Consider the theme of loneliness Essay

Steinbeck employs character are restrained by the â€Å"rules† of society and through them, to convey the characteristics of American society in the 1920s:a society based on physical strength and individualism. The unusual pair, Lennie and George, seemed incongruous in their situations and by comparing and contrasting their relationship to the others, the reader is given a further understanding to the theme. The entire novel is full of references to this theme. In Soledad, also the Spanish word for loneliness, situates the ranch where the majority of the story is set. It is an ordinary ranch with ordinary people doing monotonous, meanual work such as â€Å"bucking barley†. The nature of this work suggests the kind of lifestyle the characters on the ranch lead. The ranch also represents a microcosm of the outside world. Here in this close community, a range of characters, each identify by their own personality, are required to work closely together inorder to achieve their own, individual dreams. When George and Lennie first enters the ranch, they are greeted by â€Å"an old swamper† by the name Candy. A fragile old man with only one hand, he is used by Steinbeck to demonstrate the cruelty of society towards elderly and the disabled. In a society that emphasis physical strength, Candy is clearly at a disadvantage. However, he does not attempt this disadvantage but rather expose the more feminine and sensitive side of him to others to reinforce this weakness. His domestic role in the bunkhouse and part as the gossiper again is an expansion of his at5/9/00titude towards the rest of the male in the ranch. Candy separates himself from the rest of â€Å"guys† and has only the company of a â€Å"dragged-footed sheep-dog†. When Carlson demands the killing of this dog, although disapproves of it, does not retaliate but instead â€Å"looked hopelessly at Slim† and asks for his assistance. His reaction to Carlson’s demand is passive in the way that he only â€Å"watched uneasily† and tries to delay the killing by suggesting â€Å"may be to-morra†. His deep-rooted relationship with the dog is shown in this intensely emotional part that explicitly dissects his sensitivity. At the sound of the shot, he appears lost and all he manages to do is to â€Å"stare into the ceiling† blankly. Similar to this, at the end of the story, George too has to face with the death of his love ones. The difference however lies in the reason behind the killing. George justifies the killing and does it out of his concern for Lennie and not out of pressure from others. Curley is the second character appearing on the scene. â€Å"A thin young man† wearing â€Å"high-heeled boots†, he is clearly no ordinary labouring man. He is the boss’ son and is determine to show his status and authority using this kind of symbolism. However, by doing so, he achieves exactly the opposite. The other men do not acknowledge his authority and even Candy thinks of him as a â€Å"scrappy little guy†. His method of trying to gain respects by false image works against him and isolates him from the others. Curley also has a wife who is the only female in the ranch. This arrangement and character of his wife can only encourage the insecurity he feels anyway. Although he has a wife, she appears more a possession to show off rather than a company. Their relationship is equivocal since they appear to spend all day looking for each other. His stature also becomes a great encumbrance to him. With a personality that is completely obsess with self-image, Curley is deeply disturb by his height and to resolve this, he translates his anger towards himself onto others. To him, Lennie’s physique is a challenge of authority and because of this, he wants by prove himself by defeating Lennie. This transference accounts for his cynical nature and isolates him from everyone else. Although desperate to participate, his character and fear for judgement are essential ingredients for his desolation. Curley’s wife is too refereed to as a destitute character. Even before her appearance, the reader is given a pre-conceived image of a † lousy tart† by the introduction from Candy. Her dramatic entrance and physical appearance appears to fit the image: â€Å"full rouged lips and heavily made-up†, clearly she is not a simple country girl by any mean. From her â€Å"playful† action and â€Å"twitchy† body language, George immediately recognize her as the â€Å"femme fatale† and warned Lennie not to talk to her. This warning is a pre-echo to the trouble Lennie will get in for her later on in the story, a build up to the final tragedy at the end. Even at first sight she gave the reputation of a â€Å"tramp† and â€Å"jail-bait†. At a primary level, her action can be explained by boredom and experiment. She is the only in the ranch and clearly has no one to relate. However, from her past experience, Steinbeck implies that Curley’s wife dream about being in the movies all day. By flirting and making sexual suggestive message to others, she attempts to achieve the glamorous and danger feel of affair that she imagined they do in the movies. An alternative explanation to her action would be that she is another victim of loneliness, desperate to establish relationship with others. She dislike Curley for when Curley crushed his hand she even suggested to Lennie that she would have liked to done it herself. When she eventually discovers that Lennie is a good â€Å"listener†, she unburdens herself with â€Å"words in a passion of communication, as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away†. She is a highly ambivalent character because although the reader feels sympathetic towards her for her past â€Å"cast- couch† experience, her seduction that lead to the murder at the end is almost entirely her fault. One may argue that she had no knowledge of Lennie’s past and receives the punishment harsher than she deserves. More over, the price for her â€Å"innocent mistake† is on the destruction of the hope of three blameless people: George, Lennie and Candy. Similarly, George and Lennie have a dream, the American dream of â€Å"living off the fatta the lan’ â€Å". This phrase followed by a description of their future house is a leimotif representing the birth and rebirth of their hope. This hope is the source of energy and once shattered, unlike Curley’s wife who was then able to found a less satisfying alternative: George can find no other replacement like Lennie. Crooks the Negro stable buck is presented as another victim of loneliness. Due to his colour and disability, he is separated with the rest of the male community in everyway. This is shown in the examples that â€Å"the boss gives him hell† whenever he is mad and only in special occasion such as X’mas is he allow into the bunkhouse. In this highly racist period, Crook’s role as the â€Å"nigger stable buck† meant he is at the bottom of the hierarchy and therefore ostracized by the rest of the community. Due to this inferiority, Crooks feels even stronger about protecting himself in territorial terms and by isolation. Nonetheless, he does not enjoy this solitude but instead, quite prefer the opposite. This is best shown when Candy and Lennie enter his room, which no one but Slim had done before, Crooks â€Å"finds it difficult to conceal his pleasure in anger†. Although he would rather play card in the bunkhouse with others, since he â€Å"stink† and â€Å"ain’t wanted there†, instead, he has to â€Å"sit out here and read books†. This shows that he has adapted to loneliness using other means but although he knows nothing can replace a real company. In the scene which he unburdens himself to Lennie, the situation becomes parallel to that of Lennie and Curley’s wife. Not only are they both absurd and have difficulty in relating to others on the ranch due to society boundary based on racism and sexism, they both confide in Lennie because he would not â€Å"go on blabbin† to others. With Lennie they do not feel under threat and therefore do not have to protect themselves with masks of imagery. In comparison, George and Lennie are alway s at ease at the company of each other. Apart from Slim, they appear to be the only â€Å"guys† on the ranch to manage this. Slim the jekline skinner is the touch stone character in the novel used to reflect morally and decency. Although with a common appearance, every movement and air of his is described with â€Å"royalty† and â€Å"achieved only by master craftsmen†. However, his title as â€Å"the price of the ranch† is not self-given†. His authority is acknowledge by the other males on the ranch and so great the â€Å"his word was taken on any object†. His power appears to go beyond the system at the time. Even in this image-ridden macho culture, Slim does not needs to prove his position by creating illusion using force, yet with quite the opposite: gentleness and sense; elements of human quality that are most required in this imbalance situation. Apart from Lennie, Slim appears to be the only one who George is willing to confide. During the talk, they touch on the subject of loneliness, a sensation that grins a normal, respectable person to nothing but â€Å"a mean guy who wants to fight all the time†. In this part of the novel, George explains his relationship with Lennie and why they had traveled together. In a deeper sense, the phrase â€Å"got kinda used to each other† implies a long-term relationship which neither of the can live without now. Other minor characters in the novel such as Carlson and Whitney represent transaline people who best demonstrate the majority of the society at the time. They â€Å"ain’t got no people† so they move around the country as Crook states: â€Å"they come, an’ they quit an’go†. Their life style is monotonous and â€Å"they ain’t have no fun†. Their few entertainments include the horseshoe game and cards, which again are reference to competition and individualism. Nonetheless, it is only in these games they make allowance for their guard and relax into the company of each other. In conclusion, Steinbeck presentation of the theme of loneliness is reflected in the actions of his character. Although desperate to make contact, their concern for reputation and nature of the machismo culture in society isolate them from one another. The end tragedy then attracts sympathy from the reader by shattering the hope of few exceptions that appeared to have survived.

Death is my best theme Essay

â€Å"Death is my best theme, don’t you think? † (Williams). Explore the varied uses Tennesse Williams makes of death and dieing in â€Å"A Streetcar Names Desire† Referring to â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire†, I completely agree that death is Williams’ best theme, closely followed by sex. There are many references to death as well as imagery and symbolism. He also uses many varied points on death. The first major speech about death is when Blanche is talking about her losing Belle Reve – â€Å"Blanche: All of those deaths! The long parade to the graveyard! Father, mother! Margaret, that dreadful way! So big with it, it couldn’t be put in a coffin! † This is the first thing that Blanche says that has any power and real feeling behind it and the topic is death. This is showing that death is going to play a large part in the feeling in and behind the story. â€Å"Blanche: You just came home in time for the funerals, Stella. And funerals are pretty compared to deaths. Funerals are quiet, but deaths-not always. † Stella is being associated with the funerals and Blanche with the deaths. This is showing Stella being quiet and Blanche being louder and more highly strung as that is how she has described the difference in her speech. Although on the outside this speech made by Blanche may sound like she is just talking about the deaths of all her family members but it is also relating to the death of Belle Reve and how the two are connected – â€Å"Blanche: How in hell do you think all that sickness and dying was paid for? Death is expensive, Miss Stella! † She describes death in quite a lot of detail in this speech; it is showing that death is going to become an important topic in this play. A lot of the deaths seem to be because of the men and their gambling and this could be a view of Williams’. – â€Å"Blanche: Honey-that’s how it slipped through my fingers! Which of them left us a fortune? † In â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† a lot of the times when death is being discussed, sex seems to come into the conversation to. There is a strange relation between sex and death here. – â€Å"I let the place go? Where were you. In bed with your-Polak! † This is not the strongest reference to death and sex combined although it is a slight one. A much stronger one is Blanche’s speech about her late husband- â€Å"Blanche: Then I found out in the worst of all possible ways. By coming suddenly into a room that I though was empty-which wasn’t empty, but had two people in it†¦. † â€Å"Blanche: He’d stuck the revolver into his mouth, and fired-so that the back of his head had been-blown away! † Seeing her husband have sex with another man and then blow his head off within the time span of two hours causes a strange equation and connection between sex and death. The way he killed himself could also be perceived as a homosexual reference – sticking the gun in his mouth. â€Å"A vendor comes around the corner. She is a blind MEXICAN WOMAN in a dark shawl, carrying bunches of those gaudy tin flowers that lower class Mexicans display at funerals and other festive occasions. † Here, the woman carrying the funeral flowers is symbolising two things – Death and Blanche. It is ambiguous whether or not any of the other characters can see or are aware of the presence of the Mexican woman except from Blanche. Blanche’s thoughts seem to be provoked by the Mexican woman and it almost seems as if the Mexican woman is a representation of Blanche herself, and the Mexican woman is walking around celebrating death which shows the death within Blanche’s past and presence. â€Å"Mexican Woman: Corones para los muertos. Corones†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Blanche: Legacies! Huh†¦. And other things such as blood-stained pillow-slips† You can really see Blanche going mad in this scene as she is almost talking to herself rather than to Mitch and this symbolises the dying of Blanche’s mind. She also has fragmented speech patterns here and if talking about incoherent memories that only she can really understand. – â€Å"Blanche: -and on the way back they would all stagger on to my lawn and call-â€Å"Blanche! Blanche! † – The deaf old lady remaining suspected nothing. But sometimes I slipped outside to answer their calls†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Later the paddy-wagon would gather them up like daisies†¦. the long way home†¦. † Another view on death Tennesse Williams uses is the death of Belle Reve. Shown using Blanche and Stanley, there is a clash between two worlds and the Belle Reve world is dying communicated by Stanley taking power of Blanche and bringing her into their world and getting rid of her airs and graces. He breaks her and makes her realise that her old way of living is dead and that she has to enter the real world. â€Å"In A Streetcar Named Desire the conflict between two ways of life is concentrated within the battle between Blanche and Stanley. The old civilisation vested in Blanche is demonstrably decadent; her only means of survival in the modern world is to batten onto someone else and live off their emotional, physical and material resources, like a decorative fungus. † (Commentary). â€Å"Blanche: I will die – with my hand in the hand of some nice-looking ship’s doctor, a very young one with a small blond moustache and a big silver watch. † â€Å"Blanche: And I’ll be buried at sea sewn up in a clean white sack and dropped overboard-at noon-in the blaze of summer-and into an ocean as blue as (chimes again) my first lover’s eyes. † Blanche brings the equation of sex and death together again here as she is planning of dieing with a man by her side. This speech made by Blanche nearing the end of the play also has a slight reference to Othelia in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Hamlet†. Othelia died in water and that is what Blanche is dreaming about doing. – â€Å"Queen: One woe doth tread upon another’s heel, So fast they follow. Your sister’s drown’d, Laertes. Laer: Drown’d? O, where? † (Hamlet). In conclusion Tennesse Williams uses a lot of different views on death, the connection between sex, the death of other things except people like the death of Belle Reve and Blanche’s mind, and the death of people who happen to all be someone in Blanche’s Past. Williams uses different angles to express the theme of death, symbolism of the death of Belle Reve, the Mexican woman symbolising the death of Blanche’s mind, and the outward talking of real death of people. This makes it an important topic as it depicted in so many ways. Death is defiantly in the running for Tennesse Williams’ best theme in â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire†.

Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Analysis - Coursework Example It may not generally be not difficult to confirm optional information in examination, however every exertion must be made keeping in mind the end goal to demonstrate the validity of the sources being utilized as a part of any exploration. On the off chance that solid and faultless, optional information give chances to replication. The accessibility of information gathered at times empowers researchers to utilize longitudinal outlines. Optional investigation may enhance the legitimacy of estimation by stretching the extent of the autonomous variables utilized when operationalzing real ideas. By utilizing secondary information, we can build the specimen size, its representativeness, and the quantity of perceptions elements that help more incorporating generalizations. Secondary information could be utilized for triangulation, accordingly expanding the legitimacy of the discoveries acquired from essential information. The most genuine issue in utilizing secondary information is that the information regularly just deduces the sorts of information that the specialist might want to utilize for testing theories. A second issue is access. A third issue may develop if the researcher has deficient data about how the information was gathered. Slips in scope imply that an individual or a gathering is either not numbered at all or is checked twice. Copy tallies are less genuine than undercounts. Blunders in substance happen at whatever point data is erroneously reported or classified. The Internet is a "web" of machines joined together by method for phone lines. A "site" is the electronic location of one of these machines. A server is a program in your PC that directs the site electronically, empowering you to enter the framework. The Internet is an open framework and is accessible to all, free of charge. Disintegration measures are the signs left after utilization of an item; for instance, the wear on library books is a

How are auctions important for the art market today Essay

How are auctions important for the art market today - Essay Example For example, in other industries like the real estate, once the construction of the house is complete, the builders and architects will mostly not have any meaningful relations with the particular building or house. However this is different in the art world since the artist will have a central correlation with the art they have created; in this context, the role the art market plays in the art world and the artist’s own career is somewhat intricate and can vary from one artist to another and from one region to another. It is with this in mind that I have split my essay into different categories. Firstly, I will discuss the art market as a whole before looking at the aspect of art valuation. The second area will be covering the determination of the price for a painting. Thereafter I will finish my essay with a conclusion on how all these aspects are important for the art market today as much as the contribution to how a painting or an art piece will be auctioned. Art Market Re cognition of art as a feasible and valuable alternative asset class has made a situation where the art market is increasingly being promoted purely as a means for monetary gains. New investments dealing in arts have been created in the last few years and this shows how the society has grown the confidence it has on the art market as a method of building wealth and as a way of diversifying the investment range. This art market is continuously growing even though it is a new and small market compared to other investment markets. According to Singer and Lynch (94), the art market is divided into four categories that are diverse. The fourth category is mostly for the illicit aspect of the art market. The first one is referred to as primary which deals with art that is in the open market for the first time; once the art has been sold it will be in the secondary possession thereafter if it is auctioned the tertiary stage will be under this category. This means that before an art is auctio ned it has to undergo probably the three faces (apart from the illicit market) and through the facets the value of the art piece might increase or decrease depending on the quality and the significance. Art valuation: Art valuation is the basis for dictating the significance of the art in question, whether the art is very good or very bad. This is an art-specific division of financial valuation. The process will involve giving an approximate value (valuation) or estimating the potential market value of works of art and thus this makes it more of a financial concern rather than an aesthetic concern (Fenner 28). The subjective views and opinions of the art also play a major role in the valuation process. The valuation itself will involve comparing the data and analyzing the trends of the art from various key players like collectors, auction houses, museums, curators and even art dealers among many other important art players. These key players will mostly arrive at a value that they w ill deem. The art market is dictated by the valuation which in turn determines whether an art is good or not. A good art will have a high market demand as many people will be after this piece of art and at the same time liquidity of the art means that the art is very easily sold without any impediments hence the art is deemed as a good art. Other factors that will make an art be good will include the valuation trend whereby if an art

Ready means of fashion through which individuals can make visual Essay

Ready means of fashion through which individuals can make visual statements - Essay Example The essay "Ready means of fashion through which individuals can make visual statements" analyzes fashion ready means and visual identity. According to the theory of the Leisure class, some people may struggle to distinguish themselves form others. This is may be by dressing in extremely expensive clothes. Some people also go to extreme ways of looking even different through plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery (Tseëlon, 1995). Wolf infers that women have, in most cases suffered for beauty. This is by trying to portray their identities and lifestyles. According to her, women have the right to expresses themselves the way they want. Women are increasingly modifying their bodies to look different. This is by turning to plastic surgery cosmetic surgery and anti aging products in order to look perfect. Women are using their bodies as a display of identity, class and income. This got contributed mainly by the use of the body as a symbol in marketing, advertising, and in business to dis play a particular image. Fashion industry improves women’s lives by provides them with ways to visually express their personally and professionally (wolf, 2002). Wolf condemns the way women and represented in fashion and how they got treated by largely patriarchal societies around the world. In most cases, women like to express them as young. This leads them to using plastic surgery, diets, make up and aging prevention treatments. Aging psychologically and socially affects women in regards to fashion.

Environmental science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental science - Essay Example The goal is to create 16 trillion pieces of lenses  that are 1 micron thick and 60 cm in diameter. These lenses are expected to cover  100,000 square miles of  the earth's atmosphere. So far, Dr. Angels has created a 5-cm thick glass refractor which is tested by etching a diffraction pattern in it and subjecting it to a laser beam. To test if the lenses can withstand the pressure of a rocket launch, a test launch powered by electromagnetic propulsion was conducted. On-board cameras were installed to capture images of the lenses as they launch into space. Unfortunately, at 900 meters into the air, the craft carrying the lenses failed and crashed.    This video shows how the interaction of physical sciences like physics and engineering works to mitigate the effects of global warming. Through physics, a refracting lense etched with a diffraction pattern is created. Through engineering efforts, meanwhile, the task of getting these refracting lenses into space can be accomplished. If successful, these technological efforts can yield ways and means of saving our planet.

Abortion (or Pro Life) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Abortion (or Pro Life) - Essay Example both from sociological and general psychological perspectives, however, an act of abortion is considered immoral and such consideration often tend to condemn women for their consent to abortion as a criminal act. According to the general humanist approach, killing or destruction of life is considered as the most heinous form of crime, which should strictly be condemned by communal and legal efforts. Keeping in accordance with the same approach, killing of an unborn life through abortion has received a great deal of criticism from people in different times at various parts of the world. It is interesting to observe that most of such criticisms are based on the basic principles of morality and ethics. At the same time, the social stature of women in a patriarchal society, which is derogatory and also is held responsible for resulting in different forms of immorality, also has received a dimension of interpretation. The modern feminist and humanist approaches, compared to the earlier times have adopted quite a liberal attitude towards abortion by emphasizing on the fact that women often consent to the execution of the inhuman process in order to retain their position and conventional social dig nity, as they are mere subjects of oppression in the hands of patriarchal society. However, despite the fact that there is certain truth behind such observation, but, keeping a close watch over recent times and analyzing the actuality behind acts of abortion, it will not be an exaggeration if it is argued that using those feminist and humanist approaches as shields of sympathy, women often consent to abortion and try to cover the act of moral wrong under pretention that due to social and cultural oppression they actually have been bound to confine themselves under such situation of performing immortal acts. Thesis Statement: The issue of abortion, within its scope encompasses a twofold problem, namely, the plight of women, confined within the hands of patriarchal social

Reading reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reading reflection - Essay Example According to McLean, ethics and morality is a key ingredient of not only article editing but also the acquisition of information for the same (182). These critical aspects serve to establish and maintain not only the reputation of an individual journalist but also his /her employer. Persuasion of these modalities establishes a strong sense of trust from the audience to the reporter. Newspaper articles readers are aspiring to reading news from credible sources; those made by individual journalists or stations that practice and or embrace workplace ethical codes of conduct. The justification of the conclusion so made draws from the rationale of establishing a strong ethical perspective in journalism work. It is beyond reasonable doubt that any story that is aired live or written as a newspaper article should exhibit high levels of accuracy in factual data; journalist should not merely write stories. Besides, precision is critical for any piece of report; it means directly pinpointing the issue under discussion. Journalists must also establish a balance between justifiable and unjustifiable stories before

Social Media Is Retarding Our Communication Skills Essay Example for Free

Social Media Is Retarding Our Communication Skills Essay Social Media is Retarding our Communication Skills According to Cara Pring, writer and author of thesocialskinny. com, as of May, 2012, 62% of adults use some form of social media. If you observe any post secondary classroom before instruction begins, you’ll see the majority of students engrossed in some type of social media. We have become more comfortable engaging in the digital world than we are with the people right in front of us. Social media has allowed us to become more connected yet, potentially, more disconnected than ever before. Social media is creating a generation of â€Å"over-sharers†. This need to over share can also create a dangerous environment. We have become very comfortable telling the world things, which in years past, would have been considered private information. Facebook allows you to check in at a destination or share vacation photos in real time. While this need to over share can seem harmless, we are unwittingly telling sinister people that we are not home or maybe that we are home alone. We are slowly losing our ability to determine what information to keep private and what information to share. Social media is creating a false sense of connection and an atmosphere of friendship. According to Cara Pring, in 2012 Facebook had 845 million monthly active users and there was an average of 750 tweets made per second. We are doing a lot of communicating but are we really saying anything of value. The more â€Å"friends or followers† a person has the more popular they may feel. Unfortunately popularity does not equate to friendship. Social media only requires us to have surface relationships and does not require meaningful conversation. True friendship requires investing in a relationship through quality time with open and honest face-to-face communication. As a society we have come to value frequent communication rather than meaningful conversation. In an article written by Susan per Danko for Forbes magazine, about 7% of communication is based strictly on words while the other 93% is based on nonverbal communication, also known as body language. The words â€Å"I’m fine† may not always mean that everything is okay. Having the ability to hear and observe non-verbal cues allows you to understand more clearly the meaning behind the words. An email, text message or tweet can never really replace a telephone or face-to-face conversation that allows you to receive these nonverbal cues. Taking the time to build relationships through meaningful conversation will create friendships for lifetime instead of just acquaintances for today. Social media has created a generation with an addiction to over sharing, a need for popularity and a desire for constant communication. This ability to interact with other people 24/7 has driven us to simply share information rather than requiring us to develop relationships. We have moved away from social gatherings with face-to-face conversations in lieu of chat rooms and instant messaging. I do not look forward to the day when we will never have to physically interact with another human being.

Vulnerability in Cloud Computing Essay Example for Free

Vulnerability in Cloud Computing Essay Abstract— Cloud computing has been developed to reduce IT expenses and to provide agile IT services to individual users as well as organizations. It moves computing and data away from desktop and portable PCs into large data centers. This technology gives the opportunity for more innovation in lightweight smart devices and it forms an innovative method of performing business. Cloud computing depends on the internet as a medium for users to access the required services at any time on pay-per-use pattern. However this technology is still in its initial stages of development, as it suffers from threats and vulnerabilities that prevent the users from trusting it. Various be rainy as well, in other words this technology is not trustworthy as it is affected with threats and vulnerabilities. We have termed a cloud with threats and vulnerabilities as a stormy cloud. Based on Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and our research, we have identified top seven threats and vulnerabilities that are the causes behind the creation of a stormy cloud [1]. The identified threats and vulnerabilities are ranked from top to bottom as shown in Fig.1. malicious activities from illegal users have threatened this technology such as data misuse, inflexible access control and limited monitoring. The occurrence of these threats may result into damaging or illegal access of critical and confidential data of users. This research paper describes the characteristics (threats, vulnerabilities) associated with a stormy cloud. Keywords- Illegal access, Threats, Vulnerabilities I.INTRODUCTION The traditional era of computing involves the use of software, hardware and storage to achieve the required computational service whereas cloud computing has isolated the services from resources (networks, storage, servers). The required services are provided to the users by utilizing the resources of provider. Users are no longer required to purchase hardware, software or to manage storages. Due the evolution of this technology users are required to pay for cloud services on consumption basis. New cloud based business models are being discussed, defined, and implemented as solutions in form of on-demand services that allows businesses to enhance their efficiency and scalability. Success or failure of this technology relies on users’ trust whether the service provided is reliable, available and secure. Considering the benefits of cloud computing various organizations are moving towards IT solutions that are based on cloud however, before starting the journey to cloud, organizations must considers the possible threats and vulnerabilities that may convert their dreams of enhancing scalability and saving management cost into a nightmare of data loss and misuse. The users must consider that cloud can Figure 1. Characteristics of stormy cloud. In order to create awareness and protect the cloud users from adopting a stormy cloud, we are describing the impacts of threats and vulnerabilities in cloud computing so that organizations or users can adopt this technology with trust and from a trusted provider who has the powerful and trusted security polices as well as efficient techniques for securing the users’ data on cloud. II.CLOUD COMPUTING THREATS As we already mentioned, there are several significant threats that should be considered before adopting the paradigm of cloud computing, these threats are discribed as follows : A. Abuse and Nefarious Use of Cloud Cloud providers facilitate the users with various types of services including unlimited bandwidth and storage capacity. Some cloud service providers offer free limited trial periods that gives an opportunity for hackers to access the cloud immorally, their impact includes decoding and cracking of passwords, launching potential attack points and executing malicious commands. Spammers, malicious code authors and other cybercriminals can conduct their activities with relative impunity, as cloud service providers are targeted for their weak registration systems and limited fraud detection capabilities. For example some cybercriminals use rich content applications such as flash files that enable them to hide their malicious code and utilize users’ browsers to install malware [1]. B. Insecure Interfaces and APIs Cloud users are using software interfaces and APIs to access and manage the cloud services. These APIs need to be secured because they play an integral part during provisioning, management, orchestration and monitoring of the processes running in a cloud environment. The security and availability of cloud services is dependent upon the security of these APIs so they should include features of authentication, access control, encryption and activity monitoring. APIs must be designed to protect against both accidental and malicious attempts to avoid threats. If cloud service provider relies on weak set of APIs, variety of security issues will be raised related to confidentiality, integrity, availability and accountability such as malicious or unidentified access, API dependencies, limited monitoring/logging capabilities, inflexible access controls, anonymous access, reusable tokens/passwords and improper authorizations[1]. C.Malicious Insider Insider attacks can be performed by malicious employees at the provider’s or user’s site. Malicious insider can steal the confidential data of cloud users. This threat can break the trust of cloud users on provider. A malicious insider can easily obtain passwords, cryptographic keys and files. These attacks may involve various types of fraud, damage or theft of information and misuse of IT resources. The threat of malicious attacks has increased due to lack of transparency in cloud provider’s processes and procedures [2]. It means that a provider may not reveal how employees are granted access and how this access is monitored or how reports as well as policy compliances are analyzed. Additionally, users have little visibility about the hiring practices of their provider that could open the door for an adversary, hackers or other cloud intruders to steal confidential information or to take control over the cloud. The level of access granted could enable attackers to collect confidential data or to gain complete control over the cloud services with little or no risk of detection. Malicious insider attacks can damage the financial value as well as brand reputation of an organization. D. Virtualized Technology Due to the cloud virtualization, cloud providers are residing the user’s applications on virtual machines (VMs) within a shared infrastructure. The VMs are virtualized based on the physical hardware of cloud provider. In order to maintain the security of users, providers are isolating the VMs from each other so if any of them is malicious, it will not affect the other VMs under the same provider. The VMs are managed by hypervisor in order to provide virtual memory as well as CPU scheduling policies to VMs. As the hypervisor is main source of managing a virtualized cloud platform, hackers are targeting it to access the VMs and the physical hardware, because hypervisor resides between VMs and hardware [3], so attack on hypervisor can damage the VMs and hardware. Strong isolation should be employed to ensure that VMs are not able to impact or access the operations of other users running under the same cloud service provider. Several vendors such as Xen and KVM are providing strong security mechanisms of securing the cloud hypervisors, but still it is identified that sometimes security of VMs is compromised. E. Data Loss or Leakage Data loss can occur due to operational failures, unreliable data storage and inconsistent use of encryption keys. Operational failure refers to deletion or alteration of records without a backup of the original content that can take place intentionally or unintentionally. Unreliable data storage refers to saving of data on unreliable media that will be unrecoverable if data is lost [4]. The inconsistent use of encryption keys will result into loss and unauthorized accesses of data by illegal users that will lead to the destruction of sensitive and confidential information. Example of data loss is Twitter hacks. The online accounts of Twitter accessed by hackers and their numerous sensitive corporate documents were stolen. These documents were housed in Googles online web office service Google Docs. Although Google was not the one to be blamed for security break-in as the security of documents from twitter was not efficient enough. Instead, the entire company data was only one password crack away from discovery [5]. It’s clear from this example that data loss or leakage can damage one’s brand, reputation and cause a loss that may significantly impact employee, partner and users’ morale as well as trust. Loss of core intellectual property can have competitive and financial implications beside the compliance violations and legal consequences. F.Account or Service Hijacking Account or service hijacking refers to unauthorized access gained by attackers to control the users’ accounts, such as phishing, fraud and exploitation of software vulnerabilities. For example if an attacker gains access to users’ credentials, they can spy on their activities/transactions, manipulate their data, return falsified information and redirect them to illegitimate sites [6]. Users’ account or service instances may become a new base for the attackers who can leverage the cloud service providers’ reputation by launching subsequent attacks. With stolen credentials, attackers can often access critical areas of deployed cloud computing services, allowing them to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of those services. Authentication and authorization through the use of roles and password protecting is a common way to maintain access control when using web-browsers to access cloud computing systems. However, this method is not suff icient enough to secure sensitive and critical data. G.Unknown Risk Profile It is important for the users to know software versions, security practices, code updates and intrusion attempts. While adopting cloud computing services, these features and functionality may be well advertised but what about the details orcompliance ofthe internal security procedures, configuration hardening, patching, auditing and logging. Users must be clarified how and where their data and related logs are stored. However, there is no clear answer that leaves users with an unknown risk profile that may include serious threats [1]. the VM within the virtualized cloud environment.VM escape is a vulnerability that enables a guest-level VM to attack its host. Under this vulnerability an attacker runs code on a VM that allows an OS running within it to break out and interact directly with the hypervisor as shown in Fig.2 [8]. III.CLOUD COMPUTING VULNERABILITIES There are several significant vulnerabilities that should be considered when an organization is ready to move their critical applications and data to a cloud compuitng environment, these vulnerabilities are discribed as follows : A. Session Riding and Hijacking Session hijacking refers to use of a valid session key to gain unauthorized access for the information or services residing on a computer system, it also refers to theft of a cookie used to authenticate a user to a remote server and it is relevant to web application technologies weaknesses in the web application structure at their disposal that gives the chance to hackers in order to accomplish a wide variety of malicious activities. While session riding refers to the hackers sending commands to a web application on behalf of the targeted user by just sending that user an email or tricking the user into visiting a specially crafted website. Session riding deletes user data, executes online transactions like bids or orders, sends spam to an intranet system via internet and changes system as well as network configurations or even opens the firewall [12]. However, the web technologies evolution and refinement also brings new techniques that compromise sensitive data, provide access to theoretically secure networks and pose threats to the daily operation of online businesses. B. Virtual Machine Escape Cloud computing servers use the same OS, enterprise and web applications as localized VMs and physical servers. The ability for an attacker or malware to remotely exploit vulnerabilities in these systems and applications is a significant threat to virtualized cloud computing environments [7]. In addition, co-location of multiple VMs increases the attack surface and risk of VM-to-VM compromise. Intrusion detection and prevention systems need to be able to detect malicious activity at VM level, regardless of the location of Figure 2. VM Escape. It allows the attacker to access the host OS and all other VMs running on that particular host. Hypervisors and VM’s complexity may cause an increase threat to attack surface that weakens security such as paging, check pointing and migration of VMs [8]. C. Reliability and Availability of Service In terms of reliability and availability, cloud computing is not a perfect technology. For-example in February 2008, Amazons Web Service (Amazons-S3) cloud storage infrastructure went down for several hours, causing data loss and access issues with multiple Web 2.0 services. With more services being built on top of cloud computing infrastructures, an outage orfailure can create a domino effect by taking down large amounts of Internet based services and applications which raise several questions such as in cases of failure, what forms of settlement exist for stakeholders? What is the responsibility of cloud providers? What will be appropriate procedures to overcome these issues? [9]. D. Insecure Cryptography Attackers’ can decode any cryptographic mechanism or algorithm as main methods to hack them are discovered. It’s common to find crucial flaws in cryptographic algorithm implementations, which can twist strong encryption into weak encryption or sometimes no encryption at all. For example in cloud virtualization providers uses virtualization software to partition servers into images that are provided to the users as on-demand services [10]. Although utilization of those VMs into cloud providers data centres provides more flexible and efficient setup than traditional servers but they dont have enough access to generate random numbers needed to properly encrypt data. This is one of the fundamental problems of cryptography. How do computers produce truly random numbers that cant be guessed or replicated? In PCs, OS typically monitors users mouse movements and key strokes to gather random bits of data that are collected in a so-called Entropy Pool (a set of unpredictable numbers that encryption software automatically pulls to generate random encryption passkeys). In servers, one that dont have access to a keyboard or mouse, random numbers are also pulled from the unpredictable movements of the computers hard drive. VMs that act as physical machines but are simulated with software have fewer sources of entropy. For example Linux-based VMs, gather random numbers only from the exact millisecond time on their internal clocks and that is not enough to generate strong keys for encryption [11]. E. Data Protection and Portability Although the cloud services are offered based on a contract among client and a provider but what will happen when the contract is terminated and client doesn’t wants to continue anymore. The question is, will the sensitive data of client be deleted or misused by the provider. Secondly if the provider went out of business due to any reason, what will happen to the services and data of the client? Will the provider handout the data of client to some other provider, if yes, will client trust the new provider? Considering these questions we can say that data protection and portability remains as one of main weaknesses of cloud computing. F. Vendor Lock-in This vulnerability occurs due to immature providers and new business models which raise the risk of failure and going out of the business. Lock-in, makes a client dependent on a provider for products and services so they will be unable to deal with another provider without substantial switching costs. Clients must be sure of their potential provider prior to provider selection process. Lack of standards may also lock-in the clients with only one provider. Due to heterogeneous standards and policies settled by each provider, clients are not able to easily migrate from one provider to another even though they want to do so [13]. G. Internet Dependency Cloud computing is an internet dependent technology where users are accessing the services via web browser. What if internet is not available or service is down, what will happen to users systems and operations that are very critical and need to run 24 hours such as Healthcare and Banking systems. In some Asian and African underdeveloped countries where service of internet is not considered as reliable enough, will organizations adopt this paradigm to move their significant systems on cloud? IV.CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK In this research paper we have discussed the characteristics of a stormy cloud that contains threats and vulnerabilities. Cloud computing has a dynamic nature that is flexible, scalable and multi-shared with high capacity that gives an innovative shape of carrying out business [14]. However, beside these benefits there are seven deadly threats and vulnerabilities encountered in this technology. Therefore, we believe there is still tremendous opportunity for researchers to make revolutionary contributions in this field and bring significant impact of their development to the industry. There is need to develop and design in-depth security techniques and policies in terms of people, processes and technology. By considering the contributions from several IT industries worldwide, it’s obvious that cloud computing will be one of the leading strategic and innovative technologies in the near future. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The glory of accomplishing this research paper goes to our parents for their moral support. We are also thankful to our supervisor for encouraging us to write this research journal. Finally, we are thankful to IJAEST for assisting us to review this journal and providing us timely response. REFERENCES [1]CSA, â€Å"Security Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing V2.1† Cloud Security Alliance, 2009, [Online], Available: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/topthreats/csathreats.v1.0.pdf, [Accessed: 08-July-2011]. [2]E., Mathisen, â€Å"Security challenges and solutions in cloud computing,† in Digital Ecosystems and Technologies Conference (DEST), 2011 Proceedings of the 5th IEEE International Conference on, 2011, pp. 208-212. [3]Wei Chen, Hongyi Lu, Li Shen, Zhiying Wang, Nong Xiao, and Dan Chen, â€Å"A Novel Hardware Assisted Full Virtualization Technique,† in Young Computer Scientists, 2008. ICYCS 2008. The 9th International Conference for, 2008, pp. 1292-1297. [4]S. Farrell, â€Å"Portable Storage and Data Loss,† Internet Computing, IEEE, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 90-93, 2008. [5]R., Trope, C., Ray, â€Å"The Real Realities of Cloud Computing: Ethical Issues for Lawyers, Law Firms, and Judges â€Å", [Online], Available: http://ftp.documation.com/references/ABA10a/PDfs/3_1.pdf , 2009, [Accessed: 15-Jul-2011]. [6]Karthick Ramachandran, Thomas Margoni and Mark Perry, â€Å"Clarifying Privacy in the Clouds† in CYBERLAWS 2011 : The Second International Conference on Technical and Legal Aspects of the e- Society, IARIA,2011. [7]S., Subashini, V. Kavitha. â€Å"A survey on security issues in service delivery models of cloud computing†. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, vo l.34, pp.1-11, 2011. [8]Trend Micro, â€Å"Making Virtual Machines Cloud-Ready†, [Online], Available: http://www.whitestratus.com/docs/making-vms-cloud ready.pdf. A Trend Micro White Paper, 2009 [Accessed: 16-Jul-2011]. [9]J., Grimes, P., Jaeger, J., Lin, â€Å"Weathering the Storm: The Policy Implications of Cloud Computing† [Online], Availablehttp://ischools.org/images/iConferences/CloudAbstract13109F INAL.pdf , [Accessed: 19-Jul-2011]. [10] B. Grobauer, T. Walloschek, and E. Stocker, â€Å"Understanding Cloud Computing Vulnerabilities,† Security Privacy, IEEE, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 50-57, 2011. [11] A., Greenberg, â€Å"Why Cloud Computing Needs More Chaos† [Online], Available:http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/30/cloud-computing- security-technology-cio-network-cloud-computing.html, 2009, [Accessed: 20-Jul-2011]. [12] T. Schreiber, â€Å"Session Riding a Widespread Vulnerability in Todays Web Applications† [Online], Available: http://www.securenet.de/papers/Session_Riding.pdf, white paper, 2004. [Accessed: 20-Jul-2011]. [13] G., Petri, â€Å"Vendor Lock-in and Cloud computing†, [Online], Available: http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com/node/1465147 , 2010, [Accessed: 23-Jul-2011].

Importance of language in science education

Importance of language in science education Mauritius has lately seen a decline in the number of students opting for science. According to the Mauritius Research Council (2004) increasingly science is becoming less popular in schools. Furthermore, less than 30% of the pupils doing school certificate will opt for science. There are many reasons for this. The science subjects are often considered to be difficult and there is a perceived lack of job opportunities. The low ratio of scientist to population in Mauritius does not augur well for the future. There is a need to produce a critical mass of broad based and specialized scientists during the coming decades to facilitate the emergence of the knowledge economy to serve the region (Education strategic plan, 114). This chapter attempts to shed some light on the occurrence of the decline of popularity of science subjects and the situation in Mauritius.This introductory chapter also discusses the reasons behind my choice for the research focus, aims and sub questions. 1.1. Education in Mauritius Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills and something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, good judgment and wisdom. (Rughooputh, 2005, p.2). Moving from a mono-crop based economy to a more diverse and complex economic structure which is spreading its reach towards the service sector, Mauritius is now one of the leading nations in terms of economic growth in the African and Indian Ocean region. If Mauritius aims at becoming a globally competitive nation, it is critical that the country shores up its capacity in Tertiary Education, in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) and in human resources generally (Budget Speech, 2008-2009, p.11.). Education is vital to a nation addressing human development, satisfying employment and in setting the pace for social mobility. It is also of crucial importance in providing a highly skilled labor force as per the economic requirements of the challenges of time. (Rughooputh,2000 ,pp 1-17 ) The ultimate objective of any educational enterprise is to improve student achievement so that individuals may fulfil their personal aspirations and become contributing members of society. Improving student achievement and attaining excellence is hard. According to Classen (1999) it is by equipping children with knowledge, skills and attitudes that we can ensure that they become full fledged citizens and self directed life long learners who can co-exist in a world characterized by diversity and pluralism. 1.2 Importance and role of Science education Recent studies on the status of science and technology in Mauritius, focusing on the education sector, show that science as a subject is becoming increasingly less attractive to pupils, as is the case in many countries across the world. (Suddhoo, 2003). Our current lacking in science could have implications on the quality of our human resource, particularly within the context of the vision of transforming the country into a Cyber island. There needs to be a complete review of the teaching and learning of science in schools. The current state of affairs is already leading to pupils and students shying away from science for many reasons varying from science to be perceived as a difficult subject to the lack of career opportunities for those opting for scientific subjects. (Education strategic plan., 2008-2020, p. 62). 1.3. Importance of language in science education Reasoning and argument, so essential to communication in science, proceed in words. The more contentious the argument, the simpler and more charged the words (Hoffmann, 1988). The choice of the language of instruction used in school is of utmost importance. This is an issue that needs attention in Mauritius especially in view of its specificity and also the socio-economically disadvantaged areas where both family and community exposure to the English language (the official language of instruction and assessment in schools) is limited. (Education Strategic plan., 2008-2020, p. 38). The use of English in examinations is not going to change in the near future though in the new education strategic plan proposed by the current education minister there was mention for a need of broad based national consultation concerning the change of the official language of instruction and assessment. (Education Strategic plan., 2008-2020, p 38). The use of the language of instruction used in schools is of utmost importance to ensure that all the students learn effectively. Mauritian children have a great resource- bilinguism and sometimes even trilinguism. However, this causes some problems in schools. For example, there is quite a lot of Creole interference in classes especially for low ability students 1.4 Professional context and research focus Our island has a highly diverse population. The official language is English whereas the vernacular language is Creole. According to the latest census (2000) Creole is spoken and used in daily interactions by 80.5% of the population, and English is spoken and used in daily interactions by less than 1% of the population. Students entering the secondary schools therefore, come from a Creole-speaking environment and English is the language of instruction in schools is English. My concern is that the quality of results is poor. As an educator, I have the interests of my pupils at heart. From discussions with my own students and colleagues, one prominent issue stuck out. Students have difficulties with the medium of language (that is English).According to the latest census (2000), English although it is the official language of the state (and thus, the official language of instruction in schools) is spoken and used in daily interactions by less than 1% of the population. There is a major problem in the writing, reading and understanding the language of biology and consequently the pupils do not manage to reach the adequate level of scientific literacy. This is mainly because at the heart of science is a language concept: asking and answering questions. It is argued that language plays an active role in the development of scientific ideas (Ford and Peat., 1988, p.12). There is a need therefore to investigate, to see how much language is a barrier to successful studies in science. There is moreover, a need to explore how low language efficiency affects the understanding and performance of students. I intend to explore different teaching strategies and I believe that it will help me advance in professional knowledge. Our current lacking in science could have implications on the quality of our human resource, particularly within the context of the vision of transforming the country into a Cyber island. There needs to be a complete review of the teaching and learning of science in schools. The current state of affairs is already leading to pupils and students shying away from science for many reasons varying from science to be perceived as a difficult subject to the lack of career opportunities for those opting for scientific subjects. (Education strategic plan., 2008-2020, p. 62). The current disaffection for scientific disciplines, coupled with the need to open the minds of children to observation, deductive reasoning, teamwork, free thinking and universal truths leaves us no choice but to rethink the way we teach science to children, if we want them to enjoy learning and to think both imaginatively and rationally. In the Mauritian Education system, it is a fact that we are bilingual, and that most of the classes and exams( the exception being French obviously) at the primary, secondary and tertiary level are conducted in English. There is a major interference of Creole in the language used and written by pupils. Stress on proper English can inhibit many children from expressing themselves in the kind of language they use at home, while learning for all too many students means guessing what answers the teacher expects. It is a simple truth that teachers communicate both information and values to their students, and do so almost exclusively through language. It is based on research using transcripts of actual lessons to show how questions demanding factual (rather than reasoned) answers are used-if not overused-in arts subjects, and how science teachers can learn to avoid vocabulary, which is too abstract or technical. (Barnes et al, 1989, pp.5-6) It therefore seems that language that we are using in class to teach is of great importance. From my three years teaching experience one major problem I have encountered in my biology classes is the pupils have inadequate language proficiency( English in our context) to be able to write their answers correctly and sometimes even in understanding the questions set. I need to improve their language efficiency and consequently their biology proficiency. Language learning is not a simple linear process, but involves the ongoing development of skills for a range of purposes. This development is largely the result of the social contexts and interactions in which learning occurs. By focusing on the ways in which teachers can scaffold language and learning in the content areas, one can take a holistic approach-one that appreciates the struggle of students learning a new language, while simultaneously developing subject knowledge in it, and the challenge for teachers to address these needs( Gibbons, 2002, p.3). As an educator, I sincerely wish to be able to create capable, confident biology students who are effective communicators through oral and written language. They should be able to make informed decisions for themselves especially in a scientific way and to contribute wisely to the society and nation at large. According to Yore et al., (1995) the acquisition of both language literacy and science literacy is dependent on the students ability to think critically in similar ways. They also assert that the reading process corresponds to the process of scientific inquiry. Both require skills in setting purposes, questioning, predicting, analyzing evidence and drawing conclusions, and communicating results. Many children find science to be an interesting subject. We have to develop ways to make students enjoy science content, and develop their thinking and literacy skills during different activities. Research has shown that, reading and writing about science help develop and reinforce desired science concepts (Yore, 2003; Palincsar Magnussen, 2001; Thier, 2002). Upon examination, it is clear that scientific literacy and language literacy have much in common (Alvermann, 2004; Baker, 2004; Casteel Isom, 1994). They work together in strengthening skills and strategies in both curricular areas. As Marlene Thier (2002) explains, Good science-and effective teaching and learning in science-is dependent upon strong language skills. Indeed, science and language are inextricably linked in the pursuit, determination and communication of meaning in the context of the physical world( Ogle and Mckee., 2005, p1) That is why the research focus I am planning to carry out is an action research 1.4.1Sub-questions: What is the current language literacy of my form 3 students? What aspects of language should I deal with as a science educator? Why there is a need to take remedial action change concerning language in biology teaching and learning? How can I improve students performance at my school in biology? Aims: I want to know how my form 3 students perceive biology and what they believe to be the major obstacles in order to succeed with good grades. At the end of the dissertation, I want to show that one problem that I face in biology teaching can be diminished through different teaching and learning styles. Furthermore, an important outcome of biology teaching is to improve their writing. Therefore, through various activities I want to develop that. The purpose of my study is: To improve my teaching capacities. To increase performance of biology students at my school through different activities. To develop an appreciation of biology in my students. To diminish the incidence of language being a major barrier to the successful and efficient learning of the subject.

Images of Life and Death in Bavarian Gentians Essay -- Bavarian Gentia

Images of Life and Death in Bavarian Gentians    As the last few days of summer fade away, and September's end brings promises of a cold, sad autumn, the feast of Michaelmas has come and gone, and one can not help but be reminded of D. H. Lawrence's "Bavarian Gentians," a poem that commences by reminiscing of the sad days at the end of September, when summer has finally departed along with its intoxicating and life-giving breath.   Like the days that separate summer from autumn, Lawrence's poem, one of his last, is a sad and dreamy read.   It seduces audiences with its slow dance with blue death.   It speaks to students with its melancholic passion.   It breathes life into the last days before death. A death that comes from tuberculosis is never sudden.   The disease progresses slowly until it gradually overcomes its victim, who must wait with a tragic patience for that final moment.   At the end of The Magic Mountain, Thomas Mann speaks parting words to his protagonist that speak for the ravages of TB and its almost inevitable force, "The wicked dance in which you are caught up will last many a sinful year yet, and we would not wager much that you will come out whole."  Ã‚   As a longtime sufferer of TB, Lawrence too was caught up in a "wicked dance," one that must have caused him, like the speaker in the poem, to feel like he was guiding himself "...with the blue, forked torch of this flower / down the darker and darker stairs..." until he finally reached his destination, the "sightless realm where darkness is awake upon dark."   Ã‚  The poem itself is a complex web, a trance like dream that suggests both a gravitation toward death and a transcendence beyond it.   The speaker speaks of "the halls of Dis" and of travelling down where ... ...Chapter 7:   Prosperine - Glaucus and Scylla."   Oct. 2001. http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/bull7.html   Ã‚   Ferris, T.   "Bavarian Gentians by D.H. Lawrence."   Oct. 2001. http://home.earthlink.net/~rudedog2/bavarianpoem.htm Lawrence, line 16.    Lawrence lines 17-18.    Lawrence, line 14, line 2.    Lawrence, line 13.    Lawrence, line 11.    This portion of the later version, along with the second stanza, can be found at: Ferris, T.   "Bavarian Gentians by D.H. Lawrence."   Oct. 2001. http://home.earthlink.net/~rudedog2/bavarianpoem.htm. The complete poem, however, can not be found there.   Ã‚   Ferris, T.   "Bavarian Gentians by D.H. Lawrence."   Oct. 2001. http://home.earthlink.net/~rudedog2/bavarianpoem.htm.   Ã‚   Ferris, T.   "Bavarian Gentians by D.H. Lawrence."   Oct. 2001. http://home.earthlink.net/~rudedog2/bavarianpoem.htm.

Why Should I Be Moral? :: essays research papers fc

Why Should I Be Moral? The question of morality proves to be a complex interrogatory. Should I be moral? If I should be, then why? Why is morality important to society? An assumption can be made that morals derive from a purely religious perspective or the Golden Rule approach. We are told that it is right to be moral. This is an ineffective answer, since it does not apply to someone outside the moral circle (Olsen, 79). This in mind, there is really no way to prove this too a person who wants to know why he/she should be moral. According to Olen, the only answer to them would be "because you are". Happiness could also be included in the list of moral reasons. I personally feel that this is the best supported reason for being moral. Although there will be times when the moral decision will not be pleasurable, it will eventually lead to happiness. Morality is important for society as a whole, as it makes life livable. Now expanding on the happiness theory, I will discuss the ideas of Aristotle. Aristotle believed that happiness is the quality of whole human life. We all have misconceptions about happiness. Most of us believe that happiness is experiencing a lively feeling of joy or pleasant feelings. We can be happy at one moment, but not the next. Aristotle on the other hand said that true happiness includes pleasures, joys, and successes as well as many pains, griefs, and troubles in ones life. A happy life is not cause by the pleasures we've had, nor marred by the displeasures we've had. Aristotle also contended that children could not be happy as the requirement for happiness was a complete life. For instance, an old man looking back on his life and being able to say that it was good, is happiness. Aristotle defined the things that make happiness as health, wealth, friendship, and good moral character. Aristotle stated that happiness was also the highest good leaving nothing more to be desired. Life is made perfect by possession of all good things. We seek happiness for its own sake. All others are sought for happiness. Aristotle believed to become happy one must have good character and be willing to suffer to obtain the greater good later on. We should seek the good in the long run. Most men/women will not do this. We take the immediate pleasure. Most people think that happiness is unique to each person. Aristotle believed that there is only one true conception and that it holds the same for all humans. Power is not an attribute to happiness because

Aditya Birla-History Essay

Kumar Mangalam Birla is the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group. The group is India’s third largest business house. Major companies of Aditya Birla Group in India are Grasim, Hindalco, UltraTech Cement, Aditya Birla Nuvo and Idea Cellular. Aditya Birla Group’s joint ventures include Birla Sun Life (Financial Services) and Birla NGK (Insulators). The group also has its presence in various countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Egypt, Canada, China and Australia. Born on June 14, 1967, Kumar Mangalam Birla spent the early of his life in Calcutta and Mumbai. He is a Chartered Accountant and did his MBA (Masters in Business Administration) from the London Business School, London. Kumar Mangalam Birla took over as Chairman in 1995, at the age of 28, after sudden demise of his father, noted industrialist Aditya Birla, after whom the group is named. When Kumar Mangalam Birla assumed the mantle at the Aditya Birla Group, Doubts were raised about his ability to handle a giant business house with interests spanning viscose, textiles and garments on the one hand and cement, aluminium and fertilisers on the other. But Kumar Mangalam proved his skeptics wrong. He brought in radical changes, changed business strategies, professionalised the entire group and replaced internal systems. Kumar Mangalam reduced his group’s dependence on the cyclic commodities sectors by entering consumer products. Under Kumar Mangalam Birla’s leadership, the Aditya Birla Group, apart from consolidating its position in existing businesses, also ventured into sunrise sectors like cellular telephony, asset management, software and BPO. Kumar Mangalam Birla also holds several key positions on various regulatory and professional boards, including chairmanship of the advisory committee constituted by the ministry of company affairs for 2006 and 2007, membership of the prime minister of India’s advisory council on trade and industry, chairmanship of the board of trade reconstituted by the union minister of commerce and industry, and membership of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India. Kumar Mangalam Birla has won several honors. Major among them include The Business Leader of the Year (2003) by The Economic Times, Business Man of the Year – 2003 by Business India, and The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year – India in 2005. EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION Kumar Mangalam Birla is a fourth generation member of the Birla family from the state of Rajasthan. He spent his childhood in kolkata and Mumbai.He has BCom degree from University of Bombay( HR College of Commerce and Economics,Mumbai)& CA(Chartered Accountant)(India)from ICAI(India)& MBA from LBS;London;UK(London Business SchooL),where he is an Honorary Fellow. CAREER Kumar Mangalam Birla took over as Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group in 1995, at the young age of 28, after sudden death of his father, Aditya Birla, after whom the group is named. Many doubts were raised about his ability to lead the group with varied interests in textile and garments, cement, aluminum,fertilizers etc. but KM Birla not only proved his skeptics wrong, but also has grown to become one of the most respected industrialists in the country. Under his leadership the Aditya Birla group has expanded to Telecom, Software, BPO and other areas while consolidating its position in existing businesses. When Kumar Manglam Birla took over the reins of the group in 1995, the turnover was only $2 bn and overseas operations accounted for a very small part of the overall business with Egypt, Thailand and Indonesia being major centers. Under KM Birla’s strong leadership the group’s turnover has spiraled to $33bn and it has expanded operations to more than 40 countries including Australia, Dubai, and reaching out to North America, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, Hungary and China. 60 percent of the group’s revenues now come from abroad and 130,000 people are being hired globally for their business operation/ Personal life Birla is married to Neerja Birla.They have three children: Ananyashree, Aryaman Vikram and Advaitesha. Neerja oversees the Aditya Birla World Academy, a school in Mumbai

Reaction Paper on Hello Garci Tape Wiretapping Issue

The electoral fraud issue on last 2004 election has proven an obvious breach in the national security. The tape evidence presented by Samuel Ong, former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy director for intelligence, contained a conversation between the former President Arroyo and Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. Having analyzed the content of the said conversation, proven and admitted by the former president that the voice was hers, somehow confirmed the point of manipulation of the count in favor of the administration , perpetrated by the COMELEC However, even with the evidences, with the public apology made by the former president herself, and with the possible outcomes known, still no final course of action was taken to resolve GMA’s legitimacy or so to prevent electoral fraud. This is only due to the fact that the ‘original tape’ has not been authenticated by the anonymous wiretapper. If I may put my two cents in, our election system is just so full of dirty tricks. No one gets caught or punished also because of the flaws in the Philippine law and electoral rules. The fraudulent electoral system has been the way of the cheaters to win, and with their get away schemes comes the delayed progress of the country. Most are often suspicious of the winners and it is not a surprise that people generally doubt their leaders. If the leader is successful of curtailing the truth, what more can people expect of its underlings? Along with this, it is only imperative that electoral reforms be pushed through the senate or the country will continue to suffer from recurrence of such scandals and crisis. After the sprung of the aforementioned issue, wiretapping became a major contributor on certain issues from the government. Some of which are those that involve Chair Benjamin Abalos and Jose de Venecia III in connection with the $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) contract, and Cheche Lazaro’s wiretapping case filed by the GSIS. The latter however in opinion of the many, was only one of the attempts by government agencies to silence the media through harassment and intimidation. None of the aforementioned issues that involve wiretapping has been resolved. It is just poignant that people find no justice in the wrongdoings of those in high power. Seemingly, in most cases our own system constricts punishments of those guilty personnel, only allowing recurrence of such events. If only our country IS or WILL be able to make a change for the greater good, those types of cases will not be dismissed without fair justice.

Importance of time Essay

Do to the fact that I could not maintain punctuality in a classroom environment I shall be writing an essay of the importance of punctuality in the United States Military. Now of course it seems like this would be easy to understand however I had managed to forget it and this shall explain it in this essay. Before you can understand how being punctual is important you must understand what being punctual means. Punctuality is the characteristic of being able to complete a required task or fulfill a moral duty before or at a specific time. There is often an understanding that a small amount of lateness is acceptable.. However in some cultures, such as Japanese society, or in the military there basically is no allowance. Some cultures have an unspoken understanding that actual deadlines are different from stated deadlines; for example, it may be understood in a particular culture that people will turn up an hour later than advertised. In this case, since everyone understands that a 9 A.M. meeting will actually start around 10am, no-one is inconvenienced when everyone turns up at 10am. In cultures which value punctuality, being late is tantamount to showing disrespect for another’s time and may be considered insulting. In such cases, punctuality may be enforced by social penalties, for example by excluding low-status latecomers from meetings entirely. Being at the right place at the right time for any member of the Army is extremely essential to the defense of the entire United States of America. It’s because of this that being on time is remarkably important. Dependability, accountability, consistency and discipline are all crucially related to being on time. Furthermore, promptness also shows that the individual Soldier aims high and has their priorities straight. However, being where one needs to be at the appointed time will always be one of the most important aspects of being a Soldier. This is why failure to be on time not only severely hinders mission capability and readiness, but also can without a doubt cost unnecessary loss of life. It is important to realize that it is necessary for those in the Armed Forces are held to a higher standard. Being punctual in the military is important for many reasons, some of which I shall describe, right now. One of the few reasons for punctuality in the military would be if someone is late for a patrol or convoy that patrol or convoy might have to leave without that person, or maybe wait for them or can’t leave without them and be late to a rally point in which it is possible that it would cost some one  there life for you being late being late to a convoy and could lead to dire consequences. Not necessarily to you but to your battle buddies you let down by not showing up. While they are on patrol, or convoying to another area, something could happen that could either need your expertise and training or they could just need another soldier to keep watch of their area and without you it would take more manpower from less people to do the job that you were supposed to do. Or maybe the patrol you were supposed to be on could be ambushed and your weapon, your eyes and your training could be what makes the difference between your patrol losing soldiers or not. It is possible that if you had been there your patrol could have seen the ambush with the extra set of eyes watching, or taken out the enemy with the extra soldier carrying a weapon he/she was trained to use. Now being late could be what makes you lose battle buddies that could have survived if you were there to help them in that situation. Even more possible is that your battle buddies are on a convoy and it could have been your eyes that notice the strange object in the road or the slight discoloration, or maybe the disheveled earth of the road ahead of you that could have prevented your convoy from running into an IED. Or in another situation one might be on their way to meet someone from another country and showing up late would be looked at as a dishonorable and that you didn’t care about them or what they were trying to do. Also being late could also hinder your battle buddies at work. You being late makes your battle buddy who you are supposed to relieve stay later than he/she is supposed to, meaning that said person loses sleep time. Another reason might be because if you were going to relieve someone from duty on a guard duty it will make whoever your relieving have to stay at work. Therefor making them stay longer which then makes them tired and sluggish. And because they are because they are tired and sluggish, it increases the high chance that whatever work that person does would be under par and not up to standards because of lack of sleep. Which on a guard post they might fall asleep and someone might slip in or pass along some classified information to the enemy without any difficulty. Although the United States is not the only society that places a high regard on being on time, Americans in particular it would seem have been criticized in the past for being a highly time-oriented people, and some other cultures may not place the same level of importance on being punctual as exists in the United States today. This sense of being tied to a clock may strike some observers from other cultures as being downright psychotic, but the fact remains that the importance of being on time is an enormously important part of the American value system and it would be reasonable to suggest that this will not change. In addition, people who fail to be on time also demonstrate whether intentionally or not what may be considered as a callous disregard for other people and their time. In the United States, then, the importance of punctuality is well established and those who are even a few minutes late for say, a job interview, run the very real risk of losing out to lesser qualified candidates simply because they were unable to find a place to park in time. Similarly, people who are consistently late will be viewed as unreliable by most employers and also run the risk of losing whatever employment they have managed to secure in the first place. Being on time is one thing, but being early is completely different. When you’re assigned to be at an appointed place at an appointed time then there is no room for tardiness. Not only is it disrespectful to your co-workers in regards to making them stay later and putting them â€Å"under the bus† but also it is an integrity check and denotes your lack of responsibility. When you have a trend of being late none of your co-workers will feel as if they can’t rely on you.

The Necessity of Ethics in Criminal Justice

Erazo Criminal Justice April 15, 2013 Prompt: Give an account of the role of ethics and its significance to the functions of the criminal justice system in America, and describe its impact on crime and social control. The Necessity of Ethics in Criminal Justice The role of ethics is important to the criminal justice system as well as the government because it helps maintains social control and crime control. Over time the role of ethics has adapted in every aspect of the criminal justice system.Without the role of ethics there would be corruption; the law would have little meaning because its application would be undependable (citation. ) The criminal justice system, which works along with the government, has a great impact of how people treat each other, therefore the role of ethics is not only important for the law but for society as well. Of course there are differences in ethics; depending on certain occupations ones ethics will vary, but the overall role of ethics is to â€Å"d evelop personal qualities such as: courage, honesty, confidentiality, law-abiding behavior reproach and exemplary in nature† (cite 3. It is important for our defense attorneys, police officers, and judges to practice the role of ethics to maintain a stable criminal justice system. It is important to have ethics in the criminal justice system because it prevents corruption, brutality and racial discrimination. Without the role of ethics, the criminal justice system would not be where it’s at today. It abides by the supreme law of the land which falls under the preamble of the constitution which is the Bills of Rights.The Bill of Rights makes sure to protect every citizen’s rights no matter the gender, race or other discriminatory factors. The criminal justice system holds true to these factors which reduce corruption, brutality and racial discrimination. There would be corruption in the CJS (Criminal Justice System) by police corruption. There would be police corr uption by extortion: demanding money for not writing traffic tickets, and bribery: accepting money in exchange for not enforcing the law. Police corruption carries high costs in many ways.The first way of corruption is that police corruption detracts from the integrity of police authority and tarnishes the image the public view law enforcement. The public expect authorities to be honest and to treat everybody equally. The lack of law enforcement adds on to the increase of crime rates because authority is influencing negative behavior by not stopping crime. Secondly, it protects other criminal activities that deal with prostitution and drugs. The police are being bribed of not enforcing the law by the exchange of money. Criminals offer lucrative sources of income for organized crime.This means that a criminal would pay a police officer a certain amount of money to let a crime happen and the police would prevent law enforcement regulations upon them. What is usually seen in police cor ruption is called narcotic corruption. Narcotic corruption is â€Å"an inevitable consequence of drug enforcement,† (Cliff Notes-Police Corruption. ) Police officers are being offered either lucrative income or share some of the profit being made from the drugs that are being brought because of the prevention of law enforcement these officers are taking a part of.Providers of these services and illegal goods use part of their profits to bribe the police in order to ensure the continuation of criminal enterprises. If authority is not giving out the prime example of enforcing the law, what are the expectations of the citizens following them? Police corruption adds on to crimes, therefore following the role of ethics is strictly important to prevent incidents of police corruption to keep happening. The role of ethics makes sure to reduce police corruption if not eliminate it.To catch the violating officers, the criminal justice system holds special investigation commissions and auditors. Police corruption has been reduced tremendously by teaching officers the role of ethics as well. Another reason why the role of ethics is important to the criminal justice system is because of police brutality. In the year 1982, the federal government funded a study named, â€Å"Police Services Study,† in which thirteen percent of 12,000 people interviewed were abused by police brutality.Studies such as the Police Services Study show that most brutality is pressed against minority groups (Cliff Notes- Police Brutality. ) Police brutality ties in with racial discrimination against minority groups. There is also discrimination against homosexuals that are abused by police officers. When police officers are charged in court for brutality, they claim that they used the contempt of cop and situational variables which means that they attacked the criminal in self defense.The way that brutality is being prevented is not only by the role of ethics, but also by the internal affairs unit which means that units investigate complaints against officers to see if there is any suspicions of corruption, complains of brutality or other kinds of excessive force. After the police beating of Rodney King in 1991, the inspection general position was established to monitor citizen complaints dealing with police brutality and racial discrimination. What often ties in with police brutality is racial discrimination.Racial discrimination is mostly aimed towards Hispanics and African Americans. A study done in 1994 through 1995 of a group of 90,000 middle school and high school teenagers were surveyed to see how they would turn out to be in the year 2008. The study in 2008 states that the majority of the teenagers that were surveyed in 1994 that were African Americans had higher statistics of being arrested, incarcerated, and received long criminal sentences. The majority of journalism reports stated that, â€Å"more than white men, African American men engage in violen ce—and, on average, their IQs are lower. (Psychology Today. ) The study was more focused on the race of the individual instead of focusing on if the criminal justice system was fair to every single one of these individuals; it was not focused on seeing if the African Americans were discriminated or if they were abused brutality by police officers, instead they focused on their IQ levels and skin color as leading factors to see why African Americans engaged in violence more than the common white man. Criminal Justice cases state that African Americans have faced discrimination since the era of slavery.Ever since then they have been treated unfairly in every aspect of social factors. African Americans have suffered discrimination because of their skin color. The discrimination of African Americans initially began through the system of slavery, and then continued onto the pattern of segregation as well as legislative decisions that have encouraged discrimination against African Americans. Legislative encouraged discrimination of African Americans by considering Africans as property when they were slaves.After slaves were free there was still discrimination because government didn’t want to give them their rights. Since then African Americans have been fighting to be equal. Even centuries after the slavery era, African Americans are still being discriminated not only in a social standpoint but in the criminal justice system as well by racial discrimination. The role of ethics tries to teach their police officers to not be judgmental because of a stereotype or skin color.They try to predict if the accused person is guilty based on evidence instead of gender, race and economic status in cons of if they are a minority group. The role of ethics of course does not only surround itself by making sure there is no corruption, brutality and race discrimination, but also it prides itself in the way they hold their morals in the criminal justice system. There m orals are to develop personal qualities such as courage, honesty, confidentiality, and law abiding behavior to everybody involved in the criminal justice system.The counselors that are involved in the criminal justice system make sure to keep the accused or criminals personal information confidential unless it is a threatening act against another person or a group of people. The reason this ethic is important to the CJS is because if the code of confidentiality is broken, it could not only hurt the person who was betrayed but it also affects the way society views the system. The role of ethics impacts the way people view society.Even every day people practice the role of ethics; it could be in other areas but they have similar methods. It is crucial that defense attorneys, judges, and police officers abide by the role of ethics. Defense attorneys need to abide by the role of ethics when defending the accused by making sure they don’t give false testimony during their trial; t his keeps the CJS fair. Defense attorneys are expected to make sure that the information presented in court is true and that the person speaking against or for the accused is giving true information as well.Police officers are expected to follow the role of ethics as well by treating all accused and victims by their rights and to not arrest or approach them with brutality or arrest and treat a person unjustly just because of their race. Judges as well are expected to follow the code of ethics by making court decisions based on the information presented and not on racial factors, gender and other factors that could sway a person to be discriminatory against somebody.The code of ethics is very important in crime and social control because it helps reduce crime by establishing a platform on which authorities follow to ensure that everybody being tried is given an equal trial. When the criminal justice system had not established the code of ethics, African Americans and homosexuals were treated brutally by police officers. Police officers would beat them and sometimes unjustly accuse them of accusing a crime even though they did not do it. As well as judges and cases brought to the justice system, they would discriminate and state that the verdict is guilty.There were all types of corruption in the criminal justice system starting from the basic authority such as police officers following to defense attorneys and finishing off with judges who are one of the most valued authorities. Even when not dealing with crime, like for example parole officers who deal with juvenile delinquents, they are to enforce what the court says to be followed by the convicted offenders. If they do not enforce the law, the person might reoffend causing more hard due to poor ethics by officers causing more problems for the criminal justice system.The role of ethics gives every citizen the right to be treated equally when being accused of a crime. It implies that every person would not be treated differently because of a social discriminatory factor therefore keeping the CJS honest and law abiding. Ethics help keep social and crime control mainly through studying ethics because it is possible to define unethical behavior. It is important to have the capacity to point to moral reasoning in justifying behavior, and the study of ethics develops that capacity.The impact the role of ethics has on the criminal justice system is a positive one for it prides in honesty and law abiding factors; by implying the role of ethics, the public trusts the system more causing less chaos. Works Cited â€Å"The American System of Criminal Justice: Innocent Until Proven Guilty. † The American System of Criminal Justice: Innocent Until Proven Guilty. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. http://www. stimmel-law. com/articles/criminaljustice_us. html â€Å"Criminal Justice: Police Corruption. † Criminal Justice: Police Corruption. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. ttp://www. cliffs notes. com/study_guide/Police-Corruption. topicArticleId-10065,articleId-9979. html â€Å"Criminal Justice: Police Brutality. † Criminal Justice: Police Brutality. N. p. , n. d. Web. Spring 2013. http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/Police-Brutality. topicArticleId-10065,articleId-9975. html â€Å"No Discrimination†¦ | Facebook. † No Discrimination†¦ | Facebook. N. p. , n. d. Web. Aug. 2012. http://www. psychologytoday. com/blog/the-bejeezus-out-me/201303/no-discrimination-in-the-criminal-justice-system â€Å"The Importance of Ethics in Criminal Justice. † N. p. , n. d. Web.

A stereotype is defined by the Oxford Dictionary

A stereotype is defined by the Oxford Dictionary Every individual holds stereotypes. A stereotype is defined by the Oxford Dictionary of Psychology (pg. 730) as: ‘a relatively fixed and oversimplified generalisation about a group or class of people, usually focusing on negative or unfavourable characteristics’. When people put too much faith in stereotypical descriptions of people they can become prejudiced and can often discriminate against other groups. This can be very harmful and has led to countless atrocities, such as the racial purging of the Jews by the Nazis. Prejudices still are being fought through laws, such as Equal Opportunities legislation. However, the subject being discussed is not whether stereotypes are harmful or justifiable; it is whether they have a practical purpose, or are wasteful. It is generally the common consensus that stereotyping and prejudice should not continue. However without stereotypes we may find the social world a lot harder to perceive and understand. We rely on stereotypes to h elp us function in society. With such a diverse population, the environment we live in could be very confusing. Unfortunately stereotypes may block out a lot of what makes our society so diverse and just group people into simple categories. They may also affect peoples’ choices in life. Career paths people may want to take could seem inappropriate for someone in their group and so are avoided. From an evolutionary standpoint, stereotypes must have a use because they exist. People start creating stereotypes from a very young age and they are hard to break. However, having a purpose doesn’t exclude the fact that stereotypes are wasteful. The main beneficial use of stereotypes is that they greatly speed up cognitive processing. The world is full of people, they all look unique and the all behave differently. If each person chose to actively perceive and evaluate every individual they encountered, there wouldn’t be much time for anything else. This is why stereotype s exist. People can glance around a room, see a spectrum of faces and not have to stop to think about each person. This frees up the brain for more important tasks. Macrae, Milne, & Bodenhausen (1994) as cited by Taylor, Peplau, & Sears (pg. 184). conducted an experiment to see if the priming of stereotypes can leave the brain freer to process other information. Students were presented with a list of trait words for an individual and, at the same time, information about Indonesia. Half of these students were first given a group label for the individual, e.g. Black or Italian. Those given the group label remembered more traits that were label consistent and more information about Indonesia. This demonstrates that stereotypes make the social world a lot easier to process and are definitely very useful. However, this oversimplification of the world we see can lead us to prejudice against other groups, and can lead to discrimination. People often look only at the negative characteristic s of a group. In doing this we may waste the important contributions that these different groups’ perspectives can offer. Taylor, Fiske, Eticoff, & Ruderman (1978) as cited by Taylor et al. (pg. 185) asked participants to observe a conversation between people of a mix of races. When asked to remember which individual made certain contributions the participants would often only be able to remember the race of the individual. This shows that people often place far too much emphasis on group membership and can ignore the attributes of the individual. This can lead people to ignore information that comes from a source that they may deem inferior.