Arab Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Arab Culture - Essay Example Along with religion even the culture travelled out wards from Arab lands. They left strong mark on almost all fields of human endeavour: architecture, literature, painting and even technology. Arab land is not only rich in oil, it is rich in iron ore, cobalt, lead, magnesium. What was the ancient culture of mankind Culture means a way of life and a way of thinking. Since primitive man was busy cultivating and managing livestock and hunting the first explored art forms were tool making: tools made with pebbles, Ubaid sherds and flints too have been recovered from archeological sites in Egypt and Arab nations. They were used to hunt, make dwellings, sculpting. Colours were made from tree extracts, flowers and vegetables and used for painting. Ancient Arabic literature is rich in lyric and poetry. The Quran, word of God, is one of the ancient written sacred book. Later Arabic literature has gifted the world with 1001 Arabian nights which is even now one of the best sold books world over. Story-telling was one of the major art form. All the three religions which branched out from the philosophy of One God brought discipline in the land: For if you didn't listen to command of God you are condemned. In the name of God magnificent monuments were built.

Demerits of Advertising Essay Example for Free

Demerits of Advertising Essay Advertising is a form of communication used to encourage or persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to continue or take some new action. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common. The purpose of advertising may also be to reassure employees or shareholders that a company is viable or successful. Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various traditional media; including mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television commercial, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or direct mail; or new media such as websites and text messagesModern advertising developed with the rise of mass production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Type Demerits1 Demerits of Advertising (Objections) Various objections against it may be listed as follows: 1. Economic Objections a) Advertising is not productive. It is true that it does not produce any tangible goods. It is said to involve wasteful expenditure. b) It forces people to desire and buy goods, which, in fact, are not within their means.  c) It increases the cost of goods. Advertising charges are included in the price, which the consumer has to pay. d) Advertising results in monopoly. The consumer becomes a slave to a particular brand. 2. Social Objections a) Most of the advertisements contain tall claims and the consumers do not enjoy the benefits advertisement in full. They are shortlived only. b) The press is influenced by the advertisers because they provide major revenue for the existence of newspapers. 3. Ethical Objections a) Advertising appeals make people to use such articles, which may affect their health. For example alcoholic drinks and cigarettes. b) People with less purchasing power cannot afford to buy articles even though advertisements create a strong need in them. Thus a section of society remains discontented. Whatever may be said against advertising, it is increasingly used almost in every branch of business to promote sales. It is not merely a means of sales promotion but today it has become a science equivalent to any other social science. Type Demerits 2 These are the disadvantages of advertising: Increases the cost: It increases the cost of goods. The cost of the advertisement is included in the price and is ultimately borne by the customers. Misleads the public: It misleads the public by giving false statements about the product. (It may be true in some cases but majority of advertisers know the value of honest statements.) Creates a dissatisfaction: It creates tastes and desires for some people whose income may not allow them to buy. Such people feel dissatisfied. Creates a monopoly: It increases monopolistic trend. Due to advertisement some manufacturers create monopoly in industry and thus reduce healthy competition. It becomes difficult for new firms to enter the field. Creates the confusion: It creates the possibility of wrong purchases. Being impressed by the advertisement, in some cases, a person is not able to purchase the commodity, which he actually wants to purchase. Encourages luxury: This encourages luxury. Mostly the commodities related to comforts and luxuries are advertised, for example, cigarettes, cosmetic goods and etc. due to advertisement of cigarettes several persons start smoking cigarettes, which becomes habit. Reduces cleanliness: It reduces cleanliness. Large number of posters and writings on the walls are used for advertisement. This makes the roads and the walls of the houses look dirty. Thus, it reduces the natural beauty. Causes wastage: It is a cause of wastage of natural resources. As a results of advertisement, style and fashion change quickly. It makes the goods out of fashion.

Lexis Treatment in Language Teaching

Lexis Treatment in Language Teaching Part 1. Examine the treatment of lexis in two course-books. How are the items introduced, practised and tested? Take into account the authors intentions and illustrate your account by close reference to one unit/chapter from each book â€Å"we need to see English language teaching as located in the domain of popular culture as much as in the domain of applied linguistics.† (Pennycock, 1998, p162 cited in Harmer, 2001, p94) For the purpose of this essay, lexis is defined simply as the words that make up a language. It includes all levels from morphemes to lexical phrases (Nattinger, 1988 cited in Harmer, 2001. It also includes the manner in which we ‘recast’ and reframe words with those that are similar, equivalent or alternative in order to fix, or negotiate (McCarthy, 1990), our understanding of the meaning. The two selected course texts, Cutting Edge (Cunningham Moor, 2004) and Matters (Bell, Gower Cunninham, 1998) both integrate elements of a lexical syllabus into their approach. In the following two sections – Module 8 of Cutting Edge and Unit 6 of Matters (see Appendix 1) – lexis is introduced and expanded through a number of methods. Whilst Cutting Edge expounds an engage- practise activate style (Harmer, 2001) of learning cycle (see Walmsley, 1979 cited in Els et al for a exploration of unit based teaching cycles), both combine a discovery learning style with more traditional grammatical constructs. For example, Unit 6 of Matters is entitled Are You Green?. The subject area is the natural world and the subheading is the environment. The language focus of the unit is: â€Å"†¦sentence structure, in particular defining relative clauses (sometimes known as identifying or restrictive clauses); clauses of purpose and clauses of result and  reason.† (Matters, Bell Gower, 1998, Unit 6) This unit introduces a range of vocabulary and contextualises both its language style and content initially through a magazine article. These are then expanded through an intentionally inflammatory ‘interview’. The exercises, although sometimes appearing initially divorced from the previous exercise, conform to a learning cycle approach. They relate to earlier learning as well as serving to re-enforce the meaning of the vocabulary and its contexts. The focus on relative clauses, as with lexical phrases, aims at acquiring a familiarity that enables the students to specific forms more naturally and correctly. In both texts, the material is introduced through oral presentation, discussion, reading and written work. Brainstorming serves t is similar to Greens (1993) word wall in that it provides the vocabulary and offers the opportunity for visual and oral re-enforcement. Cutting Edge has a Language Focus Section. This follows the same practise of building language familiarity through building ‘comparisons and talking about similarities’ (Cunningham Moor, 2004). Both use individual pictorial comparison followed by group discussion to re-enforce vocabulary and make connections to specific situations. As with Matters the same language is used in several formats – a listening and a reading activity. It is worth nothing that both texts recognise how age and culture affects the contexts of a lexicon. Matters warns that: ‘ In multinational classes, be careful: not all countries have the same level of sympathy for and awareness of environmental issues and scientific jargon’ (Bell Gower, 1998, Introduction). They acknowledge that, as Bowerman (1978) states, ‘Lexical rules are language – and culture – specific.’ (cited in Larsen-Freeman Long, 1991). However, both programs aim to move a student away from lexical over-generalisations (Backhouse, 1994) and increase depth of knowledge and breadth of vocabulary. Backhouse (1994) relates lexical development to intra and extra – lingual processes ie the â€Å"semantic relations which hold between lexical items in a given language.† (p.19) and the â€Å"paradigmatic relations† or the specific fields that define meaning within that context. Assessment of student understanding looks at how individuals develop vocabulary around a subject area through discussion, class response and exercises. In essence, it appears that both texts use a ‘field theory’ approach that allows for lexical compartmentalisation and a hyponomic (see McCarthy, 1990, p19) focus on developing associated meanings (Carter McCarthy, 1988). However, they do not limit themselves to associating specific vocabularly within specific fields. â€Å"Lexical phrases or ‘language chunks’ are like prefrabricated building units.† (Lewis, cited in Harmer, 2001, p.21) Part 2. How effective is the treatment of lexis in the two chosen units for a group of learners with whom you are familiar? What changes would you make in using these units with the learners you have identified? Class Profile This class consists of seventeen males and five females, all L1 Arabic speakers. They come from six countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It is an intermediate level class. 30% are students, 40% are supervisory/managerial levels of employees in Government departments or from private businesses. 20% are self-employed private businessmen and the remaining 10% are homemakers. The age range is 20-58 years. They are currently about half way through a twenty week English course. Whilst the treatment of lexis in the two chosen units is efficient and effective, it does benefit from some individual tailoring towards the above class. For example with some of the students I would perhaps encourage a move towards a more self directed learning plan (Pemberton et al, 2001). Others need more scaffolding. I have also tried to cater for learning styles so that a variety of exercises are supported by a variety of materials and presented in more than one way. I have not simply repeated specifics, but changed the way they are communicated. Clearly, cognitive tools vary according to each individual and the situation so no assumptions should be made (see Papademetre Scarino, 2000 for an exploration of class and culture) based on ones own parameters. However, the attached are two lesson plans that I have adapted to suit this class. These are adapted to work on this classes particular understanding of certain collocations. Common patters are re-iterated: verb + noun (fly a kite) adjective + noun (a light snowfall) adverb + verb (to boldly go) adverb + adjective (totally different) adjective + preposition (similar to) noun + noun (a collocation dictionary) (adapted from http://www.eli.ubc.ca/teachers/lexicon.html) However, as Schmitt 2000) and Thornbury (1999) both stress, idioms, idiomatic phrases and expressions – especially those with different meanings are further developed. The aim is to provide the students with an all round lexical confidence supported by a good knowledge of vocabulary as well as lexical phrases. Where specific lexical approaches have been used, they are mentioned in the lesson plans and sequences. Class of 22. Level Intermediate 02 TITLE: ARE YOU GREEN? Adapted from Matters- Intermediate (Bell Gower, 1998) Unit 6 Date 31st January 2006 Lesson duration 60 minutes Resources: handouts, cassettes, audio-player, white-board, OHP and transparencies Course text books Lesson Aims: Reading skills: magazine article on the ‘ungreen’ Moore family Comprehension check. Vocabulary and pronounciation skills Develop familiarity with colloquial and informal spoken and written English. Develop language for use both in and out of classroom. Develop language around a major current topic – environmentalism – that is widely relevant Awareness of word fields Contribute to discussion Contribute to brainstorming sessions Work independently with confidence Work confidently with lexical variations eg the ‘schwa /?/ Familiarisation with colloquial English publications (newspaper, magazines, journal excerpts etc) Contact with everyday English Teacher modelling Raise student awareness eg of pronounciation and meaning changes through stress syllabuls. Phrasal words Language ‘chunking’. Awareness of expression and collocations, their usefulness and frequency Develop OHP transparencies or posters of mind maps and word fields Anticipated Problems problems with reading new vocabulary technical problems eg OHP, audio-player timetable fit have a ‘hit list’ of potential problem words and definitions ready elicit and drill (time allowing) problem words where possible encourage students to develop a ‘power word’ list (Cary, 2000) of their own. Have English/Arabic dictionaries ready but use to note and refer to later Stand-by handouts if OHP fails Stand-by audio player Ensure good time keeping 19.00 19.05 19.05 19.15 19.25 19.30 19.35 19.45 19.50 20.00 Introduction and warm up. Small talk, humour or anecdotes etc Elicit the word green and discuss culturally specific colour associations eg in the UK blue can mean sad, yellow cowardice, red danger and green innocence, jealousy or environmental issues. Discuss and support with modelling and writing on white board. Lexically this exploration of meanings associated with colour will help students understand language extension, engage through subject matter, encourage higher order thinking and build vocabulary necessary for the lesson. Pairwork. Set the theme: two environmental problems facing the world presently ie global warming, loss of wildlife and habitiat etc. Elicit words and write on board. Set students to work together on this. The connotations associated with environmental issues eg wildlife, habitat loss, global warming are real and relevant to most students. This exercise requires students to develop a lexical framework to support both facts and opinions and know which areas they wish to find more language to fill. Ask students if in their countries they have an equivalent of the Green/Environmental Party? Explain what the Greens are and stand for. Set a discussion of this again in pairs. This has the same lexical aim as the previous section. Display a picture or poster of the Green Party on the white board. In pairs of threes read Are these people criminals? When finished reading, complete the exercise matching the paragraph number with the figure or object on the right of the page (see appendix 1) Read through the answers with the students. Matters, p42/43. Set exercise 2 p.43. to do individually or in pairs. Lexical rationale – aim for students to use and apply new language. Go through answers a to e with the students, giving a verbal explanation of each and support on the white board. Ask students to work in pairs and make a list of verbs on handouts eg: save, recycle, buy, ban, use, prevent. Show the students how these can be used in collocations and phrasal words from the text. Lexical rationale – starting to extend vocabulary into actions associated with environmentalism and using a discursive exercise to encourage their recognition and usage. Handouts Set exercise 3, a practise in relative clauses, and give out handouts. Students read through the test and complete it. Go through the answers with students answering one by one. Lexical rationale – aims towards students developing referencing skills by looking up words either individually or in pairs. Listening and speaking skills: pronounciation focus on the schwa. Students listen to the recording and take notes. Go through the exercise marking the syllables and stress in word pronounciation. Go through the answers on the white board. Lexical rationale – as part 1 explored, pronounciation and stress hightens student awareness of how intonation affects meaning. Second tape recording. Listen to the second recording and go through the rubric with the students. Students give answers back around the class and then practice in pairs the sentences in exercise 2. Matters p.45. Lexical rationale – extension of pronounciation focus. Wordspot focus. A lexical exercise to recap, re-iterate and re-enforce. FINISH. Issue handouts of target text. Put a transparency of the â€Å"Something† word-field flow chart on the OHP. Divide the students into A’s and B’s. A reads the instructions on p.135 and B on p138. (answering each others questions.) Issue handouts f the word-field for homeword and ask students to add at 4-5 new phrases with ‘something’ in them. Follow up first thing next lesson. Develops autonomous lexical growth at students own rate of learning ie with no time pressure Class of 22. Level Intermediate 02 TITLE: Adapted from Cutting Edge – Intermediate (Cunningham Moor, 2004) Module 8 Date 04th February 2006 Lesson duration 60 minutes Resources: handouts, cassettes, audio-player, white-board, OHP and transparencies, Course text books Lesson Aims: To reinforce reading and listening skills To reinforce comprehension. Vocabulary and pronounciation skills Develop familiarity with colloquial and informal spoken and written English. Develop language for use both in and out of classroom. Awareness of word fields Contribute to discussion Contribute to brainstorming sessions Work independently with confidence Establish preparation for next class Reading and listening exercises Vocabulary building exercises Excerpts taken from Cutting Edge follow on from previous reading and listening exercises but focusing on how to use words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) in phrases and collocations used in everyday English Teacher modelling Phrasal words Language ‘chunking’. Awareness of expression and collocations, their usefulness and frequency Develop OHP transparencies or posters of mind maps and word fields Set grammar/language points, p44 (Matters), for home work reading (using scanning and familiarisation) in readiness for the next class Anticipated Problems Some problems with reading and pronounciation problems with reading new vocabulary technical problems eg OHP, audio-player timetable fit have a ‘hit list’ of potential problem words and definitions ready elicit and drill (time allowing) problem words where possible encourage students to develop a ‘power word’ list (Cary, 2000) of their own. Have English/Arabic dictionaries ready but use to note and refer to later Stand-by handouts if OHP fails Stand-by audio player Ensure good time keeping Rationale for lesson focus Students need to practice their reading, listening and speaking skills more. They need to further their informal vocabulary In the previouse lesson (Are you Green?) issues were featured and discussed at some length. This lesson aims to restore a balance and put into perspective the alternative view featuring some of the benefits of the modern world so it is not always perceived as a wholly negative experience as can be construed by ‘Green/Environmentalist’ action groups. This could be important to avoid confusion in some students minds. (The fact that alternative opinions exist regarding the controversy surrounding this subject across the world. Timing 19.00 19.05 19.10 19.15 19.20 19.25 19.30 19.40 19.55 20.00 Introduction and warm up. Go over points from previous lesson. Small talk, humour or anecdotes etc (if time permits!) Review homework exercises concerning phrases and collocations from ‘Something.’ Appoint one student to write the answers on to the chart of white board. Go around the class an dget their answers and their explanations from each student. Tell students to note down answers. Brief review of work then move on. Flip chart of ‘somethings’ word-filed attached to white board. Focus and elicit upon the words inventor and successful. Get associated words too – invent, invention, succeed from the students. Ask students to predict/guess what kind of advice/information will be found in the text from comparing pictures on the left to those on the right. Handouts. Issue reading excerpts ‘How to be a successful inventor.’ Tell students to scan through the reading in 2-3 minutes. Read text individually. (Cutting Edge Teaching notes and coursebook.) Check for understanding especially words and phrases like light bulb, to be patient, purpose, to understand the porential of something, a dot, a s screen, a button, a know. Lexical rationale – re-enforcement of vocabulary plus the added re-pronounciation of read words, explanation of phrases indicates a development allowing for lexical phrases as well and comparative meanings. Put the answers on the OHP and go through these one by one. Handouts and transparency. Group work. Set students to discuss this task in groups of four or five. Apoint one from each group and get their feedback in turns. Listening and vocabulary skills (Cutting Edge, p.81) Handouts. Pronounciation and pair work. Emphasise with the students beforehand that they only have to identify which machines are being discussed in the tape. Do one example for the students in A. Press tehbutton down then play cassette 1 stopping after each phrase is used to check answers. Discuss the answers to B in pairs. Pair work. Set task 3, p81. Give students a few moments to think it over, preferably ones their partner is unfamiliar with students can draw it to explain it to the, Use examples each student is familiar with personally. Go around the class helping and prompting as needed. Explain using examples what a compound noun is. Go through the two rules – noun + gerund and gerund/noun + asdjective on the whiteboard. Repeat a couple of examples showing where the stress is to be found in both words ie laptop computer. Etc Lexical rationale – as covered in part 1, stress is extremely important for realisation of language variability and meaning. In this case the lexicon is integrated with a grammatical function. Pair work and individual response help to focus students on the task in reinforce the lanaguage learning. Give the students a little time to work this out then play cassette 2. Listen and practise pronouncing the words before giving out the answers to the pronounciation task. Set home work task (reading to familiarise only) Cutting Edge p81 handout. FINISH read ahead of time p44, Unit 6, Matter’s Intermediate Unit 6. Go over again also the reading and pronounciation work taught in class today in preparations for the next lesson’s review of this. Check students again for clarification and understanding of these. References Backhouse, A.E. (1994) The Lexical Field of Taste: a semantic study of Japanese taste terms. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press Bell, J., Gower, R. Cunningham, G. (1998) Intermediate Matters. Harlow, Essex: Longman. Carter, R., McCarthy, M. (1988) Vocabulary and Language Teaching. Harlow, Essex: Longman. Cary, S. (2000) Working with Second Language Learners: answers to teachers top ten questions. Portsmouth, USA: Heinemann Cunningham , S. Moor , P. (2005) Cutting Edge – Intermediate (14th Impression) Harlow, Essex: Pearson English Language Teaching, Longman. Green, J. (1993) The Word Wall: teaching vocabulary through immersion. Ontario, Canada: Pippin Publishing Ltd. Harmer, J. (2001). The Practise of English Language Teaching. Harlow, Essex: Longman Krause, K., Bochner, S., Duchesne, S. (2003) Educational Psychology for learning and teaching. Southbank, Victoria: Thomson. Lewis, M. (1993) Implementing the Lexical Approach. UK: Language Teaching Publictions Larsen-Freeman. D., Long, M (1991) An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Research. Harlow, Essex: Longman McCarthy, M. (1990). Vocabulary. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Papademetre, L. Scarino, A. (2000) Integrating Culture Learning in the Languages Classroom: a Multi-perspecitive Conceptual Journey for Teachers. Melbourne, Australia: Language Australia Pemberton, R., Toogood, S., Ho, S. Lam, J. (2001) Approaches to advising for self-directed language learning. In Learner Autonomy (Leni Dam, Editor) The AILA Review 15, pp. 16-26 Schmitt,N (2000) Vocabulary in Language Teaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press Thornbury, S (1999). How to Teach Vocabulary Harlow, UK: Longman Websites Parallel Processing. JamesL.McClelland TimothyT.Rogers. Accessed 7 February 2006. http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v4/n4/abs/nrn1076_fs.html;jsessionid=98854A4BE16819AEB3B2C4220B9A470D Lexicon http://www.eli.ubc.ca/teachers/lexicon.html accessed 9 February 2006

Ernest Hemingway Essay -- essays research papers

Ernest Hemingway: A Literary Marvel â€Å"One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever . . . The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to the place where he arose . . . The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits . . . .All the rivers run into the sea; ye the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.† (Ecclesiastes 1:4-7)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ernest Hemingway’s style of writing is a unique form. In almost all of his novels the protagonist is a war veteran, which he himself was. He was known to travel the world. These places sparked the imagination to create novels that led to a Nobel Prize for literature. To better understand the impact of Ernest Hemingway as an American author, one must have a description of his background, a critical analysis of his work The Sun Also Rises, and his impact and importance upon the literary world. Ernest Hemingway was known as a simple, creative writer and person. Leonard Unger wrote, â€Å"He had an extraordinary reputation as a colorful human being.† He was born July 2, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. His father Dr. Clarence â€Å"Ed† Hemingway was a physician, and his mother, Grace, taught piano and voice lessons. He spent summers in upper Michigan, where he found a passion for hunting and fishing. After graduating from Oak Park High, ...

Population pyramid

A population pyramid or ‘population profile’ is detailed diagram referring to the shape of the graphs which demonstrates the composition of a nation’s population in relation to various age groups and sex (cohorts).   It contains two side-to-side placed graphs, one that shows details of the male segment of the population, and the other that shows details of the female segment of the population.   Usually the left hand side shows details of the male segment of the population.   A population profile is usually triangular in shape, the base suggesting a large number of children.   A rapid narrowing of the top bands suggests that people may be dying faster.   The population pyramid provides a lot of other details such as birth rate, death rate, and life-expectancy. The pyramid should be ideally symmetrical to demonstrate similar pattern and numbers between males and females in the nation.A population pyramid of a nation is of different types depending on seve ral factors such as birth rates, death rates, and situation prevailing in the country.   These include a stationary pyramid, progressive pyramid and regressive pyramid. A stationary pyramid demonstrates a rather constant pattern of fertility and death rate.   A progressive pyramid demonstrates a high turnover of the population (elevated birth and death rates), and a large number of children.   A regressive pyramid on the other hand suggests a dropping birth rate and a low fatality rate.   Some countries may develop a ‘youth bulge’ in their population pyramid (a rise in the youth segment of the population), which may increase the risk for war terrorism and criminal activities to flourish (Answers.Com. 2006).During a war situation, a nation’s population pyramid may have varying appearances depending on the manner in which it is affected.The most active segment of the population, that is young men cohort, are usually the most affected during a war.   Due t o severe losses, nations often demonstrate a drop in the bar graphs in the adult male cohort group, and excess in the corresponding female segment.   Losses of young and middle-aged men later tend to affect other portions of the population profile.   The birth rate on both the male and the female side would significantly reduce over a period of time.   As this cohort of adult males get older, the excess on the female side and the deficiency in the male side starts climbing.   In the 1965 population pyramid of the United Kingdom, it was seen that the number of middle-aged and elderly men were reduced, compared to the similar female cohort due to losses during the World War (Answers.Com. 2006).Sometimes, during a war situation, there may be equivalent loss on the adult female cohort side due to frequent deaths arising from childbirth, reduced healthcare facilities, sporadic violence, etc.   Ã‚  Such a population pyramid appears symmetric with a depression of cohorts on the a dult male and female side.   This is known as a ‘constrictive pyramid’.  Ã‚   The birth rate and the fertility rates also drop due to a decrease in women and men having a high potential for reproduction.   The population pyramids of the US during the 1940’s show this kind of a pattern as usually the adult population was affected, playing a role in the defense of the nation.   Over a period of time this cohort climbed as it got older (Rosenberg, Matt. 1997).When a country is affected with a full blown war, all the segments of the population seem to be affected.   All the cohorts tend to get depressed.   The mortality rates increases, whereas the birth rate of the population decreases.   In some countries, the depression may be greater in the young adult segment of the population as they tend to be more involved with the war.  Ã‚   These depressed cohorts tend to carry over with time as the population gets older.   The population pyramid of Japan during the 1940’s shows this kind of a pattern, as civilian populations were also affected (Statistical Handbook of Japan. 2006).References:About.Com. â€Å"Population Pyramid.† Encyclopedia of Public Health. 2006. Answers.Com. 29 Dec. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/population-pyramidRosenberg, Matt. â€Å"Age-Sex Pyramids.† About Geography. 1997. About.Com. 29 Dec. 2006. http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa071497.htmStatistical Handbook of Japan. â€Å"Chapter 2   Population.† Statistics Bureau. 2006. Statistics Bureau of Japan. 29 Dec. 2006. http://www.stat.go.jp/English/data/handbook/c02cont.htmUS Census Bureau. â€Å"IDB Population Pyramids.† U.S. Census Bureau Population Division/International Programs Center. 2006. US Census Bureau. 29 Dec. 2006. http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html

Leadership Profile Essay

In the entertainment industry, football is America’s choice of sport. Not only does it drive fans crazy just watching it, but a game that brings really serious injuries to players but yet, generates billions of dollars during the season. Football consists of a team of talented, skilled individuals that display strength, power and speed to play the game. Without these traits, a player will certainly be a failure to the game and the team. It is a very rough form of entertainment that we all love to watch with our families and friends. It is rather ironic that although we do not promote players to hurt each other; in the game of football, we seem to send the opposite message that it’s alright to get hurt, nonetheless, a sport where players understand that in order to stand out amongst other players, the harder they exert effort into the game also increases their risk of sustaining unpredictable injuries. Hiring prospective players is not an easy task. It involves copious amount of time tracking, observing and careful scouting of candidates for consideration. National Football League (NFL) teams make decisions on drafting players from various colleges and consider questions like whether a candidate is willing to spend a number of years physically beat up and willingly put up with the severity of the game. Can they endure enough punishment for the love of the game? Recent hiring history has shown that hiring management has been an 82% failure due to poor interviewing tactics (Gallup’s Why Great Managers Are So Rare). Gallup considers great managers who motivate each employee who has a mission and a vision, an assertive character that drive outcomes and an ability to overcome resistance and adversity. They are very accountable and build relationships that have full transparency, open dialogue and trust. Lastly, their decisions are based not on politics but productivity. For a NFL team to be successful in the entertainment world, the team must have Core Values and Purpose. A prospective candidate for the team must be interviewed and asked if they agree with the company’s Core Purpose or Mission. This strategy will certainly tell if the candidate is a good fit for the team’s  culture. If they don’t (Core Purpose/Mission or Core Values), then they don’t possess a good long term fit for the team. According to the 3 Dimensions of Purpose by Brian Sooy, a Purpose declares intent. It provides perspectives and is strategic. The chart below, popularized by John Welsh from GE has created a method of evaluation for their employees seeking to have â€Å"A† players at GE. ( See chart below) This matrix, also referred to as a talent review can and may be a good tool for NFL managers to use in determining the best candidates for the team. Another form of selecting the best candidates is through the use of a system referred to as â€Å"Topgrading†, a system that reduces time reviewing candidates. This system not only increases professionalism, but sets up a website where applicants can answer questions and get the information about the candidate. References Harter, R. B. (2014, March 25). Why Great Managers Are So Rare. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://businessjournal. gallup.com/content/167975/why-great-managers-rare.aspx. Sooy, B. (2014, May 2). 3 Dimensions of Purpose. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http;//smartblogs.com/leadership/2014/05/02/3-dimensions-of-purpose. (Wick, 2014) Wick, D. (2014, May 8). NFL Draft-Hiring the Right People-One Question. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://strategicdiscipline.positioningsystems.com/blog-0/bid/103386?NFL-Draft-Hiring-the-Right-People.