Symbollism In Goodman Brown Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Symbollism In Goodman Brown Essay, Research Paper The Symbolism in Nathan Hawthorne # 8217 ; s # 8220 ; Young Goodman Brown # 8221 ; begins before the narrative starts. The first mark of symbolism is in the rubric of the narrative. The word # 8220 ; immature # 8221 ; is used in stating that Mr. Brown is immature in his matrimony and in his adulthood. The following word # 8220 ; Goodman # 8221 ; was a term used in Hawthorne # 8217 ; s twenty-four hours as a adult male under a gentleman. This fits Mr. Brown because he is no 1 special, merely to his friends and household. Symbolism is strewn throughout the narrative in what seems like every word. In the beginning of the narrative, the phrase # 8220 ; Faith, as the married woman was so competently named # 8221 ; shows that the word # 8220 ; Faith # 8221 ; is non merely his married woman # 8217 ; s name, instead it is besides the # 8220 ; Faith # 8221 ; one must hold to believe in faith. Mr. Brown # 8217 ; s religion is tested in this narrative to find wether or non he is good or evil. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbollism In Goodman Brown Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Second, when he is go forthing and his married woman is imploring that he remain. This is atrocious near the state of affairs subsequently in the narrative where his female parents shade is seeking to keep him back. Yet, Mr. Brown tells his married woman that # 8220 ; My journey, as thoust call it, Forth and back once more must be done # 8216 ; twixt now and sunrise. # 8221 ; Taking a journey as she calls it like his male parent and his gramps had when they were immature. Once once more, subsequently in the narrative when his female parent tells him to remain back, the shade of his male parent is the 1 who tells him to travel on. When Mr. Brown enters the wood he says that # 8220 ; There may be a diabolic Indian behind every tree # 8221 ; ( which will be discussed subsequently ) and # 8220 ; What if the Satan himself should be at my really elbow. # 8221 ; These both symbolize what is to come. The first is the meeting with the Satan. When he meets the Satan, He is told that he is tardily. As if they were supposed to run into. This could be related to people holding at that place certain clip to run into # 8220 ; Death # 8221 ; as it were. Mr. Brown does non oppugn at that place meeting, instead he says that # 8220 ; Faith # 8221 ; held him back. Faith is used once more as a symbol. The first being that his married woman Faith held him back. The other being that religion in God held him back from traveling to the Devil. As Mr. Brown goes deeper in Thursday vitamin E forest with the Devil, he notices his staff which resembles a snake. This is evidently a literary fable to the narrative of Adam and Eve in the Bible in which a snake, the most crafty and keen of all animate beings, convinces Eve to eat from the tree of cognition. This seems like a symbol where subsequently on in the narrative, When Mr. Brown is deeper in the wood, he learns things about the people in the town that he neer knew, nor did he desire to cognize. As Mr. Brown goes further into the wood with the Devil, the Devil begins to utilize people that Mr. Brown knows to interrupt him. First by stating that he was with his male parent while firing enchantresss in earlier old ages, besides by demoing him Goody Close in the wood picking up the staff that the Devil throws down at her pess without any statement. Sing this breaks him but he still is strong. Finally he hears the voices of Deacon Gookin and the curate. They are speaking about traveling to a meeting deep within the wood. Mr. Brown knows nil of any church convention in the wood particularly where Indian # 8217 ; s may besides be. This is a mention to the earlier statement that a diabolic Indian could be behind any tree and now they is to be a meeting with them. Mr. Brown eventually ends his walk in the wood when he finds a assemblage of all the towns people deep within the wood. He is pulled into it by one of the people at that place and is brought up to be baptized by the Satan along with his married woman Faith. Here once more the word religion is used both in him loosening his married woman to the Satan and him losing his religion in God to the Satan. Finally when he is about to shout for his married woman to state no to the Devil he realizes he is against a cold stone and the subdivisions that were on fire trickle dew on him. He is diffident if he was woolgathering or if this incident really happened. He returns to the small town and continues to populate a # 8220 ; austere, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrusting, if non despairing man. # 8221 ; Wether what happened was a dream or was existent doesn # 8217 ; t intend anything because either manner he doesn # 8217 ; t inquiry it that much screening that it would hold effected him the same both ways.

Questions On Biodiversity In Ecosystems An Environmental Sciences Essays

Questions On Biodiversity In Ecosystems An Environmental Sciences Essays Questions On Biodiversity In Ecosystems An Environmental Sciences Essay Questions On Biodiversity In Ecosystems An Environmental Sciences Essay the disposal of the Habitat Stewardship Program for species at hazard, and the Interdepartmental Recovery Fund. The Minister of Environment is besides responsible for the protection and recovery of migratory birds and species at hazard on federal lands other than those under the duty of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans or those persons under the duty of Parks Canada Agency. Under the Accord, it is understood that the states and districts will set about actions and enforce prohibitions for the preservation of species at hazard under their legal power. In add-on, the Minister of the Environment is responsible for the induction and facilitation of multi-jurisdictional recovery squads, and for organizing the development of recovery schemes for species necessitating the engagement of more than one legal power. The Minister of the Environment will try to come in into understandings with states and districts for them to develop recovery schemes for species under their direction duty. Visit the Environment Canada website A ; gt ; Department of Fisheries and Oceans The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is responsible for the protection and recovery of aquatic species at hazard under federal legal power, other than persons under the duty of the Minister of the Environment in the instance of persons found on National Wildlife Areas, and Parks Canada Agency. The Minister is responsible for implementing the necessary preservation and protection steps under the Species at Risk Act for aquatic species on the legal protection list. Aquatic species to be protected includes fish or Marine works species defined as such under the federal Fisheries Act, and those which have been assessed against COSEWIC s categorization standards. The Minister will work closely with both the Minister of Environment and Parks Canada Agency, to guarantee common and consistent attacks within the federal authorities to protecting species at hazard. Visit the Department of Fisheries and Oceans website amp ; gt ; Parks Canada Agency Parks Canada Agency is responsible for the development of recovery schemes for those species that occur in Canada chiefly in national Parkss, national historic sites and other federal protected heritage countries under the authorization of the Minister. The Minister is besides responsible for the direction and recovery of species found in national Parkss and lands administered by the Minister. Visit the Parks Canada Agency website A ; gt ; Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council The Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council ( CESCC ) consists of the Minister of the Environment, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and Curates of the provincial / territorial authoritiess who are responsible for the preservation and direction of a wildlife species in that state or district. The function of CESCC is to supply general way on the activities of COSEWIC ; organize the activities of the assorted authoritiess represented on the Council relating to the protection of species at hazard ; and seek and see advice and recommendations from the National Aboriginal Council on species at hazard. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada ( COSEWIC ) provides advice to authorities on the position of wildlife species and was established for the first clip as a legal entity under the Species at Risk Act. COSEWIC is composed of qualified wildlife experts drawn from the federal, provincial, and territorial authoritiess, wildlife direction boards, Aboriginal groups, universities, museums, national non-governmental organisations and others with expertness in the preservation of wildlife species in Canada. Members are appointed by the Minister of Environment after audience with the Council ( CESCC ) and appropriate experts. COSEWIC operates at arm s length from authorities in an unfastened and crystalline procedure, keeping impartial scientific and adept opinion in its appraisal of wildlife species. The function of COSEWIC is to measure and sort the position of wildlife species utilizing the best available information on the biological position of a species, including scientific cognition, community cognition, and Aboriginal traditional cognition. COSEWIC classifies wildlife species and studies to the CESCC. Visit the COSEWIC website A ; gt ; National Aboriginal Council on Species at Risk The National Aboriginal Council on Species at Risk ( NACOSAR ) is an consultative council comprised of six representatives of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada selected by the Minister of Environment based upon recommendations from Aboriginal organisations that the Minister considers appropriate. The function of the Council is to rede the Minister on the Administration of the Act and supply advice and recommendations to the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council ( CESCC ) under subdivision 8.1 and 8.2 of the Speciess at Risk Act ( SARA ) . 2 ) infusion from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, 2008 March Status Report of the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development, Chapter 5 Ecosystems Protection of Speciess at Risk ( viewed Feb. 11, 2009 ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_05_e_30131.html Main Points What we examined As of June 2007, there were 389 species in Canada listed as at hazard on Schedule 1 of the 2002 Speciess at Risk Act. Under the Act, the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans are responsible for fixing recovery schemes, action programs, and direction programs for species at hazard for which they are the competent curate. In 2001, we found that there was a demand for better baseline information to enable the authorities to efficaciously pull off species at hazard. We recommended that Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada develop a comprehensive stock list of species at hazard under their legal power and guarantee that recovery schemes for these species be developed and implemented. The three organisations agreed with our recommendations. Although our 2001 audit focused on activities in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin, the three organisations manage their activities on a national footing and hence, for this Status Report we examined advancement made on our recommendation by the responsible sections from a national position. We besides examined conformity with subdivisions of the 2002 Speciess at Risk Act, which came into force after our last audit but which relate to our recommendations. These subdivisions of the Act have specific and normative demands sing recovery schemes. Why it s of import Apart from its intrinsic value as portion of Canada s natural heritage, Canada s biodiversity, including wild species of workss and animate beings, represents a huge depot of biological resources. The workss, mammals, and aquatic species found in ecosystems are mutualist and hence keeping ecological diverseness is of import to keeping the wellness and unity of the environment. Although it may travel unnoticed by most people, the loss of one or two cardinal species can hold ripple effects across an ecosystem with potentially important effects on our quality of life. Harmonizing to assorted scientific beginnings, human activities in the 21st century have greatly increased the rate at which species are vanishing. What we found Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada have made unsatisfactory advancement in reacting to our 2001 recommendation associating to the development of a comprehensive stock list of species at hazard, while Parks Canada has made satisfactory advancement on this recommendation. The three organisations have made unsatisfactory advancement in reacting to our 2001 recommendation associating to the development of recovery schemes and have non complied with specific deadline demands established by the Speciess at Risk Act. As of June 2007, recovery schemes should hold been completed for 228 species at hazard, but recovery schemes completed at that day of the month reference merely 55 of those species. Departments and organisations are besides required under the Act to place to the extent possible, critical home ground necessary for the endurance or recovery of species at hazard. As of June 2007, critical home ground had been identified for 16 of the 228 species at hazard for which recovery schemes were due. Despite the advancement noted at Parks Canada, the federal authorities as a whole has made unsatisfactory advancement in reacting to our 2001 recommendations associating to the development of a comprehensive stock list of species at hazard and of recovery schemes. While work is under manner to develop appropriate informations sharing understandings with 3rd parties, such as provincial and territorial authoritiess, and non-governmental organisations such as Nature Serve, stock list informations aggregations vary across Canada. Ongoing betterments to informations quality and information consistence are needed.

Internet censorship Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Internet censorship - Term Paper Example Some of the reasons cited for internet censorship include the need to preserve social morals and to the need to safeguard national security. On the other hand, opponents of internet censorship argue that such a move by the government limits the freedom of speech and the access to crucial information thus leading to reduction of the citizens’ welfare (Zuchora-Walske 2). One of the arguments that have been put across for the censorship of the internet is the need to protect the social norms. Proponents of internet censorship argue that unlimited internet access exposes children to pornography and hate speech thus negatively affecting their morals. In addition, the government should censor the access to homosexuality sites and religious sites that try to propagate negative religious doctrines that may affect social cohesion in the society (Russell and Cohn 67). Opponents of this argument assert that parents have the primary responsibility of safeguarding their children from porno graphic sites by implementing internet filtering systems thus government should not censor the internet. They argue that censorship jeopardizes the right to information and right to conversation through the internet (Day 10). Another argument for internet censorship is the protection of national security. ... Google has in the past protested against China’s decision thus leading to removal of the servers. However, Chinese people can still access Google servers using Hong Kong name, but cannot access certain search names especially that deal with online entertainment sites and government information (Russell and Cohn 126). According to the proponents of internet censorship, the suppression of some internet information usually upholds the social values in the society. In fact, some countries have implemented different censorship strategies in order to uphold the existing values and traditions of the citizen. This type of censorship upholds the moral of the society. For instance, Asian countries such as China have blocked internet sites that promote homosexuality and internet gambling. According to this argument, it is the responsibility of the government to protect the moral fabric of the society such as the family values, the gender roles and cohesion through preventing access to in formation that is contrary with the morals of the society. In addition, censorship will protect the population from sexism, segregation and racism that is usually exposed to children and citizens in the social websites. A further related argument of internet censorship is a need to ensure religious tolerance through preventing the furtherance of negative religious doctrines that may expose the country to religious based violence. In addition, censorship ensures that customs and taboos of the society are preserved. The dress code, sexual expression and religious beliefs are preserved through censuring the internet. However, critics argue that social values, taboos, dress code and religious beliefs change with changes in the society.

Critical Appraisal of Business Planning Process Essay - 2

Critical Appraisal of Business Planning Process - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that external market conditions change rapidly in certain industries, thus driving a need for innovation in order to compete with other businesses operating in the same market environment. Products and services both from an entrepreneurial business and the competitive environment have a specific life cycle by which it generates profitability and consumer adoption patterns. A product or service will move from growth to maturity, a period where sales decline and thus new product development becomes a critical internal activity of the organization. This is why generating new ideas becomes a paramount objective in the planning process, usually requiring the input of executive leadership and managers to determine how best to introduce a new product whilst still recognizing costs. In generating new product ideas, the business leaders must determine whether compromises will be made, opportunity costs or trade-offs, in order to launch a new product o r service on the market. â€Å"Will conventional wisdom be defied, an understanding that teams, plans and reflects on learning lead to reduced cost, risk and speed to market†?. Recognising the financial impact of new product development and market launch urgency must be considered when generating new ideas. Innovations, however, are critical to maintaining a stable market position.Strategy formulation determines the objectives necessary to achieve a long-term market position. The strategy defines sustainability over the long-run or whether growth is an expectation related to revenue-building. An entrepreneurial dimension of strategy is persisting to find a better fit in the competitive market or developing a vision by which the organization founds its values and organizational structure against. Developing a long-term orientation is necessary for business planning as it determines the strategic direction the business intends to pursue and thus resources are allocated toward m eeting this purpose.

Multistate Regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multistate Regulation - Essay Example g practice is expanded on a daily basis through technology, and the new modalities in place that encourage the practice by nurses, wherever they are, or might go (Hann, 2007). This paper will examine the pros and cons of multistate regulation on the health care fraternity, and what it means to have rules in place to regulate the profession over state lines. Once one is a licensed medical practitioner, it is their right to practice their profession in any state they want to practice. This is one advantage brought on by the multistate regulation. If a medical practitioner is willing to conduct their business electronically, or physically, it is their right to do so, provided the licensing board in their state has approved of their practice (Hann, 2007). Also, if their practice is in agreement with the procedures and guidelines of the state in which they want to practice. Under mutual recognition, the multistate regulation ensures that medical practitioners may practice their profession across state lines (Hann, 2007). This is if there are no restrictions. Another advantage of the multistate regulation is the creation of diverse experiences. The nursing profession essentially benefits from the enhancement of opportunities created through regulation. It is imperative that medical practitioners get the exposure from different areas so as to bring diversification to the table. This is possible through multistate regulation policies. Health insurance companies are incurring tremendous losses as they tend to obey the different guidelines in the respective state (Milstead, 2013). This is a different scenario present, because, if these insurance companies would comply with a single regulatory body, it would be easier to conduct business. They would incur fewer costs by getting compliance from a single body, than multiple regulatory standards, which each state requires. The costs incurred drive up a company’s expenses, which are unnecessary. If the insurance companies

Company Overview Of Exxon Mobil Management Essay

Company Overview Of Exxon Mobil Management Essay Exxon Mobil, the largest non-government-owned oil and gas company in the world has recently turned to natural gas, a traditionally less profitable resource than crude oil, to replace reserves and help slow the slide in its production output volumes. However, a global gas glut has resulted from the current economic crisis and significant increase in U.S. shale gas production, which presents an uncertain outlook for gas prices and places pressure on the companys future earnings. In December 2009, Exxon Mobil (XOM) announced its largest acquisition in a decade: a $41 billion, all-stock deal to buy XTO Energy Inc., a U.S.-focused gas producer. This transaction places a sizable bet on the future of the domestic natural gas market and positions a super-major integrated energy company as one of the top five players in the field of unconventional natural gas development.   Through this acquisition, ExxonMobil hedges their bets that natural gas, as opposed to coal or renewables, will be the most demanded fuel source needed to meet the worlds ever increasing energy needs.    Many questions remain on whether this business strategy will boost production, and force the rest of industry into a game of catch up, or simply run the risk of consuming capital and management focus without generating substantial profits. The Oligopoly of Domestic Oil and Natural Gas Companies John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil gradually gained almost complete control of oil refining and marketing in the United States through horizontal integration, which provided kerosene, gasoline and other petroleum to a vast number of markets. The organization was eventually broken up into thirty-four separate companies after US government passed antitrust legislation in 1911.   Almost eighty-eight years later, Exxon (formerly Standard Oil Company of New Jersey) and Mobil (formerly Standard Oil Company of New York), were reunited in the largest merger in the industrys history.   By the end of 2006, several other mergers also took place between major players like British Petroleums (BP) purchase of Amoco and Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), the merger between Chevron and Texaco, Conocos purchase of Gulf Canada, Burlington and Phillips, and Anadarkos acquiring of Union Pacific Resources (UPR)   Ã‚  All of this MA activity further consolidated the oil powerhouses of the United States,    and exemplifies the oligopoly that has plagued the oil and gas industry since its inception.   Ã‚   Despite the governments imposed break up in the early part of last century, the industry has experienced a maturation that was not necessarily due to product evolution, but rather to the instability and volatility of oil and gas prices, particularly over the past 40 years. ExxonMobil Big oil got even bigger in 1999, when Exxon and Mobil Oil signed an $81 billion agreement to merge and form ExxonMobil, thus creating the largest oil super-major, with capacity to produce 3.921 million BOE (barrels of oil equivalent) daily. In 2005, ExxonMobils stock price rose with rising crude oil prices, establishing a market capitalization of $312 billion. At the end of 2005, annual income was up 42% with reported record annual income profits of US $36 billion. XOMs 2005 annual income, which included $11 billion in the 3rd quarter alone, was the greatest by any business in recorded history. By 2008, XOM held approximately 3% of world production, and when ranked by its oil and gas reserves, the company is 14th in terms of total reserves. This is less than 1% of the total world reserves held by E P companies, and in some cases, far less than many of the biggest state-owned companies. Nevertheless, ExxonMobil remains the strongest leader in the oil and gas market, with a stronghold in terms of international land position combined with dramatic earnings. The ongoing development of breakthrough technologies, including some pioneered by ExxonMobil themselves, have helped the organization keep pace with rising global energy demand by making additional energy supplies available. Technology is becoming more critical in this industry as time moves on, since much of the worlds oil and gas reserves is located in challenging environments. As reserve replacement has required the super-majors to explore in deep-water basins offshore, extract heavy oil bitumen and oil sands from strip-mining or shallow excavation operations, and remotely isolated Arctic regions of the north, innovative approaches to energy production have become essential to increasing the companys dynamic capability.   Superior engineering talent is available to provide industry-leading technologies that provide the business with opportunities to explore, discover, develop, produce, refine and market oil and gas resources that are not available to many of XOMs competitors. ExxonMobil claims that its competitive advantage in the market is realized through industry-leading project managers that ensure superior return on investment. Their high level of expertise and discipline contribute to a strong track record of timely project completion and their ability to deliver their product within a specified time-frame was a key performance attribute that was always appreciated by its investors on Wall Street. The reputation of ExxonMobil played a significant role in earning the support of suppliers and contractors, which was equally coveted by their competitors and in constant demand, particularly during periods of peak pricing. While seemingly in the same business, Exxon and Mobil did not find many areas of similar technology within the two companies, but did find synergies and complements. When it comes to research and development strengths, for instance, Exxon was very strong in process technology while Mobil had expertise in lubricants as well as catalysts, an RD area that the combined company immediately adopted to strengthen its patent position in converting gases to liquids. ExxonMobil has a very unique recruitment process where they look for individuals that exercise core strengths as opposed to bringing vast amount of industry experience. They  have excellent proprietary capabilities in teaching petroleum science and technology, and therefore do not require new geoscientists to have any prior petroleum course work or experience. There is, however, a requirement for demonstrated leadership, adaptability, teamwork, excellent communication skills in English, and a commitment to high safety and ethical standards. This flexibility in hiring enables ExxonMobil to customize their operations unlike any of their competitors. When an employee joins ExxonMobil, they are taught how to do things the ExxonMobil way. From systems to processes, jargon to policies, employees are essentially engineered and tailored to work effectively in this stand alone culture, so much so, it remains in Exxons best interest to hire straight out of college and mold their people the w ay they want to. Virtually no other energy firm maintains the reputation and capacity to offer such extensive training to new grads or discipline experts as ExxonMobil. ExxonMobil is truly an international player with operations touching almost every aspect of the energy and petrochemical business, and operating facilities or market products in most of the worlds countries with oil and natural gas exploration on six continents. Their geographical reach and breadth of line are extensive and provide a competitive advantage from both a logistics standpoint and integrated producer, which encompasses every phase of petroleum life cycle from Greenfield exploration through to distribution of retail products.   Through control of all the major processes, from exploration to retail, XOM has a good deal of control over its chosen partners in both independent operations and joint ventures. This is due to network externalities that exist in many of its midstream (pipelines) and downstream (refineries) businesses in which other companies are compelled to use these assets out of necessity. Exxon Mobil is also well known for its superior operational practices, which capitalize on their ability to vertically integrate their activities.   XOM has a capacity to distill over 6.3 million barrels a day due to its interest in over 40 refineries in 26 countries.   Combined with their global logistics system with ownership interests in crude oil, tankers, pipelines and major terminals they are able to optimize millions of barrels of crude oil supply and associated petroleum products. Exxon Mobil has long battled a negative reputation as an oil giant with little concern for the environment. Most memorable was the infamous Exxon Valdez spill off the coast of Prince William Sound of Alaska in 1989, an event that carried a stigma that far outlived the environmental impacts of the oil itself. Since then, ExxonMobil has gone on the offensive, spending more than $3 billion in 2006 on expenses related to the environment and its stance on climate change. Exxon Mobil has been attacked as having denied that climate change is occurring as a result of fossil fuel extraction and consumption. Regardless of the environmental reputation, Exxon has somehow persevered throughout the last century with a strong culture and management team, which is responsible for much of its success. As with any large company, there are pros and cons to working with a major corporation. Although they offer excellent salaries, the ability to work with very intelligent coworkers, opportunities for travel and multiple career paths, they are often criticized for their bureaucracy and low employee retention rates.    Figure 2. ExxonMobil Competitive Advantage Several value and cost drivers have led to the continued success of ExxonMobil, creating one of the largest and most powerful energy companies in the world A Changing Market In June 2008, West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) price passed the $145 mark and that same year the Henry Hub Natural Gas Spot Prices peaked at $13.30. These unprecedented prices sparked a frenzy of concern that the world had reached peak oil, which is defined as the point in time when global petroleum extraction is at its maximum rate, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. Subsequently, the high price environment served as a catalyst for research in alternative energies and renewable resource projects. These prices also, however, made more exotic fossil fuel extraction techniques viable. One such technique was the extraction of trapped hydrocarbon in highly impermeable source rocks. Resources found in source rock or parent-rock have traditionally been difficult to extract due to their extremely low permeability. Despite the well known geological knowledge that the rocks are hydrocarbon bearing, the low permeability prohibits oil from entering a well bore at any economic rate once it is tapped. Many experts call Exxons long term strategy into question outside of the volatility of oil and gas prices. The company also faces confrontations from outside forces such as foreign governments. With oil reserves diminishing and becoming more and more rare, thus increasing the difficulty and smaller likelihood of discovery, ExxonMobil has more competition than just the other five other majors. These aforementioned resource laden governments and ruling parties have become much more interested in these type of investment vehicles as they see global demand rise. Another challenge to ExxonMobils future is the rise of more aggressive environmental policies, targeting and limiting green house emissions, thought to be the key component of climate change. Supplemented by the intentions of the Obama administration, whose campaign platform was US energy policy reform, increasing alternative fuel source use, and less dependence on foreign oil, XOM will have to skillfully adjust their policies on environmental stewardship to reflect the demands of a new regulatory environment. Unconventional Resource Plays Technologic Advances Drive Attractive Shale Plays Through XMOs increased research and development, the very expensive well completion techniques including horizontal drilling and multi-staged hydro-fracturing were improved to increase efficiencies and lower costs to the point that the economics warranted broad application throughout the industry.   Hydraulic fracturing is a technique in which fractures are created into rock formations from a borehole through a series of techniques.   Specific chemically engineered fluids are then pumped into the fractured rock at a rate in which there is a sufficient increase in pressure in the formation to crack it further.   Upon completion of the pumping of fluid into the formation, solid man-made or specially engineered proppant (commonly a sand variant) is then injected in as a step to prevent the closure of the fracturing.   This proppant is used because it has a higher permeability that the surrounding rock, and will allow for flow of fluids and gas back into the well. In conjunction with hydraulic fracturing, horizontal (or directional) drilling techniques also have emerged and been improved in the last decade.   Horizontal drilling is when the well bore is kicked off, or sent from a vertical position and drilled into a horizontal trajectory.   This can be used to expose the well-bore to more of the producing formation and is accomplished by using motors and instruments that can measure and direct the drill bit. Exxons Challenge to Grow Through 2008, Exxons reserve replacement was, on average, remaining flat, with many fields on rapid decline. Unfortunately, capital spending was increasing year on year, creating speculation in the markets that Exxon Mobil would have to do something drastic if it expected to continue to show persistent growth.   One component of declining production was a result of state run oil companies taking a larger percentage of production in areas that have been disputed, such as in the Former Soviet Union countries or Northern Africa.   With global politics at play, companies like ExxonMobil had to find was to secure less risky and proven reserves.    Like other western oil majors, aging fields suffer from ever-declining output and the lucrative new fields are primarily controlled by state-owned companies that offer less profit to production partners. In order to maintain its competitive advantage, XOM began to look outside its typical business model and consider acquiring reserve bases with long term production potential in stable countries. This is a result of maturation of product life cycle. The opportunities for smaller companies with lower overhead to aggressively enter into aged conventional fields and following the spike in commodity prices in 2007, unconventional field development became economical and many smaller firms began to fill the wedge with new economically viable shale gas plays. The XTO Story, A Leader in Unconventional Resource Plays In 1986, the Cross Timbers Oil Company was formed as a partnership that would later become the publicly traded company known as XTO Energy Inc. in 2001.   XTO quickly established itself in the domestic gas industry by obtaining both proven and unproven natural gas and oil properties and developing them effectively.   Using increasingly efficient technological advances in exploration and production operations, the company proved that it was more than capable in its oil and gas exploitation strategy.   By the end of the second quarter of 2009, XTO was Americas largest unconventional natural gas producer, with a resource base equivalent to 45 trillion cubic feet of gas that includes shale gas, tight gas, coal bed methane, shale oil and conventional oil and gas production.   They had taken a smaller market niche, US domestic shale gas, and turned it into a full blown success while larger more experienced firms sat on the sidelines. XTO achieved this vast collection of capabilities and resources through critical strategic decision.   As of 1995, the companys asset allocation was roughly fifty percent oil and percent natural gas.   Yet upon the departure of the reigning chair, Jon Brumley, his replacement Bob Simpson decided to move to a two-thirds gas, one- third oil ratio.   This was a major shift in the life of the company, and the decisions rationale was based on cheaper handling costs of gas over oil.   Additionally, the United States natural gas markets vulnerability to the actions of OPEC nations was far less.   Fortunately, the resulting purchases based on this philosophy were timely, as they were made just prior to the market gaining strength, thus increasing profitability for XTO.   This lower buy-in proved to be a significant competitive advantage, as its cost base was far less than the companies that entered the market afterwards.   Aside from lower costs for proven resources, XTO experi enced growth by the way of its own numerous mergers and acquisitions.   In 2007, it paid Dominion Resources US$2.5 billion for 1 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas reserves in the Rocky Mountains, Texas and southern Louisiana.   In 2008 alone, the company acquired Hunt Petroleum Corp. and Headington Oil Co. for $4.2 billion, and $1.85 billion in cash and stock, respectively. In order to build its competitive advantage, XTOs successful strategy has been to buy properties that are otherwise simply cast aside by their prior owners.   With the downturn of the real estate market towards the middle of the 2000s, the company has benefited from significant cost savings.   This, coupled with the increase in the demand within the natural gas market has positioned XTO has a domestic leader in cost.   XTO had built its organization by acquiring aged oil and gas fields and down-spacing well counts with in-field drilling, essentially optimizing production by aggressively extracting late in life reserves with new technology and lower costs.(mention scale economies here p.67 and niche markets p.144) Eventually XTO moved   to capitalize on their and position and begin to target deeper shale zones through the application high-density fracturing technology which had begun to advance following industry fears of peak oil. (mention early mover advantage p.135 and sust aining technology p.149) XTOs hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies became a dominant design. Geography and total real estate position became XTOs greatest value driver.   At the time of the Exxon-Mobil merger, they were the leader in North American shale gas play acreage.   This position was only realized in assuming large risks in the value of natural gas.   While other companies were back peddling, XTOs investors were pleading with the company to reduce its debt and sell its properties.   XTO not only took risk in more land acquisitions, but also bought stock in other companies in which it felt had greater value than their stock price reflected.    All the while during massive buying spree, the company became a leader in development of unconventional shale gas plays.   Gaining a reputation as a solid partner in the development of gas exploitation techniques, XTO worked with the four major service companies, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes and BJ Services Company (which would later be bought by Baker Hughes) to learn and apply technologies in new ways.   Working together though trial and error, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques were improved, XTO customized its activities Growth in acreage position also became XTOs greatest cost driver, as it achieved economies of scale in its own right by having the highest amount of development, surpassing Chesapeake Energy and became the largest shale producer.   By leveraging its previous expertise in oil and pipeline operations, the company was also able to obtain economies of scope. Among the most pronounced of XTOs accomplishments in its short history are the development of new techniques by their engineers and field hands to capture gas reserves from shale, XTO was clearly on the back end of a steep learning curve that provided them with profitable activities, allowing for nearly 70 rigs to work simultaneously.   This coupled with the companys aggressive approach to increased efficiency focus have paid large dividends for the company as a whole. Many of the other major oil and gas companies outside of ExxonMobil have significant land acreage in both the United States and Canada, yet most of these holdings are considered to be overly depleted, not representing high growth potential in the minds of the companies that own them. It is in this part of industry in which niche markets have emerged for smaller, independent exploration and production companies that take the opportunity to develop these assets in areas that are considered mature or uneconomic in terms of feasible production potential. A Better Bet for the Environment Hedging Gas is the Preferred Fuel The past 20 years has seen a growing concern of global warming with the increase release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, many of which are attributable to the production of fossil fuels. Natural gas has a significant advantage as a cleaner burning fuel in its ability to lower pollution and lead to a healthy environment. Consumer preference for gas as opposed to fuels generated from crude oil, such as diesels, heating oils, and LPG (liquid petroleum gases)  is increasing more and more every year. GHG gas discussion- A Marriage in Bliss of a Clash of Cultures? According to XOM, and Mr. Tillerson, the combined company has proven capabilities to develop all resource types, and will seize the opportunity to further enhance financial and operating performance with financial strength and proven project management skills.   Ã‚  Mr. Tillerson also reported in his July 8, 2010 presentation that the company also believes that its research and development resources will be able to capitalize on the advancements in technology used in unconventional plays.   Finally, his last statement when discussing the value added combination was that the new company would be able to develop the most high-quality plays using an accelerated evaluation system.   This remains to be seen as Exxon is known throughout the industry for its meticulous and industry insider dubbed suffocating hierarchy________ However, XTO prided itself on the fact its employees on the front lines were free to execute business strategy without concern for the administrative hurdles that come with being a large, public company. They drew real satisfaction from providing that support. and provide the reliable back office that supports the activities that generate those results. Inevitably, XTO was forced to sell as they began to feel the pinch of sinking gas prices. XTO is known for its meticulous assessment process, reviewing all of its wells at least twice a year.   Its strengths and successes have stemmed from the companys ability to exploit land and resources that other companies have forgotten or overlooked.   It is with this pioneering culture that the company structured the deals that helped it grow to be the formidable target for any number of the major oil and gas companies of the world.   There is a very high potential that a juggernaut like XOM will surely impair XTOs ability to maintain an effective, fast moving, manufacturing model, and remain ahead of the rapid decline curves known to all tight gas plays. However, ExxonMobil believes that their technical expertise will unlock additional XTO resource potential, and XTOs organization will complement Exxons existing unconventional natural gas and oil production worldwide. There is no question that the combined companies of ExxonMobil and XTO have the ability to accomplish the critical tasks that give him superior capabilities, as it has been proven over and over again in that the many arms of ExxonMobil, as a company was able t collectively coordinate its efforts even prior to the acquisition.   On the contrary, the areas of concern in the new emerging company may be more of consistency and fit, in which both need to parallel the specific intricacies of the new domestic shale market in which they have entered.   ExxonMobils role as a part company to the new subsidiary may make way for a convoluted process of gaining authorizations for new projects and expenditures unlike what XTOs management team has experienced.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Rest assured, XOM has many formal control systems that are in place with the intent of simplifying processes in all phases of development, yet until the standardized procedures, planning and joint task force teams have worked out a streamlined process, there is sure to be major growing pains and inefficiencies.   As the speed of production is a prerequisite for shale production, the burden of a cumbersome and less than lean hierarchy of decision makers will no doubt frustrate operations in the early going.   Culturally, XOM and XTO are light years apart, with XOM being an inbred creature of habit, training its people from the ground up.   The question remains on how they intend on assimilating a work force that has not gone through the training regime that depicts how things are done the ExxonMobil way.   All functional organizations will attempt to merge in a way that will not inhibit current operations, yet it will inevitably take longer than expected.   Fortunately, despite the ambiguity of judging the ability for one company to incorporate another, the fundamental conclusion that Exxon came to was that target company can contribute to the core business of ExxonMobil and enhance their value and cost drivers as well as their overall position in the market. Of concern, and what XOM is gambling on, is that the new XTO subsidiary is a market opportunity with high future growth potential, and has a favorable market position, both of which are not guaranteed in the current economic and political climate. Will ExxonMobils Strategy Pay off? We just thought they were the greatest unconventional gas organization from a technical standpoint. -William Colton, Exxons VP for corporate strategic planning talking about XTO By the end of 2008, Exxon Mobil purchased  over 13 trillion cubic feet equivalent (tcfe) of proven reserves, and had an estimated daily average production of 2.87 billion cubic feet equivalent (bcfe)  per day the ensuing year. In keeping with its aggressive and robust domestic strategy, the company was planning intense drilling campaigns that would include development in all the United States major shale plays. Exxon Mobil Corporations purchase of XTO was a major hedge on the US natural gas market and was arguably far too high a price to pay since gas prices have dropped substantially in the past two years and an additional 20% since the acquisition was announced in December. The high level of success shale gas drillers are having from a technical standpoint is evident in their increasing ability to uncover growing quantities of gas from previously impermeable parent rock is having a major affect on supply, which has kept commodity prices depressed. The value drivers, such as innovation in technology, that led largely to XTOs success have spread across the industry and somewhat softens the cost benefits that the subsidiary company continues to enjoy. To his credit, CEO Rex Tillerson has openly admitted to the less than stellar economics of the US natural gas market and the XTO deal.   Ã‚  We dont get a lot of upside, but on the flip-side you get a lot of downside protection, he is quoted as saying in reference to the transaction. Instead he points out that the newly merged company would concentrate on having better returns than its competitors, and that even though this deal may not be as exorbitantly profitable as past ventures, it still is a positive move. Figure 2.   Monthly Change in Crude Oil vs. Natural Gas Fluctuation in natural gas prices traditionally track the market price for crude oil, as seen through 2008. However, since 2009, there has been an unprecedented disparity between the pricing of these two commodities, which has led to a relatively strong oil price currently, while natural gas is at a 10 year low. In the end, a carbon tax might further increase the value of the XTO purchase, as the carbon content of natural gas is considerably lower and thus less expense. However with the potential advancement the of a climate change bill, these benefits may be short-lived as Congress debates the legislative approach going forward. A forecast $30 per ton carbon tax over the next 10 years would demand a major shift to cleaner fuels such as natural gas and some speculate that leading electric utilities have already begun to make the move away from coal in anticipation of a change out of DC. Since December when Exxon closed on the XTO deal however, with unemployment so high, both political parties seem hesitant to push a bill that might be accused of destroying jobs. So it may be years before XTO contributes to Exxons return on equity. Despite its previous stature as the US largest natural gas producer, XTO is still yet a rather a small part of the larger ExxonMobil business picture. Since the start of 2009, which was pre-acquisition, XOM has lost over $200 million in its downstream refining businesses. If a significant price were to be put on carbon, this advent would only add to the liabilities of this core business and thus put the increased profitability of the company in danger. In addition, it isnt necessary that the XTO acquisition produce an immediate return either. Unlike deep-water exploration plays, shale gas wells tend to produce for decades at modest production rates. By retaining leases at as low a cost as possible and drilling in areas with the highest production potential, Exxon can keep shale businesses from being much of a liability while still contributing to the reserve base on the books.

My Educational Philosophy :: Philosophy of Education Teaching Teachers Essays

My Educational Philosophy My true love for education began on the first day of first grade. I was selected to take the attendance sheet to the office. There was a problem. I did not know where the office was. After circling the entire elementary school four times, I opened a random door and walked in crying about my dilemma. The teacher, Mrs. Rohal, consoled me and gave me the best advice ever, â€Å"everyone makes mistakes, and it is okay because it is an important part of learning.† She then took me to where I needed to be and wished me luck. Right then and there she became my inspiration and soon after, my teacher. She, along with many other teachers, made learning fun and desirable. I have always enjoyed learning and the feeling I got when I was reinforced for doing a good job. I believe all students should feel this way, and I have a strong desire to instill these same experiences to the future generations of young elementary school students. My educational philosophy would be considered eclectic. It would be a combination of an idealist and a pragmatist. In order to be an effective teacher, I believe it is necessary to possess a teaching style that is both traditional and facilitated. Since I plan on teaching elementary school, I feel that it is imperative that it is teacher directed, and in a traditional way. On the other hand, I think that it is a comfortable environment when the students are arranged in small groups or in a circle arrangement like facilitated classrooms. I also intend on having a comfortable, encouraging classroom in which artwork and exceptional work are hung up as reinforcement for their efforts and success As an idealist, I believe that it is extremely important to be organized and know the content well in order to convey this knowledge to the students. I think that if the students know that they are valued as individuals in the classroom, they will be more willing to push themselves to learn even the difficult material, and it will build their self-esteem which is very important in the elementary school years.

Investigation into the Judgements of Slang

Whenever we open our mouths, judgements are made on our social class, intelligence and even personalities. These judgements are based on various speech elements, such as our accent, dialect, vocabulary and use of slang. It is the latter that this study is based on. The particular type of slang I intend to focus on has recently emerged alongside a new speech pattern known as Multi Ethnic Youth Dialect. (MEYD) My aim is to investigate whether there is a correlation between slang use and negative judgements made on the user. Secondly, as slang is frequently compared to Halliday's Anti-Language hypothesis, I intend to see if it can rationally be seen as such. I also wish to investigate whether specific lexical items a slang user deploys will affect the judgements. Much of the slang used takes origins from gang and drug culture and as a result my hypothesis is that if speakers use slang that holds its origins in these backgrounds, people are likely to extend the negative attributes that are assigned to gang members and drug users and thus label the speakers as violent drug users. I also hypothesise that users of slang will be judged more negatively than non-users of slang. Methodology In my study I will research the slang itself and the opinions people have on slang speakers. I will use recordings of slang speakers which I will analyse, and I shall conduct a survey to collect data on people's opinions. I have gathered four different recordings of youths speaking slang to varying degrees. I am aware that controlling extraneous variables will be difficult but I have attempted to do so by ensuring all speakers use non-standard English (evidenced by their universal use of glottal stops) and that all use either MEYD or Estuary English (EE). Though it would be preferable to have all speakers using MEYD I found that as slang is so deeply entwined with usage of this dialect I was not able to find speakers who used lesser amounts of slang in this dialect. I intend to give four questionnaires (one for each recording) to each participant. The questionnaire will list attributes and after the participant has heard each recording they will be asked to rate the speaker out of four for each attribute (for example, one attribute may be how aggressive the participant is, one would be not at all aggressive, whilst four would be very aggressive) Once I have collected my data, I shall analyse the speakers' language usage and the questionnaire results. I will look for a correlation between language and attributes assigned to speakers, in particular how negatively they are viewed in relation to their slang use. I am aware I cannot practically use as large a sample size as would be desirable, however, I shall take this into account when assessing my results. Analysis Multi Ethnic Youth Dialect (MEYD) In recent years, a dialect known as Multi Ethnic Youth Dialect has emerged. A wealth of research has already been conducted on this accent by such linguists as Sue Fox and David Britain. Though research has mostly been conducted into Multi-cultural London English (MLE) this is just one example of MEYD that is spread across different areas in the country. MEYD derives from multicultural diversity in inner city areas. Increased immigration in cities has lead to various forms of English merging. For the most part the predominant form of English is that spoken in Britain, but it is not uncommon to hear vocabulary that has derived from alternate forms such as the Jamaican Creole. The slang of MEYD derives from a variety of different dialects and creoles. Though I intend to focus on slang, there are several other notable features: An extremely rhythmic speech pattern deriving from West Indes' speech is typical. This rhythmic style of speaking is noticeable in speakers' use of plosives: For example the unvoiced dental fricative in â€Å"thing† being substituted with the voiceless dental plosive so that it is pronounced â€Å"ting†. Use of the glottal stop is also common, resulting from the influence of Estuary English of which the glottal stop is a defining element. These features are all used by speaker one when he says:- â€Å"you have a li*le (.) play area ting inni* where you can just go cotch† The â€Å"cotch† derives from the Jamaican Creole, the use of glottal stops are denoted by asterisks and â€Å"Thing† has been pronounced with the voiceless dental plosive reflecting the rhythmic features of MEYD. MEYD as Anti-Language In many ways, the use of MEYD by youths fits into the idea of anti-language developed by Halliday. In an anti-language words are used in an attempt to exclude people who are not members of the anti-language's discourse community. The dialect of some of my speakers fits well into the idea of anti-language. As Halliday's fourth requirement of an anti-language states the grammar of MEYD is virtually identical to the norm. Though there are some exceptions to the rule such as the second speaker's use of â€Å"you revved† instead of â€Å"you're revved† which derives from the Jamaican Creoles distinct pronoun use. However, the general rules of English grammar are for the most part entirely kept. Halliday's third rule dictates the main linguistic deviation in an anti-language is the lexis. This rule is followed by MEYD speakers and a great variety of lexis which does not adhere to common usage is displayed; for example the first speaker uses the term â€Å"cake† in place of â€Å"being looked for by police† though the word â€Å"cake† could be found in the dictionary, its definition would be entirely different from what the speaker uses it to mean. Halliday's suggestion is that an anti-language is born out of the speakers desire to distance themselves from accepted society. Though this would be difficult to prove of the speakers, it would be likely considering ideas of â€Å"youth rebellion† alongside the fact that most speakers of this form of slang are of the younger generation. Were MEYD to be considered an anti-language this would be hugely relevant to my study. As anti-language demonstrates a desire to be distanced from the norm, it is frequently linked with criminality and rebellious behaviour; this is not helped by the air of secrecy that surrounds anti-language making it difficult for non-users to understand. Lexis (Speaker 1/Very strong slang) The first speaker uses more slang words than any of the other speakers, for this reason, he can be seen as an example of very strong slang. However, to gain a full understanding of the slang he uses, it is necessary to examine the lexis he uses. The first non-standard word used is the concrete noun â€Å"crib†. The word originates from Northern America, initially meaning a â€Å"disreputable bar or brothel†. Since the mid nineteenth century amelioration has occurred and it is used simply to mean home. However, it is still mildly associated with criminality . The next word â€Å"innit†, is an abbreviation of â€Å"isn't it†. The word is not attached to a question but used as a filler or hedge that backs up as a rhetorical device. By using the term â€Å"innit† at the end of a sentence the speaker asks a rhetorical question. Though the question does not necessarily have to be answered it nonetheless seems to be intended to engage the receiver's attention. Though using the word, the receiver has directly been addressed and therefore brought further into the conversation. Despite its rhetorical advantages it is possible that from a prescriptivist point of view, the shortening may be perceived as a result of the speaker's laziness. The first speaker also uses the term â€Å"mans† which though not strictly lexical slang is nonetheless noteworthy. It is highly probable that the term â€Å"mans† derives from an overextension of the standard rules of pluralisation by people to whom English isn't 1st Language. The regular rules of pluralisation have been applied to the irregular plural â€Å"men†. Though the word â€Å"mans† would seem the most logical plural to apply it is grammatically incorrect as â€Å"men† is a plural group noun and thus it is highly likely judgements would be made on intelligence and education. The attributive adjective â€Å"hot† is used to mean â€Å"wanted by police†. The term has British origins and was initially used by thieves to describe stolen goods around the time of 1925. Broadening of the term has since occurred and not only objects but also people can be described as hot, this is demonstrated by the use of the adjective in reference to a person. It is not hard to see how the origins of the term may increase people's likelihood to assume criminality in the speaker. The word â€Å"cake† serves as a synonym to â€Å"hot†. It is also notable that through the speaker's use of slang he is unlikely to be viewed as well spoken and this may be judged to be of low intelligence. Alongside this, if we accept the suggestion of MEYD as a type of anti-language the speaker may be deemed as rebellious or associated with criminality. Lexis (Speaker 2/Strong slang) The second speaker does not use as much slang as the first; however it is still necessary to have a familiarity with the vocabulary he uses to gain a full understanding of his speech. He can for this reason be seen as an example of strong slang. He uses the verbal phrase â€Å"tripping out† which originates from 1970's slang. The initial term being â€Å"Acid Trip† which described a hallucinogenic experience caused by LSD. The verbal phrase originated from this and broadened to mean being under the influence of any type of drug and later to simply mean â€Å"acting crazy or funny†. Regardless of the effect of broadening many people still take the phrase to mean being under the influence of drugs and thus may associate the speaker with drug use. As with the first speaker, the word â€Å"cake† is used and one would assume similar effects to arise. Though it is notable that the word simply appears in a list of slang words the speaker has heard and so the effects may not be as extreme. The adjective â€Å"revved† has complex origins. Its original form was the abstract noun â€Å"revolutions†. The noun was used in reference to a car's revolutions and abbreviated to â€Å"rev† for ease of use. From this use the verb â€Å"to rev† was created via conversion and â€Å"to rev a car† meant â€Å"to force the engine to produce revs†. From this the passive stative verb form â€Å"to be revved† was used in reference to being excited, in this sense the word is a metaphor comparing the excited state of a person with a car producing several â€Å"revolutions† allowing it to go faster. The adjective â€Å"revved† finally derived from this. The term however can also be used to mean â€Å"under the influence of drugs† and as a result it is possible that speakers may again associate the speaker with drug culture. As with the first speaker, it is again possible that the second user of slang will be deemed as â€Å"not very well spoken† and possibly â€Å"unintelligent† or â€Å"uneducated† simply for his using slang. It is also noticeable that he says â€Å"you† in place of â€Å"you're†, this deviation from the standard derives from the Jamaican Creole but its grammatical incorrectness is again likely to make listeners deem the speaker unintelligent regardless of his genuine attributes. Lexis (Speaker 3/Weak slang) Unlike the first two speakers, no knowledge of slang or MEYD is required to understand the third speaker. Though slang is used, it is applied within the context of discussing slang terms. The speaker also does not use several features that are common in MEYD such as rhythmic pronunciation or loan words from ethnic minorities. The language used by the speaker fits more into the category of Estuary English (EE) than it does MEYD. Due to these features I have chosen to use this speaker as an example of Weak Slang. The speaker uses the term â€Å"busted† but in the sentence â€Å"I wouldn't say busted† thus denying any links with the word. Another word used is â€Å"bun† which was initially meant â€Å"tart† or â€Å"slag†. The adjective is English in origin and entered mainstream usage in the late nineteenth century. The speaker also talks about the attributive adjective â€Å"butters† that means â€Å"ugly†. It is most likely of UK origin and probably derives from clipping the phrase â€Å"butt-ugly†. The adjective's meaning has also broadened so that it can be used to refer to anything that causes aesthetic displeasure while previously it could only be used in reference to people. The term â€Å"minging† is an converted adjective from the derogatory noun â€Å"minger† that derives from the Scottish phrase â€Å"ming† meaning â€Å"stink†. The specific lexis of the speaker's vocabulary does not hold negative connotations. It is, however, possible that due to the fact all slang used by the speaker is in some way derogatory, judgements may be made on her friendliness. It is also possible that through using slang the speaker may be deemed â€Å"poorly spoken† or â€Å"unintelligent† Lexis (Speaker 4/No Slang) The final speaker uses no slang and is simply in this study to act a control which should enable me to determine the extent the data gained from the questionnaires is due to slang. Results With shocking regularity, the results followed a distinct pattern. On almost all categories the two speakers of strong slang are rated very poorly (the speaker of very strong slang coming lowest) followed by the speaker of weak slang, who tends to fair comparatively well in people's judgements. With no exception at all, the speaker who does not use slang is seen by people as the least aggressive, most educated, most friendly, hardest working, most intelligent and best spoken. 60% of people said the non-slang user was highly likely to develop a successful career compared to the very strong-slang speaker, who was deemed highly likely to fail a job interview by 70%. If we take an average score of each participant, inversing the characteristics seen as negative (so a score of 4 on aggression would be calculated as a 1) we can see how well each speaker is perceived to conform to the idea of a good and productive member of society. Looking at this â€Å"good citizen† rating, we see the same pattern emerge: Again, a direct correlation is visible between how favourably the speaker is looked upon and the degree of slang they use. Conclusions We can confidently assert that in this study there is an evident relationship between slang usage and the judgements made of individuals. However, an interesting question is whether the specific lexical items used have a direct relationship with the judgments made. If we look back to the previous analysis of the speakers' vocabulary, and assume that specific lexical items do have a relationship with the judgements made, we would be led to believe the very strong slang speaker would come out worst in all categories, with the exception of â€Å"likelihood to take drugs† which would be dominated by the strong slang speaker. Interestingly this is exactly the case. The â€Å"likelihood to take drugs† category is the only exception to the general principle that the very strong slang user is judged least favourable. The data collected would lead us to believe that: Slang is in fact an anti-language, or at least perceived as one. This is reflected by the fact that the stronger speakers of slang were judged to not conform to the notion of good citizenship. Users of slang are judged more negatively than non-users of slang. The more slang is used, the more negative the judgements. This is demonstrated in the consistent pattern of the results; with the strongest slang user being judged worst, and the non-slang user being judged best. Judgements made on slang speakers have a direct relationship with the specific lexical items used. This is suggested in the strong slang speaker (who used slang derived from drug culture) being judged more likely to take drugs than the very strong slang speaker. Evaluation In any investigation, an inquiring mind is necessary, and for this reason there are several issues of validity that we must discuss. Our only evidence for suggesting that specific lexical items impact the judgements made is that the strong slang speaker was judged higher than the very strong slang speaker in his likelihood to take drugs. However, the strong slang speaker is not judged particularly higher than the very strong slang speaker thus we cannot completely assert that it is indefinitely due to his specific vocabulary, although we can speculate. Were the suggestion correct, only a small difference would be expected, as judgement on specific lexical items requires participants to have knowledge of slang used and it is unlikely that they all would. The results do not hold infinite validity, and there are undoubtedly extraneous variables however they are consistent, though we cannot completely label the results as coming from the suggested cause: One could potentially put the results down to people judging the two females higher or judging the two northerners lower. But this would still not answer the question as to why participants rated the individual females or northerners in the order they did with such consistently. One alternative explanation is that there was an apparent correlation between the class speakers were judged to be, and the participants perception of these speakers (the lower the speaker's class, the worse they were judged) The class measurement was, however, simply a judgement made of the speakers, not an actual measurement, and so one would have to explain why the speakers were judged to be the class they were, which seems to take us full circle, and back to their usage of slang as an explanation. While the results do not prove the hypothesis, they undoubtedly suggest it. To know the hypothesis' results for sure, further study would be needed.

Dance Movement Therapy Expository Essay Essays

Dance Movement Therapy Expository Essay Essays Dance Movement Therapy Expository Essay Essay Dance Movement Therapy Expository Essay Essay 2012). Talking about emotions can be a daunting task for an individual with depression; it may be easier to express these emotions through dance and movement. Studies have shown that participating in DMS can affect the reduction of serotonin and dopamine, two chemicals that support emotional well-being (Young-Jag et al. , 2005). This is significant because those with depression frequently rely on medications to modulate the production of these brain chemicals. If serotonin and dopamine can be controlled using DMS, there will be a lesser need for reliance on antidepressant medication. DMS is useful both to encourage participants to explore their feelings, and to promote the response of neurotransmitters that affect mood. Adolescents with depression have to deal with the great fluctuation in hormones that company puberty, and the debilitating symptoms of depression. A study by Young-Jag et al. Examined adolescent girls, with a median age of 16, who showed mild to moderate signs of depression (2005). The group was asked to attend 45-minute DMS sessions, three times a week, for 12 weeks. The sessions addressed themes of body awareness in the room and group, expression of movement and symbolic quality of movement, feelings, images and differentiation and integration of feelings (Young-Jag et al. 2005). Participants were encouraged to be aware of their space and their relationship to themselves and others. They were asked to create movement that symbolically explained the feelings that they were having inside. At the end of the 12 weeks, the group experienced significant improvements in a number of areas, including depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychotic (Young-Jag et al. , 2005). Teenagers and adolescents can be difficult to treat for depression because they do not wish to be seen as different from their peers. They may be more willing to participate in a fun therapeutic activity, such as dance, than participate in traditional talk-based therapy. In fact, the study by Young-Jag et al. Found that there was a high level of adherence to the DMS program by the participants (2005). Those who tried it stayed with it, and reaped the benefits of an improvement in their depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms can also be improved through DMS in seniors. According to a study of seniors in nursing homes by Vandal et al. Participation in DMS can significantly improve scores on the Geriatric Depressive Scale (GAS) (2014). Intervention Exercise Dance for Seniors sessions were implemented for one hour, once a week, for three months. At the end of the three months, those who articulated showed significant improvements in mood according to the GAS, whereas those who did not participate showed a trend of further worsening symptoms (Vandal et al. , 2014). Depressive symptoms, including feelings of loss, guil t, and loneliness, are prevalent in seniors in nursing homes. By participating in DMS, seniors are able to interact with others, express emotions, and get physical activity in an enjoyable way. Those who participated in the intervention also reported more discontinuations and fewer antidepressant prescriptions than those in the control group (Vandal et al. , 2014). Treating depression by using DMS may save money on antidepressant costs as well as reduce the side effects associated with these medications. The study concluded that DMS is both suitable and beneficial to seniors in a nursing home setting. Dance is no longer just an activity one goes to watch at the theatre; it has become an alternative therapeutic treatment for a variety of mental illnesses. Dance and Movement Therapy encompasses biological, psychological, and sociological aspects and is beneficial across the lifespan. Biologically, DMS can alter the levels of serotonin and dopamine, improving mood from within. Psychologically, DMS allows individuals with depression to express themselves in a different manner than talk-based therapy. Sociologically, DMS encourages people with mental illness to get together, explore mutual experiences, and create something meaningful based on these experiences. These factors remain constant throughout the lifespan; studies have shown that DMS is a useful therapy regardless of whether the individual is sixteen or sixty. As time goes on, the need for alternatives therapies for depression will continue, and Dance and Movement Therapy will continue to rise in popularity. References Canadian Mental Health Association. (2014). Fast facts about mental illness.

What Is a Good ACT Writing Score

What Is a Good ACT Writing Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As you study for the ACT, it's easy enough to calculate your ACT composite target score. But where does your essay score fit into all this? What’s a good ACT Writing score? Read on to find out how to figure it out! feature image credit: Had a Good Boogie Lately? by Jocelyn Kinghorn, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. How Do You Figure Out What’s a Good ACT Writing Score? A good essay score depends on what your goals are. These goals should be concrete and determined by the colleges you’re applying to. Find out more about why this is the only factor that truly matters in our article on what a good, bad, and excellent ACT score is. So how do you figure out your target ACT Writing Score? Step 0: Is ACT Writing Required? Especially now that the SAT essay is no longer mandatory, many schools have been reevaluating their stance on whether or not to require the ACT essay (since schools generally like to have a consistent standard across the two tests). Some colleges are ACT Writing-optional, while others don't consider it at all. Use our complete list of which schools require ACT Writing to figure out where the schools you're applying to stand on the issue. Step 1: Use Our Worksheet We've created a handy worksheet to help you figure out your target ACT score. For now we'll be adapting the worksheet to figure out what a good ACT Writing score is for you, although I definitely recommend also filling out a second sheet to figure out your target ACT composite score. Step 2: Fill In Your Schools On the worksheet, fill in the names of the schools you want to get into in the leftmost column. Include dream or â€Å"reach† schools, but don’t include â€Å"safety schools† (schools you think you have at least a 90% chance of getting into). Step 3: Get ACT Writing Score Data You can try to get the data from each school's admissions website, but this is time-consuming and not always successful, as admission sites aren't laid out in a particularly standardized way. The best source of data for ACT Writing scores is a school's Common Data Set, if the school chooses to publish it. The Common Data Set, or CDS, is a set of survey items that schools can choose to fill out and put online to give students information about the school in a standardized way. The CDS's section about First-Time, First-Year (Freshman) Admission may include information about students' 25th and 75th percentile scores on ACT Writing. It's not mandatory for schools to fill out the CDS, and even if they do, they don't have to fill out the information about ACT Writing, so you won't always find that information, but the CDS is the most up-to-date and reliable source for ACT Writing score information. A third option is to take to Google and search out other sources for this data; however, you should differentiate between this kind of unofficial information and official data released by the schools. Step 4: Average Both Columns Total up the 25th and 75th percentile scores, then find the average of each column. We recommended that you take the 75th percentile score as your target ACT Writing score since it will give you a very strong chance of getting into the schools you’ve listed. If you’re applying to humanities programs, you may even want to consider a higher target score for ACT Writing, as it may be used for placement in certain courses. A quick refresher on what percentile scores mean: 25th percentile means that 25 percent of the students attending have a score at or below that number (below average). The 75th percentile means that 75 percent of students have a score at or below that number (above average). For example, let's say that the 25th/75th percentile ACT Writing score range for Northwestern University is 7/10. If you score above the 75th percentile score (a 10), your Writing score will help your chances of admission; if you score below the 25th percentile (a 7-8), your Writing score might harm your chances of admission. What If There's No ACT Writing Score Data? Unfortunately, very few colleges actually release their ACT Writing score ranges. Rarely is the information easily accessible on the school websites (since admission sites have no standardized formats)- instead, you have to search for a school's most recent Common Data Set or rely on data provided by third parties. If there is no data for ACT Writing scores at all, you can take a look at the school's composite ACT score ranges to get a rough idea of where your ACT Writing score should be. Because it requires exceptional skill to get 6 in all domains (or a 12/12) on the ACT Writing, even the most competitive schools will accept a 9/12 on the essay (which puts you in the 95th percentile for ACT Writing), even if the school's ACT composite range is 32-35. We've created a chart below that compares percentiles for ACT composite scores and ACT Writing scores. You can use this chart to help you figure out roughly where your Writing score should fall, based on your composite score. Percentile Composite Score (1-36) Writing Score (2-12) 100 36 12 99 31-35 11 99 31-35 10 95 27-31 9 88 22-27 8 65 19-22 7 47 15-19 6 24 13-15 5 12 12-13 4 4 11-12 3 2 1-11 2 source: two different ACT.org pages As an example, Northwestern's 25/75 range for ACT composite scores is 32-34, so you should aim for an overall ACT Writing score of between 8 and 11 out of 12. In general, as long as your Writing score percentile is in the general ballpark (within 10-20 percentile points) of your composite score percentile, you'll be fine. Summary: How to Decide What a Good ACT Writing Score Is First, look up whether the schools you wish to apply to require ACT Writing scores. Next, figure out the ACT Writing score ranges of those schools that do require ACT Writing scores be submitted. To do this, you can: Check the school's admissions site or Common Data Set (if published) to see if there is data for ACT Writing, OR Estimate the Writing score range based on the school's ACT composite score range Then, sum up the ACT Writing score ranges for the 25th and 75th percentiles, average the 25th and 75th percentile scores, and choose a target ACT Writing score (75th percentile average score is recommended as a target). 3D Bullseye. Credit: StockMonkeys.com (used under CC BY 2.0) What’s Next? Now that you've stuck your toe in the waters of ACT Writing scoring, are you ready for more? Of course you are. Get into the depths of ACT Writing with this full analysis of the ACT essay grading rubric. Is a longer essay always better? Find out how essay length affects your ACT Writing score here. Completely confused about how the ACT Writing test is scored? You're not alone. Dispel your confusion with our complete guide to ACT essay scoring. Curious about where your ACT Writing score stands in comparison to everyone else? Find out what an average ACT Writing score is in this article. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Operations Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operations Analysis - Assignment Example MacDonald’s is known across the world as a leading chain of fast food restaurants according to Smith (2007). The company approximates that it has a daily serving of over 58 million. The organization sells chicken products, chips, soft drinks and desserts. Other products sold by MacDonald’s apart from hamburgers which are its key specialty include breakfast items, cheeseburgers and shakes. Since the supply chain of the organization is wide and the customer base huge and constantly expanding, there are a number of measures that the company has adopted to track its performance records. Customer Satisfaction One of the performance measures that the company uses is customer satisfaction. This is a measure that many organizations apply with an aim of ensuring that current customers remain loyal, while new ones are also attracted. At MacDonald’s, the customer relations manager is charged with the responsibility of gathering data related to customer satisfaction. Custome r satisfaction in this sense represents the satisfaction of the guests with the kind of service they are offered by the company specifically and in totality. The time taken for guests to get served, the quality of food and drinks offered ads well as the relationship that exists between customers and regular staff all play an important role in the determination of customer satisfaction and loyalty for the organization (Smith, 2007). Once customer satisfaction statistics have been gathered, the organization takes appropriate actions to ensure that the customers’ level of satisfaction is at least maintained, better improved. Based on these statistics, other related performance measures are considered for the overall growth of the organization. In certain cases, MacDonald’s management staff (especially the customer relations manager) may take rounds in the restaurant talking to clients and evaluating the kind of service they are offered by the organization’s staff ( Smith, 2007). This action among others is taken considering that MacDonald’s places a lot of value in customer satisfaction. In order to gather information relating to customer satisfaction, the organization normally goes the extra mile to send mail or fax to customers with a view of getting feedback on their experiences with the company. MacDonald’s management believes that customer satisfaction remains the single most important measure of its performance (Smith, 2007). It therefore seeks at all times to get customers more satisfied that they ever were during their previous visits. When they go round to see customers getting real time service, the managers send a clear message as to how serious customer satisfaction is taken by the company. Essentially, the performance monitoring is done through observation, personal presence and various means of communication. The company’s management, notes that customer satisfaction as they are served within the company†™s premises is an invaluable tool that aids in the making of decisions. As such, the management encourages its staff to remain responsive and to communicate courteously with customers. Customer satisfaction is a vital and most applicable performance measure for McDonald’s considering that the success of the company depends on the existence of a huge customer base. Indeed it has been stated by some quarters that

Evaluating Instructional Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evaluating Instructional Design - Research Paper Example The three basic outlines for how to approach instruction are defined and given meaning in relationship with instruction. Fifteen principles are involved in the discussion of instructional design, and from these fifteen principles it is intended that seven will be further explored through examples of videos in which they have been violated. In learning how to appropriately use a theory it is often beneficial to see how it has been erroneously applied, or not followed. In looking at the principles of instructional design, it is valuable to see how others have failed to follow the ideas put forth and the effect that these missed steps have on the information that is intended. Merrill on Instructional Design M. David Merrill (2008) has been in the instructional design business for about 40 years. His opinion is that the internet has allowed for easy access to the public, but has created a glut of information dumps through which true instruction is ineffective. He assesses the glut of wor k as representative of an inability to create effective instruction at a broad level, with even professional organizations falling short of those principles that have been determined as necessary to create effective instruction. Merrill (2008) outlines three important aspects of designing learning. The first is the need to show people what is being instructed rather than just tell. Giving people an opportunity to practice what has been learned is more than just multiple choice questions. Getting them involved in more complex tasks is required for good learning. The final aspect of educating that is important for learning is motivation. Real learning comes when a student is able to do something that they were not able to accomplish before the education event, with a real world application being the reward so that they can do what they could not do before the instruction. Being able to do something new is the greatest motivational factor available to the instructor, according to Merri ll. He states that through demonstration, activation of practical application, then through the motivation of learning how to do something, the basics have been covered to improve instruction. Broken down to simple, one word explanations, a teacher must engage the student by showing, practicing, and doing. The emphasis on real world application seems to have a strong focus for learning practices, where abstract concepts are far more difficult to achieve than concepts that are applicable in the real world. Clark and Mayer (2011) break this idea down into farther into three additional types of teaching, the first being show and tell which is receptive, show and do which is directive, and teaching by problem solving which is guided discovery. However, these three concepts are based upon the idea that the student is motivated towards learning because they will be able to do something after the conclusion of the learning experience. The last two of these types of teaching are particularl y directed towards creating a system in which the student is given a form of a doable result from the instruction. Overview of 15 Principles of Instructional Design The discussion of education in relationship to instructional design is based upon the use of principles that guide instruction towards affecting the student to engage in learning. The first principle is alignment between activities and outcomes. In order to create effective learning, it is important