Business Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Memo - Essay Example ittee accepts that, thought we have as of now passes the cutoff times for certain development works because of unforeseen conditions, we should push ahead with building and customization of the hardware to be introduced in the new office, just as with the advancement of deals and advertising techniques for the new medication. This will empower us to work in full and acquaint the new medication with the market following the office is propelled. Besides, since we believe the postponement in ecological evaluation to be the major, and basic, issue with respect to now, and considering the way that ET had 3 months for illuminating it, however has introduced no convincing reports, we emphatically suggest taking prompt measures for wiping out this issue. Specifically, since ET shows not to play out its quick obligations in the extension and inside cutoff times basic for our organization, we suggest supplanting the firm with another natural counseling organization. In such a manner we can accelerate the natural evaluation process so as to proceed onward to the following phases of development or tidy up, if

Petrol Prices Have Seen A Shocking Hike Economics Essay

Petroleum Prices Have Seen A Shocking Hike Economics Essay The petroleum costs have seen a stunning climb of Rs.7.5 on the 23rd of May. The expansion is the first since December, 2011. It went up to INR 78.16 per liter. The RBI was making some intense memories adapting to the rising swelling and this expansion in petroleum costs will make it hard for them to oversee. The ascent in cost will likewise hit the basic man who is making a decent attempt to get by. The pace of swelling (yearly), in view of month to month WPI, remained at 7.23% for April (over April 2011) contrasted with 6.89% for the earlier month The Petrol costs in the four significant metros after the climb are as per the following: Metro Before petroleum climb After Petrol Hike Delhi 65.64 73.14 Mumbai 70.66 78.16 Kolkata 70.03 77.53 Chennai 69.55 77.05 The expansion in fuel costs straightforwardly or in a roundabout way influences all the significant parts of the nation. It influences the transportation, materials, auto, FMCG, fabricating, agribusiness areas thus on.â The effect of the backhanded impact is that the costs of day by day fundamental products get influenced and this expansion in cost of merchandise would step by step power individuals to spend more and spare less. 58.4% of the Indian populace has a place with the agrarian division and their commitment to the complete GDP is just about 18%. Such limited quantity of pay being dispersed over an enormous populace hugy affect them as even a scarcest variance would make them more unfortunate which will promote the hole between the rich and poor people. The diagram underneath shows the petroleum value changes in the course of recent decades. cid:[emailprotected] About half of the complete Indian fares income is spent on purchasing oil, especially, unrefined petroleum, this negatively affects the countrys generally speaking economy. In the previous five years, the measure of imports of the oil based goods is right around 40 percent of the absolute fares of India over the most recent six years. For the year, 2011-12, it has been as high as 51.2 percent. Such huge amounts of imports will apply tremendous measure of weight on Indias current record deficiency. This expansion in the raw petroleum imports isn't a direct result of the expansion in the cost yet additionally as a result of the increment sought after of fuel in the nation. The measure of oil imports has expanded from 82 million tons in 2002-03 to 164 million tons in 2010-11, along these lines expanding the import charges as far as rupees by more than 500 percent between 2002-03 and 2010-11. These imports are one of the reasons for the exhausting remote trade holds. In 2002-03, the level of oil imports as for the outside trade holds were 23.18 and it went up to 34.80 percent in 2010-11. This ought to be a significant wellspring of worry as a huge lump of the countrys outside trade profit are spent on import of a solitary ware. Theâ ownership of vehicles in India is developing at compound yearly development pace of 12%â for the two wheelers.71% of vehicles are bikes, and they run on petroleum. Likewise the offer of bikes is around multiple times more than the deals of vehicle inside the nation. Bikes basically give versatility the yearning for and the white collar class. This gives us a reasonable thought regarding the gigantic measure of petro devoured by the individuals. India was the universes fifth biggest shipper of oil. It imports more than 2.2 million bbl/d, for example around 70 percent of its consumption. Its significant imports originate from the Middle East (34%), Saudi Arabia (18%) and Africa (22%). cid:[emailprotected] From the underneath table we can see that, the cost of petroleum has ascended over the time of five years in various nations. Indias and the rising economies like Russia and Chinas petroleum cost has become over by 60% during the previous 5 years while the created economies have  only a maximum of 20% value development in the course of recent years. Nation and Currency 2007 2012 % expansion India (INR) 48.38 78.57 62.4 USA (US$) 0.87 1.02 17.98 Russia (Ruble) 16.79 25.41 51.34 China (Yuan) 4.94 8.33 68.62 Japan (Yen) 136.7 149.4 9.29 Germany (Euro) 1.394 1.631 17 UK (Pound) 1.40197 1.68137 19.92 Both oil and oil based goods are rare items. In this manner both interest and flexibly are less versatile. The interest gracefully and other factorsâ like cartel, storing, flexibly stuns and so on., the costs areâ fluctuating (expanding) to such incredible levels causing request pull, just as cost push expansion. The swelled oil costs not just influence the destitute individuals of the nation yet additionally rich individuals. Yet, the effect is progressively noteworthy on the destitute individuals. Increment in the universal oil value prompts a household swelling, which subsequently diminishes the remote trade holds. The flexibly of the outside cash decreases therefore valuing the estimation of the remote money and devaluing the nearby cash which thusly expands the costs of imports. It likewise falls apart the equalization of exchange of the nation. Every one of these elements drive a nation into the neediness trap. Worldwide oil value climb influences both people in general and the administration. It gets swelling and decreases the buying intensity of the individuals. It likewise influences the legislatures income and consumption. Government being the greatest customer, it negatively affects the genuine GDP, on the remote trade saves; it expands the all out outside obligation of the nation and furthermore further break down the present record shortfall of the nation. With the expansion in the fuel costs, the cost of customer items increments since oil is a fundamental part of the modern and the assembling segments, likewise petroleum and diesel is utilized for the transportation of products, in this way making an inflationary weight. The administration can take a couple of activities which can help over the long haul. For example there could be a fuel move from petroleum, diesel to Hybrid, CNG, non-mechanized vehicle and so forth. Additionally we could experience a modular move for example from street cargo transport to rail cargo transport. The legislature can likewise make fuel progressively reasonable by focusing on additional on appropriations and improving the previously existing plans. Likewise the vehicles mileage norms can be improved there by making it eco-friendly. Individuals can take a couple of interest side administration activities like vehicle pooling and so forth.

The Role of Catharsis in Psychology

The Role of Catharsis in Psychology Basics Print The Role of Catharsis in Psychology By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on November 29, 2019 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW Updated on January 25, 2020 i love images / Getty Images More in Psychology Basics Psychotherapy Student Resources History and Biographies Theories Phobias Emotions Sleep and Dreaming A catharsis is an emotional release. According to psychoanalytic theory, this emotional release is linked to a need to relieve unconscious conflicts. For example, experiencing stress over a work-related situation may cause feelings of frustration and tension. Rather than vent these feelings inappropriately, the individual may instead release these feelings in another way, such as through physical activity or another stress relieving activity. The Meaning of Catharsis The term itself comes from the Greek katharsis meaning purification or cleansing. The term is used in therapy as well as in literature. The hero of a novel might experience an emotional catharsis that leads to some sort of restoration or renewal. The purpose of catharsis is to bring about some form of positive change in the individuals life. Catharsis involves both a powerful emotional component in which strong feelings are felt and expressed, as well as a cognitive component in which the individual gains new insights. Catharsis in Psychoanalysis The term has been in use since the time of the Ancient Greeks, but it was Sigmund Freuds colleague Josef Breuer who was the first to use the term to describe a therapeutic technique.?? Breuer developed what he referred to as a cathartic treatment for hysteria. His treatment involved having patients recall traumatic experiences while under hypnosis. By consciously expressing emotions that had been long repressed, Breuer found that his patients experienced relief from their symptoms. Freud also believed that catharsis could play an important role in relieving symptoms of distress. According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, the human mind is composed of three key elements: the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious. The conscious mind contains all of the things we are aware.?? The preconscious contains things that we might not be immediately aware of but that we can draw into awareness with some effort or prompting. Finally, the unconscious mind is the part of the mind containing the huge reservoir of thoughts, feelings, and memories that are outside of awareness. The unconscious mind played a critical role in Freud’s theory. While the contents of the unconscious were out of awareness, he still believed that they continued to exert an influence on behavior and functioning. By using psychotherapeutic tools such as dream interpretation and free association, Freud believed that these unconscious feelings and memories could be brought to light. In their book Studies on Hysteria, Freud and Breuer defined catharsis as the process of reducing or eliminating a complex by recalling it to conscious awareness and allowing it to be expressed.?? Catharsis still plays a role today in Freudian psychoanalysis. The American Psychological Association defines catharsis as the discharge of effects connected to traumatic events that had previously been repressed by bringing these events back into consciousness and re-experiencing them. Catharsis in Everyday Language The term catharsis has also found a place in everyday language, often used to describe moments of insight or the experience of finding closure. An individual going through a divorce might describe experiencing a cathartic moment that helps bring them a sense of peace and helps that person move past the bad relationship. People also describe experiencing catharsis after experiencing some sort of traumatic or stressful event such as a health crisis, job loss, accident, or the death of a loved one. While used somewhat differently than it is traditionally employed in psychoanalysis, the term is still often used to describe an emotional moment that leads to positive change in the person’s life. Examples of Catharsis Catharsis can take place during the course of therapy, but it can also occur during other moments as well. Some examples of how catharsis might take place include: Talking with a friend. A discussion with a friend about a problem you are facing might spark a moment of insight in which you are able to see how an event from earlier in your life might be contributing to your current patterns of behavior. This emotional release may help you feel better able to face your current dilemma.Listing to a song. Music can be motivational, but it can also often spark moments of great insight. Music can allow you to release emotions in a way that often leaves you feeling restored.Creating or viewing art. A powerful artwork can stir deep emotions. Creating art can also be a form of release.Exercise. The physical demands of exercise can be a great way to work through strong emotions and release them in a constructive manner. A Word From Verywell Catharsis is an important topic in psychology. This emotional release can also be an important therapeutic tool for coping with fear, depression, and anxiety.  If you are coping with difficult emotions, talking to a mental health professional can help you to explore different techniques that can lead to a catharsis.

An Examination of Factors Contributing to Identity...

The process of adopting a child internationally is lengthy, costly, and both physically and emotionally exhausting.Since it takes so much to adopt, only a small number of Americans can and do; mostly middle- and upper-middle class couples.Therefore, many internationally adopted children grow up in an environment with ready access to resources, with adults who are able to support them financially and emotionally.In such narrow socioeconomic circumstances, the question then arises: What accounts for those internationally adopted children and youth who do not adjust well?What factors contribute to the normal, healthy development of these individuals?Examining international adoption also brings up this point:Is there really a significant†¦show more content†¦It is also unclear from this study whether adoptee mothers were more receptive and sensitive to their child?s behavior. Also, perhaps attachment is not a factor in determining whether infants will grow up to be well-adjusted children and eventually adults. A longitudinal study conducted on trans-racially adopted infants would perhaps help answer this question.Perhaps at 11 months of age, an infant hasn?t reached the point where he or she stops instinctually attaching. In looking at the circumstances of an international adoption, one cannot discount the influence that both parents have on the child.A study comparing Israeli families who adopted domestically with those who adopted internationally found significant differences in parenting styles and family life (Levy-Schiff, Zoran, Shulman, 1997).Overall, parents who internationally adopted generated more positive feelings about the adoption and raising their child.In turn, their adopted children perceived the family environment as ?more controlling? than did the domestically adopted children (Levy et al, p. 123). These findings suggest that the event of internationally adopting affects the way that a parent perceives their child, and in turn how they treat the child.This could have an impact on development.A possible explanation for a difference in treatment is thatShow MoreRelatedRacism And Racial Segregation : A Color Blind Society1052 Words   |  5 Pageswhich perceive race in America through differential diagnosis. The dogma of race has logical consequences that are profoundly important. If blacks, for example, are equal to whites in every way, what accounts for differential success levels or other factors? Since any theory of racial differences has been outlawed, America must be racked with a pervasive and horrible understanding of the concept of race since it has a deeper literal meaning than phenotypically. 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Essay on Dementia Reminiscence Therapy and Montessori...

This essay is a comparative research study into the effectiveness and relevance of two interventions for people with dementia; Reminiscence Therapy and Montessori Method. The two methods will be analysed for their relevance and effectiveness, as well as comparing to discover their differences and similarities, with consideration to the supporting underlying psychology. In many ways the theories of Reminiscence and Montessori are about effecting the past into the here and now, which in essence is very existential in nature. Corey (2009, pp. 139-150) explains the concepts underpinning existentialism as our questioning of who am I, where am I going, what is life’s meaning, what should I be doing, and contemplating hopes and dreams. These†¦show more content†¦As Brooker (2007, pp. 24-26) discusses the benefits of supportive models that recognise the struggles of a person living with dementia and how it can impact their social standing and therefore relationships. In addition how the world of a person with cognitive impairment needs emotional and spiritual support, as well as sensory and creative support, to be encouraged and empowered to remain positively functioning and enjoying their relationships and their environments. With these complex concepts and needs in mind, the first theory for consideration is that of the Montessori Method (MM) as discussed by Camp (2010, pp.1-11) was first created by Montessori to work with children with learning disabilities. Camp further discusses how through his life’s journeys he began to apply MM to help people with dementia. Camp argued that the MM aligns well the principles of excellence in dementia care. Including supporting respect for the individual, via the provision of activities that are designed to give ordered structure, and empowered learning aimed at encouraging success. Through activities that are accessing motor learning and movement, designed with consideration towards culturally relevant and age respected learning with strong peer alignment. In addition, Camp suggests that the MM can work towards reducing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), by the use of structure

Critical Issues For The United States Free Essays

Deliberation suggests careful thought or reflection, consideration of alternatives, but may also imply public discussion, processes working toward collective judgments. For different reasons, liberals and their critics would agree that deliberation is central to citizenship. For liberals, deliberation in the public sphere is instrumental to the purposes and interests of free individuals, combining with other private citizens to articulate and pursue common interests. We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Issues For The United States or any similar topic only for you Order Now For those with a more communitarian perspective, public deliberation is part of the process through which citizens are socially constituted and democratic participation is thus intrinsically rather than instrumentally valuable. At Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, we have developed a team-taught, cross-disciplinary social science course which emphasizes public deliberation not only on policy issues, but on the meaning of citizenship itself. Our course entitled Critical Issues for The United States – along with its sister-course, The Global Community – originated with a year-long process of intensive discussion and planning among a group of faculty drawn from the various academic departments and programs of the Maxwell School†¦ The courses we developed were first offered during the 1993-94 academic year, and have undergone annual revisions – some modest, some more substantial – ever since. The fundamental ideas underlying the courses have not changed, however: they remain focused upon citizenship, understood in terms of practices of public deliberation. Our courses were designed as multidisciplinary survey courses which would, in the process of discussing issues important to the lives of our students, introduce them to some of the major concepts and modes of analysis employed in the various social science disciplines represented at the Maxwell School. There was from the outset, then, a sense of multiplicity of perspective built into the core concept of these courses. They would not present a single seamless vision of social life or seek to find the one right answer. Rather, they would present multiple interpretations of each issue we dealt with, some convergent, some in direct conflict. We would try to link these interpretations to fundamental assumptions about the nature of social life, and to show how these basic conceptual frameworks were related to different normative orientations and political positions — that is, to different practices of citizenship. We would invite students to ponder the implications of the various perspectives we discussed, to consider the consequences for their lives as citizens, but we would not push for closure or consensus. We would emphasize the process of deliberation, rather than any particular result. We expose students to different ways of knowing social reality: the hypothesis-testing approach of orthodox social science, rudimentary rational choice theory, more interpretive understandings of social action, and critical theory models which seek organic links between knowing the world and recreating the world. We try to underscore the idea that different ways of knowing are associated with different modes of action and, ultimately, with alternative possible worlds. How knowledge is socially constructed is thus a crucial dimension of citizenship, and an important aspect of this course. FormatAs part of our emphasis on processes of deliberation, we wanted to move away from the passive, lecture-based format typical of introductory survey courses at larger universities. In many such courses, if students are involved in smaller discussion sections at all, they are typically led by graduate teaching assistants and are at best an adjunct to the primary, lecture-driven substance of the course. In contrast, the Maxwell courses were designed so that two-thirds of students’ class time would be spent in discussion sections of no more than fifteen, led by members of a team representing a cross-section of the Maxwell School faculty. To underscore for students that these discussion sections were not merely the caboose on a lecture-driven train, but were rather the motor of this course, a substantial part of their final course grade (currently 25 percent) is directly linked to their level of participation in these discussions. Particular faculty members meet twice each week with the same discussion groups so that a sense of mutual familiarity and group identity could develop, fostering candor in discussion and a willingness to think out loud. Once a week, rotating pairs of faculty share the responsibility of lecturing to a â€Å"plenary† in which all the discussion sections meet together. These lectures typically present alternative perspectives or ways of thinking about some general question or issue area. Faculty attempt to â€Å"model† intellectual activity for students, thinking through the strengths and weaknesses of various perspectives, underscoring their implications for politics and social life. Often, faculty will present perspectives with which they do not agree, and will state so at the outset. In this way, they may illustrate for students that there is an intelligible train of reasoning behind each position, and that our fist task as critical thinkers and citizens is to try to understand that reasoning. Implicitly we pose the question: why would reasonable people hold such a view? In the first instance, then, our objective is to help students to feel the attraction which draws scholars and citizens to a particular perspective, its intellectual power, its political promise, its vitality. We then try to explore the tensions or limits of each perspective. Again, the emphasis is on deliberation rather than mastery of a given fund of â€Å"knowledge†, but we do expect students to understand key concepts, arguments and supporting evidence for each of the major positions we deal with, and ultimately to be able to incorporate these into their own critical judgments and deliberations. To deemphasize rote learning, we abandoned conventional exams altogether. Instead, frequent writing assignments are integrated into the course as one more mode of deliberation and discussion. Students contribute regularly to a computerized â€Å"citizenship log† in which they are asked to exchange comments on a particular issue or idea in the course material. To encourage students to come to class prepared to actively discuss the material at hand, we may ask them to write a brief paragraph responding to each day’s readings and perhaps to post this response on the electronic log for other members of the class to see. In addition to addressing regular prompts from the faculty, students may also engage each other on the electronic log, continuing or anticipating classroom discussions. Often, faculty will review students’ e-log entries prior to class and use them to construct an agenda for more focused group discussion. We also employ more traditional forms of writing. From time to time, we ask students to write very brief (1-2 page) response papers which focus their attention directly upon substantive points judged by the faculty team to be especially significant. Frequently these will be concepts or issues which will be important for future deliberative essays. This helps students early on to begin come to grips with key claims or ideas, and enables the faculty to gauge their success in doing so. This may be a useful diagnostic tool: disappointing performance on response papers may then signal to us that particular students need additional help with key concepts, or they may reveal that the entire class needs to spend more time collectively working through some especially difficult points. Finally, each major unit of the course culminates in a somewhat longer â€Å"deliberative essay† in which students are asked to critically assess various perspectives and formulate a position relative to the major theme or issue of that unit. These essays are kept short (typically around five pages) in order to encourage students to be as concise as possible, to make deliberate decisions about what material is most significant, to develop summarization skills and to preclude the â€Å"kitchen sink† approach to paper writing. To aid students in the development of essay writing skills, the faculty have prepared extensive writing guidelines which include such fundamentals as how to construct and support a reasoned argument, how such arguments differ from assertions of opinion, how to use sources and avoid plagiarism. To reinforce our seriousness about the development of analytical writing skills, our grading criteria are keyed to these guidelines and we provide extensive written feedback on essays pointing out where there is significant room for improvement. We also make available to students annotated examples of especially strong essays so that students can see for themselves the kinds of work they are capable of producing and what faculty graders are looking for in student writing. Altogether, students would write 5-8 papers of various lengths, and anywhere from a dozen to several dozen computer log entries. To aid faculty in designing these writing assignments, and to advise students on how to construct them, our faculty team includes an instructor from the university’s writing program who has been involved in course planning from the outset, is familiar with the readings, attends all our lectures, and participates actively in faculty meetings. We have found the writing instructor to be especially valuable in helping us to design writing assignments which balance the open-endedness necessary for real deliberation with the concreteness required to hold student interest. In keeping with this relatively open-ended format, we avoided adopting any standard textbooks, and instead assembled a custom reader which presents students with the challenge of interpreting multiple voices and engaging a variety of perspectives. In addition to our reader, we assign three books representing particular positions on each of the major issues under discussion. To maintain creative tension and space for deliberation, we are careful to include in our reader several counterpoints to each of the books we assign. Our goal is to provide students with enough material to construct a critical and also a supportive position with regard to each major reading. We have also developed a home page on the World Wide Web in order to give students the opportunity to explore the vast array of resources available in cyber-space. Our home page contains all the materials which would be found in a syllabus, together with guidelines for the different kinds of writing assignments students will encounter, annotated examples of strong student essays, information about members of the faculty team, links to computerized discussion forums for each class section, and links to a variety of resources external to the university. Newspapers and magazines, government agencies, political parties, advocacy groups, think tanks, data bases and archives are made accessible through our web page. Our hope is that this array of electronic resources will not just facilitate learning through the classroom experience, but will also prompt students to consider the links between issues and perspectives discussed in class and those they encounter in the media and on the web. To further encourage this, we directly incorporate web materials into some of our class sessions: for example, we used material from the web sites of industry, environmental, and citizens’ groups to facilitate a role-playing exercise in which groups of students were asked to interpret the position of a particular group and to come to class prepared to assume their identity and negotiate with others based upon what they had learned from the web sites we assigned. Substantive VehicleCritical Issues for The United States began as a series of debates on issues which faculty planning teams thought to be important ones for students as citizens. Early versions of the course focused upon such issues as: individual rights and the responsibilities of citizenship; the size and scope of federal government as well as the relative merits of governmental centralization and decentralization; unequal access to quality education; race and affirmative action; and the environment. However, over successive semesters, student evaluations suggested that these issues and the arguments relevant to them were being perceived as separate and disconnected. The course was not providing students with a way to connect these discussions to contested visions of civic life, to see that positions on different issues might be linked by similar understandings of citizenship, to understand that policy debates are also debates about the kind of society we wish to live in and the kinds of citizens we want to be. To provide a substantive vehicle which would refocus the course on contested meanings of civic life and citizenship, and to help students see more clearly the linkages between these visions and particular political positions, we introduced a new integrative theme for the course as a whole: â€Å"the American Dream reconsidered†. We ask students to deliberate on questions such as the following: What has the American Dream meant historically? What meanings does it have for people today? How do visions of the American Dream help us to think about ourselves as citizens, and what difference does it make if we think about the Dream in one way or another? How have issues of race, class, and gender figured in various interpretations of the Dream? Are there nationalist or nativist undertones in some or all versions of the Dream? Can, or should, the prevailing interpretation of the American Dream survive into the 21st century? To engage students on issues where they feel they have some stake and where they already know something, we approach these questions not in the abstract but as they have confronted us in three major areas of public controversy. EconomyWe ask whether the American Dream has been associated with the rise of a large and prosperous â€Å"middle class†, and if that version of the Dream is threatened by economic changes currently underway. What kinds of economic conditions are needed to support the Dream? Who can, or should, participate in such prosperity? What is the meaning of participation in an economy, and how is that participation related to different notions of citizenship and community? This unit of the course introduces the basic market model, emphasizing individual choice and the role of prices as transmitters of both information and incentives. We present the case for the proposition that, in the absence of external intervention, individuals acting in pursuit of their own self-interest will realize through market institutions the most efficient allocation of resources. This implies a limited role for government and a tolerance for the economic and political inequalities which are intrinsic to a system of individualized incentives. We present the classic critique of governmental policies aimed at fostering greater equality: such policies are counterproductive insofar as they distort price signals and undermine incentives for the efficient allocation of resources, and are undesirable since they restrict individual liberty. On this view, then, the American Dream entails the protection of individual rights and liberties and a system of opportunity in which individuals are rewarded in proportion to their hard work and merit. America became a wealthy and powerful world leader through the pursuit of this vision of the Dream and, to the extent that we have in recent decades experienced diminished opportunity, prosperity and power, it is because we have strayed from the original version of the Dream. We also present in this unit a view of the American Dream of individual reward and prosperity as embedded in sets of social institutions which unequally allocate power, wealth and knowledge, and which limit opportunities for meaningful self-government. These inequalities are woven through relations of class, race, and gender, and have intensified in recent years as the American economy has become more polarized in terms of power, income and wealth. This view offers its own vision of the American Dream, one which has markedly different political implications from the first view. The political horizon projected by this vision of the Dream constitutes a community of actively self-governing citizens. To the extent that economic institutions foster inequalities which preclude the realization of this Dream of participatory democracy for all citizens, institutional reforms aimed at equalization and democratization are warranted. We then explore some of the reforms proposed by critics of the contemporary American political economy, as well as the concerns which a more individualistic perspective would raise about those proposed reforms. EducationWe look at education as a pathway to a better life for individuals, or as a prerequisite of an actively self-governing community. What kind of educational system do we need in order to fulfill different versions of the Dream? How are different visions of citizenship implicated in contemporary debates about educational reform? We explore problems of unequal access to quality education, both in K-12 public schools and at the college level. We examine analyses which argue that some Americans receive first-rate education at public expense, while there are entire classes of citizens who are not provided with education adequate to enable effective participation in public deliberations, and thereby become disempowered, second-class citizens. Accordingly, some prescribe a more centralized and uniform administration of public education in order to eliminate the grossest inequalities and insure for all citizens the â€Å"equal protection of the laws† promised by the Fourteenth Amendment. We also explore arguments which locate the problems of public school systems in over-centralized and bureaucratized administrations, and which prescribe institutional reforms which move education closer to a competitive market model based upon consumer sovereignty and choice. Finally, we grapple with the dilemmas of affirmative action in college admissions, and ask how a liberal individualist society can cope with persistent inequalities of race in higher education. EnvironmentWe look at the relationship between the natural environment and the American Dream. Can the prevailing vision of the Dream coexist with a healthy environment? Can we imagine more environmentally friendly versions of the Dream? What would be the broader social and political implications of enacting a more environmentally sustainable vision of the American Dream? We examine the anthropocentric view of nature as having value only insofar as it serves human purposes, and which further suggests that the market mechanism is the best way to determine to what extent humans should exploit the natural environment. Establishing property rights over natural resources creates a direct incentive for their wise management. Further, the price signals and incentives of the market will call forth effective substitutes in response to resource shortages and new technologies which may minimize or eliminate our costliest environmental problems. This â€Å"free market environmentalism† is entirely consistent with the individualistic vision of the American Dream, promising consumers a world in which self-interested market behavior continues to generate high standards of living into the indefinite future. This view is encapsulated in Jay Lenno’s snack chip advertisement: â€Å"Eat all you want; we’ll make more†. In contrast to this market-based view, we also examine the perspective of environmentalists who suggest that our relationship with nature is best viewed not in terms of the instrumental exploitation of an external object, but rather as a necessary aspect of any sustainable human community. On this view, then, our obligation as citizens of the community extends to future generations, and we must make environmental decisions based upon social norms of long-term sustainability. Such decisions cannot be made through the instrumental calculus of the market, but must instead be made through processes of public deliberation. This, in turn, requires institutions to support such processes of democratic deliberation and citizens competent to participate in them, and thus also suggests certain linkages to the other units of our course. In addressing each of these critical issues we hope to lead students to ask: What does the American Dream promise? Does it mean individual liberty? Does it mean democracy? Does it mean equality? Does it mean opportunity for material success? A â€Å"middle class† standard of living for most, if not all, citizens? The freedom to succeed or to fail? Freedom from oppression or poverty? Is it a promise of a better life for individuals? A better society in which all of us can live? Is mass consumption a necessary centerpiece of the Dream, or might it involve a more harmonious and balanced relationship with nature? What can, or should, we expect from the American Dream now and in the future? And what do those expectations mean for our own practices of citizenship? In these ways, we try to encourage our students to see this course as being about themselves, their political community and their future. In that sense, the course as a whole represents an invitation to enter into the public deliberations which are at the heart of various understandings of citizenship. ReflectionsI came to these special courses with some modest experience of teaching discussion-oriented and writing-intensive courses. After an introduction to the teaching profession which involved lecturing three times a week to faceless crowds of 250 or so students, I was fortunate to be able to teach international relations for several years in the Syracuse University Honors Program. These were some of the best students at Syracuse, accustomed to putting serious effort into their education and expecting a more intensive learning experience. It was exhilarating, a whole new kind of teaching for me: the students were eager to learn and it seemed as though all I had to do was present them with some challenging material and prompt them with a few provocative questions and off they went, teaching each other and, in the process, teaching me about teaching. Eventually, though, I began to feel a nagging sense of guilt, inchoate at first, increasingly clear later on. I was doing my best teaching with those students who least needed my help. In that sense, I began to feel that I wasn’t really doing my job. Then I was offered the opportunity to join the Maxwell courses. Reflecting back now on five years of continuous teaching with these very special courses, the thing from which I derive the greatest satisfaction is that we have been able to create for a cross-section of first and second year students a learning experience very much like that which was previously the privilege of Honors students. In that sense, our courses have been about the democratization of education, as well as the education of democratization. How to cite Critical Issues For The United States, Essay examples

Water Pollution Essays (2135 words) - Ocean Pollution,

Water Pollution Nick Lambert 11/12/00 Physics CP (9-11) Ms. Monillas The societies of this world need to wake up, and not only listen to, but understand that it is time to find better ways of dealing with wastes, rather than nonchalantly dumping it into our oceans. For decades people in societies worldwide have taken advantage of the Earth's waters simply by dumping whatever they do not want into them. Apparently our time of easy disposal has run out, the oceans and the life within our showing distinct signs of poor health. The continuous dumping (or traditional dumping) of industrial wastes as well as sewage and garbage into the oceans is beginning to show definite signs of pollution caused stress. The National Research Council recently published information stating that human intervention has begun to take its toll on the marine environment. The ecological balance of oceans worldwide are at a dangerously unstable state, the effects of man-made pollutants introduced into the waters and seas are having severe consequences upon the marine life living t here. There is much that needs to be accomplished before scientists can fully understand how bad our oceans and seas really are. Even more importantly, is the fact that environmental action must be taken now to reduce the oceans growing plight. Arguably the most contributing polluters to our oceans are the major industries of the world. Industrial ocean pollution has incorporated a wide variety of polluters, ranging from major oil spills dispersing toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons (the resultant of the breakdown of petroleum) to PCB=s (polychlorinated biphenyls) as well as DDT=s (dichloro-diphenyl trichloroethane, which is banned in the U.S. but still largely used in third world countries) all of which are used widely in chemical pesticides and detergents The introduction of oil into our oceans occurs in three major ways; by tanker accidents, faulty underwater pipelines, or oilrig blowouts. The times atlas of oceans lists one hundred eighty-six tanker accidents between the years 1970 - 1985. Each accident was given an estimated oil-spill of ten thousand barrels (1,130 tons) or more. Potentially more disastrous are the oilrig blowouts, since they are more difficult than the tanker accidents. For example, in January 1969 an underwater oil drill exploded in the Santa Barbara Channel off the California coast. For nearly two weeks crude oil was polluted into the channel at nearly twenty-one thousand gallons a day. To this day wildlife experts are calling this spill the worst to ever hit the California coast, affecting over thirty different beaches, and killing thousands of birds, seals, and dolphins as well as affecting hundreds of different species of fish. Oil breaks down into different compounds, depending on the molecular structure of the crude. It breaks down by the process of evaporation which leads to the process of dissolution, which in turn leads to emulsification and finally to biodegradation. Evaporation occurs after the first few hours after the oil has been introduced into the water. The best-known way to evaporate the crude is to set it on fire, but this can only be done within a few hours after the oil spill due to having sufficient amount of pure flammable oil to ignite. After the evaporation process the dissolution process begins. The density of the oil will determine just how long the oil will stay at the surface of the water, or how long it will take for the oil slick to break apart and dilute itself. If the oil is relatively light then the period of dilution shall be relatively shorter. Whereas if the oil is heavier in mass, the outcome is a highly persistent water-in-oil emulsion of semi-solid lumps known as chocolat e mousse or more appropriately called tar balls. The latter is potentially more dangerous in a sense that the breakdown period, as well as the outcome of these tar balls is unknown. One known outcome is for the tar balls to sink to the bottom of the ocean and lie undisturbed for an unknown period of time. Here scientists have discovered is where the turmoil begins to discretely affect the food chain. The dilution of oil can affect the marine life in many deadly ways. The releases of toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons, as well as the clouds of chocolate