For Thesis free essay sample

It also defines the theme Of the paper and lets the reader know what to expect from the paper to follow. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. A thesis statement states a claim that is arguable. It is not clear before research is done whether the statement is true or not. Of course the author should have some grounds for making the statement presumably from prior research. The statement is usually a single sentence somewhere in the first paragraph that presents the authors argument to the reader.The function of the thesis paper to follow is to gathers and organizes evidence in support of this statement. Sample Thesis Statements: Sample thesis statements from Purdue University Sample thesis from the university of Pennsylvania Sample masters thesis papers from Masterpiece Samples from Bright What is a thesis paper? All universities have strict requirements about how to format a thesis paper. We will write a custom essay sample on For Thesis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The text font, spacing, margins, and other elements of the paper have to be exactly as specified in order to be approved by the university. A great way to cake sure your paper is properly formatted is to begin with a sample thesis paper. All thesis papers from the same department should be formatted identically. Students should therefore be able to begin writing their own thesis by using a sample thesis paper of a former student. Another reason to use a sample thesis paper is to study the writing style of a well written thesis. Students can learn how a thesis presents its content, defends its claims, and articulates its ideas. A model thesis Will present a clear, interesting, and original idea and address every aspect of that idea from thorough, scholarly perspective.What is a thesis proposal? The proposal for a thesis or dissertation is essentially an outline of the research ? kind of like an architectural blueprint for building a house. The clearer the plan, the more timely and successful the completion of the house. And the clearer the plan, the more likely it is that it will be approved by your advisor or dissertation committee, with a high probability that the final paper will also be accepted. A well done, acceptable proposal, therefore, is a kind of personal contract between you the candidate, and your committee.

New SAT Format What It Means for You

New SAT Format What It Means for You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT has had a complete makeover. Just a quick glance will show you that it barely resembles its previous self. Manystudents, luckily, will find its transformation quite attractive. This guide will help you catch up on the changes with a comprehensive overview of the new SAT format. Read on to learn about the test’s new designand scoring, followed by some tips on what these changes mean for test-takers. To begin, let’s go over the overall structure of the SAT. What’s the Structure of the New SAT? On a broad strokes level, the new SAT looks very different from its predecessor. The old SAT had tensections of various lengths. They were 10, 20, or 25 minutes in length, and, for the most part, the order of subjects was completely random. Among these ten sections was an unidentified experimental section, which, though unscored, could still mess with test-takers’ minds with its strange question types. For most test-takers, the changes to the SAT are probably very welcome. For one thing, the new SAT format 2016 is much more predictable. Now you can know exactly what order the subjects come in, as well as the amount of time and number of questions you’ll get. Furthermore, you won’t have to deal with ten sections, but instead will get just four, or five if you choose to take the now optional essay.That pesky experimental section, by the way, has been eliminated. This chart shows the structure of the new SAT. Since we now know section length and number of questions, we can also estimate approximately how much timeyou get per question. Order Section Time in Minutes # of Questions Time per question 1 Reading 65 52 75 seconds 2 Writing and Language 35 44 48 seconds 3 Math No Calculator 25 20 75 seconds 4 Math Calculator 55 38 77 seconds 5 Essay (optional) 50 1 Total: 3 hours, 50 minutes (3 hours without essay) 154 (+1 essay prompt) As you can see, the new SAT presents each topic in one big chunk of time, rather than dividing them into several shorter sections. The only exception is Math, which is divided for the first time into a â€Å"calculator permitted† and a â€Å"calculator prohibited† section. The Essay section now comes at the end of the SAT, and the decision to take it is left up to the student. When you take the SAT, you’ll get a 5-minute break after about every hour of testing. That means you’ll get a break after the Reading section and a second one after the Math No Calculator. If you’re taking the Essay section, you’ll also get a break before starting. In addition to giving the test in its entiretya more predictable structure, College Board has also become more transparent about what you’ll encounter on each individual section of the SAT. Let’s take a closer look at each section, starting with the one that always comes first: Reading. "Don't like the weather in New England? Just wait five minutes!" Unlike the fickle weather that inspired this cheesy dad joke, the new SAT format is very predictable. Reading Section Structure SAT Reading is the longest section of the new SAT, clocking in at 65 minutes. All Reading questions are passage-based. You’ll answer 10 to 12 questions on each of five passages, for a total of 52 questions. As you saw in the chart above, that leaves you with about 1 minute and 15 seconds per question. All of the questions are multiple choice and feature four answer choices: A, B, C, and D. The source and subject matter of each passage is predetermined, a useful piece of information for your test prep. You’ll get one passage from US or world literature, two dealing with history and social studies, and two related to science. One or more of these passages will be accompanied by a graphic, such as a table or graph. In fact, you'll encounter tables and graphs in all four sections of the SAT. Writing and Language Section Structure The SAT Writing and Language section is about half as long as Reading at 35 minutes. It’s technically called Writing and Language, but you’ll probably hear it shortened to Writing. All of its questions are also passage-based. You’ll get 11 questions for each of four passages, for a total of 44 questions on the Writing section. That leaves you with about 47 to 48 seconds to answer each question. All of the Writing questions are multiple choice with four answer choices, A, B, C, and D. Since some of the questions ask you about changing a word or sentence, many will feature an answer choice (typically choice A) that reads, â€Å"No change.† Going along with the SAT’s greater predictability, the subject matter of the Writing passages is predetermined. The passages deal with Careers, Social Studies, Humanities, and Science. Unlike the Reading section, you won’t encounter any prose or selections from literature; all of the Writing passages will be argument-based, explanatory, or nonfiction narrative. As mentioned above, you'llfind data interpretation questions on graphs and tables throughout the SAT, and the Writing section is no exception. One or more of the passages will accompany a graphic, and you might be asked whether the passage and graphicare in sync with each other. The designers of the new SAT went a little graph crazy; you'll find graphics in every section of the test. Math No Calculator Section Structure A Math section during which you’re not allowed to use a calculator is completely new on the SAT. This 25-minute section asks you 20 questions, and you’re not allowed to use a calculator on any of them. 15 of these questions are multiple choice, and the remaining five are â€Å"grid-ins,† officially known as student-produced responses. Time #of Multiple Choice #of Grid-ins 25 minutes 15 (#1-15) 5 (#16-20) The Math No Calculator section asks questions that fall into three skills areas, Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional Topics. The main focus, as you can see in the chart below, falls on Heart of Algebra and Passport to Advanced Math. Content Categories #of Questions Percent of Test Heart of Algebra 8 40% Passport to Advanced Math 9 45% Additional Topics 3 15% Source: College Board You won’t find any Problem Solving and Data Analysis questions here. These question types are featured much more heavily on the Math with Calculator section. Math With Calculator Section Structure You can use a calculator throughout this 55-minute section, though you don’t necessarily need to. College Board says it wants to test your calculator fluency, or your ability to determine when a calculator’s a useful tool and when it would just slow you down. The Math with Calculator is the longer of the two math sections and asks 38 questions. This leaves you with about 1 minute and 17 seconds per question. The Math with Calculator section asks 30 multiple choice questions and eightgrid-ins. One of the grid-ins will be an Extended Thinking question, which features a word problem or graphic and asks two or more questions about it. Outside of this Extended Thinking question, the math questions won’t relate to one another. Aswith the Math No Calculator section, the grid-ins will come at the end: Time #of Multiple Choice #of Grid-ins 55 minutes 30 (#1-30) 8 (#31-38) The Math with Calculator section tests from the same skill areas as the Math No Calculator - Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional topics - but it alsotests Problem Solving and Data Analysis. In fact, almost half of the Math with Calculator questions fall into this skill area, as you can see in the chart below . Content Categories # of Questions Percent of Test Heart of Algebra 11 29% Passport to Advanced Math 7 18% Problem Solving and Data Analysis 17 45% Additional Topics 3 8% Source: College Board This section may be your last on the SAT, meaning you’ll pass in your materials and leave the testing center. If you elect to take the essay, then you’ll get a 5-minute break and then move onto the Essay section. Essay Section Structure The 50-minute Essay section tasks you with writing an essay based on a 650 to 750-word passage. You’ll be prompted to write a thesis-driven essay in which you analyze the passage’s argument. This assignment is entirely different from the one on the old SAT, where you were asked to present an opinion and support it with examples from pretty much anywhere, like your personal experience or favorite books. On the new SAT Essay section, your prompt will typically give you a succinct summary of the passage’s central argument. Then you’ll be asked to analyze how the author builds his/her argument. Here’s one example of an essay prompt from College Board: Write an essay in which you explain how Paul Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience that natural darkness should be preserved. In your essay, analyze how Bogard uses one or more of the features in the directions that precede the passage (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Bogard’s claims, but rather explain how Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience.* *Emphasis mine. As you see in this example, you’ll be reminded that your essay should not discuss whether or not you agree with the author’s claims. Instead, you should present an objective breakdown of the techniques the author uses to persuade his/her readers. If you’ve made it this far, you now have an understanding of the SAT’s structure, both on the big picture level and in each individual section. There’s another important feature to learn to understand the new SAT format - how the SAT is scored. Everyone can sing along to the beautiful melody of "rights-only" scoring. How Is the New SAT Scored? The new SAT is scored on a scale from 400 to 1600. You’ll get two section scores, one for Math and one for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), which is essentially your Reading and Writing sections combined. The scale for both Math and EBRW ranges from 200 to 800. If you choose to take the essay, your essay score won’t factor into your total scores. Your essay will be scored by two readers. You’ll get three scores between 2 and 8 for three areas: Reading, Analysis, and Writing. A perfect essay score would be an 8|8|8. In addition to your section and total scores, you’ll also get test scores that show how you performed on each of the four sections individually. Plus, cross-test scores and subscores will break down certain skills, showing how you did on questions that test your Analysis in Science, Command of Evidence, and Words in Context skills, to give a few examples. These subscores can serve as valuable feedback for your test prep, but the most important scores for college are your section scores and how they combine to form a total score out of 1600. One last note about SAT scoring - the process now uses â€Å"rights-only† scoring. In other words, you won’t get any point deductions for wrong answers. You’ll just get one point for every correct answer, and no points for wrong or blank answers. Now that you’re familiar with the format of the new SAT, let’s consider what the main structural updatesmean for students. How can you evolve to meet the challenges of a new SAT world? How to Adapt to the New SAT Format: 4 Tips Simply familiarizing yourself with the new format is one important step in your SAT preparation. If you know the test inside and out, then you’ll know exactly what to expect on test day and eliminate any unwelcome surprises. Let’s look at the new features on theSAT this year and how you can best prepare for them. #1: Learn to Manage Your Time Over Four Long Sections Four sections is a big decrease from ten, which is what students got on the old SAT. In previous years, students had to shift their thinking quickly from one subject to another and back again. Now, students taking the new SAT are tasked with maintaining focus on one subject for a longer period of time. On the Reading section, for example, you’ll be reading and delving into five passages in a row. On Math, you’ll be answering questions for almost an hour, even more if you consider the "no calculator" section together with the "calculator permitted" section. Working quickly and efficiently under narrow time constraints is still an essential skill, but now you also have to endure focus for longer periods of time. You’ll also need to sharpen your time management skills, figuring out how to divide your time so you don’t, for example, spend an hour on one or two Reading passages and run out of time on the remaining ones. Finally, you should work on mental strategies for recovering from a particularly challenging question or passage. You don’t want to let one hurdle trip you up for the rest of the section. Instead, you’ll have to know when to move on because your time will be better spent on otherquestions. #2: Determine Whether You Need the Essay Since the new essay is optional, you have some more research to do before you register for the SAT besides your optimal test date. You should figure out whether or not you need to take the essay section for your prospective colleges. If you are taking the essay, then you’ll have to prepare for this section separately from the other sections. First, you should familiarize yourself with the rubric that graders will use to give you their three scores for reading, analysis, and writing. Then you should focus on honing your ability to analyze an argument and write an organized, well-supported essay under time constraints. This section calls on your writing skills, but it also tests your reading comprehension and analysis. With the elimination of the experimental section, you're no longer a College Board guinea pig. #3: Forget About the Experimental Section The new SAT no longer features an extra unscored section to test out new material. Since this section was never identified, its absence shouldn’t affect your test-taking experience very much. Fortunately, you won’t have to deal with unusual format or question types you haven’t prepared for, nor will you have to add an extra section to your practice tests to account for extra time. Instead, you can feel confident that your official SAT practice tests will resemble the SAT you’ll get on test day. The structure is much more predictable, so you should go into test day knowing exactly what to expect. #4: Use the New Scoring System to Your Advantage There are a few ways that you can make the most of the new SAT scoring system. For one, the rights-only scoring means that you shouldn’t leave any questions blank. Since there are no more point deductions, you should make your best guess on every question. Even if you’re not sure, you have a shot at getting it right (an even greater shot now that the multiple choice questions feature four answer choices instead of five!). Since math now counts as half of your total score (in the past, it counted toward one-third), you may shape your test prep to reflect this altered emphasis. You may divide your time so that you focus just as much on math as you do on the verbal sections, especially if you’re weaker in math. Of course, the way you divide your time also depends on your individual strengths and weaknesses as a student. Finally, you can use all the cross-test and subscores to inform your test prep. You should take the time to calculate these various scores for your official practice tests. Then you can look for patterns in the questions you tend to answer right and the ones you tend to get wrong. For instance, your subscores might reveal that you’re strong on Words in Context questions but need to work on Command of Evidence. You can use these score typesas feedback to adjust your test prep and target your weak spots. Reading this guide is a great initial step in studying for the SAT, as it helps you get familiar with big picture format, like timing and number of questions. Below are some moreresources for learning about thecontent ofeach section, along with some strategies for studying for the new SAT. Now that you know about the format of the new SAT, you can move on to learning about content and question types. How Can You Prep for the New SAT? Now that you understand the structure of the test, you may have some other questions that have come to mind. What exactly is Heart of Algebra, for instance. How do questions test your Command of Evidence? How do the passage-based Writing questions differ from the passage-based Reading questions? We have lots of guides covering the content of the new SAT, as well as articles that offer strategies for time management and approaching each question type. Here are a few essential ones that may be useful as your next step in learning about the SAT. New SAT Math: What's Changing? New SAT Reading Section: Changes and Strategies New SAT Writing: What You Need to Know How to Study for the New SAT in 2016 How Long Should You Study for the SAT? A 6 Step Guide Once you know exactly what to expect on test day, you can delve even deeper into content and strategies and design your best study plan to conquer the SAT. What’s Next? If you’re familiar with the ACT, you might have noticed that the SAT and ACT now look extremely similar. This guide shows just how alike the two tests are with a full comparison of the new SAT and the ACT. In addition toits format changes, another major change to the SAT is its elimination of obscure vocab words. Check out this guide to learn about how important vocabulary is on the new SAT and how to study vocab in the right way to prepare. In its efforts to becomemore transparent about the SAT, College Board partnered with Khan Academy to offer free study resources tostudents. Check out this guide to learn about Khan Academy’s SAT prep program, as well as some of its limitations. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by SAT 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:

Use of Torture to Gain Intelligence Research Paper

Use of Torture to Gain Intelligence - Research Paper Example There are various reasons for torture. They include punishment, revenge, political re-education, deterrence, interrogation or coercion. Mostly the torture proves to be deliberately fatal, however, most of the time this is not the case and killing and injuring the victim is not the sole purpose. According to research, torture is not a very good way of obtaining information and actionable intelligence. This is because after a person received physical or psychological punishment, the mind breaks down as a result of which the information is subject to inaccuracies in memory recall. It was until the development of Humanism in the 17th century, deliberately painful methods of execution for severe crimes was taken as granted as part of justice. Torture was sanctioned by some states previously. In the 21st century, most of the countries have prohibited torture under the international and domestic laws. Under the UN convention and declaration of human rights, it is unacceptable and is conside red the violation of human rights. One of the most controversial aspects of the global ‘war on terror’ was the use of torture during interrogations. The United States of America administration for combating the threat of global terrorism developed several new methods. This happened after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. The detention and interrogation of the suspected terrorists have been the central to the United States struggle against global terrorism (Walton, 2008). According to the international laws of warfare, the same rules of lawful combatants were not applicable for detained terrorists since they were not fighting as lawful combatants. However, some policymakers of the US argued that the use of torture should be legalized to gain intelligence under certain extreme circumstances. During the Algerian war of Independence (1954-1962), the French armed forces along with the Algerian National Liberation Front (FNL) made use of torture.

How race and ethnicy can impact when evaluating an individual Essay

How race and ethnicy can impact when evaluating an individual - Essay Example rican American, the experiences such people go through in their daily endeavors and how such experiences shape their behaviors, beliefs, and values before attempting to offer a corrective or curative measure whatever problem he is facing. The above process helps reduce cases by which a clinician’s personal biases may influence the client’s diagnosis. For instance, if the clinician dealing with Marvin’s was a woman and had ever gone through the experiences faced by Marvin’s wife with a Black American Husband, this would wrongly influence the clinician’s diagnosis of Marvin’s case if she does not adequately consider Marvin’s developmental history that includes the experiences at work that shaped some of his bad behaviors and pessimistic attitude. Clinicians face culturally diverse clients in their professional endeavors. All these clients have a right to accurate diagnosis and treatment plans. In order to achieve this, as a professional clinician, I will work hard to develop culturally competent skills, attitude, and knowledge that will help me correctly interpret the client’s cultural identity. However, I will also seek help from a cultural consultant to reduce chances of biases and misdiagnosis. Secondly, I will make a critical evaluation of my personal cultural identity, attitudes, and beliefs concerning ethnic minorities because it is a factor that will largely affect my relationship with my clients. Finally, I will always explore new strategies of getting information from clients because the traditional methods of interviewing clients may lack effectiveness and psychological tests may not be appropriate or adequate for some cases. Part of my new strategies may be to use an interpreter for a specific case that one is required; I may conduct family interviews; and make some modifications on the psychological tests to fit different

EMPHYSEMA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EMPHYSEMA - Essay Example The alveoli over-inflate and eventually burst and blend to form fewer larger air sacs, reducing the surface area over which gas exchange can take place. This significantly impairs oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange and the sufferer will have to breathe faster and heavier to compensate for this. Over the years the lungs also become less elastic as the tissue is destroyed due to chemical imbalance and this reduces their efficiency. (Wright, 2007) In fact, nearly 85% of all the cases found have been among cigarette smokers in their 50s or 60s, however, cigar and pipe smokers are also at risk. It has been found that tobacco smoke may damage the elastic fibers that make up the walls of the alveoli cells. This loss of elasticity leads to the retention of air in the lungs, expansion of the rib cage, and the flattening of the diaphragm. Normally, through contraction and relaxation, the diaphragm does most of the work when it comes to breathing. But when it remains flattened due to the effects of the smoke on the alveoli, muscles in the rib cage and abdomen take over the bulk of the work. Greater reliance on these muscles is a less efficient and more tiring way of breathing. (Lucey, 2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emphysema can also be contracted through genetics. An inherited deficiency of a protein known as alpha1-antitrypsin (ATT), which protects the lungs from destructive enzymes, also can cause emphysema, especially in people younger than fifty. Cases of hereditary emphysema are rare but are still a cause for concern.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a person is having difficulty in breathing or experiencing difficulty in tolerating even mild exercise, they should consult a doctor. The doctor will make a diagnosis of emphysema based on the following factors: the patients symptoms, medical history, results from lung function tests, findings on chest x-rays, and whether or not an increase in chest size has occurred.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most common symptoms of emphysema

Social Policy Essays Social Policy For Sex Offenders

Social Policy Essays Social Policy For Sex Offenders Social Policy For Sex Offenders Children’s protection and safety has become a prominent legislative issue of the 90s and for the millennium. It appears that more and more legislation will continue to be introduced and passed for the best interest of children. The goal is to stop crime against our children in this generation, but for some children it is too late: Anthony Martinez, Polly Klaas, Megan Kanga, the children we did not read about and, unfortunately, those we will be reading about. This paper will discuss Megan’s law (See Appendix A), which requires the registration and notification to communities of released sex offenders. Child abuse legislation proved to be an agenda leader for two other sets of issues: those relating to child care and those relating to personal violence. Child abuse, especially sexual, has infused parents and communities with renewed moral outrage and provided intellectual and political connections to long-standing issues, such as child safety and protection. But perhaps more interestingly, crime legislation gave legitimacy and currency to the consideration of the allied issues of violence, autonomy, and physical safety, including the sexual abuse of children, domestic violence and rape ( Nelson, 1984). Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers Bierker (1989) defined sexual abuse as a sexual activity perpetrated on a child by an older person through coercion. The child lacks the emotional and physical maturity to resist what amounts to abuse of the older person’s position of authority and power. Abuse, by definition, causes pain to the child at the time of the abuse and, unless the abuse is disclosed and dealt with, later in his or her life. In recent high profile cases, the children all appeared to have been sexually abused before they were murdered. Sexual abuse of a child generally moves through increasingly intimate activity. Perpetrators carefully plan not only the abuse, but also arrange for a private place to do it. Parents often give the perpetrator access to their child unwittingly. For example, they may allow their child to engage in group activities which are lead by an unknown perpetrator. Megan’s Law seeks to identify known pedophiles and allow parents to inform and teach their children to avoid these offenders. Sexual offenders are a large and growing part of the prison population. In 1980 state prisons held 20, 500 sex offenders; in 1990 there were 63,600; and in 1994 their were 88, 100. They grew not only in number, but also as a percentage of an expanding state prison population: 6.9 percent of 295,819 inmates in 1980; 9.7 percent of 906, 112 in 1994. In 1991, at least 20 percent of the adult prison population in ten states were sex offenders. Community in-patient and out-patient programs specializing in treating sex offenders have proliferated. Still, it appears that relatively few incarcerated sex offenders actually receive treatment. There is insufficient research to establish consistent estimates of recidivism or to identify effective treatments ( Department of Justice, statistics, 1996). The current climate is severely punitive. Many citizens’ approach is to lock-up all the criminals and never release them. The public seems determined to prevent these individuals from committing new crimes no matter the cost. As a result, by August, 1995, 43 states had enacted statutes requiring offenders to register with a central agency or with a law enforcement agency located in the community into which they are released. In late July 1994, seven-year-old Megan Kanka was raped and strangled to death. Such tragedies are periodically reported in our daily periodical across the country, but the difference here was that Megan’s killer lived across the street from the Kanka family in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. Further, the neighbor had served time in Avenel, a facility for sex offenders in New Jersey. The man had been convicted of molesting children twice previously, but the community knew nothing of his background. Megan’s parents and neighbors learned of Jesse Timmendequa’s history only after he was arrested on July 30, 1994, and had confessed to the murder. Megan’s parents, Richard and Maureen Kanka, and their neighbors organized and angrily confronted their city council as to why they were not informed as to the establishment of this â€Å"house for sex offenders† in their family-oriented community. They demanded that the laws be changed so as allow communities to protect themselves from released sex offenders. Jansson defines policy practice as â€Å"efforts to influence the development, enactment, implementation, or assessment of social policies† through the utilization of policy practice skills (which he identifies as analytic, political, interactional, and value-clarification), and the performance of policy practice tasks (setting agendas, defining problems, making proposals, enacting policy, implementing policy, and assessing policy) (Jansson, 1994). With the fall elections approaching, and several Republican anti-crime initiatives stalled in the Senate, Republicans pushed four bills through the House on May 7, 1995 to crack down on sex offenders, witness tampering, stalkers and those who prey on children and the elderly. The Senate cleared the bill (HR 2137) on sex offenders by voice vote May 9, 1995, and President Clinton signed the bill into law. Republicans were hoping that the bills, which dealt with relatively small issues, would resonate with the public and help their party in November. They spotlighted members that were facing tough reelection campaigns as sponsors of three bills. The sexual offender bill was sponsored by Dick Zimmer, Republican from New Jersey, who was in a tight race for the senate seat being vacated by Bill Bradley. The House debate began on an emotional note, and members quickly passed legislation that would require states and localities to inform communities when dangerous sexual offenders were released from prison. The vote was 418-0 . (See Appendix B). The 1994 crime bill (Pub. L 103-322) requires sex offenders to register their address with local police, and it allows this information to be publicized to preserve safety. The House bill sought to make release of this information mandatory. States that did not comply could lose part of their federal crime fighting funds. The bill also would change a section of the crime law that required states to classify as private all information collected when registering sexual offenders. The bill would allow each state to determine what information is private and what is public (Congressional Quarterly, May 11, 1996). President Clinton strongly supported the bills respecting crimes against children and the elderly. On May 17, 1996, he signed Megan’s Law. He has been an advocate for children since he was governor of Arkansas. The following is an except from the ceremony that took at the White House: â€Å"This has been a week in which our country is moving to combat crime and violence. A couple of days ago we awarded over 9, 000 new police officers to some 2,500 communities. That brings us to 43,000 police officers in 20 months along the road to our goal of 100,000. We’re ahead of schedule and under budget.† â€Å"But today, the valiant presence of five American parents reminds us that this fight against crime is so much more a fight for peace and for safety for our people and especially for our children.† â€Å"I thank the Congress for passing it. I thank those who led the fight. And I thank these families more than anything else. God Bless you all.† (See Appendix C). The Jacob Wetterling Crimes against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act provides a financial incentive for states to establish effective registration systems for released child molesters and other sexually violent offenders. States that fail to establish conforming registration systems will be subjected to a 10 percent reduction of formula Byrne Grant funding, and resulting surplus funds will be reallocated to states that are in compliance. Unlike Megan’s Law, the Jacob Wetterling Act permitted, but did not require, states to release registration information to the extent necessary to protect the public. In California, state legislation implementing Megan’s Law was passed in September of 1996 (AB 1562 ). The California Department of Justice issued policy and training procedures for local law enforcement agencies directing implementation of Megan’s Law beginning in July, 1997. As of July, 1997, any citizen can request from their local law enforcement agency, a CD ROM containing information, including photographs, of sexual offenders released into the local community. Police and parole agents will be required to notify the community of sexual offenders residing in the neighborhood. In California, Governor Wilson has attempted to go further still, proposing that sex offenders be required to register for life. The rationale underlying such laws is simple: identify all convicted and released sexual offenders, and the community will be able to take action to protect themselves. Notification, according to some, â€Å"could prevent some tragedies from happening again.† Notification is also expected to improve public safety because the public will be able to identify and report risky behavior by sex offenders (e.g. conversing with children, buying sex-oriented magazines) that might escalate into criminal behavior if ignored. The effectiveness of notification probably depends to a considerable degree on the provisions of the state statute, the resources that states and localities are able and willing to provide for implementing the statute, and the dedication and expertise of probation officers, police officers and prosecutors. Notification is most likely to be effective if it is accompanied by extensive community education and carried out by specialist. ( Finn, 1997) Agenda setting stage. Laws regarding sexual abuse came into being in the late 1970s as professionals and the public became aware of the prevalence of this form of child abuse. Since that time, the legal framework has developed dramatically in response to vicious crimes against children. Perhaps no type of crime has received more attention in recent years than crimes against children involving sexual acts and violence. Several recent tragic cases have focused public attention on this type of crime and resulted in public demand that government take stronger action against those who commit those crimes. Specifically, it was the murder of a little girl at the hands of this â€Å"unidentified† sex offender that served the purpose of getting legislators’ and the public’s attention. A victim of sexual abuse himself, Mark J. Welsh argued that identifying offenders would protect children and help prevent molesters from abusing again. Further, he argued that molesters would be recognized everywhere they went, and no one would allow them to be near children. There was no real opposition to this argument— the laws had to be changed. Another important component of the agenda setting stage is the political demand exerted by large voting constituencies and lobbyists. Children do not vote, but parents, relatives, teachers, grass roots organizations, the Child Welfare League of America, and others do strongly represent them in the political arena. In the case of Megan’s Law, support was bipartisan and unanimous. Further, Congress passed Title VII of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-322). That law, entitled the â€Å"Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act,† encouraged states to establish a system where every person who commits a sexual or kidnapping crime against children or who commits sexually violent crime against any person (whether adult or child) would be required to register his address upon release from prison. As further protection, the 1994 Act required states to allow law enforcement agencies to release à ¢â‚¬Å"relevant information† about an offender as necessary to protect the public (Columbia Law, 1995). This community notification provision has been the subject of considerable controversy. Megan’s Law has been challenged by civil libertarians as a violation of sex offenders’ constitutional rights. However, Megan’s Law has thus far survived court challenges. Yet, this has not stopped the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a legal organization dedicated to defending the Constitution, from attacking the constitutionality of notification requirements. The ACLU and others argue that it is unconstitutional to treat sex offenders differently from other violent criminals. Further, the ACLU argues, most sex offenses are committed by people we are not aware are dangerous: friends and relatives and others we do not know about. Community notification tends to generate hysteria about a small group of people for a short period of time. It does not solve the problem, it merely moves ex-offenders around as they are driven from community to community. Moreover, although the ostensible purpose of notification is to permit citizens to take precautions to protect themselves, these laws tend to encourage a state of anxiety which is not helpful to rationally addressing the issue. They also tend to encourage vigilantism. In Washington state, a a released child molester, who had presumedly paid his debt to society, was himself a victim of death threats, assaults and the burning of his home by enraged residents who took the law into their own hands (ACLU, press release, August, 19, 1994). In addition, critics aruge, this law often treats gay men as child molesters and rapists. Years ago, gay men were routinely arrested on felony lewd conduct charges. These were people who were basically engaging in consensual sex with other adults. Although Megan’s Law ostensibly targets sexual predators, the gay community fears that persons arrested for being gay will be identified as sex offenders. Problem defining stage. The problem is whether all released sex offenders should register or not. Different states have relied on different methods of developing notification criteria and as a result, have come up with different criteria. The focus is on developing guidelines for classifying offenders according to the risk they present (low, moderate, high). States have adopted varying criteria to be employed in this classification process. These include the seriousness of the offense, offense history, characteristics of the offender and community support. Proposal writing stage. The bill was included as a special provision in the Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (the â€Å"Act†). At the time it was probably written from an ecological perspective due to Megan’s brutal death and the elections. The bill does potentially â€Å"sweep up† too many people. Policy enacting stage. Congressmen Zimmer and the Republican party seized upon Megan’s death to raise an issue during an election year that no one could possibly oppose: protecting neighborhoods from persons likely to commit heinous sexual crimes. Such conditions encourage politicians to introduce bills that are supported by little, if any, responsible research. In my research for this paper, I spoke to Mr. Greg O’Gorman, an aide to Senator Feinstein. He confirmed the obvious: no politician would oppose Megan’s Law because no one wanted to be identified with sexual offenders. Furthermore, he reported that Senator Feinstein has introduced a bill that will â€Å"lock up† a sexual offenders convicted twice of sexual crimes. He stated that the senator has received no opposition from her colleagues. It is unknown if she consulted with mental health practitioners, social workers, or other professionals in order to determine the efficacy of her bill or alternatives to incarceration, such as treatment to prevent recidivism. The policy implementing stage. Law enforcement agencies, parole agents, and other designated practitioners are being directed to enforce Megan’s Law. Each state is implementing Megan’s Law differently. For example, in California all sex offenders—whether adult or juvenile—must register. Communities will be notified of adults classified as â€Å"high risk† or â€Å"serious† sex offenders. (See Appendix D). There are 70,000 sex offenders in California. It is uncertain how many of these will eventually be classified as â€Å"high risk† or â€Å"serious† offenders. Policy assessing stage. The ACLU and Lambda Legal Defense and Education fund (LLDEF) have joined together to challenge this law on constitutional grounds. The ACLU and LLDEF argue that in many cases notification does more harm than good. They conclude that if information is to be disclosed publicly, it must be limited to that necessary to counteract the offender’s dangerousnous. ( ACLU, press release, August 19, 1994). Still, Megan’s Law is being implemented. In Placencia, California, police notified the community that a twice-convicted child molester, Sid Landau, was residing in their community. The community responded by organizing demonstrations in front of his residence. Some threatened him. Mr. Landau had to obtain legal representation in an attempt to stop the harassment. According to his lawyer, T. Matthew Phillips, Mr. Landau has been through â€Å"hell.† He argues that his client has been unfairly singled-out, that he paid for his crimes and should not be permitted to reenter society. Detective Corinne Loomis of the Placencia Police Department had hoped that people would eventually accept that Mr. Landau and others like him are going to be living in the community, and to appreciate that the best response is be aware and protective. That is what Megan’s Law was designed to do,† she said. â€Å"It was not designed to whip people into frenzy and have them run somebody out on a rail† (L.A. Times, 3-8-97). On April 25, 1997, Sid Landau was arrested for assaulting a cameraman who was following him. In another case, an 18-year-old male from Wisconsin was convicted of a â€Å"lewd act with a minor.† He faces 40 years in prison and, if convicted, he will have to register as a sex offender for life. This young man’s crime was having consensual sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend. The girlfriend got pregnant, and the young man dropped out of school in order to marry and support the girl. A social worker reported this case to the prosecutor’s office, and he was charged and convicted. The young man has the support of his community and plans to appeal his conviction. THE INTERVIEWS In this section I disucss two interviews I conducted regarding Megan’s Law. I could have interviewed anyone because we will all be involved with this law: law enforcement, which will be responsible for notifying citizens, as well as average citizens who happen to live in communities into which sex offenders are released. 1) Jacqueline Waltman Parole agent, California Department of Corrections. Ms. Waltman supervises adult parolees in the San Fernando Valley. 2) Gail Blucher Mother and President of the local Parents and Teachers Association (PTA). Ms. Blucher is resident of the Santa Clarita Valley. Ms. Waltman does not agree with Megan’s Law as it is written. Although she will be obliged to enforce it, she believes that many sex offenders will go â€Å"underground† in order to avoid registration requirements. Once underground, Ms. Waltman argues, these individuals will be more likely to molest more children. Further, she believes that a state of anxiety will be created in the communities encouraging the growth of vigilante groups. She believes her job will be more difficult as a result of supervising parolees in a community that is openly hostile to the parolees’ presence. She recognizes that the Department of Corrections does not provide sex offenders with effective therapy, if it provides any at all. Moreover, she stated that many sex offenders are warned by prison guards not to disclose their crime to fellow inmates so as not to provoke attacks upon themselves. Therefore, many do not request therapy during incarceration. Parole agent Waltman believes that sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated and should remain in prison for the rest of their lives. She nevertheless hopes that they can be treated and rehabilitated. She stated that her priority will always be the safety and protection of children. Jacqueline Waltman works part-time for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services at the Emergency Response Command Post (ERCP). She worked full-time for more than twenty years for the same department. Mrs. Blucher is a full-time homemaker and she is very involved in her seven-year-old daughter’s extracurricular activities. She is married. She has recently gotten involved with the â€Å"neighborhood watch† community program that works with the local sheriff’s department. Mrs. Blucher is anxiously anticipating Megan’s Law. She believes, quite obviously, that children need a safe neighborhood, and supports notification . However, she stated that she could not participate in â€Å"evicting† anyone from her neighborhood, but did not want sex offenders to live anywhere near her family. She strongly believes that sex offenders never change. She stated that the criminal justice system releases criminals too early, especially sex offenders. She supports Assemblyman Bob Margett’s (R-Arcadia) bill requiring that convicted child molesters wear electronic monitoring bracelets upon their release from prison. (I contacted the Assemblyman’s office regarding this bill. His aide reported that the bill passed without any opposition). She is looking forward to working with the â€Å"neighborhood watch† program to make children aware that her house is a designated safe house and that they are allowed to request assistance if they needed too. LETTER TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RAMONA RIPSTON- ACLU 15920 Calle El Capitan Green Valley, CA 91350 Ms. Ramona Ripston Executive Director American Civil Liberties Union 1616 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, California, 90026 April 24, 1997 Dear Ms. Ripston My name is Xiomara Flores-Holguin and I am a graduate social work student at the University of Southern California. I am writing you in support of the American Civil Liberties Union, Southern California chapter’s position on Megan’s Law. I agree with the ACLU’s argument that notifying communities of sex offenders’ presence may cause more harm than good. First, released sex offenders are going to live somewhere. I am concerned about â€Å"not-in-my-backyard† vigilantism that will encouraged if citizens are not properly educated on bounds of appropriate action to take when notified of the presence of a sex offender in their communities. Second, there is little evidence that the Department of Corrections addresses the problem when the sex offenders are in prison. They cannot reassure society that these sex offenders are rehabilitated because they do not provide them any treatment. Also, we cannot forget that many former â€Å"sex offenders† have never presented a threat to society. I refer to gay people convicted of lewd acts for engaing in consensual sex with other adults. Will Megan’s Law require that these victims of homophobia be identified as â€Å"sex offenders† living in our midst? I wanted to express my appreciation and gratitude to the American Civil Liberties Union for your ongoing work in defending the Constitution of ALL people, whether we like them or not. Thurgood Marshall once asked, â€Å"Mental health and the law what if anything do they have in common?† He responded that both are concerned with the aspirations and problems of the human condition, and both deal with human rights and human responsibilities. Let us continue in our commitment to work on behalf of ALL people. Thank you. Sincerely, M. Xiomara Flores-Holguin MSW Graduate Student CONCLUSION At the beginning of this assignment, I believed that I had a strong position as to Megan’s Law and felt that this law was almost perfect. However, as a social worker, I recognized that the law was supported by little empirical research. I realize that no policy analysis is ever complete, that it is impossible to discover all of the data (data are essentially infinite) and to ask all of the possible questions. Policy analysis is always an approximation of the ideal and, as such, decisions are always made on the basis of incomplete data (Karger Stoesz, 1994). Karger and Stoesz (1994) argue that despite a nominal reliance on an analytical framework, social policy analysis in the â€Å"real world† is to some degree always biased. Because policy is analyzed by human beings, it is always done through the mirror of the analyst’s value system, ideological beliefs, and particular understanding of the goals and purposes of social welfare. Subjectivity is reflected in the omission (conscious or otherwise) of facts or questions, or in the relative weight given to one variable at the expense of others. Also, political pressure may be put on the policy analyst to come up with recommendations that are acceptable to a certain interest group. Regardless of the causes of subjectivity, policy analysis is always an approximation of the ideal, in effect an informed anticipation as to the effects of a policy or a set of policies. I believe that we need to stop crime against children in this generation. Furthermore, we need to identify and help those children that will be capable of continuing this cycle of crime as adults. The imprisoned sex offender, the released sex offender, and the unknown sex offender were children once, too. We should therapeutically treat the juvenile as soon as they are identified as potential offenders. We should not give up on people by â€Å"locking them up† An African proverb admonishes us, â€Å"It takes a village.† Let us take more responsibility. I will be pursuing a Community, Organization, Planning and Administration, concentration next year. I realized long ago that I wish to empower clients and advocate for them. I want to do so at the macro level. REFERENCES American Civil Liberties Union. (August 19, 1994). Press Release. Registration and community notification of convicted sex offender. ACLU Washington Office publication. Bierker, S.B. (1989). About sexual abuse. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher. Brown, J.M. , Gilliard, D.F., Snell, T.L. , Stephan, J.J., Wilson, D.J. (1996). Correctional populations in the United States. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics : Washington, D.C. publication. Finn, P. (1997, February). U.S. Department of Justice, Statistics on sex offender community notification. Rockville, Maryland: National Institute of Justice Publications. Jansson, B. (1994). Social policy: from theory to policy practice. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole. Karger, H.J., Stoesz, D. (1994). American social welfare policy: a pluralist approach. New York: Longman. Nelson, B. J. (1984). Making an Issue of Child Abuse. Chicago: The University Press. Palmer, E. A. (1996). GOP pushes four crime bills through the House. Congressional Quarterly. p. 1305. Richardson, L. Target of Megan’s Law Moves, Causing Stir. Loa Angeles Times, March 8, 1997, p.A20. Schopf, Simon (1995). â€Å"Megan’s Law†: Community notification and the Constitution. Columbia Journal of Law. 29 (117), 118-146. Welch, M.J. (1994). Press Release. Publicizing child molesters in your community. Personal mailing.

Drudging Through Academia: Four Articles :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reading the four assigned articles, to me, was equivalent to the â€Å"Reading† section of the ACT. Both seem to drag on for what seems like hours and require much re-reading to comprehend the complete message trying to be conveyed. My point is not that these articles are not worth reading. They contain valuable information about a very tough objective in academia today: writing. More directly, their focus seems to be the different methods available to help improve the writing of the up-and-coming writers of today. The only question I pose is whether all of the points presented in these articles pertain to the every day academy. The common point of the articles is clear: they house the authors’ theories for bettering the work of young writers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The authors of these articles use very persuasive points throughout their individual articles to install their belief in these â€Å"key† elements. Especially evident in the article, â€Å"Inventing the University†, by David Bartholomae, was an arrogant tone toward the â€Å"basic writers† of today’s society. He repeatedly refers to the fact that these â€Å"basic writers† are shut out or do not comprehend the â€Å"privileged language† of the elite group (139). This leads me to believe that the â€Å"basic writers† are unfairly judged simply based on their lack of experience. Being one of these so-called â€Å"basic writers,† I do not especially like my writing being degraded simply because I have a smaller interest in every minuscule detail of academic writing. In â€Å"Building a Mystery: Alternative Research Writing and the Academic Act of Seeking,† by Robert Davis and Mark Shadle, the authors do s omething similar. They bring up the point that most emphasis is put on the research paper while little is put on other projects such as a cultural research project. Such a project would cause the student â€Å"to explore topics of interest and fascination and use a variety of sources to inform projects that combine multiple genres and, in some cases, different media, disciplines, and cultures.† (Davis 431). Also, they assume that nearly all inexperienced writers rely on a type of â€Å"recipe† for research papers and other projects. One could say that this assumption is true since most college students write papers that are cut-and-dry research papers, following exact guidelines set by their instructors. Yet little credit is given to the creativity of these writers, even though it may (and most likely does) exist.

Female Foeticide in India

What is female foeticide?The act of aborting or terminating a foetus while it’s still in the womb, because it is female, is known as female foeticide. This can be done after determining the sex of the child before it’s born, through ultrasound scans. Although, sex determination in India is illegal, the practice is rampant and has become a multi-million dollar industry. Coupled with prospective parents desperate for a boy child, and physicians who are carrying out these abortions, female foeticide has become a shameful and shocking reality of our nation. What is the main cause of female foeticide?For centuries, families across many parts of India have regarded a male child as the preferred of the two sexes. There have been many social, financial, emotional and religious reasons for this preference and while times have changed, many of these reasons and beliefs continue to remain. Today, some of the key reasons that exist for the preference of a male child are as follows: The tradition of paying dowry at the time of a daughter’s marriage is alive and kicking. This amount can be so huge that many parents will go to extreme lengths to avoid having a daughter in the first place. A son is seen as someone who can earn and care for his parents in their later years, while a daughter will get married and go away.A son can carry on the family name, while a daughter becomes part of her husband’s family. Girls are seen as consumers, whereas boys are seen as producers. Many families consider it a status symbol to have a son, and a point of shame to have a daughter. Often, the pressure to bear a male child on the woman is so great that she herself might choose to get sex determination done and abort the baby if it’s a girl. Illiteracy, poverty and the tag of ‘burden’ that is assigned to a girl child, makes the desire for a male child even stronger.Modern technology has made it very easy to determine the sex of the child while it ’s still in the womb, giving parents-to-be the option of aborting the foetus and continuing to try to conceive till they get a male child. While sex determination has been banned by the Indian government, it does not stop families from going to great lengths to find out anyway. Not only are there plenty of scanning centres that reveal this information, many of the wealthier families fly the pregnant mother to neighbouring countries  where sex determination is legal, to find out the gender of the baby. Once the gender of the baby is known, families that are keen to have a baby boy choose to abort the female foetus. The law on aborting is also strict, and the Indian government allows it only under certain circumstances.Therefore, by determining the sex of the baby and aborting it because it’s a girl, the parents as well as the participating physicians are breaking two major laws.What impact does female foeticide have on the sex ratio?Sex ratio refers to ratio of female s to males in a given region. Practices like female foeticide and female infanticide (killing a baby girl after she is born) have had an adverse effect on the sex ratio of a nation and gives rise to further social evils. As per the Indian Census 2011 report, the sex ratio of India (females per 1000 males) is as follows: Average India sex ratio – 933Rural sex ratio – 946 Urban sex ratio – 900 State with highest female sex ratio – Kerala – 1058 State with lowest female sex ratio – Haryana – 861 What are the long-term impacts of female foeticide?The most important impact of female foeticide is the skewed ratio it gives rise to. The dearth of females leads to other complications like female trafficking, kidnappings and in increase in assault and rape against women. Female foeticide is a horrific and illegal practice that has got to be stopped. The way to do this is by implementation of stronger laws and bringing about a change in the mind -set of our countrymen – uphill tasks, but absolutely crucial nevertheless.

Amerigo Vespucci, Explorer and Navigator

Amerigo Vespucci, Explorer and Navigator Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) was a Florentine sailor, explorer, and trader. He was one of the more colorful characters of the early age of discovery in the Americas and captained one of the first journeys to the New World. His lurid descriptions of the New World natives made his accounts extremely popular in Europe and as a result, it is his name - Amerigo - which eventually would be modified into America and given to two continents. Early Life Amerigo was born into a wealthy family of Florentine silk traders who had a princely estate near the city of Peretola. They were very prominent citizens of Florence and many Vespuccis held important offices. Young Amerigo received an excellent education and served for a time as a diplomat before settling in Spain just in time to witness the excitement of Columbus first voyage. He decided that he, too, wanted to be an explorer. The Alonso de Hojeda Expedition In 1499, Vespucci joined the expedition of Alonso de Hojeda (also spelled Ojeda), a veteran of Columbus second voyage. The 1499 expedition included four ships and was accompanied by well-known cosmographer and cartographer Juan de la Cosa, who had gone on Columbus first two voyages. The expedition explored much of the northeastern coast of South America, including stops in Trinidad and Guyana. They also visited a tranquil bay and named it Venezuela, or Little Venice. The name stuck. Like Columbus, Vespucci suspected that he may have been looking at the long-lost Garden of Eden, the Earthly Paradise. The expedition found some gold, pearls, and emeralds and captured some slaves for sale, but still was not very profitable. Return to the New World Vespucci had earned a reputation as a skilled sailor and leader during his time with Hojeda, and he was able to convince the King of Portugal to finance a three-ship expedition in 1501. He had become convinced during his first trip that the lands he had seen were not, in fact, Asia, but something altogether new and previously unknown. The purpose of his 1501-1502 journey, therefore, became the location of a practical passage to Asia. He explored the eastern coast of South America, including much of Brazil, and may have gone as far as the Platte River in Argentina before returning to Europe. On this journey, he became more convinced than ever that the recently discovered lands were something new: the coast of Brazil that he had explored was much too far to the south to be India. This put him at odds with Christopher Columbus, who insisted until his death that the lands he had discovered were, in fact, Asia. In Vespuccis letters to his friends and patrons, he explained his new theories. Fame and Celebrity Vespuccis journey was not an extremely important one in relation to many of the others taking place at the time. Nevertheless, the seasoned navigator found himself something of a celebrity within a short time due to the publication of some letters he had allegedly written to his friend, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici. Published under the name Mundus Novus (New World) the letters became an immediate sensation. They included fairly direct (for the sixteenth century) descriptions of sexuality (naked women!) as well as the radical theory that the recently discovered lands were, in fact, new. Mundus Novis was followed closely by a second publication, Quattuor Americi Vesputi Navigationes (Four Voyages of Amerigo Vespucci). Supposedly letters from Vespucci to Piero Soderini, a Florentine statesman, the publication describes four voyages (1497, 1499, 1501 and 1503) undertaken by Vespucci. Most historians believe some of the letters to be fakes: there is little other evidence that Vespucci even made the 1497 and 1503 journeys. Whether some of the letters were fakes or not, the two books were immensely popular in Europe. Translated into several languages, they were passed around and discussed exhaustively. Vespucci became an instant celebrity and was asked to serve on the committee which advised the King of Spain about New World policy. America In 1507, Martin Waldseemà ¼ller, who worked in the town of Saint-Dià © in Alsace, published two maps together with Cosmographiae Introductio, an introduction to cosmography. The book included the purported letters from Vespucci’s four voyages as well as sections reprinted from  Ptolemy. On the maps, he referred to the newly discovered lands as â€Å"America,† in honor of Vespucci. It included an engraving of Ptolemy looking to the East and Vespucci looking to the West. Waldseemà ¼ller also gave Columbus plenty of credit, but it was the name America that stuck in the New World. Later Life Vespucci only ever made two journeys to the New World. When his fame spread, he was named to a board of royal advisers in Spain along with former shipmate Juan de la Cosa, Vicente Yà ±ez Pinzà ³n (captain of the Nià ±a on Columbus’ first voyage) and Juan Dà ­az de Solà ­s. Vespucci was named  Piloto Mayor, â€Å"Chief Pilot† of the Spanish Empire, in charge of establishing and documenting routes to the west. It was a lucrative and important position as all expeditions needed pilots and navigators, all of whom were answerable to him. Vespucci established a school of sorts, to train pilots and navigators, modernize long-distance navigation, collect charts and journals and basically collect and centralize all cartographic information. He died in 1512. Legacy Were it not for his famous name, immortalized on not one but two continents,  Amerigo Vespucci  would today no doubt be a minor figure in world history, well-known to historians but unheard of outside of certain circles. Contemporaries such as Vicente Yà ±ez Pinzà ³n and Juan de la Cosa were arguably more important explorers and navigators. Heard of them? Didn’t think so. That’s not to lessen Vespucci’s accomplishments, which were considerable. He was a very talented navigator and explorer who was respected by his men. When he served as Piloto Mayor, he encouraged key advances in navigation and trained future navigators. His letters – whether he actually wrote them or not – inspired many to learn more about the New World and colonize it. He was neither the first nor the last to envision the route to the west that was eventually discovered by  Ferdinand Magellan  and  Juan Sebastin Elcano, but he was one of the best-known. It’s even arguable that he deserves the eternal recognition of having his name on North and South America. He was one of the first to openly defy the still-influential Columbus and declare that the New World was, in fact, something new and unknown and not simply a previously-uncharted part of Asia. It took courage to contradict not only Columbus but all of the ancient writers (such as  Aristotle) who had no knowledge of continents to the west. Source: Thomas, Hugh.  Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan.  New York: Random House, 2005.

Microsoft and Outsourcing to Flextronics essays

Microsoft and Outsourcing to Flextronics essays (1) Microsoft's decision to outsource their Xbox production to Flextronics, a Singapore based company, was based on several variables. Microsoft is primarily a software company and had a small hand in producing hardware, such as joysticks, computer mice, keyboards, etc. When Microsoft came into the video game industry, they decided that they lacked the manufacturing and logistics capabilities to make the Xbox and manage a global supply chain [1]. Microsoft had chosen to outsource to Flextronics for several reasons. Flextronics could lower costs in production for Microsoft because they were able to tightly manage its supply chain, therefore reducing the chances of supply chain disruption, which can be costly [1]. Not only was Flextronics efficient in supply chain management they had an "industrial park" strategy that Microsoft and many other electronic manufacturers didn't have. Flextronics required that key suppliers locate their factories next to Flextronics assembly plants in lo w-cost areas. Flextronics had industrial parks in Brazil, China, Hungary, Mexico, and Poland. This global presence that Flextronics had is exactly what Microsoft was looking for. With these "industrial parks" located throughout various locations in the world, Flextronics would be able to shift production from one plant to another as demand conditions warranted [1]. Additionally, Flextronics and Microsoft used an advanced Web-based information system that it used to communicate with each other on a real time basis. This was pertinent to reducing errors and relaying information quickly to one another to ensure and facilitate expedient production of Xbox consoles where inventory is low, to avoid any shortages. Finally, Microsoft had a long standing relationship with Flextronics. Microsoft had used Flextronics for years to produce their small hardware (computer mice, joysticks, etc.) and trusted them. Microsoft trusted that Flextronics would be able to bu...

Case Study for Human Resource Management Class Essay

Case Study for Human Resource Management Class - Essay Example Ron was also able to proceed with job analysis through the critical-incident technique. They were able to organize a meeting with the supervisors and they were able to come up with a conclusion. The only remaining aspect that they will need to look into is the type of validation strategy they needed to use. They had contradicting views on this matter. Ron believed that it criterion-related validity was appropriate while Bob chose content validity over the other. When Bob finished the evaluation of the agency's current staffing practices, the results tabulated in Exhibit 2.14 clearly depicts the presence of adverse impact. Using the 80 percent rule and by taking two sample groups which has the highest and lowest positions namely Blacks and Women, it shows that there is only 58.04% or less than four fifths of the selection come from the group with lowest rate. Even if there is no adverse impact evident on the selection process, it is still essential to evaluate other components for adverse impact. Aside from the standard 80 percent rule used to determine adverse selection, there are other issues that should be looked into the hiring process including the examination, interview and training of employees.

Sleep deprivation negatively affect driving performance and causes car Essay

Sleep deprivation negatively affect driving performance and causes car accidents - Essay Example The danger is even more compounded with the fact that people are often unaware of the fact that the failure to sleep increases the possibility and probability of accidents (Gregory, 2009) This paper seeks to address the importance of sleep, factors that cause sleep variations as well as the relation of this to work performance. Further, the paper illuminates on the relation of sleep build-up and sleep deprivation on accidents propensity, as well touching on the models and other conditions such as apnea in relation to work and injuries at the workplace. Sleep and Accidents Generally, accident that is caused as a result of sleep is regarded as accident caused by human error, and often times the impact of it is correlated to the task that was being carried out. Therefore, in an event where there is more speed in terms of performing the task, then the degree of injury is normally aggravated (Gregory, 2009). This therefore means that skiing are often more serious accidents than walking ac cidents. Accidents could even be more aggravated in areas where machines are many and work is machinated, in say Agricultural Industry, where there are a lot of different tasks and models and types of machines (Gregory, 2009). Broadly speaking, accidents causing injuries happen in the line of human interactions with the machines at the work place. Often times, these machines include cars, trucks, and others such as tractors among many others (Gregory, 2009). The manner in which a worker interacts with the machines is highly associated with his level of maturity, and accidents normally occur due to use of alcohol, use of other drugs such as caffeine or ‘build up of sleep debt which is the prime focus of this paper (Scott et al, 2006). One is then likely to ask the question: how can sleep deprivation cause accidents, and how is their impacts measured? The answer is that, while sleep and alcohol correlation is easy to measure, the former, accidents and sleep, has been largely dif ficult. The general agreement is however in the duration of sleep. Duration of sleep is sometimes as long as 6 weeks, and the risks is often analyzed within the confluence of the time of the day one sleeps and the amount therein. Further, it is also correlated to the amount of sleep one had the night before (Scott et al, 2006). Broad Factors that Impair Sleep and the effects Factors that impair sleep have been recognized as use of caffeine, talking radio, cold and other distracting activities. It is therefore often seen with students who stay awake at night having to dose during lectures. Another example worthy noting is the fact that Pilots stayed awake in the course of dogfights in World War II and fell asleep, thus crashed on their flight back to base (Gregory, 2009). Sleep Management and the Risks Involved Psychologists have identified two types of risks associated with sleep management. One is low performance or loss of it altogether when one falls asleep at the workplace. This often happens when the individual is â€Å"un-stimulated and bored even without sleep debt† (Gregory, 2009). The second one is observed in the decreased performance at the work place in