Safety with Armed Guards Patrolling School

Safety with Armed Guards Patrolling School Introduction: There is lots of schools that do not have as much security to protect students and teachers from violence.Having guards on school campus do help but what if the school was on a lockdown because of a shooting on campus. What is the guard going to do? Go up to him like nothing? No. What we need are armed guards. Armed guards will be able to stop the shooting and save peoples lives. Prevention and mitigation. Graves has used U.S. Justice Department grants for classroom door locks that can be secured from inside, plus video cameras and electronic locks for outer entrances. There are a lot of wonderful fire prevention approaches, Graves notes. Wouldnt it be great if we could have the same consideration given to other kinds of threats? Preparedness. Because 95 percent of emergency situations requiring lockdowns happen outside of school buildings, Lincoln County schools have two kinds of lockdown. A partial lockdown occurs when you bring everybody inside and instruction continues. Does your school have a plan for getting students back indoors quickly? Graves asks. We call it reverse evacuation. And you have to announce it because there are almost always some kids outside. A complete lockdown is what happened in Newtown, with school employees working quickly to make sure children were tucked out of sight. Response. During spring break, Lincoln County schools invite police officers onto each school campus for active shooter training, during which they learn the layouts of buildings and practice stopping an assault. Its a useful exercise that, luckily for Lincoln County, has never been tested. Recovery. During this period, the entire school community steps in to provide support. Graves experienced this phase firsthand when she was invited to Newtown after the tragedy there. She visited memorials, hugged people, cried with them and listened as one local man told her that even the shooter was one of ours and we failed him. Schools are still by far the safest places in America. But the events in Newtown have swayed public opinion in ways that earlier shootings did not, and the AFT stands with President Obama, who said in his second inaugural address that our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm. Knowing that our schools will never be safe as long as it remains easy for criminals or the mentally ill to acquire guns. AFT president Randi Weingarten, at the White House in January, commended President Obama and Vice President Biden for their proposals to reduce gun violence and promote safety, including: Banning sales of large ammunition clips; Expanding background checks and cracking down on those who lie on background check Stopping illegal gun trafficking; Banning assault weapons; Enforcing gun laws and investing in research on stopping gun violence; and Investing in mental health services. The first solution, fortifying schools, is unlikely to be effective not simply because it is costly; a determined shooter could surveil and disarm the guards or defeat the metal detectors or other devices. Limiting media coverage might be more effective. At the moment, media coverage of these tragedies is so relentless and invasive that it effectively glorifies the shooter. If the media refused to provide such coverage, or if it were prohibited from doing so, a potential shooter might be discouraged from committing mass murder/suicide because he would realize that he will not get the postmortem fame he craves. The difficulty would be in crafting a law that accomplishes this aim while not unduly infringing on the freedom of the press. The third possibility, repealing the gun-free zone laws, shows the most promise in deterring these horrible crimes, because potential shooters would not know who else might be carrying a gun. The most common objections to allowing licensed adults to carry firearms in schools is the fear that unless such a person is as highly trained as a policeman, he is likely to shoot indiscriminately at the shooter or over childrens heads, and cause even more terror than the original shooter has provoked. Body Paragraph 3: This objection shows both a lack of an ability to prioritize and a lack of understanding of how widespread responsible gun ownership is in the United States. While state laws differ about what constitutes adequate training, the vast majority of those who are licensed to carry do so responsibly. In considering the possibility of allowing concealed carry on our law school campus, one of my colleagues stated that she would never trust her safety to Professor X, an older professor widely known for his staunch support of the Second Amendment and other conservative causes. But if (God forbid) a disgruntled former law student entered the faculty suite hoping to shoot as many faculty members as possible, I would much rather trust to the ability of Professor X (or any other professor or student or even my own skill) to shoot him and not me than on my ability to run, hide in my locked office, or try to tackle the shooter. ost mass shooters are young men or occasionally womenusually teenswho are emotionally unstable and want to exact revenge on society for some harm that they have suffered commit suicide in a blaze of gunfire, and get national media attention for their last act. Their desire to commit suicide indicates that though such shooters may be deranged, they are cognizant of the likely consequences of their acts and are acting accordingly by choosing suicide. Three possible ways of doing this are to: fortify schools with Armed guards and metal detectors as in airports, limit media coverage of mass shootings so that potential shooters recognize that they wont become famous postmortem, or eliminate the gun-free zones and allow licensed parents, teachers, administrators, and adult students to carry their guns into school. Body Paragraph 4: Senetence 1: The first solution, fortifying schools, is unlikely to be effective not simply because it is costly a determined shooter could surveil and disarm the guards or defeat the metal detectors or other devices. Limiting media coverage might be more effective. At the moment, media coverage of these tragedies is so relentless and invasive that it effectively glorifies the shooter. If the media refused to provide such coverage, or if it were prohibited from doing so, a potential shooter might be discouraged from committing mass murder/suicide because he would realize that he will not get the post mortem fame he craves. The difficulty would be in crafting a law that accomplishes this aim while not unduly infringing on the freedom of the press. The third possibility, repealing the gun-free zone laws, shows the most promise in deterring these horrible crimes, because potential shooters would not know who else might be carrying a gun. Conclusion: It cannot be overemphasized that concealed carry has reduced violent crime every time it has been passed and is therefore most likely to reduce the incidence of mass shootings in schools. This could help save Students and teachers lives. Source Citation  (MLA 8th Edition) Nedzel, Nadia E. Concealed carry: the only way to discourage mass school shootings. Academic Questions, vol. 27, no. 4, 2014, p. 429+. Educators Reference Complete, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=PROFsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CA393875930it=rasid=60ebd55450302f2b54a3e4146bed4a53. Accessed 17 Feb. 2017.

The Nile Egyptian Schools

The Nile Egyptian Schools I have accepted a new position in a new school. The school is new in everything; new school campus, new staff and team, new students, and last but not least a new system. The later is what concerns me; it also interests me and is what I find challenging. I believe it is a great idea and deeply hope it works. It is important to remember that starting an assessment of a program should not wait until the school starts. An evaluation plan should be part of the planning of the initiation of the school, and should be implemented when the teaching begins and even before once the students are accepted. And so, documentation starts from the beginning, and baseline data on students, teachers, and administration personnel can be collected before instruction begins (Fleischman Williams, 1996). The Nile Egyptian Schools Mission states that: NES will provide quality affordable education that is locally and internationally recognized and accredited. The Schools will be recognized for excellence in teaching and learning characterized by quality facilities, strong effective leadership, outstanding teachers and excellent community support. NES will prepare students for academic success and encourage them to be responsible and productive citizens with a strong Egyptian identity. The vision of the school: The Nile Egyptian Schools will provide Egypt with world class citizens who can serve globally as ambassadors of excellence and help position Egypt as a vibrant nation keen on achieving progress, prosperity and well-being for its citizens and the world community. The schools website also shows the aims and values of the school; The NES aim to meet International education standards in terms of recognized curricula, certified teachers, qualified administrative staff and school buildings constructed and equipped to contemporary international standards. These not-for-profit schools will provide high education at affordable fees in partnership with civil society. The curriculum has been designed to meet the needs of the individual learners in the twenty first century, whilst taking account of the aim and objectives of NES project and of Egyptian standards. The system is based on the principles of humanism, tolerance, diversity, democracy, and open-mindedness. The Nile schools are going to be twenty-nine schools; for now, only five will open. The plan is to open one school in every governorate; which would entail a great diversity in the students and in the cultures of each school. The students profiles are going to be extremely diverse, from Upper Egypt in Aswan to Alexandria and Port Said. As such the students will have the same curriculum, same facilities but different teachers and different backgrounds. My students at El-Obour branch will be assessed and compared to other students in the other schools. I find this challenging and needs to be put in consideration when I am evaluating the course and its outcomes. Reflecting on the mission and vision of the schools, and on my new role as the head of the science department in a new school it came to mind that I would need different tools to help me evaluate the teachers in the department, their teaching methods, their ability to interact and handle the students. As such is the case I am attempting to research and probably find or design a tool that would help me achieve my goal. I chose to adopt this framework and tried to adapt it to my needs. This framework, presented here includes both the process and outcome side. It also, focuses on the students and their individuality. Accordingly, I would be able to determine the effectiveness of the science program execution, also understand how the curriculum and teaching process produced this result and how the program could be upgraded to produce a better result more efficiently. To reach the goal of assessing the program and evaluating the outcome, there are three components that should be addressed. Data should be collected and used from these perspectives.  · Students;  · Instruction; and  · Outcomes. Each one is described below. Students This part of the evaluation tool should focus on the students information including, for example, grade level, age, the culture where they are in is it urban or rural (according to the location of the school), socio-economic background (e.g. parents education), skills, grades and test scores from previous schools and all through the year. This data has a great descriptive value; it is also useful for comparisons between other students in the same school or in the other school branches. All the Nile Egyptian schools are providing the same services to all students, but students backgrounds and cultures are going to differ according to the school location. For this I would use these two sheets one general and one specific for each student. This data could be collected once at the beginning of the year and updated if needed. It could be distributed to the parents and filled to save time. I would need this information when reviewing the collective data; it will be also useful when comparing with other schools. The general sheet: Questions How many students are in the same grade in my school (El-Obour)? Number of students taking science in each grade. How many students are in the same grade in all NESs? Number of students taking science in each grade. How many students are in the class to be observed class? Number of students in class. What is the students level in language and science? Scores on achievement tests from previous schools. What is the students basic scientific knowledge before? Scores on a pre-test related to curriculum being evaluated; i.e. an MCQ test to be given on the first or second class session. Second sheet (for individual students): Name Grade Age/ Gender Grade from previous school Comments Instruction (teaching and teaching materials) I think this part is the very essence of my job. I will eventually be leading a team of science teachers asked to deliver the curriculum by the means and the facilities available. According to the school profile, state of the art facilities that are highly technological and laboratory equipment would be available. Through monitoring and observing using an assessment tool I would be able to evaluate the process by which the outcomes or results were achieved and by what is actually taking place in the classroom, rather than what was planned to happen. This would allow us to work on the weaknesses and share the strengths with the other branches. As such I believe my role as a monitor of the science program, whether in the classroom, the laboratory or elsewhere, like field trips inside and outside the school is my number one task. To observe how the program is implemented, and develop teacher training activities that would help them. I would have to include instructional measurable objectives, hours of teaching, teacher characteristic, experience, and innovation in my assessment tool. Being the instructional leader would entail not only observations and evaluations but also building rapport with the teachers and meeting with them before and after class observations, and on regular basis to share ideas and experiences. I would like it too, if the teachers on my team would attend some of my classes; it is good for my professional development, it would also enhance the sense of team collegiality. Pre-observation Conference Date: Teachers Name:______________________ What and when would you like to be observed? (maybe set a time frame for my visit; like in the next week) How do you feel about the lesson? Walk me through your lesson plan. Why did you choose this lesson? What do you want the students to learn by the end of the lesson? How will you check if they got it? What concerns you the most about this lesson? Take me through your lesson plan What is the teaching strategy you want to be observed in this lesson? Classroom management, positive support, instructional monitoring, questioning, other instructional strategies Why did you choose this behavior? Observation instruments to be with me in the lesson while observation: Lesson plan Seating chart and where I would sit Notebook Other: Special conditions/students Reflect on Learning outcome/ objectives met Classroom management Teaching behavior focus Set the date for the post-conference meeting time and place: Any questions? (This sheet is adapted from M. MacCormick 2006) Post-Conference Date: Teachers Name:_____________________ How do you feel about the lesson? My feelings Were the learning objectives achieved?) Teachers comment My comment Discuss changes or suggestions if the lesson would be done again or differently, what would be needed? Classroom Management Teachers comment My comment Suggestions for next classes Teaching Behavior Focus Teachers comment My comment Discuss changes Future training Plan The teachers next teaching behavior focus Develop a training plan with the teacher Summary Summarize and record what was discussed Try to put the conclusions in points I have to remember to give encouraging statement Questions? Complete record of the observation cycle summary Give an estimated time for the next class visit (This sheet is adapted from M. MacCormick 2006) I would like also to use this next tool to have background information of the classes and teachers. This tool also helps me to be clear and set or request from the top management the appropriate training and development programs. Questions Variables 1. What are the measurable objectives? Are these objectives stated clearly? Unit or chapter goals and lesson objectives 2. What are the total hours of teaching per week? Hours/ week 3. What is the teacher/student ratio? Number of students/ class 4. What are the teachers qualifications and experience)? Teachers previous experience 5. What is the type of training available to teachers? Are they fitting and enough? Training and development activities 6. What are the teachers tools, materials and instruments available? Are they suitable and used? Materials and equipment available. (Adapted from Hopstock, Young, and Zehler, 1993 cited in Davis (Gene), 2005) Outcomes This is the last part of what I feel is an effective evaluation; It deals with what to do next. The results of the Cambridge exams are going to be a very important part of the evaluation of the outcome. The top management will look at these results as the sole reflection on the educational process. On the other hand I would like to put into consideration the project work of the students and their portfolios. By this we can evaluate the outcome using both authentic and traditional assessment tools. Assessment is a way we can document our progress. A systematic, ongoing cycle of setting goals or objectives, measuring the achievement of those goals, and using these results to make knowledgeable decisions vital for the departments continuous improvement (Davis (Gene), 2005). Good assessment can enhance the quality of education by providing the necessary evidence to guide us to make the best decisions we can make in many areas: including changes in curriculum, classroom teaching methodology, support individual students, and improvement of the school culture. In other words, we need to know where were standing before we can go any further. In addition to the benefits I will get in my department and school, we, the NESs could use this assessment to improve as a new educational system. With these three key purposes of assessment in mind: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To improve Evaluation should be formative. Assessment provides feedback to help form better programs and services. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To inform Assessment should show a clear image of what is really happening in a classroom or laboratory and can inform others of the effort that is done there. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To demonstrate A good assessment process can answer three related questions: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are we trying to do? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How well are we doing it? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How are we using what we discover to improve what we will do in the future? The following diagram illustrates this cycle of goal setting tied to evaluations (Davis (Gene), 2005). Analysis of data and presenting it for further use: After collecting the data, starts the next step in the process of evaluation, data analysis and producing a report. This is important for the documentation and writing recommendations to be checked in the next cycle. The evaluation report will include: A description of the achievements of the program, stating and highlighting those instructional methods that were the most effective; A description instructional elements that were unproductive, inefficient and even problematic it will also state areas that need improvement in the future; and A description of the outcomes and the effect of the material taught and how it was delivered on the students as shown by their test scores as well as their portfolios. Thorough observation with accurate documentation will make the data useful for and allow us to make well informed decisions to improve the curriculum and the way it is delivered. In other words, the evaluation report is a tool supporting decision making, program improvement, accountability, and quality control (Davis (Gene), 2005).

Biological and Psychoanalytic Perspectives in Psychology Essay

The psychoanalytic perspective grew out of subsequent psychoanalytic theories (1901, 1924, and 1940) following decades of interactions with clients with the use of an innovative procedure developed by Sigmund Freud that required lengthy verbal interactions with patients during which Freud probed deep into their lives. In a nutshell, the psychoanalytic perspective looked to explain personality, motivation, and psychological disorders by focussing on the influence of early childhood experiences, on unconscious motives and conflicts, and on the methods people use to cope with their sexual and aggressive urges. The Biological perspective on the other hand looks at the physiological bases of behaviour in humans and animals. It proposes that an organism’s functioning can be described in terms of the bodily structures and biochemical processes that cause behaviour. This paper attempts to examine the similarities and differences between the psychoanalytic perspective and the biologica l perspective with the key focus on the core assumptions and features of these perspectives as well as their individual strengths and weaknesses. The biological perspective examines how brain processes and other bodily functions regulate behaviour. It emphasizes that the brain and nervous system are central to understanding behaviour, thought, and emotion. It is believed that thoughts and emotions have a physical basis in the brain. Electrical impulses zoom throughout the brain’s cells, releasing chemical substances that enable us to think, feel, and behave. Renà © Descartes (1596–1650) wrote an influential book (De Homine [On Man]) in which he tried to explain how the behaviour of animals, and to some extent the behaviour of humans, could be like t... ...m and Irving B. Weiner Freud, S. (1957b). Some character types met with in psychoanalytic work. In J. Strachey (Ed. & Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 14, pp. 309–333). London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1916) McKinley, J. and Fryer, D. (2004), Higher Psychology: Approaches and Method. KEEGAN, G. (2002) Hodder and Stoughton, London, 298 pp Introduction to psychology 5t ed - Morgan and king Psychology science and understanding Barry d. smith (1998) McGraw-Hill Psyhology making sense david A. STATT - NEW YORK- HARPER AND ROW 1977 HANDBOOK of PSYCHOLOGY VOLUME 5 PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Theodore Millon, Melvin J. Lerner/ Irving B. Weiner: Editor-in-Chief Waiten,W., (2007) Seventh Edition Psychology Themes and Variations. University of Nevada, Las Vegas: Thomson Wadsworth.

Impact of Whiteness on Blacks in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye Essay

The Impact of Whiteness on Blacks in Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye   Ã‚      Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye does not focus on direct white oppression of a black community, but rather how whiteness is ingrained in the minds of the black community and serves as a destructive force. There are few white characters introduced in the book, but whiteness and the culturally accepted ideal of whiteness as an indication or measure of beauty is ever present. Morrison's first page, The Dick and Jane story, is a clean, simple and perfect example of whiteness. Mother, Father, Dick and Jane are the family and they live in a pretty house with a cat and dog. This is whiteness. Whiteness is nice, clean, happy and simple. Turning the page we soon discover that perfect simplistic whiteness can turn chaotic and destructive. This first shocking introduction to whiteness not only foreshadows the end of the book, but is also the first of many direct examples of whiteness and its potential to consume the mind and destroy the spirit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within the first few pages of the book we find Shirley Temple and a white baby doll, both pretty with their blue eyes and creamy skin. That both of these symbols of whiteness are young and introduced to little black children is very significant. Whiteness is known and begins to warp around and take hold of them from the beginning. They are never allowed to entertain or contemplate their own beauty because they are shown early on symbols of pretty and they will never measure up. White baby dolls are loved and Shirley Temple is adored while their black skin, wool like hair and brown eyes are merely tolerated. We learn from Claudia's example that the only way to keep the whiteness from destroying y... ...whiteness is potentially damaging. It is also effective because is demonstrates how black communities self imploded if they internalized the white ideal. This is very powerful. That notion that whites did not need to by physically present but merely symbolically represented in order to undermine the stability and self-image of a black community. Whiteness then did, and does, have the power to destroy if it is internalized and accepted as the ideal--an ideal that is unobtainable and therefor all the more damaging. Works Cited and Consulted: Davis, Cynthia. "Self, Society, and Myth in Toni Morrison's Fiction." Draper 222. Draper, James P., ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. "Toni Morrison." Michigan: Gale Research Inc., 1994. Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York, New York: Plume, 1994. Steiner, Wendy. "The Clearest Eye." Draper 239.

Young Goodman Brown :: essays research papers

Young Goodman Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne was at first a boring read. However the more I read it and began to break it down by sections it was interesting. The short story was written in 1895 it deals with a man and testing his faith. Ultimately this story displays how betrayal can affect someone’s state of mind and actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins with Goodman Brown and his wife Faith. Faith does not want her husband to leave for a midnight walk in the woods. Goodman Brown convinces Faith to let him leave. Little to Faith’s knowledge, her husband has just left to meet with the Devil. Goodman brown goes to this meeting because he knows his faith strong enough to withstand the Devils tricks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goodman Brown is the protagonist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most obvious antagonist is the Devil. The Devil wants Goodman Brown to follow him deeper into the woods and Brown is against that. The Devil wants Goodman Brown to take his staff, and he wants no part of that. Brown’s pride is what is keeping him there, after each time the Devil makes an attempt to convert Brown, he stays in the woods waiting for the next trick. When he should have left after the first couple of attempts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were several conflicts that contributed to the climax of the story. The first conflict was between Goodman Brown and his wife Faith. Faith did not want Brown to leave. After he was half way into the woods, he thought that Faith might have been trying to protect him by keeping him at home. This is exhibited when Faith says â€Å"Dearest heart she whispered softly and rather sadly, when her lips were close to her ear, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed tonight............Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husband of all nights in the year!† Then Goodman Brown says â€Å"Methought as she spoke there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be done tonight!† The second conflict is that between the Devil and Young Goodman Brown. The Devils’ goal is to convert Goodman Brown from worshiping God to worshiping him. The Devil makes several attempts to get Brown on his team. The Devil tries to get Brown to take his staff â€Å"Come Goodman Brown! Cried his fellow traveler, this is a dull pace for the beginning of a journey.

New European Urban Hierarchy

Critically assess the forces which are influencing the shape of a ‘new European urban hierarchy† (Hall, 1993). Use case studies to illustrate and assess how individual cities are positioning themselves in this new spatial order. Throughout Europe, cities and regions have launched on a path of competitive redevelopment by means of a variety of strategies, ranging from large-scale mega developments and integrated action plans to community- based local re-conversion efforts. These schemes are spread over the European urban and regional landscape, operating in a variety of regulatory, political and socio-economic contexts, welfare regimes and public policy frameworks and combine private and public initiatives and finances in a great diversity of institutional framework. However, they are comparable in the sense that they are inserted in and grapple with epochal global trends and attempt to re-assert their position in the new global economic competitive climate and its associated technological, cultural and social transformations. Each of these produces a series of profound mechanisms of exclusion/integration and, at the end of the day, it is such activities, which shape or moderate the process of polarization and exclusion itself. The 1980†³s saw competition between European cities for mobile investment in a variety of ways. Multinational enterprises boosted this competition through looking at the location of new productive plants and offices, this therefore saw city governments promoting and marketing themselves in a more beneficial way in an effort to be a magnet for inward investment. They saw ways to ‘Hall mark† events such as major sporting events; cultural festivals and trade fairs which can all have considerable economic effects. I will be looking at Barcelona, Dublin and Lille and at the different strategies they have used to respond to global, economic pressures within and between cities in positioning themselves in the European urban hierarchy and the changes that have taken place. Differences in infrastructure and human capital are widely recognised as contributing significantly to variations in regional competitiveness. The economically stronger and more prosperous regions of the Community are generally more richly endowed with more resources, while the lagging regions typically have serious deficiencies (Commission of the European Community, 1994, p. 65). All major cities have become actively involved in what has been termed ‘city marketing†. There are ways in which academics have sought to identify cities from the best to the worst, this has been established through â€Å"league tables. From these league tables the cities to be at the most highest are obviously seen as the most appealing cities to live in and also for investment. Rankings are made on the basis of economic variables such as gross domestic product per head, the unemployment rate, pressure for the demand for space or the proportion of the workforce employed in higher-order occupations. Quality of life is measured in ways such as education, health care, cultural or leisure facilities and environmental variables. â€Å"A new geography of Europe is emerging which ignores national frontiers. The most successful cities are located in what Hall termed ‘the blue Banana†. Cities in the core derive considerable scale economics and access advantages whilst cities in the periphery do not and must bare substantial distance costs† (Lever 1992:936) The core banana covers the cities of London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich and Milan. A subsidiary core banana has developed which encompasses Mediterranean cities like Barcelona, Marseilles and Nice and which is connected to the first banana through the Alpine region. Most of the successful or those furthest up the hierarchy are located within these regionalised cores. These advantages have resulted in growth due to the specialised high technology manufacture and information processing. The Commission of the European Communities has pointed there are weaknesses which are forcing investors to move out; the high costs of wages and land and also the congestion and pollution. They also stated that the older urban centres in the core have older populations and will in time undergo a demographic decline whereas the younger populations of the periphery will engender further progress. There is not a single urban hierarchy in Europe. Rather there are a number of overlapping hierarchies, which centre on particular functions†¦. Each urban area is in competition with a range of others according to the economic function and the sphere of influence – global, national, or regional – at which it performs its specialisms (Commission of the European Community, 1994, p. 44). The paradox in this statement illustrates the crucial point in the debate about territorial competition within the European urban system. It is not the urban areas themselves that are directly in competition, but the economic specialisms and functions, which operate from within them. The locations of economic activities – new production and service facilities, international institutions and major cultural and sporting events – are also a function of an urban area's social capital. The externalities generated by the degree and level of social capital are the basis for urban areas competing for the location of economic activities in the first instance and maintaining them locally in the second. However, it is the leading edge or specialist activities, contained within city-regions, which compete within the global or international economy. Given the regionally networked nature of international production and service provision, there is also a degree of complementarily. Urban policy in Lille centres on the improvement of the competitive position and the development of large-scale operations that are capable of improving the urban image and of attracting external investments. Eurolille is a large –scale commercial quarter which has included many different policy domains; job creation, education, development of urban space for new activities and function, new industries, neighbourhood revitalisation and improvement of security. The creation of the retail business centre Eurolille also led to the redistribution of commercial spaces in the city itself. The policies of urban regeneration and the struggle against social exclusion in the Lille metropolis reflect these institutional and strategic transformations. Their analysis helps to understand the process that led to the realisation of Eurolille. The most generic procedure put forward by the Ministere de la Ville and the Delegation Interministerielle a la Ville is the Contrat de Ville (CDV). The main objective of this procedure is to combat urban exclusion at the level of â€Å"priority-targeted† neighbourhoods and at the level of the agglomeration on the other. Actions for social assistance aiming at improving daily life as well structural actions involving large-scale urban operations (roads, improvement of the housing stock) are launched. â€Å"Lille could expect substantial economic benefits from its position on the TGV network† (Newman and Thorney 1996: 190) The construction of the TGV station in the centre of Lille in 1994 plays a key-role in this strategy of regenerating the Lille metropolis. The subsequent construction of an international business centre must put Lille at the heart of a Northern European transportation network and provide the metropolis with an important international role. This, in turn, should help to attract external investments, to create a pole of advanced business services; and will make the metropolitan and regional economy much more dynamic. The advent of the Channel Tunnel and the high-speed train network in France, has also improved its attractiveness. Barcelona is a Mediterranean city, the heart of the industrialization and the social, political, and cultural movements of contemporary Spain. The city has remarkable evidence of moving from profound economic crisis in 1980 to a city with a strong image. The high degree of private investment in the projects related to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games corresponds to the great expectation created by the attractiveness of the city of Barcelona. â€Å"The Olympic games bought the attention of the world to Barcelona† (Newman and Thornley 1996:91) Among the physical impacts – which per se can have important economic effects – is the impact on urbanism. The change in the urban model can be seen immediately by comparing the density of traffic in 1990 before the ring roads were built, with the density of 1993, after the opening of the Dalt and Litoral ring roads. The changes in traffic due to the effect of these roads was one of the most synthetic expressions of the impact of the Olympic Games on the city. European integration strengthens the Western Mediterranean region, as a bridge between the centre and the south of Europe. In this context, Barcelona also has another powerful attraction: its metropolitan area, found in a central axis of European communications. Barcelona is thus an excellent location for head offices and its metropolitan area excellent for the introduction of their plants. The possibilities of capitalizing on the Olympic impulse, consolidating its new role as a service centre specialized in activities with high surplus value, seems clear. The build up to the Games brought about further impact on the city fabric, not least because it led to a massive increase in speculation on land values, and housing prices soared. There was a substantial growth in the number of properties available, which contrasted drastically with a birth rate at a record low, not to mention its negative migratory balance. Despite these facts nothing held down the rise in property prices for both home ownership and rent. Dublin as the national capital and primate city in Ireland has produced both renaissance flagship urban development projects and socio-spatially excluded communities in the drive to modernise and compete with other comparable cities in the newly emerging urban hierarchy of the European Union. The CHDDA International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Urban Regeneration project is one of the main projects designed to enhance the city†s image and competitive position in the international urban arena. The urban renewal act of 1988, set out a process for model of regeneration in Dublin. With 23 property developers and 30 urban planners many changes were made to the city of Dublin. Since the 1980†³s Dublin has turned around and has been extremely successful from investments and has become a magnet for tourists. The IFSC represents an important attempt by the Irish government and the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to reposition Ireland in the international division of labour from national primate city to peripheral world city. It seeks to avail of some of the benefits of the hypermobility of capital within the economy of the international financial system. Dublin†s IFSC has developed a niche for itself in the international division of financial services by focusing on back office banking operations and corporate treasury activities. Although no rival to London or New York, Dublin†s ‘niche† has strong global dimensions. Temple Bar was one of the key areas to receive European funding. A variety of cultural facilities, ranging from the National Film Centre, Children's Theatre, Music Centres, Art Galleries, all received major European funding. This contributed hugely to its capital programme. In addition, it had much better financial incentives than elsewhere in the City Centre. This concentration of European Funding and Government Tax Incentives within a relatively small area has been the financial power behind the scheme. Dublin Corporation has embarked on a major regeneration project for a historic part of the city from O'Connell Street westwards towards the Phoenix Park – one of the key areas in the old Abercrombie/Sydney Kelly plan – H. A. R. P. – Historic Area Regeneration Project. It covers a large part of the inner north city and includes the city markets area, major shopping centres, important public buildings, long established residential communities, areas of dereliction and many socially deprived areas. It also includes major civic elements, like the North Quays and Smithfield. The new light rail transport system – LUAS, will pass through the area and this should have a strong economic effect. Policy tools can be applied in various combinations to manage change in practice and to attempt to achieve sustainable development. The development and implementation of city-wide environmental strategies and action plans require effective community participation and partnership mechanisms, as called for in the Local Agenda 21 programme. Local Agenda 21 is essentially a strategic process of encouraging and controlling sustainable development. The development, management and implementation of this process requires all the skills and tools that can be brought to bear by a local authority and its community. â€Å"Cities are not just passive places in which international capital or prestigious functions locate, but in the new global competition for economic growth, have themselves become important factors in creating opportunities for economic development and influencing the new urban hierarchy† (Newman and Thornley 1996:16) Cities have been positioning themselves in this ‘new urban hierarchy† through the marketing strategies and construction of new images. This has taken place by many cultural activities and symbols all of which try to enhance the European world ranking of cities. Cities are obliged to adapt themselves rapidly to constant changes in economy and in other sectors. It is essential not to forget that this new form of development implies a danger to create a bigger division than the one that already exists inside urban societies. One of the key elements in this adaptation process to new changes is that cities must have a permanent and flexible educational and training system able to adapt itself rapidly to each moment circumstances.

Origins and History of the Passions of War Essay

Ever since from the ancient times, war has been a great part of out history, many tribes and nations have engaged in war to seclude their territories, protect their culture and fellowmen and extend their domain. Many writers have tried to define war from its origin to enlighten the society about it; one of them is the renowned Barbara Ehrenreich, a social critic and a Time Magazine essayist. In her book Blood Rites: Origins and History of the Passions of War, Barbara Ehrenreich, focused on war and it close relation to religion. She turned her attention into anthropology and investigating into the causes of man’s ancient interest in war; in this book, she blamed the social scientists in their lack of sufficient knowledge about war. She sought ethnological evidences to support her arguments and the evolution of war from the ancient times to the present. Ehrenreich didn’t look for the exact explanation for war but instead; she looked for the emotional responses that the people have brought to the killings making it sacred. Furthermore, she said that war had been sacralized by the society for them to shift from being the preys into predators. According to her, war and religion are almost the same in terms of ritual sacrifice, although she believed that killing the enemies are less noble than offering one’s life in a community-sanctioned matrix; because of this, war becomes impenetrable to moral reprimand. She said that war deludes people’s minds that make them worship war as a tool for survival, war seems to revivify in every millennia, making it harder to regress. War, even though quite risky is used by men to acquire their collective interests for the improvement of their lives. War has been merely accepted by the modern era and is used by some nations to gain something from the other mostly for the material needs. War is too complex and affects a person so much that it becomes his passion; the passion of war envelopes a person and kindles the fire of violence within an individual. The book was basically about the uncanny human attraction to violence, the story was entitled to show the violence in war that started from the ancient times to the present, Barbara Ehrenreich was able to raise issues about war and its emotional and moral effects on the society. It is a major socio-economic condition that widely affects the modern society. Blood Rites: Origins and History of the Passions of War showed the big scale domestic and international violence and civil turbulence, it also informs the readers about the roots of violence to help them understand the existence of war in the modern day. It was a journey from the human sacrifices in the ancient world to the total wars in the twentieth century. Blood Rites is an eye-opener for the readers because it discusses why the shedding of blood seems to attract humans and performs a great significance in the improvement of the society. Although many wars have resulted various improvements in the political, moral and social conditions, war remains unwanted. Today, countries that engage in competitive arms race, is a source of great concern. Ehrenriech also emphasizes that mankind must concentrate all known resources on ensuring the greater welfare and socio-economic progress of all the countries in the world and insist that war must not serve as a means for setting international disputes. Barbara Ehrenriech displayed a good assessment towards war and religion in her book although she sounds quite provocative and persuasive sometimes. Also, she raised arguments about various social issues including her dismay towards the social scientists whom she addressed to lack appropriate knowledge about war. Unfortunately, she missed or either failed in examining other relevant social science literature making the book a little bit one-sided; but paying more attention and examining the pertinent literature could then easily fix this flaw. Works Cited Content Cafe. 2004. Blood Rites: Origin and History of the Passions of War. 01 November 2008. .