Monday, November 25, 2019

50 Best Argumentative Research Paper Topics In 2018 - Paperell.com

50 Best Argumentative Research Paper Topics In 2018 50 Best Argumentative Research Paper Topics In 2018 If you are going to prove any hypothesis, you need to find arguments for it. You can be sure that your point of view is right until you meet a person that thinks that you are completely wrong. You may not find good arguments for your position and don’t present them in a convincing format. That’s why you will not convince this person and other members of a conversation that you are true. When working on an argumentative research paper, you need to find facts and proofs that support your position. You need to start with picking one of argumentative research paper topics for college students, defining your position on it, and looking for arguments for your point of view. There is a lot of interesting and good argumentative research paper topics. Of course, the hottest and the most arguable topics are connected with politics and religion; however, you can also find science, medicine, economics, and other topics. During argumentative essay writing, you should be ready for a discussion on it. You should prepare yourself to ask any questions or respond to counterarguments against your position. When a college student is working on such a paper, they should define their position on a topic and the whole research they are doing. Even if you think that this topic is not controversial, you can’t be a part of a discussion if you don’t have a clear position on it and that is why you need to take into account all pros and cons. Use your current knowledge, the information you have heard before, and clarify your point of view.How To Choose Interesting Topic For Argumentative Research Paper?Your topic should be arguable and gather people with different position around it; if it’s not arguable and most of the students have similar positions about it, there will not be a good discussion. The reason for writing such a paper is not only to discuss it. It also improves research skills of students, their ability of analysis, reading and writing skil ls. That’s why it is better to pick topics for argumentative research paper that help in developing necessary skills. Students should be able to find arguments for their position in credible sources. They can use their books, videos, articles, and newspaper for it, and make sure that it will be easy to find information that supports a specific opinion. The best argumentative research paper topics are negotiable. Each person may have their own position in a discussion. The goal is to prove this position by using credible arguments, not by cheating or using non-scientific methods of convincing. This is a good idea to pick a topic that is popular among students, such themes take more attention and are usually more negotiable. It can be facts, rumors from the news, or interesting stories heard on TV. If a problem makes many people doubt, this is also a good idea for an argumentative paper. If students cannot choose a specific point of view, they are usually looking for different arguments to tell. These arguments can help them get a more clear position. You should also not be afraid of fighting with arguments that deny your position, but prepare yourself for such things and how will you react to them wisely. There are ideas that have much more than two points of view. If each person has their own position on a specific problem, it will be more interesting and negotiable, so you should pay attention to such interesting argumentative research paper topics. Don’t pick obvious topics that were discussed many times – they could be very boring and non-negotiable but there are ideas that are discussed for thousands of years and they are still interesting. Issues connected with education and politics are always a great choice. Students are a part of the educational system and they also play a role in politics so such issues touch almost all students in all countries. If you need help with a research paper, you can use essay writing services. They help students to find writers that can write their papers.Good Argumentative Research Paper Topics For StudentsHere are a few examples of good topics for argumentative essays. You can pick one of them or select a more original idea for a discussion. Please avoid topics that can harm people based on their religion, nationality, or gender.Is obesity is a problem of American population?Should all students have a free access to the Internet for education?Students should be able to change a college curriculum due to their objectivesEnglish will be the official language in most of the countries in a few decadesEach student should learn at least three foreign languagesAdvertisement industry is all a lieEducation should be less expensive in order to involve more studentsSteroids should be forbiddenThe attention to sports in education system is too bigDiets are not as effective as they are presented to massesEight hours is a normal duration of sleep for every studentRisky sports should be forbid denParents shouldn’t allow their children to watch adult filmsTobacco and its smoking should be forbidden in most of the countriesGovernment should do more for fighting with alcoholism in USEnergetic drinks can be more dangerous than usual alcohol drinksFilming court proceedings shouldn’t be forbidden in any courtPeople should be allowed to start voting at the age of 25The usage of animals in research should be forbiddenEach person who causes environment pollution should be punishedGovernment need to work more on protection from tornadoesIndians that are living in US are not true representatives of their kindEach following financial crisis will be worse than previousAcceptance rates in should be much higher than nowThe legalization of gay marriages shows the high level of development of the countyHow to fight corruption more effectively?Communism as an ideology and communism in USSR are much different thingsChats of the web teach children of a bad grammarWhen using mod ern technologies, people become less intelligentThe usage of messengers has a bad influence on the culture of communicationEducational system should use more advantages of modern technologiesThe number of working hours should reduce from time to timeThe government should support social activists in their projectsCloning animals and people should be bannedModern art is mostly a lie and shouldn’t be called an art evenMovie can never be better than the book on which it is basedSong lyrics become worse with every yearBuying a lottery ticket is a bad idea for those who want to winThat is the problem that sports competitions takes much more attention than scientific eventsThe feminist movement becomes a problem for women who don’t join itDemocracy is not the best ideology for modern worldSocial media are not so dangerous as they told to beAre diaries still popular?Are public cameras a problem for a privacy?Is home schooling a problem for socialization of children?All subject s should be optional so students can choose other subjectsThis is the problem that modern films are more cruel than old filmsHistorical films should be based only on factsDo artists risk by their mental health when playing psychopaths and killers?People should read more booksIf you havent found something interesting for you, take a look at this 200 best topics for research paper in 2019.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Puerto Rican Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Puerto Rican Culture - Essay Example In my naivety, I had thought that Americans were very sophisticated people who lived harmoniously with one another. I never, not for a single second, thought that I would experience some of the worst discriminations in my life. I never thought that I would have to work several times harder to prove myself than other American kids had to. The realization that life in the U.S was not as rosy as I had been made to believe came as a shocker to me. In Colombia I had been grown used to the closeness of the people. Everyone was each other’s keeper, so to speak. I had very many companions back in Colombia because the sociability of the people makes it easy to make new friends almost every day (Waters and Ueda 216). However in America, the situation was quite different. First of all, I did know much English when I fast landed in the US, so communication was a big problem. I did not have to wait for long before I realized what it meant to be a Colombian American living in New York. Discrimination followed me almost everywhere I went. My ethnicity made me a subject of resentment from both white and African Americans (Olson and Olson 116). I did not consider speaking Spanish to be wrong, but to Americans, it was objectionable. Many regarded American Colombians to be illegal immigrants which was sometimes true. However, my mother had ensured that she had all the right papers before coming here. This of course did not stop other people from lumping us together with illegal immigrants. As such it was very hard for us since my mother, who also knew very limited English, could not get a good job. Colombian immigrants could only get casual jobs, and these did not pay well enough (118). It is a well documented fact that America is a highly fragmented society (Flores 19). This identity fragmentation affected me greatly when I was new in the country. I started very slowly in school since I could not communicate very well. In my school everyone was grouped

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

A Systematic Comparison Between Traditional and Agile Methods Essay

A Systematic Comparison Between Traditional and Agile Methods - Essay Example Project management is a methodical technique to managing and scheduling project resources and tasks from inauguration to completion. However, these tasks and resources are separated into five stages, i.e. initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and completion or termination of the project. In fact, this standard format of the project management can be used for almost every kind of project, in view of the fact that its basic purpose is to systematize the different processes of project development (Kerzner, 2006; Haughey, 2009; TechTarget, 2008). Normally, the project management techniques are classified into two categories: traditional project management and agile project management. In traditional project management, project plans and cost estimates are normally developed once, in a front-loaded mode, and the remaining activities of a project involve adjusting to reality. On the other hand, in agile project management, every iteration is an opportunity to go back over the plan and adjust to reality for the next iteration (Freedman, 2010). Traditional project management approaches Traditional project management works fine for a lot of projects and environments. Actually, traditional project management makes use of the traditional tools and techniques for management and solving problems. In simple words, â€Å"the traditional project management is 'a collection of tools and techniques that can be used to perform an operation that seeks an end product, outcome, or a service†. These traditional tools and techniques can include the use of PERT chart and Gantt chart to estimate the schedule or plan the project (TutorialsPoint, 2012). The major advantage of the traditional project management methods is that they are plan driven and they follow a sequence and management approach to project development. Thus, the use of the traditional project management methods allows completing a complex project in a sequential phase wise manner where all the requirements are collected and approved at the beginning. And on the basis of these requirements software design is completed next and finally master design is executed to build high quality software. Another advantage of the traditional software development methods is they are very well-organized and purposeful planning and control methods. These methods allow us to recognize the distinct project life cycles (Rehman et al., 2010; Szalvay, 2004; Serena, 2007). Despite a lot of advantages associated with these methods, they have certain drawbacks as well. According to these methods, all the project requirements must be completed and approved before the project is initialized. On the other hand, in case of a large size and complex projects it is not possible to collect all the requirements before beginning the project. Hence, we will need to make some changes to the project requirements which will change design and as a result the entire project development will be affected (Rehman et al., 2010; Szalvay, 2004; Serena, 2007). In addition, the traditional project management methods are aimed at dealing with large size development projects, and the issues and challenges in determining and handling these endeavours to effectively carry results. Additionally, these methods were a great deal

Monday, November 18, 2019

Answer the three questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer the three questions - Essay Example The new EPA rules, like the Clean Air Act, will enforce regulations of gas emissions for businesses like plant, refineries and factories (Milbourn 2010). Its new policies will focus on requiring them to increase their efficiency regarding cleaning fuels, controlling emissions, and reducing GHG pollution (Walsh 2011). Businesses will also be required to include green house gases when trying to obtain permits for pollutants. The government has to take an active role in controlling green house gas emissions. It is responsible for the safety of its country and citizens for the years to come. Voluntary actions by individuals do help but no rules and regulations are enforced this way. The government should review its policies for GHG emissions and pollutants and introduce better regulations for their control (Milbourn 2010). These policies should be evaluated by leading experts before being implemented. Also, required safety permits, strict regulations and rules should be put into place fo r the leading industries causing emissions like power plants and automobile factories. Educational programs should also be developed in schools and for the public at large to create more awareness of this looming crisis. Works Cited Cathy, Millbourn. EPA Sets Thresholds for Greenhouse Gas Permitting Requirements/Small Businesses and Farms Will be Shielded.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Concepts in Nursing Research Methods

Concepts in Nursing Research Methods Critique criteria The criteria used for this critique were derived from relevant nursing literature (Feninstein Horwitz, 1997; Cormack, 2000; Khan et al, 2003). About a dozen criteria were specified: design, sample, inclusion/exclusion criteria, time frame of study, data collection, reliability validity, and data analysis. Study Design Catlette (2005) used a qualitative design. While this approach has its merits, principally a greater degree of realism and richer data, it has a number of significant drawbacks (Coolican, 1994). Observations are typically unreliable. In other words, if the same nurses were interviewed on several different occasions, about workplace violence, using the same open-ended interview protocol, their responses may vary somewhat. Various biases creep in, often caused by situational factors (e.g. open-ended questions, a very violent week followed by a particularly calm week), or personal considerations (e.g. memory deficits). Furthermore there is low internal validity. This means that it is difficult to establish with any certainty the relationship between variables, due to the lack of statistical analysis (which can estimate the probability that results occurred by chance). For example, Catlettes interview data suggests a link between workplace violence and feelings of vulnerability amongst n urses. However, the extent to which the former variable causes the latter cannot be reliably established in a qualitative study. Winstanley and Whittington (2004) enjoy the precision of a quantitative design. While internal validity is high, the level of realism is questionable. Participants were ‘forced’ to respond to predetermined questions (e.g. on physical assault) using a fixed response format (e.g. ‘Once’, ‘More than once’). Thus, the data obtained was heavily influenced by the kind of questions asked and the particular response format used. In the real world, health care staff may perceive the level of aggression in terms that don’t match the questionnaire format. For example, a nurse may perceive physical assaults as ‘sporadic’ or ‘once in a blue moon’. Since these categorisations weren’t available in the questionnaire, the study effectively lacks a certain degree of realism. In a qualitative desi gn, subjects describe the world as they see it, rather than via terms imposed by the researcher. Sample Ideally a sample should be randomly selected so that it is representative of the population from which it was drawn, in this case nurses or health care professionals. This allows findings from a single study to be generalised to the wider community. Catlette (2005) used a convenience sample, meaning it wasn’t representative of nurses in general. Granted there are considerable practical and logistic difficulties in trying to recruit a random sample of nurses. Their busy schedules and irregular shifts, for example, hamper proper scientific selection. It is also quite common for small convenience samples to be used in qualitative studies, since it is often impractical to conduct in-depth interviews with large groups. Nevertheless, Catlette’s findings, while relevant to the particular trauma centres involved, are unlikely to apply to nurses in general. This is a serious limitation, since Catlettes stated objectives suggest a general interest in the level of violence in hosp ital emergency departments, rather than the particular trauma units from which subjects were drawn. Winstanley and Whittington (2004) also appear to have a used a convenience sample: they simply invited health care staff working in a general hospital, and who had regular contact with patients, to participate. Although the target sample was quite large (a bigger sample improves representation), only a minority of staff actually completed and returned questionnaires. All in all, participants weren’t recruited randomly, therefore the findings cannot be generalised to the wider population of health care staff. Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria Both studies seemed to have clear inclusion/exclusion criteria. Catlette (2005) only recruited and interviewed nurses who were registered, worked in a level 1 trauma centre, and had experienced workplace violence. A clear definition of what constituted violence was developed, helping to minimise any ambiguities about eligibility. Winstanley and Whittington (2004) also specify inclusion criteria. Only health care staff that had regular and substantial contact with patients were invited to participate. What constituted ‘regular’ and ‘substantial’ contact was well defined (e.g. daily contact with patients). The advantage of having clear inclusion/exclusion criteria is that it helps the researcher recruit a homogenous sample. If the participants in a study are too diverse, this effectively introduces additional sources of error that may obscure interesting themes, or relationships between variables. Findings may be more difficult to interpret. However, a major d isadvantage of a homogenous sample is that it is invariably ‘ad-hoc’, that is special or unique, and hence unlikely to reflect the wider community. Nevertheless, it can be argued that sample homogeneity isn’t problematic if the wider community of interest exactly matches the inclusion/exclusion criteria. For example, Winstanley and Whittington’s (2004) study was about patient aggression towards health care staff. Thus, the population of interest was invariably going to be staff that had regular contact with patients. In this respect the sample selected corresponds with the population of interest. However, randomly selecting nurses from the designate population would have provided a representative sample that permits useful generalisations. Simply using volunteers, as Winstanley and Whittington did is unscientific. Time frame of study Winstanley and Whittington’s (2004) study was effectively a retrospective (i.e. cross-sectional) survey. This means that data was collected at one point in time, specifically an 8-week period. Retrospective designs are considered inferior to prospective (i.e. longitudinal) designs in which data is collected on two or more occasions, over several weeks, months, or even years (Coolican, 2004). This method allows tentative causal inferences to be made – if a variable measured at Time 1 predicts or correlates with a factor measured at Time 2, then there is a possibility that former variable affected the latter, but not vice versa. Retrospective designs don’t allow for such inferences. Any correlations between variables are just that – correlations! There is no sequence that may help delineate possible causality. For example, in their introduction and statements of study aims, Winstanley and Whittington imply that particular professions (e.g. nurses, doctors) a nd hospital departments (e.g. medical, A E) may elicit different levels of physical aggression experienced by staff. Thus, profession/department seemed to be conceptualised as causal factors. However, although data analysis revealed relationships between these factors and physical aggression, there is no provision in the retrospective design to infer causality, since all the variables are measured simultaneously. A prospective method in which profession/department predicts experiences of physical assault several weeks subsequently would be more conclusive. Catlette (2005) doesn’t explicitly state the time frame for her study, albeit interviews typically take several days, weeks, or perhaps months to complete. Notions of prospective and retrospective designs are typically associated with quantitative studies, and rarely applied to qualitative research. This is because qualitative studies are often exploratory, merely seeking to identify interesting phenomena rather than estab lish causal relationships between variables. Nevertheless, interviewing participants on two or more separate occasions can be used to demonstrate the robustness and reliability of any themes observed. For example, if the same themes emerge during interviews conducted at two different points in time, this would suggest that the themes are significant rather than fleeting. Data Collection Catlette (2005) appears to have used semi-structured interviews for data collection (Coolican, 1994). By asking every interviewee pre-set but open-ended questions in a particular sequence, she avoided the inconsistency and sloppiness often associated with wholly unstructured (i.e. casual) interviews. It is possible the interviews were informal but guided, meaning that pre-set questions were asked, albeit in no particular order. Either way, a guided or semi-structured interview suffers from certain constraints. Asking specific questions, albeit open-minded ones, restricts the interviewers flexibility to ask follow-up questions depending on the interviewees response. Interviews are also heavily affected by interpersonal factors, such as lack of rapport, physical attraction, and psychological manipulation. Winstanley and Whittington (2004) collected data via a questionnaire. This method has a number of limitations. One is the typically low response rate. Of 1141 questionnaires posted ou t to participants, only 375 (33%) were returned, denoting a considerable waste of resources. Often the questionnaires returned represent an unusually keen sub-sample that may differ in key respects from the original target group. This means that the researcher has to devote time and resources establishing what these differences are, and how they might affect the results. Furthermore, because the final sample is smaller, statistical power is reduced, increasing the possibility of a type II error. Another limitation of questionnaires is the use of restricted (or ‘forced choice’) response format. For example, subjects in Winstanley and Whittingtons’ (2004) study were forced to choose from three options – ‘none’, ‘one’ or ‘more than one’. Thus, there is no room for participants to qualify their answers, for example by pointing out memory lapses (e.g. ‘I can’t remember’), or indicating ambiguous experie nces (e.g. ‘not sure’). All in all, these restrictions reduce the realism and richness of data collected. Interviewing subjects on the same issues, but using open-ended questions, will probably yield slight different outcomes to those reported by Winstanley and Whittington (2004). Another limitation is that the bulk of questionnaire communication is written. There is no provision to measure visual cues and gestures, which typically account for much of human communication, or even auditory cues. For example, a frown or grunt, may signify a particularly traumatising experiencing, which simply can’t be detected from questionnaire responses. Finally, questionnaires are often completed in the absence of the researcher (e.g. postal questionnaire), making it difficult to supervise the proceedings, or verify whether the subject is the same person who completed the questionnaire. Overall, these constraints negate the conclusiveness of Winstanley and Whittington’s ( 2004) findings. Data Analysis In line with standard procedure in qualitative research Catlette (2005) performed thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in the data. Meaningful information was extracted from the interview transcripts, after which themes were identified using a coding system. Although a highly useful procedure, Braun and Clarke (2006) note that thematic analysis has certain disadvantages. One is the possible overlap between themes. Catlette identifies two themes – vulnerability and inadequate safety measures. Categories, and subcategories reported suggest considerable overlap between these dimensions (e.g. the sentiment ‘feeling unsafe’ may depict both feelings of vulnerability and an unsafe environment). Another weakness is the high correspondence between the data collection questions (i.e. interview guide) and themes identified. In other words, the themes reported merely reflect the questions asked during the interview (e.g. questions on safety, such as â€Å"How do you feel about the safety of your workplace?† are bound to produce safety-related responses, and hence themes). This suggests very limited analytic work was done to identify themes independent of the interview format. Another shortcoming of thematic analysis is failure to incorporate alternative or contradictive data in the results reported. Catlette offers little if any account of oddities in the data that don’t necessarily fit the two emerging themes. For example, the interviews revealed that violence wasn’t a concern during interactions with co-workers. Clearly this revelation is incompatible with the notion of vulnerability and lack of safety in the workplace. Yet, little is made of this inconsistency, making Catlettes’ rather ‘tidy’ themes appear rather suspicious. Few data sets in qualitative research are completely harmonious with no contradictions, so a study that fails to report these oddities is highly questionable. Winstanley and Wh ittington (2004) employed an inferential statistical test to analysis their data, consistent with the quantitative design of their study. Chi-square was used to test for significant trends in the frequency of physical assaults as a function of different health care professionals (e.g. nurses and doctors) and hospital departments (e.g. medical, surgical, A E). Chi-square was appropriate given that the data was categorical (i.e. in the form of frequencies). However, as a non-parametric test, chi-square lacks sensitivity. This combined with the limitations of frequency data (e.g. it fails to account for subtle degrees of variation between individual subjects or groups; for example, asking nurses if they’ve experienced aggression ‘once’ or ‘more than once’ fails to take into account any differences in the intensity and duration of these aggressive episodes), increases the risk of wrongly accepting the null-hypothesis. Reliability Validity A major methodological concern in scientific research is reliability and validity. Reliability refers to the consistency of observations, while validity depicts the authenticity of observations. Both issues are particularly pertinent in qualitative studies, due to the lack of structure, precision, and quantification. Catlette (2005) appears to have taken steps to enhance reliability/validity. She kept a journal throughout the duration of the study, in order to identify any biases that may corrupt the data. Interviews were conducted using a standard protocol, then the data was transcribed verbatim, and analysed using regular procedures. However, these measures may be inadequate. Coolican (1994) identifies several procedures for ensuring good reliability, none of which appears to have been used by Catlette: triangulation, analysis of negative cases, repetition of research cycle, and participant consultation. Triangulation involves verifying emerging themes using another data collection method other than open-ended interviews. For example a questionnaire measure of perceived workplace violence and safety strategies could have been administered or close-ended interviews conducted. Data from these alternative methods could then be compared with the original observations to gauge the degree of consistency in emerging themes. Analysis of negative cases involves scrutinising cases that don’t fit the emerging themes. Repetition of research cycle entails repeatedly reviewing assumptions and inferences, to further verify emerging themes. Finally participant consultation involves communicating with participants to see if observations from the study match their own experiences. None of these measures seem to have been applied in Catlette’s study, raising serious concerns about the stability and authenticity of her observations. Winstanley and Whittington’s’ (2004) study doesn’t appear to have fared much better. Although the numerical preci sion inherent in quantitative designs offers some degree of reliability and validity, this is by no means guaranteed, and has to be demonstrated empirically. They fail to report any Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficients for the questionnaire used. Thus, it is unclear if the items in this instrument were internally consistent. Test-retest reliability wasn’t reported either, again raising questions about the consistency of participants responses over time. A badly designed questionnaire (e.g. one with ambiguous statements, or grammatical errors) could easily confuse participants, leading to irregularities in their responses over time. No information on validity is provided either. Normally, validity could be demonstrated by correlating data from the questionnaire with data from another measure of experiences of aggression (a high correlation would indicate good validity), submitting the questionnaire to a team of judges to ascertain if the content addresses all forms of human aggression (e.g. indirect forms of aggression, such as spreading rumours or social exclusion don’t appear to have been assessed), and even performing factor analysis to establish construct validity (i.e. verify the dimensions of aggression assumed to be measured by items in the questionnaire). These inadequacies render the findings from Winstanley and Whittington’s (2004) study inconclusive. For example, the claim that aggression is â€Å"widespread† is questionable because not all forms of aggression were measured. Overall, both studies are fairly categorical in their conclusions. Winstanley and Whittington (2004) surmise that their data demonstrates the significant levels of aggression to which hospital staff are exposed. Catlette (2005) reaches a similar conclusion, emphasising the vulnerability and lack of safety perceived by nurses. However, both studies suffer from various analytic and methodological constraints. Perhaps the most serious of these is the apparent absence of reliability and validity measures that may reveal any volatility or misrepresentations in the data. These limitations mean that any conclusions have to be regarded as tentative, subject to further research. Bibliography Braun, V. Clarke, V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative  Research in Psychology, 3, pp.77-101. Catlette, M. (2005) A descriptive study of the perceptions of workplace violence and  safety strategies of nurses working in Level I trauma centres. Journal of  Emergency Nursing, 31, 519-525. Coolican, H. (1994) Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology, London, Hodder   Stoughton. Cormack, D. (2000) The Research Process in Nursing: Fourth Edition. London:  Blackwell Science. Eastabrooks, C.A. (1998) Will evidence-based nursing practice make practice perfect.  Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. 30, pp.15-36. Feninstein, A. R., Horwitz, R. I. (1997) Problems in the evidence of evidence-based medicine. American Journal of Medicine 103, 529-535. Khan, K., Kunz, R., Kleijnen, J. Antes, G. (2003) Systematic Reviews to Support  Evidence-based Medicine: How to Review and Apply Findings of Healthcare  Research. Oxford: Royal Society of Medicine Press. Winstanley, S. Whittington, R. (2004) Aggression towards health care staff in a UK  general hospital: variation among professions and departments. Journal of  Clinical Nursing, 13, pp.3-10.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Shelley and the Quest for Knowledge :: Biography Biographies Essays

Shelley and the Quest for Knowledge      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, was the daughter of the radical feminist, Mary Wollstonecraft, and the political philosopher, William Godwin, and the wife of the Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Through these familial affiliations, she was also acquainted with Lord Byron, Samuel T. Coleridge, and other literary figures such as Charles and Mary Lamb. Surrounded by such influential literary and political figures of the Romantic Age, it is not surprising that as an adolescent, at the age of 19, she wrote Frankenstein. Though critically a failure, (British Critic,1818 and Monthly Review, 1818) the novel has never been out of print and has been translated into numerous languages. What is surprising, however, is the enormous body of knowledge contained in the novel. The novel contains references to the fields of literature, poetry, science, education, politics, history, and mythology. How did such a young girl, living a life considered morally objectionable to society and harassed by family and financial burdens, acquire such a vast amount of knowledge in all fields of study that encompassed the important issues of her day? Through examination of biographical information and Mary Shelley's journal entries, we will be able to answer this question. Following, I also plan to highlight Mary Shelley's knowledge of literature with primary emphasis on the works studied by the monster in relation to his origins as well as Mary Shelley's.    Mary Shelley was born with notoriety simply by being named Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin. Her parents were well known and somewhat suspect individuals due to their radical political beliefs and writings, such as Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women and Godwin's Enquiry Concerning the Nature of Political Justice. Mary Shelley's mother died from complications shortly after giving birth to Mary. The infamy of her existence was heightened by her father's subsequent publication of Memoirs of the Author of the Rights of Women. In this work, William Godwin described many aspects of Mary Wollstonecraft's existence in great detail such as; her relationship with an American and subsequent birth of an illegitimate daughter, her suicide attempts, and the fact that she was already pregnant with Mary when William Godwin married her. To our late 20th Century sensibilities we may not approve of these behaviors but we certainly don't consider then shocking or extraordinary. The above ment ioned events, however, occurred in the late 1700's and were not morally acceptable, were abhorrent to the conventions of society, and were certainly not to be discussed or published in a memoir.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Personality Traits and Characteristics Essay

I had assumed that analyzing my own personality would be an easier task than analyzing the personality of a famous historical person. I made this assumption based on the thought that I knew myself extremely well. However, as I sat down to write this analysis, I drew a blank. I was unsure what to write about my own personality traits and characteristics. As a result of this difficulty, I completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to achieve some insight into my own personality. I also interviewed family members to gather information about my personality that was clear and unbiased. The two approaches I have chosen to complete this self-analysis are Carl Jung’s Attitude and Functions and Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development theories. Carl Jung’s personality theories cover an extremely wide array of ideas regarding the human psyche, or all psychological processes. As a result of this I have chosen to focus on his theories of attitudes and functions. According to Jung, psychological types are a result of various combinations of two basic attitudes and four functions. These attitudes and functions are responsible for our ways of perceiving the environment and orienting experiences. The two basic attitudes of Jung’s theory are extraversion, in which the psyche is oriented outward to the objective world, and introversion, in which the psyche is oriented inward to the subjective world. The four functions include thinking, feeling, sensing and intuition (Engler, 2009). After a considerable amount of research, I concluded that I was an introverted feeler. I tend to be shy and quiet, especially in social situations. As a result I have experienced difficulty developing friendships and relationships with others. I am also a hypersensitive, emotional person. I have been concerned with personal values, attitudes and beliefs my entire life. When I carefully thought about how I come to make decisions, judgments or conclusions, I realized that I do so based on my emotions. My family verified that I am an introverted feeler during their interviews. To expand on my knowledge and understanding of my personality type, I completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This specific test sorts individuals into groups based on the following dichotomies: Extraversion-Introversion (EI), Sensing-Intuition (SN), Thinking-Feeling (TF), and Judgment-Perception (JP) (Engler, 2009). The result of this test was the personality profile was ISFJ, which stands for introverted sensing feeling judging. Many, if not all of my personality traits and characteristics fit perfectly with the ISFJ personality type. I have always had a strong need to â€Å"be needed† by others. I have often struggled with feelings that others did not appreciate my accurate, thorough work at home and in the work place. My perfectionist tendencies have often caused problems for me and cause me to be overly critical of myself. I have often felt taken advantage of by employers and friends because of my loyal and giving tendencies. I have always been the person who worked other people’s shifts or gave friends rides, even when I had other important things to do. Typically, I function best in small groups or one-on-one situations because I am empathetic and sympathetic with others. I frequently overanalyze other’s behaviors and sometimes interpret them as rejection. I am also easily embarrassed. I dislike confrontation and I have extreme difficulty hiding or articulating distress (Heiss, 2007). Another article found on the CG Jung organization website mentioned the affects of the R. A. S. , or Reticular Activating System, has on an individuals personality traits and characteristics. The R. A. S. regulates our stable level of wakefulness, is linked to anxiety and makes it possible for individuals to focus their attention. According to this article, people who are highly aroused take in more information per second than the average person and subsequently needs to diminish or limit the â€Å"volume† of stimulation around them. This is what makes a person an introvert. Introverts are overloaded with information more quickly, and due to that introverts often have chronic anxiety, as well as a negative attitude towards life (Benziger, 2007). I myself have struggled with anxiety and negative attitudes, which led to depression. Due to the fact that I am easily overwhelmed, I tend to sleep excessively. Sleep gives my brain a break from the overstimulation I experience in everyday life. Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development are centered on the polarity that children encounter during certain phases of their life. This theory proposes eight epigenetic stages, each entailing its own life crisis in which an individual can turn one of two ways. Each psychosocial stage provides the individual with opportunities for certain basic virtues to develop (Engler, 2009). However, I am only going to focus on the first six stages of Erikson’s development because I have not been through the other two stages. The first developmental stage is trust versus mistrust, which occurs during infancy. This is when an infant learns whether or not the world can be trusted. If dependable care is given and the infant’s needs are met, the basic virtue of hope will develop (Engler, 2009). I was adopted in my infancy and given more than adequate care. I personally do not believe that my adoption caused me any issues until my later years. The second psychosocial stage is autonomy versus shame and doubt, which arises during the second and third year of life. This stage deals with a toddler’s ability to control their body and bodily activities, as well as independence. The basic virtue that develops at this stage of life is will. Erikson’s third stage is initiative versus guilt, which occurs at three to five years. At this point in time, children are focused on mastering new skills and tasks. If a child prevails, the basic virtue that will arise is purpose. The fourth psychosocial stage is industry versus inferiority, which occurs during ages six to eleven. During this stage children must learn to master skills that they will need to be successful in society. If a child successfully does so, they will develop a sense of competence (Engler, 2009). I do not recall experiencing anything incredibly difficult during these three psychosocial stages of development. I know that my parents had gotten a divorce at age three, which was somewhat confusing for me, but it did not really damage me psychologically in any way. I do remember being incredibly attached to my mother during these stages however, and was typically upset or anxious if I was separated from her. When I was around the age of five, my family moved a short distance to a house in Baldwinsville. The adjustment was easy for me. At age seven, my mother got remarried, in my life long before he and my mother were married. He had always treated my sister and I as his own children. For that, I am extremely grateful. The hardest thing I remember experiencing was moving from Baldwinsville to Liverpool, when I was about to turn eleven years old. I was very anxious, but adapted to my new surroundings with ease. I also did well in elementary school academically and developed a close friendship with another girl during this time period suggesting consistent with Erikson’s ideas of mastery in middle childhood. Ego identity versus role confusion is the fifth stage of development, which occurs during ages twelve to eighteen, and involves establishing an identity and viewing ones self as a productive member of society. During this stage an individual will develop the basic virtue of fidelity. This was a stage in which I struggled. I was beginning to understand what adoption was and had a very difficult time understanding why my birth mother would just give me away. I plunged into an identity crisis at this stage of my life and temporarily developed a negative identity, which was in contrast with my personal values and upbringing. I was also a victim of sexual assault at this time, which diminished my self-confidence and sense of self worth even further. I do believe that my mother’s occupation during my adolescent years complicated my life to a certain extent. Having a mother who is superintendent of the school district I was attending made me feel alienated from my peers and I found it more difficult to make connections with others. The sixth and final psychosocial stage I will be discussing is intimacy versus isolation, takes place during the eighteenth to twenty-fourth years of life. At this time young adults must be able to overcome the fear of ego loss and form a close affiliation with another individual. It is at this point that the basic virtue of love can potentially be established (Engler, 2009). I am currently in this psychosocial stage myself and am struggling. Recently, I escaped a very emotionally and physically abusive relationship, which damaged me psychologically. I also have experienced two significant losses in my life, which I have just begun recovering from. As said previously, the other two stages I have not experienced yet and therefore will not be addressing in this paper. I chose Jung and Erikson’s theories to complete a self-analysis because I felt that they best defined my own personality. I found the results of this analysis extremely accurate and insightful. However, certain aspects of my personality were left out. I believe that some of my traits and characteristics are hereditary while others were learned by watching those close to me over the years. My twin sister and I both have attention deficit disorders, which causes us to be extremely moody and impulsive. Both of us are very opinionated and stubborn individuals. Clearly, some behaviors are a result of genetics. I found this paper very useful in my own self-exploration. It helped me readily identify some of my neurotic tendencies and their possible causes. I plan on using what I have learned from this experience to make necessary changes so that I can lead a happier, healthier life with less neurotic symptoms.

Friday, November 8, 2019

a wise decision essays

a wise decision essays Governor Ryans decision to suspend the death penalty is already starting to have a valuable impact on the rest of nation. Other states are starting to aid in Governor Ryans quest to improve death penalty systems. Last week, a representative from the state of Wisconsin, requested that President Clinton put a hold on executions until the federal death penalty system can be reviewed. Clinton is an avid supporter of the death penalty and only promised to consider it. Since 1973, eighty-five people have been released from death row in the federal system because of mis-verdicts. Twenty-one federal inmates still remain on death row. Juan Raoul Garza is one of these death row inmates. Despite the governments past mistakes, he is scheduled to be executed this year. President Clinton should think long and hard before reopening the federal death chamber. Because the federal justice system dose not do its job correctly, many innocent people may have or will die on death row. According to the article, A Federal Execution Moratorium-misconduct, unbelievably erroneous evidence and false testimony by jailhouse informants can and has lead to mistaken verdicts. Rolando Cruz is an excellent example of a terrible mistake made by the federal government. He was convicted of the 1983 rape and murder of ten-year-old Jeanine Nicarico, and put on death row. His freedom was suspended to him even after Brian Dugan came forth to admit his sole involvment in the murder. Cruz remained on death row while prosecutors try to prove Dugan was lying! DNA testing proved that Cruz was not the source of semen samples taken from Nicarico's body; however, Dugan was a perfect match. Cruz remained on death row. November 4, 1995, 12 years after his original arrest, Cruz was released. Not only did Cruz loose twelve prime years of his life; He almost lost his whole life. Judge Ronald Mehling said he released Cruz because the initial mu ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

World War II - Battle of Savo Island

World War II - Battle of Savo Island Battle of Savo Island - Conflict Dates: The Battle of Savo Island was fought August 8-9, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945). Fleets Commanders Allies Rear Admiral Richmond K. TurnerRear Admiral Victor Crutchley6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 15 destroyers Japanese Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa5 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 1 destroyer Battle of Savo Island - Background: Moving to the offensive after the victory at Midway in June 1942, Allied forces targeted Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Situated at the eastern end of the island chain, Guadalcanal had been occupied by a small Japanese force which was constructing an airfield. From the island, the Japanese would be able to threaten Allied supply lines to Australia. As a result, Allied forces under the direction of Vice Admiral Frank J. Fletcher arrived in the area and troops began landing on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo on August 7. While Fletchers carrier task force covered the landings, the amphibious force was directed by Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner. Included in his command was a screening force of eight cruisers, fifteen destroyers, and five minesweepers led by British Rear Admiral Victor Crutchley. Though the landings caught the Japanese by surprise, they countered with several air raids on August 7 and 8. These were largely defeated by Fletchers carrier aircraft, though they did set afire the transport George F. Elliott. Having sustained losses in these engagements and concerned about fuel levels, Fletcher informed Turner that he would be leaving the area late on August 8 to resupply. Unable to remain in the area without cover, Turner decided to continue unloading supplies at Guadalcanal through the night before withdrawing on August 9. On the evening of August 8, Turner called a meeting with Crutchley and Marine Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift to discuss the withdrawal. In leaving for the meeting, Crutchley departed the screening force aboard the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia without informing his command of his absence. The Japanese Response: Responsibility for responding to the invasion fell to Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa who led the newly-formed Eighth Fleet based at Rabaul. Flying his flag from the heavy cruiser Chokai, he departed with the light cruisers Tenryu and Yubari, as well as a destroyer with the goal of attacking the Allied transports on the night of August 8/9. Proceeding southeast, he was soon joined by Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotos Cruiser Division 6 which consisted of the heavy cruisers Aoba, Furutaka, Kako, and Kinugasa. It was Mikawas plan to move along the east coast of Bougainville before advancing down The Slot to Guadalcanal (Map). Moving through the St. George Channel, Mikawas ships were spotted by the submarine USS S-38. Later in the morning, they were located by Australian scout aircraft which radioed sighting reports. These failed to reach the Allied fleet until evening and even then were inaccurate as they reported the enemy formation included seaplane tenders. As he moved southeast, Mikawa launched floatplanes which provided him with a fairly accurate picture of the Allied dispositions. With this information, he informed his captains that they would approach south of Savo Island, attack, and then withdraw to the north of the island. Allied Dispositions: Before departing for the meeting with Turner, Crutchley deployed his force to cover the channels north and south of Savo Island. The southern approach was guarded by the heavy cruisers USS Chicago and HMAS Canberra along with the destroyers USS Bagley and USS Patterson. The northern channel was protected by the heavy cruisers USS Vincennes, USS Quincy, and USS Astoria along with the destroyers USS Helm and USS Wilson steaming in a square patrol pattern. As an early warning force, the radar-equipped destroyers USS Ralph Talbot and USS Blue were positioned to the west of Savo (Map). The Japanese Strike: After two days of constant action, the tired crews of the Allied ships were at Condition II which meant that half were on duty while half rested. In addition, several of the cruiser captains were also asleep. Approaching Guadalcanal after dark, Mikawa again launched floatplanes to scout the enemy and to drop flares during the upcoming fight. Closing in a single file line, his ships successfully passed between Blue and Ralph Talbot whose radars were hampered by the nearby land masses. Around 1:35 AM on August 9, Mikawa spotted the ships of the southern force silhouetted by the fires from the burning George F. Elliot. Though spotting the northern force, Mikawa commenced attacking the southern force with torpedoes around 1:38. Five minutes later, Patterson was the first Allied ship to spot the enemy and immediately went into action. As it did so, both Chicago and Canberra were illuminated by aerial flares. The latter ship attempted to attack, but quickly came under heavy fire and was put out of action, listing and on fire. At 1:47, as Captain Howard Bode was attempting to get Chicago into the fight, the ship was hit in the bow by a torpedo. Rather than assert control, Bode steamed west for forty minutes and left the fight (Map). Defeat of the Northern Force: Moving through the southern passage, Mikawa turned north to engage the other Allied ships. In doing so, Tenryu, Yubari, and Furutaka took a more westerly course than the rest of the fleet. As a result, the Allied northern force was soon bracketed by the enemy. Though firing had been observed to the south, the northern ships were unsure of the situation and were slow to go to general quarters. At 1:44, the Japanese began launching torpedoes at the American cruisers and six minutes later illuminated them with searchlights. Astoria came into action, but was hit hard by fire from Chokai which disabled its engines. Drifting to a halt, the cruiser was soon on fire, but managed to inflict moderate damage on Chokai. Quincy was slower to enter the fray and was soon caught in a crossfire between the two Japanese columns. Though one of its salvos hit Chokai, nearly killing Mikawa, the cruiser was soon on fire from Japanese shells and three torpedo hits. Burning, Quincy sank at 2:38. Vincennes was hesitant to enter the fight for fear of friendly fire. When it did, it quickly took two torpedo hits and became the focus of Japanese fire. Taking over 70 hits and a third torpedo, Vincennes sank at 2:50. At 2:16, Mikawa met with his staff about pressing the battle to attack the Guadalcanal anchorage. As their ships were scattered and low on ammunition, it was decided to withdraw back to Rabaul. In addition, he believed that the American carriers were still in the area. As he lacked air cover, it was necessary for him to clear the area before daylight. Departing, his ships inflicted damage on Ralph Talbot as they moved northwest. Aftermath of Savo Island: The first of a series of naval battles around Guadalcanal, the defeat at Savo Island saw the Allies lose four heavy cruisers and suffer 1,077 killed. In addition, Chicago and three destroyers were damaged. Japanese losses were a light 58 killed with three heavy cruisers damaged. Despite the severity of the defeat, the Allied ships did succeed in preventing Mikawa from striking the transports in the anchorage. Had Mikawa pressed his advantage, it would have severely hampered Allied efforts to resupply and reinforce the island later in the campaign. The US Navy later commissioned the Hepburn Investigation to look into the defeat. Of those involved, only Bode was severely criticized. Selected Sources World War II Pacific: Battle of Savo IslandOpening Salvos: The Battle of Savo Island

Monday, November 4, 2019

BUSINESS STUDIES Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10250 words

BUSINESS STUDIES - Dissertation Example – CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 39 5.1 Conclusion 39 5.2 Recommendations 40 REFERENCE LIST 41 APPENDIX 46 Appendix I – Questionnaire 46 Appendix II – Focus Group Survey 46 CHAPTER I 1.1 Introduction The evolution of strategic thinking has brought genuine revolution in the way business is conducted. Strategy is also considered as a dominant framework through which companies try to determine what they are actually doing and what they intends to do so (Allio and Randall, 2010). Eminent scholars such as Aaby and McGann (1989) defined strategy as the plan or pattern that assimilates the major goals, actions and policies of the organization into a cohesive form. A well-crafted strategy assists organizations to marshal and dispense the resources into a viable and unique posture on the basis of its relative competencies, deficiencies, anticipated environmental changes and the conditional moves by the competitors. In the context of a business, strategy is often regarded as the activities or actions of the organization. This is the reason why the strategy of a company is regarded as the steps taken by organizations in order to stay ahead of the rivals and bring a new set of customers along with keeping the existing customer base (Coombs and Hull, 1998). A business consists of several resources in the form of skills of employees and managers, innovative capacity, as well as its brand image. There are different types of strategy that a company crafts and implements (Michael, Pride and Ferrell, 2007). Some of the notable ones are the business strategy, which is often regarded as the general strategies of a firm that includes the way operations will be carried out, the human resources planning, the service strategy and other business elements; corporate strategy which defines the business of the company as well as the market of the company in which it operates and also encompasses the mission and vision of the organization; competitive strategy, which d efines the strategy adopted by affirm to outplay the rivals and attain a strong position in the market place. Among the different forms of study mentioned above, this study will focus only on the corporate strategies and customer service strategy. A corporate strategy is the way by which organizations determine the best option of deploying the available resources of a firm. On the other hand the customer service strategy is the strategy pursued by firms to deliver services to the customers. This study intends to explore the impact of well-crafted corporate strategy and customer service strategy on the business of blue-chip companies in the high-tech sector. 1.2 Background of the Study

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words - 1

Research Paper Example The study comprises an evaluation of the existing literature to understand the current status of the use of technology and the benefits that derive to learners and teachers. Besides, it also attempts to delineate the improvement that emerging technology can bring to this field. The study, further, encompasses a survey of a sample population to ascertain the effectiveness of the use of technology, which confirm that technology creates an interesting environment for learners and make the learning process easy for them. Language acquisition is a significant activity in human life as proper language skills are crucial not only for every day communication but also for academic careers and profession. Language is the basic tool of communication and without adequate language skills people cannot attain success in their studies or jobs. Most of the educational systems across the world prescribe the study of one or more language, other than the mother tongue of the country, as part of the academic curriculum. Second language learning aims at expanding the knowledge of students in an additional language so that they can understand and appreciate another culture. Besides, it can also help them get job opportunities in other countries as well as communicate with people from other regions. Thus, in the modern world, where humans are living in a globalized environment, the learning of at least one second assumes high significance. Words are the most important component of language and, therefore, in order to attain adequate skills in the use of language a person needs to develop vocabulary in that language. So far the learning of words and their context occurs in the first language incidentally as people receive the opportunity to interact with others right from their childhood. On the other hand, second language cannot be learned in this manner as it may not be in use in the social environment of the person who learns that language. Second language