The Crusades essays

The Crusades essays There are differing views on whether the Crusades were motivated by religion or were there also other factors. Hans Eberhard Mayer says that other factors were also important in the development of the Crusades, but the religious motivation was the strongest. Ronald Finucane counters that political, economic, and social factors also were responsible in the development of the Crusades. The crusades arose out of the feudal society of the eleventh century. Pope Urban II had called the Christians to join him in a Holy War to reclaim the Holy Lands as an act of Christianity. He appealed to the interest of the people by offering them salvation if they rescued the Holy Land from the Muslim people. He kept in mind the materialistic and economic prospects of the venture. This offered crusaders freedom, adventure, and the possibility of economic gain. The crusades were a defensive act against the flourishing Muslim faith, which Christians perceived as a threat to their own faith and way of life. The prospect of wealth and expansion were an added bonus. The original objective of the Crusade was to provide help to the Christian Church in the East, but the seed of greed was planted in the minds of men. The opportunity for social advancement and the possibility of increasing wealth were very tempting to the crusaders. This was an opportunity for European expansion. This opened up the Mediterranean Sea for Christian shipping and provided trade with the Near and Far East. I agree with Finucane in that the Crusades were probably more motivated by greed for territory and ignorance of another culture than religious reasons. The Muslims were a threat due to their mere occupation of the lands and for no other reason than that, they were persecuted and religion was the guise to carry out the acts. The expansion of the Christians into the Mediterranean Sea and trade in the East was probably considered worth far more than the lives lost fight...

John F. Kennedys Legacy in Education and the Space Race

John F. Kennedy's Legacy in Education and the Space Race While the last photographs of John F. Kennedy preserve him eternally in Americas collective memory  as 46 years old,  he would have been 100 years old on May 29, 2017. Education was one of the signature issues of President Kennedy, and there are a number of legislative efforts and messages to Congress that he initiated to improve education in several areas: graduation rates, science, and teacher training. On Raising High School Graduation Rates   In a  Special Message to the Congress on Education,  delivered  on  February 6, 1962, Kennedy laid out his argument that  education in this country is the right- the necessity- and the responsibility- of all.   In this message, he noted the high number of high school dropouts: Too many- an estimated one million a year- leave school before completing high school- the bare minimum for a fair start in modern-day life. Kennedy referenced the  high percentage of dropouts in 1960, two years earlier. A data study  prepared by the  Institute of Educational Studies (IES) at the  National Center for Educational Statistics, showed the high school dropout rate in 1960 was at a high 27.2%. In his message, Kennedy also spoke about the 40% of students at that time who had started but never completed their college education.   His message to Congress also laid out a plan for increasing the number of classrooms as well as increased training for teachers in their content areas.  Kennedys  message to promote education had a powerful effect. By 1967, four years after his assassination, the total number of high school dropouts was reduced by 10% to 17%. The dropout rate has been falling incrementally ever since. As of 2014, only 6.5% of students drop out of high school. This is an increase of 25% in graduation rates from when Kennedy first promoted this cause. On Teacher Training and Education In his Special Message to the Congress on Education (1962), Kennedy also outlined his plans to improve teacher training by collaborating with the  National Science Foundation and the Office of Education.   In this  message, he proposed a system where, Many elementary and secondary school teachers would profit from a full year of full-time study in their subject-matter fields, and he advocated that these opportunities be created. Initiatives like teacher training were part of Kennedys New Frontier  programs. Under the policies of the New Frontier, legislation was passed to expand scholarships and student loans with  increases in funds for libraries and school lunches. There were also funds directed to teach the deaf, children with disabilities, and children who were gifted. In addition, literacy training was authorized under Manpower Development and Training Act (1962) as well as an allocation of Presidental funds to stop dropouts and the  Vocational Education Act (1963). Kennedy saw education as critical to maintaining the economic  strength of the nation.  According to Ted Sorenson,  Kennedys speechwriter, no other domestic issue occupied Kennedy as much as education. Sorenson quotes Kennedy as saying: Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource. On Science  and Space Exploration The successful launch of  Sputnik 1,  the first artificial Earth satellite, by  the Soviet space program  on October 4, 1957, alarmed American scientists and politicians alike. President  Dwight Eisenhower appointed the first presidential science adviser, and a Science Advisory Committee asked part-time scientists to serve as advisers for their initial steps. On April 12, 1961, only four short months into Kennedys presidency, the Soviets had another stunning  success. Their Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin completed a successful mission to and from space. Despite the fact that the United States space program was still in its infancy, Kennedy responded to the Soviets with his own challenge, known as the moon shot, in which Americans would be the first to land on the moon.   In a speech  on  May 25, 1961, before a joint session of Congress, Kennedy proposed  space exploration to put astronauts on the moon, as well as other projects including nuclear rockets and weather satellites. He was quoted as saying: But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead. Again, at  Rice University on September 12, 1962, Kennedy  proclaimed that America would have a  goal to land a man on the moon and bring him back by the end of the decade, a goal that would be directed to educational institutions: The growth of our science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school. As the American  space program known as Gemini was pulling ahead of the Soviets, Kennedy gave one of his last speeches on October 22, 1963,  before the National Academy of Sciences, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary. He expressed his overall support for the  space program and emphasized the overall importance of science to the country: â€Å" The question in all our minds today is how science can best continue its service to the Nation, to the people, to the world, in the years to come†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Six years later, on July 20, 1969,  Kennedys efforts came to fruition  when Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong took a giant step for mankind and stepped onto the Moons surface.

Personal and professional development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personal and professional development - Essay Example The manufacturing engineer’s job encompasses planning, designing, setting up, modifying and monitoring of manufacturing processes according to Prospects (2011). They also engage in the maintenance of machines and equipment and scheduling of manufacturing operations in some cases. They normally liaises with other members of the organization such as those in the research and development department in ensuring that the company continues to operate as efficiently as possible in the process of producing quality products.. Levels of professional Qualifications for Manufacturing Engineer In order to become a manufacturing engineer in a company, one must get secondary and college or university education with a focus of related subjects such as physics, mathematics, technical drawing and statistics just to mention a few. At college and university levels, the manufacturing engineer will be trained on a wide range of subjects including design and analysis of processes that are applied in manufacturing, metrology, design for manufacturability, Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, and instrumentation and controls engineering among others (Worcester Polytechnic Institute nd). The Engineering Council and its Role The Engineering Council is the United Kingdom’s authority that is charged with the task of registering professional technicians and engineers. The council also performs secondary tasks such as advising students, trained engineers, academic organizations and employers on the procedures and standards for registration. The body also regulates the professions of the engineering technician, incorporated engineer as well as the chartered engineer. Considering that the title â€Å"Engineer’ is legally protected in the UK, it is important for the professional engineer to be awarded a title by the Engineering Council that is otherwise protected. As a professional manufacturing engineer therefore, it is advantageous to voluntarily register with the Engineer ing Council so as to demonstrate high competence - such competence that can only be acquired by training, education and proper experience. These indeed are the basic requirements for one to be registered by the Engineering Council. In order to be registered by the Engineering Council, one has to sit and pass the organization’s examinations at each stage. The manufacturing engineer can sit for the levels 5, 6 and 7 to be registered as an Engineering Technician (EngTech), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and Chartered Engineer (CEng) respectively. Some of the advantages of being registered by the Engineering Council include higher earning potential, better career prospects international recognition, high self esteem, and recognition of expertise. Engineering Technician (EngTech) The engineering technologist is an engineer who specializes in implementing the existing technologies that exist in the engineering field. In other words, the technologist is more oriented toward the applic ation of engineering fundamentals as opposed to creating new knowledge in the field. They always work with other engineering professionals applying technical skills and engineering principles in their practice. The manufacturing engineering technologist can work in a wide range of industries, not limited to maintenance, manufacturing, processing and assembling companies. The technician is trained widely in

International Business in Emerging Markets Essay - 1

International Business in Emerging Markets - Essay Example An automobile is basically regarded as a vehicle having wheels and carrying its own engine. The previous names given to an automobile were "horseless carriage" and "motor car" where motor was to denote an engine. The behaviour or making an automobile work is entitled as driving. Every automobile consists of a seat for driver and at least another seat for the passenger (http://business.mytopix.com/automobile/). Mainly automobiles are designed for travelling on roads but there are some automobiles which permit people to drive "off-road." Basically an automobile is made up of "internal combustion engine" but as years passed, "hybrid cars powered by gas-electric hybrid engines" penetrate the market. A typical automobile consists of four wheels, though three-wheeled automobiles were also made but did not gain much popularity due to constancy purpose (http://business.mytopix.com/automobile/). "Steam-powered self propelled vehicles were devised in the late 18th century. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot successfully demonstrated such a vehicle as early as 1769. The first vehicles were steam engine powered, and then electric vehicles were produced by a small number of manufacturers. In the 1890s, ethanol was the first fuel used by cars in the U.S. In 1919, alcohol Prohibition destroyed corn-alcohol stills which many farmers used to make low cost ethanol fuel. Later on gasoline and diesel engines were implemented." (http://business.mytopix.com/automobile/) The p... the United States but also the first "amphibious vehicle." It was called amphibious vehicle because it could be operated on wheels on land and with a paddle in the water. Amongst the initial environmental modernizations were the substitute fuels for the "internal combustion engine." Nowadays, "methanol and ethanol are used as petrol extenders" in several countries, mainly in Australia and United States. Every year more than a million people die in automobile accidents and around 50 million people get injured in such accidents. There are several chief reasons of these accidents, including "inattentive driving, reckless driving, road hazards etc." Even after skilled progresses, the deaths occurring as a result of automobile accidents are still high. Around 40,000 people die every year in United States as a result of such accidents, and the number of deaths keeps increasing year by year (http://business.mytopix.com/automobile/). Brief Introduction on Telecommunication Telecommunication is the "transmission of signals" above a distance for the intention of "communication." These days, this procedure includes propelling "electromagnetic waves by electronic transmitters", whereas during previous days, this procedure comprised of using "smoke signals, drums or semaphores." Telecommunication has gained much popularity nowadays and devices enhancing this procedure are television, radio and telephone. Computer communication is also done on internet through e-mail and instant messaging, setting up examples of telecommunication. The fundamental factors of a telecommunication are: "A transmitter that takes information and concerts it to a signal for transmission." "A transmission medium over which the signal is transmitted." "A receiver that receives and converts the signal

Project Management Essay -- Careers Employment Essays

Project Management Project Management is quickly becoming a field of study and importance in the business world. A search on the Internet of the title â€Å"Project Management† yields hundreds or results including forums, training manuals and job openings for related positions. Project Management is a broad term referencing the necessary steps taken by management to ensure a product is feasible before and during implementation. According to Project Management Learning Objectives, the steps to achieve success in this area include: testing and measuring products, evaluating and managing the product cycle, comparing costs and benefits, measuring product worth, economic analysis, product analysis, teambuilding and leadership, and budgeting and cost control (Project Management Outline). Project Managers oversee many different areas of the business and are responsible for project success. Importance of Project Management Since the concept of Project Management is broad, many different aspects of a business rely on successful Project Management. â€Å"Projects† can include product line development, attaining company goals, boosting employee morale, and product costing, to name a few. This area of business is important because it determines every minute detail required to get the product produced and to the consumer. There are several steps required to assure project success. These steps are briefly outlined in the following paragraphs. Step 1: Determine project goals. It is important to define what the project is, as well as what the expected inputs and outputs are. According to Project Management Tutorial Online, in order for project goals to be accomplished, this must be a team oriented decision. â€Å"Give everyone the opp... ...p together to create a quality product. However, if implemented incorrectly, project management can upset employees, break team bonds and result in a poor product, if any. Project Management can be used in all different businesses, it is a way to bring together employees to work towards the same goal. It has been proven that if employees are involved in the project decision making they feel confident and excited about the project results. Thus, they are more willing to dedicate quality time and effort into the process. The size of the project is not an issue, the concepts in project management should be used every time there is a task that needs to be completed by the help of a few employees. Through the research or project management it can be learned that you can have a bad project, but with the proper implementation, that bad project can come out a success.

Bilingualism in the United States Essay

There are many arguments that have advocated for bilingualism to be encouraged in the United States. There is one faction that claims it makes foreigners feel accommodated and accommodated and also to facilitate the learning of thousands on non-English speaking students who go for studies. On the other hand there are those who claim it leads to a national disunity. The paper will look at these two sides of the debate and lastly take a stand on why the US should provide bilingual services to its immigrants mainly by basing its argument on reasons derived from the benefits gained on its educational, social and economic aspects. Bilingualism can be taken to mean fluent regular use of two languages in the day to day communication. Scientist have been able to show that being able to speak  two  language is even more fundamental than just being able to have a conversation with   individuals  of different backgrounds. They have proved that bilingualism makes one smarter. Bilingualism can have the effect of improving a person’s cognitive skills that are in no manner related to language. There is an increasing diversification of ethnic and racial diversification in the United States today. Currently, over 40 million language-minority people reside in the United States with the projections expected to increase with time.  Immigrants and learners from all over the world live in the united state: a situation that should naturally pave the way for bilingualism. Debates surrounding bilingualism have been brought forward  time and again as the United States population becomes more diverse. The big question remains; should English be made the official language? Should there be a prohibition of other languages other than English In government services and public services and even in schools? Should non-English speakers be taught using their native language, English or both languages? In short, the debate has time and again been about whether bilingualism should be simply encouraged or outright prohibited. Different scholars presented different views basing their arguments on what the effect of bilingualism may bring to the United States. Proponents like of English-only argued that bilingual lead to national disunity ethnic group isolation and even encourage economic disparities between the rich and the poor (Mujica, 508). Opponents, on the other hand, felt that the English only movement could violate the civil rights of the migrant in the Uni ted States. Considering the number of non-English speaking immigrants and the number of non-citizen students in the United States, bilingualism should not be an option but  a  civil right  so that no group feels sidelined The controversy over bilingual was partly whether bilingual education programs should be introduced into the system. It was until min-1960s that bilingual education was initiated. However, bilingual education teacher training was introduced later in 1974 (Garcia, 391). Even though some scholars insist that foreign learners be taught in the English language to since teaching them in their native language would be one way or another delay their education (Crawford, 595). Research shows that the contrary to their beliefs bilingual learning is not time wasting as gives the learners an advantage of acquiring a second language  and be able to continue their learningprocess. Craford  states that bilinguals program learners tend to outperform the other non-bilingual counterparts. This fact is supported  by scientific research proving that the bilingual experience improves the brain’s executive function making such learners good problem solvers than their counterparts. Bilingual children tend to out-perform monolingual children on exercises that require concentration. Research shows that bilingual speakers are better in cognitive control and attention. Proponents of bilingual education assert that any non-English speaking student taught in their mother tongue and then English, the student is capable of learning English in a more efficient manner. Bilingual program opponents still believe that it does not mainstream the learners into the system of education, therefore, put at a disadvantage (Crawford, 594). Contrary to these beliefs the learners Improve their skills both in English and their native language. When children are exposed to both his native language and English in a learning environment, they will find it shameless to use their mother tongue. It will consequently help them develop a frame of mind that  can easily conceptualize  the English language. Since United States does not have a national language officially recognized, some groups in the United States believe that the presence of foreign languages poses as threats to the traditional English language. Bilingualism does not in any way corrode the English language in the United States but in turn serves the purpose of interconnecting global communities. Those who do not support bilingual education also argue that it is expensive and wasteful as it has to be done in other languages other than English. Taking into account the outcomes of bilingual education and given the number of non-English speaking people residing in the United States, the cost of this fo rm of education is neither wasteful nor too expensive (Fallows,23). Since the mid- 1900s, what has become explicit is whether individuals should maintain their native language use alongside English or whether English should supplant the original migrant languages. During this period, there came up a number of cases interpreted as sympathetic to towards bilingualism. Bilingualism is important in the United States since it is inhabited by individuals from various backgrounds. This is to ensure that all American citizens especially the migrants feel accepted and not discriminated against. Migrants who are non-English speakers are more likely to feel sidelined, and their civil rights violated in a setting where they are completely subjected to the traditional American language especially in schools and public service. Mujica argues that it is expensive for the government to isolate non- English speakers linguistically (581). He believes that all migrants should function in the traditional English language given the fact that English is going global. A sc enario like the one being proposed by Mujica may lead to some of the migrant communities being completely ignored. Fallow confirms that some of the adult migrants never end up learning the English language (263). This will mean that such adults will never be privileged to government and public service. Bilingualism should be encouraged further so as to enable the migrants fit into the environment. For example, these people may not be able to use the road when every sign is written in English or even buy products when all product description is  in English. Bilingualism also is important as it enables the non-English speaking individuals exercise their constitutional rights during major elections in the United States Some English speaking individuals may feel that native languages of the migrants such as Spanish are there to erode the English language. These  results from  the constant influx of large counts of migrants added to the increased ethnic awareness. The migrant, on the other hand, may wish to retain their mother tongue as a way of preserving their heritage. These migrants may feel the need to be in touch with their background while in the United States. The native language is one of the major ways of preserving heritage and culture. It is such a treat that inspired S. I. Hayakawa; California senator to propose  constitutional amendments to have English used as the national language. Such an amendment was unnecessary since English by defacto is the language used in the United States. English is one of the most established languages worldwide and in the United States therefore it is completely unreasonable to believe that a small immigrant group living in a neighborhood can threate n its existence. Bilingualism increases the range of people with whom we can interact. It exposes an individual to different cultures, friendship and experiences. Being able to speak a second language does not just ease a person’s communication with others; it also allows an individual fully to experience the cultures that associate  with that particular language. Languages and cultures are intertwined, and the speaker of a language is exposes to the traditions and beliefs of the native speakers. (Crawford, 959) Believed,  that an individual may never become productive without learning the English language. During the drafting of the American constitution, John Adams suggested that English should be used as the United States official language but was rejected on the grounds of incompatibility with the freedom spirit (Hakuta, 165). Being able to speak different languages can open doors to many opportunities both academic and employment. Crawford says that sometimes immigrants refuse to lear n the English language and fail to become useful living off welfare (595). This is a kind of misconception that Americans harbor towards immigrants that without learning the English language, one can never be able to become productive in their life. The issue of bilingualism is as old as human migration itself into the United States. From the pre-colonial time, bilingualism was already widespread and appreciated. Many states have embraced the bilingual programs and dropped the English-only programs. Bilingualism is especially in the education system has enabled learners to achieve their educational goals despite their inability to understand or speak English language. This has been achieves through bilingual educational program. Through the use of bilingual language in the United States, non-English speaking migrants have found themselves being accommodated by the government. The migrants have been able to retain their history, culture and heritage. Even though some of the English speakers may feel that their tradition is threatened by the presence of the various native languages in the United States, it is practically impossible for English to be assimilated into the other languages. Even though English is the language, the Ame ricans speak, numerous suggestions had been made in the past to make it the official language in all the states. This was because some individuals felt threatened by the rapid growth of the migrant communities. References Fallows, James. â€Å"ENGLISH HAS NOTHING TO FEAR-VIVA BILINGUALISM.† New Republic 195.21 (1986): 18-19. Crawford, James. Bilingual education: History, politics, theory, and practice. Trenton, NJ: Crane Publishing Company, 1989. Garcà ­a, E. Spring/Summer. Director’s Note. In E. Aguilar (Ed.), Focus on diversity, 1, (2), pp. 1-2. University of California, Santa Cruz: National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning. 1992a, Hakuta, Kenji. Mirror of language: The debate on bilingualism. Basic Books, 1986.Mujica, Mauro E. â€Å"At Issue: Should English Be the Official Language of the United States?† CQ Researcher 19 Jan. 1996: 65. Source document

Crucibles of Leadership by Warren G. Bennis Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Thomas is the fellow author of Bennis who contributed to the development of this article. He is a senior member and an associate partner with the Accenture Institute for Strategic Change His profound thoughts have enabled him to understand the deeper concepts of leadership. On the basis of his knowledge and experience, he has been able to help individuals to identify leaders within them. Differences and Learning: As discussed previously that a crucible is actually an experience which alters the sense of identity of an individual. One of the commonly known types of crucibles is prejudice experience. When a person falls prey to prejudice then he is particularly forced to project a vague image of her or himself. The experience is highly traumatic in nature which also sometimes leads to the development of anger, withdrawal or confusion. However, for some individuals experiencing prejudice clarifies their overall personality, their purposes, and roles and the distinctive position that th ey have in the world. The idea of darkness: As a human being we need to understand that we possess a soul which becomes dark over the time. We will write a custom essay sample on Crucibles of Leadership by Warren G. Bennis or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Crucibles are actually beneficial in lightening up the darkness of soul but these are also categorized as the most difficult experiences which often include violence or continued illness. Here, authors have discussed the example of Sidney Rittenberg who spent 16 years in prison unjustly. He was not interrogated in his first year of imprisonment and he spent that year in complete darkness. Expectations: After discussing the traumatic crucibles authors have explained that some of them also involve positivity and challenges, for instance, a mentor or a highly demanding boss. Here, they have given the example of US Court of Appeals Judge Nathaniel R. Jones who gives credit of his success to his mentor J. This illustrates that people can either take job stress from difficult boss and supervisors or they can actually gain benefit from their knowledge and experience.