The Greatest Hero Figure Of Ancient Mesopotamia Essay

It is reasonable that the origin of interests and concerns of societies would fascinate many because of the ability to learn about how the interests have been created and evolved. Learning about interests can bring knowledge about how people in the past had believed in and how it is thought of compared to today s society and culture. The best-known individual of Mesopotamia was Gilgamesh. He was in a cycle of stories called Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was the greatest hero figure of ancient Mesopotamia. Though the stories focus on the adventures of both Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu, the stories explored themes like ambition and the longing for immortality. These themes reflected the interests of the urban-based society that emerged in Mesopotamia. In Mesopotamia there was a quest for order, a formation of a complex society and cultural traditions, broad influence of the society, and Indo-European migrations. There was a quest for order in Mesopotamia. During the fourth millennium B.C.E., human population increased. Through adaptation they created states and governmental machinery. Sumerians from the land of Sumer were dominant in Mesopotamia. In Sumer population increased likely because of agricultural potential. There were new arrivals who were Semitic people. Sumerians built the world s first cities. There were Sumerian cities that then established states. There were palaces, temples and defensive walls. The impressive buildings were ziggurats which housedShow MoreRelatedEpic of Gilgamesh Essay1021 Words   |  5 PagesEpic of Gilgamesh . Mesopotamia, current day Iraq, derived its name from words meaning, the land between the rivers, which refers to the Tigris and Euphrates. This land was inhabited during the fourth millennium B.C.E. and throughout time transcended into political and military organizations. The significance of these cultures revolved around important warrior figures and their impact on society. The most important figure that will be discussed is the protagonist from The Epic of GilgameshRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey1765 Words   |  8 Pagescultures of Ancient Mesopotamia and Greece, one can tell that the idolization of the â€Å"ideal hero† and their culture orientated traits played an integral role in the structure of each civilization. A civilization can be described as an organizing principle that implies common institution, social structures and values that can extend over space and time (lecture). The said cultures above both contain stories that have transcended ce nturies, giving people a special insight into these ancient civilizationsRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : The Cradle Of Civilization2034 Words   |  9 Pages500 years ago in the land widely known as â€Å"The Cradle of Civilization† or the â€Å"Land between rivers† stood Mesopotamia the worlds most prestigious ancient river civilization that emerged in those times. And it can, in fact be proven that because of Mesopotamia s extensive trade routes, its great leaders, and the growth in technology that occurred that Mesopotamia was one of the greatest civilizations to have ever existed. By which it not only it helped create some important things such as WritingRead MoreEpic of Gilgamesh Theme1707 Words   |  7 PagesAs a Motivating Force Love, both erotic and platonic, motivates change in Gilgamesh. Enkidu changes from a wild man into a noble one because of Gilgamesh, and their friendship changes Gilgamesh from a bully and a tyrant into an exemplary king and hero. Because they are evenly matched, Enkidu puts a check on Gilgamesh’s restless, powerful energies, and Gilgamesh pulls Enkidu out of his self-centeredness. Gilgamesh’s connection to Enkidu makes it possible for Gilgamesh to identify with his people’sRead MoreAthanasia: Human Impermanence and the Journey for Eternal Life in the Epic of Gilgamesh1740 Words   |  7 Pageslife. A journey that so many have traversed, but have failed in the attempt. The ideology surrounding immortality transcends time and a plethora of cultures. The theme, immortality appears in stories from the Epic of Gilgamesh, which was composed by ancient Sumerians roughly around 600 B.C, to present day works of fiction in the twenty first century. The word immortality p lays a crucial role in the development of characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh; It reveals the importance of life everlasting, andRead MoreThe Birth of Civilization18947 Words   |  76 Pages1 The Birth of Civilization Mohenjo-Daro Figure. Scholars believe this limestone statue from about 2500 B.C.E. depicts a king or a priest from Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus valley in present-day Pakistan. Does this figure seem to emphasize the features of a particular person or the attributes of a particular role? Hear the Audio for Chapter 1 at www.myhistorylab.com CRAIMC01_xxxii-031hr2.qxp 2/17/11 3:22 PM Page xxxii EARLY HUMANS AND THEIR CULTURE page 1 WHY IS â€Å"culture† considered a definingRead MoreImmorality In Gilgamesh2049 Words   |  9 Pageswild man Enkidu to confront Gilgamesh† (34). Enkidu was created. The people of Uruk was saying that Gilgamesh was not a good person. He is very arrogant to the people. According to the book â€Å"The Gilgamesh of the epic is an awe-inspiring, sparkling hero, but at first also the epitome of a bad ruler: arrogant, oppressive, and brutal† (34). Enkidu was formed by the goddess Aruru out of water and clay for Gilgamesh, as an equalizing weight or force. Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk. Enkidu had a dream ofRead MoreGreek Mythology8088 Words   |  33 Pagesoften  brought  unexpected  results  to  the  seeker.  With  Ionic  columns  reaching  19.5  m  (64  ft)  high,  these  ruins   suggest  the  former  grandeur  of  the  ancient  temple.   Bernard  Cox/Bridgeman  Art  Library,  London/New  York   Greek  Mythology,  set  of  diverse  traditional  tales  told  by  the  ancient  Greeks  about  the  exploits  of  gods   and  heroes  and  their  relations  with  ordinary  mortals.   The  ancient  Greeks  worshiped  many  gods  within  a  culture  that  tolerated  diversity.  Unlike  other  belief   systems,  Greek  culture  recognized  no  single  truth  or  code  and  produced  no  sacredRead MoreThe Principal Crusades1888 Words   |  8 Pagescrusade were both distinct leaders. King Richard I of England, who was later given the title the â€Å"Lion-hearted†, was the central figure among the Christians knights of this crusade. (Alchin 16) The other was Saladin, chief of the Mohammedans, who was not lacking in any of those knightly virtues with which the writers of the time invested the character of the English hero. (Alchin 20) At one time, when Richard was sick wi th a fever, Saladin, knowing that he was poorly supplied with delicacies, sentRead MoreReligion And Its Role Within Societies 600 B.c11006 Words   |  45 Pagescultural, ethical, and political force throughout human history, both recent and ancient. Religion has been science and asylum for many generations of very many people, uniting them in their common faith. Temples were built for people to pray and perform sacrifice in, giving the people a common cause to live for and thereby creating personal relations between people even before you got to know them. The unique features of ancient religions were that they were all polytheistic, meaning that they recognized

scientific literacy Essay - 1687 Words

Scientific literacy Introduction and audience When talk about science, perhaps majority of us think it is less relative with real life. However, as society developed, science encompassed us everywhere. This situation forces everyone to acquire the ability to learn and understand science. Some may think that, scientific literacy is what a scientist should have and nothing about normal people, however it is just too narrow. Look around the surroundings of us, everything is conned with science. Also, we encounter science in our normal life as well. Therefore, the ability to acquire and understand science is necessary and important, which is called scientific literacy. Scientific literacy is the foundation of science and technology†¦show more content†¦Also, they might doubt the ingredient of their product (thinking creatively). What were they made of, would that influence their health? Finally, we made the decision, it was a deceptive advertising and we wouldn’t purchase it(problem solved). This is the one typical example process of using scientific way to solve problems. So far, we could tell scientific literacy is useful, but does it necessary for us? The next part is telling why it is necessary and the basic science knowledge to acquire it. Science knowledge is necessary As the rapid development of science and technology, everyone in society is required to acquire higher scientific literate skill. What if one doesn’t acquire scientific literacy, not only he/she could not engage in science study or research, but would encounter difficulties in normal life. For example, when we want to look for a book in the library, it would be so simply if we check it online, copy the index of the book and then go find it directly. However, people who don’t have the ability to acquire computer skill would have difficult. Therefore, scientific literacy is necessary in contemporary life. There is no doubt that science knowledge is the significant part of scientific literacy. Therefore, learning science is the first step. What is science? Just taking a look at our surroundings, it not hard to find that science is everywhere. Simply example like how the lamp is lighted, whichShow MoreRelatedNumeracy And Literacy Is Essential For A Country1393 Words   |  6 Pagesjobs, a reasonable level of numeracy and literacy is required to perform basic and essential tasks. Therefore, it is expected that numeracy and literacy must be taught appropriately throughout the different schooling stages. Pre-primary and primary years do offer essential tools for students to grasp the basics of numeracy and literacy. However, the middle years of schooling ranging from year 6 to year 9 do provide students with essential numeracy and literacy skills that will be helpful for them inRead MoreOral Culture Of The Late Middle Ages1468 Words   |  6 Pagesand subsequent widespread literacy signa led the shift away from a primarily oral culture to a literate, print culture. Many scholars, including Plato and Harold Innis, have suggested that the advantages of an oral culture exceed those of a print culture. Even further, the past few decades have seen calls to orality, or propositions that we must return to oral culture to balance print culture. As seen through a lens of the history of print culture, the benefits of literacy and a predominantly printRead MoreInformation Literacy and Scholarship, Practice, and Leadership in It Management1337 Words   |  6 PagesInformation Literacy and Scholarship, Practice, and Leadership in IT Management R. Dannels University of Phoenix IT (Information Technology) management entails all the routine issues faced by any type of business manager in addition to the issues of software development, technology purchasing (not necessarily physical items), systems integration, the limits of technology and the related budgetary issues. General information literacy is important for any level of IT manager, as he or sheRead MoreThe Reasons Why United Airlines1447 Words   |  6 PagesReasoning, Information Literacy, Communication, Scientific Literacy, Cultural Literacy, Lifelong Personal Growth, Aviation Maintenance, Aviation Maintenance Management, and Aviation Maintenance Safety. To understand the reason why United Airlines (UAL) decided to implement SMS, we need to go back and analyzed its system before it implemented SMS and also after it was implemented. To do so, we will use critical thinking which is a disciplined process that consists of applying, and evaluating dataRead MoreThe Language And Balanced Literacy1454 Words   |  6 Pages Academic Basics of Basals, Whole Language and Balanced Literacy When addressing the subject of reading and the most effective method to teach reading is? Additionally, when we teach our children how to read, do they truly understand what they are reading and can they communicate to us what they have read? As educator we have to be instrumental in creating students to become independent effective readers who comprehend well. In order to do this, students have to be provided with basic readingRead MoreHow The Literacy Level Can Influence The Health Of The Patients Essay1311 Words   |  6 PagesThe article was researching on how the literacy level can influence the health of the patients in America. It goes on to explain that Nurse practitioners have the responsibility to provide relevant information to patients with regards to their health. However, in most cases the nurses fail to provide all this relevant information because of their busy schedule. To compensate for this, the nurses provide some reading materials to their patients to go an d read at home. The shocking revelation is thatRead MoreContent Area Literacy1167 Words   |  5 PagesCONTENT AREA LITERACY IMPORTANCE Tracey Turner EDUC 525A Instructor: Craig Carter December 7, 2014 CONTENT AREA LITERACY IMPORTANCE Literacy is an important aspect for success in life in general. An individual’s success in the classroom, in their career, and in their quality of life is directly related to how literate that individual may be. Literacy is more than the ability to read, but how an individual uses written information to function in life. Literacy was traditionally thoughtRead MoreLiteracy Is A Common Problem Around The World Essay1415 Words   |  6 Pagesthe world, especially in developing countries, and has many unfortunate consequences. Literacy plays a major role in the world, impacting various aspects of society, politics, and the world economy, not to mention individual lives. Literacy provides personal security by giving an individual the means to educate themselves. When a person learns how to read, they gain access to the world’s knowledge. Literacy provides financial security, because someone who can read and write is more likely to getRead MoreMy Personal Experience With Literacy1587 Words   |  7 PagesLiteracy is defined as being literate, that is, being able to read and write in a language. My personal experience with literacy began at an early age, at the age of 4 when I began to sit and read words and letters in the back of my mother’s car. Soon enough, she would bring me a magazine called â€Å"Majed† which, in the 90’s, was a popular magazine. With this, I began even more interested in reading and writing and reviewed every word in the magazine associated with each of the short pictured storiesRead MoreThe Education Issue Of Children With Disability967 Words   |  4 Pagesequality. Among all the people with disability, only 54.5% of them are literate, which is much lower than the average 79.31% (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2011). Also, comparing to the data from Census 2001, literacy rate among people with disability was 49.3%, rose by about 5%, while the average literacy rate increased from 69.3% to 79.31%, a rise more than 10 %. It seems like with the improvement in education attainment among minors with disability, there

Behavioral Finance Free Essays

string(73) " hence invest too much in stocks or options that they are familiar with\." One fundamental notion in the finance and economic fields with regards to decision making has always been based on the underlying assumption that individuals or decision making agents are rational and objective. However, in many cases, rationalistic explanations have failed to answer major financial occurrences in the past. A good and simple example is given by Fromlet (2001), In 2001 the Swedish currency – the crown- was seriously undervalued in the foreign exchange market despite the fact that Swedish economy enjoyed a good economic growth record, had the lowest inflation rate among the 12 European Monetary union members, surplus government budget and a good, positive balance of payment position. We will write a custom essay sample on Behavioral Finance or any similar topic only for you Order Now Thus in this case all the rationalistic theories could not adequately explain the weakening of the crown given the fact that all economic indicators showed that it should be stronger. According to many theorists, even though realism cannot be attained, a good theoretical model should include mechanisms that help in relaxing as much assumptions as possible to attain a near realistic empirically based theory. Most of the traditional and neoclassical financial theory such as the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and expected utility theory (EUT) are based on the unrealistic assumptions that can be explained as: †¢ Representative agents and players in the financial market are rational therefore base their decisions with the objective of maximizing wealth therefore asset pricing reflect the real value of the asset at any particular time (Thaler, 1999). †¢ The market given time will settle on an equilibrium point and that the equilibrium price reflects the real value of the asset that can rationally be explained using traditional theories (Ideal or rationally explained equilibrium) (Thaler, 1999). Behavioral finance is a relatively new field of study that has made tremendous progress in the attempt to answer these unrealistic assumptions and offer an alternative explanation of the financial market. Behavioral finance holds that the market is unrealistic due to the human element; therefore, in evaluation of financial market decision making and market condition, financial theories should recognize the role of human behavior in financial assets price determination. The composition of financial investors is diverse from fathers and mothers, household, spouses, students, businessmen, government leaders etc. are all decision makers in the financial market thus the assumption of rationality as provided by these theories is unrealistic (Ritter, 2003). These paper is an in depth evaluation of the behavioral theory and its application in the financial market. The paper will look at the strength and weaknesses of behavioral finance in an attempt to show its applicability as a tool in the financial market. Definition and description of behavioral finance. Behavioral finance is an empirically based theory, Behavioral finance theorists argue that to understand the performance and decision making in market, it important to integrate psychological and behavioral variables and classical financial theories in decision making and market atmosphere. According to this theory, the market is sometimes information inefficient and participants do not often make decision rationally. Behavioral finance uses to main concepts namely cognitive psychology and limits to arbitrage. Cognitive psychology as applied in behavioral finance focuses on behavioral factors influencing investor’s decision making or how people think; it postulates that investors make systematic errors in the manner they think and this contributes to irrationality in decision making. For instance, some investors might be overconfident and end up loosing due making investment decision based on this behavioral trait. This cognitive biases lead to irrational decision and can explain the weaknesses of classical financial theories with regards to why the market fails to attain equilibrium or conceptual expectation of rational investor decision in the financial market. (Ritter, 2003). Cognitive biases. Cognitive psychologists hold that there several cognitive biases that affect investor’s decisions in the market, as mentioned this biases lead investors to make systematic errors hence explaining irrationality in the financial market. This paper will highlight the cognitive biases by combining some of the documented behavioral patterns in arguing the case and behavior finance model case in the financial market it should be noted that psychological patterns and behavior categories as presented are interlinked to the extent that an individual can make decisions due to several behavioral patterns (Fromlet, 2001): 1/n Heuristics or rule of thumb. Heuristics or the rule of thumb is one common behavioral technique applied in decision making. According to the definition (as quoted in Fromlet, 2001), â€Å" heuristic means ‘use of experience and practical efforts to answer questions or to improve performance. † Heuristics mean fast, selective interpretation of information, determined to a high extent by intuition–taking into account that the conclusions may not give the desired results because of the velocity and/or the incompleteness in the decision-making. † This technique makes it easier for investor’s since information in the market usually spreads faster, changes often and has become more complicated to interpret. Therefore, given various options many investors use the 1/n rule by spreading their funds equally or proportionately on the available options since it is easier than choosing the rational option based on the information hence introducing irrationality in the market in terms of decision making. A good example is if in a given financial market six different economic indicators are published, economists and investors have to assimilate and use the information as fast as they can to take advantage of the market, some result to heuristic approach. This sometimes leads to suboptimal results and explains the difference between the ideal classical financial market of a rational investor and the real world. (Fromlet, 2001 and Ritter, 2003). Thaler (1999), argue that from empirical evidence collected in their research most individuals investing for retirement have little or no knowledge of the financial market hence uses the rule of thumb or 1/n heuristic approach to make decisions on where to put there retirement savings. Overconfidence and preference for certain information. Another pattern that manifests itself and lead to irrationality in decision making in the financial market is overconfidence. Ritter (2003), notes that entrepreneurs tend to be overconfident and hence invest too much in stocks or options that they are familiar with. You read "Behavioral Finance" in category "Papers" This can be termed as an irrational tendency to the extent that it leads overconfident entrepreneurs tend to limit their options by not diversifying their portfolio hence irrational since they tie up their assets (for example real estates) to the company they are familiar with partly due to the fact that they would feel in control of local familiar stocks compared to high returns stocks that are outside their control, this is referred to as control illusions. A good example world over is the fact that most workers tend to invest too much in the company they work for and this has led to loss of entire savings to many of the companies in the event of insolvency (see Ritter, 2003 pg. 434 for examples). Furthermore, it was noted that generally, men are more overconfident than women and this behavior extends to investment decisions. It was found out in a research by Bernard and Odeon (2001 as quoted in Ritter 2003) that the more men on average perform worse than women and this is partly attributed to the fact that they are overconfident than women. Given the fact that some people are overconfident and tend to invest in familiar business stocks there is also another pattern or behavior that compounds the problem of irrationality. Analysts found out that investors make decisions based on information and familiarity of the business, however, due to attachment and preference new information that might make a rational investor change his decision does not make many investors in the real world do so. It is less and less likely for investors to change their position in light of new information due to attachment to the current stocks or business preferences especially where unimportant information emerges with regards to the old news or supporting their current position (Fromlet 2001, p4). Interpretation of information. Information from the efficient market hypothesis point of view is assimilated immediately and is reflected in the current prices. However, this notion might not be true since: Individuals tend to be slow in picking up is and analyzing information due to a conservative wait and see approach, thus given change people might under react in the short run due to the conservatism bias thus introducing irrationality. In addition different people interpret information differently even among analysts and this contributes to irrationality and sub optimal decision making in the market. And thirdly, information in the real market does not reach all players at the same time, it might just be available to a few, moreover not all players in the market can interpret the information thus cannot capitalize on the information when it comes to decision making (Fromlet, 2001 Ritter, 2003). Framing. Another behavioral pattern that has a fundamental influence on human behavior in the financial market is framing. It refers to the manner in which information is presented to individual decision makers. Cognitive researchers hold that people tend to react more to information that is attention grabbing and more salient thus framing of information can easily lead investors to make irrational decisions. For example if relevant information is framed in an unappealing manner while on the other hand obsolete or useless information is framed or presented in a captivating manner, investors will tend to react to the captivating news in decision making. Another example is the technique used by salesmen; say a product A’s actual price is $5, salesmen tend to make more if they use the strategy of buy one product at $10 and get one free. Limit to arbitrage On the other hand limit to arbitrage is concepts refer to the conditions when holds arbitrate forces will be effective and under what circumstances it will not. The arbitrage theory is based on the standard asset pricing model and holds that stock prices will always tend to equilibrium position that reflect their real value. Therefore, in the event where financial assets are overvalued or undervalued arbitrageurs believe that it is possible to make profits from this anomaly-by shorting overvalued stocks or buying undervalued stocks – in the market since given time, prices will readjust themselves to their real value (assuming a rational market). However, empirical evidence has shown that there is a limit to this theory since the market is irrational. According to Thaler (1999), the underperformance of arbitrageurs in the market proves that equilibrium position based on rational â€Å"textbook theories† – As referred in his text – prove that the there exist limits to arbitrage since the market is irrational, information inefficient and the equilibrium position cannot adequately be explained by standard model theories (Thaler, 1999 Ritter, 2003). The arbitrage theory holds that these hedge funds are important in that they shield market against undervaluation and overvaluation of assets thus contributes to restoring an efficient market to equilibrium position by avoiding further under/overvaluation situations in the market. A lot of scholars have produced findings showing that there is a limit to the ability of a few investors with huge sums of money to control the market through hedging. Behavioral scientists also argue that limit to arbitrage connotes that the market is not efficient as arbitrageurs would like to believe, a good example is one of the largest arbitrage firms in America (long term capital management LTCM) which had been successful for four years was liquidated after loosing $4 billion in the market and as it turned out in, the long run based on ex post financial analysis they were right. This can only be interpreted as inefficiency in the market since the market or investors did not act rationally forcing the arbitrageurs out of business. Furthermore, it shows that there is a difference between unpredictability of the market and irrationality in the market. Fromlet argues that a rational decision might not bear fruits due to unpredictability of the market. Eugene Fama held that the stock market development cannot be forecasted by professional analyst based on public information therefore it is hard for fund managers and other analysts to successfully out shine the stock market as a whole based on public information. These notions makes the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and other financial theories unrealistic and partly explain the demise of LTCM since it is impossible to consistently out perform the market based on rational decision (Fromlet, 2001 Ritter, 2003). Application of behavioral finance. Richard Thaler and Terrance Odeon are among the pioneers of behavioral finance and have done extensive research on the application of the theory, though the theory has not yet fully been accepted as a tool in financial market. Thaler (2001) postulates that the theory has the potential to answer or explain some of the unexplained market occurrences in the past and in determining aggregate investors behavior and reactions in relation to decision making. Behavioral finance theory is a fundamental complementary theory that can help explain market occurrences when classical financial models assumptions are relaxed and hence should be used as an analytical tool together with ‘textbook theories. ’ Applying the theory on aggregate investor behavior and analysis of the market has enabled behavioral finance experts come up with strategies to avoid making irrational decisions. Behavioral finance model is important in that it helps differentiate between what people do and what ought to be done. Biases, decision traps (like those presented in framing) over and under reaction can be used by experts to formulate strategies of avoiding these cognitive behavior thus leading to better decision making. A practical example is that it was found out that investors tend to be less risk averse if they have had consistently high returns to investment in the financial market. According to Thaler’s example (1999), if a gambler is playing using house money he tends to be sloppier if he/she continues to win. Therefore, in advising an investor who has had luck of maintaining a streak of high returns one should take this into accounting while evaluating his portfolio (Fromlet 2001, p5 Thaler 1999). Behavioral finance has also a big role in explaining past occurrences in the market over and above the rational based models. There are some anomalies in the market that clearly call for the application of alternative models and behavioral finance has the potential of explaining this phenomenon. For instance, rational models more particularly the expected monetary hypothesis stipulate that prices changes in light of fresh information in the market however, researchers have noted that the degree of volatility and fluctuation of asset prices in the world cannot entirely be explained by changes in real prices as induced by information in the market. In addition to volatility, the volume traded in the real world is not in agreement with a rational market. For example, in a rational market the selling a volume of 700 million might be unrealistic to the extent that a rational buyer (assuming one buyer and one seller) would wonder what information you have that I don’t. Therefore, behavioral finance can be applied in explaining these anomalies in the market hence help analysts understand the market better and develop strategies to deal with such occurrences in the future (Thaler, 1999). Lastly, besides analyzing past and future human behavior influence and aggregate behavior in the market, behavioral finance can play an important role in analyzing areas and even markets where arbitrage can be applied and where they cannot. Behavioral science has made it obvious the extent that price-to-book ratios and other mechanisms used in by arbitrageurs to determine overvaluation and undervaluation of asset does not apply in the real world. Thus the same mechanism can be used by fund managers to analyze the market in terms of asset pricing, offer insights in portfolio management and hence improve market analysis for fund managers and other experts at large with regards to asset pricing and investment portfolios. (Fromlet, 2001 Thaler, 1999). To simply summarize the application of behavioral finance as a tool in the market, the fact that stock take a random walk as postulated by the efficient market hypothesis can be compared to a drunkard walking in a field, though there is no rational explanation on the direction he will choose (unpredictability) behavioral finance can be applied in studying how the drunkard navigates through the field thus can help in explaining possible steps that are likely to be taken by the drunkard and thus complements financial theories which seek to explain the direction. (See Thaler, 1999). Conclusion. Behavioral finance is an important contribution to the financial market field. The theory does not per se contradict classical financial theories but complements them by focusing and adequately answering the anomalies presented by standard models and relaxing the assumptions presented by them. It involves the integration of psychological aspect of human behavior as the driver of decision making and postulates that inclusion of human behavior with regards to how it affects decision making is vital and can explain many of the unexplained market occurrences in the past, help in analysis of future decision making and market performance and in creating a basis for further research and formulation of better financial models and macroeconomic theories. Behavioral finance holds that the real world financial market is irrational and sometimes is information inefficient and thus dismisses fundamental assumptions used in classical financial models applied in the market. The model is based on two distinctive approach namely the cognitive biases model and the limit to arbitrage approach. The cognitive approach postulates that investors who are subject to human behavior extend this patterns to investment decision and thus on aggregate how people think affects the performance of the market due to systematic errors induced by behavioral patterns. This paper has shown that psychological findings show that individuals tend to be overconfident and controlled with illusions, there are elements of wishful thinking and attachment to assets, others tend to be conservative and apply different interpretative tools that adversely affect decision making and introduce the element of irrationality in the market. With regards to limits to arbitrage, there certain market where this theory can be applied and others where it can’t. The notion that one can profit from overvaluation and undervaluation in the market is not entirely true or al least not sustainable since the market is not rational and thus adjustment to a set equilibrium based on rational objective development in the market is not realistic. Moreover, unpredictability is apparent in the market thus fund managers cannot consistently out perform the market by making abnormal profits. Therefore, given the obvious irrationality and unpredictability aspects of the financial market, it is necessary to integrate the current financial theories with behavioral finance in an attempt to come up with a holistic approach in dealing with the financial market. The theory has vast application including studying the individual decision makers patterns to the extent that it influences decision making and devise measures to avoid errors and irrational tendencies in decision making, Applying cognitive bias model to analyze the aggregate investors behavior and performance in the market in an attempt to understand the current financial market performance and devise correctional strategies if need be and lastly, to help in analyzing limits to arbitrage and explaining past performance in the market. Given that the theory is still new in that has not been fully incorporated in financial market analysis and studies need to be conducted extensively on its potential and application in the financial and economic sectors at large, the discoveries and contribution of behavioral finance cannot be questioned. Therefore researchers and other players need to come together and facilitate the maturity and extensive application of behavioral finance as a financial analytical tool as a complementary theory in the market. REFERENCES: Fromlet, H. (July 2001). Behavioral Finance- Theory and practical application. Accessed 20th May 2008 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1094/is_3_36/ai_78177931 Ritter, J. (September 2003). â€Å"Behavioral Finance. † Pacific-Basin Financial Journal. Vol. 11. No. 4 pp 429 – 437. Thaler, R. (December 1999). The end of Behavioral Finance. Accessed 20th May 2008 Financial analyst Journal. Available online at http://faculty How to cite Behavioral Finance, Papers

Richard Iii Monologue Essay Assignment Example For Students

Richard Iii Monologue Essay Assignment A monologue from the play by William Shakespeare QUEEN MARGARET: If ancient sorrow be most reverent, Give mine the benefit of seniory And let my griefs frown on the upper hand. If sorrow can admit society, Tell over your woes again by viewing mine. I had an Edward, till a Richard killed him; I had a Harry, till a Richard killed him: Thou hadst an Edward, till a Richard killed him; Thou hadst a Richard, till a Richard killed him. Thou hadst a Clarence too, and Richard killed him. From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept A hellhound that doth hunt us all to death: That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes, To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood, That foul defacer of God\s handiwork, That excellent grand tyrant of the earth That reigns in galled eyes of weeping souls, Thy womb let loose to chase us to our graves. O upright, just, and true-disposing God, How do I thank thee that this carnal cur Preys on the issue of his mother\s body And makes her pew-fellow with others\ moan! Bear with me! I am hungry for revenge, And now I cloy me with beholding it. Thy Edward he is dead, that killed my Edward; Thy other Edward dead, to quit my Edward; Young York he is but boot, because both they Matched not the high perfection of my loss. Thy Clarence he is dead that stabbed my Edward, And the beholders of this frantic play, Th\ adulterate Hastings, Rivers, Vaughan, Grey, Untimely smoth\red in their dusky graves. Richard yet lives, hell\s black intelligencer; Only reserved their factor to buy souls And send them thither. But at hand, at hand, Ensues his piteous and unpitied end. Earth gapes, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray, To have him suddenly conveyed from hence. Cancel his bond of life, dear God, I pray, That I may live and say, \The dog is dead.\ I called thee once vain flourish of my fortune; I called thee then poor shadow, painted queen, The presentation of but what I was, The flattering index of a direful pageant, One heaved a-high to be hurled down below, A mother only mocked with two fair babes, A dream of what thou wast, a garish flag, To be the aim of every dangerous shot; A sign of dignity, a breath, a bubble, A queen in jest, only to fill the scene. Where is thy husband now? Where be thy brothers? Where be thy two sons? Wherein dost thou joy? Who sues and kneels and says, \God save the queen\? Where be the bending peers that flattered thee? Where be the thronging troops that followed thee? Decline all this, and see what now thou art: For happy wife, a most distressed widow; For joyful mother, one that wails the name; For one being sued to, one that humbly sues; For queen, a very caitiff crowned with care; For she that scorned at me, now scorned of me; For she being feared of all, now fearing one; For she commanding all, obeyed of none. Thus hath the course of justice whirled about And left thee but a very prey to time, Having no more but thought of what thou wast, To torture thee the more, being what thou art. Thou didst usurp my place, and dost thou not Usurp the just proportion of my sorrow? Now thy proud neck bears half my burdened yoke, From which even here I slip my weary head And leave the burden of it all on thee. Farewell, York\s wife, and queen of sad mischance! These English woes shall make me smile in France.

Unitary and Pluralism

Shawn Hornbeck Kidnapping

Shawn Hornbeck Kidnapping It was a shocking discovery that prompted an emotional response from even the veteran police officers who made it. Looking for a boy who had been kidnapped four days earlier, they found another boy who had been missing for four years. But the miraculous recovery of the missing teen immediately raised as many questions as it answered. On January 12, 2007, the investigation into the disappearance of a 13-year-old Missouri boy  who was last seen four days before getting off the school bus, resulted in the discovery of Shawn Hornbeck, 15, in an apartment near St. Louis. Police serving an arrest warrant in an apartment complex for another person  spotted a white pickup truck that matched the description of one being sought in the disappearance of Ben Ownby, who was last seen near his home in Beaufort, Missouri, about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis. Why Didnt He Escape? When police served a search warrant on the apartment of Michael Devlin, listed as the owner of the pickup truck, they found Ben Ownby along with Hornbeck, who disappeared in October 2002 while riding his bike in Richwoods, Missouri, about 50 miles southwest of St. Louis. Immediately questions were raised as to how Devlin was able to hold Shawn Hornbeck in an apartment for four years without him being able to get away, although he had several opportunities to escape. Neighbors reported seeing young Hornbeck hanging around outside of his apartment complex, unsupervised. He would also ride along the neighborhood streets on his skateboard or bike, alone or with a friend from the complex. When he was nearing the age to get a drivers license, neighbors saw Devlin giving him driving lessons. Most assumed that they were father and son. Hornbeck also had contact with the police four times during his captivity. One time he spoke to the police after he and his girlfriend discovered that his bike had been stolen while parked outside of a shopping mall.   He also had access to a computer and posted on the website dedicated to Hornbeck that his parents put up. He asked in his post how long they would keep looking for their son and he signed it with the name Shawn Devlin. Why didnt he run away? Why didnt he reach out for help? Deal With the Devil When Michael Devlin pleaded guilty in four different courtrooms to charges related to kidnapping and assaulting the two boys, the answers to those questions were revealed. Shortly after Devlin kidnapped Hornbeck, back in 2002, he planned to kill the boy after repeatedly sexually assaulting him. He took Shawn back to Washington County in his pickup truck, he pulled him from the truck and began to strangle him. I attempted to kill (Shawn) and he talked me out of it, Devlin said. He stopped choking the boy and sexually assaulted him again. In what prosecutors called a deal with the devil, Shawn told Devlin at that time that he would do whatever Devlin wanted him to do to stay alive. We know now the details that made him not run away, said Shawns stepfather, Craig Akers. Over the years, Devlin used many methods to control Shawn. The details of the abuse Shawn endured are so horrific and graphic that it was not released by most media outlets, although the reports were readily available. Devlin admitted to making pornographic photographs and videotapes of Shawn and taking him across state lines to engage in sex acts. To continue to control Shawn, Devlin took him with him when he abducted Ben Ownby in January 2007, telling Shawn that because he was in the truck he was an accomplice to the crime. Shawn Protected Ben Ownby Authorities said Shawn was a hero, who tried to protect Ben Ownby from the torture that he had to endure. Devlin told Shawn that he planned to kill Ownby after keeping him a short time. I think that Shawn Hornbeck is really a hero, Ethan Corlija, one of Devlins attorneys, told reporters. He really threw himself on the sword many times so Ben would not have to go through any undue torture. Devlin entered guilty pleas to dozens of charges in four different courts. At last count, he received 74 life sentences to run consecutively, which will keep him in prison the rest of his life. Were just so glad this is the outcome, that the monster is caged and will remain caged, said Craig Akers.

The Use of Landscape as a Means of Commentary Essay

The Use of Landscape as a Means of Commentary - Essay Example 625), moral or philosophical beliefs. Two authors that achieved this within their work were Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. Understanding the way that these two artists achieved commentary through their work in the 19th century is an effective method of examining commentary in landscape painting within the 19th century as a whole. Thomas Cole was an American landscape painter who was one of a group of artists, collectively known as the Hudson River School. Artists within the school focused on national landscapes as a way of reflecting on their own spiritual values and that of the nation. Their paintings often examined the way that the United States, and its people, was attempting to forge a national culture and identity (Hoy, 2009, p. 6). Another aspect of their work was of the potential for America to become a great nation (Kornhauser et al., 2001). For the American landscape painters, the wildness and uniqueness of their landscape provided a way to express the potential that the c ountry had, as well its history. The United States lacked the long cultural history that their European counterparts had, and as such the landscape provided an effective alternative (Kornhauser et al., 2001, p. 6). Cole lived from 1801 to 1848 and was often referred to as the ‘father’ of the Hudson River School. This term was applied to him because he is considered to be the artist that had the most influence in making landscape painting into a respected and popular genre. Cole’s paintings were not accurate representations of actual views that he observed, instead they were compositions. He argued that the use of composition rather than strict reproduction of the environment did not mean his paintings, or those of his contemporaries, were not of nature. Instead, he considered them to bring together many different parts of nature, making a more complete image than could be attained from a single view (Smithson, 2000). This approach also gave Cole the ability to us e his paintings to express viewpoints, and to provide commentary on the world around him and his own particular viewpoints. In his painting The Oxbow, also known by its longer name View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm, Cole presents a landscape view of a particular area of a valley following a rainstorm. The imagery in the piece is interesting, because it consists of two opposite perspectives. The left hand side of the painting is covered in clouds and is darker. The landscape is that of a wildness, forested and untamed. The right hand side of the image is a sharp contrast, and is brighter, consisting of a civilized region, where the wildness is no longer present, and instead there are areas for farms. In the middle of the piece, small and almost unnoticeable, sits an easel. This image can be interpreted as more than a painted representation of the view that the painter saw, instead the painter makes a clear juxtaposition between how the United St ates was before colonists had made a significant impact and afterwards. The presence of the easel suggests that the artist is attempting to determine the direction that

Concept Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Concept Paper - Essay Example licies helped to increase economic growth and development in the United Kingdom after the financial crisis of 2009?† The paper identifies the government and the Bank of England as the main actors who create and implement austerity policies. The research identifies three case studies that will help the research in focusing on the unit of analysis and drawing relevant answers to the research questions. Units of analyses are critical factors that help researchers in making accurate and reliable conclusions. This means that units of analysis are the main drivers of research without which it is impossible to undertake a study successfully. The units may be human beings, companies, laws, or geographical regions. Human beings act as units of analyses when they are being studied individually or in groups. These elements are studied when researchers are interested in drawing conclusions about social factors such as behavior, attitudes, and performance in school. Organizations are similar to individuals when studied as units of analyses because they may be studied individually or in groups. Companies are used as units of analyses when studies aim at identifying their performances and behavior (Malici, & Smith, 2013). In this study, human beings and organizations are not critical units of analyses; because the research may not be able to study each one of them in seclusion. This is because the research may not be able to identify specific individuals and organizations in the UK. Geographical regions may also be used as units of analyses in research. These may be individual countries or groups of countries that have similar characteristics. Geographical region is an essential unit of analysis in this research because it aims at focusing only on the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is a geographical area that consists of three countries. The countries in the region include England, Scotland, and Wales (CLES, 2014)s. The research will focus on the three countries in

New York Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

New York Project - Essay Example The 12 friends come from the city of Los Angeles and wish to go to the city of New York by flight. If they fly to New York using Delta Airlines they will have to pay a one way price of 33 US Dollars. For all of them, they will have to pay a total of 792 US Dollars for both journeys. The first show that they plan on seeing is a Broadway musical by the name, â€Å"After Midnight†. This musical celebrates the exuberance and glamour of Harlem’s Golden Age. It consists of Harlem’s most popular nightclub. The musical is performed by exceptional jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars. This is an orchestra consisting of 17 world-class musicians carefully selected by Wynton Marsalis. Marsalis is a 9-time Grammy Award winner. The musical includes songs by Cab Calloway, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington and their contemporaries. The stage performances and dances make it even more captivating. Charles Isherwood of the New York Times calls â€Å"After Midnight†, â€Å"a depiction of time-traveling back to the heyday of the Cotton Club as it moves through more than 25 songs from the jazz era.† Marilyn Stasio of broadways also describes it as, â€Å"stylized treatment of a midnight floorshow at a 1930s jazz club is gorgeously designed to showcase roof -raising performances from top-flight talent†. Watching the musical from the mid mezzanine section they will have to part ways with 70 US Dollars each. The second show that they plan on seeing is a play by the name, â€Å"The Accidental Pervert†. This play is a one man show, which tells a story about a boy whose journey into manhood begins when he starts watching his father’s X-rated videos. The videos eventually became an ever-present part of the boy’s life. The play depicts the videos to be having dirty contents with no redeeming value. The boy eventually finds redemption from the mess he put himself in when the gets a different perspective of life. This

Behaviourist and Humanist Approaches to Learning

Behaviourist and Humanist Approaches to Learning The means and style by which material is delivered to a learner depends upon a number of factors, not least of which are the traditions of the environment in which they are being presented. The aim of this essay is to explore both behaviourist and humanist approaches to learning and whether there is a place for the latter in a military environment. The behaviourist approach to learning is traditionally used in both military and school environments: it was the main theory from the 1940s to the 1970s. The ideas that give it its foundation are the experiments that were conducted by Ivan Pavlov; these experiments enabled him to influence the behaviour of dogs with the use of external stimuli – an example of this is salivation at the sound of a bell in anticipation of the arrival of food. This was labelled ‘Classical Conditioning’. It was argued that this sort of conditioning plays a big part in human learning, particularly with regard to physiological functioning (i.e. salivation at the sound of a bell) or emotion (i.e. fears and phobias). James Watson embraced these ideas and was the first to use the term ‘behaviourism’. He believed that it was vital, in order to understand human behaviour and therefore learning, for one to adopt a scientifically measurable approach. He argued that all human behaviour is governed by conditioned responses and as such can be controlled and modified to suit any given purpose. He even went as far as to say that he could train any child to fulfil any job in society as long as he was healthy, as he believed that â€Å" there is nothing from within to develop† (1928). Both Watson and Pavlov thought â€Å"that the simultaneous occurrence of events is sufficient to bring about learning† and is â€Å"ordinarily referred to as the contiguity explanation† (Lefrancois 1994). In other words, the sound of a bell will induce salivation in dogs in anticipation of receiving food, once one is associated with the other; the salivation will occur at the sound of a bell after a while, even if there is no food given to the animal. Thorndike saw this in a different way believing that the effect of the response led learning to occur (termed the Law of Effect). He argued that a learner would repeat responses that brought positive results and that behaviour would be modified through a process of trial and error. This idea is what is known as the reinforcement approach which was further developed by B.F.Skinner. He stated that when reinforcement of any response occurs, it will be repeated and that this can enable control to be gained over people. These r einforcements can either be positive or negative – reward or punishment. He fully explored the relationship between responses and reinforcement and concluded that reinforcement brought about learning. This view is referred to as operant conditioning. Skinner contended that for learning to be effective it needed to be tackled in small stages, it needed to be logical/sequential, it needed to be based on prior knowledge, that the desired behaviour needed to be rewarded regularly in the initial stages and that reinforcement of the required or desired behaviour should happen immediately that it occurs. â€Å"†¦Skinner urges educators to focus on reinforcing student success rather than punishing student failure† and that â€Å"†¦reinforcement for appropriate responses is consistent and immediate, and learned behaviours are maintained by intermittent reinforcement schedules† (Ormrod 2004). As we can see, there is no place for feelings and individual thoughts in behaviourist theory. It is only concerned with what can be observed and it contends that evidence gathered through experiments indicates that there are a number of principles which can be applied to learning and that if these were adopted, the process would be made easier. They are the Law of Effect, the Law of Contiguity, the Law of Exercise (repeating an action or behaviour) and the Law of Reinforcement. The problem with this is that behaviourism provides only a very limited and mechanistic or mechanical way of looking at the process of learning, which is far too simple. It takes little to no account of the learner as an individual and assumes that the learner is passive and has no exercise of free will; it does not allow for differences in individuals and it can be manipulative if the provider wishes to use it in this way. By contrast, humanist thinkers such as Maslow and Rogers asked themselves what is it that makes us human. They approached their studies from a completely different angle and looked upon humanity as innately positive, as opposed to previous ideas which apparently painted life in a very dower and pessimistic manner. Rather than concentrating their studies on those who are suffering form illness, they looked at the behaviour of healthy people –â€Å"when you select out for careful study very fine and healthy people†¦you get a very different view of mankind† (Maslow 1971). The humanist approach encourages people to exercise free will in their lives, allowing them to be individuals in their own right and to highlight everything that is positive about them. This enables any given individual to have the opportunity to achieve their maximum possible potential in whatever they choose to do. They contend that purely scientific methods of studying behaviour are inadequate in assessing any human being (Chapter 6 The Humanistic Approach). Maslow presented his studies in the form of a ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ which indicates that all humans work towards satisfying or attaining their perceived needs â€Å"as a ladder of human achievement that must be climbed† (Trigg 2004). This is laid out in the form of a pyramid with each type of need building from the other while being closely interwoven with each other. At the base is the Physiological type which includes basic needs like air, food, water, shelter and sleep; the next type is Safety or Security which is concerned with stability and a feeling of being protected from harm; this leads on to the type which encompasses Belonging and Love which covers relationships with our family and our peers; the fourth level is that of Esteem which deals with issues of achievement, recognition and respect. Maslow separated these and grouped them together and termed them ‘deficiency needs’ or ‘D-motives’ stressing that a lack of fulfilment in an area will cause a person to act to remedy the problem. He felt that the pyramid was the best way to represent this system as people seemed to challenge themselves to achieve and work their way through the types to achieve their full potential; their motivation was to get better and reach their needs leading onto the next level, similar to the way in which a person who is learning a musical instrument will strive hard to achieve the next grade or a computer gamer will keep trying until he achieves the next level. The final type of needs are called ‘growth needs’, ‘being needs’ or ‘B-motives’ by Maslow. Once the initial needs described above are met, the need for the development within the individual becomes the prime driving force. This is described as Self Actualisation within the pyramid: subsequent versions of the hierarchy included more complex subdivisions within this type of need which serve to break down the areas of personal achievement into smaller categories. Maslow (1968) describes this growth as â€Å"†¦a rewarding and exciting process†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which continues to increase as the person develops throughout their life. Rogers holds similar views to Maslow when looking at the concept of self actualisation. He believes that humans are able to push themselves to achieve their full potential and that each and every person is unique in their ideas about themselves. They hold their own image of themselves in their minds in terms of how they see themselves, how much value they perceive themselves as having and how they would like to develop in the future. â€Å"Whether one calls it a growth tendency, a drive towards self-actualisation, or a forward-moving directional tendency, it is the mainspring of life†¦ it is the urge to expand, extend, become autonomous, develop, mature†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rogers 1961). He believed that every individual has the ability to solve their own problems and that his role as a therapist was one of being some kind of ‘facilitator’ to aid the individuals thought processes and progress towards resolving their issues. Each ‘facilitator’ needs to displa y honesty, empathy and respect towards those whom he is trying to help. This environment is controlled by the individual who is being helped and Rogers believed that this was the only environment in which genuine learning could take place. Rogers went on to apply these principles to education. ‘Student centred learning’ enables individuals to take responsibility for their learning; the way that the teacher interacts with their class is crucial in the development of an environment that will encourage learning to take place: â€Å"†¦the facilitation of learning rests upon certain attitudinal qualities which exist in the personal relationship between the facilitator and learner† (Rogers 1969). They need to ensure that there are sufficient resources in place to aid the students, that they themselves are prepared to be a living resource and that they are prepared to act as a learner themselves within the classroom. As an idea, this is an alien concept to many teachers, even today. The idea of not being at the head of the class, dictating the direction that the learning is taking is frightening to a good number of educators. The traditional approach to teaching is being firmly challenged here with me mbers of the profession being asked to look at their methods, critically appraise them and react accordingly. The focus in this environment is the student not the teacher and it is â€Å"a system of providing learning which has the student at its heart† (Brandes and Ginnis 1986). Rogers (1984) sums this supportive environment up by commenting that â€Å"person centred education is much like my rose garden – it needs a caring environment to sustain its beauty.† This sort of approach in the classroom can be very effective as long as both the staff and the pupils enter into the process wholeheartedly. There are many different activities that can focus on the student as an individual in order to allow them to develop and grow as individuals and learn from each other. Initially it is important for the group to set out ground rules so that every individual is aware of how the process works and to ensure that all of the group feel comfortable with the approach that is being taken. These ground rules can include things like not interrupting or talking over the top of someone when they are speaking, thus encouraging every individual to have respect for the others. Once the group have agreed to these ground rules, every activity can be approached with individuals having the same expectations of each other. It is important to note that if there are any new arrivals to the group, these need revisiting to ensure that the newcomer also feels a sense of ownership for them. Group activities where everyone has the opportunity to learn are extremely valuable; examples that I have used are mind mapping (brainstorming), problem solving, open discussion and the circle. The great strength of the circle is that everyone can see and hear everyone else; each person, including the facilitator is on the same level and can physically be regarded as being the same – a listener and a learner. The topic of discussion or the theme that is being addressed can then be opened up to the group; each person has the opportunity to speak if they wish to, with the way that this is organised being decided prior to the circle forming. Sometimes hands up can be used, at other times one person in the group can be placed as a chairperson or even a pencil case or ruler could be passed from the person who is speaking to the next person to speak. This way of organising the group allows each person to feel that they can contribute if they wish to and quieter people can also be in volved by the facilitator in order to broaden their horizons. It also encourages students to listen to and take notice of the views of others even if they ultimately reject them as not being for them. It encourages people to be open with each other without fear of being laughed at, shouted down or humiliated because of what they think or say. It does take a while to get used to this system of learning but it has huge benefits for all those who are open to it. It allows the student to appreciate and develop their own views through consideration of others, broadening their outlook in the process. I have heard the expression ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought of it like that’ during circle time on many occasions. Circle time can also be used to feedback from small group discussions and research that has been undertaken outside the classroom. Role plays are another excellent way of finding out what a small group have understood about a particular topic, through the content of their offering to the rest of the class. Not only does this allow the students to express themselves in their own way but it also encourages different styles of learners to flourish in the classroom and further encourages students to learn from one another. Clearly the teacher or facilitator needs to be comfortable with this process as it is taking place and retain their authority within the classroom. This is a difficult balance to find and is one which some people find it almost impossible to do. Within the traditional school environment this sort of approach is unheard of due to the seemingly unstructured and undisciplined way of tackling any work. Military establishments may have the same views due to the highly disciplined nature of what the soldiers are trained to do. However, the question remains as to whether this sort of humanistic approach can work in that environment. It would seem that whether the approach would work would depend upon the nature of what the learner was attempting to learn and where he is attempting to learn it. The military have traditionally relied upon the behaviourist model as it best suits their purpose. The instructors can employ both positive and negative reinforcement to train the soldiers to do what they have to in the field of battle or ‘theatre of war’. Soldiers do not have time to think about how to reload a weapon or whether it is right to fire when they are in the middle of a battle zone. The way that they are taught reflects the arena in which they will have to perform their set tasks; reloading a weapon today is far easier than it was in the days of muskets, but soldiers still have to be disciplined and keep their heads in difficult pressurised situations. Being taught in a mechanised fashion will help them as tasks will become second nature due to the consistent repetition that has taken place on the training ground. My father could still tell me how to strip down, clean, oil and rebuild his weapon in every detail some 20 years after having left the armed forces. This can also be said of manoeuvres that are vital to the survival of a unit of men. They are ‘drummed’ into the minds of the soldiers so that they are become an automatic reaction to a given stimulus. This could ultimately save their lives and the lives of those around them. An example of this is the reaction to a very loud bang in a public house one day while I was enjoying a drink with my two brothers in law, both then in the Army; they had just returned from Northern Ireland when this incident happened. The loud bang went off and I looked around to find them both on the floor tight up against the skirting boards on opposite sides of the room. This was a conditioned response to the loud bang and was as a result of their extensive survival and battle training. Much of military training cannot afford to co ncern itself with the individual needs of each of the soldiers – it must simplify the learning so that the whole reacts (as far as possible) in a predicable way. In short, when an order is given it is obeyed immediately, without fail. There would however seem to be a place for the humanistic approach within the modern military environment too. Within the confines of a classroom, when conducting classes which are concerned with basic skills such as literacy, numeracy and IT there may well be an opportunity to utilise this type of learning strategy. Everyone likes their opinion to be taken notice of, to feel that they are contributing and to be listened to. Those who are undertaking officer training are required to problem solve – this can be done using this different approach and will allow the learner to express themselves as they are doing so. Individuals need to be given the opportunity to develop themselves to the best of their ability and this needs to be facilitated in all environments of learning, including the military. There is a place for freedom of expression, in the right place at the right time. It would seem that there would need to be strong leadership in order that these sorts of methods coul d be introduced and continue to be used in a military environment, as their implementation would involve a change in long held and established practises. There also needs to be an acknowledgement â€Å"that traditional training approaches, which place an emphasis on replication or imitative learning, are unsuited to fostering the longer term individual and organisational development outcomes required by a significantly changed operational environment† (Thomas 2006). Catering for the individual strengths and needs of individual soldiers can foster a greater sense of loyalty in them and an even greater motivation to succeed not only for themselves but their fellow men. This is particularly important in this rapidly changing modern technological world. In the modern military environment, there would seem to be a place for both the traditional behaviourist and the humanist approaches to learning. Given that all those involved understand that certain situations require different methods of teaching to be employed and accept that from the outset, there is no reason why both cannot be employed. All soldiers understand the need to obey orders and that certain tasks will need to be done like an automaton in order for them to be successful in what they do. It is essential that there is also an acknowledgement that there is a place for people to want to achieve the best that they can within their environment as an individual, as well as for the collective. As Rogers (1980) explains â€Å"the actualising tendency can be thwarted or warped, but cannot be destroyed without destroying the organism.† It is also important to note that â€Å"†¦with this self-actualisation, individuals can engender life long learning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ki el 1999). There are many differing ways that people learn and it is up to different organisations to adopt the method or methods that are best suited to bring them success in their field. That does not negate the need however, for all providers to reflect upon and modify their methods to best effect from time to time. The military have hundreds of years to tradition to fall back on, but need to ‘move with the times’ and accept that the humanist approach in certain areas of their educational provision can be of benefit to both individuals and the military as a whole. Bibliography Chapter 6 The Humanistic Approach Brandes, D. Ginnis, P. 1986 A Guide to Student-Centred Learning Oxford: Basil Blackwood Lefrancois, G.R. 1994 from Tutor notes Behaviourist Theories of Learning Maslow, A. 1971 The Farther Reaches of Human Nature New York: Viking Maslow, A. 1968 Towards a Psychology of Being (2nd Ed) New York: Van Nostrand-Reinhold Ormrod, J.E. 2004 Human Learning (4th Ed) from Tutor notes Behaviourist Theories of Learning Rogers, C.R.R. 1961 On Becoming a Person Boston: Houghton Mifflin Rogers, C.R.R. 1969 Freedom to Learn Columbus, Ohio: Charles E Merrill Publishing Rogers, C.R.R. 1980 A Way of Being Boston: Houghton Mifflin Watson, J.B. 1928 The Psychological Care of Infant and Child from Tutor notes Behaviourist Theories of Learning Rogers, C.R.R. 1984 from Frieberg, H.J. 1999 Perceiving, Behaving, Becoming: Lessons Learned Alexandria Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Kiel, J.M. 1999 Reshaping Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to Reflect Todays Educational and Managerial Philosophies Journal of Instructional Psychology, Vol. 26 Thomas, K 2006 Leadership Development in the Military: Bridging Theory and Practice International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 6(2-4) Trigg, A.B. 2004 Deriving the Engel Curve: Pierre Bordieu and the Social Critique of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Review of Social Economy, Vol.62

George Orwell’s Animal Farm :: Animal Farm Essays

What is George Orwell’s message in Animal Farm, and how does he use two of the animal characters in the novel to present his political views? In this book George Orwell has tried to put a political view into the story. This political view is that Communist ideas can not work without using excessive power, also that political systems can easily be corrupted by power-hungry people. George Orwell uses animals in this clever allegory to represent humans. Two main characters of ‘Animal Farm’ are Napoleon and Boxer. Napoleon acts like a dictator and leads the farm and animals. He has power over the animals so they have no freedom, so much so, that they can’t rebel against him if they wanted to. Boxer an idealistic follower for Napoleon; he will sacrifice anything for the farm and the other animals. Boxer believes everything that he is told by Napoleon and cannot see that Napoleon is a corrupt leader. As soon as Old Major had died Napoleon took his place as the leader of the Animals, and so he controlled them after the rebellion against humans. At first he was a fair leader and treated the animals kindly, or so they thought. â€Å"The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others.† This shows that the pigs were lazy and demanding from the beginning when they started to run the farm, and it wasn’t that they grew power-hungry, they already were. The animals started to realise that the pigs were not doing any work. The majority thought there must be an excellent reason for them not doing any work. â€Å"We pigs are the brain-workers. The whole management and organization of the farm depends on us† After hearing this, the animals understood that they were there to do the hard work, but they thought that was because they couldn’t run the farm as well as the pigs. They did not mind lying to the animals and not doing any work while the other animals are. Napoleon knew that there was a chance that the animals might rebel against him so when 9 puppies were born on the farm he took them to train as his bodyguards. â€Å"As soon as they were weaned, Napoleon took them away from their mothers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  After the animals knew what he was doing, even if they did disagree with what he was doing could not do anything about it even if the wanted to either because they were not strong enough or that they were to scared. So this meant that Napoleon could do whatever he wanted to, just like a dictator. The only animal threatening Napoleon’s place in power was Snowball, so

If Wishes Were Horses Essay

The first recognisable ancestor of the rhyme was recorded in William Camden’s (1551–1623) Remaines of a Greater Worke, Concerning Britaine, printed in 1605, which contained the lines: â€Å"If wishes were thrushes beggers would eat birds†. [2] The reference to horses was first in James Carmichael[disambiguation needed]’s Proverbs in Scots printed in 1628, which included the lines: â€Å"And if wishes were horses, pure [poor] men wald ride†. 2] The first mention of beggars is in John Ray’s Collection of English Proverbs in 1670, in the form â€Å"If wishes would bide, beggers would ride†. [2] The first versions with close to the modern wording was in James Kelly’s Scottish Proverbs, Collected and Arranged in 1721, with the wording â€Å"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride†. [2] The modern rhyme above was probably the combination of two of many versions and was collected by James Orchard Halliwell in the 1840s. 1] The last line was sometimes used to stop children from questioning and get to work: â€Å"If if’s and and’s were pots and pans, there’d surely be dishes to do. † In popular culture[edit] The phrase is misquoted in the 2002 television series Firefly in the series finale episode â€Å"Objects in Space† in which Adam Baldwin’s character Jayne Cobb gets upset and says â€Å"Yeah and if wishes were horses, we’d all be eating steak. Star Trek Deep Space Nine Season 1, Episode 16 was called, If Wishes Were Horses. In the episode entitled Things Fall Apart Season Six, Episode 21 of the television series The West Wing, Josh Lyman makes a reference to the poem while in conversation with a female campaign staffer who tells him that if media circumstances were different, their candidate, Matthew Santos, would have already locked up the Democratic party’s nomination for president. Josh responds by saying, â€Å"If wishes†¦ orses†¦ etc. â€Å" She erroneously attributes the quote to Bob Dylan by asking Josh â€Å"What is that from some Dylan song? Guys your age have this thing about Dylan. â€Å"[3] In September 2010, Alexandrea Mellen famously quipped, â€Å"If wishes were horses, then the horse market would collapse†. The phrase is used by the character Spike in the television series Angel. In addition, in the series finale, when another character wishes â€Å"to do more violence†, Spike replies that â€Å"wishes are horses today†.

Ancient Maya Civilization Classic Era

Ancient Maya Civilization Classic Era The Maya culture began sometime around 1800 B.C. and in a sense, it has not ended: there are thousands of men and women in the Maya region still practicing traditional religion, speaking pre-colonial languages, and following ancient customs. Still, the Ancient Maya civilization reached its peak during the so-called â€Å"Classic Era† from around 300-900 A.D. It was during this time that the Maya civilization achieved its greatest achievements in art, culture, power, and influence. The Maya Civilization The Maya civilization thrived in the steamy jungles of present-day southern Mexico, the Yucatn Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras. The Maya were never an Empire like the Aztecs in central Mexico or the Inca in the Andes: they were never unified politically. Rather, they were a series of city-states independent from one another politically but linked by cultural similarities such as language, religion, and trade. Some of the city-states became very large and powerful and were able to conquer vassal states and control them politically and militarily but none was ever strong enough to unite the Maya into a single Empire. Beginning in 700 A.D. or so, the great Maya cities fell into decline and by 900 A.D. most of the important ones had been abandoned and fell into ruin. Before the Classic Era There have been people in the Maya region for ages, but cultural characteristics that historians associate with the Maya began appearing in the area around 1800 B.C. By 1000 B.C. the Maya had occupied all of the lowlands currently associated with their culture and by 300 B.C. most of the great Maya cities had been founded. During the late Preclassic Period (300 B.C. – 300 A.D.) the Maya began building magnificent temples and records of the first Maya Kings began to appear. The Maya were well on their way to cultural greatness. Classic Era Maya Society As the Classic era dawned, Maya society was clearly defined. There was a king, royal family, and a ruling class. The Maya kings were powerful warlords who were in charge of warfare and who were considered to be descended from the gods. Maya priests interpreted the movements of the gods, as represented by the sun, moon, stars, and planets, telling the people when to plant and do other daily tasks. There was a middle class of sorts, artisans, and traders who enjoyed special privilege without being nobility themselves. The vast majority of Maya worked in basic agriculture, growing the corn, beans, and squash that still make up the staple diet in that part of the world. Maya Science and Math The Classic Era Maya were talented astronomers and mathematicians. They understood the concept of zero, but did not work with fractions. The astronomers could predict and calculate the movements of the planets and other celestial bodies: much of the information in the four surviving Maya codices (books) concerns these movements, accurately predicting eclipses and other celestial events. The Maya were literate and had their own spoken and written language. They wrote books on specially prepared fig tree bark and carved historical information into stone on their temples and palaces. The Maya used two overlapping calendars which were quite accurate. Maya Art and Architecture Historians mark 300 A.D. as the starting point for the Maya Classic era because it was around that time that stelae began to appear (the first one dates from 292 A.D.). A stela is a stylized stone statue of an important king or ruler. Stelae include not only a likeness of the ruler but a written record of his accomplishments in the formed of carved stone glyphs. Stelae are common at the larger Maya cities that thrived during this time. The Maya built multi-storied temples, pyramids, and palaces: many of the temples are aligned with the sun and stars and important ceremonies would take place at those times. Art thrived as well: finely carved pieces of jade, large painted murals, detailed stonecarvings, and painted ceramics and pottery from this time all survive. Warfare and Trade The Classic era saw an increase in contact between the rival Maya city-states - some of it good, some of it bad. The Maya had extensive trade networks and traded for prestige items such as obsidian, gold, jade, feathers and more. They also traded for food, salt and mundane items like tools and pottery. The Maya also fought bitterly with one another. Rival city-states would skirmish frequently. During these raids, prisoners would be taken to be used as slaves or sacrificed to the gods. Occasionally, all-out war would break out between neighboring city-states, such as the rivalry between Calakmul and Tikal in the fifth and sixth centuries A.D. After the Classic Era Between 700 and 900 A.D., most of the major Maya cities were abandoned and left to ruin. Why the Maya civilization collapsed is still a mystery although there is no shortage of theories. After 900 A.D., the Maya still existed: certain Maya cities in the Yucatn, such as Chichen Itza and Mayapan, thrived during the Postclassic era. The descendants of the Maya still used the writing system, the calendar and other vestiges of the peak of Maya culture: the four surviving Maya codices are thought to have all been created during the postclassic era. The different cultures in the region were rebuilding when the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s, but the combination of the bloody conquest and European diseases pretty much ended the Maya renaissance. Sources: Burland, Cottie with Irene Nicholson and Harold Osborne. Mythology of the Americas. London: Hamlyn, 1970. McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. New York: Norton, 2004. Recinos, Adrian (translator). Popol Vuh: the Sacred Text of the Ancient Quichà © Maya. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1950.

Burger King Core Competencies Essays

Burger King Core Competencies Essays Burger King Core Competencies Paper Burger King Core Competencies Paper Assess the strategic alternative used by the firm Burger King is the world’s largest flame broiled fast food restaurant chain. As of mid-2009, it operated about 12000 restaurants in all 50 states and in 74 countries and U. S. territories worldwide through a combination of company-owned and franchised operations, which together employed nearly 400,000 people worldwide. Two major ways in which Burger King differentiates itself from competitors are the way it cooks hamburgers by its flame broiled method as opposed to grills that fry and the options it offers customers as to how they want their burgers. They also differentiated itself with some innovative advertising campaigns through the years, such as its use of a figure of a man who is the Burger â€Å"King†. In looking for new countries to enter, Burger King looks most favourably at those with large populations (especially of young people), high consumption of beef, availability of capital to franchisees for growth, a safe pro-business environment and availability of a potential franchisee with experience and resources. Outside of burger King’s America’s group (United states and Canada), 37.o percent of the countries and 24.6 percent of the restautants are in Latin American and Caribbean group, yet theses countries accounted for only 13.5 percent of the non Americas group revenue in fiscal 2009. This is largely because many of these countries have a very small populations. So why did Burger King develop a presence in these markets, even though at this writing it is not in countries with much bigger populations such as India,Russia and South Africa. The answer is largely due to a location factor. Burger King remains headquartered in Miami because so many people from Latin American and the Caribbean come to or through Miami, Burger King’s reputation spilled over to that area early on. This simplified gaining brand recognition and accepatance. Further, the nearness of the Latin American and Caribbean countries to Miami enhances the ability of Burger King management to visit these countries and for franchisees to visit Burger King’s headquarters. Overall Burger King owns 12 percent of its restaurants and franchises the rest by owning, Burger King demonstrates market commitment and if the country turns out to be as attractive as anticipated, then the owned operations may be more profitable for Burger King than royalties received from franchisees.

Annotate We Dare Not Postpone Action by CCT Annotated Bibliography

Annotate We Dare Not Postpone Action by CCT - Annotated Bibliography Example onal communions and seven national organizations, including Sojourners—realized that apparently no clergy had ever issued a response to Kings famous letter, even though it was specifically addressed to "fellow clergymen [sic]." In 2013, to mark the 50th anniversary of Kings letter, Christian Churches Together released its thoughtful response, which we excerpt below. —The Editor WE CONFESS. As leaders of churches claimed by more than 100 million Americans; as Catholics, evangelicals, Pentecostals, Orthodox, Historic Protestants, and members of Historic Black denominations; as people of many races and cultures: We call ourselves, our institutions, and our members to repentance. We make this confession before God and offer it to all who have endured racism and injustice both within the church and in society. responsibility to obey the law while neglecting our equal moral obligation to change laws that are unjust in their substance or application. All too often, the political involvement of Christians has been guided by the pursuit of personal or group advantage rather than a biblically grounded moral compass. We confess it is too easy for those of us who are privileged to counsel others simply to "wait"—or to pass judgment that they deserve no better than what they already have. We confess that we are slow to listen and give legitimacy to those whose experience of race relations and social privilege in America is different than our own. We keep the "other" at arms length to avoid hearing the call to sacrifice on their behalf. Our reluctance to embrace our "inescapable network of mutuality" underscores Dr. Kings observation that privileged groups seldom give up their advantages voluntarily. For example, it is difficult to persuade most suburban Christians to demand that they strive for the same quality of education in our cities that they take for granted in their own schools. To the extent that we do not listen in love, our influence in society is limited

Executive Briefing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Executive Briefing - Essay Example Strategic planning is about what the organization does; whom it does it to; and how it excels. This paper seeks to analyze the importance of strategic planning to homeland security organizations. Strategic planning, in most organizations, is basically a process used to determine where the organization is headed to over a year or more. Strategic planning therefore includes the mastery of the organization’s mission, vision, strategies, and values (Ahrenfelt, 2006). Strategic planning is therefore important for homeland security organizations in that the process will enable them understand, where they are currently with their services, the people they are serving, where they want to be in the near future, and strategies and courses of action they need to get to the destination of their choice. According to strategic planning, various approaches can be used to achieve components of strategic management. However, to homeland security organizations, it will be vital for them to appl y approaches such as: the Situation Target Proposal Approach, which evaluates the currently existing condition and how it resulted, defines objectives and goals of the organization, and maps the most probable path or route to achieving those objectives and goals; and the Draw See Think Plan Approach, which defines the desired end state or the ideal organization’s image, defines the situation today and determines the existing gap from the idea and the reason for that gap, determine the specific courses of action that must be undertaken in order to seal the gap existing between the ideal state and the current condition, and plans the required resources that will facilitate the execution of strategy activities (Donald, 2004). These approaches describe strategic planning importance to homeland security organizations. Through strategic planning, the homeland security organization is able to train its employees and take positive steps towards establishing a department wide approach which is effective in executing its duties. Strategic planning is important to homeland security organizations, because it helps the department to address the challenge of cultural change and transformation, and aid it ensuring that the workforce possesses the skills and knowledge that is required to respond effectively to both the current and future threats to the organization. Some of the actions already taken by the homeland security organization because of the importance of strategic planning include; issuing the strategic plan for training, establishing training groups and councils in order to increase communication across the components, and providing directly training for particular departmental need (Fridson, 2001). However, without effective strategic planning, homeland security organizations are likely to be impeded by several challenges. This is because without strategic planning, there would be lack of compatible or common information management systems as well as a tra ining terminology commonly understood, hence making sharing of information on training difficult (Donald, 2004). Lack of strategic planning will also lead to unclear relationships of accountability and authority between the components of organization and the office of the human capital. In the absence of strategic planning, planning by the homeland security organization will be insufficiently detailed in ensuring coordination and effective implementation of training efforts. Strategic planning is also important to the homeland secu

Smoking Ban Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Smoking Ban - Essay Example The public was, however, largely ignorant to this fact the medics became viewed with skepticism. It took a number of long years for people to pay attention to the medics. Medical science has, nevertheless, proved beyond a reasonable doubt that smoking kills (Susman, 2012). A lot of smokers claim that it is by choice that they smoke this might be the case, but what if the person smoking is a female who is pregnant, or what if the smoker sits in a room full of young children and inflicts that choice of hers to the children. Smoking has since the early 1990’s, become antisocial and the voice of the non smokers can largely be heard (European Society of Cardiology, 2012). Smoking ban infringes on human rights to enjoy their freedom. A lot of people believe that putting smoking bans in a number of public areas is a harsh measure and that it will affect them profoundly. There is also the other group that accepts putting bans in all public places is the way to go. The question I ask is, why do people smoke. From my research, I uncovered a couple of that lead people to smoke; First of all young people smoke because it makes them feel mature, look like their friends or even experiment (Susman, 2012). Adults, on the other hand, smoke to reduce stress or pressure (Hinds & First, 2000). Carrying a couple of smokes to work is a reward to all smokers, most of them would not think of carrying them to work if they did not have a reason too. Smoking enables one to kick back, relax and enjoy him or herself for a few minutes. I must acknowledge that sitting with a group of people with a smoke is a terrific way to relax. The other group of people says that smoking is a social thing. For example, if a person is outside having a smoke and spots another person also having a smoke, it is always an easy and  pleasant way of starting a conversation. Especially in social places like bars or clubs, these are the places, to meet people and socialize over a smoke and a drink. Smoking is

Kindergarten History Essay Example for Free

Kindergarten History Essay The development of early childhood education in the United States has been spearheaded by the need for an emerging society to cope with social and economic challenges. There are at important reasons why early childhood education gained more acceptance through the years. As society opened up to accepting women as part of the workforce, working mothers demanded more institutions that can accept early education for their children. The desire of the government to make their citizens more globally competitive increased thereby supporting education from the very young levels of citizenry. Educators and leaders believed that poor communities have better chances of development if illiteracy is arrested the earliest possible time. And best reason why early childhood education has developed is the great response in children that all programs have been challenged to sustain. Caldwell shares her thoughts on how parents and teachers could sustain this excitement for learning innate in children. â€Å"Yes, its thrilling to be part of that excitement for learning. I think the first thing that adults have to do is respect it. Curiosity is an absolutely wonderful thing, yet sometimes parents and teachers find it annoying-the 50th why question of the day, for example. Parents want to pull out their hair and say, Oh come on, weve talked about that enough. So the most important thing for that excitement and curiosity is to reward it, to let children know that we are impressed that they are curious about something. † (Mabie, 2001) Kindergarten is an educational program for students aged three to seven. Programs usually last from half to full days. Educators believe that the kindergarten is a venue for developing early knowledge, skills and attitude of children that will help them get a jump start at formal education. The origins of early childhood education in the US can be found in Europe. Jean Fredrick Oberlin founded a school in 1767 in France. His wife, Madame Madeleine Oberlin taught children from two to three years old. The school focused on exercise and play and handicrafts. It was more popularly known as the â€Å"knitting† school. In 1837, Freidrich Froebel put up the first school to be called a â€Å"kindergarten† in Blankenburg, Germany. His school became the first school in the world to envision education primarily for children in the pre-schooling age. Froebel is known as the creator of Kindergarten. His concept involved theories of childhood teaching and teaching material development. He also wrote the first Syllabus of Education of Man that listed basic theories of childhood education that guided schools worldwide. Early Childhood School in the US started as early child health centers. They were patterned after the French ‘cribs’ in Paris in 1844 where governments put up these centers to care for children of mothers who had to work. Whether these centers were first found in Philadelphia or New York, where women had to work during the Civil Wars, it is important to note that these centers were focused on caring for these children rather than educating them. But due to the migration of Germans to America, the concepts of kindergarten soon landed on American soil through Margarethe Schurz. In 1856, she put up the first American kindergarten in Watertown, Wisconsin. The school used German as the medium of instruction. â€Å"The first English-speaking kindergarten was found in Boston in 1860 by Elizabeth Peabody. For many years, she traveled throughout the United States, speaking about the purpose of kindergartens and their benefits to children. She helped establish kindergartens wherever she went. The first public school kindergarten was established in 1873 in St. Louis. Susan Blow, the teacher, lectured and taught kindergarten education, continuing to be a champion of Froebelian kindergarten education throughout her life. † (Spodek, 1991) By the late 1920’s, the centers realized that besides keeping the children clean and fed, there was the opportunity to transform the venue to serve for educational needs. â€Å"The average poor child in 1860s St. Louis completed three years of school before being forced to begin work at age 10. Susan Elizabeth Blow addressed that problem by offering education to children earlier. Applying Friedrich Froebels theories, she opened the United States first successful public kindergarten at St. Louis Des Peres School in 1873. Blow taught children in the morning and teachers in the afternoon. By 1883 every St. Louis public school had a kindergarten, making the city a model for the nation. Devoting her life to early education, Susan Blow was instrumental in establishing kindergartens throughout America. † (Watson, 1997) Maria Montessori has been a household name in early childhood education because of the amount of work and research that Maria Montessori has brought into early childhood education. As a physician working in a psychiatric clinic in Rome, she discovered that it was possible to train mentally defective children in order for them to be safer and become part of a productive sector of society. Her success of handicapped children led into her to be hired to help non-handicapped children as well. Her practice and further research helped Montessori develop a curriculum for children that helped them maximize their full potentials in reading and learning. Montessori schools began to get established in the United States before the World War. Although crash in the economy led these Montessori schools to fade in the 1930s, there came a resurgence of Montessori institutions by the 1950s. Though the Montessori Method was very popular, it would be best to note that some Montessori associations are purist of the methods while others were not. Today, early childhood educators are serious and committed in developing the kindergarten in helping future citizens of the country in becoming productive and responsible citizens. References: Watson, Bruce. 1997. Kindergarten. http://www. geocities. com/Athens/Forum/7905/fblkind. html Mabie, Grant E. 2001. A life with young learners: an interview with Bettye M. Caldwell. The Educational Forum. http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa4013/is_200110/ai_n8999175 Spodex, Bernard. 1991. Foundations of Early Childhood Education. Allyn and Bacon. Boston.