History of Education and Field Study Essay

We all know that each of the teachers has their own methods and strategies in delivering their lesson. I observed the class of Teacher Teejie Taruc. She is a MAPEH major teaching at Camba National High School. She uses a combination of methods in her class includes the Socratic Method, inductive method, class discussion, lecturing and recitation. She has her own techniques on how she presents her lesson. Teacher Teejie has a great sense of humour that’s why she can easily get the attention of her students. By  using those methods, she can manage her students and also the learning process. Field Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process 7 Analysis Explain the methods that the teacher used. Methods| Advantages| Disadvantages| 1. Socratic Method – it is the question and answer part in the lesson presentation. | * Learners can share their own ideas. * Teacher and the learners may absorb knowledge by listening to other ideas. | * Some of the learners may not cooperate. | 2. Inductive Method – a method which presenting the lesson by specific to more general. | * Learners may familiarize the topic * Easily cope up with the topic. * They can improve their critical thinking skills. | * Learning is difficult to gauge. * Some may hardly understand the topic. | 3. Lecture Method – is a teaching procedure for explaining and clarifying a major idea. It makes use of may be a narration or a description. | * Presents factual material in direct, logical manner. * It contains experience which inspires. * Stimulates thinking to open discussion. * Useful for large groups of learner. * It serve as a guide through a great mass of information characteristics of subject areas. | * Some of the learners may not participate. * Time will limit the discussion. * Learning is difficult to gauge. | 4. Class Discussion – a method on presenting a lesson where there is a question involve that may answer by the learners. | * Pools ideas and experiences from other learners. * Effective after a presentation, film or experience that needs to be analyzed. * Allows everyone to participate in an active process. | * Few learners can dominate. * Others may not participate. * It is time consuming. * Can get off the track. | 5. Recitation – an act of enumerating and answering the question of the teacher. | * Learners can boost their confidence by doing recitation. * Both teacher and learners may absorb knowledge from each other. | * Some students may not participate. * Some won’t get a fair answering. | Field Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process8 Reflection What methods am I going to use? As a would-be educator, I already have ideas of what method am I going use in the near future. I encountered a lot of teachers and I can say that they have their own techniques, strategies and methods in teaching. Each of them is different from anyone and I can say that they are all good teachers. I always taught to myself that someday I am going to be like them and much better than them. In order to have a good learning process in the class, I must have a harmonious relationship with my learners. It is very important for me as a teacher to have a harmonious relationship with my learners so that I can easily impart knowledge to them. I am planning to use a combination of methods includes class discussion, brain storming, lecturing, Socratic, inductive, deductive, recitation, power point and video clip presentation and worksheets. These methods are only guide for us. The effectiveness of these methods is always depending on us, on how we apply it and on how we deliver it. Some of the methods I’m planning to use are generally used by most teachers that’s why I included video clip and power point presentation in order to follow on the new trends of teaching. We all know that these things are very popular today. Power point presentation is software of Microsoft where we can write up the lessons that we want to teach on our students. Video clip presentation is an entertaining way of teaching content and raising issues that keep group’s attention. When we use these two new trends of teaching, learning process may be more successful than the traditional one. It’s so hard to get the attention of the students. We must be a good motivator for us to motivate them. Being a teacher is not easy like they always said but I do believe that it depends on you. As long as you know that you can do it, it will be easy. Just love your profession and the profession will also loves you. Make your passion your profession! Field Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process9 Documentation†¦ FieField Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process10 Differences Among Approach, Methods, Strategies, and Techniques Many people are having difficulties on distinguishing the differences between approach, methods, strategies, and techniques that’s why in this activity; I am going to define the differences between those words. Approach| Method or Strategy| Technique|. * An enlighten viewpoint of teaching. * Provides sounds philosophy and orientation to the whole process of teaching in which the selection of an instructional method is part and parcel of. | * It refers to an organized, orderly, systematic, well-planned procedure. * It consist of steps which are logically arranged aimed at achieving the specific aims of instruction at enhancing greater teaching and maximizing learning output. * Method directs and guides the teacher in all class activities and involves as well, the organization of materials to get things done. * Strategy in the beginning is a monopoly of other disciplines like military, science, politics, economics, and even psychology. | * It is implementational and that which actually takes place in a classroom. * It is a particular trick, or contrivance, used to accomplish an immediate objective. * It is consistent with a method and approach as well. * It depends on the teacher, his individual artistry, and on the composition of the class. * It is defined as a procedural variation of a given method. | Field Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process6.

Similarities in the Epic of Gilgamesh and Siddhartha as Portrayed by an Unknown Author and Herman Hesse

Similarities in The_ Epic of Gilgamesh_ and Siddhartha As portrayed by an unknown author and Herman Hesse Both Siddhartha and Gilgamesh believe in themselves, they do not let others define them or make decisions for them. Siddhartha demonstrates that he has strong will from the very beginning of the novel. He is taught by the Samana even though the teachings he received up to this point in his life say that the Samana’s wayis the wrong religion. â€Å"It is not fitting for a Brahmin to speak angry and violent words/But indignation moves my heart/I do not wish to hear that request a second time from your lips†(Hesse, 9). Siddhartha wants to make his own decision to study with the Samana, therefore, he needed to go against his father’s judgment and demand leave to travel with the Samana. This clearly shows Siddhartha’s strong will by wanting to study with the Samana strongly enough to disobey his father. Siddhartha also demonstrates determination when he does not fall prey to the temptations of Sublime ones teachings. Siddhartha believes you do not need a teacher or scriptures to be taught how to achieve Nirvana. He abandons the Buddha and also his friend with hope of finding the way to Nirvana on his own. Gilgamesh on the other hand is the ruler of Uruk. In order to be able to keep his people alive he needs to be level headed and strong willed. Gilgamesh is so strong willed he seems arrogant, he believes he is one of the Gods and immortal and forgets that he is only 2/3 God. The villagers of Uruk say that â€Å"[Gilgamesh’s] arrogance has no bounds by night or day†(tablet 1, 62). Although his strong will is mistaken for arrogance on numerous occasions, Gilgamesh changes through the course of the novel. After meeting Enkidu he seems less arrogant to the people of Uruk and becomes their hero. Gilgamesh’s strong will helps him through the trials he must face to reach immortality. He faces the battle with Hambaba, the death of his friend, he passes through the mountain pass, rows across the waters of death and then return to his people. Gilgamesh did not give up during his journey because he did not want to let the people of Uruk suffer an illfate. The thought of his people gives him courage and his strong will is what allows him to continue. Gilgamesh and Siddhartha are two men from different times but they still share the same quality of being strong willed. The importance of loyalty is conveyed through Siddhartha’s and Gilgamesh’sloyalty to their friends. Siddhartha is loyal to every person he meets during his journey, but his most trusted friend is Govinda. They start their journey together; Govinda is in love with Siddhartha and therefore follows all his wishes. After meeting the Sublime One Siddhartha feels as though he has wronged his friend by bringing him along on his journey, because they have not found Nirvana: Govinda, my friend, now you have taken this step, now you have chosen this path. Always, oh Govinda, you've been my friend, you've always walked one step behind me. Often I have thought: Won't Govinda for once also take a step by himself, without me, out of his own soul? Behold, now you've turned into a man and are choosing your path for yourself. I wish that you would go it up to its end, oh my friend, that you shall find salvation! Siddhartha wants only the best for his friend so he waits for Govinda to decide to leave him instead of sending him away. Siddhartha wishes Govinda well, even though he knows later on he will feel lonely without his friend. Siddhartha and Govinda meet each other after they depart on two other occasions. On each meeting they speak as though they had never left one another’s side. Friendship thus plays a key role in Siddhartha as well. Gilgamesh initially does not seem like a loyal person because of his arrogance, however, when he meets Enkidu, Gilgamesh becomes a loyal friend. At the beginning of their relationship, Gilgamesh’s loyalty seems questionable, but after the death of Enkidu the reader can see the great love he has for his friend. â€Å"[. . . ] seven days and seven nights he wept for Enkidu† (Tablet, 96). Following the death of his friend, despite Gilgamesh’s vow to walk with him in the neverlands (valley of death), he leaves on a journey to find immortality because he does not want his people to suffer the way he has. Despite his journey to find immortality Gilgamesh comes to realize that immortality will not bring his friend back from the dead. He discovers that he must live his life the way Enkidu would have wanted him to; without grief. Gilgamesh decides to stay loyal to his friend and walk in the neverlands with him after his own death. Gilgamesh and Siddhartha are loyal to their closest friends and they only wish the best for them. Through their loss they were able to achieve impossibilities. Siddhartha and Gilgamesh never truly experience grief until the death of the ones they love. Their experience with grief is similar because it helps them evolve as people and it changes their lives. After the death of Kamala, Siddhartha is enlightened and is able to experience the grief of this world as well as see the grief he inflicts on his father the day he leaves. Kamala’s death leaves Siddhartha with the responsibility of raising his son, who hates living as a ferryman. His son wants to return to the town but his father does not let him. â€Å"I hate you you’re not my father/even if you were her lover ten times over. † (Hesse,108). Siddhartha feels grief at that moment for not being loved by his son, but it is through grief that he can understand Nirvana. Gilgamesh has everything he has ever wanted and he has never had an occasion to understand or feel grief. He would have never felt grief if he did not enjoy the company of Enkidu. The death of Enkidu is the turning point in The Epic of Gilgamesh, because Gilgamesh, in order to forget his grief, sets out on his journey to find immortality, in his attempt to resurrect Enkidu, also to shelter his people from grief. For Gilgamesh and Siddhartha, grief is the turning point in their lives, because it helps them move forward. Siddhartha discovers Nirvana and Gilgamesh finds that you can’t escape reality with immortality. While writing Siddhartha and The_ Epic of _Gilgamesh the authors would have been influenced by the beliefs of the society in which they lived. Siddhartha follows the Buddhist belief that you can find Nirvana through teachings and meditation. Nirvana is a state of mind which is completely at peace and with complete clarity and lucidity without thoughts of volitional formation (Bhikkhu Bodhi). Herman Hesse wrote the novel Siddhartha during his time in India and China, where the central religion is Buddhism. It is unknown to this day who the author of The Epic of Gilgamesh really was. First the story was found on tablets years after it was written and secondly the tablets state that Gilgamesh himself had written the novel. The reason people do not believe it was Gilgamesh who wrote this novel is because it is written in the third person. But we do know that The Epic of Gilgamesh is influenced by the Babylonian’s beliefs of dream interpretation and the cosmic. Since the epic is found in Babylonian ruins, archeologists assume that the epic is written by the Babylonian’s who also believed in astrology. The novel states that it is written during the age of the Taurus, also Gilgamesh sacrifices a bull, which is a custom among the Babylonians (Tony Crisp). Both novels are influenced by the place they were written but also during the era they are written in. Siddhartha is written in 1922 by a German named Herman Hesse who studied the Buddhist religion during 1910-1922. Around the time that Hesse wrote Siddhartha, his wife was suffering from mental instabilities and his son was seriously ill. Hesse stayed positive and strived for spiritual self-realization. Hesse states that â€Å"There is no reality except the one contained within us†(Hesse, 1919), this is a concept found within the novel Siddhartha. The difficulties and trials Hesse has to face helped make his novel one that’s praised around the world. The Epic of Gilgamesh has no official author because it is written on stone tablets that were discovered in the mid nineteenth century by Austen Henry Layard. They believed the tablets to be written around 2000 BCE but the actualdate is still argued. The tablets were found in ancient Mesopotamia, where they discovered 12 incomplete tablets. More tablets with a Syrian script have been found as far away from Mesopotamia as Syria and Turkey. Richard Hines) Both novels were written as a work of fiction but in reality they are both written using the name of an actual historical figure. Siddhartha of Gautama is known as the â€Å"Awakened one† or the Buddha throughout Asia; Hesse’s story does not follow closely to that of the Buddha. The journey they follow is different but the path they take to find Nirvana is the same. They both end up finding Niravan through medi tation and self teachings. the tablets on which The Epic of Gilgamesh is written tell the true tale of the historical figure, Gilgamesh, fifth king of Uruk. Water is the sign of purity and rebirth, but in order to be reborn in water you must emerge from its’ depths. (Didier Coiffard) During Siddhartha’s attempt to escape his life as a merchant, he runs away and decides to commit suicide near a river bank. While under the water he sees the word OM in front of him and finds himself unable to commit suicide. He emerges from the water a renewed man with renewed knowledge. â€Å"The new Siddhartha felt a deep love for this flowing water and decided that he would not leave it again so quickly† (Hesse, 81). He then meets the ferryman and becomes his apprentice in order to study the water and relearn his skills as a Brahmin and Samana. Siddhartha learns to listen to the river and becomes friends with it. With the help of the ferryman and the river Siddhartha finds Nirvana. He also relearns his skills of fasting, thinking and waiting. It is with the help of the river that Siddhartha is able to become a renewed and awakened person. Gilgamesh was also fortunate enough to find rebirth near water. Gilgamesh ends his initial quest near the river of death and retrieves a magic plant. In order to reach the plant Gilgamesh needs to submerge himself in the river. Once he emerges from the water he finds new hope in the magic plant, knowing that he could help his city. On his way back to UrukGilgamesh falls asleep and a snake steals the magic plant. For whom have I labored? For whom have I journeyed? For whom have I suffered? I have gained absolutely nothing for myself, I have only profited the snake, the ground lion! Gilgamesh goes back to Uruk to be with his wife and children, he realizes that he is only human and will keep his promise with Enkidu and walk in the neverlands with him. Both Siddhartha and Gilgamesh follow higher powers during their lives. Buddhists do not believe in a high power so Siddhartha follows the idea of spiritual awakening and a spiritual leader within himself . Siddhartha hears from his spiritual being when he leaves the Buddha and meets a woman that he desires but â€Å"[. . . ] upon hearing his innermost voice, and the voice said, no† (Hesse, 47) He immediately gives up on the woman and leaves her. He hears from his guide more than once through his journey. He hears the voice at the river and sees the word OM which is what gives him emotionalstrength. Like Siddhartha, Gilgamesh also follows a spiritual guide except for Gilgamesh believes in the gods. Until having met Enkidu, Gilgamesh has given his respect to the gods by sacrificing women and animals as well as building temples and shrines. After meeting Enkidu, he takes his fate into his own hands and kills Hambaba, but Enkidu dies by the will of the gods because he was not suppose to kill Humbaba. Gilgamesh has been touched by the gods since birth as his father, Utnapishtim is a god, which would make him 2/3 God and 1/3 man. The lives of Siddhartha and Gilgamesh are touched by a spiritual presence that helps them through their journey to find the meaning of life. In the beginning Siddhartha and Gilgamesh do not understand the meaning of life because they have never experienced anything outside of their cities. Siddhartha does not understand all aspects of life and therefore cannot experience nirvana. So his spiritual voice sends him on a journey to find and experience life. Through his journey he finds that there is no such thing as time, â€Å"Nothing was, nothing will be, everything has reality and presence† (Hesse, 87). Without his journey into life he would have never found this wisdom and with knowing and understanding that time is irrelevant, he would have never found Nirvana. Gilgamesh is much like Siddhartha because he has not experienced anything outside of Uruk. After the death of Enkidu he realizes that he is not immortal and will die one day. This realization scares Gilgamesh so he sets out on his journey to find immortality. After meeting his father, Gilgamesh realizes that becoming immortal is impossible, so Gilgamesh acknowledges that one day he will die because he is only human. With this knowledge he goes back to Uruk and strives to be a good king for the rest of his life. Siddhartha learns that only through life experiences can the spiritual self be understood and Gilgamesh learns that even though one day everything will die, you have to do what youcan at the present time. Herman Hesse and the Babylonian text are stories that will always be loved by many readers. They are stories that can be passed down to future generations and taught for years to come because they show the true meaning of existence. Gilgamesh learns to appreciate his life as a human being as opposed to a god, and not wish for immortality. He also finds that he is only capable of so much. Siddhartha learns that life is meant to be experienced in order to find nirvana and be at complete peace. The stories tell the reader that they do not have to be perfect or have everything to be truly happy with the life they have. Siddhartha and Gilgamesh are two fictional characters very similar in nature, despite having been written in two different times; ancient history and the twentieth century. The morals and ideas that these books hold true to this day, in order to find our spiritual selves we need to go on a journey to the depths of our souls and find the peace with us. Tomb of Gilgamesh believed found. † BBC News. 23 April 2003. Water a source of inspiration. Cite expos l’eau pour tous. 9 January 2008. â€Å"Nirvana. † Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 7 January 2008 â€Å"Babylonian Dream Beliefs. † Dream Hawk. Mesopotamia. 6 June 1999. World Civilizations, Richard Hines. 8 January 2008 < http://w ww. wsu. edu/~dee/MESO/GILG. HTM> â€Å"Free Siddhartha Essays: Themes in Siddhartha. † 123HelpMe. com. 04 Jan 2008 http://www. 123HelpMe. com/view. asp? id=10368.

The global economy--answer all three questions Essay

The global economy--answer all three questions - Essay Example With growing or declining market rates, which are dependent on demand for funds or economic conditions, interest rate is changing respectively. There are many differences between official cash rate and the market rate of interest. Nevertheless, relation between these two rates determines a special influence exerted on the economy of the country. Cash rate is also known as interest rate paid on overnight funds. Business cycle is under a strong influence of interest rate. Changes are sent to other interest rates in the economy and economic activity is under the influence of interest rates changes. Changes in the cash rate exert influence on interest rates in the economy. Nevertheless, some rates are not subjected to external influence from other rates. There are different options for interest rate changes and movements. It can be claimed that market rates are quick and complete in the markets. From another perspective, there are numerous cases of regression and the coefficients of cash rate change are less than one, as a rule. Maturity of security can be defined in the following way: â€Å"the long-run pass-through coefficient and the coefficient on the cash rate in the "levels" regressions are positive for all three rates, but the size of the coefficients declines the longer is the maturity of the security† (Wylie, 2009). It is possible to define the measure of governmental bonds over a certain period of time and the rates of maturities should be correlated during different periods. It is evident that the interest rate, when decrease, exerts a serious negative influence on consumption and investment expenditures, as well as the level of aggregate demand, the inflation and the unemployment rates. This influence can be interpreted in the following manner: when there is a price increase, borrowing is decreasing. When the price is decreasing, the effect is quite different. Borrowing increases in this case at once. Consequently, it is evident that changes in

Art Therapy and Childs Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Art Therapy and Childs Communication - Essay Example It is known that language development starts from the very beginning of the child's life. Even newly born babies hear the sounds around them. They listen to the speech when they hear it somewhere nearby, and they can even be startled at some loud noise. At the same time they already know how to make sounds which let people know if they experience pleasure or pain. By the time the child is 6 years old he speaks fluently and is able to answer simple questions about them. But it is not always so good with all children. Those who have some physical diseases or have suffered a psychological trauma experience difficulties with expressing their thoughts and wishes. That's why art therapy and the use of creativity becomes crucial in teaching these children fluent language and free exchange of thoughts and ideas. Being creative is seeing the same thing as everybody else but thinking of something different. (Ganim, 1999). The National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (1999) describes creativity as 'imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value'. (NACCE, 1999) In order to define creativity in more simple way it should be said that probably creativity is combining the things which previously could not been combined. Creativity always has two so called dimensions, that is the medium through which a child expresses his thoughts and ideas, in our particular case it is drawing, and the second dimension is the content, which is carried by the medium. Creativity can be of two different types - spontaneous and multistage. The first one comes out of a sudden, the second one needs much time for generating ideas and putting them into reality. Thus, any general definition of creativity must account for the process of recognition or discovery of novel ideas and solutions. (Prentice, 2000) Examples of personal traits of individuals, who are considered to be creative, were described by Rhyammar (1999) - openness to experience, independence, and self-confidence. But there is no one single definition of creativity with which everyone could agree. Any definition must note that creativity is a process of discovery and development of new ideas. Early psychological studies of children's drawings strived to find some connection between them and the development of children's cognition. Some workers consider that there could be found some parallels between the development of child's drawing and the evolution of art through the history. On the one hand Zierer (1976) states, that there is a clear connection between the evolution of children's cognitive abilities and the evolution of art and the historical development of art was followed by the cognitive development of children. On the other hand Neboschik (1975) does not see such connection and confirms that the changes in art are the consequence of the child's which to follow the culture by which he is surrounded. One thing remains without any change: children have a very good possibility to express their feelings and thoughts through such a simple meaning as drawing. Children therapists often use such kind of art therapy in order to help children to put

The cause of Japan's nuclear pollution and afluences on environment Essay

The cause of Japan's nuclear pollution and afluences on environment - Essay Example This meant that Japan joined the United States and other countries interested in the utilization of nuclear power for the economic benefits and promotion of peace. Most importantly, the atoms for peace movement served to highlight the alternative uses of nuclear power contrary to what had existed previously. Prior to these initiatives, nuclear power was of central interest in the development of nuclear weapons. Over the years, Japan has established numerous nuclear plants and has benefited from them immensely. Worth noting is the fact that the country has over 50 reactors, which contributed to about 30% of the county’s electricity supplies. Japan has to invest in alternative energy sources such as nuclear power because it imports over 84% of its energy. The country has established policies that govern the utilization of nuclear power. However, investing in nuclear power poses numerous risks to the environment. The case of Fukushima is an evident illustration of the nuclear pol lution that took place in Japan. This paper will discuss the causes of Japan’s nuclear pollution as well as the effects on the environment. As highlighted above, Japan has invested immensely in developing nuclear power research stations. The main purpose of indulging in research as well as establishing numerous radioactive reactors was to develop energy solutions for the country. The potential of nuclear power and energy cannot receive any form of underestimation. The developed world has often regarded nuclear power as the basis of the future energy supply (Evangeliou et al 351). With the increasing overdependence on nonrenewable energy sources, countries such as the United States as well as Japan have focused on developing alternative energy sources from nuclear power. Japan has established policies that define its ventures in the development of nuclear power (Hayashi,

How Fast Food Nation has chancged MY personal eating and shopping Essay

How Fast Food Nation has chancged MY personal eating and shopping habits and WHY - Essay Example After reading Schlosser’s book, I’ve started retrospecting my eating habits, finding that Schlosser’s view of fast food has influenced my eating and purchasing decisions. In particular, I’ve started thinking of the kind of food I eat, the way it is processed, and how much organic food I consume. Like most other Americans, the huge volume of fast food advertising has used to attract me blindly to consume this kind of food. As argued by Schlosser, the harsh competition among fast food companies in the United States pushes them to use advertising heavily in order to attract more and more customers. Although fast food advertising is directed to all kinds of people, kids and adolescents are specially targeted in order to promote this kind of food among them. As kids and adolescents are still inexperienced, they can be easily influenced by what they watch on TV, and thats why fast food advertising attracts more and more young people in the US. Accordingly, like other American adolescents, I have turned into a heavy consumer of fast food since an early age due to the role of advertising. Everywhere in television and print media, we are surrounded by a great number of ads that aim at convincing us to use certain kinds of products and services or eat certain kind of food. In that sense, ads are tools that deepen the spirit of consumerism among Americans, since young age. TV ads, for example, use all modern approaches to push the audience to consume more and more products. In this context, the main role of the American government and Not-for-Profit organizations is to adequately inform people about the possible threat of junk food on health. To prove that TV ads play an important role for popularizing fast food among Americans, Schlosser notes that "the Fast Food chains annually spend about $3 billion on television advertising" (Schlosser, p. 47). However, this figure has

Effects of legalizing illegal immigrants in california Essay

Effects of legalizing illegal immigrants in california - Essay Example Illegal immigration is a big headache for America in general and California in particular. Being a secular democracy, America has opened their doors widely for most of the people from different parts of the country. Moreover, America is facing big manpower shortages in many fields which forced them to welcome more and more skilled professional from other countries like India, China, Pakistan etc. But most of the immigrants who immigrate to America through legal channels will try to bring their relatives and friends also to America through legal and illegal channels in order to exploit the possibilities in America which created severe social, demographic and legal problems in America. California is one of the worst affected states in America as far as illegal immigration is concerned. This paper briefly analyses effects of legalizing illegal immigrants in California California is very close to Mexico which helped the Mexican immigrants to cross the border more easily than any others. â€Å"It is estimated that there are currently about 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. In California alone it is estimated to be 3 million illegal immigrants† (Illegal Immigration in California) The effects of illegal immigration is perceived differently by different people. Some people argue that illegal immigration is a blessing whereas some others are of the opinion that it is a curse to American people. Proponents of illegal immigration argue that California is one of the cheapest labour markets in America because of the excess illegal immigrants there. Most of the illegal immigrants, in order to survive in California will accept even cheaper work offers which normally the locals may not be ready to do. Thus the business people have the luxury of cheap labours which increases their profits. The cheap labour helps business people to reduce the price of their products in order to compete more effectively in the domestic and international

International Investment In China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Investment In China - Essay Example However, associated with these opportunities are also risks confronting the businesses in the context of international investment. This essay primarily encompasses the direct investment concerns in the international business spectrum and also presents the case of Shell plc as an example of UK's direct investment in China. There has recently been an increasing trend on the part of the multinational corporations from the developed world to enter into trade and investment with emerging economies of the world. There happen to be several factors responsible to induce the foreign companies to invest in less developed or emerging markets. Samli and Kaynak (1984) refer to the concept of emerging markets as similar to less developed countries characterised primarily with agriculture based economy, high population growth levels, lower income levels, low literacy level, lack of substructure, and lack of capital etc. China is also one of the emerging economies of the Asian world, which is speedily climbing the ladders of economic progress and prosperity through a remarkable growth in various industrial and economic sectors. The recent rapid economic boom in China and open market policy has projected the country's image in the world as an attractive market for international investment (Sun and Chai, 1998). ... Chinese government and financial environment purposefully support and encourage multinational companies to enter the market so that it can affirm the consistent progress of the Chinese economy (Zhao, 2003). In the same vein, several UK companies having identified and analysed the opportunities in the Chinese market are making direct and indirect investment in the country that brings foreign reserves to the country as well as happens to be profitable for the these corporations. Huaning and Colin (2004) refer to the United Kingdom as the pre-eminent investor in China during the recent years among all the European Union countries. Case: Shell's Investment In China Shell happens to one of the major investor in Chinese market. In the year 2002, it entered the oil market of China with an investment of 255m (FT.com News, 2002). The company further expanded its business activities in the country and recently the company confided to a project concerning coal exploitation in a joint venture with a Chinese partner with a prospective investment of about 2.7b, probably the largest ever investment received by the country (FT.com, News, 2006). In this way, Shell plc invested in the Chinese market by way of direct investment. The increasing interest of Shell plc in the Chinese market is reflective of the investment attractiveness of the country with regard to its inexpensive labour, growing economy and surging demand. Determinants And Merits Of Investment By UK Companies In China Changhong and Weili (2002) propound that there happen to be two significant forms through which the multinational corporations invest in a developing country viz.

Emotional Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Emotional Intelligence Essay The pursuit of knowledge through education entails the many manifestations and progressive procedure of one’s emotion. Human nature previously regarded intelligence as the primary component of learning and eventually as the main source of success. In the modern educational or learning setting, however, a person’s emotional intelligence is now supposed to be of equal authority and even better than intellect as far as its benefits are concern. Hence, based from its advantageous implications to the filed of education or teaching particularly in contemporary schools, emotional intelligence is not to be ignored as a vital requirement of education. The principle concerning the significant nature and value of emotional intelligence in today’s learning is depicted with various circumstances where one’s emotions play very notable part and effect. Considering a person’s varying feelings in response to different life events and realities, it can now be noted that the level of emotional aptitude of a person measures his strength and ability to handle a situation. Most importantly, an individual’s emotional intelligence determines the eventuality of failure and attainment of success. Thus, this is where emotional intelligence apparently matters more because it is able to provide people with success as compared with intelligence quotient. Nowadays, emotional intelligence is subjected to the requirements and challenges of the teaching field. Since people and the society have acknowledged the undeniable positive impacts of emotional intelligence to education, it is then just empirical to pursue further this concept. This is because an increased awareness and involvement by the people as regard the quality and implications of emotional intelligence will definitely work to the advantages of the majority of the population and the communities where they belong. Since learning is determined by how people manage their emotions, then it can be implied that one’s feeling is a factor in determining success or that it can even be considered as a tool to improve education among students. It is, in fact, essential to assist students identify how their respective emotional intelligence will lead them to success or not. Lastly, it is also fortunate that considerable fresh perspectives about how the intellect creates human emotions were already realized. This is for the reason that the brain now creates ways on how emotional intelligence influences, affects and works to the benefit of student’s education. â€Å"Emotional Intelligence† Book, an Overview The above-mentioned hypothesis was clearly illustrated in the 1995 book of Daniel Goleman entitled â€Å"Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. † The author provided the public with apparently compelling proofs that the emotional intelligence quotient or a student’s level of emotional intelligence is equally valuable in achieving educational success as what cognitive intelligence, as gauged by IQ or SAT percentages, provide (Goleman, 1995). The book opened with an account of how brain functions in relation to one’s emotions. Thereafter in the middle part of the book, Goleman supplemented the rationale behind how to wisely handle emotion and eventually revealed the benefits derived from such thereby proving that it has more substance than IQ. In conclusion, Golemen provided the public with true-to-life manifestations which established the value of emotional intelligence as it performs a more fundamental function in human’s search and eventual attainment of success (Goleman, 1995). Intelligence quotient was previously regarded as the major deciding factor in one’s accomplishment. In the book, this was disputed by Goleman who stated that human’s perspective on IQ is, in fact, a distant and slender version of reality. The book instead stressed the principle of emotional intelligence as the ultimate determinant of a person’s success. Goleman discussed emotional intelligence based from the aspects of one’s consciousness, selflessness, motivation, understanding as well as power to offer love and other endearing emotions while at the same time being loved by people around him (Goleman, 1995). Additionally, the book presented various incidents which proved how people, who exemplified high levels of emotional intelligence and who nurtured their existing emotional strengths, were able to achieve success in their respective areas. In Goleman’s view, emotional intelligence is not inherited or already innate at birth but it can be developed as person matures and its benefits are eventually attained (Goleman, 1995). Focusing on the field of education, the entire book evidently centered its discussion on the emotional intelligence among the students of the young generation. It is at this point that Golemen called on educators and other concerned people in the area of learning to clearly explain to students the nature of emotional intelligence and its evidently positive implications as far as the education of the young ones (Goleman, 1995). In imparting the value of a student’s emotional literacy, the Goleman book also requested the parents to pay attention to the emotional necessities of their children. Adults, on the other hand, need to immediately educate themselves to deal with their respective interpersonal affiliations in a wise manner. Ultimately, the book heightened the beneficial implications of emotional intelligence in the field of education as manifested by the accounts of success which were attributed to the said Goleman concept (Goleman, 1995). â€Å"Emotional Intelligence,† a Critical Analysis The Goleman book is worthy to be examined by presenting the worth or impacts of emotional intelligence as it is compared with IQ and applied in the several stages of human development. Initially based from the characteristic of the human brain, the principle of emotional intelligence as provided by the book concretely challenged that one’s intellect is subjected to limitations. The said position of the book has a sense because in reality, a person is considered intelligent and has a well-defined logic or reasoning aptitude yet this does not holds true as far as decision-making is concern. The book is to be commended with the said stand that the worth of the human brain should not be the determining factor of aptitude but rather one’s emotional intelligence which provides the logic behind every decision. In short, this position is best explained wherein people experience various situations and promptly decide by conforming to what their emotions dictate or simply based from how they feel at the moment and definitely not according to what their mind think. The book specifically illustrated the said position with its initial discussion about the complicated system of the human brain. In particular, the portions of the book where a person’s reaction to a snake as well as the presentations made by Goleman concerning several subject matters such as depression, nervousness, post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, drug dependency and misuse, teenage pregnancy and issues on human relationships are all corroborating facts which confirm the principle that emotional intelligence really matters more than IQ (Goleman 1995). While Goleman was criticized for his apparent inclination towards the promotion of emotional intelligence only among children, he is nonetheless acclaimed for such effort. This is because the book has, in fact, succeeded in imparting the beneficial implications of emotional intelligence especially in the field of education of the young students. In particular, the author is to be credited for his suggestion about several procedures of how to improve the emotional intelligence of children, which he proposed to be done from their schools into their respective homes. Hence, the author is correct with his observation that children particularly students turn out to manifest an increased degree of depression, sadness, hostility and rowdiness as they mature or are provided with more academic information. The book is logical when it attributed the said blunders to children’s limited or even lack of emotional intelligence. The pieces of evidence provided by the book regarding the effects of emotional instability among children need to be concurred by the public. This is because an aggravated level of emotional predicament is possible if the issue is not immediately addressed, if not solved. Emotional intelligence as the book implied, on the other hand, is of similar benefit to the adults. That is why the criticisms, which the book got for it reportedly fell short in discussing emotional intelligence among adults, are not justified. In fact, Goleman has comprehensively discussed the importance of adult’s emotional aptitude and stability because it is perceived that logic or the appropriate level of reasoning of an adult is adequately needed for human relationships. The book is truthful with its revelation that an adult is required to be stable with his emotional intelligence in order to achieve well-accepted interpersonal relations with others. This position was appropriately supported with portions of the book which explained the reason behind the emotions’ creation of several reactions and how an adult gets used to such incidents. In particular, a reader may even feel that Goleman is directly addressing the issues by providing his personal insights about life realities which require the application of emotional intelligence. Other issues discussed by the book are of equal significance in the author’s efforts to explain the value of emotional intelligence in adult’s life. Goleman was rational when he wrote that emotional urges usually surpass the procedure of applying logical thinking. This is primarily what his principle of emotional intelligence suggests. That is, in specific incidents in human life, a person is likely to respond in a way what his emotions dictate as correct reaction rather than what the mind implies to assume and reason out. Simply put, emotional desires supersede the course of logical and coherent thinking. While the public apparently regarded that the book resulted into an unusual debate when it stated that emotional intelligence has a higher percentage of status and applicability than IQ, Goleman should not be totally blamed for neglecting the value of academic abilities. This is because his emotional intelligence principle was in accordance to what the results of his studies implied as well as what his observations suggested. Although the disapproval against the Goleman book may have its justification, it is still fair to note that the author did not totally set aside the worth of IQ or intellectual capabilities in general. What Goleman just did was to destroy the incorrect declarations of IQ testing that it is the ultimate determining factor of success and one’s proficiency. Goleman, through the book, just put the issue in its right perspective. When Goleman claimed that emotional intelligence possess around 80 percent while IQ only has 20 percent as their respective contribution to one’s success, what he really tried to impart is that the said due significance of the two elements was based from what people portray as they respond to life eventualities. Based from the accumulated facts by the author, the book was able to illustrate a more transparent image when a person has to react to an incident wherein, while human both considers both his mind and feeling, he is still inclined to decide over a situation based from what he feels and this is where emotional intelligence sets in. The book was also justified in its suggestion that it is not the human IQ percentage which eventually determines one’s triumph or failure. Thus, what the book and its author presented as components of success, such as the manifestations of emotional intelligence, are things which should not be out rightly disregarded. Goleman was able to support his emotional intelligence principle by providing studies which showed that people with high IQ percentages did not eventually succeed in life or attained any substantial achievements. Instead, the book succeeded in proving that even people with low IQ percentages succeed in the end precisely because they possess an impressively high level of emotional intelligence. Implications in Contemporary Education As previously stated, emotional intelligence is not an inherent ability. One way of emphasizing this idea is the effort made by the Goleman book that people can nurture such principle from the educational system. In fact, the author emphasized that it is critical that emotional intelligence is cultivated as children are introduced to formal learning until they reach their adulthood. This was made known by the book because of the apparent beneficial implications that emotional intelligence provide to people and the society in general. It is in this aspect that both educators and students benefit from reading the book primarily due to its main objective which is to impart the value and advantages of adhering to the nature of emotional intelligence. With learning institutions existing naturally wherein the students and the information derived from such field interact and are connected with each other, it is just practical that it is the proper venue where emotional intelligence may effectively manifest its value and usefulness. This is because it is in schools where students, while learning, are subjected to various incidents which test their respective emotional intelligence capabilities. Appropriate and acceptable responses to these situations are then considered to be as concrete manifestations of the power of emotional intelligence among students. The issue whether emotional intelligence fits the educational system is based according to the implications of the said philosophy to contemporary learning. Given the modern academic standard, it is logical to state that emotional intelligence directly affects how students are taught with various topics and that their specific responses to every situation depict how a high level of emotional intelligence really matter more as far as making decisions are required. While Goleman indicated that it is not totally easy to impart emotional intelligence in today’s school particularly to the level of young students, there are specific ways where the said ability can be used and eventually achieve its purpose of leading the young one into the eventuality of achieving success in the future. Through the guidance of the book and the suggestions offered by Goleman, the public was provided with the idea on how to have emotion-based incidents and emotional intelligence best suit the field of learning. Implications of incorporating emotional intelligence in educational programs are, in fact, existing and are proven in the formulation of curriculum in various learning facilities. Once the principle of emotional intelligence is imparted in education, students manifest self-awareness wherein they monitor and acknowledge their own emotions and they eventually are able to identify the link between ideas, emotions and responses. Additionally, the decision-making ability of students is enhanced by emotional intelligence because they are able to study their actions and the effects of the decision to a particular incident. Above all, emotional intelligence when put into the educational structure ultimately develop one’s overall personality as the students are able to manage their emotions, deal with stress, enhance interpersonal relationship and most importantly develop their individual accountability and ability to correctly resolve problems. Conclusion The principle of emotional intelligence is by itself can be considered as valuable in today’s education. Goleman and his book made it more clear, acceptable and beneficial to the public hence I personally like and commend it. Above all, the book succeeded in its main argument that emotional intelligence is definitely more important than IQ based from the advantageous implications it provided to today’s students. Beyond the controversy, the book ultimately served its very purpose of offering the students and educational system an alternative learning principle which is better or has more substance than what already exists. Reference Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. New York, NY: Bantam.

An explanation of the strain and cultural criminology theories and the criminal elements Essay Example for Free

An explanation of the strain and cultural criminology theories and the criminal elements Essay The fast-changing society is demanding improvement of the existing legal frameworks each and every day. Indisputably, this is considerably challenging the decisions made by policymakers and more especially the judiciary sector. The challenge is more intensified by the way we define the defendant, victim, and penalty imposed for any crime committed. The underlying problem is that there exist various cultural norms and natural law; which significantly differ with constitutional requirements. In other words, legal procedures are not sufficient in providing criminal facts that can help us clearly understand the criminal elements mentioned above. Nevertheless, many scholars in the field of criminology such as Robert K. Merton and Keith Hayward now believes we can rely upon the strain and cultural criminology theories. Inarguably, the relationship existing between the two theories goes beyond our expectation, more especially when analyzing any criminology case. In fact, many people have been convinced it would be appropriate if policymakers integrate some of the facts unrevealed by these theories when making or amending the criminal laws. The paper offers a detailed explanation of the two methods and more importantly, how they can be applied in the criminal case study of Mr. Heffernan convicted of the crime of cultivating cannabis plant which is an illegal plant and supply of the same plant products as drugs to the community. The case took place in the district court, New South Wales and has since sounded the trumpet over how the proceedings were unraveling the case that Mr. Heffernan was convicted with. This will be discusse d along with the criminal elements and criminal facts which were evident in the case. Strain theory argues that when an individual is pressurized by the community or by the factors in his environment, the pressure overwhelms him which forces him to satisfy his cultural inequalities and material requirements by engaging in crime as stated by (Agnew, 2001, p319) The crime, in this case, is a subject to the strain that oversees a high level of pressure that the victim cannot bear the burden of. There are numerous forms of stress best explained by GST. The diverse forms of strain do not exclude financial requirements. The fear may force one into committing a crime that he never intended. Merton in his strain theory argues that it is only a small margin of the people who face stress end up committing crimes. The group that is involved in offenses that emanate from the strain from external forces is seen as deviant since they view the world as if there exists no other solution for their problems. Morten argues that the group is then forced into crime despite the fact that it is against their will. Cultural criminology theory, however, presents a different view of such an instance. It argues that the individual rather enjoys the self-fulfilling feeling that comes about with being involved in criminal activity. The theory explains that when the personal gains the social requirements that he or she could have otherwise not achieved legally, they are left with a sense of insecurity while others feel self-fulfilled and okay when they have their requirements fulfilled. According to Presdee, (2003) Cultural criminology is distinctively conjectural, procedural and domineering slant that places criminals, cases and the control mechanism in the context of culture Linking the theory to the case of Heffernan to both methods, strain theory argues that the convicted was involved in the crime due to the strain that he was facing.   It is evident that he as the criminal was suffering from an extraordinarily high degree of anxiety that he could have otherwise avoided if he had a well-paying job if the parents were not sick if his wife had no medical complications and if he was not unwell. On the other hand, cultural criminology argues that the occurrence of the crime was purely projected from the nature of the community the offender comes from as stated by (Ferrell et al., 2004). This, therefore, makes the community to be viewed as the actual cause of the crime due because the factors that led to the offense against which Mr. Heffernan is convicted are subject to the same community. The offender presents various evidence to the jury that when analyzed helped, in coming up with a valid judgment. The case presented states that the offender is a vict im of the drugs misuse and trafficking laws which inhibit one from growing plants that are otherwise termed as illegal. It also prohibits the supply of the same to the community. Mr. Heffernan was caught with 32kgs of cannabis leaves that are more than the monetary amount which is said to be 25 kilograms as stated by (Cerdà ¡ et al., 2012, p22). He had surpassed a commercial margin which otherwise inevitably presents the idea of the sale of the same to the community. He was rather much more cooperative by taking the police to the ranch where he grew the plant. The evidence was based on the idea that the man was found in the hold of a few bags of the leaves, showed where he grew the leaves and accepted to be the only person involved with the same. Evidence presented before the jury was photographs of these bags of leaves and the plant as well as the $1400 that was in his custody. The offender argues that he has been working on a farm for over 33 years and in his work life, he has been a victim of many injuries which have presented themselves as a limiting factor to the type and the amount of work that he can be engaged in evidenced by the numerous medical rec ords submitted to the coat regarding the same. His wife’s letter also backs up the issue since its content explains how those injuries have impacted negatively on their lives and the lives of their kids. This is seen as one of the strains that the convicted is battling with that could have otherwise presented to be the cause of the crime as stated by (Agnew, 2007, p319). The offender also claims that his family has been haunted by a trail of illnesses beginning with his mother who is suffering from breast cancer and osteoarthritis. His father is also suffering from a heart disease and osteoarthritis. He has diabetes and has been needing insulin to survive bearing in mind that his wife also has health conditions that make Mr. Heffernan the only breadwinner. This trail of illnesses presents themselves as another form of strain that led to the unusual character of the victim. An aggregate of such issues may result in so much pressure that needs a person with an unyielding personality to handle. While this is seen as strain, the cultural criminology finds it as social factors which when linked caused the occurrence of the crime. This presents the social and the crime as distinctively of a parallel nature. He is also faced with some more pressure of taking care of their 14 years high school kid and the younger one in primary education. The family had just married a year ago which rather increases the commitments of the breadwinner. The offender’s family has been selling their property which was around $80000 and has now depreciated to around $60000. His house is also being mortgaged at $70000, and this would render the family homeless. He argues that it is due to this pressure that he decided to engage in this criminal act. The jury well understands the pressure that the offender is facing pointing out that an offender is a man of substance whose life has not been presented as a threat to any criminal record. The only criminal record that exists seems baseless to make an overall conclusion that the man is a criminal. Evidence presented by  Ã‚   Mr. P. Harper, the offender’s defendant. The evidence is full of commendations for the man. This evidence is based on the peopl e who know Mr. Heffernan stating that the individual’s behaviors have been outstanding, something that even the judge recognizes by saying that Mr. Heffernan is a man of excellent character in the argument number 11 0f the case. The case presents itself from a criminal act that has been catalyzed by the excessive pressure faced by the convicted by strain theory which recognizes the existence of such anomalies in individual’s life when faced with extreme pressure. The issue that revolves around the life of the convicted is a monetary issue. Money, in this case, could have been the solution to all his problems since if he had enough of it, he could have saved his parent’s property from being sold. He could also have been able to take care of his sick relatives, his sick wife and cater for the life of the kids who are still in school. He could also have not gone to the extent of growing and distributing cannabis which is the states laws and the drugs misuse and trafficking act of 1985. The judge recognizes all the burdens that the convicted has to bear in his life considering that he is 51 and has to take care of all this pressure. About GST and the reasons that the convicted gives regarding the c ase he has been charged with, there were a few goals that the convicted was unable to meet. His desire to cater to his family and his parents and the desires to have a well-paying job dragged him to committing this crime. The unfolding circumstances are in line with the arguments of strain theory. Cultural criminology which seeks to understand crime in the context of culture is inevitably applicable in the case. The crime was subject to subcultures which revolve around what the community around the offender does and the rules that exist governing this particular crime. The rules governing drug and substance abuse have given guidelines on the judgment against the convicted depending on the nature and the extent of the committed crime. In a nutshell, it is the society that leads to the development of the rules that exist against the offenses revolving around drug and substance abuse. The occupation of the offender and the circumstances revolving around his life which led him to commit the crime are part and puzzle of the culture and community. As strain theory argues that the crime that was committed was subjected to the pressure of the life of the convicted, cultural criminology sees it as just another culture of various subcultures that may have led to the crime. Growing of Cannabis and distributing it to the public is considered to be a crime since there are rules against it as stated by (Reuter, 2010). If the drug had to be distributed to the community, the general impact on the youths would have been dire since this is the most likely group to the issue. As such, the convicted is seen to have been an agent of community destruction since he was a man of age and a parent. He is seen to have not minded about the lives of the other kids in the community and committed the crime for monetary gain. The strain theory comes about to argue that withstanding the pressure of the life the convicted was facing needed him to have looked for an alternative way of getting money. The convicted argues that he had complications regarding his health and that he was nearing his retirement age. He was forced to grow cannabis after ordering seeds from the United Kingdom which he later planted. It is the same marijuana that was harvested and packed before it was confiscated by the police. The theory gives out a clear argument that the man had small means of supporting his family using whatever he was gaining. This case is brought out clearly by the fact that the convicted had no previous criminal records and that his life was clean therefore it is due to what seemed to be a sort of excessive pressure that led him to commit the crime. On the other hand, cultural criminology makes the mere mention of cannabis a criminal activity where any activity that is associated with the drug has been criminalized. With the building of a belief that this activity is already a crime, the theory argues that rules that forbid it are developed ensuring that those who are associated wi th cannabis are taken into justice without considering any argument or reasons behind the act. With all the associated facts and evidence having been presented, Mr. Harper claims that the case on which the offender has been convicted with is not a drug trafficking case since it was planned as a one-time business. The pressure under which the convicted was suffering from forcing him to establish a cannabis plantation which he prepared to sell only once and increase the value of the ranch. This was one of the strain factors that made him respond to the pressure by involving himself in the crime. The judge, however, argues that it is irresponsible for a man with a family to release cannabis of a monetary amount to the society which would impact negatively on the lives of the youths as stated by (Lowinson, 2005). The judgment against both crimes was supposed to be ten years for the crime of growing cannabis and 15 years for trafficking.   The judge at the end of it all understands the pressure that the convicted was facing and gives him a sentence of two and a half years. The strain theory gives out a sense of reasoning and weighing of matters such that the degree of pressure was duly recognized by the jury. The cultural criminology theory, on the other hand, views the crime generally as breaking the law that originated from the same issue. It argues that the moral standards of the community which harbors the roots of the law have declined. The argument here is that the community from which the convicted comes from and the crime that was committed is viewed as one and the same thing. With the weak empirical evidence in support of the strain theory, the presented arguments were not sufficient to ensure that the convicted was set free. Rather it just explains the problems that the law class individuals are facing without taking into consideration of the larger picture of the community and the white collar crimes as stated by (Aseltine et al., 2000, p256). Crimes in such levels are the ones that decapitate the community. The theory deals with individuals rather than the community on which the crime and the criminals thrive. These issues are well explained by the cultural criminology theory which does not only just present its arguments from a particular line or level of crimes. It digs into every crime be it white collar or any other sort of the offense. Conclusion The case presented above shows how strain can cause various crimes. The arguments put forward to show that some forms of tension can be so haunting such that the victim ends up being involved illegal activities that end up bringing peace to the life of the victim. The judge, however, takes into consideration the strain that the convicted is facing, and from this, a valid judgment is given. As the strain theory views this crime as a result of pressure, the cultural criminology sees it as the larger picture of the nature of the community from which the convicted comes from. However, the theories try to explain the kind of judgment that is passed as not usual from the rest since consideration depending on the prevailing circumstance is taken note of. Reference Agnew, R., 2001. Building on the foundation of general strain theory: Specifying the types of strain most likely to lead to crime and delinquency. Journal of research in crime and delinquency, 38(4), pp.319-361. Agnew, R., 2007. Pressured into crime: An overview of general strain theory. Aseltine Jr, R.H., Gore, S. and Gordon, J., 2000. Life stress, anger and anxiety, and delinquency: An empirical test of general strain theory. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, pp.256-275. Cerdà ¡, M., Wall, M., Keyes, K.M., Galea, S. and Hasin, D., 2012. Medical marijuana laws in 50 state: investigating the relationship between state legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use, abuse, and dependence. Drug and alcohol dependence, 120(1), pp.22-27. Chan, J.B., 1997. Changing police culture: Policing in a Multicultural Society. Cambridge University Press. Ferrell, J., Hayward, K., Morrison, W., and Presdee, M. eds., 2004. Cultural criminology unleashed. Routledge. Lowinson, J.H. ed., 2005. Substance abuse: A comprehensive textbook. Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Mazerolle, P., Piquero, A.R. and Capowich, G.E., 2003. Examining the links between strain, situational and dispositional anger, and crime further specifying and testing general strain theory. Youth Society, 35(2), pp.131-157. Presdee, M., 2003. Cultural criminology and the carnival of crime. Routledge. Reuter, P., 2010. Marijuana legalization: what can be learned from other countries. Baltimore, MD: RAND Drug Policy Research Center, University of Maryland.

The Goals And Ideals Of Les Six Film Studies Essay

The Goals And Ideals Of Les Six Film Studies Essay Les Six is a name given in 1920 by critic Henri Collet to a group of six composers working in Montparnasse whose music is often seen as a reaction against the musical style of Richard Wagner and impressionist music. (Owen 2011.) The works of Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud and Francis Poulenc all play an important part in French music and the 20th century. Research question What were the goals and ideals of Les Six? Consider the works of Honegger, Milhaud and Poulenc. 2. LES SIX Members A younger group of composers absorbed the strong influence of neoclassicism but sought to escape the old political dichotomies. (Grout 2009: 880.) Les Six was a group of young avant-garde French composers. Initially Les Nouveaux Jeunes, the name was changed along with the line-up to crystallize as Les Six in 1923. With Jean Cocteau as the spokesman and Satie as the guru, the group was formed and the name was given by French critic Henri Collet. With this identifying label, the individual composers gained public attention as a group in force. (Owen 2011.) Despite the elements the six composers had in common, their differences were far greater. In the 1920s each of them was pursuing solo careers (Latham 2002: 10). Best remembered today, are Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc and Arthur Honegger. Few pieces by Louis Durey and Georges Auric are performed. Germaine Tailleferre was probably still best remembered because she was the only woman of the group. (Kelly 2003: 51.) The group was officially launched in January 1920 by a series of two articles by the French music critic and composer Henri Collet in the French journal Commedia. While it seems apparent that Cocteau was behind these articles, the actual name of the Group was selected by Collet who decided to compare Les Six with the Five Russians. (Kelly 2003: 4.) The members of Les Six were: Georges Auric (1899 1983) Louis Durey (1888 1979) Arthur Honegger (1892 1955) Darius Milhaud (1892 1974) Francis Poulenc (1899 1963) Germaine Tailleferre (1892 1983) Although Honegger was a member of Les nouveaux jeunes and, subsequently of Les Six, he shared with the other members a stimulating companionship rather than a group aesthetic, the existence of which he always denied. (Sadie 2001: 680.) Darius Milhaud was a pioneer in the use of percussion, polytonality, jazz and aleatory techniques. Few of his works of the 1920s are in the spirit of Les Six, however one might seek to define it. Le boeuf ser le toit had nothing to do with Les Six until it was hijacked and turned into a ballet by Cocteau. (Sadie 2001: 679.) Ironically, in the only work to which all members of the group contributed, the Album des six, Milhaud is represented by a Mazurka he wrote in 1914. More important to his music of the 1920s was the confirmation of opera as a major and continuing thread. (Kelly 2003: 89.) During the first half of Francis Poulencs career the simplicity and directness of his writing led many critics away from thinking of him as a serious composer. Gradually, since World War II, it has become clear that the absence from his music of linguistic complexity in no way argues corresponding absence of feeling or technique. (Sadie 2001:227.) Georges Auric was a child prodigy and at age 15 he had his first compositions published. Before he turned 20, he had orchestrated and written incidental music for several ballets and stage productions. (Owen 2011.) His participation in Les Six led to writing settings of poetry and other texts as songs and musicals. Louis Durey was primarily self-taught. From the beginning, choral music was of great importance in Dureys productivity. After the Les Six period, Durey continued with his career. (Owen 2011.) Germaine Tailleferre was the only female member in the group Les Six. She studied piano with her mother at home, composing short works of her own. (Owen 2011.) Music by Les Six The only musical project in which all six composers participated in was Lalbum des six (published in 1920) and it is a solo piano music collection, which were all dances. Prà ©lude (1919) by Auric Romance sans paroles, Op. 21 (1917) by Durey Sarabande, H 26 (1920) by Honegger Mazurka (1914) by Milhaud Valse en ut, FP 17 (1919) by Poulenc Pastorale (1919) by Tailleferre Les six has a lot of compositions under their names but none of them included all six composers, except for Lalbum des six. Each of these individual composers has contributed to the group Les Six in their own unique styles and ways. Their styles are most certainly equally different and with such diverse styles they were able to come as one and compose many pieces while they were still known as Les Six. The goals and ideals of Les Six was to create an individual style of its own, because of the great differences in style and techniques each of them had, but in the end, they were all able to work as one to create Lalbum des six which has gained wide popularity. 3. WORKS OF HONEGGER, MILHAUD AND POULENC Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (1892 1955) was a Swiss composer, who was born in Le Havre, France. His serious-minded musical aesthetic was entirely different from that of others in Les six. He developed unusual musical and dramatic forms in large-scale works for voices and orchestra, and was one of the 20th centurys most dedicated contrapuntalists. (Sadie 2001: 679.) It is very clear that Honeggers compositions are tonal but characterized by a highly individual use of dissonance, if you listen to his compositions very carefully you will be able to hear the dissonances that occur. His music was first heard publicly in Paris in July 1916 (Sadie 2001: 680). The series of large-scale dramatic works and major symphonic scores he composed during the following 30 years established him as one of the most significant composers of his generation. His symphonic movement Pacific 231 (1923), a translation into music of the visual and physical impression of a speeding locomotive, was hailed as a sensational piece of modernist descriptive music. (Grout 2009: 881.) It was said that his symphonic movement Pacific 231 was misinterpreted by the public as specifying programmes, rather than sources of musical inspiration (Spratt 1987:69). This movement is a great example of the goals and ideals of Les Six, they all had a very different approach to music but all their ideas combined became a great masterpiece of its own individual style. Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (1892 1974) was a French composer, who was born in Marseilles. He was associated with the avant garde of the 1920s, whose abundant production reflects all musical genres. Though his sources of inspiration were many and varied, his music has compelling stylistic unity. (Sadie 2001: 675.) There is scarcely a genre not represented in Milhauds output. From grand opera to childrens piano pieces, everything seems to be there in extraordinary profusion. He found his musical voice very early on, and there was neither anguish in creation, nor any problem of language or expression, let alone of technique. (Sadie 2001: 677.) It was also apparently said that he could compose anywhere and at anytime, he was not bothered by the disturbance around him. The decade of the 1920s ended with Christophe Colomb and Maximilien, the former and justly celebrated work, the latter one of Milhauds mot riotously noisy scores. (Collaer 1988: 176.) The works of the 1930s are characterized by a greater tendency towards through-composition, in comparison with the clearcut sectional divisions of the earlier works. The opera Mà ©dà ©e is perhaps his finest work of this period: a fascinating study of a woman scorned, graphically portrayed in some of the composers most angular, expressionist music. (Sadie 2001: 679.) Then in the course of the 1950s emerged what might be called his final style. This development can be seen by comparing the operas David and Fiesta, though it comes out especially in the chamber music which, in his late years, he produced abundantly. (Kelly 2003:56.) Despite the impression his music usually gives, he had at times, and especially during the early years, a distinctly theoretical turn of mind, a feature that sets him quite apart from his contemporaries (Sadie 2001:678). Francis Poulenc Francis Poulenc (1899 1963) was a French composer and pianist, who was born in Paris. Poulenc regarded this dual heredity as the key to his musical personality: he associated his deep Catholic faith with his Aveyronais roots and attributed his artistic heritage to his mothers family. It is certainly the case that two strands, profane and religious, co-exist in his work. (Sadie 2001:227.) Poulenc destroyed his first attempts at composition, dating from 1914. He made his public dà ©but in Paris in 1917 with his first work, Rapsodie nà ¨gre, dedicated to Satie and performed at the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre du Vieux Colombier at one of the avant-garde concerts orgnaized by Jane Bathori. (Mellers 1993: 37.) Poulenc learnt a clear but colourful style of piano playing, based on a subtle use of sustaining pedal, and in his own piano music he was insistent on there being beaucoup de pà ©dale. (Sadie 2001: 228.) In his earlier pieces such a style gives body to the often arrogantly popular tunes that abound, softening the ostinatos in the Sonata for piano duet (1918) and the quasi-Alberti bass in Trois mouvements perpà ©tuels (1918). (Sadie 2001: 228.) Poulenc admitted that his reliance on past formulae (long pedal notes, arpeggios, repeated chords) was not always free of routine and that in this regard his familiarity with the piano could be a hindrance; his most inventive piano writing, he claimed, was to be found in his song accompaniments. (Buckland 1999: 346.) His own favourite pieces were the 15 Improvisations ranging in date from 1932 to 1959 and in dedicatee from Marguerite Long to Edith Piaf. This confirms that the piano was not always a vehicle for his deepest thought, he called the Thà ¨me varià ©e (1951) an oeuvre sà ©rieus and included a retrograde version of the theme in the coda to show that he was up with the latest serial idea, but it is hardly the best of him. (Sadie 2001: 228.) 4. CONCLUSION Through my research on Les Six, I have concluded that each of these six composers were very different in style, and had their own unique technique. Each of them made huge contributions to Les Six and keeping the title going for a long time before they embarked their separate careers. But it is very evident that they all had different musical backgrounds but could each collaborate with one another to make music work. The composers that influenced and created the group Les Six have clearly made a mark in 20th century music. It is very clear that the goals they aimed for were achieved through their music and the talent that each one of them brought to this versatile group. It is remarkable that the different ideas they all had could be compiled into one idea as a group. SOURCES Buckland, S. 1999. Francis Poulenc: Music, Art, and Literature. United Kingdom: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Collaer, P. 1988. Darius Milhaud. San Francisco Press. Grout, D. 2009. A History of Westerm Music, eighth edition. New York: Cornell University. Kelly, B. 2003. The Tradition and Style in the Works of Darius Milhaud. United Kingdom : Ashgate Publishing Limited. Latham, A. 2002. The Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mellers, W. 1993. Oxford Studies of Composers: Francis Poulenc. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Owen, P. 2011. Les Six. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Peter Owen Publishers. http://www.britannica.com/EBcheck/topic/547009/Les-six. 10 September 2011 Sadie, S. 2001. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition. New York: Macmillan Publishers Limited. Spratt, G. 1987. The Music of Arthur Honegger. Cork: Cork University Press.

Platonic Justice Essay -- Papers Essays Philosophy Plato

Platonic Justice Throughout Platos Republic, the subject of platonic justice and its goodness to its self arise and are discussed amongst Plato and his peers. At the beginning of The Republic, Plato asks the fundamental question of what is justice? Looking to define the ideal state of justice, Plato reasons that he must first define justice in theory before he can use justice practically. Platonic Justice is defined as being a harmony between the tripartite soul in which reasons guide the spirit and appetite. Justice is said to be good in itself and good in its practical ends. It is educating desires, implementing the human faculty of reason. Justice is not the interest of the stronger, but more the interest of the weaker. An unjust life, which is dominated by the spirit, leads one to an addiction for material goods or possessions. A platonically just life leads to harmony, balance, and virtue. A just life in this case allows attainment of satisfaction where as an unjust life does not. The truly unj ust ultimately destroy themselves, whereas the truly just preserve themselves. Wether or not Platonic Justice is good for its own sake is to be determined. After Plato debates and dismisses that justice is the interest of the stronger and that the unjust life has an advantage to the just life, Plato, lacking a firm answer on justice seems to say that justice is a balance of the soul. As Plato is debating this question Thrasymachus joins in and presents the first possible definition of justice as the interest of the stronger, that might is right. Socrates enters the conversation and attempts to define justice. Socrates says that subjects obey their rulers and these rulers are not perfect, they sometimes make mistakes. If justi... ...an animal the spirited man moves from one satiation to the next. However, a life dominated by reason, in which reason balances the spirited and appetitive natures to harmony, results in a good life. Thus the just person will have the appetitive, spirited, and reasoning aspects of the soul in harmony, with reason to guide and director of the passions and appetite. Lacking a concrete definition, justice would be the balance of the tripartite soul, with reason in control. Justice is a harmony between the tripartite soul in which reason guides the spirit and appetite. Justice is good in itself and good in its practical ends. Justice is educating desires, implementing the human faculty of reason. A just life leads to harmony, balance, and virtue. This is to what Plato ponders throughout the opening of The Republic and considers the great question amongst his peers.

An Ethnography of Hunters Essay -- Learning to Hunt

Everyone kills, and everyone eats. Not everyone eats what they kill, but these remain two of the most intimate forms of communing with our environment, whether we recognize them as such, or not. Almost 40 000 Americans are killed each year as the result of homicidal, accidental, and suicidal uses of guns; in all, Americans wielding guns intimidate, wound, and kill hundreds of thousands every year. These were the kinds of ideas impressed upon me as I grew up in my urban home: Guns were beasts, as were knives, arrows, spears, indeed anything could become a weapon if held in a particular way. We sprayed each other with the hose instead of water guns, and spent many long hours as a family "communing with nature" through long walks on the nature trails in southern California; we had a little garden from which we harvested potatoes, carrots, and lettuce, but we never harvested the rabbits hopping through, or the squirrels, or the groundhogs. It didn't occur to me until high school, however , that I didn't know where the meat I was eating came from. This bothered me. I became vegetarian. No more cows in the rain forest! I said. No more chickens in long cramped houses, moving along conveyor belts where heads went flying, feathers electrically shocked off, fire burned off the hairs, to be tossed into a super-wrap machine, ready for the Wal-Mart grocery bin. Hunting, too, was equally cruel to animals in my mind. I tried to ignore the arguments that hunting helped control deer populations, and that killing for food was, ultimately, part of human nature to be honored, much less tolerated. I got a chance to broaden my perspective last year, and I harvested my first hen out at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, during a May Term ornitholog... ...or hunting season. I am curious to know more: Will there be more female hunters in the future? My impression is that there is more hunting done for sport now than there is for necessary protein harvest, but will there be a movement in the other direction? Will the deer population survive while the hunters try to make up their minds? I hope that this ethnography may serve as a model of forming connections within our own close communities; that we may work towards preserving this interwoven web of culture through respect and interest in our environments. I haven't been hunting. I haven't yet sought out the opportunity. I have, however, given up vegitarianism for lent. Notes 1. poundage refers to the number of pounds it requires to draw the string back from the bow 2. Hedge apple also known as Osage Orange, common in old fence-rows in the greater Goshen area

Planning and Measuring Performance Essay

Planning and Measuring Performance Planning and Measuring Performance This paper will discuss Hospital Corporation of America’s (HCA) goals of achieving industry-leading performance in clinical and satisfaction measures and recruiting and employing physicians to meet the need for high quality health services (University of Oregon Investment Group, 2011). This paper will also discuss which tools would be most effective in measuring the organization’s performance against the determined standards. The actual standards that HCA would use to measure the first goal of achieving industry-leading performance in clinical and satisfaction measures are set by The Joint Commission. According to Kicab Casta eda-Mendez (1999), achieving improved clinical performance and satisfaction measures requires performance measures in three areas: * To lead the entire organization in a particular direction. * To manage the resources needed to travel in this direction. * To operate the processes that make the organization work. According to Kicab Casta eda-Mendez (1999), these measures are: * Strategic–to drive strategies into action and change the organizational culture. * Diagnostic–to evaluate the effectiveness of these actions and the extent of change. * Operational–to improve continuously. The most effective tool to measure these improvements is benchmarking. Benchmarking against the top healthcare companies will determine if HCA is achieving industry-leading performance in clinical and satisfaction measures. Without benchmarking HCA could not determine if the company was leading the industry or if they were at the bottom of organizational ladder. HCA’s goal of hiring physicians to meet the need for high quality health services can be measured by determining the number of physicians need to accommodate the number of patients, determining the specialties/ sub-specialties the physicians are needed in, as well as measuring the retention rate of the physicians. The Balanced Scorecard would best fit this goal. The Balanced Scorecard allows the company to see the projected percentages and the actual percentages of the measurements. It also helps the company see what needs to be changed and gives direction for those changes. HCA can use benchmarking and the Balanced Scorecard to measure the different aspects of their goals. HCA will also be able to see the areas that need improvement and have some guidance into making these changes. With these tools HCA will be able to make an effective go at achieving their goals. References University of Oregon Investment Group (May 6, 2011). Hospital Corporation of America. Retrieved from http://uoinvestmentgroup. org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/HCA. pdf Casta eda-Mendez (1999). Performance Measurement in Healthcare. Retrieved from http://www. qualitydigest. com/may99/html/body_health. html

Angels Demons Chapter 66-69

66 Chinita Macri was mad. She sat in the passenger's seat of the BBC van as it idled at a corner on Via Tomacelli. Gunther Glick was checking his map of Rome, apparently lost. As she had feared, his mystery caller had phoned back, this time with information. â€Å"Piazza del Popolo,† Glick insisted. â€Å"That's what we're looking for. There's a church there. And inside is proof.† â€Å"Proof.† Chinita stopped polishing the lens in her hand and turned to him. â€Å"Proof that a cardinal has been murdered?† â€Å"That's what he said.† â€Å"You believe everything you hear?† Chinita wished, as she often did, that she was the one in charge. Videographers, however, were at the whim of the crazy reporters for whom they shot footage. If Gunther Glick wanted to follow a feeble phone tip, Macri was his dog on a leash. She looked at him, sitting there in the driver's seat, his jaw set intently. The man's parents, she decided, must have been frustrated comedians to have given him a name like Gunther Glick. No wonder the guy felt like he had something to prove. Nonetheless, despite his unfortunate appellative and annoying eagerness to make a mark, Glick was sweet†¦ charming in a pasty, Briddish, unstrung sort of way. Like Hugh Grant on lithium. â€Å"Shouldn't we be back at St. Peter's?† Macri said as patiently as possible. â€Å"We can check this mystery church out later. Conclave started an hour ago. What if the cardinals come to a decision while we're gone?† Glick did not seem to hear. â€Å"I think we go to the right, here.† He tilted the map and studied it again. â€Å"Yes, if I take a right†¦ and then an immediate left.† He began to pull out onto the narrow street before them. â€Å"Look out!† Macri yelled. She was a video technician, and her eyes were sharp. Fortunately, Glick was pretty fast too. He slammed on the brakes and avoided entering the intersection just as a line of four Alpha Romeos appeared out of nowhere and tore by in a blur. Once past, the cars skidded, decelerating, and cut sharply left one block ahead, taking the exact route Glick had intended to take. â€Å"Maniacs!† Macri shouted. Glick looked shaken. â€Å"Did you see that?† â€Å"Yeah, I saw that! They almost killed us!† â€Å"No, I mean the cars,† Glick said, his voice suddenly excited. â€Å"They were all the same.† â€Å"So they were maniacs with no imagination.† â€Å"The cars were also full.† â€Å"So what?† â€Å"Four identical cars, all with four passengers?† â€Å"You ever heard of carpooling?† â€Å"In Italy?† Glick checked the intersection. â€Å"They haven't even heard of unleaded gas.† He hit the accelerator and peeled out after the cars. Macri was thrown back in her seat. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† Glick accelerated down the street and hung a left after the Alpha Romeos. â€Å"Something tells me you and I are not the only ones going to church right now.† 67 The descent was slow. Langdon dropped rung by rung down the creaking ladder†¦ deeper and deeper beneath the floor of the Chigi Chapel. Into the Demon's hole, he thought. He was facing the side wall, his back to the chamber, and he wondered how many more dark, cramped spaces one day could provide. The ladder groaned with every step, and the pungent smell of rotting flesh and dampness was almost asphyxiating. Langdon wondered where the hell Olivetti was. Vittoria's outline was still visible above, holding the blowtorch inside the hole, lighting Langdon's way. As he lowered himself deeper into the darkness, the bluish glow from above got fainter. The only thing that got stronger was the stench. Twelve rungs down, it happened. Langdon's foot hit a spot that was slippery with decay, and he faltered. Lunging forward, he caught the ladder with his forearms to avoid plummeting to the bottom. Cursing the bruises now throbbing on his arms, he dragged his body back onto the ladder and began his descent again. Three rungs deeper, he almost fell again, but this time it was not a rung that caused the mishap. It was a bolt of fear. He had descended past a hollowed niche in the wall before him and suddenly found himself face to face with a collection of skulls. As he caught his breath and looked around him, he realized the wall at this level was honeycombed with shelflike openings – burial niches – all filled with skeletons. In the phosphorescent light, it made for an eerie collage of empty sockets and decaying rib cages flickering around him. Skeletons by firelight, he grimaced wryly, realizing he had quite coincidentally endured a similar evening just last month. An evening of bones and flames. The New York Museum of Archeology's candlelight benefit dinner – salmon flambe in the shadow of a brontosaurus skeleton. He had attended at the invitation of Rebecca Strauss – one-time fashion model now art critic from the Times, a whirlwind of black velvet, cigarettes, and not-so-subtly enhanced breasts. She'd called him twice since. Langdon had not returned her calls. Most ungentlemanly, he chided, wondering how long Rebecca Strauss would last in a stink-pit like this. Langdon was relieved to feel the final rung give way to the spongy earth at the bottom. The ground beneath his shoes felt damp. Assuring himself the walls were not going to close in on him, he turned into the crypt. It was circular, about twenty feet across. Breathing through his sleeve again, Langdon turned his eyes to the body. In the gloom, the image was hazy. A white, fleshy outline. Facing the other direction. Motionless. Silent. Advancing through the murkiness of the crypt, Langdon tried to make sense of what he was looking at. The man had his back to Langdon, and Langdon could not see his face, but he did indeed seem to be standing. â€Å"Hello?† Langdon choked through his sleeve. Nothing. As he drew nearer, he realized the man was very short. Too short†¦ â€Å"What's happening?† Vittoria called from above, shifting the light. Langdon did not answer. He was now close enough to see it all. With a tremor of repulsion, he understood. The chamber seemed to contract around him. Emerging like a demon from the earthen floor was an old man†¦ or at least half of him. He was buried up to his waist in the earth. Standing upright with half of him below ground. Stripped naked. His hands tied behind his back with a red cardinal's sash. He was propped limply upward, spine arched backward like some sort of hideous punching bag. The man's head lay backward, eyes toward the heavens as if pleading for help from God himself. â€Å"Is he dead?† Vittoria called. Langdon moved toward the body. I hope so, for his sake. As he drew to within a few feet, he looked down at the upturned eyes. They bulged outward, blue and bloodshot. Langdon leaned down to listen for breath but immediately recoiled. â€Å"For Christ's sake!† â€Å"What!† Langdon almost gagged. â€Å"He's dead all right. I just saw the cause of death.† The sight was gruesome. The man's mouth had been jammed open and packed solid with dirt. â€Å"Somebody stuffed a fistful of dirt down his throat. He suffocated.† â€Å"Dirt?† Vittoria said. â€Å"As in†¦ earth?† Langdon did a double take. Earth. He had almost forgotten. The brands. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. The killer had threatened to brand each victim with one of the ancient elements of science. The first element was Earth. From Santi's earthly tomb. Dizzy from the fumes, Langdon circled to the front of the body. As he did, the symbologist within him loudly reasserted the artistic challenge of creating the mythical ambigram. Earth? How? And yet, an instant later, it was before him. Centuries of Illuminati legend whirled in his mind. The marking on the cardinal's chest was charred and oozing. The flesh was seared black. La lingua pura†¦ Langdon stared at the brand as the room began to spin. Angels & Demons â€Å"Earth,† he whispered, tilting his head to see the symbol upside down. â€Å"Earth.† Then, in a wave of horror, he had one final cognition. There are three more. 68 Despite the soft glow of candlelight in the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Mortati was on edge. Conclave had officially begun. And it had begun in a most inauspicious fashion. Half an hour ago, at the appointed hour, Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca had entered the chapel. He walked to the front altar and gave opening prayer. Then, he unfolded his hands and spoke to them in a tone as direct as anything Mortati had ever heard from the altar of the Sistine. â€Å"You are well aware,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"that our four preferiti are not present in conclave at this moment. I ask, in the name of his late Holiness, that you proceed as you must†¦ with faith and purpose. May you have only God before your eyes.† Then he turned to go. â€Å"But,† one cardinal blurted out, â€Å"where are they?† The camerlegno paused. â€Å"That I cannot honestly say.† â€Å"When will they return?† â€Å"That I cannot honestly say.† â€Å"Are they okay?† â€Å"That I cannot honestly say.† â€Å"Will they return?† There was a long pause. â€Å"Have faith,† the camerlegno said. Then he walked out of the room. The doors to the Sistine Chapel had been sealed, as was the custom, with two heavy chains on the outside. Four Swiss Guards stood watch in the hallway beyond. Mortati knew the only way the doors could be opened now, prior to electing a Pope, was if someone inside fell deathly ill, or if the preferiti arrived. Mortati prayed it would be the latter, although from the knot in his stomach he was not so sure. Proceed as we must, Mortati decided, taking his lead from the resolve in the camerlegno's voice. So he had called for a vote. What else could he do? It had taken thirty minutes to complete the preparatory rituals leading up to this first vote. Mortati had waited patiently at the main altar as each cardinal, in order of seniority, had approached and performed the specific balloting procedure. Now, at last, the final cardinal had arrived at the altar and was kneeling before him. â€Å"I call as my witness,† the cardinal declared, exactly as those before him, â€Å"Christ the Lord, who will be my judge that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.† The cardinal stood up. He held his ballot high over his head for everyone to see. Then he lowered the ballot to the altar, where a plate sat atop a large chalice. He placed the ballot on the plate. Next he picked up the plate and used it to drop the ballot into the chalice. Use of the plate was to ensure no one secretly dropped multiple ballots. After he had submitted his ballot, he replaced the plate over the chalice, bowed to the cross, and returned to his seat. The final ballot had been cast. Now it was time for Mortati to go to work. Leaving the plate on top of the chalice, Mortati shook the ballots to mix them. Then he removed the plate and extracted a ballot at random. He unfolded it. The ballot was exactly two inches wide. He read aloud for everyone to hear. â€Å"Eligo in summum pontificem†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he declared, reading the text that was embossed at the top of every ballot. I elect as Supreme Pontiff†¦ Then he announced the nominee's name that had been written beneath it. After he read the name, he raised a threaded needle and pierced the ballot through the word Eligo, carefully sliding the ballot onto the thread. Then he made note of the vote in a logbook. Next, he repeated the entire procedure. He chose a ballot from the chalice, read it aloud, threaded it onto the line, and made note in his log. Almost immediately, Mortati sensed this first vote would be failed. No consensus. After only seven ballots, already seven different cardinals had been named. As was normal, the handwriting on each ballot was disguised by block printing or flamboyant script. The concealment was ironic in this case because the cardinals were obviously submitting votes for themselves. This apparent conceit, Mortati knew, had nothing to do with self-centered ambition. It was a holding pattern. A defensive maneuver. A stall tactic to ensure no cardinal received enough votes to win†¦ and another vote would be forced. The cardinals were waiting for their preferiti†¦ When the last of the ballots had been tallied, Mortati declared the vote â€Å"failed.† He took the thread carrying all the ballots and tied the ends together to create a ring. Then he lay the ring of ballots on a silver tray. He added the proper chemicals and carried the tray to a small chimney behind him. Here he lit the ballots. As the ballots burned, the chemicals he'd added created black smoke. The smoke flowed up a pipe to a hole in the roof where it rose above the chapel for all to see. Cardinal Mortati had just sent his first communication to the outside world. One balloting. No Pope. 69 Nearly asphyxiated by fumes, Langdon struggled up the ladder toward the light at the top of the pit. Above him he heard voices, but nothing was making sense. His head was spinning with images of the branded cardinal. Earth†¦ Earth†¦ As he pushed upward, his vision narrowed and he feared consciousness would slip away. Two rungs from the top, his balance faltered. He lunged upward trying to find the lip, but it was too far. He lost his grip on the ladder and almost tumbled backward into the dark. There was a sharp pain under his arms, and suddenly Langdon was airborne, legs swinging wildly out over the chasm. The strong hands of two Swiss Guards hooked him under the armpits and dragged him skyward. A moment later Langdon's head emerged from the Demon's hole, choking and gasping for air. The guards dragged him over the lip of the opening, across the floor, and lay him down, back against the cold marble floor. For a moment, Langdon was unsure where he was. Overhead he saw stars†¦ orbiting planets. Hazy figures raced past him. People were shouting. He tried to sit up. He was lying at the base of a stone pyramid. The familiar bite of an angry tongue echoed inside the chapel, and then Langdon knew. Olivetti was screaming at Vittoria. â€Å"Why the hell didn't you figure that out in the first place!† Vittoria was trying to explain the situation. Olivetti cut her off midsentence and turned to bark orders to his men. â€Å"Get that body out of there! Search the rest of the building!† Langdon tried to sit up. The Chigi Chapel was packed with Swiss Guards. The plastic curtain over the chapel opening had been torn off the entryway, and fresh air filled Langdon's lungs. As his senses slowly returned, Langdon saw Vittoria coming toward him. She knelt down, her face like an angel. â€Å"You okay?† Vittoria took his arm and felt his pulse. Her hands were tender on his skin. â€Å"Thanks.† Langdon sat up fully. â€Å"Olivetti's mad.† Vittoria nodded. â€Å"He has a right to be. We blew it.† â€Å"You mean I blew it.† â€Å"So redeem yourself. Get him next time.† Next time? Langdon thought it was a cruel comment. There is no next time! We missed our shot! Vittoria checked Langdon's watch. â€Å"Mickey says we've got forty minutes. Get your head together and help me find the next marker.† â€Å"I told you, Vittoria, the sculptures are gone. The Path of Illumination is – † Langdon halted. Vittoria smiled softly. Suddenly Langdon was staggering to his feet. He turned dizzying circles, staring at the artwork around him. Pyramids, stars, planets, ellipses. Suddenly everything came back. This is the first altar of science! Not the Pantheon! It dawned on him now how perfectly Illuminati the chapel was, far more subtle and selective than the world famous Pantheon. The Chigi was an out of the way alcove, a literal hole-in-the-wall, a tribute to a great patron of science, decorated with earthly symbology. Perfect. Langdon steadied himself against the wall and gazed up at the enormous pyramid sculptures. Vittoria was dead right. If this chapel was the first altar of science, it might still contain the Illuminati sculpture that served as the first marker. Langdon felt an electrifying rush of hope to realize there was still a chance. If the marker were indeed here, and they could follow it to the next altar of science, they might have another chance to catch the killer. Vittoria moved closer. â€Å"I found out who the unknown Illuminati sculptor was.† Langdon's head whipped around. â€Å"You what?† â€Å"Now we just need to figure out which sculpture in here is the – â€Å" â€Å"Wait a minute! You know who the Illuminati sculptor was?† He had spent years trying to find that information. Vittoria smiled. â€Å"It was Bernini.† She paused. â€Å"The Bernini.† Langdon immediately knew she was mistaken. Bernini was an impossibility. Gianlorenzo Bernini was the second most famous sculptor of all time, his fame eclipsed only by Michelangelo himself. During the 1600s Bernini created more sculptures than any other artist. Unfortunately, the man they were looking for was supposedly an unknown, a nobody. Vittoria frowned. â€Å"You don't look excited.† â€Å"Bernini is impossible.† â€Å"Why? Bernini was a contemporary of Galileo. He was a brilliant sculptor.† â€Å"He was a very famous man and a Catholic.† â€Å"Yes,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Exactly like Galileo.† â€Å"No,† Langdon argued. â€Å"Nothing like Galileo. Galileo was a thorn in the Vatican's side. Bernini was the Vatican's wonder boy. The church loved Bernini. He was elected the Vatican's overall artistic authority. He practically lived inside Vatican City his entire life!† â€Å"A perfect cover. Illuminati infiltration.† Langdon felt flustered. â€Å"Vittoria, the Illuminati members referred to their secret artist as il maestro ignoto – the unknown master.† â€Å"Yes, unknown to them. Think of the secrecy of the Masons – only the upper-echelon members knew the whole truth. Galileo could have kept Bernini's true identity secret from most members†¦ for Bernini's own safety. That way, the Vatican would never find out.† Langdon was unconvinced but had to admit Vittoria's logic made strange sense. The Illuminati were famous for keeping secret information compartmentalized, only revealing the truth to upper-level members. It was the cornerstone of their ability to stay secret†¦ very few knew the whole story. â€Å"And Bernini's affiliation with the Illuminati,† Vittoria added with a smile, â€Å"explains why he designed those two pyramids.† Langdon turned to the huge sculpted pyramids and shook his head. â€Å"Bernini was a religious sculptor. There's no way he carved those pyramids.† Vittoria shrugged. â€Å"Tell that to the sign behind you.† Langdon turned to the plaque: ART OF THE CHIGI CHAPEL While the architecture is Raphael's, all interior adornments are those of Gianlorenzo Bernini. Langdon read the plaque twice, and still he was not convinced. Gianlorenzo Bernini was celebrated for his intricate, holy sculptures of the Virgin Mary, angels, prophets, Popes. What was he doing carving pyramids? Langdon looked up at the towering monuments and felt totally disoriented. Two pyramids, each with a shining, elliptical medallion. They were about as un-Christian as sculpture could get. The pyramids, the stars above, the signs of the Zodiac. All interior adornments are those of Gianlorenzo Bernini. If that were true, Langdon realized, it meant Vittoria had to be right. By default, Bernini was the Illuminati's unknown master; nobody else had contributed artwork to this chapel! The implications came almost too fast for Langdon to process. Bernini was an Illuminatus. Bernini designed the Illuminati ambigrams. Bernini laid out the path of Illumination. Langdon could barely speak. Could it be that here in this tiny Chigi Chapel, the world-renowned Bernini had placed a sculpture that pointed across Rome toward the next altar of science? â€Å"Bernini,† he said. â€Å"I never would have guessed.† â€Å"Who other than a famous Vatican artist would have had the clout to put his artwork in specific Catholic chapels around Rome and create the Path of Illumination? Certainly not an unknown.† Langdon considered it. He looked at the pyramids, wondering if one of them could somehow be the marker. Maybe both of them? â€Å"The pyramids face opposite directions,† Langdon said, not sure what to make of them. â€Å"They are also identical, so I don't know which†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't think the pyramids are what we're looking for.† â€Å"But they're the only sculptures here.† Vittoria cut him off by pointing toward Olivetti and some of his guards who were gathered near the demon's hole. Langdon followed the line of her hand to the far wall. At first he saw nothing. Then someone moved and he caught a glimpse. White marble. An arm. A torso. And then a sculpted face. Partially hidden in its niche. Two life-size human figures intertwined. Langdon's pulse accelerated. He had been so taken with the pyramids and demon's hole, he had not even seen this sculpture. He moved across the room, through the crowd. As he drew near, Langdon recognized the work was pure Bernini – the intensity of the artistic composition, the intricate faces and flowing clothing, all from the purest white marble Vatican money could buy. It was not until he was almost directly in front of it that Langdon recognized the sculpture itself. He stared up at the two faces and gasped. â€Å"Who are they?† Vittoria urged, arriving behind him. Langdon stood astonished. â€Å"Habakkuk and the Angel,† he said, his voice almost inaudible. The piece was a fairly well-known Bernini work that was included in some art history texts. Langdon had forgotten it was here. â€Å"Habakkuk?† â€Å"Yes. The prophet who predicted the annihilation of the earth.† Vittoria looked uneasy. â€Å"You think this is the marker?† Langdon nodded in amazement. Never in his life had he been so sure of anything. This was the first Illuminati marker. No doubt. Although Langdon had fully expected the sculpture to somehow â€Å"point† to the next altar of science, he did not expect it to be literal. Both the angel and Habakkuk had their arms outstretched and were pointing into the distance. Langdon found himself suddenly smiling. â€Å"Not too subtle, is it?† Vittoria looked excited but confused. â€Å"I see them pointing, but they are contradicting each other. The angel is pointing one way, and the prophet the other.† Langdon chuckled. It was true. Although both figures were pointing into the distance, they were pointing in totally opposite directions. Langdon, however, had already solved that problem. With a burst of energy he headed for the door. â€Å"Where are you going?† Vittoria called. â€Å"Outside the building!† Langdon's legs felt light again as he ran toward the door. â€Å"I need to see what direction that sculpture is pointing!† â€Å"Wait! How do you know which finger to follow?† â€Å"The poem,† he called over his shoulder. â€Å"The last line!† † ‘Let angels guide you on your lofty quest?' † She gazed upward at the outstretched finger of the angel. Her eyes misted unexpectedly. â€Å"Well I'll be damned!†