Perception of the African American Males Essay

African Americans males are considered dangerous based on a false identity, misconceptions, and misinformation that are available in the media; this includes but is not limited to rap music, news, and TV shows. This misconception can be traced as far back as slavery. The perception of blacks’ males as being dangerous began when the slave came to America on 1619. Due to the situation of being treated as property, to be freely bought and sold, and that the owner was free to split up a couple or family at any time simply by selling some of his/her slaves. African slaves started to behave in a hostile manner. Because of their behavior the Caucasians immediately started to classify the slaves as being dangerous, and they need to be tame as if they were wild animals. This lead the slave masters to start putting chain and walking around with their rifles when they would be in the fields with them. As it was stated in ‘The Brut Caricature†, it portrays black men as innately savage, animalistic, destructive, and criminal; deserving punishment, and maybe death. Due to the negative influence and portrayals of African Americans males, these individuals are often misguided. The nature vs.nurture theory comes into play. I. e. Low income black males are predisposed to innate qualities, while behavioral traits are learned i. e. through the media. â€Å"Get Rich or Die Trying† is the mentality of most African American males with the help of the media. Most males see themselves as rap stars, sports stars, and or comedians. There is limited exposure of African American as doctors or lawyers at an early age its learned that their chance of success in life is limited. The men in the low income communities have the tendencies of wanting to become like the â€Å"white man†. The main problem is that they portray the idea of â€Å"get rich quick†. These perceptions cause them to turn into drugs, and from there into violence and crimes. According to a 2006 National Urban League report a third of black males will spend time in prison before their 35th birthday. This fact could be because of the high school dropouts and the poor understanding they get from society. Yes, I said the poor understanding from society, because black men are one of the least understood groups in our country. People don’t look at the conditions that cause a lot of black men to be in the situations they’re in today, they just look at the results. † According to my findings, among men, blacks (28. 5%) are about six times more likely than whites (4. 4%) to be admitted to prison during their life. I also noted that there are more black males in prison in America than are in college. (The Black and White of Justice, Freedom Magazine). Volume 28. Another consequence for African Americans it’s that the â€Å"monster† image given by the Caucasian people are carry by the poor African American people. According to Stallworth (early 1990’s) young black males continue to follow patterns of slavery times. Many fulfill white America’s image of them legitimately by becoming successful gangster rappers, others fulfill these image illegitimately by becoming â€Å"bad niggers† Rappers, therefore reinforce the popular belief that as â€Å"bad ass niggers† young black can achieve fame, recognition, and sense of being (somebody). If they lose, however, they can face a long stay in our jails and prisons or even bodily injury and death. Which it’s happening now days. Media and the African American Males According to the book ‘Black Demons’ there is a â€Å"black pathology† a fundamental weakness in African American families that can be traced to their experiences as slaves. The news media, for example, have taken the lead in equating young African American males with aggressiveness, lawlessness, and violence. Likewise, the entertainment media have eagerly taken their cue from the journalists, and these false images not only affect race relationship but also create a self felling prophecy for African American youngsters, whose limits of achievement can be determined for them by suggestions in the media. A common stereotype about African American men is that they are engage in drug abuse a disproportionate way which it’s not true because according to statistics from the US department of Health and Human services that although eight percent of African American males cocaine, eleven percent of whites have use the same drug. This is, however, not the impression that we get from watching the evening local news or even an episode of television program COPS. Blacks Stereotyped of Being Intellectually Inferior and Criminals. Another common negative stereotype, establishes the African American male as intellectually inferior. Studies directed by psychologist Claude Stale, indicate that African American teenagers are aware that they are stigmatized as being intellectually inferior and the go to school bearing what psychologist Claude has called a â€Å"burden of suspicion† Such burden can affect their attitudes and achievements. These shadows hang over stigmatized people no matter their status or accomplishments. These stigmas have the potential to roll them of their individually and debilitate their attempts to break out of the stereotypical roles. Blacks are the repository for the American fear of crime. Ask anyone, of any race, to picture a criminal and the image will have a black face. The linked between blackness and criminality it’s routinized by terms such a â€Å"black-on-black crimes† or â€Å"black crimes†. I also have to mention the ‘black brute stereotype arise in the early 1870’s. Such stereotype is one of the pictures white Americans have in their heads about black men: as savage, violent amazingly strong and not caring about right and wrong. Even today according to my findings , blacks are three times more likely to be physically threatened, harmed or killed because if their race than whites. So this idea of whites as peaceful and blacks ad threatening to white is not rooted in fact. It is rooted in something else. Yes, there are black men who are violent and savage, who do unspeakable things. But there are white men like that too. In either case they are hardly common enough to reasonably determine one’s ideas about the ordinary people of their race. Rap Music and its influence in African American males Rap music celebrates vulgarity. Indeed, it markets vulgarity; that is its product. It is the vulgar excesses of rap-the profanity, the over-sized jewelry, the naked acquisitiveness, the sexual aggressiveness-that are its hallmarks. New media attention on rap music seems obsessed on instances of violence at rap concerts, rap producers’ illegal use of musical samples, gangster raps’ lurid fanatics of cop killing, and female dismemberment, and Black Nationalist rappers suggestions that white peoples are devils disciples. It seems that rappers to notice the influence they have in people mostly African American people, and by say this type of things they send an incorrect message to their fanatics and other people in general. In most of the songs you can find a high level of aggravated language, images, and high crimes scenarios. . According to the authors of these songs, they just make it for the entertainment of their fans without thinking of the image they are given of their people and themselves. One question and many answers from our society I took the duty to find out the perception that common US citizens have towards African American males, by submitting a question on (answersyahoo. com) people from all around our country answered to my question. The following are the answers to my survey. †¢ People poisonous stereotypes the black males with the â€Å"5 Ds†Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬Å"Dumb, deprived, dangerous, deviant, and disturbed†. †¢ Lazy & uneducated †¢ Drug dealers †¢ Poor †¢ Hate other races †¢ They are dirty †¢ Loud, obnoxious, rude My Opinion. For these reasons and many other African American males are consider dangerous for our society. But stop and think for a minute, are they all really dangerous or this is only a big misunderstanding? Can we judge them all as a whole, or there are some of them that can be excluded of being stereotyped as â€Å"dangerous†, â€Å"criminal†, etc? In my opinion we cannot judged them all as a whole and we should also try to understand the reasons behind their actions. We have to learn how to be open minded and see things from different perspectives. We also have to realize that not everything that we see and listen in the media is always the truth, there is always a second part of a story and most of the time we fail to look for that second part. African American behavior has been shaped by us (society) because of our mistreatment towards them and our racism†¦ I believe if we change the way we look at them and express about them, they will change their behavior and we no longer will have to use the statement of â€Å"dangerous† when referring to a African American male. Conclusion. To conclude to this issue in question I just have to say ‘Black or white, God gave us the opportunity to succeed, and regardless of the situation we are dealt, we can all live the life we imagined. After s days of research I can’t say there is a wrong or right theory about African American males because everyone has their own way of thinking and their own opinion. But just to add ‘the world would be shocked to know that the majority of black men make the right choices and build successful families and careers every day in America, yet are rarely discussed in the headlines’. Bibliogaphy.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 46~48

46 Beans and Succubus Tuck's other partner showed up at his bungalow that evening as he was sitting down to a plate of pork and beans. She didn't knock, or call out, or even clear her throat politely to let him know she was there. One minute Tuck was studying a gelatinous white cube of unidentifiable carbon-based life-form awash in a lumpy puddle of boiled legumes and tomato sauce, and the next the door opened and she was standing there wearing nothing but a red scarf and sequined high heels. Tuck dropped his spoon. Two partially used beans dribbled out of his open mouth, tracing contrails of sauce down the front of his shirt. She executed a single flamenco heel stomp and Tuck watched the impact move up her body and settle comfortably in her breasts. She threw her arms wide, struck a pose, and said, â€Å"The Sky Priestess has arrived.† â€Å"Yes, she has,† Tuck said with the glassy-eyed stupifaction of a newly converted Moonie. He'd seen something like her before, either on the hood of a Rolls-Royce or on a bowling trophy, but in the flesh the image was much more immediate, awe-inspiring even. She pirouetted and the tails of the scarf trailed around her like affectionate smoke. â€Å"What do you think?† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Tuck said, nodding. â€Å"Come here.† Tuck stood and moved toward her in the mindless shuffle step of a zombie compelled by the promise of living flesh. His brain stopped work-ing, his entire life energy shifted to another part of his body, and it led him across the room to within an inch of her. It wasn't the first time this had happened to him, but before he had always retained the power of speech and most of his motor functions. â€Å"What's wrong with you?† she said. â€Å"Bolts in your neck too tight?† â€Å"My entire body has an erection.† She took him by the front of the shirt and backed him across the room to the bed, then pushed him down and pulled his pants down to his knees. She vaulted onto him in a straddle and he reached up for her breasts. She caught his wrists. â€Å"No. You'll fuck up my makeup.† And he noticed – like an accident victim might notice a butterfly in the grille of the bus that is running over him – that her nipples had been rouged to an unnatural pink. He tried to sit up and she shoved him back down, then took him in her hand, nicking him with a red fingernail, making him wince, and guided him inside of her. He reached for her hips to drive her down and got his hands slapped for the effort. And she fucked him – precise and mechanical as a machine, a single pounding motion repeated and lubricated and repeated again – until her breath rasped in her throat like hissing hydraulics and she arched her back and stalled, and misfired, then dieseled for a stroke or two, and she climbed off. Somewhere in all that he had come and she had looked at him once. He lay there looking at the remnants of torn mosquito netting over the bed, breathing hard, feeling a little dizzy, and wondering what had just happened. She went to the bathroom, then returned a few seconds later and threw him a towel, which she had obviously used herself. â€Å"We're flying in three or four hours. Be ready.† â€Å"Okay.† Was he supposed to say something? Didn't this signify some sort of change that should be acknowledged? â€Å"I want you to watch me, but you can't let them see you. Wait a few minutes and go out by the hanger where you can see the airstrip. It's a great show. Theater makes it all possible, you know. Ask the Catholics. They survived the Middle Ages by putting on performances in a language that no one understood on grand stages that were built by the pennies of the poor. That's the problem with religion today. No theater.† This must be her version of cuddling. â€Å"Performance?† â€Å"The appearance of the Sky Priestess,† she said as if she was talking to a piece of toast. She walked to the door, then paused and looked over her shoulder. Almost as an afterthought she said, â€Å"Tucker,† and when he looked up she blew him a kiss. Then she was out the door and he heard her shout, â€Å"Cue the music!† A big band sound blasted across the island, sending a shiver rattling through Tuck's body as if a chill ghost from the forties had jitterbugged over his spine. 47 Grand Theft Aircraft The Shark men were breaking into their second jug of tuba when the music started. They all looked to Malink. Why hadn't he told them there was going to be an appearance of the Sky Priestess? Malink thought fast, then grinned as if he had known this was coming all along. â€Å"I wanted it to be a surprise,† he said. Why hadn't this been an-nounced by the Sorcerer? Was he still angry because Malink had not pro-duced the girl-man on demand? Was Vincent himself angry at Malink for something? Certainly Malink's people would be angry at him for not giving them the time to prepare the drums and the bamboo rifles of Vincent's army – and the women, oh, the women would be shitting coconuts over not having time to oil their skins and paint their faces and put on their ce-remonial grass skirts. As Malink trudged to the airstrip he tried to formulate some explanation that would work with everyone. As if it wasn't difficult enough being chief with no coffee to drink in the morning – he'd had a headache for two weeks from caffeine withdrawal – now his role as religious leader was giving him problems. Leading a religion is tough work when your gods start stirring for real and messing up your prophecies. And what if he did come up with an explanation, only to have the Priestess of the Sky say something that contradicted him? She was supposed to be Vincent's voice, but that voice had been angry lately, so he didn't dare ask her for help as he had in the past. Not in front of his people. He came out of the jungle just in time to see the flash of the explosions. The Sky Priestess walked out of the smoke and even from a hundred yards away, Malink could tell by her step that she was pleased. Malink breathed a sigh of relief. She was carrying magazines for them. If his people were happy with what she said, then he could use the old â€Å"will of Vincent† argument for not preparing them. He could have never guessed the real reason the Sorcerer had not forewarned him of the appearance of the Sky Priestess. At the time when he normally called the warning, the Sorcerer had been watching through the window as the Sky Priestess pumped away on Tucker Case. Tuck waited five minutes before he pulled up his pants and slid out the door of his bungalow, nearly running into Sebastian Curtis. The doctor, normally cool, was soaked with sweat and looked past Tuck to the clinic. â€Å"Mr. Case. I thought you'd be preparing the plane. Beth did tell you that you have a flight?† Tuck fought the urge to bolt. He hadn't had enough time to build up any remorse about having sex with the doctor's wife, and he didn't excel at remorse in the first place. â€Å"I was on my way to do the preflight. It doesn't take long.† The doctor didn't make eye contact. â€Å"You'll forgive me if I seem distracted. I have to perform major surgery in a few minutes. You should go watch Beth's little show.† â€Å"What's all the music and explosions?† â€Å"It's how we retrieve our donors. Beth will explain her theory of religion and theater to you, I'm sure. Excuse me.† He pushed past Tucker and looked at his shoes as he walked toward the clinic. â€Å"Aren't you going to watch?† Tuck said. â€Å"Thank you, but I find it nauseating.† â€Å"Oh,† Tuck said. â€Å"Then I'll go check out the Lear. Great game today, Doc.† â€Å"Yes,† Curtis said. He resumed his stiff-armed walk to the clinic, his fists balled so hard at his sides that Tuck could see them shaking. The guards were gathered at the edge of the hangar. Mato looked up quickly and made eye contact long enough for Tuck to see that he was nervous. Tuck wished he had asked him if the other guards spoke English. â€Å"Konichi-wa, motherfuckers,† Tuck said, covering his linguistic bases. None of the guards responded. Except for Mato, their eyes were trained on Beth Curtis dancing across the airstrip to Benny Goodman's â€Å"Sing, Sing, Sing.† One of the guards hit a button by the hangar and the music stopped as Beth Curtis stepped onto a small wooden platform on the far side of the runway. With the speakers silenced, Tuck could hear the drums of the Shark People. Some were marching around in formation holding lengths of bamboo painted red as rifles. Beth Curtis raised her hands, a copy of People in each, and the drums stopped. Tuck couldn't hear what she was saying, but she was waving her arms around like a soapbox preacher, and the crowd of natives moved, and flinched, and hung on her every word. She paused at one point and handed the magazines down to Malink, who backed away from the platform with his head bowed. Tuck didn't find anything about her performance nauseating, but it was nothing if not strange. Why all the pomp and circumstance? You have six guys with machine guns, you can pretty much go rip a kidney out anytime you want to. He needed to think, and he didn't particularly want to see whom she would pick. Whoever it was, their face would be in his head all the way to Japan and back. He went into the hangar, lowered the door on the Lear, climbed into the dark plane, and lay down in the aisle between the seats. He couldn't hear the sound of the Sky Priestess or the natives oohing and ahhhing, and here among the steel and glass and plastic and upholstery, it felt like home. Here he could hear the sound of his own mind; here in his very own Learjet, the weirdness was all outside. But for the lack of a key he would have taken the plane right then. The guard kicked Tuck in the thigh much harder than was needed to wake him. Tuck looked up to see the face of the guard who had beaten him on the beach. He had a scar that ran up his forehead tracing a bare streak into his scalp and Tuck had started to think of him as Stripe, the evil little monster from the movie Gremlins. Tuck's anger was immediate and white-hot. Only the Uzi stopped him from getting his ass kicked again. The guard dangled the key to the Lear's main power cutoff. It was time to go. Tuck limped to the cockpit and strapped himself into the pilot's seat. Stripe inserted the power key into the instrument console, twisted it, and stepped back to watch as Tuck started the power-up procedure. The other ninjas pulled the Lear out of the hangar by a large T-bar attached to the front wheel. When the plane was safely out of the hangar, Tuck started to spool up the jets. Stripe remained with the Uzi at port arms. Tuck made a big show of going though the checklist, testing switches and gauges. He frowned and clicked the radar switch a couple of times. He looked back at Stripe. â€Å"Go check the nose. Something's not right.† The guard shook his head. Tuck mimed his instructions again and Stripe nodded, then he motioned through the window for another of the guards to join them on board. Evidently, they weren't going to leave him un-guarded in the plane with the power key in. Stripe turned over the guard duty to the other ninja and appeared at the front of the plane. Tuck mo-tioned for him to get closer to the nose. Stripe did. Tuck turned on the radar. â€Å"And a lovely brain tumor for you, you son of a bitch.† Stripe seemed to actually feel the microwave energy and he jumped back from the plane. Tuck grinned and gave him the okay sign. â€Å"I hope your tiny little balls are boiling,† he said aloud. The guard behind him didn't seem to understand what Tuck was saying, but he nudged him with the barrel of his Uzi and pointed. Beth Curtis, in her dark Armani, was coming across the compound with briefcase and cooler in hand. She stepped into the plane and nodded to the guard. Instead of leaving, he took a seat back in the passenger compartment. Beth strapped herself into the copilot's seat. â€Å"We taking him in for shore leave?† Tuck said. â€Å"No. He's just along for the ride tonight.† â€Å"Oh, right.† Tuck powered up the jets and eased the Lear out of the compound onto the runway. Beth Curtis was silent until they were at altitude, cruising toward Japan. Tuck did not engage the autopilot, but steered the Lear gradually, perhaps a degree a minute, to the west. â€Å"So what did you think?† â€Å"Pretty impressive, but I don't get it. Why the whole show to bring in someone for surgery? Why not just send the guards?† â€Å"We're not taking their kidneys, Tucker. They're giving them.† Tuck didn't want to give away what he had learned from Malink and Sepie about the â€Å"chosen.† He said, â€Å"Giving them to who? A naked white woman?† She laughed, reached into her briefcase, and brought out an eight-by-ten color photograph. â€Å"To the Sky Priestess.† She held the photograph where Tuck could see it. He had to steer manually. If he hit the autopilot now, the plane would turn back toward Japan, the only preset in the nav computer. The photograph was in color but old. A flyer stood by the side of a B-26 bomber. On the side of the bomber was the painting of a voluptuous naked woman and the legend SKY PRIESTESS. It could have been a painting of Beth Curtis as she had looked when she arrived at Tuck's bungalow. He recog-nized the flyer as well. It was the ghost flyer he'd been seeing all along. He felt his face flush, but he tried to stay cool. â€Å"So who's that?† â€Å"The flyer was a guy named Vincent Bennidetti,† Beth said. â€Å"The plane was named the Sky Priestess. All the bombers had nose art like that in World War II. We found the picture in the library in San Francisco.† â€Å"So what's that got to do with our operation? You're dressing up like the picture on an airplane.† â€Å"No, I am the Sky Priestess.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Beth. I still don't get it.† â€Å"This is the pilot that the Shark People worship. The cargo cult that ‘Bastian told you about.† Tuck nodded and tried to look surprised, but he was watching his course without seeming to do so. If he had figured it right, they would be over Guam in fifteen minutes and the American military would force them down. The Air Force was very cranky about private jets flying though their airspace. â€Å"The natives on Alualu worship this Vincent guy,† Beth said. â€Å"I speak for Vincent. They come to me when we play the music and I give them everything. In return, I choose one of them for the honor of the mark of Vincent, which, of course, is the scar they get from the operation.† â€Å"Like I said, you've got armed guards. Why not just take what you want?† She looked shocked that he would ask. â€Å"And get out of show business?† Then she smiled and reached over and gave his crotch a squeeze. â€Å"When I met Sebastian in San Francisco, he was drunk and throwing money around. One minute he was so dignified and erudite, the next he was like a little native child. He told me about the cargo cult and I came up with the idea of not just doing this to support the clinic, but to get really filthy rich. We had to keep the people happy if we were going to do this in big numbers.† â€Å"So you thought all of this up?† â€Å"It's the reason I'm here.† â€Å"But Sebastian said you were a† – Tuck caught himself before he said â€Å"stripper† – â€Å"surgical nurse.† â€Å"I was. So what? Did I get any respect for that? Did I get any power? No. To the doctors I was just a piece of ass who could handle surgical instru-ments and close a patient when they needed to get to the golf course. Did Sebastian tell you I used to strip?† â€Å"He mentioned something about it in passing.† â€Å"Well, I did. And I was good.† â€Å"I can imagine,† Tuck said. A few more minutes and they should be joined by an F-16. She smiled. â€Å"Fuck nursing. I was just a piece of meat to the men I worked with, so I decided to go with it. I was pushing thirty and all single women my age were walking around with a desperate look in their eye and a bio-logical clock ticking so loud you thought it was the crocodile from Peter Pan. If I was going to be treated like meat, I was going to make money at it. And I did. Not enough, but a lot more than I would have made nursing.† â€Å"Do tell,† Tuck said. He couldn't remember ever saying â€Å"Do tell,† and it sounded a little strange hearing it. She looked out the window as if she had fallen into some reverie. Then, without looking back, she said, â€Å"What's that island?† Tuck tensed. â€Å"I couldn't say.† She sighed. â€Å"Islands are amazing.† â€Å"I always say that.† She seemed to come out of her trance and looked at the instrument board. Tuck acted as if he was concentrating on flying the plane. He glanced at Beth Curtis. Her mouth had tightened into a line. She reached into the briefcase and came out with the Walther automatic. â€Å"What's that for?† Tuck said. â€Å"Get back on course.† â€Å"I am on course.† â€Å"Now!† â€Å"But I am on course. Look.† He pointed to the nav computer, which still showed the coordinates of the airstrip in Japan, although it wasn't engaged with the autopilot. â€Å"No, you're not.† She pointed to the compass. â€Å"You're at least ninety degrees off course. Turn the plane to Japan now or I'll shoot you.† Tuck was tired of it. â€Å"Right. And you'll fly the plane? There's a difference between being able to read a compass and making a landing.† â€Å"I didn't say I would kill you. I'm good with this. You'll still be able to fly with one testicle. Now that would be a shame for both of us. Please turn the plane.† Tuck engaged the autopilot and let the Lear bring itself around to the course to Japan. â€Å"Sebastian said you might try something like that,† she said. â€Å"I told him I could handle you. I can, can't I? Handle you, I mean.† Tuck was quiet for a minute, berating himself for overestimating the efficiency of the military. Then finally he said, â€Å"You are a nefarious, diabolical, and evil bitch.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"That's all.† â€Å"I'm impressed. ‘Nefarious' has more than two syllables. I am a good influence on you.† â€Å"Fuck you.† â€Å"You will,† she said. 48 Too Many Guns Back at the drinking circle, Malink opened a copy of People reverentially and read by kerosene lamp while the other men huddled to get a look at the pictures. â€Å"Cher is worst-dressed,† Malink announced. â€Å"Too skinny,† said Favo. â€Å"I like Lady Di.† Malink cringed. In the picture Lady Di was wearing a string of pearls, obviously the reason for Favo's preference. Malink turned the page. â€Å"Celestine Raptors of Madison County is number one movie in country,† Malink read. â€Å"I want to see a movie,† Favo said. â€Å"You must tell the Sky Priestess to tell Vincent to bring a movie.† â€Å"Many movies,† said Abo. â€Å"And many delicious light and healthy snacks with NutraSweet registered trademark,† he added in English. â€Å"Vincent will bring many snacks.† Malink was turning to the moving story of a two-thousand-pound man who, after being forklifted out of his house, had dieted down to a svelte fourteen hundred when the sound of a machine gun rattled across the is-land. Malink put down the magazine and held up his hand to quiet the men. They waited and there was another burst of gunfire. A few seconds later they heard shouting and looked down the beach to see Sarapul running as fast as his spindly old legs would carry him. â€Å"Come help!† he shouted. â€Å"They shot the navigator!† The Uzi was pressed so hard into Tuck's side that he felt as if his ribs were going to separate any second. The guard crouched behind him in the cockpit hatchway, while out on the tarmac Beth Curtis exchanged the cooler for another manila envelope. She seemed to be in a much better mood when she climbed back into the copilot's seat. â€Å"Home, James.† Tuck tossed his head toward the back of the plane where the guard was taking his seat. â€Å"I guess you weren't taking any chances about me taking off while you were out of the plane.† â€Å"Do I look stupid?† she said. A smile there, no hint of a challenge. â€Å"No, I guess not.† Tuck pushed up the throttles and taxied the Lear back out to the runway. Again Beth Curtis reached over and gave him a light squeeze to the crotch. She put on her headset so she could talk to him over the roar of the engines as they took off. â€Å"Look, I know this is hard for you. Trust is some-thing you build, and you haven't known me long enough to learn to do that.† Tuck thought, It would help if you weren't changing personalities every five minutes. â€Å"Trust me, Tucker. What we are doing is not hurting the people of Alualu. There are people in India who are selling off their organs for less than the price of a used Toyota pickup. With what we make, we can be sure that these people are always taken care of, and we can take care of ourselves in the meantime.† â€Å"If people are selling their organs on the cheap, then how are you – we – making so much money?† â€Å"Because we can do it to order. Transplant isn't just a matter of blood type, you know. Sure, in a pinch – and usually it is a pinch – you can go on just blood type, but there are four other factors in tissue typing. If they match, along with blood type, then you have a better chance of the body not rejecting the organ. Sebastian has a database of the tissue types of every native on the island. When there's a need for an exact match, the order comes in over the satellite and we run it through the database. If we have it, the Sky Priestess calls the chosen.† â€Å"Don't the people have to be the same race?† â€Å"It helps, but it seems that the people of Alualu have a very similar genetic pattern to the Japanese.† â€Å"They don't look Japanese. How do you know this?† â€Å"Actually, it was figured out by an anthropologist who came to the island long before I did. He was studying the language and genetics of the islanders to determine where they migrated from. Turns out there are both linguistic and genetic links to Japan. They've been diluted by interbreeding with natives from New Guinea, but it's still very close.† â€Å"So you guys opened up Kidneys ‘R' Us and started making a mint.† â€Å"Except for the scar, their lives don't change, Tucker. We've never lost a patient to a botched operation or infection.† But bullets, Tuck thought, are another matter. Still, there was nothing he could do to stop them, and if he had to do nothing, a great salary and his own jet were pretty good compensation. He'd spent most of his life not doing anything. Was it so bad to be paid for what you're good at? He said, â€Å"So it doesn't hurt them? In the long run, I mean.† â€Å"Their other kidney steps up production and they never notice the difference.† â€Å"I still don't get the Sky Priestess thing.† She sighed. â€Å"Control the religion and you control the people. Sebastian tried to bring Christianity to the Shark People – and the Catholics before him – but you can't compete with a god people have actually seen. The answer? Become that god.† â€Å"But I thought Vincent was the god.† â€Å"He is, but he will bring wonderful cargo in the Sky Priestess. Besides, it breaks the boredom. Boredom can be a lethal thing on a small island. You know about that already.† Tuck nodded. It wasn't so bad now. The fear of being murdered had gone a long way toward breaking his boredom. Beth Curtis leaned over and kissed him lightly on the temple. â€Å"You and I can fight the boredom together. That's one of the reasons I chose you.† â€Å"You chose me?† In spite of himself, he was thinking about her naked body grinding away above him. â€Å"Of course I chose you. I'm the Sky Priestess, aren't I?† â€Å"I'm not so sure it was you,† Tuck said, thinking about the ghost pilot. She pushed away and looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

Race and Color Discrimination Essay

Who are the major people that had made a different in the race and color movement? What as society done to improve the way to perceive other people that do not have the same color or race as us? This are all major questions people have in mind when trying to solve Racism affects people lives in many ways depending on race, gender, & class though gender usually goes with sexism. Though there have been many efforts to reduce its power it is still in life. Today there are still efforts being made and some have been successful such the racial boundaries Barack Obama has crossed despite being biracial and how many people are taking a stand. Racism today seems to affect mainly African Americans as some people are very prejudiced against them such as the Ku Klux Klan whose power may not be as strong as it once was still exists. The other ways that African Americans are affected are stereotypes. There countless even for other races for example me. I have mistaken to be Indian a lot of times and sometimes still am even though I am Bangladeshi. Some stereotypes for other races would be the Chinese and Japanese they are sometimes expected to be smart, have squinty eyes, and be a workaholic while they may be not. I know someone who is partly Japanese she does not seem to have squinty eyes nor is she a workaholic. Racism also comes to everyone’s’ lives through the way we exposed to it. For example go to some place and then be shut out because of the color of your skin or be cast out because you’re Asian, African-American, or even middle eastern. For now that is all I can say but if you’re not satisfied please leave a message on my bio page and/or improve it yourself in anyways you can.

Essay/proposal for job application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

/proposal for job application - Essay Example What matters to me most is the person for whom my efforts will be. I have had quite a chance to do team work and devotion to my team is something that has been a common feature of my work with companies so far. While working as an administrative assistant, translator, IT manager and quality control engineer for director of a medical center, I have displayed excellent work ethics and dedication. I am to date in the good books of the director and he can produce a powerful recommendation on my request if and when needed. From my previous place of work as a logistics specialist, I would like to mention as an example of my working skills, the most demanding project I had there. I was working with three parties, being in charge of more than 10 million dollars of equipment. During the project, feeling committed and responsible for success of the team, I disregarded the customer service hours, making myself available literally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the project completion. During emergency conditions, by adherence to the policy, creative thinking, mutual trust, leadership and negotiation skills, I attempted to provide world-class service with much success. Switching over to accounting, I have prepared financial records for archiving, which included validation, correction and data recovery. For weekly financial reports, I used something similar to Six Sigma techniques to decrease the processing time from one to two days to less than two or three hours. Personally admiring your work, supporting it will all my heart and hoping to support you with deeds over my lifetime; I pray that you see a certain advantage in this, which I am sure is shared by all people you work with. I would like to be a member of your team. First of all, I should probably mention that I am studying for Ph.D. in Physics right now. Conveniently, my

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

Business Ethics - Essay Example In summary, Enron collapsed due to bankruptcy that was associated with a major audit failure of the company’s books of accounts. The bankruptcy led to major losses to shareholders, highlighted by a dramatic fall in prices from 90US dollars to less than a dollar within one year (Thomas, 2002). This was followed by investigations and summoning of the company’s executives who were later sentenced in various prisons. WorldCom was a big company involved in telecommunications business. It was declared bankrupt around July 2002 due to an accounting fraud, but later reemerged for business in 2004 after changing names to MCI (Tolunay et al., 2005). WorldCom was regarded as one of the largest telecommunications company operating in the United States, where it had expanded from Mississippi in 1983. Downfall of WorldCom begun when it started experiencing diminishing infrastructural demands due to the oversupply of telecommunications, and as a result, its revenues had fallen since t he debt was used to finance huge infrastructure investments. Thus, the main cause of demise of WorldCom was the increasing of net income and assets through transfer of expenses to the main capital account (Tolunay et al., 2005). There was an understatement of operating expenses and capitalized costs were treated as investments. There are specific ethical violations in accounting practices that were done by Enron and WorldCom since in the year 2000, Enron had started showing financial difficulties and problems. CEO Jeffrey Skilling did one of the ethical violations, as he had formed a method of concealing and hiding some company operations and financial losses it incurred. This was referred by financial analysts as Mark-to-Market accounting (Seabury, 2011). As Seabury (2011) highlights, it is a method used in trading securities by the determination their actual value at the current moment. This method is considered as not suitable for conventional businesses. The second violation tha t led tocollapse of Enron was issues of corporate governance (Jickling, 2002, p. 4). This was caused by a conflict of interest between the executives and the company. For example, Andrew Fastow, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), had made a deal with Enron by partnering with it to do business. In these transactions, the CFO concealed losses and debts which were acrued by Enron. Hence, this had a significant impact on the reported Enron profits (Jickling, 2002). The third ethical violation in accounting practice by Enron was referred to as Accounting issues (Jickling, 2002). This was due to the fact that Enron recorded cancelled contracts and projects as assets in its books and did not indicate which ones were cancelled. In accounting issues, Jickling highlights, Enron used derivative to manipulate accounting figures, and this was an ethical violation of accounting ethics. The fourth ethical violation was pension issues whereby, Enron’s employees held large percentage of stock . The last violation of ethics was in financial audit. The firm’s auditor used careless standards in auditing Enron due to a conflict of interest over the fees they levied for their services. They used unrealistic payment ratios which generated controversy as to whether they were taxable or not. On the other hand, WorldCom had also violated some ethics in accounting practice. Tolunay et al. (2005) highlights that there were three ethical violation

Current Events in International Entrepreneurship Essay

Current Events in International Entrepreneurship - Essay Example What is observable is the general rise in the Total Early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity throughout the world between the year 2010 and 2011 which contradicts with the experience in previous years. While efficiency-driven economies improved by nearly 25%, innovation-driven economies followed with a 22% increase. In fact, there are various factors that can be measured in order to understand entrepreneurship in a nation. The first one among them is the percentage of working age population who own or are engaged in setting up a new business. In addition, it is helpful to understand the informal investment rate. It means the percentage of the population who has personally invested in the business run by some other one. According to the GEM 2011 Global Report, some other important measures are the percentage of ventures with new products and new services, the percentage of foreign customers, and people’s belief about the chances for setting up a new business in their country. In or der to understand the situation in the nation, it may also be useful to assess people’s attitude towards new entrepreneurs in the society. It can be understood by checking if people believe entrepreneurs get high status in the society. Another vital measure is the involvement of media. For example, people’s perception of the degree of media exposure new successful ventures get has an impact on the entrepreneurship in total. 2. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Its Components In fact, the entrepreneurship ecosystem consists of six domains which effectively classify the hundreds of elements the ecosystem. They are conducive culture, enabling policies and leadership, availability of appropriate finance, quality human capital, venture-friendly markets, and infrastructural supports. The mere fact is that each ecosystem is in fact unique in nature with its own features. For example, in Taiwan, the ecosystem developed in the context of a huge accrual of highly successful Taiwanes e expatriates in the US. Similarly, the Chinese ecosystem is marked by a totalitarian government and diverse regional policies. Another interesting point is that a time comes when an entrepreneurship ecosystem becomes self-sustaining in nature. To illustrate, when it is found that all the six domains are strong enough to reinforce mutually, it is possible for the government to reduce its control over the market. As Isenberg points out, the various domains of entrepreneurship ecosystem can be identified as leadership, government financial capital, early customers, networks, labor, educational institutions, infrastructure, support professions, nongovernment institutions, societal norms, and success stories. Out of these factors, the leadership helps through social legitimacy, support, and policies. Also, there can be investment support, regulatory frameworks, and tax benefits. While educational institutions help in the form of special entrepreneurship training and degrees, societal no rms help through tolerance of risk, mistakes and failure. 3. Entrepreneurial Finance across the World It is generally found that in all countries, young and new firms have les dependence on bank financing and are more inclined towards informal financing. However, it is seen that in those nations with strict rules and better credit information, the

Shopping is a complex and contradictory activity which cannot be Essay

Shopping is a complex and contradictory activity which cannot be reduced simply to the act of buying goods or services - Essay Example Shopping on the other hand is a term which is often used in a recreational context , as in : "it's a pleasant afternoon, why don't we go shopping". Shopping necessarily does not mean purchasing objects of requirements; rather, it pertains to purchasing objects of desire and interest. Shopping is an integral part of every vacation, celebration and for most people, even part of their free time. Shopping in these contexts is classified under leisure activities. In most cases shopping is a harmless and sometimes a relaxing activity but on the other hand it is not uncommon to see "pathological shoppers" who tend to go over the top with their buying spree irrespective of requirement, available finances and affordability. Shopping has a dark side too, just like all other leisure activities when done in excess. In some cases, uncontrolled habits may transform into mental disorders and even dependency which eventually require psychological intervention. Compulsive shoppers may feel a false and temporary phase of happiness just by attaining ownership of a particular object but most often than not, this phase is followed by regret and remorse over monetary wastage. For the typical shopper, that Tracy Reese dress or Prada bag may just be a piece of merchandise but for a shopaholic it is medication. Women often joke about "retail therapy." But that laughter may actually be a disguise to veil depression, loneliness or boredom. Shopping is an easy way to numb ourselves or boost our self-esteem, even if relief only lasts until buyer's remorse sets in. Shopaholics try to fill in their emptiness with "stuff" they might not even need. That void, in reality, may be from years of emotional or spiritual deprivation: fear that there's never enough, whether its money, material objects, recognition or love. Retail therapy is shopping with the primary purpose of uplifting the buyers' mood or disposition (Oxford Dictionary). It is a short lived habit and is often seen in people during periods of depression or transition. Items purchased during periods of retail therapy are called "comfort buys". Retail therapy was first used as a term in the 1980's: "we have become a nation measuring out our lives in shopping bags and nursing our psychic ills through retail therapy" (Chicago Tribune, 1986). In a study by European Union revealed that 33 percent of shoppers surveyed had "high level of addiction to rash or unnecessary consumption" (Observer, 2001) which eventually ran them into debts. Melbourne University researchers have coined a term "oniomania" to this psychological disorder, also known as compulsive shopping disorder. For a generation, 'retail therapy' has been the ultimate source of salvation from the stresses of modern living. But a major new study now suggests that for millions of people, binge shopping is no longer an emotional cure, rather it may make an individual feel worse. Retail therapy is actually an expensive way of distracting oneself from life's problems which one would eventually have to face and solve anyway! In short, it is a method of escapism. The pleasure is short lived and shallow in nature. Materialistic belongings can never bring peace and true happiness. Moreover, the sense of ownership imparts a false sense of pride which can be addictive as well as

Bullying. Types of bullying. Age and gender differences in Bullying Research Paper

Bullying. Types of bullying. Age and gender differences in Bullying - Research Paper Example According to a recent statistics, â€Å"1 in 2 students experience occasional bullying during any school term. Moreover, 1 in 4 students in primary school are bullied more than once or twice at least in any term†(Statistics on Bullying, n. d.). According to Dune et al. (2010), â€Å"Bullying, aggression and other forms of violence in schools can blight student experiences of formal education and their abilities to make the best of the opportunities they have† (Dune et al, 2010, p.1). There are many cases in which school bullying cased not only psychological problems such as depression but also suicide tendency as well. In short, bullying should be prohibited in school compounds at any cost. This paper reviews the available literature to find out what intervention can a Case planner use with 12 grade students in a Long Island, Commack- New York day program classroom to discourage the issue of bullying with students. In order to formulate an intervention plan against bull ying a case planner should have ideas about things like; Types of bullying, Age and gender differences in Bullying, characteristics of victims, Participant’s role in bullying, Reporting of bullying etc Types of bullying Bullying occurs in many forms such as physical, verbal, social, and cyber. ... Physical bullying can be prevented up to certain extent by taking actions against unnecessary gang formation in schools. â€Å"Verbal bullying is name-calling, making offensive remarks, or joking about a person's religion, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or the way they look† (Types of bullying, n. d.). It is an act of teasing. It is normally performed by a group of people upon an individual. Verbal bullying can lead towards physical assaults or physical bullying. Verbal bullying usually develops psychological problems such as depression, anxiety etc. to the victim. It can cause loss of interest in studies and other daily activities. Schools should implement a code of conduct for in order to avoid verbal bullying. â€Å"Social alienation is when a bully excludes someone from a group on purpose. It also includes a bully spreading rumours, and also making fun of someone by pointing out their differences† (Types of bullying, n. d.). It is an act of isolation. In s ocial bullying, the offenders will prevent the victim from interacting with others. Offenders normally spread fabricated stories about the victim so that nobody will try to mingle with the victim. Schools should take stern actions against those who try to isolate somebody from the main streams of school life. â€Å"92 students aged 11-16 from 14 London schools completed a survey on bullying. 22% had experienced cyber bullying at least once. 6.6% had experienced being bullied in this way in the previous two months† (International Network, 2010). Cyber bullying is an act of spreading rumors or false stories against the victim with the help of internet. Electronic devices such as mobile

European E-commerce Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

European E-commerce Law - Case Study Example The software costs 50, with a postage and packing charge of 5 if sent via DVD. Brian lives in another EU country (not the UK). He goes to Alfred's website with the intention of downloading a copy of Alfred's latest computer program for use in his own small business. He clicks on a "Download Now" button, inputs his address and credit card details, and is presented with Alfred's contract terms as a 'Click Wrap' agreement. Brian scrolls down through the agreement without reading it, clicks an 'I accept' button at the bottom of the screen, and downloads the software. He then begins using it. assy lives in the UK. She goes to Alfred's website with the intention of buying a copy of Alfred's latest computer program on DVD, for her own personal use. She clicks on an "Order Now" button, inputs her address and credit card details, clicks a button that says 'Submit', and places her order. When the software arrives on DVD five days later, Cassy puts the DVD into her computer and is presented with Alfred's contract terms as a 'Click Wrap' agreement. Cassy scrolls down through the agreement and notices the term "To the extent allowed by law, Alfsoft Ltd is not liable for the results of using this software". ... Cassy suffers an economic loss of 100, which is the cost of taking her computer to a local servicer to get the virus removed and Alfred's software uninstalled. Both Brian and Cassy contact Alfred, demanding to be compensated for the losses they have incurred. eanwhile, a few weeks after registering the domain name Alfsoft.com, Alfred receives a 'cease & desist' letter from lawyers representing a US software company, Alpha-Software LLC, who own the trade mark Alphasoft and registered the domain name Alphasoft.com in 2001. The letter alleges that Alfsoft.com is confusingly similar to Alphasoft.com and demands that Alfred transfer Alfsoft.com to Alpha-Software, otherwise they will take action to enforce a transfer of the domain name under the UDRP. Alfred approaches you for legal advice. Introduction Contracts have become ubiquitous in people's everyday lives. Unconsciously, they enter into different types of contractual agreements - when traveling by bus or rail, when purchasing goods and accepting services and in carrying duties regulated by contracts of employment. Contracts are so common and widespread that the ordinary man or woman in the street does not realise the legal intricacies and involvedness of a transaction they have entered into. As legal experts are aware, these transactions are not as lawfully simple as their everyday nature suggests. They require evidence of a consensus in item, or a meeting of the minds, achieved by a clear and unambiguous offer and an unqualified acceptance of that offer. Fortunately, society has developed special rules to allow people to determine what the exact terms of the contract are, when it was formed and where it is governed. The Internet is

Data Collection Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Data Collection Plan - Assignment Example Tied to this are problems with regard to effective teaching methods, and strategies to support Arabic learning. The basic methodology entails a comparison of my own teaching strategies and styles for my Arabic language class and those of another teacher in another class. The end goal is partly to be able to understand what motivates students to learn Arabic, the psychology that drives them to pursue Arabic language learning intently. The basic question I want to answer is as follows: What strategies are best for teaching Arabic to my students, and how do my strategies align with the motivations of my students to learn the language to advance themselves? To the question of the useful types of data, my answer is that data from my own classes, and the comparison with the data from the other class I have chosen, including learning outcomes and motivations as gathered from the students, ought to provide me with the right kind of information to answer the pressing questions of my research. To the question of the types of data already available, my answer is that data from previous studies, extensively tabulated, are already available to me, in the form of secondary research materials. To the question of the types of data I need to generate, the answer will be data on learning outcomes and similar data as from previous studies. ... n Qualitative Inputs Effectiveness of strategies for learning Arabic x x x x Student Motivations for Learning Arabic x x x x Areas for Improvement in Teaching and Learning Styles X x x x Fit of Teaching Strategies to Student Aspirations and Motivations for Learning Arabic x x x x III. Narrative Connecting Matrix to Starting Point My matrix details the fundamental aims of my action research, and those aims are noteworthy as far as I am concerned for their being open-ended and lending themselves to being answered in a broad sense. I think there ought to be a strong link between the teaching strategies and the motivations and inclinations of students for learning the Arabic language. Taking off from the interesting answer that I got from a student, where the student sees Arabic as a road to material prosperity, it is clear to me that some of the strategies ought to focus on being able to give the students a functional understanding and mastery of the Arabic language. This functional app roach lends itself to being measured via the learning outcomes of the students, and the learning outcomes of the students in the other class. The comparison ought to yield interesting insights into what works and what does not work as far as teaching styles is concerned. Also, as far as learning outcomes are concerned, it is not enough that the students pass the tests to measure learning, but that the tests should be measuring the right kinds of language competencies. In this regard, it is important that my class and the other class should agree on some baseline language course contents that should be similar for both classes. Both should focus on functional learning, and the teaching of Arabic that has real-world applications, such as in being able to transact business and being able to

Context and Discourse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Context and Discourse - Essay Example Such technicians proceed to use this information to create context-aware software. Close attention to these several definitions and explanations might, however, reveal a common ground upon which a universal concept of context might be built. Though context is often used and understood, it is such a broad and encompassing term that it can hardly be properly defined in a sentence or two. Though it deals with the surrounding condition of a situation, those conditions can take the form of several things, and perhaps that is why context shows up in so many disciplines. And, as it regards discourse analysis, it will be seen that reliance upon context is indispensable in gaining a complete and comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of any text, passage, speech, or other of the forms in which discourse presents itself. In education, especially reading, context is tangled up with prior knowledge and schema, and the study of it is in an effort to determine its use in the decoding of passages. Here, context is placed in relation to the written word, and it is defined by one as "the belief-revised integration of the reader's prior knowledge with the reader's internalized (co-)text" (Rappaport, 4). Here co-text refers to written text that surrounds the problematic word or phrase whose meaning the reader currently struggles to decode. In this discipline, experts often refer to "context clues," which direct the student to the passage being read, delineating it as the context. One researcher cites six kinds of context clues in what is known as contextual analysis. Students are expected to gain insight into the text using hints provided by the context, and those hints come in the form of definition clues, synonym or comparison clues, contrast clues, example clues, and explanation clues. In addition to thes e clues from the text, context (as mentioned before) is extended to include inferential clues, which come not from the text being read but from the prior experiences of the reader (Doyle). So that context according to this view has both an internal and external aspect. However, once the text becomes internalized, context may be considered to be in the domain of the mind. In engineering, some consider context a "filter" that determines the meaning to be applied to certain terms or actions in a given situation. In fact, according to Yaser Bishr who seeks to prepare a foundation on which to base a contextual theory of geospatial applications, any definition of context must include such measures as follow. Contexts should define what is common to any input in a given situation. It should be restrictive, in that it allows only certain meanings of any vocabulary involved to actually be admitted as meaning to be derived from the situation. The truth of any statement of fact should depend upon "a collection of assumption which implicitly define context" (Bishr, 2), and all "facts" are understood to be factual only when a context is defined. Therefore, though the statement "all birds can fly" is untrue in Antarctica, it is true in the context of Brazil, where no penguins exist. This view of context also asserts that thought and interpretation across contexts is allowable; however, "when several contexts occur in a discussion, there

The Secular Progressives vs. The Traditionalists Essay Example for Free

The Secular Progressives vs. The Traditionalists Essay In the New York Times best selling book from Fox News Commentator and mediator for The O’Reilly factor, Bill O’Reilly in his book Culture Warrior, defines and separates the two main competitors for the culture of America: The Secular Progressives vs. The Traditionalists. O’Reilly sees this battle as much more important than the more known and easily recognized conservatives vs. liberals and consequently sees the stakes as being that much more important as well with the winner deciding the fate of America policies, both foreign and especially domestic, for generations to come. As a self proclaimed culture warrior, O’Reilly puts himself center stage in this debate as he boasts that he sees himself as one of the most hated men in America as a result of his views on the media and other secular progressives and what he views as their destruction of the core values that has helped to make America great. â€Å"The culture war has also made me perhaps the most controversial broadcaster in the country. That hot-button label controversial gives my enemies, they think, the right to attack me and my enterprises ceaselessly, unfairly, even dementedly. I truly drive the opposing force nuts! As you may know, Im engaged in fighting them on a daily basis, and that warfare is the subject of this book. † ( O’Reilly, 5) And regardless of one’s opinions on Mr. O’Reilly, that is exactly what he does since he points out that one of the most important aspects of being a traditionalist is keeping your word. O’Reilly shows how the culture war has played out in such high profile cases as The Passion of the Christ, Fahrenheit 9/11 and the battle against religion in public life. O’Reilly also touches on race, education, the protection of children, the ACLU and the war against Christmas which according to O’Reilly has seen an escalation in recent years in favor of political correctness which has run out of control. Bill O’Reilly enjoys high ratings and stellar book sales because he pinpoints the moral decline in America that millions of Americans agree is happening in America. At the same time, the name Bill O’Reilly also invokes many an impassioned opinion with many Americans hating what he has to say and according to O’Reilly, have levied death threats against himself and his family for his outspoken views. As someone who has read this book and is well aware of the impact that O’Reilly has on American media, either in an affective way, either positive or negative, the opinions of the author always do invoke a response from individuals. Whatever controversies are the hot topic in the news, O’Reilly fearlessly confronts them and the reader, regardless of his political affiliation, is not left wondering what side of the isle O’Reilly is on. He sees many aspects of life in black and white and is both revered and hated for such beliefs. â€Å"The culture war must be won quickly and definitively, and the best way to do that is to expose the secular-progressive movement in our country for exactly what it is, to explain why it is so harmful for America, and to identify the movements top leaders. So here we go! † ( O’Reilly, 6) O’Reilly, towards the end of the book concedes that this will be a tough fight and that they winner is not set in stone. Therefore, expect more books of the same genre in the future from Bill O’Reilly. In the 200 pages of Culture Warrior, O’Reilly wastes no time in starting his unapologetic attacks on a wide variety of interests in America. â€Å"For a variety of reasons that I will explain, I have chosen to jump into the fray and become a warrior in the vicious culture war that is currently under way in the United States of America. And war is exactly the right term. On one side of the battlefield are the armies of the traditionalists like me, people who believe the United States was well founded and has done enormous good for the world. † (O’Reilly, 10) According to O’Reilly, an example of the influence of the secular progressives’ power and influence in American culture is the war on Christmas perpetuated by the chief of all secular progressives: The ACLU. â€Å"Gradually, Christmas trees did become ‘holiday trees,’ Christmas vacation became winter vacation and Christmas parades became â€Å"Festival of Lights. † (O’Reilly, 45) In America, between 80-85% of its citizens define themselves as Christians. Yet, O’Reilly points out the push by the secular progressives on the country towards a more religiously neutral celebration of the holidays. The word â€Å"Christmas† and â€Å"Merry Christmas† is no longer politically correct to say, but the more neutral â€Å"Happy Holidays. † Christmas trees are being replaced by Holiday trees even though their resemblance is the same. Using the term Christmas to describe the 25th of December as the birth of Jesus, and subsequently, the reason for the celebration is seen as oppressive to the minority in America that do not celebrate Christmas and therefore feel out of place during the Christmas season. On the other side of the isle are the traditionalists who see this as an assault on Christmas and political correctness gone too far and is out of touch with the majority of American in this country. O’Reilly identifies the actions of the secular progressives as efforts to move America into being identified as neutral when it comes to religious issues. In doing so, O’Reilly sees this trend as being in opposition to the motivations of the country’s founding fathers; that, the majority were very religious and their mention of God can frequently be found in their personal writings. O’Reilly outs the ACLU as center stage in his fight against the secular progressives. O’Reilly gives them credit for the lambasting of Christmas, the neutralization of religion in public life and for all sorts of moral degradations in American culture. This fight against the ACLU will not be completed any time soon and will most likely be seen in O’Reilly’s next book to be sure. O’Reilly points out in another example of the ideological differences between the secular progressives and traditionalists are their respective views on government and the desired role that each side wishes would play in their life. â€Å"On the home front in America, traditional forces strongly believe that their hard-earned money is not the property of the government, to be distributed as largesse to others who, perhaps, are not willing to work to earn their prosperity. †( O’Reilly, 75) O’Reilly points to Europe and the stagnation of the economy that many of the nations are enduring. There is little motivation to work and to get ahead in life because of the high level of taxation and the desire of the secular progressives to copy America’s government involvement after that of Europe’s. O’Reilly says that the secular progressives wish to drastically increase taxes and therefore, kill the incentives that many Americans have to be independent and to work for what they have instead of high taxations creating a cradle for people who do not wish to work. O’Reilly wishes to avoid America moving in that direction and that America’s economy remain independent of high taxes which would fund such social programs like handing out clean needles to drug addicts, condoms to students and free money to people who do not wish to work. Such ideas firmly place O’Reilly among the traditionalists of America and that is where he is likely to stay. Among one of O’Reilly’s most impassioned rants he saved towards the end of the book. It is against the people who seem to rant against America and all that is supposed to be wrong with her. In the chapter entitled â€Å"Hating America,† O’Reilly lists the people in the spotlight that seem to do their best to degrade America and the greatness that O’Reilly sees on a daily basis. O’Reilly, who is in opposition to the ideology of Norman Mailer but one who respects him, details the differences in their thinking concerning conservatives vs. liberals and for O’Reilly traditionalists vs. secular progressives and their opinion on America. â€Å"A good example of the useful face-off between polar opposites was my interview with Norma Mailer in March of 2006. One of America’s great writers, mailer doesn’t hate America but he finds it seriously flawed-as you know, a core secular progressive tenet. But mailer separates himself from the S-P garrison because he sees its weaknesses, selfishness and relativism. . . . Mailer says: ‘A great war is going on here, larger even that we realize, between liberals and the conservatives. The conservatives are saying in effect: ‘You guys are trying to wreck existence by becoming too vain, too godless. † And liberals are replying, â€Å"Your obsession that God is judgmental looks to force all of humanity into rigid patterns that won’t work any longer. † (O’Reilly, 120) O’Reilly thinks that Mailer is incorrect but unlike his personal detractors, does so in a respectful manner. â€Å"But Mailer is wrong. Traditional and conservative thinkers who understand their country do not put God at the head of public policy, nor do we point fingers at the opposition and label them sinners. Traditionalists believe that secular-progressive policies will weaken America and lead to societal chaos. While we see no reason to banish God from the public square, we don’t expect Him to be writing social policy on tablets and handing them to us in the Sinai. † ( O’Reilly, 193) O’Reilly does state the importance of the Bible and that it must be on the reading list of every true traditionalist but that a traditionalist will not be zealots in their pursuit of establishing a theocracy in America. In the second phase of secular progressives’ view that America is seriously flawed is their desire for America to no longer be the lone superpower in the world. â€Å"The secular progressive movement wants the United States to decline in power. It wants a new world order where global consensus would rule and the superpower model for our time would recede into obsolescence. †(O’Reilly, 194) But O’Reilly accurately points out a different side towards America’s effect in the world and an effect that is central to traditionalists’ opinion of America and of her greatness. â€Å" By contrast, the T-warrior will fight to keep, even increase America’s vast power. Why? Because T-warriors understand that the United States is a righteous country that has in our brief history freed billions of people from political enslavement. It is our might and money that brought down Tojo, Hitler and the Soviet Union†¦ If we go into decline, the world would be a much more dangerous place. Can you picture Russia and communist China dominating the world? How about the combined Arab states? † (O’Reilly, 194 Journalist as defined by O’Reilly, the answer is a resounding NO! The greatest strength of O’Reilly and the strength that makes him so successful can sometimes be one of his weaknesses: arrogance. Many of his points go beyond liberal or conservative, secularist or conservative but for the others, it might be seen as relative as it depends on the reader to make the final decision since the decline of morals or whether ignoring America’s religious foundations is a good or bad thing may never fully answered in this lifetime and in this country. But such topics are always good for material since millions of Americans do closely follow O’Reilly on the radio and on television. The reader’s view on the Culture Warrior depends upon their religious and political leanings. If one feels that the existence of a liberal media that wishes America’s influence in the world to be curtailed is greatly exaggerated and America’s declining morals either doesn’t exist or is not important, Culture Warrior will evoke a strong and negative response. However, on the other hand, if one defines himself as a conservative and/or traditionalist, then the topics that O’Reilly details will hit its mark. And for millions of Americans, it does just that. This is an important and entertaining book that, like much of what O’Reilly does and says, will spark many needed discussions around the classrooms and water coolers of America. O’Reilly is effective when it comes to seeing and articulating issues of importance in today’s ever changing society and most importantly, it is a window into the mindset of millions of Americans.

Conflict Between Western And Islamic Civilizations

Conflict Between Western And Islamic Civilizations Introduction Historically, the conflict between western and Islamic civilizations persisted and 9/11 has widened the gap between western civilization and Islamic world, although the gap could have been closed due to multiculturalism that emerged in the late 20th century. The terror attacks on 9/11 caused severe casualties not only to the US but also to the relationships between average Americans and Arab Americans as well as they have changed the attitude of Americans to the Islamic world at large. Today, Americans tends to associate Arab Americans and the Arab world with terrorism and radical Islamism, which has nothing in common with the real situation in the Arab American community and the Arab world. Hence, the terror attacks on 9/11 have changed relationships between Americans and representatives of the Arab world both in and outside the US and this change has widen the gap between American culture and Arab/Islamic culture. In fact, the terror attacks on 9/11 gave new direction in the develo pment of Orientalism, which is now grounded on the juxtaposition of West and East and, as Said Edward states, shapes the cultural apparatus of Orientalism as a concept associated with aggression, activity, judgment, will-to-truth, and knowledge. Orientalism in the post-9/11 America is the view on Arab Americans and Arab world as hostile, aggressive, and uncontrollable. The relationship between West and East was traditionally the subject to heat debates between philosophers, sociologists, politicians, and other specialists, dealing with relationships between the two civilizations. In this regard, the contemporary relationships between West and East is one of the primary concerns of Said Edward, who develops the concept of Orientalism, which he believes to be a key to understanding of the East, Islamic world and the relationship between West and East. At this point, the question of ethnical prejudice and stereotypes has always been one of the most sharp in contemporary world. The Arabians focused severe mistreatment and misunderstanding. Historically, the conflict between western and Islamic civilizations persisted and 9/11 has widen the gap between western civilization and Islamic world, although the gap could have been closed due to multiculturalism that emerged in the late 20th century. The terror attacks on 9/11 caused severe casualties not only to the US but also to the relationships between average Americans and Arab Americans as well as they have changed the attitude of Americans to the Islamic world at large. Today, Americans tends to associate Arab Americans and the Arab world with terrorism and radical Islamism, which has nothing in common with the real situation in the Arab American community and the Arab world. Hence, the terror attacks on 9/11 have changed relationships between Americans and representatives of the Arab world both in and outside the US and this change has widen the gap between American culture and Arab/Islamic culture. In fact, the terror attacks on 9/11 gave new direction in the development of Orientalism, which is now grounded on the juxtaposition of West and East and, as Said Edward states, shapes the cultural apparatus of Orientalism as a concept associated with aggression, activity, judgment, will-to-truth, and knowledge. Orientalim in the post-9/11 America is the view on Arab Americans and Ara b world as hostile, aggressive, and uncontrollable. Edward Said was the one who deeply investigated this issue and tried to reveal what was the reason of this false perception and why do Western nations could not perceive the Arabian nation in different way. His outstanding work Orientalism, which was released in far 1978 perfectly explains and investigates the relations between the East and the West, as well the history of these prejudice formation. The author called Orientalism, the political doctrine, which mistreat, misunderstand, misinterpret and oppress the Orient (or the East), which is traditionally was referred to as weaker than the West: My contention is that Orientalism is fundamentally a political doctrine willed over the Orient because the Orient was weaker than the West, which elided the Orients difference with its weaknessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As a cultural apparatus Orientalism is all aggression, activity, judgment, will-to-truth, and knowledge (Said Edward, p. 204). The author investigated in detail the relations between th e Eastern and the Western nations, which actually caused such a treatment and made even the academic world of the West is confident about their superiority upon the East, which causes such relations. Personally Said was confident that Orientalism did not deal with misinterpretation: My whole point about this system is not that it is a misrepresentation of some Oriental essence in which I do not for a moment believe but that it operates as representations usually do, for a purpose, according to a tendency, in a specific historical, intellectual, and even economic setting (Said Edward, p. 273). Said is roughly against the spread of internationalized ideas of Orientalism spread and practiced by the Arab elite and having their roots in the UK and the United States. It would be important to note that the Arab nations has their own unique culture, which is actually in some parts is really in the confrontation with so called Orientalism imagery, created by the West. The author considers that this has not only negative impact on the relations between the nations, but on the nations themselves, in particular the Arab nation: The four elements I have described expansion, historical confrontation, sympathy, classification are the currents in eighteenth-century thought on whose presence the specific intellectual and institutional structures of modern Orientalism depend (Said Edward, p. 120). The oppression of the Eastern nations, Arab nation in particular started far earlier than the event 9/11 occurred and observing the present day situation from the different perspectives it would be essential to note that the splash of this confrontation was due the event of 9/11, which stressed the Arab and the Western world and sharpened the confrontation. Before 9/11 the relationships between West and East has deteriorated consistently because western countries, headed by the US, oppressed the Arab world. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the development of the international relations before 9/11 was characterized by the growing tension between the US and its allies, on the one hand, and Arab and Muslim countries, on the other. As the matter of fact, terror attacks on 9/11 were, to a significant extent, determined by the negligence in relation to cultural norms and traditions as well as the socioeconomic situation and political development of Eastern countries. In this respect, Said Edward stands on the ground that the relationship between West and East were misbalanced. On extrapolating this idea on the international relations before and after 9/11, it is possible to estimate that 9/11 was an attempt of the Eastern, Islamic world to shatter the hegemony of the West in socioeconomic, political and cultural developmen t of the world. In fact, Western countries headed by the US strived to domination in the Middle East as well as in other regions, which traditionally attached to Islamic norms and traditions. In fact, the international relations before and after 9/11 were characterized by the dominating view on the international relations as the juxtaposition between West and the rest of the world. In this regard, Said Edward argues that the basic paradigm of West versus the rest (the cold war opposition reformulated) remained untouched, and this is what has persisted, often insidiously and implicitly, in discussion since the terrible events of September 11 (Said Edward, 118). What is meant here is the fact that the West contrasts itself to the rest of the world and people living in the West failed to view the world as a heterogeneous entity. Instead, they were accustomed to view the world from the western standpoint and they neglected other, alternative views. To put it in simple words, westerners had little idea of the East and they did not attempt to understand the East. Instead, they preferred to juxtapose to the East, develop confrontation against the East, and challenge the East just because it was different and it was not like the West. In this regard, Said Edward denies views of other specialists, who internalize problems of international relations. To put it more precisely, he is very skeptical about the idea that terror attacks occurred because of the internal development of Western and Eastern civilizations, which developed their own ideology, values and so on and eventually ended up in a clash, whereas 9/11 was just the mere manifestation of this clash between civilizations. In this respect, Said Edwards rejects views of researchers, who have much time to spare for the internal dynamics and plurality of every civilization, or for the fact that the major contest in most modern cultures concerns the definition or interpretation of each culture, or for the unattractiv e possibility that a great deal of demagogy and downright ignorance is involved in presuming to speak for a whole religion or civilization. No, the West is the West, and Islam Islam. (Said Edward, 118). He stands on the ground that the lack of mutual understanding and desire from the part of the West to understand the East, namely Islam and Muslim world led to the ongoing confrontation and the 9/11 terror attacks. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that before 9/11 the Muslim world experienced really hard times. The question of Western superiority was razed again. It goes without saying that Edward Said as the son of his nation could not stay indifferent to such a mistreatment and raised a discussion, trying to put things on their appropriate but never suitable places as the representatives of Western culture often do: Even the normally sober British weekly The Economist, in its issue of September 22-28, cant resist reaching for the vast generalization, praising Huntington extravagantly for his cruel and sweeping, but nonetheless acute observations about Islam. Today, the journal says with unseemly solemnity, Huntington writes that the worlds billion or so Muslims are convinced of the superiority of their culture, and obsessed with the inferiority of their power. Did he canvas 100 Indonesians, 200 Moroccans, 500 Egyptians and fifty Bosnians? Even if he did, what sort of sample is t hat? Uncountable are the editorials in every American and European newspaper and magazine of note adding to this vocabulary of gigantism and apocalypse, each use of which is plainly designed not to edify but to inflame the readers indignant passion as a member of the West, and what we need to do (Said Edward, 2001). The typical example of prejudice existing in the western society against Muslims and Islamic world can be revealed easily in the works written by Said Edward: This is the problem with unedifying labels like Islam and the West: They mislead and confuse the mind, which is trying to make sense of a disorderly reality that wont be pigeonholed or strapped down as easily as all that. I remember interrupting a man who, after a lecture I had given at a West Bank university in 1994, rose from the audience and started to attack my ideas as Western, as opposed to the strict Islamic ones he espoused. Why are you wearing a suit and tie? was the first retort that came to mind. Theyre Western too. He sat down with an embarrassed smile on his face, but I recalled the incident when information on the September 11 terrorists started to come in: how they had mastered all the technical details required to inflict their homicidal evil on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the aircraft they had comm andeered. Where does one draw the line between Western technology and, as Berlusconi declared, Islams inability to be a part of modernity? (Said Edward, 2001). These social boundaries raise a number of issues and the intensive desire to overcome them could not really help. That is why it is not actually surprising that Edward Said devoted so huge attention to the national and ethnic identity and defeated the facts that are the roots and the same time illustrative examples of these prejudice. Within this short passage the author described typical situation, when he was criticized by a so called pro-Western individual. Said Edward stands on the ground that representatives of the Islamic world face these prejudice from the very beginning till the end of their lives. The facts Edward Said uses for his research perfectly identify that the division on East and West is really lack of proved and well grounded pure facts. The only grounds for such an attitude and sharpening the destructive Orientalism are prejudice and stereotypes, which are actually nothing more than a myth. Taking into consideration the poll data it would be important to focus on the fact that the poll held Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University revealed that two thirds of the Americans consider that the government structures were well aware about the threat and had certain data, which could assist prevention of the terroristic acts but did not used this information. It goes without saying that two thirds of the Americans who support such point of view are potentially disregard Orientalism based prejudice and stereotypes dealing with the representative of the Arab nations, hence there is left one third, which would not stay indifferent. Edward Said was the one, who considered the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq to be illegal, as this act is not better than terrorist attack and may be even worse, as it violates the norms of international law dealing with sovereignty of the state: The suicide bombing phenomenon has appeared with all its hideous damage, none more lurid and ap ocalyptic of course than the events of September 11 2001 and their aftermath in the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq. As I write these lines, the illegal occupation of Iraq by Britain and the United States proceeds. Its aftermath is truly awful to contemplate. This is all part of what is supposed to be a clash of civilisations, unending, implacable, irremediable. Nevertheless, I think not. I wish I could say that general understanding of the Middle East, the Arabs and Islam in the US has improved, butalas, it really hasnt. For all kinds of reasons, the situation in Europe seems to be considerably better (Said Edward, p. 3). The fact is that the representatives of Western civilizations sometimes act even worse than terrorists. American and British Armies killed thousands of civilian Arabians, children, they violated the rights of people and were even condemned by the international society. Therefore, Said Edward is right, when he argues that the lack of understanding of the Islamic world provoked the confrontation, whereas the traditional opposition the West v. the rest of the world, could hardly lead to any other outcome but the bloody clash between the West and the East, which occurred on 9/11. In fact, Eastern, Islamic countries attempted to oppose to the growing pressure from the part of the US. Their vision of international relations differed consistently from the vision imposed on the world by the US. For instance, Islamic countries had a different view on the solution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Eastern countries, such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan have chosen their own way of development, which was different from the western way of development. In such a way, Eastern countries have different position in international policies but the West, headed by the US, ignored the position of Eastern countries. At this point, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the US was and still is the only superpower in the world and Eastern countries could not oppose or resist to the US, even if they united their efforts. They could not confront the only superpower in the open struggle. Nevertheless, Eastern countries grew more and more dissatisfied with the global policies and international relations imposed on them by the US. Hence, the opposition to the West grew stronger and led to the emergence of terrorist movements, such as Al Qaeda, which was actually responsible for terror attacks on 9/11. To put it more precisely, as Said Edward argued, the Islamic world stayed to be the Islamic world with its traditions, norms and beliefs. Representatives of this world, which was different from the West, were ready to defend their views and beliefs by all possible means. The hegemony of the US as the only superpower gave them little options to choose the method of struggle and the terrorism be came the major and, probably, the most effective method of struggle of the East against the oppression and domination of the West. Al Qaeda had proved to be quite successful recruiting thousands of members worldwide. Remarkably, this terrorist organization focused on the most radicalized parts of the world, such as Afghanistan or Pakistan, as well as Iran and Indonesia where radical Islamist ideas were popular and still relevant. Al Qaeda had a solid ideological basis in these countries and could recruit new members easily, whereas the desperate socioeconomic position of the population in these countries increased the popularity of Al Qaeda. At the same time, the main reason for the popularity of Al Qaeda among the population of Eastern countries. To put it more precisely, they were ready to support the power, which they believed to stand for their traditions, culture, interests and needs. In such a context, Al Qaeda positioned itself as the organization that struggles for the value s of Islam and protects Muslims from the oppression from the part of the US and other non-Islamic countries of the world. In other words, Al Qaeda personified the power that challenged the US and stood for Muslims. Hence, many people supported and still support this organization. At this point, it is possible to refer to the experience of other terrorist organization, such as Hezbollah, which has gained the public support in Lebanon because, even though this organization used terror attacks as the main method of its struggle, this organization proved to be the only power capable to resist effectively to Israel. The same trend can be traced in regard to Al Qaeda, which positioned itself as the only power capable to resist to the hegemony of the US and which was eager to support the Islamic world and Muslims worldwide. After 9/11 the West viewed Al Qaeda as the major threat and terrorist organization, whereas the East viewed Al Qaeda as a powerful organization that challenged the West and attempted to preserve the traditional values of the East and protect interests of Muslims. However, such an effect of the terror attacks conducted by 9/11 because, as Said Edward said the West is the West, and Islam is Islam, i.e. each civilization views the terror attacks from its own standpoint and, therefore, the attitude of people in the West and in the East to 9/11 differs. In the end it would be essential to focus on the fact that the Arab nations have to face severe difficulties in their everyday life and the grounds for these difficulties are Orientalism based prejudice and stereotypes, which impact the everyday life as Western as well as Eastern society. Edward Said was the one who valued national and ethnic identity very high, but the same time he was the one who stressed that the national diversity could never became a reasonable ground for interracial misunderstanding and development of prejudice. He always stated on the fact of equality between the representatives of all the nations in the world. A number of people share the same ideas on Orientalism, which is based on the centuries developed prejudice and stereotypes. International relations revealed the hegemony of the US and western civilization. In such a situation, terror attacks on 9/11 became the only effective response to the oppression of Eastern countries by the US. Al Qaeda became a s ymbol of the struggle for independence and traditional values in the East, and the enemy number one in the West. In such a way, the West carries on its ideology of the opposition of the West vs. the rest of the world.

Study On The Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Study On The Vocabulary Learning Strategies This chapter deals with the review of the related literature. In the first section, vocabulary learning strategies and its theoretical framework will be reviewed. For the second section the related research both international and national will be presented. 2.2. Vocabulary learning strategies Vocabulary learning strategies can be considered as a part of general learning strategies in second language acquisition. The first development in learning strategies area began in 1970s with research to recognize the characteristics of good language learners (Naiman et al., 1978; Rubin, 1975). OMalley and Chamot define learning strategies as the special thoughts or behaviors that individuals use to help them comprehend, learn or retain new information (1990, p.1). This definition can be seen in Schmitts defining vocabulary learning strategies too. Schmitt says learning is the process by which information is obtained, stored, retrieved and used therefore vocabulary learning strategies could be any which affect this broadly defined process (1997, p.203). This definition brings this question to the mind that whether vocabulary learning is incidental or deliberate, a factor which researchers have discussed in the literature a lot. Nation considers vocabulary learning as a deliberate pro cess which possesses intentional character. He established his description on the properties and qualities of a strategy which fulfills teachers aims. Call for helping learners improves the way they go about learning vocabulary have been made on a number of grounds. Sokmen (1997, p. 225) argues in order to help learners learn how to acquire vocabulary by them self, noting that it is not possible for students to learn all the vocabulary they need in the classroom. Cunningsworth (1995, p. 38) gives a name to helping learners make their own vocabulary learning strategies which is a powerful approach, that can be based on being sensitive to vocabulary systems, encouragement of sound dictionary skills and showing reflection to useful learning techniques. By considering the importance of vocabulary learning strategies, it would be very helpful to study about these strategies and find out what they are and examine how these strategies are going to help learners for building their vocabulary and also what strategies would be useful for the learners to be introduced in the textbooks. Brown and Payne (1994) found these five steps in the process of vocabulary learning in a foreign language: (a) having sources for encountering new words, (b) getting a clear image, either visual or auditory or both, of the forms of the new words, (c) learning the meaning of the words, (d) making a strong memory connection between the forms and the meanings of the words, and (e) using the words.(cited in Gani Hamzah et al., 2009, p.42) Following as a result, all vocabulary learning strategies, totally or partially, should be related to these five steps (Fan, 2003, p. 223). Vocabulary learning strategy can be seen from at least three different views. First, a vocabulary learning strategy, very broadly speaking, could be what ever the learners do to help the new vocabulary learning process. Whenever a learner needs to study words, he/she uses strategy/strategies to do it. Second, a vocabulary learning strategy could be related to actions that help vocabulary learning to work well. Hence, learners may use some actions which do not make any improvement in learning process. Third, there might be a relation between a vocabulary learning strategy and conscious actions that learners take to study new words. Ideally, in order to have a free chance to choose consciously the suitable strategy for ones self, learners should be informed of good, efficient strategies. This fact should be considered that, though, a strategy which is suitable and works well for one student may completely fail with another and that for a particular learning situation one strategy happe ns to be better than another. 2.2.1. Importance of Vocabulary Learning Strategies The main advantage obtained from all learning strategies, as well as vocabulary learning strategies, is that learners are able of taking more control of their own learning so that students will fell more responsible for their studies (Nation, 2001; Scharle Szabà ³, 2000). Consequently, the strategies develop learner autonomy, independence, and self-direction (Oxford Nyikos, 1989, p.291). When the students be equipped with different kind of vocabulary learning strategies they can decide how exactly they would like to come up with unknown words. Having a good knowledge of the existing strategies and the ability to make use of them in suitable situations might considerably make the learning process of new vocabulary simpler for students for instance, when the student selects which words to study him/her self they can remember the words better than when the words are chosen by someone else (Ranalli, 2003, p. 9). (cited in Gani Hamzah et al., 2009) In Nation (2001) view learners are able to acquire a large amount of vocabulary with the help of vocabulary learning strategies and that these strategies are truly useful for students of different language levels. As learning strategies are readily teachable (Oxford Nyikos 1989, p. 291), the time that teachers spend in order to introduce different ways of vocabulary learning and practice to students cannot be considered as wasted. Cameron (2001) believes that children may not be able to make use of vocabulary learning strategies themselves in order to make this happen they need to be trained to use the strategies effectively. A number of linguists have long recognized the importance of learner independence in vocabulary acquisition. Gairns and Redman (1986) believe that students must show more responsibility for their learning and give larger attention to individual needs. The reason is that when the learners past their elementary level, it would be very difficult for teachers to choose vocabulary being useful to all students; thus time spent on teaching may be wasted. Schmitt (2000) sees the need for solving such problems by helping learners acquire the strategies necessary to learn words on their own. Oxford and Scarcella (1994) support the preparation of systematic vocabulary instruction to let learner master specific strategies to acquire words even outside their classes. In Nations view (1990; 2001), the most important way that learners learn vocabulary is when they use strategies independently of their teacher. In his recent publication, Nation suggested strategy training be part of a vocabulary development program. According to Schmitt and Schmitt (1995), the best teaching plan may be to let students decide themselves which strategy or strategies they prefer by introducing a variety of learning strategies. This echoes learners need to advance their strategy knowledge. 2.2.2. Types of Vocabulary Learning Strategies As it is made clear by many vocabulary learning strategy classifications proposed by different researchers, there is a wide range of different vocabulary learning strategies. Most studies in the field of vocabulary learning strategies have focused on investigating a small set of VLSs. For example, some studies point at researching memory strategies or mnemonic techniques and what effect they have on retention (Cohen Aphek, 1980; Pressley et al., 1982; Brown Perry, 1991). Some studies put emphasis on exploring the vocabulary strategies used in reading, such as guessing from context (Huckin, Haynes, and Coady, 1993). In the following part we will take a closer look at the most important category of the strategies. The basement of the strategies below is generally organized on Schmitts (1997) taxonomy, i.e. the names of the broad categories of the strategies come from his classification. Schmitts taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies (cited in Marttinen, 2008) Schmitt (1997, p. 206-208) based his taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies on Oxfords (1990) taxonomy of learning strategies. Since Oxford (1990) created the taxonomy for describing learning strategies as a whole in the first step Schmitt (1997) had to revise it in order to act as a useful tool especially when categorizing vocabulary learning strategies. According to Schmitts (1997) taxonomy, there are two main groups of strategies: discovery strategies and consolidation strategies. Discovery strategies are those strategies which are used in discovering the meaning of a new word whereas consolidating strategies deal with the consolidation a word once it has been encountered. The former consists of determination strategies and social strategies whereas the latter includes social strategies, memory strategies, cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies. However, Schmitt (1990, p.204) notes that it is very difficult to draw a border line between different strategies and their variations. For example, some strategies, like interacting with native speakers, can be categorized as both social and metecognitive strategy if it is concidered as a part of overall language learning. When facing an unfamiliar word, learners must find out the meaning of the new word. According to Schmitt (1997, p.208), determination strategies which are a part of discovery strategies, include strategies such as guessing the meaning according to structural knowledge, guessing from L1 cognate, guessing from context or using reference material. Since learners can ask help from someone in discovering the meaning of a new word, social strategies can also function as discovery strategies (Schmitt 1997, p.209). Consolidating strategies include several different types of strategy. In Schmitts (1997) taxonomy they include social strategies, since input acts as a key element in acquiring a language, social strategies are very important in language learning. For example, group learning and team working raises active processing and since in such activities instructor does not interrupt the learners much, they have more time to use the language in the classroom (Schmitt 1997, p.211). Schmitt (1997, p.211-13) mentions that another type of consolidation strategies are memory strategies which were traditionally known as mnemonics. Memory strategies usually make a relation between the word and learners previous knowledge, for example, instead of giving the direct definition or making a kind of relation to some familiar L2 words, pictures of the meaning are shown to learners. Using unrelated words or grouping the words according to some categories such as synonyms or common themes are other examples of memory strategies. In addition, one can study the spelling or pronunciation of the word for helping it to stick into memory. Furthermore, using words affixes, roots and word classes can be useful in consolidating word meaning. (Schmitt 1997, p.214) According to Schmitt (1997, p.215), cognitive and memory strategies of his taxonomy are similar and they concentrate on repetition and mechanical means of studying vocabulary rather than manipulative mental processing. Written and verbal repetitions are the traditional and popular examples of these strategies; writing or repeating a word several times. Word lists, flash cards and note taking as well as using study aids such as language textbooks are also classified as cognitive strategies. As mentioned before, the strategies which learners use in order to control and evaluate their learning are called metacognitive strategies and this is the same in Schmitts (1997) taxonomy. Schmitt (1997, p.216) mentions that effective metacognitive strategies can happen when learners are exposed to L2 as much as possible, for example, by reading books, watching movies and interacting with native speakers. Also using the time effectively and knowing when to actively study a new word are useful metacognitive strategies. Most of the studies in this area tried to investigate a small set of vocabulary learning strategies. For example some of the researchers (Cohen Aphek, 1980; Pressely et al., 1982; Brown Perry, 1991) centered their studies on memory strategies or mnemonic techniques and its effect on retention. Some other studies emphasized on the vocabulary learning strategies which are used in reading such as guessing from the context (Huckin, Haynes Coady, 1993). There are a few studies which elaborated on vocabulary learning strategies as a whole and give a broader perspective from them. The table below summarizes the different classification system of VLS. Source Stoffer (1995) Strategy categories 1. strategies involving authentic language use 2. strategies used for self-motivation 3. strategies used to create mental linkages 4. memory strategies 5. strategies used to organize words 6. strategies involving creative activities 7. visual/auditory strategies 8. strategies involving physical action 9. strategies used to overcome anxiety Gu Johnson (1996) 1. metacognitive regulation 2. guessing strategies 3. dictionary strategies 4. note-taking strategies 5. rehearsal strategies 6.encoding strategies 7. activation strategies Schmitt (1997) 1. discovery strategies 1.1 determination strategies (DET) 1.2 social strategies (SOC) 2. consolidation 2.1 social strategies (SOC) strategies 2.2 memory strategies (MEM) 2.3 cognitive strategies (COG) 2.4 metacognitive strategies (MET) Nation (2001) 1. planning 1.1 choosing words 1.2 choosing the aspect of word knowledge 1.3 choosing strategies 1.4 planning repetition 2. sources 2.1 analyzing the word 2.2 using context 2.3 consulting a reference source in L1oe L2 2.4 using parallels in L1 and L2 3. processes 3.1 noticing 3.2 retrieving 3.3 generating As you have became familiar with Schmitts taxonomy earlier in this section, now lets take a look at the other classifications mentioned in the table. (Cited in nccuir.lib.nccu.edu.tw/bitstream/140.119/33390/7/55007107.pdf, 2005) Stoffer (1995) conducted the first investigation of overall vocabulary learning strategies. She fulfilled a vocabulary strategy survey and developed a Vocabulary Learning Strategy Inventory (VOLSI). Using statistical factor analysis which provide a practical basis for category assignment, Stoffer found the 53VOLSI items go under the nine major groups: 1- authentic language use; 2- self-motivation; 3- crating mental linkages; 4- memory strategies; 5- organizing words; 6- creative activities; 7- visual/auditory strategies; 8- physical action; and 9- overcoming anxiety. Gu and Johnson (1996), developed a vocabulary learning questionnaire based on previous quantitative and qualitative research (Ahmed, 1989; Gu, 1994; Oxford, 1990), that its aim is to gather information on students beliefs about vocabulary learning and the vocabulary learning strategies which they use (91individual strategies in total). The strategies were grouped under two general subdivisions: Metacognitive regulation and Cognitive strategies which consists of six subgroups, guessing strategies, dictionary strategies, note-taking strategies, memory strategies (rehearsal), memory strategies(encoding), and activation strategies. In this way, in the taxonomy mentioned seven major dimensions exist which each dimension had several categories for it self. For example, guessing strategy was subdivided into two categories: using background knowledge/ wider context and using linguistic cues/ immediate context. Nation (2001) developed a taxonomy which tries to separate aspects of vocabulary knowledge, and learning processes. In his classification scheme Nation (2001) differentiates between three general classes of strategies. The first major category is planning for vocabulary learning which is concerned about how often learners pay attention and where they focus their attention. Strategies such as choosing words, choosing the aspects of word knowledge, choosing strategies, and planning repetition are included in this category. The second major category refers to sources of vocabulary knowledge which is about finding information of unfamiliar words. The strategies in this category include analyzing the word, using context, consulting a reference source in L1 or L2, and using parallels in L1 and L2. The third and last major category is concerned about learning processes which includes the ways learners establish their vocabulary knowledge and make it available for use. Noticing, retrieving, and generating are three types of strategies of this category. 2.3. Research background There are authors such as Nation (2001) and Coxhead (2006) in the vocabulary literature who believe that there is a difference between general, academic, technical, and low frequency vocabulary, mentioning that technical or specialized words have a quite high frequency in a limited range of texts in each academic discipline (Fraser 2005). Scarcella and Zimmerman (1998) make the same difference, and refer to technical words that are used in specific academic fields (p. 28). Carlson (1999) and Coxhead and Nation (2001) have written about specialized vocabulary lists for specific purposes. This is an important issue because Casanaves (1992) study showed that acquiring the culture of a disciplinary community involves learning that communitys specialized language, and Parry (1991, 1993) in his research revealed the challenges of technical, academic vocabulary learning. Fan (1998) found that Chinese EFL learners have difficulty in recoding technical vocabulary and in writing on strategies and long-term recall, Lawson and Hogben (1996) discussed the importance of VLS in a way that is relevant to learning the technical vocabulary of ones academic field: In the early stages of language learning, when the students do the tasks themselves they are more interested, this is a deliberate processing activity rather than automatic (Hasher Zacks 1979). The deliberate procedures, or strategies, conducted during this period are likely preserved; these strategies should be seen in students behavior as they do a vocabulary learning task (p. 104).(Cited in Lessard-Clouston, 2008) Strategies which learners use in dealing with the technical vocabulary learning in their early stage in the disciplines they have chosen may thus influence both their vocabulary acquisition and their academic socialization. Nation (1993, p.124) stated that broad vocabulary growth depends on vocabulary strategies that are independent of subject matter knowledge, and there are a number of related VLS studies from the literature of the last decade or so. (Cited in Lessard-Clouston, 2008) 2.3.1. Related researches on the field of VLS This part tries to give an overview of research focusing on various vocabulary learning strategies. 2.3.1.1. International researches Sanaoui (1995) in a research among both English and French second language students in Canada came to this conclusion that while a learners proficiency level and type of instruction did not affect his or her results on an individualized vocabulary assessment task, the individual approach to vocabulary study, reflected in the structured use of VLS, did contribute significantly to lexical learning. Sanaoui used a detailed questionnaire to find out which strategies participants use for learning vocabulary, that distinguished two distinct approaches to vocabulary acquisition, structured and unstructured, which are different in five key aspects: a) learners opportunities for learning vocabulary (i.e., independent study vs. reliance on their language course); b) their range of self-initiated vocabulary learning (i.e., extensive vs. restricted); c) their records of the lexical items they were learning (i.e., extensive/systematic vs. minimal/ad hoc); d) how much learners reviewed such words/ records (i.e., extensively vs. little or not at all); and e) whether they practiced such lexical items (i.e., by creating opportunities in and out of class vs. relying on class opportunities alone) (Sanaoui, 1995). (Cited in, Ruutmets, 2005) In a research with 14 ESL students preparing for academic study in Canada, however, Lessard-Clouston (1996) also followed Sanaouis model and used a questionnaire and an individualized vocabulary test. Despite replicating the most important aspects of Sanaouis (1995) research, his results showed that membership in a group, based on a participants VLS, did not predict language proficiency, nor performance on the individualized vocabulary knowledge test. Lessard-Clouston (1996) thus concluded that such findings raise questions about the usefulness of categorizing students in groups according to structured, semi-structured, or unstructured approaches to lexical learning (p. 114).(cited in, Lessard-Clouston, 2008) A study conducted by Gu and Johnson (1996) among 850 non-English major Chinese students in China, a questionnaire and multiple regression analysis revealed two VLS, self-initiation and selective attention, as positive predictors of their participants proficiency, measured by their college English test scores. They also found that the strategies of contextual guessing, skillful dictionary use, paying attention to word formation, contextual encoding, and using newly learnt words had a positive correlation with participants test scores. Using cluster analysis Gu and Johnson found five key approaches to vocabulary learning (encoders, readers, active strategy users, non-encoders, and passive strategy users), and came to this point that strategy combinations, rather than individual VLS, may have a positive effect on their participants learning.(cited in, Xhaferi, 2008) Schmitt (1997) prepared a VLS taxonomy using Oxfords (1990) work, distinguishing two broad types: discovery strategies (for initially learning a words meaning) and consolidation strategies (for remembering and using a word once it has been encountered), there may be some VLS in common for both. Schmitt asked 600 Japanese EFL learners using a survey to say how often they use different VLS, what they fell about the helpfulness of those strategies, and to mention the most helpful ones. Six strategies were common among the VLS rated most used and most helpful, which includes: using a bilingual dictionary, written repetition, verbal repetition, saying a new word aloud, studying a words spelling, and taking notes in class. Evaluating the results of the survey of strategies reported by groups of middle school, high school, university and adult EFL learners, Schmitt (1997) also noted that for some VLS the patterns of strategy use appeared to change over time (p. 224).(cited in, Xhaferi, 2008 ) Kojic-Sabo and Lightbown (1999) have done their research using a questionnaire adapted from Sanaouis work, a Yes/No test of academic vocabulary, and a cloze test for collecting data on the vocabulary learning approaches of 47 EFL and 43 ESL students in Yugoslavia and Canada. Their main findings strongly supported Sanaouis conclusions, which is more frequent and elaborate strategy use is linked to success in language learning, whereas lack of effort on the learners part relates to poor achievement (p. 190). In addition, time and learner independence were found to be the two measures that are closely related to success in vocabulary learning and higher overall English proficiency (p. 176). (cited in, Ruutmets, 2005 ) Fan (2003) conducted a large scale research, studying Chinese EFL learners in Hong Kong, evaluating the vocabulary tests and strategy questionnaires completed by more than 1,000 university students. Fan discovered that the most proficient participants of her study used several different strategies (notably using more sources, dictionaries, guessing, and known word strategies) significantly more often than the less proficient ones (p. 233), and she echoed Sanaouis (1995) view on the importance of review and consolidation in vocabulary learning (p. 234). Fan also noticed that strategy use are very complex and various noticeable differences existed between frequency of use and the reported, perceived usefulness of particular VLS of participants of her study. Fan (2003) thus concluded by emphasizing on the importance of helping EFL students understand the significance of VLS and encouraging them to develop effective strategies of their own.(cited in, Fan, 2003) In contrast with the large-scale studies mentioned earlier, which emphasize learners reported strategy use, Gu (2003) conducted a detailed case studies on the VLS of two successful Chinese EFL students (who were not English majors) using reading tasks, think-aloud protocols, and interviews to document their observed use of VLS. Building on their preferred learning styles (auditory and visual), Gus participants were highly motivated and employed a range of cognitive and metacognitive strategies and approaches in their EFL vocabulary learning. Gu (2003) concluded that the combination of these strategies and approaches created a vocabulary-learning art in which each participant exhibited the flexible and skillful analysis, choice, deployment, execution, and orchestration of all strategies at their disposal in accordance with their own preferred style of learning (p. 99). Gus (2003) study also revealed the value of interviews and case studies for VLS research. (cited in, Lessard-Clouston , 2008) There are some other notable researches. Peacock and Ho (2003) surveyed 1,006 Hong Kong EAP students in eight different disciplines and found that students in different fields use different language learning strategies, some of which correlated more highly with their participants English proficiency. Cognitive and metacognetive were the most frequent strategies used by students, and follow up interviews with 48 participants revealed that students outside of the humanities tended to use fewer strategies and viewed studying English to be of less importance than their disciplines.(cited in, Peacock Ho, 2003) Parks and Reymond (2004) have done a research with 28 Chinese NNES students studying MBA in Canada, they reported that the strategies their participants use varied significantly and changed over time, especially when later in the program for their study NNES students interacted with NES students in regular classes. Parks and Raymond thus concluded: In contrast to the rather simplistic notion evoked in certain portrayals of the good language learner, strategy use as reported herein emerges as a complex, socially situated phenomenon, bound up with issues related to personal identityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p. 374). (cited in Park Reymond, 2004 ) In a recent, short term study Atay and Ozbulgan (2007) examined the VLS of 50 military ESP learners in Turkey, which its participants took part in a three week period study in two separated classes that each class was held for six hours a day. For comparing the two English Air Traffic Terminology classes Atay and Ozbulgan used a multiple-choice vocabulary test and a strategies questionnaire (p. 42). In their study they had two groups: a control group with no special training and an experimental group which was introduced to VLS and spent one of the six hours in class each day on focused memory strategy instruction (p. 44). On the vocabulary knowledge post-test, learners in the experimental group gained significant higher test scores than the control group (p. 45). The results of the strategies questionnaire among learners in the experimental group also indicated a major increase in the percentage of use and variety of strategies in the post-test (p. 46). (Cited in Atay Ozbulgan, 200 7 ) 2.3.1.2. National researches Eslami Rakhsh and Ranjbary (2003) investigated the metacognitive strategy training effects on the lexical knowledge development of 53 male and female Iranian students taking part in an intensive course of English in Tehran Institute of Technology aged 19 to 25. The results showed no significant difference in the vocabulary knowledge between two groups. However, the result of the post-test showed something different. At the end of the experience the experimental group showed progress in terms of lexical knowledge comparing to control group. Thus, the findings of this study indicate that explicit metacognitive strategies instruction has a positive impact on the lexical knowledge development of EFL students.(cited in, Kafipour et al., 2011 ) Marefat and Ahmadi (2003) studied on 60 Iranian female English language learner between the age of 15 and 17,in this study they wanted to examine the effect of teaching direct learning strategies (memory, cognitive, and compensation) and their subcategories on the vocabulary short term and long term retention. In fact, they are not concern about vocabulary learning strategies in this study; rather they want to examine the impact of learning strategies on vocabulary retention. As the result of the questionnaire showed, memory and cognitive strategies were used more than other strategies; moreover, learners strategy use in short-term retention vocabulary was more effective than in long-term retention. The results also revealed the superiority of memory strategy use both in short and long term retention.(cited in, Kafipour et al., 2011 ) Alavi (2006) in a research with 231 TEFL and non-TEFL undergraduate university students tried to investigate the frequency of use of cognitive and metacognitive vocabulary learning strategies. In order to do this three questionnaires were used, Oxfords (1990) classification of language learning strategies, Wendens (1987) classification of strategies, and Gu and Johnsons (1996) vocabulary learning questionnaire (VLQ). The results indicated that Iranian university students prefer cognitive strategies and they use it more frequently in their vocabulary learning process. The results also revealed that there is a significant relation between students major and their choice of strategies, their major significantly affects their choice. (cited in Alavi, 2006) Akbarys and Tahririans (2009) study can be regarded as one of the recent studies in vocabulary learning strategy area. They investigated vocabulary learning strategies use for specialized and non-specialized learning vocabulary among ESP students in different field of studies. 103medical and paramedical undergraduate Isfahan University of Medical Sciences students from 8 majors participated in this study all of which were passing their ESP course. For data elicitation three different methods were used; observation, interview and questionnaire. The finding of the questionnaire showed that the most frequent strategy was using bilingual dictionaries and the most commonly used learning strategy was oral and written repetition.(cited in, Akbary Tahririan, 2009) Gani Hamzah, Kafipour and Abdullah (2009) conducted a study in order to evaluate undergraduate EFL learners vocabulary learning strategies and its relation to the learners vocabulary size. 125 Iranian TEFL undergraduate students took part in this study. Two instruments were used to collect the data; Nations standardized vocabulary size test and Schmitts vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire adopted from Bennet (2006). The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and multiple regression. The results indicate that Iranian undergraduate EFL learners are medium strategy users and determination strategy