My own goal of the life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My own goal of the life - Essay Example I choose swimming because I would like to get better at it and I generally enjoy it, I have informed my roommate of this plan and asked her to act as ‘sponsor’ throughout the eight weeks as she actively participates in sports. Achieving physical fitness will be measured when I participate in a charitable marathon that is three weeks away. Improvement of my swimming skills will be measured by my speed in completing laps as I go along; and in six weeks I plan on participating in a swimming competition here at school. Behavioral wise, I hope to develop discipline since in order to achieve this I must remain consistent and committed till the eight weeks are over. I have bought a sport watch that will help me monitor my heart rate as I jog and swim, this will provide a reflection of any improvements in terms of physical fitness. In the past, I have been unable to regularly work out as I am lazy and find it difficult to wake up early enough. In addition, I find myself eating a lot of junk food in between classes as a way of passing time. With this new plan, I hope to utilize my free time in between classes or over the weekends to improve my swimming and tone my body through non-cardiovascular exercises at the gym. Moreover, I have sought support from my roommate who promises to ‘push’ me when I get lazy, My roommate has also agreed to record frequency of my retarding tendencies that keep me aware of what is holding me back. Such tendencies include eating junk food and sleeping late to watch movies that prevent me from waking up early enough to take a jog before classes or group discussions commence. It has been four weeks since I started this life change plan; I have been able to go for the jog for twenty of the thirty days, and swimming for six. The four days I failed to undertake any of the exercises happened because I went for a friend’s

The Era of Reconstruction in American History and Its Aftermath Essay

The Era of Reconstruction in American History and Its Aftermath - Essay Example The 13th amendment thus gave the core natural right, that of liberty a constitutional quintessence. There arose the need for the constitutional safeguard against retrogressive laws such as the Black codes and so the 14th amendment came about. There were several clauses in this amendment, but there were five very sensitive clauses in the amendment. There was a clause that prescribed what qualified individuals to citizenship (Democracy Reborn: The Fourteenth Amendment and the Fight for Equal Rights in Post-Civil War America 204). Another section gave protection touching on the abridgment of the exemption of the American citizens. Another clause forbade the state from denying anybody their property, freedom or life outside the confines of the suitable process of the law. The state has imposed a duty of ensuring everybody was equally protected by the law, and the equity of protection is not denied to whomever. The Congress was thus through a clause in the amendment granted the powers of putting into effect the amendment (Democracy Reborn: The Fourteenth Amendment and the Fight for Equal Rights in Post-Civil War America 206) Senator Charles Sumner had a profound dedication to antislavery efforts and universal civil liberties issues. He was actively involved in efforts that opposed slavery exploits. Sumner’s campaigns against slavery, especially against the Southerners, saw a fellow Congressional Representative Preston Brooks assault him on the floor of the house. He perceived the civil war as a necessary activity aimed at abolishing slavery and consistently prodded the commander-in-chief at the time Abraham Lincoln into sponsoring legislation for freeing the people ensnared in slavery. Others among his demands concerning slavery were to demand granting of civil, constitutional rights to the slaves and enlistment of the slaves into the army of the Union.

DNA worksheet Essay Example for Free

DNA worksheet Essay Answer the following in at least 100 words: 1. Describe the structure of DNA. DNA is typically has two strands running in opposite direction and is usually referred to as a double helix. Each on the individual strands consists of a backbone that is formed by sugar molecules linked together in groups. Each individual sugar molecule is covalently linked to one of the following possible bases: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine and Thymine. These bases are typically aligned perpendicular to the axis of the strand. As previously stated the strands run in opposite directions with the bases paired up with Adenine always with Thymine and Guanine always with Cytosine. Theses pairs form hydrogen bonds with the A/T pair having 2 and the G/C pair having 3. The extra hydrogen bond makes the G/C pair stronger. 2. How does an organism’s genotype determine its phenotype? The genotype is the organisms’ hereditary information while the phenotype is how the organism displays its properties. Another way of saying this is that the gene contributes to a particular trait while the phenotype is the expression of that gene. The genotype plays a large role in determining the development of the phenotype but other factors also play into its development such as plasticity, canalization and the environment. Even identical genotypes can differ in the phenotype that results, a good example for this would be in identical twins. It’s safe to say that while the genotype is not the final contributing factor to produce the phenotype it does play a role significant enough worth understanding 3. Describe each stage of the flow of information starting with DNA and ending with a trait. The first stage in the flow of information is DNA. It stores the necessary instructions for the building of protein. DNA is can be viewed as the blueprints required to start the process. The next stage in the flow of information is the RNA. The instructions are copied from the DNA and at this point are referred to as a RNA molecule. These copies move away from the DNA with the next stop being the cytoplasm. From here the process of converting the RNA information into amino acids begins, eventually forming a protein. The functions of an organism reply on these proteins.

The globalization of media

The globalization of media The globalization of media is a pervasive phenomenon associated with several different theories and views about its characteristics and consequences. Due to the considerable amount of transnational media which originates in the U.S, many fear that globalization will lead to an Americanization of the world, while others fear the power imbalance in media flows will weaken national sovereignty (Straubhaar et. al 2009, 531). The article Indigenity, media and cultural globalization: The Case of Mataku, or the Maori X-Files by Kevin Glynn and A. F. Tyson supports the opposing view that globalization provides the opportunity for national cultures to counter the Eurocentrism in the global media market, though the Western domination of the market does act as an obstacle against the expansion of productions by lesser known cultures (Glynn et. al 2007, 210). Despite minor setbacks in the organization and flow of the article, Glynn provides developed and well-researched arguments in support of his view, and strengthens his thesis further through the analysis of an internationally known indigenous television drama, Mataku. From the first part of the article, the authors thesis is clear: contemporary media is comprised of a multidirectional flow of information and culture, rather than a homogenic and unilateral one. The global mediasphere is complex and differentiated, with evident cultural hybridity between local and global production (Glynn et. al 2007, 211). Firstly, analyzing the alternative view that globalization is an extension of colonization shows that it is an established view with strong points in support of it. Cultural imperialists believe globalization poses similar threats to indigenous population as colonization did during the early colonial period (Rodricks 2003, 81). Similarities between globalization and colonization, as outlined by Rodricks (2003, 49) include the idea that both phenomena involve a focus on financial gain, a competition for consumers, markets, and resources, and a suppression of indigenous cultures (Rodricks 2003, 50-57). Furthermore, knowledge, as presented by global media, is described as specialized, compartmentalized, and standardized (Kawagley et. al 1999, 121) which reflects the Eurocentric view that knowledge should provide universal definitions and categorized information (Henderson 2000, 35-37). This view of knowledge directly opposes the First Nations view that knowledge should involve collect ivity, and decision-making as a community (Rodricks 2003, 79), further exemplifying the biases and Eurocentrism, evident in the global market. Glynn, although he does not deny the struggles faced by First Nations mediamakers against racism and stereotypical portrayals of minority cultures in mainstream television, has a more positive outlook of globalization as a trend that creates opportunities for establishing public recognition of indigenous identities (Glynn et. al 2007, 220). At one point he even suggests, through a quote from a Maori producer, Tainui Stephens, that the inevitable struggles against more dominant cultures in the global media market, can be an aid, as opposed to a hindrance, to the Maori quest for self-determinism, since it makes [the Maori] that much more determined to succeed (Stephens 2004, 114). Glynn raises several points to support his claim that the indigenous public sphere is continuously expanding through global media systems (Glynn et. al 2007, 211), and each of the points are specific to his thesis and backed up with historical events, such as the establishment of Aboriginal television channels, or opinions of other scholars. For instance, he refers to Kraidys conclusion that through aspects such as immigration and colonial expansion, the local and the global have long been hybridized (Kraidy 1999, 459). He also refers to Stuart Halls view that the use of global media is key for cultural and political survival of indigenous cultures (Grossberg 1996, 143), and Lisa Parks view that global media does not need to act as a tool for Western cultural imperialism, but can instead be used to establish aspects of local culture and priorities (Parks 2005, 59). By providing an array of quotations and references to a number of people, some of whom are closely associated with the s ubject under discussion the Maori, Glynn presents a well-supported and thus, convincing position. The number of quotations and references which he presents depicts his analysis as one that is evidently well-researched. However, the implementation of this research at some points in the article, acts as an impediment to the organization and flow of his argument. Because of the various different views he references to from various people, there is a section in his article where he stacks, in a sense, one point after another, where each point counters the one preceding it. He begins with the dismissing of Marshall McLuhans concept of the global village as overly idealistic (Glynn et. al 2007, 209), counters this with the point that, despite this, the concept has a romanticism about it which disregards the issue that the global village is discriminatively governed by the West. Nevertheless, Glynn mentions as a counterpoint to this concept of power imbalance, neoliberalism promotes the idea of a free flow of information, and this point is then, in turn, countered with the argument that the concept of a free market is overly simplistic, and can have a suppressive effect on cultural self-expression. The fears associated with Western domination of the global media market is briefly discussed before finally arriving at the point which supports Glynns original thesis that such a view makes the fallacious presumption that indigenous cultures do not have the ability to withstand Western imperialist power (Glynn et. al, 210). The way these points, each of which are supported by a different authors opinion, are presented sacrifices clarity since the reader may be susceptible to losing track of Glynns primary thesis due to the bombardment of other points that are raised, each in succession to the other. Despite this shortcoming, overall, Glynn presents a strong argument, with a substantial amount of support given through other opinions and relative research. The second part of the article deals specifically with Mataku, an indigenous production which has received both domestic and international success; the popularity of this drama serves as an example which encompasses each of the points raised in Glynns thesis. A strength in Glynns discussion of the issue of globalization in relation to indigenous media production is, throughout the article, and primarily in the concluding section, Glynn does not present an overly idealistic view of the positive effects which globalization can have on the growth of national cultures. Rather, he reminds us that, despite the possibilities which globalization presents in regard to this issue, the undertakings involved in the production and popularization of indigenous media must be dealt with cautiously, and the struggles of First Nations mediamakers involving the establishment of institutions, the availability of funding, and the dominant Westernized views of mainstream media, are constant challenges. Glynn thus provides a convincing, optimistic yet practical view of the ways in which the globalization of media can contribute to the growth of the indigenous public sphere and the establishing of national cultures on a global scale. References: BATTISTE Marie and James Youngblood HENDERSON (2000). What is Indigenous Knowledge?, in Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage: A Global Challenge, Saskatoon: Purich Publishing Ltd, pp. 35 38. GLYNN, Kevin and A. F. TYSON (2007). Indigeneity, media and cultural globalization: The case of Mataku, or the Maori X-Files, International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol.10, no.2, pp. 205-224. GROSSBERG, Lawrence (1996) On Postmodernism and Articulation: An Interview with Stuart Hall, in Stuart Hall: Critical Dialogues in Cultural Studies. Edited by David Morley and Kuan-Hsing Chen. London: Routledge, pp. 131-150. Joseph STRAUBHAAR, Robert LaROSE, Lucinda DAVENPORT (2009). Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. Enhanced 6th Edition. Boston, Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. KAWAGLEY, Oscar, and Ray BARNHARDT (1999). Education Indigenous to Place: Western Science Meets Native Reality. in Ecological Education in Action: On Weaving Education, Culture, and the Environment. Edited by Gregory A. Smith, Dilafruz R. Williams. New York: SUNY Press. pp. 121. KRAIDY, Marwan (1999). The Global, the Local, and the Hybrid: A Native Ethnography of Glocalization, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 456-76. PARKS, Lisa (2005). Cultures in Orbit: Satellites and the Televisual. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. RODRICKS, Warren (2003). Globalization and Corporization The Evolving Nature of Education Online at: , consulted on February 8th, 2010. STEPHENS, Tainui (2004). Maori Television, in Television in New Zealand: Programming the Nation, Edited by Roger Horrocks and Nick Perry, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 107-15.

Cross-cultural Funeral Service Rituals Essay -- Participant Observatio

As a family member participant in the service, little field preparation was needed. However, the observer did complete the following tasks in preparation for the observation: 1. Reviewed the following resources on participant/non participant observation, ethnography, and the sociology of the African American funeral: Merriam, S. B. (2009). Being a careful observer. Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation, ch, 6 and Hazell, L. (2013). Cross-Cultural funeral service rituals. 2. Visited the church to review size, space, objects, and arrangement. 3. Selected a small note pad to record notes. 4. Secured a program on January 18, night before service to review. 5. Prepared a list of possible questions and areas to consider in observing. 6. Arrived at church early to be sure to get a seat in an appropriate location for observation. Field Note Taking Process The participant/observer/recorder for the funeral service of Lorena White. The observer used a small note pad and the provided funeral program to take notes. The program was gotten and reviewed the night before the service and used to record anecdotal jotting as the service progressed. The advance review of the program helped in being able to jot down appropriate content rapidly and inconspicuously. It also alerted the observer to look and listen for particular phenomena and events in the service. The note pad contained previously determined observer questions and areas to be used to help determine â€Å"what is transpiring here?† The program was the more efficient for recording in this setting. Upon entering the church the observer selected the seat she considered to be most obscure and which would allow her to visually view the most area while still ... ...es of the other participants, nor did it jeopardized the validity of the data collected and conclusions reached. This field experience certainly allowed the observer to begin to draw preliminary connections to her personal research interest based on what was learned about covert observation, note taking, ethnography study, and qualitative research. â€Æ' Works Cited Hazell, L. (2013). Cross-cultural funeral service rituals. Retrieved from http://www.funeralwise.com/customs/cross-cultural-funerals/#sthash.OeUEeixE.dpuf Kawulich, B. (2005). Participant observation as a data collection method. Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 6(2). Retrieved from http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0502430 Merriam, S. B. (2009). Being a careful observer. Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

Breaking Norms of Society

â€Å"Norms are rules which specify appropriate behavior in a given range of social contexts. A norm either prescribes a given type of behavior, or forbids it† (Giddens 1997, p. 583). The importance of norms in our society is not negotiable. Those who follow the norms of our society have better chances to find stable social position, and will hardly lose it. Those who do not treat social norms properly or neglect them risk being rejected by the society within which they exist. However, as we live in extremely diverse society, breaking the norms of society does not always lead to uniformly negative reactions.My experiment has proved this assumption. It is not rare that informal (folkway) norms go against the formal (legal) norms of the specific society. For example, many nations still praise the principles of vengeance against the legal ban on murder. In his book, Newman spoke about the military obedience and the legal limits of warfare in the hands of a military. For a militar y during the war, â€Å"one legal justification for killing is warfare† (Newman 2006, p. 18), but this does not mean that killing should be massive and meaningless. I had a chance in my life to get acquainted with the people of Russian origin.I always kept to the thought that Russian people preferred drinking alcohol during their parties, and when I was invited to their party I was prepared to that. I was already looking for excuses because I did not drink. However, it was the informal norm that each guest had to taste the host’s home-made alcoholic beverage. No one evidently knew or even imagined that I would be able to refuse and to simply neglect that long lasting informal tradition. Yet, I did refuse. In addition, I simply did not like drinking. I felt uncomfortable, because I knew that I was breaking an important norm, and still I could not step over myself.As I later understood, different nations treated their informal traditions in a similar way: they preferred when other people followed them even against their will. Legal norms are frequently neglected or are not respected, but not to follow informal traditions often means not to be accepted into particular society. Moreover, I was extremely interested in tracing the reactions of other people towards my behavior. When I was offered a drink, I refused. I was surrounded by Russian people, and my refusal was extremely surprising to them. Later I noticed that the different people displayed different reactions in terms of my refusal.I spent the rest of the party with them, and I was hearing them talk about me here and there. Some people openly expressed their displeasure with my behavior as they were talking to each other. The host of the party came up to me and whispered that I should not have behaved as that. I also heard that some people still did not reject my position, and they were even trying to justify my conduct. No one with the exception of the host has expressed his view openly. Non e of the Russian guests ever tried to explain me why my conduct could be negative or why I would have to follow their traditions.Ultimately, I was never invited to this house again. From the viewpoint of sociology, norms are rather complex sets of meanings for a particular society. As I have later understood it was extremely important for the Russian host that I followed their principles and informal traditions. The fact that I was never invited to their house again told much to me, but the reactions of people at the party had told me even more. First of all, I now realize that the reaction of people at breaking informal norms is never uniform, even when these people belong to one particular society, the norm of which was broken.It is very probable that they had also broken their own norms for various reasons, and breaking social norm once may turn into the regular process of routinization. Once people â€Å"have taken the initial step, they are in a new psychological and social si tuation in which the pressures to continue are powerful† (Newman 2006, p. 25). One important fact meant a lot to me: none of those who supported me in my behavior openly expressed his position to me. This was evidently another way not to break the norms of the society in which they found themselves, and not to face the risks of being rejected.When my Russian acquaintances stopped contacting me, I understood that I was not accepted into their society due to my refusal to drink. Probably, they could accept such conduct within their circles, but not from a person who was actually alien to their traditions as I was. I still realize that if I appeared in similar situation once again, I would have to analyze the informal traditions before I came into a new society, and would openly explain to other people why I would not perform certain actions. ConclusionThat type of experiment had led me to several serious conclusions. First, societies treat their informal traditions more obedient ly and more thoroughly than they treat the commonly held legal norms. In my case, there were no legal norms which would make me drink, yet I was not accepted into the Russian society again. Second, the reaction of other societal members at breaking folkway norms is never uniform. In this context, there are far reaching sociological implications for such conduct: even when people accepted my position they never expressed it openly.This meant that for a person to be within his own society was much more important than expressing his own thoughts and ideas which went against the norms and traditions of that particular society. I have expected that the reaction of people towards my conduct would be somewhat different: I anticipated that they would be open with me and would even try to explain why my behavior was wrong or to what consequences it could lead. However, they tried to create an impression that they were indifferent towards what I had done.Their indifference was only surface, b ecause in their minds they were trying to weigh all pros and cons of my actions. It was evident that the way people treated their folkway traditions ultimately determined the way they behaved towards those who broke those traditions. The host of the party was one of those for whom informal traditions were extremely important: he was the only one to express his displeasure to me. References Giddens, A. (1997). Sociology. London: Polity Press. Newman, D. (2006). Sociology: Exploring the architecture of everyday life. 6th edition. Pine Forge Press.

Diversity Issues Essay

Share some contemporary examples of cultural diversity issues. Some contemporary examples of cultural diversity issues, for example, are law enforcements inabilities to understand completely some of the minority group’s language, traditions, beliefs, lifestyles, religions, stereotyping, and profiling of minorities. Law enforcement also encounters cultural diversity issues with the different moral beliefs of ethnic groups, therefore, can interfere with relating to other minorities when faced with a situation. Law enforcement officers should focus on education, training, and gain knowledge of their local minorities to form a universal relationship with those minorities to avoid the cultural and ethical issues, which may raise suspicions when in turn it is the beliefs, morals, etc. of that minority rather than hiding something, or under the influences of drugs or alcohol. An example is with Asian and Hispanic females. Females in both these minority family environments are considered subordinate to men, and many are expected to take a role as the mother while the male counterparts are allowed to participate in social activities such as jobs, sports, clubs, afterschool activities, and such (Shapiro, 2002). Law enforcement encounters much problematic issues regarding the subordination of females by the male counterparts in these minorities, resulting in calls to the school systems because female Hispanics are prone to be hostile toward peers because of stress, which derives in the family and the attempting results to conform-assimilate with youths in America (Shapiro, 2002). Reference: Shapiro, M. (2002). Asian Culture Belief: Vietnam. Retrieved September 29, 2011, from http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu/downloads/products/briefs/culture/pdf/ACB-Vol2-Iss5-Vietnam.pdf https://www.google.com