Abstract Globalization Essay Example for Free

Abstract Globalization Essay Abstract Globalization is a term now circulating frequently in both popular media as well as formal academic disciplines. It has many meanings, some of which are contestable, others simply descriptive. This work attempts to explore some implications of globalization for the field of curriculum studies. This paper is an attempt to explore some of the symbols of nationality that are embedded in, or associated with, our curriculum, and to suggest that these may present some problems in terms of values and of equality. The work will explore the hegemonic relationship exerted by culture through the curriculum, relating this particularly to the ways in which a curriculum might be assessed. The particular curricular examination suggests that African-American life and history are reflected in various conceptions of the curriculum. Therefore the study will also consider how functional approach to teaching social skills to African American students is infused throughout the curriculum. Curriculum Development Introduction A vague presumption has come to pervade the publics understanding of education, namely that its content should somehow be apolitical and value-free. If values are not explicitly addressed in the classroom then what is taught are simple â€Å"facts† unadulterated and value-neutral. Values, however, are not a separate category of the mind, but arise, part and parcel, out of our total understanding of reality, our worldview. It is this realization that three of our contributors bring to bear, each in a different way, on the problems of the contemporary curriculum. James B. Macdonald (1971) asserts: The process of curriculum development includes selection from the total culture and the creation of a pattern of encounter that will maximize the authenticity of the material and the probability of its being internalized by learners. As a system of ideas and beliefs, it includes aspects of the cognitive world isolated by disciplines and/or subjects in terms of facts, information, generalization, principles, laws, and the like. It also includes awareness of and facility in the use of expressive symbols such as art, music and language. Further, it includes systems of value orientation for action in the form of such things as modes of inquiry, seeking new knowledge, respecting the integrity and worth of individuals, being concerned for other peoples, using democratic procedures , and so forth (pp. 97-98). Macdonald takes issue with the attempt of all scholars to mimic science as the only reliable path to â€Å"truth. † For him, restructuring the curriculum does not mean trying to integrate the disciplines as they now exist, but rather, seeking an altogether new worldview -what he calls a new â€Å"anthropology. † His point is that we need to consider values, meaning, and purpose in the curriculum in order to create a more adaptive and accurate vision of the world. A balance must be maintained between local culture and global culture. Thanks to that balance, groups win be able to develop or reinforce local cultures, and at the same time will be able to communicate with the main global culture in a mutually reinforcing relationship. We must of course agree as to what language to use to communicate throughout the global network. The problem is not very different from what we do for instance in air traffic control. At a certain moment we must accept that in order to communicate we must have a common global language. This does not negate local languages and cultures on the contrary. The fact that one speaks English does not prevent him/her from communicating in his/her native Italian, nor does it reduce his/her pride in Italian culture. By speaking English, he/she is able to communicate that culture to other cultures, and vice versa. The â€Å"Global Education† mentioned in the abstract might be understood as the universal education of humankind a worthy goal. But we first have to ask: what will we teach? There are too many facts to be taught, yet they are insufficient. We need instead to exercise our intelligence to grasp and teach what is best namely the promotion of our well-being. The cultural/historical dimension, whereby students are stimulated to broaden their perspective on life, is already being addressed in some programs of curriculum reform. At my home institution, Temple University, for example, a two semester course entitled â€Å"The Intellectual Heritage† is required for all undergraduate students. This course introduces seminal texts and ideas from Western, African, and Asian traditional intellectual histories and cultures. Through classic works such as the Tao Te Ching, the Koran, and the Analects, the heritage of all humankind, students are able to enlarge their intellectual and historical vision, while becoming sensitized to the values of their own, often unexplored, roots. This suggests that curriculum must include voices, visions, and perspectives of people of color and other marginalized groups. Literature Review Henderson noted in her paper that conventional economic theory is based more on the values of economic theorists and their wealthy sponsors than on actual observation of real economies (Davis 1988). Not only economics, but everything that is taught bears the stamp of someones values whether those of a legislator, a teacher, a textbook writer, or a group of academic theorists. Value-neutrality is one of the most pervasive misconceptions of modern education. The curriculum is not unbiased, and students are not left to form their own opinions. Whatever is taught bears the imprint of the values implicit in society, and if by chance those values are part of the cause of a societys problems, then it becomes necessary to address them openly and critically in the educational curriculum. This, of course, is the real meaning of â€Å"academic freedom,† something that the American public has yet to accept. The problem of what set of values, what sort of vision of humankind, we could put in place of or at least use to modify our present faulty vision is taken up by Charles Weihsun Fu in a brilliant analysis of the distinctions between two of the worlds dominant worldviews: the Eastasian and the modern Western. Fu skillfully juxtaposes the Confucian and Judeo-Christian understandings, pointing out the social and political consequences of each, and especially their inherent weaknesses. More specifically, he contrasts their respective bases in personal morality and social responsibility on the one hand and in law and contractual relationships on the other. Fu concludes with a proposal for interweaving these two approaches which, if introduced into the Western curriculum, could serve simultaneously to correct our destructive tendencies toward alienation while softening our pretensions of moral superiority. His arguments seem to us to feed well into those of Johan Galtung, who discusses the path to global peace under the next theme. The process by which change is to be accomplished likewise is addressed by Frances Moore Lappe, as she critiques our political value system. Too often, Lappe argues, the curriculum teaches only superficial explanations for societys problems, relying upon the unexamined assumptions of single disciplines, which are often graced with the label of common sense. She calls for the introduction of dialogue into the curriculum to force us to delve deeper into the underlying causes of problems, thus revealing their true complexity. Such dialogue ultimately demands the critical self-evaluation of values and a sense of political engagement that she believes are essential for an active, informed, truly democratic citizenry. If they are to achieve a productive dialogue rather than a polarizing debate, both Western traditionalists and the multiculturalists must face some facts. The growing number of people of color in our society and schools constitutes a demographic imperative educators must hear and respond to. The 1999 Census indicated that one of every four Americans is a person of color. By the turn of the century, one of every three will be of color. Nearly half of the nations students will be of color by 2020 (Council for Exceptional Children 2002). Although the school and university curriculums remain Western-oriented, this growing number of people of color will increasingly demand to share power in curriculum decision making and in shaping a curriculum canon that reflects their experiences, histories, struggles, and victories. People of color, women, and other marginalized groups are demanding that their voices, visions, and perspectives be included in the curriculum. They ask that the debt Western civilization owes to Africa, Asia, and indigenous America be acknowledged (Grossman 1998). The advocates of the Afro centric curriculum, in sometimes passionate language that reflects a dream long deferred, are merely asking that the cultures of Africa and African-American people be legitimized in the curriculum and that the African contributions to European civilization be acknowledged. People of color and women are also demanding that the facts about their victimization be told, for truths sake, but also because they need to better understand their conditions so that they and others can work to reform society. The significance of culture in curriculum implementation is supported by Michaels (1981) study of differences in narrative styles used by African American children and their European-American teacher. In Michaels study, a European-American teacher did not make explicit the literate narrative style employed in school learning and, thus, African-American children did not acquire a prerequisite skill for reading acquisition. Narrative styles are culturally acquired. The narrative style employed in school is based on the European-American culture and does not need to be made explicit to most members of that culture. Schools and the curriculum are often portrayed as culturally neutral and, because the practice of schooling has become traditional, it is difficult to identify the specific aspects of culture that are present. A more specific example of teachers response to students cultural or ethnic background is found in a research study reported by Perry Gilmore (1985) in which African-American childrens access to advanced literacy is denied on the basis of their level of acculturation rather than acquisition of prerequisite skills. Creators of the standard curriculum as members, of the society, function in multiple settings (e. g. , systems) and, as a result, are socialized by many agents. Attitudes about what children should be taught and how they should be taught are shaped. Likewise, attitudes about social issues such as race and ethnicity are also influenced heavily by multiple systems-giving messages, sometimes conflicting messages, about the importance of these factors. Branch (1993) suggested that the ethnicity and race of the teachers/educators and learners figure prominently in the learning equation. He posits that the attribution of characteristics to learners influences how they perform in the classroom, perhaps as much as their abilities. Frequently, teachers view African-American childrens academic performance as a function of their race and ethnicity and the children themselves may develop limiting self-perceptions as a consequence of their interactions within the ecosystem. For example, Fordham and Ogbu (1986) reported that some African-American high school students perceive academic excellence as an instance of â€Å"acting White. † Background It was not easy, even in the heyday of nineteenth-century nationalism, to define what was meant by national identity. Nations were often based on some notion of unity, or of consanguinity, or of some shared culture, or appearance, or language. None of these seems to be either a necessary or a sufficient condition, however. The United States manages without consanguinity, for example—though it currently seems to see language as a defining issue, as can be seen in the moral panic about the possibility of non-English speakers forming a majority. The pedagogic will seek to produce structures and curricula that are designed to maintain national identity, particularly at moments when national authority might seem to be in question. Bernstein (1971) expressed part of this when he wrote that â€Å"how a society selects, classifies, distributes, transmits and evaluates the educational knowledge that it considers to be public reflects both the distribution of power and the principles of social control†. If existing power structures and distribution are to be maintained, knowledge, and the particular kinds of knowledge that constitute cultural capital, must be selected and transmitted to particular groups. Such cultural capital must be identified, protected and valued over other cultural phenomena. Authorities need to assert their identity and control, and, in the context of the arguments presented in this paper, they need national and cultural symbols to do this, and they need control over the way in which they are transmitted. Some of the unhappy facts of our condition are being disseminated through the media, but in spite of this we still suffer from serious misunderstandings about the nature of global problems. While we have all been told that there are environmental, economic, and political crises the greenhouse effect, species extinction, the hole in the ozone layer, the Third World debt, the instability of political institutions and have been informed that there are some causative agents such as carbon dioxide emissions, deforestation, poverty, and a dearth of the appropriate sustainable development, we clearly do not comprehend. We misunderstand precisely because an insistence on the facts alone constitutes that little bit of knowledge that is a dangerous thing. Western traditionalists and multiculturalists must realize that they are entering into debate from different power positions. Western traditionalists hold the balance of power, financial resources, and the top positions in the mass media, in schools, colleges and universities, government, and in the publishing industry (Duckworth 1996). Genuine discussion between the traditionalists and the multiculturalists can take place only when power is placed on the table, negotiated, and shared. However, multiculturalists must acknowledge that they do not want to eliminate Aristotle and Shakespeare, or Western civilization, from the school curriculum. To reject the West would be to reject important aspects of their own cultural heritages, experiences, and identities. The most important scholarly and literary works written by African-Americans, such as works by W. E. B. DuBois, Carter G. Woodson, and Zora Neale Hurston, are expressions of Western cultural experiences. African-American culture resulted from a blending of African cultural characteristics with those of African peoples in the United States (Wald 1996). Rather than excluding Western civilization from the curriculum, multiculturalists want a more truthful, complex, and diverse version of the West taught in the schools. They want the curriculum to describe the ways in which African, Asian, and indigenous American cultures have influenced and interacted with Western civilization (Combleth 1988). They also want schools to discuss not only the diversity and democratic ideals of Western civilization, but also its failures, tensions, dilemmas, and the struggles by various groups in Western societies to realize their dreams against great odds. The inclusion of African-American literature (a) clearly reveals the conflicts and contradictions of class, race, and gender bias in a democratic society, (b) puts students in touch with their own bias and that of their peers, and (c) helps students learn to challenge bias in themselves, their peers, and the larger society, and in the literature they read. The teachers personal commitment allows to overcome aspects of the school culture and resistance and racial conflict among students to reach a point of shared understanding and experience for students. The racial conflict clearly raises the issue of personal and group identity, however. Method Curriculum development is designed to reflect the course of study in schools. It is intended to present information to students in an organized manner through various instructional methods and strategies. Teachers must be cognizant of creative and innovative ways to individualize and maximize learning for pupils by providing practical learning activities. Designing curriculum involves two major methodologies (Grossman 1998). The first methodology is experimental instruction. Experimental instruction is designed to intrinsically motivate student interests inside and outside of the classroom. The second approach, systematic instruction, involves teacher/student interaction. The major purpose of systematic instruction is to develop a skill or concept and design materials and activities that enable students to achieve the selected objectives. Curriculum development in most school districts is concerned with developing academics in order to equip pupils to master the complex tasks presented by our society. This approach is valid for most pupils. However, due to poor social and interpersonal skills development of many minority and young African-American students, social skill development may be necessary before academic skills can be mastered. It is generally agreed by most professionals in the field of education that schools should be involved in teaching social and interpersonal skills. For example, social skills education and interpersonal skills development are ideal ways to teach responsibility for self and others and for exploring the meaning of human interaction and relationships. A social skills curriculum can also help students understand: (1) how to develop self-esteem along with their emotions and how their emotions affects others; (2) how to develop positive social relationships; (3) respect for others; (4) respect for rules and regulations; (5) ways to develop moral and character; (6) ways to examine ones values; (7) ways to make responsible choices; (8) their potential and worth as human beings; (9) How to develop a sense of responsibility toward others and ways of behaving appropriately in public places; (10) the role and duty of responsible citizens; and (11) how to develop effective communication skills. Curriculum strategies outlined in this text are designed to address the social skills and others as they relate specifically to African American students. Experimental, direct, and systematic curriculum methodologies were employed. The phenomenon of educating African-American students has been studied and investigated extensively, resulting in numerous educators advocating that these â€Å"special† students demonstrate inappropriate social skills/ behaviors inside as well as outside the classroom. Developing the appropriate social skills for successful interaction with peers and significant adults (teachers, parents) can be considered one of the most important accomplishments of childhood and early adolescence should be addressed as soon as possible. This is particularly true in the area of establishing and maintaining relations with peers and authority figures. Not only can social skills deficits have a negative impact on future interpersonal functioning, it may also affect current functioning, reducing the quality and quantity of the learning experiences to which students are exposed in their educational settings. Social skills have been defined as goal-oriented, rule-governed, situation-specific learned behaviors that vary according to social context. Social skills involving both observable and nonobservable cognitive and affective elements that help elicit positive or neutral responses and avoid negative responses from others. As such, social behavior constitutes an intricate interfactional process. As a result, the behavior of school-age children influences and is influenced by that of their partners (e. g. , teachers, mentors, tutors, and peers) within the interaction. Society expects that when children reach various developmental stages, they will demonstrate greater foresight and more controlled behaviors. Society also expects that children will be capable, not only of meeting increased demands within learning tasks, but also more complex, subtle social situations. Failure to meet these expectations may increase their sense of social alienation and helplessness. The curriculum presented here is designed to enable African American students to become socially contributing members of society by meeting expected standards. Strategies have been developed to assist educators in providing these students appropriate social skills training to enable them to operate successfully in the schools and society. Intervention techniques have been selected based upon research techniques to assist young Black students in controlling aggression, assuming responsibility, and becoming productive members of the group. The author highly endorses that proactive approach be employed when teaching social skills to African-American students. Since proactive instruction provides children with social intervention before negative behaviors occur, this approach is preferable to reactive teaching. Whereas proactive instruction teaches social skills before social rejection is experienced, reactive instruction waits for the individual to fail and then applies intervention strategies. Many African-American students have problems developing appropriate social skills due to the problems outlined throughout the text. Proactive instruction will prevent many of the negative consequences of inappropriate social skills, as well as improve the self-image of young African-American males. Recommended strategies for proactive instruction may assist the boys in: 1. dealing positively with accusations 2. accepting the feelings of others in a nonthreatening manner 3. respecting the feelings of others 4. avoiding fights and conflicts 5. dealing effectively with teasing 6. giving praise or compliments to others 7. accepting compliments from others 8. apologizing for inappropriate behavior 9. expressing anger in a positive way 10. showing affection and appreciation toward others 11. practicing self-control These instructional activities may be expanded or modified as needed. As indicated, African-American students must be taught appropriate social skills if they are going to be contributing members of society. The social skills outlined here should be infused throughout the curriculum and integrated as needed by the teacher. These strategies are seen as immediate, useful sources for teaching pro-social skills to African-American students. Additionally, the curriculum is based upon in-depth research and years of teaching and observing the social skills development of African-American students. Results The initial step in developing a social skills curriculum is to identify those general social behaviors that are critical to successful social functioning. These general social behaviors are then rewritten as general objectives, which provide the framework for constructing other components of the curriculum. The second stage is to sequence specific objectives as they relate to the general objectives. All specific objectives are designed to achieve the general objectives. Specific objectives are stated in behavioral and measurable terms. The third step is to identify activities and resources that can achieve the stated objectives. Activities should be functional and reflect real life experiences that African-American students are exposed to. As much as possible, parents should be involved in reinforcing the social skills taught. Parents may be used as resource individuals and may offer suggestions relative to material and activities. The fourth step is to include cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity into the curriculum. This approach affords young African-American males the opportunity to appreciate and understand their own self-worth and sense of importance and belonging as well as identify Blacks and other minorities who have made significant contributions in several fields. An additional benefit is that the young Black males can identify and associate with appropriate role models. A curriculum that does not highlight the contributions of Blacks and minorities gives an inaccurate and distorted view of the many significant contributions made by them. Multicultural activities and strategies enrich the curriculum by showing differences in cultural styles, patterns, and interests of diverse groups. Conclusions and Recommendations A social skills curriculum should be based upon those social skills needed to function successfully in ones society. Much of the research reviewed indicates that a significant number of y African American students have not mastered the social skills needed to function successfully in our society. A functional approach involves exposing the learner to real-life situations, concepts, and activities such as self-identity, acquiring self-concept, achieving socially acceptable behavior, bonding, respecting the rights of others, maintaining good interpersonal skills, achieving independence, employing problem-solving skills, taking turns, and communicating appropriately with others. It is language the exquisite use of symbols that makes us truly human, and I would like to see a core curriculum in which students study the origins of language not just parts of speech (Frisby 1993). I would also like to see students consider how symbol systems vary from one culture to another, how language can be shared, and perhaps all students should become familiar with a language other than their own, so they can step outside their own language skin to understand better the nature of communication. And surely a course of study on the centrality of language would include mathematics, which is a universal symbol system. All human beings respond to the aesthetic. This condition is found in all cultures on the planet, and students, in the new core curriculum, should study the universal language we call art. When Picasso confronts the unspeakable agonies of war, the dismembered child, the scream of a bereft mother, the shattered home, and puts them on a huge canvas called â€Å"Guernica,† he makes a universal statement about destruction that can be felt in the heart of every human being (Spears-Bunton 1990). I am suggesting that for the most intimate, most profound, most moving experiences, we need subtle symbols, and students should learn how different cultures express themselves through the universal language of the arts. Bibliography Bankee N. C. Obiakor F. E. (1992). â€Å"Educating the Black male: Renewed imperatives for Black and white communities. † Scholar and Educator: The Journal of the Society of Educators and Scholars, 15, 2:16-31. Bernstein, B. (1971). â€Å"On the Classification and Framing of Educational Knowledge†, in Young, M. F. D. (ed. ) Knowledge and Control: New Directions for the Sociology of Education, London: Collier-Macmillan. Bok, Derek. Higher Learning. Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1986. Branch C. (1993). â€Å"Ethnic identity as a variable in the learning equation. † In E. Hollins, J. King, W. Hayman (Eds. ), Teaching diverse populations. Albany: State University of New York Press. Combleth, Catherine. (1988). â€Å"Curriculum In and Out of Context,† Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 3:2, pp. 85-96. Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). (2002). Addressing over representation of African American students in special education: The prereferral intervention process An administrators guide. Washington, DC: National Alliance of Black Schools Educators. Davis, Allen J. (1988). â€Å"Education for Citizenship: The Role of Progressive Education and Interdisciplinary Studies,† Innovative Education 13, 1. Duckworth E. (1996). The having of wonderful ideas and other essays on teaching and learning. New York: Teachers College Press. Falvey, M. A. (Ed. ). (1995). Inclusive and heterogeneous schooling: Assessment, curriculum, and instruction. Baltimore: Brookes. Frisby C. (1993). â€Å"One giant step backward: Myths of Black cultural learning styles. † School Psychology; Review, 22(3), 535-557. Fu Charles Wei-hsun. (1988). On the Task of Constructive Modernization of Confucian Ethics and Morality, Taipei: Universitas (Philosophy and Culture) Monthly. Fordham S. Ogbu J. U. (1986). â€Å"Black students school success: Coping with the burden of acting white. † The Urban Review, 18(3), 176-205. Grossman, H. (1998). Ending discrimination in special education. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Hirsch E. D. , Jr. , (1993). â€Å"The core knowledge curriculum Whats behind its success? † Educational Leadership, 50, 23-30. Macdonald, James B. (1971). `Curriculum Development in Relation to Social and Intellectual Systems. In The curriculum: Retrospect and Prospect, part I, pp. 97-112. Seventeenth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 1971. Michaels S. (1981). â€Å"Sharing time: Childrens narrative styles and differential access to literacy. † Language in Society, 10, 423-442. Obiakor, F. E. (1994). The eight-step multicultural approach: Learning and teaching with a smile. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt. Obiakor, F. E. (1999). Beyond the steps: Multicultural study guide. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt. Obiakor, F. E. , Schwenn, J. O. (1996). Assessment of culturally diverse students with behavior disorders. In A. F. Rotatori, J. O. Schwenn, S. Burkhardt (Eds. ), â€Å"Advances in Special Education: Assessment and Psychopathology Issues in Special Education† (Vol. 10, pp. 37-57). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Spears-Bunton, Linda A. (1990). â€Å"Welcome to My House: African American and European American Students Responses to Virginia Hamiltons House of Dies Drear,† The Journal of Negro Education, 59:4, pp. 566-576. Wald, J. L. (1996). â€Å"Diversity in the special education training force. † NCPSE News, 1, l6.

Copolymerization of Styrene and a Cyclic Peptide

Copolymerization of Styrene and a Cyclic Peptide Putting peptides into the backbone chain of polyolefins: the radical copolymerization of styrene and a cyclic peptide containing the disulfide bond Anja C. Paulya, Daniel Rentschb and Fabio di Lena*a. Supporting Information ABSTRACT: For the first time, a vinyl monomer such as styrene has been radically copolymerized with a cyclic peptide containing the disulfide bond. A new class of bio-hybrids is obtained in which the amino acid sequence is statistically distributed within the polymer’s backbone chain. The structure of the copolymer has been confirmed by means of conventional as well as diffusion-edited 1H NMR, MALDI FT-ICR mass spectrometry, FT-IR spectroscopy, TGA, DSC, and a series of control experiments. With the aim to combine the advantageous properties of biological macromolecules such as, for example, the biological function, molecular recognition, and chirality, with the solution properties, processability, etc. of synthetic macromolecules, polymer chemists have started to develop the so-called bio-hybrid polymers. Bioconjugates are the most studied class of bio-hybrids.1 These are block copolymers in which a protein, polysaccharide or nucleotide is chemically linked to a synthetic polymer such as a polyolefin, polyether or polyester. In this type of structures, the constituent blocks maintain their individual properties, which make them, in many ways, similar to polymer mixtures. At odds with block copolymers, statistical copolymers do not exhibit the characteristics of polymer mixtures but behave like homogeneous materials with peculiar physical and chemical properties. Here we report the preparation of a new class of bio-hybrids in which, much like in statistical copolymers, an amino acid sequence is incorporated directly into the backbone chain of a polyolefin like polystyrene. The polymers are prepared by the radical ring-opening copolymerization2of a cyclic peptide containing the disulfide (S-S) bond and styrene. Cycles containing the S-S bond are known to undergo radical copolymerization with vinyl monomers such as methyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile and styrene.3 The driving force behind the research is our interest in finding new, simple and industrially friendly ways to turn commodity polymers into specialty polymers with high added value. To our knowledge, the only examples of polyolefins containing amino acids in the backbone chain have been prepared by Wagener and co-workers by means of acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET)4 polymerization of dienes containing a single amino acid residue conducted in the presence of a ruthenium carbene catalyst.5 The approach we describe here is metal-free, enables the incorporation of sequences of amino acids and employs radical polymerization, a process with which more than 50% of all the polymers produced worldwide are made. Scheme 1. Radical copolymerization of styrene with the cyclic tripeptide cCLC. Styrene and the cyclic peptide S1,S3-cyclo(L-cysteinyl-L-leucyl-L-cysteine), from now on referred to as cCLC (or CLC when ring-opened), were chosen as model monomers. They were reacted with a molar ratio of 94:6 in dimethyl sulfoxide Table 1. Polymerization conditions, yield, number average molecular weight, polydispersity index, degradation temperatures, glass transition temperatures and CLC content of the copolymers. Copolymer P1 P2 Styrene/cCLC/AIBNa) 94/6/5 molar ratio 94/6/2 molar ratio Yieldb) 40 % 43 % c) 2,500 5,400 PDIc) 1.79 1.64 Tdeg1 198 °C 215 °C Tdeg2 417 °C 419 °C Tg 66 °C 54 °C CLC contentd) 6 mol% mol% 1M in DMSO. After precipitation in water and dialysis in MeOH. Determination by SEC in THF on the basis of polystyrene calibration. Determination by comparison of the integrated peaks in the 1H-NMR spectra of the isopropyl unit in CLC and the phenyl unit in polystyrene. (DMSO) at 70  ºC for 12h with two different amounts of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) affording the copolymers P1 and P2 (Scheme 1, Table 1). The copolymers were purified by precipitation in water and dialysis in methanol so as to remove, among the other possible impurities, unreacted cCLC and/or cCLC-derived by-products. The overall yield was equal to 40% for P1 and 43% for P2. When analysed by means of size exclusion chromatography (SEC), the copolymer P1, obtained by using a higher amount of AIBN, resulted to have a number average molecular weight () of 2,500 and a polydispersity index (PDI) of 1.79. On the other hand, P2, synthesized by using a smaller amount of AIBN, turned out to have a higher molecular weight () and a comparable PDI of 1.64 (Table 1). The SEC traces of both copolymers are shown in the Supporting Information (Figure S1). The signals in the 1H NMR spectra of P1 (Figure S2) and P2 (Figure 1A) could be assigned to both styrene and CLC units. On the one hand, the peaks at 0.87 ppm and 1.10 ppm, visible also in 1H NMR spectrum of unreacted cCLC (Figure S3), could be assigned to the iso-propyl residue of CLC. On the other hand, the two groups of peaks at 1.54 and 1.92 ppm, and at 6.55 and 7.05 ppm correspond to the aliphatic and the aromatic protons of polystyrene, respectively. The remaining proton signals of CLC could be assigned with a lower degree of confidence due to the overlapping signals of solvent and/or polystyrene. By comparing the area underneath the peak at 0.87 ppm relative to the iso-propyl group of CLC with the area underneath the peak around 7 ppm relative to the phenyl ring of styrene, it was calculated that the peptide makes up 6 mol% of copolymer P1 and 9 mol% of P2. A different degree of co-monomer incorporation is not odd if one considers that the composition, like other properties of a polymer, is function of the chain length up to a critical value that depends on the specific system. It is then reasonable to assume that such critical value for had not been reached in the present case. The topic has been extensively investigated and the interested reader is referred to the literature for details.6 In the diffusion-edited mode, in which the 1H NMR spectra were recorded applying a flow-compensated double-stimulated-echo with a gradient strength up to 40%,7 a similar set of signals were found for the styrene and CLC units (Figure 1B and S2). By exploiting the fact that the translational diffusion in solution is size-dependent, the diffusion-edited NMR is able to discriminate between signals relative to low and high molecular weight species.8 Since only the solvent signals disappeared, the NMR data are a strong indication that the peptide is incorporated into polystyrene rather than forming a physical blend with it. It is worth noting that the diffusion-edited NMR is not quantitative and thus the molar composition of the copolymers could be determined only from the conventional 1H-NMR spectra. The analysis by MALDI FT-ICR mass spectrometry9 substantiates these conclusions. A mass distribution (Figure 2) that accurately matches that of monocharged polystyrene chains each containing one CLC moiety and AIBN-derived isobutyronitrile groups as both ÃŽ ± and ω-chain ends was indeed obtained. Figure 1. 1H-NMR spectra of the copolymer P2 (A), 1H-diffusion edited 1H-NMR spectra of the copolymer P2 with gradient strength of 40% (B) in THF-d8, and the corresponding chemical structure (C). The results of all the other analytical techniques used to characterize the copolymers are in line with what found above. In the FT-IR spectra, for example, signals belonging to both styrene and amino acid moieties could be detected (Figure 3), which are: (i) the bands at 1735 cm-1 (carboxylic group) and 1654 cm-1 (amide group) of CLC, which are also present in the FT-IR spectrum of unreacted cCLC; and (ii) the signals of the aromatic carbon-carbon bonds (1492 and 1452 cm-1) and carbon-proton bond of the phenyl rings (736 and 696 cm-1) of Figure 2. MALDI FT-ICR spectrum of the copolymer P2 in the positive mode (A), the magnification of the spectrum in the mass range 4600 – 5000 with the comparison of the theoretical and observed m/z (B), and the corresponding chemical structure (C). polystyrene. Furthermore, two distinct mass losses, one around 200  ºC and the other at 417  ºC, can be seen in the thermogravimetric (TGA) traces of the copolymers P1 and P2 (Table 1). By direct comparison with the TGA of the constituting materials, which show a mass loss at 208  °C for unreacted cCLC and one at 418  °C for pristine polystyrene, the two steps observed in the TGA of both copolymers could be assigned to the degradation of the CLC and styrene units, respectively (Figure S4). The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermogram of P1 displayed a glass transition occurring around 66  ºC, which is identical to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of a polystyrene of prepared in our lab (66  ºC). Therefore, the amount of CLC incorporated in the polymer turned out to be too low to produce a measurable effect on the glass transition. In contrast, the amount of CLC in the copolymer P2 turned out to be sufficient to produce a change in the glass transition temp erature, which was measured to be 54  ºC (Table 1). This is significantly lower than Tg of polystyrenes with (75  ºC) and (89  ºC) prepared in our lab. The DSC scans of the two copolymers P1 and P2 in comparison with polystyrenes with similar molecular weight are shown in Figure S5. The relatively high Tg of polystyrene is classically rationalized in terms of a reduced chain flexibility due to the bulky phenyl groups that hinder the rotation of the backbone’s carbon-carbon bonds. We surmise that CLC increases the chain flexibility by acting as a spacer between the styrene units, which results in the lowering of the glass transition temperature. It is worth noting that the Tg and the of (atactic) polystyrene are positively correlated up to , after which the Tg reaches a stationary value of ca. 108  ºC.10 Hence, the use of polymers with similar molecular weights is essential for comparing, meaningfully, the glass transition temperatures. In absence of cCLC, the polymerization of styrene under the same experimental conditions afforded polymers with in 76% yield and in 73% yield for the Figure 3. FT-IR spectra of the cyclic tripeptide cCLC, the copolymer P2 and Polystyrene. lower and higher amounts of AIBN, respectively. In both cases, the molecular weights and reaction yields for pristine polystyrene were higher than those of the relative copolymers. This is not surprising since disulfides are known to act as chain transfer agents in and to produce a certain retardation effect on radical polymerization.3 When the polymerization was repeated omitting the styrene from the reaction mixture, no polymer was obtained. Hence, cCLC, like other cyclic disulfides,2 does not homopolymerize in the presence of a radical initiator. This control experiment suggests that the peptide should not be blockily distributed along the polymer chain. Moreover, the possibility that the copolymer could be alternating is ruled out by the fact that the degree of peptide incorporation is well below 50 mol%. It is therefore reasonable to assume that both P1 and P2 are statistical copolymers of styrene and CLC. Peptides like cCLC are peculiar in that they bear unbound amine and carboxyl groups while being cyclic. This makes them and their copolymers either cationic or anionic or zwitterionic depending on the pH. Charge-bearing polymers are often reported as bioactive, e.g., hemostatic11 and/or antimicrobial12. Consequently, the class of materials here described might show bioactivity without containing intrinsically bioactive, amino acid sequences. Furthermore, apart from the specific functionalities, the peptide is likely to confer improved degradability on the polyolefin. Experiments in both directions are presently ongoing and will be the subject of another publication. In conclusion, we have shown that a peptide sequence can be incorporated into the backbone chain of a polyolefin via radical polymerization. Styrene and a cyclic tripeptide containing the disulfide bond were chosen as model monomers. Although cyclic disulfides are known to ring-open via the homolytic cleavage of the S-S bond in the presence of certain radicals, the result reported in this work is not trivial since the efficiency of such a reaction depends significantly on the disulfide used. Investigations are presently underway in order to explore the monomer scope, in terms of both the olefin and the peptide, the bioactivity and degradability of the copolymers, as well as the possibility to extend the process to reversible-deactivation radical polymerizations13 such as ATRP14. The preparation of a whole new range of functional and degradable materials is anticipated. ASSOCIATED CONTENT Supporting Information Detailed experimental procedures as well as spectroscopic, thermal and chromatographic data. This material is available free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org. REFERENCES 1.Lutz, J.-F.; Bà ¶rner, H. G., Modern trends in polymer bioconjugates design. Prog. Polym. Sci. 2008, 33 (1), 1-39. 2.Sanda, F.; Endo, T., Radical ring-opening polymerization. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 2001, 39, 265–276. 3.(a) Stockmayer, W. H.; Howard, R. O.; Clarke, J. T., Copolymerization of vinyl acetate with a cyclic disulfide. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1953, 75 (7), 1756-1757; (b) Tobolsky, A. V.; Baysal, B., The Reaction between styrene and ring disulfides: copolymerization effected by the chain transfer reaction. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1953, 75 (7), 1757-1757; (c) Suzuki, T.; Nambu, Y.; Endo, T., Radical copolymerization of lipoamide with vinyl monomers. Macromolecules 1990, 23, 1579-1582. 4.Baughman, T. W.; Wagener, K. B., Recent advances in ADMET polymerization. Adv. Polym. Sci. 2005, 176, 1-42. 5.Hopkins, T. E.; Pawlow, J. H.; Koren, D. L.; Deters, K. S.; Solivan, S. M.; Davis, J. A.; Gomez, F. J.; Wagener, K. B., Chiral polyolefins bearing amino acids. Macromolecules 2001, 34, 7920-7922. 6.(a) Mirabella Jr, F. M.; Barrall Ii, E. M.; Jordan, E. F., Jr.; Johnson, J. F., Copolymer composition as a function of molecular weight and the effect of conversion on this relationship. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 1976, 20 (3), 581-589; (b) Mirabella Jr, F. M.; Barrall Ii, E. M., Determination of copolymer composition as a function of molecular weight by preparative gel permeation chromatography and comparison to the rapid stop-and-go gpc/ir method. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 1976, 20 (4), 959-965; (c) Mirabella Jr, F. M., Monte Carlo simulation of copolymerization and compositional inhomogeneity of copolymers: comparison to experimental data. Polymer 1977, 18 (7), 705-711. 7.Jerschow, A.; Mà ¼ller, N., Suppression of convection artifacts in stimulated-echo diffusion experiments. Double-stimulated-echo experiments. J. Magn. Reson. 1997, 125 (2), 372-375. 8.(a) Chen, A.; Wu, D.; Johnson, C. S., Determination of Molecular Weight Distributions for Polymers by Diffusion-Ordered NMR. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117 (30), 7965-7970; (b) Lucas, L. H.; Larive, C. K., Measuring ligand-protein binding using NMR diffusion experiments. Concept. Magn. Reson. A 2004, 20A (1), 24-41. 9.Zhang, L.-K.; Rempel, D.; Pramanik, B. N.; Gross, M. L., Accurate mass measurements by Fourier transform mass spectrometry. Mass Spec. Rev. 2005, 24 (2), 286-309. 10.Claudy, P.; Là ©toffà ©, J. M.; Camberlain, Y.; Pascault, J. P., Glass transition of polystyrene versus molecular weight. Polym. Bull. 1983, 9 (4-5), 208-215. 11.di Lena, F., Hemostatic polymers: The concept, state of the art and perspectives. J. Mater. Chem. B 2014, 2 (23), 3567-3577. 12.Muà ±oz-Bonilla, A.; Fernà ¡ndez-Garcà ­a, M., Polymeric materials with antimicrobial activity. Prog. Polym. Sci. 2012, 37 (2), 281-339. 13.Shipp, D. A., Reversible-Deactivation Radical Polymerizations. Polym. Rev. 2011, 51 (2), 99-103. 14.Matyjaszewski, K.; Tsarevsky, N. V., Macromolecular engineering by atom transfer radical polymerization. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136 (18), 6513-6533. ToC 1

Phen/Fen :: Drugs Weight Loss Obesity Health Essays

Phen/Fen What is Phen/Fen and How Does it Work? Phen/fen is a popular drug treatment for obesity and binge eating disorders. Two medications named phentermine (phen) and fenfluramine (fen) are taken together in order to work in a balanced fashion on two of the body's neurotransmitters. Phentermine blocks the absorption of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopomine is a stimulant that raises the body's temperature and increases metabolic rate. The effect of this blockage is a decreased appetite and an increase in metabolic rate (http://www.ulink.net/-dtison/). Fenfluramine works on the nuerotransmitter called serotonin. Increased levels of serotonin make someone feel calm and full. Fenfluramine increases the levels of serotonin available for the body to use which tricks the body into feeling fuller and decreasing one's appetite. 'The strength of the fen/phen protocol is that it permits regulation of each nuerotransmitter independently. Were there to be an insuff iciency of dopomine, the phentermine (phen) dose can be increased; a n excess of serotonin, the fenfluramine (fen) dose is tapered' (http://www.fenphen.com/philosophy.html). Phen/fen regulates the body's natural chemistry and keeps it in balance. By doing so, 'it eliminates psychological cravings for food, cuts down excessive hunger, and reduces depression-related ailments that result in eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia" (http://www.fenphen.com/hope.html). The internet contains hundreds of web sites full of information on phen/fen along with advertisements for the treatment. But, it should be understood that "they are not 'fat pills,' as has been mentioned in some of the news media; they do not absorb fat or block fat from entering the system. They do not alter one's genetic make-up, which can be a contributing cause of obesity' (http://kingsfans.com/wein.htm) Who Qualifies for Treatment? Phen/fen treatments are meant for people who have a BMI (body mass index) of 28 or higher or are at least 20% over their ideal body weight (Anonymous, 1996). However, cases have been documented where people have been given the treatment who did not fit that criteria. For example, Teagan Clive (1997) reported in Joe Weider's Muscle and Fitness that she received the treatment although she was only 8% over her ideal body weight. The bottom line is that these companies are selling a product to make money, and they are not too concerned with people's health. To see if you qualify for treatment, check out the Medical Weight Management web site (http://www.phenfen.com). The site has a place to fill in your measurements so that you can calculate your body mass index and find out if you can sign up. Phen/Fen :: Drugs Weight Loss Obesity Health Essays Phen/Fen What is Phen/Fen and How Does it Work? Phen/fen is a popular drug treatment for obesity and binge eating disorders. Two medications named phentermine (phen) and fenfluramine (fen) are taken together in order to work in a balanced fashion on two of the body's neurotransmitters. Phentermine blocks the absorption of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopomine is a stimulant that raises the body's temperature and increases metabolic rate. The effect of this blockage is a decreased appetite and an increase in metabolic rate (http://www.ulink.net/-dtison/). Fenfluramine works on the nuerotransmitter called serotonin. Increased levels of serotonin make someone feel calm and full. Fenfluramine increases the levels of serotonin available for the body to use which tricks the body into feeling fuller and decreasing one's appetite. 'The strength of the fen/phen protocol is that it permits regulation of each nuerotransmitter independently. Were there to be an insuff iciency of dopomine, the phentermine (phen) dose can be increased; a n excess of serotonin, the fenfluramine (fen) dose is tapered' (http://www.fenphen.com/philosophy.html). Phen/fen regulates the body's natural chemistry and keeps it in balance. By doing so, 'it eliminates psychological cravings for food, cuts down excessive hunger, and reduces depression-related ailments that result in eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia" (http://www.fenphen.com/hope.html). The internet contains hundreds of web sites full of information on phen/fen along with advertisements for the treatment. But, it should be understood that "they are not 'fat pills,' as has been mentioned in some of the news media; they do not absorb fat or block fat from entering the system. They do not alter one's genetic make-up, which can be a contributing cause of obesity' (http://kingsfans.com/wein.htm) Who Qualifies for Treatment? Phen/fen treatments are meant for people who have a BMI (body mass index) of 28 or higher or are at least 20% over their ideal body weight (Anonymous, 1996). However, cases have been documented where people have been given the treatment who did not fit that criteria. For example, Teagan Clive (1997) reported in Joe Weider's Muscle and Fitness that she received the treatment although she was only 8% over her ideal body weight. The bottom line is that these companies are selling a product to make money, and they are not too concerned with people's health. To see if you qualify for treatment, check out the Medical Weight Management web site (http://www.phenfen.com). The site has a place to fill in your measurements so that you can calculate your body mass index and find out if you can sign up.

Learning Strategies Essay -- Education Educating Studying Essays

Learning Strategies The new year begins and Learning Strategies is on your schedule. Truly, you are probably not knowing what to expect and you think that this class is not for you. Boy, are you wrong. This class will save you plenty of time, so you better listen closely. At the end, you will leave the class wondering why no one ever showed me this. So listen up! The three most useful things that I learned in this class are: my learning style, how to take notes when reading a textbook, and how to be a more successful student at college. If you know your learning style, college will be easier. â€Å"If you discover how you process information best, you can learn things both more efficiently and in less time† (Hopper, Practicing College Study Skills, 139). This course allowed me to discover the best method for me to learn, and I got to explore the way others learned. For example, there is a test to see how you learn best. A person prefers to use their dominant left brain, right brain, or both, a person may learn best by seeing (visual), hearing (auditory), or doing (kinesthetic), and this person may like to study alone or in a group. I will give you an idea and characteristics of each: on the dominant left brain, the person is logical, make lists, and like to check things off, right brain, the person is creative, and interprets information visually, both sides of the brain equally is a combination of dominant left and right brain characteristics, a visual learning likes to see things written down, time lines, o r graphs, an auditory learner learns best by hearing, a tape recorder is a good way to learn, a kinesthetic person learns best by hands on and interaction, a person that study wells all should make sure they know the conc... ...tics won’t work, than all I have to say is you must them and prove me wrong. In the College Study Skills course I learned a whole lot more than these three things. I learned how to make a master schedule, how to transfer information from short-term to long-term memory, how to make a goal, and what is in the library at M.T.S.U. So this class is very beneficial. It is not another boring class that you’ll want to skip. This class will guide you and take you through a journey of how to become a better student. It will allow you to discover how you learn and will teach you how to save time. Now, you know what to expect in this class. The semester will end before you know it, and at the end you will see how much you actually learned. Works Cited Hopper, Carolyn. Practicing College Study Skills. Second Edition, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.

The Poems of Richard Wilbur :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Poems of Richard Wilbur Richard Wilbur's New and Collected Poems is full of poems that cover a huge multitude of subjects. The four poems this assignment covers represent that variety, with the topics including love, juggling, grace and music. Wilbur's poems take experiences and ideas (even a juggler) and through his mastery of the English language force the reader to take another look at what his preconceptions are. His poems allow for many different interpretations, and this paper will take a different angle to some of his works. "Love Calls Us to the Things of This World" sets up, in the first stanza, the feeling that something otherworldly is going to be in the picture. "The morning air is all awash with angels" brings in the image (or concept) of heaven, which Wilbur refers to again later in the poem. In the 2nd stanza, again the concept of not-of-this-world is brought into play with the mention of the halcyon, which is a mythical bird. One literary device that Wilbur seems to draw upon heavily in this poem is the use of oxymorons, contradictory terms together. The angels are rising together in "calm swells." When I think of swells, calm is not necessarily the word that comes to mind. He also states that the angels are "flying in place...moving/ And staying like white water." Flying implies movement, so "flying in place" is not a phrase that is commonly heard. Later in the poem he uses the term bitter love, and while I understand that this concept does in fact exist, it is still two words which are somewha t contradictory. In the last stanza he mentions the "heaviest nuns" trying hard to keep their "difficult balance." This reminded me of that concept of funambilism that we discussed in class. This work seems to utilize the idea of balance (indirectly) in many aspects. The use of the contradictory terms that I discussed earlier could be thought of as balancing each other out. This poem overall was very well put together, with sentences that caught your attention, and my favorite sentence was "The soul shrinks/ From all that it is about to remember." "Juggler" was probably the most elegant of the poems that were assigned. The other two discussed the concepts of love and grace, but "Juggler" made juggling a very beautiful act. I must state that the fact that I'm able to juggle probably had some influence on my understanding of this poem.

Stakeholders in Tesco and College

a) For each of your chosen organizations describe 5 different stakeholders they have.List StakeholderTesco DescribeList StakeholderGrwp Llandrillo Menai StakeholderCustomersTheir main interests in the business are reliable quality, value for money, product availability, and customer service. They want to experience the best possible service and products which are good value for money.GovernmentTheir main interests in the business are that it operates legally, tax receipts and jobs. They want to make sure the business is offering jobs.SuppliersTheir main interests in the business long term contracts and prompt payments. They want prompt payments from the business.CommunityTheir main interests in the business are the environment, local jobs and local impact. They want to make sure that the business does not impact the environment negatively and that they are producing local jobs.EmployeesTheir main interests in the business are their salary and wages, job security, job satisfaction and motivation from the business. They want to make sure they are secure within their job, enjoying it and also getting paid the right amount.SuppliersTheir main interests in the business long term contracts and prompt payments. They want prompt payments from the business.ManagersTheir main interest in the business is their salary, share options, personal job satisfaction and their status. They want to work their way up in the business.EmployeesTheir main interests in the business are their salary and wages, job security, job satisfaction and motivation from the business. They want to make sure they are secure within their job, enjoying it and also getting paid the right amount.ShareholdersTheir main interests in the business are profit growth, share price growth and dividends. They want a good return on their investments from the business.ManagersTheir main interest in the business is their salary, share options, personal job satisfaction and their status. They want to work their way up in the business.b) You need to explain the points of view of different stakeholders seeking to influence the aims and objectives of two contrasting organisations.Tesco StakeholderThe company’s aim and or objective this stakeholder has influence on or may attempt to influence What is the point of view of the stakeholder, what would they want and why would they want it? How can they influence the company?CustomersThe customer’s aims are to get the best quality products for minimum prices. The customers want a good quality service and products that are good for money. They want this because they want a satisfying shopping experience and not feel that they have to complain. The customers can influence the company Revenue / repeat business Word of mouth recommendationSuppliersThe suppliers aim is to sell their produce to a large organisation and a long term contract. The suppliers want a long term contract with Tesco and prompt payments. They want this so Tesco cannot sw itch suppliers in short notice. The suppliers can influence the businesses pricing, product quality and the availability of the product.EmployeesAn employee’s aim to provide good customer service.The employees want to make sure they are secure within their job, enjoying it and also getting paid the right amount. They want this so they have job satisfaction. The employees can influences the businesses staff turnover and the quality of the service.ManagersThe manager’s aim within the business is to ensure all the customers are fully satisfied and that the employees are working efficiently and providing good customer service. The managers want a good salary, personal job satisfaction and to work their way up in the business. They want this so they have personal job satisfaction. The managers can influence the business by making important decisions and by having detailed information about the business.ShareholdersThe shareholders aim within a business to own as many shares and have good returns. The shareholders want a good return on their investments from the business. They want this so they aren’t left short of money. The shareholders can influence the company as they can elect directors.Grwp Llandrillo Menai StakeholderThe company’s aim and or objective this stakeholder has influence on or may attempt to influence What is the point of view of the stakeholder, what would they want and why would they want it? How can they influence the company?CommunityThe communities aim is to ensure the company is successful and this could also bring jobs to the local community. The community’s influence within the business.could be that they could make some suggestions to change the structure of the business. The community want to make sure that the business does not impact the environment negatively and that they are producing local jobs. They want this so that the business does not impact the community negatively. The community can influenc e the business indirectly by local planning and opinion leaders.GovernmentThe government’s aim is to improve the welfare of the country's population. The government wants the business to be offering jobs to the local community and to be operating legally. They want this so that the college is boosting the economy now and in the future. The government can influence the company by introducing rules and regulations, subsidies, taxation and planning permission.SuppliersThe suppliers aim is to sell their produce to a large organisation and a long term contract. The suppliers want a long term contract and prompt payments. They want this because they don’t want the business to switch suppliers with no notice. The suppliers can influence the businesses pricing, product quality and the availability of the product.EmployeesAn employee’s aim to provide good customer service.The employees want to make sure they are secure within their job, enjoying it and also getting paid the right amount. They want this so they have job satisfaction and are happy at work. The employees can influences the businesses staff turnover and the quality of the service.ManagersThe manager’s aim within the business is to ensure all the customers are fully satisfied and that the employees are working efficiently and providing good customer service. The managers want a good salary, personal job satisfaction and to work their way up in the business. They want this so they have personal job satisfaction. The managers can influence the business by making important decisions and by having detailed information about the business.

Buddhist protestant

At first glance, the Protestant and Buddhist religions do not appear to have much in common. However, some of the rituals observed in one have parallel rituals observed in the other. At the structural level, there are more comparisons than contrasts to be made. If the view is expanded to include the followers of each religion, however, many more contrasts than comparisons can be observed. It is the people, the Protestants and the Buddhists, that make the religions different, due to teachings that cannot necessarily be observed.The customs of each religion will be detailed, and the similarities and differences made clear, in the essay that follows. This particular Sunday morning Protestant service begins at nine o’ clock, though the schedule is far from rigid. Members of the congregation are milling happily about, most wearing smiles that are wide and bright. Some of them spot me as a newcomer as soon as I step through the doorway, and they rush to shake my hand and introduce t hemselves. (One of these is Tobias Scouten, who agrees to be interviewed for this essay.) Protestants in this particular church, and this may be the same everywhere, are always welcoming new members. This is evidenced almost immediately after the service begins. The room, which Scouten calls â€Å"the sanctuary,† is dimly lit, except for the stage. Three spotlights illuminate the entire stage. There are candles burning on either side, but the dominant aromas are carpet cleaner and the various mingled odors of the people filling the room. After a few songs, which are sung with great enthusiasm by the entire congregation, the preacher takes the stage.His smile is perhaps brightest of all, and he makes a point of welcoming any visitors who might be in the audience. (There are no pews in this sanctuary; the worshippers are seated in cushioned chairs, which are arranged in long rows. ) He then offers up the microphone to anyone who has a â€Å"testimony† to share. Testimoni es, in this context, means a story in which congregation members spread the letter or the spirit of the message. Examples shared this morning include a few bags of groceries purchased for a needy family, an invitation extended to a despairing nonbeliever, and a night spent in prayer over a friend’s sick father.The congregation encourages these stories with calls of â€Å"Amen† and â€Å"Praise Jesus. † In this way, individual church members are rewarded, if with nothing more than the acclaim of their peers, for helping the Protestant faith as a whole to grow. The testimonies are followed by a musical performance. A young man and a young woman take the stage, the former holding a cordless microphone and the latter wearing an acoustic guitar. While they sing, the congregation sits back and listens, though a few scattered â€Å"Amen† calls can be heard at crucial moments in the lyrics. When the pastor returns to the stage, he reads from the Bible.He pauses d uring this reading to clarify certain points, bringing the ancient writing into more current context. After the reading, he relates an family anecdote, which in the end returns to the theme (this week, the church is focusing on â€Å"forgiveness†) discussed in the Bible passage. This is the only time during the service that everyone in the audience is quiet. All eyes are on the pastor as he walks up and down the stage, speaking through a headset microphone. His pacing is matched to the tone of his voice; when his volume increases, so does the length of his stride.Upon speaking the final words of his sermon, he allows full silence to descend on the congregation for a full five seconds before requesting everyone bow their heads in prayer. There is another song, again sung by the entire congregation, and the service comes to a close. No one appears to be in much of a hurry to leave the sanctuary. Many of the worshippers turn to each other and recommence the mingling in which the y had been indulging before the service began. At this point, Tobias Scouten escorts me out of the sanctuary and into what he terms â€Å"the fellowship hall† for coffee and cookies.We seat ourselves at one of the many tables, and he fills in the blanks for me. The information Mr. Scouten provides will be put to use when the Protestant practice is compared with the Buddhist practice, following the explanation of the latter. A small group of people, â€Å"fifty or so, on a good day,† according to Abbot Bai Tue, comes together at nine o’ clock on Saturday mornings for an English-language Zen service. The temple is a modest building, which consists of one large meeting room—called the â€Å"Zendo†Ã¢â‚¬â€and a few smaller rooms.Among these lesser chambers, the Abbot has an office, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. Upon entering the building, it is required that I remove my shoes. In a coatroom just inside the front door, every pair of shoes is stowed in a separate cubby. Not many of the cubbies are used, either because the temple does not attract a large group of regulars or because more people choose to attend the Sunday morning Japanese-language service. As it is, I am joined with less than twenty people in the temple. These people are dressed casually, in comfortable clothes, to make seated meditation more peaceful.As I will be told later, it is requested that people wear clothes that will not make much noise when the wearer moves, as this might be distracting during the meditation period. The dominant aroma here is one of incense, though the exact scent is unknown. Behind where the Abbot sits, a display consisting of a small Boddhisatva statue, a cup of incense sticks, and several burning sticks which are poking out of the base of the statue. The Zendo itself looks to be all natural wood, without much—if any—paint on the walls or ceiling.As the Abbot will tell me later, the sight of natural wood calms those who co me to the temple to meditate; it â€Å"allows them to feel surrounded by nature,† even while they are inside the building. No one says a word while they set up for the service. Cushions are retrieved from a closet off the main room for everyone to sit on, for there are no chairs. â€Å"Silence,† the Abbot will tell me, â€Å"is required in the Zendo. † The temple’s attendance might be small, but this matters little to those who do come regularly. They do not come to meet with the other members of the â€Å"Sangha†Ã¢â‚¬â€meaning the group—they come to experience something within themselves.The service begins with the ringing of a smell bell and a chanting ritual, alternating between the Abbot and the Sangha. The nature of this chanting is the offering up of the mind and the prostration of the body to something higher. This higher ideal is not a being, but rather a state of being: enlightenment. It is a myth that Buddhists worship Buddha. The y look to him as a leader, more of an example than a personification of judgment and the resulting punishment or reward. Following the chants, there is a type of sermon made by the Abbot, though the Sangha are encouraged to â€Å"turn inward† while listening.The words are not to be taken at face value, but to be seen as portals beyond which greater meaning can be found. The Sangha meditates during this time, and after a short period the Abbot falls silent. Within the Zendo, not a sound can be heard. The remote location of the temple becomes a notable positive at this point, as the only noise from outside is the rather soothing rush of the wind in the trees. The meditation lasts almost an hour and a half, after which Abbot Bai Tue invites anyone with questions related to the temple in particular or the Buddhist practice in general to stay and talk.Though I am not the only person to remain once the meditation is over, it quickly becomes clear that I am the only visitor to the t emple this morning. The Abbot is more than willing to provide answers for me, though he does not lead me in my interview at all. Even now, the search is a personal one. He speaks only when a question is posed, and his responses are concise and to-the-point. As stated in the introduction, the comparisons to be made between the religions are mostly structural. Both Protestants and Buddhists come together to practice.They begin with acts of participation, with songs in the Protestant church and chants in the Buddhist temple. Then a leader takes control of the service and gives the congregation or the Sangha what they cannot receive anywhere else. But even in these similarities, there are intrinsic differences. Mr. Scouten tells me he sings in order to show his â€Å"gratitude and love for the Lord. † According to Abbot Bai Tue, the chants have a different purpose; they â€Å"prepare the mind for meditation. † It would seem that the Protestant songs are sung for God, while the Buddhist chants are done for personal preparations.When the sermon begins, the Protestants are listening closely to each word spoken, and vocal responses are encouraged. In the Buddhist temple, the sermon is meant only to set the stage, and such responses are discouraged. These differences point to a fundamental contrast between the two religions. The Protestant faith is founded on the concept of propagation, and the practitioners of the faith take great pride in aiding that propagation. Diametrically, the Buddhist faith is about looking inward and finding peace within oneself. Bibliography Scouten, Tobias. Personal Interview. 18 February 2007. Tue, Bai. Personal Interview. 24 February 2007.