Happiness and meaning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Happiness and meaning - Essay Example In my view on the meaning of human life, the both reason why some people never find meaning in life is that they are either individualistic and they do not want to share their lives with other people, or they never get chance to do or to work in fields that they love. The following is the main reason why I believe that the meaning of human life can be found in serving other human beings. To begin with, a critical look at the main reason why many people never find meaning in life shows that they are individualistic and they do not want to share their lives with other people. In their reflections on the meaning of life, Kolak and Martin agrees with this view when they argue that the main cause of human struggle is division from within and from without, Kolak and Martin argues, â€Å"Everyone knows it takes two to have a fight. You can’t be involved in a struggle unless someone is resisting. The resistance might come from outside or from the inside- either you are divided from someone else, or from environment, or from yourself† (Kolak and Martin, 88). For Kolak and Martin, therefore, once one is united with other people, with the environment, and even with oneself, there is less struggle in life and hence, one will find the meaning of life. Kolak and Martin goes on to argue that it is only by ending the divisions or the fragmentations that cause human st ruggle that one can avoid struggling, hence finding the meaning of life. A critical look at the main cause of division that Kolak and Martin are talking about shows that it is individualism; because of individualism, people are separated from others, from the environment, and even from themselves because they will not be at peace with themselves when they are not united with other people and the environment. For this reason, therefore, individualism is actually the main cause of human fragmentation that makes human beings to see life

Security policies and alternatives Essay Example for Free

Security policies and alternatives Essay In light of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the United States has made several efforts to increase the country’s security. Within the last year, one of the largest debates has been with regard to border security. While the terrorist attacks are some of the fuel behind the debate, other issues include providing for the needs of illegal immigrants and their families and the economic impact of illegal immigration. Though in theory the debate centers on all American borders, the focus has been primarily on the southern border with Mexico and little discussion has been had about improving the security along the Canadian border. New border legislation enacted in 2006 provided for the building of a wall measuring several hundred feet long on the United States/ Mexico border in Texas, longer jail sentences for those convicted of smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States, and the posting of National Guard troops along the United States/Mexico border. A report in the September 21, 2006, edition of the Washington Post states that recent bills passed by the United States Congress regarding border security have all been somewhat weak, and have covered disparate aspects of border security that have little to do with each other. Little has been done to create laws that are both tactically strong in preventing illegal immigrants and terrorists from crossing the borders of the United States as well as providing laws that are fair and equal to those wishing to emigrate by legal means. Heightened interest in illegal immigration has led to more reporting of conflicts between Mexican Nationals and those charged with patrolling the border. These conflicts have simply added fuel to the cry for improved border security. Recent advances in technology have made it so that the United States can employ newer technology, ranging from facial recognition software to fingerprint readers in their effort to have more control over who enters the country via the southern border. Because the technology is complicated and new, many lawmakers are concerned about the potential invasion of privacy that it might cause, as well as the expense that it will entail. In addition, many who do not live in the Border States or are unfamiliar with American geography may have trouble envisioning both the length and scope of the American-Mexican border. Many policy makers have difficulties understanding the specific nature of the problems and therefore end up developing inadequate or poorly functioning solutions that don’t do anywhere near enough to resolve the problems created by these inadequate solutions. According to Ackleson (2005) one of the main issues in helping policy makers develop functional, efficient policies is the fact that very few people in power understand exactly what creates a situation where border security is both efficient and fair. One of the major complaints that have been made about current border security and immigration policy is that it does little to stop illegal immigrants, or potential terrorists from entering the country. Little has been done by the Federal Government to expand the rights of INS Border Patrol Agents to act in order to prevent illegals from entering the country. The National Guard presence on the border is minimal and nowhere near enough to patrol the thousands of miles of unprotected border. Another issue is that of the Untied States border with Canada. Several thousand miles of this border are completely unguarded, and in many places, people can simply walk into the United States from Canada. According to Mass (2007) one of the major issues is the influence of major corporations on the political agenda in the United States. This is most true regarding industries that rely almost completely on the flow of illegal immigrants. Fields such as agribusiness, and the service industry that includes multi-national corporations such as Con-Agra and McDonalds have all had issues in the past with the hiring of illegal immigrants, and many of these businesses have a powerful lobby in the U. S Congress. This lobby affects the ability of lawmakers to put more effective border security policies in place on the United States Mexico border. Mass (2007) also characterizes the current lack of border security as an effort by the government and the lobbies of major corporations that influence political policies to create a North American Union similar to the European Union. This may, or may not be true however, it is a strong possibility that this could happen since countries in Asia, the Middle East, and South and Central America are moving towards similar alliances. Many have proposed the idea that the border begins not just at the physical entry points to the United States but in places where people and cargo embark upon the journey to the United States. Problems with border security are not just related to Mexican and Canadian borders but with the entry of people and goods from Europe, Asia and the Middle East as well. The numbers are rather overwhelming given the fact that land based borders between the U. S and other nations are around 7,500 miles long, 95,000 miles of coastline, and over 500 million people to contend with. This means that we need to be doing much more than we are currently doing in order to protect our borders. Jennifer Lake (2007) of the Congressional Research Service states that we must focus on border security for two primary reasons. First, alternative solutions to border security must be addressed in order to protect the United States from terrorism. Second, something must be done in order to stem the flow of illegal immigration from Mexico, and Central and South America. We also do very little to limit or stop immigration from countries with large numbers of suspected terrorists, or to limit student and temporary work visas even further. Although President Bush proposes increasing the number of available temporary worker visas, some people argue that this is not a feasible solution since it could allow for the entrance of terrorists into the country. The potential problem is similar to an existing one: there is no enforcement to assure that people with temporary visas leave when their visas expire. Many proponents of increased border security argue that the United States must first enforce the current immigration laws on the books, including taking action against the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. Many argue that until the current laws are enforced, adding more laws will simply be additional laws that illegal immigrants ignore. Desired Situation The key issues in border security are preventing terrorists from entering the country via weak borders and stemming the flow of illegal immigration from Mexico and South and Central America. Ideally, the objective would be for national security interests to be able to identify anyone who chooses to set foot on American soil. The overall goal would be to know who is entering the United States and for what purpose. Preventing Terrorism Preventing terrorism is one of the major issues that must be addressed when looking at border security. Since September 11, 2001 much has been done to ensure border security in this direction. However, there is still a great deal of work to be done. A. Airport Security: Enforcing federal guidelines regarding airport security is vital. Critics of the Transportation Safety administration say that the regulations are enforced differently at various airports across the country and that many airport security personnel are poorly trained and ineffective. In reality, this may currently be one of the most secure entry points into the United States and efforts need to be made to make the physical borders of the country as safe as the airports and harbors. B. Terrorist Acts. Regardless of public outcry over profiling, the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service needs to have more stringent control on the immigration of people from countries with high numbers of known or suspected terrorists. This could include more stringent background checks before visas are issued and a mechanism by which INS is alerted if a person with a temporary visa fails to leave the country on time. It might also be worth considering some sort of monitoring system so that persons of suspect origin can be monitored while in the United States on a temporary visa. Other things to consider are: 1. Limiting the number of available student, or temporary worker visas. Many of the 9-11 terrorists entered on these types of visas. Many of their visas were also expired. INS need to be authorized to do extensive pre-entry background checks on those requesting visas and needs to have an effective enforcement arm for deporting those who stay beyond the length of their visas. 2. Adequate supervision of immigrants coming in from the Canadian border; instead, we focus on the mass numbers coming in from Mexico. Both borders must be equally secure so that terrorists do not simply adapt to changing security issues. 3. Utilizing more of the advanced technology that has been developed in the wake of 9-11. Fingerprint readers and facial recognition software should be available at every legal port of entry into the United States. Stemming the Flow of Illegal Immigration An equally hot topic in the border security debate has been the issue of stemming the flow of illegal immigrants that cross the border from Mexico. Many of these immigrants cross the border where there are no security checkpoints and therefore federal security agencies have no way to monitor who might be entering the country. Opponents to the prospect of tightening border security have claimed that we need the illegal immigrants to take service sector and farming jobs American-born workers refuse to do. While this type of culturally-biased and bigoted rhetoric has no place in the immigration debate, the country does need to address employment needs as part of an overall immigration reform package. Additional proposals for increasing security on the southern border include: 1. Using a mix of enforcement officers to patrol the border, including INS, National Guard and U. S. Border patrol. 2. Empowering border patrol agents to act with impunity in protecting the borer. When a border patrol officer is convicted of attempted murder for firing at someone illegal crossing the border, there is a problem. 3. Border crossing stations on all roads, not just major highways. 4. Using biometric, and computerized border control methods 5. Extending walls between United States and Mexican borders, and making them much higher than they currently are. 6. Longer jail sentences for illegal immigrants and those who smuggle them into the country. 7. Encouraging economic growth and development in Mexico and South and Central America Evaluative Criteria In creating the desired solution, the United States has many issues to consider. These are very long borders and therefore will require a mixture of approaches and means of enforcement. Furthermore, to effectively reach the desired solution, the entirety of the political structure has to reach a consensus regarding the goals and outcomes desired. Currently, the two sides of the immigration debate cannot even agree on the desired outcome. Issues that will have to be considered are: 1. Can this solution be reached through political consensus? Because the political parties in the United States have been so diametrically opposed of late, there seems to be little chance that the parties will agree on a solution that is both politically expedient and effective in any manner. The one thing that might alter this is the public outcry last spring over the legislation that congressional leaders put forth. 2. Can this project be done in a cost-effective manner? With more than 7500 miles of borders to the north and the couth, the United States needs to make a major investment in border security and doing so requires selling the majority of the populace on the need for that security. 3. Do we have the technological capabilities for this solution? One proposal before Congress gave the INS one 24-hour period to determine if someone was eligible for a temporary visa into the United States. This restriction is ludicrous. Other countries often take months to determine if a person is eligible for a short term visa. 4. Can we justify this solution to ourselves and the world? America has long been considered the land of opportunity. If we take significant steps which effectively reduce the number of immigrants allowed into the country, are we betraying our past? 5. Does this solution address the need to grant political and religious asylum to persecuted peoples around the world and is it so cumbersome as to make legal immigration even more difficult? 6. Does this solution adequately address matters of national security such as knowing who is within our borders and when they leave? Current Situation Currently the United States is not going as far as it should in protecting our borders. We are still stuck in the frame of mind that assumes that border security involves merely the increase of manpower. This is not necessarily true. We have tools that can be utilized to both protect our borders, and to ensure that the system operates in an efficient and an effective manner. As of right now the United States has increased the Border Patrol run by the Immigration and Naturalization Service by several thousand employees. The Federal Government has also stationed several National Guard units along the U. S, Mexico border. They are doing little or nothing to protect the Canadian border. Through the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration, some entry into the united States has become more monitored and more difficult, but the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already within our borders proves that country is not doing enough to protect itself from outside treats. Scenario One Jose and Rita live in Mexico near the border with El Paso. Rita is pregnant and Jose believes that he can find better employment in the United States. He applies legally for a temporary work permit, crosses the border daily for work and then applies as a legal immigrant. This is, of course, the best case scenario and the way it should work. If Jose attempts to get a temporary visa, the government should conduct an appropriate background check and issue the visa. He should be allowed to work in the United States and return to his native country to live. These day passes are a normal thing in border towns. The key issue here is that we must monitor to make sure they are leaving when the temporary pass expires. Scenario Two Juan and Carmelita want their unborn child to be born in America so that it will be an American citizen. After several days of observation, they find a spot in central Arizona along the fence where they can sneak into the United States. Carmelita’s child is automatically an American citizen because it was born in the United States. The problem here is that there are miles of unsecured border where illegals can sneak through and that we reward them for the effort by providing them with free medical care and free citizenship for their children. We need to develop a way to prevent illegal border crossing and to discourage its use. Scenario Three Terrorists observe the American border with Canada is largely unprotected and find ways to enter Canada. Then, they purchase hiking gear and backpacks and simply hike across the border into northern Minnesota. Homeland Security has no way of knowing they have entered the country and no way to protect the populace. The Canadian border is very rugged in some places and difficult to monitor. However, the border must be monitored to prevent terrorists from simply walking across it. ALTERNATIVES: Solution One Provide more border security by utilizing computer, and biometric technology as well as infrared cameras etc to monitor the flow of people in and out of the U. S/ Mexico and the U. S /Canada borders. Utilize these technologies to inspect cargo as well as people. A technological approach will be costly given the length of the borders and the terrain in some regions. In addition, there will need to be additional manpower to respond to threats detected by the technology and to monitor the machines reporting. Solution Two Decrease the number of work visas available for high tech, or medical fields (there are jobs in these fields but this is not where the majority of illegals work) and increase work visas for the service sector (this is where the majority of illegal immigrants work). In addition, the screening process before these visas are issued should be more extensive and the reporting requirements for employers should be more extensive as well. For example, if an employer hires a person with temporary work visa and that person suddenly stops coming to work, there should be a reporting mechanism within the INS so that his location and intentions within the country can be determined. Solution Three Increase the number of United States Customs Agents in airports, train stations at international borders, highways, and sea and river ports. Solution Four Reduce the number of services available to illegal immigrants even further than they are now. Currently they receive services for children born in the United States by making these unavailable there would be little motivation to sneak across the U. S border in order to receive them. Solution Five Offer aid to Mexico and Central and South American nations to help them raise the minimum wage rate, and attract new industries to Mexico. By improving the employment conditions in these countries we reduce the number of illegal immigrants crossing the borders. Make it conditional on governmental responsibility and fair distribution of funds. Stakeholders Defining who has a stake in the immigration debate is difficult as it includes all American citizens, Canadian and Mexican citizens and those wanting to immigrate to the United states from anywhere in the world. Among the largest stakeholders though are American politicians. Politicians are faced with an on-going crisis of national security unlike any they have ever faced before. Despite their best efforts, there is not simply a place or a person that the country can use as a military target and end the threat to national security. Instead, politicians are left with the requirement that they make the country feel safer and, if possible, be safer from external attacks. Politician’s further interest in the subject comes in the form of campaign donations and voting blocks. Many fear that if they are viewed as strong on immigration policy, they may lose voters among the Hispanic community and in other groups which believe that American opportunity should be available for everyone. On the other side of the coin, mostly Republican lawmakers are concerned about the big business interest in illegal immigration and do not want to offend the donors with big wallets. Caught in-between is the average American, Canadian or Mexican citizen. Many in border states grew up in a time when crossing the border was as easy as going into the next state. Many are mentally unprepared for the idea that Mexico and Canada really are sovereign countries and that a passport is required to visit them. Furthermore, people living in Border States have no desire to lose additional civil liberties in the name of security. Recommendations/Rationales American border security options have been criticized worldwide from countries which do far more to police their borders and regulate immigration than we ever have. Even Mexico, which has fence with concertina wire on its southern border, has argued that the United States should not protect itself from illegal border crossings. The people of America disagree. Middle America wants to feel safe from terrorist attacks and citizens in the Border States would like to feel that their jobs are secure from replacement with illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, with world criticism and a self-image based on the Statue of Liberty’s invitation to the â€Å"poor huddled masses yearning to be free†, it is difficult to find a solution that is both economically feasible and politically feasible. The best option is to increase physical security on the border including both personnel and technology. Building a wall is a fruitless and ridiculous idea that will waste valuable resource. Instead, we need to encourage the economies of Mexico and Central America while instituting serious enforcement of our border crossing laws. We also need to eliminate social welfare programs for illegal immigrants and restrict or eliminate auto-citizenship for newborns. Or, if we really do want to be the nation of immigrants we once were, we need to establish a new Ellis Island, in Texas or California, where people can line up and wait for their chance to swear allegiance to the United States and become citizens the right way. Success Indicators Perhaps it is the insidious nature of the problem, but measuring success of border security will be difficult. The largest measure of success is freedom from outside attack, but that is only one component of this issue. The further measure of success would be to see a decline in the number of illegal immigrants in the country and an increase in the number that are here legally. References Ackleson, Jason. Border security technologies: local and regional implications. The Review of Policy Research 22. 2 (March 2005): 137(19) Dizard, Wilson P. , III. DHS gets down to details on SBI: new technology plans include budget and staffing blueprints; cost put at nearly $8b. (Department of Homeland Security, Secure Border Initiative). Government Computer News 25. 34 (Dec 11, 2006): 1(2). I â€Å"House Passes Border Security Bill† Washington Post, September 21, 2006: http://www. washingtonpost. com Lake, Jennifer E. Border security: the complexity of the challenge. Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs. Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs, 2007. Mass, Warren. Why cant we secure the border? In truth, we can secure the border. The problem is that the federal government is pursuing an open-borders policy as a steppingstone to North American merger. (SPECIAL REPORT: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION). The New American 23. 8 (April 16, 2007): 25(2). I

Making Moral Decisions: The Synergistic-Reflective-Equilibrium Model :: Philosophy

Making Moral Decisions: The Synergistic-Reflective-Equilibrium Model ABSTRACT: This treatise is a contribution towards the understanding of why humankind cannot agree on the foundation of morality and why moral pluralism is the logical constitution of moral reality. The synergistic-reflective-equilibrium model is the model that will describe how persons can make moral decisions as pluralistic agents. If this model is correct, then it will not be a new discovery, rather, it will be a new description of how pluralistic agents do in fact make moral decisions. This synergistic-reflective-equilibrium description should then be useful not only in giving a fuller understanding of how moral decisions ought to be made, but also how moral philosophy can be united into a pluralistic collective whole. The first part of this paper defines the synergistic-reflective-equilibrium mode. It briefly explains how it is a combination of both the theory model of moral decision-making and the intuition model of moral decision-making. The second part of this paper defines mi d-level principles and explains how they are a natural development of the synergistic-reflective-equilibrium method. It will then be shown that both Mill and Kant used this method in their own moral theories. Lastly, it will be shown how "weighing and balancing" and "specification" are integral components in this model and were also practiced by Mill and Kant in their moral systems. Introduction This treatise is a contribution towards the understanding of why humankind cannot agree on the foundation of morality and why moral pluralism is the logical constitution of moral reality. The synergistic-reflective-equilibrium model is the model that will describe how persons can make moral decisions as pluralistic agents. If this model is correct, then it will not be a new discovery, rather, it will be a new description of how pluralistic agents do in fact make moral decisions. This synergistic-reflective-equilibrium description should then be useful not only in giving a fuller understanding of how moral decisions ought to be made, but also how moral philosophy can be united into a pluralistic collective whole. I. The Synergistic-Reflective-Equilibrium Model The synergistic-reflective-equilibrium model is the position in which the justification of what is right or wrong is done by using neither a pure theory model, nor a pure intuition model. The synergistic-reflective-equilibrium model is a back-and-forth process—starting with particulars and going to the general and back to the particulars and so on and so forth. This is a constant process that never really comes to closure as new decisions are constantly having to be made.

Migration Stories Essay Family Story Essay

This paper will take a key interest in the migration story of my parents Barbara Heinemann and Kirby Clark and their story in relation to identify the factors that shaped the migration and resettlement of migrants in the 1980’s and the Australian government’s policies and desires. How the processes of alienation and assimilation affected migrants who came from a western culture and how acceptance and ‘mateship’ was difficult to find in Australians. I will do this while comparing the similarities that other migrants in Australia and around the globe faced and different migration trends in the 1980’s. The paper will also discuss migration and what set voluntary migrants apart from other people and particularly the predisposition for migrant children to become migrants themselves. During the early 1980’s like much of the world Canada was experiencing a recession. Many people were in fear of losing their jobs in the current environment. â€Å"I was very nervous about cut backs at PWC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). From what I knew at the time, Australia wasn’t affected nearly as much as Canada was so I decided I’d try my luck in Australia on a 2 year working/holiday. † (). Many such companies were being encouraged by the Australian government to bring immigrants with â€Å"particular Professional skills, business experience† (). Many of the people that decided to take up the opportunity provided by organisations like PricewaterhouseCoopers never intended on staying in Australia. â€Å" When I first arrived I thought I’d always be going home, like most of the people I worked with were expats they all thought they were going to go home after their visa was up†(). By the mid 1980’s Canada had pulled out of the wor st of the recession. â€Å" By the time I left Canada the recessions was pretty much over. I was in a rut, I wanted something new and a 2 year working/holiday in Australia was my way out, but when I arrived I saw that the recession wasn’t over in Australia† (). Australia’s ‘clever country’ policies made it easy for skilled migrants to obtain permanent residence. â€Å"Almost all of the people we worked with at PwC, who where expats decided to stay, we were practically handed permanent residency† ().In the 1980’s the government’s desire to develop the financial sectors and technological sectors saw an increase in demand for workers and an increase in income to those who worked in them. â€Å"migration policies refocused on highly skilled workers, whether  permanent or temporary† (). Skilled workers were in high demand all over the world and Australia being so isolated could only have decreased the desire for people to move there but the Austr alian government may have had one of the best immigrant ‘recruitment’ policies due to the huge percentage of skilled workers that it took in comparison to some other countries. Australia became home to any new migrant families in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, many of the temporary workers applied and received permanent residency. â€Å"Almost all of the expats at PwC stayed in Australia, and most of them married each other or an Australian.† (). Australia has become one of the world’s most diverse countries if not number one or two. 24 percent of Australia’s population was born overseas and another 26 percent have one or bother parents born overseas. This number will only increase with children from the migrants that arrived in the 1980’s and 1990’s becoming old enough to be part of the statistics. At most schools it seems to be a higher percentage than 26 that have parents from overseas and around the same as 24 that were born overseas. In the 1980’s migrants decided to stay in Australia and to make it their home as no one was from the same place their lives together were in Australia â€Å" Me being Canadian and my wife being English we didn’t have a shared home other than Australia. We both love it here why would we think of moving to either of the others?† (nkob). â€Å" I’m from Toronto in Canada and Barbara is from Vancouver, we didn’t have a shared history in Canada, we came to Australia at different times but we’d made ourselves a home here, we’d gotten married in 1988, bought a house in 1989 and had a son in 1991† (). After about 5-10 years many migrants who arrived in the 1980’s realised that they probably wouldn’t be going back home to live. For many it would have been an hard concept to deal with. â€Å"I know that after about 3 years I thought I probably wouldn’t be going back to Canada but it didn’t really hit me till I was here for the 7th year† (). â€Å"I always thought I’d be going home until my son was about 5, I decided that this is our home now. I’ll probably go home more when my parents get older and are unable to take care of themselves† (). Many of the skilled temporary workers thought they’d be going back to their homeland but most didn’t, about 75 percent of the staff at PricewaterhouseCoopers that came from overseas went home after their 2 years. â€Å"I only remember about four people going back to  their home countries.† () All migrants face some Alienation when they arrive in a new country. Even people who come from ‘western’ countries feel some sort of alienation. It may not have been culturally that they had problems. Socially the migrants that were seen as temporary were not accepted their Australian co-workers didn’t see the point of getting to know them if they were here temporarily. â€Å"The expats stayed together most of the time. The Australians weren’t rude but they just didn’t care it took years to get to know an Australian from work, I was only temporary in their eyes. The Australians were also into buying a house and setting up their families. Most of the expats were here to party, it was called a working/holiday for a reason, we’d go out together most nights of the week† (). The new migrants didn’t know where to go or what to do in Australia. â€Å"I’m sure I would of figured life out by myself but all newcomers were taken und er an others wing shown where to go and which places were the cheapest and the best† (). Some of the migrants are still feel alienated today. They’re not from a different ethnic background from many Australians. The difference is there isn’t a Canadian or an Irish or an English community. â€Å"In some ways it may have been easier to come here from a country where many of people have come earlier. I have been living in Australia for 23 years and I still get asked how long I’m visiting for, or where in the states I’m from† (). They may not be discriminated against but as soon as they open their mouths many of the migrants get labelled as temporary. Assimilation was also something that these migrants had to overcome, most Australians at the time that were the same age as most skilled migrants were starting to settle down, buy houses and starting families. â€Å"we didn’t really have much contact with Australians our age they were either younger or older at either ends of their professional carriers.† (). Many kept part of the culture from their homeland with them or their previous routine. â€Å"In Canada I played Ice hockey at a high level and for the first 6 or 7 years I was in Australia I continued to play, becoming all Australian a few times. I remember Paul played rugby at a high level in Ireland and continued that here as well.† Being considered Australian is a hard thing for a lot of migrants to deal with psychologically â€Å"I don’t have a home country, I’m more of a global citizen, I’m a Canadian citizen, a  permanent resident in Australia but I wouldn’t call either my home. I’m a Canadian in Australia and an Australian in Canada.† ()Assimilation in Australia is hard to define with there being so much diversity it maybe not be a big issue with people having to assimilate with Australian culture if they already come from a ‘western’ cultured country. During the 1980’s migrants were migrating in the search for jobs and to escape from prosecution. Canada, America and Australia had a huge influx of Asian people predominantly from Hong Kong and Taiwan ,â€Å"about 50 percent of peopled the immigrated to Australia in the 1980’s were from Asia†(). In the 1980’s and 1990’s a large number of immigrants that arrived in Australia came from Asian, Middle Eastern countries and India. â€Å"When I first arrived I didn’t see that many migrants that were from Asia, particularly Indian people in comparison to the number in Canada but over the next 6 or so years I saw a huge increase of Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern people around the city† (). Australia was being ‘Asianised’ not as in a invasion but that instead of most migrants being from Europe many more where coming from Asia and the government was being more accepting to non Anglophone people. â€Å"When I first arrived Australia wasn’t a multicultural country in comparison to what id experienced in Canada, but as time went on it became very diverse very quickly. It became the Australia they had been promoting.† In the financial sector most of the immigrants were from Europe or North America but in the Information technology sectors the Asian and Indian people were the majority. â€Å"Most of the people that came to PwC where I was working were from the UK/Ireland, Germany or North America but in the Tech department I don’t think there was a person that wasn’t Chinese or Indian† (). The reason why countries were looking for skilled migrants, migrants with capital and entrepreneurial migrants was that these migrants usually such migrants would find a niche for themselves, perhaps as initiators of the new industries (). Migrants are people willing to change their lives in an instant. Someone who’s willing to leave their homeland and go out into the world, move half way around the world and try their hand at something is someone to be admired. Migrant families also tend to not stay in one spot for long or usually someone in the family makes a similar decision as one of their forefathers to try something else. â€Å"migrants are different from everyone else I think, they’re willing to take a chance, to risk everything, they are looking for an adventure. Although my grandparents moved to Canada from England, I never knew them but from a young age I had a desire to see the world, may have been from the stories from Bob our next door neighbour, none of my brothers or sisters moved away from home.† () Is being a migrant hereditary? It seems that people whose parents have migrated or family members have migrated before are predisposed to do so themselves. â€Å" Do I think it’s genetically inherited no I think it’s a frame of mind and previous experiences. My parents moved from Germany to Canada after World War II, the fact that they were migrants didn’t persuade me to go in anyway but the face that I’d travelled a lot when I was younger did have an effect on me I always entertained the thought that I might not be a Canadian forever.† () It may also be the fact that people that are 1st generation citizens of their country don’t actually identify themselves with that country. â€Å"I was born in Canada but because both my parents are German, I considered myself more German then Canadian which makes it much more confusing for me now living in Australia whether I am Australian, Canadian or German.† () â€Å"Both my parents are Canadian when I talk about home I talk about Canada despite the fact that I never lived there and I was born in Australia, at school I was always considered Canadian. I don’t think I’ll be in Australia much longer, there’s so much more out there to experience!†() This essay has explored what factors shaped the migration and resettlement of my family and skilled migrants in the 1980’s. It also discussed the processes of alienation and assimilation that skilled migrants faced in the 1980’s placing particular emphasis on temporary workers. Whilst comparing both of these with other migrants in Australia and worldwide and other migration trends. Finally I will explore how migrants differ and what influences people to migrate and the effect it has on the next generation and their beliefs and the disposition they have into becoming migrants themselves. Reference List http://science.jrank.org/pages/10225/Migration-in-World-History-Global-versus- Nationalist-Perspectives.html

Education in Culture Essay

Education in today’s world is far more different from the education it was before. Nowadays, as technologies and industries progress onwards, the need for education becomes more vital. Education is about learning and also teaching skills. As a part of the society, education has played major roles not only on passing culture from one generation to another but also in helping establish a more stable society. Education also denotes on the process of drawing out certain skills or making someone realize the use of some skills that he has on its own. And as the world develops, the entirety of education also has changed. Now, it encompasses different disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, biology, history, sciences, sociology and many others. Education is believed to have started once a person is born and ends until he dies. Each and every person defines education differently from others. Education can be attained even without the presence of proper schooling. It is the experience and the applications of the things learned that counts on what one has attained. Different cultures in the world have a different point of view on the idea of education. Their definition and ideas about education is highly embarked on the way they spend their everyday lives, how they eat their food, how they please their gods or how they rear their young. Basically, perspectives about education and how learning is done in a particular place is based on their culture. The United States is one of the countries that belong to the Western culture. Its culture started even before it became a country. Now, as the world progresses and along with the different factors of culture combination and transfer, the United States is one of the diverse and multi cultural nations. Due to the strong British ties that have happened in the past, the United States’ culture is greatly influenced by the British culture. Other influences also include European countries who once take part in the history of the US such as Poland, Italy, Germany, Ireland and the Natives of America. Due to rampant migration and trade during the past, the western part of Africa has also played important roles in the structure of culture of the United States today. As one of the leading countries in the world today, the culture of the United States requires education as one of the needs of its each and every citizen. In its education system, children ranging from the ages five to six are necessitated to attend school. At the age of five most children starts schooling in kindergarten, then, they attend elementary from ages six to eleven, middle school from eleven to fourteen then high school from fourteen to eighteen. There are two forms of education in the States: public and private. Public education in the United States is funded by the federal government and by each of the individual states. These funds came mainly from the taxes in the city of the states and not as education fund given by the federal government. On the other hand, private education in the United States receives little or no government support at all. And since most of the private schools are governed by religious organizations, these private institutions are disqualified from direct government support. Students who have graduated from the secondary level may still pursue education in universities. There are different Universities in the States. Some are funded both by the local and federal government and some are governed by private institutions. Due to the status of the United States in the world today, it is one of the countries in the world with the most advanced and most extensive educational systems and procedures. Education as a primary requirement in the States is offered in all levels: from the children to the youth and even to the adults. Aside from learning as its main propose, education in the States seeks to promote wisdom, democracy, nationalism, equality and development not only of the state and the country but also the self. References: Greenberg, I. (2007). Vocational education, Work Culture and the Children of Immigrants in 1930’s Bridgeprort. Journal of Social History. Volume 41. No. 1. Reed. T. V. (2007). Popular Culture: Resources for Critical Analysis, Retrieved, November 23, 2005, from http://www. wsu. edu/~amerstu/pop/. USA Study Guide. (2007). American Culture: US Culture Info. Retrieved, November 23, 2007, from http://www. usastudyguide. com/americanculture. htm.

Pros and Cons of Class Field Trips

Pros and Cons of Class Field Trips Are field trips worth all the time and effort required to make them successful? Most teachers have asked themselves this question at one time or another, typically when feeling overwhelmed as they prepare for  a field trip. The truth is that field trips at any grade level can cause quite a few headaches for teachers. At the same time, well-planned field trips can provide students with truly educational experiences they cannot get in the confines of the classroom. Following is a look at the pros and cons of field trips. Benefits of Field Trips Field trips provide students with new opportunities for learning through experience: Information is presented to students in a way that meets different learning modalities.  Field trips provide students with the ability to learn by doing instead of just passively listening to the information being taught in class.  Students are exposed to  new experiences that hopefully broaden their horizons. This can be especially helpful for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who may not have been exposed to these opportunities before.  Concepts that have already been learned in the classroom can be reinforced. Sometimes seeing information being taught in a new way can make all the difference in student comprehension. There is quite a difference between being taught about something like hurricanes and wind speed and experiencing them in an exhibit at a science museum.  Students are provided with shared reference points that teachers can then refer to and use in future classes. There may be an opportunity to have two or more disciplines use a field trip as an enrichment activity. For example, a trip to an art museum (art) coupled with a timeline for social studies (political systems in place when art was created) or a combination math (measurements) with science in a biosystem (river, beach, meadow). That way, multiple teachers can then refer back to things that students saw and experienced for the rest of the school year.   Students and teachers can see each other in a different light, helping to increase communication between them. Some students who might be overlooked in class because they are quiet might really come alive on field trips.  If parents are involved as chaperones, they can feel more connected to the teacher and the lessons being taught. They can get to know the teacher  better and understand what teachers deal with daily.New standards in social studies and science  require students to have experiences  related to concepts in the discipline. In social studies, students are required to take informed action.  In science, students need to be exposed to a series of concepts to help them to better understand the world around them. Field trips help teachers meet these objectives. Problems to Know In Planning a Field Trip There are a number of concerns and challenges that teachers face when designing field trips that must be recognized and addressed before planning a field trip. Field Trips take time if teachers want to make the field trip meaningful. Teachers have to coordinate locations and transportation. They also need to create an effective lesson plan that they will follow when on the field trip.  Students will be out of the school building for a field trip, which means they will miss other classes. If each core subject area (ELA, math science, social studies) offered one field trip during a school year, students would be out of the building for four days. School attendance policies may count these as excused absences, but any field trip that removes students from class reduces the number of classroom hours.  Field trips can be expensive, and some students may not have the funds to attend. Organizers of the field trip may consider asking for parents to add a few dollars to scholarship students. There may need to be a fundraiser for students to raise money for more expensive trips.Teachers have to organize the collection of money and the assigning o f chaperones. Teachers need to spend some time creating student groups that work for all students and ensuring that chaperones are assigned accordingly.   There is often red tape that teachers have to deal with as they plan field trips including permission slips, medical information, and emergency procedures. Schools typically require paperwork from teachers and their students.  Students will be placed in a larger environment than the classroom. New surrounding could possibly lead to additional discipline problems. Because the teacher typically only leads a small group, they cannot keep control over the behavior of every student on the field trip. It is very important that teachers enforce rules strictly and create effective consequences for misbehavior while on field trips.  The field trip destination might not live up to the teachers expectations. The location might not be as interesting as the teacher thought it would be. The time to complete the field trip might be considerably less than was expected. Therefore, it is a good idea to have some contingency plan in mind just in case.There may be students who, for one reason or ano ther, will not attend the field trip. Teachers must leave lessons, usually enrichment lessons, that mirror some of the concepts being experienced on the field trip. Feedback: One of the best ways to measure the success of a field trip (other than returning all students back to the school) is to ask for feedback. Teachers can post a survey for participants and for other chaperones to express how they would evaluate the trip. Students should have the opportunity to reflect on the trip and write a response in a journal or essay. Requiring journal responses after the trip can solidify the information learned as students reflect about their new understandings.  Asking students to write a thank you to the school principal for allowing the trip may even smooth the path to additional field trips.   All in all, most teachers feel that well-chosen field trip destinations are quite worth the hassles associated with  field trips. The key is taking the time to plan each aspect as much as possible.  Teachers must be proactive when thinking about and planning field trips. Students, on the other hand, may remember the experience of the school field trip as a highlight of the school year, and the time they learned more than anything taught in class.

Encryption essays

Encryption essays Information, whether it is intelligence gathered during war or a person's credit card number transmitted for an online transaction, has proven to be a valuable asset in all functions of society. The nature of some information requires that it is will guarded and that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Early history has shown that notable individuals have used imaginative ways of hiding the true meaning of a message or information by using the science of encryption. Commanders in World War II used encryption to disguise messages relayed between their troops by sea, air and land. Presently, encryption is being used to disguise a person's credit card number during an online transaction or to protects a person's vital information from falling into the hands of a hacker in a form easily legible. Encryption allows for only two people to understand the message being sent, the person who sent the message and the person expected to receive the message. The great Julius Caesar created his own form of encryption known as the Caesar Cipher. While his cipher or encryption technique was primitive compared to today's encryption techniques, this is one of the first documented cases of encryption being used to protect information transported from one location to another. The Caesar Cipher was first put into practice during the Gallic Wars. Julius was struggling to contact Cicero, who was under heavy attack and on the verge of surrendering his position. Caesar was able to have a message delivered to Cicero that stated help was on the way and not to surrender. The technique employed within the cipher was a simple three-letter shift of the Roman alphabet. So a simple message likeHold On? would be encrypted asKrog Rq?. Now without knowing the key (the fact that it is a three letter shift down the alphabet) it would be quite difficult to decipher the message without extensive exploration into the message. The full potential of a simple Caesar...