Comparing Caste Systems Essay

Compare the caste system to other systems of social inequality devised by early and classical civilizations, including slavery. †¢ A Patriarchy is a society in which the role of men is placed above the role of women. -The post classical era had many patriarchal societies, because of the changes of the roles of men and women. -Patriarchal societies include: China, Egypt, Mesopotomia, and India. -In China, the men had public authority. But, during the Shang Dynasty, women started to gain some rights. -In Egypt, the men had the authority over the public. Egypt’s society was not as bad as some were, though. Women still had many rights. Example: Queen Hatshepsut. -In Mesopotamia, Hammurabi’s Law Code gave men a higher status than women. The men decided the jobs that each family member did and arranged the marriages. The women still had power and were able to influence the kings and people with important power. -In India, The Lawbook of Manu said that women should be treated with respect and honor. But, they were still controlled by either their fathers or husbands. Their main role in society was to have children and maintain the household. †¢ The Caste System was based on the ideals of Varnas that brought their patriarchal system of life to India. -The Caste System and Hinduism go hand in hand. -In this system, women were below men, but there were also groups. -Classes: Brahmin-priests and scholars Kshatriyas-warriors and ruling class Vaishayas-farmers and businessmen Shudras-servants Untouchables-not even represented -The class you were born in was the class you stayed in for your entire life. -The priests and warriors had a more unstable life than the workers and merchants did. -The Sutte went along with the ideals of the Caste System. It said that when a ruler died, his wife must die too. Also, as the views of women changed, it went better along with those new views. †¢ Religious Inequalities: -Priests were at a higher authority and standing in society, because their job was the most important. -Many religions used a social hierarchy to organize their community and hold people to a code of conduct and activity. -Examples: Hinduism, Confucianism, Mandate of Heaven, and Pharaohs. †¢ Political Inequalties: -Many classical societies developed inequalities due to political and/or governmental divisions of society. -Politics defined the roles and status of classical civilizations. -These were stemmed from the rise of a government and stratification based on government. -Social mobility existed, because one could improve their wealth or education. -More opposition, because people felt more repressed by the government. -Examples: Rome, Egypt, and Japan †¢ Slavery: -Slavery was not very popular during this time period; however it was used by the river based societies because they were agriculturally developed. -Slaves were used on farms, because farms required a lot of labor, and slaves were cheap or free. -Slaves had no freedom and had no respect. -Slaves were in the worst and lowest class. -Civilizations that used slavery were: Rome, Egypt, China, India (untouchables), and a small part of Africa. †¢ Economic Inequality: -Many classical societies used economic status as a means of placing people into classes. -Class distinction was based upon accumulation of wealth and monopoly on agricultural or specialized production. -Jobs were another form of societal groupings. -Examples: India, China, Egypt, Japan, and Mesopotamia

Nortel Case Report Essay

The company also used to be affiliated with AT&T/Western Electric until Western was forced to sell its stake in 1949. In 1976, the company changed its name from Northern Electric to Northern Telecom Limited, and shifted its concentration on digital technology. In 1977, Nortel introduced its DMS line of digital central office telephone switches. Nortel ended its long relationship with AT&T in 1984, a year after deregulation named. Bell Canada Enterprises the parent company to Northern Telecom. In 1998, the company acquired Bay Networks and changed its name to Nortel Networks. In the late 90’s, Nortel’s sales of fiber optic network gear was predicted to help their sales, but the market became saturated very quickly. At the height of Nortel’s first 100 years the company amassed for more than a third of the total valuation of all companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), but once the Internet bubble passed, the company fell into ethical debacle. Nortel Networks Corporation, or formally known as Northern Telecom Limited was one of the largest telecommunications equipment companies in the world prior to its filing for bankruptcy protection on January 14th, 2009. During times of functionality, they specialized in multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturing. The company is based in Canada out of Mississiauga, Ontario, Canada. Their biggest rival always was Global System Mobile (GSM). Through the early 1990s, the company invested heavily in Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) in attempt to grow in European and Asian markets. This did not pan out so well as Nortel’s losses amounted to $27. 3 billion by 2001—causing them to lay off two-thirds of the workforce. From 2000 through 2003 there was a period of fiscal irresponsibility resulting from the work of the company’s administrators. Initially in 2000, they falsified their fourth-quarter earnings by $1 billion to meet market expectations and selectively reversing certain revenue entries. In 2002, administrators discovered $300 million in excess reserves being carried over and swept it under the rug for future benefit in addition to establishing another $151 million in unnecessary reserves. In 2003, administrators directed the release of at least $490 million of excess reserves to boost earning, fabricate profits, and pay bonuses. Losses turned to profits during this year thanks to the shifty methods taking place. Later in that year, administrators mislead investors as to why Nortel was conducting a purportedly â€Å"comprehensive review† of its assets—attributed by restatement $948 million in liabilities. They said restatement was caused solely by internal control mistakes instead of the truth that there was intentional improper handling of reserves which needed to remain hidden. 2 On October 23rd, 2003, the company announced that Nortel would restate its financials for fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002. Shortly after this restatement, the major players of Nortel’s administration that were responsible for all of this were exposed through an independent investigation. In March 2004, The CFO and controller were suspended, in addition to the announcement of further restatements and revisions; they were terminated a month later in April 2004. A restatement in early 2005 showed approximately $3. 4 billion in misstated revenues and another $746 in liabilities. In late 2005, Nortel admitted that restatements were the result of management fraud—beginning the downturn of their stock. The company ended up restating financials four times over four years, replacing senior management, and instituting a comprehensives remediation program designed to ensure proper accounting and reporting practices. Eventually on October 15th, 2007, Nortel agreed to settle by paying a $35 million civil penalty and admitting to violations of the antifraud, reporting, books and records, and internal control provisions of the federal securities laws. 2 On June 25th, 2009, Nortel’s price dropped to 18. 5 cents a share down from a high of $124. 0 in 2000. The company decided that month that they would discontinue operations and sell off all of its business units. Nortel’s CDMA wireless business and LTE access technology were sold to Ericsson, and Avaya purchased Nortels Enterprise business unit. Major Players in the Scandal: The major players in this scandal were the four members of the senior management: CEO Frank Dunn, CFO Douglas Beatty, controller Michael Gollogly, and ass istant controller Maryanne Pahapill. CEO Frank Dunn, who is also a certified management accountant. Dunn was mainly involved in the improper use of reserves from 2000 to 2003. CFO Douglas Beatty, controller Michael Gollogly, and assistant controller Maryanne Pahapill were also involved in this management fraud. 2 The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Toronto arrested ex-CEO Frank Dunn, ex-CFO Douglas Beatty, and former corporate controller Michael Gollogly on seven counts of fraud. Including charges â€Å"fraud affecting public market; falsification of books and documents; false prospectus, pertaining to allegations of criminal activity within Nortel Networks during 2002 and 2003. Magnitude of the financial issue: Nortel at its peak was one of the best companies that Canada had ever seen. Just like ENRON and other financial frauds at the time, Nortel appeared to be a shining example of success in the corporate world. Again like ENRON, Nortel grew through a strategy of aggressive expansion and purchasing of smaller companies in order to create a massive conglomerate. During the good times Nortel was the largest technology company and the most valuable company in Canada. Nortel accounted for over one third of the entire aluation of the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the Canadian equivalent of the New York Stock Exchange and holds the most influential stock market in Canada. Nortel employed about 95,000 employees worldwide. About 26,000 of those workers based in Canada alone. Nortel at one point had a market capitalization of almost C$400 billion. Nortel had set up pensions and healthcare protection for its employees. All of these were lost to either the restructuring under Frank Dunne which left about 60,000 employees without jobs or the bankruptcy that followed in 2009. Canadian government officials and regulators identified how destructive a full failure of Nortel would be on the Canadian economy. The Canadian government through the Export Development Canada project tried to lend money to the falling giant. However the Canadian government could not cover all of Nortel’s debt obligations. Nortel owed about $107 million and the EDC (Export Development Canada) could only supply about $30 million in short term loans. This $107 million interest payment accounted for about 4% of Nortel’s cash and put the company into bankruptcy. The world financial crisis of 2008 had put too much strain on Nortel and they were forced to begin liquidation. Public auditor: The auditors involved with this case were Deloitte and Touche. In documents from the fraud case, which is still being heard by the Royal court in Canada, Deloitte claims that they were not given proper documentation by Nortel. Deloitte claims that they did not have pertinent information which should have been provided by administrators at Nortel. Deloitte raised concerns to the audit board of Nortel in 2003 when Nortel turned a profit after Frank Dunne’s restructuring of the company. Deloitte raised awareness of potential fraud and did their duty in that respect. However further investigation conducted has implicated Deloitte in the financial reporting irregularities in Nortel which some have claimed dates back to the time of CEO Roth who held office before Dunne. Information coming out of the case states that even if transactions were deemed suspicious, they still signed off on the verity of the financial reports. Frank Dunne and some of his officers are now charged with fraud by both the SEC and the OSC which regulate the American and Canadian markets respectively. The case is currently still under review in the Royal court of Canada and civil charges have been brought in the United States. Fraud Triangle Nortel had experienced tremendous growth throughout the 1990s, allowing it to expand operations worldwide. Nortel’s expansion came during the telecommunication and technology bubble of the 1990s that inflated stock prices of companies in those sectors. Frank Dunn had taken over for the previous CEO, John Roth, in November 2001 during the telecommunication bubble bust. Dunn felt pressured to maintain the high stock price because it accounted for over one third of Nortel’s value2. Nortel management was also incentivized to post profits that produced executive bonuses with over $7. 8million going to Dunn alone. The primary members of the Nortel fraud were able to commit the fraud because, as executive officers and controllers, they were able to go around the internal controls of the company. That allowed them to implement many accounting practices that did not comply with GAAP. Nortel management’s rationalization for these fraudulent practices must have been that they needed to maintain the high stock price in order for the company to continue operating. Moral Breach and Ethical Issues As a publicly traded company, Nortel had the responsibility of fairly reporting the company’s true financial data to stockholders and potential investors. Dunn, Beatty, Gollogly and Pahapill breached this responsibility by establishing earnings management accounting strategies to manipulate Nortel’s revenues. Nortel management also actively sought to inflate earnings to trigger very large bonuses for key members of management. Perhaps, if these incentives did not exist then there would be less motivation to commit the fraud. Finally, Nortel’s auditor for over a century, Deloitte and Touche, has come under scrutiny by the defense lawyers in Dunn, Gollogly and Beatty’s civil trial in Canada this year. The defense claims that Deloitte approved of all major accounting adjustments that Dunn and his team had engaged in. Summary of Legal Actions On April 28th, 2004, Dunn and his fraud partners were fired for financial mismanagement2. On March 12th, 2007 the SEC filed civil charges against Dunn, Beatty, Gollogly and Pahapill for repeatedly engaging in accounting fraud to bridge gaps between Nortel’s true performance, its internal targets, and market expectations. Dunn and Beatty were charged with violating the officer certification agreement that was established by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Nortel settled with SEC on October 15, 2007 by consenting to be prescribed from violating the antifraud, reporting, books and records, and internal control provisions of the federal securities laws. Nortel paid $35million to the SEC, and $1million to the Ontario Securities Commission to establish a Fair Fund for affected shareholders. Finally, Canadian authorities arrested and charge Dunn, Beatty and Gollogly with seven counts of fraud. Their trial began on January 16th, 2012. Current Status: Nortel, once known as the largest telecommunications manufacturer in the world, filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Now three years later, the period of bankruptcy continues as the company discloses their every operating report highlighting each cash receipt and disbursement. When Nortel went bankrupt, executives believed that selling all business assets would be the best and easiest way to fight debt. Recently, Nortel has netted $7. 7 billion from selling its patents and businesses. As stated on their website, â€Å"Nortel remains focused on maximizing value for its stakeholders, including the sale of its remaining assets, resolution of claims, the wind-down of its global operations and entities, resolution of allocation matters with respect to the sale proceeds, and other significant restructuring activities toward the conclusion of the creditor protection proceedings. † The case for Nortel executives Dunn (ex CEO), Beatty (ex CFO) and Gollogy (ex controller), who were charged with fraud for affecting the public market and falsifying books and documents to earn larger bonuses, is still in trial. In February, a former Vice President of Nortel testified in court against executives stating that they had asked him to use questionable accounting methods to manipulate the company’s earnings. Although those who committed the crime have been charged, thousands of employees will still be left without pension plans and jobs. Nortel has spent over $20 million on retirement package these past two year, but unfortunately the company will stop the pension plan and disability program payments as it continues to sell away its businesses. By the end of 2011, Nortel was split into regional entities – Nortel Networks Limited in Canada and Nortel Networks Inc in the United States, causing disagreements over how to split $7. 5 billion that was earned by selling many assets and patents other corporations such as Apple and Microsoft Corp. The following charts, graphs and financial statements analyze Nortel’s current status. Case Study Questions and Solutions: 1. Dunn is a certified management accountant. Based on the facts of the case, which provisions of the IMA’s Statement of Ethical Professional Practice that was discussed in chapter 1 have been violated? Dunn violates many of the provisions of the IMA’s statement of Ethical Professional Practice they are as follows: 1. Perform professional duties in accordance with law, regulations and technical standards. 2. Provide decision information that is accurate, clear, concise and timely 3. Retain from engaging in any conduct that would prejudice carrying out any duties ethically. 4. Abstain from engaging in or supporting any activity that might discredit the profession. 5. Communicate information fairly and objectively. 6. Disclose all relevant information, that could reasonably be expected to influence an intended users understanding of the reports analyses or recommendations. 7. Disclose delays or deficiencies in information timeliness processing or internal controls in conformance with organization policy and/or applicable law. He violated these by selective reversal of revenue entries in 2000. Followed by concealing the reserves in 2002, which violated GAAP, and then avoided posting a profit so the company wouldn’t have to pay out bonuses. In 2003 Dunn released the reserves to falsely report a profit, which allowed them to eports a profit a quarter earlier than expected, and to pay out more bonuses to senior management. Also in 2003 he misled the investors about why Nortel had restated its financials in order to avoid uncovering the unethical management techniques him and his team had been using. All of these actions take away Dunn’s integrity and credibility in the field of manageria l accounting, which are two of the standards the IMA sets out. Dunn failed to meet his professional code of conduct and his company suffered because of it. 2. What are the responsibilities of an auditor to detect fraud? How were those responsibilities compromised by the actions of Nortel’s management? It is the auditors responsibility to report fraud if they find it, however in this case the actions of Nortel’s management made it difficult for the auditors to do their job. The false financial statements and hiding of money veiled the problems of the company from the auditors. Once there was a hint of the fraud the auditors found it and perused the trail, taking the ethical route and also following the code of conduct. It was their investigation that brought down the fraudulent executives and forced the company to restate its financials properly. This would eventually lead to the failure of Nortel. Nortel made materially false and misleading statements and omissions in connection with the quarterly reviews and materially misstated annual audits of financial statements. This caused the auditors to not be able to properly do their job, and review the statements. 3. Describe the incentives that created pressure on Nortel to manage earnings. Considering the role of Nortel’s management in this regard, discuss whether it met its corporate governance obligations as discussed in previous chapters. The incentives that drove Nortel to manage its earning where greed of the management team, the pressure to deliver bonuses, the pressure to survive an economic downturn, and the pressure to make the company seem like a good investment to both current and potential investors. In an economic climate of intense competition and corporate greed the management at Nortel fell victim to their vices and allowed the pressure to perform to overwhelm their priorities. This caused them to put their own greed and personal ambition before the well being of the company. Nortel did not meet its corporate governance obligations. It did not follow any internal rules of how to run the business. It ignored any corporate ethics they might have. It lied to stakeholders several times by misstating the financials. They did not follow the professional code of conduct of their careers and also did not follow industry standards. They broke the law. No one inside the company caught the fraud therefore their internal controls where not effective. Each of these immoral acts is a case where corporate governance has failed. 4. The final quote in the case characterizes Nortel’s failure as â€Å"just another casualty of capitalism. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? How would you characterize the cause of the failure at Nortel? I would argue that Nortel is not just another casualty of capitalism. Nortel did not function in a system of free market capitalism where the government had absolutely no regulation and let the markets function however they wanted. The capitalism system of North America is more of a mixed economy, which combines public and private ownership of companies, and also provides government regulation and intervention to prevent and deal with fraud. Even in a free market the system is meant to come to an equal balance of supply and demand, which cannot be reached if there is fraud involved since the supply has been inaccurately disclosed by the senior management at Nortel. I would characterize this failure as one of humanity. It was not the economic system that allowed this fraud to take place, but the greed of the people and a social environment that ties success so strongly to wealth. It was the social pressure and the effect of human nature that led to Nortel’s demise. . The case discusses how Nortel’s managers prioritized themselves over the shareholders, which, in part, lead to the company’s failure. What should be a company’s first priority? A company’s first priority should be following their code of ethics. The second priority should be the shareholders, followed by the management and other employees. This hierarchy ensures that all the business that is done with be both moral and legal , meaning there is no room to commit fraud and damage the company. In this way you are putting the shareholders first, because by providing a stable and healthy company the shareholders will see an investment that will be able to reach its highest potential. 6. Was Nortel’s settlement a fair penalty? Should the SEC have imposed harsher or more lenient sanctions? Should these sanctions have been on the managers, on Nortel as a whole, or both? A fair settlement would offer compensation to all those who were hurt by this fraud. Groups that may have been hurt could be shareholders, employees and customers. Deciding what is a fair compensation is a little more difficult, however as much of what these people lost as possible should be returned to them. As for the managers who created the problems and took part in the fraud should face a sentence of termination from their company, loss of license (if applicable) and jail time. The company and the individual managers have both failed stakeholders and should both be held accountable. In the case of Nortel specifically the stockholder settlement goes with these guidelines, as for the managers their trial is still ongoing and therefore no sentenced has been given to them yet.

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Art - Essay Example Just like the expression that ‘beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’, the appreciation for aesthetic value in art, lies in a more profound understanding of the beholder. The significance of studying art as a discipline is taken in the context that with greater knowledge of art, one gets the chance to be enriched, not only in theoretical knowledge of different works of art from various time frames; but more so, develop a more keen and analytical perspective in appreciating the intended meaning that the artists have relayed through their personal creation. Thus, more than just seeing or visualizing art works, the study of art has provided the improvement of skills in interpretation, in possessing a critical eye, as well as in understanding how art evolved through time using different media, elements, resources, and the application of creative skills and styles, as evident from one period to the other. In a particular work of art, for instance, one previously responds through interpreting the creation in its purely visual representation. This means that one gets to comment on the aesthetic quality: the vividness of the colors, the shading, and the images that are seen. Upon delving into a more in-depth understanding of art through the course, one recognized more elements of art could actually be evaluated as forming an integral part of the art work. For instance, one could analyze the juxtaposition of images and how it contributed to the overall unity and message of the work of art. In addition, one could discern, despite the abstract expression of an artist, the real meaning that was intended for the viewers through the use of colors, forms, and creative style. As such, when figuring out an art work that one plans to hang on the wall, the qualities that would be included in the selection process would not merely depend on the way the art work looks (visual qualities); but on the overall ability of the

Immigration ( Microeconomics) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Immigration ( Microeconomics) - Essay Example Infact the issue of immigration has assumed a transnational importance in the last three decades. It is not without a reason that immigration has become a hot topic throughout the Western world in the contemporary times. Politicians and informed citizens are highly polarized in their opinion regarding immigration because of the impact it may have or is supposed to have on the demography, culture and especially the economy of the concerned nations. More then half a million people from varied countries and ethnic backgrounds enter the US every year. As per some conservative estimates, nearly 12 million illegal immigrants presently call the United States their home. The very magnitude of immigration in North America, EU and Australia raises many disturbing questions. Is immigration good for the countries having liberal immigration laws Will the immigrants have a salubrious influence on the economies of these nations Should the immigration laws be further liberalized Do the economies of these countries have the ability and the potential to absorb the large scale skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workforce generated by accommodating immigration policies Will immigration lead to many related problems like terrorism, radicalism and surplus workforce Pragmatically speaking, immigration is bound to stimulate the Western Economies. At least, the available demographic and economic data points towards this conclusion.It is a basic economic fact that the fast growing economies do have an insatiable hunger for resources, physical capital and above all human capital. So the fundamental query should be that are the major Western economies growing at a pace where they need tremendous input in terms of human capital from other countries It will be really interesting to look into the economic prospects of some of the topmost Western economies. As for the US economy, the data furnished by the authentic and reliable global organizations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, targeted at the eight years of Bush's presidency indicate a pink and plump state of affairs (Perry). According to the World Bank statistics, the GDP per capita in the United States rose to $ 41,813 in 2005 (Perry). As per an IMF report, between the years 2001-2008, the real American GDP "grew at an average annual rate of 2.2 % (Perry)." The unemployment rate in the US also stood at a tolerable and stable figure of 4.7 % between 2001-2007 (Perry).Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth - United States - USA (%) 2.5 3.7 4.5 4.2 4.4 3.7 0.8 1.6 2.5 3.9 3.2 3.4 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth - United States - USA (%), Source: Eurostat(euroekonom.com) European Union, which is the largest economic and trading block of the world, is also expected to outperform the past expectations in terms of economic

John Lockes Natural Rights in The Second Treatise of Government Essay

John Lockes Natural Rights in The Second Treatise of Government - Essay Example â€Å"Locke developed central devices for political theory †¦a theory of natural law† (Bailey 2008, p. 252). The state of nature,  to which Locke refers, describes two things: the condition of mankind before the establishment of civil government and the condition of mankind before the introduction of formal legislation to ensure societal order. Locke deduces that since laws governs nature, and God ordains laws where man is subject to the Divine then the laws govern mankind. It must be noted that since these rights exist outside of the body politic or civil society; they are natural or inherent to man’s being. These rights are inalienable and are equally applied. Forming the basis of the penal system, the justice system, the welfare system, the military system, the economy and the government as a whole, these rights comprise the foundation for both individual and society at large. In the natural state, the rights of man are equal and evenly distributed to all huma nity’s members. Sovereignty cannot be invested in a singular individual where all are made equal. In his treatise, Locke insists on â€Å"equality of men by nature†¦as so evident in itself, and beyond all question† (Locke 1980). Locke declares his stand for the equality of the rights of all men, and their sameness before the law and before God. Locke drafts this document to stress the implications of equality for society. In the day of Locke, men are grappling with rife, social inequalities which lead to disgruntled lower classes and corrupt upper classes. Factors are forwarded to justify superiority of one class and the inferiority of another. The principles of the right to equality are rooted in the acknowledgement that all men are naturally created equal, and abide in â€Å"a state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another; there being nothing more evident, than that creatures of the same species an d rank† (Locke 1980). Man is a rational being equipped with mental capacities, moral virtue, feelings, impulses or physical make-up. Hence Locke endorses the view of unbiased, impartial, and equal treatment of all. The respect of the right to equality would avert discrimination, social class (elitism), and exclusion. These egalitarian views are drafted in the treatise to regulate more equal consideration and distribution of power among all people. (Bailey 2008, p. 78) comments that â€Å"the role of equal rights in Locke is precisely to ensure that the only permissible departures from the state of nature are those that respect these rights.† The mere fact that one has been integrated into the human race is entitlement to equality and dignity. The understanding that all men are equal is also predicated on the premise that there are no natural claims of superiority, and one may not act at will in the exercise of government. All men are naturally and legitimately a part of the society and must be regarded as a full member. Each man also must exercise his natural right to survival based on the principles of The Second Treatise of Government. Locke states that, â€Å"being once born, (men) have a right to their preservation, and consequently to meat and drink, and such other things as nature affords for their subsistence† (Locke 1980). As such he deserves to gain access those things which would facilitate survival such as food, clothing and shelter. Here, Locke discusses man’s fundamental physiological needs as pointed out in Maslow’s pyramid of needs. Life is a precious gift and so man has the ability to protect and preserve his life. Without due attention to

Quantitative Methods and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Quantitative Methods and Analysis - Essay Example Hence it is important to select optimal level of sample size. The sample size depends on some variables or parameters which should be considered by the researchers. These four parameters are: the level of statistical power, p level, variability associated with treatment, and error variability (DMS, 2006). The first sample size calculator selected is available on the website of Raosoft (2004). This calculator calculate sample size on the basis of margin of error or confidence interval, confidence level, population size, and response distribution. For example with 10% margin of error or confidence interval, 95% confidence level, 2000 population size, and 50% response distribution the sample size according to this calculator is minimum 96 subjects. The second sample size calculator selected is available on the website of Macorr Research Solutions. This calculator calculate sample size on the basis of confidence level, confidence interval, and population. For example, if the confidence level is 95%, confidence interval is 10%, and population size is 2000 the sample size according to this calculator is 92

Knowledge Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Knowledge Management - Coursework Example Knowledge management is highly reliant on people. The staff, the employees all carry knowledge about the company and they are the ones that carry out knowledge management. At the end of the day information technology does play a great part but the human factor is way bigger and way more necessary. Information technology will help in developing a knowledge management system and the success will depend on how well the information is organized and stored. The information however comes from the human beings. It is important for them to be encouraged by the organization. There should be a very caring, social and interactive organizational culture for knowledge management to thrive. Often companies used to restrict access to information; often employees would not bother sharing information with others with regards to their own personal promotion or job safety. But now organizations have modernized, they take concrete steps to make sure that the culture is more open, more relaxed and everyo ne is more at ease. Knowledge sharing only takes place when the culture is open to it, people are at enough ease to open their minds up and share their knowledge with superiors and inferiors both. Knowledge rather than capital or labour is the only meaningful resource a company has according to Drucker(1993). Capital and labour are actually pretty volatile resources when you think about it. They provide you with stability but there is no guarantee that they won’t leave you. Capital can be lost when faced with a crisis, employees leave and all of them don’t stay for a long time but knowledge is one factor that is constant. It can be stored in repositories for ages; it can be further analyzed and disseminated. Every human process result is a key success factor which should be stored. All the developed economies are now moving from industrial to knowledge based economy as they realize the importance. Defined broadly â€Å"KM is the process through which organizations ext ract value from their intellectual assets† (Kaplan, 2002). Intellectual assets in this case are their employees and managers not the information technology systems that a company has. Employees spend a lot of time in a company; they learn the inputs, processes, outputs. The experience they gain is extremely valuable though intangible. This true information has to be stored somewhere; an employee can leave anytime and can take the expertise to another organization. Knowledge management is made in two dimensions. One is to manage the existing knowledge by creating repositories, knowledge compilation, arrangement and categorization. The second is the activities of knowledge acquisition, creation, distribution and application. (Stenmark, 2001) Knowledge management also consists of administering the knowledge assets of the organization which is the human resource. Knowledge modelling is a process that helps in achieving those goals. Knowledge management includes identifying and map ping knowledge within the organization. The end objective is to generate enough amount of knowledge that the business can gain competitive advantage. Knowledge management also observes the whole lifecycle of an organization, from the beginning to the possible end. It sees how the organization has changed over time, how it has adapted to the external environmental challenges and how it became successful (Mathi, 2004).

Understanding the Consumer Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Understanding the Consumer Assignment - Essay Example Although, this model might look applicable in the modern world however consumer behavior is far too complex to be predicted on the basis of one single model. The reason is that today consumers themselves are very diverse and so any one set of assumption cannot hold true for everybody. In the paragraphs ahead it will be discussed how things as simple as signing one’s name, the name a person has been given by his or her family and the culture one lives in can have an influence on purchase decisions. Consumer decision making process and online shopping Haubl & Trifts (2000) propose in their study on the impact of decision aids on online shopping and consumer decision process that interactive decision aids are made for helping customers online. These decision aids help during the initial display of products available online and they also help in detailed comparison between preferred substitutes which might have highly wanted characteristics with regards to consumer decision making . Such aids permit online shoppers to conveniently find products that have been over-priced or find products which have been dominated by competitors’ inferior products due to competitors spending excessively on online advertising. Consequently, market has become more economically efficient. Generally, the presence of interactive decision aids on e-commerce websites should improve the skill of customers to find products that correspond to their personal preferences and, consequently, result in considerable optimistic and good effects for consumers. (Haubl & Trifts, 2000). Impulsive buying and culture An early study failed to differentiate among impulsive buying and unplanned buying (West, 1951) but it did describe both as the dissimilarity between actual procurement and procurement planned before. However, all procurements not planned beforehand are not impulsive ((Kollat & P.Willett, 1967; Stern, 1962). Instead, impulsive buying is comparatively more unprompted and spur-of-t he moment (Inman,Winer, and Ferraro 2009; Rook 1987; Rook and Fisher 1995) than unplanned procurement, which comprises of procurement not planned beforehand (Stern 1962). Zhang, Winterich, and Mittal (2010) describe the link between impulsive buying and Power Distance Belief (PDB) (Zhang et al., 2010). The authors discuss in details the concept of power distance. Power distance can be defined as the amount of power or authority a group is willing to accept without being forced to do so. There are high power distance cultures and also low power distance cultures. Usually, in high PDB cultures people try to learn self-control which is needed for accepting authority. Such people are reluctant to act on impulses or emotions unless told by somebody in authority to act in a certain way. The reason behind learning and practicing self-control is that this is appreciated by others. Tibet is an example of a high PDB culture. On the other hand, low PDB cultures suggest that less attention shou ld be given to authority or source of power and self-control is not as necessary as some people might think (Hofstede, 2001). For instance, students belonging to low-PDB cultures feel encouraged enough to start chatting randomly, stating their different opinions openly, and even going as far as disagreeing with their teachers if they think teachers

Organization advertisment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organization advertisment - Assignment Example There are several services offered at the center that you will find beneficial. There are plenty of philanthropic activities happening at the center with events such as clothing exchange and free Teen Night among others all happening in Brattain House. Besides, the center offers training to parents on how best to improve their parenting skills especially with the teenage children. There are plenty of captivating programs at the center that are aimed at improving the social welfare of the society. With the realization of the importance of sharing, the organization arranges events such as Little Yoga and Teen Night among several others that enable parents to meet and interact as they assist each other. The impacts of such social connectivity and events are immense. Amazingly, other services that one will find intriguing include the orientation program in which preschoolers are absorbed and rehearsed for their anticipated school days making them establish strong academic foundations that have proved to have positive impacts in their lives. At the Family Resource Centre, such donations are highly valued. Any contribution will be highly appreciated. There are a number of reasons why Family Resource Centre requires and deserves your

Please read the attachments carefully you'r able to know what I want Essay

Please read the attachments carefully you'r able to know what I want - Essay Example Moreover, the NoSQL databases are deployed in a distributed environment and open sourced (NoSQL. n.d). It is pertinent to mention here that there are four (4) types / categories of the NoSQL database include: the document oriented database, XML database, graph database and key-value store / database. In the document oriented database the data is stored in the documents, the examples include: the CashDB, MongoDB etc. In the XML databases, the data is stored in the XML format, the examples include: the BaseX, eXist etc. In the Graph database, the data is stored as the collection of nodes that connected using edges, the examples include: DEX, Stones GrapgDB etc. The key-value store refers to storing data without schema in the form of strings, hashes, stored sets etc., and the examples include: Riak, BigTable, etc. One of the NoSQL databases is developed by the Oracle Corporation. The Oracle NoSQL database is characterized by the BASE – Basically Available, Soft State, and Eventua lly Consistent. The Oracle database used to replicate data in a way that data would be always available to the users, moreover, to avoid unavailability it distributes / share data among several database storage servers. The soft state refers that the Oracle NoSQL database allows inconsistent data and assigns its responsibility to the application developers. The Eventually Consistent refers to the ability of the NoSQL database becoming and presenting consistent data with the passage of time and its usage. Generally, it can be stated that the NoSQL database management systems are used to deal with huge data where the data does not necessitate being relational. The NoSQL database has the capabilities of storing, retrieving and appending data in a highly efficient manner without discrepancy of the data size. It is pertinent to mention some of the organizations dealing with massive data and use the NoSQL database for manipulation of the data, these organizations include: the LinkedIn, Go ogle, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook (Oracle Corporation, 2011). NoSQL and Relational Database Management Systems – the Differences There are several diverse features of the Oracle NoSQL database that makes it different from the traditional Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). On the basis of the differences, the management of any organization can take an informed decision whether to employ the Oracle NoSQL database or the RDBMS. One of the main differences between the NoSQL and RDMS is scalability. The NoSQL data stores have the ability to scale it even on the distributed systems and it can be deployed over several database servers. Whereas, the RDMS can only be deployed and scaled over a single server and it is the reason that the NoSQL databases can handle a huge number of data. This is one of the main motives of the growing popularity of the NoSQL. Moreover, as the NoSQL database can be deployed on several servers, therefore, these databases offer high data availa bility with little or no unavailability. Moreover, the performance of the NoSQL database is highly efficient as compared to the RDBMS, because the data is being shared and processed on several servers. But in order to provide the data highly available along with high performance, the NoSQL databases compromise the data consistency, as the data is redundantly stored or replicated on the diverse servers (Strauch, n.d). The NoSQL databases have been developed focusing the BASE acronym of Basically Available,

High School and Rizal Elementary School Essay Example for Free

High School and Rizal Elementary School Essay A week after celebrating the Day of Valor on the fourth month of the Roman calendar in the year of Rat, I was born one evening in a city called the financial capital of the country that was colonized by Spaniards for more than three hundred years after it was discovered by a famous Portuguese explorer. My first name Johanne is a variant of Johanna which means â€Å"God is gracious† and my second name Victoria means victory hope my life goes well as my name. My parents, Victorino and Wilma, were a hard working couple who works as an employee of a private company. They produced of our own kind six times in eleven years having five boys, leaving me no sister to have a bonding with. Since I’m the only girl, they call me Princess or sometimes Negneg, short for negra, because of my dark complexion. It’s not that dark like people in Africa but it’s the darkest complexion in my family but it’s alright because I have these black tantalizing eyes, a good set of teeth and a slim body that makes me look like a Filipina beauty queen. I spent my seventeen years of existence in a city known for being a major cultural entertainment hub in Metro Manila. I studied my first five years of my primary education in Nicanor Garcia Elementary School, Makati. After my hit-and-run 50-50 accident case when I was in fifth grade, God gave me my second chance to live and finished my elementary course in Rizal Elementary School in Laguna. I have to transfer because of the severe fracture in my right leg causing me to have a hard time going up stairs. I have recovered from what had happened and continued my secondary education in General Pio del Pilar National High School in Makati. In elementary, I always make my parents proud of me by giving them a numerous medals every end of the school year. I’ve been a consistent contestant in Mathematics Quiz Bee and I made my school proud after qualifying twice in Mathematics Trainer’s Guild, a program to train gifted Filipino kids for international competitions. Aside from Math, I’ve also been in various contests regarding Science and Journalism. Considering me as a dynamic student, I was fairly awarded at the end of the year. When I stepped high school, it was the most exciting part of my life. Having crushes, love team ups, courtships, prom night were the things that could really make you giggle. But the most remarkable incident that shaped my character now was improving my leadership skills. When I was in third year, I ran as the president of SMILE (Students Movement for the Improvement of Leadership and Empowerment) Party List for the upcoming Supreme Student Government election. I taught I’m going to win because I’m from the star section but I’m wrong. I lost. I’m so ashamed. Because of that, I don’t feel like going to that school again. But there was a Non-government organization that invites the students to go on camp in Iba, Zambales for free. Of course, I joined and that made me forgot the pain I felt. On the first night of the camping, everything has changed after the moment I received Jesus Christ as my personal savior. When I got back in school, God blessed me so much that He gave the Hi-Y Club (a high school based club of Young Men’s Christians Association) in my lead. From that happening, I really appreciated the quote: â€Å"After the storm, there’s a rainbow. † I taught the door of opportunity to explore more in leading has closed for me, not realizing He has opened the window for me to experience the chance I thought I lost. Because of this club, I learned to balance my mind, body and spiritual aspect of my life. Creating programs, helping community, serving others and volunteering were some of my experiences that really made my heart swollen and would like to share to others to inspire them. Aside of being a Y’er, I’m now a Christian and started serving Him like sharing the good news, being a part of dance and drama ministry, and helping other Christian to grow in their spiritual life. I feel over joy and satisfaction every time I see myself volunteering on the camp where I was saved. After the enjoyment of high school, I took one step forward in the reality of life. I face the truth that my life will rotate in complicated solutions, brain-whacking terms, millions of numbers, struggling calculators, statements to finish, stability of study, life-long practice, thick books to read, rushing late night work, ugly eye-bugs, unbalanced sums, financial reports, constant lack of sleep, accurate solutions, and heart-stopping result after deciding to take Bachelor of Science in Accountancy in the first polytechnic university in our country. I know I can make it through because I believe that â€Å"what the mind can conceive, the body can achieve†. I may not be the cream of the crop in our class but I will manage to pursue my dreams step by step because I cling to God’s promise: â€Å"For I know the plans I have for you,† declares the Lord. â€Å"Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future. †(Jeremiah 29:11).

History Of The Spanish Inquisition Of The 15th Century Essay Example for Free

History Of The Spanish Inquisition Of The 15th Century Essay The Spanish Inquisition is usually synonymous with persecution, brutality and tyranny; and it is thought to be the forerunner of the covert regulatory bodies of contemporary autocracies. Yet how accurate is this picture of an establishment set up in the late 15th century to route out deviation and agnosticism in that land? This report aims to place the Spanish Inquisition in its correct historical context. BACKGROUND The conception of inquisitions to eliminate religious heretics was not new when, in 1478, Pope Sixtus IV sanctioned the formation of Spanish Inquisition. The monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, decided to establish a body (which began its work in 1480) chiefly to deal with the issue of the huge numbers of converted Jews (Conversos) who were alleged of continuing to carry out tenants of the Jewish religion after apparent conversion to Catholicism. Following the formal expulsion of all non-converted Jews from Spain in 1492, the problem of the Conversos increased. The roots of the Spanish Inquisition can therefore be traced quite clearly back to anti-Semitism. In 1518, the Inquisition became a permanently unified body under one head, the Inquisitor-General . Tomas de Torquemada was appointed by the Monarchs as Grand Inquisitor of the Inquisition. The Catholic Church, under the rule of the pope in Rome was a powerful force in Europe during the Middle ages. The decrees of the church provided the basis of law and order. Christians who disagreed with catholic principles were regarded as heretics, and heresy was considered an crime against the church and the state. The â€Å"inquiries† into a person’s faith to determine whether or not one was a heretic, was branded as the inquisition, with the inquisitors being priests or bishops who subjected a suspect to long grilling followed by terrible tortures. Death by fire was often the punishment of those who did not repent. The heretic’s property was then claimed by the church. Between 1478 and 1502, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon took three complementary decisions. They persuaded the pope to create the Inquisition; they expelled the Jews; and they forced the Muslims of the kingdom of Castile to convert to Catholicism. All these measures were designed to achieve the same end: the establishment of a united faith. The Christian, Muslims and Jewish communities existed tolerantly throughout the first centuries of Muslim domination and continued to do so in the Christian Spain of the 12th and 13th century. Tolerance presupposed an absence of discrimination against minorities and respect for the point of view of others. This tolerance was nowhere to be found in the Iberia of the 8th century to the 15th. Spanish archdeacon named Ferran Martinez was busy delivering a sequence of sermons in the diocese of Seville. It was his remarkable eloquence rather than the novelty of his subject which attracted an audience: for he spoke only on a single theme, one that in every age has provided an easy stalking horse for demagogues religious and civil- the iniquities of the Jews. Their veins had venom that poisoned whatever contribution they made. The Jews, he argued, had been guilty, as a body, of the greatest crime in history. They adhered to a faith that had been rejected in no uncertain manner by the Deity. Their ceremonies were outmoded and impious, rendered those who performed them capable of the most heinous misdoings and doomed them to eternal punishment in the hereafter . ORIGIN AND AIMS Jews weren’t newcomers in Spain. They had been settled there since the 1st century. Documentary and archaeological evidence demonstrates their numbers at the beginning of the fourth century, long before the coming of the Arabs or the Visigoths. The latter had persecuted them, but under the moors they had flourished as nowhere else in Europe. They were an important and influential minority. Every Spanish city had its prosperous juderia, or Jewish quarter, comprised of craftsmen and weavers, goldsmiths and carpenters . The Jews had been expelled from England in 1290 by Edward I En masse. His example had been followed in France sixteen later, by Philip the Fair. The Spanish Jews considered themselves secure from anything of the sort. The activities of Martinez disturbed them but didn’t alarm them. Month after month passed without any untoward occurrence. They fell into the error of imagining that nothing would happen. It came as a shock to them when at the close of 1390, just before Christmastide, Martinez succeeded in having some synagogues in the diocese partially destroyed and closed down, on the plea that they had been built without authorization. The community, alarmed, applied for protection to the council of regency then governing Castile in the name of the young king Henry III, which ordered steps to be taken for the protection of the petitioners. Martinez was defiant, however, and his sermons were as violent as ever. On Wednesday, March 15th, 1391 his harangue was particularly effective, and his audience was roused to a high pitch of frenzy. On its way from the church, a turbulent crowd, thirsting with zeal and greed, surged towards the Jewish quarter, which seemed to be in imminent danger of sack. The civil authorities were at last awakened to the necessity of stern measures. Seizing two of the most turbulent members of the mob, they had them flogged, turned them into martyrs overnight. After some further disturbances, order was outwardly restored: but the spirit of unrest still simmered and Martinez continued his unbridled invective from the pulpit. These seemingly unimportant disorders are to be traced some of the greatest tragedies in history – the darkest page in the dark record of the Jewish people, one of the saddest episodes in the history of human thought, and the ultimate decline of sprain from the high status to which her achievements and her genius entitled her – everything, in a word, which is associated with the term, â€Å"the Spanish Inquisition†. On June 6th, a storm broke out. An infuriated mob rushed upon the juderia of Seville and put it to sack. An orgy of carnage raged the city. The dead were numbered by the hundreds, if not by the thousand. Every ruffian in the city flaunted the finery sacked from Jewish houses, or boasted the ravishing of a Jewish maiden . Through some curious psychology of mass psychology, the infection spread from one city to the other, and throughout Spain onslaughts on the Jews became the order of the day. The fury raged that summer and autumn, and at several places the entire Jewish community was exterminated. At Cordova, the ancient Jewish quarter, where Moses Maimonides had first seen the light, was reduced to ashes. Toledo was witness to a similar horrifying carnage. 70 other towns in Castile were doomed to similar incidents of terror. In Aragon, in spite of measures put into force by the authorities to suppress the mayhem, the case was commonly adhered. In Valencia, within a few days, not a single professing Jew was left alive in the entire kingdom. In Barcelona, despite a half hearted protection given by the civic authorities, the whole community was wiped out. From Catalonia, the disorders spread to the Balearic Islands, where a massacre took place on August 2nd at Palma. Outbreaks were prevented only in the kingdom of Granada thanks to the efforts of the crown, in Portugal. Elsewhere in the peninsula, hardly a single community escaped. The total no of victims was estimated as many as 50,000 . The Inquisition did not begin in Spain, but did gather notoriety there. Shortly after commencement, the Spanish Inquisition was accused of numerous abuses. Accusations of heresy ran rampant, and innocent, faithful people were unjustly punished by public trials and condemnation. This usually took the form of strangulation or burning at the stake. The Inquisition, although vastly changed and more humane, remained a strong force in Spain until the early 19th century . By about 1750 the Inquisition had lost its power. It had been created to eradicate all traces of Semitism in Spain. The Jews had long been expelled and two and a half centuries of persecution had eventually eliminated the Judaisers. Yet the statues of blood purity still did not disappear; in fact, in the course of the eighteenth century, they tended to multiply. They no longer constituted a serious obstacle to a career in the Church, the official administration, or civic society. By the end of the eighteenth century, essentially the Inquisition was operating as a political policing force devoted to opposing the introduction of revolutionary and liberal ideas. By this time, it seemed to have softened its attitude. It no longer published edicts of faith encouraging the faithful spontaneously to denounce their neighbors and their relatives. Nor did it any longer torture its prisoners. CONCLUSION The Spanish Inquisition was one of the most powerful organizations used to eradicate heresy and safeguard the unanimity of Christendom. Begun in 1478, by 1512 the Inquisition was under review for a wide range of issues – from corruption, patronage and bribery. The Spanish Inquisition, first established under Queen Isabella was finally suppressed 356 years later under Queen Isabella II, leaving its mark in the annals of Western civilization. The onset of the Enlightenment slowed down the Inquisition. It, however, wasn’t until the Spanish invasion of Napoleon that the Inquisition finally came to an end in 1810, being completely abolished in 1836. It is estimated that more than 20,000 people were killed because of the Inquisition. Numerous more were subjected to torture and others had their possessions confiscated. John Paul II’s teachings are an ever present reminder of how to learn from history: â€Å" †¦we must take account of the complexity of the relationship between the subject who interprets and the object from the past which is interpreted†¦. Events or words of the past are, above all, â€Å"past. † As such they are not completely reducible to the framework of the present, but possess an objective density and complexity that prevent them from being ordered in a solely functional way for present interests. It is necessary, therefore, to approach them by means of an historical-critical investigation that aims at using all of the information available, with a view to a reconstruction of the environment, of the ways of thinking, of the conditions and the living dynamic in which those events and those words are placed, in order, in such a way, to ascertain the contents and the challenges that precisely in their diversity they propose to our present time . On 12 January 2000, to mark the Catholic Church’s Jubilee, Pope John Paul II issued a document entitled Memory and Reconciliation in which he asked for forgiveness for the errors of the Church over its 2,000 year history. ? BIBLIOGRAPHY Kamen, Henry. The Spanish Inquisition: An Historical Revision. London, 1997. John Paul II, Memory and Reconciliation, 2000. Finkelstein, Louis. 1970. The Jews: their history. New York: Schocken Books. Kohen, Elizabeth, Elias, Marie Louise. 2004. Spain. New York: Benchmark Books/Marshall Cavendish. Lea, Henry Charles. A History of the Inquisition of Spain. 4 vols. New York, 1906–1908. Lemieux, Simon. The Spanish Inquisition. History Review 7. 44 (2002): 44-49

Learning Styles In Classroom

Learning Styles In Classroom English language is really considered as a significant language since it has been used for communicating worldwide. Therefore, learning English is very common in many countries and language learning styles are used by students in globalization. Language learning styles are the main factors that help decide how the students learn a second or foreign language. A foreign language is a language studied in an environment where it is not the major vehicle for daily communication and where input in that language is classified (Rebecca, 2003). In an article by Mulalic et al. (2009), students learning styles have been unnoticed as an irrelevant module in the learning process. Apparently, once lecturers become aware that different students learn various styles, they try to accommodate those learning styles in the classroom. When looking into lecturers teaching practices, it is possible to understand that the majority of the lecturers are not sensitive with their students learning styles. The problems occur when lecturers are not aware of the significance to create and explore learning styles. According to Felder (1996), how much students learn in the class is determined partially by the students ability and prior preparation, and the capability of their learning styles and the lecturers teaching styles. More specifically, Godleski et al. (1984), the students tend to be bored and inattentive in class, do poorly on tests, get discouraged about the course, and may conclude that they are not good at the subject of the course and give up. In a research by Izzo (1980), confirmed that the size of class is an important physical factor which influences the choice of method, decreases the amount of individual attention that the teacher gives to each student. However, she argued that small classes are preferable for language learning and correlated significantly with language achievement. In a research study by Tan (2008), identified EFL learners main writing difficulties by analyzing the nature of their writing errors. The prominent causes of the errors were attributable to limitation of vocabulary size, low grammar understanding and obstruction from first language. In the finding of the study, six appropriate instructional strategies were suggested so that teachers can adopt a more effective approach to enhance students writing proficiency such as learning words, teaching of fundamental sentence structure, showing reading method, correcting error and class meeting, understanding of L1 interference, and writing incentive. Since English language has been introduced in Cambodia, EFL students learning styles have adapted to the language acquisition. In the past students were likely to get knowledge through listening to the teachers while teachers lacked specific training about teaching methodology. The learning style of Cambodian students is typically memorization at the expense of realistic purpose. Consequently, they would rather learn grammar and reading than on listening and speaking. Specifically, most Cambodian learners feel more comfortable and enjoyable with having things which are written on the whiteboard in order that they can write them down and study at home. Hopefully, they hope to get handouts of summaries or lecture outlines. On the other hand, some Cambodian learners reveal that they face a lot of pressures of how to adapt the new cultural environment and how to get on with their peers in class. Some feel lonely because the ways they dress or talk are so different. (Nguyen 2001) As for the case of EFL Cambodian classrooms, Keuk (2009), found in his study that most teachers practical habitual teaching methods such as vocabulary translation from L2 to L1. Accordingly, students are taught to memorize chunks of English language with mainly focused on grammar and vocabulary. 1.2 Problem statement Without recognizing proper learning styles, students seem not to achieve better results in their academic performance. Furthermore, students are less likely to improve their language acquisition very quickly, as they do not know the effective learning styles. In spite of the variety of academic courses which the university students take in English, and the tough efforts universities and lecturers apply to develop students language skills, the students language performance, unfortunately, has been tedious. This could be recognized to the different learning styles and habits used by students in studying English, including preferring having things written on the whiteboard to listening to the lecturers explanation, nervousness of speaking in classroom, preferring grammar translation form first language to second language while learning English language and preferring working individual and personally to working in groups. Pedagogically, most of the lecturers practice traditional teachin g method, grammar translation method form first language to second language while teaching English language. The final noticeable problem is that large classes pose some significant challenges in class room setting and reduced effectiveness of classroom management. 1.3 Objectives of the study This study aims specifically to identify the learning styles which are used by Cambodian private university students in their learning of English as a foreign language in the classroom. More interestingly, this study intends to explore the reasons why Cambodian university students use different styles in their learning English as a foreign language. 1.4 Research questions This research aims to investigate the effective factors in learning English as a foreign language. The following research questions can be formulated for the study below. 1. How do Cambodian university students describe their learning styles used in learning English as a Foreign Language? 2. Why do the students use different styles in their learning English? 1.5 Significance of the Study As a part of educational development, this study is significant for four reasons. First, exploring students learning styles in English in Cambodian higher education will help improve students language acquisition. Second, the study will shed light on the effective learning styles of EFL successful Cambodian university students, which can be used as a model of learning English. Third, this research will help to contribute to the usefulness of appropriate vocabulary teaching and learning techniques in order to promote vocabulary acquisition, particularly in EFL Cambodian context. In addition, from a methodological perception, it is also hoped that the findings from this study will be useful for providing meaningful suggestions for overcoming the problems that may arise regarding the learning styles of students and how to accommodate various learners in EFL classroom. 16 Definition of key terms In an attempt to better understand this study, some key terms are defined as follows. EFL students learning styles mean techniques, behaviors, actions, habits and steps employed by learners learning English as a Foreign Language to improve and develop their different language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Moreover, the term learning style refers to the general approach preferred by the student when learning a subject, acquiring a language, or dealing with a difficult problem (Oxford 2001; Reid 1998) 1.7 Proposed Chapter This paper will be chronologically composed of five main chapters. Chpater1is the introduction, consisting of background of the study, researcher problem, research objective, research question, significance of the study, and definition of key concepts. Chapter 2, literature review, which discusses on the problems and solutions of the study. Chpater3, methodology, which consists of research design, participants, method, instruments, tools data collection, data analysis, ethnical consideration, strengths and limitation of research. Chapter 4, discussion and findings of the study, analyzing the data collected from the interviews. Chapter 5, conclusion and recommendation, summarizing the problems and findings of the study and suggesting some strategies to help improve the weaknesses. Moreover, these five chapters are followed systematically by references and appendices. CHAPTER2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1. Defining learning styles In a study by Aqel Mahmoud (2006), determining the learning styles of An-Najah National University students used in their learning of English as a foreign language. Consequently, the result of the findings suggested a variety of teaching English styles, including asking students to change their seats in classes, introduction of creative activities and the use of audio-visual aids, which suit learning styles used by students in their learning of English. Moreover, the researchers recommended the introduction of computer as a necessary course in Department of English and Teaching Methods Department which give its successful task in making students rely on themselves to develop their language proficiency. Also, the researcher proposes that a study should be conducted at other universities to discover the learning styles which are used by students in the learning of English and the relationship between these styles and students personality. In the article by Marin (2003), the focus of the investigation was on the language learning styles appearing that students face language difficulties with great achievement but with little efforts. However, other students faced these difficulties with a little success and satisfaction. Also, this article proved that each learner had his/her good way of learning through his/her culture, educational background and personality. Heffernan (1999) as cited in Aqel (2006), determined that many studies on language learning styles applied and gained differently base on motivation and outcome, level of language , years of learning language, teaching methods, difficult content, and students background and sex. He also added that successful language learners use various styles in learning language, and the teacher can help in increasing learning styles through teaching strategies that probably help weak students to choose the appropriate learning styles for dissimilar educational tasks. 2.2 Learning styles in classroom The classroom still remains a good and comfortable place for students in learning their language. Specifically, students learning styles have to be taken into account while teaching English. in a study by , (Haynes, 2001), the language learners use certain styles, especially in their mother tongue while learning their language, and these styles are transferred when they learn a foreign language. Similarly, several studies (Oxford 1993; OMalley and Chamot, 1990) showed that students of languages used various learning techniques such as memorization, repetition, and imitation, development of positive feeling to language and application of information. In a study by (Hayes, 1997; Strevens, 1978; Harmer, 1983), large English classes are often related to lack of control and concentration, disruption, classroom interaction, particularly lack in the ability to speak English fluently. Moreover, overcrowded class is one of the constraints on effective teaching and learning. Also, large classes reduce teachers attention, produces real physical discomfort and distraction that negatively affect learners attitudes towards their learning. Bloom (1976), creating opportunities for small class group work which helps each other and proves to be a useful way to motivate students and correct errors. He also believed that the size of the group is one of the main elements which influences in language learning. In dealing with the problems associated with large classes, Nnaji (1991) proposes tutorial classes as a solution to help reduce the menace of large classes. She believes that tutorial classes should be used to curtail the shortcomings of large classes. According to her, tutorials are discussion sessions where the teacher and his students talk to each other and express their views on topics they did not fully understand The learning style of Cambodian students is typically memorization at the expense of realistic purpose. Therefore, they would rather learn grammar and reading than on listening and speaking. Specifically, most Cambodian learners feel more comfortable with having things written on the whiteboard in order that they can copy them down and study at home. They hope to get handouts of summaries or lecture outlines. On the other hand, some Cambodian learners reveal that they face a lot of pressures of how to adapt the new cultural environment and how to get on with their peers in class. Some feel lonely because the ways they dress or talk are so different. (Nguyen 2001) However, a number of personality characteristics have been associated with successful language learning. These include being willing to take risks (Ruben 1979 as cited in Willis 2001), having self-confident (Heyde as cited in Freeman and Long 1991), and being interested (Ellis and Sinclair as cited in Willis 2001) 2.3 Vocabulary learning In learning a foreign language, vocabulary plays an important role. It is one element which is associated with the four skills, namely speaking, listening, reading and writing. In a research article by Mohd et al. (2009), investigated the evaluation learning vocabulary strategies of undergraduate EFL learners and its relation to the learners vocabulary size. There are five various categories of vocabulary learning strategies such as determination, memory, social, cognitive, and metacognitive. Consequently, the findings of this study led to some suggestions to improve students vocabulary learning, developed their vocabulary size, and enhanced their English learning. As for the case of EFL Cambodian classrooms, Keuk (2009), found in his study that most teachers practical habitual teaching methods such as vocabulary translation from L2 to L1. Accordingly, students are taught to memorize chunks of English language with mainly focused on grammar and vocabulary. Maghsodi et al. (2010), reading should be encouraged either inside or outside class because it is the most important tool which helps provide learners with the vocabulary acquisition. It is believed that the more learners are exposed to new words, they more they are likely to remember them. In a study by Minji (2008), explored which vocabulary instruction is more helpful for learning English vocabulary. Consequently, each instructional approach is required to examine, review, and integrate to determine the usefulness as a whole. In the light of the major findings of this study is that vocabulary instruction is effective overall for EFL learners even though there are some instructional approaches which are not related to effective learning. According to National Reading Panel (2000), helped determine the effective implications of vocabulary instruction for first language learners, including teaching vocabulary both directly and indirectly, repetition and multiple exposures to vocabulary items are important, restructuring vocabulary tasks, and entailing active engagement in learning tasks for vocabulary tasks. 2.3 Grammar learning Grammar is viewed as an essential element for communication to take place because it shows how language is used. According to Larsen-Freeman (1997), the misunderstanding of the role of grammar is attributed to the fact that it is always viewed to be governed by fixed rules. As for the case of Mat et al. (2010), proving the various between the methodological expectations and the learners in contrast to the actual teaching methodology followed by their instructors. More significantly, this research article focuses on the five aspects medium of instruction, grammar instruction, instructors as model, and the usefulness of drilling, mimicry and memorization, and the use of educational tools, pertaining to the foreign language methodology. In the light of the finding of the study, a serious discrepancy between students expectations and their classroom reality in terms of how grammar is instructed. Also, grammar rules should be explained and that grammar should not be taught explicitly. 2.4 Reading styles Reading involves a variety of factors which may have an impact on learners reading ability. Weaver (1988) defines reading as the process of constructing meaning through the energetic interaction among the readers existing knowledge, the information recommended by the written language, and the situation in reading context. In a study by (Miller Yochum, 1991; Donnell Wood, 1999), maintained that the reading difficulties students face may be related to inaccurate knowledge of the reading process, lack interest and motivation, fluency, concept density, organization, and difficult vocabulary. Comprehension or reading strategies show how readers conceive of a task, how they make sense of what they read, and what they do when they do not understand. In short, such strategies are processes used by the learner to enhance reading comprehension and overcome comprehension failures (Singhal, 2001). In a second language study, Hosenfeld (1977) used a think-aloud procedure to identify relations between certain types of reading strategies and successful or unsuccessful second language reading. The successful reader, for instance, kept the meaning of the passage in mind while reading and skipped less important words but the unsuccessful reader lost the meaning of the sentences when decoded and seldom skipped unimportant words. 2.5 Speaking styles Speaking is a key to communication. It is the productive skill in language learning, which places a great demand on students logical and critical thinking. In the article by Widiati (2006), discussed problems in the teaching of EFL speaking, activities normally practiced, materials commonly used in EFL speaking classes, and assessment of oral English proficiency. Based on the finding, Indonesian learners frequently have not achieved a good level of ora1 English proficiency. For example, Mukminatien (1999) showed that students of English department have a lot of mistakes while speaking. The mistakes consist of pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, vocabulary, fluency, and interactive communication. Likewise, Ihsan (1999) found that students are likely to make errors, including the misuse of parts of speech, syntactical construction, lexical choice, and voice. Ihsan et al. (1999 as cited in Eyiyuliwati 1997), showed that students had difficulties in using grammar and in applying new vocabulary items in speaking class. When the ability to speak English is a very difficult task regarding to the nature of what is included in speaking. Not all of the students in an EFL speaking class have the bravery to speak. Many of the students feel nervous in a speaking class and some are likely to keep silent. In the research by Padmadewi (1998) proved that students attending a speaking class often felt anxious because of demands from the speaking tasks requiring them to do presentation individually and spontaneously within limitation of time. While Tutyandari (2005), stated that students keep quiet due to the lack of self-reliance, prior, knowledge about topics, and poor relationship between teacher and learner. In order to deal with students limited knowledge, she recommended speaking teachers make active the students prior knowledge by asking questions relating to topics under debate. Also, she suggested that students self-esteem can be improved and their nervousness reduced by asking them to work in small gro ups. To achieve a higher quality of the teaching of EFL speaking and to improve the speaking skill of Indonesian EFL learners, Mukminatien (1999), suggested teachers give their learners more adequate input for acquisition in the classroom and push them to use English either in or outside the classroom. More specifically, Citraniugtyas (2005) stated that a silent speaking class can be made more active by assigning tasks which develop students critical thinking skills. Purjayanti (2003) found presentation to be helpful to encourage students to communicate ideas in their fields of study. She added that through presentation and its preparation students were able not only to practice speaking, but also to search for materials and deliver them in a planned way. Small group discussion is an additional activity that can be conducted in EFL speaking classroom. Its aim is to facilitate learners to be participated actively in a discussion concerning with students limited number. In a study of Murdibjono (2001) demonstrated that discussing in small groups is an effective activity so that students have more time to practice speaking with their classmates. 2.6 Listening styles Listening is a critical element in the competent language performance of EFL university students. Therefore, listening comprehension is an important sill, as well as prerequisite for oral proficiency. In the study of Goh (1997), difficulties to listening compression can be divided into person knowledge and task knowledge. The obstacles of person knowledge are: the limitation of vocabulary, idiomatic expression, kinds of input with new structure, fast speech. While the task knowledge related to new vocabulary, various local accents, speech rate, the interest and purpose of listening, existing knowledge and experience, physical factors, and the length of sentence structure. However, he suggested two strategies for helping learners become better listener. The first is direct strategy; it aims at increasing perceptions. Learners L2 can improve the listening by practicing perceptions sound, content, pronunciation of new words, words, and intonation features. The second is the indirect str ategy; its aim is to improve knowledge about speakers, tasks, and strategy According Hann (2000), the use of ineffective learning strategies of learners may affect their listening comprehension and learners experience. Various kinds of listening comprehension may cause some problems due to the inadequacy of the message from factors relating to the speakers speech, and to the learner proficiency in listening comprehension. Furthermore, it was found that EFL learners are poorly equipped with effective listening strategies, skills, activities. To help better improve the listening comprehension, in a study by Wen-sheng (2007), conducted in China, listening is very crucial input, but many of the students in Chaozhou Normal College, Hanshan Normal University, and Chaozhou Guangdong were upset with listening. In the finding of the study, there were a lot of significant listening techniques which were neglected by teachers. However, a researcher suggests that more listening strategies should be taught in classes and teaching plan is given. 2.7 Writing styles In the article by Hafida (2010), conducted in Tlemsen, Algeria, analyze both the university requirements for the English academic degree in Algeria, and students needs so as to improve a pedagogical framework that would respond both exigencies. In the light of finding of the study, the researcher recommended the implementation of a strategy such as based writing curriculum for EFL university students that would develop their strategic competence and consolidate their linguistic knowledge. Since the Chinese students poor communicative ability in oral and written English, there is a concern in English teaching and learning in China. In the article by Yan (2006) explored a successful method so as to develop students speaking ability. As a result of the finding, Scenario-based Learning, two reflective models are introduced to improve the oral and writing in English. Scenario-Based Learning (SBL) is a structured method for figuring out some issues impacting the lives of specific individuals or groups of individuals. Also, It confronts students with an important context based on real life situation which requires them to take part in an imagined series of events. In the study by Osman (2010), investigates the difficulties faced by beginner academic writers and proposes recommendations to help these writers to be better collaborative writers. In the finding of the study, beginner writers have difficulties during their collaborative writing, including inability to work with their partners, poor language proficiency, poor research skills, having limited time to discuss, lacking ideas, facing stress during collaborative writing, ; therefore, it is suggested that the university and the lecturers should provide them with the opportunities of (1) providing intensive reading program ; (2)teaching interpersonal skills; (3) teaching time management; (4) providing pre-collaborative writing sessions; (5) providing pre-collaborative writing sessions ;(6) and providing teacher/ peer assistance According to Bereiter and Scardamalia (1987) as cited in Rouiller (2005), writing generally suffers from lack of interaction that stimulates oral production in conversation. However, to ensure successful learning, Lam Wong (2000) as cited in Lourdunathan Menon (2005), believe that learners should demonstrate appropriate cooperative behavior and peer support. It is necessary because some students have difficulties in organizing their ideas and are weak in English language as well. This can hinder them from participating in their collaborative work. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1Research design Since the intent of this study significantly focuses on a private university in Cambodia, the researcher will employ a case study exploring the learning styles of EFL Cambodian university students. As a qualitative research approach is used, the case study will be employed in this study to explore the learning styles of EFL Cambodian university students. The case study method tends to systematically investigate an event or a set of related events with the specific aims of describing and explaining this phenomenon. (Berg, 2009) 3.2 Participants This is a case study which explores the learning styles of Cambodian university students. The participants of this study will be selected from one private university in Phnom Penh. The sample will consist of 6 students, who are studying English Literature in that university. Also, the researcher will choose both female and male students. Before conducting interviews, the researcher will make an appointment and notify the reasons of visit to the Rector of University. 3.3 Instrument With the purpose of getting trustworthy information, unstructured interview, informal conversation and participant observation will be used in order to obtain reliable data. Interviews will be tape-recorded and open-ended questions (see below appendix for details). In addition to the above interviews, class observation will be useful tool to obtain data. The observation checklist will basically focus on students learning styles both in classroom and outside classroom. 3.4 Data Collection Since the qualitative data collection procedure requires the research to immerse completely in the nature setting, the researcher will carry out unstructured interview after observation and taking notes. The interviews will consist of open-ended questions and tape-recording (see Appendix below) for the details. Prior to carrying out the interviews, the researcher will ask permission from university rector and students. The researcher expects each interview will take around 50 minutes and occur in the university or outside the university. The options for selecting site for interview will be provided for the participants because it helps reduce the participants difficulties. Moreover, the study objective will be verbally informed to participants before conducting interviews. With permission from participants, the researcher will use tape-recording to record the whole interviews. The researcher might ask different participants to answer the questions based on their preference. The resea rcher will personally observe English students using participant observation techniques. The observation will basically focus on students learning styles in classroom. The students will be asked to provide their responses about the learning styles of EFL Cambodian university students based on their ideas. The observational protocol will include the descriptive activities in the setting and reflective ideas from the researcher. Besides these observations, informal conversation will be made with participants in order to obtain deeply their perceptions about language learning styles. The researcher may take a few brief notes in the field setting but take notes of teaching techniques and behaviors after observation. 3.5 Data Analysis The researcher will organize and prepare the data for analysis as soon as the data has been collected from the participants. Then the researcher will spend lots of time reading all data and listening to tape recording in order to delete the irrelevant information. Next, the researcher will code the text to categorize the data. Moreover, relationship of data will be identified to interpret the meaning of data collected. Finally, in order to ensure the reliability and validity of data, the researcher will try to reread the data and ask researcher team to check the information. Moreover, matrixes and graphs will be specifically presented. Therefore, they will visualize the difficulties of Cambodian EFL students learning styles 3.6 Ethical Consideration To successfully conduct this study, the researcher will take into consideration about some safeguards. First, the consent form will be given to the participants to sign if they really agree to join in the study. Second, the purpose of this study will be clearly informed to participants in order to build mutual understanding and rapport. Third, the researcher will profoundly tell the participants that their participation will be voluntary and stopping from interviews will be the participants choice. Finally, the researcher will keep data collected in secret place which no one besides researcher will have access to get it. Furthermore, I will bring together the names of participants but keep them confidential. Personal identifiers will be released to the public in a way that protects the identification of participants. 3.7 Limitation of Research This study is guided with the following limitations, which affect the generality of the finding. First, the study only focuses on university English students in Department of English. Second, the study may be limited in its analysis or generality as it will be conducted in one Cambodian private university, in which 6students will be selected. Third, since this study will mainly explore only important learning styles, some points might be ignored. However, the purpose of this study is not to provide the broad generalization but to explore the learning styles of Cambodian university students in a private university in Phnom Penh. Therefore, the above-mentioned compounding circumstances might limit understanding and evaluation; however, these are generally overwhelmed and controlled by the research design.

Jourody Journey of Homers Odyssey, Joyces Ulysses and Walcotts Omer

The Journey of Homer's Odyssey, Joyce's Ulysses and Walcott's Omeros      Ã‚   This essay explores how the theme of the journey, pervasive in Homer's Odyssey, find expression in James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) and Derrick Walcott's Omeros (1990), epics written in very different historical periods.   Common to all three epics is a plot structure that involves a protagonist who longs for home but who must first endure a life-altering change before he returns. The theme of the "journey" provokes an image of both a natural and spiritual quest occurring simultaneously, both significantly viable because each passage contributes equally to the manifestation of the maturing male identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Homer's Odyssey, captures the essence of the "journey", a word signifying the movement from one place to another, by juxtaposing Odysseus's palpable journey against his spiritual one. Odysseus attempts to navigate at sea the ships and crew from Troy to Ithaca while a number of nymphs and demons make obstacles that impede his success. Both visible and invisible, the journeys produce a change in Odysseus that ensure his maturity into manhood before he returns to his wife, Penelope, in Ithaca.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Odysseus's journey begins at home where a summons to war prompts him to leave Ithaca for Troy. Odysseus and Penelope have a newborn son they name Telemachus. The war lasts ten years. Ending when Odysseus leaves a belly full of soldiers in a wooden horse at the beach before the enemy's compound. Thinking it a gift from the Greeks, the Trojan's roll it in and before dawn, a final siege occurs that ends the war. Smug and accomplished about the downfall, Odysseus sets sail for Ithaca. War inflicts Odysseus with a primordial disposition, and ... ...ort van he names the "Comet." Philoctete, a native African-Caribbean nurses a festering wound on his shin caught by a rusty anchor while timbering. A journey in a metaphor that denotes the survival and recovery of the African-Caribbean culture, spirit and mind after colonialism.          Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. Mythic Worlds, Modern Words: On the Art of James Joyce. New York: Harper Collins, 1993. Mamner, Robert D. Epic of the Dispossessed: Derek Walcott's Omeros. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1997. Hexter, Ralph. A Guide to The Odyssey: A Commentary on the English Translation of Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Random House, 1993. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Random House, 1990. Joyce, James. Ulysses. New York: Random House, 1986. Walcott, Derek. Omeros. New York: Harper Collins, 1990.    Jourody Journey of Homer's Odyssey, Joyce's Ulysses and Walcott's Omer The Journey of Homer's Odyssey, Joyce's Ulysses and Walcott's Omeros      Ã‚   This essay explores how the theme of the journey, pervasive in Homer's Odyssey, find expression in James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) and Derrick Walcott's Omeros (1990), epics written in very different historical periods.   Common to all three epics is a plot structure that involves a protagonist who longs for home but who must first endure a life-altering change before he returns. The theme of the "journey" provokes an image of both a natural and spiritual quest occurring simultaneously, both significantly viable because each passage contributes equally to the manifestation of the maturing male identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Homer's Odyssey, captures the essence of the "journey", a word signifying the movement from one place to another, by juxtaposing Odysseus's palpable journey against his spiritual one. Odysseus attempts to navigate at sea the ships and crew from Troy to Ithaca while a number of nymphs and demons make obstacles that impede his success. Both visible and invisible, the journeys produce a change in Odysseus that ensure his maturity into manhood before he returns to his wife, Penelope, in Ithaca.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Odysseus's journey begins at home where a summons to war prompts him to leave Ithaca for Troy. Odysseus and Penelope have a newborn son they name Telemachus. The war lasts ten years. Ending when Odysseus leaves a belly full of soldiers in a wooden horse at the beach before the enemy's compound. Thinking it a gift from the Greeks, the Trojan's roll it in and before dawn, a final siege occurs that ends the war. Smug and accomplished about the downfall, Odysseus sets sail for Ithaca. War inflicts Odysseus with a primordial disposition, and ... ...ort van he names the "Comet." Philoctete, a native African-Caribbean nurses a festering wound on his shin caught by a rusty anchor while timbering. A journey in a metaphor that denotes the survival and recovery of the African-Caribbean culture, spirit and mind after colonialism.          Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. Mythic Worlds, Modern Words: On the Art of James Joyce. New York: Harper Collins, 1993. Mamner, Robert D. Epic of the Dispossessed: Derek Walcott's Omeros. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1997. Hexter, Ralph. A Guide to The Odyssey: A Commentary on the English Translation of Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Random House, 1993. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Random House, 1990. Joyce, James. Ulysses. New York: Random House, 1986. Walcott, Derek. Omeros. New York: Harper Collins, 1990.   

life after 9/11 :: essays research papers

or most of us, airports are the only places where life has really changed since 9/11. The terminal has become a vast theater of the absurd where aspiring passengers line up halfway back to town. The shoes of little old ladies are gravely removed and inspected. Men in suits take their cell phones out of the bag and put their laptop computers into the bag—no, wait, cell phones in and computers out. Random passengers stand spread-eagled while strangers say to them softly, "Now I'm going to run my hands around your waist. Is that all right?" Somewhere unseen, a food-service worker is assembling plastic knives but metal forks in meals headed for first class. And all the while the public-address system hectors us to "report any suspicious activity." Many people, understandably skeptical about these quasi-religious rituals, have stopped flying instead. Others are thinking about moving out of New York and other big cities, and some have done so. These are responses more in keeping with the scale and drama of the episode that provoked them, but they may not make any more sense. David G. Myers of Hope College in Holland, Mich., calculated that terrorists would have to hijack 50 planes a year and kill everyone aboard before flying would be more dangerous than driving an equal distance. The steps we have taken to protect ourselves from terrorism (not counting the military effort to stop it at the source) seem either farcically trivial or farcically excessive. Is there a rational middle ground? Dealing rationally with the risks of terrorism is hard for several reasons. First, human beings are bad at assessing small risks of large catastrophes. And Americans are especially bad at this because we are Americans, and catastrophes are not supposed to happen to us. Our legal culture, our political culture and our media culture all push us toward excessive caution by guaranteeing that any large disaster will produce an orgy of hindsight. Lawyers will sue, politicians will hold hearings, newspapers and newsmagazines will publish overexcited revelations about secret memos that could be interpreted as having warned of this if held up to the light at a certain angle. Second, the actual risk of being a terror victim is not merely small—it is unknown and unknowable. Economists make a distinction between "risk" and "uncertainty." Risk refers to hard mathematical odds. Uncertainty refers to situations in which the odds are anybody's guess