College Interview Essay

Most college interview questions are meant to help you and the interviewer find out if the college is a good match for you. Rarely will you get a question that puts you on the spot or tries to make you feel stupid. Remember, the college is trying to make a good impression too. Use the interview to show off your personality in ways that aren’t possible on the application. 1. Tell me about yourself. Im Romualda Heredia who really love silence place. Because of that people called me a very quiet person. That’s make me unique because of my silence,people got make mistakes in judging me. They think that I can’t do that and can’t do this but one day they are often surprise of my excellency. So im a typical mysterious person. This question seems easier than it is. How do you reduce your whole life to a few sentences? And it’s hard to avoid commonplace answers like â€Å"I’m friendly† or â€Å"I’m a good student. † Of course you want to demonstrate that you’re friendly and studious, but try also to say something memorable here that really makes you different from other college applicants. Can you hold your breath longer than anyone in your school? Do you have a huge collection of Pez dispensers? Do you have unusual cravings for sushi? â€Å"Tell me about yourself. † It seems like such an easy question. In some ways, it is. After all, if there’s one subject you truly know something about, it’s yourself. The challenge, however, is that knowing yourself and articulating your identity in a few sentences are very different things. Before setting foot in the interview room, make sure you put some thought into what it is that makes you unique. Certain characteristics are desirable, but they are not unique. The majority of students applying to selective colleges can make claims such as these: â€Å"I’m hard working. † â€Å"I’m responsible. † â€Å"I’m friendly. † â€Å"I’m a good student. † â€Å"I’m loyal. † Granted, all of these answers point to important and positive character traits. Of course colleges want students who are hard working, responsible, and friendly. That’s a no-brainer. And ideally your application and interview answers will convey the fact that you are a friendly and hard-working student. These answers, however, are all predictable. Nearly every applicant could give the same answers. If we go back to the initial question — â€Å"Tell me about yourself† — we need to recognize that the answers any applicant can give do not successfully define what characteristics make you special. The interview is your best opportunity to convey your unique personality and passions, so you want to answer questions in ways that show that you are you, not a clone of a thousand other applicants. So, when asked to tell about yourself, don’t spend too much time on the predictable answers. Show the interviewer who you are. What are your passions? My passion are writing and reading novels. I like those two because it comforts me a lot whenever im alone. What are your quirks? My quirks are Why do your friends really like you? They like me when I told them funny quote or stories in serious manner. They are always convinced of my seriouseness but in the end,,it is something that makes them laugh . What makes you laugh? I laugh when nobody laugh at my jokes. I don’t know why but im used to it. What makes you angry? Im angy most of the time when I met some irritating and annoying person. I don’t like those kind of person because its not in my attitude. Did you teach your dog to play the piano? Do you make a killer wild strawberry pie? Do you do your best thinking when on a 100-mile bike ride? Do you read books late at night with a flashlight? Do you have unusual cravings for oysters? Have you ever successfully started a fire with sticks and a shoelace? Were you ever sprayed by a skunk taking out the compost in the evening? You are almost guaranteed to be asked to tell about yourself, and your interviewer truly is interested in getting to know you. Your answers need to take the question seriously and you need to answer sincerely, but make sure you are actually painting a colorful and detailed portrait of yourself, not a simple line sketch. Be specific when answering this, and show that you’ve done your research. Also, avoid answers like â€Å"I want to make a lot of money† or â€Å"Graduates of your college get good job placement. † You want to highlight your intellectual interests, not your materialistic desires. What specifically about the college distinguishes it from other schools you’re considering? 2†³Why are you interested in our college? † Like many of the most common interview questions, this one seems like a no-brainer. After all, if you are interviewing at a school, you have presumably done some research and know why you are interested in the place. Nevertheless, some answers to this question are better than others. Your answer should show that you have specific and admirable reasons for attending the college. The following answers are not likely to impress your interviewer: â€Å"Your college is prestigious. † â€Å"I’ll make lots of money with a degree from your college. † â€Å"All my friends are going to your college. † â€Å"Your college is convenient and close to home. † â€Å"My counselor told me to apply. † â€Å"You’re my safetly school. † The interviewer is hoping that you are interested in the college for reasons other than peer pressure or convenience. Similarly, if you say you applied entirely because of a parent or counselor’s recommendation, you’ll be suggesting that you lack initiative and have few thoughts of your own. When it comes to prestige and earning potential, the issue is a bit more fuzzy. After all, name recognition and your future salary are both important. The interviewer most likely is hoping that you find the college prestigious. That said, you don’t want to come across as someone who is more concerned with material gain and prestige than with pursuing your passions and getting a high quality education. Many students choose a college based on sports. If you love nothing more than playing soccer, you’re likely to look at colleges that have strong soccer teams. During the interview, however, keep in mind that students who are interested in nothing except sports often fail to graduate. Any answer you give about athletics should be balanced with academics. What you most need to do when answering this question is show the interviewer that you know the college’s distinctive features well. Don’t simply say that you want to go to the college to get a good education. Be specific. Let the interviewer know that you were drawn to the college’s innovative first-year program, its emphasis on experiential learning, its Honors Program, or its international focus. Also feel free to mention the school’s wonderful hiking trails, its quirky traditions, or its amazing lilacs. Whatever you say, be specific. Before you set foot in the interview room, make sure you have done your research and identified several features of the college that you find particularly appealing, and make sure at least one of those features is academic in nature. 3. What can I tell you about our college? You can almost guarantee that your interviewer will provide an opportunity for you to ask questions. Make sure you have some, and make sure your questions are thoughtful and specific to the particular college. Avoid questions like â€Å"when is the application deadline? † or â€Å"how many majors do you have? † This information is both uninteresting and readily available on the school’s webpage. Come up with some probing and focused questions: â€Å"What would graduates of your college say was the most valuable thing about their four years here? † â€Å"I read that you offer a major in interdisciplinary studies. Could you tell me more about that? † 4. Who in your life has most influenced you? There are other variations of this question: Who’s your hero? What historical or fictional character would you most like to be like? This can be an awkward question if you haven’t thought about it, so spend a few minutes considering how you would answer. Identify a few real, historical, and fictional characters you admire, and be prepared to articulate WHY you admire them. Myself — In truth, you probably are the person who is most responsible for your success. You may, in fact, be self-reliant with no real heroes. However, if you answer this question with yourself you will sound self-absorbed and selfish. Colleges want to admit students who help each other out and work as a community. They don’t want solitary egotists. A Friend — For good or bad, your close friends have a huge influence on your decisions and behavior. Whatever your answer, bring the influential person to life for your interviewer. Avoid vague generalities. Provide colorful, entertaining, and specific examples of how the person has influenced you. 5. Why do you want to major in ______________ ? Realize that you don’t need to have decided upon a major when you apply to college, and your interviewer will not be disappointed if you say you have many interests and you need to take more classes before choosing a major. However, if you have identified a potential major, be prepared to explain why. Avoid saying that you want to major in something because you’ll make a lot of money — your passion for a subject will make you a good college student, not your greed. Read more tips on this question†¦ Make sure you are ready to explain why you are interested in a particular field. What experiences or high school courses piqued your interest? At some large universities it is possible that you will need to pick a field of study when you apply. For example, some of the California public universities are trying to balance enrollments within different programs. And if you are applying to a business or engineering school within a larger university, you will often need a specialized application for that school. 6†³Tell me about a challenge that you overcame. † The question isn’t a difficult one as long as you’ve put a couple of minutes of thought into it before your interview. The main danger with the question is being unable to think of an appropriate challenge during the interview. Realize that you can draw from many different kinds of â€Å"challenges† when you answer this question. You don’t need to have lived a life of adversity or oppression to have a meaningful challenge to discuss. So your first step is to figure out what challenge you want to share with your interviewer. You would be wise to shy away from anything that is too personal — you don’t want your interviewer to feel uncomfortable. But an appropriate challenge can come in many forms: An academic challenge — Perhaps you found chemistry or English particularly difficult? A challenge at work — Did you have a boss or co-worker who was difficult to work with? An athletic challenge — Did you have to work hard to improve your skills? Did you have a competition that was especially demanding? A personal tragedy — Did you lose someone close to you and have a hard time getting over the loss? A personal goal — Did you set a goal for yourself that was difficult to accomplish? An ethical dilemma — Were you put in a position where none of your options were attractive? Keep in mind the purpose of this type of question. The interviewer isn’t necessarily interested in hearing about some horror story from your past. Rather, the question is designed to help the interviewer discover what type of problem solver you are. College is all about developing critical thinking and problem solving skills, so the interviewer wants to see that you have promise in these areas. When confronted with a challenge, how do you respond? 7†³What do you do in your free time? † The interviewer might ask this question in one of many ways: What do you do for fun? What do you do when you’re not in school? What do you do on your weekends? This is not a trick question, and many kinds of answers will do well. The interviewer is simply trying to get to know you better. College is about much more than academic classes, and the admissions folks want to know how you keep yourself busy when you’re not doing schoolwork. The most attractive students are those who do interesting things in their spare time. So, when you answer the question, make sure you actually sound like you do interesting things in your spare time. Answers like these will not impress: I like hangin’ with my friends. (Do you actually do anything with those friends, or do you just take up space on our little planet? ) I do Facebook in all my free time. (This is true for many students, but too much online time is a major source of poor academic performance in college) I like partying. (Another activity that, if a abused, has caused many students to fail out of college) I watch lots of TV. (Many of us watch too much TV; don’t highlight that fact during your interview) I don’t have any free time. (This answer is true for some highly involved students, but it is an evasive answer; what would you do if you did have free time? ) I’ve been reading all of the Greek classics. (Good for you, but really? Colleges like good scholars, but they also want students who occasionally take their heads out of their books) The best answer to this question will show that you have passions outside of the classroom. The question allows you to show that you are well rounded. Within reason, it doesn’t much matter what you do in your free time as long as you do something. Do you love working on cars? Playing a pick-up game of soccer? Hiking in the neighboring mountains? Experimenting in the kitchen? Building rockets? Playing word games with your younger brother? Painting sunsets? Surfing? Your transcript will show that you are a good student. Your answer to this question will show that you are also someone who has diverse interests that will enrich the campus community. 8†³What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now? † This interview question can come in many flavors: What do you want to do with your life? What are your goals? What is your dream job? What do you want to do with your college degree? However your interviewer phrases the question, the goal is similar. The college admissions folks want to see if you have thought about your future. A lot of students don’t succeed in college for the simple reason that they don’t have a clear sense of why college is important to them and their goals. This interview question is subtly asking you to show how college fits into your long-term planning. Realize that you definitely do not need to know what you want to be doing ten years from now. College is a time of exploration and discovery. Many prospective college students have not yet been introduced to the fields that will define their future careers. The majority of students will change majors before they graduate. Many students will have careers that aren’t directly connected to their undergraduate majors. That said, you don’t want to evade the question. Answers such as these may be accurate, but they won’t impress anybody: â€Å"I don’t know. † True enough, but keep on reading to see a better way to present your uncertainty. â€Å"I’m not sure what I’ll be doing, but I want to be making lots of money. † This answer suggests that you have no academic interests, but you have strong materialistic desires. Such attitudes aren’t very attractive to a college that is trying to enroll an interesting and engaged group of students. â€Å"I want to be working for a big company. † Try to focus more. What type of company? Why? A vague answer isn’t going to create a strong impression. â€Å"I hope I’ll be married with kids. † That’s fine, but the interviewer isn’t really asking about your personal life (in fact, it wouldn’t be appropriate for an interviewer to ask about your future plans for family and marriage). Keep focused on career goals that are connected to your college education. So, if asked about your future goals, be honest but also answer in a way that shows you have actually thought about the relationship between college and your future. Here are a couple ways to approach the question: â€Å"I want to major in aeronautical engineering and work for NASA. † If you know what you want to do, an interview question about your future is easy to answer. However, be sure to elaborate and explain why you want to pursue a certain career path. What got you interested in the field? What do you hope to accomplish in this career? â€Å"I don’t know what I will be doing, but I know I want to work with people. In college I’m interested in taking classes in sociology and psychology to learn what some of the options are. † An answer such as this shows your uncertainty, but it shows that you know yourself, you’ve thought about the future, and you are eager to explore new fields of study. Again, the interviewer is not expecting you to know what you will be doing in ten years. If you can see yourself in five different careers, say so. You will have successfully answered this question if you do more than shrug your shoulders or evade the question. Show that you are excited about the future and that college plays a role in that future. 9†³Does your high school record accurately reflect your effort and ability? † This interview question provides you with an opportunity to explain a bad grade or weak spot in your academic record. Nearly all highly selective colleges have holistic admissions, so the admissions officers want to get to know you as a person, not just as a list of grades and test scores. Your interviewer knows that you are human and that extenuating circumstances can sometimes affect your academic performance. That said, you don’t want to sound like a whiner or grade grubber. If you have mostly A’s, don’t feel that you need to come up with an excuse for that one B+. Also, make sure you’re not blaming others for your own academic performance. The admissions folks won’t be impressed if you complain about an unreasonable teacher who doesn’t give out easy A’s. The following responses are all poor ways to answer the question: â€Å"I’m very good at math, but my teacher didn’t like me. That’s why I got a C+. † Really? This response suggests that you aren’t mature enough to own up to the grade you earned. Was your math teacher really that biased and unprofessional? And if so, why didn’t you address the unethical behavior with school officials? Even if your teacher didn’t like you, this isn’t something you want to highlight in your interview. Are you unlikable? â€Å"I worked really hard, so I don’t know why my grades weren’t higher. † This response makes you sound clueless. Students who don’t understand the low grades they earned are risky prospects for a college to admit. Successful students know what went wrong, and they work to address the problems. â€Å"I would have put more effort into my classes, but I was too busy with my job and sports. † While this response may be honest, it will not create a good impression. It’s wonderful that you are busy with work and athletics, but successful college students have strong time management skills and they give academics top priority. â€Å"I didn’t have to work hard to get all those A’s. † Shhh. Sure, we all had classes that were easy A’s, but don’t draw attention to this fact during your interview. So, how should you answer a question about the relationship between your record, your effort and your ability? In general, take ownership of your grades and justify low grades only if you have truly extenuating circumstances. The responses below would all be appropriate: â€Å"My parents got divorced at the beginning of my sophomore year, and I’m afraid I was too distracted to put in my best effort at school. † Fair enough. Big upheavals at home — divorce, death, abuse, frequent moves — can certainly make it difficult to devote 100% of your effort to academics. If a large domestic issue did affect your grades, your interviewer will want to know about it. Ideally, however, your academic record shows that the dip in grades was short-lived. If your grades never recovered, the admissions officers will wonder if you have gotten your act together enough to do well in college. â€Å"I had gallbladder surgery in 9th grade and was on a lot of pain medications. † Serious illness or surgery can certainly disrupt your academic efforts, and it is worth mentioning this type of disruption if it had a negative impact on your grades. Here, as with the response above, your record should show that the dip in grades was temporary. Make sure you are talking about serious health issues. Your interviewer will not be impressed if you try to blame that weak semester on the sniffles. â€Å"Yes, my record does reflect my effort. I didn’t work as hard as I should have in 9th grade, but by 10th grade I had figured out how to be a successful student. † The honesty of this response is refreshing. Some students figure out how to succeed later than others. There is nothing wrong with this. In general, colleges will be pleased to see that your grades have trended upwards throughout high school. A downward trend will raise red flags. Again, don’t be tempted to explain every little aberration in your academic record. The interviewer is really looking to see if you had any major extenuating circumstances that affected your grades. If you come across as the type of student who goes on a rant complaining about a single B+, you’re going to sound like an annoying whiner. 10. â€Å"Recommend a Good Book to Me. † The question can come in many different forms: â€Å"What’s the last book you read? â€Å"; â€Å"Tell me about a good book you’ve read recently†;†What’s your favorite book? Why? â€Å"; â€Å"What types of books do you like to read? â€Å"; â€Å"Tell me about a good book you read for pleasure. † Whatever the form of the question, the interviewer is trying to learn a few things by asking about your reading habits and book preferences: Do you read for pleasure. Active readers are people who are intellectually curious. They are also people who are likely to have better reading comprehension and writing skills than non-readers. Students who read a lot in high school are more likely to succeed in college than students who don’t. Do you know how to talk about books. A lot of your college course work will involve discussing and writing about what you have read. This interview question helps figure out if you are up for the challenge. Your interests. You are likely to get asked about your interests and passions in another interview question, but books are one more way to approach the topic. If you have a love of novels about Cold War espionage, that information helps the interviewer get to know you better. A book recommendation. An interview is a two-way conversation, and your interviewer may actually want to learn about some good books he or she isn’t familiar with. Don’t try to second guess this question too much by recommending a book simply because it has historical or cultural significance. You’ll sound insincere if you state that Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is your favorite book when in truth your much prefer Stephen King novels. Nearly any work of fiction or nonfiction can work for this question as long as you have things to say about it and it is at an appropriate reading-level for a college-bound student. There are, however, a few types of works that might be weaker choices than others. In general, avoid works such as these:Works that were obviously assigned in class. Part of this question is to see what you read outside of class. If you name To Kill a Mockingbird or Hamlet, you’ll sound as if you’ve never read anything but assigned books. Juvenile fiction. You don’t need to hide your love of Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Redwall books, but these works are also loved by kids much younger than you. You’d do better to recommend a book that is more in line with a college-level reader. Works chosen simply to impress. James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake isn’t anyone’s favorite book, and you’ll sound insincere if you recommend a challenging book in an effort to make yourself look smart. The issue gets a little more fuzzy with works like Harry Potter and Twilight. Certainly plenty of adults (like me) devoured all of the Harry Potter books, and you’ll even find college courses on Harry Potter. You certainly don’t need to hide the fact that you were addicted to popular series such as these. That said, so many people love these books (including much younger readers) that they make for a rather predictable and uninteresting answer to the interviewer’s question. So what is the ideal book? Try to come up with something that fits these general guidelines: Pick a book that you sincerely love and that you are comfortable talking about. Pick a book with enough substance to it so that you can explain why you like the book. Pick a book that is at an appropriate reading level; something that is a huge hit among fourth-graders is probably not your best choice. Pick a book that gives the interviewer a window into your interests and passions. This last point is important — the interviewer wants to get to know you better. This interview question isn’t so much about the book you choose as it is about you. Make sure you are able to articulate why you are recommending the book. Why did the book speak to you more than other books? What about the book did you find so compelling? How did the book engage issues that you are passionate about? How did the book open your mind or create new understanding? 11=†If you could do one thing in high school differently, what would it be? † This interview question is a bit trickier than most. You’ll want to make sure you don’t wallow in regret or draw attention to really bad decisions you’ve made. You have a tough balancing act to negotiate with a question like this. The best interviews are ones in which the interviewer feels like he or she has really gotten to know you. If all of your answers are calculated and safe, you’ll end up making a tepid impression at best. At the same time, providing too much information is also a danger, and this interview question can easily lead to TMI. In general, you’d probably be wise to avoid answers related to topics such as these: Your relationships. It wouldn’t be surprising if your biggest regret from high school was a disastrous relationship. However, if you answer the interview question with details about that nasty boyfriend or girlfriend, you’ll be introducing a lot of negativity into your interview. This type of response can easily sound immature, ungenerous, and spiteful. Steer clear. A class you hated. Do you really regret taking that class with that jerk of a teacher? Fine, but keep it to yourself. The best students can navigate all kinds of classroom environments, and your interviewer won’t be impressed if you start bad-mouthing your teachers. Your problems with drugs or alcohol. If you got messed up with drugs or alcohol in college, hopefully you do wish that you could go back and do things differently. That said, the college interview is not the best place to address this issue. While your interviewer may be impressed with your ability to confront your substance abuse, he or she may also feel uneasy about admitting a student who abused alcohol or drugs. Your interviewer may question your judgment or feel that you represent too great of a risk to the college. After all, colleges have enough problems with substance abuse without admitting students who have a proven track record of abuse. The best answers to this interview question will put a positive spin on it. A strong answer doesn’t express regret about a bad decision; instead, it presents regret over not seizing all the opportunities available to you. For example, the following would make good responses: You wish you had taken calculus instead of an easier math class. You wish you had looked for a more challenging job than the local burger joint. You wish you had discovered earlier in high school that you really enjoy theater. You wish you had worked harder in your freshmen year (some students are late bloomers, and your interviewer won’t hold this against you) A more personal response is also appropriate as long as it presents you in a positive light. Perhaps you wish you had spent more time with your grandmother before she came down with cancer, or perhaps you wish you had helped your brother more when he was struggling in school. Think carefully about this question before you set foot in the interview room. It’s not a difficult question, but it does have the ability to go astray if you draw attention to an action that reveals foolishness or poor judgment. +===The majority of college interviewers aren’t looking to trick you or put you on the spot. The interview is a way for you and a representative from the college to get to know each other. The interview helps you and the college figure out if you’re a good match. Try to relax and be yourself, and the interview should be a pleasant experience. The 20 questions below are meant to supplement my original 12 college interview questions. Also be sure to check out these 10 college interview mistakes. 1. What did you do this summer? This is an easy question that an interviewer might use to get the conversation rolling. The biggest danger here is if you haven’t done anything productive in the summer. â€Å"I played a lot of video games† isn’t a good answer. Even if you didn’t have a job or take classes, try to think of something you have done that was a learning experience. 2. What do you do best? There are lots of ways to ask this question, but the bottom line is that the interviewer wants you to identify what you see as your greatest talent. There’s nothing wrong with identifying something that isn’t central to your college application. Even if you were first violin in the all-state orchestra or the starting quarterback, you can identify your best talent as making a mean cherry pie or carving animal figurines out of soap. The interview can be an opportunity to show a side of yourself that isn’t obvious on the written application. 3. What do you hope to do after graduation? Lots of high school students have no idea what they want to do in the future, and that’s okay. Still, you should formulate an answer to this question. If you’re not sure what your career goals are, say so, but provide a few possibilities. 4. Why do you want to go to college? This question is so broad and seemingly obvious that it can catch you by surprise. Why college? Steer clear of materialistic responses (â€Å"I want to get a good job and make a lot of money†). Instead, focus on what it is that you plan to study. Chances are your particular career goals aren’t possible without a college education. 5. How do you define success? Here again you want to avoid sounding too materialistic. Hopefully success means making a contribution to the world, not just your wallet. 6. Who do you most admire? This question really isn’t so much about who you admire but why you admire someone. The interviewer wants to see what character traits you most value in other people. 7. What is your biggest weakness? This is a common question, and it’s always a tough one to answer. It can be dangerous to be too honest (â€Å"I put off all my papers until an hour before they are due†), but evasive answers that actually present a strength often won’t satisfy the interviewer (â€Å"My greatest weakness is that I have too many interests and I work too hard†). Try to be honest here without damning yourself. The interviewer is trying to see how self-aware you are. 8. Tell me about your family. When you interview for college, an easy question like this can help get the conversation rolling. Try to be specific in your description of your family. Identify some of their funny quirks or obsessions. In general,however, keep the representation positive — you want to present yourself as a generous person, not someone who is hyper-critical. 9. What makes you special? Or the interview might ask, â€Å"What makes you unique? † It’s a more difficult question than it might at first appear. Playing a sport or getting good grades is something that many students do, so such accomplishments aren’t necessarily â€Å"special† or â€Å"unique. † Try to get beyond your accomplishments and think about what really makes you you. 10. What can our college offer you that another college can’t? This question is a little different than one asking why you want to go to a specific college. Do your research and look for the truly unique features of the college for which you are interviewing. Does it have unusual academic offerings? Does it have a distinctive first-year program? Are there co-curricular or internship opportunities that can’t be found at other schools?

Mother Tongue Language And Mathematics Essay

In what ways does your mother tongue language and mathematics resemble and differ from each other? Mathematics and language both act as a source of communication, thus both mathematics and language play an important role in life. According to the dictionary, language is defined as a â€Å"communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols.† In comparison, the dictionary defines mathematics as a â€Å"the study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols.† Both language and mathematics use symbols, thus both concept are seen as a form of communication. The symbols represent values, which can be understood by the human mind. Language is defined as a code, and both the mother tongue and mathematics are made up of unique symbols that are consistent in their rules in order to be understood properly. Mathematics is a very complex, straightforward concept that has fixed meanings. If x = y = z, then x = y, x = z and y = z. This is a universal phenomenon accepted world wide. Mathematics has been used in the study of science. An example would be the physician Albert Einstein and the discovery of his equation e = mc2. Mathematics is composed of a combination of factors, which can be simplified and broken down. Factorisation of equations is an example. However, if an equation can be factored, then there is only possibility in which it can be broken down. Each equations has its universal values that cannot be altered. Even though mathematics exemplifies logic, it is not as simple to understand. In order to understand the concept of mathematics, a person has to learn a language first. Whether the language is English, French, Spanish or German does not matter. Mathematics is a fundamental base of our daily life and society, but it is not as essential as the communication between humans through the usage of language. Language is a much simpler concept than mathematics. Language does not have a fixed meaning or value, whereas this is the case in mathematics. 5 + 3 = 8. This is always true, it cannot be denied due to the mathematical code and its rule. In language this is not the case. Statements can be understood of accepted differently according to the individual. For example, Anna says to Tom, â€Å"I really like you.† This has no fixed meaning, because according to what tone this statement is said, it can either be true or false. Anna could emphasise through language that she in reality does like Tom. On the other hand, she has the ability to state it as a sarcastic phrase. This would mean, that in reality she doe not like Tom. Language also plays an important role in culture. Through language, the origin of individuals can be assumed. If somebody is mainly speaking German, then one can assume that the person is German. Even within the German language, different dialects are spoken. This makes language less specific than mathematics. There is the â€Å"Hoch-Deutsch† spoken in Germany, the Austrian German spoken in Austria and finally the Swiss German heard in Switzerland. Language is expressed in different forms, either written by the usage of symbols, orally through the usage of sounds and finally through the form of body language. Again, language illustrates a less specific concept than mathematics. All three forms can express certain values and one statement, such as â€Å"I like you† can be expressed in all three different forms. Even though both mathematics and language have codes, these can be misunderstood. In mathematics your result is an error, while in language misunderstandings can result in several problematic situations. The fundamental difference between mathematics and language is that one is universal in its concept, while the other is altered around the globe. Mathematics is universal, it has the same code throughout the world where 2 + 2 = 4 in every country. Language however, can be altered. If a Chinese speaks in Chinese to a Portuguese, it is unlikely that they will understand it each other. In conclusion, mathematics and language share both common concepts but also differ from each other. They are both essential for life, while language is the base to understand mathematics. The concept of mathematics has always been relevant in nature, such as 360à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ circles. Language is the invention of the human race in order to establish and maintain the communication between each other.

Saving Water

The Solution is in the Tips of our Hands. â€Å"We think this water may one day be lost to us forever,† a phrase said by Mohanbhai G. Patel, a hopeless well owner from India mentioned on the essay Water Pressure, presented in the book Green. This essay portrays a great understanding of how humans can change the water scarcity problem in remote places, such as villages in India and Africa, by just spreading their knowledge and showing methods that will decrease the effect of this ceaseless issue.Some of us do not have the capacity and resources to help third world countries, but we do have the ability to change the community we live in; and it all starts at home. A simple, sustainable method we could practice is running the clothes washer and dish washer only when full. This concept may seem extremely appealing to members of a household but the actual idea of practicing the method might turned out to be unrealistic.In order to make this water saving practice effective, one pers on should begin the trend of implying the practice in their daily life, demonstrating to the people surrounding him/her it’s not difficult to become a guardian of this crucial element. The conception on how the problem should be faced are based on my beliefs and inexperienced perception of human action, for this reason I consulted my grandmother's judgment on this matter. Agueda grew up in the Cuban countryside where washing machines didn’t even exist less than a decade ago. If you need three pieces of clothes for the next day, just fill a little bucket with water, place the items inside, and let it sit there for thirty minutes; your clothes would be as wearable as if you wash it twenty times in the washer. †(Delgado) It was important taking into consideration the concerns of person my age and how water shortage worldwide was affecting his life. One of my classmates, named Carlos Garcia, who seems very passionate about this issue, was the perfect candidate to pro vide some information on this method. I asked him about the dishwasher and how he believed using this machine only when needed as going to make a change. He laughed at the fact that people actually use them as an instrument for washing dishes. â€Å"Just because a person got a patent on an invention do not means is useful at home,† Carlos quoted. From his point of view having a dishwasher at home is a waste of space, water, and electricity. His mother, who is the main user of the dishwasher, stores kitchen appliances and has never turn power button on. The author of the essay presented earlier, Fen Montaigne, shows a variety of approaches on how to solve the water deficiency problem and demonstrates how this water distress affects different regions of the world.The story starts as he travels throughout India with a popular dam constructor that has built, with his movement, an estimated of 4,500 dams in about 1000 villages. This break of events illustrates how a person can imp act thousands of people by just showing them how to work together to alleviate the great necessity of water sources that were nonexistent to this time. Now how do I relate his experiences to my sustainable practice at home? We start conserving water using a simple method will then expand our horizons little by little when we get our families involved, and later on our community.Judging on the opinion of an elderly person, a college student, or an educated writer should not be well structure evidence on how the problem should be confronted. You would make your own decision according to your beliefs, and understanding of the concept. By investing on researching any of the earlier stated methods and creating greater knowledge, anyone can help to promote water preservation, and anyone can help to halt this international crisis.

Final examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final examination - Essay Example The constitution, which was written by a group consisting various professionals ranging from teachers, lawyers, representatives, and other professionals, is the supreme law of the land that provides the country with a room to exercise a high sense of patriotism among US citizens with the constitution acting as an art of compromise (Vile 4). Importantly, the country has passed various legislation and ratified various treaties overtime that strengths the country’s governance structures and provide various rights to the citizens of the country. With regard to treaties, the most important treaty signed by the  US  is known as the Paris Treaty. In fact, this is the is the very document that ensured that we have the modern day USA since the treaty with the Great Britain, under the then leadership of King George III ended the Revolutionary War with the USA being recognized as an independent state by Europe and no longer a colony of the British (Ledson). Most importantly, the trea ty was achieved after various American statesmen - popularly known as the Founding Fathers - and included Benjamin Franklin and John Adams (USA's second president) engaged the British in the treaty some scholars describe as â€Å"exceedingly generous† to the USA with regard to the country’s territorial boundaries (Paterson, Clifford, and Maddock 20). Concerning the country’s political system, the country has experienced and continues to experience a vibrant political scene with various issues shaping policies adopted by various political parties. Most importantly, the two main political parties that control the direction of politics in the country are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Consequently, the country’s political support is almost divided down the middle with followers of the Republican Party known as Republicans while their Democratic Party counterparts are called the Democrats. Amongst the Republicans, Abraham Lincoln is the most r ecognized individual and party member due to the sweeping changes he brought to the country. As president, Lincoln adopted an abolitionists’ approach to ending slavery with his actions being against the Conservative wing of the Republican Party that adopted an anti-slavery stance (Foner, "The Fiery Trial" 86). This stance has endeared Lincoln to the American public making him one of the most revered leaders since he went against his party line. One of his major contributions was his opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1845 that sought to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 that restricted slavery with the Act of 1845 providing powers to local settlers, instead of Congress, to determine the enactment of slavery in new states (Foner, "The Fiery Trial† 88). It is instructive to point out that President Lincoln set the agenda for abolishing slavery with his opposition to laws that entrenched slavery in the country, which highly contributed to his assassination. To d rive his anti-slavery agenda, Lincoln used the provision in the country’s constitution that provide for the equality of all men before the supreme law, which was against what the president defined as Republicanism Principles (Foner, "The Fiery Trial" 86). The culture of the United States is as diverse as its history and its people. In fact, the country draws its success from the diversity in the

Media, Stereotypes & the Perpetuation of Racism in Canada Essay

Media, Stereotypes & the Perpetuation of Racism in Canada - Essay Example The media – print as well as television is one of the most powerful sources of mass communication in today’s times, and its accessibility and vast outreach has further added to its sheer power to influence the ‘minds of the masses’. The issues portrayed by the media are almost invariably regarded as ‘truthful’ and assumed to be accurate by the audiences, which lends even more power in the hands of those who control it. The media, world over, has recently attracted severe criticism for the negative portrayal of critical events, and especially for irresponsible reporting by hiding the facts and reality and sensationalizing the news through willful and deliberate misrepresentation of issues which can have a strong negative influence on those who consume such blatant lies. One of its several outcomes is the perpetuation of racism, on account of the negative portrayal or racial stereotyping of the ethnic minorities. This paper critically examines the portrayal of minority communities by the Canadian media, explores the manner in which they are represented – i.e. misrepresented or underrepresented in the media, and its ultimate impact on the masses, culminating of such news into a negative image of members of such groups, there by attracting harsh and often discriminatory behavior towards them by the dominant groups. This study is an attempt to study the highly complex relationship between the minority communities and their gross misrepresentation by the Canadian media, the role of the media in shaping national identities and influencing peaceful or destructive inter racial relations and / or harmony depending on the media representations. â€Å"Racisim is prejudice or discrimination against other people because of their race or because of what is thought to be their race (their biology or ancestry or physical appearance). It involves the assumption that peoples birth or biology

Impact of Technology on Society (Automobile) Essay

Impact of Technology on Society (Automobile) - Essay Example The automobile technology has had far reaching effects on the society. The advent of technology in the field of automobile has led to the design and production of high quality features of the automobiles used in the industry. The technological progress in the field of automobile has led to development in the cooling systems of engines, increased fuel efficiency of cars, advanced suspension and emission systems, increased horse-power, etc (Volti, 2004). The use of technologies has however, impacted the society by bringing about changes in the socio-economic lives of the people and also affecting the environmental conditions. Functions of society prior to use of technology The functions of the society prior to the invention and use of technology was primitive in nature. The people of the society were accustomed to undertake huge efforts in doing works like gathering of food, travelling from one place to another, sending messages for communication. The works of the society were done over longer period of time. The wooden chariots pulled by animals like horses, cows, buffaloes, etc. was used for moving from one place to another. The poorer sections of the society even had to walk long distances for the purpose of travelling from one place to another. There were several limitations in the modes of transport and long distance travel was done only cases of high need. The people of the society depended on the natural resources and the animals for maintaining their livelihood. The functions of the society before the use of technology was highly dependent on the natural and the natural resources were worshipped as Gods and Goddesses for securing their liveliho od. The functions of the society changed as they learnt to convert the natural resources into beneficial elements for their use that would help to lead to attain improvement in the style of livelihood. The invention of the wheel, motor, steam engine and mechanical engines gradually changes the function of the society as they could achieve their goals with much lesser efforts than before. Functions of the society after adoption of technology The functions of the society changed drastically with the adoption of technologies. The discovery and application of technology increased the efficiency of several modes of communication and transport. The use of automobiles in the society that incorporate complicates and sophisticated technologies were able to provide faster and smoother ways of communication all over the world. The people of the society could travel longer distances with the help of fuel efficient and high horse-power driven automobile engine used in cars and aircrafts. The bar riers of communication were reduced and people could not travel farther distances within their national boundaries but could also cross international borders with ease. The reduction of these barriers with the wide-spread adoption of technology helped in fostering social and cultural exchange between the nations. The various meeting and conferences held across the world from people of society in different corners of the globe were part of daily routines. This brought about economic changes in the lives of the people as the increase in business activities with the spread of technology and world-wide exchanges of culture, ideas and businesses led to the advent of globalization which reshaped the functions of the

Business perposal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Business perposal - Research Paper Example It provides catering services delivering various kinds of delicious food items to the plates of the customers. The business in this regard specializes in vegetarian food items and non-vegetarian food items as well. In addition, according to the request of the customer the company also renders its services in terms of continental food items at a competitive price in the market (Hirshleifer & Et. Al., 2005). Apart from catering services the company, also organizes event for its customers belonging to the commercial and the general market as well. In this case, the company manages the event location, the decorative measures, and both the fooding and lodging services if demanded. In addition, the company also renders transport services to its customers while organizing such event. Moreover, the company specializes in organizing small or big events in various occasions, but excels in organizing business conferences. The company renders its services in various price ranges considering the comfortability of the customers and the competitive environment in which the business firm operates. Consequently, the prices are based on certain variables, such as the total number of guests, the food items selected to be served on the occasion, the venue of the event, and the time duration of the event that can range from a half day to even two days. Based on all these variables, the average pricing structure of the company ranges from a minimum of $25 per person and a maximum of $140 per person for general customers. However, for the commercial customers the pricing structure ranges from $30 per person to $220 per person (Hamster Internet, Inc., 2011). Notably, the pricing structure mentioned above does not include extra charges of tip, i.e. inclining the customers’ to their discretion. The additional charges also take account of taxation adhering to the legal rules and regulations prescribed by the regulatory bodies. The services in this regard not only accounts the

Critical discussion of Business Ethics and the Internet Essay

Critical discussion of Business Ethics and the Internet - Essay Example Moreover, it is widely accepted that the organisations often tends to improve their range of social responsiveness activities to reduce or to protect themselves from various external hindrances (McGraw-Hill Education n.d.). Emphasising upon the changing phase of the organisational policies associated with business ethics, the primary objective of this report is to briefly analyse the ethical performance of a Social Networking Site (SNS) named Facebook in the global social networking industry. The discussion of this paper will incorporate the core ethical practices that perform by Facebook along with different issues are likely to hinder its overall business performance. Additionally, the report will provide adequate suggestions intending to protect the organisation from encountering various ethical dilemmas. Facebook and its Ethical Performances Brief Overview of Facebook By providing exceptional experience of social media service to the millions of global users, Facebook has recogni sed itself as one of the leading and dominating organisations throughout the globe. It was established in the year 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg through his unique thoughts of connecting a range number of global users on a single platform. According to the present day context, Facebook has been able to acquire nearly 1.1 billion of Monthly Active Users (MAUs) across different parts of the globe. Moreover, the company is also renowned for its transformational growth since its commencement in the global social media network. The company basically earns its revenues from advertising amounted to US$1.46 billion which has surpassed the rate of 38% growth as compared to the year 2012 (Facebook, 2013). Ethical Performance of Facebook An effective practice of business ethics can significantly increase the performance of the organisations which ensures to enhance their credibility in the competitive business environment. In this regard, the practice of adequate code of ethics can assist the organi sations to deliver quality products or services to the customers enable them to attract as well as retain a huge group of loyal customers (Brimmer, 2011). Moreover, adequate quality assurance of the organisational offerings can also facilitate the organisations to meet the desired expectations of the customers. Moreover, practicing a well-built set of business ethics can also ensure to improve the organisational productivity that can be considered as one of the major beneficial factors for the present business environment. Additionally, an appropriate ethical performance of the organisations also brings different advantages and enables it to gain competitiveness in the growing global business environment (Dimitriades, 2007). In order to determine the ethical performance of Facebook, it has been viewed that it incorporates a wide practice of ethical conducts which ensures protecting from various ethics related concerns. In relation to the ethical practice of Facebook, the company bro adly adopts as well as executes well-built ethical guidelines with regard to its independent nature in the global social media services. An effective governance system enables the company to efficiently perform its business operations in different global nations. The code of business ethi

What can be done to improve the college graduation rate Essay - 1

What can be done to improve the college graduation rate - Essay Example There are many colleges and universities that have tried to improve their graduation rates and have succeeded in doing so (Davis, 2010). Graduation rate of any country is a reflection of far more than what may seem. The number of college students graduating from a college shows an insight to its accountability and transparency. The graduation rates show a great deal about the college itself and a low number of graduating students may indicate an unsatisfactory performance by the college or it may point towards something faulty within the organization (Sealey-Morris, 2015). The constant increment in the wage given to the students in order to increase the college graduation rate has been unsuccessful in tackling the situation and the increased amount of students enrolled in college courses are not directly proportional to the amount of students graduating from these colleges. The most probable reason behind this decrease in the degree attainment rate may be due to the inappropriate balance within the student body or alterations within this student body. Other possible reasons behind the decrease in graduation rate is t he increased segregation within the education system of the country and the lack of helpful resources for the students within an organization hence, it can be said that the overcrowded college institutions have a lower rate of graduation. Another important reason behind the decrease in the degree attainment rates may be due to the lack of financial resources available for the students, this is because a large number of students are employed in part time jobs while they are enrolled in college and this is to make up with the tuitions and study costs of their study courses (Bound, Lovenheim & Turner, 2010). The first step that can be ensued in order to increase the graduation rate is to increase the equality among

Differential Reporting in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Differential Reporting in Australia - Essay Example There have been arguments and commentaries on the applicability of the proposed changes to the reporting requirements in Australia. The AASB is of the view that the differential accounting standards are required to ensure adequate financial reporting for not-for-profit and government entities. This paper analyses the cases for and against this statement in the light of the proposed changes to the reporting requirements as envisaged by the AASB. The Public Sector Accounting Standards Board of the Australian Accounting Research Foundation has issued the Statement of Accounting Concept (SAC) 1defining the 'reporting entity' concept. Accordingly the reporting entity concept covers the 'legal entity' enunciated by the legislation in the private sector and also a broader concept to cover the accountability of the elected representatives and appointed officials employed in the public sector. (Australian Accounting Research Foundation) The concept of the reporting entity is based on the information needs of the users of the financial statements and the nature and extent of the general purpose of the financial reports. "The concept requires that individual reporting entities be identified by reference to the existence of users who are dependent on general purpose financial reports for information for making and evaluating resource allocation decisions." (Australian Accounting Research Foundation) Hence the reporting entity is not d ependent on the sector classification whether private or public or the manner or legality on the basis of which the entity is created. The concept is purely based on the objective behind the general purpose reporting and the concept requires all the entities (with users dependent on the general purpose financial reports for information) to prepare the general purpose financial reports for the information of the users of such reports. The present situation is that almost all not - for - profit companies are having the option to choose the status of being 'non-reporting entities'. If such companies opt for not to be reporting entities they need to prepare only 'special purpose accounts'. (Chartered Secretaries Australia) The objective of the proposed change is to revise the differential reporting regime, so that the financial reporting by both the for-profit and not-for profit organizations are made more meaningful for the users. 2.1 Rationale behind Removal of Reporting Entity Concept: The Invitation to Comment on the proposed change in the reporting regime details the rationale behind attempting to the remove the reporting entity concept. Nowhere in the world except Australia, the concept 'reporting entity' is being used for the purpose of determination of the accounting standards and the disclosure requirements. Australia is the only country which uses the concept of reporting entity for the determination of the differential reporting purposes also. Since the concept is not being the one which has an international usage and recognition the AASB proposed to remove this concept from the application to determine the accounting st

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

Poject - Essay Example It manages the planning aspect carefully with the help of resources and treatment services at its disposal. It applies reasonable and meaningful sanctions against delinquent and non-conforming inmates Classification of prisoners is made on the assessment of its inmates’ security levels, checks and curative needs, thus putting up the inmates into different sanctioned programs. The criteria of classifying the inmates are the nature of crime, duration of sentence and the inmates’ attitude. The assigned institutions and correctional units differ by security levels. The Institutional Assignment Criteria is based on set guidelines for the corrections staff to recommend the most preferable institution while taking care of treatment needs as well. Different states have their own classification systems that have different security levels prevalent. After the completion of the court proceedings, the offenders are enrolled into the department of corrections as soon as final sentence of court orders reaches its office. This intake of offenders can happen at any of the DOC reception and classification facilities. Offenders are thoroughly interviewed by the expert staff to be put in a suitable security level according to which institutions are assigned The Client Management Classification System (CMC) of classification in probation and parole is a model system approach as prepared by the National Institute of Corrections. It provides an orderly method of incorporating all information to present an all-inclusive total view of the client (offender). Probation and parole officers get a complete view of the client within a span of 45 minutes interview, which otherwise could take months in any other system. CMC offers an objective method in which agents can compare their first hand impression of the client with an impartial attitude towards certain offences, resulting in a better understanding to prepare case plans of the clients. There is no need to go

True Leaders Essay Example for Free

True Leaders Essay If there ever were a great leader in the history of business and management, it would be William Edwards Deming. Deming was a visionary whose concepts of effective business leadership were decades ahead of his time. It was Deming who greatly improved industrial production in the United States during World War Two and later, ironically, in Japan where his genius was given the widespread recognition it deserved. Deming coined the term â€Å"Profound Knowledge Management† which referred to the notion that successful management is based on individuals and to be successful, individuals must always be open to change and never act in a manner that would be deemed inflexible. From this, a manager can act in a leadership role similar to Deming’s leadership module. There is, however, a significant difference between leadership and its cousins supervision and management. Supervision generally refers to the oversight of employees. Management generally refers to the oversight of company and business policy. Leadership refers to the notion that the individuals that comprise the personnel of a given company have faith and confidence in the person who is making the supervisory and managerial directives. Personnel will look up to a manager who exemplifies leadership qualities. Quality leadership will always inspire and never threaten or sanction as is the case in many supervisory or managerial styles. Are true leaders rare? Yes. The reason for this is that leadership involves a great deal of innovation (as was the case with Deming) whereas supervision/management simply requires carrying out directives. Not everyone can lead, but those who can are never forgotten.

Role of the Military in Establishing Democracy

Role of the Military in Establishing Democracy ABSTRACT Under the conditions of globalization the term governance does not point to governmental and state actors, but it refers to intertwined governmental and non-governmental, private, transnational, national and local actors and networks, which guide and govern. Efficient and democratic governance has become an intended end of the state for the external assistance provision, notably for the United States. Analyzing the changes within the Defense Department and State Department after September 11, 2001, the author argues that, by militarizing the civil spheres of assistance such as foreign developmental aid, the USA jeopardize the main goal mentioned above. There is a tendency in USA to equalize military occupation with the modern concept of governance, which is an oxymoron as the military is one among many actors of governance and it can support democratic and efficient governance only by the establishment of security and its own accountability. Key words: military, governance, USA, democratization, developmental aid, militarization, stability and reconstruction, security INTRODUCTION Moving a society from insecurity toward security has been a perpetual goal of every community in the history of mankind. After the end of the Cold War hopes were raised that a global security concept would emerge which would embrace political, economic, diplomatic and other aspects of security; instead of narrow, defense-oriented concepts aimed at exclusive security for states and alliances. The rhetoric of commitments to democracy and human rights has become a central issue in current world politics. The number of states ruled by the military has declined sharply, and the democratic control of the military, has started to become a norm. Between 1985 and 2001, world military expenditures declined by one-third; the arms trade underwent a 65 percent contraction at the same period. The concept of security sector reform is being developed by academic and practitioners as a framework for addressing the provision of security within the state in an effective and efficient manner, and in the framework of democratic civilian control. Simultaneously, globalization and growing interdependence have questioned conventional conceptualization of hierarchical dominance by a central government. Namely, it has been noted that large number of both international and domestic actors and growing importance of networks and other forms of interaction between state and society limit the capacity of states to govern in an autonomous manner to certain extent. Hence, both academic and practitioners have started to point out that more cooperative forms of governance are essential. Until the 1980s, the term governance was used as synonymous with government, but in the last two decades, political scientists and practitioners use it to refer to something broader. The new use of governance does not point to state actors and the institutions as the only relevant, but focuses on the role of networks in the pursuit of common goals: intergovernmental or inter- organizational, transnational, or networks of trust and reciprocity crossing the state-society divide.6 Providing for effective and democratic governance has become an intended end state for numerous actors dealing with various forms of external assistance. Keeping in mind all these changes, it should have been expected that the military is only one actor in dense web of horizontal and vertical networks governing local societies, and that its role, as a hierarchical, top-down institution, is declining. This paper systematize opposite practice within the U.S. military/Department of Defense and the U.S. foreign assistance, and outlines possible consequences for democratic governance. After the first part on the concept of governance in various academic and policy context, the main characteristic of military doctrine, budget and procurement practice of the United States after the end of Cold War will be outlined. The next part will research basic documents issued by the US government after the 9/11, 2001, and elaborate gradual transfer of civilian responsibilities to the military in areas related to foreign assistance and in stabilization and transition operations abroad. Finally, the effects of military build-up after 9/11 on the transparency and accountability of defense-related matters within the U.S. and securitization of the U.S. foreign assistance without consideration for the democratic governance in numerous states worldwide will be elaborated. THE CONCEPT OF GOVERNANCE In this section the concept of governance within the academic and policy context will be defined, and the content of democratic and effective governance is elaborated. The approach toward governance applied in the US practitioners discussions related to the military and intervention will be presented. Until the 1980s, the term governance was used as synonymous with government. However, there are important differences in the current discourse. Anglo-American political theory uses the term government to refer to the formal institutions of the state and their monopoly of legitimate coercive power. Government is characterized by its ability to make decisions and its capacity to enforce them. In particular government is understood to refer to the formal and institutional processes which operate at the level of nation state to maintain public order and facilitate collective action. As of the 1980s, political scientists and practitioners refer to the term as distinct from government and as something broader, including civil-society actors, and the role of networks intergovernmental or inter-organizational (Rhodes); transnational (Rosenau), or networks of trust and reciprocity crossing the state-society divide (Hyden). The term is used in different subfields of political science: public administration and policy, international relations, comparative politics. Governance refers to self-organizing, interorganizational networks characterized by interdependence, resource-exchange, rules of the game, and significant autonomy form the state. Rod Rhodes refers to governance as a vogue word for reforming the public sector. Such approach can be placed within the filed of public administration and policy. Scholars in this field study the tasks, organization, management and accountability structure of the public sector. This approach is echoed within policy circles in the World Bank definition of governance as the institutional capability of public organizations to provide the public and other goods demanded by the countrys citizens or their representatives in an effective, impartial, transparent and accountable manner, subject to resource constraints. The World Bank subdivides the public sector into three broad categories: policymaking, service delivery, and oversight and accountability. Institution development cuts across all these sectors. The efficient governance is also related to this subfield, as opposite to poor governance, which the Bank identified as the cause of the prolonged economic crisis in developing countries. Other synonyms in use are good and weak governance respectively. It is important to note that, keeping in mind decentralization, transfer of authority to supranational organizations, and the delivery of public services by private actors, the distinction between public and private that characterizes traditional public administration theory is not clear. There is a baseline agreement that governance refers to the development of governing styles in which boundaries between and within public and private sectors have become blurred. The essence of governance is its focus on governing mechanisms which do not rest on recourse to the authority and sanctions of government. The governance concept points to the creation of a structure or an order which cannot be externally imposed but is the result of the interaction of a multiplicity of governing and each other influencing actors. The last two points are very important as they imply that military governance, particularly externally imposed, is an impossible construction. The term global governance belongs in the field of international relations and it challenges the realist paradigm about the states as the most important units and the international system as anarchic, as there is no government reigning over all states. Global governance is conceived to include systems of rule at all levels of human activity from the family to the international organization in which the pursuit of goals through the exercise of control has transnational repercussions. Or, it could be defined as a shift from hierarchical and territorial relations of government to polyarchical, non-territorial and networked relations of governance networks and complexes that are bringing together governments, NGOs, military establishments, and private companies in new ways, as a part of an emerging system of global liberal governance.15 At least three perceptions of governance can be identified in international relations: a narrow perception of governance that refers to practically all activities in transnational networks; a broader perception of global governance as a meta affair, the process of coordinating the sum of transnational and intergovernmental activities; and third, the minimal definition of neo-realism that equates it with world government and therefore dismisses it as naive.16 Another field which refers to governance is comparative politics. Governance is the stewardship of formal and informal political rules of the game. Governance refers to those measures that involve setting the rules for the exercise of power and settling conflicts over such rules. Within comparative politics, governance focuses on state-society interactions, and deals particularly with the role of the state in economic development how to incorporate societal actors in order to gain the capacity to formulate and implement efficient economic policies; as well as with the theories of democratization. Governance is not equal to democracy democracy is one institutional setup that may or may not be the outcome of processes of governance. Additionally, as some democratic societies are not very efficient, particularly in post-conflict periods, and an important dimension of governance is to provide goods demanded by the countrys citizens or their representatives in cost-effective manner, for the Western/liberal actors it is necessary to underline both democratic and effective governance as the desired end state. As it is demonstrated above, governance is a very complex and multilayered term; nevertheless, the approach toward governance applied in the US practitioners guidebooks related to the external support and intervention is quite straightforward. Recent The Beginners Guide to Nation-Building by prominent RAND Corporation, for example, threats governance separately from rule of law, democratization, development, economic stabilization, and practically equates government and basic service provision with the governance. The opening under heading Governance is as follows: Societies emerging from the conflict may be able to wait for democracy, but they need a government immediately to provide law enforcement, education, and public health care. Electricity, telecommunications, water, and other utilities also require a government to regulate them, and, in some instances, to provide the service. Sometimes the intervening authorities initially serve as the government The intervening authorities need to choose partners carefully with a view to creating a government and distribution of power that will survive their departure. Similarly, regardless recent changes in the meaning of the term governance, it is used with regard to past events, again as synonymous for rule/government: The idea that the military has a central and key role to play in terms of democratization and governance is not new. The U.S. military has experience in military governance in Cuba and the Philippines after the Spanish-American War, in Germany during World War I, in Latin America during the Banana Wars, in Germany and Japan and other territories during World War II. To meet the World War IIs requirements a Military Government Division was established on the Army Staff and a School for Military Government was created at the University of Virginia in 1942. Linkage of governance and military goes back in openly colonial times, as the roots are found in 1899, when the Bureau of Insular Affairs was created as Americas first colonial office, created to support the Armys reconstruction and occupation duties in the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico. THE U.S. MILITARY AFTER THE END OF COLD WAR Within this section the main characteristics of military doctrine, budget and procurement practice of the United States after the end of Cold War are outlined, and security gaps within peacekeeping missions noted by the Clinton administration. By contrast to substantial declines in defense budgets and arms trade worldwide, US military spending declined by only 17 percent between 1985 and 2001. Actually, the United States moved from spending only 80 percent as much as the (perceived) adversary group in 1985 to spending 250 percent as much in 2001. While the world changed rapidly and radically after 1990, Americas armed forces did not apart from reducing in size. Between 1990 and 2001, the US armed forces bought 45 major surface combatants and submarines, more than 900 combat aircraft, and more than 2000 armored combat vehicles (while upgrading another 800). Defense Planning Guidance drafted in 1992 by Paul Wolfowitz, Under Secretary of Defense, proposed the following: With the demise of the Soviet Union, the US doctrine should be to assure that no new superpower emerges to challenge the USAs benign domination of the globe. The US would defend its position by being military powerful beyond challenge. The USA would act independently when collective action cannot be orchestrated through ad-hoc coalitions. Pre-emptive attacks against states seeking to acquire nuclear, biological or chemical weapons were desirable. The paper was buried during the Clinton administration, but still the Defense Department had basically spent the nineties buying one type of military while operating another. The military was split into two rival camps over decade: one that had to deal with the international security environment as it was (Military Operations Other Then War MOOTW) and another that preferred to dream of the one that should be. Or, in other words, during the decade prior to the terrorist attacks against the United States in September 2001, thinking about defense was driven by a theory about the character of future war rather than by clear visions of emerging threats in the context of history and contemporary conflict. Proponents of what became known as military transformation argued for a capabilities based method of thinking about future war. In practice, however, capabilities-based analysis focused narrowly on how the United States would like to fight and then assumed that the preference was relevan t. Defense transformation was firmly rooted in a widely accepted yet fundamentally flawed conception of future war: the belief that surveillance, communications and information technologies would deliver dominant battlespace knowledge and permit US forces to achieve full spectrum dominance against any opponent mainly through the employment of precision-strike capabilities. Readiness was defined as being fully prepared to execute the two-war scenario, although after 1989 the rising requirement was for a capacity to handle frequent and multiple smaller-scale contingencies of a complex sort: not just traditional combat missions, but also non-traditional missions, including stability and humanitarian operations. Despite that, during the 1990s the lions share of the militarys time and resources was devoted to traditional activities and threats. The vaunted two-war strategy made claims on almost all of Americas conventional assets; it dominated planning, training, and procurement. By the decades end, operations other than war especially peace, stability, and humanitarian operations were considered anathema.28 Baseline is that the military was expected to wage a major war (or two) against raising peer competitors, and no connection with democratic governance was established. In reality, the Clintons administration in the 1990s was involved in many peacekeeping or humanitarian interventions, within the UN framework or without it. Since Korea, the U.S. military has resisted performing police duties. However, it become obvious that the security gaps created during various international missions required putting boots on the ground, as actual security threats could not be eliminated by high-tech equipment pilled under the pressure of defense industry and Cold War era military officers mentality. The Americans had to press its European allies to provide police and constabulary forces for the growing number of missions, and frequently faced with difficulties. In 1997, the Clinton administration began an interagency effort to analyze and learn from the experience of the peace operations. The National Security Council (NSC) requested from the Office of the Secretary of Defense to prepare the first draft of a Presidential Decision Directive on international polic e and judicial assistance in countries emerging from ethnic conflict to find ways in which the United States could improve its capacity and that of the United Nations to rapidly deploy effective civilian police forces and rebuild criminal justice system during peace operations.29 U.S. military leaders believed that peace operations dull combat skills, expend resources, and reduce readiness; in addition, soldiers were neither trained nor equipped to deal with civilians. This predilection to avoid nation building was reinforced by the traumatic experience of Somalia. At the Pentagon, the majority view was that discussions on this topic were to be avoided, stressing a myriad of problems and uncertainties involving legal authority, funding, administrative restrictions, and interagency differences.30 But the assignment went to Office of Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which believed that future peacekeeping missions were inevitable and that the Pentagon had a duty to provide clear guidance regarding constabulary functions. The process stretched into three years and only on February 24, 2000, Presidential Decision Directive 71 (PDD-71) on Strengthening Criminal Justice Systems in Support of Peace Operations was unvei led. It was under the pressure of the Department of State, as its officials were concerned about the UNs inability to stem violence in Kosovo.31 The Directive extensively addressed the role of civilian police, but also elaborated the understanding reached within the Defense Department on the need for U.S. military forces to perform constabulary functions during peace operations if necessary. Also, it provided a list of areas in which the U.S. military agreed it would cooperate and coordinate its activities with civilian police forces; and instructed the State to enhance U.S. capability to provide civilian police, including the increase of the speed with which is able to recruit, train, and deploy American civilian police abroad (through commercial contractors). However, at the time president Clinton left office, the efforts of assigned leading agency, State Department, to implement PDD-71 made little progress as differences arose between agencies with conflicting organizational cultures and institutional priorities.32 THE BUSHS ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO 9/11 This part analyses basic documents issued by the US government after the 9/11, 2001, and elaborate gradual transfer of civilian responsibilities to the military in areas related to foreign assistance and in stabilization and transition operations abroad. During the Bushs administrations first months in office, Washington agencies began an internal debate over the property of U.S. involvement in what were called complex contingency operations, stability and support operations, or multidimensional peace operations. To many it seemed safer and intellectually more comfortable to retain the U.S. militarys Cold War mission and to leave responsibility for peacekeeping to others.33 PDD-71 was abandoned and forgotten, so that even superb experts years later claim that the United States has been engaged in non-stop nation building since the end of the Cold War, but every one of this operations started virtually from the scratch, with little attempt to tap the expertise developed in the past. The terrorists attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, inflicted massive casualties, but could not be seen as a purely military threat. The response to terrorist threat has been possible within three layers: nonmilitary international solutions, military options, and homeland security measures. An examination of federal spending since September 11, 2001, in light of such framework reveals that in budgetary terms, military solutions are clearly preferred, even though much of the new money devoted to the defense department have little effect in addressing the problems of terrorism. Nonmilitary international measures are the clear losers of the budget sweepstakes.35 With the attack on 9/11 a new Big One threat was found possible pear competitions like China dropped off the radar, to be replaced by terrorist groups with global reach and any rogue nation suspected of supporting them.36 Global War On Terror (GWOT) was proclaimed, and although the Bush administration touts a multi-faceted campaign to disrupt and destroy terrorism worldwide one that balances military measures with diplomatic and economic ones, it has reached primarily for the handy one the military actions. Only after initial military operations quickly removed the Taliban and Ba-athist regimes from power, the disconnection between the true nature of these conflicts and pre-war visions of future war was revealed. Previous reluctance toward Military Operations Other Than War helps explain the lack of planning for the aftermath of both invasions as well as why it took so long to adapt to the shifting character of the conflicts.37 But how such adaptation to the character of the conflict has been carried out Alongside the threats to national security of the United States on its own soil, since September 11, democracy has become critical for the legitimization of interventions and post-conflict engagements. In the States it has been embraced by both supporters and opponents of Bush administration policies, and has become the proposed solution to all sorts of global challenges: terrorism, civil war, corruption, post-communist transitions, economic backwardness While the moral dimension of encouraging democratization through a foreign military presence is complex and multifaceted,38 or blatantly highly dubious, within this paper only concrete changes related to the U.S. foreign assistance are discussed. The U.S. arm sales and military assistance have been controversial form the aspect of human rights and democracy promotion for long time. However, the changes in these areas as of 9/11 are of major significance. Although weak and failed states are defined as a security threat,39 much of the expansion of military-to-military relations occurs with countries that fit the criteria of poorly performing states as determined by the UN Development Program, the World Bank, and Freedom House.40 At the same time, the bar has been raised for developmental aid, and weak and failing states are explicitly excluded from a new program which promotes development on the ground that the aid would not be effective for the areas of poor governance. Namely, The Millennium Challenge Account, proposed by President G. W. Bush in March 2002 and authorized by the Congress, promises to deliver substantial new flows of foreign assistance to low-income countries that are ruling justly, investing in their own peopl e, and encouraging economic freedom. More specifically, U.S. military and police aid to 47 poorly performing states, analyzed in a massive research conducted by a think-tank in the States, began to multiply in 2002, so that taken together these countries received 114 times as much assistance in 2004 as they did in 2000. The bulk of money went to seven countries classified as war on terror states Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Indonesia, Tajikistan and Djibouti. U.S. government documents claim that an underlying purpose of aid to all of these states is to encourage human rights and pluralistic politics. In fact, on September 11 three of these seven countries were legally banned from receiving U.S. security assistance by Foreign Assistance Act which prohibited aid to countries whose government reached power through a military coup and countries developing nuclear weapons. Additionally, Congress had prohibited most aid to Indonesias security forces due to serious human rights concerns. However, the Bush adminis tration waived these prohibitions in the weeks following the attacks on 9/11.42 The aid was channeled for various purposes, primarily weapons and equipment, but also even food, uniforms, and salaries for some militaries in Central Asia so unestablished, unprofessional or underequpped. Additionally, the United States trained 4.5 times as many military and police personnel from the war on terror countries in 2003 as it did in 2000, excluding joint military operations and joint training exercises, which do not appear in official reports to Congress. Within the same research, another group of 12 poorly performing states were categorized as strategically important: Georgia, Nigeria, Kenya, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Guinea, Eritrea, Cameroon, Zambia, Chad, Tanzania and Niger. The principal U.S. interest served by security aid has been to maintain governments friendly to the United States; these countries have something US whishes to protect natural resources, geographic location, or a position of regional leadership. The aid for these states in 2004 raised about 70 percent over 2000 levels. For majority of them the State Departments 2004 foreign aid request called for improving the recipient countrys ability to participate in peacekeeping missions. Peacekeeping means interoperability, i.e. that militaries have similar structures and training and use similar weapons and equipment. It benefits U.S. defense industries; and peacekeeping mission provides US with a politically palatable reason for maintaining close military ties with troubl ed countries. Transferring weapons and teaching lethal skills are less controversial for the U.S. Congress to approve, if the goal is to create a corps of blue-helmeted guarantors of human rights and regional stability.44 The adaptation to culture-centric warfare within the U.S. military itself has been slow. For example, the Army released its first counter-insurgency manual in decades and West Point has offered its first-ever class entirely focused on counterinsurgency warfare only three years after 9/11.45 On 28 November 2005, the Department of Defense issued Directive 3000.05 Military Support for Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction Operations (SSTR). Military support to SSTR is defined as Department of Defense (DoD) activities that support U.S. Government plans for stabilization, security, reconstruction and transition operations, which lead to sustainable peace while advancing U.S. interests. It practically represents a new doctrine as defines a new policy for Do D. Stability operations are a core U.S. military mission that the Department of Defense shall be prepared to conduct and support. They shell be given priority comparable to combat operations and be explicitly address and integrated across all DoD activities including doctrine, organizations, training, educations, exercises, material, leadership, personnel, facilities, and planning.47 A December 2005 Presidential Directive was issued to promote the security of the U.S. through reconstruction and stabilization for foreign states and regions at risk of, in, or in transition from conflict or civil strife. The directives states the response to these crises will include among others, activities relating to internal security, governance and participation, social and economic well-being, and justice and reconciliation. DoD Quadrennial Defense Review from early 2006 includes increased funding for fighting non-state actors, new efforts to improve interagency cooperation, and emphasis on agility and speed to counter emerging, asymmetric threats; and plans for over 30 percent increase in civil-affairs units.49 It provides roadmaps for Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction (SSTR), Irregular Warfare, and Building Partnership Capacity to address new military requirements and to advance them in future defense programs.50 However, while the directive demonstrates the importance of incorporating democracy as well as governance efforts in this work, it doesnt define both the Department of States and Defenses roles in these kinds of endeavors, along with how they can coordinate with other actors including NGOs, contractors, foundations, universities, and the private sector. The three roadmaps call for increased military involvement in establishing and supporting democratic and effective governance across the spectrum of conflict, but the concepts in these roadmaps are underdeveloped.51 THE CONSEQUENCES FOR DEMOCRATIC AND EFFICIENT GOVERNANCE Same important improvements have been made both with the military and civilian authority with regard to the involvement on the ground in foreign (AFRICOM), and the administrations Building Global Partnerships Act.55 Namely, the Office of the Secretary of Defense has developed a proposal, the Building Global Partnership Act that authorizes the military to do nearly everything it has done in Iraq and Afghanistan anywhere in the world, without subscribing to the human-rights and other restrictions that govern State Department dollars. The proposal reaches well past the Pentagons traditional areas: military-to-military training-assistance programs and weapons sales, and it would allow Defense to engage itself in virtually entire architecture of another countrys internal security. The downstream threat is that the State Department becomes the supporting institution for Defense Department initiatives, instead to formulate and lead the foreign policy according to its criteria and priorities .56 The Pentagons expanding foreign assistance role raises concerns that U.S. foreign and development policies are being subsumed by a short-term security agenda, that it will exacerbate the longstanding and glaring imbalance between the military and civilian components of the U.S. approach to state-building, and may undermine long-term U.S. foreign policy and development objectives to advance security, good governance and growth.57 Alongside relying more heavily on military instruments that on civilian ones, the U.S. approach is distinctive from many other donor governments, the European Union, and the United Nations, with regard to its underlying motivations. Whereas many other donors place the emphasis on foreign coherence for development that its, ensuring the alignment of national policy instruments to alleviate poverty and lay the conditions for self-sustaining growth in target countries U.S. engagement with weak and failing states is focused overwhelmingly on what might be termed policy coherence for national security that is, integrating policy tools to prevent weak states from generating transnational security threats that could harm the United States and its allies (rather) than on alleviating the structural causes of instab

Macbeth: Macbeth - A Tragic Hero :: essays research papers

Macbeth: Macbeth - A Tragic Hero "(Sometimes a tragic hero is created, not through his own villainy), but rather through some flaw in him, he being one of those who are in high station and good fortune, like Oedipus and Thyestes and the famous men of such families as those." (Poetics, Aristotle). Every great tragedy is dominated by a protagonist who has within himself a tragic flaw, too much or too little of one of Aristotle's twelve virtues. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, a great Scottish general and thane of Glamis, has just won an important battle, when he is told by three witches that he will become thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland. After Macbeth is given Cawdor by King Duncan, he takes the witches words for truth and conspires against Duncan with his wife. When Duncan comes to Macbeth's castle that night, Macbeth kills him and takes the crown for himself after Duncan's sons flee from Scotland. Then Macbeth reigns for a while, has several people killed, and is eventually slain by Macduff when he and Malcolm return leading the armies of England. Often people read the play and automatically conclude that Macbeth's tragic flaw is his ambition; that he is compelled to commit so many acts of violence by his lust for power. However, by carefully examining the first act, one can determine the defect in Macbeth's character that creates his ambition; his true tragic flaw. Macbeth's tragic flaw is not his ambition as most people believe, but rather his trust in the words of the witches and in his wife's decisions. At the beginning of the play Macbeth has no designs on the throne, and he does not start plotting until his wife comes up with a plan. When first faced with the witches' words, Macbeth expresses astonishment and disbelief rather than welcoming them when he says, "...to be King stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor...."(1.3.73-75). When confronted with the witches' proclamation that he is to be king, Macbeth responds as a loyal subject would; not as a man with secret aspirations in his heart. He has no reason to hide his true feelings at this point so therefore it can be assumed that Macbeth has not yet truly considered killing the king. Even after the first of the witches' predictions comes true, Macbeth does not plot against the king but instead decides to leave it to chance. "(Aside) If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir."(1.3.143-144). Macbeth has already been granted the title of thane of Cawdor, but still he