Postpartum Depression in The Yellow Wallpaper - 1468 Words

Janes Postpartum Depression in The Yellow Wallpaper In the The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman describes her postpartum depression through the character of Jane. Jane was locked up for bed rest and was not able to go outside to help alleviate her nervous condition. Jane develops an attachment to the wallpaper and discovers a woman in the wallpaper. This shows that her physical treatment is only leading her to madness. The background of postpartum depression can be summarized by the symptoms of postpartum depression, the current treatment, and its prevention. Many people ask themselves what happens if postpartum depression gets really bad or what increases their chances. Janes treatment can show what can happen if it is†¦show more content†¦There are times in the story that she gets really angry with her husband, John. John is a medical doctor that helps Jane physically instead of mentally and emotionally. Jane is also isolated from everyone else. Therefore, she finds herself many times getting bored. Since The Yel low Wallpaper is an autobiographical story, I conclude that she has worked before as a writer because she refers to writing in the story. After the baby is born, she has a sudden change to where she cannot write anymore. Jane also has a hard time sleeping at night. The symptoms of postpartum depression can take two forms: one starting right after the birth and becoming more distressing as time passes, and the other is several weeks after the birth and develops more slowly (Mothersbliss). Postpartum depression can last from a few hours to several days and may affect between 40 and 80% of postpartum women (OHara 277). Many of the symptoms are sleep disorders, panic attacks, poor concentration, irregular menstrual periods, anemia, and weakness (Carlson 477). One factor contributing to the postpartum depression is the sudden change in hormones caused by childbirth that can affect the mothers mood (Benson 1404). Another factor that adds to postpartum depression is the sudden change in li festyle, especially if the mother had been working Olley 3 before (1404). The symptoms that Jane has clearly points to postpartum depression, and the way she is treated for it does not help any. TheShow MoreRelatedYellow Wallpaper and Postpartum Depression711 Words   |  3 PagesPostpartum Depression In the short story. The Yellow Wallpaper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, we are introduced to a woman, the narrator, who suffers from postpartum depression, a disorder in women that results from childbirth. This disorder can have serious effects on the individual and may result in extreme behaviors such as suicide. (Mahoney 1) The narrator of the story is symbolic of Gilman, as she had experienced this illness after the birth of her daughter. (Gilman 181) PostpartumRead MorePostpartum Depression And The Yellow Wallpaper1536 Words   |  7 PagesPostpartum Depression and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† The descent into madness by the main character in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† shows the impact of postpartum depression coupled with the oppression of women during the time period in which it was written.   The author, Charlotte Gilman, suffered from postpartum depression herself and is considered the model for the main character and what she goes through, as chronicled in an article she later wrote in 1913 entitled â€Å"Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper.†   TheRead MoreThe Impact Of Postpartum Depression In The Yellow Wallpaper1215 Words   |  5 Pagesthe current time period. For instance, in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Gilman the story deals with the issue of postpartum depression in new mothers. While postpartum depression is still a very real and current topic in today’s society. Current society handles the issue differently than when the â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was written. The difference in modern day and past society is contributed to the increasing knowledge of postpartum depression that has led to a new view for society, improvedRead MoreJanes Postpartum Depression in the Yellow Wallpaper2028 Words   |  9 PagesJanes Postpartum Depression in The Yellow Wallpaper In the The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman describes her postpartum depression through the character of Jane. Jane was locked up for bed rest and was not able to go outside to help alleviate her nervous condition. Jane develops an attachment to the wallpaper and discovers a woman in the wallpaper. This shows that her physical treatment is only leading her to madness. The background of postpartum depression can be summarized by theRead MoreThe Effects Of Postpartum Depression In The Yellow Wallpaper1273 Words   |  6 PagesCharlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, is a short story, published in the late 1800s, about one woman’s descent to madness. Finding herself plagued with postpartum depression after the birth of her son, the narrator’s ailment is overlooked by everyone around her. Her husband, â€Å"...a physician of high standing..† (Gilman) describes the narrator’s illness as â€Å"temporary nervous depressio n...a slight hysterical tendency.† Her brother and male doctor, also agree with this diagnosis and becauseRead MoreThe Portrayal Of Postpartum Depression1581 Words   |  7 PagesPortrayal of Postpartum-Depression in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† â€Å"The Yellow wallpaper† is a story about a woman going through a mental breakdown. She has recently had a baby and is suffering from postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. Charlotte portrays postpartum depression very accurately in the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. She writes about how others do not understand her needs and how they will not listen to what she wants to say. Postpartum depression is a serious form of depression that affectsRead MoreYellow: The Color of Postpartum Depression854 Words   |  3 Pagessaid to be nothing more than nervousness. In The Yellow Wallpaper a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, the narrator is a young woman who has recently given birth, during the late 19th century. After giving birth she has fallen victim of postpartum depression. When a woman becomes pregnant her body immediately starts to produce hormones in excess. These same hormones that help a woman through pregnancy can cause psychological detriment postpartum. Her husband, who is a doctor, tells her, it isRead MorePostpartum Psychosis in the Yellow Wallpaper1290 Words   |  6 PagesPost-Partum Psychosis and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, tells the story of a woman’s descent into madness as a result of postpartum psychosis. Postpartum psychosis is a condition that affects between one and two of every thousand live births. The condition of postpartum psychosis usually begins within two weeks of giving birth and sometimes within a matter of days. (â€Å"Depression†, 2009) Symptoms of postpartum psychosis are â€Å"delusions or strangeRead MoreThe Progressive Stages Of Postpartum Depression1392 Words   |  6 Pagesbe†(Yellow Wallpaper.) Defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Depression: a state of feeling sad. Simple, right? Dead wrong. Clinical depression is one of the leading psychological disorders in the US, affecting over 17.5 million Americans.(Washington) Amongst the many forms of depression, there is postpartum depression, a more uncommon one. Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Gilman, is a paper in which Charlotte Gilman tells a fictionalized version of her experience with postpartum depression. TheRead MoreAcknowledging Postpartum Depression. Years Ago, There Was1392 Words   |  6 PagesAcknowledging Postpartum Depression Years ago, there was a limited understanding about postpartum depression and efficient treatments. Today, postpartum depression is better understood because of the willingness of others to recognize it as a legitimate condition. Based on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† the treatments of her day were not adequate to improve the mental health of someone dealing with this diagnosis. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† the main character is

Peer to Peer Piracy and the Film Industry Essay - 944 Words

Peer to Peer Piracy and the Film Industry Introduction Each day an estimated 400,000 films exchange hands through the Internet. Movie piracy, once reserved to pirate syndicates and illegal duplication factories, has become a common staple among college students with high-speed internet access. With advanced compression technology, movie files can be transferred across continents in hours and across campus networks in under ten minutes. File-sharing is seen as a victimless crime, but the motion picture industry is expected to lose $3.5 billion this year alone due to piracy. Pirate activities undermine every aspect of the legitimate filmmaking business since legitimate retailers cannot possibly compete fairly with pirate business.†¦show more content†¦This carefully planned release of the film to different markets is known as distribution windows, and is essential to the survival of the film industry. If a film is pirated at any point, the worth of that film can be fatally depleted long before it can retrieve its initial investmen t. Film Releases There are generally two critical points in a film’s distribution window where it can be pirated: in theatres, and retail DVDs. The most important release for a film is its theatrical release. A movie can earn back close to half of its budget in its opening weekend. However, the film can be pirated in two ways. Pirates can use hand-held video cameras to record films off of theater screens and then copy these films onto other medias. Another method of piracy involves the theft of the film print from a theater. This type of theft allows the pirate to make a relatively high quality copy from the theatrical print, which then serves as the master for the duplication of unauthorized copies. These illicit copies are not only distributed to pirates in the US, but also shipped overseas and distributed through illegal channels even before the film’s international theatrical release, cannibalizing a film’s opening weekend-returns. These copies are usually encoded and transfe rred over the Internet as well as through peer-to-peer networks. The second critical point is copies from retail DVDs. Before DVDs are sold to the public, production facilities churn out aShow MoreRelatedMedia Coverage On The Rise Of Digital Piracy1612 Words   |  7 Pagesinspired by continuous media coverage on the rise of digital piracy in Australia, the creation of new legislation related to piracy, in addition to the losses of local film creators and the familiarity of digital piracy within my peers. As a result of my research, I discovered that digital piracy has become common in response to delayed releases and high prices exclusive to Australia, and piracy has severe economic consequences for the film industry. My outcome is in the format of a formal report, followingRead MoreThe Impact Of Piracy On The Internet Essay1720 Words   |  7 PagesThe Impact of Piracy According to the Motion Pictures Association of America website, A pirate is anyone who sells, acquires, copies or distributes copyrighted materials without permission. Over the past ten years, technology has greatly advanced, and with these technological advances, digital file sharing easier than ever. One aspect of these advances is faster Internet connection, which has made it easier to download large files in the matter of minutes. Whereas in the past majorityRead MoreDigital Piracy Essay1225 Words   |  5 Pagesmedia products is accompanied by the emergence of digital piracy. Whilst copying had already been technically feasible during the era of video cassettes, it required certain equipment and piracy behaviour was limited (Waterman et al., 2007). The rise of the computer and World Wide Web, however, simplified the unauthorised duplication and storage of copyrighted content and caused movie piracy to soar substantially (Fetscherin, 2005). Digital piracy can g enerally occur offline (through the copying of discsRead MoreFile Sharing And The Internet Piracy1468 Words   |  6 Pagesrecent years, internet piracy or file sharing of copyrighted material has gained much popularity. It is a topic that has incessantly sparked debate and has even received global attention. Although on the surface the act of file sharing may seem harmless, it is far from it. Each year, film and record production companies as well as software and video game development companies suffer from billions of dollars in lost profits. This loss comes as a direct result of internet piracy. Many agree thatRead MoreIntellectual Property And Computing Technology1207 Words   |  5 Pagesthe history, how intellectual property and computing technology work together, the different forms of IP and protecting them. The operations and functionality of various industries across the world continue to change rapidly since the 21st Century. The change process started around the mid of the 20th Century when the industries began evolving on the design and innovation process. This marked the beginning of the adoption of new means of information flow due to the advent of computers and computingRead MoreThe Problem Of Movie Piracy1306 Words   |  6 Pagesaspect of creating a film takes long days, weeks, and even years. Spending countless amounts of hours ensuring that every scene looks perfect, every outfit goes without malfunction, or making sure you don’t forget any of your lines all takes hard work and dedication. Therefore, being shorthanded by â€Å"free movie websites†, â€Å"jailbroken† firesticks, and more are all aiding in the growing problem of movie piracy. The purpose of this paper is to inform people on exactly what movie piracy is in the hopes toRead MoreIs Piracy Tr uly Hurting The Film, Record, And Game Industry1634 Words   |  7 Pagesinternet piracy in the late nineties and the early 2000s, albeit while humorous, shows the public stance on piracy. Although internet piracy is often seen as a horrible crime that cripples the movie, gaming, and record industries; recent studies, as well as the outlook of several major companies/producers, say that (â€Å"You†) these claims are over-exaggerated. The question posed in this paper is fairly simple, but has been debated since the first few years internet piracy began to bud: is piracy trulyRead MoreThe Internet And Piracy That Will Kill Film Essay881 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to movie star Helen Mirren, â€Å"It ll be the Internet and piracy that will kill film.† With the invention of the internet sharing content has been made significantly easier. It also raises the question, â€Å"is sharing content belonging to others ok?† This question was brought up thanks to a peer-to-peer file sharing website by the name of Napster.com (online-piracy) when many big name celebrities sued tried to sue this website. Napster alone had over 25 million users so a lot of people thoughtRead MoreBusiness Law and Ethics Napster Case2125 Words   |  9 Pages pages Introduction......................................................................................... 1 The internet piracy Napster case and other peer to peer system........... 1-3 What should be done to stop internet piracy or make it useful for companies......... 3-4 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 4 Read MoreInternet Piracy and the Music Industries Business Model - Research Project4472 Words   |  18 PagesResearch Project: The Music Industry’s dramatic business model change from physical sales to digital downloads, how much the record labels are affected by internet piracy and how to regulate it. Information Discovery, Analysis and Interpretation Contents Page Page 1. Executive Summery 3 2. Scope of Report

Students Strikes Essay Sample free essay sample

The intent of this survey was to look into the direction of secondary school students’ agitation and the responses of school directors in the visible radiation of the causes of students’ work stoppages in Machakos District. . This survey sought to happen out the causes of work stoppages and the response of the school directors. and their consequence on the direction of secondary schools in Machakos District. Three chief aims guided the survey therefore ; to set up the causes of students’ work stoppages in Machakos District. to set up the response of school directors towards students’ work stoppages in Machakos District and the effects of students’ work stoppages and the response of school directors in the direction of secondary schools in Machakos District. This survey employed descriptive study design. Its mark population was pupils and the teaching staff of 47 secondary schools of Machakos District. It utilized random trying to acquire sample. Que stionnaires and interviews were used for informations aggregation ; 742 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and 80 % response rate was achieved. The survey found out that the chief causes of students’ unrest were ; deficiency of duologue. hapless diet. unequal learning stuff. unequal teaching staff and hapless public presentation in scrutiny. and the directors responses included. closing of schools. bettering the diet and availing learning stuffs and learning staff for better public presentation. The survey concluded that school directors should make a pre-analysis of students’ demands before schools unfastened. the Deputy Head instructor should ever be in school in the absence of the Head instructor. regular staff meetings should be held and that pupil representatives should go to these meetings. prefects should be trained through seminars and workshops on leading and guidance. disciplinary processs refering suspension and penalty should -be clearly communicated to both pupils and instructors. and the instructor on responsibility should shack in the school compound to guarantee that pupils are where they should be and that any job arising is handled instantly. CAUSES AND CURE The pupil community plays a critical function in every society. It has ever been recognised as a great force. The pupils are the future leaders. They are immature. energetic and enligh ¬tened. In every state the leading emerges out of the pupils who are idealistic and have some dreams about their life. society and state. They are. no uncertainty. a sensitive set of people who do non like many societal and econorriic immoralities. In their idealism they set high ends for themselves. Students are the hope of tomorrow. In our state there is a general job of pupil unrest. Very frequently they go on work stoppages and indulge in force. Teachers accuse them of deficiency of regard for them. Parents are besides non happy with them. Their activities are a beginning of problem to the authorities. Students do non take equal involvement in their surveies. In scrutinies they do non do good. Sometimes without any land they bycott the scrutiny and resort to work stoppage. They threaten their ins tructors and damage public belongings. If school governments or authorities take any action against them. they take to force. They are non prepared to obey anybody. They show small respect for the Torahs of the land. It is accepted by all that there is great unrest among pupils. But what is the existent cause of it. Some people put the full incrimination on the pupils. There are some who blame the instructors. while some others blame the governments for this. The pupil community plays a critical function in every society. It has ever been recognised as a great force. The pupils are the future leaders. They are immature. energetic and enligh ¬tened. In every state the leading emerges out of the pupils who are idealistic and have some dreams about their life. society and state. They are. no uncertainty. a sensitive set of people who do non like many societal and econorriic immoralities. In their idealism they set high ends for themselves. Students are the hope of tomorrow. In our state there is a general job of pupil unrest. Very frequently they go on work stoppages and indulge in force. Teachers accuse them of deficiency of regard for them. Parents are besides non happy with them. Their activiti es are a beginning of problem to the authorities. Students do non take equal involvement in their surveies. In scrutinies they do non do good. Sometimes without any land they bycott the scrutiny and resort to work stoppage. They threaten their instructors and damage public belongings. If school governments or authorities take any action against them. they take to force. They are non prepared to obey anybody. They show small respect for the Torahs of the land. fit is accepted by all that there is great unrest among pupils. But what is the existent cause of it. Some people put the full incrimination on the pupils. There are some who blame the instructors. while some others blame the governments for this job. Then there are some individuals who think that our system of instruction is responsible for it. As a affair of fact the whole mistake does non lie with any of these. The chief cause of this job is something deeper. We must seek to acquire at the root of the job. There is no denying the fact that there is a widespread agitation among the pupils in India as in many other states of the universe. Of late this unfortunate phenomenon has assumed such an dismaying proportion that educationists. decision makers and minds have been forced to sit up and use their heads to happen out some worthwhile solution of this unease. It is accepted by all that because of its typical. complicated and sensitive nature. this job can non be dealt with like any other administrative or proficient job. Any effort to cover with this delicate homo job in a roughshod mode is fraught with sedate societal and political effects. hence it requires a really careful and sympathetic handling. It is once more an admitted fact that there are figure of causes of the turning unrest among the pupil community in India. The present system of instruction. frustation due to unemployment. idealogical vacuity. indifference of autho ¬rities towards students’ jobs. continued influence and ejaculation of political relations in the educational establishments. environ ¬mental crisis and diminution in the general c riterions. are some of the potent factors which have stirred up a disturbance in our temples of larning. India is go throughing through a period of passage. There is a spirit of rebellion in the new coevals against the older values. criterions and antique traditions. The clerk-oriented system of instruction that India inherited from the British. has non so far undergone any perceptible alteration so as to be commensurate with the post-independence conditions and aspirations. Our universities and colleges continue to be baboo bring forthing mills. It is a sad commentary on the system of our instruction that alumnuss and post-graduates are running after white-collar occupations without any success. as their figure far exceeds the figure of such occupations available nrthe state. There are non adequate employment opportu ¬nities even for the extremely technically and professionally trained and experient people. The apparition of unemployment and black hereafter haunts them and makes them edgy. During the freedom motion in India the pupil com ¬munity was called upon to lend its spot and it played a valuable function. as it considered the attainment of freedom as the Panacea for all our ailments. During the motion students’ enthusiasm and energy were usefully directed and channelised. At that clip they had an ideal before them. But after the independency of the state. the mottos of socialism and garibi hatao could non catch the illusion of the pupil com-munity. There is a complete ideological vacuity. which coupled with deficiency of way has resulted in entire bewilder ¬ment. Lack of constructive programme and intent has swayed the energies of the pupil to hooliganism and rowdiness. Our young person in the universities and colleges read a batch about the oddnesss. freshnesss and ultra-modern manners pre ¬valent amongst the pupils of other rich and comfortable Western states. They feel like emulating them but are earnestly handicapped by arrant deficiency of resources within the state. This besides leads to frustation. which in bend is manifested in undiscipline and agitation. There is a serious ailment that those in charge of educational establishments have shown arrant indifference to the demands and jobs of the pupils. Students’ chief grudges relate to the faulty system of scrutinies. fauly curriculm. unequal inn adjustment. deficiency of library installations. ill-eqipped research labs. extortionate tuition fees. etc. There may be ailments about the harsh. indecent and dictatorial behavior of the teaching staff. The medium of direction may good be another point in their ailments. May be. they want their female parent lingua to be the medium of direction instead than English. which consequences in tremendous national waste in the per centum of failures. Students have some grudges against public governments as good. They feel that public governments have miserably failed in their responsibility in non making equal employment chances for them. Reckless. sterile and baleful intervention by the governments in the personal businesss of the pupils and educational establishments has besides provoked their choler. Protests against constabulary surpluss are frequently the self-generated effusions of violent and boisterous behavior. Students are a sensitive batch. full of passion and energy. Sometimes politicians inject their villainous political relations among the pupil community and use them for the promotion of their vested involvements. They provoke and motivate them to fall back to work stoppages and presentations on fiddling affairs and on affairs perfectly unrelated to them. The pupil agi ¬tation in Tamil Nadu on the official Language Bill and in Aligarh on the issue of Aligarh Muslim University ( Amend ¬ment ) Bill are disposed illustrations to be cited in this connexion. Thus the unprincipled politicians intentionally create unrest and agitation among the pupils over topics non related to their surveies. The environmental crisis with which the pupils are confronted today is another factor responsible for the pupil agitation. The pupil is required to populate in his ain house in the traditional manner. But in college and the java house he finds himself amongst ultra-moderns while in the market and on the streets he is confronted with the Hippie civilization. All this. unmistakably. creates emotional instability in the head of the Indian young person. who find themselves at a cross-road of contradictory values and criterions. It decidedly leads to turbulence and unrest in the pupils and frequently prompts them to unseemly behavior. An extended survey conducted on the influence of Mass Media on the pupils indicates that it does learn them the alphabet of undiscipline and force. On telecasting and screen. sometimes. we find that Acts of the Apostless of undiscipline. force and boisterous behaviors are portrayed as heroic virtuousnesss and. qualities. It is adequate to mislead the waxy young person who try to copy and emulate those epic workss. This decidedly leads to abnormal behavior. The teacher-taught relation is another serious job. No personal contact between the instructor and the taught is possible in a crowded class-room. The pupil community does non hold much of traditional regard and regard for the instructors. There is instead a business-like dealing between them’ . The pupils have developed an attitude of purchasers while the instructors have reduced themselves to the position of Sellerss . Rich and arch pupils believe that every instructor has his monetary value. This attitude gives rise to indiscipline and impertinence among the pupils. The unrest. undiscipline and convulsion in the pupil community is a sedate danger to our societal. economic and political life. Let it be clearly understood that it is non a jurisprudence and order job ; it is instead a human job and deserves a human attack. The malady of pupil agitation is deep-seated and requires really sympathetic handling. Again. it can non be cured nightlong. Ways and agencies have to be found and concerted attempts have to be made to deracinate he causes of this cancerous disease. The first measure that can be suggested is that the ailments and grudges of the pupils should be quickly attended to. Their demands should be examined on virtues and echt troubles removed. Even if little. undistinguished and junior-grade grudges are allowed to stay unredressed. they may stir up monolithic protests and presentations. It is no usage reprobating the pupil community as a whole. There can be no uncertainty that a small adjustment shown to them would soften their aggressive attitude. Attempts should be made to do them gain that resort to work stoppages and force does positive injury to the society a nd in no manner brings any good to them. They should non be allowed to organize an feeling that nil kind of hooliganism and rowdiness would do the disposal right their grudges. Unfortunately luch an feeling has been created in the heads of the pupils. As the state of affairs exists at nowadays. a pupil after holding completed his instruction has to run from pillar to post in hunt of a occupation. frequently without success. One can barely conceive of the deep frustation that overtakes him on this history Therefore better and more employment opportu-nities should be created for and assured to the pupils. Then. the system of instruction and scrutiny needs a complete inspection and repair. It should be closely related to callings. These steps would travel a long manner towards forestalling unrest and frustation among the pupils. Should the society permit the pupils to take part in the personal businesss of the disposal of their educational institu ¬tions. which are meant for them. and therefore enable them to Identify themse lves with these temples of acquisition? Such designation would understate their grudges and hence cut down the opportunities of any violent confrontation and problem. The disposal must gain that usage of force against the pupils can non ever run into with success ; instead it would indurate their attitude and would finally do affairs worse. Record of constabulary surpluss on sludents makes a sad reading. It is really unfortunate that in a free state pupils are beaten. tear-gased and lathi-charged like stealers and felons. There would be no terminal to the job if this tendency persists. Why should the pupils be barred from taking portion in the political relations of the state if they are mature plenty to judge and make up ones mind what is in their best involvement. The pupils are full of energy that needs proper canalisation in the nobler undertaking of national Reconstruction. National leading owes a great duty in giving them a lead and way. absence of which would ensue in irreparable harm to national human resources.

Zen Description Essay Example For Students

Zen Description Essay What is Zen It is a conservative view of some, that the world is a verystrange place. Once upon a time, four men and a woman all wished they could meetthe perfect person. Each in his or her own way received a message to be at acertain bar at a time and at the third stool from the left, the perfect personwould be sitting. The woman got there early, and sat down in the fourth seat towait. As the time grew closer, she decided it wouldnt hurt to freshenup and popped into the bathroom. Just as the door to the bath room closed,the first man a Priest, came in. He looked wildly around the room for a second,and then gazed toward the third seat. Seeing no one there, a look of reliefcrossed his face. Thank you, Lord! I fell to a temptation to sin. And youallowed me to see the error of my ways. he muttered. Just as the priest wasleaving, the second man a Buddhist, came in. He looked serenely around the roomfor a moment, the then gazed upon the third seat. Seeing no one there, a look ofamazement crossed his face. Thank you, Lord! I failed to realize thenature of things. And you allowed to see the error of my ways, hemuttered. Just as the Buddhist was leaving, the third man a Zen Poet, came in. We will write a custom essay on Zen Description specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now He slowly look around the room, and the gazed toward the third seat. Seeing noone there, he sighed. And went to sit at the third seat of the bar. Just afterthe Poet had sat down, the fourth man stumbled in. He looked right at the thirdseat. Seeing the poet, a look of horror crossed his face. Im not gay! Imnot gay! he muttered as he stumbled back out the door. Just as the fourth manleft, the woman returned. Seeing the poet, she wondered, This is theperfect guy? Uncertain, she sat down at her seat and began to talk to him. The question of What is Zen? is the best answer to itself. The commonsense point of view that its a sect of Buddhism based upon the Buddhas mythicFlower Sutra is not wrong. Many point toward that exchange as thestart of what is Zen. A more scientific view might be to consider Zen as asocietal extension of Bodhidharmas four assertions. This is not incorrecteither. At this moment, I think the best view is to consider Zen as the skillfulmeans of skillful means. Those who have come to intuitively understand theBuddhas enlightenment use it. Seeing directly into their answer, they see thesource of their self-nature, and seek to share the vision with anyone whorequests it. We can talk of the various schools and their ways of demonstratingthe fundamental truth of reality. But such talk is really only the constructionof a gate for those of an intellectual bent. The essence of Zen is nothing moreor less than directly perceiving the world around us without the blinders of ourown thoughts and op inions. Reach into that moment of understanding, and all ofZen flows forth. Pause for a moment to believe it, and all the oceans of theworld turn into deserts. The western mind likes metaphors as points. Recently, Iremembered one that was told to me long ago. I will relate it, in hopes that itmight shed some light upon this serious issue. The essence of Zen is much likethe nature of any computer system. When you get right down to it, Its allzeros and ones! See the Zeroes and ones as you like. Try to understand wherethe software ends, and the hardware begins. Try to follow the chain of historyof ideas. Look into the various events, which led to the reception of thisessay. All these people, things and events are a useful, if you want tounderstand the device known as a computer. All their events, people and thingsare useless, if you dont care about it. Either way, it all comes down to apattern of zeros and ones interacting with other patterns of zeroes and ones. Tosee into the essence of the problem of Zen, just ask ten people what computersare and how they work. Most people will admit, they dont know. A few will offervery different distortions of it, each from their relative point of view. Itwould be a rare person who would point right toward Turing Machines and say thatis the device. But again we would face the same problem, though in reverse. Afew would say they dont know what one is. And almost everyone would offer adifferent distortion of it, each from his or her relative point of view. Itsvery hard to get past the preconceptions that we base our views of reality upon. .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 , .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 .postImageUrl , .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 , .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662:hover , .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662:visited , .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662:active { border:0!important; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662:active , .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662 .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub8c87db92feeedbd01052a7cc80ec662:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: RECYCLING EssayThe language we describe it, limits what we can say, and often the way that wesee it. To know that anything that can be done with computers can be emulatedusing Turing machines is a pointless point for most people. To point that thereis a correspondence between this essence of computing and the essence of mind, afact very few can grasp at the time of this writing. But if we dig deep into thewhole of western knowledge we will come away with a sense of interconnectednessand a sense of emptiness of all that we know. If we are brave enough to lookopened eyed into our own lives we will find the exact same structures ofpatterns. This does not occur because of some mystical understanding. It comesbecause it is present in our minds, people do not sense things they do notsense, just as people will not know the debt they owe to Alan Turing and hissolution of a mathematical problem. It takes a far-reaching mind to step intothe events, which led up to his solution, and the various implications of asimple bike ride. The facts and knowledge are present, but people as a whole donot want to know. This not wanting to know about computers and the societalforces that gave rise to it and that it causes, is the same not wanting to knowthat blocks most people from ever getting more than a hint of what Zen is. Weare much more content to believe in safe illusions, than to stare deep into anywhere and see the simple binary pattern which is the primary manifestation ofthings. And we certainly do not wish to transcend that, to gaze directly at thatwhich is, zero and ones, infinitesimal and infinity, being and nothingness,emptiness and Form, self and no-self, it is all the same. We look upon an appletree heavy with autumn fruits and see the disjointed apples hanging from a tree,waiting to become pies, cider and sauce. We dont see the collective applehanging in the tree, because we have no word for it. We do not sense thefundamental unity of everything because we have no conception of it. We usepatterns of words like, when you drink the cider, you drink the tree. Asimple point, but everyone gets hung up on their conceptions of the meanings ofthe words. See past the words, see the meaning, and experience the thingdirectly. The apple seed is no different from you. See the totality of beingfrom the point of view of the apple seed! Again, everyone who doesnt alreadyunderstand misses it again! And even those who think they understand miss itagain! What is Zen? Zen is NOTHING. It is an illusion of skillful means. Butwhat an illusion of nothing! With this existing non-existent thing we can talkabout a non-existing nonexistence. What a useful pointl essness. An absolute thatcannot exist, creating a bridge and foundation for things to exist. Which allowus to clearly communicate about them with complete certainty. Look at yourcomputer! How is it any different from the one that was produced before it, orthe one that was produced a week later? If we load the exact same software, willthey process any differently? All computers process the same way when they arein the Zero/off state. It just doesnt matter, from the smallest palm help tothe largest super computer; the processing of all computers is the same whenthey are turned off. When you turn them on, the illusion they are doingdifferent things, is just a matter of the pattern of zeroes and ones it canallow to transform. A palm top can run a modified version of any program run ona super computer, it will just take longer because it transforms the zeros toone slower and it has a much smaller space of to do it in. Something is either acomputer or not, but what is a computer and what is not is as easily answered asthe original question. Western science has sought for over fifty years to find amodel of the human mind. This quest is called Artificial Intelligence. For over1000 years, the East has had the solution. But science is just as blind asindividuals when it comes to Zen. Neither science nor most individuals havegrasped the essence of the mirror of Zen. What a pity! A thousand years ofdifferent solutions to all the problems that beleaguered western society and ourtransliterate society cant read the crude scrawled solutions upon a cave wall. .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 , .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 .postImageUrl , .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 , .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533:hover , .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533:visited , .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533:active { border:0!important; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533:active , .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533 .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u59bf9fe5e8df8ede9ae5d6b6679cf533:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Educational Research EssayWhat is the answer? Zen. What is the question? Zen? What is everyones problem?Zen! Its no wonder that the stories of Zen are filled with laugh andsorrowfully Buddha. Half of them have to treat human stupidity as a joke playedupon mankind. And the other half can sense the sweet sorrow if it, and feelcompassion for our ignorance. The other halves are silent or talk too much aboutnothing. What a pity. Science and Zen, each having half an answer. Eachscreaming, I am the only one that knows, each seeming to be unable to hear theother. And the only looser in this non-war is the human race, which manifestedthem both.

The Philosophical Revolution of Early Seventeenth Century

The Philosophical Revolution of the 17th century has a close link with the Scientific Revolution. It provided the foundation for the latter by stimulating it in different ways. The two were therefore intimately tied together such that the Scientific Revolution could not be described without making reference to the Philosophical Revolution.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Philosophical Revolution of Early Seventeenth Century specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More â€Å"Although philosophy was influenced by both religion and science during the classical era, it defined the world view of the literate culture.† (Tarnas 273).However, this role became a reserve of religion with the arrival of the medieval period while philosophy took a lesser role in linking faith to reason. The advent of the modern era marked a turning point where philosophy remarkably shifted its allegiance from religion to science. Two philosop hers namely Francis Bacon and Descartes were instrumental in shaping and fostering the Scientific Revolution during the Philosophical Revolution of the 17th century. In the seventeenth century, Francis Bacon pioneered the birth of a new era in natural science. He claimed that man required material redemption that was supposed to accompany his spiritual progress towards the Christian millenium, something that was to be done through natural science. Since the global explorers had discovered a new world, Bacon believed that it was important to discover a corresponding new mental world in which verbal confusions, subjective distortions, traditional prejudices and old thinking patterns were replaced by new methods of acquiring knowledge. He argued that for science to succeed there was need to replace verbiage and preconceptions with direct attention to things and their observed orderings. The true order of nature could only be discovered after the mind had been purified of all internal o bstacles that emanated from the fictitious forms of traditional philosophers. Bacon fostered the Scientific Revolution by expressing the spirit of Reformation and Ockham. This was inspired by his belief that recognition of the difference between God and his creation and his mind and that of man was the only way through which man could succeed in science. He elaborated the distinction between science and theology by pointing out that each realm was governed by unique laws and methods.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He therefore advocated for the separation of science and theology since theology belonged to the realm of faith while science belonged to the realm of nature. He promoted the Scientific Revolution to a great extent since he believed that experiments were instrumental in correcting the evidence of the senses and revealing truths obscured by nature. â€Å"Through the astute use of experiments, the evidence of the senses could be progressively corrected and enhanced to reveal the truths hidden in nature.’’(Tarnas 275). The other philosopher who made remarkable contribution in the Scientific Revolution during the seventeenth century philosophical revolution was Descartes. As Bacon inspired the distinctive character, direction and vigor of the new science, Descartes was instrumental in establishing its philosophical foundation. He noted the contradictions between different philosophical perspectives and the fact that religious revelation could not lead to adequate understanding of the empirical world. These factors combined with the residual confusions of his education compelled him to find out irrefutable basis for certain knowledge. His important contribution in the Scientific Revolution began by the first step of doubting everything. His intention was to eliminate all the past presumptions that confused human knowledge and pick out only the truths he himself could not doubt. Descartes used mathematical principles to accept only ideas that were devoid of internal contradiction, clear and distinct to him. By doing this, he discovered a new science that ushered man into a new era of practical knowledge, well-being and wisdom. â€Å"Skepticism and mathematics thus combined to produce the Cartesian revolution in philosophy. The third term in that revolution, that which was both the impulse behind and the outcome of systematic doubt and self-evident reasoning, was to be the bedrock of all human knowledge: the certainty of individual self awareness.† (Tarnas 278).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Philosophical Revolution of Early Seventeenth Century specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Descartes asserted the essential dichotomy between extended substance and thinking substance and by doing so, he played an important role in â€Å"emancipating t he world from its long association with religious belief, freeing science to develop its analysis of that world in terms uncontaminated by spiritual or human qualities and unconstrained by theological dogma.† (Tarnas 280). The natural world and the human mind gained autonomy they had never experienced before, as they were separated from God and from each other. Descartes and Bacon were the prophets of scientific civilisation and rebelled against ignorant past. These qualities enabled them to proclaim ‘the twin epistemological bases of the modern mind.† (Tarnas 280). Astronomy falls in the realm of physical sciences and is the oldest in this category. In most of the earliest civilisations, the regular movements of celestial motions were documented through astronomy and the records used in the prediction of future events. Both the ancient and modern astronomy played an important role in the Philosophical Revolution. The most remarkable astronomical developments in an cient times were associated with the Greeks who employed methods that were different from the ones employed earlier. Ancient astronomy is believed to have made important contribution in the Philosophical Revolution through the introduction of geometrical ideas. In his quest for absolute certainty, Descartes, who played a great role in the Philosophical Revolution employed mathematics and geometry to find absolute truth. He realized that geometry and arithmetic were characterised by rigorous methodology and this guaranteed him the certainty he was looking for with regard to philosophical matters. Geometry started with the statement of simple self-evident first principles, foundational axioms from which further and complex facts could be deduced through strict rational method. This method therefore helped Descartes to eventually establish absolute certainty. In this sense, ancient astronomy made an important contribution in the development of the Philosophical Revolution.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to ancient astronomy, modern astronomy also played an important role in the growth of Philosophical Revolution. Galileo was an instrumental philosopher whose astronomical knowledge made remarkable contributions in the revolution. He was a mathematician and an astronomer who conducted many astronomical discoveries. Astronomy was a technical discpline and most of the content was descriptive in nature. As a result, it was viewed that the statements philosophers made with regard to the nature could have been erroneous. This prompted philosophers to conduct more research hence the Philosophical Revolution was enhanced. Since he was interested in mechanical experimentation, Galileo came up with new traditions of natural philosophy whose focus was experimentation. This played an important role in the development of Philosophical Revolution. Many other philosophical reformists like William Gilbert expanded on his astronomical experiments even after his death. As a pioneer of mod ern astronomy, he significantly took part in the development of Philosophical Revolution hence modern astronomy played a crucial role in its growth. Work Cited Tarnas, Richard. The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas that Have Shaped Our World View, New York: Ballantine Books, 1993.Print This essay on The Philosophical Revolution of Early Seventeenth Century was written and submitted by user EmmaFrost to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Reinhard Heydrich A Brief Biography essays

Reinhard Heydrich A Brief Biography essays Reinhard Heydrich: A Brief Biography Reinhard Heydrich was a self-driven man with an incredible determination to succeed at everything he did. He was a cold manipulator with no respect for human lives who was the leading planner of Hitlers Final Solution in which the Nazis wanted to get rid of every Jew in Europe. Heydrich was born in the German city of Halle in 1904. Heydrich was teased through almost all of his life causing him to be withdrawn and unhappy as a child, but still always having a strong will within him. Heydrich was always drawn to military type organizations and as soon as he was of legal age, 18, he joined the German Navy. With his determination to succeed Heydrich rose quickly through the ranks but was kicked out after a sex scandal and it was then that Heydrich joined the Nazi party. Because of his incredible will to succeed, Heydrich quickly rose through the ranks in the Nazi party as well but false rumours of his Jewish ancestry stopped him momentarily. Heydrich liked working behind the scenes; he was behind much of the espionage and he was also behind the fall of many of his enemies within the Nazi party. Through his manipulation and planning Heydrich soon became one of the top men in the Nazi party and was finally appointed the Protector of Czechoslovakia. Two of the first things he did there was to set up a Jewish ghetto and bring the resistance movement down to the best of his ability. Heydrich was by now very confident and to show that he was confident and not afraid of the resistance he drove around in an open car without a military escort. Ironically, this is what brough Heydrichs life to an end because it was during one of his trips that he was attacked by Free Czech agents. They shot at him and then threw a bomb, but Heydrich did not die immediately instead he died off blood poisoning from the shrapnel from the bomb. As revenge, the Nazis killed over a thousand a suspects and totally demolis...

A New HR Strategy for CCD Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A New HR Strategy for CCD Construction - Essay Example CCDC is a construction company that was formed in 2007 after the merger of two construction companies. After the merger the company made many changes in the human resource policy. Around 3,000 employees were laid off in 4 years and the company tried to flatten its organizational structure. CCDC was formed by the merger of two firms. One of those firms catered to small clients and other catered to large clients. This main difference had repercussions on the human resource management policies of the company. The current HR policy of the company focuses on flattening of structures and constant feedbacks from employees. The policy is also aiming for employee training and coaching style management. All these strategies cannot go well for the company because they contradict the organization and business strategy. In this report a new HR policy is suggested to the top management of the company. The HR strategy will include the organizational structure and culture, reward management system, job design and employee relation. The new HR strategy will be discussed keeping in mind the aims and objectives of the business of CCDC. Human Resource Strategy for CCDC When devising a human resource strategy it is important to keep in mind the dynamics of the company. Employees of CCDC were previously working for a different company and therefore they had a different understanding of company’s policy. The new HR strategy should be focused on giving the employees a proper direction. The organizational culture of the two companies (which were merged to form CCDC) was also not similar. This must be tackled in the new HR strategy for the company. The structure of the company should also fit the business operations of the company and the same is true for organizational culture. It is also important to motivate employees through different types of rewards. Employee relation is also essential in operating a construction company as big as CCDC. Organizational Structure and Culture Organizational structure of CCDC should be vertical so that employees can report to their superiors in a proper and orderly fashion. The current HR policy of the company i s aiming for a flatter organizational structure. This is not good for a company like CCDC because it is a huge organization. Flatter structures are also appropriate for small organization or they are applicable in innovation oriented businesses. Construction business is all about controlling employees so that they can complete the work that is assigned to them. For this purpose a tall organizational structure should be used. The company should also form a team based structure at the project level. Evidence suggests that team based struct

Ethic Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethic - Movie Review Example From the film, the bankers acted in a questionable manner because of how they sold the mortgages. A lot of people with experience in the financial companies were interviewed such as top executives such as Raghuram Rajan, Dominique Strauss-Khan and Glenn Hubbard (Ferguson). The bankers provided the consumers with credit despite knowing that some consumers had low credit scores. 20 or 30 years ago, banks would tell consumers who could not afford to buy mortgages that they would not get loans. However, in the film it is clear that such kind of advice is not taken cautiously because the bankers allowed the consumers to buy houses that they could not afford. In another scene, viewers can see that the people who could not afford the mortgages were now living in tents and jobless. The actions of the federal regulators, economic academics and politicians were well captured showing that they did not do anything that would help in regulating the finances. In one of the scenes, one of the interviewee indicates that there was a continued deregulation of finances and â€Å"they knew what was happening† (Ferguson). In addition, most of the people in these groups are noted in some scenes to be paid excessively. For example, in one of the scenes, when the narrator Matt Damon asks what he thought of wall-street incomes, the interviewee said it as an excessive amount. There were those who earned as much as $485 million and 80 million (Ferguson). All the parties mentioned above relied on the moral philosophy of ethical relativism to justify their actions. In ethical relativism a person holds the view that there is no moral right or a moral wrong. Therefore, the person believes that he or she should act in their own interest. In this light, it is not difficult to see why the employees and employers in the wall-street financial companies decided to self-regulate themselves.

Genocide and Sri Lankan Tamils Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Genocide and Sri Lankan Tamils - Essay Example The Official Languages Commission set up by the Sri Lankan government in 2005 provides figures for the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka. The Tamil speaking minority in the country make up twenty-six percent of the population, which consists of thirteen percent Sri Lankan Tamils, six percent Tamils of recent Indian origin, and seven percent of Muslims. Though the Tamil speaking minority constitute more than a fourth of the population, their presence in government service is a mere 8.31 percent. Such a situation has arisen from Sri Lankan actions since the gaining of independence by using language as a weapon. Thus language has remained a key element in the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka (Reddy, 2007). While the roots of the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka may be ascribed to the colonial past, when the British imported a large number of Tamils into the country from neighbouring India, actions of the Sri Lankan government since independence are the more definitive cause for the violence in the country. Since independence successive governments have taken measures to ensure that the Tamils were denied equal opportunities to professions and the public sector. Such actions interacted in a complex manner with the already existent Sinhala Buddhist exclusivism that slowly led to the persisting animated ideology in the Sri Lankan State. Two legislative actions were to cause the cleavage and subsequent decades of violence and the rise of the LTTE as a terrorist organization to take the lead against the Sri Lankan government. The 1956 â€Å"Sinhala Only† act, which removed English as the official language and replaced it with Sinhala, was to make the Tamils disadvantaged, leading to prote sts from the Tamils. The subsequent legislation in the early 1970s, which created communal quotas for entrance to universities thereby denying meritorious Tamils admission, was to inflame the Tamils and lead to violence and the call fro a

Historical Understandings of Madness in Nigeria

Historical Understandings of Madness in Nigeria Madness in culture: is mental disorder universal? This paper will look at the issue of madness in culture, looking at the issue of whether mental disorders are a universal concept, with particular reference to the Nigerian culture. As Sadowsky (2003) argues, the crude maxim â€Å"what is mad in one culture might be considered sane in another† described the approach to ‘cultural psychiatry’ research regarding mental illness for many years; that psychiatric disorders were viewed relatively suggested that these disorders were no more than cultural constructions and thus not ‘real’ diseases (see Sadowsky, 2003; p. 210). In his book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, Sadowsky focuses on madness, insanity, as a social process. Whilst not denying the reality of madness as an illness, Sadowksy (1999) argues that madness and normalcy must be viewed at all times, and especially in the context of a Nigerian colonial setting, as part of a continuum: as Sadowsky states, †Å"the insane occupy a position on the spectrum containing the normal and the pathological† (1999; p. 51), and are products of specific social and political circumstances, which must be fully understood in order to understand the label ‘insane’ within a colonial Nigerian setting. Thus, this essay looks at how madness in Nigeria evolved in the colonial period, and beyond, and how madness was understood within a colonial framework. The essay then moves on to look at cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria, and genetic and physiological accounts vs. cultural and historical differences in understanding madness within a colonial context, using examples from Nigeria. Finally, syndromes that come and go, such as hysteria and delusions, will be discussed, using the example of persecution delusions from studies of two mental asylums in Nigeria, as discussed in the work of Sadowsky (1999). The history of madness in Nigeria Focusing on two mental asylums in Nigeria, the Yaba ‘lunatic asylum’ and the Aro Mental Hospital in Abeokuta, Sadowsky (1999) provides a review of madness in Nigeria, from colonial times to independence. Sadowsky’s argument in his 1999 book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, is that through developing an understanding of these institutions, it is possible to come to understand â€Å"the struggles within the colonial state over the use of asylums, negotiations in colonial society about the definitions of insanity, the processes which led to confinement and release and the formation of specific psychiatric discourse (p. 9). The book provides an examination of how, when and, most importantly, why Africans were defined as insane and the ways in which definitions of insanity were related to the political context pf colonialism (Stilwell, 2000). Sadowsky (1999) does not argue that colonialism caused insanity but, rather, argues tha t the content and expression of madness reflected the pressures, stressed and strains brought on by colonial rule, thus providing a social history of insanity in a colonial setting. As Sadowsky (1999) argues, the debate surrounding psychiatric labeling theory must be centered on the ways in which mental illness is a construct of â€Å"the particular historical formations† (p. 112); colonial asylums could be placed on a spectrum from ‘custodial and coercive’ to ‘supportive and therapeutic’, although the vast majority of mental asylums in colonial Nigeria were crudely coercive, due to the cross-cultural barriers and the different perceptions of social relations as held by African patients and colonial medical staff and authorities. It was only well in to post-colonial times that subtler forms of social control and therapeutic practice evolved. Cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria As has been seen, Sadowksy (1999) argues that madness and normalcy must be viewed at all times, and especially in the context of a Nigerian colonial setting, as part of a continuum: as Sadowsky states, â€Å"the insane occupy a position on the spectrum containing the normal and the pathological† (1999; p. 51), and are products of specific social and political circumstances, which must be fully understood in order to understand the label ‘insane’ within a colonial Nigerian setting. Thus, the cultural context of madness, in terms of understanding madness from a culturally relativistic viewpoint, and from the viewpoint of colonialism, is fundamental in understanding the cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria. Accounts of madness and understanding the responses to madness in a colonial Nigerian setting cannot be understood, interpreted, without also fully understanding the historical, social and political setting at that time. In general, however, it can be seen, from Sadowsky’s work, that madness was treated, in a blanket manner, as a response to colonialism, as a manifestation that the ‘primitive’ Nigerians could not cope with modernization and that, as such, delusions, deliria and hysteria were almost to be expected, as a reaction against colonialism. Responding to these outbreaks of madness with force, by opening asylums and confining ‘the mad’ to these asylums, with little actual medical care, was a way in which to ‘silence’ the ‘mad’ and to be able to continue on with the aims and practices of colonialism. The genetic and physiological accounts vs. cultural/historical difference Mental illness is currently well understood, and treated, as that: an illness. However, as has been shown by Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), within a colonial context in Nigeria, mental illness was often only understood in the context of colonialism i.e., mental illness was understood as a reaction to the modernization brought about by the colonizers, which, it was hypothesized, the ‘primitive’ Nigerians could not cope with, leading them to madness. However, as Sadowsky (2003) points out, â€Å"even within colonial governments, there were some who believed, in some degree, in cultural relativism†¦.I discovered many administrators who believed that building asylums was a bad idea because Europeans could not know what madness was to Africans, and that, therefore Europeans should not be imposing alien cultural forms† (p. 211). Thus, at least within the context of colonial Nigeria, madness was not understood, or treated, as an illness, rather as a response to coloni alism, and the debate surrounding madness and its genetic and physiological bases, and the different cultural or historical manifestations of madness were not entered in to during colonial rule. Syndromes that come and go hysteria Focusing on two mental asylums in Nigeria, the Yaba ‘lunatic asylum’ and the Aro Mental Hospital in Abeokuta, Sadowsky argues in his book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, which uses first hand accounts of delusions of the mentally ill, as gathered from actual case histories of these two mental asylums, the ‘ravings’ of patients are important historical documents in that they can be used for social analyses, showing that the social context of colonization fostered the development of certain kinds of delusions, especially delusions of persecution. Such madness, Sadowsky argues, threatened the colonial worldview, and, to some extent, colonial power, drawing attention, as they did, to the structures and inherent contradictions of colonial power, and, as such, the psychiatric environment tended to class any actions that threatened colonial ideology as ‘madness’, such that, as Sadowsky argues, the ideologies of colonial medical staff reflected the anxieties and insecurities of the colonizers themselves (Sadowsky, 1999). As Sadowsky states, â€Å"the content [of delusions] repeatedly referred to specifics of Nigerian colonial history: religious conversion, foreign domination, the changing justice system†¦and the struggle for independence† (1999; p.115). Conclusion According to Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), historically, madness in Nigeria seems to have been understood entirely in terms of colonial power, in terms of madness being understood as a reaction against colonial rule, not as an illness per se, and, as such, madness was not treated objectively, but as one more manifestation of dissatisfaction against colonial rule. The ‘mad’ were thus treated almost as dissenters rather than being treated correctly, as ‘ill’ individuals. No more is this highlighted than when accounts of treatments for delusions are given in Sadowsky (1999) as taken from individual case histories. As shown in these histories, medical staff often played a purely custodial role, not a medical role, with only modest therapeutic programs being offered, if any at all (Sadowsky, 2003; p. 211). It was with some trepidation, and opposition, that mental asylums were set up at all, in a colonial Nigerian context, with little medical help being offered, an d these asylums quickly becoming overcrowded, with squalid living conditions (Sadowsky, 2003). Thus, as has been seen throughout this essay, based on the work of Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), which looks at madness in colonial times in Nigeria, the understanding of madness in culture is an extremely relative matter, perfectly illustrated through the study of this time period and in this place, which explained madness as a product of colonial rule. Madness, as we understand it now, is obviously not culturally relative and is a universal concept: it is an illness, which needs correct treatment in order to overcome the illness. If this had been understood during the period of colonial rule in Nigeria, the many years of suffering for many thousands of insane individuals would not have had to have been endured: they would have received correct, timely, treatment and would not have whiled away their lives being little more than captives in colonial asylums. References Sadowsky Jonathan, Psychiatry and colonial ideology in Nigeria, Bulletin of the History of Medicine,71 (1997):94-111. Sadowsky, Jonathan, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Sadowsky Jonathan, The social world and the reality of mental illness: lessons from colonial psychiatry, Harvard Review of Psychiatry 2003, 11(4):210-4. Stilwell, S., ‘Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria by Jonathan Sadowsky’, Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 31(2) (2000): 322-323.

Boston matrix analysis for BHP Billiton Group

Abstract The paper provides an analysis of BHP Billiton Group based on the Boston matrix. It is indicated that this matrix is a solid marketing tool to determine the financial performance of organisations. It focuses on companies’ market share and market growth. As a result of the implementation of the Boston matrix analysis to BHP Billiton Group, it is concluded that the company is at the position of a cash cow on the matrix. This finding has significant practical implications, and thus recommendations to use certain strategies are provided. Introduction The Boston Matrix represents a marketing tool, which is commonly used to conduct product portfolio analysis and management. This instrument was introduced by the Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s (Stern and Deimler, 2006). The Boston Matrix mainly focuses on the dimensions of market share and market growth, as these aspects are considered important to identify the areas in which companies need to utilise resources in order to optimise their profit generation capacity (Kotler, 2006). The matrix indicates a focus on a product management perspective as an integral part of the analytical process. Market share refers to the percentage of the total market, which is attained by organisations. This value can be measured by considering the percentage of revenue or unit volume. It is usually assumed that a high market share suggests significant financial benefits to a company. Market growth relates to the attractive parameters identified in a particular market (Schermerhorn, 2013). Businesses are usually grouped into four major categories: dogs, cash cows, question marks and stars. Dogs are companies that encounter the challenges of low market share and low market growth, while cash cows tend to have a high market share in low growing markets (Kotler, 2006). Question marks have a low market share in high growing markets. Stars represent the ideal situation for organisations because they tend to have a high market share in a rapidly growing industry (Stern and Deimler, 2006). These elements are reported by Stern and Deimler (2006) to generate sufficient cash and extensive opportunities for development. By applying the Boston matrix analysis to the performance of BHP Billiton Groups, it appears that specific information and trends from the company’s segments should be considered. The iron ore segment of the organisation has been following a star strategy by focusing sales in Australia due to its intention to decrease production costs, which would help the corporation obtain a bigger share of the market. This may happen even though growth in Chinese steel output significantly decreases (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). BHP Billiton Groups has a high market share in the Chinese location but low growth, which reflected in the price drops. This in turn decreased the revenues from the company’s associated segments. According to this dimension, the corporation has been following a cash cow strategy. The iron ore segment of the organisation is facing persistent challenges related to the decline of iron price, workers strike as well as strengthening Australian dollar (BHP Billiton Lt d., 2013). The copper segment is also affected by copper prices. As a result, the organisation has been following a question mark strategy by indicating a low market share in China due to the overall decline in copper revenues. Yet, the strategy of the company is to maintain a high market growth because of its positive production outlook in the respective segment. Similarly, the coal segment is negatively affected by low coal prices and rising cost. However, the corporation’s coals continue to be recognised as the most highly valued, supporting strong long-term margins, implying that BHP Billiton Groups has been following a star strategy in the Chinese and Australian locations (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). Future supply growth in the coal segment indicates that it is predominantly Australian, which directly sets the organisation at the position of a star on the Boston matrix. The fact that the outlook for the petroleum segment looks good is important to predict that the company may return to its position as a star on the Boston matrix. One of the expectations in this context is that total shale production is most likely to rise in the future (Stern and Deimler, 2006). In terms of the company’s geographical locations, it seems that geographic factors limit competition for the organisation. The company operates in more than 100 geographical locations across the world. The company’s market share is high due to its diversified portfolio of services. Moreover, its market growth is relatively high (Grant, 2013). Therefore, BHP Billion is pursuing a star marketing strategy considering the mentioned aspects. With regards to the company’s aluminium segment, it can be argued that BHP Billiton is pursuing a star marketing strategy, considering its both high market share and high market growth. For instance, the corporation’s total aluminium production for the fiscal year of 2013 is approximately 1.2 Mt (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). This means that the company’s market share is extremely high in this segment, which along with its high market growth in markets of Western Europe and Asia makes the corporation in a winning star position on the Boston matrix. The manganese segment of the company shows its adoption of a star strategy because approximately 80% of its production is sold directly in countries, such as China, India and South Korea (Grant, 2013). This aspect implies that BHP Billiton has both high market share in the mentioned markets and high market growth. It can be argued that BHP Billiton Group’s share prices were relatively low in 2012. This aspect prompted the company to follow a question mark strategy because despite its low market share, the provision of various natural resources took place in a high growing market (Schemerhorn, 2013). However, at the end of 2012, the corporation gradually started expanding its share prices by representing an adequate price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. This means that the group has focused on following a star strategy in its main segments. Yet, it is challenging to estimate the market price for each product due to the extensive diversity of the company’s products (Grant, 2013). Another challenge associated with the quantification of returns is the categorisation of returns in different currencies. As previously indicated, BHP Billiton Group placed importance on location when it comes to making investments. In the United States, the corporation has been extensively concerned to adhere to a star strategy on the Boston matrix by distributing crude petroleum (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). It is essential to note that the company relies on its current strength of occupying a leading position in global commodities prices that are related to the health of the international economy. This suggests the potential of the corporation to predominantly follow a star strategy, which would guarantee it a better position compared to other organisations operating in the same industry sector (Grant, 2013). Nonetheless, the company is unable to predict currency assessments, which may lead to the adoption of a cash cow or a question mark strategy according to the Boston matrix. It has been indicated that certain flaws in the global economy negatively affect the performance of the corporation in the sen se of decreasing its market share in certain segments. For instance, such flaws may lead to a reduced demand for commodities, which may directly reflect in lower prices and reduced profitability of the company. The diverse portfolio of assets provided by BHP Billiton Group has assumed a solid market position of the company in its major segments. It is important to note that the corporation occupies a leading position in the trade of uranium in Australia after Olympic Dam Mine as well as of other natural assets, such as silver and copper (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). This places the company at a quite favourable position regarding its trade activities and thus it is more likely to adopt a star strategy in its home country. The fact that the corporation is a leading producer of nickel globally is indicative of the high market share it has in different segments and in different locations across the world (Stern and Deimler, 2006). As a result of the application of the Boston matrix analysis to the performance of BHP Billiton Group, it can be suggested that the company has the potential to make a substantial impact on the global delivery of natural assets. Its position as a star in most of its seg ments and in most locations shows solid management and leadership practices present at the organisation. It is important to note that the major purpose of the Boston matrix analysis is to help BHP Billiton Group decide which of its business units should be kept as well as in which areas it can invest further (Grant, 2013). There are different strategies to be applied considering that the organisation is in the position of a cash cow on the Boston matrix. One of these strategies is to hold in order to maintain its sales or market share (Schermerhorn, 2013). Another strategy that can be utilised is to defend its position regardless of the challenges the company faces with regards to its market share and projected market growth (Kotler, 2006). BHP Billiton Group can also implement a strategy, which is identified as ‘milk’, implying that the company is expected to use the cash it generated in the fiscal year to return to its position as a star on the matrix from the period of 2011 to 2012 (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). The fact that the company is at the position of a cash cow means that its profitability ratios have significantly declined. For instance, the organisation’s net profit margin, operating profit margin, ROE and ROA deteriorated in the period from 2011 to 2012 and from 2012 to 2013. It can be suggested that the company should seriously rethink its position in the market so as to try its best to restore its star position from the past (Schermerhorn, 2013). The application of the Boston matrix analysis to BHP Billiton Group’s performance yields significant conclusions about the company’s challenges and opportunities that can be addressed. Conclusion This paper has provided an analysis of BHP Billiton Group’s financial performance based on the Boston matrix. It has been indicated that the organisation is currently at the position of a cash cow on the matrix considering its high market share and low growing market (Kotler, 2006). Certain strategies have been provided so that the organisation can implement them in order to improve its position and return to the status of a star, which represents an ideal combination of a high market share and fast growing market (Grant, 2013). References BHP Billiton Ltd. (2013). Stock Analysis on Net [online]. Available at: http://www.stock-analysis-on.net/NYSE/Company/BHP-Billiton-Ltd/Financial-Statement/Income-Statement [Accessed: 14 August 2014]. Grant, R. M. (2013). Contemporary Strategy Analysis. New York: Wiley. Kotler, P. (2006). Marketing Management. New York: Pearson Education. Schermerhorn, J. R. (2013). Exploring Management. New York: Wiley. Stern, C. W. and Deimler, M. S. (2006). The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy: Classic Concepts and New Perspectives. New York: Wiley.

Mapping my school

The Laggard High School is located between the central avenue and the Washington Avenue. It is bounded by the ivy-league university like the Baylor’s University. It has a main entrance and another entrance opposite to the fire service which is on the other side of the street. The overall atmosphere of the school is calm. The Laggard High School is bounded on north by the ivy college. The Laggard Middle School is located by the side of the High school and the Laggard Elementary School is behind the High School. The front end classrooms are built in buildings which are L- shaped with the main entrance between them. The remaining classrooms are in a C-shaped building. Behind these classrooms is located a cafeteria. The school playground and gym are behind the cafeteria. The Baylor University located opposite to the school has some influence on the students of the Laggard High School. As the high school students can observe the university students, they will have an idea on the university life. They will also have an idea about the future courses available to them from the universities after study in high school. The Baylor’s University leaves a complete educational environment to the Laggard High School. The students develop an enthusiasm to reach the University for pursuing the courses of their interest. One of the reasons for this is the location of the Baylor’s University. When we discuss about safety in the school, the first thing that comes into mind is the fire service which is located on the opposite side of the street. Whenever there is an untoward incident like fire accident, there is no worry as the fire service is available at the minimum time. In general, the school as a whole is very safe place. As the school is located facing the street, traffic might be a problem when safety is considered. The main entrance, which faces the street, is a dangerous spot in busy hours like 08:30 AM. The students and the staff are in a hurry in the morning, due to which there might be chance of accidents. The car parking which lies just beside the main entrance creates inconvenience to those who go in and out of the school by walk. Car parking at the other entrance is restricted only to staff. One of the solutions that I feel suggestible is that employing a guard at the main entrance to guide the incoming and outgoing vehicles in the busy hours to avoid accidents. This will also fill confidence in the students and staff who walk by the main entrance. Another unsafe area to be considered in the campus is the cafeteria. Yes, the cafeteria is definitely an unsafe place as there is no proper monitoring. There are no enough emergency exits. Since there is no good monitoring, there are more chances of disputes. Any disputes or fights between students cannot be controlled easily. And another disadvantage is that there are no emergency exits in case of fire accidents. And we all know that, cafeteria has the highest scope for fire accident compare to any other place in the school campus. Moreover, the cafeteria is situated far from the entrance due to which more time is wasted before the fire service reaches the cafeteria crossing the staff car parking lot. I feel providing enough emergency exits to the cafeteria immediately and monitoring of the cafeteria would provide safety. The monitoring can be done indirectly by placing closed circuit cameras in the cafeteria and monitoring it from the main school building. Any disturbances in the cafeteria can be easily recognized from the main building and necessary actions can be taken. The playground and the gym are located far from the main building. In case, if there is a severe injury to any student in the ground, it is difficult to provide medical facility immediately. This problem can be overcome by placing a first aid and emergency medical aid unit in the gymnasium. The traffic outside the campus is also a problem, as the school is situated in a very busy center of the city. The traffic on both the sides i.e. at the Washington Avenue as well as the Central Avenue is crowded at the end of the day. All the vehicles of the students as well as the staff come out of the school at the same time creating traffic problems. To solve this problem, it is better that a guard is employed at both the entrances who will guide the vehicles going out at the time of heavy traffic though the street. All these safety issues are a great disturbance for the parents. By employing the suggested solutions it will be a relief to the students, staff and parents too. These are the safe and unsafe areas that I feel considering my school and its surroundings. Â   Â  

ACT Aspire Practice Tests Where to Find Free Tests

ACT Aspire Practice Tests Where to Find Free Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Has your school district started using ACT Aspire? Because Aspire only rolled out a few years ago (2014), it's possible you have a lot of questions about what the test will be like. Want to get some practice before you take it for real? We'll give you links to free practice tests for each section of Aspire and explain how to best prepare for the test. What Exactly Is ACT Aspire? The ACT Aspire is a test given each year to students in third through tenth grade. Because Aspire tests Common Core standards, it includes varied questions types (like open response, sorting, and long answer). While its format is fairly distinct from the regular multiple-choice ACT, however, it does test some of the same concepts and skills. (For more information on what exactly is tested on the ACT Aspire, be sure to read this post.) In addition to preparing students for the ACT, Aspire aims to track student growth over time. The yearly score reports can help students see their strengths and weaknesses compared to others at their grade level. Why Are ACT Aspire Practice Tests Hard to Find? There aren't many ACT Aspire prep books available. Image via Angel Franco/The New York Times. A student preparing for the ACT could find dozens, if not hundreds, of practice tests. The ACT itself releases practice tests, tutoring companies write their own, and prep books often contain at least two full-length practice tests. So what about Aspire? Why are there so few practice tests for it? There are many reasons. A big one is the fact that Aspire is so new (it started rolling out in 2014), so there is much less information available about it. Furthermore, Aspire tests different questions for different grade levels. Given that Aspire is offered to students in grades 3-10 (or roughly ages 8-15), it’s hard to put together practice problems for so many potential age groups. Plus, the varied questions types make it harder to write a practice test (as opposed to just putting together a bunch of multiple choice questions). However, the main reason there aren’t many practice tests for ACT Aspire is its purpose. While the ACT is a test that students take independently for college admissions, Aspire is a test that entire school districts take to monitor student progress. In other words, the expectation is that teachers will prepare students for what’s on ACT Aspire. Students are not seen as responsible for preparing on their own like they are for the ACT. Links to ACT Aspire Practice Tests Still, if you want to get some practice for Aspire- or just see what the test is like- there are full practice sections by grade and subject that can be taken online, or printable PDFs with questions for each age group. If you're a student, this is a great way to get introduced to Aspire’s format before you take it for the first time in class; if you're a teacher, this is a great way to introduce your students to the format. To access the online version, go to this website and enter the user name and password for the test section you want to try. You will see different log-in usernames depending on the test section and grade level that you want to access. Each test contains between 24 and 42 sample questions. Unfortunately, the tests do not come with answer keys, so if you're a student, you'll need to work with your teacher to make sure you're getting the right answer; if you're a teacher, you'll need to go through and check your students'answers manually. There are also PDF versions of an older set of practice tests (with answer keys) for all subjects except writing. These practice tests contain a mix of questions divided by grade level, so they won't provide as much targeted practice as the online tests above. Also, note that the answer keys don’t provide answers for open-response questions. English Practice Test English Answer Key Mathematics Practice Test Mathematics Answer Key Reading Practice Test Reading Answer Key Science Practice Test Science Answer Key For example, if you’re giving these printable sample questions to your third-grader, only focus on the last few questions per section- the first questions will stump them! If you’re a high schooler, you can easily take the whole practice test. Middle schoolers can attempt the entire test as well, but be aware the first few questions will likely be very challenging. How Will These Help You Get Ready for ACT Aspire? If you take the practice sections online, you can get used to the format of Aspire (toggling back and forth between questions, inputting answers for the various question types, etc). You can also get a sense of how difficult the questions targeted for your grade level are. If you find the test tricky, you could reach out to your teacher and ask for additional resources to help you prepare If you’re at the high school level, the questions for you are quite similar to the ACT. If you want more practice, it would be appropriate for you to look at ACT practice tests, though be aware the ACT only has multiple-choice questions (excluding the optional essay). Furthermore, the ACT tests more challenging math, up to trigonometry. Why You Shouldn’t Stress About ACT Aspire While working through these practice sets can definitely help you prepare for Aspire, don't assume that burden is on you alone. As we mentioned earlier, Aspire is for school districts to monitor student progress. Your Aspire scores have zero effect on your GPA or your college admissions chances. No colleges require, or even accept, ACT Aspire scores for admission. If you (or your child) has Aspire testing coming up and you feel unprepared, feel free to check out the practice problems above, but also speak to your teacher. Your teacher can explain their plan for preparing the class for Aspire and give some insight as to how the test will be used at your school. Bottom line: unlike with the ACT, it is not a student’s independent responsibility to prepare for the ACT Aspire. What’s Next? Do ACT Aspire scores really predict your ACT score? Read our analysis on the subject here. Do you have a high-achieving middle school student (or are you one)? Read about programs they can do at Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford to further develop their talents. High schoolers, want links to free, official ACT practice tests? We’ve got ‘em! Does it make sense to start preparing for the ACT as a seventh, eighth, or ninth grader? Find out with our exclusive guides. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Halle Edwards About the Author Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process. 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