Essay Sample on Easter What Is Known About the History of Easter

Essay Sample on Easter What Is Known About the History of Easter This is an essay example on history of Easter. The evidence that Jesus was alive after the crucifixion is overwhelming, and scholars hardly ever argue otherwise. Jesus was seen in many different places and at different times after the crucifixion (John 20, 1 Cor. 15, Mark 16.7, etc.) Some people attempt to explain this by arguing that Jesus never died in the first place, and therefore never really resurrected as Christians claim. This theory is know as the Swoon Theory or the Resuscitation Theory, and was put forth by the German rationalist Venturini sometime in the eighteenth century. Even though there are presently an infinite amount of variations to this theory, they all basically hold that instead of dying, Jesus merely fainted or swooned from exhaustion. Jesus then resuscitated thanks to the effects of the cool damp grave he was placed in, and was finally able to present himself before His disciples as a risen king. In this essay I will explain the basis for the concoction of su ch a theory and the evidence that might support it, as well as give evidence, such as medical and historical facts, that will completely discredit it. Even though the Swoon theory contains very little facts that support it, there are a few events that happened in the crucifixion stories that are used as attempts to give it credibility. A German scholar by the name of Paulus Ð £points out that crucifixion was usually a slow, protracted dying Jesus died in an amazingly short time (Mark 15:44), therefore, he claims, Jesus was not really dead, but that he was in a death-like trance. Paulus also claims that Jesus only received a surface wound from the spear thrusted into his side, not a deathly one. Finally, he suggests that the aromatic spices and cool grave would have been influential enough to wake him up from this trance. Another argument is that the Bible contradicts itself and therefore should not be believed word for word. This is based on the fact that there are some variations in the stories of the crucifixion in the different gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Scholars that support the Swoon Theory also use as evidence the date that the gospels were written. They believe that the gospels arent reliable because they are not eyewitness accounts. Mark, the earliest of the gospels probably wasnt written until 60 AD, a full generation after the events of Jesus life. Yet another excuse, or should I say piece of evidence used to defend this theory, is that the people back then were simply mislead because medical knowledge was not great at that time, so that the disciples, mistaking Him for dead, buried Him alive. This excuse would have also been sufficient to explain why the executioners confirmed Jesus dead (Mark 15.45). Even though the Swoon Theory has some evidence to back it up, there is much more evidence that discredits it. This theory is greatly flawed because it ignores a great part of the story. It is a classical example of approaching the evidence with a preconceived theory and selecting only those facts which support your view and rejecting all others. Some examples of ignored facts are that there were four highly trained executioners that verified JesusÐ ¢ death (John 19.32) and whos mistakes would have probably cause them there lives; another ignored fact is that the stone that covered the tomb was way to heavy for Jesus to roll away on His own, and even if He would have been able to, the tomb was heavily guarded (John 19.38) so that there was no way Jesus could have snuck out unnoticed. This list of ignored facts could go on and on for quite a while. With all the medical and scientific evidence that we have present today, confirming the events story of the crucifixion, as written in the Bible, and that Jesus did really die, is not very hard. Even in the case of someone brutally executed on a Roman cross two million years ago, medical evidence can still make a crucial contribution. Jesus death was the result of the contribution of many different events. Each event can be proved credible as follows. The first event took place in the garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26.6 describes Jesus as sorrowful and deeply distressed as He prayed to His father. There is no doubt that Jesus knew what was going to happen to him the next day. In fact, it scarred Him so much, that He began to sweat blood (Luke 22.44). Many skeptics have claimed this physically impossible and used it to argue against the credibility of the Bible. But, according to Alexander Metherell, M.D, P.H.D, this is a know medical condition called hematidrosis associated with a hig h degree of psychological stress. He also claims that it would have made Jesus skin extremely fragile making him very sensitive to the floggings of the following day. Historians have concluded that Roman floggings were horribly brutal. Jesus would have been stripped of his clothes and then whipped with a flagrum that consisted of a sturdy handle to which were attached long leather thongs that had sharp jagged pieces of bone and lead woven into them. According to Dr. C. Truman Davis, this would have resulted I Jesus back, shoulders, and legs looking like an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue, with skin hanging in long ribbons. After this, according to Roman tradition, a prisoner such as Jesus would have been mocked by the Roman soldiers. We can witness this in Mark 15.16-20. Verse 20 also says that a crown of thorns was placed on His head and verse 19, that he was beaten with a reed. According to Metherell, these events alone would have been enough to kill a man. But Jesus did not expire, not yet at least. He went on to endure much greater torture. Although not dead, Jesus did not walk away unharmed. Metherell says that Jesus would have faced the crucifixion while already in hypovolemic shock, meaning that He was suffering the effects of loosing a large amount of blood. Some of these effects described by Metherell are described in the gospels: blood pressure drops, causing fainting or collapse we see in Mat. 27.32 that Simon had to carry the crossbar for Jesus because He collapsed and could not carry it any further. Person becomes thirsty as the body craves fluids to replace the lost blood volume. In the John 19 we read about Jesus saying, I thirst and then being offered sour wine. Because of the terrible effects of this beating, theres no question that Jesus was already in serious to critical condition even before the nails were driven through his hands and feet. For many years critics argued that nails werent used to crucify a person, but that instead ropes were used. It wasnt until1968 that the Archaeologist V. Tzaferis discovered four cave-tombs just north of Jerusalem that put an end to these criticss argument. In one of these tombs, well-preserved bodies containing nails that pierced their wrists and ankles were found. These nails would have been driven through some major nerves and caused Jesus unbearable pain, so unbearable in fact, that a new word had to be invented to describe it: Excruciating meaning out of the cross. Metherell says that because of the way Jesus was hanging, His shoulders would have become easily dislocated therefore fulfilling the prophesy in Psalm 22.14. Usually the final thing that kills a person being crucified, including Jesus in this case, is asphyxiation Crucifixion is essentially an agonizingly slow death of asphyxiation leading to a heart attack. When a person is hanging on a cross, in order to exhale, an individual must push up on his feet to release the tension on his muscles. Eventually this person would be to exhausted to do this, which would prevent him from breathing. As a person slows down his breathing, he goes into what is called respiratory acidosis causing the acidity of the blood to increase, and leading to an irregular heartbeat. Eventually this person would have died of Cardiac arrest. The biggest piece of evidence that Jesus truly died is that blood and water were seen flowing from Jesus when He was stabbed in the side (John 19.34). The idea that water flew out is completely rejected, but Metherell claims that this fluid only appeared to be water, but was actually pericardial and pleural effusion. These clear fluids surround the heart (peri) and lungs (pleural) in great quantities when there is heart failure so that when ruptured by the spear they would have gushed out. They would have appearing as water, and then would have been followed by a lot of flowing blood. This gives John great credibility as an eyewitness, and proves that Jesus was in fact dead. Even if we pretend that Jesus was able to survive through all this abuse, assuming that a cool tomb would resuscitate Him rather than just finish Him off is assuming too much. Also, one has to take in account that Jesus would have had to escape his linen wrappings (Mat. 27.59), roll the huge rock away from the tomb entrance, and get by the guards (as mentioned before), all on pierced wrists and ankles. I conclude by confidently saying that the Swoon theory is completely flawed and must be discredited. It ignores the deadly character of the wounds inflicted upon Jesus, the frightful lacerations of the hands and feet, the loss of strength through the ebbing away of blood, the hopelessness of human aid during the critical moments when it would be most needed, the tight-drawn bandage of the grave, the heavy stone. But even if Jesus did accomplish all of this, there is no way that the disciples would have claimed Him the Risen Lord and Conqueror of death while seeing Him in the pathetic conditions he was left in. Instead, they would have felt sorry for Him.

Definition and Examples of Grammaticalization

Definition and Examples of Grammaticalization In historical linguistics and discourse analysis, grammaticalization is a type of semantic change by which (a) a lexical item or construction changes into one that serves a grammatical function, or (b) a grammatical item develops a new grammatical function. The editors of The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar (2014) offer as a typical example of grammaticalization . . .  the development of be going to into an auxiliary-like item be going to. The term grammaticalization was introduced by French linguist Antoine Meillet in his 1912 study Levolution des formes grammaticales. Recent research on grammaticalization has considered whether (or to what extent) it is possible for a grammatical item to become less grammatical over time- a process known as degrammaticalization. The Concept of "Cline" Basic to work on grammaticalization is the concept of a cline (see Halliday 1961 for an early use of this term). From the point of view of change, forms do not shift abruptly from one category to another, but go through a series of small transitions, transitions that tend to be similar in type across languages. For example, a lexical noun like back that expresses a body part comes to stand for a spatial relationship in in/at the back of, and is susceptible to becoming an adverb, and perhaps eventually a preposition and even a case affix. Forms comparable to back of (the house) in English recur all over the world in different languages. The potential for change from lexical noun, to relational phrase, to adverb and preposition, and perhaps even to a case affix, is an example of what we mean by cline.The term cline is a metaphor for the empirical observation that cross-linguistically forms tend to undergo the same kinds of changes or have similar sets of relationships, in similar order s.(Paul J. Hopper and Elizabeth Closs Traugott, Grammaticalization, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2003) Have Got to According to Bolinger (1980) the modal auxiliary system of English is undergoing wholesale reorganization. Indeed, in a recent study, Krug (1998) observes that have got to for the expression of necessity and/or obligation  is one of the biggest success stories in English grammar of the last century.  Such claims suggest that  synchronic data spanning  several generations in apparent time may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying ongoing grammaticalization processes in this area of grammar. . . .In order to contextualize these forms  in terms of their development and history, consider the history of the modal must and its later quasi-modal variants have to and have got to . . ..Must has been around since Old English when its form was mot. Originally it expressed permission and possibility . . ., [b]ut by the Middle English period a wider range of meanings had developed . . ..According to the Oxford English Dictionary  (OED) the use of have to in the sense of oblig ation is first attested in 1579 . . ..The expression have got to on the other hand . . ., or with got by itself, . . . entered the English language much laternot until the 19th century . . .. Both Visser and the OED label it colloquial, even vulgar. . . . [P]resent-day English grammars usually consider it informal. . . .However, in a recent large-scale analysis of the British National Corpus of English (1998), Krug (1998) demonstrated that referring to have got to  or gotta as simply informal is quite an understatement. He found that in British English of the 1990s  have got to  or  gotta  were one and a half times as frequent as the older forms must and have to.According to this general trajectory, it would seem that the construction with got is grammaticalizing and further that it is taking over as the marker of deontic modality in English.(Sali Tagliamonte, Have to, Gotta, Must: Grammaticalization, Variation, and Specialization in English Deontic Modality.  Corpus App roaches to Grammaticalization in English, ed. by  Hans Lindquist and Christian Mair. John Benjamins, 2004) Expansion and Reduction [G]rammaticalization is sometimes conceived of as expansion (e.g., Himmelmann 2004), sometimes as reduction (e.g., Lehmann 1995; see also Fischer 2007).  Expansion models of grammaticalization  observe that as a construction ages, it may increase its collocational range (e.g., the development of BE going to as a future marker in English, which first collocated with action verbs, before extension to statives), and aspects of its pragmatic or semantic function (e.g., the development of epistemic modality in the use of will in examples such as boys will be boys).  Reduction models of grammaticalization  tend to focus on form, and particularly on changes (specifically, increase) in formal dependency, and phonetic attrition.(The Oxford Handbook of the History of English, ed. by  Terttu Nevalainen and Elizabeth Closs Traugott. Oxford University Press, 2012) Not Just Words, but Constructions Studies on grammaticalization have often focused on isolated linguistic forms. It has frequently been emphasized, however, that grammaticalization not only affects single words or morphemes, but often also larger structures or constructions (in the sense of fixed sequences). . . . More recently, with the increasing interest in patterns and particularly with the advent of Construction Grammar . . ., constructions (in the traditional sense and in the more formal explications of Construction Grammar) have received much more attention in studies on grammaticalization . . ..(Katerina Stathi, Elke Gehweiler, and Ekkehard Kà ¶nig, Introduction to Grammaticalization: Current Views and Issues. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2010) Constructions in Context [G]rammaticalization theory adds little to the insights of traditional historical linguistics despite purporting to offer a new way of looking at data concerning grammatical forms.Still, one thing that grammaticalization definitely has gotten right in recent years is the emphasis on constructions and on forms in actual use, and not in the abstract. That is, it has been realized that it is not enough simply to say, for instance, that a body part has become a preposition (e.g. HEAD ON-TOP-OF) but rather one must recognize that it is HEAD in a particular collocation, e.g. at-the-HEAD-of that has yielded a preposition, or that HAVE turning into EXIST is not necessarily just a random semantic shift but rather is one that happens in the context of adverbials . . .. This is a big step forward, since it takes semantic change especially out of the realm of the purely lexical and places it into the pragmatic domain, deriving changes from inferencing and the like that are possible for words in constructions with other words and in actual, contextually keyed usage.(Brian D. Joseph, Rescuing Traditional (Historical) Linguistics From Grammaticalization Theory. Up and Down the Cline- The Nature of Grammaticalization, edited by Olga Fischer, Muriel Norde, and Harry Perridon. John Benjamins, 2004) Alternate Spellings: grammaticalisation, grammatisation, grammaticisation

Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Obesity - Essay Example n Food Standards Agency and DOH, 2004) Roughly 65% and 50% men and women are overweight and have the tendency to be obese in case their weight gain remains uncontrolled. Considering that obesity could cause a person to deal with social adjustment disorders or social discrimination (Pearce et al., 2002) aside from a long list of serious health concerns related to heart diseases, diabetes and the different types of cancer (WHO, 2003, 2005a), the need to determine the impact of promoting organic foods on the high levels of obesity arises. For the purpose of this study, the researcher will conduct an extensive literature review on the general facts about obesity, the major causes of obesity, the negative consequences of obesity in terms of one’s health, social being, and economic losses. Eventually, the researcher will determine the status of promoting organic foods in UK followed by the benefits of organic food production to our health, environment, and our society in terms of analyzing the economic and social impact of promoting organic foods in the case of the high incidence of obesity in UK. Eventually, the researcher will discuss the literature review in line with the business opportunity that is present in relation to organic food production. Obesity is defined as â€Å"an excess of body fat that frequently lead to a significant impairment over a person’s health and longevity.† (House of Commons Health Committee, 2004) Based on the federal guidelines (Berg, 2003; NHLBI, 1998), a normal weight is computed using the Body Mass Index (BMI) wherein the normal range for an adult should be between 18.5 to less than 25 (BMI 18.5 to 25 kg/m2). BMI measurement between the ranges of 25 to less than 30 (BMI 25 to 30 kg/m2) is considered overweight and BMI measurement that exceeds 30 (BMI ≠¥ 30 kg/m2) is considered obese. In general, medical practitioners are using the formula â€Å"weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared multiplied by 703 or weight in

Wealth And Income Inequality In Uk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wealth And Income Inequality In Uk - Essay Example The building of rehabilitation centers and provision of family counseling services in the most affected communities to help change the future of the generations to come. Change is possible if we stand together and fight for it. Enhancement of law protecting the minority, anyone caught employing or abusing a minor will face the wrath of the law. Availability of social grants, like foster care, child support, general relief, disability grant to help those in need, the government should also ensure its availability to the people who need it. The rate of corruption in the sector is not to tolerate at all costs (Yunus 2007). With a responsible government and sound management system, eradicating poverty should not be an alarming issue, income disparities between the rich and the poor will incredibly decrease. More citizens will enter the wealthy bracket, and few or none will be below the poverty line. The society of today and tomorrow should take this subject very seriously because it determines the future of tomorrow. We all need good food, health, education, houses. The list is endless. So we should come together as one and work towards creating a favorable environment for everyone.Society has made it a little difficult for equality to have a chance. The balance and the gap between the rich and the poor continue to grow every day in the UK and around the world. Eradication of poverty and the high poverty levels should be one of the highest priorities of the government for the sake of its citizens.

Privatization in India Essay Example for Free

Privatization in India Essay Ram Mohan Visiting Faculty, Finance and Accounting Area Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, India Abstract The proposed research is intended to survey the process of privatization in India and assess its impact on the Indian economy. The central issue we will address is the impact of privatization that has taken place so far on profitability and performance of PSUs. Going beyond this, we will attempt to understand what explains the impact of privatization on performance. Is it the use of market power by oligopolistic firms whose pricing power had been constrained under government ownership ? Is performance bought at the expense of labour through extensive layoffs so that what we see is essentially a transfer from workers to shareholders ? Or are we confusing the impact of privatization with the more generalised impact of deregulation in the economy, which in itself could spur efficiency ? The research output will comprise the following: 1. A survey of the literature on privatization, particularly with respect to less developed countries. 2. A review of the role of the public sector in the Indian economy, and the process of economic liberalization and privatization in India upto this point. 3. Impact of privatization on firm performance. 4. Explanation for the impact of privatization 5. Assessment of mechanisms of corporate governance in India. -2- I. Background: privatization in theory and practice A great wave of privatization has swept the world in the past two decades, embracing the industrial economies, the transition economies of East Europe and large parts of the less developed world, and it continues to roll on. It is interesting, however, that its basis in theory was somewhat shaky to start with. Moreover, a sizable enough body of empirical evidence, on which hypotheses about its impact could be tested, became available only several years down the road. So much of the initial impetus to privatization entailed a leap in faith, and, as happens all too often in the development of knowledge, attempts to explain its impact have followed on the heels of widespread existing practice.

Essay on the Voice of Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God

The Powerful Voice of Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God The world of Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God was one of oppression and disappointment. She left the world of her suffocating grandmother to live with a man whom she did not love, and in fact did not even know. She then left him to marry another man who offered her wealth in terms of material possessions but left her in utter spiritual poverty. After her second husband's death, she claims responsibility and control of her own life, and through her shared love with her new husband, Teacake, she is able to overcome her status of oppression. Zora Neale Hurston artfully and effectively shows this victory over oppression throughout the book through her use of language. Her use of such stylistic devices as free indidrect discourse and signifting allow her to use language as power; the power for a black woman to realize her own potential. The voice which Hurston creates is marked by her intertwining of black vernacular and standard English to create a seemless, fluid narration. The combination of the two seemingly dichotomous aspects of language is called the "speakerly text" by Henry Louis Gates in his essay of the same name, and is also more commonly called free indirect discourse. The scene in which Mayor Starks, Janie's husband, has erected the new street lamp for the town, exemplifies Hurston's use of free indirect discourse. Janie and her husband first speak to each other using the recognizable black dialect of the region: "Well, honey, how yuh like bein' Mrs. Mayor?" "It's all right Ah reckon, but don't yuh think it keeps us in a kinda strain?" The omniscient third person narrator then captures J... ...pjc.cc.fl.us/hooks/Zora.html Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper & Row, 1937. Johnson, Barbara. "Metaphor, Metonymy and Voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God." Modern Critical Interpretations: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Kubitschek, Missy Dehn. " 'Tuh de Horizon and Back': The Female Quest in Their Eyes Were Watching God." Modern Critical Interpretations: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Pondrom, Cyrena N. "The Role of Myth in Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God." American Literature 58.2 (May 1986): 181-202. Williams, Shirley Anne. Forward. Their Eyes Were Watching God. By Zora Neale Hurston. New York: Bantam-Dell, 1937. xv.

Outside Lies Magic

There are certain things in life that people take for granted. As technology advances, the people would struggle to go on and fit in the crowd, making sure that everything is played accordingly. Because of these changes, people sometimes oversee things and take for granted the simple pleasures of life. The book, Outside Lies Magic, shows people the simple things found around us that are taken for granted. As I was reading the book, I became open to more possible ideas around me.Although the book may sound like a textbook for many, this is one of the few literary works that people could actually appreciate. From everything that has been included in the book, two scenes stood out the most. The first part was when the author was discussing about wires and power. I became intrigued with the importance of the â€Å"wires† to the history of man and the possible contributions that they may have in society. Even if the history of mankind was quite difficult to explain, the author was able to do it in such a manner that the readers would become curious instead of being discouraged to read.The use of words was also something to be considered. The descriptive manner used would make the readers become interested to know how much information the author wants to share with everyone. Another part of the book that caught my attention was the chapter about mails. I was unaware of the history of the mailing system until I read this chapter. The demands of sending letter across the country and in the whole world increased as time passed by, making it more difficult for the postal services to fulfill their duties.Eventually, numerous people had to sacrifice their time and effort just to allow the mails to arrive on their preferred dates. I learned to appreciate the importance of my mailbox, and how it is accessible to me and to the whole world. However, this service was taken for granted and lacks the much needed appreciation. Thinking about it makes me thankful for all of the hard work taken away from me by such service. I just hope that someday, more people would be able to see and appreciate the little things that evolve around them. The last part was also something that I remembered greatly.Although the book was descriptive, the author was able to share with the readers how the simple things in life would mean the most. The readers are also given the impression that all things should be appreciated and given much importance. Regardless of the use of such descriptive words, the author was able to stick to the realities of life that many people try to escape from. And so, people should become open to committing mistakes, but still hope for the best in life. From everything that has been mentioned, I believe that the strongest part of the book is the first part.Talking about wires is not as easy as it may seem, because it is difficult to talk about wires and make them as interesting as possible. Reading the book allowed me to see a world that I was n ot aware of before. Taking the wirings for granted was something that people could relate to. I also became intrigued how people were able to organize all of the wires, and how these were identified. This allowed me to appreciate more people and things more, as each word was used. Reading the book came as a challenge for my end.English is not my first language, and some of the words used in the book were difficult for me to understand. However, the magic of words allowed me to explore and expand my knowledge further. For this, I was able to experience the magic of books, at the same time learn about the realities of life hidden from most people. Sometimes, it is not bad to look back and appreciate the humble beginnings of people and things. These are the essential things that would make the existence more worthy of the people’s appreciation. This is one of the few books that I would recommend for others to read.

Author’s Thoughts for the Movie Dangerous Minds

My Thoughts on the movie Dangerous Minds which was (very very loosely) adapted from my book My Posse Don’t Do Homework. This was written in June 2007 in response to an email from a grad student: Thank you for contacting me for input instead of just using what you find on the Internet or other resources. Let me be clear: I think Dangerous Minds has its good points – it inspired a lot of kids to stay in school, it inspired many people to pursue their dreams of becoming teachers, and it inspired the brilliant song, â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise. I just wish that people would realize it’s a movie and not real life when they write about me. I had very little input to the movie and much of it is fiction, at times so far removed from fact as to be ridiculous. My students never called me â€Å"white bread† for example – I had only one rule in my classroom and that was: respect yourself and the others in this room. I didn't disrespect my students and they didn't disrespect me. The producers couldn't believe it could be so simple — that if you treat kids with genuine respect, they may not love you immediately, but they will learn to respect you. I used rap lyrics to initiate lessons about poetry (not a DylanDylan contest). Instead of a silly contest, we learned to write and analyze various forms of poetry, beginning with songs and ending with Shakespearean sonnets. Yep, they actually liked them, too. I never threw candy bars at my students to motivate them — I encouraged them to eat healthy foods. I didn't fight with my administrators all the time — it was my principal who gave me the support and encouragement I needed to become an effective teacher. So, I would simply ask that you view the movie as a movie and not as a reflection of my personality, teaching techniques, teaching philosophy, and definitely not as a reflection of my attitude toward students. I didn't teach for one semester and then try to quit — I taught in the at- risk program for five years, starting as a part-time teacher and ending as a full-time teacher and department chair -and then I went back to grad school. I agree with Bulman's contention that the movie industry seems to think that white middle-class people can walk into a ghetto and ‘save the children. ‘ That's a very very simplified version of his theory. But I would argue that whether the maverick teacher is middle-class, white or black, male or female — the key is in that person's motivation. If you believe you are superior to somebody and you are going to save them, they will resist you, even if they are drowning, if they didn't ask for your help. But if you truly respect and accept other people as they are, and your motivation is to encourage them to develop their talents and skills to pursue whatever goals THEY have set (or encourage them to set goals if they have none), then they will be interested in what you have to say. People focus far too much on race, gender and money when they should focus on heart, soul and intention. It's been my experience that when you have self-destructive or apathetic students, instead of trying to teach them lessons, you will make much more progress if you try to find out what they think of themselves. And when they have negative perceptions, you tell them what you see — a new perspective that they can't see themselves. If this is an honest communication, it will change the way they think of themselves. Instead of thinking of themselves as hopeless, powerless, stupid, lazy, or whatever they have been taught or told to think — they begin to see themselves as human beings, separate from the school system labels, human beings with talents and abilities that will be valued by the world, if they can just survive school. That's enough. I'm writing you a book! Sorry for being so long-winded. Oh, wait, I take that back. One more thing. I don't think the Hollywood film makers are intentionally perpetuating stereotypes and simplistic plot lines. I think in some cases they genuinely believe their stories, in some cases they are trying to create a feel-good story to attract an audience, and in some cases they just don't have a clue because they never attended public schools and their worlds are so insulated that they believe whatever expert they have hired. I was told, for example, when I protested the racial stereotypes in Dangerous Minds (all black kids are raised by crackhead single moms, all Hispanic teens are gangsters because their parents don't care, black parents resent effective white teachers), I was told in a very haughty voice that the â€Å"gangologist† on their staff assured them that their movie was an accurate depiction. I laughed myself silly before I cried.

The Link between Fire Research and Process Safety An Evolution from Specific Needs to General Concern by Cadena Munoz

The Link between Fire Research and Process Safety An Evolution from Specific Needs to General Concern by Cadena Munoz Brief Introduction The article â€Å"The Link between Fire Research and Process Safety: An Evolution from Specific Needs to General Concern† identifies the gap between Fire Safety Engineering and Performance-based Risk Analysis (PRA). Risk Analysis is â€Å"a powerful field that makes it easier for engineers to improve their dynamic systems† (Cadena Munoz, 2013, p. 2).Advertising We will write a custom article sample on â€Å"The Link between Fire Research and Process Safety: An Evolution from Specific Needs to General Concern† by Cadena Munoz specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More That being the case, Fire Safety Engineering (FSE) should become a critical input in every Process Safety (PS). Although â€Å"a link exists between these engineering fields, the agreeable fact is that they require more applications in different structures† (Cadena Munoz, 2013, p. 3). According to the authors, such fields will impro ve different Fire Protection Systems (FPSs). The article examines the importance of Risk Analysis in complex buildings and industrial facilities. Engineers should use performance-based and prescriptive approaches in order to prevent industrial fires. Statement of the Research Problem The article analyzes the effectiveness of different engineering processes. A Process Safety (PS) framework â€Å"consists of technical structures, guidelines, and tools that can manage the risks encountered in different organizational operations† (Cadena Munoz, 2013, p. 3). The RA process makes it easier for engineers to understand the nature of different risks. According to Cadena and Munoz (2013, p. 3), â€Å"Fire Safety Engineering (FSE) offers advanced solutions that can deal with different Fire Safety Challenges (FSCs)†. The researchers therefore wanted to understand â€Å"how these functions can produce better Fire Protection Systems† (Cadena Munoz, 2013, p. 3). The authors wanted to â€Å"understand the connection between FSE and PS and their applications in different fire systems† (Cadena Munoz, 2013, p. 4). Description of the Research Procedures The researchers began their article by presenting the required literature review. This procedure identified â€Å"the major practices associated with fire protection in different industrial processes† (Oh, Jiang, Panganiban, 2013, p. 3). This knowledge made it easier for the scholars to identify the existing gap between PS and FSE. The scholars used a Correlation Approach (CA) for the study.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This approach made it easier for the researchers to understand the challenges affecting different Fire Protection Systems (FPSs). This knowledge encouraged the scholars to identify the existing gaps in different FPSs. The scholars â€Å"analyzed the imp ortance of Fire Safety Engineering and Process Safety† (Cadena Munoz, 2013, p. 4). The researchers applied these concepts in different fire scenarios. The approach made it possible for the scholars to get the best findings. According to the researchers, many industries were not embracing the use of PS and FSE. The CA made it easier for the researchers to achieve their potentials. They also identified the practices that can improve the level of fire prevention in different industrial processes. Flaws in the Procedural Design The above procedural design presented a number of flaws. To begin with, the research method did not present a clear hypothesis. This weakness made it impossible for the researchers to predict their results. The researchers were unable to gather the best evidences during the study. The authors failed to support their arguments using meaningful data and ideas (Oh et al., 2013). The authors did not collect the best data thus affecting the validity of their st udy. A proper research design could have produced better results. Analysis of the Targeted Data The literature review made it easier for the researchers to analyze the issues affecting different companies. According to the article, many engineers were not taking PS and FSE seriously. The agreeable fact is that such engineering fields were critical and applicable in different organizations. The researchers identified the importance of these two engineering practices. The â€Å"joint application of FSE and PS can make it easier for engineers to understand the safety challenges encountered in different facilities† (Gagnon, 2007, p. 85). This approach can make it easier for analysts to examine various fire behaviors and dynamics (Gagnon, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom article sample on â€Å"The Link between Fire Research and Process Safety: An Evolution from Specific Needs to General Concern† by Cadena Munoz specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/pa ge Learn More These two fields can therefore improve the practices undertaken by different industries. The gathered information encouraged the researchers to examine the effectiveness of these engineering fields. This knowledge addresses the problems affecting different organizations. Limited and Justifiable Conclusions The authors concluded their article by highlighting the significance of FSE and PS practices. Engineers â€Å"should use PS and FSE ideas in order to have a clear understanding of different fire safety problems† (Cadena Munoz, 2013, p. 4). This practice can also deal with high complexity problems such as industrial fires. This knowledge is admirable because â€Å"the link between PS and FSE is less common in different industries† (Cadena Munoz, 2013, p. 5). Engineers should strengthen this link in order to achieve the best goals. According to Gagnon (2007, p. 109), new studies â€Å"will ensure every engineer identifies better improve ment opportunities in the field of fire protection†. The article also explains how FSE inputs might offer appropriate solutions to different RA processes. The authors encourage different scholars to invent new FSE ideas and concepts (Gagnon, 2007). Engineers should apply such ideas in different PS problems. This practice will deal with the challenges affecting many industrial processes. More studies and research designs are required in this field. Such studies will present the best ideas and strategies in order to support different industrial processes. Reference List Cadena, J., Munoz, F. (2013). The Link Between Fire Research and Process Safety: An Evolution from Specific Needs to General Concern. Chemical Engineering Transactions, 31(1), 1-6. Gagnon, R. (2007). Design of Special Hazard and Fire Alarm System. Cengage, KY: Cengage Learning.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Oh, J., Jiang, Z., Panganiban, H. (2013). Development of a Smart Residential Fire Protection System. Advances in Mechanical Engineering, 1(1), 1-6.

The Definition of Natural Experiment in Economics

The Definition of Natural Experiment in Economics A  natural experiment  is an empirical or observational study in which the control and experimental variables of interest are not artificially manipulated by researchers but instead are allowed to be influenced by nature or factors outside of the researchers control. Unlike traditional randomized experiments, natural experiments are not controlled by researchers  but rather observed and analyzed. Natural Experiments Versus Observational Studies So if natural experiments are not controlled but rather observed by researchers, what is there to distinguish them from purely observational studies? The answer is that natural experiments still follow the primary principles of experimental study. Natural experiments are most effective when they mimic as closely as possible the existence of test and control groups of controlled experiments, which is to say that there is a clearly defined exposure to some condition in a clearly defined population and the absence of that exposure in another similar population for comparison. When such groups are present, the processes behind natural experiments are said to resemble randomization even when researchers do not interfere. Under these conditions, observed outcomes of natural experiments can feasibly be credited to the exposure meaning that there is some cause for belief in a causal relationship as opposed to simple correlation. It is this characteristic of natural experiments - the effective comparison that makes a case for the existence of a causal relationship - that distinguishes natural experiments from purely non-experimental observational studies. But that is not to say that natural experiments arent without their critics and validation difficulties. In practice, the circumstances surrounding a natural experiment are often complex and their observations will never unequivocally prove causation. Instead, they provide an important inferential method through which researchers can gather information about a research question upon which data might otherwise not be available. Natural Experiments in Economics In the social sciences, particularly economics, the expensive nature and limitations of traditionally controlled experiments involving human subjects has long been recognized as a limitation for the development and progress of the field. As such, natural experiments provide a rare testing ground for economists and their colleagues. Natural experiments are used when such controlled experimentation would be too difficult, expensive, or unethical as is the case with many human experiments. Opportunities for natural experimentation are of the utmost importance to subjects like epidemiology or the study of health and disease conditions in defined populations in which experimental study would problematic, to say the least. But natural experiments are also used by researchers in the field of economics to study otherwise difficult to test subjects and are often possible when there is some change in law, policy, or practice in a defined space like a nation, jurisdiction, or even social group. Some examples of economics research questions that have been studied through natural experimentation include: The return on investment of higher education in American adultsThe effect of military service on lifetime earning  The effect of public smoking bans on hospital admissions Journal Articles on Natural Experiment: The Economic Consequences of Unwed Motherhood: Using Twin Births as a Natural ExperimentNatural and Quasi-Experiments in EconomicsA Natural Experiment in Jeopardy!

Marketing Planning and Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Planning and Communications - Essay Example On the shore on the other hand, were millions of inhabitants who had barely recovered from the rampage of Hurricane Katrina and the like. The Gulf of Mexico was also polluted with 5 million barrels of crude oil and methane gas, surpassing the Exxon disaster within four days (Sachs, 2012). Biggest Corporate Fine in US History British Petroleum has so far put aside $42 billion payable as fines, compensation to the victims and well as restoration costs (the economist, 2013). In other words, the company has paid 14 billion for restoration and clean up of the site, 17.5 billion as compensation to individuals and small businesses, $4 billion in the form of criminal charges to the Department of Justice as well and $3.5 billion as penalties for oil leak under the America’s Clean Water Act (the Economist, 2013, p.66). Integrated Marketing Communications According to Percy (2008) integrated marketing communications is about planning, it aims at delivering a consistent and effective mess age. IMC applies to all forms of communications, be it consumer, business-to-business or corporate. Furthermore, by consistent message we mean that the message must have the same visual feel throughout media so as to form a distinct image that can be linked to the brand. Ensuring the proper implementation of IMC requires a strategic plan, the process begins by identifying the target audience and understanding their purchase decisions and behaviours. Strategic IMC for the BP Brand In 1997, the then CEO of BP John Browne was determined to make BP the world’s largest oil company through exploration, acquisition and marketing. Browne was of the impression that the consumers could be taught to identify with a brand of gasoline. But making the consumer identify with an oil brand was exceedingly hard as people hated oil companies and perceived them as villains following the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. With increasing awareness about climate change, oil companies were the worst perfo rming product category in terms of brand affinity (Sachs, 2012). Browne made significant changes to the approach of the company, including investments in solar energy research and withdrawal from oil- interest group Global Climate Coalition. These efforts were perceived positively by the consumers as British Petroleum was no longer resisting the fight against climate change with was now an active participant. By 2000, the company’s name was changed to BP with the tagline â€Å"Beyond Petroleum†, furthermore the company shield was replaced by helios. This new look was received positively by the masses, so the company further invested in advertising to supplement their green stance on the environment. Over the next few years the company built extensive brand equity, and John Browne one of the most popular CEOs in the world was granted knighthood. The truth in fact was very different from the facade created by green advertising because in reality the company was not makin g any significant progress in alternative energy. In 2010, BP’s operations comprised of drilling the world’