Monday, September 30, 2019

The Tequesta Tribe

The Tequesta was a small, peaceful native American tribe. They were the first tribe in south Florida and they lived in Biscayne bay which is now present day Miami dade county and half of Broward county they also had some small island in the Miami keys. They built many villages at the mouth of the Miami River and along the coastal islands. The chief lived in the main village at the mouth of the Miami River. The Tequesta lived in Huts. like many other tribes in Florida the houses were built with wooden posts, raised floors, and roofs thatched with palmetto leaves. uring the year the main village relocated to barrier islands or to the Florida Keys during mosquito season which lasted about three months. They wore light clothing The men wore a sort of loincloth made from deer hide while the women wore skirts of spainsh or plant fibers hanging from a belt. The Tequesta native American tribe were hunters and gatherers. They relied mainly on fish, shellfish, nuts, and berries for food. The m en caught sharks, sailfish, sea cows which is a manatee. TheTequesta men also consumed cassina known by the black drink which drunk on important rituals. while the women and children gathered clams, conchs, oysters, and turtle eggs in the shallow waters. The manatee was considered a delicacy and served mainly to the chiefs and other important leaders. In the Everglades, they hunted bear, deer, wild boar, and small mammals. The Tequesta used shells and sharks' teeth for a variety of tools. These included hammers, chisels, fishhooks, drinking cups, and spearheads.Sharks' teeth were used to carve out logs to make canoes The Tequesta language may have been closely related to the language of the calusa of the southwest Florida coast and the Mayamis who lived around lake okeechobee in the middle of the lower Florida peninsula. The Tequesta were once thought to be related to the Taino, the Arawakin people of the Antilles. The Tequestas had many weird customs such as: when they bury their c hiefs, they buryed the smallbones with the body and put the large bones in a box for the village people to adore and hold as heir gods. They also stripped the flesh from the bone, burned the flesh and then gave the cleaned bones to the dead chief's relatives, with the larger bones going to the closest person. The miami circle is the site of a known Tequesta village south of the mouth of the Miami River . Ithas of 24 large holes or basins, and many smaller holes, which have been cut into bedrock. Together these holes form a circle approximately 38 feet in diameter. Other arrangements of holes are apparent as well.The Circle was discovered during an archeological survey of a site being cleared for construction of a high-rise building. Charcoal samples collected in the circle have been radiocarbon dated to approximately 1,900 years ago. The tequesta were second in power among the small tribes of Florida’s southeast coast. To the northwere the Jeaga and Jobe, and to the west and southwest were the powerful Calusa. According to historians of the early 20th century the chief of the Tequesta was related to the chief of the Calusa.The first record of European contact with the Tequesta was in 1513, by Juan Ponce de Leon when he discovered florida's coast. During the 1500s, Europeans began arriving in Florida. At first the Tequesta did not welcome these new visitors. But before long, the Europeans won their friendship by bribing them by bringing gifts of colored cloth, knives, and rum. The Tequesta numbered about 800, but they started to die out as a result of settlement battles, slavery, and disease. By the 1800s the Tequesta tribe had only a few survivors.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Racism in the African-American Community Essay

Abstract Racism is today perceived as a social and baseless evil that tries to undermine certain individuals based on their skin color. It is entirely evident that the U. S. still suffers from some traces of racism, but surprisingly, a big majority of these cases come from the African-American communities. While many people hold the opinion that the African-Americans are the ones that are always on the receiving end, new polls reveal that they are the ones who show more racist behavior than the whites. This paper addresses some of the reasons that lead to racism among the African-American communities and also outlines how this transition slowly came into place after the advent of the 20th century. Additionally, this paper covers the consequences of this menace and its impact on the kind of peace that is present in today’s free states. Ultimately, this text tries to draw a line on the distinctive barrier between what African-Americans call racism and how Americans perceive the same social evil. It also explains why racism by itself is baseless and bears no meaning to the parties involved. RACISM 3 Racism in the African-American Community Racism is a social evil that came as a result of slavery that began in the United States immediately after English colonists inhabited Virginia and remained there until the Thirteenth Amendment to the constitution of the U. S. was passed in 1865. During the 90’s more African-Americans underwent oppression from the Americans as the peak of racism was evident during these years more than ever. However, recent polls from Rasmussen reveal an entirely different perspective of the current racism situation in America. The report by Rasmussen indicated that many Americans believe that blacks are indeed more racist than Caucasians. Additionally, the report stated that a huge percent of African-Americans believe that more blacks are indeed racist than whites, and this is backed up by Norton (2011). This report, however, ended up being skewered and mocked by some people as they saw it to be untrue. This calls for a serious assessment into what is the main cause of this drift into racism in the African-American community and how this will impact people’s relationship. Also, it pushes for the need to better understand how racism itself managed to stay alive through the years despite the fact that such practices were long left behind in the recent years. Reasons for Racism Clearly, the deep trail of racism in African-Americans can be coined from the fact that blacks first faced oppression from the whites and this is what led to the ill-bred feeling among African-Americans. However, there are up to three more reasons why African-Americans are turning out to be more racist than Caucasians. These happen to be the most flagrant and thus top the list when it comes to the factors that result into racism. RACISM 4 First, racism in the African-American community may merely be as a result of different stereotypes. The media is also responsible for fueling this kind of attitude towards African-Americans since it is through televisions, radios, and the internet that most people discover the underlying menace. Ornelas et al. (2009) maintain that whenever young African-Americans are exposed to certain stereotypes, they tend to mimic most of these traits and in turn become negative towards people from other races. In fact, most of these stereotypes are surprisingly among the influential African Americans in the country. During the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Junior’s historic speech, black activists displayed exactly this kind of behavior. This was evident through Martin Luther King III who used this opportunity to stir up racial hatred instead of honoring the work of his father. Another reason for the prevalence of racism amongst the African-American community is the unfamiliarity that is present among newborns and how they are treated in the real world. This is probably the main reason why African-Americans are slowly displaying racist behavior (Okazaki, 2009). However, this doesn’t always happen, but only after the innocent party has been brainwashed by negative stereotypes. A workaround for this is to ensure that children are exposed to people from different races at a young age so that they could get used to being around people who they deem different. This additionally helps in counterbalancing any negative and untrue stereotypes that may present themselves in the future. Selfishness, coupled with pain and anger, is also another valid reason why racism is on the rise among African-Americans (Lambert, 2009). Selfishness may have depicted itself among white people in the past, however, the case is different today. The sad truth is that this selfishness led to the creation of negative stereotypes that ultimately led to a new line of different-minded persons (Martin, 2011). Also, selfishness comes in when an African-American would feel more RACISM 5 compelled to spend more time around people of the same skin color because they he/she may have been exposed only to African-Americans during childhood age. Selfishness coupled with rage for the people who inflicted pain on their forefathers leads to hatred that is directed to white people. Why Racism among African-Americans Will Not End Soon Recently, renowned television icon Oprah Winfrey stepped up to state that racism will only end when old racists perish (Newsbusters. org, 2014). While this sounds logical from one perspective, it fails to address the fact that these stereotypes will never cease to exist any time soon. In most cases, racists will always give birth to racists and the cycle is perpetual. Therefore, despite attempts to curb racism in the African-American community, this menace is still too far from being over as new racists will always come back to replace their mothers and fathers. It is also worth noting that this doesn’t only happen among the African-Americans, but also among the whites as well. Another reason why racism among the African-Americans is far from being over is because they are seen to put so much emphasis on themselves whenever the word â€Å"racism† is mentioned. During the same interview that was conducted by BBC Friday, Winfrey’s comment â€Å"Are there places where people still get terrorized just because of the color of their black skin color? † further showed how most people only view racism in the eyes of how blacks are treated. Looking at the problem this narrowly makes it more difficult to end the menace as the racism chain won’t end if everyone simply defended their skin colors (Bonilla-Silva, 2010). In sum, it can be seen that racism in the African-American community can only be contained but certainly not dealt away with within a year. RACISM 6 How Racism Can Be Contained The fact that racism is not ending in the near future doesn’t necessarily mean that nothing can be done about it. It will certainly take years for the world to heal from this habit, but there are small but significant ways of ensuring that racism slowly fades away in the African-American communities. The first is by educating young African-Americans to reject any form of history of America that has elements of slavery in it (Shelby, 2009). By reminding the blacks about slavery may induce a feeling of resentment towards white people despite the fact that slavery ended decades ago. African Americans also bear the responsibility of desisting from using derisive words such as â€Å"nigger† or any variations associated to it (Cone, 2010). This is because when blacks utter these words, they also tend to inflict the same kind of attitude in people from other races. Additionally, African-Americans should cease supporting black-only institutions or media houses such as BET and Ebony magazine. Generally, anything that depicts the word â€Å"black† should be avoided since it strikes a line between how different Caucasians are from African-Americans, something that is not true (Boykin, 2012). Finally, African-Americans should learn to appreciate the art of decent dressing and totally avoid the use of Ebonics, an African-American slang that is widely used among black individuals. While this may seem far-fetched, it is one step away from ending racism since it shows that even African Americans are trying to fit in with the whites and simply not creating a larger barrier. Collaboration with law enforcement agencies will also be a huge step because this additionally shows that they too are concerned about the well-being of their neighbors and their security as well. RACISM 7 Consequences of Racism Should African-American racism persist, there are a number of things that could happen. Hatred between African-Americans and whites would cause a drift between them, and this could easily spread to people from other races as well. The levels of cooperation would plummet and at the end of the day, nothing would get done (Pieterse, 2010). Other than stirred levels of cooperation, it is likely that some people might get displaced from their homes especially when lands start being claimed by the original inhabitants of a place. Discrimination also leads to poor mental health. In 2009, a Cornwell News Study conducted a study on the effects of racism and results showed that poor mental health is possible and it comes as a result of chronic exposure to discrimination (Brondolo, 2009). Ultimately, there would be total havoc if racism were to have its way for there would be zero tolerance for someone with a different skin color regardless of that person’s character. Wars could easily erupt between black individuals and white individuals, and a drift will end up crippling collaboration between people and thus resulting to a sluggish economy. In summary, there is no place for racism today. It has proved to be a social evil that discriminates individuals based on their color rather than character. Racism, however is seen to come from three main factors which include: unfamiliarity among people of different outlooks, selfishness among people of different colors who only wish for their people to benefit, and the presence of certain stereotypes that are transfixed to the racial practice. It is also mandatory to acknowledge the fact that racism is not an evil that could possibly end overnight because certain individuals have inclined it to a specific group of people and not everyone in general. As such, there will always be complaints regarding racist behavior since most individuals are readily RACISM 8 prepared to cry out for their rights without considering that other people may be facing bigger challenges than them. One way of containing racism would be to ensure that the racist stereotype is dealt away with completely or segregated from children who could easily pick up the negative racist behavior from their elders. Additionally, African-Americans also have a big role to play in ending this discrimination since they seem to be creating a drift between black individuals and white individuals when they only support their brands such as the BET channel and the popular Ebony magazine. The consequences of racism in the African-American community are also grave as they can result to a much bigger drift between whites and blacks in which it would be easy for some people to be displaced from their homes and even be denied jobs. Possibilities of wars are also very high since there would be zero tolerance to a person who doesn’t respect another person just because of their skin color. RACISM 9 Annotated Bibliography Bonilla-Silva, E. (2010). Racism Without Racists: Color-blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States;[new Chapter on the Obama Phenomenon]. Rowman & Littlefield. In this book, Bonilla-Silva, E outlines how racism can persist without the presence or racists themselves. It shows the reality of racism in today’s world and explains the roots of racism and racial inequality in the United States with a lot of emphasis on U. S. president Barrack Obama and the challenges that are faced at the presidential level. Boykin, K. (2012). ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS (BLACK AND GAY IN AMERICA). Boykin, K explains the different challenges that blacks have to face when seeking their true identity in the U.S. and what life means for them in the U. S. The book goes further to explain how gay African-Americans find it challenging to fit in a world that already has more than enough hurdles to cross and enough reasons to make the weak quit. Brondolo, E. , ver Halen, N. B. , Pencille, M. , Beatty, D. , & Contrada, R. J. (2009). Coping with racism: A selective review of the literature and a theoretical and methodological critique. Journal of behavioral medicine, 32(1), 64-88. This book gives an overview on the way that African Americans try to cope with the kind of racism that they are subjected to in the U. S. It greatly focuses on the impact of this kind of discrimination on the African Americans and what this means for them. Brondolo, E also highlights key factors that cause this racism. Cone, J. H. (2010). A black theology of liberation. Orbis Books. Cone’s A black theology of liberation highlights the Christian-based perspective of oppressed blacks but mainly looks at the Cone’s own reflections on black theology. The book goes ahead to explain how racism can be ridded and it also looks at some of the roots of racism itself. Cone also relives the liberation process that led to the freedom of the blacks, but the book also highlights the hidden traces of racism that are still evident today. Lambert, S. F. , Herman, K. C. , Bynum, M. S. , & Ialongo, N. S. (2009). Perceptions of racism and depressive symptoms in African American adolescents: The role of perceived academic and social control. Journal of youth and adolescence, 38(4), 519-531. This book reviews some of the underlying factors that lead to depression in African American adolescents as a result of heavy subjection to discrimination from racism. The book also briefly touches on some of the causes of racism and explains how racism develops in young people and its impact as they become older. Martin, M. J. , McCarthy, B. , Conger, R. D. , Gibbons, F. X. , Simons, R. L. , Cutrona, C. E. , & Brody, G. H. (2011). The enduring significance of racism: Discrimination and delinquency among black American youth. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(3), 662-676. Martin, M. J. and other writers analyze the impacts of racism in the African American community and explains its significance in cultivating the kind of peace that is evident in today’s time. His main focus, however, lies in the discrimination of black American RACISM 10 youth by the whites and what this causes in the long run. He establishes how the negative stereotypes are formed as a result of the discrimination that the youths face. Newsbusters. org. (2014). Oprah: racists have to die for racism to end | newsbusters. org [online] Retrieved from: http://newsbusters. org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2013/11/15/oprah-racists-have-die-racism-end [Accessed: 8 Feb 2014]. This article outlines a transcript from an interview between Oprah Winfrey and BBC Friday regarding racism. In the article, Oprah is asked about her views on racism and various ways in which she thinks would put an end to the perpetual menace that has crippled our world today. The article also outlines an important factor that shows why racism won’t end soon, and how the African Americans are fueling the perpetuating racism act. Norton, M. I. , & Sommers, S. R. (2011). Whites see racism as a zero-sum game that they are now losing. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(3), 215-218. Norton, M. I. , & Sommers, S. R. reveal the truth behind what whites really perceive as racism today and the effects of racism in a world that has moved way ahead of racism. The two authors go further to explain why racism among the whites is baseless and bears no real truth or inner meaning other than the fact that it is a social evil that once existed in the past. Okazaki, S. (2009). Impact of racism on ethnic minority mental health. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 103-107. Okazaki explains the effects of racism on the mental health of the minority in the state. He also outlines some of the other non-health related mishaps that come as a result of social oppression. In his book, he states what would eventually happen if racism were to go on without showing any signs of ending soon. He however focuses on the effect this would have on the ethnic minority. Ornelas, I. J. , Amell, J. , Tran, A. N. , Royster, M. , Armstrong-Brown, J. , & Eng, E. (2009). Understanding African American men’s perceptions of racism, male gender socialization, and social capital through photovoice. Qualitative health research, 19(4), 552-565. This book tries to understand African American men’s perceptions of racism and the new trend of some African Americans feeling more racially discriminated than people of other races. It also highlights some of the reasons that lead to the prevalence of this notion among African Americans. Ornelas also explains why racism is a social evil that cannot be expelled overnight. Pieterse, A. L. , & Carter, R. T. (2010). The role of racial identity in perceived racism and psychological stress among Black American adults: Exploring traditional and alternative approaches. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 40(5), 1028-1053. Pieterse, along with Carter seek to understand how racism is perceived by African American individuals aged over 21 years. Their book also strives to find the deeper meaning as to why racism is a bigger matter than we thought of it. It also explains reasons why getting rid of racism would be a great feat. RACISM 11 Shelby, T. (2009). We who are dark: The philosophical foundations of black solidarity. Harvard University Press. We who are dark tries to relive the African American history in an attempt to unite blacks. It emphasizes on the importance of dealing away with racism and living in unity as one big family. Shelby’s book also highlights the key differences between the perceptions of both whites and blacks with regard to racism. It also shows us how history has helped in cultivating black solidarity.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Macro and Microeconimics, FDI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Macro and Microeconimics, FDI - Essay Example During the same time the world economy was confronted with severe economic crises, especially in the South East Asian countries and Latin America. Thus’ emerged the various criticisms regarding FDIs in developing and emerging nations. However, there have been concrete evidences about the positive effects of FDIs in countries like Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. New data from these countries suggest that FDIs have been successful in bringing about benefits to both the host economies as well as the workers in the foreign owned organizations. Africa, has been failing to exploit the advantage of foreign capital in way of not attracting FDIs Also one cannot ignore the fact that FDIs have been increasing worldwide and especially in the developing nations and that these countries have demonstrated greater growth in GDP since then. However, on the contrary the growth rate of developed nations have been comparatively lower than the developing nations abiding by the economic theory that cap ita accumulation is essential for the development of nations. The various reasons behind the contribution of FDIs in moving the developing economies towards growth would be discussed in this project. This is done by the provision of supporting evidence for the sane. Also in the present economic climate the pros and cons of implementing FDI barriers have also been analyzed in the project. Flow of global FDI in the developing and developed nations The recent economic crisis drew a lot of FDIs in the developing and emerging economies across the world. However, the impacts of FDIs have been different for different countries and regions and sectors. The economic crisis majorly affected the developed nations in the world and the FDI flows into the regions have also suffered a setback due to the sluggish market prospects. However, FDI flows into the developing nations continued to grow since 2008. But the rate had come down since the previous years as well. Researchers have put for the arg ument for this decline as an outcome of drawback of both the resource seeking and efficiency FDI aimed at being exported to the developed nations which were then going through a depression and the market seeking FDIs which aimed at serving the local markets have receded (UNCTAD, 2009, p.2). Since 1980 and 2000, the world has witnessed tremendous increase in FDI flows in various sectors and regions. According to recent statistics provided by the UNCTAD, the inward stock of FDI in the world was $0.8 trillion in 1990 while the figures were $1.95 trillion and $6.15 trillion in the years 1990 and 2000 respectively. Traditionally FDI was considered to be a phenomenon which was primarily associated with the highly developed economies of the world. Developed nations have always attracted highest shares of the foreign FDIs as compared to the developing nations. However, recently this tradition has undergone change. In recent years FDI flows in the developing nations have been greater than th e economically advanced nations. The average annual inflow of FDI in the developing countries was eight times more than the years between 1982 and 1987, and the years between 1994 and 1999. Consequently the developing countries attracted almost one-third of the entire flow of FDI in the worl

Friday, September 27, 2019

Snowfall and Rainfall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Snowfall and Rainfall - Essay Example The author of the paper states that rainfall may be defined as falling drops of water that is greater than 0.02 in diameter, precipitated by the process of condensation and falling in an area steadily over a period of time. Snowfall, on the other hand, may be defined as falling ice composed of complex hexagonal forms that are converted from water to ice directly by the process of deposition. Rainfall and snowfall may be differentiated based on the precipitation process, forms, temperature conditions, and atmospheric limitations.  Rainfall is a form of liquid precipitation unlike other forms of precipitation such as snow, hail or frost. When water on the earth surface is heated above the melting point, it gets evaporated and rises in the air as vapor. On reaching higher altitudes of the atmosphere, the vapor begins to cool down, resulting in precipitation. When these droplets of vapor which are dispersed in the atmosphere combine and accumulate, becoming heavy enough to fall, they c ause rain. In contrast to the precipitation of rainfall, snowfall occurs when the temperature is below freezing point. They take the form of crystalline structures that precipitate as snowflakes from the clouds. They can take different crystalline or granular forms and are usually soft in nature unless packed by external pressure. Snow crystals are formed from supercooled water droplets, that form an ice lattice around the water droplet, caused by very low temperatures.  Rain is the liquid form of H2O, while snow is a solidified form, which according to the definition, is a mineral of the homogeneous form of natural origin having an inorganic origin and definite chemical composition. Rain can take up forms that vary in the size of the water droplets or the pressure that accompanies it. The size of water droplets varies from 0.2 to 0.6, while the rate of water droplets can vary from 0.10 inch to 0.30 inch an hour which may be either light rain or heavy rain. (usatoday.com). Snowfal l can be classified into forms on the basis of the crystal structure that it precipitates into or the rate of accumulation. Snow can be in the form of flakes, crystals, grains or pellets.  

Thursday, September 26, 2019

MGMT 4420 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGMT 4420 - Essay Example It is good for Candlelight to upgrade the skills of the employees so that they will be able to improve their operations. I believe that it is necessary to do so because some employees will be relocated to other areas in the event that this competitor is acquired. Given such a situation, the interpersonal skills of the employees such as communication have to be improved so that they can express their ideas freely. This helps to reduce conflicts which can negatively affect their performance. I believe that the management of Candlelight, Inc should make an effort to include the ideas of talented employees when they make decisions that affect the operations of the organisation as a whole. Employees must be given the opportunity to contribute towards the decision making process so that they can feel as important to the organization. There will be more chances that their performance will improve if they have a sense of belonging to the organization. It can be noted that this strategy can promote organisational growth since their skills will be upgraded to meet the changes taking place in the business environment. On the other hand, the employees can have a common understanding of what will be expected of them in the organization. I am convinced that the human resources management have a big role to play when it comes to improving the performance of the employees. In this particular case, I would advise the leaders of Candlelight, Inc, to adopt the democratic participatory style since it gives all the employees an opportunity to contribute their ideas in the decisions made. As suggested by Carrel (376), if employees are treated as valuable assets to the organisation, they will put maximum effort in their operations which helps in improving their performance. I believe that constant development of the employees will improve their morale which is very

How do we identify trends in physical properties Ionic Compounds Lab Report

How do we identify trends in physical properties Ionic Compounds - Lab Report Example Ideally, the alkali metal or metals will donate an electron that will be added to the electron cloud of the halogen atom. At the molecular level, brittle crystals will form because the placement of ionic charges requires a precise positive/negative juxtapositioning. Physical deformation risks associating a positive with a positive and negative with a negative, generating repellant charges that cancel the bonding tendency, thus, the salt crystal shatters, whereas covalent bonds involving a more cooperative distribution of electrons are much more likely to withstand the same level of deformation. On the other hand, the structure of an ionic lattice tends towards a far higher melting and boiling point than for covalent forms. The heightened charges allow for electrical conductive when melted, but those same charges also allow for solubility in water or other polar liquids, but not in nonpolar liquids such as most lipid-based oils. SOLUBILITY OF IONIC COMPOUNDS IN WATER BASED ON CHARGES PRESENT Ionic compounds, typically salts dissolve easily in aqueous solution. Solubility is the result of an attraction between negative, and positive charges among the ions present. In simple sodium chloride the salt's positive ions (Na+) attract the partially-negative oxygens found in water. In addition, the salt's negative ions (Cl?) attract the partially-positive hydrogens in H2O. The Solubility constant (Ksp) and the common ion effect determine how much salt can potentially be dissolved within that solution. It is simply a matter of whether the ions in the water itself have a greater affinity for the ions in the compound than those ions do for each other. In general, the following rules provide a basis for predicting solubility: Ionic compounds with group 1A metal cations. Nitrates are soluble regardless of the cation. In terms of how soluble a given compound is, based on the available data, it is reasonable to assume that size; more to the point, atomic radii is a decisive fac tor. Moving down an elemental series on the periodic table, the larger atomic numbers appear to be less soluble in water. This is due to the larger sizes of atoms involved, in which the available charge that might be available to the ions in water is more â€Å"insulated† by the larger distances involved. Thus, with less charge within reach of either ion present in a molecule of water, the largest ions are less soluble. (Clark, 2002). Otherwise, the available data with the nine ions indicates an increase in conductivity as concentration throughout the solution increases. In terms of experimental design, graphs can be computed displaying the curve of each ion made as it increases in concentration and the accompanying increase in conductance. ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY BASED ON QUANTITY OF DISSOLVED IONS IN SOLUTIONS With an increase in the number of charged ions in an aqueous solution, electrical conductivity will certainly increase. When ionic compounds break down, they will dis solve into both negatively and positively charged ions, which are of course attracted to the oppositely charged electric particle or current. Covalent compounds will dissociate into neutral ions which will not conduct electricity and should therefore have no consequence for aqueous electrical conductivity. Therefore, there is an inevitable correlation between electrical conductance and the actual quantity of ions present in the water. In terms of

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Study of unethical business practices Research Paper

Study of unethical business practices - Research Paper Example Unethical means not following permitted standards of social or professional behavior. It is opposed to law or integrity or scruples. (The Free Dictionary by Farlex) WHAT IS MEANT BY "UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES" Unethical business practices are acts that are contrary to business ethics In today’s world, there is a need do business with an open eye, incessantly measuring & analyzing the consequences & impact of actions and decisions taken .This responsibility is seen to extend ahead of the legal obligation to comply with legislation and seeing organizations taking further initiatives to improve the quality and standard of life for employees and their families as well as for the society at large of their own accord. The companies that carry on are the ones that identify ethical issues and correct them before they become tribulations. Our behavior in the business world is determined by moral values and beliefs. These are the integral part of all the activities that are a part of our business; they are part of our dealings either with other business organizations or with a solitary customer and are embedded in the creation of an idea to its sale. While the goal of all business is to earn profits, it should contribute to the society by ensuring that ethical and just practices are followed. It is important to note that all unethical practices are not illegal, therefore the deciding factor for going for an act is the person’s own conscience. Unveiling of unethical behavior among co-workers actually examines one’s own values and ethical behaviors. After all, unethical behavior that is permissible by law comes in the grey area between what is right and what’s not. Therefore, it is always difficult to make a decision in such situations. Furthermore, perception of ethical and unethical varies from person to person. What is unethical for one person may not be so for someone else. For example, some people don’t consider the act of making long distance call on the company's expense as unethical. WHY ARE UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES COMMITTED? 1 Stress by the higher management: Pressure from managers is one of the prime reasons why people get involved in unethical practices. The managers in an attempt to achieve better profits for the organization often set targets that are unrealistic and unachievable for the employees. Target and goal setting is a tool that is used for motivating employees but in this case it is just a stress causing factor. Their targets and goals send the following message to their employees: "I want it done, no matter what". Subordinates due to such targets come under intense pressure to meet their targets because their better career prospects rely to a large extent on the achievement of their performance goals. If the goals are not met, then the chances of their career growth are reduced. 2. Personal greed and a desire Personal greed to promote one's career is the other reason that forces people to commit unethical business practices. It has led the current business state of affairs towards unethical business practices, legal consequences and mistrust. Often, top executives are promised huge benefits if they achieve their goals and the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Development of Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Development of Health Care - Essay Example In Elizabethan times, parishes had to bear with the responsibility of taking care of the poor living in the community (Liverpool Echo 2009). The poor in those days could benefit from "outdoor relief" in the form of food, clothing and fuel. However, with an unwieldy appreciation in the poor population, the parishes decided to withdraw this already insufficient outdoor relief and started resorting to "indoor relief" in the guise of hell like workhouses that required the less miserable amongst the poor lot of Britain to bear with inhuman work conditions in lieu of a pitiable yet indispensable sustenance (Liverpool Echo 2009). However, the things got worst at the start of the 19th century, which led to the introduction of Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. Zillions of workhouses came up all across the UK. Poor Relief reduced to a shameful pittance accessible only to those who were willing to opt for exploitative workhouses instead of a hapless existence. The life in such workhouses was far from being bearable and homely. Comfort was an elusive pie in the sky that was far beyond the reach of even the relatively well to do poor. In fact, the possibility of affiliating to some workhouse was a perpetual fear that haunted the deprived families huddled in the slums to bear with their hopeless existence. Workhouse records and Census returns do elaborately testify to the miserable lot of the poor in the 19th century. Workhouses were a dreaded place divested of all hope and future. The moving spirit behind these workhouses was to keep the living standards of the inmates much below that of the lowest paid labourer. The poor had to bear with subhuman rules and norms, which made their lives frustratingly monotonous (Hull Daily Mail 2007). They ha d to carry their pitiable status with them in the guise of grey tweed suits and blue and white striped dresses (Hull Daily Mail 2007). A harsh policy of gender segregation went to the extent of separating even married couples and siblings.Homelessness and abject poverty appropriated within their scope a plethora of health problems. The life expectancy amongst the workhouse residents was very low and they exhibited some of the highest death rates in the UK. The poor huddled in the workhouses were four times more prone to accidents and thirty five times more likely to commit suicide (Herald Express 2008). Chest and skin infections, gastrointestinal troubles, poor circulation, compromised dental hygiene, anaemia, and visual and nutritional problems perpetually defined the life at a workhouse (Herald Express 2008).Yet, the biggest eliminator tended to be the extreme mental and emotional turmoil that the poor in Britain had to cope up with in these workhouses. The senseless and absurd pr actice of classifying the poor by the criteria of 'deserving poor' and the 'undeserving poor' added insult to injury. The 'deserving' being those who were too old or infirm to work while the 'undeserving' being wandering beggars and destitute. The principle of less eligibility smacked of a festering annoyance and intolerability in the society and the state that intended to keep the unemployed deliberately poor; and vulnerable to or rather forced to taking jobs for which they were essentially unqualified or averse to (Baggot 2004). Of course, such

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Marketing Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing - Research Proposal Example The information will be collected using secondary and primary data collection methods, in which the latter will be conducted using focus groups. The collected data will then be analysed using grounded theory analysis methods. The soft drinks industry in the UK is a mature sector, which includes firms that market non-alcoholic items. Because there are so few opportunities for growth as compared to existing business, most of the companies in this sector seek to diversify existing offerings so as to gain market share and a competitive edge (Santos, 2013: p33). Others also seek to pursue acquisitions and/or lucrative arrangements for distribution of their products to expand their geographic reach, product portfolios, and operations. The largest companies, including PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, offer reliable dividends with an above-average stability of stock prices and regular increases. In addition, for those that are more venturesome, a number of selections exist, such as developing overseas markets and energy drinks in order to serve niche markets. In general, while soft drink manufacturers are able to turn in steady performances across the entire business cycle, stressful economic times and consumer awareness portend threats to their profitability and overall business performance (Walker, 2013: p44). Historically, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have been the major players in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, distributing well-renowned non-carbonated and carbonated drinks globally using sizeable bottling companies. Related capital spending for these companies amounts to billions of dollars annually. By using lucrative distribution agreements and acquiring smaller players in the market, both companies are able to boost their results, especially as consumers tend to favour the more famous soft drink brands (Tremblay & Tremblay, 2012: p59). Sales,

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Rise of the Bureaucratic State Essay Example for Free

The Rise of the Bureaucratic State Essay The bureaucracy has been constantly growing since its beginning. At the end of the Federalist period, only 3,000 civilian officials were appointed; then in 1925 about half a million were employees in the bureaucracy. However, the size of the bureaucracy is completely insignificant. What matters is the amount of power that can be exercised by the members of the bureaucratic agencies. The author, James Q. Wilson, provides an example that in 1971, the federal government provided fifty four million dollars to various social security programs, however, the Social Security Administration only employed 73,000 people at the time. The increases in the size of the bureaucratic agencies affect the executive branch of the government. For example, from 1816 to 1861, the employment in the executive branch increased from 4,837 to 36,672. However, eighty six percent of this growth was the result of additions to the postal service. After 1861, many new departments were formed relating to agriculture, labor and commerce, which have led to a clientelisitc (client oriented) bureaucracy. In addition, the government began to formally give bureaucratic recognition to the many peculiar interests in the economy. The author concludes that the bureaucratic clentelism becomes self-perpetuating in the absence of some crisis or scandal. In addition, the separation of powers makes it difficult to permit the enactment of a new program or the creation of a new agency. After reading this article, I was surprised that some agencies associated with agriculture control the flow of billions of dollars in expenditures and loans. Furthermore, local committees of farmers, private farm organizations dominate policy making in some areas.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Scope And Delimitation Example

Scope And Delimitation Example INTRODUCTION Background of the Study In relation to the goal of Philippine political and economic development and social cohesiveness, there is a growing clamor to revisit and revive nationalism. In the Philippines, it has been recognized that the issue of nationalism is important in education. One of the goals of the Education Act of 1982 that serves as a guideline for elementary education, is to promote and intensify the childs knowledge of identification with, and love for the nation and the people to which he belongs (Department of Education, 2002, p.2). This objective is also hinged on the 1987 Constitution Article XIV, Section 3 (2) that states that the school shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development of the country, teach the rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge, and promote vocational efficiency (1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Department of Education, 2002, p.2). As agents of patriotism and nationalism, the school is mandated to cultivate pagka-Filipino in children. In compliance with the1987 Constitution and the Education Act of 1982, the Department of Education came up with the following objectives for the elementary education formal curriculum: (1) inculcation of spiritual and civic values and the development of a good Filipino based on an abiding faith in God and genuine love of country; (2) training of the young citizen in his rights, duties and responsibilities in a democratic society for active participation in a progressive and productive home and community life; (3) development of basic understanding about Philippine culture, the desirable tradition and virtues of our people as essential requisites in attaining national consciousness and solidarity (Department of Education, 2002, p.1-2). Moreover, the K to 12 Philippine Basic Education Curriculum also reflects the significance of teaching pagka-Filipino based on the Department of Educations curriculum guide. One of the desired outcomes of the implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) is to develop learners who take pride in their cultural heritage and are proud to be Filipinos. In the National Early Learning Framework (NELF), the Filipino child is considered as the most important asset of our county. The NELF firmly believes that the Filipino child is a human being who loves God, parents, and country, is proud to be a Filipino, honors the customs, traditions and good values of the people, knows his/her basic rights, respects other cultures and is able to live in peace and harmony with all (Department of Education, 2012, p.3). As early as kindergarten, pagiging maka-Filipino or a national consciousness of being a Filipino is cultivated in the children, with the hope that this will lead to ardent nationalism, love of country and pride as a Filipino. The importance of teaching nationalism and national identity in the early grades has been established and promoted by the state and state institutions such as school and the Department of Education. However, a study on national identity among urban school children by Doronila (1986) showed that Filipino children favor other countries over their own, and this preference deepens as they mature. A similar study was also conducted among 3rd year High School students in Baguio City by Herrera and Robias (2010), and the findings revealed that although respondents exhibit a positive preference for things Filipino, these preferences have not yet been lifted to a level of consciousness that would make their manifestation of such personal preferences as expressive of their identity as Filipino, or as charters of national identity (Herrera & Robias, 2010, p.67). This suggests that national identity among Filipino youth is superficial. According to Yacat (2002), there are two kinds of pagka-Fili pino: Filipino by name which is shallow and Filipino by heart which is deeply-rooted. He further stressed the importance of the family where culture and Filipino identity take root and of the school which nurtures the idea of pagka-Filipino. Koh (2010) emphasized that it is during childhood that an individual starts to identify with the nation. She declared that childhood experience is commonly taken to be the bedrock upon which self-identity is built, and national consciousness is regarded by many as a key foundation of a modern persons identity (Koh, 2010, p.1). Furthermore, she saw the need for studies on how children perceive national identity. She stated children should be central to the study of national feeling, place-belonging, and citizenship. And yet, we do not know a great deal about how school-age children actually do relate to the idea of nation (Koh, 2010, p.2). The assertion of Koh (2010) and the studies by Doronila, Herrera and Robias, and Yacat presented two crucial issues: (1) superficial national identification among Filipinos and (2) lack of studies on national identity and childhood. This research seeks to address these two problems by focusing on early graders and their perspectives of pagka-Filipino. In Vygotskys social development theory (Ormrod, 2011), the child learns concepts through language and action. He asserts that development is connected to social context and that the childs developmental level should complement his learning. Hedges (2012) explained further that during the early childhood years, Vygotsky believed that everyday concepts were most prominent. According to Vygotsky, Everyday concepts emerged from childrens thinking about their daily experiences; that is, they occur spontaneously in the context of normal participation in family and community practices and activities (Hedges, 2012, P.145). By probing how children in the early grades perceive and construct their identity as Filipinos in the context of their everyday experiences, policy makers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and early grades teachers will gain greater insight into how the concept of national identity and nationalism take root in every Filipino child. The childrens perspectives will improve the K to 12 Philippine Basic Education Curriculum and its implementation. This study also investigates the perspectives of pagka-Filipino of early graders, based on locally-published picture books. This will hopefully add another dimension to the pedagogical aspect that can be gained from the childrens perspectives. Hillman (2003) described the picture book as the childs gateway to the world, the first step outside the childs immediate environment. The precise combination of art and words is a powerful experience because it triggers the imagination & introduces concepts for cognitive and language development (Hillman, 2003, p.89). Aquino (2009) said that childrens literature activates the schema of the child and presents vicarious experiences that encourage cognitive processes such as assimilation and accommodation. Piagets stages of cognitive development (Ormrod, 2011) show that as a child matures, he/she assimilates and accommodates knowledge, acquiring schemas through experience. Like building blocks, a child can create a castle by adding a block with e very bit of information learned. The existing blocks are used to widen the childs body of knowledge. These blocks form the childs schema and schema can be influenced by social and cultural experiences and interactions with text and illustrations found in picture books. Children learn by constructing their own knowledge. Carlsson-Paige (2001) states that children actively construct meaning for themselves. These meanings, unique to each child, are embedded in family and culture and are built over time (Carlsson-Paige, 2001, p.17). She further claims that through stories, children can build new meanings by referring to their personal meanings and experiences. Picture books are effective material to find out in concrete terms the pagka-Filipino of early graders. How the children perceive the words and images in the picture book that depict pagka-Filipino will enrich the concept of pagka-Filipino itself. The Filipino icons in the text and illustrations in picture books are concrete items that children can identify with. Through this study, early graders specifically Grade 1 and Grade 2 children will be engaged in defining pagka-Filipino according to their perspectives and in their own words. By sitting down and talking with the children themselves, know ledge will be gained on how they shape and restructure the concept of national identity. This research attempted to fill the gap of the study on national identity and perspectives of early graders based on picture books and their experiences. Drawing from Kohs statement that it is through everyday living experiences that the children experience the nation (Koh, 2010, p. 174) and following Vygotskys claim that everyday concepts emerged from childrens thinking about their daily experiences; that is, they occur spontaneously in the context of normal participation in family and community practices and activities (Hedges, 2012, P.145), it can be deduced that the everyday arena is important in the childs formation of the concept of pagka-FilipinoÃÆ'‚Â  as supported by Almario and Almario (2009) specifically on Filipino games and further, by Koh (2010) on habituated routines. Therefore, it can be assumed that everyday experiences and concrete materials surrounding the childs routines such as games, food, clothes, animals, famous people, things commonly used and activiti es often engaged in, are important domains to investigate in this study. Cook, G. and Cook, J. (2009) also stressed that socialization and differential experiences play roles in gender differences and this affects childrens perspectives (Cook, G. & Cook, J., 2009, p. 362). Comparing the similarities and differences in the early graders responses by gender and grade level will provide new layers on the childrens insights on pagka-Filipino. Research Objectives The objectives of this research were: To probe how children in the early grades perceive and construct their identity as Filipinos in the context of their everyday experiences. To investigate the perspectives of pagka-Filipino of early graders, based on the text and illustrations of locally-published picture books. To broaden way of understanding the childrens construction and definition of pagka-Filipino according to their perspectives and in their own words. To compare the early graders perspectives of pagka-Filipino by gender and grade level. Statement of the Problem Specifically, this research sought to answer the following questions: What are the urban low-income childrens perspectives of pagka-Filipino based on their experiences? What are the urban low-income childrens perspectives of pagka-Filipino based on the text of picture books? Significance of the Study The results of the study will hopefully aid the Department of Educations curriculum division and the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts in developing a National Cultural Education Plan that will bring about appreciation of our culture, genuine love for our county and our pride in being a Filipino. It is also the hope of this study to raise the consciousness of publishers, writers, and illustrators to inculcate nationalism and Filipino pride in their published stories and other forms of literature for the early grades. This study of young learners perspectives of Pagka-Filipino and its depiction in picture books may be useful to our early grades teachers as a benchmark or yardstick on national identity formation and the corresponding interventions. Hopefully, it will also help educators in modifying their curriculum and teaching strategies based on what children know about our nation and their perspectives of being a Filipino. The research will also provide new directions for further studies that can be explored related to this topic. Furthermore, the study aims for the enhancement of the Teacher Education Instruction, especially Teaching in the Early Grades, Early Childhood Education, and other related programs, through growing emphasis on nationalism in their curriculum so that our future teachers will inculcate love of country in Filipino children as early as the early grades. Scope and Delimitation of the Study The study is descriptive in nature and focused on early graders belonging to low-families as identified by the National Statistical Coordination Board. The research sample is composed of forty (40) Grade 1 and Grade 2 students residing in two barangays in Quezon City. The primary data gathering method used was interview to determine the childrens perspectives of Pagka-Filipino based on their experiences and through their interactions with ten (10) locally-published picture books written by Filipino authors. This research used purposive and convenience sampling in which an equal representation for gender and grade level among the respondents was applied. The gathered data were analyzed using frequency distribution and coding. Verbatim quotes from the respondents were used. The research data was based on interview of early grades children based on their experiences and interaction with selected picture books. It focused on gender and grade level as variables in interpreting their perspectives of pagka-Filipino. The study is delimited to a group of Grade 1 and Grade 2 children coming from a socially-disadvantaged group in an urban area. Perspectives on pagka-Filipino is delimited to early graders everyday experiences on games Filipino children play, food Filipino children eat, clothes Filipino children wear, animals in the Philippines they know, famous Filipinos they know, things Filipino children use and activities Filipino children engage in; interactions with the text and illustration of selected picture books. In this research, Filipino icons were delimited to those identified by the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts Essential Knowledge on Philippine Arts, Culture and Heritage for the Basic Education Curriculum (EKPACHBEC) for Grade 1 and 2 (See Appendix A) and Adarna Houses 101 Filipino Icons Volumes I and II (2007, 2009). According to Wright (1998), there exists a politicization of culture wherein there is a political process of contestation over the power to define key concepts, including that of culture itself (Wright, 1998, p.14). In this case, the researcher is aware of the politics involved in the identification of Filipino icons by a state institution and a commercial publisher. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK This chapter is divided into the review of related literature and studies, the conceptual framework and definition of terms. The review of related literature discusses Schema Theory and Vygotskys Social Development Theory on which the study is anchored on, and the pertinent studies on children regarding (1) schema theory/culture schemata; (2) national identity and pagka-Filipino; (3) national identity among early grades children; (4) childrens literature, storytelling, and national identity; (5) picture books; (6) picture books and pagka-Filipino; and (7) gender and picture books. Schema Theory Piaget is the proponent of schema theory (Ormrod, 2011). He said that as a child matures, he/she assimilates and accommodates knowledge, acquiring schemata through experience. Like building blocks, a child can create a castle by adding a block with every bit of information learned. The existing blocks are used to widen the childs body of knowledge. These blocks form the childs schema and schema can be influenced by social and cultural experiences and interactions with text and illustrations found in picture books. In Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development, children from two to seven years old belong to the preoperational stage and can already express themselves and describe the world through words and images. R.C. Anderson (Widmayer, 2003 in Lee & Tsai, 2004), an educational psychologist, expanded the schema theory which proposes that our understanding or knowledge of the world is composed of organized network of abstract mental structures. Widmayer (2003), added that schema is used to interpret and predict situations (in Lee & Tsai, 2004). It was further proposed that each person possesses a unique set of schema which is built from the individuals cognitive processes and experiences (Lee & Tsai, 2004). Based on the schema theory, Lee and Tsai (2004) further suggest that individuals learn or acquire knowledge in three ways: accretation, tuning, and restructuring. Accretation involves assimilating new information into existing schema without any changes to overall schema. Tuning, on the other hand, entails modification of existing schema when it is inadequate for the encountered new information/knowledge, while restructuring involves creating a new schema for situations wherein there is inconsistency between the new information/knowledge and the old schema. Accretion is parallel to Piagets assimilation while tuning and restructuring are similar to accommodation. McVee, Dunsmore & Gayelek (2005), in a review of schema theory, indicated that schema theory was particularly prominent in the 1970s especially on the role of schema in reading, adding that the focus shifted to sociocultural theories in the 80s and 90s. The authors further pointed out the importance of the schema theory, particularly its utility in understanding the individuals prior knowledge and its role in comprehension and in understanding the reading process. Social Development Theory In Vygotskys Social Development Theory, engaging in social practice plays a critical role in the development of the child. Through socialization, children construct their own knowledge, form concepts, and actively find meaning to make sense of the world. It is a fundamental form of learning and cognition; consciousness is the result of interaction with other people within a shared experience. In this shared socio-cultural context, children use tools within a culture, such as signs, symbols, and language, to function in the social environment. Children assimilate language-a ready-made product of socio-historical development-and use it to analyze, generalize, and encode experience (Luriia, 1976, p. 9). Gleaning from Vygotskys semantic and system structure of consciousness, Luriia states that words are the fundamental units of consciousness reflecting the external world (Luriia, 1976, p. 9). Vygotsky believed that concept formation is rooted in the use of words which acquire different meanings at successive stages of development (Luriia, 1976, p. 50). It is interesting to note how Vygotsky described the thinking process of a child. At first, the child thinks by remembering but when he/she reaches adolescence, he/she remembers by thinking. According to Luriia, this is because an adolescent no longer generalizes on the basis of his immediate impressions but isolates certain distinct attributes of objects as the basis of categorization (1976, p. 52). This illustrates the movement from social to individual consciousness, a consciousness that is shaped and enriched by the childs participation in the society. Hedges (2012) explained further that during the early childhood years, Vygotsky believed that everyday concepts were most prominent. According to Vygotsky, Everyday concepts emerged from childrens thinking about their daily experiences, that is, they occur spontaneously in the context of normal participation in family and community practices and activities (Hedges, 2012, P.145) Studies on Schema Theory and Culture Schemata Webster (2001) examines the effect of culture schemata on reading comprehension of ninety-six 9th Grade students in four honor classes in Maryland. He analyzes the responses of the students to multicultural stories focusing on cultural awareness along with its significance to reading, comprehension, and learning. Results reveal varying response to the stories even for those with the same cultural background because of the respondents unique personalities and experiences. Of note are the responses of some participants who restructured their schemata to deal with new information. The respondents eventually assimilated the information from the storybooks which they initially rejected. Findings show that the participants are culturally aware and that cultural awareness aids the students in reading comprehension. However, the study is not clear on whether the similarity between the participants and the story (culture) helped them in reading it. Still, the results of the research support p ast studies which indicate that students tend to learn more information that are complementing or in congruence with their cultural background. Webster (2001) recommends a wholistic approach to culture, especially in education research. He calimed that, it should cover not just ethnicity and race but also extend to the individuals age, gender, education, religion, social class, politics, physical condition, sexual orientation, nationality, and residence. Furthermore, as the students are becoming more aware of the multicultural nature of their world, teachers are encouraged to take a multicultural perspective so as to reach out to their students. Kreishan and Saidat (2011), on the other hand, examine the impact of content schema on reading comprehension focusing on how religious and cultural schemata affect Jordanian students comprehension of English texts. Respondents are one hundred 10th Grade Arab Muslim students randomly selected and evenly distributed based on gender. Four reading texts were used to measure reading comprehension, two of which are of the participants culture and religion whereas the other two are of different or foreign culture and religion. Based on the results of the tests and interviews, the reading comprehension of participants tested in the familiar texts, which reflects native religion and culture, exhibited significantly higher performance. Findings indicate that cultural background can trigger schemata and improve comprehension. In light of the result, the authors recommend stimulating prior knowledge first on the subject matter before reading. Other recommendations were also mentioned such as imp roving texts to reflect various aspects of culture, religion, and local problems of the country; making use of the Internet to further learning and for better comprehension; and Islamicization, Jordanization, and Arabicization of English materials especially its cultural content. Further studies suggested include effect of extended time on comprehension and effect of other variables on reading comprehension such as the font of texts. The research of Lee & Tsai (2004) explores the impact of stories on young children particularly, on how childrens schema can be augmented by stories. The authors present a model to understand how stories affect quality of schemas among seven- year old children. The model suggests that there are three main sources of stories for the children: family members, teachers, and friends. The process would then involve decoding the stories and relating it with their already acquired concepts (accretating or no change to existing schemas). In cases of new knowledge, the model indicates that the new information will go through tuning (modification of existing schemas) or restructuring (forming new schemas). With children who are inquisitive and eager to learn, the model signifies that there is a higher chance of forming new schemas than modifying existing schemas among young children. The authors state that stories can enhance the quality of schemas of children and with it, the childrens level of interpretation, prediction, and understanding. Thus, there is a proposal that more stories would increase the childrens schemata of the world. Moreover, the authors further linked the quality of schemas to problem solving, suggesting that gaining more life experience would enhance problem solving ability. Although cognitively, females develop verbal and language skills at a younger age and are more talkative, Cook, G. and Cook, J. (2009) stressed that socialization and differential experiences play roles in gender differences and this affects childrens perspectives (Cook, G. & Cook, J., 2009, p. 362). National Identity and Pagka-Filipino In their study of national identity among high school students, Herrera and Robias cited William Blooms definition of national identity as a condition in which a mass of people have made the same identification with national symbolshave internalized the symbols of the nation so that they may act as one psychological group when there is a threat to, or the possibility of enhancement of, their symbols of national identity (in Herrera & Robias, 2010, p.10). This coincides with Doronilas (1986) research on the meaning of Filipino national identity conducted among urban school children using a 35-item National Identity Scale (NIS) for Students. The questions were based on the four value patterns namely: (1) ethnocentrism; (2) valuing socio-historical aspects reflective of national identity; (3) loyalty to the national state beyond ethnic loyalties; (4) commitment to the role requirements of citizenship (Doronila, 1986, p.11-12). Under each value pattern are a set of orientation or attitud es that serve as defining parameters for national identity. The 16 attitudes are either essentialist or epochalist in nature, using Geertz forms of national consciousness. Doronila agreed with Geertz that essentialist aspects of national ideologizing are the initial point of identification. The essentialist aspects are national symbols, generalized love of country, and appreciation of cultural aspects. Her findings reveal that Filipino children favor other countries over their own and this preference deepens as they mature. Brown (2000) explains the constructivist approach to national identity. He claims that it is constructed on the basis of institutional or ideological frameworks which offer simple and simplistic formulas of identity, and diagnoses of contemporary problems, to otherwise confused and insecure individuals (Brown, 2000, p.20). For children, social institutions like family and school help in shaping their national identity. Herrera and Robias (2010) adapted Doronilas NIS to find out the perspectives of national identity among third year high school students in Baguio City. The results showed that although respondents exhibit a positive preference for things Filipino, these preferences have not yet been lifted to a level of consciousness that would make their manifestation of such personal preferences as expressive of their identity as Filipino, or as charters of national identity (Herrera & Robias, 2010, p.67). This suggests that even at the age of adolescence, Filipinos are still on the essentialist level of identifying with our nation. The study also shows that Filipinos are perceived as industrious and family-oriented people. In a study on pagka-Filipino, Yacat (2002) claimed that there are two kinds of pagka-Filipino: Filipino by name which is shallow and Filipino by heart which is deeply-rooted. He provided several sources of knowledge which he acknowledged as important in the process of being a Filipino. Among them are family, school, community, and mass media. He further stressed the importance of the family where culture and Filipino identity take root and of the school which nurtures the idea of pagka-Filipino. Moreover, Yacat (2002) elaborates that the consciousness of being a Filipino starts through the observed external experiences of the people and is imbibed internally only through teachings and learning through their own experience. Thus, the individuals sense of pagka-Filipino depends on the kind and type of information being processed and accepted. David (2009) asserts that our consciousness of pagka-Filipino does not come automatically. Knowing the national symbols is not enough. These should not only remind us that we are Filipinos but also of our commitment as Filipinos. Being aware that we are part of one country should be deeper than the mere singing of the national anthem (David, 2009). Felipe de Leon Jr., Chair of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, emphasizes that pride in being a Filipino leads to national development. He further claimed that it requires a deep sense of identity to claim what is ours. Moreover, to achieve national unity, there must be a generalized pride for our country and a genuine love for the Philippines. Taking to heart this national sense of being a Filipino should be a collective WE feeling that translates to national unity and economic success (Abueva, 1999). Sanchez presents a way to achieve these shared aspirations of Filipinos through education. She states further, This national consciousness will then help define our identity as a people and lead us to work towards the attainment of common goals for our society (2002, p.2). Sanchez (2002) explains that Filipinos have a shared schema, knowledge and culture known as cultural literacy. Her study measured the cultural literacy of high school students. The study yielded disappointing results: students from private and public schools do not have adequate knowledge of Philippine art, not one respondent reached the passing score of 50. Equally worth discussing is the teachers performance: only 20% received a passing score in the same cultural literacy test. The cultural literacy test was based on a canon/ must know checklist of cultural items that every grade VI and fourth year high school should know. According to Wright (1998), there exists a politicization of culture wherein there is a political process of contestation over the power to define key concepts, including that of culture itself (Wright, 1998, p.14). The National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is a state institution that defines culture and cultural icons. In 2004, the NCCA started work on the Philippine Cultural Index Project (PCIP), the key project of its Philippine Cultural Education Plan (PCEP). The PCIP is a massive research, database enrichment, computerization and publication program that would provide a national database on culture and the arts in the Philippines (Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO, 2005, p.7). One of the outputs of PCIP is the Essential Knowledge on Philippine Arts, Culture and Heritage for the Basic Education Curriculum (EKPACHBEC) for elementary and secondary level (See Appendix A). The EKPACHBEC is a concise list of important people/institutions, events, places, and ob jects for each grade level up to high school. Adarna House also came out with 101 Filipino Icons Volumes 1 and 2 (2007, 2009). Virgilio Almario, National Artist for Literature, defined Filipino icons as events, objects, places, and people significant in Philippine history and valued by majority of Filipinos. He further stated that these icons can influence our pagka-Filipino and pride in being a Filipino. National Identity Among Early Grades Children The paper Findings, Theories and Methods in the Study of Childrens National Identifications and National Attitudes (Barrett & Oppenheimer, 2011)

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

Another reason why sugar harms the body is that a calcium deficiency leads to osteoporosis. Sugar will steal calcium from the blood stream; however, if there is not enough calcium in the blood stream, the sugar will then pull vital calcium from the bones. The calcium taken directly from the bones causes them to be weak and fragile, which unmistakeably leads to osteoporosis (((APPLETON, 23))). Osteoporosis is a bone disease that plagues many Americans. The best way to counteract osteoporosis is to drop sugar from the diet completely. Americans on average do not have a proper calcium-phosphorus ratio and sugar simply creates more havoc for the human body. Because of an imbalance of nutrients, important enzymes of the human body are disrupted. The human body is full of small chemical reactions called enzymes. These enzymes enable cells to function properly and efficiently. One important role of enzymes is that of metabolism. Metabolism is a digestive process that relies on properly functioning enzymes. The enzymes that control metabolism need a proper balance of nutrients in order to function properly. However, the enemy, sugar, once again causes harm. Sugar negates these nutrients, leaving the enzymes weak and ineffective. An increased amount of sugar in the body decreases the effectiveness of enzymes, therefore decreasing metabolism. A decrease in metabolism causes food to be digested and absorbed at a slower rate. A weak metabolism leaves the human weak as well. The enzymes that are responsible for metabolism are negatively affected by sugar. Due to a slowed metabolism, allergies can result if food is not properly digested. The enzymes in the small intestine are greatly affected by sugar. Sugar makes the digestion process slow... ...foreign invader. Common autoimmune diseases are Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type one diabetes, and hyperthyroidism, to name a few (((CAMPBELL, PG 184))). These diseases distress all to many Americans because they appear because of an overload of sugar. The endocrine gland is greatly inhibited by the increase in sugar. The body regulates the affect of sugar on different minerals by the endocrine system. It is an automatic process that occurs in the body be specialized organs, or glands. Processes such as respiration, heartbeat, digestion and elimination of food, body temperature, and balanced body chemistry rely on properly functioning endocrine glands (((APPLETON, PG. 27))). Without these automatic processes occurring properly, the human body will decay rapidly. Sugar greatly inhibits the endocrine gland, which in turn annihilates the human body.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Its Time for Americans to Understand that Freedom Isnt Free Essay

It's Time for Americans to Understand that Freedom Isn't Free I feel inspired and patriotic every time I see a car’s back bumper sticker featuring an American flag stating, â€Å"Freedom Isn’t Free!† The moral clarity of those words rings as true as the Liberty Bell. Those Americans that do not fathom the significance of the motto Freedom Isn’t Free suffer from the very problematic â€Å"victim/slave mentality,† which ultimately will become a future reality should more citizens not heed the simple message the sage language conveys. Yes it indeed bears repeating, â€Å"Freedom Is Not Free!† Its acquisition from King George’s England involved struggle, its maintenance throughout the first two and a quarter centuries of our Great Republic required sacrifice and its continuation demands perseverance. Wise people fully realize that struggle, sacrifice and perseverance are the vital characteristics of freedom, democracy and independence. In the late 1930s complaisant European nations were lulled into the jaws of the very dangerous â€Å"victim/slave mentality.† Weak democracies tried placating and accommodating the tyrannical proponents of the Communist, Socialist and Fascist ideologies and Europe soon found itself in jeopardy with maniacs like Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini threatening the existence of taken-for-granted freedom and human rights. Thanks to the intervention of the United States Hitler and Mussolini were defeated (despite incredible adversity) and Europe was salvaged from the scourge of Fascism. But Nazi Fascism did not go away meekly. Its defeat required intensive struggle, sacrifice and perseverance with over 50 million military and civilian deaths occurring during the widespread devastation. Yes, during War World II the social a... ...civilians with ordinary families. Their wicked goal is to see Manhattan, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia or Los Angeles totally obliterated. We cannot allow this to happen even though our solution might endanger the rights of â€Å"suspected war criminals† that think your neighborhood is their battlefield. If the anti-war â€Å"victim/slave mentality† should ever become the majority opinion in America, then the lyrics of the rock group Kansas would become prophetic truth, â€Å"All we are is dust in wind!† Let’s be wary and vigilant and not permit horrific catastrophe to happen! Wake up all you American Apologists while you still have precious breath in your lungs to do your pathetic apologizing! It’s now time for all Americans to openly acknowledge that Freedom Isn’t Free and that these dire times require the tried and true virtues of struggle, sacrifice and perseverance.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

How to Purchase a video recorder? :: Digital Video Camera

How to Purchase a video recorder? A video camera can be a very useful tool in recording milestones in your family, or just something that you would like to see again. Unfortunately there are so many factors that can make purchasing a video camera a very difficult task. If you don’t do your research on the types and features of video camera you may have gotten yourself into some deep trouble. Looking for camera’s in the store before doing some research is extremely troublesome. The store has a number of features listed that aren’t extremely important, and others not listed that are very important. Also at a store with sales people, often time the salesman knows very little about the cameras and tries to convince you that the most expensive is the best for you. Reading this paragraph has shown that there are many factors included in making this decision. After reading this paper you will be better equipped to go out and to choose the camera that is best suited for you. The two most popular types of video cameras on the market right now are DVD camcorders and Mini-DV Camcorders. The average price of a DVD Camcorder is between â€Å"$550 and $600† (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/). The average price of a Mini-DV camcorder is â€Å"under $500, with many models under $300† (http://www.bestbuy.com). The main reason that the DVD camcorder is more expensive is because it is more convenient to the average user. The average camcorder user will not use his camcorder very often, and will not do much if any video editing. The DVD camcorder records all of the video directly onto a DVD that you placed in the camcorder. This enables you to be instantly able to watch the movie on a television using a DVD player, thus making it more convenient. Mini-DV camcorders are the mainstream camcorder for the novice to the more experienced user. This is because of their low price and large functionality. Mini-DV camcorders record movies onto a digita l tape rather than a DVD or an analog tape. If you are a video-editing enthusiast you may want to be much more selective about the camera you purchase. Video editing is the process in which you capture video using a camcorder, and then transfer the video from the camcorder to your pc.

Health Care Transparency Essay

Healthcare transparency has been defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) as making available to the public, in a reliable and understandable manner, information on the health care system’s quality, efficiency and consumer experience with care, which includes price and quality data, so as to influence the behavior of patients, providers, payers and others to achieve better outcomes (American College, 2010). Transparency allows consumers to make better informed decisions. It also helps health facilities convey information to the public. With more information in the open, there will be less overall confusion. People will be better equipped and facilities will know how they compare to other facilities. In the past transparency has been affected by lawsuits. With the risk of being sued, many physicians and hospitals did not want to divulge private information. Of course, this attitude is beginning to change. In the video â€Å"Healthcare Transparency† Dr. Patrick Cawley expresses that transparency in the future will be greatly increased (Dr. Cawley, P., 2009). More information will lead to better patient care. Eventually a patient will be able to review how well a hospital or physician is able to provide care. Everything from infection rates to waiting times will all be accessible to the public. I agree with all forms of medical transparency. Access to wait times will better prepare potential patients for their visits to a hospital. Knowledge of infection rates will affect how the public perceives a health institute. If infection rates are high, most likely public opinion will be able to change this. No longer will things of this nature be shrugged off as typical health care. If a facility is providing less than optimal care, people will be aware of this and know to avoid the facility. This means that poor health care facilities will rightfully fail, while prominent effective health  facilities remain active and prosperous. Thus means overall better patient care. If only the best health care facilities are able to thrive, more people will be able to receive optimal care. Patient satisfaction surveys will also help potential patients understand the environment they are about to enter. If a staff is rude and curt than the public will have access to this. Essentially, this will encourage health care providers to give optimal quality of service to each and every patient. Of course, it’s important that a patients expectations are not too grand. Nothing in life is perfect and people should understand this. Busy hours and numerous patients can cause fatigue. After all, health care providers are still human. Perhaps if all physicians were machines then we could expect them all to be perfect. Performance of medical procedures will enlighten a patient of how well a hospital is able to provide a service. This in turn will allow consumers to make the best choice when selecting a facility for providing care. Someone needing back surgery should be able to locate and choose a facility right for them. If a facility performs poorly with back surgeries, the public has a right to know so that they can avoid this. People have the right to make the most well informed decision. Facility treatment of patients should definitely be transparent. If a facility is trying to hide something it can’t be good. People have the right to know how well a facility treats their patients. This also encourages a facility to always do their best. Ultimately, everyone wants the best health care possible. With expanded information more people will be properly informed of all their choices. Transparency means freedom for consumers. It means more access to information, and more freedom to select the best choice. Without transparency health care is more of a guessing game. Does the facility perform well with back surgery? Who knows guess you’ll have to find out on your own. Of course, that’s risky. But why risk, when you can be informed? At least with information the public can make better decisions. Better decisions will ultimately lead to the best health care. The strong will survive, while the weak will perish. Poor health facilities will fail as more and more people choose the best facilities. As the best facilities succeed the health community will become stronger as a whole. A strong health community will lead to an overall better equipped public community. References American College of Physicians. (2010). Health Transparency. Retrieved from http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/current_policy_papers/assets/transparency.pdf Dr. Cawley, P. (2009). Health Care Transparency. Retrieved from https://portal.phoenix.edu/medialibrary/videodetails.05V130128092014044.html

Monday, September 16, 2019

The American Idea

The notion of modernity is a concept that is employed to illustrate the state of being associated to modernism which, on the other hand, refers to a pattern of thought that confirms the influence of individuals to construct, enhance, and reform their environment. Further, the enlightenment project envisions the idea that new knowledge or understanding can be obtained which enables the clearness of perception.Hence, taken altogether, modernity in the context of the enlightenment considers the capacity of human beings to establish or reestablish their environment through the development of new wisdom and, more importantly, through the use of their reason or rationality. Jean Jacques Rousseau argued that the original state of man is one which is essentially free, or that freedom is originally humanity’s own. Moreover, he asserts that freedom has been lost but can yet be brought back through emancipation.In terms of modernity and the enlightenment, this emancipation can be taken b ack by using man’s rationality in order to clearly perceive what must be done so that individuals can reform their environment and, in the end, reclaim the freedom that they originally have. All these notions can be seen in Jose Marti’s Nuestra America specifically in the context of how he suggests that the Americans should act in order to reshape their environment and to eventually build a government that is uniquely their own and one that is devoid of foreign ideas and forms.There are quite several sharp notions in Nuestra America by Jose Marti, and all of these notions very well contribute to the revelation that with diversity comes the great possibility of acquiring an identity independent as it is from everything else outside. Although much of what is written verifies the idea that the creation of a government of the people surpasses that which is merely imitated, the role of the external elements can be argued as indispensable elements in the establishment of an identity.One of the central themes in Nuestra America is the idea of the formation of the government that is distinctive and proper to the Americans. Marti’s argument is grounded on the premise that a government that is shaped according to other nations or that which resembles or at least partly incorporates external elements from foreign nations will not be suitable for the people and for the entire nation. It can be observed that Marti firmly adheres to the principle of having an identity that is solidly based on what is natural to the people and to the rest of the country.What is natural supersedes those that are artificial. And what is essentially natural to America is ‘diversity’ in the truest sense of the word. Apparently, Marti makes it a point to bridge the issue with diversity to that of having a strong government structured according to the innate qualities of the American people. However, it fails to consider the fact that diversity also grants the sub stantial possibility of not actually unifying all the corners of the country into a single and identifiable sphere.What Marti does is to transcend this ‘diversity’ and patch all the different—albeit intrinsic—‘American’ elements into a unified concept that virtually quells, at least in theory, the force of other external factors. He does this at least in the sense of proposing an ‘ideological’ battle, one that treats ideas far superior than brute or physical force. Although Marti argues that bloodshed is inevitable, he also suggests that the ideas of man will have to take the core of the movement towards the establishment of an independent and unique government and that these ideas should come from the American people themselves and not from anybody else.In the opening parts of Marti’s work, it can be noted that he argues that men must unify themselves from the various ranks against the ‘seven-league giant’ thr ough the force of their ideas since ideas cannot be physically destroyed. While it is remains feasible that ideas cannot be destroyed in the physical sense and that while they can significantly proliferate and claim the victory of an entire nation, the role of sheer physical force in propelling such ideas towards certain goals cannot be denied.It should be noted that ideas have to be juxtaposed with physical and actual attempts of progressing towards a certain goal which, specifically in the context of Marti’s Nuestra America, is the creation of an American government in the strictest sense. By remaining as mere ideas contextualized solely on that rational or thinking part of human existence, ideas can hardly be a revolutionizing tool in altering the undesirable elements within the society.In another sense, there should be the ‘correspondence’ between such ideas and their physical or actual manifestation (Glennon and Johnson 2006). The absence of such a correspon dence may very well inhibit the ideas from ever reaching the desired outcomes, for what good is a prolific idea that is short of touching the actual existence of social problems and the reality of the clamoring for a physical government? Will ideas alone revolutionize a whole nation without even concretizing these ideas? Apparently, the answer to these questions is a resounding skepticism.History, at the least, tells one that most, if not all, of the changes or alterations in the society have, in one way or another, physical and actual movements which are strongly fastened to certain beliefs and ideologies (Merrill 1948). For instance, the American Revolution is considered to be founded on political and social ideologies that greatly contribute to the social movement during those times where the metaphorical ammunitions for artilleries are ideas that define what is being aimed at (Nelson 1965).Wars in Latin America are likewise strongly founded on the correspondence between ideologi es and the actual manifestation or enacting of these ideas (Thies 2005). Nevertheless, Marti also recognizes the notion that bloodshed is a strong coefficient of his proposed ideas of the unification of the American people and the establishment of a government solely their own and from their own.Marti strengthens to solidify his claim by suggesting that those who would seek the governance of America must focus on and attempt at identifying the reality of the nation and of the people—of the existing diversity that direly needs unification—in order to fulfill the idea that the spirit of the government is indeed the spirit that is truly derived from America and not from any other (Saldivar 1998).Hence, for those people seeking to identify what is being suggested to be identified must necessarily have the keen perception to not only feel what is real but to notice and extract the solutions for the reality of the social problems or, at least, of what is intended to be addre ssed. Otherwise, those who seek to eliminate the external or foreign elements seeping into American thoughts will utterly fail for lack of the capacity to transcend the blurring of the mind and of critical thinking.Such an attempt to identify the reality of the nation and of the people reinforces the idea that the better and fitting individuals to achieve such feat are those who are accustomed to America—and there can be no better person who does not only know much of America but acts and feels like America than the American. This goes to show that the foreigner cannot exactly feel the American reality, or that the foreign elements cannot entirely suffice to define the American experience although in some parts it may have something to do with it.Nevertheless, Marti’s Nuestra America clearly emphasizes the author’s strong attachment, at least in terms of the content of the literature, with the clamoring for a ‘pure’ American nation, a nation that is founded on American elements. Yet what is striking about Marti’s Nuestra America is the fact that it proposes for a unified government able to identify the reality of the nation, a unified government that is nonetheless rooted on a wide array of individuals or on a, roughly speaking, diversified society.It is indeed a widely held idea that the rest of America is diverse (Sullivan 1973), and that this entails the notion that a ‘unification’ of all the recognized and unrecognized sectors of the nations is a monumental task. While Marti champions his assertion that foreign ideas and forms have caused the delay in the rising of a logical structure of a government of America, he fails to note that the very diversity of America also has a role in such a delay.What he does in the article is to espouse the idea that such diversity can be committed towards the creation of a unique government and a unified people and to set aside or, at least, subtly put his hands off the lingering argument that this diversity may in fact be the one which will hinder the creation of an American government bereft of imported ideas and forms.Although native forces—‘forces’ not to be limited in the military sense—can keep at bay impending external or foreign forces from entering the layer that separates what is pure from what is alien, these same internal forces have a connection with the external forces in one way or another. Part of the evidence to this can be rooted from the argument that there is no such thing as a pure race that is distinct from the rest of the races since all of mankind emerged from a single ancestry otherwise known as Homo sapiens (McBrearty 1990).With the idea that all of humanity came from a single line of ancestry, by definition there can be no such thing as ‘race’ and that the demarcation between the American race and the ‘other’ races is dissolved. Technically, it may be true that mankind belongs to the same ancestry. Practically, there are staggering realities that ultimately create a wide space between socially constructed ‘races’ or equivalents thereof.Hence, although Jose Marti actually claims that there is no such thing as hatred for the other races because there are no races, he actually argues in Nuestra America that the people should consider the past, family and ancestral roots of the Americans and do away with what can be termed as ‘colonial inheritance’ for it entails things that are corrupt and defunct. By criticizing the ‘Parisians’ or ‘Madrileà ±os’, Marti actually draws the line between what is American from what is not.And in doing so, it cannot be avoided that Nuestra America in essence may contribute to the enlargement of the space that divides America from the imported ideas and forms and, thus, the treatment of these foreign entities as ‘others’. Marti’s work also appears to signify that America is indeed its own, and that what belongs to others is theirs as well which brings us back to what Marti’s work purports to address yet fails to meet—that there is no hatred among races because there is no such thing as ‘race’.Ironically, while Nuestra America echoes the clamoring for a unique government that is purely American by vanquishing the foreign or imported ideas that are imbibed into the society, it also establishes the idea of separating what is American from what is not if indeed a separation can ever be achieved at all, if not physically, at least ideologically. The fact that America and its people are diverse is a compelling reason to push the idea that the rest of America can hardly a government molded into a single, unified entity where opposition is inexistent or kept at a manageable level.Moreover, cultural relativism proclaims the idea that several values such as ethical values of rightness or wrongness may actually vary from culture to culture, and that cultural supremacy or the superiority of one culture from the other relatively varies as well on certain cultural perspectives (Schmidt 1955). From this, one can observe that Marti’s article conveys the idea that, by excluding anything that is foreign to the system of ideas of the American population, the American ideals are preferred over the foreign ones.Although there is no explicit mentioning that American ideals are far off better than imported ideas, by embracing American ideas in the formation of a unique government one actually albeit subliminally pursues the underlying assumption that what is native is more preferred since it applies better and fitting to the contextual nature of America and, therefore, is superior over the rest at least when put into the context of the formation of a unique government.Interestingly, cultural relativism tells us otherwise. The American attempt to furnish for themselves a unique government exclud es the assumption that imported ideas may also serve a contributive purpose in meeting such an end in replacement for defunct native ideas.While Nuestra America purports to assert for an American identity through its government and purely American ideas while straining foreign elements away from such a glaring feat, it also substantiates on the thesis of using the American diversity as a means towards unifying the whole, condensing them altogether into a single native label called ‘America’ without discussing much about the weakening force such a diversity may take with it.Nevertheless, Jose Marti nails the crucial point in his work—the great significance of ideas in the advancement of an American identity—by taking consideration the role of ideas in revolutionizing a nation flustered with unfamiliar or imported ideas. While it may be the case that ideas without corresponding actions are like vehicles without wheels, it certainly is the case that actions w ithout ideas are like violent storms which display their destructive might while leaving debris and rubbish after the winds and heavy rains abate.