The Stages in the Process of Writing a Good Essay Essay Example for Free

The Stages in the Process of Writing a Good Essay Essay The process should be done step by step alternately. Firstly, you have to think about the topic and idea. Then you must analyze and identify the topic that you have chosen, and you need to get some keywords. The next step is you have to look for the information about the topic. There are many ways to search it, such as book, journal, the internet, newspaper, library, and so on. Then, you analyze the data or arguments from those sources that you have got, and you need to take some notes. If all of information is completed, you must organize it and write a plan about every step that you will write in the essay. Besides that, you need to make an outline for the essay as well. Then you can begin to write the essay. The important thing that you have to remember when you write the essay is you must be constant with the main idea and make your writing get fluent. So, you need to use linking words and must not forget to organize your paragraph. The paragraph consists of three parts, those are introduction, body, and conclusion. You must write it in the correct order. After finishing the essay, you have to read it again and check every paragraph about the fluency. You also need to check your grammar that you use. Finally, if you have checked all of them and you feel satisfied with your essay, you need to submit it.

The delft network in the netherlands

The delft network in the netherlands 1 About the Delft network Delft is a city located in the Netherlands, having a population of 96168. It is spread over an area of 24 sq.km. (Wikipedia 2009a). The Delft University of Technology is the largest technical university in the Netherlands, with over 15,000 students (Wikipedia 2009b). Due to the significant student population, cycling is an important mode of transport. Delft is bound by freeways on all sides, except the southern, which is delimited by a highway. The hierarchy of roads in Delft is freeways, highways, main roads, and local roads. The railway line cuts across the city, running in the north-south direction from the centre of the city. A main road and a highway are the main linkages between the two freeways on the either side of the railway line. 2 Transport Problem in Delft The railway line passing through Delft is a component of one of the principal railway connections in the Netherlands, connecting Rotterdam and The Hague. The existing 2-track railway line is insufficient, and it has been planned to be upgraded to a 4-track line. However, due to lack of space to build another viaduct, and environmental problems caused by the railway line, it has been proposed to rebuild the railway line in a tunnel. 2020 is envisaged to be a typical year while the construction is in operation. Thus, Links 10486, 9873, and 9827 will be blocked for all traffic. Due to the detours which would result due to the blocked links, cyclists and cars would have to deal with increased travel times. It is anticipated that Mercuriusweg/Abtwoudse Pad or the Ruys de Berenbrouckstraat links would be used in lieu of the blocked links (Chen 2009). 3 Description of Current scenario and Alternate Scenarios 3.1 Description of the Current Situation 2003 Zones 1-7 are the external zones, whereas the rest of the zones are considered as the internal zones. The internal zones are the primary areas of concern. It has also been given that in 2003, zones 23, 24, and 25 are still under development and there is no travel demand from and to these zones (Chen 2009). 3.2 Description of the Zero-Alternative Situation 2020 By 2020, zones 24 and 25 will have been completely developed. However, Zone 23 would still not have been developed. Infrastructure has been upgraded accordingly to connect zones 24 and 25 with the rest of the city. Zone 12 remains the highest trip generating and trip attracting internal zone, as does Zone 1 amongst the external zones. 3.3 Description of Future Situation during Construction 2020 Considering the future scenario for the city of Delft in 2020 during the expansion of the rail line from 2-track to 4-track, it shall be assumed that this project will be in progress and 2020 will be a typical year. It has been given that during the expansion, Links 10486, 9873, and 9827 will be blocked (Chen 2009). The trip generation remains the same as for the zero-alternate scenario for 2020. 4 Modelling for Current Situation 2003 4.1 Trip Generation For performing the trip generation modelling function, the Zonal-based Multiple Regression model has been employed. It takes into account the linear relationships of the socio-economic characteristics of the households in the zones, which affects the trips produced and attracted for each zone (Ortà ºzar and Willumsen 1999). The following functions have been used for the trip generating model in the case of internal zones: Pi = 0.3RESIDENTSi + 0.06JOBSi + 0.03RESEARCHi + 0.03EDUCATIONi Ai = 0.05RESIDENTSi + 0.75JOBSi + 0.3RESEARCHi + 0.3EDUCATIONi Where Pi = production of zone i, Ai = attraction of zone i, RESIDENTSi = number of residents in zone i, JOBSi = number of jobs in zone i, RESEARCHi = research facility space in zone i, EDUCATIONi = amount of educational services offered in zone i. Source: Chen 2009 For the case of external zones, the numbers of trips generated and attracted have been assessed based on the traffic volume counts. These are as indicated in Appendix 1. For the internal zones, it can be seen that the variable of the number of residents living in each zone is the most dominant one affecting the number of trips produced. The variables which are most dominant for trip attraction are number of jobs, and the research facility space in that particular zone respectively. Appendix 2 indicates the trip generation for 2003, including both the internal as well as the external zones. 2003 histogram.JPGFigure 4-1: Productions and Attractions for the Current Scenario 2003 It can be seen from the Appendix 2 and figure 4-1, Zone 12 is the largest trip generator and attracting external zone. Zone 1 is the highest trip generating and attracting internal zone. 4.2 Trip Distribution and Modal Split The Gravity Model has been employed to generate the trip distribution model. This model is a type of Synthetic Model as â€Å"it estimates trips for each cell in the matrix without directly using the observed trip pattern† (Ortà ºzar and Willumsen 1999 p.159). There are three variants for the Gravity Model function, namely: Exponential Function: f(cij) = exp (-ßcij) Power Function: f(cij) = cij-n Combined Function: cnij exp(-ßcij) Singly constrained versions, in this case destination-constrained, can be produced by making Ai equal to 1, i.e. Ai = 1 and Bj= 1/?iDif(cij) The Combined Function variation of the Gravity Model is the most superior one, as it is the best fit with the actual observed values for trip length distributions of cars (Ortà ºzar and Willumsen 1999). OmniTRANS performs simultaneous modal split, for which the gravity model can be extended to the â€Å"simultaneous gravity model† which is given by: Tijv=p.Qi.Xj.Fv(zijv) Where Tijv= Number of trips from zone I to j via mode v p= Scaling factor Xj= Column Balancing Factor Fv(zijv)= Distribution function taking into account the willingness to travel by mode v given impedance z Appendix 4 indicates the traffic distribution of cars in Delft. 44566 cars have been distributed. As can be seen in Appendix 5, 8635 cyclists have been distributed the entire network of Delft. The modal split indicates that 83.77 percent of the traffic is constituted by cars and 16.23 percent by bicycles. The trip length distribution function for cars can be seen in figure 4-2. This indicates the willingness to travel to a certain distance without any impendence, such as congestion. Hence, in this case the maximum uncongested distance travelled is 10 km. Similarly, figure 4-3 indicates the trip length distribution for bicycles, which experiences its peak at 3 km. The trip time distributions for cars and bicycles have been indicated in Figure 4-4 and Figure 4-5 respectively. These functions, too, follow a similar pattern as that of the Trip Length Distribution. In the case of cars and bicycles, both, the peak is of 12 minutes. The mean trip distance for bicycles is 3.14 km and the mean trip time is 14.22 minutes. Similarly, for cars, the mean distance is 7.59 km and time is 11.12 minutes. Intra-zonal car trips constitute only about 0.57 percent of the total number of trips made by cars, and those made by bicycles constitute about 16.55 percent of the total number of bicycle trips. 4.3 Traffic Assignment 4.3.1.1 Assignment for Cars The General Equilibrium technique of traffic assignment has been used for cars. The condition as given by Wardrop is that â€Å"Under equilibrium conditions, traffic arranges itself in congested networks in such a way that no individual trip maker can reduce his path costs by switching routes† (Ortà ºzar and Willumsen 1999 p.303). Under this traffic assignment model, costs are all perceived in the same way by the trip makers, and hence Stochastic effects are not considered. The following links have the largest traffic flow (for a single direction) of about 7064 cars assigned: 10972, 10973, 11289, 11427, 11428, and 11477. Figure 4-6 represents the traffic assignment for cars in 2003. The colours of the bands, in the graph, indicate the V/C Ratio and the width indicates the traffic load. It reflects that the main road, the east and west freeways crossing the railway are suffering from V/C ratios greater than 1, which requires attention. 4.3.1.2 Assignment for Bicycles The Stochastic Method has been employed for the traffic assignment model for bicycles. This method is superior to the All-Or-Nothing Method, as it takes into account the diversity in the road users perceptions of distance, travel time, generalised costs; and thus considers alternate routes to the best-route choice, given by the All-Or-Nothing technique. This is a suitable model for the traffic assignment of bicycles as this technique does not take into account the congestion effects, which is not calculable since capacities for bicycles are not specified. Link 10850 has been assigned the maximum number of bicycle trips for a single direction, which is 941 trips. Figure 4-7 represents the assignment of bicycles in 2003. Most of the trips are confined to the internal zones. 5 Modelling for Future Situation 2020 The modelling stages for the future scenarios of 2020 will remain the same till the Traffic Assignment Stage, which would differ based on the blocked links for the future construction scenario of 2020. 5.1 Trip Generation The Zonal-based Multiple Regression model has been employed. The functions are the same as those for 2003. However, forecasts for the number of residents, jobs, and the research facility space and education building space in 2020 are different from the current year. Also, it has been given that the productions and attractions generated by the external zones is to be assumed to grow by 15 percent from 2020 to 2003 (Chen 2009). The above figure 5-1 illustrates that Zone 1 still remains the highest trip production and attraction external zone; and Zone 12 continues to remain the highest trip producing and attracting internal zone. The same is reflected through Appendix 3. 5.2 Trip Distribution and Modal Split The Gravity Model has been employed for the trip distribution. A total of about 54380 cars have been distributed, and about 10413 bicycles. The modal split for 2020 demonstrates that about 83.5 percent of the trips would be by cars, and the remaining 16.5 percent by bicycles. For cars, the intra-zonal trips constitute about 0.54 percent, whereas for the bicycles, intra-zonal trips constitute about 15.71 percent of the trips. Trip length distribution function (indicated in Figure 5-2 and 5-3) and the trip time distribution functions (indicated in Figure 5-4 and 5-5) have been generated. The maximum uncongested distance remains the same for both cars and bicycles, as in 2003, as also the maximum uncongested time in the case for cars. For bicycles, the maximum time has reduced to 8 minutes. The mean trip distance for bicycles is 3.26 km and the mean time is 14.75 minutes. Similarly, for cars, the mean distance is 7.56 km and time is 11 minutes. 5.3 Traffic Assignment for Zero-Alternative Situation 5.3.1 Traffic Assignment for Cars The General Equilibrium model has been employed. The following links have the maximum numbers of cars assigned, i.e. about 8346 cars, to them for one direction: Links 10972, 10973, 11289, 11427, 11428, 11477, and 11478. Figure 5-6 represents the assignment for cars. The colours of the bands, in the graph, indicate the V/C Ratio and the width indicates the load of traffic. The freeways continue to have high V/C ratios, as well as the main roads crossing the railway. 5.3.2 Traffic Assignment for Bicycles For the traffic assignment modelling for bicycles, the Stochastic Method has been used again. Link 10850 has been assigned the maximum number of bicycle trips (114 trips). Figure 5-7 represents the bicycle assignment. 5.4 Traffic Assignment for Future Construction Situation In the future situation during construction, the decision to upgrade the railways from two tracks to four tracks has been made. This would result in the closing of Links 9827, 9873, and 10486. 5.4.1 Traffic Assignment for Cars It has been calculated that links 11283, 11407, 11463, and 11464 have the maximum load, of 10723 cars in one direction. Figure 5-8 represents the car assignment considering future construction. The cross-railway link south of zone 17 experiences a greater load, whereby there is a reduction in the northern cross-link. 5.4.2 Traffic Assignment for Bicycles The Stochastic model employed for assigning the bicycle traffic that Link 10452 the maximum load, in one direction, of 1446.54 bicycles. Figure 5-9 represents the assignment for bicycles. 6 Analysis 6.1 Trip Generation Amongst the internal zones, which are of primary concern, Zone 12 is the zone which remains the highest trip producing and attracting zone. This is supported by the fact that Zone 12 has the highest number of residents living in it, and the maximum number of jobs existing in this zone. This zone is located at the heart of the city, adjacent to the railway line and the main road connecting the two freeways. All the internal zones have experienced a growth rate for the number of trips generated and produced by about 11 percent. Zone 1 also remains the highest trip producing and attracting external zone. This may be accounted by the fact that Zone 1 is directly connected to Delft by the railway line, and thus could perhaps be an important junction or location. 6.2 Trip Distribution and Modal Split The trip distribution can be reflected through the study of the matrices given in Appendix 4 to 7. For 2003, the maximum number of car trips has been of the nature Internal-to-External, with the most dominant one being from Zone 15 to Zone 1. This has not changed for 2020. For 2003 and 2020, the most dominant character of bicycle trips is Internal-to-Internal, with maximum trips being made within Zone 12. This is as should be expected, since long distance travel by bicycles is not likely to be made except in rare circumstances. The maximum number of bicycle trips may also be attributed to the fact that Zone 12 is the Delft City Centre. The maximum growth (4.8 times) for car trips has been seen for the pair Zone 7-Zone 1, and the maximum for bicycles (0.15 times) has been for the pair Zone 5-Zone 12. On studying the zone-to-zone average travel distance and time, it can be seen from Appendix 8 and 9 that the maximum increase for trip distance has been from zone 7 to 15 (46.86 percent) and maximum increase in time has been for the pair zone 18 to 22 (48.67 percent). The maximum increase (48.78 percent) in cost has been experienced for zone 11 to 22. The modal split indicates a marginal change from 2003 to 2005, whereby there is a decrease from approximately 83.77 to 83.5 percent for cars. Intra-zonal trips made in 2020 have experienced a fall from 2003. This may indicate greater travel distances and time, and thus greater generalized costs in the future. 6.3 Traffic Assignment On comparing the figures indicating the traffic assignments for the three scenarios, it can be seen that the maximum car trips load remains on the freeways defining Delft on the eastern and western sides. The main difference can be seen between the zero-alternative and construction situation for 2020. Due to the blocked links, car traffic has been assigned to the links 1164, 11645, and Westvest-Hooikade particularly have experienced a significant increase, whereas the Westlandseweg links have experienced a decrease in the load of trips. Also, as was expected, there was an increased use of the Ruys-de-Berenbrouckstraat, and Abtwoudse links. However, the Mercuriusweg saw a decrease in the traffic load as compared to the zero-alternative scenario, which goes against as was anticipated. In the case of assigned bicycle trips, due to the blocked links, the Hof-van-Delftlaan link has seen a substantial increase in the traffic load. The share of the railway crossing traffic has been seen to change for all the three scenarios. This has been indicated in figure 6-1. There is a decrease in the share from 2003 to the Zero-Alternative scenario. However, comparing the future construction scenario with the Zero-Alternative, there has been an increase in the share, for both cars and bicycles. 7 Conclusions Zones 1 and 12 being of prime importance, also supported by their connectivity will continue to dominate as the zones attracting and generating the maximum traffic. Since maximum bicycle traffic load is concentrated in Zone 12, measures may be taken to restrict the entry of cars in this area so as to ensure a more safe environment, which would even benefit the households, as the maximum percentage are located in this zone. Increased generalised costs must be taken into account, based on the above analysis. Links which are experiencing greater traffic loads due to construction works have been identified, and relief measures for these should be planned, particularly for the freeways on the eastern and western side of the city. 8 Strengths and Weaknesses of OmniTRANS The strength of OmniTRANS is that it helps in the rapid and accurate transport modeling procedures. Also, the data can be very easily examined on the transport network map, rather than just being confined to tables and numbers, which makes analysis tedious. Also, a number of variables can be studied, which can be further sorted out based on the direction for any particular link. The weaknesses could be cited as only being able to employ the use of the Simultaneous Gravity Model being available for trip distribution stage. Also, only limited types of traffic assignment models can be performed (such as Stochastic, All-or-Nothing, and Equilibrium). Public transport modelling is also not performed by the software (OmniTRANS 2009). References CHEN, H. 2009. Handout: Coursework Description, lecture notes distributed in TRAN5020 Principles of Transport Modelling. University of Leeds, 3 November 2009. OMNITRANS. 2009. Whats New in OT5 [online]. [Accessed on 1st December 2009]. Available from http://www.omnitrans-international.com/resources/brochures/whats%20new%202008.pdf. ORTÚZAR, J. WILLUMSEN, L.G. 1999. Modelling Transport. West Sussex: Wiley. WIKIPEDIA. 2009a. Delft [online]. [Accessed on 10 November 2009]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delft. WIKIPEDIA. 2009b. Delft University of Technology [online]. [Accessed on 10 November 2009]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delft_University_of_Technology.

Differentiating between apperceptive agnosia and associative agnosia

Differentiating between apperceptive agnosia and associative agnosia Ans. According to Campbell, DeJong and Haerer, agnosia refers to the loss or impairment to know or recognize the meaning or import of a sensory stimulus, even though it has been perceived (Campbell et al., 2005, p.91). Numerous types of agnosia has been reported till now, like finger agnosia, visuospatial agnosia, optic agnosia , apperceptive and associative agnosia to name a few. The following essay discusses the last two forms. Apperceptive and associative agnosia was originally distinguished by Lissauer in Andrewes in 2001. Apperceptive agnosia is identified as failure in perception of vision despite intact visual sensation, put forward by Lissauer It is reported that these patients are unable to identify because their perception of objects in impaired in this form of agnosia (Andrewes, 2001). However, in associative agnosia perception remains unaltered but the patient is fails to recognize what the object is (Andrewes, 2001). Associative agnosia can be rightly defined as normal percept stripped of meaning (Teuber, 1968 as cited in Andrewes, 2001, p.50) The two terms, apperceptive and associative agnosia is used in two different ways (Farah, 1990 as cited in Andrewes, 2001) The first way is to do with rare neuropsychological syndromes and closely relating to Lissauers description of agnosia (Andrewes, 2001). The second way of using the terms is much broader and includes numerous neuropsychological signs (Andrewes, 2001). Hence, it can be said, a patient may be described as showing some signs of apperceptive agnosia without actually having all the features of the clinical syndrome (Farah 1990 as cited in Andrewes, 2001, p.50). This can be better understood from the following example. Signs of apperceptive agnosia may coexist with problems in recognizing pictures from atypical views or when it is surrounded by shadows (Warrington Taylor as cited in Andrewes, 2001) in a single patient. Some of the patients may also find it difficult to correctly recognize figures which is in midst of confusing and distracting shapes (Andrewes, 2001). When signs of apperceptive agnosia exist alone in an individual then he is able to recognize the object and corresponds it with its use. For instance, if a patient sees a bucket not only he will recognize it but when it is kept in its usual /normal orientation tell its use as well (Andrewes, 2001).It is often seen that patients showing signs of apperceptive agnosia have an unaffected conceptual knowledge but knowledge of common objects in unusual orientation deters (Andrewes, 2001). Hence, it can be said that top down information about the structural features of the objects are impoverished (Andrewes, 2001, p. 50). Such patients havin g signs of apperceptive agnosia are commonly referred to as apperceptive perceptive disorders. Apperceptive agnosics have better acuity, colour and brightness differentiation skills from the other visual capabilities although their shape perception is markedly impaired (Farah Feinberg, 1997). In fact, they have very good local perception of local visual properties, it is only when they are asked to extract a structure from an image they fail (Farah Feinberg, 1997). Associative agnosics have far better visual perception than apperceptive agnosics (Farah Feinberg, 1997). For example, they are able to recognize an object from its feel or spoken definition, thus implying that the general knowledge of the object is still at place (Farah Feinberg, 1997). It should be noted that associative agnosics fail to recognize an object (by sight) when kept alone (Farah Feinberg, 1997) thus indicating towards that this is not just a naming deficit but failure to recognize an object by nonverbal means (Farah Feinberg, 1997). Associative agnosia varies from person to person. For instance, some associative agnosics may suffer from face recognition, object recognition and printed word recognition problems, face recognition is being the most common and printed word recognition being rare (Farah Feinberg, 1997). The scans (MRI and CAT) of brains of apperceptive and associative agnosics have helped in understanding the localisation of lesion in this disorder (Kemp et al., 2004). Jankowiak Albert (1994) have put forward that in apperceptive agnosia lesions are found to be localized in the posterior cerebral hemisphere including occipital, parietal and posterior temporal regions bilaterally. Unilateral lesion is also found in this agnosia however, the possibility of it is very scarce (Kemp et al., 2004). Furthermore, poisoning by carbon monoxide is a very common cause of apperceptive agnosia (Adler, 1950; Benson Greenberg, 1969; Champion Latto, 1985; Mendez, 1988; Sparr et al., 1991 as cited in Kemp et al., 2004), it is reported that carbon monoxide poisoning results in spread of large number of small lesions known salt and pepper lesions resulting in scotomas all across the visual field (Champion Latto, 1985 as cited in Kemp et al., 2004). It is believed that since apperceptive agnosia res ults from bilateral lesions, its occurrence is much rare. However, it is opined by Jankowiak Albert (1994) that due to the paucity of accurate PET scans and imaging studies confirming the localisation of lesions no concrete conclusion can be drawn at this stage (Kemp et al., 2004). Associative agnosia is an outcome of bilateral posterior lesions (Jankowiak Albert, 1994 as cited in Kemp et al., 2004). The lesions occur in the region of posterior cerebral artery whose function is to supply of blood to visual cortex and temporal lobe (Jankowiak Albert, 1994 as cited in Kemp et al., 2004). It is suggested that lesion size is a decisive factor here, as large lesions will lead to perceptual deficits; additionally, considering the symptoms it is also said that the lesions in associative agnosia might cause damage to the perceptual pathway which links visual information with stored visual memory in posterior hemisphere of either side (Jankowiak Albert, 1994 as cited in Kemp et al., 2004 ). Moreover, occurrence of associative agnosia is more than apperceptive agnosia (Kemp et al., 2004). A very useful and a practical method through which we can distinguish apperceptive and associative agnosia can be testing them on the basis of their ability to copy drawings (Kemp et al, 2004). Rey figure copying test can come very handy here. Apperceptive agnosics are unable to copy a drawing due to their impaired perception of a picture, associative agnosics on the other hand can successfully copy a drawing although they are unable to recognize what the object is (Kemp et al., 2004). However, Lissauer gave his distinction between apperceptive and associative agnosia hundred years before but it is found to closely relate to the David Marrs distinction of the two forms of agnosia given in 1982 (Kemp et al., 2004). According to Marr, apperceptive agnosia is failure to form a three dimensional picture or a representation of a object whereas in associative agnosia an individual achieves a three dimensional picture but fails to connect it to the stored knowledge of the object perceived (Kemp et al.,2004).

Hybrid Cars Essay -- Gasoline Electric Hybrid Automobiles

Field Experience Report Hybrid Cars The world population is increasing at a massive rate and with the increase in population growth more space is needed for building houses, roads, schools, hospitals, etc. â€Å"The world's population will rise from 6.5 billion to 9.1 billion by 2050, according to a United Nations survey released Thursday. Much of the growth will take place in the least-developed countries, where a high rate of mortality is outweighed by an even higher rate of fertility. Their current collective population of 800 million is projected to swell to 1.7 billion in 2050.† (Wald) Human population growth can be seen as having a major impact on the environment as human activities are increasing, pollution is increasing and habitats of various living organisms are being destroyed. The worlds natural resources are being used at a much faster rate and it won’t be long before they are diminished. There is growing concerns from various groups and organizations on the impact to the environment and the living organisms and the amount pollutants produced by human activities. Global warming is one of the current environmental problems facing us today. Global warming is increase in the earth’s average temperature caused by greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons. The greenhouse gasses trap the sun’s light within the earth’s atmosphere and causes an increase in the earth’s average temperature. Global warming causes the melting of glaciers and polar ice bergs leading to an increase in sea levels, severe floods and droughts Another current environmental problem is the depletion of the ozone layer. Ozone layer in the earth’s atmosphere has a high concen... ...trieved April 10, 2008, Web site: http://www.science.org.au/nova/004/004key.htm Fong, Lesley. Personal interview. 15 Mar 2008. Hybrid Cars Advantages and Disadvantages. Retrieved April 13, 2008, Web site: http://www.newcarpark.com/hybrid-cars/hybridcars-advantage-disadvantage.php Hybrid Electric and Fuel Cell vehicles. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from National Renewable Energy Laboratory Web site: http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/hev/ My Car. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from RACV Web site: http://www.racv.com.au /wps/wcm/connect/Internet/Primary/my+car/advice+%26+information/ motoring+%26+the+environment/impact+of+cars+on+the+environment Prius Toyota handbook Wald, Jonathan (2005, February 25). U.N.: Population to top 9 billion by 2050. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from CNN Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/24/ un.population/index.html

Welcome to the Underground :: Free Essay Writer

Welcome to the Underground While America sleeps safely at night, safe and secure in their world, there is another world taking place, a menacing and wild world. Right beneath their noses, taking place in their super markets, in empty warehouses, abandoned buildings, parks, and at roller skating rinks. Many will never know or hear about this world, for it may be safer not to know. For if one knows, he may be tempted to want to experience this world. Just indulging one night has been known to alter many lives. For once you go to the underground, there is no turning back. We walked towards the castle, drawn like magnets, already sensing the buzz of activity that lay inside. My friends were overly excited from the many energy drinks they had consumed earlier, so as to give them ultimate performance. My friend explained to me that a man named John Bishop built this castle single handedly, with little help from his family in 1963 and that every year he would add something new to it. It was nestled in the foothills of Pueblo, Colorado. As we walked closer the butterflies in my stomach flapped faster and more vigorously. The moon was shining brightly over our heads; the time about midnight, and still our journey had just begun. There were people frolicking everywhere; people of all ages, mostly teenagers though. They were dancing, hugging each other and running around zestfully. Most were dressed in Baggy jeans. One girl wearing a see-through plastic skirt with her pink daisy underwear displayed for all to view. Others had on doctor's masks, were carrying glow sticks, and some even had pacifiers in their. I looked at myself, jeans and a T-shirt. "I don't think I'm dressed right." I whispered to my friend, a so-called Rave expert. "Don't worry babe, nobody is going to care." He replied. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, except for myself. I knew no one. We were now nearing the entrance to the castle, each grasping our tickets as if they were the golden ticket in Willy Wonka. I handed my ticket to the doorman, which was exchanged for a half hearted pat down by the security guard. I stepped into the world of the rave.

Ethnic differences essay Essay

?Asses the claim that â€Å"ethnic differences in educational achievement are primarily the result of school factors† Most studies found that overall ethnic minorities tend to do less well than other members of the population when it comes to educational achievement. Many factors which occur inside the school are the cause of educational achievement however other factors contribute. The expectations of teachers on ethnic minorities have caused differences in educational achievement. Bernard Coard believes that teachers expect â€Å"Black† children to fail therefore labelling the child as a failure. Interactionalists are concerned with how teachers â€Å"pigeonhole† students this is the labelling theory, this is where the teacher makes a judgement of the child based on the child’s appearance, behaviour, previous family members and relationships with other students. However most labels are based on stereotypes rather than evidence, the reality is that once a label starts it is difficult to get rid of and this can cause problems for a student’s educational achievement. Teachers will discuss the students label in the staff room and other teachers will attach the same label to the child and this can lead to the child not being allowed to attend school trips. If a student is labelled as a failure by a teacher then the teacher is likely to put the student into a lower tier exam thus the pupil can only achieve a maximum of a grade C and can’t achieve to the best of their ability. When a student is labelled as a failure the student can begin to believe that the label is true and begin to make it part of their part of their identity, become a failure this is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy thus creating ethnic differences in educational achievement within the school system. David Hardgreves argues that anti school sub cultures can be formed as a result of negative labelling. However Maureen Stone and Swann both indicate that those who are labelled may not accept their labels. However many sociologists argue that it is external factors that affect ethnic differences in educational achievement. Cultural Deprivation is the term used to describe serious inadequacies in the socialisation process and its effects on educational achievement. Poor parenting means children underachieving in education. Many sociologists argue that ethnic minorities tend to be more fatalistic meaning that parents tend to have low aspirations and expectations for their child meaning less emphasis is placed on doing well in education. Whereas â€Å"White† middle classes would have high aspirations and high expectations. Socialisation focuses on the values, expectations and norms transmitted from parents to children. Children from Ethnic backgrounds tend to focus on immediate gratification where they try to reep their rewards at the earliest opportunity such as leaving school at 16 to earn money. Whereas â€Å"White† middle class children aim for a bright future described as deferred gratification which is putting off short term rewards to gain better rewards in the future. Cultural Deprivation can affect the way parents prepare their children for school. Working class children would sit and watch T. V. whereas middle class parents would take their children to museums. Driver and Ballard state that high achievement in Asian groups may be linked to the fact that they live in close knit families that can help each other. Price highlighted a high rate of single parent families in black Caribbean communities which may explain high underachievement. Nevertheless, some sociologists argue that it is internal factors which affect ethnic differences in educational achievement. Institutional Racism within schools can lead to educational achievement and the differences it causes within ethnic minorities. The â€Å"Swann report† found that a small number of teachers are consciously racist however there are a great deal of teachers who are â€Å"unintentionally† racist. Bernard Coard states that the British educational system makes children become educationally subnormal he states that â€Å"West Indian children are told that their language is second rate and unacceptable† he states that within the British educational system the word â€Å"White† is associated with â€Å"good† and the word â€Å"Black† with evil. Coard also states that the attitudes portrayed in the classroom are reinforced by the pupils outside of the classroom. Many sociologists would also argue that the mispronunciation of student’s names and not learning them can be classed as racism within the school system. Cecile Wright found that majority of staff are committed to ideals of equality but despite these ideals there are still considerable amounts of discrimination in the classroom. Asian children were often excluded from discussions and teachers expressed an â€Å"open disapproval of their customs and traditions†, these comments from teachers made Asian children feel more isolated from other pupils. Martin Hammersley found that racist comments in the staffroom did not lead to racism in the classroom. J. Taylor found that â€Å"most teachers are concerned to have a fair policy towards the treatment of black pupils†. Mac an Ghaill studied 25 afro Caribbean and Asian students studying A levels. He found that â€Å"although they disagreed over the extent of racism within education, this did not directly determine their attitude to education and their levels of academic success. The way that students responded to schooling varied and this was influenced by their ethnic group†. This could eventually lead to the formation of anti-school sub cultures. These are pupils who have rejected some or all of the values and rules set down in the school ethos. Peter Woods identified 8 different groups ranging from Ingratiation total conformity to Rebellion outright rejection of school rules and values. This can cause ethnic differences in educational achievement within the school system. However other factors such as linguistic skills affect this achievement. Linguistic Deprivation is the ability to use appropriate language which is an important factor in educational success. Bernstein came up with two codes of language Restricted and Elaborate codes. The Restricted code is used in casual situations. This is limited vocabulary and Simplistic grammar which can only be understood if you are aware of this topic. The Elaborate code is used in formal situations. This is sophisticated grammar and vocabulary and can be understood if aware of the topic. Bernstein found that White middle class children had the ability to switch between the two codes whereas children from ethnic minorities were limited to using the restricted code. This means they are severely disadvantaged in education where the language is all formal. In conclusion, it is probable that a number of factors work together in producing the lower levels of achievement found in some ethnic groups. The Swann report concluded that racial discrimination inside and outside school along with social deprivation were probably the main factors. Others would add that cultural factors also play some part in explaining the differences.

Law governing Turkey Essay

IVF (in vitro fertilization) refers to treatment for infertility, in which eggs are removed from a woman’s body, fertilized with sperm in a laboratory, and then returned to the womb shortly afterwards to continue developing. IVF has been greatly achieved by the Turkish Medicine community such that even individual mothers and couples from other countries hospitals in go into Turkey in order to get children through this process. The sperms donated by sperm donors undergo screening in order to check their health status and the desirable traits required by most patients (ourbodiesourselves para2). These advances in technologies are not in harmony with the culture and the law governing Turkey. The paces at which the technologies are advancing are greater than the rate at which the society is responding to such changes, especially by those in lower socioeconomic class. But again many people would prefer the idea of surrogate motherhood and oocyte donation to some new techniques that are applied in medical practice today. All over the world, Turkey included, people are still debating on the social and ethical impacts of oocyte donation and surrogacy on the society. According to (Selim, et al 34), not many studies have been carried out in Turkish society to get their views on surrogate motherhood and oocyte donation. But studies that have been conducted with an aim of investigating the ethical dilemmas faced by the Turkish people on in vitro fertilization and oocyte donation have shown that even most infertile married females would still not accept surrogate motherhood and egg donation. Most of them had preferred adoption to IVF method. They reason that, these advancements in medicine are against nature (Selim, Et al 54). Interestingly, many studies carried out in Turkey show that many people agree to oocyte donation. Analysis Ethics is the belief and principles that determine people’s behavior which in turn forms people’s culture. IVF and oocyte donation for a long time has been a topic of debate especially concerning their conflicting values to societal norms and at the same time the need to fulfill patients’ desires to have children. Normally infertile couples can make decision on what they want regarding having children but this is limited the laws that govern reproduction in Turkey. The laws have to be consistent with the socio-cultural and religious values, which in Turkey does not permit certain reproductive treatments. Ethical issues that have risen since this technology came to place include the spread of gay marriages which is against Islamic and Christian teachings and is a threat to moral being of most societies in the world (Jinemed Hospital para 4). Unfortunately, even Lesbian couples and gay men hire surrogates to give birth to their children. This is against the purpose for which the technology was developed. Another issue is the sustainability of most marriages not just in Turkey but in the whole world in general especially in USA where most divorce cases occur. Some women particularly those of high socioeconomic status prefer to stay single because after all there is oocyte donation and they can afford to pay surrogates. Some just do this because she would never want to be seen pregnant or to bear the pain of carrying the baby in her womb. These technologies have serious effects on marriages today since anybody can have a child whether in a relationship or not. Although Turkey does not experience high divorce rates as the USA, but it still poises a problem. The issue about the stability of the family has also been a major concern especially on the side of the surrogate mother comes from. The first surrogate mother in the world, Elizabeth Kane describes her ordeal as surrogate mother to be one of the worst experiences in her life since normally the society has eyes on you and your family. She says that being a surrogate psychologically and emotionally affects the mother, her husband and even their children. It even becomes difficult to think of surrendering the child to the mother due to the emotional attachment between the surrogate mother and the child. She considers being a surrogate to be prostitution (Ourbodiesourselves para 2). Conclusion IVF (in vitro fertilization) and oocyte donation had all the good intentions but its negative impacts were not seriously looked into before putting it into practice for human beings and that is the reason why coming up with a proper and all inclusive legislation has not been possible not only in Turkey but in any country in the world. Just like cloning has been a big issue and threat to humans, IVF might be different but it poses almost the same threat to human beings. Proper legislation is necessary to curb the ethical issues that have been raised by religious communities and the civil society. Again, just like abortion, legislation alone may not contribute much in reconsidering such practices. The most important is the attitude of the people towards such technologies. Works Cited Page Jinemed Hospital: Infertility treatment in Turkey. Intuition Communication Ltd, Istanbul 2010 Retrieved from http://www. treatmentabroad. com/infertility-treatment-abroad/turkey- infertility/jinemed-hospital/ Our Bodies Ourselves: The Politics of Women’s Health. Health Resource Centre, Boston. 2008 Retrieved from http://www. ourbodiesourselves. org/book/companion. asp? id=31&compID=67 Selim; Muharrem; Hakan; Mahir; Gulec; Adnan; Fatma; Ceren and Ozlem et al. Determination of the attitudes of Turkish infertile women towards surrogacy and oocyte donation. Professional Medical Publication, Karachi 2009