Thursday, November 28, 2019

Hunters in the Snow free essay sample

â€Å"Hunters in the Snow† 1. Discuss the way Tub is presented in the opening scene. Does your assessment of his character change in the later scenes? The character of Tub was presented in the opening scene as someone who would not stand up for himself and was willing to be ridiculed and made fun of to be part of a group. He allowed his friends to take advantage of him by making him wait over an hour in the cold and snow, accepting this behavior without even an apology. Tub was a character with low self esteem and was embarrassed of his weight, which allows him to make excuses and lie to everyone. The assessment of Tub did not change at the end of the story. He was still the same character as in the beginning. He moved up in his position as friend to Frank which made him feel better, but at the expense of Kenny’s health. We will write a custom essay sample on Hunters in the Snow or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Tub still had low self esteem, but he ended up acting as selfish as Frank. Chapter 2 – â€Å"How I Met My Husband† 4. Is Edie a sympathetic character? How does her status as â€Å"the hired girl† affect the way you respond to her as a reader? Edie was a sympathetic character. Her self-described title â€Å"the hired girl† affects the reader’s response as it portrays her with low self esteem. She comes across as not fitting in because she was not in the same social standing as Dr. and Mrs. Peebles. The reader becomes sympathetic with Edie compared to the other characters due to her being a simple girl, humble and naive. Edie’s status as the â€Å"hired girl† makes the reader respond more affectionately towards her. She comes across as very relatable, someone who was not as confident or poised as Mrs. Peebles, but as the reader continues through the story, they realize how strong and capable Edie had become. Chapter 2 – â€Å"Eveline† 3. At just about the middle of the story (end of paragraph 9), Eveline sums up her life in Dublin. â€Å"It was hard work-a hard life-but now that she was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly undesirable life. † What about it makes it attractive to her? The way Eveline sums up her life in Dublin. â€Å"It was hard work-a hard life-but now that she was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly undesirable life. † Eveline was having a fear of the unknown. Even though she could not describe herself as happy in her life, at least it was familiar, and many parts are comforting to her. Even as hard as her life was, she was torn about leaving her family, her abusive father, and the comfort of the home she’s always known. She remembers how life used to be before her mother’s passing. Though she believed she would have a good life with Frank and would be respected as his wife. Chapter 3 – â€Å"Everyday Use† 6. Is Dee wholly unsympathetic? Is the mother’s victory over her altogether positive? What emotional ambivalence is there in the final scene between Maggie and her mother in the yard? The character of Dee was not totally unsympathetic. She was written with an attitude of being better than her mother and sister; she also came across as a character that just wanted a better life than the one she had growing up. Her mother should want her daughters to strive for a better life than the one she had. The mother’s victory over Dee cannot be viewed as totally positive. There are some positive aspects such as the mother finally standing up for her other daughter, but it can’t be viewed as totally positive when a mother hurts her daughter’s feelings. Chapter 3 – â€Å"The Story of an Hour† . Describe the plot structure of this brief story. How does the surprise ending relate to the story’s theme? The newspaper office reported that Mr. Mallard died in a train accident and it was reported to Mrs. Mallard sister Josephine. She broke the news of the tragedy to her sister as gently as possible, since Mrs. Mallard had a heart condition. M rs. Mallard filled with despair headed to her room to grieve the death of her husband. As she sat gazing out the window she had a sense of freedom and she realized she was a free woman, able to do whatever she wanted to do. Focusing on her future freedoms she was interrupted at the door by her husband. There had been a mix up and Mr. Mallard was nowhere near the train accident. Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition could not take the weight of change and she passed away. Chapter 4 – â€Å"The Darling† 1. Identify the theme of â€Å"The Darling. † How do Olenka’s several relationships with male characters help to elucidate the theme? The theme of â€Å"The Darling† tells of a woman named Olenka that changes her interest every time she falls madly in love with a new man. This gives the reader the perception that she cannot form an opinion on her own. The behavior leaves Olenka distraught every time a man leaves her life. Olenka’s relationship between her first and second husband helps elucidate the theme. Olenka’s first husband Ivan Petrovich loved the theater which meant Olenka loved the theater. When Olenka married her second husband Vassitchka he did not enjoy the theater. His opinion became Olenka’s opinion. She then had the belief that she did not have time for the nonsense of theater. Chapter 4 – â€Å"A Worn Path† . Write a precise, well-developed sentence that states as fully as possible the theme of the story. Remember to avoid cliches or oversimplification. Phoenix Jacksons faint mind and physical structure was no obstruction to the insurmountable love she felt toward her grandson. Phoenix demonstrated this on numerous occasions throughout the story. Her absolute purpose was respectful. Her bravery to push on without concern of what the path brought was inspirational. She was an altruistic elderly female whose emotional state could not be altered. Phoenix comes across numerous challenges both tangible and mental in nature. Although her mind wilted and her physical structure was mounted old with years, Phoenix was as self-willed as any able-bodied body person. Chapter 5 – â€Å"Paul’s Case† 10. In what two cities is the story set? Does this choice of settings have any symbolic value? Could the story have been set as validly in Cleveland and Detroit? In San Francisco and Los Angeles? In New Orleans and Birmingham? The story is set in Pittsburgh and New York City. The cities Pittsburgh and New York City gave the story symbolic value. Pittsburgh in the early twentieth century was a smoky city full of steel plants filled with rough and tough blue collar workers. The setting was not one that Paul dreamed of since it was not a city full of tropical or exotic places with many shiny surfaces. New York City was a big bright place that had everything Paul dreamed about music, arts, and luxurious hotels. New York City was a place where Paul received a sense of belonging. Chapter 5 – â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† 1. The main topic of discussion between the man and the girl is never named. What is the â€Å"awfully simple operation†? Why it is not named? What different attitudes are taken toward it by the man and the girl? Why? The main topic of discussion between the man and girl was never named because the â€Å"awfully simple operation† could be interpreted as an abortion. It was not named because the operations was and still is a highly controversial topic. The Americans attitude was that he would love Jig with whatever decision she made, but he insinuated which decision he preferred by introducing the operation as a simple procedure that was in her best interests. Jig’s attitude toward the procedure was that it would bring the American and herself back to a time when nothing was troubling her and afflicting their relationship. Chapter 6 – â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner† 9. What is the theme of the story? The theme of the story â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner,† tells of an immature boy, Paul, who perceives that there was never enough money in his family, he figures out a way to acquire money through chance. He finds that whenever he rides his rocking-horse fast enough, he somehow arrived at the name of the winning horse in a future race. Paul began to make money and secretly channels the money to his mother, but the desire for additional money developed. Paul eventually rode his rocking-horse so furiously in order to attain the victor of the Derby that he became ill and died, just after the victorious horse earns his family a tremendous fortune. Chapter 6 – â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† 1. What does Hawthorne gain by including the names of the actual persons (Goody Cloyse, Goody Cory, Deacon Gookin, Martha Carrier) and places (Salem village, Boston, Old South Church)? What religion is practiced by the townspeople? Hawthornes story gained creditability by including the names of the actual persons by giving examples of the sinfulness and hypocrisy that was hidden in the souls of those who seem most just. The characters are identified from amongst the gang of townspeople at the gathering because they present a measure of godliness that has destroyed for Brown by the experience. Salem village, Boston, and Old South Church was used to remind the readers of the setting of the Salem Witch Trials. The religion practiced by the townspeople was Christianity and they were known as Puritan’s which is considered a very conservative Protestant. Chapter 7 – â€Å"The Drunkard† 6. What is the principal irony in the story? The principal irony of the story â€Å"The Drunkard† was in the end the character that was drunk was the young son Larry not his alcoholic father. Throughout the story the reader was lead to understand that the father was a good man, husband, and father, except when he was drinking. He would be able to go weeks, months, and even years, without touching alcohol. It was written that after awhile the father would think of himself as a little bit better than his neighbors and at that point it seemed he would be looking for an excuse to celebrate and have a drink. What a perfect opportunity to have a drink at his friend’s funeral. The mother sent Larry along with his father to keep him from drinking. She did not expect Larry to be the one drinking, though in the end she looked at it as a gift from God that her son drank the alcohol and not her husband. Chapter 7 – â€Å"The Guest† 7. In what respect is the ending of the story ironic? What kind of irony is this? What does it contribute to the meaning of the story? The story has an ironic ending in the respect that Daru found that he was left in a no win situation and he arrived at that realization at the end of the story. The reader comes to the conclusion that the story was an irony of situation story; because there was an incongruity between expectations and fulfillment. Daru believed the Arab undoubtedly would choose the road leading him to freedom. The consequence left Daru with no fulfillment since the Arab will not have freedom, and he was held accountable for the Arab being turned over to the administration and police. Chapter 8 – â€Å"Roman Fever† 3. Trace the revelation of the animosity that Mrs. Slade feels for Mrs. Ansley. Is Mrs. Ansley doing anything on this evening to provoke her envy? Why has Mrs. Slade always harbored negative feelings about her friend? Mrs. Ansley provoked Mrs. Slade’s envy when they were sitting on the terrace looking out over the city. Mrs. Slade stated, After all, its still the most beautiful view in the world, followed by a comment from Mrs. Ansley stating, â€Å"It always will be to me†, this evoked memories of the past when Mrs. Ansley was in love with Mrs. Slade’s fiance Delphin. Mrs. Slade always harbored negative feelings about her friend, because she always believed her friend carried a special place in her heart for her husband Delphin. Chapter 8 – â€Å"A Civil Peace† 4. Jonathan lost his youngest son during a civil war, yet he considers himself â€Å"extraordinarily lucky. † Is this attitude callous or admirable? Jonathan lost his youngest son during a civil war, and he considered himself â€Å"extraordinarily lucky. † Feeling lucky was an admirable attitude, because Jonathan looked around at the blessings he was able to maintain, and not focus on the loss of his child during the civil war. He presented himself as a person that does not spend time focusing on the past, but looks ahead to the future. Jonathan had a clear understanding of his responsibilities to his family which was admirable.

Monday, November 25, 2019

How To Use the Spanish ‘Cuando’

How To Use the Spanish ‘Cuando’ The Spanish word cuando  usually the equivalent of the English when, although its use is far more versatile than the English word. It can serve as a preposition, conjunction, or adverb, and it frequently is used in situations where when doesnt work as a translation. Cuando as a Conjunction Cuando is used most often as a conjunction, a type of word that in this case connects two clauses, a sentence-like statement that includes a subject (which may be implied) and a verb. Although the conjunction cuando can often be translated as when, cuando doesnt always indicate that a time element is at play. In those situations, context sometimes makes it better to think of cuando as meaning a condition such as if or since. Here are some examples of cuando meaning when: Siempre voy al mercado cuando estoy en la ciudad. (I always go to the market when I am in the city. Here cuando joins the two clauses siempre voy al mercado and estoy en la ciudad.)Su padre era drogadicto cuando ella era una nià ±a. (Her father was a drug addict when she was a girl. Cuando joins su padre era drogadicto and ella era una nià ±a.)Cuando llegà ³ al aeropuerto me puse en la fila equivocada. (When I arrived at the airport, I got in the wrong line. As this sentence shows, a conjunction can link two clauses even when it comes at the beginning of the sentence rather than between the clauses.) If the action of the verb after cuando took place in the past, is ongoing, or takes place in the present, the verb is in the indicative mood. But if it takes place in the future, the subjunctive is used. Note the difference between these two sentences. Cuando la veo, siempre me siento feliz. (When I see her, I always feel happy. The action of siento is ongoing, so it is in the indicative mood.)Cuando la veo maà ±ana, me sienta feliz. (When I see her tomorrow, I will feel happy. The action of the verb happens tomorrow, so the subjunctive mood is used.) Here are examples of where a translation other than when might be used for cuando: Vamos a salir cuando està © tarde. (We are going to leave if he is late. Depending on the context, this sentence doesnt necessarily suggest that the person will be late.)Cuando brilla el Sol, podemos ir a la playa. (Since the sun is shining, we can go to the beach. Since works better than when in translation if it is known to the speaker and listener that the sun is shining.) Cuando as an Adverb When it appears in questions before a verb, cundo functions as an adverb and receives an orthographic accent.  ¿Cundo vienes? (When are you coming?) ¿Cundo van a llegar al hotel? (When will they are arrive at the hotel? ¿Cundo compraron el coche? (When did they buy a car?)No sà © cundo se resolver mi futuro. (I dont known when my future will be determined. This is an example of an indirect question.) Cuando also functions as an adverb when it follows a form of ser. When is almost always a suitable translation. Era cuando yo estaba ms vulnerable. (It was when I was most vulnerable.)Mi mentira favorita era cuando me decà ­as, te amo. (My favorite lie was when you told me, I love you.)La parte difà ­cil es cuando se tienen cuatro o cinco actores en la misma escena. (The difficult part is when there are four or five actors in the same scene.) Cuando as a Preposition When used as a preposition, cuando can often be translated as during or at the time of. Often the sentence using cuando  in this way cannot be translated word for word but must be loosely translated to indicate that something happened during the time of the prepositional object. Some examples: La escribià ³Ã‚  cuando  estudiante. (She wrote it when she was a student. Note that there are no words in Spanish that directly say she was, but that meaning is implied. A word-for-word translation would be when student, but that doesnt make sense.)Asà ­Ã‚  fue  cuando  la Revolucià ³n Francesa.  (Thats how it was during the French Revolution.)Cuando las  inundaciones  yo era muy chica. (At the time of the  floods  I was very young.)Yo era enfermizo cuando muchacho con asma, (As a  boy  with asthma I was sickly.) Key Takeaways Although cuando can be thought of as the Spanish word for when, it can also be used in other ways.A common use of cuando is as a conjunction combining two clauses.When cundo means when as an interrogative adverb in a question, the first syllable receives an accent mark.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Reflection ( Global Media ) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection ( Global Media ) - Assignment Example Old types of media were not as effective as new media. The increasingly powerful role of social media and the internet were proved to influence everything around. It did not take long to spread information all over the world. As a result, some people took advantage of new media and shared biased information with others in order to benefit from it. One more trend is media was greatly explained by the You Tube assignment. The site which was used to post short videos became a huge educational database. I was impressed by the fact that full documentaries and mane educational tutorials could be found easily. You Tube videos could not substitute tutor in the classroom; at the same time, they provided great support and additional sources for information for all people who were interested in the task. Media became more realistic. Online communication can lead to real consequences and suffering. Cyber bullying cases showed to what extent life online can become real for some people. Unfortunately, there current legislation cannot stop the cases of cyber bullying which are harmful for many people and especially teenagers. People need to remember that their online activities can hurt; even though online personalities are different from people who create them, they still remain personalities who deserve understanding and respect. The content of the course was very motivating for every student. Activism assignment stimulated creative thinking in all participants. Moreover, it was a nice opportunity to apply cultural diversity knowledge practically. Communication via internet was quick and effective. It was amazing to understand that people from all around the world could communicate at their usual pace without any delays related to bad network connection or other technical issues. Overall, this course can become a solid knowledge platform

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

GROUNDING & BONDING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GROUNDING & BONDING - Essay Example It is done with the help of copper wire to establish connection between all parts. Bonding is concerned with the techniques and procedures necessary to achieve a mechanically resilient low impedance interconnection. Grounding is the process in which we connect the bonded equipment to the earth. It is a special form of bonding in which conductive equip ­ment is connected to an earthing electrode or to the building grounding system in order to prevent sparking between conductive equipment and grounded structures. Bonding and grounding do not rectify the source or cause of stray voltage instead it reduces the harmful effect of stray voltage to a level where it may no longer pose any threat or problem. In the absence of bonding the potential difference can cause damage to equipment when any two parts of sensitive equipment are connected to system which can acquire different potentials. Bonding and Grounding Principle Bonding and grounding are basically two separate concepts in which on e is the physical medium and the other one act as the method for creating that medium. It is a very effective technique for minimizing the likelihood of an ignition from static electricity.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Why Should a Firm Cooperate with an Advertising Agency Coursework

Why Should a Firm Cooperate with an Advertising Agency - Coursework Example At Keller Advertising Agency we employ competitive professionals who are able to organize, create as well as place an advertisement to meet the objectives better than any company.   We do extensive market research and thus we are able to build an effective advertising strategy that will help you capture the market share as well as build a stable relationship with the consumers creating customer loyalty and help in building the company brand. With our knowledge of the eReader market coupled with an innovative and unique approach to the market, we are able to engage, capture the attention of the target market and enhance their interaction with the new product thus creating a relationship with the brand. At Keller Advertising we go at greater lengths to please our clients by ensuring that they have a great strategic vision that will steer them towards strategic success for their business in the global market.Our strategy is your strategy and this is what guides as to intriguing, competitive and ultimately successful campaigns. Our main aim is to inform and persuade the consumers on the new product through communicating ideas and information about the product in a way that will create a memorable experience for the consumer and enhance brand recognition. What counts most in campaigns is the message and we have talented experts who ensure creativity and logic. Finally, we provide a follow up after implementation of the campaign to ensure success.  An effective product name is one which is simple and easy to remember and thus will help in selling the product during marketing. A good product name should have the following characteristics be unique and thus distinguish the product from its competitors, hold appeal for the target audience, imply the benefits of the brand, create customer loyalty through bonding with the company, motivates the customers to purchase, can buy the image of the product and name and have symbolic association which fortifies the company’s image.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Community Safety Initiatives | Evaluation

Community Safety Initiatives | Evaluation INTRODUCTION Purpose of this paper is to discuss the main problems confronting those who must evaluate community safety initiatives. In order to do this, the paper first provides an overview of the problem. This is followed by an analysis of support and initiative by governments, technical difficulties, access to data, political pressure, and utilisation. COMMUNITY SAFETY EVALUATION The initial challenge facing every community safety initiative is to meet crime reduction targets whilst also implementing preventative measures to ensure long-term reductions in crime and disorder. Arguably, high quality evaluation can play a role in this as it can help better understand what works and how it works (Morton 2006). According to AG (2007), evaluation is concerned with making value-based judgments about a program. Mallock and Braithwaite (2005:4) define evaluation as â€Å"the systematic examination of a policy, program or project aimed at assessing its merit, value, worth, relevance or contribution†. Any evidence of the benefits and impact of initiatives will help to influence local partners in commissioning decisions. However, according to Morton (2006), some evaluators have been more able to undertake evaluations than others. As Read and Tilley (2000) claim, evaluation stage continues to be a major weakness of a community safety program. Proper evaluations of community safety initiatives are rare (Community Safety Centre 2000). According to Rhodes (2007), a range of policies and programs has been established with the aim of achieving greater community participation and involvement leading to increased community capacity. However there has been little evaluation of this approach or the specific programs. Read and Tilley (2000) also claim that there is relatively little systematic evaluation and a shortage of good evaluations. Moreover, what is available is generally weak. According to AG (2007), the reasons for the lack of evaluation of community safety programs have not been studied extensively, but social, political and financial considerations are likely to have a strong influence. Evaluation studies consume resources, and therefore are competing for the limited resources available and must be justified by the value of the information which they provide. There are also several other relevant factors including the limited knowledge and experience of evaluation theory and practice of many program managers and organisers. In addition, evaluation evidence is often seen as bad news since program objectives tend to be over-optimistic and hence are rarely fully met; a situation that evaluation might expose. LACK OF SUPPORT AND INITIATIVE According to Community Safety Centre (2000), little time and resources are available for conducting evaluation. When evaluation does occur, the size does matter. It can depend on how large the partnership is as to the resources that they have available for evaluation (Cherney and Sutton 2004). Often in small partnerships no money is put aside for evaluation. Since majority of serious evaluations are going to be expensive, this can particularly be a problem for small projects where a good evaluation may take up a relatively large proportion of the project budget. Thus, very often people will argue that this is an unnecessary cost. Furthermore, practitioners very often feel that they can themselves quiet easily tell whether or not something has been a success. Community Safety Centre (2000) concludes that recommendations that something works, by people who were involved in implementing the initiative, are often based on relatively weak evaluation evidence commonly relying on more gener al impressions that are usually not objective enough. In Australia, for example, neither central nor regional government has so far encouraged evaluators to undertake their own evaluation (Cherney and Sutton 2004). Community Safety Centre (2000) and Morton (2006) also claim that there is a lack of commitment from central government and local agencies, arguing that the problem lies in attracting and maintaining involvement of people and agencies that really are not interested in crime prevention or community safety. According to Morton (2006), evaluators have only been required to produce quarterly reports with milestones for the future and not to undertake a real reflection on a project, including writing a review on the project and analysing available data. All evaluators have to do is monitor whether money is being spent on outputs. Read and Tilley (2000) argue that there is little attention paid to how initiatives may have had their effects. There is not enough investment or requirement for evaluation. According to Varone, Jacob and De Winter (2005), policy evaluation is an underdeveloped tool of Belgian public governance. They claim that it is partitocracy, weakness of Parliament vis-à  -vis the government, and the federalisation process that is characteristic of the recent institutional evolution of the country, that jeopardise the development of a mature evaluation culture. TECHNICAL DIFFUCULTIES Evaluators might find barriers at each of the evaluation steps, including problem formulation, design of instruments, research deign, data collection, data analysis, findings and conclusions and utilisation (Hagan 2000). In respect to problem formulation, evaluation researchers are often in a hurry to get on with the task without thoroughly grounding the evaluation in the major theoretical issues in the field. Glaser and Zeigler (1974) claim that much of what is regarded as in-house evaluations has been co opted and is little more than head counting or the production of tables for annual reports. Further problem is the absence of standardised definitions. The confusion over definitions has not only impeded communication among researchers and, more importantly, between researchers and practitioners, but also has hindered comparisons and replications of research studies. Furthermore, although evaluators would prefer control over treatment and a classic experimental design, with random assignment of cases to experimental and control groups, this seldom happens. In many instances it is very difficult to find organisations that would be willing to undergo experimentation, particularly if it involves the denial of certain treatments (control group) to some clients. The program planners and staff may resists randomisation as means of allocations treatments, arguing for assignment based on need or merit. The design may not be correctly carried out, resulting in nonequivalent experimental and control groups. The design may break down as some people refuse to participate or drop out of different treatment groups (experimental mortality). Some feel that randomised designs create focused inequality because some groups receive treatment others desire and thus can cause reactions that could be confused with treatments. Much of the bemoaning concerning the inadequacy of research design in evaluation methodology has arisen because of an over-commitment to experimental designs, and a deficient appreciation of the utility of post hoc controls by means of multivariety statistical techniques. It may be that more rapid progress can be made in the evolution of preventive programs if research designs are based on statistical rather than experimental model. One major difficulty in evaluation research is in procuring adequate control groups. In respect to data collection, one principal shortcoming of much evaluation research has been its over reliance on questionnaires as the primary means of data gathering. Program supporters will jump on methodological or procedural problems in any evaluation that comes to a negative conclusion. Hagan (2000) also lists other obstacles to evaluation, including unsound and poorly done data analysis, unethical evaluations, naive and unprepared evaluation staff, and poor relationships between evaluation and program staff. Community Safety Centre (2000) argues that, unlike experimental researchers, evaluators often have difficulty comparing their experimental groups with a control group. Although evaluators might attempt to find a similar group to compare with, it is usually impossible to apply the ideal experimental rigor of randomly allocating individuals to an experimental condition and a control condition. According to AG (2007), those responsible for commissioning or conducting evaluation studies also need to take account of the local social, cultural and political context if the evaluations are to produce evidence that is not only useful, but used. According to Morton (2006), some evaluators have stressed their incompetence, claming that they do not know how to undertake evaluation. Schuller (2004) has referred to the lack of accuracy in their predictions, partly due to a lack of post-auditing information. She further argues that evaluators apply a narrow scope that stresses well-established knowledge of local impacts, whilst underplaying wider geographical, systematic, or time factors. Evaluation research can be a complex and difficult task (Community Safety Centre 2000). Evaluators are often described by a lack of control over, and even knowledge of, wide range of factors which may or may not impact on the performance indicators. While evaluating a single crime prevention initiative may be difficult enough, evaluating a full community safety project may be many times more complicated. The intervention package often impacts beyond the target area and this impact needs to be anticipated. As an additional complication, evaluation research can itself have an impact on the outcome of an initiative. A secondary role of the audit process is to raise awareness and build support for the initiative in the affected community. ACCESS TO DATA A commonly reported problem with evaluation has been access to relevant data (Morton 2006). Morton (2006) claims that it is often hard to get good baseline data against which to evaluate a project, mainly because procedures and resources for appropriate multi-agency data collection and mapping are not in place. Often the relevant data is not recorded or collated across services and analysed together to give a complete picture of the problem. Furthermore, partnerships often lack appropriate analytical skills to use quantitative data (Morton 2006). According to Hagan (2000), if proper data for evaluation are absent and clear outcomes or criteria of organisational success are absent, then a proper evaluation cannot be undertaken. The success of the entire evaluation process hinges on the motivation of the administrator and organisation in calling for an evaluation in the first place. It should be possible to locate specific organisational objectives that are measurable. The key assumptions of the program must be stated in a form which can be tested objectively. However, this often does not happen in practice. POLITICAL PRESSURE Political pressure can present another problem for evaluators. Administrators often want to spend all the funding available on implementation as opposed to evaluation (Morton 2006). Thus, being aware of the political context of a program is a precondition for useable evaluation research (AG 2007). Evaluation research requires the active support and cooperation of the agency or program to be evaluated (Hagan 2000). However, the program administrator’s desire to reaffirm his or her position with favorable program evaluations may conflict with the evaluator’s desire to acquire an objective appraisal of a program’s impact. The end result may be either a research design with low scientific credibility and tainted results, or a credible study that never receives a public hearing because the administrator does not like the results. According to Read and Tilley (2000), few evaluations are independent and evidence is used selectively. There is undue satisfaction with redu ction as an indicator that the initiative was effective without attention to alternative explanations, or to possible side-effects. They further argue that 84% of evaluations they studied were conducted by the initiative coordinator or staff, and only 9% were by an independent external evaluator. Thus, it is challenging for partnerships to persuade for funding to be put aside for evaluation. Evaluator’s job is also affected by balancing the need to be strategic and pressure to produce â€Å"runs on the board† by local authorities and central agencies, as well as the greater value placed on â€Å"projects† compared to â€Å"planning† within local authorities (Cherney and Sutton 2004). According to Hagan (2000), even the best laid evaluation plans can â€Å"bite the dust† in the â€Å"high noon† of political reality. In discussing the politicisation of evaluation research, Hagan (2000) points out the incasing political nature of evaluations as they are increasingly used to decide the future of programs. According to him, part of the administrator’s concern about evaluation research comes from the dilemma that research creates for him. The evaluation process casts him in contradictory roles. On the one hand, he is the key person in the agency, and the success of its various operations, including evaluation, depends on his knowledge and involvement. On the other hand, evaluation carries the potentiality of discrediting an administratively sponsored program or of undermining a position the administrator has taken. MURPHY’S LAW Hagan (2000) applies Murphy’s Law to evaluation research, clearly indicated barriers that evaluator faces. In relation to evaluation design: the resources needed to complete the evaluation will exceed the original projection by a factor of two. after an evaluation has been completed and is believed to control for all relevant variables, others will be discovered and rival hypothesis will multiply geometrically the necessity of making a major decision change increases as the evaluation project nears completion. In relation to evaluation management: the probability of a breakdown in cooperation between the evaluation project and an operational agency is directly proportional to the trouble it can cause. if staying on schedule is dependent on a number of activities which may be completed before or after an allotted time interval, the total time needed will accumulate in the direction of becoming further and further behind schedule. In relation to data collection: the availability of data element is inversely proportional to the need for that element historical baseline data will be recorded in units or by criteria other than present or future records none of the available self-report formats will work as well as you expect In relation to data analysis and interpretation: in a mathematical calculation, any error that can creep in, will. It will accumulate in the direction that will do the most damage to the results of the calculation. the figure that is most obviously correct will be the source of error if an analysis matrix requires â€Å"n† data elements to make the analysis easy and logical, there will always be â€Å"n-1† available. When tabulating data, the line totals and the column totals should up to the grand total; they won’t In relation to presentation of evaluation findings: the more extensive and thorough the evaluation the less likely the findings will be used by decision makers. UTILISATION Evaluator is often approaching his or her job knowing that evaluation results are often not appropriately utilised. This might significantly impact his or her performance. Hagan (2000) claims that evaluations have not been effectively utilised, and that much of this waste is due to passive bias and censorship within the field itself, which prevent the publication of weaker, less scientific findings, and to misplace client loyalty. Cherney and Sutton (2004) argue that there has been a lack of status and authority within the overall structure of local government to facilitate change in polices and practices. Furthermore, there are agencies and units both within local authorities and externally who are unwilling to be held accountable for community safety outcomes. According to Schuller (2004), there has been inadequate organisation, scheduling and institutional integration into the overall decision-making process, with impact assessment often undertaken towards the end. It has also bee n suggested that the most pertinent issue may be, not to predict accurately, but to define appropriate goals, and then set up the organisation that can effectively adapt and audit the project to achieve goals. CONCLUSION The paper has discussed the main problems confronting those who must evaluate community safety initiatives, looking at the issues of support and initiative, technical difficulties, access to data, political pressure, and low utilisation. Proper evaluations of community safety initiatives are rare. Little time and resources is available for conducting evaluation and there is a lack of commitment from government and local agencies. Barriers have been experienced throughout the evaluation process, including problem formulation, design of instruments, research deign, data collection, data analysis, findings and conclusions and utilisation. Further barriers have been presented by lack of focus on the local social, cultural and political context. Some evaluators have even stressed their incompetence, claming that they do not know how to undertake evaluation. Relevant data is often not recorded or collated to give a complete picture of the problem. Political pressure also presents a signifi cant problem as administrators find themselves in contradictory roles. Furthermore, they often want to spend all the funding available on implementation as opposed to evaluation. Finally, evaluation results have not been effectively utilised, which can have a significant negative impact on evaluators. BIBLIOGRAPHY Australian Government Attorney Generals Department (AG). (2007). â€Å"Conceptual Foundations of Evaluation Models†. Cherney, A and Sutton, A. (2004). Aussie Experience: local government community safety officers and capacity building†. Community Safety Journal, Vol.3, Iss.3, pg.31. Community Safety Centre (2000). â€Å"Research and Evaluation†. Community Safety research and Evaluation Bulletin†. No.1. Glaser, D. and Zeigler, M.S. (1974). â€Å"The Use of the Death Penalty v. the Outrage at Murder†. Crime and Delinquency, pp.333-338. Hagan, F.E. (2000). â€Å"Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology (eds)†. Allyn and Bacon. Mallock, N.A. and Braithwaite, J. (2005). â€Å"Evaluation of the Safety Improvement Program in New South Wales: study no.9†. University of New South Wales. Morton, S. (2006). â€Å"Community Safety in Practice – the importance of evaluation†. Community Safety Journal, Vol.5, Iss.1, pg.12. Read, T and Tilley, N. (2000). â€Å"Not Rocket Science? Problem-solving and crime reduction†. Crime Reduction Research Series Paper 6, Home Office. Rhodes, A. (2007). â€Å"Evaluation of Community Safety Policies and Programs†. RMIT University. Schuller, N. (2004). â€Å"Urban Growth and Community Safety: developing the impact assessment approach†. Community Safety Journal, Vol.3, Iss.4, pg.4. Varone, F., Jacob, S., De Winter, L. (2005). â€Å"Polity, Politics and Policy Evaluation in Belgium†. Evaluation, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp.253-273.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Love Your Enemies :: English Literature Essays

Love Your Enemies Jesus said, â€Å"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth.’ But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let them slap your left cheek too†¦ love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.† Is it possible to follow this teaching of Jesus today? The answer is yes, conveying this teaching is possible. There are still some people who do live in this way. One person who lived this way was Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi was a man of peace from India. By no means did Gandhi resort to violence. Gandhi showed that the powerless had power. He never fought back instead he would sit and pray. Gandhi always wanted equality and peace among everyone. If someone were harm in any way, he would have never turned and hurt them. Instead he would have prayed or just ambled away. Although with his courageous words and actions he was a very powerful person he still could not control the decisions and actions of others. Gandhi once said,†I have no strength, save what God gives me. I have no authority over my country men, save the purely moral." Like many of our brave and peaceful leaders Gandhi was also assassinated. He died on January 30, 1948. Everyone should be more like Gandhi. Everyone should be kind and peaceful and then the world may be an easier place to live in. It’s not an easy way to live because you often act or even speak before you act. Several people often do things without thinking. It’s human nature. For example if person ‘A’ were to clout person ‘B’, person ‘B’ would automatically strike back. This is unquestionably not what Jesus would do. There is only very few people who would actually just turn the other cheek or walk away. Instead everyone else would probably do the same or even worse than what the other person did. Another way we can follow this philosophy is by, as Jesus said, â€Å"Do unto others as you would have done unto you.† Think about this, no one would want someone to harm them, emotionally or physically, and the other person probably feels the same way. Verbal abuse, talking about others, judging others also part of this. This damages others, and it’s hard not to do this because everybody does it but just because everybody does doesn’t make it right.