How do You Spell High School? †S-T-R-E-S-S :: Personal Narrative Writing

How do You Spell High School? – S-T-R-E-S-S When I ask people what their most memorable times are, most tell me that their most memorable times occurred in high school. I entered high school a year ago, and it has been fun, but very, very stressful. I try to organize and make time for everything that I am assigned to do, but still everything seems to bunch up and become overwhelming. Sometimes I just want to give up and stop trying so hard. I don’t just feel pressure from school, but from my family and society as well. Since I am Hispanic, I am expected to defy all those stereotypes that people might have of Hispanics. Some examples of these stereotypes are that Hispanics are not well educated, that they are always loud and that pregnancy occurs at a young age. I might be loud sometimes, but I am very educated and I am not considering having a baby any time soon. But still my parents expect me to exceed all expectations and be the very best, which is pretty hard. Since second grade I was in the Gifted and Talented Program, which is a program for students who are a bit more advanced than their grade level. I was in that program until fourth grade and then I entered the Delta Program at Booker T. Washington M.S. 54. The Delta Program is also for students that are a bit more advanced than their grade level, and in that course I found it very hard to be the best. For the four years that I was in that school, the most I could do was get in the Honor Roll, and for the last two years it wasn’t very easy. My parents always told me that I had to have good grades and get a scholarship to a good college and that was how it was going to be. Before, it didn’t bother me and I would just do everything I was told to do, but now, it is getting very stressful because the work is getting harder and I find myself with more responsibilities. Some studies show that many Hispanics either drop out of high school or don’t ever get to college. Because of this, I am expected to do very well in school and make it into a good college. I am not saying that it isn’t something I want, but this goal seems very difficult, because the stress I am experiencing is working against me and slowing me down instead of pepping me up and encouraging me to keep moving ahead.

Marx, Weber and Durkheim have significantly advanced our understanding of industrial capitalist societies

For hundreds of years people have tried to find ways to understand the changes in our society. How have we evolved from a hunting and gathering society about 12,000 years ago, when humans lived totally without technology, searching continuously for food, to today's fast-moving society, where we have modern technology at out fingertips? This paper will argue that three of sociology's founders, Karl Marx, Max Weber and Emilie Durkheim help us understand how and why society changes. These three social thinkers, who all lived in the 19th Century and thus were witness to the greatest change in society, the industrial revolution, have all studied societies in different ways and have come up with their own theories for social change. This paper will help us answer questions, which are puzzling us in today's modern world. Why is there such a large and ever-increasing divide between the rich and the poor? Why, when globalisation has enabled access to modern technology and information worldwide, are some countries still not embracing modern technology, e. g. omputers, fax, e-mail, at the same level that Europe and USA are? Is material wealth a guarantee to happiness in today's society and why are traditional family values declining in modern society? With the help of Marx, Weber and Durkheim's theories we will try to answer these questions and understand today's society. Karl Marx (1818-1883) interpreted modern society as a largely capitalist society, where profit is made for capitalists or bourgeoisie, who have means of production (factories, land, money), by exploitation of manual labour from the working class or proletariat. Marx maintained that economic production underlies and shapes the entire society. He called technological and social process of economic production the infrastructure on which all additional social elements like religion, education, family, ideas and values are built to form the superstructure. In other words, he would explain that people's values, ambitions and ideas are related directly to their economic position, i. e. their function in capitalist society. Marx found that â€Å"conflict between economic groups is the major engine of change† (Macionis & Plummer, p. 9). â€Å"Marx's analysis centers on destructive aspects of industrial capitalism, especially the ways in which it promotes class conflict and alienation† (Macionis & Plummer, p. 79). â€Å"Alienation is the experience of isolation resulting from powerlessness† (Macionis & Plummer, p. 80). Marx's theories are relevant in today's world when we consider the problem of class division. There is an increa sing gap between unskilled working class people (e. g. factory workers, labourers) and middle/upper class people (company directors, land/property owners). Marx's â€Å"struggle between classes† is very evident today, where working class people who want to better themselves and move out of their lower social class, find it difficult to do so. They may not be given the same opportunities as people who, for example, live in richer, more developed areas, with better facilities, i. e. education, training, employment etc. Marx's theory on class division is also evident when we consider crime. There seem to be different social rules applied to class. We are familiar with the term â€Å"white collar crime† and the fact that this often carries lesser punishment than crime carried out by lower classes. Marx's theory on alienation can help us understand why people who are ambitious and strive to be successful and therefore work long hours are feeling alienated from society. Workers are told what work they should do, have often no real input on the outcome of the product, often work alone and by doing repetitive work, are alienated from their own human potential. This problem is being addressed by establishing company unions and work societies who represent workers interests and combat alienation, but the industrial capitalist societies as Marx saw them are still evident in many parts of the world today. Where Marx studied social change from a capitalist angle, Max Weber (1864-1920) considered human ideas, beliefs and values to be the cause of social change. For him, people's ideas have transforming power. He found that modern society is a product of people's way of thinking as opposed to Marx's views that modern technology and capitalism brought about change. Weber argued that pre-industrial societies' views are mainly traditional, i. e. â€Å"sentiments and beliefs passed from generation to generation† (Macionis & Plummer, p. 1), whereas people in modern societies act rationally, â€Å"deliberate matter-of-fact calculation of the most efficient means to accomplish a particular goal† (Macionis & Plummer, p. 82). He viewed the industrial revolution as a rationalisation of society. â€Å"People tried to replace tradition with reason and law as the basis for societal organisation† (Tovey & Share, p. 14). Weber argued that the main form of rationalisation was bureaucracy as a way to control larger organisations. He also found that industrial capitalism was based on Calvinism, where it is pre-destined, God's will, that some people will do well in this world and that they are given the opportunity to enjoy the materialist, monetary wealth this brings. Like Marx, Weber believed that a problem of industrial capitalism is widespread alienation. But in his view, this was due to disenchantment with the world rather than oppression and false consciousness, i. e. that â€Å"social problems are grounded in the shortcomings of individuals rather than the flaws of society† (Macionis & Plummer, p. 78). We can see Weber's theory that rationality wears away traditional ties of kinship when we look at today's modern societies. There is evidence that family values are decreasing with long working hours and with, in a lot of modern families, both parents being career-orientated. Modern technology has also affected traditional family values. The introduction of TV, stereos, computers, telephones, have all decreased the time we spend in direct personal contact with family members and friends. It can be argued that modern technology has enabled us to carry out tasks quicker and save time, but that extra time is seldom ever spent with family. Rationalising society has given rise to alienation. We are classed as numbers and cases, rather than individuals. Loss of identity is often the result when we consider large-scale organisations, which, as Weber found, may work very well and efficient in their bureaucratic way, but at the cost of our own individuality. This may be the reason why so many countries do not see modern societies, e. g. Europe and USA as advanced and are therefore not willing to embrace modern technology with all its' problems like alienation. Emilie Durkheim (1858-1917) viewed society as a structure of social facts. Society has a life of its' own and can shape our thoughts, ideas and actions. Durkheim argued that society makes us who we are. He saw social change due to division of labour. Like Weber, Durkheim argued that in pre-industrial societies, strong tradition was the main societal influence. He added that this tradition bound people together and termed this â€Å"collective conscience†. From this he concluded that people of the same social beliefs are part of â€Å"mechanical solidarity† i. e. social bonds, based on shared morality, that unite members of pre-industrial societies† (Macionis & Plummer, p. 89). He saw that with the advancement of modernity, this mechanical solidarity was increasingly replaced by â€Å"organic solidarity† i. e. â€Å"social bonds, based on specialisation, that unite members of industrial societies† (Macionis & Plummer, p. 89). Therefore, this solidarity is based on differences as opposed to likeness. As jobs became more specialised to promote efficiency, we have to rely on others, mainly strangers, to ensure the successful completion of tasks. This may create a lack of morality, due to the increased freedom people of modern society have. They are no longer held together by strict traditional moral social regulations. Another term which Durkheim coined is â€Å"anomie†, which is â€Å"a condition in which society provides little moral guidance to individuals† (Macionis & Plummer). Fewer restrictions are imposed on people in modern societies and whereas Durkheim acknowledges the advantages of modern freedom, he warned of the negative effect of anomie. Anomie can be seen in modern society when we look at why some famous, successful, rich people are unhappy, have mental breakdowns and sometimes even commit suicide. Durkheim's study of suicide is very relevant today, as he found that people with little attachment to society (anomie) or over attachment to society are more likely to commit suicide than others. Durkheim saw the decreasing importance on morality as a result of modernisation and we can see its' effect in today's world, e. g. increase in crime and deviance. This paper has now considered three different theories, which can explain and help us understand industrial capitalist societies and have looked at how these theories are relevant in today's world. We have argued that the advancement of technology, which is at the heart of our modern world, is not necessarily good for our society. It has brought its' own problems, like do we enjoy our high standards of living at the expense of others? Inequality will remain a huge problem. Marx has seen class division to be a major negative result of modernisation. Weber's view that modern society is wearing away traditional ties and the loss of individualism is evident in today's contemporary world, when we consider social problems like crime, decreasing family values, family structure breakdown etc. Durkheim's theory is that modernity has decreased close moral ties and has led to increased isolation and anomie. There is no question that modern technology has benefited societies in many ways, but the price we have to pay for this technological advancement may be the loss of human community, moral values and beliefs.

PlayStation 3 Case †Planning and Strategy Essay

There is very little Sony can do to turn around the sales of the PlayStation 3. It has been nearly six years since its launch, the full lifetime of most gaming consoles. While the Nintendo Wii and Micrsoft Xbox360 have drastically lowered their prices to move existing stock, Sony has only dropped their price in the last 2 years. Now priced at $300, the PS3 is still over $100 more expensive than the competitors. At this point in time, it would be wise for Sony to discontinue the manufacture the sale of the PS3 and focus on its next game console. Sony’s strategic approach to new product development has always been to be a market leader in new, innovative technology. This approach has brought them huge success, but also some notable failures. For instance, the Sony Betamax, which was introduced in 1975, was supposed to be a direct competitor to VHS. It provided higher quality images, but did not offer the longer playtime of VHS. Sony stubbornly refused to change its format for eight years, but eventually switched over to the far more popular and cheaper VHS. Despite this notable failure, the Sony Walkman was one of its greatest successes, with 100 million units sold within its first decade. The key success factors in the video gaming industry today are content, price, availability, and compatibility. These have remained factors since consoles first began emerging in the late 70s. For gamers around the world â€Å"Content is King. † It doesn’t matter how crisp and beautiful the quality of the images if there are only fifteen games, which, coincidently was the number of games with which the PS3 launched. Gamers who rushed out to buy the PS3 quickly realized that the limited number of games made the PS3 little more than an expensive TV attachment. Sony tried to counter this by touting the Blu-Ray capability of the PS3, but gamers weren’t interested in watching movies on their PS3, they wanted to play new games. Another factor in the success in video gaming is the price. At $600, the PS3 was, and still is, the most expensive gaming console ever sold. While the original PlayStation and the PS2 were priced at $299, the PS3 nearly priced itself out of the market. With the Xbox and Wii selling for around $300, the ludicrously expensive PS3 couldn’t possibly hope to live up to the expectations its price was promising. When gamers realized that the PS3 was not better than the Xbox in gaming quality, they quickly rushed back to stores to return them. By 2007, more PS3s were being returned than were being sold. The last two factors in video gaming success, availability and compatibility, are also weaknesses in the launch of the PS3. Initially Sony planning on manufacturing one million consoles. On November 7, 2006, North American retailers had fewer than 200,000 units. By the time retailers had enough units to meet demand; gamers had begun to return their units at an alarming rate. With compatibility, the PS3 initially promised backwards compatibility with the PS2 games. This seemed to vary per unit, with some units, like the upgraded unit being able to play Sony Platform games like Final Fantasy, but the base model not being able to play any PS2 games. The launch of the PS3 was one of the largest in video gaming history. Sony spent over $150 million in advertising that aimed to convince gamers to hold off purchasing an Xbox 360 and wait for the PS3. IN 2006, they developed the slogan â€Å"Play Beyond† for the Electronic Entertaiment Expo . Unfortunately, people soon because spoofing the slogan and replacing it with â€Å"Pay Beyond,† protesting the high cost of the console. The competitive advantage of the PS3 was supposed to be in its superior gaming quality. IT was supposed to be the most advanced, the most practical and the most visually stunning video game platform in history. The PS3 promised free online play, Blu-Ray capability, online surfing ability, and using the PS3 for pictures, videos and music storage. The weaknesses in the PlayStation3 were numerous. There were only 15 games available initially, of which, only about five were interesting to avid gamers. The video quality was equal to the much cheaper Xbox360. The free online play had limited and fairly useless content. The online surfing was cumbersome and useless for users who already owned computers. This was also true of the music, video, and picture storage, which customers could already use on their computers or even their iPods. With their limited initial availability, and spotty backwards compatibility, the PS3 was too much money for too little content. When compared with the marketing program of the Nintendo Wii, the PS3 seemed to target the avid gamer. Traditionally men aged 15-35; these men were interested in serious gaming. They want high quality content and high quality visuals. The Nintendo Wii chose another market, the family. While the PS3 touted its amazing video quality, the Wii emphasized fun and togetherness. They offered fun games for multiple players of all ages who could enjoy the physical activity of using the Wii controller. They put of silly, colorful, low-resolution games at a reasonable price or bundled in with new Wii consoles. Nintendo also had the advantage of two major game legacies, Mario and Zelda, which had been favorites of serious gamers and children alike. While Wii was selling fun, the PS3 was selling serious. Families were much more willing to buy a Wii that the whole family could use for less than $400, than spend over $600 on a gaming system that did not offer a range of games for all ages.

Austarlias current trading position

Austarlias current trading position Table of Contents1.0 Introduction 12.0 The importance of international trade 12.1 Imports 12.1.1 Direction of imports 22.2 Exports 42.2.1 Direction of exports 53.0 Balance of payments 64.0 Exchange rates 75.0 Foreign investment 86.0 Trade blocs 87.0 Conclusion 10References 111.0 IntroductionTrade is of vital importance to Australia. It now accounts for around 40% our national income with exports of goods and services generating around $1452.2 billion in income for Australia in 2001-02 (D.F.A.T. 2003). The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature and importance of trade to the Australian economy. In particular, the scope of this paper will be confined to the benefits of trade followed by an analysis of changes in Australia's trading patterns.2.0 The importance of international tradeThe importance that Australia places on trade can be attributed to the fact that Australians are not able to produce all the goods and services required by Australian consumers (DFAT, 2003).English: C hile: imports and exports, annual averag...International trade is geared around the concept of mutually beneficial exchange. So by trading Australia is able to focus on producing goods and services in which it is most competitive, ultimately enabling Australian consumers to gain from having a wider choice through importing of products and services that they are unable to produce for themselves. That is Australia gains from trade the ability to import things it wants (Krugman 1993).2.1 ImportsAbout one-tenth of Australia's merchandise imports consist of primary products such as food and beverages and crude petroleum while the remainder of manufactures consists mainly of elaborately transformed manufactures (ETM's) such as computers, machinery and transport equipment. The main service imports consist of transportation, travel, communication and insurance (DFAT 2003). A list of Australian imports by broad categories can be seen...

How to Perform the Instant Fire Chemistry Demonstration

How to Perform the Instant Fire Chemistry Demonstration Heres a simple fire chemistry demonstration that produces instant fire without using matches or any other type of flame. Potassium chlorate and ordinary table sugar are combined. When a drop of sulfuric acid is added, a reaction is catalyzed which produces heat, an amazing bright/tall purple flame, and a lot of smoke. Instant Fire Materials Potassium chloratePowdered (confectioners) sugar or table sugar (sucrose)Sulfuric acidSmall glass jar or  test tube Procedure Mix  equal parts potassium chlorate and table sugar (sucrose) in a small glass jar or test tube. Choose a container you dont value, as the demonstration will probably cause it to shatter.Place the mixture in a fume hood and equip lab safety gear (which you should be wearing anyway). To initiate the reaction, carefully add a drop or two of sulfuric acid to the powdered mixture. The mixture will burst into a tall purple flame, accompanied by heat and a lot of smoke.How it works: potassium chlorate (KClO3) is a powerful oxidizer, used in matches and fireworks. Sucrose is an easy-to-oxidize energy source. When sulfuric acid is introduced, potassium chlorate decomposes to produce oxygen:2KClO3(s) heat - 2KCl(s) 3O2(g)The sugar burns in the presence of oxygen. The flame is purple from the heating of the potassium (similar to a flame test). Tips Perform this demonstration in a fume hood, as a considerable quantity of smoke will be produced. Alternatively, perform this demonstration outdoors.Granulated table sugar is preferable to powdered sugar which is, in turn, preferable to reagent grade sucrose. The powdered sugar is capable of smothering the fire, while the granules of the reagent-grade sucrose may be too large to support a ​good reaction.Follow proper safety precautions. Do not store the potassium chlorate and sugar mixture, as it can react spontaneously. Use care when removing the potassium chlorate from its container, to avoid sparking, which can ignite the container. Wear the usual protective gear when performing this reaction (goggles, lab coat, etc.).The Dancing Gummi Bear is a variation on this demonstration. Here, a small quantity of potassium chlorate is carefully heated in a large test tube, clamped to a ring stand over a flame, until it has melted. A Gummi Bear candy is added to the container, resultin g in a vigorous reaction. The bear dances amidst bright purple flames.

Interview a Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview a Manager - Essay Example Q 8 My plans are to increase productivity and efficiency in my department. I intend to make the process of acquiring a loan much easier and efficient in order to make sure that businesses can access loans for expansion as easily as possible. Q 9 It was about my ability to work with other people. Some of the other manages told me that I needed to learn how to collaborate with other managers as a team. It was not easy for me to take this criticism extremely well especially because the manager who talked to me used the word selfish to describe my behavior. Q 10 About my failing to be a team player, at first, I did not agree with the criticism and I failed to understand why I was being told so. However, with time, I realized that everyone cannot be wrong and so I chose to review myself. I have since been able to solve that problem. Q11 One thing that I know that am good at is motivating people to be more productive and to like their work. My experience has taught me that motivation is ex tremely essential if people are to learn to be efficient and productive. I inspire people to produce quality and increase productivity. I have been able to improve the human resource in my department in a exceedingly powerful way. Q12 Some of the challenges that I face include inadequate staff and inadequate resources. Q13 I believe that the internet is going to be the way people do business in the future and I believe that any organisation should be able to from the in the internet to improve their business. Q 14 I believe that managers should be able to use innovation in all areas to improve the way the business operates. Information technology and especially the internet offer a hugely fundamental way to do this. Q15 Managers should be able to have analytical skills to help them in undertaking their work. They should also be able to motivate those below them to be diligent and hardworking. This means that they should lead by example. Part II: What I learnt about the manager The m anager is an extremely diligent person and does not look at management from a traditional point of view. He seems to be the kind of person that wants to excel above the rest of the crowd and also seems to be an extremely hard working person. His approach in management, especially human resource management is quite different and unorthodox. He believes that people should be motivated in order for them to be productive and to deliver quality. What is striking about the manager is his obsession with productivity and efficiency. In his definition of efficiency, he talked about the delivery of products with the least overhead costs. He believes that everything should be streamlined and easy to use. This means that the manager is able to deliver in a way that is most efficient and productive. His deep desire to be efficient and productive is what secludes him from the rest of the managers and this could be the reason he was initially finding it harder to work with the other managers. My i dea of him is that he has an introverted personality and that he sees dealing with other people more tedious than having to do the work on his own. As a result of this, many people are likely to misunderstand his intentions and see him as a selfish person (Jonathan, 2009, p. 27-32). My interview with him showed me that he is far from selfish; he talked about those who are under his management with passion and compassion. His dream for all those working under him

The resurrected christ sandro botticelli Annotated Bibliography

The resurrected christ sandro botticelli - Annotated Bibliography Example I will relate the renaissance works to the stile in which it belongs. Secondly, I will outline how these works manifest all the concepts of renaissance. Furthermore, I will give my view on the works and show ways in which these works relate to our daily lives. This book brings to light the forms of works in the Detroit Institute of Arts. And explains their origins and what they represent. Additionally, it expounds on how the works are classified. It highlights all the renaissance works and explains them further. This book will enable me identify the renaissance works and enable me relate it to the styles. This book shows the types of renaissance works in the DIA. It shows how the Italian renaissance in the institute, how the works clearly expressed the aspects of science and social activities. Above and beyond, it recommends ways of relating these aspects without conflict of culture or other sensitive aspects of the society. Subsequently, it will provide me a platform to argue points out when explaining each and every aspect of the renaissance works highlighted. Thus, it underscores various ways in which the authors related their works to the society. This article outlines the techniques deployed by the artists who did the renaissance work. It outlines the aspects of perspective, shadow and light, realism and naturalism and their detailed aspects. It gives specific analysis of the renaissance works in the institute. Putting reference at the two painting of the Virgin Mary presented both from different styles renaissance and byzantine. The comparison shows the massive transformations art went through during the renaissance period. It further clarifies the apparent change in style in the renaissance. Other works like the last supper by Leonardo DaVinci are also brought about it the book and shows the clear distinction between the renaissance works and the other works provided done earlier The book sheds light on the effects