Genetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetics - Essay Example If the F1 generation is further paired among itself by a yet another monohybrid cross than an F2 generation of plants will be produced. The expected phenotype of F2 generation would be 75% tall plants and 25% short plants. In F2 generation 25% of plants would be tall but would be homozygous for their trait of tallness. Another 50% of plants would also be tall but would be heterozygous for their trait of tallness while the remaining 25% of would be short and would be recessive for their trait. Dihybrid cross: A dihybrid cross is a cross between two individuals that involves two pairs of contrasting characteristics. If two plants that are pure bred (homozygous) for two contrasting traits for example one plant that is tall and produce yellow seeds (both dominant traits) and the other plant that is short and produces green seeds (both recessive traits) are crossed with other, than the F1 generation produced would be all heterozygous for both characteristics. But only dominant trait would appear in the phenotype of F1 generation and all plants of this generation would appear tall and would produce yellow seeds. If the members of this F1 generation are further crossed with each other than an F2 generation would produced which would have different types of plants: tall plants producing yellow seeds, tall plants producing green seeds, short plants producing yellow seeds, short plants producing green seeds in a ratio of 9:3:3:1 b) If a boar that is homozygous for lop ears and spotted skin is sow that is homozygous for pricked ears and unspotted skin than the F1 generation produced will all have pricked ear and spotted skin, as these two traits are dominant. The genotype of F1 generation would be PpSs. (Key: P= pricked ears, p=lop ears, S=spotted skin, s-unspotted skin). However the phenotype and genotype of F2 generation produced is shown as follows The Punnett Square

English writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

English writing - Essay Example This paper will explore the manner in which the mass media influences the public opinion of the masses in the course of serving its primary core functions in society, namely informing, entertaining and educating the public. The primary role of the mass media in every society is to provide news and information to the public, in the true sense of the so-called ‘information age’ in the 21st century, which greatly shapes public opinion (Mujtaba). Since human beings are social beings, people all over the world are presently ruled by information communication technologies. Consequently, it is not unusual for the masses to turn to the various media outlets, particularly the TV, in search of news and information at the break of every dawn (Colistra 85). Inevitably, the numerous media outlets play a very vital role in the information communication chain by informing the masses about what is taking place in their environments. The news and information received through these media outlets shapes people’s thinking and perceptions concerning certain issues in society. Public opinion is very crucial in the implementation of public policy, especially regarding controversial issues affecting the ma sses. Biased media reporting can totally shift the scales in terms of whether a proposed policy will be accepted or refuted by the masses. Policy makers often seek to establish positive public opinions to favour certain pieces of legislation through mass media. in politics, media reporting can potentially turn the public opinion either in favour of or against a certain proposed public policy (McQuail 8). In the wake of the Iraqi assault by the US troops back in the year 2003, the media played a great role in shaping the public opinion of the masses regarding the war. The then Bush administration and Congress decried the perceived biased media representation of facts that was consequently shifting public opinion against the war (Baum & Potter 40).

Case study Essay Example for Free

Case study Essay The resource allocation for each activity for each week and the total weekly resource assignments are show in Figure 1, which is a Gantt chart along with a histogram. Now, examine Figure 1 closely. Using the concept of resource leveling, determine the flaws in this resource schedule, write down the disadvantages of such resource loading and develop a more leveled schedule. This forms your Exercise 2 for this week. Candace Given below is the information about the IT project we discussed in our Lesson 5 commentary under Resource Leveling. Also given below is the current resource loading Gantt chart along with a histogram. Now, have a close look at figures given below and using the concept of resource leveling, determine the flaws in this resource schedule, write down the disadvantages of such resource loading, and develop a more leveled schedule. For your ready reference, an Excel sheet (ResourceLevelingExercise. xls) is provided to complete this exercise.

Pathological Explanations of Poverty

Pathological Explanations of Poverty Discuss the pathological and structural explanations of poverty. Poverty was first identified by Sir William Beveridge in 1942, as a major social evil in society. It is a highly contested and multi-dimensional social problem that has no single agreed definition. Kilty et al defines poverty as ‘an overall condition of inadequacy, lacking and scarcity’. She further claims, ‘it is destitution and deficiency of economic, political and social resources’ (Kilty et al, 1997: 30 cited in Kane Kirby, 2003: 52). Social scientists have established two main representations of poverty. These are absolute and relative poverty. Absolute poverty denotes a lack of access to a minimum level of subsistence that is required to live a healthy lifestyle. This includes basic life necessities such as food, water, clothing and shelter. In contrast, sociologist Peter Townsend defines relative poverty in terms of relative deprivation which means that the living standards of the poor are considered far too removed from the rest of society (Holman, 1978; Pantazis et al, 2006). Sociologists have identified numerous explanations for the existence and persistence of poverty. These include unemployment, homelessness, ill health, old age, lack of access to education and an underprivileged socio-economic position in society. In this essay, I will discuss two major sociological/political theories of poverty, one known as the pathological explanation and the other as the structural explanation. As part of the pathological perspective I will explore individualistic, familial and subcultural understandings of poverty. In contrast within structural accounts, I will examine class, agency and inequality approaches to poverty. In doing so, I will discover their solutions to help tackle poverty and will also evaluate the relevance of both pathological and structural explanations in the contemporary world (ibid). Pathological explanations of poverty are favoured by those on the right of the political spectrum. Firstly, according to the individualistic viewpoint social problems like poverty, unemployment and crime stem from individual deficiencies and limitations. For instance, it is argued that the poor have a character defect. They are deliberately indolent individuals who have made bad choices in life. Therefore, they are held responsible for their own plight. Individualistic explanations also attribute poverty to the biology of the poor. In support of this, Charles Murray (2000) claims that ‘by choosing to be poor people pass on inferior genes to their offspring’ and ‘over time, there is a deterioration in the genome of the poor’ (Fitzpatrick, 2011: 101). Nevertheless, it must be noted that there is no scientific evidence to prove that poverty is an innate problem (Fitzpatrick, 2011; Holman, 1978). Successive governments have adopted different policy approaches to tackle poverty. A historic example is of the 19th century Poor Law Amendment Act which was introduced in 1834. The act took into consideration the widely accepted individualistic ideology of its time, which believed poverty to be a moral failure of the individual. As a result, workhouses were introduced to instil discipline in poor citizens. The conditions of a workhouse were deliberately terrible in order to discourage people from applying for state assistance and instead, provide them with the incentive to find work. Later, the act was heavily criticised for purely treating the symptoms of poverty rather than the actual disease itself. Alternatively, familial explanations of poverty blame the individual’s family circumstances for shaping their disadvantaged lifestyle. For example, if a child lives in a family environment that is characterised by laziness, poor educational attainment, unemployment, delinquency and dependence on the welfare state, then the child is more likely to grow up dysfunctional (Fitzpatrick, 2011; Kane Kirby, 2003; Townsend, 1979). Familial explanations also attribute poverty to the child rearing practices of lower class families. It is argued that these families encounter multiple deprivations in life and are thus, unable to provide their children with a decent upbringing. This has a negative impact on the child’s life opportunities. According to the cycle of deprivation theory, family pathology is responsible for transmitting social deprivation intergenerationally. This is due to the belief that poverty runs in families. Furthermore, in an attempt to end the generational cycle of poverty, in 1998 the New Labour government introduced Sure Start programmes which are a form of educational intervention in the lives of children. They were set up with the aim of improving deprived children’s life chances, so that they do not face disadvantage in the school life (Kane Kirby, 2003; Shuffelton, 2013). The third well-known pathological explanation is the subculture of poverty theory which was coined by the American anthropologist Oscar Lewis. Lewis claimed that poor families exist within a subculture which is made up of unique behaviour patterns and characteristics. These are distinct from mainstream society and include: long-term unemployment, substance abuse and welfare dependency. Subcultural explanations claim that groups who share these negative characteristics are destined to remain within a self-perpetuating cycle of poverty. They begin viewing poverty as an accepted lifestyle and make little effort to improve their circumstances. However, this is not necessarily true as an individual’s changing economic circumstances can lift them out of poverty. Additionally, many people do make an effort to improve their situation through work and the education system. Overall, subcultural explanations have proven beneficial in explaining the persistence of poverty in the contempor ary world (Holman, 1978; Kane Kirby, 2003; Waxman, 1977). Pathological explanations of poverty have received considerable support from New Right theorists, the Conservative Party and other Right Wing academics like Charles Murray (1984), who is highly critical of the welfare state. Murray asserts that welfare benefits have gave birth to an underclass in society and a generation of the unemployed. He argues the welfare system is a poverty-perpetuating system, as over-generous welfare benefits have encouraged recipients’ to become dependent upon them throughout their entire lives. Nevertheless, Murray has been criticised for underestimating the desire of the underclass to be free from state assistance. Likewise, his ideological position has meant that he has also lacked focus in explaining how wider structural factors may also cause poverty (Fitzpatrick, 2011; Holman, 1978; Niskanen, 1996). Murray’s underclass theory has influenced contemporary government approaches to tackle welfare dependency. For instance, the current UK coalition government has adopted radical policies that involve cutbacks in benefits and the introduction of disciplinary workfare programmes, where welfare claimants are obliged to undertake voluntary work or training in return for their benefits. The coalition government has also expanded apprenticeships. The aim of such policies is to help welfare dependents regain the incentive to work. This is by teaching them the skills needed for a decent paid job. Overall, pathological explanations of poverty have numerous strengths and weaknesses. For instance, the political scientist Michael Harrington asserts that, ‘the real explanation of why the poor are where they are is that they made the mistake of being born to the wrong parents in the wrong section of the country in the wrong industry or in the wrong racial or ethnic group. There are two important ways of saying this: the poor are caught up in a vicious circle; or the poor live in a culture of poverty’ (Harrington, 1962: 12 cited in Kane Kirby, 2003: 98). Here, Harrington illustrates his support for the pathological explanation by highlighting the importance of familial and subcultural explanations in understanding poverty (Fitzpatrick, 2011; Holman, 1978; Niskanen, 1996). Pathological explanations have also been criticised for ignoring how wider societal and situational factors cause poverty. For example, circumstances where an individual loses their job, partner or experiences ill health may push an individual into a poverty lifestyle. In addition, the theory does not explain why particular groups like ethnic minorities are more vulnerable to poverty. For example, the structural perspective of poverty would argue that ethnic minorities experience discrimination and social exclusion in all areas of life. This is often attributed to their race, religion or culture. Within the workplace, they are treated as a source of cheap expendable labour, are provided with menial tasks and are paid well below the minimum wage. This example illustrates how social injustices can create poverty in society (ibid). In opposition to the pathological perspective, structural accounts of poverty are favoured by those on the left of the political spectrum. Firstly, according to the Marxist explanation by Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895), poverty is a key ingredient of capitalist societies. All capitalist societies are characterised by class conflict between the bourgeoisies, who are the owners of the means of production and the proletariat or working class who sell their labour power in return for wages. Marxists argue that the proletariat experience marginalisation, exploitation and alienation at the hands of the bourgeoisie. This is clearly evident in the labour market where they are treated as a reserve army of labour, are made to work for long hours and are paid low wages in return. Although this enables the capitalist system to thrive, it creates inequalities in wealth and income and keeps the proletariat located at the very bottom of the social hierarchy (Fitzpatrick, 201 1; Kane Kirby, 2003) Karl Marx anticipated a revolution to occur where the proletariat collectively unite for radical social change. He argued that this revolution will give rise to a communist society which is based on equal distribution of wealth and thereby, will ensure the entire elimination of social problems. Nevertheless, Marx has been criticised for overestimating a revolution which has failed to occur. Therefore, the Marxist theory failed to come up with an adequate solution to the problem of poverty and instead, it continues to blames poverty on the evils of capitalism. Overall, Marxists argue that class conflict is an inevitable feature of every capitalist society and therefore, social class is the main socio-economic determinant of whether people experience poverty in the contemporary world (ibid). Secondly according to the agency perspective, poverty is caused by the failure of public services and inadequate welfare benefits. Although, social services play a vital role in alleviating social and material deprivation, this theory argues that they have proven inefficient in tackling poverty. Also, government policies and institutions that have been set up to eradicate poverty have not performed their duties and have failed to serve the needs of the poor. Consequently, it is argued that there is a need to improve both the access and administration of welfare services. Alternatively, advocates of the pathological explanation criticise structural explanations for advocating a hand-out approach to welfare, which they believe fosters a dependency culture and serves to perpetuate poverty in society. They argue that policy solutions should focus on making individuals self-reliant and not providing them with a cradle to grave welfare state (Holman, 1978; Pantazis et al, 2006). In response, advocates of the structural interpretation criticise pathological accounts for ignoring the rise in the number of the working poor who are also reliant on state assistance. This rise in the number of the working poor provides evidence against the pathological view that work is the best route out of poverty. Structural accounts of poverty have blamed the rise of the working poor on the retrenchment of welfare provisions by the New Right, which they argue provided people with an additional support mechanism. On the other hand, the third well-known structural perspective is based on an inequality approach and argues that poverty is attributed to inequalities in society in terms of race, gender, age, ethnicity and social class. Generally, it is argued that there is more poverty where there is economic inequality. For instance, Britain is an unequal society in terms of wealth and income. There is a huge gap between the rich and poor which demonstrated by the clear north/south divide in the country (Fitzpatrick, 2011; Holman, 1978) In order to tackle income inequality, structural viewpoints argue for a redistribution of wealth in society and the need for governments to implement inclusive policies that help integrate the poor back into society. This includes people with disabilities who face social exclusion in the labour market. Structural explanations also advocate for a change to the structure of society, and a redistributive taxation system and also greater economic growth which will create more jobs and help alleviate economic inequality. On the other hand, Unwin 2007 argues that because ‘people are both: individuals and social creatures. it is impossible to tackle poverty from just one or the other perspective’ (cited in Bourassa, 2009: online edition). Unwin argues a more effective solution would involve a combination of both structural and pathological understanding of poverty in explaining poverty in the contemporary world (Harrop, 2015: Online; Gooby, 2015: Online; Luebker, 2014). In conclusion, poverty has proven to be a highly complex and difficult challenge for all contemporary governments. Social scientists have established two compelling accounts of poverty. These are pathological and structural explanations of poverty. Pathological explanations of poverty are favoured by those on the right of the political perspective. According to the political right, poverty is blamed on individual, familial and subcultural factors. In contrast, structural explanations are favoured by those on the left wing of the political spectrum. According to the political left, poverty is a consequence of structural and societal factors. These include an individual’s social class, an inadequate agency and societal inequality which all help explain the cause of poverty in society. Research has shown that both perspectives have numerous strengths and weaknesses. One solution would involve a combination of the two perspectives, as it will offer a more holistic approach in unde rstanding and tackling poverty in the contemporary world.

Judicial Retirement - A Supreme Idea? Essay -- U.S. Justice System

Supreme Court Justice Anthony McLeod Kennedy (born July 23, 1936) recently turned 75. Justice Kennedy is considered the â€Å"swing vote† on the current Supreme Court. He recently told acquaintances that he does not plan on leaving the Court any time soon (DeFrank). We tend to hold justices in high esteem; that they are superior in knowledge, wisdom, and fairness but, the truth is, they have faults and imperfections just like the rest of us. Our Constitution allows our justices to sit on the Court for life, termed as â€Å"good behaviour† (â€Å"U. S. Constitution†). Justice Kennedy appears to be in good mental and physical health, but it has not always been so with every justice. At what point does one become too old? Is it time to entertain an amendment to the Constitution that addresses this issue, or would testing and education resolve this point in question? In the past, justices have been mostly shielded from the public eye so, for the most part, illnesses and mental decrepitude went unnoticed. Today, with the ability for extensive media coverage, it has become difficult for justices to hide the conditions of their health. Justices’ ages and mental competence are not just recent considerations. Moreover, the solutions to some of the problems that have arisen have not always been the most excellent. One method for avoiding a debilitated Court would be to pass a Constitutional Amendment. It would take an amendment to impose a mandatory retirement age since the Constitution assures the justices life tenure to secure their judicial independence. This new amendment would propose to phase out older justices in an effort to be the most beneficial to the public for which they are meant to serve. Mark Levin writes in the pr... ...("Oyez") Lazarus, Edward. "The Problem of Supreme Court Justices' Remaining on the Bench Too Long: Although It's a Genuine Concern, Recently-Suggested Reforms Are More Problematic Than the Status Quo." FindLaw. Thomson Reuters, 14 Apr 2009. Web. 19 Apr 2012. . Levin, Mark R. Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America. Washington, DC: Regency Publishing, Inc., 2005. Print. Toobin, Jeffrey. The Nine, Inside The Secret World Of The Supreme Court. New York: Anchor, 2008. Print. "U.S. Constitution." U.S. Constitution. Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Represen, 2004. Web. 15 Mar 2012. . Lewis, John G. Personal Interview. 25 Mar 2012. Payton, John. Personal Interview. 18 Apr 2012.

Shake :: essays research papers fc

What is it about the works of William Shakespeare that appeal to us today? Is it the poetry, the violence, the humor, or the romance? Is it because all of these things relate to our times? No. These aspects of Shakespeare ¡Ã‚ ¦s plays have always appealed to audiences. Shakespeare ¡Ã‚ ¦s plays are timeless, and due to this enduring significance, the Bard ¡Ã‚ ¦s works have easily translated to film. Scarcely a Shakespearean play has not been made and remade numerous times into to a movie, and more often than not the film is either a hit at the box office or critically acclaimed. There is something about Shakespeare that has continued to capture the attention of audiences for the past four hundred years. In our present age of short-attention spans and exploding graphics, it is difficult to imagine that literature and poetry could attract people to the movies, but it seems that film has become the best medium for Shakespeare. All that the stage once limited can now be seen at the movies in its full glory; what the Bard wrote for everybody may now be known visually and in total splendor. In Taming of the Shrew, we are presented with the story of a very independent woman and a very controlling man in an Elizabethan Battle of the Sexes. Appropriately, the female submits to the male and all is happy and well. For many, this is certainly not the best story to update to the present era of liberated women. On the contrary, Taming of the Shrew is an ideal film to update to our time. In 1967, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton starred in Franco Zeffirelli ¡Ã‚ ¦s version of Taming. For those familiar with the history of the 20th century, you may recall that the 1960 ¡Ã‚ ¦s are somewhat notable for the women ¡Ã‚ ¦s liberation movement. Zeffirelli directed a film that, on the surface, advocates female obedience to males. Upon careful inspection, however, it can be seen that submission was not the message at all. When Shakespeare wrote Taming, Queen Elizabeth I sat on the throne of England. Elizabeth was a famous shrew who ruled alone without the aid of a man. Such autono my by females was not commonplace and certainly not appreciated. So when this playwright named William Shakespeare came out with this story of a strong-willed woman being tamed by a brutish man, many felt it was a commentary on Elizabeth and an appropriate way for a woman to behave.

Description of a Religious Festival Essay

Write an essay describing a religious festival you celebrated, mentioning what you saw and did in the festival Religion is a â€Å"collective conscience†, a shared outlook created by ceremonies. Most common religion in India is Hinduism. Hindus celebrate thousands of events every year and each in a similar manner, including chanting prayers to the gods and making sweets. Ram Navmi is also one of the event celebrated Hindus. This occasion has great momentousness therefore it’s a nationwide holiday. It is celebrated two days after the seven navratras. Navratras are the days of ‘pooja’ in which Goddess Durga is worshipped by the people for bringing peace and prosperity in their life. People especially ladies keep fast for the first eight days and open on the ninth day. Goddess Durga have nine different incarnations, worshipped one each day. Havans are done, which is also believed by the people that it’s smoke purify the homes. On the ninth day a bigger ‘havan’ is done and then ladies in the family prepare meals for seven young girls and one boy. These girls are treated with respect as they are considered the different forms of Goddess Durga. They are also given offerings in the form of cash. We also celebrate Ram Navmi and so my mother kept a fast for two days. We could not do havan on the first eight days due to lack of space but on the ninth day we had a ‘pandal’ built, made up of tent cloth which was all red in colour which was to give the event its effect supported by thin logs. A pandit was called to conduct the rights and rituals and my mother prepared food for the girls. The eighth day was hectic for me bit I enjoyed it . my sister and I prepared the invitations cards for the children. They had a silver colored fringe with text in golden and a picture of Lord Ganesha with red background. I went to each one’s house to invite them. I also went to buy eight gifts and keeping in mind their ages I found all the appropriate gifts. Then came the ninth day, I was woke up from my sleep by the ‘shank’ sound. I took my bath and got ready for the function. The ‘havan’ started and gradually the girls also came and there was deluge of tasks poured upon me. I had to bring the bucket full of water to wash the ‘kanyas’ feet. Then I went to help the pandit with ‘ghee’,’yoghurt’, etc.