The Role of the Vice President free essay sample

This paper traces the role of the vice president and how it has changed over the years. It discusses how a vice president is chosen, how his role has grown over the years and how he is just a heartbeat away from the president. The Vice President of the United States has to be ready at any time to take over the country in case of an emergency. The vice president must be ready to become president or acting president in a moments notice if the president becomes seriously ill, dies, resigns, or is removed from office. Out of the fourteen vice presidents that have become president, eight have become president because of death, and one because of a presidents resignation. None of the vice presidents expected to become president on such a short notice, but due to death and a resignation they fulfilled their job as acting president very well. We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of the Vice President or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The other vice presidents who became President of the U.S. were not as lucky to have their president die or removed from office (World Book # 1).

Significant experience essays

Significant experience essays A significant experience in my life " As we all know life is full of experiences and expeditions. Some of the experiences are really significant where as others remaining unaffecting to our life. Once my friends and I decided our journey on foot in a hilly country. We thought a journey on foot in a hilly country is more exciting and pleasant than a journey by train or plane. I realized the truth of the fact by experience and the pleasure is still green in my memory. In addition to that, the most truthful thing is the lesson I got from there, which has strengthened my character. As we were on our journey we stopped a moment at the foot of the hill for rest when we saw the inexhaustible wealth of nature. The panorama of the country and the contact with its people help to remove false impression about the land and its people. Seen our own eyes we carry with us a true picture of the land and a correct view about its people. At the moment, I could not find out the mood of the nature. How could the people out there be? It was still mystery for me. We were going uphill, but the feast of the eye did not make us feel the fatigue of the trek. Looking back from the peak we had a birds eye-view of the valley and the picturesque scene of the Himalayas kissing the sky. At sunset we reached a small village. We stared in the house of an old acquaintance. The landlady was extremely old and she could hardly recognize the people. We were surprised to see her showing a warm welcome for us. She provided us food made of the best food grains she could have in the village home. But to us it was the coarsest stuff we had ever taken. Even though there was the warmth of the love by the old woman. We couldnt believe the situation; she led us to a small-congested room for rest where she difficultly unrolled some worn out poor beddings for us. We found the old woman exactly opposite ...

Increase Motivation for Reading through Choice

Increase Motivation for Reading through Choice When the headlines report  that  the overall average reading score of 8th students in 2015 declined in comparison to the previous assessment in 2013, there was a chorus of educators who  most likely responded: But...they just dont want to read! The report released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is considered a benchmark on the academic progress of an estimated  60 million secondary students  attending private and public middle and high schools in the United States. The most recent statistics on these students indicate that there is a significant drop in reading proficiency levels in grades 7-12. For example, only 34 percent of 8th graders (2015) scored at or above proficient levels on the, the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment. This NAEP data also shows a disturbing trend, with reading scores of eighth graders across demographic groups declining from 2013 to 2015. The report confirms what secondary teachers have been saying anecdotally, that  both high and low achieving students are often unmotivated to read. This lack of motivation has been also explored as a cultural problem in David Denbys New Yorker article, Do Teens Read Seriously Anymore?  and illustrated in an  infographic created by Common Sense Media  (2014) titled  Children, Teens and Reading. Perhaps it is no surprise to researchers that the decline in reading proficiency coincides with a decline with student autonomy or choice in reading materials. That decline in choice is created by an increase in teacher control of reading materials at the higher grade levels.   TheyWere Once Readers In the elementary grades, students are given the opportunity to develop a sense of autonomy in reading choice; they are allowed and encouraged to independently select books to read. There is explicit instruction in making good choices in lessons that explain how to judge a   just right book using questions such as: Are there more than five words on a page you don’t know?Are you confused about what is happening in most of this book? This autonomy contributes to the growth of a reader. According to J.T.  Guthrie, et al, in the research brief Reading Motivation and Reading Comprehension Growth in the Later Elementary Years, (2007)  published in  Contemporary Educational Psychology: Children who valued choosing their own books subsequently developed elaborate strategies for selecting books and reported being more intrinsically motivated readers. By giving their students a choice of reading materials in the early grades, elementary teachers increase academic independence and motivation.   However, in most school systems, a students choice of reading material lessens as he or she moves up to the middle and high school grades. Assessment and Standards are Factors By the time a student moves into the middle grades, the  emphasis is on on discipline specific reading materials, as seen in the recommendation by the English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards in  Literacy  (Key Design Considerations) . This recommendation has resulted in an increase in the reading percentage of nonfiction or informational texts in all disciplines, not just ELA: By grade 8, reading materials should be 45% literary fiction and 55% informational texts;By the time students graduate, reading materials should be 30% literary fiction and 70% informational texts.   These same education researchers,  Guthrie et al, have also published an e-book (2012)  Motivation, achievement, and Classroom Contexts for Information Book Reading, to  document their pursuit of what motivates students to read and what classroom contexts best promote motivation. They note in their e-book that because schools are seeing an increase in educational accountability at different levels and there are a variety of  reading materials are assigned in all subject areas so that teachers can take formal and frequent evaluations of their students. Much of this reading material used for accountability, however, is dull: Middle school students overwhelmingly describe the information texts they read in science classes as boring, irrelevant, and difficult to understand- hardly a recipe for positive motivation to read this material. The researchers who argue for student autonomy agree that  student interest in reading independently (for fun) diminishes  when teachers overly control reading topics or materials. This is especially true for low achieving students. Researcher  Carol Gordon noted  that for this population of adolescents, student attitude is another factor. She explains: Since low-achievers typically do not read voluntarily outside of school, most of their reading is mandated. These students express anger and defiance, as indicated by survey data. In many cases, low achievers don’t really hate to read- they hate to be told what to read. Paradoxically, low-achieving students are the population that would benefit the most from an increase in voluntary reading. To counter the recent drops in reading proficiency, educators need to stop telling students, high and low-achieving, what to read so that students can develop develop ownership over their reading choices. Choice Motivates Students to Read One of the best ways to move beyond assigning all reading is for teachers to provide time in the academic day for voluntary reading of texts for extended periods of time. There may be objections to the use of already dedicated academic time, but the research indicates that time spent reading in school improves academic performance. This is true even for the light or fun reading of young adult literature.  Gordon explains that the  practice of free voluntary reading is not only conducive to reading motivation, [but] it actually works better than direct instruction. She cites Stephen Krashens work (2004) with 54 students, with 51 of those students who scored higher on reading tests than similar students given traditional skill-based reading instruction. Another compelling  argument for providing time in the school day to reading practice is the comparison  to the practice necessary one needs to do in order to become proficient at a sport; the increased number of practice hours increases performance. Even 10 minutes a day of reading can have dramatic effects by simply exposing students to multiple texts text. Researcher  M.J. Adams (2006) developed a data breakdown that illustrates how ten minutes of daily book reading in middle school will increase a student’s exposure to print by about 700,000 words each year. This exposure surpasses the amount of reading currently done by the same grade level students who are performing at the 70th percentile.   To facilitate student voluntary reading, students need access to reading materials that allow for their choice of reading materials. Independent reading libraries in classrooms can help students generate a sense of agency. Students can discover and share authors, explore topics in the  genres that appeal to them, and improve their reading habits. Create Independent Classroom Libraries The publisher Scholastic produced a report, Kids Family Reading Report (5th edition, 2014) As a publisher of children and young adult literature, Scholastic has a vested interest in increasing the number of readers across the country. In their research based on student polling, they found that in populations aged 12-17,  78% of frequent readers who read books for fun 5-7 times per week are provided time and choice in contrast to the 24% of the infrequent readers who are not provided time or choice. Scholastic also noted that choice for adolescents requires easy access to a wide range of interesting texts. One of their recommendations was that school districts must begin to put money into texts and   allocate funds for high-interest books. They recommend that independent reading libraries should be developed with student input as the critical resource for increasing reading proficiency. Another proponent for independent reading is   Penny Kittle,  an  English teacher and literacy coach at Kennett High School in North Conway, New Hampshire. She has written  Book Love.  a popular guide to helping secondary students read independently. In this guide,  Kittle offers strategies to help teachers, particularly English Language Arts teachers, to increase the volume of what students read and to deepen student thinking about what they read. She offers advice on how to build up those classroom libraries including  grant writing   or applications to  Donor’s Choose  or  The Book Love Foundation. Asking for multiple copies of texts from book clubs and going to warehouse, garage, and library sales are also great ways to grow the classroom libraries. Developing a good relationship with the school library is also important, and students should be encourages to recommend texts for purchase. Finally, teachers can look for the numerous options available wi th e-texts. Choice: ADesired Option The research concludes that there are millions of students who do not have the rudimentary reading skills that are needed to locate relevant information or make simple inferences. Without the necessary literacy skills for college or career, students may be retained in school or drop out of high school.   The consequences for underdeveloped literacy to the student and to the economic welfare of the country can mean the collective loss of billions of dollars in wages and earnings over a lifetime. Secondary educators need to guide students to associate reading with enjoyment and a worthwhile activity by offering choice. This association can result in making reading a desired option; to make students want to read. The benefits of allowing and encouraging students to make choices about reading will last beyond   school careers and throughout their lives.

Social identity theory of intergroup conflict Essay

Social identity theory of intergroup conflict - Essay Example Based on the findings in accordance to the mentioned aspects, further explanation has been provided in respect of the behavioural implications of Social Identity Theory. Definition of Identity As explained in the Identity Theory in Walumbwa & et. al. (2011), the term ‘Identity’ is quite challenging to be defined with the use of a momentary and acceptable statement that can succinctly hold the range of its meaning. Conceptually, ‘identity’, as a term, refers to the social categories and sources of an individual’s self-respect or dignity at the same time, which often becomes a major driver of intergroup disputes. To put it in simple words, identity is the combination of what features a person or a thing beholds, i.e. the uniformity of a person or a thing at all the time. According to the study of Gao & Riley (2010), the identity features in a person commonly involves certain attributes that may be termed as â€Å"internal stickiness†, which at a broader context can be examined to hinder psychological knowledge ownership of a person and raise issues in terms of ‘possessiveness’. ... characteristic attributes or social behaviour or (b) may refer to socially distinctive features those are identifiable when a person deciphers a degree of pride in his/her attitude in a manner that is somewhat unchangeable but socially consequential, or (a) and (b) at once. The social identity theory expands the meaning of ‘Identity’ to a broader realm, which is completely different from the captured definition of the term in dictionary (Walumbwa & et. al., 2011). Notably, these two major attributes (a) and (b) differ from one group to another, reflecting through the individual role performances and hence, are likely to become a major reason of intergroup conflict (Walumbwa & et. al., 2011). Correspondingly, it can be argued that studying identity shall contribute towards the mitigation of intergroup conflicts and therefore contribute to a healthier relationship amid the group members. Significance of studying Identity in understanding intergroup conflicts The social ide ntity theory differentiates personal identity and social identity explaining that personal identity is an explanation and estimation of oneself in terms of idiosyncratic personal attributes or one’s specific relationship with other people. On the contrary, social identity is a description and valuation of oneself in relation to shared attributes that expresses the specific group’s membership one belongs to (Schwartz, 2011). As explained by Kraus (2011), social identity works as a member of group, and not as an individual. In self-identity, therefore, there is no outside influence to control an individual’s perspective one way or the other, whereas in social identity, a person’s self-identity is combined with the group’s identity, to which one belongs and becomes more aware of what they

Case Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case Analysis - Assignment Example warrant of habitability that apartment leased is fit and habitable for human habitation (Implied Warranty of Habitability: http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/implied-warranty-of-habitability-lawyers.html). There has been a violation of this implied warrant when the roof started leaking and the Lessor made no effort to repair the same. 2. The action of Violet is justified. The tenant has a right under the doctrine of Constructive Eviction to terminate the lease contract for the apartment has become unsuitable for the purpose for which it was leased. â€Å"Under this doctrine the tenant is given the right to vacate the lease without further rent obligation, if she does so promptly after giving the landlord reasonable notice and opportunity to correct the problem.† (Mallor, Barnes. Brewers & Langvardt; Business Law: The Ethica, Global, and E- Commmerce Environment 13th ed. McGraw –Hill companies 2007 p.

Sociological Perspectives Institution Of The Family

Sociological Perspectives Institution Of The Family Society is the subject of the social sciences. Generally Speaking society is that complex social organization of human beings that share an identity inhabiting dynamic relationships and a distinctive culture. Members of a society identify themselves through that society and work together with other members to ensure that the rules generally agreed upon by all members to govern how they relate to each other are in place. Sociological perspectives are viewpoints from which we study and understand society and its varied mechanics and elements. There are varied sociological perspectives available to social scientists for the purpose of study. What sociological perspective is used depends on the theories and purposes of the one undertaking the study. Functionalism, Conflict theory, and Social Interactionism are sociological perspectives that I believe can be used to study the social unit of the family. Functionalism looks at the family as if it was one mechanical entity with every member of the family taking on a role and a function affecting the whole. For example, the mother is the nurturer, support to the husband in terms of keeping the family together taking on household duties as well as economic duties; the father, traditionally is head of the family whose primary function is to provide for the economic and financial needs of his wife and children; the children are dependent on their parents but take on an important role towards each other and to their parents. What these roles are vary according to the age of the children and their stage in life. In the elder years of their parents, the children are expected to become the nurturer and provider for their parents, a role reversal of sorts. Since a functionalist perspectives focuses on roles/functions, when a family is in a state of conflict, the dynamics of family function can be looked at to pinpoint the areas of issue/tension for the purpose of finding solutions. Now, from a functionalist perspective, how can a member of a family view self and society? First off, the self-view will be rooted in function and expectations. The father for example will view himself as one who must provide for and protect his family based on standard expectations of what fathers do and what fatherhood means in the society he belongs to. He will view society as one of function and structure as well where his family makes up a unit integral to the functioning social groups he/his family belongs. Roles then will become part of the expected mental images a functionalist perspective gives in terms of viewing family and society. Thus, the roles of mother, father, daughter, son, aunt, uncle, grandparents, cousins all these are based on social and cultural standards. This extend s out to expected roles functions of key individuals in society as well as social groups (i.e. Priest, teachers, politicians, employers, church, government, businesses, etc.). In terms of social change, if change is systemic, it will be based on or will have to be rooted in the need to overhaul or effect a particular function for the purpose of adapting to or surviving challenges, conflicts or trends. Take for example the trend of and the established need to adapt to new communication technologies (3G phones, mobile internet). Once families used to not need such technologies to keep track of and keep in touch with family members to nurture relationships and fulfil obligations. Now though, parents and children have adapted digital technology in their lives to harness the function of connectivity and communication providing new avenues for family connectedness. On Symbolic Interactionism Symbolic interactionism as a perspective on the other hand looks at the micro relationships between family members looking at their everyday life and the relationship all members have with each other. It seeks to find out the finer details of social relationships in order to understand why they work/dont work. It seeks to see whether families attach certain meanings to social stereotypes in relation to their expectations from each other. At the same time it also seeks to understand how each other come to mean in the lives, choices and interpretations of each member. It seeks to establish the strength and frailty of familial relationships by providing details. It is different from functionalism in that it focuses on quality meaning of relationships instead of function alone. While functionalism sees the family as an organic entity that follows a unique structure according to role designation within the family-group, symbolic interactionism gives more weight to the function of relat ionships in the family structure. For example, the importance of family bonds can be measured in the way family members act towards each other. For Herbert Blumer (1986), the originator of the theory, familial relationships are best understood via the discourses and interactions of family members in their relationships towards each other for meaning is created via this, relationships built, conflicts resolved, positions taken. In other words, this sociological perspective is a discursive microscope that can create a genealogy of family relations and provide a picture of shared beliefs and unique family behaviour that contribute (or due to lack of prohibits from creating) towards a shared family culture and identity. What does this mean for members of a family? It is in discourse that meaning is created. Cultures and traditions of families are built over interaction and shared histories. Without interaction, meaning and relationships cannot be built. For individual members of the fam ily then, family is viewed as a dynamic and continual interaction with each other that allow for meanings and symbolisms to be invested and shared by those who interact. For example, a father can only be a father if he interacts with his children to fulfil his own expectations of himself as a father to his children and if the children respond to him in such a way that the interaction establishes a communication exchange, a discourse where father and children find meaning in each other. Therefore while the father works to provide for his children, without interaction, this relationship is not socially established in meaning making familial relations between father and children non-existent. Society from this perspective is seen as a massive social structure where truth and structures are established based on discourse; without interaction, without discourse, there is no progress especially in terms of shared cultural practices. A family vested in social interaction sees active relati onships as essential in establishing bonds and social change, at least within the family will only happen via discourse. For example, a status qou must be arrived at via discourse in which members of the family have come to agree or view a particular position or necessary action similarly to warrant collective shift in approaches or performance of a particular action. The Conflict Theory Conflict theory, a perspective rooted in the ideas of Emile Durkheim (social conflict crime) Karl Marx (dialectical materialism/Marxism) looks into differentials of power how power, influence and authority influences the distribution of access to resources, for example, in a particular social group. Hence, it is a good perspective in the study of criminology for it can be used to pinpoint the source/forces behind criminality due to access/lack of access to power economic resources. As a perspective in understanding the social unit of the family however, conflict theory can be used to understand the power relations in the family the hierarchy of family authority and control. Thus the use of conflict theory in the study of the family unit can be said to focus on the negative aspects of family structure and relations; at the same time however such a focus can it also bring out the relations of gender, of power and of control. Eventually, it is easy enough to identify who controls w hat and which in the family in order to assign responsibility and correct social and relationship conflict. Conflict theory is a tool used in identifying family issues in order to find ways to fix them. For instance, if a teen is having issues with his/her parents, conflict theory can be used to analyze and pinpoint the source of friction in order to ascertain remedies in fixing parent and child relations. In the case of extended families that are so typical in parts of Asia (i.e. Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam) wherein extended families allow economic and social support for members of the clan that cannot otherwise support themselves, their children and their needs, conflict theory is perfect in unravelling the relations of power and control including identifying factions, matriarchy patriarchy patterns and areas of resolution (especially if the conflict theory is taken on to resolve a familial issue). Members of a family using the conflict theory can be viewed as so cial agents differentiated by their access to power and resources. Hence, they are essentially competing with each other. A family member can look into ones position in the family to assess his or her access to influence, power and resources to determine his/her position in the family. If parents, for example are fair, and if the mother and the father see each other as equals then in the decisions that they make, this is reflected. But if this is not the case, if the father has more say in family matters including economic issues, then there is a differential between husband and wife in terms of familial authority. If all children in the family are treated the same and given similar opportunities, then one can say that access to resources and authority is fair; but if one is treated better than the other then there is definitely a differential in terms of access to power and resources between children. Members of families who view their primary grouping as one of competition for res ources (i.e. one of conflict) sees society as a bigger representation of their own issues to resources and authority within their families. They will view society as an intensely competitive social arena where to survive; one must be adept in working towards more power and access to resources via structures like schools, government and civilian organizations (businesses, NGOs, private firms). Social change is inevitable for status qou will change dependent on the sway of power at any given time. From this perspective, society is continually changing and power changes hands regularly due to competition. Word Count:1,729

Market Entry Strategy Essay

Limited Brands, parent company to Bath and Body, currently employs an integrated marketing plan for its distribution of the Bath and Body product line (L Brand International Strategy 2014, Para 1). This strategy could be combined with the prospect of a joint venture for a successful expansion into the United Kingdom market. Integrated marketing channels can be challenging to manage but they are the most effective way to connect marketing and customer service, providing benefits for both company and consumer (Ellis, 2011). A successful integrated market entry strategy starts and ends with a focus on customers. The needs of the customer must be the top priority, because the success of the company depends on the loyalty of the customers it attracts (Ellis, 2011). Bath and Body is already a well-recognized brand in many different parts of the world, providing a starting point for market entry (L Brand International Brand, 2014, Para 2). It is also important for this strategy to be effective that all aspects of the company from manufacturing, distribution, and sales are operating together. This step requires effective constant communication. Each channel to the customer has strengths and weaknesses, using the strengths of one to offset the weakness of another will assist the company’s customer effectiveness while reducing overall costs (Ellis, 2011). Bath and Body has a well-established product chain that provides products at many price points. This allows for the expansion to test different markets with smaller trials, then capitalize on the areas where customers purchasing. SWOT Analysis The method of measuring a companies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is SWOT analysis. This method assist companies in making decisions by providing decision makers a straightforward way to analysis both internal and external information pertaining to company operations or potential expansions (SWOT Analysis, 2014). Analysis of potential expansion to the United Kingdom by Bath and Body provides potential strengths of recognized brand imaging, reasonable price points compared to current options, customer loyalty, and providing of job opportunities in a recovering market. Weaknesses include competitive market, department stores  carrying similar products, and the lack of a green product line. Market opportunities include the availability of e-commerce, social media, and understanding of the market. Threats include outside competition, lower priced products in market, and a recovering economy. References Ellis, D. (2011, September 7). 5 components of a successful integrated marketing strategy. Social Media Today. Retrieved on February 28, 2014, from http://socialmediatoday.com/debraellis/352405/5-components-successful-integrated-marketing-strategy L Brands. (2014). International Strategy. Retrieved on February 28, 2014 from http://www.lb.com/international/strategy/default.aspx SWOT Analysis. (2014). Investopedia. Retrieved on February 28, 2014, from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/swot.asp