Africa essay Essay

Sub-Saharan Africa: Change and Continuity Essay Summaries Period 3 1 600-1450: Trade Routes and Their Impacts by Stephanie Lin 2 100-1450: Politics by Rebecca Lee-McFadden 3 1450-1750: Politics and Economics by Emma Loh 4 Sub-Saharan Africa’s Relationship to Global Trade Patterns – 1750 to the Present by Douglas Chee 5 1450-Present: Religion by LJ Cabutaje 6 1914-Present: Formation of National Identities by George Kitsios a using evidence from specific countries Essay 1 Sub-Saharan Africa 600 -1450 Trade Routes and Their Impacts Before the 600s, trade routes in Africa weren’t used nearly as much as they are today After 600s, long distance trade increased and increased social and cultural diffusion At the end of the 600s, the world saw the decline of the classical period The fall of the classical empires such as the Gupta and Han Empires and Rome allowed various religions to spread Before 600 CE, connections existed between Sub-Saharan Africa and civilized societies, but were limited Cultural diffusion before the 600s included Africanity and diffusion of Bantu languages As trade routes intensified, Arab traders could spread to previously unreachable areas using camels and caravans One of the key changes that occurred during this period was the influence and spread of Islamic religion and culture and the connection of West Africa with the Muslim World Trade also increased economic prosperity, such as in the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali and Songhai Gold-salt trade between Ghana and Arab desert traders and the Mediterranean prospered considerably as Ghana had gold but no salt and the Mediterranean had salt but no gold Ghana’s king converted to Islam, led to better relations with the Islamic world Indian Ocean trade led to increased development of city-states such as Mogadishu and Sofala Slave trading increased Much continuity accompanied these changes Syncretic conversion, which is they kept some of their own beliefs while converting to a new religion such as intertwining Islam with animism and ancient folklore Many people were still devoted to Christianity Nomads were still the â€Å"middlemen† between the east and west Same basic routes were still used for trade during this period Africans retained their sense of originality and culture Essay 2 Evaluate the political changes and continuities over time in Sub Saharan Africa from years 100 to 1450. Thesis: Sub Saharan Africa went from being made up of small individual tribes to large, organized empires. The arrival of new religions also affected the laws and codes Sub Saharan Africans had to follow. Throughout these changes, one continuity was that religious beliefs still played an important part in the political structures. Changes: -Smaller and decentralized tribes became larger, more organized empires. During 100 CE and earlier, there did not exist organized governments. Most societies were clans and tribes ruled by a tribal leader. Some societies were hunter-gatherer ones. Unification really could not occur due to arid environments and culturally diverse regions. Larger empires and kingdoms were able to rise because of an increase in interaction and trade between tribes. An increased production of crops and iron tools and artisan goods led to more trading. As tribes traded, some grew wealthier and more powerful. These tribes conquered others and took control of regional trade routes becoming more powerful. They then became larger kingdoms and societies. Ghana and Great Zimbabwe were two examples of this. Their rise to power was due to the wealth earned from trading and controlling trade routes. Eastern City States like Zanzibar, Mombasa, and Sofala rose to power because of trading in the Indian Ocean Trading Route. -Religions like Islam and Christianity affected law codes Most of Sub-Saharan Africans followed animism. With the arrival of monotheistic religions like Christianity and Islam, law codes were altered. Mali, for example, was an Islamic state. The people under the Mali empire had to follow Islamic law, shari’a and the Qur’an. The Kingdom of Aksum converted to Christianity under the king, Ezana. Ezana ruled his people under the beliefs and teachings of Christianity. Continuities: – Religious beliefs continued to play a role in political structures and law codes Whether the dominating religion was Islam, Christianity, or animism, it still affected how the particular society ran and the laws the people had to follow. Animism also affected tribes politically. Kings and tribal leaders were believed to be decedents of their gods. Religion was all people knew and was so heavily integrated in their lives,. Political structures and law codes were not an exception to this. Essay 3 Prompt: The period of 1450 to 1750 witnessed important transformations in Africa. Trace significant changes and continuities in two of the following areas: social, economic, and political. Economics Change: emergence and eventual domination of the transatlantic slave trade first interactions with Europeans Portuguese and some African tribes created trade relations that were beneficial to both sides in gold, world markets. WHY European production growth, e.g. Portugal’s sugar plantations profits went to Africa, most slaves were POWs Continuity: the profitable trade of raw materials 15th C: gold, copper, cotton textiles, leather works 17th C: gold, ivory, timber Politics Changes political alliances with European foreigners 1500s: some African kings were open to European religions (Christianity) allowed access to European firearms and association with advanced societies few were actually committed to Christianity due to dominant Muslim culture. 17th Century: kings profited from the slave trade, cooperative with Europeans some kings lost power to the slave trade 15th C: some normal Africans started to be kidnapped for the slave trade Continuity: monarchies as the dominant governments which maintained power throughout Africa. forced Europeans to adhere to African trading customs. collected expensive rents from European merchants. prevented Europeans from claiming African territory were not heavily influenced by Europeans. ** not all kings participated in European trade, and a majority of them did not. Essay 4 Sub-Saharan Africa’s Relationship to Global Trade Patterns – 1750 to the Present Sub-Saharan Africa is rich with raw materials – precious metals, animal products, plant oils. 1750s: Independent African kingdoms exported gold, copper, ivory, vegetable oils, and animal pelts to various Western powers, in exchange for machine-made products. Lack of industrialization.  Huge slave trade from 1750-1867, despite Great Britains attempted abolishment in 1808. Slaves utilized in Western colonies and plantations. Constant European presence and tight relationship in trade. Scramble for Africa: End of slave trade led to economic weakness, leaving African states vulnerable to the European imperialists. Peak of European’s constant influence. New exports included diamonds and rubber. Africa continued to be a global source for raw materials, due to their continued lack of industrialization. Post WWII: Nationalistic movements brought independence from European powers, but left political/economic issues for the now decolonized states. Dependency on the delicate trade of cash crops, in addition to the lack of industrialization and help for the now expelled European powers had led to economic backwardness in Sub-Saharan Africa. Essay 5 Religious Changes and Continuities in Sub-Saharan Africa: 1450-Present: Thesis: From 1450 to the present, Sub-Saharan Africa’s religious atmosphere has experienced many changes due to the exponential growth of such global religions as Christianity and Islam in the region, while it has also maintained religious continuities in its traditional and established beliefs and practices, by the usage of syncretism Changes and Analysis: There was a large growth in the spread of Islam throughout the region. Because of the way that cultural diffusion occurred throughout various trade routes, Islam easily spread throughout the region and integrated into the cultures of local tribes, without the need for conquest from the leaders. From 1900 to the present, it grew exponentially, from a few million to more than 300 million, comprising 15% of the world’s Islamic population. Christianity was the other global religion that grew exponentially during this time period. It was first introduced in the 15th century by Portuguese Catholic missionaries who wanted to convert the natives to their faith. Similarly to Islam, in the 20th century, the Christian population in Sub-Saharan Africa rose up, eventually totaling over 470 million, effectively making up more than 20% of the world’s Christian population. This occurred due to the heavy anti-slavery sentiment and the scramble for Africa which occurred in this time peri od. Continuities and Analysis: Despite the changes, the people of this region were still able to adhere to their long-time and ancient beliefs and traditions. Many still practice animism, or the belief in the spirits of nature, and practice rituals such as voodoo. They were able to continue because of the tolerance of the major global religions and also because of their practice of syncretism, in which they incorporated the local religions with these global religions. One last continuity was Christianity in Ethiopia, where the religion was indigenous and was there from the 4th Century CE. Essay 6 -Pre WWII, Sub Saharan Africa witnesses significant changes in the identities of its nations. Largely fueled as a reaction to separatist movements from European Colonial structures, and a recent surge in nationalism -Many strive towards self governed rule with dreams of liberation influenced by fighting in the name of freedom in the 2nd World War Changes: -Ghana -Gold Coast was hot bed of nationalism after WWII, desire for British to allow self rule -Took first step through African representation in council, but not enough -Many had aspirations for Ghana to become the African United States -Ambitious Goal expanded in 1947, Kwame Nkrumah starts series of boycotts, strikes, etc -By 1957, Gold Coast receives full independence, renamed Ghana -Nkrumah 1st president, creates proactive reforms -Kenya -Also governed from a far by the British -Large amounts of free land in Northern Highlands believed by the Native kenyans their own land with their own rights; not some prize for Britain. -Movement for Kenyan Independence begins, seeded in nationalism, by Joma Kenyatta, who like others, believed â€Å"Africa can only advance to a higher level if he is free to express himself†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , meaning free from external rule -Formation of Mau Mau Guerilla group, more violent approach toward Kenyan national identity, killing 10,000 Africans and 100 settlers in the process -Eventually, Kenya gains independence in 1963 Continuities: -One of largest things that stayed the same was the pattern of violence and oppression experienced in inter and intercommunication of African native groups/future nations -Nigeria -Key example, newborn nation that adopts a federal system -Borders did not pay attention to the cultural tensions it put in place among the civilians, would provoke a large amount of controversy -Ultimately leads to a full out civil war breaking loose, amongst a number of ethnic groups forced to live together with no prior notice -Horrible level of instability within the government, provoking martial law on some areas. -Outcome of a movement intended to liberate resulted in unimaginable violence, and the replacement of one oppressive, ignorant government, with a more familiar one -South Africa -Obtains partial independence from Great Britain by 1931, allowing for self government (sorta) -White supremacy ends up taking over the reigns immediately however policies of apartheid run rampant for the next couple of decades -Formation and barring of the African National Congress (ANC) -Misrepresentation in laws/distribution of land -South Africans are 75% of population, but only allowed on 13% of land (slum land too!) -ANC and other pro South African Native movements decide to go with a more violent route, yet many end up killed, beaten, or jailed in the 70s and 80s, especially after demonstrations in 1977. -Struggle for accurate democracy at hand, no room for reform, and realization of equality not realized until later on (Nelson Mandela) -Black citizens grossly mistreated in their own homeland, reign of violence and terror overstays its welcome

Alon Together

Yuqin Ge Prof. Joshua November Final Draft 4 4. 8. 2013 Imagination and Reality Individuals live with both imagination and reality. Often, imagination is based on reality and rooted reality. They utilize their imagination to image something they have never seen to fulfill their curiosity or something they are eager to realize. In â€Å"The World and Other Places,† Jeanette Winterson depicts a boy, a fictional character, who imaged flying to many places in his childhood. When he grew up, he joined the Air Force and realized the reality was not as fantastic as he had imagined.In â€Å"Bumping into Mr. Ravioli,† Gopnik uses his daughter Olivia and her imaginary playmate Charlie Ravioli, who is always too busy to play with her, to reveal a deeper truth about New York. Gopnik explains how imagination can be beneficial in understanding reality. Gopnik and Winterson both confirm that imagination is beneficial because it can help individuals to develop their identity and to hav e fun. One the contrary Gopnik contradicts Winterson, suggesting that imagination can also let individuals feel disappointed when imagination can not match reality.Individuals can develop their identity with imagination. Gopnik confirms Winterson on people can develop their identity through an imaginary sense. In Winterson’s story, the narrator was disappointed because reality was so different than his fantasies in his childhood. He supposed the real places and the people would be like fantasy as he imaged; however, his reality let him down. He lost himself and tried to find a specific answer to his identity, â€Å"How shall I live? † (287) Until one day, the narrator met an old woman in the park, he realized he could develop his identity through his imagination.Although the old woman was in poverty, she was happy, â€Å"Happy. The kind of happiness that comes from a steadiness inside. This was genuine. This was not someone who had turned away from the bolted door. It was open. She was on the other side. † (288) The narrator imaged there was a bolted door and the old woman was on the other side from him, because the old woman knew her identity and her expectation clearly. Here, the narrator learned he could not find his identity because he was not satisfied with his expectation from the old woman who was on the other side.He realized and developed his identity due to the usage of imagination. Gopnik confirms Winterson that Gopnik develops his identity through his daughter’s imaginary friend Charlie Ravioli who is always too busy to play with her. Olivia creates an imaginary friend based on the real world where she lives. There is a big difference between children like Olivia and children from out of New York. Olivia lives in New York which is busy, tight and huge, and the children who live outside of the cities live in a world where they can be free to play and do as much as they want to.Charlie Ravioli is a typical New Yorker, â₠¬Å"fit, opinionated, and trying to break into show business. † Gopnik notices that almost every single person in New York is as busy, or may pretend as Charlie Ravioli. Gopnik is also a New Yorker, and he realizes, â€Å"Busyness is our art form, our civic ritual, our way of being us. Many friends have said to me that they love New York now in a way they never did before, and their love, I’ve noticed, takes for its object all the things that used exasperate them—the curious combination of freedom, self-made fences, and paralyzing preoccupation that the city provides. (160) He realizes that the busyness in New York is more different than before. Gopnik realizes himself as a New Yorker like Charlie Ravioli, and then he develops his identity. Winterson’s developed his identity, and then he continued to seek the answer â€Å"How shall I live? † much deeper through his imagination. Gopnik also develops his identity and he knows himself and New Yorkers w ell. Both Winterson and Gopnik confirm that individuals can develop their identity with imagination. Gopnik confirms Winterson’s that individuals can have fun with their imagination.In Winterson’s story, when the narrator was a child, he and his family were too poor to travel anywhere, but they spent time on an imaginary trip in their living room. They used their imagination to fly away to better places such as â€Å"Bombay, Cairo, Paris, New York† and escape the reality of poverty that they faced (283). When they reached destination, they enjoyed themselves in their trip. The narrator stated, â€Å"When we reached our destination, we were glad to stand up and stretch our legs. Then my sister gave us each a blindfold.We put it on, and sat quietly, dreaming, imagining, while one of us started talking about the strange place we were visiting. † (284) Although they had never been to these places and didn’t know the appearance of these places, they con sidered these locations as amazing places to travel to. The narrator had so much fun flying an aeroplane with his imagination. Likewise, in Gopnik’s essay, his daughter Olivia has fun with her imaginary friend, Ravioli. A paracosm is an extension of imaginary friend, it is an imaginary world.He mentions about his daughter that â€Å"The existence of an imaginary friend had liberated her into a paracosm, but it was a curiously New York paracosm† (160) Author Gopnik uses the word paracosm in his essay which describes a detailed imaginary world which his daughter creates. His daughter has made herself her own little world with her imagination, kind of a mini New York. In this world she lives the life of a New Yorker with a busy life and with friends who have no free time to sit down and play with her.Although she is unlike the other children who play, have a nap and pay a visit to the Central Park Zoo, â€Å"she is too hurried to share them, that she dose have an indepen dence social life, by virtue of being to busy to have one. † (154) Olivia enjoys herself in her imaginary world, so she is too hurried to share them. Olivia’s childhood is different from other children’s. She creates her own world which based on reality. She enjoys herself with her imaginary friend in her own world. In her site, she regards this imaginary game as fun and she has fun with this creating world.The narrator had fun in his fantastic travel and Olivia enjoys herself and has fun with their imaginary world and friend. Therefore, Gopnik confirms Winterson’s on individuals can have fun with their imagination. Imagination is a double-edged sword. It can benefit individuals but can also make individuals disappointed. This depends on if it is based on reality or not, Gopnik complicates Winterson’s negative stance on reality. In Winterson’s story, when the narrator was a child, he and his family would spend time in their living room on tra veling with their imagination.They used their imagination to fly over better places, such as â€Å"Bombay, Cairo, Paris, New York† and escape the reality of poverty that they faced (283). After years of dreaming of these places, the narrator joined the Air Force and physically traveled to these places he imaged traveling to in his childhood. After all his traveling, he stated, â€Å"Bombay. Cairo. Paris. New York. We have invented them so many times that to tell the truth will be a disappointment† (289). After traveling to all these â€Å"amazing places,† he was disappointed because he was unable to tell his amily the truth that these places were not as amazing as they had imaged them to be. He was disappointed because he had imaged these places in his childhood with his imagination, and they didn’t match his expectations. Unlike the narrator, imagination benefits Gopnik’s daughter, due to the fact that her imaginary world is based on reality. In G opnik’s essay, he illustrates how beneficial the imagination is. Gopnik’s daughter, Olivia, has an imaginary friend Mr. Ravioli, who is too busy to play with her.Gopnik’s sister certifies that children create an imaginary playmate â€Å"not out of trauma but out of a serene sense of the possibilities of fiction-sometimes as figures of pure fantasy, sometimes, as Olivia had done, as observations of grown-up manners, assembled in tranquility and given a name. †(155) This means imagination is not a trauma, is beneficial to help Olivia cognize the reality. Olivia begins to understand how to organize her experience into stories through her imagination.She created an imaginary friend based on her observation of the adults living in New York. This creation of the imagination is rooted in reality because her imagination can match the reality where she lives. Gopnik’s daughter creates an imaginary friend who benefits her to cognize the reality; however, in Winterson’s, the narrator disappointed because the reality didn’t match his expectation. Gopnik contradicts Winterson on imagination can benefits individual when imagination depends on reality. Imagination is a double-edged sword.If individuals are able to connect imagination with reality, they will be able to develop their identity and have fun with their own world. But if individuals cannot match imagination with reality, they would be disappointed, just like the narrator in Winterson’s. In Gopnik’s essay, because Gopnik match reality with his daughter’s imaginary playmate, he develops his identity in New York. Winterson confirms Gopnik, because the narrator developed his identity through his an imaginary bolted door. Both Winterson and Gopnik confirm that individuals can have fun with their imagination.

We Grow Accustomed to the Dark…

Darkness is a recurring image in literature that evokes a universal unknown, yet is often entrenched in many meanings. A master poet, Emily Dickinson employs darkness as a metaphor many times throughout her poetry. In â€Å"We grow accustomed to the dark† (#428) she talks of the â€Å"newness† that awaits when we â€Å"fit our Vision to the Dark. † As enigmatic and shrouded in mystery as the dark she explores, Dickinson's poetry seems our only door to understanding the recluse. As she wrote to her friend T. W. Higginson on April 15, 1862, â€Å"the Mind is so near itself – it cannot see, distinctly†(Letters 253).In this musing, she acquiesces to a notion that man remains locked in an internal struggle with himself. This inner conflict is brought to light through a metaphorical darkness that pervades many of her poems. Evidenced by the sheer breadth of her poetry she penned throughout her life, it is clear Dickinson indulged and withdrew often into t he inner realm of her own mind. The darkness is an interesting metaphor because it represents a dichotomy between an internal and external. Poem 428 illustrates both as the darkness acts as a barrier against understanding, while at the same time a limitless passage to potential knowledge.As a poet, Dickinson meticulously fashions her poems. Each word, each capitalization, each rhyme scheme – the dash – is a device carefully calculated and chosen. The dash is rarely reflected on since Dickinson tends to utilize the punctuation in every poem. However, in poem 428, the formatting is essential to the meaning. What do the dashes mean? The punctuation – dash – has the power to immediately interrupt the flow of a sentence. Dashes indicate pauses – ends – places to wait – sometimes nothingness. Nothingness is what the darkness contains. Isn't nothingness an unknown?As we read the poem we pause at every turn, commanded to do so by the dash â⠂¬â€œ indicative of inner conflict. Our minds subconsciously repeat this action after ever pause – every dash. The words it is used on highlight the dark. The dash is used after lines directly referencing darkness itself and its incarnations (line 6's â€Å"night,† line 10's â€Å"Evenings,† line 11's â€Å"Moon,† line 19's â€Å"Midnight†) half of the time. In other lines, darkness is not directly referenced, yet evoked through certain associate terms. The power of darkness to hinder understanding and arbitrarily change are used fter such words (line 2's â€Å"away,† line 4's â€Å"bye,† line 11's â€Å"sign,† and line 17's â€Å"alters†).The darkness also could represent an inner conflict, such as the turmoil â€Å"within† (line 12) is exclusively mental. The line is indicative of the inner search for truth. The superfluous use of dashes in this specific line emphasizes the feeling of hopelessness that plagues t he search. This trend continues in line 13 as the subject, â€Å"the Bravest,† still always have darkness that lies ahead which they must â€Å"meet†¦ -erect-† (line 8) and overcome. After doing this, the brave can â€Å"see† (line 16) and reach the deeper enlightenment they've sought.What about the words that lack a dash? These lines emphasize the sworn enemy of darkness- the light. To begin, line 3's â€Å"lamp† illuminates the darkness. Light is used often as a metaphor to show knowledge that lies ahead or paths to understanding. Therefore, line 5's â€Å"step† and line 20's â€Å"straight† lack a dash since they show a direction. In darkness, there exists nothingness and no place to tread. In line 14, â€Å"tree† is indicative of light's other meaning – to shed light on something. A realization of a truth may be revealed in light. This connection causes light to be intrinsically linked to wisdom.Thus, in a poem so imme rsed in emotional darkness, wisdom would void it. As far as line 18's â€Å"sight† is concerned, no dash is present because without light a visual cannot be seen and will remain in (a physical and mental) darkness. In these lines without a dash, darkness is not acting as a barrier. In this poem, a rhyme scheme doesn't seem to exist at first. Few of the lines rhyme, except for lines 14 and 16 and lines 18 and 19. However, the poem has fluidity despite its apparent scarcity of rhyme. After examining the alteration of syllables in each line, a pattern is revealed in this poem concerning darkness.The first nine lines alternate between 8 and 6 syllables. These lines are concerned, as any narrative is, with exposition. These lines set up darkness as an internal conflict to come. The conflict intensifies in lines 10 and 11 as we are bombarded by an explosion of 8 syllables in each line. These lines present the conflict within one's own mind at its most desperate. After this climax, the syllables in the last nine lines resolve the conflict presented. In these lines, Dickinson presents us with an archetypal figure that is faced with a conflict: the â€Å"bravest† hero.These lines present the resolution in lines that alternate between 6 and 7 syllables. Just as the syllables decrease, the falling action presents us with a final insight. This insight discusses how darkness is an insurmountable entity that, like the hero, we must face to continue â€Å"straight† through â€Å"Life† (line 20). The next seemingly arbitrary decision is Dickinson's capitalization. The capitalization at the beginning of the sentence must be capitalized; therefore, we'll focus on the capitalizations that lie within each sentence. In this poem, each of these words is a noun.Past this simple reading, what may we deduce from these capitalizations? Each stanza presents a different set of capitalized objects which lend themselves to the interpretation that darkness is a b arrier. It is no mere coincidence, that like the darkness they reference, these objects are not easily read. The poem presents itself as a narrative, but when you want to seek a connection between these capitalized objects, you feel you've hit a wall – an impasse. In poem 554, Dickinson presents us with another frustrating statement when she asserts â€Å"I had not minded – Walls –†.In a similar way, this poem Dickinson is satisfied with the elusiveness that the darkness presents. She takes delight in contradiction and abstraction. In a letter sent to T. W Higginson on June 8, 1862, Dickinson states that she â€Å"[has] no tribunal† (255). Dickinson, like her poetry, is a paradox. In her house she was Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, yet in her poetry and letters takes on the form of the enigmatic â€Å"Your Scholar† or â€Å"E. Dickinson† (Letters 263-278). However, without seeming too presumptuous with a direct correlation to the poet, th ese objects remain impenetrable.The objects could be interpreted as external entities, yet each when internalized represents a concept inaccessible. For example, in poem 428, we find the â€Å"Moon† and â€Å"Star,† objects present in darkness of the sky, not characterized in the usual way we symbolically represent them. The â€Å"Moon† doesn't represent an omen – â€Å"sign† – and the â€Å"Star† is found â€Å"within† reach instead of far away. This is further evidenced when the â€Å"Bravest† in relation to the â€Å"Tree† do not act how we expect. We expect figures exemplifying courage to undergo immense – not â€Å"little† – obstacles and to always – not â€Å"sometimes† – encounter them (as represented by the tree).But what of all the poems that argue the opposite, that the darkness represents a potential limitless portent to freedom? Indeed poem 428's metaphorical d arkness could be interpreted as a veil that covers a deeper hidden truth. In fact, darkness takes on a myriad of manifestations, such as shadow, in Dickinson's poetry. In â€Å"Presentiment – is that long shadow – on the Lawn† (#487), Dickinson uses a â€Å"long shadow† in apposition with a â€Å"presentiment†. A presentiment is an intuition about the future (usually of something evil). In this instance, a limiting of light presents us with an indicator to further wisdom.In another poem, â€Å"In Ebon box, when years have flown† (#180), the darkness that covers the â€Å"box† is manifested as â€Å"velvet dust / Summers have sprinkled there! † A mere â€Å"wiping away† is all it takes to unlock what's hidden inside. In these poems, darkness is never directly referenced – only alluded to. However, in Dickinson's poetry, darkness need not solely be alluded to. In â€Å"Through the dark sod as education† (#559 ), the deeper theme of darkness explicitly leads to potential knowledge. In poem 559, the â€Å"Lily† is an entity known to thrive in the light of day (and perhaps even Dickinson herself).Then, why is the image of the â€Å"Dark Sod† brought in? Dickinson certainly could have chosen to utilize night, a period that flowers encounter every night. However, through this uncommon embodiment of lawn, Dickinson exposes darkness as an omnipresent force. Even for a â€Å"Lily,† darkness is a commonplace occurrence. However, here a head on confrontation with an omnipresent force doesn’t block the pursuer from realizing a deeper meaning. Thus, the â€Å"Lily† needs the darkness for redemption. Poem 559 presents darkness as a metaphor we shouldn't have â€Å"trepidation† or â€Å"fear† for.In the second stanza, Dickinson advances her exploration of darkness. In the â€Å"meadow,† the â€Å"Lily† acknowledges the darkness that it fac ed by reflecting on its recent â€Å"Mold-life†. The â€Å"Mold† in the garden-variety setting of the poem has the destructive power to devour and delineates passing of time. However, to ignore the first part of the hyphenated expression, the word â€Å"Mold,† would be to ignore the power of darkness' influence. Mold itself could refer back to the process of forming (both physical creation and the mental process undergone throughout life by the mind).In this poem, the â€Å"Lily† undergoes a transformative process that leaves it forever in â€Å"Extasy†. Ecstasy here is an interesting consequence when we consider Dickinson's own thoughts on the matter. On their first meeting, Dickinson said to T. W. Higginson, â€Å"I find ecstasy in living; the mere sense of living is joy itself† (Letters 264). (Therefore, if we conclude that ecstasy is an effect of darkness, then we could deduce that Dickinson believed it vital element since life is compri sed of birth and death. ) The flower in the poem is mutated and enhanced through the period of darkness it experiences.This poem could be seen as a musing on the human condition that befalls us all. A matter relatable and universally understood that life is a never-ending struggle which we all engage. The individual will emerge from the hardships, like â€Å"Dark Sod,† once they come to the realization that light cannot exist without its antithesis, darkness. Just as light cannot exist without its opposite, a discourse on metaphorical darkness in Emily Dickinson's poetry would not be complete without an inclusion of metaphorical light.However, light is such a commonly used word, that expressions expounding its revelatory nature have become cliches. To go beyond these two analyses, we must reveal the destructive nature underlying light. In â€Å"There's a certain slant of light† (#320), Dickinson explicates light in a novel way. In this poem, the setting is a â€Å"Win ter Afternoon. † From the very first line, the poet maintains a bias against the light. In the season of winter, it is expected for light to rarely appear. As a New England resident, Emily Dickinson knew this fact well. This poem, unlike many of Dickinson's poetry, does not extol nature or light.Unlike its usual connotation, Dickinson presents a light that contradicts what we expect and that instead exhibits a complicated nature. Interestingly enough, the light at work in this poem is found to be oppressive, despite nature superseding its position. Why then is light oppressive? The answer to this query is arrived at if we carefully decipher Dickinson's diction choice. In this poem, we can argue that change is epitomized by the â€Å"certain Slant of light† as a turning point for transformation. This slant of light is oppressive, but this is no simple, purely negative oppression.Rather, like darkness, it is both hard and worthwhile. The diction is heightened in the third stanza, when the poem 320’s speaker states how light cannot â€Å"teach† a lesson. An experience of painful transition is deemed more important. This experience is characterized by the stress placed on the word â€Å"Any. † The word both ends the physically written line and limits the expounded experience. Further explored, the turmoil disclosed is revealed not as a collective one by the diction choice an â€Å"imperial affliction. † It is almost as if a privileged group can only experience the transformation.In one word, Dickinson refashions light from universal emblem of revelation to a symbol of an exclusive human experience. However, taking light metaphorically where we never thought it could, Dickinson shows how easily transmuted these externals – light and dark – (which we’ve internalized and thought we knew) are. In Dickinson's first letter to T. W. Higginson on April 16, 1862, she asked him, â€Å"Are you too deeply occupied to say if my verse is alive? †(253) The irony lies in the fact that Dickinson’s verse is so alive that Emily Dickinson continues to rewrite the traditional modes of literature convention past her own lifetime.

Modern Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Modern Law - Essay Example This paper seeks to give a detailed analysis and criticism of criminal and civil law. Just like any organization having its challenges, civil law is not an exception. Civil law has challenges that need to be addressed as well as the good areas that need to be retained. It is in this regard that this part of the paper presents the dimensions of civil law that both need to be retained and changed. Ownership is one area that needs to be revised in order for civil disputes to be resolved efficiently. Ownership is one of the key and central concepts of civil law (Dorfman 408). Ownership largely outlines and ensures people respect boundaries for the peaceful coexistence of community members. In cases where people do not know the extent of their properties, conflicts are likely to arise between adjacent possessions. The entrepreneurial nature of people moves them to great length of wanting to amass more property for themselves. Each and every property has a spark that will always attract either a person or people with the intentions of owning it. Therefore, without clear boundaries on the ownership of property, conflict is bound to arise regarding the ownership. Therefore, ownership being a key concept of the civil law, there should be clear boundaries stating how far an individual or a person owns a given property (King 339). Further, each civil case in courts should be ruled in its merit. Let no other similar cases be used as a guideline in ruling a current case in court. On the other hand, the judges in American civil law remain disempowered as compared to the lawyers. The judges cannot proclaim common sense control over the cases, as they are ongoing. To a larger extent, the judge is reduced to a referee to oversee the contributions of the lawyers. In addition, judges in American civil cases do not know what they are to judge. The American civil case

Political parties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political parties - Essay Example Furthermore, essay identifies how the contrasting positions are related to the political ideologies. Analysing Differences and Similarities. Political system of the US government is predominately associated with the concept of two party system .The Democrats and the Republicans are the two major political parties dominating the US political system over the last few decades. On the other hand, the minor party such as the Libertarian have limited scope and role in the political system of the US. The Democrats in the US expresses a strong belief towards the importance of the environment which could lead to a strong economy. The Democrats claim that a reliable energy which is derived from the environment is an important reason for the growth of a strong economy. The Democrats are of the view a healthy environment can lead to a healthy economy. The Democrats are dedicated to the welfare of next generation and thus are committed towards providing renewable sources of energy. The Democrats considers climate change as threat to national security and thus justifies the funding of the government in the technologies for clean environment. Moreover, the issue regarding the greenhouse gas emission is being considered by the Democrats as one of the pivotal issue for achieving the goal of clean environment (Klevans 1-12; Dunlap, â€Å"Climate-Change Views: Republican-Democratic Gaps Expand†). The Republicans is the another major political party of the US, The Republicans places less attention on the aspect of climate change. The Republicans believe that the environment safety is related to the moral obligation of the people. It is worth mentioning that the Democrats places greater importance on environment issue than the Republicans. Moreover, both the parties namely the Democrats and the Republicans used â€Å"all-of-the -above† environmental policy with few key

Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Quiz - Essay Example Today, we are connected to hundreds of friends in the online community, but we are oblivious of the person sitting next to us, who may be our parent, our spouse, our child, our neighbor, or a relative. We share pictures and ideas with hundreds of people online, but we give a damn about what the person feels or think who is sitting in the same room as ours. People have lost the sense of belonging at all. Relations and friendships have converted into their digital forms, and we have stopped interacting with even the closest of our relatives by being physically absent to them. We are aware of each and every happening in their lives, but we have no time in arranging a meeting with them and having a gossip face-to-face. People convey their feelings in the digital format- feelings that they could never have conveyed in person; however, this conveyance of feelings lacks the emotional touch of understanding and compassion. The basic essence of social interaction is talking, which is becoming void even today, and disappear totally in some years to come. People have become narcissistic, because they love only their profiles, strive to put up great display pictures, try to fake what is actually not true, and this has made them oblivious to other people’s feelings and emotions. Such is the hazard of social media which is intruding our lives more and more with every passing

The Benefits of the Universitys Agricultural Patents Article

The Benefits of the Universitys Agricultural Patents - Article Example The cell line defends stops the growth of mycotoxins. Within the global food environment, Mycotoxin-infected agricultural products precipitate economic losses (DAR, 2006). University of Illinois (2013) offers Agriculture-based courses for farm enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. With the ARS and-University of Illinois patent partnership, the outcome is the improvement of our nation’s agriculture product outputs. The partnership ensures there is abundantly safe top quality food on the American people’s tables. The service helps its citizens, communities, and entities generate economic gains from agriculture transactions. The service scientifically conducts research to solve the nation’s agricultural problems. Solving includes protecting the agricultural products from identified pests (DAR, 2006). The purpose of the patent is to improve the nations’ agricultural food product scene. The improvement includes reducing the economic loss from infected agricultural food products. The research finds ways to reduce or eliminate the harmful effects a certain aflatoxin strain. Aflatoxin reduces the agricultural food products’ quality (DAR, 2006). Further, the ARS partners with University of Illinois to create anti-toxin defenses. Certain fungi produce mycotoxins. The mycotoxins crop up and develop on certain plant types. The plant types include barley, corn, wheat. Aflatoxin is one type of mycotoxin, a toxin (having ill effects) substance (DAR, 2006). The patent has many future applications. The patent will ensure an increase in farm plant outputs. With the anti-toxin patent, the University of Illinois and the United States Governments Agricultural Research Service increases the supply of plant food. With more food, the U.S. Governments hunger statistics is reduced. More food supply contributes to the reduction of farm food prices.  

Managing High-Performance IP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing High-Performance IP - Essay Example The essay "Managing High-Performance IP" talks about the reasons why the workers even though tested positive need to go through several steps of the company, paid treatment and company paid seminars is to ensure that the union’s demands are met, and this being among it is illegal to assume it. The CEO should go through the several steps of company-paid cessation seminars to be enlightened on the importance of the test being carried out. This will provide actual report since the supervisors are not sure of the existence of the problem in all departments. The drug testing activity should be carried out in a systematic way to avoid the cause of commotion amongst workers who do not use drugs. The fact that the CEO is convinced that several of the serious plant accidents had some under-the-influence element as their cause, and I agree with him. The company did incur expensive worker’s compensation settlements, in one case because of an amputation on a piece of machinery shou ld be not be included as an issue of concern in the upcoming negotiation. The criteria of my recommendations are â€Å"whether this a onetime individual issue or is the decision, in a way, establishing some new policy?† The compensation that was incurred by the company in one case because of and a piece of amputation on a piece of machinery was a onetime individual thing. The decision not to make it an issue in the upcoming negotiation is so that the matter is first looked at in depth to avoid making decisions that could affect the company negatively.

Womens Attitudes towards Online Shopping Dissertation

Womens Attitudes towards Online Shopping - Dissertation Example This essay discusses that women are traditionally responsible for household shopping. And according to several studies, shopping is a task more preferred by women and they express more favourable attitudes towards catalogue shopping and ‘brick-and-mortar’ store than men. Nevertheless, the innovative shopping medium presented by the Internet has been discovered to lead to an unusual, if not reverse, buying behaviour between women and men. Even though some studies have discovered that there is no significant disparity between non-shoppers and online shoppers as regards to gender, males were discovered to buy more online than females. According to Alreck and Settle, the attitudes of men towards online shopping were roughly similar to or even more positive than females’ perceptions. The Internet was previously designed mostly for men and for a purposeful assessment intended for the product information and price comparison. In the recent decades online shopping has tur ned out to be more pleasant, with customer evaluations and testimonials and a richer array of products/services and online experience. This development has encouraged women, as well. Furthermore, it appears that most people no longer find any considerable shortcomings of online shopping. A decade ago people were in the habit of worrying about the safety or trustworthiness of making payments online and the guarantee of delivery. These issues are no longer a problem today, with innovative means like secure online money transfers and a record of encouraging experiences (Park & Stoel 2002). As stated by Khosrowpour (2004), the progress of online shopping is distinguished by the finding that people have been allotting much more time for online activities since 1998. In general, there are dissimilarities between the buying behaviour of men and women. Women would prefer, more than men, to look for relevant information on products/services and to be encouraged; this is the same behaviour ob served in traditional shopping. Men would prefer to decide quickly. It is the shopping

Seven elements of service marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Seven elements of service marketing - Essay Example The paper will analyze the seven elements of service marketing in Citigroup headquartered in Charlotte, NC, and also outline the competitive advantage the service industry acquires through a successful marketing element. Service: Most banks are experiencing an era where their revenue is not dependent on the sale of money alone (Once). Services in the financial industry are intangible and involve money in varied attributes such as depositing, lending, and transfer procedures. Citigroup should select the features of the primary service which is the deposit and lending of money and the bundle of supplementary services like the online money transfer with reference to the customer’s desires. All aspects that have the potential to create value for Citigroup services should be bundled together to bring out the best customer experience. Price: Pricing is an essential feature in the marketing element of the service industry. Citigroup has to settle at prices that are affordable to the customers, and that ensure the bank is operational. Setting the price is centered on the value of the services they offer. In the service industry unlike in the product marketing, a decrease in price does not result in an increase in the customer base. The prices in the banking industry and Citigroup are dependent on the service being provided and assume the names such as interest, expenses, and commission. Place: The most relevant aspect of banking is the ability to persuade customers that their resources are available whenever they are needed (Once). A bank such as Citigroup has to ensure that their services are visible to potential customers and that existing ones have adequate channels to access their resources. Citigroup can open branches on strategic positions or partner with other financial institutions to gain a greater geographical share. Promotion: Citigroup has numerous goals that shape the way they

Nike †SWOT Analysis Essay Example for Free

Nike – SWOT Analysis Essay STRENGTHS Nike is a very competitive. It has a huge and healthy dislike of its competitors. At Atlanta Olympics, its competitor Reebok went on expense of sponsoring the games but Nike didn’t take this step. It sponsored top athletes and gained much coverage. Nike does not have factories. It does not let its cash to tie up in buildings and manufacturing employees. This model makes it a very lean organization. They manufacture high quality product at a location which offers low prices. If price gets increased, it shifts to other production location. Nike has a very strong research and development area which can be seen in its innovative product range. Nike is a global brand. It is at top position in sport brand in the World. Its famous â€Å"Swoosh† logo is instantly recognizable by people. Nike is a very professional company. It has offices in 45 different countries. It offers products all over the world. It is a fortune 500 company. It has very strong marketing campaign that increases the familiarity of its brand. It employs over 30,000 employees across the world. It has got its retail chain Niketown. It has taken initiatives in many different branding opportunities and resulted in impressive outcomes. It provides lightweight shoes by using lunarlite materials. (Nike SWOT Analysis) WEAKNESS Though Nike has varied range of sports products but still its business’s income is depends heavily on the share of footwear market it has got. So, in case its market share decreases, it can leave the company becomes vulnerable to come down. Though Nike has got its own retailer: Niketown, its huge part of income comes from selling into retailers. And retail sector is very sensitive as well. Retailers also provide same set of experiences to customers. So, the profit margin will get affected if retailers try to sell off the products at lower prices. It has got charges against labor violations; experienced bad publicity with issues of sweatshops and practicing unethical patterns has degraded its image to some extent. Its  history involves the violations of minimum wage rates in Vietnam. For cheaper prices, it has been charged for exploiting workforces which will be employed at lower price in overseas countries. It’s been accused of providing poor working conditions to the workers. It gets constant negative criticism from anti-globalization groups. Its production is carried out at a cheaper location, so majorly it happens outside U.S. But this practice is not considered good in U.S. (Swot Analysis Nike) (Nike SWOT Analysis) OPPORTUNITY 1. The development of product range offers Nike many opportunities. Though Nike owners don’t consider its brand as a fashionable one but its customers consider it so. They don’t buy it for sports activities only. It has become a fashion trademark among customers especially the youth. This creates huge opportunities for Nike as the product could come under unfashionable tag before it wears out i.e. shoes gets replaced by the customers. 2. Opportunity also lies in developing sports wears, sunglasses and jewellery. These high end valued items will surely get associated with their mainline products. 3. It can develop its business internationally which can give strength to its global brand recognition. There are many emerging countries like China and India which offers disposable income to be spent on high value sports products. These countries have growing number of customers especially the working population. 4. There are many global sports events such as the World cup (So ccer) and the Olympics, which can be used as global marketing events. They can support the brand of the company. 5. Company can extend its reach in trendy and fashionable industry where not only Athletes but general population is also targeted. 6. There is a scope of new sponsorships. These new sponsors usually have successful ways to brandize an organization. 7. It can create new products by using waste from usual manufacture. 8. It can expand into jewellery and sunglasses items. 9. It can change its product development strategy with change in trends. 10. It can reduce controversy occurring around its business practices. (SWOT Analysis Nike, Inc.) THREATS 1. Nike has its business in several countries i.e. it is been exposed to international behavior of trade. It manufactures and sells in different  currencies. Hence costs and profit margin will fluctuate over a longer period of time. This nature of trade can put Nike on loss side. 2. The market of sports shoes is very competitive. Hence the business model developed by the owners of Nike is no longer in use. It needs to come up with a sustainable model so as to remain in the race. 3. Market is flooded with competitors who are developing alternative brands to take Nike’s market share. 4. As we have observed that retail sector is very competitive. This means customers have got lot of options available at one’s end. So if one store charges a price for a product, consumer can go to other store if that store is selling the same quality price at lower rates. Hence price sensitivity is a huge threat to Nike. 5. A global business usually experiences hiccups because abroad busin ess operations are exposed to risks of fluctuations in currencies, quotas, safeguard measures, restrictions in trades and terrorism. 6. Its exposed to risks associated with importing costs because of international barriers 7. It needs to maintain reputation as one of the eco-friendly organizations. 8. It is difficult for them to manage financial conditions in today’s economy. 9. Its association with Kobe Bryant. 10. It’s been accused for unfair labor practices. (Nike SWOT Analysis) Works Cited Nike SWOT Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.teamonedesign.com: www.teamonedesign.com/aio/mk/Nike_SWOT_Analysis.doc Swot Analysis Nike. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com: http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/swot-analysis-nike.html SWOT Analysis Nike, Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com: http://www.marketingteacher.com/swot/nike-swot.html#

Psy 375 Senior Interview Essay Example for Free

Psy 375 Senior Interview Essay 1. What is the environment of your home like? Busy, before they got guardianship of their grandson, life was quiet and there was not very much that had to be done around the home. Once their grandson came to live with them at age 3, life became â€Å"a buzz† again. â€Å"Before our grandson came to us, we usually would get up in the morning, sit and relax as we drank our coffee and had a quiet breakfast together. Now, we (her and her spouse) are up early to get our grandson ready to go to school. † She also says â€Å"We had time for the things that we wanted to do in our later years of life, visiting family, traveling and such. Now our time is dedicated to raising our grandson who keeps us going and on our toes but we would not change the situations we are in now for the world. † 2. Has aging changed the home environment? Yes, when they were younger, they had the energy and health to do the things they wanted to. Sally says â€Å"With age came some small struggles to stay at the pace we had always had when we were younger. Things that were always easy slowly became more time consuming, housekeeping used to be something that I could complete pretty quickly; now, I am a little slower (with the help of my grandson). Otherwise, she says â€Å"life keeps us all busy. † 3. Do you rely on others for help with any activities in the home? Sally answers â€Å"No, we are still able and willing to do our chores and keep up with the necessary tasks that we have. Although, we do have â€Å"John† (grandson) visit family a few times a month so that we have time to recharge. † 4. Do you still drive? If so, how has aging changed how you drive? Sally answered, â€Å"Yes, we both (her and her husband Mike) still drive. Driving is something that you would think would stay the same as you grow old until you get old. When I am driving now, I feel like everyone is in a rush to get where they want to go and here I am taking my time, trying to be safe while all around me are probably cursing me and saying â€Å"Damn old lady is driving so slow. † (She laughed as she made the last remark. ) 5. What changes in your home do you face as you get older? Sally answers, â€Å"As my husband and I get older, we are starting to be slower at things that once took us very little time. I think as we continue to get older, we will continue to get slower. † She also says, â€Å"With having our grandson home with us, he is helping us when he sees us even struggle a little with even small things. I think as we get older, he will be the one to help us more than anyone else. Recreational Activities: 1. In the past, what did you do for recreation? What do you do now for enjoyment? Sally answers, â€Å"When we were younger and our children were at home with us, we would spend a lot of time outdoors. We loved to go camping, fishing and hunting as a family. As our children got older, they all had things that they were involved in that took that time away that we had for the fun things. † She then explained that as her and her husband grew older, that they became more focused on the things that they wanted to do like traveling and visiting family. Sally then explained â€Å"Now that we have our grandson, I go to the movies, library, and toy shopping an awful lot. † But then she explained that she takes pleasure in spending time with her grandson doing the things that he likes to do because she â€Å"loves to see the smile on his face. † Sally also explained that they are active members of a church that they go to twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays) and they get great pleasure out of the service. 2. How often do you participate in these activities? Sally says â€Å"When â€Å"John† is a good boy at school and does what he is told here we usually take him out about once a week to do something special. † She then explains, â€Å"Church is a large part of our lives. We go to church not only to worship but also to have time with people that are around our age with and are like-minded. † 3. Have the things that do for recreation changed as you aged? As stated above, in their younger years, their recreation revolved around their family. As they got older, she says â€Å"The things we did slowed. We were not out all the time we possibly could have been. † Sally says, â€Å"We now spend time where we feel most comfortable, church and doing things with our grandson are what we do most now. † Social Support and Interactions: 1. Who do you interact with on a regular basis? Is this the same amount of contact you had in younger years of life? Sally says, â€Å"On a daily basis, my husband and grandson. I usually call my sister every couple days and see how she is doing and on a weekly basis the brothers and sisters I have at church. † She also says, â€Å"In the past, we had friends and neighbors that we were in contact with on a daily basis but as time went on, the friends we have kept are passing away or just losing contact with them all together. It is hard getting older and watching the friends you have start to pass away, it make me think that I will not always be here and then it makes me worry about who will keep our grandson when we are gone. † 2. Do you participate in any social clubs? Sally says, â€Å"The only real structured social club, if you can call it that, would be church activities. On Wednesdays, we go to church for bible study and social time where we talk with our friends there and on Sunday, we go to service that provides us with God’s word and time with our church brothers and sisters. † Meaningful Activities: 1. What gives your life meaning? Sally says, â€Å"My family is what gives my life meaning. I try to do as much as possible to stay in the loop of what is going on with my children and grandchildren. My children have always been the reason that we have worked so hard. We always wanted them to have the better things in life and we wanted them to be happy. † She also says â€Å"Now, my life revolves around taking care of â€Å"John† and making sure he feels that everything is okay and that he has a stable home to grow up in. † 2. Do you still engage in these activities as you did when you were younger? Sally says, â€Å"When we were younger, we had a lot more activities when our children were young. As they grew up, moved out on their own and had families of their own, our lives quieted down and the activities we were always doing changed into activities that â€Å"Mike† and I wanted to do until we got â€Å"John† and once we got â€Å"John† life became busy again with all of his activities. † Mental Stimulation: 1. In the past, what did you do to keep your mind sharp? Sally says, â€Å"In the past, I had my work to keep my mind sharp. I was a secretary at the middle school in the town we live for almost 20 years and was always busy with the tasks that were I had to do. My children also kept my mind going and I loved helping them with their homework because this helped me keep my mind working and remembering how to do problems like math and science. † 2. What do you do now to keep your mind sharp? Sally says, â€Å"Now to keep my mind sharp I do a lot of word and number puzzles. I love to do Sudoku puzzles and word find puzzles. Sudoku puzzles really keep my mind working because sometimes I feel like my hair is on fire when I am done with them (she chuckles.) I also spend time with â€Å"John† to helping him with his homework and I think this helps to keep me learning still because I have noticed that the way children are taught now has really changed from when I had my children in school. † Physical Activities: 1. In the past, what did you do to keep physically fit? Sally says, â€Å"In the past, when my children lived at home, we were always on the go. We would go places where we would walk and hike through the woods like when we would go hunting or fishing. We lives close to the corner store so we would also just walk to the store when we needed a few things instead of get in the car and drive. † She also says â€Å"I never was a really big health nut who was always worried about exercise because my weight was never an issue. I felt that is my weight was good then I was getting plenty of exercise. † 2. What do you do to keep physically fit now? Sally says, â€Å"Nowadays we love to take â€Å"John† for walks at the local trails. It’s nice to be out in the fresh air and be able to not only spend time with â€Å"Mike† and â€Å"John† but to get a little exercise because I have noticed that the older I get the less muscle I seem to have. † â€Å"It seems like the little things are more of a challenge than they were in previous years. Even just opening a jar is sometimes a challenge. † 3. Are you able to keep up with the daily physical stresses that you are tasked with on a daily basis? Sally says, â€Å"Yes, it seems like I am still doing a pretty good job keeping up with everything I have to do on a daily basis (as she looks around her living room. ) She also says â€Å"Keeping a house clean is a chore in its own when you have a grandson to pick up after everywhere he goes. † She also says, â€Å"I get around to the things I need to do now when I get to them. I used to try to make sure the house was perfect when my children and â€Å"Mike† would come home each day and thought that having a clean house for them, food cooking and clothes laid out for them daily was what I was supposed to do. Now that I think about it, I would have much rather of been having fun with them instead of being worried about the house. † Ending the interview, her last statement is, â€Å"Life now is a little bit harder than it was when I was younger. It seems like the older I get, the slower I am. † She then tells me, â€Å"Make sure that you spend your time doing what makes you happy. †

Methods for Increased Discernment of Deception

Methods for Increased Discernment of Deception Getting to the Truth A Review of Information Gathering for the Purpose of Establishing the  Veracity of Certain Events with Recommendations for Application In consideration of the not simply punishing the guilty but in addition, for the purpose of the prevention of further crime, law enforcement officials have a significant need for information from witnesses and suspects. This information must, above all, be accurate and it must be gained by a legal means in a means that can be implemented often without extensive personnel or expense in a timely manner. Interestingly enough, despite the general regard of being regarded as â€Å"experts† and â€Å"professionals† in the information gathering business and despite varying degrees of training or experience, numerous studies have demonstrated than nearly all police officers perform at nearly the same levels as untrained civilians as they both tend to hover only slightly above that of a pure chance of 50/50. Though these studies produce somewhat varying rates, it is important to not that there is little consistent validity that certain populations are demonstrably better at dete cting deception than untrained or chance selections (Vrij 2004, p. 159; Vrij, et al. 2004, p. 283; Kassin Gudjonsson 2004, p. 37; Mann, et al. 2004, p. 137). In gathering information, the label of â€Å"interrogation† is attached to processes if the person being questioned is viewed as a primary suspect while the more benign term of â€Å"interview† attaches to those viewed as simply a witness, potential witness or other information gathering purpose. In light of this, one might rightly assume that the chief difference in this labeling of process is the presumptions of the interviewer or interrogator. In the process of interrogation, there is generally an assumption of guilt or at least culpable knowledge for which it is quite possible for induced interviewer bias to play a significant role in the outcome (Wright Allison 2004, p. 138; Gudjonsson 1992, p. 14). This bias is evident through the reply of one police officer in regards to this issue that, â€Å"†¦ we don’t interrogate innocent people† (Kassin Gudjonsson 2004, p. 36). Though it could be called an off-the-cuff remark, this is fairly typical of t he extent of bias that would likely result in a false-positive type error stemming from the subsequent behaviors such as attempts at â€Å"forcing† the subject to â€Å"talk† by not necessarily physical means (Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 57-58). Why People Lie To answer such a question, we might just as well ask, â€Å"Why do people tell the truth†? While these are simply two sides of the same coin, the question brings us no closer to the answer except that there are a potential myriad reasons yet by viewing it in this manner, some insight is possible. For example, in teaching values to groups to young people, one method to force the consideration of ethics is to ask the question, â€Å"Why one should not steal?† This purposefully leading question generally gets responses that either indicates an element of fundamental morality such as, â€Å"Because it is wrong†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or, alternatively, some variant of a fear of getting caught and the ensuing punishment. Similar to this, in consideration of the question of â€Å"why people lie†, the same tenets likely apply, that is they do so to escape punishment or other consequences or perhaps they do so based on the idea similar to the proposition of â€Å"the lesser of t wo evils† as might be the case when one tells an altruistic lie to protect another or to save a relationship (Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 10-11). In studies on lying, aside from the fact that it occurs more than one might think, there seem to be, in the minds of those who tell a lie, different types or degrees of lying depending on the stakes, the outcome and the person(s) deceived (Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 10-11). For example, if a â€Å"good thing† such as a job comes from a lie, it is more acceptable than a theft that occurs by deception. While this is likely how many people think, it is nonetheless a very slippery slope and the â€Å"good† done to one and the â€Å"harm† to another is quite debatable, depending on if one is the victim or the perpetrator. On method of gaining insight into the decision to tell a lie that assumes rationality, that is a conscious decision that a lie is in their calculated best interest, is to utilize the combined approach of motivation theory with the same type of payout ratio analysis used in decision risk modeling. With regards to motivation, one applicable model is that of Vroom’s Expectancy Theory in which the willingness of a person to perform some action is mediated by the interaction three variables (Dreher Dougherty 2002, pp. 34 – 36): Valence – The degree to which the outcome is desired. Instrumentality – The extent to which successful performance would result in the desired outcome. Expectancy – The likelihood of being able to perform a given task. In evaluating business decisions, companies will often construct a formal payout analysis in which the likelihood of positive outcome is weighed against the payout of success and the payout of failure. For example, the company that has a 50% chance of striking gold in a certain mine whose value is $10M but costs $1M to discover, regardless of success should rationally pursue this option which has a projected payoff of $4M (.5 x $10M less $1M expense). While this process of decision-making is easily illustrated utilizing financial examples, the fact that a decision has value to an individual is appropriate. Thus, when a person chooses to lie, they have consciously or not, evaluated their options and, from their perspective made a choice that lie outweighs the payoff of truth against the two possible â€Å"costs† of lying, that of the lie not being believed and that of being caught not telling the truth (Gonjonsson 1992, p. 21). Thus, by seeking to understand â€Å"why† a nd â€Å"how†, one can effectively understand â€Å"who† which aids the investigator to get inside the head of the person being questioned (Douglas Olshaker 1999, p. 17). The Problems of Confessions As indicated previously, the situational context of the interrogation process combined with the fact that police officers most likely have some degree of training in conjunction with the experience of dealing with deception extensively in their daily work yield the predictable result of â€Å"disbelieving people who are innocent with a great deal of confidence† (Kassin Gudjonsson 2004, p. 33). The well-documented presence of interviewer bias creates this situation in which only statements that support the interviewers already held beliefs (Wright Allison 2004, p. 139). This process, in an estimated 30% of the roughly 60% of cases that in which someone confesses, leads to an eventual confession of â€Å"something† culpable (Loftus 2004, p. I; Gudjonsson 1992, p. 50; Pearse, et al. 1998, pp. 1 – 2). Like the variance in the studies citing the ability to detect a lie, there are variance indications of the extent to which false confessions are given with the true n umber difficult to measure (Memom, et al. 2003, p. 76). Despite the problems in getting a true assessment of the problem, there is agreement that certain types of people are much more likely to confess than other groups. For example, youth or those who suffer from some mental disorder or diminished capacity are â€Å"prone†¦ to provide information which is unrelable, misleading or self-incriminating† (Pearse, et al. 1998, p. 2). In data collected on real-life police interviews with the accompanying real-life consequences, research revealed four generally applicable predictors of the likelihood of a confession (Pearse, et al. 1998, pp. 9 – 13): Age – 60% of confessors in this inquiry were under 25 while 60% of deniers were over 25. Drug Use within the last 24 hours was just over 3x as likely to confess. The presence of counsel reduced the rate of confessions by  ¼ the rate as when no counsel was present. Prison or previous documented criminal experience decreased the odds of a confession by  ½ as naà ¯ve subjects. With this information, it is possible to implement practices and procedures by which the pursuit of truth by managing situations in which false confessions due the subjects succumbing to perceived pressure to come up with something that will be â€Å"rewarded† is possible. These practices should likely include (Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 82 85): Using more information gathering-type approaches rather than â€Å"tricky techniques† designed to elicit a confession. Record all interviews and interrogations. Include legal counsel that do more than simply point out administrative issues but act in the interest of the client. Identify and require an â€Å"audit† of particularly at-risk persons. Require additional evidence to corroborate a confession. Discernment Techniques: Raising the Odds of Detection Perhaps most striking about the detection of deception is that there is no standard â€Å"Pinnochio’s nose† or nonverbal behavior that exists to signal an intent to deceive (Vrij 2004, p. 160; Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 11 – 12). This fallacy is one in which people superimpose how they might feel with how they think another should feel and, with this in mind, other indicators of deception will be examined Most people are somewhat familiar with the typical lie detector which utilizes subtle changes in autonomic measures such as galvanic skin responses, heart rate, blood pressure and respiration as correlates of an emotional response to a specific stimulus indicated the subject is concealing knowledge. Under controlled conditions, with a trained operator and a voluntary subject, accuracy rates as high as 95% have been claimed, this apparatus in no longer acceptable in court a a sole source for conviction (Gilbert 2004, pp. 138 – 140; Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 21 – 25; Bennett Hess 2001, pp. 160 – 161). The use of polygraphs as well as electroencephalograms (EEG) to record the autonomic responses to questioning have made to the detection of deception, specifically the attempt to hide specific knowledge, much more difficult. As the brain is very much an organ characterized by the transmission of electrical impulses, its activity is correlated to the conscious and unconscious information it processes. One very specific component of the brainwave, upon stimulation by a question or picture, evokes an excitation in brain wave patterns to the degree that a novel meaningful stimulus can be discerned by the researcher, regardless of what the subject claims. This component, dubbed the â€Å"P300† as it is positive in direction and it occurs 300 milliseconds after stimulation, can be defeated through specific means but for the usual criminal type that does not read journals of physiopsychology, it is a very reliable detector of cognitive effort to deceive (Rosenfeld, et al. 2004, pp. 2 05 – 206). This insight is somewhat complimentary to a less equipment-intensive method in which the interviewer pays close attention to the level of cognitive effort the subject is using. This is based on the reasonable assumption that a liar, in keeping their story straight, must work harder to construct a believable falsehood (Kassin Gudjonsson 2004, p. 39; Bennett Hess 2001, p. 160). In a truthful recollection, it is possible that details may be remembered at one point and omitted in another but the story retains the same essence. This is especially observable when the subject is questioned in a way that takes the elements out of sequential order; the difficulty in getting the details consistent takes considerable effort and is not always successful. This method of deception detection is dubbed â€Å"implicit† as one is considering the element of cognitive effort required to â€Å"keep the story straight† rather than simply if they are lying or not in order to determine the v eracity of the statement(s) made (Vrij 2004, p. 172). Complimentary to this and working in the investigator’s favor is that the subject in most likely not aware of what the police know and is thus at a significant disadvantage with regards to knowing how much information to disclose and how much to withhold (Vrij 2004, p. 170). Similarly, the focal point of the investigation should be upon what the subjects says and, to the degree possible, what the subject does not say through apparent efforts to conceal knowledge. In conclusion, as a result of both seeking to understand the â€Å"how† and â€Å"why†, a law enforcement official can better determine the ultimate culpability for a crime. In consideration of this information the following are presented as suggested methods for increased discernment of deception: Keep an open mind – As indicated, the common view that subjects are lying only â€Å"when their lips are moving† is strong evidence of interrogator bias and is likely to find exactly what the interrogator is looking for†¦ regardless of the truth. You are not interrogating Pinocchio – A belief that liars fidget may or may not hold. The subject may be nervous as this could be their first questioning. They may have been drinking†¦ ad infinitem. Do not interrupt, do not release information unless necessary – The fact that they do not know what you know is a very good thing. This information asymmetry works to both gather more information and better evaluate it. Do not look at the person’s face Facial clues are unreliable, person to person, and a layer of misleading data upon the real focus, the content of the interview. Though nonverbal clues may be present, research indicates that content issues such as omissions or inconsistencies are most likely where clues reside. Consider the amount of effort the subject is using – By using the implicit method of deception detection, more reliable, valid assessments are possible than simply trying to determine if the subject is lying. Record the interview – This is recommended not just for later review and protection of all involved but such as step allows the interview to focus on the content. Works Consulted Bennett, W.W., and Hess, K.M. (2001). Criminal Investigation, 6th edition. Stamford, Connecticut: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Douglas, J. and Olshaker, M. (1999). The Anatomy of Motive. New York, New York: Pocket Books. Dreher, G.F., and Dougherty, T.W. (2002). Human Resource Strategy: A Behavioral Perspective for the General Manager. Boston, Massachusetts: McGraw–Hill Irwin. Gilbert, J.N. (2004). Criminal Investigation, 6th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice-Hall. Gudjonsson, G. (1992). The Psychology of Interrogations, Confessions and Testimony. Chichester, UK: Wiley Sons. Kassin, S.M. and Gudjonsson, G.H. (2004). â€Å"The Psychology of Confessions: A Review of the Literature and Issues†. Psychological Science in the Public Interest (5)2, pp. 33 – 67. Loftus, E. (2004). â€Å"The Devil in Confessions†. Psychological Science in the Public Interest (5)2, pp. i – ii. Memon, A. Vrij, A. Bull, R. (2003). Psychology and Law, 2nd Edition. Chichester, UK: Wiley Sons. Pearse, J., Gudjonsson, G.H., Clare, I.C.H., and Rutter, S. (1998). â€Å"Police Interviewing and Psychological Vulnerabilities: Predicting the Likelihood of a Confession†. Journal of Community Applied Psycholog, 8, pp. 1 – 21. Rosenfeld, J.P., Soskins, M., Bosh, G., and Ryan, A. (2004). â€Å"Simple, effective countermeasures to P300-based tests of detection of concealed information†. Psychopysiology, 41, pp. 205 – 219. Vrij, A., Evans, H., Akehurst, L., and Mann, S. ( 2004). â€Å"Rapid Judgements in Assessing Verbal and Nonverbal Cues: Their Potential for Deception Researchers and Lie Detection†. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 18, pp. 283 – 296. Vrij, A. (2004). â€Å"Why Professionals Fail to Catch Liars and How they Can Improve†. Legal and Criminal Psychology, 9, pp. 159 – 181.

To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Doing the Right Thing :: Kill Mockingbird essays

To Kill a Mockingbird "I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them." – Miss Maudie The quote above states that Atticus Finch was a man who did unpleasant things, but this quote is false. Miss Maudie had every good intention when she told Jem and Scout this and her point was taken in the way she intended it to be taken by the children. Her point could have been better worded if the portion that reads "our unpleasant jobs" were replaced with "what is right." Atticus did unpleasant things only because he knew that they were the right thing to do. Miss Maudie told the children about their father in this way only to avoid saying that the rest of the town was wrong. Atticus remained a pillar of righteousness in a town whose moral foundation was weak to say the least. When Atticus took Tom Robinson's case, he didn't treat the case differently from any other he might take on. He knew that there was no way that Tom would be saved from death no matter how well he defended him. From opening to closing statements, Atticus remained vigilant in his defense of Tom. Another consequence of defending Tom Robinson in court, aside from being known as a "nigger lover" and opening himself to several other forms of racial hatred from the good people of Maycomb, Atticus was also arguing against a man who was known to be a violent drunk. Bob Ewell was a frightening man and it was noble of Atticus to put himself in a position of opposing such an unstable individual. Atticus remained a gentleman when Ewell confronted him at the post office. Most men in his position would have violently lashed out at Robert E. after being spat upon. Atticus did the right thing and remained a gentleman throughout the confrontation. Miss Maudie's statement is true in that the right things he did were sometimes unpleasant, I think Aunty Alexandra's stay with the Finch Family was one of those things. Even if Aunty's stay wasn't entirely his idea, Atticus tolerated her stay and her a treatment of the children because he knew that in some ways she was good for the children. Scout needed to have a female influence in her life and unfortunately that meant having a sometimes cold and stern woman living with them. To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Doing the Right Thing :: Kill Mockingbird essays To Kill a Mockingbird "I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them." – Miss Maudie The quote above states that Atticus Finch was a man who did unpleasant things, but this quote is false. Miss Maudie had every good intention when she told Jem and Scout this and her point was taken in the way she intended it to be taken by the children. Her point could have been better worded if the portion that reads "our unpleasant jobs" were replaced with "what is right." Atticus did unpleasant things only because he knew that they were the right thing to do. Miss Maudie told the children about their father in this way only to avoid saying that the rest of the town was wrong. Atticus remained a pillar of righteousness in a town whose moral foundation was weak to say the least. When Atticus took Tom Robinson's case, he didn't treat the case differently from any other he might take on. He knew that there was no way that Tom would be saved from death no matter how well he defended him. From opening to closing statements, Atticus remained vigilant in his defense of Tom. Another consequence of defending Tom Robinson in court, aside from being known as a "nigger lover" and opening himself to several other forms of racial hatred from the good people of Maycomb, Atticus was also arguing against a man who was known to be a violent drunk. Bob Ewell was a frightening man and it was noble of Atticus to put himself in a position of opposing such an unstable individual. Atticus remained a gentleman when Ewell confronted him at the post office. Most men in his position would have violently lashed out at Robert E. after being spat upon. Atticus did the right thing and remained a gentleman throughout the confrontation. Miss Maudie's statement is true in that the right things he did were sometimes unpleasant, I think Aunty Alexandra's stay with the Finch Family was one of those things. Even if Aunty's stay wasn't entirely his idea, Atticus tolerated her stay and her a treatment of the children because he knew that in some ways she was good for the children. Scout needed to have a female influence in her life and unfortunately that meant having a sometimes cold and stern woman living with them.

Analysis of The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls Essay -- Biblical Scr

Analysis of The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls Preamble â€Å"The grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of our God stands forever† Isaiah 40.8 â€Å"Mohammed Dib, a Bedouin shepherd of the T’Amireh tribe† (Keller, 1957, 401) could not have known that he would be the person who, in 1947, would bring to bear the words of Isaiah 40.8 This shepherd boy had been clambering around the clefts and gullies of a rock face on Wadi Qumran, north of the Dead Sea hoping to find one of his lost lambs. Thinking that it could have taken refuge in a cave he threw stones at the opening. He heard a jar break, became fearful and ran to fetch his fellow tribesmen. What they discovered were written scrolls of ancient papyrus, stuffed in jars and wrapped in linen. The Bedouins thought that they could make money on the black market in Bethlehem so sold them for a few shekels. A bundle of four of these scrolls was purchased by â€Å"the Orthodox Archbishop of Jerusalem, Yeshue Samuel who then stored them in St. Marks Monastery†. (Albright, 1954, 403) From this point in time interest in the scrolls escalated and in â€Å"1949 the Oriental Institute in Chicago invited Yeshue Samuel to submit the scrolls for examination. The Dead Sea Scrolls were given extensive and exhaustive examinations including carbon testing which indicated that â€Å" because the linen they were wrapped in was made from flax which had been harvested in the time of Christ that the scrolls were seen to have been copied around 100 B.C.† (Albright, 1954, 404). From the time of the initial discovery there was also an upsurge in archeological expeditions to the area. One such expedition was in 1949 when Father Roland de Vaux, Dominican Director of the French Ecole Biblique et Archeologique at Jerusalem and Professor Lankester Harding the British Director of the Department of Antiquities in Amran arrived in Qumran. After the initial disappointment of finding no complete scrolls or jars they â€Å" literally examined the floor of the cave with their fingernails. What they found allowed them to come to some astonishing conclusions† (â€Å"they found fragments and potsherds relating to Graeco-Roman times, dating from 30 B.C. to A.D. 70. Six hundred tiny scraps of leather and papyrus made it possible to recognize Hebrew transcriptions from Genesis, Deuteronomy, and the... ...ve been invented for the purpose of Christianity, that they are in fact the Word of God. Works Cited Albright, W.F. â€Å"Archeology and the Religion of Israel†. The Bible as History Ed. Werner Keller. Trans. William Neil. London: 1956 Hodder and Stoughton. 403 Burrows, Millar. More Light on the Dead Sea Scrolls and New Interpretations. New York: 1955. The Viking Press. 1958. 180. Dupont-Sommer, A. The Essene Writings from Qumran. New York: 1962. 23-38 Ferguson, F. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 1987. Grand Rapids, Mich: 1990. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company 1990. 369-421 Harding, L. Journal of the Society of Oriental Research (JSOR). The Bible as History. Ed. Werner Keller. Trans. William Neil. London: 1956 Hodder and Stoughton. 409- 410 Josephus Flavius, The Jewish War. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England. 1959 Penguin Books Ltd. 129 Lohse, E. The new Testament Environment. Trans. John E. Steeley. 1974 London: SCM Press. 1989: 89-115 Tushingham, A. Douglas. The Men who hid the Dead Sea Scrolls. December. 1958: National Geographic Magazine Vardaman, J. The Earliest Fragments of the New Testament. 1971-72: Expository Times 374-376

Essay --

The topic I choose was stress and its effects it has on our body (Myers). These stressors can cause many negative changes to our body, more then we realize. I have a much better understanding after reading not only the textbook but the research journal just what effects it has on our body. It’s easy to listen to people give advice on ways to calm down but I feel people need to be educated on what it does to us and healthy ways to deal with it. There are so many different day to day things that cause us stress and if we allow ourselves we can easily get caught up in them. For me at that point I tune everyone out and that is when those stressors dictate how my day will be. Personally, I realize more now how I have let stress bring me to a point of feeling ill and taking it out on loved ones around me. Now more then ever being a full time student and with recent financial burdens I have seen first hand how stress impacts not only myself but my family as well. We get so enthr alled in stress that we allow it to effect our mind and our body. Then we wake up one day and the stress is still there only we are feeling ill and wondering why. It is so true when people say that stress can cause you to become physically ill. There are so many healthy ways to manage stress however not everyone practices them. We need to use our support systems, identify what the stress is and manage it rather then it taking over us. If we find ways to face the stress, in a healthy way we will be able to resolve it and not have it take over our mind or body. I now find my self coming home after a stressful day and exercising, and going for walks. Instead of me shutting down and becoming stressed I know now that its okay to share this with my loved ones and ... ...cally ill and overwhelmed. By doing this I neglected myself, and by doing so not only did I not deal with stress but there was little resoultion and greater stress within my family. When you get to thast point it is then that the stress is dictating how your days are going to be. This study was very intresting to me and I believe futhur study would help everyone not just health care workers. It brought up many good points, stress is different for each of us and if we had mindfulness approaches then we could face it head on and not allow it to become a neagative outcome. I often wondered having gone to counsling myself in the past how do these therapist deal with listening to patients all day long? What steps do they take to deal with their own stress or just the stress of helping others. I feel the counslor would definitly benefit from this study and its practices.

Assessment of Students’ Satisfaction on the Restructured Essay

1.0 Introduction At the University of Ghana there are reports that rooms originally built to take two students, are now officially allocated to five students (after minor modifications), but unofficially occupied by as many as eight or nine – to the knowledge of the university authorities! Apart from the obvious hygiene and health hazards posed, what kind of ambience does this provide for study after classes? All of which have brought most African universities to a state of serious deterioration. This is evident not only to those who work or study in those universities but to even the most casual visitor. – (Association of African Universities, 2004) Housing is a basic human need in all societies and fundamental right of every individual. In advanced countries, housing is more accessible to all categories of people including the poor and the needy as a result of subsidies from the government. The situation is not the same in developing countries of the world. In Ghana, for example, accessibility to housing by the poor is quite a difficult situation which is worsened by the harsh economic conditions and poor enabling environment. Likewise, accessing housing facilities by Ghanaian students at the university is no exception, especially where such university happens to be the dream destination of most Ghanaians entering into tertiary institution. In tertiary institutions worldwide, the provision of accommodation to the students’ population takes different models. This includes; non-residential, where students source for their own accommodation. Residential, where the university houses all its students and dual-residential, where the university houses its student population for a period of time only, probably the first and final year, while the students during the remaining period source for their own accommodations. The experiences of students in tertiary institutions in sourcing and securing for their own accommodation around university communities are likely to be interesting and significant. However, it is worth noting that, University of Ghana, the nation’s premier university has gone through a series of development when it comes to how to accommodate its students, both undergraduates and postgraduates. 1.1 Research problem University of Ghana has undergone a series of reforms when it comes to the residential policy for its students. The ever increasing number of enrollees in the institution is what defines this restructuring of the policy governing students’ accommodation over time. In the past two years what the incumbent vice chancellor of the university term as â€Å"Decongestion† has taken place in anticipation to the fulfillment of the university achieving efficiency in its field of operation. The drive has also been fast tracked by his informal goal that the university should achieve a world-class status. Effective August, 2011, the university effectively implemented its decongestion policy allocating rooms to a maximum of three (3) students and four (4) students in the main halls and annexes respectively. This was done to address the problems of overcrowding that resulted in adverse effects of poor sanitation, pressure on residential utilities such as reading rooms and libraries, kitchen and washrooms, among other poor conditions for effective personal studies by students. Residential facilities have been increased to make the policy successful. Even though, the problem of inadequate accommodation for students is not entirely solved, the restructuring have been effective since its implementation, and it is worth investigating the effects of the new policy, whether it has achieved its goal or it is towards achieving its intended goal or otherwise. 1.2 Purpose of the study The main reason why this research is being conducted is to evaluate the satisfaction of students with the current students’ residential policy and its effects on their studies. 1.3 Objectives of the study Specific objectives of the study are as follows: 1. To assess students perception of sanitation in the halls/hostels now. 2. To assess students perception of security in the halls/hostels now. 3. To investigate students accessibility to some basic hall/hostel utilities. 1.4 Research Questions 1. What is students’ perception of sanitation in the halls/hostels now? 2. What is students’ perception of security and comfort in the halls/hostels now? 3. What is the accessibility status of students to basic halls/hostels utilities now? 1.5 Relevance of the study As a top university in Ghana and Africa and one which is striving to attain a world class status, adequate facilities should be provided and already existing ones improved, especially standards of services and facilities which include providing conducive on-campus student housing facility. The above research provides the grounding for this study and highlights the areas of new knowledge which are needed; to focus upon students’ satisfaction of residential facilities in University of Ghana. A key question is what is the level of students’ satisfaction with regards to the students housing facility (SHF) in the context of University of Ghana? The study contributes to a better understanding of SRS of UG. The results offer valuable feedback to the university authorities, facility managers and university hostel/hall administrators in terms of the present standards or the need for further improvement of the SHF through effective designs and management. The results will help to formulate guidelines in terms of allocation of rooms to students, maintenance and for future developments of student housing ensuring that the university is able to provide adequate and contemporary on-campus SHF. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This section reviews existing literature on the student residential facilities. It is mainly made up of previous studies, journals, articles, periodicals amongst other sources. They form the secondary source of data to the study. 2.2 The Concept of Student Residential Facility Student housing has long been regarded as an essential component of the facilities provided by the higher learning institutions in assisting students to expand their intellectual capabilities. According to Hassanain (2008), well planned student housing facilities (SHF) promote desirable educational outcomes and help to achieve the broader objectives such as social cohesion and responsible citizenship. An earlier study by Zahran (1972) reveals that a good student housing promotes interactions between roommates of different backgrounds and specializations; and thus broadens the students’ knowledge. Amole (2005) argues that facilities such as study areas or meeting places for academic discussions and social gatherings provided in the student housing will encourage informal intellectual activities outside the students’ own faculties. Price et al. (2003) related student interpersonal growth to adequate facilities and Fay (1981) highlighted the importance of students’ satisfaction in the SHF as a strategy to enhance student development. Despite the importance of SHF, little literature is available to evaluate student opinions of their housing facilities. Most studies on post-occupancy evaluation focus on family housing either public or private residences, investigating the interaction between owner-occupiers or tenants and their housing settings. Majority of these studies utilized the concept of housing satisfaction when evaluating the interactions between the residents and their physical environment (Amole, 2009b). Arguing that housing satisfaction can lead towards improving individual’s quality of life, Salleh (2008) investigates dwelling, housing services and neighbourhood factors that influence the residents of private low-cost housing in Malaysia. The study revealed that the residents are more satisfied with their dwelling units and housing services if compared to their neighbourhood facilities. Elsinga and Hoekstra (2005) study housing satisfaction among European communities and find out that except in Austria, homeowners are more satisfied than the tenants because homeownership provides security, freedom and financial benefits. In contrast, James (2008) analyses the influence of age and type of ownership on the level of satisfaction and establishes that tenant satisfaction increases with the age at a much faster rate than the type of homeownership. However, student housing and family housing are not the same. Student housing comprises of basic bedroom units with other shared facilities such as bathrooms, toilets, laundry, kitchens, common lounges and cafeterias located either per floor level, per block or for the whole student housing accommodation (Amole, 2009a). On the contrary, the basic unit for family housing is a house which includes bedrooms, bathrooms, toilets and a living area all as part of the unit with other housing facilities such as playground, shops and school at the neighbourhood (Parkes et al., 2002). In addition, student housing offers limited security of ownership and freedom if compared to family housing. Therefore, the above findings may not apply in the context of student housing. Studies on residential satisfaction (RS) from the student perspective are mostly focused on factors affecting RS; such as reasons for students to maintain their previous residence (Cleave, 1996) and predictors of student residential satisfaction (SRS) (Foubert et al., 1998; Khozaei et al., 2010b). There are also studies on student housing with narrower scopes such as the effects of floor height on over-crowding (Kaya and Erkip, 2001); students’ perceptions on indoor comfort (Dahlan et al., 2009); students’ sense of attachment with a particular student housing (Khozaei et al., 2010a); coping strategies for students staying in student housing (Amole, 2005) and the relationship between satisfaction and levels of environment (Amole, 2009b). These studies offer little guidance as to whether the students are satisfied with SHF provided. Among the limited studies on SRS are studies by Amole (2007, 2009a), Hassanain (2008) and Radder and Han (2009). Amole (2007, 2009a) investigates RS among students in Nigeria and the findings indicated a low satisfaction with the SHF provided. Radder and Han (2009) researched student satisfaction levels in South Africa and the findings indicated again a level of dissatisfaction with campus residences. Alternatively, Hassanain (2008) found that students in Saudi Arabia indicated a level of satisfaction with the SHF provided. However, the studies were conducted in countries where the culture and climate are different from that experienced in the Southeast Asia region, which is likely to affect the perceived environment of the built environment. Therefore, the results of the studies may not be applicable to the study context. 2.3 Evolution of the accommodation structure Originally, halls in the university were built to accommodate two students per room. This provision was adequate for students because not many people sought for higher education. However, as the population of Ghana increased and the need to seek higher education became prominent in the country, the number students enrolled each academic year increased rapidly as well. Residential facilities were increased and expanded to accommodate the ever increasing number of student intake which demanded restructuring of student residential policy given the limited resources the university had. In the midst of the reforms, beyond the expansion and modification of the original rooms to accommodate two persons at a time, the number increased to five (5) in a room officially, both in the main halls and the annexes. The continuous increase in the student intake amidst the unexpanded residential facilities meant that, not all students could be accommodated on campus, therefore, private hostels began to spring up to absorb the excess students who could not secure accommodation on campus. The private hostels motivation to make profit meant that they charge high prices which were unbearable by many students. This brought about one of the prominent terms that everyone who has passed through the four walls of the University of Ghana is popular with â€Å"Perching†. 2.4 The issue of â€Å"Perching† The word connotes students who illegally share residential facilities with official occupants of a room. This resulted in overcrowding in the halls, putting extreme pressure on washrooms, reading rooms, hall libraries, dry lines, among other facilities that were originally constructed for two people. This was happening who many reforms were going on. The two most popular reforms were the â€Å"in-out-out-in† and the â€Å"in-out-out-out† policies. The former meant that, all first year students were qualified for accommodation on campus, this qualification did not mean automatic allocation of rooms to freshmen but allocation was subject balloting for a â€Å"YES† or â€Å"NO† and second and third year students were to look for their own accommodation. Under this policy, final year students like first year students also qualified to be accommodated on campus; it is however, worth noting that, even for the final year students, because of the limited number of rooms available, allocation of rooms was also done via balloting a yes or no by students. The latter policy, in-out-out-out raised a lot of eyebrows as it meant that only first year students were offered accommodation on campus. And for this policy allocation to level 100 students was automatic and assured. With this policy in place the problem of â€Å"perching† worsened. The official number of occupants in a room almost doubled for almost all the halls of residence. The adverse effects of poor situation created a lot of problems; poor sanitation, insecurity, discomfort, which had direct impact on students’ health, hygiene, and efficiency. 2.5 The current residential policy â€Å"The University of Ghana Hostels with a capacity of 26000 beds, which was to be built at the University of Ghana, Legon, with partnership between the university and six banks was a dream come alive as long as finding a solution to the perennial problem of accommodation in our public universities is concerned† this was an assertion made by Professor C. N. B. Tagoe, Vice Chancellor of the university of Ghana (GhanaWeb, 2008). From the above statement I would to acknowledge the â€Å"Contingency theory† one of the prominent schools under the Open Systems perspective of Organizations. This theory as a branch of systems design emphasizes that design decisions are dependent on environmental conditions. Contingency theory is guided by the general orienting hypothesis that organizations whose internal features match the demands of their environments will achieve the best adaptation. Lawrence and Lorsch (1967), who coined the label â€Å"contingency theory†, argue that different environments place differing requirements on organizations. In a recent review article, Lawrence (1993) provides a partial list of factors that one or another theorist has considered important. They include size or scale, technology, geography, uncertainty, individual predispositions of participants, resource dependency, national or cultural differences, scope and organizational life cycle. With concentration on the resource dependency factor, it is indicative that, the adaptation and realization of the said solution was heavily contingent on the provision of financial resources by the six banks which are external to the organization. As the resources from the external environment was provided by the six banks, the expansion of the residential facilities have been a reality indeed, making it possible to establish four different hostels which accommodates about 7, 120 students. It is a combination of these factors that made it possible for the decongestion exercise in the five traditional halls feasible. Currently, some of the hostels have been restructured into halls and run as the traditional halls. The standard rooms accommodate four (4) persons as the annexes do. With other stringent measures put in place to control â€Å"perching† it is believed that, the purpose for which this restructuring was done is being worked towards. It must be stated categorically that, the main reason for this exercise is to improve students’ efficiency in the university. 2.6 Halls of Residence/Hostels The University believes in community living as an essential part of student life. It is therefore primarily residential, providing accommodation in Halls of Residence for both undergraduate and post-graduate students as well as flats and guest rooms for senior members and guests. There are five halls of residence (available to all students) and several Hostels. The present Halls and Hostels are as follows: Each Hall consists of junior members (students) and senior members (academic and senior administrative and professional staff), and is managed by a Council comprising members elected by persons belonging to the Hall. The Master (or Warden in the case of Volta Hall) is the Head of the Hall. Each Hall has Junior and Senior Common Rooms for students and Faculty, respectively. A tutorial system offers an opportunity for counseling students and ensuring their welfare at both academic and social levels. Students maintain interaction with each other and the wider community through recogni zed clubs and societies. Each Hall has a kitchen and a dining hall to cater for students’ feeding. Chapels and a mosque are also available for use by various religious denominations. A Chaplaincy Board co-ordinate the activities of religious groups. Social life on the campus is organised mainly by the Students’ Representative Council and the Junior Common Room Committees which provide various kinds of social programmes. LEGON HALL: Legon Hall was the first to be built on the permanent site of the University of Ghana at Legon and is, therefore, the Premier Hall of the University. Its foundation tablet was laid during the Michaelmas Term of 1951 and, in September 1952, the first undergraduates were accepted into residence. On Trinity Sunday, 31st May 1953, the first service was held in the Chapel and the first meal served in the Dining Hall. From these events, the Hall took Trinity Sunday every year as its birthday, celebrated by a common â€Å"Feast† for both its Junior and Senior Members. The Hall’s motto, Cui Datum (â€Å"To whom much is given†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ), was selected from St. Luke’s Gospel, in recognition of the special responsibility attached to the Hall’s seniority. Senior Members of t he University may be assigned as Fellows of the Hall by the Vice Chancellor and they usually keep their Fellowship for as long as they remain with the University. Persons of academic distinction outside the University may be elected as Honorary Fellows at a General Meeting of Fellows. The rest of the membership of the Hall is made up of persons in statu pupillari. The governing body of the Hall is the Hall Council, members of which are Fellows of the Hall. The principal Hall Officers are: The Master, the Vice-Master, the President of the Senior Common Room, the Senior Tutor, and the Hall Bursar. AKUAFO HALL: Akuafo Hall was established with the appointment of Professor D.A. Taylor, a Master-designate and a Hall Council in 1953. The Hall Council in 1954 decided to name the Hall Akuafo to commemorate the generous gesture of the farmers of Ghana in giving money for the foundation of the University College. A crest which depicts a cocoa tree, an open book and a drum, designed by Professor W.J. McCallien, and a motto, laboremus et sapiamus, suggested by Professor L.H. Ofosu-Appiah, were adopted by the Council. A commemorative plaque with a Latin inscription composed by Professor L.H. Ofosu-Appiah was set up to show the gratitude of the Hall to the farmers of the country and to the British Government who gave the University College funds for the building of the Hall. The Hall was officially opened on 17 February, 1956, but the first students, numbering 131, came into residence on the 5th October, 1955. The Hall has its own statutes governing the election of officers and the administration of its affairs. Once a year, the Master has to convene a meeting of the Fellows, who form the governing body, to receive his annual report. The Senior Common Room is open to all Fellows and their guests, and the Senior Combination Room to all senior members of the University. Senior Members may also invite students to the Combination Room. COMMONWEALTH HALL: The first batch of students was admitted into residence in Commonwealth Hall at the beginning of the 1956-1957 academic year. In the Lent Term of that academic year, Ghana attained its independence from Great Britain, and the Hall, hitherto known as the Third Hall, was officially christened Commonwealth Hall to commemorate Ghana’s admission into the Commonwealth of Nations. The official opening of the Hall was performed in March, 1957. It is, so far, the only all-male Hall of Residence in the University. The motto of the Hall, Truth Stands, was taken from a quotation from Satyre by John Donne (1572-1631): â€Å"On a huge hill, cragged, and steep, Truth stands and hee that will Reach her, about must, and about must goe† This motto combines both the physical situation of the Hall (on a hillside overlooking most of the University and beyond) and the proper pursuit of a University education, the search for truth. It is the only Hall of Residence in the University which has a theatre and Amphitheatre for lectures and plays. The Coat of Arms of the Hall depicts the strength and unity of purpose of members of the Hall deriving from the bonds of association enjoyed by the individual members of the Hall. High Commissioners of the Commonwealth countries in Ghana are accorded Honorary Membership of the Hall. There is a Hall Council which administers the affairs of the Hall, assisted by the Tutorial Board and the Senior Common Room Committee. VOLTA HALL: Volta Hall started as the Fourth Hall in the 1959-60 academic year, on 16th November, 1960. The University College Council, on the recommendation of the Hall Council, named it Volta Hall. The Hall consists of the main hall originally designed to accommodate 82 students, and an annex with an original capacity for accommodating 198 students, the occupation of which began in January 1966. The motto of the Hall, chosen during the Hall’s tenth anniversary celebrations, is in the Akan language and it is: Akokobere Nso Nyim Adekyee. This means that the secret or knowledge of life and nature is a gift to women as it is to men. The Hall has a governing Body which comprises all the Fellows assigned to it and those elected by the assigned Fellows. The government of the Hall rests with this body which delegates some of its powers to a Hall Council. The Hall Council consists of ten members, including the Warden, the Deputy Warden, the Senior Tutor and the Bursar who are ex-officio members. The day-to-day administration of the Hall is carried out by the Warden with the help of the Senior Tutor, who deals with all students’ affairs, and the Bursar. MENSAH SARBAH HALL: Mensah Sarbah Hall, the fifth Hall of the University, stands in the southern part of the campus. The Hall consists of a main Hall built around a quadrangle and a number of Annexes standing to the north and east. The last two south annexes are attached to the Hall. Until October 1991, Mensah Sarbah was the only co-ed Hall of Residence in the University, which made it quite unique among the Halls. The governing body of the Hall is the Council, which is responsible to the full body of Fellows who form the Senate. Students’ affairs are handled by students’ own elected government headed by a President, while the general administration of the Hall is under the Master who is assisted by the Senior Tutor and Tutors on the one hand and the Bursar on the other. Other Hall Officers are the Chaplai n, who is responsible for the Roman Catholic Chapel, the Prayer Room Warden, who is responsible for the Protestant Chapel, and the Librarian. Senior Common Room affairs are managed by an elected committee under the President of the Senior Common Room. The Hall is named after the famous Ghanaian jurist, writer and statesman, John Mensah Sarbah of Cape Coast. It has been customary for the Hall to celebrate the birthday anniversary of this great man every year. This anniversary is known as Sarbah Day and is highlighted by a dinner and a get-together. The Hall has a crest designed to bring out the principal features of Mensah Sarbah’s life. It consists of three elements: a pair of scales, a stool with a book resting upon it, and a hill surmounted by a castle. The scale signifies the legal profession, the stool and the book symbolise culture while the hill and the castle are intended to depict the familiar landscape of Cape Coast with its many hills and forts. At the same time, the castle is intended to symbolise strength and honour. The Hall’s motto is: Knowledge, Honour, Service – three words which aptly summarise the guiding principles of Mensah Sarbah’s life. VALCO TRUST HOSTELS: The idea to build a grad uate hostel was first nurtured when Legon Hall Annex C was prepared exclusively for graduate students of the Hall. The quest for a suitable accommodation for graduate students gained attention when Valco Trust Fund offered to finance the construction of a graduate hostel. As a further boost to this course, Legon Hall Annex C was converted into an Annex of the Hostel. The Valco Trust Hostel, donated to the University by the Valco Trust Fund to ease pressure on student accommodation, is a block of purpose-built, self-contained flats for 190 students. The Hostel, which was completed in June 1997, is the University’s first hostel for graduate students. A second block with similar facilities was opened in January 2006. Located behind Mensah Sarbah Hall on the southern part of the campus, the flats are arranged in single and double study bedrooms with en suite shower and toilet. There is a shared kitchen for every twelve rooms. Facilities in the hostels include common rooms, washrooms and a restaurant. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ HOSTELS: The International Student’s Hostels are located on the southern part of the campus off the road to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. For a long time, it had been the dream of the University of Ghana to create and strengthen links with other universities in order to enhance the international student presence on campus. The first phase was commissioned in June 1999 and the second in January 2006. The Hostels are co-educational and each has 43 single rooms and 85 double rooms. In addition, there are facilities such as a well-fortified security system, kitchenettes and restaurants. REFERENCES Amole, D. (2005),â€Å"Coping strategies for living in student residential facilities in Nigeria†, Environment and Behaviour, Vol. 37, pp. 201-19. Amole, D. (2009b),â€Å"Residential satisfaction in students’ housing†, Journal of Environment Psychology, Vol. 29, pp. 76-85. Association of African Universities (2004), â€Å"Challenges Facing African Universities: Selected Issues†, African Studies Review (2004) Vol. 47, No. 1, 1-59 Dahlan, N., Jones, P., Alexander, D., Salleh, E. and Alias, J. 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