Thomas Hobbes and His Contribution to the Constitution Essay

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes was an important figure in thee contribution to the Constitution. He was born on April 5th 1588 in Westport, Wiltshire, England and died December 4th 1679 in Hardwick, England. Hobbes’ uncle sponsored his education at Oxford University. In 1604, Hobbes’ father also named Thomas Hobbes, left his family and never returned to be seen again. Hobbes’ also had three siblings; two brothers and a sister. He wrote three major writings; De corpore (published eventually in 1655), De homine (published eventually in 1658), and De cive (appearing in 1642). De corpore was a writing that focused on physical life behavior. De homine was about human body and mind behaviors and actions. De cive summed up principles of a man’s†¦show more content†¦That article is basically saying how the amendments are made through people that are elected representatives; which is another form of popular sovereignty. Article 7 states â€Å"Ratification of the Convention of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.† The translation of this is that nine states must ratify the new Constitution before it goes into effect. Hobbes’ influenced all of these ways of sovereignty. *Important Points to Remember* * De Corpore- published in 1655 -Focused on physical life behavior * De Homine- published in 1658 -Focused on human body, mind behaviors, and actions * De Cive- appeared in 1642 -Summed up a man’s social life and organized manners * Thought that an absolute sovereignty government was the best form of government * His philosophy contributed to Article I, Article V, and Article VII in the United States Constitution Bibliography * Soylent, Communications. Thomas Hobbes. NNDB. Soylent Communications, 2011. Web. lt;http://www.nndb.com/people/691/000031598/gt;. * BBC. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679). Worldwide: BBC, 2011. Web. lt;http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/hobbes_thomas.shtmlgt; * Condren, Conal.Show MoreRelatedEvolution and the Modern Social Contract Theory : Essay Outline1050 Words   |  5 Pagesthinkers of the time. Secondly, we will identify the key thinkers in the development of the theory by introducing each of them and discussing their respective political theory of the subject. The main thinkers that we will introduce in his essay are Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Immanuel Kant and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Thesis Statement: Essentially, the social contract theory states that the individuals have abandoned their freedom to submit to the authority of the state and therefore the majorityRead MoreMontesquieu s Views On The Constitution1472 Words   |  6 PagesFramers of the Constitution infringed upon the authors of various historical documents that influenced the Constitution. The defendant would like to rebuke the said claim and provides several reasons why. Montesquieu’s most important contribution to political theory in the U.S. are his ideas and works on the separation of powers between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, which became the foundation of the U.S. Constitution. Although the Framers of the Constitution adopted hisRead MoreThomas Hobbes And The Social Contract3563 Words   |  15 PagesThomas Hobbes (1588-1679), an English philosopher published the work, Leviathan, which proposed the concept of the social contract, in which societal assimilation mandates submission to authoritarian rule, with a relinquishment of certain rights, in return for protection and aid. Hobbes offered a foundational premise for benefits that otherwise might be absent, if not for societal constructs. John Locke, another English philosopher published the Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which expoundedRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke1361 Words   |  6 PagesThomas Hobbes and John Locke were two English thinkers in the seventeenth-century who s ideas became a key to the Enlightenment. Baron de Montesquieu and Voltaire were philosophers who applied the methods of science to understand and improve society. Thomas Hobbes believed in a powerful government. He believed people were naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish, and if they were not strictly controlled they would commit crimes and abuse one another. He believed that life with no government would beRead MorePolitical Science And Political Philosophy Essay3559 Words   |  15 Pages1999] Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Karl Marx, Thomas Hobbes, john Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau were well known major political thinkers. Plato gives the concept of ideal state where the state is like a human including three elements-philosophers, soldiers and workers .The philosopher is like a king who makes law but he is above law. But this kind of king is not applicable in modern world. We can understand how a state can be governed by Plato with his theory. Aristotle gives importance on birth, wealthRead MoreThe Age of Enlightenment in Society634 Words   |  3 PagesNecessity is the mother of invention. Long ago after a treacherous, extensive war, when a king ruled over many lands he took away the rights of his people. This caused many philosophers, politicians, artist, writers and any other man who started to question all that each believed in and wanted rights, decided to finally say what they really thought of their king and how he was wrong with what he was doing (SparkNotes). A s humans, everyone was born with natural rights that are incredibly importantRead MoreThomas Hobbes, John Locke and Samuel Rutherford1678 Words   |  7 Pageswould be opposed by the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, during this eighteen-year civil war in England. The ideas represented in this period would heavily influence the way England’s government would be set up in the eighteenth century. In 1644 Bishop Ross, also known as John Maxwell, published Sacro-Sancta Regum Majestas.The article’s ideas centered on Calvinist resistance theory and the political theory of Spanish neo-scholastics. In response Samuel Rutherford came out with his publication, Lex Rex, whichRead More Hobbes and Absolute Sovereignty Essay3649 Words   |  15 PagesHobbes and Absolute Sovereignty Introduction A state is sovereign when its magistrate owes allegiance to no superior power, and he or she is supreme within the legal order of the state. It may be assumed that in every human society where there is a system of law there is also to be found, latent beneath the variety of political forms, in a democracy as much as in a absolute monarchy, a simple relationship between subjects rendering habitual obedience, and a sovereign who renders obedienceRead MoreInfluential Philosophers s Influence On The Founding Fathers1404 Words   |  6 Pagescan figure, democracy did not just come out of the nowhere, it had to be planned out and modified over the years. The earliest contributions and influences of The American Government came from philosophers, some of them are the part of our founding fathers and others influenced them to develop the strong nation we are today. One of the first philosophers was Thomas Hobbes (1500’s), who published â€Å"Leviathan†, key points in the book included; people aren’t capable of ruling themselves, primarily becauseRead MoreJean Jacque Rousseau s Theory Of A Social Contract881 Words   |  4 Pagestheir own ideal world, and his was to have people make laws and obey them. However, Rousseau has a different opinion on the theory of a social contract but also did help develop the theory. He believed that people were naturally good but were corrupted by society that was lead to inequalities of people and this would cause war, hate and crime against each other. The only thing that matters is the will of people. Today, Rousseau is looked as a champion of democracy for his idea that political authority

Bases of Power in an Organization Free Essays

Bases of Power in an Organization Leadership in an organization can be defined as the approach and manner in which directions are provided, plans implemented and workers motivated. The bases of power can be said to be the ways and methods which the managers of an organization use in order to influence the behavior of the employees. It is also referred to as the possession of authority on the employees and having an influence over other people. We will write a custom essay sample on Bases of Power in an Organization or any similar topic only for you Order Now Power is extremely beneficial tool in an organization because it depends on it and the way it is used; it leads to either positive or negative change. Power is categorized into five bases according to French and Raven in 1960. Dependency, on the other part, is reliance of an organization on certain employees or even an employee relying on the organization. Overreliance of an organization on different individuals or a few workers is usually highly discouraged. This is because an organization can fail due to an individual’s failure. In the given scenario, the organization is dependent on the employee 2 because he is the only one who can prepare the company’s financial statement. The five bases of power are legitimate, reward, coercive, expert and referent (David, 1992). Legitimate power can also be referred to as positional power. This is because it is the position an individual holds in the given organization’s hierarchy. In this case, a manager’s power over the junior workers is given a priority. It gives the power to the managers to issue orders to the junior workers. In our scenario the employee 1 works in the marketing department where the marketing manager ensures and encourages employees to work even beyond the required 40 hours a week. He keeps on reminding the workers to work hard in order to receive the yearly bonus. Reward power is another base of power which arises from the person’s ability to influence the allocation of resources and incentives in any given organization. The incentives can be in the form of positive appraisal, promotions and salary increment. People with this kind of power in an organization tend to influence other employees’ behavior. This kind of power works best if used well, though it is also demoralizing to the employees if favoritism is used and this diminishes the output. In our scenario above the employee 3 was rewarded with the reward power by corporation A. In this case the employee has just brought a new idea to the organization which the team members were unsure of, though they tried and it worked (Dean, 2003). Due to the enthusiasm of the employees, the employee 3 was selected to lead the team. The reward power is well demonstrated in this situation. Coercive power is the power that is derived from an employee’s ability to influence other employees through sanctions, threats and punishment. This can lead to junior employees working hard even in extra hours to meet deadlines so that they can avoid punishment from the boss. This kind of power helps the boss to control behaviors of the organization and its norms. In the scenario above, the employee 1 works hard in the office. He stays in the office till late night and even on weekends to ensure the work is complete and accurate. Expert power is another type and base of power that is based on the knowledge and experience. Expertise of an employee in a specific area is particularly beneficial in an organization. Experience in a certain area of the organization is paramount. The employees’ opinions and ideas are highly regarded in the organization; hence they easily influence other workers’ behavior and working patterns. This kind of power becomes the stepping stone that connects to other bases of power. This is because experience is truly vital for proper running of business. In our scenario above the employee 2 is the only certified public accountant (CPA) in the organization who works in the accounting department. He is the only one with the knowledge to prepare financial statements for the company and due to this he successfully negotiated with the accounting manager for him to work a compressed work week (Murphy Ebook Library, 2012). Referent power is the power that is derived from a person’s ability to form inter-relationship with others in the organization. This type of power is obtained when other people respect and like the worker. Through this their output is influenced by the employee through their admiration to the worker, their trust and respect. It is also obtained through the relationship with the people who matter in the organization, like the CEO. The Employee 3 can also be said to have been elevated to lead the team due to the admiration and enthusiasm he got from other employees. Reference David v. (1992). International Business Communication. New York: NY: HarperCollins. Murphy, F. , Ebook Library (2012). Community engagement, organization, and development for public health practice. New York: Springer Pub. Dean, T. (2013). Network+ guide to networks. Boston: Course technology/Cengage learning. How to cite Bases of Power in an Organization, Papers

Detterence free essay sample

Most are articles written by different intellectual scholars in the criminal justice field all weighing in on what they believe the theory of â€Å"Deterrence† is and how it relates to the ability to deflect and or inhibit crime during war time, peace time and stately situations. In particular I found one article to be an astounding work done by a man named Stephen Quackenbush with an article titled General Deterrence and International Conflict: Testing Perfect Deterrence Theory (2006). Although this article deals with deterrence theory of international conflict it still involves the basic roots of deterrence. I would like to show that through Mr. Quackenbush’s work one can come very close to a â€Å"Perfect Theory of Deterrence â€Å" by simply following the logic of the article. Deterrence 3 When searching for the topic it was my goal to find the meaning of deterrence and or the application behind the theory. I wanted something with close ties to the relationship of the text we are using in the classroom. The text we are using Vold’s Theoretical Criminology, 6th ed (Bernard, Snipes, amp; Gerould, 2010). I found in the article what I needed to relate different aspects of the text to the fundamentals behind what S. Quackebush (2006) had theorized about the levels behind deterrence. Not only does his research provide information on when and how to implement deterrence it can use simple math to determine the victor in every situation based on fundamentals of push and shove and force on force comparisons. In order to understand what deterrence was I wanted to find a source to provide a little more input than data from the 1800’s, as we have learned from Cesare Bonesana (1738-1794) statement concerning the implementation of keeping punishments proportional to the seriousness of the crime so that the cost always exceeds the reward (Bernard, Snipes, amp; Gerould, pg. 14). This is all well and good to understand how to set its boundary of punishment to the crime but I needed a better understanding of how it worked and what other factors besides crime helped to determine severity and what types of deterrence we see in our world today. By looking into Quackenbush’s (2006) theory I can gain a better understanding of the levels of deterrence and the players in the game. By understanding it better myself and can readily adapt it better in my of life and have a better understanding of why and how it is used not only on the global level but on every street corner in America. I order to locate the information I was searching for I followed the link provided in module one under the paper one resource provided by the course administrator. After following the link to the Excelsior Library’s resource search page I entered deterrence into the search box and began to look for articles that appealed to me over those that were easier for lack of a better term. Deterrence 4 I did find an article prior to the one by Mr. Quackenbush (2006) but after careful review I found the course required the article to be from 2000 and up. My article was from the 1930’s so that got quickly recycled and I found the article mentioned above. When I have used the library resource in the past I find it is always best to find your specific subject of study go to that portion of the library and search using specific terms within the requirements you have for the research to be done. In this case it was easy I had one word to describe my intent to the search box and in return it pulled up many documents. I knew that since mine needed to be a specific format â€Å"Article† I then eliminated all but the required information such as periodicals and journals. Of course a wide variety of useful and some not so useful articles, journals and periodicals popped up. I simply perused through them until I found a few that grabbed my attention. I would then open the journal and briefly read through it to see if it contained the content I wanted or was interested in. Once I found the writing that best fit the work I wanted to explore my time was done in the Excelsior Library. While looking through the many choices that were made available to me I quickly looked at content for information that one, intrigued me and two had some rational sense in which I could then understand and use. What is the point of using information that you have no Comprehension of? Once these guidelines were established I look at the list of references and crossed checked these and the original author through the internet to find any additional information that may have been useful to me. The trick to this as well is to find a resource that has the intent of the message being interpreted and received by the viewer. If I am to do a paper on deterrence what benefit would I gain from a paper on crime rates in Kalamazoo, MI? At this point relevance to the meaning of the research is a factor. Another key thing to look for in an article is what amount of evidence is backed up by fact and how much of it is based on opinion or hearsay? Deterrent 5 A good resource needs to be based on as much proven fact and be backed by additional works to allow for the best use of the material in which you are going to use for your paper. Anyone can find a story on their topic but is it a story or is there hard evidence to back it up? I believe my methods of evaluation are probably a bit more stringent than those described in the library resource. I tend to be a stickler for what I want to use for any form of writing in order to try to get my point across as best as possible. The library resources are abundant with useful information though. Do not think I am discrediting then because that would be far from the truth. As a new student when I first started my Undergraduates Degree I used all the resources available to me especially the library. The article I chose to introduce to compliment Chapter two’s lesson on deterrence is an article called General Deterrence and International Conflict: Testing Perfect Deterrence Theory, by Stephen L. Quackenbush (2006). When I first began to read the article it intrigue my because it deals not just with the cause and effect of deterrence but the quantative measure of it as if it is and has always been a scientific fact of life. It begins by stating deterrence is the use of a threat (explicit or not) by one party in attempt to convince another party not to upset the status quo (Quackenbush, S. L. 2006). It breaks it down into two purposes which are direct and extended deterrence. One is immediate and used primarily as a means of prevention or attack on a defender, while the other is meant to deter a general population. Along with this are two types of situations that are created by deterrence. The first is immediate and is targeted toward a specific challenger and general which is all encompassing of a group (Quackenbush, S. L. 2006). Deterrent 6 Inside these purposes are different categories to describe different events of deterrence to include direct immediate deterrence, direct general deterrence, extended immediate deterrence and extended general deterrence (Quackenbush, S. L. 2006). These are considered different strategies based on your position. In this article the author chose to focus primarily on direct general deterrence to prove his theory of the â€Å"perfect deterrence†. At many times Dr. Quackenbush (2006) speaks in term of deterrence being that of a game. I will describe the way that I understand his game based n the article as it delves deep into mathematical equations that do make sense but are a long way to describe it how I will. As discussed before there are and have to always be two sides when we speak of deterrence. In the case of the article they are known as Challenger and Defender. In this game there are choices to be made and depending on the choice each side makes will determine whether you are the defender or the challenger. Think of it if you will like a national game of chess depending on how you chose to play your piece will either make you the aggressor or leave you making defensive moves to get out of harm’s way. Earlier it was discussed that deterrence is simply used to bring one party back to the status quo or the normal. Being the defender or challenger and based on the decisions you make will put you into one of two places. You will either be the defender, come back to the status quo or you will retaliate (becoming the challenger) and move into conflict and vice versa. Based on this Dr. Quackenbush (2006) has established that no matter where we are even in peace times there will always be a direct general deterrence. The shift from this happens when one side moves their piece one way or another. The understanding of deterrence in this article is based on a state to state or nation to nation offensive and defensive. We typically are discussing criminal activities of general population during this course but I do have a way to show just how much it looks like the national scale of deterrence within our precincts and our cities. Deterrence 7 One of the ways it can be shown that Dr. Quackenbush’s (2006) Theory of the perfect deterrence being present in our text is to compare just a few similarities in which he based his work on. One of the first few terms that come to mind is deterrence decay and residual deterrence. If compared to the though t of a continual deterrence as suggested by Dr. Quackenbush then you can consider these the effects of a deterrent being put into place. This would happen in three stages the initial deterrent, the deterrent decay and what would be left would be the residual deterrence. By showing that there are different levels and or stages of deterrence at any given ime then we can validate the Theory of Perfect Deterrence as proposed by Dr. Quackenbush (2006). By knowing the challenger to defender relationship it can compare to local law enforcement against drugs, crime, gangs and the list goes on. At times the law enforcement agencies are the challenger and the criminals are the defender. Those roles do reverse and local authori ties have come under attack many times before. By understanding that there is always some type of ongoing deterrence whether perceived or intentional the challenger and or the defender will plan accordingly. The threat of going to jail for a crime is a constant deterrent for most. At times though there are those that weigh the benefit to the loss and chose to defy the deterrent sometimes they get away with it and sometimes they don’t. It is knowing that there is a consequence for your action that keeps most on the straight and narrow. A perceived deterrent would be a shining star in proof of constant deterrence theory. Based on past experiences people will build a perceived notion of punishment for an offense. The deterrent had been initiated long ago yet the residual effect of it remains.

Soccer In Radge Essays (545 words) - RCD Espanyol, Ral Tamudo

Soccer In Radge ALENCIA, Spain (Reuters) -- Espanyol capped its centenary celebrations by winning the Spanish Cup with a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on Saturday. One of the cheekiest goals seen in Spain all season gave the Barcelona club an ideal start after just two minutes. Atletico goalkeeper Toni Jimenez -- who moved to the club from Espanyol last summer -- saved a shot by Toni Velamazan and was bouncing the ball in front of him, ready to boot it upfield. But then Raul Tamudo nipped in unseen, headed the ball away from Jimenez and beat his former team mate in a sprint across the face of the goal, turning the ball in from an narrow angle out on the left. Sergio Gonzalez hit Espanyol's second goal five minutes from time to ensure the club won its first honor for 60 years Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink pulled one back for Atletico a minute into injury time, and Espanyol endured an anxious couple of minutes as the clocked ticked away, but it was too little too late. Espanyol ecstasy For Espanyol supporters, it brought a huge smile to their faces after a decade of despair. They were relegated twice during the 1990s and even had to sell their ground -- the historic Sarria stadium -- in 1997 to solve a cash crisis. However Espanyol's veteran defender Nando Munoz put the emotions of all those involved with the club into words. This might be the greatest day in the history of Espanyol. This is for all those fans and everyone else who can remember the bad times -- all those dire moments, Nando said. Nando had recovered enough breath to speak to Spanish to reporters because he had been given his marching orders 13 minutes from time after picking up two yellow cards in quick succession while Espanyol fought to contain a second half Atletico comeback. Atletico attack The first half belonged to Espanyol, with Tamudo and Velamazan causing plenty of problems for the Atletico defenders and Moises Arteaga slicing through the middle, but the second period saw Atletico strive for an equalizer. Hasselbaink was a constant threat, although Espanyol defenders did a good job of soaking up the pressure, and his closest efforts came from edge-of-the-area free kicks. After Nando left the field, Espanyol looked briefly in trouble, but both teams ended the match with 10 men after former Spanish international defender Santi Denia lost control completely seven minutes from time. Denia scythed down Manuel Serrano from the rear and then headbutted Toni Velamazan. Sergio's clincher came two minutes later. Tears He controlled a long, speculative, ball forward with his head and then blasted the half-volley past the hapless Jimenez, who left the field inconsolable. Football just isn't fair, Jimenez wailed, with tears streaming down his face. Jimenez was not the only Atletico player to leave the field with moist eyes. The cup final defeat, their second in successive years after losing 3-0 to Valencia last year, brought an end to one of the worst season's in club history. Atletico was relegated and will spend next season in the Spanish second division for the first time since 1934. A damaging government investigation into the club finances also left the club badly demoralized on and off the field. The cup final is likely to be the last match that many players, including Hasselbaink, have in an Atletico jersey, with a massive exodus anticipated. Bibliography One of the cheekiest goals seen in Spain all season gave the Barcelona club an ideal start after just two minutes. Sports and Games

Iomega Zip Drives essays

Iomega Zip Drives essays Iomega offers a wide range of zip drives which include the USB Port drives, parallel Port drives, SCSI port drives, and Internal drives. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of the four mentioned. Like any other item you wish to purchase you should know what you needs are before you purchase a zip drive, so that you may purchase the right unit. The external models connect with either the USB port, the parallel port or the SCSI port. They may only be used with the port that they are designed for. The SCSI is a type of interface or port for connecting peripheral devices, such as hard drives, CD-ROMs, scanners and Zip drives. It stands for small computer system interface and is pronounced "skuzzy." SCSI is the standard interface on almost all Apple computers, with the exception of some very early Mac models and the more recent iMac. PCs can also be equipped to use SCSI devices, but this requires the installation of a SCSI card. USB is a type of interface for connecting peripheral devices to a computer and it stands for Universal Serial Bus. Then the parallel port is the commonly known as the printer port. The internal model connects via ATAPI. The ATAPI is a type of interface used to connect additional hardware devices to a computer. ATAPI stands for Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface. This is an internal interface that is commonly used to connect devices such as CD-ROMs, hard drives, tape drives and of course, Zip drives. The USB zip drives have many advantages. One it is easy to connect, just plug it in, connect the USB cable to the computer, and install the IomegaWareâ„ ¢ software. It's also portable and allows hot swapping. USB offer several advantages over the parallel port. The data transfer rates are faster. And, while the parallel port accepts only two devices at a time, the , USB port is designed to handle over one hundred chained devices! The USB port is not as fast as the SCSI interfac...

How to Make Floam

How to Make Floam Floam  is a slimy substance with polystyrene beads in it that kids can mold into shapes. You can sculpt with it or use it to coat other objects. You can store it to reuse it or allow it to dry if you want permanent creations. Its a lot of fun, but not always easy to locate. You might be able to buy it at some stores and online, but you can make a type of Floam yourself. As with slime, its very safe, though anything containing food coloring can stain surfaces. Dont eat Floam. Polystyrene beads simply arent food. How to Make Floam Difficulty: Easy Time Required: This is a quick project: It takes only minutes Supplies 2 tsp. borax1/2 cup water1/4 cup white glue (such as Elmers)1/4 cup waterFood coloringA resealable plastic bag1 1/3 cups polystyrene beads Steps Dissolve 2 teaspoons of  borax completely in 1/2 cup (4 ounces) of water. Two teaspoons of borax will produce a stiff product. If you want more flexible Floam, try 1 teaspoon of borax instead.In a separate container, mix 1/4 cup (2 ounces) of white glue and 1/4 cup of water. Stir in food coloring.Pour the glue solution and the polystyrene beads into a plastic bag. Add the borax solution and knead it until its well mixed. Use 1 tablespoon of the borax solution for a very fluid Floam, 3 tablespoons for average Floam, and the entire amount for stiff Floam.To keep your Floam, store it in a sealed bag in the refrigerator to discourage mold. Otherwise, you can allow it to dry into whatever shape you choose. Tips for Success How it works: The borax reacts to crosslink the polyvinyl acetate molecules in the glue. This forms a flexible polymer.If you use a 4-percent solution of polyvinyl alcohol instead of glue, you will get a more transparent product that will hold shapes better.You can find polystyrene beads at craft stores, usually as fillers for bean bags or dolls. You can grind plastic foam cups using a cheese grater if you like.

Review of a Sociology Research Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review of a Sociology Research - Term Paper Example The sample includes urban and suburban high schools in which at least five students from the original NELS: 88 samples were enrolled. The sample of NELS: 88 students in each high school were augmented to create a representative sample of students for each school in HSES. The study presented is based on the conceptual framework established in the literature that suggests that school resource structures and norms for facilitating college transitions are an important mechanism through which schools influence college enrollment. Moreover, this mechanism reflects distinctive school strategies that have implication for stratification. Using a large sample of high schools and multiple analytic methods, the analysis specifies a typology of college linking strategies and models their effects on college enrollment, with particular attention to how these effects may differ for disadvantaged students. In this way, the analysis offers an empirical extension of the literature that seeks to shed new light on the nature of stratification among high schools and its implications for students and its implications for students from different racial/ ethnic and socioeconomic status (SES) groups. The questions that author address are significant from a sociological persp ective because they reveal a type of organizational stratification among schools that has not been thoroughly explored in the literature and can broaden our insights into the ways in which schools influence stratification in postsecondary education. The analysis is also significant from a policy perspective in that it reveals school structures and practices that are linked to group disparities in college enrollment and may be responsive to intervention. Those Schools foster significant racial / ethnic variation in students’ outcomes that operate primarily as a resource clearinghouse, in which organizational norms limit their role as agents in the college-linking process. The dependant variables for hierarchal

SOC325 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

SOC325 - Essay Example Cultural pathways in every society are made up of everyday routines of life and the routines are made up of cultural activities like bedtime, playing video games, cooking, homework, watching TV, baby sitting for money or social visiting (Weisner & Lowe, 2004). Globalization has led to the disintegration of social communities and fragmentation of social ties. At the same time there has been enhancement in global communication and transportation which has strengthened transnational communities. Nevertheless, between Japan and Afghanistan there is income disparity which has which differently impacts families’ access to basic education and health. The Japanese society has traditionally been a collectivist society where group needs are placed over the individuals. This is changing to some degree but there is still a strong gender-based division of labor. The modern Japanese families are nuclear families and look much like an American family and this indicates a dynamic socio-cultural change at work (Bestor & Hardacre, 2004). The values have undergone a sea change which is evident from a report which says that teens that skip breakfast tend to engage in sex at a much earlier age than those who have regular breakfast (Kubota, 2008). The reason is that if the children do not have breakfast it is indicative of the disturbed family environment. Another example of fragmented social ties is the reduced birth rate in the Japanese society. Employees are now being given more free time to spend with their families and have more children in an attempt to reverse the trend of declining birth rate (Yamanaka, 2008). Although the Afghan society comprises of many ethnic groups, the characteristics remain unaltered. The family is the mainstay and there exists a closely knit bond between the members. They continue to maintain the patriarchal system of family where the oldest male member rules the house. Divorces were traditionally unheard of and

Political Philosophy and Brief Critical Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Political Philosophy and Brief Critical Evaluation Essay Sample essay questions? 1. Describe Platos scheme for communism in the Republic. (Discuss each of the main features of this life-style. ) Which classes, according to Plato, should practice this way of living? What justification does Plato offer for advocating communism? Offer a brief critical evaluation of Platos communism. PHL 107 | study guide for exam 2 | page 4 2. (1) Briefly describe Platos allegory of the cave. (2) Then state how the allegory expresses Platos position on (a) the place of the Philosopher-Kings in Platos utopia, (b) Platos distinction between opinion and genuine knowledge (wisdom), and (c) Platos position on the motives of the Philosopher-Kings for ruling. 3. (1) What is Platos dualistic metaphysics? (2) How is this metaphysics expressed in the allegory of the cave? (3) How is it related to his position on the nature of the human person? 4. (1) What is Platos assessment of democracy, and (2) how is this linked to his theory of justice? (3) How might a contemporary defender of democracy respond to Plato? 5. What is the mimetic theory of art? Did Plato invent this theory? Did he accept it? How is this theory related to Plato’s criticisms of the arts? 6. (1) What two reasons does Plato give for proposing to banish the arts from his Republic? (2) How is his position on the arts related (a) to his Theory of Ideas and (b) his position on the highest goal of human living? (3) Offer a brief critical evaluation of Platos position on the arts. 7. (1) What does Rawls mean by the original position . . . under the veil of ignorance and how does this serve as the basis for his theory of justice? (2) What are his two principles of justice? Explain the two principles.? (3) Offer a brief critical evaluation of his theory of justice. 8. (1) Starting with Rawls’ â€Å"original position . . . under the veil of ignorance,† do you think you would arrive at a principle or principles of justice similar to those of Rawls, or if different ones, which? Defend your position. (2) As part of your answer give a clear statement of what Rawls means by the â€Å"original position . . . under the veil of ignorance. † 9. (1) What is Aquinas’s causal argument for the existence of God (the 2nd of his five arguments)? Sketch the argument. (2) Critically evaluate the argument. What appears to be the weakest part of the argument? Do you think the argument can be defended in the face of this proposed weakness? Explain. 10. (1) What is the design argument for the existence of God? You may present either Aquinass (his 5th) or William Paleys or the fine-tuning version of the argument (but only one). (2) Why does Darwins theory of evolution appear to undermine Aquinas and Paley’s version of the design argument? Why does Darwin’s theory not affect the fine-tuning argument? (3) Do you think that there is some way of salvaging the design argument in the face of Darwins theory? Defend your position. 11. Describe Hobbes’ â€Å"state of nature. † What kind of a concept is this — historical, empirical, anthropological, analytic? Explain. Offer your own critical evaluation of Hobbes’ notion of the state of nature? Do you think it is a useful concept? Is it true? Defend your position. 12. Hobbes argues that each person has the resources within themselves to overcome the state of nature.? (1) What are these resources and how do they help the person to overcome the state of nature? (2) But why, for Hobbes, are these internal resources insufficient? Why is a very strong sovereign also needed to overcome the state of nature? (3) What role does contract or covenant play in overcoming the state of nature?

Computer Health :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Computer Health Are computers really that healthy to families? Is technology healthy, period? Do computers and the Internet actually help men and women, moms and dads, children and teens, friends and relatives, young and old? Does it help finish work and give you more time, or has it destroyed your life? Computers are beneficial, but I think only in small doses. The Internet can be fun but it is also a nightmarish side to it, just like everything else in the world. You can find tons of stories on someone’s identity being stolen or teens meeting there on line friend horror stories and still no one listens. It can and will, if you don’t watch it, happen to you. Yet computers do help us connect to the ones we love when we aren’t near. And that’s always a good thing. Let’s look at computers in a business sense. Computers have replaced typewriters, calculators, and filing cabinets. Email has replaced phone message slips and inboxes. And because the computers are linked together through LAN workers can share work, files, and resources. So work is done ahead of schedule and all you can have the weekend to yourself, right? Wrong! Computers have just given you more work and a way for it to go home with you. In my view computers have just introduced more stress to our lives. Companies expected employees to do get things done in shorter periods of time and still out beat the competition, by produce bigger and better things. While work keeps moms and dads slaving to piles of work, kids are left to there own devices. The Internet is a great tool for research. It helps us explore the world but then again so will the Discovery channel, Travel channel and several other channels. When children aren’t supervised is when you can only blame yourself. There are tons of dangers on the Internet. The biggest threat to children is porn sites. I distaste that search engines don’t filter out filth like pornography. It’s annoying having it in your search results and its scary all at the same time. Perverted people violate such innocent topics. But who has the time to watch their kids’ search for information on their science fair project or while they’re playing games. Remember they’re to busy working on that proposal their boss wants or grading papers. Parents could install filters on computers but the problem is that the kids are a lot more

Electrons The Building Blocks Of Science Environmental Sciences Essay

Electrons have been the cardinal component to many mystifiers in life ; if it were non for several doctors and their parts to the finds of different belongingss of the negatron, the scientific disciplines ( chemical science, biological science, and natural philosophies ) would non be the same. The earliest recorded experience with electricity ( apart from buoy uping ) was with the ancient Greeks who noticed that gold attracted little objects when rubbed with pelt. The history of negatrons has been a compile of little finds made by many doctors, yet the most noteworthy finds were made by Benjamin Franklin, Eugen Goldstein, J.J. Thompson, Neils Bohr, Gilbert Lewis, Wolfgang Pauli, and Thomas Young. Benjamin Franklin work with electricity led him to coin footings and suggest several theories affecting batteries, music directors, capacitors, charges, and discharges. He came up with the thought of â€Å" positive † and â€Å" negative † electricity holding â€Å" plus † and â€Å" subtraction † charges. He falsely thought electric flow was from positive to negative ; now we know the opposite is true. Yet, the thought of positive and negative charges builds the foundations of circuits. Through Franklin, we learn that charge flows from the high electromotive force terminus of the power supply through carry oning wires to the resistances, where the energy of the charges is used to make work, or is dissipated as heat. The charge so flows back to the low electromotive force terminus of the power supply by more wires. Charges besides emit an electric field, utilizing a voltmeter to find the strength and way of these Fieldss by mapping the electric potency of the field. From the possible field, the electric field can be determined. The electric field lines can be found by get downing at the positive electrode and following a way to the negative electrode so that the electric field lines ever cross the possible field lines at right angles. Cathode rays played a major portion of the find of subatomic atoms and their behaviour. In 1876, Eugen GoldsteinA discovered that discharge tubings with a pierced cathode besides emit a freshness at the cathode terminal, which was subsequently recognized as negatrons traveling from the negatively-charged cathode toward the positively-chargedA anode. He besides concluded that there was another beam that travels in the opposite way. They are composed of positive ions whose individuality depends on the residuary gas inside the tubing, which subsequently became portion of the footing forA mass spectroscopy. With the cathode beam, he besides discovered magnetic Fieldss exert a â€Å" crabwise † force on traveling charged atoms. That is, if a charged atom travels through a magnetic field, the field will exercise a force directed at right angles to the atom ‘s gesture. Charged atoms can be made to go in a circle by puting up a magnetic field. In 1896, J.J. Thomson and his colleaguesA performed experiments bespeaking that cathode beams truly were atoms, alternatively of moving ridges, atoms or molecules that many believed before. Thomson made a reasonably accurate estimation of both the chargeA eA and the massA m, happening that cathode beam atoms had around a one thousandth of the mass of hydrogen.A The e/m device in his lab generates a seeable beam of negatrons and directs the beam through a unvarying magnetic field. When high-velocity negatrons strike the atoms in the gas, the atoms give off a green colored visible radiation. This makes the beam seeable. Most negatrons in the beam do n't clash with any atoms, since the gas is really thin. But those that do demo the way the negatrons are taking. Electric currents create magnetic Fieldss. At the centre of the spirals, the B-field is approximately unvarying and directed analogues with the land. This causes the negatrons to turn. The radius of the circle will depend on the strength of the magnetic field B, the velocity of the atom V, and the atom ‘s mass. The strength of the B-field depends on the current in the spirals. By mensurating the radius of the beam ‘s round way, he found the mass of the negatron. A unit of ammunition glass vacuity tubing with a glowing round beam inside The edifice block of chemical science and bonding was explored as Niels Bohr explained a simplified version of the atom, now named Bohr Atom. It is non right, but it provides a utile manner to visualise spectra and their creative activity. A â€Å" cloud † of negatrons in â€Å" orbits † surrounds the highly bantam karyon. Atoms are characterized by a karyon: the cardinal, bantam, monolithic portion. Its charge is impersonal or none. The karyon is made up of positively charged protons and impersonal neutrons. Electron: the negatively charged atom that orbits the karyon of an atom.Photon: the smallest possible sum of E & A ; M energy of a peculiar wavelength. An atom consists of a little, heavy karyon surrounded by negatrons.He hypothesized that negatrons were in quantal energy provinces. In the atom the negatrons are normally in the â€Å" land province † , n = 1. This is the lowest energy province of the atom. If an negatron is excited ( such as by an electric c urrent in a neon tubing ) it will absorb a specific photon and move to a higher energy orbits or â€Å" aroused provinces † .Because energy in an atom is â€Å" quantal † , the negatron can merely travel to specific energy provinces ; most energy provinces are out. Each set of orbits for every component and compound is different from every other set. When an negatron in an component in a low-pressure gas province absorbs a photon of visible radiation it becomes excited, and it moves to a higher electronic energy province. Then it will spontaneously fall back to the lowest energy province possible, breathing the exact same wavelength photon it absorbed. Because merely distinct energy provinces are allowed, merely a few photons will excite the negatrons. Disintegrating back to the lowest energy province produces merely a few photons. Three homocentric circles about a karyon, with an negatron traveling from the 2nd to the first circle and let go ofing a photon This is an emanation spectrum. Since the wavelength is precise, the exact energies of the orbits are known from: Tocopherol = hc/l. After its excited the negatron will drop to a lower energy province by breathing a photon of precisely the same wavelength it absorbed. When it does that we can see the photon as a specific coloured line in the spectrum. EMISSION SPECTRA is the easiest spectra to analyze in the lab, but it is seldom found in stars. Some interstellar clouds and active galaxies have emanation spectra. EVERY ELEMENT AND EVERY MOLECULE HAS A DIFFERENT SPECTRA! The spectra from an unknown sample can be used to find all the elements and molecules within the sample. When there are many elements, near together, the energy degrees of the person atoms are spread out into energy sets. This consequences in a uninterrupted spectrum. Yet, Bohr ‘s theoretical account failed to account for the comparative strengths of the spectral lines and it was unsuccessful in explicating the s pectra of more complex atoms. In 1924, Austrian physicistA Wolfgang PauliA observed that no more one negatron can busy the same quantum energy province. Therefore, the Pauli exclusion rule provinces that no two negatrons in an atom may busy the same energy province. Each negatron has an single â€Å" orbit † . These orbits are ruled by quantum mechanics. Chemical bonds between atoms were explained byA Gilbert Newton Lewis, who in 1916 proposed that aA covalent bondA between two atoms is maintained by a brace of negatrons shared between them.A Adhering between elements As with all atoms, negatrons can move as waves.It is impossible to detect both belongingss at the same clip in the same moving ridge. Einstein ‘s photoelectric experiment besides proved this dichotomy. Thomas Young ‘s dual slit experiment shows this wave-particle dichotomy, besides turn outing that visible radiation was a moving ridge. This experiment had profound deductions, finding most of 19th century natural philosophies and ensuing in several efforts to detect the quintessence, or the medium of light extension. Though the experiment is most noteworthy with visible radiation, the fact is that this kind of experiment can be performed with any type of moving ridge, such as H2O. Inactive Fieldss = imaging ( MRI, etc ) The history of negatrons has been a huge series of different doctors happening little spots of information about this unknown atom. If it were non for these finds of the belongingss of the negatron, we would non cognize how electric Fieldss work, the utilizations of a cathode beam, how elements bonded, the capablenesss of energy that come from atoms, and practical applications such as imaging. It would be good to research more on negatrons and be portion of the find as other doctors have done. Plants Cited Page Anderson, David L.A The Discovery of the Electron. New York: Arno, 1981. Buchwald, Jed Z. , and Andrew Warwick.A Histories of the Electron: the Birth of Microphysics. Cambridge, Mass. : Massachusetts institute of technology, 2001. Davis, Edward Arthur. , and Isobel J. Falconer.A J.J. Thomson and the Discovery of the Electron. London: Taylor & A ; Francis, 1997. McQuarrie, Donald A. , and John D. Simon.A Physical Chemistry: a Molecular Approach. Sausalito, Calif. : University Science, 1997. Parker, Barry R.A Albert Einstein ‘s Vision: Remarkable Discoveries That Shaped Modern Science. Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus, 2004. Tipler, Paul Allen, and Gene Mosca.A Physics for Scientists and Engineers. 6th erectile dysfunction. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman, 2008. Weinberg, Steven.A The Discovery of Subatomic Particles. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2003.

Aol Time Warner- What Went Wrong

In January 2000, AOL announced that it would be acquiring Time Warner through a complete stock deal to create the largest media company in the world. Not only was the merger the biggest ever in the media industry, it was also one of the biggest in the history of the corporate world. As per the merger agreement, AOL and Time Warner stock was converted to AOL Time Warner stock. AOL shareholders received one share of AOL Time Warner for each AOL share owned and Time Warner shareholders received 1. shares of AOL Time Warner for each Time Warner share they owned. While AOL shareholders owned 55% of the new company, the remaining was held by Time Warner. The merger was soon being talked of as the beginning of a new trend: the coming together of traditional and new media companies. According to a report, AOL was ‘a turbo-charged engine' that would bring old media giant, Time Warner, into the Internet century. The merger was expected to result in a 30% increase in profits, amounting to over US $ 40 billion in revenues in the first year itself. The new company had 100 million paid subscribers, which included the customers of AOL's dial-up service and subscribers of Time Warner's cable and magazine divisions. A major setback to the success of the merger was the bursting of the Internet bubble, which was expected to rule the media and entertainment industry in the 21st century. When the Internet bubble burst, there was a steep decline in subscriber growth for AOL, which led to a steep decline in its advertising revenues. Time Warner merged with America Online in 2001 at the height of the dot-com boom, with AOL using its inflated stock as a currency for the transaction. But the marriage of old and new media behemoths baptised quickly went sour as the benefits promised to shareholders failed to materialise. AOL was valued at more than $US150 billion when the ill-fated merger was announced, but its worth collapsed dramatically as the dot-com bubble burst. Time Warner was forced in 2002 to massively write down the value of the Internet unit and the AOL name was removed from the group's corporate title in 2003. As a consequence of this not only lost AOL subscribers to their Internet service but also their portal lost importance leading to a loss in opportunity to promote AOL Time Warner content. As a further consequence income from advertising is decreasing. 3. 0 BCG Matrix of AOL-TIME WARNER 4. 0 ALTERNATIVES REVIEW AND TURNAROUND STRATEGIES After the merger, AOL Time Warner was indeed the unquestioned number one worldwide media company, especially with the phenomenal box-office successes of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Some of the anticipated synergies have actually come about and the company has successfully met a number of its goals, according to industry observers. On the Internet side, AOL must prove it can maintain its paramount position by signing deals across the entire cable industry while it opens its Time Warner cable pipes to competitors. If it can’t, AOL’s position as the undisputed leader in the consumer Internet business could begin to slip. According to published reports, AOL has more than 33 million subscribers worldwide, 25 million in the U. S. and analysts expect AOL to sign 6. 2 million new members for the year. AOL’s Pittman believes that eventually between 90 million and 95 million U. S. homes will be connected to the Internet. In 2001, AOL Internet subscribers spent $33 billion online, 67% more than they spent the year before. America Online has thrived by making it cheap and easy for millions of people to get onto the Internet using a standard open-access phone line and modem. With all of the hype about broadband, nearly all of AOL’s current subscribers still use dial-up â€Å"narrowband† connections, which are far too slow to accommodate the growing demand for rich media that consumers increasingly want from the web. 4. 1 AOL-TIME WARNER TURNAROUND STRATEGY The problem faced by Time Warner after its merger with AOL is an issue which merits discussion. The AOL-Time Warner merger in 2001 resulted in the largest media company in the world. AOL joined hands with Time Warner to create synergy between its online businesses and Warner's media business. Two significant factors affected the post merger company. One, the dot-com burst meant adverse effect on AOL’s advertising revenues. And two, dial-up subscribers decreased thereby affecting revenues and overall profitability of AOL. A key element in the turnaround strategy should be to offer free content on its portal. This strategy will benefit AOL in attracting more online users and advertising revenues. When AOL began operations it soon became the leading company for-pay online subscriber service, bringing easy-to-use Internet service to more than 30 million users. AOL was mainly based on around its dial up business. With customers shifting to broadband, AOL was losing subscribers rapidly. The dial-up segment though profitable, was declining in revenues having lost 2. 6 million subscribers in a period of one year. The share price of AOL Time Warner fell by 60% after the merger. The merger was heavily criticized from all quarters. Growth in advertising business came with AOL establishing itself as a support service rather than an internet access provider. Seeing AOL’s success Google entered into a global advertising partnership with the AOL. Google acquired a 5% equity stake in AOL for US$ 1 billion. In broadband, to be able to beat the competition they should be the first organization to define the category of streaming broadband, bringing relevant content and relevant programming into the broadband household so as to let people search for the video and music they want to view and listen to. Provision of other a la carte and premium services, such as being a place for people to store pictures, documents and e-mails they create or receive while they're on the Web. It makes sense. What people want is all their assets available all the time, regardless of where they are. This is especially important for multichannel users, who will be a larger and larger portion of our customer base. Part of the day, people will need to access AOL from their laptops or at home on high-speed DSL or cable, or a smart phone or communication-enabled PDA. The organization should be re-energized. There should be a reaffirmed commitment, a new management team on the field. Positioning the brand and regaining trust are all smart things to do and it will serve as the litmus tests for the decisions to be made. Now, they must be able to recognize emerging trends and stake out our role in them before they take hold among consumers. The overall success of this business long-term will be their ability to integrate best-in-class technology and programming and create compelling value for each of its targeted customer segments. As a technologist, could you ask for a better role? Every decision matters. 5. 0 CONCLUSION The credo of the combined AOL Time Warner was synergy, the idea that the companies would be greater than the sum of their parts because each of the divisions would help market the others. But the dream never materialized. The fast-growing AOL online service was supposed to be the juggernaut that would cause the whole company to grow at 30 percent a year. It turned out that AOL was unable to sustain its own growth rate, much less carry Time Warner. In the end, however, the true success of the AOL Time Warner merger will be won or lost, on the company’s ability to leverage its promising collection of cable networks into something more than just a way to see the latest episode of miniseries. That will only be done by bringing AOL’s online expertise into alignment with Time Warner’s stable of media properties, and adding a broad vision of the next chapter of the Internet. This means being the first to create an invisible high-speed grid to deliver interactive services and entertainment to consumers without muss or fuss †¦ anywhere, anytime, over any device. If AOL Time Warner can do that, the company may be able to create the most ironclad and lucrative relationship with the consumers of the future. â€Å"

Democratic Spread essays

Democratic Spread essays The issue at hand is of course, are liberty and democracy good for every country. Though, as an American, when I look at the argument I see; it works for us so why cant it work for them? And although it doesn't state so, I believe the underlying question in the article is whether the US should promote democracy through force. The first writer, Michael McFaul, argues; "liberty and democracy are desirable for every country, that the condition exists to increase the number of democratic nations, and that the US can and should use it power to encourage and support liberty and democracy in nations that have never before enjoyed freedom. Michael McFaul sees democracy as appropriate rule for every Nation, Country, and being on earth. Mcfaul believes eliminating Nations without democracy promotes homeland security, and better secures the human race. "No democracies are enemies of the US." "Democracies do not attack each other." "Every foe of the US - Iraq, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Cuba, and (possibly in the near future) China - is a Dictatorship. Mcfaul compares the war against this new "ism" to that of the war against communism. His stand is behind quick military action by the United States. "The US once again must become a revisionist power. We must seek to isolate and destroy our enemies by eliminating their regimes and safe havens. The ultimate purpose of American power is the creation of an international community of democratic states that encompasses every region of the planet." The second writer, Robert D. Kaplan, argues; "Recent experience demonstrates that not all nations have the conditions in which demo cracy can thrive, that some nations prosper without it, and that democracy can be less important in the future." Robert D. Kaplan sees democracy as a successful method of rule within Nations that have the appropriate abilities to cope with it. He does not believe democracy is for every country. Kaplan compares democracy to ...

Biography of Alfred Wegener, German Scientist

Biography of Alfred Wegener, German Scientist Alfred Wegener (November 1, 1880–November 1930) was a German meteorologist and geophysicist who developed the first theory of continental drift and formulated the idea that a supercontinent known as Pangaea existed on the Earth millions of years ago. His ideas were largely ignored at the time they were developed, but today they are widely accepted by the scientific community. As part of his research, Wegener also took part in several journeys to Greenland, where he studied the atmosphere and ice conditions. Fast Facts: Alfred Wegener Known For: Wegener was a German scientist who developed the idea of continental drift and Pangaea.Born: November 1, 1880 in Berlin, GermanyDied: November 1930 in Clarinetania,  GreenlandEducation: University of Berlin (Ph.D.)Published Works: Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere (1911), The Origin of Continents and Oceans (1922)Spouse: Else Koppen Wegener  (m. 1913-1930)Children: Hilde, Hanna, Sophie Early Life Alfred Lothar Wegener was born on November 1, 1880, in Berlin, Germany. During his childhood, Wegeners father ran an orphanage. Wegener took an interest in physical and earth sciences and studied these subjects at universities in both Germany and Austria. He graduated with a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Berlin in 1905. He briefly served as an assistant at the Urania Observatory in Berlin. While earning his Ph.D. in astronomy, Wegener also took an interest in meteorology and paleoclimatology (the study of changes in the Earths climate throughout its history). From 1906 to 1908 he went on an expedition to Greenland to study polar weather. In Greenland, Wegener established a research station where he could take meteorological measurements. This expedition was the first of four dangerous trips that Wegener would take to the icy island. The others occurred from 1912 to 1913 and in 1929 and 1930. Continental Drift Shortly after receiving his Ph.D., Wegener began teaching at the University of Marburg in Germany, and in 1910 he drafted his Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere, which would later become an important meteorological textbook. During his time at the university, Wegener developed an interest in the ancient history of the Earths continents and their placement. He had noticed, in 1910, that the eastern coast of South America and the northwestern coast of Africa looked as if they were once connected. In 1911, Wegener also came across several scientific documents stating there were identical fossils of plants and animals on each of these continents. He eventually articulated the idea that all of the Earths continents were at one time connected into one large supercontinent. In 1912, he presented the idea of continental displacement- which would later become known as continental drift- to explain how the continents moved toward and away from one another throughout the Earths history. In 1914, Wegener was drafted into the German Army during World War I. He was wounded twice and was eventually placed in the Armys weather forecasting service for the duration of the war. In 1915, Wegener published his most famous work, The Origin of Continents and Oceans, as an extension of his 1912 lecture. In that work, he presented extensive evidence to support his claim that all of the Earths continents were at one time connected. Despite the evidence, however, most of the scientific community ignored his ideas at the time. Later Life From 1924 to 1930, Wegener was a professor of meteorology and geophysics at the University of Graz in Austria. At a 1927 symposium, he introduced the idea of Pangaea, a Greek term meaning all lands, to describe the supercontinent that he believed existed on the Earth millions of years ago. Scientists now believe that such a continent did exist- it probably formed about 335 million years ago and began to split apart 175 million years ago. The strongest evidence of this is- as Wegener suspected- the distribution of similar fossils throughout continental borders that are now many miles apart. Death In 1930, Wegener took part in his last expedition to Greenland to set up a winter weather station that would monitor the jet stream in the upper atmosphere over the North Pole. Severe weather delayed the start of the trip and made it extremely difficult for Wegener and the 14 other explorers and scientists with him to reach the weather station. Eventually, 12 of these men would turn around and return to the groups base camp near the coast. Wegener and two others continued on, reaching the final destination of Eismitte (Mid-Ice, a site near the center of Greenland) five weeks after the start of the expedition. On the return trip to the base camp, Wegener became lost and is believed to have died sometime in November 1930 at the age of 50. Legacy For most of his life, Wegener remained dedicated to his theory of continental drift and Pangaea despite receiving harsh criticism from other scientists, many of whom believed the oceanic crust was too rigid to permit the movement of tectonic plates. By the time of his death in 1930, his ideas were almost entirely rejected by the scientific community. It was not until the 1960s that they gained credibility as scientists began studying seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. Wegeners ideas served as a framework for those studies, which produced evidence that supported his theories. The development of the Global Positioning System (GPS) in 1978 eliminated any residual doubt there may have been by providing direct evidence of continental movements. Today, Wegeners ideas are highly regarded by the scientific community as an early attempt at explaining why the Earths landscape is the way it is. His polar expeditions are also highly admired and today the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research is known for its high-quality research in the Arctic and the Antarctic. A crater on the Moon and a crater on Mars are both named in Wegeners honor. Sources Bressan, David. â€Å"May 12, 1931: Alfred Wegeners Last Journey.† Scientific American Blog Network, 12 May 2013.Oreskes, Naomi, and Homer E. LeGrand.  Plate Tectonics: An Insiders History of the Modern Theory of the Earth. Westview, 2003.Wegener, Alfred.  The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Dover Publications, 1992.Yount, Lisa.  Alfred Wegener: Creator of the Continental Drift Theory. Chelsea House Publishers, 2009.

Gamal Abdel Nasser Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Gamal Abdel Nasser - Essay Example The nationalist revival during the period of British occupation revealed a public awareness among a segment of Cairo's population, but this seldom was transacted into positive achievements. Instead, the Egypt of 1952 was a stagnant country. Beset by political strife, successive national governments did little to foster the country's development. An archaic structure of land ownership, abysmal living conditions among the great majority of the population, an economy geared to benefit a privileged few, and political instability--this was the legacy after thirty years of independence (Frederick, 268). The existing political parties abdicated their right to govern. In their struggle with the King and their quest for power and office, they treaded ruthlessly on the welfare of their country. Egypt's political structure blocked progress, rooted as it was in the status quo. No parliament controlled by wealthy landowners and Cairo's privileged social elite would support sweeping reform programs to the detriment of the vested interests. Few groups were untainted by the corruption which permeated Cairo. Many ranking civil servants owed their positions to partisan politics; landowners gained protection from the Wafd; businessmen were dependent upon the government for favors; and high ranking military officers often owed their posts to the King's personal support. Only the middle-class military--the captains, majors, and colonels, and, perhaps, a few generals--had the moral credentials for a bona fide movement of reform. And, after the sordid manipulation of the Alexandria cotton market and the collapse of national government in 1952, only the military was prepared to take action in the name of the people. Humiliated in the 1948 Palestine War, the Egyptian army generally had done little to distinguish itself. In its ranks, however, was a cadre of sincere and talented, though inexperienced, officers, and it was they who toppled the government in 1952. Initially, a junta sought to establish a nonpartisan civilian government, but this body proved unwilling to initiate the reforms desired by the young officers. Thus, the job of governing fell to the Free Officers by default. Governing had not been their initial purpose, and they were ill prepared for the task; but they alone were in a position to raze the "old order." And the destruction of the "old order" was a prerequisite for the implementation of profound reforms (Frederick 269). Role in Modernizing Egypt Rapid development in Egypt required an authoritarian government, and it became increasingly obvious that the Revolutionary Command Council could not measure up to the task. Instead, a single leader, a man with dictatorial powers, was needed. Gamal Abdel Nasser became dictator of Egypt in April, 1954. His was a difficult task. The country had not rallied to the military movement. Moreover, there was no panacea for Egypt's problems, and his every move drew the sniping attacks of those without the responsibilities for government. To his credit, he approached his mission boldly. Easy as it was to be irresolute, he determined what was best for