JPMorgan Chase Essay

Introduction J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. is a prominent and successful Fortune 500 company. It is the largest bank in the United States by assets. CEO James Dimon, has lead the J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. through multiple risky events. J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. has been facing multiple fines and settlements due to its failure to abide by its own code of conduct. The company has failed to follow procedures and regulations on numerous occasions. The company is becoming notorious for making unethical decisions and simply not following the guidelines. This year J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. agreed on a thirteen-billion dollar settlement regarding unethical selling of mortgage-backed securities. The selling of these mortgage-backed securities played a role in causing the financial crisis of 2008. An article found on BBC’s website does a good job of explaining this in basic simple terms. Between 2004 and 2006 US interest rates rose from 1% to 5. 35%, triggering a slowdown in the US housing market. Homeowners, many of whom could only barely afford their mortgage payments when interest rates were low, began to default on their mortgages. Default rates on sub-prime loans – high risk loans to clients with poor or no credit histories – rose to record levels. The impact of these defaults were felt across the financial system as many of the mortgages had been bundled up and sold on to banks and investors (http://news. bbc. co. uk/). This report explains and elaborates on J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. ’s role in the financial crisis. It expounds on what the company violated and unethically did to have caused the current settlement negotiation. Using multiple online resources, we gathered information plentiful enough to analyze the company’s practices and determine what steps must be taken to avoid future discrepancies. Through social media we observed how consumers’ feelings towards the company are being impacted by the current tentative settlement regarding the mortgage-backed securities. The stock market was observed and studied throughout the course of J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. ’s negotiations. It is vital to understand how shareholders are being impacted as they are a key role in a company’s success and resources. Using the information gathered this report suggests steps to take in improving not only how J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. is thought of but how the company does business. JPMorgan Violated Both Banking and Securities Laws On January 24, 2012 President Barrack Obama gave his State of the Union speech in which he stated, â€Å"Our working group is focusing on conduct related to the pooling and creation of mortgage backed securities, issues related to conduct that created the crash, not abuses that happened after the crash† (Obama). He aims to create a mortgage crisis unit that will investigate the major banks that took part in unethical practices that lead to the crisis. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will co-chair the unit. The mortgage crisis unit includes officials from the Justice Department, Securities, Exchange Commission and Internal Revenue Service. Obama said in his speech that the unit â€Å"will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans. † (http://www. bloomberg. com). JPMorgan Chase violated not only banking laws but also securities laws. J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. constituted recklessly unsafe practices, which resulted in misconduct and losses. An article on www. wallstreetonparade. com stated, â€Å"The Bank (Chase) failed to ensure that significant information related to the credit derivatives trading strategy and deficiencies identified in risk management systems and controls was provided in a timely and appropriate manner to OCC examiners. †(Marten). The article also stated that â€Å"The SEC focused on JPMorgan’s ineffective internal controls and failure to keep the Audit Committee of its Board informed in timely manner as required under its own rules and under the Sarbanes- Oxley Act. † (Marten). In other words, JPMorgan broke the rule of the code of conduct which stated that â€Å"No one at J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. should ever sacrifice integrity or give the impression that they have even if they think it would help the firm. † (www. jpmorganchase. com). The SEC found that J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. Chase violated securities laws by filing false information to the SEC. According to the SEC, the company failed to maintain internal control over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures, filing of inaccurate reports with the Commission. The SEC, in its settlement document stated that J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. violated Sections 13(a), 13(b) (2) (B) of the Exchange Act and Rules 13a-11, 13a-13, and 13a-15. The JPMorgan Chase code of conduct represents fundamental assets that can be done on behalf of the company. In other words, there are policies that are applied to the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Accounting Officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The purpose of the code of conduct is to endure commitment to integrity. The Code of Conduct is important for JPMorgan Chase & Co. because it lays out the responsibility and expectations that the company has to represent to customers. The company is also responsible for ethical decision-making, which means that doing the right thing whereas speaking up about any violation of the company. According to the Code of Conduct, â€Å"No business unit or location in the Company can adopt policies that are less restrictive than the Code, but some do have rules that are more restrictive. † (www. jpmorganchase. com). The Code means that the business should know and follow all policies even if the rules are hardcore. The Code of Conduct has a decision tree on the company’s website where you would ask yourself a question like, â€Å"Is it legal? † or â€Å"Does it comply with our Code and our Company policies, and the principles of ethical behavior they reflect? † These questions are important when it comes to making decisions. If neither of the questions comply with your decisions, then it could result in some serious consequences. Sharing concerns and reporting violations is very important when it comes to a company’s reputation. According to the Code of Conduct, you should share your concerns without fear, report legal or regulatory preceding that involve you personally. Breaking any security law or banking laws and result in consequences. It is important to speak up about any violations that could result in unethical conduct related to financial services. Maintaining accurate records is also an important task when it comes to a company. According to the company website, â€Å"Internal accounting controls and record keeping policies are essential to the successful operation of our Company and our ability to meet our legal and business requirements. Each of us is responsible for being accurate, complete and honest in Company records and for complying with all of the controls, policies and procedures we have in place. † (www. jpmorganchase. com). False records are unethical and could tarnish the company’s reputation. JPMorgan Chase & Co. ’s major direct holders are James Crown, James Dimon, Douglas Braunstein, Daniel Pinto, and Frank Bisignano. These shareholders own stock in the company. These main holders have the main shares in this company. According to JPMorgan Chase & Co. , outside activities is important because doing outside activities could cause conflict not only for the company but for shareholders as well. By selling stock the company gets money almost no catch. There is no interest to pay and no requirement to pay the money back at all. Even better, equity financing distributes the risk of doing business among a large pool of investors. If the company fails, the founders don’t lose all of their money, they lose several thousand smaller chunks of other people’s money. The money the company makes of its investors is used to pay for its fines and fees. This is why there is much anticipation with the negotiation of the settlement regarding the selling of mortgage-backed securities. This chart from yahoo’s finance reports shows that in October, during the negotiation of the settlement, stock dropped: Settlement & Resolution J. P. Morgan & Chase Co. is under investigation for these unethical practices and risk losing a large sum of money as settlement, as well as criminal charges being placed upon them for their dishonorable actions. There are many legal steps that are being taken to resolve the issue at hand. Some of these steps include hiring an independent monitor or other third party firm to oversee these measures along with ensuring that J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. follows the appropriate guidelines set forth legally and prevent them from practicing any further unethical actions. The person or firm hired must examine each and every home loan before J. P. Morgan Chase will be able to be packed into any type of investments. In order for JP Morgan Chase to continue with home loans and recover from there scandalous acts, they must meet the obligation presented to them and hire an overseer, whether an individual or firm, and have the issues resolved by the end of 2017. Steps that J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. can take to improve its disgraceful situation are: to make some kind of assistance available to the individuals that were hit hard and greatly affected by these poor business practices inflicted by the company. This can be obtained by offering the individuals who invested in some type of loan through J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. an opportunity to refinance their current loan, the donation of bank- owned properties, and new mortgage loans to low and moderate income families (O’Toole). This will hopefully help the individuals that now owe more on their houses then they are worth, and are thus upside down on their loans due to the unethical practices of JP Morgan Chase. If this proves beneficiary to the individuals who took out the loans, JP Morgan may just be able to recover their reputation, if not they will have to live with the disreputable name they have now created. JP Morgan Chase can also buy back all of the mortgages that they put these poor individuals into in the first place in hopes that the individuals may climb out of the dark hole of debt that they were lured into by the scandalous actions of the Chase employers. JP Morgan Chase must help the individuals out of their debt inflicted by the bank if there is to be any hope at recovering their reputation and solving the discriminating issues at hand. This can only be obtained by them offering their support and assistance to find as well as ensure them a better financial loan option. JP Morgan Chase must make right on their word for any betterment to be observed. They can and should take the blame for their wrongful actions by stating that they know they were wrong and immoral in their actions and present the individuals with an apology as well as an ethical solution to fix and make good the issues at hand. JP Morgan must make it right for the individuals who entrusted in them to give them ethical and proper loan assistance in the first place. They need to bail the individuals out of the debt they mischievously placed them in. JP Morgan Chase banks can better themselves in the long run by can buying back all the mortgages that they sold to individuals in the first place. Mortgage loans that they knowingly sold without compliance to the mortgage standards set forth. They can also provide help to their employees who may be under investigation as well by taking full responsibility for the unethical situation and not placing the immoral conduct of the bank on the employees and forcing them to get into trouble. They need to back their employees because some who knew it was wrong didn’t want any part of the unethical situation, but JP Morgan Chase required the employee to perform the immoral practices anyways with the threat that they would lose their jobs if they didn’t abide. The company says it â€Å"is fully reserved for this settlement,† implying it has cash and other savings on hand to meet the requirements. JPMorgan will finish providing relief to borrowers by the end of 2017, the company says (Arnold). The following is a quote from Jamie Dimon: â€Å"We are pleased to have concluded this extensive agreement †¦ and to have resolved the civil claims of the Department of Justice and others. † â€Å"Nonetheless, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Sacramento U. S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner and other officials involved in investigating JPMorgan’s mortgage actions called the settlement a significant government victory† (McCoy). This settlement will resolve a large amount of state and federal investigates into JPMorgan Chase’s selling of mortgage backed securities between 2005 and 2008. Concluding results An article on http://www. scpr. org explains how the settlement money will be distributed, â€Å"Q: How much money will end up in the hands of homeowners? A: The state attorney general’s office said $4 billion of the $13 billion settlement will go toward helping consumers nationwide. That could come in the form of mortgage payment reductions or loan modifications for homeowners, the office said in a press release. The office said they had no estimate on how much of the $4 billion borrower’s relief would go to California homeowners, but they believe the state will receive a â€Å"good amount of relief. † JPMorgan declined to comment on the percentage that will be directed to Californians. Separate from the borrower’s relief, California did receive nearly $300 million in damages out of the $13 billion settlement that will go to public employee and teacher pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS. Q: What will determine which homeowners get money from the $4 billion portion of the settlement? A: The state attorney general’s office said Californians who may qualify for the relief would likely have gotten mortgages with Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns, which are now part of JPMorgan. Stuart Gabriel, director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA, said he thinks state agencies may reach out to individuals who are in danger of foreclosure and offer some mortgage modification, such as interest rate relief. Q: When will homeowners receive this money? A: It’s unclear how soon Californians could qualify to receive a portion of the borrower’s relief. The state attorney general’s office said the agency that will handle those decisions hasn’t been determined yet. Q: Will the settlement have an effect on the housing market? A: Gabriel said he doesn’t think there will be any perceptible effect on the direction of the housing market as a result of the settlement. He said what’s notable is that JPMorgan had to pay a large fine. The $13 billion JPMorgan settlement is roughly three times more than what BP paid to settle criminal charges related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to Gabriel. â€Å"It’s a big deal for JPMorgan and it’s a big win for the U. S. government,† Gabriel said. â€Å"It’s a win for the point of view that there were fraudulent practices in the packaging of mortgages into mortgage-backed securities on the part of major investment houses. † Gabriel said he doesn’t think this is the end of such settlements and the government is â€Å"in all likelihood working its way around Wall Street now with the precedent of a very big settlement in its back pocket. † Q: Is the foreclosure crisis over? A: Reports show the number of foreclosures has steadily declined. But Peter Kuhns of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment said it’s still a major problem. â€Å"It’s massive. † Kuhns said. â€Å"There are estimates that somewhere close to a third of all California homeowners with mortgages are underwater on their loans, that they owe more money than their house is worth. † Kuhns said he hopes that the $4 billion borrower’s relief will go toward helping homeowners reduce the amount of money they owe on their mortgage payments. † (lee) This shows progress but it will not be enough to keep the company’s consumer’s happy. J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. must maintain an ethical and professional work pace. It will take time but doing things correctly, the company’s reputation can be salvaged. Shareholder’s don’t seem to be losing trust since the agreement on the settlement. Shares are at a healthy fifty-seven. The Board of Directors must put these changes into action as soon as possible. They must start the process towards recovery at once.

Reward Systems Essay

Once of a manager’s most important tools is the ability to select rewards and time the rewards properly. Even if managers are not solely responsible for financial rewards, they can use a number of tools to increase the effectiveness of their organization. Reward systems can address several important managerial objectives as they relate to employee motivation. A solid reward system requires concerted attention in its development. The following sections provide a basis for a well-contructed reward system. Purposes of Reward Systems Reward systems serve several purposes in organizations. Effective reward systems help an organization be more competitive, retain key employees, and reduce turnover. Reward systems also can enhance employee motivation and reinforce the image of an organization among key stakeholders or future employees. People are the most important resource for organizational competitiveness, and keeping them on the job is a key task for any manager. Competition to attract and keep the best employees is intense. For people looking for a career opportunity, that’s great news, but as a manager of an organization needing to keep the best and brightest, it is a challenge. It may be even harder in the nonprofit and public sectors where flexibility in providing financial rewards may be more limited than in a commercial context. Retaining employees saves money on retraining costs, improves the consistency of services, and allows for relationships to develop between clients and the organization. In a ddition, proper rewards systems can reduce absences. Absences cause innumerable headaches for managers. Instructors who don’t show up, too few staff members at busy times, and the lack of a cleanup crew can all increase workplace stress. Absences not only affect the manager but also fellow employees who need to pick up the slack and clients who feel the brunt of too few employees on site. As suggested earlier, understanding who, what, and when to reward can improve employees’ performance. However, the improper use of rewards can have a debilitating effect on employee performance. Managers need to understand their employees’ perceptions of the importance and fairness of the reward and then clearly communicate what needs to be done to receive the reward. Effective use of rewards can encourage employees to gain the skills that are necessary to  help them and the organization grow. This can also increase their desire to continue being part of the organization. For example, an organization can pay and provide time off for employees who want to take advanced courses in an area that is valuable for the organization. Some organizations may even provide time off or support to help employees advance their own personal goals or skill sets. Ideally, an organization wants employees who not only show up to work but are excited about being there as well. This passion for work has been referred to as affective commitment. Although research is somewhat preliminary, there is s ome indication that affective commitment can be strengthened by rewards that enhance employee perceptions of being supported and having control of the work situation. Finally, reward systems can also help with recruiting efforts. Just as happy customers may be the best advertisement for a particular product, happy employees are often a great tool for recruiting new employees and making the organization a workplace of choice. Think about the kind of job you want. Often you will easily be able to identify an organization that stands above the others as a great place to work. As a consequence of this, the organization can attract the best and brightest, creating a virtuous circle whereby it becomes an even more attractive workplace. Hopefully you can see that establishing the right reward structure for an organization is critical to its success. The following sections delve into the details of various reward structures. Types of Rewards Understanding how each employee perceives and values different rewards is an essential part of management. Managers need to grasp an understanding of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards are external rewards tied to certain employee behaviors, skills, time, or roles in an organization. How employees perceive these rewards relevant to their performance and the rewards given to others will ultimately determine the effectiveness of the rewards. Managers also need to understand how much value each employee places on specific extrinsic rewards. For example, a well-paid but overworked employee may value additional vacation time or a reduced workload more than a few extra dollars. Money, praise, awards, and incentive prizes such as tickets to a concert or a game are all examples of extrinsic motivators. Whatever motivator the manager chooses, the employee must see  the reward as a motivator for it to be effective. For example, if the extrinsic reward is tickets to the opera, an employee who hates the opera likely would not be motivated by the tickets. On the other hand, if the employee is a football fan and the extrinsic reward is tickets to a major game, the motivator might be more effective. It is simpler to explain what intrinsic rewards are by discussing what they are not. Intrinsic rewards do not have an obvious external incentive; that is, people are not acting to get a tangible reward, be it time off or money. Instead, they act because it feels good or provides some form of internal satisfaction. Intrinsic rewards are often more highly valued and more effective over time, yet using them is a difficult managerial task. Intrinsic rewards derive from employees feeling good about the job they have done, the effort they have put forward, or the role they played in a team project. Intrinsic rewards in the workplace come from the job itself, so to provide intrinsic reinforcement, a manager should enrich the job. Job enrichment involves improving work p rocesses and environments so they are more satisfying for employees, such as eliminating dysfunctional elements or enlarging jobs (increasing the duties and responsibilities of a job). Developing an effective reward system can be a difficult task. The following sections provide some guidance on the basics of an effective reward system. These sections focus almost exclusively on extrinsic rewards, but intrinsic rewards should also be considered when developing each employee’s job. Monetary Versus Nonmonetary Rewards Monetary rewards are most commonly given in the form of pay increases, bonuses, or increases in benefits, such as pension or health care premiums. Such rewards can be divided into two categories: direct and indirect compensation (table 11.1). Both contribute to the financial betterment of an employee. Direct compensation is relatively straightforward and consists of increases in hourly pay, increases in hours (for nonsalaried employees), increases in salary, merit pay based on performance, seniority pay based on time with an organization, and bonuses based on the achievement of individual, group, or organizational objectives. Indirect monetary compensation includes increases to benefits or the addition  of benefits such as a dental plan. It can also include paid leave in the form of vacation days, days off for training, or longer time off such as a sabbatical, as well as paid leave for illness, caring for a child, or caring for an elderly parent. Additionally, some organizations may offer services as part of an indirect compensation package, such as on-site child care, an elder care program, an on-site cafeteria, a games room or gym, and confidential counseling services for employees and their families. Again, indirect compensation should be valuable to employees and ideally should offer choices from a range of services. Nonmonetary rewards cost the organization but do not directly improve the employee’s financial position (table 11.1). Supplying employees with the best tools possible to do their job is an example, such as providing a new high-end laptop or having an excellent training facility f or coaches at a university. A good office location, choice of furnishings, or special parking place can all be nonmonetary rewards. Employees may not know the full details of pay and other monetary benefits of coworkers, but nonmonetary rewards are often visible and can create perceptions of inequity in an organization. In some cases, this may be the intent of managers who want employees to strive to achieve the stereotypical corner office, but often it may also unintentionally encourage feelings of inequity. That inequity may have positive implications for an organization if employees strive to increase performance, or it can result in turnover and reduced performance. As with any reward, nonmonetary rewards need to be carefully thought out before being implemented. Performance-Based Versus Membership-Based Rewards One of the most difficult challenges for managers is to decide what to base rewards on. A common distinction is performance-based versus membership-based rewards. As the name implies, performance-based rewards are tied to the ability of an individual, team, group, or organization to meet some previously agreed-upon standard of performance. Performance rewards are based on an evaluation of contribution and awards are allocated based on that evaluation. Membership-based rewards are allocated solely for being part of a group within an organization. These rewards commonly include annual cost-of-living increases to a base salary or support for an equity policy. For example, if a park and recreation department was looking to  encourage staff to have master’s degrees or obtain certification, they might offer pay incentives for having either or both. Membership-based rewards are also often tied to length of time with an organization. For instance, after a certain length of service w ith an organization, employees may receive a certain percentage increase to their pay or be eligible for additional benefits. In a unionized environment, many of these rewards are spelled out in a labor agreement. To illustrate the difference between the two structures, let’s look at annual raises. A performance-based structure means that each employee’s performance is evaluated and raises are based on performance, with the highest performers getting the most money. A membership-based structure means that all employees receive the same raise regardless of performance. Membership structures can be demotivating to high performers because they get the same rewards despite working harder. Nontraditional Rewards As more and more managers understand the importance of individualizing reward systems, the use of nontraditional rewards will continue to grow. Time is often a key constraint, and for many people work is a major time commitment. Ways in which employees can individualize their work schedule are becoming increasingly important rewards. Four methods of individualization are reduced workweeks, staggered daily schedules, flextime, and working from home. Reduced Workweek A reduced workweek often sees employees working a 4-day week instead of 5 days. In return for that extra day, employees work longer on their 4 days in the office. For example, in a 40-hour workweek from Monday through Friday, employees would work 8-hour days, but the reduced workweek would see hours increase to 10 hours a day for 4 days. The benefits to the employees are longer blocks of time to take care of their personal lives, less frequent and often less busy commutes, and ultimately more useful time for themselves. The organization has no additional expenses and evidence suggests that absenteeism and time lost for personal reasons decreases. However, there are also downsides for both employees and the organization. Parents, for example, may find it difficult to find child care that is open late or early enough to accommodate the longer work schedule. The longer  work day may also be a constraint to people who are involved in weekly evening activities, be it coaching a team or attending an art class. Some jobs may also not lend themselves to longer days. A lifeguard or sport instructor may be considerably less effective in those last 2 hours, which can lead to decreased performance and in some cases safety risks. Also, the hours and timing of work may affect service to clients. Even if an organization maintains its regular schedule, clients expecting to reach a particular person during traditional business hours may find the new schedule frustrating. Finally, reduced workweeks seem to be most effective when employees themselves are involved in creating the schedule. Understand that employees participating in reduced workweeks need to be scheduled so that the entire organization is not gone on Friday! Staggered Daily Schedule An alternative to a reduced workweek may be a staggered daily schedule. Employees still work their designated weekly hours but can allocate those hours in different ways. For example, one employee may want to come in late and leave later to accommodate dropping off children. Someone else may prefer being in the office an hour earlier and leaving an hour earlier. These schedules may even be adapted weekly or monthly to accommodate changing employee needs. This idea meets employees’ individual needs but can often be difficult to manage. Again, a staggered daily schedule may not be appropriate in all settings and must consider not only employee needs but also organizational requirements and client desires. Flextime Flextime allows some employee freedom while still meeting client and organizational needs. Employees are expected to be in the office during a certain time frame, usually ranging from 4 to 6 hours, such as 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Flextime emphasizes productivity and allows the employee some leeway in that flexibility zone (before 9:30 a.m. and after 3:30 p.m.). For example, take Pat, an aquatics programmer. Pat has two school-aged children and requires some flexibility to drop them off and pick them up at school. Pat has worked with the employer and agreed that he will be at the pool between the hours of 9:30 and 3:30 but will complete the rest of his work elsewhere. This ensures that Pat’s coworkers and clients can reach him at predictable times while still allowing him the personal flexibility he  requires at this point in his life. This type of arrangement has been effective for many organizations and employees, although obviously it won’t work in all situations. Fl extime also allows a staff person more control over their hours. For example, a special events coordinator works 5 hours over the weekend. The following week, the coordinator comes in an hour later than usual each day. Working From Home As technology has advanced, the option of working at home for some or all of the workday is becoming increasingly possible. A high-speed Internet connection and a laptop computer connected to the workplace network provide many people with everything they need to do their job. Obviously this arrangement is more suited to some positions than others. A job developing programs for a municipal recreation department would be more suited to a work-at-home plan as opposed to the job of instructing the programs. Working for some or all of the workweek at home can offer fewer workplace distractions, allow employees time to concentrate on projects that are important to the organization, and make more effective use of the day by eliminating the need to commute as well as the usual time killers present in most offices. However, working from home is not for everyone. The distractions of the home require discipline, and for those who consistently work at home the blurred distinction between home an d office can be unsettling. Additionally, monitoring employees at home is nearly impossible. Evaluation needs to be performance based and work-at-home schemes do not work for organizations that want to monitor how employees spend their time. Allowing employees to work at home part of the time, however, may be an excellent compromise for both employees and the organization.

A Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift Essay Satire, Jonathan Swift, A M

Throughout the essay the narrator ironically focuses on the deep rooted political, moral and social problems of the society. The writer at one instance does not even feels pity on the poor and malnourished infants and points out ironically that these infants are no only way to get rid of the problems. His proposal that carries some of the most inappropriate and horrible social implication is vehemently defended by his arguments. Though he is presenting a proposal to end the woes and problems of the country but the manner and the condition that he has been mentioning throughout the essay seems to be very cruel and inhuman. He is very effectively defending the idea of his proposal and also asks the audience through his essay for a better and more effective idea. It simply states the narrators ironic character, who wants to change the situation and problems present in the country but his approach or the proposal that he has presented are not in any ways seems to be appropriate in a so ciety. At the end I would like to conclude mentioning that Swift’s approach to solve the miserable situation of Ireland was very cruel and inhuman

RESPONSE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RESPONSE - Essay Example This is because those that go through this program have a passion of providing the required care. In fact, their contribution is seen as a majority of new nurse graduate comes from the program (Black, 2014). Hence, the medical community should fully accept that they play an invaluable role. Moreover, I agree that few opportunities exist for the ADN to progress to BSN. Hence, the link should be improved by reducing credit required for online courses for all ADN program (Bartow, Hess & Ropelewski-Ryan, 2008). A lowering of the credit will ensure there is a high percentage of BSN than it is today. The furthering of studies by nurses, therefore, can be possible through lowering of credit required for online courses. Bartow, M., Hess, M., & Ropelewski-Ryan, G. (2008). Agenda for success: dimensions of access to baccalaureate programs for associate degree nursing graduates. Nursing Education Perspectives, 29.5. Retrieved from

Gangs and Gang Violence in Jersey City Research Paper

Gangs and Gang Violence in Jersey City - Research Paper Example Likewise, use of threats to, both members and non-members of the gangs is a normal phenomenon. Furthermore, gangs normally have at least one rival and that increases the potential of violence. Further researches indicate that gangs are unique and unified by their ability to propagate dread. Existence of any given gang group normally leads to the potential formation of another in order to protect the local community from the violent activities of the gangs. By so doing, there is a perpetual problem because of the reaction effect that comes with the existence of a gang in any particular locality. Poverty and unemployment are catalyst of for gang formation because the youths become a target by the police; and in retaliation, they organize themselves into gangs. The same adversarial concept explains the reason behind formation of different types of gangs, spread all over the world. Threats to any particular group catalysis the formation of a gang since the general feeling is that the grouping may is targeted hence the need to over self-protection. As a result of the formation, the group poses a challenge to both the members and non-members. Cohesions among different gangs are strengthened as the threat level increases because members feel the need for cohesion to enhance their ability to react when threatened. With that comes, the increased magnitude of violence. Violence in gangs normally arises from â€Å"contagion†. This refers to the poisoning of the mind of the gang members to the extent of believing in certain ideologies and retaliation once those ideologies are threatened. Once threatened by violence, a gang retaliates and the effect is spread violence in the area. Similarly, violence spreads the activities of a gang group from one area to another. The riding factors are: the any assault or violence directed to the gang, the retaliatory effects of the gang and the subsequent escalation of the violence to, previously, peaceful

Chem lab module 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chem lab module 7 - Essay Example The solution and the solid were separated by decantation. I divided the remaining solid available to perform vinegar. Since no bubbles were seen, the possible compounds were narrowed down to Plaster of Paris and cream of tartar. On addition of hydrochloric acid, the precipitate didn’t dissolve, thereby, confirming the solid precipitate to be Plaster of Paris. Moving to the solution part, a violet color was obtained on carrying out the pH test, which narrowed down the compounds to table salt, glucose and sucrose. On copper sulphate test, no reddish brown precipitate was observed; hence presence of glucose was not possible. The only other sugar that could be present otherwise was sucrose. I took 2g of the given unknown mixture in a test tube and added water. After decanting the solution from the solid, I carried out the identification tests separately on the solid and the solution parts. I, first, carried out the iodine test on the solid precipitate and got a negative result. Next I performed the vinegar test and observed bubbles rise from the test tube, hence confirming the presence of baking soda. In the remaining solid part, which I had previously separated into another test tube, I added hydrochloric acid. Since the precipitate didn’t dissolve, the other constituent of the mixture was identified as Plaster of Paris. I added 2g of mixture 2 in a test tube followed by 10 ml of water. After separating the solution from the solid, I performed the pH test on the solution and obtained green color. To distinguish between the possible presence of drain opener and washing soda, I added vinegar, after taking 2ml of the solution in another clean test tube. Bubbles were seen to rise in the tube, hence confirming the presence of drain opener. In the solid part, I performed the iodine test, followed by vinegar test only to be met by a negative result. The possible compounds were narrowed

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 25

Globalization - Essay Example stations globalization includes increase in the rate of international trade, multi-national companies, high dependency on the global economy, free movement of goods, services, and capital. Globalization also refers to the ease of movement across national borders, technology, investment, labor, and finance. The speedy rise of globalization has been due to the efforts by international bodies like the IMF and WTO that have reduced trade barriers (Michie, 2011). Globalization manifests itself through technological advancement. In fact, it is through technology that the world can communicate and connect without boundaries. Information technology is the basis for the modern economic growth that also translates to increased globalization (Michie, 2011). Globalization, therefore, manifests itself in the manner in which investors, consumers, and businesses sue modest tools to identify and pursue their economic opportunities. Other manifestations of globalization include the extent in which companies analyze economic trends worldwide, easy assets transfer and strategic collaborations (Herzog, 2014). Nonetheless, the existence of transnational corporations shows how the world has become a single and unique market. On the other hand, the improved supply chains is an indication that globalization is transforming the world. For instance, China manufactures goods which in turn get exported to Fiji for finishing and the products find their way to Sydne y for sale. The above is an example of global supply chain that is a manifestation of globalization. The primary advantage of globalization is that it has improved the way people receive and send information (Herzog, 2014). Communication has improved tremendously save to globalization that puts no boundaries for people to interact. Another advantage is that globalization has improved the world’s economy. The removal of trade barriers and ease of access to foreign markets is mainly because of globalization (Herzog, 2014). Due to

Modern pricing models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Modern pricing models - Essay Example Some of the shortcomings experienced with the Black-Scholes model were strike-price bias and return skewness. Consequently, the development of the Heston model came in as the best alternative tool for the purposes of advanced investments (Gilli, Maringer & Schumann 2011, p.257). As any other stochastic volatility model, the Heston model utilizes statistical methods when making calculations or forecasts of the various pricing options in consideration. As such, it also bases on the assumption that the underlying security or trading option has an arbitrary volatility. Therefore, the Heston model falls among the various different models of stochastic volatility such as the GARCH model, the Chen model, as well as the SABR model. Consequently, the Heston Model also falls under the standard smile model category, with â€Å"smile† in this concept referring to the volatility smile. A volatility smile is a graphical representation of various options that have identical expiration date expressing an increasing volatility. This increase in volatility arises often arises when the options become more out of the money or in the money. The concave shape generated by the graph is what gives rise to the name, the smiles model, as it appears like a smile (Wang 2007, p. 3). The Heston Model applies mathematical calculations in describing the process of evolution in volatility that an underlying asset undergoes under the stochastic volatility options. As such, just as other statistical models mentioned above, the Heston Model equally has a number of assumptions, such as the volatility of an asset not being constant, or deterministic, but rather following a random process. Some the of the basic assumptions of the Heston Model is that the stochastic process determines the asset price, St In addition, forms part of the Wiener Process as experienced under the GBM (Geometric Brownian Motion) also considered

Effect of the Charities Act 2006 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effect of the Charities Act 2006 - Essay Example The Statute of Elizabeth, referred by many to as The Statute of Charitable Uses 1601 was the first legal conception of the charities trust. The Act defined charity in its preamble as, land, profits, and goods set aside for the benefit of the society from soldiers to school going children and the poor and elderly1. The Mortmain and Charitable Use Act 1888 changed a lot of the Statute of Elizabeth but maintained the introductory part of charities as per the Act. In a court ruling in the Goodman v Saltash Corporation [1882] 7 App Cas 633 case, the court was in favor that, goods were given to people in a town or village as charitable2. The Charities Act 1960 revoked all the previous statutes on charities leaving the interpretation of the term charities to fall under the purview of the law of England and Wales. Â  The designation of a charitable organization in the United Kingdom’s statute law, according to the Charities Act 2006, is an institution whose establishment is for charitable purposes alone. Some of the charitable purposes according to the Act include; the advancement of education, religion, and prevention of poverty. The charitable purposes also include the advancement of citizenship, health, animal welfare, arts, culture, heritage, and amateur sport, among others3. However, for the purposes of convenience in classifying the aims of charity, Lord Macnaghten in 1891 when ruling the Commissioners for Special Income Tax v Pemsel [1891] AC 531 case put the aims under four heads. These heads are; the reprieve of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion, and any purposes that are of benefit to society4. In order for an organization to be fully a charitable organization, one ought to be able to identify benefits rising from organizations to the advantag e of the society.

Discuss Internet as a tool to International marketing Essay

Discuss Internet as a tool to International marketing research(implications, advantages & disadvantages) - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Market   research   is   a   systematic,   objective   collection   and   analysis   of   data   about   a   particular   target   market,   competition,   and/or   environment.   This   type   of   research   must   always   have   some   form   of   data   collection,   whether   it   be   secondary   research   or   primary   research,   which   is   collected   direct   from   a   respondent.   There   are   two   types   of   research:   quantitative   and   qualitative.   Quantitative   research   involves   numbers.   An   example,   a   fast   food   chain   might   ask   customers   to   rate   the   service   as   excellent,   good,   poor   or   very   poor.   Qualitative   research   tries   to   understand   how   or   why   things   are   the   way   they    are.   The   research   involves   more   Ã‚  face-to-face   contact.   An   example,   a   research   might   ask   a   consumers   why   they   have   decided   to   buy   a   certain   type   of   soft   drink.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The   Internet   has   changed   how   marketing   research   has   changed   internationally.   Why,   percentage   wise,   half   the   homes   in   the   United   States   have   computers.   This   movement   came   about   for   four   reasons:   the   prices   of   personal   computers   are   decreasing,   current   home   connections,   slow,   but   are   now   becoming   more   rapid,   companies   are   spending   large   amounts   of   money   on   small   internet- only   computers,   and   the   introduction   of   web   television.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All   these   factors   have,   and   will   continue   to   increase   the   number   of   people   with   access   to   the   internet.   What   will   also   increase   is   the   potential   to   gather   information   from   consumers,   access   secondary   data   sources,   advertise   and   sell   products.   This   is  

Global communication Essay Example for Free

Global communication Essay The explosion of the internet has improved global communication and created a significant impact in our lives. With the advent of broadband wireless internet access in Singapore, our adolescents are spending intensive hours in cyberspace everyday and everywhere to meet their educational, entertainment, social and emotional needs. While they are going through this transitional stage of their life in seeking the ‘Who am I’ answers, this article reviews and seeks to understand what they do on the internet. It was discovered that both U. S. and Singapore adolescents enjoy interactive cyber communication with their peers and sharing common interest such as on-line games and audio/video downloading. An action research on a group of 35 adolescents in Singapore has revealed some interesting patterns in their internet engagement. This emerging engagement cannot be ignored by parents and teachers as we discuss our roles in protecting and nurturing our adolescents. Literature Review Introduction The Singapore Government is systematically and strongly promoting the use of information technology. One of its strategies is to make it compulsory that 30% of the school curriculum to have an information technology component and to be computer-based by 2002 (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, 2000). Naturally, the advocacy of Internet use is part of this omnipresent attempt. Young Singaporeans are placed right in the midst of all these changes and soon Internet use will be commonplace given the Governments ubiquitous promotion. As an academic staff in the Polytechnic, my objective is to study what our adolescent students do on the internet. By having a better understanding of their engagement on the internet, it would help us as facilitators to identify their interests, needs and to understand what motivates them. This literature review covers some surveys on adolescents conducted in the United States, studies on the impact of the internet on adolescents’ behaviour and a regional governmental conference on cyber endangerment. United States Adolescents’ Engagement on the Internet As the U.S. adolescent internet usage grew exponentially in the last decade, a number of correspondent expectations have emerged (Gross, 2000). Gross performed a research to identify the activities that adolescents in suburban California engaged in on the internet and why they perform them. She discovered the following: (1) that gender predicts usage, i.e., boys spend more time online, surfing the web and playing violent games, while girls chat or shop online; (2) that internet use causes social isolation and depression, especially for teens; and (3) that adolescents use the internet for anonymous identity experimentation. By means of highly detailed daily reports of adolescents’ home internet usage and peer-related adjustment, the present research sought to compare these expectations with the actual experiences of early and mid-adolescents in 2000 and 2001. For the most part, adolescent boys’ and girls’ online activities have become more similar than different. On average, boys and girls alike described their online social interaction as (1) occurring in private settings such as e-mail and instant messages, (2) with friends who are also part of their daily, offline lives, and (3) devoted to fairly ordinary yet intimate topics such as gossiping with friends (Gross, 2000). This is an interesting article that relates the conflicts faced by adolescents. According to Erikson, adolescents are experiencing a transitional stage of their life between childhood and adulthood where they need to deal with the conflict between identity attainment and identity diffusion (Berk, 2002). Gross(2000) discovered that adolescents need to explore their identity through identity play and role experimentation. Apparently, the internet serves as an ideal platform for them to play an anonymous role in their email and instant messaging (IM) communications. They tend to take on a role of an older character in attempt to explore their future self and identity (Gross, 2000). Another of their interest at this stage is to relate to their peers more than their parents or teachers. They could engage in intimate and private relationship with their peers on the internet interactively and instantly. Escober-Chaves, Tortolero, Markham, Low, Eitel and Thickstun (2005) attempted to study the effects of the internet on adolescent sexual behaviours. It was triggered by the fact that adolescents in the United States were engaging in sexual activity at early ages and with multiple partners. The mass media have been shown to affect a broad range of adolescent health-related attitudes and behaviours including violence, eating disorders, and tobacco and alcohol use. The authors wanted to explore the factors that contribute to adolescents sexual activity. It was found that the mass media plays a very influential role in shaping adolescents’ attitudes and behaviour towards violence, eating disorders, tobacco, alcohol and sex. Based on their survey, the internet is a significant media that the U.S. adolescents engage in (Escober-Chaves, Tortolero, Markham, Low, Eitel Thickstun, 2005). In 2003, 60.8% of the U.S. household have at least one desktop computer at home. The adolescents spend 2 hours online each time for 4 days per week. Of the contact time on the internet, 61% of it is spent on surfing the internet. It is interesting to note that the adolescents consider 14% of what they do in the internet as activities they would not want their parents to know. The authors have summarised some pre-studies of the effects of media on adolescents. They have collected some useful statistics that describe the breakdown of adolescents’ exposure to the media, from radio, television, internet to magazines. The statistics in adolescents’ sexual behaviours have supported their linkages to adolescents’ exposure to sexuality in the media. Regardless of the measure of the correlation, one thing that is apparent is that the media does pose a significant impact on adolescents’ attitude and behaviour in various areas, including violence, eating disorder, tobacco, alcohol and sex (Escober-Chaves, Tortolero, Markham, Low, Eitel Thickstun, 2005). How the adolescents were influenced by the media were also analysed in this article. Adolescents learn their behaviour through imitating a character they aspire to be (Bandura’s social learning theory). Other supporting theories include arousal, motivation and super-peer theory. In the latter, adolescents have a tendency to model people older than themselves. This resonates with the earlier findings by Gross (2000) that adolescents like to explore their self and future identity. Singapore Adolescents’ Engagement on the Internet The above studies have surfaced couple of gaps that I could address in my research. Firstly, we need to do a study in Singapore’s context. Secondly, I can learn from the challenges that the authors have shared. It would be an upstream task to measure the specific effects of the media on adolescents. Hence, the key objective of my research would be focusing on finding out and understanding adolescents’ usage of the internet. Moving closer to this region, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State and chairman of the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee talked about the internet and its impact on Asia (Ho, 2005). He suggested that as nations and governments become increasingly wired, its youths naturally become more in tune with the cyber world and its hosts of activities. Our youths surf the Internet for information and resources for their schoolwork. They play online games with faceless opponents for their leisure; or to enhance their social life, they may enter chat rooms and journal their thoughts in blogs and make new friends in cyberspace. These are creative and healthy online activities if done with the right motivations and values, and in moderation. But, as our youths become increasingly cyber-savvy, they are also becoming increasingly cyber-endangered. Hence we need to be cautious of the dark side of internet (Ho, 2005). Besides cyber addiction, we need to be aware that exposure to unhealthy materials on the internet such as violence imageries may lead to increasing violence and anti-social behaviour amongst youths. Apart from preparing our youths to be cyber-savvy and protecting them from becoming victims, we should also be mindful that they are susceptible to the temptations of cyber vices and may end up committing cyber crimes themselves. Once online, a whole new cyber world greets them. Therefore, proper education and programmes need to be in place in society in order to help our youths cope with making informed online decisions, and learning to surf the internet safely and moderately. Professor Ho has started a discussion on the double-edged impact of the internet on our youths. While the internet is a valuable resource basin for their learning and development, it could also pose a threat to their safety, social, emotional and moral developments. There is a need to protect and educate our youth on how they could use the internet safely and responsibly. He shared an important statistic in our youths’ usage of internet. 68% of Singapore youths have frequent access to the internet; that is 18% higher than the regional average of 50% (Ho, 2005). Hence it is critical that we take the leadership role in understanding our youths’ engagement in the internet and taking proactive measures to promote cyber wellness. Research Question The Research Question: What do Singapore adolescents do on the internet? Purpose Why do I want to understand adolescent usage on the internet? Firstly, it is the desire of adults including parents, teachers and mentors, to improve our communication with adolescents. By understanding what they do on the internet, we would be able to identify their interest and needs. According to Ho (2005), it is important that we understand the potential threat based on the activities they engage on the internet. Besides promoting their cyber wellness, it is also our desire as adults to determine effective channels to influence them positively and to support their development. Benefits The results of this survey would be useful for me as an academic staff whose primary role is to facilitate their learning and development in the polytechnic. By understanding their interest and internet activities, it would help me to improve my communications with them and strengthen facilitator-student bonding. I believe that this would in turn increase my effectiveness in preparing them for the industry as they graduate from the polytechnic. The second group of adults that would benefit much from this research are their parents. In the same way, by understanding the paradigm that their children live in, parents could better connect with them and improve family bond. Methodology Research Paradigm Our nation has arrived at this era where youths are playing a more critical role in leading our country. That is why our Ministry of Community Development has added in Youth as an additional portfolio that deserves increased focus and attention. In the recent general election in 2006, the incumbent People’s Action Party has recruited significant number of young leaders who were born after our independence in 1965 (Balakrishnan, 2004). The key reason is to equip the party with leaders who are closer to our youths and adolescents in communication and understanding of their needs and ideology. This group of citizens plays a pivotal role in shaping our future nation as they would be exercising their voting power in future elections, getting involved in national policies and ultimately replacing our current aging population in the long term. With the emergence of information technology and the internet, the learning curve of our adolescents has risen exponentially. As far as communication and information exchange is concerned, the size of our globe has shrunk and distances between countries have become irrelevant with the click of the computer mouse. The internet has emerged to be a major channel of media, especially among the adolescents. The researches done in the U.S. as discussed above have shown that internet pose a significant impact on adolescents. Considering the higher internet penetration in Singapore compared to the U.S. per household, we would not expect the impact of the internet on our adolescent to be any lower. Scope As discussed in the review of Article, it is important that I set a realistic scope of study considering the limited time and resources. As this is the first research, I would be focusing on finding out the activities that adolescents engage in on the internet. I have designed a survey that captures what adolescents use the internet for, the activities they engage in, how much time they spend on them. There were some qualitative question to understand their preferences, interest and reasons for engaging in the internet activities. Subjects and Materials The stakeholders were adolescents. I managed to survey 35 adolescents in my network, of which most of them are polytechnic students between 18 to 19 years old. The materials required for this survey were basically printed copies of the survey questionnaires. They spent about ten minutes each to complete the survey forms. Procedures As this is my first research on the adolescents, it would be practical for me capture a broad span of their activities as a foundation for future or follow-up focused activities. The model of action research used must support continuous improvement and leverage on past findings with an interpretive approach. Hence, the model which I choose to adopt is the Zuber-Skerritt’s spiral model. The steps of Zuber-Skerritt’s spiral model are: (1) develop a plan of critically informed action to improve current practice. The plan must be flexible to allow adaptation for unforeseen effects or constraints; (2) the group members act to implement the plan which must be deliberate and controlled; (3) this action is observed to collect evidence which allows thorough evaluation. The observation must be planned and the action process and its effects within the context of the situation should be observed individually or collectively; (4) reflection of the action recorded during observation is usually aided by collaborative discussion among the group members. Group reflection can lead to a reconstruction of the meaning of the social situation and provides a basis for further planning of critically informed action, thereby continuing the cycle. I designed a survey questionnaire and printed out multiple copies to the adolescents. Participation was purely based on voluntary basis and their identities were all anonymous. I explained the objectives of my survey clearly to them through both direct verbal communication and highlighting them on the survey form in print. Results and Discussions The Survey forms were given to adolescents in my network as planned. They responded positively and completed the survey with ease. The feedback was that the questions were clear. There were total 35 adolescents who participated in the survey. The gender groups were well represented with 16 males and 19 females. There were some triangulations of the reflection stage of this research as I spent some time after the survey to talk to some of the adolescents to clarify certain information pertaining to some websites or online games which I was not familiar with. It was a meaningful session as they were very open to share with me their interest such as why the males like to play challenging online games like Dota and Warcraft. I then compiled that information gathered into a spreadsheet and studied the pattern of their engagement in the internet. Activities on the Internet It is interesting to note that the adolescents spend more than one-third (an average of 9 hours per day) of their time on the internet. This is supported by the fact that internet access is highly available both at school and at home. First of all, the Polytechnic provides the infrastructure to support the use of Information Technology (IT) in learning. Every student is required to own a notebook computer for administration, curriculum-related communication, research, performing on-line tutorials and submissions of assignments. The entire campus is enabled to provide wireless broadband access. In line with the national adoption of internet access, all the students here have internet access at home. Internet access and cost of IT equipment have become so affordable that most of them (26 out of 35) have wireless broadband access in their homes. [pic] Note: IM : Internet Messaging Games: On-line games on the internet Blog : blogging on the internet Surf : Internet search for information Music : Downloading of audio files Video : Downloading of video files and watching video on-line Chart 1 : Adolescent Internet Usage It is apparent that the adolescents spend most of their time on the internet messaging and chatting. Comparing with the adolescents in the U.S. (Gross, 2000) who spend about 40 minutes in IM per day, Singapore adolescents spend 4.75 hours per day. That is an astounding seven times more. Next in line would be surfing the internet, followed by entertainment such as video and music downloads. Why do they spend almost 5 hours per day internet messaging? Based on the survey, the adolescent revealed that IM is the most convenient and fastest way for them to communicate with their classmates and friends. Besides, it is interactive and free. This is in line with Gross’s analyses of the rationale for adolescents’ affinity to IM (Gross, 2002). Adolescents like to move fast and do not have much patience to wait for response especially when they want to relate to their peers. IM is real-time. They could instantly chat with their peers online and express their emotions immediately. Similar to adolescents in the U.S. as studied by Gross (2000), I also discovered that the adolescent here do not use their real names in their IM image. They like to use emotive roles such as â€Å"I am so scared†¦test is coming†. This also reflects Erikson’s theory on adolescent anonymous identity which teenagers enjoy relating their emotions to their peers in role exper imentation (Suler, 2005). The second most common activity the adolescents engage in is in surfing the internet for information. This is not surprising as they are required to research for information as part of the requirement in projects and assignment in class. [pic] Chart 2 : Favourite Website With reference to Chart 2, it is not difficult to explain the frequent usage of Google and Yahoo as search engines for their studies. However, it is unanimous that Friendster is the most popular website that the adolescent visit. The reasons quoted for visiting this website are to connect with their friends and to update each other of their latest profile. This is in line with Suler’s findings on peer intimacy (Suler, 2005). During adolescence, humans experiment intensely with new intimate relationships, especially opposite sex relationships. They look for comrades and new groups where they can feel a sense of belonging. All these relationships become a big part of exploring ones own identity. Through communication website like Friendster and Livejournal, there is an almost limitless array of people and groups to interact with all kinds of people and groups with all kinds of personalities, backgrounds, values, and interests. The adolescents here are curious in discovering both their identity and that of their peers. To reinforce adolescents’ interest, Blogspot and Blogger take up 13.4% of the total favourite websites count. Of the 35 adolescents surveyed, 7 of them have their own blog site and 10 of them are active blogger. They enjoy expressing their emotions and sharing their social life with their peers. One popular site they like to visit, especially among the females is that of a flamboyant 21-year old female XiaXue. The girls like to her blog because it is funny and she shares her social life openly. This confirms that adolescents prefer to interact with people they can identify with (Berk, 2002). Another interest that is significant is that of video watching on the Youtube website. The adolescents’ favourite videos are humorous and entertaining like those of XiaXue and Mr. Brown who is famous for his local political jokes. Gender Comparison [pic] Chart 3: Gender Comparison of Internet Usage Chart 3 above is essentially a breakdown of Chart 1 by gender. It is interesting to note that males spend more time than females in IM. This is also related to their indulgence in on-line games and video downloading. Because of these common interests among their peers, the males derive a sense of achievement as they share information of the latest on-line games and videos using IM. In fact, the more knowledgeable or competent males would co-teach their peers on how they could excel in the on-line game. This phenomenon was highlighted by Suler(2005) in his study. He suggested that adolescents love the sense of mastery and accomplishment as they engage in peer teaching. While females prefer fantasy on-line games like Maple Story and Audition, males indulge in war, strategy and shooting games like Warcraft and Dota. The key reasons are that the males enjoy challenge and like to take risk. Besides, they are also intrigued in connecting with and challenging people in other parts of the world. Males spend substantial time in downloading video over the internet. Their favourites are comedy movies. For females, their favourite are MTVs of their idols. This resonates with the study done by Gross (2000) on adolescents’ tendency in pretending to be someone else. By idolising an older person such as a superstar, they are exploring their future identity (Gross, 2000). Recommendation First of all, as part of the Zuber-Skerritt’s spiral model in action research, I would recommend a follow-up to the above research. We have achieved our objective of gaining a general understanding of what adolescent do on the internet. Of the various activities they engage on the internet, the most significant is in IM. Hence, I would propose to do a further action research on why and how they use IM. In doing so, adults could understand them better and even use IM in improving adult-adolescent relationship. Secondly, I would recommend to adults including parents and teachers of our adolescents to be aware of the above findings and take proactive actions to build strong bonding with our adolescents and to protect them from the potential cyber danger. As is true of all adolescent activities, they need at least some supervision to stay on track and avoid trouble (Suler, 2005). Getting involved doesnt just mean supervising in order to avert trouble. The world of computers also can become an excellent way for parents and adolescents to have fun together, to get to know each other better. There will be a part of the adolescent maybe even a part that they try to hide that will love this. Suler suggested a few anecdotes which I think could be applied in Singapore. First, adults could get knowledgeable of the internet and join in with the adolescents. To be most effective in supervising the adolescents cyberspace activities, the parent needs to know something about the topic. Parents could talk to their kids about cyberspace and join them in some of their online activities. They could even communicate occasionally with their adolescents through IM to keep in touch with them. It is encouraging to note that our government is supporting the formation of cyber wellness centre such as the PlanetCRuSH which was launched by TOUCH Community Services in August 2006 (Seow, 2006). During the official launch of the centre by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, some parents and their adolescents were playing on-line games together in the E-sports Carnival competition to promote family ties (Seow, 2006). Secondly, adults need to acknowledge the merits and threats of the internet. We should not vilify cyberspace that will only alienate the adolescent. Instead, we could talk to them openly about both the pros and cons. We should show an acceptance of their cyber life, but discuss some of the dangers and what steps they should take if they encounter unsavoury situations or people. Thirdly, adults should advocate and encourage a balance in cyberspace time and other activities. If theres something they really enjoy on the Internet, find a way to expand that activity into their in-person life. The idea is to integrate cyberspace into the rest of their life, and encourage them to develop non-Internet activities too. Conclusion Through the above article review and action research, I see Erikson’s psychosocial theory of adolescents’ behaviour in action. What adolescents do on the internet are manifestation of their identity experimentation and exploration, peer intimacy and belongings, separation from parents and venting frustrations. The common activities that both U.S. and Singapore adolescents engage in are IM, emails, audio/video downloads and online games. However, in terms of the length of engagement, Singapore adolescents spend 7 times more than their counterparts, especially in IM. This could be due to the higher broadband internet access rate and availability in Singapore. A further study on how adolescent use the IM is recommended to understand this intense engagement of activity. As parents and teachers, we need to be aware of the intensity of adolescent engagement in the internet and take proactive measures to protect them from cyber danger and be jointly involved in some of their internet activities such as IM and on-line games. By expressing our interest in their lives and communicating with them via their preferred platform, not only could we create a positive impact in their internet experience, we could also foster strong adult-adolescent bonding. Reference List Balakrishnan, V. (2004). Youth Mentoring Convention: Speech by Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Ag Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports. In MCYS [on-line]. Available WWW: http://app.mcys.gov.sg/web/corp_speech_story.asp?szMod=corpszSubMod=speechqid=863 [2006 November 15]. Berk, L. E. (2002). Infants, Children, and Adolescents (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Escobar-Chaves, S. L., Tortolero, S. R., Markham, C. M., Low, B. J., Eitel, P., Thickstun, P. (2005). Impact of the Media on Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. In Pediatrics [on-line]. Available WWW: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/116/1/S1/303#F1 [2006 Sep 29]. Gross, E. F. (2000). Adolescent Internet use : what we expect, what teens report. In UCLA Digital Media Centre [on-line]. Available WWW: http://www.cdmc.ucla.edu/downloads/Adolescent%20Internet%20usepdf.pdf [2006 Sep 29]. Gross, E. F., Juvonen, J., Gable, S. L. (2002). Internet use and well-being in adolescence. Journal of Social Issues, 58, 75–90 Ho, P. K. (2005). The Youth.Net: Developing Cyber Wellness In Conjunction With Asean + 3 Seminar On Urban Youth Work III at Orchard Hotel Speech by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State (Law And Home Affairs) And Chairman of the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime (IMYC), 26 July 2005. In [emailprotected] [on-line]. Available WWW: http://www2.mha.gov.sg/mha/detailed.jsp?artid=1614type=4root=0parent=0cat=0 [2006 Sep 29]. Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (2000). Broad-based approach to make Singapore the location for infocomm manpower and savvy workforce. In IDA [on-line]. Available WWW:http://www.ida.gov.sg/Website/IDAContent.nsf/dd1521f1e79ecf3bc825682f0045a340/7f1eda7f3c633fd1c825689800580dc9?OpenDocument Seow, E. (2006, September 30). Safe Fun and Games at New Cyber Wellness Centre. Keeping in Touch, p. 5.

Planning for Research Essay Example for Free

Planning for Research Essay Define action research. Action research in education, is a firing-line or on job type of problem-solving or research used by teachers, supervisors, and administrators to improve the quality of their decisions and actions.   It seeks more dependable and appropriate means of promoting and evaluating student growth in line with specific and general objectives and attempts to improve educational practices without reference to whether findings would be applicable beyond the group studied (Good, 1993). Explain its intended outcomes The intended outcome of action research is to improve the lives of children through education and for teacher researcher to learn more about the craft of teaching. All action researchers are committed to looking critically at what we do in our classrooms and the effects our actions have on the children in our care. Hence, the main intended outcome of action research is for educational change that enhances the lives of children. Another intended outcome is to enhance the lives of professionals.   It is largely about developing the â€Å"professional disposition† of teachers, that is, encouraging teachers to be continuous learners—in their classrooms and in their practice. This intended outcome of action research for teachers to be professional problem solvers who are committed to improving both their own practice and student outcomes provides a powerful reason to practice action research (Osterman and Kottkamp, 1993). Give examples of action research projects that researchers in your organization or field of study might engage in. Investigate the effectiveness of current math curriculum on students’ process skills and attitudes. Investigate the impact of an intervention and to monitor if it makes a difference and learn more about how best to teach math to children and to implement some of cooperative learning strategies. Monitor the impact of a new mathematics problem-solving curriculum on student performance on open-ended problem-solving questions and students’ attitudes toward mathematics in general. Investigate the perceptions of colleagues, children, and parents toward absenteeism to more fully understand why the existing policy is not having the desired outcome. References Hammersley, M. (1993). On the teacher as researcher.   Educational Action Research,    1(3), 425–441. Kottkamp, C. (1993).   The effects of action research on a teacher education community. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Conference, New York, NY.

Influence on a River Rates of Discharge

Influence on a River Rates of Discharge Introduction The analysis of river ‘flow regimes’ has evolved into a fundamental aspect of the Geographical discipline. The contemporary geographer is aware of how a complex system of factors can influence a river’s rate of discharge. Factors Influencing Flow Regimes The six constituents of the hydrological cycle effect river flow regime. These are precipitation, infiltration, evaporation, transpiration, surface run-off and ground water flow.[1] Veissman and Lewis have noted the complexity of this cycle by stating: ‘paths taken by precipitated droplets of water are many and varied before the sea is reached.’[2] Precipitation levels vary in accordance with a variety of factors; such as latitude, altitude, vegetation cover and micro-climatic particularities. However, precipitation is relatively uncomplicated to measure and thus grants the most data.[3] Ingle Smith and Stopp have highlighted that a river’s discharge is ‘related to precipitation but complex.’[4] Indeed, there is always a ‘time lag’ from the commencement of heavy periods of rainfall to a marked increase in river discharge.[5] The duration of time lag will depend upon the infiltration capacity of the soil in the river’s catchment area, as well as local topography and the presence of vegetation. Rivers obtain the majority of their water supply via the process of ‘through flow.’[6] Through flow occurs when water held within the soil gradually travels to the river channel and explains why, even during dry periods, ‘few rivers or streams cease to flow.’[7] Vegetation plays a vital role in the character of river regimes. Surrounding plants and trees intercept precipitation and influence the amount of water which will ultimately pass to the water way.[9] Rain water may land on foliage or dead organic matter and evaporate, or be absorbed by roots in the soil. These processes constitute the phenomenon known as ‘evapotranspiration.’[10] Forests have a balancing effect on the hydrological cycle and restrict a superfluous quantity of water entering the river channel during periods of heavy rainfall.[11] In colder climes, such as the Tiaga region, the shade from trees can prevent rapid snow melt causing flash floods.[12] Deforestation has had a marked influence on the nature of river regime characteristics. Comparison of Discharge Values The correlation of the mean monthly discharge values of specific river regimes, in different locations, imparts much fascinating information. The discharge value of a river is measured in cubic metres per second (mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³/sec).[13] The River Suir of the Republic of Ireland and the River Thames of Great Britain both exhibit very similar flow regimes of a uni-modal nature. The two rivers are situated in the north western European temperate zone and flow levels peak in January and ebb in July in tandem with the wet and dry seasons. On an annual basis the Suir has a mean monthly flow rate of 54.250 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³/sec and the Thames has a rate of 61.583 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³/sec. The greatest deviation from mean rate occurs in January. During this month the Thames exhibits a discharge rate of 110mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec whilst the Suir’s rate is 92mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec. The month of July provides the lowest discharge rate for both water ways: 2.98% of total annual discharge passes through the Thames, whilst it is 4.45% for the Suir. The Mediterranean zone offers a distinct form of river regime flow pattern. The Vinalopo River, which is situated in South East Spain near the town of Alicante, illustrates this actuality. Unlike the rivers of northern temperate regions, the Vinalopo’s range of discharge is more extreme, ranging from an average level of only 25mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec in September to a substantial 410mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec in January. This represents a range of 385mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec. Indeed, the greatest deviations from the monthly mean value of 197.417mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec take place in the winter, during January (410 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec) and February (380 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec), and in late summer, in August (30 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec) and September (25 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec). The mighty Yenisey River of Russia runs from the town of Kyzl in Southern Siberia and traverses theWest Siberian lowlands before entering the Kara Sea 388km away to the north.[14] Mean monthly discharge is 17,916.667 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec, and peak discharge of 76,000 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec occurs in June, which constitutes 35.35% of total annual discharge in one month.. From November to April average discharge is only 4,750 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec and this six month period provides only 13.25% of total annual flow. Discharge rate increases abruptly in spring, peaks in June, and ebbs dramatically from July (28,000 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec) to October (15,000 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec). Thus, the Yenisey displays an entirely different regime to that of the Thames, the Suir and the Vinalopo. Base flow occurs during April and peak flow during June, and represents an astonishing range of 72,000mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec throughout the year. South East Asia is home to the Brahamaputra River which flows from high in the Himalayan Mountains before meeting the Ganges River in the delta of southern Bangladesh.[15] Like the Yenisey River, the Brahmaputra also crosses an array of climatic regions. A peak discharge rate of 43,120 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec occurs in August and constitutes 18.64% of total annual discharge. This represents the largest deviation from a mean monthly discharge of 19,277.50 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec. Base flow is recorded at a rate of 4,190 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec in February and represents a flow range of 38,930 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec. The Bramhaputra is comparable to the Yennisey as flow trend ebbs in winter and increases in spring and summer. However, flow peaks later in the year and the period of November to April constitutes 17.58 % of total annual discharge, which is slightly higher than that of the Yenisey. The range of discharge rate of this water way is also not as extreme as that of the Yenisey River a nd is more dissipated throughout the months of May to October. The Congo (Zaire) River is the fifth largest river in the world and is situated in central Africa.[16] The river flows through zones of tropical rainforest and savannah. The flow regime of the river is bi-modal due to its situation in the tropics. Discharge peaks at 73,600 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec in December which constitutes 15.73% of total annual discharge. The secondary May peak of 62,100 represents 13.27% of yearly discharge. July witnesses a base flow level of 21,600 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec. Thus, the range of flow discharge is 52,000mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³/sec. Discharge follows an entirely different pattern to the aforementioned water ways. The volume increases and decreases twice on an annual basis. It rises from March to May and from July to December, respectively, and ebbs during the interim periods. Climatic and Regional Influences Each of the six river regimes exhibit these particular annual flow patterns due to the specific climatic and environmental factors which prevail within their catchment areas. The Thames and Suir regimes are situated in the temperate forest biome which experiences ‘warm moist summers and mild winters.’[17] Precipitation occurs throughout the year and peaks during the winter.[18] This is why both rivers experience the highest levels of discharge in January. Evapotranspiration peaks during the summer, but the heavy peaty soils continue to provide supplies of stored water to the rivers via the process of through flow.[19] The Alicante Mountains north and west of the town of Alicante rise to a height of almost 1600 metres and influence the flow regime of the Vinalopo River. Precipitation levels increase with altitude and, during the autumn and winter rains, the river discharge rate rises as water enters the main channel via mountain tributaries. Evapotranspiration rates far outbalance rainfall in the hot months of July and August when temperatures around the town of Elche can reach as high as 26à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C. Thus, discharge is severely reduced to only 2.33% of total annual discharge in August and September. Indeed, during this period of base flow the river benefits little from through flow as moisture in the arid Mediterranean soil is quickly evaporated upwards. The local demands of the population and vegetation also decreases the water table in the lower lying regions of the Vinalopo catchment. For example, the large incidence of palm trees surrounding the town of Elche naturally reduces the water budget in the region during the dry Mediterranean summer. The flow regime of the Yenisey river is influenced by the continental climate of the Asiatic land mass, which experiences great extremes of temperature.[20] As temperatures gradually rise in the spring time, after the bitterly cold winter, snow melt in the mountains, and ablation of glaciers, causes a surge in discharge. The water from the melting precipitation and ice cannot be absorbed by the permafrost, which underlies the soil, and thus runs off directly to the river and its tributaries.[21] Permafrost will also melt as temperatures rise providing an additional source of water via through flow. The discharge rate of the Brahmaputra River also increases in March and April due to Himalayan snow melt entering the river regime.[22] The monsoon rains commence in April and continue until October. During this period up to 200cm of precipitation can fall and the Brahmaputra is ‘swollen by June or July.’[23] Such a high influx of water explains why discharge increases rapidly. Non-equatorial tropical river systems experience higher rates of precipitation during the summer months and a considerable reduction in winter.[24] Indeed, only 9.54% of total annual discharge flows through the Brahmaputra from December to March. The flow regime of the Congo River is unique amongst the six river regimes as it is of a bi-modal nature, ebbing and flowing twice annually. Precipitation levels are bi-modal[25] and peak at the time of the equinoxes in March and April.[26] This is due to the tropical equatorial location of the river, and discharge rate exhibits a marked increase after these months. Indeed, rainfall is continuous throughout the year and the annual level in Kasangani, Democratic Republic of Congo, is approximately 170cm. This factor highlights why the monthly discharge rate never drops below 4.7% of the total annual volume. Temperature remains practically constant at 25à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C along the route of the Congo throughout the year due to the absence of seasonality in this biome.[27] Conclusion The discharge levels of the Suir, Thames and Vinalopo rivers all correspond with increased levels of precipitation in the winter and reduced precipitation in the summer. The range of discharge in the Thames and Suir is much less than that of the Vinalopo. This is due to the fact that they are situated in a temperate climate and do not experience the extremes of high temperature, altitude and rainfall which exist in the Mediterranean environment. Increased autumn and winter precipitation rates on the Alicante mountains, and the dry hot summers, are responsible for a flow discharge rate which ranges from 410mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec in January to only 25mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec in August. Mountain ranges also influence the discharge rates of the Brahmaputra and Yennisey Rivers profoundly. Snow melt and glacial ablation at high altitudes cause a surge in discharge during the spring months in both rivers. However, discharge reduces to 6,000 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec on the Yennisey by November and this is due to the onset of the severely cold continental winter. Precipitation in the Siberian mountains is now frozen, and overland and through flow to the river channel is severely reduced. The monsoon climate of south east Asia ensures that the discharge of the Brahmaputra remains high for a longer period of time. In November average discharge is still 11,735 mà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ /sec; almost double that of the Yennisey. Thus, total annual flow is dissipated over a longer time period than the more extreme ‘freeze/thaw’ trend of the Yennisey regime. The Congo has a very different annual discharge trend to the other rivers due to its situation in equatorial Africa. The bi-modal rain season ensures that discharge rises and falls twice on an annual basis. The Congo has the highest total annual discharge of all the rivers. It is almost double that of the Brahmaputra and this is testimony to the incessant precipitation of the equatorial tropics. Bibliography CHARLESWORTH, J. K. Historical Geology of Ireland, Oliver and Boyd, 1963 Pages: 439, 439 DEWDNEY, J. C. A Geography of the Soviet Union, Pergamon Press, Third Edition, 1979 Pages: 5, 7, 13, 18, 20, 29, 31 FACAROS, D. PAULS, M. Spain, Cadogan Books Ltd, Second Edition, 1989 Pages: 18, 160 FORBARTH, P. The River Congo, Seeker and Warburg, 1978 Pages: 4, 5 GANDERTON, P. Mastering Geography, MacMillan, 2000 Pages: 311, 313, 315, 317 GOUDIE, A. THOMAS, D. S. G. The Dictionary of Physical Geography, Blackwell, Third Edition, 2000 Pages: 209, 405 HOLDEN, J. An Introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment, Pearson Education Ltd, 2005 Pages: 37, 39, 178, 179, 183, 185, 186, 189, 193, 194, 196, 301, 309, 312, 328, 470, 471, 476, 531 INGLE SMITH, D. STOPP, P. The River Basin, An Introduction to the Study of Hydrology, Cambridge University Press, 1978 Pages: 15, 19 VEISSMAN, W. LEWIS, G. L. Introduction to Hydrology, Pearson Education Inc, Fifth Edition, 2003 Pages: 2, 3, 9, 10, 27 NICHOLSON, R. Nicholson’s Guide to the Thames, From Source to Sea, Robert Nicholson Publications Ltd, Second Edition, 1974 Pages: 4, 5, 6 WEIGHTMAN, B. A. Dragons and Tigers, A Geography of South, East and South East Asia, John Wiley and Sons, 2006 Pages: 191, 193, 194, 195 WHITE, R. Africa Geographical Studies, Heinemann, 1984 Pages: 44, 45, 46, 167, 169, 170, 171, 286, 396 National Geographic Atlas of the World, National Geographic Society, Sixth Edition, 1995 Pages: 74, 83, 94 1 Footnotes [1] W Viessman, G L Lewis, Introduction to Hydrology, Pearson, 2003) 2 [2] W Viessman, G L Lewis) 3 [3] D Ingle Smith, P Stopp, The River Basin, An introduction to the Study of Hydrology, Cambridge, 1978) 15 [4] D Ingle Smith, P Stopp) 15 [5] D Ingle Smith, P Stopp) 15 [6] J Holden, An Introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment, Pearson, 2005) 312 [7] D Ingle Smith, P Stopp) 15 [9] D Ingle Smith, P Stopp) 9 [10] J Holden) 39 [11] D S G Thomas, A Goudie, The Dictionary of Physical Geography, Blackwell, 2000) 209 [12] D S G Thomas, A Goudie) 209 [13] W Viessman, G L Lewis) 9 [14] National Geographic Atlas of the World, National Geographic Society, 1995) 74 [15] National Geographic Atlas of the World) 83 [16] National Geographic Atlas of the World) 94 [17] P Ganderton, Mastering Geography, MacMillan, 2000) 314 [18] J Holden) 328 [19] J Holden) 328 [20] J C Dewdney, A Geography of the Soviet Union, Pergamon, 1979) 7 [21] P Ganderton) 311 [22] B A Weightman, Dragons and Tigers, A Geography of South, East and South East Asia, Wiley, 2006) 195 [23] B A Weightman) 195 [24] J Holden) 328 [25] J Holden) 328 [26] R White, Africa Geographical Studies, Heinemann, 1984) 169 [27] R White) 167

Civil Laws and Religious Authority in Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Trave

Civil Laws and Religious Authority in Gulliver's Travels  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In part one of Gulliver's Travels, Swift present readers with an inverted world, not only by transplanting Gulliver to a land that's only a twelfth the size (a literal microcosm), but also by placing him into a society with different ethical and civil laws.   Swift uses these inversions not only to entertain the readers imagination, but more importantly, to transform our perspectives to understand alien worldviews (e.g. in part four, there is great detail given to explain the Houyhnhnms' views on marriage, health, astronomy, poetry, language, death, and reproduction).   The Lilliputian conflict that erupts from the egg law (found in part one, chapter four) is an inversion, which (1) parallels the conflict of the Protestant reformation; and (2) argues that warring over religious viewpoints is futile and destructive to society, and (3) mandates lawmakers to be wary of creating laws that contradict religious teachings.   The conflict between the Lilliputians and Blefuscudians resembles the Protestant and Papist struggle because it's a struggle about interpretation of scripture. The "great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Brundecral" decrees that "all true believers shall break their eggs at the convenient end" (2353). The Blefuscudians (like Roman Catholics) hold a traditional view of scripture, and in their case, " the primitive way of breaking eggs . . . was upon the larger end" (2353), and that was "ancient practice" (2353). The Lilliputians (like Protestants), broke from tradition and held a personal view of scripture, as the Emperor decreed, "to break the smaller end of their eggs" (2353). And for "six and thirty moons past" (2353), the Lil... ...egg law that caused so many wars because of religious persuasions, Swift causes all lawmakers (and thus democratic voters) to be wary of instituting laws that conflict with religion.   Thus the seemingly silly egg law, points to huge ideas that affect every society. When Gulliver first awakes in Lilliput country, Swift has him strapped down staring at the sky, in a new land, with a new language, with new laws.   Swift, in a sense, straps us all down, to teach us about new perspectives and the importance of tolerance.   In Swift's inverted world, he parallels the Lilliputian conflict with the protestant reformation, argues for toleration of religious viewpoints and to not war over them, and instructs all lawmakers to be wary of creating laws that contradict religious teachings. Works Cited: Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1959. Civil Laws and Religious Authority in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Trave Civil Laws and Religious Authority in Gulliver's Travels  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In part one of Gulliver's Travels, Swift present readers with an inverted world, not only by transplanting Gulliver to a land that's only a twelfth the size (a literal microcosm), but also by placing him into a society with different ethical and civil laws.   Swift uses these inversions not only to entertain the readers imagination, but more importantly, to transform our perspectives to understand alien worldviews (e.g. in part four, there is great detail given to explain the Houyhnhnms' views on marriage, health, astronomy, poetry, language, death, and reproduction).   The Lilliputian conflict that erupts from the egg law (found in part one, chapter four) is an inversion, which (1) parallels the conflict of the Protestant reformation; and (2) argues that warring over religious viewpoints is futile and destructive to society, and (3) mandates lawmakers to be wary of creating laws that contradict religious teachings.   The conflict between the Lilliputians and Blefuscudians resembles the Protestant and Papist struggle because it's a struggle about interpretation of scripture. The "great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Brundecral" decrees that "all true believers shall break their eggs at the convenient end" (2353). The Blefuscudians (like Roman Catholics) hold a traditional view of scripture, and in their case, " the primitive way of breaking eggs . . . was upon the larger end" (2353), and that was "ancient practice" (2353). The Lilliputians (like Protestants), broke from tradition and held a personal view of scripture, as the Emperor decreed, "to break the smaller end of their eggs" (2353). And for "six and thirty moons past" (2353), the Lil... ...egg law that caused so many wars because of religious persuasions, Swift causes all lawmakers (and thus democratic voters) to be wary of instituting laws that conflict with religion.   Thus the seemingly silly egg law, points to huge ideas that affect every society. When Gulliver first awakes in Lilliput country, Swift has him strapped down staring at the sky, in a new land, with a new language, with new laws.   Swift, in a sense, straps us all down, to teach us about new perspectives and the importance of tolerance.   In Swift's inverted world, he parallels the Lilliputian conflict with the protestant reformation, argues for toleration of religious viewpoints and to not war over them, and instructs all lawmakers to be wary of creating laws that contradict religious teachings. Works Cited: Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1959.