Social Psy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Psy - Essay Example The author will discuss a personal experience, the use by peers of alcohol and later drugs, that resulted in the author breaking free of conformist pressures and emerging stronger and more independent in the author’s social world. Too often, it would seem, individuals progress through life without careful reflection. People would appear to take individual changes for granted while simultaneously remaining oblivious to the events that contribute to or otherwise cause those changes. People sometimes claim feelings of powerlessness and impotence when living their lives, they feel unable to truly control their destiny, and life in many ways begins to feel somewhat random and meaningless. This personal position paper will argue, however, that life is not so random or unpredictable. More specifically, this paper will suggest that individual self-reflection, as it pertains to an individual’s interaction with different groups in the social world, can not only explain to some extant how different behaviors and performances become manifest but also how individuals may begin to control their behavior and destiny to a greater degree. As an initial matter, it is important to note that social psychology is concerned with how individuals fit into or otherwise interact with a social world. The social world concept, however is not monolithic; quite the contrary there are several social spheres, of different social worlds in which an individual does and may interact. The questions posed often relate to how an individual engages in self-perception, how individuals are influenced, as an individual relates and interacts with others in different social circumstances and settings. Generally speaking, therefore, a particular social world may be considered conceptually as the relationship and interaction of individual minds, particular

The Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

The Speckled Band Essay Both Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band share some of the characteristics of murder mysteries. Explain the similarities and differences between the two stories and say which story you think is more compelling to read. T he Speckled Band was written in 1892 during Queen Victorias reign over Britain. At the time the aristocratic society was paranoid about crime and rumours and myths about murderers such as Jack the Ripper did not help. The squalid chaos of a city (London) that hadnt changed much since Tudor times, with its dark narrow alleyways and badly lit streets created a haven for murderers, rapists, prostitutes and petty thieves. The arrival of a super sleuth character was obviously going to appeal to the literary clique. Sherlock Holmes was the solution to all their problems although in reality the Police Force was failing badly. In contrast Lamb to the Slaughter was written in a completely different era post-war, Elizabethan Britain, a period where attitudes and the Police Force had developed considerably from Conan Doyles Victorian London. The nations feeling had changed and had become more tolerant of women and including them more in a previously male world. However, the perfect housewife was still many womens idea of life. This is reflected in Mary Maloney, the stay at home idealistic wife and her devotion to her husband who, does not return this and wants to leave her for another woman. In The Speckled Band the mood is of heightened tension and curiosity as Dr Watsons daily routine is interrupted by the arrival of Miss Stoner, the stepdaughter of Dr Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran. She tells them of the demise of her sister Julia, the low whistle, the gypsies and the wild animals that the Doctor keeps. Holmes then receives a visit from Dr Roylott who threatens Holmes and Watson not to meddle in my affairs. Holmes and Watson then immediately travel to Stoke Moran, heedless of the Doctors warning, and go to see Miss Stoner in the family home. When they arrive, Holmes tells Miss Stoner about Dr Roylotts visit: good heavens he is so cunning that I never know when I am safe from him and they go and explore the manor. They learn that Miss Stoner is now sleeping When they are in Miss Helen Stoners room, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson find no reason for her to be moved out of her room. Whilst in Miss Julia Stoners room, there Holmes finds clues as to the cause of her death but does not tell Watson or Miss Stoner what he thinks. Holmes then tells Miss Stoner to spend the night in the local Inn while he and Dr Watson try to catch Dr Roylott. When Dr Roylott sets the Swamp Adder through the ventilator and down the bell rope Holmes beats it back and it bites Dr Roylott killing him. Lamb to the Slaughter is very different as the atmosphere is relaxed and contented with the six-month pregnant Mary Maloney waiting patiently for her husband to come home. She is sewing and has a whiskey and soda ready for Patrick Maloneys homecoming and all of this amounts to the feeling of peace. In Lamb to the Slaughter Mary Maloney, Patrick Maloneys wife, is waiting for him to come home from work. He tells her that he wants to leave her for another woman, she then goes to make dinner and pulls out a leg of lamb. Mary Maloney then hits her husband with the lamb and kills him. She then goes down to the grocers to give herself an alibi. She then comes home and rings the Police who conduct the investigation but end up eating the evidence: the leg of lamb. However some of the ways that Roald Dahl uses to describe Mary Maloney act as a warning as to what might happen: curiously tranquil this suggests that there is something odd about her as being tranquil is not normally tranquil. Also, there was a slow smiling air about her this has mysterious connotations and implies that there is something more to Mary Maloney than the reader first thinks. Dr Roylott is a very violent and psychotic character who has heated fits of rage: Dont you dare to meddle with my affairs I am a dangerous man to fall foul of . He is a physically huge man who uses intimidation to force people to do things. When Dr Roylott hears of Miss Helen Stoners proposed marriage, she suddenly dies, this indicates that because his late wife (and the girls mother) left them money to be given to them when they got married. Dr Roylott is on a very small income and if the girls got married then he would be broke. Also he is a huge broad man who is very strong and capable of bending Holmes iron poker. Conan Doyle makes it very obvious from the start that Dr Roylott is capable of murder and our suspicions are correct, he is the only character in the story who would murder. Dr Roylott is not successful because although he manages to kill Julia Stoner but before he can dispose of Helen Stoner Sherlock Holmes solves the case and accidentally kills Dr Roylott. Dr Roylott is not very believable in this day and age because the Victorians view of a murderer was a shifty looking character either very small and rat like or large and vicious. However nowadays we know that murderers can be anyone. Because of the Victorians etiquette rules and views, a female killer in Conan Doyles books would have caused a stir. However in Lamb to the Slaughter women were allowed a much freer role and so the idea of them becoming murderers was accepted by the readers. In both of the stories the villains (Dr Roylott and Mary Maloney) control the people around them, Dr Roylott controls people by threatening them with physical violence whereas Mary Maloney uses subtle emotional actions to convince the Police that shes innocent.

Globalization Impact on Chinese Culture

Globalization Impact on Chinese Culture Globalization is an irresistible trend in the progress of society. From the introduction of the concept of globalization and widespread use among mainstream press, the lives of most people in the world are affected by the impact of globalization. Globalization can be regarded as a process which is essentially multifaceted and intimately related to free trade, technological innovation and information communication, demographic change linked to the development of global societies, socio-cultural, economic, and ideological convergence (Thomas, 2005, p. 138). In recent years, the impact of globalization is more obviously reflected in the exchange of goods, technology, and culture. Although globalization recedes the constraints of geography on economic, political and cultural arrangement (Water, 2001, p.5), integration and confliction still company in the process of globalization due to the diversity of values and ideologies hold by people from different countries. Generally speaking, glo balization brings positive and negative impact on peoples daily lives, which is not only changing the living styles, but also challenging traditional culture values of a nation. Global culture inevitably uniforms and standardizes peoples day to day lives. As Waters suggests that there will be a single society and culture occupying the whole planet in a globalized world (Waters, 2001, p.5). It is believed that the global marketing of artifacts is not only to maximize profits, but also to disseminate and reinforce culture influence of an economic power (Oliver, 2005, p.10). There are many phenomena can be observed as the influence of global culture. English is used as a dominant language in global communication, commodities of famous brands such as Coca Cola, Nike, and Adidas are sold in shops around the world, fast foods like KFC and McDonalds become popular among young people, and Internet transfers the whole world into a village. According to Thomas (2005, p. 143) socio-cultural dimension to globalization involves changes in attitudes to cultural and religious beliefs. Thus, it is likely that the uniformity and standardization of global culture leads to a p otential danger of challenging identities of a nation. China receives challenges and opportunities through globalization, which has a great impact on Chinas economy and culture. After carrying out the reform and opening up policy in 1978, China gradually involved in the flood of global market. During over thirty years development in the global market, China achieves significant accomplishments in the aspects of economy, international competitiveness, and the improvement of peoples lives. According to the speech at the meeting marking the 30th anniversary of reform and opening up in the year 2008 by Chairman Hu Jintao, the total import and export of China raised from $20.6 billion to $2.17 trillion during the period from 1978 to 2007, which ranked the third in the world and became the No.1 country in terms of foreign reserves, and the paid-up overseas investment amounted to nearly $1 trillion. Therefore, it is obvious that globalization and international cooperation speed up Chinas economic development while contributing a lot to the worl d economy. As to the culture aspect, Chinese traditional culture is inescapably affected by global culture. In the process of globalization, western world takes dominant position in advanced technology and economic system, therefore, the global culture is mainly composed by the western culture, which is characterized by free markets, consumerism and individualism (Arnett, 2002, p.777). In contrast, countries such as China and Japan have tradition of collectivistic values (Natio Gielen, in press; White, 1993 cited in Arnett, 2002, p.776). When traditional Chinese values meet global culture under the circumstance of globalization, there will be some extent of conflicts and integrations, which will generate the crisis on the issue of identity. Identity crisis can be regarded as a new phenomenon brought by globalization. In the following essay, it will critically analyze the issue of identity among some Chinese young people under the influence of globalization and global culture. Chinese culture also has reaction on global culture. In recent years, China is making an effort to introduce its traditional cultures and values to the world and laying some extent of influence on the global culture. By the end of 2009, there have been 282 Confucius institutes and 272 Confucius Classrooms established in 88 countries, and the Confucius Institutes/Classrooms adopt suitable teaching styles to teach Chinese language as well as promoting Chinese cultures (http://english.hanban.org/node_10971.htm). Chinese cultures and values are gradually recognized by western society, which is a consequence of cross-cultural communication in globalization. Byram (1989) suggests that Culture is knowledge which is shared and negotiated between people, belonging to all of them and not being idiosyncratic to any single one. It is necessary to develop an understanding and appreciation of other cultures meanwhile critically thinking about ones own culture and other cultures (Byram, 1996, p.25) . The following essay will mainly focus on two aspects, the impact of globalization on Chinese culture and the reaction of Chinese culture to the world. In the first section, it will critically analyze the issue of identity among Chinese young people, how it is formed, affected and reinforced through the global culture brought by globalization, and the efforts by government and schools to strength students notion of identity. In the second section, it will discuss the intercultural communication and culture exchange between nations in the world under the circumstance of globalization, and illustrate the importance of intercultural competence in globalization. Section One: The Challenge of Chinese Culture on the Aspect of Identity Issue under the Affection of Globalization As discussed above, the identity issue of Chinese young people can be regarded as a consequence of globalization and global culture imposes influence on Chinese traditional cultures and values. In order to demonstrate this, this section will firstly focus on the concept of identity and Chinese identity in order to present a framework of the identity issue. Secondly, it will critically analyze the identity crisis of Chinese young people through the process of globalization. Thirdly, in this section, it will suggest that the conscious of globalization and cross-cultural communication should be introduced into education though various challenges and problems may company through the process. 1. The concepts of identity and the formation of Chinese young peoples identity 1.1 The concepts of identity There are many forms of identities in academic field, but this assignment will mainly focus on three kinds of identities, which are national identity, cultural identity, and social identity respectively. As to national identity, different researchers suggest various models. Smith (1991) proposes a Western civic model, which focused on territory and the idea of patria (Smith, 1991, p.10), and a non-Western ethnic model, which emphases on descent and blood tie. However, Kellas claims that ethnic, social an official nationalism are more important than geographical boundaries (Kellas, 1991, cited in Parmenter, 1997, p.24). It is obvious that the definition of national identity is based on some common ideas such as shared territory, shared culture and community for group, and recognition, acceptance and sense of belonging for the individual (Parmenter, 1997, p.26). Compared with Ting-Toomey and Chungs definition of cultural identity (2005, p.93), which emphasizes the emotional significance of belonging to a larger culture, Brock and Tulasiewiczs definition is more precise and recapitulative. Brock and Tulasiewicz indicate that cultural identity is a world view, constructed and developed by the individual in interaction with others (Parmenter, 1997, p.27). The elements such as language and religious help to shape cultural identity but these are not the determinate factors. The relationship between national identity and cultural identity implied by Parmenter (1997, p.27) is that national identity is constructed on the basis of cultural identity and involves particular political ideas, attitudes, values and practice in the cultural identity. The form and development of national and cultural identity can be analyzed by the secondary socialization theory. School education and curriculum such as language and history offer a chance to nurture national and majority cultural identities (Tate, 1994, cited in Parmenter, 1997, p.35). According to Berger and Luckmanns secondary socialization theory (1966), the assimilation of primary knowledge mush through pedagogic techniques. The education process works as a pedagogic technique, which is strengthen the concept of individuals fist notion, in other words, is to reinforce the concepts of national and cultural identity. Social identity is stemmed from individuals group memberships and social comparison, as to establish self-esteem of individuals which based on the status of the group (Tajfel, 1981, p. 277). The concept of social identity shows the behavior of individuals when they act as a member of a group, and the feelings of being a member of a group. According to Tajfel (1978, 1981, cited in Ward, 2001, p. 103), the social identity mainly includes three features, which are self concept, awareness of membership in a group, and evaluative and emotional significance. These three features work as major element of defining social identity. It is also demonstrated by Tajfel that intergroup bias is irresistible consequence of social identification (Ward, 2001, p.104). Individuals seek status and self-esteem in their own group and judge it as superior than the other groups, which not only leads to prejudice on out-group people and in-group people, but also generates confliction and competition between g roups. 1.2 The formation of Chinese young peoples identity The formation of Chinese national identity can be tract back to 1930s. Through eight-year Chinas war resistance against Japan, Chinese people formed a united, patriotic and anti-imperialist national identity. Friedman (1995, p.6) claims that Maos communist-led peasant Red Army is regarded as a symbol of library, which unites Chinese people in a defensive order, even Confucius could not achieve such a strong influence in this period of time. After the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) in year of 1949, the Communist Party of China (CPC) takes Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory as the guidance of its actions (http://www.china.org.cn/english/Political/26151.htm). Moreover, most universities in China offer compulsory courses of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory which brings formidable influence on the building of Chinese young peoples national identity. As to the cultural identity of Chinese young people, it is believed that the heritage of Confucian culture takes the dominant position in Chinese society. Confucianism is one of Chinese traditional culture values, which is formed on the basis of colleting experience of the nations exploration and response to the challenge of its national and social environment (Zheng, Yongnian, 1999, p.73). Grown up and educated in such a society, young people form their cultural identity and obtain cultural group membership unconsciously. The culture consciousness is internalized by individuals and finally forms cultural identity (Brock and Tulasiewicz, 1985:4, cited in Parmenter). The obtaining and challenge of social identity among Chinese young people can be analyzed under the circumstance of globalization. Social identity is a much broader concept which can include cultural or ethnic membership identity (Ting-Toomey and Chung, 2005, p.101). The process of globalization is not only an exchange of merchandise, but also an interaction between western and eastern cultures. Some Chinese young people appreciate and accept western culture and values. In this sense, the in-group and out-group in social identity theory can be categorized as follows in this essay: Under the influence of western culture to Chinese traditional culture, those people who hold traditional cultural values of Chinese collective culture can be regarded as an in-group, and the out-group can be regarded as those Chinese young people who are westernized through the process of globalization. 2. Identity Crisis of Chinese Young People through the Process of Globalization and Efforts to reshape identity 2.1 Analysis of Identity Crisis among Chinese Young People The identity crisis towards Chinese young people under the circumstance of globalization can be mainly analyzed in two aspects, namely cultural identity crisis and social identity crisis. The cultural identity crisis is a crisis of Chinese traditional world view and cultural values, which produced in the process of western cultures and values invading into Chinese traditional culture values, while social identity crisis is stemmed from how individuals categorize themselves and others in terms of their belonging to groups (Tajfel, 1981), thus, in the circumstance of China, the follow essay will analyze how Chinese young people categorize themselves in terms of groups. But first, the essay will discuss the unique characteristic of Chinese young people under the influence of globalization and global culture. Those Chinese young people who are experiencing their adolescence year are a unique group in the formation of identity. Adolescence is a certain period of year between childhood and adulthood, which involves psychological revolution, uncertainty, curiosity towards the new trend, and the willingness to learn (Erikson, 1968, p.128). Those Chinese young people who were born after the Reform and Opening Up policy carried out in China have experienced a totally different growing environment from the generation of their parents. Under the influence of globalization, Chinese young people find themselves in a wave of technological, economic, and global cultural trend. It is the characteristic of adolescence determines that Chinese young people have a willingness to learn and accept the western values promoted by globalization as well as traditional values hold by Chinese collective culture. It seems likely that the intimacy of western values in the process of globalization leads to a vaguene ss of Chinese young peoples identity. It could be argued that the period of adolescence is also a period of operating the function of secondary socialization as to form a world view, which is a proceeding process of internalizing the primary concept of ideology. The secondary socialization deals with the already formed self and an already internalized word (Berger and Luckmann, 1966, p.160). In the context of China, traditional cultures and values hold by the society can be regarded as circumstance for Chinese young people to form primary socialization, while education offered by school and society contributes to the effort to form young peoples secondary socialization. Under the influence of globalization and invading of western values to Chinese society, the building of concept through second socialization of Chinese young people is receiving more outer influence and challenges, because of the values promoted by global culture and western values may contradict to their primary concept. Erikson (1968, p.162) claims that the egos function to integrate the relation of newly added identity element with those already in existence, but if the newly added identity elements is conflicted with the former one, there will be an identity crisis come into being. Globalization accelerates the communication around the world, although China is famous for its conservative culture, it is cannot be denied that Chinese traditional culture is affected by the western values. Chinese culture is built in the society of collectivistic values, in which the power of the group is emphasized (Hofstede, 1991, p.50). Chinese people think highly of the family tie and the values such as filial piety, which implies the proper relations of parents and children in Chinese traditional culture. Parents have absolute power in the family and should be respected and reverenced by children, children are taught that they are in duty bound to take care of their elder parents. However, nowadays it is reported that the empty-nest homes (where old couples live alone) make up 49.7% of households in urban areas (Seniors first, 2010), and 74% of young Chinese people feel incompetent to tend the old duo to various reasons (74% of young feel incompetent to tend the old, 2010). Chinese young people are in a danger of losing traditional values. It is widely believed that western values such as individualism and materialism introduce into Chinese culture and trigger a series of changes in Chinese society in the process of globalization. Chinese young people are facing the challenges of maintaining traditional values and internalizing traditional cultural consciousness while accessing to the global culture. Brock and Tulasiewicz (Parmenter, 1997, p.27) suggest that the cultural identity is a certain world view, constructed and developed by the individual in interaction with others. It is obvious that Chinese young peoples world view is challenged and different from the world view hold by traditional larger Chinese culture duo to the accessing of global culture. Therefore, the globalization and western values challenge Chinese young peoples cultural identity. Through the process of globalization, western festivals such as Christmas and Valentines Day become well known among Chinese young people. In contrast, some Chinese traditional festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Pure Brightness Day, and Double Ninth Festival are forgotten and even ignored. There is a tendency for some of Chinese young people to take on western values and pursue self-esteem by behaving differently. According to Tajfel (1981, p.277), social identity understood as deriving in a comparative and relational manner from an individuals group memberships. It can be assumed that some Chinese young people regard some western values are better than Chinese traditional values through comparison. Thus, there is a crisis in the aspect of social identity among some Chinese young people to define their place in a social system. 2.2 Efforts to Reshape Chinese Young Peoples Identity It has been shown that the issue of identity crisis is raised from the influence of globalization on Chinese culture. The essay above has analyzed cultural identity crisis and social identity crisis among Chinese young people under the influence of western culture. This section will critically analyze the efforts to reshape Chinese young peoples identity mainly from the aspect of education, and focus on the curriculum of Chinese literature and history. It is widely believed that school is in the position of promoting the development of the identity (Parmenter, 1997, p.34), therefore, it is can be assumed that school also plays an important role in reshaping of identity. Chinese education is carried out under the guideline of Education Law of the Peoples Republic of China. The Law (1995) points out the aims of Chinas education, which is to improve the quality of the whole nation and construct socialist material and spiritual civilization in accordance with the Constitution (Article 1), meanwhile, the Law also indicates that education should be carried out under the guideline of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and the theories, moreover, education should also inherit and expand fine historical and cultural traditions as to achieve civilization progress of human beings. (Article 3, Article 7). Thus, it is can be seen that education in China has been politicized as to reinforce identity among students. Tate shows that language and history are two major curriculums that foster national and cultural identity (Parmenter, 1997, p.35). The Chinese literature curriculum is a course teaches students Chinese languages as well as Chinese traditional cultures and values, especially the Chinese Classic literature, in which contains Confucians classical works, such as The Four Books (The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucius, and The Mencius) and the five classics. Confucianism is the core value rooted in Chinese traditional culture and formed cultural identity among Chinese people. As to the language teaching in Chinese literature curriculum, despite the language helps Chinese young people to shape a world view, it is seemed likely that language is a much weaker factor compared with Chinese traditional values hold by the Chinese literature in reshaping cultural identity. Besides, language is not a direct factor in building cultural identity (Parmenter, 1997, p.27 ). However, it is cannot denied that Chinese Literature curriculum plays an important role in reconstruction of Chinese young peoples identity. As to the aspect of history curriculum in Chinas education, the reason of giving a prior consideration of history has argued by Goodson (1998, p.153), history is considered as revive and refocus of national identity and ideology. In the efforts of reshaping identity among Chinese young people, history curriculum operates the same function as Goodson discussed. Although the focus of Chinese history curriculum changes slightly, from historical materialism to Chinese dynastic and cultural heritage, from socialist people to national people, from socialism to nationalism (Jones, 2005, p.95) The function of history remains to the role of transmission of state-authorized memories as to support ethnic, regional, or political identities in both Nationalist and Communist China (Jones, 2005, p.94). 2.3 New Problems rise from the reshaping of Chinese Young Peoples Identity under the circumstance of globalization One issue that should concern us is the national curriculum under the influence of globalization. In the process of reconstruction of Chinese young peoples identity through national curriculum, there may be a tendency of ignoring the influence brought by globalization to Chinas society. The globalization brings significant changes in the aspects of social and cultural life to Chinese young people in and outside school, however, the designers of curriculum seem to ignore the phenomena and continuously draw up exam-oriented curriculum which focuses on building students national and cultural identity within the nation (Mccarthy, C., Giardina, M. D., Harewood, S. J., Park, J., 2003, p.454). It is likely that the over-emphasizing of national and cultural identity in national curriculum will bring negative effect on the awareness of the diversity cultural values in the world. Encouraging an understanding and appreciation of other cultures is the concept promoted in the international education (Cambridge, J., Thompson, J., 2004, p.162). While, Blaney (cited in Walker, 2000, p.200) suggests that Education systems rooted mainly in national concerns and constrained by national ideologies cannot educate young people to live meaningfully in a world society which is global. In the circumstance of globalization, it could be suggested that popular culture should be added into education. The popular culture should be understood as crucial terrain of political and social contestation, negotiation, and resistance that makes up the ever-shifting boundaries and alliances of youth identity formation (Mccarthy, C., Giardina, M. D., Harewood, S. J., Park, J., 2003, p.463). This section mainly deals with the challenge of Chinese culture on the aspect of Chinese young peoples identity under the influence of Globalization. A framework is built through concepts of identity, the formation and crisis of Chinese young peoples identity. Then, identity crisis of Chinese young people is analyzed and the ways of reshaping identity is presented. At last, it is critically analyzed the problem in the process of reshaping Chinese young peoples identity.

grant hill :: essays research papers

Grant Hill Everybody in Detroit called him â€Å"The Man† because he always was a leader and the to-go person in any tough moment of the game. Some people called him â€Å"The Gentleman† because he was a genuinely nice person with respect for the game and for others. Joe Dumars, a member of the legendary 1989-1990 Detroit Pistons team, once declared â€Å"He is the best player I’ve seen coming into the league for years†. Road to history was wide open for Grant, but luck had some other plans for his career. This is the story of Grant Hill, a story about having faith, patience and love for the game of basketball. Grant Henry Hill was born on October 5th, 1972 in Dallas, Texas but he grew up in Reston, Virginia. His father, Calvin Hill was a running back for the Dallas Cowboys. Even though his family was wealthy, he didn’t the other kids to know about it. He was really proud of his father being a famous professional athlete, but he was also embarrassed about it. When he was in eighth grade, his father gave a speech all the students, but he didn’t go. He faked illness and hid in the nurse’s office, saying that he didn’t want to seem to be better than everybody else. That is how humble he was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant first started playing soccer, but by twelve, he had grown to six feet. That is when he started playing basketball. He became really good and he led his high-school team to two state championships. He then earned an athletic scholarship to play for the well-known Duke University. He led Duke to back-to-back championships and he had his â€Å"number 33† jersey retired. After he graduated, he entered the 1994 NBA Draft picks. He was picked by the Detroit Pistons as the 3rd overall draft pick.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everybody had high expectations about him, they were seeing in him a new leader, a new beginning for the Pistons. He didn’t prove anybody wrong. He started at the 1995 all-star game after becoming the first rookie ever to lead all players in fan voting. Along with Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks, were co-voted as the Rookie Players of the Year. In the next four seasons, he started in all all-star games and averaged 23.2 Points Per Game, 7.6 Rebounds Per Game and 6.7 Assist Per Game.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first shadows in his career appear in 2000.

Obesity Essay

One in every three Americans is obese. Worthy of notice is the statistical record showing that in the United States, roughly 300,000 deaths per year are directly related to obesity (http://www. medicinenet. com/obesity_weight_loss/page6. htm, 2003). This is alarming. The present day is perfectly described as a product of Mcdonaldization. In all walks of life, fast food restaurants are visible. This is a fact which greatly affects the health conditions of citizens particularly at an early age. One thing is attributable to this: people are not walking enough and people are not physically working enough! Worthy of notice are the effects of less walk and less physical activity. These include obesity and overweight. Obesity and overweight issues has been a subject of many inquiries nowadays. To define the two may be useful to distinguish one from the other. Obesity is simply one having excess fats in the body. Overweight on the other hand is one having excess weight over and above than the normal relative to one’s sex, gender and height (http://www. naturesintentionsnaturopathy. com/weight-loss/facts. htm, no year). More often than not, only cases of obesity result to various physical or health trouble ((http://www. annecollins. om/lose_weight/overweight. htm, no year)). But why tackle on both issues? Both obesity and overweight have physical and social adverse impact in day to day activities. First, on overweight. Experience tells us that having an overweight body is physically heavy to carry. Thus, oversized individuals tend to work less and move less. Resulting as it does to becoming more overweight and eventually becoming obese. Second, on obesity. Obesity, being a health dilemma may result to chronic diseases including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, heart attack, cancer osteoarthritis, to name a few (http://www. medicinenet. om/obesity_weight_loss/page6. htm, 2003). More importantly, obesity decreases life expectancy (http://www. annecollins. com/lose_weight/overweight. htm, no year). This is because studies show that obesity is associated with several diseases leading to early death. Caveat to all is the fact that not all overweight are obese and that not all obese are overweight. Thus, health problems associated with obesity may not be present in individuals who are merely overweight. nevertheless, it can be observed that solution to obesity is not in any way a hindrance. It does not have any adverse effect on the health of indidividuals, whether young or old. The way of resolving the problem is to first determine the causes. What causes obesity and overweight? One major reason of obesity and overweight is laziness. This means the refusal of one person to transport one’s self from home to gym. Research shows that over 34% of female and 12% of male adolescents take to time for leisure physical activity during a one-week period (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Social_influences_on_fitness_behavior, no year). Moreover, present leisure among teenagers and youngsters are focused on accessing computers and the internet. Thus, having little time or worst, no time at all for any physical activity. Considering these causes, attention may now be focused on resolving the problem. First is the Wellness on Wheels in England (WOW). England created a mobile gym with electronic fitness monitoring equipment. This was resorted to because of there is greater probability for individuals to involve in physical activity. Second is the Walking School Bus project. This was initiated by the Heritage Elementary School in San Diego. This allows the students to walking to their respective designated spots for purposes of waiting for people for a train of people to pick them up. This gives the students the opportunity to walk along with their peers in going to school (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Social_influences_on_fitness_behavior, no year). In this way, children at an early age are already exposed to physical activity. Because we have to remember that obesity starts at an early age. It is but proper that solution or shall I say prevention should likewise start at these ages. Both these projects boil down into one, physical activity or physical exercise. As said, people are not walking enough; people are not physically working enough! Walking and physical exercise of 30 minutes a day, for three days a week can lose up to a quarter-pound of fat a week. Constant activity could lose 12 to 15 pounds of fat from exercise alone. Take note, this is permanent solution (http://www. annecollins. com/lose_weight/overweight. htm, no year) as opposed to drastic ones. Constant physical activity and exercise such as walking help burn calories (http://www. medicinenet. com/obesity_weight_loss/page6. htm, 2003). More importantly, the United States is nowadays focusing projects in reducing obesity starting at early childhood. Thus, schools are the subject of various projects not only dealing with physical activity but on the health diet as well (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Obesity#Environmental_factors, no year). This is amazing but true. Thus, it is highly encouraged for people to take time to walk and participate in an activity which requires movement of the body, the best way being is walking. More importantly, notice should be given that prevention is better than cure. Thus, prevention particularly at an early age should be given particular attention.

Debate between Noam Chomsky and William Buckley

Debate between Noam Chomsky and William Buckley Introduction Chomsky won this debate. He was well-versed with the subject matter, and provided evidence for his remarks. This individual also incorporated counterarguments in his assertions. Chomsky understood that this was a complex subject matter that needed to be analyzed bit by bit.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Debate between Noam Chomsky and William Buckley specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Why Chomsky was the better debater The best thing about Chomsky’s arguments is that he backs them up with evidence. It is a fact that everyone has a right to an opinion; however, the opinion is worthless if it lacks evidence to support it. He affirms that the US had been hypocritical in its interventions in Vietnam because they had material interests in doing so. He supports this argument by citing other imperialist interventions such as the ones done by colonialists. Chomsky then ties this in with US actions in the war, and thus provides a backing for his claim that the US’s actions were imperialistic and pretentious (Youtube, 2011). This political analyst was quick to draw the line when he felt that the question asked by his host was inappropriate. Sometimes a debater may be manipulated into taking on a totally different stance. Such a person should realize this as soon as possible, and should give reasons for refusing to engage with the host. For example, when talking about the similarities between Auschwitz and the Vietnam War, Buckley prods Chomsky to debate about the war. Chomsky explains that debating about the virtues of the Vietnam War is like talking about Auschwitz’s virtues, which was simply unacceptable. Therefore, he backed up his reasons for choosing not to talk about the good qualities of the war. Chomsky also responds to counterarguments very well. This is indicative of the fact that he has mastered the subject matter. It is easy to hold an opinion about something and look for several facts to back them up; however, it takes great intellect to think about the counterarguments and respond to them appropriately. Chomsky uses the subject of imperialists to expound upon a position he was taking at some point in the debate. Buckley counters his argument by claiming that not all intervening powers act in such a manner. Chomsky then responds to this counterargument by explaining that there are certain exceptions in history such as the Belgians in Congo who did not behave in a deceitful manner.Advertising Looking for essay on diplomacy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Throughout the debate, Chomsky appears to be an authority in the subject. He does not distort or exaggerate things, and maintains a calm and polite tone throughout the debate. This is true even when Buckley keeps cutting him off from time to time. At some point in the debate, the two of them start talking about Nazi Ger many and the communists; they then tie this in with Greece. Buckley makes incorrect statements that Chomsky easily points out. He calmly informs Buckley that his historical facts have been mixed up. This was someone who had analyzed political trends around the world, and could not be sidetracked by a misinformed counterpart. By the end of the debate, one ends up supporting Chomsky’s view point over Buckley’s. Buckley claimed that the US engaged in necessary interventions. His explanations were not adequate because they were not historically backed. For instance, he alleges that the US needed to fight off Vietnamese terrorists, which was a false premise. On other hand, Chomsky claimed that the US was acting imperialistically with regard to the Vietnam intervention. He supported this by using other instances like Greece as example. He had a firm grasp of past and present political facts, so he ended being the better debater of the two. Chomsky was an intellectual and rea lized the complications of the subject at hand. The arguments made by Chomsky are quite logical. He states, in a straight forward manner that he does not support the Vietnam War because of its hypocrisy. The US claims that it is pursuing its national interests in Vietnam, but is essentially covering up its real reasons, which are business interests (Youtube, 2011). Buckley, on the other hand, seems to be so preoccupied with a need to defend the war that he sometimes makes illogical statements. At one time, he suggests that the US would be right to take on another country if failure to do so may present it with another situation in the future which would cause it to engage in war. This argument does not hold water because if the US is counting on a future reason to attack another country, then it has no basis to do so. Another example of how Chomsky’s arguments were logical was when he argues that the US was not listening to the Vietnamese. This makes sense because he explains how the same thing had happened during the communist civil war.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Debate between Noam Chomsky and William Buckley specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The communists had mass support among the Soviets, and this made it difficult for one to impose another directive upon them. Similarly, the people of Vietnam had their political goals. It did not matter whether the US thought that it knew what was best for Vietnam; all that mattered was that their will was not what the people of Vietnam wanted. In this regard, Chomsky makes audiences focus on the key question in the war. A good debater must be one who focuses on the issues under discussion. He should stay away from emotional statements or fallacies. In other words, the person should not attack the character of his opponent, but should criticize the policies or processes under analysis. Sometimes Buckley went overboard by attacking Buckley. A t some point, he states that he would smash Chomsky in the face if he lost his temper. Although this was meant as a joke, it still qualifies as a personal attack against Chomsky. The latter individual appeared a little intimidated by those words, so they should not have been said at all. Buckley was also guilty of oversimplifying complicated problems. At the beginning of the interview, Chomsky asserts that everyone is guilty of wrong-doing by allowing the Vietnam to go on. Buckley then responds to this statement by stating that â€Å"if someone points out everyone is guilty of everything, then nobody is guilty of anything† (Youtube, 2011). This claim is an oversimplification of the matter under discussion. In essence, Buckley is saying that there is no instance when an entire society can be held to account, yet this is not true. There are particular instances when whole societies are wrong and hence guilty about something. In certain scenarios, Buckley fails as a debater beca use he over generalizes. For instance, when they were talking about the French in relation to South Vietnam, Buckley claimed that these actions were not unique in history as the same had been done by the communists in Greece. Such a statement was an overgeneralization because he was trying to make connections between two scenarios that both involved a developed nation and a weaker nation engaging in ideological cooperation. The situation between the Soviets in Greece and the French in Vietnam were quite different from each other, so he had no basis to make such a sweeping comparison. Chomsky was quick to point out that the only similarity between these two scenarios was that the ideologies being perpetuated by the dominant nations were against popular opinion. Therefore, Chomsky still found a similarity between the two situations, but did not go on to assert that the two situations were the same.Advertising Looking for essay on diplomacy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion Buckler does more to derail Chomsky than to analyze the Vietnam War; he tries to pock holes in Chomsky’s arguments but fails when Chomsky responds to these tactics through solid intellectual facts. Reference You Tube (2011). Naom Chomsky Vs. William F. Buckley, 1969. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYlMEVTa-PIfeature=player_embedded

Research Paper no Plagiarism

Research Paper no Plagiarism Research Paper no Plagiarism Research Paper no Plagiarism The objective pursued by tutors who assign research paper writing is to make student think critically and express thoughts logically.   This objective is easy to set, however, is not so easy to achieve.   Here are some helpful research paper ideas. First, as trite as it may sound, you should not put off writing a research paper to the last day, hoping that five pages college research paper is half an hour of work.   It does not mean that you have to set aside all of your plans and start writing you English research paper right now.   At least an hour a day should be devoted to researching, planning, writing, formatting, and editing.   While being in a shower, for example, you may think about your research paper writing. When the time comes and you decide to start research paper writing, you already know what you should write and what type of information is necessary. Secondly, although research paper writing excludes plagiarism, it is impossible to write a research paper without consulting and citing numerous publications. Therefore, you have to start collecting material. If you have enough time, it is a good idea to devote some of it to information gathering. Thirdly, it is good to discuss research paper topic with someone. It would be really wonderful to discuss it with research paper adviser. Besides, research paper adviser will propose you something interesting and help you narrow the topic. Your research paper adviser might shed light on your own vision of the topic.   Moreover, while talking with some, you can show your own intensive work of thought. Fourthly, it would be a good idea to explore the characteristics of your muse. Inspiration is rather a capricious thing. So, when your head is full of thoughts, the muse breathes in the neck, it is time to start research paper writing. Research Paper Help Research paper writing is a student's reflection on the assigned problem (or the one that is of interest to the student).   Research paper topic should be relevant to the course and be of interest to readers. Therefore, while writing a research paper, you must present different points of view.   Your ultimate goal is to demonstrate the depth of research and thorough understanding of the topic. You are welcome to quote other authors, but moderately and by the occasion. Footnote should be made at the bottom of the page (the author of the book or article, publication date, page). In addition, you should include a full list of consulted and cited literature.   Bibliography list is the final page of your research paper writing. College research paper writing it is absolutely an independent work written in your own style and language. PLAGIARISM must be EXCLUDED! Moreover, the plagiarized text is always visible for experienced tutor.   Placing an order at you receive r esearch paper no plagiarism. It means that your research paper is written from scratch and all sources are fully referenced at the end of the paper and within it.

Lord of the Flies Analysis Essays

Lord of the Flies Analysis Essays Lord of the Flies Analysis Essay Lord of the Flies Analysis Essay Essay Topic: Lord Of the Flies The novel Lord of the Flies written by William Golding was a very exciting novel. It wasnt the plot that made the novel interesting; it was the personalities of the characters.The genre is science fiction and the mood is very dark and cold.The writing style of William Golding was very interesting.He skipped around often and used words and terms that were hard to understand.The atmosphere showed a lot of confusion and ruthlessness.The novel begins with a plane crash in the pacific and the pilot dies.Children are left with no adults on a deserted island, which causes confusion. Later on in the novel Simon claims he sees a beast which causes fear to the boys.Violence occurs several times throughout the novel. The first incident was when Jack fights Piggy and breaks his glasses.The main theme in the novel is law and order.The boys seem to lose this along with morals because they are isolated from society.The novel ends with a manhunt for Ralph.While resting Ralph runs into a naval officer who rescues them. The main issue in the Lord of the Flies was the rivalry between Ralph and Jack.Ralph matures a great deal throughout the novel.In the beginning he was very immature and then towards the end he realizes the only way to survive is though peace and order.Jack is the main antagonist to Ralph. He has a savage personality and ends up manipulating the boys to following him instead of Ralph.The main characters are Piggy, Simon, Roger, and Sam and Eric. Piggy is a fat, smart, squeamish boy who is very loyal to Ralph.He tries to maintain peace with the boys and hates violence.Unfortunately Roger, who represents pure evil, kills him.Roger has no mercy and entertains himself by killing.He has great pleasure when he kills a pig. Roger is very loyal to Jack; he carries out his orders with pleasure.Simon is the total opposite of Roger.

The Abolitionist Movement and its Influence on the Civil War Research Paper

The Abolitionist Movement and its Influence on the Civil War - Research Paper Example Worse than that was the way that they were treated. The Abolitionists believed in slavery being sin and that every American should rise against it until something was done about it. However, â€Å"the clash between those who wished to end slavery and those who wished to expand and extend the institution escalated† (Hoffman). The latter did not believe in what the Abolitionists wanted – that slavery be eradicated from America by gradually shipping out the slaves back to Africa. Instead, they thought that getting rid of the slaves would result in chaos. There were â€Å"practical economic and status advantages associated with slavery and racial oppression† (Clark 239). Without the slaves, there would be no racial order and the people who worked in the cotton fields would have to be paid for their hard work. That would lead to a rise in the cotton prices or a decrease in the profits earned as they would have to cover up the cost incurred of paying the wages. Thus, t he whole process of finally managing to abolish slavery took a really long period of time. Of course, there were many people who worked hard to make their beliefs come true. One such man was Abraham Lincoln who later ended up becoming the President of the United States of America. He is most popular for being a far sighted and open minded politician who saw and understood enough to realize that what was going on in his country was wrong, that the whole tradition of buying people was against every morals that there are. He had the courage to go against the majority and work on trying to do what he thought was right. In fact, it was his passion for justice which led to him stepping in the political field and eventually running as president. However, he was not a conventional abolitionist. In fact, in the beginning, he was not an abolitionist all; he just greatly disliked the whole concept behind slavery and spoke quite strongly about it. Initially, Abraham Lincoln had run several camp aigns against expanding slavery into more states and territories. He had realized that the Constitution did not allow the American government to get rid of slavery completely so he could not do much about the Africans who already were part of the order and helped run the land smoothly without disrupting the whole process. But he could work on stopping it from happening in the future in places where there was no concept of slavery and the people were not dependent on the Africans to do their work for them. He has been recorded as been saying â€Å"I have always hated slavery, I think as much as any Abolitionist† (Burlingame). Even after he became the President, he tried to reconcile those living in the South who were owners of many slaves with the Northerners who were the opposing party. This effort, of course, did not prove to be fruitful. It was later on during his political career – sometime after he was elected as the President – that he declared himself to b e a supporter of the Abolitionist Movement and started working on using his power to overcome the injustice shown towards the Africans. The Civil War had started in 1861 due to the â€Å"long-standing sectional differences and questions not fully resolved when the United States Constitution was ratified in 1789†; the whole country was in turmoil (The Civil War). It was a year later that Lincoln decided to put a stop to all that was happening. He â€Å"

No need for topic Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

No need for topic - Case Study Example Herr acted on instinct, even though he gambled he eventually bought the Boeings when the dollar was at its lowest. In that aspect, Herr should not be accused of mistimed purchasing and thus should be retained as the chairman of Lufthansa airlines by the board. 2. Even though he had expected the dollar to depreciate, he would not have left the whole amount unhedged, due to a variety of factors. First Herr was not sure that the dollar was going to depreciate; he was just going by his instincts. In that aspect living, the whole amount unhedged would have lead to the firm using more money in purchasing the Boeings. Hedging half the amount was a brilliant idea as it ensured that either way; the company would not use a lot of money in buying the Boeings. If Herr had left the whole amount unhedged and the dollar appreciated further, the organization would have used the colossal amount of money in buying the Boeings. However, hedging half ensured that the firm was cushioned whether the dollar appreciated or depreciated the firm would still benefit. Faced with such uncertainties Herr made a wise decision in hedging half the amount. Remaining uncovered as contemplated by the board would have had a positive impact, however, if the dollar would have appreciated and Herr’s anticipation proved wrong, then the firm would have lost a lot of money. Some of the risks associated with remaining uncovered include; higher spending. Full forward cover also has some advantages as well as disadvantages. The advantage of full forward cover is that the firm would have been protected adequately against currency exposure. However, taking such a risk in purchasing would have been a dangerous option, most companies prefer taking such a risk in other lines of business other than purchasing. 3. Herr had expected the dollar to depreciate, however, leaving the whole amount unhedged was risky, and however using forward contracts was not a good idea. Herr was

Marijuana Legalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marijuana Legalization - Research Paper Example Although, Marijuana was maximally consumed for recreational purposes, when its medicinal properties were discovered, it started to be used for therapeutic purposes as well. Certain components of Marijuana like THC, cannabinoids, etc., are proven to treat or even lessen the complications arising out of various diseases and health problems. Because of these beneficial properties, there are calls to legalize Marijuana for medicinal purposes, so the needy patients can get access to it without any hassles. Currently, it is illegal to possess and consume Marijuana (with only few states giving exceptions) and so the authorities are implementing extensive and tough measures to impede its movement. These measures are resulting in high costs for the government, and quite contrastingly, certain studies showed that controlling measures are in-turn leading to more crimes, thus validating the need for legalization. When the purpose or use of Marijuana is viewed from an opposite perspective, it pro vides a slightly negative picture. That is, consumption of Marijuana could cause even more serious health problems for the users (more that its’ therapeutic purposes), thus raising calls against legalization. ... However, as the cons against legalization can be managed, this paper after discussing both sides of the legalization argument, will favor legalization of Marijuana. Pros for Legalization Marijuana has been used, as part of medicinal practice, from early centuries and it was only around 1850's, it was embraced by the Western medical practitioners. (Millhorn et al., 2009). It was part of the United States' pharmacopoeia as one of the prescription drugs till 1941, treating both minor as well as major complications. However, with the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1930s, the practitioners were impeded from prescribing it. (Gunnlaugsson & Galliher, 2010). In the present context, although there are severe restrictions in the use of Marijuana for medical purposes, various studies are going on, which proves the efficacy of it against many health complications, thus necessitating the legalization of it. The medicinal value of Marijuana particularly its components THC and cannabinoids can help in the treatment of various diseases and also the complications arising out of those diseases. â€Å"An alternative literature suggests that cannabis may have medicinal value for addressing a wide range of various medical diseases, though smoked product may be harmful, the active ingredients in cannabis, most notably THC/dronabinol may have medicinal value† (Johnson et al., 2008). Even if it is not able to fully treat the diseases, Marijuana can play an effective role in minimizing the physical pain and other complications that are associated with those diseases. Marijuana's main medical application is as a pain reliever. â€Å"The use of marijuana relieves pain, which results from side effects of

How does Juliet grow and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How does Juliet grow and change - Essay Example In examining these forms of characterization, this essay traces the way that Juliet grows and changes throughout the work. During the early part of the play Shakespeare depicts Juliet as largely naive to the romantic world around her. In these regards, there is the recognition that surrounding characters have first begun to express interest in Juliet. Notably, Paris speaks with Capulet regarding his desire to marry Juliet. Juliet herself, however, is recognized as largely oblivious to these advances. Juliet’s nurse asks her, â€Å"Tell me, daughter Juliet,/ How stands your disposition to be married?† (1.3.63-64). Juliet responds, â€Å"It is an honor that I dream not of† (1.3.65). Here Juliet is indicating that she has not thought marriage. Additionally, this scene demonstrates Juliet’s relative subservience to her Nurse, further attesting to Juliet’s stage of growth. Ultimately then this stage of Juliet’s characterization demonstrates that s he is naive and has not thought of a suitable romantic suitor. As the text progresses, Juliet correspondingly experiences a greater level of growth and maturity. The next substantial stage of Juliet’s growth and maturation occurs at a costume ball that is thrown. The costume ball is attended by both Romeo and Juliet. While at the beginning of the night they have not met, they will eventually encounter each other and exchange romantic words. Romeo implements symbolism and figurative language in comparing himself to a pilgrim and Juliet to a saint. He then indicates that she must kiss him to rid of his sin. Eventually they kiss. The physical action of this kiss constitutes a significant stage of Juliet’s development as it partially heralds her entrance into womanhood. While before this kiss she indicated she had not thought of marriage, following this kiss there is a significant change in her outlook. Notably, referring to Romeo, Juliet states, â€Å"If he be married,/ My grave is like to be my wedding bed† (1.5.131). In addition to providing a strong foreshadowing of the play’s fateful conclusion, this statement directly opposes Juliet’s earlier statement that she had not even given marriage a thought. Ultimately, Juliet demonstrates rapid development in this scene as she not only enters into a physical show of affection, but she also demonstrates intensity in her lust for Romeo. As the narrative action in the play occurs in a relatively short period of time Juliet’s growth and development occurs rapidly. Following her interaction with Romeo at the costume ball, he comes to visit her window. This window scene has become a seminal aspect of Shakespeare’s writing for its masterful implementation of language. The scene additionally contains significant information regarding Juliet’s growth and development. In these regards, the scene begins to demonstrate Juliet understands the forbidden nature of the romance . While Juliet is a Capulet, Romeo is a Montague; these families are in conflict, such that their romance is not allowed. Juliet states, â€Å"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?/ Deny thy father and refuse thy name;/ Or if, thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,/ And I’ll no longer be a Capulet† (2.1.33-36). Here Juliet is asking why Romeo is a Montague. She then asks him to give up his family name, and if he won’

Lord of the Ring 3 and IR Theory Realism Research Paper

Lord of the Ring 3 and IR Theory Realism - Research Paper Example In addition, that development as wells as evolution can also seen in one of the important people involved activities of the ‘sphere’, which is the activity of politics. With the advancement in civilizations, people spread out and settled in new territories. In course of the history, those territories evolved into cities, states, and eventually countries. Along with this evolution and development of people and territories, the political setup, which ruled those civilizations, also evolved and new political setups entered the picture ruling cities, provinces or states and crucially countries. This evolution and establishment of different countries and their government setups have lead to the formulation of various theories and ideas including Realism by renowned thinkers and researchers, constituting under the International Relations domain. International Relations or IR for short, focuses on the relations between the countries of the world and how those relationship is ha ndled from the diplomatic and military perspective. The IR theory of Realism focuses on how a nation or territory will focus mainly on its interest and not from other perspective, and carry out actions accordingly. Although, IR theories including this Realism were formed mainly in the 20th century, and have applications in the current world, it can also be applied to fictional world as well, including historic fictional world. So, when this theory is applied to the historic fictional world featured in the movie The Lord of the Rings 3, it gives interesting perspectives. This paper focusing on the IR theory of Realism, will discuss how it has similarities as well as differences with the plot, events and characters specifically Sauron of Lord of the Rings 3. IR theory of Realism As pointed out above, Realism or political Realism is a key theory in the study of international relations which clearly prioritizes national interest as well as territorial security, over other forms of natio nal functioning including ideology, moral considerations, international peace, etc. As they give importance to these two aspects, they could indulge in offensive and aggressive actions against other territories or nations to uphold these aspects. â€Å"Realists consider the principal actors in the international arena to be states, which are concerned with their own security, act in pursuit of their own national interests, and struggle for power.†( Korab-Karpowicz). Thucydides, Machiavelli and Hobbes are regarded as the founding fathers of this Realism theory, however, the Twentieth-century classical Realism has been largely replaced in the current times by Neorealism.( Korab-Karpowicz). The difference between Realism and Neorealism is that, Neorealism incorporates a more scientific approach, when studies are conducted regarding the various aspects of international relations. However, Realism as a theory came into prominence mainly in the Cold War years, as both United States and Soviet Union carried out activities in various fields including Military, space, foreign relations, etc, etc, mainly to protect their self-interests. Thus, Realism during the Cold Wars â€Å"provided simple but powerful explanations for war, alliances, imperialism, obstacles to cooperation, and other international phenomena, and is consistent with the central features of the American-Soviet rivalry† (Little and Smith 387). The other key tenets of this Realism theory are, realists always view that the countries in the international system will always be in a constant state of antagonism, with a general distrust prevailing among the countries, and even among the countries, who are part of the alliance. The other key perspective is, â€Å"states must arrive at relations with other states on their own, rather than it

Global and Domestic Distribution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global and Domestic Distribution - Essay Example Comparison of Domestic and Global Market. There are unique similarities and differences between domestic and global markets. While the similarities or potentialities are the raison d'etre for a planned expansion into global domain, the differences lead to challenges to be overcome while entering into an unknown foreign domain. Some of the difficulties which are sure to be overcome in a multi-national market distribution are appended in succeeding paragraphs. National Policies. A main hindrance in global distribution is often the national policies which in many developing countries discourage foreign players and support domestic ones. Further, changes in successive democratic governments can lead to frequently changing priorities/policies, unreasonable tax structure against foreign players thereby making penetration and distribution difficult. There have been many instances where huge investments have been made by certain global players in anticipation of growth in a particular field and with a change in the government, the whole process received a setback to an extent that the global player had to actually wind up and leave. Further, pioneers and domestic players also make all possible moves to deter entry by being on the right side of governmental public policies (First-mover advantages: Retrospective and Link with the Resource-based View MB Lieberman, DB Montgomery - Strategic Management Journal, 1998) Individualised Goods. While distributing a product in own country, the marketing manager is aware of prevailing situation, needs, growth pattern and other variables persisting in the market as well as the customer. This allows him to market the product to meet specific individual needs of the customer to a large extent. Any product meeting specific requirements of a customer will lead to better customer satisfaction, reputation and thereby automatic favourable advertisement of the product. However, in case of a foreign market, this adaptability is not available. The conditions prevailing in each and every country are different and products need to be manufactured in a country specific manner to suit requirements of customers as well as infrastructure, likely development pattern and economy of that country. A good research before huge investments are made will ensure requisite success when marketing a product in a new country. Getting the product or service to the customer. Buyer behaviour and characteristics directly affect overall objectives of a business. This aspect is critical to successful distribution in a global market. If the product needs to be made available to a large section of population of developing countries living in non-urban areas with limited resources, the task becomes even more difficult due to limited communication networks, distribution channels, lower advertising potential due to limited reach of media and lack of awareness of people about new products from a different country. Further, reaching out to individual customers and assuring him of product's worth is a near impossible task in countries where people have a very

How does Juliet grow and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How does Juliet grow and change - Essay Example In examining these forms of characterization, this essay traces the way that Juliet grows and changes throughout the work. During the early part of the play Shakespeare depicts Juliet as largely naive to the romantic world around her. In these regards, there is the recognition that surrounding characters have first begun to express interest in Juliet. Notably, Paris speaks with Capulet regarding his desire to marry Juliet. Juliet herself, however, is recognized as largely oblivious to these advances. Juliet’s nurse asks her, â€Å"Tell me, daughter Juliet,/ How stands your disposition to be married?† (1.3.63-64). Juliet responds, â€Å"It is an honor that I dream not of† (1.3.65). Here Juliet is indicating that she has not thought marriage. Additionally, this scene demonstrates Juliet’s relative subservience to her Nurse, further attesting to Juliet’s stage of growth. Ultimately then this stage of Juliet’s characterization demonstrates that s he is naive and has not thought of a suitable romantic suitor. As the text progresses, Juliet correspondingly experiences a greater level of growth and maturity. The next substantial stage of Juliet’s growth and maturation occurs at a costume ball that is thrown. The costume ball is attended by both Romeo and Juliet. While at the beginning of the night they have not met, they will eventually encounter each other and exchange romantic words. Romeo implements symbolism and figurative language in comparing himself to a pilgrim and Juliet to a saint. He then indicates that she must kiss him to rid of his sin. Eventually they kiss. The physical action of this kiss constitutes a significant stage of Juliet’s development as it partially heralds her entrance into womanhood. While before this kiss she indicated she had not thought of marriage, following this kiss there is a significant change in her outlook. Notably, referring to Romeo, Juliet states, â€Å"If he be married,/ My grave is like to be my wedding bed† (1.5.131). In addition to providing a strong foreshadowing of the play’s fateful conclusion, this statement directly opposes Juliet’s earlier statement that she had not even given marriage a thought. Ultimately, Juliet demonstrates rapid development in this scene as she not only enters into a physical show of affection, but she also demonstrates intensity in her lust for Romeo. As the narrative action in the play occurs in a relatively short period of time Juliet’s growth and development occurs rapidly. Following her interaction with Romeo at the costume ball, he comes to visit her window. This window scene has become a seminal aspect of Shakespeare’s writing for its masterful implementation of language. The scene additionally contains significant information regarding Juliet’s growth and development. In these regards, the scene begins to demonstrate Juliet understands the forbidden nature of the romance . While Juliet is a Capulet, Romeo is a Montague; these families are in conflict, such that their romance is not allowed. Juliet states, â€Å"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?/ Deny thy father and refuse thy name;/ Or if, thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,/ And I’ll no longer be a Capulet† (2.1.33-36). Here Juliet is asking why Romeo is a Montague. She then asks him to give up his family name, and if he won’

Global and Domestic Distribution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global and Domestic Distribution - Essay Example Comparison of Domestic and Global Market. There are unique similarities and differences between domestic and global markets. While the similarities or potentialities are the raison d'etre for a planned expansion into global domain, the differences lead to challenges to be overcome while entering into an unknown foreign domain. Some of the difficulties which are sure to be overcome in a multi-national market distribution are appended in succeeding paragraphs. National Policies. A main hindrance in global distribution is often the national policies which in many developing countries discourage foreign players and support domestic ones. Further, changes in successive democratic governments can lead to frequently changing priorities/policies, unreasonable tax structure against foreign players thereby making penetration and distribution difficult. There have been many instances where huge investments have been made by certain global players in anticipation of growth in a particular field and with a change in the government, the whole process received a setback to an extent that the global player had to actually wind up and leave. Further, pioneers and domestic players also make all possible moves to deter entry by being on the right side of governmental public policies (First-mover advantages: Retrospective and Link with the Resource-based View MB Lieberman, DB Montgomery - Strategic Management Journal, 1998) Individualised Goods. While distributing a product in own country, the marketing manager is aware of prevailing situation, needs, growth pattern and other variables persisting in the market as well as the customer. This allows him to market the product to meet specific individual needs of the customer to a large extent. Any product meeting specific requirements of a customer will lead to better customer satisfaction, reputation and thereby automatic favourable advertisement of the product. However, in case of a foreign market, this adaptability is not available. The conditions prevailing in each and every country are different and products need to be manufactured in a country specific manner to suit requirements of customers as well as infrastructure, likely development pattern and economy of that country. A good research before huge investments are made will ensure requisite success when marketing a product in a new country. Getting the product or service to the customer. Buyer behaviour and characteristics directly affect overall objectives of a business. This aspect is critical to successful distribution in a global market. If the product needs to be made available to a large section of population of developing countries living in non-urban areas with limited resources, the task becomes even more difficult due to limited communication networks, distribution channels, lower advertising potential due to limited reach of media and lack of awareness of people about new products from a different country. Further, reaching out to individual customers and assuring him of product's worth is a near impossible task in countries where people have a very

A Definition of Collaborative vs Cooperative Learning Essay Example for Free

A Definition of Collaborative vs Cooperative Learning Essay I have been searching for many years for the Holy Grail of interactive learning, a distinction between collaborative and cooperative learning definitions. I am getting closer to my elusive goal all the time but I am still not completely satisfied with my perception of the two concepts. I believe my confusion arises when I look at processes associated with each concept and see some overlap or inter-concept usage. I will make a humble attempt to clarify this question by presenting my definitions and reviewing those of other authors who have helped clarify my thinking. Collaboration is a philosophy of interaction and personal lifestyle whereas cooperation is a structure of interaction designed to facilitate the accomplishment of an end product or goal. Collaborative learning (CL) is a personal philosophy, not just a classroom technique. In all situations where people come together in groups, it suggests a way of dealing with people which respects and highlights individual group members abilities and contributions. There is a sharing of authority and acceptance of responsibility among group members for the groups actions. The underlying premise of collaborative learning is based upon consensus building through cooperation by group members, in contrast to competition in which individuals best other group members. CL practitioners apply this philosophy in the classroom, at committee meetings, with community groups, within their families and generally as a way of living with and dealing with other people. Cooperative learning is defined by a set of processes which help people interact together in order to accomplish a specific goal or develop an end product which is usually content specific. It is more directive than a collaboratve system of governance and closely controlled by the teacher. While there are many mechanisms for group analysis and introspection the fundamental approach is teacher centered whereas collaborative learning is more student centered. Spencer Kagan in an article in Educational Leadership (Dec/Jan 1989/1990) provides an excellent definition of cooperative learning by looking at general structures which can be applied to any situation. His definition provides an unbrella for the work cooperative learning specialists including he Johnsons, Slavin, Cooper, Graves and Graves, Millis, etc. It follows below: The structural approach to cooperative learning is based on the creation, analysis and systematic application of structures, or content-free ways of organizing social interaction in the classroom. Structures usually involve a series of steps, with proscribed behavior at each step. An important cornerstone of the approach is the distinction between st ructures and activities. To illustrate, teachers can design many excellent cooperative activities, such as making a team mural or a quilt. Such activities almost always have a specific content-bound objective and thus cannot be used to deliver a range of academic content. Structures may be used repeatedly with almost any subject matter, at a wide range of grade levels and at various points in a lesson plan. John Myers (Cooperative Learning vol 11 #4 July 1991) points out that the dictionary definitions of collaboration, derived from its Latin root, focus on the process of working together; the root word for cooperation stresses the product of such work. Co-operative learning has largely American roots from the philosophical writings of John Dewey stressing the social nature of learning and the work on group dynamics by Kurt Lewin. Collaborative learning has British roots, based on the work of English teachers exploring ways to help students respond to literature by taking a more active role in their own learning. The cooperative learning tradition tends to use quantitative methods which look at achievement: i. e. , the product of learning. The collaborative tradition takes a more qualitative approach, analyzing student talk in response to a piece of literature or a primary source in history. Myers points out some differences between the two concepts: Supporters of co-operative learning tend to be more teacher-centered, for example when forming heterogeneous groups, structuring positive inter- dependence, and teaching co-operative skills. Collaborative learning advocates distrust structure and allow students more say if forming friendhip and interest groups. Student talk is stressed as a means for working things out. Discovery and contextural approaches are used to teach interpersonal skills. Such differences can lead to disagreements. I contend the dispute is not about research, but more about the morality of what should happen in the schools. Beliefs as to whast should happen in the schools can be viewed as a continuum of orientations toward curriculum from transmission to transaction to transmission. At one end is the transmission position. As the name suggests, the aim of this orientation is to transmit knowledge to students in the form of facts, skills and values. The transformation position at the other end of the continuum stresses personal and social change in which the person is said to be interrelated with the environment rather than having control over it. The aim of this orientation is self-actualization, personal or organizational change. Rocky Rockwood (National Teaching and Learning Forum vol 4 #6, 1995 part 1) describes the differences by acknowledging the parallels they both have in that they both use groups, both assign specific tasks, and both have the groups share and compare their procedures and conclusions in plenary class sessions. The major difference lies in the fact that cooperative deals exclusively with traditional (canonical) knowledge while collaborative ties into the social constructivist movement, asserting that both knowledge and authority of knowledge have changed dramatically in the last century. The result has been a transition from foundational (cognitive) understanding of knowledge, to a nonfoundational ground where we understand knowledge to be a social construct and learning a social process (Brufee, Collaborative learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge, 1993). Rockwood states: In the ideal collaborative environment, the authority for testing and determining the appropriateness of the group product rests with, first, the small group, second, the plenary group (the whole class) and finally (but always understood to be subject to challenge and revision) the requisite knowledge community (i. e. the discipline: geography, history, biology etc. ) The concept of non- foundational knowledge challenges not only the product acquired, but also the process employed in the acquisition of foundational knowledge. Most importantly, in cooperative, the authority remains with the instructor, who retains ownership of the task, which involves either a closed or a closable (that is to say foundational) problem ( the instructor knows or can predict the answer). In collaborative, the instructoronce the task is set transfers all authority to the group. In the ideal, the groups task is always open ended. Seen from this perspective, cooperative does not empower st udents. It employs them to serve the instructors ends and produces a right or acceptable answer. Collaborative does truly empower and braves all the risks of empowerment (for example, having the group or class agree to an embarrassingly simplistic or unconvincing position or produce a solution in conflict with the instructors). Every person, Brufee holds, belongs to several interpretative or knowledge communities that share vocabularies, points of view, histories, values, conventions and interests. The job of the instructor id to help students learn to negotiate the boundaries between the communities they already belong to and the community represented by the teachers academic discipline, which the students want to join. Every knowledge community has a core of foundational knowledge that its members consider as given (but not necessarily absolute). To function independently within a knowledge community, the fledgling scholar must master enough material to become conversant with the community. Rockwood concludes: In my teaching experience, cooperative represents the best means to approach mastery of foundational knowledge. Once students become reasonably conversant, they are ready for collaborative, ready to discuss and assess,. Myers suggests use of the transaction orientation as a compromise between taking hard positions advocating either methodology. This orientation views education as a dialogue between the student and the curriculum. Students are viewed as problem solvers. Problem solving and inquiry approaches stressing cognitive skills and the ideas of Vygotsky, Piaget, Kohlberg and Bruner are linked to transaction. This perspective views teaching as a conversation in which teachers and students learn together through a process of negotiation with the curriculum to develop a shared view of the world. It is clear to me that in undertaking the exercize of defining differences between the two ideas we run the risk of polarizing the educational community into a we versus them mentality. There are so many benefits which acrue from both ideas that it would be a shame to lose any advantage gained from the student-student-teacher interactions created by both methods. We must be careful to avoid a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to education paradigms. As a final thought, I think it behooves teachers to educate themselves about the myriad of techniques and philosophies which create interactive environments where students take more responsibility for their own learning and that of their peers. Then it will become possible to pick and chose those methods which best fit a particular educational goal or community of learners.

Strategies for Sustainable Rice Farming

Strategies for Sustainable Rice Farming LOW CARBON INITIATIVES: A RURAL APPRAISAL OF VARIOUS MITIGATIVE STRATEGIES USED BY RICE FARMERS AS A SCHEME FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA SAVANNA. INTRODUCTION Most of the warming that has occurred since mid-20th century is due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, human activities including modern agriculture contribute to the production GHGs and on the overall, about 14% of GHG emissions comes from the agricultural sector (IPCC, 1996). Several naturally produced and human produced GHGs trap heat. CO2, CH4, and N2O are long-lived in the atmosphere and are the major contributors to positive increases in radiative forces (IPCC, 1996). Agricultural activities are significant producers of CH4 and N2O, of the three main gases that are influenced by land management and that are responsible for the potential greenhouse effect, CH4 has the 2nd greatest climate forcing potential of 27% CAST, (1992) arising from enteric fermentation of farm animals and rice cultivation. BACKGROUND In Nigeria, rice is one of the major cereals grown for food, the cultivable land to rice lies under five major ecologies namely: rain fed upland, rain fed lowland, irrigated rice, deep water and tidal mangrove swamp (Olayemi, 1997). Although Nigeria is the largest rice producer in West Africa and 85% of the total production comes from the north FAO (2012), rice production still seeks an increase in yield to meet the budding population and reduce importation. According to Bello (2004), Nigeria has the potential to produce enough rice for its needs and even export but this is not achieved now because the technology, management practices and the efficiency with which farmers use resources influence productivity. JUSTIFICATION Self-sufficiency in rice production is the goal of the Nigerian government, this has prompted the government to find ways of boosting local rice production (Bello, 2004). Rice paddies have been identified as major CH4 source induced by human activities and Nigerian paddies are not left out. This poses a challenge as researchers are faced daily with the challenges of how to mitigate or adapt to climate change, increase adoption of low carbon practices in all sectors and ways to implement their findings in local and global context of sustainable resource management. Consequently, estimating CH4 emissions from rice paddies and evaluating the low carbon practices used by farmers has become a pressing issue for assessing GHG impacts from agroecosystems and development of mitigation options at local scales for sustainable resource management. Objectives: Spatio-temporal mapping of lands cultivated to rice from 1983 to 2013 in the study area. To compare the CH4 emissions from upland and lowland rice fields. Assess the understanding of climate change and various low carbon practices among rice farmers for environmental protection. Understand the challenges associated with the adoption of low carbon options for rice cultivation. METHODOLOGY To achieve the stated objectives, the study will involve Geo-spatial analysis, field measurements and socioeconomic survey. The study area: The study will be carried out in the savannah belt of Nigeria, Bida zone in Niger state will be selected for the study because of its long history of rice cultivation and its proximity to National Cereal Research Institute, where technologies for cereal cultivation emanate and are disseminated. The zone consists of three Local Government Areas (Lavun, Bida and Gbako) and has a total land area of 6, 181 km2. Geo-spatial analysis Data: Cloud free-Ortho-rectified Landsat images of the area for the years 1983, 1993, 2003 and 2013 will be acquired from image vendors. Analysis: ArcGIS and IDIRSI geo-spatial tools will be used for the analysis of the Images. The images will be overlaid and an area of interest will be created from the overlay. Ground truthing will be done to aid supervised classification of the false and true composites of the area. The map of the dominant land use change of the area will be generated for each year. Accuracy assessment of the classification will be done, image differencing of the land cover maps will quantify the changes in land sizes cultivated to rice. Methane measurement: CH4 emission will be measured by using a portable methane gas meter (Gastech, Australia). Surface CH4 measurements from uplands and lowlands will be taken by inverting a 70mm diameter plastic funnel on the soil surface, the inlet tube of the CH4 meter will be connected to the funnel to read CH4 concentrations (Kartik and Nanjappa). Sampling procedure and Data collection A multistage sampling will be adopted for the study. First, two administrative wards will be randomly selected from each Local Government Area, for the second stage, two villages will be selected randomly from each selected ward and at the third stage, 20 rice farmers from each selected village will be randomly selected to give 80 farmers per Local Government Area and a total of 240 farmers from the zone. To allow for pre-testing and errors, 300 questionnaires will be printed. The sampling frame will focus on adult rice farmers who live in the communities and have been farming for over 25 years based on the assumption that these respondents will have adequate experiential knowledge about the subject matter. Primary data on the understanding of farmers about climate change, its effect on paddy farming, low carbon practices used and the challenges associated with the use of these practices will be collected by administering structured questionnaires to respondents in the study area. Statistical Analysis All data collected will be analyzed, using computer based Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) and STATA. A multiple linear regression will be used to link socioeconomic factors with factors that influence land use. REFERENCES CAST, 1992. Preparing U.S. Agriculture for Global Climate Change. Task Force Report No. 119. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, Ames, IA. Facts and Figures about Niger State, Assessed from http://www.nigerstate.gov.ng/epubl/Facts%20and%20Figures%20about%20Niger%20State1.pdf Kartik V. and Nanjappa A. Phytocapping: An Innovative Technique to Reduce Methane Emission from Landfills. Assessed from methaneflux paper (Environmental Research Journal).pdf Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 1996. Climate Change 1995. The Science of Climate Change. The Contribution of Working Group I to the Second Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, New York. Impact of Trade on Domestic Rice Production and the challenge of Self-sufficiency in Nigeria Assessed from www.warda.cgiar.org//RicePolicy/Chuma.E/Chuma.E.Nigeria.Pres.ppt. Olayemi, J.K 1997. The Nigerian Rice Industry: Performance, Problems and Prospects. A research report prepared for Food and Agricuktural Organisation, FAO; December 1997. UNCCS (United Nations Climate Change Secretariat), Emissions Summary for Nigeria, http://unfccc.int/files/ghg_data/ghg_data_unfccc/ghg_profiles/application/pdf/nga_ghg_profile.pdf WEBSITES USED www.ricenigeria.com EXPECTED RESULTS AND THE RELEVANCE OF MY PROJECT TO CLIMATE CHANGE The distinctiveness of this study is that it seeks to incorporate the experiences of rural farmers in understanding the challenges associated with adopting Low carbon initiatives at local scales. This project aims at: Describing the local perception of climatic vagaries in their environment Characterizing the prevalent land use patterns in recent times. Characterizing the various local conservation practices used by rice farmers for resource conservation. Describing the effects and constraints of adopting resource protection practices. The study would reveal the changes in land cover as mediated by increase in productivity over the past thirty years in the study area and the associated methane emissions. This would be helpful in the design sustainable resource conservation measures for climate protection. As well, the study will reveal the awareness level of the respondents’ on some facts about climate change and variability, its toll on rice farming and various measures used to adapt to these changes. Since considerable attention has not been given to measuring results from adaptation and mitigation activities, results from this study hopes to be a working tool for the Nigerian government in the development of a simple Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) plan that is more readily useable by farmers through capacity building and technology development or transfer. This study will also provide insight into local resource conservation strategies that can be improved upon for sustainable resource management. The dataset will therefore become a working tool for the government, legislators, private sector, civil society and other stakeholders for appropriate understanding on the trends of greenhouse gas emission from paddies in Bida zone for necessary policy formulation on strategies to reduce the emissions in order to improve ecological system conservation and mitigate global warming. Please explain how you intend to communicate the project results during and after the sponsorship period and which target groups you particularly want to address. (2,000 characters max. The ultimate foci of this study is to raise public awareness on the amount of greenhouse gases released from paddies, it also intends to assess the low carbon strategies used by farmers and the challenges associated with using them. The major target groups are the locals and government officials. Although, the communities have limited expertise at some stages of the study, I intend to work in partnership with them for their ability to suggest strategies that would facilitate data collection and ensure that the data collected are representative of the community during the study. This will be done by clearly explaining the purpose of the study to the community head, since he has a very good knowledge of the community and can help ensure that all factors required for the study is provided. The proximity of the National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) will be of great assistance during the study and dissemination of results. They will be helpful in providing previous research results and some experimental techniques that will be invaluable in the design of the survey. Usually, conveying research results requires wisdom to avoid rejection. Before communicating the research results to the entire community, results will discussed with the study team from NCRI and the community representatives. Also, since the FADAMA intervention programmes that serve as an intermediary between the government and the communities are common around the study area, assistance will be sought from the FADAMA facilitators during the study and when communicating the research results to the government to enhance acceptance for policy formulation. Timeline of the project, including milestones TIME FRAME (MONTHS) ACTIVITY 1-2 Arrival in Germany, Intensive German language course 3 Reconnaissance survey, acquisition of project materials and pretesting of questionnaire 4-6 Questionnaire administration and analysis. 7-10 Image acquisition, geospatial analysis and ground truthing 11-12 Preliminary write-up and corrections 13-14 Presentations and submission This study is expected to cover a one calendar year period, although this proposed duration is subject to modifications from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.