Intercultural Communication in the Workplace Paper Essay

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace Paper - Essay Example It has become the common practice for the international companies to invite foreign partners to work on the projects. For example, if IKEA plans to expand its operations to the Korean market, the top management might consider an option of cooperation with Korean sales representatives who have both the knowledge and skills to make the integration more successful. Such cooperation is not always successful, unfortunately. The major problem is caused by the lack of cultural understanding. The American company plans to start the new marketing campaign to be used both in United States and in Japan, one of the key target markets. Being aware of cultural differences and willing to avoid wrong perception or translation of the slogan, it was decided to invite the group of marketing specialists from Japan. Five Japanese specialists came to United States and joined the company's marketing team. It was the well-thought-of decision to invite them; however, the project initiator has not paid enough attention to a very important issue - intercultural communication in the workplace setting. So, what was the problem The American member of the team presented his proposal to the Japanese member. While explaining his ideas, the American points to the paragraph he considered the most important. The Japanese draws in his breath and says that this idea needs special attention. The American decides that his idea is considered favorably. The misunderstanding here is that the American spec ialist concluded that the meeting is successful while the Japanese specialist wanted to point out that there are serious difficulties. Miscommunication is the major source of discomfort and conflict at work. More women, ethnic minorities and foreigners are entering the workforce and, as the result, the workplace is getting increasingly multicultural. Communication is more than what is said, written or expressed. Representatives of the different cultures have different communication styles: it means how, when and why the information is said. Misunderstanding occurs when the communications style of one individual differs from communication style of another individual (Ting-Toomy 2001). The problem becomes more complex when the communication styles differ based on the cultural heritage and both parties lack the knowledge of these differences. Americans v Japanese Americans are more direct in communication and if there is the problem, they expect to hear it in forthright manner; while the Japanese specialists prefer indirect communication style: less assertive. Sayings like "special attention is needed" might indicate that there are serious problems. In addition, Japanese are more reluctant to say "No". For example, the indefinite answer in perceived as undesired to cooperate by American business people, while Japanese are willing to say "Yes" as the sign that they are listening. When is comes to making an agreement, Japanese are not likely to say unconditional "Yes" or "No". This small cultural peculiarity might lead to

Impulse buying behaviour and self-regulation Article

Impulse buying behaviour and self-regulation - Article Example These are just some of the factors that affect consumer behaviour. Consumers can be either subjective or objective, testing the persuasiveness of brand names. Retail stores selling the products also play an important role in swaying the decisions of consumers. The whole package or visual appeal of the retail outlet can determine sales, or the service of the sales women or the clerks. Furthermore, consumers may choose particular products/brands not only because these products provide the functional or performance benefits expected, but also because products can be used to express consumers' personality, social status or affiliation (symbolic purposes) or to fulfill their internal psychological needs, such as the need for change or newness (emotional purposes) (Kim et al, 2002). These are just some of the factors that affect impulse buying behavior. ... enomenological approach of survey with succeeding thematic analysis of the texts from which the researcher could gather facts and empirical data from the academe. Aims and Objectives The main objectives of this study are to examine the aspects that influence impulse buying behaviour of consumers and their self-control. Hypotheses The impulse buying behaviour of consumers is influence by beliefs, culture, learning and values. That is regulated by self-control Method Research Design Although the study is primarily interested in examining qualitative concepts and constructs such as beliefs, attitudes and perceptions, the quantitative research approach was likewise utilized to achieve the exploratory and the descriptive objectives of the study, which highlighted the consumers' perspective about the issue of impulsive buying behavior. According to Mays and Pope (2000), the quantitative research approach is most appropriate when conducting descriptive and exploratory study in order to quantify data that seem immeasurable, such as feelings, beliefs, and thoughts. This permits a flexible and iterative approach of analyzing and statistically manipulating the collected information. As such, these variables were presented, explained and correlated with each other and with the qualitative results of the second phase of the research project. Moreover, the study also examined the conditions and the nature that surrounds the quantitative data to achieve the descriptive objec tives of the study. Participants For this particular research activity, the survey method was planned to accomplish a desired sample size of 100 consumers as respondents. To ensure that the survey will produce 100 valid and reliable survey outputs, 40 more respondents were asked to participate, adding 10

Aesthetics of Knowledge Maps Essay Example for Free

Aesthetics of Knowledge Maps Essay If â€Å"a picture is worth a thousand words†, what is the worth of each word? Does the value of the aesthetic decrease through this transition? The human brain is trained to believe that there is a word to describe aesthetic, being able to put a label or description on all of this information. Why must we even classify a photo’s meaning through the written language? Visual information cannot be fully described through language or non-visual semiotic systems, because it is irreducible. Information is an artistic and aesthetic concept; to understand our world we must include the notion of information and how we as humans can make a representation of the world in our minds. Visual artifacts contain information. We store information visually, we analyze information through a visual means, and we understand information better when it is represented visually. The word ‘tree’ represents a tree as an aesthetic, an encompassing notion versus a specific image of a singular tree. There is a broader spectrum for understanding when something is visual. Depending of what language you speak, the framework of our semantic foundation, the meaning of a word varies drastically. People that speak different languages all see something in a photograph or painting and could tell you what it is they see, but the differences in our semantic thinking, language of words classifying information, will make it different. When a human is in early development stages as a child, the first initial way to communicate for them is visual information. Before children learn to read and write they draw, watch television, look at picture books. Then they are given teachings of communicating visuals to word. During the Paleolithic Period, 40,000–8,000 BCE, nomadic people painted in caves as a wondrous early way of communication, sharing information with others. An incredible example is the Hall of Bulls in the Lasceux Caves located in France in 15,000 BCE. These humans could not read or write and yet the visual information they represented with these paintings is breathtaking. They didn’t need 1,000 words to describe what they saw until the information age. Stories throughout time have been told naturally with visual information. Information has a history, yet unlike regular history, it is unbound by Euclidian space. It is not a physical being that has but one description. However, now information is all put into word. Without an extensive vocabulary there is little chance you could ever be able to express notions as clearly as if you were to simply communicate with visuals. Reliance on visual’s word to form the structure of all of our communication means thinking; visualizing information and mapping thought processes. Knowledge deals with matter of facts; laws of nature and society deal with energy processes and determine knowledge and facts. Information is prior to laws and knowledge; information is structured, relational, stored and transmitted, aesthetic. Information is configurations, organization and formalization. Mapping concepts structures our knowledge and makes us able to generate hypotheses. The organization of thoughts and concepts in this way brings the opportunity of serendipitously learning.

Separation of Powers UK

Separation of Powers UK What was the purpose of the ‘separation of powers as originally envisaged? How does it operate in contemporary practice? Note: Headers have been removed to show that word count is not breached by more than 10% To answer these questions I will need to identify a few key concepts, firstly Separation of Powers and what this means- Separation of powers is the idea that the three functions of government: Legislation, execution and adjudication should be dealt with by separate branches of government: Legislature, Executive and Judiciary[1]. When it comes to the phrase ‘Originally envisaged it has to be worked out who is being referred to the- Montesquieu is the person generally linked with the phrase separation of powers which he wrote about in The Spirit of the Laws. I will speak about Montesquieu views in the first section of the essay. ‘Originally Envisaged may however also refer to the views of the founding fathers and in particular those that contributed to the Federalist papers as they wrote numerous times about the importance of the separation of powers. (To tackle how it was originally envisaged I will make reference to documents written by these parties and extensively use q uotes from The Spirit of Laws, The Federalist Papers and the American Constitution to back up my points and to analysis what they originally envisaged) I will write about this in the section after discussing Montesquieu and his views on ‘Separation of powers. These two sections will answer the section of the question on how ‘Separation of Powers was ‘Originally envisaged; I will then discuss what the purpose of ‘Separation of Powers was according with relation to Montesquieu The Founding Fathers. I will then go onto answer the second part of the question- Outlining where ‘Separation of Powers is not being strictly followed and where problems exist within the system and where ‘Separation of Powers is followed in Contemporary America. Montesquieu is an important figure when discussing Separation of Powers due to his book The Spirit of the Laws in which he outlines why the Separation of Powers is necessary and how it should be separated. Montesquieu discusses how ‘Democratic and Aristocratic states are not necessarily free ‘Tis necessary that by the very disposition of things power should be a check to power'[2] In other words there should be checks and balances to ensure Liberty can exist. Ensuring Liberty is a key theme in The Spirit of Laws and could be seen as the purpose of the ‘Separation of powers according to Montesquieu. But to be able to tell if this operates successfully in contemporary practice we must look at we must look at how Montesquieu explains it- he uses the British constitution as his main example[3] seeing the British system as one that was a free state[4]. He sees the reason for this is because of the independence that exists between the different bodies- ‘Legislative , Executive and Judiciary stating that There is no liberty, if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers'[5] this system of power being restrained by other powers[6] is the reason according to Montesquieu why the British constitution could ensure Liberty. These regulations on power had in Montesquieus opinion the power to stop corruption or tyranny as he believes that ‘Every man invested with power is apt to abuse it'[7] This is an argument for the separation of powers as the statement ‘Every Man suggests that any person given absolute power will ‘abuse it, It is important to note however this does not mean that Montesquieu favoured democracy he simply believes that as long as there is separation of powers liberty is ensured he even states that most Kingdoms of Europe enjoy moderate government[8] Not because of any democratic principle but because ‘the prince who is invested in the first two powers, leaves the third to hi s subject'[9] (The third power referring to the Judiciary). Montesquieu places much emphasis on judicial independence, which is important to note as it will become relevant when looking at how it operates in contemporary practice as the appointments by the executive to the Supreme Court may be a potential problem. Another point to note within this section is how separate Montesquieu intended the different bodies to be- whilst he stated that they should remain separate he also mentions that if ‘The legislature think itself in danger by some conspiracy against the state It might authorise the executive power, for a short and limited time, to imprison suspected persons'[10] this suggests that whilst Montesquieu believed that separation was necessary he also believed that if necessary the different parts of government should be able to interact in such a way if it is deemed necessary. It is also important to make clear that Separation does not mean that the 3 different parts will not be able to communicate, indeed Montesquieu believes it necessary for example the Judiciary to be informed of law from the legislature and that they must follow the ‘exact letter of the law'[11]. To summarise Montesquieus views on Separation of Powers I would say that he believes that the purpose of the Separation of the three bodies of government is to ensure that power is not abused, however as mentioned previously there are some limitations to this separation which can be summed up by Montesquieu himself ‘Should abuses creep into one part, they can be reformed by those that remain sound'[12]. Montesquieu is important as he heavily influenced the founding fathers during the creation of the American Constitution and it can be seen that the founding fathers have built upon Montesquieus writings in The Spirit of the Laws, It should be noted however that although Montesquieu was the first person to write about the Separation of in the way it is contemporary understood, there are many links to Polybius and the concept of a mixed constitution[13], Polybius also mentions separate branches of government[14] and as such is important to note along with Montesquieu when discussi ng separation of powers. I will now discuss what the Founding fathers (Specifically those involved with the drafting and approval of the constitution) thought of the Separation of powers as how they ‘Originally Envisaged is crucial to answering the second part of the question, this section will be less detailed than the section on Montesquieu as they were heavily influenced by Montesquieu (Which I will prove later) so will share much of the same purpose and views on the Separation of powers. I will look at a few key Documents from the Federalist papers- 47 and 51- and also at the American Constitution, the Constitution should give an insight into what was originally envisaged and the Federalist papers should give more of an insight into what the purpose was. Firstly the American constitution- the phrase ‘Separation of Powers is not found in the constitution however the principles are prevalent throughout it and the influence of the concept of ‘Separation of Powers strong, many of the constitutions of individual states specifically mention the need for separation of powers[15] Notably Virginia- ‘That the legislative, executive, and judicial departments of the Commonwealth should be separate and distinct'[16]. Although the American constitution does not cite anything quite as clear as Virginias section on the Separation of powers the way it is built is clearly shows the influence of Separation of powers with legislative power being granted to Congress in the first article ‘All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress'[17] Similarly Executive power granted to the president ‘The executive Power shall be vested in a President'[18] and Judicial power ‘The judicial Power of the United S tates shall be vested in one supreme Court and in such inferior courts'[19]. It is clear that whilst separation of powers is not mentioned as it is in the Virginian constitution the principle is well and truly understood and represented by the Founding Fathers and the Constitution, these three quotes were taken from the first three articles respectively, so it can safely be assumed that the Separation of Powers in some form or another was an aim of the constitution. So as ‘Originally Envisaged the constitution shows that three distinct branches were considered necessary, with regard to what the purpose of it was we need an insight into what the Founding Fathers considered, and the Federalist papers provide such an insight which is extremely useful when trying to find out the purpose of ‘Separation of powers. I will now discuss the relevance of the Federalist papers and conclude on what they saw the purpose as. The Federalist papers were essentially pieces of propaganda designed to gain support for the constitution[20], they were written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison[21] who were all founding fathers- James Madison is of particular importance as he is considered the Father of the constitution and is said to have played a ‘Pivotal Role in the drafting of the document[22], the papers were published anonymously but the two papers I will be looking at are said to be written by- 47 (Madison) 51 (Either Hamilton or Madison)[23]. The reason I have chosen these two papers is because they both make mention of Separation of powers and as Madison is considered the Father of the constitution it will give an insight into what the purpose of Separation of Powers was as originally envisaged by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution. Firstly Paper 47, this paper by James Madison makes it clear what the purpose of Separation of powers is- it states ‘The preservation of libe rty requires that the three great departments of power should be separate and distinct'[24] so like Montesquieu the purpose is Liberty, this paper also acts to support the idea that Montesquieu was a big influence on the American Constitution with the statement ‘The oracle who is always consulted and cited on this subject is the celebrated Montesquieu'[25], as discussed in the section on Montesquieu there are caveats with the separation of powers and Madison also accepts and discusses these in this paper, using Montesquieu as his guide he considers the British constitution and how the three branches and not completely separate[26]. Paper 51 sets out in more detail how the separation of powers will work and further emphasises his purpose of support for the separation of powers ‘The great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself'[27] the important phrase here it to control itsel f, this shows an understanding of the principle of Checks and Balances as this is the way in which the government can control itself, however the general theme and purpose are shown to be the preservation of liberty. So to summarise this section I would say I have shown how both Montesquieu and the Founding fathers are agreed on the purpose of the separation of powers which is to ensure liberty, and they are both generally agreed on the idea of how this will be done- through checks and balances and the separation of the 3 branches of government, however I feel that there is one substantial difference between Montesquieu and the Founding Fathers views on the issue which is- Whilst Montesquieu makes it clear that it neednt be a democracy to ensure Liberty, Madison states that ‘dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government'[28] also Montesquieu believes that there is need for a hereditary body[29] which is not considered by Madison or the founding fathers. To start with I will identify the basics of how it operates, at its simplest level separation of powers can be considered to be the split of the 3 Branches of government into Legislative, Executive and Judiciary[30]- In contemporary America these are split thus: Legislative = Congress- including both the Senate House of Representatives Executive = President Judiciary = Supreme Court and lower courts[31] This system operates in that Executive and Legislative are elected by the public and the Judiciary are appointed by the Executive and approved by the Judiciary[32] (I will critique this as a point where Separation of powers does not exist in a later section). With separation of powers the three branches are to act as a limit to the powers of each other[33] (Checks and Balances) so I will now discuss how this operates in practice, one key way in which this exists is through impeachment, this allows the Legislative to remove the Executive from office ‘for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.'[34], this could be seen as directly meeting Montesquieus statement: ‘Should abuses creep into one part, they can be reformed by those that remain sound'[35] but it also presents a problem as it means that there is an overlap between the different branches however as I have discussed this does not mean a failure of separation of powers, it can however be considered as a potential weakness as ‘Other High Crimes and Misdemeanors is vague and open to interpretation so the ‘Abuses of power Montesquieu could exist here if the executive were to be removed unfairly by a Legislative with ulterior m otives. With the creation of legislation there are numerous checks and balances on the three branches of government I will attempt to point them all out in the explanation of the passage of a bill becoming law- Laws can come from either chamber of congress- and must be passed in both, this is a check on itself and shows the influence of the British model on the American one (as well as on Montesquieu) through the existence of two chambers in the legislature. If the bill is passed by both Chambers it then must be approved by the Executive- who can either veto it or pass it (Which means that the executive has a check on the power of the Legislature), if the executive vetoes it can be overridden by a 2/3 majority in both Chambers of the legislature, which is a check on the power of the executive. If the bill is passed then it has to be approved by the Supreme Court as being constitutional- which is a check on the power of all the other bodies.[36] As can be seen the amount of checks the separat ion of powers works well here other than with the Supreme Court having no check on it and the ability to outright reject a bill. There are a few quirks in the American system that means Separation of Powers is not as clear cut as it could be one issue being that the vice-president is also the president of the senate[37] which is a clear overlap between the Executive and legislative, however as the Vice-President only has a casting vote[38]and does not have as much power as the president in the executive this can be seen as a technical breach rather than a problematic one. Another breach which is possibly more problematic is the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court- these are appointed by the President and confirmed by the senate[39] whilst the fact that they are confirmed by the senate means that there is a check it also means that all 3 branches overlap in this area, it can create problems for the Executive when previous Presidents have appointed judges of a certain political persuasion which can be seen as an abuse of power and therefore Separation of Powers has not been met. To summarise this essay I would say that the Purpose of the Separation of Powers as Originally Envisaged- Which can refer to either Montesquieu or the Founding Fathers- is in both cases the Preservation of Liberty. Whether or not this operates in contemporary practice is debatable, I have been limited in this essay by attempting to answer two questions that potentially could be questions in their own right, I would like to have been able to explore further the Problems and Quirks but with the word limit of a single essay being imposed on two separate questions had to focus more on the questions at hand rather than being able to discuss these issues. I have attempted to use Primary sources as much as possible- My main references being The Spirit of Laws, American Constitution and The Federalist Papers as I feel that this improves the validity of my points. [1] Heywood, Andrew, (2007), Politics third Edition, Palgrave Foundations, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England Pg. 339 [2] Montesquieu, Carrithers, David Wallace Ed. (1977), The Spirit of Laws, London, England, University of California Press Ltd. Pg. 200 [3] David Boucher Paul Kelly, (2009), Political Thinkers from Socrates to Present, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, England Pg. 250 [4] Ibid Pg. 251 [5] Montesquieu, Carrithers, David Wallace Ed. (1977), The Spirit of Laws, London, England, University of California Press Ltd. Pg. 202 [6] David Boucher Paul Kelly, (2009), Political Thinkers from Socrates to Present, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, England Pg. 251 [7] Montesquieu, Carrithers, David Wallace Ed. (1977), The Spirit of Laws, London, England, University of California Press Ltd. Pg. 202 [8] Montesquieu, Carrithers, David Wallace Ed. (1977), The Spirit of Laws, London, England, University of California Press Ltd. Pg. 202 [9] Ibid Pg. 202 [10] Ibid Pg.204 [11] Ibid Pg. 203 [12] Ibid Pg. 184 [13] Davis Lloyd, Marshall, Polybius and the Founding Fathers: The Separation of Powers, (Written 22/09/1998 Revised 02/09/2006) Available From: http://www.mlloyd.org/mdl-indx/polybius/intro.htm, (Accessed 12/12/2009) [14] Walbank, F.W., (1990), Polybius, London, England, University of California Press Ltd., Pg. 150 [15] Vile, M.J.C., (1967), Constitutionalism and the separation of powers, Oxford, England, Oxford University Press, Pg. 119 [16] Constitution of Virginia, Article 1 Section 5, Available From http://legis.state.va.us/constitution/a1s5.htm Accessed (12/12/2009) [17] American Constitution Article 1 Section 1, Available From http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html Accessed (12/12/2009) [18] Ibid Article 2 Section 1 [19] Ibid Article 3 Section 1 [20] Dahl, Robert A., (2001), How democratic is the American Constitution?, Yale University Press, United States Pg. 64 [21] Ibid Pg. 64 [22] Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/may05/constitution.html, Accessed (12/12/2009) [23] Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html, Accessed (12/12/2009) [24] Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fed_47.html, Accessed (12/12/2009) [25] Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fed_47.html, Accessed (12/12/2009) [26] Ibid [27] Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fed_51.html, Accessed (12/12/2009) [28] Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fed_47.html, Accessed (12/12/2009) [29] Montesquieu, Carrithers, David Wallace Ed. (1977), The Spirit of Laws, London, England, University of California Press Ltd. Pg. 206 [30] Heywood, Andrew, (2007), Politics third Edition, Palgrave Foundations, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England Pg. 339 [31] American Constitution, Available From http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html Accessed (12/12/2009) [32] McKay, David (2009), American Politics and Society, Blackwell Publishers, Printed in Singapore by C.O.S. Printers Pte Ltd. Pg. 47 [33] David Boucher Paul Kelly, (2009), Political Thinkers from Socrates to Present, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, England Pg. 251 [34] American Constitution, Article 2 Section 4, Available From http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html Accessed (12/12/2009) [35] Montesquieu, Carrithers, David Wallace Ed. (1977), The Spirit of Laws, London, England, University of California Press Ltd. Pg. 184 [36] McKay, David (2009), American Politics and Society, Blackwell Publishers, Printed in Singapore by C.O.S. Printers Pte Ltd. Pg. 47 [37] American Constitution, Article 1 Section 3, Available From http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html Accessed (12/12/2009) [38] Ibid [39] McKay, David (2009), American Politics and Society, Blackwell Publishers, Printed in Singapore by C.O.S. Printers Pte Ltd. Pg. 47

White-Only Scholarship Controversy :: Diversity Equality Racism Essays

Diversity, a word often heard growing up. In high school diversity was an issue that was pushed repeatedly. I attended a school that had a student body of over 2000 students, in which diversity was not really an issue. As time passed I found that diversity affected my life more and more. As college neared filling out applications became more of a ritual, and I found that by being born into a white middle class family would hinder my financial status rather than help it. Recently an article appeared in the Iowa State Daily, which addressed the issue of a white-only scholarship. In addition to the scholarships offered to members of the minority races, a scholarship should be offered to the members of the decreasing majority. Whites or Caucasians make up a group just as Native Americans, blacks, and Hispanics do. The one thing that separates whites from these other groups besides skin color is the fact that for each minority group, there are several scholarships that pertain to each. As a nation we have placed a great deal of emphasis on making sure the minorities are getting equal opportunities, but we forget that there are members of the Caucasian decent that need assistance as well. Most times minorities are the ones that need financial assistance in a college situation, but we have forgotten that there are white families that have grown up in the same neighborhood as these individuals, who also need financial assistance. This is why the idea of a white-only scholarship is not so unrealistic. A group of students attending Roger Williams University have created a Whites-only scholarship to initially protest affirmative action. This protest however has snowballed into the real thing. This protest has now become a $250 scholarship available to only white students. This award shows America that whites are becoming the minority, and no matter how much we fight it, it is going to become a reality sooner or later. This then opens America’s eyes and shows them that by being a minority there are more opportunities for financial aid based on skin color than there are for whites. This said, there should be at least one scholarship for just whites to counteract the many minority scholarships available to other races. â€Å"Many people think that coming from a white background you’re automatically privileged, you’re automatically rich, and your parents pay your full tuition.

Student Athletes Should Not Be Paid Essay -- College Sports

Student Athletes Should Not Be Paid In the world of college athletics there are endless topics discussed daily and most pertain to money. An issue that falls under this category includes the heated debate involving whether or not student athletes should receive money. Many people say student athletes should receive compensation according to their specific needs because they spend so much time earning their scholarship and have no time to work. On the other hand, the stronger argument is student athletes should not be able to acquire additional funds in order to help aid them through college. An athlete knows what he or she is involving themselves in before any money issue is even brought up. Signing a letter of intent shows that they understand this. But people still feel the opportunity to work a job while competing in a sport is virtually non existent in a division one atmosphere, and therefore athletes need money. When looking at all angles, those that feel athletes should be paid usually have the same arguments. They think because athletes have minimal free time and a lot of the school’s revenue is produced by them, this qualifies athletes to a portion of money. For instance, football and men’s basketball have proven over the years to make the most money for most universities. In fact â€Å"Since 1965, the NCAA increased its revenue by 8000 percent and CBS signed a contract through the year, 2002, for $72 million to cover the NCAA tournament. (â€Å"For Years† par. 5) With these kinds of numbers produced by college athletes many suggest they need to receive a little back. It’s a reasonable thought since athletes are responsible for such an enormous amount of cash flow. The NCAA is often compared to a business and a bu... ...a university and playing a sport at the same time was supposed to be easy or profitable. If a law was to pass regarding college athletes receiving money many things would be different in the future. A major concern involves recruiting. Universities allowed to pay players would be able to buy recruits persuading them to attend the school offering the most money. It’s almost like a free agent in professional sports. Attending the school with the most to offer decreases the likelihood of a fair playing ground for all of college athletics. As a result certain schools would be major powerhouses and it would stay this way forever. Although there are some schools considered powerhouses now, the odds of a school with complete domination would be much more likely. Overall if student athletes begin to get paid, collegiate sports will become corrupted.

Geology Midterm Review

Introduction to Geology GEOL-101 Midterm 1 Review Based on the textbook: Understanding Earth, 6th Edition, by Grotzinger and Press CH 1: earth system Summary The human creative process, field and lab observations, and experiments help geoscientists formulate testable hypotheses (models) for how the Earth works and its history. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation focusing attention on plausible features and relationships of a working model. If a testable hypothesis is confirmed by a large body of data, it may be elevated to a theory. Theories are abandoned when subsequent investigations show them to be false.Confidence grows in those theories that withstand repeated tests and successfully predict the results of new experiments. A set of hypothesis and theories may become the basis of a scientific model that represents an entire system too complicated to replicate in the laboratory. Often models are tested and revised in a series of computer simulations. Confidence in such a model grows as it successfully predicts the behavior of the system. The elevations of Earth topography averages 1–2 kilometers above sea level for land features and 4–5 kilometers below sea level for features of the deep ocean.The principle of uniformitarianism states that geological processes have worked in the same way throughout time. Earth’s interior is divided into concentric layers (crust, mantle, core) of sharply different chemical composition and density. The layered composition of the Earth is driven by gravity. Only eight of the 100 or so elements account for 99 percent of Earth’s mass. The lightest element (oxygen) is most abundant in the surface crust and mantle, while the densest (iron) makes up most of what is found deep in the core. Earth’s major interacting systems are the climate system, the plate tectonic system, and the geodynamic system.The climate system involves interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. The plat e tectonic system involves interactions among the lithosphere, asthenosphere, and deep mantle. The geodynamic system involves interactions within the central core that produce occasional reversals of Earth’s magnetic field. As the Earth cooled, an outer relatively rigid shell, called the lithosphere, formed. Dynamic processes driven by heat transfer, density differences, and gravity broke the outer shell into plates that move around the Earth at rates of centimeters per year.Major components (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere) of Earth’s surface systems are driven mostly by solar energy. Earth’s internal heat energizes the lithosphere, asthenosphere, deep mantle, and outer and inner core. Terms and Concepts Asthenosphere Convection Core Continental lithosphere Continental crust Earth systems Geology Inner core Lithosphere Mantle Oceanic lithosphere Oceanic crust Plate tectonic system Principle of uniformitarianism Scientific method Topography CH 2: plate tecton ics Summary For over the last century some geologists have argued for the concept of continental drift based on: he jigsaw-puzzle fit of the coasts on both sides of the Atlantic the geological similarities in rock ages and trends in geologic structures on opposite sides of the Atlantic fossil evidence suggesting that continents were joined at one time the distribution of glacial deposits as well as other paleoclimatic evidence In the last half of the twentieth century the major elements of the plate tectonic theory were formulated. Starting in the 1940s (WWII), ocean floor mapping began to reveal major geologic features on the ocean floor.Then, the match between magnetic anomaly patterns on the seafloor with the paleomagnetic time scale revealed that the ocean floor had a young geologic age and was systematically older away from the oceanic ridge systems. The concepts for seafloor spreading, subduction, and transform faulting evolved out of these and other observations. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the Earth’s lithosphere is broken into a dozen moving plates. The plates slide over a partially molten, weak asthenosphere, and the continents, embedded in some of the moving plates, are carried along.There are three major types of boundaries between lithospheric plates: divergent boundaries, where plates move apart convergent boundaries, where plates move together and one plate often subducts beneath the other transform boundaries, where plates slide past each other Volcanoes, earthquakes, and crustal deformation are concentrated along the active plate boundaries. Mountains typically form along convergent- and transform-plate boundaries. Where divergent-plate boundaries are exposed on land, subsiding basins and mafic volcanism are typical.Various methods have been used to estimate and measure the rate and direction of plate movements. Today seafloor-spreading rates vary between a few to 24 cm per year. Seafloor isochrons provide the basis for reconstructing plate motions for about the last 200 million years. Distinct assemblages of rocks characterize eachtype of plate boundary. Using diagnostic rock assemblages embedded in continents and paleo-environmental data recorded by fossils and sedimentary rocks, geologists have been able to reconstruct ancient plate tectonic events and plate configurations.Driven by Earth’s internal heat, convection of hot and cold matter within the mantle, the force of gravity and the existence of an asthenosphere are important factors in any model for the driving mechanism of plate tectonics. Currently studies of the plate-driving forces focus on discovering the exact nature of the mantle convection. Questions being addressed include: Where do the plate driving forces originate? At what depth does recycling occur? What is the nature of rising Convection Currents? The assembly and subsequent break up of Pangaea represent a striking example of the effects of plate tectonics acting over ge ologic time.The story begins with the breakup of the ancient supercontinent of Rodinia 750 million years ago. Plate tectonic processes dispersed the fragments of Rodinia forming a system of ancient continents that existed from the late Proterozoic through much of the Paleozoic. Continued tectonic movement eventually resulted in a set of continental collisions and reformation of the ancient continents into Pangaea. Assembly was completed during the early Triasic, about 240 million years ago. Then, about 200 million years ago the rift that would evolve into the Atlantic Ridge began to open and the separation of Pangaea was underway.By the beginning of the Cenezoic, India was well on its way to Asia, and the Tethys sea that had separated Africa from Eurasia began to close into the modern inland sea that we know as the Mediterranean. Continued changes during the Cenozoic produced our modern world and its geography. Terms and Concepts Continental drift Continent-continent convergent boun dary Convergent boundary Divergent boundary Island arc Isochron Lithospheric plates Magnetic anomaly Magnetic time scale Mid-ocean ridge Mountain range Ocean-ocean convergent boundary Ocean-continent convergent boundary Pangaea Plate tectonicsSeafloor spreading Spreading center Subduction Transform boundary Wegener’s hypothesis CH 3: earth materials Summary Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic solids with a specific crystal structure and chemical composition. Minerals form when atoms or ions chemically bond and come together in an orderly, three-dimensional geometric array—a crystal structure. Chemical bonding may occur either as a result of simple electrostatic attraction (ionic bond) or electron sharing (covalent bond). The strength of the chemical bonds and the crystalline structure determine many of the physical properties, e. . , hardness, cleavage of minerals. Silicate minerals are the most abundant class of minerals in the Earth’s crust and mantle. Common silicate minerals are polymorphs of silicon ions arranged in either isolated tetrahedral (olivine), single chains (pyroxene), double chains (amphibole), sheets (mica), or three-dimensional frameworks (feldspar). There are three important groups of silicates: ferromagnesium silicates, e. g. , olivine and pyroxene—common in the mantle feldspar and quartz—common in the crust clay mineral—commonly produced by chemical weatheringOther common mineral classes include carbonates, oxides, sulfates, sulfides, halides, and native metals. A rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals. A few rocks consist of only one mineral and a few others consist of non-mineral matter. The properties of rocks and rock names are determined by mineral content (the kinds and proportions of minerals that make up the rock) and texture (the size, shapes, and spatial arrangement of crystals or grains. There are three major rock types: Igneous rocks solidify from molten liqui d (magma); crystal size within igneous rocks is largely determined by the cooling rate of the magma body.Sedimentary rocks are made of sediments formed from the weathering and erosion of any pre-existing rock; deposition, burial and lithification (compaction and cementation) transform loose sediments into sedimentary rocks. Metamorphic rocks are formed by an alteration in the solid state of any preexisting rock by high temperatures and pressure. Terms and Concepts Anion Atomic mass Atomic number Carbonate Cation Cleavage Covalent bond Crystal Crystallization Electron sharing Electron transfer Isotope Magma Mineral Polymorph Precipitate Rock CH 4: igneous rocks SummaryIgneous rocks can be divided into two broad textual classes: coarsely crystalline rocks, which are intrusive (plutonic) and therefore cooled slowly finely crystalline rocks, which are extrusive (volcanic) and cooled rapidly. Within each of these broad textual classes, the rocks are subdivided according to their composit ion. General compositional classes of igneous rocks are felsic, intermediate, mafic and ultramafic, in decreasing silica and increasing iron and magnesium content. Figures 4. 1, 4. 2, 4. 3 and Table 4. 1 summarize common minerals and composition of igneous rocks.The lower crust and upper mantle are typical places where physical conditions induce rock to melt. Temperature, pressure, rock composition, and the presenceof water all affect the melting temperature of the rock: Increase temperature: not all minerals melt at the same temperature; refer to Figures 4. 6 and 4. 7, which explain how fractional crystallization results from Bowen’s reaction series. The mineral composition of the rock affects the melting temperature. Felsic rocks with higher silica content melt at lower temperatures than mafic rocks which contain less silica and more iron/magnesium.Lower the confining pressure: a reduction in pressure can induce a hot rock to melt. A reduction in confining pressure on the h ot upper mantle is thought to generate the basaltic magmas which intrude into the oceanic ridge system to form ocean crust; refer to Figure 4. 15. Add water: the presence of water in a rock can lower its melting temperatures up to a few hundred degrees. Water released from rocks subducting into the mantle along convergent plate boundaries is thought to be an important factor in magma generation at convergent plate boundaries.As subduction begins water trapped in the rock is subjected to increasing temperature and pressure. Eventually the water is released into sedimentary layers above where it melts parts of the overlying plate; refer to Figure 4. 16. Terms and Concepts Andesite Basalt Batholith Bomb Concordant intrusion Country rock Decompression melting Dike Discordant intrusion Diorite Extrusive igneous rock Felsic rock Fractional crystallization Gabbro Granite Granodiorite Intermediate rock Intrusive igneous rock Lava Mafic rock Magma chamber Magmatic differentiation Partial mel ting Pegmatite Peridotite Pluton Rhyolite PorphyryPumice Pyroclast Rhyolite Sill Ultramafic rock Volcanic ash xenolith CH5: sedimentary rocks Summary Plate tectonic processes play an important role in producing depressions (basins) in which sediments accumulate. Sedimentary basins result from rifting, thermal sag, and flexure of the lithosphere. The sedimentary stages of the rock cycle involve the overlapping processes of weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, burial, and diagenesis. Weathering and erosion produce the clastic particles and dissolved ions that compose sediment. Water, wind, and ice transport the sediment downhill to where it is deposited.Burial and diagenesis harden sediments into sedimentary rocks via pressure, heat, and chemical reactions. The two major types of sediments are clastic and chemical/biochemical. Clastic sediments are formed from rock particles and mineral fragments. Chemical and biochemical sediments originate from the ions dissolved in wate r. Chemical and biochemical reactions precipitate these dissolved ions from solution. Understanding the characteristics of sediments and modern sedimentary environments provides a basis for reconstructing past environmental conditions using the rock record.Sedimentary structures like bedding, ripple marks, and mud cracks, provide important clues about the sedimentary environment. Diagenesis transforms sediment into sedimentary rock. Burial promotes this transformation by subjecting sediments to increasing heat and pressure. Cementation is especially important in the lithification of clastic sediments. The classification of clastic sediments and sedimentary rocks is based primarily on the size of the grains within the rock. The name of chemical and biochemical sediments and sedimentary rock is based primarily on their composition. Terms and Concepts Carbonate rockCarbonate sediment Cementation Chemical weathering Compaction Conglomerate Cross-bedding Crude oil Diagenesis Evaporite ro ck Flexural basin Foraminifera Graded bedding Gravel Limestone Lithification Physical weathering Porosity Ripple Salinity Sandstone Sedimentary basin Sedimentary structure Shale Siliciclastic sediments Sorting Subsidence Thermal subsidence basin CH 6: Metamorphic rocks Summary Metamorphism is the alteration in the solid state of preexisting rocks, including older metamorphic rocks. Increases in temperature and pressure and reactions with chemicalbearing fluids cause metamorphism.Metamorphism typically involves a rearrangement (recrystallization) of the chemical components within the parent rock. Rearrangement of components within minerals is facilitated by: higher temperatures, which increase ion mobility within the solid state; higher confining pressure compacts the rock; directed pressure associated with tectonic activity can cause the rock to shear (smear), which orients mineral grains and generates a foliation; and chemical reactions with migrating fluids may remove or add mater ials and induce the growth of new minerals.The two major types of metamorphism are regional metamorphism, associated with orogenic processes that build mountains, contact metamorphism, caused by the heat from an intruding body of magma, and seafloor metamorphism, also known as metasomatism. Other less common kinds of metamorphism are: burial metamorphism, associated with subsiding regions on continents, high-pressure metamorphism, occurring deep within subduction zones and upper mantle, and shock metamorphism due to meteor impact; refer to Figure 6. 4.Metamorphic rocks fall into two major textural classes: the foliated (displaying a preferred orientation of minerals, analogous to the grain within wood) and granoblastic (granular). The composition of the parent rock and the grade of metamorphism are the most important factors controlling the mineralogy of the metamorphic rock. etamorphism usually causes little to no change in the bulk composition of the rock. The kinds of minerals an d their orientation do change. Mineral assemblages within metamorphic rocks are used by geoscientists as a guide to the original composition of the parent rock and the conditions during metamorphism.Metamorphic rocks are characteristically formed in subduction zones, continental collisions, oceanic spreading centers, and deeply subsiding regions on the continents. Terms and Concepts Amphibolite Burial metamorphism Contact metamorphism Eclogite Foliation Gneiss Granoblastic rock marble Metasomatism Migmatite Phyllite Porphroblast Quartzite Regional metamorphism Schist Seafloor metamorphism Shock metamorphism Slate Adapted for the GEOL101 course by Alfonso Benavides (2012)