Ccontemporary Epistemological Research in Education Essay

ABSTRACT. In this article the authors challenge contemporary epistemological research within educational settings. After a reconciliation of the current models which treat epistemological beliefs as static and mechanical, the authors present a teaching experience to illustrate their enactivist view that epistemological beliefs should be conceptualized as fluid and dynamic constructs, emerging in web-like configurations. Answers to epistemological questions unfold within the interstices and mutual interactions between people and their environment. Boundaries between student–teacher, individual–community, cognition–bodily experience are becoming blurred. From this enactivist perspective the researcher’s role changes considerably. Instead of determining teachers’ personal traits and epistemological make-up, the researcher should sensitize teachers to the subtle ways epistemological beliefs are enmeshed within their day-to-day professional lives, focusing on the complex fabric of the teaching practice. KEY WORDS: contemporary epistemological research, education, enactivism, lived experiences, personal epistemology. We rehearse information, but perform meaning. Information is like the web of links in a wire fence; Meaning is like the cascade of waves on a mountain stream. Cliff Crego (2002)  © 2002 picture-poems. com THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY Copyright  © 2008 Sage Publications. VOL. 18(1): 27–45 DOI: 10. 1177/0959354307086921 http://tap. sagepub. com Downloaded from http://tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 28. THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) What is the true nature of knowledge, and how does a person come to know? These questions first became subject of psychological investigation in the late 1960s through the seminal work of Perry (1968). Today, these questions are studied under the umbrella of research on personal epistemology (Hofer & Pintrich, 2002). Personal epistemology has come to be seen as the common denominator for research done within this field and as a term signifying individual conceptions of knowledge and knowing. These conceptions are referred to by many disparate labels, of which the most commonly used term is ‘epistemological belief’. Other labels are: epistemological posture, epistemological resource, and ways of knowing (Niessen, Vermunt, Abma, Widdershoven, & van der Vleuten, 2004). Because the term ‘(epistemological) belief’ is already more broadly used within (educational) psychology and thus easy to associate with, we will use this term throughout the article when referring to issues of knowledge and knowing. Within this article we provide a cognitive psychological and an enactivist account of epistemological beliefs and claim that the differences between both are ultimately reflected in Crego’s distinction between the rehearsing of information and performing of meaning. We will apply the enactivist perspective to an interview segment to enable deeper understanding of teaching practice. The application of the enactivist account to this case has the character of a hermeneutic circle. This means that the enactivist account provides us with a background view that enables us to understand teachers’ experiences more fully. At the same time, the process of application is also a practice of opening up and being caught by new insights while interpreting. These insights might alter our epistemological perspective. This study is part of a larger ongoing investigation to understand the phenomenon of resistance by teachers to a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) environment using the epistemological perspective as our interpretive framework. PBL, in short, is an instructional method that, contrary to frontal teaching, chooses not to instruct students directly, but to facilitate the process in which students themselves and in collaboration with each other learn the necessary knowledge and skills by working on real-life problems. The role of the teacher is paramount to the success of this method. This is why the example used throughout this article highlights a teacher (Josie) who is situated within a PBL course. In the following we will first present the fragment taken from the interview with Josie. In this fragment she talks about her struggle to introduce a group of new staff members to ProblemBased Learning. We will also provide a more in-depth linguistic, methodological, and ontological characterization to contemporary epistemological research. Finally the contours of the enactivist perspective will be drawn in more detail. Josie’s Case Interviewer (I): How would you describe yourself as a trainer? Josie (J): I always try to get the group excited about PBL. Downloaded from http://tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. NIESSEN ET AL.: EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATION 29 I: How do you do that? J: By trying to get everybody involved. At the same time, this is a potential pitfall. For instance, in a training session last week there was a group of student tutors and this group was really very critical, because they had attended other PBL courses. That was when I found myself trying to create more structure—that’s where I felt inadequate, because there were so many people with so much experience. In these instances it’s important to offer students guidelines and structure. You should be able to deviate from this structure—but only in those cases when it’s possible. Some teachers see this very clearly. Personally, I tend to create structure together with the group—on the spot. With some groups this works out just fine and with other groups it would have been better if I had provided a clear structure from the start. We would have come further. I: Students get restless? J: No, yes, well, there’s too much input and too few conclusions. I think that’s a major thing in PBL—it’s a major issue that too often, maybe, no actual conclusion is reached. That’s really what I think is probably my own shortcoming, something that as a student I thought was missing in the system. That structure—the framework in which you work. I: What does this framework look like—what is it made of? Do you know what I mean? J: A connecting thread. I: You say that on the one hand you’re trying to find this thread —and you want to connect it with the experiences of the participants—but that’s difficult because their experiences are so diverse and a common theme is hard to discern. J: Well, maybe that’s because there just isn’t one single thread and because PBL is based on the assumption that the available knowledge is relative. So you cannot say there’s one single solution to a particular problem. The important thing is that you are working towards a solution. Josie (a pseudonym) is a junior teacher trainer at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. She was one out of a group of 10 teacher trainers and 9 new staff members of Maastricht University in the Netherlands who were interviewed about their experiences with PBL, their concerns and unresolved issues. The participants we interviewed came from different departments of Maastricht University and differed considerably in experience with PBL, general attitude towards teaching, general teaching experience, and opinion about the value of PBL for student learning. Despite the marked differences in background and experience among the interviewees, Josie was not the only one who presented a complex and multilayered experience. Looking at other participants’ day-to-day teaching experiences, we similarly encountered varied and multilayered stories. This phenomenon is neither strange nor new. Studies by Perry (1968) and Lyons (1990), but also more recently from Phillion and Connelly (2004), show us that when researchers turn their attention to actual teaching experiences, the presented picture of teaching and epistemological beliefs is more textured and complex. The Downloaded from http://tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 30 THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) selection of this particular segment has been guided by the potential to learn from it about the role of epistemological beliefs in teaching. According to Stake (1994), ‘the potential for learning is a different and sometimes superior criterion to representativeness’ (p. 243). The fragment shows how Josie is struggling with the question: ‘How do these students come to know? ’ In the interview, Josie as a teacher trainer talks about her ideas and ideals of student involvement within her courses. She says that in some situations she finds it difficult to realize these ideals. She refers to her attempts to structure group sessions. She thinks that in order to do so, she has to develop ‘a connecting thread’ that will enable the group to achieve a sense of closure. This metaphor nicely illustrates Josie’s narrative approach to teaching. Her goal is to develop, together with the group, a storyline with a beginning, middle, and an ending. She expects that this jointly developed plot will enable the group to close the session in a satisfactory way. Josie’s ideas and strategy implicitly characterize her epistemological approach to one of the key questions in epistemology: ‘How does a person come to know? ’, or ‘How should this group of students come to know? ’ We can see an answer emerging from the confrontation between her ideals, her self-image, and the group with its characteristics. When she says ‘It’s in these instances that it’s important to offer students guidelines and structure’, she refers to her failed attempt to provide guidance, which, to her, was necessary to give the group a satisfactory sense of closure. This experience appears to have triggered a slight change in her epistemological outlook. Instead of her a priori assumption that students should be regarded as knowledgeable others, who will work together with the teacher to create a common thread, she now thinks that the group process also depends on her ability accurately to estimate the amount of prior experience that students bring to the course and her own experience and skills. Josie’s rapport with the group of students is coloured by her ideals about student involvement. It is also with this particular group of students, who have so ‘much experience’, that she discovers the failure of her usual strategy, i. e. developing a structure ‘on the spot’ together with the group. In her own words: ‘Their experiences are so diverse and a common theme is hard to find. ’ As a result she is confused and forced to reassess her epistemological ideal of student involvement in light of the concrete situation. Looking back on this experience, she reflects on the epistemological perspective underlying PBL and in doing so realizes that there isn’t just one single solution to a problem and that all knowledge can make a contribution. The lived experiences of Josie as a teacher are interpreted as an indication that the epistemological questions can only be meaningfully understood when they are placed within the context of the story that defines the situation as a whole. To put it in more general terms, in order to assess a situation epistemologically or Downloaded from http://tap.sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. NIESSEN ET AL. : EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATION 31 make sense of teachers’ experiences epistemologically, we need to take account of the circumstances that constitute each new teaching situation. In Josie’s case these circumstances included her conviction that a common thread had to be identified, her skills to get the group to do this, the group size and group members’ varied experience. We would assert that her epistemological belief is essentially ‘indexical’ (Roth, Lawless, & Tobin, 2000), meaning that it is significant only as seen from within the concrete circumstances in which it arises. In the following section we will focus on the contrast between this view of epistemological beliefs and the prevailing views in contemporary epistemological research. Contemporary Epistemological Research Although the term ‘contemporary epistemological research’ suggests that there is a unified research domain, there are in fact different movements to which researchers within the domain of personal epistemology may turn. These movements may be referred to as ‘trait-oriented’, ‘theory-minded’, and ‘resource-oriented’. This means that researchers typify epistemological beliefs respectively as traits, theories, or resources (Hammer & Elby, 2002). Although we agree with Hammer and Elby that there are some important differences among these movements, we also discern an important mutual characteristic: all are rooted in cognitive psychology. This seems to offer an interesting perspective for an analysis and characterization of the field as a whole, because it would go to the very heart of research on epistemological beliefs regardless of the particular movement. In our view, Crego’s phrase ‘rehearsal of information’ very aptly captures the essence of contemporary epistemological research in relation to three interrelated angles: language, methodology, and ontology. Linguistic Idiosyncrasies of Contemporary Epistemological Research A striking linguistic characteristic of the cognitive psychological discourse about the foundations of thinking and believing is a marked preference for the use of nouns (Saljo, 2002). Since contemporary epistemological research is grounded in cognitive psychology, this characteristic is also discernible in epistemological research. The phenomenon addressed within epistemological research can be denoted by different labels: epistemological belief (Duell & Schommer-Aikins, 2001; Hofer, 2000; Hofer & Pintrich, 1997, 2002; Schommer, 1994, 1998b), epistemological position (Perry, 1968, 1988); epistemological theory (Hofer, 2000; Hofer & Pintrich, 1997, 2002), epistemological standard Downloaded from http://tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 32 THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) (Ryan, 1984a, 1984b), epistemological resource (Hammer & Elby, 2002), epistemological style (Martin, Silva, Newman, & Thayer, 1994), epistemological reflection (Baxter Magolda, 1992, 1994, 1996), epistemological posture (Desaultes & Larochelle, 1997), epistemological orientation (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986), epistemological antecedent (Powell, 1996), and ways of knowing (Belenky et al. , 1986). The worrisome aspect of the predominance of nouns as the building blocks for thinking and believing is that it creates the impression that people’s capacities and ideas should be conceived of as unchanging objects (Saljo, 2002). Nouns distract our attention from the processes in which epistemological constructs can be seen to emerge. Nouns denote a final state as opposed to a process in which actions and thoughts are continuously taking shape and modifying each other. The idea of stability is reinforced by the tendency to represent epistemological beliefs as stable cognitive traits or theories (Hammer & Elby, 2002). Epistemological beliefs are seen as trait-like or theory-like features which are stored and acted upon inside the brain. From an epistemological trait perspective, individuals’ beliefs and ideas about epistemology tend to cohere into stable ‘positions’ or ‘levels’, ‘phases’ or ‘stages’, which can be distinguished from other ‘levels’ and ‘phases’ with regards to organization and quality. They are seen as declarative knowledge to which a person has conscious and articulate access. In epistemological theories, beliefs are perceived as being structured in this way (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997, 2002). Congruent with the tendency to see epistemological beliefs as stable and object-like traits or theories stored within the individual mind, most researchers tend to refer to epistemological beliefs in terms of ‘individuals having them’ (Pehkonen & Torner, 1999). Another feature within Western society that reinforces thinking about epistemological beliefs as objects and unchanging is the linguistic tendency to typify mental phenomena dichotomously, i. e. as belonging to either–or categories (Amstutz, 1999; Davis & Sumara, 1997). Examples of such dichotomies are: mental–physical, internal–external, individual–collective (Davis & Sumara, 2001; Heft, 2001). Membership of one category precludes membership of the other one of the pair. This divisive either/or mode of thinking reinforces the image of people as unchanging. Something or someone is or is not of some category. According to Langer (1989, 1997), divisive thinking has this effect when people take categories or opposites literally or without mindful attention. She calls for heedful and critical thinking in which mindless acceptance of categories is regarded as the opposite of powerful learning. We think that a contemporary interpretation with a language that treats epistemological beliefs as stable and trait-like or object-like has trouble interpreting the epistemological picture that arises from teachers’ concrete perspectives. When we analyse Josie’s account and realize that she tunes into the situation as a process that unfolds in interaction with the group, we realize Downloaded from http://tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. NIESSEN ET AL. : EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATION 33 that the boundaries between individual–collective, self–other, and internal–external are not clear-cut. They are fuzzy, blurred, and overlapping, and we see no clearly outlined either/or distinctions. We think epistemological beliefs should be better conceived of as emerging characterizations within a process of mutual adaptation, such as in Josie’s attempts to tune in to the ideas of the group and to her own and reconcile them. Because this process unfolds concurrently with the teaching process, it cannot be fully anticipated a priori or even as it is being enacted. To us, this view is compatible with a concept of epistemological beliefs as continuously unfolding processes, like waves cascading down a mountain stream. Just as the water and the mountain are being shaped and reshaped in their continuous interaction, so is the answer to the epistemological question ‘How do these students come to know? ’ being rephrased under the influence of interaction in a concrete teaching situation. Particularities Regarding the Methodology within a Contemporary Epistemological Perspective Characterizing the methodologies that are used in contemporary epistemological research, we see an equally differentiated array of instruments: production-type tasks, open-ended interviews, vignettes, observations, illstructured problems, and Likert-type questionnaires (Duell & SchommerAikins, 2001). What is striking to us is that despite this diversity, epistemological beliefs research is exceptionally unitary in its preference for using the individual and his or her beliefs, knowledge, desires, and attitudes as the unit of analysis (Lyons, 1990). We think this preference is congruent with the predilection for nouns emphasizing the object-oriented way of thinking; it seems to us that an orientation towards epistemological beliefs as object-like has been (tacitly) operative in the development of instruments that are used to study them as personal and stable traits or theories. We notice that an orientation to the individual is especially recognizable in questionnaire (Likert-type) studies and standardized interview studies. Despite growing criticism of questionnaire studies, they have been and continue to be an important method in studies of epistemological beliefs (Duell & Schommer-Aikins, 2001). Part of their popularity seems to be attributable to their easy and quick administration. Nevertheless, Hammer and Elby (2002) reveal a fundamental problem when they point out that item formulation is often far removed from day-today teaching practice while at the same time it is assumed to pertain to these contexts (see, e. g., Schommer, 1998a; questionnaire: ‘Nothing is certain but death and taxes’). According to Hammer and Elby, this is neither true nor Downloaded from http://tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 34 THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) viable when made explicit. Most epistemological studies ask participants direct questions about their beliefs, often by presenting epistemological statements and asking them to rate their agreement/disagreement on a Likert scale. For example, students may be asked whether they agree or disagree that ‘the best thing about science courses is that most problems have one right answer’ (Schommer, 1990, p. 499); ‘the science principles in the textbooks will always be true’ (Songer & Linn, 1991, p. 769); or ‘knowledge in physics consists of many pieces of information, each of which applies primarily to a specific situation’ (Redish, Saul, & Steinberg, 1998, p. 217). It is only by a presumption of unitarity that the results of these studies may be considered to apply to all contexts of learning (Hammer & Elby, 2002). However, the item formulation must be generic to preserve internal congruence throughout the whole study. It would be incongruent to perceive of epistemological beliefs as stable traits or theories but apply highly context-specific or dialogical research methods. A generic item formulation makes perfect sense given the a priori position that epistemological beliefs are stable phenomena. Epistemological beliefs are seen as tangible features and measured congruently. They can therefore be conceived of as entities that impact on teaching behaviour linearly, i. e.cause exists as an inherent constituent of epistemological beliefs. Contemporary cognitive epistemological research is concerned with the search for explanations of the epistemological perspective in order to predict and control students’ and teachers’ behaviour. Using standardized (correlational) measuring techniques, researchers are able to identify these linear and law-governed patterns. The role of the researcher in this process is merely to uncover these relationships objectively, with validity and reliability (Guba & Lincoln, 1989, 1994; Lincoln & Guba, 1985, 2000). In interpreting Josie’s segment, it is true that Josie shows an epistemological preference to create a common thread together. At the same time we also see that this preference becomes ‘active’ and is questioned while interacting with this specific group. Her experience of the situation she describes has led her to acknowledge that in this instance—given her own and the group’s experience—a different approach might have been more successful. Confronted with this new experience, a breach is made within otherwise customized behaviour. These breaches provide opportunities for change and revision of ideas to suit local circumstances. We interpret Josie’s ultimate handling of the situation as the result of reciprocal dynamics between different personal and situational elements, whose influence can be seen from a holistic point of view, but which cannot be reduced to any element or correlation in particular. Downloaded from http://tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. NIESSEN ET AL. : EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATION. 35 The Particularities Regarding the Ontology within a Contemporary Epistemological Interpretation Ontology is the subdivision within metaphysics that deals with the nature of being. More concretely, ontology is revealed in the question: What is real? We might thus ask whether epistemological beliefs are real. According to Baptiste (2001), one of the most troublesome questions surrounding the issue of ontology is the distinction between the facticity and the quality of a thing. Facticity refers to the question of whether a thing exists. In our case we might ask if epistemological beliefs do exist. Departing from a realist perspective (Heron & Reason, 1997), the answer within contemporary epistemological research is that epistemological beliefs do indeed exist as theories, traits, or resources. For realists, epistemological beliefs are just as real and tangible as observable objects. The quality of a thing refers to the form of a phenomenon or the nature of an object. Within contemporary epistemological research, epistemological beliefs are thought of as psychological and physical phenomena. They are psychological because they reside in a person’s mind. They are also (presumably) physical on the basis of the default assumption that epistemological beliefs correspond to cognitive units in the brain (Hammer & Elby, 2002). Finally, there is the question of whether it would be possible for epistemological researchers to claim that epistemological beliefs exist without reference to cognitive psychology or cognitive science. Contemporary epistemological research, although not explicitly referred to, heavily draws on cognitive science and cognitive psychology as its foundational precursors, meaning that these strands are the background theories they implicitly build on. Varela, Thompson, and Rosch (1997) have pointed to the reifying effect of cognitive science on cognitive psychology when describing the centrality of the computer metaphor and similar language use. This computer-oriented language is also apparent within educational research in general and epistemological research in particular (Davis & Sumara, 1997). It depicts humans as disenchanted, cerebral beings who receive and process information from events and objects to establish representations (beliefs, desires). These representations in turn govern and give meaning to their own behaviour and that of others. In Josie’s interview, but also in the other interviews we conducted, we see from an enactive viewpoint first and foremost acting persons (Packer & Winne, 1995) who stumble and haphazardly manage to guide their classes through the course. Josie’s hesitation to infer definite conclusions about the preferred course of action in this particular situation is hard to interpret as an image of information rehearsal, the picture we see framed within contemporary epistemological research. As we see it, in this particular situation her answer to the question ‘How do these students come to know?’ is embedded within a network of concrete relations and a process of mutual attunement. Downloaded from http://tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 36 THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 18(1) In our view, Josie’s hesitation to draw definite conclusions should not be deplored but welcomed, because it may open up opportunities that may lead to epistemological attunement, which may guide students and teachers to the most appropriate end. The interview excerpt with Josie illustrates the existential dialogical nature or ontology in which it is hard to dissect the knower from the known, mind from body, student from teacher, teacher from context, et cetera (Hosking & Bouwen, 2000). Josie’s teaching might be viewed as a responsive choreography in which her behaviour and beliefs co-evolve within a relational web of individual inclinations or cognitions, her skills as a teacher trainer, the characteristics of the students she teaches, and the dialogue between these elements altogether. In the final section of this paper, we will explain and illustrate our enactive or dialogical world orientation. An enactivist world orientation is grounded in the assertion that people form complex fabrics of fundamentally and inextricably intertwined relationships with everything else—physically/biologically and experientially/phenomenologically (Davis & Sumara, 1997). From this viewpoint, epistemological beliefs are not primarily or solely cognitive features, but they are temporarily crystallized enactments in ever-changing webs of mutually defining elements. An Enactive and Dialogical Perspective on Epistemological Beliefs So far, we have focused on a passage from Josie and characterized contemporary cognitive epistemological research from a linguistic, methodological, and ontological point of view. The enactive epistemological perspective takes into account many elements, such as the group experience, the group size, and her own (in)abilities to provide a common thread (structure). In this final part of the discussion, we take up the challenge to sketch and explain more thoroughly the contours of an enactivist interpretation that enables us to take into account these elements to which Josie refers. Although we typify our interpretation as enactivist, we will also draw on theoretical notions derived from philosophical hermeneutics (Gadamer, 1990; Widdershoven, 1999) and narrative psychology (Abma, 2000; Josselson & Lieblich, 1999; Lyons & LaBoskey, 2002). Enactivism is an emerging worldview that lingers in between and draws from different domains, including philosophical phenomenology (Varela, 1999), complexity theory (Waldrop, 1992), and evolutionary biology (Bateson, 1979, 1987). Although this worldview is of reasonably recent date, it is receiving more and more attention within the domain of education (Davis & Sumara, 1997, 2001, 2002; Davis, Sumara, & Kieren, 1996; Sumara & Davis, 1997). Within the domain of contemporary epistemological research, enactivism has been largely absent, although the work by Belenky et al. (1986) and Lyons (1990) shows strong similarities. In the following we will Downloaded from http://tap. sagepub. com at Universiteit Maastricht on August 6, 2008  © 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. NIESSEN ET AL. : EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATION 37 first explain enactivism as it is defined by Davis and Sumara in the field of education (Davis & Sumara, 1997, 2000, 2002; Davis et al., 1996). Although not directly translated to the educational or the epistemological field, we will also be using some of the terms (eclectically) used by Varela et al. (1997) since they are eminent in the field of enactivism. To ‘enact’ means ‘to work in or upon’ or ‘to act or perform’. ‘Enactivism’ refers to the idea of knowing in action. People come to know and believe about the world by interacting with it bodily, experientially, and cognitively. This means that individuals are simultaneously biological and social beings who experientially embody both cognitive and physical dimensions within their actions. Because continuous interaction is such an important feature of enactivism, one could claim that it holds a relational ontology meaning that all social realities and all knowledge of self, others, and things are viewed as interdependent or co-dependent constructions existing and known only in relation to each other (Hosking & Bouwen, 2000). When we review Josie’s story again, we see a rather inexperienced teacher trainer who struggles with the epistemological question: ‘How should these students come to know? ’ Her commonly used approach to create a common thread together is rather problematic given her own (in)abilities within a large group of experienced students. As a consequence of this inexperience she adjusts her epistemological outlook to include the notion that when faced with a rather experienced group she needs to hold more control. Interpreting her account enactively, we would claim that her final outlook to this particular situation is the result of the interaction between her ideal to create a common thread together and her communication skills, her self-image, the group’s size, and the amount of experience of the group. It is the confrontation of these elements within the concrete enactment that sets the stage for this particular response to arise. The enactive paradigm as exemplified by Varela et al. (1997) emphasizes the relev.

Recent Basketball-related Research: The Vertical Jump Essay

On a message forum that I frequent, I continually see trainers touting the Vertimax as the solution to all vertical jump problems for basketball players. There are two issues with this: McClenton et al. (2008) compared depth-jump training to Vertimax training and found: Depth jump training twice weekly for 6 weeks is more beneficial than VertiMax jump training for increasing vertical jump height. Strength professionals should focus on depth jump exercises in the short term over commercially available devices to improve vertical jump performance. McClenton, L.S., Brown, L.E., Coburn, J.W., & Kersey, R.D. (2008). The effect of short-term VertiMax vs. depth jump training on vertical jump performance. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 22 (2), 321-325. Carlson et al. (2009) compared strength training, plyometric training, and jump training with a VertiMax and found: The findings of this study demonstrate that there is no difference in vertical jump among strength training, plyo metric training, and jump training over a 6-week timeframe. Carlson, K., Magnusen, M. & Walters, P. (2009). Effect of Various Training Modalities on Vertical Jump. Research in Sports Medicine: An International Journal, 17 (2), 84-94. One issue with the second study is the use of plyometrics, as that has become a colloquial term that has lost meaning (Flanagan & Comyns, 2008). Many plyometrics exercises use the slow stretch-shortening cycle (as would VertiMax) with ground contact time longer than 250 milliseconds and large angular displacements (Schmidtbleicher, 1994), whereas depth jumps utilize a fast stretch-shortening cycle with ground contacts between 100-250 ms and small angular displacements (Schmidtbleicher, 1994). The above results would suggest the need for fast SSC training to improve vertical-jump performance over a six-week training cycle. This does not mean that the VertiMax is without use or a bad product. However, plyometric boxes are a much less expensive purchase that can elicit the same or improved benefits, at least over a six-week training program. Secondly, and of primary importance, McGill et al. (2012) found that the broad jump predicted basketball performance measures better than the vertical jump in college basketball players: Dependent variables of performance indicators (such as games and minutes played, points scored,  assists, rebounds, steal, and blocks) and injury reports were tracked for the subsequent 2 years. Results showed that better performance was linked with having a stiffer torso, more mobile hips, weaker left grip strength, and a longer standing long jump, to name a few. McGill, S.M., Andersen, J.T., & Horne, A.D. (2012). Predicting Performance and Injury Resilience From Movement Quality and Fitness Scores in a Basketball Team Over 2 Years. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 26 (7), 1731–1739. The implication of the second study is to suggest that vertical-jump performance is not of primary performance to basketball performance, and other qualities such as change-of-direction speed, balance, and acceleration likely have more to do with on-court performance. Flanagan, E.P. & Comyns, T.M. (2008). The use of contact time and the reactive strength index to optimise fast stretch-shortening cycle training. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 30, 33-38. Schmidtbleicher, D. (1994). Training for power events. In P. Komi (Ed.), Strength and Power in Sport (381-395). London: Blackwell Scientific.

Band Leadership Essay

Being a part of this band has in itself been a memorable experiance, an experiance i would not trade for the world. However this past year I lost hope in band and was actually really close to quitting band all together. I had forgotten why i was a part of marching band with the stress of my school work and frustration over my tiredness in cross country. But when we played at our lakeshore competition i felt something that i had never before felt in the band. I had walked of the feild with what felt like a runners high, only difference is that I had just marched in arguably the most epic performance i have ever been a part of. I have to thank that feeling i got at the end of the show for the reason i am applying for leadership, and that is something i do not think i could ever forget. When looking beyond the extra little something to set me apart on my colledge applications the only gains i can see from me being in leadership is personal. I know that i will benefit from this because it will help me refine my personality. Being in a leadership position of Captain in track and Craoss country has help make me more aware of how i can help others. I have also learned from my job about how to be more of a people person. Being a drill instructer will allow me to fine tune these developing qualitys to help improve me as a person for when i leave highschool and eneter the real world. This position of drill instructor will also allow me to gain the experiance as a leader. I know i have what it takes to be a great leader and i would like to improve thiswith the experiance being a drill instructor will allow me to do. To be honest i have applied for this position three times now and there is not much more i can say beyond this; I know i have what it takes to be one of the best options for the trumpet leadership. But I will take the time to highlight my three best traits i have to offer the leadership. First off i work hard, I tend to push myself to my limits and i benefit from it, I have shown this in my running as well as a majority of my schoolwork. This work effick i have will make me a good person for the rookies to look up to and learn from. The second trait that sets me apart is that i have become open-minded to other options. Yes, i am still a little stubborn but during this past year i have been able to listen to other options and even consider them to improve my ideas or even allow my ideas to be incoroerated. The last trait that will set me apart from the other applicants in my section is that i have the experiance they lack. I have been a captain in cross country and track since my sophmore year, I love my section most days but lets be real some days we can be difficult people to reason with, and this is where my experiance will help. My proir leadership experiance has allowed me to learn how to lead effectivally as well as recognize ineffective ways. I also view myself as being a fairly good marcher, and a marcher who is eager to pass my experiance to the next generation of marchers before i graduate. I hope that based on what i have told you about myself you can see that i do belong on your leadership group Even with such a short season, the marching band is able to accomplish alot. As a band we are able to make the crowds at parades go crazy for us, we can very effectivly liven up a football stadium, and we have even managed to make other bands tremble when we arrive at compitions. But one of the most important things that this band has to offer is to its member directly. The most influential side effects the band has is to develope three important things in its mebers that will impact us all. Those three things are pride, work effick, and a love for what you enjoy. It is those three things that can only be developed in sports and marching band. And with a band that presses 150 nearly every year, that is alot of individuals that will be able to be successfull after there highschool lives are over. The most important thing the band does is to develope the younger members of the community, this benefits both the individuals and all the people they will influence in there lives. Personally i have had no big issue with the drill instructors, except the few that let there significant others boss the entire underclassmen group around just because they were dating a drill instructor. But overall from the observer standpoint i have not has any standout moments of spetaculiar leadership nor complete distastor within my section, However if on leadership or not i do have ine suggestion: better communication acrose sections and less yo fix your section and i worry about mine. I have noticed that this has created disagreements over who marked off the spot correctly or not.

Does Democracy Facilitate Economic Reforms Essay

Does Democracy Facilitate Economic Reforms - Essay Example Moreover, human rights protection, secularism, freedom of expression, lack of censoring etc are some other characteristics of Indian democracy. On the other hand, India’s neighbouring countries like Myanmar/Burma, North Korea, Pakistan, Afghanistan etc are struggling to mobilize their internal resources because of the lack of democracy in these countries. These countries have severe internal problems which retard their efforts to attain economic growth. Pakistan and Afghanistan are believed to be the major contributors to global terrorism and they are facing the consequences of it now. Burma and North Korea don’t have any belief in freedom, liberty and human rights and their slow economic progress underlines importance of democracy in maintaining economic progress. Pakistan is considered as a democratic country by the Pak government and the Pak people; however, external political observers have strong disagreements. In a true democratic country, judiciary, executive and parliament will combine well and function together for the progress of the country. In Pakistan, these democratic institutions often clash each other. We have witnessed the removal of Pak Supreme court judge by the former Pakistan president Pervez Musharaf and the subsequent problems in Pakistan. â€Å"An independent judiciary prospers only in countries where democracy, human rights and in particular a free press, set a general framework stabilizing the rule of law† (Tomuschat, p.308). Judiciary is considered as an independent body functioning in a democratic country. Normally a democratic government will respect the rulings of the Supreme Court in that country even if they have different opinions. It is the duty of... This paper approves that democratization puts in place a system of checks and balances that penalizes self-interested leaders, and creates an atmosphere conducive to economic liberalization policies whereas communism encourages the legacy of exploitation. In most of the nondemocratic countries, the power rested entirely on the shoulders of some dictators. These dictators may not have much interest in the development of the country because of the absence of any objections against their policies. In the absence of democratic institutional reform, it is nearly impossible to implement liberalisation policies that seek to de-monopolise the economy, and open it to competition. Healthy competition is necessary for the implementation of the economic reformation process. In the absence of competition, nobody will take much interest in seeking new ways to improve their productivity or competing power and the hence the economy will never grow. This report makes a conclusion that without doubt or second thoughts, we can say that democracy facilitates economic reforms. Except China, most of the other countries which implemented economic reforms and achieved growth are democratic countries and hence the importance of democracy in stimulating economic growth cannot be neglected. China’s success in implementing economic reforms can be attributed to their readiness in borrowing and implementing some of the core principles of democratic administrations. In short, democracy and its principles definitely facilitate economic reforms.

History of art - 'What was the appeal of classical mytholoy for Essay

History of art - 'What was the appeal of classical mytholoy for artists and patrons' - Essay Example This is the reason of their ‘survival’ until today and of their ‘validity’ with the meaning of the absence of any opposition to their content. Although mythology has been used mostly as source of knowledge and creation, there have been times (and still exist) when the past is used in order to help the achievement of certain ‘aims’ of the present. A view held in the theory is that ‘historians, literary critics and art historians who write about past cultures, often use these cultures for present purposes’ in order to achieve specific purposes (Landauer, C., 1994). Mythology, especially that of Greece and the ‘Roman Empire’ has been a very important resource for a numerous of artists who tried to ‘present’ the stories included in the myths in a variety of works of art, mostly in paintings, sculpture and ornaments. Among the artists that have been influenced from the myths of the ancient Greece are Picasso and Botticceli. The paintings of the first of them, Picasso, contained an extended reference to the myth of Minotaures1. We could refer to the ‘Minotaures and the dead horse in front of the cave’, the ‘war of the Minotaures’ and the ‘Minotaures killed by a sword’. On the other hand, Botticceli tended to refer to the gods of the Greek Mythology. His most famous painting of such kind is the ‘Birth of Aphrodite’ which can be found in Florence and also the ‘Aphrodite and Mars’ in the National Gallery of London. Although the above mentioned painters are known for their preference to the myths and the legends of the ancient cultures (especially those of Rome and Greece), there are also a numerous others who tend to refer to the facts and mostly the myths of these periods of time as for the theme of their works of art. The common element between all the artists that use elements of the Greek and the Roman Mythology is that they approach the subject of the reference from different

Tribal customs of the Ibo (Igbo) people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tribal customs of the Ibo (Igbo) people - Essay Example He eventually kills himself because of the Christianity (Achebe p208). As Achebe accurately depicts, the Ibo people have a rich culture as evidenced by their tribal customs such as their values, social structure, language, religious beliefs and government. His main aim or theme therefore was to depict traditional Ibo life prior to and after the advent of the Christians missionaries. Tribal custom dictates every aspect of members lives. In a wonderfully unbiased approach, Achebe’s text offers the reader the cultural roots of the Igbo people, all their beliefs, customs and historical past. In the whole of section one of the text, Achebe explains the details of the Ibo culture. To immerse the reader in the Ibo way of life, he goes into detail talking about the more subtle cultural aspects of the community such as the customs of feasts and communal activities, sporting events and crop rotation. In the tribe, the number of yams a man grows, the number of titles he holds and the number of wives he acquires determines his worth. Their acknowledgement of a mans very being is by the gods approval. Okonkwo struggles to live up to what he perceives as traditional standards of masculinity. His failure to adapt to the changing world points out the importance of tradition and custom in the novel. In the novel, the tribe of Ibo defines itself through the age-old traditions it practices. While some habits mold the daily lives of the people, other customs are reserved for special ceremonies. An example of habits that mold the daily lives of the people is when the head of a family honors male guests by praying over and sharing a kola nut with them. He offers the guest the privilege of breaking the nut and after the provider of palm-wine tastes it, they drink together with the oldest person taking the first sip. Ceremonial customs on the other hand are more elaborate. One example is The

Diabetes mellitus type II care and management Term Paper

Diabetes mellitus type II care and management - Term Paper Example All these details are given below, reading which, will provide a clearer insight about the disease to the patients thereby increasing their awareness about it and also how to effectively manage this serious ailment. Unlike the people who suffer from type 1 diabetes, who does not at produce insulin, people with type 2 produce insulin but might not make adequate insulin or the body cannot use it well enough to manage blood sugar levels (called as insulin resistance). When the pancreas does not produce the required levels of insulin to manage the glucose, the resultant increase can enter your body cells leading to host of problems. As far as insulin resistance is concerned, insulin will not be able to play its role properly because the body’s cells remain unaffected by it (â€Å"The importance of monitoring blood-glucose levels,† n. d). Diabetes Type 2 and the resultant high blood sugar can cause series of ailments including heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, diabetic retinopathy affecting eyes, poor blood flow to the legs leading to amputations in certain cases, others. This presents a grave scenario for the patients. At the same time, although, there is no permanent cure for th is type 2 diabetes, it can be managed by eating aptly, exercising, and through medications or insulin therapy. Some patients suffering from type 2 diabetes will be able achieve their target glucose levels through apt diet management and effective exercise alone, however, majority of the sufferers will need oral diabetes medications or injection-based insulin therapy. The best suitable medication would differ from patient to patient because it depends on the individuals’ blood sugar level, their response to the initial treatment, other health problems, and so on, with doctors even prescribing a combination of drugs from different classes. In that direction, doctors are prescribing a combination of metformin and glyburide to help body cope up with high

Role of Strategic Entrepreneurship in forming Temporary Competitive Dissertation

Role of Strategic Entrepreneurship in forming Temporary Competitive Advantage resulting in Value Creation - Dissertation Example rce orchestration 36 2.8 Theory construct of entrepreneurship 37 2.9 Theory construct of strategic entrepreneurship 38 2.10 Conceptual framework 40 2.11 The association between strategic entrepreneurship and competitive Advantage 43 2.12 Limitations of prior research 44 2.13 Summary 44 3 Research methodology 46 3.1 Introduction 46 3.2 Research philosophy and approach 47 3.2.1 Positivism 47 3.2.2 Deductive approach 49 3.3 Research strategy for qualitative and quantitative research 50 3.2.1 Qualitative research approach 50 3.2.2 Quantitative research approach 52 3.2.3 Biases in using case study, qualitative methods quantitative methods 53 3.3.4 Eliminating biases in case study methods, qualitative methods and quantitative methods 54 3.4 Research method and design 55 3.4.1 Case study 55 3.4.2 Interview 56 3.4.3 Survey 56 3.4.4 Observation 58 3.5 Sampling 59 3.5.1 The sample size 60 3.5.2 Simple random sampling 60 3.6 Data collection and analysis procedures 60 3.6.1 Structural equation m odeling 61 3.7 Summary 62 References 64 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Michael Porter promotes the idea that in order to grab hold of competitive advantage, competitive strategies are necessary for a certain organization to realize its corporate goal that would lead the firm to become a cut above the other (Porter 34). Porter tries to justify this point by embarking on the potential theoretical concepts associated with how a firm would achieve its competitive position in its industry or marketplace. As long as competitive advantage is a primary consideration, there is a relevant truth pertaining to the ultimate capacity of competitive strategies to help an organization realize its prevailing plans and objectives, as it could be either defensive or offensive actions that could ensure defendable position in the industry (Porter 34). The existence of competitive strategies is common everywhere today because of the tough competition, particularly in the realm of business. Strategic entrepreneur ship is one detailed subject in this area, where strategic management perspectives are present in order to pursue sound and excellent entrepreneurship for an existing firm’s competitive advantage, the very reason why many studies surfaces in order to understand why other firms generated successful performance and others do not (Rezaian and Naeiji 3). Strategic entrepreneurship is a common theme especially in the age of global economy, by which the organizations have the chance to explore a vast stretch of market area. Competition has become so tough, but one ultimate way out in order to make a difference is to secure a move towards strategic entrepreneurship to achieve competitive advantage. This is relevant to some existing companies at present where they initiated global strategic alliance for instance in order to define more critical point of doing entrepreneurship that would make a difference in their industry or specific market niche. They have strong orientation towards competitive advan

A Critical Analysis Of the Changing Face of Fashion Essay

A Critical Analysis Of the Changing Face of Fashion - Essay Example The essay "A Critical Analysis Of the Changing Face of Fashion" talks about the Face of Fashion and analyzes its changing. Photography roots dates back to the remote days of the invention of the principle concerning the camera obscura. During this timeline, some substances were observed to be visibly altered by the light. At this stage, no one thought of capturing the images in a permanent. In 1800, Thomas Wedgwood attempted to come up with the first photographic documents which turned out to be unsuccessful. In mid-1820s, Niepce Nicephore came up with a successful camera although several days of exposure to the camera were needed and thus the earliest results turned out to be very crude. Louis Daguerre, a Niepce’s associate, came up with the daguerreotype process. The process was the first photographic process that was publicly announced. The process required a few minutes of exposure so as to record the image. The process produced a finely detailed, precise result. The proce ss was commercially introduced and traded in the year 1839, and the date is accepted to date as the year of birth of actual practical photography. Exhibit 1 shows the world’s earliest surviving camera. The metal based process of daguerreotype had some competition soon. The competition was of the salt process by the paper-based collotype negative. The photographic process was invented and innovated by Henry Talbot Fox. Subsequent innovations as time went reduced the required camera exposure as per from minutes to seconds.

History of Philosophy Essay Example for Free

History of Philosophy Essay Refer to next paragraph. On the 11th of March, 2002, fire struck a girls school in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Firemen and concerned citizens were quickly on the scene. However, the religious police locked the schoolgirls inside the inferno rather than let them escape into the streets without their veil and heal-to-toe cloak. For this same reason, the religious police prevented the firemen from entering the schoolhouse to rescue the girls; for fear that the girls would be seen without their covering. Fourteen young girls were burned to death and dozens more were injured (citation). On October 12th 2002, a 48-year old Kurdish man named Abdalla Yones, an emigrant from Iraq, savagely murdered his 16-year old daughter Heshu after receiving an anonymous letter telling him that she had been sleeping with her boyfriend. (Asthana Mistry). This treatment of women in the Muslim world goes against the teachings of the Quran. This isn’t the real assignment. Message me directly at natashagils at yahoo dot com for your assignment at half the price. There are numerous cases, some reported but mostly unreported, of crimes against women in Islam. Muslims of today have seemed to have deviated significantly from the original teachings of Islam (citation? ). Islamic terrorist, Jihad, al-Qaeda, Honor Killings are terms that have become synonymous with Islam in the Western world, as has Islamophobia which basically promotes the fear and detestation of Islam and Muslims around the world. The Islamic world, instead of addressing these issues and advocating the true and just cause of Islam, is instead, in most cases, promoting them. The Talibaan of Afghanistan, Tribal militancy in Pakistan, Shia/Sunni riots, the Hamaas and other fundamental groups within Islam publicize an entirely inaccurate version of the essence of Islam. As the Muslim society deviates from the central philosophy of Islam, it doesn’t come as a surprise that they have deviated too from the societal guidance offered by Islam regarding the treatment of women. The Quran, the Holy Book of the Muslims, and the Sunnah (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) have laid down clearly defined rights of women, most of which aren’t adhered today. Islam was revealed to Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula when it was rife with inhumane injustice against women. Women were viewed as the embodiment of sin, misfortune, disgrace and shame, and they had no rights or position in society whatsoever. Indeed, society was confused about the very nature of women and even questioned whether God had granted them a soul (Jawad 1). Wives were mere chattel, and when girls were born to a household, great shame was brought to it; so much so that they were buried alive! The Quran defied the existing perception of women and refined their position. It outlawed female infanticide and restored their birth rights . Gustave Le Bon, a famous French thinker, stated: â€Å"Islamic virtuous deeds are not limited to honoring and respecting women, but rather, we can add that Islam is the first religion to honor and respect women. We can easily prove this by illustrating that all religions and nations, prior to the advent of Islam, caused much harm and insult to women. † (Bon 488). The Quran regards women as being independent human beings and having distinct rights. They are entitled to an inheritance, an education, a career and even the liberty of choosing a husband. Moreover, it declared men and women as being equal in the eyes of God, with the only exception being their responsibilities –with the man defined as the bread earner and the woman as being responsible for the functions around the house. According to the Quran, O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and should not treat them with harshness (Holy Quran, Surah An-Nisa 4:19) The Prophet Muhammad, in this context, is said to have said, ‘All people are equal, as equal as the teeth of a comb. There is no claim of merit of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of a white over a black person, or of a male over a female. Only God fearing people merit a preference with God’. Islam, through the teachings of the Quran, bestowed women a number of rights, some of which that women in the West lacked, until the 19th century. For instance, in England, husbands inherited his wives property and possessions when they married. This unfair tradition continued till as late as 1882 (citation? ). Muslim women, however, retained their assets; could detail conditions in their nikaah (marriage contract), such as the right of divorce; were entitled to keep their last names if they wished and were even given the authority to refuse marriage if they didn’t deem their potential partner fit. The Quran laid down these injunctions in 610 A. D. (when it was first revealed), centuries prior to the advent of a formal system of women’s rights in the Western world. Some of the fundamental rights the Quran gives women are: 1. Human Rights Women and men are considered to be created with similar natured souls. They are considered equal to men in all spheres of life. And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (Holy Quran, 2:226) And O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you. (Holy Quran, Surah Al-Nisa 4:1). 2. Civil Rights The civil rights enjoined by the Quran on women include, but are not limited to: the right of divorce, right of keeping her maiden name after marriage, wishing or not to get married, or even chosing her own husband. The Quran also states that there is no compulsion upon women regarding religion; There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut [anything worshipped other then the Real God (Allah)] and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower. (Holy Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256). 3. Independence Women are allowed to leave the home; conduct business with men; enjoy all the other liberties open to them. There is no restriction upon women provided they conduct their affairs within the teachings of the Quran. Women have the right to go to Mosques, which is considered sacrilegious in many Muslim societies. Not only that, but women have also the right to be Muslim pastors. Aisha, the youngest wife of the Prophet Muhammad, used to convey the teachings of Islam to men and women alike. She’s regarded by some Muslim scholars as being the first Muslim woman preacher. The Quran is very clear in its laws regarding women. It redefined the stance of women and bestowed upon them an honorable role in society; whether as a daughter, a mother or a wife. Men are instructed in their fair and kind dealing towards women. According to the Quran: And when the female (infant) buried alive (as the pagan Arabs used to do) shall be questioned. For what sin she was killed? † (Holy Quran, Surah At-Takwir 81:8-9). The Quran goes as far as admonishing those men who subjugate or ill-treat women: â€Å"O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and God will bring about through it a great deal of good†. (Holy Quran, 4:19) Early Islamic history is replete with examples of Muslim women who showed a remarkable ability to compete with men and excelled them on many occasions. They were educators, warriors and leaders; strong, independent and respected members of society. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case in most of the Muslim world today. Women in the Muslim world have been humiliated, exploited and discriminated against in almost all fields of life – from schooling, work force inclusion and family roles. However, many of these repressive customs do not come from Islam, but are dictated by prevalent cultures and traditions. Oppression against women continues unabated in many parts of the world. Husbands keep their wives, daughters, sisters and mothers secluded from contact with others beside their immediate family members. Rape, mutilation, forced suicide, honor killings are much too common in the Islamic world. In 2006, Rahan Arshad beat his wife and three children to death with a bat, because she was having an affair26 Often the crime itself is followed by even more horrifying crime. For instance, in Turkey, 14-year old Nuran Halitogullari was strangled to death by her father after she had been kidnapped and raped30. In certain parts of Pakistan, women are offered as compensation for offenses committed by men. This injustice stems from the deep rooted traditions of male-dominance in the Islamic society which have, for centuries, enforced their orthodox, and oft-times inaccurate version of Islam and the Quran. Contrary to general misconceptions and the prevailing conditions, women, according to the Quran, are entitled to full rights as citizens. Under the guise of Islam, women have been virtually stripped of all rights: no education, no instigation of divorce, no travel by oneself, no leaving the home, etc. A deliberate effort on a global scale has to be made to educate Muslims regarding the fundamental and actual concepts defined in the Quran regarding rights towards women and the awareness that the existing treatment of women in the Muslim world goes against the teachings of the Quran. Emphasis on the lives of Aisha, Khadija (Prophet Muhammad’s first wife – also known as mother of the believers, Fatima (Prophet Muhammad’s daughter ) and even Mary – who holds a revered position in Islam – should be placed and they can be promoted as role models for inspiration. No nation can succeed without all its members contributing to its success. Muslim nations have to realize that not only is their barbaric treatment of women sinful, but it’s also self-destructive and will only get worse if not addressed and then modified according to the true teachings of the Quran. Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. (Ismail 83). ? Works Cited Asthana, A. and Mistry. U. For Families that Fear Dishonor, There is Only One Remedy†¦ Murder. The Observer, 5 October, 2003. Bon, Gustave Le. The Arab Civilization. Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1884. Ismail, Imam Vehbi. Muhammad, the Last Prophet: The Last Prophet. Jordan: Amana

Debate Between Abstract and Realism in Art

Debate Between Abstract and Realism in Art Consider the legacy of the Abstraction Realism debate for artistic practice in the 1950s in either France or Italy. Both culturally and politically post-war France found itself in a period of transition; as Findling, Scott-Haine and Thackeray (2000) state, the euphoria of 1944 soon gave way to agrim realisation of the socio-political consequences of the Vichy Governments collaboration with the Nazis and the challenges of reconstruction. The Fourth Republic, instigated in 1946 and continuing until the late 1950s, attempted to instil anotion of tabula rasa that would be mirrored in its art and culture. The abstraction-realism debate that had begun before the war and had, perhaps, found its ultimate expression in the Modernist oeuvre through such painters as Mondrian, Miro and others was, ironically, questioned at this time, for instance, in essays such as Jean-Michel Atlans Abstraction and Adventure in Contemporary Art (1950, 1997): Contemporary painting, being essential adventure and creation, is threatened by two forms ofconformity which we absolutely oppose: Banal realism, vulgar imitation of reality; Orthodox abstract art, new academicism which tries to substitute for living painting an interplay of solely decorative forms. (Atlan, 1950; published in Harrison and Wood, 1997: 612) Atlan here makes an interesting point and one that has an enormous bearing on the place of the abstraction-realism debate in 1950s France; for the post-war French artist the question became not how one should situation oneself in a polarity but is that  polarity itself outdated and archaic. The tabula rasa of the socio-political sphere could be seen as a reflection of inter-war regression when translated to the aesthetic; the questionable politics of many of the Modernist writers, thinkers and artists making their work unattractive to thesons and daughters of the Fourth Republic. It was this psycho-social zeitgeist that, perhaps, ensured the twinning of art with prevailing theories of existentialism as John Macquarrie describes in his book of the same name(1972). For Macquarrie, post-war art (and particular those movements instigated in France) mirrors existentialism in its desire to negate the failures of pastontological systems and place the artist or philosopher at the centre of are constructive effort; an attempt to find meaning after the horrors of the war without recourse to external teleological notions like truth and beauty. This situation appears, to an extent, in Bretons Prolegomena to a Third Surrealist Manifesto: All present systems can reasonably be considered to be nothing on the carpenters workbench. This carpenter is you. (Breton, 1990: 287) In terms of the debate, then, between abstraction and realism both Atlan and Breton say essentially the same thing that what was needed culturally by post-war France was neither the consolation of realism nor the negation of abstraction but a synthesis of the two; an aesthetic that could both look forward into the future and signal a break with the past. We can see some of this in the work of Yves Klein. Both in terms of his painting and his photography, Klein constantly strove to achieve the kind of Hegelian synthesis we have been hither to looking at. Kleins work in the mid to late 1950s represented two paradoxical elements: on the one hand producing monochrome canvasses of a scintillatingly blue pigment (Monochrome blue sans titre, 1956; Monochromeblue sans titre, 1957) that all but obliterated any sense of the artist as producer of work and, on the other, laying the groundwork for the creation of action pictures whereby nude models would be used as brushes on huge canvasses (Monique, 1960; La Grand Anthropometrie bleue, 1960) that, literally, places the human being at the centre of artistic creation. In Klein we can clearly the manifestation of the legacy of the realism-abstraction debate in the France ofthe 1950s and, as we suggested, it lay in the synthesis of the two a similarnotion to the philosophical ideas of Sartre and Camus who sought an ontologicalmeaning without teleology. In fact it was some of this sense that culminated inthe creation of neo-realism, of which Klein was a leading figure and about whomPierre Restany wrote: We (the neo-realists) are thus bathed in direct expressivity up to our necks, at fortydegrees above the Dada zero, without aggressiveness, without a downrightpolemical intent, without any other justificatory itch than our realism. Andthat works positively. Man, if he shares in reintegrating himself in reality,identifies it with positively. (Restany, 1960, published in Harrison and Wood,1997: 711) What were neo-realists like Klein, Arman, Daniel Sporerri and Jean Tinguely but artists who attempted a fusion,and thereby a transcendence, of the archaic debate that Altman spoke of? We can see how such a view could beseen to lay the foundations for not only the postmodern movement in France that sought to find meaning in a post-Enlightenment world whose meta discourses in the words of Jean Francois Lyotard (2002: xxiii) were beginning to fail, but also the socio-political events of 1968 and the student uprising. Both of these can be seen to arise out of, or at least reflect, the aesthetic and cultural movements of the 1950s that sought to not only destroy the memories of the Vichy Government and the long years of Nazi occupation but also signal a progression away from the nihilism of Dada that left a void in the place of that which it negated. The legacy of the realism-abstraction debate, then, is one of Hegelian synthesis, arising out of the thesis and the antithesis. This situation was, perhaps, felt more strongly in countries suchas France, Italy and Spain where the political situation prompted a desperately needed change in aesthetic and ontological environment and where the need for a humanist consolation was as great as the need for an expression of the madness of the modern age. References Breton, Andre, (1990), Manifestoes of Surrealism, (Michigan: University of Michigan) Causey, Andrew (1998), Oxford History of Art: Sculpture Since 1945, (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Findling, John, Scott Haine, W and Thackeray, Frank (2000), The History of France, (London: Greenwood Press) Harrison, Charles and Wood, Paul(1997), Art in Theory: 1900-1990: An Anthology of Changing Ideas, (London: Blackwell) Kostelanetz, Richard (ed) (1989), Esthetics[sic] Contemporary, (London: Prometheus) Lyotard, Jean Francois (2004), The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, (Manchester: Manchester University) Macquarrie, John (1972), Existentialism, (London: Pelican) Roskill, Mark and Carrier, David(1983), Truth and Falsehood in Visual Images, (Amherst: The University of Massachusetts) http://www.yvesklein.net/

Alleviating Illness Naturally :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Alleviating Illness Naturally Presently there is a general trend to treat mild illnesses naturally and to avoid strong allopathic medications. People are embracing herbal remedies which are less expensive, readily available, and have many less side effects. Echinacea, considered to have a remarkable immunostimulating activity, is one of the most widely used phytomedicinals for treatment of the common cold, flu, and other upper respiratory tract infections (1). It is readily available in liquid form, capsules, and in tea. You can purchase it over the counter at the drugstore, supermarket, and even at Kmart. I, like many others, have tried echinacea to treat the common cold and flu, but it never seemed to make me feel better. Am I the exception to benefiting from this common herbal remedy, or has the American public at large been conned into believing this plant will prevent them from getting sick? As of yet, there is no known medication proven to cure the common cold or flu. Both are upper respiratory tract infections caused by viruses and thus treatment in the form of antibiotics will not work. Medications referred by doctors, such as antihistamines, cough suppressants, and decongestants, treat the symptoms of the illness but not the underlying cause. Although echinacea is similar to other treatments in that it does not attempt to cure the illness, it distinguishes itself by directly stimulating the immune system. This novel approach for combating the cold or flu seems to work as well as the more common medical treatments (2). The herbal remedy echinacea is a family of nine flowering plants belonging to the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family and indigenous to North America. Three species, E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida, are used in medicinal supplements. Liquid extracts of the leaves and above ground parts of E. purpurea and E. angustifolia are the products most commonly available in the United States, while E. pallida is encountered in Europe (2). The study of how herbs affect the immune system is a current hot topic in pharmacological research. Do herbs, like the echinacea plant, really strengthen our resistance and help us lead healthier lives? There appears to be a contradiction between the wisdom of centuries of observation and the scrutiny of scientific laboratory research. Echinacea was among the most popular herbs used by Native American Indians. Its popularity in treating colds, coughs, and infections continued and in the late nineteenth century echinacea became the best selling medicinal tincture in America (1).

My First Experience With a Computer :: Personal Narrative Papers

My First Experience With a Computer I cannot forget how excited I was when I first bought my own computer. Like a mother who spends time sewing and knitting for her newborn baby, I spent hours and hours to sparkle my computer. I waited a long time to buy a brand new computer. I had to work more hours and saved money to buy a computer. I did not want to buy a cheap computer, but I wanted to buy a professional one. Was I professional on computer? No! I was not. I did not even know how to type, but I was sure that my expensive com puter could make me a computer expert. 17 inches monitor, color printer, two speakers and well-designed fancy keyboard made me just happy by looking at them on my desk. What I knew about my computer was how to turn on and off by pressing the big button at the bottom of my computer. I turned on the computer and had no idea what to do next, but I was still happy. I just clicked on everything and did not know how t o go back to the previous screen. Whenever I had problems with my computer, I just turned off the computer. It was pretty simple to clear my computer problems by pressing the power switch. The power switch was a problem solver. Realizing an expensive computer could not make me a computer genius did not take a long time. Whenever my computer was on, I started to have a headache because I did not know what I was doing. When I tried new things on my computer, it always st opped me with warning signs. I could not understand what my computer wanted me to do. My computer really needed to have serious counseling sessions. When I was at home alone, I disciplined my computer. "Hey! You computer listen. I do not think you know who you are. I am the one who tells you what to do. I am a commander, and y ou are my servant. If I tell you to draw a picture, you need to draw me a picture. Do you understand? How dare you to show me stop sign! Please do not tell me what to do. Who is the commander here? You just follow what I tell you to do." Sitting in front of my computer was painful for me. My First Experience With a Computer :: Personal Narrative Papers My First Experience With a Computer I cannot forget how excited I was when I first bought my own computer. Like a mother who spends time sewing and knitting for her newborn baby, I spent hours and hours to sparkle my computer. I waited a long time to buy a brand new computer. I had to work more hours and saved money to buy a computer. I did not want to buy a cheap computer, but I wanted to buy a professional one. Was I professional on computer? No! I was not. I did not even know how to type, but I was sure that my expensive com puter could make me a computer expert. 17 inches monitor, color printer, two speakers and well-designed fancy keyboard made me just happy by looking at them on my desk. What I knew about my computer was how to turn on and off by pressing the big button at the bottom of my computer. I turned on the computer and had no idea what to do next, but I was still happy. I just clicked on everything and did not know how t o go back to the previous screen. Whenever I had problems with my computer, I just turned off the computer. It was pretty simple to clear my computer problems by pressing the power switch. The power switch was a problem solver. Realizing an expensive computer could not make me a computer genius did not take a long time. Whenever my computer was on, I started to have a headache because I did not know what I was doing. When I tried new things on my computer, it always st opped me with warning signs. I could not understand what my computer wanted me to do. My computer really needed to have serious counseling sessions. When I was at home alone, I disciplined my computer. "Hey! You computer listen. I do not think you know who you are. I am the one who tells you what to do. I am a commander, and y ou are my servant. If I tell you to draw a picture, you need to draw me a picture. Do you understand? How dare you to show me stop sign! Please do not tell me what to do. Who is the commander here? You just follow what I tell you to do." Sitting in front of my computer was painful for me.

The Merchant of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

"The Merchant of Venice" by WIlliam Shakespeare. "The Merchant of Venice" is a play about revenge, justice, deseption and friendship. The story is about, Shylock a wealth Jew, lending one of his enemies, Antonoi, three thousand ducats. Although Antonio is a rich merchant all his resources are in his ships, trading too distant countries, but because he wants to help out his friend, Bassanio, he has no choice but to ask Shylock for a loan , not to know it could lead to his death. In this play there is a big difference between the Christian charaters and Shylock, the main difference being Shylock seems to be more interested in his money and business rather than human relationships, which the Christian charaters seem to b e more interested in. However, in one part of the play Shylock seems to be hurt at the fact his daughter has sold a ring, which his deceases wife gave him, for a monkey. (Act 3 Scene 1 ) " It was my turquoise, I had it off Leah when i was a bachelor. I Would not have given it for a Wilderness of monkeys. " This shows a side to Shylock that we have never seen. It shows the love he had and still has for his deceased wife Leah. Shylock shows how hurt and betrayed he feels that his daughter has sold his ring by saying that he wouldn't had given it away for a " wilderness of monkeys ". Another theme in the play that Shylock brings out is predjudice. He judges people before he gives them a chance to show what they are really like. He has different veiws on different characters depanding on who they are. ( Act 1 Scene 3 ) "I hat him for he is a Christian" This shows how he feels against antonio , a Christian whom he has never met and it shows how prejudice he can be. In one part of the play Shylock shows a side to him we have never seen before. Instead if seeing him as the man who is greedy and

Impact of Social Networking Sites

Business Research Methodology A Study On Impact Of Social Networking Sites On Our Life Impact Of Social Networking Sites On Our Life ICFAI BUSINESS SCHOOL This Report Has Been submitted in the partial fulfilment of the requirements of PGPM program of IBS Gurgaon Submitted To, Prof. Vipin Khurana Submitted By, Avinash Kumar Singh 12BSP1658 Pankaj Sharma 12BSP0825 Atul Kesharwani 12BSP2341 Lav Sood 12BSP Acknowledgement First & foremost I humbly bow my head before the Almighty for the unmerited blessings though various hands.I submit this small venture before God with full satisfaction& pleasure from my heart. It is with great respect and devotion we place on record my deep sense of gartidue and indebtedness to Prof. Vipin Khurana, Faculty Of Business Research Methodology, ICFAI Business School, Gurgaon for his sustained & variable guidance, constructive & valuable suggestions, unfailing patience, friendly approach, constant support and encouragement withoust which this study would hav e been a distant dream. We also place a eep sense of gratitude to all those who participated in our study, you all really being very help full and patience. We also like to thank all of our classmates and friends who supported and guided us whenever we needed them, thank you friends. This Report simply shows the entire dedication of our group who have coordinated for successful accomplishment of this study report. Group Number 3 Avinash Kumar Singh 12BSP1658 Pankaj Sharma 12BSP0825 Atul Kesharwani 12BSP2341 Lav Sood 12BSP Abstract In today’s fast moving world, everyone tries to be ahead of their competitors, friends and social circle.Considering the fact, there are so many burning issues around us which we need to think upon and act, it’s an alarm for us to be aware about the society and its issues. Through social networking, people can use networks of online friends and group memberships to keep in touch with current friends, reconnect with old friends or create real- life friendships through similar interests or groups. Besides establishing important social relationships, social networking members can share their interests with other likeminded members by joining groups and forums.Some networking can also help members find a job or establish business contacts. Most social networking websites also offer additional features. In addition to blogs and forums, members can express themselves by designing their profile page to reflect their personality. The most popular extra features include music and video sections. The video section can include everything from member generated videos from hundreds of subjects to TV clips and movie trailers (YouTube). Social networking sites have facilitated communication.Members of such sites can easily form groups (called the communities) and share their opinions among themselves through discussion threads, forums and polls. Though these sites serves good in many ways, it has its negative effects too such as cyber- crimes which has become a privacy threat to the people worldwide. Although advantageous in many ways by building new relationship and reconnecting with lost or old contacts, it also brought up some behavioural changes among the youth, not only the behavioural changes but also their social behaviour and approaches. It has also ended up as a nightmare for a few people.Social Networking sites provide a platform for discussion on such issues as it is this media which majority mass rely on and extend warm support. One such burning issue that has been overlooked in today’s scenario is the impact of social networking sites in the changing mind-set of the youth. Our research is conducted on youths between age group of 10-30 years with a view to know the level of awareness on the social issues, the penetration of SNC in their Life. Study was conducted on 100 people mostly through email or sending link of questionnaire on various social sites. 1. Introduction:-Social network sites are web-based services allowing individuals to construct a semi-public or public profile in a bounded system as well as to articulate a list of others so as to share connections, views and thoughts. However the type, classification and nature of these connections may differ from site to site. Uniqueness of social networking sites not only allows individuals to meet strangers but enables users to discuss and make visible their social networks. This results into connections between individuals which otherwise is not possible through any other media already existing.Maximum of the time social networking sites are used to communicate with people who are already their friends or acquaintances in the social network sharing same mindset or same interests and views. Discussions on debatable topics, news articles are most common topics on these SNNs. There are a number of SNS’s available now-a-days wherein users are increasing leaps and bounds as shown in the table below- TOP 7 SOCIAL NET WORKING SITES IN THE WORLD Rank Sites Estimated unique monthly users 1. Facebook 55,0000000 2. Twitter 95800000 3.Myspace 80500000 4. Linkedin 50000000 5. Ning 42000000 6. Tagged 30000000 7. Classmates 29000000 Social networking sites are not only popular for providing a platform for chatting, sharing scraps, videos, pictures etc. but also for discussing social issues. However, certain issues yet require study and research like impact of SNS on youth’s minds and loss of privacy as earlier people believed in keeping their data private but now they enjoy going public and showing wall posts, status updates, tweets and infact every thrill of their lives.In this way, we are ourselves breaching our privacy and personal space at the compromise of publicizing intimate details so as to attract hundreds of online readers and even strangers. Online Social networking is a type of virtual communication that allows people to connect with each other. This concept arises from basic need of h uman beings to stay together in groups forming a community. Wikipedia defines social network service as online platform that focus on building and reflecting social networks or social relations among people who share interests and activities.According to ComScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, 84 per cent of India's total internet visitors are users of SNS. India is the seventh largest market worldwide for social networking after the U. S. , China, Germany, Russian Federation, Brazil and the U. K. Facebook captures the top slot among SNS in India with 20. 9 million visitors. People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook and 70 per cent of users are from outside United States. Interestingly, an average user has 130 friends on Facebook (â€Å"Facebook statistics,† ). a.But is this the true picture of social networking sites? b. Is everything going fine in the world of social networking? c. What about the futures of its users? d. Are they happy with the virtual life or it is making their life hell? e. HOW MUCH TIME WE WASTE ON SNS? f. what will be it's impact on the society†¦. etc.? These Questions remains a unanswered for a very long time, we in this study are trying to cover these questions also we trying to give impact of following:- a. Social & Personal Issues b. Personal Privacy c. Biological Impact d. Its effect on Productivity e. SNS addiction Disorder . 2. Review of related literature:- Lot of literature is available now days on the social networking sites and their impact on the youth of any nation, children, adolescence and families as during the last 5 years, usage of such sites has increased among preadolescents and adolescents. According to a latest poll, 22% of teenagers log in more than 10 times a day on to their favorite social media site, and more than half percentage of adolescents log more than once a day (Steyer James, 2009). In the report Social networking sites a critical analysis of its impact on persona l and social life, By Dr.Biswajit Das & Jyoti Shankar Sahoo, published in international Journal of business and social science vol. 2 No. 14 states that:- The growth of social networking sites shows a significant change in the social and personal behaviour of Internet users. SNS has become an essential medium of communication and entertainment among the young adults. Everything in this world can be used for a bad purpose as well as for good. Its us who can make the difference and utilize social networking sites wisely for the benefit of developing social bonds across the geographical borders.In the report impact of social networking sites in the changing mindset of youth on social issues-A syudy of delhi Ncr youth, By, Mr. Madhur Raj Jain, Ms. Palak Gupta & Ms. Nitika Anand. They took total sample size of 100 respondents, and done a exploratory study and tools used were tables, pie charts, annova, cross table using SPSS 19. 0. The report concludes that:- It was found that these soci al networking sites are acting as great medium for view mobilization. People are feeling free in sharing their thoughts on any issue nd even youth is raising their voice against social acts like violation of Human Rights, corruption etc. It is also being generated from the information so obtained that people are getting more aware about the social issues mainly from Facebook. On the study of a Study on the impact of social networking sites on Indian youth, By, Dr. M. Neelamalar & Ms. P. Chitra, Methdology used was:-employs the method of Qualitative research through quantitative analysis to gather an in-depth understanding of the behavioral changes cause by the social networking sites like Orkut on youth and the reasons that govern such behavior.The sample size is 100 and they are divided into two categories each of 50,the categories are teens (17-19) and youth in the age group of 20-22. Concluded that a majority of the Indian youth are members in one or more social networking sites but also are low users of such sites and used Internet more for mailing and sur? ng the net (downloads). 3. Research Gap:- * The previous researches where done when social networking in our country was in nascent stage * They have Used Email, Phone And Face to Face Method Of Survey, But we are Instead using SNS. They Only used age Between 18 to 30 years we are using a wider Age Range * We instead of wider social affects, dealing At Personal level * We used SPSS 20. 0 for analysis. 4. Scope & Objective Of Study:- * To study the awareness of usages of different SNS * The affect of SNS on personal Life * To know the spread of Spy wares on SNS * To know the time Spent on SNS * To analyze the penetration level of SNS in Life * To check for what SNS are used These days 5. Hypothesis:- I. Testing the significance difference b/w Male and Female User * H0 (Null Hypothesis) There is no significance difference between Male AndFemale User * H1 (Alternative Hypothesis)There is significance diffe rence between Male And Female User II. Testing the significant spread of malwares and cyber criminals over SNS * H0 (Null Hypothesis) There is no significant spread of malwares and cyber criminals over SNS * H1 (Alternative Hypothesis)There is significant spread of malwares and cyber criminals over SNS III. Testing the Significance of SNS in Ones Life. * H0 (Null Hypothesis) There is no significance of SNS in Ones Life * H1 (Alternative Hypothesis)There is significance of SNS in ones life 6.Assumptions:- While conducting the research we assumed that all the participants are filling the survey seriously and we made sure through cookies lock that no duplication happens. 7. Limitations:- The research has been done through online questionnaire and thus the level of seriousness in the user are not upto the mark, and also since we are not present their physically so the interpretation of questions wasn’t even. Because of limitation of monitory resources as well as busy time schedul e of classes we weren’t able to host and spread the survey to as much as people we wanted to.The hosting sites we used because of being free gave us limitation of collecting 50 responses at once we have to collect and delete the responses after creating a backup 8. Methodology:- Exploratory research method is being used, the research will give an insight of the users of SNS. Exploratory research is a form of research conducted for a problem that has not been clearly defined. Exploratory research helps determine the best research design, data collection method and selection of subjects. It should draw definitive conclusions only with extreme caution.Given its fundamental nature, exploratory research often concludes that a perceived problem does not actually exist. Exploratory research methods: The quickest and the cheapest way to formulate a hypothesis in exploratory research is by using any of the four methods: I. Literature search II. Experience survey III. Focus group IV. A nalysis of selected cases In this research we had done Experience survey, with a assumption that the users of social networking site have a good knowledge of what’s going on these sites. For doing that we prepared set of questions which reveals how, what and why they are connected to social networking sites. 9.Population of interest:- We have selected the educated youth who are either, school, or are collage going. They are the one who spent most of their spare time on SNS and some of them are attached so close to it that they don’t even imagine life with SNS. Moreover the youth of the age group 10-30, view world idealistically and are more involved in the world outside their work place and home. This population is choose because of the simple fact that they are more tech friendly and Internet and more importantly SNS are an important part of their life and they see it as a medium of increasing network and even see opportunities hidden behind it. 0. Sampling Procedure and source of Data:- We conducted surveys through online questionnaire. The questions have been made on ‘Adobe form Central’, an online survey hosting site by ADOBE Inc. The hosted questions were them in the form of a web link is being posted on various SNS, specially the most common one i. e. Facebook. The questionnaire has been made through a discussion among group members and using our own experience of social networking sites. The response then were backed up both online and offline in Ms Excel. The data has been then coded accordingly after collecting 100 responses. 11. Questionnaire For Data Collection:-The questionnaire was made by brain- storming in the group and accessing our own SNS experience. The questionnaire contents text field, text field –multiline, single choice field, multiple choice field, Drop down menu, single check box and Likert rating scale. Direct and indirect questions which were placed are as follows:- 12. Data Coding:- Gender| Codes| M ALE| 1| FEMALE| 2| Age| Codes| 10 TO 15| 1| 16 TO 20| 2| 21 TO 25| 3| 26 TO 30| 4| 30+| 5| Qualification| Codes| Graduate| 1| Post graduate| 2| INTERMEDIATE/10+2| 3| DOCTORATE| 4| MATRIC| 5| Occupation| Codes| Student| 1| Employed| 2| Self-Employed| 3| Fresher| 4|Time spent On Sns| Codes| 1 HOUR| 1| 2 HOUR| 2| 3 HOUR| 3| MORE THAN 3 HOURS| 4| Friends on Facebook| Codes| Less Than 100| 1| 100 To 200| 2| 201 to 300| 3| 301 to 500| 4| 501 to 1000| 5| 1000+| 6| Connections On LinkedIn| Codes| Less Than 50| 1| 50 to 100| 2| 101 to 200| 3| 201 to 300| 4| 301 to 500| 5| 500+| 6| HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK SCOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE FOR MAINTAINING FOLLOWING:-| STRONGLY NOT IMPORTANT| 1| NOT IMPORTANT| 2| MAY BE| 3| IMPORTANT| 4| STRONGLY IMPORTANT| 5| IF ALL THE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE GONE, HOW DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD SPENT TIME, WHICH OTHERWISE YOU WOULD HAD SPENT ON SNS? HOBBIES| 1| WITH FAMILY| 2| WITH FRIENDS| 3| STUDY| 4| PHYSICAL FITNESS| 5| Teaching| 6| Reading novels and watc hing Hollywood movies| 7| DO YOU ACCEPT INVITATION OF UNKNOWN PERSON ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES? | Yes I Always Do| 1| Yes But Only On LinkedIn| 2| Never| 3| Maybe, It Depends| 4| Yes, Only If It Is From Opposite Gender| 5| DO YOU PLACED YOUR ORIGINAL PICTURE AS YOUR PROFILE PICTURE? | Yes| 1| No| 2| WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE ILL- EFFECTS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES? | Lot Of Time Wastage| 1| Hamper Studies| 2| Reduce Physical Mobility and Fitness| 3| Cut Away From Family| 4| No| 5| Others| 6|HAVE YOU OBSERVED OR BEING A VICTIM OF FOLLOWING ON ANY SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES:-| OFTENLY| 1| SOMETIMES| 2| RARELY| 3| NEVER| 4| DO YOU THINK THE LAW SHOULD BE MADE STRICTER FOR SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES? | Yes| 1| No| 2| 13. Statistical Analysis:- 13. i Statistical Techniques:- We have used Factor and Bivariate analysis. Also we have used frequency technique of descriptive statistics to explain the different variables. Factor analysis is a statistical method used to describe variability among ob served, correlated variables in terms of a potentially lower number of unobserved variables called factors.In other words, it is possible, for example, that variations in three or four observed variables mainly reflect the variations in fewer unobserved variables. Factor analysis searches for such joint variations in response to unobserved latent variables. The observed variables are modelled as linear combinations of the potential factors, plus â€Å"error† terms. The information gained about the interdependencies between observed variables can be used later to reduce the set of variables in a dataset. Computationally this technique is equivalent to low rank approximation of the matrix of observed variables.Factor analysis originated in psychometrics, and is used in behavioural sciences, social sciences, marketing, product management, operations research, and other applied sciences that deal with large quantities of data. Bivariate analysis is one of the simplest forms of th e quantitative (statistical) analysis. [1] It involves the analysis of two variables (often denoted as X, Y), for the purpose of determining the empirical relationship between them. [1] In order to see if the variables are related to one another, it is common to measure how those two variables simultaneously change together. Frequency analysis:- AGE| Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| 16 TO 20| 16| 16. 2| 16. 3| 16. 3| | 21 TO 25| 78| 78. 8| 79. 6| 95. 9| | 26 TO 30| 4| 4. 0| 4. 1| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | GENDER| | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| MALE| 65| 65. 7| 66. 3| 66. 3| | FEMALE| 33| 33. 3| 33. 7| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | QUALIFICATION| | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| GRADUATE| 45| 45. 5| 45. 9| 45. 9| | POST GRADUATE| 42| 42. 4| 42. 9| 88. 8| INTERMEDIATE/1 0+2| 8| 8. 1| 8. 2| 96. 9| | DOCTORATE| 1| 1. 0| 1. 0| 98. 0| | MATRIC| 2| 2. 0| 2. 0| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | OCCUPATION| | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| STUDENT| 77| 77. 8| 78. 6| 78. 6| | EMPLOYED| 15| 15. 2| 15. 3| 93. 9| | SELF-EMPLOYED| 5| 5. 1| 5. 1| 99. 0| | FRESHER| 1| 1. 0| 1. 0| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | HOW MUCH TIME DAILY ON AN AVERAGE BASIS YOU SPENT ON SNS? | | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| 1 HOUR| 52| 52. | 53. 1| 53. 1| | 2 HOUR| 20| 20. 2| 20. 4| 73. 5| | 3 HOUR| 10| 10. 1| 10. 2| 83. 7| | MORE THAN 3 HOUR| 16| 16. 2| 16. 3| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK? | | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| Less Than 100| 12| 12. 1| 12. 2| 12. 2| | 100 To 200| 14 | 14. 1| 14. 3| 26. 5| | 201 to 300| 26| 26. 3| 26. 5| 53. 1| | 301 to 500| 33| 33. 3| 33. 7| 86. 7| | 501 to 1000| 11| 11. 1| 11. 2| 98. 0| | 1000+| 2| 2. 0| 2. 0| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | |ARE YOU ON LINKEDIN, IF YES, THEN HOW MANY CONNECTIONS DO YOU HAVE? | | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| Less Than 50| 58| 58. 6| 59. 2| 59. 2| | 50 to 100| 27| 27. 3| 27. 6| 86. 7| | 101 to 200| 7| 7. 1| 7. 1| 93. 9| | 201 to 300| 3| 3. 0| 3. 1| 96. 9| | 301 to 500| 1| 1. 0| 1. 0| 98. 0| | 500+| 2| 2. 0| 2. 0| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE IN YOUR LIFE? | | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| NOT AT ALL IMPORTANT| 2| 2. 0| 2. 0| 2. 0| | IMPORTANT BUT NOT MUCH| 29| 29. | 29. 6| 31. 6| | SO-SO| 30| 30. 3| 30. 6| 62. 2| | VERY IMPORTANT| 32| 32. 3| 32. 7| 94. 9| | I CAN'T LIVE WI THOUT THEM| 5| 5. 1| 5. 1| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | DO YOU PLACED YOUR ORIGINAL PICTURE AS YOUR PROFILE PICTURE? | | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| YES| 84| 84. 8| 85. 7| 85. 7| | NO| 14| 14. 1| 14. 3| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | SPAMS| | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| OFTENLY| 16| 16. 2| 16. 3| 16. 3| | SOMETIMES| 31| 31. 3| 31. | 48. 0| | RARELY| 30| 30. 3| 30. 6| 78. 6| | NEVER| 21| 21. 2| 21. 4| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | HACKERS| | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| OFTENLY| 5| 5. 1| 5. 1| 5. 1| | SOMETIMES| 29| 29. 3| 29. 6| 34. 7| | RARELY| 25| 25. 3| 25. 5| 60. 2| | NEVER| 39| 39. 4| 39. 8| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | FAKEPROFILE| | Fre quency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| OFTENLY| 18| 18. 2| 18. 4| 18. 4| | SOMETIMES| 33| 33. 3| 33. 7| 52. 0| | RARELY| 24| 24. 2| 24. 5| 76. | | NEVER| 23| 23. 2| 23. 5| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | HARSSSMENT| | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| OFTENLY| 3| 3. 0| 3. 1| 3. 1| | SOMETIMES| 15| 15. 2| 15. 3| 18. 4| | RARELY| 19| 19. 2| 19. 4| 37. 8| | NEVER| 61| 61. 6| 62. 2| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | PORNOGRAPHY| | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| OFTENLY| 3| 3. 0| 3. 1| 3. 1| | SOMETIMES| 19| 19. 2| 19. 4| 22. 4| | RARELY| 21| 21. 2| 21. 4| 43. 9| | NEVER| 55| 55. 6| 56. 1| 100. 0| Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | RACISM| | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| OFTENLY| 4| 4. 0| 4. 1| 4. 1| | SOMETIMES| 16| 16 . 2| 16. 3| 20. 4| | RARELY| 15| 15. 2| 15. 3| 35. 7| | NEVER| 63| 63. 6| 64. 3| 100. 0| | Total| 98| 99. 0| 100. 0| | Missing| System| 1| 1. 0| | | Total| 99| 100. 0| | | FACTOR ANALYSIS Total Variance Explained| Component| Initial Eigenvalues| Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings| Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings| | Total| % of Variance| Cumulative %| Total| % of Variance| Cumulative %| Total| % of Variance| Cumulative %| 1| 3. 99| 51. 658| 51. 658| 3. 099| 51. 658| 51. 658| 2. 200| 36. 663| 36. 663| 2| 1. 025| 17. 083| 68. 741| 1. 025| 17. 083| 68. 741| 1. 925| 32. 078| 68. 741| 3| . 602| 10. 035| 78. 776| | | | | | | 4| . 504| 8. 393| 87. 169| | | | | | | 5| . 485| 8. 091| 95. 260| | | | | | | 6| . 284| 4. 740| 100. 000| | | | | | | Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. | KMO and Bartlett's Test| Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. | . 780| Bartlett's Test of Sphericity| Approx. Chi-Square| 189. 982| | df| 15| | Sig. | . 000| Descriptive Statistics| | Mea n| Std. Deviation| N| REGR factor score 1 for analysis 1| 0E-7| 1. 0000000| 98| REGR factor score 2 for analysis 1| 0E-7| 1. 00000000| 98| REGR factor score 1 for analysis 2| 0E-7| 1. 00000000| 98| REGR factor score 2 for analysis 2| 0E-7| 1. 00000000| 98| Multiple regressions:- Tests of Between-Subjects Effects| Source| Dependent Variable| Type III Sum of Squares| df| Mean Square| F| Sig. | Corrected Model| HOW MUCH TIME DAILY ON AN AVERAGE BASIS YOU SPENT ON SNS? | . 018a| 1| . 018| . 014| . 906| | HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK? | 6. 302b| 1| 6. 302| 4. 164| . 044| | ARE YOU ON LINKEDIN, IF YES, THEN HOW MANY CONNECTIONS DO YOU HAVE? | . 946c| 1| . 46| . 863| . 355| | HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE IN YOUR LIFE? | . 043d| 1| . 043| . 047| . 829| Intercept| HOW MUCH TIME DAILY ON AN AVERAGE BASIS YOU SPENT ON SNS? | 313. 814| 1| 313. 814| 241. 084| . 000| | HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK? | 867. 119| 1| 867. 119| 572. 908| . 000| | ARE YOU ON LINKEDIN, IF YES, THEN HOW MANY CONNECTIONS DO YOU HAVE? | 229. 518| 1| 229. 518| 209. 331| . 000| | HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE IN YOUR LIFE? | 840. 859| 1| 840. 859| 915. 942| . 000| GENDER| HOW MUCH TIME DAILY ON AN AVERAGE BASIS YOU SPENT ON SNS? | . 018| 1| . 018| . 14| . 906| | HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK? | 6. 302| 1| 6. 302| 4. 164| . 044| | ARE YOU ON LINKEDIN, IF YES, THEN HOW MANY CONNECTIONS DO YOU HAVE? | . 946| 1| . 946| . 863| . 355| | HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE IN YOUR LIFE? | . 043| 1| . 043| . 047| . 829| Error| HOW MUCH TIME DAILY ON AN AVERAGE BASIS YOU SPENT ON SNS? | 124. 961| 96| 1. 302| | | | HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK? | 145. 300| 96| 1. 514| | | | ARE YOU ON LINKEDIN, IF YES, THEN HOW MANY CONNECTIONS DO YOU HAVE? | 105. 258| 96| 1. 096| | | | HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE IN YOUR LIFE? 88. 131| 96| . 918| | | Total| HOW MUCH TIME DAILY ON AN AVERAGE BASIS YOU SPENT ON SNS? | 478. 000| 98| | | | | HOW MANY FR IENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK? | 1177. 000| 98| | | | | ARE YOU ON LINKEDIN, IF YES, THEN HOW MANY CONNECTIONS DO YOU HAVE? | 374. 000| 98| | | | | HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE IN YOUR LIFE? | 1025. 000| 98| | | | Corrected Total| HOW MUCH TIME DAILY ON AN AVERAGE BASIS YOU SPENT ON SNS? | 124. 980| 97| | | | | HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK? | 151. 602| 97| | | | | ARE YOU ON LINKEDIN, IF YES, THEN HOW MANY CONNECTIONS DO YOU HAVE? | 106. 04| 97| | | | | HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE IN YOUR LIFE? | 88. 173| 97| | | | a. R Squared = . 000 (Adjusted R Squared = -. 010)| b. R Squared = . 042 (Adjusted R Squared = . 032)| c. R Squared = . 009 (Adjusted R Squared = -. 001)| d. R Squared = . 000 (Adjusted R Squared = -. 010)| Correlations| | AGE| HOW MUCH TIME DAILY ON AN AVERAGE BASIS YOU SPENT ON SNS? | HOW MANY TIME YOU SPENT WITH YOUR HOBBY(S) PER DAY? | HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK? | HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE IN YOUR LIFE? | AG E| Pearson Correlation| 1| . 162| . 016| . 185| . 225*| | Sig. 2-tailed)| | . 112| . 879| . 068| . 026| | N| 98| 98| 98| 98| 98| HOW MUCH TIME DAILY ON AN AVERAGE BASIS YOU SPENT ON SNS? | Pearson Correlation| . 162| 1| . 023| . 191| . 352**| | Sig. (2-tailed)| . 112| | . 821| . 059| . 000| | N| 98| 98| 98| 98| 98| HOW MANY TIME YOU SPENT WITH YOUR HOBBY(S) PER DAY? | Pearson Correlation| . 016| . 023| 1| . 052| -. 112| | Sig. (2-tailed)| . 879| . 821| | . 613| . 274| | N| 98| 98| 98| 98| 98| HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK? | Pearson Correlation| . 185| . 191| . 052| 1| . 310**| | Sig. (2-tailed)| . 068| . 059| . 613| | . 002| | N| 98| 98| 98| 98| 98|HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE IN YOUR LIFE? | Pearson Correlation| . 225*| . 352**| -. 112| . 310**| 1| | Sig. (2-tailed)| . 026| . 000| . 274| . 002| | | N| 98| 98| 98| 98| 98| *. Correlation is significant at the 0. 05 level (2-tailed). | **. Correlation is significant at the 0. 01 level (2-tailed). | 14. Summary An d Major Findings:- 1. Since Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy is greater than 0. 6 and 68. 745 % of the variance in our items was explained by the 5 extracted components, which thereby explains that there is significant spread of malwares over internet and thus our alternate hypothesis i. . there is significant spread of malwares and cyber criminals over internet is accepted. 2. As explained by the bivariate correlation , the correlation are significant at 0. 05 level and 0. 01 level of significance, the null hypothesis i. e. there is no significant difference between male and female user is rejected. 3. As explained by multiple regressions the null hypothesis i. e there is no significance of SNS on one’s life is rejected. 15. References:- 1. 55. 032% of the variance in our items was explained by the 5 extracted components by, Dr.Biswajit Das and Jyoti Shankar Sahoo, International Journal of Business and Social Science Vol. 2 No. 14 www. ijbssnet. com. 2. IMPACT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES IN THE CHANGING MINDSET OF YOUTH ON SOCIAL ISSUES – A STUDY OF DELHI-NCR YOUTH by, Mr. Madhur Raj Jain, Ms. Palak Gupta ; Ms. Nitika Anand. 3. A Study on the impact of social networking sites on indian youth,By, Dr. M. Neelamalar ; Ms. P. Chitra. 4. SLIDES OF Prof. Vipin Khurana 5. www. wikipedia. org 6. http://core. ecu. edu/psyc/wuenschk/spss/SPSS-MV. htm 7. http://www. unt. edu/rss/class/Jon/SPSS_SC/Module9/M9_PCA/SPSS_M9_PCA1. htm