Understanding The Nature Of Homlessness Essay Example For Students

Understanding The Nature Of Homlessness Essay Understanding The Nature of HomlessnessI knew that I would encounter homelessness when I came to Berkeley. Iwas expecting it, because just about everybody I knew had something to say aboutthe rumors theyd heard filter over from the West Coast. Coming from New York,however, I figured Id seen it all, and would be in control over whatever Iwould be up against. Reality quickly hit me, though, as I began to familiarizemyself with Berkeley and its main streets. Id never seen anything quite likeTelegraph Avenue and Peoples Park. No matter how much poverty one has seenthroughout the course of their lives, its far more difficult to accept when itoccurs in areas of high concentration. We will write a custom essay on Understanding The Nature Of Homlessness specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Understanding the nature of homeless people asking for money and theirinteractions with people walking up and down a main street such as TelegraphAvenue is a difficult task. This observation process, which took place onTelegraph Avenue watching the homeless at work, was difficult because of thewealth of information one could find in simply watching as one person askedanother for money. We looked for a number of signals in the interactions,considering peoples ages, how they reacted physically, whether or not theycommunicated verbally, their demeanor throughout the interaction, and theimportance of eye-contact. We must also wrestle with the ambiguity of the powerstructure within the situation, because it is not nearly as clear as it seems. In the end, we will try to decipher the true nature of these confrontations,concluding by comparing the analysis of these situations to those found in theworks of Erving Goffman and Robin Leidner. INTERACTIONSThe difficulty in defining the parameters of dominance within theinteraction comes in understanding the disparity between the social status ofthe person being asked for money and the status of the individual begging forit; the real science lies in determining how little that difference actuallymatters. Socially, the respective status of each individual should be quiteclear. The person walking down the street is probably either employed or astudent. The stereotypical homeless person, on the other hand, may have alcoholor drug problems, may be suffering from schizophrenia, and is clearly notcapable of functioning within the confines of mainstream society. Clearly,according to unwritten rules of our community, the employed person has a muchhigher social standing. Despite these social differences, the actualinteraction is controlled by the panhandler. Their authority role begins withthe initiation of the interaction; by being the one to cause the confrontation,the second part y- the one being asked for change- is forced to react, if not torespond, in some way. The initiation process itself varies quite a bit frompanhandler to panhandler and has a tremendous impact in terms of reinforcing thenotion of authority. For example, there were panhandlers we observed who werenot capable of singling out an individual person and therefore had a great dealof difficulty initiating or holding on to any interactions; on the other hand,one man we watched was particularly effective simply because he went out of hisway to single people out in the passing crowds, he was loud enough to make eventhe most jaded person turn and was clearly in control of the interaction. Once control has been established and the interaction has commenced, itis necessary to gauge the response of the individual being asked for money andexactly what that response may mean. Of nineteen interactions we observed,only seven people made eye contact with the person asking for money. We foundthat it was often easier for someone to say no if they did not have to look theperson straight in the eyes. One common response was to look to the personwithout making eye-contact, and then respond while turning away from thepanhandler. Many people did choose to communicate verbally, often using thephrase, I dont have any money. In all likelihood, almost all of the sevenpeople who uttered that phrase had at least a some money, and the homelessprobably know that. Still, the phrase- whether an outright lie or the gospeltruth- manages to carry a great deal of weight. Another micro-interaction wesaw quite a bit of was the use of the body to communicate certain attitudeswithout the use of words . There were people who looked up as soon as theynoticed the homeless people and would actually face their entire bodies to themas they walked by, suggesting acceptance, and there were others who angled theirbodies so that their shoulders provided a clear barrier, shielding theindividual as they walked silently by. Although I had expected age to be afactor in the interactions- and it was in that panhandlers did not ask childrenfor money-peoples age, and even the nature of their dress did not seem to haveany clear impact on the interactions. In truth, finding many specific patternsin these interactions would require far more time spent in the field doingresearch. .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d , .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d .postImageUrl , .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d , .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d:hover , .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d:visited , .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d:active { border:0!important; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d:active , .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uee6ab90c2ce144e54fd51597b351209d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The florence baptistery EssayOne factor which I took notice of early on in the field research processwas the behavior of people wearing sunglasses and their responses to the samepanhandlers. The initial results, in which three out of three subjects wearingsunglasses actually struck up conversations and appeared particularly at ease-to the point of laughter in two instances- convinced me that it would be worthdoing more research during the daylight hours. The next time I was on Telegraphduring the day I sat down for a few minutes and watched only for people wearingsunglasses. Six people passed a homeless man directly outside of Fat SlicePizza wearing sunglasses during the n ext ten minutes. Of those six individuals,two ignored the requests for change and the other four acted friendly andnatural, looking directly at them and responding in a pleasant manner. In total,of the nine people I witnessed wearing sunglasses, seven of them chose torespond to the beggar, a much higher percentage than in the total group. Interestingly enough, however, not one of the sunglass wearers offered money. If we look back at the factors which characterize the nature of theseinteractions, eye-contact would be very high on the list. The fact thatsunglass wearers have an instant barrier between themselves and those asking formoney makes the argument all the more reasonable that eye-contact has thegreatest impact on the interaction. Its much easier to respond to someone ifyou dont have to look them in the eye; in fact, wearing sunglassesautomatically puts the propositioned individual into the dominant role in theinteraction. The reality is that the information set may not be an entirelyaccurate representation of the actual social group; its hard to believe thatover seventy-five percent of the entire Berkeley population would be inclined totalk with panhandlers simply by wearing sunglasses. What the information setdoes suggest is that, for some people, sunglasses lighten the tension in asomewhat difficult exchange. LEIDNERIf we were to look at the work of Robin Leidner in the book Fast Food,Fast Talk, we would actually find similarities in the nature of some aspects ofthe interactions between the Telegraph confrontations and the interactionsbetween customers and employees at McDonalds, suggesting that both interactionsare somewhat routinized. Anyone familiar with Telegraph Avenue knows that, upondeciding to walk down the street, there is a very high chance that they will beasked for money. In response to this, some of us do everything in our power toavoid Telegraph altogether. Those of us who dont avoid it find that a plannedapproach to these interactions is often the most effective method for dealingwith them. We may choose to give change, we may choose to smile and apologizefor not having any more money, and we may simply ignore the requests. Still,there is a good chance that what ever we choose to do, we begin to prepare assoon as we see a homeless person. When we walk into McDonalds, Leidne rexplains, we must, in order for the purchase to run smoothly, already have ageneral idea of what we want and how to order it. In both situations, theinteraction has been routinized, in that a certain routine, or set of actions,has been developed in order to deal with a situation. Even the expectations ofthe employee and the panhandler fit directly into the routine. If you wereto ask a McDonalds employee for a large bowl of pasta and a glass of wine,they would not immediately be able to respond; its likely that the samereaction would occur if you went up to a panhandler and asked them for money,challenging them to behave as you are expected to. While the nature of each ofthese two routines may be quite different, there is no denying that there aremany similarities inherent in both. .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 , .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 .postImageUrl , .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 , .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177:hover , .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177:visited , .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177:active { border:0!important; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177:active , .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177 .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u66efd42db7fae9c5b602e4101d340177:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Multicultural Education in America EssayGOFFMANThis notion of a planned response, as well as the behavior of apanhandler tossing pennies onto the street, fit very well into Erving Goffmansdiscussions in Asylums. Goffman talks both about secondary adjustments, whichhe defines as ways in which the individual stands apart from the role and theself that were taken for granted for him by the institution (Goffman, page 189),and mortification, or being stripped of ones identity kit. (Goffman, page 21). By developing techniques in order to most quickly and painlessly respond to thedemands for change, we are actually making a secondary adjustment; if we nevertrained ourselves to deal with these situations, we would probably feel very illat ease with the situation and not handle ourselves well. Being put out on thestreet is clearly quite difficult. How does one respond to suddenly being aloneand forced to fend for oneself, without money, shelter, or food? This processof developing a new life on the street, without the support of society, is veryclose to what Goffman calls mortification. Although the situations are verydifferent, one with too many walls, one with too few, there is no denying thesense of loss of self felt in both cases. The prevention of mortification isone of the biggest reasons for secondary adjustments and when we look at oneparticular panhandler, who, in an effort to maintain some final shreds ofdignity, would throw any pennies he had been given out onto the sidewal k, we seea clear adjustment made. To this man, it wouldnt matter if he was given tendollars worth of pennies, because needing those pennies represented the lowesthe could possibly reachCONCLUSIONWhat does any of this mean? What can we gain from looking at thisinformation? While no great social upheaval will occur because of this research,there is no question that we at least have a bit more perspective as to thenature of these interactions. Though I expected to find more patterns- forexample, I had expected that older people would perhaps be more sympathetic- Ialso had not expected to witness so many clear interactions from the homelessand methods used to challenge the authority the panhandlers had gained. Eventhough there is no question that the homeless, through the initiation of theinteraction, control that element of the confrontation, its important torealize that it is the person who is being asked for the money who ends up withcontrol as it is their choice whether or not to gi ve away any of their money. Out of about forty people who walked by at one point, only one of them gave apanhandler any money, and that represents a very clear pattern. Sadly, thatpattern, without a significant effort on the part of local and nationalgovernment, wont change anytime soon. We may never cure the problems faced bythe homeless and we may never be able to retrain our society to be more tolerant,but we can at least, hopefully, begin to take steps to that end.

Free Essays on America And Unilateralism In Iraqi War

Unilateralism Unilateralism in this case means America’s decision to go into the war with or without the UN support. Such concern follows decisions and acts which indicate a â€Å"go-it-alone† attitude and the question of the United States’ participation in multilateral treaties and its respect for international law. US decided to go alone because they considered resolution 1441 from the 7th amendment sufficient. â€Å"Why America should abandon its instincts for unilateralism† by Chris Patten Chris Patten the EU commissioner for external relations said that ‘to assert that Americas first duty must be to protect its own democracy and the rights of its own people is not selfish, any more than it is wrong for Americas policy makers to be concerned to the extent to which international obligations may come to represent a threat to US sovereignty’ He uncounted five reasons for why we need American leadership and international cooperation on an unprecedented scale. ‘Leadership should be exercised in partnership’ -Modern world should be more connected in order to protect itself -Globalisation – countries have to work together to resolve common problems -International institutions need to be in the model of ‘everything by the rules’ -Europe should spend more money on defence -Long-term effectiveness costs – but accumulates over time. The Terror Iraq gained its autonomy after the World War 2. After they removed the king the ruler ship of Sadam Hussein became effective. Consequently Sadam infuses dictatorship and tries to become a leader of all the Arabs. The money made by oil he spends on personal army and luxury. While he lives like in the 1001 night fairytales, his people live in terrible poverty. In the beginning of 1980’s there was a 8 year war with Iran whilst which Sadam uses weapons of mass destruction forbidden by resolution of UN. In the summer of 1990 Sadam attacks and occupies neighbo... Free Essays on America And Unilateralism In Iraqi War Free Essays on America And Unilateralism In Iraqi War Unilateralism Unilateralism in this case means America’s decision to go into the war with or without the UN support. Such concern follows decisions and acts which indicate a â€Å"go-it-alone† attitude and the question of the United States’ participation in multilateral treaties and its respect for international law. US decided to go alone because they considered resolution 1441 from the 7th amendment sufficient. â€Å"Why America should abandon its instincts for unilateralism† by Chris Patten Chris Patten the EU commissioner for external relations said that ‘to assert that Americas first duty must be to protect its own democracy and the rights of its own people is not selfish, any more than it is wrong for Americas policy makers to be concerned to the extent to which international obligations may come to represent a threat to US sovereignty’ He uncounted five reasons for why we need American leadership and international cooperation on an unprecedented scale. ‘Leadership should be exercised in partnership’ - Modern world should be more connected in order to protect itself - Globalisation – countries have to work together to resolve common problems - International institutions need to be in the model of ‘everything by the rules’ - Europe should spend more money on defence - Long-term effectiveness costs – but accumulates over time. The Terror Iraq gained its autonomy after the World War 2. After they removed the king the ruler ship of Sadam Hussein became effective. Consequently Sadam infuses dictatorship and tries to become a leader of all the Arabs. The money made by oil he spends on personal army and luxury. While he lives like in the 1001 night fairytales, his people live in terrible poverty. In the beginning of 1980’s there was a 8 year war with Iran whilst which Sadam uses weapons of mass destruction forbidden by resolution of UN. In the summer of 1990 Sadam attacks and occupies neighbo...

History of American Cities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of American Cities - Essay Example The influx of the foreigners in relatively large numbers have produced a multicultural environment that is responsible for the rapidly changing socio-political scenario of the cities. The existing society and the social setup has accommodated the growing numbers of new inhabitants by not only creating new jobs but new suburbs and slums thus embarking on a new road that defines the inhabitants by the location and locations could reliably affirm the inhabitants’ race and culture. Historians and social scientists, through the years, have conducted studies to this effect and have come to some amazing results backed by research asserting that cities and suburbs are divided into specific locations that are characterized by the people who may be represented by their race, economic status or by their creative differences.  The cosmopolitan flavor of New York is distinguished by the colonies named after the different nationals inhabiting them, like Chinese colony, German colony, Span ish or Jewish colony. ‘Even the Arab, who peddles ‘holy earth’ from the battery as a direct importation from Jerusalem, has his exclusive preserves at the lower end of Washington Street’ (Riis). In the mid nineteenth century, the author Riis studied the immigrant population, living in tenements, in the lower New York and observed that the tenements developed according to the immigrants, well defined by their race and cultural background. The Italians, for example, had largely come to America in search of work and this was carried out by the fellow Italians who facilitated their immigration and later exploited them for their own vested interests.  

Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Diversity - Essay Example Cultural competence affirms the individual worth and facilitates in the protection of individual dignity. This process entails certain policies, practices and attitudes that increase the quality of services received by individual (Meidl & Meidl, 2011). Accordingly, all learning institutions must encourage and respect diversity in their learning policies and practices. Mary Beth Klotz (2006) asserts defines a culturally competent school as the one that honors, values and respects diversity in both teaching and learning in order to make the learning meaning and relevant to students with different cultural backgrounds (Marx & Byrnes, 2012). Ethnic diversity Students who experience negative stereotypes tend to have low self-esteem thus struggling with their academic work. Cultural differences affect language processing, social status and perceptual abilities. For instance, African-Americans of all grades experience negative schooling environment. Accordingly, White students account for 5 6 percent of students while African Americans account for 15 percent. English language learners of Latino ethnic background experience the highest dropouts. The rate of school dropout among White students is only 5.2 percent while compared with a high of 17.6 percent among Latinos and 9.3 percent among African American students (Marx & Byrnes, 2012). Teachers modify their approach to teaching depending on the varying perceptions and expectations of the students (Marx & Byrnes, 2012). The teachers must foster positive engagement through encouraging self-esteem in order to promote active participation of all students in the classroom. For students with English language difficulties, the teachers must respect the native language of the child. A cooperative learning strategy will address ethnic diversity through role-playing and encouraging students to work as a group (Marx & Byrnes, 2012). Accordingly, teachers can bridge the ethnic differences through positively talking about the diff erences and persuading the students to refrain from ethnic stereotyping (Marx & Byrnes, 2012). Intellectual challenge like learning disability Students with learning disabilities have low academic outcomes. Accordingly, this category of students has trouble in learning due to low perceptual skills and motor skills (Novak & Bartelheim, 2012). However, numerous pedagogical strategies accommodate students with learning disabilities. The teacher must be aware of the level of learning disability and implement a individual education plan that accommodates the learning needs of the student (Novak & Bartelheim, 2012). One of the strategies entails providing an outline of the course content and enough opportunities for the student to practice. The teacher can also use teamwork and encourage the students to play different roles within the learning group (Novak & Bartelheim, 2012). Culturally relevant pedagogy Teaching and learning in a culturally diverse classroom requires the understanding a nd respect of the cultures (Novak & Bartelheim, 2012). Cultural stereotypes and privileges disadvantage some students thus teachers must build alliances across the cultures in order to eradicate discrimination in learning. The teacher can incorporate issues dealing with ethnic background and culture in order to enable the students appreciate and respect the unique cultural differences (Thurlow, 2005).

Spirometry and Puerto Rican Children Research Proposal

Spirometry and Puerto Rican Children - Research Proposal Example However, for people suffering from asthma, breathing becomes a difficulty, a disease and condition that limits their activities and significantly reduces their quality of life while being exposed to an increasing risk of death (Bartolomei 2008; Ortega et al. 2002). Puerto Rican children in particular and Puerto Ricans in general have the highest prevalence of active asthma and morbidity among Hispanics (Flores 2002). Despite the fact that experience of poverty and other social- and environmental factors such as exposure to higher indoor and outdoor air pollutants, hazardous waste sites, pesticides, lead and mercury are prevalent among other Hispanic sub-groups like Mexicans, Dominicans and Cubans (Flores 2002). In this condition, wherein asthma prevalence continue to increase and asthma burden persists contributing to reduce productivity and missed school days, it becomes urgent to develop programs that will address concerns pertinent to acute attacks and long term care management of asthmatic children. This is essential in order to check the dwindling quality of life not only of the children who are having difficulty in breathing, but also of desperate parents struggling with their children’s disease. As such, this study intends to come up with a paradigm that will address concerns regarding asthma acute attacks and lay down an educational program that is feasible and authentically geared towards responding to the demands of Puerto Rican children with asthma. At the same time, it seeks to bridge the gap in the literature (Flores 2002). Since, it has been observed that Latinos, in general, are not properly represented in clinical studies and... This is essential in order to check the dwindling quality of life not only of the children who are having difficulty in breathing, but also of desperate parents struggling with their children’s disease. As such, this study intends to come up with a paradigm that will address concerns regarding asthma acute attacks and lay down an educational program that is feasible and authentically geared towards responding to the demands of Puerto Rican children with asthma. At the same time, it seeks to bridge the gap in the literature (Flores 2002). Since, it has been observed that Latinos, in general, are not properly represented in clinical studies and that most literatures dealing with Latinos health condition and disparity are homogenous and fails to recognize the diversity of Hispanic groups (Flores 2002). Although, it has been observed that when it comes to asthma issues, there appears to be a segregation of Hispanic groups in the collected data, however, it still fails to identify the definitive social and environmental factors that contribute to the high prevalence of active asthma among Puerto Ricans (Flores 2002).  In this regard, as there is a necessity to come up with programs and policies that will both address the issues of acute asthma attacks and long-term care management of asthma; the research asserts the notion that lung functions measurement, which are integral part of the diagnosis and treatment of asthma, be integrated in the treatment of acute asthma attacks and be incorporated in the education.

Mechanised Infantry Past Present And Future History Essay

Mechanised Infantry Past Present And Future History Essay An armoured personnel carrier or an APC is a vehicle designed to carry men along with their weapons and equipment into the battlefield. It provides them limited protection against small arms and possesses some degree of fire support in the form of medium calibre weapons. Some of them are also referred to as Battle Taxis. In addition to these lightly protected versions there are also the heavily armed types commonly called the Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Armoured tanks, though lethal and well protected, are extremely vulnerable on the battlefield if operating independently. These threats range from the missiles launched from aerial platforms to the single infantryman carrying a hand held anti tank weapon. Therefore, a need was felt to group infantry along with the armoured tanks to provide them with protection against local threats while also allowing them to advance through areas cleared by this infantry element. To obviate the mobility differential between the two, this infantry was provided with vehicles to match the speed and reach of the tanks. This may be called the genesis of the APC or the Mechanised Infantry as it is now commonly referred to. The Mechanised Infantry has proved itself time again in various theatre of operations since its inception. Their importance has only been confirmed by their regular employment in a host of conflicts. Be it the Arab- Israel wars, the conflicts in Africa, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the present day insurgencys in Iraq and Afghanistan, these vehicles have proved their mettle time and again. Despite their potential, in the context of the Indian army there is a reluctance to take this arm seriously. Though this may not be true in the upper echelons of the organisation, within the middle rung there is a lack of comprehension and confidence in the capability of the mechanised infantry to carry out their task. Having personally witnessed the effect a platoon of ICVs can have on a belligerent force in Congo it can be confidently averred that an ICV/APC is the best platform to be employed in such tasks without the threat of an escalation in the conflict spectrum. This article will t race out the history of the mechanised infantry, discuss it role and employment in the present context and the likely future trends. It will also discuss the relevance of this arm in context of the Indian army and the methods to increase its employability. Role of the Mechanised Infantry The role of the Mechanised Infantry has more or less remained the same since its origin. The Wehrmacht during the Second World War carried out an analysis of its Panzer force and identified certain weaknesses. To overcome the shortcomings the following regulation was framed for the collaboration of the tanks and Panzer grenadiers. the tank fights the enemy tank and destroys other weapons. The Panzer grenadier looks for hidden anti-tank guns and fires on them. He prevents close quarter attack on the tanks. Covered by the tanks, he clears the enemys position. Mutual assistance is essential. In good country, the armour moves by bounds from cover to cover, giving fire protection to the panzer grenadiers following. In wooded areas, the Panzer grenadiers precede the tanks. and destroy the enemy with the weapons they carry on their vehicles.  [1]   The same field service regulations further explained the role of the panzer grenadiers: Every other arm is dedicated to helping the tank advance Tanks cannot completely clear the enemy from captured ground, and scattered groups of the enemy may combine to continue the fight. The Panzer grenadiers regiments follow the tanks in elongated echelon, and, collaborating with the second armoured wave, annihilate enemy remnants as well as carrying out the tasks of guarding and securing the rear and flanks of the armoured units. Panzer grenadiers hold the areas captured by tanks. Where a tank is obstructed by difficult terrain or by artificial barriers, the Panzer grenadiers advance first. The conditions for this are: (a) attacking across rivers; (b) in heavily wooded areas, swamp or badly cut-up terrain; (c) minefields, anti-tank ditches and other tank obstacles: (d) when breaking through enemy anti-tank fronts. The tanks will give supporting fire to the Panzer grenadier advance. Once past the obstacles, the tanks resume the leadership of the advance .  [2]   The role, task and method of employment of the mechanised infantry have more or less remained the same since then with only refinements in the drills and tactics. However the equipment has evolved with time and what once a primitive machine with limited firepower and protection is today a weapon with tremendous destructive and capability and adequate protection to allow the infantry to operate with relative comfort and safety. History of Mechanised Infantry The history of the tank and the APC/ICV are entwined. They can be traced to the First World War with the development of the ____________. Though this is referred to as the first modern tank, history is replete with examples where commanders have utilised the concept of heavily armed soldiers on chariots and elephants provided with adequate protection taking on the enemy. Ziska, a great warrior of his days, employed the Wagon-Lagers during the Bohemian Wars of 1410-20 against the Catholic Crusaders. These wagon mounted cannons were extremely effective against the German armies. The Scots, in 1456, invented a wooden cart that encased its crew and protected them. Horses, enclosed in wood for protection, were used to propel these carts. However, it was only after the Battle of Somme in 1916 that the potential of the tank was realised and they began to be regarded as the deciding factors in combat engagements throughout the world. The introduction of the tank at the later stages of World War I did not bring about any change in the war fighting methods being employed. They were simply regarded as a means to end the indecisiveness of Trench Warfare. Large scale casualties with no tangible territorial gains led to the development of this weapon system, designed to cross the miles of barbed wire and torn up earth between the two opposing forces. Success in such form of warfare was also only achievable if the foot soldier could move over the inhospitable terrain with speed and protection and exploit the breakthroughs achieved. The tank was found to be the most suitable means of gaining the desired breakthrough. However, this too had it its inherent shortcomings, with the primary one being that of sustaining the success. Even though the tank was capable of gaining the initial foothold, it was by itself vulnerable to individual/ group of soldiers who could close in with it and destroy it. The British were the first t o realise it and developed the first armoured personnel carrier the Mark IX, essentially a redesigned and lengthened version of the Mark V Male tank. The initial idea was to provide some protection to the infantryman from the machine gun fire so as to allow them to cross the battle field and thereafter serve as the eyes and ears for the tanks as well as providing it with protection. Development of Mechanised Infantry The inter war years were a period of stagnation in the field of armoured warfare for the US and most of the European countries. They persisted with the employment of tanks as supporting arm for the infantry in a piecemeal manner. The Germans, under the guidance of Guderian, developed their own employment philosophy, that of Blitzkrieg. Accordingly they built the SdKfz25, a half track, to be used to carry the infantry behind the rapidly moving tanks. These combined task forces gave the Germans their famous victorys and changed the face of armoured warfare. They were referred to as the Panzer grenadiers, a forerunner of the present day Mechanised Infantry Concurrently, the US developed their M2 and M3 half tracks while the British made the Bren Carriers. Often, APCs were armoured cars with the capacity for carrying troops, but they subsequently evolved into purpose-built vehicles to suit the demands of motorised warfare of the Second World War. Thereafter, subsequent development of the Mechanised Infantry was done on the basis of the employment philosophy being followed by the respective countries. The US and the USSR went about developing their own versions of the APCs which differed in both design and use. USSR/Warsaw Pact Countries The USSR continued development on ICVs after the end of the world war and developed the vehicles as per their doctrine. Based on the experience of the World War, they identified the need for greater protection and firepower to the APC than the US and introduced the Infantry Fighting Vehicle The aim was to achieve a breakthrough to allow the infantry to get through with speed and exploit the available opportunity. The increased lethality of the anti tank missiles demanded greater protection to the infantry soldier sitting inside the vehicle. The soldier sitting inside was provided the ability to bring to bear his personal weapon while under fire. Accordingly, the BMP-1 was designed which catered for all the above requirements. It had a 73 mm gun, the Malutka anti tank missile and machine guns. There was also the provision of port hole in the stick compartment that allowed for use of the personal weapons while sitting inside the vehicle. The BMP intended to pin down the enemy soldiers while on attack and to provide fire support with the heavier weapons while the infantry was dismounted. The Israel-Arab conflict of 1967 and 1973 exposed some vulnerability in the vehicle which saw the development of the BMP-II. The 30 mm cannon replaced the 73 mm gun while the missile was upgraded to the second generation AT-4/5s. The commander was given additional protection and the strength of the section was reduced from 11 to 10. Thereafter, the Russian built the BMP-III which was less of an ICV and more of a light tank with a 100 mm gun, an additional 30 mm cannon and a gun barrel launched missile system. It enjoys better armour protection and is still light enough to be transported by air. NATO/US APCs The US developed their version of the vehicle on a different doctrine. Their concept involved the vehicle to provide mobility to its infantry while simultaneously protecting it. Emphasis is not on firepower as the same would be catered by the tanks moving ahead. Accordingly they built the Armoured Personnel Carrier or the APC. This operated on the concept of Battle Taxis. The vehicle was meant to carry the infantry into battle and thereafter was left out of battle. The most popular of these was the M113 box on tracks. They were introduced in service in 1960 and since then almost 80,000 of these have been built. They were used effectively for the first time in the Vietnam conflict. There were a number of variants build alongside the primary version. These were used as Command Posts, mortar carriers and ambulance APCs. Because of their versatility, these have been used very effectively used by commanders for tasks they were not designed for. For instance, M-113s were used to lead the a ttack on the Vietcong in the absence of tanks. This family was extremely popular among the US allies and a large number were inducted in almost 50 other nations. With the introduction of the BMP-1 in the Soviet army the US had to rethink their approach. The large number of A vehicles (tanks and ICVs) available with Russia forced the US army to concentrate on increasing their anti tank capability. They introduced the TOW missile into their force. However the TOW didnt possess any protection leaving the firer vulnerable to return fire while he tracked the missile to the target. The US built the M2 Bradley as a counter to the Russian BMP-I. They revised their existing philosophy and built a vehicle with heavy armament and armour protection. It was given a TOW missile launcher with the operator under armour. It had an additional 25mm Bushmaster cannon and portholes for the infantry to fire from. It was fairly heavy by the standards of an APC and was supposed to fight behind the infantry and not operate as a Battle Taxi. The Army believed that the Bradley, initially known as the MICV, was essential so the Army could adopt an armour doctrine that was similar to German doctrine and appropriate to a mechanised battlefield characterized by highly lethal modern weapons and numerical superiority of the enemy. They have proved their value in numerous theatres be it Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. But these have been service since 1964 and the US army has been looking for an alternative. This led to the introduction of the Stryker family of vehicles. This is an eight wheel drive combat vehicle and the focus of the US armys Transformation. It provides enhanced protection to the soldiers from RPG and IED attacks. It has operated extensively in Operation Iraqi Freedom to the tune of six million miles. It is planned to enhance the armour protection by adding reactive armour modules. The US army plans to induct 2691 vehicles for the seven Stryker Brigade Combat Teams that it is r aising. Despite the performance of the Stryker, it does a have its share of detractors who warrant against the replacement of the M-113s and M2 Bradleys. The major disadvantage with the Stryker is the weight of the vehicle which reduces its strategic/tactical mobility. As a comparison, the C-17 can carry four combat ready M-113s against two Stryker vehicles. There are other inherent disadvantages with the Stryker family, however the US is keen to continue using them and there have been mixed reviews regarding their performance from the soldiers on ground. Other Nations The development of APC/ICVs has not remained with only the US and the Russians. Other nations have also built/ developed models base on their requirements and doctrines. The French army is using the Và ©hicule de lAvant Blindà © or VAB (Armoured Vanguard Vehicle in French). This is an extremely popular wheeled APC in service since 1974. Its popularity can be gauged by the fact that the US is using the same for their own police departments. One more vehicle that merits attention is the Israeli Achzarit which is based on the Soviet T-55 tank. The IDF modified the tanks they had captured from the Arab armies by removing the turret and modifying the chassis for troop carriage by adding a rear door. The engine was replaced and reactive armour installed. This design of APC was contrary to the existing philosophy of light vehicles. The IDF considered troop protection to be the primary factor and hence the heavy protection at the cost of weight. Availability of strategic mobility not being an imperative IDF could afford to build these heavy APCs. Mechanised Infantry for Indian Army The Indian army acquired its first Mechanised unit in 19__. Since then it has raised the Mechanised Infantry Regiment and converted the Brigade of the Guards to a mechanised profile. These units are primarily meant to operate in the Western Theatre, both in the desert and the plains sectors. They are trained to operate as per the new Indian Cold Start Doctrine which envisages the armour and mechanised infantry forming Integrated Battle Groups to launch into an adversary. However there is a school of thought within the army that questions the utility of the ICV. With better mobility available with the infantry, their being able to keep pace with the tanks is no longer an issue. In addition, the BMP-II does not have enjoy adequate protection against the adversarys anti- tank capability. Therefore, it may be argued that the infantry may be able to perform the tasks meant for the mechanised infantry. In any case, grouping an infantry battalion with the armour to carry out Encounter Cross ing on the water obstacle to overcome the shortfall of mechanised infantry is an option occasionally practised. If that be so, can the infantry replace the Mechanised Infantry outright? This line of though needs to be negated at the earliest. The more logical question that needs to be asked is that can the mechanised infantry do tasks traditionally associated with the armoured tanks. Before addressing that question let us first reemphasise the importance/relevance of the mechanised infantry. The mechanised infantry is traditionally expected to follow in the wake of the leading armoured column and thereafter clear/ mop up the remnants. This envisages the mechanised infantry moving close behind in relative safety. The ICVs though vulnerable to anti tank missiles provide adequate protection against aimed small arms weapons and artillery splinters in comparison to motorised infantry. Therefore it is unlikely that motorised infantry could replace the mechanised infantry. The employment of infantry for tasks such as Encounter Crossings on obstacles is due to the non availability of mechanised infantry and hence logically, there is a need to raise more units of the same. Both in plain and the desert sector, it is envisaged that certain built-up areas will have to be cleared to open the axis. This will entail the initial isolation/investment being done by the mechanised columns and thereafter the infantry soldier supported by tanks carrying out the physical clearance of the town/village. This tactics though possible in theory is unlikely to succeed in practise. This was best illustrated in Operation Iraqi Freedom where in the battle for the town of Fallujah the initial operations were carried out by the M1 Abrams and the Bradleys both, with the infantry man only being employed in the last phase. Based on this experience of fighting in built up area, it may be confidently averred that own mechanised infantry will have to be committed for the clearance of these areas which as of now do not factor in the troops to task. The mechanised infantry is relieved by the follow up infantry to allow them to reach the projection area at the earliest. Clearing of a built up area in the adversarys terrain is unlikely to involve fighting only regular enemy troops. The local population is likely to put up a resistance as well, similar to what is being seen in both Afghanistan and Iraq. If that be the case the ICV will assume greater importance and may have to be employed for a longer period to overcome the resistance. This merits a greater availability of mechanised infantry to allow for the dual task of fighting the Projection area battle while simultaneously clearing the inter objectives to open the axis at the earliest. Similarly, Corridor Protection will be of extreme importance and ICVs may have to be employed in larger numbers. All these only reinforce the requirement of a larger strength of mechanised infantry. India desires to be recognised as powerful global player both economically and militarily. The same has been reflected in the Army Doctrine which states Indias desire to be able to conduct Out of Area Contingencies. This capability requires the force to possess adequate strategic mobility. There is a need to have the air/sea assets to move this force in the envisaged time frame and adequately strong force to be put on ground capable of achieving its aim till such time the remainder force is built up. The sheer weight of the tank precludes it being available to such a force in the desired numbers. Therefore the next best alternative is the ICV which though much less destructive is still better than the unprotected infantry. Even the US faced this problem while deploying in Iraq despite having the best air assets in the world. Against an initial plan of a heavy infantry division of 15,000 soldiers and 1,500 armoured vehicles, they could only achieve 2000 airborne soldiers supported by less than two dozen Bradleys and M1 Abrams. This was primarily due to the absence of rapidly deployable light armoured vehicles.  [3]   India is not a rich country, it has to weigh its options, prioritise and then select the best compromise. It would be futile to expect a large increase in the number of mechanise infantry battalions. Similarly, keeping the constraints of finances, equipment management and training in mind, it would be difficult to have different vehicle for different roles. The best option would be to have a single family of vehicle capable of conducting multiple tasks. This leads us to the next question, is it time to replace the BMP-II with something better (if not better, then more suitable). I would like to suggest that it is time to phase out the BMP-II and replace it with the more superior BMP-3. The BMP-3 can be, at a stretch, grouped under the nomenclature of a light tank. With its 100mm cannon, barrel launched missile and an additional 30 mm cannon, it packs considerably more fire power than a BMP-II and only a little less than a tank. It has better armour and NBC protection than the BMP-II while being only marginally heavier (18.7 Tons against 14.4 Tons). It can easily be transported by air and on landing is adequately strong to perform in the absence of tank support. It is able to carry seven infantry soldiers, similar to the BMP-II. It is the most suitable vehicle for any Rapid Action Force that India plans to raise for conducting Out of Area operations. The Israel-Lebanon conflict of 2006 reinforced the vulnerability of armoured tanks in Low Intensity conflicts noticed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The high profile Merkava was targeted repeatedly by the Hamas insurgents along its vulnerabilities leading to material damage and loss in morale. In these circumstances, it is imperative that tanks operate in conjunction with infantry. The inherent disadvantage of a tank operating in a built up area is its lack of visibility and arc of fire, both vertically and horizontally. The BMP-3 can traverse vertically from -6 to 60 degrees which is a major requirement for clearing of h igh buildings. The presence of seven infantry soldiers moving in close proximity provide the requisite close protection, while the 100mm gun and 30 mm cannon are sufficient to destroy any target. It may be argued that the BMP-3 may preclude the requirement of a tank to be grouped along, thus freeing them for more important tasks. The BMP-3 has recently been tested in UAE against the US Bradleys and British Warriors. Their performance has been appreciated and the Arabs are looking to induct them though they have traditionally relied on the US and British for military equipments. The BMP-3 may be considered for induction in the Indian army to bridge the gap between the ICV and the heavy tanks thus filling a long felt absence of an interim vehicle. The next important aspect to be considered is the required increase in the number of mechanised infantry units. India has a large land boundary with different terrain features. Economics and world pressure do not allow it to increase the strength of its standing army. The next likely option is to convert more infantry units to a mechanised profile. This against has its disadvantages, as there would be lesser number of units available for standard infantry tasks along the Line of Control, the International Boundary and the Line of Actual Control. There would be greater pressure of the units and the present turn over period of 2-3 years would further reduce. There is, however, one more option worth considering. This option envisages ICVs to be considered as part of sector stores in the Western theatre. The infantry battalions would be dual trained i.e. holding ICVs when deployed in Plains/deserts while reverting to infantry in mountains leaving their mechanised equipment behind for the unit relieving them. Training a fully operational mechanised battalion takes time; therefore this is an option that will only work in a long run. There are likely to be equipment management issues as well for such an option. Feasibility of this can only be gauged after detailed analysis and study. In the meantime the mechanised infantry has to continue to function in its present form. Conclusion The importance of mechanised infantry cant be stressed upon more. It is an integral part of the mechanised forces and has its tasks delineated. For all the fire power and protection available to the tank, it still needs the infantry sitting inside the ICV to operate. The tanks have relied heavily on the mechanised infantry since Second World War for their survival. This reliance is stated in a memorandum by the German Oberkommando des Heers( OkH): There can be no doubt that, without the closest cooperation of the panzer grenadier and the tank, the latter is of limited value It is even said by some that commanders would prefer to lose tanks rather than their infantry..  [4]  Regardless of how the panzer grenadier arrived in the battle, these mechanised infantrymen were indispensable to the German concepts of combined arms and manoeuvre warfare as the Wehrmacht practiced them during the Second World War.  [5]  The tenets of mechanised warfare have not changed in the intervenin g years. Therefore what was true of mechanised infantry then remains so today. Instead of questioning the relevance of mechanised infantry, there is a need to increase its numbers and provide it with a better platform to allow it to perform its task better.

IQ Tests Dont Test Intelligence :: science

Why IQ Tests Don't Test Intelligence The task of trying to quantify a person’s intelligence has been a goal of psychologists since before the beginning of this century. The Binet-Simon scales were first proposed in 1905 in Paris, France and various sorts of tests have been evolving ever since. One of the important questions that always comes up regarding these tools is what are the tests really measuring? Are they measuring a person’s intelligence? Their ability to perform well on standardized tests? Or just some arbitrary quantity of the person’s IQ? When examining the situations around which these tests are given and the content of the tests themselves, it becomes apparent that however useful the tests may be for standardizing a group’s intellectual ability, they are not a good indicator of intelligence. To issue a truly standardized test, the testing environment should be the same for everyone involved. If anything has been learned from the psychology of perception, it is clear that a person’s environment has a great deal to do with their cognitive abilities. Is the light flickering? Is the paint on the walls an unsettling shade? Is the temperature too hot or too cold? Is the chair uncomfortable? Or in the worst case, do they have an illness that day? To test a person’s mind, it is necessary to utilize their body in the process. If everyone’s body is placed in different conditions during the testing, how is it expected to get standardized results across all the subjects? Because of this assumption that everyone will perform equally independent of their environment, intelligence test scores are skewed and cannot be viewed as standardized, and definitely not as an example of a person’s intelligence. It is obvious that a person’s intelligence stems from a variety of traits. A few of these that are often tested are reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spatial relations. But this is not all that goes into it. What about physical intelligence, conversational intelligence, social intelligence, survival intelligence, and the slew of others that go into everyday life? Why are these important traits not figured into intelligence tests? Granted, normal standardized tests certainly get predictable results where academics are concerned, but they should not be considered good indicators of general intelligence because of the glaring omissions they make in the testing process. To really gauge a person’s intelligence, it would be necessary to put them through a rigorous set of real-life trials and document their performance.

Invasion of the Drones Essay

The constitutional issues that the people have raised on drones are the right to privacy, which is guaranteed in the fourth amendment. The Fourth Amendment protects against â€Å"unreasonable searches and seizures. † It guarantees Americans’ right to privacy and requires police to obtain warrants or have â€Å"probable cause† to search someone’s property. This could violate the constitution because should police be require to obtain warrants to take photos and collect other information with the Drones? Then in the Fifth Amendment it guarantees Americans accused of crimes the right to â€Å"due process† under the law. The accused are entitled to a legal representation and to see the evidence that’s being used against them. This could violate the Constitution because drone strikes aimed at killing American terrorist suspects in foreign countries could violate the Amendment. I share the concern for the violation of the Fourth Amendment, because I would feel that I’m under watch all the time, and that at any time the Police could be collecting information or taking pictures of me because they have the equipment to do so. Then what if they used these pictures and information to give them a probable cause to search my house, but they didn’t find what they were looking for. The technically violated my privacy for no reason. When most people hear the word drone, they probably this of how the drones have been used in the last decades. Which were the drones were used to kill suspected terrorist in hot spots like Pakistan and Yemen. Or one particular incident that attracted a lot of attention was in September 2011, the C. I. A. drone strike in Yemen killed an American citizen, a radical cleric who preached holy war, which violated his Fifth Amendment rights. This might affect the public’s receptiveness to the domestic use of drones because a new federal law paved the way for drones to be used commercially in the U. S. nd made it easier for government agencies to obtain them. The Department of Homeland Security even offered grants to help local authorities buy drones. Various sensors, included cameras can even be attached to the drone. Senator Patrick Leahy said that this fast-emerging technology is cheap and could pose a significant threat to the privacy and civil liberties of millions of Americans. It is another example of a fast-changing policy which we need to focus to make sure it is used correctly.

The Monsoon Cycle Defined

The Monsoon Cycle Defined Every summer, southern Asia and especially India, is drenched by rain that comes from moist air masses that move in from the Indian Ocean to the south. These rains  and the air masses that bring them  are known as monsoons. More Than Rain However, the term monsoon refers not only to the summer rains but to the entire cycle that consists of both summer moist onshore winds and rain from the south as well as the offshore dry winter winds that blow from the continent to the Indian Ocean. The Arabic word for season, mawsin, is the origin of the word monsoon due to their annual appearance. Although the precise cause of the monsoons is not fully understood, no one disputes that air pressure is one of the primary factors. In the summer, a high-pressure area lies over the Indian Ocean while a low exists over the Asian continent. The air masses move from the high pressure over the ocean to the low over the continent, bringing moisture-laden air to south Asia. Other Monsoon Areas During winter, the process is reversed and a low sits over the Indian Ocean while a high lies over the Tibetan plateau so air flows down the Himalaya and south to the ocean. The migration of trade winds and westerlies also contributes to the monsoons. Smaller monsoons take place in equatorial Africa, northern Australia, and, to a lesser extent, in the southwestern United States. Almost half of the worlds population lives in areas affected by the monsoons of Asia and most of these people are subsistence farmers, so the coming and goings of the monsoon are vital to their livelihood to grow food to feed themselves. Too much or too little rain from the monsoon can mean disaster in the form of famine or flood. The wet monsoons, which begins almost suddenly in June, are especially important to India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar (Burma). They are responsible for almost 90 percent of Indias water supply. The rains usually last until September.

Reading for the Implied Main Idea

Reading for the Implied Main Idea Before getting into a discussion on how to find an implied main idea, you have to know what the main idea is in the first place. The main idea of a paragraph is the point of the passage, minus all the details. Its the big picture - the Solar System vs. the planets. The football game vs. the fans, cheerleaders, quarterback, and uniforms. The Oscars vs. actors, the red carpet, designer gowns, and films. Its the summary. What Is an Implied Main Idea? Sometimes, a reader will get lucky and the main idea will be a stated main idea, where the main idea is easy to find because its written directly in the text. However, many of the passages youll read on a standardized test like the SAT or GRE will have an implied main idea, which is a little trickier. If the author doesnt directly state the main idea of the text, its up to you to infer what the main idea is. Finding the implied main idea is easier if you think of the passage as a box. Inside the box, is a random group of stuff (the details of the passage). Pull each item from the box and try to figure out what they each have in common, kind of like the game Tri-Bond. Once youve figured out what the common bond is among each of the items, youll be able to summarize the passage in a snap. How to Find the Implied Main Idea Read the passage of text.Ask this question to yourself: What do each of the details of the passage have in common?In your own words, find the common bond among all the details of the passage and the authors point about this bond.Compose a short sentence stating the bond and what the author says about the bond. Step 1: Read the Implied Main Idea Example When youre with your friends, its okay to be loud and use slang. Theyll expect it and they arent grading you on your grammar. When youre standing in a boardroom or sitting for an interview, you should use your best English possible, and keep your tone suitable to the working environment. Try to gauge the personality of the interviewer and the setting of the workplace before cracking jokes or speaking out of turn. If youre ever in a position to speak publicly, always ask about your audience, and modify your language, tone, pitch and topic based on what you think the audiences preferences would be. Youd never give a lecture about atoms to third-graders! Step 2: Whats the Common Thread? In this case, the author is writing about hanging out with friends, going on an interview, and speaking publicly, which, at first glance, dont seem to relate to each other that much. If you find a common bond among all them, though, youll see that the author is giving you different situations and then telling us to speak differently in each setting (use slang with friends, be respectful and quiet in an interview, modify your tone publicly). The common bond is speaking, which will have to be part of the implied main idea. Step 3. Summarize the Passage A sentence like Different situations requires different kinds of speech would fit perfectly as the implied main idea of that passage. We had to infer that because the sentence doesnt appear anywhere in the paragraph, but it was easy enough to find this implied main idea when you looked at the common bond uniting each idea.

Critically assess, compare and contrast the RANDOM NETWORK and the Essay

Critically assess, compare and contrast the RANDOM NETWORK and the SCALE-FREE network proposed by Barabasi and Albert. With the - Essay Example An examination of the vulnerability of scale-free networks is also discussed in this paper, and the effect of power law distribution on the network topology is analyzed. The removal of nodes in these network models and the effects of such removal are discussed. The contrast between Scale-free networks and random networks in the area of resisting failures is analyzed, as it has been suggested that the strongly connected nodes are responsible for the failure of scale-free networks. This paper also includes some theoretical syntheses, the proposal of new and exploratory conceptual models, theoretically grounded discussions of methodology, the analysis of historical developments with clear implications for current and future theory, theoretically relevant discussions of timely and important network issues, and comprehensive literature reviews with strong theoretical implications. INTRODUCTION In recent history, evolving networks have been seen as a relevant and very popular area of resea rch among physicists. Reka Albert and Albert-Laszlo Barabasi introduced a concept of evolving networks that is based on preferential attachment, in order to understand the areas from which the ubiquity of scale-free distributions in real networks originates. Reka Albert and Albert-Laszlo Barabasi studied a highly connected network model which was later called the scale-free network. â€Å"Networks have become a general tool for describing the structure of interaction or dependencies in such disparate systems as cell metabolism, the internet, and society.† (Barabasi A-L, Albert R 2002) With scale free networks, even in very large networks, nodes can be selected arbitrarily and connected through other nodes which serve as the intermediary nodes. â€Å"There are features that the scale-free network contains that are lacking in the random network. In a scale free network, a small number of nodes contribute heavily to connectivity. These nodes are called hubs. In a random network , each node contributes approximately the same to the overall connectivity of the network.†(Barabasi, Albert-Laszlo 2002) In a scale-free network, the network is self-similar, in that different parts of the network are statistically similar throughout the entire network. This self similarity is a major feature of fractals. â€Å"The term "scale-free" was first coined by physicist Albert-Laszlo Barabasi and his colleagues at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. In 1998, they mapped the connectedness of the World Wide Web and found, to their surprise, that the web did not have an even distribution of connectivity (so-called "random connectivity"). Instead, a very few network nodes (also referred to as hubs) were far more connected than other nodes. In general, they found that the probability P (k) that a node in the network connects with k other nodes was, in a given network, proportional to k. They named this kind of network connectivity "scale-free". They also argued that there is a simple explanation for this behavior. Many networks expand through the addition of nodes to an existing network, and those nodes attach preferentially to nodes already well-connected. When this is the case, a scale-free network naturally arises.† (Watts, D.W 2003) Although a scale-free netw

Methods of research that warrant the use of qualitative research Essay

Methods of research that warrant the use of qualitative research methods in Criminal Justice - Essay Example Qualitative research is deemed as the more superior way with which to conduct important and meaningful research in the field of criminal justice/security management. Qualitative research methods provide several advantages which enhance the intensity of understanding with regard to the operations of justice system; criminals and crime as well as allowing for data processing that supersedes statistically oriented conclusions arrived at through the use of quantitative research methods. This mainly because of the difference in information due to the means of data collection applied, data analysis which generally provides a wealth of information on subjects being studied. Knowledge gained therein provides more information, is richer and allows for more concrete understanding. In this paper, I intend to discuss and analyze the types of research that warrant the use of qualitative methods in criminal justice/security management research.... myriad of intellectual techniques so as to effectively and efficiently facilitate for the organization, management, analysis and interpretation of data collected. Researchers in criminal justice/ security management use qualitative research which accords them the challenge to look for meaningful ways with which the acquired data can be produce workable trends and patterns required for meaningful research (Copes, Brown & Tewksbury, 2011). It is important to note that there are of course generally accepted guidelines in qualitative research which offer guidance as to how researchers can apply qualitative data information, actual tasks, and undertakings of data and information gathering, analysis as well as interpretation while ensuring an acceptable degree of innovativeness and creativity. Data collected and applied in qualitative research is sourced from a variety of data collection methods. These types include individual interviews, observing people, social interactions and place, an alysis of various forms of media, content guided conversations with regard to focus groups and personal engagements with respects to research sample settings in an effort to better understand how, where, when and what social interactions and social structures affect criminal justice/security management research studies (Copes, Brown & Tewksbury, 2011). Each and every one of these types of data collection differ, more so with the source and origin of data as well as in the means with which researchers carry out real time tasks towards the collection of raw data while also comparing these with similar and regularly realized events things and or situations. Interviews Interviews are in a nutshell structured conversations carried out by researchers with individual members of society in an