buy custom Closing the Education Gap in China essay

buy custom Closing the Education Gap in China essay Education inequality between migrant and urban children has been a major problem to be dealt with in the Chinas education sector. There are two major social structural causes for the discrimination against migrant childrens education - the Hukou household system and the low household income of migrant workers. Hukou system is one of the greatest barriers that prevent migrant children from attending public schools in urban areas. It was put in place in 1958 and gradually became an instrument of controlling population movements during the three decades (1949-1979) of planned economy (Knight Song, 1999). The majority of migrant workers only get the temporary stay status in urban cities. However, access to public schools requires permanent residence status. Without a permanent residence status, migrant children cannot share the equal opportunity to attend qualified urban public schools with children born in the urban areas. The 1986 Compulsory Education Law stipulates the responsibility to the governments in which migrant workers Hukou belongs to take care of migrant childrens education. But with the urbanization process accompanied by millions of population flows into cities, this policy is rendered outdated. The 2001 Decision of the State Council on the Development of Elementary Education6 and the 2003 Decision of the State Council on Further Strengthening Rural Education (two national education policies) switched the responsibility for providing education to migrant children from the out-flowing rural areas to the receiving cities, with the focus on education within the state school system. But the ambiguity leads to the incomplete implementation. As a result, the ratio of migrant children attending state public schools is 78 percent, which is dramatically lower than that of children in urban cities which is 99.8 percent. Hukou reform is the ultimate and long-term solution to this problem. The parents of migrant children make a vital contribution to the economic development of the cities. They live in the cities and pay taxes, thus their childrens welfare needs to be provided for, as people in urban area. Reducing the disparity between urban and rural areas in terms of socio-economic development and welfare provisions, and to eventually abolish the Hukou system is the final solution for the education discrimination problem. In the current stage, government should start to facilitate migrant childrens education as an initial step to reform the Hukou system. Municipal government, which receives the migrant workers influx, should include the education fee for migrant children in their budget and provide adequate education for migrant children. Government should strengthen the link between social services and household registration (Hukou) for children. All children should be entitled to the same rights to education services, social advancement and social participation. In an article in Qiushi Journal, Zhou Yongkang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted there is an "urgent" need to speed up the reform of the Hukou system and to explore new models to manage the flow of he work force nationwide. As research has identified that the reform of Hukou is of great difficulties. It is appropriate to regard Hukou reform as an ultimate and long term goal to realize the reduction of migrant childrens education discrimination. Another reason that leads to migrant childrens discrimination is the low household income of the migrant workers. Eight year old Yuhuis father explains how he finds it hard to educate his daughter since hes a low-income earner and that children are not enrolled in the absence of a local Hukou (The Guardian, 2007). Governments can solve this problem by subsidizing the educational fees for migrant children. The 2006 National Survey on migrant childrens education showed that average annual school fees for the children of migrant workers in the city is 2,450, accounting for about 20 percent of total family income. However, most migrant workers annual income ranges from 8,000 to 10,000. Since they have to burden the rental, usually two to three children and sometimes they cannot get their salary in time, the education fee for their children is too high for them to pay. This reason renders migrant children to drop out of school. So it is crucial for governments to subsidize the cost of mig rant childrens education. Apart from social structural causes, there is one political factor accounting for the discrimination against migrant children - the under implementation of current education policies. Children are confused about where they can get education. To tackle this problem, legalizing private migrant schools and liberalizing the licenses for privately-run migrant schools is an ideal choice. According to the Ford Foundation, in 2000 there were between 200 and 300 unlicensed schools operating in Beijing. In Shanghai, there were 519 private schools for migrant students in 2001, with 120,000 enrolled students. But these schools are so called illegal because Chinese education system only recognizes the public schools. The old method to control these migrant schools is to shut down. However, this is not a sustainable method since on the one hand migrant children have no access to public schools and on the other hand this will only hinders the progress of migrant schools. Government intervention should now turn to focus on legalizing these schools by providing them with licenses. In order to obtain license, migrant schools are measured by the quality of facilities, qualification of teachers and the principle. There is already precedence that encourages the high quality migrant schools to prove this method to be feasible. The measure outlined by the State Council and the Ministry of Education in 2003 to improve the education of migrant children contained important provisions of more good qualities migrant schools but there is no specific policy that aims at legalizing private migrant schools yet. Providing licenses to privately-run migrant schools will not only help the stable development of migrant schools but also help the quality of these schools to improve greatly. Another crucial method to improve the educational conditions for migrant children can be leveraged by the non-government organizations. Due to the rigid controol of central government, the non-government organizations (NGO) have been absent in the policy making process for more than 5 decades. With the rise of civil rights demand, which comes along with the economic growth, NGOs have been initiated in China. This situation offers a valuable chance to solve the migrant childrens education problem. In the meantime, more and more concerned citizens realized the contribution the rural-to-urban migrant workers make for the urban cities. Hence, they began to realize the necessity to accept migrant workers. NGO is a complementary factor for governmental actions. NGOs could bridge the needs of migrant children with the caring from citizens through an informal media. For example, the New Citizen Program in Narada Foundation is to provide funding for migrant schools by raising fund from citize ns. In the short term, this plan entails to build up 100 migrant schools in 5 to 10 years since 2007. The cost of each school is between $250,000 and $350,000, and the Narada Foundation will raise fund from concerned citizens and corporations. The first migrant school - ZhiXin School was built in 2008 in Beijing. The Board of Directors of the migrant schools recruits the principals and teachers of the schools to ensure the qualification of the education quality. This has proved to be a success and now there are more than twenty ZhiXin Schools in Beijing and Shanghai. In addition, due to the frequent movement and separation from their parents, migrant children are mentally more vulnerable than children from urban areas. To help them cope with these frequent situations of loneliness, psychological guidance and counseling programs should be initiated. This would help them avoid the distraction that would have been caused and put much more concentration in their studies. Moreover, extra-curriculum activities can be used as a tool to help in the integration urban and migrant children. Extracurricular activities are essentially opportunities to engage in extensions of academic activities and/or non-academic academic activities under school auspices. Non-governmental organizations should also recruit professional social workers to initiate programs that to will help integrate migrant children with urban children. The children should be encouraged to engage in artistic activities such as music, dancing, painting, photography, creative writing etc. They should also be allowed to participate in governance by taking some leadership responsibilities. Most importantly is the participation in sport activities such as football, basketball and other various sporting activities. To facilitate this, migrant children should first be taught to be more fluent in the means of communication so as to enhance their communication skills with the rest of the children and t eachers. Many migrant children in my fieldwork schools believed that their regional accents would differentiate them from local Beijing pupils whose speech they perceived to be accent-less (Dong, 2009, 2010; Dong Blommaert, 2009). In the practical sense, integration has proved to be very useful. In an interview carried out in a school, many children described an event organized by the migrant school they attended as an opportunity for migrant children and local children to know each other and to make friends. Buy custom Closing the Education Gap in China essay

University of Alabama in Huntsville Admissions

University of Alabama in Huntsville Admissions University of Alabama in Huntsville Description: The University of Alabama in Huntsville ranks highly among public universities in the south. UAH prides itself on the depth of its research initiatives, and the school has partnerships with NASA, the U.S. Army, Pratt Whitney, and other organizations. Engineering is particularly strong at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and the school wins high marks for the number of female engineers it graduates. Students can choose from 30 Bachelors degree programs through the universitys five colleges: Business, Liberal Arts, Engineering, Nursing and Science. Professional fields in business, engineering and nursing are most popular with undergraduates. Academics are supported by a 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio. On the athletic front, the UAH Chargers compete in the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference. The university fields seven mens and seven womens intercollegiate teams. Mens ice hockey competes at the Division I level. Will You Get In? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex Admissions Data (2016): UAH Acceptance Rate: 76%Test Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 520 / 660SAT Math: 540 / 680SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanCompare Alabama SAT scoresACT Composite: 25  / 31ACT English: 24 / 33ACT Math: 23  / 29What these ACT numbers meanCompare Alabama ACT scores Enrollment (2015): Total Enrollment: 7,866  (6,013 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 57% Male / 43% Female79% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17): Tuition and Fees: $9,842 (in-state); $20,612 (out-of-state)Books: $1,688  (why so much?)Room and Board: $9,603Other Expenses: $3,578Total Cost: $24,711  (in-state); $35,481 (out-of-state) University of Alabama in Huntsville Financial Aid (2015- 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 93%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 87%Loans: 41%Average Amount of AidGrants: $10,197Loans: $6,247 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Art, Biology, Business Administration, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Management Information Systems, Mechanical Engineering, NursingWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Transfer, Retention and Graduation Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 83%Transfer Out Rate: 30%4-Year Graduation Rate: 15%6-Year Graduation Rate: 49% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Track and Field, Baseball, Ice Hockey, Soccer, Basketball, TennisWomens Sports:  Basketball, Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, Tennis Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like University of Alabama, You May Also Like These Schools: Auburn University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphTroy University: Profile  Alabama A M University: Profile  Alabama State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphJacksonville State University: Profile  Samford University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphStillman College: Profile  Miles College: Profile  Georgia State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of West Alabama: Profile  Tennessee State University: Profile   University of Alabama in Huntsville Mission Statement: mission statement from  uah.edu/about/mission The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a research-intensive, internationally recognized technological university serving Alabama and beyond. Our mission is to explore, discover, create, and communicate knowledge, while educating individuals in leadership, innovation, critical thinking, and civic responsibility and inspiring a passion for learning.

Economic Opportunities Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economic Opportunities Paper - Essay Example American labor is not sufficient to fill in all these job vacancies and migration of workers from Europe and Asia are encouraged. As such, labor and employment opportunities are open in almost all areas of US. . Many states needed immigrants to add up to their sparse population to spur up the economy. They need workers to mines, factories and fields. These states actively invited immigrants by offering jobs or land for farming. Labor Exchanges were created to promote migration, offering cheap lands for permanent homes and cultivation. In Oregon, for example, Governor L. F. Grover, on August 23, 1870 issued a statement of need for farming population, inviting migrants to own land for residence and for cultivation of variety of products.(Oregon State Archives) Some States, Kansas, for one, made migration part of their business in order to increase their population. They have hired agents in principal seaports in Europe and in New York to communicate with migrant workers. All kinds of assistance are given such as reduced transportation fare, start up supplies, guides and attention to immigrants so they will be able to adapt in their new environment. Kansas was able to increase its population of 107.110 in 1860 to 550,000 in 1870 through immigration. (Oregon State Archives) * Shipbuilding. A lot of workers are needed as ship builder since US is one of the largest shipbuilders supplying the needs of Great Britain. * Iron industry. Iron makers are needed in Pennsylvania wherein the industry made progress and iron exports are developing. Other opportunities are the disparities of income from the migrant’s home country as compared to US make a big difference and enough reason for workers to come. Young and adventurous immigrants have come to US, and upon arrival looked for work and settled in communities where they have relatives and

Organizational behavior 4 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational behavior 4 - Article Example ing proactive stance, ability to confront adversity, willingness to take risks, innovativeness to think outside the box, take a supportive and encouraging stance for new ideas, and by being creative. As noted in several literatures, a particular leadership style is most effective depending on other factors such as the situation at hand, the personalities of the subordinates, the personality of the leader, and the objectives of the organization, the leader and the follower. In this regard, a balance in both the autocratic and democratic leadership styles would be more supportive of producing qualities that would assist leaders in being effective and successful in the future. By using the leaders’ authority, he must be aware that there are traits and qualities that would make his style succeed toward the accomplishment of well defined goals. On the other hand, by employing a democratic style, the leader encourages ideas which motivate his team to deliver results, as expected. Leadership is the process of influencing people to work or act towards the attainment of specifically defined goals. Communication is the process of transmitting thoughts, feelings, facts, and other information through verbal or non-verbal means. The role of communication in relaying the correct and accurate messages is relevant in order to assess the leaders’ ability to move followers into the achievement of goals. Sometimes, the ways of communication using traditional means are often insufficient to transcend a variety of barriers. There is always this tendency to misinterpret messages due to diverse variances spanning from leadership and communication styles as well as personalities of personnel, specifically those from diverse cultural orientations. In this regard, leaders must use effective communication tools to ensure that the process is free from being misinterpreted accordingly. The question that appealed the most is the determination of challenges confronting leaders

Transformational Change Essay Example for Free

Transformational Change Essay The Transformational learning process conceived by Jack Merzirow has four stages. Transformational learning is a process to help people solve their problems and help them to make life changes. The four stages are; recognizing a significant problem, confronting it intensely , finding a solution, and integrating a new perspective as well as a new set of assumptions into your life pattern. Recognizing a significant problem is the first step in being able to figure out what the problem or issue is in your past or current life. Once you are able to recognize the problem you will be able to talk out the situation or problem with someone. Confronting a problem intensely is difficult. Especially once you have to be honest with yourself. If you are having a difficult time in your life it makes it difficult to remain calm and level headed. Most people have a hard time looking at themselves and realizing they need help. If you remain calm and level headed you will be able to see the problem and figure out a solution. Finding a solution to the problem or situation can be a process. Once you are able to look at the problem calmly and rationally a decision or solution will come easier. You will be able to start to see light at the end of the tunnel. The steps to the solution will become more clear. Integrating a new perspective and a new set of assumptions into your life you must be able to understand new ideas, thoughts, and points of views differently. Realizing this will help guide all of your expectations to the right direction and way of thinking. You will realize that being open to new ideas and thoughts will help you to make the right decision and feel good about it. When you face a significant issue in your life, such as considering a totally new career or adopting a value system required by a new relationship, you are entering a learning cycle with complex challenges. Although the learning resulting from a significant experience of this kind may be renewing, its outcome is likely to be more far-reaching than that. Because of the depth of its outcomes, this type of learning experience is called transformational. It produces a new level of meaning in your life. Inevitably, the transformational learning cycle moves through the stages of recognizing a significant problem, confronting it intensely, finding a solution, and integrating a new perspective and a new set of assumptions into your life pattern. This process requires a great deal of reflection and is often painful and stressful. Transformation, though desirable, rarely comes easily. It separates life into distinct â€Å"before† and â€Å"after† realities. ) Source taken from Ashford Textbook Chapter 5. 2. When I was 22 I found out I was pregnant. This was a terrible time in my life. I was working three jobs just to make ends meet for myself. I had been dating my now husband Jeremy,but at that time boyfriend of only six months. We were friends for a year before we started dating. At the time I was on two different types of birth control for medical reasons and was told I would not be able to get pregnant. Being young and stupid I never questioned my Doctor any more about it. I was in disbelief. In my mind there was just no way. I was also still menstruating. Anxiety, questions and depression were all I could think about when I found out. I had to confront this issue but how? First my biggest concern how far along was I? Second should I have the baby, have an abortion or give it up for adoption? Last how did this happen? Once I confronted the issue with Jeremy we were both scared and angry at each other we ended up breaking up. I was emotional and scared. He was young and immature. I found out I was four months along, this limited my options. I decided to keep the baby. Now she is 15 beautiful and smart. I explained to Jeremy I would be keeping her. We did not talk till I was a little over seven months. I reached my seventh month before we decided together to come up with a solution. We both knew we wanted to be together. Neither of us wanted to be without the other but we were so scared and young we didnt know what to expect. I decided to quit one job and only work two. I had my own apartment so he moved in with me. It was really difficult for us the first couple of years, mostly trust was the issue. Trust is something we both value. Now that we have been married and together for a total of 18 years we look at things differently. We have to keep an open mind and listen to each other. We don’t always get along but we do have respect for each other. Together we have a friendship and a bond that will last us for the rest of our lives. Ideas, thoughts and emotions are always changing just like points of views and expectations. I know now my expectations of Jeremy are completely different for when we first got together. Mezirow identified seven phases occurring in the challenging learning process: experiencing a disorienting dilemma, self-examination, critical assessment of assumptions, recognizing that others have gone through a similar process, exploring a process, formulating a plan of action and reintegration. Mezirows self-examination was the biggest and hardest for me in the beginning of our relationship. I felt like we had rushed into having a baby and moving in together. I was questioning myself as well as Jeremy. I felt like I didnt know him well enough but then on the other hand we had created life. I knew I loved Jeremy and there was not anyone else I wanted to be with. I just knew he was not ready to be a father or a husband at that time. I would look at myself and wonder for the first 3 years we were together and wonder if I made the right choice for me. I had so many plans and Jeremy and my daughter were not in them. Now I look back and I am happy with the choices I made. I just wish I had went to college instead of just working to pay the bills. The transformational learning process created by Mezirow has helped people to identify their problems and life choices. Once you use they processes to figure out the problem you will be able to find the correct solution.

Insight into milan kunderas narrative Essay -- essays research papers

Insight into Milan Kundera’s narrative This essay is specifically based on the narrative technique used by Milan Kundera in his book The Unbearable Lightness of Being. It is mostly focused in a personal critic supported with comments and critics made by important and distinguished authors. To sum up, it is an essay which main point is directed to the description of Milan Kundera’s narration as well as a personal opinion supported by critics of experts. The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a work of fiction, that it is also combined with facts of history. Works of fiction can be told from the point of view of one of the characters, that means first person narration or it can be told by the author as narrator, that would mean third person narration. Most of the time, when the author is telling the story, he tries not to be perceived or to be noticed as less as possible. There is an exception to this rule called â€Å"the intrusive narrator†. This narrator addresses the reader and talks about issues concerning the narration. He tries to make his presence visible. (O’Brien 1). Milan Kundera uses in his narrative technique the intrusive narrator. He interrupts the reading with his authoritarian voice that most of the time fell into disfavour for the reader because it distracts the mind and reduces the emotional intensity of the experience of reading by interrupting and calling attention to the act of narrating. Mostly, this type of technique employed by Kundera leads to a different perception of the narrator. He gains power by interrupting the narration with his opinions, controlling the presence of the characters, his authoritarian voice and so on. The author has influence in the reading experience. The reader can drastically change his experience by getting to know the author and feeling his unwanted presence in the novel. Furthermore, Kundera’s work in the narrative is constantly analyzed and questioned from a philosophical point of view (Corbett 1). However, it would be wrong to regard Kundera as a philosopher. He enjoys playing with his storylines and while analysing them rationally, he opens up an infinite way of interpreting the presented facts. Here is an example of how he plays with the storylines in the last pages of the book : â€Å" And therein lies the whole of man’s plight. Human time does not turn in a circle; it runs ahead in a straight line. That is w... ...ive technique. To conclude, Kundera’s narrative technique is very complex and unusual, it is also very rich in history and fiction. It might being difficult the easy flowing of the reading, but I have to accept that he is a very good author, who knows what is doing. He uses the â€Å"intrusive narrator† technique, because he does not want to be a dissident writer. (Contemporary Literay Criticism-Select 1). References: Corbett, Bob. â€Å"The Unbearable Lightness of Being†. New York. October 2001. Retrieved from WilsonWeb, FSU libraries. Doctorow, E.L. â€Å"Four Characters Under Two Tyrannies†. New York Times Book Review. April 29, 1984: 1. FSU Libraries. Literature Resource Center. Kussi, Peter. â€Å"Milan Kundera: Dialogues with Fiction†. World Literature Today, Vol.57, No. 2, Spring 1983, pp. 206-209. FSU libraries. Literature Resource Center. O’Brien, John. â€Å"Milan Kundera: Meaning, Play, and the Role of the Author.† Critique. Vol. XXXIV. No. 1. Fall, 1992: 3-18. FSU Libraries. Literature Resource Center. â€Å"Milan Kundera: The Unbearable Stardom†. New Statesman. London England: 1996. WilsonWeb, FSU libraries. â€Å"Milan Kundera†. Contemporary Literary Criticism-Select. WilsonWeb, FSU libraries.

Jan Van Eyck

The Arnolfini Wedding Corinne Callahan, Art II The Arnolfini Wedding was painted by artist Jan Van Eyck in 1434. The painting is done in oil paint on 3 vertical oak panels. It is now located at The National Gallery in London. Jan van Eyck was a Flemish painter active in Bruges. He is generally considered one of the most significant Northern European painters of the 15th century. Jan van Eyck frequently paid attention to light, shade and texture. He has a sense of realism in his paintings. (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed, 2011) Eyck tends to use a lot of reds and dark neutral colors.He also prefers to paint portraits or full body scenes. He aims to deceive the eye with different unique views (S. Jones, 2002) Jan van Eyck is known as the father of oil painting (Finnan, 2012). Eyck was among the first to use â€Å"atmospheric perspective† (W. Janson, H. 1995). The Arnolfini Wedding records the betrothal of the cloth merchant Giovanni Arnolfini to Giovanna Cenami. Th e title was given to this painting because it was thought to be a form of â€Å"wedding certificate†. The dog in the painting is seen as a symbol of faithfulness and love.The mirror in the background has a carved frame with ten miniature medallions depicting scenes from the life of Christ (Korroch, 2009). Also the woman in the painting that appears to be pregnant isn’t really. The queen of the time was pregnant so it was trendy to look like her (W. Janson, 1995). The figures in this painting seem awkward in a sense of that it seems like they don’t know each other. This shouldn’t be though because they just got married and the painting is a form of a wedding certificate.So if they were married shouldn’t it look like they’re in love or at least like each other? Except they don’t. Although like Art History Professor Craig Harbison said, â€Å"The painting keeps drawing me back (S. R. Buchholz, 2000). † This piece of art is unique in so many ways. With its many symbols and meanings and rich colors and detail it is definitely one of the greatest works ever done.Citations Buchholz, S. R. (2000, April 14). Retrieved from http://www. umass. edu/chronicle/archives/00/04- 14/harbison28. html Finnan, V. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. italian-renaissance-art. com/Jan-Van-Eyck. html Korroch , K. (2009, march 3). Retrieved from http://marzanme. blogspot. com/2009/03/jan-van-eyck-arnolfini-wedding-portrait. html Susan, J â€Å"Jan van Eyck†. (2002, october) Retrieved from http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/hd/eyck/hd_eyck. htm The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. infoplease. com/encyclopedia/people/eyck-van-the-eyckian-style-its-influence. html W. Janson, H. (1995). History of art. (5th ed. ). New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Jan Van Eyck The Arnolfini Wedding Corinne Callahan, Art II The Arnolfini Wedding was painted by artist Jan Van Eyck in 1434. The painting is done in oil paint on 3 vertical oak panels. It is now located at The National Gallery in London. Jan van Eyck was a Flemish painter active in Bruges. He is generally considered one of the most significant Northern European painters of the 15th century. Jan van Eyck frequently paid attention to light, shade and texture. He has a sense of realism in his paintings. (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed, 2011) Eyck tends to use a lot of reds and dark neutral colors.He also prefers to paint portraits or full body scenes. He aims to deceive the eye with different unique views (S. Jones, 2002) Jan van Eyck is known as the father of oil painting (Finnan, 2012). Eyck was among the first to use â€Å"atmospheric perspective† (W. Janson, H. 1995). The Arnolfini Wedding records the betrothal of the cloth merchant Giovanni Arnolfini to Giovanna Cenami. Th e title was given to this painting because it was thought to be a form of â€Å"wedding certificate†. The dog in the painting is seen as a symbol of faithfulness and love.The mirror in the background has a carved frame with ten miniature medallions depicting scenes from the life of Christ (Korroch, 2009). Also the woman in the painting that appears to be pregnant isn’t really. The queen of the time was pregnant so it was trendy to look like her (W. Janson, 1995). The figures in this painting seem awkward in a sense of that it seems like they don’t know each other. This shouldn’t be though because they just got married and the painting is a form of a wedding certificate.So if they were married shouldn’t it look like they’re in love or at least like each other? Except they don’t. Although like Art History Professor Craig Harbison said, â€Å"The painting keeps drawing me back (S. R. Buchholz, 2000). † This piece of art is unique in so many ways. With its many symbols and meanings and rich colors and detail it is definitely one of the greatest works ever done.Citations Buchholz, S. R. (2000, April 14). Retrieved from http://www. umass. edu/chronicle/archives/00/04- 14/harbison28. html Finnan, V. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. italian-renaissance-art. com/Jan-Van-Eyck. html Korroch , K. (2009, march 3). Retrieved from http://marzanme. blogspot. com/2009/03/jan-van-eyck-arnolfini-wedding-portrait. html Susan, J â€Å"Jan van Eyck†. (2002, october) Retrieved from http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/hd/eyck/hd_eyck. htm The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. infoplease. com/encyclopedia/people/eyck-van-the-eyckian-style-its-influence. html W. Janson, H. (1995). History of art. (5th ed. ). New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Which Is Better, True Belief and Knowledge?

In Meno, Socrates and Meno have a discussion on virtue and they encounter a problem. If virtue is teachable, it must be knowledge. However, since there are no teachers and students of virtue, virtue must not be taught. So they think that virtue is not knowledge. And then they start the discussion on what is true belief and knowledge. In this essay, I would evaluate Socrates’s explanation on why knowledge is better than mere true belief and the reasons that I agree with Socrates’s proposition. Socrates’s explanation To begin with, Socrates first questions whether true belief is something no less useful than knowledge.Socrates notes that true belief and knowledge guide to the true action. He illustrates the idea by an example. To clarify Socrates’s example, I will apply his example on our campus. Suppose I need to guide a friend to Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building. I have no idea where it locate and I haven’t been to there. Now, I can visit the buildi ng if someone with the knowledge of the path guides me there or I have the knowledge of the path. But a true belief, which may be the intuition, perception, will also be equally effective in reaching the destination.If my belief is that the destination is northwest of the main building, and I convince my friend to the destination. From an outside observer, he cannot distinguish whether I have the knowledge of the path or I just luckily arrive there according to my true belief. Socrates states that â€Å"correct opinion (true belief) is no less useful than knowledge† because no matter which proposition, either true belief or knowledge, someone’s action still can be guided correctly. Although I do not agree this statement, I will discuss it in later paragraph. So, what makes the different between true belief and knowledge?Socrates thinks that the difference between them is the justification, which is the reasoning or the rationale for your belief. The person with knowled ge has the ability to account of the why behind the truth whereas the person with mere true belief knows only the truth. If someone has knowledge, then he has the ability to account for the action and his mind retains knowledge. It will be secured for future use. However, although true belief guide you to a right action, the belief will go away from you mind easily. Socrates proposes that if one does not tie the true beliefs down, they will run away and escape.If tied, true beliefs stay where they are put. Moreover, once they are tied down, they become knowledge. True beliefs are grasped by the mind only fleeting before they are corrupted or lost. But we can tether them by working out the reason. If we has the reason for the believe, then the true belief is justified and become knowledge. Evaluation for Socrates explanation Firstly, I would like to discuss about Socrates’s proposition that knowledge and true belief always guide to the right action. I shall argue that it would be better that true belief guides to the right action in a better way than knowledge guides.I believe that knowledge does not always guide to the destination. For example, I have knowledge of only one path to Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building. According to the knowledge, I walk along the path. It is not guaranteed I can arrive the building. Maybe murdered happened and police has blocked the road for investigation. Maybe the path that in your mind is not up-to-date and that particular path now leads you to another building, say Ming Wah Building. In this case, even you have knowledge of going to the building, you cannot go there. True beliefs, however, always guide you to the right action.As long as we have true beliefs, we always can be guided correctly. For example, as long as I am lucky enough, I can visit Chong Yuet Ming Building even there is only one path to the building. Through, I still agree that knowledge is better the mere true belief. People cannot lucky all the life in r eality. That means we cannot solve all problem by our belief. We need knowledge to live. For ideal case, an ignorant housewife can invest her money by merely her belief and win the market all time. However, does it happen in the reality? Even it happens, there are just very little cases.Without knowledge, it is difficult to live in the world. Comparing a ignorant housewife and a professional experienced investor investing the stock market, they may both lose money. For the investor, he may be wrong in some decision and lose money. But if he could have a lesson from that, he may gain and revise his knowledge of the stock market. Next time, he may keep doing this in a row. Finally, the probability to earn money increases. For the ignorant housewife, if she do not learn from the fault, or tie down the true belief, the probability of earning money would not increase.Therefore, if someone learn from the fault and form a better knowledge on that field, it will be better to him because the probability of doing the right action increases. In addition, we should not focus too much on the result too much. If we just focus on whether one finally achieve destination only, it may suggest that result is the ONLY thing we should take consideration. If that is the case, then we may agree that people can earn money by kidnapping, stealing or robbering. But we shall agree that earning money by such process is not accepted.Then, I think that achieving the goal by some process may not be good even the goal can be achieved. Hence, we should also consider the process which guides to the destination or result, but not just merely the result. I think that why knowledge is better than true belief is that the process of the right action who is guided by knowledge is better than that who is guided by true belief. Looking back to the example, what is the difference between someone guided knowledge and guided by true belief if they both arrive the destination is the experience and the var iation of the path.Consider a person with merely true belief, he may make decision by something like I should go this way and I hope the way is not dead-ended. Why I have been walking so long time and haven’t arrived yet? Did I made some wrong decision? When can I arrive? I have no idea how to go there, and etc. Although he finally arrive the building, he had hard feeling at all. He may feel depressed, anxious, doubtful, and uncertain. Also, there is lots of variation for the paths. He may walk a very long path to the destination. For example, someone take a bus to somewhere.He believes that he need to get off the bus at the 3rd stop and walk along the road. However, the best way is to get off the bus at the 7th stop. He leaves the bus 2 stops earlier. Although he has true belief and arrive the destination, it may not good to him because he has been walked a very long and unnecessary way. Knowledge, on the other hand, guides someone with appropriate process. If someone with k nowledge, says he know the map of campus in the example, can effectively arrive the destination without anxious, doubtful feelings.Someone may argue that having knowledge may not arrive the destination effectively because you may only have knowledge of a circuitous path. I shall say that it may be the case, just similar as true belief. People having true belief may or may not arrive destination effectively, so as people having knowledge. But at least the person may not have hard feelings, which already make knowledge better than true belief. Though there is some argument which I think is not correct in Socrates’s explanation, there are still lots of evidence to show that knowledge is better than mere true belief.

Interesting Facts About the Olympics

Interesting Facts About the Olympics Have you ever wondered about the origins and history of some of our proud Olympic traditions? Below youll find answers to a lot of these inquiries. The Official Olympic Flag Created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1914, the Olympic flag contains five interconnected rings on a white background. The five rings symbolize the five significant continents and are interconnected to symbolize the friendship to be gained from these international competitions. The rings, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The colors were chosen because at least one of them appeared on the flag of every country in the world. The Olympic flag was first flown during the 1920 Olympic Games. The Olympic Motto In 1921, Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, borrowed a Latin phrase from his friend, Father Henri Didon, for the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius (Swifter, Higher, Stronger). The Olympic Oath Pierre de Coubertin wrote an oath for the athletes to recite at each Olympic Games. During the opening ceremonies, one athlete recites the oath on behalf of all the athletes. The Olympic oath was first taken during the 1920 Olympic Games by Belgian fencer Victor Boin. The Olympic Oath states, In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams. The Olympic Creed Pierre de Coubertin got the idea for this phrase from a speech given by Bishop Ethelbert Talbot at a service for Olympic champions during the 1908 Olympic Games. The Olympic Creed reads: The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well. The Olympic Flame The Olympic flame is a practice continued from the ancient Olympic Games. In Olympia (Greece), a flame was ignited by the sun and then kept burning until the closing of the Olympic Games. The flame first appeared in the modern Olympics at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. The flame itself represents a number of things, including purity and the endeavor for perfection. In 1936, the chairman of the organizing committee for the 1936 Olympic Games, Carl Diem, suggested what is now the modern Olympic Torch Relay. The Olympic flame is lit at the ancient site of Olympia by women wearing ancient-style robes and using a curved mirror and the sun. The Olympic Torch is then passed from runner to runner from the ancient site of Olympia to the Olympic stadium in the hosting city. The flame is then kept alight until the Games have concluded. The Olympic Torch relay represents a continuation from the ancient Olympic Games to the modern Olympics. The Olympic Hymn The Olympic Hymn, played when the Olympic Flag is raised, was composed by Spyros Samaras and the words added by Kostis Palamas. The Olympic Hymn was first played at the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens but wasnt declared the official hymn by the IOC until 1957. Real Gold Medals The last Olympic gold medals that were made entirely out of gold were awarded in 1912. The Medals The Olympic medals  are designed especially for each individual Olympic Games by the host citys organizing committee. Each medal must be at least three millimeters thick and 60 millimeters in diameter. Also, the gold and silver Olympic medals must be made out of 92.5 percent silver, with the gold medal covered in six grams of gold. The First Opening Ceremonies The first opening ceremonies were held during the 1908 Olympic Games in London. Opening Ceremony Procession Order During the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the procession of athletes is always led by the Greek team, followed by all the other teams in alphabetical order (in the language of the hosting country), except for the last team which is always the team of the hosting country. A City, Not a Country When choosing locations for the Olympic Games, the IOC specifically gives the honor of holding the Games to a city rather than a country. IOC Diplomats In order to make the IOC an independent organization, the members of the IOC are not considered diplomats from their countries to the IOC, but rather are diplomats from the IOC to their respective countries. First Modern Champion James B. Connolly (United States), winner of the hop, step, and jump (the first final event in the 1896 Olympics), was the first Olympic champion of the modern Olympic Games. The First Marathon In 490 BCE, Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, ran from Marathon to Athens (about 25 miles) to inform the Athenians the outcome of the battle with invading Persians. The distance was filled with hills and other obstacles; thus Pheidippides arrived in Athens exhausted and with bleeding feet. After telling the townspeople of the Greeks success in the battle, Pheidippides fell to the ground dead. In 1896, at the first modern Olympic Games, held a race of approximately the same length in commemoration of Pheidippides. The Exact Length of a MarathonDuring the first several modern Olympics, the marathon was always an approximate distance. In 1908, the British royal family requested that the marathon start at the Windsor Castle so that the royal children could witness its start. The distance from the Windsor Castle to the Olympic Stadium was 42,195 meters (or 26 miles and 385 yards). In 1924, this distance became the standardized length of a marathon. WomenWomen were first allowed to participate in 1900 at the second modern Olympic Games. Winter Games BegunThe winter Olympic Games were first held in 1924, beginning a tradition of holding them a few months earlier and in a different city than the summer Olympic Games. Beginning in 1994, the winter Olympic Games were held in completely different years (two years apart) than the summer Games. Cancelled GamesBecause of World War I and World War II, there were no Olympic Games in 1916, 1940, or 1944. Tennis BannedTennis was played at the Olympics until 1924, then reinstituted in 1988. Walt DisneyIn 1960, the Winter Olympic Games were held in Squaw Valley, California (United States). In order to bedazzle and impress the spectators, Walt Disney was head of the committee that organized the opening day ceremonies. The 1960 Winter Games Opening Ceremony was filled with high school choirs and bands, releasing of thousands of balloons, fireworks, ice statues, releasing of 2,000 white doves, and national flags dropped by parachute. Russia Not PresentThough Russia had sent a few athletes to compete in the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games, they did not compete again until the 1952 Games. Motor BoatingMotor boating was an official sport at the 1908 Olympics. Polo, an Olympic SportPolo was played at the Olympics in 1900, 1908, 1920, 1924, and 1936. GymnasiumThe word gymnasium comes from the Greek root gymnos meaning nude; the literal meaning of gymnasium is school for naked exercise. Athletes in the ancient Olympic Games would participate in the nude. StadiumThe first recorded ancient Olympic Games were held in 776 BCE with only one event - the stade. The stade was a unit of measurement (about 600 feet) that also became the name of the footrace because it was the distance run. Since the track for the stade (race) was a stade (length), the location of the race became the stadium. Counting OlympiadsAn Olympiad is a period of four successive years. The Olympic Games celebrate each Olympiad. For the modern Olympic Games, the first Olympiad celebration was in 1896. Every four years celebrates another Olympiad; thus, even the Games that were cancelled (1916, 1940, and 1944) count as Olympiads. The 2004 Olympic Games in Athens was called the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad.

Figurative and Alternate Meanings for 20 Medical Terms

Figurative and Alternate Meanings for 20 Medical Terms Figurative and Alternate Meanings for 20 Medical Terms Figurative and Alternate Meanings for 20 Medical Terms By Mark Nichol Words used to describe medical conditions or phenomena often acquire new connotations by extension of the original meaning, though sometimes the medical meaning followed rather than fostered the other. Here are twenty such terms and their other senses, as well as the initial definition. 1. Anemic: lacking in some quality, such as energy, interest, quantity, or substance (blood deficiency, resulting in a lack of vitality) 2. Artery: a communication or transportation channel, especially a major one (vessels that carry blood from the heart throughout the body) 3. Articulation: the action, manner, or state of being joined, or expressing or uttering sounds or words; also, an obstruction (a joint or juncture in an animal) 4. Cataracts: waterfalls or steep rapids, or torrents (a clouding of the eye that obstructs light) this word, from the Latin term for a portcullis, a gate that is lowered from above, likely acquired the medical connotation later, from the resemblance of the clouding to a sheet of water 5. Diagnosis: an analysis or investigation, or its conclusion (using signs and symptoms to identify a disease, or the identification itself) 6. Dyspeptic: disgruntled (suffering from indigestion) 7. Hallucination: delusion (false perception caused by drugs or a nervous system disorder, or the object so perceived) 8. Hemorrhage: a significant loss or release (a heavy flow of blood) 9. Morbid: melancholy or gruesome, or related to death (pertaining to or affected by or causing disease) 10. Nasal: a vocal quality suggestion obstruction in the nose (pertaining to the nose) 11. Nerve: boldness, strength, or a sensitive issue (tissue that connects components of an organism’s nervous system, or sinews or tendons) 12. Oral: spoken (pertaining to the mouth, or to personality traits or a stage of psychological development) 13. Paralysis: incapacity or powerlessness (loss of ability to sense and move part or all of the body) 14. Plethora: abundance, excess (an excess of blood) 15. Postmortem: an analysis or discussion of an event after it has occurred (an autopsy) 16. Prognosis: forecast (chances for recovery from disease) 17. Sanguine: bloodthirsty, or optimistic (pertaining to blood, or having a ruddy complexion) 18. Schizophrenia: antagonistic or contrary attitudes or qualities (a psychiatric disorder marked by delusion of perception and thought) 19. Surgical: marked by precision (pertaining to medical operations) 20. Umbilical: used in references to excessive emotional attachment (pertaining to the navel or the center of the abdomen) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Wether, Weather, WhetherThe Possessive ApostropheMankind vs. Humankind

Using Your Manager Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Using Your Manager Skills - Assignment Example For an individual, company or firm to establish a claim of trademark infringement under the Lanham Act, the plaintiff must show that they possess a valid and legally protected mark and the defendant used the mark in commerce to advertise other goods without the consent of the owner. They must also establish that they own the mark. Lastly, as Palladino (2011) argues, â€Å"the plaintiff must establish that the defendant’s use of the mark is likely to cause confusion among the consumers as to the affiliation, connection or origin of the goods or services†. Thus, â€Å"use†, â€Å"in commerce† and â€Å"likelihood to cause confusion† are distinct elements essential in establishing a trademark infringement claim The plaintiff must establish that the â€Å"use† of a trademark by an alleged infringer to be a threshold matter. This is because activities that may involve â€Å"in commerce† or â€Å"likelihood of confusion† may not qualify to violate the Lanham Act without the â€Å"use†. The use element offers a limiting function to preventing the trademark holder from exercising a general right to control language. The requirement to establish a claim that an infringer is using a trademark â€Å"in commerce† is derived from Lanham Law’s basis in the power of the Congress to regulate interstate commerce. The Lanham Act describes the various activities that meet the â€Å"in commerce† requirements. The central focus of any infringement claim is the â€Å"likelihood of confusion† requirement. According to Rechman & Cannady (2002), â€Å"a likelihood of confusion usually exists when consumers viewing the mark would assume that it comes from different like of products identified with a similar mark.† The fact that Safe Choices have a federal registration for the trademark â€Å"Safe Pack†, and confusion may arise among consumers may help