Celtic Music An Important Influence Influential Part Of...

For centuries, music has been an important and influential part of people’s lives. Music can evoke so many emotions, ranging all the way from fear to surprise (Mohana). As a style, Celtic music seems to be the most well-known music â€Å"genre† worldwide. Between the instruments used, the different styles, and the most famous musicians Celtic, music is an iconic art-form that is used and heard around the world, but in many different styles and instrumentations. Celtic music has been around for a long time, but the way that it came about is nothing short of unique. Many music styles have a particularly clear beginning, but the same cannot be said for Celtic music. â€Å"Irish traditional music began as an oral tradition, passed on from†¦show more content†¦A few examples of this would be how in Scotland, they are known for the Great Highland Bagpipe. In Ireland and Wales, they are known for the fiddle (violin) in the instrumentation of their music . For Celtic music as a whole, however, the most popular or commonly used instruments are the fiddle, bagpipe and uilleann pipes, flute, pennywhistle, guitar, and smaller stringed instruments like the mandolin, banjo, and bazuki. Though not each of these instruments are used for all Celtic music, without the use of at least one of them, the sound does not come close to its best as when the common instrumentations are used. Bands made up entirely of bagpipes are very common in Ireland and Scotland, and when played in unison, can be heard from over a mile away. Another popular combination of Celtic bands is a band entirely comprised of snare drums, a few tenor drums, and one or two bass drums. This type of ensemble, though popular, is predominantly seen as a military ensemble. Both types of bands are very commonly played in Highland Games, funerals, and even weddings. Many pipe bands will compete against each other, and if good enough, will compete internationally. The most well-known pipe band in the world (among those who are knowledgeable and interested in Celtic music) is the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, a pipe band originally founded in 1946 within the British Army (The British Army).Show MoreRelatedWhat Is The Types Of Music?1587 Words   |  7 Pages What is the types of music? Music became an important thing since i was really young.It grew up with me together and it brings me a lot of things that other things can’t give me.Now,let me tell you all about what i learned from music,and my feeling with music.I found there are many different types of music.And every type of music brings listener different feelings.Types makes music totally different. If i am a narrator,then music is like a main character in my life.ActuallyRead MoreResearch Paper in Society and Culture2764 Words   |  12 Pagesbecause without them maybe I didn’t finish this research paper. 1 History Belgium According to its history, the name Belgium is derived from  Gallia Belgica, a  Roman province  in the northern most part of  Gaul  that before Roman invasion in 100  BC, was inhabited by the Belgae, a mix of  Celtic  and  people.A  gradual immigration  by Germanic  Frankish  tribes during the 5th century brought the area under the rule of the  Merovingian  kings. A gradual shift of power during the 8th century led the kingdomRead More Discontent Expressed through Blues, Jazz, Reggae, and Hip-hop5489 Words   |  22 PagesDiscontent Expressed through Blues, Jazz, Reggae, and Hip-hop In cultures all over the world, music can be seen encompassing many aspects of life for many individuals. It is a form of mass communication thatspeaks directly to society as a cultural form, and often reflects a collection and pattern of personal experiences (King 19). Music is so influential because it communicates on three different levels: the physical, emotional, and cognitive. Not only does it operate in a nondiscursive way, byRead MoreComparative Lexicology8448 Words   |  34 PagesInternational nouns (computer, nuclear) 7. Celtic borrowings When the Anglo-Saxons took control of Britain, the original Celts moved to the northern and western fringes of the island which is why the only places where Celtic languages are spoken in Britain today are in the west (Welsh in Wales) and north (Scottish Gaelic in the Scottish Highlands). Celtic speakers seem to have been kept separate from the Anglo-Saxon speakers. Those who remained in other parts of Britain must have merged in with theRead MoreCulture of India9032 Words   |  37 Pagessearch Bharatanatyam, one of eight designated classical dance forms of India. The culture of India refers to the religions, beliefs, customs, traditions, languages, ceremonies, arts, values and the way of life in India and its people. Indias languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. Its culture often labeled as an amalgamation of these diverse sub-cultures is spread all over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are severalRead MoreGlobalization Strategy Of The Korean Pop Music9775 Words   |  40 Pageshas been applied by Korean music labels in marketing their music products overseas. This has been viewed by many marketers and scholars as one of the key reasons that promotes overseas popularity of Korean pop music (K-pop). Inspired by the hybridisation strategy of cultural products and successful applications of CT in K-pop, this paper looks into hybridisation in music products in a value chain approach. This would be the first attempt to discuss hybridisation in music products al ong value chainRead MoreAmerican Popular Culture and Its Impact in a Globalized World8501 Words   |  35 Pagesthan unlikely to walk up to an adoles-cent, mention the names Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Eminem or Bruce Willis and be confronted with a questioning face of ignorance. Performers and actors such as these have become increasingly omnipresent in peoples lives all around the globe. American popular culture with its above-mentioned icons and its lifestyle of fast food and consumer goods tends to be received by foreign societies in a variety of differing ways. Terms such as Americanization, WesternizationRead MoreEssay about Summary of History of Graphic Design by Meggs14945 Words   |  60 PagesChampollion. - As hieroglyphics presented more opportunities than cuneiform, the language was used for commercial documents, poetry, myths, etc†¦ - Papyrus paper was a major step forward in Egyptian visual communication. - The Egyptians were the first people to produce illustrated manuscripts in which words and pictures were combined to communicate information. - Eventually, Papyrus was used for funerary purposes. - The majestic Egyptian culture survived for over 3000 years. Hieroglyphics, papyriRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pagesal-Hakà ®m fi’l-sihr, or Picatrix, as it is known in the West, is an important Arabic magical text. It is perhaps the largest and most comprehensive of the grimoires, or handbooks of magic. The attribution to the Andalusian mathematician al-Majriti (or al-Madjriti) (d. ca. 1004-7) is considered pseudo-epigraphic. The Latin translation dates to 1256 and the court of Alphonso the Wise, king of Castille, and exerted a considerable influence on Western magic thereafter. It is said that much of Ficino’s astrologicalRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesrecycled paper. Management http://www.mhhe.com/primis/online/ Copyright  ©2005 by The McGraw−Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher. This McGraw−Hill Primis text may include materials submitted to McGraw−Hill

The Prince Essay - 1043 Words

The Prince nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Governing countries and states properly has been a difficult task from the beginning of time. In every country there will be people to who are unhappy and will disagree with your rule, causing your system to fail. So, century after century, people have tried new ways to make their politics suffice everyone’s needs. However, the art of politics is a complicated and challenging issue that will always be needed to be dealt with. There have been many ways in which people have preached their ideas on politics, but none were better than those of Niccolo Machiavelli. Born in 1469, Niccolo was adamant in creating a master plan for seizing and controlling power. He voiced these themes on what it takes to†¦show more content†¦He feels that in life no matter how much intelligence and strength you have, there is a part of life in which you have little or no control over. Virtue being a powerful quality, Machiavelli saw its potential to build a defense against fortune. However, fortune is inconsistent and variable so, you must treat it like a woman. Machiavelli states, and I quote, â€Å"fortune is woman, and it is necessary, if you wish to master her, to conquer her by force†. His point is that when you encounter fortune, you must approach it aggressively. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Machiavelli said that the ruler must be able to imitate both the lion and the fox. He is saying that the qualities of a ruler must show the bravery and strength of a lion, but also, the slyness of the fox. These characteristics are imperative for a new ruler especially. That way he can get the respect from the people right away. An example of one ruler who showed both the qualities of a lion and a fox was Septimus Serverus, a Roman emperor from 193-211 A.D. Another quality of a ruler should be that he is both loved and feared. In actuality, it is almost impossible to be both those, so it is better to be feared. Love can lose effectiveness because of human nature. When something conflicts, love can easily be overcome for one’s own private interests. And fear on the other hand is maintained by the dread ofShow MoreRelatedThe Prince Of Machiavelli s Prince1186 Words   |  5 Pagesleader that wields his power the most like Niccolo Machiavelli’s Pr ince, from his book The Prince, that leader is President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation. Although, Putin does not hold the title of Prince, he has held influential positions throughout the years, i.e. Prime Minister and Acting President, that hold power similar to the Prince. Every position that Putin has held in Russia he has acted as if he were a Prince. Putin has held such all-consuming control and influence over RussiaRead MoreTotalitarianism In The Prince By Niccol Machiavellis The Prince934 Words   |  4 PagesIn our world, most societies support governments that work in a righteous way, but how can acting righteously be effective in a chaotic world full of crime and war?   In the novel The Prince by Niccolà ³ Machiavelli, a dystopian society is defined as an illusion of a perfect government which is maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, and totalitarian control. This illusion fades however, once one recognizes how these actions beneficially impact a socie ty by uniting and protecting the country. ThroughoutRead More The Prince Essay1200 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"All the states, all the dominions, under whose authority men have lived in the past and live now have been and are either republics or principalities.† In Machiavelli’s, The Prince, timeless keys to a successful principality are examined. The keys are understanding human nature, respecting that nature, and reaffirming that successful leadership can exist in the same fashion yesterday, today, and tomorrow. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Machiavelli’s perspective of human nature is foundedRead More The prince Essay1526 Words   |  7 Pages Niccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† attempts to explain the necessary tactics and required knowledge a ruler must attain in order to gain and maintain a successful reign. The novel serves as an abstract manual, addressing the definition of a good/bad ruler by placing emphasis on the required military organization, the character a ruler must posses, and the success that could be attained if a ruler should follow the guide. The scope in which the book is written is that of a scholarly observant. MachiavelliRead MoreThe Prince, By Machiavelli1517 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Prince, Machiavelli doesn’t hesitate to recommend that a ruler employ conventionally immoral methods against his own subjects to maintain authority over them, but he does imply that whatever a ruler does should ultimately benefit the community. A Princeâ⠂¬â„¢s actions may be cruel, manipulative, or otherwise immoral, but they put him in the position to govern. On occasion, Machiavelli even suggests that gaining power through immoral acts is the best way to improve a community because immoralityRead More Prince Hamlet Versus Machiavellis Prince Essay1003 Words   |  5 PagesPrince Hamlet Versus Machiavellis Prince  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         The Prince is a celebrated and highly controversial piece of work by the Italian aristocrat Niccolo Machiavelli. His work is a summation of all the qualities a prince must have in order to remain in his position. Machiavelli supports the idea that a prince use his power for the ultimate benefit of all, but he also does not condemn the use of any unpleasant means in order for the prince to maintain his power. His ideas both compare and contrastRead MoreThe Prince Machiavelli Analysis1490 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout The Prince, Machiavelli advocates for the use of force to achieve the Prince’s goals. However, these acts are justified because they are done to benefit the state. Moreover, Machiavelli’s political philosophy repetitively stresses the fact that the Prince should not act in a way as to cause hatred. In this, constant cruelty is inappropriate and unjustifiable because it provokes contempt towards the ruler. In The Prince, Machiavelli discerns that good acts of cruelties â€Å"are carried outRead MoreNiccolo Machiavellis The Prince810 Words   |  3 Pages Niccolo Machiavelli’s most famous book, The Prince, contains the most valid information for a prince, a president, and even a king, to keep hold of their own power. Machiavelli tells about the importance and power of political action, his opinions, and most of all philosophy at it’s finest. Throughout the twenty-six chapters of this book he describes the bold, brave, practical, and powerful prince and how the prince’s life should be lived. Machiavelli’s view of human nature is used as justificationRead MoreMachiavelli And The Apology Of The Prince1718 Words   |  7 Pages Machiavelli writes The Prince centuries after Plato documents Socrates in Crito and The Apology. Despite the different time periods, both Machiavelli and Socrates experience times of turmoil where the concept of democracy was questioned. However, the different time periods cause the views and purposes of Machiavelli’s writing to largely differ from Socrates. Machiavelli w rites in a time of turmoil where Italy was a bunch of small, fragmented states and when the Medici’s struggled to regainRead MoreThe Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli885 Words   |  4 Pageslived. He was leader of the Catholic Church, controlled his own territory, and had more influence than any prince of any of the other city-states in Italy. Machiavelli was suspected of being an enemy of Medici and was thrown into prison until he was able to prove his innocence. These were the circumstances which inspired him to write The Prince. In The Prince by Niccolo Machiaveli, the prince in which it was so aptly named, securities were entirely dependent on his reputation among his citizens.

Advertising and Sexual Content free essay sample

Sexual Content in Advertisements in Women’s and Adolescent Girls’ Magazines 3/2230 California State University San Marcos Abstract A content analysis was conducted to examine sexual content in women’s and adolescent girls’ magazines. Sexuality was classified under three dimensions: facial expression, body language, and revealing clothing. Four popular female fashion magazines that publish adult and adolescent counterparts were selected. Coders analyzed 40 full paged advertisements for sexually explicit material and recorded ads as either â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† as sexual. It was hypothesized that there would be more ads with sexual content in women’s magazines than in adolescent girls’ magazines. A Chi-Square test of independence yielded that there was not a significant difference between the two. The implications of these findings are discussed. Sexual Content in Advertisements in Women’s and Adolescent Girls’ Magazines Advertising is not only the bearer of messages, it is the message. Many present day advertisements allure to the philosophy that an ideal woman is submissive, extremely beautiful, and subsists to fulfill men’s sexual desires (Baker, 2005). Studies have revealed that across a variety of magazines, advertisements use many stereotypes to portray women in an assortment of roles such as housewives, sex objects, and even as decorative elements (Baker, 2005; Stankiewicz amp; Rosselli, 2008; Zimmerman amp; Dahlberg, 2008). Sexual content in advertising has become more evident. Between 1964 and 1984 alone, the amount of ads sexual in nature tripled (Soley, 1986). At present, this trend continues to increase and intensify (e. g. , Archer, Iritani, Kimes, amp; Barrios, 1983; Courtney amp; Whipple, 1983; Goffman, 1979, as cited in Baker, 2005). The fact that advertising has become so pervasive and ubiquitous suggests it has a substantial and objectionable impact on society. The enormity of the impact of sexually explicit ads has remained indistinct. However, it has been strongly suggested that observation leads to modeling. Albert Bandura (1977, as cited in â€Å"Social Learning,† n. d. ) stated that â€Å"from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors [italics added] are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action (p22). On that account, it is not surprising that recent evidence shows young women to be increasingly less offended by the portrayal of women as sex objects (Zimmerman amp; Dahlberg, 2008) or that adult and adolescent women appear to be becoming more and more representative of the images portrayed in today’s media (Baker, 2005). The themes of sexually explicit ads, and the models depicted within them, set an example for women to emulate. Bandura’s research demonstrates that individuals are more likely to imitate or model after people who are in a position of authority, who are well liked, or of a higher status (Bandura, 1977, as cited in â€Å"Social Learning,† n. d. ). Of equal importance, according to Bandura’s theory, individuals are likely to model after behaviors that result in outcomes they personally value (â€Å"Social Learning,† n. d. ). These principles are important to note and directly relate to what is seen in the magazine advertisements of today, specifically those targeted toward women. It is estimated that the average American views approximately 37,000 advertisements from television alone, per year (Bretl amp; Cantor, 1988, as cited in Stankiewicz amp; Rosselli, 2008). Just as surely, people are exposed to a great number of advertisements every time they open a magazine. The women depicted there are examples of â€Å"ideal† women in â€Å"ideal† situations—a very powerful and highly observable influence indeed. Women and teen magazines are rife with sexual content. Numerous studies have recorded high amounts of sexualization across an assortment of magazine categories (e. g. , Baker, 2005; Stankiewicz amp; Rosselli, 2008; Zimmerman amp; Dahlberg, 2008). One study reports that on average 51. 8% of magazine ads feature women and portray them as sex objects (Stankiewicz amp; Rosselli, 2008). This is a sizeable increase from the numbers reported in a 1984 study that found 22. 8% of ads portrayed women as sex objects (Soley, 1984). Stankiewicz and Rosselli (2008) also reports that 63. % of advertisements in the women’s fashion category portrayed women as such. This was higher than the overall average of all magazine categories. Therefore, we hypothesized there would be more ads with sexual content in women’s magazines than in the adolescent girls’ magazines. To study this hypothesis, we identified and selected magazine brands that publish both adult and adolescent versions. The sample was narrowed to two major brands: Cosmopolitan and Vogue; and were chosen because they are widely circulated and the most popular among the fashion category. Advertisements that were of at least one full page in length and contained any part of female were numbered and marked for possible examination. Sexuality was operationally defined through three dimensions: facial expression, body language and revealing clothing. The numbered ads were then randomly assigned and distributed amongst coders. By aid of a coding sheet and directions operationalizing the variables (e. g. body language), coders recorded each advertisement as either sexual or non-sexual. The aim of the procedure was to objectively examine sexual content within the widely popular and therefore influential magazines selected for our study. Advertising is a highly visible and therefore observable entity. Again, advertising is the message. In truth, Bandura’s Social Learning Theory would suggest that whatever messages put across by highly visible advertisements are likely to be received and imitated by their viewers. Women and especially teens are regularly subjected to unfavorable influences and heavy pressures to conform to images depicted by the â€Å"ideal† women portrayed in today’s magazines. Accordingly, it has become important to measure and compare sexual content in ads out in the open to the public. Similar research has illustrated that content (sexual) traditionally reserved for adult audiences continues to grow more rapidly within adult (women’s) categories, and that adolescent magazines do not experience the same growth of this type of content, despite an increase in their category as well (Stankiewicz amp; Rosselli, 2008). The purpose of this study was to explore the sexually explicit material that women of modern society observe day to day. Such a central source of persuasion has not been adequately scrutinized. Method Sample The content analysis sample consisted of 40 advertisements purposively selected from four popular women’s fashion magazines issued during October, 2008: Cosmopolitan, Cosmo Girl, Vogue, and Teen Vogue. Magazines were selected only if they had both an adult and adolescent counterpart. Advertisements were randomly selected from all full-page advertisements containing any part of a female’s body. Ten advertisements were collected from each magazine, 20 from the women’s magazines and 20 from the adolescent magazines. Measures and Procedure In this content analysis, each advertisement was coded for sexual content. The nominal data was coded as either yes (1) or no (2); similarly, magazines were coded by target audience as either women’s (1) or adolescents’ (2) magazines. Three sub-groups were created to evaluate the content of each advertisement (for coding directions see Appendix A): facial expression, body language, and revealing clothing. Facial expression was described as sexually suggestive looks and/or expressing sexual desire. Body language was described by posture (spread legs, leaning or bending over in a sexual manner), camera angle (focus on an intimate area, emphasis on breasts, buttocks, thighs, and hips), and sexual activity (hugging, kissing, in bed, sexual acts). Revealing clothing was defined as the model wearing short skirts/shorts (above mid thigh) and showing of the midriff, cleavage, and/or shoulders. If any of the above criteria were met, the advertisement was coded as sexual. Cohen’s kappa was used to measure inter-rater reliability among the three coders. Scores ranged from . 75 to 1. 00 (M = . 83, SD = . 14). Each coder analyzed approximately 13 advertisements for a total of 40. The coding sheet in its entirety is located in Appendix B. Results The study was designed to determine if advertisements with sexual content were more frequent in magazines targeted towards adult women rather than magazines targeted toward adolescent girls. A Chi-Square test of independence revealed that the number of sexually explicit advertisements in adult magazines was similar to that of the amount shown in adolescent magazines, therefore, the hypothesis was not supported; ? 2 (1, N = 40)= 1. 62, p = . 20. As seen in Figure 1, in the sample of women’s magazines, only 35% of advertisements contained sexual content whereas in teen magazines, 55% contained sexual content. Figure 1. Percentage of advertisements displaying sexual content across magazines targeted for women and adolescent girls. Discussion The aim of this study was to examine sexual content within advertisements in women’s and adolescent girls’ magazines. Based on interpretations of previous findings, we hypothesized that adult women’s magazines would contain more sexually overt ads than their adolescent equivalent. In fact, statistical analysis yielded that there was not a significant difference between the two. Adolescent girls’ magazines embodied a comparable occurrence of sexuality to the adult women’s magazines they are meant to grow into. Given our small sample size, it is feasible to presume that a power analysis would be appropriately suited to determine a more adequate sample size, therein increasing the validity of our results. Nevertheless, Stankiewicz and Rosselli (2008) reports that women are more likely to be depicted as sex objects in men’s, women’s fashion, and adolescent girls’ magazines; where three out of every four advertisements portray them as such. The oversight here is that sexual ads appear to be equally represented within adult and teen magazines. Zimmerman and Dahlberg’s (2008) research insists that shifting ideologies in feminism might help to explain how this change has gone relatively unnoticed. The interest of examining the portrayal of women in advertising was initially provoked by the women’s movement of the 1960s (Zimmerman amp; Dahlberg, 2008) and â€Å"in the past, young, educated women were the strongest critics of advertisements† (p. 71). However, attitudes of today’s younger generations have changed. Mittal and Lassar (2000, as cited in Zimmerman amp; Dahlberg, 2008) found that sexual liberalism had an effect on the perception of advertising. Although present studies show an agreement between respondents in terms of seeing advertising as highly sexualized, people less often think of such portrayals as offensive, irritating, or unethical (Zimmerman amp; Dahlberg, 2008). As far back as the 1980s, Coltrane and Messineo (2000, as cited in Baker, 2005) uncovered evidence that advertisers believe women accept objectified and passive views of themselves. In summary, it appears that adolescents have become increasingly exposed to sexual content in magazines without disconcerted notice because of societies increased tolerance and culturally acceptable views toward sex. Sexuality is a muddled concept. Further, advertising’s affect on sexuality is even more so. The American Psychological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls (2007, as cited in Stankiewicz amp; Rosselli, 2008) proposes that it is important to distinguish sexualization from healthy sexuality. This is a limitation of our study as it affects the degree of the implications we may infer from the findings. We made no attempt to identify or measure positive sexuality—only sexually explicit material in the broadest sense. Another limitation lies in gender. We only examined ads that contained women. Our literature review indicated that approximately one-half of ads in magazines are of women and that 63. 4% are sexually overt (Stankiewicz amp; Rosselli, 2008). If we had broadened our specification within the sample to include men, we might have seen different results. Thus we failed to account for any possible additional measures of sexual content in our magazine sample. In addition to removing biases and allowing the full examination of each magazine, using nominal scales of measurement appeared to limit our gauge of sexual content and left us little direction. Converting the coding system into a continuous scale would not only increase validity but would likely offer an overall clearer picture. For this reason, future research would do well to follow the aforementioned improvements in addition to exploring a way to distinguish, as well as measure, sexualization versus healthy sexuality. Despite the findings of this content analysis, it remains to be debated whether as Zimmerman and Dahlberg (2008) say, â€Å"society should find it surprising, alarming, or empowering that†¦[women] now casually accept the sexual objectification of their gender† (p. 78). The fact that our analysis yielded non-significance warns that adolescents are receiving advertising messages in many of the same forms as adults. English (2003, as cited in Zimmerman amp; Dahlberg, 2008) finds that â€Å"girls exposed to these images become more sexually aggressive, and [that] sexual experimentation is beginning earlier [italics added]† (p. 73). Observational behaviors occurring at earlier stages of life have always raised uncertainties as to their implications, and the case should not be different here.

Park Place Hotels Mis Project - Feasibility Study Essays

Park Place Hotels Mis Project - Feasibility Study Running Head: Feasibility Study. Park Place Hotels MIS Project MBA 2000 - Cohort Team Three Mark Carey, Tim Swanson, Sherri Nelson, Sherri Thomas City University, Tacoma WA March 20, 1999 STRATEGIC NETWORKING, INC. Park Place Hotels, Ltd. - Installation of a Hotel Management Information System March 20, 1999 Internal Feasibility Report Number SNI-FS-990320 STRATEGIC NETWORK, INC. Park Place Hotels, Ltd. - Installation of a Management Information System March 20, 1999 Research Team Mark Carey Sherri Nelson Tim Swanson Sherri Thomas Internal Feasibility Report Number SNI-FS-990320 Read and Approved: _____________________________________________ _________________ Jonathan Edwards, CEO Date EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SNI has been sought out to implement a Management Information System for Park Place Hotels in South Korea. The MIS project, part of a hotel management system, will be an integral part of positioning Park Place Hotels as a world class facility appealing to affluent business travelers. We have researched the project with respect to technical requirements and cultural risks of conducting business in South Korea. SNI has successful, relevant experience in developing and installing a similar system for Comfort Suites in Texas eighteen months ago. Based on this experience and the close parallel in system requirements, we believe SNI possesses the technical expertise to be successful. The project is expected to generate $1.28 million in revenue. Doing business in a foreign country will be new to SNI. South Korea is an excellent place for this expansion of our market. Korea, with its abundant skilled workforce, well-developed social infrastructure, and large domestic marketwill create an environment in which business can prosper (American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, 1998). We have explored the extensive research available on Korean culture and protocol and believe that with proper preparation our technicians and managers will succeed in building successful working relationships. We believe this project presents a unique opportunity for SNI to expand its market and will likely result in additional opportunities in Korea and potentially other countries. We recommend a team be assigned to negotiate an agreement with Park Place Hotels for the development, installation, training, and maintenance of their Hotel Management System. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. Introduction 6 II. Method and Criteria 6 Sources of information 6 Project elements 6 Technical 6 Cultural 6 III. Evaluation and Analysis 7 About SNI 7 Mission Statement and Vision 7 Organizational Chart 7 Strategic Business Plan 8 Management Strategy 8 Project Description and Purpose (Goal) 8 Overview 8 Current Situation and Project Objective 9 Proposed System 10 Software Hardware, Manpower Resources Required 10 Financial Breakdown and Implications 11 Critical Success Factors 12 Design, Training, and Implementation 12 Anticipated Difficulties in Development and Implementation 12 Cultural Success Factors 13 Overview 13 Language, Education, and Work Ethic 14 Legal and Financial Issues 15 Social and Ethical Issues 16 Korean Business Practices 17 Customs and Protocols 18 IV. Conclusions and Recommendations 20 V. Annotated Bibliography 22 VI. Appendix A. Capabilities of LMS PRO 1.4 24 B. Financial Breakdown of Park Place Hotel Project 26 C. Gantt Chart 27 I. INTRODUCTION Strategic Networking, Inc. (SNI) is an innovative information services and business solutions company. This feasibility study explores the advantages, disadvantages, and critical success factors in expanding our reach beyond the borders of the United States into the global marketplace. Specifically, SNI was approached to implement a Management Information System for a hotel chain in South Korea. Remarkably, the project is nearly identical to the Comfort Suites Project SNI completed eighteen months ago in Dallas, TX. Our success and reputation resulting from that project came to the attention of our potential Korean partners. Does SNI have the capability and available resources to implement this project? Absolutely! This paper explores the financial benefits and risks associated with conducting business in Korea. Extensive research was conducted concerning the cultural, political, and social environment in Korea. It is our belief that the financial rewards of this project outweigh the numerous challenges we will face. II. METHOD AND CRITERIA Sources of Information Information in this paper should be considered extremely reliable. It is based on extensive research on American/Korean business practices conducted through the U. S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy, Seoul, Korea, U.S. Department of Commerce, Korea-U.S. Committee on Business Cooperation (CBC), Korean American Chamber of Commerce, Central Intelligence Agency, area Korean business leaders, as well as traditional library and internet sources. Project Elements There are two elements to this feasibility study: 1. Technical Does SNI have the software, hardware, manpower, and training assets available to successfully implement the project? 2. Cultural The cultural risks associated with this project are immense. We will assess political,

The Pros and Cons of Online High School Programs

The Pros and Cons of Online High School Programs Should you consider earning your high school diploma online? Moving from a traditional high school to an online high school can be a big transition for any student, whether they are a teenager or a returning adult. Take a look at a few of the pros and cons before making your decision. The Benefits of Earning a High School Diploma Online Work at your own pace: With online high school courses, you can work at your own pace. You can take extra time when you need it to understand the material or speed through courses that are easy.Flexible schedule: You have greater flexibility in your schedule and can arrange your classes around work and other responsibilities. If you work part-time or full-time or have child care responsibilities, you can arrange your coursework accordingly.Avoiding social distractions: It’s easier to avoid the distractions (peers, parties, cliques) of regular school and focus on getting work done. If youve had trouble focusing on your studies instead of the social life at school, this is a benefit of taking courses online.Be yourself: Many students see taking courses online as a way to develop their own identity, apart from the social pressures of traditional schools.Avoid a negative environment: You won’t have to put up with the â€Å"bad influences,† cliques, gangs, or bullies found at a traditional high school. Specialization: You may be able to specialize in learning subjects that are interesting to you. The different options available online may be wider than those offered at your local high school.Get a diploma faster: Some students are able to earn their diploma early (a few even finish twice as fast as traditional students). The Disadvantages of Earning a High School Diploma Online Lack of social events: Most online programs don’t have the fun elements of traditional high schools such as prom, senior day, graduation, weird hair day, etc.No immediate teacher access: Some subjects (such as writing and math) may be hard to master without a teacher present. A student doesnt have immediate access to the instructor to get additional help and clarification of principles. It becomes easier to fall behind.Less motivation to complete work: Many people find it challenging to focus on completing work when there isn’t an actual teacher there to encourage them on a daily basis. They need human interaction to overcome procrastination.Social isolation: Some students become isolated or anti-social. While you may prefer to work solo online, you are missing out on the important lessons of learning to work with others. In a traditional school, they would have to step out of their comfort zone and learn how to interact with others.Non-accredited schools: If your onlin e school is not accredited, your transcripts probably won’t be accepted by businesses and universities. Cost: Unless you find an accredited charter school or use a free online program, you can expect to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars on tuition, the curriculum, and computer equipment.

Definition and Examples of Exclamatory Sentences

Definition and Examples of Exclamatory Sentences In English grammar, an exclamatory sentence is a type of main clause  that expresses strong feelings by making an exclamation. Compare this with sentences that make a statement  (declarative sentences), express a command  (imperative sentences), or ask a question  (interrogatory sentences). An exclamatory sentence is also called an  exclamative or an exclamative clause. An exclamatory sentence usually ends with an exclamation point  (!). With the appropriate intonation, other sentence types- especially declarative sentences- can be used to form exclamatives.   Adjectives in  Exclamatory Phrases and Clauses Exclamatory phrases can stand on their own as sentences- such as if someone says No way! or uses interjections such as Brrr!- without even needing to have a subject and a verb in them, though to qualify as an exclamatory clause or sentence, a subject and verb need to be present. Author Randolph Quirk and his colleagues explain how adjectives play a part in creating exclamatory phrases and clauses: Adjectives (especially those that can be complement when the subject is eventive, eg: Thats excellent!) can be exclamations, with or without an initial wh-element...:​  Excellent! (How) wonderful!...Such adjective phrases need not be dependent on any previous linguistic context but may be a comment on some object or activity in the situational context. (​A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman, 1985) Interrogative Clauses as Exclamations In addition to sentences that have the typical declarative  subject-verb  structure, there are exclamatory sentences that take a positive or negative interrogative structure. For example, examine the sentence structure here: Oh wow, was that a great concert! Note that the verb was comes before the subject concert. If youre having trouble parsing out subjects for these type of sentences, look first for the verb and then find the subject by deciding what belongs to the verb. Here, its concert, as you could put the sentence in a subject-verb order as Oh wow, that concert was great!   There are exclamatory questions, too, such as, Isnt this fun! or Well, what do you know! And there are rhetorical questions of surprise, such as What?! that end with both a question mark and an exclamation point.   Avoid Overuse in Your Writing Exclamative types of sentences rarely appear in  academic writing, except when theyre part of  quoted  material, which would likely be rare in that field. Please be aware that overuse of exclamations and exclamation points in  essays, nonfiction articles, or in fiction is a sign of amateurish writing. Use them only when absolutely necessary, such as  in direct  quotes and dialogue. Even then, revise out what you can in order to leave only the most necessary. Dont allow exclamation points (and exclamatory sentences) to become a crutch to carry the emotion of a scene. In fiction, the words the characters speak and the tension in the scene driven by the narration should be what expresses the emotion. The author voice  in an essay or nonfiction article should carry the message; exclamations should be restricted to direct quotes attributed to sources. A good rule of thumb to follow for any piece of writing is to allow only one exclamation point for every 2,000 words (or more, if possible). Revising them out of your drafts will make your overall piece stronger by the time its finalized.

Family violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Family violence - Essay Example Elders undergo different forms of abuse including physical, psychological, sexual, material abuse and at times they risk being neglected. These forms of abuse may result to physical, emotional or behavior injury to the victim. According to Wallace & Roberson (2013), the most serious and common type of elder abuse is psychological abuse (p. 297). This form of abuse involves inflictions of pain and distress mostly through non-verbal act, example humiliating, intimidating or isolating the elderly. In many occasions, the victims may deny this form of abuse although he/she may feel deprived of family support or rejections resulting to the victim believing there is no reason of continuing living. This may lead to depression, neurotic disorders, anxiety or even the psychoneurotic behavior. At times, elders can fall victims of caretakers who may act as predators or those caretakers who have mental disorders that make them abusive. If the elders value their independence and are in a position to handle their affairs, they should not accept any form of abuse, intimidation or exploitation from their caretakers. Instead, as written by Wallace & Roberson (2013) they should take reasonable measures to protect themselves by seeking advice and powers from the attorney (p. 299). There are some institutions that ensure that the elderly live with dignity and are free from any type of abuse or exploitation. This will ease the challenges that they face during their old age. Stalking is a behavior involving repeated unwanted communication in a way that would cause fear and stress in people. There are many types of stalkers each being complex because of the varying reasons and time. According to Wallace & Roberson (2013), the victims of stalking are usually harassed or threatened with contact ranging from making calls or visiting the victim (p. 371). Zamu et al. established a database that clearly explains the different categories of

What is the relationship between counselling and education In what Essay

What is the relationship between counselling and education In what ways might counselling be of value in schools Are there any dangers in teachers acting as counsellors - Essay Example However, recognizing the gap in contemporary education system, applying the concept of counselling to education in order to help students become mentally strong and independent individuals will help, not only in making them mentally strong but also in adding value to the education they receive. In this regard, educational psychotherapy would require specialized skills modeled on specific experiential concepts. This paper outlines the contemporary psychotherapeutic models and need for counselling in modern times. It further elaborates on the role educationalists/teachers can play in counseling students along with advantages and issues/challenges encountered in this setup. Children, from the age of 5, enter their first developmental transition stage of growth during which their physical, behavioural, social, and emotional personalities experience significant developmental challenges. Post this, adolescence is also a transitional stage of physical and mental human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood; it involves biological, social, and psychological changes (Moshman, 1999). Children’s social development is strongly characterized by peer experiences and friendships during this phase; it is the most active phase of their life and involves a myriad of activities such as learning, socializing, understanding, formation of an identity of self etc, thereby constantly in rigorous mental and physical activity. Buddhist psychology and cognitive theories postulate mind and body get stressed due to inappropriate thoughts, inaccurate beliefs, unrealistic expectations and insatiable desires (Semple & Lee, 2008), and children’s minds tend to juggle between all of these newly formed feelings and experiences. After much argument, Lazarus (1982) concluded that human cognition works by serially receiving, registering, encoding, storing for the short or long run, and retrieving meaningless bits of information

Organic Chemistry (Methamphetamine) Essay Example for Free

Organic Chemistry (Methamphetamine) Essay Methamphetamine was first synthesized from ephedrine in Japan in 1893 by chemist Nagai Nagayoshi. In 1919, crystallized methamphetamine was synthesized by Akira Ogata via reduction of ephedrine using red phosphorus and iodine. Synthesis is relatively simple, but entails risk with flammable and corrosive chemicals, particularly the solvents used in extraction and purification; therefore, illicit production is often discovered by fires and explosions caused by the improper handling of volatile or flammable solvents. Most of the necessary chemicals are readily available in household products or over-the-counter cold or allergy medicines. When illicitly produced, methamphetamine is commonly made by the reduction of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. The maximum conversion rate for ephedrine and pseudoephedrine is 92%, although typically, illicit methamphetamine laboratories convert at a rate of 50% to 75%. Methamphetamine has been reported to occur naturally in Acacia berlandieri, and possibly Acacia rigidula, trees that grow in West Texas. Methamphetamine and regular amphetamine were long thought to be strictly human-synthesized, but Acacia trees contain these and numerous other psychoactive compounds (e.g., mescaline, nicotine, dimethyltryptamine), and the related compound ÃŽ ²-phenethylamine is known to occur from numerous Acacia species. Diagrams Health Concerns Physical effects can include anorexia, hyperactivity, dilated pupils, flushing, restlessness, dry mouth, headache, tachycardia, bradycardia, tachypnea, hypertension, hypotension, hyperthermia, diaphoresis, diarrhea, constipation, blurred vision, dizziness, twitching, insomnia, numbness, palpitations, arrhythmias, tremors, dry and/or itchy skin, acne, pallor, and with chronic and/or high doses, convulsions, heart attack, stroke, and death can occur. Psychological effects can include euphoria, anxiety, increased libido, alertness, concentration, energy, self-esteem, self-confidence, sociability, irritability, aggression, psychosomatic disorders, psychomotor agitation, grandiosity, hallucinations, excessive feelings of power and invincibility, repetitive and obsessive behaviors, paranoia, and with chronic and/or high doses, amphetamine psychosis can occur. Methamphetamine use has a high association with depression and suicide as well as serious heart disease, amphetamine psychosis, anxiety and violent behaviours. Methamphetamine also has a very high addiction risk. Methamphetamine also is neurotoxic and is associated with an increased risk of parkinsons disease. Methamphetamine abuse can cause neurotoxicity which is believed to be responsible for causing persisting cognitive deficits, such as memory, impaired attention and executive function. Over 20 percent of people addicted to methamphetamine develop a long-lasting psychosis resembling schizophrenia after stopping methamphetamine which persists for longer than 6 months and is often treatment resistant. Meth labs can also be fatal seeing as they often blow up. This is usually due to amateur chemists operating them. They can also give off deadly fumes. Where It Is Commonly Found Methamphetamine is FDA approved for use in children and adults under the trademark name Desoxyn. A generic version became available in April, 2010. It is prescribed as a treatment for ADHD and exogenous obesity, as well as off-label for the treatment of narcolepsy and treatment-resistant depression. Physical Properties Formula C10H15N Mol. Mass 149.233g/mol Half-Life 9-12 hours Metabolism hepatic IUPAC Name N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine Structure Related To Function The structure of this molecule is very much related it’s function. It closely mimics another molecule which stimulates the brain. This molecule fits the receptor site and therefore acts as a stimulant. Functional Groups Methyl Amino Aromatic (Phenyl)

The Physics of Basketball Essay examples -- Athletics Sports Essays

The Physics of Basketball The more and more I look around I begin to see how physics are integrated into practically everything that we do. These things would surely go unnoticed without making a conscious effort to notice them. For example simple things like riding a bike, or driving a car, or playing catch with a son or daughter. Just as these activities are loaded with elements of physics, sports are also, especially basketball. Physics play a part in every aspect of the game, from dribbling, passing, and shooting, to things as simple as setting a screen. First we should take a look at the elements of dribbling. Dribbling is all based on conservation of energy and the two different types of collisions, elastic and inelastic. The more air pressure a basketball has inside it, the less its surface will bend or deform during a bounce, and the more its original energy will be stored in the compressed air inside (Bill Willis, 2001). The reason for this is that the air inside of the ball can return the energy of the ball better than that of the material of the ball, which is usually leather. This is the basic concept of the conservation on energy. A reason to inflate the ball more is to produce a more elastic collision between the ball and the surface it is hitting. The more inflated the ball is the less energy is lost in the deformation of the ball, ensuring you that it will bounce back. The less energy that is lost in this process will make the collision more elastic, and produce a better bounce of the basketball. Another aspect of basketball that relates to collisions in the very basic, but useful technique of setting a â€Å"screen† or â€Å"pick.† This collision is more of an inelastic process that involves one player runn... ...I step foot on the floor. Sometimes I think we get lazy and don’t take the time to think about how physics affect our lives, because you don’t realize how integrated physics are in every thing we do until you have to look at things critically. With this newfound knowledge, hopefully I will be able to play basketball just a little bit better. Bibliography 1).Kirkpatrick, Larry D. and Wheeler, Gerald F. Physics a World View. 4th ed. Fort Worth, Philadelphia, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Austin, San Antonio, Toronto, Montreal, London, Sydney, Tokyo: Barrosse and Vondeling, 2001 2).Willis, Bill. The Physics of Basketball. 30 April 2003 http://www.geocities.com/thesciencefiles/physicsof/basketball.html 3).Unknown. The Physics of Basketball. 1 May 2003 http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/trobinso/physicspages/PhysicsOf/Basketball/Physics%20of%20 Basketball.html

Overseas Aid & International Development Essay

International development can only be defined holistically as improvement of human lives and enhancement of the people’s social welfare. International development constitutes the following; provision and/or improvement in sectors of health, education, governance, gender equity and equality, infrastructural facilities, environment, economic empowerment, foreign aid, disaster preparedness and human rights. In order to know the status of the welfare in any society, there are some indicators that can be used and these include the following; the literacy level, poverty level, life expectancy and GDP per capita. Generally, these indicators have been reported to improve over the past and this has not been possible without involvement of development partners. These development partners include CBO ’s, NGO’s , multilateral development agencies and bilateral donors among others. This paper will focus on Catholic Relief Services (CRS ) approach to international development and outline its contribution to the achievement of the MDG’s . CRS is a non governmental organization that was started back in 1943 by United States’ catholic bishops. Its main aim was to resettle those people who were displaced by the Second World War especially in Europe. It is based on Christian religious practices and specifically on catholic doctrine. Ten years later the situation in Europe was regaining its normalcy state and the organization expanded its activities to other parts of the world that include Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Caribbean, Asia and middle east. Other than provision of relief services, the organization has been in the fore front in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty through sustainable community based development initiatives. This has been mainly through its focus in key sectors in the word’s economies and its main activities have been carried out in the following areas; agriculture, emergency response, health including HIV /AIDS , education, microfinance and peace building. It has been active in championing policy issues regarding global poverty, hunger, conflict resolution management and transformation, migration, HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, gender and inequality (http://crs. org/ ). According to the organization â€Å"Catholic Relief Services complements its humanitarian and development experience with policy analysis and advocacy to address root causes of poverty, conflict, and marginalization. CRS examines issues that are dramatically impacting the safety and well-being of poor and vulnerable people worldwide based on the principles of Catholic social teaching, primary among them the protection of the dignity of the human person. †(http://crs. org/ ) Millennium development goals are goals that were set by members of the United Nations and international organizations and aimed to be achieved by 2015. This followed after the adoption of United Nations millennium declaration during the 2000 millennium summit by the member states heads (http://www. un. org/millennium/). The aim of these MDG’s was to foster social and economic development in the poverty stricken countries in the world. There was a major concern on the increase in poverty among many people all over the world and this trend needed urgent redress to stop and reverse it. Following the chapters of the United Nations millennium declaration eight goals were set and named the millennium development goals. These included the following; poverty reduction and hunger eradication, promotion gender equality and women empowerment, improvement of maternal health, eradicate illiteracy through provision of primary education to children all over the world, reverse the trend of HIV/AIDS infections, reduce the death of children under five years of age, promote environmental sustainability and enhance partnership in global development(http://www. undp. org/mdg/basics. shtml). The catholic relief services activities have been intertwined with these millennium development goals and this is a clear indication that achievement of these MDG’s will mean attaining the objectives of the CRS and vice versa. The reason is because the goals can not be achieved without the focus on the sectors addressed by the CRS and thus the CRS can be viewed as an urgent and a partner in the realization of the millennium development goals. The reason for focusing on the CRS is because of its massive contribution and huge network that covers the different corners of the world. Though it is based on Christian virtues and catholism, it has never been crippled or shorthanded by the diversity in people’s background ranging from religion, race tribe, geographical location and nationality. It has always focused on its key objectives and as a result many people have benefited so much from the organization’s activities. Its approach to social issues has been guided by the people’s needs and its immense contribution has saved the lives of many. Most of the beneficiaries of its serviced have risen to great heights and human suffering has highly reduced in those areas it has been reported to operate. The spirit of giving, volunteer ship and promotion peaceful coexistence has been demonstrated by the organization where mutual understanding has prevailed in areas where hostility, hatred, destruction, disasters and political instability has rocked claiming lives of many people. As globalization continues to shape the lives of people, there always arise challenges that need unity and cooperation to be addressed. It is this reason that the CRS has gone beyond its religious cocoons and joined hands with re rest of the world to alleviate human suffering and this is a good example that organizations and states should follow if the world would be a better and safer place for human beings to live. I will now focus on the specific contributions of the CRS towards the achievement of the millennium development goals. Most developing countries highly depend on agriculture. This has been their only resource that has enabled them to survive through acquisition of the basic human needs that include food, clothing, shelter, health services and basic education. However as a result of climatic changes, the agriculture sector has faced many challenges that need to e addressed in order to guarantee its vital contribution and sustainability to the many people who rely on it for their daily life. The challenges need massive investment on technology and skills which must be accompanied by financial costs. Since most of these poor people can not afford them, their poverty escalates day by day. CRS has developed partnership programs with poor local communities by providing advice, research services and inputs to improve agricultural production. It has worked closely with local agencies to ensure programs on environmental matters and agriculture are properly implemented to benefit the poorest in the communities and families all over the world. It seeks to strengthen the local poor communities and encourage them to champion their development without relying on external enforcement. Increased food production will ensure hunger is completely eradicated and people can even have surplus to sell and procure other basic needs in their lives. This will reduce poverty and reduce diseases which have been closely associated with malnutrition. Sexual exploitation which has very much been exacerbated by the need to earn money to buy basis needs will reduce leading to drastic decline in HIV/AIDS infections (Little D. M, Clifford J. M, 2005, 122-127). In the education sector, CRS has made huge contribution to promotion of basic education in different areas of the world. Its activities have increased the access and quality of education to many poor and marginalized populations. This has been aimed at enhancing peace and justice in all communities and has been mainly in areas where crisis has been reported. Their services extend to those areas with relative stability and those that are recovering from the crisis. The organization provides support to schools in local areas where the largest population of the poor are believed to live. In their effort to ensure the poor access quality education and participate fully in community projects, it introduced food assisted education (FAE ). Since mid 1990’s girl child education, teachers support, hygienic education and services for students have also been rolled out. It has also helped to put up education infrastructural facilities and sensitization of members of the communities especially parents to get involved in educational matters for their children. These education activities have an objective of reaching the poor and marginalized members of the society especially the children. As a result poverty is expected to reduce with the decrease in the level of illiteracy all over the world. Poverty will then reduce and thus the millennium development goals are well taken care of by the CRS programmes (Singer H. W, Ansari J. A, 1988, 35-58). CRS is widely involved in emergency responses that ensure that those affected are not denied their right to live with dignity. It therefore works closely with members of the communities affected to ensure their disaster preparedness capacities are strengthened and restored. In times of complex emergencies and natural disasters, the CRS commits itself in life saving livelihood support and strengthening of the entire civil society. To them, peace is of necessity and violent conflict should be prevented. The organization therefore conducts emergency health operations that are usually aimed at supporting the already existing health institutions and ensure those in need of health services and basic medical attention are attended to. Distribution of relief food and technical support to farmers to increase food production is also a vital role played by the CRS. Those who may not have shelters are assisted with temporary shelters and to some larger extend, the organization contribute materials to construct permanent shelters. CRS also ensures conflicts are prevented, properly managed if they arise, resolved peacefully and transformation is achieved within the soonest time possible through addressing the root cause. Marginalized and vulnerable groups receive special attention including expectant women children, aged and those infected with HIV/AIDS (Megan Landon M, 2006, 165-190). In the health sector, the CRS has actively involved local communities to solve problems themselves through empowering them to make sound decisions. They normally use the catholic social teaching which acts as a subsidiary principle. It involves volunteers from different parts of the world who donate their services to those most in need of them and can not afford them. Such programs reduce child mortality, HIV/AIDS infections and reduce deaths that result from inadequate maternal services for women. Social justice is therefore restored and human rights and dignity is fostered. On similar grounds the organization has been very much concerned with AIDS which has been threatening to wipe human beings out of the face of the earth. Research has indicated that as much as poverty has been cited as the cause of the increase in infections of the disease among human beings, it is also an effect. CRS has therefore initiated programmes all over the world with an estimated expenditure of at least $120million and over four million beneficiaries in the year 2007 alone. This has been the trend over the past up to date and as the pandemic deepens its roots, the expenditure has kept on rising. Finally, as the rate of unemployment increases, many people are engaging in self employment to earn their living. Majority of the unemployed are poor and the women who have no collaterals to access financial services from commercial banks. This has increased sexual exploitation which is skewed towards women. This has been taken care of by the microfinance service in CRS that provides affordable loan and financial services to the self employed women. Economic empowerment is very important weapon in war against HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, inequality, hunger, diseases and all other poverty related problems that human beings encounter. This is the major concern of the CRS and the core of millennium development goals. Citing an example of progress in the contributions towards achieving the millennium development goals will directly highlight a major activity carried out by the CRS and therefore the CRS deserves all manner of support in implementation of its goals and objectives if millennium development goals will ever be achieved. Other organizations and governmental entities have already joined hands with CRS such as USAID , USDA , UNDP , The Inter-American Development Bank, Education ministries among many others (http://www. management-issues. com/2006/8/24/research/financial-services-firms-hostile-towards-women. asp ). Conclusion CRS is just but one of the many organizations that has been actively involved in ensuring millennium development goals are achieved. Both the millennium development goals and the CRS have so much in common and it may not be easy to separate the influence of one to the other. While the CRS is concerned with the issues that impact safety and social welfare of the minor marginalized and vulnerable groups of people, the MDG’s outline these issues themselves and sets a target and specific time duration through its objectives when the problems should be reduced to manageable magnitude. It is a lifetime process to completely do away with these problems and challenges and thus, unless otherwise, the CRS should only live to see full redress of the problems. At the same time, achievement of the MDG’s in the year 2015 will set the agenda for the next step in millennium development goals. References About the MDGs: Basics, Retrieved from http://www. undp. org/mdg/basics. shtml on 5th June, 2009 UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DECLARATION, Retrieved from http://www. un. org/millennium/ PDF, on 5th June, 2009 Little D. M, Clifford J. M, (2005), International aid: the flow of public resources from rich to poor countries, Aldine Transaction Singer H. W, Ansari J. A, (1988), Rich and Poor Countries: Consequences of International Economic Disorder, Rutledge Megan Landon M, (2006), Environment, health and sustainable development, McGraw-Hill International Catholic relief service, Retrieved from http://crs. org/ on 5th June, 2009 Financial services firms ‘hostile towards women’ Retrieved from http://www. management-issues. com/2006/8/24/research/financial-services-firms-hostile-towards-women. asp on 5th June, 2009

Female Infanticide

Imagine a world with no women. There as no wives, no sisters, no daughters, and no mothers. Unfortunately this world is on the brink of becoming a scary reality for Asian countries such as China and India. Due to attempts to control population and the low value associated with females in these societies historically and culturally, both China and India are now facing a serious gender imbalance. Female infanticide and sex-selective abortion are responsible for this gender imbalance.The two atrocious practices have led to problems such as elevated rates in female kidnapping and slave trade, as well as forced marriages. This paper will focus on the roots of female infanticide and sex-selective abortions as well as the problems these practices have presented. According to current statistics, there are approximately 1,338,299,512 people living in China (Cao et al. 2012). For every 120 males, there are only 100 females. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that China has approximately 32 million more males than females under the age of 20 (Cao et al. 012). In a 1999 Chinese census report, the imbalance between the sexes revealed that the imbalance is now so distorted that there are 111 million males in China – more than three times the population of Canada – who will be unable to find a wife (Hvistendahl 2008). As a result of this gender imbalance, the rate of female kidnapping and slave trading has increased. There are 8,000 women on average per year who are rescued by authorities from â€Å"forced† marriages (Cao et al. 1012). A major factor responsible for the distortion of this gender imbalance in China is the one child policy.In 1979, the Chinese Government implemented a new act under the family planning policy. This new act officially restricts married, urban couples to having only one child, while allowing exemptions for several cases such as rural couples, ethnic minorities, and parents without siblings (Hesketh et al. 2 011). Ideally, the act was implemented to alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems arising from the over-population issues in China. The one child policy offers couples that delay childbearing a longer maternity leave as well as other social benefits.Couples that have a second child without a permit are at risk of being fined thousands of dollars, and may also be penalized by suffering wage cuts and reduced access to social services (Hvistendahl 2008). Approximately 35. 9% of China’s population is subject to the â€Å"one child policy. † The policy is said to have prevented some 400 million births from 1979 to 2011 (Hesketh et al. 2011). The one child policy has been the source of conflict for a variety of reasons. The main focus has been the increased rate of female infanticide.Female infanticide is the intentional killing of baby girls due to the preference for male babies and is attributed to the low value associated with the birth of females (Weijing 2010). Poverty, famine, and population control are inter-related factors. Where safe and effective birth control is unavailable, infanticide is used to selectively limit the growth of a community. Infanticide allows for selection of the fittest or most desirable offspring, with sick, deformed, female, or multiple births targeted for disposal (Hvistendahl 2008).Males are viewed as more valuable to have as children in the Chinese society because they can work for higher wages and provide for their families. Females are viewed as a burden to the family because unless they live in a major city, they are expected to stay home with the family instead of pursuing an education or working (Hesketh et al. 2011). From the moment they are born, women are considered inferior to men. Women are viewed as submissive and weak whereas males were dominant and strong. Chinese women are taught from a very young age to look after the men in their households.They continue to live the rest of their lives a s subservient to males (Reed 2011). There is a principle of three obediences by which women are expected to live, obedience to their father while living under his roof, obedience to their husband and his family once married, and obedience to the eldest son once widowed (Caldwell and Bruce 2005). In the countryside, less than half a million out of a total rural population of eight hundred million were receiving pensions in 1981. Individuals and families who live in rural areas rely on their off spring to be part of their working staff.If such families are only allowed to have one child, they much prefer to have males because they believe they are of more use for jobs that require physical labor. (Hong, 1987) If a Chinese family who is not secure financially does indeed have a daughter than she will most likely not marry, Hong explains. â€Å"For economic reasons, families with daughters are unlikely to let them go to grooms villages to live because they will be needed not only for t he parents old age security but also to boost the life- long earning potential of the household. (Hong 1987 pg. 320) In Chinese culture, it is said, â€Å"a woman’s greatest duty is to have a son. † If a woman does not give birth to a son, her husband will often take another wife in hopes of another woman carrying his heir (Hvistendahl 2008). Women are viewed as so inferior, that often, poor families would sell their daughters as servants to rich families. Despite the egalitarian nature of Chinese society, many parents believe that having a son is a vital element of providing for their old age.When a daughter is married off, she is no longer available to take care of her parents in their old age, as she is now responsible for her husband and his family (Hesketh et al. 2011). Historically, the way that women were viewed in Chinese society made it clear that with the one-child policy in place, couples would prefer to have a son rather than a daughter. It is for this reas on that rates of female infanticide increased in China. Female infanticide is not a problem that is new to Chinese culture. Studies have shown that evidence of female infanticide in China dates back to 800 B. C.E. Until the fourth century, infanticide was neither illegal nor immoral (Weijing 2010). Legal sanctions against infanticide were introduced in the fourth century as Christianity infused secular laws (Weijing 2010). â€Å"We feel it's a serious problem that everybody should be concerned about and aware of,† said Wanda Franz, president of the National Right to Life Committee. â€Å"This is a form of abortion that, from our point of view is especially egregious. Abortion is claimed to help women; obviously in these cases, females are the direct victims, because women in these cultures are not valued. Caldwell and Bruce 2005)† Another country that has high rates of infanticide is India. Unlike China, India does not have a one-child policy in place, but instead, par ents of daughters who are to get married, must pay a dowry. Although the dowry is illegal in most of India, in areas of poverty, most parents still struggle and are expected to pay the families into which their daughters marry (Mahalingam et al. 2007). The dowry consists of large amounts of money and valuable goods. For families with several daughters this can be a serious financial burden (Dube and Dube 1999).In India, the practice of female infanticide is even more common. As in China, the birth of a daughter is seen as a liability. In India the sex ratio is 93 women for every 100 men, but in some regions there are fewer than 85 women per 100 men (Ahmad 2010). According to a recent report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) up to 50 million girls and women are missing from India' s population as a result of systematic gender discrimination in India. Another study showed that approximately 2,000 females are illegally aborted every day in India (Mahalingham et al. 2007).I ndia is known throughout the world for being a country of a large population, a diverse culture, and beautiful sites. A part of India that is coming out of the dark and being discussed rapidly by academics is the extent of female infanticide and sex selective abortion. Statistics show in a United Nations report, that India has a higher death rate of females under four years old than any other country in the world. Poorer nations such as Peru have a female death percentage compared to males of seventy three percent, where a more developed country such as Japan has a female death rate of eighty three percent.The national average in India has a death rate of one hundred and seven percent compared to the death rate of boys, and in the area of Rajasthan the death rate of females under four years old is one hundred and nineteen percent compared to boys of the same age. A percentage of these deaths can be contributed to the decreasing health of female toddlers in India. Verma explains, in most regions of India girls are only fed after the males in the family. If the mother of a family does not receive proper nutrition than the chances of her daughter receiving it are very slim.The other major reason for mortality rates of young female children is so high is due to the practice of female infanticide. Virma, while travelling through her homeland on a search of qualitative research about the practice of female infanticide, came to find just how common female infanticide is across India, particularly in rural areas. Virma explains throughout many villages the male head of the household orders the daughter to be killed. In a particular interview a woman was screaming and crying, her husband told his wife, if she did not kill the baby than he would smash her head in until she was dead. Virma, 2005) In the village of a Bihar, the killing of female infants is so common; the locals repeatedly state, â€Å"The killing of girls is not a sin. † Midwives who play a large r ole in rural societies of India openly admit how many female infants they have killed. One stated â€Å"I have killed at least sixty five female babies in the last ten years. † (Verma 2005 Pg. 29) In the same villages midwives are paid a fee of one hundred rupees if the baby is a boy, twenty-five rupees if the infant is a girl, and fifty rupees if the midwife kills, or disposes of the female child. Verma, 2005) There are many different ways in which the female infants are killed; two common practices include starving the baby to death, or poisoning her with tobacco or oil. Many midwives feel that they are â€Å"liberating the female infants soul by killing them. They believe the alternative, being a woman in many parts of India is much worse than being dead. (Verma 2005) Female children who are raised in India are aware of the way they are treated by society and within their own families.In many instances they understand the expense of their dowries, and in certain circumsta nces go to great lengths to bring honor to their families. In a northern rural village, three sisters had hung themselves, with a note explaining the financial freedom their parents would have without them. (Verma 2005) The Chinese government has taken a number of steps to combat the practice of female infanticide, as well as promote and protect women's rights. The Marriage Law and Women's Protection Law prohibit female infanticide, and the latter prohibits discrimination against women who give birth to daughters (Hvistendahl 2008).The Sex Selective Abortion Law and Maternal Health Care Law of 1994 were created to put an end to sex selective abortions, and the latter prohibits the use of medical technology to determine the gender of a fetus (Hesketh et al. 2011). Unfortunately, however, the practice continues in China despite these efforts. The availability of modern ultrasound technology is a major contributing factor to sex-selective abortion. The technology was introduced to Chin a in the 1980’s for diagnostic purposes, however, the opportunity to use the technology for sex selection was soon exploited.In 1994, the Chinese Government banned the use of ultrasound technology for the use of sex selection in 1994 in an effort to elevate the number of females born per year and decrease the rate of sex-selective abortions and infanticide (Hesketh et al. 2011). In 2003, the Indian Government implemented the 2002 amendments to the PNDT (Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act, explicitly recognizing the responsibility of manufacturers and distributors, such as GE Healthcare India, to protect against female feticide.Manufacturers must confirm that their customers have valid PNDT certificates and have signed legal documents stating that the equipment shall not be used for sex determination (Mahalingham et al. 2007). Female infanticide is a horrible manifestation of the anti-female bias that continues to pollute societies throughout the world. Even in technological ly advanced and educated societies, the brutal practice continues. The successful eradication of the practice of female infanticide seems an arduous task. In order to combat the phenomenon, careful consideration of the location-specific and cultural factors leading to the practice is necessary.The education of both men and women, social strategies to improve the status of women, and access to family counseling and healthcare may provide means of eliminating female infanticide, as well as elevating the value assigned to women around the globe. In countries such as China and India where the preference of male children has been a part of their cultures history and tradition, one of the only ways to prevent the acts of female infanticide and sex selective abortion is through education. In the early 1990’s less than forty percent of India’s three hundred and thirty million females aged seven and older were literate.Approximately ten years later the numbers improved with six ty five percent of the female population being able to read or write. â€Å"Numerous studies show that illiterate women have high levels of fertility and mortality, poor nutritional status, low earning potential, and less autonomy within the household. †(United Nations 2002) Although there are many schools within India whose curriculum is outstanding and where the student’s performance out does primary schools in the global north there are still many areas where improvement must take place. The government of India must start with setting up more schools and classrooms and providing more teachers at the grass root levels. †(UNICEF) The second step that needs to be taken is to ensure quality teacher training and a solid planned out curriculum for each school to follow across the country. Along with a solid curriculum there needs to be more encouragement of education for girls. If encouragement means giving families incentives to keep their daughters in school, then the government should seriously consider them says the president of the Kanchan Foundation.With an outstanding number of children in upper primary schools across India many girls either drop out or there is not enough space for them so they are forced to leave. By increasing the number of upper primary schools many more girls in India would have the chance of a formal education. Overall the two most populous countries in the world, China and India, are facing what has been described as something close to genocide.With China attempting to control their population size, and India’s historical and cultural preference of male children, both countries are in dire need for daughters in their societies. Between female infanticide and sex selective abortion both countries are running out of potential marriage partners for their male children. With female infanticide and sex selective abortion on the rise the number of kidnapping, and forced marriages of females has also been increas ing. Research shows the answer to the problem is increased education for both male and females throughout both countries.Encouraging girls with their education, and teaching boys and men that women should be valued in society are the first steps in stopping such practices. Although sex selective abortion has been against the law in China since 1994, the practice has been on the rise, particularly with advancing technology. Authority does not watch the practice closely and more recent policy needs to be put in place. It should be both China and India’s goal to give infant females, the same celebrations of life as their male counterparts and to give all women in both countries gender equality.

Free Essays on Ethical Relativism

Ethical relativism is a theory in which the point of ethics and their universality is brought out. Implying that for every different culture there will be a different code of ethics, for any given time. Within this paper I discuss the certain implications that go along with ethical relativism. Which are tolerance towards other cultures and there views. Also that there is no moral argument possible. And that ethics becomes conformity in which ones conforms to any given culture. Also I discuss briefly the views of the Ruth Benedict and Solomon Asch, which both have written about ethical relativism. Ethical relativism is when no ethical principles are universally valid at the same time. All moral principles are valid relative to cultural tastes. The rules of the society serve as a standard. Simply stated, it means that there are no intrinsically right or wrong actions. According to that particular social community. What is universally socially acceptable is widely variable. Therefore we as a society may not impose a universal set of laws when it concerns ethics. If moral standards go no deeper than social customs, no one way of doing things is any better or worse than the next. Ethical relativism gives way for three implications concerning ethics. The first is ethical relativism preaches tolerance towards different cultures and their ethics. Giving cultural freedom in which no one culture can forcible institute their laws of ethics on another culture. Ethical relativism also develops the argument that no moral argument is possible. And it also says that to become ethical means, one will have to conform to a culture given ethics. CULTURAL RELATIVISM: Ethical judgments and moral rules always reflect the cultural context from which they are derived and cannot be immediately applied to other cultural contexts. Having tolerance for others’ ethics is closely related to cultural relativism... Free Essays on Ethical Relativism Free Essays on Ethical Relativism Ethical relativism is a theory in which the point of ethics and their universality is brought out. Implying that for every different culture there will be a different code of ethics, for any given time. Within this paper I discuss the certain implications that go along with ethical relativism. Which are tolerance towards other cultures and there views. Also that there is no moral argument possible. And that ethics becomes conformity in which ones conforms to any given culture. Also I discuss briefly the views of the Ruth Benedict and Solomon Asch, which both have written about ethical relativism. Ethical relativism is when no ethical principles are universally valid at the same time. All moral principles are valid relative to cultural tastes. The rules of the society serve as a standard. Simply stated, it means that there are no intrinsically right or wrong actions. According to that particular social community. What is universally socially acceptable is widely variable. Therefore we as a society may not impose a universal set of laws when it concerns ethics. If moral standards go no deeper than social customs, no one way of doing things is any better or worse than the next. Ethical relativism gives way for three implications concerning ethics. The first is ethical relativism preaches tolerance towards different cultures and their ethics. Giving cultural freedom in which no one culture can forcible institute their laws of ethics on another culture. Ethical relativism also develops the argument that no moral argument is possible. And it also says that to become ethical means, one will have to conform to a culture given ethics. CULTURAL RELATIVISM: Ethical judgments and moral rules always reflect the cultural context from which they are derived and cannot be immediately applied to other cultural contexts. Having tolerance for others’ ethics is closely related to cultural relativism...

How To Stop Running Out Of Time On SAT Reading

How To Stop Running Out Of Time On SAT Reading SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Feeling pressed for time on any test is extremely frustrating. It’s even worse on tests like the SAT and ACT because they’re so lengthy: if you run out of time on a section, you don't get the relief of "Well, at least I'm done with the test" because you have to move right on to the next section. Since you can’t stop time (probably?) and, except for some special circumstances, can’t get extra time, you'll need another solution to help you avoid running out of time. So what strategies can you use? I’ll discuss the top misconception students have about running low on time on the SAT Reading section and strategies to avoid running out of time. First, however, I want to do a quick run-through of the timing for SAT Reading- after all, in order to stop running out of time on the section, you first must know its basic layout. We have an in-depth explanation of this in another article, but in case you don't have the time to read it through I've written up a summary below. feature image credit: 12 sec by Peter, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. How Long Is the SAT Reading Section? The new SAT Reading section is the first section of the SAT and consists of 52 questions over 65 minutes. You'll answer these questions based on the contents of six passages (four single passages and a set of shorter paired passages) spanning three different subject areas (U.S. and world literature, social science, and natural science). Two passages in each SAT Reading section will also be accompanied by charts or graphics that you'll have to look at to answer a few of the questions. (If you want more specifics, we go into all this in much more detail in our article on what's actually tested on SAT Reading). SAT Reading questions come in eight main flavors: Big Picture: Questions about the main point of the passage. Detail/Little Picture: Questions about a specific line or lines in the passage. Inference: Questions that ask you to interpret the meaning of line or two in a passage. Words In Context: Questions that ask for how a word is used in a particular instance in the passage. Function: Questions that ask how a phrase, sentence, or paragraph functions in the larger context of the paragraph or passage. Author Technique: Questions that ask about the passage's tone or style; you'll often be asked to compare and contrast different authors’ techniques. Evidence Support: Questions that ask you what specific evidence supports the correct answer to a previous question. Data Intepretation: Questions that ask you to analyze and answer questions about the charts and graphics accompanying the passage(s). The #1 Reading Misconception The number one thing I've heard when it comes to the SAT Reading is something along the lines of "I’m a slow reader, so I’ll never be able to finish the SAT Reading section in time and I won't be able to bring my reading score up". FALSE. Excelling on the SAT Reading section is not just about reading speed- otherwise, it would be called the SAT Speed Reading section (or something like that). If you read a lot, or read quickly, that may give you a little bit of an edge, especially with big picture questions that require you to synthesize information from the whole passage. If you’re a slow reader or don’t read a lot, you might be reading this and thinking "Well, great. I’m already starting from behind." But reading quickly in no way guarantees that you will excel on the SAT Reading, or even that you won’t be rushed. There are several different ways to approach passages in SAT Reading, and the optimal strategy for one person may be the worst possible idea for another. In reality, the key skill to doing well on the SAT Reading section is the ability to skim text while retaining meaning. If you're a slow reader, you can learn to skim through practice. If you're a fast reader, you must be aware that SAT Reading is very different from light fiction reading; you'll need to practice to get the important points from the SAT passage. So how do you avoid being rushed and running out of time on SAT Reading, even if you are a slow reader? Practice, practice, practice! Practicing isn't just the way to get to Carnegie Hall (as the old music joke goes)- practicing the SAT will help you get better at taking the SAT. But it's not enough to practice in any way you can think of- you must practice/study effectively. When studying for SAT Reading, there are three main strategies you should use to focus on to get better at finishing the section in time. Strategy 1: Practice Monitoring Your Time The first step to improving your ability to finish the Reading section without running out of time is to keep track of your time. The two ways to do this are by recording how long you're taking to answer each question and, during the test, being aware of how much time you have left until the end of the section. Know How Long You’re Taking on Each Question If you find you’re taking too much time on a question, mark it and come back to it in review. But what is "too much time?" Well, it depends on your target score, or the score you are aiming for on a particular section; therefore, when preparing for the SAT Reading, you must know your raw and scaled target scores. Why does this matter? If you’re aiming for a lower target score, you can skip more questions, and spend more time on the questions you do answer. Remember, the SAT Reading section consists of 52 questions over 65 minutes: if you’re spending more than one minute 15 seconds per question, you’re going to run into problems, just by the simple math (bonus practice). This 75 seconds-per-question time constraint only applies, however, if you are aiming for a perfect or near-perfect score and need to give every question a fair shot. If you're aiming for a Reading score of 30/40, you can guess on the hardest 25% questions and focus your answering energies on easier questions (although of course which questions these are will be different for everyone). Only aiming to get a 30 on Reading also means you get more time to spend on the questions you are answering. If you only need to get around 36 questions right to reach your target score, then you can spend up to 23 seconds more on each question (36 questions in 65 minutes vs 52 questions in 65 minutes- even more math!). Read our article on getting a 30 on SAT Reading for more strategies like this. Know How Much Time You Have Remaining During the Test This doesn’t necessarily mean dividing up the time beforehand, as in, "Okay, I have 65 minutes with six passages to read (four single, one set of paired) and 52 questions to answer, so I should spend 12 minutes on each single passage and questions and 14 minutes on the paired passages and questions and then I’ll have three minutes to go over everything at the end." Those calculations (a) hurt my brain, and (b) take up way more time than they’d save. Instead, get used to keeping an eye on the clock. You'll need to be able to balance reading the passages with answering questions on them- don’t let one passage suck up all of your time and force you to scramble to get through the rest of the passages and questions. I personally try to check the time only after I've finished skimming a passage and after I've answered all the questions on that passage (even though my initial instinct is to constantly be time-checking). You'll need to figure out what works best for you, but my advice is to avoid checking the time more than once every few questions- otherwise, you'll end up wasting time trying to save time. If you find that you have zero concept of time when you’re practicing answering questions, you can practice with a stopwatch set to go off at five minute increments. Just remember that you won’t actually be able to do this on test day (although the test proctors may give verbal warnings at 10 minutes left and five minutes left). Other SAT Reading Time Monitoring Strategies When looking over the test, mark questions you end up spending a long time on as well as the ones you’re not sure about. Really break down what stumped you about the questions you spent too much time on as well as the ones you got wrong or were uncertain about. Was it the wording of the question? The type of question (paired passage, big picture, inference)? Were you just tired and misread the passage, so you didn't see the answer? Is there a pattern to the questions you're running out of time on? All of this data is valuable fodder for your test prep process: establishing a feedback loop of testing, reviewing your mistakes, and testing again. It is essential not to skip over the middle step of reviewing your mistakes thoroughly. (For more on this, read my article on the best way to review mistakes on the SAT.) Not sure running out of time is your only issue? Read the section on understanding your high level weaknesses in this article. Great! Time left for a beer! by Mike Schinkel, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Pace yourself to avoid RUNNING out of time. Strategy 2: Practice Reading Passages and Answering Questions No, practicing SAT Reading questions over and over won’t necessarily make you a faster reader. But it will make you better at reading the passages in a way that will help you answer the questions more efficiently. Because every person processes information differently, I can't dictate the best way for you to read the passages. However, if your current approach isn't working, you might want to consider switching it up. There are three main approaches to choose from: #1: Read the whole passage in detail. This is really only a good strategy if you are both a quick and thorough reader. It's probably the worst option if you're already worried about running out of time. #2: Read the questions first. Determine which details you look for in the passage by reading the questions first, then jumping back to the passage to find the answer. #3: Skim, then attack the questions. Quickly read through the passage to get a sense of its content, structure, and purpose, then approach the questions. Finally, return to the passage to get any more detailed information required by specific questions. The more familiar you get with SAT Reading passages and questions, the more you'll be accustomed to the test and the better you’ll know what to pay attention to and when to use which strategy. For instance, if you read the questions first, if a question has specific lines associated with it (e.g. "In lines 10-38"), only read those specific lines to answer it; do not pull your answer from the rest of the passage. On the other hand, if you skim first, get used to noticing words and phrases like "however" and "in contrast." These words are important because they indicate a change in tone, as in: "Despite the fact that the viola has a long and noble history, negative stereotypes about violas (and violists) abound in modern day classical music communities." You'll find more strategies, as well as more detailed information on why you might want to choose one approach over the others, in our article on the best way to read the passage on the SAT Reading section. More Passage-Reading Strategy Suggestions The passage you read first can make a big difference if you tend to run out of time. Scan through all the passages in the section and see if any subject matter looks easier to tackle for you and then start with those, rather than taking the section in order. That way, you won’t be rushing through and getting things wrong on passages you should get and can with a clear mind devote yourself to passages that are more difficult for you. You can also see if bubbling in all your answers at the end helps (read more about this in the Quick Tip section of our perfect scorer article). This strategy is only helpful, however, if you can make sure to leave a good two to three minutes at the end of the section to do this, since you don’t want to run out of time before you bubble in answers that you got (the ultimate in frustrating). If you can think of other ways to keep yourself from running out of time on SAT Reading (perhaps by using some mindfulness techniques to focus?), that is also great. As always, you should only use strategies that work for you. Chess game by Kamil Porembiński, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original.Think about which strategies will work for you. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Strategy 3: Practice Taking SAT Reading as Part of the Whole SAT There’s knowing the material on the SAT Reading section...and then there’s building up the stamina to make it through. Fortunately, the SAT always presents the sections in the same order: Reading, Writing, Math (No Calculator), Math (Calculator), and the optional essay. This predictability gives you an advantage when prepping, because you can actually simulate test-date conditions when you take full-length practice tests by taking everything in the correct order. It's important to take at least some practice tests all the way through in the correct order so that you can get used to what it feels like to take the full test. Reading is always the first section, so you'll probably always have the most energy to spend on it, but you'll need to be careful not to burn through all your reserves with the Reading section, only to find that you're too drained to perform well on the rest of the test. Another thing to keep in mind is that you’ll most likely be taking the SAT on a Saturday morning. Be extra sure to do some practice Reading sections in the morning (especially if you’re not a morning person!) to give yourself a good idea of your energy levels at that time of day. If you’re more sluggish in the mornings in general, your reading speed will probably also be slower. It's okay to take some or most of your practice tests in the afternoon if that's when you have the most time, but exclusively doing this may not give you an accurate picture of how quickly you can complete the SAT Reading section under real test conditions. Do You Qualify for Testing Accomodations? If you really have trouble with reading in time-constrained situations, you might qualify for special testing accommodations. It's unlikely that prepping for and taking the SAT will be the first time you notice you have major problems with reading; however, it may be the first time you won't be able to compensate for it in other ways (like spending hours and hours on homework and extra credit to make up for low test scores). The College Board does offer accommodations on the SAT for eligible students with documented issues. You can get more information here on the steps you'll need to take in order to get accommodations on testing day. But a word of warning: Accommodations are far more likely to be granted to students if their special circumstances have been documented for a longer period of time. CollegeBoard tends to be leery of students who get diagnosed with something or other just in time to take the test, since the students might be stretching the truth in order to get extra time. How can you avoid getting caught in red tape and having your accommodations held up? Plan and apply for special accommodations early, if at all possible- the request process alone can take up to seven weeks. If you're in middle school or early high school and are having serious problems with reading when compared to your peers, get psycho-educational testing then, rather than waiting. If for whatever reason you couldn't apply for special accommodations until recently (for instance, if you only just developed a hearing or visual impairment), make sure it's clear to the person documenting your conditionwhy you're only doing something about this now. Also, while this documenter will provide you with information to send on to the CollegeBoard, the College Board may also want you to explain why you applied for special accommodations only recently, so it’s good to have an explanation ready. How to Improve Pacing on SAT Reading: A Recap #1: Take timed practice tests and monitor your time. #2: Get comfortable with taking the SAT Reading so you can use strategies effectively #3: Make sure you take entire practice tests in sequence a few times so you know what to expect. #4: If you think there’s a bigger problem that's causing you to run out of time on the SAT Reading, get psycho-educational testing as early as possible to confirm it and see if you are eligible for special accommodations on the SAT. Now, go forth and read! What’s Next? Want more strategies for avoiding a time crunch? Read about the 9 ways to buy time on the SAT. How can you figure out what’s tripping you up on SAT Reading? Check out our detailed analysis of each question and passage type. We also have more in-depth information on figuring out what approach to reading the passage works for you in another article. Learn more about the format of the SAT with our article on the timing and content of each SAT section. For more on how to master SAT Reading, read our guide to getting a perfect Reading score. You might also be interested in our ultimate guide to SAT Reading, which lists all of our articles on SAT Reading, along with a brief description of what's in each article. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: