Monday, September 30, 2019

Does Modern Technology Make Life More Convenient Essay

1.Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler? First of all, I am always a person who believe in science and technology, so certainly, my answer is sided with modern technology. Yes, it does make our life much more convenient for so many reasons. Firstly(time), modern technology has greatly helped us save time and energy. And this started from the time of steam machines. People now use trucks to transfer goods instead of wagons, which, in this case, is the best example to support my point of view. There are so many machines and robots help us do the things we could never do or significantly promote the work efficiency.And by that mean, we achieved industrial revolution which, secondly(Economy), boost the international economies, so we are seeing every nation is actively applying new technologies to help promote its productivity and competitiveness. Thirdly, modern technology like Internet really have helped us a lot. Some people even believe that internet can do anything. Communication is more accessible, merchandise is more accessible, the whole world is more accessible. With a simple click of the mouse, we could travel the world, we could take classes from the top universities without actually be there on campus, we could talk to our friends and family face to face even if we are thousands miles apart. Consequently, modern technology has influenced every aspect of our lives, from the food we eat everyday to the clothes we wear, from the house we live to the vehicles we drive, it does make life more convenient, modern technology helps us live a easier and better live.2. What are some of the positive and negative effects that mobile phones have on society? With the development of modern technology, mobile phones are not some rare phenomenon any more, from the kids to the olds, every one has a phone, that also makes China who has the most mobile phone users in the world. First, it’s small enough to fit in your pockets and portable to carry it wherever you go. Second, you can use the phone to talk to, or send messages to others anytime,anywhere as long as you know the number, thus it is very accessible to communication. But, theses functions are not the highlights of modern mobile phones. In modern time, phones are not the phones just to make a call  to communicate with people, it has also become a super tool which you can use for so many different purposes, it is like a computer, but mini version. It is a new type of entertainment, we can play games, listen to music, watch movies on the phone. It is a good work assistant, we can send emails, edit files and set reminders etc. It is a good helper, connect it to the internet, we can surf internet, online shopping or even pay the electricity. Anything, anytime, that is the highlight of modern mobile phones. However, owning to these fantastic functionalities, cellphones are becoming a distraction, an addiction.People seem to unable to get mobile phones out of their hands. I am not sure if you have had this situation. You go out with a bunch of friends, there’re always some people playing with phones instead of talking to people. Gradually, they will fade out his/her social circles and be absorbed in the phone world and they seem unable to escape from it. As a result, they will have a bad performance at school or at work because they waste too much time on the phones. Some are calling for those people to put down phones to fit in their circles. Phones are made to diminish the world and make people get closer with each other, not to isolate people. Moreover, phones are not good for health. If we spend too much time on the phone, the radiation from the phone would harm our health, particularly teenagers who are at the golden stage of physical growth. Last but never the least, money is always a big problem, phone bills including text messages, minutes and data usage altogether would be a big financial burden for you every single month. Above all are the advantages and disadvantages about mobile phones, a typical double-edged sword, whether it is a poison or a weapon, it all depends on if we use it wisely. Psychology Right Environment Culture and Tradition Moral Economy Time Health Emotion Education Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler? For modern technology: 1. Modern transport means make it very convenient for people to travel far or near, thus saving a lot of time and energy. By plane, people can cover a distance of one thousand miles within hours. 2. Modern science and technology promote the productivity, freeing people from tiring and vexing manual and mechanical labor. Many kinds of heavy dangerous work have been done by computerized machines more efficiently and more quickly. People can be released from toils and enjoy much more leisure time and freedom. 3. Modern household appliances release people from heavy house chores. Refrigerators, washing machines, and microwave stoves have made housekeeping so much easier that women can pursue their own careers without neglecting the duties of a good wife and mother. 4. Modern devices of telecommunications to a great extent facilitate and enhance the exchange of information between people. Modern technology has ushered in a brand new era of global information. 5. Modern science and technology are emotionally beneficial. A phone call, an e-mail or a fax bring people closer and make the world smaller. 6. Modern technology enables us to be informed of the events worldwide without moving a step away from our home. The human knowledge multiplies at an incredible rate. Modern people enjoy unprecedented access to information worldwide. 7. Advancing medical science has made it possible for human beings to lead a much longer life and suffer less from different kinds of diseases. Doctors and sciences have found cures for many diseases formerly regarded incurable and fatal. 8. The coming of electricity has removed darkness and the world has been transformed into a well-illuminated paradise. For simpler technology 1. People used to enjoy larger scope of living and suffer less from fierce competition. 2. People used to enjoy a better environment and there was little pollution. 3. Compared with the present deterioration of morals and social mood and worsening human relationship, people used to enjoy a simple and honest human relationship. They were completely free from modern day stress and pressure. 4. People would never worry about the risks brought by modern technology, such as computer virus, nuclear leakage, global warming, exhaustion of nature resources and extinction of many species. They would not be slaves of machines one day. 5. People need not worry that nuclear weapons threaten world peace and even mankind’ survival. What are some of the positive and negative effects that mobile phones have on society? In less than twenty years, mobile phones have gone from being rare and expensive pieces of equipment to a popular low-cost personal item. Positive: 1. People rely on their mobile phone address book to keep in touch with friends. 2. In many young adults’ households the mobile phone has replaced land-line telephones. 3. It has given poor people in isolated community access to services such as medical and legal advice. 4. Mobile phones with Internet access can provide you services such as alerts, weather information, e-mail, search and downloads of games and music. 5. The mobile phone itself has also become a fashion object, with users decorating their mobile phones to reflect their personality. 6. Mobile phone network is the fastest way to warn citizens of disasters like earthquakes, typhoon and other natural disasters. 7. In the event of an emergency, disaster response crews can locate injured people using the signals from their mobile phones. 8. Mobile phones can help the victims call the police or an ambulance immediately for help when an emergency occurs. Negative: 1. Mobile phone use while driving is common but controversial. Using the hand-free phones or the use of Bluetooth while driving can increase the risk of road traffic accidents, let alone the hand-held ones, because the distraction of a telephone conversation itself is a significant safety problem. 2. In Croatia law prohibits usage of mobile phones while crossing the road as a pedestrian. 3. Since the introduction of mobile phones, concerns have been raised about the potential health impacts. 4. Long term studies show that mobile phone radiation exerts negative influences on humans, and in particular children. People using mobile phones are more  likely to get brain cancer and cardiovascular diseases. 5. A study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of 4,500 users found a significant link between tumor frequency and mobile phone use. 6. Users often speak at increased volume in places like book shops, libraries, movie theatres, which may disturb people around. 7. It’s dangerous to use mobile phones on aircraft due to possible interference with aircraft radio communications. 8. A large number of class disruptions may result from the use of mobile phones in the classroom. 9. Text messaging has a close relationship with the potential cheating on examinations. So, in the UK, possession of a mobile phone in the examination can result in immediate disqualification from that subject.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Landforms on the earth’s surface

The Earth's surface can be described as being rough or smooth. Various geological processes constantly remodel the earth’s surface. Some geological processes, such as those that make mountains or wear them down, typically take place at imperceptible rates. Sudden events, however, can change the landscape in a minute. Rates of these geological processes vary. Each continent has its individual arrangement of landforms, though similarities do exist. For example, high mountain ranges are located along the western sides of both North and South America, since the two continents make up basically one land mass. A landform comprises a geomorphologic unit. Landforms are categorised by characteristics such as elevation, slope, orientation, stratification, rock exposure, and soil type. Landforms by name include mounds, hills, cliffs, valleys, and so forth. A number of factors, ranging from plate tectonics to erosion and deposition can generate and affect landforms. In this article, I have chosen Rift Valley. A rift valley is a valley created by the formation of a rift. Rift valleys are produced by tensional tectonic forces, which occur at divergent plate boundaries. Uninhabitable desert and fertile farmland, flat arid plains and steep escarpments characterize today’s Rift Valley. Some 20 million years ago, the earth's crust weakened and tore itself apart creating a jagged rift, thousands of kilometres long, across the African continent. The land on either side erupted creating great volcanic mountains, while the valley floor gradually sank into a low flat plain. This geologic phenomenon, dubbed the Great Rift Valley by the Scottish explorer John Walter Gregory, divides Kenya neatly down the length of the country essentially separating east from west. Africa's Great Rift Valley is a 6,000-mile crack (fissure) in the earth's crust, stretching from Lebanon to Mozambique. Geologists know that violent subterranean forces that tore apart the earth’s crust formed the Rift Valley. These forces caused huge chunks of the crust to sink between parallel fault lines and force up molten rock in volcanic eruptions. Evidence that this process, called rifting, is still in progress comes from the many active and semi-active volcanoes, located along the Rift. The Cenozoic rift system of Eastern Africa extends from the Afar Depression in the north to beyond Lake Malawi in the south, a distance of about 5600 km. Close to the Equator it is made up of eastern and western rifts to either side of the Lake Victoria Basin. The most extensive rift valley is located along the crest of the mid-ocean ridge system and is the result of seafloor spreading. Existing continental rift valleys are usually the result of a failed arm (aulacogen) of a triple junction. Examples besides the Great Rift Valley include the Mississippi embayment and the Rio Grande Rift in North America. In some places this natural divide is up to 100 km (60 miles) wide, while it reaches its narrowest point just north of Nairobi at 45 km wide. The valley floor is at its lowest near Lake Turkana where there is virtually no distinction between the Great Rift and the surrounding desert. As it heads south, however, the valley walls form sheer cliffs rising to 1,900 km (6,232 ft) at Lake Naivasha. After Naivasha, the valley descends again to 580 meters (1,902 feet) at the Tanzanian border. Subterranean movement is common today as the Rift Valley is home to thirty active and semi-active volcanoes and countless hot springs along its length. This string of alkaline lakes and boiling springs northwest of Nairobi includes Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, Lake Elementaita, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Magadi in the south. These lakes are unique because their water is highly concentrated sodium carbonate. This situation is caused by the high alkalinity from the surrounding volcanic rocks coupled with poor drainage outlets due to the steep sides of the valley. The high evaporation of the surface lake water results in sodium carbonate, which, in turn, creates an ideal breeding ground for algae. Several species of fish, tilapia in particular, thrives in this environment. As a result, millions of birds flock to these soda lakes to feast on the abundant food supply of algae and fish. Each of the lakes in the Rift Valley string has a slightly different water composition ranging. The formation of the Rift Valley continues, probably driven by mantle plumes and ultimately a result of the African supers well. The associated geothermal activity and spreading at the rift has caused the lithosphere to thin from a typical 100 km thickness for continents to a mere 20 km. Within a few million years, the lithosphere may rupture and eastern Africa will split off to form a new landmass. If spreading continues, this will lead to the formation of a new mid-ocean ridge. The Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano remains active, and is currently the only natrocarbonatite volcano in the world. The Rift Valley has been a rich source of anthropological discovery, especially in an area known as Piedmont. Because the rapidly eroding highlands have filled the valley with sediments, a favourable environment for the preservation of remains has been created. The bones of several hominid ancestors of modern humans have been found there, including those of â€Å"Lucy†, a nearly complete australopithecine skeleton, which was discovered by anthropologist Donald Johanson. Richard and Meave Leakey have also done significant work in this region. References: 1)Geography. (2006). In Britannica Student Encyclopaedia. Retrieved July 4, 2006, from Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Premium Service: http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-201425. 2)The Physical Geography of Africa.W. M. Adams – editor, A. S. Goudie – editor, A. R. Orme – editor. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of Publication: Oxford. Publication Year: 1999. Page Number: 18. 3)Population and Energy: A Systems Analysis of Resource Utilization in the Dominican Republic. Contributors: Gustavo A. Antonini – author, Katherine Carter Ewel – author, Howard M. Tupper – author. Publisher: Florida Presses. Place of Publication: Gainesville. Publication Year: 1975.               

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Barrack Obama’s Speeches

ISSN 1798-4769 Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 254-261, May 2010  © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland. doi:10. 4304/jltr. 1. 3. 254-261 A Critical Discourse Analysis of Barack Obama? s Speeches Junling Wang School of Foreign Languages, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China Email: [email  protected] com Abstract—The Critical Discourse Analysis is often applied to analyze political discourse including the public speech, in which the speaker wins favorite response from the audience.This paper, based on Critical Discourse Analysis theory and Systematic Functional Linguistics, analyzes Barack Obama’s presidential speeches mainly from the point of transitivity and modality, in which we can learn the language how to serve the ideology and power. Moreover, we can have a better understanding of the political purpose of these speeches. Index Terms— Critical Discourse Analysis, transitivity, modalit y I. INTRODUCTION Crit ical linguistic is also called Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA).It first originated in Britain in 1980s when the work Language and Control was published. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is a type of discourse a nalytical research that primarily studies the way social power abuse, dominance, and inequality are enacted, reproduced, and resisted by text and talk in the social and political context. With such dissident research, critical discourse analysts take explicit position, and thus want to understand, expose, and ultimately resist social equality (Van Dijk, 1985).Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday (often M. A. K. Halliday), an Australian linguist, developed an internationally influential grammar model-the Systemic Functional Grammar (also called Systemic Functional Linguistics). It is the main foundation of Critical Discourse Analysis as well as other theories in pragmatics. The object of CDA is public speech, such as advertisement, newspaper, politic al propagandas, official documents, laws and regulations and so on. Its aim is to explore the relationships among language ,ideology and power.In the past twenty years, Critical Discourse Analysis developed quickly in aboard and had achieved great achievements. A large number of scholars have made contribution in the fields of critical analysis of political discourse. However, Critical Discourse Analysis is, comparatively speaking, a kind of new study in China. Only a few researchers work in this field. Since 90s of the last century, some articles about the basic theories and principles of Critical Discourse Analysis have just appeared in linguistic journals.Chen Zhongzhu, a professor in Beijing University, was the first person who introduced Critical Discourse Analysis to China. He made a review of critical linguistics and introduced its philosophical and theoretical foundations to Chinese linguists. Xin Bin is another prominent and productive scholar of Critical Discourse Analysis in China. From 1996 to 2 002, he published many articles to further the study of Critical Discourse Analysis, in which he discussed the birth, development and methods of critical linguistics (Xu Xiaoxia, 2008).Since more and more Chinese-foreign academic exchanges in the 21st century, the development of Critical Discourse Analysis has come to a new stage. We can see more and more articles about Critical Discourse Analysis appeared in academic journals. We know that every four years, hundreds of thousands of Americans will welcome the glory moment of electing a new president. They will canvass for their favorite candidates willingly. And every candidate will apply his or her rich language expressions, impassioned speeches and wholehearted attitudes to try to win more votes.The stud y of presidential addresses has not only attracted the interests of political scientists and historians, but also attained the attention of linguists. This year, Barack Obama, the first African -American president in American hi story, captured the world? s attention. In this thesis, the author will apply Halliday? s Systemic Functional Grammar, in terms of the three meta -functions: ideational function,interpersonal function and textual function, to find out the formal features of Barack Obama? s speeches.Its aim is to explore the relationships among language ,ideology and power and to find out how to use the power of speeches to persuade the public to accept and support his policies. II. THEORETICAL BASES M. A. K. Halliday? s Systemic Functional Grammar is usually considered the main foundation of Critical Discourse Analysis as well as other theories in pragmatics. Systemic Functional Grammar has two components: SYSTEMIC GRAMMAR and FUNCTIONAL GTAMMAR.  © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHER JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE TEACHING AND RESEARCH 55 They are two inseparable parts for an integral framework of linguistic theory. â€Å"Systemic grammar aims to explain the internal relations in language as a system network, or meanin g potential. And this network consists of subsystems from which language users make choices. Functional grammar aims to reveal that language is a means of social interaction, based on the position that language system and the forms that make it up are inescapably determined by the uses or functions which they serve† (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988: 307).Halliday thinks the procedure of stylistic analysis can be divided into three logically ordered phrases: Analysis, Interpretation and Evaluation. The limitless practical functions can be generalized into a set of highly coded and abstract functions—meta-functions, which are inherent in every language. His idea of meta -function includes the ideational function, the interpersonal function and the textual function. A. Ideational Function The first function Halliday points out is the ideational functi on. What is ideational function?It is through this function that the speaker or writer embodies in language his experience of the phenom ena of the real world; and this includes his experience of the internal world of his own consciousness: his reactions, cognitions, and perceptions, and also his linguistic acts of speaking and understanding (Halliday, 1971: 332) In other words, this function is to convey new information, to communicate a content that is unknown to the hearer. It reflects the events and experience in both objective and subjective worlds. The ideational function mainly consists of â€Å"transitivity† and â€Å"voice†.Hu Zhuanglin, a Chinese linguist, point out: â€Å"This function not only specifies the available options in meaning but also determines the nature of their structural realizations† (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988: 312). For Example, Kitty flies a kite can be analyzed as: the Actor is Kitty, the process is Material and the Goal is a kite. The Actor, Process, Goal, and their subcategories reflect our understanding of phenomena that come within our experience. The ideational functi on is mainly represented by the transitivity system in grammar.In this system,the meaningful grammatical unit is clause,which expresses what? s happening,what? s being done,what? s felt and what the state is and so on (Cheng Yumin, 2007). The transitivity system includes six processes: material proces s,mental process,relational process,behavioral process, verbal process and existential process. Material processes are those in which something is done. These processes are expressed by an action verb (e. g. eat, go, give), an Actor (logical subject) and the Goal of the action (logical direct object, usually a noun or a pronoun). Hu Zhuanglin,1988) e. g. Marry is eating a banana. Mental processes express such mental phenomena as â€Å"perception† (see, look), â€Å"reaction† (like, please) and â€Å"cognition† (know, believe, convince). A mental process involves two participants, Senser and Phenomenon. (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988) e. g. Tom likes chocolate. Relational proc esses can be classified into two types: Attributive and Identifying. The former expresses what attributes a certain object has, or what type it belongs to, for example, The temperature is high. The latter expresses the identical properties of two entities.For example, Lily is a girl; The girl is Lily. (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988) Verbal processes are those of exchanging information. Commonly used verbs are say, tell, talk, praise, boast, describe, etc. In these processes the main participants are Sayer, Receiver and Verbiage. Behavioral processes refer to physiological and psychological behavior such as breathing, coughing, smiling, laughing, crying, staring, and dreaming, etc. Generally there is only one participant—Behaver, which is often a human. This kind of processes is much like the mental process.Behavioral process may sometimes be hardly distinguished from a material process that has only one participant. This depends on whether the activity concerned is physiological or psyc hological. When Behavioral process has two participants, we may take it as material process, for example, His father beat the disobedient boy. (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988) Existential processes represent that something exists or happens. In every existential process, there is an Existent. For Example, There is a girl in the garden. Does ghost exist on earth? Here comes a bus. B. Interpersonal FunctionIn the second place, language serves as interpersonal function. As Halliday observed, The speaker is using language as the means of his own intrusion into the speech event: the expression of his comments, attitudes and evaluations, and also of the relationship that he sets up between himself and the listener —in particular, the communication role that he adopts of informing, questioning, greeting, persuading, and the like. (Halliday, 1971:333) Hu Zhuanglin (1988:313) points out: â€Å"The interpersonal function embodies all uses of language to express social and personal relations.This includes the various ways the speaker enters a speech situation and performs a speech act. † Modality and Mood are often used to express the interpersonal function. Mood shows what role the speaker selects in the speech situation and what role he assigns to the addressee. If the speaker selects the imperative mood, he assumes the role of one giving commands and puts the addressee in the role of one expected to obey orders. For exampl e, Pass  © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHER 256 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE TEACHING AND RESEARCH me the book. (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988)Modality refers to the intermediate ranges between the extreme positive and the extreme negative. It is one of the most important systems in social communication. On the one hand, it can objectively express the spe aker? s judgment toward the topic. On the other hand, it can show the social role relationship, scale of formality and power relationship. In English, except modal verbs, modal adverbs, adjectives, there are also personal p ronouns, notional verbs, tense, direct and indirect speeches to express the modalization. C. Textual Function The third role of language is called textual function.Halliday described, â€Å"Language makes links between itself and the situation; and discourse becomes possible because the speaker or writer can produce a text and the listener or reader can recognize one† (Halliday, 1971:334). According to Hu Zhanglin, The textual function refers to the fact that language has mechanisms to make any stretch of spoken or written discourse into a coherent and unified text and make a living passage different from a random list of sentences. Although two sentences may have exactly the same ideational and interpersonal functions, they may be different in terms of textual coherence. Hu Zhuanglin, 1988: 315) The textual function fulfils the requirement that language should be operationally relevant, having texture in a real context of situation that distinguishes a living passage from a mere entry in a grammar book or a dictionary. It provides the remaining strands of meaning potential to be woven into the fabric of linguistic structure. Information can be clearly expressed in a discourse. It can also be implicated between the lines. Therefore, all discourses are unities of explicit and implicit message. (Halliday, 1971)Because language serves as a generalized ideational function, we are able to use it for all the specific purposes and types of context which involve the communication of experience. Because it serves a generalized interpersonal function, we are able to use it for the specific forms of personal expression and social interaction. And a prerequisite to its effective operation under both these headings what we have referred to as the textual function, whereby language becomes text, is related to itself and to its contexts of use.Without the textual component of meaning, we should be unable to make any use of language at all (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988). III. IN TRODUCTION OF SAMPLE SPEECHES A. The Introduction of Barack Obama Barack Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, becomes the first African -American president of the United States. He was born on August 4, 1961, in Hawaii and has lived in many places, including Indonesia. His mother was from Kansas and his father from Kenya. Obama attended Columbia University in New York and earned a law degree at Harvard University in Massachusetts.He and his wife, Michelle Obama, who also worked as a lawyer and later for the University of Chicago, have two young daughters, Sasha and Malia. Serving in the Senate since 2004, Obama introduced bipartisan legislation which allows Americans to learn online how their tax dollars are spent. He also serves on the Veterans? Affairs Committee, which helps oversee the care of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. So his approval rate on the internet is high. The most supporters of Obama are young people, African-American, poor citizens and the peop le who want to change.Facing with the economic crisis, two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama gave hi s campaign slogan â€Å"change has come† and hoped to rebuilt the confidence and believe of Americans. In last August, Barack Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady, and became the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. And during the following months in 2008, he defeated McCain, the Republican Party? s presidential candidate, and won the all three television debates held in Oxford (Mississippi), Nashville (Tennessee) and Hempstead (New York).And finally he relying on 333 electoral votes won the final success and became the 44th American president and the first African-American president in American history. Barack Obama has written two books: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (2006) and Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (1995). B. Speeches for Analysis Sample Speech 1. Obama? s Victory Speech On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama gave a victory speech in Grant Park of Chicago to appreciate his supporters and celebrated the success of elections.About 400,000 Americans got here and witnessed the happy moment. Sample Speech 2. Obama? s Inaugural Address On January 20, 2009, the new American president Barack Obama gave his inaugural address before the Capital Rotunda in Washington. According to the official reports, population of the attendance reached about 2 ,000,000. IV. DETAIL STUDY ON SAMPLE SPEECHES From table 1, we can have a general view of the two speeches. We can see the total words of sample 1 are 2057,  © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHERJOURNAL OF LANGUAGE TEACHING AND RESEARCH 257 including 110 sentences. The average length of words is 4. 247 and sentence mean length is 18. 7. Sample 2 is as the same, the total words are 2396, with an average length of 4. 458. And the number of sentence is 112 with an average length of 21. 39. So here, we can find that the two sample speech es mainly use simple words and short sentences. The language is easy and colloquial. The audience of the speeches is usually various, including the rich, the poor, the black, the white and so on.In order to shorten the distance between the president and the audience, we can find Obama used a lot of spoken English. Moreover, the subject of the two speeches is extensive, which isn? t on account of one or two concrete issue. That is because the presidential speeches usually reflect the political platforms of the candidate, so the field is large, such as American history, present crisis, global issues and so on. TABLE 1 STATISTIC OF SAMPLE SPEECHES Statistical Item Statistic Words (Tokens) Words (Types) Tokens/Types Word Classification SentencesParagraphs Characters Sentence Mean Length Word Mean Length Sample 1 2057 690 2. 981 1687_114_†¦ 110 63 8736 18. 700 4. 247 Sample 2 2396 894 2. 680 1969_123_†¦ 112 35 10681 21. 393 4. 458 A. Transitivity Analysis The ideational functio n is represented in text by transitivity. It is a basic semantic system, which construes the world of experience into a manageable set of process types. Halliday divides these processes into six types: material process , mental process,relational process,behavioral process, verbal process and existential process. TABLE 2OVERVIEW OF PROCESS TYPES (PENG PINGPING, 2007) Core meaning Participants „doing? , „happening? Actor, Goal „sensing? Sensor, phenomenon „being? „saying? Sayer, Receiver, Verbiage „behaving? Behaver „existing? Existent Process types Material Mental Relational Verbal Behavioral Existential Sample Speech 1 NO. Total Number 212 % 2 NO. Material Processes 123 TABLE 3 TRANSITIVITY IN THE SAMPLE SPEECHES Metal Relational Behavioral Processes Processes Processes 18 48 8 Verbal Processes 12 Existential processes 3 58 227 % 8 23 4 6 1 141 14 52 6 10 4 62 6 23 2 4 2From table 2 and 3, we can see that material processes are used most in the speeches with a percentage of 58% and 62%. Relational process ranks the second and then is followed by mental process. So here, the author will mainly analyze the first three ones. 1 Material process Material process is a process of â€Å"doing†. The process is usually indicated by a verb expressing an action, either concrete or abstract. There are usually two participants in the process: Actor and Goal. Actor is comparable to the Subject and Goal is comparable to the Object and both of them are usually realized by noun phrases.When the participants both exist, the clause can be either in active voice or in passive voice.  © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHER 258 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE TEACHING AND RESEARCH ACTOT I We/Americans/each of us/all /our TABLE 4 TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF SAMPLE SPEECHES (MATERIAL PROCESS) PROCESS GOAL receive, congratulate, make, need, thank call, partner, voice, help achieve, start, get, face, share, seek, refuse, choose, money, the challenges, values, chan ge, choice, vital reject, carry, understand, use, build, meet, restore, rust, hope, journey, gift, greatness, energy, roads transform, taste, consume, send, volunteer, support, and bridge, reality, science, schools and colleges, new threats, the bitter swill, new way, world? s resource , message, From the above table (Table 4), we can see the Actors of the two sample speeches are I and we /Americans/each of us/all. Material process, as a process of doing, is a good choice in the address to demonstrate what the government has achieved, what they are doing and what they will do in different aspects of affairs, home or abroad .And it can also arouse the American people? s confidence toward the president and his government and to get their support in policies or measures in the following four years. For example, We (Actor) will begin to responsibly leave (Material Process) Iraq (Goal) to its people, and forge (Material Process) a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan (Goal). With old friends and former foes, we (Actor) will work tirelessly to lessen (Material Process) the nuclear threat (Goal), and roll back (Material Process) the specter of a warming planet (Goal).We (Actor) will not apologize(Material Process) for our way of life (Goal), nor will we (Actor) waver in its defense (Goal) , and for those who (Actor) seek to advance (Material Process) their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents (Goal), we (Actor) say(Material Process) to you (Goal) now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken (Material Process); you (Actor) cannot outlast(Material Process) us, and we (Actor) will defeat(Material Process) you (Goal). 2 Relational process Relational process is a process of being.It can be divided into two modes: attributive relation and identifying relation. The first means what properties an object possesses or what category it can be put into. And the other means that an entity and another is uniform. It is used widely in describing people and objects . Look at the following table: TABLE 5 Attributive The dream of our founders is alive. Our challenges may be new. Identifying America is a friend of each nation. A friend of each nation is America. America is a place where all things are possible. A place where all things are possible is America.Relational process, as a process of being, is appropriate to explain the complex relationships between some abstract items because it sounds definite. As a result, the process accounts for a large proportion in these addresses to elaborate the relationship between traditional ideals and their beliefs. Such an elaboration can reach the President? s aim of making the reasoning naturally and unconsciously accepted and making the required sacrifice in the speech willingly taken by the audience. (Cheng Yumin, 2007) 3 Mental process Mental process is a process of feeling, thinking and seeing.Actor is not the real subject of doing, but the feeling. It represents inner experience, such as â€Å"per ception†, â€Å"reaction† and â€Å"cognition†. We call the two participants are Senser and phenomenon. For example, (1) In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we (Senser) understand (Mental Process) that greatness is never a given. (2) As we (Senser) consider (Mental Process) the road that unfolds before us, we (Senser) remember (Mental Process) with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. 3) And we (Senser) know (Mental Process) the government can't solve every problem. From above examples, we can see that mental process, as a process of sensing, appeals to the audience? s inner heart to connect the political beliefs, ambitions with their expectation, hope in a c lear and emphasized way. In this way, the audience? s emotion of promotion and willingness to devotion is aroused and strengthened. Halliday declared that material, relational and mental processes are three primary ones in langua ge use since the three add up to about 90%.As an inaugural address for a newly elected American President, it must fulfill the traditionally and ritually required functions: to state facts of the domestic or worldwide situations or problems objectively and the relevant policies forcefully, to conduct reasoning related to the relationship between traditional beliefs such as freedom, democracy, justice, equality, principles, union, happiness and American dreams and citizens? participation, responsibilities, sacrifice and the needed reforms in economy, Medicare, or other fields. (Cheng Yumin, 2007) For example, 1) There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage or pay their doctors’ bills or save enough for their c hild’s college education. (2) Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence t hat the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our plan et. The above two sentence are examples of showing the fact that the situation in American is not good. The economic  © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHER JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE TEACHING AND RESEARCH 59 crisis leaded many people lost their jobs. It is hard for them to pay the housing fee, tuitions Medicare and other heavy pays. (3) There’s new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair. (4) So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. These two examples reveal that the government hopes the Americans can join together and rebuild their confidence and believes to defeat all the bad things.B. Modality Analysis Modality refers to a speaker? s attitudes towards or opinion about the truth of a proposition expressed by a sentence. It also extends to their attitude towards the situation or event described by a sentence. 1 Modal verbs Positive Negative TABLE 6 MODAL VERBS (ZHANG GUOLING, 2006) Low politeness Median politeness Can, may, could, might, dare Will, would, should, shall Needn? t, doesn? t/didn? t , +need to, Won? t, wouldn? t, have to shouldn? t, isn? t/wasn? t to High politeness Must, ought to, need, has/had to Mustn? t, oughtn? t to, can? couldn? t, mayn? t, mightn? t, hasn? t/hadn? t to TABLE 7 MODALITY ANALYSIS OF SAMPLE SPEECHES (MODAL VERBS) Total Number Low politeness Median politeness No. % No. % 2057 23 1. 12 23 1. 12 2396 29 1. 12 28 1. 12 Sample Speeches 1 2 High politeness No. % 3 0. 15 9 0. 38 According to the statistics, it is obvious that modal verbs are used to convey the addresser? s attitudes and judgment, with an average of 0. 8% in the whole speeches. The high percentage of the use of modal verbs is appropriate to the speaking since the addresses are delivered in spoken form.Compared wit h other verbs, modal verbs are more easily identified and understood and then accepted because at the time of listening to the speeches, there is no time for the audience to reflect. For Example, (1) †¦because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference. (2) The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. (3) And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices.I need your help. And I will be your president, too. (4) We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do. 2 Tense Tense is the time of a clause.Halliday (1994) points out that primary t ense means past, present or future at the moment of speaking; it is the time relative to â€Å"now†. Sample Speeches 1 NO. Total Numbers 110 % 2 NO. % TABLE 8 TENSE OF SENTENCES Present Simple Perfect 72 8 Simple Past Simple Future 21 10 65. 5 112 7. 2 19. 1 9. 1 71 13 12 14 63. 4 11. 6 10. 7 12. 5 On the basis of the statistics of tenses, we can see that the tense of simple present is most frequently used in the speeches, the average percentage being 64. 45%. Simple past ranks second with an average percentage of 14. 9% and is followed by simple future with an average percentage of 10. %. The use of present perfect is slightly less than simple future and ranks the fourth. It is natural that simple present tense ranks wi th top priority since the addresses are to present the domestic and world wide situations ranging from political, economic and cultural fields at present. The use  © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHER 260 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE TEACHING AND RESEARCH of the tense facilitates the creation of a close relationship between the president and his audience and the easy identification and acceptation of the validity of the assertions contained in the speaking.Simple future tense is primarily used to show the planned or expected things in the future. The tense helps the president to lay out his or his government? s following reforms or steps taken in his term to foster the buildup of the country and the corresponding change or results of these measures in the futu re. In this way, the government? s objectives are shown and at the same time, the audience? s confidence is built by the prospect of the beauty and prosperity of the future life. It will be a natural result that the American pe ople will follow the government? direction and guidance in the next four years and thus the addresses? goal of seeking support is achieved. Simple past and present perfect tenses are used to refer to the actions or things in the past. Their function lies in that the newly elected presidents usually state the achievements in the founding of the country or in the last term or recall the positive or negative experiences in the past as basis or incentive of his following actions. By this means, his respect for the past is displayed and it can also make his plans reasoning and fully grounded. Cheng Yumin, 2007) 3 Personal Pronouns TABLE 9 PERSONAL PRONOUNS Personal Pronoun First person I (me) We (us) Second person You (you) Third person He (him) She (her) It (it) They (them) Possecive pronoun My (mine) Our(ours) Your(yours) His (his) Her(hers) Its (its) Their (theirs) Obama? s victory speech 35 60 20 4 8 14 8 Obama? s victory speech 12 26 6 1 6 0 11 Sample Speeches Obama? s Inaugural Address 3 85 14 1 0 0 4 Obama? s Inaugural Address 2 69 3 0 0 0 0 From table 9, we can find out that the first person is used most.For example, the use of the first person pronoun â€Å"we† is to shorten the distance between the speaker and the audience, regardless of their disparity in age, social status and professions etc. it may include both the speaker and the listener into the same arena, and thus make the audience feel close to the speaker and his points. C. Textual Analysis The textual function refers to the fact that language has mechanisms to make any stretch of spoken or written discourse into a coherent and unified text and make a living passage different from a random list of sentences.Here, we take Sample 2 as an example. Obama? s inaugural address is the first time for him to give a formal speech as a president and also an optimal time to show himself a qualified president. As a result, to fulfill the aim of convincing the American people and the whole world that he and his team a re capable of leadership, with vigor and with vision, he must illustrate the planned policies, both domestic and foreign, in a formal, convincing and forceful way. It often contains the following information: (Cheng Yumin, 2007) 1) Salutation ) The expression of gratitude and honor 3) A review of the American history and achievement in the past 4) An analysis of the contemporary situation, at home and in the world 5) A displaying and explanation of domestic policies and/or foreign policies of the new government 6) Hopes for the beautiful and prosperous future of the country 7) Resort to God for help and blessing The whole text is coherent, organized, accurate and logical. So it can help to persuade the public to accept and support his policies. Meanwhile, we can find the strong religious content in his speech.Look at the following examples: (1) †¦the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. (2) This i s the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. (3)†¦with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. (4) Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.  © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHER JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE TEACHING AND RESEARCH 261 We know most Western people are godly Christian.These prayers, direct and indirect speeches from Bible and the Christian stories can all help the speaker to win the sympathy and supporting of audience. They make the speech full of charisma. V. CONCLUSION On the basis of the above discussion, we may come to the conclusion. According to Halliday? s Systemic Functional Grammar, we can summarize the features of Barack Obama? s speeches as follow. First, he used more simple words and short sentences instead of difficult ones. His language is easy and colloquial. Thus, it can ea sily shorten the distance between him and the audience .Second, from transitivity analysis, we can see material process, a process of doing, has been used most in his speeches. From this process, Obama showed us what the government has achieved, what they are doing and what they will do. And also we can see t hat with applying transitivity, his speeches are trying to arouse the American people? s confidence toward the president and his government in the following four years. Third, modality refers to a speaker? s attitudes towards or opinion about the truth of a proposition expressed by a sentence.Through the analysis of modality, we can find that Obama made his audience more easily to understand and accept his political speeches by means of modal verbs, tense and first person pronouns. He used simple present tense to present the domestic and world wide situations ranging from political, economic and cultural fields at present. And then depending on simple future tense, he laid out his following reforms and steps taken in his term. In this way, the government? s ob jectives are shown and at the same time, the audience? s confidence is built.Moreover, by using first person pronouns and religious belief , he successfully shortened the distance between him and the audience. So it can help him persuade the public to accept and support his policies. Critical Discourse Analysis can explore the relationships among language, ideology and power. It provides a new idea and method to analyze public addresses. So it is worth for us to pay more attention. REFERENCES Halliday, M. A. K. ( 1979). Linguistic function and literary style: an inquiry into the language of William Golding? s The Inheritors.In Linguistic Studies of Text and Discourse. ed. Jonathan J. Webster. 88-125. Peking: Peking University Press. [2] Van Dijk, (1985). A Handbook of Discourse Analysis London Academic Press Limited. Volumn 4. [3] Cheng Yumin. (2007). An Analysis of Style Features of Inaugural Speec hes Given by American Presidents Based on the Functional Theory of Han Lide. From the thesis of a master. Tai Yuan science University. [4] Dai Weihua, Gao Jun. (2002). A Critical Discourse Analysis: Theory Comment and Examples Analysis. Foreign Language Issue 6. P 85-88. [5] Hu Zhuanglin. (1988).A Course of Linguistics. Peking: Peking University Press. [6] Lin Wei,Yang Yuchen. (2007). English Discourse Analysis. Shanghai:Fu Dan University Press. [7] Luo Li. (2007). A Critical Discourse Analysis of a Political Speech. Science and Education Collection P193-194? [8] Wei Fang. (2005). Language Feature Analysis and Translation Method of Political Speeches. Journal of Peking Printing College Volumn13, issue 4. P75-78. [9] Xiong Li. (2004). A Study of Kennedy? s Writing Style from Words of His Inaugural Speech. Journal of Southwest National University, Issue 6.P 407-410. [10] Xu Xiaoxia. (2008). A Critical Discourse Analysis of Sino-American Political News Report. From the thesis of a mast er. Shan Dong Normal University. [1] Junling Wang was born in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, China in 1963. She received her M. A degree in English language and literature from Foreign Languages Department of Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, China in 1989. Now she is an associate professor in Northwest Normal University. Her research interests include English teaching and translation practice.  © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHER

Friday, September 27, 2019

Water clarity in lakes and reservoirs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Water clarity in lakes and reservoirs - Essay Example The National Resources Defense Council asserts that an increasing number of Americans are open to the elements of tap water contamination at levels over those set by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. According to a survey conducted in 1999 by the Water Quality Association, around sixty percent of adults consider that the quality of water they are drinking affects their health, and about three-quarters have distresses regarding the quality of their household water supply.Contrary to popular belief, crystal clear water is not necessarily the true measure to which all lakes should be compared. It is also not entirely true that lakes with low levels of visibility and transparency are due to pollution or degradation in water. Another common belief is that clearer water is safer to swim in or to drink which is also not entirely true. On the contrary, clear water may likely be just as filled with pathogens, bacteria and other contaminants that could be harmful to human health as cloudy water is generally perceived to be.The water treatment experts at Amway Corporation laid down suggestions regarding the following tests and resources for beneficiaries who would want to know if their drinking water is safe: 1) Look at it. Water should look clear and have no floating particles. 2) Smell it. Water should be free of unpleasant odors. 3) Taste it. Water that tastes unusual should be tested. 4) Contact the local health department to have the water tested if it looks, smells, or tastes unusual. 5) Request a copy of the Consumer Confidence Report from the community water supplier. (Journal of Environmental Health, 2000) This paper covers issues related to water clarity, what it is, how it is measured, what causes clarity problems and how to tackle such problems Literature Review Water clarity can be defined as a measure of the amount of sunlight that passes into the water and reaches the leaves of underwater grasses. Water clarity can be termed as dependant on three factors; proper water chemistry, sufficient and effective filtration, and good circulation. (Pool Chlor, 2006) Water chemistry relates to the alkalinity levels within water. In case these levels are out of balance, the result can be in the form of turbidity. Turbidity is the cloudiness caused in water because of suspended or dissolved material. It can also be said that insufficient chlorine in the water, small, perched algae and bacteria can result in turbid water. (Pool Chlor, 2006) How to Measure Water Clarity Measurement of water clarity is quite helpful in monitoring any changes in water componential balances and enables communication for these changes to concerned persons. One common method to measure water clarity is by the use of a disk, more commonly known as the Secchi disk. A Secchi disk is by far the simplest, standardized instrument used to determine water clarity. "It is an 8-inch (20 centimeter) diameter, black and white disk attached to a dowel rod, PVC pipe, rope or chain. Inch or centimeter intervals are marked on the rod, pipe, rope or chain with permanent ink, paint or clamps. Ideal clarity for aquatic plant production is generally greater than 36-inch visibility" (Porter, 2002) The measurements taken by the use of Secchi disk are likely to be quicker through the use of rod or pipe as against a rope of chain, except when water is very clear, in which case, an extremely long rod or pipe may be required. When measuring water clarity, the date of measurement, the measurement itself and the source of turbidity, usually sediment (brownish muddy color), phytoplankton (greenish color), humic stain (tea color from decaying leaves or plants) or some combination of these, should be recorded for reference purposes. Secchi disk measurements are mainly precise when taken on comparatively still, sunny days, preferably during the middle of the day from a dock or some sort of floating mechanism such as a boat, float tube, air mattress or life preserver. (Porter, 2002)

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Exam Notes - Strategic Management Analysis Essay

Exam Notes - Strategic Management Analysis - Essay Example Better Place wants to introduce effective improvements in the mobility of the electronic vehicles by increasing the capacity of the batteries used in these cars. Better Place aims at creating a comprehensive solution for the issues related to the electronic vehicles which would deliver values for different profiles of drivers. The fundamental concept behind the Better Place’s vision is to re-engineer the electronic cars to create efficient vehicles. Better Place is aimed at making the world a better place to live in by supporting the use of electric vehicles as a means to protect the environment. The uses of the fuel powered vehicles are known to create several health issues and environmental hazards. The increasing concerns of the population of the world towards the environmental issues are driving the need for the companies to create products to support the green capabilities (Wery and Derriennic, 2010, p. 91). These factors majorly influence the success of Better Place as i t is likely to fulfil a much required need in the current industrial scenario. The products of Better Place are aimed at increasing the environmental and economic sustainability of the electric vehicles. Better Place and its stakeholders are interdependent on each other. The governments throughout the globe are majorly interested in decreasing the usage of ICE technologies in the automobiles sector. The government is providing different incentives for pool cars, congestion pricing, parking tolls for encouraging the use of public transportation (Etzion and Struben, 2011, p.47). The stakeholders would majorly influence the functioning and success of Better Place. The social communities supporting the environmental benefit causes are also likely to influence the business of Better place. The customers are getting more concerned about the green movements and the conscious people are adopting the electric vehicles as a way to protect the environment as well as a way to add to their socia l image. The suppliers and manufacturers of the electric vehicles and parts would also be majorly impacting Better Place. Thus, Better Place would be highly affected by the changing government policies, buying patterns of the consumers as well as the investment interests of the investors, all of whom are part of the stakeholder group. Shareholder Mapping Matrix The shareholders are individuals or communities that influence the business through their various activities. The shareholders play a critical role in the success of Better Place. It is likely that many shareholders would be eager to invest in the business considering the innovative approach of the business and the probability of the business generating a high return on the investments (Freeman, 2010, p.71). Also, the shareholders would have an interest in the business considering the environmental viability of the business. In the shareholder mapping matrix, both the interest level and the power level are high for the shareh olders of Better Place.

Avon Products or GE Money America Case Study Term Paper

Avon Products or GE Money America Case Study - Term Paper Example These issues convince the public and economists that the CEO of Avon Products, Sherilyn McCoy and the rest of the organisation may fail to resuscitate the company's dwindling fortunes, despite McCoy's exemplary leadership record at Johnson & Johnson and other pharmaceuticals (Goldsmith and Carter, 10). At the same time, the company's need for change and restructuring is based on the very company's uncertainty. This is because, despite the qualifications and performance track record that McCoy possesses, yet it is true that Sherilyn McCoy lacks experience which is directly related to sales. In the same wavelength, McCoy's unfamiliarity with the Avon Products' business model means that she will have to face a seriously steep learning curve (Goldsmith and Carter, 16). It is also pointed out that Avon Products lacks adequate and proper resources and manpower to make it in a dynamic market that is graced with seasoned companies such as L'Oreal, for competitors. 2. Identifying the Model fo r Change Theory Typified In the Case Study of Choice The model that can best change theory that is likely to help Avon Products' situation is the planned model. Change theory will also readily necessitate the need to take on the use of decision theory. This is because decision theory suggests that people satisfice during decision making, as collective participation during decision making amplifies room for change. According to Rossotti, this recommendation above involves making plans for changes that need to be developed in order to: define measurable goals; outline the strategic factors that are determinants of success; detail the steps that are to be taken in organisational implementation; and outlining the manner in which commitment is to be realised from chief decision makers (Rossotti, 75). In regard to the proposition above, it will be important that Avon Products refocuses its energies and focus on its client base. This proposition is necessitated by the fact that Avon Produc ts is clearly turning away from focusing on market-centred exploits. It is only by following the change theory strategy that Avon Products will be able to effectively use emerging social media and technologies to make operations more customer-centric. This exploit will help the company identify the most valuable strategies such as direct contacts with potential and prospective client. Discussing Factors That Led To the Identification of the Model Chosen There are several factors that qualify the need to choose the change/ decision theory. The most fundamental of these reasons is the manner in which market trends are becoming too pervasive to be ignored in market competition. Particularly, the online social media has become an indispensible tool in for sales and marketing. The number of consumers who are buying cosmetics and perfumes online continues to increase by the day, and Avon Products must not ignore this phenomenon. Avon Products' arch rivals such as L'Oreal, Sephora, Beauty, Mary Kay and Drugstore have already gone to online marketing as a way of netting in a bigger clients' base. Avon Products' successful initiatives of developing e-catalogues and android and iPhone applications are not enough to net clients in social media, and those on tablets and smart phones. This will call for the application of change theory in Avon Products' chain and systems policy of communication.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Good Leader Assessing Hugo Chavez's Presidency using the ideas set Research Paper

The Good Leader Assessing Hugo Chavez's Presidency using the ideas set forth by Joseph Nye in The Power to Lead - Research Paper Example He contends that such an evaluation can be made on the basis of a leader’s ethical conduct, and their effectiveness. However, in the context of Chavez’s leadership, we will restrict the discussion to his effectiveness. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning some of Nye’s other themes, including the distinction between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ power, and his argument that the most successful leaders are able use a combination of the two, deployed according to the situation. His ideas on ‘hard power’ and ‘soft power’ – the latter referring to coercive means, and the former to attraction and persuasion – are well-known2, but in this latest book Nye also develops the concept of ‘smart power’ – that is, the successful and effective combination of both types. In this regard, the most effective leader is the one who is able to understand changing environments, and exploit events and trends to f urther their policies with a variety of techniques. As we will see, Chavez, while more effective in the early years of his presidency, has tended in recent years to use hard power almost to the exclusion of soft power, with diminishing returns in terms of effective rule. The efficacy of his policies is becoming less and less sure, and it is doubtful whether he will be able to face future challenges without having to rely more and more heavily on coercion and force, as his support dwindles. Smilde argued that despite all of this, ‘A clear majority is satisfied with a government they feel works on their behalf’3, but given recent election results, and some disturbing trends in Chavez’s policies, such a proposition is increasingly difficult to support. Chavez can still rely on his political allies to defend his effectiveness as a leader, as was displayed in an article penned by the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States, Bernardo Alvarez Herrera4, which sought t o defend the President’s record, arguing that Chavez’s many critics fail to recognize the efficacy of his social policies. He makes the controversial suggestion that their assertions that Chavez would destroy democracy have been disproven, although that is doubtful, as we will see below. He goes on to list some statistics which seem to prove Chavez’ effectiveness. A 2007 Social Panorama of Latin America report, compiled for the United Nations, found that between 2002 and 2006, poverty in the country had been reduced by 18.4%, and extreme poverty by 12.3% and recognized that the ‘swift pace of progress considerably brightens the prospects for further reductions in poverty’5. Alvarez Herrera further argues that social spending has increased by 314% in real terms in the course of the Chavez presidency, which social programs are ‘both effective and popular’, with an increase in school attendance, and social initiatives so well received that the 2006 presidential opposition candidate pledged to keep them in place in the event of his victory6. Perhaps most strikingly, Alvarez Herrera cited a 2007 Latinobarometro report, based on popular polls which apparently showed that Venezuela was rated as the top country in the region on indicators including equality of opportunity, social security, employment opportunities, and even income distribution. All this would seem to suggest that President Chavez has been an extremely effective leader, able to formulate pertinent and popular policies

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Nurse-to-patient Ratio Staffing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nurse-to-patient Ratio Staffing - Research Paper Example Legally mandated nurse to patient ratios is a controversial topic in healthcare. In this profession, there are state laws that require a certain level of staffing for each particular unit. Hospitals must balance their revenues with expenditures and patients and nurses are affected by these decisions. Mandating ratios is one attempt to ensure that a nurse workload does not exceed the needed level for adequate patient care (Conway, 2008). However, these essential ratios are not without consequences. Ratio advocates argue that fewer staffing levels are appropriate for patient care, better working conditions and higher rates of nurse retention. Those who oppose, claim that ratios will affect hospital budgets and reduce management flexibility in addressing patient’s needs.The paper will research the problem in both sides, having arguments opposed and in support of mandatory ratios. I will use survey data, interviews and original research to support both sides.Nurses have an integra l role in the systems of health care. State-mandated safe-staffing ratios will be important to ensure both patient and nurse safety. Adequate staffing is a way to nurse retention and patient care while lack of staffing can endanger patients and can pull the nurses away from their profession (ANA, 2011). However, staffing can also increase budgets and affect the management flexibility in dealing with patient's problems. Does the nurse to patient staffing ratios affect the hospital performance positively or negatively?

Monday, September 23, 2019

Cargo Aircraft Fire Supression Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cargo Aircraft Fire Supression - Term Paper Example The sensors can wrongly detect dust and other aerosols as smoke particles. Since the aircraft crew has no way to visually verify the presence of a fire, any alarm has to be treated as a real fire. If the aircraft is in flight, the pilots need to discharge on-board extinguishing equipment, declare emergency priority over other traffic, and land the aircraft at the nearest airport. If a false alarm goes off before takeoff, the aircraft must return to the gate and takeoff is delayed until mechanics can solve the problem. These procedures followed to handle the false 'fire alarm' result in considerable loss of time and fuel. Hence current research in this field is geared towards developing systems which are false-alarm-free. Contemporary research activities also explore the use of multiple sensors and computer aided signal analysis and video camera aided fire and smoke indication. Along these lines, the NASA Glenn Research Center has developed a multi-sensor package to read in a wider variety of fire emissions instead of just smoke. The detector looks for higher concentration of combustion gases along with the smoke, thus developing a more diverse file picture for the sensors. These file pictures with varying gas concentrations and smoke particle sizes are then compared by the multi-sensor package against the values that are characteristic of an actual fire. NASA Glenn also uses MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) chemical sensors with this new fire detection concept in response to the significant number of false alarms generated by the current fire detectors used on aircraft. The MEMS sensor system consists of miniaturized carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide sensors, a smoke particle detector, and integrated software. It also has a processor that measures the response of the complete sensor system and signals if there was an actual fire. The resultant syste m is effective in recognizing the presence of fires while screening out false alarms. Tests conducted by NASA indicate the feasibility of the multi-sensor system. Improvements can still be made to the sensors, the packaging and the software interface, the durability and drill effects of the sensors. The system also needs to be compliant with the FAA certification criteria. (i) The B737-200 Freighter uses the Securaplane ST 3000 Fire Detection System which detects fire that originates in the lower cargo compartments of the aircraft. Radio communication links are used instead of wiring between the different limits of the system; this minimizes the quantity of wiring required, decreases the system weight and increases reliability. The system has nine smoke detectors (four in the forward cargo and five in the aft cargo compartments) mounted in the ceiling of each lower cargo compartment, one central control unit (CCU) located in the aft wall of the forward cargo compartment with a configuration module (CM), one control display unit (CDU) on P-5 overhead panel, two circuit breakers at P-18 panel and associated wiring. The System satisfies the FAA required Class "D" to Class "E" cargo conversion. The System can detect smoke anywhere within any cargo compartment within one minute at at-least two SDU locations. (ii) Fire extinguishing systems: The US Patent

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Pob Sba Guide for Description of Business Essay Example for Free

Pob Sba Guide for Description of Business Essay Main Objective of doing this SBA To give you an opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the study of Principles of Business. 1. 2. How will this be done? The objective will be fulfilled through the examination of a designated business/firm. The data collection instruments will be the questionnaire and the interview. The information gathered will then be analysed and evaluated, with the aim of drawing specific conclusions about the firm. Our staff consists of twenty employees four of who are supervisors of the factory and three administrative staff responsible for accounting, billing and wages. A Production Manager is in charge of all production processes and the supervisors report to him. There is a Quality Control Supervisor who reports directly to the partners. An Inventory Manager is in charge of receiving, storage and issuance of raw materials as well as receipt, storage and distribution of the finished products with a staff of three assistants to help him. The functional areas of the business will include Purchasing/Logistics, Inventory Management, Production, Distribution and

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Problems Of Indiscipline In Rivers

The Problems Of Indiscipline In Rivers Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate The Problems of Indiscipline in Secondary Schools in Abua/Odual Local Government Area. One hundred teachers constituted the study sample. Questionnaire was administered to teachers to obtain data for five research questions. The statistical tool used to analyse the raw data was percentage method. The results showed that lack of corporal punishment, irregular payment of teachers salaries, poor administration constitutes the major problems to indiscipline in schools. In this regard, it was suggested that corporal punishment should be introduced in schools; also, more and adequate incentives should be provided to the teachers. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Education in any perspective finds its usefulness in the areas of moral, intellectual, social and spiritual development of the child. This development to a great extent is a function of the quality of the educational system, which is partly measured on the basis of students discipline. Discipline constitutes one of the fundamental, critical and challenging functions of the teacher. Mostly, when viewed from the fact that students whom they manage their affairs are drawn from different home background, accommodates the influence of peer groups and thus, were bound to exhibit different patterns of behaviour that may not conform with the instructional standard of the school. Discipline is an aspect of school function which if not well maintained can render the school system ineffective. School discipline as a matter of fact is seen as a vital element in the process by which students are enabled to function in the society. The general idea underlying this fact is that if the school is situated in the society and it is hoped that the products of these schools will be absorbed into the society, the students must therefore be made to develop rule-following and law, adding habits so that they conform to the general social expectations of the main culture absorbing its basic attitudes and beliefs, Sieber and wilder (1997:70) point out that a society without rules is inconceivable, and rules without attitude of disapproval towards them are inconceivable. In the English Elementary School, obedience was enforced mildly without any military goal in mind and in that discipline was seen essentially as a process of obedient training for society at large. On the other hand, thinking of discipline in terms of training for society, Docking (1990:4) says it may encourage a schooling for subordination where teachers use their disciplinary authority to satisfy some unfulfilled need within themselves so that they are to view children as a means rather than as ends. The promotion or maintenance of effective discipline is essential if organised group action is to be effective or productive whether the group is a club, society, a union, a company, a business or industrial concern or a nation. The word discipline connotes that the members or a group should reasonably conform to the rules and regulations, which is the code of behaviour which have been formed for it or by it, so that every one may benefit by them. Peoples morale or industrial peace are definitely proper by maintenance of discipline if the members of a group do not abide by the rules of the organisation, it may collapse. Chaos, confusion, disobedience, disloyalty and antisocial or anti-organisational activities develop to the detriment of every one. In the word of Spriegel (1997:34) discipline is the force that prompts an individual or a group to observe the rules, regulations which are seemed to be necessary to the attainment of an objective. It is a factor, which restrains an indivi dual from doing certain things, which are deemed to be disruptive for the group objectives. It is also the exercise of restraint or the enforcement of penalties for the violation of group regulations. Thus, discipline can be said as an attitude of the mind, a product of culture and a particular environment which promotes an individual to willingly co-operate in the observance of the rules of the organizational to which he belongs. School discipline is often seen as an important ingredient in the process by which children are enabled to function in the society because living in the society entails living in association with certain agreed rules, which govern ones behaviour. Thus, keeping order in the school is a multi-faced problem associated with range of interacting factors, such as the child himself, home and neighbourhood influence, changing societal values and expectations, the school and its natural environment, and the individual teacher. The problem of indiscipline is more apparent among secondary school students all over the world. Indiscipline among them has attracted serious attention of scholars and administrators. These scholars and administrators attributes to their state of development. They opine that when students notice certain biological changes signalling maturity in the course of the growth and development, they tend to misbehave by faulting school rules and regulations Mukhargee (1995:17). Indiscipline is a mode of life not in conformity with rules and non-subjected to control. By extension, the term connotes the violation of school rules and regulations capable of obstructing the smooth and orderly, functioning of the school system Adeyemo (1995:22). School rules and regulations in most cases affect students more than any other thing because they are made by the school authorities in order to guide and protect the students while in school. Statement of the Problem In the teaching and learning process certain identifiable problems of indiscipline militate against its success and achievements. That means for effective teaching and learning to take place there must be discipline in order to make reasonable achievements. In spite of the effort so far made by the government for the past eight years to curb indiscipline in our secondary schools, delinquency, truancy, disobedience, absenteeism, etc. are some of the problems of teaching and learning in our secondary schools in Abua/Odual Local Government Area. This study is therefore interested in addressing the problems of indiscipline so that teaching and learning will improve in our schools. Purpose of the Study The general purpose of this study includes the following: (a) Determine the factors underlying the problem of maintaining effective discipline in secondary schools. (b) Ascertain the effects of such factors on academic performance. (c) Make recommendation on the areas that would solve these problems. Research Questions The study shall be guided by the following research questions: What factors are responsible for school indiscipline? What are the effects of such factors on students academic performance? What are the strategies adopted by teachers to prevent classroom indiscipline? Does the rate of indiscipline among secondary school students increase or decrease for the past three years? Are girls more receptive to instruction than boys in secondary schools? Significance of the Study The importance of this study includes the following: (1) To provide information for government and school administrators about the solution to the problems of school indiscipline. (2) To provide relevant data about the causes of indiscipline from teachers perspective. (3) To make recommendations and suggestions that possibly could help solve the problem of indiscipline. Scope of the Study The study focus on school indiscipline from twenty-two (22) selected secondary schools in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State. Definition of Terms For the purpose of this study, the following terminologies shall be defined thus: Student: A person who is studying in a school, especially a secondary school. Secondary School: This is a school for young people between the age of 11 and 16. Regulation: This is an official rule made by authority. Discipline: This is the practice of training people to obey rules and regulations. Indiscipline: This is lack of discipline, control in the behaviour of a group of people. CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE The chapter can be reviewed under the following headings. 2.1. Students discipline in Nigeria schools 2.2 Imperative of indiscipline in secondary schools 2.3. Causes of indiscipline 2.4 School indiscipline and academic achievement 2.5 School rules and regulations on student discipline 2.6 The concept of in loco-parentis and its relationship to students discipline 2.7 Student discipline and classroom management 2.8 Strategies of curbing indiscipline 2.9 Summary of the literature reviewed 2.1 Students Discipline in Nigeria Schools According to Matsoga (2003:54) violence and misbehaviour exist in Nigeria schools. This lack of discipline which interferes with the teaching and learning process, manifests itself in various ways including bullying, vandalism, alcohol and substance abuse, truancy, inability or unwillingness to do homework etc. Moswele (2004:146) and Matsoga (2003:53). Vandalizing school property is at rampart and this has influenced the government to introduce school fees in order to mend, that which was broken such as window, panes, furniture and walls. Theft is also common. For instance, in 2003 students in one senior secondary school broke into a biology laboratory to steal ethanol Banda (2004:16) some of these students lost their lives and others lost their sight. In another senior secondary school, 19-year-old boy committed suicide after fighting with another student over a borrowed plate Maleka (2003:162). These horrible acts left the nation speechless, not knowing where such behaviour originates. These incidents sprang the debate on the use of corporal punishment in schools which concluded that Nigeria cannot do away with it, but it has to be used guardedly Maleka (2003:162) and Keorang (2004:51). Experience had it that, teachers may ask for transfers; while parents withdraw their children from schools with numerous cases of student misconduct such as the one mentioned above. 2.2 Imperative of indiscipline in secondary schools Discipline in these schools is now passing through an eclipse. The problem of indiscipline is found everywhere, therefore, students do no longer believe in hard work as the only honourable path to success. Slangs connoting examination malpractice like choke exhibit, dagbo, omokirikiri and the like are common during examination time and they are expressed in such free but shameful that one somehow think that it does not mean anything. Children of the high and low, big and small, powerful and the downtrodden are involved in varying degrees. At this juncture, it would be worthwhile to highlight some of the prevalent cases and acts of indiscipline amongst secondary school students. 1. Cultism Cultism has suddenly become the giant monster that has swallowed up our ethics and morals; any student who fails to belong is quickly packed off the stage by either being intimidated out of school or killed. Many have been forced to join counter cultist group, which often produced fatal consequences. Section 329 (1) of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria defines cultism (secret cult) as an association that uses secret signs, oaths, rites or symbols and which is formed to promote a cause, the purpose or part of the purpose which is to foster the interest of its members and to aid one another under any circumstance without the regard to merit, fair or justice to the demerit of those who are not members. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦who members are sworn to observe oaths of secrecyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 2. Indecent Dressing Near naked and other forms of nudity is the order of the day in our schools. Kpakol (2004:62) argues that peer pressure, self-indulgence, and dress to kill-the deliberate habit of putting on seductive clothes to attract those of the opposite gender sexually or throw off balance emotionally. In this connection Bellow, (1993:3) states that school discipline is the training which produces in children self-restraint, orderliness, good conduct, operation and the habit of getting the best out of themselves. It involves intellectual and moral education as opposed to mere order and instruction. 3. Curriculum content Any society whose educational system is careless about the need of the society is doomed. It thus, not enough to have a curriculum. It is most important that the curriculum relates and adequately takes care of the entire societal aspiration. Our curriculum today is greatly deficient in moral education as contained in the curriculum is shabby and neglected. In some schools, it is not even taught. The subjects of History, Civic and Nature study and so on that immediately inculcates the ideal nation building to the youth are abolished social studies and integrated science that is fashioned in their stead has proved to be incapable in content and practice. 4. Parental Training Charity it is said begins from home. A parent who is not firm with his children and lets them go the bad is not kind to them. Parents do not often consider the future welfare and success of their children as of great importance. Firmness is not shown by constant scolding, beating and fussing, this is to many educators indicates weakness. In addition, some parents are always quarrelling and fighting. This definitely makes the students not to have affection and develop negative attitude to life. In school, that student may be and always picking quarrel with his peer because this is what he grew up with. 2.3 Causes of Indiscipline Indiscipline as we have noted elsewhere is not a new phenomenon. It has engaged the attention of many writers and authors at different levels. Causes of indiscipline in secondary schools are numerous. They include school society, wrong ideals, idleness, lack of good leadership, injustice, lack of realistic rules, bad home training and upbringing, etc. Okoroma (2000:1109) and Nwankwo (1991:67) note that the causes and symptoms of indiscipline are many and vary from school to school and from place to place. In their view, some symptoms of indiscipline include general unrest and deliberate breaches of school rules, peaceful and violent demonstration, mass disobedience, truancy, delinquency, absenteeism, drug use and abuse, as well as drunkenness. Shakaran (1997:47) and Nwankwo (1991:67) have identified the causes of indiscipline in secondary schools in Nigeria to include authoritarian methods, bad staff behaviour, harsh school rules, poor communication, results, lack of adequate school facilities, influence of home and society. In this paper, we however, proffer a multi-dimensional approach to this burning issue of indiscipline in our secondary schools; hence our consideration of the causes of indiscipline will be multi-dimensional. 1. Social Influence There has become a sudden shift from merit to lack lustre. Achievements are no longer measured by commitment and capability but influence and material wealth who you know than what you are measured up in terms of merit, is what determines promotion. Thus, a student need not burn the night candle. 2. Corruption This is the oldest son of indiscipline. This son has grown up that it often stands shoulder to shoulder with its father indiscipline. What permeates all the stretch of our society today is how to make it quickly. Public finance meant for welfare programmes that would have stemmed the aid of mal-behaviour in our youths and adolescents gets diverted to redundant programmes or private pockets. To such extent, there is no motivation in those who should be seen to be disciplined. With empty stomach, ragged dressing, hopeless accommodation, intolerable health, there is no way a person can resist temptation. 3. Rural-urban Drift Closely related to the issue of government policy and corruption is the issue of rural-urban drift. A writer once said that everyone is a village by root. The rate, at which our youths and adolescents migrate from the serene, quiet and less atrocious life in the village to the noisy, burdensome, busy and unnecessarily over populated cities, is alarming. One identified reason for this as outright lack of basic facilities and infrastructure in our villages. Where there is any, it is often in a state of despair so grossly inadequate that no youth would see his mate coming home from the city without being tempted to taste the city. This sudden transformation from the village to city life is bound to produce unpalatable consequences. This explains why secondary school students are engaged in crimes nowadays either to be able to sustain the tempo of life in the city or in preparation to get to the city. 2.4 School Indiscipline and Academic Achievement In classroom teaching, discipline implies the control of a class to achieve desirable behaviour. The concept of school discipline and school rewards has the similar objectives of assisting students to make maximum achievement in their academic pursuits. According to Nwankwo (1991:67) discipline behaviour involves characteristics such as self-sacrifice, diligence, co-operation, integrity, consideration and sympathy for others as well as the fear of God. He goes on to say that discipline is a system of guiding the individual to make reasonable and responsible decisions. In classroom teaching, discipline means the control of a class to achieve desirable behaviour. Discipline involves self-control; a disciplined person knows and takes the right course of action. He is guided not simply by self-interest, but also by consideration of interest of others. A disciplined individual is also guided in his behaviour by moral and social principles. Factors of indiscipline that lead to low academic achievement are common with student from socio-economic status families Alumode (2002:84). This is because teachers are often prejudiced against youth from low socio-economic status families and show preferential treatment to students from high socio-economic status families Manster (2001:297). Another reason is that peer influences on low socio-economic students are often antisocial and delinquency prone, emphasizing early marriage for the girls and gang activities for the boys Conger (1993:13). Blodsoe (2005:28) believes that the quality of interaction among members of the adolescents family influence the degree of discipline and success in school work. According to him, the studies of the family relationship of bright, high-achieving students versus under-achieving high school students shows that the high achievers more often than under-achievers describe their parents as typically sharing vacation and ideas as understanding, appro ving, trusting, affection etc. encouraging (but not pressuring) with respect to achievement and over restrictive or severe in discipline. 2.5 School Rules and Regulation on Discipline The Education Act of 1999 has documented some rules and regulations that govern student discipline in Nigeria schools. It stipulates methods and procedure for minor and severe disciplinary measures such as corporal punishment, suspension and student expulsion. Rules and regulations are drawn for the orderly conduct of the school affairs. Some of them are written and others are implied and they recognised by law. Addressing the issue of rules and regulations Nwangwu (2009:142) state that: The Schools Board and individual school authorities have the right to make any reasonable rules and regulations for the orderly conduct of school affairs in the interest of the entire school and school system. The fundamental point raised above is that those provisions are made by relevant authorized bodies to direct and spell out the relationship between teachers, student and school authorities. The responsibility is therefore on every member of the school system to respect and obey the rules, as any breach must be followed by the application of appropriate disciplinary measures. The courts of law shall always put into consideration the reasonableness and constitutional right of the school rules and regulations. Rules that encroached on a constitutional right of students will invariably be invalidated by courts. 2.6 The Concept of in Loco-Parentis and its Relationship to Students Discipline In educational circle, the special relationship which exists between students and the schoolteacher regarding discipline is termed in loco-parentis. It is assumed that the teacher in performing certain roles especially as it relate to control of parental jurisdiction. According to Remmlein and Wane in Igwe (1998:82) in loco-parentis means in place of the parent, charged with some of the parents right, duties and responsibilities. The implication is that schoolteachers or authorities stand in place of parents in respect to students education and discipline. By this it is expected that teacher have the invariably contracted with parents to perform some of the duties and functions of the latter. The teacher is therefore expected to act reasonably in this capacity. In present, the teachers acting in loco-parent is to discipline an erring student, and should ensure that the punishment was done reasonably and in good faith in order to avoid costly and embarrassing court cases. The teacher should act within the limit of this principle, because according to Eferakaya (1998:17), school officials who perpetuate acts of indiscipline can no longer be protected by the in loco parentis doctrines the courts are quite convinced that the school is incapable of assuming full parental responsibilities. 2.7 Students Indiscipline and Classroom Management The International Dictionary of Education formally defines discipline as a term to describe teacher classroom control or general restraint of pupils behaviour Lingworth (2004:18) argues that coercion can never be a method of educating in the sense that where teachers tend to interpret control of threats thereby forcing students to learn what he has taught them is far behind the truth. Another interesting aspect of discipline and administrative control is the use of scientific procedures known as behaviour modification based on the learning theory developed by Skinner who advocates some technique and positive reinforcement such as using rewards to bring about and maintain desired behaviour combined with extinction behaviour i.e. weakening undesired behaviour by ignoring it or by otherwise removing its reward consequences. However, the work of Lauwerys (1999:42) is discovered to be in contrast with the scientific procedures of behaviour modification and psychodrama work of Piaget. His work on classroom management focuses attention on the teachers public demonstration that he knows what is going on, his ability to facilitate smooth transaction from one activity to another and handle movement and type of demand he makes from pupil. There is bound to be conflict when administration in school is taken to be rigid and regimentation, where students have to fear administrations rather than respect them. Fagbula (2002:80) in his work concludes that teachers rather than settle their minor matters take them to the school administrators create a problem to administrative control of schools. Bad administrative control can hinder effective discipline tone in the school. These can take the form of giving bad and inadequate food to students, ineffective teaching, bad staff behaviour, authoritarian methods of administ ration, high school rules, arrogant attitude of the school prefects, unsatisfactory curricula, poor examination results, poor communication between administrators and school pupils. 2.8 Strategies for Curbing Indiscipline It is imperative to ensure that the best behaviours and conditions are inculcates, established and maintained for effective learning to take place in our secondary schools. This can be realised if we accept that the teacher has the power to impose discipline by using some sort of power over this students. However, this is only possible to a little extent, for it to have meaningful impact it must also take into account the psychological needs and development level of the student. A well-managed school begins with thorough advance planning by the school head and the teachers. Accordingly, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation should be used, positive and negative motivation, provision and satisfaction of students need the teacher having adequate knowledge of the subject, teaching students how to learn and making them to use their time effectively. The school environment should be busy, and an active place in which the students and teachers know that they are on the same side working together to achieve something worthwhile. Such an environment is likely to establish mutual respect, and a mild reproof or expression of disappointment on the part of the teacher will enhance discipline. Cleanliness and tidiness of surrounding, not being excessively noisy or disruptive when others are working, taking care of communal property, and punctuality exhibition of normal courtesies expected by the society to be observed. The rules can be established by quite persistence and good example by the teacher. In essence, good discipline enables the sort of psychological need proposed by Maslow and others to be satisfied. This is because most disciplinary cases are as a result of unfulfilled basic needs. The teacher should look carefully at each level including the most basic psychological one of nutrition and ventilation. 2.9 Summary of the Reviewed Literature The chapter examined the concept of indiscipline as it derived from the word discipline. Discipline here means a mode of life in accordance with rules, subjected to control. Therefore, indiscipline means lack of control in the behaviour of a group of people. Relating the above to the school environment, indiscipline could be referred to as inability of a person to live in accordance with school rules and regulation; it is the breaking of rules and regulations of institution. Imperative and causes of indiscipline were discussed from the multi-dimensional perspective, which include cultism, indecent dressing, curriculum content, parental training, societal influence, corruption and rural-urban drift. Again, school indiscipline and academic achievement, which implies the control of a class to achieve desired behaviour was discussed. The chapter also examined school rules and regulations on discipline, which are drawn up to regulate school activities for the orderly conduct of the school affairs. The concept of in loco-parentis and its relationship to student discipline, which is the special relationship that exist between students and the school teacher regarding discipline, because the teacher is expected to stand in place of the parent in respect to students education and discipline. Finally, strategies of curbing indiscipline which include pedagogical, social and psychological techniques of curbing indiscipline in secondary school were proffered. CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the research methodology to be adopted for the study. It is organised under the following heading: Research Design, Population of the Study, Sample and Sampling Technique, Instrumentation, Validity of the Instrument, Administration of the Instrument, and Data Analysis Technique. 3.1 Research Design The research design adopted for this study is the descriptive survey research design, which is concerned with condition or relationships that exist and practices that prevail. Specifically, it is concerned with identified the problems of indiscipline in secondary schools in Abua/Odual Local Government Area. 3.2 Population of the Study The population of this study is 440 persons, who are teachers in the twenty-two (22) secondary schools in Abua/Odual Local Government Area. 3.3 Sample and Sampling Techniques A stratified random sampling technique was used for the study. Out of twenty-two (22) secondary schools in Abua/Odual Local Government Area, ten (10) were sampled out through the ballot system; this represents 46% of secondary schools in Abua/Odual Local Government. In each school, ten (10) teachers were randomly selected to give 100 teachers, which represent 52% of the total number of teachers in Abua/Odual Local Government Area. Thus, the sample for this study is made up of 100 respondents. 3.4 Development of Research Instrument The instrument for this study is questionnaire titled Questionnaire for Teachers on indiscipline problems (QTIP). It was developed for this study and addressed to various respondents with structured questions developed based on the objectives of the study and the literature reviewed. The instrument is divided into two (2) sections (A and B). Section A deals with the personal data of the respondents; section B sought responses to items on factors, which militate against the effective maintenance of discipline in secondary schools. The questionnaire adopted the 4-point Likert summated rating scale with values: Strongly Agree (SA) = 4; Agree (A) = 3; Disagree (D) = 2; and Strongly Disagree (SD) = 1. 3.5 Validity of the Instrument The instrument was given to the supervisor and senior lecturers in the department who are experts in educational management to examine and make corrections. They scrutinize item by item and decide its validity to elicit the necessary information needed to provide adequate answers to the research questions. The final draft of instrument was designed to reflect corrections of the experts in the department. Also the researcher ensured that the five interested research problem areas, which militate against the effective maintenance of discipline in secondary schools to ensure that it is adequate enough to measure, what is supposed to measure and ensuring that the desirable result is achieved. 3.6 Administration of the Instrument The instrument for this study was administered personally by the researcher. The completed copies were retrieved on the spot while the others were retrieved later. 3.7 Data Analysis Technique The responses was based on the 4-point Likert summated rating scale will be analysed and presented in table by means of percentages. A decision on the research questions was made to arrive at by dividing frequency of occurrence by the total number of respondents and multiplied the product by 100, that is: Frequency of occurrence x 100 Number of respondents 1 CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA In this chapter the data collected is presented and analysed as follows: Research question one: What factors are responsible for school indiscipline? Note: the following was used to analyze the work. Strongly Agree (SA) = 4 Agree (A) = 3 Disagree (D) = 2 Strongly Disagree (SD) = 1 Table 4.1 Factors of school indiscipline S/NO