Research Methods in Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research Methods in Management - Assignment Example Next, methods of analysis of data will be highlighted. Finally a conclusion will synthesize the main points to demonstrate the importance of knowledge of research methods in management. In experimental research there is the explicit assumption that the universe functions according to causal laws (Creswell, 2003). The purpose of an experimental design is to establish the cause-effect relationship between sets of variables, by way of isolating assumed casual factors, and controlling suspected confounding or extraneous variables. It is hypothesized that an independent variable causes changes in a dependent variable, and that alternate hypotheses can be provided by other factors that are able to influence the results. The design uses random selection procedures to recruit a sample and randomly allocates participants to two or more groups (i.e., treatment group/s and a control group) (Neely, Gregory & Plats, 2005). Due to these random procedures, experimental methods allow for high external validity (generalization of results to a wider population), as the sample is more likely to be representative of that population. Alternatively, a quasi-experimental research design does not use random allocation of participants to groups, instead they are self-selecting (e.g., they have cancer or they do not have cancer) (Bryman, 2002). The quasi-experimental design is used in studies that are unable to control the independent variable, or when it is considered unethical or unfeasible to attempt to control the IV. The two main types of quasi-experimental designs are: 1) the non-equivalent control group; and 2) the pre-post design. Non-equivalent control group designs have both a treatment and a control group, whereas the pre-post design has no comparison group, as each participants serves as their own control in regards to their pre-test data. Due to the lack of random allocation the results of quasi-experiments cannot be generalized to a wider population with as much confidence as with an experimental design.There is also the non-experimental design in which no treatments (i.e., independent variable/s) are g iven to participants (Bryman, 2002). There is no random selection or random allocation of participants, and so the results of the study are unable to be generalized at all, as no causal relationships can be predicted. These designs tend to be used to investigate naturally occurring phenomenon in which the independent and dependent variables vary without researcher intervention.The advantages of experimental research methods are that the use of quantitative levels measurement (i.e., numerical data), random selection and allocation procedures, and a controlled environment, allow for higher confidence in the results, as well as greater generalizability of the results (Creswell, 2003). The results are more

God and Mephistopheles Essay Example for Free

God and Mephistopheles Essay In the prologue of Faust, Mephisto entered into agreement with the Lord. What are the terms of the agreement, and how does he go about attempting to win? What exactly does achieve in the process? In the beginning of the tragedy there is a dialogue between God and Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles says that people can’t use their mind in the right way. God argues and gives an example of Faust’s serving to Him and to people. Then Mephistopheles asks permission to put Faust on any trial because he wants to prove that Faust will fail. He obtains such permission but God is sure that Faust will feel the right way and that he will be saved. So, the struggle for Faust’s soul begins. As Faust is anxious about finding the highest sense of life, Mephistopheles wants to show the delights to Faust. They deal that if the scientist wants a moment to stay forever, he will be Mephistopheles’ servant. He tries to tempt him with the help of beautiful women Margaret and then Helen, but Faust can’t get a full happiness with them. The author reveals this idea by Helen’s words while her disappearing: â€Å"Alas, the ancient word proves true for me, as well: That joy and beauty never lastingly unite. † Mephistopheles also tries to arouse Faust’s desire to glory and worship but these attempts have no success. Finally Faust wishes the moment to stay forever, but Mephistopheles doesn’t win. It happens when he is building dam in order to help the people who suffer from floods. This wish is altruistic and that’s why Faust is saved. He finds the highest sense of life in common action that is necessary for everybody and that is realized by everybody. Outline some of the themes in Faust, and explain one briefly. In my opinion, it is possible to outline such themes of the tragedy as struggle between good and evil that occurs at global and private levels, the failure of the human ambitions to control and to change the nature and the natural phenomenon, the eternal search of the highest sense of life. The last theme is the main one of the tragedy, because Faust is anxious about getting absolute happiness. The temptations that Mephistopheles proposed to Faust couldn’t bring real and lasting joy. It means that people can hardly be happy when they rely on the things that pass soon as feeling in love and using the power upon people and glory. Feeling in love is wonderful, but it doesn’t guarantee the happiness. People are selfish and they do harm to their nearest very often. The example of the relationships between Faust and Margaret confirms this thought, because the main character’s selfish desire was a reason of Margaret death and the murders of her mother, child and brother. So, the idea of serving to people is contrasted to the selfish wishes of people. Faust was saved because his final deed was philanthropic. By the example of Faust Goethe shows us that a person always feel deep inside what is right and what is wrong but unfortunately it doesn’t mean that everybody finds the true sense of life. Compare and contrast the uses and/or criticism of religion in Hamlet and Faust. The Hamlet’s problem contains more philosophic and social aspects than religious ones. He struggles with the time he lives in and tries to improve it but he fails. Unsuccessful attempts of changing the world that doesn’t fit with Hamlet’s ideals results his fatalism and the final events of the tragedy. Hamlet doubts in the right of the events of global concern and that’s why his attitude towards religion is also doubtful. In his main monologue Hamlet supposes that death is a means of solving the problems of life. This thought doesn’t fit to the Christian ideas which had to be close for him. To my mind, the ideas of â€Å"Faust† are opposite to the ones of â€Å"Hamlet†. Goethe develops the plot of the tragedy with the help of such characters as God and Mephistopheles that demonstrates the authors’ persuasion that people are ruled by the supernatural essences. The fact that Faust is working on New Testament’s translation also reveals the idea of constant interaction between people and God. Goethe thinks that serving to people and serving to God are equal virtues. The fact that Mephistopheles couldn’t win the agreement also confirms the religious idea of constant victory of good. The main characters of the world literature’s masterpieces Hamlet and Faust are compared with each other frequently. Their personalities are alike because both of them try to struggle with the world order and challenge the destiny. Faust is going to know all the secrets of nature and his way to improve his own life and the whole world is scientific. What about Hamlet, he broadens the tragedy of his family to a global scale that’s why his thoughts about injustice concern not only his uncle but the human’s life. The first of act of Hamlet reveals that the ghost of his father assigns Hamlet an ambiguous duty. What are these duties, and using the text effectively, explain the one you think Hamlets satisfied? In the first act Hamlet knows from the Ghost of his father that he was killed and the Ghost asks him to revenge to Hamlet’s uncle for this murder. Though, the most important thing while revenging is to keep the soul innocent: â€Å"But, howsoever thou pursuest this act, Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To my mind, Hamlet couldn’t execute such necessary conditions. Finally he revenges to Claudius, but as a result not only Hamlet’s mother died. Ophelia, Laertes, Polonius also became victims of the revenge. In the beginning the Hamlet’s soul doubted about the ways of the vengeance and he suffered a lot from these doubts, but the view of warriors has a great influence on him. The warriors are going to fight because of the land that their ruler doesn’t want to rent. The fact that twenty thousands of people are going to die because the honor of the king is wounded makes him decide that his thoughts and actions should be bloody and ruthless. He can’t keep his soul clear because, to my mind, his fault for the deaths of people that are close to him finally destroys his conscience.

The Most Famous Online Shopping Website In China Marketing Essay

The Most Famous Online Shopping Website In China Marketing Essay Abstract Taobao is the most famous online shopping website in China. It was launched in 2003 and within two years it became the leader of Chinas online shopping market. In order to keep the leadership position in increasingly intense competition and sustain its development, Taobao needs to modify and better its strategies for future development. Furthermore, its marketing strategies can also provide a good example for other online shopping companies. This essay is going to make an overall analysis on Taobaos business strategies by SWOT. Key words: Taobao; marketing strategies; SWOT analysis Content 1. Introduction 3 2.1 Leading position in Chinas online shopping market 4 2.2 Effective combination of diversified offerings 4 2.3 Precise market positioning 5 3.1 Limiting itself to local market 6 3.2 Insufficient screen process to control counterfeit products 6 4. Opportunities 7 4.1 Growing demand for online shopping in China 7 4.2 Government support 7 4.3 Safer payment systems for online transactions 7 5. Threats 8 5.1 Low entry barrier leads to fierce competition 8 5.2 Strict policy for third parties payment license 8 5.3 Higher logistics costs 8 6 Conclusions 9 Bibliography 10 1. Introduction Taobao operates a website, Taobao.com which is the largest Internet retail website in China. According to its website the transaction volume on Taobao (gross merchandise volume or GMV) exceeded RMB200 billion (US$29 billion) in 2009. Taobao launched in 2003, is owned by Alibaba Group, which is a family of Internet-based businesses. (Taobao, n.d.) Taobao provides not only online platforms but also third-party online payment services (Alipay) and instant messaging services (Aliwangwang) Platforms within Taobao include Alimama (alimama.com), an online advertising exchange and affiliate network for publishers in China. In addition, there is also a classified listing website Koubei.com. (ibid.) SWOT analysis, according to Philip Kolter, is an overall evaluation of a companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. (Kolter, 2003) As the competition in the online shopping market is becoming increasingly fierce, Taobao faces some problems as well. The purpose of this SWOT analysis is to provide a critical review of key factors that may slow down Taobaos future development. 2. Strengths 2.1 Leading position in Chinas online shopping market Taobao is an acknowledged leader in both B2C (business to consumer) and C2C (consumer to consumer) online shopping market in China. Taobao has (should be: had) more than 190 million registered users by (could use: at) the end of April, 2010. (Taobao, n.d.) It has built a strong brand and is recognised by more Netizen (which is defined as the Chinese population who have accessed the Internet in the past 6 months by China Internet Network Information Centre) (CNNIC. 2008, January 15th). The company is well-thought-of by customers which gives Taobao more advantages in competition. 2.2 Effective combination of diversified offerings Taobao combines its three segment businesses effectively to enlarge its customer base. Take Alipay as an example, it is a third-party online payment platform, provides a simpler, efficient and safe payment service for both customers and sellers. This service not only ensure (should be: ensures) the transaction security but also reduces the transaction risk for online consumers, as it enables buyers to confirm the quality of goods before releasing funds to sellers. For example, if goods are found (to be) broken or fake, customers can request Alipay to postpone the release of funds to sellers. (Taobao, n.d.) This service help (should be: helps) Taobao (to) attract more customers. In addition, an instant message (could use: messaging) service called Aliwangwang make (should be: makes) the communication between (the) buyer and seller easier. Moreover, this service enables (the) buyer and seller (to) have a directly private bargain during the transactions, which is the preference of Chinese customers. 2.3 Precise market positioning Taobao analyzed Chinas online shopping market at the beginning of its business. Different from other online shopping websites which prefer older white-collar worker(s) with higher salaries or people who like collecting and sharing, Taobao chose fashionable younger females as the target customer. This market positioning proved more suitable for Chinas market compared to other websites (apostrophe not needed) . This is one of the reasons that the growth rate of Taobao is much higher than other competitors. 3. Weaknesses 3.1 Limiting itself to local market The design of Taobao website and other supporting services were based on Chinas local market. This localisation strategy made Taobao grew (should be: grow) fast at the beginning. However, with the development of the website, this strategy limits Taobao to the Chinese market and (, therefore resulting in a) lack of presence in (the) global market. 3.2 Insufficient screen process to control counterfeit products Although Taobao has taken some measures to control the sale of fake goods, such as rating the sellers by credit value, the result was not as expected. Because of the free strategy that Taobao used, individuals can establish an online shop easily without charge and requirement. This makes it even hard to monitor and select sellers that commit fraud. Lack of effective screening processes to control the sale of counterfeit products has had a negative influence on customers confidence in Taobao. It could also affect Taobaos brand image and sales. 4. Opportunities 4.1 Growing demand for online shopping in China According to CNNIC, the number of online buyers reached 87.9 million by June 2009, increasing from 74 million in 2008 and 46 million in 2007. The online shopping penetration rate achieved 24.8% by June 2009. (CNNIC. 2010, January 15th; 2010, July 15th) As the data above shows, more people in China prefer to buy products online. Convenience and various choices could be two main reasons. This increasingly growing demand for online shopping contributed to the growth of Taobao. 4.2 Government support After the global financial crisis, (the) Chinese government provided a RMB 4 trillion stimulus package in order to boost the domestic economic growth through 2010. (the) IT industry received around 0.5% to 1% of the cash injection. (Xinhua, 2008). This gave online shopping companies strong support for future developments. 4.3 Safer payment systems for online transactions The improved online payment systems play an important role in the growth of Chinese online shopping markets. There are more flexible payment systems for customers to choose. For example, a third-party online payment system ensures the security of transaction(s) and enables customers to get their refunds easily. A simpler and safer payment for online transaction(s) attracts (should be: attract) more customers. 5. Threats 5.1 Low entry barrier leads to fierce competition Because of the low entry barrier and fast growing market, Taobao meets many challenges, particularly in the face of increased competition from new market entrants. In addition, without many technical difficulties, it is easy for other competitors to copy Taobaos business pattern. Therefore, Taobao will be forced to increase investments on advertising or technological innovation. 5.2 Strict policy for third parties payment license Recently, Peoples Bank of China issued an Administrative Measures for the Payment Services Provided by Non-financial Institutions which has raised the entry standard for third payment party. In order to get (could use: obtain) and keep the license, Taobao has to increase its expenditure on online payment. 5.3 Higher logistics costs Taobao will give customers suggestions about the logistic companies which are mostly local third party logistics providers and customers usually take the suggestions because of the lower delivery prices these companies offered, compared to other international express companies, such as DHL and UPS. However, local third party logistics recently announced that they would raise the price. As most online customers are highly prices sensitive, this will have a negative effect on Taobaos sale. 6 Conclusions According to the SWOT analysis, although there are some drawbacks which have negative effects on Taobaos future development, the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages. In addition, there are many opportunities for Taobaos further growth. This conclusion will give some suggestions for Taobaos future business expansion. First of all, in order to keep the leadership position, technological innovation is crucial for Taobao. Taobao may focus on continuous improvement of its online payment system, which is also one of its strengths, particularly in the aspect of transactions (should be transactions, without apostrophe) reliability and security. Moreover, website functions, Internet stability and high-speed access to websites are also important in providing a better user experience, which may help to attract more customers. Secondly, as Taobao has the advantage of large scale consumers and sellers, Taobao may segment its market to provide more specialized services based on different demands so that it can meet customers requirements more effectively. To sum up, it is undeniable that the future of (the) online shopping market in China is promising. Based on the statistics by CNNIC, It is in a steadily (should be: steady) development stage. In this attractive online shopping market, more complete logistics providers and payment systems will appear. These will provide Taobao more opportunities to develop in the future.

Plagiarism and the Internet :: Cheating Education School Essays

Plagiarism and the Internet To plagiarize, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means â€Å"to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own† or to â€Å"use (another’s production) without crediting the source (Merriam-Webster OnLine).† To plagiarize is a major offense, and many schools and workplaces take it very seriously, or so they claim. For example, at the College of New Jersey, a strict Academic Integrity Policy promises severe punishment to those caught plagiarizing, more severe for intentional violations than unintentional (â€Å"Academic Integrity†). But punishment cannot be given if the person plagiarizing cannot be caught, and throughout the years, many new and easier ways to plagiarize have come about. The invention of the Internet gave students an easier way to copy another’s work and use it as their own. Along with this easier way to plagiarize, however, have come new ways to detect plagiarism. But in spite of all this, plagiarism continues to occur. On many college campuses and in many workplaces, a student or employee must follow an academic integrity policy or an honor code. When one plagiarizes, he goes in direct violation of these policies, doing something that is not only unethical, but also illegal. Copyright laws protect many major pieces of literature and many ideas, making those illegal to copy, but it is also immoral to copy the works of un-copyrighted authors. There can be severe consequences for a plagiarizer if he is caught, and if his professor or employer is willing to follow through with the consequences. People plagiarize, despite the immorality of it and the possible consequences, because it is easier than coming up with their own ideas. Also, when following a strict deadline, plagiarizing can be a fast way to finish a paper or a project. With new technology, plagiarizing has become even easier than it was in the past. With the birth of the World Wide Web came new ways to plagiarize. With a few clicks of the mouse, entire passages can be taken from a web page and placed into a student’s paper in Microsoft Word. With a few minor word changes and alterations, a student might think that he is safe, and that no one will be able to catch his plagiarism.

Research Strategy Paper. Stress

A vast amount of information about work-related stress is readily available. After doing a preliminary search of keywords â€Å"work related stress,† I found that the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Oxford university's medical department, the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health all maintain sites which will be useful as sources for me. All of these sites are administered by well-known and legitimate organizations and loud be excellent sources of accurate and reliable information.They also include the results of professionally conducted clinical research studies. Additionally, the same keyword search conducted In the university of Phoenix library resulted In 330 sources available for research utilization. By focusing on these numerous sources, I will find relevant and unbiased studies and material directly specific to work-related stress. An overview of my research strategy process is s ummarized as follows: – Identify and select the problem/topic. I have already decided my topic will be â€Å"Work-Related Stress†.Find and Identify the symptoms of the work-related stress that are common to the ma]orally of people affected by work-related stress and not to a specific career field or occupation. – Find and identify the common causes that are relevant to the majority of people and not a specific career field or occupation. – Find and identify both long-term and short-term health risks and benefits, if any, related to work- related stress. – Identify the treatments available to reduce or eliminate work-related stress. Any medication prescribed for the treatment of stress must be approved by he Food and Drug Administration(FDA).Pipeline or experimental medication will not be considered. ; Develop conclusions related to the above research. – Summarize research findings and conclusion in the form of a written report. In order to e ffectively get the most reliable information regarding work-related stress, I will utilize credible publications, books, articles, Journals and studies and I will reference all cited data. Utilizing both the Internet and the University of Phoenix library, I will search for, locate and compare legitimate data and studies to find profession.Different Jobs have different stresses and stress levels and I am trying to capture the common theme behind work-related stress as a general topic. I will verify the source of any potential research information by conducting some background checks on the author to ensure that they are experts in their field. Once I have located and identified what I feel to be relevant data, I will compile the information for comparison. Only material meeting my specific research parameters will be utilized in order to ensure consistency and accuracy throughout all phases of my project.While conducting my research, I will combine both quantitative and qualitative r esearch methods in order to ensure that my findings are reliable, unbiased and objective. Because I am not focusing on a specific career field or occupation, I will ensure that my research is objective and can be reproduced by data supported through studies and research conducted on people from various backgrounds, locations and professions. By comparing data collected from the different studies meeting my criteria, I will be able to effectively utilize consistent data and eliminate irregularities or other material not applicable to my particular search focus.The symptoms, causes and health risks must be consistent in all studies. Additionally, hours spent at work and work environment should be varied to ensure that the common causes and stresses are captured. Since my topic is medically related, my research will be more effective by utilizing the most recent information and studies available. Medical technologies and research can evolve rapidly and therefore make older data and mat erial obsolete very quickly. Obtaining the most recent and credible material will be key for my research topic.For the retirement portion of the research, I will limit studies to natural remedies or medication approved by the FDA. After combining and comparing all data that is applicable to my research of work related stress, the material will be reviewed again for accuracy and also to ensure that all material is objective. Conclusions will be drawn based on the findings and the results will be presented in a written report. References * (1) Retrieved from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health website: * http://www. CDC. Gob/nosh/programs/work/emerging. HTML

Old Imperialism vs. New Imperialism

Imperialism is the spread of control over territories across the globe. The Industrial Revolution and interests in nationalism created a new period of imperialism around 1750. Old imperialism lasted from 1450- 1750, but imperialism alone remained until 1914. Old imperialism and new imperialism shared the same basic concept of controlling and utilizing foreign countries. Old imperialism focused mainly on systems of trade while new imperialism took bolder steps to overtaking nations. Old Imperialism was the period from 1450-1750, in which powers were motivated by â€Å"gold, glory, and God†. Political power was controlled by central governments while leaders were busy trying to increase their power. National wealth was widely viewed as holder of power. In old Imperialism, Europeans focused on a cash and carry system, where they purchased goods from native merchants who brought the goods they produced. This led to a focus on a trading system because Europeans didn’t want to take on territorial responsibilities. During the Old imperialism era, Europeans set up trading posts, ports, and docks. These trading centers benefited the places the mother country was supplying too. They had objectives to protect their trading centers in native places and none to obtain territories in them. Europe’s trade within and between native lands led to cultural diversity which may have caused a small breach in unity. However, the old Imperialism era ended due to high costs in taking over territories and too much time to supply the mother country. There was no time to build up a superior, organized, skilled army for anyone. Also, due to the Industrial Revolution there was now a faster more efficient way to create and manufacture products. New Imperialism took place from 1750-1914 in which, Europeans encouraged the acquiring of new native territories in order to invest capital in them to expand their profits. Many others started following European actions such as France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and Russia. Europeans saw these native lands as the light to opening them politically and economically. Europeans sought out lands that provided new sources of raw materials, cheap labor, markets, areas of investment, and military boosters. As European nations became competitive with one another, here was an increased pressure to practice Imperialism to maintain power. New Imperialism was motivated greatly by the Industrial Revolution and its advancements, and efficiency of manufacturing and supplying products. European nations also focused on opening trade routes that would give them places to sell their goods. Also significant was the Europeans desire to Christianize and â€Å"civilize† other nations through missionary work and the enforcement of European cultures and beliefs. The new Imperialism brought on social changes as well. Many people urged the taking up of the â€Å"White Man’s Burden†, bringing the European version of civilization to the rest of the world, regardless whether they wanted it or not. While old Imperialism and new Imperialism obviously differed they do share some of the same concepts. During each era, both focused on building their nation stronger, superior, and more enhanced than everyone else through political, economic, and militaristic strategies. Both Imperialisms brought on war, hatred, and strong levels of competition among the World. They brought on ethnic diversity as well as cultural diversity throughout. Each significantly boosted economies worldwide, creating hatful competition which would lead to big wars, maybe even two of them. Imperialism refers to colonial expansion across the globe. As more and more countries began competing, it folded out a new playing field of war. Soon, there would be allies, enemies, victories, defeats, and a whole lot of casualties. Yes, this expansionism would lead to World War I, eventually, into World War II and slumping depressions worldwide.

Barnes Surname Meaning and Origin

Barnes Surname Meaning and Origin The common Barnes  surname is often of topographical origin, deriving from the  Middle English barn, for  barn or granary, and  meaning of the barn (barley house). The use of the name was generally associated with a significant barn in the local region.  Barnes may also be an occupational surname for someone who worked in a barn. An alternative origin for the Barnes last name may be suggested by the parish of Barnes in Aberdeenshire, Scotland which derives its name from the Gaelic word bearn, meaning gap. Barnes was the 101st most common last name in the United States at the time of the 2000 U.S. census. Surname Origin: English, Scottish Alternate Surname Spellings:   BARNS, BERNES Famous People with the Surname BARNES: Jim Barnes - English golfer and first winner of the PGA championshipBrenda Barnes -  Former president of  PepsiCo North America Genealogy Resources for the Surname BARNES: 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? The Barnes Family YearbookAn annual publication issued under the authority of the Barnes Family Association. Several volumes are available for free viewing from Internet Archive. Barnes DNA Surname ProjectLarry Bowling heads up this DNA project through FamilyTreeDNA with a goal of sorting out various lines of Barnes ancestors from around the world. Barnes Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Barnes surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or ask your own question about your Barnes ancestors. FamilySearch - BARNES GenealogyFind records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Barnes surname and its variations. BARNES Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Barnes surname. DistantCousin.com - BARNES Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Barnes. Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name Meanings Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

20 Slang Terms for Law Enforcement Personnel

20 Slang Terms for Law Enforcement Personnel 20 Slang Terms for Law Enforcement Personnel 20 Slang Terms for Law Enforcement Personnel By Mark Nichol A variety of more or less colorful colloquialisms referring to police officers and similar authority figures have developed in American English, sometimes inspired by other languages. Here is a list of such terms. 1. barney: This gently derogatory term refers to Barney Fife, a bumbling small-town deputy sheriff in the classic 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. 2. bear: This term, from truckers’ slang, alludes to a style of hat worn by some law enforcement personnel- one that resembles the one worn by fire-safety icon Smokey the Bear. (See also Smokey.) 3. the boys in blue: This folksy phrase refers to the frequent use of blue as the color of a police officer’s uniform- and harks back to a time when only men could become police officers. 4. bull: a term prevalent in the first half of the twentieth century, primarily referring to railroad police but pertaining to regular police officers as well and alluding to the aggressiveness of these officials. 5. cop: A truncation of copper from British English usage, referring to someone who cops, or captures. 6. dick: A derogatory abbreviation of detective. 7. federales: Originally a Spanish term for federal police in Mexico, but jocularly used in the United States to refer to police in general. 8. the feds: A truncation of federal, referring to federal law enforcement personnel. 9. five-O: A term for police derived from the title of the television series Hawaii Five-O, about a special police unit by that name. 10. flatfoot: A reference to a police officer, with several possible origins, including the association that police who walked a beat supposedly would get the medical condition of flat feet. 11. fuzz: Originally a British English term referring to felt-covered helmets worn by London police officers, later borrowed into American English. 12. G-man: A term (derived from â€Å"government man†) from the mid-twentieth century, referring to FBI agents. 13. gendarmes: Originally a French term for rural police officers, borrowed into American English as jocular slang. 14. gumshoe: A term alluding to soft-soled shoes worn by detectives that are more comfortable than hard-soled shoes and/or enable them to follow suspects surreptitiously. 15. the heat: A reference to the pressure that law enforcement officials apply to suspects. 16. the law: A collective term for law enforcement. 17. the man: A term alluding to the imposing authority of law enforcement personnel. 18. pig: A derogatory term dating back to the 1800s that fell into disuse but was revived during the civil rights era. 19. po-po: A reduplicative term referring to police officers. 20. Smokey: A term for law enforcement personnel, derived from an association of the style of hat worn by some state troopers with the one worn by Smokey the Bear. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your StoryBody Parts as Tools of MeasurementIs "Number" Singular or Plural?

Beowulf An Epic Hero English Literature Essay

Beowulf An Epic Hero English Literature Essay While reading the epic poem of â€Å"Beowulf† the most important character is Beowulf which has the personality of an epic conqueror by performance of skills and bravery, durable reputation, and royal duty. In Beowulf it shows strange and nearly external ability and bravery at the assassination of Grendel, the Troll Wife, and the Dragon. Due to the brave killing of the useless creature Beowulf also becomes familiar to the idea of being fames. Beowulf as a model he must defend his people as a imperial responsibility. The poem starts with the slaughter of Grendel. In the slaughter of the unusually huge being Beowulf shows significant skills and bravery. Beowulf shows odd skill and bravery which this shows the beginning of an epic hero. Beowulf show bravery and ability by slaughter Grendel hand without a sword or a shield. The cause why Beowulf chooses to kill Grendel with no body armor to him it felt that he must not have any advantages over the monster of Grendel. By defeating Grendel without any armor Beowulf prove to the people that he really is brave and clever. Beowulf shows great skills and bravery when he supposedly defeats the Troll Wife which is the mother of Grendel. After killing all the Thanes in the Mead Hall to make a point to Beowulf say he was able to kill her with the Hrunting. After stabbing the Troll Wife and winning the battle. Once again Grendel demonstrates the personality of an epic hero. Beowulf also shows his bravery and skill while he was slaughtering the Dragon. In the killing of the Dragon, Beowulf was ready to give up his own live in order to slay the Dragon. In additional Beowulf traits shows him as an epic conqueror by taking care of his royal duty. Before the king kills himself he gave Beowulf his kingdom so he became the king when he died. Beowulf realizes his responsibility to rule and defend his kingdom, with his royal duties. Although he aged over time when he slaughter the dragon he must defend his people from it, itâ €™s is responsibility now that he is the king. In the next paragraph from Beowulf, Beowulf clarify why he have to carry out his royal duties. Hygelac offer Beowulf his family sword, as a way to repay him from the battle. The king decided to give Beowulf his land, because his sword as served him well. By means of his hands and tough sword blade, while Beowulf is delicate and aged once the Dragon came. Beowulf understands that he will repay his people by slaughter the Dragon. Beowulf believes that he was giving so much throughout his people and being able to kill the dragon was his royal duties to protect his kingdom. The slaughter of Grendel, the Troll wife, and the Dragon was including in his royal duty. Beowulf as well turns into adapting to the idea of endure reputation by taking royal obligation. Beowulf shows another trait of an epic hero during the idea of lasting reputation. The traits of enduring fame come about when Beowulf slaughters Grendel, The Troll Wife, and the Dra gon. Following the killing of Grendel and The Troll Wife Beowulf is looking upon as a hero by numerous of Thanes. When Beowulf murder Grendel, Beowulf stumble upon Heorot where he reward Beowulf with gold. While having a banquet in tribute of Beowulf, they told him to put on riches with true superior determination this will increase and do well and establish your strength. Beowulf has received the respect as a hero. Fate showed hold on life when it comes to an end. Beowulf also becomes familiar to the thought of endure reputation with the land that is given to Beowulf to rule. Beowulf receives tribute when he dies. At the ending of the heroic poem, Beowulf’s people are sad, and keep on being sad while promising that his kingdom will always remember him as an epic hero Beowulf. The entire trait mentioned early proves Beowulf as an epic hero. Beowulf shows ability and bravery, lasting fame, and caring out his royal duties; all these personality show that Beowulf is an epic hero . By slaughter Grendel, and the Dragon, Beowulf demonstrate ability and bravery to his people by demonstrate his force and survival. As a result of slaughter the Dragon even while Beowulf knows that the ending will possibly show the way to the death he shows the traits of his royal duty. The king offer Beowulf his kingdom to rule it as a result of his great reputation. All these are personality of an epic hero, which Beowulf was a great epic hero.

Programable logic controllers (PLC) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Programable logic controllers (PLC) - Essay Example On its site, Wikipedia says a PLC is used for the automation of electromechanical processes for example controlling factory machinery or running amusement rides. It says that its function is unlike a computer that is built for a general purpose, and that it is designed to accommodate multiple inputs and output arrangements, resistant to vibrations, impact or temperature changes. The controlling programs are generally stored in a non-volatile memory as these controllers operate in different kinds of environment, fitted into machines where the controlling program must be kept stable at all times. They are designed for real-time use and are often subjected to extreme environments where it cannot afford to malfunction; its circuitry keeps a check on multiple sensor inputs which control the output actuators, for example, solenoids, lights and valves (Blacharski, 2003). The first Programmable Logic Controller to be developed was by General Motors in 1968 when its Hydramatic Division wanted to counter the soaring costs involved in the existing inflexible relay-controlled systems. The starting PLCs had relay functionality, substituting the traditional hard-wired relay logic which used electrically run devices to mechanically switch circuits. They offered a lot of advantage as they were far easier to use in an industry; the installation wasn’t tough, they needed less space and they were re-usable. The benefit of PLCs quickly caught on to other businesses like food, beverage and manufacturing and by 1971, they were providing relay replacement which was the first step to contr ol automation (Bryan and Bryan 1997, 16-18). The CPU, consisting of the processor, memory system and the power supply runs all PLC activities. The I/O system is physically connected to devices used in the control of a process or machine and its interface provides the connection between the CPU, the information providers

Exploring the factors influencing Consumer on choosing iphone in the Essay

Exploring the factors influencing Consumer on choosing iphone in the mobile phone market(Marketing ) - Essay Example Smartphone are in fashion and the iPhone is the most dominating handset throughout. In fourth quarter of 2008, a sale of 305 million was recorded in global mobile market while Compound Annual Growth Rate from 2009 to 2012 is expected to be 12.3%. At present, Apple holds 32 percent of the aggregate mobile phone industry profit globally. Windows mobile are very popular these days. Kirk illustrated a research that by 2012, almost 37.4 % of the Smartphone market will be captured by Operating System of Nokia Symbian, while Android will hold around 18% of the Smartphone market. Operating System of Blackberry will own around 13.9% and the Operating System of the iPhone will own 13.6% of the Smartphone market (2009). Popularity of the iPhone has been increasing day by day. Another research from the Wall Street Journal reveals that the market share of Apple’s Smartphone significantly fell down to 16.6% in the fourth quarter of 2009 from 18.1% in the third quarter of 2009, though sales grew with almost 18% from third quarter to the fourth quarter of the year 2009 while in the fourth quarter of 2008, Apple experienced a growth from 10.8% to around 16.4% in 2009 in market share (Marsal, 2010).   There is a great influence over the Smartphone industry of the iPhone (Sheth, N. 2010).  However, Apple holds a significant role in Smartphone industry (Evans, J. 2010). Apple has been coming up with numerous competitive products like multitouch ipads etc. Marketing side of Apple is very strong and still, it is expected that Apple will be selling around two million ipads in the current year and is expected to sell almost six million ipads in the coming year 2011. This could be the reason behind Investors’ trust in Apple (Hughes, 2010).   A latest mobile model experiences good time till the new model is released by the company. People crazily start buying latest versions of their

FIOS has the fastest 4G network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FIOS has the fastest 4G network - Essay Example Although other internet service providers use fibre optic or the coppers network cables, according to many internet users, FiOS 4G networks is the fastest network among all 25. The following annotated bibliography seeks to emphasize the effectiveness of FiOS 4G networks as one of the fastest 4G networks used in the IT sector. Sander and Scott argue that FiOS has the fastest 4G networks globally. According to this book, Verizon runs two telecommunications business that include; Domestic wireless and Wire line. The two telecommunications services offer quality services to the customers (45). Domestic wireless provides wireless data and voice services through TVs and telephones. On the other hand, Wire line provides broadband, voice, internet access, video, and long distance data transmission through high-speed data transmission channels. These authors state that FiOS is one of the largest investments of Verizon, which provides a high-speed bandwidth internet link easily surpassing cables and DSL. With FiOS 4G network, Verizon is able to provide high-speed data; thousands of HD lives stream videos and voice data all simultaneously (47). Hui in his book emphasizes that FiOS has the fastest 4G networks than other internet service providers in the world. According to him, the current LTE Mobile Broadband is the leading-edge type of 4G networks aimed to have the fastest data transmission rate than the existing 3G network. Further, Verizon introduced iPad and Apple iphone products and other services in the market in the year 2010 (46). Due to the company’s high quality products, a large group of consumers anticipate these rollouts for a long period, and thought to have the fastest 4G networks than any other alternative products from competing companies. Verizon Company serves the world’s largest companies, which use

Music Technology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Music Technology - Coursework Example +4dBu is generally found in professional level equipment such as public address systems. Finally, -85dBu indicates the level of noise floor (residual electronic noise) in the sound amplifying system. Noise floor is the measure of the lowest audible sound that can be amplified by the system. Collectively, the three levels are known as the operating line levels of an audio system (Glenn, 1998, p.731). A.2. What do the ranges of 24 dB, 89 dB and 109 dB indicate? Explain the function that each of these ranges has in an audio system? (9 marks) The range 24dB in the diagram indicates the headroom of the sound system (peak level- nominal level) = +28dBu-(+4dBu) =24dBu. According to Rossing (2002, p.168), the main function of this range is to describe the capacity of the sound amplifying system to handle loud sound peaks. For example, a sound system with a larger headroom range is often able to handle significantly louder sound peaks before the sound is distorted or broken. On the other hand , 89 dB range shown in the diagram indicates the S/N ratio (Signal to Noise ratio) of the sound amplifying system. Generally, S/N ratio refers to the difference between the nominal level of the sound system and the noise floor. When the S/N ratio is combined with the headroom, the result is known as the dynamic range assuming that there is no signal below the noise floor in the sound amplifying system (Borwick, 1980, p.45). ... gard, the dynamic range of the system function as the indicator of the difference between the electro-acoustic noise floor and the peak output level of the audio system. B. Why does the graphic refer to two different kinds of dB? Explain both types extensively using formulas for both types too. (15marks). The graphic diagram refers to the two types of dB namely the dB (SPL) and dBu scales. With regard to the dB (SPL), the primary variable measured is the sound pressure level in the audio system. This kind of dB is achieved by measuring the ratio amplified input signals using the logarithmic formula: 10  log  (P2/P1)  dB   Ã‚  where the log is assumed to base 10. (Rossing , Moore , Wheeler, 2002, p.87). The other type of dB used in the diagram is dBu which generally indicates the output of the sound amplifying system (amplitude ratios). dBu is the unit measure of the absolute value of the electrical potential of the system in volts (relative to the sound produced). The formula for this kind of dB is: 20 log10 (V/ V0) = 20 log10 (V/ 0.7746), where voltage is measured using root mean square (Glenn, 1998, p.851). ` C. About the values showed above, would you considered this to be a professional system or only a home-made-like system (e.g. cassette or vinyl) based)? Explain your choice. (5marks). According to the values given in the diagram, the system illustrated is most likely to be a professional system. For example, headroom of 24dB is capable of ensuring high fidelity sound that is only found in the professional sound amplification systems which are often comparatively more sophisticated than the normal homemade systems like those using vinyl and cassettes. Additionally, the large dynamic range indicated in the diagram is a likely suggestion that the system has a high

Protection of Private Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Protection of Private Information - Essay Example A stricter law sometimes paved way for hindrance for multinational companies that operated in European Union countries but in the broader sense all member nations could exchange private information in the private and public segment (Data Protection and Privacy. n.d). The European Union authorities have signed a pact with United States that enables officials in the United States to have a wide access to private information like credit card transactions, travel histories and internet surfing nature of people in Britain. The United States law enforcement organisations and security agencies will have the liberty to access private information of European Union citizens. The pact will undermine the privacy of individuals and American will have the freedom to check on anyone it finds fit for scrutiny. The propaganda has evoked mixed results among authorities within the European Union and some comment that local official are not to be trusted while handling sensitive private information and the revelation of this data to another nation may result in virtual abuse. The pact is of advantage to the United States because it can intrude into the details of any person in the European Union and Britain through credit card companies, banks and other establishme nts that collect person details. Earlier, the European Union imposed sanction if any firm gave information against the information protection law. The pact will now give better protection for firm on transfer of private information. The pact is set to allow European governments and firms to exchange private details of internet and credit card users and make it legally binding on both the United States and European Union. However, required law has not been drafted whereby European Union citizens can hold the American government liable for misuse of information. The pact calls for exchange of information about airlines and international bank transfers. Though this is not a total transfer of information between European Union nations and the United States, the pact provides extensive access of private information which is considered to be protected according to the European Union law (Leppard, 2008). The decision has come up after difference of opinion evolved between Europe and United States in terms of sharing private information post the 9/11 attacks. The United States demanded information about air passenger and bank transfer details which most of the European Union nations denied stating privacy laws. The common agreement is finalized to evade future problems in terms of information sharing. But from the corporate point of view, more companies will be in a dilemma to find a balance between European and American law (U.S., EU near deal on private data: NYTimes. 2008). New Zealand has amended the Privacy Act 1993 in December 2000 to secure a revelation by the European Commission that New Zealand's privacy protection policy is adequate according to Article 25 of Data Protection Directive of the European Union. The amendment was passed when New Zealand's Privacy Act is applauded as the most detailed national privacy policy maintained outside the European continent. The Act specifies twelve data privacy principles with respect to collection, disclosure, use and storage of private information. The law is applicable to personal data in all kinds and it is applicable to all agencies in the private and public segment. The law has a separate rule for unique identifiers and the government's

FIOS has the fastest 4G network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FIOS has the fastest 4G network - Essay Example Although other internet service providers use fibre optic or the coppers network cables, according to many internet users, FiOS 4G networks is the fastest network among all 25. The following annotated bibliography seeks to emphasize the effectiveness of FiOS 4G networks as one of the fastest 4G networks used in the IT sector. Sander and Scott argue that FiOS has the fastest 4G networks globally. According to this book, Verizon runs two telecommunications business that include; Domestic wireless and Wire line. The two telecommunications services offer quality services to the customers (45). Domestic wireless provides wireless data and voice services through TVs and telephones. On the other hand, Wire line provides broadband, voice, internet access, video, and long distance data transmission through high-speed data transmission channels. These authors state that FiOS is one of the largest investments of Verizon, which provides a high-speed bandwidth internet link easily surpassing cables and DSL. With FiOS 4G network, Verizon is able to provide high-speed data; thousands of HD lives stream videos and voice data all simultaneously (47). Hui in his book emphasizes that FiOS has the fastest 4G networks than other internet service providers in the world. According to him, the current LTE Mobile Broadband is the leading-edge type of 4G networks aimed to have the fastest data transmission rate than the existing 3G network. Further, Verizon introduced iPad and Apple iphone products and other services in the market in the year 2010 (46). Due to the company’s high quality products, a large group of consumers anticipate these rollouts for a long period, and thought to have the fastest 4G networks than any other alternative products from competing companies. Verizon Company serves the world’s largest companies, which use

Protection of Private Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Protection of Private Information - Essay Example A stricter law sometimes paved way for hindrance for multinational companies that operated in European Union countries but in the broader sense all member nations could exchange private information in the private and public segment (Data Protection and Privacy. n.d). The European Union authorities have signed a pact with United States that enables officials in the United States to have a wide access to private information like credit card transactions, travel histories and internet surfing nature of people in Britain. The United States law enforcement organisations and security agencies will have the liberty to access private information of European Union citizens. The pact will undermine the privacy of individuals and American will have the freedom to check on anyone it finds fit for scrutiny. The propaganda has evoked mixed results among authorities within the European Union and some comment that local official are not to be trusted while handling sensitive private information and the revelation of this data to another nation may result in virtual abuse. The pact is of advantage to the United States because it can intrude into the details of any person in the European Union and Britain through credit card companies, banks and other establishme nts that collect person details. Earlier, the European Union imposed sanction if any firm gave information against the information protection law. The pact will now give better protection for firm on transfer of private information. The pact is set to allow European governments and firms to exchange private details of internet and credit card users and make it legally binding on both the United States and European Union. However, required law has not been drafted whereby European Union citizens can hold the American government liable for misuse of information. The pact calls for exchange of information about airlines and international bank transfers. Though this is not a total transfer of information between European Union nations and the United States, the pact provides extensive access of private information which is considered to be protected according to the European Union law (Leppard, 2008). The decision has come up after difference of opinion evolved between Europe and United States in terms of sharing private information post the 9/11 attacks. The United States demanded information about air passenger and bank transfer details which most of the European Union nations denied stating privacy laws. The common agreement is finalized to evade future problems in terms of information sharing. But from the corporate point of view, more companies will be in a dilemma to find a balance between European and American law (U.S., EU near deal on private data: NYTimes. 2008). New Zealand has amended the Privacy Act 1993 in December 2000 to secure a revelation by the European Commission that New Zealand's privacy protection policy is adequate according to Article 25 of Data Protection Directive of the European Union. The amendment was passed when New Zealand's Privacy Act is applauded as the most detailed national privacy policy maintained outside the European continent. The Act specifies twelve data privacy principles with respect to collection, disclosure, use and storage of private information. The law is applicable to personal data in all kinds and it is applicable to all agencies in the private and public segment. The law has a separate rule for unique identifiers and the government's

Regenerative medicine Essay Example for Free

Regenerative medicine Essay Regenerative medicine Is the process of replacing or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function. It can be used for many things by many different techniques. It can benefit many different people in many different ways. Regenerative medicine replaces/repairs tissues that the body cannot repair on its own. This includes things such as organs like kidneys; if one needs to be removed we may be able to replace/repair It. Regenerative medicine can save lives and be a lot more useful than average people may think it Is. Using state of the arc technology we may be able to prevent organ transplant rejection due to the fact that we can grow the organ from the patients owns cells/tissue. Current estimates say that approximately one in three Americans can benefit from regenerative medicine. Stem cells are used a lot in regenerative medicine. The stem cells are what are used to create the organ in the lab. The scientists first take the stem cells and place them and a model for them to grow on. Once the stem cells have grown and formed tissues around the mold they add what the organ needs to do its function. They then end electrical signals to bring the organ to life, like a heartbeat, almost as if they are reviving it. This has the potential of saving millions of lives in the long run, maybe even billions, or eventually trillions if mankind last that long. Of course technology will advance and there will be dfferent techniques and approaches for regenerative medlclne, but technology Is developing faster than ever in the past 100 years, so we may not be as far away from achieving great things as you might think. Say someone needs a new bladder, but no bladders that match them are currently available. Well with regenerative medicine we can create a new bladder in a hopefully short period of time with the tissues and cells of the person who needs the bladder. Therefor there will be no shortage of organs and no problems regarding the body rejecting the organ anyways. The only downside of this Is that growing tissues and cells takes time. So, If the patient needs a new bladder Immediately, growing one will not be an opuon because It will not grow fast enough In time for the person to live. But I see that there are three solutions. Solution one is that people could regularly visit their octor to be sure nothing is wrong, so if something is wrong we may be able to notice it before Its too late. Solution two is that in the future we can only hope that technology will be advanced enough for us to speed up the growth of these tissues, this will help In situations where the patients does not have a lot of time. The third solution Is that If we have the materials needed, we could eventually create enough organs with enough different tissues that nine times out of ten, one of the organs will match. I believe that any of these three solutions could work, but they ingredient to chieving this is time and effort. This is why I feel like more people should be choosing careers in science. It is very interesting and can help benefit all humans on the plant in the long run. So If more people worked with regenerative medicine who knows what the limits could be. Fasclnatlon wltn ty to regenerate tlssues ana organs nas exlstea slnce mankind first realized that it is possible (This was thousands of years ago, even though they couldnt really do anything and the term regenerative medicine was not used). Long before the term Regenerative Medicine was came up with, humans were ealizing the effects and capabilities of medicinal intervention. The Ancient Civilizations of Sameria, Egypt, China, India, and South America all pioneered medical discoveries and techniques that still impact the field today. Practices that we take for granted, such as cleansing and debridement of wounds using vegetable and mineral concoctions were common. Hundreds of scientists and philosophers over thousands of years have worked to establish our current technologies. The early 1800s saw a huge expansion in the fields of biology and medicine when scientists revealed that all ife depends on chemical reactions that occur within cells, which could, in fact, be reproduced in the laboratory. The discovery and official introduction of antibiotics by Alexander Flemming in 1928 changed the field of health-care forever. Followed shortly after by the discovery of cell division and heritability in the form of a helical, ladder-like structure, called DNA, science was geared to bring a whole other ball game. These discoveries meant that human biology and the systems contained within could now be brought into and manipulated in the laboratory. As the turn of he 20th century hit, previously mystical processes of life science finally become tangible. Regenerative medicine has grown from prior activities including surgery, surgical implants (artificial hips), and increasingly sophisticated bio-material scaffolds (skin grafts). The work that truly launched regenerative medicine into a tangible area of science began as cell therapy. Work in the field of transplantation in the mid-1950s gave rise to some of the first therapeutic surgeries in medicine. Performed on identical twins, the first kidney transplant occurred in 1954 followed by he first liver and lung transplants in 1963, pancreas transplant in 1966, and the first heart transplant in 1967. Bone marrow transplants for treatment of leukemia patients had the public and scientific communities in an uproar of excitement. Following this wave of enthusiasm, cell biologists began to question the capabilities of the integrity of the tissues being transplanted and wondered whether it was possible to create, grow, and harvest these tissues in the laboratory. Thus began the era of Tissue Engineering which has lead us into the field of Regenerative Medicine. Cell therapy is a therapy in which cellular material is injected into a patient. Cell therapy originated in the nineteenth century when scientists experimented by injecting animal material in an attempt to prevent and treat illness. Although such attempts produced no positive benefit, further research found in the mid twentieth century showed that human cells could be used to help prevent the human body rejecting transplanted organs, leading in time to successful bone marrow transplantation. Today two distinct categories of cell therapy are recognized. The first ategory is cell therapy in mainstream medicine. This is the subject of intense research and the basis of potential therapeutic benefit. Such research, especially when it involves human embryonic material, is controversial. The second category is in alternative medicine, and perpetuates the practice of injecting animal materials in an attempt to cure disease. This practice, according to the American Cancer Society, Is not DacKea Dy any mealcal evidence 0T erectlveness, ana can nave aea01y consequences.

The Diverse Features Of Classroom Discourse

The Diverse Features Of Classroom Discourse English textbooks and English classroom interaction are important aspects of English teaching and learning. The aim of this study is to draw out the diverse features of classroom discourse or interaction with a focus on the spoken discourse consisting of different linguistic materials in relation to the textbook. The analysis of classroom discourse is a very important form which classroom process research has taken. The present study focuses on secondary (9 and 10) English Textbook (EFT) and English Classroom Discourse. English is increasingly becoming the dominant factor for the development of a country as the choices and opportunities in education, technology and global trades and business are being dominated by it. Nurturing a nations socio-economic development badly requires creative and adaptive workforce with English language proficiency. However, achieving the control and mastery in English is quite a challenging task particularly in Bangladesh, a developing country. After four decades of independence, Bangladesh is yet to formulate a clear policy for the status, uses and teaching of English at both academic and real life contexts. The country is struggling to produce a generation posing high level of skill and proficiency in English. Such situation necessitates reorganizing the existing textbook, curriculum, teaching methods and all other consideration of English. English needs to be recognized as an essential work-oriented skill that is needed if the employment, development and educational needs of the country are to be met successfully. English should, therefore, be taught as something to be used, rather than as something to be talked about. (NCTB, 1996: 135-136) The best way to study the English textbook and the classroom interaction is Discourse Analysis. Bringing discourse analysis into the language classroom cannot be reduced exclusively to the adoption of a series of new categories and analytical techniques. It requires the teacher, in the first place, and the students, subsequently to look at their teaching and learning task in a very different way: the main focus of study is not language but communication. (Cots, Joseph Maria, 1995). There is increasing awareness among linguists that discourse analysis inevitably involves analyses of meanings arising from the combination of multiple modes of communication. The evolving multimodal pedagogic environment for teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), among other communicative contexts, calls for a social, semiotic, and linguistic explanation. Discourse is, in very much simple words, defined as the language in use (Cook, 1989:6) where discourse analysis is concerned with the the analysis of language in use (Brown and Yule, 1983:1). A discourse is a set of meanings through which a group of people communicate about a particular topic (merriam-webster). There is no agreement among linguists as to the use of the term discourse in that some use it in reference to texts, while others claim it denotes speech which is for instance illustrated by the following definition:Discourse: a continuous stretch of (especially spoken) language larger than a sentence, often constituting a coherent unit such as a sermon, argument, joke, or narrative (Crystal 1992:25). The relationship between language and the contexts in which it is used is referred by discourse analysis. Language form as well as language functions are studied by it with a close view towards both spoken course and written text. It brings out the linguistic aspects that identify different genres as well as social and cultural factors that assist in our interpretation and understanding of different texts and types of speech or conversation (Weihua Yu). Both language and education have interest in discourse analysis. Especially when the aim of the study is to analyze the discourse of secondary English textbook that is written discourse, and classroom interaction that is spoken discourse. There have been only a few attempts towards discourse analysis of either textbook or classroom interaction or of both. In Bangladesh there is no such attempt to be noted with a view towards the key items. Though there are some influential works in the field of discourse analysis, they hardly contribu te in the direction and development of Secondary English Textbook and Classroom Interaction. 1.2 Why Discourse Analysis of Textbook Many researchers have compared EFL textbook description of a certain target language structure with the language occurring in authentic, everyday situations (Gilmore 2004; Biber and Reppen 2002; Barbieri and Eckhardt 2007). Perhaps not surprisingly, these studies showed that textbook descriptions of target language structures in many ways do not correspond to the realization of these structures in the naturally-occurring written and spoken discourse. (Ã…Â  egedin, 2007) Textbooks comprise a fundamental component in the educational process; providing the basic sources of information to learners, especially at elementary school. Textbooks teach the subject content and other issues such as social and cultural topics as well as the values and beliefs of society (Hasan, 2008). Textbooks, to some extent, are written in accordance with the policy of the educational system in the country concerned. Accordingly the dominance of the textbook seems to be associated with the educational policy of a certain society, especially when classroom practice is determined by a national curriculum. Textbooks govern almost all classroom practice. They are useful educational tools for both learners and teachers as they have been designed along the lines of current research and approaches (Hasan, 2008). Textbook is used by the learners to organize their learning process by a variety of methods and strategies in order to perform tasks and activities in terms of lexical, grammatical and cultural progression. It is the communicative approach which continues to advocate the use of tasks based on spoken and written material. By providing an affirmative structure, the textbook gives pupils instructions, guides their practice and facilitates their learning and consequently ensures a meaningful and reliable environment. On the other hand, according to Hasan teachers depend on the textbook as they do not have time to collect and adapt material for their classes. And again, they find it extremely difficult to develop new material and they might face external pressure which may restrict them from doing so (Hasan, 2008). Therefore, teachers have a propensity to use a textbook as a main source of information and assistance. They move through it lesson by lesson leaving, however, enough scope for supplementary material (Hasan, 2008). It is discourse that helps us in understanding how real people use real language in real life situation, as opposed to studying artificially created sentences (Weihua Yu). It is therefore of immediate interest to language teachers because we need to consider how people use language when we design teaching materials, or when we engage learners in exercises and activities aimed at making them proficient users of their target language, or when we evaluate a piece of commercially published material before deciding to use it (Michael McCarthy, 2002). It is, therefore very important to analyze the discourse of the textbooks to draw out the exposed and hidden elements existing in it. It helps understand how much does the written elements worth serve the needed requirement. Again the discourse of the textbook of English, with a focus on secondary level, should be analyzed very sensitively to view whether these are quite good to supply needed materials to our education, necessary communication skill development and later to bring about necessary changes. English is a foreign language in Bangladesh and some cultural and social diversity and obviously difference from our mother tongue have always impeded the development of good communication skill though given enough effort. So it is very important to review the entire process and product whereby discourse analysis may play a great role. 1.3 Why Discourse Analysis of Classroom Interaction Classroom interaction analysis involves the use of an observation scheme consisting of a finite set of preselected and predetermined categories for describing certain verbal behaviors of teachers and students as they interact in the classroom (B. Kumaravadivelu, 1999). The first language classroom research of Bellack et al (1966) is traditionally considered as a pioneering study within this tradition. The study offered a simple description of classroom discourse involving a four-part framework: 1) structure, 2) solicit, 3) respond, 4) react (Dick Allwright Kathleen M.Bailey, 1991: 98). Through a detailed description and analysis of the collected data by referring to Sinclair and Coulthards classroom discourse analysis model, the problem of patterns of the classroom discourse is made clear and on the basis of which a few strategies for secondary English teachers are put forward by the author in order to improve secondary English teaching and learning. Spoken language is the most vital form of language as well as speaking -the key skill of communication. Since spoken language is the medium by which much teaching takes place and in which students demonstrate to teachers much of what they have learned (Cazden, 1987, cited from Wittrock, 1988), the application of discourse analysis to classroom interaction may contribute a lot in the second language teaching and learning by ensuring teachers close view toward the real life language using capability of the students, to develop them and development of the exposures. Nunan remarked that If we want to enrich our understanding of language learning and teaching, we need to spend time looking in classroom (Nunan, 1989:76). Development of both quantity and quality matters of the students are possible by the application of Discourse analysis in the textbook and classroom interaction. Meaning making of classroom interaction has been attempted by different scholars from diverse point of view. The discursive turn provided these scholars with theoretical and methodological frameworks that enabled them to examine the collaborative construction of meaning closely (ADGER, 2001; ANWARD, 1997; BLOOME et al., 2005; CAZDEN, 1988; EDWARDS; WESTGATE, 1994; MEHAN, 1979; PELEDELHANAN; BLUM-KULKA, 2006; THOLANDER; ARONSSON, 2003; VARDI-RATH, 2002; YOUNG, 1999; WELLS, 1999) in multicultural educational settings (EDWARDS, 1999; HYMES, 1997) (Irit Kupferberg, Sarah Shimoni and Esther Vardi-Rath, 2009). Meaning making of classroom interaction requires the discourse analysis of classroom interaction as well as of the textbook. Failed communication is a joint responsibility and not the fault of speaker or listeners says researchers of communicative teaching the way successful communication is an accomplishment jointly achieved and acknowledged (Jack C. Richards and Theodore S.Rodgers, 2000: 77); It is the teachers responsibility to organize the classroom as a setting for communication and communicative activities (Jack C. Richards and Theodore S.Rodgers, 2000:78). In recent years, turn-taking, questioning and answering, negotiation of meaning, and feedback are considered are important aspects of classroom interaction (Chaudron, 1988:10). Because second language learning is a highly interactive process (Richard and Lockhart, 1996:138) and the quality of this interaction is thought to have a considerable influence on learning (Ellis, 1985, cited from Richard and Lockhart, 1996:138). In second language classrooms, learners often do not have a great number of toolsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, teachers questions provide nec essary stepping stones to communication (Brown, 1994a: 165). Questioning is reported as one of the commonly used strategies, as the success of a class largely depends on questioning and feedback. One reason, as Mercer (Candlin Mercer, 2001:245) states, is that they form the most frequent model of teacher-student talk in the classroom, in terms of the model described by Sinclair and Coulthard as Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) exchanges. 1.4 The Relationship of Textbook and Classroom Discourse: In view of the arguments stated above, textbooks continue to play a major role in classroom interaction despite the controversial debate on their significance. Hutchinson and Torres (1994), for example, consider the role of the textbook in teaching and learning and in the process of change. They challenge the anti-textbook view and argue that the textbook has a vital and positive part to play in the everyday job of teaching and learning English (especially at elementary level) and that the textbook becomes even more important in periods of change. They call for a closer link between textbook creation and professional teacher training (hasan, 2008). FL textbooks in use today reflect significant changes in design and content with the advent of the language program (Bragger Rice, 2000, p. 110) in contrast with those in use just forty years ago that were dominated by vocabulary lists, seemingly random grammatical topics, and controlled exercises (Heather Willis Allen,2008). More fundamentally, however, it is because they are a teachers best instruments to regulate the quantity and quality of language used in the classroom. The problems which are going to be mainly investigated here are the discourse of second language that is English textbook and patterns of classroom discourse at secondary level in Bangladesh. Because two of the most common ways in which L2 teachers engage in interaction with learners is by way of asking questions and providing feedback, and these deserve some consideration (Holland and Shortall, 1997:104), with a in depth view to in these it can be expected to have an improved L2 teaching-learning in our country . Textbook and classroom interaction have a significant influence on each other. According to the textbook the classroom interaction is generally originated, flowed and ended. On the other hand classroom interaction has good motivation toward ensuring the good execution of the skills and others necessary elements of textbook. Secondary education is a very significant level of formal education because it is the level whereby either the preparation for the next stage is governed or the necessary vocational or technical ability is developed in a profound manner. The context specified here is secondary English classroom. English is not our second language rather it is our foreign language and it is of a great importance here. In Bangladesh, with the development of society and international communication, more and more importance has been attached to English teaching and learning. Secondary education graduates with good command of English language knowledge and competence are needed in our country to attain the aim of our education. As the fundamental aim of secondary English education is to foster communication skills and international understanding, it is of great interest to analyze their English classroom and textbook discourse in order to improve teaching and to make learners proficient users of English. The need to attain the curriculum determined aims and objectives it is required to be skilled in the four communicative expertises with good proficiency in the textbook which includes perfection in classroom interaction. 1.5 Objectives of the study: 1.5.1 General Objectives: To analyze the discourse of English textbook of secondary (9, 10) level. To analyze the discourse of Classroom interaction. To compare among the classroom interaction To compare the conversation of the textbook and real classroom interaction. 1.5.2 Specific Objectives: To analyze the conversation of the textbook English For Today(9-10) by drawing out the- Initiation-Response- Feedback/Follow-up of the conversations Turn-taking Cohesion and coherence To analyze the discourse of Classroom interaction to draw out the- The teacher initiated interaction. The student initiated interaction. Initiation-Response-Evaluation/Feedback/Follow-up of the conversations initiated by the teacher. Students Initiation (Non-Verbal)- Teachers Response-Students Initiation (Verbal) of the conversations initiated by the students. To compare the ratio of teacher initiated and student initiated interaction. To compare among the classroom interaction of the -Grade-1, Grade-2 and Grade-3 Schools. To compare the IRF and Turn-Taking of conversation of the textbook and real classroom interaction. 1.6 Some important key terms From the works of Cameron, Working with Spoken Discourse (2001, pp.87-98), Pridham, The Language of Conversation, (2001, pp.23-32), Brown and Yule, Discourse Analysis, (1983), Yule The Study of Language: 4th Edition (2010, p.124.127), Brown Yule, (1983, p.191-199) (cohesion and coherence), Prof. Hugo Bowles, (2008-09) and Sinclair and Coulthard (1975) the following terms and their definitions have been cited. 1.6.1. I-R-E/F Model: This is the modification or details of the IRF model of Sinclair and Coultherd. Sinclair and Coulthard (1975) developed a model for the description of teacher-pupil talk based on a hierarchy of discourse units. The language of the classroom differs from many forms of spoken discourse in that it is formally structured and controlled by one dominant party, i.e. the teacher. The Sinclair and Coulthards model was devised in 1975 and slightly revised in 1992. The classroom turn sequences typically have three parts rather than two. Namely: Teacher initiation (I), Student response (R), followed by Teacher evaluation (E) of the response. Through understanding the I-R-E structures of whole-class lessons, Researchers have come to important insights about teachers and students · social roles and relationships inside classrooms. In particular, the teacher, by evaluating what students say, assumes the right to control the talk. Also as initiator of the sequence, the teacher maintains the right to call on students and allocate turns in essence organizing and orchestrating the discussions. Within this teacher controlled turn-taking, participation structure, students must have certain discourse strategies and skills to perform well (Cazden. 1983; Griffin Humphrey. 1978: Mehan. 1979: Sinclair Coulthard. 1975). Mehan (1979) notes that being right in the classroom requires a student to respond (R) to a teachers initiation (I) not only with the correct content but also with the correct interactional timing and communicative conventions: otherwise the students response may be ignored, discounted, or not heard. There are eleven subcategories of teaching exchanges, one of which is eliciting exchange. To put it in detail, that is, the teacher raises a question, then the students answer it, and the teacher gives an evaluative follow-up before raising another question. The three moves that constitute an eliciting exchange are referred to as Initiation, Response and Follow-up. The three-move structure of an exchange (IRF) is commonly cited, and will also be the basis of data analysis. When a student replies the teachers question, the other students may not hear clearly sometimes. So the teacher needs to repeat the students words so as to make it clear to all the students. Whats more important is that the teacher should give feedback to the students answer, to show whether the answer is right or whether it is the answer expected by the teacher. 1.6.2 Conversation Analysis Conversation proceeds on the basis of one turn after another. Turn belongs to a single speaker. But how do we know when it is our turn to talk. Turns are negotiated and renegotiated by participants during conversation. Continual negotiation is a general feature of conversational organization. Turn-taking and turn constructional units (TCUs) TCUs are units of speech. The boundaries of these units are called turn transition relevance points (TTRPS). These are points at which intervention from another speaker is syntactically or semantically possible. At a TTRP: The current speaker selects the next speaker, or (if this does not operate) The next speaker self-selects The current speaker may continue Repair (simultaneous speech and silence) Participants will not usually talk at the same time. Simultaneous speech and silence are problems which need to be repaired. In simultaneous speech, one person usually wins the right to speak and be attended to by the other participants. When the turn taking rules (above) fail to operate, there is silence. Silence is a problem which needs to be repaired. Adjacency pairs Spoken interaction is often structured around pairs of adjacent utterances (utterances which occur one after the other) in which the second utterance is functionally dependent on the first. Question-answer: how are you? fine Greetings: good morning good morning In these sequences we expect the first part to be followed by the second part. If it is not there, we interpret it as rude, unfriendly or socially inept. Different types of questions produce different types of response. For example, a tag-question organizes a response better than an open question. Insertion sequences These sequences can be inserted between adjacency pairs. The topic of the insertion sequence is related to that of the main sequence in which it occurs and the main sequence continues after the insertion. Preferred and Dispreferred responses The preferred response to a proposal is acceptance, which can be performed without hesitation or elaboration. Agreement is a preferred response. The dispreferred response is refusal. It tends to be hesitant and elaborate (we often give reasons for a refusal). Disagreement is also and example of a dispreferred response. Discourse markers (markers of interaction) These have the general function of moving the conversation on but they may have specific functions, depending on the conversation: to signal to the listener that the speaker wishes to continue speaking (a filler) to signal where the conversation is going For example, well may be used to indicate a) the opening of a conversation, b) that the speaker is about to say something which is in conflict with what has been said earlier. 1.6.3 Cohesion and coherence A sequence of sentences is a text when there is some kind of dependence between the sentences. The task of textual analysis is to identify the elements that cause this dependence. These elements are elements of cohesion (cohesive elements) and elements of coherence. A. Cohesion There are a number of categories of cohesive elements: Conjunctive relations What is about to be said is explicitly related to what has been said before, through such notions as contrast (but, however, nonetheless), result (so, therefore, nevertheless etc.) and time (when after, before etc.). Coreference These are features which cannot be semantically interpreted except by reference to some other feature in the text. They can be of two types anaphoric relations, which look backwards for their interpretation and cataphoric relations, which look forwards. References to assumed, shared worlds outside of the text are Exophoric References. Because they are not text internal, they are not truely cohesive, but because they are an equally important part of the reader/ listeners active role in creating coherence, they should be included in the analysis. Substitution Substitution is when a cohesive element replaces a previous word or expression. Pronouns (I, me etc.) and words of personal reference (myself, yourself etc.) are examples of cohesion by substitution. Ellipsis Ellipsis occurs when a structure is omitted and can only be recovered from previous discourse. Repetition Repetition is when an expression or part of an expression is repeated. This is very common in speech (see lesson on characteristics of speech). The repetition of tense and other syntactic patterns is very important for cohesion. Comparison In comparative cohesion something is always compared with something else in the discourse. Words of identity (e.g. same as), similarity (e.g. very like), difference (e.g. unlike); distinctness (e.g. totally different) are important for comparative cohesion. Something is always compared with something else in the discourse B. Coherence The textual world (what the text is about) is made up of concepts and relations. Coherence concerns the way in which concepts and relations are mutually accessible and relevant. In other words, a coherent text is one which is easy for us to understand because it is easy for us to make a mental representation of it. Remember that it is possible for a text to be cohesive but not coherent. The Faulkner text is full of cohesive elements but it is not easy to understand. 1.7 Rationale: Discourse analysis has been used to understand a wide range of texts including natural speech, professional documentation, political rhetoric, interview or focus group material, internet communication, newspapers and magazines and broadcast media. There are many different types of discourse analysis such as conversation analysis, discursive psychology, critical discourse analysis and Foucauldian discourse analysis. Each of these has its own assumptions, emphasis and methods but the key overlapping interest is in the way meaning is constructed in communication. The motivation to this work was to compile a set of useful approaches to analyze the communication processes of textbook to draw out the materials and again the classroom conversation which means a lot to the teaching-leaning of ESL. Another very significant reason working as a catalyst for the study is that there is hardly any work done in this area and this study, without any doubt can provide with legendary achievement for t he stakeholders if done properly. It will facilitate the Language education of Bangladesh by providing with an example of applied discourse analysis. On the other hand this work will provide with a good document for further study regarding discourse analysis. As many classroom-oriented researchers have pointed out, it is only through a better understanding of classroom interaction processes that teachers can render their teaching more profitable for learners (Jamila Boulima, 1999:15). This study is significant in that it studies the textbook with a view to discourse analysis and also attempted to reveal the characteristics of classroom interaction that is most favorable for promoting learners English and has insightful implications for English teaching and learning. The aim of the present study is to develop the textbook writers and teachers reflective thinking about what goes on in the text and their own classrooms and to provide information for improving teaching and learning in secondary English classrooms. There are a number of approaches to discourse analysis, some of which are: speech act theory, interactional sociolinguistics, ethnography, pragmatics and conversation analysis are the most important ones. (Brown Yule, 1983) This qualitative study examines spoken communication (talk/speech/spoken texts/spoken messages) between speaker (teacher/ student) and listener (teacher/ student) and written communication (conversation of the textbook) between the textual character. It stresses the need to see language as a dynamic, social interactive phenomenon. Meaning is conveyed not by single sentences but by more complex exchanges, in which the participants beliefs and expectations, the knowledge they share about each other and about the world, and the situation in which they interact, play a crucial part (Bowels, 2008-09).

Free Essay - Mrs. Linde and Nora in Ibsens A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

A Doll’s House Essay: Mrs. Linde and Nora      Ã‚  Ã‚   After reading   â€Å"A Doll’s House† by Hendrik Ibsen. I can conclude that there is both a parallel and a contrast structure in the characters of Mrs. Linde and Nora. A contrasting difference in the characters, are shown not in the characters themselves, but the role that they play in their marriages. These women have different relationships with their husbands. Torvald and Nora have a relationship where there is no equality. To Torvald Nora is an object. Hence, she plays the submissive role in a society where the lady plays the passive role. Her most important obligation is to please Torvald, making her role similar to a slave. He too considers himself superior to her. As for Kristine and Krogstad their relationship is much more open to us. It is apparent that if Kristine and Krogstad were to engage in an argument, it is more likely that that they would come to a compromise. A strong sign that Mrs. Linde brings us a better understanding of Nora is their parallel in characters. Both are willing to sacrifice themselves for values dear to their lives. This act of aiding significant loved ones gives us a better understanding of Nora. It gives us an image of who the character Nora really is. Mrs. Linde shows her loyalty to her family when she did not think that she â€Å"had the right† to refuse her husband’s marriage proposal. After taking into consideration her sick mother, her brothers, and Krogstad having money. She married for the welfare of her family. Which means that in this society family is top priority. To the women is this era, loyalty to their loved ones is highly expected. Then, we have Nora, who on the same token saves her husband (Torvald’s) life, which portrays again, the trend of women sacrificing for their families. They both (Mrs. Linde and Nora) express their feelings of pride and fulfillment in helping their significant others by sacrificing themselves. Nora’s character is made more obvious to us by Mrs. Linde’s actions. Not only did Nora open her mouth about saving her husband‘s life, but she did it with the utmost pride. Claiming to have raised all the money herself she soaks in her self-importance. In Act 1, Nora seems to thrive on the pride she gets from borrowing the money. I suppose that she is feeling useful for a change.

The Nuclear Family is No Longer the Norm in Modern Britain :: Sociology

In this essay, I am going to be talking about nuclear families not being the norm anymore. A nuclear family is a family that consists of the mother, father and the child/children. A heterosexual relationship between the mother and father, which would be based on love and compassion. The mother’s role includes cooking for the family and looking after the children. The father’s role includes providing for the family and acting as a role model towards the children. The children are offspring of both the mother and the father. Years ago, nuclear families were the norm in Britain. It was required that the relationship between a couple should be armoured by marriage. Although this point isn’t really believed anymore, some people still follow it-e.g. -Christians believe that couples should get married before they have any sort of sexually relationship, or even children. If your family wasn’t nuclear, you were considered as different to the society. You would even be treated differently. Not having a nuclear family would be a single mother with children, or a single father with children (though in some cases the adult could be a widow/widower). Another way of not being a nuclear family would even be being single/not married! In those days they used the word spinster for single women. (The word is not really used today, as it can be offensive to single women, although some cultures still choose to use it.) Nowadays, nuclear families are NOT the norm AT ALL. In fact, there are so many different types of families. There are single parent families, adopted families (where the child/children has been adopted), foster families (where the child/children has been fostered), gay and lesbian families, reconstituted (otherwise known as stepfamilies) and many many more. Personally, I think that the reason why nuclear families are no longer the norm in modern Britain is because of the different ways of life people have and the different views to life that people have. For example, single people could decide to have a child and not

Positive Attitude Essay

As we all know people love to be around positive people. Negative people always bring you down and usually do not accomplish goals they have set. In the work world, you do not want anyone on your team be negative. It can rub off on anyone in the group, or the whole group. However, it is also true for a positive attitude and self-concept. Those who are positive tend to be more driven and have a better self-concept. This paper discusses the importance of having a positive attitude and self-concept as a leader. It discusses steps and way to develop these traits. How to Develop a Positive Attitude and Self-Concept as a Leader Attitude is a mental position relative to a way of thinking or being; a leaning toward that which you believe (Purkey, 1988). A positive attitude is the inclination to generally be in an optimistic state of mind. Positive attitude, positive thinking, and optimism are all characteristics that will make a leaders life more positive and increase their self worth. A leader will most likely be more successful when using all of these characteristics to their full potential. Let’s focus on how a positive mind-set can help leaders overcome life’s challenges. There are just some people in the world that cannot look past all the negative and start looking at the positive things in life. If you cannot get past the negative and start concentrating on the positive you cannot succeed as a great leader because your mind will be elsewhere. To accomplish a task a leader must have full concentration on the objective. Any dev iations can hinder the team and objective (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459). A positive mind set gives the leader the ambition and drive to accomplish the goals your organization as given you. Everyone has goals. Some may be bigger and more advanced than others but every leader has a goal. To accomplish these goals, a leader must â€Å"focus on putting their life out there and risking it for success† (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459). To have a positive way of thinking you must have healthy self-esteem or self confidence. â€Å"The self-esteem is the part of you self-concept that determines your self-worth† (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459). Websters dictionary define self-esteem as â€Å"a confidence and satisfaction in oneself† (â€Å"Self-esteem,† 2010). Many leaders have low self-esteem due to many  reasons. Some leaders compare themselves to other leaders. You cannot compare yourself to another leader because their motives and objective are usually different than your own. Some leaders allow the people who surround them influence their ideas. For example, if you are developing a new concept for a company. However, your team mates do not like the concept or idea you probably will give in due to peer pressure. You have allowed others to influence your decision. This is neither good nor bad, just depending on the situation. When you receive support and encouragement from signi ficant people than that is when you start to appreciate yourself (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459). You may be thinking â€Å"no one ever appreciates you,† however, may be you should be the first to complement others. You are the leader, so lead. The author believes everyone is created for a special reason. We all have different talents and a way of thinking. You also have the choice on who you hang out with as well as who influences you. Not hanging around people who have bad influences in your life will likely be the first step to having a better outlook on life. You are more likely to succeed in a leadership position if you surround yourself with supportive people (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459). The author believes there are two types of self-esteem. You have positive self-esteem and negative self-esteem. Positive self-esteem is having an ‘I can accomplish this task.’ Positive self-esteem people are usually fun to be around because they have a ‘cup half full’ outlook on life. A negative self-esteem person has a â€Å"cup half empty’ outlook on life. They are always down and can even have a negative influence on the people they surround themselves with.