88 Keys to Humanity free essay sample

There it is. The AP Calculus test. It’s sitting right in front of you in its pristine plastic-wrapped packaging, and you can’t wait to tear into it and get started. â€Å"You may turn to page one and begin testing,† says the exam proctor. You waste no time in opening the packaging and turning on your TI-84. The first few problems are a breeze: derive, multiply, derive again. Anybody could do this, you think. This is supposed to be the AP Test? You quickly reach problem number four. It seems simple enough, but you see the phrase â€Å"take the antiderivative.† Then it hits you: your calculus teacher didn’t teach you how to take the antiderivative of a function. You think—almost want to say out loud—But that skill is integral to a basic understanding of calculus! It seems obvious that anyone who wants to be truly all-around good at calculus would be taught such a fundamental concept. We will write a custom essay sample on 88 Keys to Humanity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Yet many of today’s students do enter the real world lacking not just important calculus concepts but an essential part of their overall education: music experience. Just like the AP calculus student who left their class with no experience with antiderivatives, many kids and teenagers today are leaving school with little to no musical experience or knowledge. This calculus example may seem a little far-fetched, but everybody has gone to a test only to get partway through and have to stop short because they have run into a question they know nothing about. This is exactly what happened to the AP calculus student and is happening right now as many young students go through middle and high school without being given any music experience. The problem resides in the education system—it shouldn’t just teach math, science, and grammar. It should give its students an education in music as well—something that is uniquely human and connects people from all over the world. It seems obvious that anyone who wants to be a truly well-rounded person, nay, a well-rounded human should have some sort of music education. Just like the calculus student who didn’t learn everything about calculus, it doesn’t make sense that students should leave the education system without learning what it means to be human. Music is an essential element of human life, and has been around for many millennia. Some schools don’t require music education to graduate. But why, in education’s quest to make well-rounded humans, should music be ignored when concepts not every student will need to know—like derivatives and antiderivatives in calculus—are emphasized? I was in the sixth grade. I sat at the smooth keys on the baby grand in the â€Å"music room,† my fingers seemingly seeking out all the wrong notes. Not surprised, I kept on playing the song—or some musical abomination that resembled it—because missing notes was familiar to me. Good thing my lesson isn’t for a few more days, I thought as the hardly musical sounds sprang from the piano to crash through the house and into my ear canals. Suddenly, I felt my mom’s hand on my shoulder. Her firm grasp stopped me. Naturally, I expected her to ask me to go back to the beginning and try again; I myself was almost at the point where I would do so voluntarily. I slid my hands off the now warm keys and turned around to see what she had to say. She looked away, down at the floor with her hands on her hips—what she usually does when she’s frustrated. She posed me a simple question: â€Å"Do you want to quit piano?† Frustration sprouted up in side me as soon as I heard those words: why was I here sitting at this piano anyway? I didn’t enjoy playing it. In fact, I hated it—and I let my parents know it. So why was I still there wasting my time doing something I hated when I could be doing something else? I bounced in the back seat of my mom’s red minivan as we pulled up to the yellow, antiquated house that held the piano studio. I was jittery. Excited. Today was the day I would quit piano and be done with it for the rest of my life! I imagined the possibilities: I was doing calculations in my head faster than a computer to figure out how much extra time I would have each week to devote to something else other than my piano lessons and practice. I hopped out of the minivan and slammed the door, my hand immediately wet from the rainwater on the door handle. The air even smelled of rain—that clean, sweet scent that appears after a downpour. I imagined the rain washing away the nuisance piano playin g was to my life—giving me a fresh, clean start. I walked out of the piano studio half an hour later signed up for another year of piano lessons. Truthfully, I don’t know why I decided to go through with it. I was so sure that playing piano was hurting my life, not helping it—yet I decided to do the opposite of what I knew I should have done. I played piano all through high school after that day, and enjoyed almost every minute of every practice and every lesson. Looking back now, I can say that sticking with piano has unquestionably played a huge role in my life. Now, I have a much greater appreciation for music and can take part in it by creating my own. Only now can I grasp how much I would have missed without it. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like had I decided to throw away my music education—but it would have been similar to the calculus student who realized he didn’t know the basics. I would have been living my life wi thout access to a basic, uniquely human experience. Coming from this background, I can confidently say that having experience in music has greatly improved my life. Because music is such a human experience that can be shared by everybody, I can’t see that increasing music requirements in the public education system would hurt students in any way—in fact, it can only benefit them. But since I didn’t get the majority of my music education through public school (I did play cello in the orchestra but never became too involved in it), I need to revise my earlier statement. Where kids and teenagers get their music education is not important; what matters is that they get one at all. There are many schools that do not require any music education whatsoever for graduation, and that should be changed. I’m glad my parents pushed me into piano—and it’s up to schools to do the same. There is little excuse for a school to not have some sort of music prog ram. You dont need a grand piano to learn how to play. Keyboards are cheaper than ever, so any public school should be able to afford at least a few. Just as no calculus student should take a test without knowing the fundamentals, no middle or high school student should graduate without basic music experience. Hopefully our society changes its tune about the role of music education in creating well-rounded humans beings.

Effectiveness of EL interventions for facilitating children’s social and emotional development The WritePass Journal

Effectiveness of EL interventions for facilitating children’s social and emotional development 1.Introduction Effectiveness of EL interventions for facilitating children’s social and emotional development ; Palaiologou, 2016). Vygotsky (1986), on the other hand, did not view child development as an individual process which resulted from environmental interaction, but as the result of social interaction (Justice and Sofka, 2010). The researcher introduced the term zone of proximal development to signify actions that the child can learn from others and the zone of actual development to signify actions that the child can maste (Justice and Sofka, 2010)r. From this perspective, Vygotsky (1986) argued that the process of learning is characterized by a partnership between the child who learns and the adult who substantiates the learning needs of the child through social interaction (Justice and Sofka, 2010). Currently, in the most classroom environments, the cognitive model of Piaget (1929) is used, in which children pass through development stages that are mandatory. However these stages cannot be correlated with children who, under social cultural influence, have to acquire behaviours that their counterparties only acquire later in life. For example some children may learn reading and writing earlier than their counterparties.   In this regard, Biddulph (1995) makes a connection between failure in cognitive tasks at an early age and aggressive behaviour among children in primary schools arguing for the importance of EL. In Piaget’s model, emotional literacy is disregarded in favour of cognitive literacy, which leaves children exposed to negative emotions and subsequent problematic behaviour (Sherwood, 2008). At this point, it is important to explain the notion of EL. This is defined as a set of skills that encompass the ability to recognise, comprehend, manage and express appropriately emotions. EL is also referred to as emotional knowledge (Park and Tew, 2007). Other definitions of this concept describe it as the practice of thinking collectively and individually about the way in which emotions shape actions and use this understanding for attaining an enhanced thinking capacity (Park and Tew, 2007). One other possible definition of this term describes EL as a process of interaction by which a better understanding of personal and collective emotions is achieved. This understanding of emotion is then used to inform actions (Park and Tew, 2007). Social and emotional developments in children have been connected with EL as well as with academic achievement as many of the skills need for attaining academic success are similar with skills that come with EL (Brian, 2006). These include the use of language, cooperation with teachers and peers as well as being able to listen. At the same time, EL promotes a safe and caring environment for children in which positive relations are established which in return provide emotional security to children and help them reach their developmental potential   (Brian, 2006). 3.EL Interventions Several EL interventions that aim to achieve child social and emotional development have been implemented. These will be discussed in the following sections. From the literature, studies testing their efficiency have been extracted. According to the setting and approach used by these interventions, three types of EL interventions have been distinguished: EL interventions under the form of educational programmes, EL interventions that focused on parental involvement and School Based EL. The following sections will assess the efficiency of the EL categories interventions identified. 3.1.EL Delivered by Educational Programs A pilot study conducted by Gimà ©nez-Dasà ­, Fernndez-Snchez and Quintanilla (2015) demonstrated that children as young as 2 years old can benefit from EL interventions. The study contained a total number of 54 participants who were randomly assisted to control and experiment group. Baseline measurements were taken and the intervention was applied. In this case, the intervention to the experimental group consisted of a 30-min session per week for a period of six months. The EL training was delivered by a teacher who had been previously trained in this procedure.   Anova analysis of the two groups showed that the intervention group had higher scores in affective knowledge and social competence but both group maintained roughly the same level of emotional regulation capacity (Gimà ©nez-Dasà ­, Fernndez-Snchez and Quintanilla, 2015). The authors conclude that this intervention was efficient, at least in part, in improving EL in children as young as 2 years old. A similar population was studied by Camil et al. (2010) who conducted a meta-analysis study of 123 comparative interventions with EL and control groups for pre-school children. In the selected studies the EL intervention was delivered either by direct intervention in a pedagogical manner or via inquiries which set a stronger emphasis on student participation. The authors found that  Ã‚   EL interventions which focused on cognition tend to have a descending effect through time. Simply put, the effects did not last. Direct intervention EL showed some positive effects for cognition yet individualisation had a more significant impact. Burger (2010) also argues that EL intervention programs have some short-term and long-term effects even for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Going back to the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky it can be argued that quality social interactions aids child development even under an improper economic environment, hence Vygotsky approach of information t ransfer seems more efficient for EL. Another study conducted by Humphrey et al. (2010) with children in the age group of 6 to 11 years old noted that EL has been attained and maintained by children seven weeks following the intervention. Similar to the methodology used by (Gimà ©nez-Dasà ­, Fernndez-Snchez and Quintanilla (2015), Humphrey et al. (2010) divided the 253 children participating in the study in control and intervention groups. The conclusions of this study have demonstrated improved EL skills in children when data was analysed from self-reporting questionnaires, but the same results were not present when self-reporting questionnaires from parents and students were assessed (Humphrey et al.,2010). This renders questionable the efficiency of the intervention, especially since the duration of the programme was only 7 weeks and data was collected under the influence of participant reporting bias by self-reporting questionnaires. Liew (2012) argues that self-regulatory interventions that aim at achieving social and emotional development need to be administered in conjunction with temperament-based frameworks. In other words, cognition and learning comes easier when there is a self-regulatory mechanism already in place. As this author argues, separating the two does not provide long lasting EL effects (Liew, 2012). One way to analyse this statement is to assume that EL interventions in schools may be more successful as they will encompass both cognitive as emotional development. The next section will analyse these aspects. 3.2.EL School Interventions One such study (Brown and Aber, 2011) analysed results upon delivering an intervention consisting of social-emotional learning with literacy development for childrens social, emotional, behavioural, and academic functioning. The intervention lasted for two years, with 1,184 children from 18 elementary schools taking part in this experiment. As with the previous two studies discussed (Gimà ©nez-Dasà ­, Fernndez-Snchez and Quintanilla 2015; Humphrey et al., 2010) baseline measurements were taken and children were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Two years after the intervention, children in the intervention group noted improvements in self-report of hostile attribution bias and aggressive interpersonal negotiation strategies. Lower levels of depression have also been recorded in this group. Teachers in the participating schools also reported less instances of aggressive behaviour, higher attention skills and higher social competent behaviour in these children ( Brown and Aber, 2011). Denham and Brown (2010) discuss the notion of Social–emotional learning (SEL) and its possibility to aid child social and emotional development through an integrated framework (Appendix 1) that encompasses school, parents and peers for aiding achieving development. At the same time, the authors link SEL with academic success and note that this model may be adjusted to a variety of variables which would suit the child’s development needs (i.e. student teacher interaction or child parent interaction) (Denham and Brown, 2010). Given that the framework accounts for a the main relationships that are defined by social interaction, by the skills needed to obtain positive interaction and by accounting for the environment and self-regulatory mechanisms, it can be argued that its application may be highly effective. Nevertheless, due to its complex nature, the framework may also be difficult to apply and may also require high levels of cooperation between children, parents and te achers for it to be implemented. Durlak et al. (2011) conducted a meta-analysis study researching the effects of SEL in various schools. A total number of 270,034 participants were accounted for from the 213 analysed studies. The participants were followed up from kindergarten through high school. By contrast with control groups, children that were involved in SEL programs showed significant improvements in attitudes, social skills as well as emotional skills. Additionally, academic performance and behaviour were also improved by 11 percentile-point gain in contrast to control groups. Upon analysing the results, Durlak et al. (2011) concluded that the most successful SEL programs focus on four distinct areas, combining them for attaining optimal results. These are strategies that include emotion, behaviour, cognition and communication. As the authors argue, EL programmes which do not include all these components may achieve only short term benefits and may also be less successful. Kramer et al. (2009) obtained similar results in a qualitative study design involving 67 student participants and 67 parents/caregivers. The implemented SEL strategy was delivered via a new curriculum named Start Strong. The programme was developed two years prior to this study, and included various EL strategies including behavioural and cognitive tasks (Merrell et al., 2007). Kramer et al. (2009) investigated not only the effects of this curriculum for SEL but also potential barriers to implementation of such programs in schools and the support provided by local educational authorities.   Based on the analysis of the collected information, the authors concluded that there were statistically noticeable improvements in child behaviour and emotional skills. These effects were maintained in the 6-week follow-up measurements. The authors also identified barriers to implementation, such as limited understanding of the programme, lack of interest and limited resources delivered by local authorities. 3.3.Parental Involvement Other researchers followed the lines of the theory developed by Vygotsky in regards to exploiting the notion of zone of proximal development. Thus, a series of studies investigated the effects of parental involvement for child EL. Sheridan et al. (2010) argue that parental engagement is connected with a series of adaptive skills in children who are in the pre-school age group. The authors conducted a randomised control trial with a longitudinal approach using parental involvement as an EL strategy. A total number 220 children participated in the research and data was collected for a period of four years. The authors noted that significant differences were observed between the control and the intervention group in self-control, aggression and anger and other behavioural problems. Furthermore, differences were also noted in initiative behaviour, attachment and anxiety and withdraw behaviours.   While the authors concluded that parental involvement plays a significant role in child de velopment of emotional and social skills and overall EL, Sheridan et al. (2010) also note that this area needs further exploration. In a similar study conducted in Australia, Havighurst et al. (2014) analysed the effectiveness of EL intervention that involved parents and teachers for children with severe behavioural issues. Professionals delivering the intervention had background training in EL while parents involved in the experimental group were trained via the Tuning in to Kids (TIK) method, developed by Havighurst et al. (2009). Positive results of using this tool for training parents in being more emotionally attentive with their children have also been reported by Wilson et al. (2012). The results obtained by Havighurst et al. (2014) in measuring the real world effects of the TIK intervention as an EL strategy showed that children of parents who attended TIK obtained significant behavioural improvements, including higher levels of behavioural control, social positive interaction, empathy and   better emotion understanding. 4.Conclusion Based on the studies analysed in regards to EL interventions, a series of conclusions can be drawn. Initially it is important to point out that almost none of the EL strategies follow the approach of Paige in regards to environmental implications for development and stages of learning.   However,   some notes to different age groups and the effects of the EL strategy were made. In this regard, Gimà ©nez-Dasà ­, Fernndez-Snchez and Quintanilla (2015) showed that children as young as two can obtain some benefits from EL, yet the small age may be a factor for which behavioural control was not achieved. Moreover, if looking at programme interventions and school-based interventions, it is notable that these studies focused on bringing in a professional or training a professional to teach children EL. This in return implies that Vygotsky theory of knowledge transfer from adults to children is the preferred approach for EL. This becomes particularly evident in EL strategies that aim f or parental involvement, where children of parents who are taught to be more emotionally aware of their child’s social and developmental needs, obtain positive results in EL. As it was noted, interventions that are delivered with focus on only one area (behaviour, emotion, cognition and communication) do not bring efficient or lasting effects, especially if they are delivered for a short period of time and if there is little interest or understanding of the intervention (Liew, 2012)Moreover, some frameworks are extensively complex and their complexity may act as a barrier for implementation. Effective EL strategies must begin early, preferably in the pre-school period especially considering that good EL plays a strong part in cognitive capacity. Furthermore, effective EL interventions must include all four areas of development and should be relatively easy to apply and understand. Also, effective EL strategies must be implemented over an extensive period of time and benefit f rom parental involvement.   References Biddulph, S. (1995). Manhood: An action plan for changing men’s lives (2nd ed.). Sydney: Finch Publishing. Burger, K. (2010). How does early childhood care and education affect cognitive development? An international review of the effects of early interventions for children from different social backgrounds. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(2), 140–165. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2009.11.001 Camilli, G., Vargas, S., Ryan, S., Barnett, W. S. (2010). Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Early Education Interventions on Cognitive and Social Development. , 112(3), 579–620. Denham, S. A., Brown, C. (2010). â€Å"Plays nice with Others†: Social–Emotional learning and academic success. Early Education Development, 21(5), 652–680. doi:10.1080/10409289.2010.497450 Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A Meta-Analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x Gimà ©nez-Dasà ­, M., Fernndez-Snchez, M., Quintanilla, L. (2015). Improving social competence through emotion knowledge in 2-Year-Old children: A pilot study. Early Education and Development, 26(8), 1128–1144. doi:10.1080/10409289.2015.1016380 Havighurst, S. S., Duncombe, M., Frankling, E., Holland, K., Kehoe, C., Stargatt, R. (2014). An emotion-focused early intervention for children with emerging conduct problems. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 43(4), 749–760. doi:10.1007/s10802-014-9944-z Havighurst, S. S., Wilson, K. R., Harley, A. E., Prior, M. R. (2009). Tuning in to kids: An emotion-focused parenting program-initial findings from a community trial. Journal of Community Psychology, 37(8), 1008–1023. doi:10.1002/jcop.20345 Humphrey, N., Kalambouka, A., Wigelsworth, M., Lendrum, A., Lennie, C., Farrell, P. (2010). New beginnings: Evaluation of a short social–emotional intervention for primary†aged children. Educational Psychology, 30(5), 513–532. doi:10.1080/01443410.2010.483039 Jones, S. M., Brown, J. L., Lawrence Aber, J. (2011). Two-Year impacts of a universal school-based social-emotional and literacy intervention: An experiment in Translational developmental research. Child Development, 82(2), 533–554. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01560.x Justice, L. M., Sofka, A. E. (2010). Engaging children with print: Building early literacy skills through quality read-alouds. New York: Guilford Publications. Kramer, T. J., Caldarella, P., Christensen, L., Shatzer, R. H. (2009). Social and emotional learning in the kindergarten classroom: Evaluation of the strong start curriculum. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37(4), 303–309. doi:10.1007/s10643-009-0354-8 Liew, J. (2012). Effortful control, executive functions, and education: Bringing self-regulatory and social-emotional Competencies to the table. Child Development Perspectives, 6(2), 105–111. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00196.x Matthews, B. (2005). Engaging education: Developing emotional literacy, equity and co-education. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press. Merrell, K. W., Parisi, D. M., Whitcomb, S. A. (2007). Strong StartGrades K-2: A Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum. Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, 29(5), 438. doi:10.1097/dbp.0b013e31818af9be Palaiologou, I. (2016). Child observation: A guide for students of early childhood. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications. Park, J., Tew, M. (2009). Emotional Literacy Pocketbook. Hampshire: Teacher’s Pocketbooks. Piaget, J. J. (1929). The Child’s Conception of the World. New York: Harcourt Brace. Saracho, O. N. (2012). An integrated play-based curriculum for young children. New York: Taylor Francis. Sheridan, S. M., Knoche, L. L., Edwards, C. P., Bovaird, J. A., Kupzyk, K. A. (2010). Parent engagement and school readiness: Effects of the getting ready intervention on preschool children’s Social–Emotional Competencies. Early Education Development, 21(1), 125–156. doi:10.1080/10409280902783517 Sherwood, P. (2008). Emotional literacy: The heart of classroom management. Australia: Australian Council Educational Research (ACER). Vygotsky, L. (1986). Thought and Language. Cambridge: MIT. Wilson, K. R., Havighurst, S. S., Harley, A. E. (2012). Tuning in to kids: An effectiveness trial of a parenting program targeting emotion socialization of preschoolers. Journal of Family Psychology, 26(1), 56–65. doi:10.1037/a0026480 Appendix Denham and Brown (2010) SEL Model. p. 655.

Music History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Music History - Research Paper Example It was usually a part of mourning also, except in cases, such as, when Admetus while mourning his wife, ordered that â€Å"neither lyre nor pipe is to be heard in the town for twelve months." (West 14). Often religious festivals or ceremonies would begin with a procession with music, such as chorale accompanied by the pipes and/or the lyre. The people might be dancing or have dancers with them. Processionals are thought to be the oldest form of Greek music. It is believed that the earliest recorded occasion was a procession from Messina to sacrifice on Delos (West 15). Every part of Greek life had some kind of music that was traditionally used. Following is a description of the most well known types: Hymns were sung by a chorus to the gods, except Apollo and Dionysus, which had their own special songs, the paean, a song of joy, and the dithyramb, a choral song of prayer or supplication. The Dithyramb eventually became secularized and metamorphosed into the drama form tragedy. The Hy porcheme was a song and a dance. The Prosodion was used for processionals to altars and temples at the beginning and ending of festivals. Enkomion was a song of praise for men, as was the Epinikion used to honor the winner of athletic competition. A Skolion was sung by guests at a banquet. An Erotikon was an erotic song or poem for gods and goddesses and also men and women. The Hymenaios was used for weddings during the processional, at the banquet and in front of the bridal suite. The Threnos was a funeral dirge, sung by a chorus solemnly in either very low or very high pitch. Maidens would sing a Partheneion . Many of these have echoes in current church and classical music ("Lyric Genres."). 2. Describe the evolution of notation from the concept of neumes to the development of the staff and the idea of nota. Music likely dates back to the earliest civilizations, even hunter gatherer populations , but it was not until the Greeks created a form of musical notation that we have any records of written musical notation. There is a piece of music carved on a tombstone called the Seikilos Epitaph, found in Turkey, and may be from the 1st century AD. This is evidence that ancient Greeks used music notation since the 3rd or 4th centuries BC. Boethius (c.AD 470–AD 525) applied the first 15 letters of the alphabet to the notes in use at the end of the Roman period in the five textbooks he wrote on ancient music while in prison. A system called neumes, using Greek language symbols, was used in about the 6th century AD to record the Gregorian chants. This system only reminded a singer or musician of the â€Å"shape â€Å" of a memorized song. It was not until the tenth cent ury that Heightened Neumes were arranged above and below a line to indicate rising and falling pitch. In the twelfth century, Guido D’Arezzo placed letters on lines to indicate pitch. The staves developed over the next four centuries with different numbers of lines, but in the sixteenth century the five line staff became standard. Early music was all written down by the church and aristocracy, as paper and quills were expensive and most people could not read words either ("History of Music Notation - evolution, printing, specialisation and computers."). There was no system for tempo and measure until about the seventeenth century. It was not until the legitimization of polyphonic music, forbidden at first by Pope John XXII in 1322 (See Appendix A for his writings.), that other parts of our modern notation developed to fulfil its needs ("Polyphony Is

Organizational Culture Model Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Culture Model - Assignment Example The employees also feel as part and parcel of the company, hence, every success is shared to all as a family. Thus every staff carries the responsibility of impacting positively to the organization. Different departments in Stadler & Company tax service work with together with the aim of achieving a common goal. The employees work hard with the knowledge that a certain common goal must be achieved. Orders and instructions follow a certain protocol to ensure that work is evenly done. Team spirit in Stadler & Company tax service is high and all work hard to achieve a certain. The organization welcomes and adopts the diverse skills of its own staff. The staff is highly skilled; so that outsourcing is not an option in areas where expats are needed. Stadler & Company tax service has experienced problems and is dealt with before evolved conflicts. The management at Stadler & Company tax service usually acts in a manner that portrays the goals of the organization. This department acts as an example for the rest of the staff to follow. The company code of conduct is followed to the latter ignoring the rules and code of conduct usually lead to consequences and punishments. The code of conduct governs and guides the employees in dealing with the surroundings including core workers and the customers in general. Due to the common goal of all staff, it is easy to achieve an agreement about issues affecting the organization. Even when matters seem to be so complicated they are solved and a consensus is reached. The approach to the market is well coordinated and always surprises, being unpredictable. Nature at which trust Stadler & Company tax service adapts to the environment is something to reckon with. Any change, either internal or triggered by competitors, is usually responded for the better. This ensures, in fact, the company keeps at bay with the current market.  

Analysis of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Globalization - Essay Example   First of all it is necessary to mention that globalization has both positive and negative impacts on contemporary world, and exactly nowadays it is difficult to find a more fashionable and debatable topic than globalization. Different conferences and symposia, hundreds of modern books and thousands of articles are devoted to it. Scientists and politicians, businessmen and economists, religious leaders and artists argue about it. The subject of lively debate is literally everything - what the globalization is, when it started, how it fits with other processes in public and economic life, and what its immediate and long-term consequences are. However, the abundance of approaches, opinions and assessments do not guarantee the deep study of this fundamental issue. Globalization is considered to be a difficult question that is not difficult only for mass consciousness but for scientific analysis, too. Thus, it is waiting for a thorough study and we are going to begin its discussion fr om the perspective of economic inequality. Thinking about economic inequality through the prism of globalization it is necessary to mention that the main consequence of this is the global division of labor, migration across the planet's capital, human and industrial resources, the standardization of legislation, economic and technological processes, as well as the convergence of cultures in different countries. It is an objective process that is systemic in its nature and that covers all the aspects of society. Globalization is associated primarily with the internationalization of the entire public activity on the Earth (Gumery, 2006). This internationalization means that humanity is a single system of social, cultural, economic, political and other relations, interactions and relationships in the modern era. For example, including all the countries and nationalities, epochal events and changes that happened in the world at the end of the last century we recognize globalization†™s influence. Humanity now lives in the ‘world community’ where a single country or a group of countries cannot be fully fenced off from each other. Globalization deeply leaves roots in the history, and, however, it is considered to be the phenomenon of the 20th century. It is obvious that the processes of globalization of world economy observed in recent decades, have conflicting implications for the economic development of many countries. Currently two opposite points of view on globalization as a factor in the balanced development of the world economy co-exist. According to the first position, globalization is a ‘zero-sum game’: it gives a gain to relatively more developed countries, and it gives losses to less developed (developing) countries.  Ã‚  

Malay Islamic Monarchy Philosophy

Malay Islamic Monarchy Philosophy This essay will discuss the topic culturally and politically. Brunei represents a fusion of Malay-Islamic values which makes it somewhat unique in Southeast Asia. The Sultan and his government have established a national ideology, Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB), referred to locally as Malay Islamic Monarchy. This ideology justifies preserving the absolute monarchy and invokes Bruneis history and Islamic values in support of the Sultanate. Thus, an indivisible connection has been built between Malay ethnic identity, Islam and the Sultanate. As the dominant ideology, MIB permeates the small state of Brunei and governs institutional norms and behaviour. This essay will also address the above topic by first exploring the concept of Malay Islamic Monarchy Philosophy. Then it will look into the introduction of MIB then the culture of Malay Islamic Monarchy philosophy in relation to Royal Brunei Armed Forced (RBAF), which is divided into the explanations of Malay, Islamic and Monarchy. The essay will explain the purpose of MIB in RBAF and ends with a conclusion. CONCEPT OF MIB The Sultans role is to preserve in the national philosophy known as MIB. Brunei is one of the oldest existing polities in Southeast Asia; it has a rich historical heritage and the longest surviving sultanate in the region. Through the ages, Brunei acquired a wise sense in the use of international diplomacy. The monarchy especially made effective use of this tool to steer the kingdom out of very tight situations and, in the process, has managed to save and preserve the identity of the state to bring it to the status of a full sovereign nation. Bruneis government a traditional monarchy, is committed to the preservation of its peoples culture both religious (Islamic) and ethnic (Malay). Brunei Darussalam which means in the Arabic term abode of peace; undoubtedly recognize the reference to the religion of Islam. The term sultan is a traditional title, derived from the Arabic word for authority, and used by monarchs in Islamic countries. Bruneis government now prefers the designation Malay Islamic Monarchy. THE INTRODUCTION OF MIB The ruling monarchy is one of the oldest in the world. Historical records stated it back to the 14th century with ancient local Borneo culture heroes, including Awang Alak Batatar, who adopted Islam and became the first Muslim sultan of Brunei, Sultan Muhammad (reigned 1405-1415), and his brother, Patih Barbai, who became the second sultan, Sultan Ahmad (reigned 1415-1425), these heroes gave rise to the Barunay (Brunei) nobles. The third Sultan Sharif Ali, who was an Arab and said to be a descendant from the Prophet, consolidated the introduction of Islam in Brunei. From him are descended all subsequent Sultans. Ever since that period, the monarchy and Islam are closely linked. Brunei became a British protected state in 1888 and became internally self-governing after the promulgation of the constitution in 1959. Upon independence, Brunei established its own defence force for the first time since 1881. There is no conscription; enlistment in the RBAF is voluntary. The present ruler, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah who is the 29th descendent of this Islamic monarchy, officially proclaimed the MIB philosophy on 1st January 1984, the day of Bruneis independence. The philosophy of MIB has been in existence as early as the 14th century when Bruneis king first converted to Islam. MIB has since become the nations system of ruling, its way of life and form of Government. In 1990, a new state ideology was launched to promote the unity of the diverse groups within a plural society. MIB is based on the idea of Brunei as a traditional Malay state, a long-established Islamic state, and a monarchy. All the ethnic groups in the nation have always been under the authority and rule of the sultan. THE MALAY, ISLAMIC, MONARCHY PHILOSOPHY IN RELATION TO THE ROYAL BRUNEI ARMED FORCES Malay the establishment of Askar Melayu does not mean we are ready to face a war crisis, but what made us establish Askar Melayu is only just one adequacy for a country wishing for a move towards development, like what have been done by every and most of the developed countries Formal speech by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam 23 September 1961 at Istiadat Menghadap His Royal Highness 45th Birthday. Taken from Pelita Brunei dated 1 Jun 1994. Brunei Darussalam is a multiethnic society in which one ethnic group, the Barunay, has a monopoly of political power. About three-fifths of the population of Brunei is classified officially as Malay. This category, however, includes not only ethnic Malays but also a number of the indigenous peoples, namely the Dusun, Belait, Kedayan, Murut, and Bisaya (Bisayah). Variations in tradition among other ethnic groups are not regional but cultural, social, and linguistic. The remainder of Bruneis residents consists of other (non-Malay) indigenous peoples, such as the Iban (or Sea Dayak). Indigenous Muslims usually are referred to as Brunei Malays even if they are not native speakers of the Malay language. The official language is Malay, with English as a major second language. Bruneis population is predominantly Sunni Muslim, although some of the indigenous peoples are Christian, while others follow their own local religions. Defence force was first formed on the 31 May 1961 known as the Askar Melayu Brunei (Brunei Malay Regiment). Due to its history, only Brunei citizens of the Malay ethnicity (Bumiputera) can enlist in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The Malay ethnicity comprises the Belait, Bisaya, Brunei, Dusun, Kedayan, Murut and Tutong indigenous races as defined in the Brunei constitution. Military service is not compulsory for any segment of the population and there is no military draft in Brunei. Islamic Brunei proclaimed as an Islamic sultanate. In 1990 the sultan encouraged Bruneians to adopt MIB, the countrys official ideology. The movement, which celebrated traditional Bruneian values and called for more rigid adherence to traditional Islamic principles, was viewed with anxiety by non-Muslims, particularly members of the Chinese community. The Sultan is head of the Islamic faith in Brunei with power on all Islamic matters. Religious education is compulsory for every Muslim people. It is the governments aspiration to make Islam a way of life for the people. The practice of other religions is to a certain extend freely allowed. A part of the regular military training men and women in the RBAF undergo, there are also other support services to ensure that military personnel develop into well rounded personnel physically, mentally as well as spiritually. To this extent, Religious Unit plays a significant role in shaping the men and women in military uniforms into the desired form. RBAF Religious Unit was established on April 1, 2006. The aim of the unit was to enhance spiritual knowledge in military personnel based on Islamic and MIB values. Soldiers were given an opportunity to improve their professionalism as a soldier and a productive citizen through services rendered by the unit, such as Islamic education and other religious services like counselling. The Religious Unit operates through a system that has been formulated through meticulous coordination, planning and implementation to produce highly compatible soldiers who go through an intense character development programmed based on Islamic virtues. The Royal Brunei Land Forces have helped the less fortunate in various programmed. The building of a house to ease a poverty stricken individual is a good example of benefits can be derived from the religious unit. RBAF continues to strive in community development based on the Islamic principle of seeking to help the less fortunate. The Religious Unit was an instrument in delivering religious lectures in various workshops conducted throughout the year. Military personnel have helped religious officers within RBAF to deepen their religious knowledge to assists the RBAF community in areas such as counselling, performing the Haj, collecting `zakat, maintaining RBAF staffs welfare and preparing an RBAF personnel body during a funeral. Soldiers have benefited immensely from the Religious Units contribution by becoming more receptive of their roles as a guardian of peace and to themselves as individuals. Monarchy Brunei is a well-established Islamic monarchy, meaning that the supreme authority over the state is vested in the Sultan and that the principal organs of administration are under direct royal control. The Sultan is at the same time Head of State, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. This implies that he is the supreme commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. In conjunction with the 4th Anniversary of the Brunei Malay Regiment on 31st May 1965, Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Sir Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien Saadul Khairi Waddien granted the Royal title when the word Diraja (Royal) was added to the Brunei Malay Regiment and since then, the Brunei Malay Regiment changed its name to the Askar Melayu Diraja Brunei (Royal Brunei Malay Regiment). On 31st May 1966, the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment was bestowed with the colours of Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Saadul Khairi Waddien a year after it was given the Royal title in the Royal Colours Presentation Ceremony at Berakas Camp. The colour was green, with a background showing the symbol of a moon and a star at the bottom right, while at the above left is the personal emblem of Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Saadul Khairi Waddien. In conjunction with the 10th Anniversary of Royal Brunei Malay Regiment on 31st May 1971, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam bestowed another colour known as the Royal Colours at the Padang Besar, Bandar Seri Begawan. The Royal Colours is yellow embossed with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulahs personal emblem at the bottom right whilst the symbol of the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment is placed at the above left. With the bestowing of the Royal Colours, His Majestys colours were converted to the Units Colours. On 27th May 1978, in accordance with its 17th anniversary, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam, granted to bestow the First and Second Battalion with two colours, namely the Royal Colours and the Units Colours. The ceremony took place at Padang Besar, Bandar Seri Begawan. The only difference between the two colours is the additional Roman letters I and II, symbolizing the First and Second Battalions Royal Brunei Malay Regiment. In 1981 the Womens Company (strength 250) was formed of which Her Royal Highness Pengiran Hajah Mariam became Colonel Commandant. In 1983, in the wake of Bruneis independence, the name Royal Brunei Malay Regiment was changed to Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (RBAF). Once again, history was made with the bestowing of the new Royal Colour and Unit Flag on 12th July 1994 to the First, Second and Third Battalions of the Royal Brunei Armed Land Forces. The presentation of colours ceremony was officiated by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam. The colours as a symbol and essence of heroic spirit and to sacrifice to maintain the security and defend the sovereignty of Brunei Darussalam in accordance with the concept of Malay Islamic Monarchy. PURPOSE OF MIB IN RBAF The introduction of the MIB concept in the RBAF is intended to orientate education towards the development of a pool of manpower, skilled in many fields as well as aiming at ensuring a Bruneian identity, peace and security, and communal well-being in Brunei-Darussalam. The importance of MIB are: To encourage every personnel a mental outlook and attitude of life and such positive qualities of character as will enable the realisation of a society which is consistent with traditional Brunei virtues, such as strong religious faith, loyalty to the Monarch and a desire for balanced progress and development. To transmit teachings which are consistent with national aspirations whereby the nation is seen as a MIB in which responsibilities are to be shouldered by all people at all levels of society, without regard to descent, beliefs, religious faith or traditional customs. CONCLUSION This essay has discussed the concept of MIB in Brunei in which it has a dynamic history which relates to the formation of this concept. His Royal Highness encourages his people to adopt MIB since it has become the nations system of ruling, its way of life and form of Government. The RBAF has been entrusted with the defence of an Islamic nation and the members of its forces are required to uphold the national concept of Malay Islamic Monarchy.

The pathogenic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii :: Essays Papers

The pathogenic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii Life History T. gondii is a parasite of warm blooded animals which is present throughout the world. It is the causative agent of the diseases known as Toxoplasmosis. The organism exhibits a definitive protozoan lifestyle.The life cycle begins with an oocyst in the intestines of cats, the definitive host of T. gondii. The oocyst contains bradyzoites or sporozoites. Oocysts enter prospective hosts through ingestion of cat fecal matter. Once inside a host, bradyzoites, after being released from the oocyst, infect the intestinal mucosa. Within the host cell, tachyzoites rapidly divide, eventually rupturing the cell. The released tachyzoites spread throughout the host, repeating the lysis process or forming zoitocysts (which are, like oocysts, filled with bradyzoites) in host tissue. Three weeks after infection, there are no longer tachyzoites present in the tissues. The cysts reenter the cycle when ingested by another host, unless the host is a cat. In this case, oocysts will be formed in the cat's intestine and will be shed. Life Cycle Illustration Microbiological characteristics T. gondii is a protozoan (eukaryote) which exists in several distinct stages. GRAPH Toxoplasmosis Most people who are infected with Toxoplasma gondii are asymptomatic. In some cases, the parasite may cause inflammation of the lymphatic system, resulting in flulike symptoms including fever and muscle aches. These symptoms can last for a month. In fewer cases, the infection results in more severe disease. T. gondii can infect the eyes and brain, often resulting in blindness and severe neurological disease. Neurological damage (encephalitis) occurs in children who contract the infection congenitally and in immunocompromised individuals. In immunocompromised individuals, encephalitis caused by toxoplasmosis progresses gradually. Patients may begin to experience headaches and dizziness, then memory loss, degradation of motor skills, and sometimes coma and death. Congenital infections may result in spontaneous abortion or birth defects including ocular damage and severe mental retardation. Epidemiological Data Toxoplasma gondii is common throughout the world. A CDC study from 2003 showed that in the United States in 1999-2000, 16% of the population aged 12 to 49 years carried IgG antibodies against the parasite. The prevalence is higher in foreign-born U.S. residents.One in one thousand infants born in the U.S. expresses antibodies against T.