ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Although recent econometric analysis reports on the college dropout rate in the U.S. have placed North Carolina among the few American states with a diminishing number of college dropouts, still annually the state loses millions of dollars to dropouts. For example, between the year 2006 and 2008, as approximated by the department of education, almost 23, 550 students never completed their studies to graduation. This is a clear indication that, although the state has put up tough measures to reduce the number of dropouts, there is a need for the state to increase its funding on college education. Further, as Research studies show, because of the expensive nature of college education, and because a good number of students come from families with average incomes, most parents cannot afford to pay their children’s college fees making the number of dropouts to maintain (Nealy 1). Therefore, to decrease this number and because education is one of the key factors that determine a society’s prosperity and wellbeing, it is important for North Carolina’s taxpayers to increase their support on college education. Reasons why NC Taxpayers should support education In normal life scenarios, in calculating the cost of providing college education, majority of individuals tend to overlook the benefits associated with this level of education. Yes, no one can deny that funding fully college education is one of the most expensive and taxing ventures a state can undertake. However, regardless of the expensive nature of the venture, benefits accruing from an educated society are many as compared to the cost of educating society. One of the primary benefits of an educated society is the nature of economic gains contributed by such a society. That is, not only do educated individuals in society contribute more in terms of income taxes, the majority of individuals who have settled in their careers tend to use more money in their daily undertakings. This is of great significance to the wellbeing and general development of North Carolina, as this will mean increased revenues, which are of great significance to the general wellbeing of the state. On the other hand, because of the level of expertise of most college graduates, sound education affords them a chance of getting good jobs that have good remuneration packages. Such gains are of great significance when it comes to improving the living standards of the entire society, as these individuals have to support their communities and families. Sound education can also help in alleviating the economic demands that taxpayers have to cater to, for example, increased costs of medical care. Such savings are of great importance to the general development of the entire community, as a society can divert such funds to other developmental projects In addition to economic
Introduction The role of government and the nature of people have been discussed for centuries. This paper will analyze three famous works of political philosophy that operate under the idea of a social contract. Plato’s Republic Plato proposed his work “Republic” in approximately 380 BCE. It quickly became a highly influential text of political philosophy. The text is presented as a Socratic dialogue spread over ten books. Plato covers a wide variety of ideas from justice, to government, and even what is an appropriate story for children. The first five books are the most relevant to this paper due to their focus on the utopian state that Plato proposes. Socrates talks about a “fevered state.” He presents a luxurious city with a new kind of government that focuses on a class system where a guardian class is responsible for the protection and leadership of the state (Plato 37). These guardians would need to be strictly educated from their birth to be virtuous and physically fit (Plato 68). In Plato’s opinion, because the guardian class would be the judge of the people, there would be no need for laws, and this would make it easier to run the city. Plato believed that people would feel just when they fulfill their appropriate roles while giving what they owe to the city. Plato says, “our aim in founding the State was not the disproportionate happiness of any one class, but the greatest happiness of the whole (98).” Unfortunately, I cannot see this as a viable form of government due to a multitude of reasons. Although laws can be unjust, redundant, and even malicious, they can provide a base standard of justice. Leaving everything to the judgment of the guardian class and philosopher-king is bound to provide uneven judgments because the personality and life experiences of every judge would be different. I believe Plato did not see this as a possible scenario due to his perception of education being the main decision-making factor. Overall he provides both progressive and bizarre ideas. Plato argues for the same level of education being applied to both sexes in the guardian class, which is very progressive. On the other hand, separating children from their parents in that same class just does not seem like a just action, even with his arguments. Life in this society could be fulfilling, but it is so foreign that it is hard to imagine how it would work in reality. Hobbes’ Leviathan “Leviathan” by Thomas Hobbes was first published in 1951. It proposes a similar state united by a social contract. Named after a great sea beast of the Bible, it describes a commonwealth ruled by a sovereign power with the absolu
Introduction Marketers need to take interest in changing consumer lifestyle and buyer behaviour because these two elements facilitate a deeper understanding of the consumer. Consequently, communicating and convincing markets to purchase one’s products can become more effective if these two issues are properly understood. Buying behaviour is critical to businesses because it allows marketers to determine how purchasers think and choose from a wide range of product packages available to them (Donnely & Peter). The link between these two factors is founded on the premise that consumer’s personalities are mostly illustrated through their purchasing behaviour. Therefore, divergent personalities lead to divergent buying decisions or similar ones depending on the reasoning behind the decision making process. While consumer lifestyle affects buying behaviour, one must not assume that the former remains static. Indeed several social, political and economic factors come together to alter lifestyle trends. It is therefore critical to analyse how changing consumer lifestyle is affecting buying behaviour. The literature review will therefore focus on how changing consumer lifestyle affects buying frequency, buying choice, buying methods and buying processes; the latter four factors all reflect buying behaviour. Analysis Effect of changing lifestyles on buying processes Suwanvijit (2009) carried out a research in Songkla province, Thailand amongst a group of three hundred consumers through the use of questionnaires. It was found that changing consumer lifestyle had an adverse effect on buying processes. They found that a change in consumer income had a negative effect on buying processes because the time allocated to buying went down by fourteen point seven percent. Additionally, it was found that alterations in the status of the consumer reduced shopping time by five point eight percent. Another divergent finding on buying processes was done by Kokli and Vida (2009) who asserted that buying processes were affected by either internal or external processes. Internal processes were characterised by feelings, experiences, motivation, personality and involvement. External processes were defined by subcultures, culture, family, social class and demography. The latter
“Lion Panel” which is in Chauvet cave (Ardeche valley, in France) dates back to 30,000 BCE (Getlein 5). The drawing could be painted onto the wall of the cave with the help of the reed brush. As for the paint, it could be a mixture of “a natural substance, along with black charcoal” and animal fat (Getlein 5). Apparently, the artwork is not a sketch for another painting, but it is complete as a drawing. Though, it is possible that the artist could have some more images in mind. The drawing reveals hunting lions. However, the lions are painted scarcely. Sometimes only shapes of their bodies can be traced. It is rather unclear whether the drawing is a coherent scene, or whether it is only a part of another scene. As for the colors, it is necessary to note that black color prevails, though it is possible to trace some red tinges as well. As far as the artist’s intention is concerned, it is rather hard to tell. In fact, the drawing could tell two different stories. In the first place, the drawing could serve some decorative purposes. Thus, the artist could want to reveal the world. The artist could wish to perpetuate the beauty of the world. It is also possible that the artist wanted to recreate the world in the “dwelling” of his tribe. The drawing could also be an adoration of the dwelling, which revealed prosperity (or heritage) of the tribe. Finally, the drawings could serve educational purposes. Thus, older members of the family could draw animals so that younger generations could learn more about the world outside the cave. However, there is another possibility. Many scientists assume that cave paintings were made for certain sacred purposes. Researchers assume that the caves were uninhabited so there could be no decorative purposes. Thus, there could be one explanation for drawings: they were used during some rituals. Presumably, shamans painted animals and different scenes from people’s life to carry out specific rituals. For instance, they could carry out rituals before hunting to secure hunter’s success. Shamans could also carry out rituals to influence weather conditions. At any rate, drawings served to create the necessary atmosphere during the rituals. In any case, the drawing tells a story of people who lived thousands of years ago. The drawing provides insights into the peculiarities of life of people who lived in the Stone Age. Thus, now we can see that people have always tried to depict the world. This could be regarded as an attempt to understand the nature better. Perhaps, people thought they could reveal the secrets of nature, if they could depict some images. Perhaps, people thought they
The Influence of Politics and Power-Play Organizational culture is constantly evolving due to the influence of diverse factors. Politics can be regarded as one of the reasons for the changes that take place in terms of organizational culture. Politics, in this case, can be defined as the behavior or activities aimed at achieving some personal goals that differ from the objectives of others (Omisore & Nweke, 1). People use different types of power and power-play to attain their individual goals. Many believe that organizational politics mainly undermines the development of a company, but such behaviors often have a positive effect. The transformations that have taken place at Vivint Solar are an illustration of the positive impact of organizational politics. Todd Pedersen, the founder of Vivint, Inc., introduced favorable changes as a result of power-play. Pedersen is a successful entrepreneur, which had a considerable effect on the organizational culture where people are valued and where the c
The environment conditions that coexisted 400 years ago dictated people’s mode of living. For instance, due to fear of the outcome of divorce, many women maintained their paternal names, they believed in joining their families in cases of misunderstanding with their husbands. However, through marriages again, people in the UAE managed to form diverse tribes. The tribes that were large in size, as per the traditional practices of the early people in UAE, had the power of ruling. The poor climatic condition of UAE made most people in the desert adopt various survival tactics. For instance, nomadism was the social structure of the people that coexisted in the desert. Majority of people in the desert owned animals that enabled them to make movements within the desert in search of water and dates. For instance, camels, well known as the beast of warden, contributed significantly to the lives of people that lived in the desert. Despite the camels staying long without taking water, they enabled people conquer diverse areas in search of pasture and water for their animals. On the other hand, the hydrological condition contributed immensely in determining the lifestyle of individuals that coexisted in the desert. For instance, fishing was one of the economic activities that took place in the coastal regions, the individuals within the coast regions practiced fishing that contributed to boosting their economic demands. On the other hand, within the desert there existed some oases with a collection of plenty of water and fertile soils that advocated for agricultural activity. In addition, the availability of water in the oases boosted livestock farming, hence aiding in having permanent settlement. The settlement of people near water bodies and fertile soils contributed immensely towards growth of urbanization. Through urbanization, tribes managed also to interact with one another, hence coming up with communication methods that united them. The growth of population urban centers also played great in advancing trade activity. Through high population and coexistence of able men in business, pearling centers emanated within the UAE that promoted growth and advancement of trading activity. Trading activity also played a great role in enhancing movement of people from within the desert and the coast shores. Through the trade movements, intermarriages also took place enhancing advancement of tribes and peace coexistence. Due to production of different commodities as dictated by the environmental condition, some people in the desert took part i
Modern society has gone a long way to provide equal opportunities for people from all backgrounds. However, many aspects are yet to be aligned with this idea. There are many barriers that prohibit rapid advancements of the notion of equality for all individuals. Whiteness, being one of the primary reasons in the Western countries that leads to unfair opportunities, has become an important topic for discussions in scientific, political, and social debates. Whiteness, as it exists today, is being actively researched to determine the full extent of its harmful effects and methods of their alleviation, yet many studies remain focused on conflicts between races. In the meantime, it continues to cause numerous controversies over its actual impact and means to reduce its detrimental effects that need to be well-defined prior to moving forward with plans of their dismantling. In this essay, the notion of whiteness, alongside its development, normalization, and perceived benefits, will be discussed. The examples of whiteness as seen in the latest events that caused controversies based on racial inequalities will be provided. History of Whiteness Studies It is vital to understand the origins of this topic before discussing its current studies. Despite having been established at the beginning of the twentieth century, whiteness has not been adequately explored until recently. There are three distinct waves of whiteness studies that can assist with defining the course for action in this field (Garner, 2017). The first studies were described by African-American activists who have experienced the post-Civil War society with all its divisiveness (Garner, 2017). It was empirical evidence presented by those affected by racism in the United States. Exploration of whiteness as a part of Western cultures continued in the second half of the twentieth century. For the purposes of defining whiteness, sociologists have used the term “white” to describe a person of European origin or ancestry (Chen, 2017). This stage marks the second part of the progress in whiteness studies, during which the benefits of being white have been outlined, and inherent racism was partially exposed (Garner, 2017). An extensive list of all advantages that whites experience without fully understanding them or their origin was created by Peggy McIntosh, who outlined several of such perks that she experienced in her lifetime (Yarna, 2017). Her essay led to a more precise definition of whiteness as a phenomenon. During this time, whiteness remained in the spotlight, as the lives of white people were analyzed on their links to nationality and racial categorization (Garner, 2017). This step served as the foundation for further structurization for knowledge about the science of racism. The third stage in whiteness studies is currently ongoing and reveals the first r
Introduction Plato and Epicurus are some of the greatest thinkers whose ideas remain relevant and applicable in the world today. These philosophers examined and studied the questions of ethics and morality from different perspectives. In the Republic, Plato gives a detailed analysis of the “good” while Epicurus describes the notion of “good life” in his Letter to Monoeceus. This paper gives a detailed analysis of the thoughts these philosophers present and how they help more people pursue their ethical goals in their lives. Plato’s Philosophy In the Republic, Plato develops and advances a unique argument that could help readers get a clear understanding of the concept of “good”. He does so with the aim of guiding thinkers become philosopher-kings and be able to achieve all other aspects in life. In the work, it is evident that Plato uses dialogue to identify the concept as a perfect and changeless element existing outside human time and space. Consequently, all good things will share these unique and powerful attributes. The conversations between Glaucon and Socrates help the reader equate and compare the concept of good to the sun (Plato 12). Specifically, the thinker tries to explain how the idea of good will exist within the intelligible sphere or realm. Through such an idea, good is what will provide truth to all things human beings appreciate and understand in their lives. When people pursue such an ideology, chances are high that they will be closer towards finding the truth and knowledge. When people embrace this concept of “good”, Plato reveals that they will be in a position to appreciate and understand all complicated things, including justice. While such good is non-living, the Republic proves that it remains superior and more prized than all the other things (Plato 19). Those who embrace the analogy of the sun to learn more about this concept will be closer to both the truth and knowledge. The notion of philosophical reasoning emerges when individuals intend to pursue the described good successfully. Through these ideas, it is evident that Plato uses such arguments to develop and support his theory of happiness and eudaimonia. According to him, human beings need to develop the right skills, moral conduct, and behaviors that will take them to maximum happiness and complete wellbeing. Epicurus’ Philosophy Epicurus is another great philosopher whose ethical theory revolves around happiness. He explains how human beings can engage in desirable practices and avoid actions that might result in pain and anguish. In the work Letter to Monoeceus, the reader identifies a number of aspects and goals that are available to those who want to achieve or have a “good life”. To achieve such a goal, Epicurus believes that individuals should be keen to get rid and abstain from any unnecessary desire in life (Epicurus 7). This i
Preliminary Description The problem of language and methods of teaching languages can be considered one of the burning issues of contemporary society. Sometimes, children encounter difficulties in learning due to socioeconomic or sociopolitical situation in the country. However, more often children are treated differently at educational establishments because of their origin, native language, and language acquisition skills. In this respect, it is necessary to explore the current situation with treatment of bilingual children and their neighboring hostile representatives of monolingual community. Means and methods of education and teaching bilingual children in different countries should be approached and analyzed. Bilingualism on a national level and bilingualism in terms of ethnic minorities facing discrimination should be treated differently in various cases. For instance, Romaine (1995) emphasizes the importance of cultural background in the process of language acquisition compared to mere language acquisition when no cultural criteria are addressed (p. 242). The more children experience difficulties while learning cultural features of the language, the more hostile their monolingual classmates and neighbors become. In other words, the problem of discrimination of ethnic minorities in the sphere of education where children face linguistic insecurity while all students are taught in accordance with the concepts of prescriptivism should be solved. When a problem exists, it should be solved in a corresponding manner taking into account the interests, beliefs, and values of all parties concerned. So, it is necessary to take into account the political powers and their vision of the situation in the educational sector, historic background and necessity of implementing changes, and social situation in the country regarding the demographic situation including migration policies and density of population in certain areas. Introduction A general overview of bilingualism Though there are many people in the world who are bilingual, they all have different reasons for that. Some people acquire a second language due to their religious beliefs whereas others may seek f
Introduction The sum of all living organisms residing in an ecological environment forms a community. In the community, the living and non-living factors interact in a manner that ensures balance in the environment. The aspect of the living organisms-both plants and animal, sharing an environment forms an ecosystem. An ecosystem is always in a dynamic state of evolution (Newman 2000). The world consists of several ecosystems. These different ecosystems are defined according to their unique characteristics. Several factors are responsible for the different characteristics observed in the ecosystems. These factors are either weather and climate or the living organisms that occupy the specific environment. An ecosystem should provide an environment that supports the complex relationships of all the life forms that reside within it (Newman 2000). This work seeks to exclusively describe the characteristics of the ecosystem of Melbourne area in Australia. Methods Melbourne occupies the South-Eastern part of Australia and borders the ocean. based on the Koppen climate classification model, the climate of the area is described as oceanic. Topography To the East, the area is situated in an intersection of magma and intermediate stones from the Precambrian period. It lies along Yarra River and boarders the Dandenong ranges to the East. To the West, Melbourne borders Marybyrnong River that flows along the foothills of the Macedon ranges. These ranges have flat volcanic planes that proceed up to the beach front. (Waterwatch Victoria 2012) The map shows the topography of the area. Vegetation types The area has a diverse plant community courtesy of the favourable weather. The coast consists of scrub family, dominated by the coast banksias. In the inland foreshow regions, woodland dominat