The Process of Growing Up

â€Å"The process of growing up is when you discover the strength within you survives all the hurt†. It was that last hot summer day of sixth grade, walking home from school as usual being so excited to finally move on and become a seventh grader. While walking home I still remember I had that feeling of joy and happiness to think wow moving up to seventh grade next school year and the enjoyment of growing up a little bit more. Seeing how it was going to be summer break. It was a normal and more than perfect day to actually go home from school without a care in the world. When walking up to my house, I saw the green Ford truck all packed up with our belongings; I thought well, â€Å"when we decided to move†? I was analyzing and questioning all the possibilities of why that truck was loaded up with things that both belonged to my mom and stepdad. As soon as I stepped in the house I knew there was something terribly wrong. I walked throughout my house seeing everything turned upside down, smashed, thrown around everywhere and destroyed all to pieces. As a sixth grade little girl I didn’t know how to react or even know what to think. All I really knew was someone obviously wasn’t happy and that same person was moving out. At this point my mom was basically the â€Å"house wife† that cooked, cleaned and did all the motherly things. While my stepdad worked and made the money. They both had their hands full with four kids and still being able to maintain their marriage and relationship. But as you can see their marriage wasn’t at all perfect, everything down fell from there. My stepdad left us with nothing; took just about everything that was in our house. The only thing we had left was our toys and rooms. Coming home and seeing my house destroyed in every way is when I knew at that point nothing is going to be the same and knowing my stepdad was moving out was not one of the best things for any of my family’s lives. Since my mom didn’t work she had to get a job in order to support four kids including a roof over our heads, food and clothing on our backs. This was the turning point of many emotions, anger, disgust and hatred but at the same time this one thing helped me grow in strength, maturity and even responsibility towards myself, making me who I am today. Devastated as I was, my mom had to work nights as a bartender meaning she was never home with me at night and me being the oldest resulted in me having to watch my brothers and sister. Emotions were running high in my family, but from then on watching my little brothers and sister was my job, didn’t really have a huge social life, I found my world spiraling. All of these effects that took place when my stepdad decided to move out really had this huge impact on my life. While trying to take care of my brother and sister, I found myself having to grow up more and more every day. The responsibilities that were involved were more than I could ever handle at that time. Working hard to help out my mom and getting through the emotions of my stepdad leaving was the most life learned experience I’ve ever had to go through. The hardest time in my life by far. As a result of that time, I can say now it really made me a better person in every way imaginable. As time went on it eventually resolved itself, making me more responsible than ever; my maturity enlarged immensely and just that experience alone makes me a grateful person now. Seeing how people can destruct something they once loved including their family really made me realize how lucky our family was without him. Although this experience was at rock bottom at the beginning it ended up working out for the better. In a way that I got a chance to realize something’s on my own and not to only depend on my parents. Just of the simple fact that I learned to have responsibilities. Which in the end really helps me now and for in my future. Having to grow up too fast was the most challenging thing in my life. My family and I survived all the heartbreak that came from my stepdad leaving but now actually being eighteen, I can say it was really worth him leaving. With that being said; â€Å"The process of growing up is when you discover the strength within you survives all the hurt†.

Labor Market for Nurses in Florida

Florida State is located in the South Eastern region of the United States.   Most of it is a peninsula bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on the west and Atlantic Ocean on the East.   Florida has the 4th highest state population in United State. As at 2006, the population was over 18 million.   Economically by 2005, the gross state product was over 500 billion dollars.Florida’s labor market is determined by employment and wages, labor force, economic indicators and the population structure.   In 2004, Florida approved a constitutional amendment to increase the minimum wage to over 6 dollars per hour.   All employees were then supposed to comply with the wages increase (www.stateoflorida.com/portal/)In labor market, employees and workers respond in exactly opposite ways to higher wages.   More people want to work when wages go up but employers then hire fewer workers. However, if labor markets operated normally, the level of employment and subsequent wage would be deter mined by the law of supply and demand.   The number of workers on a given job and the wage paid to them should reflect an agreement between the needs of both parties.   Employers would like to hire more workers at a lower wage but not enough workers are willing to accept employment for lower pay (Lovell, 2006).Wages are determined in a market economy by among many factors, tradeoffs and government’s improvement of market outcomes.   The government can improve the outcome of the economic system and stimulate the development of a society. Tradeoffs involve sacrifices made in obtaining certain products or services rather than others using the same required resources. These factors influence the nursing wages in Florida.Nursing wages are determined mostly by the skills needed at work, place of employment and the mount of time spent at work.   Enhanced educational credentials also determine the amount of premium that a nurse is paid.   Therefore nurses are paid according to the level of academics and their job contribution. Among many determinants of wage calculation, include productivity of the worker, output per hours worked, employer’s willingness to work, cost of living, experience and many others. These factors determine wages of nurses in Florida (http://www.floridanurse.org/foundationgrants/index.asp)There are various factors that influence the supply and demand of nurses in Florida.   The rapid aging of both the population and the nursing workforce results in the need for supply of nurses to maintain pace with the growing demand. There has been a decrease in supply of nurses due to poor working environment, closure of nursing schools, nursing faculty shortages and other career opportunities. All these have decreased the supply of nurses.   Licensing data indicate that over 40% of active licensed Florida nurses are over 50 years of age and 15% are over 60 years. (http://www.dob.state.fl.us/). These factors have led to an increased demand in the supply of nursesIn Florida, various factors play a critical role in determining the salary that a nurse is to be paid.   These include the academic level, time spent at job, the locale, and experience. There are different types of nurses; school nurses, occupational health nurses, Geriatric nurses who work and care for the elderly and also those with masters and doctoral degrees.   All these have a different structure of salary.However, generally the average starting salary for a new nurse in Florida ranges from about 15 dollars an hour or around 31,000 dollars a year.   However, the salaries increase tremendously with experience.   The salary of an advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) range from 45,000 dollars to over 90,000 dollars annually. (http://www.floridanurse.org/foundatrionGrnats/index.asp) Utah State also faces a shortage of nurses.   The situation is a more severe and critical shortage.   Utah has ageing nursing professionals with an a verage registered nurses being 47 years.   However, Utah can employ various techniques to increase the supply of nurses.They can increase the number of nursing faculty in the various nursing schools.   Young men and women interested in developing a career in nursing can get an opportunity to train in the arena.   The nursing schools can be increased to accommodate more students and also be able to offer refresher courses to learners. Learners can also be given loans, scholarships and grants to undertake nursing education programs. This will increase the supply of nurses tremendously.   (http://www.utahnurses.org/portal/default.)REFERENCEFlorida Nurses Association article- Retrieved on 23rd Jan 2008 from;http://www.floridanurse.org/foundationgrants/index.aspLovell, v. (2006). Solving the nursing shortage through higher wages. Institute for women’s policy research: Washington DC, USA.Utah Nurses Association article- Retrieved on 23rd Jan 2008 from;http://www.utahnurses. org/portal/default.

Human Health Essay

Health in human beings includes physical, social and psychological well being or fitness. Changing weather patterns, for instance, extreme events affects human health directly or indirectly through changes in air, food quality and quantity, ecosystem agriculture, livelihood and infrastructure. Research on effects of climate change Confalonieri et al provided evidence climate change has; altered distribution of some infectious disease vectors altered the seasonal distribution of allergenic pollen species and increases heat wave-related deaths (2007). Seriousness of the effects of climate change is further manifested by increase in malnutrition and consequence disorders, including disorders related to child growth and development, increase in death, diseases, and body injury from heat waves, storms, fires and drought. As climate change, some infectious disease vector has change too; this has made them more resistant to traditional drugs. The change has also lend to mixed effects on malaria, in some places, the geographical range has contracted while in other places the range has expand and still in others the transmission season has changed. Transmission of water borne diseases like typhoid and cholera increases. The research has also proved an increase in cardio respiratory morbidity and mortality associated with ground level ozone. Non –communicable diseases, such as heart disease diabetes stroke and cancer are estimated to contribute about half of the global burden of all disease at all ages. Despite this, communicable diseases affecting human health are a great threat to public health in many parts of the world. According to the report, almost two million deaths a year are feared to result from diarrheal diseases and other communicable diseases and other conditions that are attributed to unsafe drinking water and lack of basic sanitation. Malaria, a disease whose geographical rage is affected by climate causes an estimated one million deaths annually especially in young children. Mal-nutrition and drought leading to adverse negative effects on human health, is greatly attributed to climate change. In the report, it is estimated that an increase in frequency or intensity of heat waves will increase the risk of mortality and morbidity, especially in old age group and the urban poor. An increase in climate extremes, for instance storm, floods and drought would cause more deaths injuries, population displacement and adverse effects on food production, fresh water availability and an increase in the risk of infectious disease particularly in low income countries. Considering the current trends of emissions to continue, more harm will be done to the environment; air quality will worsen, ozone and other particulate pollutants will increase, increasing mortality and morbidity amongst human beings. From the report, a clear relationship between climate and human health is described, but in it is common knowledge that disease have been here as long as man has existed. It is therefore important to consider and see climate change as a catalyst and not necessary the cause of ill health in human beings. Despite this, more understanding of the extent, rate, limiting forces and major drivers of adaptation of human population to a changing climate is needed. This will reduce the impacts of climate change on human health.

Language change and Language contact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Language change and Language contact - Essay Example The linguistic structure of any language is the pillar of dialect differentiation. That is vocabulary and grammar which is composed of the formation of words (morphology) and sentence structure (syntax). For instance, in Australia, Canada and US, the term corn is interpreted as maize. The same word means wheat and oats in England and Scotland respectively. A language code is a letter or a number for identifying different languages. They are useful in the organization of data for a particular language. Schemes use them to classify languages. In ISO 639‑1 for instance, the name of English is en and the name of Spanish language is es. In the 16th to 19th century, Europeans and non-Europeans interacted in other areas other than Europe. There various activities that led to these interactions such as colonization, plantation agriculture, mining and trade. Pidgin as a language, it developed as a means of communication between those groups. There were no native speakers as the users of the language used it only for their activities and they went back to their native languages for intrapersonal communication. When different cultures and languages come together, they combine their gestures, sounds and their words to form pidgin. In communication of people from different language backgrounds, there exist different gestures, different vocal patterns and speeches. For smooth communication, they have to adjust all of them according to their personal usage. Communication accommodation is practiced to reduce social differences. There are two processes that are involved in communication accommodation which are convergence and divergence accommodation (Fromkin & Hyams, 2014). Phonology is a part of language change and deals with how to sequence and structure the speech sounds. Different languages have different phonemes (speech sound). For instance, the sound ng in bang cannot be allowed to come in front of the word. In phonology

Informational interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Informational interview - Essay Example dent of me to conduct a personalized interview with some of the accountants who have made it to the top in order to become adept with the skills and challenges they faced. c) During my interviews, the interviewees were more than interested and willing to offer the information I ask for. Their corporation partly showed their experience and the importance of sharing information to other people.d)A part from the learned skills employees’ performance requires a lot more of interpersonal skills to allow right communication with employers, other employees and customers. In fact, to improve your career and get promotions especially in the field of accounting you need to put more diligence, creativity, and ethics at work. e) I am going to talk about the information I got from an interview with an accountant onhow the skills and challenges experienced overtime in the field of accounting are crucial to the transcending of his career to greater heights even to the position of a CFO. a) Good communication skills: As an accountant aspiring to be a manager, you need effective communication skills in order to relay you facts efficiently to the junior as well as senior staff. This will also help you reduce making many

Conference Organised by Beyond Zero Campaign Assignment

Conference Organised by Beyond Zero Campaign - Assignment Example Daniel Steel was one of the speakers. He is an expert in laboratory tests especially blood test.   Therefore, he was an important speaker bearing in mind that Beyond Zero Campaign fight blood loss during childbirth. As a media personality from Sky news, He gave me chance for an interview after he was through with the speech. Steel is in his early forties and he is the C.E.O of blood test Clinix Company that is in Texas. The company involves itself in the business of blood testing. Medicine is not complete without blood analysis. When a doctor wants to check the status of your health such as to know the level of cholesterol or sugar in your body, blood testing must take place. The process usually requires needle and blood test tubes. The blood drawn from your veins into the test tubes go through testing in the laboratory by lab technicians. The biggest companies for blood testing in America are Quest and Laboratory Corporation of America. The two companies generate huge revenue and hence blood analysis is a lucrative business and steel was here not only to speak at a conference but also to drive his agenda of opening blood testing centres in Africa. â€Å"It is not expensive to test blood. It can be done fast and easily when the right tools are used†. Steel told his audience. While in the conferenc e, he had worn his working uniform to sound more convincing. He spoke systematically that everyone understood him. He started blood test Clinix Company with other medics 10 years ago at his young age of 23. Since then, the company has done well in the business and has developed many blood test methods. With only a drop or two, you discover many health conditions, whether cancer or any other. The blood centre is doing all it can to avail their blood test services to many hospitals. The idea of doing this is the help those who are far from the blood testing centre. Blood samples from the patient go from the hospital to the clinix lab. Discussions are underway for clinix to collaborate with as many hospitals as possible.  

Why do student cheat and what should the consequences be Research Paper

Why do student cheat and what should the consequences be - Research Paper Example Many students plagiarize and are caught. The truth is that in order to provide depth of research, a writer will need to combine primary and secondary sources. In the sciences, for example, raw data is important, but how that data has been interpreted by others, over the years, is also very significant. You need to cite that work and not merely present it as your own. It is important to use academic libraries, online databases such as ProQuest, and Google Books and Scholar, in order to find these sources and put them into action. Beware collecting or holding on to irrelevant information, which is sometimes a temptation. It is easy to get sidetracked and create a â€Å"bulge†Ã¢â‚¬â€a part or paragraph of the essay that has no real connection with the thesis. It is also easy to forget where your work starts and where someone else s begins. That is how a lot of plagiarism begins. You copy a lot of quotes into your paper hoping to use them and cite them properly, but over the week s you begin to forget what work is yours and what work is not. There are many examples of this happening to students (Richardson). An article by Sue McGowan and Margaret Lightbody provides a lot of useful information about plagiarism and its consequences. The authors of this paper are deeply concerned about it. They suggest that instead of threatening to punish students who plagiarize work, a more effective approach is to educate them about the affects and consequences of plagiarism. The authors describe an experiment to help educate accounting students. The study asked students a number of important questions relating to plagiarism. For example, when is it necessary to cite references. What does it mean to paraphrase? What are the potential punishments or disciplinary actions for performing an act of plagiarism? The authors concluded that providing students with an incentive to put references in their work is a good way to avoid acts of plagiarism. They

Grand proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Grand - Research Proposal Example Similarly, renewed economic growth stimulates political stability accordingly. Thus, it seems clear and defined that the economic development generates political development and vice versa within the development context of industrialized countries. However, for all studies into the subject of relations in economic and political development, they lack the objective evidence necessary to resolve this argument, and describe the subject accordingly (Rivero 17). Thus, this desertion pursues a cross-cultural study in three different third world countries, to evaluate the economic and political development through structured study and present evidence into the subject. Thus, the evaluable contexts in the study incorporate the countries of Chile, Peru and Bolivia, all which are neighbours. They all present a multi perspective of the subject; hence, the selection for the study. As the population continues to increase and voter turnouts remain constantly low, then the question arises into the subject of the realistic aspect in a capitalistic democratic government ability to maintain economic stability and development. Consequently, as the costs of political influence increase, the evidence within the firm level and economic aspects in the developing countries also begins to show. Thus, from these consequential effect statements, the question of the interleaved aspects of economic and political development in developing countries continues to raise simulating debates, which seem to have no end (Rivero 69). Thus, this research proposal will seek to evaluate and present evidence into the relations between the economic and political development as they influence each other from a developing countries perspective. Thus, the hypothesis for the research entails that, both economic and political development present vast evidence of aspects of interrelations, which cause them inseparable in determining and fostering a countries development process and

Mergers & Acquisitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Mergers & Acquisitions - Essay Example The activity of merger & acquisition is predominantly undertaken by the acquired firms to improve the financial performance. The following factors are considered to improve the financial status of the organisation: The combined company oftenly reduces its fixed costs by extracting extra departments, lowering the costs of the company and to increase the revenue of the organisation, thus increasing the profit margins. A profitable company can buy a company who are at loss so as to make use of the targets loss as their merit by decreasing the tax liability. In the United States and other countries, rules are that of profitable companies buys those companies who suffer from loss, which limits the tax motive of acquiring a company. Geographical diversification is for earning easily from a company, which in the long term helps in the trends of the stock market of a company to rise, giving investors’ confidence while investing in the company. Vertical integration occurs when the upstream and downstream companies are combined. There are various reasons for vertical integration to occur. One reason is a relationship of internal with an external problem. A common example one of an external problem is that of double margins. Double margins occur when the upstream and downstream companies are the monopolies in power, every company decreases output from the competition to the monopoly level, which results to two losses. By merging the firm can burden one loss by putting the downstream company’s output in the competition. This result to increase in the profit. A merger that introduces a vertically integrated firm can be profitable. The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), owned by the Saudi Arabian Government, is a collective, global petroleum initiative, and a world leader in discovering and producing, refining, distribution, and etc. The company operates and reserves of 260 billion bpd oil , the largest than any other company in the world, and is the fourth

Case study Organizational Behavior Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational Behavior - Case Study Example It will analyze various aspects of the scenario, including the conflict, differences in personality characteristics of the two main role players, communication status, perception and projection, and the attribution theory. Susan and Julie both work at the same university. It is Julie’s responsibility to complete reports for some of the other workers in the company, including Susan. There was a report that Susan wanted completed by a certain time that Julie did not complete. This caused an eruption of strife. Susan complained that Julie needed close supervision to stay on task and that she was not performing as well as the others who had similar position in the company. Julie found Susan to be overbearing and difficult to communicate with. Both of them decided to take their complaints to Dr. Griffiths, the department chair Julie is the laid-back, middle-classed office worker who likes to keep banker’s hours. In addition to her career she has a family that she is devoted to as well as many other activities that she engages in to assist the community. Clearly from her level of community activism, Julie is a person that believes in compassion and helping others. It is this belief that is going to play a major role in her conflict at work. Also adding fuel to the conflict is the fact that Julie does not like to take her work home. She enjoys her job and the level of pay that she receives, but does not want to let the job be the major focus of her life. Susan, on the other hand, is a type A personality. She works long and hard at her career, leaving little time for anything else. Due to the high workload that Susan takes on regularly, she is often hard to contact. Her time is usually always devoted to something work related. The focus of Susan’s life is climbing up the corporate ladder. Her belief system has helped her to obtain the level of success that she has accomplished thus far and she believes that others

Education School Essay Example for Free

Education School Essay Education is a topic that has been implemented on our generation more than ever before. However, it is not for the grades, degree or the income that education should be important to us. It is for the sake of learning and developing our character that education should be valued. When people go to school, they receive education and thus become educated, however, these people must keep in mind that a major portion of the world receives no form of formal education. Due to their good fortune, the educated people have responsibilities to the world. The first responsibility of an educated person is to help educate others. This may come in the form of teaching classes, tutoring, helping others or simply correcting errors. When we teach people we spread the value of education and share skills that are essential for survival. Other people are able to think rationally and evolve into a self dependent person through the knowledge they attain. Once people are educated, they are able to prevent others from taking advantage of them or cheating them. Through education, people are also able to use the resources they own efficiently and sparingly. Finally, education allows people from different nationalities and locations to communicate and work together in a beneficial harmony. The second responsibility of an educated person is to aim to advance to a better future. It is through evolution that we have become more intellectual and learned. For this process to be beneficial and continuous, we must use it and upgrade it through our use. In the past, communication was a problematic process, today; we have e-mail accounts, cell phones, chat sites, video chat sites and messengers for instant communication. Presently, global warming and oil depletion are major complications. If we are able to advance and address this problem, we would be using our education beneficially. There would be less violence over oil and the future would be a less worrisome place if global warming was tackled. However, this is just one amongst the billions of changes we could make, all to create a better future. The third responsibility of an educated person is to create or maintain stability and order in the world. Through stability and order, the world  becomes a much safer place where people share respect for each other and live in harmony. When there is order, people are insured of payments for their services. They are motivated to work-hard and use positive, instead of negative means to earn their income. Thus, through stability and order, ethics can also be implemented into people. Thus, the three main responsibilities of an educated person are to educate others, aim for a better future and create as well as maintain stability in the world. Through these goals, the world becomes a positive place and continues to flourish after each generation.

Impact of ICT on an Adult in Employment, Including the Effect on Working Style Essay Example for Free

Impact of ICT on an Adult in Employment, Including the Effect on Working Style Essay Anything people have made could be called technology, but usually people think of advances in using scientific knowledge and applying it to a practical use, like creating photovoltaic cells or wind turbines. Technology interested in examples of a specific technology in use, such as the internet or Decision Support Systems. Technology can solve most of our problems and everything which we are using in our live for example: radio, television, computers, internet, mobile phone, and These are called technology. We use technology in different places too for example: at home, in offices, business, shops, or so on. Different people give Different people will give it different meaning depending on their viewpoint and context. The role and impacts of technology in both our personal and lives are ever growing. Technology is about taking action to meet a human need rather than merely understanding the workings of the natural world. We can define Technology like this: A body of knowledge used to create tools, develop skills, and extract or collect materials; the application of science (the combination of the scientific method and material) to meet an objective or solve a problems called Technology. Aim: In this study I am going to tell about the life of John: John is a engineer and he is 52 years old he has 22 years experience and he is a businessman and he use different technologies for his work and for his life he use the following technologies: E mail Mobile Phone Laptop Computer And also I am writing about the life of John which how does the technology affect on his life and how this technology change his life, because John said that 20 years ago I have not any Mobile Phone, e-mail address and Software, which I have now, and he said that since 5 years the technology has changed my life and I can not do my works without these technologies. E-mail introduction: E-mail, short for electronic mail, is a system in which a computer user can exchange messages with other computer users using a communications network. To use e-mail, you must have access to a computer that is linked to the outside world, via a modem, phone line, or fiber optic cable (Ethernet). Sending e-mail is similar to sending postal mail, with some very important differences: 1. E-mail is thousands of times faster. A message can go from Illinois to Australia in seconds! 2. E-mail is free on campus-there is no postage cost to students. 3. E-mail is not as private as a regular letter. 4. E-mail does involve learning how to use computer programs. 5. Also, E-mail requires us to have a sign-on to the electronic mail system, and this usually involves having a password, too. 6. E-mail can be sent to many people at the same time, and you can participate in on-going discussions on many subjects at the same time. 7. E-mail can access information and file libraries, well send a message and get a document or pictures back within minutes. 8. E-mail often contains typos and misspellings because it is so easy to produce and send. How/why he uses E-mail personally? John uses e-mail to send his report to the company that he is working for at the time and to send or receive photographs over the internet. Sending reports over the internet saves a lot of time and is an easier method of communicating than through the post. Before he got the internet he used the post to send the report to the company. He use the internet to inform his partners, and when he fine an offer he can send an e-mail to all of his colleague to inform those and some times he sent some maps of homes from his own e-mail to other colleague, and also he use e-mail to sent some photos and videos too, and he said: that I am not always use my e-mail to my own work I use my email for enjoying and sending messages for my Childs, wife, friends and to my families too. What is the advantages/disadvantage of e-mail? John said that E-mail Advertising, as effective as it is has both advantages and disadvantages. It is useful to be well aware of both sides of the coin as one embarks on the use of e-mail for their marketing and advertising, and he is also that the good news is that the advantages of e-mail advertising are numerous and far outweigh the few disadvantages. The advantages of e-mail which effect on his life these are in the following: 1. Its faster. He received email almost immediately after it is send, usually within minutes. 2. Its more conversational. Because of its immediacy, a whole series of e-mail messages maybe he exchanged within a very short time. As a result, email messages tend to be less formal and they are also usually shorter and more to the point. 3. Because e-mail is so new, he has no hard and fast rules about what may be said in a message. These rules are evolving because of his increased use of email, as well as the advent of new technology that continually affects how he applies it. And he also said that e-mail does not have just advantages it has disadvantages too, now I am writing about the disadvantages of e-mail which effect on John life: 1. As he has seen, one of the biggest disadvantages of email is the capability for misunderstanding. Email has some other disadvantages as well. It can be used to talk to more than one person at a time, but the means for doing so can be a bit cumbersome. At its core, email is a one to one communication medium. Email requires active participation, and he has to check his email to get messages. If he does not check his email, he will never know that somebody has contacted him. 2. Too much e-mail can lead to management problems with his in-box being overwhelmed by mail. 3. Due to its informal nature it is easy to his to ignore-unlike communication on the telephone or mail. Which things E-mail contain? * Inbox: An area in his mail memory that holds received messages that have not been read or processed. * Drafts: When he saved some documents in his e-mail address, the files and documents which he saved before he can find in Drafts. * Sent: The mails which he sent this sent item will tell him which files, letters, documents and images he sent. * Spam: Internet spam is one or more unsolicited messages, sent or posted as part of a larger collection of messages, all having substantially identical content. * Trash: rubbish and worthless material that is to be disposed of. * Contacts: All his friends, families, workers and someone else that John knows them he can save all his e-mail address in contact and then can see their emails easily and early when he wants. * Calendar: We all know about meaning of Calendar, calendar is a system of organizing days for a socially, religious, commercially, or administratively useful purpose. * Notepad: Some important sentences that John want to save them Notepad is the place that he can save them all their. If John didnt have E-mail, how would it affect his job? John said: if I didnt have e-mail address then I would lose my business, because I have lots of workers in my business I can see every one and telling all of them about their jobs, so the easiest way for me is that I am sending all of them and receiving the responses of them, and also by using my mail I can sent some maps and places and directions for my workers, and I am informing them, also I am using my mails to sent and receives from my family, and friends too. Mobile Phone Introduction: A Mobile Phone (also known as a Cellular Telephone) is defined as a portable electronic device for the purpose of telecommunications over long distances. Most current mobile phones actually connect to a cellular network of base stations (the cell sites themselves) which overlap to yield coverage and which also link to the standard landline public switched telephone network. It should be noted that mobile phones are distinct from household cordless telephones which generally operate only within range of a dedicated base station (though the distinction is blurring with mobile phones that can link via Bluetooth to a home internet base station). It should be noted, however, that the term mobile phone can refer to any type of mobile telephony device and also includes satellite phones and radio phones. Most phones has camera which we can take photos, and record some videos too. How/why he uses Mobile Phone? John use mobile phones to be connect with his family, children, and wife and with his friends. And he uses his mobile phone in office and to his business to inform his workers and to be in touch with the peoples which he works. He also uses mobile phone to send videos, photos, messages for every body which he wants. He uses different things that his mobile contain and the following things his mobile phones contain: Messages, Contact, Alarm, Calendar, Fun box, Reminder, Call register, Tones, Profiles, Calculator. He uses Messages to send document and messages for his family, friend, wife and sons. He uses Alarm to wake up morning early for his job. And the calendar which his Mobile Phone contain he known that what date is today and which day is today. And his mobile phone has reminder to remind him sometimes which he forgot some works. And some times the times which he filling board he is going to Games which it mobile has and Playing some games, and his mobile phone has internet too that he can go too internet and see his mails and another things which we can do it on internet and he said that I am glad and I am filling too good cause I can solve my lots of problems with using the mobile phone. What are advantages/disadvantages of mobile phone when he use? Advantages of using mobile phone: 1. He can take it with him whom he didnt miss important calls. 2. He doesnt have telemarketers bugging him at dinner time. 3. If he has car trouble or an accident he can call for emergencies. 4. He can take the pictures of accident or any things else by his mobile phones. 5. If he is finding for somewhere he can call for directions. 6. If he goes to store and wants to buy something he can use his mobile phone for more details or for more information. 7. He can use his mobile phone to see his mails and some sides. 8. With integrated phones and their features, making his life much easier no matter what kind a profession or age a person is. 9. Mobile phone doesnt have to call, he uses his mobile phone for the following things too: camera, music player, features, emailing, document editor and so on. Disadvantage of using mobile phone: 1. John said: I had an accident, because when I was derived I talked with my wife. 2. Most of time he missed lots of important calls when he forgot his mobile somewhere. 3. His mobile phone need charges for using it, therefore this is very boring and sad for John to charge it every day. 4. When John has some meeting often his mobile phone disturbs him during his works. How good is it at fulfilling his personal needs? John has got a new version of mobile phone called (Nokia N95), which is the most technically advanced smart phone ever! Complete with satellite navigation, a 5 mega pixel camera with auto focus, 3G video calling, with 8 GB chip, that his Nokia N95 contain. And the following things which his mobile phone includes they are most likely to fulfilling his personal needs. Some times John is recording with his phone everywhere and anything which he wants and can get images too. The Nokia N95 has almost everything else he could use them to fulfilling his needs: * Music Player with support for all common music formats. * A stereo FM radio. * Integrated hands free speaker. * Speaker independent voice dialing. * Talking ring tones. * HSDPA (the fast data transfer technology dubbed 3.5G). How good is it at fulfilling his social needs? John use his mobile phone to be always in touch with his friends, workers, families, and businessmen and another ways to develop social and communication called text which he uses most of times. Texting is particularly important in maintaining contact with a wide social network allows him to maintain social bonds even when he do not have the time, energy, inclination or budget for calls or visits. Texting re-creates the brief, frequent, spontaneous connections with members of our social network that characterized the small communities of pre industrial times. And also John hasnt always thinks about himself but he is helping people too and sometimes he teach some students in universities too for helping and some people calling him to solve their problems, and this is the easiest way for him to talk with lots of people without meets them. One of the most dangerous of mobile phone is that when he is driving some times he picked up phone and it can cause accident which he did before. How does John use mobile phone at work? Often John uses his mobile phone to be in touch with his family, friends he is not using his mobile phone at office, but he has an office phone which is called handheld mobile phone. And handheld mobile phone is working same like mobile phone but it doesnt need any chip just he connected his handheld mobile phone on socket which needs electricity and he has three of these. And this handheld mobile phone is cheaper than mobile phone when he called somewhere and John is saying that he made me too much busy therefore I cant do my works clearly and with good mind. He is using his mobile phone at office too, because some times handheld mobile phone is busy, then he uses he mobile phone he wants, and this is the biggest advantages of mobile phone. John said: when I have bought mobile phone I filled too much comfortable, and my business also day by day increasing and I have got too much money. Laptop Computer Introduction: I am writing a brief introduction about laptop computer and the kind of things which most of laptop computer (note books) contain: A laptop is a portable personal computer that is of a size that it can sit on our lap. Or we can define it like this: Laptop (or notebook PC) is a portable computer that can be battery or mains powered. They provide flexibility beyond the standard PC but often at a significant price premium. Laptop and desktop have big different and both of them are mixture words. Laptop means we sit it on our lap, and desktop means we sit it on desk. Laptop contains the following major features: * Keyboard: Keyboard layout is often sacrificed. The home, End, Page- Up and Page Down keys may not be dedicated, requiring that we hold down the Fn key at the same time. This can be very cumbersome if we use these keys a lot. Function keys and cursor keys are often made smaller, and one keyboard feels better than another. * Screen Resolution: Today, laptops use high-quality active matrix LCD screens. However, the built-in display system also feeds an external monitor for desktop use or a data projector. * External Display keyboard Connectors: Connect a full-size CRT and keyboard for home/office. Even if we like our laptop keyboard, we may want to use an external one with our external monitor, so that both units are positioned comfortably. A full-size keyboard can be connected through the external keyboard port or USB port. * Built-in Pointing Device: Either a touchpad or pointing stick is built into the laptop. There are differences. A regular mouse is always an option and connects via the mouse port or USB port. * Expansion: Expansion is a little more critical with laptops than with desktops that have extra bus slots and drive bays. However, nowadays laptops all have PC Card (PCMCIA) slots and USB ports, making them very flexible. * Batteries: Lithium ion batteries do not suffer from the memory- effect of older nickel cadmium, and to a slightly lesser extent, nickel metal hydride. * Multimedia: All laptops today have built-in speakers and generally include an optical drive (CD-RW, DVD-ROM or DVD-RW). DVD drives typically support all CD read and write modes as well. A removable drive offers more flexibility for upgrading later. * Weight: Seven pounds does not sound like much until we lug it around all day. To reduce poundage. Sub notebooks use external floppy. CD and DVD drives. One of the first time laptop in 1983, Tandys Radio Shack division launched the Model 100 micro Executive Workstation. It weighed only four pounds and included a built-in word processor, name and address list and modem. The Model 100 was inspiration for the huge portable market that followed. Laptop computers generally cost more than desktop computers with the same capabilities because they are more difficult to design and manufacture. A laptop can effectively be turned into a desktop computer with a docking station, a hardware frame that supplies connections for peripheral input/output devices such as a printer or larger monitor. Laptop usually comes with displays that use thin-screen technology. The thin film transistor or active matrix screen is brighter and views better at different angles than the STN or dual-scan screen. Laptops use several different approaches for integrating a mouse into the keyboard, including the touch pad, the trackball, and the pointing stick. A serial port also allows a regular mouse is attached. The PC Card is insertable hardware for adding a modem or network interface card to a laptop. CD-ROM and digital versatile disc drives may be built-in or attachable. How/why he uses laptop computer personally? After all, todays laptops have just as much computing power as desktops, without taking up as much space. He can take a laptop on the road with him to do his computing or make presentations. Perhaps he prefers comfortably working on his couch in front of the TV instead of sitting at a desk. A laptop is a full-blown, genuine computer that can do anything a desktop computer can do. John can do programming, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, accounting and multimedia presentations. The portability of laptops allows him to do many things that he cannot do with a desktop. He can write his sales proposal, article or business presentation while traveling on a plane or commuting on the bus or train or subway. What is Laptop computers memory? Laptops have memory, both RAM and ROM, just like desktops. The laptops ROM chip contains the BIOS just as it does in a desktop computer. RAM stores the application software and data files while the computer is on. RAM differs on a laptop in that it uses a different form facto that is, the size and shape of the modules that carry the RAM. Manufacturers have to build laptops to be portable (smaller) and to withstand more jostling (durable) than a desktop would ever get, so the memory modules have to be different. While some laptops use a standard Small Outland Dual Inline Memory Module (SODIMM), others use the manufacturers proprietary memory modules. Most laptops should have at least 64 MB of RAM to have sufficient memory to run operating systems and applications software. Also, some laptops allow him to upgrade the memory of his computer and come equipped with convenient access panels to plug in additional memory chips. What is Laptop computers Disk Drives? Like desktop, laptops have various disk drive storage devices. All laptops have an internal hard disk drive, usually 6 to 20 gigabytes (GB). The hard disk drive stores operating systems, application programs and data files. Although the hard disk drive works the same in a laptop as it does in a desktop, laptops generally have less disk space than desktops and he will have fewer choices for hard disk drives in laptop. The smaller hard disk space is one of the chief limitations of laptops. What are the advantages of laptop when john uses? John think when one thinks of laptops there are a few immediate advantages that come to mind. From John readings and personal experience these revolve around some of the following points: * The flexibility and mobility of laptops increases access time. * They tend to be lightweight-thus mobile. * Can easily be moved around the classroom. * Give you the option of being wireless. * Being able to have them in class away from a lab setting time management factor * Portable on field trips. * One can get instant access to information (wireless or internet connected laptops) * Access in class to multiple online resources, search engines, encyclopedias and discussion groups * Participate in virtual communities. * Ability to communicate and research at multiple levels. * Digital brainstorming, outlining and presentations can be generated within classroom walls. * Note taking, webbing which then can be shared immediately. * ; Data processing, analysis; incorporating online databases and spreadsheets. * Student with data processing can immediately check their results and develop immediate in class analysis. * It works 2 3 hours without any electricity. * It is small and has low density and can everybody bring whit themselves. * Greater ability to share, communicate and access students files or vice versa teacher assignments. * Ability to display and demonstrate leaning using a TV monitor or projector in office, or class accessing. * And our laptops have games too, which in bored time we can play their. What are the Disadvantages of laptop? * Laptops are more expensive * Slower than a desktop * Difficult to upgrade or repair * John has to lug it around all day * Much easier to drop or break * It can be easily stolen * If he speed his type the laptop will probably rock on his laptop with his typing which can become quite uncomfortable. How good is it at fulfilling his personal needs? John recommends that laptop users carry out prolonged task with their machine set up on a desk, with an external keyboard a mouse attached. This allows them to adopt a much safer posture, rather than the position a laptop forces them into. John said: having a laptop means that I can work just about anywhere, and he also said: If I go away for the weekend, I can take my work with me, and even do some of it on the train. He uses his laptop computer to see connect it with TV and see some movies, songs, BBC and so on. What is John opinion about laptop using? John said: The use of laptop or notebook computer is widespread and many people use them regularly as part of the work process. Where a laptop is used regularly by people as a significant part of their day-to- day work, then these regulations will apply. In many cases employers will use the one-hour rule i.e. if a laptop is used continually for one hour or more than the employee will be classified as a user. There are three main categories of risk associated with laptop use: 1. Equipment design 2. The environment that they are to be used in. 3. Physical demands upon the use.

Spanish Language Varieties in Spain and in Mexico

Spanish Language Varieties in Spain and in Mexico Spanish language varieties in Spain and in Mexico. George Bernard Shaw regarded Great Britain and America as ‘two countries divided by a common language’. This viewpoint can be also applied to Spain and Mexico, the Spanish-speaking countries with different language varieties and dialects that have been formed under the influence of specific historical, cultural, political and social events. Despite the fact that Spanish is spoken in many countries, the major varieties of Spanish can be observed in Latin America and Spain, where the language, according to Clare Mar-Molinero (2000), â€Å"is buoyant and secure† (p.18). Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family and comes from Vulgar Latin language, although Spanish vocabulary consists of Italian, French and Arabic words. Spanish language in Latin America has five major varieties: the Caribbean, the South American Pacific, the Argentinian-Uruguyan-Paraguayan, the Central American, and the Highland (or Standard) Latin American. However, this classification is too generalised, as it is based only on the differences in pronunciation. Due to â€Å"the immensity of the territory where Latin American Spanish is spoken† (Lipski, 1994 p.3), linguists analyse language varieties â€Å"along geographical, political, ethnic, musicological and social lines† (Lipski, 1994 p.3). The residents of Mexico mainly use the Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects that emerged after the formation of Peruvian Spanish. Nahuatl dialect that belongs to the Uto-Aztecan language group (Andrews, 1975) and has â€Å"the greatest influence in centra l Mexico† (Lipski, 1994 p.6) is an ancient Spanish dialect. About one million Mexican people speak Nahuatl dialect nowadays. In Spain there are also two principal language varieties – the Castilian and the Andalusian dialects that were formed in the middle ages, although some regions of Northern and Southern Spain create other specific dialects. As Spanish language descends from Castile, the Spanish region that became a centre of political significance since the thirteenth century, the Castilian dialect is one of the most widespread varieties and is accepted as a national criterion in Spain. Mar-Molinero (2000) considers that the phenomenon of ‘Castilianisation’ was initiated by the Visigoths; however, it was only in the eighteenth century when the Castilian dialect displaced other language varieties as a result of Charles’ III 1768 declaration, demonstrating a profound impact of political prevalence on linguistic prevalence. Mar-Molinero (2000) also states that the Andalusian dialect considerably influenced the formation of the Standard Latin American (pp.36-37), although this viewpoint is strongly opposed by sociolinguists. Other crucial language varieties in Spain are Euskara, Galician and Catalan; these dialects have some parallels with Portuguese and French languages, although they do not belong to the Indo-European language family. The emergence of these three Spanish varieties is closely connected with the spread of nationalism. The Levantine varieties also constitute an important group of dialects utilised in such Spanish regions as Alicante, Valencia and Castellà ³n. People in these areas currently use Catalan/Valencian, Murcian, Andalusian, Aragon, and La Manche/Castile dialects. The differences in all these Spanish language varieties attribute to pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar (Penny, 2000). In particular, pronunciation of the Standard Latin American differs from the Castilian, similar to the dissimilarities between British English and American English. In the Castilian dialect the sounds ‘ce’ or ‘ci’ are changed into ‘th’: ‘gracias’ (thanks) appears as ‘gratheas’; however, in the Standard Latin American the word ‘gracias’ is pronounced as ‘gras-see-as†. Such separate pronunciation of the word ‘grasseeas’ is a characteristic feature of the Standard Latin American dialect. In the Castilian dialect some words are ended in a vocable vowel, losing their last consonants, while two Mexican dialects are characterised by the pronunciation of final consonants. Overall, the speech in Mexico is slow in comparison with the speech in the majority of Spanish regio ns (Hill Hill, 1986); however, the Caribbean, or Lowland dialect is defined as a rather prompt and informal variety of Spanish language. In addition to the differences in pronunciation, there are some differences in grammar. In Mexican Spanish ‘ustedes’ (you) is utilised both for formal and informal address, while in Castilian Spanish there are two words for formal and informal address – ‘ustedes’ and ‘vosotros’, respectively. Some verbs in the Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects have changed their initial forms, acquiring certain Anglicisms and Americanisms. In particular, Mexican residents say, â€Å"Apliquà © a la Universidad† (I applied to the university), while Spanish people utilise a more precise form – ‘Postulà © a la universidad’. Similarly, Spaniards in Spain prefer to utilise pasado perfecto (the compound tense that is similar to English Present Perfect tense): ‘Yo he viajado a los Estados Unidos’ (I have travelled to the USA). Mexican people use a more simplified tense – pretà ©rito indefinido (Englis h Past Indefinite), for example, â€Å"Viajà © a Estados Unidos† (I travelled to the USA). According to Julia Kristeva (1989), â€Å"Language is so intimately linked to man and society that they are inseparable† (p.3); thus, the utilisation of Anglicisms and Americanisms in Mexican Spanish reflects historical and social differences between Spain and Mexico. Duncan Green (1997) points at the impact of the United States on language and identity of Mexican population; in particular, the author states that â€Å"The mass media has become a battleground in the struggle to define Latin American’s identity† (pp.98-99). The simplification of Spanish language in Mexico reveals that various social changes modify language, and language shapes the identity of Mexican people. As Mar-Molinero (2000) states, â€Å"Not only does language have an instrumental role as a means of communication, it also has an extremely important symbolic role as marker of identity† (p.3). Due to the fact that social identities of Mexican and Spanish people differ, Spanish language of Mexico and Spain is characterised by a rather diverse vocabulary. For instance, the word ‘Okay’ is translated as ‘Sale’ in Mexico, and as ‘Chungo’ – in Madrid; similarly, the word ‘work’ is rendered as ‘chambear’ in Mexico and as ‘currar’ – in Spain. Another difference that distinguishes Mexican Spanish from Spanish in Spain is the preservation of archaisms in the Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects. Such words and expressions as ‘Órale’ (All right), ‘Ya mero’ (almost) or ‘Quà © pedo?† (What is going on?) are normal for Mexican Spanish, but they are not utilised in Spain. John Lipski (1994) considers that these language varieties emerged as a result of cultural and social interactions of Spain and Mexico with other countries. The Standard Latin American dialect was considerably influenced by Italian and African immigrants who arrived in Latin America at the end of the nineteenth – the beginning of the twentieth centuries (Lipski, 1994 pp.11-12). Skidmore and Smith (2000) reveal the similar viewpoint, claiming that in Latin America â€Å"languages, food, sports, and music all show profound and continuing African influence† (p.356). Simultaneously, the Standard Lat in American and the Caribbean dialects reflect native roots, especially Indian roots that are rather distinct in Mexican Spanish. For instance, the language of the Mayans serves as the basis for more than thirty dialects in Mexico, let alone the language of the Aztecs. In particular, many modern Mexican dialects preserve initial and final sounds tl- in certain words, like ‘Nahuatl’, ‘Quetzalcoatl’, the god of Aztecs, or ‘Tlaxcala’, Mexican state. As Skidmore and Smith (2000) point out, â€Å"Aside from the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas, there were many other Indian cultures. In the area of modern-day Mexico alone there were over 200 different linguistic groups† (p.14). However, the impact of the Castilian language on the formation of Mexican Spanish is the greatest, as the Castilian was the only language taught in Mexican schools with the arrival of Spanish settlers. Thus, three major aspects aggravated the differences between Spanish spoken in Spain and Spanish spoken in Mexico: Spanish settlements in Mexico, immigration of English, Italian and African people, and finally, linguistic drift. Analysing Spanish language varieties in Mexico and Spain, the essay demonstrates that the differences mainly exist in spoken language, influencing such linguistic aspects as vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. The Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects in Mexico and the Castilian and the Andalusian dialects in Spain are characterised by diverse accent, idioms and unique words, but these variants are integral parts of Spanish language. As a result of various social and political changes, modern Mexican Spanish has been exposed to the process of Americanisation, which considerably simplifies vocabulary and grammar of Spanish dialects in Mexico and intensifies the differences between Mexican Spanish and Spanish spoken in Spain. The spread of travels and mass media changes Spanish language in both Mexico and various areas of Spain, revealing unique cultural identities of different Spanish-speaking groups.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography Andrews, J. R. (1975) Introduction to Classical Nahuatl. Austin, University of Texas. Green, D. (1997) Faces of Latin America. Nottingham, Russell Press, Latin American Bureau. Hill, J. H. and Hill, K.C. (1986) Speaking Mexicano. Tucson, University of Arizona Press.   Kristeva, J. (1989) Language: The Unknown An Initiation Into Linguistics. London, Harvest Wheatsheaf. Lipski, J.M. (1994) Latin American Spanish. London, New York, Longman. Mar-Molinero, C. (2000) The Politics of Language in the Spanish-Speaking World from Colonization to Globalization. London, New York, Routledge. Penny, R. (2000) Variation and Change in Spanish. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Skidmore, T. E. and Smith, P.H. (2000) Modern Latin America. 5th edition. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

The YMCA Essay -- essays research papers

The YMCA The YMCA has a very clear and concise mission statement. Their mission is "to put Christian principles into practice through programs thta build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all". The YMCA is the nation's largest not-for-profit community service organization in America. With more than 2,500 YMCAs, they are able to meet the health and social service needs of 18.9 million men, women and children in over 10,000 communities in the United States. No one is turned away from the Y. It is a place for people fo all faiths, races, abilities, ages and incomes. Inability to pay is never a reason for the YMCA to turn someone away. Their strength lies in fulfilling their goal of bringing people together. Not every community is the same. Therefore, each YMCA is different to accomadate these differing needs. The YMCA in your community may offer child care or teen leadership clubs. In the next town over, swimming lessons or drawing lessons may be of bigger concern. Every Y makes theri won decisions based on the needs of the community around them. They decide which programs to offer and how to operate. The YMCA was founded in London, England, in 1844 by George Williams and some friends who lived and worked as clerks in a drapery, a forerunner of drygoods and department stores. Their goal was to help young men like themselves find God. The first members were evangelical Protestants who prayed and studied the Bible as an alternative to vice. The first U.S. YMCA...

Consilience, by Wilson, Life is a Miracle by Berry and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Pirsig :: Philosophy Term Research Papers

The Philosophy of Science in Consilience, by E. O. Wilson, Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig Introduction The plot where the fields of science, ethics and religion intersect is fertile for study, and the crops it yields often represent the finest harvest of an individualà ­s mind. In our time, modern philosophers of science have tilled this soil and reaped widely differing and important conclusions about the nature of humankind, its relationship to the natural world and the role that science should take in the discernment process. Through the comparison and contrasting of three important worldviewsà ³as expressed in Consilience, by E. O. Wilson, Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsigà ³the seeds of philosophy and faith can be sown in the budding scientistà ­s psyche, and a bumper crop of beliefs cultivated. History of the Philosophy of Science The surest foundation for the origin of science in its practical form is to be found in the à ¬co–rdination and standardization of the knowledge of common sense and of industry.à ®[1] One of the first occurrences of this co–rdination can be traced back to 2500 BCE in the form of edicts from the ancient Babylonian rulers, who issued royal standards of length, weight and capacity. Non-Semitic Sumerians also laid down the elements of mathematics and geometry at that time, making use of fractions, decimals, circles and radial angles. But knowledge as we know it today was tightly woven with magical notions, and as both spread westward they instilled in European thought a reverence for à ¬special numbers, their connections to the gods and the application of geometrical diagrams to the prediction of the future.à ®[2] As well, the ancient Babylonians were fascinated by the heavens. They were the first to make a map of the stars and associate them with animals like the Ram, Crab and Scorpion, names that we still use to this day. They also realized the periodicity and reliability of astronomical movement and phenomena, and were soon able to predict many of them. Tablets have been found dating to the sixth century BCE that predicted the relative positions of the sun and moon, as well as forecasted the occurrences of eclipses.[3] Out of all this knowledge the Babylonians built up a fantastic system of astrology, through which the starsà ³which were thought to fix and foretell the course of human affairsà ³would give up their secrets. Consilience, by Wilson, Life is a Miracle by Berry and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Pirsig :: Philosophy Term Research Papers The Philosophy of Science in Consilience, by E. O. Wilson, Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig Introduction The plot where the fields of science, ethics and religion intersect is fertile for study, and the crops it yields often represent the finest harvest of an individualà ­s mind. In our time, modern philosophers of science have tilled this soil and reaped widely differing and important conclusions about the nature of humankind, its relationship to the natural world and the role that science should take in the discernment process. Through the comparison and contrasting of three important worldviewsà ³as expressed in Consilience, by E. O. Wilson, Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsigà ³the seeds of philosophy and faith can be sown in the budding scientistà ­s psyche, and a bumper crop of beliefs cultivated. History of the Philosophy of Science The surest foundation for the origin of science in its practical form is to be found in the à ¬co–rdination and standardization of the knowledge of common sense and of industry.à ®[1] One of the first occurrences of this co–rdination can be traced back to 2500 BCE in the form of edicts from the ancient Babylonian rulers, who issued royal standards of length, weight and capacity. Non-Semitic Sumerians also laid down the elements of mathematics and geometry at that time, making use of fractions, decimals, circles and radial angles. But knowledge as we know it today was tightly woven with magical notions, and as both spread westward they instilled in European thought a reverence for à ¬special numbers, their connections to the gods and the application of geometrical diagrams to the prediction of the future.à ®[2] As well, the ancient Babylonians were fascinated by the heavens. They were the first to make a map of the stars and associate them with animals like the Ram, Crab and Scorpion, names that we still use to this day. They also realized the periodicity and reliability of astronomical movement and phenomena, and were soon able to predict many of them. Tablets have been found dating to the sixth century BCE that predicted the relative positions of the sun and moon, as well as forecasted the occurrences of eclipses.[3] Out of all this knowledge the Babylonians built up a fantastic system of astrology, through which the starsà ³which were thought to fix and foretell the course of human affairsà ³would give up their secrets.

Wasteful Americans Essay -- Illustration Essay

A major problem in the USA today is the fact that Americans waste a lot. The main focus of this fact is the many different things that we waste, although steps are being made to fix the problem of us wasting so many resources. One thing we waste unfortunately is water. For example, One waste of water is many people take bathes instead of showers. Taking a shower saves water by only using a small amount of the water that is needed, to fill the whole tub. Another waste of water is leaving the water running while doing the dishes. The water should always be turned off between rinses. Furthermore doing a full load of laundry when washing your clothes is a waste of water. Therefore make sure that the washer is completely full before starting the washer. Finally leaving the water running while brushing your teeth is good example of water being wasted. A solution to this problem would be to turn the water off between rinses. We have to remember to conserve our water; it can be a costly mistake. Another energy that Americans often waste is electricity. Leaving the lights on in a room that is not occupied is a prime example of a waste of electricity. All that you have to do to conserve electricity in this case is to simply turn the lights off whenever you leave the room. Something that is sometimes too hard to do, but with a little self-discipline it can be a reasonable goal. Another waste of electricity is when people leave their Televisions on all night, whenever they are not ...

Moses Mendelsohn and the Religious Enlightenment

â€Å"His life our standard, his teaching our light† Isaac Euchel wrote about Moses Mendelssohn. Moses was a model for Jews in Germany during the late 1770’s, and a dominant figure in the emergence of the Haskalah. The Haskalah borrowed many forms and categories from the already existing European Enlightenment, but its contents were largely derived from medieval Jewish philosophy and biblical exegesis. Within the novel, Moses Mendelssohn and the Religious Enlightenment, David Sorkin conveys how Moses made the German Enlightenment compatible with Judaism, and shows Moses to be a more consistent thinker than previously believed; his views on Judaism, natural laws, and natural rights developed early and remained consistent throughout his lifetime. Sorkin accounts Moses’ contributions to Jewish thought in three successive phases: philosophical, exegetical, and political. First, in the philosophical phase, Sorkin reveals the foundations of Moses’ thought. At an early age, Moses read the bible, memorized passages, studied Hebrew grammar, and wrote biblical poetry. All of these activates later were key in the Haskalah. In 1743, at fourteen, Moses moved to Berlin, which was at the center of the German Enlightenment, and theorist Christian Wolff was a dominating influence. Wolff’s focus was to natural theology, where he accounted that God's existence and attributes were the basis for theology and ethics. Influenced by Wolff, Moses sought to apply these Wolffian concepts to Judaism. Moses used his own version of Wolffian philosophy as a means to articulate his full belief in revealed religion. For example, he alluded that God was the source of all perfection and thus the source of metaphysics and natural theology. He thought that Enlightenment philosophy and Judaism complemented each other, and that philosophy served Judaism as an instrument of self-articulation. As a result, he began to write philosophical works in German, and Jewish works in Hebrew. Most important during the start of his career, he introduced a distinction between practical and theoretical in philosophy, which was also influenced by Wolff. Moses stressed a Jew’s primary obligation is â€Å"torah and good deeds†, not philosophical contemplation. To Moses, revelation set distinct limitation on theoretical knowledge, so he concentrated no practical knowledge, which was usually later seen in the form of commentary, since commentary was seen as the legitimate form through which truth is approached. Moses’ early Hebrew works were commentaries in which he attempted to renew the tradition of philosophy in Hebrew, again using ideas from Wolffian philosophy. His first work, The Kohelet Musar, was the first modern journal in Hebrew. Another subject he addresses is the concept of an ideal personality, which was in terms of ones individuals’ relationship to God and his fellowman. To Moses, the ideal is the â€Å"man of faith† who combines religious study, honest occupation, family, and trust in god. Also, in Moses’ early works, he argued the importance of the study of the Hebrew language and the bible. In a commentary on Maimonides’ Logical Terms, he insisted without Torah and tradition, we are â€Å"like a blind man in the dark†, and the true path to knowledge is the combination of torah and logic. Continuing the Wolffian beliefs, Moses asserted that although things might look accidental to man, to God they are all necessary. His early works such as The Kohelet Musar and Logical Terms were both commentaries that embodied Wolfian principles. However, The Book of the Soul, was different in the regard that it was a freestanding philosophical work that Moses withheld from publication. In Moses’ early works, Sorkin notes that the lack of any original content is significant. According to Sorkin, the conclusion of Moses’ philosophical career was with the Lavater affair in 1769-1770. By the end of the 1760’s, Moses’ philosophical position was established and would remain until the end of his life. He created a public dualism by publishing philosophical works in only German, and commentaries on Jewish subject in Hebrew. The Lavater affair contested Moses to support all of his fundamental ideas. Johann Caspar Lavater, a Swiss Protestant pastor infamously challenged Moses to refute the arguments of the theologian, Charles Bonnet, or convert to Christianity, which Lavater referred as a â€Å"Golden Bridge† to Christianity. However, this posed a public challenge to Moses as a philosopher and as a Jew. In response, Moses publically defended toleration on religious and philosophical grounds, but in private, he wrote counterattacks and criticized Christianity. This task was not simple, and he again used Wolffian principles help justify that Judaism was in perfect harmony with natural religion and reason. Sorkin interprets that Moses drove Lavater to end the affair, and made him isolate from the public, and Sorkin named this â€Å"the triumph of toleration†. Although Moses overcame Lavater, the affair also had grave consequences on Moses personally; the affair aggravated his physical and psychological condition. He was a hunchback, and developed a nervous debility, which was linked to his deformity, prevented abstract thinking and grew much worse during this Lavater affair. The next period of Moses’ career, Sorkin names Exegesis, where he focused on making the bible vital to the Haskalah. First, Moses created a commentary on Ecclesiastes that is part of â€Å"wisdom literature,† and thus was able to reiterate his preference of practical knowledge. He constructed a defense of Jewish exegesis on the basis of language, and strived to show how there are multiple meanings, which are reasonable. He said, â€Å"there are four methods of interpreting our holy torah-the literal, homiletical, allegorical, and esteric†, proving that words can bear multiple intentions. Also, in his commentary, Moses introduced divisions that did not follow the traditional chapters and verses in the bible, because he argued that traditional divisions were intended for the â€Å"convenience of the reader†. Another interesting aspect Moses brought up in Ecclesiastes, was that the idea that truth was universal and neutral, whatever its origins, meaning he deemed it permissible to use non-Jewish exegesis. Lastly, in this commentary, language was of importance because Moses used German translations in Hebrew characters, giving equivalents with entire sentence. Sorkin believes he did this to him, Hebrew was the ideal medium for the spread of the practical knowledge, in which laid the essence of Judaism. This Ecclesiastes commentary placed him at the head of the Haskalah’s efforts to revive biblical exegesis. Next, Moses worked for thirteen years on his translation on the Psalms, with the goal of producing an exegesis document of natural religion, translated in German, and would be source of practical knowledge for Jews and Christians. Sorkin brings attention to how Moses uses the term â€Å"edification† in reference to the Psalms, which emphasizes his desire for an exegesis that would encourage universal religiosity. In the Psalms, Moses asserts that the sublime is a form of art, and the highest form of beauty. Moses thus disagrees with the idea that God is â€Å"the most sublime being† because he believed that the sublime was not natural, but artistic, existing as a human creation. Furthermore, he affirms that the sublime’s aesthetic impact is admiration, and its spiritual impact is edification. Unfortunately, the translation of the Psalms was only a success among the Jews, and others stated that, â€Å"nothing could be further from the truth. † Sorkin viewed this as a confirmation that Moses’ best medium is commentary, not translation. During the same thirteen years that Moses translated the Psalms, he also translated, commented, and wrote an extensive introduction to the Pentateuch, titled Book of the Paths to Peace. This translation aimed to convey a literal meaning of the text through a fluent German translation. While Moses remained the key contributor, he had four Maskilim participate, and this made a shift in the Haskalah. This book is divided into three themes: practical knowledge, literal meaning, and the use of history. In the first part of the Book of Paths to Peace, Moses viewed the Pentateuch as the primary source of practical knowledge for the Jews. Sorkin noticed he repeatedly argues â€Å"virtue must be made into a â€Å"second nature† by the continual exercise of moral judgment. Moses asserted that compared to the rest of humanity Israel had a special role, because those who reside in there all â€Å"believe† and the bible is a handbook of practical knowledge. Also, in the Pentateuch, Moses wrote â€Å"man is by nature and social and will not achieve success without help from others of his kind†. Interesting, Moses stressed that God created everything, and he that he is beyond nature, and thus â€Å"science† had no place in a commentary on Creation, which further showed his resistance to theoretical knowledge. Sorkin again demonstrated how Moses kept consistent in his views, since practical knowledge already played in other works. The next portion emphasized the literal meaning as the focus of exegesis. Due to the bible being the primary source of practical knowledge, the need to make its literal meaning known was vital for Moses. His basic premise was that the Bible had a unique oral quality that made it the most effective means of transmitting practical knowledge. He stressed the importance of grammar, and believed only with knowledge of grammar, does Gods’ word both literal and homiletical make sense, because grammar is essential to the tradition of Jewish scriptural transmission. It is this tradition that prevents the Jews from being â€Å"like a blind man in the dark,† and Sorkin points out that Moses used the same metaphor here as he did with Logical Terms. Moses believed that due to the structure of biblical poetry, that it was the most successful method for teaching practical knowledge. The last portion of the Book of the Paths to Peace, Moses established and defended his belief in Judaism through history. History helped establish Moses’ faith. Sorkin alluded that Moses was historical without being historicist, because he recognized history in the Pentateuch rather than the Pentateuch as a product of history. Sorkin notes that viewing history in this fashion was integral to the Haskalah and typical of the religious enlightenment. The Book of the Paths to Peace eventually had wide acceptance, even though some attacked the book. The book was meant to instruct Jewish youth, but since Moses used complex German, it forced students to concentrate on that language instead of the contents. Lastly, The final phase Sorkin accounts for in Moses’ life is his political activism. Moses was politically involved almost his entire career as a thinker and writer. Now, he focused on the state and individual rights from the viewpoint of a Jew living in hardships. Continuing the Wolffian philosophy, he emphasized a politics based on ideas of natural rights to promote legal equality. Initially, Moses arrived in the political arena by being an intercessor. Sorkin found this unsurprising since Moses was a philosopher and writer. Communities sought Moses in times of conflict, and usually Moses’ intercession was successful. For example, the Duke in the community of Mecklenburg prohibited the Jewish practice of early burial. Moses was asked to help, so he served as an intercessor, and the duke granted the Jews the privilege of religious liberty. However, Moses took this matter further, by trying to renew the ritual practice, just as he tried to renew the traditions of philosophy and exegesis. In 1777, Moses transitioned from the politics of intercession to the politics of emancipation, when he responded to the community of Dresden’s problem of Jew’s facing high taxation or expulsion. Moses’ letter asserted that Jews were being excluded from society because of their religion. His work, The Ritual Laws of the Jews was seen as an integral part of his Jewish thought, and referred to as a handbook on practical knowledge. Later, Moses took on dealing with Jewish rights. Sorkin implies that Moses’ advocacy of rights was fundamentally new, yet there was also substantial continuity with his earlier thought. Moses demonstrated that history plays an even more important role in his political thinking than in his biblical exegesis since human liberties were the issue rather than divine work. In order to understand Jews’ situation in terms of rights, Moses translated Rousseau’s Discourse. Moses maintained a balance between individual rights and absolutist state, and asked Christian Wilhelm Dohm to write a tract advocating emancipation of the Jews, and it was widely influential. Moses wrote an elaborate preface to the translation of Rousseau’s Discourse, which was divided into three parts, and titled Vindiciae Judaeorum. In the preface, it was the first time he publicly advocated â€Å"civic acceptance† or equal rights. An occurring theme in the preface was Moses expressing what he did not agree with Dohm’s memorandum, specifically with Dohm’s ban of excommunication. Moses deemed that religious excommunication invaded on civil rights because it involved the political authorities. Since he denied religion’s right to excommunicate, he was set apart from the mainstream of that scholarship. A month after he published Vindiciae Judaeorum, he also published his translation of the Psalms. The Psalms received little attention, while Vindiciae had a huge impact. A pamphlet appeared criticizing Moses’ work, but it was published as a famous Austrian statesman in order to be taken seriously, but truly, a minor writer August Cranz wrote it. Cranz posed more of a challenge to Moses’ faith than the Lavater’s affair; Moses had to realize that Christianity was the true religion and prepare to convert or admit Judaism was imperfect and in need of fundamental reform. Moses reacted to Cranz’s pamphlet by creating Jerusalem, or On Religious Power and Judaism, which Sorkin views as Moses’ fullest elaboration of his views on rights and the nature of Judaism. Jerusalem is divided into two parts; part one addresses Cranz’ contention that in â€Å"repudiating the ban of excommunication, he had repudiated Judaism. Moses argues mainly on the basis of natural rights. Moses’ theory of church and state is rooted in his idea of benevolence. He thought the best state was one whose members were able to govern themselves through education, and the institution capable of providing such education was religion. Moses also went back to Wolffian principle of metaphysics by asserting that liberty of conscience was crucial for the achievement of man’s eternal vocation. In part two, Moses addressed Cranz’s view that Moses left Judaism, and abandoned religion altogether. Moses answered using philosophical views, and switched between his exposition of Judaism and a digression of a specific subject to advance his argument, and to continue his method of writing German philosophy in German, and Judaism in Hebrew. He argued on the basis of revealed legislation. He stated that Judaism is a religion of revealed legislation, not of revealed beliefs. He asserted that only through a second revelation, comparable to the one at Sinai, could God establish the authority necessary to introduce changes into the practice of the law. The two parts of Jerusalem, fit closely together, since many of the themes developed in part one are discussed in part two. To conclude Sorkin’s argument, Moses was a traditional Jewish figure who sought to renew traditional philosophy and Biblical exegesis in Hebrew. Sorkin successfully displayed how Moses made the German Enlightenment compatible with the Haskalah, and stayed constant with his philosophy throughout his life. It is only normal that after reading Sorkin’s Moses Mendelssohn and the Religious Enlightenment that certain parts were more striking than others. Not only are certain aspects of the book especially intriguing, but also, I do not agree with certain theories that Moses posed. Also, I cannot help but compare the Haskalah to the European Enlightenment that preceded it. First, it is miraculous how one person can make a difference in others lives. Moses lived during a time where Jewish communities were suffering from not having equal rights in society. Jews were denied education, certain occupations, citizen status, and were the first ones to be held responsible for problems or crimes. The fact that Moses, with his short stature and hunchback, still had the confidence and ability to make reforms in society is unbelievable. Sorkin only mentioned Moses’ deformity once, and it is of graver importance than that. People who are blessed without any deformities take for granted how easy their life is, and I believe that more acknowledgements should be given to Moses for enduring such a struggle. Also, in Sorkin’s reference to Moses’ deformity, he also mentioned a nervous debility that was linked to his abnormality, which prevented conceptual thinking, and grew worse after the Lavater affair. The fact that this was only mentioned once, and in one quick sentence gives the impression that this was not a serious issue. However, if such a physiological condition occurred in Moses, one would think that since all of his works entailed abstract thinking, since he was a philosopher, that this would have severe consequences on his career. Yet, Moses was able to produce numerous works after the Lavater affair and many of them were highly praised. It makes one speculate, if Sorkin’s information about Moses’ nervous disability is completely accurate. Another part of the book that caught my attention was the aftermath of Christian Wilhelm Dohm’s publication of On the Civic Amelioration of the Jews, even though he was doing Moses a favor by writing it, and it provoked a major debate that made the rights of Jews a public issue, which is what Moses wanted. However, Sorkin displayed many aspects that Moses did not agree with what Christian wrote. For instance, Moses took issue with the notion that artisanry and farming are the sole sources of wealth, and with the ban of excommunication. Moses affirmed that no one could legitimately claim to exercise authority over another’s belief. Sorkin’s writing gave the impression that Moses was angry with Christian for putting certain beliefs in writing. This caught me by surprise because I was under the impression that Christian and Moses were good friends. The fact that Christian agreed to write this document, even though Moses was asked to write it, implied that they were in agreement with what was to be written. The way that Sorkin addressed this conflict in the book further suggests that Christian went against what Moses asked of him, and used this as an opportunity to voice his own opinions on the issue of Jewish emancipation. Furthermore, in a way, one can view Christian as being a catalyst for Cranz’s challenge. The connection is that Christian published work that Moses felt the need to counter in Vindiciae Judaeorum, and thus gave rise to Cranz challenging Moses. Additionally, I discovered that certain areas in the book negated Moses’ entire goal of the Haskalah. First, it is important to recall that prior to the rise of the Haskalah, most Christian thinkers thought Judaism was an irrational dark religion that did not allow for the age of Enlightenment. Hence gave rise to the premise that Jews were incapable of reaching such intellectual levels. Interestingly, Sorkin and Moses both acted in ways that confirm this idea. First, Moses published philosophy in German and commentaries in Hebrew. This action can be seen as if he was making it harder for Jews to reach an enlightened state. By publishing philosophy in German, which most Jews could not read, he further separated them from society. Also, not only were his philosophical works in German, but also they were in such a high level of German, that was very rare for a Jew to be able to write at this level. This also made it harder for Jews to understand his German works. Another instance is seen when the translation of the Psalms was only a victory among the Jews, and while non-Jews stated, â€Å"nothing could be further from the truth. † Sorkin viewed this as a confirmation that Mendelssohn’s best medium is commentary, not translation. Two things are happening in this situation. First, the reaction from society demonstrates that indeed the Jews are not as intelligent as the non-Jews because they thought Moses’ commentary was brilliant, when the majority of the population thought it was not legitimate to be a valid translation. Second, Sorkin’s account that Moses’ best means is commentary, shows that Sorkin is agreeing with the statement that his translation did not contain enough truth, thus putting Moses in the category of not being able to obtain enlightened thought. Next, in comparison to the European Enlightenment, the Haskalah is very different, even though it emerged because of the Enlightenment. The European Enlightenment held faith in the power of human reason to illuminate the world, rather than divine revelation. It encouraged an attitude of critical reflection, rather than an acceptance of received wisdom. Also, the Enlightenment was in sync with the Scientific Revolution in the early 1770’s and created the concept that science is a form of knowledge (Western Civilizations). In contrast, Moses affirmed that the best state was one whose members were able to govern themselves through education, and it was through religious institutions that are most capable of providing such education. This thinking is completely opposite of the Enlightenment, because their goal was to forget about religious teachings, and only learn from science, and other forms of confirmed reason. Another example that is contrasted to the Enlightenment is when Moses pleaded that a general disquisition on â€Å"science† had no place in a commentary on Creation. Members of the Enlightenment used the theory of evolution to explain the creation of the universe, which is all based on science. Also, using Wolffian beliefs, Mendelssohn asserted that although things might look accidental to man, to God they are all necessary, implying that everything on Earth happens for a reason. Again, this is not in accord with the Enlightenment philosophy because they do not refer to a God creating the future of the world, instead they sought evidence and valid truths to prove their beliefs that all is created through science and man labor. Interestingly, there are similarities between Moses Mendelssohn and Immanuel Kant, who was a key figure of the European Enlightenment. Moses became a member of Wednesday Society, which was devoted to political subjects. He often gave lectures; his most common lecture was â€Å"What is enlightenment? Similarly, Immanuel Kant became known by answering the question: What is Enlightenment? † written as a response to the Reverend Zollner. Kant also proposed to eliminate certain church and state restrictions, just as Moses did in Jerusalem. Although a huge difference is Kant believed religion infringed on one’s ability to full reason, while Moses saw religion, specifically Judaism as an integral part of the Haskalah, it is important to notice the comparisons between the two, especially since they are regarded as holding such different ideologies (Perspectives on the Past). Overall, Moses Mendelssohn was a principal figure in the creation of the Haskalah. He was a model Jew, and made many contributions to Jewish life during the end of the eighteenth century. After reading the novel, Moses Mendelssohn and the Religious Enlightenment, I now have a better understanding and respect for Moses Mendelssohn and the Haskalah. David Sorkin succeeded in providing information that accurately describes Moses’ philosophical works and showed how Moses made the German Enlightenment compatible with Judaism.

Quantitative and Qaulity Research

Quantitative & Qualitative Research COMPARISON OF QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS Introduction This paper compares and contrasts qualitative and quantitative research methods in three basic areas. These are the of their: epistemological foundations, data collection methods, and data analysis methods. The paper ends with a brief summary of the primary points made. ComparisonGall, Borg and Gall (1996) discuss several similarities and differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods. With respect to similarities, both kinds of research formulate epistemological positions regarding the nature of causation and reality and both comprise a set of methods for designing research, collecting data, analyzing data, and deriving information from data collection and analysis.However, they differ in terms of the epistemological positions they advocate and in the methods they hold to be appropriate for meaningful scientific inquiry. One primary difference between the t wo research methods according to Gall, Borg and Gall (1996) involves their epistemological assumptions about the nature that causality. The quantitative method, according to the authors, rests on a view of causation as an external, measurable force that occurs independently of the observer and can be used to explain diverse phenomena.On the other hand, the conceptual foundation of qualitative research holds that causation itself is predominately a human interpretive process. The foregoing assumptions have implications for how scientists should study reality. Quantitative research roots its methods of acquiring information in a view that holds that reality is external to the observer whereas the qualitative method grounds its methodological principles and practices in the notion of reality as an interpretative construct.This point has been discussed by Wainwright (1997) who states that typically qualitative research seeks to discover information about any given phenomenon by obtainin g an in-depth understanding of the meanings and definitions of the phenomenon that are conceptualized by informants; moreover, these need not be many informants; a simple case study of one individual is said to yield much given the subjective element of reality.Quantitative research, based on its assumptions of causation and reality, attempts to arrive at an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon by measuring â€Å"it† in some fairly objective manner with results that can be established as valid by a set of formal scientific/methodological principles of inquiry and set criteria for reliability and validity. It seeks for results that are stable across time.Thus, while qualitative research aims at discovering how a very small collective interpret a phenomenon, quantitative research looks at some objective index of the phenomenon attempting to produce information that is stable and valid for large populations and samples. Gall, Borg and Gall (1996) note that for some domains s uch as education, the existing knowledge base consists of information obtained by both quantitative and qualitative research.The authors point out that many research experts believe it is quite acceptable to use both kinds of research to collect information about a given phenomenon despite their differing assumptions—-provided that the two methods are assigned differing roles in terms of the contribution they make to understanding the phenomenon being studied. With respect to the foregoing, qualitative methods are assigned the role of intensively observing some small sample and conceptualizing possible themes, patterns, processes, and/or structures as being involved in the phenomenon of interest.Quantitative methods are then called upon to determine whether the conceptualized constructs are supportable or confirmed. For example, a quantitative study might be conducted of three special education students' responses to inclusion with possible patterns of response being conceptu alized based on this small sample. Quantitative methods would then be used to determine whether this pattern of response is present in a much larger collective of special education students.Thus, qualitative and quantitative research can be seen as working together in complementary fashion. Gall, Borg and Gall (1996) report that the extent to which the two types of research can work to complement each other, in actual practice, is dependent on two contingencies. First, the phenomena being studied must be stable across time. Second, qualitative researchers must provide constructs that can be operationalized which is to say that can be measured in some objective way using a numerical system of some sort.If these conditions are satisfied, quantitative measures can then be used to support whether what is present at the individual or case level is also present for larger populations and samples. Gall, Borg and Gall (1996) further report that some researchers do not believe the two resear ch approaches can actually work together in a complementary fashion; this because of their differing epistemological views of causation and reality — views which make for not only conceptual but also profound methodological differences.For example, quantitative research stipulates that a researcher must state what can be expected to be revealed by his data analysis based on existing research (hypothesis formulation and testing). Qualitative researchers, however, believe that theories and concepts are only meaningfully derived AFTER the data has been collected. Similarly, the two research types differ in the methods they use to derive meaningful information from the data. Quantitative methods hold that the data should be analyzed statistically while quantitative research holds that it should be analyzed using formal methods of reasoning and interpretation.Gall, Borg and Gall (1996) have also listed some of the differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods i n terms of the reports each side outputs following their investigations. In this regard, the authors state that the reports of quantitative research tend to be impersonal and objective write-ups of research findings. Qualitative research reports, on the other hand, are said to reflect the researcher's analytical reconstruction and interpretation of data provided to readers with an awareness that the readers themselves will, in fact, reinterpret what is reported.However, since it is likely that the epistemological structures of both research methods have some truth and some error in their epistemological frameworks, Gall, Borg and Gall (1996) state that it is quite possible that both methods can contribute valid data and so edify scientists' attempts to understand a given phenomena when used together in a complementary fashion. Given the foregoing, it seems reasonable to suggest that the determination as to whether a given researcher should use qualitative or quantitative methods, or use both conjointly, may depend upon the nature of information he desires and the use to which it shall be put.For example, Crowl (1996) states that if a researcher desires to focus on some complex issue and to use it in a pragmatic way, then it is wise to conduct research using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Both methods are said to provide a broader examination of the phenomenon and thus yield a fuller understanding of its complex structure. This broader look, in turn, is said to foster greater insight into the ways the information can be practically applied. Mertes (1998) states that there are certain kinds of information needs that are better suited to being answered using qualitative methods than quantitative methods.These are said to include: (1) the need to understand in detail why an individual does something; (2) the need to determine what aspects, components, or elements of a given issue or phenomenon are important and why they are important; (3) the need to i dentify a full range of responses or opinions existing in a given collective; and (4) the need to find areas of consensus in patterns of response. On the other hand, Mertes (1998) states that quantitative research is probably the best choice if there is a need to determine â€Å"how many† or to measure some volume-related characteristic of a collective.In other words, quantitative research should be used when there is an interest in how many people in a population have a particular characteristic or response. Further, Mertes (1998) reports that quantitative research is appropriate for measuring attitudes and behaviors, for profiling certain groups, and for formulating predictions. One particularly interesting point about qualitative and quantitative research methods is to note that the distinguishing characteristics are actual differences only to a certain extent.For example, McKereghan (1998) notes that qualitative and quantitative research can be distinguished in several wa ys and goes on to list some of these differences. Specifically, it is noted that quantitative research is objective; qualitative research is subjective. Quantitative research seeks explanatory laws; qualitative research aims at in-depth description. Quantitative research measures what it assumes to be a static reality in hopes of developing universal laws. Qualitative research is an exploration of what is assumed to be a dynamic reality.It does not claim that what is discovered in the process is universal and, thus, replicable. However, what McKereghan (1998) points out is that when actual research studies are examined in methodological detail, they seldom fit the sharp clear models of differences that are provided in written discussions of the two research approaches. Rather, in most any given study, elements of quantitative and qualitative procedures can be found. Because of this, McKereghan argues that discussing research using this dichotomy may not be especially applicable to w hat actually goes on in the world of research.Thus, while the two methods can be distinguished, it is probably important to note that this clarity of distinction is present far more in theory than in practice. Finally, it can be noted that quantitative methods help to make generalizations to larger groups and follow a well-established and respected set of statistical procedures, of which the properties are well-understood. However, in terms of practice, there is again an important issue related to whether practice actually meets the standards set for this research approach.As noted by Gall, Borg and Gall (1996), many studies are designed poorly, i. e. , many studies cannot find a significant difference when one exists, due to insufficient sample sizes or to extremely small effect sizes. Further, quantitative methods are often misinterpreted. Summary In this paper's comparison of qualitative and quantitative research methods, several points were made. It was noted that the two resear ch approaches differ in terms of their epistemological positions on causation and reality and this in turn makes for a number of methodological differences in the approaches.For example, it was noted that qualitative research typically entails in-depth analysis of relatively few subjects for which a rich set of data is collected and organized. Quantitative research, on the other hand, was said to entail the proper application of statistics to typically a large number of subjects. Further, the points were made that while quantitative research is objective; qualitative research is subjective. Also, it was noted that quantitative research seeks explanatory laws; qualitative research aims at in-depth description.In addition, quantitative research was said to measures what it assumes to be a static reality in hopes of developing universal laws while qualitative research is an exploration of what is assumed to be a dynamic, shifting, interpretative reality. It was noted that due to the di ffering nature of the two research approaches, it is likely that the selection of which to use will depend upon the nature of the information sought by the researcher and the use to which this information will be put. Examples were offered showing the kind of research to which each method or a combination of methods are particularly suited.Finally, the point was made that while there appear to be large differences between the approach from a philosophical/conceptual position, in actual research, methods from both approaches are often used. Further, the standards set for conducting each particular type of research, especially quantitative research, are often not met. References Crowl, T. K. (1996). Fundamentals of educational research (2nd ed. ) Madison, WI: Brown and Benchmark. Gall, M. D. , Borg, W. R. & Gall, J. P. (1996). Educational research: An introduction (6th ed. White Plains, NY: Longman. McKereghan, D. L. (1998). Quantitative versus qualitative research: An attempt to clar ify the problem. Document available at:http://socrates. fortunecity. com/qvq. html. Mertes, D. M. (1998). Research methods in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative and qualitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Wainwright, D. (1997). Can sociological research be qualitative, critical and valid? The Qualitative Report, 3(2). Document available: http://nova. edu/ssss/QR/QR3-2/wain. html.