Outline the key principles of Neoliberalism and its actual and prospective contribution to wealth and welfare in developing societies

Outline the key principles of Neoliberalism and its actual and prospective contribution to wealth and welfare in developing societies. Counter-revolution was seen as a new vision of growth when it first comes out. In the mid 80s, the development if counter revolution was supported by the Western media and government aid agencies, also by some very influential international organisation, e. g. the World Bank Counter revolutionaries see themselves a better interpretation than the development economics. The development economy identify the problem of the developing countries in various way, it imply dual economics, labour surplus, low level equilibrium trap, unbalance growth, vicious cycle of poverty, big push industrialisation, foreign exchange bottlenecks and unequal exchange rate. However, counter revolutionaries claim the orthodox economics was unrealistic because of it assumption on people behaviour and technology implication in the industry. Also, it's said to be irrelevant, since it's main concern is with the allocative efficiency of given resources. These weakness means the development economics cannot address the problem of the growth aspect, neither it could deal with the problems of poverty and the distribution of income. Some counter revolutionaries believe that, the 3rd world exists only as a kind of collective psychological delusion. It's important to see how the counter revolutionaries interpret their view to the 3rd world to understand its policy concept. And their views on 3rd world derive from its continuing political engagement with the struggle against socialism. They also stress that the 3rd world had a kind of 3rd worldism, which contains an anti-west attitude. They seen the west as exploiters who exploits the benefits from the already poor 3rd world, and in some cases, they are right, and these attitude and facts alleged crypto socialist policies of 3rd world government. Counter-revolution was an abrasive now approach. When looking at the policy of the counter-revolution, we ought to see how it views the 3rd world problem, and what solutions do can the counter-revolution offers. According to the counter revolutionaries, the main problem of the 3dr world countries is their over-extended public sector, which cause the problems limitation through government intervention and central planning. For an economics to be efficient, there needs to be the existence of the market and incentives. However, they are being filters through government policies and agencies. Also, counter revolutionaries seen physical investment is only one of the determinants for the growth in the development. Human development such as education and building of infrastructure are as important as physical investment, and it should not be place as a less important government objective than physical investment. The economics policies of government and the distortion they induce re now the major focus of the analysis of the development policy. The clear induction we can see here is that, unnecessary government intervention will endanger the benefits of the market, and the relatively unimportance of human development policy, which will hinder the process of development. These are the main components of the counter-revolution's new vision of growth. Why would be the public sector being the problem? We can see from an example. If there's a public electricity corporation which is making a loss, the government decide to make up the loss by subsidise it using the tax revenue, the end result will be little incentives for the management to minimise cost. Cost minimisation is essential for n efficient market and the process of cost minimising is difficult and time consuming, and it's unlikely to take place without some pressure or incentives. If the government removes that pressure, public enterprise tends to become complacent and high cost. As a monopoly, the public sector is said to be fail to respond adequately to consumers preferences by insulate itself from the consumer demand. Also, many 3rd leaders may wish to strengthen their political power by influencing the economic performance, thus the country's development prospect. This means that when an economic decision was made, it's on the benefit for the politicians, not to the economy. And these are the factor causes other problem in the 3rd world countries, such as problem on foreign trade and industry, distortion of key prices (e. g. exchange rate) in the economy, which in turns causes balance of payment problems. The other main issue arise for counter revolutionaries are the practice for trade and aid policy. There are a few anomalies highlighted by counter-revolution. Some counter revolutionaries' claims that official aid has a regressive impact on world income distribution. It's theoretically possible according to Bauer, ‘many tax payer in the donor cities are far poorer then many people in the 3rd world countries where, moreover, aid often benefits the prosperous rather than the needy. ‘ Sometime, the aid is aimed to relief poverty in the recipient country, but the recipient country may resist it since they feel such attempts infringe its sovereignty. E. g. , local farmers will suffer income lost if food aid was given to people free of charge, no one will spend money on the domestic food products. Thus, the donor's citizens could have been taxed for the benefits of an unfriendly state. These are the major anomalies concern the counter revolutionaries on the ground of aid giving. Also, when aid is given to a 3rd world country which already had a over extended public sector, the government will tends to use the aid to support that public sector, which they can still claims that the aid had been used on the development of the economy. In this case, aid has help to boom the unproductive public sector beyond what it would have been in the absence of aid. The counter-revolution views conclude that, aid should therefore be given to the private sector. One of the anomalies emphasized by the counter-revolution is that the giving of aid merely relief poverty in the 3rd world, it might even worsening it. In the opinion of the counter revolutionaries, aid should be abolished. However, for political reason, this is very unlikely will be the case. So counter revolutionaries advocates that, aid should be reduce in size, also, it should be use as reward for policy reforms. Policy reforms which shows development of the economy as well as living standard of the people and the moving towards socialism. The counter revolutionaries also have its view on trade. Counter-revolution has always opposed controls over foreign trade. At international level, the counter-revolution's opposition to ‘ management trade' has been expressed through its critics to the International Commodity Agreements (ICA). ICAs are internationally negotiated schemes of intervention in the markets for exports of primary products. Counter revolutionaries oppose ICA because of its failure to alleviate the poverty in the 3rd world countries. Little suggests that ‘ The increase political management of trade is unlikely to help the poor or the poorest states'. Counter revolutionaries suggest that the 3rd world countries are minimally involved with production for export because they tends to be remote, isolated and lacking the skills to forge the effective links with their surrounding society. However, in the reality, the arguments of the counter- revolutionaries do not entirely hold up. About the point of 3rd world countries lack of share in export, we can actually see that, in 1982, one third of the 3rd world countries had export that accounted for 20% or more of third domestic product. Further more, on average, 60% of the export of the 3rd world countries was of fuels, minerals or other primary commodities. And for the counter- revolutionaries' negative opinion on aids, in the case of India, Bangladesh and South Korea, aid merely creates what the counter- revolutionaries sees as dirigiste syndrome. When counter- revolution is implemented across Africa, it had failed in nearly all situations, per capita income down 10% over the period. They were not prepared for high-level market openness. In Philippines and Sri Lanka, there were mix results, but certainly not successful, causing economic growth fell, increase in poverty and unemployment. The most successful case of the counter-revolution policy is in South Korea, where it achieve falling inflation rate, GNP growth and income distribution improved, current account deficit narrowed and social welfare improved. But the success can be achieve only because they were not only looking at the macroeconomic in nature, but also consider social welfare. The unhelpfulness of the counter- revolution comes from its particularly strong preconception of the actions that need to be taken to promote development. That preconception is that development problems are problems of resources allocation. It has also been attacked for its simplistic accounts of the nature of ‘real' markets in many developing countries and for their one – dimensional accounts of what motivates apparently isolated economic actors. Some policies and theories do have some merits, but they need to be accompanying by other policy to make it effective.

Meditation Essay

Meditation Sit as you wish on a chair or on the floor with your back straight. Turn the palms of your hands up Close your eyes. Take a deep breath, inhaling through your nose and exhaling from your mouth. With each breath, in and out, release the tension in your body more and more. Smile, and imagine each organ in your body, in turn, smiling back at you. Think of what you have to be grateful for in your life. Now start visualizing a fluid white light entering your body through your feet and moving slowly pward, toes to feet to ankles, legs to thighs and hips – saying to yourself I open myself to the light, to the teacher within and without or I honor the divinity that resides within me. Continue to visualize the light rising, filling every inch, every muscle- hips to waist, belly, back, shoulders – lingering everywhere you feel tension or pain -your arms, elbows, hands and fingers. Feel the light move up, neck to chin, to lips, eyes, forehead and hair. Now see how your entire body glows with white light. See a spark of that light leave your body through the top of your head. You are that spark of light. See that spark of light – you – flying high to the sky, to the clouds. Repeat I open myself to the light, to the teacher within and without or I honor the divinity that resides within me. Continue to fly, higher and higher, until you are in a magical place, unseen before, a place of beauty almost beyond imagining. Colors so vibrant they seem unreal, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, flowers, birds and butterflies and unicorns, fanciful creatures of all kinds. Create your imaginary garden, your magical place you will always go to. Here everything is peaceful, and everything possible. When a thought comes to mind Just focus on your breath or repeat and let the thought go like clouds in the sky. Be gentle with yourself. Imagine now a bright white light shining down upon you, reflecting and intensifying your own light – giving you unconditional love. Love as you have never known it before. Rest in this place. Rest here, and magic will happen. When it feels right, begin the return to your body n the same way you left it – slowly, until you are ready to end your meditation. But before you end it, visualize your body filled with light, enter it and stay with for a few minutes. Then, with your hands in prayer position, lift them to your forehead to remind yourself to be aware of your thoughts. Drop them to your lips to remind yourself to be conscious of your words. Drop them to your heart to remind yourself to be conscious of your actions. And last, bow to yourself to honor the master within you†¦ You are saluting the God By satharmk

What is This Divinity That Surrounds Us?

Should we embrace it or fear it's intelligent design? In the poems, â€Å"The Tyger† by William Blake and â€Å"Design† by Robert Frost they marvel and fear this design, ultimately leaving the reader with more questions than answers. Each poet portrays irony, figurative language, imagery, and intelligent design while trying to understand God and and his creations. Let's explore the similarities between each poets poem, first beginning with imagery. The use of this particular animal and insects provides a vivid in depth analysis. This appeals to the readers senses to help them understand what the writer is trying to convey. Blake's statement, â€Å"Burnt the fire of thine eyes†, illustrates a sense of fear of the tiger. He wants to know by whom such a creature was created. Surely God would have not created something so feared. In the third stanza Blake asks, In what distant deep or skies.† Deep in this sense we assume is being applied to the underworld. Frost states something similar to this, â€Å"What but design of darkness to appall?† The â€Å"designer† or â€Å"immortal hand† must have bad intentions because he seems to be associated with some sort of darkness. The imagery both poets left in my mind was the use of nature to illustrate there point. I could not help but to think the animals were a metaphor for humans. Some people live nice quiet lives while others are are murders and rapists. How can both sets of people come from one God who is purely full of goodness? They are seeking to see if in some way God's design is flawed; but how can that be coming from a divine being? The imagery can be seen as frightful yet beautifully realistic, and the language used to describe the animals are simplistic and powerful. There's an emphasis on the animals power but at the same time this could be seen as God's power being conveyed through this animal and insects. Ultimately, the violence and ferocity of the tiger and spider are vivid, terrifying, and has a deep, dark undertone to them.Figurative language is used by both poets as well. According to Webster's dictionary, figurative language is a language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. We see examples of this all throughout both poems. Starting with Blake's poem, it reads â€Å"Tyger! Tyger! burning bright in the forest of the night.† Here the tiger is not actually boring, it's more so used as a metaphor to demonstrate its ferociousness, or it can also be seen as the tigers appearance. The yellowness of its eyes mixed with its orange fur in the night could remind one of fire. In design the word white is mentioned several times. This is unique because white is usually associated with good and purity, yet all throughout this poem it alludes to something dark and evil. â€Å"Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth†, the spider holds up the moth as in some sort of victory it has obtained. The spider who is seen as evil has now triumphed over the moth who is viewed as good. This ties back into that design is either flawed or has a dark side to it. Another place we see an example of this in the poem is when Frost states, â€Å"On a white heal-all, holding up a moth.† After doing some research I discovered a heal-all is actually blue in appearance and is known for its medicinal use. This demonstrates irony because the spider is preparing the moth for its death on something that is meant to heal. Later on in the poem, line ten, the heal-all is now blue. â€Å"The wayside blue and innocent heal-all.† Initially the poet just describes the flower, here he proclaims its innocence, implying the flower had nothing to do with it being white. Therefore this was the work of its designer. Figurative language as well as irony is seen throughout both poems as a way to hyperbole and understand the poets outlook more vividly.Lastly, we come to intelligent design, which seems to be the overall theme of both poets. Each questions God's purpose from a Christian's viewpoint. They ask a series of questions seeking to find or understand this divine design seen in nature. To the readers dismay though, the questions go unanswered. The questions are only presented, I believe it was left up to the reader to truly seek, in a philosophical way, the answers to the questions. The real philosophical question seems to be, â€Å"Why?† Did all these events happen by chance or did a complex entity bring it all about? We get the sense from each poet that there is a higher being behind the spider and the tiger, be he deems to be far to complex for our understanding. In conclusion, I leave you with a quote from Hamlet that draws into what I feel both poets were fundamentally trying to get at. â€Å"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.† Just perhaps it is not our creator and his design who is flawed, but us from our outlook on nature that is flawed.

Teenage pregnancy Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

Teenage pregnancy - Literature review Example Legal as well as social and psychological issues and funding are considered. Introduction For those people who have planned and look forward to having a child, the news of a confirmed pregnancy is a very positive event. In the case of some young people however, similar news can come as a shock. There seems to a be a degree of disconnect in some minds between sexually risky behaviour and its possible aftermath. Reactions may well include ‘Why me?’’ together with fear of the reactions from her parents. A girl in such a situation may well feel lonely, scared, ashamed, sad and desperate. She may feel angry with the young man concerned. He may be just as scared of the possible wrath of his parents, but also perhaps of any future responsibilities for which he feels unprepared. He may also find himself on the side-lines or even totally discarded, being allowed little or no part in any decisions to be made. For both of these young parents life choices are suddenly very di fferent from what they were only a few weeks earlier. There are also long term concerns such as future education prospects, housing and all the rest. According to Innocenti, 2001 ‘In the world’s rich nations more than three quarters of a million teenagers will become mothers in the next twelve months.’ As soon as a girl begins to ovulate she is physically open to the possibility of pregnancy, whatever age she is and however prepared or not she is for the impact of a teenage pregnancy. A teenager who is sexually activity is highly likely to become pregnant with a year. This fact has huge implications, physically, psychologically, educationally, social and affects such things as the chances of employment and future marriage opportunities despite then normalisation of sex outside marriage in recent times. The rates of teenage pregnancy vary between the countries of the world, as well as among areas and groups with those countries because of a number of factors. Thes e include such things as: The differences in the levels of sexual activity among young people, which is turn is affected by the social norms of their particular society, which may be in turn be affected by such things as religious ideas and educational levels. The general amount and quality of sex education provided. The availability of, and access to, affordable and acceptable methods of contraception. In the United Kingdom 5% of underage conceptions happen to girls aged under 15 ( Department of Education, 2012). According to Medline (2012) birth in very young mothers carries with it increased risks of low birth weight babies, and prematurity, both linked to the high numbers of teenage mothers who continue to smoke during pregnancy. It can be demonstrated that these low birth weights may also be directly linked to the lack of physical maturity of the mother. This latter fact cannot be altered however good the antenatal care given, but at least medical staff will be prepared for the possibility, and prepared to support a baby with a low birth weight, often born prematurely (Law, 2012). There is also an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (March of Dimes, 2009). According to the Department of

Pro's and Con's of the Chain of Command Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pro's and Con's of the Chain of Command - Essay Example It is largely based on the organizational hierarchy and the size of the business. The aspect of ‘Chain of Command’ is termed to be essential for an organization due to the fact that it assists the employees to understand their roles and responsibilities in the organization. It also assists the top managerial team to supervise the organisational operations in a systematic and organized form (Schulman, M. & Kowadlo, B. F., â€Å"Working Smart†). On the contrary, due to the changing scenario of business in the modern era, various disadvantages and complexities are arising in maintaining a specified ‘chain of command’ within an organization. With this concern, the paper shall aim at identifying the various pros and cons of ‘chain of command’ in the managerial aspect. 2. Advantages of ‘Chain of Command’ In the managerial perspective, the aspect of ‘Chain of Command’ is termed to be one of the crucial factors of organi zational behavior. It not only determines the organizational hierarchy but also signifies the roles and responsibilities of every associate in a specified manner. On the whole, it assists the executors of a business to form a well-structured organizational chart, which considers three aspects, i.e. line of authority, line of responsibility and line of communications in the internal environment of the organization (Schulman, M. & Kowadlo, B. ... Hence, it assists the top level managers of the company to organize the company’s operations in a systematic manner (Schulman, M. & Kowadlo, B. F., â€Å"Working Smart†). 2.2. Lines of Responsibility The ‘Chain of Command’ also assists the organizational structure by defining the lines of responsibility. To be precise, the line of responsibility signifies the responsibilities of every participant according to their power of authority and position in the organizational hierarchy (Schulman, M. & Kowadlo, B. F., â€Å"Working Smart†). 2.3. Lines of Communication Apart from determining the lines of authority and responsibility, the ‘Chain of Command’ also specifies the lines of communication, i.e. the flow of information from the top level management to the lower level workers in the organizational hierarchy; and the flow of accountability from the lower level worker to the top level management group (Schulman, M. & Kowadlo, B. F., â€Å"Wo rking Smart†). 2.4. Other Advantages Other than these basic advantages, the implication of ‘Chain of Command’ also has many other pros to benefit the organization and its stakeholders at large. They are as follows: By providing a firm structure of the organizational hierarchy and demonstrating the various lines of authority, responsibility and communication, the ‘Chain of Command’ assists the organization to utilize its resources with minimized wastage It also assists the employees to enhance their managerial, leadership and generic skills Helps eradicating confusion uprising in terms of authority, responsibility and communication in the internal environment of the organization Source: (Mukherjee,

An evaluation of the ethics program of an organization, Assignment

An evaluation of the ethics program of an organization, - Assignment Example Discussion Background of Wal-Mart Wal-Mart is one of the branded American multinational retail players that operate numerous departmental stores as well as warehouse stores offering high level of discounts in varied items. It came into existence in the year 1962 by Walten Brothers in Arkansas. However, it became the popular among the public from the year 1970. Since then, it has created an image of presenting valuable products at an effective price. So, it holds the second largest position, as per Fortune Global 500 companies. As a result Wal-Mart became successful in creating a worthy image of presenting the products at lowest price to live a better life. So, it is voted as one of the most admired company in the market among others. Being headquartered in Arkansas, it operates successfully in more than over 8970 locations as the largest grocery retailer. However, in different locations, it works with different names but their goal is common, i.e. ‘to save money and live a bett er life’. So, Wal-Mart includes a high level of brand image and reputation in the segment of hypermarket or supermarkets or departmental stores as compared to many other rivals. ... In order to do so, the management of Wal-Mart joined hands with various NGO’s, government leaders as well as other retailers. With the help of such co-operations, the management aims to enhance the working conditions as well as the living standards of the workers in a significant way. This helps in enhancing the power of excellence and motivation of the workers, entirely responsible for producing the products for which varied types of measures are implemented such as: Promoting safety and security within the supply chain functions - in order to improve the safety and security of the supply chain, varied types of policies are implemented like zero tolerance policy. Side by side, the management also tried to maintain transparency with its contractors and terminated all the unauthorised ones. Such type of decisions proved effective for the organization as well as its employees. Safety from fire - in order to reduce the risk of fire, barred windows and doors that mainly existed on the staircases were shifted so that the fire may not spread more vividly. Moreover, all the doors and buildings also comprise of a secondary exists, so that in case of emergency, the employees might exit immediately. Due to the presence of such type of facilities, the security of the employees from fire also enhanced to a certain extent. Fire safety related training programs - in order to improve the knowledge and inner skills of the employees over the security of fire, varied types of training programs are also implemented within the organization. This helps the employee to know varied types of ways to save him or herself from fire. Education and training programs - With the help of implementation of these programs, the devotion and motivation of the employees over

How are tourism businesses using ICT to improve the tourist experience Essay

How are tourism businesses using ICT to improve the tourist experience - Essay Example 109). This implies that the application of an array of communications- and computer-assisted, and electronic technologies are being used to a greater extent to improve the performance and implementation of business operations in the tourism industry, and to enhance tourist experience. One of the primary functions of ICTs is the processing and speeding up of information flow to and from the customers. In addition to the World Wide Web, other technology devices, such as smartphone and GPS, have boosted the tourist experience (Mamaghani, 2009; Cantoni, Kalbaska, & Inversini, 2009). Homogenisation of communication technologies allows global reception of mobile phones. Tourists use GPS to quickly and conveniently acquire directions and information about present locations. The combination of standard technologies and systems also has given suppliers the opportunity to lessen costs, and enhance the tourist experience. For instance, airline businesses launched mobile check-in by combining th e check-in procedure with the newest mobile phone technologies (Frew, 2000; Kourtit et al., 2011). Customers gain from further ease or convenience and the tourism sector gains from cost efficiency by supplanting employees with kiosks. Other technologies that the tourism sector can use nowadays in order to enhance the tourist experience are the QR Code, augmented reality, MP3 guide, and geolocation marketing. Quick Response (QR) Codes are a kind of barcode that can be seen through QR reading gadgets such as smartphones. QR Code can be used by tourists to access addresses, maps, and locations through their mobile phones (Hall & Williams, 2008). Augmented reality is a latest technology that erases the line separating what is unreal and what is real by improving people’s senses. This technology is guiding tourists and gives them a surreal experience of magnificent tourist destinations (Conrady, 2010, p. 248). MP3 guide provides tourists access to maps, from historic destinations to the most popular attractions. This technology eliminates the need for tour guides, and makes the tourist experience convenient and trouble-free (Conrady, 2010). Geolocation is a process of detecting a physical location using a wireless device. It can detect a person’s longitude and latitude coordinates to identify his/her precise position. The tourism sector may use geolocation marketing to enhance its services by making local information available to its customers. Tourism businesses may concentrate its marketing efforts and advertise to local populations (Yunker, 2010, p. 76). Geolocation marketing is giving the tourism sector the opportunity to show services that are offered in specific locations. ICTs in Tourism Much of the progress in the tourism industry is rooted in technology processes and facilities that businesses buy for their standard activities. Recently, ICT systems have produced numerous process innovations. Processing of accounts, checking in of guests, and bookings has become considerably downsized, and additional facilities for maintenance made operations more versatile and flexible (Zhou, 2004; Ruiz-Molina, Gil-Saura, & Moliner-Velasquez, 2010). Cooper and colleagues (1998 as cited in Page & Connell, 2006, p. 44) have observed that these ICTs are

Investment Enhancement Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Investment Enhancement - Research Paper Example This type of investment strategy might be attractive for a senior citizen investor who is looking to minimize or eliminate investment risks since he will be retiring within a few years and needs to lock in his retirement’s benefits. For the typical investor there is variety of benefits to utilizing international investments to improve financial portfolio performance On the other hand most investors are looking to maximize their return on investment therefore are willing to accept an increased level of risk in order to benefit from the possibility of much higher returns. Although studies have shown that the benefits of direct international investments to achieve adequate international portfolio diversification are limited for U.S. investors partly due to the fact that U.S. investors can invest in domestic multinational corporations, country funds. Another reason is possibly because the U.S. both the economy and its stock market are much more developed and diversified than other countries. The benefits of international investments are more easily realized in underdeveloped countries than in developed countries. Investing internationally makes sense to a lot of potential investors since for example foreign investment mutual funds provide the opportunity for individual investors which typically lack the necessary financial resources to buy a large number of stocks on their own to benefit from the expertise of a professionally administered international investment mutual fund. Recently national economies have become more closely linked due to globalization, growing international trade, and investment capital flows. This might lead to realize that the benefits of international portfolio diversification might be overstated. Despite significant interdependencies between markets, there is still room for international diversification. A recent tendency has been for investors to look into emerging economies as good candidates for international diversification. Sinc e ongoing research suggests that since emerging economies are not closely correlated to industrialized there are still considerable opportunities to benefit from international diversification. There are various investment vehicles investors can use to build up a portfolio in the equity and money markets. The most popular form of investment is common stock. The price ticker investors’ track on Wall Street represents common stock investments. Common stocks are equity investment that represents a right of ownership. People that invest in common stock have voting rights over certain corporation decisions. There are different types of common stocks. Two types of common stocks are blue chip and penny stocks. Blue chip stocks are stocks that are issued by a well-known company with an established record of making money and paying dividends (Teweles & Bradley & Teweles, 1992). An example of a blue chip stock company is Microsoft Corporation. Within the category of common stock blue ch ips are considered the safest type of investment. On the other side of the spectrum are penny stocks. Penny stocks are can be defined as stocks that trade at a relative low price and market capitalization typically outside the major marketplaces (Investopedia, 2011). Penny stocks are very risky and on many occasion the stocks go into default as these penny stock companies run out of business. Another popular type of investment that is often

Conflict and friendships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conflict and friendships - Essay Example l consensus among developmental psychologists that security is one of the most important properties of children and adolescents’ relationships with their friends†. For example, when compared with securely attached individuals insecurely attached persons usually display lower levels of companionship with their friends, lower security levels, which are reflected in lower expectations from the friendship to help to cope with difficulties, and higher conflict levels with the friends / Hazan & Shaver, 1987/ . There are also studies, which focused on the relation of attachment styles with sex differences. These studies have shown that women display higher levels of Companionship, Protection, and Affective Bond, which men showed Aid, Security, and Help / Saferstein, Neimeyer & Hagans, 2005/. Accorging to Bukowski et al. (1994) â€Å"one of the most persistent themes in the theoretical literature regarding children’s and early adolescents’ friendship relations is that these relations are affordances for feelings of acceptance, validation, and attachment†. So, attachment style theory suggests that attachments are generally described ob the basis of certain characteristics sex of the friend is among them. One more theory investigates the dependence between the family experiences of a child and its ability and success in building close relationships with its peers. Thus, the researchers of this sphere maintain that there is a direct link between the close parent-child relationships and the quality of friendships established by a child. Both attachment and social learning theories supported the findings that children with close relations confiding relations with their mothers possessed higher quality of friendships. The most prominent such dependence becomes in comparison with children from complex or stepmother families / Dunn, Davies, OConnor & Sturgess, 2001 /. However, there is the point where the supporters of this theory split. One believe that it is the

((((MYCROLAB)))) group project Report in subject of NEW PRODUCT Essay

((((MYCROLAB)))) group project Report in subject of NEW PRODUCT MAMAGEMENT - Essay Example Market segmentation, targeting and positioning are the three major approaches which are applied by the marketing departments in their endeavors to achieve organizational goals. Of the three steps mentioned above segmentation is the first one to take on. In market segmentation, segment variables are identified and the market is segmented accordingly. The segmentation allows the company to focus on the demands of the targeted market and fulfill its demands. It seeks to differentiate between various segments of a market and addresses to the needs and requirements of each market. In this way they make products and introduce services which are specifically meant for that particular segment of the market only. There are various approaches that can be applied in the segmentation of market. Company would thus, be able to create its identity in all its major market segments. Different marketing and communication strategies could be applied for each segment keeping in mind, the respective cons umers in the segments. (Dickensin, 1987) The market is segmented according to the Business market segmentation. The segmentation has been done according to the following bases: geographic segmentation, customer type and buying behavior. Geographic segmentation gives us secondary segment which includes metropolitan and regional hospitals. Customer types and buying behavior usage patterns blend together to give us the primary segment -who are medical practitioners and local GPs- and tertiary segment including medical charities and humanitarian support organizations. In market segmentation, we have grouped customers and non-customers with similar characteristics. These characteristics include similar economic, biographic and usage behavior. Biographics are considered because Mycrolab is a health related diagnostic system and is mostly used by people in health services or people with health issues or health conscious. Moreover product related segmentation have also

Disneyland and history of it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Disneyland and history of it - Essay Example Ultimately, rather than merely being an entertaining environment for families to spend leisure time, Disneyland was intended to be something of a historical/cultural interpretation of America, the American dream, the American past, the American future, and the American president. Through such a delineation and discussion of these different time frames and interpretations, it was Walt Disney’s distinct hope that Disneyland could be representative and indicative of the way in which individuals understood the country in which they live or indeed the country in which they visited. As a function of understanding this particular dynamic, the following analysis will be concentric upon discussing the way in which Disneyland was representative of the United States, its experience, culture, and potential future, as well as discussing whether or not this representation was merely imaginatively fanciful or in fact was effective and ultimately represented a realistic/crude interpretation o f life. Moreover, a unique discussion of what defined American greatness, at least with respect to Walt Disney himself, will also be engaged. ... However, within this â€Å"Main Street USA†, Walt Disney represented a close-knit community that, although exhibiting a level of development and modernity that reflected the era in which it represented, nonetheless had a very small town feel and emphasize the importance of community interaction above many other aspects. Yet, rather than representing Disneyland as something that was entirely concentric upon an idealized nation of Midwestern life, Walt Disney also created another identification of the United States with respect to what was termed as â€Å"Adventureland†. This particular representation was unique in that it represented the global reach and power that the United States was able to impact upon the world. A psychological or sociological analysis of this particular representation might lend the reader to assume that an element of colonize Asian or empire building was contingent upon Walt Disney’s personal interpretation of what made the United States gr eat. In short, â€Å"Adventureland† represented a Caribbean or Asian complement of the United States; indicative of territories that the United States held overseas as a result of both the Spanish-American war and the second world war. Naturally, and identification of Hawaii and the global reach of the United States, as well as the interaction between different cultures that represented the United States, was also part and parcel of this particular representation. Interestingly, â€Å"Adventureland† is one of the only interpretations the United States the Walt Disney made which emphasized cultural diversity. Whereas Walt Disney was continually criticized for representing only a handful of African-American employees at Disneyland, first opened in the early 1950s, this representation of a

Per Clausewitz’s On War Essay Example for Free

Per Clausewitz’s On War Essay Per Clausewitz’s On War focal points on how victory can be achieved, reader see a keen interest in how to disarm the enemy using reciprocal and proportionate â€Å"efforts to his powers or resistance. † This implies that to win a war you might use all means, strength, and resources within your power to deliver the best strategy possible. Using â€Å"calculation of probabilities† victory can achieved by fully knowing what is at stake and how to attack at the right time. Being aware of the political agenda and reasoning behind a war allows for more awareness of political and military alliances in order to achieve victory in war. In addition, by understanding that there are tactics and strategy which must be used in war a victory can be acquired (website, Handel). To Clausewitz this means that â€Å"preparations for War† and the â€Å"War itself† must be seen as distinct entities. By preparing for the War you are acquiring all needed provisions and equipment, and comprehending the enemy and terrain in which the battles might be fought (Clausewitz Book 6). Sun too indicates that preparation for War is strongly required, and that without it practicality of strategy is lost. This would include any tactics to be used, calculations which can done, deriving rules or â€Å"even systems for the conduct of war†, and understanding that knowledge can be â€Å"converted into real power†. Clausewitz considers that â€Å"war is science when mere knowing; art, when doing. † This law of action must include strategy. This in turn â€Å"links together the series of acts which are to lead to the final decision† or finality of victory. Because these strategic elements are key to achieving victory, this author insists that the â€Å"use of engagements†¦. be classified into: moral, physical, mathematical, geographical, and statistical† aspects. This elements manifest within the process and act of War, and encompass the idea that strategic assembly of forces enables victory. Clausewitz indicates that the use of battle leads to the destruction of the enemy’s military, and that a great results is achieved by battle (KLINGER 79-89).

How to Write an English Language Dissertation

How to Write an English Language Dissertation An English language dissertation is a substantive academic piece of writing at postgraduate level – Masters or Doctoral – that aims to defend a thesis or position and, by doing so successfully, contributes original research and insight to the field of English language studies. Understanding how to write an English language dissertation is the first step in achieving the demanding academic objectives of original and significant research in your field. Learning how to write an English language dissertation then, is probably the most important part of postgraduate studies. How to begin to write an English language dissertation. There are two major components to learning how to write an English language dissertation. These are: The planning, research and note-taking phase The structuring, organising and writing phase Understanding how to write an English language dissertation begins with the deceptively simple task of developing a clear and achievable objective within a given topic or area of research. When writing an English language dissertation, the topic will change over time, as research and reading brings to light new ideas and questions, until it develops into a very specific focus based within the original research topic of interest. The planning, research and note-taking phase should begin as soon as possible, but the structuring, organising and writing phase should also begin sooner rather than later. This is because both phases are mutually supportive. It is important to remember that learning how to write a successful and significant English language dissertation requires numerous drafts. With each new draft, the topic of the thesis becomes clearer and directs the student to further research. Both phases of writing an English language dissertation should occur simultaneously. Planning how to write an English language dissertation. The initial planning, research and note-taking phase begins with developing a topic, usually in collaboration with the student supervisor. The supervisor will be the first point of contact and this is where you begin by sounding-out your ideas for a suitable topic. The topic chosen for an English language dissertation will be general, at first, for example you may be interested in the sociolinguistic aspect of the English language. Begin by reading widely in sociolinguistics until you uncover a specific aspect that might come up in the literature, but that has yet to be explored further. This gap in the research is where you may focus your own research project and offer something new in the field of sociolinguistics. For example, a more appropriate research topic would be to consider how sociolinguistic theory of the English language may offer insight into the fiction of migrant novelists. When you have decided on a narrower topic of interest, you must be able to write it up in about eight words. This will be the title of your English language dissertation. Learning how to write an English language dissertation, however, is not just about coming up with a topic and writing about it. A student faced with the task of writing a dissertation must balance two things: theoretical research and practical activity. The theoretical aspect simply refers to reading, research, analysis and evaluation. The practical aspect involves personal and time management, setting deadlines and meeting them. It is important to address the practical aspects of writing your English language dissertation as soon as possible, by doing the following: Develop a draft title for your dissertation Write up an initial reading list Write an outline of the dissertation Set a date for completion of initial reading list Set a date for a first draft Set dates for subsequent research deadlines Set dates for subsequent drafts How to write an English language dissertation with effective structure. Learning how to write an English language dissertation also includes learning about structure. Individual universities and supervisors have their own expectations of how a dissertation should be structured, so in all cases it is best to refer to your supervisor and to your departmental handbook for writing an English language dissertation. In general, however, your dissertation should be structured like this: Title page: Include the title of your dissertation, your name, your supervisors name, and department and course information. Abstract: Summarise the introduction, body and conclusion of your dissertation in around 125 words. Acknowledgements: Thank the people who have been instrumental to you during the writing of your English language dissertation. Table of contents: List the chapters and sections of your dissertation with page numbers. Introduction: Introduce your thesis, outline the scope and structure of your dissertation and anticipate your conclusion. Main body: Present in complete detail your research and reading, respond with your analysis and evaluation of the research, and argue your new and significant perspective. Conclusion: State your response to the original thesis of your English language dissertation and conclude your argument. Remember that your conclusion must present something completely new in the field of English language studies. You may also make recommendations for further research along the lines of your topic. Bibliography: List your sources according to the style preferred by your university. Consult the style guides before doing this. Because this is an English language dissertation you will most likely use the styles preferred by the Humanities, such as CMS, MLA, Harvard or Oxford. Acknowledging your sources is as important as writing and researching, because it shows the breadth of your background reading and accumulated knowledge and avoids accusations of plagiarism. Appendices: Add information that is not necessary to your central argument but may be of interest to your reader for further exploration and research. How to write an English language dissertation with effective style. When writing an English language dissertation it is important to remember that this is a significant piece of academic work, no less than an intellectual and critical achievement. As such, your work must not only be original and give evidence of superior research skills and critical thinking and analysis, but it must also be written with style and quality that is indicative of your flair for academic reasoning. The purpose of writing an English language dissertation is to present your ideas in a clear and concise fashion, using vocabulary that is suitable to your purpose, and executed in an appropriate style to your subject. It is important to write well at both the sentence level and the overall level. Sentences should be grammatically correct and linked together to effectively present your analysis and argument. At the larger level, paragraphs should be organised in a way that allows the argument to flow naturally and logically to its conclusion. The style and quality of your writing is the main tool that will help you showcase your research and critical thinking skills. Learning how to write an English language dissertation in the style appropriate to the field is the best way to exhibit the desired academic ideals of critical thinking and and significant research at the culmination of your studies. 2/ 4

Mental Health And Young People Social Work Essay

Mental Health And Young People Social Work Essay What is mental health with young people? Mental health can present itself in many different way such as; anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Mental disorders as suggested above may not only occur at times that could be a predictable reaction to a life changing event such as bereavement (Colman, 2006). A mental disorder is a pattern of psychological symptoms that may show a common foundation or recognisable pattern, that will negatively affect important areas of functioning or significantly increase the risk of death (Colman, 2006). Many different reports have been researched for this essay and they suggest different ages for a young person therefore, this essay will suggest that a young person is aged between 12 and 18. This essay will concentrate on the aspect of self-harm in young people. Self-harm is an act which consists of deliberate injury or pain being inflicted to ones own body. Most commonly this takes the form of cutting however, some other forms include; burning, scratching, picking, scraping, biting and sometimes pulling hair or eyelashes out. Self-harm is often used as a release of emotions that cannot be spoken and can offer the individual the means to attempt to deal with distress (Babiker et al, 2001). Historical context of social work within the service/field Twenty years ago there was an emphasis on joint working however, this is not easy to achieve due to organisational cultures and professional language barriers but research does show this to have better outcomes for young people and their families, this concept of joint work has continued through the last two decades (Southall, 2005).Government policy in recent years had supported joint work and also occasionally placed statutory duty upon agencies to achieve it. These difficulties can be overcome by the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) 8 states the need to adapt to changing contexts and to operate effectively with in multi-agency settings. Within the Standards of Proficiency (SoP) standard 9 depicts the abilities to work with others, including those in a different role. PCF 9 should be look at as to why these professionals found it difficult to make this transition as they should be responsible for their own learning and development which could have broken down the barriers between the different professionals. Is there continuity or has the social work field changed over time, and if so how and over what period? For social workers, procedures changed to this difficult multi agency joint work, this placed higher demands upon the social workers who were not as highly trained as other agencies in mental health issues. Changes were made to the Mental Health Act 1983 in 2007 including Professional roles: it is broadening the group of practitioners who can take on the functions currently performed by the approved social worker and responsible medical officer. Consider the ethos of the social work field or service you are presenting The ideas or ethos of mental health has changed immensely over the past two decades. Mental health is more open to the public as an illness that affects many people and does not make these people a definite threat to those around them. Social work has a significant role to play in coordinating efforts to support individuals and groups who may often have negative experiences and perceptions of mental health services. Social workers need to maintain a broader social view of mental health problems especially in regard to concerns about discriminatory practices, civil rights and social justice this aspect is included in the PCF 2,3 and 4. In accordance to the PCF 5 social workers have the knowledge, training and education that allows them to develop understanding and awareness of issues such as oppression, power and social exclusion and it has made social workers aware of their own abilities for oppression towards others. What is the service user/carers view about the service you have chosen? What is the role of the social worker in providing the service? What is the role of the social worker in providing the service? Social workers have had a key role of providing an independent view in assessments. Providing critical perspective drawn from a range of social sciences has been paramount to the training of social workers in the mental health services this complies with the PCF of knowledge and SoP 13 which also relates to knowledge and its use. Additional responsibilities will be likely for social workers employed in a mental health trust such as care management and representation of social circumstances in mental health tribunals. Social work practise is underpinned to promote social justice and challenge oppression, therefore social workers are in theory well placed to aid other mental health professionals working with service users and to collaborate on ways of recovery. These roles include the use of all of the PCF along with SoP 9, 11 and 13. How does current policy about the service (adults or children and young people) impact on service delivery? The Childrens Act 1989, suggest that a child is considered to be at harm if there is impairment of health which includes mental health. The definition of a child in need is one that is unlikely to achieve a reasonable standard of health (mental) without the provision of services. The Health Act 1999 contains a extensive section on partnership with other authorities which suggests that the NHS will exercise their functions along with other authority bodies and they will co-operate with one another to secure and advance the health and welfare of people in England and Wales. The white paper Modernising Social Services (1998) suggests the launch of the Quality Protects programme will transform the whole of the childrens social services. Improving protection with eight regional Commissions for Care Standards and working to national standards. The white paper Modernising Health and Social Services-National Priorities Guidance (1998) commits to reducing waiting times for services along with contributing to the development of outreach teams. This paper also wants to increase and improve services for children and adolescents including early intervention and prevention programmes for children. What do you consider might be the future of the service/field? Modern practise

Jesus Christ and the Red Cross Knight Essay -- essays papers

Jesus Christ and the Red Cross Knight In his first book of The Faerie Queen, Edmund Spenser recites the tale of the Red Cross Knight and the many trials and tribulations that he encounters along his quest to save Princess Una's kingdom. Throughout the tale Spenser makes many allusions to the Red Cross Knight being a Christ-like character. All of the qualities and attributes which Red Cross develops along the way lead up to his personification of Christ on the third day of the dragon fight. Many of these allusions are contained in small images and references. The first image that Spenser uses to relate the tale's significance to Christianity and Christ appears in canto I stanza iv: A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside, Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow, Yet she much whiter,... Seemed in heart some hidden care she had, And by her line a milke white lambe she lad. (I.iv.) An image from the New Testament can be grasped from this scene. Picture Red Cross as Joseph on his way to Bethlehem leading the Virgin Mother Mary, Princess Una, who is riding on an ass carrying Jesus Christ the Lamb of God in her womb or in this case behind her. Although through this image Red Cross is seen as Joseph and not Christ, it is understood later in the story that the lamb represents what Red Cross could become through the help of Una and the trials he will face during his quest. The vision of Una as the virgin Mother of Christ solidifies her as having such characteristics as chastity, truth, and innocence. Each of these cement Una in the role of a perfect Romance maiden, one who can lead her champion to his utmost potential: that of a true romance hero. The adventures of Red Cross mirror the temptation in the dessert ... ...dragon with his sword, which represents "God's Word", he aims at the mouth of the beast, "exemplifying Christ destroying Original Sin at the source and or Satan. (pg.150; foot#6)" By ideologically "killing Satan" Red Cross has reached his full potential and in the future will become St. George. In this first book of The Fairie Queen Edmund Spenser embodies in his main character, the Red Cross Knight, humanity's battle with Satan and evil. Throughout the epic the Red Cross Knight and even Prince Arthur are, continually representing Jesus Christ and his victories on the Cross and at the end of time. They are both representing Jesus Christ in all that they do and the qualities of a good Christian. This personification of Christ culminates at the end of the story with the Red Cross Knight's victory over the dragon. Bibliography: Edmund Spenser's Fairie Queen

SCHIZOPHRENIA Essay -- essays research papers

Psychological behaviors occur in so many people. A lot of them don’t realize that they have a disorder, or a particular behavior, until someone points it out. Many people have disorders. In humans there are two types of main disorders and just to do a brief analysis on them. They are biological and psychological for the biological it is a disease of the body that can be cured by altering the body. The biological involves the use of the medical model that works with genes, hormones, neurons and the chemistry of the brain. Psychopathology can be caused by a human’s disordered mental life, and mental illness can be cured by helping to change behavior, emotion and thought. The three causes of abnormalities that I am going to talk about are biological, psychological, and sociocultural. I am going to start by talking about the biological causes starting with genetic inheritance, medical conditions, exposure to bad environment, and brain damage. The psychological one are trau matic life experiences, learned associations, faulty ways of thinking, and distorted perceptions. The sociocultural ones are stated as disturbances in intimate relationships and problems in extended relationships, political or social unrest, and discrimination towards one’s social group. The early approaches of abnormal behavior are animism that abnormal behavior is a possession by evil or demons. This was treated by trephination this is where holes where made in the head so the evils spirits can escape from th...

Prompts Sat

SAT Essay Prompt Bank 5th Edition Compiled by [email  protected] March 10, 2008 Table of Contents Essay Scoring Guide†¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Practice Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 May 2006 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Oct. 2006 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Nov. 2006 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Dec. 2006 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 Jan. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Mar. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦ 12 May 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 June. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 14 Dec. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16 Nov. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 Dec. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 19 Jan. 2008 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20 Mar. 2008 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦22 SAT Practice Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, they must forget t he past, repress it, and relinquish it. But others have just the opposite view. They see old memories as a chance to reckon with the past and integrate past and present. Adapted from Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation Assignment: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. When people form opinions about someone or something, what affects them most is not substance but style.In other words, the way something appears or is presented is more important than what it actually is. This principle affects how people look at their leaders and their lives, the books they read, the products they buy, and even th e subjects they take at school. Assignment: Is style more important than substance? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. If we valued honesty, we would be willing to risk our jobs to become whistleblowers and tell truths that our employers did not want revealed. If we valued success, we would give up our free time in order to excel in a subject or sport. In other words, the sacrifices we are willing to make reveal what we care about the most. Assignment: Can what we value be determined only by what we sacrifice? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about t he issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Something flawed is far more interesting than something perfect. Perfection is a trifle dull. It is not the least of life’s ironies that this, which we all aim at, is better not quite achieved. -Adapted from W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up Assignment: Is perfection something to be admired or sought after? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 5 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We need to remember that wisdom is not just about what we think or know, but more importantly, how we act. Simply being smart is not enough. I define wisdom as the application of intelligence and experience toward the attainment of a common good. In other words, the wisest people are those who look out not just for themselves but also for others. -Adapted from Robert J.Sternberg, â€Å"Teaching for Wisdom in Our Schools† Assignment: What makes a person wise? Are the wisest people merely smart or are they also concerned with the well-being of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. May 2006 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Some people claim that each individual is solely responsible for what happens to him or her.But the claim that we ought to take absolute responsibility for the kinds of people we are and the kinds of lives we lead suggests that we have complete control over our lives. We do not. The circumstances of our lives can make it more or less impossible to make certain kinds of choices. -Adapted from Gordon D. Marino, â€Å"I Think Y ou Should Be Responsible; Me, I’m Not So Sure† Assignment: Are we free to make our own decisions or are we limited in the choices we can make? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Certainly anyone who insists on condemning all lies should think about what would happen if we could reliably tell when our family, friends, colleagues, and government leaders were deceiving us. It is tempting to think that the world would become a better place without the deceptions that seem to interfere with our attempts are genuine communication.On the other hand, perhaps there is such a thing as too much honesty. Adapted from Allison Kornet, â€Å"The Truth About Lying† Assignment: Would the world be a better place if everyone alw ays told the complete truth? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is not that people dislike being part of a community; it is just that they care about their individual freedoms more.People value neighborliness and social interaction until being part of a group requires them to limit their freedom for the larger good of the group. But a community or group cannot function effectively unless people are willing to se aside their personal interests. Adapted from Warren Johnson, The Future Is Not What It Used To Be Assignment: Does the success of a community – whether it is a class, a team, a family, a nation, or any other group – depend upon people’s willingness to limit their personal interests? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. There is an old saying: â€Å"A person with one watch knows what time it is; a person with two watches isn’t so sure. † In other words, a person who looks at an object or event from two different angles sees something different from each position. Moreover, two or more people looking at the same thing may each perceive something different. In other words, truth, like beauty, may lie in the eye of the beholder.Adapted from Gregory D. Foster, â€Å"Ethics: Time to Revisit the Basics† Assignment: Does the truth change depending on how people look at things? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken f rom your reading, studies, experience, or observations. October 2006 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. While some people promote competition as the only way to achieve success, others emphasize the power of cooperation.Intense rivalry at work or play or engaging in competition involving ideas or skills may indeed drive people either to avoid failure or to achieve important victories. In a complex world, however, cooperation is much more likely to produce significant, lasting accomplishments. Assignment: Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.Sometimes it is necessary to challenge wha t people in authority claim to be true. Although some respect for authority is, no doubt, necessary in order for any group or organization to function, questioning the people in charge-even if they are experts or leaders in their fields-makes us better thinkers. It forces all concerned to defend old ideas and decisions and to consider new ones. Sometimes it can even correct old errors in thought and put an end to wrong actions. Assignment: Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We don't really learn anything properly until there is a problem, until we make a mistake, until something fails to go as we had hoped. When everything is working well, wi th no problems or failures, what incentive do we have to try something new? We are only motivated to learn when we experience difficulties.Adapted from Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life: Not a Novel Assignment: Does true learning only occur when we experience difficulties? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. There are two kinds of pretending. There is the bad kind, as when a person falsely promises to be your friend.But there is also a good kind, where the pretense eventually turns into the real thing. For example, when you are not feeling particularly friendly, the best thing you can do, very often, is to act in a friendly manner. In a few minutes, you may really be feeling friendlier. Adapted from a book by C. S. Lewis Assignment: Can deception—pretending that something is true when it is not—sometimes have good results? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.November 2006 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is wrong to think of ourselves as indispensable. We would love to think that our contributions are essential, but we are mistaken if we think that any one person has made the world what it is today. The contributions of individual people are seldom as important or as necessary as we think they are. Assignment: Do we put too much value on the ideas or actions of individual people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many people deny that stories about characters and events that are not real can teach us about ourselves or about the world around us. They claim that literature does not offer us worthwhile information about the real world. These people argue that the feelings and ideas we gain from books and stories obstruct, rather than contribute to, clear thought. Adapted from Jennifer L. McMahon, â€Å"The Function of Fiction†Assignment: Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. â€Å"No one is perfect. † There are few among us who would disagree with this familiar statement. Certain that perfection is an impossible goal, many people willingly accept flaws and shortcomings in themselves and others.Yet such behavior leads to failure. People can only succeed if they try to achieve perfection in everything they do. Assignment: Can people achieve success only if they aim to be perfect? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Everybody has some choice. People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and, if they can't find them, make them. Adapted from George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profess ion Assignment: Do success and happiness depend on the choices people make rather than on factors beyond their control? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. December 2006 SAT Essay PromptsPrompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. In order to be the most productive and successful people that we are capable of being, we must be willing to ignore the opinions of others. It is only when we are completely indifferent to others' opinions of us—when we are not concerned about how others think of us—that we can achieve our most important goals. Assignment: Are people more likely to be productive and successful when they ignore the opinions of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning an d examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. In many circumstances, optimism—the expectation that one's ideas and plans will always turn out for the best—is unwarranted. In these situations what is needed is not an upbeat view but a realistic one. There are times when people need to take a tough-minded view of the possibilities of success, give up, and invest their energies elsewhere rather than find reasons to continue to pursue the original project or idea.Adapted from Martin E. P. Seligman, Learned Optimism Assignment: Is it better for people to be realistic or optimistic? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt a nd the assignment below. It is easy to make judgments about people and their actions when we do not know anything about their circumstances or what motivated them to take those actions.But we should look beyond a person's actions. When people do things that we consider outrageous, inconsiderate, or harmful, we should try to understand why they acted as they did. Assignment: Is it important to try to understand people's motivations before judging their actions? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.Abraham Lincoln said, â€Å"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. † In other words, our personal level of satisfaction is entirely within our control. Otherwise, why would the same experience disappoint o ne person but delight another? Happiness is not an accident but a choice. Assignment: Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.January 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many people believe that our government should do more to solve our problems. After all, how can one individual create more jobs or make roads safer or improve the schools or help to provide any of the other benefits that we have come to enjoy? And yet expecting that the government—rather than individuals—should always come up with the solutions to society's ills may have made us less self-reliant, undermining our independence and self-sufficiency.Assignment: Should people tak e more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Most human beings spend their lives doing work they hate and work that the world does not need. It is of prime importance that you learn early what you want to do and whether or not the world needs this service.The return from your work must be the satisfaction that work brings you and the world's need of that work. Income is not money, it is satisfaction; it is creation; it is beauty. Adapted from W. E. B. Du Bois, The Autobiography of W. E. B. Du Bois: A Soliloquy on Viewing My Life from the Last Decade of Its First Century Assignment: Is it more important to do work that one finds fulfilling or work that pays well? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. The education people receive does not occur primarily in school. Young people are formed by their experiences with parents, teachers, peers, and even strangers on the street, and by the sports teams they play for, the shopping malls they frequent, the songs they hear, and the shows they watch. Schools, while certainly important, constitute only a relatively small part of education. Adapted from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, â€Å"Education for the Twenty-First Century† Assignment: Is education primarily the result of influences other than school?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. If we are dissatisfied with our circumstances, we think about changing them. But the most important and effective changes—in our attitude—hardly occur to us. In other words, we should worry not about how to alter the world around us for the better but about how to change ourselves in order to fit into that world.Adapted from Michael Hymers, â€Å"Wittgenstein, Pessimism and Politics† Assignment: Is it better to change one's attitude than to change one's circumstances? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. March 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. From the time people are very young, they are urged to get along with others, to try to â€Å"fit in. † Indeed, people are often rewarded for being agreeable and obedient.But this approach is misguided because it promotes uniformity instead of encouraging people to be unique and different. Differences among people give each of us greater perspective and allow us to make better judgments. Assignment: Is it more valuable for people to fit in than to be unique and different? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.It is easy to imagine that events and experiences in our lives will be perfect, but no matter how good something turns out to be, it can never live up to our expectations. Reality never matches our imaginations. For that reason, we sh ould make sure our plans and goals are modest and attainable. We are much better off when reality surpasses our expectations and something turns out better than we thought it would. Adapted from Baltasar Gracian y Morales, The Art of Worldly Wisdom Assignment: Is it best to have low expectations and to set goals we are sure of achieving?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Every event has consequences that are potentially beneficial. We may not always be happy about an experience, but we should at least gain in some way from it. For example, the worldwide gasoline shortage in the early 1970's created many hardships but inspired efforts to conserve energy.Whether the gains are large or small, there is something positive or useful f or us in everything that happens to us. Assignment: Do we really benefit from every event or experience in some way? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. May 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Materialism: it's the thing that everybody loves to hate.Few aspects of modern life have been more criticized than materialism. But let's face it: materialism—acquiring possessions and spending money—is a vital source of meaning and happiness in our time. People may criticize modern society for being too materialistic, but the fact remains that most of us spend most of our energy producing and consuming more and more stuff. Adapted from James Twitchell, â€Å"Two Cheers for Materialism† Assignment: Should modern society be criticize d for being materialistic? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Knowledge is power. In agriculture, medicine, and industry, for example, knowledge has liberated us from hunger, disease, and tedious labor. Today, however, our knowledge has become so powerful that it is beyond our control. We know how to do many things, but we do not know where, when, or even whether this know-how should be used. Assignment: Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignm ent below. We do not take the time to determine right from wrong. Reflecting on the difference between right and wrong is hard work. It is so much easier to follow the crowd, going along with what is popular rather than risking the disapproval of others by voicing an objection of any kind. Adapted from Stephen J.Carter, Integrity Assignment: Is it always best to determine one's own views of right and wrong, or can we benefit from following the crowd? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is often the case that revealing the complete truth may bring trouble—discomfort, embarrassment, sadness, or even harm—to oneself or to another person.In these circumstances, it is better not to express our real thoughts and feelin gs. Whether or not we should tell the truth, therefore, depends on the circumstances. Assignment: Do circumstances determine whether or not we should tell the truth? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. June 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.People are happy only when they have their minds fixed on some goal other than their own happiness. Happiness comes when people focus instead on the happiness of others, on the improvement of humanity, on some course of action that is followed not as a means to anything else but as an end in itself. Aiming at something other than their own happiness, they find happiness along the way. The only way to be happy is to pursue some goal external to your own happiness. Adapted from John Stuart Mill, Autobiograp hy Assignment: Are people more likely to be happy if they focus on goals other than their own happiness?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Heroes may seem old-fashioned today. Many people are cynical and seem to enjoy discrediting role models more than creating new ones or cherishing those they already have. Some people, moreover, object to the very idea of heroes, arguing that we should not exalt individuals who, after all, are only flesh and blood, just like the rest of us.But we desperately need heroes—to teach us, to captivate us through their words and deeds, to inspire us to greatness. Adapted from Psychology Today, â€Å"How To Be Great! What Does It Take To Be A Hero? † Assignment: Is there a value in celeb rating certain individuals as heroes? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.The advancements that have been made over the past hundred years or more are too numerous to count. But has there been progress? Some people would say that the vast number of advancements tells us we have made progress. Others, however, disagree, saying that more is not necessarily better and that real progress—in politics, literature, the arts, science and technology, or any other field—can be achieved only when an advancement truly improves the quality of our lives. Assignment: Have modern advancements truly improved the quality of people's lives? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your posit ion with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 It is not true that prosperity is better for people than adversity. When people are thriving and content, they seldom feel the need to look for ways to improve themselves or their situation. Hardship, on the other hand, forces people to closely examine—and possibly change—their own lives and even the lives of others. Misfortune rather than prosperity helps people to gain a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them. Assignment: Do people truly benefit from hardship and misfortune?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. October 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. A person does not simply â€Å"receive† his or her identity. Identity is much more than the name or features one is born with. True identity is something people must create for themselves by making choices that are significant and that require a courageous commitment in the face of challenges.Identity means having ideas and values that one lives by. Adapted from Thomas Merton, Contemplation in a World of Action Assignment: Is identity something people are born with or given, or is it something people create for themselves? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.We value uniqueness and originality, but it seems that everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by ideas and things that are copies or even copies of copies. Writers, artists, and musicians seek new ideas for paintings, b ooks, songs, and movies, but many sadly realize, â€Å"It's been done. † The same is true for scientists, scholars, and businesspeople. Everyone wants to create something new, but at best we can hope only to repeat or imitate what has already been done. Assignment: Can people ever be truly original? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. All people who have achieved greatness in something knew what they excelled at. These people identified the skills that made them special—good judgment, or courage, or a special artistic or literary talent—and focused on developing these skills. Yet most people achieve superiority in nothing because they fail to identify and develop their greatest attribute.Adapted from Baltasar Gracian y Morales, The Art of Worldly Wisdom Assignment: Do people achieve greatness only by finding out what they are especially good at and developing that attribute above all else? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Having many admirers is one way to become a celebrity, but it is not the way to become a hero. Heroes are self-made.Yet in our daily lives we see no difference between â€Å"celebrities† and â€Å"heroes. † For this reason, we deprive ourselves of real role models. We should admire heroes—people who are famous because they are great—but not celebrities—people who simply seem great because they are famous. Adapted from Daniel Boorstin, The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in Americ a Assignment: Should we admire heroes but not celebrities? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.November 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. People today have so many choices. For instance, thirty years ago most television viewers could choose from only a few channels; today there are more than a hundred channels available. And choices do not just abound when it comes to the media. People have more options in almost every area of life. With so much to choose from, how can we not be happy? Assignment: Does having a large number of options to choose from make people happy?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We are often urged to solve problems by ignoring traditional approaches and by finding solutions that are innovative or unconventional. We are encouraged to be creative and to trust that a new way of thinking will yield new insights. But innovation may be impractical and unnecessary.The best ways of fixing problems are often the tried–and–true ways. Assignment: Is it always necessary to find new solutions to problems? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many people consider the arts—literature, music, painting, and other creative activities—unnecessary because they provide us with nothin g more than entertainment.Yet the arts are extremely valuable because they have much to teach us about the world around us and also because they help people find meaning in life. Assignment: Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the world around us? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. All people judge or criticize the ideas and actions of others.At times, these criticisms hurt or embarrass the people receiving them. Other criticisms seem to be intended to make the critics appear superior. And yet criticism is essential to our success as individuals and as a society. Adapted from Ken Petress, â€Å"Constructive Criticism: A Tool for Improvement† Assignment: Is criticism—judging or finding fault with the ide as and actions of others—essential for personal well-being and social progress? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.December 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. The first problem for all of us is not to learn but to unlearn. We hold on to ideas that were accepted in the past, and we are afraid to give them up. Preconceptions about what is right or wrong, true or false, good or bad are embedded so deeply in our thinking that we honestly may not know that they are there. Whether it's women's role in society or the role of our country in the world, the old assumptions just don't work anymore.Adapted from Gloria Steinem, â€Å"A New Egalitarian Lifestyle† Assignment: Do people need to â€Å"unlearn,† or reject, many of their a ssumptions and ideas? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Our determination to pursue truth by setting up a fight between two sides leads us to believe that every issue has two sides—no more, no less.If we know both sides of an issue, all of the relevant information will emerge, and the best case will be made for each side. But this process does not always lead to the truth. Often the truth is somewhere in the complex middle, not the oversimplified extremes. Adapted from Deborah Tannen, The Argument Culture Assignment: Should people choose one of two opposing sides of an issue, or is the truth usually found â€Å"in the middle†? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support y our position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. All around us appearances are mistaken for reality. Clever advertisements create favorable impressions but say little or nothing about the products they promote. In stores, colorful packages are often better than their contents. In the media, how certain entertainers, politicians, and other public figures appear is more important than their abilities. All too often, what we think we see becomes far more important than what really is. Assignment: Do images and impressions have too much of an effect on people?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Until fairly recently, technological innovations and inventions were intended to serve basic human needs or desires. Today, however, the most important and urgent problem confronting us is no longer the satisfaction of basic needs. The primary purpose of modern technology is to solve the unintended problems caused by the technology of years past.Adapted from Dennis Gabor, Innovations: Scientific, Technological, and Social Assignment: Is the most important purpose of technology today different from what it was in the past? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. January 2008 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is better to try to be original than to merely imitate others. People should always try to say, write, think, or create something new.There is little value in merely repeating what has been done before. People who merel y copy or use the ideas and inventions of others, no matter how successful they may be, have never achieved anything significant. Assignment: Is it always better to be original than to imitate or use the ideas of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.Often we see people who persist in trying to achieve a particular goal, even when all the evidence indicates that they will be unlikely to achieve it. When they succeed, we consider them courageous for having overcome impossible obstacles. But when they fail, we think of them as headstrong, foolhardy, and bent on self-destruction. To many people, great effort is only worthwhile when it results in success. Adapted from Gilbert Brim, â€Å"Ambition† Assignment: Is the effor t involved in pursuing any goal valuable, even if the goal is not reached? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Newness has become our obsession. Novelty is more interesting to us than continuing with whatever is â€Å"tried and true. † We discard the old so we can acquire the most recent model, the latest version, the newest and most improved formula. Often, we replace what is useful just because it is no longer new. Not only with material goods but also with cultural values, we prefer whatever is the latest trend.Assignment: Should people always prefer new things, ideas, or values to those of the past? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and ex amples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Since we live in a global society, surely we should view ourselves as citizens of the whole world. But instead, people choose to identify and associate with smaller and more familiar groups.People think of themselves as belonging to families, nations, cultures, and generations—or as belonging to smaller groups whose members share ideas, views, or common experiences. All of these kinds of groups may offer people a feeling of security but also prevent them from learning or experiencing anything new. Assignment: Is there any value for people to belong only to a group or groups with which they have something in common? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Marc h 2008 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Organizations or groups that share a common goal often mention teamwork as their secret to success by insisting that people in the group work together for the good of the entire group. However, by requiring each individual to accept the decisions of the others in the group, organizations may discourage the expression of individual talent. Ultimately, a group is most successful when all of its members are encouraged to pursue their own goals and interests.Assignment: Are organizations or groups most successful when their members pursue individual wishes and goals? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Being loyal—faithful or dedicated to someone or something—is not always easy. People often have conflicting loyalties, and there are no guidelines that help them decide to what or whom they should be loyal.Moreover, people are often loyal to something bad. Still, loyalty is one of the essential attributes a person must have and must demand of others. Adapted from James Carville, Stickin': The Case for Loyalty Assignment: Should people always be loyal? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Winning feels forever fabulous.But you can learn more from losing than from winning. Losing prepares you for setback and tragedy more than winning ever can. Moreover, loss invites reflection and a change of strategies. In the process of re covering from your losses, you learn how to avoid them the next time. Adapted from Pat Conroy, My Losing Season Assignment: Do people learn more from losing than from winning? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.