Women In Work Place: Challenges And Achievements

Women In Work Place: Challenges And Achievements When managing diversity is said, we may think of ethnicity, origin of race, and may be gender or other factors; however, diversity meanings are much broader than that. Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Esty, et al., 1995). Diversity at workplace has taken wide range of consideration, discussion, and implemented rules. Here, Im going to tackle specifically the issues of women at work place. Women on their path of struggle to maintain equality have gone through hurdle ways as well they have created milestones. ( Marquez. J ,2008) As of today, we commemorate Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run for US. vice president on a major party ticket. She passed away on (26/March/2011). She was a symbol of women successes. The pursuant of equal opportun ity requires hard work at different levels; by understanding of women needs, legislatures, reformations of out dated rules, and redefining social norms if we take UK as an example we will find women still suffering from unequal pay and, increasingly(Traynor, I. 2010), Womens workforce in historical perspective Historically, Britains women have been deprived of equal opportunities at workplace. Even though, the picture of gender equality at workplace seems to be complicated, but for many factors women have to have equal access to work, pay, promotion, and for other incentives. (Hudson. P, 2008 ) In the past women rights have been belittled for the argument of their limited role in public life at large. Women main responsibilities could hardly be seen outside of their traditional family chores. In addition to that factor, there are other cultural and social factors that hindered women from achieving higher standards at workplace.( Goffinet.F, 2009) In 1842, the parliament passed a law to ban women from working in mines and factories for long hours. However as people argue that the Victorian era was a time of change, women were restricted to specific jobs such as nursing and midwifery however, this era saw the rise of Florence Nightingale , who eased the way for women to pursue the career of nursing and to be more confident and effective in the society. Worman D. 2005), The domestic service of all kinds had the major interest of female employments (close to 50% in specific areas such as the capital: London), then the textile and the clothing sector has ranked almost in second rank. Also, they were having a good participation degree in metal wares, pottery and in other simple jobs like laundry work, cleaning, confectionery, brewing and retailing, without forgetting that they were largely concentrated in particular industries based in the regions of the country. For example, the cotton and woollen industries of south Lancashire and west Yorkshire. ( BBC ,2011) After the Victorian era, in the period between 1930-1950 women were having a prominent role in the textiles, pottery and clothing sectors. In addition to that, women provided cheap and adaptive workforce. Result in, many new technologies began to adapted with the idea of contracting with the opposite sex workforce rather than relying solely on male workforce. In fact, because they were novices working in new sectors, they were all trying proving themselves in the face of skeptics and opponents through providing their hard effort which led to achieve high level of productivity. Unfortunately, employers were occupying a large part of opponents and skeptics and they had many justifications that help them to avoid hiring women, like degree of absenteeism, marriage, pregnancy, childbirth and other personal problems holidays as well. However, the number of those opponents and skeptics has decreased and women started to hold more respectable in the workplace society after that significant increasing in the number of women graduating high school, this was in the period between 1950s and late 1970s. ( BBC ,2011) The beginning of the evolution The first World War could be considered to be the turning point in the history of women`s struggle in the workplace. During the war, millions of men were recruited to fight abroad and this has created a considerable gap in the job market. The state felt that there was a need to fill this gap and women were the perfect solution.( Fitzgerald. M ,2010) Recruiting agencies and the media played a major role in facilitating this approach by the government of that time. Women also proved that they were competent at the work place and managed to work under intense condition and contribute to the overall growth of the country. However after the war ended, women were quite liberalized from the Victorian era stereotype of women, they had more confidence and they managed to prove their skeptics and opponents wrong and made it clear that once they are out an working , it will be difficult for them to go back. (Traynor. I, 2010), Ten years after the first World War, the Representation of People Act was passed by the parliament in 1928, which gave full rights to women, including the right to vote and work etc. this was a result of several campaigns led by women rights activists over the years like Millicent Fawcett and Emmiline Pankhurst of the UK women`s suffragettes movement. They managed to succeed in giving women their full rights by public demonstration, propaganda and violent protests, however by the passing of this law women became more liberalized, but they still face the different kinds of discrimination in the work place until this day.( Fitzgerald M 2010), After the Second World War and towards the end of 1970s, the world witnessed an incredible change. The number of womens workforce increased due to more awareness and the proportion of educated women became higher, which made the participation of women in the work place the basics for the family and society and even economies.( BBC news 2006), In todays life, women are seen as successful figures on all walks of life. Women are politicians, nurses, scientists, and the list goes on. There is no valid argument which could be legitimate on putting women on a degraded position. Women have achieved high standards in contributing to the wellbeing of humankind. United Nations Charters have granted equality for women at workplace. Discrimination against women has been out lawed in many civil societies But the claim that women still face gender discrimination is valid. There is a still subtle discrimination women face at workplace. This includes sexual, racial and religious discrimination. The number of cases of sexual harassment has doubled in the recent years, with more women leaving their jobs after reporting incidence of sexual harassment or due to pregnancy and maternity leave.( BBC, 2006) Because of their biological nature, women deserve to have special considerations. Women go through different changes, pregnancy, parenting, and menopause. Within those times, women physical and emotional capacities are deterred. They all should be granted fair consideration during maternity and family based duties. There are mounting concerns regarding women of color at workplace. At society at large women of color, immigrants as an example, are struggling to achieve as others)) Sexual harassment against women at workplace is an imminent threat It is estimated that in UK 50% of women in employment are, or have been, subject to sexual harassment of some form or other ( Hudson P. 2009). Sexual Harassment According to the Equal Opportunities Commission EOC, half of women in the workplace have complained of some form of sexual harassment. The sexual harassment in the workplace is receiving increasing attention recently, particularly when participation rate of women in the labour force is rising. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNDFW) defines sexual harassment as unwelcome or unwanted verbal, non-verbal, physical or visual conduct based on sex or of a sexual nature; the acceptance or rejection of which affects an individuals employment. There are many types of sexual harassment; the most famous are;.(Susan .M, 2009) Serial Harassment: In this case, harassers plan their approaches very carefully, and then attack in private. Stalking: the harasser follows the victim home to his/her home to threaten them and gain control Power-player: if the harasser has more power than the victim they will ask for a sexual favour if the victim does not cooperate then they will be pressurized Situational Harassment: Some harassers that maybe in a stressful situation think that sex will eliminate their frame of mind. Great Gallant: Usually, it comes as a verbal harassment. It focuses on personal appearances. (Susan .M 2009) The UNIFEM 2006 report states that between 40 and 50 percent of women in the European Union have reported some form of sexual harassment or unacceptable sexual behaviour in the workplace (included verbal, physical or sexual). All forms of sexual harassment is covered by the Sex discrimination Act 1975 which protects women from discrimination on the grounds of sex or marriage , under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations also, it makes it a criminal offence for a person to pursue a course of conduct (including speech) that amounts to harassment of another as was this case I was forced to quit my job because of constant harassment from my boss, says Reena (name changed), a young woman working for an international organization. Reena decided to quit her stable job after her employer started sexually harassing her. He touched me unnecessarily, asked me to accompany him to dinners and made me feel uncomfortable, she complains. This is the plight of many women who join the workforce, not only in one place but the world over.( Khushbu .A 2010) Mothers and other colours discrimination Job discrimination against mothers resembles other forms of race and gender discrimination in that mothers experience different employment terms than other workers and many must endure workplace comments and behaviors that are openly hostile and unwelcoming. Even without words, Sarah Clarke (real name withheld) got her employers message loud and clear. Working in the male-dominated field of finance, Clarke recalls, When I went on maternity leave, I said I wanted to work from home [during my leave]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[but] they wouldnt allow me to call into meetings. And when I came back to work, I didnt have a desk. Kimberly. T,2008) A review carried out by the Equal opportunities Commission suggested that women with young children face more discrimination in the workplace than disabled people or those from ethnic minorities. A partnered mother with a child aged under 11 is 45% less likely to be in work than a partnered man. The review also showed 7% of working women were either dismissed, made redundant or left their jobs due to pregnancy discrimination (Dyer ,C. 2008) Also A survey of 122 recruitment agencies that revealed more than 70% of them had been asked by clients to avoid hiring pregnant women or those of childbearing age According to the EOC study, most of the women working in the retail and consumer services sectors were likely to have been dismissed or made redundant due to pregnancy-related discrimination. Others areas where women are more likely to have experienced discrimination include management and sales sectors ( Francoise, G, 2009) Women who had been working for their employer for less than a year when pregnant; and women working in establishments with fewer than 10 staff were also have been victims of discrimination . As was in the case of Ms Jones made redundant by an engineering company while on her maternity leave and she made a claim for sex discrimination.( Laurie, S.2011) There was also some indication that women who were treated badly during pregnancy were less likely to return to work. However, according to the study, only a small percentage of those who experienced discrimination took any steps to resolve it. The law in this section has long been established on the ground of pregnancy women it is less favourable treatment on the form of sex discrimination. (BBC, 2007) Nevertheless, in 2005, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 was (Amendment) to make this protection clear and to confirms that discrimination will arise if a woman suffers less favourable treatment either on her pregnancy or because she wants to exercise her right. the Case law has established that an employer who refused a woman on her time off work or return from maternity leave is probably to be in break of law and the provisions of the Sex Discrimination Act1975.( Laurie S.2011) It was the perception in the 60s and early 70s that there were believed to be in industry, mens jobs and women jobs. This was old fashioned and it failed to take account of the ability of both sexes and was discriminatory. The Act sought to prevent this happening. There were many examples of cases where employers would say women cant do this particular job because it is too strenuous or too difficult etc.( Angla .S 2010). Section 47C of the Employment Rights Act 1996 also protects a woman from suffering a detriment on the grounds of her pregnancy. This can be , resign Insensitive remarks Unfair selection for redundancy.( Hudson P. 2009). On the other hand, other colour women have the same problem. Trevor Philips in the Equalities Review (2007) says that in the United Kingdom 30% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women are less likely to be in work than white women of similar ages and qualification and this could be related to racial and religious discrimination in the workplace. Whereas , there are legislations in the work place to ensure the fair treatment of employees regardless of their religion or race . These are created by EU recommendation and adopted by the UK government this Regulations cover all religions and beliefs .Race Relations Act 1976. Also the UK legislations state that the racial hatred against a group of persons in UK defined by reference to colour, race, nationality or ethnic origins by the Public Order Act 1986 Section (BBC,2007) The Race Relations Act 1976 applies to discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, nationality and ethnic and national origins. It applies in Great Britain but not in Northern Ireland. Religious discrimination is not explicitly covered in Britain but separate legislation covers this in Northern Ireland. Ethnic origin, however, has been interpreted broadly to cover groups with a common or presumed common identity such as Jews or Sikhs. There are important exceptions to the legislation which, for example, allow discrimination on grounds of nationality to preserve immigration controls. Both direct and indirect discrimination are covered by the legislation which applies to all stages of employment: arrangements made for deciding who is offered a job. (Eurofound 2009 ) Is governed by section 21 of the Public Order Act 1986 which states that it will be an offence for a person to publish any material which is abusive or insulting. (University of Bradford 2009) The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000This places public authorities under a general duty to promote race equality of opportunity, reduce unlawful discrimination and good relations between people of different racial groups Discrimination against women can have a devastating effect on the economy as it results in a big loss of talent and capable individuals, who are able to contribute to the overall economy of the country by paying taxes etc. The Inequalities report the shows that the unemployment of women costs the country about  £28bn a year compared to the under-employment of disabled people about  £9bn. This shows how significant is discrimination against women along with its other form can contribute to the stagnation of the economy.(BBC,2007) Womens workforce: at the present time Because of globalization, mass immigration and the digital age, women have been relocated in different places. They face workplace environment with additional challenge to ensure that they require additional consideration. Workplace should be able to understand and satisfy women needs based on their different cultures, religions, and other beliefs Worman D. 2005), It is true that women are now entering the workforce in equal numbers of men, but they havent compared enough and still now there are many outstanding issues such as: gender discrimination, Pay gap, mothers discrimination, other color women and Sexual stalking/harassment. Women at the present time still are faced with numerous difficulties. According to many changing factors in the workplace, women have to adapt new strategy to face the change happened to them in the case of inequality. (Fassinger. R,2008) Other challenges: Religion Culture The world is rapidly changing. This constitutes that workplace should be a healthy place for women to be gender biased free environment. New trends among women have created new challenges. Women alone cannot fight centuries old of inherited discrimination. Government, employers, and employees should enforce laws at workplace to safeguard women rights and liberties. Civil societies should rise up to the rights of women at workplace. Since the backbone of the family is the woman, we all should contribute to safer, equal opportunity at workplace.( Daniels 2008), It is widely believed that the religion and culture is one of the main threats to womens work, and this point of view must be respected because it is supported by contemporary and strong evidences could not be denied, for example in south Asian communities in the UK, most women find it difficult to pursue careers that somehow contradicts the belief or the culture of their own community. For example, south Asian women will find it hard to work in the army or the police, because culturally it seen as a male job and few women choose to pursue it as a career. Women will be faced with much scepticism from their families and within their communities. Some people will also argue that their religion and beliefs prohibits women from working in specific settings or not being able to work at all. In the case of Islam, the holy Quran states that women have the right to work and seek knowledge side by side with men; it also shows evidence of women who were able to work and pursue careers and succ eeds. However religious leaders argue and their interpretations differ, the more fundamentalists will have a more strict view in regarding the rights of women to work. But the mainstream scholars will have an opposite view and supported by strong evidence.( Hudson P. 2009), 6. Supporters of the Issue: There are a many international organisations that support womens rights around the world and seek to achieve the most basic rights of women in workplace, home and community as whole. perhaps the most prominent example of this is the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) which has many achievements in the defence of the rights of women in throughout the world, in Egypt for instance, because Egyptian women sometimes found themselves in the face of gender discrimination or sexual harassment in the workplace or violence at home; so the organisation provided special treatment for them, they can bring their complaint to the National Womens Complaints Office and There is a network of good lawyers, trained by UNIFEM on womens human rights. ( UN Women 2010) Conclusion: Throughout history, women fought for their rights in the workplace. In the past, they were denied their simple rights including their right to work and believed that their ultimate place to be at home taking care of the family. In the later ages, there was turning points,, which enabled women to break the shell and surpass their limitations and achieve their presence in the workplace. As I stated earlier, the first world War and the representation of people`s act was the main reason behind the liberalisation of women. After the second world war , women started to achieve more and became more effective within the societies as people became more aware of women`s right. all previous evidence tell us that the women in the current era enjoy of wider range of personal freedom, and it has become normal to see women ascend the top positions in the most sensitive and important areas in all around the world, Even in areas that are not considered a democracy, we find that there are a notable development in women situation whether in work or society as a whole, despite being a bit slow for advanced countries. This does not mean the end of challenges that women face, there are still many outstanding issues that need to cooperation of everyone to solve them, whether by increasing the pressure on decision-makers in the world to issue the appropriate decisions to reduce the rate of these problems, and also by awareness of the unconscious peoples to develop their way of thinking and make them think in a positive way. In fact, women still have a long way to enhance their situation in workplace more and more, therefore, clearly change doesnt happen overnight but it needs hard work from all parties; governments, peoples, social institutions, media institutions and private organisations. The world dynamics are changing at uncatchable speed. Thus, it remains more urgent the focus we need to direct to all new difficulties and mainly discrimination, which should have no place in our work place.

Genetics 301 Sample Final Examination

Genetics 301 Sample Final Examination Spring 2003 50 Multiple Choice Questions (Choose the best answer) 1. A cross between two true breeding lines one with dark blue flowers and one with bright white flowers produces F1 offspring that are light blue. When the F1 progeny are selfed a 1:2:1 ratio of dark blue to light blue to white flowers is observed. What genetic phenomenon is consistent with these results? a. epistasis b. incomplete dominance c. codominance d. inbreeding depression e. random mating 2. Mutations which occur in body cells which do not go on to form gametes can be classified as: a. auxotrophic mutations b. somatic mutations c. morphological mutations d. oncogenes e. temperature sensitive mutations 3. What would be the frequency of AABBCC individuals from a mating of two AaBbCc individuals? a.. 1/64 b. 1/32 c. 1/16 d. 1/8 e. 3/16 f. 1/4 4. The stage of meiosis in which chromosomes pair and cross over is: a. prophase I b. metaphase I c. prophase II d. metaphase II e. anaphase II2 5. Polyploidy refers to: a. extra copies of a gene adjacent to each other on a chromosome b. an individual with complete extra sets of chromosomes c. a chromosome which has replicated but not divided d. multiple ribosomes present on a single mRNA e. an inversion which does not include the centromere 6. A gene showing codominance- a. has both alleles independently expressed in the heterozygote b. has one allele dominant to the other c. has alleles tightly linked on the same chromosome d. has alleles expressed at the same time in development e. has alleles that are recessive to each other 7. The phenomenon of â€Å"independent assortment† refers to: a. expression at the same stage of development b. unlinked transmission of genes in crosses resulting from being located on different chromsomes, or far apart on the same chromosome. c. association of an RNA and a protein implying related function d. independent location of genes from each other in an interphase cell e. association of a protein and a DNA sequence implying related function 8. Mendel's law of segregation, as applied to the behavior of chromosomes in meiosis, means that: a. pairing of homologs will convert one allele into the other, leading to separation of the types. b. alleles of a gene separate from each other when homologs separate in meiosis I, or in meiosis II if there is a single crossover between the gene and the centromere. c. genes on the same chromosome will show 50% recombination d. alleles of a gene will be linked and passed on together through meiosis 9. Which component of transcribed RNA in eukaryotes is present in the initial transcript but is removed before translation occurs: a. Intron b. 3†² Poly A tail c. Ribosome binding site d. 5†² cap e. codons coding for the protein to be produced3 10. Choose the correct statement about the genetic code. a. includes 61 codons for amino acids and 3 stop codons b. almost universal; exactly the same in most genetic systems c. three bases per codon d. some amino acids are coded by multiple codons e. all of the above 11. X-chromosome inactivation a. normally takes place in males but not females b. is the cause of the Y chromosome being genetically inactive c. takes place in humans so that the same X chromosome is inactive in all of the cells of a female d. occurs in fruit flies but not in mammals e. results in genetically turning off one of the two X chromosomes in female mammals 12. DNA ligase is: a. an enzyme that joins fragments in normal DNA replication b. an enzyme involved in protein synthesis c. an enzyme of bacterial origin which cuts DNA at defined base sequences d. an enzyme that facilitates transcription of specific genes e. an enzyme which limits the level to which a particular nutrient reaches 13. An Hfr strain of E. coli contains: a. a vector of yeast or bacterial origin which is used to make many copies of a particular DNA sequence b. a bacterial chromosome with a human gene inserted c. a bacterial chromosome with the F factor inserted d. a human chromosome with a transposable element inserted e. a bacterial chromosome with a phage inserted4 14. An experiment was conducted in E. coli to map the following genes (pro, his, bio, met, phe and trp) on a circular map using 3 different Hfr strains. Strain 1 Order of transfer (early to late): trp met his pro Strain 2 Order of transfer (early to late): his met trp bio Strain 3 Order of transfer (early to late): pro phe bio trp Based on the results what is the most likely map? a. b. c. d. 15. Generation of antibody diversity in vertebrate animals takes place through: a. the presence of as many genes in the germ line as there are types of antibodies possible. b. infection with bacteria carrying antibody genes c. infection with viruses carrying antibody genes d. polyploidy in antibody-forming cells e. rearrangement of DNA in tissues that go on to produce antibodies 16. Replication of DNA: a. takes place in a â€Å"conservative† manner b. takes place in a â€Å"dispersive† manner c. takes place in a â€Å"semi-conservative† manner d. usually involves one origin of replication per chromosome in eukaryotes e. takes place only in the 3†² to 5†² direction trp pro his phe met bio trp pro bio met phe his phe met bio pro trp his trp pro met bio phe his5 17. A duplication is: a. an exchange between non-homologous chromosomes, resulting in chromosomes with new genes adjacent to each other. b. loss of genes in part of a chromosome c. an extra copy of the genes on part of a chromosome d. a reversal of order of genes on a chromosome e. an extra set of chromosomes in an organism 18. What is the co-transduction frequency for the A and B genes, from the following dataset? (Assume that there has been selection for the A+ form of the A gene). Genotype Number A+B+ C+ 10 A+B+ C- 30 A+ B- C+ 20 A+ B- C- 40 a. .10 b. .20 c. .30 d. .40 e. .50 19. A mutation in a codon leads to the substitution of one amino acid with another. What is the name for this type of mutation? a. nonsense mutation b. missense mutation c. frameshift mutation d. promoter muttion e. operator mutation 20. Mapping of human chromosomes: a. has been restricted to the sex chromosomes because of small family sizes b. proceeded much more successfully as large numbers of DNA markers became available. c. has determined that the number of linkage groups is about twice the number of chromosomes d. has demonstrated that almost all of the DNA is involved in coding for genes e. has shown that there are more genes on the Y than on the X chromosome6

Philosophy of Discipline Essay

Essay Question: In order to find out how things really are, one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world. I believe that we perceive and therefore know. We perceive through emotions, language and reason. These are also known as the ways of knowing. Thus, it is appropriate to use the Woolman’s twelve ways of knowing to talk about perception. Reality is what we see, hear, smell, touch, taste and feel. It is what we observe around us using our senses and feelings. However, how do we know that we are really seeing reality and not our perception or something that our brain can accept and process? There are colors that our eyes cannot see for example ultra-violet and infrared-red. These colors are invisible to the human eye therefore we cannot see them. What we perceive is a clean Singapore. How do we actually know that Singapore is not littered with invisible rubbish? Of course, there are special devices that allow us to see these two colors and prove that there is no such rubbish. However, you can never be sure that there are no other colors invisible to our naked eyes. The things that we have always believed to be true, because we have ‘seen’ it with our own eyes may actually be non-existent so can we trust our eyes? Is what we see real? ‘My desk is in the study room’. This statement’s so called ‘proof’ is based on ‘unproven’ premises and therefore nothing is true and reality is not real. This is skepticism. When can we be sure? We can only be sure when we begin with the simplest, most basic premises which is certainly impossible to doubt. This can be summed up into these three lines ‘what we see is not real’, ‘you cannot be sure whether you are dreaming or not’, ‘there is only thing that you can be certain of and that is your consciousness of your own existence’. Xenophanes once said that we can always learn more than we know, but we can never be sure that we have reached any final truth. Thus is seeing really believing or believing is really seeing? Everyone has behaves differently because everyone is taught or programmed differently. Some people never let a vulgar word slip their lips others say it all day. This is due to the different programs stored in their conscience. For example, if your father who bought you up teaches you that stealing is wrong, you would perceive that stealing is wrong and thus your conscience pricks you when you are tempted to steal. However, what if the person who passes the information to you is ignorant and teaches you what he thinks is right and these turn out to be wrong? This boils down to authority and acquaintances. The drug addiction problem is because of incorrect perception. If your father brought you up teaching you that drugs is good for you, you will the perception that drugs is good and take drugs without it pricking your conscience, eventually fall into addiction of drugs. Therefore, are you able to trust your conscience or the persons who brought you up and helped program your conscience? Dreams seem real and convincing. Is it possible that you remember your dreams as you remember past experiences? This seems absurd, but sometimes you can mistake a dream for reality (dreams often seem very real), as a result you may also mistakenly store that reality-look-alike thought in your brain. You mistakenly made these memories and you can no longer be confine your memory to real-life experiences, which in itself are not very convincing and have its areas for skepticism, but fake and pure materials from your imagination. Every argument or proof proceeded from premises, which it did not itself establish. Trying to demonstrate the truth of those premises by other arguments or proofs had to be based on undemonstrated premises. Therefore, no ultimate ground of certainty could ever be reached. What a valid argument proves is that its conclusions follow from its premises, but it is not at all the same as proving that those conclusions are true. Every valid argument starts with an ‘if’: if ‘p’ is true then ‘q’ must be true. That leaves open the question of whether or not ‘p’ is true. The argument itself cannot prove that because it has already assumed it and to have assumed already what sets are out to prove would be to move in a vicious circle. Perception can be simplified into two basic questions. Is your perception true? Why is it true or false? Then you can ask yourself how do you perceive? We know through our five senses? These senses send impulses or messages to our brain from the outside word. The brain then interprets and creates the real world in our brain. How does the brain interpret the impulses or messages? It can be done through past experiences, social, cultural, religious communities, spatial familiarity for example patterns and shapes, biological limitations, existing learning structures, language and self perception such as how we think or what we believe. It is indeed doubtful whether anyone could live based on complete perception, or if they could, whether such a life would be worth living. However, this refutation of perception, if refutation it is, is not a logical argument. In practical life, we must steer a middle course between demanding a degree of certainty that we can never have and treating all possibilities as if they were of equal weight when they are not. References 1. Longman Longman Dictionary Of Contemporary English (International Students Edition) Longman Group Limited 1978, 1995 2. Bryan Magee The Story Of Philosophy Doling Kindersley Limited 1998, 2001

January Writing Prompts for Student Journals

Students return from the winter break during the first week of January. With the new year comes resolutions and a desire to do better. January is a great time to start students on daily writing assignments. These can be in the form of warmups or journal entries. The ideas provide writing prompts for each day of the month. Daily Writing Prompts Having a writing prompt handy for each day of the month can ease teacher planning. The numeral before each prompt represents the date in January. New Years resolutions: Many people begin the new year with a list of resolutions. Write about three of your New Years resolutions and explain what steps you need to take to make them come true.Goal setting: Goal setting is an important part of creating an ideal future for yourself. Come up with a one-year goal, a three-year goal and a 10-year goal for yourself. Then write about three steps that you will take to accomplish each of these goals.J.R.R. Tolkiens birthday: Discuss your feelings on fantasy and science fiction. Do you enjoy these types of books? Explain why or why not.Isaac Newtons birthday: Explain what Newton meant by the following quote: If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.National Bird Day: When the United States was founded, Benjamin Franklin argued that the national bird should be the turkey. Instead, the bald eagle was selected. Was this a good choice or should the Founding Fathers have gone with the turkey instead? Give reasons for your answer.Sherlock Holmes birthday: Today is the birthday of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Do you like mysteries? If so, tell about your favorite mystery book, television series, or movie. If not, explain why you dont like them. Alternatively, write about Little Christmas or the Epiphany. Many cultures celebrate a second Christmas on this date. What celebrations would you like to see twice a year?Winter break: Describe the best thing that happened to you over winter break.Elvis Presleys birthday: What is your favorite type of music? Your least favorite? Explain your reasons for each.Seasons: What is your favorite season? Why?United Nations Day: What is your opinion about Americas participation in the U.N.? Or, what  is your opinion on the effectiveness of the U.N. in negotiating world peace?Death of Francis Scott Key: On this day in 1843, Francis Scott Key died. He penned the lyrics of the Star-Spangled Banner. What is your opinion about the use of this song a s a political protest (such as NFL Players kneeling)? Do you put your hand over your heart and stand in respect when the national anthem is played? Should athletes be required to do so?National Pharmacist Day: Meat producers around the nation typically put low levels of antibiotics in the animals food to help promote growth. However, some people are concerned that this leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans. The meat industry argues that if it were unable to include antibiotics, the cost of meat would dramatically increase. Do you think that the meat industry should be forced to stop using these antibiotics? Defend your answer.Make Your Dreams Come True Day: What is a dream that you have for your future? Describe this dream and explain the steps you can take right away to help make it come true.Benedict Arnolds birthday: React to the following statement: One mans traitor is another mans hero.Super Bowl hype: Do you watch the Super Bowl for the game, the ads or both? Explai n your answer.Passage of the 18th Amendment: This amendment  to the U.S. Constitution prohibited â€Å"the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors† but not the consumption, private possession, or production for one’s own consumption. Currently, a large number of states and the District of Columbia have laws broadly legalizing marijuana in some form, but marijuana is still against federal law. Should states have the right  to allow  marijuana be regulated like alcohol?Benjamin Franklins birthday: What was Franklins most important contribution to America?Winnie-the-Pooh Day: Which character from Winnie-the-Pooh do you think is most like you? Explain your answer.Popcorn Day: What is your favorite movie? Or, who is your favorite film director? Why?Presidential Inauguration Day: What qualities does it take to be an effective president of the United States? Or, what makes a president of the United States ineffective? What evidence do you have to su pport your answer?Martin Luther Kings birthday: King stated in his famous I Have a Dream speech: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. What is your opinion on how close America has come to fulfilling  Kings dream? What evidence do you have to support your opinion?National Hobby Month: What is your favorite hobby? What makes it your favorite?National Blood Donors Month: Should blood donors be paid to donate blood? Explain your answer.California Gold Rush: If you had lived in the 1840s when gold was discovered in California, do you think that you would have traveled West to take part? Why or why not?National Opposite Day: What would you do differently if you were the teacher in this class? Or, what is the opposite reaction that you have from your family on a topic (politics, music, technology)? Why do you react differently?Australia Day: Have you ever t raveled out of the country? If so, describe the similarities and differences between the country you visited and America. If not, explain which countries youd like to visit and why.Lewis Carrolls birthday: Which character from Alice in Wonderland would you most want to meet? Which would you least like to meet? Why?Jackson Pollocks birthday: What is your opinion of modern art? Do you like it or hate it? Why?Thomas Paines birthday: Do you agree with the following statement by Thomas Paine: Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one. Explain your answer.Franklin Roosevelts birthday: Franklin Roosevelt was elected to four terms as president. After this, the 22nd Amendment was passed limiting the president to two terms or 10 years. Do you think that there should be term limits for presidents? What about for senators and representatives? Explain your answer.Jackie Robinsons birthday: Robinson was the first African-American to play b aseball in the Major Leagues. Many praised him for his courage. How do you define courage? Give examples of people who you think are courageous.