Understanding the Progressive Era

Understanding the Progressive Era It can be difficult for students to understand the relevance of the period we call The Progressive Era because society before this period was very different from the society and the conditions we know today. We often assume that certain things have always been around, like laws about child labor and fire safety standards. If you are researching this era for a project or research paper, you should begin by thinking about the way things were before government and society changed in America. Before the events of the Progressive Era occurred (1890-1920), American society was much different. The federal government had less of an impact on the lives of the citizen than we know today.  For example, there are laws that regulate the quality of food that is sold to American citizens, the wage that is paid to workers, and the work conditions that are endured by American workers. Before the Progressive Era food, living conditions, and employment was different. Children were employed in factoriesWages were low and unregulated (with no wage minimums)Factories were crammed and unsafeNo standards existed for food safetyNo safety net existed for citizens who couldnt find employmentHousing conditions were unregulatedThe environment was not protected by federal regulations The Progressive Movement refers to social and political movements that emerged in response to rapid industrialization from which caused societal ills.  As cities and factories emerged and grew, quality of life declined for many American citizens. Many people worked to change the unjust conditions that existed as a result of the industrial growth that took place during the late 19th century. These early progressives thought that education and government intervention could ease poverty and social injustice. Key People and Events of the Progressive Era In 1886, the American Federation of Labor is founded by Samuel Gompers. This was one of many unions that emerged toward the end of the nineteenth century in response to unfair labor practices like long hours, child labor, and dangerous working conditions. Photojournalist Jacob Riis exposes deplorable living conditions in the slums of New York in his book How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York.   Conservation of natural resources becomes a matter of public concern, as the Sierra Club was founded in 1892 by John Muir. Womens Suffrage gains steam when Carrie Chapman Catt becomes president of the National American Womens Suffrage Association.   Theodore Roosevelt becomes president in 1901 after the death of McKinley. Roosevelt was an advocate for trust busting, or the breaking up of powerful monopolies that crushed competitors and controlled prices and wages. The American Socialist Party was established in 1901.   Coal miners strike in Pennsylvania in 1902 to protest their terrible working conditions. In 1906, Upton Sinclair publishes The Jungle, which portrayed the deplorable conditions inside the meatpacking industry in Chicago. This led to the establishment of food and drug regulations. In 1911, a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, which occupied the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of a building in New York. Most of the employees were young women aged sixteen to twenty-three, and many on the ninth floor perished because exits and fire escapes were locked and blocked by the company officials. The company was acquitted of any wrongdoing, but the outrage and sympathy from this event prompted legislation concerning  unsafe working conditions. President Woodrow Wilson signs the Keating-Owens Act in 1916, which made it illegal to ship goods across state lines if they were produced by child labor. In 1920, Congress passed the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Research Topics for The Progressive Era   What was life like for children who worked in factories? How was this different from the work of children who lived on farms?How did views on immigration and race change during the Progressive Era? Did the legislation of this era effect all people, or were certain populations most affected?How do you suppose the trust busting legislation affected business owners? Consider exploring the events of the Progressive Era from the point of view of wealthy industrialists.How did living conditions change for people who moved from the country to the cities during this time period? How were people better off or worse off during the shift from country living to city living?Who were the major figures in the Womens Suffrage movement? How was life impacted for these women who came forward?Explore and compare life in a mill village and life in a coal camp.Why did the concern for environmental issues and natural resource preservation emerge at the same time as concern and awareness for social issues like poverty? How are these topics related? Writers and photojournalists were key figures in Progressive Era reforms. How does their role compare to changes that have taken place due to the emergence of social media?How has the power of the federal government changed since the Progressive Era? How have the powers of individual states changed? What about the power of the individual?How would you compare the changes in society during the Progressive Era to changes in society during and after the Civil War?What is meant by the term progressive? Were the changes that took place during this time period actually progressive? What does the term progressive mean in the current political climate?The Seventeenth Amendment, which allowed for the direct election of US Senators, was ratified in 1913 during the period known as the Progressive Era. How does this reflect the sentiments of this period?There were many setbacks to the Progressive Era movements and campaigns. Who and what created these setbacks, and what were the interests of the parties involved? Prohibition, the constitutional ban on the production and transportation of alcoholic beverages, also took place during the Progressive Era. How and why was alcohol the subject of concern during this period? What was the impact of Prohibition, good and bad, on society?What was the role of the Supreme Court during the Progressive Era?   Further Reading for The Progressive Era Prohibition and Progressive Reform The Fight for Womens Suffrage Muckrakers

Astronomy 101 - Learning About Stars

Astronomy 101 - Learning About Stars Astronomers are often asked about objects in the cosmos and how they came to be. Stars, in particular, fascinate many people, particularly because we can look out on a dark night and see so many of them. So, what are they? Stars are massive shining spheres of hot gas. Those stars you see with your naked eye in the night sky all belong to the Milky Way Galaxy, the huge system of stars that contains our solar system. There are around 5,000 stars which can be seen with the naked eye, though not all stars are visible at all times and places. With a small telescope, hundreds of thousands of stars can be seen. Larger telescopes can show millions of galaxies, which can have upwards of a trillion or more stars. There are more than 1 x 1022 stars in the universe (10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000). Many are so large that if they took our Suns place, they would engulf Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Others, called white dwarf stars, are around the size of Earth, and neutron stars are less than about 16 kilometers (10 miles) in diameter. Our Sun is about 93 million miles from Earth, 1 astronomical Unit (AU). The difference in its appearance from the stars visible in the night sky is due to its close proximity. The next closest star is Proxima Centauri, 4.2 light-years (40.1 trillion kilometers (20 trillion miles) from Earth. Stars come in a wide variety of colors, ranging from deep red, through orange and yellow to an intense white-blue. The color of a star depends on its temperature. Cooler stars tend to be red, while the hottest ones are blue. Stars are classified many ways, including by their brightness. They are also divided into brightness groups, which are called magnitudes. Each star magnitude is 2.5 times brighter than the next lower star. The brightest stars now represented by negative numbers and they can be dimmer than 31st magnitude.   Stars - Stars - Stars Stars are primarily made of hydrogen, smaller amounts of helium, and trace amounts of other elements. Even the most abundant of the other elements present in stars (oxygen, carbon, neon, and nitrogen) are only present in very small quantities. Despite the frequent use of phrases like the emptiness of space, space is actually full of gases and dust. This material gets compressed by collisions and blast waves from exploding stars, causing lumps of matter to form. If the gravity of these protostellar objects is strong enough, they can pull in other matter for fuels. As they continue to compress, their internal temperatures rise to the point where hydrogen ignites in thermonuclear fusion. While the gravity continues pulling, trying to collapse the star into the smallest possible size, the fusion stabilizes it, preventing further contraction. Thus, a great struggle ensues for the life of the star, as each force continues to push or pull. How Do Stars Produce Light, Heat, and Energy? There are a number of different processes (thermonuclear fusion) which make stars produce light, heat and energy. The most common happens when four hydrogen atoms combine into a helium atom. This releases energy, which is converted to light and heat. Eventually, most of the fuel, hydrogen, is exhausted. As the fuel begins to run out, the strength of the thermonuclear fusion reaction declines. Soon (relatively speaking), gravity will win and the star will collapse under its own weight. At that time, it becomes what is known as a white dwarf. As the fuel further depletes and reaction stops all together, it will collapse further, into a black dwarf. This process can take billions and billions of years to complete. Toward the end of the twentieth century, astronomers began to discover planets orbiting other stars. Because planets are so much smaller and fainter than stars, they are difficult to detect and impossible to see, so how do scientists find them? They measure tiny wobbles in a star’s motion caused by the gravitational pull of the planets. Although no Earth-like planets have been discovered yet, scientists are hopeful. Next lesson, well take a closer look at some of these balls of gas.

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Business Strategy - Essay Example ey company comments on ours pricing policies, levels of production, methods of marketing, inventories, the measure taken to develop products, sales situations and goals, non public market surveys and other archives or confidential information (Hill, & Jones, 2009).   Sharpe should ensure economic knowledge about the Barkley. However, Sharpe seeks to maintain business ethics in our communication. Sharp seeks to maintain a steady relationship with the Barley in a way that they will not exchange their trade secrets, the lists of customers that Sharpe is targeting, and information about the resources available at Sharpe, technological developments or operations. Sharpe should also be careful to avoid hiring staff that worked with Barkley. Sharpe should also avoid dealing with suppliers that have supplied for Barkley to avoid leaking of confidential information; Sharpe will not hire or buy staffs from Barkley to extract information about the Barkley Company. Sharply plans to remove barriers to entry in the market or directly alleviating monopoly rents. The company can also venture in facilitating mergers and acquisition (Baye, 2010).   Sharpe also seeks to set up strategies that will enable the company enjoy the economies of scale, the economies of scope, and cost complementarities of price and output this way the company enjoys low costs and increases profitability. The company is planning to implements strategies that encourage innovation to ensure high profitability and low costs (Hill, & Jones, 2009).   Competition laws seek to grow with the mixed laws such as trademarks, copyrights, patents, industrial design rights and in some instances trade secrets. Companies that wish to increasingly raise prices needs to familiarize with the laws that govern such activities lest their contracts be terminated. Contrary a growing notion feels that promotion of novelty through adhering to the ‘intellectual property rights’ encourages competitiveness, whilst the

Personal Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Personal Development Plan - Essay Example It shall also evaluate team building theories and the implications for effective management of practice. Finally, this paper shall justify my managerial style within the workplace. In effect, this paper shall critically analyse the evidence base for the action plan with the application of current management theories. Discussion As stated in the personal development plan, I need to develop my communication skills. At present, my communication skills are limited and they need improvement; more particularly, my English speaking skills need improvement. Communication is an important part of effective management because it assists in my self-improvement and it aids in successful management (Adair, 2009, p. 4). By increasing reading materials, I can improve my reading and writing skills; and by enrolling in private English classes, I can improve my grammar and syntax, as well as my technical writing skills. These methods can help inject confidence into my speaking, reading, writing, and li stening skills (Lehman, 2007, p. 69). Improving communication is a basic need or skill which has to be fulfilled before I can move on to bigger goals. Fulfilling this need is very much in keeping with the theory as set forth by Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs (Outward Bound, 2007, p. 56). There are different theories and motivation and leadership, and these theories affect the management of organizations. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, people start off fulfilling first their physiological needs and then go on to fulfil their safety, social, esteem, and finally self-actualization needs (Owston, n.d). People therefore can be motivated by their basic needs and also by other more noble goals or causes. For some employees, their motivation in working can start off with the basic need to feed their families (Marchionini, 2006, p. 42). At this stage, they would not look beyond the purpose of their work besides feeding themselves and their family. However, once t heir basic purpose is served, they go beyond that basic goal into higher goals – perhaps, that of saving for their family, and later serving humanity through their work (Marchionini, 2006, p. 42). In my case, my motivation for improving on my communication and eventually my information technology (IT) skills is to maximize use of our organizations’ IT programs. In terms of leadership, the loftier goal for many world leaders has been on the motivation of their armies – with one side insisting that his goal has more moral worth than the others (Owston, n.d). In this case, some leaders may see the need to deliver pain or threats in order to motivate, and others believe that doing so would not be effective ways of motivating people. In other ways, promising more tangible things like money, food, and even excitement can serve better ways of motivating people (Owston, n.d). In managing change, Maslow’s approach to leadership basically welcomes change because a member or even a leader eventually moves up in the hierarchy of needs. Once he fulfils a need, he has to change and move beyond that need on to bigger and better things (Koltko-Rivera, 2006, p. 302). Maslow’s theory therefore, handles and manages change well. McGregor divided human management into the

Education of African American Male Students Essay Example for Free

Education of African American Male Students Essay The Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme court which outlawed racial segregation within public education facilities. Segregation of public education existed until the Supreme Court considered arguments by the schools requesting relief concerning the task of desegregation. In Brown II, the Supreme Court delegated the task of carrying out the desegregation to district courts with orders that desegregation occur with all deliberate speed† (The United States Supreme Court, 1954). This phrase â€Å"with all deliberate speed† was easier said than done. Segregation practices continued in America well after 1954. During these early years groups like The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and The Nation of Islam emerged as the new lead organizations for the Civil Rights Movement. Leaders like Megar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. emerged all were assassinated before reaching the age of forty. These assassinations sparked the emergence of younger and more radical groups. Groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Black Panther Party had goals for education. The Black Panther Party created a comprehensive plan for improving their community. The plan was called the Ten Point Plan (Ten Point Plan, 1966). The Ten Point Plan stated: We believe in an educational system that will give to our people knowledge of self. If a man does not have knowledge of himself and his position in society and the world, then he has little chance to relate to anything else. (Ten Point Plan, 1966, p.1). The 1960’s were an era of great change in African American culture. This was also a time for new leadership in the African American community. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Megar Evers had chosen to use a nonviolent approach. Malcolm X was more radical and was willing to use violence to get equal treatment. After all three leaders were assassinated; leaders such as Stokely Carmichael had a new concept of  what America should become. In 1968 Stokely Carmichael created the term institutional racism, which he defined as the collective failure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their color, culture or ethnic origin. One of the new topics in education reform focused on how to educate African American males. Students in urban areas have been exposed to deteriorating conditions, which include overcrowded classrooms, limited funding for education, and unstable learning environments. In recent years the education of African American males has encountered several problems. Although 72% of African-American students in America graduate from high school, over 45% of African-American males drop out of high school (Green Carl, 2000). Another problem is that one in four African American males are expelled from school each year. Additionally a disproportionate number of African-American males are in special education and remedial reading classes (Lee, Winfield Wilson, 1991). According to Livingston and Nahimana (2006), Success with African-American males requires understanding the social context in which they exist. This journey of cultural understanding begins by recognizing preconceived assumptions about urban African-American male children, African-American children, particularly urban youth, are very keen on picking up the adult’s perception of them. Thus, understanding the behavior and dynamics of urban African-American families will greatly aid in understanding and educating the African-American male child. (p.210) Statement of the problem In recent years, there has been a trend of academic underachievement among African American males. Economic opportunities, lack of education, lack of father figures and the lack of understanding from the American society has damaged the self-esteem and the educational opportunities of young African American males. This research discussed the role that education has contributed to the underachievement of African American males in education. The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the data regarding the education of African American male students. Specifically, the study looked  at the factor impacting the education of African American male students. This results of this study aims to encourage and educate professionals by providing information and additional strategies in promoting the educational success of African American male students. The following research questions guided this study: 1. What factors have influenced the education of African American males? 2. How have historical perspectives regarding poverty in the African American community changed? 3. How have attempts to desegregate public schools in America operated? 4. What strategies can educators use to improve opportunities for African American male students? Limitations of Study This study was based on existing literature and research regarding factor impacting African American male students. The scope of data collection included journals, books, and articles dealing with African American male student. The literature consisted of a number of studies involving the African American family structure. Studies in the field of education often do not include a control group. Other sources describe recommendations or proposals that may correlate with successful implementation of various strategies, but do not have quantifiable data to support those models. The limitations that these factors bring include the amount of study and research that exists within the literature Research was confined to the past decade; with the exception of the historical aspects presented Definition of Terms Accountability: a policy of holding schools and teachers accountable for the academic progress students by linking such progress with funding for salaries, and maintenance Culture: refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. Different definitions of culture reflect various theoretical bases for understanding, or criteria for evaluating, human activity. Institutional racism: the collective failure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their color, culture or ethnic  origin. Poverty: the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor; indigence. Public education: education mandated for or offered by the government to the children of the general public, whether national, regional, or local, provided by an institution of civil government, and paid for, in whole or in part, by taxes. The term is generally applied to basic education, K -12 education and primary and secondary education. Racism: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that ones own race is superior and has the right to rule others. Racial segregation: is characterized by separation of different races in daily life when both races are doing equal tasks, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. Urbanization: means increased spatial scale and/or density of settlement and/or business and other activities in the area over time. The process could occur either as natural expansion of the existing population (usually not a major factor since urban reproduction tends to be lower than rural), the transformation of peripheral population from rural to urban, incoming migration, or a c ombination of these. Design of the Study This study was descriptive in nature. All data were based upon research of available literature on the challenges of poverty and its role in the education of African American male students. Guiding questions were answered based upon a review of existing literature and research which addressed the factor impacting African American male students Literature on educational learning strategies were identified, studied and discussed. The information is presented in four chapters: Chapter One will consist of the introduction of the research paper. Chapter Two is the review of literature, outlining as pertinent to the research question. Chapter Three presents the analysis of the findings, and theme regarding the historical perspectives and impacting factors associated with the education of African American males. Chapter Four consists of a discussion including summary, conclusions, and recommendations. CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Introduction Before educators analyze the negative statistics for African American males, the fact that there have been successes must be realized. According to Livingston and Nahimana (2006), Success with young African-American males requires understating the social context in which they exist. This journey of cultural understanding begins by recognizing preconceived assumptions about urban African-American male children. African-American children, particularly urban youth, are very keen on picking up the adults’ perception of them, thus understanding the behavior and the dynamics of urban African-American families will greatly aid in the understanding and educating the African-American male child. Although the literature is quick to point out that many urban African-Americans are reared in single family home, one should not assume that there are not positive males in the child’s extended family. Uncles, grandfathers and even older male siblings can play an important role in aiding our work with students. ( p.210) There are several questions that could be asked about the education of African American males. According to Education Today (2007, p.22), â€Å"there is a new question that will be asked. Will we lose the next two or three generations, or possibly every generation of African-American boys hereafter to negative media, gangs, drugs, poor education, unemployment, father absence, crime, violence and death? African American male students are faced with several challenges in education such as unemployment, housing, violence, incarceration, drugs, and education. According to Livingston and Nahimana (2006), â€Å"Educating young African American males has become an increasing concern for educators and human service professionals over the past 20 years. Disproportionate rates of school failure, dropout, and incarceration all speak to the need to develop interventions, which can account for the structural and ecological factors that impact African-American families and African-American children† (209). Even the United States Senate has noticed the new disturbing trend among African  American males. According to United States Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) â€Å"in 1999, 65 percent of African-American male high school dropouts in their 20s were jobless. He added that by 2004, the share had increased to 72 percent, as compared to 29 percent of whites and 19 percent of Latinos.† Schumer also noted â€Å"the incarceration rate of young African-American males is at historic highs, more than half of African-American males do not finish high school, and an African-American man in his 20s without a high school diploma is more likely to be in jail than to be working† (Wright, 2007, p.4). Family Structure/Foundation In America, the traditional family structure consists of a mother and a father. According to May, â€Å"In the 1950s the normative American family consisted of a breadwinner father, homemaker mother, and several children, all living in homes in the suburbs on the outskirts of a larger city. It was a narrow view of a model family, yet it pervaded the media and was widely accepted as the ideal and most normal† ( p.20). Today, the dynamic of the American family structure is much different. Bishop (1991, p 23 ) stated that â€Å"In the 1990s there are still traditional families with parents and children, but the definition of a family has broadened considerably. Children are raised by many varieties of caring adults: single parents, grandparents, kin-networks, homosexual couples, and others. Even traditional appearing families are often blended families of children from different biological parents.† African American families have similar dynamics. Billingsley (1968, p. 36) â€Å"identified three categories of African American families: primary families (e.g., two-parent), extended families (e.g., other relatives, in-laws), and augmented families (e.g., nonrelated individuals).† The structure of the African American family has not remained static over the years. According to Tucker and Mitchell-Kernan (1995) African American women are now twice as likely to maintain families solely then they were in 1940. Another trend involves women heading the household. According to Darity and Myers (1995, p. 1), â€Å"The rise in female-headed families among African Americans has been swift. Twenty-eight percent of African American families were headed by women in 1970, and 46% were female headed. This data make it clear that patterns of African American family formation have undergone substantial change over the past 50  years in a number of important aspects. The absence of fathers from the homes has been associated with delinqu ency. According to Auletta, â€Å"living in single-mother household has been suggested as a contributing factor in the development of adolescent problem behaviors† (p.23). There are other concerns with the African American family that involve marriage. According to Tucker and Mitchell-Kernan (1995), â€Å"the proportion of African American women and men who marry has declined by 20% over the past 50 years, compared to the general population that has remained steady. The combined impact of delayed marriage, more non-marriage, high divorce rates, and a high rate of births out of wedlock are observed as having a profound effect on family formation in the African American community. Four out of every 10 African American families have a woman maintaining the family without the support of another adult. These trends are directly related to the well being of African American families and communities. Unemployment In the African American community there are several challenges for young African American males. The lack of jobs has a lot to do with poverty and continues to plague the African American community. According to McAdoo (p. 15), High rates of unemployment have had a profound impact upon the African-American community. Discrimination, inequalities in hiring and recessions, plant closings, the removal of high paying, industrial and manufacturing jobs to rural America and Third World countries have removed a number of African-American males from the urban employment sector. Historically, the rate of unemployment among African-American men has been twice that of White America. On the east coast the unemployment rates are even more disproportionate. Currently in major urban cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York, 35-55% of African-American males between the ages of 18 and 35 are unemployed (National Urban League, 2005). According to Dubowitz (1999), â€Å"Currently 24.4% of African-Americans live in poverty as compared to only 8.2% of Whites and 22.5% of Hispanics.†(p.55)† There have been other studies that reveal males are more likely to remove themselves from their family when they are unable to provide financial support (Livingston McAdoo, 1993). For African-American Families, and African-American male children in particular, high rates of male unemployment can create a context of fatherlessness, economic  instability, poverty, hopelessness characterized of manifested in children by low expectations, increased rates of high school drop out, and high rates of delinquency, which eventually assist in maintaining the context of persistent poverty (McAdoo, 1993). Unemployment can create multiple mental and psychological problems for African American male students Drugs in the African American Community There is an increased concerned about drugs in the African American community. In the African American community, children endure the most pain when fathers or brothers are missing because they are in jail. According to Newman (2005), â€Å"One reason why many fathers cant be with their families is because of this countrys misguided war on drugs. Of the 2 million people behind bars in America, more than 450,000 are there for drug offenses. While drug abuse doesnt discriminate, our drug policies do.† (pg12), Another statistic indicate that African Americans are more likely to go to jail for drug offences. According to Newman (2005,), â€Å"Despite roughly equal drug use between African-Americans and Whites, African-Americans are 13 times more likely to go to jail for drugs than Whites. In New York, 93% of the people in jail under the Rockefeller drug laws are African-American and Latino. Offering people treatment and help instead of incarceration for their drug addictions woul d not only save this country much-needed resources, it would help keep thousands of fathers with their families.†(pg12) There is another puzzling situation in the low-income African American community related to drugs. There are higher risk factors that create an environment more conducive to drug abuse and incarceration. According to Schensul (2005, p.39), â€Å"The drug use of low-income African American emerging adults is more troublesome because those protective factors associated with the role changes that mark emerging adulthood in middle class white youths and many youths of color are not necessarily available to poor young people.† These statistics reflect a correlation between income, drugs, and possible incarceration. Schensul (2005) noted that urban low-income youths experience many of the same developmental transitions as their middle-class counterparts. Some of the factors that promote drug use include increased residential instability, expanded and diversified social networks, exposure to high risk settings, and negative  social influences that support and promote the use of drugs and alcohol. However, urban students are subject to inadequate primary and secondary school education, family stressors stemming from the vagaries of impoverishment and government social policies, limited local professional role models, and few job opportunities that guarantee salaries and benefits above the poverty level. Material goods can also play a key role in the lifestyle of young African American males. According to McCord, J. (1990,), Sometimes there are families struggle that are related to school life (fashionable clothing and social life) but may not be able to do so for emerging adults whose financial needs are increasing. Selling marijuana is an option for intermittent income supplementation, and many youths have friends or relatives who are in a position to supply them with small amounts from time to time. Once involved in drug selling networks, youths can move to selling additional drugs if they believe it is reasonable to accept the associated risks. This means that students are willing to take unnecessary risk.(pg 35). Crime and Violence in the African American Community In the African American community there is a mistrust of law enforcement. According to McCord, (1990), Unlike suburban White youths, however, African American and Latino youths are targets for street violence, arrest, and police harassment and abuse. Once imprisoned, or on parole as adults, their institutional record may preclude voting and render them ineligible for employment opportunities. Imprisonment may introduce them to gang members or prospective customers. (p. 44) Studies also revealed that certain minority youth are at greater risk for violent behaviors. According to Fitzpatrick and LaGory (2000,), â€Å"Specifically, African-American adolescents are more likely than White, Hispanic, or Asian youth to instigate physical fighting and weapon-related violence and to suffer both fatal and nonfatal injuries from physical assaults. Not only are minority youth at greater risk for victimization by aggressive peers, they are more likely to perpetrate violence.†(p. 21) African Americans are at higher risk to have more fatal injuries than Whites. This results in higher homicide rates. Many prominent African Americans have shown concern about young African American students. The most notable of the critics, Bill  Cosby, has been vocal regarding the number of African-American men who are incarcerated and the growing number of poor African-American children who are being raised by irresponsible parents. Cosby publicly chastised many in the African-American community for not doing enough to deal with critical problems and issues, such as illiteracy, poverty, crime and violence, which remain challenges in the African American community. Cosby told a packed crowd gathered at a 50th anniversary celebration commemorating the Brown v. Board of Education decision â€Å"the ladies and gentleman of the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids — $500 sneakers for what? And yet they wont spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics (Watson, 2004, p. 10), Even though Cosby’s statements were harsh, they created a debate, which stirred conversation in the African American community. Incarceration According to Kunjufu (2001, p. 15 ), â€Å"over the past twenty years there has been a decline in violent crime in the United States. But in the African American community there has been an opposite trend. There are several factors that cause these trends, including poverty, family structure, high unemployment rates, crime, drugs and education.† Kunjufu also reported that African-American males in juvenile detention centers and prison have increased in recent years. Each year, thousands of young boys are placed in detention centers and adult facilities. Although African American males comprise only about 6% of the population of the, they represent over 50% of the penal population (Kunjufu, 2001). There are several other statistics that prove alarming to the African American community and the rest of the citizens in the United States. According, to Kunjufu â€Å"Currently one in three Africans American males between the ages of 20-29 is either in jail or on probation. The overwhelming majority of these men have been arrested and detained due to drug convictions.† (p. 26), Another statistic is that there are major inequities when it comes to sentencing of African American males. According to Livingston and Nahimana, â€Å"inequities in sentencing have lead to longer jail and prison terms for these young men at the most malleable period in their development. The return into the drug trade and the life of crime becomes a viable choice for many of these young men, accounting for the high rates of recidivism for  young African American males† (p.11). This is alarming because of high unemployment and limited education as well as the fact that prior conviction can lead to long term prison. The incarceration of African American males has had a dynamic effect on the community. According to Arias (2007), â€Å"The overwhelmingly high rate of incarceration among African-American men in America is striking a blow not only to the health and well-being of those men but also to their families and communities.† (p.20) This study reported that 12% of young African American males between the ages of 20-39 have been taken out of the household. This places a tremendous strain on African American women to take care of the household. Another staggering statistic is that only 62 percent of African American males graduate from high school. According to National Urban League Panel (2005, p.1), On average, only 62 percent of African-American males graduate from high school with their original class. African-American males make up only 6 percent of the United States population, but 40 percent of the prison population. Forty percent of those African-American inmates are between the ages of 17 and 26. (National Urban League Panel,). The age group between 17 and 26 is the age group that will likely attend college. If these current trends continue, there will be a tremendous increase in the number of African American males incarcerated. According to Pluviose (2006,)â€Å"by 2020, if current trends hold, that figure will rise to more than 65 percent for African-American men between the ages of 20 and 29.† (p. 22), These figures illustrate a tremendous need for employment and educational programs. The prison rate of African American males has had substantial economic impact on the African-American community. According to Holmes and Hughes (2003, p. 44), â€Å"incarceration rates in the United States, prison and jail inmates at midyear in 2002, reported that 12.9% of African-American males between the ages of 25 and 29 were incarcerated.† Segregated Schools What would Horace Mann think about the state of education today? Horace Mann was the father of the American school system. According to Hubbard (2005), Horace Mann believed that the common schools should be available to everyone. He wanted them to be available to people that were rich, poor, and of different backgrounds. As mentioned earlier Brown vs. the Board of Education was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court which outlawed racial segregation within public education facilities. In Brown II, the Supreme Court delegated the task of carrying out the desegregation to district courts with orders that desegregation occur with all deliberate speed† (The United States, 1954). The current challenge that urban education face is called the No Child Left Behind Act. According to The United States Department of Education (2007) â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), commonly known as NCLB, is a United States federal law that was passed in the House of Representatives on May 23, 2001. This law was signed on January 8, 2002, and reauthorized a number of federal programs aiming to improve the performance of United States primary and secondary schools by increasing the standards of accountability for states, school districts and schools, as well as providing parents more flexibility in choosing which schools their children would attend. Additionally, NCLB promotes an increased focus on reading and re-authorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (NCLB, 2007). One of the many challenges with No Child Left Behind is that the goals are commendable, but the expectations are unreasonable because of the deterioration of the urban schools school district. The next challenge in urban education the education of African American males. According to Misani (2007,) nationally between one-half and two-thirds of African male students drop out of school. In addition, the research disclosed a 65 percent dropout rate in Chicago, with only 35 percent of African-American male students graduating from high school. In New York, the dropout rate is 74 percent, with merely 26 percent of African-American male students graduating.† p. 34) This is a tragic situation in urban schools when nearly seventy five percent of the African American male students are not graduating. According to Smith (2005, p. 27), â€Å"the drop out rates for African American males in metropolitan areas is well over 50 percent. Another trend is that some African American males believe that it is easier to drop out than to complete high school Bowye (2007, p.3) stated, It is  most disturbing that dropping out of high school is more common than graduating from high school for children of color. Focusing on another disconcerting trend within the community for African-American young men, Dr. Hodge pointed out: Going to jail is becoming the common experience for children of color (Misani, 2007, p.35). If African American children continue to think this way, many are headed for prison and the crime rate will steadily increase in these areas. There is also a problem when it comes to the placement of African American males in education. There are disproportionate numbers of African American males placed in special education and suspended from school. According to Rodney and Crafter (1999, p.185), â€Å"Nationally African American males score lower than any other groups on standardized test and are three times more likely than their Caucasian American counterparts to be misplaced in special education or classes for slow learners.† When situations like this continue to occur students feel neglected and are more likely to drop out of school. Many African American students think that the American educational system is unfair. According to Misani (2007, p. 34), African-American boys are disproportionately and inappropriately assigned to special education classes, expelled and suspended from school, and underrepresented in college preparatory classes. Consequently the study concluded: Many of those who graduate are not prepared for college or further educational training. (Misani, 2007 p.34) African American males represent 8.6 % of the nation’s public students in 2000-2001, but in some districts, they make up as much as 41 percent of the special education population (Smith, 2005).

Problems with the Expansion of NATO :: Free Essay Writer

Problems with the Expansion of NATO Throughout the Clinton years the government has tried to make NATO expansion look like a risk free operation. But the truth is that there are many risks and dangers that go with the expansion of NATO. It has been said that the expansion of NATO would be a fatal error in the American policy. As NATO expands it is drawing an imaginary dividing line separating the many NATO nations from the Ukraine, Russia and other countries in the eastern half of the world. The goal should be to settle things between Russia by joining with them and making good relationships with them economically, militarily, and politically. This was done between the U.S. and Germany after World War II to end the threat between Germany and its neighbors. Why shouldn’t we do it now. But as NATO expands the dividing line grows darker and darker between these nations. Since the Cold War era the goal has been to reduce nuclear weapons in Russia. But as NATO expands it scares Russia, who thinks to compete with NATO the only thing they can do is put emphasis on nuclear weapons. Russia’s economy is no where near the strength of the United States which drives them to depend on nuclear weapons. It is the cheapest way for them to compete with us. Russia has always and will continue to have a great fear of foreign invasion as long as NATO expands. As NATO expands it sends fear into Russia that NATO is increasing in domination in former Soviet territories. As NATO expands it only will hurt any good relations that the United States has with Russia. There are also many economic setbacks in the expansion of NATO. Many of the nations will have to spend great amounts of money to modernize their militaries to the NATO standards. Many of these countries cannot afford expenses like that. It would just send small nations economies into the ground causing the needed economic reforms to be that much more difficult to achieve. One example of this is the Czech Republic that is receiving pressure from other NATO nations to modernize their military. The Czech Republic economy does not have that kind of money though. As NATO expands many of the smaller countries cannot or do not want to pay extra fees for things like military enlargement. These expenses will most likely get dumped on us. Causing the United

Joan Didion essay Essay

In the essay â€Å"On Self-Respect† by Joan Didion one is confronted by the perception of delusion and self-deception. Throughout the essay Didion uses an array of allusions, images, and diction to persuade us into comprehending the essay and what it is trying to display. The essay evaluates and condemns various allusions that help to convey Didion’s message that she is trying to get across that when you have self-respect you have more benefits than when you self-reproach. In paragraph two Didion explains how she has not been elected to Phi Beta Kappa and that the â€Å"failure could scarcely have been more predictable or less ambiguous.† Didion knew she did not have the grades for it. She explains a past event that helps us understand more about her and why she might feel the need to write an essay over self-respect and self-reproach. Didion creates an image in the readers mind that now because of her past events she had been stripped of her innocence. Didion was so used to having everything go her way but now she realizes that the, â€Å"lights will not always turn green† for her. She now regrets not trying harder and blames herself for not being elected to attend Kappa, which makes her not have any self-respect for herself as a person. Throughout the first half of the essay Didion explains self-respect and how one can be stripped of it but also what self-respect is about. In paragraph four Didion describes that to have no self-respect is to just lie awake during the night and think about all the regrets we have and to blame our self as we lie there not able to turn off the voice in our head. Didion uses the allusions of self-reproach or self-deception in paragraph four. Paragraph five reads, â€Å"It’s our choice to sleep in the bed we make,† what Didion is trying to get across is that the bed we make is the future path we set. It is our choice to sleep in it or in other words walk that path to self-respect. This paragraph addresses an image in the reader’s heads that it is always their choice whether or not to take the path to having the self-respect that they need. The other half of the essay Didion changes to a more persuasive, more experienced, tone about having self-respect. Since Didion has gone through what suggests to be not having self-respect due to her past events she is now try to convince us, the readers, that having no self-respect will get us no where in life. In Paragraph nine it states, â€Å"but when they do play, they know the odds,† referring to the people that do have self-respect. This part of the essay is trying to show the readers that people who have self-respect play the fields and take risks and that’s one of the reasons self-respect is good for a person. Didion uses her past to tell us that soon enough no one will be there for us after we push them away because its easy to be mad at everyone when you blame yourself all the time. People will no self-respect will no longer be involved with the outside world, which can hurt a multitude of people. We must choose the path that we made that is better for us. In the essay Didion uses a variety of allusions and imagery to prompt the readers that we cannot self-reproach and that self-respect does not come from others opinions but from what we think of our self. Didion wants the readers to apprehend that we have to move on from our mistakes in the past because that’s what they are, the past. We cannot change what has happened so we must live now in the present and set our self a path in the future to follow. In the end the readers learn the lesson that they must explore and venture self-respect and the meaning and concept of it to understand why we need it and why we must not blame yourself for the past but to move on in life.

Wireless network management

The 802.11 protocol is defined for a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and is based on a cellular architecture in which the network is divided into cells where each cell (called a Basic Service Cell (BSS)) is controlled by a base station called an Access Point (AP).The basic access mechanism implemented in the protocol is a Carrier Sence Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA). The CSMA protocol works as follows:Â   if a station wishes to transmit information through it network, it senses the medium. In case the medium is busy (another station in the network is currently transmitting information) then the station will delay its transmission requests to a later time. Otherwise, the medium is free and the station is allowed to transmit the desired information.The problem with the CSMA protocol is the case where a collision occurs. A collision may occur if two different stations sense the medium as free and begin to transmit information. For this purpose, we use a collision avoidance mechanism: a station willing to transmit senses the medium. If the medium is busy, it defers its request.Otherwise, it sends an RTS (Request To Transmit) which includes the source, destination and the duration of the transaction. If the medium is free then the destination station will respond with a packet called CTS (Clear To Send) which will include the same duration information and once the source station receives this packet, it starts to transmit. The destination station checks the CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) and sends an acknowledgment package (ACK).Receiving the ACK informs the source station that no collision had occurred. If the source station does not receive the ACK it will keep resending the data or will throw it away after a given number of retransmissions.When a station wishes to join an existing BSS, it needs to receive synchronization information from the BSS’s AP. First, the station needs to go through the AP’s authentication process. Durin g this process, the station and the AP exchange information proving to each other that each side is familiar with a specific password.

Automobile Has Improved Life Essays

Automobile Has Improved Life Essays Automobile Has Improved Life Paper Automobile Has Improved Life Paper Some people think that the automobile has improved modern life. Others think that the automobile has caused serious problems. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. The invention and proliferation of the automobile has improved the human lives considerably. In modern days, complete transportation of men and material is carried out with the help of automobiles. Automobiles in the modern era, for us are not luxury, but a necessity rather. We think nothing while jumping in the car and driving many a miles on a trip or for our jobs. But looking to the future, researchers are constantly trying to find better ways of transporting with more fuel efficient and environment friendly vehicles redesigning the engines and appearance. For going to school or college, attending office or business, shopping or socializing and numerous daily activities we are dependent on automobiles. Automobiles we use in the shape of a car, scooter or motorbike depending upon our need, nature of work and affordability. While the life has become very fast and time is extremely scarce we have to cope up with the work or the business and keep pace with time with the help of our automobile. Very large tankers transport oil and gas for the use of end users. All projects ranging from small or gigantic need cranes, trucks, lifters, elevators, excavators, dumpers, road rollers, tractors and what not. And all those are the development from automobiles. No doubt automobiles do cause some air pollution in environment by way of exhaust of carbon-mono-oxide and carbon-di-oxide. However to overcome pollution problem oil companies as well as automobile manufacturers do a great deal of research and develop products that are environment friendly. We can neither discard automobiles nor can we imagine our life without automobiles. In nutshell invention and proliferation of automobiles has improved the human lives. We can’t imagine of a life without automobiles today. (287 Words)

Teacher Merit Pay Benefits and Disadvantages

Teacher Merit Pay Benefits and Disadvantages Teaching unions around the United States are lessening their opposition to merit pay for teachers and finding new ways to experiment with the concept, passionate reactions erupted from teachers everywhere. So, what exactly are the pros and cons of paying teachers differently based on the results they produce in the classroom? The issue is complex. In fact, it has been debated for over 40 years in the world of education. The National Education Association (NEA) adamantly opposes merit pay, but is it an idea whose time has come? The Pros Americans value hard work and results, and our capitalist system hinges upon rewarding such results. Most professions offer bonuses and salary increases to exemplary employees. Why should teaching be the exception? The fact that a sloppy teacher and a dedicated teacher earn the same salary just doesn’t sit right with most people.Incentivized teachers will work harder and produce better results. What motivation do teachers currently have to go above and beyond the jobs basic requirements? The simple possibility of extra cash would most likely translate into smarter teaching and better results for our children.Merit Pay programs will help recruit and retain the nation’s brightest minds. It’s the odd teacher who hasn’t considered leaving the classroom and entering the corporate workplace for the twin benefits of less hassle and more money potential. Particularly intelligent and effective teachers might reconsider leaving the profession if they felt that their extraordinary efforts were being recognized in their paychecks. Teachers are already underpaid. Merit Pay would help address this injustice. Teaching is due for a renaissance of respect in this country. How better to reflect the esteemed way we feel about educators than through paying them more? And the highest performing teachers should be first in line for this financial recognition.We are in the middle of a teaching shortage. Merit pay would inspire potential teachers to give the profession more consideration as a viable career choice, rather than a personal sacrifice for the higher good. By tying teaching salaries to performance, the profession would look more modern and credible, thus attracting young college graduates to the classroom.With American schools in crisis, shouldn’t we be open to trying almost anything new in the hopes of making a change? If the old ways of running schools and motivating teachers aren’t working, perhaps it’s time to think outside of the box and try Merit Pay. In a time of crisis, no valid ide as should be quickly denied as a possible solution. The Cons Virtually everyone agrees that designing and monitoring a Merit Pay program would be a bureaucratic nightmare of almost epic proportions. Many major questions would have to be adequately answered before educators could even consider implementing Merit Pay for teachers. Such deliberations would inevitably take away from our real goal which is to focus on the students and give them the best education possible.Goodwill and cooperation among teachers will be compromised. In places that have previously tried variations of Merit Pay, the results have often been unpleasant and counter-productive competition between teachers. Where teachers once worked as a team and shared solutions cooperatively, Merit Pay can make teachers adopt a more â€Å"I’m out for myself only† attitude. This would be disastrous for our students, no doubt.Success is difficult, if not impossible, to define and measure. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has already proven how the various unleveled playing fields in the American education system inherently set up a wide variety of standards and expectations. Consider the diverse needs of English Language Learners, Special Education Students, and low-income neighborhoods, and you’ll see why it would be opening a messy can of worms to define standards of success for American schools when the stakes are cash in the pockets of real teachers. Opponents to Merit Pay argue that a better solution to the current educational crisis is to pay all teachers more. Rather than design and regulate a messy Merit Pay program, why not simply pay teachers what they are already worth?High-stakes Merit Pay systems would inevitably encourage dishonesty and corruption. Educators would be financially motivated to lie about testing and results. Teachers might have legitimate suspicions of principal favoritism. Complaints and lawsuits would abound. Again, all of these messy morality issues serve only to distract from the needs of our students who simply need our energies and attention to learn to read and succeed in the world.​ So what do you think now? With issues as complicated and evocative as Merit Pay, ones position can be naturally nuanced. In the big picture, all that really matters is the learning that happens with our students when the rubber meets the road in our classrooms. After all, theres not a teacher in the world who entered the profession for the money. Edited By:  Janelle Cox

Blue Ocean Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Blue Ocean Strategy - Research Paper Example 2.0. Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create Grid Table 1. Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create Grid (ERRC) for Nintendo Wii  Eliminate Raise Game expansion packs Purchaser influence Simplicity / easy to play Reduce Create Gaming technology Health & lifestyle benefits Family experience 2.1. Eliminate Here BOS advances that Nintendo Wii has to look for those factors in the gaming industry that the industry has been competing on that can be done away with. Traditionally, in the Red Ocean, game expansion packs are utilised as a customer lock-in strategy. They are used to extend the gamers interest beyond the original version of the game. Nintendo Wii, unlike its competitors, does not offer expansion sets and this has enabled it to develop new value in two ways. Firstly, expansion sets lead to an extra cost to both manufacturer and users. By eliminating these expansion packs Nintendo Wii is able to save costs on production, distribution, promotion and sales. Secondly, these expansion sets needs serious gamers who are focused on extending their gaming experience beyond leisure. Expansion packs are also seen in some quarters as being as an unethical way of increasing customer loyalty through promotion of addiction (â€Å"Why are Video Games Addictive - Reasons & Theories,† 2011). The Wii targets the casual gamer who does not have that urge for an extended gaming experience. In fact, the Wii could use this to promote itself as the non-addictive gaming choice. 2.2. Reduce According to the Four Actions Framework at this juncture the Wii needs to determine whether products or services have been overdesigned in the race to match and beat the competition. Wii’s big competitors, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, have concentrated on differentiating their products through over-serving customers with provision of cutting-edge technologies such as increased graphics and HD. The benefits that these companies obtain through this strategy are marginal in comparison to the costs they incur. Kim and Mauborgne (2005) referred to this as increasing cost structure for no gain. PS3 and Xbox 360 are forced to provide cutting-edge game play because they are fighting over the same market of demanding, die-hard gamers. On the other hand, the Wii opted to focus on the three groups of noncustomers: those people at the market edge who are undecided, those that flat out refuse to purchase a Wii because they are committed to another system like the XBox 360, and the unexplored, who may not know about the Wii or possibly cannot afford it. Nintendo reduced their costs by going low tech and increased the value of the Wii by instead focusing on making it easy to understand, fun to play and highly interactive. According to Scott (2008) Nintendo expanded the market by making video games simpler and more accessible. 2.3. Raise As stated above the Wii utilised a strategy that was different from its rivals, focusing on raising the simplicity, fun an d interactivity of its games as its customer value proposition rather than using superior gaming technology as its value proposition. This is in line with the third action of the BOS Four Actions Framework which seeks to identify factors that need to be raised well-above the industry standards (Kim & Mauborgne,