Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Employee relations-Japan Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee relations-Japan - Speech or Presentation Example include labour market deregulation, changes in nature of employment such as employment duration and permanence, wealth distribution inequality, changes in firm governance, and performance-related pay. Labour market deregulation involves measures by the government and policy makers to simplify and reduce restrictions on already existing labour regulations. The main focus of labour deregulation is to improve productivity and easing employee work. Additionally, labour deregulation seeks to achieve lower prices yet maintaining maximum efficiency and productivity. For example, in Japan there has been laws that facilitate adoption of agency workers who are in most cases women and migrants hence incur less costs in terms of wages. However, this has been met by opposition terming the government as inefficient since this policies are arguably in contrast with the 1985 amendments to the LSL seeking to reduce working hours for women (Kato & Kodama 2014, p.11). In the past, large firms in Japan had adopted a culture of recruiting young people, either fresh from universities or the final year, without necessarily seeking job experience. These young people normally remained in the firms as their career develop within the form by gaining promotions (Firkola 2011, p.2). As a result, this system has given employees a sense of belonging in the respective firms bringing hence feeling as part of the firm and consequently increasing production levels. However, with recent policies has forced a drop on the number of recruitments by the large firms and long term employments have also dropped significantly. Atypical employment refers to employment that is not permanent such as employments on the basis of a fixed term. This implies that after the agreed duration the contract can be either terminated or renewed. One of the emerging issues in Japan in the modern day is adoption of atypical employment. This can be attributed to the increased need to reduce production costs yet maintaining

Monday, October 28, 2019

Cult and cult leader Essay Example for Free

Cult and cult leader Essay Cult† is a term used to describe certain religious groups outside of the mainstream of Western religion. A cut leader is non-Christian but has roots in Christianity while denying what he considered its essential teaching or can be one who follows an altogether different religious structure, one foreign and alien to the prevalent religious communities . in the in the case of the latter cults represent a force of religious innovation within a culture. In most cases that innovation comes about by the transplantation of a religion from a different culture by the immigration of some of its members and leaders. Others described cults as groups which hypnotized or brainwashed recruits, destroyed their ability to make rational judgments and turned them into slaves of the groups leader, as by the above definition Healter was cult leader since he practiced and allowed some of these practices which are associated with cult leaders ; Members swear total allegiance to an all-powerful leader who they believe to be the Messiah, rational thought is discouraged or forbidden, the cults recruitment techniques are often deceptive, the cult weakens the follower psychologically by making him or her depend upon the group to solve his or her problems, the cults manipulate guilt to their advantage, the cult leader makes all the career and life decision of the members, cults exist only for their own material survival and make false promises to work to improve society, cult members often work fulltime for the group for little or no pay, cults are apocalyptic and believe themselves to be the remnant who will sur vive the soon-approaching end of the world. There are many things condick david crashed with the gorverment on appointment post also on issues facing religion. Reference: 1. Elmer Clarks pioneering survey of the Small Sects in America (1949) . .

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Industrial Revolution :: European Europe History

The Industrial Revolution Examine in detail the History of the Industrial Revolution. Discuss why Britain led the way in the Industrial Revolution and also explain in detail the effects of industrialization on society. Had it not been for the industrial revolution, I would doubt very much that we would enjoy the technology we have in the year 2000. The reason we have this technology is that between the years 1750 and 1914 a great change in the world's history was made. People started to discover faster methods of producing goods, which increased their economy. These people were mainly British and French, but after a few years the French were distracted by their revolution, and the British continued to industrialize. However you must not think this industrialization had no effects on society because it did. So in this essay I am going to talk about the history of the industrial revolution, discuss why Britain led the way in the industrial revolution and also I am going to explain to you in detail the effects of industrialization on society. In the midevel ages people were living in total darkness, and they did not know what was going on in the world around them. Happily the medieval ages were followed by the renaissance. Then came the year 1750, the year of the agricultural revolution in Britain which led away to a revolution in industry. Charles Townshend for example was one of the people who made the agricultural revolution possible. He suggested rotating the crops every year or two, to help the soil get enriched with vitamins and nutrition's. The America's then introduced potatoes to Great Britain. New farm machines were invented, for example Jethro Tull developed a seed drill which planted seeds in straight rows and farmers began using new iron plows in place of inofitiant wooden plows. In addition to that, the enclosure movement brought wealthy people to farm larger amounts of land, which was very good for the agricultural revolution. This revolution improved peoples diet and health leading to an increased populati on, which demanded healthy food, clothing and employment. Since many farmers were seeking jobs, they found it now in the textile industry, which created a new demand for laborers. You shall notice now that the mechanical inventions were so rapid and each one triggered another new one. A few examples of these inventions are the flying shuttle by John Kay, the spinning jenny by James Hargraves, the water frame by Richard Akriwght, the power loom by Edward Cartwight, Samuel Cromptons spinning mule, and Eli Whitney's cotton gin.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Disabilities Act :: essays research papers

THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Introduction Barriers to employment, transportation, public accommodations, public services, and telecommunications have imposed staggering economic and social costs on American society and have undermined our well-intentioned efforts to educate, rehabilitate, and employ individuals with disabilities. By breaking down these barriers, the Americans with Disabilities Act will enable society to benefit from the skills and talents of individuals with disabilities, will allow us all to gain from their increased purchasing power and ability to use it, and will lead to fuller, more productive lives for all Americans. The Americans with Disabilities Act gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications. Fair, swift, and effective enforcement of this landmark civil rights legislation is a high priority of the Federal Government. This booklet is designed to provide answers to some of the most often asked questions about the new law. This publication was printed with the generous support of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research EMPLOYMENT Q. What employers are covered by title I of the ADA, and when is the coverage effective? A. The title I employment provisions apply to private employers, State and local governments, employment agencies, and labor unions. Employers with 25 or more employees are covered as of July 26, 1992. Employers with 15 or more employees will be covered two years later, beginning July 26, 1994. Q. What practices and activities are covered by the employment nondiscrimination requirements? A. The ADA prohibits discrimination in all employment practices, including job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. It applies to recruitment, advertising, tenure, layoff, leave, fringe benefits, and all other employment-related activities. Q. Who is protected from employment discrimination? A. Employment discrimination is prohibited against "qualified individuals with disabilities." This includes applicants for employment and employees. An individual is considered to have a "disability" if s/he has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. Persons discriminated against because they have a known association or relationship with an individual with a disability also are protected. The first part of the

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Analysis on Mulan and the Twilight Saga

Women are to be beautiful, curvy, delicate, poised, graceful, refined, thin, curvy, quiet, demure and polite. Men are portrayed as the leaders of society, whereas women are only there to give birth to children. Manual is graceful, calm, and unique she is also beautiful and cur,y, Just like society wants. But that is where it stops. Unlike society wishes, she is not quiet, demure, or delicate. Instead she is intelligent, strong, and independent and is not afraid to be what she wants to be.And therefore, when the mime came when she did not want her father to lose his life in battle, she goes against society's standards when it comes to women on the battlefield and disguises herself as a man to be able to Join the army. She proves that she is Just as capable as a man by Joining the army and doing the same things the men do at training camp, If not more. But by the end of the movie, she saves the country. Feminists hope that people's outlook on female roles and equality will change for t he better, and In some ways the hope lies with the media.Books, movies, poems, songs, TV shows and any there types of influences on the public are their hope In delivering their message. Manual is an animated movie that many kids watch and enjoy from a young age. At a young age they start to develop opinions about everything they Interact with. Therefore, developing a movie like Manual will Influence the children to treat females as equals. The treatment of females will be Improved through the next generation. This will help the feminists with their cause.Twilight Throughout the story, Bella Swan does not have trouble coming to a decision as all ere decisions are based on the fact If a decision will bring her closer to Edward or help him. Her choices are not based on her benefits or what will help her, which portrays the sexist outlook of women – weak, obedient, and not equal – which has been shown throughout history. In New Moon, when Edward leaves Bella, she does eve rything In her power to be able to see Edward, from rolling a motorcycle recklessly to Jumping Off cliff Into stormy waves.This also shows that women are nothing without men, which Is not what the fervently movement wants. Yes the love they had for each other and the devotion that was expressed In the novel was well-played, but the weakness of the female lead does not push society to accept woman as equals economically, politically, or socially. This book does not promote female equality but Instead female Inequality. Furthermore, Bella relies on Edward for her to live and on Jacob In New Moon. Analysis on Manual and the Twilight Saga Through a Feminist Point of View By Chocolate's beautiful and curvy, Just like society wants.But that is where it stops. Unlike society y Joining the army and doing the same things the men do at training camp, if not people's outlook on female roles and equality will change for the better, and in some other types of influences on the public are their h ope in delivering their message. Young age they start to develop opinions about everything they interact with. Therefore, developing a movie like Manual will influence the children to treat females as equals. The treatment of females will be improved through the next generation.Throughout the story, Bella Swan does not have trouble coming to a decision as all ere decisions are based on the fact if a decision will bring her closer to Edward or everything in her power to be able to see Edward, from riding a motorcycle recklessly to Jumping off a cliff into stormy waves. This also shows that women are nothing without men, which is not what the feminist movement wants. Yes the love they had for each other and the devotion that was expressed in the novel was well-played, but instead female inequality. Furthermore, Bella relies on Edward for her to live and on Jacob in New Moon.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Elements Combind that led up to the French Revolution essays

Elements Combind that led up to the French Revolution essays There were many causes of the French Revolution. Political, Social, and economic discontent; Discontent of the Bourgeoisie; Enlightenment ideas; Financial collapse. Before the revolution there were three estates. v The first which Consisted of the higher and lower clergy. v The second, which consisted of the nobility. They owned a quarter of the land in France. They held the highest offices in government and army. v The Third Estate was composed of peasants, city workers, and the middle class. King Louis XV and Louis XVI had extravagant lifestyles. France was spending more money than it was bringing in. Both kings spent the countrys money on unnecessary items. The main job in the government was to protect the country and manage wars. The wars drained Frances money and often France gained nothing from being in the war. In the Seven yrs. war for example France lost large amounts of money, lost the war, and even lost their colonies in North America. Many regarded this loss as humiliation and a show of weakness on their governments part. During the late 18th century the peasant population increased dramatically. This sudden increase called for more land. Land was being distributed smaller and smaller until a farmer could no longer support his own family on the bit of land that he now owned. Peasants could barely do anything with the small plots of land that they were receiving due to the increase in population. Wars cost France a great deal of money. The wars in America left France in debt. To make up for this loss of money the government increased taxes. The weight of these taxes fell heavily on the peasants. King Louis asked the First and Second Estates to pay a land tax but they refused and because of the way government was run. The hardships the peasants faced grew greatly and their resentment toward the no ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Medieval Half-Timbered Construction

Medieval Half-Timbered Construction Half-timbering is a way of constructing wood frame structures with the structural timbers exposed. This medieval method of construction is called timber framing. A half-timbered building wears its wood frame on its sleeve, so to speak. The wooden wall framing - studs, cross beams, and braces - are exposed to the outside, and the spaces between the wooden timbers are filled with plaster, brick, or stone. Originally a common type of building method in the 16th century, half-timbering has become decorative and non-structural in designs for todays homes. A good example of a true half-timbered structure from the 16th century is the Tudor-era manor house known as Little Moreton Hall (c. 1550) in Cheshire, United Kingdom.  In the United States, a Tudor-style home is really a Tudor Revival, which simply takes the look of half-timbering instead of exposing the structural wooden beams on the exterior facade or the interior walls. A well-known example of this effect is the  Nathan G. Moore house in Oak Park, Illinois. It is the house Frank Lloyd Wright hated, although the young architect himself designed this traditional Tudor-influenced American manor home in 1895. Why did Wright hate it? Although Tudor Revival was popular, the house that Wright really wanted to work on was his own original design, an experimental modern home that became known as the Prairie Style. His client, however, wanted a traditionally dignified design of the elite. Tudor Revival styles were extremely popular to a certain upper-middle-class sector of the American population from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Definition The familiar half-timbered was used informally to mean timber-framed construction in the Middle Ages. For economy, cylindrical logs were cut in half, so one log could be used for two (or more) posts. The shaved side was traditionally on the exterior and everyone knew it to be half the timber. The Dictionary of Architecture and Construction defines half-timbered this way: Descriptive of buildings of the 16th and 17th cent. which were built with strong timber foundations, supports, knees, and studs, and whose walls were filled in with plaster or masonry materials such as brick. Construction Method After 1400 A.D., many European houses were masonry on the first floor and half-timbered on the upper floors. This design was originally pragmatic - not only was the first floor seemingly more protected from bands of marauders but like todays foundations a masonry base could well support tall wooden structures. Its a design model that continues with todays revival styles. In the United States, colonists brought these European building methods with them, but the harsh winters made half-timbered construction impractical. The wood expanded and contracted dramatically, and the plaster and masonry filling between the timbers could not keep out cold drafts. Colonial builders began to cover exterior walls with wood clapboards or masonry. The Look Half-timbering was a popular European construction method toward the end of the Middle Ages and into the reign of the Tudors. What we think of as Tudor architecture often has the half-timbered look. Some authors have chosen the word Elizabethan to describe half-timbered structures. Nevertheless, during the late 1800s, it became fashionable to imitate Medieval building techniques. A Tudor Revival house expressed American success, wealth, and dignity. Timbers were applied to exterior wall surfaces as decoration. False half-timbering became a popular type of ornamentation in many nineteenth and twentieth-century house styles, including Queen Anne, Victorian Stick, Swiss Chalet, Medieval Revival (Tudor Revival), and, occasionally, on modern-day Neotraditional houses and commercial buildings. Examples Until the fairly recent invention of rapid transportation, such as the freight train, buildings were constructed with local materials. In areas of the world that are naturally forested, homes made of wood dominated the landscape. Our word timber comes from Germanic words meaning wood and wood structure. Think of yourself in the middle of a land filled with trees - todays Germany, Scandinavia, Great Britain, Switzerland, the mountainous region of Eastern France - and then think about how you can use those trees to build a house for your family. When you cut down each tree, you may yell Timber! to warn people of its impending fall. When you put them together to make a house, you can stack them up horizontally like a log cabin or you can stack them vertically, like a stockade fence. The third way of using wood to construct a house is to build a primitive hut - use the wood to build a frame and then put insulating materials in between the frame. How much and what kinds of material you use will depend on how harsh the weather is where you are building. Throughout Europe, tourists flock to cities and towns that prospered during the Middle Ages. Within the Old Town areas, original half-timbered architecture has been restored and maintained. In France, for example, towns like Strasbourg near the German border and Troyes, about 100 miles southeast of Paris, have wonderful examples of this medieval design. In Germany, Old Town Quedlinburg and the historic town of Goslar are both UNESCO Heritage Site. Remarkably, Goslar is cited not for its medieval architecture but for its mining and water management practices that date back to the Middle Ages. Perhaps most notable to the American tourist are the English towns of Chester and York, two cities in northern England. Despite their Roman origins, York and Chester have a reputation for being  quintessentially British because of the many half-timbered dwellings. Likewise, Shakespeares birthplace and Anne Hathaways Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon are well-known half-timbered houses in the United Kingdom. The writer William Shakespeare lived from 1564 until 1616, so many of the buildings associated with the famous playwright are half-timbered styles from the Tudor era. Sources Dictionary of Architecture and Construction, Cyril M. Harris, ed., McGraw-Hill, 1975, p. 241Architecture through the Ages by Professor Talbot Hamlin, FAIA, Putnam, Revised 1953American House Styles: A Concise Guide by John Milnes Baker, AIA, Norton, 1994, p. 100

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on Jean-Baptiste Lully

Giovanni Battista Lulli was born on November 28, 1632. His father, Lorenzo di Maldo, was a miller and his mother, Caterina del Sera, was a miller’s daughter. Lully was born in Florence, Italy and lived there until age 11. While in Italy he studied dance and music; he played violin and guitar. In March of 1646 he moved to France to tutor Mlle de Montpensier in Italian. There he studied composition and harpsichord. Lully was able to hear the King’s grande bande perform, witness balls where the best French dance music was played. When Mlle de Montpensier was exiled from Paris, Lully was released from her service and gained the attention of King Louis XIV. In February 1653 he danced in â€Å"Ballet de la nuit† with the King and less than a month later was appointed the King’s â€Å"composituer de la musique instrumentale de Roi.† Over the next ten years Lully gained control over all the royal family’s court music. This is when he began experimenting with performance practices and changing the basic stylistic features of orchestral music. Lully’s â€Å"petits violons† brought him international fame. At this point Lully focused his career on ballets. They brought together Lully’s two favorite expressions of art: dance and music. The dances he composed shaped what is now known as â€Å"French music.† Between 1658 and 1671 Lully wrote thirty ballets. During this ballet frenzy he received his French citizenship and changed his name from Lulli to Lully. He also elevated his father’s status to â€Å"gentilhomme Florentin.† Also in 1661 Lully was appointed the composer of chamber music for the King. In 1664 Lully collaborated with Jean-Baptiste Molià ¨re and started composing comà ©dies-ballets. He didn’t thing the French language was appropriate for large works but was good for ballets. Perrin, a French composer, introduced opera around this time and Lully thought it was absurd. However, when Perrin’s â€Å"Prom... Free Essays on Jean-Baptiste Lully Free Essays on Jean-Baptiste Lully Giovanni Battista Lulli was born on November 28, 1632. His father, Lorenzo di Maldo, was a miller and his mother, Caterina del Sera, was a miller’s daughter. Lully was born in Florence, Italy and lived there until age 11. While in Italy he studied dance and music; he played violin and guitar. In March of 1646 he moved to France to tutor Mlle de Montpensier in Italian. There he studied composition and harpsichord. Lully was able to hear the King’s grande bande perform, witness balls where the best French dance music was played. When Mlle de Montpensier was exiled from Paris, Lully was released from her service and gained the attention of King Louis XIV. In February 1653 he danced in â€Å"Ballet de la nuit† with the King and less than a month later was appointed the King’s â€Å"composituer de la musique instrumentale de Roi.† Over the next ten years Lully gained control over all the royal family’s court music. This is when he began experimenting with performance practices and changing the basic stylistic features of orchestral music. Lully’s â€Å"petits violons† brought him international fame. At this point Lully focused his career on ballets. They brought together Lully’s two favorite expressions of art: dance and music. The dances he composed shaped what is now known as â€Å"French music.† Between 1658 and 1671 Lully wrote thirty ballets. During this ballet frenzy he received his French citizenship and changed his name from Lulli to Lully. He also elevated his father’s status to â€Å"gentilhomme Florentin.† Also in 1661 Lully was appointed the composer of chamber music for the King. In 1664 Lully collaborated with Jean-Baptiste Molià ¨re and started composing comà ©dies-ballets. He didn’t thing the French language was appropriate for large works but was good for ballets. Perrin, a French composer, introduced opera around this time and Lully thought it was absurd. However, when Perrin’s â€Å"Prom...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Managing Multiple Generations During Times of Change Research Paper

Managing Multiple Generations During Times of Change - Research Paper Example eration Y which represents the group of people currently joining the workforce is characterized with diverse and unique qualities that need to be carefully taken into consideration by firms and organizations at the onset of their employment (Asch, 2004). According to the Society of Human Resource Management in the United States, the future employees bear attributes which include being very techno-savvy, highly flexible as well as being able to do less monotonous jobs. This is contrary to the pre-boomers who are less flexible and enjoy doing the same work over and over again. They enjoy working smooth and well established systems which do not under go frequent changes. Recruitment and staffing agencies therefore require an understanding of the group of people who are presently seeking employment or are already employed. They need to understand what their needs and demands are and thus efficiently integrate them into the current workforce so as to ensure smooth transition between the generations. These processes pose great challenges to the recruiting agencies since they need to equip and familiarize themselves with the changing trends (Cowen, 2008). A lot of caution has to be undertaken since the emergence of an increasingly techno-savvy generation is characterized with a lot of bureaucracy as well as fraud. It is easy for job seekers to use fake certificates which may easily be mistaken as being the original documents. Leadership and talent has been greatly affected since organizations find it hard to maintain talents given that generation Y is characterized by movement from one firm to another in the aim of seeking a more fulfilling and dynamic fields. This has greatly affected the leadership structure of organizations given that the rate of employee turnover is very high. Some firms have been forced to retain those who should have gone on retirement in order to avoid leadership vacuum and to have people who are well versed with the operations of the

Friday, October 18, 2019

Ethics and Environmental Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics and Environmental Economy - Essay Example In a world where the poor are drastically more in number then the rich and where the force of the economy are more powerful than the investment by the rich to ease create viable and sufficient income for the poor is perhaps more important than redistribution of earnings. In a world entwined in multiple predicaments simultaneously, active commitment to solving the problems is conceivably more serious than charitable sharing. And in a world where some people are particularly wealthy while others are besieged, measures to improve the standard of living of the well-off are positively of lower precedence than measures to advance the welfare of the less well off. In the past it was understood that firms could keenly follow the private good because governments would look after the public welfare. But the change in the balance of corporate and government power, with more and more control in the hands of a few corporate giants, based on the globalization of the economy, means that governments are less keen and able to guarantee suitable outcomes and the old distribution of labor will no longer work. Firms are now so powerful collectively that the private interest is expected to prevail over the public good. In recent years, environmental performance and economic performance of the firms has drawn significant importance in the literature of business ethics and environmental economy. Some researchers have looked at the obligations of a firm to meet the goal of its shareholders, (Clarkson 115). These reports definitely have some historic implications for corporate, ecological and social activities (Epstein, 74). On the other hand other researchers have established that the economic objectives of a firm do not clash with the environmental objectives for instance Russo and Fouts (534) concluded that environmental consciousness and economic performance are completely connected in the US, with environmentally aware portfolios, attaining better returns balance That is, firms' ecological consciousness may, in fact, be definitely associated with economic functioning as environmentally oriented firm introduce its reputation among customers that are aware about environmental issues. For instance, research through the resource based theory shows that positive reputation produced economic rents for a firm. It is, however, a reality that the economic goals of a firm-like profit maximization, may be in variance with those stakeholders and environment, above all in the short-run. A firm may consider the fixed cost acquired on waste removal, remediation, and sanitization as damaging to its productivity in the short run. Consequently, the short-term income maximization purpose of a firm may collide with what the society wants: a secure and fresh environment, and may generate a motivation for it to act in ways which are not environmentally ethical, depending on how information is spread among shareholders. The misinformation between a firm and the society may occur because a firm usually knows more about the ecological influence of its goods, method and the waste it discharges into the environment than the community. For this reason, a firm's unethical behavior yield fee in the short run and firm avoids the costs of waste removal, relocation and environmental cleaning. Even self-interest among the management can invade their individual ethics and result in augmented unethical behavior

Explain and critically discuss the pros and cons for a firm in Essay

Explain and critically discuss the pros and cons for a firm in adoption an emergent rather that a deliberate, planning approach to strategy development - Essay Example Unexpected marketing benefits may result from an emergent strategy. A company can design emergent strategy to corporate a business opportunity or something else that competitors have not identified. For example, a firm may set deliberate strategies to become the best supplier of a particular primary product or service in the next five years in a particular city. However, along the way, it may discover that a minor product or service is selling more than the targeted one. The business may decide to set up an emergent strategy to increase the sale of the minor product in order to realize more profits. In essence, emergent strategy helps a business to offer what the market demands rather than what the company believes or thinks the customers want. An emergent business strategy also enhances the advancement of technology and thus development of the product being provided in the market. Emergent strategies mostly spark from individuals in a business reacting directly to shifts in the mark etplace factors and forces. Their decisions thus reflect order sizes, consumer tastes, and practices of competitors. When two or more organizations provide the same products that have almost similar features and technologies, clients will be unable to distinguish one from another. Hence, the firm will begin to refine and develop its product to add new features to survive in the marketplace and stand out. The business will attempt to engage emergent strategy to include the new product developments that could propel it to emerge as a technological leader in the marketplace. However, an emergent strategy plan can go off course and result in completely new and unexpected problems if an organization continually uses it to attempt to capture an attractive idea. Organizations constantly put out fires by dealing with unexpected issues that can cause it problems. Although keeping an eye on emergent strategies is helpful in doing so, the businesses

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Finland's school success what Americans keep Ignoring Article

Finland's school success what Americans keep Ignoring - Article Example However, some of the best campuses are private owned, and they are profit making institutions. They charge high costs for tuition and can only be afforded by the select few in the country (The Atlantic). Unlike American system of education that focuses on standardized tests, Finland has only one exceptional exam; the National Matriculation Exam, which is the equivalent of a high school test,. Although pupils and students in Finland are given report cards, the teachers base the performance on individual assessments. The Finland teachers are trained to evaluate the performance of the pupils and students at independent and personal perspective. The Government only confirms the progress of the students by carrying out periodic tests with few groups of the teachers (The Atlantic). The American education policy rests on the theme of the competition (The Atlantic). This is not the case with Finland. The institutions in Finland are merited according to how well they cooperate with other and not in regard to their competitive advantage. The country does not list the best of the best in curriculum performance. The approach to giving quality education t its residents, all students from whichever backgrounds are treated equal. All the pupils are awarded free meals, health care and personalized guidance. What the Americans keep ignoring from the success of Finland schools is that they are using the wrong approach to improve the level of education. The Americans need to look at equity in providing education, award less homework and more creativity tests, stop the competitive attitude and foster cooperation and evaluate performance of the students from an independent view. The Americans have not yet adopted the Finland system since they are focusing issues that are just the opposite of what Finland supports such as private sector involvement and competition. A similar state

Research, identify and discuss technologys influence on society, as Essay

Research, identify and discuss technologys influence on society, as well as at least three ways it has changed the way companies do business - Essay Example Satellite technology has become so advanced that these systems give companies such as Southwest and American Airlines the ability to understand specific cloud formations and make course adjustments in an instant. This improves efficiency and puts much less dependency on physical air traffic control agents. Satellite technology improvements also satisfy budget restrictions, thereby allowing all consumers to have the pleasure of receiving lower cost fares. Technology also influences society in the form of high energy physics. This type of physical science technology has improved medicine by accelerating efficiency of x-rays and photons to better track disease and cancer (HEP, 2010). High energy physics have also changed power transmission with utility companies, thereby giving consumers more reliable energy sources with much less loss of power. This technology has changed how utility companies do business by giving them long-term sustainable options for electricity transfer by burying cables and thus freeing the environment for more infrastructure and housing. Finally, technology has changed business and society in terms of physical medicine to improve patients and shorten reliance on physical hospital workers. For example, technological improvements now allow diabetes patients to monitor their own glucose levels and make informed decisions as to whether to inject or deny practical treatment. Self-monitoring devices are relatively new that no longer require painful regular injections and extensive blood extraction, thereby improving the quality of life for diabetes patients. This also frees up the labor pool for hospitals and independent clinics whereby doctors and nurses no longer have to staff as many individuals or can free up their activities for more important patient issues. These hospitals and clinics, thanks to technology, can provide support

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Finland's school success what Americans keep Ignoring Article

Finland's school success what Americans keep Ignoring - Article Example However, some of the best campuses are private owned, and they are profit making institutions. They charge high costs for tuition and can only be afforded by the select few in the country (The Atlantic). Unlike American system of education that focuses on standardized tests, Finland has only one exceptional exam; the National Matriculation Exam, which is the equivalent of a high school test,. Although pupils and students in Finland are given report cards, the teachers base the performance on individual assessments. The Finland teachers are trained to evaluate the performance of the pupils and students at independent and personal perspective. The Government only confirms the progress of the students by carrying out periodic tests with few groups of the teachers (The Atlantic). The American education policy rests on the theme of the competition (The Atlantic). This is not the case with Finland. The institutions in Finland are merited according to how well they cooperate with other and not in regard to their competitive advantage. The country does not list the best of the best in curriculum performance. The approach to giving quality education t its residents, all students from whichever backgrounds are treated equal. All the pupils are awarded free meals, health care and personalized guidance. What the Americans keep ignoring from the success of Finland schools is that they are using the wrong approach to improve the level of education. The Americans need to look at equity in providing education, award less homework and more creativity tests, stop the competitive attitude and foster cooperation and evaluate performance of the students from an independent view. The Americans have not yet adopted the Finland system since they are focusing issues that are just the opposite of what Finland supports such as private sector involvement and competition. A similar state

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 36

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example t refreezing, in the context of your planned change, can be achieved through trainings with an intention of facilitation comprehension of the importance of the planned change. As explicated by McMurray et al (2009), such an approach would reduce fragmentation and hence facilitate adoption of a patient-centered approach to care. In doing so, patient-centered approaches will be adopted and subsequently absorbed within your organization. Jacqueline, I agree with your discussion particularly your observation that asking the right questions during evaluation will establish the practicability of the planed change. In my organization for instance, asking assessing the costs of the planed change helps establish the adequacy of available resources. I also agree that stability can be achieved through refreezing. Dr. Carol Huston (2013e) elucidates refreezing as a process involving adoption of the implemented changes as the norm or their absorption into organizational culture. Viewing change of implemented processes as part of the organizational culture ensures consistency and in doing so, stability is achieved. Dr. Carol Huston (2013e) also posits that evaluation should be a continuous and cyclic process. In this viewpoint, I agree with your observation that evaluation should be

Rate of reaction Essay Example for Free

Rate of reaction Essay Evaluation: I think that overall, our experiments/investigation was successful except for minor things such as the occasional odd results. On the first graph, these can be identified as when the lines representing 1. 25 and 1. 5 molar kept on crossing over each other. They were very similar. In theory, all the lines should be apart because the rate of reaction should be increasing every time. Another odd result is that on the second graph, the point which represents 1 molar is no where near the line of best fit. All points should either lie on the line or be pretty close to it. I believe that we got these odd results because our human errors. We may not have collected all the gas produced. Or the gas could have been caught in the collecting tube and this may have resulted in the long time needed for the reaction. I believe that the method provided with us has a few faults that I would like to point out. Firstly, when the magnesium piece is dropped first, then the acid poured, time is taken for the all the acid to drop but as soon as the first drop touches the magnesium it will react. This means that hydrogen gas would have been produced when pouring in the acid and lost through the open top. To change this, I would say in the method that the acid should be poured in to the test tube first then the magnesium piece, as the cork can be replaced without the metal touching the acid and no hydrogen gas would be lost. Secondly, gas can get trapped in the collecting tube as it faces down. When the first amount of gas is produced, it is followed by more which results in the gas pushing forward for more space because it cant be compressed. When the last amount of gas is produced, nothing is there to push it forward so it just floats around without reaching the measuring cylinder. I dont really have any improvements for the method but you could try to keep the measuring cylinder closer to the test tube and keep it at an elevated position. This way, more gas reaches it. We should have taken more care when handling the glass equipment as a measuring cylinder had been pushed over the ledge of the worktop and smashed when it had contact with the ground. Overall, the method was good but like everything else, it could be improved. It was generally a fair test but a few things may have altered the results, such as after a few of the first experiments, one of the windows was opened in the room and cold air rushed in. I dont if this had anything to do with the experiment but it could be something to think over when planning the next investigation. I feel that the measurements were easy to take measurements as we didnt miss a single reading. We could have repeated the experiment once more to be a little more accurate, the more results there are, the better it is after all. All the graphs showed a pattern to do with the concentration levels of the acids, the trends got higher for rate of reaction, the time decreased for stronger acids and less time was taken to. We kept the few odd results we got as it gave us something to talk about and think about in the future. I strongly believe that the results that we got, supported our conclusion as no matter whose results you saw, all showed the same trend and this proves that the results were reliable. Next time, I would use more concentrations of acids, so that we can be even more accurate and sure about the results. Further investigations you could think about could be changing the temperature of the experiment and investigate if it alters your experiments at all. You could also change the surface area of the metal such as having a block, or reacting it in a powder form. Catalysts could be added to the reaction to see if they show a major difference. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Genetic Manipulation: Advantages and Disadvantages

Genetic Manipulation: Advantages and Disadvantages Science on the other hand, fills my brain with questions and answers the knowledge that I crave. The theory of evolution does not dismiss there is a God. It is a theory trying to explain the beginning of life, how we evolved. The Old Testament professes to do the same thing, however, the stories are symbolic in their meaning. I am a Roman Catholic, and our dear Pope John Paul II acknowledged evolution as more than a hypotheses. Only the divine soul is untouched by evolution (Jurmain et al. 2010:44). The fact that some fossils are not preserved does not disprove evolution. Many species might not have left fossils. Some organisms just do not fossilize well. The geological record is not perfect. The fossils are not laid out perfectly waiting to be discovered by paleontologists. Chances are it is highly unlikely that an organisms remains will become fossilized, rather than decomposed. For the remains that do become fossilized, their preservation is unlikely due to erosion, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions , etc; Evolution continues to be rejected by some religious conservatives and fundamentalists. A lot of them believe that evolutionary biology ignores that God exists. They state that it does not account for how the world was really created according to the scriptures in the Bible. There have been numerous efforts to block teaching of evolution in U.S. public schools since 1968. The US Supreme Court overturned the first case in Arkansas stating that there could be no law barring the teaching of evolution on the grounds that it breached the separation of church and state as stated in the U.S. Constitution. Fourteen years later the federal courts rejected a statute to teach both creation science and evolution in the public schools. The courts stated that creation science was not actually a science. To try and get around the law of separation of church and state, evolution opponents began to propose the teaching of intelligent design. They stated that it was non religious, and a scientific alternative to evolution. Intelligent design claims that the living world was too intricate to have been made by the workings of natural selection. That some living things were too complex to have been developed by evolution and could have only have been created by an intelligent designer. But, they did not identify this intelligent designer. This presentation again was blocked by a federal district judge who found intelligent design was not a science (Jurmain et al. 2010:44). What can be done to correct this controversy, or should it be corrected? Why? Although I dont agree with the Christian fundamentalists opinion, my answer is, no. Why? It is called the First Amendment. Describe and evaluate some of the positive and negative consequences of genetic manipulation Genetic engineering entails the manipulation of DNA. The tools in this process are very important for the restriction of so called enzymes, which are produce by various species of bacteria. A particular sequence of a chain of nucleotide bases, can be recognized by restriction enzymes. The nucleotide bases that make up the DNA molecule; cut the DNA at that location. Parts of DNA formed in this way are joined using enzymes called ligases(joining of two enzyme molecules to form a covalent bond, accompanied by the hydrolysis of ATP(adenosine triphosphate)) Positive side of genetic manipulation Genetic therapy entails supplying a particular function to a gene, and in turn to cells that are lacking that function. The intention is to correct a genetic disorder or an acquired disease. One type of gene therapy used today is, somatic cell therapy. It is similar to an organ transplant. One or more specific tissues are targeted for treatment by therapeutic genes from the lab or the tissue is removed and replaced with the treated cells and given back to the patient. Researchers have had success with somatic cell gene therapy for the treatment of blood, lung, liver disorders and cancer. Another positive side to genetic manipulation also involves the health industry. The manufacturing of recombinant factor VIII, a blood clotting agent missing in patients with hemophilia A. Practically all of the hemophiliacs who were treated with factor VIII before the mid 1980s contracted AIDS or hepatitis C from viral contaminants in the blood that were used to make the product. Now donor blood is screened for the presence of HIV and the hepatitis C virus. The process now includes inactivating the viruses if they prove to be present. The possibility of a virus contamination is eliminated completely by the use of recombinant factor VIII. Negative side of genetic manipulation Explanation of Cloning: A technique that is a process of several stages. An egg is taken from a donor animal The nucleus is then removed from the egg. The nucleus containing the DNA is taken from the tissue cell of the animal being cloned. The nucleus is inserted into the donor egg cell. The fused egg is then placed in the uterus of a surrogate mother. When that mother eventually gives birth, if all goes well, the baby is genetically identical to the animal that provided the tissue cells that contained the DNA. I understand the potential benefits that genetic engineering has for the future of this world, however, the thought of it getting into the wrong hands terrifies me. My main area of concern is cloning. From the beginning, back in 1997 when I heard on the news about the sheep, Dolly, being cloned in Scotland, my heart sank. There is even talk of people ordering what type of children they want, as if they were ordering from a dinner menu. I knew eventually that people would be cloned. There is evidence they have already. People are desperately waiting for transplants. Why are we not using the clones vital organs? This is something would like answered. Would you agree with your textbook authors when they say: Indeed it would not be an exaggeration to say that this is the most exciting time in the history of evolutionary biology since Darwin published On the Origins of Species? Would you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? Please provide some detailed examples? Yes, I would agree. In my younger days, I worked as a chemotherapy technician in Childrens Hospital, Boston. I worked closely with one little girl who was born without a stomach, preparing parenteral nutrition for her daily basis. Children also dying at a very young age of diabetes. But due to the amazing research done in genetics, and recombinant DNA technology, children have a much better chance of reaching adulthood and leading normal lives. Regarding the field of anthropology, the sequencing of human genes in the Human Genome Project. The progress being made in comparative genomics is terribly exciting. Personally, I cant wait to hear the DNA comparison results of the Neanderthal, modern human, and nonhuman primate. What is natural selection? The theory of Natural selection is actually the key to evolution. It is based on the following processes that include: Biological variation within all species Individuals within a species that have favorable traits are more likely to survive in their environment and produce offspring. The environment of the species determines whether or not a trait is satisfactory or not. Traits are inherited and over a period of time, favorable traits will be passed on generation to generation and become more common in the population. Isolation of a species may lead to the formation of a new species due to inhabiting a different environment and will in turn adapt to that environment. Natural selection only operates on an individual within a population, but it is the population that evolves. Why is genetic variation necessary for the process of natural selection to operate? Genetic variation plays a significant role at the microevolutionary level, producing evolutionary change. Directional evolutionary trends can only be sustained by natural selection. Individuals who carry a particular allele or a combination of alleles will produce more offspring than other individuals with different alleles. The frequency of the new allele in a population will increase slowly from generation to generation. This process is compounded over hundreds of generations for multiple loci, the result being a major evolutionary change(Jurmain et al. 2010:107). What are the sources of genetic variation? Mutations: When there is a change in the DNA molecule that means there is one type of mutation and that multiple genes occur in two or more forms called alleles. If an allele to another allele, or if the gene is altered in some way, a mutation has just occurred. Alleles are, in fact, a direct result of a mutation. The substitution of simply one DNA base for another, a point mutation, can cause a change in an allele. However, to be important to the evolutionary process, the point mutation has to occur in the sex cells. This is so the mutation can be passed on from generation to generation. Examples: No changes in phenotype due to mutations No evidence of a change on the phenotype of an organism due to mutation. Mutation occurred maybe in a stretch of DNA with no function, or perhaps the mutation occurred in a protein-coding region, but ended up not affecting the amino acid sequencing of the protein. Small change in phenotype due to mutations would for example be a single mutation like a cats ear slightly curling back. Big change in phenotype due to mutations This would create some major phenotypic changes. DDT resistance in insects are usually caused by single mutations. A single mutation can also have very strong negative effects on an organism. Mutations that would cause the death of an organism are called lethals. Gene flow Migration is used here to refer to the movement of people. This occurs when the exchange of genes between different groups of migrants interbreeding. It can also occur when an individual(s) move temporarily and produce some offspring in an entirely new population. This way they have left their genetic contribution. An example of gene flow: Happens a great deal in war. When male soldiers are stationed in remote parts of the world and impregnate the native women of that country and then the male returns to his native land. The impregnated native women in the remote country represents the gene flow. Genetic drift is known as the random factor in evolution. The population size is its entire function. Drift only occurs because a population is small. If an allele is rare in a very small population of less than 400 people, there is a very great chance that it will not be passed down to the offspring. Eventually, the allele may disappear entirely. In this instance genetic variability has been reduced drastically. Genetic drift can cause big losses of genetic variation for small populations. An example of genetic drift: The B allele was evidently not passed down to generations of Blackfoot people. There is evidence that present populations are deficient in genotypes that contain the B allele (BB, BO and AB). When the populations became greatly reduced in size, some genes may not have been passed on to the next generation. This phenomenon is referred to as a genetic bottleneck. As a result, genetic variability may have been severely reduced in succeeding generations. Founder effect is a type of genetic drift and is seen in human and non human populations. An example of the founder effect is the Baptist German religious sect that settled in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. These families didnt marry outside their own religious sect. There has been evidence of some dramatic changes in their gene frequencies. For example; the type A blood in the sect resulted in 60 percent. United States is 42%. It is 45 percent for the sect in West Germany. They also have fewer people with certain recessive traits, such as hitchhikers thumb and attached ear lobes, compared to the U.S. population as a whole. The founder effect helps explain the high frequency of dwarfism and polydactylism (extra fingers) in the Amish of Lancaster Pennsylvania. The colony began when at least one of the individuals carried these traits. Recombination is a source of genetic variation that introduces new gene combinations into populations. For example: Siblings are never genetically identical to either of their parents or to each other (unless they are identical twins.)This is because when organisms reproduce sexually, some genetic à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"shufflingà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  occurs. This brings together a new combination of genes. How is natural selection related to environmental factors? All the evolutionary factors of mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and recombination, interact to form genetic variation. Genes are then distributed within the populations. There isnt any long term direction to any of the above factors, but for adaptation and the evolutionary process to occur, the gene pool of the population needs to change in a certain direction.Some alleles need to consistently become more commonplace, while other become less common. Natural selection can cause a change in direction in allele frequency relative to specific environmental factors. If there is to be a change in the environment, then the selection pressures will also change, and a shift in allele frequencies is called adaptation. Now if there are long term environmental changes in the same direction, then allele frequencies would also shift very gradually over time. Example:Hemoglobin S (Hbs) which is an abnormal form of hemoglobin that is formed from a point mutation gene, produces part of the molecule of the hemoglobin. If an individual inherits this allele from both parents, he or she will have sickle cell anemia. HbS is a mutation that occurs in all populations occasionally, but the allele in generally rare. HBs, however, is more common in central Africa where it reaches 20% of the population. With the devastating effects of the HbS homozygotes, one would think that natural selection would have acted on eliminating it. But that is not the case. Natural selection has actually increased the frequency of HbS. This is because of the disease malaria. People with one HbS and one HbA allele (heterozygotes with the sickle cell trait) have red blood cells that contain hemoglobin S. Hemoglobin S is not a suitable environment for the malarial parasite. So having HbS is beneficial, because it protects that person from malaria. In this instance, malaria is the selective agent. and favors the heterozygous phenotype. In this part of the world, individuals with sickle cell anemia trait have a higher reproductive success than those with normal hemoglobin, because they are more apt to die of malaria (Jurmain et al. 2010:105). Discuss genealogy of the Blue Fugates of Kentucky. Describe Mendelian principle of inheritance as well as a phenotypic effect of an enzyme deficiency. Mendel discovered through his experiments with plants, that the inheritance of traits was not due to blending as he originally thought. He found that specific units (genes) of inheritance were passed down from generation to generation. No matter what trait Mendel selected for the second generation of the plants, it would show a ratio of 3 to 1. This meant that there were 3 dominant genes to every 1 recessive gene. Mendel realized that this 3:1 ratio occurred in later generations as well. He had found the key to understanding inheritance. Mendel came to three very important conclusions from his experiments The inheritance of each trait is determined by units(genes) that are passed on to descendents and are unchanged. An individual would inherit a gene from each parent for each trait. A trait just may not show up in an offspring but could be passed on to their offspring. Mendels observations have been summarized in to two principles: The principle of segregation and the principle of independent assortment. According to the principle of segregation two members of alleles separate from each other in the formation of sex cells (gametes) Half of the gametes carry one of the allele and the other half of the gametes carry the other allele. Principle of independent assortment-Genes for different traits are assorted independently from one another in the formation of sex cells. I feel the principle of segregation applies in the case of the blue Fugates of Kentucky. It was determined that the Fugates inherited an autosomal recessive trait. Both Martin Fugate(heterozygote) and his bride Elizabeth Fugate(heterozygote) had one recessive allele each of this disorder. Since both Martin and Elizabeth were both carriers, there was a 25% chance of their offspring being affected. There is usually a predictable phenotypic ratio of 3:1. The family would marry people who lived close by and this intermarrying continued. The community was isolated, without roads. When the railroad was completed 30 to 40 years later, roads were built and they started venturing out and marrying outside their community. The strain of the inherited blue gene began to disappear. The recessive gene was not likely to find a mate with the same recessive gene. A baby named, Benjy Stacy was born blue, 100 years later. He had the recessive gene from both his mother and fathers side. His blue color, however was only temporary. It was assumed that Benjy had just inherited one gene of the condition, and being a baby had a smaller amount of the enzyme diaphorase, and it built to normal levels as he got older (Jurmain et al. 2010:86-89) and Fugate family literature. Why do we see this rare, phenotypic deficiency? It was first seen in Alaskan Eskimos and Indians. It is a human genetic disease. The gene is located at chromosome 22. In normal people, there is a dominant, allele that is responsible for the production of the enzyme diaphoreses. Normally hemoglobin is converted into methemoglobin(a brownish compound of oxygen and hemoglobin) at a very slow rate. Diaphorase in normal blood, changes the methemoglobin back to hemoglobin. The homozygous children of the Fugate family, lacked the enzyme diaphorase. therefore this conversion could not take place. Therefore, all of their hemoglobin in their body was considered useless. Instead they had a mutant allele that produced an inert enzyme that was unable to reduce the hemoglobin. What is the nature of the evidence supporting punctuated equilibrium? The theory was advanced by two American paleontologists Eldredge and Gould. They agreed that the fossil record was incomplete, but that it could not be incomplete enough to account for the near absence of the gradualistic change from the fossil record. They said that species originate too quickly for the normal geological processes to record the event; a single bedding (a thin layer of sedimentary rock)often compresses more than tens of thousands of years into a thin slice. Speciation usually occurs when small populations cut off from the interbreeding with groups, evolving rapidly in isolation. With fewer people in an isolated population, the favorable mutations spread more readily. A small, isolated, evolving population may become extinct and may not leave a trace of a fossil record. Eldredge and Gould said that if it does remove itself from its isolation, and spread over a much wider area, its likely to be seen in the fossil record as making a punctuational appearance, fully forme d. The nature of the evidence supporting punctuated equilibrium was from the paleontologist, Cheetham. He gathered a large sample of bryzoan fossils from the Caribbean and surrounding regions. He painstakingly classified them into 17 species using 46 microscopic characteristics of their skeletons. Measured their length, dimensions of pores, and all the orifices on the fossils. He then arranged them into a family tree. He analyzed them and split a single species into several species. The abruptness in the tree, appeared more clear to him and stronger than ever. He concluded that through 15 million years of the geological record, these particular species persisted unchanged for 2-6 million years. Then in less than 160 thousand years, split off in to a new species. This new species would coexist continuously with its ancestor species. This was his punctuated result. But this was not proof The morphological differences being used to split the fossil species? What if it really did not mark a separate species, but was just another version of the species? A model of speciation was needed to recognize a new species and support any evidence of punctuated equilibrium. Several biological tests were performed and then he performed a test in genetics. Using a test of protein electrophoresis, he extracted enzymes and analyzed each of the eight morphologically defined species. In every case, the specimen from each species had very similar enzymes. This indicated they belonged to the same genetically related species. Cheetham had passed the fossil species test. His conclusion was that morphology still seems to say how evolution occurred(http://science.jrank.org/pages/5591/punctuated-Equilibrium.html)(Kerr 1995:1421). Would you agree or disagree with this? Why? Many paleontologists still say that many of these studies have their weaknesses. There is overwhelming evidence that speciation is sometimes gradual and sometimes punctuated. It is very complicated, and until there is more proof, I think I would prefer to stick to the middle ground. Theories of Psychopathy | Overview and Analysis Theories of Psychopathy | Overview and Analysis A lot of research has been conducted in the area of aggressive, antisocial, and criminal behaviour (Frick Viding, 2009). Indeed, persistent antisocial behaviour results in human suffering associated with criminal offences, and high economic costs from detaining these offenders to prevent recidivism (Loeber Farrington, 2001). What is Psychopathy? Previous findings demonstrated that over a third of incarcerated offenders have Antisocial Personality Disorder, characterized by pervasive antisocial and exploitative behaviour (Black, Gunter, Loveless, Allen, Sieleni, 2010). However, offenders with psychopathy represent an even greater danger to society. Individuals with psychopathy often use instrumental aggression for personal gain. When compared to non-psychopathic offenders, they tend to commit more serious and violent crimes (e.g. premeditated homicide), are three times more likely to reoffend, and four times more likely to recidivate by a violent offence after being released from prison (Porter, Brinke, Wilson, 2009). Psychopathy is a developmental disorder characterized by antisocial and bold disinhibited behaviours, lack of empathy and remorse, and low anxiety (Hare Neumann, 2008). Previous studies demonstrated that adults with psychopathy all display persistent antisocial behavior across the lifespan with first signs of psychopathy, such as behavioural disturbances and emotional deficits, being evident as early as childhood (Blair, 2013). While the diagnosis of psychopathy is generally applied to adults, some children present with antisocial behavior and core psychopathic traits (comparable with callous-unemotional (CU) traits) such as low empathy, lack of guilt, shallow affect, and callous use of others (Frick Viding, 2009). Although it is important not to assume that children and adolescents with psychopathic traits will exhibit psychopathy in adulthood, the assessment of psychopathic traits and antisocial behavior in youth provides considerable evidence of their persistence over time (Erme r, Cape, Nyalakanti, Calhoun, Kiehl, 2013). Psychopathic Traits in Children and Adolescents Children with conduct disorder and callous-unemotional traits show more instrumental aggression for personal gain, higher prevalence of Antisocial Personality Disorder among their parents, more frequent interactions with the police, and a greater number and variety of conduct problems than children with CD and no psychopathic traits (Herba, Hodgins, Blackwood, Kumari, Naudts, Phillips, in press). While callous-unemotional traits during childhood have been often associated with severe antisocial behavior, children with callous-unemotional traits but no antisocial behaviour frequently show higher levels of other impairments such as increased hyperactivity, low prosociality, and poor interpersonal relationships (see: Frick, Cornell, Bodin, Dane, Barry, Loney, 2003; Barker, Olivier, Viding, Salekin, Maughan, 2011; Rowe, Maughan, Moran, Ford, Briskman, Goodman, 2010). Callous and unemotional traits have been recently added as part of the diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder in the new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) (Decuyper, Caluwe, Clercq, Fruyt, 2014). Moreover, due to its high predictive validity, CU traits may have independent diagnostic value, even without the diagnosis of conduct disorder (Barker, et al., 2011; Frick, et al., 2003; Viding McCrory, 2012). Evidence of Emotional Dysfunction in Individuals with Psychopathic Traits Previous findings demonstrated that callous and unemotional children show similar emotional deficits as psychopathic adults, such as poor emotion recognition and deficits in emotional empathy (Herba, et al., in press; Blair, 2003; Pardini, Lochman, Frick, 2003). Emotional empathy represents affective reactions to emotional expressions and to verbal descriptions of the emotional states of other individuals. Empathic reactions, which can be evoked by facial expressions, voice tones, body postures, and even script, serve a communicatory function, and are processed by separate neural systems (Blair, 2013). Emotion Recognition Findings Youths and adults with psychopathic tendencies display a significant selective impairment in emotional empathy. While they normally recognize and differentiate between expressions of disgust and anger, their processing of distress cues (expressions of sadness, pain, and fear) is significantly different from healthy youths and adults without psychopathic tendencies (Blair, 2013). Studies demonstrated that distress cues inhibit antisocial behaviour in humans as well as primates by eliciting empathy in observers (Marsh Blair, 2007). Meta-analytic review of the literature shows that while having a normal processing of anger and disgust, individuals with psychopathic traits and persistent antisocial behaviour display poor recognition of certain emotional expressions, particularly fear, as well as reduced recognition of expressions of happiness and sadness, though to a lesser extent (Marsh Blair, 2007; Dawel, O’Kearney, McKone, Palermo, 2012). Blair, Collegde, Murray, and Mitchel l (2001) conducted a study looking at emotion recognition in boys with and without psychopathic tendencies (measured by a Psychopathy Screening Device). Children were shown a standardized set of six emotions (sadness, happiness, anger, disgust, fear, and surprise) morphed into different intensity levels and shown in 20 successive frames from neutral to full expression. Results demonstrated that children with psychopathic tendencies made more mistakes in recognizing expressions of fear even when they were presented at full intensity. Moreover, these children also needed more stages to be able to recognize expressions of sadness (Blair, et al. 2001). Similar impaired recognition of sad and fearful expressions is also observed using vocal tones and body poses (Stevens, Charman, Blair, 2001; Blair, Budhani, Colledge, Scott, 2005; Munoz, 2009). Psychophysiological findings A number of studies that looked at psychophysiological responsiveness of individuals with psychopathic traits provided additional evidence towards the idea that these individuals have impaired processing of expressions of distress in others. Children and adolescents with high callous-unemotional traits and psychopathic adults show reduced autonomic responses including heart rate, facial electromyographic responses, and electrodermal responses to fearful and sad expressions and distress cues in others (Blair, 1999; de Wied, van Boxtel, Matthys, Meeus, 2012; Blair, Jones, Clark, Smith, 1997). In addition, youths and adults with psychopathic tendencies also display atypical electroencephalography responses to pain in others (Blair, 2013). Functional neuroimaging findings A new study by Motzkin, Phillippi, Wolf, Baskaya, and Koenigs (2015) provided tentative evidence that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) might play a significant role in regulating amygdala activity in humans. This is not surprising given the substantial amount of evidence, containing lesion studies, demonstrating that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and amygdala play a critical role in empathic response and emotion regulation (Blair, 2008; Blair, 2013). Studies of youths with high callous-unemotional traits and conduct disorder, as well as studies of psychopathic adults, showed decreased activation of the rostral vmPFC in response to images of other individuals in pain. (Marsh, et al. 2013; Blair, 2008). Previous fMRI studies also repeatedly demonstrated reduced amygdala activation in individuals (children, youth and adults) with psychopathic traits when they are presented with images of faces expressing fear, or images of others individuals in pain (Blair, 2008; Jones, Laurens, Herba, Barker, Viding, 2009; Marsh, et al., 2007; Munoz, 2009). Moreover, studies consistently reported that lower activity in the amygdala, vmPFC, as well as the anterior insula in response to distress cues are associated with higher severity of psychopathic traits, particularly in children and adolescents (Marsh, et al., 2008; Sebastian, et al., 2012; Marsh, et al., 2013) Structural neuroimaging findings Given the amount of evidence demonstrating reduced activity in vmPFC and amygdala in youths with psychopathic traits and psychopathic adults in response to distress cues, it is worth considering whether structural abnormalities are also observed within these neural regions. A large neuroimaging study conducted by Ermer and colleagues (2013) looked at the structural brain volume in over 200 incarcerated adolescents in a maximum security facility. Their findings demonstrated volume reductions within a large brain structure that centered on the vmPFC and included the amygdala, which is associated with the emotion dysfunction component of psychopathy. Another structural neuroimaging study demonstrated an inverse relationship between the structural volume of amygdala and the severity of psychopathic traits in a large sample (N=296) of incarcerated adults (Ermer, Cope, Nyalakanti, Calhoun, Kiehl, 2012). Summary of existing findings In summary, the aforementioned findings demonstrated that individuals with psychopathy show poor recognition of, and reduced autonomic response to distress cues in others across the lifespan. Functional neuroimaging studies identified various neural structures involved in the processing of distress cues, with the most consistent evidence pointing towards the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. fMRI studies repeatedly demonstrated reduced activity in these brain regions in children and adolescents with callous and unemotional traits, and psychopathic adults in response to facial expressions of fear and sadness. Structural neuroimaging studies provided additional evidence towards the importance of the amygdala and the vmPFC in processing of distress cues, demonstrating volume reductions in these areas in incarcerated adolescents with psychopathic traits, and a significant inverse relationship between the structural volume of the amygdala and the severity of psychopathic traits in incarcerated adult. Current Theories Given this considerable amount of evidence demonstrating emotional dysfunction in individuals with psychopathic traits across the lifespan, several models have been proposed in hopes to shed more light on this impairment. Violence Inhibition Mechanism Previous animal studies suggested that display of emotions of sadness, pain, and fear, also referred to as distress cues, serve an important evolutionary function: when displayed to a conspecific aggressor lead to the termination of the attack (Blair, 1995). Blair (1995) proposed a functionally analogous mechanism in humans referred to as violence inhibition mechanism (VIM). According to Blair, VIM represents a cognitive mechanism normally activated by non-verbal expressions of distress, which predisposes an aggressor as well as a bystander to withdraw from the situation. According to the model, moral socialization takes place through pairing of the activation of VIM by the sad and fearful expressions (Unconditioned Stimulus) of others with representations of the acts that caused this distress (Conditioned Stimulus: moral transgressions, such as an aggressive act towards an individual). As a result, representations of these moral transgressions become triggers for the VIM through classical conditioning. Thus, a normally developing child will initially find pain of others aversive, and then through socialization would learn to dislike the thoughts of acts that cause pain to others, and as a result will be less likely to engage in violent behaviour (Blair, 1995). According to Blair (1995), this mechanism is absent in individuals with psychopathy, which might be due to a specific physiological deficit or lack of early socialization experiences. Due to the absence of VIM, individuals with psychopathy are not negatively reinforced after any action (moral transgression) that results in the display of distress cues in others. Using VIM, one might predict that these individuals who were unable to form US-CS association would show emotional dysfunction, early-onset of violent behaviour, and lack of guilt or empathy post-violence, which all represent core features of psychopathy. The Response Modulation Hypothesis Another concept that has been suggested to explain the nature of emotional impairments in individuals with psychopathic traits looks at psychopathy as a disorder of attention. According to the response modulation hypothesis, individuals with psychopathy fail to recognize and process distress cues in others due to their inability to shift attention to this information when they are engaged in goal-directed behaviour. Given the amount of evidence demonstrating severe emotional processing impairments in individuals with psychopathic traits, it has been suggested that this emotional dysfunction may underpin the deficits seen in psychopathic individuals (Blair, 1995; Frick Viding, 2009). Indeed, previous studies demonstrated pronounced deficits in emotional learning and poor decision making in psychopathic adults as well as youths with psychopathic tendencies. Previous studies on decision-making behaviour in psychopathic adults demonstrated significant deficits underlying aversive conditioning, reversal learning, operant extinction, and passive avoidance learning (Blair, 2013). In an fMRI Study by Birbaumer and colleagues, a sample of ten offenders with psychopathy and ten matched controls was used to investigate the activation of neural structures, skin conductance, arousal and emotional valence in an aversive delay conditioning paradigm where neutral faces were used as conditioned stimuli and painful pressure as an unconditioned stimulus (Birbaumer, Veit, Lotze, Erb, Hermann, Grodd, Flor, 2005). Finding of this study showed inability of psychopathic individuals to learn to differentiate between conditioned stimuli, or show increased skin conductance response to the paired conditioned stimulus. Moreover, fMRI findings demonstrated reduced activity in the limbic-prefrontal circuit (combined of amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and a nterior cingulate) in psychopathic individuals when compared to the matched controls. Another study which used a similar fear conditioning paradigm as Birbaumer and colleagues (2005) further demonstrated deficits in aversive fear conditioning in psychopathic adults (Rthermund, Ziegler, Hermann, Gruesser, Foell, Patrick, Flor, 2012). In this study, psychopathic participants showed lack of a differential startle response and lack of skin conductance towards a paired conditioned stimulus. Moreover, these results cannot be explained by differences in detection threshold of electric shock, or levels of pain tolerance, since there was no significant differences in these measures between the two groups. This study confirms previous findings of impaired ability to form associations between neutral and aversive events in adults with psychopathy. Previous studies in decision-making behaviour and the propensity to learn from punishment in youths with psychopathic traits demonstrated significant impairments in the capacity to associate outcomes (reward or punishments) with stimuli.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Owens Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori Essay -- Poetry Analysis W

Through the use of poetry, we are able to powerfully discuss an idea or opinion about certain topics that could not be so eloquently conveyed through other literary media. Wilfred Owen was both a Soldier Poet during WWI. He was a man firmly against the idea of sending young boys off to war with the promise of glory. His views of war and the gruesome reality that it is, is deeply rooted within this poem and emphasized though the use of vivid imagery, persuasive similes and carefully constructed figurative language. Owen’s opinion that death by war is neither â€Å"sweet nor proper† as the sarcastic title suggests; resonates straight through to the last line – Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori2, which is rightfully preceded by the phrase â€Å"The old Lie.† This poem brilliantly shows how thoughtful use of effective words can shape our feelings and emotions. With this in mind, the first line of this poem begins with a powerful simile, â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks.† Here we get a strong comparison; an image of a duality within the soldiers. Once proud serving men, to now bent and crippled creatures, hobbling about like dirty, mud covered old beggars. The strength in these first few words is immense. Not only as a simile but also as bold imagery. I could write an entire essay on the effectiveness of this carefully constructed first line, the colors and sounds that come to mind are incredible, but I digress; let’s continue on. In addition to powerful line one, we are thrown into an equally powerful line two. â€Å"Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge.† Owen again uses a brilliant simile; showing the humanistic side of the once proud and innocent soldiers; to this now creature l ike hag. The word hag itself imp... ...n what war stands for, only in the camaraderie among men, and the sacrifice they make in risking their lives to save another’s. Works Cited â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Pro patria mori.† Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008. Web. Hibberd, Dominic. Wilfred Owen: A New Biography. 1st ed. Ivan R. Dee Publisher, (2003): 368. Print. Pope, Jessie. â€Å"Who’s for the Game.† Jessie Pope’s war poems. Nabu Press Publisher, (2010): 11. Print. Owen, Wilfred. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est.† The Harbrace Anthology of Literature. 4th ed. Ed. Jon C. Stott, Raymond E. Jones, and Rick Bowers, Toronto: Nelson Thomson, (2006).: 238-239. Print. Quinn, William A. â€Å"Multiple Metrics in Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’.† English Language Notes 21.2 (1983): 38-41. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Print. 15 Nov. 2010 Starr, Edwin. â€Å"War.† War and Peace / Involved. Universal, 2003. CD

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Reducing the Harm of America?s Drug Problem Essay -- essays research p

The use and abuse of non-prescription drugs has been a problem in America since colonial times. Historically, the reaction to this problem has been the enforcement of prohibition laws and providing total abstinence education. This has resulted in big business in America; according to the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy, the federal government spent $19.2 billion dollars in 2003 on the war on drugs (1). Unfortunately, the abstinence based education and prohibition laws that are incorporated in the war on drugs have been wholly ineffective in slowing the demand for illicit drugs, and have had the opposite effects of driving up demand, street value, and drug-related crimes. The U.S. war on drugs bases its success on a decrease, and eventual eradication of the prevalence of drug use, a goal that has yet to be met. Detroit chief of police Jerry Oliver, in a 2002 interview with ABC news, said â€Å"Clearly, we’re losing the war on drugs in this country [and] i t’s insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over again† (qtd. in Stossel). As the war on drugs continues to fail and cost this country billions of dollars, it has become clear that a new approach to the problem is needed. By changing the focus from trying to decrease the overall use of drugs to focusing on decreasing the negative side effects (both personal and societal) of drug use, our country will finally be able to make significant steps forward in our drug problem. This approach is known as harm reduction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harm reduction is a multi-faceted philosophy that includes various strategies to help lessen the negative impact of drug abuse on our society. These negative impacts include death, disease, suffering and crime. One of the basic assumptions which harm reduction is based on is â€Å"there has never been, is not now, and never will be a drug-free society† (Drug Policy Alliance). Some of the approaches endorsed by harm reduction are science-based, rather than scare tactic education, treatment for drug addicts instead of imprisonment, and the reduction of health risks for addicts still actively using drugs. The programs which have grown out of these ideals will not only reduce the cost of the drug war through reduction of imprisonment and law enforcement costs, but will reduce the spread of diseases associated with drug use such as HIV/AIDS.   Ã‚   ... .... Drug Policy Alliance. â€Å"Treatment vs. Incarceration† Drugpolicy.org 2004. 21 July 2004. Myers, Jim. â€Å"Just Say Less.† Youth Today May 2003. Pew Research Center. â€Å"Interdiction and Incarceration Still Top Remedies† People-Press.com 21 March 2001. 25 July 2004. Riley, Diane & O’Hare, Pat. â€Å"Harm Reduction: Policy and Practice.† Prevention Researcher 2000. 25 July 2004. Rosenbaum, Martha. â€Å"Kids, Drugs, and Drug Education, A Harm Reduction Approach† Drugtext.org 1996. 22 July 2004. Stossel, John. â€Å"Just Say No: Government’s War on Drugs Fails.† ABC News.com 30 July, 2002. 25 July 2004. United States. Office of National Drug Control Policy. National Drug Control Strategy: FY 2003 Budget Summary. Feb 2002. 25 July 2004. United States. Partnership for a Drug-Free America. A Snapshot of the Teen Drug Problem in America Today 2002. 25 July 2004. < http://www.drugfreeamerica.org/ Templates/Article.asp?ws=PDFA&vol=1&grp=NewsCenter&cat=Feature+Stories&top=Articles&tit=A+Snapshot+of+the+Teen+Drug+Problem+in+America+Today> Zernike, Kate. â€Å"Anti-Drug Program Says it will Adopt a New Strategy.† The New York Times on the Web 15 Feb. 2001. 25 July 2004.

Friday, October 11, 2019

“We are not created equal in every way” by Joan Rayn

Nature or nurture? This question has baffled scientists and human beings in general for a long time. The logical answer is both. It might seem simple, but looking closer at almost every situation shows that both play a key role in the outcome. Joan Rayn (2000) introduces her article â€Å"We are not created equal in every way† with a similar situation. The author logically argues that institutions have the right to have certain admission standards, she also brings up a few concerns regarding the students. Although lacking unity and sufficient evidence, Ryan brings about a logical argument.In â€Å"we are not created equal in every way†, Joan Rayn (2000) upholds the right of institutions in setting admission standards, however she presents a pressing concern for current students. Firstly the author asserts that we are not created equal, therefore institutions need standards of admission to increase their chances of success. Moreover she discusses a major problem that mig ht occur to ‘young adults’. Since certain institutions require a young age to admit students, parents have to decide for their children.Several parents have the tendency to be living their dreams through their children. It is important for a writer to stick to one subject. If not the reader will be confused, his concentrationtorn to bits, and the author will loose credibility. Those are the effects of Rayn’s lack of unity in her article. She begins with the question in paragraph three with â€Å"Does the San Francisco Ballet School have the right to give preference to leaner body types† later she proposes another topic by saying â€Å"But for me, the more disturbing issue in this story isn’t about weight but age.†Furthermore Rayn fails to provide evidence for her claim in paragraph five when she says â€Å"But most who practice the art disagree, which is their right†. For these two reasons Rayn does not seem credible or knowledgeable a bout the subject at hand, Joan Rayn reaches a logical conclusion about institutions having specific criterion to accept students, on the other hand, some of the issues concerning the children seem extraneous. She mentions that â€Å"selecting 300 students from this year’s 1400 applicants†. When faced with scarcity the best usually have the pleasure of getting what they want.That is how it has always been, nature’s way. In contrast Rayn’s concerns about parents having full control over their children’s decision is unsound for two reasons. First, at a young age parents know their children more than they know themselves and should be making their decisions for them. The second point is most people don’t know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. So even if parents decide to live their lives through their children when they are old enough they will choose their own path.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Nagel, Chisholm, and Locke †Metaphysics of the Mind Essay

It is very difficult to attribute characteristics to a mind when we know it does not actually exist in the physical realm. Though, personal identity has been connected to the mind. However, it is tricky to determine what exactly comprises one’s personal identity. Although it is a difficult concept to grasp, philosophers such as Nagel and Chisholm attempt to construct their own position on the characteristics of the mind. By comparing Nagel and Chisholm’s positions on personal identity, it is evident that identity is a development of both body and mind. Nagel shows that we cannot properly identify a mind, and if this is the case then it is impossible to attribute personal identity to a mind. In turn, he attacks the idea that personal identity can be defined in terms of physical attributes. Chisholm shows that although things are constantly changing, they still remain the same. He argues that it is the mind that holds our identity, regardless of physical alteration. In my view, the physicalist perspective of identity is the most logical when contrasted to the mentalist argument simply due to the fact that we do have a self-identity, and Nagel does not attempt to define what it is. Locke’s argument finds a middle ground between Nagel and Chisholm as he argues for a conscious and bodily continuity of the mind. In order to identify the mind-body problem and argue that identity is a development of the mind, Nagel’s position must be analyzed. Firstly, when addressing the mind-body problem, Nagel states that one cannot explain the mind body relationship through logic, functions, or intentions. He argues that these states can be ascribed to robots that may indeed behave like people, however robots do not experience anything, and it is experience that influences the mind (436). Nagel’s bat analogy helps solidify his position on experience which is that no one can experience the same thing as another. He claims that; â€Å"even to form a conception of what it is Kristen Biduk 6949215 like to be a bat†¦one must take up the bat’s point of view† (442). Meaning, one must have the same thinking patterns as the other which Nagel argues is impossible. He argues that it is our consciousness which provides the mind-body problem. Although one can relate to what it is like to be a bat, it is impossible to fully comprehend it because in order to become a bat, conscious-ness must be forgotten. For that reason, one cannot know that others have a mind, but one can perceive that they do. Chisholm opens his argument with providing an analysis of the Ship of Theseus and explains that identity is transitive, meaning that it is always changing. Similarly, he uses the example of the river and how although it is the same exact river, it is given different identities based on geographical location. The identity of the river is changing. Based on his view of alteration, Chisholm suggests three possibilities for alteration and identity. Firstly, we can deny the transitivity of identity, but he proves this to be a problem. His second suggestion is that nothing alters, but this too proves to be problematic. For example, if one was to cross the border of the United States of America and the border patrol officer asked if he was the same as the person in the photo, he would say no. Because, when that photo was taken he had certain characteristics, and now, x amount of years later he has different characteristics, and is therefore a different person. Clearly this is an issue. Thirdly, he analyzes Butler’s position on the misuse of the word ‘is’ in that, for example; there exists something at a certain place (P) at a certain time (t) that is identical with same thing at a different place (Q) at a different time (t1). By saying identical, he means they exist in together, however it is mathematically impossible. He concludes that such things are entia per alio (made of). Entia per alio is something that exists because a Kristen Biduk 6949215 mind makes it up. For example, a pencil is entia per alio because without a mind, it is simply an object. The mind makes the pencil an object for writing. Without a mind giving meaning to something, that something has no identity. In regards to self-identity, I find it difficult to agree with the mentalist perspective. Nagel’s writing, â€Å"What is it like to be a Bat? † does not provide sufficient insight to the development of self and self-identity. He bases his writing solely based on defining the mind. It is true to say that we cannot properly identify a mind. How can we as a whole, understand something we do not actually know exists? We can assume it exists but it provides no understanding. Based on this belief, Nagel concludes that because we cannot properly identify a mind, we cannot connect personal identity to a mind. But where can we find our personal identity? He claims that our identity does not lie within our physical attributes which leaves identity suspending in the air. The mentalist perspective is limiting in the sense that it does not take in to account outside variables that can impact one’s identity. We are not born with an identity and I feel as though Nagel’s position is implying that we are. Additionally, our identity is developed from our consciousness, and we do not become conscious of ourselves at infancy. We develop our self-identity through time and it is consistently changing. Chisholm is much more realistic when it comes to defining personal identity. We cannot assume that our identity is purely based on our minds, for our minds are influenced by our physicality. In turn, our physicality is influenced by society. We identify with ourselves based on what others think of us. For example, if someone weighs three hundred pounds, they may identify themselves as unhealthy because that is what society has told them. Similarly, if that three hundred pound person lost weight and now weighed one hundred and thirty pounds, that Kristen Biduk 6949215 person may identify themselves as healthy. If they used diet and exercise as a method to lose the weight, they may identify as athletic. This proves that personal identity is indeed transitive. It will always be in a constant state of change depending on the influences around them. We have identity because others around us have provided us with our identity. One could argue then that if one was to lose only ten pounds then identity will not change because the change is only slight. If we analyze the Ship of Theseus once more, Chisholm argues that slight changes still have an impact on our identity because our identity is always changing. By using the problem of Theseus’s ship however, it gives us ideas of identity for inanimate objects. One could argue that it is not relatable to beings with consciousness however I would have to disagree. Our consciousness, or our memories are what hold our self-identity. If we lose an arm or leg, we are still the same person because our minds still hold our memory. While the mentalist perspective does not take into account physical impressions, and the physicalist perspective lacks some insight on our own consciousness, Locke provides an explanation that touches on both sides. Locke argues for a conscious continuity and not a bodily one. He begins with clarifying that all minds have a common structure wherein there are two qualities within our identity: primary and secondary. The primary quality consists of consciousness. I can identify with myself because I am conscious of my own existence. The secondary qualities consist of qualities that are changing, such as hair length or weight. He insists that our primary qualities are what provide us with identity however he agrees that secondary qualities must be analyzed. Our secondary qualities are always changing while our primary qualities are static. Without the secondary qualities, our identity would not change, Kristen Biduk 6949215 which Chisholm proved. In comparison to both Nagel and Chisholm, Locke’s argument holds the truest because he takes into account both perspectives and develops the most logical understanding of identity. Additionally, Locke states that there is a first and third person perspective on identity. The first person identity is what one makes of himself. The third person helps confirm one’s identity. Both of these together help form one’s true personal identity. For one without outside influences has nothing to base their identity on. For example, if one was to look at cases of people raised in isolation, it will be seen that they have no sense of reality or identity. They were left to their own thoughts with no outside stimulation. When they leave their isolated prisons, they rediscover their identity by identifying with their outside influences. In conclusion, it is almost impossible to justify the mind/body problem. Both Nagel and Chisholm’s perspectives on identity are fairly vague and both lack a deeper understanding of the mind. I truly believe that it is the mind that holds our identity. However an identity is highly structured by its outside influences. Without a body or without society, one would have no identity. Some can argue that there can be a mind without a body, but it just doesn’t make rational sense. If hypothetically, one was to have their mind switched into a different body, he would still identify as himself. For it is our mind that holds our identity, however our mind is within a body.