John Stuart Mill Essay Example for Free

John Stuart Mill Essay Moral theories try to explain what distinguishes right actions from wrong ones. The theory of utilitarianism tries to do the same by incorporating several aspects that set up a moral standard to help investigate the balance between right and wrong. John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher of the 1800’s defends the utilitarian school of thought by pointing out what it is that makes utilitarianism the standard theory for morality. According to Utilitarianism as explained by Mill in his essay â€Å"In Defense of Utilitarianism† the fundamental principle of morality is the promotion of happiness on a scale that benefits an individual and the ones around him; also to promote pleasure and to prevent pain. Several major objections are raised towards the moral theory of utilitarianism some examples can be the idea that the theory asserts too much emphasis on pursuing pleasure which makes it a doctrine worthy of swine (â€Å"Defense†). Another objection is that in everyday circumstances it is impossible for humans to make a morally just decision (â€Å"Defense†). An additional counter-argument that struck me the most was the statement that utilitarianism sets standards that are deemed too high for humanity (â€Å"Defense†). What this objection projects are the predisposed and unwarranted capabilities of the human race. According to this statement humanity is made comparable to other (lower ranking) species that lack the intrinsic values that make us humans human; like thinking faculties that are much superior to other animals or the ability to have languages or develop intricate cultural systems, just to name few. Therefore, making this objection a weak one and one that displays an inferior and subjacent view towards the principle of morality. Mill on the other hand deduces the true motives of these objections and labels these ideas as being of such nature that promote actions in accordance with one obliging to a certain duty. If that is the case then individuals can be comprised of nothing but a niche in society. He argues that ethics holds the responsibility of outlining our duties, fulfilling them is dependent only on factors that promote the larger well being of a society. Mill states such objections as misapprehensions and transcribes an important point which nonetheless reconstructs and fabricates the idea of utilitarianism; he states this affirms that the motive has nothing to do with the morality of the action, though much with the worth of the agent. † (â€Å"Defense†).

Alcohol Abuse Essay Example for Free

Alcohol Abuse Essay Drinking is: fun, makes me more sociable, makes me more relaxed, helps me forget all my problems and lastly, everyone drinks (attention). More than likely a lot of you have heard someone say these thing or even say these things yourself when it comes to drinking (connection). When in fact there is a lot more to drinking alcohol than you think (importance). Growing up I was surrounded by someone who did heavy drinking in my home, and for the past week of researching my topic I now know the toll alcohol take on people first hand (credibility). That is why after my presentation, I want my audience to know three main disadvantages of alcohol abuse which are: impairs judgment, harm the body, and may cause death (thesis). Body: According to drugfreeworld.org, â€Å"Alcohol is best understood as a drug that reduces a person’s ability to think rationally and distorts his or her judgment† (Foundation for a Drug-Free World, 2006–2013). In other words, Alcohol can make a person do things, and take chances they normally wouldn’t while sober (you factor). An example of this would be: becoming violent, experimenting with drugs, having unprotected sex, or drinking and driving. In a community- based study, Pernanen found that, â€Å"42 percent of violent crimes reported to the police involved alcohol† (statistic). In the Chicago tribune there was an article about a Lombard man Adam B. Hearn, 33, he was sentenced 6  ½ years for aggravated battery. His toxic reported stated that he was heavily intoxicated. Hearn said. â€Å"I made a horrible decision and I’m sick about it† (Ward, 2012). Now that I have talked about how alcohol abuse impairs your judgment, Listen to the ways alcohol abuse harms the body (signpost). Studies stated from Jack E. Henningfield, states that â€Å"when someone has an alcoholic drink, the stomach absorbs about 20 percent of the alcohol, and the remaining 80 percent is absorbed by the small intestine† (Henning field, 2008). In other words majority of alcohol is absorbed in your small intestine. (You factor). After being absorbed the alcohol enters the blood stream, where the liver breaks down 90 percent of the alcohol in a process called oxidation. Once all the alcohol is broken down it passes directly from the digestive tract to the brain. By Alcohol being a depressant it blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain from neurons. Such as: altering a person perception, movement, vision, hearing, and emotions. This is why people who over use alcohol may stagger, lose coordination, or slur speech. Alcohol can also have harm on your outer appearance. Alcohol abuse can: cause ageneses to skin, brittle hair, crackled lips, increase the outbreak of acne and increase the blood flow to skin as well, making someone sweat and look fused. Alcohol can also cause the reduction of blood flow to the muscles. This can cause server muscles cramps. Alcohol abuse does not just harm outer appearances it can also harm you internally. The liver is known to suffering the most damage, since it is the foundation in the alcoholic elimination process. The main condition is Cirrhosis of the liver. Heartburn and stomach ulcers can also result in alcohol abuse. Other links have been made that it can cause cancer of the mouth, stomach and intestines. A much known condition to the body that alcohol abuse forms is alcohol poising. Alcohol poisoning can cause the body to violently vomit, experience extreme sleepiness, go unconscious, difficulty breathing, low blood sugar, and seizure. Furthermore, it is important to know the harm alcohol does to the body, to prevent more serious conditions that can lead to death (sign post). As indicated by Jack E. Henningfield in his book Alcohol Addiction: Not Worth the Buzz, â€Å"Each year, approximately 100,000 deaths can be attributed to drinking-either directly or indirectly† (Henningfield, 2008). This does not simply mean that 100,000 died just from taking a drink but from the poor decision that come from being drunk and from the harm that alcohol causes to the body (you factor). It is a fact that more than half of car accidents and twenty five percent of suicides are somehow linked to the use of alcohol (Henningfield, 2008). When you think about it these are all deaths that are avoidable if people would have chosen to drink less. Every year people die from alcohol abuse; many do not know the disadvantages of drinking alcohol and that is why I chose to do this research. Conclusion: Today I informed you all of the three main disadvantages of drinking too much alcohol which are: impairs your judgment, harms your body, and may cause death (summary). Now that you all know more about the disadvantages of drinking alcohol please take them into consideration (action). So the next time you are having a drink, or getting in the car with a drunk driver, ask yourselves, who is in control (ending)?

Why Do Cities Develop at Different Rates?

Why Do Cities Develop at Different Rates? Why do cities and regions develop at different rates and with different trajectories, and  how can planning and development policy address issues of uneven development? â€Å"Development trajectories are not straight forward for local governments to solve† (Hall and Hesse, 2013), there are many reasons why cities and regions develop at different rates and trajectories. This essay aims to explore some of the theories behind uneven development trajectories such as is the world becoming flat and time – space compression or alternatively the fact uneven development does occur with competitiveness and knowledge industry. Secondly this essay will then explain some possible planning strategies and policies that address the issues of uneven development such as land ownership, zoning and bottom up governance. Uneven development occurs across the world and there are many different reasons for different rates growth. some theorists however believe development is relatively even, Friedman (2005) describes the world as becoming flat, this is due to the technological advancements which have resulted in a globalised economy and â€Å"the development of a common global culture† (Held, 2004:88). The location of a company is no longer important; you can be successful anywhere in the world without having to move this is due to the ‘Borderless economy created by technological improvements’ (Sander, 2005). Friedman describes this by stating ‘when the world is flat you can innovate without having to emigrate’ (Friedman, 2005). Friedman’s view has been shared by other economists who describe the levelling effect on the economy to be even in many ways (Florida, 2005:48). Even though borderless economies can improve regions and cities across the world Mander and Ba rker (2002) question whether this development positively affects everyone by stating that â€Å"Economic globalisation makes things worse for poor people not better† (Mander and Baker, 2002:2). Harvey (1989) also shared similar views to Friedman through the idea of time-space compression as a cause to the flattening of the world. Time space Compression is described by Harvey as time and space forced to alter due to technological advancements and capitalism which has â€Å"sped up the pace of life† (Harvey, 1989:240). It creates â€Å"a significant acceleration of social, particularly capitalist, dynamics due to a new global communications network† (Stalder, 2006), Time-space compression simply referrers to the â€Å"Increased velocity of the circulation of goods, people and information† (Thrift and May, 2001:106). It overcomes spatial barriers and opens up new markets through high speed communication, something that Leamer (2007) explains as being an important factor to creating even development. Good communication and technologies enables good knowledge transfer and therefore no need for agglomeration resulting in development that is spread equally. Opposing the above arguments there is the argument that development occurs at uneven trajectories. Florida (2005) describes how there has been explosive growth in population numbers within cities, â€Å"now in some advanced countries three out of four people live in urban areas† (Florida, 2005:48). He explains that this has caused development across the world to be ‘spikey’ due to the world being †full of clusters where location matters, most notably in cities† (Feiock et al., 2008). Florida describes the idea of a ‘creative class’ as a reason why many people migrate to cities as increasing development is seen in these areas. Florida (2002) describes successful regions and cities as attracting the ‘creative class’, these people consist of â€Å"young, upwardly and geographically mobile professionals†. And many are often associated as being ‘bohemians’ and creative people (Stolarick and Florida, 2006), this is described by Millander et al. (2014) as a â€Å"creative milieu†. These people are attracted to the idea of community, the â€Å"attraction and retention of these individuals becomes a centrepiece of economic growth† (Feiock et al., 2008). The clustering of creative classes in cities and areas of technological advancement leaves uneven distribution of knowledge across a nation (Mellander et al., 2014) which often leads to regions having different development trajectories. Nagle (1995:14) Cited from Myrdal (1955) explains the concept of cumulative causation through a core- periphery model, this presents the â€Å"unfolding of events as a consequence of the multiplier effect† (Mayhew, 2009) Regional advantages attract investment creating a core region of development, â€Å"Skilled workers investment, new technology and developments gravitate from periphery regions to the core† (Nagle 1995:14. Demand for goods comes from the periphery areas creating the backwash effect. Finally knowledge overflow and increased demand may create growth in periphery areas; this is known as the spread effect. A Perfect example of this is the silicon valley in California, here a business cluster of innovation and knowledge has resulted in enhanced competition and clustering, creating a core development region and at the same time has periphery regions. The rate of development of a nation often refers to the nation as a whole; this is arguably out dated as â€Å"nations-states were created to meet the needs of a much earlier historical period† (Hashimoto, 2013). Due to a the borderless economy that has been created as a result of globalisation it’s now suggested that nations states should be converted to regional-states, â€Å"regional-states are natural economic zones which are drawn by the deft invisible hand of the global market† (Ohmea, 1995) High levels of innovation create clusters of technology industries forcing greater competitiveness. Porter (2008) describes the importance of competitiveness in determining development trajectories of a certain region as Competitiveness is global as well as regional. â€Å"Competiveness of a region or nation has been a primary focus for governments wishing to seek investment and create jobs† (Porter, 2008), this is due to the potential development it can attract. Porter’s ‘competitive advantage diamond model’ displays the economic benefits clustering can bring to regions through a range of factors contributing to competitiveness (porter, 1990). The model is used to analyse the competiveness through four factors, for example customer characteristics etc. (Walker, 2004:177). â€Å"Improving competitiveness is central to raising the underlying rate of growth of the economy and enhancing living standards† (Shafaeddin, 2012), this therefore suggests that regions and cities which experience more competitiveness are likely to have greater development trajectories. Huggins and Izushi (2011) explain how Porters model can be used to create a competitive advantage; it is this advantage that arguably creates different rates of development in cities and regions. Competitiveness is vital for economic growth however Prasnikar (2006:325) explains it can sometimes lead to unsustainable development and therefore companies must maintain corporate social responsibility. Huggins and Thompson (2010) development index is a way of measuring competitiveness, â€Å"competitiveness involves the upgrading and economic development of all places together, rather than the improvement of one place at the expense of another† (Huggins and Thompson, 2010:4). This can be used by governments to monitor and assess the development of regions. Development rates can differ due to the amount of inward investment a region attracts. Opposing Harvey and Friedman, globalization has arguably been a main cause of uneven development as it â€Å"has been governed in ways that are undemocratic and have been disadvantageous to developing countries† (Stigltz, 2002). It is therefore vital that correct planning and development policies are put in place to ensure cities and regions can develop as one sustainably. It’s important to note that countries promoting the best policies in addressing uneven development use a â€Å"wide range of actors, key participants and influences†¦ which are in almost all cases built upon public – private partnership† (Huggins and Izushi, 2007:118). There are several specific development policies that can be put into place in order to address issues associated with uneven development. â€Å"Good development policy is context specific† (World Bank, 2003:9), this means a policies effectiveness may vary between regions and cities and therefore policies chosen must address specific issues of the region. Globalisation has given way to multinational corporations having large amounts of power due to their size and global reach, â€Å"multinationals and governments competing for control over operations during market expansion† (Luo, 2002:73). As a result many multinationals can gain leverage over governments. As rates of development vary due to context, development should therefore be controlled regionally resulting in differing policy and development plans. The use of governments â€Å"top-down, Centralising, ‘one size fits all’† (Bradbury, 2008:132) polices contradicts the importance of context specif ic initiatives as policy are likely to prove ineffective in some regions. It is therefore suggested that bottom-up planning is introduced; this is more effective as it offers bespoke polies relevant to the characteristics of a region. Das (2005) Explains this will devolve power to regions and cities increasing democracy, as a result this should enhance conditions for sustainable development. A great example where Bottom up planning is being put into action is in England where the introduction of neighbourhood plans though the localism act of 2011 has made way for planning that is more deliverable and realistic in achieving sustainable development (Chetwyn, 2013). Land ownership within development planning is also vital for sustainable development, it’s important that correct development and planning policy is created to ensure arbitrate land use conflicts between social, economic, and spatial use are dealt with (Linchfield, 1980:8). This is specifically important in developing counties where often land rights are distributed unfairly and leave land owners sceptical as to whether or not they will be able to retain their land. By granting Land ownership this creates enterprise, motivation and promotes innovation (Lipton, 2009:2), the uncertainty of land rights can often stall development as investment is reduced which Fatas and Mihov (2009:7) described as one of 4 factors contributing to the economic development of regions. Government intervention plays an important role in the creation of successful development policies; another way of improving the rate of development across a region sustainably is to introduce taxes on land. Shirazi a nd Shah (1991:140) suggest that this will provide additional revenues to central governments allowing them to invest in infrastructure which would attract investment, â€Å"good infrastructure attracts investment by connecting firms to their customers and suppliers† (OECD, 2006:59). In Tanzania and many African nations have seen success form land ownership, it has â€Å"spurred economic growth and improved shared prosperity for the countrys population† (All Africa, 2013) The use of successful development plans is essential in addressing uneven development. There are several aspects such and bottom-up planning already discussed that can contribute to reducing uneven development. Land use zoning is another strategy that is efficient in addressing uneven development. Zoning plans are designed by the government and decide â€Å"what kind of buildings can be built and where in the community they can be built† (Euchner and McGovern, 2003:155). The use of zoning separates different land uses that could perhaps conflict such as â€Å"residential, business and industrial uses† (Soule, 2006:30). It controls new sustainable development that doesn’t affect any existing development. Zoning is able to create even development as it regulates where certain types of development can take place, this can replace previous systems where â€Å"restrictive land use policies have discouraged new companies and new job creation (Baily and Kirkegaard, 200 4:8). By using a zoning scheme â€Å"specific beneficial incentives can be offered in return for specific contributions by the developer† (Silberstein and Maser, 2000:35). This would attract investment to areas of a region as well as improving infrastructure and creating jobs, encourage the creative classes to locate to these areas resulting in more even development. The United States of America has seen â€Å"Great success of Euclidean zoning† (Soule, 2007:27), zoning can be found as the foundation of many American development plans such as Chicago. With population numbers rising and a globalising economy; development is set to increase, it therefor vital sustainable planning policies are operating. This essay has displayed some possible reasons for why cities and regions might develop at different rates though theorist such as Florida (2005) and porter (2008), they suggest that Creative classes and competitiveness create uneven development. Friedman (2005) and Harvey (1989) argue against this idea of development being ‘spikey’ and suggest due to globalisation and a borderless economy; location is not important allowing development to take place at the same rate. Planning and development policy can play an influential role in addressing uneven development as well as maintaining sustainable development. This essay has displayed several effective policy schemes such as Bottom-up governance, land rights, taxation and land use zoning that have proved effective in tackling uneven development. In conclusion uneven develop ment is occurring; it is possible to tackle uneven development though successful policy however it must be remembered that many regions develop at different rates. Many of these are located in less economically developed countries which lack effectiveness in delivering successful policy. As a result its vital that these countries have the support form supra-national bodies such as The United Nations and World Bank in order to achieve development that addresses uneven development and is sustainable for future generations. Bibliography All Africa (2013) [ONLINE] http://allafrica.com/stories/201312300059.html (Assessed 22/1/14). Bailey, M, Kirkegaard, J (2004) â€Å"Transforming the European Economy†, The Institute for International Economics. Bradbury, J (2008) â€Å"Devolution, Regionalism and Regional Development: The UK Experience†, Routledge. Chetwyn, D. (2013) â€Å"Quick guide to neighbourhood plans†, Urban Vision Enterprise CIC. Das, P, S. (2005) â€Å"Decentralized Planning and Participatory Rural Development†, Concept Publishing Company. Euchner,C, McGovern, S (2003) â€Å"Urban Policy Reconsidered: Dialogues on the Problems and Prospects of American Cities. Fatas, A, Mihov, J (2009) â€Å"The 4 I’s of Economic Growth†, INSEAD. Feiock, R, C, Moon, M, J Park, H, J (2008) â€Å"Is the world â€Å"flat† or â€Å"spiky†? Rethinking the governance implications of globalization for economic development†, Public Administration Review. Florida, R (2005) â€Å"The world in numbers: the world is spikey†, The Atlantic Monthly October Edition. Florida, R (2002) â€Å"The Rise of the Creative Class: And How Its Transforming Work, Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life†, Basic Books. Friedman T, L (2005) â€Å"The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century†, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hall, P, V, Hesse, M (2013) â€Å"Cities, Regions and Flows†, Routledge. Harvey Hashimoto, H (2004) â€Å"Prospects for a Regional Human Rights Mechanism in East Asia†, Routledge. Held, D (2004) â€Å"A Globalizing World?: Culture, Economics, Politics†, Routledge. Huggins, R and Izushi, H (2011) â€Å"Competition, Competitive Advantage, and Clusters: The Ideas of Michael Porter†, Oxford University Press. Huggins, R and Izushi, H (2007) â€Å"Competing for Knowledge: Creating, Connecting and Growing†, Routledge. Huggins and Thompson (2010) â€Å"UK Competitiveness Index 2010†, University of Wales Institute of Cardiff. Leamer Linchfeild, N (1980) â€Å"Settlement Planning and Development: A Strategy for Land Policy†, University of British Columbia. Lipton, M (2009) â€Å"Land Reform in Developing Countries: Property Rights and Property Wrongs†, Routledge. Luo, Y (2002) â€Å"Multinational Enterprises in Emerging Markets† Copenhagen Business School Press. Mander, J, Baker, D (2002) â€Å"Does Globalisation help the poor†, Special report, International Forum on Globalisation Mayhew, S (2009) â€Å"A Dictionary of Geography†, Oxford University Press. Mellander, C, Florida, R, Asheim, B, T, Gertler, M (2014) â€Å"The Creative Class Goes Global†, Routledge. Nagle,G (1995) â€Å"Development and Underdevelopment†, Nelson. Ohmae, K (1995) â€Å"The end of the nation state: The rise of the regional economy†, New York Free Press. OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2006) â€Å"Policy Framework for Investment†, OECD Publishing. Porter, M, E (2008) â€Å"On Competition†, Harvard Business School Publishing. Porter, M, E (1990) â€Å"The Competitive Advantage of Nations†, MacMillan. Prasnikar, J (2006) â€Å"Competitiveness, Social Responsibility and Economic Growth†, Nova Science Publishers. Silberstein, J, Maser, C (2000) â€Å"Land-Use Planning for Sustainable Development†, CRC Press. Shirazi, J Shah, A (1991) â€Å"Tax Policy in Developing Countries†, The World Bank, Vol 19. Soule, D (2007) â€Å"Remaking American Communities: A Reference Guide to Urban Sprawl† Greenwood Press. Soule, D (2006) â€Å"Urban Sprawl: A Comprehensive Reference Guide†, Greenwood Press. Sander Shafaeddin, M (2012) â€Å"Competitiveness and Development: Myth and Realities†, Anthem Press. Stalder, F (2006) â€Å"Manuel Castells: The Theory of the Network Society†, Polity press. Stiglitz, J, E (2002) â€Å"Globalisms Discontents†, American Prospect. Stolarick, K, Florida, R (2006) †Creativity connections and innovation a study of linkages in the Montreal region†, Environment and planning, Vol 38 pp 1799-1817. Thrift, N May, J (2001) â€Å"Timespace: Geographies of Temporality†, Routledge. World Bank (2004) †2003 Annual Review of Development Effectiveness: The Effectiveness of Bank support for policy reform†, World Bank Operations Evaluation Department.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions at Mammoth Mountain, California :: Nature Volcano Essays

Carbon Dioxide Emissions at Mammoth Mountain, California According to Dr. David P. Hill and Dr. Roy R. Bailey of the United States Geological Survey, the most common geological question in Mammoth, California is Where is the volcano? Although Mammoth Mountain does not resemble the classically recognized cone-shaped volcano, the mountain experienced significant volcanic and seismic activity in the past two decades, which have brought the mountain the recognition as a potentially hazardous volcano. A massive volcanic explosion 760,000 years ago created the Long Valley Caldera in California. A build up of magma beneath the earth's surface caused an uplift of the crust which led to the explosion. Afterwards, the crust sank over a mile, into a depression measuring 10 miles wide and 20 miles long. A magma chamber still exists beneath the caldera. The fumaroles and hot springs confirm the presence of a magma body. The underground magma heats groundwater which rises to the surface and releases in hot springs or steam vents (Hill et al. 2000). Recent uplifting caused the Resurgent Dome in the middle of the caldera to rise 2.5 feet over the past two decades. This volcanic unrest, on a previous stable volcanic system, prompted the USGS to put in place an Emergency Response plan and to closely monitor the region for further signs of unrest (Hill et al. 2000). The Mono-Inyo Crater volcanic chain lines the southwest side of the Long Valley Caldera. Mammoth Mountain, a volcano within the Mono-Inyo chain, formed 50,000 years ago from multiple dacite eruptions (Sorey et al. 1999) Dacite magma is an intermediate between rhyolite and andesite (Kearey 2001). Over the last 5,000 years, eruptions in the Mono-Inyo volcanic chain occurred periodically every 250-700 years. The active volcanic chain is being closely monitored for signs of future eruptions which include earthquakes, uplift of magma and gas emissions (Hill et al. 1998). Starting in the 1980's numerous earthquake swarms took place throughout the Long Valley Caldera concentrated in the southern section of the caldera. In May of 1989, seismic activity started in Mammoth Mountain, a volcano on the southwest edge of the Long Valley Caldera, with a period of earthquake swarms. Scientists collected data indicating that a dike was rising beneath the mountain and intruded 2 km below the surface of Mammoth Mountain (Sorey et al.

Isaac Asimov :: essays research papers

Isaac Asimov is a very talented writer. Isaac focuses on the intensity of his novels and short stories. Suspense is one of the things he focuses on when writing short stories such as "Marooned off Vesta." "Marooned off Vesta is a story of triumph and intelligence. This story shows what can happen if you put your mind to it"(Corke). 	Isaac Asimov, of Jewish descent, was born in Petrovichi, U.S.S.R. on January 2, 1920. His parents were Judah and Anna Rachel Asimov. Isaac also had a brother named Stanley and a sister named Marcia. In 1923 the Asimovs left the Soviet Union and immigrated to the States. Getting over seas was not as easy as it is today. The Asimovs had to endure a horrible boat ride with horrible food, seasickness, and the anxiety of what the future had in store for them. They made their home in Brooklyn, New York where they opened a candy store (Erlanger 9). When he was nine years of age, after school he worked in his parent's candy store. It was then that began reading science fiction magazines. He had to struggle to read these magazines because his father would not permit him to read "such junk"(Erlanger 9). " Isaac you should be reading books with more value," his father told him (wilson). Sooner or later his father gave in and told him not to forget his library books ( Erlanger 11). However, this reading material was the only thing that his dad would let him touch on the magazine rack. 	Young Isaac was a brilliant student. He went through school more quickly than other students. But there was one thing holding him back which was him being a class clown. He was frequently in trouble for talking in class (Erlanger 16). The person he could really identify with was his friend, "Solly," Solomon Frisch. Solly made up stories mostly every day off the top of his head for Isaac. This was when Isaac learned that stories do not have to come from magazines or books, they can come from a person. Unfortunately when Solly and Isaac were both seven, they parted as a result of both families moving. The Asimovs moved on Essex street near Judah's new candy store. As the years went on and he graduated Boys High School in 1935, he applied to Columbia University and took on Chemistry as a major (Erlanger 18).

Florence by Alice Childress Essays -- Florence Alice Childress Essays

Florence by Alice Childress This 1950 play by Alice Childress takes place in a train station waiting room in a very small town in the south. The play describes how Miss Whitney, an old black woman, discovers that her premonition of the success of her daughter, Florence, as a black actress is undesirably similar to that of a racist, white society. This troubling discovery has just as strong an impact on the reader as it does on Miss Whitney. This drama teaches the reader how the views and opinions of individuals or groups can influence other individuals or groups to approach situations with the same reaction, although their views and opinions may be opposite. Marge, Miss Whitney's other daughter, first introduces this frame of mind to as she accompanies Miss Whitney at the train station. They sit in the "colored" section of the train station while Miss Whitney awaits a train to Harlem to convince Florence to come back home to the south. Florence fled to Harlem with ambition of being an actress. After she calls home to ask for money, Marge is convinced that Florence will fail because she is a black woman attempting to make it in a business dominated by whites in a racially segregated society. Although Miss Whitney seems to have a little bit more faith in Florence, she still wants to convince Florence to come back home. They even have a check ready to pay for her trip home, which is causing them to be late on their rent. This reveals to us that they are willing to sacrifice a little in order to prevent Florence from possibly failing in her quest for success. As Marge speaks to her mother she reveals her mentality in regards to Florence's situation, "She ain't gonna get rich up there and we can't afford t... ...a powerful message. Before Miss Whitney's conversation with Mrs. Carter, she felt Florence wouldn't make it as an actress. After realizing that a racist white woman felt the same way, Miss Whitney reevaluated her reasons for wanting Florence to come home. Realizing her reason's weren't much different, she felt the best thing to do is to encourage Florence to follow her dream no matter how hard it may be to achieve, rather than make her believe it was impossible, just as the white society wanted her to believe. Once this message is conveyed to the reader you can't help but look upon your own past and wonder if you've ever been guilty of letting somebody else's opinions influence what you believe is or isn't possible. This play teaches us to be more open-minded as well as not being a hypocrite. This play is a masterpiece by Alice Childress to say the least.

Interpretation Job

I deem the Graduate Trainee Program as one of the epitomes of Centrelink's thrust in showcasing the best and brightest Australia has to offer the international community. Being part of a vibrant, dedicated and diverse group of individuals entrusted to foster understanding and promote the country's foreign and trade relations is a challenge anyone who believes in Australia should be proud to be a part of. Having read Politics and Government in university and presently doing my post-graduate studies in International Relations give me the fundamental, if not advanced, skills as well as awareness of local and international socio-political and economic realities of today. Complementary to my academic skills are the English language teaching experiences I have locally and abroad, which contributed immensely to my understanding of different cultures and peoples of varying age group. Being trilingual (English, Korean and street Japanese) gives me the edge to appreciate not only the language of other people but the nuances of what a language conveys, this is a paramount trait in comprehending the distinct language of diplomacy. It has helped me deal with clients in an interpretation job, students in a teaching assignment or local tribes people in medical or mercy missions. One of the jobs I do on the side is translation and interpretation work from Korean to English and vice versa. This type of work deals with Korean trade delegations coming to Australia to deal with Australian business owners. Both Korean and Australian clients require submission of a written project proposal prior to getting the tasking. The proposal calls for demonstrating my competence and advanced level of understanding not only of the Korean and English languages but the cultures as well. In writing the proposal, I set my plan of action and the methodology to be used for the translation and interpretation processes. After the clients read through my proposal, I present it to both parties and convince them of my being the right person to get the job done. During the actual translation/interpretation work, I sometimes observe that the principals' understanding of what each said to the other may get â€Å"lost in translation. † The outcome of which is that on several occasions, I had to mediate and arbitrate so that the two factions agree on correct interpretations. It is noteworthy seeing conflicting parties come to terms because of my diplomatic approach and diligence in getting the job done properly. In 2001, while doing community re-building voluntary work with the Youth with a Mission (YMAN), a non-government organization assisting marginalized communities worldwide, I was a â€Å"trainee team leader† charged with a group of young volunteers from the United States, Canada, Australia, Fiji and even Australian aborigines. We were in northern Thailand amongst the Karen and Hmong tribes and I found out that due to their patriarchal society, the males in the tribes refused to work with our female volunteers. This caused some setbacks since individual assignments were already given prior to arriving on site. As the team leader of the group, I discussed this problem with the senior team leader and recommended that we should respect their culture in order to complete the mission. I talked with the team and organised the male volunteers to work in building houses and improving the local site. The female volunteers took on the English teaching assignments and medical assistance. This went well with the local populace and we gained their respect because we demonstrated our reverence for their beliefs. I would have done things differently by studying the culture, beliefs and peculiarities of the tribes first prior to embarking on another volunteer mission. Team success rests with good leadership and management. I related the leader and manager role since despite being distinct characteristics, they are inseparable traits of someone charged with such daunting assignment. A leader/manager must have the vision to effectively implement tasks and the steadfastness to successfully complete mission objectives. My value as a team member is the ability to work cohesively with each team member and agree to set aside idiosyncrasies in order to fulfill collective goals. People with different backgrounds can be incorporated in a team by appealing to their individual aims and marry them with the strategic objectives. During one of my courses in post-graduate studies, our class simulated a United Nations Security Council meeting and I played the part of the Secretary General. We were doing North Korean nuclear proliferation conflict resolution and individuals have their own opinions on how best to mitigate the problem. Playing the goodwill role, I contributed to the team output by consolidating valid points from individuals and getting a group consensus that the solution to North Korea's nuclear arms program is by catering to the North Korean's need for aid in exchange for reduction or total demobilization of the nuclear arms. While working as a contractual English instructor in Korea, I noticed that the students learning English, though very diligent and hardworking, English have a hard time with conversational, street-speak and business English. This is due to the formation of the program wherein they learn classroom and â€Å"theoretical† English but lacking the suave and practical application. Korea is a very rigid and structured society and change usually comes at a difficult phase. I adapted and conformed to the norms of the school but took the initiative by instructing my students to prepare a five-minute oral presentation of a country of their choice. The presentations have to be made with individually hand-made posters to have more impact in terms of graphics. After each student's presentation, critiques from the class – in English, were done and this further confirmed the value of the pioneering teaching methodology. Needless to say, my technique was adapted by other teachers, who found it more efficient than the processes they have been using for years. Even the school director was pleased with my achievement that when my contract ended, he offered to renew it but I declined since I had to go back to Australia to pursue my studies.