Why You Need Binge-Worthy Content

We increasingly live in an on-demand culture. Whether it’s the latest gadget or the biggest music hit, people generally aren’t willing to wait long, if at all, to get what they want. We’re even impatient when it comes to entertainment – who wants to wait for the next episode of a show when you can binge-watch the whole series? Some have called this craving for instant gratification the â€Å"Netflix effect† and it applies to content as well. If someone is looking for information on a topic, they want all it all right away. No one is going to go to the library or locate an expert when they can just whip out their phone. They then expect the content they find to be authoritative, comprehensive and tailored to their preferences. This is why your content needs to be binge-worthy – so that it meets the needs of what people are actually looking for and your content is successful in helping you meet your marketing goals. Embracing the Binge We want to find out everything we can about our interests, right now. That intense, immediate interest is what drives the binge experience and it’s important to take advantage of it. When you’ve captured a reader’s attention, you need to make sure your content is set up for a satisfying binge. Here’s how to do it: Make Your Content Available â€Å"On Demand† Attention spans are shorter than ever so you need to make sure there’s plenty of content available for a potential binge-reader to plow through or you risk losing them to greener online pastures. Instead of doling out your content little by little, consider an â€Å"on-demand† model that makes all your content available to your visitors. This model is the polar opposite of a drip-marketing approach, but can often suit readers better. Create an Easy Consumption Journey Diversify Your Content Formats When it comes to content consumption, people have different styles and preferences. While one reader may enjoy diving into a white paper or in-depth blog post, another reader might prefer the ‘bite-sized’ nature of an infographic or short video. Offering a wide variety of content formats boosts the chances that visitors will find the kind of content they’re looking for and stay engaged with it. Use Data to Plan Your Content Strategy House of Cards garnered tremendous ratings for Netflix and almost singlehandedly spurred the rise of binge-watching. However, Netflix relied on a lot more than luck when they decided to take on this series. The company did some serious data analysis on their existing subscribers and they noticed a few things. Many their subscribers streamed films directed by David Fincher and they also seemed to enjoy movies starring Kevin Spacey. Combine this information with the fact that the British version of House of Cards was already doing well and it’s not hard to see that the political drama was a solid bet. Your company can take a lesson from Netflix and do some number-crunching of its own. Take note of what content your readers gravitate towards and combine that with their known pain points. Using data and analytics to plan your content strategy will make you more likely to hit the mark with your audience. Creating binge-worthy content is a delicate balancing act – you need to provide a deep enough pool of content to satisfy the urge to consume it all in one sitting, but you also need to deliver enough fresh, new content to keep readers coming back for more. House of Cards star Kevin Spacey may have said it best in a talk he gave to TV executives: â€Å"If they want to binge, then we should let them binge.† By ensuring your content is organized and easily accessible to bingers, you’ll be able to do just that and realize more success from your content marketing.

Vera Deakin Essays

Vera Deakin Essays Vera Deakin Essay Vera Deakin Essay Vera Deakin had a MASSIVE part in World War 1 as she was the driving force of the wounded and missing Inquiry Bureau. The aim of the bureau was to provide information to the families of Australian soldier’s, to notify them if their sons were missing, wounded or dead. This bureau was SO important as it was the official link between the soldiers and their families. Vera, was the youngest daughter of former Australian Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, she was originally supposed to go into nursing but, went against her father’s wishes to go to Port Said located in Egypt, so she could open this significant bureau.Unfortunately it was forced to move its operations to London as the army didn’t view Deakin’s work in the bureau as favourably to its reputation. As months went on the bureau grew in size and volunteers. Requests for soldier’s information raised to 25,000 a year. For Vera’s efforts in the bureau she was awarded an OBE, which is An Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Vera’s significance on Australia’s war was mostly back in Australia.With this bureau ANZAC families were notified if their sons had met any harm on the battle field. This bureau also brought closure to soldier’s families informing them of how the son, husband or father died heroically on the battlefield to protect the lives of the Australian people. This bureau revealed that Australia wasn’t successful in their battles, especially at Gallipoli and it exposed to the Australian public the true consequences that war has.According to the Australian War Memorial archives Vera said What we tried to accomplish as a bureau was to relieve as quickly as possible the anxiety of the relatives in Australia, to make the men realise that we were there to help and assist them in every way in our power, and to shield the authorities from unnecessary and duplicated enquiries. This quote shows and reflects the hardworking na ture of Vera and the significance she played to relieve the anxiety and stress soldier’s families.Vera also received a thankyou from Gunner Arthur Marginson expressing his appreciation on her efforts, he wrote Dear miss Deakin â€Å"I have to thank you for the kind and sympathetic letter I have received notifying me of the manner and details of the way in which my dear Brother met his death in action and the system by which you gain your information reflects great credit on your society which is doing so much now to alleviate the suffering of relations of the men who go out The greatest blow is over now† this is just another example that’s hows the significance of Vera Deakin in her effort caring for Anzac families. In conclusion I believe that Vera Deakin had an immensely important part in the 1st world war, through her missing and enquiry bureau which we can see had a great effect through Vera’s awards and appreciation from the Australian people.

Anthony Burgess and A Clockwork Orange Essay -- A Clockwork Orange

John Anthony Burgess was born on February 25, 1917, in Manchester, England. He was born to Catholic parents (mom died early). Anthony’s mother died when he was only two years old from an illness, so he was brought up and raised by his aunt. A few years later when his father remarried, his stepmother primarily raised Burgess. Anthony’s father was not around much and frankly didn’t care much for Anthony. Burgess’s upbringing was rough and somewhat traumatizing, which reflect in some of his works, including the novel, A Clockwork Orange. Burgess married at a young age and had only one child, Paolo Andrea Burgess. In a review article about Anthony Burges, Thomas Horan said, â€Å"As Burgess acknowledged, he was a neglectful parent, too preoccupied with his writing and composing to take much notice of the high-spirited urchin who often rd a lot of things throughout his 76-year-old life, but he is most famously known for his controversial novel, A Clockwork Ora nge. Works Cited Burrow, Colin. "Not Quite Nasty." London Review of Books. LRB Ltd (1997-2004), Nov. 2005. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. Covert, Colin. "Anthony Burgess." Hutchinson's Biography Datbase 2011: 1. Ebscohost.com. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. Criticism, Contemporary Literary, and Carolyn Riley. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research, 1973. Print. Horan, Thomas. "A Clockwork Counterpoint: The Music and Literature of Anthony Burgess." Academic Search Premier. Studies in the Novel, Apr. 2011. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. . Liukkonen, Petri. "Anthony Burgess." Anthony Burgess. Ari Pesonen, 2008. Web. 22 Jan. 2014. "Movie Spotlight: "A Clockwork Orange"" Review. Newspaper Source Plus (2013): 1-2. Ebscohost.com. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.

Managing People in Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Managing People in Engineering - Essay Example However, since improvement is a continuous process, thereby certain changes and improved are desired which can be carried out in a collective way. Aims and objectives: The aims and objectives in the generic and simple terms can be defined as the overcoming of challenges faced along with the exploration of the new openings and horizons which would allow the company to perform further better and stand an edge over the compatriots in the same industry. Keywords: Market share, customers’ satisfaction, quality services. Challenges faced: Every new day brings along a new challenge with itself in the global scenario of organizations especially when the organization works on global trends and international level. Lantex is no exception and it is faced with equal number of challenges and this has caught the attention of the top management and thereby they have decided to investigate the overall scenario and look deep into the various sections and entities of the organization. Their eff ort in this regard is a multi fold and they aim to address not just the processes rather the individual performances and the relationship between the employees within and also the relationship with the other stakeholders and most importantly the overall attitude and response towards the clients and customers in a direct and indirect manner. As a Management consultant: the task is being assigned to a management consultant in form of being an overhead entity and watchdog to monitor the overall performance and investigate the areas of importance and improvement in the overall system and determine what level of improvement is possible and needed in each of the area. Task of the management consultant: Management consultant is an impartial individual who is assigned and hired for his services to determine the overall scenario and standing of the organization and determine what is being done, what should be done and how should it be done, against the processes and functions of what should be avoided, and how should it be avoided. Tasks at hand: Identifying the problems in the processes Identifying the loopholes Identifying the areas of improvement Over viewing the working relationship between the members Assessing overall management processes within the organization Evaluating the Human Resource aspect of the organization Creating the clear definition of legislation that allows for better performance and privileges enjoyed by the workers and employees at different levels within the organization. Comparing the different companies performance and take on the similar areas of operations How is the workforce planning is used to assess staffing requirements. In time delivery and ensuring the reach to the far regions speaks for the effective policy of the company that has been in place in order to meet the customers’ requirements. Vigorous planning is being induced into the network with due consideration of the kind of knowledge being required in each domain and als o the kind of expertise needed to ensure the in time delivery to the various segments. For example while the near areas delivery is being ensured on 24 hours bases from the time and point of order placement, the long distance orders may take long yet with the regard and consideration of keeping it to the least amount of time possible and

The relationship between Eliezer and his Father Essay

The relationship between Eliezer and his Father - Essay Example Just as the story begins, Eliezer’s father comes in as a busy community leader. His duties and community engagements leaves him little time to socialize and bond with the family. The lack of connection between father and son pushes Eliezer to lament. â€Å"My father was a cultured man, rather unsentimental. He rarely displayed his feelings, not even with his family, and was more involved with the welfare of others than that of his own kind† (Bloom 02). However, as they enter the camp they display a normal relationship between them, the father values his son, he gives him advice and protects him. The son on the other hand depends and looks up to his father this mainly happens because of horror scare at the camp. The situation at the camp changed the angle of relationship between the two. They had little options at the camp because at arrival his father was no longer a community leader and neither was he busy. In this situation, they could focus on each other in order to deal with the situation at the camp. Eliezer kept his eye on the father and his determination to be with him kept on burning. He says, â€Å"My hand tightened its grip on my father. All I could think of was not to lose him. Not to remain alone† (Bloom 8). As time passes by in the camp the duo, develop a peer like relationship. People who are involved in this kind of relationship help each other in terms of ideas and code of conduct. The two demonstrated their codependency when Franek asks for Eliezers’s gold crown. Eliezer’s refusal to give away the golden crown prompts Franek to beat up his father for not matching well. To prevent this from happening again he decides to teach his father how to match in steps. Near the end of their stay in the camp Eliezer and his father, reverse roles where, he plays the role of a father and his father plays a childish role. The novel illustrates that after they had run to Gleiwitz.

Technical Education and Its Importance in Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Technical Education and Its Importance in Pakistan Essay ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Professor David Bergin for providing me with support and guidance throughout my research. Through my experiences working with him I learned a great deal about the research process and how to structure my writing and feel better prepared to move forward with research in the future. I would also like to thank my thesis committee members who provided me with a lot of feedback on how to improve my research topic and gave me ideas to build on in future research studies. A great amount of thanks goes to the schools sampled in this study. The director of the Area Career Center was very welcoming and open to my research topic allowing me to gain as much exposure to career and technical education and their students as I wanted. Without the ACC’s interest in my study this research would not have been possible. I also want to thank the local high school that allowed me access to a few students even though they had very demanding schedules. Gaining insight from Advanced Placement students creating an interesting element to my study that I have found very valuable. ducation at an Area Career Center in mid Missouri. Newer programs that combine career and technical education courses with traditional high school instruction can benefit students in allowing them to connect their academic training with real world careers and practical concepts. This study looks at students’ perceptions of CTE, the sources of influence they reported on their decisions to take or not take CTE courses in high school and the role cultural capital played in their views. Utilizing a qualitative method of data collection eight high school seniors enrolled in either CTE only classes, AP only classes or a combined CTE and AP course load were interviewed about their views of CTE at the local area career center. All of the students were white and there were four boys and four girls interviewed in the study. Results show that all students in the study associated CTE with some form of hands on education, with students enrolled in CTE courses reacting more favorably to CTE instruction and its connection to careers and occupations. The most significant influences on students’ decisions to take or not take CTE classes were their future academic or career goals and how CTE knowledge would or would not help them. Other reported influences include teachers, family members and personal experiences. Finally, the role of cultural capital in students’ views of CTE is explored reaching the conclusion that more data and analysis is needed to find more arguable claims. 1 CHAPTER 1: Introduction In this study, I interview high school students in order to understand their thoughts on career and technical education programs in high school. One reason why this is important is that according to a 2002 survey by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Center to Workforce Preparation, nearly 75 percent of employers report difficulty when trying to hire qualified workers. Forty percent say that applicants are poorly skilled and 30 percent say that applicants have the wrong skills for available jobs (The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) www. acteonline. org). I believe this means that career and technical education can play a vital role in helping promote this environment and help students succeed through hands on education coupled with challenging high school curriculum. The current high school curriculum in the United States faces challenges with the No Child Left Behind legislation that mandates a standards-based education. This initiative makes career and technical education harder to promote in public schools because CTE courses are elective classes. It rests on the students to enroll themselves in courses that will provide them with the best preparation for post high school opportunities. In this study, I ask students about their attitudes toward CTE courses. Research on comprehensive education programs suggests combining more rigorous forms of education, such as advanced placement (AP) with CTE (Association for Career and Technical Education, 2006; Stern, D. , Dayton, C. , Paik, I. -W. , Weisberg, A. , Evans, J. , 1988). Because of this I include students who are taking AP courses in this study to gauge their responses to CTE. While government statistics show that most high school students 2 take at least one â€Å"vocational† course in their high school careers such as typing or home economics. (http://www. ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cte/index. html), it seems unfortunate that high school students do not pursue a more advanced career and technical education if it is available to them alongside their academic coursework. Students who are interested in a more academic route with AP courses can balance their studies with career and technical coursework. While benefits of career and technical education can appear obvious to some, it is not difficult to understand the rejection of this alternative form of education when at least a college degree is becoming a requirement for the majority of jobs. Purpose and Research Questions Newer programs that combine career and technical education courses with traditional high school instruction can benefit students in allowing them to connect their academic training with real world careers and practical concepts. Research on career and technical education in the U. S. has a history of highlighting the faults of CTE education such as not delivering on its promises and in some cases being a one-way ticket to a working class life (Claus, 1990). These out-dated reports are representative of Career and Technical Education programs in the older sense and not the newer, academically and career focused model being utilized in many high schools today. There is little research on why students take their chosen classes in high school and how students connect their high school curriculum to their post high school decisions and careers. There is also little research on how social class might impact students’ views and use of career and technical education. In this study I addressed students views of current high 3 school career and technical education programs in an Area Career Center (ACC) in Missouri. Area career centers fall under the umbrella of CTE housing career focused coursework and training in a separate building from local high schools. I investigated how students’ reports of cultural capital seem to influence these views. I chose to conduct a qualitative study because qualitative research allows one to investigate the idiosyncratic meanings that people construct about their lived experience. I was able to pursue in-depth reasons that the students give for their decisions, and was able to use follow-up questions to elaborate on understandings. The present study will address the following research questions: Research Question 1: How do students who are enrolled in CTE or AP classes perceive CTE? Research Question 2: What sources of influence do they report experiencing regarding academic versus CTE coursework? Research Question 3: What role does cultural capital play in students’ views of CTE coursework and their decisions to take or not take CTE classes in high school? Limitations to the Study There were a few limitations to my method of recruiting students and the transferability of the findings. First, there are over 1100 students from the high school enrolled in CTE classes at the Area Career Center so eight participants is not a very representative sample of students. However, qualitative research methods required that I keep my participant pool small. Second, at the local high school, I did not have as much control over the students selected for participation as I did at the ACC. the site counselor who helped me in my 4 recruitment process may have introduced bias into the process. Third, all of the participants were white and there were more males than females in CTE classes and more females than males in AP/Advanced classes. Also, the three AP students in this study were all interested in theatre, an area of study not offered at the ACC so there was probably a general feeling of lack of interest in CTE because no courses were offered in their specific area of interest. Future qualitative studies would benefit from more diverse students from underrepresented populations. Also, because student recruitment took place in the spring, it was hard to recruit students, especially those enrolled in AP courses (either AP only or CTE/AP combined), because end of the year AP exams take place during the spring. Recruitment of students in the fall might create a wider participant pool. 5 CHAPTER 2: Literature Review History of Career and Technical Education Career and technical education began as vocational education in Europe in the 19th century in response to the increase in demand for skilled workers who were educated in industrialized professions. Other factors that influenced the birth of career and technical education include the interest traditional European elites had in their children receiving both an education as well as certification in skills. They wanted their children to gain access to positions in law and theology, and the middle class parents wanted their children to attain the necessary educational credentials to help them enter careers in the civil service or managerial positions (Benavot, 1983). In the U. S. , federal funding for career and technical education was initiated with the passing of the Smith-Hughes Act in 1917. Over the next 65 years and four modifications to the act in 1947, 1958, 1963 and 1968, career and technical education increased funding, expanded programs to improve in the areas of science, math, and foreign languages, offered support for technical occupations related to national defense, and included work study programs. In 1968, a National Advisory Council on Vocational Education was initiated to start collecting information about the progress and development of vocational education programs and students. In  1984, the Vocational Education Act was renamed the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act (Perkins I, P. L. 98-524). While continuing federal support for vocational education, it established programs emphasizing the acquisition of job skills through both vocational and technical education. The act also sought to make vocational education 6 programs accessible to â€Å"special populations,† including individuals with disabilities, disadvantaged individuals, single parents and homemakers, and incarcerated individuals. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990 (Perkins II, P. L. 101-392) made several revisions to the 1984 Act. Notably, the act created the tech-prep program designed to coordinate secondary and postsecondary vocational education activities into a coherent sequence of courses. Programs to eliminate sex bias were designed to prepare students for nontraditional training and employment (e. g. , training women to be welders or men to be nurses). Also, the law also required states to develop and implement performance standards and measures (e.g. , program completion and job placement) to assess gains in learning and in program performance. The Perkins Act of 1998 provided specific federal assistance for secondary and postsecondary vocational education (Skinner and Apling, 2005). The reauthorized 1998 Act also made modifications to performance standards and measures of the 1990 Act. A core set of performance indicators were included in the 1998 Act that resulted in sanctions if the level of performance was not reached or increased funding if performance exceeded the requirements. A key element of the 1998 Act was a greater focus on accountability with states required to â€Å"provide data for four core performance indicators focusing on: (1) student attainment; (2) credential attainment, (3) placement and retention, and (4) participation in and completion of non-traditional programs. † (CRS Report for Congress) Under its most recent amendment in 2006, the Carl D. Perkins Act became the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act. The 2006 amendment showed one of the most notable revisions to the act since it was established by replacing the term 7 ‘vocational education’ with ‘career and technical education. ’ This name change is especially significant in research on the influences student report in their decisions to take CTE classes because of the stigma associated with the world ‘vocational. ’ ‘Vocational’ education resonates with many as being representative of vocational education in the traditional sense and not academically focused or resulting in a college degree or high status occupations the way career and technical education can be perceived. Changing the name could help change the image of CTE towards a viable and legitimate option for secondary schooling. The 2006 revision also set in place a system of accountability to coincide with the No Child Left Behind Standards mandated for public education in the United States. Under this system of accountability, academic attainment and graduation rates of students enrolled in CTE at the secondary level will be measured. These new accountability measures create a greater need for research on how students perceive CTE in order to discover additional methods for recruiting new students and drawing greater attention from parents who steer their children towards a more college prep, academically focused course load. If students decisions not to take CTE classes rests in their view that to go to college and be a doctor they have to take advanced high school classes and CTE doesn’t look good on his transcript, administrators can use this information to create better recruitment methods. They can focus on educating students and parents on the goals of CTE and how these goals align with the traditional or advanced coursework. The subject areas most commonly associated with career and technical education are the following: Agriculture (careers related to food and fiber production and agribusiness); Business (accounting, business administration, management, information technology and  8 entrepreneurship); Family and Consumer Sciences (culinary arts, management and life skills); Health Occupations (nursing, dental, and medical technicians); Marketing (management, entrepreneurship, merchandising and retail); Technology (production, communication and transportation systems); and Trade and Industrial (skilled trades such as automotive technician, carpenter, computer numerical control technician). One difficulty in defining career and technical education coursework is the existence of district regulated definitions on what qualifies as a CTE course and how many courses a student needs to take to be classified as a CTE student. In the state of Missouri, there are 16 career clusters (See Appendix C, Table 1). â€Å"Career Clusters can give all students the academic preparation, guidance, careerrelated knowledge and flexibility to help them plan studies that are in line with their interests, abilities, and career goals. The Career Clusters framework offers a practical way for educators in all disciplines to create relevant contexts for their students learning. At the same time, it reinforces the schools fundamental objectives of academic accountability and improved achievement for all students. † (Source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Division of Career Education http://dese. mo. gov/divcareered/career_clusters. htm). In response to the need for a redesigned educational system in U.S. public schools to fit the needs of the 21st century, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) compiled a report on their views of how the remodeled education system should look (Association for Career and Technical Education, 2006). The report proposes that Career and Technical Education should be modified to do the following: (1) Support students in the acquisition of rigorous core knowledge, skills, habits and attitudes needed for success in9 postsecondary education and the high-skilled   workplace, (2) Engage students in specific career-related learning experiences that equip them to make well-informed decisions about further education and training and employment opportunities, and (3) Prepare students who may choose to enter the workforce directly after high school with levels of skills and knowledge in a particular career area that will be valued in the marketplace (Association for Career and Technical Education, 2006). Career and Technical Education Research Research on CTE tends to fall most often in two areas: the likelihood of students dropping out of school and how to serve at risk students (Plank, 2001; Stern, et al. , 1988; Catterall, 1986), and longitudinal effects of CTE programs (Plank, 2001; Arum Shavit, 1995). In 1986, Catterall and Stern looked at the use of alternative high school programs in preventing students from dropping out. They utilized the California sub-sample of the 1980 and 1982 High School and Beyond surveys (involving nearly 3,000 sophomores and 3,000 seniors) and studied the impact alternative education programs had on labor market outcomes for students. The High School and Beyond Survey in 1980 asked students how many courses they had completed in each of four CTE areas: business, office, or sales; trade and industry; technical courses; or other vocational courses. In addition to finding mixed support for alternative programs to prevent drop outs, they also found positive results on employment and wages. Stern, et al (1988) conducted a study in California that yielded similar results. Their 10 research reported the results from the first two years of an effort in 10 high schools to replicate the California Peninsula Academies. The students in the Academy school were identified by school counselors as â€Å"low performance students† with a high risk of dropping out of school (Stern, et al. , 1988). They were then placed into the Peninsula Academy, which was a school within a school, for grades 10 through 12. These low performing students took most of their remaining classes together at the school including coursework in English, math, and science as well as a course in the particular Academys focus (Stern, et al. , p. 163, 1988). The â€Å"Academy† model combines the core academic curriculum with technical instruction in a particular occupational field. Local employers representing that field participate in various ways by donating equipment to the school and serving as mentors to the students. For example, Hewlett-Packard contributed computer expertise and hardware. The companies also provide summer jobs for some of the students at the Academy school. â€Å"Having a paid summer job which is related to the Academy’s instructional focus creates a powerful connection between school work and â€Å"real† work† (Stern, et al. , p. 163, 1988). Academy students generally compiled better grades and more course credits than students in comparison groups at the same high schools. At three sites in particular, Academy students consistently out-performed comparison groups in the first two years. The authors also found that results were replicated at other sites and helped prevent students from dropping out of school. Claus (1990) conducted an ethnographic analysis of the student experience in a single CTE program, looking to answer two questions: (1) why did the students in the program report satisfaction and improved attitudes in association with their CTE program and (2) how  11 was CTE related to increasing the opportunity of these primarily working to lower class, academically-alienated youth? The CTE experience tended to reinforce class-related inequalities. â€Å"The ethnographic fieldwork and analysis suggest that while the students found their CTE program enjoyable and rewarding, this response was often rooted in a classroom experience which limited their development and reinforced their tendency toward working to lower class work and lives after school† (Claus, 1990, p. 13). Arum and Shavit (1995) utilized the 1987 â€Å"High School and Beyond† data to study individuals’ early labor market outcomes after high school and their track placement while in high school. They found that â€Å"vocational secondary education is neither as pernicious nor as detrimental as some of its opponents have maintained. † (p. 199) They found that CTE inhibited students in their decisions to continue on to college or achieve success in high prestige occupations, but also found that CTE programs serve as â€Å"a safety net for those high school graduates who are unlikely to go on to college. † (p. 199) Plank’s 2001 report for the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education looked at the balance between CTE and academic course-taking during high school for members of a longitudinal study beginning in 1988 with their eighth grade year. The students in the study were broken down into four groups: purely academic concentrators, purely CTE concentrators, dual concentrators who took both academic and CTE course work, and a group of students who took neither the purely academic or CTE coursework. Plank found the following: (1) academic concentrators showed the highest 1992 achievement, followed by dual (academic and vocational) concentrators, then students who fulfilled neither concentration, and then CTE concentrators; (2) almost all students were either in 12 postsecondary education or working, or both, in 1994, with academic concentrators most likely to be in full-time school and CTE concentrators most likely to be in full-time employment. The study concluded that further research is needed to determine what characteristics of CTE or academic education increase the risk of dropping out, and what types of integration  of academic and vocational education are most successful. Gaunt and Palmer (2005) conducted a quantitative study that investigated students’ attitudes towards career and technical education (CTE), what influenced their views, and their course selection decisions. They utilized the data from a previous study in Michigan of over 450 high school seniors. The were interested in the career and technical education funding crisis that is occurring in the wake of No Child Left Behind. Gaunt and Palmer (2005) found the majority of students citing social relationships with their friends and parents as the prime influencers of their views of career and technical education. In addition, students offered responses on how course structure, the benefits offered from each program, and advertising of the CTE programs affected their views of CTE. These results provide support for further research on the subject of career and technical education that puts an emphasis on academic training alongside CTE instruction in career-related fields. What was interesting about Gaunt and Palmer’s (2005) data was that more than half of the students not enrolled in career and technical education courses saw the courses as helping students prepare for college immediately after high school in comparison to 81% of students enrolled in CTE courses who saw this same connection. More than 80 percent of both groups of students saw the ACC as preparation for work after high school and close to 80 percent of all students saw the ACC in Michigan as designed for students of all ability levels. 13 Utilizing a qualitative methods approach with open ended interviewing methods, my study gives the students a greater opportunity to express their views of CTE education and how they compare it with their purely academic coursework. Gaunt and Palmer’s (2005) research is a big step forward in literature on career and technical education and I hope the dialogue of the participants in my study help take research even more forward. Sources of Influence How students perceive career and technical education and the their high school coursetaking decisions can be attributed to a variety of factors. In this study one of my research questions examined what are these factors and how do they influence student choices. Previous research on the influences students experience while choosing their high school classes include parents and friends, current labor markets, and school social networks including teachers and counselors. The most detailed account of influences that impact a student’s decisions to pursue a CTE curriculum in high school is Rossetti’s 1991 study about the influenced students who chose not to enroll in a Vocational School in Ohio. While evaluating the external factors that contributed to students’ decisions to enroll in CTE classes, Rossetti found that friends were the most influential with fifty-three percent stating that they had consulted their friends. (Rossetti, 1987) The next most influential figures were mother/female guardian (49%); father/male guardian (44%); brother/sister (39%); counselor (35%); girl/boyfriend (32%); other relative (32%); teacher(s) (28%); and athletic coach(es) (21%). A report by Dunham and Frome (2003) took a closer look at the role teachers and  14 counselors can play in encouraging and influencing students in their high school course selections. Their results were similar to Rossettis (1991). Current labor markets can also affect a students’ decision to enroll in CTE coursework. A publication by the National Center for Educational Statistics reported â€Å"students may be more likely to concentrate in vocational areas that prepare them for occupations with increasing job opportunities† (p. 1). In the case of the current U. S. job market, this would mean that students who take advanced courses in math and science and focus their studies towards engineering careers could be doing so not for their interest in those subjects but because they recognize the labor market’s shift to careers in engineering fields. This would also mean that these same students would specifically withdraw from involvement in courses focusing on low demand careers. This study was completed in 1998 and concluded that the reason for the decline in CTE courses was due to the job market not requiring those skills. New forms of career and technical education need to emphasize academics and career training in electronics and computer fields because the job market has made a turn towards careers of a more technical nature. Social Class and Cultural Capital The theoretical framework of this study relies upon cultural capital theory. Cultural capital can be defined as â€Å"high status cultural signals used in cultural and social selection† (Lamont and Lareau, 1988). According to Bourdieu’s definition, cultural capital â€Å"consists mainly of linguistic and cultural competence and that relationship of familiarity with culture which can only be produced by family upbringing when it transmits the dominant culture† 15 (Bourdieu, 1977). Cultural capital, according to Bourdieu, includes things such as going to museums, appreciating art and listening to classical music. â€Å"[Bourdieu] argues that individuals in privileged social locations are advantaged in ways that are not a result of the intrinsic merit of their cultural experiences. Rather, cultural training in the home is awarded unequal value in dominant institutions because of the close compatibility between the standards of child rearing in privileged homes and the (arbitrary) standards proposed by these institutions. † (Lareau, p. 276) In a dominant institution like education, the role of cultural capital translates to the practices of the school staff, teachers, organizational processes and authoritative relationships set in place as a method of exclusion for those who are unfamiliar with the institutional practices. In the U. S., children from high cultural capital backgrounds, according to cultural capital theory, have been taught directly or indirectly the value of raising one’s hand to be called on, working independently on homework assignments, and possessing a sense of entitlement to resources and extra help from teachers and other figures of authority (Lareau, 2000). It is argued that â€Å"children from higher social locations enter schools already familiar with these social arrangements† (Lareau, 1987, p. 288) and therefore succeed at a higher level than those not familiar with these practices. Being more familiar with the skills and knowledge valued by the dominant culture, students of the dominant culture are better able to adapt their skills to new settings to help negotiate their way to higher, more prestigious education and jobs. This creates a higher economic class position and allows their children to be exposed to the same culture, which is congruent with cultural reproduction theory (Aschaffenburg and Maas, 1997). 16 Bourdieu used the term â€Å"cultural reproduction† to describe the way society stratifies members of the population by reproducing the values, lif.

The Perfect Plan :: Personal Narrative College Essays

The Perfect Plan I had the perfect plan when it came to college. All throughout my childhood I had dreamed about playing soccer at the college level, and rooming with someone I knew well. It was important to me, that I make sure whatever decision I made, I was the happiest I could possibly be. It was now all coming into place, or so I thought. The only thing that I had to wait for was the acceptance letter. Before I get too ahead of myself though, let me explain. I had just finished a weekend at a premier soccer college showcase. College coaches from everywhere came to see the best of the best play. I was there, showing off my skills for all to see. I only wanted one coach to recognize me, and sure enough he did. The Penn State Altoona soccer coach came up to me after I had scored the game-winning goal, and told me if I wanted to play for him, I could. To make matters even better, my best friend told me she wanted to attend Penn State Altoona too. It was perfect. All my worries about leaving home, my family, and my boyfriend seemed to be pushed to the back of my mind. I wouldn’t be alone in college, and that‘s all that mattered. My biggest fear was being a long distance away from home, and I thought that by having my best friend there, I wouldn’t miss the things at home so much. I thought I would keep myself busy with sports and my college material, and I could go back to my dorm where my best friend would always be. I wouldn’t have time to worry about my home life, the life I wasn‘t convinced I was ready to leave behind. Perhaps I should explain to you why I was going to room with my best friend. She had been living at my house for six months because her house was being built, and she didn’t have anywhere to stay. So we spent six months of our lives together, sharing everything. We became inseparable, and truly acted like sisters. I thought I would be happy if we roomed together. This is why rooming with her became so exciting to me. We had already done that, and it didn’t seem like a problem at my house. We received our acceptance letters, and quickly replied stating we wanted to be roommates with each other.

Impact of Affordable Care Act on Medicare

What is the Impact of ACA on Medicare? Tyeisha Molina Managed Care and Insurance Professor Conway October 21, 2012 Abstract There are many changes being made by the Affordable Care Act which will have an impact on Medicare. Affordable Care Act makes Medicare stronger as well as assists the elderly with taking responsibility of their health outcomes.The act will provide essential free assistances which include preventive services, yearly wellness appointments and a fifty percent price reduction towards prescription drugs for the individuals that are in the coverage gap called the donut hole. Medicare recipients can also work with their physicians to develop a personal prevention plan. Affordable Care Act impacts Medicare for the reasons that the elderly for no cost or little cost will receive more benefits than they have before.The intention of the act is to encourage improvement, trial analysis for forms of payment models and enhancements to the ways payments are made for basic healt h services, the promotion of patient centered support given by health institutions, reducing unnecessary inpatient stays and developing an incentive plan for practitioners, hospitals and additional health facilities so that the delivery of care is provided in an efficient manner. Affordable Care Act does not necessarily eliminate every issue associated with Medicare, but it is definitely a start.There are still changes that will have to be made in order to correct the continuing gaps amongst the amount of workforces that pay taxes into the Medicare and the amount of individuals that receive the assistance. There is also the issue of the increasing health care costs which will continue to jeopardize its purpose of being long term solution. Due to the ACA a lot more individuals will be able to afford health care benefits including safeguards which will assist them with keeping insurance at times when a critical health condition arises as well as managing ongoing health problems.The Af fordable Care Act demonstrates actual enhancements for Medicare recipients presently as well as in the upcoming years. What is the Impact of ACA on Medicare? Preventive Services Crucial preventive services can currently be obtained by individual’s that are Medicare participates without a co-pay or deductible such as colonoscopies and breast exams. Enhancing availability to preventive services has the capability of improving detection of illnesses in the early stages and treatments which can possibly reduce the amount being spent and to improve the well-being of Medicare recipients for the long-term.Medicare was beginning to pay for additional preventive care services that were in accordance with the typical United States health care insurances as a measure to decrease the necessity of costly health care treatments in the future. â€Å"The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 provided that in the first six months which was amended to the first year of a person’s enrollment in Medicare Part B, that person is entitled to an initial preventive physical examination† (Bergthold 2012). The intention of the examination was to encourage healthy lifestyles and identify illnesses in advance to avoid them becoming worse.The exam consists of information, therapy, support services amongst other types of screens for cancer and testing. (Adamopoulos 2012) The Affordable Care Act has now added yearly wellness visits along with the existing exam. The wellness visits consist of an all-inclusive risk evaluation as well as a personal prevention plan. The evaluations will take into account the individual’s health history as well as their family’s history, different observations which include weight, blood pressure, mental deficiencies and extensive list of screening exams that extend to five or ten years.The benefits are covered by Medicare free of charge for participates of the plan and there also is no fee attach ed to the wellness visits. These services will also be available to participants of the traditional Medicare plan due to the Affordable Care Act. Due to the yearly wellness exams being available to every Medicare participate there should be an increased improvement in their medical status and it could possible decrease the Medicare’s program costs in the future. (Adamopoulos 2012) What is the Impact of ACA on Medicare?Prescription Drug Coverage Prescription drugs are a major category of health care costs for the majority of elderly people. In 2006, Medicare Part D began which covered prescription medication attached to it was a coverage gap called donut hole, but before this there was no coverage available for medications. Once the yearly deductible is paid the primary coverage part of the Medicare Part D program begins which obligated participates to contribute to twenty-five percent of the costs of their prescription medications.When required amount prescription drug amount has been reached which includes the amount Medicare pays and the participate pays which is $2,830 the participant enters the donut hole and then they are required to pay the full amount of the medication costs. A participate continues in the donut hole until they have reached medication costs of $6,440. Once that occurs the catastrophic level of prescription drug coverage begins and participate does not spend any more than five percent of the medication costs without any limitations. (Kaplan 2011)The abnormal structure was not equivalent to any type of health care funding agreement whether unrestricted or private in America or any other country. The program was created due to a collaboration of multiple unconnected governmental obligations. The first obligation was that the Medicare prescription program was in need of a reasonably lower yearly deductible to make sure the majority of participants saw individual benefits for being enrolled in the plan. The reason for this was due to a failure of a 1988 regulation made to the Medicare drug program.As a result an enrollee would have to volunteer for any new legislated Medicare prescription program which meant that if the enrollee had to volunteer for the program it was important for the majority of the recipients to be given some form of substantial assistance for participating in the program. (Kaplan 2011) The second obligation pertained to the circulation of the yearly prescription costs that followed the simple design for health costs which was normally the main part of the program’s expenses which were caused by a small number of the programs enrollees.The costs from the small amount of enrollees have the ability to be an enormous amount. Therefore, in order for the Medicare prescription program to offer most support for the participants that required it more than the catastrophic coverage had to have a lower co-pay amount attached to it. The model’s ending fee level has a five percent co-insura nce obligation without a limit of on coverage. (Kaplan 2011) The last obligation was due to the administration directed by President Bush which concluded they were going to assign a specified amount that would go towards the new plan and nothing else.With the combining lower yearly out-of pocket costs with the addition of added benefit once the deductibles are reached, the limitless catastrophic coverage level along with a lower co-insurance fee requirement and the secure worldwide financial plan it was inevitable that changes had to be made. The change that occurred was the diminishing of the donut hole which was located between the start of the coverage and the catastrophic level. (Kaplan 2011) The last part of the Affordable Care Act relates to the prescription drugs which increases the cost for the higher earning individuals that are enrolled in the Medicare program.The Affordable Care Act has also increased the Part D payment the higher earning individuals have to pay in additi on to the method of the raised payments that are required to pay for the Medicare Part B portion of the program. The modification has usually been labeled as a decrease in the payment funding given to the high earning enrollees, but its result on those elderly individuals that are part of this requirement is the identical increased once-a-month charges that are required for registration in the section of the plan. (Kaplan 2011) What is the Impact of ACA on Medicare?Skilled Nursing Home Initiatives Another impact made by the Affordable Care Act is to increase the information that is provided to enrollees pertaining to the long-term services provided in skilled nursing homes. There are additional proposals which support ethics courses for nursing homes staff members, but the primary objective of Affordable Care Act for the skilled nursing home initiative is to add main focus of the ACA’s nursing home initiatives is to require that additional skilled nursing home data be added i nto the current Nursing Home Compare link located on the Medicare site.The information is critical for individuals that are trying to consider placement in a nursing facility. Some of the information is currently available on Medicare’s website, but at times there is insufficient standardization which allows a potential tenant without difficulty assess prospective nursing homes. There are times when an elderly person has limited reasonable options for long-term care as well as need a facility in a short timeframe. (Urban 2012)The type of intentional shopping around for agencies which the new statute requirement seems to visualize is usually common for an assisted living facility rather than a nursing home. The obligation to have illegal violations as well as public fines to be openly revealed has the chance to put additional burden on restrictions which will enhance its defending ability. There are times when the information that is provided can cause incorrect understandings . Also, a suitable level of employee development that the facility requires will depend highly on how severe the occupants’ conditions are.The individuals that are highly informed will have the ability to comprehend the excellence of services being provided by a skilled nursing home based upon the added information the skilled nursing homes have to release. (Urban 2012) In conclusion, the Affordable Care Act health care reform has the ability to improve results as well as save additional revenue. Developing an enhanced Medicare plan and a health care Building an improved Medicare program and an improved health care distribution structure needs to be a collective effort.By allowing individuals to gain additional power with controlling their medical care as well as reinforcing the Medicare plan. The act gives extended coverage for services and an enhanced combination of services for individuals that are in need of care. References Adamopoulos, Helen. (2012). The Supreme Court A ffordable Care Act Decision: Could it Mean Catastrophe for Medicare Advantage? Retrieved from http://medicarenewsgroup. com/context/understanding-medicare-blog/understanding-medicare-blog/2012/06/21/the-supreme-court-affordable-care-act-decision-could-it-mean-catastrophe-for-medicare-advantage-.Accessed on 13 October 2012. Bergthold, Linda. (2012). Seniors Are Asking†¦ What's Next for Medicare? Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/linda-bergthold/seniors-are-asking—what_b_1666779. html. Accessed on 13 October 2012. Kaplan, Richard L. (2011). Older Americans, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act: What’s Really In It for Elders? Retrieved from http://www. asaging. org/blog/kaplan-older-americans-medicare. Accessed on 13 October 2012. Urban, Mike. (2012) Many already feel impact of Affordable Care Act. Retrieved from http://readingeagle. com/article. aspx? id=396360. Accessed on 13, October 2012.

“Kite Runner” response text analyses Essay

â€Å"The Kite Runner† tells us, through Rahkim Khan that, â€Å"True redemption is when guilt leads to good again†¦ † Rahkim Khan states. Throughout the course of The Kite Runner there are many characters that have committed sins and subsequently attempted to redeem themselves. The Kite Runner structured around main characters, Amir and Baba and their acts of betrayal. The impact of these acts continues to be felt throughout the novel manifesting itself in Amirs guilt ridden narrative. However, guilt is not enough. The need for redemption and atonement is what these characters seek. â€Å"There is away to be good again† the kite runner shows that this is along painful but ultimately positive journey. Amir’s feelings of guilt spring from incidents of betrayal throughout his childhood. Since 1975 when Amir watched as Hassan was raped in an alleyway by Assef, â€Å"I ran because I was coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me† Amir feels guilty for his cowardice s but it was not fear that drove him away the real reason Amir ran was Baba. Amir was so envious of Baba and Hassan’s friendship that he thought Assef was right. â€Å"Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay the lamb I had to slay to win Baba†¦. He was just a Hazara wasn’t he? † This event not only affected Hassan and Amirs friend ship but still made Amir highly jealous of Babas concern for Hassan, † ‘I haven’t seen much of Hassan in the last few days’ Baba said†¦ I couldn’t help hating the way his brow furrowed with worry† Amir’s selfish personality handy caps his chance to be good again and redeem himself for the past. Amir places Hassan in the position to be framed and sets him up for theft of Amirs birthday presents, this incident clearly shows that Amir approaches atonement the wrong way. â€Å"I lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of afghani bills under it†¦ then I knocked on babas door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies. † Hassan’s loyalty leads to Ali and his departure to grant Amirs wish, â€Å"I wanted Baba all to myself† Amir’s actions changed his and Baba’s life forever. Amir has stolen his father’s right to a best friend, his relationship with his hidden son and taken away Ali and Hassan’s job and security within their family. In many respects, Amir’s adult personality is now the direct result of this childhood, feelings of guilt and betrayal. Amir attempts to redeem himself by planting money in Fahibs family house â€Å"I did something I had done 26 years earlier: I planted a fistful of crumpled money under a mattress. † He also tries to ally his feelings of guilt by taking Sohrab out of Afghanistan and back to America, the way he should have done with Hassan. In All Amirs efforts, he does become a better person once he is situated in America however he doesn’t redeem himself for what he did as a child. Nothing will, â€Å"It didn’t make everything all right, it didn’t make everything all right†. Amir is not all to blame for his insecurity and lack of self-esteem, this personality is the result of Baba’s bad parenting. â€Å"If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son. † Baba is not a supporting father towards Amir or Hassan. Throughout the book, Baba tries to redeem and atone himself for neglecting a secret child. He attempts to achieve this by raising Hassan equality to Amir however by doing this it disallows Baba to be close to Amir as feelings of guilt towards Hassan arise; hence taking the right to a loving family away from Amir and Hassan, for not speaking the truth. Baba’s betrayal is directed at Ali for sleeping with his wife. â€Å"There’s only one sin†¦ and that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft† Baba illustrates his deduction to atone for his actions using his wealth he builds and orphanage for illegitimate or orphaned children. Baba feeds the poor with his ceremonial lamb money. Baba also using his courage and urge to fight for what is right this is evident when he protects the afghani women in chapter ten from the Russian soldier, â€Å"†¦ ill take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place. † Baba’s decision to abandon home and his country are a evident sign of sacrifice to secure Amir’s long-term welfare and happiness. His attempts of redemption and atonement to be good again result in his feelings of achievement the day that he dies. â€Å"Tonight I am much too happy† If â€Å"The Kite Runner† tells us anything it is that redemption is a life long task, through which a person seeks to become â€Å"Good Again. † A person needs to forgive themselves of their sins and absolve them of guilt in order to go on living their lives. Throughout the corse of ‘The kite Runner’, we learn that guilt is not enough. To be good again is more than the journey of redemption and atonement it is the destination.

40 Back From Christmas Break Writing Prompts

40 Back From Christmas Break Writing Prompts Christmas break is over and now its time to get back into the swing of things. Your students will be very eager to talk about all that they did and received over the holiday break. A great way to give them the opportunity to discuss their adventures is to write about it. Christmas Break Writing Prompts What was the best gift that you received and why?What was the best gift that you gave, and what made it so special?Write about a place that you went over the Christmas break.Write about something you did with your family over Christmas break.How did you bring joy or happiness to someone other than your family this holiday season?What are your familys holiday traditions? Describe all of them in detail.What is your favorite Christmas book? Did you get to read it over break?Are there any parts of the holiday that you didnt like? Describe why.What are you most grateful for this holiday season?What was your favorite holiday food that you had over break?Who was the person you spent the most time with and why? What did you do with them?What would you do if Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanza was canceled this year?What is your favorite holiday song to sing? Did you get a chance to sing it?What did you miss the most about school when you were on break and why?What was one new thing you did this h oliday break that you didnt do last year? What will you miss the most about Christmas vacation and why?Did you get to see a movie over winter break? What was it and how was it? Give it a rating.Think of three New Years resolutions and describe them and how you will keep them.How will you change your life this year? Describe the steps you are going to take.Write about the best New Years Eve party that you have ever attended.What did you do for New Years Eve? Describe in detail your day and night.Write about something you are looking forward to doing this year and why.Write about something you hope will get invented this year that will change your life.This will be the best year because†¦I hope that this year brings me†¦.Make a list of five ways your life is different this year than it was last year.Its the day after Christmas and you noticed you forgot to unwrap just one gift†¦This year I really want to learn†¦.In the next year, I would like to†¦.My least favorite thing about Christmas break was†¦List three places you wish you could have visited over winter break and why. If you had a million dollars, how would you spend it over winter break?What if Christmas only lasted one hour? Describe what it would be like.What if Christmas break was for one three days, how would you spend it?Describe your favorite holiday food and how you can incorporate that food into every meal?Write a letter to Santa thanking him for everything you received.Write a letter to the toy company about a defective toy you received.Write a letter to your parents thanking them for everything you received for Christmas,If you were an elf how would you spend your Christmas vacation?Pretend you are Santa and describe how you will spend your Christmas break. Celebrate the Holidays with Christmas Activities

Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Realism - Essay Example Therefore, even if not a constant state of war, international relations would appear a state of â€Å"relentless security competition, with the possibility of war always in the background† (Mearsheimer, â€Å"The False Promiseâ€Å", 9). This paper examines the role of institutions in the system of international relations, most notably their capacity, or alternatively, incapacity to prevent war and foster stability, as perceived by the realist tradition; as well as the degree to which institutions actually contribute to cooperation in a realist world. 2. Realism and International Institutions There are between four and five major assumptions about the international system identified with realism, which actually denote the main lines of realist tradition and form the basis for the development of any hypothesis or theory (Viotti and Kauppi 55; Mearsheimer, â€Å"The False Promiseâ€Å", 10). ... at stipulate the ways in which states should cooperate and compete with each other†, prescribing acceptable forms of state’s behavior, as well as the unacceptable ones; while other definitions encompass virtually all of international relations, i.e. from tariff bindings to war (â€Å"The False Promiseâ€Å", 8). According to Young, however, the latter is too broad a definition for a meaningful concept (cited in Mearsheimer 8). Realists, in turn, recognize that states operate – at least sometimes – through institutions (Mearsheimer, â€Å"The False Promiseâ€Å", 13). Insofar as in non-hierarchic political orders each political actor, i.e. state, must count on its own resources to realize its interests, and order is not imposed by a higher authority, but rather arises from the interactions between formally equal political partners, institutions – as understood by Mearsheimer (see above) – inevitably reflect states’ calculations of se lf-interest (Waltz 107; Donnelly 17; Mearsheimer, â€Å"The False Promiseâ€Å", 13). Thus, according to realism, the most powerful states in the international system â€Å"create and shape institutions so that they can maintain their share of world power, or even increase it†; hence institutions largely mirror the distribution of power within the system (Mearsheimer, â€Å"The False Promiseâ€Å", 13). Or in other words, institutions are regarded as â€Å"arenas for acting out power relationships† (Mearsheimer, â€Å"The False Promiseâ€Å", 13). Assuming that states are the principal actors in the international system, institutions – as a set of rules defining states’ behavior – are negotiated by states and inevitably entail the mutual acceptance of higher norms, â€Å"defined in terms of rights and obligations† (Mearsheimer, â€Å"The False Promiseâ€Å",

The Suicide Attacks on September 11, 2001 Essay

The Suicide Attacks on September 11, 2001 - Essay Example By the end of the day, close to 3000 people had lost their lives and the government had declared a war on the terrorist groups, in what could be termed as a paradigm shifting moment in US history (David, 2007). This paper is a critical evaluation of the events which occurred on this day and the aftermath. The suicide attacks on September 11, 2001 September 11 attacks, also known as 911 attacks, will always linger in the minds of Americans, who were the direct victims of 4 coordinated suicide assaults, which took place in two cities i.e. New York and Washington, in the morning of September 11, 2001 (David, 2007). At first, there were beliefs that the attacks were orchestrated by the al-Qaeda terrorist network but these were later confirmed by the then leader of this network, Osama bin Laden, who had denied those allegations at first. This was a unique occurrence based on the fact that they defied the norm with regard to the manner in which the network carried it out. The most common s uicide attacks involved individuals delivering explosives and detonating them once they were at the enclosure of their target. In this case, they opted to utilize hijacked air planes as their weapon of destruction. 4 planes were hijacked by the terrorists meaning that they had already identified 4 possible targets and as it later turned out, they included the Pentagon, the world trade center which had twin towers i.e. the north and south towers, and another target, which was alleged to be the white house (David, 2007). The hijacked airplanes comprised of; American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, which were traveling from Boston to Los Angeles, American Airlines Flight 77, which was travelling from Dulles to Los Angeles and United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco (Lee, 2002). According to reports, these air planes combined had a total of approximately 246 passengers, 19 hijackers and approximately 33 crew members, figures which are said to be extreme ly low based on the fact that the planes had a total carrying capacity of approximately 694 passengers. Some reports tend to suggest that there was a possibility that the booking process had been manipulated allegedly to reduce the number of casualties (Spiegel, 2002). At approximately 08.46 hrs local time, flight 11 was crashed into the 96th floor of the north tower, killing all those on board while flight 175 was crashed into the south tower at around 9:30 am, which was about 44 minutes after the first crash. Flight 77 on the other hand was crashed into pentagon at around 9:37 am while flight 93 clashed in Pennsylvania at around 10:30 am. Apparently, passengers aboard flight 93 wrestled with the hijackers in an attempt to seize the control of the flight as they had become aware of the crashes that took place earlier during the day but on realizing their mission had been compromised, the terrorists decided to crash the plane so to avoid losing its control and probably get arrested by the US government (Lee, 2002). The north tower of the world trade center succumbed to the crash and collapsed after approximately 1hour 20 min from the time of impact, while the south tower burned for approximately 1 hour before giving in and collapsing. The result of these attacks was that 2996 people lost