Essay on Qualitative Research Versus Quantitative Research

Qualitative Research Versus Quantitative Research Quantitative research data is a formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical data is utilised to obtain information around the world. Quantitative research is all about quantifying the relationships between variables such as height, weight. It is obtained by such things as questionnaires, official statistics and planned interviews and then from the numerical data we can identify trends and correlations and get an idea of the attitudes of large numbers of people which can be very helpful. It is obtained mostly in the form of numbers. They were originally developed in the natural sciences to study natural phenomena. Qualitative†¦show more content†¦There will be no difference between articulate and inarticulate respondents However some problems with this are people may not fill them in properly as they are influenced of what people may think if they put their real answer or they may not properly understand the question causing confusion. When researchers design the questionnaire they think they know what is important but respondents cannot provide information that is not requested and for this reason it is difficult to develop a hypotheses. There is less than 50% response rate for postal questionnaires. The answers that the respondents reply with may be incomplete, illegible or incomprehensible thought making it very difficult and closed questions may seriously limit what respondents want to say. Because questionnaires only give a certain set of answers the respondents wanted answer may not be there. Official statistics are statistics produced by local and national government, government agencies and organisations all funded by the government. This also produces quantitative data; the advantages of this are published statistics are readily available and cost little or sometimes nothing to use and many government surveys are well planned and organised with detailed questionnaires or interview schedules so they meet the standards ofShow MoreRelatedThe Three Methods Of Research1201 Words   |  5 Pagesthree methods of research to include qualitative, quantitative and mixed, (Creswell, 2014). Qualitative research provides the life story through narration, so we are able to identify and understand the human and social situation, (Creswell, 2014). Quantitative research focuses on the statistics, to include analyzing experimental data or survey outcomes, (Creswell, 2014). This method establishes the numeric aspects of research. According to the author, Creswell, (2014), Quantit ative was the predominantRead MoreCritiquing A Qualitative And Quantitative Study912 Words   |  4 PagesCritiquing of a Qualitative and Quantitative Study The purpose of this paper will be to present the contrasts in the type of information that was gained while reviewing two studies. The studies reviewed were a qualitative study and a quantitative study. The general advantages and disadvantages of the two types of studies will also be presented. Qualitative and quantitative studies both have a place in research, even though the two study designs take a very different approach to research. Lastly, aRead MoreResearch Methods Of Quantitative Research1087 Words   |  5 Pages Week 2 Assignment Adam Morrison PSY 326 Research Methods Jessica Lee Qualitative researchers are focused on interpreting and making sense out of what they observe rather than trying to simplify and quantify these observations by collecting and observing people, places and things in their natural setting. In doing this, researchers are able to investigate hypothesis with more freedom and rigidity while accepting the fact that they relinquish their ability to control direct and indirectRead MoreQualitative vs. Quantitative Research742 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿ Quantitative vs. Qualitative Introduction Qualitative research is designed in general to try and understand and interpret social interactions, according to Xavier University. Quantitative research, on the other hand, is used to test hypothesis, to examine cause and effect, and to make predictions (Xavier). Qualitative research is used to identify patters, themes and certain features while quantitative research tends towards identifying statistical relationships (Xavier). As to the role ofRead MoreMarketing Research Tools Essay1198 Words   |  5 PagesMarket Research Tools Marketing research is primarily focused on two categories of research: primary and secondary. These two forms of research provide insight into the driving source of the business, consumer behavior and attitudes, and possible pitfalls to the business. Secondary research provides knowledge gathered from within the business or already published information from outside of the business. Primary data is collected with specific purpose of creating a marketing strategy for the businessRead MoreQuantitative, Qualitative And Mixed Methods777 Words   |  4 PagesIn any type of research, counting things or talking with people are required. Consequently, it is beneficial to think of different opportunities for data gathering in any study, as well as to form these methods by their degree of predetermined nature, their utilize of closed-ended versus open-ended questioning, and their focus for numeric versus non-numeric data analysis (Creswell, 2003). There are three major elements that goes in to a research approach is the specific methods of data collectionRead MoreQualitative Research : Qualitative And Quantitative Research854 Words   |  4 PagesQuality versus quantity or numerical as opposed to nonnumeric data is what come to mind when thinking about qualitative and quantitative research. In other words, quantitative research utilizes numbers while qualitative research does not. Another noteworthy distinction between the two methods lies in data collection. Unlike qualitative research which is employed to transform data into statistics, qualitative research is utilized to gain a deeper understanding or underlying opinions, reasons andRead MoreQuantitative And Qualitative Methods Of Research Essay899 Words   |  4 Pages Quantitative versus qualitative (Lichtman, M. 2006) It is true that most of the management in the business world go for mixed methodologies in order to attain comprehensive and accurate findings of the research. Having said that there are pros and cons of both the methods that are taken into account by the management in order to achieve set goals and overcome hindrances in the business. Qualitative method of research is a speedy process that provides fresh and inventive results with in- depth analysisRead MoreMarketing Research Essay1031 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to the American Marketing Association: Marketing research is the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information—information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting informationRead MoreEssay on Qualitative and Quantitative Research889 Words   |  4 Pages Qualitative and Quantitative study designs both can be beneficial in research design. They both provide valuable options for researchers in the field. These techniques can either be used separately in a research study or they can be combined to achieve maximum information. This paper will define the terms qualitative and quantitative; describe the similarities and differences between each; discuss how qualitative and/or quantitative research de signs or techniques could be used in the evaluation

Great Britain And Our Colonies - 1685 Words

Welcome fellow colonists, we are gathered here to discuss the issue about Great Britain and our colonies. In recent events, Patriots have felt that Great Britain was being unfair towards us and were putting themselves before us. This is not true. On behalf of the Loyalists, I believe that we should not break away from Britain, and we should stay loyal to them, as they were to us. We come from the almighty nation of Great Britain that allowed us freedom and saved us multiple times. The King permitted us to journey here based on our wish. We should praise him for that as he is ready to accept us back after all we have done towards him, such as humiliating his soldiers and violating his property and goods. Great Britain was the â€Å"hero† of many wars that were fought against enemies, and they keep this nation stabilized with supplies and weapons. We should not break away from Great Britain because we cannot defend ourselves without them, we have to pay back our debt towards the King, and we should stay loyal to our homeland. Great Britain, the strongest nation in the world, is our divine protector. They defend us against enemies in war. We had invaded the West, and the French and Indians who owned that land grew angry and unstable. Their land was expansive and our intentions were pure. The struggle between us cultivated, and a war soon began. We called upon Great Britain to aid us and they arrived with their brave troops. They were the reason we won the war and did not getShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Thomas Paines Common Sense909 Words   |  4 Pagesdeclaring independence from Britain and revolution. Many of the colonists are unhappy with how the British government was treating them and they had valid reasons to be unhappy, but the declaring independence from Britain would not be beneficial to the colonies and its people. In section three of Common Sense, Paine says â€Å"I challenge the warmest of advocate for reconciliation to show a single advantage that this continent can reap by being connected with Great Britain.† And â€Å"not a single advantageRead MoreAmerican History: Revolution Causes Essay704 Words   |  3 Pagesdefend our rights. As rebellion struck in Massachusetts on April 19th, 1775.Those first few shots that were made at Lexington and Concord proved what the both of us wanted. Many hoped for the rebellion to die out but it unfortunately did not. Battles proceeded with it and more and more people were separating in their different ways. There were four main options that started to arise, but out of all of them defending our rights is the best. By doing this we are not going against Her (Great Britain)Read MoreThomas Paine s Political Pamphlet925 Words   |  4 Pageswriting for the American colonists who were unsure if they wanted to split their ways with Great Britain, o r not. Throughout the political pamphlet Paine argues that the colonist were not dependent on Great Britain. He makes powerful points regarding how the American colonies would interact if they were still together with Great Britain. Paine also uses the location and size of Great Britain and the American colonies to aid in strengthening the case for independence. Many political influences such as ThomasRead MoreArgumentative Essay On The Declaration Of Independence1624 Words   |  7 Pagesit gained us our true freedom. It was a document that was written and signed on July 4th, 1776. The men that signed such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson told the colonists that this was a sign of them splitting from Great Britain and becoming an independent nation thus being called the United States of America. The document was then sent over to Great Britain for King George to read. This possibly could have caused even more hostility between the colonists and Great Britain because of ho wRead MoreWhat Was The Cause Of The American Revolution?1705 Words   |  7 PagesBritain’s selfish action that made the American colonies suffer from Britain s problem. 3: The Americans were not being sensible and unwilling to compromise for the greater good. 1: Britain, what do you mean by compromise? 3: After the French-Indian war, we were in need of money because our funds were spent helping the Indians. Because of the grave debt that we were in, we decided that we would tax the colonies in order for us to regain some of our economic prowess. 2: Speaking on behalf of AmericaRead MoreThomas Paine s Common Sense1591 Words   |  7 Pagesfavor of a monarchy to rule over Britain because, he states, â€Å"†¦there is something ridiculous in the composition of a monarchy.† Paine’s ideal form of government would be a representative democracy that gives roughly equal weight to each colony. He also says that the sole purpose of a government is to protect life, liberty, and property, and a government should solely be judged on the extent to which it accomplishes these goals. Paine believes that Britain has never really been a part of aRead MoreEssay on Revolutionary characters1294 Words   |  6 Pagescommercially based society. Now this process helped shaped the colonies culture of â€Å"civility† because the colonists were never hunters. When the colonists got to the North America they already knew that their society was going to stem from agriculture. That is what happened in the southern colonies. These colonies produced tobacco, indigo, and rice. Then after a large period of agricultural growth in the southern colonies the northern colonies started to produce raw materials to trade back to EnglandRead MoreAnalysis of Paines Common Sense and Chalmers Plain Truth: A Reflection of Sentiments Regarding Independence815 Words   |  3 Pagesperiod in our nations history. The thirteen colonies were not of one mind on the subject of whether or not they wanted independence from England. There were strong opinions to support views on either si de. As we can see by looking closely at each of these primary sources, emotions ran high on both sides. Thomas Paine Paines viewpoint is stated strongly and unequivocally. He believes that the only way the thirteen colonies can thrive is to obtain their independence from Great Britain. He statesRead MoreWhat the Stamp Act Really Meant Essay1639 Words   |  7 PagesThe central thesis of my paper is the Stamp Act and how it was brought about and what it meant to the American Colonies. As well as why it was necessary. February 6th, 1765 George Grenville came forth in Parliament to propose his Stamp Bill. Not knowing that it would forever be a significant part of history. The Act was a tax on every piece of printed paper the colony used. Including, legal documents, licenses, and even playing cards. The tax also had to be paid with British currency. Colonial paperRead MoreAnalysis of Thomas Paine ´s Pamphlet, Common Sense846 Words   |  3 PagesRevolutionary War. Common Sense, a pamphlet, can be credited as to inciting the American Colonies to revolt against Great Britain. However, how could a mere pamphlet concerning such a complex and complicated issue ignite The United States to a major turning point? By focusing on trade sanctions imposed on the United States by Great Britain and insisting the United States could have a better Navy than Great Britain while writing in an easy to read style that emphasizes key words by capitalizing or italicizing

Mannerism Free Essays

According to Wikipedia Encycolpedia, â€Å"mannerism is the term applied to an artistic style, usually painting, which emerged after the Sack of Rome in 1527, and in concept of time immediately followed the High Renaissance.† Simon Watson Taylor identified mannerism as, â€Å"The artistic expression of an epoch, the artistic style which prevailed in the art of all Europe for roughly one hundred years.† Simon Watson Taylor also added, â€Å"The mannerist period was perhaps the richest and most diverse period in the whole history of European painting. We will write a custom essay sample on Mannerism or any similar topic only for you Order Now † During this particular period of time, mannerist art brought forth many talented artists, with great imaginations, who traveled and worked the cities and courts throughout Europe. Michelangelo was a very well known Renaissance artist. As stated in Understanding Art 8th Edition, â€Å"Renaissance art is a return to the realistic depiction of nature through keen observation.† Michelangelo is known for his paintings, sculptures, architecture, and poetry. During the course of his lifetime, Michelangelo actually had two biographies published, one of which was written by Giorgio Vasari. As stated in Wikipedia Encycolpedia, Giorgio Vasari had this to say about Michelangelo, â€Å"He was a pinnacle of all artistic achievement since the beginning of the Renaissance, a viewpoint that continued to have currency in art history for centuries.† Giorgio Vasari also wrote, â€Å"That throughout his lifetime, Michelangelo was often referred to as Il Divino meaning ‘the divine one’, an appropriate sobriquet given his intense spirituality.† In addition, Giorgio Vasari said, â€Å"One of the qualities most admired by his contemporaries was his terribilità  , a sense of awe-inspiring grandeur, and it was the attempts of subsequent artists to imitate Michelangelo’s impassioned and highly personal style that resulted in the movement of mannerism.† The Geometric period technically lasted for about two centuries early on in Greek history. However, the Renaissance artists did enjoy incorporating geometrical shapes into their artwork, with the help from the figures in their paintings. Leonardo da Vinci is also another famous Renaissance artist, who used geometric shapes within his artwork. In the painting, â€Å"Madonna of the Rocks† Leonardo da Vinci arranged the figures so that they were in a pyramidal structure. According to Understanding Art 8th Edition, â€Å"several characteristics separate mannerist art from the art of the Renaissance and Baroque periods: distortion and elongation of figures; flattened, almost two-dimensional space; lack of a defined focal point; and the use of discordant pastel hues.† Michelangelo, a true Renaissance man from the Renaissance era, created countless masterpieces. Jacopo da Pontormo, a representative of early mannerism, also created many beautiful pieces of artwork. Comparing Michelangelo’s painting â€Å"The Last Judgment† to Jacopo da Pontormo’s painting â€Å"Entombment†, there is a definite feel of three-dimensional space added to Michelangelo’s painting. The figures have dark outlines and shadows to help with the effect of the three-dimensional space. According to Understanding Art 8th Edition, â€Å"Jacopo da Pontormo’s figures are pressed against the picture plane, moving within a very limited space.† Michelangelo’s  figures have the appearance of weightlessness, while Jacopo da Pontormo’s figures appear to push out towards the edges of the painting. The figures in â€Å"The Last Judgment† are extremely realistic looking, as if an actual human being is sitting inside the painting. While, in â€Å"Entombment† the figures are slightly distorted. Their faces all have the same timid, surprised type look to them, but that could be because the figures eyebrows are arched fairly high. The differences between the two styles are incredible. As stated in Understanding Art 8th Edition, â€Å"mannerist artists abandoned copying directly from nature and copied art instead. Works then became ‘secondhand’ views of nature.† However, it is quite intriguing that the mannerist artists did in fact change the style of painting to make it their own. Or possibly another idea would be, maybe the mannerist artists could not paint as realistic as Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci, and that is why the paintings turned out the way that they did. Nevertheless, it is stated in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, â€Å"After the realistic depiction of the human form and the mastery of perspective achieved high Renaissance Classicism, some artists started to deliberately distort proportions in disjointed, irrational space for emotional and artistic effect.† Both styles are extremely beautiful; however, the mannerist art style is completely unique from that of   the Renaissance artwork. The mannerist artistic style did not fail because the artists had realized that there were a wide range of facial expressions that could be used in their paintings. None of which were ever considered wrong or untrue to the human figures depicted in the paintings, it is just considered different. Therefore, the mannerist artist soon figured out that the styles were unlimited. Simon Watson Taylor wrote, â€Å"Parmigianino, Jacopo da Pontormo, Rosso Fiorentino, Angelo Bronzino, and the others are artists who cultivate style, who place the accent less on what they are saying than on the manner of saying it.† In addition, Simon Watson Taylor said, â€Å"The elongation of the human figure and the use of the serpentine line were not confined solely to Parmigianino, Jacopo da Pontormo, and Angelo Bronzino. They were also characteristic traits of the School of Fontainebleau. This tendency is strong in the works of El Greco in Spain.† According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, â€Å"The works of the School of Fontainebleau are characterized by the extensive use of stucco, moldings and picture frames, and frescos, and elaborate, and often mysterious, system of allegories and mythological iconography.† The School of Fontainebleau influenced many French artists who had worked with the Italian artists, through the mannerist artistic style. Domà ©nicos Theotocà ³poulos, who always wrote his name in Greek letters, had changed his name to El Greco, meaning â€Å"the Greek†. El Greco did quite a bit of traveling throughout his life. He had decided that Toledo was going to be his home. According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, El Greco had this to say about Michelangelo, â€Å"He was a good man, but he did not know how to paint.† What an interesting comment. El Greco is essentially in debt to Michelangelo for his beautiful pieces of artwork, which resulted in the mannerist movement. Each artist has his or her own artistic style, but that does not mean that a famous, talented artist, such as Michelangelo, cannot paint just because he does not feel that color is the most important element in painting. Bibliography Fichner-Rathus, Lois. Understanding Art 8th Edition. The College of New Jersey, Copyright 2007. Page numbers 352, and 378-379. Taylor, Simon Watson. Mannerism: The Painting and Style of the Late Renaissance. Braziller. New York, 1964. Page numbers 23-27   Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. Mannerism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannerism How to cite Mannerism, Essay examples Mannerism Free Essays Mannerism in art characterized by the distortion of elements such as proportion and space, in general Mannerist artists took the classical or idealized forms developed by Italian Renaissance artist of the early 16th century, but exaggerated or used these forms in unconventional ways in order to heighten tension, power, emotion, or elegance. Italian artist in Florence and Rome were the first ones to begin working in the Mannerist style around 1520. Mannerist typically painted figures using contorted or twisting poses and foreshortening, a technique for achieving the illusion of forms projecting into space. We will write a custom essay sample on Mannerism or any similar topic only for you Order Now In many Mannerist painting proportions appear stretched, so that figures have elongated torsos, necks, or other features, and the illusion of space is unrealistic, with sharp jumps from foreground to background rather than gradual transition. Some examples of Mannerist are the portraits by Bronzino that are distinguished by chilly elegance, perfunctory realism, and meticulous attention to detail. Another example is from Jacopo Tintoretto’s Last Supper by taking Jesus and the table out of the middle of the room. He showed all that was happening. In sickly, disorienting colors he painted a scene of confusion that somehow separated the angels from the real world. He had removed the world from God’s reach. Mannerist is related to Catholic religion, the religious turmoil caused by Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation was one of the factors that served to indirectly stimulate Mannerism in the late Renaissance. I think Mannerism is a good thing because painters can express what they feel and project that in a painting or a building. How to cite Mannerism, Papers

Human Computer Interaction and Ticketing System

Question: Discuss about the Human Computer Interaction and Ticketing System. Answer: Introduction Light Rail Transit is the localized Automated Guideway Transit Syetms those act as the feeder services towards the heavy rail mass rapid transit that together with the Light Rail Transit forms the core of the rail transport services of Singapore (Al-Mosaind, Dueker and Strathman 2012). LRT utilizes the similar ticketing system as MRT or the Mass Rapid Transit. However, this ticketing system has faced few issues due to which it could not be able to provide an efficient service to the daily passengers (Schumacher 2015). Therefore, this project proposal is aimed to be implemented in this context to evaluate the new ticketing system for the Light Rail Transit. Thus, this proposal focuses of the process of identification of both of the strengths as well as weaknesses of the conventional ticketing system of the Light Rail Transit. Based on those strengths and weaknesses, this proposal is also aimed to evaluate the existing system by utilizing the evaluation techniques. On the other hand, t his proposal is also aimed for analyzing the result or the outcome from the process of evaluation that would be performed. Problem Statement This research would be conducted to evaluate the contemporary LRT Ticketing System. The reason of performing this particular research is to provide the vision regarding the issues in regards to the conventional Ticketing system of the Light Rail Transit. Therefore, this research is aimed to provide an effective resolution in order to overcome the cons of the ticketing system of the Light Rail Transit. Objectives There are few significant objectives of this particular research based on which, the entire research would be conducted on the Light Rail Network Transit Ticketing System. These are as follows: To recognize as well as specify the weaknesses as well as strengths of the system from the actual users. To assess as well as evaluate the system by utilizing the effective techniques of evaluation To analyze the result from the process of evaluation Ticketing System of Light Rail Network In case of the Ticketing system of the Light Rail Network, stations are segmented mainly two areas such as unpaid and paid (Cao and Schoner 2014). It permits the rail operators for collecting the fares by restricting the entrance just with the help of the fare gates (Dziauddin, Alvanides and Powe 2013). It is also known as the access control gates. These kinds of gates are linked with the computer network that can update as well as read the electronic tickets. On the other hand, these are also capable of storing data (Seo, Golub and Kuby 2014). Apart from that, this kind of ticketing system can also store the details or the information like the destination as well as the initial stations and the duration of every trip (Boarnetet al., 2013). The general machines of ticketing sell the tickets for the single trips for allowing the customers for buying the extra value for the stored value tickets. In case of this Light Rail Transit, the ticketing system utilizes the EZ-Link Smart Card wh ich is contactless as well as a standard single trip ticket (Cao 2013). In other words, this particular system utilizes the NETS FlashPay and EZ-Link contactless smart cards depending on the Symphony for e-Payment System for the public transit (Dziauddin, Powe and Alvanides 2015). This kind of ticketing in Light Rail Transit can permit for up to 4 issuers of card in the market (Brownet al., 2015). Strengths and Weaknesses of the LRT ticketing system As a result of the conducted research, the major strength as well as the significant weaknesses have been found (Linet al., 2016). As per the strength of this particular ticketing system of the Light Rail Transit, it permits the rail operators for collecting the fares by restricting the entrance just with the help of the fare gates. These kinds of ticketing system are able to store data (Jaroszynski and Brown 2014). On the other hand, this particular ticketing system of the Light Rail Transit also has a major weakness (Seo, Golub and Kuby 2014). The problem is that the Automated Fare Collection System software cannot be able to run successfully and effectively (Dziauddin, Powe and Alvanides 2015). It has the problem with its level of efficiency. Due to such weakness, there had been an issue with the ticket of the Light Rail Transit after P100 stored value ticket didnt work (Boarnetet al., 2013). Effectiveness of New Ticketing System Implementation The Light Rail Transit has faced a severe problem in their ticketing system. The Automated Fare Collection System software was failed to properly work in the ticketing system (Cao 2013). There as per the result of this research, it can be stated that the Light Rail Transit should take an immediate step in order to overcome such shortcoming of the ticketing system. In order to do so, Light Rail Transit has taken a decision regarding the implementation of the unified ticketing system (Dziauddin, Powe and Alvanides 2015). This new ticketing system of the Light Rail Transit can be utilized with the Light Rail Transit Line 2 wherein the people can their tickets as well as these tickets can easily be tapped over the machine. Apart from that, there is no need for inserting (Al-Mosaind, Dueker and Strathman 2012). The unified ticketing system is the contactless system or it is simply a Tap and Go system (Jaroszynski and Brown 2014). Therefore, there is less insertion necessary, while the sim ple tapping process is not likely like breakdown like the old system through which the card is inserted (Schumacher 2015). New Project Scope Proposed As per the scope of this particular new ticketing system of Light Rail Transit, it can be stated that new Ticketing system that is going to be implemented can resolve the problem of the conventional ticketing system of the Light Rail Transit (Brownet al., 2015). Thus, the major advantage with the Unified Ticketing system is that this particular system is able to solve the issues encountered in the Automated Fare Collection System software (Jaroszynski and Brown 2014). The new ticketing systemof Light Rail Transit can provide the scope that the unified ticketing system can be utilized with the Light Rail Transit Line 2 wherein the people can their tickets as well as these tickets can easily be tapped over the machine (Al-Mosaind,, Dueker and Strathman 2012). On the other hand, in this new ticketing system, there is no need for inserting the tickets. Apart from that, there would also be the reloadable cards those are of the amounts about P20. In addition, the unified ticketing system i s the contactless system or it is simply a Tap and Go system (Dziauddin, Alvanides and Powe 2013). Thus, there is the less scope of requiring insertion, while the simple tapping process is not likely like breakdown such as the old system through which the card is inserted. User Profiling User profiling is the process to identify the data regarding the domain of user interest. In the current scenario of this particular research, it can easily be stated that the user profiling of the new ticketing of the Light Rail Transit can have the two significant as well as essential aspects (Schumacher 2015). On of those aspects is the efficiently knowing about the customers (Brownet al., 2015). On the other hand, another aspect is based on the recommending items of the interest of the customer. Thus, major customers of this particular newly implemented ticketing system of the light rail transit are the normal people in Singapore (Jaroszynski and Brown 2014). On the other side, as per the other aspect of the user profiling that is the recommending items of the interest of the customer, it can be stated that the customers of light rail transit wants a flexible ticketing system, which can provide them an efficient service while they are in hurry (Cao and Schoner 2014). The customer has faced few problems encountered as a result of the issues in the Automated Fare Collection System software (Lin et al., 2016). Thus, by concerning the problems faced by the customers, the unified ticketing system is going to be implemented in Light Rail Transit in order to overcome the problems with the conventional ticketing system. Conclusion After the entire discussion made in this project proposal, it can easily be stated that this project can become successful analyzing the impact as well as effectiveness of the new ticketing system of the Light Rail Transit. This proposal has successfully provided the vision regarding the opportunities of the new ticketing system of the Light Rail Transit over its conventional ticke`ting system. Most important part of it is that, the entire analysis of the effectiveness of this new ticketing system of LRT has been done by doing proper user profiling so that the user concern can be considered during the decision making to proceed with the entire project. References Al-Mosaind, M.A., Dueker, K.J. and Strathman, J.G., 2012.Light-rail transit stations and property values: a hedonic price approach(No. 1400). Boarnet, M.G., Hong, A., Lee, J., Wang, X., Wang, W., Houston, D. and Spears, S., 2013. The Exposition Light Rail Line Study: A Before-and-After Study of the Impact of New Light Rail Transit Service.Research monograph at available https://trid. trb. org/view. aspx. Brown, B.B., Werner, C.M., Tribby, C.P., Miller, H.J. and Smith, K.R., 2015. Transit use, physical activity, and body mass index changes: objective measures associated with complete street light-rail construction.American journal of public health,105(7), pp.1468-1474. Cao, J., 2013. The association between light rail transit and satisfactions with travel and life: evidence from Twin Cities.Transportation,40(5), pp.921-933. Cao, X.J. and Schoner, J., 2014. The influence of light rail transit on transit use: An exploration of station area residents along the Hiawatha line in Minneapolis.Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice,59, pp.134-143. Dziauddin, M.F., Alvanides, S. and Powe, N., 2013. Estimating the effects of light rail transit (LRT) system on the property values in the Klang Valley, Malaysia: A hedonic house price approach.Jurnal Teknologi,61(1). Dziauddin, M.F., Powe, N. and Alvanides, S., 2015. Estimating the effects of light rail transit (LRT) system on residential property values using geographically weighted regression (GWR).Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy,8(1), pp.1-25. Jaroszynski, M. and Brown, J., 2014. Do Light Rail Transit Planning Decisions Affect Metropolitan Transit Performance? Examination of Eight US Metropolitan Areas with Light Rail Transit Backbones.Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, (2419), pp.50-62. Lin, X., Dersch, M.S., Edwards, J.R. and Ruppert Jr, C., 2016. Load Quantification for Light Rail, Heavy Rail, and Commuter Rail Transit Infrastructure. InProceedings: Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting. Schumacher, R., 2015. LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT. InProceedings of the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Forum. Seo, K., Golub, A. and Kuby, M., 2014. Combined impacts of highways and light rail transit on residential property values: A spatial hedonic price model for Phoenix, Arizona.Journal of Transport Geography,41, pp.53-62.

History Of Computing Devices (computers) Essays - Office Equipment

History of Computing Devices (computers) By:Daniel Habay In order to see why we invented computers we must look at how they WERE used and how they ARE used today. One of the first major uses of computers was to aid mathematical pursuits. As computers went along they added to the fields of science and literature. Computers also filled a need, the need to be lazy. It was once said that the perfect combination was laziness and intelligence. I believe in that because you can see how computers are being used today. We use them in Auto factories, basic cleaning, and other menial tasks. I will show you how computers have progressed along and today how they are used to the benefit of everyone in pursuits of math, literature, and science. The first computing device was a digital one. I am speaking of the human hand. Fingers being Digits, thus into the digital computer. This type of computing device was easily accessible but was limited in the sense that it could not go beyond 10. Later on someone came up with the brilliant idea of using smooth pebbles in a container or notches on a sick or bone. A while after that someone came up with the idea to use compressed plant fibers and burnt wood and in doing so they created a familiar counting device all by themselves, they had created the paper and pencil combination that is still used today. A while after that a clay table with grooves in it was used as a calculating device. Smooth pebbles, stones, or clay marbles were placed in the grooves and rolled from one side of the groove to the other to simulate movement of the numbers. A while after that someone came up with the idea of drilling holes or using beads along a string to simulate the movement of numbers. A long time l ater after a stagnation of about 2000 years, a device known as "Napier's bones" was invented by John Napier, the creator of logarithms. These devices aided calculation tremendously as they turned multiplication and division into simple addition and subtraction. A while after that a man by the name of Blaise Pascal invented his "calculating machine". This machine was limited to only addition and subtraction.

Lincoln Douglas Debates

Lincoln Douglas Debates Lincoln Douglas debates are those debates between Stephen Douglas, who held the position of a Senator as a Democratic Party candidate, and Abraham Lincoln, who was the Republican candidate for Senate in Illinois. These two leaders were contesting for election into the U.S. Senate in 1858. Lincoln was opposing Douglas who wanted to be reelected. The two leaders were competing for control over Illinois legislature. The main topic that was argued in these debates was slavery.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lincoln Douglas Debates specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Douglas was not popular on one hand while on the other hand Lincoln was popular since he had held campaigns earlier. They held seven main debates in their campaigns. One of the debates was held at Washington Square, Ottawa. They also held another debate in Freeport where more than 15,000 people attended (Lincoln-Douglas Debates 2). Other debates were held at Co les County Fairgrounds, Union County Fairgrounds, Broadway and Market Street, Old Main, and Washington Park. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas believed in opposing ideas. According to Lincoln, freedom and slavery can never be compatible (Murrin et al 549). In other words, Lincoln believed that there is no way we could have freedom and at the same time we have slavery. Each can only prevail at a time. This was the main theme for debates between Douglas and Lincoln in 1858. In his campaigns, Lincoln used a common slogan that â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand.† (Murrin et al 549). He was implying that the sitting government could not prevail any longer. In other words, Lincoln argued that since the prevailing government system was half freedom and half slavery, it could not last permanently. It was about to collapse. These two opposing systems are unsustainable within the same government. There was a fraction of the people who were advocating for legalization o f slavery in all the states. On the other hand, the republicans were against slavery since they thought it was not feasible with freedom. They wanted to combat slavery completely. Lincoln commented that their aim was to avoid the growth of slavery as well as placing it in a situation where the public would be free and confident that it would never haunt them once more (Murrin et al 549). In reaction to this, Douglas questioned Lincoln’s argument that slavery cannot coexist with freedom. Douglas commented that he didn’t know the reason which could prevent a country from surviving with both freedom and slavery since the same had already survived for 70years (Murrin et al 549). Douglas explained that Lincoln’s argument was not realistic since it would trigger the Southern people to withdraw from the stable union. He commented that although he was not advocating for slavery, the people from the Southern states opted for it and thus it was their right to have it (Mur rin et al 549).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In their heated debate, Lincoln questioned Douglas on the legality of his arguments. Lincoln asked Douglas whether there could be any way through which slavery couldn’t exist without violating the then constitution (Nicolay 90). Douglas responded that this could happen. People have a legal right to include or exclude slavery. According to Douglas, slavery could not exist unless supported by the police. In their debates, Douglas argued that freeing of slaves in Illinois imply equality of all the people despite their race. By abolishing slavery, the Negroes would enjoy the rights and privileges of the citizenship. On raising this statement, the crowd showed a lot of opposition to the situation where Negroes would enjoy equal rights with the natives. In response to Douglas’s claims, Lincoln commented that he was neithe r advocating for political nor the social equality of races. He argued that â€Å"ultimate extinction† cannot take place abruptly; slaves have to emigrate from the country† (Murrin et al 549). In their debates, Lincoln and Douglas were differing in their views concerning the blacks who were mostly slaves. Lincoln advocated for the blacks while Douglas was against them. Lincoln argued that the blacks must be allowed to enjoy the natural rights which had been proposed through the declaration of independence. Every person had the right to liberty and slavery was a violation of the black’s liberty. Lincoln thought that there was no way this declaration could be adhered to with prevalence of slavery. Lincoln criticized Douglas for showing less concern on the issue of slavery. In fact, Douglas claimed that he was not looking forward to seeing slavery come to an end. He insisted that this arrangement had to survive for the sake of the southern states. The prevailing sol idarity among the states would be interfered with in case slavery institution was abolished. In conclusion, this discussion has clearly analyzed Lincoln Douglas debates of 1858. The central theme of their debates as already seen was slavery. The two candidates used this as a slogan in their campaigns. Lincoln thought that the prevailing government where Douglas was the leader could not last since it integrated slavery and freedom. On the other hand, Douglas proposed that such a government could continue to survive since it had survived in the previous 70 years. Lincoln-Douglas Debates. â€Å"Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858.† Illinoiscivilwar, 2007. 24 Feb. 2011. illinoiscivilwar.org/debates.htmlAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lincoln Douglas Debates specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Murrin, John et al. Liberty, Equality, Power, a History of the American People. 5th ed. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2007. Nicolay , G. John. Abraham Lincoln: A History, Volume 2. Middlesex: Echo Library, 2007.

Not sure Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Not sure - Research Proposal Example This was a triggering event for me, and I decided to research more. My research gave me a lot of literature about the mechanics of the SLR camera, and its preferred advantages over other forms of camera. I also gained a lot of resource material on the different brands of SLR and digital SLR (DSLR). However, when I was viewing the disadvantages of SLR I found out that one of the disadvantages of the SLR is that the mirror system can cause noise. I researched more on it, but could not get enough information. One of the reasons why noise came into the images was because of the thermal effect. Therefore it struck me if using a sensor cooling system in consumer grade DSLRs can reduce noise. I tried to find more literature if such cooling sensors are being used in consumer grade models. There was some information available on the usage of CCD sensors in DSLR for use in astrophotography; however, there was no literature or trial models in the market which used cooling systems for SLR in consumer grade models. Therefore I decided to base my research on the scope of developing a consumer grade SLR that integrated cooling systems to reduce noise. My research paper reviews the DSLR mechanics, and its merits and demerits over other forms of cameras. In the later part, the paper explores the science behind noise, and how it is overcome. It then goes on to justify that why cooling sensors can decrease noise. The paper outlines an experiment that could be performed in order to assess if cooling sensors can decrease noise. The paper also provides safety precautions that need to be taken and the scope, if the experiment is successful, of such DSLR models in the market for cameras today. As mentioned above, one of the disadvantages of consumer-grade DSLR is that the signal to noise ratio is high. Therefore the experiment is designed to investigate how one a certain type of sensor can reduce this ratio. The first step

Principles of Employment Relations in Australia Essay

Principles of Employment Relations in Australia - Essay Example Over the past about twenty years, many nations have experienced a wide spread change and as such, the current theories are not a clear conceptual lens of understanding these changes. Australia has also experienced these changes since 1983. Industrial relations researchers have been doing a wonderful job in this sector, making critical observation like the transformation that has been experienced over the past 20 years or so. The theories of the Industrial relations are connected to the real world as they attempt to find logic from the natural human social behaviour and help to comprehend the consistent human real life activities (Allan et al 2008). Each human activity is identified in terms of theory, social context, experience and practice. Theories are perceived differently in the real life situation implying that these could be very different circumstances for instance the work of a shop Stewart and a human resource manager. Basically there are five main theories of industrial relations that have been explained by Industrial relations researchers (Allan et al 2008). These theories include Unitary, Conflict, Systems, and social action. Under this theory, an organization or a firm is v... The organizations management team and the workforce work together to meet the same goals and mutual respect and cooperation are emphasized here (Allan et al 2008). The main feature of this theory is the common purpose that the management and staff work to meet and the mutual cooperation that is emphasised in meeting these objectives. The stronghold of this theory is the fact that the trade union can be rendered useless as the organization has already established loyalty between workers and itself and this relationship is mutually exclusive. The whole industry is visualised as one and not as two sides where any conflict is treated as a disruptive and a consequence of agitators, poor communication and interpersonal problems. The organization is integrated in one harmonious firm and each worker identifies with the common organizational goal. There is not conflict of interest as the owners of capital are partners for effective production, good salaries and wages and good profits as well (Alexander et al 2008) Such kinds of operations have weaknesses in that, the workforce cannot challenge the managers' decision and trade unions are perceived as intruders to the existing unity and organizational structure. The existing trade unions become competitors to the workers loyalty. Unitary theory does not appreciate conflict as this is perceived as interpersonal friction, incitation, failure to understand communality and faulty communication (Allan et al 2008). Neo unitarism is a variant of the unitary theory (unitarism); this theory gets the workers to provide better production by human resource management tactics. Conflict Theory Many scholars believe that the theory of conflict bases its roots on the beliefs of Karl Marx and his Marxism theory. This theory

Monopoly and Microsoft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Monopoly and Microsoft - Essay Example As will be demonstrated in this brief analytical response, it is the belief of this author that an monopoly, regardless of its shape, size, or form, is ultimately destructive to the market and harmful to the end consumer (Kapoor, 2009). As such, the case of Microsoft and a discussion of economic theory, as well as the behavior that Microsoft has indicated over the past several decades, will be engaged as a means of understanding this particular approach. Furthermore, it is the hope of this author that the reader will come to a more profound level of understanding with respect to the fact that monopolies are ultimately harmful and do not represent a net benefit to the society as a whole (figures 1 and 2 within the appendix of this brief work demonstrate the harm that a monopoly can have with regards to increased prices paid by the end consumer). Monopoly and Microsoft: In understanding the monopoly that Windows has on the user experience of operating a PC, one should not only look to the way in which the firm dominates the operating system itself. Instead, a quick consideration of recent history reveals that Microsoft has long cultivated the monopoly that it now holds (Ohlhausen, 2004). For instance, Microsoft purposefully packaged Internet Explorer within Windows 95 and after as a means of decreasing the market presence and overall level of profitability that Netscape could have in the market (Gisser, 2011). As this was an effective tool towards decreasing competition, and Microsoft soon learned the benefit of packaged software’s ability to further define the market that it had already captured, much the same technique was employed with regards to the audio/video player of Windows Media Player (Vogelstein, 2004). Realizing the a litany of different startups were threatening to take market share from Microsoft, the same strategy of packaging Windows Media Player into the operating system as a means of integrating the product with what can only be describe d as a captive market (Greene et al. ,2004). As can be firmly noted, the monopolistic model of competition is ultimately harmful to the market and to the consumer. The only entity that benefits from such a model is obviously the producer. As figure 1 and figure 2 both denote, a certain level of deadweight loss is portended by the monopoly. As a graphical representation helps the reader to understand, this deadweight loss is actually stolen from the equilibrium price and demand; thereby making the good under monopolistic competition greatly higher priced than it would be in normal competition. As previously denoted, this in and of itself is engaged by the monopoly seller as a means of incurring further profits. Figure 1: Figure 2: Microsoft’s Approach to Profitability and the Engagement of the Monopoly as a Function of Capitalist Drive Likewise, in seeking to understand the approach that Microsoft has engaged, it can only be defined as one that is bounded by rational self inte rest in the sense of continuing to accrue further levels of profitability and continue to integrate into further markets (Cohen et al., 1999). Even a cursory review into the current time does not reveal a Microsoft that allows its fate to be pinned upon the success or failure of an operating system; rather, when one looks at the face of Microsoft, one can see a firm that has recently expanded to purchase a controlling

Impact of Icebreaker Tasks on ESL Speaking Ability

Impact of Icebreaker Tasks on ESL Speaking Ability CHAPTERÂ   Background and Purpose Introduction Speaking is the most demanding skill among English learners and over the past decades, increasing interest in different aspects of improving speaking ability has triggered a variety of investigations, and theoretical discussions that have shed light on improving this ability. Icebreakers will be used in this study to improve speaking ability in adult upper-intermediate EFL learners. Ice breaking means breaking the ice between learners and using ice breakers to encourage students to interact all together. Statement of Problem The lack of proper speaking activities to improve oral production in adult EFL students of upper-intermediate level, results in a poor performance when speaking. This project expects to find valuable information that contributes to overcome the problems adult EFL students of upper-intermediate level face when speaking in the target language in the classroom. Theoretical Framework Speaking skill is as crucial as any other language skills. Shumin (1997) states that learning to speak a foreign language requires more than knowing its grammar and vocabulary. Learners should acquire the skill through interaction with each other. However, it is difficult for EFL learners to speak appropriate English in the classroom because of the limited language use in their real lives. Ice breakers are discussion questions or interaction activities used to help participants relax and ease in learning situation (Dover, 2004). The primary goal for an ice breaker is the development of an environment that is anxiety reducing and, which allows individuals to break the ice or get acquainted with having fun. Pillai (2007) mentions the purpose of ice breakers as helping new and shy students strike a conversation, developing communication skills and team building, breaking cultural barriers among students, promoting a sense of trust and friendship between students, encouraging students, and preparing them to learn by stimulating their minds and/or their bodies. Forbes-Greene (1984) defines icebreakers as tools that enable students to foster interaction, encourage creative thinking, challenge basic assumptions, explain new concepts, and introduce specific material. According to Varvel (2002) ice breaker is an activity used to help individual ease into the group setting. Also, Wright (1999) defines ice breaker as opening communication among students as between teacher and students. Jenkins (2011) argues that ice breaker should be dynamic and simple so as to satisfy students need to establish an appropriate social relationship with other students and teachers and also preview the style and content of the classroom event. According to Sapp (2007) principles of successful ice breakers are as follows: Simple Non-threatening Open ended Relevant Energizing Witkowski (2000) states that some elements should be considered in designing an appropriate ice breaker in the classroom. He listed these elements as follow: Objective Audience Time management Control As a matter of fact, we can say that how well students do in class depends mostly on how well teacher breaks the ice between them. From this point of view, English teachers should reconsider the methodology they can apply in their classes and try to improve their teaching ability. Purpose of the Study In terms of skills, producing a coherent and fluent piece of speech is probably the most important thing there is to do between EFL learners. The present study investigates ice breaking tasks as activities that presumed to play a role in EFL speaking classes. The first question this study tries to answer is whether or not providing students with ice braking tasks as their classroom activities will exert any impact on their speaking skill. According to Peterson (2010), beginning your lesson plans with a five-minute ice breaker can serve to focus your students on the topic, open up creative thinking and help them to apply the learning in new ways. According to Leblanc (2011) ice breaking activities will help students to turn off the outside world and focus on the task at hand. By the end of the ice breaking activity, every student will be ready to learn and being able to focus on their language lesson. Then, a teacher will reach every student and will help their students achieve their language goals. In any classroom, there always are students who are more reticent and are willing to let others do all the participating. By engaging students to take part in a low-risk, ice-breaking activity, teachers will reach every student and will help their students achieve their language goals. Based on the problems and purpose of study, the following research questions were proposed: Does providing students with ice- breaking tasks have any effect on their speaking ability? To what extent ice-breakers improve speaking? What factors can be considered in testing speaking ability of EFL learners? What is the effect of using ice-breakers in improving every factor that considered in testing learners speaking ability? What is the correlation between using ice-breaker activities and students gender? When teachers use ice- breaking as a strategy to improve oral ability in English classrooms? 1.5. Significance of the Study In the age of internet and information technology, speaking English has become so important and many EFL instructors and supervisors understand the essence of the speaking process. Learning to speak English fluently is important to most of the students. Thus, helping students to develop speaking skills is a demanding enterprise for teachers. Using a good ice breaker is important to an English language lesson, as it sets the students up for success on many different levels. According to Flanigan (2011) performing ice breaking activities in English class will help students be in the right frame of mind to learn. Also proper ice breaking activities ensure that students will get the most from their class and they will have fun. 1.6. Research Design and Methodology 1.6.1. Research Design Since real random selection of the subjects is impossible, the researcher made use of intact groups based on the results of students previous general English test scores. Therefore the design which can fit this study is the quasi-experimental design with the pre-test, post-test pattern. In the current study ice breakers are the independent variable and speaking is the dependent variable. Thus the effectiveness of ice breakers, the amount of improvement, factors that can be considered in testing speaking ability, and effect of using icebreakers in every factor will be analyzed quantitatively by data analysis of pre-test and post-test, and qualitatively by analyzing teachers view point about the usefulness of ice-breakers. 1.6.2. Setting and Participants After administering the sample speaking IELTS test, on the basis of the result, 100 students, whose homogeneities is confirmed-will be selected and divided into two groups ,one as the control group and the other one as the experimental group. Coming from different departments such as Science, History, Literature, Computer Science and Civil Engineering, Both groups will attend English classes two times a week throughout the semester (about 18 sessions, 3hours each session). 1.6.3. Data Collection Instruments For collecting data, two instruments have been used in this study. The first ones are different kind of ice breakers that have been gathered from related standard sources. The second instrument is interview with teachers. As we will explain latter, it will elaborate in order to identify some aspects related to the teachers’ point of view about the usefulness of ice-breakers in upper-mediate level, and the students reaction to these kinds of activities. 1.6.4. Data Analysis As it was mentioned earlier, there is a six fold purpose that will promote the present study. This research is mainly an attempt (a) to examine the probable effect of ice breakers on the speaking ability of EFL students at upper-intermediate language proficiency level, (b) to investigate the amount of ice breakers effect, (c) to investigate factors that are considered in testing speaking (d) study the effect of using ice-breakers in improving every factor,(e) measure the correlation between using ice-breaker activities and students gender,and (f) the conditions in which the teachers use ice breakers to cope with reticence in oral English language classrooms. Data for this study obtained from pre-test, post-test, and interview with teachers. Then in order to do statistical analysis, the SPSS software is used. 1.7. Limitation and Delimitations of the Study 1.7.1. Limitations As many other studies, this study suffers from some limitations, those conditions beyond the control of the researcher that may place restrictions on the conclusions of the study and their application to other situations (Best Kahn, 1989, p.38). It seems that the following factors have limited this study in one way or another: 1. As a matter of fact, in order to give every single member of a population an equal chance to be included in the sample, random sampling is needed. Yet the type of sampling, which was employed in this study was the available group selection, i.e. instead of individual subject selection, there was group selection. 2. Subjects social classes were certainly ignored as well. 3. Teachers age, gender, and social class were ignored, too. 4. The number of subjects was limited to 100 and the extension of the experiment was limited to one term. 5. The generalizability to other language proficiency levels needs further research. 1.7.2. Delimitation In order to meet the criterion of manageability and to permit a satisfactory analysis of the results, narrowing down and delimiting the problems in any study have proved to be inevitable. This study is no exception; therefore, through a number of delimitations, the researcher tried to set the boundaries of this study: 1. What this study aims to investigate is the impact of ice-breakers on speaking ability of EFL Turkish students, not on any other aspect of their proficiency. 2. The participants were chosen from amongst the male and female undergraduate Turkish learners who are improving their English level in the American Culture Institute in Erzurum. 3. To reduce the subject anxiety during the speaking, the examiner was the students own teacher. 1.8. Outline of the Study Chapter one provides a general introduction to the study. In this chapter the purpose of the study, research questions, hypotheses, and limitations of the study were discussed and key terms were defined. In chapter two, the researcher reviews the literature related to the theoretical and empirical background to speaking, ice-breakers, and their effects and functions. Chapter three deals with methodological issues such as participants, data collection, procedures, research questions and hypotheses, etc. Chapter four is concerned with data analysis and discussion of the results. In the final chapter, we draw some conclusions from our analysis, discuss conclusive results, and provide implications for further research.

Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal Essay -- Mexican Culture Catholicism

Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal The 1959 novel, Pocho, by Josà © Antonio Villarreal is an insightful cultural exposition told primarily from the vantage point of Richard Rubio, the coming-of-age son of immigrant Mexican parents who eventually settle in Santa Clara, California, after many seasons of migrant farm work. Although fiction, the story likely mirrors some of the experiences of the author who was born to migrant laborers in Los Angeles in 1924 and was himself a "pocho" - a child of the depression era Mexican-American transition. ("I am a Pocho," he said, "and we speak like this because here in California we make Castilian words out of English words." p 165) Such a journey was a difficult one ("...for the transition from the culture of the old world to that of the new world should never have been attempted in one generation." p 135), and Villarreal nicely employs a cross cultural bildungsroman to explore a diversity of related themes. Among the most prominent are strains of racism/classism, belonging and dislocation, death and meaning and self-identity, and sexual awakening. In a slim 187 pages the author competently weaves social commentary (via the seemingly innocent adolescent perspective) into a moving narrative that only occasionally veers toward the pedantic. Richard's father, Juan Rubio, is proud to be a Mexican and resents the Spanish people, whom he identifies as oppressors (although Juan is clearly of Spanish descent since he had "fair skin" and "blue-gray eyes" - p 1). He explains to his son, who exclaims in response to his father's prejudice, "But all your friends are Spanish!" (p 99): "That is all there is here," said Juan Rubio, "but these people are different - they are also from the lower class... ...s parents. Second, one should not, on penalty of going to Hell, discuss religion with the priests. And, last, one should not ask questions on history of the teachers, or one will be kept in after school," he said. "I do not find it in me to understand why it is this way." (p 85, 86) Author Josà © Antonio Villarreal has a dry sense of humor and, as mentioned above, does a marvelous job weaving bits of wry commentary throughout the novel. Another fun quote is when Richard's sister, Luz, demonstrates her own prejudice for the newly arrived, and darker skinned, Mexicans: "Well, they ain't got nuthin' and they don't even talk good English." (p 148) Now, 50 years after the novel was first written, the story is still relevant. It's an intriguing narrative and helpful in capturing the "double consciousness" that many Mexican-American's lived with as a matter of course.