsal is prevented. Information will also disappear if new information enters STM pushing out the original information. This happens because STM has a limited capacity. Long-term memory The second step is moving information from STM to LTM. Atkinson and Shiffrin said that this also happens through rehearsal. The more something is rehearsed the more it will be remembered. This kind of rehearsal is referred to maintenance rehearsal. Evaluation The sensory store Sperling (1920) gave participants a grid of digits and letters for 50 milliseconds. They were either asked to write down all 12 items or they were told they would hear a tone immediately after the exposure and they should just write down that row. When asked to report the whole thing their recall was poorer (5 items recalled, about 42%) then when asked to give one row only (3 items recalled, 75%). This show that information decays rapidly in the sensory store. The serial position effect Glazer and Cunitz (1966) gave participants a list of 20 words, presented one at a time, and then asked to recall words they could remember. They tended to remember the words from the start of the list (primary effect) and from the end of the list (recency effect) but were less good at recalling words in the middle. The primary effects occur because the first words are best rehearsed and transferred to LTM. The recency effect occurs because these words are in the STM when people start recalling the list. Areas of the brain associated with STM and LTM One way to demonstrate the existence of separate stores in memory is to link STM and LTM to specific areas of the brain. Modern techniques of scanning the brain can be used to take images of the active brain and enable us to see what region is active when a person is undertaking particular tasks. Research (Beardsley, 1977) has found that the prefrontal cortex is active when individuals are working on a task in STM. The working memory model Baddeley and Hitch (1974) used the term ‘working memory’ to refer to that bit of memory that you are using when you are working on a complex task which requires you to store information as you go along. The components of the working memory Central executive This is the key component of the working memory. The function of the central executive is to direct attention to particular tasks, determining at any time how ‘resources’ are allocated to tasks. The central executive has a very limited capacity. Phonological loop This also has a limited capacity. The phonological loop deals with the auditory information and preserves the order of information. Baddeley (1986) further subdivided this loop into the phonological store and an articulatory process. The phonological store holds the words you hear, like an inner ear. The articulatory process is used for words that are heard or seen (inner voice). Visuo-spatial sketch pad The Visuo-spatial sketch pad is used when you have to plan a spatial task (like getting from one room to another). Visual and/or spatial information is temporary stored here. Visual information is what things looks like and spatial information is the relationship between things. Logie (1995) suggested that the Visuo-spatial sketchpad can be divided into a visual cache (store) and inner scribe which deals with spatial relations. Episodic buffer Baddeley (2000) added the episodic buffer because he realised the model needed a general store. The episodic buffer is an extra storage system that has a limited capacity. It integrates information from the central executive, the phonological loop and the Visuo-spatial sketchpad and also from the long-term memory. Evaluation Doing two tasks using the same or different components Hitch and Baddeley (1976) gave participants two tasks to do simultaneously. Task 1 occupied the central executive and task 2 either involved the articulatory loop or both the central executive and articulatory loop. Task 1 was slower when given a task involving both the central executive and articulatory loop. The speed on task 1 was the same whether using the articulatory loop or no extra task. This shows that doing two tasks that involve the same component causes difficulty. Evidence for the central executive Bunge et al. (2000) used an fmri to see which parts of the brain were most active when participants were doing two tasks (reading a sentence and recalling the final word in each sentence). The same brain areas were active in either dual- or single – task conditions but there was significantly more activation in the dual-task condition indicating that increased demands were reflected in brain activity. Evidence for the Visuo-spatial sketchpad Baddeley et al. (1975b) demonstrated the existence of thee Visuo-spatial sketch pad. Participants were given a visual tracking task (they had to track a moving light with a pointer). At the same time they were given kne of two other tasks: task 1 was to describe all the angles on the letter F, task 2 was to perform a verbal task. Task 1 was very difficult but not task 2. This is also evidence related to the effects of doing two tasks using the same or different components. Evidence for the episodic buffer Baddeley et al. (1987) found that, when participants were shown words and then asked for immediate recall, their performance was much better for sentences (related words) then for unrelated words. This supports the idea of an immediate memory store for itesms that are neither visual nor phonological. Accuracy of Eye Witness testimony Loftus and Palmer were interested in whether misleading interesting distorted the accuracy of an eyewitness’s immediate recall. What did they do? 45 students were shown seven films of different traffic accidents. After each film the participants were given a questionnaire which asked them to describe the accident and then answer a series of specific questions about it. There was one critical question. This question was about ‘how fast were the cars going when they hit each other? One group of participants were given this question whereas the other five groups were given the verbs smashed, collided, bumped or contacted in place of the word hit. What did they find? The group given the world ‘smashed’ estimated a higher speed that the other groups (about 41 mph). The group given the word ‘contacted’ estimated the lower speed (about 30 mph). Evaluation Supporting DO LATER (PAGE 33) Factors influencing the accuracy of eye witnessing testimony Many researchers have looked at the relationship between anxiety and accuracy in eyewitness testimony. Deffenbacher et al. 2004) carried out a meta-analysis of 18 studies published between 1974 and 1997, looking at the effects of heightening anxiety on accuracy of eyewitness recall. From these studies it was clear that there was considerable support for the hypothesis that high levels of stress negativity impacted on the accuracy of eyewitness memory. Anxiety enhances recall Christianson and Hubienet te (1993) found when they questioned 58 real witnesses to bank robberies. Those witnesses who were threatened in some way were more accurate in their recall and remembered more detail than those who had been onlookers. This continued to be true even 15 months later. The weapon focus effect Johnson and Scott (1976) identified the weapon-focus effect. In their initial experiment, Loftus et al. used two conditions, one involving a weapon and one not. In both conditions participants heard a discussion in an adjoining room. In condition 1 a man emerged holding a pen and with grease on his hands. In conditions 2 the discussion was rather more heated and a man emerged holding a paperknife covered in blood. When asked to identify the man from 50 photos, participants in condition 1 were 49% more accurate, compared with 33% accuracy in condition 2. This suggests that the weapon may have distracted attention from the person holding it and therefore explain why eyewitnesses sometimes have poor recall for certain details of violent crimes. Evaluation Explaining the apparent contradiction Deffenbacher suggests that this contradiction in research finding could best be explained with reference to the Yerkes-Dodson law, which states that performance improves with increase of arousal up to some optical point then declines with further increase. Many researchers believe that anxiety effects in eye-witness testimony are curvilinear. This means that small to medium increases in arousal may increase the accuracy of memory, but high levels interfere with accuracy. Those studies which had found improved memory accuracy were most likely dealing with increased arousal within the first part of the Yerkes-Dodson curve, whereas studies which showed that accuracy decreases with increased arousal were most likely operating in the second part of the curve. MORE EVALUATION!! The cognition interview Fisher and Geiselman (1992) developed an interviewing technique, the cognitive interview. The original cognitive interview technique could be characterised by four distinct components 1. Report everything (hypermnesia) 2. Mental reinstatement of context- the interviewer encourages the interviewee to mentally recreate the environment and contacts from the original incident. 3. Changing the order- the interviewer may try alternative ways through the timeline of the incident, for example by reversing the order in which events occurred. 4. Changing the perspective- the interviewee is asked to recall the incident from multiple perspectives The first two components are based on the principle that if there is consistency between the actual incident and the recreated situation, there is an increased likeliness that witnesses will recall more detail therefore more accurate in their recall. The latter two components are based on the assumption that information that observed can be retrieved through a number of different routes into an individual’s memory. Evaluation Kohnken et al. , (1999) did a meta-analysis of 53 studies found, on average, an increase of 34% in the amount of correct information generated in the cognitive interview compared with standard interviewing techniques. Milne and Bull (2002) examined the relative effectiveness of each of the four components of the cognitive interview. Undergraduate students and children were interviewed using one of the components of the cognitive interview and compared to a control condition (where they were instructed to simply ‘try again’). When participants were interviewed using a combination of the components ‘mental reinstatement’ and ‘report everything’ their recall was significantly higher than in all other conditions.

Historiography Of The Civil Rights Movement

Historiography Of The Civil Rights Movement Who was the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) lawyer who successfully argued the NAACPs Brown v. Board of Education? Answer: Martin Luther King. Question: Name several people who were involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Answer: Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. Question: Who was the first President of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)? Answer: Martin Luther King. Question: Who organized the famous March on Washington? Answer: Martin Luther King. Question: Who started the sit-in movement of the 1960s? Answer: Martin Luther King. (Armstrong 2002) Does the preceding list of questions and answers sound familiar? If you teach high school history, the answer is probably yes. However, this does not tell the whole story. In reality, Martin Luther King was just one member of the larger Civil Rights Movement sweeping the country. In order to illuminate the larger picture to our students, alternative strategies need to be considered. One such strategy is presented here. This lesson plan tackles the Civil Rights Movement from the perspective of nonviolent direct action. I am not arguing that King is not an important historical figure of the Civil Rights Movement, because he certainly is. The problem, however, is that since the early 1970s, the struggle for civil rights has been taught almost solely in relationship to King and his life. Students graduate from high school viewing the civil rights movement synonymously with Martin Luther King Jr. Such connections are understandable, if grossly uninformed. Students are denied the opportunity to immerse themselves in the complicated and varied histories of the civil rights movement. (Armstrong 2002) According to Armstrong, in the past, most high school history teachers relied on textbooks to help them convey the civil rights movement to their students. Unfortunately, the vast majority of textbooks present a narrative of the civil rights movement of King as the embodiment of the Civil Rights Movement. As a result, textbooks typically begin the movement in 1954 and 1955 with the Brown v. Board decision and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and end in 1968 with the assassination of King. (Armstrong 2002, 6) However, this is only a narrow view of what many historians consider a much longer struggle for racial civil rights. One way to open up this narrative is to provide students with access to primary documents. This lesson incorporates three primary documents one from each of the leading groups that advocated nonviolent action during the civil rights movement. This methodology not only presents students with alternative perspectives, but it also exposes students to a core tool used by historians. (Armstrong 2002) In any history course, whether it is second grade, high school, or graduate level, aspects of the story will be left out. History is a vast and ever-expanding field, and it is impossible to include everything in one course. However, by showing our students how to think and act like historians, we can give them the opportunity to explore these topics further in the future. National Standards The National Standards for United States History: Era 9 Postwar United States, Standard 4 requires students to understand the struggle for racial and gender equality and the extension of civil liberties. (National Center for History in the Schools 2005) Time This lesson should be divided into three class sessions of approximately one hour. Student Objectives To analyze primary source material. To analyze the role of nonviolent direct action in combating racism. To analyze the role of different organizations combating racism in the Civil Rights Movement. Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Background Nonviolent Action According to Gene Sharp, Nonviolent action refers to those methods of protest, resistance and intervention without physical violence in which the members of the nonviolent group do or refuse to do certain things. (Sharp 1969) These methods can be divided into three basic groups: nonviolent protest, noncooperation, and nonviolent intervention. Each group contains different examples of nonviolent actions. Nonviolent protest includes such actions as parades, marches, and picketing. Noncooperation includes such actions as walkouts, strikes, and boycotts. And nonviolent intervention, the most militant forms of nonviolence typically refers to sit-ins. (Wirmark 1974) Each of these methods of nonviolent action was employed during the Civil Rights Movement. Three of the leading organizations which advocated the use of nonviolent action were the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) CORE was founded in 1943, and specialized in nonviolent action to combat racial discrimination. Its first focus was on sit-in demonstrations with the goal that public places, such as restaurants, would become desegregated. (Wirmark 1974) As the Civil Rights Movement evolved, so too did the goals of CORE, who began to sponsor freedom rides during the early 1960s. [See Figure 1] (Woodward 1966) From 1962-1964, CORE concentrated on voter registration drives throughout the South. It was also responsible for sponsoring direct action protests against unfair housing measures and other types of discrimination against African Americans in the North. Though all three organizations (CORE, SNCC, and SCLC) employed nonviolent techniques in their quest for equality, it was CORE who initiated the practice. (Meier and Rudwick 1973) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) On February 1, 1960, a group of young African American students were refused to be served in a coffee shop in North Carolina. In protest, the students sat in silence in the shop. This type of protest, known as a sit-in, rapidly spread throughout the country, bringing many young college students into the civil rights cause. [See Figure 2] (Woodward 1966) The SNCC, the youngest and most militant of the organized groups, came out of the sit-in movement. Students who had participated in sit-ins wanted to control student demonstrations, and thus founded the SNCC in 1960. (Wirmark 1974) By 1966, the SNCC had gained national attention with its use of the slogan Black Power. Some of the most important leaders of the SNCC were Bob Moses of Mississippi, Charles Sherrod of Georgia, and Bill Hansen of Arkansas. These men were most effective because they truly believed in the morality of their cause. They were courageous in the face of adversity and influenced others to not give up hope. (Stoper 1977) Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) After the successful Montgomery bus boycott, Martin Luther King, Jr. founded the SCLC to bring together the church leaders who had been organizing the boycott. [See Figure 3] Inspired by the actions of CORE, King wanted to apply nonviolent action on a large scale. (Wirmark 1974) Unlike the other two organizations, the SCLC acted as an umbrella organization. It brought together various civil rights groups across the South and the rest of the nation. It also differed from other civil rights groups because it was primarily made up of religious groups. Charles Morgan, a member of the SCLC board of directors said of the group, SCLC is not an organization, its a church. (Fairclough 1987, 1) King was certainly a significant force behind the SCLC, but its successes cannot be accredited solely to his larger-than-life personality. The SCLC was extremely effective in combating racial discrimination and segregation, and this was due partially to King, partially to its belief in a higher moral ca use, and partially to its commitment to nonviolent action. (Fairclough 1987) Procedures Day One Briefly discuss the main events of the Civil Rights Movement with students, providing them with a timeline for reference. Have students look up the definitions for segregation, non-violence, and direct action. Provide students with a background on different types of nonviolent direct action protests. Allow students to brainstorm ways to combat racism through nonviolent direct action. Day Two Provide students with a background on the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Divide the students into three groups and assign one organization to each group. Groups should make a short presentation to the class on the background and history of their assigned organization. Day Three Have students compare and contrast the three civil rights organizations in a 1-2 page in-class essay. Students should work individually, but allow them the opportunity to use reference materials, as well as discuss their questions with you. Discussion Questions How do you define segregation? Provide two different examples of racial segregation. What is nonviolence? Direct action? How can the two be used to combat racial segregation? What were the goals of CORE? Of SNCC? Of SCLC? Compare and contrast the three organizations. In what ways does studying them deviate from what you have learned about the civil rights movement in the past? Further Reading Armstrong, Julie Buckner. Teaching the American Civil Rights Movement: Freedoms Bittersweet Song. New York: Routledge, 2002. Carson, Clayborne. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Charismatic Leadership in a Mass Struggle. The Journal of American History, Vol. 74, No. 2 (Sep., 1987): 448-454. Fairclough, Adam. To Redeem the Soul of America: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Martin Luther King, Jr. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 1987. Meier, August, and Elliott Rudwick. CORE: A Study in the Civil Rights Movement 1942-1968. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. National Center for History in the Schools. History Standards for Grades 5-12 United States. National Standards for History Basic Edition. 2005. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/ (accessed November 11, 2010). OBrien, Michael. Old Myths / New Insights: History and Dr. King. The History Teacher, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Nov. 1988): 49-65. Steinkraus, Warren E. Martin Luther Kings Personalism and Non-Violence. Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Jan. Mar., 1973): 97 111. Stoper, Emily. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee: Rise and Fall of a Redemptive Organization. Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1977: 13-34. Wirmark, Bo. Nonviolent Methods and the American Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965. Journal of Peace Research. Vol. 11. No. 2, 1974: 115-132. Woodward, C. Vann. The Strange Career of Jim Crow. New York: Oxford University Press, 1966. Day One Handout Name ____________________________________ Definitions: Look up each of the following words and write out the definition. Segregation: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Non-violence: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Direct action: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Non-Violent Direct Action Protests: Read the following list of non-violent direct actions and discuss in your groups. Sit-ins (restaurants, lunch counters) Kneel-ins (churches) Stand-ins (theaters, swimming pools, libraries) Marches Mass meetings Picketing Vigils Prayer meetings Jail-ins (attempt to overcrowd jails) Fasting Nonviolent obstruction (streets, vehicles) Boycotts Rent strikes Voter registration drives Day Two Handout -Page 1 CORE Rules for Action Guarantees of the Individual to the Group A CORE member will investigate the facts carefully before determining whether or not racial injustice exists in a given situation. A CORE member will seek at all times to understand both the attitude of the person responsible for a policy of racial discrimination, and the social situation which engendered the attitude. The CORE member will be flexible and creative, showing a willingness to participate in experiments which seem constructive, but being careful not to compromise CORE principles. A CORE member will make a sincere effort to avoid malice and hatred toward any group or individual. A CORE member will never use malicious slogans or labels to discredit any opponent. A CORE member will be willing to admit mistakes. He will meet the anger of an individual or group in the spirit of good will and creative reconciliation; he will submit to assault and will not retaliate in kind either by act or word. A member will never engage in any action in the name of the group except when authorized by the group or one of its action units. When in an action project a CORE member will obey the orders issued by the authorized leader or spokesman of the project, whether these orders please him or not. If he does not approve of such orders, he shall later refer the criticism back to the group or to the committee which as the source of the project plan. No member, after once accepting the discipline of the group for a particular action project, shall have the right of withdrawing. However, should a participant feel that under further pressure he will no longer be able to adhere to the Rules for Action, he shall then withdraw from the project and leave the scene immediately after notifying the project leader. Only a person who is a recognized member of the group leader in a particular project shall be permitted to take part in that group action. Guarantees from the Local Group to the Individual Each member has the right to dissent from any group decision and, if dissenting, need not participate in the specific action planned. Each member shall understand that all decisions on general policy shall be arrived at only through democratic group discussion. A CORE member shall receive the uncompromising support of his CORE group as he faces any difficulties resulting from his authorized CORE activities. Day Two Handout -Page 2 Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Statement of Purpose We affirm the philosophical or religious ideal of nonviolence as the foundation of our purpose, the presupposition of our faith, and the manner of our action. Nonviolence as it grows from the Judeo-Christian tradition seeks a social order of justice permeated by love. Integration of human endeavor represents the crucial first step towards such a society. Through nonviolence, courage displaces fear; love transforms hate. Acceptance dissipates prejudice; hope ends despair. Peace dominates war; faith reconciles doubt. Mutual regard cancels enmity. Justice for all overcomes injustice. The redemptive community supersedes systems of gross social immorality. Love is the central motif of nonviolence. Love is the force by which God binds man to himself and man to man. Such love goes to the extreme; it remains loving and forgiving even in the midst of hostility. It matches the capacity of evil to inflict suffering with an even more enduring capacity to absorb evil, all the while persisting in love. By appealing to conscience and standing on the moral nature of human existence, nonviolence nurtures the atmosphere in which reconciliation and justice become actual possibilities. Day Two Handout -Page 3 Southern Christian Leadership Conference: This is SCLC Aims and Purposes of SCLC The Southern Christian Leadership Conference has the basic aim of achieving full citizenship rights, equality and the integration of the Negro in all aspects of American life. SCLC is a service agency to facilitate coordinated action of local community groups within the frame of their indigenous organizations and natural leadership. SCLC activity revolves around two main focal points: the use of nonviolent philosophy as a means of creative protest; and securing the right of the ballot for every citizen. Philosophy of SCLC The basic tenets of Hebraic-Christian tradition coupled with the Gandhian concept of satyagraha truth force is at the heart of SCLCs philosophy. Christian nonviolence actively resists evil in any form. It never seeks to humiliate the opponent, only to win him. Suffering is accepted without retaliation. Internal violence of the spirit is as much to be rejected as external physical violence. At the center of nonviolence is redemptive love. Creatively used, the philosophy of nonviolence can restore the broken community in America. SCLC is convinced that nonviolence is the most potent force available to an oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and dignity. SCLC and Nonviolent Mass Direct Action SCLC believes that the American dilemma in race relations can best and most quickly be resolved through the action of thousands of people, committed to the philosophy of nonviolence, who will physically identify themselves in a just and moral struggle. It is not enough to be intellectually dissatisfied with an evil system. The true nonviolent resister presents his physical body as an instrument to defeat the system. Through nonviolent mass direct action, the evil system is creatively dramatized in order that the conscience of the community may grapple with the rightness or wrongness of the issue at hand. Supplementary Materials Visual Aids These photographs can be used to supplement this lesson plan. Pass them out to the class or incorporate them into your classroom presentation. More visual aids can be found at: www.loc.gov/rr/print/. Figure 3: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in front of SCLC Headquarters in Atlanta. Figure 1: Background Map: 1961 Freedom Rides [New York]: Associated Press News Feature. ca. 1962 http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/s84.6p1.jpg http://www.blackpast.org/files/blackpast_images/SCLC_King.jpg Figure 2: Tottle House Occupied during a Sit-in by some of Americas most effective organizers. Atlanta, Georgia, ca. 1963 http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/vc84.1b.jpg Civil Rights Timeline *Adapted from http://www.africanaonline.com/2010/08/civil-rights-timeline/* 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education: U.S. Supreme Court bans segregation in public schools. 1955 Bus boycott launched in Montgomery, Ala., after an African-American woman, Rosa Parks, is arrested December 1 for refusing to give up her seat to a white person. 1956 December 21 After more than a year of boycotting the buses and a legal fight, the Montgomery buses desegregate. 1957 At previously all-white Central High in Little Rock, Ark., 1,000 paratroopers are called by President Eisenhower to restore order and escort nine black students. 1960 The sit-in protest movement begins in February at a Woolworths lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C. and spreads across the nation. 1961 Freedom rides begin from Washington, D.C: Groups of black and white people ride buses through the South to challenge segregation. 1963 Police arrest King and other ministers demonstrating in Birmingham, Ala., then turn fire hoses and police dogs on the marchers. Medgar Evers, NAACP leader, is murdered June 12 as he enters his home in Jackson, Miss. Four girls killed Sept. 15 in bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. 1964 July 2 President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 1965 Malcolm X is murdered Feb. 21, 1965. Three men are convicted of his murder. August 6. President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The act, which King sought, authorized federal examiners to register qualified voters and suspended devices such as literacy tests that aimed to prevent African Americans from voting. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., unleashing violence in more than 100 cities. In response to Kings death, Seattle residents hurled firebombs, broke windows, and pelted motorists with rocks. Ten thousand people also marched to Seattle Center for a rally in his memory. 1992 The first racially based riots in years erupt in Los Angeles and other cities after a jury acquits L.A. police officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, an African American.

Symbolism and Allusion in Maya Angelous My Arkansas Essay -- Maya Ang

Symbolism and Allusion in Maya Angelou's "My Arkansas" "There is a deep brooding/ in Arkansas." Arkansas is stuck in the past, its memories of hatred and crime from ante-bellum days hindering the progression towards Civil Rights. Maya Angelou's poem of the struggle to a new wave of equality uses both general symbolism and historical allusion to make its theme clear to the reader. The poem uses general symbolism in nature, in time, and historical allusion to make the theme clear in a concise but vibrant poem. The general symbolism relating to nature assumes a common base of knowledge from which symbolism can be built. The poem opens with a description of Arkansas: "Old crimes like moss pend/ from poplar trees./ The sullen earth/ is much too/ red for comfort." The first example of general symbolism in this passage is the reference to moss. Moss is considered the base of the forest, the lowest level from which all of the other plants grow. Although moss is vital to a forest, it is often thought of as slimy and dirty. The moss "pend(s) from poplar trees," our second natural symbol. The poplar tree is weak and useless. Nothing can be built from its wood, and it often bends and breaks during storms. The visual image of the moss clinging to the poplar tree shows the slimy moss as "old crimes" and the poplar tree as the frail attempt at growth and a new but weak beginning. The reader gets a clear sense of the struggle toward a new life that is hindered and held back by the old, dependable moss t hat has been and always will be present. The second part of the passage discusses the "sullen earth" that is "much too red." Red earth can be symbolic in two ... ...e. Finally at the end of the poem the historical allusion brings the poem to a complete closure, and the theme of starting fresh is put into a more specific context. The "old hates" and "old crimes" are referring to those against African-Americans in the days of slavery. the new beginning for Arkansas is the attempt to reach equality, leaving the past behind. "Today is yet to come in Arkansas." Reading Angelou's poem shows the reader a new perspective on civil rights and its applicability in society. The use of general symbolism found in nature through the weak poplar tree hindered by moss and the cautious sun, paired with the historical allusion to the ante-bellum times make the theme of the poem clear. The past cannot be forgotten, and may hinder the future. Arkansas' struggle toward the future "writhes in awful/ waves of brooding" of the past.

Comparing The Holy Bible and Crime and Punishment :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Bible and Crime and Punishment Dosteovsky's novel Crime and Punishment depicts the Biblical account of Jesus' path to crucifixion burdened with a wooden cross through the character of Raskolnikov. After committing a cold-blooded murder he experiences mental anguish, and in a defeated state, confesses, and accepts the consequences of his crime. Although the novel begins by focusing on the crime itself, the majority of the book discusses Raskolnikov's struggle through denial and redemption after the murder has been committed. His own "greatness" leads to his denial of God, and his attempt to suppress his conscience causes insanity and sickness. However these negative consequences force him to acknowledge his rectitude and realize his need for confession. The prostitute, Sonya, helps Raskolnikov take a step toward redemption by discussing with him the Biblical account of Lazarus' revival from death. This scene depicts his inability to comprehend Sonya's God, and epitomizes his refusal to cling to a higher being. Raskolnikov's incessant pursuit of hindering Sonya's faith characterized the frustration and struggle he experienced because of spiritual issues. However, his path to confession progressed during their conversation because of his hidden desire to understand Sonya's faith. With her aid, he took a step toward redemption foreshadowing her action in raising him from the "dead." Sonya pleads with him to wear her cross and confess to his heinous crime. However, he refuses to accept this burden. This directly parallels with Jesus' refusal to die before his proper time. The climax of the novel takes place after Raskolnikov's realization and acceptance of his consequences. He visits Sonya and receives her cross. Through this action, he accepts punishment and ironically, his life. This gift's benefactor, Sonya, carries significance in this allusion to the Bible. Sonya, a sinner through the world's eyes, bestows her cross on Raskolnikov. In addition, she gives him the strength to live again. Jesus was given the cross to carry by the people, sinners by definition of the Bible. By his actions, he gave life back to the people that condemned him to death. Raskolnikov's tread to police headquarters for confession paralleled Jesus' trudge to crucifixion with his cross.

Video Game Addiction: Do we need a Video Gamers Anonymous? Essay

Video Game Addiction: Do we need a Video Gamers Anonymous? Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Street Fighter are familiar names to nearly all of us. They are all best selling games of major video game consoles. Over 9.8 billion dollars were spent on video games in the United States during 2001 alone, and video game consoles are present in 36 million homes in the United States (1). With the increasing amount of time that people are spending on video games, one is left to wonder if it is possible to become addicted to video games. Do we need a Video Gamers Anonymous? Addiction has been defined as "A primary, chronic disease, characterized by impaired control over the use of a psychoactive substance and/or behavior. Clinically, the manifestations occur along biological, psychological, sociological and spiritual dimensions (2)." While there is currently no category for video game addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3), which is the manual utilized to diagnose psychological disorders, video game addicts are often described by clinicians in the field as displaying many symptoms characteristic of other addictions. These behaviors include failure to stop playing games, difficulties in work or school, telling lies to loved ones, decreased attention to personal hygiene, decreased attention to family and friends, and disturbances in the sleep cycle (4). Withdrawal symptoms can even include behaviors as severe as shaking (5). All addictions can be dangerous and harmful to the addicted person and others around him; however, video game addiction can be particularly detrimental to children. Video games are becoming increasingly popular with children of young ages, which in turn may raise... ...//www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/internet/cybaddict.html 4)When games stop being fun, http://msnbc.msn.com/news/737966.asp?0si=- 5)Video games: Cause for concern?, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1036088.stm 6)Video games: Research, ratings, and recommendations, Contains many references for empirical studies http://ericeece.org/pubs/digests/1998/cesar98.html 7)Video games addiction, http://www.theparentreport.com/resources/ages/preteen/kids_culture/130.html 8)Are video games really so bad?, http://www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990510/video3.html 9)Questions Answered, http://www.missouri.edu/~kingjw/feb15q.html 10)Positron Emission Tomography , http://exn.ca/environment/ 11)The Biochemistry of Human Addiction, Discusses the role of dopamine in addiction http://www.er.doe.gov/feature_articles_2001/June/Decades/94.html

Literature Review of Selection Methods

Application forms Application forms are one of the most common selection and assessment methods in practice, used almost as much as the CV; most particularly in the public and voluntary sectors (Zibarras and Woods, 2010). Shackleton and Newell (1994) found that out of seventy-three British organisations they surveyed, 93. 2% of them used application forms. Zibarras and Woods (2010) found in a survey they conducted that the use of application forms by organisations were highest in either micro-organisations or very large organisations.The possible reasons for this could be that a very large organisation may receive a lot of applications therefore application forms may be used as a tool to refine the best applicants. In micro organisations the use of an application form could be to find out specific information about an applicant or to see whether they could cope working within such a small organisation. Another point that Zibarras and Woods (2010) recognize is that application forms a long with structured interviews can be defined as standardized selection methods.This could be interpreted as having a higher validity as in an application form an organisation can identify what they want to know about the applicant and then base the questions or the relevant information that is required, and add these into the application form. They also identify that application forms are more ‘legally defensible’. Application forms could be considered more formal, there are guidelines and everything is easy to monitor and pitted against a selection method such as a CV where the applicant has freedom to include what they want the employers to know.Management exercises Management or group exercises are an assessment method typically used within an assessment center. Blume, Dreher and Baldwin (2010) found that management and group exercises were able to assess the critical thinking and the oral communication of an applicant. However, they also found that these exercises like many other of the assessment center tasks involve high communication from the applicant and therefore may be deemed as stressful to some candidates.They go on to identify the importance of show off other skills like organisation and planning when effective oral communication is being assessed. Sackett and Dreher (1982) that when doing any group exercise at an assessment centre the most common skills that are presented through the exercise are leadership, initiative, planning and organisation, problem analysis and decision making, with scores ranging from . 67 and to . 79, the highest with either leadership or initiative.Also from this study, some key behaviours for a manager to possess are not tested very well using this assessment method, these include responsiveness; only scoring . 46, sensitivity; scoring . 47 and stress tolerance; with a score of . 54. Blume, B. D, Dreher, G. F and Baldwin, T. T. (2010). Examining the effects of communication and apprehension within assess ment centres. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology (2010), 83, 663-671. The British Psychological Society. Sackett, P. R and Dreher. G. F. (1982).Constructs and Assessment Center Dimensions: Some Troubling Empirical Findings. Journal of Applied Psychology 1982, Vol. 67, No. 4, 401-410. Shackleton, V, & Newell, S. (1994). European management selection methods: A comparison of five countries. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 2(2), 91-102 Zibarras, L. D and Woods, S. A (2010). A survey of UK selection practices across different organisztion sizes and industry sectors. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology 2010, 83, 499-511. The British Psychological Society

The required number of hours

Sleep is a basic human need. It functions to restore normal activity levels and normal balance among the parts of the nervous system and it allows for repair processes to occur as in protein synthesis (Kozier, 2004). Lack of sleep is said to cause an emotionally irritable, poorly concentrated individual that experiences decision making difficulty. The required number of hours of sleep per day varies with age. A newborn is expected to sleep for 16 to 18 hours a day, an infant 22 hours a day, a toddler 10 to 12 hours per day and preschool children need 11 to 12 hours of sleep per day (Kozier, 2004).As the individual grows older, he is required to sleep less. School aged children is required 8 to 12 hours of sleep, adolescents 8 to 10 hours, young adults 7 to 8 hours, middle aged adults 6 to 8 hours and elders only 6 hours (Kozier, 2004). The circadian rhythm, the most familiar rhythmic biologic clock that is responsible for our sleep-wake patterns, follows a dark-light pattern with the suprachiasmatic nucleus as its pacemaker (Bullock, 2000).The suprachiasmatic nucleus is found in the anterior hypothalamus and is stimulated by the receptors in the retina of our eyes. Melatonin, which has regulatory effects on the SCN, is secreted by the pineal gland and its secretion is stimulated by the dark and is suppressed by light (Bullock, 2000). Melatonin promotes sleep in this way, and fewer hormones secreted, as in the elderly, will be one of the many causes for insomnia (Bullock, 2000). There are several factors that can cause sleep pattern disturbance aside from a decrease in melatonin.Sleep pattern disturbances can be caused by external or internal factors and these disturbances can only be classified as a medical condition when they chronically interrupt sleep (Bullock, 2000) or when the inability to sleep well at night causes impaired daytime functioning (Atkinson, 2000). Sleep pattern disturbances have been grouped into four categories by the Association of Sleep D isorders Center, namely, disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, disorders of excessive somnolence, disorders of sleeping-waking schedule and dysfunctions associated with sleep, sleep stages or partial arousal (Atkinson, 2000).Disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep include insomnias, which is the inability to sleep and maybe exhibited by difficulty falling asleep, there are recurrent awakenings, and early morning awakening without being able to go back to sleep (Atkinson, 2000). Reasons for the cause of insomnia is still not known, as some claim that this is a symptom of a disease or just a perception of individuals who feel that they have not gotten enough sleep because of some factors they claim to have experienced. Insomnia can be attributed to various factors that could either be pathologic or psychological.Pathologic causes include disease process, pain, obstructive uropathy, hyperthyroidism, congenital heart failure, respiratory disease, arthritis, and hormonal i mbalance (Atkinson, 2000). Psychologically, anxiety, obsessive worrying, chronic stress and depression can bring about insomnia (Atkinson, 2000). As much as possible, interventions for insomnia remain to be nonpharmacologic, but if the individual is experiencing sleeplessness that is ruining his daytime activities, a doctor will prescribe selected sedative-hypnotic medications.Although effective, these medications should not be used as often and several considerations should be noted. These medications produce a central nervous system depression and produces an unnatural sleep, it may resolve insomnia for tonight, but may disturb sleep the following night and cause daytime drowsiness (Kozier, 2004). Some medications are antianxiety medications which decrease the arousal ability of the individual taking it; these are also contraindicated to be taken by pregnant women because of the congenital anomalies that they may cause (Kozier, 2004).These medications also vary in their onset and duration of action and continuous use can lead to tolerance or to drug dependency (Kozier, 2004). Sudden cessation of these medications can result in withdrawal symptoms and even death, thus before withdrawal of medications, the dose should be gradually tapered to about 25% to 30% weekly. Examples of these medications are Chloral hydrate (Noctec), Ethchlorvynol (Placidyl), Flurazepam (Dalmane), Glutethimide (Doriden), Lorazepam (Ativan), Melatonin, Temazepam (Restoril), Triazolam (Halcion), Zaleplon (Sonata), and Zolpidem (Ambien) (Kozier, 2004).Alternative treatment for insomnia have been preferred over the pharmacologic therapy because alternative treatment is natural, hence less side effects are experienced and the individual will be able to have control over his sleep-wake cycle. Nonorthodox, unconventional, alternative, complementary, are a number of terms used to denote non-medical treatment that has been used since early times for a variety of diseases. Complementary and alte rnative medicine is defined as being identified through a social process as those practices that do not form part of the dominant system for managing health and disease (Kozier, 2004, p.224). Before considering any therapy, be it alternative or pharmacologic, the individual is advised to consider techniques on promoting rest and sleep. A person who is suffering from insomnia should establish a regular sleep-wake pattern, this means that he should try to go to sleep at the same time everyday and wake up at the same time also. This is to prevent disruptions in the biologic clock (Kozier, 2004). He should also try to eliminate lengthy naps in between sleeps, and if ever necessary should limit this to only thirty minutes per day at the same time everyday (Kozier, 2004).He should get ample exercise or physical activities during the day to lower stress but this should not be done two hours before bedtime. The individual should also avoid dealing with personal problems or office work befor e going to sleep and instead should establish a routine before sleep such as reading a book, listening to music or drinking a glass of warm milk (Kozier, 2004). Finally, to establish a sleep pattern the person is asked to only use the bed for sleeping, so that he would associate it with sleep, and that if still not drowsy, pursue some relaxing activity (Kozier, 2004).The environment also plays a role in helping the individual fall asleep. There should be appropriate lighting, temperature and ventilation as per the person’s desire, noise should be kept to a minimum and if extraneous noise is present, it should be blocked with soft music (Kozier, 2004). With regards to food consumption and diet, the individual should not take a heavy meal 3 hours before bedtime and to decrease fluid intake 2 to 4 hours prior to going to sleep but if it cannot be helped, void before sleeping (Kozier, 2004).Several drugs can disrupt sleep by delaying its onset, decreasing sleep time, and cause ni ghtmares and should be avoided before sleeping, examples are alcohol, amphetamines, antidepressants, beta-blockers, bronchodilators, caffeine, decongestants, and steroid (Kozier, 2004). Caffeine – containing foods and beverages include coffee, soda, tea and chocolate and should not be taken 4 hours before bedtime. Promoting comfort and relaxation may be helpful.The individual should wear loose-fitting nightwear, have taken a bath and does not feel sweaty and hot, make sure the bed linen is soft, smooth, clean and dry, and a back massage may be done, which is a type of touch therapy (Kozier, 2004). There are several healing modalities that are being implemented to help alleviate insomnia, and this includes touch therapy, mind-body therapy, and aroma therapy. Touch therapies, which include massage, foot reflexology, acupressure, and reiki, may stimulate the production of healing-promoting chemicals by the immune or limbic system (Kozier, 2004).Massage assists in relaxation and blood circulation improvement (Kozier, 2004). Physically, it promotes muscle relaxation by helping in release of lactic acid that is formed during strenuous activities and exercise, it improves blood and lymph flow, stretches joints, and helps in body toxin release and immune system stimulation (Kozier, 2004). It also has mental and emotional benefits like anxiety relief and it provides a sense of relaxation and well-being (Kozier, 2004).There are three kinds of massage strokes, namely effleurage (stroking), friction pressure and petrissage which is kneading or large quick pinches of the skin, subcutaneous tissues and muscles (Kozier, 2004). Mind-body therapies utilize the individual’s focus on realigning or creating balance in mental processed to bring about healing (Kozier, 2004). Progressive relaxation is most helpful in insomnia because it reduces increased level of stress and chronic pain by enabling the individual to wield control over the body’s responses to anx iety and tension (Kozier, 2004).There are three requisites though, to be able to make use of this technique. There should be correct posture, the person’s mind should be at rest and the environment should be noise free as possible and the technique is to make the individual tense and relax his muscles alternately and then focus attention on the differentiating feelings of each action (Kozier, 2004). This can result to decreased oxygen consumption by decreased metabolism, heart and respiratory rate, and decreased blood pressure (Kozier, 2004).Aromatherapy, which is defined clinically as the controlled use of essential oils for specific measurable outcomes by Kozier, can be used by massaging into the body, added to water that is used when bathing, inhaled or applied as hot or cold compresses. The oils used in this therapy are distilled from a variety of substances such as flowers, roots, wood resins, leaves, lemon or orange rinds, barks, etc. When inhaled, the oil’s arom a is detected by olfactory receptor cells in our nares.The stimuli received will travel along the olfactory nerve or the cranial nerve I, the stimuli will then be received by the olfactory bulb and will be sent to the brain. The essential oil aroma is thought to play a role in emotions, memory and a variety of body functions including the heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and immune response (Kozier, 2004). There are 300 essential oils being used and some of these are lavender for headache relief, stress and insomnia, peppermint for nausea relief, aid in respiration an antipyretic, and sandalwood for chapped skin, depression, and stress (Kozier, 2004).There are also some herbal preparations that can be used for insomnia. Hops and valerian are used to induce sleep by nervous system relaxation, as recommended by the website Holistic online. There are ways by which we can combine both the conventional treatment and the alternative therapies to reduce insomnia. One way is to do the techniques on promoting rest and sleep, while on low-dosed medication. In a way, this might still be useful in eventually lowering and then eliminating drug use while still maintaining a normal sleep-wake pattern.Although plausible, it is still best advised to not take pharmacologic therapy when necessary. There is to some extent a risk on using sedative-hypnotic drugs, as mentioned earlier. This can cause drug dependency, withdrawal symptoms if stopped abruptly without tapering the dose gradually, and can disrupt the sleep-wake pattern by causing excessive sleep and daytime drowsiness. It should also be noted that these drugs can be expensive and if needed on a daily basis may become a burden to healthcare cost budgets.The benefit of course is that you will be able to sleep, after a few minutes once the drug is taken. As to the nonpharmacologic treatment suggestions, there are no risks, as long as the person who would want to try out these therapies has an open mind and is willing to subject himself to these procedures. Health wise, the therapies do not present any danger to the individual being subjected to the procedures unless pregnant, has allergies to the essential oils or herbs, has fractures, skin conditions or disease processes.If the person has insomnia as a symptom to an underlying disease, he should immediately heed the physician’s advice. I do not see alternative treatment as a threat to the medical community, nor a competition. These two have very different procedures and are based on different dogmas that they should not be compared to each other. Although it cannot be helped, people should always be open-minded about these things, because they are at times useful, and have been subjected to numerous tests to be proven safe and effective.Of course, if one is in doubt of the nature or cause of their insomnia, one should head to the nearest clinic or to the family physician before taking these alternative treatments into consideration. Once there is no underlying pathology, then before taking sleeping pills to make the dilemma go away, nonpharmacologic therapy should and is highly recommended to be done. There is no harm to it, and it might just help. It costs less and can be done right at home without spending gas to go some place else. But if all else fails, then it is suggested to take the sleeping pills as prescribed by the physician.References Atkinson, R. L. , Atkinson R. C. , Smith E. E. , Bem, D. J. , & Nolen-Koeksema, S. (2000). Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology. USA: Thomson. Bullock, B. and Henze, R. (2000). Focus on Pathophysiology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Holistic Online. (1998-2007). Herb and Herbal Therapies. Retrieved January 25, 2008, from http://holisticonline. com/Remedies/Sleep/sleep_insomnia_herbs. htm Kozier, B. Erb, G. , Berman, A. , & Snyder, S. (2004). Fundamentals of Nursing. USA: Pearson Education. .

Difficulties Interracial Couples Experience

I see interracial couples all the time facing unique struggles and lacking support from family, friends and multiple others. Having knowledge of the reasoning behind this lack of acceptance will help one form a greater understanding that may enable an individual to adjust the judgmental difficulties that they are faced with in an interracial union. The interactions with people that mixed couples experience can be viewed as symbolic interactions because the gestures and words that are interpreted often in negative ways can contribute to the difficulties faced.People deal with racial struggles all over the world. Different countries experience a greater degree of struggles than others. Since Canada is a multicultural country, one might assume that interracial couples would be more accepted and faced with less racial struggles. Unfortunately, that is not the case; couples are still ridiculed. In present day, it's true that interracial couples are more accepted now than years previous bu t support of exogamy is still low. A mere fifty years earlier, the thought of a mixed union was a taboo. During the era of segregation, a mixed union between an AfricanCanadian and a Caucasian person was unthinkable. The federal government in Canada has a history of polices that have attempted to separate races from joining in relationships. A vivid example of Canada's attempt to control and prevent interracial intimacies is the Indian Act. â€Å"The Indian Act, with all its variations, clearly restricted and provided penalties for interracial sex and marriages. † (Real Canadian History, 2012) Some of the discrimination that mixed couples receive today, from individuals has been passed through the previous generations.Though, as generations become more educated they re likely to be more opened minded. The history of views on interracial relationships has contributed to the lacking acceptance experienced in present day. There is no one definitive answer as to why there is hatr ed toward mixed unions, what does exist in the scholar world are a few general statements that provide some understanding. Most Of the problems that interracial couples face relate to racism, discrimination and prejudice. Today's â€Å"young people, who have went to college are educated and more commonly opened-minded. (Bridge News, 2007) This generation is commonly the population participating in interracial unions and they are often more accepting. â€Å"Their parents however, are not as educated and are still strong believers of sticking to your own race. † (Bridge News, 2007) This is a reason why some parents disapprove of mixed relationships. Parent's opinions are often very important to their children. Stereotypes about different races can also influence the views that a parent could have regarding an interracial union that their child is apart of. Prejudice often results from the mismatch between beliefs about the attributes typically possessed by members of a social group (that is, their stereotype) and beliefs about the attributes that facilitate success in valued social roles† (On the Nature of Prejudice, p. 19). Similarly, â€Å"[On the Nature of Nature of Prejudice] argue[s] that the potential for prejudice exists when social perceivers hold a stereotype about a social group that is inconsistent with the attributes that are believed to be required for success in certain classes of social roles† (p. 3). Parents are non-accepting when such perceived stereotypes are negative. Jon K. Mills at Vanderbilt University did an investigation Of a group with 142 undergraduates on the receptions of family acceptance concerning interracial relationships. Mills concluded, â€Å"both Black and White students indicated that family perception of these interracial relationships would be negative† (Family Acceptance Involving Interracial Friendships, p. 349). The most common question that is asked of mixed couples is â€Å"what do your par ents think of your relationship?This is more evidence that parental disapproval is a common difficulty that mixed couples endure. â€Å"Hate still looms as aforementioned because of the inherent survival mechanism that many racial groups want. It is a form of protection almost. † (Lotus, 201 3) Parents have a hard time accepting or even considering the idea of having a grandchild that is mixed with another race different from their own. â€Å"Ezekiel (1995) argues that racists often fear their own survival as a group and hate gives them comfort and assurance that their survival will be met or achieved. Another common issue in mixed unions is the joining of different religions and different cultures. Couples are usually supportive of each other's beliefs but often run into problems. Some religions pacifically disagree with marrying outside of the said religion. More generally couples run into issues such as dietary restrictions. As an example, practicing Muslims do not eat po rk and all of their meat must be hall. Different religions lead to different holidays, which can keep couples wondering which traditions they Will pass onto their kids.Interracial couples are ridiculed often because of the difficulties they will pass onto their children. â€Å"In October 2009, a Louisiana Justice of Peace refused to perform a marriage for a mixed-race couple because he was concerned with the rejection and confusion their hillier would experience growing up† (Curry, 2010). Some mixed couples decide not to have children because they do not want their children to go through the things they have experienced and to avoid the difficult decisions of which traditions to pass forward.This is another contributor to why individuals do not accept interracial couples and it is also a difficulty regarding important decisions that mixed couples must make. A lot of research regarding interracial couples reveals that such couples face difficulties that are often due to family opinions. There are multiple reasons why families, specifically parents, do not accept mixed unions. Such reasons have been elaborated on and it has been expressed that parental opinions are often a large influence in one's life.When parents have negative views on mixed relationships, it places a burden upon children participating in such relationships. It is true that other factors such as religious and culture differences, give difficult problems to mixed couples as well; such factors are not always as detrimental because they are outweighed by the benefits they receive in the relationship. Research on mixed relationships also revealed any unknown benefits of these relationships.

Index Numbers of Commodity Prices and Industries

Index Numbers of Commodity Prices and Industries In India index numbers are constructed for a wide range of economic subjects and their use is constantly increasing. The construction of index numbers started in India as early as the last quarter of 19th century. The main use of index numbers is to facilitate the assessment of average changes over the years with regard to wide range of economic activities. Many official and non-official agencies compile and publish index numbers of various kind. Index number of industrial production The Index Number of Industrial production was first compiled by the Office of theEconomic Adviser to the Government of India with base 1937 = 100. The index has been revised from time to time with respect to the base year, the basis of weighing and the coverage of items. The current index number is with base 1970 = 100 and the items covered are divided into four groups, viz. , i. Basic industries, it. Capital goods industries, iii. Intermediate goods indus tries and ‘v. Consumer goods industries. Index numbers of commodity prices Index Number of commodity prices may be broadly classified as index number of wholesale prices and index number of retail prices. ) Index number of wholesale prices- The wholesale price index number are of two types: i. The general purpose index is constructed with a view to reflect the changes taking place in the general price level; hence it includes a large number of commodities. i'. A sensitive index on the other hand serves as an indicator of the movements of the general price levels and it includes only few important commodities which generally react quickly to the market trends. The current index number of wholesale prices has 1970-71 as the base year. (b) Index number of retail prices- The chief retail price index numbers ompiled in India are i.Labour bureau index number of retail prices for urban centres and it. Labour bureau index number of retail prices for rural centres. The Labour Bureau, M inistry of Labour, Government of India, compiles and publishes the index number of retail prices for 18 selected urban centres and 11 selected rural centres in various parts of the country on monthly basis. The index number initially had 1944 as the base. Now the construction of this index number is discontinued and it is replaced by simple price relatives of certain selected articles of consumption ith the calendar year 1960 as base year. c) Consumer price index numbers- The consumer price index number compiled and published by the Labour Bureau are important indicators of the changing economic situation in the country. At all India level three different series of consumer price index numbers are compiled. They are: i. Consumer price index of industrial workers, it. Consumer price index for non-manual employees and iii. Consumer price index for agricultural labourers. http://classofl . com/homework-help/statistics-homework-help/