Why Move to Austin, Texas

Why move to Austin, Texas? Goodbye high school, and welcome to the real world. You may have been spending a couple of years wondering what you’re going to do after high school. Were you going to go to college, or take a year off and work? We all know how teenagers think, their ready to move out and be on their own, do things that they want to do. Well why not try that somewhere else, New York? California? Why not Austin, Texas? Young adults around the ages 18 and 21 should move to Austin, live life on their own, and experience a place they have never seen before.Austin isn’t like any other place; these austinite’s do things their own unique way. Living on your own, and moving to a place you’ve never been before, is probably the hardest thing. You have to worry about getting a job, a place to live, school if that’s what you’re choosing to go there for, and meeting new people. Well I can tell you that Austin has all of that. Yes the saying â₠¬Å"Keep Austin Weird† might have you wondering, but trust me austinites know how to have a good time. The best fit for this age group on finding a place to live would be an apartment. Austin apartments are unique, and have different styles for different people.For the young I believe downtown apartments are more home fitting, walking distance to places, and you get to know Austin more. But if you’re not into the city living, Austin does have some great apartments outside the city. You will still be close to the city, but also see more of Austin besides downtown. All of Austin’s apartments are very reasonable; I believe they are way cheaper then any other state. Compared to a $3,000 apartment in California, apartments in Austin will the battle. With finding places to live you have to have money to pay for it. The next best thing is finding the perfect job.Some people may say Austin is the worst place to find a job, but it really isn’t. At this age youâ€⠄¢re not yet titled to have that office job, or be a business person just yet. So a small simple job will work, I know young adults don’t want to work at a fast food restaurant, so I can help give you ideas of jobs in better places. If you’re choosing to live downtown, there are a lot of stores and restaurants on what Austin calls â€Å"The Drag. † There is the University Co-op, where all the austinites get their Texas Longhorn gear. Tyler’s is also a famous place in Austin.But if you’re looking for work outside the city, there are always basic stores like Best Buy, Whole Foods, stores in the mall etc. If you’re trying to get the Austin vibe, I recommend working down at the drag, you get to see all the â€Å"weird Austin people,† and each day you could learn something knew from someone in Austin. â€Å"If you're ever in Austin and want to see something pretty cool, check out the side of Sound Exchange on the corner of Guadalupe (â₠¬Å"the Drag†) and 21th street. There's a picture of the frog of innocence (â€Å"Hi, how are you? â€Å") and a flying eyeball. † (Johnston. P1) That is one thing Austin is known for.Austin has a unique way of introducing its self to people around the world. Just like the â€Å"Keep Austin Weird† saying, the people are what make Austin a great place to live. You can walk down â€Å"The Drag† and see ten people with Tyler’s shirts on, with Nike shorts, and Tom shoes and people that aren’t from Austin say â€Å"What are they wearing? † Or hearing â€Å"OU Sucks! † when were not even playing them that game. You can’t forget about â€Å"The Music Capital,† Stevie Ray Vaughan made music here. Austin City Limits is one of the most popular events, people around the world come and play for this three day event.Also Marley Fest is another great event. The people in Austin make it fun to live here. You can go to California or New York and you can’t compare austinites to them, they have their own since of style and â€Å"weirdness. † â€Å"This one of a kind place is known to be a laid back city that lives off of life, live music, and Longhorn football! The people of this city take great pride in who they are and where they live, that is one fact that’s stands above all the others. † (Lu. P1) Austin is a great place for young adults, trying to live on their own. It’s friend and family caring, and it’s like your living at your own home.

Summer Reading Project on the Shades of Gray

In the beginning of â€Å"between shades of grey†, Jonas, his sister Lina, and mother are paid a late night visit from the soviet secret police. Father wasn’t there to protect his family, so by force, the family has to get packed and ready to leave out the door in five minutes. Lina packed clothes and essentials, so did her younger brother Jonas. But their mother knows what has happened, and starts smashing valuables outside of the police’s sight that she has worked for, almost as if she will never see them again. Jonas and Lina saw their mother smashing dishes and expensive china, so do the police.The mother says â€Å"sorry it was an accident† but Lina and Jonas saw her breaking with rage. They now know that home is no longer a place of comfort, their mother destroyed the valuables because the home and everything in it was now the property of the police, and she wanted them to not have all of it, so she smashed things to make what they were taking would be less valuable. Brother Jonas and sister Lina, totally oblivious to the reasoning behind their abduction, spend their imprisoned days and nights learning to share and work with others.In the struggle of having a father in a train cart, Lina, Jonas and Andrius, cope with each other and striving to save their loved fathers. I think that according to the book â€Å"between shades of gray† I would match up the best with, Jonas. Jonas Is oblivious to the circumstance an just â€Å"goes with the flow†, an plays it on the safe side. Like me, being the youngest, you have to listen and follow. While imprisoned in their cold, crowed, train cars, Lina has to associate with strangers. Lack of food, spirit, patience, and warmth keeps stress tensions high.Lina is trapped with over 10 people in a train car, one man has an injured leg who needs a lot of attention. They are very limited on food, almost a loaf of bread to feed the whole cart. If one were to get an illness that is dead ly, the whole cart has a greater possibility of getting it too, because they are all crammed, and are practically touching shoulder to shoulder. Team work is one of the many keys to getting along in the small, crowded place that was forcefully given to them.

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

Areas - Research Paper Example Therefore, the total number of square units in the rectangle will be ‘b times h’, which is the area of the rectangle. Thus, the area of a reachable is given by: The line DC is extended to point F. The line AE is perpendicular on the line DC and the line BF is perpendicular on the line DF. The shape (triangle) represented by enclosures ADE and BCF are same (congruent triangles). Therefore, if we cut part ADE from the parallelogram from left and place this to the right on part BCF, than the enclosure ABFE will be a rectangle with base b and height h. Therefore, the area of the parallelogram ABCD will be equal to the area of the rectangle ABFE that is given by: The line DA is parallel to line BC and the line DB is parallel to the line AC. The enclosure DACB represents a parallelogram with base b and height h. The line AB divides the parallelogram DACB into two congruent triangles. Therefore, the area of the triangle ABC will be half the area of the parallelogram DACB, which is given by: Figure 5 shows a trapezoid (enclosure EFGH) with bases b1 and b2, and height h. This trapezoid can be separated in two triangles, triangle FGH and triangle FEH. Thus, the area of the trapezoid will be sum of these two triangles. The triangle FGH with base b1 and height h. and the triangle FEH with base b2 and height h. The circumference C of a circle is equal to its diameter d times π, or 2 times its radius r times π. Finding the area of a circle is related to finding the area of a parallelogram. A circle can be separated into congruent wedge-like pieces, as shown in figure 6 (left). These wedge-like pieces can be arranged to form a figure similar to a parallelogram as shown in figure 6 (right). Thus, the circle has an area that is relatively close to the area of the parallelogram-shaped figure. Therefore, we can use the formula for the area of a parallelogram to find the area of a circle. In

A feminist critical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A feminist critical analysis - Essay Example In Ibsen’s dramas the readers and spectators won’t find exceptional people, events and characters, who act as â€Å"a mouthpiece for the author’s ideas†. We see ordinary people with their problems and passions, accomplishments and shortcomings, who live in representative conditions of the era. The play A Doll’s House, written in 1879, is a full transition of the playwright to a new, realistic drama. This play was appreciated primarily as a work written in defense of the emancipation of women. But Ibsen mentioned that the play was more meaningful: in A Doll’s House he touched upon the central subject of his oeuvre - personal freedom in general and achievement of personhood. At first thought, Nora, the main heroine of the play, is just a doll, a cheerful and small-minded mistress of a quiet and tidy house. Husband of Nora, Torvald Helmer, treats her not as an equal individual, but as a toy. For eight years they lived together, Torvald has never talked with Nora seriously. Torvald’s attitude to wife was vividly demonstrated in the episode when he led Nora away from masquerade right after tarantella just to â€Å"keep effect on the audience† she made by a beautiful dance.

Health education in Malawi Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health education in Malawi - Research Proposal Example According to the United Nations Economic and Social Council , women and girls form a majority of individuals who are undernourished. This statistic reveals the societal inequities that females face in some societies. Women in developing countries are not educated as their male counterparts. They are less educate and, therefore, not well equipped in solving food security issues in their families. To resolve this, most programs involve increasing women’s access to education and improving their decision making power. Education empowers women as it improves the bargaining position of women in household matters. Programs such as IMAGE intervention try to empower women through microfinance ventures. Rural women, through IMAGE, are able to access microfinance services such as credit and savings to rural women (Kim et. al., 2007). IMAGE intervention enables women to start, develop and benefit from their own enterprises. This, in effect, reduces the occurrences of gender-based violence, as women are able to contribute to the economic welfare of the household. Women empowerment is the key to both the economic and food security problems in developing countries such as Malawi. The programs suggested in resolving the aforementioned problems in Malawi should be effective if successfully implemented. They all share one objective, empowering women who are undervalued by the ethnic communities in Malawi and the rest of Africa. In the case of Eva and Peter, the programs would solve their problems to an extent.

Identify qualitative methodology in journal articles and critically Research Paper

Identify qualitative methodology in journal articles and critically review its applicability to the study - Research Paper Example ents were quite appropriate for the study, as capturing the essence of what drives both the management of change and the influence of the processes and systems at two different companies on female workers with varying degrees of education and experience. In order to fully assess different perspectives on these views, the unstructured interview allowed the subjects to freely express their unique experiences and viewpoints regarding the role of women in the workplace and how their roles are defined through different social lenses. Additionally, the unstructured interview, as opposed to the simple survey or questionnaire format, allows the researcher to dig deeper into the human behavioral aspects which drive various decision-making in the workplace. It is a relatively common fact that, from an HR perspective, people have various needs in the professional environment linked to autonomous working conditions and empowerment in order to feel fully valuable to an organization. With this in mind, had this study taken a more quantitative approach, such as the utilization of surveys to locate patterns of behavior at the two workplaces described in the research article, it would have limited the potential of the study by limiting responses to a set series of researcher-designed criteria. For instance, a multi-tick survey instrument, such as a series of questions with potential responses ranging from 1-10 based on personal opinion, might have captured whether specific patterns existed in terms of individual worker pers pectives on the role of women in the workplaces. However, the more behavioral aspects of managing people, such as the soft approach to human resources management where people development is paramount, would be missing from this approach, which justifies this study’s use of the informal interview template to provide for free expression of ideas and unique perspectives. One notable limitation to this study’s design involves its lack of clear objectives: What

International Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Organizations - Essay Example it consists of the national governments of these member states along with some form of supranational institution which has influence over the decisions being enacted. These member states abide by some form of governing constitution which enforces certain rules upon them, adherence to these rules is mandatory for being a part of the union, in order to maintain discipline and control. This constitutional framework of the union is established on the basis of some Treaties among all the member states. Once the union has been established, and the constitution been made, then remains the question of power and decision making. It is necessary for the members to agree upon the type of decision making under consideration, since it will serve as the basis for all decisions to follow. There are two most prominent forms of governance with regards to supranational bodies such as the EU, United Nation, and NAFTA etc.: Intergovernmental form of Decision Making: this form of decision making provides sovereignty to the member states, under this type the decisions are reached with consensus amongst the sovereign governments of the member states, and the supranational body exists to coordinate the successful execution of the unanimous decisions. Federal form of Decision Making: this is a type which gives the supranational body more individualistic power over the member states, since it calls for the submission of some rights by the member-states’ governments to the union, which makes decision which is binding upon the member nations. The intergovernmental form of decision making regards the union as an international body, which is separate from the governments of the member states, whereas the federal form of decision making regards the union as a federation, which comprises of various... This essay stresses that European Union is a an entity which has influenced the ways in which the European nations interact with each other, and how they collaborate in order to develop one single entity in face of the rest of the world. The success of the EU over 50 years of its life with regards to the spheres it covers is commendable; it started off as a mere economic cooperation union and extended to develop into a widely known multifaceted organization which covers political, social, developmental, environmental and international affairs on behalf of its member states. This paper makes a conclusion that the EU’s decision making process is an intricately woven net which has undergone a lot of amendments and alterations overtime. Initially it was created with the aspiration of being a single entity which would represent Europe through representation of sovereign and independent states, and be a purely intergovernmental institution, however with time and constraints it was discovered that this approach is highly inadequate, and in order to be a single entity which agrees ion unanimous decisions within a limited time frame, it is necessary that the member states give up some of their rights to a representatively elected European Parliament, within the Council of Ministers, who then decide upon different matters which would be binding upon the nation states. Along with this federal form of decision making by the union, the partially sovereign states also reserve the right to decide upon key policy issues for their independent nation.

The objectives of any international organization are identical to the Essay

The objectives of any international organization are identical to the objectives of that organizations strongest member Discuss - Essay Example In this backdrop, the objectives of global / international organizations should be in tune with both the ideology and requirements of majority of the member nations to see that the results of their programs and policies would benefit majority nations. Simply speaking, international organizations should strive to fulfill the aspirations of majority of the world population. But, as in most of the democratic countries, most of the international organizations too have been conspicuously playing to the tunes of their richest and strongest member nations downgrading their very global objectives. But it may be wrong to say that the 'objectives of any international organization are identical to those of its strongest members'. It can be true with most of the organizations but certainly you may find some exceptions. Each and every international organization is formed with certain highest global objectives. For that matter, no international organization's objectives can be localized or regionalized as the very purpose is global and international. The United Nations Organization (UNO) tops the list of international organizations and its objectives are crystal clear. When the UNO was formed in 1945 after the disastrous World War II, its objectives were boldly declared. The very first point in the Preamble of the UN charter talks about its determination to save succeeding generations from the repetitions of war (Internet, Charter of the United Nations). The UN's other objectives included respecting the equal rights of men and women all over the world, treating all big and small nations with equal respect and creating suitable conditions under which all nations abide by the international treaties and principles of international law and justice. According to the charter, these objectives should be ac hieved by establishing good neighborly relations among nations, solving problems through peaceful means, and not resorting to armed force except for in the common interests. These objectives, call them UN charter or law, are no doubt very sacred in letter but they have lost their much talked about sanctity in spirit and practice. Over a period of time, the UN has lost its independence due to the arm-twisting tactics of its strongest members. In fact, the very purpose of the launching of the UN was severely defeated with the formation of the Security Council in which certain member nations were endowed with veto powers. The UNO should function in the most democratic manner and go by the majority decisions of the General Assembly but this veto power through which a few countries could reject the majority decisions or impose their will on majority nations has seriously denied the UN its due role in achieving its objectives. The launching of the UN formed part of the beginning of the era of international law and justice but due to the bullying nature of some of its bigwig members, the implementation of international law too has run into rough weather. It is an acknowledged fact that the USA, the richest country of the world, is the strongest member of the UN (Thakur, 2006, p. 53). Over a period of time, the US forced the UN to act as per its whims and fancies turning the prestigious international organization into a puppet. The UN, supposed to be the instrument for the global peace, became

Are Children More Socialized because of the Internet Research Paper

Are Children More Socialized because of the Internet - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that the number of children Internet users globally is anticipated to grow from approximately 150 million presently, to 300 million by 2020. This is according to an estimate by IDC. Under these estimates, the greatest growth will be in South America and Asia. This paper inquires regarding children's internet usage, explores the level of children's exposure to internet content and detects the potential difference between whatever parents think their children are doing online and their children's real activities. A rising number of children have access to the Internet. Children in most U.S. households have online subscriptions. Furthermore, in almost half of the probable number of homes, children have Internet access. Parents believe that personal computer use and internet develops children’s analytical skills, significant abilities, and academic perspective. This has improved children’s access to the personal computer and the Internet. Observers al so point out that home personal computers and Internet access may boost children’s computer literacy and technical knowledge and affect their actions, behaviors, and associations. Affonso indicates that students extend the capability to manage in a technical environment, acquiring the awareness and skills needed to be useful, as demanded by the present computer-driven society. Furthermore, online etiquette has become an essential part of the technology-based curriculum. The lasting impacts of this change have however been questioned in the essence of a rumor of its pessimistic influence on societal functioning and rising reports linking psychologically addictive characteristics to Internet use. Psychologists and educators have raised a lot of concerns about the influence of the Internet on the collective skills and psychological comfort of children.

Decision Making, Decision Levels and Types of Problems Essay

Decision Making, Decision Levels and Types of Problems - Essay Example This root of the system is primordial and through interactions with each other and combinations becomes more advanced and complex assembling progressively more complex level of systems that cooperate and exchange information and ultimately forming an information system. Information systems theory postulates a system as a symbol within a representational medium (idiom) and the representational medium in itself. The general systems theory can be applied in structured problems to solve information system problems, where the problem and desired solution is clearly defined and can be split into a series of steps that are well defined (Skyttner 2001). For example, in developing an information system for an online retailer, a structured approach would be to list the products being sold, the available staff and the processes that will lead to making a sale, in which case a product inventory can be made. Members of staff are then allocated duties such as customer service and dispatch then how data on available inventory and deliveries will be made. In this case, what is needed is clearly defined. The inventory, who will handle what and how items will be delivered to customers so a system development sequence is employed. The general systems theory can be applied in structured problems to solve information system problems, where the problem and desired solution is clearly defined and can be split into a series of steps that are well defined (Skyttner 2001). For example, in developing an information system for an online retailer.... A decision support system (DSS) then comes in handy, as there is a need for some level of intuition. The DSS will do most of the ‘thinking’ as it provides data and models to help management make decisions. Non-structured situations would be for example designing a web site that can process payments from customers online, receive orders and queries and interact with a customer. Intuition will be needed on what would be most suitable for the customer and how to reduce threats of credit card fraud to the customer. The exact situation is not fully known but forms the wider system requirement and hence the solutions are not straight forward (Mathews 2008) General systems thinking is the practice of appreciating how different parts of an information system can impact and influence each other. For example, in designing a database system for a supermarket, one has to know how the accounting system will interact with the stock and inventory system and the payroll. In terms of str uctured problems, a designer can look at how the check out system will update the daily sales records and the stocks. The problem is defined as updating the daily sales account and knowing how much of what was sold. The problem can be designed in defined steps from what system to capture what has been sold, and for how much and then the stocks must be updated. A semi-structured problem would be how to know when stocks are running low or when to take money to the bank. A threshhold for cash sales will have to be established that alerts the finance manager to call in the couriers to deliver money to the bank. The system to know how much sales came from what products and how many were paid for by credit card. A non-structured problem would be how to handle customer complaints, track their

The Collision of Two Cultures Essay Example for Free

The Collision of Two Cultures Essay The Collision of Two Cultures Implications of Cultural Values and Beliefs on Caring Concepts Abstract This paper is a personal response to Anne Fadiman’s book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The paper includes a summary of the book, an overall impression of the reader, a discussion of three major themes evident in the book, and a description of a situation from the book and how the situation could be handled differently using references and material learned in 3020 Transcultural Nursing. Keywords: culture, cultural barriers, values and beliefs, language barrier, assimilation process The Collision of Two Cultures – Implications of Cultural Values and Beliefs on Caring Concepts After I finished my second summer semester this year I had 3 weeks break before starting fall semester, where I enrolled for this class. I had acquired my books already from a fellow student and went home to enjoy my three weeks of not studying; just working. As I was putting the books away at home, I started reading the back of Anne Fadiman’s book â€Å"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down† where a journalist of The Washington Post referred to the book as utterly engaging, readable, and a superb piece of writing. Instead of storing the book I carried it upstairs and put it on my night table. That evening after I snuggled up in my bed I got to know Lia Lee, her parents, her doctors, and I learned about the struggles that were involved in caring for an ill child that sat between two cultures; the Hmong culture and the culture of American health care professionals. Anne Fadiman takes the reader on a cultural journey where she describes the case of Lia Lee, a Hmong infant that suffers from epilepsy. As she tells the story of Lia and her immigrant family that had to flee from their home country and eventually gained entrance into the United States, she reveals the history and cultural traditions of the Hmong people. Moreover, she describes how her parents and the medical community of Merced Medical Center in California strive to help Lia as they try to treat and care for the epileptic child each in their own way. The values and beliefs that both sides hold seem to be irreconcilable at the time because the two sides do not know enough about each other to even try to understand that both sides mean well and try their best to help Lea in her struggles to regain her health or control the condition. Fadiman details the misunderstandings that arise when two cultures come face-to-face but cannot understand each other. Lia arrives in the hospital with epileptic seizures which her parents blamed on a slammed door, a spirit catching Lia, and subsequent soul loss. To the western doctors, who know little about the Hmong people and their culture, Lia’s seizure was caused by dysfunction in her brain which can be treated with medication. The doctors are unaware of the fact that the Lee’s diagnosed Lia with â€Å"qaug dab peg† which is the Hmong word for epilepsy, though considered potentially dangerous in Hmong culture it also distinguishes a person and may be indicative of a possible future as a shaman. The Hmong, like American Indians, are circular thinkers who see universal connections in all things. The Hmong, unlike Americans, don’t split the mind and the body. To the Cartesian, linear thinking doctors, medical health cannot be restored by bargaining with spiritual powers and offering animal sacrifices. The book also touches on historical and political events which have shaped the character traits of Hmong and Americans. For centuries the Hmong have resisted persecution, manipulation, and domination by other Asian groups. They are a proud people and cherish their independence. The Hmong’s challenge of authority frustrated the American doctors who aren’t used to having their authority questioned. The Lees non compliance with the western medical treatment was rooted in their belief that the family makes the decisions for their children which in their culture is in the best interest of the child. The Lees were convinced that the medication regimen only made Lia more ill and refused or altered the medication regiment. The doctors retaliated and showed their power by removing Lia from her parent’s home to foster care where they hoped Lia’s condition would stabilize. However, there was that fear that lingered over the medical community in the Merced hospital that Lia would one day come in â€Å"with the big one†, the doctors called a grand mal seizure that would deprive the child of vital oxygen to her brain and either take her life or leave her in a vegetative state. Inevitably the day came that Lia suffered a grand mal seizure. Since, her higher brain function has ceased and she was left in a state that the western doctors described as dead, however, for the Lees it was the soul that had now left her body with no return. Lia was taken home from the hospital where the medical team thought she would die soon after. However, the Lees loving competent care kept her alive, a life that in western value and belief system is not worth living, whereas the Hmong see it as a variation of nature and care for Lia even more, still hoping that her soul may return to her body one day. After finishing the book, I caught myself thinking that maybe Lia’s soul would one day return to her body. I truly enjoyed reading this cross-cultural account that is full of knowledge and derives wisdom from people of different life-ways. Somehow, the book allows the reader to step out of one’s own culture and look at the world like a Hmong. Recognition of cultural differences is important in a country that consists of mostly immigrants. As people of one country we want to take care of each other, understand each other, and live with each other. Therefore, people need to get to know each other and understand the cultural backgrounds, value and belief systems. That is my opinion as a person. Looking at the book from the perspective of a nurse makes it even more valuable. I have always liked the idea of culturally congruent care and have tried to incorporate it in my daily practice as a nurse. After reading this book, however, my perception of cultural care has changed. Anne Fadiman has spent years on her research on Hmong culture and her goal to make people understand the vast differences in values and beliefs of people from cultures that are different than main stream culture here in America. Her efforts make it possible for other people to embrace the knowledge she has collected and hopefully people are able to use the knowledge to make a difference in somebody else’s life; somebody else, like Lia. Fadimans book illustrates how much time, commitment, and energy is necessary to understand another cultures perspective on health and wellness and to translate that understanding into the day-to-day practice of medicine and caring. Incorporating cultural beliefs into medical care can go a long way to help people cope with illnesses. â€Å"A little medicine and a little neeb†, is what Nao Kao, Lia’s Dad said. In these simple words is hidden much of the truth that would have helped the Lees to cope better and comply more with Lia’s medication regimen. If the outcome would have been different is questionable, however, the cultural aspect of Lia’s care was disregarded by the medical staff, both nurses and doctors and led to more complication than necessary. The involvement of a twix neeb would not have harmed Lia’s medical treatment; it would have enhanced it. The twix neeb, a shaman conducts his work on a metaphysical plane. He usually mediates between the earthly and the spiritual world, however, there is no evidence that this treatment hurts anybody (Fadiman, 1997, p. 267). According to Dwight Conquergood, who has seen medication bottles on the altars of neebs, they do not resist medications, rather they incorporate it in the heeling process (Fadiman, 1991, p. 268). The book delivers much food for thought for whom ever is hungry for it, but it is especially useful for medical staff and doctors who dedicate their work to helping others. Anne Fadiman makes clear that we treat people and not diseases or body parts. On that note, she quotes William Osler who said â€Å"Ask not what disease the person has, but rather what person has the disease† (Fadiman, 1997, p. 75). The major theme in Fadiman’s book is cultural barriers. Language, cultural values and beliefs, and immigration status play an extensive role in assimilation and acculturation to a new society. The language barrier that the Lee’s experienced along with their different values and beliefs made it difficult for the Lees and the Merced medical staff to communicate with each oth er to navigate the treatment for Lia. Through Fadiman’s book, it becomes clear that language is an expression of cultural beliefs. In Hmong language epilepsy is explained in spiritual terms and is, therefore, an expression of their culture that is rooted in the natural and spiritual world. In English epilepsy is explained as a disturbance of brain function, which expresses western values and beliefs that are based on knowledge derived from science. The use of translators only added to the miscommunication of the two sides, especially the use of unskilled people like a janitor or an aid which they used in this case. Fadiman states that cultural brokers are needed to help a situation where the divide between cultures is extensive. In one of his interviews with Fadiman, Neil Ernst, the pediatrician involved in Lia’s care describes the cultural barrier as being a layer of saran wrap between the Lee’s and the medical staff of Merced Medical Center. He states that, you could get somehow into the area where you thought you reached them but you could never be sure that they understood. In 1980 when the Lee’s came to America cross-cultural medicine and care concepts were perceived by the medical community as form of political bamboozlement. Physicians felt that these ideas were an assault on their rationality rather than a potentially lifesaving therapy (Fadiman, 1997, p. 273). Fadiman’s book was a necessity to open the road for cultural congruent care concepts. It serves as a testimony that ethnocentrism on behalf of a majority culture could prohibit people from seeking care or negatively influence the outcome. The description of birth practices and beliefs in Hmong culture is a good example for inhibiting people to seek care. Prenatal care is highly valued in western culture, however, in Hmong culture where our understanding of medical care is nonexistent women take care of their needs. Even in the process of giving birth, as Fadiman describes in the first chapter they deliver their babies by themselves. If help is needed, the husband is utilized to aid in the birth of a Hmong baby. The Hmong women came to the hospital to give birth only because they had heard that if they do not deliver the baby in the hospital it will not be accepted as American citizen and they could not collect money from the government. If it wasn’t for this misconception, the women would have avoided the hospitalization. The Hmong people were political refugees. Fadiman pictures the Hmong as extremely different from typical immigrants who are grateful and happy to have landed in America, the land of opportunity and freedom. As a group, the Hmong have a history of vehemently resisting assimilation. The Hmong refugees were not here because they wanted to be; they were here because they had no other choice. The CIA-led â€Å"quiet war† in Laos had destroyed their homeland villages and made life as they knew it impossible. The life that the refugees found in the United States was strikingly different from their life in the mountains or in the refugee camp in Thailand. The culture shock caused many to cling more zealously to the old ways and to one another. This explains, at least in part, why after being in the United States for a number of years, the Lees appeared to speak virtually no English. Fadiman claims that Lia’s mother, even after being in the U. S. for several years, had no idea how to operate the family telephone. In Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care, Andrews and Boyle list many factors that affect the process of assimilation and acculturation to a new culture. As first generation immigrants, the Lees came to this country as a middle aged couple with their children. Whereas, Foua, Nao Kao and their peers had many difficulties getting used to the new life the book reveals that their children embraced the new experience and grew up to be bicultural. As involuntary immigrants the first wave of Hmong people clung more to their cultural traditions as voluntary immigrants would do. Fadiman chronicles migration patterns of Hmong people inside the United States. After landing here the Hmong were dispersed across many states to divide the financial burden among the communities. However, the Hmong did not want to live apart from each other in this strange new environment. So against governmental plans they settled in large groups to practice their traditions and help each other. Therefore, the assimilation to the new culture was slowed and delayed. Educational status is another factor that slows assimilation. The Hmong’s educational level was not comparable to western standards. As an indigenous mountain tribe who lived off their land knowledge was limited to what was necessary to survive in that environment. However, when the Hmong came to the United States the pattern of knowledge that was needed to survive changed drastically. To gain entrance into a society different than your own a new set of knowledge needs to be acquired to compete for resources. Caring for people from a culture that has a different set of values and beliefs takes understanding and knowledge on the behalf of the professional that delivers the care. In nursing delivering cultural congruent care is a concept that was established by Madeleine Leininger who developed the theory of Cultural Care Diversity and Universality (George, 2010, p. 404). In their care practice nurses need to consider the interrelationship of cultural care, well-being, health, illness, and death as it is viewed by people from different cultures (George, 2010, p. 11). The approach should be holistic and explore multidimensional ways of caring. The nurse should seek to discover cultural care universalities and diversities and be able to apply it. Cultural care preservation, accommodation, and restructuring are key concepts of cultural congruent care delivery. Applying my knowledge from this class to the care of Lia I would have tried to establish a working relationship with the family and the ir twix neeb to preserve and maintain their values and beliefs. The involvement of the neeb would have shown Lia’s family that their values and beliefs were acknowledged and not disregarded. Moreover, the twix neeb could have acted as negotiator to ensure that the Lee’s adhered to the medication regiment. Fadiman describes situations in the hospital where Lia was put in restraints to not interrupt her medical treatment by pulling on tubes and IV lines. The Lees were enraged about the restraints and tried to free her from the coercion of force that was administered by the medical professional at Merced Medical Center. Involving a cultural broker like Fadiman terms it would have helped to concert the different views of treatment. The Lees wanted to care for her daughter by holding her and having her close, however, the medical staff wanted to maintain their treatment modalities to get Lia the medical treatment that she needed. A holistic approach is of utmost importance and maybe some agreement could be made to how the parents could have held and be close to Lia without interfering with the treatment modalities. Restructuring Lia’s environment and treatment would have been a matter of more sensitivity on behalf of the medical professionals involved. Foster care did not improve Lia’s condition and the coercion of power on the Lee’s did not improve their compliance or strengthen their beliefs in western medicine and treatments. A more sensitive approach through home care services might have been more effective in the treatment of Lia’s epilepsy. Teaching the Lees how to read a clock, how to use the Gregorian calendar, would have been a useful approach to improve Lia’s condition. Community classes on western values and beliefs would also be of interest to help people from different cultures to assimilate to main stream culture. The tragedy is that both the doctors and the family genuinely wanted to help Lia, but their lack of communication and inability to understand each other, culturally, and linguistically, made mutual efforts impossible. Anne Fadiman’s research effort created a valuable resource for people in curing and caring professions. Understanding the importance of incorporating cultural values and beliefs in the deliverance of care can make a difference in somebody else’s life.

The Strength of Weak Ties by Granovetter | Review

The Strength of Weak Ties by Granovetter | Review This paper is a critical review of the popular article The Strength of Weak Ties by Mark S. Granovetter (1973). After an introduction to the paper at hand and a summary of the texts main points, a closer look at some of the premises on which the author builds his arguments is taken as well as examining the arguments themselves. Followed by that, the articles major contributions to the field of civic networks and social capital and its importance in this realm especially for the contemporary society are examined. Finally, I will conclude by summing up the points and highlighting the significance of the article. Introduction Mark S. Granovetters article The Strength of Weak Ties (1973) is one of the highly influential and most cited works of our times. By emphasizing a part of social networks which had hitherto been neglected, the author clearly caused a stir (not only) within the scientific community of sociology and social sciences. Granovetter is a contemporary sociologist and professor in the school of humanities and sciences at Stanford University. His main fields of interest are Economic Sociology, Social Stratification and Sociological Theory. Contributing to these realms, he published several articles and books. Here, we will focus on the input he gives through the paper cited above. Summary In his renowned and influential paper The Strength of Weak Ties (1973), Mark Granovetter makes a basic distinction between the respective functions of strong and weak ties and points especially to the importance of the latter. He defines the strength of a tie by the combination of time spent together, the emotional intensity, the intimacy and the reciprocal services (p. 1361) present in a particular relationship. He states that the stronger a tie between two individuals, the higher is the proportion of common friends due to three main factors: the time committed to each of ones friendships, similarities that connect friends and the logic of Heiders cognitive balance theory which serves as explanation why the combination of a positive relationship between person A and person B as well as between A and person C will most probably result in a positive relationship between B and C (1958). Concluding from these statements, he points out that only weak ties connect one group of people (fri ends) and another, as strong ties already imply an overlap between two groups. Relationships that are the only connecting point between two groups are bridges or if a tie is not the only but the shortest connection between members of different groups local bridges (p.1364). According to Granovetter, in the process of diffusion of e.g. new ideas or concepts these bridges play an essential role as they allow for the spread of an idea from one group to another. The author presents a set of studies that demonstrate how new ideas spread (most rapidly) through people with few strong but several weak ties. This seems to be especially so if the idea introduced is rather unconventional and deviating from a certain norm and the spread of which requires a considerable degree of freedom from peer pressure. After clarifying the overall importance of weak ties, Granovetter takes a closer look at their significance on two levels: the individual and the community level. He explains that for the individual, the maintenance of weak ties (e.g. former working colleagues) is crucial as those are usually bridges that provide access to groups of people and to information that one would otherwise not be able to obtain. For the community, on the other hand, bridges are essential in order to prevent pure clique building which would inhibit community cohesion and hinder collective action. Weaknesses of the argumentation Not without any reason is Granovetters The Strength of Weak Ties considered a highly influential and important paper. In contrast to many other sociologists writing about social theories or social capital, Granovetter makes a clear distinction between interpersonal (strong ties) and mere transaction (weak ties) relationships and he adheres with it throughout his argument an important step that many sociological argumentations around social capital lack. There are, however, a number of weaknesses in his argument which I will outline in the following. One of the premises he builds his argument on, is that the proportion of overlapping friendship circles of two individual is related to the strength of these individuals tie. Thus, a weak relationship between two people implies that there are only few common friends or acquaintances. This, however, does not have to be true. Take former class mates as an example: Person A and person B were class mates several years ago, but nowadays they are only in loose contact, they thus have a weak tie. However, each of them does have an approximately equally strong tie to most of the people from the former class. Hence, there is an overlap of acquaintances even though they are only very weakly bonded to each other. Furthermore, a friendship that developed over a longer period of time may remain a very strong one even if the two individuals involved do not see each other frequently anymore. This would then imply that there is a strong tie between the two friends but obviously not very much overlap of their friendship circles where they live. This facet becomes ever more important with new communication technologies evolving, which facilitate keeping contact despite spatial separation, and the general globalization which leads to ever more people changing their location more easily and more frequently. Hence, the definition of the strength of a tie, though quite precise at first sight, does not cover every kind of tie and is thus not completely comprehensive. Another premise Granovetter states is that due to the similarity which friends usually share it is very likely that if person A is a friend of person B and of person C, then B and C do become friends, too. If one always chooses ones friends because they have much in common can be doubted, though. Not without cause is the proverb opposites attract so well known and often used. Often people tend to feel comfortable around someone that is different in his personality and character, this being an anti-pole to ones own weaknesses and strengths. Thus, the similarity that the author implies here rather refers to sharing an interest in or commitment to something, be it in the labour world or common hobbies. However, if A likes B because of their perpetual discussions about politics and A is a friend of C because of their shared passion for soccer, B and C are not necessarily likely to build a deep friendship as well. When writing strong ties lead to overall fragmentation (p.1378), Granovetter clearly underestimates the importance of strong ties. His paper is unique in emphasizing a thitherto neglected part of human interaction. Nevertheless, strong ties build the basis for any kind of trust to evolve, which again is a main component of social capital and community cohesion. A person who does not have any intimate relationships will have a hard time trusting people. Now, one could state that everyone is bonded in at least one strong relationship and hence, this remark is redundant. However, nowadays the number of weak ties people have is increasing steadily as online platforms such as facebook allow for an easy way of handling the climbing number of relationships. Still, these relationships do demand some input to remain present and thus it can be questioned if people still invest in their strong ties or if the number and intensity of friendships is declining in recent years. What one can be sure about, though, is that for community cohesion to evolve and remain, both weak and strong ties are needed, rather that seeing strong ties as a threat to social cohesion. Last, one can question if the generalization of the importance of weak ties is legitimate. It may, very well be the case that they facilitate the spread and diffusion of and thus gives access to information that one could otherwise not obtain. This function (enhancement of diffusion) is, however, one that does not require reliance on the vis-ÃÆ'ÂÂ  -vis one interacts with. Take the example of an old colleague telling a person about a job offer. This widens the job seekers horizon but he does not have to rely on this single job offer. Here, weak ties fulfil their function beautifully. As soon as something is at stake, though, one has to doubt that people would still make extensive usage of weak ties. Here, they would rather rely on someone they know and well enough to be sure that he can be trusted. This holds true not only for interpersonal issues but also in a mere trade relation. Strengths and contributions of the article Nevertheless, one can not possibly question the importance of this article. One major contribution is a solution to the threat of an in-group bias that may occur: As recently found out in a study by Hooghe, Reeskens, Stolle and Tappers, generalized trust, which furthers social cohesion and is a core component of social capital, develops more easily and in greater amplitude within homogenous groups whereas heterogeneity of a group decreases it (2009). These findings bring along some troublesome issues: How can collective action and social cohesion take place in heterogeneous societies? Naturally, heterogeneous groups will divide into subgroups which can lead to fragmentation. With the linkages, the bridges, between these groups, the threat of fragmentation and a resulting lack of participation in public life can be allayed. Furthermore, it clearly gives the basis for several important publications not only in the fields of civic networks and social capital. Richard Floridas The Rise of the Creative Class (2002), for example, explains the crucial importance of the spread of information through weak ties for the facilitation of creativity in the labour sector. This is just a representative of the many contemporary influential theories that build on Granovetters paper. The Strength of Weak Ties contributes to the discussion around the concept of social capital not only by making a clear distinction between different types of ties (as stated above already) but also by showing how weak ties can be a connecting point between leaders and a group and the resulting trust and participation in the leadership and by emphasizing the significance of the spread of information which can ultimately lead to collective action and the involvement of the majority of a society in public matters. Finally, as already shortly mentioned above, Granovetters stress on weak ties does not become outdated by new findings although the publication lays more than 35 years in the past. In contrast, it should acquire even more importance by the introduction of new technologies and online platforms that alleviate the maintenance of a vast number of loose relationships, even bridging great distances. This trend is crucial for understanding nowadays (Western) societies and hence, for many fields of sociology and social sciences. Conclusion Considering the points made above, one can clearly state that the publication is a basic contribution in civic networks theory despite the weaknesses it may have. There are scholars that tend to favour strong ties and disregard the significance of weak ties such as Robert Putnam foremost in his book Bowling Alone (2000). This only makes Granovetters article more important providing an anti-pole to such neglect. Even though there are flaws in the argumentation and the premises on which the approach is built, those are minor ones. Furthermore, Granovetter states himself that his work is a limited, basic one that is a fragment of a theory (p. 1378). He does not claim to offer a comprehensive and elaborated concept that does not need further improvement. As part of a theory and by drawing the attention to an entirely neglected part of human interaction, it paves the way for further research in this direction. Granovetter, hence, managed to contribute greatly to several fields of research and this piece of work will not loose significance in the future as it is the basis further studies and will not be replaced by those.

Evidence based practice and the reflective practice

Evidence based practice and the reflective practice From my point of view, I believe that the two main sorts of research evidence that could inform educational practices are the evidence based practice and the reflective practice. I still have on my mind the words of Ravitch, I am deeply grateful that my treatment was based on medical research and not education research. Otherwise, I would not be here to tell my tale (Ravitch, 1998, p.33) and her insistence from her experience that educators have something to learn from physicians as she was also educators. The evidence based practice was first introduced on medical research as evidence-based medicine. Their main source was the development of a particular kind of medical research the randomised controlled trial (RCT) which was designed as a way to assess the value of new drugs in order to check the claims of their manufacturers (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p.18). However, there is a movement in the late 1990s, in several countries and also in the UK, for both educational practice and educational policy to become more evidence-based-or at least evidence-informed (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p.15). From my own experience of teaching prof essional practice has always been informed by evidence. What we teach on the class is based on evidence. It is a fact that reliance on a body of scientific knowledge has been treated as a defining feature of any profession, and has figured largely in the attempts by many occupations to gain this status. Looking back, in the beginning of the twentieth century it was taken to be one of the traits that marked professions off from other occupations (Flexner, 1915). The movement for evidence-based practice does not repeat the ideas of the definition of a profession, it does involve distinctive requirements. It proposes that practice should be guided much more directly by research evidence than previously. Furthermore, education as a profession, or a collection of professions, has always been a complex and contested one. It is well known that, in most countries, schoolteachers have never gained any autonomy and power achieved by other professions such as lawyers and doctors. In addition, the main body of knowledge on which their practice was supposed to be based was very often subject knowledge. Thus, in recent decades, in the UK and some other societies, a weak grasp of subject knowledge on the part of primary-school teachers, especially in the areas of science and mathematics, has been held responsible for what has been identified as poor levels of educational performance (Traianou, 2007, p.11). In contrast to this, research knowledge has been shaping the educational practice well before the evidence-based practice began. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, the two famous educational researchers have worked a few decades ago and their ideas have been generated diverse recommendations for educational practice. It is obvious since Piagets name often has been invoked by advocates of discovery learning and progressive education two approaches that strongly emphasise the autonomy of the learner. Furthermore, his work also highlights the important role that cognitive structures play in childrens learning, and, more generally, that what learners learn will depend on where they are starting from (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p.18). At this point, it is also important to mention that Vygotsky drew on Piagets work, and they both believed that learners should actively construct their understanding of the world. They both denied that learning is a passive response to external stimuli but it has implications well beyond the contex t of childrens learning. Indeed, it carries an important message about all forms of education. In addition, Hargreaves literally mentions Teaching is not at present research-based profession and he continues I have no doubt that if it were, teaching would be more effective and more satisfying (Hargreaves, in Hammersley, 2009, p.3). The medical profession has gained a lot of prestige lately due to the growth of its research which mainly is based on evidence based practice. In contrast, the teaching profession did not take such a step. Very rarely, teachers would look on other professional fields to examine and learn from their structure (Hargreaves, in Hammersley, 2009, p.4). As a teacher, I certainly understand that even though we heavily rely on what we learn from our own experiences which are private trials which might be right or wrong. In contrast, in the evidence based medicine process they convert the information needs into answerable questions, track down with the maximum efficiency the best evidence with which to answer, critically appraise that evidence for its validity and usefulness, apply the results and evaluate performance (Hargreaves, in Hammersley, 2009, p.13). Reflective practice can be traced way back before the twentieth century, while much of what is involved in the notion, for example the idea of phronesis outlined by Aristotle. However, the statement by Schà ¶n that In recent years there has been a growing perception that researchers, who are supposed to feed the professional schools with useful knowledge, have less and less to say that practitioners find useful(Schà ¶n, 1987, p. 10) does really disturb a lot since the reflective practice was happened a long before and has not just developed. Furthermore, Schà ¶n stated that it is modified by reflection-in-action (the ability to think about what one is doing while doing it) and reflection-on-action (the capacity to reflect after the event on what has happened and on its implications for ones practice) (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p.41). Developing these abilities, these forms of reflection that professional skill and wisdom can be built up in the course of experience, an d these capacities are important because real-world problems do not usually present themselves in ways that would match the technical knowledge produced by research. The notion of reflective practice has been under different names in the early 1970s, came to the fore in the 1980s through the works of Schà ¶n, Valli and Elliott. This notion places as much emphasis on teachers own evaluation of their practices as on the planning and management skills into which such evaluation feeds( Moore, in Hammersley, 2009, p.122). One of the recent recommended techniques in the reflective practitioner discourse is the developing of teachers own diary or journal that can systematically reflect. With this method, teachers can improve themselves and develop their own valid teaching method. As usual, the introduction of new ideas was accepted by less experienced teachers rather than more experienced ones. As Mitchell and Weber (1996) stated experience teachers suggest that they are just likely to cause concern, confusion and misguided behaviour through their over-personalization of teaching activity (Mitchell and Weber, 1996, p.34). Up to this point, I have described the two main sorts of research evidence that could inform educational practice. Furthermore, I will mention differences and significant similarities. Hargreaves and others who have concerned how research serves evidence based practice are not simply putting forward a particular view of the relationship between research and practice. It is clear that they think educational research needs to change in character, although neither Ravitch nor Hargreaves insists that it must take the form of randomised controlled trials (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p.26). However, from the point of view of advocating evidence-based practice, the practices of professionals are based on knowledge that must be eliminated in favour of procedures determined by sound, scientifically validated research evidence. In contrast, Schà ¶ns perspective, those traditional practices are seen as skilful and principled strategies that cannot be bettered by the substitution of research based knowledge; rather, they can only be improved by further reflection in and on professional practice (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p.41). In addition, Moore sugge sts that, the reflective practitioner discourse was not influential in official circles during his times. He insists that there are connections between each model and particular approaches to educational research. In a sense, the competences discourse has an affinity with quantitative method, and the reflective practitioner model with qualitative method (Moore, in Hammersley, 2009, p.127). In my opinion, I believe that there could be another similarity due to the fact that both are considered to be unrepresentative. It cant be presumed that all subjects taking part in RCT trials are representative of the people who will eventually be taking the drug or treatment and the data that a teacher personally gathers from his/her own classroom conditions cannot be presumed to apply to all conditions. Both of them have the same goals which are to enrich the corpus of knowledgeand to inform educational practice. Also, they both rely on philosophical grounds positivist one and interpretivist (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p.79). On the other, it cannot be presumed that all subjects taking part in RCT trials are representative of the people who will eventually be taking the drug or treatment and the data that a teacher personally gathers from his/her own classroom conditions cannot be presumed to apply to all conditions. Nevertheless, it seems to me that they share a lot o f points in common, such as theirposition with theory, which they dont question as both tend to look at teaching strategies rather than the sense of teaching and what is taught. To sum up, I would not disagree that RCTs provide measurable outcomes, and the reflective discourse emphasises the practitioners experience, this doesnt mean that it ignores the skills and techniques needed but that it tries to look at the wider picture. so if their spectrum of research and practice is limited what part does critical theory of research play as I see it to be connected to reflective practice. The Cyprus educational system unfortunately has been very weak as far as the new teachers are concerned, especially the ones that teach in secondary and high schools. A lot of them enter the teaching classrooms without any educational experience apart from the fact that they are graduates of universities. The same fact has happened to me also. Suddenly, I found myself from the hotel industry to teach in the school hotel labs and classrooms. From that day on I had to find a way of how I could become more effective within the classroom and be more efficient with my students. Having studied part one of the study guide for the course I am more confident to explain which methods I use during my teaching courses. However, I remember that I always mention to my colleagues that the teaching plans I have, are never stable. Every time I conclude with the lessons, I keep change them. I used to judge myself (reflective) what went right and what needed a change and I was doing it. Without realisi ng, I was using the reflective method and in a sense I was improving myself. However, as a teacher in a technical and vocational school, I spend most of my teaching hours in the lab rather than in the normal classrooms. From what I have studied up to now, I find myself that I used both educational methods of teaching, i.e. evidence based practice and reflective methods, not only for improving my teaching methods but also for the benefits of my students. The evidence-based practice, I use it a lot when I teach Food technology, Wine making or Food and Drink cost course. In all these courses the results from previous statistics which can be found through research are very useful not only for the teacher but for the students also. For instance, in order to produce good quality wine the evidence shows that there are certain parameters which are very essential such as the % of the sugar on the grapes, or how many days they should stay for fermentation, and e.t.c. This is happening with all the above mentioned courses and believe me students understand better when I use evidence-based practice because I can claim that throughout the years the research experience on developing the course has never been wrong. On the other hand, reflective practice is mostly used in the labs. Since a lot of the students work is done within the lab with practice on the lab exercises. I usually teach cooking and baking. All the other vocational teachers as well as I, were using reflective practice even though we could not understand that we were using it. What do we usually do? We explain to our students how things should be prepared, cooked and be ready to be served. As a teacher, I know from the beginning how the final product should be since I have worked through the reflective practice many times. I explain to the students the process and the directions needed to be followed and I guide them throughout the lesson. A single mistake or a small misunderstanding from the students, results are off truck. This can happen not only with cooking and baking but also with carpentry, electricians and any other specialization existing in the technical and vocational schools. References E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, (2007), The Open University Flexner, A. (1915) Is social work a profession?, paper presented at the National Conference of Charities and Corrections, Proceedings of the National Conference of Charities and Corrections at the Fortysecond Annual Session held in Baltimore, Maryland, May 12-19, Chicago, Hildmann. Hargreaves, D. (2007) Teaching as a research-based profession: possibilities and prospects (The Teacher Training Agency Lecture 1996) in Educational Research and Evidence-based Practice By in Hammersley, M, 2009, Sage Publication, London. Mitchell, C. and Weber, S. (1996) Reinventing Ourselves as Teachers: Private and Social Acts of Memory an Imagination, London: Falmer Press. Moore, A. (2007) Beyond reflection: contingency, idiosyncrasy and reflexivity in initial teacher education in Educational Research and Evidence-based Practice By in Hammersley, M, 2009, Sage Publication, London. Ravitch, D. (1998) What if research really mattered?, Education Week, 16 December, vol. 18, no. 16, p. 33. Schà ¶n, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner, San Francisco, Jossey Bass. Traianou, A. (2007) Understanding Teacher Expertise in Primary Science: A Sociocultural Approach, Rotterdam, Sense Publishers.

Utopian Society in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley :: Brave New World Essays

In the novel Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley a dystopia is presented of a Utopian society where happiness is brought through a drug and your predestined life follows. Aldous Huxley conveys different conflicts with characters being isolated from the society they are being forced to live within. In which, these characters, are brought about reliance of soma, a drug, to stabilize their life. As well as this, the novel expresses the on going battles of having a society that is "perfect". Therefore, because of the isolated, delusional nonperfected-society, the World State introduced in Brave New World defines a Utopian Society. Throughout the story the characters are presented in different social classes. In this World State, society isn't broken down into race, sex, or wealth, it deals with the intelligence level of a human being. Character by character is presented with a strong detachment from reality and the lack of freewill they are given. "It is only kind of pre-natal conditioning envisioned in Brave New World itself, in which the beings produced from bottles are so changed that they are no longer Homo sapiens, that will permanently keep men down" describing the fact that the people made in these test tubes are not normal men (Woodcock 273). Here, you see the outlook that no one could be an acceptable human being when being produced from a bottle. From the top, Alphas, and the bottom, Epsilons, where society is created through test tubes, in which, "Alphas and Betas [remain], (in incubators), until definitely bottled, while the Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons were brought out again, after thirty-six hours to undergo Bokanovsky's Process. . . where eight to ninety-six buds and (where) every bud will grow into a perfectly formed embryo. . . (and the Epsilons suffer) oxygen-shortage for keeping an embryo below par. . . (where) the lower the caste. . .the shorter the oxygen, (and) the brain will be affected first" (Huxley 4-5,15). With the first breath of life, the people have already been determined their fate. As well as the Neo-Pavlovian, which is a procedure to condition kids to respond or not respond to different objects. Roses and books were placed in front of eight month old babies, and "the babies at once fell silent, then began to crawl towards (the roses). . .(and) the crawling babies came squeals of excitement, gurgles and twitterings of pleasure.

Genet Affair and Neutrality Proclamation :: essays research papers

Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation and the Genà ªt Affair Edmond Charles Édouard Genà ªt (1763-1834) had been a representative for France in Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Berlin just before the French Revolution. A short time later, in 1792, he was removed from his position in Russia because of his revolutionary passions. At this time, Americans were following the French Revolution very closely, but France’s declaration of war on Great Britain hadn’t greatly affected American politics, yet. This changed in 1972, when none other than Edmond Charles Genà ªt was chosen to serve as the new French envoy to the United States. When he arrived, French supporters went crazy. Genà ªt saw this and decided to use his new popularity and influence to act on his radical beliefs. He attempted to gather troops to launch an attack on Spanish Florida and pay fleets of privateers to cripple British commerce. These actions violated Washington’s promise to remain "friendly and impartial toward the belligerent powers" which was the basis of his Neutrality Proclamation. Washington devised this treaty, which excluded the United States from the French Revolutionary Wars because America was still relatively young and unprepared for involvement in such international conflict. Reluctant to break his own terms and irritated by such deliberate acts of rebellion, the President, backed by Alexander Hamilton (pro-British), reacted with strong opposition towards Genà ªt’s demonstrations. Many other French supporters similar to Genà ªt had been tried for violating the neutrality, but were protected by pro-French juries. Washington banned the use of U.S. ports to the privateers, so Genà ªt threatened to turn to the people for their opinion. This had gone too far, so the President promptly implored that the French government recall their troublesome minister. They consented without argument, and Genà ªt was asked to return to his country.

Hephaistos: The Obscure Greek God :: Greek Mythology

Hephaistos: The Obscure Greek God Greeks are known for many things. We know them for their poetry, for their philosophy, their politics--and also we have come to know them for their childish, petty, lustful, little gods. These gods, vengeful in the extreme, have been a source of much literature. However, not all the gods have the same publicity agent, and have suffered in obscurity for much too long. One of these gods, one of the Twelve Olympians, has been obscure in the least. He is different in most ways from the other gods, and I am here to illuminate him further to you. His name? Hephaistos. This god will surprise you. He actually seems to have a crude sense of humor. He doesn’t seem to be vindictive, or very interested in the lives of mortals. He was simple, and he was ugly. It was as basic as that. Well, he has some interesting heritage, lets find out. Firstly, there is an interesting set of facts about the first moments of life for Hephaistos. One day, Zeus made Hera a bit jealous (as brothers and sisters in Kentucky can be) when Zeus was sleeping around with this and that female as various wild animals. Well, Hera was enraged so much, that she spontaneously conceived a child. I would LOVE to see something like that. She conceived and when Zeus noticed that Hera was pregnant, he was very angry himself. Moments later, she gave birth to Hephaistos. However, he was so very ugly and had a bad leg, that Hera tossed him to earth and disavowed his birth. It must be noted that there does seem to be a discrepancy. Some texts imply that Zeus tossed him to earth instead of Hera. He landed on the island of Lemnos (Seltman 99). That is why the people of Lemnos were his favorites and that was why he always headed there to relax and recuperate. Well, after being tossed into the ocean, Thetis picked him up and took care of him. Thetis is the same goddess who was mother of Achilles. Anyway, she took care of him, and he started making nice jewelry for her to wear. One day, she headed to court with the other gods, and all the women noticed the pretty baubles that were adorning Thetis. After they found out that it was long-lost Hephaistos, Hera went and asked him to come to Olympus.

Debeers Case Analysis

For more than a century, the powerful DeBeers Consolidated Mines, a South African corporation controlled by the Rothschild Bank in London, has managed to organize the cartel, restricting the supply of diamonds on the market and raising the price far above what would have been market levels How could DeBeers maintain such a flourishing, century-long cartel on the free market? The market has not been really free. In particular, in South Africa, the major center of world diamond production, there has been no free enterprise in diamond mining. The government long ago nationalized all diamond mines, and anyone who finds a diamond mine on his property discovers that the mine immediately becomes government property. The South African government then licenses mine operators who lease the mines from the government and, it so happened, that lo and behold! , the only licensees turned out to be either DeBeers itself or other firms who were willing to play ball with the DeBeers cartel. In short: the international diamond cartel was only maintained and has only prospered because it was enforced by the South African government. he very structure of the cartel is at stake, with the problem centering on the African country of Angola. First, even though the Angolan civil war is over, the results have left the government powerless to control most of the country. Secondly, the end of the war has given independent wildcatters access to the Cuango River in northern Angola, a territory rich in diamonds. And thirdly, the African drought has d ried up the Cuango along with other rivers, leaving the rich alluvial diamond deposits in the beds and on the banks of the Cuango accessible to the eager prospectors. With the diamond deposits available and free of war, and the central government unable to enforce the cartel, 50,000 prospectors have happily poured into the Cuango Valley of Angola. For most of the 20th century, De Beers sold 85% to 90% of the diamonds mined worldwide. With this monopoly, it could artificially keep diamond prices stable by matching its supply to world demand. The De Beers legacy was more than 100 years old. In 1888, Cecil Rhodes successfully consolidated South Africa's diamond mines, laying the foundation for De Beers. He formed a cartel with the ten largest merchants. Each was guaranteed a certain percentage of the diamonds coming out of De Beers' mines. In return, they provided Rhodes with market data, enabling him to ensure a steady, controlled supply it both controls supply and influences demand, combining the roles of major distributor, marketing agency and buffer-stock manager. It has developed an expertise in matching supply to demand and the financial strength to hold diamonds temporarily off the market. A monopoly on marketing

Radiology Report

Diabetic patient with ulcer on the bottom right foot. Images of the feet were obtained in a plane perpendicular to the long axis of the foot. Utilizing a T1-sequence an effective double-echo sequence and in a plane nearly paralleling the long axis of the foot utilizing an effective double-echo sequence. An additional sequence was performed in an attempt to do a fat saturation technique. However, motion artifact degrades the detail on these images limiting the use for evaluation. There is prominent abnormality evident in the right midfoot and forefoot. This consists of abnormally increased soft tissue present, predominantly plantar, medial to the tarsals and proximal to the metatarsals but also dorsal to the proximal metatarsals. At the distal aspect of this abnormality near the metatarsophalangeal joint, there is a prominent defect present in the plantar medial soft tissues extending to this abnormal soft tissue characteristic, suggesting an area of ulceration or surgical defect. Deep to this area of apparent ulceration there is bright T2-signal present at the dorsalateral aspect of the foot at the level of the mid to distal metatarsals suggesting edema and and/or inflammation in the dorsal soft tissues in that region. I do not see definite replacement of the normal bright marrow signal on the T1-sequence within the tarsals or metatarsals. Therefore, I do not see definite osteomyelitis. Certainly the findings are highly suggestive of a rampant cellulitis. Unfortunately, I have no plain films available for correlation at this time. If additional evaluation is required, one could consider combined gallium and bone scanning. In the left foot, I see neither definite remarkable soft tissue abnormalities nor do I see marrow replacement within the tarsals or metatarsals. The phalanges in both feet are rather difficult to evaluate other than the bases of the proximal phalanges of the great toes in which I see no remarkable abnormality.

Research Paper on Illegal Immigration Essay

Illegal immigration has become a huge issue in the United States, it is estimated that there are about twelve million illegal immigrants living in the U. S. today and that number is growing larger every day. This issue has caused multiple social, economic, safety, and law issues within the country. The state and federal government is using billions of dollars on things such as school, welfare, and medical and receiving minimal or no money in return simply because they are giving out the money to illegal immigrants who do not pay taxes to help fund things. Even though illegal immigrants help the economy, take low paying jobs, and improve the overall image of America, the U. S. must not allow any persons who enter this country illegally to stay in this country because, the illegal immigrants create social, economic, safety, and law issues for the country. The United States has a long history of immigration from different countries. People first started immigrating to the U. S. in around the year 1815. â€Å"Between the year 1815 and 1915 it is estimated that thirty million Europeans arrived into the United States† (Willis par. 1). Once people started immigrating to this country is when the problems started to begin regarding illegal immigration. People of the time wanted to get into, and be a part of this country they just did not want to do it the correct way. Charles Willis stated, â€Å"During the large wave of immigration the U. S. limited the number of people allowed to enter the U. S. , and a certain amount from each country. However the door was left open for Mexicans, who even then were desired by employers for their cheap labor. As history would show, this legal immigration led to illegal immigration† (par. ). This is when illegal immigration is believed to have begun. Furthermore, there are more facts in history about illegal immigration taking place. For example, a L. A. Times story from April 1926 noted that many of the ranch workers in California’s Imperial Valley entered the U. S. illegally without paying the fee or passing the literacy test (Gheen par. 6). Because of all the immigration, both legal and illegal, the government needed to do something to be able to control what was going on, therefore between 1882 and 1917 the U. S. government introduced laws regulating immigration. Immigration legal and illegal did not just occur in history, but is a current event in the United States today. Illegal immigration has become a larger problem in modern times than it ever was in the history of this country. It is estimated that there are twelve million total illegal immigrants residing in the United States (Miller 11). It is also estimated that 1 to 1. 5 million immigrants enter the U. S. each year, and of that million 850,000 people are believed to be illegal (Miller 12). All the people entering the country illegally can cause an abundance of problems. There are only a certain number of immigrants allowed into the country each year. All the people coming to the country illegally count as part of that number. The illegal immigrants that come to this country take up spots for immigrants that want to come here the legal way. That is not the only problem they cause either. Illegal immigrants use up government expenditures. According to William Gheen, â€Å"Undocumented workers do not generally pay income taxes but do use schools and government services, they are seen as a drain on government spending† (par. 8). Illegal immigrants also take up jobs that legal citizens of this country may desperately need that job. This country has been going through times where it has been hard for people to find jobs, if illegal immigrants had not taken some of these jobs it would have been easier for the citizens of this country to find a job. Illegal immigration is still a problem in modern times. Even though there are many bad aspects to illegal immigration there are also some positive sides of it. Although illegal immigration has negative aspects, it also has some positive aspects as well. For example, illegal immigrants help the economy. The money that illegal immigrants spend on goods and services in their local communities and around the state, â€Å"reverberates throughout the whole economy, creates more jobs, more spending and more revenue, the economic benefit far outweighs any cost on the fiscal side† (Gheen par. 12). A 2007 study on immigrants in Arkansas found that the total economic impact of Arkansas’ one hundred thousand, fifty one percent undocumented, on the state economy is nearly three billion dollars (Willis par. 5). Texas comptroller study found that the one million four hundred thousand undocumented immigrants living in Texas in 2005 contributed 17. billion dollars to the state economy (Willis par. 5). Illegal immigrants also take low paying jobs. Most Americans do not like to wash dishes, bust tables, and mop floors, but those are jobs that need to be done. Employers always have trouble finding regular employees to do that kind of work, which is also usually low paying. Americans are not willing to work them whereas the illegal immigrants are. When businesses have trouble filling positions of low skill jobs they only have two choices, raise the wage rate high enough to fill jobs or eliminate positions (Gheen par. 4). Businesses must then raise the prices of their items to make up the difference. Higher prices that the customers of those businesses will end up paying for. Illegal immigration also improves the overall image of America. No other country in the world has the diversity of races, religions, and cultures as America does. America brings together all sorts of different people around the world. Diversity in a country brings less prejudice against people and helps to introduce new ideas, perspectives, music, food, entertainment, strengths and skills. Other countries do not have a good image of Americans, allowing them to see all the good things this country has to offer helps Americas overall image (Willis par. 7). There are multiple positive aspects to illegal immigration. Even though there are some positive things about illegal immigration there are still lots of negative aspects as well. Illegal immigration brings lots of problems to this country. Firstly, illegal immigration allows more opportunities for terrorists, drug deals, and criminals to enter the country. When people come into the country illegally police cannot monitor what is being brought into our country. They cannot do a background check to see if any persons who come have criminal records or could pose a potential threat to the country. Illegal immigration is linked to drug smuggling, murder, and other crimes which threaten the safety of Americans. Jim Kouri said, â€Å"In the population study of 55,322 illegal aliens, researchers found that all together they were arrested at least 459,614 times, averaging eight arrests per illegal alien. Nearly all had more than one arrest. Thirty eight percent, about twenty one thousand had between two and five arrests. Thirty two percent, about eighteen thousand, had between six and ten arrests, and twenty six percent, about fifteen thousand, had eleven or more arrests† (par. 11). Illegal immigrants commit multitudes of crimes which make the city or the area they are living in unsafe for the citizens in that city. Secondly, Illegal immigrants consume high amounts of government resources. Most illegal aliens occupy low income employment and are more affected by downturns of the economy, which in turn puts them into welfare services which the government pays for. Undocumented workers do not usually pay income taxes but use government services, these people are seen as a drain in government spending. The government spends one hundred and thirteen billion dollars on outlays for services and benefits for illegal aliens and their families (Morrow 137). Education for children of illegal aliens represents the single largest expenditure at an annual cost of fifty two billion dollars, which is nearly all payed for by the state and local government (Morrow 138). Illegal immigrants also take up low income easy jobs for less skilled Americans. U. S. itizens receive less job opportunities because they have to compete with illegal aliens. The U. S. citizens pay back the government resources they use by paying taxes, whereas the illegal aliens do not refund the government there money. That is another reason the government should not allow any illegal immigrant to stay in this country. The last reason why the government should not allow illegal immigrants to stay in this country is they encourage more illegal aliens to enter the country. Once a couple people are here illegally they will often try to bring their family over to the country as well. It has been said that, â€Å"Immigration has a chain effect, in which people move to the U. S. , acquire legal status and later bring in more family members either legally or illegally† (Miller 18). People entering the country illegally and being allowed to stay here without any repercussions encourages more people to do the same. â€Å"Failure to punish illegal activity encourages more illegal activity, emboldens crimes, breeds public cynicism, and discourages others from obeying laws† (Miller 19). Illegal activity unpunished threatens American values of law and order. Illegal aliens abuse the generosity and compassion of the American people. Illegal immigration brings nothing but bad things to America. The United States government needs to overcome the problem of illegal immigration. Although there are some good aspects to it such as the illegal aliens will take unwanted low paying jobs that Americans will not work, and how diversity and acceptance of different types of people improve the overall image of America the negatives simply outweigh the positives. For example the illegal aliens can bring whatever they want into the country without anyone knowing what they brought or their background which can potentially pose a threat to American Citizens. Illegal immigrants are a drain of government money because they typically do not pay taxes which pays for all the services they use. They take away job opportunities for Americans to have, and by coming into the country it encourages other people to try to sneak into the country illegally. In order to stop illegal immigration from continuing, the government needs to put more people onto border control so they can monitor and stop more illegal aliens from entering our country.

Juan Luna and Filipinos Great Pride Essay

The first thing you’ll notice about the painting is its size. Standing at 4 meters in height and 7 meters in width, the painting no doubt commands attention and gives off a majestic aura. Any viewer of the painting will feel dwarfed by the large painting and may feel overwhelmed by the magnanimity of it. The next thing you’ll notice about the Spoliarium is the rich colors used. Predominantly, the painter made use of warm colors for his work of art, with reds being a central color that attracts the most attention. In person, the colors are striking and quite unique. The Spoliarium depicts an even during the Roman empire, where gladiators die for entertainment. The painting shows how gladiators are being dragged mercilessly by men towards an unknown darkness, where other tragically killed gladiators are brought. To the left is a cheering crowd, screaming for blood while to the right, a woman is crouched and seemingly in sorrow. The painting shows a tragic event, definitely. But it also shows a deeper meaning, especially for the Filipinos during the time of the Spanish colonization (which lasted over 400 years! ). According to art experts, the fallen gladiators who are being dragged are the Filipino people, while the men dragging them into the darkness are representative of the Spanish rule. The woman crouched on the right side of the painting is believed to be the Mother Country or the Inang Bayan who weeps for her Philippines. The blood thirsty crowd to the left is a representation of the social cancer of that time. Truly, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Luna’s painting. The Spoliarium shows the Spanish government’s mistreatment of the Philippines. The dead bodies of the gladiators represent the Spanish killings of Filipino revolutionaries. The Spoliarium is famous among the Filipino people, to say the least. The fact that Luna had gained recognition among other Spaniards in Madrid because of this painting has given the Filipinos great pride. This also shows that the Filipinos have skills that can equal, if not, surpass the Europeans of that time. This is why the painting, along with Hidalgo’s, are deemed National Cultural Treasures, because they were able to contribute to the development of art in the Philippines. The Spoliarium can be found in the Hall of the Masters of The National Museum of the Philippines. Whether you are a foreigner or a local, take a few hours off your schedule to visit the museum and learn more about Philippine culture and history through the eyes of its artists. It is an educational and enriching experience. The first thing you’ll notice about the painting is its size. Standing at 4 meters in height and 7 meters in width, the painting no doubt commands attention and gives off a majestic aura. Any viewer of the painting will feel dwarfed by the large painting and may feel overwhelmed by the magnanimity of it. The next thing you’ll notice about the Spoliarium is the rich colors used. Predominantly, the painter made use of warm colors for his work of art, with reds being a central color that attracts the most attention. In person, the colors are striking and quite unique. The Spoliarium depicts an even during the Roman empire, where gladiators die for entertainment. The painting shows how gladiators are being dragged mercilessly by men towards an unknown darkness, where other tragically killed gladiators are brought. To the left is a cheering crowd, screaming for blood while to the right, a woman is crouched and seemingly in sorrow. The painting shows a tragic event, definitely. But it also shows a deeper meaning, especially for the Filipinos during the time of the Spanish colonization (which lasted over 400 years! ). According to art experts, the fallen gladiators who are being dragged are the Filipino people, while the men dragging them into the darkness are representative of the Spanish rule. The woman crouched on the right side of the painting is believed to be the Mother Country or the Inang Bayan who weeps for her Philippines. The blood thirsty crowd to the left is a representation of the social cancer of that time. Truly, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Luna’s painting. The Spoliarium shows the Spanish government’s mistreatment of the Philippines. The dead bodies of the gladiators represent the Spanish killings of Filipino revolutionaries. The Spoliarium is famous among the Filipino people, to say the least. The fact that Luna had gained recognition among other Spaniards in Madrid because of this painting has given the Filipinos great pride. This also shows that the Filipinos have skills that can equal, if not, surpass the Europeans of that time. This is why the painting, along with Hidalgo’s, are deemed National Cultural Treasures, because they were able to contribute to the development of art in the Philippines. The Spoliarium can be found in the Hall of the Masters of The National Museum of the Philippines. Whether you are a foreigner or a local, take a few hours off your schedule to visit the museum and learn more about Philippine culture and history through the eyes of its artists. It is an educational and enriching experience.

Materials Engineering Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Materials Engineering - Assignment Example The bondage between the molecules is broken. In this region, the material can regain its original shape after the removal of the loading or rather the stress. At this juncture, the material obeys Hooke’s law and the stress and strain relate proportionally, and the constant of proportionality is the modulus of elasticity. The structure of the particles is not altered which explains the reason the material regains it original shape after the removal of the stress. It is the region just after the elastic limit. It is characterized by the graph flattening indicating destroyed proportionality between the stress and strain. Plastic deformations creep in, and the material loses the ability to regain fully its shape and size after the stress has been released. It takes place due to rearrangement of the molecular or atomic structure that allows for the new shape and size. Found just after the yielding region. It is characterized by a slight rise of the curve to the ultimate stress point. The behavior is due to the strength of the deformed atoms or molecules having a slight ability to withstand more stress up to the point beyond which complete deformation takes place. The rise of the curve in this region is what is termed as strain hardening. It is the region beyond the ultimate stress point. In this region, a further increase of the stress leads to a reduction of the cross section of the material only in some parts and not the entire material. The constrictions formed are what is referred to as necking. It is the continuous reduction of the cross section area that leads to the breakage and thus separation of the material. Metallic materials are ductile thus has the ability to deform plastically up to some extent. On the graph, it is represented by the region beyond the proportional limit where the elastic limit has been exceeded. Force

Granada Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Granada - Assignment Example In another ruling the International Court of Justice suggested that the right to self-defense could be invoked in an isolated low-intensity strike.4 Regardless there is a general standard that is safe for self-defense and where authorized by the UN Security Council force may not be used against another state not even for the purpose of â€Å"rescuing one’s nationals abroad, saving aliens from widespread deprivation of human rights† or as a pre-emptive strike â€Å"against a grave but distant threat†.5 The doctrine of ‘opinio juris sive necessitatis’ which allows an opinion of law or a necessity of law together with â€Å"state practice† dictates that the exceptions to the use of force in international law are far more flexible than they were when the UN Charter 1945 came into being.6 Since the end of World War II, the world has changed significantly to the extent that threats may be perceived differently. The invention of nuclear weapons, an i ncrease in international human rights, â€Å"and the emergence of global terrorism† have â€Å"significantly affected attitudes toward permissible uses of force†.7 In assessing current conditions in the world today, Durant and Durant maintain that international law as it is currently constructed cannot adequately regulate peace and security. A State â€Å"must be ready at any moment to defend itself† and â€Å"when its essential interests are involved† a state â€Å"must be allowed to use any means it considers necessary to its survival†.8 Controversy and debate continuously challenged whether or not there are limitations on the right to self-defense. For example, when the US proposed the Kellog-Briant Pact of 1928, the Pact stated that no prohibition on war could restrict the right of a â€Å"sovereign state† to use force in self-defense.9 A similar statement was made by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in 1948 which est ablished that state sovereignty alone made self-defense an inherent right.10 The international law on the prohibition against war and the right to self-defense is therefore contested. If the doctrine of opinio juris and state practice creates customary international law, it can be argued that virtually any threat, regardless of how serious might be interpreted as a situation in which the right to self-defense can be invoked. Moreover, if state sovereignty prevails, the inherent right to self-defense gives states the authority to use force against another state for any number of reasons including pre-emptive strikes, or rescuing nationals, or any other purpose that can be peripherally justified, provided the state is protecting its sovereignty. The Invasion of Grenada The US’s invasion of Grenada is just as â€Å"controversial† as the international law prohibiting war except in self-defense.11 When the decision was made to invade Grenada in 1983, it was justified on the grounds that American citizens were in danger and it was necessary to restore peace after a coup. However, it was well-known that the primary goal was to stop the spread of communism anywhere near