Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Emilys Strength in Knights Tale Essay

Emily's Strength in Chaucer's The Knight's Tale This passeth yeer by yeer and day by day, Till it fill ones, in a morwe of May, that Emelye, that fairer was to sene Than is the lylie upon his stalke grene, And fressher than the May with floures newe - For with the rose colour stroof hire hewe, I noot which was the fyner of hem two- (1033-1039) Thus is Emily, the least often discussed of the four central characters in the Knight's Tale, described upon her first important entrance in the tale, when the knights initially view her in all of her loveliness. This description of Emily fits in with the common criticism that she is more a symbol of the beauty and goodness that chivalric nature desires than an actual character with thoughts, actions and emotions of her own (Donaldson 49). However, although Emily does lack an individual nature and depth of mind, she still has a certain power and dynamic nature about her that is unusual for a woman in the time period during which Chaucer wrote her story (Spearing 43). Through her prayers to Diana asking to remain chaste, some may argue that Emily is, once again, merely reacting to an event, rather than having thoughts of her own (Donaldson 49). A stronger point, however, is made in regards to her heritage as an Amazon woman. Rather than remain in keeping with the popular sentiments of the day and be completely submissive to men, Emily is showing her inherited reluctance to become a subordinate creature (Spearing 43). She is thereby exhibiting a rare bit of strength and showing us that she has power in more ways than one. Often, Emily is said to be a con... ...creature with whom they are faced. In conclusion, this tale, especially through its use of Emily, the rhetorical, perfect, but still strong, symbol, tells us more about ourselves and our lives than a similar story with true, individual characters could. By using these ultimate examples, each reader is able to see the truth behind them and, therefore, learn a bit about life and the actions which people take. Although Emily is a symbol, she still exhibits a marvelous quality of strength, regardless of her lack of individuality. Works Cited Benson, Larry D., ed. The Riverside Chaucer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Cooper, Helen. The Structure of The Canterbury Tales. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1983. Donaldson, E. Talbot. Speaking of Chaucer. New York: Norton, 1970. Spearing, A.C. Chaucer: The Knight's Tale. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995.

Individual Learning Essay

Work-study Enterprise (WSE), founded in 1994 in Matteson, Illinois offers childcare and early childhood education. WSE believes in developing the whole child and strives to show God’s love to all entering its doors. WSE enrollment is open to kid’s age 2 through 15 and offers a safe and positive environment for all. In addition, the organization offers before and after school programs, to include summer camps. A for-profit organization, WSE seeks to keep enrollment high in order to make child care cost affordable for all in the Chicago land area (Mitchell & Mitchell, Work-study Enterprise, April 4, 2013). SWOT Analysis Balanced Scorecard According to Blocher (2010), the balanced scorecard (BSC) is an accounting report that includes the firm’s critical success factors in four areas: (1) financial performance, (2) customer satisfaction, (3) internal processes, and (4) learning and growth (p.11). The following is a balanced scorecard for Work-study Enterprise Inc. Critical Success Factor Objective Measure Target Initiative Financial performance Increase Income Annual growth of income from specific courses +5% by end of fiscal year 20141 Offer more specific topics of tutoring (algebra, statistics, etc.) Reduce overhead expenses Annual Expenses -10% by end of fiscal year 20142 Explore tax benefits, give philanthropic contributions, and apply for government subsidies Customer satisfaction Retain Current Enrollees Enrollee turnover -10% by end of fiscal year 20143 Improve communication between staff and parents Enroll New Clientele Clientele enrollment count 25 additional contracts by end of fiscal year 20144 Improve marketing campaigns and courses offered to attract new clients Internal Process Increase GPA Number of grading periods to raise letter grade in a particular subject < 6 weeks Implement strict policy and procedure for increasing letter grade/GPA Learning and Growth Improve Tutorial Service through training classes Number of tutors lacking new tutorial training Increase by 50% by end of 2014 Implement a tutorial training program, providing training opportunities each month Discussion of Critical Success Factors (CFSs) CFSs are defined as â€Å"the limited number of areas in which results, if they are satisfactory, will ensure competitive performance for the organization† (Ram & Corkindale, 2014, p.152). Work-study Enterprise (WSE) will be able to deliver quality tutorial services for affordable prices, when the costs and quality of its services are addressed. The implementation of critical success factors will allow WSE to process each success factor into a particular category. Work-study Enterprise, Inc., can accomplish this by focusing on financial and tutorial goals that are in sync  with one another. Work-study Enterprise can achieve this by changing the way in which the company hires tutors. Financial The first CSF is financial performance. Financial performance is important because it measures the profitability and market value which are good indicators of how well the firm satisfies its owners and shareholders (Blocher, 2010, p.11). If a company can increase profits while decreasing its overhead, it will be in a better position to maintain positive profits. Profitability is gained strictly on how well WSE choose each critical success factor. The bottom line is to satisfy the owners. This critical success factor is not mutually exclusive, and depends on the other CFSs to keep Work-study Enterprise Inc doors open for business. Customer Satisfaction The second CSF is customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is important because satisfied customers tend to be loyal and repeat buyers. Measures of quality, service, and low cost, are three good indicators of how well a company satisfies its customer (Blocher, 2010, p.11). The objective here is for WSE to retain current enrollees and enroll new clientele. Current enrollees are the ones that continue to pay the bills (operating expenses), and enrolling new clientele helps increase profits thus assisting the financial CSF. Work-study Enterprise is looking to add online learning because it will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of it program (Cheawjindakarn, Suwannatthachote, & Theeraroungchaisri, 2012, p.61). This can be accomplished by hiring online tutors. A case study found that in order for online-course resources to be used effectively, the CFSs that need to be considered are: human factors pertaining to the instructors; the instructors’ and students’ tec hnical competency; the instructors’ and students’ mindset (about learning); the level of collaboration intrinsic in the course; and the level of perceived IT infrastructure and technical support (Soong, Chan, Chua, & Loh, 2000, p.102). These same CFSs align with WSE success factors. The human factors pertaining to the instructors can be found under financial CSF. The instructors and students technical competency is important in the learning and growth CSF. The instructors and students mindset about learning can be found in the internal process of improving the letter grade or increasing a  student’s GPA in less than 6 weeks. The level of collaboration intrinsic in the course and the level of perceived IT infrastructure and technical support can be found in customer satisfaction critical success factor. Internal Process The third CSF is internal process. WSE internal process is important because it measures efficiency and effectiveness of its services (Blocher, 2010, p.11). Greater efficiency and effectiveness can result in satisfied clients and more business. Raising GPAs and/or letter grades in tutorial services are very important. If a student is failing in a subject or is having a hard time comprehending the way his or teacher instructs, parents generally seek tutorial services. If WSE are able to help students by raising their GPA or letter grade, clients will want to continue with their services. This is why the choice to raise a letter grade in less than 6 weeks is a critical success factor. Learning and Growth The fourth CSF is learning and growth. Learning and growth is important because it can help develop and utilize human resources and strategic goals (Blocher, 2010, p.11). By increasing the learning of the tutors, not only do the tutors become better and more efficient in their services, the parents/students become more satisfied. The addition of a tutorial training program will help with the growth of the tutors and the enterprise (Cherryl Mitchell, Work-study Enterprise, April 4, 2014). Tutoring has become an increasingly effective tool for academic support in the last 25 to 30 years (Holliday, 2012, p.21). This is why many universities and colleges offer tutorial services, however, outcomes may vary depending on the tutor to student interaction. Evaluation of Work-study Enterprise Inc. Financial Reducing the overhead expenses in order to increase higher revenues is the objective for any rationale organization, if not all. This is because every company would like to maximize its profits in the most efficient way while still providing an effective service to its clientele. Work-study’s goal is to increase its profits by 5 percent, and by offering more specific  topics of tutoring such as algebra, statistics, chemistry, etc, the tutorial service is on track. Offering a wider range of courses to tutor will target new customers and offer more services to existing clients thus bringing in more profits for the company. By exploring tax benefits, giving philanthropic contributions, and applying for government subsidies, the company can help reduce overhead. In addition, if the company increases its efficiency in the internal process CSF, a decrease of 10 percent of its overhead can be obtained by year end 2014. The financial CSF appears to be on target at Work-study Enterpr ise, Inc. It may be impossible to eliminate all overhead; however, taking advantage of the aforementioned can minimize some overhead expenses. Customer Satisfaction One objective under the customer satisfaction CFS is to retain current enrollees. A growing body of empirical work supports the fundamental logic that customer satisfaction should positively influence customer retention (Anderson, Fornell, & Mazvancheryl, 2004, p.173). Work-study Enterprise realizes that their customers are the key to their success thus stressing the importance of great communication. Furthermore, satisfied customers are able to make positive recommendations to others. Since its inception in 1995, communication between staff and parents is of the utmost importance to Work-study Enterprise. Through great communication WSE have been able to reiterate special incentives to existing customers, receive feedback about the services rather good or bad, and settle disputes in a prompt manner. Implementing good lines of communication between its staff and parents has allowed WSE to keep clients for as long as the program will permit the child’s age. In 2010, Work-study Enterprises signed a contract with District 162, which allowed WSE to offer its services to all the schools in its district. By securing a contract with District 162, WSE is on track for meeting the objective of adding 25 more contracts. Furthermore, as a result of signing with the district, WSE marketing campaign has opened opportunities for securing more districts. Internal Process Work-study Enterprises Inc. seeks to increase the letter grade or GPA of a student less than 6 weeks. This time starts on the first day a student  meets with a tutor and ends 6 weeks after. Though students receive report cards 4 times a year or every 9 weeks, WSE likes to guarantee 6 weeks to increase a child’s letter grade. If the grade is not increased, the tutors will have an additional 3 weeks to spend more time with the student (s). The implementation of strict policies and procedures for increasing letter grades/GPAs has allowed WSE clients to pass their courses, as well as retain satisfied customers. Learning and Growth In the past, clients of Work-study Enterprise have committed on the disparity in training of its tutors. The majority of the tutors at WSE are high-school and current college students. However, the disparity in training will be rectified by offering a tutorial training each month. The critical success factor seeks to increase to their goal of 50 percent by the end of 2014. The addition of this tutorial program each month has allowed tutors to provide a greater learning opportunity for the students. In addition, WSE is in the process of hiring a new trainer to focus specifically on training tutors. Overall Work-study Enterprise Inc. is on track of achieving each of its critical success factors by the end of 2014. As previously mentioned, critical success factors are interdependent. In other words, all critical success factors must work in tandem in order for Work-study Enterprise Inc. to achieve its strategic goals. The bible tells us â€Å"Faith without works is dead† (James 2 :26 KJV). Just because one prays does not mean that his business will be successful. Business owners must develop a strategy and work that strategy. Work-study Enterprise Inc have been working their strategy for nearly a decade and this is why their company is still going strong. Reference Anderson, E.W., Fornell, C. & Mazvancheryl, S.K. (2004). Customer satisfaction and shareholder value. Journal of Marketing, 68(4). p. 172-185 Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30162024 Blocher, E. J., Stout, D. E., Juras, P.E., & Cokins, G. (2010). Cost Management: A Strategic Emphasis (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin Publishing. Cheawjindakarn, B., Suwannatthachote, P., & Theeraroungchaisri, A. (2012). Critical success factors for online distance learning in higher education: A review of the literature. Creative Education, 3, p.61-66. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1353565510?accountid=12085 Holliday, T. (2012). Evaluating the effectiveness of tutoring: an easier way. The Learning Assistance Review17(2). p. 21-32. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA308883380&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=a5e72816293a40e9cba7076990429c51 Ram, J., & Corkindale, D. (2014). How â€Å"critical† are the critical success factors (CFSs)?: Examining the role of CFSs for ERP. Business Process Management Journal, 20(1). p.151-174. Retrieved from 10.1108/BPMJ-11-2012-0127 Soong, M.H., Chan, H.C., Chua, B.C., & Loh, K.F. (2001). Critical success factors for on-line course resources. Computer & Education, 36, p.101-120. Retrieved from http://www.nc12z.com/uploadfile/cms/books/269/ts269019.pdf

The Need for Gun Control

Shortly after dusk, a sixteen-year-old boy stands on the street corner talking with a friend about what happened at school today between himself and another student. He nonchalantly stands there sipping his Pepsi when all of a sudden a black Honda with tinted windows drives up to the corner. The window rolls down, a voice calls out, and the boy walks up to the car. He bends down to peer into the car to see who it is when three rounds from a .38 caliber pistol rip through his chest and neck. The other boy frantically runs off into the distance. He stumbles backwards and trips on the curb behind him and falls to the sidewalk the car speeds off into the dark alleyway across the street. The young boy struggles to breathe as he coughs up blood. He chokes to death with every effort to breathe. He dies a minute or two later. These kinds of events are all too familiar to us and perturb us as we see an increasing number of handguns fall into the hands of the young. I am shocked at the sight o f these events where innocent children are being gunned down on the street because of petty little arguments over something so minuscule as a pair of shoes, a particular type of jacket, or simply just a misinterpreted look. I believe that more strict handgun regulations are a must in today's society. I'm not saying that we have to ban handguns, but we have to take legislative measures in order to limit the possibility of handguns falling into the hands or youths. Peter Annin and Tom Morganthau state that according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Report, murders committed by persons under the age of eighteen who were arrested jumped from 1,193 in 1985 to 2982 in 1994. [1] This report shows a substantial increase in the number of killings by people who are under the age of eighteen. Most of these people are often participants in gangs and involved with drugs. Many of these people find that guns are a much easier method to defeat his or her opponent in a quarrel. This problem is made worse by the increasing availability of guns. Residents of gang-ridden areas are afraid to leave their homes for fear that their children or themselves might fall victim to a gunshot. I believe that many people feel we need tighter control over the sale of handguns while many others believe that we shouldn't. Many people say that it is a right to own firearms and handguns in this country because it is guaranteed by the second amendment of the United States Constitution. The second amendment states, â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† First of all, very few states today in the U. S. have militias because we have the five branches of the U.S. Military, the Army, Navy, Marines, Airforce, and Coast Guard. The military provides this country with enough support to fend off any war levying or belligerent nations. That is the military's obligatory purpose today. There is no necessity for a state-run military. The U.S. Military's purpose is to keep this land free. Second, the Bill of Rights was designed to protect the people from our government should it transcend to tyranny. These laws and rights were established in the period of colonial times when monarchies and dictatorships were commonplace in society. Today, they're just about non-existent except for subtle hints of them in communist governments which exist in areas such as the People's Republic of China. We have no need to protect ourselves from the possibility of a dictatorial government materializing from our democracy because it is highly unlikely that this would occur. The United Nations, which the United States is a member of, would not allow this because their main function is to stop the spread of communism. We are not living in that era anymore and that is why I believe that guns aren't really needed that much by civilians.As I mentioned before, I'm not suggest ing that we, the people, totally ban guns. Firearms and handguns still have their recreational purpose in society. For a lot of people, the sport of hunting wild game is an enjoyable pastime and tradition that has been passed down through the ages. People have always hunted. From Paleolithic man to the Middle Ages and to the present, hunting has and provides us with food even though that same food can be purchased at the local supermarket. Other activities such as target shooting and enrollment in gun clubs are also enjoyable. They are sports, just like any other sports, that give men and women a sense of pride and satisfaction that fulfills the primitive instinct of competition in our minds.Another important argument among civilians of the country is that if more restrictions on firearms and handguns are passed, this would gradually lead to a total ban on all guns sometime in the future. In an article written by Robert J. Blendon, John T. Young, and David Hemenway, they include a G allup/CNN/USA Today poll which shows how gun owners, non-owners, and the nation as a whole were surveyed. Sixty-five percent of all people, including owners of guns and non-owners, believe that stricter legislation would gradually lead to a total ban on all guns. In addition, a majority of gun owners, approximately fifty-five percent, believe that these laws would violate the second amendment of the U. S. Constitution while non-owners don not believe this. The survey was asking about how stricter laws would reduce certain aspects related to guns. The national figure is sixty-nine percent for those who believe that stricter laws would reduce the number of people killed by guns in arguments. Sixty-eight percent of the nation believe that laws would reduce the number of accidental deaths and suicides attributed to guns. Fifty-eight percent of the nation agrees that more laws would reduce violent crime. However, in both cases of owners and non-owners, the difference of agreement is over twenty percentage points in favor of non-gun owners. [2] I certainly agree that stricter legislation would definitely reduce the number of gun-related deaths and that if handguns were restricted from the hands of minors and criminals, the rate and recidivism rate, the rate of repeat offenders, of violent crime would be reduced. I believe that we need more strict laws to curb some of the violent crime that is being committed by America's youth. I also believe that the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) will not let the government ban all firearms since the NRA is the biggest lobbyist in the gun control debate today because it has so many active members. Finally, most people feel that they need handguns for protection of their property and themselves. I believe that protection of your own property, such as you home, is perfectly fine, but if you carry a gun around for protection, that can become dangerous. For example, gang members who carry guns are an enormous threat to ot hers. If someone should irritate or annoy them, they might possibly resort to using his or her gun on that person. Innocent children and bystanders could fall victim to a stray bullet. Minor arguments could erupt into bloodshed on the street corner or in a dark alleyway. Other people are also a possible threat, especially to police officers. If for some reason, a gun-toting civilian was pulled over for a traffic violation, that person could decide to shoot that police officer in an attempt to get away. This would cause major problems in society. Another thing is that people under the influence of drugs or alcohol might use their guns on somebody without reason because of impaired reasoning and judgment associated with inebriation. Now I'm not saying every person would be and is like that, but there are some people that are. I believe that this presents a danger to society and why handgun access and sales should be restricted. I believe that we need tougher legislation on handguns. C itizens should be registered for each and every gun he or she owns and that they should be obligated to pay a high fee for that registration. Also, juveniles and convicted felons that have already served time should not be permitted to purchase or possess and handgun. I believe that if someone who has purchased a handgun, should be required by federal law to take a safety and training course in order to lawfully possess a handgun. This course would be directed by the federal government and would ensure that a handgun purchaser's record would be checked out. This country should have tougher laws in order to restrict handgun access and sale. I'm not saying this will work, but it will be a step forward in the direction of effective gun control. If we and the government can work together on it, we can slowly minimize the problem and keep guns out of the wrong hands. Bibliography [1] Annin, Peter; Morganthau, Tom. â€Å"The lull before the storm?† Newsweek 4 December 1995 [2] Blendon, Robert J.; Hemenway, David; Young, John T. â€Å"The American public and the gun control debate† The Journal of the American Medical Association 12 June 1996 [3]  Historical Perspective:  http://essaylab.com/blog/gun-control

Development, an Impetus to Urbanization Essay

New ways of thinking about government, science, economics, and religion had brought many changes to America by the eighteenth century. Concern for individual freedoms became so strong that it led to revolution in many lands. In Britain’s American colonies, revolution brought the establishment of a new nation, the United States. In the spring of 1775 few Americans, angry as they were, favored separation from Britain. Support for independence grew over the next six months as fighting continued and the colonists debated the issue. The Americans had declared their independence but still had to win it. They had capable leaders and were strengthened by their dedication to the cause of liberty. The Americans emerged victorious from the Revolutionary War and adopted a plan of government that became a model for other nations (Hinkle, 1994). Since then, modernization and urbanization became the twin paradigms of â€Å"pop culture† from that point on in America. For approximately two hundred years, people in the United States have been wandering towards the fringes in the hunt for reasonably priced domestic shelter, rural community conviviality, and well-preserved and intact nature only to learn that their verdant new neighborhoods are a component of the emergent metropolitan stretch. Modernization describes the process by which a society moves from traditional or pre-industrial social and economic arrangements to those characteristics of industrial societies. Implicit in the notion of modernization is the assumption that there is basically one predominant course of development, namely industrialization and urbanization which were followed by America (Todaro, 1981). This capitalistic and industrially advanced commerce became the impetus of urbanization in America. The relocation of the new technologies furnished the United States its first manufacturing plants, large-scale mills that incorporated spinning and knitting technology in a single factory. As workers drifted into the metropolis in the hunt for employment in the factories, the factory scheme was mainly accountable for the materialization of the urbanized city (Harris and Todaro, 1970). The development of dramatic socioeconomic modifications brought about when wide-ranging automation of assembly systems led to a swing from domestic hand manufacturing to across-the-board factory manufacture. The Industrial Revolution has transformed the visage of nations, creating metropolitan centers involving substantial urban services (Brody, 1989). Viewed in this manner, modernization entails a pattern of convergence as societies become increasingly and inevitably urban, industry comes to overshadow agriculture, the division of capitalistic labor becomes more specialized, colonialism gained a new meaning, and the size and density of the population increase with immigrants coming in from every point in the world (Cohen, 2004). Initially, inhabitants have sought commune, dwelling, and conserved environment in suburbia. People have continuously hankered after sighting their conurbations as human constructions built as one piece. Developers have taken pleasure in a range of imaginings, aiming for revenues from economies of scale and enlarged suburban crowdedness, while swaying opinion on municipal and federal administration to diminish the peril of real estate conjecture (Loomis and Beegle, 1950). Enclosing all environmental hullabaloos in addition to the intricacies of social stratum, ethnicity, and sexual category, several speculate how we mull over the communes Americans construct and make their homes in (Newman, 2006). It is apparent that population size and composition have a great composition have a great many ramifications for all phases of social life. The distribution of a population in space also assumes critical significance. The â€Å"where† may be an area as large as a continent or as small as a city block. Between these extremes are world regions, nations, national regions, states, cities and rural areas. Changes in the number and proportion of people living in various areas are the cumulative effect of differences in fertility, mortality, and net migration (Walls, 2004). One of the most significant developments in human history has been the development of cities. Although many of us take cities for granted, they are one of the most striking features of our modern era. A city is a relatively dense and permanent concentration of people who secure their livelihood chiefly through non-agricultural activities. The influence of the urban mode of life extends far beyond the immediate confines of a city’s boundaries. Many of the characteristics of modern societies, including problems, derive from an urban existence (Cohen, 2004). Urbanization has proceeded quite rapidly during the past two centuries. In 1800 there were fewer than fifty cities in the world with 100,000 or more population. And by 1900, only one in twenty earthlings lived in a city with a population of at least 100,000. Today. One in five people lives in a center with at least 100,000 people (Montgomery, et al. , 2004). Several of the spatial standards and social prospects of the 1800s and early 1900s hang about up till now, layers entwined in protocols, recollection, and experience, in addition to the metaphors of popular culture and the proclamations of draftsmen and urban developers. In the first part of the 1800s, inhabitants, pattern book authors, and engineers created long-term principles of quixotic houses established in picturesque landscape peopled by elite, private neighborhoods (Loomis and Beegle, 1950). Prevalent since the 1840s, the philosophy of female domesticity was married to a trend of mannish home occupancy, stretched out to subsume plebeian males three decades later. Communitarian activities started to have some bearing on draftsmen, landscapers, and engineers, a class of reformers on the up understood they may possibly fashion a transformative societal construction at the outer reaches of the metropolis (Kivisto, 2001). Picturesque enclaves began round about 1850. All over this time, the American suburban abode had turned out to be a private utopia, taking the place of the archetypal town which had taken on a range of Americans’ hopes a thousand years earlier (Satterthwaite, 2005). Nevertheless, it is time to revamp every layer in the discrete metropolitan terrain, and contemplate how to take in hand each variety, keeping in mind that property holder subsidies, developer subventions, and metropolitan services have been dispersed disproportionately over the decades and certain greater impartiality is looked-for. The long-standing enclaves may necessitate conservation, but aid should be rendered in exchange for communal access and construal of their privileged parks and natural terrains (Harris and Fabricius, 1996). New-fangled proposals for picturesque enclaves, such as Llewellyn Park, New Jersey, laid emphasis to communal open area and advanced joint public life (Satterthwaite, 2005). One communitarian community in Mount Vernon, New York, exerted a pull on roughly three-hundred families by putting forward fortification against the biased power and weight of capital; others urbanized model settlements to advance women’s repute through collective services and industrial sustenance (Alexander, et al. , 2004). Most early urban communities were city-states, and many modern nations have evolved from them. Even where the nation became large in both size and land area, the city has remained the focus for political and economic activities, and the core and magnet of much social life. To people of other nations, the city often represents the nation, and this tradition survives in the modern use of a city, such as Washington, London, and Moscow, as a synonym for a nation (Beauchemin and Bocquier, 2004). Industrial-urban centers typically been geographically scattered, and although dominating their hinterlands, have had only tenuous economic and social relations with them. More recently, metropolitan cities have emerged. This phase in urban development does not represent a sharp break with the industrial-urban tradition, but rather a widening and deepening of urban influences in every area of social life. Increasingly cities have become woven into an integrated network (Cohen, 2004). The technological base for the metropolitan phase of urbanism is found in the tremendous increase in the application of science to industry, the widespread use of electric power (freeing industry from the limitations associated with steam and belt-and-pulley modes of power), and the advent of modern forms of transportation (the automobile and rapid transit systems have released cities from the limitations associated with foot and hoof travel, which had more or less restricted growth to a radius of 3 miles from the center) (Todaro, 1981). Steam and belt-and-pulley power techniques had produced great congestion in urban areas by the beginning of the twentieth century. But a number of factors have increasingly come to the foreground and bucked earlier centripetal pressures, including rising city taxes, increased land values, traffic and transportation problems, and decaying and obsolescent inner zones. These and other forces have accelerated the centrifugal movement made technologically possible by electric power, rapid transit, the automobile, and the telephone (Harris, 1988). The result has been the development of satellite and suburban areas, broad, ballooning urban lands linked by beltways that constitute cities in their own right. In population, jobs, investment, construction, and chopping facilities, they rival the old inner cities. They are the sites of industrial plants, corporate offices and office towers, fine stores, independent newspapers, theaters, restaurants, superhotels, and big-league stadiums (Montgomery, et al. , 2004). A good deal of the sociological enterprise is directed toward identifying recurrent and stable patterns in people’s social interactions and relationships. In like fashion, sociologists are interested in understanding how people order their relationship and conduct their activities in space. They provide a number of models that attempt to capture the ecological patterns and structures of city growth (Newman, 2006). In the period between World Wars I and II, sociologists at the University of Chicago viewed Chicago as a social laboratory and subjected it to intensive study. The concentric circle model enjoyed a prominent place in much of this work. The Chicago group held that the modern city assumes a pattern of concentric circles, each with distinctive characteristics. At the center of the city, the central business district, are retail stores, financial institutions, hotels, theaters, and businesses that cater to the needs of downtown shoppers. Surrounding the central business district is an area of residential deterioration caused by the encroachment of business and industry, the zone in transition (Loomis and Beegle, 1950). In earlier days, thee neighborhoods had contained the pretentious homes of wealthy and prominent citizens. In later years they became slum areas and havens for marginal business establishments (pawnshops, secondhand stores, and modest taverns and restaurants). The zone in transition shades into the zone of workingmen’s homes that contain two-flats, old single dwellings, and inexpensive apartments inhabited largely by blue-collar workers. Beyond the zone occupied by the working class are residential zones composed primarily of small business proprietors, professional people, and managerial personnel. Finally, out beyond the area containing the more affluent neighborhoods is a ring of encircling small cities, towns, and hamlets, the commuters’ zone (Harris and Fabricius, 1996). The Chicago group viewed these zones as ideal types, since in practice no city conforms entirely to the scheme. For instance, Chicago borders on Lake Michigan, so that a concentric semicircular rather than a circular arrangement holds. Moreover, critics point out that the approach is less descriptive of today’s cities than cities at the turn of the twentieth century. And apparently some cities such as New Haven have never approximated the concentric circle patterns. Likewise, cities in Latin America, Asia, and Africa exhibit less specialization in land use than do those in the United States (Montgomery, et al. , 2004). Homer Hoyt has portrayed large cities as made up of a number of sectors rather than concentric circles, the sector model. Low-rent districts often assume a wedge shape and extend from the center of the city to its periphery. In contrast, as a city grows, high-rent areas move outward, although remaining in the same sector. Districts within a sector that are abandoned by upper-income groups become obsolete and deteriorate (Satterthwaite, 2005). Thus, rather than forming a concentric zone around the periphery of the city, Hoyt contends that the high-rent areas typically locate on the outer edge of a few sectors. Furthermore, industrial areas evolve along river valleys, watercourses, and railroad lines, rather than forming a concentric circle around the central business district. But like the concentric circle model, the sector model does not fit a good many urban communities, including Boston (Loomis and Beegle, 1950). Another model, the multiple nuclei model, depicts the city as having not one center, but several. Each center specializes in some activity and gives its distinctive cast to the surrounding area. For example, the downtown business district has as its focus commercial and financial activities. Other centers include the bright lights (theater and recreation) area, automobile row, a government center, a whole-sailing center, a heavy manufacturing district, and a medical complex. Multiple centers evolve for a number of reasons (Loomis and Beegle, 1950). First, certain activities require specialized facilities, for instance, the retail district needs to be accessible to all parts of the city; the port district requires suitable waterfront; and a manufacturing district dictates that a large block of land be available near water or rail connections. Second, similar activities often benefit from being clustered together. For instance, a retail district profits by drawing customers for a variety of shops. Third, dissimilar activities are often antagonistic to one another. For example, affluent residential development tends to be incompatible with industrial development (Dentler, 2002). And finally, some activities cannot afford high-rent areas and hence locate in low-rent districts; for instance, bulk wholesaling and storage. The multiple nuclei model is less helpful in discovering universal spatial patterns in all cities than in describing the unique patterns peculiar to particular communities (Todaro, 1981). Structure-function approaches help us to partition social life into discrete structures, including statuses and neighborhoods. They allow us to place a handle on the fluid quality of life so that we may grasp, describe, and analyze it, making it understandable and intelligible. But as many conflict and symbolic interactionist theorists emphasize, the dichotomy between structure and process gives birth to problems that are frequently unnecessary. For one thing, the dichotomy produces difficulty in handling change. Indeed, the word change itself is saturated with certain non-process connotations, implying a shift from one static and relatively stable to another (Loomis and Beegle, 1950). Most of the some of the United States are not necessarily one hundred per cent Americans. This is the result of the continuous social change that has taken place in the metropolitan cities over the past decades. Some cities have especially undergone a vivid transition from rural community to a modern suburb. Language, culture, religion, and ethnic heritage reinforce people’s sense of belonging. These are the bonds out of which will be created new communities. Some people insist that the forces that are making the world into a single economy have separated people from longstanding identities and have, at the same time, weakened nation-state (Davies, 2005). The everyday life of the rural people is uncomplicated and less complex than that of the urban inhabitants, and the rural resident are inclined to keep more of the speech patterns and traditions of their characteristic racial backgrounds (Cohen, 2004). A foremost setback in living in a highly developed city is the high cost of living, owing largely to the continent’s empowered economy (Dentler, 2002). Once, most part of the continent had heavily relied on imports. Transportation expenses were incorporated in the prices of the majority of consumer merchandise. As the residents number rise, housing grows more and more hard to obtain, and it is excessively high-priced when proportionate to housing costs in several of the mainland states. Building materials, nearly all of which are brought in from outside the country, are costly. Residential settlement is limited and expensive, given that much of the land is in possession of corporations and trusts (Harris and Todaro, 1970). Pains have been taken through legislation to correct this state of affairs. Thoroughly-designed housing situated in communities, in which the single-family home yield to high-rise, high-density houses and townhouses and apartment complexes, has become one solution to the lack and cost related to urban housing (Hayden, 2004). Urban settlement some time ago comprised more or less completely of single-family quarters, individual business buildings and stores, small bazaars, and three- or four-story inns. With the upsurge of inhabitants and vacationers since the early part of the 20th century, on the other hand, American states have built increasingly high-rise apartment building houses, hotels, and commercial establishments, with the conventional individual shopkeepers becoming wrapped up into the sets of buildings of shopping centers and supermarkets (Loomis and Beegle, 1950). Urban cities are where the majority of Americans reside at the present. It is the governing American edifying landscape, amalgamating esteemed natural and manufactured ecosystems, lots and single domestic houses. Urban cities are where a massive space of profit-making and residential landed property are bankrolled and erected. It is the locality of most of the charitable toil of fostering and parenting, mirroring both societal and ecological customs. Lastly, urbanized cities are where the large American body of voters live today (Alexander, et al. , 2004). References Alexander, Jeffrey C. , Gary T. Marx, and Christine L. Williams. (2004). Self, Social Structure, and Beliefs: Explorations in Sociology. University of California Press. Beauchemin, Cris and Philippe Bocquier, 2004, â€Å"Migration and Urbanization in Francophone West. Brody, David, 1989, â€Å"Labor History, Industrial Relations, and the Crisis of American Labor. † Industrial & Labor Relations Review. Cohen, Barney, 2004, â€Å"Urban Growth In Developing Countries: A Review Of Current Trends And A Caution Regarding Existing Forecasts†, World Development, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 23-51. Davies, Adam, 2005, â€Å"Migration, Development And Poverty. Towards And New Framework Of Impact Assessment†, Unpublished Dissertation, MSc Development Administration and Planning, Development Planning Unit, UCL, London. Dentler, Robert A. , 2002, Practicing Sociology: Selected Fields. Praeger. Harris, John R. and Michael P. Todaro, 1970, â€Å"Migration, Unemployment And Development: A Two-Sector Analysis†, The American Economic Review, Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 126-142. Harris, Nigel, 1988, â€Å"Economic Development and Urbanization †, Habitat International, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 5-15. Harris, Nigel and Ida Fabricius (eds. ), 1996, Cities and Structural Adjustment, UCL Press, London. Hayden, Dolores, 2004, Building Suburbia: Green Fields and Urban Growth, 1820-2000. Vintage Books. Hinkle, Gisela J. , 1994, The Development of Modern Sociology: Its Nature and Growth in the United States. Random House. Kivisto, Peter, 2001, Illuminating Social Life. California: Pine Forge Press. Loomis, Charles P. , and J. Allan Beegle, 1950, Urban Social Systems: A Textbook in Urban Sociology and Anthropology. Prentice Hall. Montgomery, Mark R. et al. , 2004, Cities Transformed. Demographic Change and its Implications in the Developing World, Earthscan, London. Newman, Peter, 2006, â€Å"The Environmental Impact Of Cities†, Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 275-295. Satterthwaite, David, 2005, â€Å"The Scale Of Urban Change Worldwide 1950-2000 And Its Underpinnings†, Human Settlements Discussion Paper Series Urban Change No. 1, IIED, London. Todaro, M. , 1981, â€Å"Rural To Urban Migration: Theory And Policy†, in Todaro, M. , Economics for a Developing World, Macmillan, London. Walls, Michael, 2004, â€Å"Facts And Figures On Rural And Urban Change†, Report to DFID, Development Planning Unit, UCL.

Compare and contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Compare and contrast - Essay Example Some studies have argued that the nutritional value of both fresh and frozen food is the same, and in some cases, can be higher for frozen/canned foods. This is exactly what has been suggested by a research conducted in 1997 by the concerned department in one of the American universities. Furthermore, research has concluded that canned pumpkins may provide 540% of Vitamin A versus 26% for the same amount of fresh pumpkins (Squires, 1997). Similarly, canned poultry and fish, which are high in protein content, remain unaffected by heat and, therefore, possess the same nutritional value as that of their fresh counterparts. In fact, the canning process ensures higher calcium content in canned poultry and fish than otherwise. On the other hand, differences in nutritional value between fresh and canned produce have been observed. This is because of the time at which the food is picked. Fresh food (including fruits and vegetables) contains highest nutritional value when purchased in season. Grocery stores often indulge in the practice of picking fresh produce before it is fully ripe. On the contrary, food picked for canning is often fully ripe. Thereafter, the heating process during the canning process destroys the vitamins resulting is lower nutritional value (Rinzler, 2011). According to one study, the amount of carotenoids (convertible into Vitamin A by human body) is depleted by the heating process in canned foods (Edwards & Lee, 1986). Furthermore, the use of chemical preservatives to prolong the shelf life of canned foods can prove to be highly unhealthy, yet deceptive. This is because, while the food may â€Å"appear† to be fresh, it may have become toxic or stale by being kept that way for a long time. I have personally experienced this when using a can of mushrooms where the mushrooms ‘appeared’ fresh but gave me food poisoning the next day of consuming it. Next, there exists controversy related to the cost of canned vs. fresh food. Most p eople seem to believe that canned food is more costly than fresh food. This is true, to some extent, because canned food costs groceries more to purchase compared to fresh foods (Price, 2012). Therefore, these high costs of purchase may be passed on to customers as high prices. Furthermore, the higher costs of canned food reflect the added convenience that people purchase when they pay a higher price for such food. Canned food can technically be bought at any grocery store or supermarket and may be ready to consume, requiring no prior preparations. The lower costs of fresh food are attributed to the lower convenience attached to such food as fresh food, including fruits and vegetables, may have to be cleaned, washed or prepared prior to consuming it. Owing to the convenience (no prior preparation required) offered by canned foods, it is no wonder that the working class has been drawn towards them in their busy routines (Strasser, McGovern, & Judt, 1998). On the contrary, there are s ufficient reasons to suggest that fresh and organic food costs significantly more than canned food. The term â€Å"organic† has given a new meaning to what was previously known as ‘fresh’ food. This label has increased the cost of the food possessing the label as organic produce, unlike canned and processed food, is usually free from harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides (Ricke, Loo, & Johnson, 2012). Most

What is the connection between religious doctrine and social ethics in Essay

What is the connection between religious doctrine and social ethics in the Quran - Essay Example Islam requires its followers to behave in a certain way that is also supported by the Quran. The social ethics that guide a Muslim is deeply connected to the Quran. There are several ways that social ethics guides a Muslim in the way that is stipulated by the Quran. As a matter of fact Allah expects Muslims to behave in a certain way as he had already made a covenant with the father of all mankind Adam as seen in mithaq sura 7: 171. In (sura 13:11; 8:53) the sura says, â€Å"God does not change the condition of a people until they change that which is in themselves†. First, social ethics emphasizes that a believer should believe in shahada. This means that â€Å"There is only one God and Muhammad is His messenger† (Rippin, 3). This social ethics intends to make a person walk in faith and believe in only one God. This eliminates the worship of idols and other false Gods because God does not want this and the Quran also states it clearly. Worshipping of idols is frowned u pon in the society as people believe in the sovereignty of God and his immense powers thus are expected to believe in Him and Him alone. Secondly, the Quran states in sura 3:104, 110 about hisba or social responsibility (Pickthall, 500). This means that human beings are made to â€Å"command what is right and forbid what is wrong†. This is what is also expected socially in the community since it is said that god gave human beings the ability, power and control to choose to do what is right and control themselves from doing what is wrong. Bad behaviors are looked down upon in the society and good behavior is praised. This means that even the society knows that human beings posses hisba. Thirdly, the Quran states that people must believe and perform salat (Ayoub, 2). Salat is the expression of a believer’s obedience, devotion and submission to God. Salat in short is prayer and people are expected to believe in prayers. Prayers are said to be the cornerstone of

Final project PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final project - PowerPoint Presentation Example al structure is the separation or combination of missions or activities consisting of speculations and anecdote as to the most effective way of organizing the health agencies and the environment in terms of the outcomes (Sinclair, & Whitford, 2013). There are three general ways of identifying and categorizing health agency structures in every state. First, there is the combined health and environmental agency model, where the agency is at the cabinet level, with one policy leader overseeing both environmental and health functions. Second, there is an independent health agency located at the cabinet level with a policy leader reporting to the governor directly. Third is the health super agency model which additional functions. For a public health organization, this may include healthcare funding. The enforcement of law is the primary means by which the government creates conditions for safer and healthier lives for all people. The law is responsible for creation of missions for public health officials, assignment of their functions and exercises manner of exercising their power. The law also influences norms for healthy behavior, identify and respond to threats relating to health and setting health standards. The public health ethics are concerned with the ethical dimensions of professionalism and the moral trust bestowed on public health professionals by the society (Gostin, 2010). Resources like funding will be required to embrace the community’s definition of population health. To achieve the population health goals, the Accountable Care Organizations (ACA) will need to identify the financial resources required. The demonstration grants provided may help to fund the fee-for-service structure currently used but it is barely enough to sustain it. Therefore, the nonprofit hospitals have to provide support for the community programs. With passage of the ACA, the U.S. has had to result to improving the health care’s quality while decreasing the costs