Comparing Poems From Other Cultures Essay Example for Free

Comparing Poems From Other Cultures Essay In these two poems, identity is seen to be important, for in half-caste the author is trying to seek acceptance from others around him for who he is as a person, but in search for my tongue the author is losing her identity and is seeking help in finding out who she as a person. Half-caste portrays someone who feels that people label others without knowing them as people first, and how much it can hurt them. For John Agard says:Explain yuself, wha you mean, when yu say half caste. This shows that he is confused about how he portrays himself to others, and how others perceive him. This make you think that the way in people perceives you on first appearance makes you who you are.  Search for my tongue is like a cry out to others to help with her lost mother tongue, and she doesnt know what her identity is because she is confused about which language is her. It also shows how people dont understand how she feels or understand what she is going through with her struggle with the two languages that she uses. For it says: You ask me what I mean by saying I have lost my tongue. This shows that she feels isolated from others as they do not understand the internal struggle she is going through having to lose her original identity her mother tongue to a new identity, a foreign tongue.  In half-caste, the tone is quite angry and harsh. I feel that the tone is displayed in this way because he is angry with others for judging him for being mixed race, and the prejudices that everybody has towards others. For even though in the poem it just confronts the prejudice at half-caste people, there is always prejudice towards everybody, not just half-caste people. So in this poem he is challenging the fact that prejudice is wrong and unfair, and hurts people because they are being judged before people know them properly as a person. Some of this aggressive confrontational work is evident by the line: So spiteful dem dont want de sun pass.  This shows that prejudice people are so spiteful that they dont think half-caste should be able to walk past them in the street. This shows that people can be severely hurt by a label, and that because of the way peoples minds have been brought up, they believe they are superior to so called half-castes, and believe the half-castes not worthy enough to even walk the same streets as the superior people.  In search, the tone is quite confused and lonely, and is unsure of who she is as a person. For her original identity was gujarati, but having had convert to a foreign language she feels that she has lost her original identity, and has been forced to take on a different identity because of the different language she has to communicate to others in the place she lives in now. For she says: You could not use them both, even if you thought that way.  This shows that she feels she is losing her sense of identity, and feels she has to choose between the life she lives now and her original identity. She feels that the new language is pushing the other one away, and dominating her life so much that she forgets how her life used to be before it was controlled by the foreign language.  In half-caste Agard rejects the conventional punctuation, for there isnt a single comma or full stop in the whole of the poem. Also, he misspells half of the words in his poem purposely to help get his message across to the reader. The lack of punctuation and misspelling is all for the purpose of the poem. As people think that he is half-caste, they believe him to be incapable of any proper thoughts, feelings or being capable to produce something that could make an impact on somebody elses life. It is also used to strike the audience hard with his message of how everybody is equal no matter what their ethnic background is. For he says: Wid de whole of yu eye an de whole of yu ear an the whole of yu mind.  This shows that he feels that those who mock him are the whole who considered themselves to be perfect and have no faults of their own, and are known to be the superior race. It shows that he knows that they like downgrading him by saying hes half-caste, and has only half a mind, showing that they think he is incapable of proper thoughts, or proper feelings. In Search, the punctuation is consistent, but the poem structure is always different. The line lengths are all different, and there are no stanzas to separate the poem out it is all just one long stanza. In Half-caste, there is 3 stanzas of various lengths, to help get the meaning of the poem across better to the audience and the poems lines are all of similar lengths, to keep it sharp and continuous.  The layout of search, with its punctuation and line lengths shows that she is trying to find some consistency in her life she is trying to find what she knows in life to find in the end that she can, in her dreams. The fact that she also includes both English and Gujarati in her poem shows that even though she does use the English language, Gujarati is still an important part of her life, as it makes up part of who she is as a person. For she says: Everytime I think Ive forgottenit blossoms out of my mouth.  This shows that even if she forgets, or is so used to using the foreign language, she cannot forget her native language even if she tried. This is because it has been a part of her culture and identity for so long, she cannot part from it, no matter what she is faced with or what ever happens to her.  So the identity that is portrayed in half-caste is no matter what ethnic background you come from, no matter what you look like as an individual, we are all equal human beings and all deserve the right to be able to live our lives to the full.  The identity that is portrayed in search is one that suggests that you cannot lose who you are as a person, no matter what you are faced with, even if you have to change your language or move somewhere else, you cannot change who you truly are as a person.

Political Theory Essay Example for Free

Political Theory Essay Envy Test—The theory that the division of resources is actually equal if and only if one person does not prefer someone else’s portion of the wealth to his own. That means that if everyone in society is ahppy with what they have as compared to what everyone else has then the society passes the envy test. This has never happened and seems contrary to human nature. The further fallacy is that it could ever be achieved in that some people are born with innate talents that cannot be changed to give them fewer resources. Unremunerated rights—Proponents of this political theory argue that the Bill of Rights was not intended as a list of all the rights a person should be guaranteed under the Constitution. They argue that rights not listed, for instance the right to privacy, still exist. This theory was first put forth by the Warren Court in arguing that people had a right to privacy. It is also frequently used in the abortion rights debate as a justification for a woman’s right to control her own body. Politics of recognition—this is the political theory that argues we can only achieve enlightenment and equality when we recognize that people are not homogenous and acknowledge the inherent differences among people. This is almost the exact opposite of politics of equality which claim that all people have the same basic needs, wants and desires and should be treated all the same. Civic engagement—is the term used to define a person’s involvement in the social and political causes of the world around them. In psychology, it used primarily to describe how involved a person is in social causes—volunteering at a soup kitchen, etc. In political science terms, it is used to define how involved a person is in the participatory aspects of government—do they just vote, take an active role in campaigns, support certain candidates, etc. Black consciousnessprimarily used in relation to South African politics, this is the theory than being black is more than a skin color and represents the way the minority chooses to act toward itself and toward others. The movement argues that blacks in South Africa exploit each other more than whites exploit each other and that part of the problem is a culturally defined set of values and attributes that they have accepted about themselves. The movement calls for blacks to band together to change the way they treat themselves and to change the way they are treated by the remainder of society. Veil of ignorance—this is the theory that citizens are deliberately kept in the dark about the actual effects of certain legislation. In 1971, philosopher John Rawls argued that social justice requires that people be blind to the way something will impact them in particular and look instead to how it affects society as whole. In recent years, the argument has been made the special interest groups have lifted the veil of ignorance making everyone consider how legislation affects them personally. Universal citizenship—the goal of universal citizenship is to eliminate all barriers to participation in the political process. Thus, under a proposal for it in the European Union, even children would have the right to vote, though this would be carried out by their parents until they reached a certain age either 16 or 18. It assumes that everyone should have an equal right to participate in the political process. Anthropocentrism—is the process of viewing things from a solely human perspective and the word is usually used in a derogatory sense implying that by being so self-absorbed in the wants, needs and desires of humanity we may be ignoring the needs of another equally important species. This is completely in opposition to the concepts of survival of the fittest and to the victor goes the spoils. According to Dworkin, Adrian (the gardener) owes nothing to Bruce (the tennis player), as a matter of justice. Although they will have unequal goods, this is not unjust. However, Adrian might owe something to Claude (the unsuccessful gardener), and Adrian’s descendents may owe something to Bruce’s descendents. Why? In your answer, be sure to identify and apply Dworkin’s theory of distributive justice. In Dworkin’s theory of distributive justice, the beginnings are the all important state as is their impact on the end.   In this scenario, the statement that Adrian owes nothing to Bruce implies that they began life with equal resources or that Bruce began life with greater resources. It does not discuss whether Bruce might owe something to Adrian. Likewise, by saying that Adrian might owe something to Claude, who is unemployed, it implies that Claude and Adrian have equal resources and equal talents, but that Adrian has been successful where Claude has not. Furthermore, by saying that Adrian’s descendants might owe something to Bruce’s descendents the question implies that those descendants might have unequal beginning resources and ending statuses. The key to Dworkin’s distribution of wealth theory is that equal resource means equality. Therefore, if both Adrian and Bruce have the same basic resources—family, education, etc.—then they have met the initial requirement for equality. However, when a situation develops so that Adrian envies the things that Bruce has, the equality is gone. The problem with Dworkin’s theory is that it fails to address the impact of talents in the equation and also fails to address non-financial aspects of the envy test. For example, if Adrian and Bruce are able to achieve equal financial success with their respective professions, they should be equal under the envy test, but if Adrian believes (accurately or not) that Bruce has a more glamorous life with less work, more access to fame, etc., then the situation may still fail the envy test. This example perfectly demonstrates the flaws in the envy test and in Dworkin’s theory. Regardless of the flaws, Dworkin’s theory has been largely employed and thus the other caveats of the question.   The way that Dworkin’s theory has been employed, it is accepted as a given that Claude, who is unemployed, will be envious of Adrian and therefore they will be unequal. To even out this inequality, the government application of the theory has been to take resources (in the form of taxes) from Adrian and give them to Claude. The problem with this solution is that it can create envy in the opposite direction. To make them equal, you would have to remove half of what Adrian has and give it to Claude so that he would not be envious of Adrian. Then, the two would have equal resources.   Then, however, Adrian is likely to be jealous of Claude who has all the same things that Adrain does but who has not had to work for them; he will envy Claude’s lifestyle. Ultimately, much of the bashing done about the distribution of wealth system comes down to just that—another form of envy. The liberal view of universal citizenship has been challenged by feminists and advocates for race-based identity politics. What is this view, what about it has been challenged, and what is it alleged to be missing? In your answer, discuss the theories of Young/MacKinnon and Fanon/Biko. The problem with the liberal view of universal citizenship is that it requires as basis equality. If all people were equal, had always been equal, and would always been equal, then the concept of universal citizenship would be not only valid, but the appropriate thing to promote. However, the reason that it is widely-challenged by feminists and advocated for race-based identity politics is that at no point in human history have individuals ever been treated as true equals. MacKinnon and other feminists argue that it is more likely that without identifiable and motivate sub-groups of voters, the system will default o maintaining the status quo and will as a consequence promote dominance by white male society. Fanon’s argument is similar though not exactly the same. He argues that to appreciate the value of citizenship, one must have been involved in a violent struggle to attain it. This is sort of revolutionary politics at heart. It assumes that people do not value rights that they are given so much as those that they fight for. The basic premised is that in fighting, through violent struggle to attain citizenship and later the rights conveyed with citizenship, the African-American (and to a lesser extent other racial groups) has gained a self-identity that would be lost if they had been granted universal citizenship. It is possible that the opposition to universal citizenship comes from our ingrained belief in traditional political theory as developed by dead white men who placed huge limitations on citizenship including social class, race, gender, age, land ownership and literacy as well as other requirements through the ages. It should also be considered whether, despite their high-minded motivations, feminists and others who have been granted citizenship and the rights therein are not opposing universal citizenship in their own out-moded version of us versus the other. As they are no longer a distinctive portion of the other, it is possible that they desire to continue to bestow that status on different individuals including recent immigrants and children. Conservative opponents to universal citizenship say that the concept eliminates concepts of national allegiance and even racial allegiance, leading to a homogony of people that destroys diversification and eliminates cultural differences. While some proponents would say that is exactly the point, opponents point out that assimilation of all different ideas into one mainstream is counterproductive and eliminates the desire for and will to change. Kymlicka claims that all approaches to contemporary political theory endorse the proposition that all persons should be treated as equals, and that their disagreement comes down to the practical question of what that entails. What must be done to treat all persons as equals, according to libertarianism, liberal equality, utilitarianism, feminism, and Marxism? According to libertarian philosophy, equality happens when people do not use force against one another and people are given all rights which do not impose on the rights of others. This is the ultimate culmination of the Wiccan creed of â€Å"It harm none, do what though wilt.†   Libertarians believe in the defensive use of force to protect what is yours, but are staunchly opposed to the use of aggressive force. Aggressive force can never be used to promote equality. Those who argue for liberal equality believe that it is the opportunity matters. If people are given an equal chance at success, then the system has been successful according to those who support liberal equality. Utilitarians believe that people are equal when the common good is enacted for the rights of all people and that the common good applies equally to all members of society. Proponents of this theory argue that good is the important motivator and if all the actions are taken in a strict moral and ethical stance for the good of all people then the actions are inherently equal. Feminism comes in two distinctive branches: one simply promoted that after years of oppression a woman is equal to a man and can therefore do anything he can do. In an extreme form of feminism, some believe that the woman’s capability of imbuing life and her propensity for compassion make her superior to the male of the species.   The problem in extreme forms of feminism is that they also believe women should be given more than equal opportunities in an effort to make up for the centuries of oppression by men and that men should be denigrated to the class of secondary citizens.  Ã‚   Marxist theory claims that men are unequal in their talents and abilities, but that one talent or ability should not be more highly valued than another—thus a person whose talent is in digging ditches should be as valued as a person whose talent is neurosurgery. Are equal rights sufficient for realizing justice? Why or why not? In your answer, consider and discuss those theories of justice that find equal rights sufficient as well as those that do not. Equal rights are not sufficient for justice. There must also be an equal application of those rights. For instance, if a black man and a white man are accused of a crime, both have an equal right under the law to a jury of their peers, but depending on the racial makeup of the jury selection pool, they may not have an equal opportunity for the enforcement of those rights. A black man may find himself facing a just or only white Americans and vice versa.   Likewise, technically a rich man and a poor man have the same right counsel if accused of a crime, but the reality of access tells us that the rich man will likely hire an independent lawyer and will be less likely to serve time for his crime.

Transdisciplinary Play Based Assessment Observation Children And Young People Essay

Transdisciplinary Play Based Assessment Observation Children And Young People Essay Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment Observation Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment [TPBA] is a practical approach to assess children at risk for developmental delays or disabilities, and involves the child, his or her parents, and other educational or diagnostic professionals in an ordinary environment of assessment and intervention. A TPBA framework is planned around the play screening session, and the play conference is based on information obtained from the childs parents in relation to their childs developmental status. During the conference session, guiding principles can provided for observing the thinking, social-emotional development, communication and language abilities, and sensorimotor development of the child. The behavioral validity of TPBA methods, materials, and techniques are Vital to this assessment. Mainly, because the assessment requires planning that include the family, as well as from others who are familiar with the child. This aids the baseline for the assessment, which is now similar to the familys environment and experiences. TPBA provides numerous opportunities for children to intermingle with new and familiar materials. In addition, to capture as many perspectives as possible, a variety of observers is included in the assessment. Furthermore, pre-assessment questions answered by the parents aid the educators and other professionals preparing the setting that will stimulate the childs optimal abilities. The implementation of the assessment usually involves the examiner to use informal assistance, and follows and expands upon the childs lead. In a formal setting, the examiner assists the child as he or she elicits behaviors that were not natural in the earlier phase. Then, the child is then, observed after being introduced to a peer in order to observe the interaction among them. Formal and informal play among the parents and the child, motor play, and snack time, allows for a screening of oral-motor difficulties as well as social and adaptive development. Throughout the observation period, an educator or the diagnostic professional discusses with the parent the observations of the childs behaviors, the professional analysis of behaviors, and the parents view of the childs behavior. The observers also guided their observations by questions that address both measurable and qualitative characteristics of the childs behavior. When the assessment is completed, and the childs observed behavior, accomplishments, transdisciplinary recommendations are developed, and a program-planning meeting is arranged to provide added suggestions for the childs parents. These experiences respected the child, his or her family, and the culture in which the child lives. Emphasis focused on the collected data from the areas of development of the child. As for mentioned, TPBA uses observation to evaluate the development status of a child in systematized play settings. According to Stuhlman et.al (2010), the summary of the benefits for observations of play are as follows: Providing opportunities to assess the behavior of child tha is unable or refuses to perform in a formal testing setting. Reveal characteristics of the parent child relationship that help explain the behavior of the child. Provide explanations of developmental domains, and give diagnostic professionals numerous opportunities to learn effective play strategies from a childs parent. Recommend ways to support parents play strategies that are not effective. Identify coping skills and risk factors that affect the childs diagnosis and hinder their planning program. Then increase the parents and professionals relationships (p.2). These play observations correlate to the normal developmental information acquired in the setting, and provide the opportunity to create a parent to professional partnership. Spur of the moment play behaviors of the parent and child, can add critically important information to an assessment. The setting and procedures of the setting allows the child and his or her parents to establish their weaknesses and strengths as well as their areas of difficulty. In general, the principles for observing and assessing is summarized as the need for practitioners to be clear on the need for and purpose of assessing, ensure the appropriateness for the child. In addition, ensure the process is meaningful, consider the ethical issues, validity the outcomes, use appropriate observational methods for the child and the setting, consider the timing of the observation, ensure there is adequate staffing to free the observer from additional responsibilities if necessary, and be clear on how the outcomes will be disseminated, and to whom. The major disadvantage of this approach is that the assessment cannot easily be dynamic, that is, the team members cannot interact with the child in order to see how quickly the child learns or how the child responds if activities were in different ways and by different persons. This research paper has reviewed the literature on transdisciplinary play based assessment, outlining its basic premises and observation features. The implementation of TPBA observation highlighted the importance of increasing the success of this practice of distinguished roles, independent and team responsibility for professional development, and a learning based and supportive team environment.

Whorf Essay :: essays research papers

In â€Å"An American Indian Model of the Universe,† Whorf uses the Hopi culture as an example to demonstrate that perception is determined by language. According to Whorf, speakers of Hopi and non-speakers of Hopi can never perceive the universe the same way. Whorf believes that the Hopi culture â€Å"has no general notion or intuition of time†(370), referring to the absence of the word â€Å"time† in the Hopi language as well as the past, present, and future tenses in the Hopi grammar. He describes the Hopi grammar as having only the â€Å"manifested† and the â€Å"manifesting†(372), which roughly translates to the known and the unknown respectively. Something manifested or objective can include a past event, something that is occurring right now, as well as anything that can be grasped by the physical senses. Conversely, the subjective or the manifesting covers not only the future but also anything that is abstract or inaccessible to the physical senses, such as â€Å"mentality, intellection, and emotion†(372). Anything subjective in the Hopi language is associated with the verb â€Å"tunà ¡tya†(374), or hope. According to Whorf, â€Å"the word is really a term which crystallizes the Hopi phil osophy of the universe†(374). It contains the combined idea of â€Å"‘thought,’ ‘desire,’ and ‘cause,’†(374) but is at the same time associated with inanimate objects and involuntary actions; â€Å"the Hopi see [hope] in the growing of plants, the forming of clouds and their condensation in rain†¦ and in all human hoping, wishing, striving, and taking thought: and as most especially concentrated in prayer†(374). While it is true that â€Å"the Hopi language has no word quite equivalent to our ‘time,’†(375) the essence of time remains despite their not having a word to define it. If told by an elder to keep a fire going, a Hopi fireguard observing a fire pit can mentally grasp the urgency of the fire needing more wood by taking note of the color of the embers. A cowboy with a pocket watch observing from a distant hill may notice the young Hopi getting up to replenish the pit with firewood every forty-five minutes. But the fireguard does not think in terms of seconds, minutes, or hours. He is merely using his observation of the embers to gauge time the same way the cowboy tells time looking at his watch. By reading the color of the sky, or the position of the sun, a Hopi walking in the desert will most likely know how fast he would have to walk in order to get to a certain location before dark. Whorf Essay :: essays research papers In â€Å"An American Indian Model of the Universe,† Whorf uses the Hopi culture as an example to demonstrate that perception is determined by language. According to Whorf, speakers of Hopi and non-speakers of Hopi can never perceive the universe the same way. Whorf believes that the Hopi culture â€Å"has no general notion or intuition of time†(370), referring to the absence of the word â€Å"time† in the Hopi language as well as the past, present, and future tenses in the Hopi grammar. He describes the Hopi grammar as having only the â€Å"manifested† and the â€Å"manifesting†(372), which roughly translates to the known and the unknown respectively. Something manifested or objective can include a past event, something that is occurring right now, as well as anything that can be grasped by the physical senses. Conversely, the subjective or the manifesting covers not only the future but also anything that is abstract or inaccessible to the physical senses, such as â€Å"mentality, intellection, and emotion†(372). Anything subjective in the Hopi language is associated with the verb â€Å"tunà ¡tya†(374), or hope. According to Whorf, â€Å"the word is really a term which crystallizes the Hopi phil osophy of the universe†(374). It contains the combined idea of â€Å"‘thought,’ ‘desire,’ and ‘cause,’†(374) but is at the same time associated with inanimate objects and involuntary actions; â€Å"the Hopi see [hope] in the growing of plants, the forming of clouds and their condensation in rain†¦ and in all human hoping, wishing, striving, and taking thought: and as most especially concentrated in prayer†(374). While it is true that â€Å"the Hopi language has no word quite equivalent to our ‘time,’†(375) the essence of time remains despite their not having a word to define it. If told by an elder to keep a fire going, a Hopi fireguard observing a fire pit can mentally grasp the urgency of the fire needing more wood by taking note of the color of the embers. A cowboy with a pocket watch observing from a distant hill may notice the young Hopi getting up to replenish the pit with firewood every forty-five minutes. But the fireguard does not think in terms of seconds, minutes, or hours. He is merely using his observation of the embers to gauge time the same way the cowboy tells time looking at his watch. By reading the color of the sky, or the position of the sun, a Hopi walking in the desert will most likely know how fast he would have to walk in order to get to a certain location before dark.

Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake :: essays research papers

Songs of Innocence and Experience. (1794) by William Blake Songs of Innocence Introduction Piping down the valleys wild Piping songs of pleasant glee, On a cloud I saw a child, And he laughing said to me: Pipe a song about a Lamb: So I piped with merry chear. Piper, pipe that song again - So I piped: he wept to hear. Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe, Sing thy songs of happy chear: So I sung the same again, While he wept with joy to hear. Piper, sit thee down and write In a book that all may read - So he vanish’d from my sight And I pluck’d a hollow reed, And I made a rural pen And I stain’d the water clear And I wrote my happy songs, Every child may joy to hear. The Shepherd How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot! From the morn to the evening he strays; He shall follow his sheep all the day And his tongue shall be filled with praise. For he hears the lambs innocent call, And he hears the ewes tender reply. He is watchful while they are in peace, For they know when their Shepherd is nigh. The Ecchoing Green The Sun does arise And make happy the skies, The merry bells ring To welcome the Spring: The skylark and thrush The birds of the bush Sing louder around To the bells' chearful sound, While our sports shall be seen On the Ecchoing Green. Old John with white hair Does laugh away care Sitting under the oak Among the old folk. They laugh at our play, And soon they all say: Such, such were the joys When we all girls & boys In our youth-time were seen On the Ecchoing Green Till the little ones weary No more can be merry, The sun does descend, And our sports have an end: Round the laps of their mothers Many sisters and brothers, Like birds in their nest, Are ready for rest: And sport no more seen On the darkening Green. The Lamb Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life & bid thee feed By the stream & o'er the mead: Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright: Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice: Little Lamb, who made thee, Dost thou know who made thee? Little Lamb, I'll tell thee, Little Lamb, I'll tell thee: He is called by thy name For he calls himself a Lamb. He is meek & he is mild, He became a little child: I a child & thou a lamb, We are called by his name: Little Lamb god bless thee, Little Lamb god bless thee! The Little Black Boy My mother bore me in the southern wild,

Privacy and Computer Technology Essay

Privacy is a valuable interest and is now threatened more than ever by technological advances. Privacy is defined as the ability to control the collection, use, and dissemination of personal information (Fast Trac Course ). At one time people could once feel confident that what others may find out about them would be treated in a way that it would probably do any harm. Information technology has been beneficial for privacy. By having access to ATMs and online banking we rarely have to present ourselves to a teller. Online shopping offers similar benefits such as being able to shop without standing in long lines and being able to compare prices and research products before purchasing. However, since so much of what we do daily is done using a computer, it can pose a serious threat to privacy. This information can then be recreated to create detailed personal profiles that could not have transpired in pre-digital days. Furthermore, this information can be distributed far, wide, and immediately without our consent or even knowledge. Judicial remedies are unlikely to produce a satisfying or sensible balance between companies’ economic prerogatives and customers’ privacy interest. New technologies that has either unconsiously adopted or resourcefully applied privacy practices will continue to threaten personal privacy. Business will have to find ways to address this uneasiness. If companies remain complacent, underestimating the degree to which privacy matters to customers, harsh regulation may be waiting in the wings. The best way out is for businesses and customers to negotiate directly over where to draw the lines. (What is Privacy?) There are many databases and Internet records that track or keep record of information about an individual’s financial and credit history, medical record, purchases and telephone calls. Most people do not know what information is stored about them or who has access to it. The ability for others to access and link the databases, with few controls on how they use, share, or exploit the information, makes individual control over information about oneself more difficult than ever before. For example, the caller Id was originally designed to allow you to screen your calls and protect from receiving unwanted calls from harassers, telemarketers, etc†¦ In turn it involved privacy concerns for both the caller and the person called. Over the years, there has been a clash between privacy and advancing technologies, which can make a compelling argument for overriding the privacy intrusions. The challenge of improving security while protecting privacy is called Real Id. The real ID act provides significant challenges. It was signed into law on May 11, 2005 (public law 109-13). After may 11, 2008 â€Å"A federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a dirvers license or identification card issued by a state to any persin unless the state is meeting the requirements†. The real ID act defines what information and features must appear on the card, what documentation must be presented before a card can be issued, what verification the state must do before a card can be issued, and security measures to prevent tampering counterfeiting and duplication of the card. The Real Id requires states to confirm the identities and documentation of applicants, Make drivers licence and ID cards extremely difficult to counterfiet, and to assure one driver one record so that you will be able to own only one licence which only go for people that has mutliple addresses . The Real Id Act is really the outgrowth of the 911 commision reccomended that the licence be improved and it should be a national standard. Represenative James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) who was the cahir of the house judiciary committee said â€Å"American citizens have the right to know who is in their country, that people are who they say they are , and the name on a drivers licence is the holder’s real name, not som alias.† Historically the licence has been a state function so the act tailors the mandate that you must present this identification. The challlenges comes from the act because the real ID act was written by Congress without expressing privacy protections. Some of the privacy challenges are what information should be stored in the machine readanble zone?, who should have access to the information stored in the machine readable zone?, and what information, if any will be centralized in order to facilitate the necessary data exchange among the state?. I feel that there should be some limitations on the information stored in the readable zone and the data systems protect the personal information from unauthorized uses and disclosure. Information about individuals is used by businesses to provide customers with a huge array of targeted goods and personalized services that consumers have come to expect. If it lands in the wrong hands, this same information can result in harm to the very individuals it was meant to serve. The protection of an individual’s personal information has business implications that extend beyond the privacy of any one individual. Private information relative to certain businesses and industries is protected by various laws. For example the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) laws protect private medical information. Many states have enacted their own laws, and the federal government is regulated by the Privacy Act of 1974. Legislatures are increasingly responding to calls for greater protection of private information, and stories of improper disclosures of large volumes of private information receive prominent media attention. At present, there is no broad, general federal law protecting the privacy of customer information; most protections are aimed at particular types of information (such as medical or student records,) or particular types of businesses (such as medical providers, banks, and financial service businesses). Customers and consumers expect their information to be protected and businesses that recognize the need to make privacy part of their business strategy are ahead of the game. Many companies have gone to great lengths to protect information using technological advances. However, the ability of a business to protect private information it collects as part of its business is only as strong as its weakest link â€Å"the human factor† something that technology just can’t overcome. Having knowledge of privacy and security should be aimed at individuals who work with private information to help understand the ways that this information can be disclosed inadvertently. We are now moving into an era where there will always be a digital observer. Unlike footprints left in the sand, our online data trails often stick around long after the tide has gone out and they are growing rapidly. Digital footprints are trails of information left by a person’s interaction in the digital environment (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_footprint). They existed since day one or even before you were born. Internet users don’t realize that every time they use the internet they leave digital footprints. This includes massive amounts of data in the form of email, documents, images, games, music, apps, movies, login and logouts, visits to a web-page, accessed or created files, chat messages or any other material showing the activities being done on a website. What people don’t understand is when you try to reduce your digital footprint you actually make it larger. When trying to reduce your digital footprints interested parties can still use data they have found for evidence, data mining or profiling purposes. This doesn’t mean that you can’t try to protect yourself but you should take precautions when accessing or posting personal information on websites. People need to be proactive and take control of their digital footprint. Due to increased utilization of social media, we should have a heighted awareness of privacy. Being aware of what personally identifiable information that is included in your online profile is very important. Publicy exposed private information on the web can also be used to steal your idenity and money. With more employers’ using the internet to find out about their current or potential new employees, it is good to know in advance what information is floating around the internet about you. You should only put PII in your profile that you wouldn’t mind the entire world including potential or current employers to view. For example, you can find this out by searching for yourself in Google to see what comes up. Also, be wary of strangers. People can misrepresent themselves and their motives so when posting on any social media website it is good to limit who is allowed to contact you and what you tell strangers with whom you communicate with (U.S. Department of State Priva cy Tips). Privacy is so important not just to my online presence but also to my financial documents. Financial privacy is a another term for a multitude of privacy issues, ranging from financial institutions ensuring that their customers information remain private to those outside the institution as well as individuals ensuring that they are protecting their privacy in the privacy of their homes. These documents can be protected by guarding your social security number, calling carefully, and cleaning your name off call lists. Unless you are paying your income taxes, you shouldn’t place your social security number on checks and don’t keep your number in your wallet. A stolen or lost wallet with your social security number can make it easy for someone to obtain new credit in your name. An 800 number is a convenient cost saver, but not if the company you call isn’t reputable. Your call can be the electronic source for undesirable solicitation lists or cause fraud by giving ou t your credit card number to someone who misuses it. You can ask companies you buy from not to release your name to others. You can also have your name eliminated from mass mailing lists by writing to the Direct Marketing Association. Protecting your financial privacy is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The fair credit reporting act guarantees access to your credit report for free. If you at anytime feel your credit has been compromised you should visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website. (How to Deal with a Security Breach) In summary, There are many threats to privacy but there are ways you can prevent compromise by criminals and by privacy invading infestations. There are many things you can do to increase to increase your privacy especially online. Protecting your privacy online requires keeping your computer safe from many types of online dangers. Some of the ways to prevent online dangers are making sure the sites you vist is safe beofre sharing personal information. This incluses your real name, email address, credit card number, etc†¦.The next way is to make sure your online account is properly configured for ideal privacy protection. This includes making sure to use a password that are hard to break. The next way is to protect wireless connection from dangers or intrusions. When connecting to the internet via a wireless connection make sure that you re suing a protected password. The next way is to remove yourself from search databases. This can be done by sending a email through a reputable website such as private eye, 123people.com, or intelius.com. Another way is by increasing the privacy of your browser. This a very important part of protecting your online privacy but it also secures your computer against malware and other threats. Lastly, use a temporary credit card number that is linked to your financial account but is only valid for single or limited transactions. Bibliography (Wikipedia, pg 1) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_footprint Fast Trac Course How to Deal with a Security Breach The Three Basic Forms of Business Ownership What is Privacy?

Despotism: Political Philosophy and 14th Century Essay

The Renaissance developed a new and unique form of politics referred to as Despotism. Despotism is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. The single ruling entity may be an individual, as in an autocracy, or it may be a group, as in an oligarchy. The great Renaissance historian John Addington Symonds refers to the 14th and 15th Centuries in Italy as the â€Å"Age of the Despots. † It was under the tyrannies, in the midst of all the wars and revolutions, that the Italians were given the chance to develop their peculiar individuality. This individuality determined the qualities of the Renaissance and affected Europe as a whole. Italy, due to their unique form of politics, was able to lead the way in the education of Western races, and was the first to distinguish Classical and Medieval life. The conditions that led to this new form of Political government were distinctive to Italian urban life. By the 14th Century, Italy was divided into many principalities surrounding city-States. The cities were an integral part of life in Italy due to commerce, and Italians were the first to reap the benefits of new and increasing trade due to their favorable geographic position in the Mediterranean Sea. Because there was a constant political and class struggle in the cities, Italy lacked a central authority of power. In cities such as Florence, Pisa, and Milan, the age-old rival between Pope and Emperor played itself out. The Guelph party supported the Pope, while the Ghibbiline party supported the Emperor. Civil wars were fought in the cities and ended with a despotism system of ruling, either with an oligarchy or an autocracy. The forming of these authorities was crucial, because peace is essential for trade, and the surplus wealth from commerce is what led to the growth or art and literature, which began the Renaissance. The despots, who were the powerful rulers during despotism, were not from traditional dynasties, and therefore they reached their positions of power in various other ways. Some were appointed by the Holy Roman Emperor to assert his rule, as was the case for the Visconti of Milan in the 14th Century. Other despots were hired soldiers, who later became rulers of the cities they were hired to protect, as was the case for the Sforzas in Milan in the 15th Century. Some despots were elected Mayor of their towns, some controlled their town’s elections- as the Medici family in Florence did, and some despots ruled solely because they were the sons and nephews of Popes. Due to their various ways of gaining power, the despot was usually not from a traditional dynasty, and therefore they did not have the traditional loyalty of the people. Each despot had to gain the loyalty of the people either through a winning personality, or by being clever in the political game. The Despotic court had to set its own rules, which were eventually written down in the Book of the Courtier, which became the guide book for the courts of Early Modern Europe. The most important and the most influential work dealing on Despotism is Machiavelli’s The Prince, and Machiavelli is considered by some to be the father of modern Power Politics. The Italian Renaissance was essentially a mind-set, a collection of powerful attitudes and beliefs. The development of despotism pacified the country from the chaos of their constant civil wars, and allowed them peace, which was essential for trade. As commerce reopened, people began traveling freely, and the level of education began to rise as well as the amount of books that were read. This soon led to an overwhelming growth of literature and art, of which the Renaissance is famous for.