Letters of application and complaint

Dear Dir. Orr: I am writing with enthusiasm after discovering your Swim With Mike scholarship that provides financial resources for advanced education to physically challenged athletes so that they can overcome their tragedies and realize their full potential. The name of the scholarship is what really grabbed my attention, because I was a four year varsity swimmer for Blue Valley High School, and am now bound to a wheelchair. Swimming was one of the most Important things to me before my accident I have a rather diverse athletic background; before I even thought of swimming to be my sport, I ere up as a football and baseball player.Winning tournaments, receiving trophies with my team mates , and earning medals was part of my childhood. It wasn't until highlights that I became a swimmer, and I walked onto the varsity team after the coach described my stroke as natural and the swimmers Joked that I was a prodigy. We won state that year and the following year. Being a part of that Inspi red me to work harder than I ever Imagined possible. I Invested myself In and out of season on a goal of breaking the school's 100 yard breaststroke record after two of my mates came within a tenth of a second at the past two state championships.Lifting weights really helped me take my swimming to the next level; because I was shorter than most of my competitors, my coach emphasized that I put on more lean muscle mass. After gaining 30 pounds of muscle in an a year and a half, I broke the school record by a second and a half at the state championship my senior year. There Is no better feeling than completing a goal that you have been focused on for years. Three weeks after I broke the school record, I dove into the ocean in Playa delCarmen, Mexico and broke something tragically different – my 5th cervical vertebra. I am now paralyzed from the chest down, but there is no way that I am going to let that stop me from accomplishing my goals and reaching my dreams, Just as I did i n the pool some short time ago. This Is why the Swim With Mike scholarship would benefit me so well; when I set a goal, I do what It takes and I never give up. I respectfully request your consideration of my enclosed application for the swim With Mike Scholarship. Sincerely, Alex Dear Icing Customer Service:I would Like to file a complaint and better learn about the process for filing an appeal on a recent claim. I made a claim on May 1 5th, 2014 for a specialty commode shower chair costing $3,220, and was denied for the reason that Icing did not see it as being medically necessary. In the following paragraph I will explain why this shower chair is medically necessary due to the level of my injury. My morning routine consists of a transfer using a sling and a powered lift Into my toilet for a bowel program. This can take anywhere from an hour to two hours.If I didn't have my shower chair I would have to transfer to my wheelchair, transfer to a shower bench, transfer back to my wheel chair, transfer onto a toilet, transfer back to my wheelchair again, and then finally transfer back into bed to change and finish my morning routine. This would take more than three hours. As a C-5 quadriplegic without full functionality of my arms, little functionality of my wrists, and no functionality of my fingers, trunk, or legs, doing six transfers would tire me out before I would even get out of my room to start the day.More importantly, with my limited mobility and no abdominal control or balance, it's not possible for me to sit on a shower bench without falling. I have always been pleased with Icing and have been thankful for good insurance through this time of adjustment since my injury on March 17th. This adjustment would be made easier if I could be reimbursed the $3,220. I respectfully submit my complaint of your denial of my claim for a shower chair and ask for your consideration of my unique situation and direction on filing an appeal. Sincerely,

Public Relation Campaign Essay

The Impact of Technology Considerations Riordan is into plastic manufacturing. This is a technological product. Its uses can vary from simple carry bags to the sophisticated packaging. Plastics are considered environmentally unsafe. The only way to get rid of a plastic product is recycle and reuse it. Except for use, plastic is technologically sophisticated product. It requires technology to manufacture it as well as recycle it. Riordan before launching the product in global market place needs to understand the market set up and availability of recycling units. Recycling can be one of the themes of its PR strategy. It can educate consumers about the benefits of recycling and Riordan’s products compatibility with recycling. It can promote recycling in various ways. It can arrange recollection of the used Riordan products for recycling for free of cost or bare minimum charges from the users or encourage users to donate used plastics at Riordan units or selected locations from where it can be sent to recycling. It can also place its recycling waste bins in the high plastic usage areas. It can use new technological platforms like internet in order to promote recycling and reuse of plastic. Riordan can also communicate about its technological efforts to make the products better and less environmentally unsafe. Globalization Considerations There are various globalization considerations for Riordan. These are as follows: Social and cultural environment is one of the most important aspects of globalization considerations for Riordan. There are various factors of social and cultural environment that may result in success or failure of any company in global market place. The cultural differences must be studied for developing any PR campaign. The community will be involved in any kind of event and activities only if it can associate itself with it. This is possible when company has properly studied the cultural elements of the new business destination. Technological Environment is second important aspect for Riordan, as the product it is trying to launch in new business place requires technological set up for production and manufacturing. In the PR campaign it needs to find out the technological platforms and mediums that cover its target audience. Once these are identified, it can develop its PR plan using the most compatible platforms. Any PR campaign can be developed within the parameters of legal and regulatory framework. Governments of different countries are very particular about the messages; content and information companies are releasing in order to improve their image. The information must not be exaggerated, vague or misleading. Companies need to show their responsibilities while disseminating any information. They are accountable for their actions. Not only PR campaigns, but also in entire operations companies need to function according to the statutory compliance with the local government and international regulatory bodies in the global market place. A PR campaign will be successful only when all the information regarding company and from the company is positive. This is possible when company has smooth relationship with its suppliers, distributors, vendors, creditors and other financial stakeholders. The investment company is making in the new location will provide employment opportunity to many and help in the economical development of the particular area. This can also be one part of PR campaign for the company. Company can start certain corporate responsibility projects related to environment pollution. At the citizen front people are not as responsible for separating biodegradable and non degradable wastes. Company can educate and encourage people about benefits of separating such wastes. It can foster change in society through its PR campaign. This can improve its brand image and reputation. It will help building its image as a responsible corporate citizen. Crisis Management Plan There can be different types of crisis where organization will require responding quickly and actively. Company can analyze internal and external environment in order to find out about the possible crisis. Company’s PR strategy should aim at easing the tension situation. It should be a committed effort. Any kind of information going out of the company must be thoroughly checked and verified. A crisis management team of PR personnel, legal experts and representatives of main business operations like marketing, human resource and personnel management, finance and technology should be created, once major risk areas are identified. Team members should be accountable for their responsibilities. Communication channel and information flow should be planned. Employees should be given crisis management training. PR office should create a Crisis Management Manual for internal reference and external communication. During the crisis PR office should provide proper information on time. This information should be developed on the basis of interaction with local government, investigating agencies, legal agencies and concerned departments within the organization. Reference: Cooper, D, Grey S, Raymond G and Walker P (2005) Managing Risk in Large Projects and Complex Procurements, Project Risk Management Guidelines, Broadleaf Capital International, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, West Sussex, England (e-book) Check List for Crisis Management Planning retrieved on 30 May 2008 from http://www.acc.com/chapters/program/houst/crisischecklist.pdf Dinsmore, P.C. (1993) AMA Handbook of Project Management, The AMACOM Books ISBN: 0814401066 (e-book)

Questionnaire for Branded Clothing

Questionnaire for Clothes consumption NAME: CONTACT NO. OCCUPATION: e-mail: PLACE: DATE: Questions: 1) Approximately, how many times do you buy your clothes? a) Once a week b) Once every 2 weeks c) Once a month d) At the beginning of season e) During the sales period f) During the Christmas Festivities g) As the need arises h) Occasionally i) Rarely 2) From where do you usually buy clothes? a) Factory Outlets ) Retail Shops (unbranded) c) Brand’s Showrooms d) Malls e) Online Shopping 3) With whom do you usually buy your clothes? a) Friends b) Mother c) Father d) Brother/Sister e) Grandparents f) Alone 4) When buying clothes, you: a) Go directly in a particular shop. b) Go round in various shops. 5) Please indicate how much importance do you give to each of the following factors before you buy your clothes. Â   |Almost Always |Sometimes |Rarely |Never | | Fabric |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | | Design |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | | Colour |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | | Brand |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | | Comfort |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | | Fashion |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | | Price |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | 6) How would you rate the following statements? Â   |Strongly Agree |Agree |Disagree |Strongly | | | | | |Disagree | |I wear only well known brands |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |I buy clothes depending on their colours |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |I buy styles that suit me rather than what is fashionable |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |I only buy the style that my riends wear |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |I only buy the latest fashion as long as they suit me |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |I create my own fashion rather than follow it |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |I tend to stick to classic styles that won't date |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |I wear only clothes that are widely available |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |I hate going round for clothes and I let others buy my clothes |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |I search for sales an d low prices |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Â   | | | | | 7) How important would you rate the following factors in influencing the choice of clothes purchased? Â   |Almost Always |Sometimes |Rarely |Never | |Fashion Magazines |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Beauty Magazines |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Television |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Radio |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Newspapers |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Billboards |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Cinema |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Promotional Leaflets |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Internet |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | 8) Do you think that wearing branded clothes would reflect: Â   |Strongly Agree |Agree |Disagree |Strongly Disagree | |Confidence |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Superior Image |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Exclusivity |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Snob Appeal |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |

10 C for Writing Effectively Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

10 C for Writing Effectively - Essay Example The email also lacks details on the meals and whether spouses are allowed to attend. These are very sensitive elements of any party and therefore in communicating to a team it is imperative to be clear on the same. Another communication problem with the email by bobby is the directive ASAP. This is very unclear and seems dictatorial in nature as it closes the window for those seeking more information yet the email itself is unclear in the first place. Courtesy is overtly lacking in the email as can be seen in salutations. â€Å"Hello everyone† yet these are colleagues and members of a team. The email closure â€Å"see you there† is also more of a directive. The email is thus shallow not only on content but also clarity, courtesy, creativity and completeness. As a result of the communication problems in the email, Bobby will likely have to respond to 50 emails or phone calls from the recipients who will be seeking more information. All this is because Bobby never took enough time to read and revise his email from the perspective of his audience. I pray that this email finds you all in good health. As you all may be already aware, our colleague Joe Banyon will proceeding to retirement next month. A number of his friends have expressed the intentions of holding a farewell party for him and I have been asked to arrange for the same. It has been proposed that we give Joe a gift certificate as our appreciation for the time we have been together and are requesting that every one contributes at least $25 for the same. The contributions can be made to me or Alvin Brook preferably by Thursday afternoon to allow ample time for purchasing the gift. A full-course and refreshments have already been catered for by the company. We welcome any suggestions on how best we can send off our colleague. The preferred date and time is this Friday 22nd May, at 6.00 PM and we chosen City cafà © Restaurant as our venue for the party. The restaurant is located at Windsow

Research Proposal Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Proposal - Coursework Example Conducting the mega events turns out to be highly beneficial and productive in many ways for the host country. Not only this that mega sports events serve as a healthy activity in respect of promoting the talents under a competitive environment (Coalter, 2005:5); but also these events also turn out to be beneficial ones for the commercial activities of the area hosting the event (Dolles & Sà ¶derman, 2005:22). Moreover, mega sports events also support the projection and popularity of the cultural traits and social norms of the host state all over the world (Dolles & Sà ¶derman, 2005). The people belonging to diverse nations, states and communities watch their favourite teams playing on television as well as by personally visiting the place where the event has been arranged (Lumpkin, 2008:34). By taking the example of 2012 Summer Olympics organised in London, it becomes evident that nearly 4 billion spectators watched the grand inaugural ceremony on television, in which over ten thousand athletes from over 200 countries were participating (Kuba, 2014). Furthermore, almost 20 million people were estimated to visit London, which led to the generation of over $14 billion in the wake of conducting the 2012 Summer Olympics (Kuba, 2014). Moreover, it is also estimated that the British economy also witnessed the increase of  £9.9bn boost in the areas of trade and investment out of hosting the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games (BBC, 2013). Similarly, the country observed an additional investment of  £2.5 billion, nearly three fifth of which was made from the ci ties other than London. Moreover, the country also observed the additional sales of multiple products, predominantly of sports-related items, worth  £5.9 billion through the Foreign Office and UKTI (BBC, 2013). Furthermore, the country also obtained significant boost through the overseas contracts it entered into with the future

Competition in drafts for sports Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Competition in drafts for sports - Research Paper Example History shows that the Cleveland Cavaliers abused this privilege by signing LeBron James to a huge contract. Many sports analysts also argue that the NFL draft does not carry as popular names. The biggest names in NFL draft up to this day is Adrian Peterson, who has still not managed to take his team to the superbowl. However, the NBA draft has always gotten attention for its fancy players. The NBA 03 draft was one of the most prominent drafts that features players such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Kirk Hinrich, and many other superstars. The NBA has been traditionally been very lucky being blessed with drafts whereas NFL drafts. Competition in both drafts have been superseding amazingly in the previous decade. Players have been stronger, faster, and better than ever before. This is due to the fact that competition has been majorly extensive even at minor conferences. Players are running the 50 yard dashes in major milestones for the NFL draft. The advent of the supplement industry and nutritionists have also played a vital role in this. Players at the collegiate levels have nutrionists, therapists, and training staff to help them in any manner possible. However, one element of draft that is missing is the athlete’s behavior. The combine and pre-season events that occur before the draft also are a valuable element. They dictate the nature of the draft as players showcase their skills and athletic abilities. Prior to the NFL combine, recruiters only had game film to evaluate the players. With new technologies and analysis, the draft has become a very fierce method of evaluation. Competition in drafts has been much fiercer as well because of the exposure of social media. Social media attention has been a focal point in the persona lives of athletes. In today’s centuries, the advent of social media has made

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Microeconomics - Essay Example In other words, the firm should produce at a point whereby if it spends a dollar on a unit of labour, this should give us most output as a dollar it spends on extra capital. The above graph shows the point at which the firm minimizes the cost of production. In other words, the iso-cost line is in tangency with the isoquant. This is at the point whereby the last dollar spent on labour yields as must output as the dollar that the firm spends on capital. This is as the below function explains. The slope of the isoquant is the marginal rate of substitution of labour and Capital (MRTSKL). This should be equal to the slope of the iso-cost line (w/r). From the function, the last dollar spent on labour yields MPL/w that is equivalent to the output of the last dollar that the firm spends on capital MPX/r. At this point, the level of production is optimal. In other words, the firm minimizes the cost of production (Quirk, 2012). For a monopolistic firm that is facing a demand curve that is linear, it must produce at a point whereby the demand curve is elastic. In other words, the firm must produce at a point whereby there is a high demand elasticity of price change. This is because for the firm to increase its revenue, it has to sell additional units of output. In addition, for the firm to sell the additional units of output, it has to reduce its prizes per unit. This happens at the point where the demand curve is elastic. At this point, the sale for an extra unit yields more revenue since the percentage decrease of the price is lower than the percentage increase in the quantity demanded (Nicholson, 2008). At any other point other than the elastic point, decrease in price would not result to increase in the revenue. For example, at the inelastic point, the reduction in price would result in a reduction in revenue. This is because the percentage drop-off in price is higher in comparison with the

Human Diseases Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Diseases - Research Paper Example Bradykinesia or slowly voluntary movement is one of the major symptoms of this disease. Tremors are seen in the hands, fingers, and forearm of the patients when the limb is at rest. Rigidity, poor balance, and Parkinsonian gait are some other common symptoms seen along with this disease (Parkinson’s disease: Hope through research). Currently, physicians suggest levodopa combined with carbipoda for the patients. The patients with advanced PD are given rasagiline along with levodopa. In some case, surgery is necessary if the patient does not respond to drugs. Recently, US Food and Drug Administration has approved a deep brain therapy for this disease. A number of community resources such as National Parkinson Foundation and American Parkinson Disease Association work toward the mitigation of PD related problems. II. Subdural hematoma Subdural hematoma is a condition when blood is accumulated underneath the dura mater which surrounds brain and spinal cord. Usually, severe head in juries cause subdural hematoma and it is called acute subdural hematoma. Sometimes, even minor head injuries may cause subdural hematomas if the injuries go unnoticed for many days to weeks; this condition is called chronic subdural hematomas. Confused speech and difficulty with balance are the major symptoms of this disease.

How has Islamic religion influenced American culture Essay

How has Islamic religion influenced American culture - Essay Example re are many points that should be taken into account as well as there are traces that should be identified as those that are largely affected by Islam. That is why exploring the issue in question may be particularly beneficial since it sheds light on the true nature of both parties. This paper will analyze how Islamic religion has influenced American culture. In order to do so, it may be necessary to examine some of the earliest encounters between the religion in question and the United States. Afterwards, the concept of religion in general will be explored, namely how Islam is able to be included into the Christian dominated social environment. The next important aspect is education: Islam is known to have a considerable impact on the educational process and this largely shapes the latter. The issue of Muslim identity should also be carefully examined since it is able to highlight the major aspects of each of the side involved. The paper will also focus on the negative impact that i s often attributed to Muslims and how it defines the modern culture. It is rather obvious that some people might argue that the history of interaction of Islam and the United States started relatively not so long ago. However, these people tend to forget that Muslims did not only appear in America at the time of its created, but also contributes towards its emergence. By far, the Civil War is one of the major historical events in the history of the United State. So, if one carefully analyzes the demographics of the soldiers who fought for the North, one will be able to see that there was a considerable number of Muslims. With this is mind, it is obvious that people who belong to this faith greatly contributed towards the very appearance of this culture. Indeed, the aftermath of the Civil War resulted in an â€Å"increased ethnic and racial diversity and the heterogeneity of religious life in America †¦ called for the rethinking of the essential character of America† (GhaneaBassiri,

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

Costing - Essay Example The Target costing method is widely used in the RD&E phase of the total life cycle of a good. The Target costing accounting method has been extensively used since time immemorial. This method dates back to the early 20th century at the height of industrial revolution in Europe and North America. Henry Ford, the famous engineer designed the first vehicle in 1908 in a factory with an aim of minimizing costs and maximizing profits through mass production. Ford managed to retail the T model vehicle at an average of $ 495 in the year 1913 (Wilson 2013). Understandably, for him to achieve that fete, the engineer and his planners had to minimize production costs to a bare minimum. Henry Ford accounted for raw material expenses through a backward integration process, labour expenses through specialization and division of labour and other expenses through frugal behaviour. Fords Company received a boost after the end of the Second World War (WWII) for the demand for the vehicles rose sharply (Wilson 2013). With increased demand, the price for the vehicle increased upwards. Because Target costing is normally applied to fresh merchandise planning, which mostly needs investments in new tools and equipment, it is justifiably correct to say that price influences both investments and expenses. The Total life cycle cost accounting method is a broad way for company executives to comprehend and account for costs through merchandises design, creation, and manufacturing, promotion, delivery, maintenance, service and clearance phases. It denotes a process of organizing all expenses along the value chain (Keuper 2011). By way of employing this method, cost managers are able to salvage some significant costs. By selected approximations, about 80% of goods total life expenses are committed by assessments made in the course of the RD& E phase, emphasizing the significance of managing all expenses along the value

Anne Tyler's Digging to America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anne Tyler's Digging to America - Essay Example Although the novel's perspective shifts among its many characters, Sami's mother Maryam is at its narrative and emotional heart, who carefully tries to preserve her 'outsiderness'' and despite having emigrated from Iran almost 40 years earlier, is frequently perplexed by her son and daughter-in-law's ongoing relationship with the loud, opinionated, unapologetically American Donaldson. Anne Tyler uses the story of the families' growing friendship to explore what it means to be American . Two families keep in touch and meet every year to celebrate the day when they adopted two little girls from Korea. The Donaldsons and Yazdans have very different approaches to non-biological parenthood - Brad and Bitsy, "whose cultural sensitivity verges on aggression" (Schillinger, 2006), insist on calling their daughter Jin-ho, a Korean birth name, and dress her in Korean clothes while trying to retain the ethnic heritages of her daughter. Ziba and Sami Yazdan, in contrast, do their best to Americanize their daughter - the original name Sooki is replaced by more American Susan, which is also "a comfortable sound for Iranians to pronounce" (Matthews, 2006) and the way of life does not seem to be Korean for a girl. Despite the opposite brining up approaches the families maintain their relationship, and the reason is no

Music theatre history Essay Example for Free

Music theatre history Essay Miss Saigon is the tenth-longest running Broadway Musical in music theatre history, according to Hernandez (2009). Such was its success that it has toured all over the world since its opening day in April 1991 (Broadway Musical Home n. d. ). The plot of the play is simple enough, a Marine fell in love with a young Vietnamese call girl while in Vietnam, serving in the Vietnam war (Music Theatre International n. d. ). He fathers her child but does not discover it until a few years later when he has another family from coming back to America (Music Theatre International n. d. ). In the play, he was forced to choose between his legal wife and the woman he loves (Music Theatre International n. d. ). The composer of the songs in the musical is Claude-Michel Schonberg, the lyricists are Alain Boubil and Richard Maltby Jr. and the librettists are Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubil (Broadway Musical Home n. d. ). My experience Over a decade ago, I was fortunate enough to watch a production of Miss Saigon on Broadway with the original casts. These casts were: Hinton Battle, Barry K. Bernal, Liz Callaway, Kam Cheng, Willy Falk, Jonathan Pryce, Lea Salonga. I understand that Salonga and Pryce are Olivier and Tony award winners for their performances as Kim (the Vietnamese girl) and the Engineer (the pimp) for this musical. Back then, I was so overwhelmed by the production. I thought the cast was fantastic; Salonga was so good, so very convincing as Kim. She had such a powerful voice, constant and unwavering, so pleasant to listen to. I was perhaps 10 or 11 when I saw that original production on Broadway, and it was an amazing experience. At the time, I could not fully comprehend the seriousness of the issues being tackled in the script. I just knew I liked listening to the songs and I bought a CD to remember the play. When I was vacationing in Houston, Texas last February, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see Miss Saigon again. I do not quite remember the Broadway actors who have played it, and to be honest, I have did not pay close attention, I simply wanted to see the reproduction of that Broadway play I remember from long ago. A quick search on Google tells me that this reproduction played at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts was directed by Bruce Lumpkin. Kim, is played by Melinda Chua, Chris (the Marine) is played by Eric Kunze and Joseph Anthony plays the Engineer (BWW News Desk 2010). Having listened to the original cast’s CD of the play, the new cast fell short of the vocal prowess I have come to love. As such, I was underwhelmed by the casting and their singing despite their respective accomplishments in their craft. Salonga was just too strong a performer for me and her voice was perfect, in my opinion. The songs â€Å"Sun and Moon† and â€Å"Last Night of the World† did not have the certain charm they used to have with that reproduction’s performance. What I am thankful for for this reviewing is that I fully understand now what Miss Saigon is all about. I remember the story from memory and I knew it had a tragic ending. However, this second watching of the film helped open my eyes to the grave issues involved in the play. First, it talked about the horrors that war can do, especially to the innocent. Kim was orphaned because of the war and being an orphan forced her to work in a night club where all sorts of horror can be imagined. A third world country like Vietnam, would not miss the chance to serve the enemy for some good money. One particular scene that was intriguing for me was during the opening acts when the girls at the night club were competing to be Miss Saigon, the winner will be auctioned off to a Marine and the winner of such contest begged the Marine she was auctioned to to take her back to America, where she can live a better life. The Marine there refused. It shows how America is such the dream land for the third world country people. America that was their enemy in the war, who was killing their men in its continuous search for imperialism. Kim, in that night club met Chris, another Marine. Kim and Chris spent the night together, Chris was touched by the innocence of Kim and he tried to give her money so she can get away from the night club. Kim did not accept the money, even for her fee for spending a night with Chris. She was a virgin and she did not accept the money because, essentially she liked the experience and perhaps because she was developing feelings for Chris. Basically, Kim and Chris fell in love but Chris had to leave but before leaving he promised Kim that he will come back and marry her. This of course, did not happen because of a series of events that thwarted their love. Chris married another woman and before the play ended, he was forced to choose between Kim and his wife, he chose his wife. Kim committed suicide and such was the ending to this wonderful musical play. Such love story was poignant, evoking feelings of melancholy. References: BWW News Desk. (2010). TUTS Announces Their MISS SAIGON Cast, Show Opens 2/9. BroadwayWorld. com – Dallas. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://dallas.broadwayworld. com/article/TUTS_Announces_Their_MISS_SAIGON_Cast_Show_Opens_29_20100115 Broadway Musical Home. (n. d. ). Miss Saigon. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://www. broadwaymusicalhome. com/shows/misssaigon. htm Hernandez, E. (2009). Long Runs on Broadway. Playbill. com. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://www. playbill. com/celebritybuzz/article/75222-Long-Runs-on-Broadway Music Theater International. (n. d. ). Miss Saigon. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://www. mtishows. com/show_detail. asp? showid=000156

Structure and Chemical Composition of Silk

Structure and Chemical Composition of Silk Silk: A Natural Polymer By: David Church â€Å"The Silk Road,† a trading route that can be traced back to over 3600 years ago, but still is a household recognized name. Standing the test of time proves that this product was extremely important in shaping history. According to Chinese historians, silk began with the prince of China, Hoang-ti, and his wife, Si-ling-chi. The prince wanted his wife to contribute something important to their people. He assigned her the task of finding a use for the thread that came from silk worms. Si-ling-chi was able to develop a method to feed the worms, extract and reel the thread, as well as create clothing from the silk. The Chinese were able to keep not only the method of producing silk but also the source (the silk worm) a secret until about the sixth century. The nobility of the world was forced to pay as much as its weight in gold for silk until about 555 A.D. This is when two Nestorian monks were able to bring a few silk worm eggs to Constantinople, which began the spread of pr oduction through Europe and other parts of Asia.6 Silk can come from many different insects, including caterpillars, spiders, and worms. The most economically viable silk is produced from mulberry silkworms because they can be raised in captivity and their silk can be mass produced. The larva is born from an egg and must be fed mulberry leaves for up to one month before it is ready to create a cocoon of silk. Once it creates this cocoon, workers kill the larva inside using hot water or steam, and then proceed with the rest of the manufacturing process.5 The structure of this silk is composed of amino acids linked together in a long chain. Three main amino acids comprise 83.4% of the total polymer structure with trace amounts of many other amino acids. A total of up to 2592 different amino acids can be found in a polymer chain of silk. The three frequent amino acids include glycine, alanine, and tyrosine, with ratios in the polymer chain of about 1/2, 1/4, and 1/16 respectively. This leaves a ratio of about 3/16 of all other trace amino acids. If we denote glycine as G, alanine as A, tyrosine as T, and all the other amino acids as X, an outline structure of the polymer can be created to follow a pattern similar to: [G-A-G-T-G-A-G-X-G-A-G-X-G-A-G-X] n.2 Even though the chemical structure of this polymer chain seems like it could be very complex, the actual structure of the chain is relatively simple. The two most frequent amino acids present (glycine and alanine) in the polymer make up about 75% of the polymer chain and fortunately have two of the simplest individual structures of all amino acids. Glycine’s and alanine’s chemical structures are shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively.2 Figure 1: Glycine Chemical Structure Figure 2: Alanine Chemical Structure The third most frequent amino acid present, tyrosine, is a little larger and more complex because it contains a benzene ring. Its chemical structure is shown in Figure 3.2 Figure 3: Tyrosine Chemical Structure The similarities in the chemical structure of these amino acids should be noted. As a generalization, all amino acids can be represented with an amino group, a hydrogen atom, a carboxylic acid group, and a side â€Å"R† group all attached to the alpha carbon as shown in Figure 4.2 Figure 4: Generalized Amino Acid Chemical Structure The method of synthesis that is used is step growth condensation polymerization. To perform this reaction, a hydrogen atom from the amino group of one amino acid reacts with the hydroxide molecule from the carboxylic acid group of another amino acid to form water. This allows for the nitrogen atom to bond directly to the carbon atom and start a chain. One step in the polymerization process between glycine and alanine is shown in Figure 5.1 Figure 5: Polymerization Step This process propagates in a chain of amino acids with the pattern previously shown in Figure 1. Denoting â€Å"R† for the side chain in tyrosine and â€Å"R1† for all the side chains in the numerous trace amino acids, a simplified polymer chain diagram would look something like what is shown in Figure 6.1 Figure 6: Simplified Polymer Chain2 As the name suggests, â€Å"The Silk Road† was a route taken in order to trade silk between communities, however, silk was not the only product being transported on this route. Silk is arguably known as the most significant product being transported at the time, but because of the existence of the Silk Road, it made it much easier to trade other commodities, such as gold, precious metals and stones, ivory, exotic animals, and religion. The route provided a means for Buddhist missions to travel from India to influence China. The starting point of the Silk Road and capital of China was Changan. During the heyday of the Silk Road, about 740 A.D., Changan grew into one of the largest cities of the time with a population of about two million people. As the Silk Road developed and the precious items became more widely known, it in turn became more dangerous to travel. Bandits took advantage of the long, desert road by attacking and looting caravans. To combat this, sections of the G reat Wall of China were constructed to defend the caravans.9 The simple pleasures that silk provided like comfort and social hierarchy caused a chain reaction that in turn led to the globalization of trade, religion, economy, and mass construction. Today, silk has taken on a new importance to society with the many technologically advanced uses that will be discussed later. Both the advantages and disadvantages of silk can mainly be contributed to the inherent biological nature of its formation. The advantages of silk come from comparing it with other natural threads and with artificially created threads. The mulberry silk worm produces large amounts of silk in a convenient cocoon shape that is easily industrialized unlike other natural threads. The natural process of protein organization with such chemical control has not been able to be replicated artificially in a laboratory. The first disadvantages of silk are bound by the limitations of nature. The only insect that is currently capable of mass producing silk is the mulberry silkworm. Other insects that produce silk such as spiders are carnivorous and independent in nature, and cannot produce mass quantities silk. Therefore, creating a farm of spiders that can produce enough silk becomes very difficult. The mulberry silkworm only creates one type of thread whereas a spider can produce typically five types of thread that have different and desired properties.4 A few other disadvantages include photo-yellowing, wrinkling recovery, and rub-resistance. Photo-yellowing is a phenomenon where the silk turns a yellowish tint after prolonged exposure to light. Silk cloth has poor wrinkling recovery meaning after it is creased; it is difficult to get it smooth again. The rub-resistance or abrasion-resistance of silk cloth is also poor, which is the ability to resist surface wear from flat rubbing on another material.5 The obvious example of a use for silk is cloth which also takes up the greatest portion of silk consumption. There are many other uses of silk specifically in the medical field that have arisen recently due to advances in technology. The fibers of silk have been used for sutures of wounds, because it does not trigger a response from the human immune system. For the same reason, it has been used as replacement ligaments, tendons, bones, and cartilage.3 After further research and development, a potential use is an artificial cornea made from a silk film that is lasered to become permeable. Another potential use currently under research is very thin, degradable silk films with electrode arrays printed on them. These films could form to the contours of the brain and potentially treat epilepsy and other conditions with less scarring than traditional procedures. New innovative uses for silk are surfacing and being researched regularly.4 Silk is a rapidly renewable resource that is both reusable and biodegradable. It has much less negative impact when compared to other fabrics if it is produced safely and organically. There is not much processing involved in the creation of silk that normally would cause unnecessary environmental impact. The mulberry plantations provide prevention to soil erosion from wind and water, as well as improving air quality by naturally filtering the air. Some silk has been advertised as being a â€Å"green† product when produced with the appropriate caution, but it also has negative environmental impacts associated with its production. 7 In non-organic production, pesticides and fertilizers are used in the growth of the mulberry trees that pollute the air when sprayed and the ground water when washed away by precipitation. Chemicals are used in the â€Å"degumming† process that are eventually wash off creating wastewater that in certain cases may or may not be reclaimed at a w ater treatment plant. In most areas silk is produced where populations are large and land is sparse, such as China, Japan, Italy, and India. The mulberry plantations take up a significant amount of land. 8 These are some of the few locations that have been able to successfully grow mulberry plantations; subsequently a great deal of transportation is required to deliver the silk to its consumers leading to pollution. As with any industrialized production, there are always environmental impacts both positive and negative that arise.7 References Ahluwalia, V.K., and Anuradha Mishra. Polymer Science. New Delhi: Ane Books Pvt. Ltd., 2008. Print. Bergmann, Max, and Carl Niemann. On the Strucure of Silk Fibroin. Journal of Biological  Chemistry 122.2 (1938): 577-596. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. Web. 25 Sept.  2014. Boado, Christine. Hand Designed Silk Embroidery Art with Over 2,500 Years of History.  Importance of Silk. Art of Silk, 12 Sept. 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.  http://www.artofsilk.com/blogs/news/6565365-importance-of-silk#.VCpd-GePLIV>. Fountain, Henry. The Reinvention of Silk. The New York Times 7 Mar. 2011, sec. Science: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. Harding, John G., Lin M. Romer, and Thomas R. Scheibel. Polymeric Materials Based on Silk Proteins. Polymer 49.20 (2008): 4309-4327. Science Direct. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. Kitching, J. Howard. The Cultivation of a Silk Worm. The Decorator and Furnisher 5.2 (1884): 56. JSTOR. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. Muthu, Subramanian Senthilkannan. Assessing the Environtmental Impact of Textiles and the  Clothing Supply Chain. Wiltham MA: Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2014. Print. Soulivanh, Somphong. Environmental Impacts of Trade Liberalization in the Silk Handicrafts Sector of the Lao PDR. International Institute for Sustainable Development. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 1 Dec. 2007. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. Wild, Oliver. The Silk Road. The Silk Road. Earth System Science University of California, 1992. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html>.

Channel Tunnel Construction: Project Management

Channel Tunnel Construction: Project Management The Channel Tunnel is considered to be the largest private sector infrastructure project of the twentieth century. It is a fixed link transportation system comprising twin rail tunnels with an additional service tunnel each 50.5 kilometres in length. These run below the English Channel connecting England and France. The terminals can be found in Folkstone in the UK and Coquelles, near Calais in France. In 1986, a treaty of Canterbury was signed establishing the political framework for the project. This addressed issues such as jurisdiction, national boundaries and governmental involvement, consequently defining the role of the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) and Safety Authority. In the same year, the Concession Agreement was awarded to Eurotunnel (ET), a bi-national company formed by the Channel Tunnel Group (UK) and France Manche S.A. (France) for 65 years. Eurotunnel subsequently became owner and operator of the project and awarded the construction contract to Transmanche Link (TML) for the tunnels design, construction, testing and commissioning. ET also became linked to the banks via a loan agreement and to national railways via a usage agreement. The scope of the project entailed the development of a system to accommodate the transfer of regular traffic through airport-sized terminals onto an entirely new rail system with minimum transit time and shuttles travelling at high speeds with high capacity in a confined tunnel environment. This therefore defined the technology to be used, since a high integration was required between works and specific transport equipment, an unprecedented rolling stock which included the heaviest traffic on rails, and the largest real-time data system ever employed to manage shuttles travelling at high speeds. Project Roles and Responsibilities Project Sponsor As the project was privately funded, the sponsor had to raise finance on an unprecedented scale through bank loans and equity while making shares available to the public. The loan was secured through a consortium of 203 banks worldwide. An increase in finance during the course of the project was necessary to accommodate for the previously unconsidered needs of the IGC and for safety and environmental concerns as well as the approval of changes made to the project plan by the manager to address the commissions concerns and the degree of fast-tracking between the several phases of the projects. Contractual issues had to be resolved during the course of the project, with a revised agreement to that made with TML in 1987 being drawn up. As installation of equipment progressed, the concern shifted to the training of personnel for the operation of the transport system. Maintaining communication between both sides of the tunnel was also crucial in achieving project success. Project Manager The project managers principal responsibility was to plan and organise the project effectively to meet the sponsors design and construction specifications while adhering to cost and time constraints. During the construction phase, the project manager had to appoint sub-contractors for various stages of the project, with fixed-price contracts issued to reduce costs. Other duties included the modification of the project plan to accommodate for changes in the original design necessitated by pressures from the Intergovernmental Commission and accounting for safety and environmental concerns. The project manager also had to ensure that there was effective communication between the French and the English sides of the tunnel construction. Project Timeline Commissioning Jan 1990 total tunnel bored reached 50km Dec 1986 Geotechnical study of Shakespeare Cliff carried out. Cross channel surveys developed for the 1974-1975 tunnel project were refined using the latest satellite observations Nov. 1987 Funds arranged totalling  £5 billion Oct 1990 Eurotunnel Signs agreement for  £1.8 billion additional bank credit facilities June 1992 The installation of complex signalling, control and communication system begins. Nov 1993 Commissioning Program Begins August 1987 Construction work begins on both UK (Shakespeare Cliff) and French (Sangatte) sides of the channel Figure 1: Fast-track programme for Channel Tunnel [Event dates obtained from Wilson Spark (1994)] Original Project Objectives The fundamental objective of the tunnel was to offer a comfortable, fast, frequent and reliable transportation service that linked the United Kingdom to France via the English Channel. ET suggested that that two rail tunnels and a service tunnel be constructed. The service tunnel was to be fitted with safety and electronic equipment of the highest standard while the rail tunnels were to be designed to accommodate shuttle speeds between 100 to 160 km/h with an average journey time of three hours between London and Paris. The project was initially scheduled for opening on the 15 May, 1993. This meant that the time taken between design consideration and completion of the project was set at seven years. Since Eurotunnel could not start earning revenues until the tunnel became operational, schedule overruns were linked directly to loss of revenue, and were considered a more damaging consequence than direct cost increases. Based on the conceptual design, the budget was estimated at  £5 billion. It can therefore be observed that the quality of the system was of greatest importance in this project. A compromise was necessary between the desired quality and the time taken to achieve this quality, since as the time increased, so did the costs (in the form of lost revenue). Figure 2 indicates the time-cost-quality relationship for the Channel Tunnel project. The red dot represents the relative importance of quality with respect to time. Project Strategy The scale of design was massive and consequently broken into several smaller projects that ran simultaneously to achieve the overall objectives. Realistic time estimates for the project were obtained from detailed schedule planning during the inception phase of the project. This included activity definition, activity sequencing, and activity duration to develop a baseline project schedule. During the course of the project, monitoring and re-evaluation of the time estimates were performed by the implementation of a hierarchical planning/control system. This allowed overall strategic planning, proper reporting to management and detailed logging of day-to-day activities using a computerized reporting system to monitor the progress on all aspects of the project. According to the Channel Tunnel Treaty, Eurotunnel had to obtain funding for the project from private sources, without government aid or loan guarantees. Hence, financing was obtained through equity and loan capital markets. The Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) was put into place to ensure the quality objectives were achieved. This included implementation of a Safety Authority which was responsible for monitoring and specifying design procedures, specifications, construction and issues related to the environment, operation and safety. Since the project was bi-national in nature, the IGC mandated that if there were differences in the standards of the two countries, the higher of the two should prevail. The Quality Management plan included quality planning, quality assurance and quality control. Contracts played an essential role in defining the scope of work, cost, timeline and rules of engagement (or penalties). Contract Strategy During the conceptual design phase, Eurotunnel contracted TML for the construction of the tunnel. The contract agreements were based on estimated costs since at this stage of the project, detailed design was incomplete and hence, fixed prices were not available. Based on the estimated costs, the contract had three facets: Lump sum works for the construction of terminals and installation of mechanical and electrical equipment in both tunnels and terminals. Target works, for all tunnelling and related equipment such as the tunnel boring machines. The arrangement was that if the actual cost was less than the target cost at completion, the contractor will receive 50% of the savings, while if the actual cost exceeded the target cost, the contractor was required to pay 30% of the excess, up to a maximum of 6% of the target cost. Procurement items for the rolling stock and its associated equipment on a cost reimbursement basis with a procurement fee. Project Manager Type and Style ET comprised mainly of banks and contractors. Throughout the project, ET was largely criticised for its approach to design and management. This resulted in failure to deliver the project according to the sponsors time, cost and quality objectives. Additionally, since ETs organisation was bi-national, a sole project manager could not be identified. Organisational Structure Eurotunnels organisational structure can be described as functional, but its two board system made it unique. This is depicted in Figure 3 below. Figure 3: Eurotunnel Management Structure: Joint-Board System (adapted from Stannard (1990)) / In retrospect with the original project objectives, the Tunnel was not opened until 6 May 1994 at a cost of approximately  £12 billion. Additionally, original specifications for the rail system and tunnel quality were revised in order to keep costs down. Many reports have analysed the Channel Tunnel project in an effort to determine what went wrong in such a massive construction venture. From its inception, it was plagued by financial and technical woes, blown schedules and highly public battles between the company managing the project, ET, and its contractors, TML. One of the factors responsible for the cost overruns stem from the short time allocated for bidders to place their proposal for the project in the inception phase. Due to time constraints only a conceptual design was presented and priced. All detail design was to be completed during the construction phase after the bid was won (an example of fast-tracking in the program). Consequently, a number of design problems were not identified from the onset of the project and no provisions were made for them in ETs initial cost estimates. A typical example of this was the need for air-conditioning in the tunnel, and therefore, an additional  £200 million to accommodate this new design aspect. Later on, this lead to disputes between ET and TML about who was responsible for these cost overruns. Another important factor to consider was the poor communication between the British and French teams, in addition to ET and TML. Project communications was an important aspect in project planning, especially for a project of this magnitude. The multi-national team of approximately 15,000 persons included the politicians, governmental workers, bankers, lawyers and analysts who were responsible for obtaining an approved proposal plan and financing, and the construction workers, machinists and engineers who were responsible for the actual implementation of the project. With a task force of this size, an executional communication plan was necessary to address horizontal and vertical communication channels. An analysis of the Risk Management revealed that focus was on engineering risk as compared to process and approval risk, such as IGC safety decisions and approval, while the business risk was addressed via contractual agreements. During the project life, several key members of the ET team resigned and TMLs management also underwent significant change. Strategies were adjusted given the depreciating status of the project. Organisations involved such as the banks, Safety Authority, environmental issues, local authority and public opinion interfered strongly and permanently in this project that was constantly under media scrutiny. The Channel Tunnel was able to withstand all these delays and cost overruns principally because of its highly robust future income stream.

Essay on Twelfth Night: A Gender-Bending Journey -- Twelfth Night essa

Twelfth Night: A Gender-Bending Journey      Ã‚   Shakespeare enjoyed writing passionate plays about young lovers, but, after a while, the formula became exhausted and the Bard was forced to dig deeper, creatively speaking. Twelfth Night is an example of a Shakespearean love tale with a slight twist to keep things interesting. This play was the â€Å"Tootsie† of its time. Twelfth Night takes the audience on a gender-bending journey, while maintaining all the elements of true love throughout. At one point, Olivia wears a disguise in order to take on the traditionally male role of wooing her romantic interest, Cesario, who is also disguised. Although Olivia flirts with Cesario and tells him that his â€Å"scorn† only reveals his hidden love, she is mistaken. Her misinterpretation of Cesario’s manner is one of many problems contained within the drama. Cesario’s true gender, Olivia’s active pursuit of him/her, and the ambiguity of words with double meanings in this passage threaten to turn who lesome, romantic conquest on its head, or as Olivia says â€Å"turn night to noon† (139).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps the bigge... ... Erasmus, Desiderius. In Praise of Folly. Trans. Hoyt Hopewell Hudson, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1970. Hotson, Leslie. Shakespeare's Motley. New York: Oxford University Press, 1952. Potter, Lois. Twelfth Night: Text & Performance. London: Macmillan, 1985. Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare. Edited Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. Zijderveld, Anton J. Reality in a Looking-Glass: Rationality through an Analysis of Traditional Folly. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982.

Review of an Ecological Science Research Article from a Primary Scientific Source :: essays research papers

Powell, K., 2005. Fish farming, Eat your Veg, Nature, 426, 378-379.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article that I chose to review discussed the possibility of maintaining and sustaining aquaculture by changing the diets of the farmed fish. The idea of carnivorous fish turning into vegetarians would help for future sustentation of aquaculture. There were pros and cons to either side of vegetarianism and the maintaining of carnivores. There are issues that would require research and analysis to which the author points out to the reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aquaculture has increased by 5% over the past 10 years. The wild stock of fish that is caught to feed the fish farms has numbered 11 million tons, which is 12 % of the total fish hauled from the sea each year. Carp and tilapia are the most farmed fish in the industry that already are consisting of a vegetarian type diet. Salmon and trout are the next largest farmed fish. The difference is that the salmon and trout are carnivores. The author reports that the carnivorous fish are more expensive to cultivate and more resources are needed to maintain these types of farmed fish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most farmed fish are fed on a diet that consists greatly of fish oil and fishmeal. Fishmeal is made from a protein rich powder of ground up cheap fish as a source of nutrients and proteins. The problem with using these within the farm diet is that the demand for the fish oil will overpower the supply as aquaculture expands and booms. The author states that the â€Å"demand will outstrip supply of oil by 2010.† (Powell).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feed companies which supply the fish farms with fishmeal and fish oil as a staple to the diet of the carnivorous fish will seek different sources of protein. This protein could possibly come from larger fish such as mackerel, herring, and blue whiting. If this happens it would put more pressure on the natural stock already being harvested for other purposes. Some companies are traveling to the Antarctic to collect krill, which has repercussions for the bottom of the food chain in that the ocean itself is a primordial web of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author boosts that the fish will be able to eat Soya beans, corn, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and wheat gluten if converted to a vegetarian diet. The author also reports that some salmon farms already use these foods as staples in their fish farm diets.

Racism and Discrimination in Sports Essay -- Race Racism Athletics Ess

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dealing with the issue of sport and ethnology, three major factors come to mind; prejudice, racism, and discrimination. These factors span across gender, ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural groups. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss how these factors have played a part in the evolution of sport in our society. The first issue tackled in this paper will be racism in sports, followed by prejudice and discrimination. Racism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?A definition of race might rely on an outward manifestation such as color or some other physiological sign. Race and ethnicity (and to some degree nationality) also imply a shared socio-cultural heritage and belief system. Finally, race and ethnicity harbor a physiological self-identification. Indeed, this factor is perhaps the most important in defining the identity of an ?ethnic? or ?racial? individual. It implies a conscious desire on the part of a person to belong to an aggregate of people, which possesses unique cultural characteristics, rituals and manners and a unique value system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  North America is, and always has been, an ethnically diverse society. Yet this cultural diversity along religious, ethnic and national lines had been tolerated only in a limited degree, end even only on the dominant Anglo-Saxon elite?s terms.? (Eisen and Wiggins, 1994, p. xii). History books repeatedly show this in their pages. A person can not pick up a history book and read through the pages with out finding something on how a particular athlete or group of athletes were persecuted because of their race. Part of the American dream that is taught to our youth of is freedom, equality and the ability to move ahead in life if a person is motivated to do so. It is unfortunate that this isn?t the case; that is unless the person fits into the right sociological group.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For instance, ?The American Dream of unlimited possibilities was shattered for black athletes. By 1900 most of them had successfully been excluded from American sport and were forced to establish their own separate sporting organizations. The most famous of these were the black baseball leagues, a loose aggregate of teams that did not achieve much organizational structure until Rube Foster founded the National Negro Baseball League in 1920. Late nineteenth-century black athletes were often disturbed by their inability to be classified by an... ...ng treated equal. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The concept of a perfect world where race, color, religion, political stance, and gender are all equal is a good goal to strive for. Singling out individuals or groups based on any of those characteristics is wrong. We all have room to grow, and can make a better effort to be open-minded. Sports would be a perfect place to let down the barriers. There is bias in sport today. There is racism and discrimination. Only by a conscious effort can anything be done to help move past our present state. Racism and discrimination should not be in sports, because all humans are of the same species regardless of color or origin. We all bleed and we can all die, therefore, we should all be equal. References Eisen, George, and Wiggins, David K. (1994). Ethnicity and Sport in North American History and Culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Du Bois, W.E.B, (1961). The Souls of Black Folk. New York: Fawcett. MacClancy, Jeremy, (1996). Sports, Identity and Ethnicity. United Kingdom: Oxford International Publishers. Hoffman, Frank W., PHD, and Bailey, William G., MA, (1991). Sports & Recreation Fads. New York: The Haworth Press.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Macbeth: Kingship

In Shakespeare’s time a King was considered to be god’s representative on earth. He was looked upon as equal to god. Shakespeare’s ideas towards kingship can be seen throughout the play. He shows that a king should be chosen by divine right and shows the character and attributes of what is takes to be a good king. The character of the king was also a matter of importance. If the king was just and good, the state thrived. If the king was unjust, cruel and self motivated, then the state suffered.In Macbeth we see how the kingship, with its potential for good or evil, is a major theme of the play. Macbeth is seen as a hero in the eyes of all, a man worth and significance the saviour of his country, noble and brave: â€Å"Brave Macbeth†, â€Å"Valour’s Minion†. In his first appearance, King Duncan performs two of the basic duties of a king: punishing the bad and rewarding the good. Upon learning of the treachery of Cawdor and the heroism of Macbe th, he says, â€Å"No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive / Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, / And with his former title greet Macbeth†.The phrase â€Å"bosom interest† means â€Å"vital interests,† but â€Å"bosom† suggests that a relationship of love should exist between a king and his subject. Cawdor, for his treason, is sentenced to death, but Macbeth and Banquo are rewarded for their loyalty. Macbeth is rewarded with the title of the Thane of Cawdor and is showered with the praise and promise of future glory. Therefore, there is much potential for good. The play provides us with a definition of the qualities required for kingship. In the course of his conversation with Macduff, Malcolm lists the ‘king-becoming graces’.Duncan is the lawful king of Scotland, and is portrayed as virtous, strong and just. At the start of the play he has defeated his enemies. Duncan’s murder is greeted with dismay and horror beca use it is attack against God and an attack on the whole notion of order. It is an act of extreme evil and this is reflected in the disorder that results in nature. The world itself is shaken and thrown into confusion by such an evil deed. A good king has been more cruelly murdered: â€Å"most sacrilegious murder†.Desperate and helpless, Macduff arrives in England to see Malcolm, the legitimate successor to Duncan's throne. Malcolm is almost an embodiment of all the positive qualities of kings. He, along with his brother, immediately decides to rely on themselves to preserve their dynasty by leaving Scotland despite the obvious and inevitable suspicion that it raises and their own bereavement. They handle the situation with wisdom and courage, all for the sake of their kingdom. When Malcolm meets Macduff we see more of his wisdom. He adopts the personality of a man who is â€Å"not fit to govern and not even to live.† Malcolm makes sure to not jeopardise his own life an d the welfare of Scotland by â€Å"testing† Macduff. Malcolm, unlike Macbeth, is able to tell appearance from reality in his superiority as king. Macbeth’s reigns regenerates into the bloody tyranny. In order to silence his conscience and ensure his safety, he has Banquo murdered. â€Å"There’s not a one of them but in his house / I keep a servant fee’d†. he seeks information from the instruments of darkness and has Lady Macduff and her children slaughtered to satisfy his blood-lust.The whole state convulses in pain- â€Å"It weeps, its beeps, and each day a gash is added to her wounds†. The main aspects highlighted by Malcolm that are absolutely incompatible with a decent king are lying, voluptuousness and greed. He plans to â€Å"cut the nobles of their land, desire his jewels and this other's house†¦ your wives, your daughters, your matrons and your maids may not fulfil the cistern of my lust. † Satisfied with Macduff's reacti on Malcolm opens up: â€Å"All I am is thyne and mine country to command† and admits that he is not ridden with vices are he pretended.We find out Shakespeare's vision of king-becoming graces: â€Å"Justice, Verity, Temp'rance, Stableness, Bounty, Perseverance, Mercy, Lowliness, Devotion, Patience, Courage, Fortitude† The return of the rightful king is marked by the delight of the army. Nature reacts positively when Malcolm returns. Macbeth, on the contrary, is full of bravado and feels invincible one minute and then left thinking about â€Å"all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death†¦ a poor player that struts and frets his hours upon the stage† as Scotland, Lady Macbeth and his soul are all deteriorating around him.In conclusion, the theme of kingship is well developed in the play, with illustrations of the difference between a noble king and a noble man turned incompetent tyrant and the principles behind kingship. The stability of the state depends on the king. The virtuous king rules over a strong and contented state. True kings like Duncan, Malcolm and Edward are associated with â€Å"renown and grace† because they rule by the grace of God and possess king-becoming graces. On the other hand, Macbeth, the usurper, destroys order and plunges his country into chaos unleashing fear, murder and evil.

Ccontemporary Epistemological Research in Education Essay

ABSTRACT. In this oblige the authors ch wholeenge rulern-day epistemic olf comeory modality deep d consume statemental settings. afterwards a reconciliation of the current models which continue epistemic beliefs as static and mechanical, the authors devote a principle companionship to adorn their enactivist view that epistemic beliefs should be conceptualized as fluid and dynamic constructs, emerging in tissue-like configurations. Answers to epistemic drumheads unfold at tit the interstices and vulgar inter operations surrounded by throng and their milieu.Boundaries amongst savantt apieceer, psychecommunity, cognitionbodily experience atomic number 18 becoming blurred. From this enactivist scene the police detectives role changes considerably. Instead of de full terminationine teachers soulfulnessal traits and epistemic make-up, the interrogati wizardr should modify teachers to the subtle ways epistemic beliefs atomic number 18 enmeshed in spite of appearance their day-to-day headmaster lives, focusing on the analyzable model of the article of belief practice. KEY WORDS present-day(a) epistemic harmonisek, education, enactivism, lived experiences, personal epistemology.We rehearse reading, b arly perform intend. Information is like the web of links in a fit fence Meaning is like the sleep with d witness of waves on a mountain stream. slack Crego (2002) 2002 evidence-poems. com surmisal & PSYCHOLOGY Copyright 2008 discerning Publications. VOL. 18(1) 2745 DOI 10. 1177/0959354307086921 http//tap. sagepub. com D makeloaded from http//tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on tremendous 6, 2008 2008 shrewd Publications. each rights reserved. non for m sensationymaking(prenominal) usance or illegitimate distri furtherion. 28. possible action & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) What is the accredited temperament of beledge, and how does a person keep down to admit? These app arnt movements premier became subject of psychological investigation in the late mid-sixties by means of the seminal plow of Perry (1968). Today, these questions be studied under the umbrella of query on personal epistemology (Hofer & Pintrich, 2002). Personal epistemology has father to be seen as the popular denominator for search d sensation in spite of appearance this field and as a term signifying idiosyncratic conceptions of goledge and cognize.These conceptions be referred to by m any(prenominal) disparate labels, of which the most comm more(prenominal)over purposed term is epistemic belief. Other labels ar epistemic posture, epistemic resource, and ways of wise(p) (Niessen, Vermunt, Abma, Widdershoven, & van der Vleuten, 2004). Beca engross the term (epistemic) belief is already to a greater extent broadly utilize at heart (educational) psychology and thereof easy to boyfriend with, we exit affair this term end-to-end the article when referring to issues of noesis and fucking .Within this article we stick out a cognitive psychological and an enactivist account of epistemic beliefs and introduce that the differences surrounded by both be ultimately reflected in Cregos distinction between the rehearsing of instruction and performing of meaning. We will apply the enactivist side to an consultation segment to en satisfactory deeper instinct of teaching practice. The finish of the enactivist account to this courtship has the character of a hermeneutic circle. This authority that the enactivist account provides us with a desktop view that enables us to understand teachers experiences more fully.At the same magazine, the march of application is in addition a practice of possibility up and creation caught by rising insights while cons align. These insights might alter our epistemological locating. This study is part of a big ongoing investigation to understand the phenomenon of immunity by teachers to a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) enviro nment using the epistemological place as our interpretive fabric. PBL, in short, is an informional rule that, contrary to frontal teaching, chooses non to instruct savants directly, precisely to facilitate the offshoot in which students themselves and in collaboration with each sunrise(prenominal)(prenominal)wise shoot the necessary knowledge and skills by good on genuine-life problems.The role of the teacher is paramount to the success of this method. This is why the eccentric use through start this article highlights a teacher (Josie) who is situated at heart a PBL course. In the sideline we will first present the fragment acknowledgen from the interview with Josie. In this fragment she talks more or less her struggle to introduce a multitudeing of new staff members to ProblemBased Learning.We will as well as provide a more in-depth linguistic, methodological, and ontological characterization to contemporary epistemological look for. last the contours of t he enactivist perspective will be force in more detail. Josies parapraxis Interviewer (I) How would you describe your ego as a flight simulator? Josie (J) I always try to postulate the radical excited ratiocinati exclusively PBL. Downloaded from http//tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on heroic 6, 2008 2008 able Publications. completely rights reserved. Not for commercialized use or unauthorized distri bution.NIESSEN ET AL. epistemological seek IN program line 29 I How do you do that? J By unstated to get everybody involved. At the same time, this is a potential pitfall. For eccentric, in a cooking session last week at that place was a mathematical conferenceing of student tutors and this stem was really very critical, because they had at leaned other PBL courses. That was when I found myself trying to shit more organizethats where I felt inadequate, because thither were so many people with so much experience. In these instances its eventful to of fer students guidelines and structure.You should be able to deviate from this structurebut only in those cases when its possible. approximately teachers see this very spend a pennyly. Personally, I tend to wee structure in concert with the stemon the spot. With some assemblages this massages out just fine and with other throngs it would pick up been better if I had provided a clear structure from the start. We would assimilate incur further. I Students get restless? J No, yes, well, thithers too much introduce and too few conclusions. I consider thats a major occasion in PBLits a major issue that too often, whitethornbe, no developed conclusion is reached.Thats really what I gauge is probably my own shortcoming, some topic that as a student I design was missing in the system. That structurethe framework in which you work. I What does this framework look likewhat is it made of? Do you know what I mean? J A connecting divagate. I You say that on the angiotensin co nverting enzymeness and only(a) hand youre trying to summon this sop up and you want to connect it with the experiences of the participantsbut thats surd because their experiences are so diverse and a unwashed understructure is hard to discern.J Well, whitethornbe thats because thither just isnt one maven thread and because PBL is based on the self-reliance that the available knowledge is relative. So you croup non say thithers one single solution to a peculiar(prenominal) problem. The burning(prenominal) occasion is that you are working towards a solution. Josie (a pseudonym) is a junior teacher flight simulator at the Faculty of economic knowledge and Business Administration. She was one out of a convocation of 10 teacher flight simulators and 9 new staff members of Maastricht University in the Netherlands who were interviewed some their experiences with PBL, their concerns and unresolved issues.The participants we interviewed came from contrary departments of Maa stricht University and differed considerably in experience with PBL, universal attitude towards teaching, general teaching experience, and opinion progressive the esteem of PBL for student schooling. Despite the attach differences in cover chargeground and experience among the interviewees, Josie was not the only one who presented a complex and multilayered experience. looking at at other participants day-to-day teaching experiences, we similarly encountered varied and multilayered stories. This phenomenon is neither grotesque nor new.Studies by Perry (1968) and Lyons (1990), but in addition more youngly from Phillion and Connelly (2004), show us that when investigators one shot their attention to actual teaching experiences, the presented picture of teaching and epistemological beliefs is more textured and complex. The Downloaded from http//tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008 2008 shrewd Publications. any rights reserved. Not for commercia l use or unauthorized distribution. 30 speculation & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) selection of this particular segment has been guided by the potential to learn from it about(predicate) the role of epistemological beliefs in teaching. match to Stake (1994), the potential for cultivation is a diverse and sometimes master criterion to representativeness (p. 243). The fragment shows how Josie is struggling with the question How do these students total to know? In the interview, Josie as a teacher trainer talks about her ideas and perfects of student inter-group communication within her courses. She says that in some state of affairss she finds it difficult to realize these ideals. She refers to her attempts to structure group sessions. She thinks that in order to do so, she has to develop a connecting thread that will enable the group to achieve a horse reason of closure.This illustration nicely illustrates Josies history cuddle to teaching. Her goal is to develop, together with th e group, a storyline with a beginning, middle, and an ending. She expects that this jointly developed secret plan will enable the group to close the session in a able way. Josies ideas and strategy implicitly think of her epistemological appeal to one of the come upon questions in epistemology How does a person come to know? , or How should this group of students come to know? We foundation see an dress emerging from the confrontation between her ideals, her self-image, and the group with its distinctives.When she says Its in these instances that its important to offer students guidelines and structure, she refers to her failed attempt to provide guidance, which, to her, was necessary to give the group a satisfactory sense of closure. This experience appears to ache triggered a slight change in her epistemological outlook. Instead of her a earlieri assumption that students should be regarded as knowledgeable others, who will work together with the teacher to frame a comm on thread, she now thinks that the group process as well depends on her faculty accurately to estimate the amount of prior experience that students bring to the course and her own experience and skills.Josies rapport with the group of students is coloured by her ideals about student involvement. It is excessively with this particular group of students, who start out so much experience, that she discovers the stroke of her usual strategy, i. e. developing a structure on the spot together with the group. In her own words Their experiences are so diverse and a common constitution is hard to find. As a allow for she is confused and forced to re pass judgment her epistemological ideal of student involvement in light of the concrete short letter.Looking back on this experience, she reflects on the epistemological perspective underlying PBL and in doing so realizes that in that respect isnt just one single solution to a problem and that all knowledge can make a contribution. The lived experiences of Josie as a teacher are interpreted as an indication that the epistemological questions can only be meaningfully understood when they are placed within the context of the story that defines the feature as a whole.To put it in more general terms, in order to assess a situation epistemologically or Downloaded from http//tap.sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008 2008 keen-witted Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.NIESSEN ET AL. EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATION 31 make sense of teachers experiences epistemologically, we need to take account of the parcel that constitute each new teaching situation. In Josies case these circumstances acceptd her conviction that a common thread had to be identified, her skills to get the group to do this, the group size and group members varied experience.We would assert that her epistemological belief is essentially indexical (Roth, Lawless, & Tobin, 2 000), meaning that it is prodigious only as seen from within the concrete circumstances in which it arises. In the spare-time activity segmentation we will focus on the contrast between this view of epistemological beliefs and the prevailing views in contemporary epistemological research. contemporary epistemological investigate Although the term contemporary epistemological research suggests that there is a unified research empyrean, there are in fact different movements to which researchers within the domain of personal epistemology may turn.These movements may be referred to as trait-oriented, possibility-minded, and resource-oriented. This instrument that researchers typify epistemological beliefs respectively as traits, theories, or resources (Hammer & Elby, 2002). Although we hold in with Hammer and Elby that there are some important differences among these movements, we also discern an important mutual property all are rooted in cognitive psychology. This seems to of fer an interesting perspective for an summary and characterization of the field as a whole, because it would go to the very heart of research on epistemological beliefs careless(predicate) of the particular movement.In our view, Cregos phrasal idiom rehearsal of breeding very capably captures the essence of contemporary epistemological research in relation to three coordinated angles language, methodology, and ontology. Linguistic Idiosyncrasies of modern Epistemological Research A striking linguistic trait of the cognitive psychological discourse about the foundations of sentiment and believing is a marked preference for the use of nouns (Saljo, 2002). Since contemporary epistemological research is grounded in cognitive psychology, this characteristic is also discernible in epistemological research.The phenomenon addressed within epistemological research can be denoted by different labels epistemological belief (Duell & Schommer-Aikins, 2001 Hofer, 2000 Hofer & Pintrich, 1 997, 2002 Schommer, 1994, 1998b), epistemological identify (Perry, 1968, 1988) epistemological theory (Hofer, 2000 Hofer & Pintrich, 1997, 2002), epistemological type Downloaded from http//tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 32 THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) (Ryan, 1984a, 1984b), epistemological resource (Hammer & Elby, 2002), epistemological style (Martin, Silva, Newman, & Thayer, 1994), epistemological reflection (Baxter Magolda, 1992, 1994, 1996), epistemological posture (Desaultes & Larochelle, 1997), epistemological orientation (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986), epistemological antecedent (Powell, 1996), and ways of knowing (Belenky et al. , 1986).The pitiful aspect of the predominance of nouns as the psychical synthesis blocks for thinking and believing is that it creates the impression that peoples capacities and ideas should be conceived of as abiding objects (Saljo, 2002). Nouns distract our attention from the processes in which epistemological constructs can be seen to emerge. Nouns denote a final state as unlike to a process in which actions and opinions are continuously taking shape and modifying each other. The idea of stability is reinforced by the tendency to represent epistemological beliefs as invariable cognitive traits or theories (Hammer & Elby, 2002).Epistemological beliefs are seen as trait-like or theory-like births which are stored and acted upon inside the brain. From an epistemological trait perspective, undivideds beliefs and ideas about epistemology tend to cohere into invariable positions or levels, phases or stages, which can be august from other levels and phases with regards to organization and role. They are seen as declarative knowledge to which a person has conscious and articulate access. In epistemological theories, beliefs are perceived as being structured in this way (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997, 2002). trance with the tendency to see epistemological beliefs as stable and object-like traits or theories stored within the individual mind, most researchers tend to refer to epistemological beliefs in terms of individuals having them (Pehkonen & Torner, 1999). Another feature within Western society that reinforces thinking about epistemological beliefs as objects and stable is the linguistic tendency to typify mental phenomena dichotomously, i. e. as belonging to eitheror categories (Amstutz, 1999 Davis & Sumara, 1997).Examples of such dichotomies are mentalphysical, inbredexternal, individualcollective (Davis & Sumara, 2001 Heft, 2001). Membership of one category precludes membership of the other one of the pair. This divisive either/or mode of thinking reinforces the image of people as unchanging. Something or someone is or is not of some category. According to Langer (1989, 1997), divisive thinking has this effect when people take categories or opposites l iterally or without mindful attention. She calls for advertent and critical thinking in which meaningless acceptance of categories is regarded as the opposite of correctly learning.We think that a contemporary description with a language that treats epistemological beliefs as stable and trait-like or object-like has trouble interpreting the epistemological picture that arises from teachers concrete perspectives. When we fail Josies account and realize that she tunes into the situation as a process that unfolds in interaction with the group, we realize Downloaded from http//tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. NIESSEN ET AL. EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATION 33 that the boundaries between individualcollective, selfother, and internalexternal are not clear-cut. They are fuzzy, blurred, and overlapping, and we see no clear outlined either/or distinctio ns. We think epistemological beliefs should be better conceived of as emerging characterizations within a process of mutual adaptation, such as in Josies attempts to tune in to the ideas of the group and to her own and reconcile them.Because this process unfolds simultaneously with the teaching process, it cannot be fully anticipate a priori or even as it is being enacted. To us, this view is compatible with a concept of epistemological beliefs as continuously unfolding processes, like waves cascading down a mountain stream. Just as the piss and the mountain are being shaped and reshaped in their continuous interaction, so is the coif to the epistemological question How do these students come to know? being rephrased under the work on of interaction in a concrete teaching situation. break upicularities Regarding the Methodology within a Contemporary Epistemological panorama Characterizing the methodologies that are used in contemporary epistemological research, we see an equa lly differentiated part of instruments production-type t arrive at a bun in the ovens, splay-ended interviews, vignettes, observations, illstructured problems, and Likert-type questionnaires (Duell & SchommerAikins, 2001). What is striking to us is that disrespect this diversity, epistemological beliefs research is exceptionally one(a) in its preference for using the individual and his or her beliefs, knowledge, desires, and attitudes as the unit of analysis (Lyons, 1990).We think this preference is congruent with the discernment for nouns emphasizing the object-oriented way of thinking it seems to us that an orientation towards epistemological beliefs as object-like has been (tacitly) operative in the development of instruments that are used to study them as personal and stable traits or theories. We notice that an orientation to the individual is especially recognizable in questionnaire (Likert-type) studies and standardise interview studies.Despite growing animadversion of questionnaire studies, they fork over been and continue to be an important method in studies of epistemological beliefs (Duell & Schommer-Aikins, 2001). Part of their popularity seems to be attributable to their easy and apace administration. Nevertheless, Hammer and Elby (2002) reveal a ingrained problem when they forefront out that breaker point formulation is often far take from day-today teaching practice while at the same time it is assumed to interest to these contexts (see, e. g., Schommer, 1998a questionnaire Nothing is certain but closing and taxes).According to Hammer and Elby, this is neither true nor Downloaded from http//tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 34 THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) viable when made explicit. close epistemological studies ask participants direct questions about their beliefs, often by presenting epistemological statem ents and inquire them to rate their agreement/disagreement on a Likert scale.For example, students may be asked whether they agree or disagree that the best thing about science courses is that most problems have one right issuing (Schommer, 1990, p. 499) the science principles in the textbooks will always be true (Songer & Linn, 1991, p. 769) or knowledge in physics consists of many pieces of information, each of which applies principally to a specific situation (Redish, Saul, & Steinberg, 1998, p. 217). It is only by a presumption of unitarity that the results of these studies may be considered to apply to all contexts of learning (Hammer & Elby, 2002).However, the item formulation must be generic wine to preserve internal congruousness throughout the whole study. It would be incongruent to perceive of epistemological beliefs as stable traits or theories but apply highly context-specific or dialogical research methods. A generic item formulation makes perfect sense given the a priori position that epistemological beliefs are stable phenomena. Epistemological beliefs are seen as tangible features and measured congruently.They can therefore be conceived of as entities that clashing on teaching behaviour linearly, i. e.cause exists as an inherent constituent of epistemological beliefs. Contemporary cognitive epistemological research is touch with the search for explanations of the epistemological perspective in order to predict and control students and teachers behaviour. victimization standardized (correlational) measuring techniques, researchers are able to identify these linear and law- rangeed patterns.The role of the researcher in this process is merely to set off these relationships objectively, with validity and reliability (Guba & Lincoln, 1989, 1994 Lincoln & Guba, 1985, 2000).In interpreting Josies segment, it is true that Josie shows an epistemological preference to create a common thread together. At the same time we also see that this prefe rence becomes active and is questioned while interacting with this specific group. Her experience of the situation she describes has led her to acknowledge that in this instancegiven her own and the groups experiencea different approach might have been more successful. Confronted with this new experience, a breach is made within otherwise customized behaviour.These breaches provide opportunities for change and rewrite of ideas to suit local circumstances. We interpret Josies ultimate handling of the situation as the result of reciprocal dynamics between different personal and situational elements, whose influence can be seen from a holistic point of view, but which cannot be reduced to any element or correlation in particular. Downloaded from http//tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. NIESSEN ET AL. EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATION.35 The Particularitie s Regarding the Ontology within a Contemporary Epistemological Interpretation Ontology is the share within metaphysics that deals with the nature of being. More concretely, ontology is revealed in the question What is real? We might thus ask whether epistemological beliefs are real. According to Baptiste (2001), one of the most troublesome questions surround the issue of ontology is the distinction between the facticity and the caliber of a thing. Facticity refers to the question of whether a thing exists. In our case we might ask if epistemological beliefs do exist.Departing from a realist perspective (Heron & Reason, 1997), the answer within contemporary epistemological research is that epistemological beliefs do hence exist as theories, traits, or resources. For realists, epistemological beliefs are just as real and tangible as observable objects. The quality of a thing refers to the form of a phenomenon or the nature of an object. Within contemporary epistemological research, epistemological beliefs are thought of as psychological and physical phenomena. They are psychological because they reside in a persons mind.They are also (presumably) physical on the basis of the evasion assumption that epistemological beliefs correspond to cognitive units in the brain (Hammer & Elby, 2002). Finally, there is the question of whether it would be possible for epistemological researchers to occupy that epistemological beliefs exist without reference to cognitive psychology or cognitive science. Contemporary epistemological research, although not explicitly referred to, hard back outs on cognitive science and cognitive psychology as its foundational precursors, meaning that these strands are the background theories they implicitly build on.Varela, Thompson, and Rosch (1997) have pointed to the reifying effect of cognitive science on cognitive psychology when describing the centrality of the computer metaphor and similar language use. This computer-oriented languag e is also apparent within educational research in general and epistemological research in particular (Davis & Sumara, 1997). It depicts humans as disenchanted, cerebral beings who receive and process information from events and objects to establish representations (beliefs, desires). These representations in turn govern and give meaning to their own behaviour and that of others.In Josies interview, but also in the other interviews we conducted, we see from an enactive tie-up first and foremost acting persons (Packer & Winne, 1995) who bumble and haphazardly manage to guide their classes through the course. Josies hesitation to infer clear conclusions about the preferred course of action in this particular situation is hard to interpret as an image of information rehearsal, the picture we see framed within contemporary epistemological research.As we see it, in this particular situation her answer to the question How do these students come to know? is embedded within a web of conc rete relations and a process of mutual attunement. Downloaded from http//tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 36 THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) In our view, Josies hesitation to draw definite conclusions should not be deplored but welcomed, because it may open up opportunities that may lead to epistemological attunement, which may guide students and teachers to the most appropriate end.The interview excerpt with Josie illustrates the existential dialogical nature or ontology in which it is hard to break apart the knower from the known, mind from body, student from teacher, teacher from context, et cetera (Hosking & Bouwen, 2000). Josies teaching might be viewed as a responsive stage dancing in which her behaviour and beliefs co-evolve within a relational web of individual inclinations or cognitions, her skills as a teacher trainer, the characteristics of the studen ts she teaches, and the communion between these elements altogether.In the final section of this paper, we will justify and illustrate our enactive or dialogical world orientation. An enactivist world orientation is grounded in the assertion that people form complex fabrics of fundamentally and inextricably intertwined relationships with everything elsephysically/ biologicly and experientially/phenomenologically (Davis & Sumara, 1997). From this viewpoint, epistemological beliefs are not in the beginning or solely cognitive features, but they are temporarily crystallized enactments in ever-changing webs of mutually defining elements.An Enactive and Dialogical Perspective on Epistemological Beliefs So far, we have focused on a career from Josie and characterized contemporary cognitive epistemological research from a linguistic, methodological, and ontological point of view. The enactive epistemological perspective takes into account many elements, such as the group experience, th e group size, and her own (in)abilities to provide a common thread (structure).In this final part of the discussion, we take up the challenge to sketch and explain more thoroughly the contours of an enactivist rendering that enables us to take into account these elements to which Josie refers. Although we typify our interpretation as enactivist, we will also draw on theoretical notions derived from philosophical hermeneutics (Gadamer, 1990 Widdershoven, 1999) and narrative psychology (Abma, 2000 Josselson & Lieblich, 1999 Lyons & LaBoskey, 2002).Enactivism is an emerging worldview that lingers in between and draws from different domains, including philosophical phenomenology (Varela, 1999), complexity theory (Waldrop, 1992), and evolutionary biology (Bateson, 1979, 1987). Although this worldview is of reasonably recent date, it is receiving more and more attention within the domain of education (Davis & Sumara, 1997, 2001, 2002 Davis, Sumara, & Kieren, 1996 Sumara & Davis, 1997). W ithin the domain of contemporary epistemological research, enactivism has been largely absent, although the work by Belenky et al.(1986) and Lyons (1990) shows strong similarities. In the following we will Downloaded from http//tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. NIESSEN ET AL. EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATION 37 first explain enactivism as it is delineate by Davis and Sumara in the field of education (Davis & Sumara, 1997, 2000, 2002 Davis et al., 1996).Although not directly translated to the educational or the epistemological field, we will also be using some of the terms (eclectically) used by Varela et al. (1997) since they are eminent in the field of enactivism. To enact means to work in or upon or to act or perform. Enactivism refers to the idea of knowing in action. People come to know and believe about the world by interacting with it bodily, e xperientially, and cognitively.This means that individuals are simultaneously biological and social beings who experientially embody both cognitive and physical dimensions within their actions. Because continuous interaction is such an important feature of enactivism, one could claim that it holds a relational ontology meaning that all social realities and all knowledge of self, others, and things are viewed as interdependent or co-dependent constructions existing and known only in relation to each other (Hosking & Bouwen, 2000).When we reexamine Josies story again, we see a sort of inexperienced teacher trainer who struggles with the epistemological question How should these students come to know? Her commonly used approach to create a common thread together is rather problematic given her own (in)abilities within a large group of experienced students. As a consequence of this inexperience she adjusts her epistemological outlook to include the notion that when faced with a rathe r experienced group she needs to hold more control.Interpreting her account enactively, we would claim that her final outlook to this particular situation is the result of the interaction between her ideal to create a common thread together and her communication skills, her self-image, the groups size, and the amount of experience of the group. It is the confrontation of these elements within the concrete enactment that sets the stage for this particular response to arise. The enactive paradigm as exemplified by Varela et al. (1997) emphasizes the relev.