Human Right to a Safe Environment & Planetary Rights Essay

Human Right to a Safe Environment & Planetary Rights - Essay Example This can be explained within the concept of planetary rights, which suggests that the current generation needs to work together to ensure the interests of future generations. Protecting the planet for the future is more than a charitable goal, if we do not do so we are violating the rights of future generations. The environment is directly influenced by the collective action of humankind, giving mankind the ability to improve, keep constant or degrade the environment. This means that regardless of intent, the actions that occur in the present have an impact on future generations, forming a relationship between the two groups of people that are distanced by time. This relationship means that humankind cannot argue that future generations are arbitrary, because both action and non-action will impact them. Take for example the notion of power plants. A power plant causes considerable pollution to the air around it and the atmosphere. Furthermore, it can also be the source of polluted wa ter downstream. These factors influence the current generation, but can also have long-standing impacts on the environment for the future. Who is it that creates these effects? Directly, it is the company or person involved in the pollution, but this is not a fair assessment. The pollution from power plants and technology throughout the globe comes from a consumption driven society that demands convenience and large amount of electricity (Hiskes 1352-1353). As such, the collective behavior of humans as a race is destroying the environment, and this creates the responsibility to attempt to minimize this damage for the generations that will follow us. Arguments often consider that an environmental or planetary approach cannot effectively fall within rights language, as the language itself implies certain legalisms. Nevertheless, environmental rights is a realistic and plausible use of rights language that passes justificatory tests. The term rights is often used within environmental r hetoric and political statements so often that it risks losing its meaning. Yet, the right to a safe environment is more than rhetoric, and is distinct from other applications of the phrase within environmentalism. The right for a safe environment is focused on humans, and does not consider the rights of organisms or of the planet itself, and this gives the term legitimacy (Nickel 282-283). However, steps are involved to move environmental rights away from being broad concept that is mostly rhetoric based and into a defined and practicable right. One of these aspects is to narrowly define what is meant by the term. For example, what does the right to a safe environment mean? This depends on how the word safe is defined. Safe could mean that there is no crime, that the air is breathable or that the level of diversity is close to what it was for the previous generation. One definition is that the environment provides safety from environmental risks. However, this term also needs defin ing, as there needs to be a determination of what is considered to be safe and what the ranges are (Nickel 284-285). This shows that there is the potential for the right to a safe environment to be defined in narrow terms to ensure that it can effectively be treated as a right, and that it is not an arbitrary phrase used in

Concussions in football Essay Example for Free

Concussions in football Essay Injuries in sports are bound to happen no matter what sport you are playing and you never know when an injury will occur. They just come with the territory and they can range from a cut to an injury that could end an athlete’s career or even worse lead to a death. A big problem in sports nowadays is that there are too many concussions in pro sports all the way down to young kids who are just starting to play a sport. Football in particular has received a lot of backlash about the safety of the sport because there tends to be more concussions in this sport than in any of the other major sports. With all this talk about concussions in football, it may become very hard to market the sport because of all the safety problems and this could lead to less participation. A concussion is when there is a blow to the head or body that causes a type of traumatic brain injury. It causes stretching, damaging the cells, and chemical changes to the brain. Basically, it is when your brain moves in the skull and hits the side of your skull. There are many different symptoms that the athlete can experience, but there are also symptoms that coaches and other players can observe if they believe someone may have a concussion. Symptoms that players experience include headaches, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or sensitivity to light and noise, and memory problems just to name a few. Symptoms that coaches can observe include glassy eyes, noticing the player is forgetting plays, answers slowly, and can’t recall what happened before or after the play. Dangers of receiving one or more concussions can include brain swelling or permanent brain damage and in some cases they can be fatal. There are also concussion danger signs, which include one pupil larger than the other, a headache that gets worse, convulsions or seizures, loss of consciousness and can’t be woken up, and can’t recognize people or places. There is no way to fully prevent concussions no matter what equipment you are wearing or how good you are. The best way to lower concussions is to teach the younger kids how to properly hit and not to use their head when tackling. Always emphasize that safety comes first. During the 2012-2013 NFL season, there were more than 160 players that had head injuries, but at the same time there were breakthroughs in brain research, a wrongful death lawsuit, and the President of the United States talked about head injuries that come along with playing football. The biggest play that would lead to concussions would be kickoffs, so this year they moved it up five yards for more touchbacks. By doing this, there was a 43 percent drop in head injuries during kickoffs. After doing this, the NFL donated $30 million to the National Institute of Health for research on head injuries. This is when all the head injuries started happening because they season was fully underway now. A Jacksonville Jaguars player suffered his second concussion on 9/30 and his second in as many weeks and his third total of the season. By receiving more and more concussions, this player is putting himself in danger of hurting himself for good. Boston University then did a study on former football players and found that there were 28 cases of CTE in players that have passed away, including 15 who played in the NFL. The most recent being Junior Seau who took many blows to the head over his career and they found that it was present in him when he committed suicide. With all these head injuries happening, it’s hard to hear the 4 in 5 NFL players don’t trust their team’s medical staff. On the upside, for the 2012 season, more concussions were being reported, which the NFL believes means teams are becoming more serious about head injuries. From practices, games, and preseason there were 154 concussions reported through week eight of the season. That was a 21 percent increase from the 127 reported in the same span for the 2009 season and a 34 percent increase from the 2008 season. It seems that every week, key players on teams are missing time on the field because they are having head injuries from their practices and games. The neck and spine committee of the NFL are continuing to meet to improve player safety and to make strides and lowering the number of concussions in the NFL. They are hoping that with the information they gain, players will now think twice about reporting head injuries and also look out for teammates that may have sustained a head injury and report it. They hope that they will stop playing through these injuries and start focusing on their own health. In November 2009, 30 out of 160 players surveyed said that they hid their symptoms or even said they weren’t as bad as they really were. New York Jets player Brodney Pool stated, â€Å"Thats one good thing (Commissioner) Roger Goodell and the NFL have been doing: The message is that if theres something wrong with a guy, especially a head injury, you dont want to rush a guy back or make a little mistake that could mess him up, possibly for life. † While players don’t trust their medical staff, the NFL is taking the right steps to increase player safety after a big hit. Next season every team will now study concussions using iPads during the games. This will help determine if a player suffered a concussion during the game. With this new app, trainers will now be able to do side by side tests of baseline and post injury tests to help determine when a player should be taken out of a game in real time. Along with this, each team will now have an independent neurological consultant on the sideline to help assist the trainers and physicians. These tests are very quick and only take between 6 and 8 minutes and will include the player’s concussion past and a 24-symptom checklist. Players will be given memory tests and will be asked the same question about 5 minutes later to see if they remember. The NFL wants the consultants to have full say in whether a player can re-enter the game because that’s what they are strictly there for, but they believe that this may not be the case. These tests still aren’t perfect, but the NFL is going in the right direction to keep players safe. This past off-season, the NFL has implemented new rules to help keep the players safe and to lower the concussion problem. One new rule is that players are now not allowed to deliver hard hits to opposing players with the crown of their helmet. New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said, â€Å"It does reinforce the importance of getting out in front of this before something tragic happens. † Even with the new rule, helmet companies are trying new technology to help stop concussions. They now test helmets by putting them on plastic dummies and hitting them with a machine to test how safe the helmets actually are when there is a blow to it. Three sensors in the helmet test how many G forces the helmet takes when the machinery hits it. The tests cover 12 different helmet locations on 5 different velocities on the impact of the helmet. In the last three years, there have been over 200 concussions in each season and they are trying to greatly reduce this number. The study has already collected over 350,000 impacts on the helmets that contain the sensors. They have discovered that it isn’t always the biggest hit, but where the hit occurs on the body and if there is repetition of the hit. Along with the study, the NFL has teamed up with the military and have taken ideas from them including different pad lining material, stiffness, and thickness to help prevent the brain from rattling in the skull. With the NFL being sued so much now by former players, they are now pushing harder than ever for research on the brain and equipment. This has jump started scientific studies, rule changes, and investments in research including the $100 million grant by the NFL Players Association to Harvard Medical School for a ten year study of players health. Even with all the new equipment and tests and safety precautions, parents are being hesitant to let their children play football because of the risks it comes with. Terry Bradshaw, a former NFL quarterback is the latest player to say he wouldn’t let his son play football if he had one. He stated, â€Å"If I had a son today, and I would say this to all our audience and our viewers out there, I would not let him play football. † He also believes that in the next decade soccer may pass football and that contact sports will slowly decrease. He also spoke about six concussions that completely knocked him out cold and how dangerous that can be. Another former NFL quarterback, Troy Aikman, has also said that he wouldn’t stop his son from playing the sport, but he wouldn’t encourage him to play. There are also NFL players in the league now they have said they wouldn’t want their son to play the sport because of the dangers. This includes Bart Scott, Adrian Peterson, and Ed Reed who are some of the top players in the league. This even caught the attention of the President who said he would not want his son to play football and even Tom Brady’s father has said that he would hesitate to let his son, 3-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady, play the sport. As of right now, more than 2,000 former NFL players are suing the NFL claiming that they were never told what the long term affects of concussions were. Concerned parents have even came out and said they wouldn’t let their son play or that they want to take them out of the sport and put them into a less physical sport. In a recent study, it is estimated that there are 2,000 NFL players, 100,000 college players, 1. 3 million high school players and 3. 5 million players in the youth leagues. Over the past few years, the number of players in youth leagues has slowly decrease because parents are scared for their sons safety. The study also found that in youth leagues, most of the head injuries occur in practice and not in the games. Thirty-five states now have different types of laws that make it so players cannot return to the game until they have medical clearance if they are playing on school properties. As of right now, too many high school students are returning to the field too soon after sustaining a concussion, which could increase the potential for the athlete to receive permanent brain damage. A study conducted from 2005-2008 showed that 41% of players are returning to the field too soon. If a player receives a concussion or they believe the player may have a concussion, the rule states that if the player suffers from one or more of the symptoms for more than 15 minutes, they could be sidelined until they are symptom free for a week. The biggest and probably scariest statistic is that 16% of high school players who have lost consciousness after receiving a concussion have returned to the field the same day. This could become very dangerous and lead to fatalities if this continues to happen. Not enough high schools have certified trainers in concussions and only 42% of schools have certified trainers. By not have certified trainers, the schools are putting the athletes in danger because they won’t be told if they have a concussion and one more blow to the head could end their career or life. Concussions can be dangerous because it can slow down blood and oxygen from reaching the brain. This can cause players to become sluggish and not know what is going on in the game and can lead to other injuries or even more concussions. A neurosurgeon and concussion expert believes that someone who has a mild concussion for the first time should even be out of the game until his or her symptoms are gone for a week. The main problem with high school athletes is that they will hide the fact that they have symptoms because they want to keep playing because they love the sport and believe playing through pain makes them better and tougher. In the end, the players should be thinking of their own health and not about going back in the game. With all that said, the NFL and football in general are going to start having a problem marketing the sport. It’s already hard enough to play because equipment and playing fees keeps increasing, but with all these injuries, children are going to stop playing for their own benefit. Parents are beginning to think more and more about letting their kids play certain sports because of all the dangers that come with the territory. They are realizing that it may not be worth having the children potentially get concussions and head injuries along with other injuries that can come from sports. I believe that in the next few years, you will definitely see a drop in participation numbers just for the simple fact that it’s too dangerous a sport. Kids are getting bigger, stronger, and faster with all of today’s technology and supplements, which will lead to harder and bigger hits. They can still market the sport in a positive way by talking about the new technology and equipment, but at the same time people are going to hear about the injuries in the NFL. With the recent suicides of former NFL players, it is clear that something has to be done to help keep players safe and they are going in the right direction, but they still have a lot of research and development to do. It can also become hard to market the sport when you have former superstars and current superstars saying that they wouldn’t let or they wouldn’t want their own children to play because they know first hand how dangerous this contact sport is. There have been fatalities in high school football because athlete’s concussions are going unnoticed and I believe that this is the biggest hurdle the football in general has to overcome. It shows that schools need to get better medical staff and they need to notice when a player has a concussion and keep them out of the game. They also have to teach the athletes to know when something is wrong with them and tell them to not try to play through it because they are just putting themselves in harms way for a serious injury. Football and the NFL definitely have problems, but they are definitely going in the right direction to protect players as much as they can. Whether it is teaching how to hit or new and better equipment or taking kids out of the game after a certain amount of hits, the concussions will eventually start to decrease. I do believe the sport is going to keep losing participation and I also believe that another sport like soccer, basketball, or baseball will pass football as the biggest sport in America. Works Cited Football, USA.Heads Up: Concussion in Football. USA Football. N. p.. Web. 25 Mar 2013. Breslow, Jason. NFL Concussions: The 2012-13 Season In Review. Frontline. N. p. , 1 Feb 2013. Web. 25 Mar 2013. Battista, Judy. N. F. L. Will Expand Concussion Efforts During Games. The New York Times. N. p. , 26 Feb 2013. Web. 25 Mar 2013. McIntyre, Brian. Terry Bradshaw wouldnt let son play football now. NFL. N. p. , 14 Jun 2012. Web. 25 Mar 2013. Mihoces, Gary. Parents weigh risks of youth football amid concussion debate. USA Today. N. p. , 23 May 2012. Web. 25 Mar 2013. Shyr, Luna. NFL Looks to Helmet Technology to Combat Concussions. . N. p. , 1 Feb 2013. Web. 25 Mar 2013. Gregory, Sean. Study: Kids Competing Too Soon After Concussions. Time Magazine. N. p. , 21 Jan 2009. Web. 25 Mar 2013. Press, Associated. Concussions reported in NFL up 21 percent from last season. NFL. N. p. , 13 Dec 2012. Web. 25 Mar 2013. Corbett, Jim. NFL passes new helmet rule, eliminates Tuck Rule. USA Today. N. p. , 21 Mar 2013. Web. 25 Mar 2013.

The Nature Of Good And Evil English Literature Essay

The Nature Of Good And Evil English Literature Essay Humans: are they born with an innate goodness, or will they revert to their primal, animalistic nature? As important as this question is in our world today, it is one that many choose to ignore, or never even think about. The novel Lord of the Flies has many different objects representing both good and evil. The characters on the island uncovers a lot about todays society, and the characters themselves are a representation of leaders today and of good and evil, right and wrong. Even in modern times, evil has been present in people that, instead of considering the wellbeing of others, do the worst things to fulfill their evil wills. Consequently, the events of modern times along with the symbolism and leadership found in Lord of the Flies shows that, more often than not, evil will triumph in society. Every object on the island has its use, either good or bad. Be that as it may, the bad objects overshadow the good objects. One such object on the island is Piggys glasses. Piggys glasses symbolize hope of rescue, and power. They represent power because the glasses are the only way to start the fire. The fire itself is the primary source of hope for the little uns, and when the glasses are taken by Jack, the little uns go to him because he is now the only one who can light the fire. They are attracted to Jack because he can provide what they want (fire, food, and protection). This also reflects on society today because many people follow leaders who can give them what they want, regardless if that leader has the competency to actually lead his or her people. The same goes for the little uns and Jack. Since Jack has the power of fire, they do not care that he is trying to murder Ralph. They choose to ignore the cruelty because Jack can provide for them a signal to be rescued, and meat . This has been reflected during Hitlers reign of the Third Reich. He promised the German people a way out of the depression, and as long as the people got that, they did not care how this would be achieved. Piggys glasses also symbolize the ability to see clearly and understand, that is to say, wisdom. The lens of the glasses cracking represents losing sight of what is needed to be done, and what is morally right and wrong (Lorcher). The same happens in society. The people with wisdom are shunted and put aside, and the line between right and wrong begins to blur, allowing humans to do progressively worse and worse things without a voice of reasoning to stop them. An example of a good object on the island is the conch. The conch, found by Ralph, was used to call all of the boys to one place. It is a representation of peace and unity. Because Ralph found the conch, he was considered the authority figure and named leader of the boys, and he was responsible for holding it and calling the boys to meetings. However, he lost his leadership authority when the conch was broken and Piggy was killed. As soon as this symbol of unity and peace was broken, the island fell into chaos. From that chaos, Jack rose to become dictator of the boys. He even created a fortress from which he could rule. Because there is no longer an object that symbolizes good, Jack is able to twist things his way, allowing him to rule as a dictator. In contrast to the conch is Jacks knife. The knife symbolizes Jacks brutality and thirst for power. When he asks Ralph, Which is better-to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill, he shows that, to him, laws are unnecessary, and that hunting and killing is better, even essential (Golding 225). Throughout the novel, Jack tries to gain power, and in his attempts he causes many problems. However, once he gains power, he uses every technique he knows to hold on to it. The main threat to his power is Ralph. Even after Ralph is left all alone with no followers, Jack insists on gathering his tribe of savages and hunting him. He has every intention of killing Ralph. Even when they first met at the start of the story, Jack and Ralph had clashed for power. Throughout the story, because of their differing ideas and philosophies, they clashed for power. This clashing represents the struggle for power between leaders in the world today. And, like in the novel, the evil leaders seem to always com e to the forefront and win over the people. Another evil object on the island is the Lord of the Flies himself, symbolizing the evil of humans that comes from inside. The Lord of the Flies is actually a pigs head on a sharpened stick. It was meant as an offering to appease the beast on the island. When Simon is walking in the forest, he comes upon the Lord of the Flies and has a conversation with him. The head tells Simon that there is, in fact, no beast on the island. The evil that has been going on is actually coming from the boys themselves, from inside them. He tells Simon that the beast is actually the hate, greed, jealousy, and lust for power inside them, and if they do not let go of these horrible traits, they will be divided, making it much harder to be rescued. And even if they are rescued, these traits will stay with them, magnified from their time spent on the island, and they will take these traits into the civilized world. Simon runs away from the Lord of the Flies, and runs into Jack and his band of hunters. Beca use Jack and his group symbolize the evil that the lord of the Flies was talking about, they killed Simon. There is an association between the objects and the characters themselves, and this shows that evil exists and usually wins over good. The way the characters act and react, and the way they make use of the objects, show that evil will always be the victor. Ralph is among the few good people in the novel, and is the protagonist of the story. Jack is the complete opposite, being the main antagonist. After trying to gain power over Ralph throughout most of the book, Jack becomes fed up and takes a group of boys to become his hunters. He trains them to kill, and trains them to enjoy doing it. At the end of the novel, everyone (except Ralph) is forced to join his tribe, and he is supreme dictator of the tribe. When going on hunts, he would fire his tribe up with a chant: Kill the Pig! Cut her throat! Spill her blood! (Golding 90). The most evil person on the island, and the first follower of Jack, is Roger. When hunting, he enjoys killing the pig. But Roger relished the act of killing Piggy, and torturing the twins to discover the whereabouts of Ralph. He symbolizes the people in this world that hurt others to fulfill th eir own personal agendas, and he also represents sadists in society that enjoy causing harm to others. Simon is the complete opposite of Roger. He is regarded as Christ-like (Yvonechick-online posting). He is the only person on the island with a conscience because he asks questions nobody can answer, and is deeply troubled by certain events (such as his talk with the Lord of the Flies). He represents hope for humanity, but although he is Christ-like, his death does not bring salvation. The twins, Sam and Eric, symbolize the common person. Most common peoples loyalties lie with the one in power, even if that persons beliefs and actions do not coincide with their own. This is because of self-preservation, and we as humans look to our own needs first. Since the person in power can provide for certain needs, the common people will give the leader their loyalty. This happens in the novel as well. At first, they are loyal to Ralph. When Jack takes over, however, they are forced to join hi m and are loyal to him, albeit if it is only because they are afraid of being hurt and think it is necessary for survival. Piggy wears glasses, has asthma, and cannot speak very well. He also is not athletic. These imperfections are significant because Piggy is a symbol for the people that cruel leaders have oppressed and taken advantage of. Because of his many imperfections, he is an easy target, and the novel displays this. Every time Piggy tries to speak or take charge, he is interrupted or stopped, and generally laughed at. The ending of the novel, however, truly shows that humans, when it comes to survival, resort to their animalistic and evil nature. The novel ends with Ralph crying for the end of innocence, the darkness of mans heart (Golding 235). Golding sums it up in that one sentence. The boys have lost their youthful innocence, and have reverted back to primal and animalistic norms. They all came from respectable, well-educated backgrounds, yet when it comes to survival, they resort to violence and treachery. The things they did were not taught at their school, and they did not learn them anywhere else; this proves that humans have an evil nature inside them that comes forth when we need to (essentially, we come first). A psychologist named Freud has even given this evil nature a name: the Id. According to Freud, the source of instinctual energy, which works on the pleasure principle and is concerned with immediate gratification is the Id (Huffman 457). For the boys on the island, it is the Id that surfaces in such an extreme incident, being inside the children (and consequently, all of human kind) all along. The Id has sur faced in many instances throughout recent history, but the one that is most obvious is the Holocaust. Events in recent history, like the Holocaust, show that human nature is evil and that even in civilized societies humans will revert to this base nature of ours. The country of Germany was torn apart by a great economic depression resulting from the First World War. A virtually unknown man named Adolf Hitler rose to power quickly. His ability as an orator was great, and he ensnared the people of Germany with promises of getting their country out of the depression. Once he revealed his terrible plan, the German people went along with it. Why? They were thinking about their own selves, and they wanted results. What better way than to place all the blame of their situation on the Jews, and at the same time get rid of the people who supposedly put them in that position in the first place. Even after killing over six million Jews, who did absolutely nothing wrong, the people of Germany turned aside and chose not to see what was happening. Even the rest of the world ended up turning away a nd letting it continue, at least for a while. The same scenario is shown in Lord of the Flies. Jack rises to power, and gets followers because he promises them power and, more importantly, meat. Just like Hitler, he uses his group of followers to terrorize the other boys into following him. Einstein says it best: The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who dont do anything about it (brainyquote.com). He makes the boys fear him, and fear is an effective way of getting people to do what you want them to, regardless of how vile the action is. Jack and Hitler both got rid of unwanted voices that carry potential information that can undermine the leader. In the case of the novel, Simon is killed after speaking with the Lord of the Flies. Without those voices in society, evil is allowed to run rampant and unchecked. The human race also has a greed component that goes hand in hand with evil. When a normally good man or woman is given a position of power, that person will usually want more and more. Sometimes, their greed and ambitions will blind them to their values and morals, and they will resort to actions they normally would never do, all just to become more and more powerful. Macbeth, considered an extremely loyal friend to the king, was given a prophecy (most likely a self-fulfilling prophecy) that he was to kill the king and be king himself. He gets a taste of power, and wants more. His ambition and greed (along with his ever growing paranoia) cause him to commit more evil deeds. Jack became jealous of Ralphs authority, and when he got a taste of leadership, he immediately wanted more. Evil will win out in the end because humans generally look toward instant gratification, and are willing to put aside their morals. William Goldings Lord of the Flies shows that humans are, in fact, born with an innate evil. The characters in the book show that humans will resort to their evil roots to survive. This is applicable to society today because the boys all represent some aspect of our society, ranging from common people to authoritative figures. The boys also show that their needs come first above the needs and well being of others, as presented in the hunt for Ralph at the end of the novel. The symbols in Goldings brilliant work also support the fact that humans have an evil nature. The conch represents the order and integrity of society, yet it is broken, showing that evil will triumph over good. The knife is an evil object, representing thirst for blood and lust for power. Recent historical events also highlight the fact that humans are evil at heart. One such event is the Holocaust and the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler in his efforts to create a pure race. The symbolism of the objects, the c haracters, and the events of history all tie in together to confirm that humans are innately evil, and will resort to evil. After all, it is much easier to be and do evil than it is to take the high road and do good.

Traditional methods of professional development :: essays papers

Traditional methods of professional development Traditional methods of professional development include workshops, learning communities, and college classes at a doctoral level. Most traditional professional development opportunities occur locally. Working in local communities allows teachers to address the professional norms of practice for the area in which they practice, and allows them to form more appropriate policies (Schlager& Fusco, 2003, p. 205). Each community is different in many ways. By catering professional development opportunities to the community in which they will be used, this allows the teacher to gain more information that pertains to their student population and school system. Moreover, one opportunity for professional development that may be offered locally is workshops. Workshops are usually offered in the summer and last only a few days (Gibbs, H.J., 2004, p. 47). Workshops are convenient for most teachers because they have the summer off and therefore the workshop does not interfere with their busy school work schedule. Also, local workshops allow teachers to network with other local teachers. Teachers share and build on each others ideas and work together to develop integrated activities (Gibbs, H.J., 2004, p. 47). It is important for teachers to have peers with whom they can seek advice from. Teachers with more seniority may be able to offer newer teachers helpful advice or bring up another aspect of a subject that may not have been considered. Sharing ideas through collaboration can spark up ideas for other teachers. Another example of a traditional method of professional development is the formation of learning communities. Learning communities are groups of teachers who meet to work on their teaching skills or new techniques. Learning communities also provide a support system to the teachers that are involved. Researchers believe teachers are more effective when they collaborate because the teacher has moral support, situated certainty, and a better opportunity to learn (Coronel, Carrasco, Fernandez, & Gonzalez, 2003, p. 130). Teachers become more confident when they are formulating ideas with people who work in the same field as they do. Working with peers allows for constructive criticism and the sharing of personal experiences which help teachers to explore and learn to be more effective. Furthermore, another type of traditional professional development is taking college classes at the doctoral level. Traditional cl asses are preferred by most students because they find face to face discussions to be the most beneficial (Mather, M.A., 2000, p.

Normative Ethical Theories

NORMATIVE ETHICAL THEORIES Objective †¢ Discuss the normative ethical theories L2: Normative Ethical Theories Beliefs about how people should behave can be classified into at least 2 major categories: Teleological theories (Consequentialism) Right actions are those that produce the most or optimize the consequences of one’s choices. Behaviour is ‘ethical’ if it results in desirable behaviour 1. 2. 3. 4. Ethical egoism Ethical elitism Ethical parochialism Ethical universalism Deontological theories (Duty and Rights) Duties are set down as rules which must be followed. Rights are behaviours that a person expects of others.Actions are intrinsically right or wrong regardless of the consequences which they produce. 1. Theological ethics 2. Rationalism 3. Social contract theory Ethical Egoism †¢ Based on the belief that people should act in a way that maximises the ‘good’ of the person making the decision. – For e. g. ethical egoists would not stop to help the victim of a road accident if that would make them late for a dinner reservation. They are not concerned with rules or accepted behaviour but behave in a way which is in their own interest. †¢ Hedonism: Ethical behaviour for hedonist would be that which gratifies a desire for pleasure and minimises pain.Ethical Egoism †¢ Adam Smith: – Advocated the pursuit of maximum self-interest. – Believed that such a policy pursued by individuals would lead to the maximisation of society’s interest. – An invisible hand restrained the individual from behaviour that would damage the interests of society. †¢ Milton’s Friedman’s Restricted Egoism: – â€Å"There is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open nd free competition without decept ion or fraud†. – Suggests that the behaviour of individuals seeking to maximise their selfinterest should be constrained by the law and the conventions of competition and fair play. – Would not allow breaking the law or the violation of accepted codes of behaviour in pursuing self-interest. Ethical elitism †¢ Suggests that society is stratified and that ethical behaviour should maximise the interests of only the top stratum or the elite. Examples: – (a) Sending thousands of soldiers to their deaths in a battle would be ethical behaviour if it improved the general’s reputation, – (b) The dismissal of a ‘mere’ accounts clerk to protect the reputation of the accountant would be regarded as ethical behaviour by a society that subscribed ethical elitism. Ethical parochialism †¢ Assumes that ethical behaviour should protect the interest of the individual’s ‘in-group’. – The ‘in-group’ c ould be the individual’s family, friends, professional associates, religion, gender, etc. Ethical parochialism would regard lying to protect a family member as ethical behaviour. Similarly preferring as employees former students from the employer’s old school. Ethical universalism (John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism) †¢ Suggests that ethical behaviour should be concerned with the good of all people and that individuals are all of equal value. †¢ Any behaviour which pursues the interests of an individual at the expense of others would be unethical. †¢ Mill modified Bentham’s theory. Bentham argued that when individuals seek to maximise their utility, the community’s utility is also maximised.Mill’s greatest happiness principle meant that an individual should not act to maximise personal utility but the utility of the community as a whole. Ethical universalism (John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism) †¢ Moral principle of utilitarianism: Persons ought to act in a way that promotes the maximum net expectable utility, that is, the greatest net benefits or the lowest net costs, for the broadest community affection by their actions. †¢ An extreme example: This theory would accept an individual being killed to save the lives of many others.Although the individual who was killed suffered a considerable loss of utility, the increase in the utility of those who survived more than compensated for that loss. †¢ Mill’s utilitarianism is regarded as the most acceptable of the teleological theories – replaces blatant self-interest. Theological ethics †¢ Relies on religion, where rules must be followed as set down, as established by God. – It is God’s command that we should behave in certain ways. Conforming to God’s rules is ethical. – It provides a powerful set of duties for people. Strictest interpretation: requires compliance with God’s rules rega rdless of the circumstances or consequences. – However, faith or beliefs are not universal, with many different religions and varying degrees of faith with each religion and interpretation. Rationalism Immanuel Kant †¢ Sought a simple maxim based on a reason or rationality that would provide a rule for a general duty which would override all others. He suggested the categorical imperative as a universally valid ethical law, i. e. †¢ Act as if the principle from which you act were to become through your will a universal law of natureImmanuel Kant †¢ First Maxim Note: Categorical imperative – it is absolute and does not allow for any exceptions Maxim – is an implied general principle underlying a particular action. †¢ The categorical imperative is a philosophical formulation of the Christian Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. ’ Thus to decide whether a contemplated action is ethical, the categorical im perative must be applied to that action. For e. g. a person who is about to break a promise must ask, ‘Would I desire a law which says that everybody may break promises if they so choose? If the answer is ‘No’, then the proposed action is unethical. †¢ Act so that you treat humanity whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only Immanuel Kant Second Maxim †¢ People should not be ‘used’ to achieve an end no matter how worthy that end may appear to be. The end does not justify the means. †¢ Kant proposed that applying these maxims to every proposed behaviour would lead to ethical behaviour. †¢ Kant strongly implies that perfect duties are always obliged to be followed such as telling the truth or keeping a promise,William Ross’ Prima Facie Obligation †¢ Ross, in contrast to Kant, refused to accept these duties as absolute or prevailing without exception. †¢ Argues that th ey are prima facie duties which means that they are moral imperatives that should apply most of the time under normal circumstances. †¢ A prima facie obligation is a conditional one that can be superceded by a more important, higher obligation, usually under very exceptional circumstances. William Ross’ Prima Facie Obligation Ross’ Seven Basic Moral Duties on Moral Agents †¢ One ought to keep promises and tell the truth (fidelity). One ought to right the wrongs that one has inflicted on others (reparation). †¢ One ought to distribute goods justly (justice). †¢ One ought to improve the lot of others with respect to virtue, intelligence, and happiness (beneficence). †¢ One ought to improve the lot of others with respect to virtue and intelligence (self-improvement). †¢ One ought to exhibit gratitude when appropriate (gratitude). †¢ One ought to avoid injury to others (non-injury). Social contract theory †¢ Assumes that there is a s ocial contract between the individual and the state which requires both to perform certain duties and gives to both certain rights. A ‘social’ contract is an unwritten agreement based on custom and accepted without dissent. †¢ A failure to perform the duties implied by the social contract would be unethical behaviour. It suggests fairness and equality, and relies on cooperation. – For e. g. by observing the road rules, one surrenders certain personal liberties in the hope of receiving safe road-driving conditions in return. – Another e. g. : If society wishes to receive well organised and skilful professional services, it must be prepared to relinquish a certain degree of autonomy and grant professionals special privileges of autonomy and power in return.

How to Find the Perfect Tattoo Design 100+ Ideas and 17 Styles

How to Find the Perfect Tattoo Design 100+ Ideas and 17 Styles SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Considering a tattoo? Want tons of tattoo ideas and designs to choose from? This is the perfect guide for you. Body art can be an fun way to show off your personality, but you want to make sure to pick a tattoo design you really love. I'll explain the different styles of tattooing and common sources of inspiration to help you brainstorm awesome tattoo ideas. We'll cover 17 awesome styles that are popular worldwide. The tips and pictures in this post will guide you through envisioning a tattoo design that you'll be happy to display on your body for years to come. Why Get a Tattoo? Tattoos have exploded in popularity over the course of the past few years. In more and more instances, they're accepted in the workplace and in society in general as a common form of creative self-expression. Tattoos can serve as permanent reminders of something that’s meaningful to you or just decorations to spice up the blank canvas of your body. Tattoo artists have developed all kinds of different styles and techniques to create unique pieces that are personal to each client. This guide will teach you all about the different subtypes of tattoo ideas and designs. I’ve divided them into four larger categories: abstract, illustrative, realistic, and lettering. Keep in mind that these aren't rigid categories - the styles often blend together and overlap, which is what makes creating your own personalized tattoo so much fun. After you review the different tattoo designs and consider which ones appeal to you, you can brainstorm your own tattoo ideas. In the second part of the guide, I’ve included a list of various themes that may inspire you in your quest for a tattoo that perfectly compliments your personality! Tattoo Ideas: 17 Cool Styles This section contains a list of every possible tattoo style in categories that range from the completely abstract to the photorealistic. Use these styles as a jumping off point to think about which type of imagery will fit best with the content of your personalized tattoo idea. Here's a table of contents for what we'll cover: Abstract Tattoos Biomechanical and Bio-organic Blackwork and Tribal Dotwork and Pointillism Geometric Watercolor Illustrative American Traditional Japanese New School Sketch Work Surrealism Realistic Neo-Traditional Neo-Japanese Portraiture Black and Grey Horror Trash Polka Lettering Abstract Tattoos These tattoo ideas are comprised of shapes, patterns, dots, and splashes of color. While some of them may also include figurative elements, they are based in a spirit of freeform art and are usually concerned more with aesthetics than with conveying a specific meaning. Style #1: Biomechanical and Bio-Organic Biomechanical and bio-organic tattoos are designed based on the natural flow of systems in the human body. Biomechanical tattoo designs mimic the inner workings of the body through patterns that evoke some sort of half-cyborg alien creature. Bio-organic tattoos are similar to biomechanical tattoos except they feature patterns reminiscent of organic organisms rather than machines. These tattoos are often extremely intricate, creating 3-D illusions that make it appear as though your skin has been ripped open to reveal the strange being within. They're great for sci-fi nerds, people who are interested in machines and robots, or anyone who is fascinated by the functioning of the human body. Style #2: Blackwork (and Tribal Tattoos) Blackwork tattoo ideas use only black ink to render images, designs or patterns. The style uses thick and bold black lines in a variety of geometric shapes. Blackwork tattoos are popular for their elegance and versatility and often come in the form of mandalas or other elaborate patterns. Blackwork tattoo designs derived from figurative line drawings are also common because the bold contrast created by the ink leads to a simple but powerful image. Blackwork tattoo designs originally emerged out of the cultural tradition of tribal tattoos. These tattoos mainly come from the symbolism of Polynesian tribal peoples, including Maori and Samoans. You can make tribal tattoos more relevant to your identity if you find specific symbols that mean something to you to incorporate into the tattoo. Style #3: Dotwork/Pointillism This is a style of tattooing that renders images, designs and patterns entirely through the use of dots. Shading and depth is created by varying the distances between the dots. Though I've decided to put it in the abstract category, dotwork can be either abstract or realistic. Common imagery includes sacred geometry and portraiture. Like blackwork, this tattoo idea is a sophisticated and minimalist approach to tattooing. Style #4: Geometric Geometric tattoo designs are created using only lines and geometric shapes. They differ from blackwork because color is typically incorporated into the design. These types of tattoo designs can vary dramatically in their look and feel, ranging from simple designs of single shapes to sleeves of intricate interlocking forms. They can make very powerful statements in subtle ways. Style #5: Watercolor Watercolor tattoos use splashes and streaks of color to give the impression of paint on canvas or paper. They lack all outlines and imitate the aesthetics of watercolor paintings. They are sometimes combined with realism or solid outlines and typically display bright colors and natural themes. These tattoos have gained popularity recently for their traditional artistic flair and delicate beauty. Illustrative Tattoos This category includes tattoo ideas that depict recognizable objects in exaggerated or stylized forms. These styles provide an awesome means of customizing your own unique tattoo ideas. Style #1: American Traditional This style uses bold black outlines and a well-saturated color palette consisting mainly of primary colors. It was originally popularized by men in the US Navy. This is what most people picture when they imagine classic tattoos (think "Mom" in a heart on the bicep of an enormous dude). Style #2: Traditional Japanese (Irezumi) Like American traditional, the Japanese tattoo style is based on bold black outlines and minimal shading, but it typically features images inspired by traditional Japanese art and nature as well as creatures and characters from Japanese folklore. Imagery typically consists of lotus flowers, koi fish, tigers, warriors and waves. This is a sophisticated, intricate style of tattooing that can look beautiful and peaceful or totally badass (or even both at the same time!). Style #3: New School New School is an animated, exaggerated style of tattooing. Images are usually caricatures of characters doing unexpected things and are influenced by graffiti and hip-hop artistic techniques and styles. That means bright colors and amplified dimensions and features. If you love cartoons and want a really fun and unusual tattoo idea, this might be a good tattoo design style for you. Style #4: Sketch Work Sketch work tattoos imitate the rough aesthetic of an artist’s sketchbook. They usually show unfinished images or designs including partially colored in sections and unclear outlines. If you’re really into comic books and the sketchy style of that world, you could get a tattoo that adopts the same style. Style #5: Surrealism This style consists of imaginary images, mashed up styles, and fantastical creations. If you’re familiar with surrealist artists (Salvador Dali being the most famous) you can see how this style has evolved as a byproduct of their work. Surrealism is different from New School because it’s rarely cartoonish. It’s just strange combinations of objects or portraits that may be rendered in a realistic style but are combined in nonsensical ways. If you want a tattoo design that’s unnerving but not outright horrific you might look at surreal tattoos for inspiration. Realistic Tattoos Realism is a tattoo design style that recreates images as they would appear in life. It lacks the bold outlines found in more traditional forms of tattooing and instead uses shading and color contrasts to render the image. Some of the types of tattoos mentioned above may incorporate realistic elements, but the styles in this section are the ones that are most prone to using realism. Style #1: Neo-Traditional This is a modern twist on American traditional tattooing in which more realistic depth, shading, color and detail are added to traditional conventions. They present similar subject matter to traditional tattoos but with an updated stylistic flair. If you like American traditional tattoos but want to sport something that’s a bit more unique and up-to-date, you should investigate this style. Style #2: Neo-Japanese This is the same as neo-traditional tattooing except it’s an update to traditional Japanese tattoos. Again, more realistic depth, shading, color, and detail are added to traditional Japanese style conventions. Similarly, if you like traditional Japanese tattoos but want a little more realism to make the images really pop, you should look into this style. Style #3: Portraiture In portraiture, a portrait of someone is recreated as a tattoo. Realistic portraits can be created either in color or black and grey. They’re often made by using a stencil over a pre-existing photograph or image in order to get an exact likeness. Portraiture is used to memorialize people or depict iconic celebrities or personal heroes. Tattoo portraits are really tough to do well, so you should conduct quite a bit of research before settling on an artist that you trust. Style #4: Black and Grey Black and grey tattooing only uses black ink and water. Tattooists water down the black ink to make it softer and more grey so they can create shades, hues and color contrasts. Some artists also use actual grey ink and white ink for highlights. Black and grey tattoos can be very evocative and creepy, so if you’re going with a more serious theme this is a good style tattoo idea. Style #5: Horror These are tattoos dealing with dark or morbid subject matter. Subjects include portraits of characters from horror films, freehanded monsters, and many other forms of creepy imagery. Typically, black and grey horror is done on a large scale as a full sleeve (like in the image below) or back piece. If you’re a big horror fan and want to make yourself look kinda scary, check out these cool tattoo ideas. Style #6: Trash Polka Trash polka tattoos feature black and red color schemes characterized by collage-like images featuring moments of realism, lettering, and abstract or geometric shapes. They include painterly elements like smears and smudges as well as surreal and realistic images to create a chaotic look. These tattoos are more about the overall look than the deeper meaning- they are often pure decorative pieces from the mind of the tattoo artist. This is a divisive new style, but some people really love it because it makes such a bold statement. Lettering or Script Tattoos Lettering ranges from simple tattoos of letters and words in standard fonts to highly stylized custom pieces. You can do many, many different things with script depending on how long the message is. Some lettering tattoos are so elaborate that the words become art pieces that only read as letters when you look more closely. Others are just plain printing without any extra flair. It all depends on your personal style! Brainstorming: What Are You Looking for in a Tattoo? A tattoo idea doesn’t have to have deep metaphorical significance, but you should definitely make sure it’s something you're thrilled to display on your body indefinitely. Plenty of people get tattoos just because they look cool, and there’s nothing wrong with that! Think about exactly why you want a tattoo and what you hope to get out of it. Here’s a list of some themes and aesthetic qualities that you might consider incorporating into your tattoo design depending on what you want it to mean to you: Depiction of a Hobby or Passion Symbols of the activities you love can make great tattoos because these passions are unlikely to change too much throughout your life. For example, if you really enjoy kayaking, you could get a tattoo of a paddle. If you love knitting, you could get a tattoo of a yarn ball (and eventually be a super cool grandma). Reminder of a Fun Experience Tattoos can be a way to preserve memories of great times in your life. For example, if you and your friends went on an awesome hiking and camping trip, you could get a tattoo of the outline of the mountain range. If you went to Paris, you could get a little croissant tattoo (or a tattoo of a creepy mime if you’re weird like me). The tattoo idea could also be a reference to an experience from your childhood that you’ve treasured over the years. Your Favorite [Fill in the Blank] Favorite things make fun tattoos that can have all kinds of different connotations. Think about your favorite animal, food, flower, place, fictional character, book, movie, team, or game. Branch out from there to come up with a way of depicting your favorite thing in tattoo form. You can even decide to combine several favorite things into one tattoo design. If your favorite animal is a wolf, your favorite food is steak, and your favorite basketball team is the Miami Heat, you could get a tattoo of a wolf eating steak and wearing a Miami Heat hat. The more unique the better! Honoring a Child, Friend, or Relative Some people get tattoos as tributes to others who have made strong impacts on their lives. These tattoos often consist of portraits, significant dates (birth or death), or that person’s favorite animal or some other icon associated with them. A tattoo can help in the grieving process for a loved one, or it can celebrate new life. Showing Pride in Your Identity or Struggles You’ve Overcome Many people get tattoos to commemorate personal breakthroughs or turning points in their lives. This might mean a symbol of recovery from addiction or mental health problems or a marker of another positive achievement in your life like graduating from college or embracing your sexuality. This theme ties into tattoo designs that are about identity. These could include religious iconography, the flag of your home country or a symbol of the state in which you were born, a symbol of your ancestral heritage, the symbol of a group you belong to or support, or an astrological sign. A Significant Phrase or Quote Is there a quote that you feel sums up your life philosophy (or your goals for your life philosophy)? Many people get lettering tattoos of quotes or meaningful sayings to remind them of what they stand for and how they hope to approach challenges in their lives. These quotes or sayings might be verses from religious texts, a quote from a favorite author or thinker, an adage, or a song lyric. Pure Aesthetics Maybe your more interested in a tattoo that just looks a certain way? There are a lot of different aesthetics for tattoo designs - you can choose whichever appeals to you. Something Beautiful or Cute If you just want your tattoo to look pretty, you have many options. Choosing an image from nature is usually a safe bet if you want the tattoo to have staying power. You might consider koi fish, birds, roses or other flowers, trees, a moon or sun, a dreamcatcher, a butterfly, a wave, or anything else you can think of that looks cute. When you’re judging tattoo ideas based on aesthetics it’s a good idea to search extensively for inspiration so you can get an idea of what different images look like in certain places on the body. Something Funny or Goofy Maybe you’re looking for tattoo ideas that take themselves a little less seriously. Cartoonish monsters, animals wearing clothing, or other surreal tattoos that are more amusing than creepy are all fun options. Just make sure you're confident that it will still be funny a few years from now! Jokes usually have expiration dates, but tattoos definitely don't. Something Badass, Scary, or Just Plain Awesome Want to terrify people and/or leave them completely awestruck? Tattoo artists can create crazy horror scenes that incorporate many different elements (or subtler small but scary tattoos if you’re less of a showman). Some elements you might consider weaving into these types of tattoos are skulls and skeletons, weapons, vicious animals, zombies, the grim reaper and other symbols of death (gravestones, etc), clocks, pentagrams, your favorite horror characters, haunted houses, eyeballs, insects and other creepy crawlies, demons and gargoyles, dragons, and more! Abstract Designs Designs make great tattoos even if they’re just random creations from the mind of the artist. If you want this type of tattoo, think about whether you would like it to be black and white or in color. If it’s in color, which colors do you want to include? Do you want a design that evokes organic flow and movement or a more rigid geometric or mechanical design? Do you just want the design, or would you like to incorporate figurative elements into the tattoo as well? Even very simple abstract tattoos can be extremely cool, like this one: Practical Concerns for Tattoo Ideas Style and content aren't the only things you should take into account if you're considering getting a tattoo. Ensuring that the procedure is within your budget and the tattoo has staying power are factors that are less fun to think about but are just as crucial if you want to avoid buyer's remorse in an industry where there are no easy returns. Pricing The cost of a tattoo can vary depending on the artist, the tattoo's location, the number of colors that are used, and the size. Some tattoo artists charge more than others because they can afford to do so based on their reputations. Usually, tattoo artists in big cities charge more than those who are less centrally located. Established tattoo artists typically charge at least $150 an hour for their work, and in most cases you will have to pay the fee for one hour regardless of whether it takes the artist the full 60 minutes to complete your design. Even if you go to a beginner tattoo artist, you'll probably spend at least $80 on your tattoo. The more colorful the tattoo design, the more expensive it will be. Incorporating lots of colors means more time, and most tattoo artists charge by the hour in case a project takes longer than anticipated. If you want a cheaper tattoo, you should go with blackwork. Tattoos that are done on sensitive areas of the body are also more expensive because the tattoo artist has to be more careful. Sensitive areas include your hands, feet, neck, sternum, and genitals. Perhaps the biggest factor that will impact the cost of the tattoo is its size and level of detail. A full back tattoo with a ton of detail will obviously take way more time than a tattoo of a couple of triangles on your arm.' Longevity There's a reason why some tattoos last longer than others. Darker colors are less likely to fade over time while very vibrant and very pale colors will fade more quickly (like in the picture below). In general, warm colors fade faster than cool colors. However, any tattoo can fade if you don't take good care of it. Listening to the tattoo artist and providing the correct aftercare for your tattoo is extremely important if you want the colors to pop for a long time. If you're a fan of tanning, you should also know that tattoos fade more quickly with exposure to the sun. The location of the tattoo also plays a part in how well it ages - tattoos on the legs, upper arms, and chest are most likely to get warped with age because these are the areas of your body that change the most over time. Tattoos on your fingers can also fade because we use our hands so frequently and the skin is closer to the bone, so if you're planning to get a cute little hipster triangle on your finger, you should keep this in mind. Size can also play a part in a tattoo's longevity. A common mistake that people make with their first tattoo is that they get it too small. If a tattoo is really small, especially if it involves lettering, it can all start to mush together over time and look like nothing. Don't shy away from making your tattoo a little bigger and bolder so that it won't become a random splotch years down the road. Deciding on a Tattoo Design Hopefully this article gave you some inspiration for the design of what is sure to be your latest and greatest tattoo! If you've come up with a tattoo idea you love, you can start searching for tattoo artists in your area and ask for a consultation to see if they have any suggestions for improving your design. If you're not ready to take that step quite yet, you can experiment with temporary tattoos to see how you feel about your design and how it looks on your body without making a long-term commitment. Some people think about a tattoo idea for years before actually going through with it. It's always smart to put a lot of thought into the process so that you end up with a tattoo that's meaningful to you (and also makes your friends incredibly jealous).

What You Need to Know About Diploma Mills

What You Need to Know About Diploma Mills A diploma mill is a company that awards unaccredited degrees and provides either an inferior education or no education at all. If youre considering attending an online school, learn as much about diploma mills as you can. This article will teach you how to spot them, how to avoid them, and how to take action if youve been a victim of a diploma mills false advertising. The Difference Between Unaccredited Programs and Diploma Mills If you want your degree to be accepted by employers and other schools, your best bet is to enroll in a school accredited by one of the six regional accreditors. Your degree may still be considered acceptable if it is from a school accredited by another organization recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), such as the Distance Education Training Council. Being accredited by an agency approved by the USDE or CHEA adds legitimacy to the school. However, not all unaccredited schools can be considered diploma mills. Some new schools are undergoing the lengthy process required to receive accreditation. Other schools have chosen not to seek formal accreditation because they do not want to follow outside regulations or because they do not believe it is necessary for their organization. In order for a school to be considered a diploma mill, it must award degrees with little or no work required. The Two Types of Diploma Mills There are thousands of fake schools in the billion dollar diploma mill industry. However, most diploma mills fall into one of two categories: Diploma mills that openly sell degrees for cash - These schools are straight-up with their clients. They offer customers a degree for cash. Both the diploma mill and the recipient know that the degrees are illegitimate. Many of these schools do not operate under a single name. Instead, they let clients select the name of any school they choose. Diploma mills that pretend to be real schools - These companies are more dangerous. They pretend that they offer legitimate degrees. Students are often allured by promises of life experience credit or fast-track learning. They may have students do minimal work, but they usually award degrees in a very short amount of time (a few weeks or a few months). Many students graduate from these diploma mills thinking that they have earned a real degree. Diploma Mill Warning Signs You can find out if a school is accredited by an organization approved by the Department of Education by searching an online database. You should also keep an eye out for these diploma mill warning signs: Prospective students are bombarded with extreme promises about the degree program.Students are given one bill for the degree instead of being charged tuition for each class or credit hour.The schools website has no phone number.The schools address is a P.O. Box or apartment number.Promotional materials focus heavily on credit for life experience.The school does not have a .edu web address.There are no names of deans, directors, or professors on the website.The schools name is very similar to the name of a traditional, well-known school.Degrees are awarded in a very short period of time - only a few weeks or months.The school claims to be accredited by an organization that is not listed as an accreditor approved by the Department of Education. Diploma Mills and the Law Using a diploma mill degree to get a job could lose you your job, and your respect, in the workplace. Additionally, some states have laws that limit the use of diploma mill degrees. In Oregon, for example, prospective employees must inform employers if their degree is not from an accredited school. What to Do if You've Been Tricked by a Diploma Mill If youve been deceived by a diploma mills false advertising, immediately request a refund of your money. Send a registered letter to the companys address explaining the deception and asking for a full refund. Make a copy of the letter you send for your own records. Chances are low that theyll send the money back, but mailing the letter will provide you with the documentation you may need in the future. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Filing will help warn other potential students about the diploma mill school. It takes just a few minutes and can be done completely online. You should also file a complaint with your states attorney general office. The office will read complaints and may choose to investigate the diploma mill school. List of Diploma Mills and Unaccredited Schools It is difficult for any organization to put together a complete list of degree mills because many new schools are created each month. It is also difficult for organizations to consistently tell the difference between a diploma mill and a school that is simply unaccredited. Oregons Student Assistance Commission maintains the most comprehensive list of unaccredited schools. However, it is not an exhaustive list. Be aware that the schools listed are not all necessarily diploma mills. Also, a school should not be considered legitimate just because it is not on the list.

Old Spice Ad Analysis Essays

Old Spice Ad Analysis Essays Old Spice Ad Analysis Essay Old Spice Ad Analysis Essay December 11, 2012 Comp I Advertisement Analysis Advertisements come in various shapes, sizes, and mediums, and as humans, we are constantly surrounded by them. Whether they are on TV, radio, or in a magazine, there is no way that we can escape them. They all have their target audience for whom the advertisers have specifically designed the ad. When a company produces a commercial, their main objective is to get their product to sell. This is a multibillion-dollar industry and the advertisers study all the ways that they can attract their audience’s attention. The producers of advertisements have many tactics and strategies they use when producing an ad to get consumers to buy their product. These include things such as rhetorical appeals, logical fallacies, and â€Å"the male gaze. † The function of marketing is to either increase the number of customers or increase the rate of use among current customers. The number of customers can be increased by converting customers from competing brands, developing loyalty to the brand among current customers, or expanding the total market for the product class. The more ads they make, the more they in turn have to make in order to get our attention, it’s led to a vicious circle of clutter† (PBS Frontline: The Persuaders). Advertising is a battle of which company can fill up the most empty wall space. Consequently, cities turn into a mass chaos of posters and billboards. Subway tunnels have now been turned into moving pictures, to produce almost a â€Å"commercial† if you w ill. The buses themselves have been turned into moving billboards. Nowadays the thirty-minute block for a television show is about 15 minutes worth of advertisements and 15 minutes of the actual show. Along with that, many people are actually being paid to be an advertisement, whether it be standing out in front of a building with a sign, or putting a company decal on their car. Advertisements, likewise, cannot be escaped. However, often advertisers have to be sure and not â€Å"over do† their advertisements, or else the audience in which they are trying to appeal to will become annoyed. Old Spice, a major company for men’s hygienic products, has created a line of men’s body wash that has a very appealing and humorous advertising campaign. These ads are designed not only to get their product noticed in the marketplace, but also to eclipse other lines of men’s body wash. The Old Spice commercials imply that by using their product, a man will be or become more similar to the Old Spice man, or in other words, the ultimate man. The Old Spice advertisements capture men by reaching out to the needs of women, giving the ideal image of what a man should be and how he should smell, and by creating a sexual theme that attracts attention. The bottles used for all Old Spice products have red incorporated within the design. This is because red is the color of attraction. That is why red always surrounds Valentines day. Red can also signify power and strength. The Old Spice design tries to go with a classic, authentic look. It wants to appeal to a variety of ages. It has a very sophisticated look (Keitel). In our society, an extremely smart and effective way of selling a product designed for men is to appeal to women. Women have many opinions on commercials that deal with men’s products, and if they like the commercials, they will be more apt to either buy the product themselves or influence the men they know to buy it. Advertisers not only use sexual appeals to attract attention to their ads, but to position their brands as sexual and to suggest that sex-related benefits can ensue to the brand purchasers. In Old Spice’s current ad campaign, there are a series of commercials using different actors and sports stars that are very fit and good looking to highlight their body wash. In the ad they use ex-NFL wide receiver Isaiah Mustafa, promoting elements of masculinity, sex appeal, and humor. In the ad, Mustafa is coming out of a shower dressed only in a towel, saying in a deep voice, â€Å"Hello, ladies†, and then continuing to talk directly to women viewers, telling them to look alternately at him and then the man sitting next to them for the implied comparison in which no normal man would come out very well. The commercial then continues with rapidly shifting scenes that show Mustafa in romantic fantasy? like settings designed to appeal to women. He is shirtless on a sailboat at sunset, then holding tickets to â€Å"that thing you love†. The tickets then turn into diamonds, and finally then ad ends with Mustafa sitting shirtless on a white stallion on a tropical beach. The commercial’s appeal to women relies not only on the attractiveness of the actor and the settings, but to the humor that is based on the idea that such a perfect man can exist at all. Conversely, not only do these commercials reach out to women, but also there are men in the target audience and there is a message for them as well. These ads present an ideal image of how a man should be and what he should smell like. By using a good looking, fit, man for this advertisement, it gives the product an image that men want. The logical fallacy, ad populum, is present in this commercial. This ad almost shouts out the ideas that if you use the product you can look, smell, and be exactly like the man you see on your television. The Old Spice man, Mustafa, does everything better than you do and will give your woman more than you can give her. You can smell like the â€Å"ultimate man†, or as the slogan used in the ads says, â€Å"Smell like a man†. The ad makes a man react emotionally and appeal directly to his masculinity, vanity, and even his insecurity in being able to impress, attract, and keep women happy. This ad also portrays the idea of â€Å"scopophilia†. Scopophila is known as the pleasure in looking; by this, women want to have a pleasure in looking at their man, and the only way that will happen is if he uses Old Spice. In addition to appealing to women’s tastes and a man’s emotional need to smell like a manly man and attract a woman, this commercial uses the old reliable advertising strategy – sex sells. A sexually themed commercial can appeal to both men and women, and is sure to attract attention. Men and women are often portrayed in a sexual manner in ads of products that have absolutely nothing to do with sex itself. However, the sexiness of the advertisement causes people to remember the ad, and thus the product. This sexiness in advertising is enhanced and affected by the physical attributes of the models, their movement or actions, their interactions if there is more than one model, and the special effects provided by the camera. The desired result is achieved, because of the sexual nature of the ad, a fit and good-looking man talking directly to women in a seductive voice and in a romantic location. People, both men and women, stop what they are doing and watch. Sex can make the beholder feel young again. Sex may also reassure men of their masculinity and women of their femininity. The sexual content of the commercial also does more than grab people’s attention, it helps them remember the ads. The Old Spice ads are successful because they make an impression on people and lead to discussions with other people who have seen them. The advertisers do have to be careful with the use of sex appeal in these ads. If the sexual content is overdone, it might not work as intended. They need to make sure that people are not so distracted by the sexual appeal of the ad that they do not remember what the ad was for in the first place. It does not do any good to create a sensual or sexual message when all they can remember is the image and not the brand name. Therefore, advertisers need to make sure the sexual/sensual image being used is connected in some way to the product or service being promoted. This will create a link between the two and make the viewer much more likely to remember the product or service being advertised. When making a sexual ad, producers must tailor the message to the people they are targeting, which includes understanding the audience’s feelings and beliefs on public sexuality. Women have a different viewpoint on the subject of sexual appeal in advertisements. The objectification of women in advertising campaigns has significant psychological implications. It socializes women to think of them in the manner in which they are depicted, and causes them to engage in self-objectification. When women view advertisements featuring thin female models, it causes them to think that their own bodies should also be thin, creates anxieties relating to their weight, appearance, body satisfaction, and creates a negative mood. Thus, their body image causes them to suffer emotionally and psychologically. Bordo states in her essay, â€Å"Today, as many as one million men – and eight million women – have an eating disorder. † Perhaps, by buying the advertised items, the viewing audience of women believes they will instantly become taller, thinner, younger, and prettier. This is not the same psychological effect experienced by women who view ads with female models of average proportions, or with no female models at all. Objectification of women in advertisements and emphasis on the size of their breasts has created a society of cosmetically enhanced, large-breasted women. Their self-image is predicated on the medias portrayal of a desirable woman. In order to have high self-esteem, and see themselves as attractive and valued women, many females feel this enhancement is necessary. Most human consumption is a result of a drive to satisfy sensuous desires. Advertising uses sexual images to encourage this consumption. People become dissatisfied with their imperfect selves, and seek to become perfect by buying the sexually charged products. Sex is an easy way to get the attention of males and make a product seem desirable. Women are objectified, and men are swayed to purchase the product and as a reward, get the women. The women represented in these ads are all beautiful and physically well endowed. Men are stimulated by the immediate physical sexuality in the ads, whereas women seem to be more stimulated by the sexuality for the romantic aspect of it. Men want to get the women. Women want the sexuality for the promise of the future. There seems to be no question that the use of sexuality in advertising helps to sell a product. However, when sexuality is used, the concept is true that there is greater consumer interest in observing the ads. This increased consumer interest often leads to the purchase of the advertised product. Bordo, Susan. â€Å"Beauty (Re)discovers the Male Body†. Writing Analytically with Reading. 2nd ed. EDS. Rossenwasser, David and Jill Stephen. Boston: Wadsworth, 2012. 821-843. Print. Keitel, Victoria. â€Å"Old Spice Analysis. † Personal. PSU. n. d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012 Rushkoff, Douglas. â€Å"The Persuaders. † PBS Frontline. 9 Nov. 2004. Web. 11 Nov. 2012

First peoples in Canada Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

First peoples in Canada - Research Paper Example The Residential School System The residential school system systematically undermined the culture of the Aboriginals and insinuated that it was not worth adopting or following at all costs. Aboriginal children were forcefully separated from their families for lengthy periods of time. During this separation, the children were given strict rules not to talk in their own language and do anything that is related to their culture. Breaking of these rules would lead to sever punishments (Hanson, 2013). It is a common knowledge that culture is passed down generations by the process of parents-children value transfers. By separating children from their parents for long durations of time, it was impossible for the Aboriginal culture to be passed down. The federal government and churches were aware of this because this was the chief objective of this school system – no wonder this system has been referred as a form of cultural genocide. In deed when the Prime minister Stephen Harper iss ued an official apology in regard to residential school system, he said that the system was based on a wrong assumption that â€Å"Aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal† (Hanson, 2013, p. 1). It is therefore clear that the system was dehumanizing and directly insinuated that the Aboriginal culture was not worth following being inferior. The conditions in the school system were abusive and logically the system did not qualify to use the term ‘school’ in its title. Residential school staff has been accused of great abuses to which students were subjected to. The abuses alleged were physical, sexual, emotional and psychological (Hanson, 2013). According to Miller, the residential school system offered a net negative experience for students – students were said to look back with pain after passing through the system. Children spent a lot of time at the schools and never obtained the emotional support needed by children from their parents. Food was not enough for them and the clothes they were given were shabby and not warm enough especially for the winter seasons (Miller, 2012). This must have been psychologically disturbing to the children taking into consideration their tender ages – 16 years and below. The fact that they were constantly told their culture was inferior and they should never speak their native language must equally have been disturbing (Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 2013). Former students of this system have been pressing through litigation for compensation for suffering they were subjected to under this system. As an indication that students were abused under this system, the federal government has been undertaking measure to show its remorse. One such step is â€Å"the $1.9-billion compensation package for the survivors of abuse at Aboriginal residential schools† (Miller, 2012, p. 1). Students in the system were abused and their dignity was not upheld – accordi ng to Hanson (2013), many of them died due to the conditions and punishments. The experiences that students underwent in this system were dehumanizing. This system did not educate students as was expected being a school but instead just wasted their time. This system up to the 1950s operated on a

Is there an afterlife and what would be required for an afterlife Essay

Is there an afterlife and what would be required for an afterlife - Essay Example Death has been considered the only certain thing in life. There is even consensus to the effect that a number of changes take place during the transition from life to death, which therefore follows that changes making up life are distinct from those making up survival. In distinguishing these two varying changes, we can give a number of personal identity criteria through time to explain death (Baillie, 1993). First, we can use a criterion that has been popularized by Hume, Plato and a multiplicity of world religions. According to this criterion, human beings are either immaterial souls or even pure egos (Hume, 1739). This can be construed to mean that human beings possess the physical bodies only on a contingent basis and therefore not a necessity as far as living (in this life and the afterlife) is concerned. This being the case therefore, it is proper to argue that human being continues to live even after death. If anything their bodies are contingent and not necessarily a must-hav e in their living and especially their afterlife (Ayer, 2006). The second criterion has to do with the claim that a human being has two distinct components namely a body and a mind. This criterion, the so-called Cartesian Dualism, named so in honor of Rene Descartes, claim that the two components namely, the material body and the immaterial mind are distinct and therefore can exist separately. In fact it goes on to claim that the immaterial mind can exist separately from the material body particularly when the material body dies. This idea has however failed to convince many people because of a number of obvious faults in the reasoning behind it. For instance, is it logical for an immaterial mind to effect any change in a material body? This is the main problem that this idea has been unable to address, a problem that has since assumed the name â€Å"the problem of interactionism† (Levine, 1989). The reasons that Hume advance in arguing that death is survivable are convincing in whichever one looks at them. For instance, I am convinced that there must be another component that leaves the body to rot, otherwise what happened when a human being is resurrected by a supernatural being. Does he/she resurrect with another body or the same body which at the time must have long decomposed. This clearly demonstrates just how probable a human being might possess a separate invisible component that is left behind after his/her fresh dies and subsequently decomposes (Jerome, 1966). In opposing the idea of an afterlife, Hume argues that every creature’s ability is always proportionate to the task ahead of it. This is best demonstrated in a Hare’s or an Antelope’s ability to out-run a fox or a Lion respectively. It is also the reason why a Hare have not been equipped with the ability to appreciate Operas, which would be superfluous to its life. Given that a match between abilities and tasks has been found to cut across all creatures, it is reason able to assume that we are also matched to the tasks before us (Hume & Sayre-McCord 2006). Looked in the context of our ‘design flaws’ as far as having the ability to anticipate an afterlife is concerned, one can only conclude that there is no afterlife. Look at the way we are normally less concerned with doing good for a reward in our afterlife. Look a

American Constitution of 1787 and pluralism Essay

American Constitution of 1787 and pluralism - Essay Example The constitution took effect on March 4, 1789. The delegation intended to amend the Article of Confederation and set up a new scheme of government. Through intensive debates, the delegation came up with a brilliant federal organization that had a complicated system of checks and balances. They came up with a bicameral legislature that had equal representation in the upper house as well as a relative representation in the lower house. Thus, the main outcome of the convention was a federal government that worked through a constitution that ensured that freedom equality and order prevailed in the country. The American constitution of 1787 promotes the application of pluralism in the USA thus giving the citizen power to govern their nation. Pre constitution America In the 1970s USA did not exist but there were just thirteen colonies under the Great Britain. In the 1970s, not everyone in the United States of America had the same opportunities. Blacks, women, Native Americans, and poor men had no voting rights and could not hold any elective posts. The British colonies in North America adopted their form of governance even after independence. The early leaders of Americas believed that everyone had basic rights that they referred to as natural rights. The natural rights included the right to liberty, life, and property. The founding fathers believed that the only way to ensure that everyone got their basic rights was to form a government that operates under certain laws. The founding fathers studied governments in the history. Most of their interest was in the Roman Republic, a government that existed about 2000 years before the USA was founded. This must have really influenced the drafting of the American constitution of 1787 states (Guide and Reader for American Government and Politics in the New Millennium 187). Rights and freedoms The fact that the authors of the 1787 constitution valued freedom in regards to the pursuit of freedom to own property and contentment , represented 12 of 13 states, and knew the importance of order is an indication that they would create a pluralist democracy. All fifty-five states delegates who went to Philadelphia to make the constitution believed that the people had to have economic and religious freedom in which they can express their opinions to make the USA a better place to live. Moreover, they had the understanding that ownership of property was an individual right and neither the state government nor the federal governments could deny the people such rights. â€Å"Their vision was that individuals would be to define their interests in terms of the national government and strengthen it† (American Government and Politics in the New Millennium 56). The authors of the constitution â€Å"realized that without a strong national government, the U.S. would implode because of the failure of the state governments to cooperate and look beyond their parochial interests† (states Guide and Reader for Amer ican Government and Politics in the New Millennium 54) Branches of the government Federalism advocates that the constitution made a pluralist democracy by creating separate levels of government so that the laws made by the officials would represent many interests from diverse states. Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances create a pluralist democracy through purposely making four institutions of government that are chosen in a staggered selection so that they would not be loyal not only within themselves but certainly not to others. The constitution purposely separated the national government into three parts- executive, judicial, legislative- and provided them with shared powers. Madison realized that â€Å"Besides separating the government into t

Class Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Class Activity - Essay Example This essay focuses on group work process, that under proper conditions, encourages peer learning and peer support and many studies validate the efficacy of peer learning. Under less than ideal conditions, group work can become the vehicle for acrimony, conflict and freeloading. It may also impose a host of unexpected stresses on, for example, students with overcrowded schedules living long distances from the University. This essay refers to the effectiveness of a team in achieving the set goals while taking into great consideration, the contribution of each member of the team. There are various criteria and steps that are presented in this report to determine whether the team followed the right measures to achieve their aims and goals. It also determines the performance level of the team and the author in the making of the said project. The groups’ task was to create a tower using only the materials given to the team which were the straws, sticky tape and scissors. The team wa s to brainstorm and come up with a creative plan and an idea as to how to make a tower made of straws the best they could in 60 mins. How the tower would look like, given the creativity of each team using the maximum resources was up to the team. The tallest, the most stable and most creative group were to be awarded the number one. The researcher states that the main purpose of the activity is to assess the competencies per course guide, as well as understand the different models and theories to be applied in real life situation.

Differentiate between neligence, intentional and constitutional torts Essay

Differentiate between neligence, intentional and constitutional torts. What act(s) can cause a tort liability - Essay Example For example: an employee of the criminal justice department conducted his duties without making sure that others are not harmed by his means of conducting duty, due to this others may have been inflicted with harm or injury, thus the official is held responsible for conducted his duties in a negligent manner. Criminal justice officers experience intentional torts when they indulge knowingly and freely indulge in activities due to which citizens or other individuals of a society may be harmed (Vaughn, 1999). For example: a police officer uses coercive methods to obtain a confession from a suspect, due to his act the suspect gets badly injured, the police official is held responsible for using coercion and the confession obtained from the suspect might not be used as evidence in the court of law. A criminal justice employee may be held responsible in a case of constitutional tort if he fails to conduct his duties in accordance to the constitution of the country (Carlson, 1985, p.342). For example: if a police official makes an arrest and forgets to read the Miranda rights to the suspect, the police official may be held responsible for acting according the constitution and the suspect may be free to leave as his Miranda rights were not read to him (Peak, 2011, p.281). Various activities conducted by the officials of the criminal justice system lead to tort liability, these activities includes: negligent behaviour, wrongful charges for arrest, breach of right of privacy, upholding information and evidence, and coercive interrogation. When an official of the criminal justice system is said to have acted in a negligent manner, he is said to have not exercised his duty of due care (Peak, 2011, p.341). This means that while conducting his duties, an official has not ensured to eradicate practices and procedures that may harm an individual and that are foreseen. Therefore a police official has to exercise his duty of care while conducting his

The Significance of Harlem Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Significance of Harlem Renaissance - Essay Example Migrants settled in Harlem, manhattan making it the largest Negro city in America and a center of cultural expression. Alain Locke is regarded as the father of the Harlem Renaissance as he was the dean, conceiver and editor of â€Å"The New Negro† in 1925 that summed up the essence of the movement. Other archictects included Charles S Johnson (editor opportunity magazine) and Jessie Fauset (editor of Crisis magazine). It drew artists from all walks of life both old and young including W.E.B.Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Bruce Nugent, Zora Neale Hurston, Arna Bontemps, Wallace Thurman, Nella Larsen, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay, Jean Toomer and Kelly Miller among others. Also important were musicians Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. This paper will discuss the Harlem Renaissance highlighting its architects and their vision as well as the artists that helped revolutionalize the African American culture. Harlem Renaissance originated in Harlem the largest Negro city in America after the Great Migration from rural South to Urban North in 1890 as well as the First World War. The population in this area included Africans, West Indians and Negro Americans but they all had experienced white supremacy through civil war and Reconstruction that ended in 1877 and the Jim Crow laws of segregation in the South. Those who moved to North were looking for opportunities as in the South they were disenfranchised, had no land hence turned to sharecroppers with endless debts, increased social terrorism. WWI also shut off Foreign migration hence increasing labor demand for Blacks in the North (Ushistory.org, nap). Though with multiple motives, believes and objectives, the communities joined hands to demand for a fuller and truer self-expression. In the words of Locke, â€Å"let Negro speak for himself† hence democracy in the American culture (10). By being known for what they are, the Harlem gr oups would gain race pride.

Class Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Class Activity - Essay Example This essay focuses on group work process, that under proper conditions, encourages peer learning and peer support and many studies validate the efficacy of peer learning. Under less than ideal conditions, group work can become the vehicle for acrimony, conflict and freeloading. It may also impose a host of unexpected stresses on, for example, students with overcrowded schedules living long distances from the University. This essay refers to the effectiveness of a team in achieving the set goals while taking into great consideration, the contribution of each member of the team. There are various criteria and steps that are presented in this report to determine whether the team followed the right measures to achieve their aims and goals. It also determines the performance level of the team and the author in the making of the said project. The groups’ task was to create a tower using only the materials given to the team which were the straws, sticky tape and scissors. The team wa s to brainstorm and come up with a creative plan and an idea as to how to make a tower made of straws the best they could in 60 mins. How the tower would look like, given the creativity of each team using the maximum resources was up to the team. The tallest, the most stable and most creative group were to be awarded the number one. The researcher states that the main purpose of the activity is to assess the competencies per course guide, as well as understand the different models and theories to be applied in real life situation.