How to Develop Leadership Skills Essay

Malaysia is one of the countries that practice democratic system. Many countries around the world practice democratic system such as United States, India, South Africa, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Japan and United Kingdom. In â€Å"Democratic Style,† (2008), the democratic leadership style means encouraging people to share their ideas, and then collect all the available information into the best possible decision. This leadership style consists of the leader sharing the decision-making with the group members. This style of leadership includes discussion and sharing of ideas and encouragement of people to feel good about their involvement. The democratic leadership style is very open and collegial style of running a team. Leaders who practices democratic style can organize company effectively. To be a good leader, there are three ways to develop leadership skills in an organization through democratic style such as a leader should practice positive attitude, listen to other pe ople’s opinions and always motivate the subordinates. Firstly, a leader should practice positive attitude in the workplace. According to Robert & Christopher (2007), there are some positive attitudes that someone should practice as a leader. For example, he has to have an open mind. As an example, he would not easily punish the employees for their mistakes until he knows the reason. To explain more, one staff who comes late due to emergency care would not be punished. Therefore, a good leader should investigate first before make a decision. Another point is a good leader should also have a wisdom and confidence. Thus, he can make a good decision to lead the organization without doubts. For example, he must select which type of investment the company should choose. Therefore, he must be confidence to make this important decision to ensure the company’s success. In addition, a good leader should be a positive role model to subordinates. Besides, a leader as a role model in an organization can affect the attitude and give a positive impact to subordinates. The subordinates will follow the attitude that their leader shows to them. Secondly, in â€Å"3C’s of Exemplary Leadership,† (2012), a leader should listen to other people’s opinions because it is one of the criteria of a democratic leadership. In that case, a thoughtful leader should listen and accept the opinions of subordinates in order to share ideas. When the leader listens to employees’ opinion, they will appreciate more and feel like they are parts of team. In this way, a leader would gain more respect by subordinates. A good leader should not ignore and must respect the subordinates’ ideas because they will be hurt and think a leader is selfless. In addition, a leader should accept the opinions from subordinates and evaluate it with the committee members. In that case, having a committee member is important in order to make justful decision. This can be done through an evaluation form, suggestion box, and doing informal meeting every week. Moreover, a leader should not be too sensitive and he needs not only to listen to other people’s ideas but also their complaints. Therefore, a problem may be solved through their complaints. He must not be emotional; instead he should be wise to make a decision. Therefore, to be democratic leaders, they must to accept any opinion of subordinates to improve their leadership skills. Finally, to be a good motivator through the democratic style, a leader should motivate the subordinates. All employees must be motivated to work for a company or organization in doing daily tasks. If no motivation is present in an employee, their quality of work will deteriorate. According to Robert & Christopher (2007), a leader should provide motivation to encourage the subordinates to get into action. For example, a leader has to act professionally to help employees complete the task given by carefully organize and sequence the components of each task to be assigned for employees. One main responsibility in educating employees is to make instructions as clear and precise as possible. A leader should not get angry easily because employees need to train. Therefore, a leader must understand employees situation. Besides that, a good leader should reward their subordinates for their outstanding performances for they may establish certain reward. Rewards can be in the form of token or gift, be one-time bonuses or pay increments. In this way, employees will be appreciated and feel more motivated to work better. So, if good leaders want their employees to be good in all work, they must motivate their employees to achieve organizational excellence through the democratic leadership style. In conclusion, democratic style is one of the ways for an organization to succeed. The democratic style will enable the leader to maintain relationship with the subordinates. This leadership style is one of the most effective and it has created advanced productivity, better contributions from subordinates and boost group morale (Woods, 2010). It can also lead to betters ideas and creative solutions to certain problems. The democratic style train all staff in the company to communicate with each other, play a part and participate in the group’s discussion chaired by the leader. In short, a leader will be more responsible to perform his duty and lead the organization to succeed in the future through democratic style. Reference Cherry, Kendra. (Ed.). (n.d.).What is democratic leadership?.Retrieved August 1, 2012, fromhttp://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/democratic-leadership.htm Gill, Roger. (2006). Theory and practice of leadership. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Leadership styles: democratic leadership style. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2012, fromhttp://www.leadership-toolbox.com/democratic-leadership-style.html Lussier, N. Robert, &Achua, F. Christopher. (2007). Effective leadership. United States: South-Western. Transformation Academy.(n.d.).3 C’s of exemplary leadership (even if you’re not the boss!).Retrieved August 1, 2012, from http://www.transformationacademy.com/?p=1651

Dating Single Parent Essay

Dating and the Single Parent is a book five star book, because Deal has done a marvelous job presenting useful steps for single parents who are divorced and is thinking of re-entering back into a dating relationship, or even remarrying. The book is divided into sections of dating to present a sequential sequence of steps to determine whether the single parent is ready, and what right decisions they need to make if they have children. The book is honest, and practical when it comes to addressing situations that every single parent goes through while trying to reenter the dating life. The book presented questions along with real life realties of dating when there are children involved in the mix. Deals admiration how the book as written from a strong biblical perspective. Deals main goal in this book is to motivate its readers to do the necessary work of a relationship building. The Appendix 2 of the book begins with a sample purity pledge. This section of the book organized activities for dating couples to involve in, such as flirtation and hugging, without having to be sexual involved with one another. Section one of the book focuses on dating with kids and dating willingness. Before an individual is ready to date the individual must have a goal in dating. Deals helps single parents determine whether or not they are ready to re-enter back into the dating world. Some single parents are single due to previous marriages that failed, which lead to divorce. Deal describes divorce as a traumatic experience. Yet some single parents never really get over the horrifying experience of divorce and remain single. But Deal has puts together a checklist to help single parents determine whether or not they are ready for the dating world Deal presents biblical principle throughout the book reminding single parents to always put God first in any relationship decision they decide to make. The part that stood out to me the most in this section was the discussion on when children are involved, how dating gets complicated. Ron Deal gives excellent advice on how to determine if kids are ready for dating, what to expect when dating a single parent, and things to consider before getting engaged, and growing the family into a step-family. Section two gives people supportive advice on right places to capture love. The section is split up into chapters labeled as â€Å"yellow light,† â€Å"red light, â€Å"and â€Å"green light.† Deal provides warning  signs that people should take into consideration when trying to date the opposite sex. Signs that single parents should take into consideration is â€Å"how will this person influence the kids?† â€Å"Is the man willing to date the person and their kids?† Last section Ron Deal provides readers with valuable guidance on marriage commitment, and step families. Deal’s has developed an interest ing perception on step-families. Throughout schooling many people have been taught that blended families were made up of step-families. But Deal argues that step-families should not be looked upon as blended families. Deal encourages single parents to take their time on dating and to trust in God for pursing a health Christian based relationship. Dating and the Single Parent Book so remarkable, because often time’s single parents suffer with trying to regain love, along with trying to find someone to accept their children. Deal offers awesome pointers to finding a relationship with kids, dating, and finding long lasting love. Discipline should always be done with love and with God’s approval, but not to make the children angry Ephesians 6:4(King James Version). Potential Use for Premarital Christian Couples The book, Dating and the Single parent does an excellent job at studying the difficult process of finding love in the center of having children and trying to date. Ron Deal does a marvelous job at citing biblical principles for single parent to follow while dating. I believe it’s unique that Deal offers biblical insight throughout the book. For example Deal refers to Christianity and faith in god when discussing learn all you can about stepfamily living. For example I’ve personally herd family members and friends say that stepfamilies are not Gods ideal for the Christian house hold. Many people believe this tale because they feel as though stepfamily ministry lessen to what God intended. I believe that Deal presents valuable content to premarital couples in the church, since church is the place where all types of families meet to hear spiritual teachings. Deal encourages couples to lean all you can about how stepfamilies function, operate best, and why they have the uni que complexities that they can do. Blended step families seems to be a growing trend in the United States of America. In fact blended families have been around since Christ created earth. Remarkable fact Jesus Christ was a part of a blended family. Remember Mary  and Joseph were in a commitment when she told Joseph she was pregnant. Mary and Joseph had not been sexually intimate when Mary told Joseph she was with child. At times Joseph thought about leaving Mary, but did not. Joseph chose to sick by his pregnant fiancà ©e, who he thought had betrayed him. Joseph was willing to go through the battle of scorn and believed in God. Joseph accepted Gods calling for him to love and care for Mary and Jesus. Ironically when you look at family dynamics point of view you can recognize that Christ, Joseph, and Mary were a blended family, a non-traditional unit. It’s very interesting to study that Christ came into the world experiencing a blended- family. In addition, Deal discusses how it is important for singles to take a good look at themselves in the mirror before trying to date again. When self is able to look, examine them they are able to piece together their motivations for dating, fears, loneliness, and unresolved hurt. In order for an individual to move forward in a healthy relationship one must be able to trust God when making future dating decisions and choices during dating process. Ron Deal teachings in his book presented challenges that face today’s modern Christian blended families. Deal presents awesome techniques to help strength relationships. Ron deal helps single parents and those who are dating understand unique family dynamics. Ron Deal help parents recognize that their families are lobed and favored by God. Critique As a future professional counselor, and friend to others, professional counselors should recommend this book to any person who is single with children, and or someone who is dating an individual who has children. Ron Deal has developed a straightforward spiritual guidebook for Christian single dating. The book Dating and the Single Parent opened up my eyes about the truths of relationship and family compatibility, by presenting scenarios to help me make decision.. It was great the way the author Ron Deal incorporated biblical teachings. Like Ron Deal teaches when a single parent is dating or thinking about remarrying someone, they should choose someone who involves setting a godly example for children and blessing them as God blessed us. Deal suggest all throughout the book for single parents whom are dating to â€Å"trust in God to manage the relationship.† Building a family after being single for so many years takes courage, perseverance,  tough skin, and determination. As mentioned earlier the bible presents many teachings of blended families, like Christ family with Joseph being Christ stepparent. I believe that Ron Deal book goes into great deal about giving guidelines for Christian families experiencing dating, and second marriages, while following biblical principles As Christian stepparents, it is important that they love children who are involved in the family unconditionally. Ministry teaches that it’s important that you don’t marginalize your step kids. It is important that the family that it is forming has some kind of respect and acceptance form one another in the family. As a new parent (step) entering the family they must submit themselves to the children with their heart. Another important principle that Deal discusses is educating oneself on stepfamilies. When single parents blend to create stepfamilies, sometimes the progress is not so successful. Many children do not want change and will become angry and frustrated with new family members. Even though remarriage is supposed to be a wonderful joy, many kids are often not as excited as parent and new stepparent. Deal has put together foundations for building a stepfamily. Deal suggests that single parent should take their time, and give everyone a chance to get to know one another and get use to the idea of marriage. Overall Dating and the Single Parent is a great read for single parents who are dating or who are thinking about entering the dating world. The book focuses on dating, and stepfamily relations. Deal sets forth approaches towards building romantic relationships on a Christian basis. References Demo, D. H., & Acocl, A. C. (2006). Singlehood,marriage,and remarriage the effects of family structure and family relationships n mathers well being. Journal of Family Issues, 17(3), 338-407. doi:10.1177/019251396017003005 Sweeney, M. M. (2010). Remarriage and stepfamilies. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 667-684. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00724.x

Glenn Miller and the Swing/Big Band Era Essays - Instrumentals

Glenn Miller and the Swing/Big Band Era Glenn Miller led the most popular big band in the world during 1939-42 and the most beloved of all the swing-era orchestras. His big band played a wide variety of melodic music and had tremendous success in every area of music. He was with the group for two years, and put together an enjoyable and well-rounded show. Glenn Miller was a man who influenced bands greatly for years. Alton Glenn Miller was born on March 1, 1904 in Clarinda Iowa. His family had a tendency to move frequently, to places such as North Platte, Nebraska, and Grant City, Oklahoma. It was in Grant City that Glenn bought his first trombone, at the age of 13. He earned the money by milking cows for $2 a week (Glenn Miller Biography). Glenn attended high school in Fort Morgan, Colorado. He studied at the University of Colorado for 2 years. It was in college that his interest in music flourished. He continued to play the trombone, his favorite instrument. Even at his young age, he was good enough to play in the Boyd Senter Band in Denver. At that point his love for music took over. Miller dropped out of school and went to the west coast to try his luck at being a musician. Miller played with many small bands until he had the opportunity to join Ben Pollack's orchestra in 1926. At that time the band included such well-known musicians as Loschiavo 4 Benny Goodman, Gill Robin, Fud Livingston, and Dick Morgan. In September of 1926, the Pollack Band went into the recording studios and worked on "When I First Met Mary" and "Deed I Do". These were probably the first record arrangements that Glenn Miller wrote. He stayed with the band until it went to New York in 1928 (Glenn Miller Story). It was then that he married his early love, Helen Berger, and moved with her to Manhattan. In the coming years, he developed his talent by working with Red Nichols in pit orchestras, as Smith Ballew's musical director, and with the Dorsey Brothers. In 1934, Miller helped form Ray Noble's American Orchestra, which soon became popular through radio broadcasts. Miller was the lead trombonist and arranger. In 1937, he left the band, and his own popularity among big band circles enabled him to form his own band, the Glenn Miller Orchestra. They brought out a few records, and went on tour, but the attempt was doomed from the start. He could not keep the orchestra together and had to let all but four musicians go. What Miller needed was his own trademark to distinguish him from the other bands. In 1938, with encouragement from friends, he gave it another try, and Miller built up his new orchestra on the basis of the four remaining musicians Hal McIntyre (alto), Rolly Bundock (bass), Chummy MacGregor (piano) and Bob Price (Glenn Miller Story). This time Miller was lucky enough to be supported by one of the most important agencies of the General Artists corporation and to obtain a record contract with RCA Victor's Budget Bluebird Label. Glenn Miller again went on tour. At this time, he had the distinguishing characteristic in Loschiavo 5 his music of having a clarinet double the sax melody an octave higher. Times nonetheless, were hard until the big breakthrough came in 1939. The General Artist Corporation managed to get Miller an engagement at the Glen Island Casino New Rochelle. Glenn Miller's time had come: on May 17 the band played its first night to a sold-out house and by the end of the engagements all box-office records had been broken. From there they traveled to Baltimore at the beginning of September. At Baltimore's Hippodrome Theater all records were again broken. The orchestra returned to New York and played in front at the largest audience in the city's history at the New York State Fare. On September 9, he broke Guy Lombardo's record attendance from the year 1931 and on October 6 helped Carnegie Hall to achieve new record receipts. The recording was also going full swing. Four records per week were being recorded by the orchestra. It was during this period, on April 4, that Miller's signature

Johan Huzinga's chapter and Stuart Brown's lecture arguments and Essay

Johan Huzinga's chapter and Stuart Brown's lecture arguments and supporting evidences - Essay Example r† (Huizinga 119). Both authors or professors stressed the importance of play in our lives, society in general and even in nature itself. But their arguments tackled the different aspects and importance of play such that it cannot be judged who made a more valid argument about play. Brown explored more on the necessity of play for our wholesome and holistic development as individuals. Huizinga touched on the same topic but only in passing when he mentioned that â€Å"Animals play just like men. We have only to watch young dogs to see that all the essentials of human play are present in their merry gambols† (97) and only used this as a jumping board to his main thesis of play’s cultural, aesthetics, religion and philosophical dimension. Brown’s finding is quite enlightening about the value of play in our mental health. In his study, he found that individuals who are play deprived are vulnerable to tragic acts such as murder (1). He elaborated that †rou gh and play is a great learning medium for all of us.

Relationship between Video Games among Children and Violent Behavior Research Paper

Relationship between Video Games among Children and Violent Behavior - Research Paper Example A few years ago, movies and television shows were monitored keenly to ensure they do not pollute the minds of young people by disseminating inappropriate ideas or information to this generation of people. In of that light, all forms of programs or movies that were aired in televisions or cinemas were viewer discredited with parental guidance information being provided to the appropriate audience the shows fit (Anderson and Dill 772-790). Â  However, children were able to access inappropriate information such as pornographic scenes and violent murder situations in video animations; a genre of movies that is very popular among the young generation. The emergence of video games revolutionized the digital media since children were now more involved in these form of media through active participation in the games. Psychologists believe that what children are exposed to in their tender age shapes the kind of character and behavior they develop later in life. Thus, it is prudent to state that violent video games can be linked to the violent behavior of children because most of the acts in the games are exhibited in real life situations (Sherry 410-415). Video games account for the violent behavior exhibited by children in their later years in life because of the psychological influence they have on the development of a child. Â  There are various genres of video games on the market. Some are strategy in nature and thus tend to test and enhance the ability of the player to coordinate his/her hands and mind while at the same time improving a user’s problem-solving skills to enable him/her overcome the numerous occasions of dilemmas they face in life, which require him/her to make prompt decisions. In addition, there is another genre of video games that replicate movies, especially the ones based on science fiction (Sherry 423).

The value the ICH Guidelines bring to the field of clinical research Essay

The value the ICH Guidelines bring to the field of clinical research - Essay Example The quality guidelines ensure maintenance of high quality in clinical research at all times. The guidelines provide harmonization procedures that are crucial for standardization of clinical research. The presence of standardization means it is easy to monitor factors that point to low quality. The quality guidelines provide the thresholds for testing and a relatively flexible approach to research that includes the use of pharmaceutical products (ICH, 2005). Quality guidelines ensure good manufacturing practices are implemented in the production of all pharmaceutical products. ICH guidelines support clinical research by availing detailed safety guidelines that increases the chances of success and limits injuries (ICH, 2005). The guidelines aid in identifying or unearthing potential risks, which include carcinogenicity, reprotoxicity, and genotoxicity. Recently, there was a breakthrough in a non-clinical testing strategy that is used to assess the QT internal prolongation liability. It is a signification contribution to the field of clinical research. The carcinogenicity studies provide safety guidelines on the use of rodents, the importance of carcinogenicity pharmaceuticals, prices, and any relevant issues that affect the performance of the drug. Safety guidelines help in maximizing success and minimizing failure and losses. Safety is among the foundational issues in matters concerning clinical research. Efficacy guidelines are all about conduct, design, safety and the reporting guidelines for clinical trials (ICH, 2005). They provide a benchmark that can be used to measure success or efficiency in the clinical research. The guidelines also touch on new drugs that have been made biotechnological procedures and the use of genomic techniques. These processes aid in the development of improved medicines. These guidelines have a huge impact on the safety of clinical

Visual Strategies to Convey Political Information Essay

Visual Strategies to Convey Political Information - Essay Example The image showing a captive without pacho (traditional clothing) shows how prisoners or captives were treated in that land. For a human being to be denied the right to be properly clothed is a sense of humiliation or disrespect in the society. Looking at the picture, it is evident that the prisoners in the land of Israel were treated as useless or rather insignificant. The fact that they lack clothing can also portray that prisoners were not allowed to be in social places. Captives were not allowed to participate in various political activities like voting, inheriting power from their fathers as well as other social activities like wedding. The fear between the Palestine and the Israelis is clearly portrayed when the author says he could see Israelis who were soldiers as well as settlers through the eyes of two Israeli ladies he stood with. It can be drawn that all Israelis men underwent basic military training and for one to acknowledge or recognize a soldier at first sight, it mean s the soldiers had a unique way of dressing through dresses incorporated with swords, their sandals, helmets, and horses. It can also be said that the Israelis were ever ready or alert to protect their soil from their enemies who were mainly Palestine. This fear is further shown when the author invites his new friend so that he could show her the Palestine he saw. He reveals that there was some kind of fear or tension when they passed near an Israeli who is between Palestinians or surrounded by them. From this, it can be drawn that the Israelis and the Palestinians were not in good terms. He lived with the Palestinians for a while and they were kind and friendly to him. However, the moments he is with the Israeli lady, things change and they are no longer kind to him. This shows that the hatred between the two groups was imminent. He explains further that the Palestinians were not pleased with the Israeli lady walking in their market. First, they did not believe a woman could walk t hat free; women were not regarded important and did not enjoy the same privileges as men. Secondly, by seeing the Israeli lady in their territory, they felt under siege. This could have been the main cause of the conflict between the two groups. The author describes how the Israelis treated their enemies who were Palestinians. He uses a character named Ghassan and describes all the activities that followed after his capture. The character was interviewed then subjected to torture. It can be drawn that the Israelis were not kind to the Palestinians. The author uses the hooded character Ghassan to represent the Palestinians held captive in the Israelis’ territory. Hood is a kind of clothing that covers the entire head and ears meaning the captives were to remain ignorant on what was happening around them; they were isolated and blinded so that they could not recognize their torturers, hence, they could not testify against them. The picture of the torture room portrays the ruthl ess and inhuman treatment Ghassan experienced. The struggling voice of the character and the silent body language simply shows how traumatized the victim is. The hood also symbolizes some form of unease among the captives. Moving around with the hood also reveals some degree of entrapment

Article Review, Scaffolding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article Review, Scaffolding - Essay Example A qualitative research approach was used for the program. A phonemic awareness lesson taught by a preschool teacher was taken for analysis which showed that children picked randomly were unable to comprehend or understand phonemics of words. Several factors, such as socio-cultural, non-understanding of the teacher’s instructions, or of the words used or what they are exactly required to do, could be the reason for the silent responses of these children. Hence support systems that could be provided by the teachers were worked upon which lead to devising the scaffolding method of creating phonemic awareness, which is reviewed in this article. Through the process of scaffolding teachers provide a support system, through comments and instructions, to children to complete a given task. It is not a random assignment process as it is tailor-made for each child depending on their inherent ability to perform the task. Keeping in mind the outcomes that could be expected from children wh o have varying grasping and performing abilities, three levels of scaffolding have been proposed. Beginning with children who have the least ability to grasp what is being told up to children who have a good grasping power, each level in scaffolding provides specific help to the children until the desired result is obtained. The authors have provided a transcript which outlines how the three levels of scaffolding have been used with children in a preschool classroom. However the effect size in this study is too small to ascertain the reach of this process among children. The three levels of scaffolding explained in the article include: intense, moderate and minimum. In the case of intense scaffolding the beginning phoneme is isolated and the teacher emphasizes on the phoneme while saying the word. In addition the teacher also instructs the children to watch them as

Sunstroke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sunstroke - Essay Example This research paper examines two types of sunstroke. The first kind is known as the Classic or Non-extertional heatstroke and normally affects and more adult individuals. Their bouts of sunstroke are brought about by a poor environment that lacks proper ventilation. Ont he other hand, Extertional Heatstroke more oftentimes occur among young people and individuals who love to participate in strenous activities during the scorching hot summer months. Although heat exhaustion is the most common source of a sunstroke, there are also other factors that normally affect a person which leads towards a sunstroke. But the main reason that sunstroke occurs is because people tend to forget to rehydrate themselves during the summer months. As our body rapidly loses water over the summer days and weeks, it is important that these fluids be replaced as often as possible. Simply rehhydrating on a frequent basis can actually prevent the onset of heatstroke. The reason that rehydration helps to quash sunstroke events is really simple. Liquids help to cool us down by allowing the body to produce sweat. However, liquids are also necessary for bodily functions, such as keeping up blood pressure. You can lose large amounts of body fluid in the form of sweat without noticing any effects, but at a certain point the body will reserve the remaining fluid for vital functions and stop sweating. The body's core temperature then shoots up, and cells start dying.

Atmospheric Circulation on Venus Research Paper

Atmospheric Circulation on Venus - Research Paper Example The Venus atmosphere is in a condition of vigorous circulation and super-rotation (Hunten, et al. 685). In just 4 days, the entire atmosphere circles the planet which is faster than the sidereal day of 243 days of the planet. The super rotation is supported by the winds and they blow as fast as 100 m/s (360 km/h or 220 mph). Winds move up to 60 times of the rotation of the planet. On the other hand, the speed of wind becomes greatly slower as the elevation from the surface becomes smaller, with the breeze rarely reaching the speed of 10 km/h on the surface. Anticyclonic structures are near the poles and they are called vortices. Every vortex is double-eyed and exhibits a characteristic S-shaped pattern of clouds. These Venus don’t have a magnetic field. Its ionosphere disconnects the atmosphere from the solar wind and outer space. This layer that is ionized includes the solar magnetic field, providing Venus with a distinct magnetic environment. This is believed to be Venusâ₠¬â„¢s induced magnetosphere. Gases that are lighter including water vapor, keeps on being blown away by the solar wind through the induced magnetotail. It is believed that Venus’s atmosphere up to around 4 billion years ago was similar to that of the earth containing water on the surface. A runaway greenhouse effect may have been brought by surface water evaporation and subsequent rise of the levels of other greenhouse gases. Despite the severe conditions on the surface, the pressure and temperature of the atmosphere at approximately 50km to 65km above the planet’s surface is around the same as that of the Earth, hence its upper atmosphere almost the same as the earth’s in the Solar System, even more than the Mars’ surface. Because of the similarity in temperature and pressure and the fact that breathable air is a lifting gas on earth, the upper part of the atmosphere has been proposed as a section for both colonization and

Learning Skills Improvement Service Essay Example for Free

Learning Skills Improvement Service Essay In my position as a workshop trainer at Deerbolt young offenders’ institute, the education I deliver for The Manchester College as part of their Offender Learning is supported, monitored and shaped by various professional bodies. The purpose of these bodies or sector skills councils vary however they all have a common goal in ensuring and enriching the quality of education being delivered. LSIS or the learning and skills improvement service are such a body who umbrella over every organisation that delivers qualifications throughout the country, and they do exactly what they say on the tin. LSIS improve quality, participation and increase standards in education and training. A lot of their work involves developing resources, implementing schemes, sharing delivery aids that improve quality and achievement and tailoring support to learners needs. â€Å"Colleges and providers helped by LSIS improved by one inspection grade at their next inspection.† (LSIS [ND] [online]) LSIS don’t just support the educational improvements though; in 2010 they recognised The Manchester College as a Healthy FE college, healthy initiatives offered throughout the college like loyalty cards, gym memberships and better eating schemes aimed to improve the health of students and staff. Another group that oversee our work as teachers is the professional body the IFL or the Institute for Learning. Their role is to register everyone practicing as a teacher or trainer in FE on to their database. They promote themselves as supporting professional excellence; they aim to increase the status of teachers as professionals, requiring a membership fee and proof of qualifications which is supported by the employer. They also champion the importance of CPD and require members to provide evidence of this and their teaching hours each year. This is seen to keep standards of teaching high, and promote quality and teaching as a profession. Until very recently this is how the IFL worked but due to the loss in government funding and teachers reluctantly to pay their own subscription the number of people renewing their subscription to the IFL fell by over half to just 85,000 signalling a loss of confidence in the body and an end to its presences. For many teachers and trainers in FE it was seen as a welcomed downfall as many believed the IFL did nothing for them, however now this professional body has collapsed there is no one regulating the qualifications or standard required to teach in FE which may lead to competiveness for jobs and or poor standards of teaching and training. These developments seemingly leave only Ofsted in place to assess the quality and standards of colleges and the individual teachers. â€Å"Ofsted would be made responsible for ensuring that FE teachers were appropriately qualified through inspections† (TES [30/03/2012] [Online]) However I see a huge flaw in this method of assessing quality and knowledge, not every Ofsted inspector can have the depth in knowledge of every subject of every teacher he or she is going to observe. For example if I am teaching bricklaying and I’m teaching unacceptable practices how is that inspector meant to know I am teaching the wrong methods? Surely the only way to overcome this problem is to have employed properly qualified teachers and trainers and not just people with some subject knowledge. Now that the IFL is a voluntary body the employers themselves have discretion over this matter. Construction Skills is another organisation that oversee and support the vocational training we deliver in offender learning. They are a massive organisation and have a lot of different strands from providing qualifications, courses and assessment and training support through CSkills as an awarding organisation. They also developing courses and provide support and training to local businesses through being an industry training board. In 2003 Construction Skills were awarded Sector Skills Council status, this allowed them to deliver valued support across the industry. Their main aims are to help reduce a shortage in specialise skills and help to bring a diverse workforce into the industry. They are also involved in improving business performance and developing professional standards for construction occupations both trade and professional. The other area that they cover is probably most relevant to my work as a vocational trainer; they have a large input on the improvement of education for apprenticeships and higher and further education. They achieve this by awarding grants for training, providing businesses with advice on getting the best from their work force offering card schemes, recognised qualifications and helping to link college learning with on the job experience. Professionalism As teachers, trainers, tutors or whatever you what to call us in FE we all have more than one hat we wear that makes us a professional. The IFL although seemingly no more used to keep everybody who worked as a ‘teacher’ under the status of a professional. They did this by having in place the requirement to achieve QTLS or ATLS within five years of working within the education sector. QTLS stand for qualified teacher learning and skills and ATLS associate teacher learning and skills. Everybody working as a teacher was required to register as one or the other of these statuses depending on your level of teaching qualification, the full Cert Ed being a level 5, I myself would have had to apply for QTLS status. However the following quote suggests that very little teachers working in the sector today have taken out the required status of QTLS/ATLS. â€Å"Only a small number of lecturers have become ‘fully qualified’ under the current arrangements: between 2,900 (GHK, August 2011) and some 6,000 (IfL submission, 2012). Whilst this number may rise as the five-year watershed approaches, some 85 per cent of FE lecturers have not embarked on the final supervised practice phase, following the diploma. We do not believe that so slight a result after such a long delay makes this qualification credible as a licence to practise which, properly speaking, should be earned before starting work, as it would be in other professions.† (Bis [03/2012] [Online]) By making this a requirement the IFL aimed at ensuring each individual teacher had the ability to work at the standards expected of a licenced practitioner. To meet this requirement you were expected to submit evidence of your teaching practice, subject and background knowledge, your continued professional development and your own reflective practice. I feel this was affair approach to the matter They may say the â€Å"licence to practice should be earned before starting work† but the profession of teaching is like no other. Its not really something you can learn out of a book you have to get out there and do it then reflect on it, prepare and do it again. My personal two hats consist of my subject specialism, Carpentry and Joinery level 3 qualification, and hopefully in a couple of months my Cert Ed teaching qualification. Other training and development also comes into it, like holding a CSCS card, which is the Construction Skills Certificate Scheme. Another initiative that Construction Skills mentioned earlier are responsible for putting in place. It means you must hold a valid card to work on any building site in the country. To get a card you must pass a construction health and safety test, the cards also state on the back your profession and level of qualification. This is another method of keeping this industry safe, to required standards and professional. â€Å"Professional formation allows teachers to describe how these standards are evidenced in their teaching practice, along with aspects of subject currency, teaching and learning, reflective practice and planning for continuing professional development.† (IFL [11/2008] [Online]) Professional formation isn’t just about your status or qualifications though. It’s a lot about your actions too. As professionals we are expected to present, conduct and discipline ourselves in a particular manor. However with this status we also have the benefits of being rewarded recognition for our work, enhancing collaborations, sharing good practices and having support and respect from our colleagues, colleges and partnering bodies. The importance of engaging in CPPD CPPD or Continuing Personal and Professional Development is something as professionals we should all be doing on a regular basis. It was a requirement of the IFL to record our CPPD hours each year and although a lot of teachers possibly never took this serious it is a good method of keeping in touch with current affairs and adapting to changing trends. The key thing to remember is that this is not just about completing a list of activities undertaken during the year that add up to 6 or 12 or 30 hours. The time spent can be meaningless unless it makes a difference. (IFL [08/2009] [online]) Education is one such sector that never stands still, the requirement to change and reform is evident and we do this to keep things interesting, relevant and to continually push up standards. From a personal point of view, if I’m teaching my subject specialism I want to be a fountain of knowledge in it, I think it’s important to have good subject knowledge and as I have been out of the trade a couple of years now this is something I aim the address on completion of the Cert Ed. I will look at gaining further qualifications in my subject, or maybe completing an assessor’s award. I have even considered going back to construction site work to gain further experience and update my knowledge. Ideally being out in the field working on actual jobs with students would be the perfect scenario for continually developing myself and I feel this would also benefit the learners immensely. As for CPPD in my teaching, I aim to complete all training events offered, for example we had smart board training at work the other day. I also aim to relish being thrown in at the deep end which regularly happens as a cover tutor. I’m lucky in the way my support role at the prison lets me observe a lot of different teachers each week and taking on their good practices and addressing learners needs is excellent CPPD for me. The importance of reflective practice Reflecting on our work as teachers is the best way to develop, its important to have regular teaching practice. We learn valuable things when were in lessons, under pressure and on the spot, however the real learning comes afterwards when we reflect and analyse the session. This is our time to put things right in our heads and prepare ourselves for the same scenarios the next time. It would be extremely difficult to pre-empt every situation that could occur and almost impossible to prepare for each. â€Å"teachers who explore their own teaching through critical reflection develop changes in attitudes and awareness which they believe can benefit their professional growth as teachers, as well as improve the kind of support they provide their students.† (tttjournal [ND] [Online]) Not only should we be reflecting from our own experiences but it’s also extremely valuable to reflect on observations, hearing opinions from another person’s point of view can really pin point things that may have been frustrating us for weeks. Critical reflective practice is more complex than just reflecting. It’s about planning how you will evaluate a lesson or even a CPPD event; it is good practice to critically review these situations through different people’s points of view. Your colleagues, students, boss, or even a person in the field actually doing what you’re teaching or being taught. With this in mind reflection is one of our most important tools. Bibliography Bis [03/2012] Professionalism in further education [Online] http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/p/12-670-professionalism-in-further-education-interim [Accessed 27/05/2012] IFL [08/2009] Guidelines for your continuing professional development (CPD) [online] http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/5501/J11734-IfL-CPD-Guidelines-08.09-web-v3.pdf [Accessed 12/06/2012] IFL [11/2008] Professional Formation [Online] http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/IfL-professional-formation-overview.pdf [Accessed 12/06/2012] LSIS [ND] Our Impact in the Sector [Online] http://www.lsis.org.uk/AboutLSIS/LSIS-impact/Pages/default.aspx [Accessed 20/06/12] TES [30/03/2012] FE professionalism gets radical shake-up [Online] http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6202944 [Accessed 15/04/2012] Tttjournal [ND] Towards Reflective Teaching [Online] http://www.tttjournal.co.uk/uploads/file/back_articles/towards_reflective_teaching.pdf [Accessed 03/06/12]

The History Of Tobacco History Essay

The History Of Tobacco History Essay The drought finally ended and Jamestown turned a corner. A new cash crop was introduced to Virginia which brought prosperity and a path into the future. John Rolfe is credited with being the man who introduced tobacco to America. Tobacco has a long history in the Americas. The Mayan Indians of Mexico carved drawings in stone showing tobacco use. These drawings date back to somewhere between 600 to 900 A.D. Tobacco was grown by American Indians before the Europeans came from England, Spain, France, and Italy to North America. Native Americans smoked tobacco through a pipe for special religious and medical purposes. Tobacco was the first crop grown for money in North America. In 1612 John Rolfe and the settlers of the first American colony in Jamestown, Virginia grew tobacco as a cash crop. It was their main source of money. Other cash crops were corn, cotton, wheat, sugar, and soya beans. Tobacco helped pay for the American Revolution against England. Also, the first President of the U.S. grew tobacco. Ralph Hamor, Secretary of Virginia, reported that Rolfe planted the first tobacco seeds that he obtained from somewhere in the Caribbean, I may not forget the gentleman worthie of much commendations, which first tooke the pains to make triall thereof, his name Mr. John Rolfe, Anno Domini 1612, partly for the love he hath a long time borne unto it, and partly to raise commodity to the adventurers. He crossed the Caribbean breed with the indigenous tobacco to produce a plant well adapted to the local soil. Rolfe gave some tobacco from his crop to friends to make triall of, and they agreed that the new leaf had smoked pleasant, sweete and strong. Rolfes first crop that was shipped to London compared favorably with the Spanish product. The colony prospered and called for women to come to Jamestown and marry the settlers. It became a boomtown and people come in droves to America. While tobacco brought the colonists prosperity, it had a dark side from the beginning. It required a great deal of labor and so created the conditions in which slavery would later flourish. Tobacco would determine Virginias future. John Rolfe was an earlier American settler. His date of birth is unknown, but he was baptized on 6 May 1585 and came to the Colonies in 1610. He was one of many settlers sent by the Virginia Company of London, charged with finding ways to make the New World profitable, and in this assignment Rolfe was wildly successful: The native Virginia variety of tobacco, Nicotiana rustica, had been deemed too bitter for English customers tastes, but in about 1612 Rolfe imported and began cultivating Caribbean tobacco, Nicotiana Tabacum. Ever since, tobacco has been the regions dominant crop. His first wife died en route to the colonies, and Rolfe later married the Native Princess Pocahontas, who had been kidnapped and converted to Christianity. He returned to England with her, where they met with King James I and Sir Walter Raleigh and were greeted across England as celebrity-curiosities. Tragically, she contracted a disease for which she had no genetic immunity smallpox, some say, or pneumonia and died within months. Rolfe, now twice widowed, returned to Virginia where he served in several colonial administrative posts and married a third time. During a 1622 battle with Natives, his home was destroyed, and Rolfe is presumed to have perished, though his body was never found.Through Thomas Rolfe, his son with Pocahontas, Rolfes progeny extends through many generations of Virginias most prominent families, including the Bollings, Randolphs, and First Lady Edith Wilson. The social stature of these families necessitated the insertion of a specific clause in Virginia later laws against miscegeny, defining fourth- and subsequent generation descendants of Native Americans as legally White. Prices for tobacco began to drop because every person had their own farms in their backyards where they couldve planted their own set of tobacco. Alth ough military discipline almost certainly helped motivate the Jamestown settlers to work, tobacco is what eventually saved the colony. In 1612 an Englishman named John Rolfe introduced a mild strain of tobacco that was perfect for smoking. Suddenly the plant was in demand and could make huge profits, and this provided motivation for settlers to work. Unfortunately, the high profit margin encouraged many to grow tobacco for sale rather than plant food to feed the colony. One farmer could grow about one or two thousand plants, which made about five hundred pounds of tobacco. This brought a profit of between  £25 and  £200 per year (farmers in England earned about  £3 profit per year). The promise of huge profits led to a flood of tobacco in the market. By 1629, the bottom dropped out of the tobacco market because of overproduction. The early years of tobacco production were challenging because labor was scarce in Jamestown, and tobacco was a very labor-intensive crop. Many peopl e planted the crop by using sticks to make a small hole in the ground and placing seeds down the hole. Many settlers lived along rivers and streams so the harvested crop could be transported easily. Eventually, many planters recognized the need for an alternative source of labor for the crop in order to maximize profits. One solution for a desperately needed labor force was indentured servitude. Indentured servants usually received passage to the New World in exchange for four or five years of service, although this was later extended to seven years. At the end of service, servants were supposed to receive their freedom and a gift-usually clothes and tools and sometimes a small section of land. The owners of indentured servants did receive some benefits-specifically something called a headright (fifty acres of land for each head or servant bought) as well as cheap labor. Indentured servants could typically travel to Jamestown for less than  £12 per servant. Those who needed labore rs usually attempted to get English servants first, but the system was also extended to include the Irish, a group viewed as less civilized than the English and more like the savage American Indians. Common characteristics of indentured servants can be seen by viewing the populations statistics. More men than women came to the New World as indentured servants. Women were outnumbered four to one and made up only 20 percent of the servant population. Women were not allowed to marry while a servant, so many became pregnant out of wedlock. Some pregnant women escaped servitude while others had to add two years to their term of service. There was almost no incentive to keep indentured servants well fed or healthy, so many servants were mistreated. Some owners bought and sold indentured servants even though this was illegal, and some servants complained of being treated as slaves. As the need for labor increased, many planters began to shift from working indentured servants to owning slav es. Slavery was introduced into Jamestown in 1619, when about twenty Africans were brought to Virginia, along with about ninety Englishwomen. According to the ship log, Africans were sold as indentured servants for food. The women on the ship were purchased with 120 pounds of tobacco and most quickly became settlers wives. Although the word slave was not used yet to refer to Africans, evidence shows that they were not allowed their freedom after a term of service as the European indentured servants were. Therefore, many historians consider these twenty Africans to be the first slaves in what later became the United States. Since there was no incentive to keep indentured servants well fed or healthy, the number of Europeans who would agree to the terms dropped significantly. Some owners bought and sold indentured servants, and some servants complained of being treated as slaves. Planters turned from servants to African slaves because fewer indentured servants would sign on to work fo r a full contract. Many indentured servants tried to escape before their term of service expired. By the year 1618, Virginia produced 20,000 pounds of tobacco. Nine years later they produced over 500,000 pounds of it, and then two more years after they produced over 1,500,000 pounds of it. Each Virginian got 50 acres for themselves whose passage they paid. Rolfe was a very smart guy, the reason I said this is because even though he promised them freedom dues after working over 5 to 7 years, deep down inside he knew that only 1 out of 10 of those slaves would outlive the contract. They were all forbidden to get married. Even though tobacco is what really had put Virginia on the map. By the 1800s, many people had begun using small amounts of tobacco. Some chewed it. Others smoked it occasionally in a pipe, or they hand-rolled a cigarette or cigar. On the average, people smoked about 40 cigarettes a year. The first commercial cigarettes were made in 1865 by Washington Duke on his 300-acre farm in Raleigh, North Carolina. His hand-rolled cigarettes were sold to soldiers at the end of the Civil War. It was not until James Bonsack invented the cigarette-making machine in 1881 that cigarette smoking became widespread. Bonsacks cigarette machine could make 120,000 cigarettes a day. He went into business with Washington Dukes son, James Buck Duke. They built a factory and made 10 million cigarettes their first year and about one billion cigarettes five years later. The first brand of cigarettes were packaged in a box with baseball cards and were called Duke of Durham. Buck Duke and his father started the first tobacco company in the U.S. They named it the American Tobac co Company. The American Tobacco Company was the largest and most powerful tobacco company until the early 1900s. Several companies were making cigarettes by the early 1900s. In 1902 Philip Morris company came out with its Marlboro brand. They were selling their cigarettes mainly to men. Everything changed during World War I (1914-18) and World War II (1939-45). Soldiers overseas were given free cigarettes every day. At home production increased and cigarettes were being marketed to women too. More than any other war, World War II brought more independence for women. Many of them went to work and started smoking for the first time while their husbands were away. By 1944 cigarette production was up to 300 billion a year. Service men received about 75% of all cigarettes produced. The wars were good for the tobacco industry. Since WW II, there have been six giant cigarette companies in the U.S. They are Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, American Brands, Lorillard, Brown Williamson, and Li ggett Myers (now called the Brooke Group). They make millions of dollars selling cigarettes in the U.S. and all over the world. In 1964 the Surgeon General of the U.S. (the chief doctor for the country) wrote a report about the dangers of cigarette smoking. He said that the nicotine and tar in cigarettes cause lung cancer. In 1965 the Congress of the U.S. passed the Cigarette Labelling and Advertising Act. It said that every cigarette pack must have a warning label on its side stating Cigarettes may be hazardous to your health. By the 1980s, the tobacco companies had come out with new brands of cigarettes with lower amounts of tar and nicotine and improved filters to keep their customers buying and to help reduce their fears. The early 1980s were called the tar wars because tobacco companies competed aggressively to make over 100 low tar and ultra low tar cigarettes. Each company made and sold many different brands of cigarettes. In 1984 Congress passed another law called the Compr ehensive Smoking Education Act. It said that the cigarette companies every three months had to change the warning labels on cigarette packs. It created four different labels for the companies to rotate. Since the 1980s, federal, state, local governments, and private companies have begun taking actions to restrict cigarette smoking in public places. The warning labels were the first step. Tobacco companies cannot advertise cigarettes on television or radio. It is against a law that was passed by Congress in 1971. Many cities across the U.S. do not allow smoking in public buildings and restaurants. Since 1990, airlines have not allowed smoking on airplane flights in the U.S. that are six hours or less. State taxes on cigarettes have increased. As it becomes more difficult for tobacco companies to sell their products in the U.S., they are looking outside. U.S. tobacco companies are now growing tobacco in Africa, South America (Brazil and Paraguay), India, Pakistan, the Phillipines, Gre ece, Thailand, and the Dominican Republic. Fifty percent (50%) of the sales of U.S. tobacco companies go to Asian countries, such as Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, the Phillipines, and Taiwan. Where Im from in the Bahamas we have many people who use tobacco for their reasons but most of everyone use it to calm their nerves. Nowadays, even young teenagers smoke cigarettes or other type of drugs. Economics deals with the making and selling of products and services to consumers. Products are things like chewing tobacco, cigarettes, televisions, houses, and cars. Services include medical care, education, and insurance. Consumers are the people like ourselves who buy or receive the products and services. The U.S. has a capitalist economic system. Under this system, one or more people get together and form a company to make and sell something. They do this to make money. The money that they make after paying off their bills or expenses is called profit. In other words, a profit is the m oney they have for themselves after paying rent, salaries, utility bills (electricity, gas, telephone) and buying machines/computers and any other equipment they need to make their product and run their business. When companies sell more than they spend, they make a profit. Selling their products to other countries is called exporting. The product that is sold is called an export. Buying from other countries is called importing, and what U.S. companies buy is called an import. For example, if Ford Motor Company buys steel from Japan to make a car, it is importing a product. Steel is the import. When Ford sells its cars to Brazil, it is exporting. Cars are the exports. When companies or governments export more than they import, they have a trade surplus. A trade surplus is another way of saying a profit. On the other hand, when they import more than they export, they have a trade deficit. A deficit means a debt or money owed to someone else. Throughout history, tobacco companies have had a trade surplus. That is one big reason why they have been important to the economy of the U.S. In 1992 the tobacco industry reported a $5.65 billion dollar trade surplus. In the first half of 1992, tobacco exports were $2 billion more than imports. The taxes that the tobacco companies pay provide a lot of money for the U.S. government. In 1992, Philip Morris alone paid $4.5 billion in taxes. This makes it the largest tax payer in the U.S. The making or manufacturing of cigarettes is almost completely automated. It is done by machines without people. Machines crush and clean tobacco leaves and add chemicals like nicotine. They also roll cigarettes, put on filters, cut them to length, and then package them. All of the six U.S. companies producing cigarettes are large and powerful. They are so strong that not even all the medical reports of the health dangers of smoking and all the laws restricting smoking and advertising have been able to weaken them. They are still able to make big profits by buying up other non-tobacco companies in the U.S. and by selling and making cigarettes outside the country. For example, Philip Morris bought Miller Beer and Kraft General Foods, and R.J. Reynolds bought the Nabisco Food Group and General Entertainment Corporation. The U.S. government and the tobacco companies help each other. Since 1964 all the Surgeon Generals of the U.S. have talked and written about the health dangers of cigarettes. Still, cigarettes are made, advertised, and sold. The tobacco industry gives thousands of dollars to help cover the costs of political campaigns of people running for political office. These are people who want to be elected or reelected as Senators, Representatives, Vice-President, and President. In turn the politicians help the tobacco industry. One way politicians help is continuing the tobacco price support system. Under the price support system, tobacco can only be grown on a certain number of government-approved farms. The gover nment gives farms special, low interest loans to help cover the costs of growing tobacco. The U.S. Department of Agriculture allows a certain amount of tobacco to be grown each year. This is called a quota. It also sets a minimum price for tobacco. When the farmer takes his/her tobacco to the market, any tobacco not sold one cent above the government price is bought by grower cooperatives and stored to be sold another year. Tobacco products are products made entirely or partly of leaf tobacco as raw material, which are intended to be smoked, sucked, chewed or snuffed. All contain the highly addictive psychoactive ingredient, nicotine. Tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, lung diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Despite this, it is common throughout the world. A number of countries have legislation restricting tobacco advertising, and regulating who can buy and use tobacco products, and where people can smoke. What Im about to explain to you are some of the effects tobacco can cause to your body and they are, Tobacco stains your teeth and gives you bad breath. Tobacco ruins some of your taste buds, so you wont be able to taste your favorite foods as well. Tobacco causes bleeding gums (gum disease) and cancers of the mouth and throat. When you smoke it also increases your heart rate and blood pressure and causes heart disease and heart attacks. If you try to do activities like exercise or play sports, your heart has to work harder to keep up. Smokers have trouble breathing because smoking damages the lungs. If you have asthma, you can have more frequent a nd more serious attacks. Smoking causes a lot of coughing with phlegm (mucous).Tobacco can cause emphysema (lung disease) and lung cancer. Smoking causes dry, yellow skin and wrinkles. The smell sticks to your skin. Less blood and oxygen flows to your muscles, which causes them to hurt more when you exercise or play sports. These are some of the effects that tobacco does to you and your body. Tobacco is very addictive, it starts out as something they try just to try or do it through peer pressure. They usually start out with something not as strong like red man or beechnut because regular dip will make you sick the first time you try it. From there they usually go to pouches and when the buzz is too weak from that they use regular dip, then they are hooked. The nicotine craving from there is hard to overcome. A lot of people who work outside like to dip because when you get used to the buzz it feels amazing. It is really relaxing, That is also why you see a lot of major league baseb all players who dip especially when they are hitting.. it keeps them nice and relaxed. Dip is a simple tobacco product that you can chew. Tobacco Company gave away about 2 billion cigarettes to our troops abroad. Back then the negative effects of tobacco on peoples health were largely unknown. Nicotine masks fatigue and hunger, also help focus thoughts and provides a calming effect. It was largely thought nicotine also caused a heightened sense of awareness thus making one a better soldier. Many people also like the taste and aroma of burning tobacco. Its also noted that nicotine helps with the symptoms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, in fact many mental health programs give free cigarettes to their patients, both as an incentive to attend and because of the calming effects. Unfortunately nicotine is highly addictive and is also a carcinogen. You know before WWI lung cancer was so rare doctors often traveled across country to get a glimpse at a case. Nationwide there was some thing like 11 cases per year, not the case anymore though. I advise no one to do drug unless its for health reasons. Many children and teens use cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco because their friends do. Movies and TV shows can make smoking seem attractive. Teens, especially girls, often use smoking to try to control their weight. Teens may think that smoking is a way to look more mature, independent, and self-confident to their peers. They may smoke to rebel against their parents. Most teens do not know how addictive cigarettes are. Peers may persuade teenagers and even younger children to try tobacco. Even if they do not try verbally to influence another person, simply using tobacco around young people can motivate them to mimic the behavior. Only because they want to fit in, or seem more mature than they really are, they try using tobacco. When teenagers or younger people first begin using tobacco, it is easy to limit usage. They may only use it during parties or when ar ound friends who use tobacco. They may believe that tobacco is not addictive for them and that they can continue to control their use indefinitely. Little that they know is nicotine is very addictive, and eventually they will likely become addicted as well. Nicotine is a nitrogen-containing chemical an alkaloid, which is made by several types of plants, including the tobacco plant. Nicotine is also produced synthetically. The type of nicotine found in tobacco plants, comes from the nightshade family. Red peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes are examples of the nightshade family. Apart from being a substance found in tobacco products, nicotine is also an antiherbivore chemical, specifically for the elimination of insects it used to be extensively used as an insecticide. When humans, mammals and most other types of animals are exposed to nicotine, it increases their heart rate, heart muscle oxygen consumption rate, and heart stroke volume these are known as pharmacologic effect s. I advise every single person, stay far away from anything that has nicotine in it, most products that do have that in it is tobacco which isnt good for neither you nor your body.

Philosophy of Education: Herbert Marcuse

Philosophy of Education: Herbert Marcuse Joseph Cunningham Praxis Exiled: Herbert Marcuse and the One Dimensional University,  Journal of Philosophy of Education Vol 47 No 4 2013 Cunninghams exploration of Herbert Marcuse positions him at the centre of the revolutionary student movements of the 1960s. Higher education could at that time be seen as a place which was shielded to some extent from the pacifying tendencies within advanced capitalist labour. Of all the theories which emerged out of the influential Frankfurt School, Marcuses was perhaps the one theory which could more easily beapplied in practice because it narrowed Marxist critique to analyse the extent to which advanced capitalisms influence penetrated inwardly. Cunningham encapsulates this by stating, gendered rhetoric aside, One Dimensional Man, is about you and your life. However, Cunningham argues that it was never Marcuses intention to develop his theory, whilst navel gazing inside an ivory tower. Rather critical theory in education should move students to pierce through the institutional walls and function as actualised praxis, the congruence of theory and action. Cunningham uses Marcuses own words from 1968, By its own inner dynamic, education thus leads beyond the classroom, beyond the university, into the political dimension and in to the moral, instinctual dimension (his italics). An inner revolution is a precursor to outer revolution and dialectical critique is the key to the liberation which will nurture that inner revolution. Marcuse looked beyond labour itself to find the causes of what he thought was creating a one dimensional society: he argued that technology, the media and a converging standardisation of values coupled with an unending stream of must have commodities combine to attack an individuals authenticity. Reason is usurped by technological rationality and our critical senses are dulled, making us, as Marcuse argued, disinterested in or even hostile to dissent. Cunningham carefully traces how the ripe revolutionary potential of the 1960s has come under the control of capital, as Marcuse predicted might be the case. I can see how the growing corporatisation of higher education, of which Marcuse was aware in 1960, has indeed spread tentacles across the sector. The perceived waste of human capital in the liberal arts has been either recycled into more useful courses or disposed of. Cunninghams view is that, as Marcuse predicted, the drive to develop online education can arguably be seen as another route to seal the packaging of educational content as a product for students as consumers, so much so that the consumer and campus culture are indistinguishable. The halcyon days of free education have been replaced by a narrowing of access due to lack of means. Cunninghams conclusion is bleak but understandable: even though critical theory is still taught, it is largely devoid of praxis and often delivered online in digitally standardised curricula. Marcuse would find it empty of the dynamic which he felt it had the potential to bring to student life. Like Marcuse, however, Cunningham sees some evidence of counterculture: citing the Occupy Movement as one candle in the darkness of the pervasive atmosphere which is antithetical to critical thought. Self-exile beckons for those who, like Marcuse before them, seek to step outside to look within with fresh eyes. There are indicators everywhere we look of the dominant capitalist culture which makes us so wrapped up in our daily existence and desire for material goods that we fail to see the possibility of any other existence. Indeed, we are led to crave the same dimension. Marcuses One Dimension flattens our capacity for imagining another kind of existence and suppresses our instinctive desires. Whether it is the subliminal appeal of an advertising jingle or the promise of a higher salary if we put all our energies into STEM, we are persuaded that our present should be used to build our future. However the vision is as narrow as a tunnel. The light at the end is that of unexamined material prosperity: there are few unexpected rays lighting the corners of our imagination to help us to reach out to change our perspective. After all, evidence of a different light source might encourage us to look for another way out. Word count: 663 References Brookfield, S. (2005). The Power of Critical Thinking for Adult Learning and Teaching. Maidenhead: OUP. Graham, A. (n.d.). Liberation Powerpoint Class notes Jan 2017. WIT. Marcuse. (1967). Liberation from the Affluent Society (1967) . Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQLpqno6J_g Accessed 14/12/2106

What Technology Brings To Us :: Television TV Essays

What Technology Brings To Us I have selected television as my technology subject because, on a global level, television has the greatest impact on the largest number of people of all the technologies available to us today. I have found that television has become widely distributed for many reasons, the most important being the fact that television sets have become more affordable over the years. There is also a desire by poor people in poor countries to have the same gadgets that are owned by the people in rich countries and only television can satisfy that need. Television can also be the means by which all levels of government can communicate with their populations. Thanks to satellites, television signals can be received just about everywhere on the planet. In the Third World, a single television can bring people together in order to watch a program on the community-owned set. In less educated cultures, television must seem like magic and its magic can draw those people closer together for the common experience of seeing a TV program. However, that same technology in the hands of advantaged societies tends to drive people apart. In America, you can often find a TV in every room (and sometimes in the bathroom), and various family members can spend hours and hours watching their own programming preferences on their own TV sets and not interacting with each other at all except during meals. Even the dinner hour cannot guarantee family communication. Too often, after-school activities such as sports and other outside interests draw people away from a shared meal. Those who eat alone often do so with a television for company, thereby replacing two-way conversations with the toxins of modern television programming. Television unifies the poor and separates the rich. It is both an anesthetic and a pacifier but it is never a reliable source for the truth. Thanks to the wealth of this nation, American television has always had the resources needed to do very great things for the citizens of this country. It could bring profoundly important documentaries to the attention of those who are removed from those stories, it could teach children who have outgrown Sesame Street foreign languages and critical thinking skills plus it could easily spread the truth with each news broadcast. A higher level of entertainment could encourage more sophisticated tastes and cultural expectations. Instead, American television offers a disgusting collection of trash at all levels and that trash makes Americans a very proud but ignorant people.

Painting What We See Within: A Look at the Insides of Art Therapy Essay

Painting What We See Within: A Look at the Insides of Art Therapy One of the most memorable experiences I had last summer was visiting the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. (3)At this museum, professional artists had created none of the works hanging on the walls. Visionary art is an individualized expression by people with little or no formal training; the rules of art as a school did not apply here. While I was there, I learned that for many years, the artwork created by patients of mental institutions, hospitals, and nursing homes were disregarded and destroyed by their caretakers. After seeing what powerful and telling work came from many people in these situations, I found this information to be very distressing. Fortunately, the development of art as a form of therapy has changed the medical attitude toward art created by the healing in the past fifty years. While the work created through this therapy is rarely showcased as at the American Visionary, it is aiding therapists and their clients in reaching a new awareness. Art therapy uses media and the creative process in healing, the key word here being process. We all know how revealing the artwork of children can be of their emotions. Art therapy applies this concept across the spectrum in a multitude of situations. It functions in many of the same settings as conversational therapy: mental health or rehabilitation facilities, wellness centers, educational institutions, nursing homes, in private practices or in a client's home. An art therapist may work with an individual or group, in families or couples. While most therapy is based on conversation between the therapist and his or here client/s, art therapy integrates visual communication into th... .... Personally, I don't see why the developments in the study of art therapy shouldn't change our attitudes toward creative arts in general. When was the last time you sat down with crayons and drew a picture, or put on your favorite song and danced just for the heck of it? Sure, if you are creatively talented you might study art or music, but through as we get older we take even our most creative work too seriously. We try to make it good according to external standards rather than doing it for our own good. In the broader sense of things, I don't think art therapy is just for the healing. I believe our lives would be brighter and less stressful if we got into the habit of being just a little creative every day. Internet Sources: 1)http://www.arttherapy.org/ 2)http://www.avam.org/ 3)http://www.artsintherapy.com/ 4)http://www.creativeresponse.org.uk/

Feminist Criticism of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- Shakespeare And Fe

Many literary critics have presented theories on the meaning of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, ranging from claims of Oedipal Complexes to insinuations of homosexuality. Though most such interpretations can be considered true at some level, there seems to be some basic theme - some driving force - that underlies all other interpretations. While most criticisms focus on individual characters, a more insightful criticism of the true nature of Hamlet can be drawn simply by analyzing the key relationships in play. These relationships - especially those dealing with women or issues of femininity - allow a level of interpretation that examines not merely the events of the play, but the true underlying significance of gender both to Shakespeare and to the characters he presents. In order to interpret the significance of the feminine within the relationships in the play, one must first understand precisely the nature of 'feminine.' Though this term is typically associated only with women, Hamlet in many regards breaks down these barriers. While women are almost always feminine in some respect, the male characters in Hamlet are often embodiments of feminine virtues, such as female sexuality, motherhood, or sisterly love. As one author states, "thanks to feminist criticism, gender is not indissolvably fixed in Shakespeare. Male characters can profitably incorporate female characteristics, and women characters can assume masculine ones" (Kolin 5). While the women of Hamlet are the bearers of individual and unique feminine qualities, a feminist interpretation of the work also reveals the broader ideals of femininity within many of the male characters. The first of the truly significant women in Hamlet is Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. ... ...nd Feminist Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography and Commentary. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1991. Erickson, Peter. Patriarchal Structures in Shakespeare's Drama. Paraphrased in Philip Kolin, Shakespeare and Feminist Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography and Commentary. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1991. Klein, Joan Larsen. "'Angels and Ministers of Grace': Hamlet, IV, v-vii." Paraphrased in Philip Kolin, Shakespeare and Feminist Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography and Commentary. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1991. Kolin, Philip C. Shakespeare And Feminist Criticism: An annotated Bibliography and Commentary. New York: Garland Publishing. 1991. Web. 26 May 2015. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0895769X.1995.10545153 Watts, Cedric. Twayne's New Critical Introductions to Shakespeare. Boston: Twayne Publishers. 1991. Â  

Sleep Deprivation and Teenagers

As a teenager and a first year post-secondary student, I can argue that as we get older, our amount of sleep gradually decreases. You have probably heard of the saying â€Å"The More, The Merrier,† and you might assume that according to this research paper, it means â€Å"The More Sleep, The Better,† but in reality and as a society, we believe that it means if you work more, do more, and do everything as fast as possible, you will achieve great success. The problem is that we have adapted to such a negative and wrong motto that it is affecting each and every single one of us teenagers.We need to be reminded of the consequences sleep deprivation has on important aspects of our lives, such as both mental and physical well-being, school, jobs, family, and relationships. Millions of students seek ways to keep themselves awake for a longer period of time and throughout the day. Popular culture has responded to our needs by creating material goods such as energy drinks, coffe e, electronics, and pills. It might keep individuals awake and might make them believe that they are full of energy, but at what point does the body and mind get the required nine hours of rest in order to function to its maximum capability?Students prioritize their lives but health seems to be one of the last on their mind. A recent survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that, â€Å"only 15% of teenagers regularly get the nine hours of sleep they need each night† (Foldvary-Schaefer, p. 9). This means Bhullar 2 that the other 85% are falling beneath the required amount. Lack of sleep can mean that the body is more vulnerable to diseases and virus attacks. At the same time it can interfere with memory, concentration, mood swings, mental abilities, and weight gain, just to name a few.Such things can lead to other problems like bulimia, loss of job, failure in school, and physical accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there a re as many as 100,000 car crashes every year involving a drowsy driver. Over half of the crashes involved adolescence (Thorpy, p. 6). If you give attention to the transformation between early years of elementary school and later years in secondary school, you’ll notice the change in sleeping habit and workload. The younger you are, the earlier you fall asleep; the older you are, and the later you fall asleep.As our bodies hit puberty, it experiences a shift in circadian rhythm, the body’s 24-hour clock (Behrens, p. 469). This means that younger children tend to feel tired around eight or nine at night, where as teenagers’ circadian clocks shift to a later sleep time of ten or eleven at night. The need to feel more like adults, by having an active night life seems to only add to the late night sleep. And on the other hand, movies, television programs, internet surfing, facebook-ing, and texting are added to the normalized lifestyle.Our school systems also play a big part in loss of sleep. Secondary schools and Post-Secondary schools have a stronger workload than that of elementary schools. Although you might believe that the amount of homework that students are assigned is the main reason that older students are sleep deprived or buried in books, it is not. The second reason is the scheduling. Older teenagers are expected to attend school at an earlier time, and complete all course assigned homework.At the same time they are expected to study to achieve high grades Bhullar 3 in order to start a career, to work at a job in order to learn the responsibilities as young adults, to succeed at making their parents proud, and to have a good time in order to enjoy life. As generations are introduced to the world, our culture continues to be developed. Parents believe that adolescence have an easy stress-free life and should be capable of achieving success by spending the least amount of time to achieve it.When in reality, adolescence are living a l ife almost identical to those of adults, and if anything, adults have fewer stresses. It is most likely that every house hold has at least one family issue which causes stress upon the children. Grown-ups, or people in general who are involved in these issues, seem to be blind to the affect it has upon others within the family. These kinds of situations also have an impact on sleeping habits and teenagers. The environment that we are surrounded by day-to-day is what influences the way we think.Apart from the relationship between family members, adolescence in different communities are maturing a lot faster and creating bonds between themselves and a mate a lot earlier in their lives. What is lost in this process for young teenagers is the knowledge of the negative affects that these relationships that they create have on their lives. It creates more responsibilities, therefore more stress. In a first person’s point of view, when you are in a serious and deep relationship, it can control the way you feel and act.Teenagers tend to be more stubborn, which means that if there is an issue in the relationship, they are most likely going to withstand talking to each other which, in most cases, causes problems falling asleep. Responsibilities are one of the key elements to life, and with it you may get something in return. Money being one of the outcomes requires knowledge in how to earn it, save it, and spend it. As parents, it is an important facet to life that should be taught at an early age in order Bhullar 4 to master it when you are older.Because of this, more and more young teens are forced to get a job and pay for their wants and needs on their own. There are two main points to this idea. The first being that a job alone would cause a lot of stress on an individual and if there is an issue, whether it has to do with the job or something else, it would cause problems that may lead to a loss of employment. Teenagers already struggle with stress, and work ing harder to keep a job or having to live off of what you have saved up because you may have lost your job, would only add to it.If you pay attention to the thinking process that adolescence must go through almost every day, it can or may have already resulted in stress. As I have previously stated, stress results in sleep deprivation. â€Å"We can’t learn to sleep less. While some people might adapt to sleep loss, and sleep necessity varies, sleep is biological function. There is no substitute for it† (Foldvary-Schaefer, p. 6). Although there are many consequences that are created by loss of sleep, there are ways that we are able to fix these problems. The main cure is simply sleep.But for those of us teenagers who have made it a habit to fall asleep late at night and wake up early in the morning, we are able to re-prioritize our lives. We are able to do things to release the stress that keeps us awake at night, and we are still able to enjoy life to its fullest. Wha t we need to do is sleep at least eight or nine hours of sleep a night, if we need to take a nap, take one no longer than twenty to thirty minutes long before three in the afternoon. Exercise or go for a run two to three hours before going to bed in order to release any worried thoughts or stress.Limit your caffeine intake and try to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol as much as possible. Don’t go to sleep hungry, nor go to sleep on a full stomach, and take a nice relaxing shower before getting ready for bed to calm your entire body (Foldvary-Schaefer, p. 195). Bhullar 5 Sleep may not seem as important as it is, but without sleep, we wouldn’t get anywhere in life. Teenagers need to be aware of the consequences it has on our physical and mental health, school, jobs, family, and relationships if we were to let our body suffer from loss of sleep.Our body and mind need the right amount of hours of rest in order for us to feel fresh and able to complete and deal with tasks that are given throughout the day. We should try and avoid as much stress as possible and make an effort to clear our minds before settling down at the end of the night. As of now, we should all adapt to a more positive motto: â€Å"If you work more, do more, and do everything as fast as possible, you will achieve great success, as long as you let your body recover from a long hard day’s work and give your mind a good night’s rest. †

My Greatest Ambition- Morris Lurie Essay

â€Å"My Greatest Ambition† is about a young Australian boy of thirteen who has a dream of being a comic book artist. This dream is rubbished and scoffed at by everyone whom he knows. He has to keep his desire a secret from his parents as they give little or no support for such frivolous activities. However, the young Lurie follows his ambition and makes his first comic strip and sends it to a dying magazine. Seeing his work the editors of this magazine considers asking young Lurie to work for them as a fulltime employee. Here Morris Lurie highlights the prejudiced and judgmental mind-sets of adults towards the capabilities of the youth. Lurie skillfully uses humor to highlight some important issues in the society. He twists the language and the words to get his point across to the readers in the most entertaining fashion. Lurie uses techniques such as irony, imagery, dialogue, typical teenage exaggerated language and different point of views to make his story most enjoyable. At the opening of the story, Nu hilariously describes his peers as â€Å" There they sat, the astronomer, the nuclear physicist, the business tycoon (on the stock exchange), two mathematicians, three farmers, countess chemists, a handful of doctors all aged thirteen and all with their heads in the clouds. Dreamers! Idle speculators! A generation of hopeless romantics!† Here, Lurie uses the exaggerated and overtly dramatic language of a typical thirteen year old who thinks he knows everything. Also this idea is very ironic as in most society’s professions such as doctors and chemists would be considered perfectly normal and creditable. And the idea of becoming a comic book artist would be considered pure fancy. Something which is not stable or respectable. Therefore it is ironic that Lurie thinks of children who aim of having a conventional and conservative occupation as â€Å"idle dreams and hopeless romantics†. Morris Lurie also makes wonderful use of imagery in this short story. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ read by the sorts that were always t sitting under trees and wearing glasses and squinting and turning pages with licked fingers? An awful prospect!† His sarcastic description of people who read stories without any pictures forms an ideal visual imagery in the reader’s minds. Lurie also describes the comical clothes taking books out f the library and wears to the meeting and the struggle which lead to the final decision. The description of his ‘Good Suit’ which was slightly short for him at the ankles and the corn yellow, silk tie which with the proper Windsor knot would prevent anyone to look elsewhere. This provides a vivid visual. Lurie’s conversation with Ms. Gordon also provides wonderful auditoria imagery. He also uses imagery when he illustrates how Nu humouredly imagined himself walking into his office through a garden of exotic plants with a pipe in his mouth. â€Å"†¦ our eyes met and I would smile, or was that smile stretched across my face from the second I came in?† Gives another hilarious example of imagery which is spread throughout the story. The conversation and description of his father is a perfect example of the way Lurie shows the typical teenage exaggeration and uses amusing dialogue to highlight prominent problems in the society. The discourse with Nu’s father where the father is only interested in the money shows how badly the father is influencing his son. As the father was materialistic and money minded the son feels defensive and begins to think about the money he will receive too. â€Å"Maybe I’ll decide not sell them. Which I will if the price isn’t right.† This is one of the perfect examples of how the author uses humor to emphasize on social trouble. The description of his clothes shows another instance where teenagers exaggerate and hyperbole. He also foreshadows the fate of the young Nu’s comic book artiste dream when he writes about the reaction of the editor when he sees Lurie live or the first time. The awkward behavior and the disappointment at Nu’ age gave hints about how any more of Nu’s comic strip will be treated. As long they didn’t know the age of Lurie he was given the respect his work deserved. But as soon as they discovered Lurie to be thirteen he was dismissed with a capacity of a child. The author also shows how disappointed and humiliated Nu was being at being treated as inferior. In this wonderful story issues such as parental negligence and the judgmental and narrow mindedness of a rigid society is shown. Problems all teenagers face such as lack of support and teenage angst which is usually not considered as an issue and are stereotyped and dealt with and an indifferent sigh â€Å"Teenager. They’ll grow out of it.† In this story Lurie shows how this attitude and narrow-mindedness can actually suppress natural talent and passion. Again, in â€Å"My Greatest Ambition† Morris Lurie uses great language and humor to create an entertaining but indirectly instructing story.

Nock’s Ideas on Education Essay

Education refers to a slow and gradual process of gaining and acquiring knowledge. Training is an organized and planned process of imparting practical and hands on skills (www. osh. gov). Training is what Nock would rather wish people undergo rather than the rigorous process of learning abstracts. Nock’s view on education though largely generalized is the basic and sad truth. We should strive to train our children towards specific topics and fields instead of continually pumping them with more and more abstracts. Whereas education imparts one with theoretical knowledge regarding certain concepts and phenomena, training focuses at the application of that knowledge to practically control that phenomenon. A locomotive engineering student gains knowledge on the mechanical components and rationale behind vehicles but a mechanic practically applies this knowledge to perfect the mechanical rationale and yet he may be of modest education. It is agreeable that education takes much of an individual time and narrows his/her thinking directing it to one channel. This is at the expense of exposing one-self to diversified interests and aspects that would be beneficial to ones life. A nuclear scientist might learn so much about nuclear science and lack understanding of how to manage his financial resources. Education for sure leads to very frustrated minds, although not all. It promises sometimes what cannot be delivered leaving one consumed by an unquenchable thirst and passion for things that life cannot offer. Although this is what leads to innovations and inventions, it leaves in its wake very frustrated people. However I find Nock’s generalizations and insinuations regarding the social life unacceptable. Being educated does not simply mean that one does not associate with people. Although one may not necessarily hang out with his/her childhood playmates, they still maintain close associations with those that they enjoy the same interests with. However, I find Nock’s view regarding education and training to be real and we should heed the advice and seek to train more than we educate.

Comparisons of Inca and Aztecs

The Aztecs had city-states and were people of a stratified society. Each of one of these city-states is ruled by a speaker that is chosen by the pipiltin(the nobility). This speaker would have to sacrifice his own blood regularly to show that he is a true king and has good intentions for his empire. The nobles grew stronger with every conquest. The Aztecs also had a governing council but they weren't all that successful because they had lacked real power. The Aztec system was very successful, because it was aimed at political dominance and not head on control of the people. The calpulli had authority over the government but during the 1st hundred years the emperor took over. The Aztecs were very smart in creating â€Å"flower wars†(to leave a few territories unconquered so that periodic wars could be staged so that both sides could obtain captives for sacrifice) ,because it ensured sacrifices. The Incas believed that their ruler was a living god there to represent the sun god on earth. Everything the Incas did ,religiously and politically, had a religious meaning in it. The Incas had a queen(senior wife of king) and she was believed to be linked to the moon. The Inca believed that integration was very important. By using their language(Quechan) they integrated by teaching it too their conquered peoples. They were smart to adopt the split inheritance from the Mayans. The Inca expansion was closely tied together by ancestor worship. They had developed a state bureaucracy of which almost all of the nobility had played a part in. The Aztecs and Incas are alike because the kings of each of the two peoples were elected by siblings of the royal family. The governing council also had a say so in. Both rulers and kings had a â€Å"right hand man† the Aztecs had a prime minister where as the Incas had a high priest. Both the prime minister and high priest(which both had tremendous power) were usually close relatives of the king. Aztecs' and Incas' highest deity was the sun god. In both empires men and women were mostly equal but since the military virtue was emphasized it gave men more power so it wasn't completely balanced. Women were mostly in the household but they still contributed to the empire. The military in both had great power because they were the backbone of the empires; they supplied the peoples with war captives for human sacrifice. Both of the empires used sacrifice as a political terror. Where the Aztecs demanded mostly tribute as well as some labor the Inca people demanded mostly labor. Both took tribute from their conquered peoples.