How to Write an Outstanding College Application Essay

The college application essay is an essential part of the admissions process. However, when Prompt.com reviewed thousands of application essays, the company noticed that the average essay was rated C.  A report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that grades in college prep courses were the most important factor, followed by admission test scores. However, the application essay was ranked much higher than recommendations from counselors and teachers, class rank, the interview, extracurricular activities and many other factors. Since the college application essay is so important, ThoughtCo spoke with several experts to discover the best ways to write one that will win over college admissions officers. Why the College Application Essay is So Important So many elements are included in the application process that students may wonder why they need to worry about the essay. Brad Schiller, co-founder and CEO of Prompt.com, tells ThoughtCo that many applicants to the same schools may have comparable grades and test scores. â€Å"However, the essay is the differentiator; its one of the few pieces of an application over which a student has direct control, and it provides readers with a sense of who the student is, how the student will fit in at the school, and how successful the student will be both in college  and upon graduation.† And for students with an uneven profile, the college application essay may provide a chance to shine. Christina DeCario, the associate director of Admissions at the College of Charleston, tells ThoughtCo that the essay provides clues about a student’s writing skills, personality and preparedness for college. She advises students to view the essay as an opportunity. â€Å"If your profile is a little uneven, like you’re successful outside the classroom but your grades aren’t quite there, or you’re the valedictorian but you’re not a good test taker, the essay can push you from a maybe to a yes,† DeCario explains. How to Choose a Topic According to Schiller, such topics as the student’s goals, passions, personality, or periods of personal growth are all good areas in which to start brainstorming. However, he says that students rarely select topics in these areas. Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions programs at Kaplan Test Prep agrees, and says the aim of the essay is to present the student as thoughtful and mature. â€Å"The key is to inspire using a personal story that captures this quality.† Papszycki believes that transformational experiences are great topics. â€Å"For example, did you overcome extreme shyness by shining in the school musical production? Did a family crisis change your outlook on life and make you a better child or sibling?† When students can tell a sincere and persuasive story, Papszycki says colleges believe they can bring distinct experiences to the college environment. Creativity is also a good tool to employ when writing the essay. Merrilyn Dunlap, interim director of Admissions at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, tells ThoughtCo, â€Å"I still remember reading an essay about why the orange flavored tic tac is the best tic tac to eat.† She also recalls an essay that was written when the MasterCard â€Å"priceless† ads were popular. â€Å"The student opened the essay with something like: Cost to visit five college campuses $200. Application fees for five colleges $300 Moving away from home for the first time priceless In addition, Dunlap says she likes to see essays on why a student chose a particular field of study because these types of essays tend to bring out the student’s emotions. â€Å"When they write about something that they are passionate about, it is in their favor; they become real to us.† So, what types of topics should be avoided? Schiller cautions against any subject that could portray the student negatively. â€Å"Some common poor choices of topics we see are getting poor grades due to lack of effort, depression or anxiety that you have not overcome, conflicts with other people that went unresolved, or poor personal decisions,† he warns. Do’s and Don’ts to Writing a College Application Essay After choosing a compelling topic, our panel of experts offer the following advice. Create an outline.  Schiller believes that it’s important for students to organize their thoughts, and an outline can help them structure their thoughts. â€Å"First, always start with the end in mind – what do you want your  reader  to think after reading your essay?† And, he recommends using the thesis statement to quickly get to the essay’s main point. Don’t write a narrative. While Schiller admits that the college essay should provide information about the student, he warns against a long, rambling account. â€Å"Stories and anecdotes are an integral part of showing your reader who you are, but a good rule of thumb is to make these no more than 40% of your word count and leave the rest of your words for reflection and analysis.† Have a conclusion. â€Å"So many essays start off well, the second and third paragraphs are solid, and then they just end,† laments DeCario. â€Å"You need to explain why you told me all the things you wrote about earlier in the essay; relate it to yourself and the essay question.† Revise early and often. Don’t just write one draft and think you’re done. Papszycki says the essay will need to undergo several revisions – and not just to catch grammatical errors. â€Å"Ask your parents, teachers, high school counselors or friends for their eyes and edits.† She recommends these individuals because they know the student better than anyone else, and they also want the student to succeed. â€Å"Take their constructive criticism in the spirit for which they intend - your benefit.† Proofread to the max. DeCario recommends having someone else proofread it. And then, she says the student should read it out loud. â€Å"When you proofread, you should check for grammar and sentence structure; when someone else proofreads, they will be looking for clarity in the essay; when you read it out loud, you’ll catch errors or even entire missing words like ‘a’ or ‘and’ that you didn’t catch when you read it in your head.† Don’t cram for the essay. Start early so there will be plenty of time. â€Å"The summer before senior year can be a great time to start work on your essay,† Papszycki explains. Use humor judiciously. â€Å"It’s fine to use wit and imagination, but dont try to be humorous if thats not your personality,† Papszycki advises. She also warns against forcing humor because it can have an unintended effect.  Ã‚   Additional Tips For students who want more information on ways to write a stellar college application essay, Schiller recommends a persona.prompt.com quiz that helps students identify their personas, and also an essay outlining tool.

Family Decline vs Family Change - 3666 Words

The world has been undergoing great changes in different spheres of life just in the past several decades. One of the most amazing and quick changes seems to be happening within the institution of the family. I have a special interest in this topic, as soon as I witness the radical change going on literally before my eyes: my home country, which was a country with traditional society, after the collapse of the Soviet Union went and is still going through the process of transformation, which introduces completely new phenomena to the Albanian society and changes the traditional relationships sometimes to the opposite. Hence my interest in this topic. And therefore I aim this essay to delineate the â€Å"family decline† versus â€Å"family change†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦On the other hand, these different kinds of units make it difficult for all to fit into a solid definition of the family (Goode, 2007). Apart from the debate on the clear definition, which still leaves space for different assumptions, there has also been a long debate going on about whether the modern development of the family should be defined as â€Å"decline† or â€Å"change† of the family. Popenoe (1993) believes that family decline has been astonishingly sharp since the beginning of the 1960s and regards its social outcomes as very serious and threatening, particularly for children. Many factors can be cited here that lead to the argument that the family is declining. For example, the ease, quickness and lower cost of the divorce, more families cohabiting, legal abortion, increasing number of single parents, illegitimate births and women having many more possibilities to work. If we accept this point of view on the family decline, then these factors contribute to the idea that the principles of people are collapsing and the institution of family is in crisis. It is agreed that â€Å"decline† as a term originated forcefully from the conservatives who still believe that there is an ultimate need to go back to the traditional nuclear type of family and who correspondingly see all social changes influencing theShow MoreRelatedThe Number Of Adults Over The Age Of 651551 Words   |  7 Pagesindependently and continue to maintain a close relationship with friends and family. Then there are those seniors that experience changes in their life that prevents them from being unable to live independently. The common age-related changes include hearing impairment, weakening in vision, arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. The most extreme impairment is when older adults experience cognitive changes that are associated with mental processing. (citation) The need for assistanceRead MoreFamily Stability within the Hispanic Culture Janiece Cantu Our Lady of the Lake1000 Words   |  4 Pages Family Stability within the Hispanic Culture Janiece Cantu Our Lady of the Lake University For over centuries, the term family has been specifically used to mean a group of people that consist of two parents and their children. The word is originally from the Latin word Familia, which means household or family. Although this word is known all over the world, it can have a different context to each person. 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Environmental factorsRead MoreMiddle Adulthood Can Be Defined By Erikson s Stage Of Generativity Vs. Stagnation Essay1640 Words   |  7 PagesMiddle adulthood can be defined by Erikson’s stage of generativity vs. stagnation, being the time in which they would have had children, grandchildren and made the effort to aid them in becoming prosperous or have done nothing, leading to stagnation. Happy families involve interactions between the immediate family, grandparents and parent-sibling relationships, where conjugation and events are held, that foster the ability to share experiences and support one another. Parents that live vicariouslyRead MoreHome health care vs Nursing homes1074 Words   |  5 PagesNURSING HOME VS. HOME HEALTH CARE DOMONIQUE JACKSON COM/170 ELEMENTS OF UNIVERSITY OCTOBER 6, 2014 DEAN DOWLING Running head: NURSING HOME VS HOME HEALTH CARE 1 NURSING HOME VS HOME HEALTH CARE 3 Nursing Home vs. Home Health Care INTRODUCTION Either young or old, we love our family members dearly, and disabilities does not focus on a specific age group. We would love to feel assured that they are being taken care of the best way possible. As we all know, time does not allow us toRead MoreWhy Texas Race Racial Discrimination Is Because Of The Size Of Its Population Essay836 Words   |  4 Pagesmillion), of which 70 percent from Latin America and 20 percent from Asia. One of the partial reasons why Texas dominating racial discrimination is because of the size of its population. It also shows that Texas growing diverse population has constitute changes in the state economy and ongoing evolution of its political culture. 3.7.2 Texas Political Culture The Texas Political Culture are segmented into three (3) three political subcultures Individualistic Moralistic and Traditionalistic. IndividualisticRead MoreAging and Adulthood Paper1113 Words   |  5 Pagesindividual enters late adulthood, age 65 and older, they experience many physical, emotional and mental changes never previously encountered and which may require an adaptation of their earlier lifestyle. Some of these late adulthood changes are primary and secondary aging, issues regarding health and wellness, family and personal relationships, and the milestone of retirement. Understanding these changes can help late age adults better cope with the challenges and opportunities that arising during advancedRead MoreUninsured Rates of Hispanics Essay1696 Words   |  7 Pagescould be factored in for the lack of health insurance coverage in the U.S. The correlation among variables such as, â€Å"income-level,† â€Å"employment status,† â€Å"citizenship stat us,† â€Å"language spoken,† â€Å"educational level,† â€Å"region,† â€Å"marital status,† and â€Å"family size† explains variations in health insurance status among Hispanics. This research should also enlighten as to how the new Healthcare Reform Act will help aid in the large group of uninsured in the future once ObamaCare is passed in 2014. RQ1a:

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Case Free Essays

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy of December 3, 1984 is one of the most hazardous industrial accidents in history. The exposure of around 500,000 people to 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate gas was a nightmare come true for all resulting in deaths in numbers that could never have been imagined from industrial accidents. All this and the after-effects could have been prevented if proper precautionary measures had been taken beforehand. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now Despite of an accident on such a large scale, initially the company was in a denial mode about the whole matter and later compared the whole thing just to be a ‘tear gas like’ situation. Moreover they failed to provide any immediate antidote for the poisonous gases which had spread all over Bhopal affecting many more than initially imagined. The blame lies as to why no measures were taken regarding huge amounts of water entering tank 610? Why wasn’t there a person to look over the pressure and temperature statistics and control the pressure inside the container once the water had entered? The container should have been designed keeping in mind the sudden increase of pressure due to any such situation. Some margin must have been there to account for sudden such rises. But the industry never had such precautionary steps in mind which eventually led to this. Moreover, the industry should have practiced drills and should have been prepared for such an incident beforehand. They should’ve been aware of methods to control the spread of the toxic gas once it had leaked from the main container. Such a control measure would have restricted the spread. The tank’s alarm had not been working for the past 4 years. A timely check on all such measures would have been helpful for its prevention. The steam boiler used to clean the pipes that caused this leakage had been out of order since a long time. The responsible authorities should have been vigilant on such important issues. Timely cleaning of these pipes would have never caused such a major leakage. Water jets should have been set up in such an industry dealing with hazardous materials so that any toxic leakage’s concentration would have been reduced by spraying water at a high speed while it was still confined within the industry. Carbon steel valves were used in spite of the fact that they easily corrode when exposed to acids. If such a realization had been there amongst the authorities and the valves would have been replaced before, such a tragedy could’ve been prevented. The very fact that the industry was located very close to a densely populated area directs towards ill-planning. The prevention of danger to the civilians should have the utmost priority of the planning authorities. The approving of such a plan by the state is also to blame. Even when the authorities had realized the leakage, they should’ve started working on evacuation plans. This would have prevented the mass suffocation. The police authorities should have been informed at the earliest so that they could have carried on evacuation in the residential areas. But they were kept in the dark for a long time. Also the meteorological data was not monitored properly. Due to the absence of strong winds, the lakes in Bhopal influenced the local circulation significantly and caused northwesterly flow near the surface. The modified flow pattern resulted in the transport of the toxic gas directly into the city area of Bhopal. If proper planning from the meteorological point had been done and the location had been determined such that the flow of toxins was in a different direction, away from the residential areas, then its affect on such a massive scale could’ve been prevented. Tragedies of the scale like the Bhopal Gas Tragedy can only be prevented if the concerned authorities fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities. Being prepared with the preventive measures to all the imaginable problems beforehand is always helpful in controlling accidents to transform to disastrous levels like this one. Proper check of all the safety devices and monitoring all equipment on a regular basis is essential if such accidents have to be prevented in future. A lax by even a single official can prove to be fatal to many. The police and government officials in such areas must approve the plans only after thoroughly checking all equipments and plans and must remain vigilant at all times. Surprise checks must be conducted at these industries to monitor whether the working is being carried out according to the approved methods. It must be ensured that no scope is left for error of any kind which can lead to a disaster. How to cite The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Case, Essay examples

Mark McGwire (913 words) Essay Example For Students

Mark McGwire (913 words) Essay Mark McGwireHes 65, and roughly 250lbs, and for the most part he is about as average asyou or me. Almost except for one major thing, he is the record holder of themost prestigious record in all of pro sports. His name is Mark McGwire and therecord is his 70 homeruns, shattering the old record held by the Minnesotanative named Roger Maris. On the Major League Baseballs final day of the seasonMark McGwire hit two mammoth homeruns to give him 70 on the year, an astonishing1 home run in every 7.3 at bats. Mark started this quest for the record early inspring training, setting his mind on accomplishing this one goal to be the kingof all homerun hitters. On the first day of the season Mark hit his firsthomerun of the season. On a 1 ball no strike count in the bottom of the fifthinning with two outs and the basses loaded Mark hit a Grand slam off of The LADodgers pitcher Ramon Martinez. With that Grand Slam he became just thetwenty-first player in Major League history to hit a grand slam in the seasonopener. Now the quest was on, he was now 61 homeruns from beating the record. Overall Mark hit eleven homeruns in the seasons first twenty-seven games, Markreally turned it on in the month of May. In his next twenty-five games in themonth of May, Mark hit sixteen homeruns giving him twenty-seven homeruns so far. With his sixteen homeruns in May, McGwire tied Mickey Mantle for the mosthomeruns in May. Then, out of nowhere a familiar enemy of Marks shows its uglyhead, Mark misses three games with back spasms, injuries are something that hasplagued him most of his career. On June 5th Mark is now healthy and ready toplay, In the first inning Mark came to the plate with a runner at second and oneout. Mark lines the 1 ball 2-strike pitch into the Centerfield Bleachers atBusch stadium. On June 18th Mark sets a Major league Record with histhirty-three homeruns, giving him the most homeruns before July 1st in anyseason. Mark was now becoming the biggest draw all around the majors, teams whonormally couldnt give tickets away were now selling out there stadiums whenMark came to town. The Minnesota Twins couldnt get 50,000 total people to showup for three games, and now for the three games Mark was in tow they drew over150,000 people. Everyone was swarming to ballparks all around the league to geta chan ce to see Mark hit a homerun. Mark was on a tear but now he was not theonly chasing the record. Sammy Sosa for the Chicago Cubs was on a tear hittingtwenty homeruns in July to get him close to McGwire in the Homerun race. Now therace was on Sosa and McGwire were now playing a game of cat and mouse as Sosatried desperately to catch McGwire. On August 19th Sammy finally catches andpasses McGwire hitting his forty-eighth homer of the year. However Sammys leadwas short lived Mark not only tied Sammy in the eighth inning against the Cubsbut he takes the lead in the tenth inning of the same game. Mark was back incontrol of the homerun race. This would go on for the next month or so, Sosawould take the lead and McGwire would come back on the same day and reclaim thelead. On August 22nd Mark sets another record when he hits his 162nd homerun inthe last three seasons beating Babe Ruths record of 161. On September 5th Markfinally hits his 60th homerun of the year joining Maris and Ruth as the onlyplayers in League history to hit sixty or more homeruns. Now the Stage was setthe Cubs and Sammy Sosa came to town for a three game series with the Cardinalsin St. Louis. In the Stands there were some very important fans, Roger Marisfamily came to watch Mark beat their fathers record. On September 7th Markstepped up to the plate in the first inning, Mike Morgan of the Chicago Cubs wason the mound he had retired the first two Cardinal hitters and now he had topitch to McGwire. The first pitch Morgan throws to McGwire is in there for astrike; the next pitch was just outside for a ball. With the crowd on their feetcheering Morgan threw the 1-1 pitch, CRACK, Mark crushed the pitch into thecenterfield stands hitting the ball 430. Mark had now tied Roger Maris recordand he still had eighteen games to hit just one more homerun to set the record. .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .postImageUrl , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:hover , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:visited , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:active { border:0!important; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:active , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Bioethics EssayOn September eighth, in the forth inning facing Steve Trachsel of the Cubs; Markcame to the plate once more. Trachsel threw a pitch to McGwire; Mark hit a deepline drive into left field. The ball was hit deep but everyone including Markthought the ball wasnt going to leave the park, but then it was gone justclearing the wall. The fans went crazy yelling and cheering for Mark he had justbroke the most unbreakable record in all of baseball. After all was said anddone Mark hit 62 homeruns in 145 games, his homeruns traveled a total of 26394feet or 4.99 miles, for an average of 427.7 feet per homerun. Even though Markset the record with 70 homeruns Sammy also br oke Maris record with 65 homeruns. That was truly the best season in along time, Mark and Sammy put Major LeagueBaseball on their backs and resuscitated it. Making baseball the talk of thetown all over the country.

Yugoslavia Essays - Southeastern Europe, Ethnic Groups In Croatia

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia Recently, there has been much fighting in the former country of Yugoslavia, involving all ethnicities and religious groups and without making a difference between military or civilians. Diplomats have been hard at work to attempt to resolve the differences that led to conflict and bloodshed, but it has proven to be a very difficult thing to do with extremely limited success. To understand the situation, it has to be realized that a big part of the problem lies in the geography of the region and its demography. These factors have contributed to conflicts in the past and do so now. Yugoslavia covers mountainous territory. The backbone of the region is made up of the Balkans, a mountain range that runs north-south. Continental plate movement from the south has created an intricate landscape of plains, valleys and mountains. This led to intensive compartmentalization of the region. As a result, there were few low-level routes and those that existed became very important strategically. Most notable are the Varda-Morava corridor, which connected the Aegean Sea and the Danube, and the Iron Gates of the Danube, linking Central Europe and the Black Sea, that controlled much of the trade between the Mediterranean and Central Europe since ancient times. Most of the populations have lived separated from each other geographically and culturally, developing very strong national and tribal allegiances. This region is a frontier between Eastern and Western European civilizations and has also been influnced by Islam during the Turkish invasion. The roots of the conflict in the Balkans go back hundreds of years. Farther than recent events in the region indicate. Dating back to Roman times, this area was part of the Roman Empire. It was here that the divide between Eastern and Western Roman Empires was made when it split under the Roman emperor Diocletian in A.D. 293. Along with the split, the religions divided also into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. This line still divides Catholic Croatians and Hungarians and Orthodox Montengrins, Serbs, and Romanians. The Romans left behind them excellent roads, cities that are still important political or economic centers, like Belgrade, Cluj, or Ljubljana, and the Latin language, which is preserved in Romanian. The period of Turkish dominance during the middle ages left a much diffferent imprint on the region. An alien religion, Islam, was introduced, adding to already volatile mixture of geography, politics, religion, and nationalism. The administration of the Ottoman Empire was very different from that of the Romans. The Turks did not encourage economic development of areas like Albania, Montenegro and Romania that promised little in producing riches. They didn't invest in building roads or creating an infrastructure. Greeks controlled most of the commerce and Sephadic Jews, expelled from Spain, had influence as well. The diversity of Yugoslavia can best be captured in this capsule recitation: "One state, two alphabets, three religions, four official languages, five nations, six republics, seven hostile neighbors, and eight separate countries." This had more than a little truth. Yugoslavia employed Latin and Cyrillic alphabets; it was home to Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Muslims; it's Slavic groups spoke Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian and Macedonian; they identified themselves as Serbs, Montenegrins, Croats, Slovenes, and Macedonians; each had its own republic, with an additional Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina for a mixed population of Serbs, Croats, and Serbo-Croatian-speaking Muslims; Yugoslavia was bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Albania, all of whom harbored some grievances against it; and the "autonomous regions" of Hungarian Vojvodina and Albanian Kosovo within Serbia functioned until 1990 in an independent manner comparable to that of the six formal republics. This indeed was a diverse state. Yugoslavia had been "a geographic impossibility, tied together by railroads, highways, and a Serbian-dominated army." (Poulsen, 118-9) This country is a patchwork of complicated, interconnected ethnic and religious entities that intertwined so densely that it is probably impossible to separate them and make everybody happy. It was a witness to two bloody Balkan wars that took place in 1912 and that contributed to the outbreak of World War I. The conflict seems intrinsic to the region, with painful fragmentation after the fall of the Hapsburg empire and further discord during and after World War II. In fact, there was hardly any time when there was little or no conflict. The events that started the most recent escalation of conflict took place in 1991. The first republic to express anti-Serbian sentiments was Slovenia. They felt that although they and Croats had prospered the most in Communist Yugoslavia, they were lagging behind Austria, Italy, and even Hungary. They saw the transfer of their profits to the southern republics as

Free Essays on Hungary

Families The average family size in Hungary is four. Hungary, like other former Communist countries in the region, suffers from a shortage of housing. The typical family of four in a large city often lives in a cramped two-bedroom apartment. Families in Hungary tend to form deep bonds with each other. Children rarely break contact with parents. In the countryside families are larger than in the city. Children are dealt with strictly to prepare them for hard work and discipline later in life. In the home, the wife is expected to cook meals and clean the house, in addition to taking care of the children, even if she holds one or more jobs. Hungarian men do not have a tradition of helping with home responsibilities, and they are used to being waited on. Presently, old attitudes toward women are changing slowly, as the young think more about women’s rights. Art Played a major role in social movements. Pottery is an ancient craft industry. The earliest Hungarian pottery dates back to the 9th century. The art of making pottery still flourishes. The most familiar Hungarian pottery features traditional flower patterns that are also seen in embroidery on skirts and blouses. Hungarian craftspeople are famous for their delicate embroidery, beautiful pottery, and hand-carved wood products. The Matyo region east of Budapest is one of the famous textile and crafts center. Music There are two kinds of Hungarian music. One is folk music, which often contains Gypsy sounds. The other is classical music. It is more complex and formal than folk music, though it often includes folk melodies and rhythms. The folk songs of old were rarely written down rather it was played in villages and passed down from generation to generation. Hungarian folk songs use a five-note scale different than the European seven-note scale. The most famous instrument associated with Hungarian folk music is the zither. The zither is a many-stringed inst... Free Essays on Hungary Free Essays on Hungary Families The average family size in Hungary is four. Hungary, like other former Communist countries in the region, suffers from a shortage of housing. The typical family of four in a large city often lives in a cramped two-bedroom apartment. Families in Hungary tend to form deep bonds with each other. Children rarely break contact with parents. In the countryside families are larger than in the city. Children are dealt with strictly to prepare them for hard work and discipline later in life. In the home, the wife is expected to cook meals and clean the house, in addition to taking care of the children, even if she holds one or more jobs. Hungarian men do not have a tradition of helping with home responsibilities, and they are used to being waited on. Presently, old attitudes toward women are changing slowly, as the young think more about women’s rights. Art Played a major role in social movements. Pottery is an ancient craft industry. The earliest Hungarian pottery dates back to the 9th century. The art of making pottery still flourishes. The most familiar Hungarian pottery features traditional flower patterns that are also seen in embroidery on skirts and blouses. Hungarian craftspeople are famous for their delicate embroidery, beautiful pottery, and hand-carved wood products. The Matyo region east of Budapest is one of the famous textile and crafts center. Music There are two kinds of Hungarian music. One is folk music, which often contains Gypsy sounds. The other is classical music. It is more complex and formal than folk music, though it often includes folk melodies and rhythms. The folk songs of old were rarely written down rather it was played in villages and passed down from generation to generation. Hungarian folk songs use a five-note scale different than the European seven-note scale. The most famous instrument associated with Hungarian folk music is the zither. The zither is a many-stringed inst...

Chinese popular culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chinese popular culture - Essay Example Speaking about Chinese television, the 20th century is deservingly considered to be revolutionary in the field. In the 20th century you could hardly find a person who did not watch TV and now with the development of internet, television still does not loose its popularity. Then with the development of technology new opportunities appeared for people providing the chance to listen to the music and watch films every day, every moment, every second. Moreover, art became something very prestigious and musicians turned into the most influential people in the society. Braester points out â€Å"with the rise of â€Å"cultural economy† (wenhua jingji) in the mid-1990s, cultural capital and economic capital became exchangeable. Cultural references could be cashed in to enhance the monetary value of a commercial project, and the brokers of culture became powerful elite. Under these circumstances, ?lmmakers – like their counterparts in music distribution, art exhibition and liter ary promotion – could bene?t from their skills as producers of artifacts of wide appeal and their proximity to intellectual circles to become in?uential middlemen† (Braester, 2006, p. 551). The 20-21st centuries brought the new opportunities to make experiments. The popularity the television gained attracted young generations to the field of art. Now the number of musicians is growing every day as the youth is fond of music very much. With the elimination of many prejudices the Chinese society has been always full of, new opportunities to make different experiments appeared, thus new waves appeared and the development of the music accelerated. The development of technology does not bring benefits to all the fields of media. Some fields became less popular, because other fields appeared. One field that simply could not benefit from this development is the newspaper industry. It is no need to say that the development of technology made newspapers and journals useless. How ever, China can be called an exception. Chinese people still consider newspapers and journals to be the main sources of information. There are five types of popular newspapers that people like very much: evening newspapers, business issues, weekly informative newspapers and law newspapers. Speaking about the evolution of newspapers since 1978, it is essential to mention that the newspapers and journals changed much, became bright and informative. The number of newspapers and journals has also increased. In 1980 there were 80 newspapers in the country and now their number increased to 2,200. The whole number of journals and newspapers in China now grew to many millions due to new economic opportunities, which allow to open private publishing houses. Now Chinese people do not want the government to control media too strictly. The government is implementing the full control only over the news. Chinese population received more opportunities for self-expression. Globalization brought man y changes to all the areas of media. Kloet states: â€Å"over the past decades, disjunctive ?ows of capital, people, technologies, media and ideologies have been subject to profound changes that have deeply intensi?ed processes of globalization† (Kloet, 2005, p. 610). Television and newspapers are two fields, which shape the life of people in today’s Chinese society. Sometimes the influence of media is even considered to be harmful, for example, media is accused in

How Effective Is Drug Abuse Resistance Education Essay

How Effective Is Drug Abuse Resistance Education - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that the researchers found out that the effect of drug use behavior after the implementation of DARE core curriculum ranged .00 to .11 across the eight studies that were included in the study. The mean was .06. The authors also found out that DARE effect size was the one that produced substantially smaller means compared to other interventions emphasizing on social and general competencies. The practical significance of these findings is that they suggest that the effect of DARE’s core curriculum on the use of drugs relative to drug education is slight and insignificant except in the case of tobacco use. However, this does not mean that DARE’s core curriculum is not effective. Rather, it might be because it is used among elementary children who mostly do not use drugs.This study highlights that the authors considered all the relevant studies as they conducted a search of other studies on the use of DARE’s core curriculum an also conduc ted a primary research for the study. The consideration of these aspects helped the authors reach the conclusion presented in the study, which helps establish the credibility and validity of the study.  The authors have discussed the relevant limitations of the study. For instance, they acknowledge that there have been few studies on the use of DARE’s core curriculum.  The study fits with other research on the subject because it clearly refers to the acknowledging the fact that they are few, thereby contributing to the growth of research on the subject.

Can We Talk Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Can We Talk - Research Paper Example Failure to have self disclosure, the two parties will develop some internal anger and without proper channel to vent it out, for instance proper communication skills, it may worsen the problem. I remember back in the day, I and my wife never used to open up to each other and it really cost our relationship dearly. This failure to open up in many cases is necessitated by poor communication between spouses. Self-disclosure is very important and in fact directly related to contentment and satisfaction in relationships (Can We Talk? Role Of Communication In Marriage, 2011). Gender differences have to be put in consideration despite the fact that research has actually found very big difference between genders in as afar as communication is concerned .Similarities also exist. Personally I can relate to so many similarities for instance, both men and women like being talked to nicely without being shouted at. Despite the fact that social research is normally based on generalization and some people do not fit in some of those generalizations. Personally I do not fit in most of the generalizations may be because of my split

Rawls Justice As Fairness Philosophy Essay

Rawls Justice As Fairness Philosophy Essay In this essay I will offer up a critique of Rawls difference principle I will draw out the advantages and problems of Rawls theory in relation to each end of the political spectrum; In a comparison with socialist thought by way of Cohen, and liberal thought by way of Nozick. In relation to Nozick I will initially set out his entitlement theory showing his criticisms of Rawlsian theory; I will go on to side with Rawls and show that Nozicks contrived stance of redistribution as an infringement to liberty and taxation as forced labour is clearly objectionable. Cohen looks to highlight inconsistencies in the Rawlsian theory, questioning, If you are an egalitarian, who come you are so rich? Cohen highlights the moral arbitrariness of Rawls incentives argument based on a moral basis of community values, and shows that a Pareto-improving equality-preserving redistribution can exist; for the most part the two desiderata can co-exist. To show this I will firstly, give a brief overview of Rawl s Theory of Justice. Secondly, I will focus on the difference principle itself for deeper analysis. Thirdly, I will explore a right wing objection to Rawls; examining Robert Nozick and his work, Anarchy, State and Utopia. Fourthly, I will explore a left wing objection to Rawls; examining G. A. Cohen and his work, Rescuing Justice and Equality. Finally, I will concludeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Rawls Justice as Fairness Aristotle envisioned the ingredients of a theory of justice; he held that it is the job of a good political arrangement to provide each and every person with what they need to become capable of living rich and flourishing human lives.  [1]  In contrast Rawls takes justice to be the first virtue of social institutions.  [2]  Rawls set himself the task of establishing what moral principles should govern the basic structure of just society.  [3]  Taking influence from the Social Contract tradition  [4]  Rawls wants us to examine the question from a hypothetical standpoint; asserting that we can come to a rational decision on the principles of justice if we chose them from an original position, behind a veil of ignorance.  [5]  These are two central ideas at the heart of Rawls theory of justice, which he refers to as justice as fairness. Justice for Rawls is the hypothetical contract that would emerge from this thought experiment; in depriving people of particularizin g knowledge people will rationally chose fair principles rather than allowing that knowledge to bias the choice of principles in their own interest.  [6]  The intuitive idea is the link between fairness and ignorance. If I do not know which piece of cake I am going to get, I am more likely to cut fairly than if I do.  [7]  From the range of conceptions of justice available to them the rational choice of persons in the original position would be the two principles which comprise justice as fairness. The first principle requires equality in the assignment of basic liberties (rights and duties).  [8]  The second principle is concerned with social and economic inequalities, and itself has two parts: the principle of fair equality of opportunity, which has priority over, the difference principle; which holds that social and economic inequalities are just only if they maximise the benefit of the least advantaged members of society.  [9]   All social primary goods liberty and opportunity, income and wealth, and the bases of self-respect are to be distributed equally unless an unequal distribution of any or all of these goods is to the advantage of the least favoured.  [10]   Taken together these mean that a just society will, first and most important, give each of its members the same set of basic liberties or rights: freedom of expression, of religion, of association, of economic inequalities, it will make sure that all citizens enjoy equality of opportunity in the process by which they come to achieve (and avoid) the unequally rewarded positions. Finally, it will only allow such inequalities at all if they tend, over time to maximise the position of the worst-off members of society. The central idea behind Rawlss principles seems clear enough: the output or earnings of a practice is to be distributed equally, unless some pattern of unequal distribution can, in the manner sketched above, be made to work for everyones benefit, and provided that everyone has a shot at the better-paid roles. The Difference Principle Rawls acknowledges that inequality is a natural occurrence but like many natural things which civilized society overcomes for the greater-good it is also possible that society can narrow the gaps of inequality. Rawls states, The natural distribution is neither just nor unjust; nor is it just that persons are born into society at some particular positions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ these are simply natural facts. What is just and in just is the way that institutions deal with these facts.  [11]   He believed the best to contrive a just society is to raise the expectations of those worst-off off members. Rawls does not want a meritocracy and therefore does not believe in wages for ones deserts. Firstly, because there is no way in defining the requisite criteria of deservedness in the original position; secondly, it fails to distinguish between moral desert and legitimate expectation. He saw that success was mostly a result of economic and social serendipity; the work that someone put into their success was not the element that made people deserve high income as the opportunity to succeed is effectively impossible without society. Therefore, society deserves the reward for having enabled you to succeed at all. Additionally talents you are born with should not permit you to command an excessive reward for your lottery success (For instance great singers or sport stars). Even the willingness to make an effort, to try, and so to be deserving in the ordinary sense is itself dependent upon happy family and social circumstances.  [12]   Rawls therefore believed that people ought to be paid enough to give them an incentive to work and enough for them to also give back to society (for instance via tax) but preferably in more direct means as he did not believe in the trickle down system. With this approach he is not compensating those naturally less fortunate for their bad luck nor limiting the gifted from monopolising all their good luck, there can be a great income disparity between people but this must be reflected in the benefit of the worst off. He states, Injustice, then, is simply inequalities that are not to the benefit off all.  [13]  To conclude it seems evident that the second principle is simply about wealth and the redistribution of it so that it benefits society as a whole. Nozick Anarchy, State and Utopia Nozick rejects that inequalities must serve, over time, maximally to promote the well-beings of the least advantaged members of society. Conversely he defends the idea of the minimal state promoting a principle of self-ownership that leaves people free to do what they like with property that is theirs; a principle that could justify extreme inequality.  [14]  Nozick asserts that; the logic that leads you to restrict the economic liberties in the way that you do, should also lead you to restrict civil liberties in ways that you dont want to restrict them. Essentially egalitarian liberalism rendered internally consistent yields classical liberalism.  [15]  Hence, Nozick looks to apply the liberal principles that go against state enforcement (i.e. freedom of speech, free association, free immigration) to economic principles.  [16]  Nozick explains by way of analogy:  [17]  if I were to decide I did not want to conform to a societal system of taxation and redistributive j ustice and I were not to use any of the benefits that came from it, (i.e. social welfare, education, health care, etc.), could the state force myself to stay within its borders and force myself to conform to the societal system? He arbitrarily points out that this would be morally wrong, going against the principle of free immigration, infringing your liberty. However, what if I was again to opt out of the same system of taxation and remain in the county, by way of a contractual agreement with the government whereby I never have to pay tax but can never consume any tax provisions. Would this be just? Are we slaves to the state? In applying the same uncontroversial liberal principles to economics Nozick is highlighting the fact that taxation and redistribution of wealth infringes our liberty, restricting our free choice to conform or not to the wishes of the government. Any distribution of wealth can be just if it came about by peoples free choices. He criticises end-state and patterned theories such as Rawls theory of distributive justice, as focusing on the moment, looking at things are now not how things came about. In contrast to his own historical principles; what really matters is not who has what, but how they got it; to be just in economic terms is to have a clean history, on the basis of mutual agreement and voluntary consent. Nozick gives us the analogy of Wilt Chamberlin to extrapolate his claims:  [18]  he asks us to Specify an initial distribution which we feel is legitimate, and then argues that we intuitively prefer his principle of transfer to liberal principles of redistribution as an account of what people can legitimately do with their resources.  [19]   Wilt Chamberlin (a talented basketball player) arrives in town; he agrees to play a game of basketball, fans can watch for the charge of $1.25, with 25 cents going directly to Wilt. This agreement in entered into voluntarily by all willing participants. Suppose now half the population of the town were to agree to the proposed contract and were willing to pay money to see Wilt play, and half the population were not. Wilt Chamberlin stands to earn a substantial amount of money from the voluntary contractual agreement in return for his service (playing a game of basketball). This Nozick points out that this voluntary agreement disrupts the perfect pattern of redistribution. Wealth would no longer be distributed equally for example, and if justice is about achieving a certain pattern or end then the post Wilt distribution is un-just as it will no longer fit the pattern or end. However, that is counter intuitive if the post Wilt distribution is unjust how exactly did the injustice creep i n, so who exactly was treated unfairly in this case? If distribution justice is about achieving some ideal pattern or end, like equality or utility maximisation, where exactly does the injustice arise in the Wilt Chamberlin case? Nozick clearly thinks that no injustice has taken place in this case and his historical principle does a good job of explaining why. Every transfer of wealth in the example takes place on mutually acceptable terms so the fans agree to watch Wilt play for an extra quarter and Wilt agrees to play in exchange for the promised reward; the final distribution of wealth is perfectly just because it came about as a result of just processes. Liberty will upset any pattern or end-state achieved by the interventionist state. To then remedy/restore the pattern or outcome the state would have to continually interfere in our lives. In effect income tax to fund redistribution is forced labour; it gives the poor and needy partial ownership in wage earners.  [20]   Nozicks argument, then, is that to enforce a pattern of redistribution of wealth restricts liberty. A certain picture of what it would be like to enforce a pattern is implied: constant surveillance to make sure on one gets too much or too little, and constant intrusions either to prohibit or to rectify the effects of pattern-breaking transactions. Here Nozick is guilty of a gross exaggeration; he treats all patterned theories of distribution as rigid, when actually, as in the case of Rawls theory, in enforcing a weak pattern it does restrict peoples liberty to a certain extent, but it would be a gross exaggeration to suggest that this infringement was as serious as Nozick maintains.  [21]  In relation to a Rawlsian approach to distributive justice: inequalities are only permissible only in so far as they improve the position of the worst-off. Would the institutions of taxation and welfare benefits really constitute constant interference?  [22]  Nozicks objection can only be t o hold that they do infringe on our liberty, as much that would constitute a rejection of any meddling in ones own affairs. Rawls would hold that: in the trade-off of values, small losses of privacy and liberty are acceptable in exchange for a great deal of poverty alleviation. Thus, redistribution from the better-off to the worse-off, by means of taxation appears not to involve a serious assault on liberty.  [23]   To really know what infringes liberty we would need to go down the road of philosophical analysis to define and construe the intricate working of the notion. To highlight his cause Nozick tries to assert that income taxation is in effect forced labour; a notion which clearly involves an unacceptable violation of liberty. Taking the earnings of n hours labour is like taking n hours from the person.  [24]  To extrapolate on this claim Nozick suggests that the income taxation system unfairly discriminates against people with expensive tastes. As demonstrated by the following analogy: consider the enjoyments of two differing individuals; one enjoys the pleasure of an evening at the theatre, the other takes enjoyment from a country walk. The former will have to work, to earn money to pay for the pleasure, while the latter gains pleasure at no cost to themselves. These poor unfortunates have to pay for their tastes and pleasures, as well as being forced to contribute to the needy, wher eas those who get their pleasure for free are not so required.  [25]  Hence, Nozick suggests that we are discriminating against those with expensive tastes making then work even harder to lead a satisfied pleasurable life. This contrived stance by Nozick is clearly objectionable, forced labour rarely includes the option of deciding how much labour to do. Further, most people have a measure of choice as to the nature of the activity at which they work, and who in particular employs them. This hardly constitutes forced labour.  [26]   Nozick points to specific cases and instances, he is looking for the exception rather than focusing on the rule, he seems to be side-stepping the debate by focusing on the extremes trying to detract from Rawls theory, every theory will have flaws but that does not necessary mean it is not just or worthwhile. Nozicks radical views do encourage debate but do not stand up to Rawls stance; although it would be unfair if tastes were as fixed as eye or skin colour, in fact tastes and pleasures are developed against a range of costs and expectations, so those with expensive tastes are likely to have formed and maintained those tastes knowing them to be expensive.  [27]   Socialist critique Cohen Cohen in Rescuing Justice and Equality literally looks to rescue equality from Rawls incentives argument, that in respect to the difference principle; to ensure high level of productivity is maintained by the better-off members of society, in order to benefit the worse-off, inequalities in wealth are justified as incentives. Cohen is critical of Rawls argument, albeit conceding that incentives may abate suffering; in no way can they formulate justice. This is because such a formulation, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ presupposes a model of society as a non-community, in which relations among human beings are construed as strategic, with people taking one another into account as so many opportunities for, and obstacles to, gain, rather than as fellow citizens by whom they can be asked to justify the way they live.  [28]   Rawls is guilty of a fundamental inconsistency in his conception: Cohen asserts that incentives are only necessary because of the attitudes and choices made by the better-off, more talented citizens. These attitudes and choices are inconsistent, if like Rawls, we assume that the talented support the difference principle and actually want to maximize the position of the worst-off in society. Cohen questions: if youre an egalitarian, how come youre so rich?  [29]   [C]ommunity, or as Rawls denominates it, fraternity, is an important value for Rawls, and one that he claims to be not only consistent with but illustrated by the incentive rationale that I criticizeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[T]he manner in which Rawls applies the difference principle, in his endorsement of incentives inequality, represents abandonment of that very principle.  [30]   Cohen claims that no reasonable account of distributive justice can go through on the assumption that justice pertains only to political structures narrowly conceived because it necessarily involves the conduct of persons in relation to one another in the family and in the full ethical dimensions of life.  [31]   These issues worry Cohen as well as other critics of A Theory of Justice too. There appears to be a conflict between Rawls reasons for saying that justice demands an initial equality of primary goods for all and his argument justifying a move away from equality to a situation where primary goods are unequally distributed.  [32]  Rawls maintains that there is an obvious starting-point when considering a just distribution of primary goods. This starting-point is equality of all such goods. The natural distribution of talents is morally arbitrary, so there is no reason why the talented should be rewarded more than the untalented in the initial situation. However, Rawls also maintains that it is irrational to stick with an equal division of primary goods if it is possible to better the circumstances of everyone, even the untalented, by permitting the talented to enjoy greater rewards than the rest: Imagine, then, a hypothetical initial argument in which all the social primary goods are equally distributed: everyone has similar rights and duties, and income and wealth are evenly shared. This state of affairs provides a benchmark for judging improvements. If certain inequalities of wealth and organizational powers would make everyone better off than in this hypothetical situation, then they accord with the general conception [of justice].  [33]   Here, in a nutshell, is what Cohen calls the Pareto argument for inequality. Starting from equality, a movement to a position of inequality is justifiable so long as everyone benefits from it. Rawls does not see a movement away from equality as entirely compatible with distributional justice. A movement away from equality may be justified if everybody gains from it.  [34]  The value judgement which is relevant to this argument is the weak Pareto principle; if a change is beneficial for everyone then it is a change for the better. This can be viewed in contrast to the strong Pareto principle; if a change is beneficial for at least one person and worse for nobody then it is a change for the better. The Pareto argument, as interpreted by Cohen, assumes that Rawls is appealing to the weak Pareto principle; to justify a movement away from the benchmark of equality.  [35]  Cohen focuses on the initial situation of equality of primary goods as an initial situation. He adds the presumption that there are only two relevant groups, the talented and the un-talented, each group apply the same degree of effort and application. Consequently the talented, by virtue of their talent, produce more than the un-talented, for no extra reward. Some people would regard this as unfair, but in the argument for baseline equality Rawls has treated peoples initial endowments of talent as morally arbitrary and therefore as not meriting extra reward.  [36]   Then, in this original situation both groups receive, and deserve the same wage. However, if a Pareto change is possible, that in moving to a new situation, output would be increased to the benefit of all. If the talented were to apply themselves to a greater extent, increasing output for the reward of a higher wage. The effort and the output of the untalented remains the same but their wage rate also increases but remains less than that of the talented. Thus, everyone benefits from the new situation. The change, Cohen argues, is one which must be endorsed by the Pareto argument.  [37]  The inequality in the second situation is justified by the fact that all benefit in contrast with their original position. Hence, so by the weak Pareto principle it would be irrational for anyone to resist the change. However, Cohen hypothesis a third even more improved situation which would triumph over the unequal situation that arose by way of the first Pareto change. This new situation involves the same characteristics as the second, bar the wage rate would be the same for both the talented and un-talented groups; the talented still working to their maximum capabilities, but now they do not receive extra benefit (incentive) while the un-talented receive even more than in the second situation. Cohen argues that the talented could have no reasonable objection for working to their potential for no extra reward then there would be no need to introduce any inequalities in primary goods.  [38]   Rawls claim about the irrationality of insisting on equality in the face of a Pareto- superior inequality would lose its force, since a Pareto-improving equality-preserving move, in which no one is as badly off as some are in the second situation, would now also be available.  [39]   The obvious objection to this is that it would be unfair to the talented. However, Cohen insists that this argument is inconsistent to Rawls theory as a whole. If in the original situation it was right to discount talent as being morally arbitrary, then this should be applied to the present situation and throughout his whole theory. If in the first situation the talented would have been accused of exploiting morally arbitrary advantages if they had objected to the equality of the situation. Even in the second situation, it is hard to see why an egalitarian should be expected to regard what they then do as acceptable, even if nothing can be done about it.  [40]   In short, Cohen wishes to assess Rawls move from a situation of equality to one of inequality and incentives by reference to a feasible Pareto improvement, a new improved situation, which would preserve equality. If this new situation is not feasible for objective reasons, reasons independent of the attitudes of the talented, then Cohen will regard the second situation as acceptable. However, he thinks that such cases are unlikely. Hence Rawls does not have to choose between inequality and taking advantage of Pareto changes. For the most part the two desiderata can co-exist.  [41]   Conclusion John Rawls Theory of Justice is widely held to be a primary liberal egalitarian solution to a problem that has been debated over by philosophers and politicians since the time of the ancient Greeks. The problem: of how to organise a just and fair society that allows it citizens to live full and flourishing lives. Rawls offers us a theory that provides us with functioning equality in exchange for minimal inequalities in the form of incentives. This focus on wealth is the downfall of the Rawlsian theory; do we really need incentive to value equality and understand the needs of our fellow humans? Cohens emphasis on community and understanding allows for a more equal morally responsible society, one in which allows each and every citizen to work and live according to their own capabilities, and one due to the emphasis on community allowing equality of opportunity to all. These conditions allow and would satisfy Aristotles criteria of becoming capable of living rich and flourishing human lives.

Natural Language Processing in Theoretical Application :: essays research papers

Natural Language Processing in Theoretical Application Abstract:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this paper, I will be discussing the creation and implementation of a device that will utilize the concepts of natural language processing and apply it to everyday activities. The device will be a carry-along unit that can be adapted to several devices a person would use everyday, like the car, items in the kitchen, and your computer. This device will be portable, compact, durable and adaptable. The device will not just adapt to any device however, the capability to interface with the device will have to be built into the objects that the device will interact with. I will discuss about this in length during the paper, as this will present the largest difficulty in making the device an actuality and usable. Another aspect I will also talk about is training. No natural language processing system is perfect, actually none are. The user must be trained with the system and adapted to the system to really make it work. This will require technicians to not only train the user to use the device and adapt it to the user’s products but also to provide constant technical support. In this design a preset lexicon must be set to make this design plausible. I will relate how big this lexicon can be and how flexible future designs of this lexicon will appear. I will also provide logical breakdowns of commands being used, with copious amounts of examples for several environments. I will also discuss where troubles could arise in the actual implementation of the product and what semantic flaws could occur with frequency. Finally, I will discuss the feasibility of this design and whether the market and the technology are ready for this kind of attempt at natural language processing software integration. Introduction â€Å"The Jacques Boxâ„ ¢ will knock your socks off! This revolutionary product will change the way humans use their everyday products forever. Want to change the radio station in your car without taking your eyes off the road? Wrist deep in cake batter and you need to preheat the oven? Tired of using the excuse that you’ve â€Å"only got two hands†? Well not anymore, with The Jacques Boxâ„ ¢, you can now activate anything from your car, your computer or even your whole kitchen with just the sound of your voice.† Sounds good coming across the radio, or being offered for three easy payments of 149.99, but the reality of this is much further then the present.

Affirmative Action

Affirmative action is a platform that was established by the government as a set of laws and policies for preventing discrimination against individuals. It was for the purpose of offering equal opportunities for employment, education, and business. Several of our formal Presidents has signed executive orders that was meant for all hiring to be equal regardless of race, color, or national origin with all government contractors and the other specifically for associations which received federal contracts and subcontracts eliminating discrimination within the workforce towards individuals centered on their race, color, religion, and national origin. Later the affirmative action was modified to include no discriminating against one's sex. Affirmative action also established preferential handling for minorities and women in the hiring process and the chance to receive a higher education. Affirmative action holds private employers accountable as well.During the Civil Rights movement, affirmation action was a tool that proposed opportunities for women and minorities and to provide equality for them. There are noted changes in how colleges recruit and enroll students, housing and also how using public transportation where now blacks can sit anywhere since Rosa Parks. Since affirmative action was primarily intended on improving chances for African Americans in employment and education, but there is still a low percentage of improvement that is why an executive order was signed and it required all government and private industry jobs to increase the number of women, disable individuals and minorities to either receive employment or to have the ability to gain an education or have additional training for work enhancement. There are numerous organization that uses affirmative action and equal employment opportunity policies within their business structure there is still a controversy today surrounding these issues. Are the equal employment opportunity and affirmative action policies have the same meaning? Let's talk about equal employment opportunity first, the definition is that it bans all types of discrimination. This means that no matter the race, or gender everyone has the same chance of obtaining and getting promotions as well as training within the workforce. Whereas, affirmative action focus on past discrimination acts which were meant to give women, disabled individuals, and the minorities an equal footing in gaining employment and a higher education.It was to create equality between the workers and employers however it has caused extra adversity in the workforce. Because many believed that jobs held by whites were being jeopardized. Has affirmative action been consistently and effectively used to create a more robust and productive workforce? I would say yes; affirmative action has made it possible for many to see and earn their desired goals such as their life dreams. I feel that there are still many obstacles but if one applies themselves there are no limitations. Barak Obama was our nation's first black President and there are many who hold prominent leadership roles that also includes women. Recently in the news, it was announced that the FBI, for the first time in history that there may be a woman heading this department.Though affirmative action has come along way there are those who still discriminate and don't offer equal chances for others to succeed. Affirmative action has allowed the workforce to become more diverse in races, genders, and cultures. We must remember that the affirmative action is not about letting minorities to get into college or to get a job, but it's about giving qualified individuals no matter their race a chance that they may not get otherwise.In conclusion has affirmative action been consistently and effectively used to create a more robust and productive workforce? I would say yes it has worked extremely well. I hope to see it continue because there are many more who could benefit from this program. Affirmative Action â€Å"An action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education† – affirmative action, also commonly referred to as the paradox positive discrimination. 1 Affirmative action was designed as a temporary measure to insure a â€Å"leveled playing field† for all Americans specifically minorities and women. The affirmative action measure was created to be a catalyst in ending racial and gender discrimination in the workplace and was to be retracted once the presumable â€Å"playing field† was leveled. However, through various flaws and shortcomings in the policy, it grew into a form of reverse discrimination where individuals that were well qualified for positions were turned down in lieu of minorities. When it was created, the affirmative action policy was a necessary step in insuring equality for all, but twenty-first century America has many restrictions and guidelines to prevent employers from discriminating against someone based on their race, gender, religion and national origin, proving affirmative action to be irrelevant. The essayist chose this topic because of her interest in the diversity of America’s current workforce. After various courses in economics as well as a course on public policy she became interested in programs designed to enhance social welfare in the United States of America. Also with growing concerns of immigration and the dwindling of whites as a majority in the United States, the topic of changes in the American workforce are sure to arise. The idea of affirmative action has drawn many supporting and opposing views since President John F. Kennedy first introduced it 1961 with the Executive Order number 10925. The order commanded all federal contractors (the public sector) to take â€Å"affirmative action to ensure that applicants are treated equally without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin. 2 As years went on, the progressive Civil Rights’ movement evolved the idea of affirmative action and called for it to encompass all public and private sectors in the United States. Affirmative action had many supporters including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that was created to insure equal opportunity in the workplace for all Americans. The idea of positive discrimination was rejected in the 1978 landmark court case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, where the United States Supreme Court ruled that race could not be used as an admission standard to a university and â€Å"disadvantaged minority students† were not permitted to have admission spots reserved for them. Supporters of affirmative action believe that aiding those who have been historically disadvantage will insure the end of the cycle of poverty and call for a justified wealth distribution throughout the United States. It is statically proven that on average, minorities are less wealthy than whites. 4 Statistics also prove that individuals in low-income households are less likely to receive a college education therefore making them unqualified for most jobs in America’s current workforce. This cycle continues as these unqualified workers who were not able to get high paying jobs have children who are subsequently born into low-income households. In order for this cycle to discontinue, a policy should be put in place that will provide them an advantage over the wealthy white job seekers; the affirmative action policy provides this advantage. Sacrificing the well being of white males for a short period of time in order to catapult minorities and women into becoming qualified employees is a belief that many supporters of affirmative action hope for. Although the affirmative action policy was meant to be a temporary aid, a decade after it was created it morphed into a hypocritical attempt to fix a solution. College students from St. Norbert College, believe that â€Å"[it‘s] really justifying racism by it's own actions. Its policies totally judge people solely on skin color and gender. That is discrimination in itself. †6 Those in opposition of affirmative action believe that it is not fair to discriminate against someone that has worked hard to become qualified for a job position. They believe that other programs such as scholarships and extra tutoring programs for the underprivileged are better solutions to solving inequality in the workplace. Once minorities become equally educated and acquire skills for jobs in today’s workforce, they will inherently level the playing field on their own. The issue of affirmative action has acquired many praises and oppositions. From when it was enacted over fifty years ago, it has transformed into a controversial subject. Although this topic was more relevant during the period of the Civil Right’s Movement, it has recently gained momentum with the growing minority population. Affirmative Action Affirmative action is a practice that is intended to promote opportunities for the â€Å"protected class† which includes minorities, woman, and people with disabilities or any disadvantaged group for that matter. With affirmative action in place people of this protected class are given an even playing field in terms of hiring, promotion, as well as compensation. Historically, affirmative action is only known to have protected African Americans and woman; however that is not the case. Affirmative action protects a variety of people and without this statute many people included in this protected class would be unfairly discriminated against.There are many reasons why affirmative action should continue to be a part of workplace such as: †¢Fosters diversity. †¢Educates our workforce on diversity. †¢Equips employees to achieve their highest contribution to the mission. †¢Challenges employees to make their maximum contribution to the mission. †¢Encourages em ployees to offer differing views and suggestions toward achieving organizational goals. †¢Respects and appreciates individual differences. †¢Provides equitable treatment and opportunities. †¢Creates and maintains an inclusive approach to all systems, policies, and practices (i. . , promotions, performance ratings, awards, training, assignments, and access to services). †¢Facilitates culture change to support wider diversity. People who are opposed to affirmative action often argue that it gives an unfair advantage to any member of this protected class; however that is far from the case. Affirmative action programs do not give racial preferences nor create quotas. In fact affirmative action programs are flexible therefore creating a legitimate selection process in the hiring aspect of the workplace.Although not in the workplace, an example of a flexible affirmative action program was seen at Ohio State University where they adopted the 10 percent rule. This rule a dmits students who are in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. Doing so allows colleges to take minorities who excel in marginal urban schools. This is a very legal way in ensuring minorities an even playing field (Campus that Looks like America). Because of the effectiveness of affirmative action other statues have been put into place to ensure that other members of this protected class are not getting discriminated against such as the Rehabilitation Act.The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which makes it unlawful for certain employers to discriminate against a qualified individual exclusively by reason of her or his disability. The Rehabilitation Act does not specifically address medical inquiries, although it provides that the judicial standards used to determine whether an employer has unlawfully discriminated shall be the standards applied under the ADA. This is merely one of many statutes that were created as a part of affirmative action to promote equal employment.Cl early, with all of the mandates that were branched off of affirmative action the need for this program in the workplace is vital. Affirmative action promotes diversity which is known to be a vital part of any company’s success. Many companies even the U. S Government pride their selves on diversity and use various affirmative action programs to achieve such a company culture. For example the U. S. Census Bureau recently conducted a case study regarding the issue of diversity. The Census Bureau defines adversity as the all of the ways in which we differ.Among these dimensions are race, gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and child/elder care responsibilities. The United States Government in acted a program within the Census Bureau in 1994 under the leadership of President Clinton, in hopes that he could build â€Å"a government that looks like America. † Further, he stated that: â€Å"Diversity transcends race and gender, affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity. It must encompass a fundamental appreciation of one another and a respect for both our similarities and our differences.It must include a heartfelt respect in attitude and in behavior towards those of different race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity and those with disabilities — all the facets that make each individual the unique and precious resource that each of us is. † In conclusion affirmative action is a vital part of society because it gives everyone a fair opportunity succeed regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or background. It also provides diversity in the workplace which will accurately reflects the community. . â€Å" Works Cited Merritt, J. (2002, March 10). Wanted: A Campus That Looks Like America – Businessweek.Businessweek – Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www. businessweek. com/stories/2002-03-10/wanted-a-campus-that-looks-like-america Jacobs, Ro ger. â€Å"Disability Discrimination, Reasonable Accommodation, and the Modified Commute. † 36. 4 (2011): 59-68. Print. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): Policy Statements. (n. d. ). Census Bureau Homepage. Retrieved September 10, 2012, from http://www. census. gov/eeo/policy_statements/ Why Affirmative Action is Necessary in the Workplace Lawrence Smith James Lee Andrea Willis Affirmative Action â€Å"An action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education† – affirmative action, also commonly referred to as the paradox positive discrimination. 1 Affirmative action was designed as a temporary measure to insure a â€Å"leveled playing field† for all Americans specifically minorities and women. The affirmative action measure was created to be a catalyst in ending racial and gender discrimination in the workplace and was to be retracted once the presumable â€Å"playing field† was leveled. However, through various flaws and shortcomings in the policy, it grew into a form of reverse discrimination where individuals that were well qualified for positions were turned down in lieu of minorities. When it was created, the affirmative action policy was a necessary step in insuring equality for all, but twenty-first century America has many restrictions and guidelines to prevent employers from discriminating against someone based on their race, gender, religion and national origin, proving affirmative action to be irrelevant. The essayist chose this topic because of her interest in the diversity of America’s current workforce. After various courses in economics as well as a course on public policy she became interested in programs designed to enhance social welfare in the United States of America. Also with growing concerns of immigration and the dwindling of whites as a majority in the United States, the topic of changes in the American workforce are sure to arise. The idea of affirmative action has drawn many supporting and opposing views since President John F. Kennedy first introduced it 1961 with the Executive Order number 10925. The order commanded all federal contractors (the public sector) to take â€Å"affirmative action to ensure that applicants are treated equally without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin. 2 As years went on, the progressive Civil Rights’ movement evolved the idea of affirmative action and called for it to encompass all public and private sectors in the United States. Affirmative action had many supporters including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that was created to insure equal opportunity in the workplace for all Americans. The idea of positive discrimination was rejected in the 1978 landmark court case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, where the United States Supreme Court ruled that race could not be used as an admission standard to a university and â€Å"disadvantaged minority students† were not permitted to have admission spots reserved for them. Supporters of affirmative action believe that aiding those who have been historically disadvantage will insure the end of the cycle of poverty and call for a justified wealth distribution throughout the United States. It is statically proven that on average, minorities are less wealthy than whites. 4 Statistics also prove that individuals in low-income households are less likely to receive a college education therefore making them unqualified for most jobs in America’s current workforce. This cycle continues as these unqualified workers who were not able to get high paying jobs have children who are subsequently born into low-income households. In order for this cycle to discontinue, a policy should be put in place that will provide them an advantage over the wealthy white job seekers; the affirmative action policy provides this advantage. Sacrificing the well being of white males for a short period of time in order to catapult minorities and women into becoming qualified employees is a belief that many supporters of affirmative action hope for. Although the affirmative action policy was meant to be a temporary aid, a decade after it was created it morphed into a hypocritical attempt to fix a solution. College students from St. Norbert College, believe that â€Å"[it‘s] really justifying racism by it's own actions. Its policies totally judge people solely on skin color and gender. That is discrimination in itself. †6 Those in opposition of affirmative action believe that it is not fair to discriminate against someone that has worked hard to become qualified for a job position. They believe that other programs such as scholarships and extra tutoring programs for the underprivileged are better solutions to solving inequality in the workplace. Once minorities become equally educated and acquire skills for jobs in today’s workforce, they will inherently level the playing field on their own. The issue of affirmative action has acquired many praises and oppositions. From when it was enacted over fifty years ago, it has transformed into a controversial subject. Although this topic was more relevant during the period of the Civil Right’s Movement, it has recently gained momentum with the growing minority population. Affirmative Action Affirmative action is a practice that is intended to promote opportunities for the â€Å"protected class† which includes minorities, woman, and people with disabilities or any disadvantaged group for that matter. With affirmative action in place people of this protected class are given an even playing field in terms of hiring, promotion, as well as compensation. Historically, affirmative action is only known to have protected African Americans and woman; however that is not the case. Affirmative action protects a variety of people and without this statute many people included in this protected class would be unfairly discriminated against.There are many reasons why affirmative action should continue to be a part of workplace such as: †¢Fosters diversity. †¢Educates our workforce on diversity. †¢Equips employees to achieve their highest contribution to the mission. †¢Challenges employees to make their maximum contribution to the mission. †¢Encourages em ployees to offer differing views and suggestions toward achieving organizational goals. †¢Respects and appreciates individual differences. †¢Provides equitable treatment and opportunities. †¢Creates and maintains an inclusive approach to all systems, policies, and practices (i. . , promotions, performance ratings, awards, training, assignments, and access to services). †¢Facilitates culture change to support wider diversity. People who are opposed to affirmative action often argue that it gives an unfair advantage to any member of this protected class; however that is far from the case. Affirmative action programs do not give racial preferences nor create quotas. In fact affirmative action programs are flexible therefore creating a legitimate selection process in the hiring aspect of the workplace.Although not in the workplace, an example of a flexible affirmative action program was seen at Ohio State University where they adopted the 10 percent rule. This rule a dmits students who are in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. Doing so allows colleges to take minorities who excel in marginal urban schools. This is a very legal way in ensuring minorities an even playing field (Campus that Looks like America). Because of the effectiveness of affirmative action other statues have been put into place to ensure that other members of this protected class are not getting discriminated against such as the Rehabilitation Act.The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which makes it unlawful for certain employers to discriminate against a qualified individual exclusively by reason of her or his disability. The Rehabilitation Act does not specifically address medical inquiries, although it provides that the judicial standards used to determine whether an employer has unlawfully discriminated shall be the standards applied under the ADA. This is merely one of many statutes that were created as a part of affirmative action to promote equal employment.Cl early, with all of the mandates that were branched off of affirmative action the need for this program in the workplace is vital. Affirmative action promotes diversity which is known to be a vital part of any company’s success. Many companies even the U. S Government pride their selves on diversity and use various affirmative action programs to achieve such a company culture. For example the U. S. Census Bureau recently conducted a case study regarding the issue of diversity. The Census Bureau defines adversity as the all of the ways in which we differ.Among these dimensions are race, gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and child/elder care responsibilities. The United States Government in acted a program within the Census Bureau in 1994 under the leadership of President Clinton, in hopes that he could build â€Å"a government that looks like America. † Further, he stated that: â€Å"Diversity transcends race and gender, affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity. It must encompass a fundamental appreciation of one another and a respect for both our similarities and our differences.It must include a heartfelt respect in attitude and in behavior towards those of different race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity and those with disabilities — all the facets that make each individual the unique and precious resource that each of us is. † In conclusion affirmative action is a vital part of society because it gives everyone a fair opportunity succeed regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or background. It also provides diversity in the workplace which will accurately reflects the community. . â€Å" Works Cited Merritt, J. (2002, March 10). Wanted: A Campus That Looks Like America – Businessweek.Businessweek – Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www. businessweek. com/stories/2002-03-10/wanted-a-campus-that-looks-like-america Jacobs, Ro ger. â€Å"Disability Discrimination, Reasonable Accommodation, and the Modified Commute. † 36. 4 (2011): 59-68. Print. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): Policy Statements. (n. d. ). Census Bureau Homepage. Retrieved September 10, 2012, from http://www. census. gov/eeo/policy_statements/ Why Affirmative Action is Necessary in the Workplace Lawrence Smith James Lee Andrea Willis

Readers Response to Writing Badly Essay

In his essay, â€Å"The Importance of Writing Badly,† Bruce Ballenger encourages students to write freely and to not worry about finding the â€Å"perfect way of saying it.† I feel by saying this he means to not worry about what you’re writing and it may not necessarily be perfect, but that you write what you are thinking and continue writing even if it’s bad or may not make sense. He means to put all your thoughts down on paper and start from there. Ballenger gives his students permission to write badly. He expresses that â€Å"when the writing stops, so does the thinking.† He also states that he is far more interested in encouraging thinking than error-free sentences and concise, clear writing. Do I agree with Bruce Ballenger? I feel that I absolutely agree with him. If you would have asked me in High School if I agreed, I would have said no. My English teacher in High School was much like the teacher Ballenger describes in this essay as Mrs. Oâ⠂¬â„¢Neill. Every paper we had to write had nothing but red pen marks correcting bad sentences. Or as Ballenger put it â€Å"some high priest of good grammar whose angry scribbling occupied the margins of our papers.† She was much more critical of our grammar and punctuation then what we were writing. This was very discouraging to me and a lot of my fellow classmates. I then became more critical of myself as a writer and how I was writing and not what I was writing. I was paying more attention to other details instead of what I was thinking about writing, which ended up making it very stressful to write. So by the end of my English class, I was fairly decent with grammar. In fact friends and family of mine occasionally have asked me to proof read papers of theirs, and I find myself doing nothing but fixing grammar issues instead of actually reading the paper for the story it is. I agree with Ballenger when he says that clear writing matters and should be demanded, but that it should not be the first thing important when you start writing a paper. You can always go back a nd fix grammar and punctuation issues, but you sometimes may not get your thoughts or ideas back that you were thinking of to be able to express what you wanted to write after lifting the pen from the paper. Before reading the text, just looking at the title I thought this was just going to be about writing bad and not worrying about what you are writing. And really it is, but the text was more than that and made me realize that writing isn’t about how you write; it is more about what you write about. It’s about getting to what you are writing about and the process it takes to get there. More than just writing words down and making sure you use the words correctly. It’s about expressing what you are really thinking about and writing down your thoughts to begin with. I will take Ballenger’s advice because I feel I will have more to say after free writing and brainstorming my topics and by doing that I will have more effective essays. Ballenger ends this es say with â€Å"And what matters in this journey-at least initially-is not what kind of car you’re driving, but where you end up.† I think what Ballenger means by this is that it doesn’t matter how perfect you write. What matters is that you get the ideas you have and the point you are trying to make across in your writing. And in the end having your thoughts down, you will write the paper you are trying to write even if that means that the writing you initially write is not perfect.

Class Conflict in Kenya Essays

Class Conflict in Kenya Essays Class Conflict in Kenya Essay Class Conflict in Kenya Essay Conflict can be described as a natural disagreement between two interdependent parties as a result of differences in attitudes, values, beliefs and needs. When the parties perceive incompatible goals with each other or detect interference from the other in achieving their goals conflict will arise. Scarce resources in any society are also a trigger for conflict between individuals and groups. There are multiple definitions of conflict available but commonalities exist among all of them. In order for there to be conflict all parties involved must notice the struggle. Other commonalities include scarcity of resources, opposition and interference in achieving goals. Different schools of thought view conflict differently and there has been conflict regarding the role of conflict in society. The Traditional view, which reigned in the sasss and sasss held the idea that conflict was a negative feature Of society and was evidence Of dysfunction brought about by inadequate communication, and a lack of trust and openness between different groups in society. Therefore, in accordance to this view, conflict should be avoided at all costs. This view did not prevail for very long due to its rigidity. The Human Relations view replaced the Traditional view and prevailed from the late 1 asss through to the 1 asss. This new view believed that conflict was inevitable and thus should be acceptable. Conflict was seen as a natural occurrence during interaction between groups and organizations. Eventually this view was stamped out giving way to the current perspective, The Interactions View. This view differs from its predecessors in that it actively encourages conflict believing that any congruent, diplomatic, serene and cooperative group can become stationary and uninterested to needs for theorization and change. Therefore, this view encourages conflict, though of a minimal level, as it helps keep the group active, self-critical and imaginative. Conflict as described by the Human Relations view is inevitable and a part of every society. This aspect is especially true in third-world societies where conflict is rampant due to excessive competition for the scarce resources available such as money, employment opportunities, land, power and prestige. Third-world countries are characterized by high levels of unemployment and illiteracy leading to a wide gap between different social lasses in the society. This leads to class conflict as different groups try to either maintain or improve their social standing at whatever cost. This conflict is evident here in Kenya, especially in the capital city of Nairobi where every social class is represented. Class conflict, also known as class struggle or class warfare is the friction or rivalry between different classes in society as result of opposing socioeconomic desires and interests. Class conflict may take a variety of forms including direct and indirect violence, legal and illegal lobbying and even bribing of government officials. Classes in society are a result of social stratification: a method by which society positions groups of people within a hierarchy. Social stratification is an attribute of society and does not reflect on individual differences such as gender, race and religion. Because of this social stratification perseveres through generations, making social mobility difficult. Though social stratification is a universal feature, it varies between different societies, with certain societies showing more inequality than other ones. The class system is based on birth status as well as personal achievement. Social transformation in Kenya is a source of great conflict. The countrys class system is inundated by grave inequalities in every sector from health to security, politics to economics. This predisposes the society to conflict, both passive and active, as people fight the violation of their bottom line rules and norms. Class conflict in Kenya is expressed in a variety of ways. Strikes by civil servants due to unpaid salaries and poor working conditions have become prevalent in Kenya, with the government maintaining a shortage of funds, yet Members of Parliament continue to grant themselves hefty pay rises and allowances. Government schools and hospitals are characteristically dilapidated and congested and this is all the majority of the population has access to. Private institutions, which are highly modernized and pristine are costly and out of reach for the greater part of the population. This makes basic human needs such as proper healthcare a preserve of only the well off. The growing injustices meted out on the lower class by powerful groups and individuals in society is a major contributor to class conflict and violence. The prices of basic commodities are often inflated in order to fund personal endeavors of the rich and powerful at the cost of the ordinary citizen. Politicians continue to use false promises to gain votes during campaigns only to disregard all their duties and previous promises choosing instead to enrich themselves at the cost of the ordinary citizen. The gap between the rich and poor continues to widen as the poor get poorer and the rich get more powerful. The number of people who lack basic needs such as shelter, food and water continues to grow, while others have these basic needs in abundance but constantly complain of lack of necessities such as extra bodyguards. Corruption and inequalities have eroded the police and court systems with justice being handed to the highest bidder. It is common for petty thieves to receive heavy sentences for their crimes while those who commit large injustices walk away with nothing more than an insignificant punishment. Government offices are marred by corruption where bribing is the order of the day. The police system is no better and traffic police officers constantly barrage motorists for bribes. For those who are well off this might not seem to be such a bad way of life, as money can get you anything you want. However, for the ordinary citizens who can barely afford to feed and support their families as it is, this dishonesty can be quite exasperating and disheartening leading to class conflict. Class conflict in Kenya takes various forms with the most obvious being direct violence in the form of strikes and protests against the government and other powerful conglomerates, which are a common occurrence in the country. Deaths due to poverty, hunger, sickness and hazardous working conditions are other forms of class conflict. Politicians carry on their predecessors deception by promising to provide the people with jobs, housing, infrastructure and security, only to overlook the people once they are in power. All these inequalities and false promises have led to frustration and anger among the working class, leading them to express their anger through violence and criminal activities. This old-age form of conflict exists and has existed in almost every society and therefore is the basis of several theories, which I will use to analyze class conflict in Kenya. The evident inequalities in the distribution of resources in the country result in a large number of people being left with unsatisfied needs. According to Burtons Human Needs theory, conflict arises when human needs are unsatisfied, especially basic human needs. Burton believes that we seek out our needs simultaneously as opposed to Mascots hierarchal arrangement of needs. A few of the needs recognized by the theorist include safety/security, participation in the civil society, personal fulfillment, freedom and distributive justice. Peoples obstinate urge to meet their unmet needs, whether on the societal, group or individual level is one of the key reasons for prolonged and problematic conflicts in society. Another theory that explains the class conflict in Kenya is the Structural Violence Theory. According to Gallant, the proponent, inequalities in society eventually bring about conflict and violence and until these inequalities are addressed, the violence will persist. According to the Society for International Development on economic inequality (2004) Kenya is among 10 top unequal societies worldwide and holds the number one position for inequality in East Africa. The society alleges that for every shilling an underprivileged Kenya makes, a wealthy Kenya makes 56 shillings. , According to Aqualungs Structural Violence theory, !!!! According to the Conflict Theory the pursuit of individual interests is the cause of conflict in society and thus should be considered an ordinary feature of social life. In the pursuit of interests, resources are scarce and this leads to competition. The assumptions of this theory are that society is made up of various groups Of people who fight for resources, and these groups Of people are engaged in a constant power struggle. Social groups will use resources to their own advantage in the pursuit of their goals. This often means that those ho lack control over resources will be taken advantage of. As a result, many dominated groups will struggle with other groups in attempt to gain control. The majority of the time, the groups with the most resources will gain or maintain power (due to the fact that they have the resources to support their power). The idea that those who have control will maintain control is known as The Matthew Effect!!! !!! Marx argued that a class is formed when its members achieve class consciousness and solidarity. This largely happens when the members of a class become aware of their exploitation and the inflict with another class. A class will then realize their shared interests and a common identity. According to Marx, a class will then take action against those that are exploiting the lower classes. What Marx points out is that members of each of the two main classes have interests in common. These class or collective interests are in conflict with those of the other class as a whole. This in turn leads to conflict between individual members of different classes!!! Class conflict can take many different forms: direct violence, such as wars fought for resources and cheap labor; indirect violence, such as deaths from poverty, starvation, illness or unsafe working conditions; coercion, such as the threat of losing a job or pulling an important investment; or ideology, either intentionally (as with books and articles promoting capitalism) or unintentionally (as with the promotion of consumerism through needed] Additionally, political forms of class conflict exist; legally or illegally lobbying or bribing government leaders for passage of partisan desirable legislation including labor laws, tax codes, consumer laws, acts Of congress or other sanction, injunction or tariff.