African American Population Essay

At the beginning of each decade in the United States a census is taken to determine the population (Gale, 2008). While the 2000 census states that the African American population makes up 13% of the American population. And predicts it will stay the same percentage until the year 2050. The African American population will reproduce and contribute to the world as other majority and minority groups. So why wouldn’t this group grow as a population. African American Growth The African American population has been growing in America since they were involuntarily brought here. From 1492 to 1820 the African American population grew to 9. 5 million in the west alone (POPULATION, 2000). In 1900, there were 8. 8 million African Americans in the United States, representing 11. 6% of the total population. Between 1910 and 1930, the African American population percentage declined, reaching a low point in 1930 when the population was only 9. 7% of the United States population (Gale, 2008). Since 1930, the African American population has grown at a faster rate than national averages (POPULATION, 2000). Over four centuries the African American population has become less rural and concentrated than it was in the nineteenth century (POPULATION, 2000). African Americans do not have to endure slavery. The group has also gained the same rights as other minority and majority groups. The United States Department of Commerce The Department of Commerce expects growth in the Black population. The United States Department of Commerce expects the Black population to make up 16 percent on the American population, by the year 2050 (Black Collegian, 2002). The Department Economic and Statistic Administration will examine effect of the 2010 census and the black population. The Administration will concentrate on the finances of the Black population and any other new aspects to review. The census Bureau The 2000 census states that the African American population makes up 13 percent of the American population (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000). The census also predicts that the African American population will continue to make up only 13 percent in the year 2050 (Census, 2000). The Almanac suggests that African American are ranking lower than any other group in all categories. The almanac reference income gaps between African Americans and other races. The Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander populations are expected to maintain their shares of the population in all series (U. S. Census Bureau, 2008 and 2009). A population that is having children and playing a major to the world as all other populations cannot stay the same for a period of 50 years. The encyclopedia of population stated that African American population growth increases much faster than statistics assume. The Department of Commerce predicts the African American population will rise to 16 percent in the year 2050. While the Census Bureau predicts that there will be no increase in the African American population in the year 2050 with out giving details of why this prediction is accurate. African American have endured a great struggle in America. They have over came many obstacles and they will overcome this one also. References POPULATION. (2000). In Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com/entry/galeus/populationSmith, M. (2001). Ed. ). (1993). Black Collegian. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. : . Retrieved March 31, 2010Year, from com220. Encyclopedia of population (Ed. ). (2003). African American population History. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. : . Retrieved March 26, 2010Year, from com220. Boyle, K. (2010). The Promise land: The making of African America. Retrived from New York Times book review. Table 1 Type the table text here in italics; start a new page for each table [Insert table here] Figure Captions Figure 1. Caption of figure [Figures – note that this page does not have the manuscript header and page number].

Altruism in Society Essay

The great rhetorician, Aristotle, proposed that the persuasiveness of any argument is based on three elements: ethos—the credibility of the speaker, logos—the strength of the argument, and pathos—the communicator’s ability to emotionally move an audience (O’Quinn, 2009). The ethos of an argument is established by the speaker conveying trustworthiness, expertise in the subject, and an appropriate tone towards the audience. The element of logos is concerned with the logical power of the argument and the strategy utilized to present the argument. Lastly, pathos is the way in which the argument is presented. A persuasive argument should use vivid yet simple language, be applicable to the audience, and cite credible facts. Furthermore, Aristotle’s rhetorical elements are closely mirrored by Myers’ (2008) primary ingredients of persuasion: 1) the communicator; 2) the message; 3) how the message is communicated; 4) the audience. In our campaign to bring awareness of the human rights violation of human trafficking, we have sought to utilize both the elements of logos and pathos to convey the seriousness of the situation. The logical power of the argument is built upon the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and 2003 (TVPA), which stipulates that induced commercial sex, labor, or services is punishable under the law and victims of said induced acts are eligible for government benefits (Human Trafficking, 2008). The subject of human trafficking affords itself its own weight and means of emotional persuasion, but we will seek to utilize the mechanisms of social reciprocity and social responsibility to lend authority to our argument. The persuasiveness of our argument is constructed on: 1) the logical power of our assertions (logos), as built on TVPA and; 2) the weight and means of conveying our argument (pathos), as exemplified through the social mechanisms of social reciprocity and social responsibility. Motivations of Altruistic Behavior Social exchange theory is based on economic exchange theory, which posits that people participate in an exchange because of the belief that the reward will justify the cost (Liao, 2008). In the realm of economics, monetary costs and rewards direct an exchange; however, in social psychology the currency of social capital is bartered in order to maximize rewards and minimize costs, both internally and externally. The altruistic notions of social norms are concerned with the way our lives ought to be lived and the reasonable prescription of proper behavior (Myers, 2008). Social Reciprocity The reciprocal norm of altruistic social behavior explains that people tend to help, rather than hurt, those that help them. The process is circular because social capital is invested in the future prediction of reimbursed dividends. Conversely, a person can be on the receiving end of social reciprocity and the dividends are expected to be paid in return. On a practical level, the institution of TVPA mandates the cessation of human trafficking through the investment of both social and monetary capital up front and predicts the future payment of dividends. In other words, transgressors will discontinue human trafficking if capital is invested initially and reciprocated thereafter. Social Responsibility The altruistic belief in social responsibility is assembled at the psychological level through the social incentive created when people need help. Nonetheless, the mental representation of social responsibility is mediated by attribution and the consequent emotions elicited. If the person in need of help is perceived to be in the situation because of personal mistakes or neglect, then very little sympathy is produced on the part of the helper—thereby leading to a lack of help. In contrast, if the person in need of help is perceived to be in the situation due to uncontrollable external influences, the sympathy and helping are forthcoming. In the case of human trafficking, the lives of those that are most vulnerable—those that have limited access to social services and protections—are being target because they are defenseless against uncontrollable external forces (Human Trafficking, 2008). Taken collectively, social responsibility dictates that uncontrollable external forces have led to human trafficking and therefore necessitate the introduction of social capital up front in order to facilitate social reciprocity.

Food Chemistry Essay

The chemical processes that take place inside food determine its nutritional value, taste, texture and freshness. Like any other organic material, food can decompose over a period of time. The importance of food chemistry lies in its ability to counter the effects of decomposition and spoilage and extend the shelf life of foods. Food chemistry is a science that studies the chemical processes that take place in food. All food products are made of biological materials that react and interact in different ways, and under different conditions. Carbohydrates, lipids (or fats) and proteins are the main components that make up food. Other components such as enzymes, water, minerals, additives and coloring are also areas of study within food chemistry. This branch of science plays a significant role in food processing methods designed to preserve and enhance availability and quality, according to Ohio State University. An understanding of the chemical processes that take place in foods has made food supplies available on a global scale. Methods designed to counter the decomposition process are a central area of study. The principles underlying food chemistry create the methods that make it possible to harvest, preserve, distribute, store and prepare foods for human consumption, according to Ohio State University. Grocery stores are able to provide fresh milk, canned goods, microwave meals and frozen foods because of the knowledge gained through food chemistry studies. Food chemistry plays an integral role within the food science technologies that make global supplies available, according to Ohio State University. These technologies draw from biology, physics, microbiology, nutrition and engineering to put food chemistry principles into practice. The methods used to package and label end-use products must also comply with Food and Drug Administration requirements. Also of importance is the testing and experiments that go into creating flavorful foods for consumer consumption. Foods such as meats and vegetables can contain anywhere from 50 to 95 percent water content, according to Ohio State University. Water activity involves the amount of water available, or susceptible to chemical and biological reactions within a food product. The amount of water activity present can determine the likelihood that bacterial growth and spoilage will develop within food materials. Chemistry methods work to reduce the amount of water contained in a material, or else counter its effects within a food product. Food quality, consumer satisfaction and government requirements are ll factors taken into account when designing food processing and preservation methods, according to Ohio State University. And while minimal processing enables foods to retain their original nutritional content, the need to extend the shelf life of end products makes processing and preservation methods necessary. The pH level present within a food product is another variable that influences flavor, texture and freshness. A pH level refers to acidity, or the lack thereof, with high acid contents being less susceptible to decompos ition, or spoilage, than low acid content foods.

Indigenous person or European colonist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Indigenous person or European colonist - Essay Example It roots from an ethnocentric belief, that one culture is better than the other. It is important, though, to consider that each culture believes in things differently because of the nature of how they were brought up. With this paper, I will try to place myself as part of an indigenous group. In this manner, I will try to explain the differences in both cultures and how one group accepts and rejects other cultures and values. It is important to note that the common ground of both indigenous and colonists is the desire to maintain their own culture and beliefs. When it comes to property, indigenous people have a sense of group ownership and free land. Land is not owned by one but by the entire group. They roam around the land and gather whatever they can gather, they hunt whatever they can hunt, and bring it back to the tribe. And they share it. The roles within the community are exact and defined. Men hunt, women tend to the village. Men are protectors, women are caretakers of the vi llage. They gain additional land and property, including slaves, when they fight another tribe and win. They tend to use violence in order to increase their land, property and people. The value of their properties depends on how strong the other tribe is. The stronger the tribe they defeat, the more they value the things that they gather from that tribe. The reason for this is the loss of lives they have sacrificed in order to gain these properties. Although the European colonists have the same thirst for expansion, they have a different method of doing it. Violence is not the primary key to gather property and land. They use diplomacy, education and religion to expand their property and land. This, the indigenous people can accept and incorporate in their culture. Tribes tend to use violence, which increases the loss of their tribe with the death of their warriors and protectors. To lessen this, indigenous people can learn to use diplomacy in gaining hold of other tribes. Instead o f just going off to war, they can learn how to talk peacefully first and use wealth, power and numbers to defeat the other tribes. The same as European colonists, by which they buy off the other indigenous groups and immerse them into their society as slaves. In the sense, there is a trade-off. One main characteristic of the European colonists is their ethnocentrism. This should be rejected. European colonists believe that indigenous people are stupid, ignorant and easy to be swayed. They see indigenous people as puppets that can be swayed easily because of their lack of modernization. What they don’t understand is they have their own perspective of civilization. That’s why there is an improvement in the indigenous people’s lives. They have their own sense of civilization. They just have a different understanding of it. What is important to them may not be important to the European colonists. An example of this is the value of accessories and clothes that were m ade from animal skins. European colonists have a high value for animal skin clothes but have little value for glass beads. Indigenous people treat glass beads and other accessories because it is a sign of wealth and power for them. We remember that the daughters of tribe leaders wear more accessories and head gears than the others. This goes the same for warriors, the more body paint or accessories they have, the higher their rank is. This is the same concept as with soldiers and their medals. When trading,

Decision Support Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Decision Support Systems - Essay Example Appraisal of the hotel’s DSS systems The Decision Support System (DSS) is a technology that enables managers in organizations to make effective business choices or solve problems using the available information in the organizations. Almost all information systems help in decision-making. However, the DSS exclusively works with this function. The DSS helps in the analysis of huge amounts of data referred to as business intelligence. Maurier Hotels Group is an SME type of business that should be having enough employees and many departments that should help in making appropriate decisions using the DSS. Considering the current size of the organization, many types of DSS can be more effective since the cost will not exceed the benefits expected after introducing businesses intelligence. The common types of the DSS are the model-driven, communication driven, and the data driven. The data-driven system is usually programmed to use limited set of information such as the number of cus tomers in the current quarter. During the analysis, the CEO or the customer relation manager in the organization will carry out a dialogue with this decision support system by highlighting various scenarios relating to customers. For instance, in order to attract more customers, the managers will use the customer decision support system. ... 22). Model-driven systems help organization in the formulation of alternatives and study their impacts. For instance the hotels can analyze different strategies of creating strong customer relations through this DSS. Many organizations have succeeded in choosing the best alternatives through this system (Koch 2007, P. 220). The hotel group may also use the communication-drive type of DSS. The category of DSS will help the customers care departments in the three hotels to collaborate and share information about their customers. This DSS is more effective for organizations such as the current Maurier Hotels that has to work in groups. The communication-drive intelligence systems will ensure that the hotel groups of the organizations co-ordinate their activities including the customer management services in the three hotel groups. This DSS is most appropriate in-group activities since it ensures easier communication between two groups. By introducing this type of DSS in the organization , the CEO will not have to move from one hotel group to another to collect the information about customers. The information is present on one system. This will help the CEO to monitor the activities taking place in the three hotels at the same time. The technology will help the organization to save the time required to compile information about customers in the three hotel groups. This means that this intelligent system helps in removing distance and time barriers in group businesses (Muntermann 2008, 18). The DSS is also effective because it supports group decisions in an organization. It will be easier for the three groups to make appropriate decisions that will positively affect them (Janakiraman & Sarukesi 2009, p. 43). This type of DSS is helpful because it helps different branches

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 23

Accounting - Essay Example The company is in a stiff competitive industry. Some of the Toyota competitors are general motors, Ford motors company, Nissan motors, Honda motor company and Volkswagen AG just to mention but a few. The financial statements in the year 2010 have shown a declining performance in Toyota performance. This has been attributed to the economic conditions in Japan, US, Europe and the other parts of the world. Despite the economic downturn the management of Toyota is still geared at ensuring customer satisfaction by putting first the interest of the customers and at the same time looking at the demands and expectation of the society by remaining socially responsible to all stakeholders. The company has undergone major restructuring in order to correct the disturbing performance. The company has also planned to manufacture reliable and cheap car models that are environmentally compliant to gain market power. According to the financial report of 2010, the company 2010 total asset amount ed to $326196 million while the total liability for this year was $208715million dollars. The net stockholders equity was $117481 million (Toyota 63). These values are adverse compared to the 2009 financial performance. For instance, the total asset in 2009 was 29062037milion yen. The revenue for 2010 as per the income statement was $190507 million and the net profits attributed to the corporation were $2251million (Toyota 62). The basic earnings per share for this particular period was $ 0.72 a value equivalent to the diluted EPS. It must be noted that this profit values are an improvement when compared to the year 2009 where the company incurred a net loss in their income statement. The improved result is attributed to the reduction in cost of manufacturing and operation as championed by the

Decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Decision making - Essay Example Consequently, modern day decision makers are biased, especially given the deeply-rooted perceptions of success and failure that have been inherited from ancestors. According to Cialdini (2013), bias in human decisions is not just a cause of deficiencies that results in poor decisions. On the contrary, bias is associated design features and not flaws, and this is crucial in understanding consumer behaviours as a result of their decisions. The three major decision making models are rational decision making, descriptive, and natural settings decision models. Each set of models explain the extent of human decision subject to different conditions. For instance, rational decision models such as multivariate utility theory and Bayesian inference models involved breaking down problems into small elements such that uncertainties, choices, and consequences were explicitly provided. In descriptive models, humans are perceived as incapable of making rational decisions due to deviations in terms of heuristics and biases. The explanation of irrationality in descriptive models is elaborated by bounded rationality. Today, decision making within everyday setti ngs focuses on serving the attainment of a goal and not learning the choice. ­Ã‚ ­ Decision making in natural settings focuses on perceiving aspects within the environment restricted by space and time; understanding the meaning of such elements; and forecasting their future status (Polic, 2009, p. 79). This means that at any given time, decision makers are neither fully aware of all possible alternatives for their decision nor the possible outcomes tied to each option, and are never infinitely sensitive to unique distinctions that distinguish one option from the other or the extent of rationality each decision carries. Conventional originates from traditions and customs. A rational decision-making process involves making decisions that result in optimal benefits and operate under the

Marilyn Levine Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marilyn Levine - Term Paper Example The shadows play an important role in transforming her art into something real. The scale of Levine’s â€Å"P.H.V. Strap† is quite small with a physical dimension of 5.1 x 21.6 x 10.2 cm. And how the ceramic strap is folded impressed me very much. Bending the ceramic strap facilitates Lavine’s art to look as if it is a true waist belt. I choose artist Marilyn Levine because of her choice of objects for her art work. Lavine heavily employs objects or imagery that have human utility; bags, shoes, jackets are vivid examples of things that have human use. Through Levine’s work, ordinary objects seen in everyday life appear to have an aesthetic value. The play of illusion in Levine’s ceramic art truly evokes or appeals to my mind. The technique utilized in her work questions my very perception of the world. Though ordinary things, they seem not to be ordinary when viewed in Lavine’s wok of art. In the process, I quite enjoyed appreciating her work. To evaluate Levine’s â€Å"P.H.V. Strap† requires the consideration of the artist’s technique and the art itself. The texture, tone, and play of the shadows are examples of evaluating her

Sensory Perception Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sensory Perception - Essay Example With regards to my grandfather’s farm, I had only recently traveled back to this place within the past few months. As a child I had spent many a happy summer as well as interspersed individual weekends playing around the familiar sights that the farm had to offer. As such, the setting itself was one which provided me with a great many happy memories that were, and continue to be, seared on my memory. When I recently viewed the farm again, a virtual flood of memories came back to me. Many of these memories seemed as if they were happening at the exact moment or merely a few minutes prior to me seeing the old sights again. It was as if I was transported, via the sense of sight, to a different dimension in which time and the long absence from the farm that had intervened, meant little if anything as it all seemed so close and personal rather than removed and distant. The familiarity and the positive connotations of the sights doubtless had a lot to do with such an interpretation. Similarly, my old neighborhood has had a similar visual perceptional effect on me. Due to the different perspective that I had when I was younger, the sights themselves seemed as something a bit foreign. Everything was much smaller than it had been; some things seemed unnaturally out of place or entirely different. In this way, the sense of sight and my perception thereof were seemingly arguing with the memories that I had etched into my mind. This disjuncture between memory and reality was a unique aspect of my visual memory that I had never before experienced and was a unique and different feeling. Finally, with respect to my primary school and the effects that visual perception have had on me once I have been back to visit such a place, the perception of sight was one in this case that sought to bring forward a host of other emotional feelings and worries that were unique to that particular time of my life. For instance, as I walked the halls, I no longer felt the sense of insec urity or judgment that I had so strongly felt before. While my eyes acquainted themselves with the classrooms with the loved and hated teachers I had had, the level to which sight was providing an entirely alternate reality to me was something unique that I cannot quite describe yet I know precisely how it felt to experience. Each of these experiences has helped to inform the author with regards to the various memories, feelings, and emotions that exist within the context of the sights that have herein been represented. Due to the fact that each of the five senses is directly linked to strong memories within the brain, the exemplification of but a simple sight, sound, smell, or touch is enough to bring back a flood of memories to the individual within the given experience. As has been detailed, the thought process that takes place a a result of this perception is not one that is always voluntary; rather, something as simple as seeing an object or a group of objects that have long si nce been absent from the life of the viewer can begin something akin to a mental chain reaction that culminates in distinctive memory patterns and understandings of what things may have changed in life since the last time that such an object or group of objects was objectively

Britain of evacuation in World War Two Essay Example for Free

Britain of evacuation in World War Two Essay During the course of World War Two, many people were evacuated, not just children. There were many differing reactions to evacuation. The reaction would depend on the experience you had. Reactions would also change over time during the war and even after the war had finished. One set of people affected by Evacuation was the Children. Many children did not know where they were going and therefore experienced feelings of fear and anger. The children disliked being separated from their parents but put on brave faces so not worry their families. When the children arrived at their destination, they were taken to school halls of town meeting places where the were chosen by their foster families, which they disliked because often they were split from their sisters and brothers. If they had negative attitudes, they very often did not settle quickly like those who had positive attitudes and would see their stay as a holiday. If an evacuee had a positive experience, they would have pleasant memories of being treated as one of the family. Evacuation was described as no better than a paedophiles charter as it would have been easier to abuse children away from home. However, in a study of 450 ex-evacuees, only 12% of them had bad experiences. Michael Caine remembers being evacuated with his brother Clarence. He said My brother used to went the bed when he was nervous. My foster mother could not figure out who it was so she beat both of us, and Clarence became more nervous and wet the bed more. However, not all experiences were bad. On ex-evacuees remembers being given clothes when he was evacuated. A childs reaction to evacuation would depend on their experiences while in care. Another set of people who were affected by evacuation was the childrens parents. Most parents were reluctant to send their children away but agreed because of propaganda. Not all parents sent their children away though. Some parents thought that their children were safe in their family home. However, most parents brought their children home due to the phoney war. But the children were evacuated again when the Blitz happened, although the scale of evacuation was not as large as the first wave in September 1939. Thanks to the Blitz, many parents changed their opinions on evacuation, now agreeing that it was probably best for their children.

The importance of counting in early number development

The importance of counting in early number development Counting is the action of finding the number of elements of a finite set of objects by continually increasing a counter by a unit for every element in the set, in some order. Counting is used by children to demonstrate knowledge of the number names and number system. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans have been counting for at least 50,000 years, and in ancient cultures counting was used to keep track of early economic data. Learning to count is considered a very important educational and developmental milestone in most cultures of the world. Learning to count is a childs first step into mathematics, and constitutes the most fundamental idea of mathematics. The present essay will attempt to illustrate the importance of counting for the development of number-related skills from an early age (Eves, 1990). The use of numbers is a skill developed from an early age. In mathematics, there is the term number sense, a relatively new construct that refers to a well organized conceptual framework of number information that enables a person to understand numbers and numbers relationships, and to solve mathematical problems that are not bound by traditional algorithms. Number sense includes some component skills such as number meaning, number relationships, number magnitude, operations involving numbers and referents for numbers and quantities. These skills contribute to general intuitions about numbers and pave the way for more advanced skills (Bobis, 1996). Studies have shown that this number sense begins at a very early age. Even before they are able to count properly, children of around two years of age can indentify one, two or three objects. Theorists as early as Piaget noticed this ability to instantaneously recognize the number of objects in a small group. Piaget called in subitizing. Later, as the childs mental powers develop, around the age of four, groups of up to four objects can be recognized without counting. Adults have and continue to use the same ability of subitizing, although even they cannot use it beyond a maximum of five objects, unless the objects are arranged in a particular way or practice that aids memorization. Subitizing refers to the minds ability to form stable mental images of patterns and then associate them with a fixed number. In a familiar arrangement, such as six dots arranged into two rows of three (such as in dice or playing cards) six can be instantly recognized when presented this way (Gelman Galli stel, 1978). Yet, with the exception of familiar arrangements such as the examples above, when people are presented with groups numbering more than five objects, they must resort to other mental strategies. Groups can be broken up into sub-groups to facilitate the process. A group of six objects, for example, can be broken up into two sub-groups of three, which are recognized instantly and then unconsciously combined into six, the number of the bigger group. This strategy does not use any actual counting, but a part-part-whole relationship which is assisted by rapid mental addition. Therefore, there is an understanding that a number can be composed of smaller parts, along with the knowledge of how these parts add up. This kind of thinking has already begun by the time children begin school, around six or seven years of age. It should be nurtured and allowed to develop, as it is thinking of this sort that lays the foundation for understanding operations and developing mental calculation strategies (Bobis, 1996). Skills such as the ability to perceive subgroups, need to be developed alongside counting in order to provide a firm foundation for number sense. Although there is no denying that counting is crucial for the development of numbers, these other skills play an important part as well. Skills and alternative strategies for counting can be developed more effectively by the use of teaching strategies. Children can be shown flashcards with objects in different arrangements (sometimes six in a cluster of four and a pair, or sometimes in three pairs) as these different arrangements will tend to prompt different strategies. Furthermore, if the flashcards are shown for only a few seconds, the mind is challenged to act faster and develop strategies other than counting to make the necessary calculations (Way, 1996). Yet, despite the importance of alternative strategies, a considerable amount of evidence supports the idea that counting is the most important mechanism used by young children in estimating numbers of all sizes, perhaps only with the exception of 1 or 2. Subitizing and grouping, as described above, are used as mediators for the ability to understand small numbers, but it seems that even these skills are developed after children have learned to estimate numbers by counting. Moreover, counting is the basic mechanism used when children learn to add and subtract. At least the initial stages of adding and subtracting, before the child masters the processes, involve counting. For example adding 8 and 3 might be achieved by first counting to 8 and then proceeding to 11 (Gelman Gallistel, 1978). A surge of interest in counting was triggered by Gelman and Gallistels (1978) book, which claimed that preschoolers learning to count was inexplicable unless they had innate predispositions to learn counting. So, is counting innate or not? Butterworth et al. (2005) believe that the human ability to count is innate and is not reliant on numbers or language to express it. They based their study on the fact that the children of Australian Aborigines were able to count even though their languages do not have words for numbers. An extreme form of linguistic determinism has been developed recently, which claims that counting words are needed for children to develop concepts of numbers above three. In contrast, the teams study of aboriginal children suggests that humans have an innate system for recognizing and representing numerosities, the number of objects in a set, and that the lack of a number vocabulary does not prevent them from doing numerical tasks that do not require number words. On the other hand, other cross-cultural studies support the opposite conclusion: counting is not innate. Although it seems to come naturally, counting may be cultural rather than innate. Many hunter-gatherer societies such as the Australian Aborigines or various different peoples in South America have no words in their languages for counting or at best only words for up to the number five. This could be because those societies do not have the culturally supported contexts where exact numbers need to be encoded. To investigate the issue, one study (Hyde et al., in press) examined a population of deaf Nicaraguans who do not speak Spanish and never had the opportunity to learn conventional sign language. These people live in a numerate culture that uses exact counting and large numbers, but because they were never educated in it, they lacked conventional language for themselves. Still, these individuals did not spontaneously develop representations of numbers over three. They use gestur es to communicate about numbers but do not consistently produce gestures that accurately represent the cardinal values of sets containing more than three items. This is in contrast to native speakers of the American Sign Language, who, raised and immersed in a language that uses counting, were just as good as speakers of Spanish and English at counting. Therefore, deafness was not the factor that made the difference. The overall point, though, is that whether innate or not, there can be little doubt that counting is crucial for early number development. People belonging to those cultures without words for numbers larger than five can subitize up to a point but are handicapped when the need arises to deal with larger quantities (Butterworth et al., 2008). Activities that involve counting have been shown to to be very effective for helping young children understand the concept of number. Young children and prepared to engage in and benefit from preschool exposure to counting before they are taught arithmetic in an organized manner. Children form many necessary language associations at a very early age, and even at the early age of three, certain counting principles are already in place. Children can make effective use of guided experiences that help them build developmentally appropriate pre-formal mathematics understandings. Counting can be used to reinforce and extend childrens natural learning. The highly influential book of Gelman and Gallistel (1978) proposes a set of counting principles, and counting exercises based on these principles contribute greatly to childrens pre-formal understanding and progress toward formal understanding. Gelman and Gallistels principles do not refute Piagets classic, ground-breaking findings on the processes of development, but rather extend them. Some of these principles are attainable by age three and all of them by age five. Many counting exercises that emphasize these principles also employ the logical activities recommended by Piaget, such as classification, seriation, matching and comparison (Aubrey, 1993). The one-to-one principle shows that, when counting, only one number word in assigned to each object. This refers to both the verbal and mental act of counting. The stable order principle shows that, when counting, number words are always assigned in the same order. Although the tie of number to language is important, exercises that employ stable order are most useful when they simultaneously employ the previous, one-to-one principle. The cardinal principle shows that the number of objects in the set is the last number word counted. The cardinal principle is similar to the co ncept of cardinality, of which children gain implicit understanding long before they understand numerical quantity. The order irrelevance principle shows that when counting the number of objects in a set, the order in which they are counted is not important, but rather simply that all objects are counted. In other words, a set of objects may be properly counted by starting with any object and going in any order. Finally, the abstraction principle shows that when counting any unique set of objects, all the above principles apply as well as they do to any other unique set. Researchers as early as Beckmann (1924) analyzed the way in which children arrived at an accurate estimate of the number of items, in order to establish the importance of counting. Depending on their behaviour during a counting task and their explanation of how they reached the answer, Bechmann divided the children into counters or subitizers. In general, it was found that the younger the child, the greater the tendency to count for all numbers, while the larger the number, the greater the tendency for all children to count. These results together showed that children estimate a number by counting before they can subitize the same number. Similar effects were observed by Brownwell (1928) and McLaughlin (1935). By asking children to identify the number of elements in arrays of 3 to 10 objects, Brownwell noticed that young children almost always counted and rarely took advantage of the patterns in the display. McLaughlin similarly observed that 3- to 6-year-olds typically counted in or der to determine the number of objects in an array, even when the number of objects was small. As the number of items a child could count increased, so did the ability to estimate numbers. Gelman (1972) notes that when the performance of children in experiments where they have counted is compared with that in experiments where they did not count, the resulting discrepancy adds support to the hypothesis that young children initially estimate by counting. Buckingham and MacLatchys (1930) study on estimation showed children a random throw of objects, and the subjects were not prevented from counting. In contrast, in Douglas (1925) study where three similar number tasks were used, children were discouraged from counting. If the groups of 6-year-olds in these and other studies that accordingly encourage or discourage counting are compared, a large discrepancy can be observed. In the first case, the percentage of children who accurately estimated non-linear arrays of around 10 items on at least one trial varied from 54% to 70%, while in the latter case only 8% of the children successfully estimated the numerosity of 10-element arrays. Although the studies differed in a varie ty of ways, the similarity of the tasks, the selection of the same age group and the use or absence of counting suggest that at least some part of this impressively large discrepancy in successful estimation scores can be attributed to the presence of absence of counting. Overall, the role of counting on early number development is not entirely clear and there are many different, often conflicting, opinions on how these processes occur. The most striking example is whether counting is innate or not, with some researchers claiming that humans are born with the ability to see the world numerically in the same way that they are born with the ability to see the world in colour, and others insisting that it is a cultural, not an innate ability which will not develop outside of a cultural setting that reinforces it. Different opinions also exist in the matter of the importance of counting and the importance of other skills such as subitizing. Subitizing and other similar skills that assist in estimations are crucial, but they only seem to be so when used together with counting. Counting develops first and produces much better results in estimates and numerical tasks in general. It is the first mechanism used in estimation, the most effective one, and also e qually crucial when developing other, more complicated numerical skills such as adding and subtracting. It truly seems to be the basis of early number development.

Leadership Competencies: Garbage Can Model

Leadership Competencies: Garbage Can Model There are two major decision making models. The garbage can decision making model is reality based, and intended to extend the understanding of organizational decision making by accentuating a time-based context (the situation at one point in time) and accepting chaos as reality. This is typical decision making in the emergency room of a hospital; the expertise of the medical team is vital. Rational (willful choice) decision-making models are a subset of reality-based models (Ledlow Coppola, 2011). In an emergency room situation, willful choice principles are mentally checked off by physicians at roughly the speed of light. Choice is guided by four basic principles: (1) unambiguous (knowing which questions are relevant) awareness of another possibility; (2) likelihood and knowledge of significances; (3) a rational and reliable priority system for alternate ordering; and (4) heuristics or decision rules to choose an alternative (Ledlow Coppola, 2011). After a decision is made using the garbage can decision method, rational choices are made regarding implementation. The garbage can model is quite different from traditional decision-making models. It assumes that organizations are a long way from flawless and work in a condition of insurgency (without guidelines), where hierarchical inclinations and procedures are indistinct to the individuals from the association and policy makers in the association change frequently. The garbage can model assumes that no authoritative procedure for finding an answer for an issue exists and that decision makers are separated from issues and arrangements (Bugajenko, 2003). Both willful choice and garbage can decision models are utilized in health organizations. The willful choice, or rational, model accepts that individuals in associations settle on choices considering reason, in a purposeful way, through an insightful and deliberate procedure that results in an ideal choice. It involves six sequential steps: 1. Identify the problem. 2. Collect data. 3. List all possible solutions. 4. Test possible solutions. 5. Select the best course of action. 6. Implement the solution based on the decision made (Ledlow Coppola, 2011). The garbage can, or reality-based, hypothesis accept that decisions are made on a messy and indiscriminate premise, like satisficing or wading through. In health care associations members in the decision-making process regularly have clashing viewpoints of the issue, have restricted time and assets to gather information, and are obliged to consider every conceivable solution by regulatory compliance requirements. In addition, time and money limits make it irrational to test all conceivable arrangements (Problem Solving and Decision Making in Health Organizations, n.d.) Use of both decision-making tools is vital in such instances as mental health, providing a greater range of important input in treatment decision making (Strauss, Lawless, Sells, 2009). Overall, it is shown that in the medical industry, both willful choice and garbage can decision making models are instrumental in the successful delivery of healthcare. References: Bugajenko, O. (2003). The garbage can model of decision making. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-garbage-can-model-of-decision-making.html Ledlow, G. R., Coppola, M. N. (2011). Leadership for Health Professionals: Theory, Skills and Applications (14th ed.). Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781449626440/cfi/6/4!/4/2/14/8/26/[emailprotected]:0 Maister, D. (2001). Davidmaister.Com > garbage can decision making. Retrieved February 3, 2017, from David Maister Professional Business Professional Life, http://davidmaister.com/articles/garbage-can-decision-making/ Problem Solving and Decision Making in Health Organizations. Retrieved February 3, 2017, from Frates Health Care, file:///G:/HSM410/07ch_frates_health_care_1.pdf Strauss, J., Lawless, M. S., Sells, D. (2009). Becoming expert and understanding mental illness. Psychiatry, 72(3), 211-21. doi:https://search.proquest.com/docview/220676554?accountid=41759

Hatred in Swifts Gullivers Travels and Hartleys Film No Such Thing :: essays research papers

Misanthropy, or hatred of humankind, is one of the strongest feelings that people can have. In his novel Gulliver’s Travels, the author Jonathan Swift explores what causes this emotion. Likewise, Hal Hartley attempts to explain the roots of hatred through his film No Such Thing. Through their works, both men claim that it is not a universal emotion, but rather it is felt only by more evolved creatures. Hatred is a product of knowledge and the sense of superiority it creates in those who posses it. Swift interprets hatred to be an unpreventable consequence of intelligence. During his fourth voyage, Gulliver lands on the island of the Houyhnhnms, a race of horse-like creatures, and the Yahoos, human-like animals. The Houyhnhnms dominate over the Yahoos, much as humans rule over horses. These creatures hold their servants in disdain, viewing them as lower life forms. The Houyhnhnms are exponentially more evolved than the Yahoos, exhibiting a civilized form of society, while the Yahoos live in ape-like tribes and labor for the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver soon begins to view them in the same light: â€Å"There were few greater lovers of Mankind, at that time, than myself, yet I confess I never saw any sensitive Being so detestable on all Accounts, and the more I came near them, the more hateful they grew† (187). Gulliver sees how unintelligent and uncivilized the Yahoos are, causing him to think himself better than they are. The Houyhnhnms also notice the difference betwee n the Yahoos and him: â€Å"Every Servant of his House were desirous to teach me. For they looked upon it as a Prodigy that a brute Animal should discover such Marks of a ration Creature† (190). Although the Houyhnhnms initially look upon Gulliver was disdain, assuming that he is one of the Yahoos, they begin to treat him with respect after he demonstrates his intelligence to them. They only hold Gulliver in contempt while they believe that he is as stupid and uncivilized as the Yahoos, but once he proves that he is as well-mannered and intelligent as the Houyhnhnms are, their hatred diminishes. They treat him respectfully when they view him as an equal. Gulliver, on the other hand, becomes more and more misanthropic as he stays on the island. He knows immediately the difference between himself and the Yahoos.

Ethical Challenge of Protecting Software in Emerging Economies: Copyright Law and Enforcement in Pakistan :: Software Technology Protection Essays

Ethical Challenge of Protecting Software in Emerging Economies: Copyright Law and Enforcement in Pakistan Introduction The United States and Pakistan have similar laws protecting software using copyright and patents despite being at very different stages of economic development. Pakistan has an emerging economy with a per capita GDP of $2000 per capita and a literacy rate of 46%.[i] The US has a more mature economy with per capita GDP of $37,600 and a 97% literacy rate[ii]. Despite having similar laws regarding copyright and patent protection Pakistan has rampant piracy problems not seen in the US. It is estimated that 95% of digital media sold in Pakistan is pirated[iii]. This may be in part due to the high cost of software relative to income compared to US where software piracy exists but is less rampant. This discrepancy raises the question: Is it ethical to apply the same rules to two countries regardless of economic condition and industry maturity and what is the global effect of having the same laws but enforcing them differently? Background Two primary methods for protecting software throughout the world are patents and copyright[iv]. Each provides a different measure of protection. The goal of each is to promote the sharing of new inventions and creative works while ensuring that the developer of the work is compensated. Copyright provides the copyright holder rights to the work for 75 years after creation or 50 beyond author’s death whichever is shortest. It not only protects the actual syntax of the code from being copied but covers structure, sequence, and organization of the program. This is to prevent people from simply rewriting an application in another programming language. Copyright, as applied to more traditional written works such as books and songs provide for â€Å"fair use† by others. Fair use means that others can use a small portion of a copyright protected work without permission for certain reasons such as education or critical commentary. The fair use clause is not really applic able to software because it is rare that a small portion of a computer program would be used in the situations covered by the fair use clause. This is an example of stretching an existing law to cover new technology. Patents protect software in a different way by giving the creator rights to the process performed by the protected program.

Stereotype and Term Crooked Politician

Stereotypes are rampant in our culture and have been a dilapidating issue in our civilization for a long while. The use of stereotypes to judge another human being can cause serious detriment to the success and happiness of others. Understanding what stereotypes are and how they came about is important to eradicate the use of stereotypes and be able to assess a person’s worth based on their own individual traits. Some of the most common stereotypes are among politicians, tattooed persons, feminists, and senior citizens.I will uncover the stereotypes associated with these groups, how the stereotypes are used and why, and how stereotyping most definitely leaves a negative effect. Stereotyped Groups There is a vast majority of people that are stereotyped. When a stereotype is implemented, it groups individuals into a certain category (Moore, Parker, 2004). This poses a difficult standard because most people can fit into several categories based on different factors such as religi on, race, sex, and personality traits among other features.When someone chooses to group people and give that group a description, they are opting to provoke â€Å"a thought or image about a group of people based on little or no evidence† (Moore, Parker, 2004, p. 130). Political cues and stereotypes are key elements in the political spectrum that undoubtedly propel a certain gage in voter’s decisions (Johnston, 1981). Politicians have always had a general stereotype of being dishonest. The term â€Å"crooked politician† is a common one, and is seemingly used on a regular basis. Although there are mendacious politicians, it is unfair to ascertain that all or most of politicians have this characteristic.If a politician believes in a different ideal than a citizen, or if that politician simply belongs to the opposing political party, it is unfortunate that he or she may very well be coined as a dishonest politician. This is a form of mockery and slander. It is the more appropriate form of judgment to assess the unique traits and beliefs of that individual politician rather than putting them into a class of untrustworthy representatives by default. Another stereotype falls into the lap of tattooed persons. Those with tattoos have a stereotype of being tough, scary, and delinquent.One study perpetuated results that children connect a strong negative assumption about tattoos (Durkin, Houghton, 2000). Similarly, in this study it was also purported that young people who initiate interest in getting tattoos are aware of the stigma of criminality attached to those with tattoos or body art (Durkin, Houghton, 2000). Many people who choose to cover their bodies with tattoos do so with a creative edge and it does not represent any delinquency per se. However, it is obvious that many criminals and gangs have tattoos as standards, and this realization seems to bleed into the mainstream population of those with tattoos.It is unfortunate that society deems those with tattoos as estranged wrongdoers as it certainly impinges on the ability to gain employment or be generally respected and greeted appropriately by others. Feminists have long been looked upon as abrasive activists. Feminism started out this way in the 1960s in order to appease the needs of women and obtain rights. Some feminists have been extreme with their attitudes and choices of activism, but it does not necessarily represent the entire feminist population. Many feminists are not radicals but are mild heroines of women’s rights.Although some women have positive views of feminism as it related to fighting sexism and sexual oppression, only 12% of 200 college women in one particular study readily identified themselves in a feminist group (Roy, Weibust, Miller, 2007). This shows that feminism still has a negative connotation and most are scared to endorse feminism despite some of the positive aspects it entails. One last stereotype that seems highly unfortunate is t hat of senior citizens. Most people have the view that elderly people are slow and dumb. This comes from some facts pertaining to old age that include deterioration of the mind and body.However, it is very clear that many senior citizens have active lifestyles and are healthy and happy. Furthermore, the aspect of this stereotype that is most regrettable is that unlike the other groups that were discussed such as politicians, feminists, and tattooed persons, being elderly is not a choice; everyone comes to that stage in life. Therefore, perhaps the stereotypes forced upon senior citizens are by far the most pertinent examples of a lack of philanthropy and signify how stereotypes are harmful, outrageous slanters that lack conviction and critical thinking.The Truth Behind Stereotypes Stereotypes were developed on assumptions without any evidence. However, most stereotypes come alive with part truths that permeate the surface. There are relevant facts that pertain to stereotypes that ha ve been witnessed within a particular group. This is possibly the most crucial aspect of stereotyping. Because of this, most people engage in stereotypes without recourse because they believe that they are expressing truth. After all, some politicians are dishonest while some tattooed people are definitely unlawful.And most people can see that feminists are usually radicals while senior citizens are most surely slow and lack wit. However, it is not viable to put all individuals who share those labels into one group because there are most certainly many people that can be in those categories who invoke a ration of the unexpected. That is why truth should not be used as a scapegoat when applying stereotypes, because truth is whole and encompassing. Stereotypes clearly only deal with some and not the entire portion, therefore there is no truth to stereotypes.

College: Ready Or Not, Here It Comes! Essay

Schools from all over the country are preparing for the upcoming graduations in their respective institutions whether it is elementary, secondary or college academies especially those in high school. As often said, high school is a training ground for the upcoming college adventure of teenagers – a sanctuary for students to assert themselves and prepare themselves for the stress they are bound to face once they stepped on their college universities. But sadly, students graduating from secondary schools aren’t that assured as others believed to be. Unfortunately, according to the statistics, of the ten students that will finish elementary level, only seven would move up to the secondary level and only three would finish college up to the very end. These, as researches said, are commonly caused by poverty, lack of motivation and – yes – unpreparedness. The question is how we can deem a student ready for his /her college life. What are the things a student must have to be called prepared? What are the pointers that a senior student must consider in getting ready for college? First things first, we must know what we want. Choosing a course just simply because it’s ‘in’ would get you nowhere. Instead, select the one that would fit your character as well as your interests. Most college freshmen end up flunking their courses due to this misconception. Secondly, choose a college that would fit your standards. Somewhere near your place and offers quality education at your own price. After these two, you won’t have much difficulty in getting to college. But then, we always have the third cue. It would always end with the question ‘Can I do this?’ The answer? Of course you can! You would just need to shape up yourself. You must set your mind first to your goal. Your goal: to survive college and move on with life. Then, start having the confidence in you. Remember, this is college we are talking about. You will start off with only yourself to lean on before you get to meet other people. It would also help if you try to keep the pressure from getting to you. Take a load off and relax while you’re at it. Keep in mind that your education would not prosper if you would think of it as a duty – a burden – instead of an enjoyable activity. It doesn’t matter if you get awards or not, what matters is that you are learning steadily – awards are just bonuses. If you’ll observe our current society, you can perceive that the most successful personalities were not honor students during their times. Take them as your inspiration and surely, you can get through college with lesser difficulties. It wouldn’t hurt to put some effort on to something that we want to achieve. High school, as early as it seems, is not a mere phase of your life to learn something from the books. It is a phase where we should learn both the reality of life and to build an identity of our own – to discover ourselves. We can never stop time so use it wisely. Hopefully, students wouldn’t say the words ‘College: here it comes’ but rather, the declaration ‘College: ready or not, here I come’!

Utalitarian Principle in Charles Dickens Hard Times

INTRODUCTION Utilitarianism is the assumption that human beings act in a way that highlights their own self interest. It is based on factuality and leaves little room for imagination. Utilitarianism dominated as the form of government in England's Victorian age of eighteenth century. Utilitarianism, as rightly claimed by Dickens, robbed the people of their individuality and joy; deprived the children of their special period of their lives, ‘Childhood' and deprived women of their inherent right of equality.The theme of utilitarianism, along with industrialization and education is explored by Charles Dickens, in his novel  Hard Times.. Hard Times written in those times intended to explore its negativisms. Utilitarianism as a government was propounded as a value of system which evaluated its productivity by its overall utility. It substantiated the idea of â€Å"highest level of happiness for the highest numbers of people†. Since the overall happiness of the nation depend ed open the overall productivity, industrialism became the walk of everyday life.Moreover, since Utilitarianism assumes that what is good for majority is good for everyone, individual preferences are ignored. The majority answers are always right. Minorities are subjugated and oppressed, instead of being asked for their opinions. Their feelings are ignored and society becomes increasingly practical, and driven by economics. The theory fails to acknowledge any individual rights that could not be violated for the sake of the greater good. Hard Times  was in fact an attack on the Manchester School of economics, which supported  laissez-faire  and promoted a distorted view of Bentham’s ethics.The novel has been criticised for not offering specific remedies for the Condition-of-England problems it addresses. It is debatable whether solutions to social problems are to be sought in fiction, but nevertheless, Dickens’s novel anticipated the future debates concerning anti -pollution legislation, intelligent town-planning, health and safety measures in factories and a humane education system. The school teachers are compared to a gun loaded to its muzzle by facts ready to be exploded to the children. The children in schools don't have names and are called by numbers.There is no room for imaginative answers. When the teacher asks to answer what ‘horse' is, a student named Bitzer gives a factual answer, â€Å"quadruped† having this-many teeth etc, but by no means the ‘qualities' of the horse is exemplified and considered. The influence of utilitarianism is shown particularly by two characters in the novel, Gradgrind and Bounderby. Both are money-oriented, have materialistic outlook and give importance to ‘facts'. eople in insane productivity. Dickens provides three vivid examples of this utilitarian logic in Hard Times The first; Mr.Thomas Gradgrind, one of the main characters in the book, was the principal of a school in Coketo wn. He was a firm believer in utilitarianism and instilled this philosophy into the students at the school from a very young age, as well as his own children. Mr. Josiah Bounderby was also a practitioner of utilitarianism, but was more interested in the profit that stemmed from it. At the other end of the perspective, a group of circus members, who are the total opposite of utilitarians, are added by Dickens to provide a sharp contrast from the ideas of Mr. Bounderby and Mr. Gradgrind.Thomas Gradgrind Sr. , a father of five children, has lived his life by the book and  never strayed from his philosophy that life is nothing more than facts and statistics. . Thomas Gradgrind in particular always gives importance to facts and raises his children to be hard, machine-like and epitomes of facts and they lack any emotions. Even while justifying Louisa's marriage to ‘old' Bounderby, he does so by some mathematical calculations and logic.. He has successfully incorporated this belief into the school system of Coketown, and has tried his best to do so with his own children.They did not consider, however, the children’s need for fiction, poetry, and other fine arts that are used to expand children’s minds, all of which are essential today in order to produce well-rounded human beings through the educational process. One has to wonder how different the story would be if Gradgrind did not run the school. How can you give a utilitarian man such as Gradgrind such power over a town? I do like how Dickens structures the book to make one ask obvious questions such as these.Dickens does not tell us much about the success of the other students of the school besides Bitzer, who is fairly successful on paper, but does not have the capacity as a person to deal with life’s everyday struggles. Gradgrinds two oldest children, Tom and Louisa, are examples of how this utilitarian method failed miserably. These children were never given the opportunity to thin k for themselves, experience fun things in life, or even use their imaginations. True, they are smart people in the factual sense but do not have the street smarts to survive.Tom is a young man who, so fed up with his father’s strictness and repetition, revolts against him and leaves home to work in Mr. Bounderby’s bank. Tom, now out from under his fathers wing, he begins to drink and gamble heavily. Eventually, to get out of a deep gambling debt, he robs a bank and is forced to flee the area. When Bitzer realizes that Tom has robbed the bank and catches him, Mr. Gradgrind begs him to let Tom go, reminding him of all of the hard work that was put on him while at the school.Ironically Bitzer, using the tools of factuality that he had learned in Gradgrinds school, replies that the school was paid for, but it is now over and he owes nothing more. I think this is extremely funny how, at a time of need, Gradgrind’s educational theory has backfired in his face. I thin k Dickens put this irony in as a comical device but also to show how ineffective the utilitarian method of teaching is. Louisa, unlike Tom, does get along with her father. She even agrees to marry Mr. Bounderby, even though she does not love him, in order to please her father.She stays in the marriage with Bounderby, and goes about life normally and factually, until she is faced with a dilemma and panics. Mr. James Harthouse, a young, good looking guy, is attracted to Louisa and deceivingly draws her attraction to him. She does not know what to do since she has never had feelings of her own before. Her father never gave her the opportunity to think for herself, or even love someone. This is why Louisa goes frantic and ends up crying in her fathers lap. She has always been told what to do and what is ‘right’, and now even her father is stumped.For the first time in the whole novel, Mr. Gradgrind strays from the utilitarian philosophy and shows compassion for his daughter and her feelings. One must think that he is beginning to doubt his philosophy after seeing it backfire in his face more than once. Josiah Bounderby is another prime example of utilitarianism. He is one of the wealthiest people in Coketown; owning a bank and a factory, but is not really a likable person. His utilitarian philosophy is similar to Gradgrinds in the sense that factuality is the single most important virtue that one could posses.Mr. Bounderby maintained throughout the story his utilitarian views, which basically stated that nothing else is important besides profit. Being the owner of both a factory and a bank, Bounderby employs many workers, yet seems to offer them no respect at all. He refers to the factory workers as â€Å"Hands,† because that is all they are to him. Bounderby often states that workers are all looking for â€Å"venison, turtle soup, and a golden spoon,† while all they really want is decent working conditions and fair wage for their work.H e is not concerned about his employees as human beings, but how much their hands can produce during the workday, resulting with money in his pocket. When one of his workers, Stephen Blackpool came to Bounderby’s house asking for advice about his bad marriage, he was treated as inferior just because of his social status. Dickens portrayed the scene as one in which Blackpool was on a level five steps below Bounderby and his associates because he was a lowly worker who was obviously much less educated than them.It almost seemed like they would not even take him seriously because he was such. Blackpool was told that he could not divorce his wife because it would be against the laws of England. Later in the book, Bounderby divorces his wife. This shows that wealth played a large role in determining the social classes that people were in and the privileges they had. This was definitely unfair but the social classes were structured in a way which allowed those who had money to look down upon those who were less fortunate.Generally, those who were not well-educated did not have any money, while the well-educated ones such as Bounderby and Gradgrind were wealthy. The people who knew the factual information, (utilitarians) were successful, while those who did not were reduced to working in the factories of the utilitarians. Dickens paints a vivid picture of this inequality between social classes and shows he does not care much for it. It is fairly easy to see that Dickens holds a contempt for Bounderby and the utilitarian philosophy he carries.The book details the philosophy, then shows how miserably it failed. How much different would their lives be if the town was not run by utilitarians. Dickens cleverly added in circus people as a contrast to the utilitarian approach to life. The circus people could be called the total opposite of utilitarianism. If one element of the book stands out in my mind, it would be this one. The circus people are simple, open-minded human beings whose goal in life is to make people laugh.Dickens portrays them as a step up from the â€Å"Hands† but still close to the bottom in the social structure. These people are hated by Gradgrind, Bounderby and other utilitarians because they represent everything that is shunned in utilitarianism such as love, imagination, and humor. Sissy Jupe, the daughter of a circus man, was taken in by the Gradgrinds to live in their home. She is representative of the circus people with her innocence and free-will, qualities which are lacking in the lives of the people around her.Just by her presence, her goodness rubs off on the people around her, although it is too late for most of them. Even after numerous attempts to force utilitarianism into her by Mr. Gradgrind and his school, she is still the fun-loving girl that she always was because she grew up living with â€Å"normal† people who thought for themselves and loved each other. She influenced these qualities on the youngest Gradgrind daughter Jane, who led a much more enjoyable and fulfilling life than her older sister Louisa because of those influences.Jane is not spoken of much until the end of the book but I like the way Dickens showed the effects of the utilitarian lifestyle as opposed to the non-utilitarian lifestyle. The utilitarians ultimately ended with a great downfall because their narrow-minds could not endure the pressures that life can impose on oneself. The people that did not fall victim to the utilitarian trap were able to live their lives happily and freely, able to love, laugh, and use their imagination; which is the way life ought to be lived.Dickens obviously had a definitive opinion of the way life should be lived and did an excellent job of depicting it. His method was somewhat indirect in the sense that he worked backwards to get his point across, but turned out to be very effective as the story progressed. Most of the story revolved around utilitarianism and the study o f cold hard facts, but when the character flaws began to surface as a result of this philosophy, Dickens is quick to emphasize them. One actually sees the main character of the book and firm supporter of utilitarianism, Mr.Thomas Gradgrind, experience the faults of his practice and begin to stray from it. Now, after watching his life fall apart, maybe he wishes he were in the circus. .  . The working and living conditions were often atrocious. Working days were long, and wages low, as employers often exploited their workers and increased their profits by lowering the cost of production by paying meagre wages and neglecting pollution control. Safety measures were often ignored and workers were put out of jobs by the introduction of machines that created a surplus of labour.The rate of accidents was very high. A handicapped worker was doomed to extreme poverty, as there were no social security or insurance payments. The New Poor Law of 1834 was based on the â€Å"principle of less eligibility,† which stipulated that the condition of the â€Å"able-bodied pauper† on relief (it did not apply to the sick, aged, or children) be less â€Å"eligible†that is, less desirable, less favorable than the condition of the independent laborer. This reasoning was absolutely correct from the scientific and the Utilitarian point of view, but it rejected any emotional considerations.There was no consciousness of class beyond a recognition that the ‘masters' constituted a different order of society into which they would never penetrate. Their aspirations were modest: to be respected by their fellows ;to see their families growing up and making their way in the world, and to die without debt and without sin. Trade unions did appear to introduce and protect workers rights, but in the initial stages of industrialisation, the workers were not protected. Purely theoretically, it can be proven that Utilitarianism poses a threat to humanity.For example, if one person must suffer to make other people happy, then in the Utilitarian terms it is acceptable to make that person suffer. One of the Hands in Bounderby’s factory, Stephen lives a life of drudgery and poverty. In spite of the hardships of his daily toil, Stephen strives to maintain his honesty, integrity, faith, and compassion. Stephen is an important character not only because his poverty and virtue contrast with Bounderby’s wealth and self-interest, but also because he finds himself in the midst of a labor dispute that illustrates the strained relations between rich and poor.Stephen is the only Hand who refuses to join a workers’ union: he believes that striking is not the best way to improve relations between factory owners and employees, and he also wants to earn an honest living. As a result, he is cast out of the workers’ group. However, he also refuses to spy on his fellow workers for Bounderby, who consequently sends him away. Both groups, rich an d poor, respond in the same self-interested, backstabbing way.As Rachael explains, Stephen ends up with the â€Å"masters against him on one hand, the men against him on the other, he only wantin’ to work hard in peace, and do what he felt right. † Through Stephen, Dickens suggests that industrialization threatens to compromise both the employee’s and employer’s moral integrity, thereby creating a social muddle to which there is no easy solution. Through his efforts to resist the moral corruption on all sides, Stephen becomes a martyr, or Christ figure, ultimately dying for Tom’s crime.When he falls into a mine shaft on his way back to Coketown to clear his name of the charge of robbing Bounderby’s bank, Stephen comforts himself by gazing at a particularly bright star that seems to shine on him in his â€Å"pain and trouble. † This star not only represents the ideals of virtue for which Stephen strives, but also the happiness and tran quility that is lacking in his troubled life. Moreover, his ability to find comfort in the star illustrates the importance of imagination, which enables him to escape the cold, hard facts of his miserable existence.In  Hard Times  human relationships are contaminated by economics. The principles of the ‘dismal science’ led to the formation of a selfish and atomistic society. The social commentary of  Hard Times  is quite clear. Dickens is concerned with the conditions of the urban labourers and the excesses of laissez-faire capitalism. He exposes the exploitation of the working class by unfeeling industrialists and the damaging consequences of propagating factual knowledge (statistics) at the expense of feeling and imagination.However, although Dickens is critical about Utilitarianism, he cannot find a better way of safeguarding social justice than through ethical means. â€Å"In place of Utilitarianism, Dickens can offer only good-heartedness, individual chari ty, and Sleary’s horse-riding; like other writers on the Condition of England Question, he was better equipped to examine the symptoms of the disease than to suggest a possible cure† (Wheeler, 81). Hard Times  proves that fancy is essential for human happiness, and in this aspect it is one of the best morally uplifting novels.Dickens avoided propagating employer paternalism in the manner of Disraeli, Charlotte Bronte and Gaskell, and strongly opposed commodification of labour in Victorian England. As John R. Harrison has pointed out: The target of Dickens’s criticism, however, was not Bentham’s Utilitarianism, nor Malthusian theories of population, nor Smith’s free-market economics, but the crude utilitarianism derived from such ideas by Benthamite Philosophical Radicals, which tended to dominate social, political, and economic thinking and policy at the time the novel was written.The Gradgrind/Bounderby philosophy is that the Coketown â€Å" Han ds† are commodities, â€Å" something† to be worked so much and paid so much, to be â€Å"infallibly settled† by â€Å"laws of supply and demand,† something that increased in number by a certain â€Å" rate of percentage† with accompanying percentages of crime and pauperism; in fact, â€Å"something wholesale, of which vast fortunes were made. † REFERENCES * All references to Bentham's  Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation  will be to the section of it republished in Burr and Goldinger's  Philosophy and Contemporary Issues.New York: Macmillan,1992. p. 225-232. * Dimwiddy, John. Bentham. Oxford  and  New York:  Oxford  UP, 1989. * Mitchell,Sally,ed. Victorian  Britain: An Encyclopedia. New York  and  London:  GarlandPublishing,1988. * Cazamian, Louis. The Social Novel in  England  1830-1850. London  and  Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1973. * Woodward, Sir Llewellyn. The Age of Reform 1815- 1870. The  Oxford  history of  England. Oxford:  Oxford  UP, 1962. Utalitarian Principle in Charles Dickens Hard Times INTRODUCTION Utilitarianism is the assumption that human beings act in a way that highlights their own self interest. It is based on factuality and leaves little room for imagination. Utilitarianism dominated as the form of government in England's Victorian age of eighteenth century. Utilitarianism, as rightly claimed by Dickens, robbed the people of their individuality and joy; deprived the children of their special period of their lives, ‘Childhood' and deprived women of their inherent right of equality.The theme of utilitarianism, along with industrialization and education is explored by Charles Dickens, in his novel  Hard Times.. Hard Times written in those times intended to explore its negativisms. Utilitarianism as a government was propounded as a value of system which evaluated its productivity by its overall utility. It substantiated the idea of â€Å"highest level of happiness for the highest numbers of people†. Since the overall happiness of the nation depend ed open the overall productivity, industrialism became the walk of everyday life.Moreover, since Utilitarianism assumes that what is good for majority is good for everyone, individual preferences are ignored. The majority answers are always right. Minorities are subjugated and oppressed, instead of being asked for their opinions. Their feelings are ignored and society becomes increasingly practical, and driven by economics. The theory fails to acknowledge any individual rights that could not be violated for the sake of the greater good. Hard Times  was in fact an attack on the Manchester School of economics, which supported  laissez-faire  and promoted a distorted view of Bentham’s ethics.The novel has been criticised for not offering specific remedies for the Condition-of-England problems it addresses. It is debatable whether solutions to social problems are to be sought in fiction, but nevertheless, Dickens’s novel anticipated the future debates concerning anti -pollution legislation, intelligent town-planning, health and safety measures in factories and a humane education system. The school teachers are compared to a gun loaded to its muzzle by facts ready to be exploded to the children. The children in schools don't have names and are called by numbers.There is no room for imaginative answers. When the teacher asks to answer what ‘horse' is, a student named Bitzer gives a factual answer, â€Å"quadruped† having this-many teeth etc, but by no means the ‘qualities' of the horse is exemplified and considered. The influence of utilitarianism is shown particularly by two characters in the novel, Gradgrind and Bounderby. Both are money-oriented, have materialistic outlook and give importance to ‘facts'. eople in insane productivity. Dickens provides three vivid examples of this utilitarian logic in Hard Times The first; Mr.Thomas Gradgrind, one of the main characters in the book, was the principal of a school in Coketo wn. He was a firm believer in utilitarianism and instilled this philosophy into the students at the school from a very young age, as well as his own children. Mr. Josiah Bounderby was also a practitioner of utilitarianism, but was more interested in the profit that stemmed from it. At the other end of the perspective, a group of circus members, who are the total opposite of utilitarians, are added by Dickens to provide a sharp contrast from the ideas of Mr. Bounderby and Mr. Gradgrind.Thomas Gradgrind Sr. , a father of five children, has lived his life by the book and  never strayed from his philosophy that life is nothing more than facts and statistics. . Thomas Gradgrind in particular always gives importance to facts and raises his children to be hard, machine-like and epitomes of facts and they lack any emotions. Even while justifying Louisa's marriage to ‘old' Bounderby, he does so by some mathematical calculations and logic.. He has successfully incorporated this belief into the school system of Coketown, and has tried his best to do so with his own children.They did not consider, however, the children’s need for fiction, poetry, and other fine arts that are used to expand children’s minds, all of which are essential today in order to produce well-rounded human beings through the educational process. One has to wonder how different the story would be if Gradgrind did not run the school. How can you give a utilitarian man such as Gradgrind such power over a town? I do like how Dickens structures the book to make one ask obvious questions such as these.Dickens does not tell us much about the success of the other students of the school besides Bitzer, who is fairly successful on paper, but does not have the capacity as a person to deal with life’s everyday struggles. Gradgrinds two oldest children, Tom and Louisa, are examples of how this utilitarian method failed miserably. These children were never given the opportunity to thin k for themselves, experience fun things in life, or even use their imaginations. True, they are smart people in the factual sense but do not have the street smarts to survive.Tom is a young man who, so fed up with his father’s strictness and repetition, revolts against him and leaves home to work in Mr. Bounderby’s bank. Tom, now out from under his fathers wing, he begins to drink and gamble heavily. Eventually, to get out of a deep gambling debt, he robs a bank and is forced to flee the area. When Bitzer realizes that Tom has robbed the bank and catches him, Mr. Gradgrind begs him to let Tom go, reminding him of all of the hard work that was put on him while at the school.Ironically Bitzer, using the tools of factuality that he had learned in Gradgrinds school, replies that the school was paid for, but it is now over and he owes nothing more. I think this is extremely funny how, at a time of need, Gradgrind’s educational theory has backfired in his face. I thin k Dickens put this irony in as a comical device but also to show how ineffective the utilitarian method of teaching is. Louisa, unlike Tom, does get along with her father. She even agrees to marry Mr. Bounderby, even though she does not love him, in order to please her father.She stays in the marriage with Bounderby, and goes about life normally and factually, until she is faced with a dilemma and panics. Mr. James Harthouse, a young, good looking guy, is attracted to Louisa and deceivingly draws her attraction to him. She does not know what to do since she has never had feelings of her own before. Her father never gave her the opportunity to think for herself, or even love someone. This is why Louisa goes frantic and ends up crying in her fathers lap. She has always been told what to do and what is ‘right’, and now even her father is stumped.For the first time in the whole novel, Mr. Gradgrind strays from the utilitarian philosophy and shows compassion for his daughter and her feelings. One must think that he is beginning to doubt his philosophy after seeing it backfire in his face more than once. Josiah Bounderby is another prime example of utilitarianism. He is one of the wealthiest people in Coketown; owning a bank and a factory, but is not really a likable person. His utilitarian philosophy is similar to Gradgrinds in the sense that factuality is the single most important virtue that one could posses.Mr. Bounderby maintained throughout the story his utilitarian views, which basically stated that nothing else is important besides profit. Being the owner of both a factory and a bank, Bounderby employs many workers, yet seems to offer them no respect at all. He refers to the factory workers as â€Å"Hands,† because that is all they are to him. Bounderby often states that workers are all looking for â€Å"venison, turtle soup, and a golden spoon,† while all they really want is decent working conditions and fair wage for their work.H e is not concerned about his employees as human beings, but how much their hands can produce during the workday, resulting with money in his pocket. When one of his workers, Stephen Blackpool came to Bounderby’s house asking for advice about his bad marriage, he was treated as inferior just because of his social status. Dickens portrayed the scene as one in which Blackpool was on a level five steps below Bounderby and his associates because he was a lowly worker who was obviously much less educated than them.It almost seemed like they would not even take him seriously because he was such. Blackpool was told that he could not divorce his wife because it would be against the laws of England. Later in the book, Bounderby divorces his wife. This shows that wealth played a large role in determining the social classes that people were in and the privileges they had. This was definitely unfair but the social classes were structured in a way which allowed those who had money to look down upon those who were less fortunate.Generally, those who were not well-educated did not have any money, while the well-educated ones such as Bounderby and Gradgrind were wealthy. The people who knew the factual information, (utilitarians) were successful, while those who did not were reduced to working in the factories of the utilitarians. Dickens paints a vivid picture of this inequality between social classes and shows he does not care much for it. It is fairly easy to see that Dickens holds a contempt for Bounderby and the utilitarian philosophy he carries.The book details the philosophy, then shows how miserably it failed. How much different would their lives be if the town was not run by utilitarians. Dickens cleverly added in circus people as a contrast to the utilitarian approach to life. The circus people could be called the total opposite of utilitarianism. If one element of the book stands out in my mind, it would be this one. The circus people are simple, open-minded human beings whose goal in life is to make people laugh.Dickens portrays them as a step up from the â€Å"Hands† but still close to the bottom in the social structure. These people are hated by Gradgrind, Bounderby and other utilitarians because they represent everything that is shunned in utilitarianism such as love, imagination, and humor. Sissy Jupe, the daughter of a circus man, was taken in by the Gradgrinds to live in their home. She is representative of the circus people with her innocence and free-will, qualities which are lacking in the lives of the people around her.Just by her presence, her goodness rubs off on the people around her, although it is too late for most of them. Even after numerous attempts to force utilitarianism into her by Mr. Gradgrind and his school, she is still the fun-loving girl that she always was because she grew up living with â€Å"normal† people who thought for themselves and loved each other. She influenced these qualities on the youngest Gradgrind daughter Jane, who led a much more enjoyable and fulfilling life than her older sister Louisa because of those influences.Jane is not spoken of much until the end of the book but I like the way Dickens showed the effects of the utilitarian lifestyle as opposed to the non-utilitarian lifestyle. The utilitarians ultimately ended with a great downfall because their narrow-minds could not endure the pressures that life can impose on oneself. The people that did not fall victim to the utilitarian trap were able to live their lives happily and freely, able to love, laugh, and use their imagination; which is the way life ought to be lived.Dickens obviously had a definitive opinion of the way life should be lived and did an excellent job of depicting it. His method was somewhat indirect in the sense that he worked backwards to get his point across, but turned out to be very effective as the story progressed. Most of the story revolved around utilitarianism and the study o f cold hard facts, but when the character flaws began to surface as a result of this philosophy, Dickens is quick to emphasize them. One actually sees the main character of the book and firm supporter of utilitarianism, Mr.Thomas Gradgrind, experience the faults of his practice and begin to stray from it. Now, after watching his life fall apart, maybe he wishes he were in the circus. .  . The working and living conditions were often atrocious. Working days were long, and wages low, as employers often exploited their workers and increased their profits by lowering the cost of production by paying meagre wages and neglecting pollution control. Safety measures were often ignored and workers were put out of jobs by the introduction of machines that created a surplus of labour.The rate of accidents was very high. A handicapped worker was doomed to extreme poverty, as there were no social security or insurance payments. The New Poor Law of 1834 was based on the â€Å"principle of less eligibility,† which stipulated that the condition of the â€Å"able-bodied pauper† on relief (it did not apply to the sick, aged, or children) be less â€Å"eligible†that is, less desirable, less favorable than the condition of the independent laborer. This reasoning was absolutely correct from the scientific and the Utilitarian point of view, but it rejected any emotional considerations.There was no consciousness of class beyond a recognition that the ‘masters' constituted a different order of society into which they would never penetrate. Their aspirations were modest: to be respected by their fellows ;to see their families growing up and making their way in the world, and to die without debt and without sin. Trade unions did appear to introduce and protect workers rights, but in the initial stages of industrialisation, the workers were not protected. Purely theoretically, it can be proven that Utilitarianism poses a threat to humanity.For example, if one person must suffer to make other people happy, then in the Utilitarian terms it is acceptable to make that person suffer. One of the Hands in Bounderby’s factory, Stephen lives a life of drudgery and poverty. In spite of the hardships of his daily toil, Stephen strives to maintain his honesty, integrity, faith, and compassion. Stephen is an important character not only because his poverty and virtue contrast with Bounderby’s wealth and self-interest, but also because he finds himself in the midst of a labor dispute that illustrates the strained relations between rich and poor.Stephen is the only Hand who refuses to join a workers’ union: he believes that striking is not the best way to improve relations between factory owners and employees, and he also wants to earn an honest living. As a result, he is cast out of the workers’ group. However, he also refuses to spy on his fellow workers for Bounderby, who consequently sends him away. Both groups, rich an d poor, respond in the same self-interested, backstabbing way.As Rachael explains, Stephen ends up with the â€Å"masters against him on one hand, the men against him on the other, he only wantin’ to work hard in peace, and do what he felt right. † Through Stephen, Dickens suggests that industrialization threatens to compromise both the employee’s and employer’s moral integrity, thereby creating a social muddle to which there is no easy solution. Through his efforts to resist the moral corruption on all sides, Stephen becomes a martyr, or Christ figure, ultimately dying for Tom’s crime.When he falls into a mine shaft on his way back to Coketown to clear his name of the charge of robbing Bounderby’s bank, Stephen comforts himself by gazing at a particularly bright star that seems to shine on him in his â€Å"pain and trouble. † This star not only represents the ideals of virtue for which Stephen strives, but also the happiness and tran quility that is lacking in his troubled life. Moreover, his ability to find comfort in the star illustrates the importance of imagination, which enables him to escape the cold, hard facts of his miserable existence.In  Hard Times  human relationships are contaminated by economics. The principles of the ‘dismal science’ led to the formation of a selfish and atomistic society. The social commentary of  Hard Times  is quite clear. Dickens is concerned with the conditions of the urban labourers and the excesses of laissez-faire capitalism. He exposes the exploitation of the working class by unfeeling industrialists and the damaging consequences of propagating factual knowledge (statistics) at the expense of feeling and imagination.However, although Dickens is critical about Utilitarianism, he cannot find a better way of safeguarding social justice than through ethical means. â€Å"In place of Utilitarianism, Dickens can offer only good-heartedness, individual chari ty, and Sleary’s horse-riding; like other writers on the Condition of England Question, he was better equipped to examine the symptoms of the disease than to suggest a possible cure† (Wheeler, 81). Hard Times  proves that fancy is essential for human happiness, and in this aspect it is one of the best morally uplifting novels.Dickens avoided propagating employer paternalism in the manner of Disraeli, Charlotte Bronte and Gaskell, and strongly opposed commodification of labour in Victorian England. As John R. Harrison has pointed out: The target of Dickens’s criticism, however, was not Bentham’s Utilitarianism, nor Malthusian theories of population, nor Smith’s free-market economics, but the crude utilitarianism derived from such ideas by Benthamite Philosophical Radicals, which tended to dominate social, political, and economic thinking and policy at the time the novel was written.The Gradgrind/Bounderby philosophy is that the Coketown â€Å" Han ds† are commodities, â€Å" something† to be worked so much and paid so much, to be â€Å"infallibly settled† by â€Å"laws of supply and demand,† something that increased in number by a certain â€Å" rate of percentage† with accompanying percentages of crime and pauperism; in fact, â€Å"something wholesale, of which vast fortunes were made. † REFERENCES * All references to Bentham's  Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation  will be to the section of it republished in Burr and Goldinger's  Philosophy and Contemporary Issues.New York: Macmillan,1992. p. 225-232. * Dimwiddy, John. Bentham. Oxford  and  New York:  Oxford  UP, 1989. * Mitchell,Sally,ed. Victorian  Britain: An Encyclopedia. New York  and  London:  GarlandPublishing,1988. * Cazamian, Louis. The Social Novel in  England  1830-1850. London  and  Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1973. * Woodward, Sir Llewellyn. The Age of Reform 1815- 1870. The  Oxford  history of  England. Oxford:  Oxford  UP, 1962.

Irish Traditional Music

The Harp The harping tradition in Ireland flourished from medieval times until the seventeenth century. It was fostered and developed among the powerful and wealthy Irish and Anglo-Irish families. Harpers were employed along with poets and orators, known as reacoirs, to provide entertainment for the families. As the families acted as patrons to the harpers, they would often have solo pieces, known as planxties, written in their honour by their harper. One famous song is Planxty Kelly.The occupation of a harper was a very prestigious one. The harping tradition was passed on, father to son, for many years and was one of very few viable career options for blind boys at the time. However, after 1600, as the great families went into decline, there was a loss of patronage and harpers were left unemployed. The harping tradition then became a nomadic one, as harpers would travel from county to county, playing for money and food. There were two styles of harp: the Bardic harp and the Neo-Iris h harp.The Bardic harp had between 29 and 31 strings made of wire, which were played with the nails. Usually around 70cm in height with a curved pillar and a hollow soundbox, the Bardic harp was the more resonant of the two. The Neo-Irish harp typically had 34 strings made of nylon or cat gut, which were played with the pads of the fingers. They were taller (about 91cm in height) than the Bardic harp, but less resonant. In 1792 the Belfast Harp Festival was setup with the aim of preventing the decline of the harping tradition.It consisted of eleven harpers from the age of 15 to 97, playing pieces in their own particular style. One player that was the light of the day was Denis Hempson, age 97, being the oldest player there. Edward Bunting was commissioned by the Belfast Harp Society to record the lifestyles of the harpers as well as recording and writing down the music from the festival to preserve it for future generations. This method, unlike the oral tradition which had existed u p until then, did not allow for particular nuances in style and some of these were lost.There was a harping revival in the second half of the twentieth century. The role of the harp as a traditional instrument was led by Maire Ni Chathasaigh, who had solo albums such as â€Å"The New Strung Harp† and Laoise Kelly who release the album â€Å"Just Harp† Uilleann Pipes The uilleann pipes are the characteristic national Bagpipe of Ireland. Their current name (they were earlier known in English as â€Å"union pipes†) is a part translation of the Irish language term pioba uilleann (literally, â€Å"pipes of the elbow†), from their method of inflation.The uilleann pipes are distinguished from many other forms of bagpipes by their sweet tone and wide range of notes together with the unique blend of chanter, drones, and regulators. The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a small set of bellows strapped around the waist and the right arm. The bellows not only relieve the player from the effort needed to blow into a bag to maintain pressure, they also allow relatively dry air to power the reeds, reducing the adverse effects of moisture on tuning and longevity.The chanter is the part of the instrument that plays the melody. It's somewhat like a low whistle except it is not placed in the mouth. Air is pumped through the bellows which is attached to the player's right elbow, hence the name. To achieve the â€Å"bottom D† the chanter is lifted off the knee, exposing the exit of the chanter's bore, where the note is produced. The chanter is set on the right knee thus closing off the bottom hole. Many players use a strip of leather placed over the knee, called a â€Å"popping strap,† which provides for an airtight seal.A great range of different timbres can be achieved by varying the fingering of notes and also raising the chanter off the knee, which gives the uilleann pipes a degree of dynamic range not found in other fo rms of bagpipes. A type of simultaneous vibrato and tremolo can be achieved by tapping a finger below the open note hole on the chanter. The bottom note also has two different â€Å"modes†, namely the â€Å"soft D† and the â€Å"hard D†. The hard bottom D sounds louder and more strident than the soft D and is accomplished by applying slightly more pressure to the bag and flicking a higher note finger as it is sounded.Many chanters are fitted with keys to allow accurate playing of all the semitones of the scale. Most uilleann chanters are very responsive to â€Å"half-holing† or â€Å"sliding†, which is the practice of obtaining a note by leaving a fingerhole only half covered. This is why many chanters sold in Ireland are sold without keys. The chanter uses a double reed similar to that of the oboe and bassoon. The regulators are equipped with closed keys which can be opened by the piper's wrist action enabling the piper to play simple chords, givi ng a rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment as needed. History The uilleann pipes developed around the beginning of the 18th century, the history of which is here depicted in prints of carvings and pictures from contemporary sources. The earliest surviving sets of uilleann pipes date from the second half of the 18th century but it must be said that datings are not definitive. Many of the early players in Ireland were Protestant, possibly the best known being the mid-18th century piper Jackson from Co Limerick. The pipes were certainly frequently used by the Protestant clergy who employed them as an alternative to the church organ.Tuning The instrument most typically is tuned in the key of D, although â€Å"flat† sets do exist in other keys. These terms only began to be used in the 1970s, when pipemakers began to receive requests for pipes that would be in tune with Generation tin whistles which are stamped with the key they play in: C, B? , etc. The chanter length determines the overall tuning; accompanying pieces of the instrument, such as drones and regulators, are tuned to the same key as the chanter.The D pipes are most commonly used in ensembles, while the flat-pitched pipes are more often used for solo playing. It is noteworthy that Irish music was predominately solo music until the late 19th century, when these fixed-pitch instruments began to play more of a role. Performers Davey Spillane of Moving Hearts has also recorded solo albums. Liam Og O Floinn of Planxty has also featured as soloist with Shaun Davey in The Brendan Voyage and with RTE orchestras. Paddy Maloney is with The Chieftains. Others from past and present include Seamus Ennis, Paddy Glackin and Paddy Keenan.