Prison Term Policy Recommendation Paper

In September 2011 there will be a vote on a bill that will double the prison sentence of anyone committing armed robbery, in the state of Wisconsin. The hope of the bill sponsors is that the increased penalties will deter a person from committing armed robbery. Senator McKenzie is aware of popular support for the bill; however, he has asked for my recommendation of whether or not the measure will have any genuine deterrent effect on the rate of incidence. When State Senator McKenzie asked me for my recommendation, I looked for studies on the deterrent effect of lengthy sentences, for armed robbery. The studies I read indicate that, whereas there may be a slight decrease in recidivism, the reduction was not significant enough to indicate that a longer sentence has a significant deterrent effect on those commit armed robbery. The reduction of crime is not directly contributable to the length of sentence. Rather than focus, too intently, on studies of the deterrent effect of stiffer penalties, I believe that it is more important to look at the other factors, which may lead a person to commit an armed robbery. There are three criminology theories in particular, which may influence a criminal’s decision to commit a violent crime. The biological theory theorizes that some people are ‘born to be bad’; something in his or her biological makeup causes them to behave in a violent fashion. The rational choice theory theorizes that people have free will and, if they commit a violent act it is that they choose to do so. Finally, the psychological theory theorizes that there is a psychological deficiency that leads a person to commit criminal acts. What is Armed Robbery? To begin, it is important to understand why armed robbery should receive greater penalties than non-armed robbery. When a person commits armed robbery, he or she is using, or threatening to use, a weapon; the criminal is intimidating the victim into relinquishing his or her money or property (CriminalDefenseLawyer. com, 2011). When weapons are involved, the danger that someone will be seriously harmed or killed significantly increases. The purpose of the bill, on focusing on armed robbery, is to deter criminals from using violence in the commission of his or her crime. The main question to be considered is; why does a criminal commit an armed robbery? Understanding this question may eventually lead to the genuine determination of how to reduce and eliminate crime; three theories of criminal behavior in particular may hold the key. Biological Theories The first theory to consider is the biological theory. Is there something in the fundamental makeup of an individual that may lead him or her to violence and criminal activities? Cesare Lombraso, a 19th century Italian medical doctor, is one of the best known scientific biological theorists. One of his theories posited that, if a person had an underdeveloped brain (e. g. inferior brain) they would be incapable of conforming to the rules and laws of society; because they would be unable to understand why what they are doing is wrong. Lombroso performed autopsies on numerous criminals, including an Italian soldier who attacked and killed eight of his fellow soldiers, and found deformities of the criminals’ brains. This led him to conclude that a reason for the criminal’s behavior was that the criminal had inferior reasoning capabilities, and therefore, the criminal could not understand the difference between what is right and wrong (Schmalleger, 2009). A biological theory, by evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin, theorized that because life favors the strongest and best individuals, those who are able to attain power and possessions are most likely to procreate, thus continuing his or her genes. Animals, including humans, are driven to ggression, and crime, to improve his or her economic and social positions; to facilitate his or her search for a mate (Schmalleger, 2009). Lombraso and Darwin determined that biology is the cause behind aggressive and criminal behavior. Rational Choice Theory A second theory is the classical school of criminology referred to as the rational choice theory, or free will. This theory posits that a person chooses to commit criminal acts; that circumstances su ch as social and economic hardships lead a person to commit crime. The theory maintains that a person will consider the pros and cons of committing a criminal act; if the benefits outweigh the punishment, the person will commit the crime (Law Library: Free Legal Encyclopedia, 2011). According to this theory, a person with low social standing, and often impoverished would be more likely to commit armed robbery to improve his or her economic conditions, thus improving his or her social position. Classical theorists Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham were two theorists who believed that if the punishment were greater than the benefits of the crime, individuals would be deterred from committing criminal (Schmalleger, 2009). However, this theory does not appear to take into account the desperation factor; if someone is impoverished, possible living on the streets, his or her desperation for basic requirements may be such that there is no deterrent strong enough to stop him or her. Psychological Theory The third theory is based on psychological factors. Sigmund Freud and J. Dollard proposed theories that, when a person is significantly frustrated, over a long period, aggression is the natural outcome (Schmalleger, 2009). According to this belief, if a person lives in depravation long enough, the individual will eventually become frustrated enough that he or she may resort to armed robbery, to improve his or her economic status. Another psychological theory, which is popular in current times, is that violent video games, television, and movies, are the driving force behind violent criminal activity. Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, a former assistant professor of psychology at West Point, calls video game, â€Å"hypnotic murder simulators† (Schmalleger, 2009, p. 231). This theory posits that people become desensitized to violence and lose perspective; they no longer see right and wrong, therefore they may resort to criminal activity to obtain what they want. Whether any, or all, of these theories have merit, it is clear that there are factors other than simple greed that can lead to a person committing a violent crime such as armed robbery. Without being able to narrow down the factors of why a person is likely to commit an armed robbery, it is difficult at best to determine what will deter him or her from committing the crime. It is my belief that too many factors contribute to a person’s decision to commit the crime, to believe that simply lengthening the sentence will be effective. Studies Two studies in particular, on the deterrent effect of longer sentences on criminals committing armed robbery, indicate that although there may be a slight deterrent effect, there is not a significant deterrent effect by increasing sentence length. In 2006, Italy passed a bill that gave clemency to thousands of criminals with three or fewer years left on his or her sentences. If the criminals were to commit any further crimes within the next five years, not only would the individual have to serve the sentence for whatever crime was committed, the sentence would be extended by whatever time had not been previously served (University of Chicago Press Journals, 2009). This gave three scientists, Francesco Drego, Roberto Galbiati, and Pietro Vertova the opportunity to study the deterrent effect of longer sentences on recidivism rates. In 2009, the scientists published their discoveries in the Journal of Political Economy; the results indicate that an increase of sentencing, by as little as one month, reduced the recidivism rate by 1. 3% in less serious crimes; however, for criminals committing more serious offenses, of which armed robbery is one, there was virtually no deterrent effect (University of Chicago Press Journals, 2009). Although this study is encouraging for less serious crimes, it does not indicate that there is a significant reduction of serious and/or violent crimes because of the longer sentencing. Another study conducted by the economists David S. Lee of Columbia and Justin McCrary of Michigan, focused on Florida recidivism rates, discovered that even though imprisonment and sentences increase from three to 17% after the age of 18, depending on the seriousness of the crime, there was no significant drop in recidivism rates when juvenile criminals transitioned to adult courts. It was, in fact, because the individual was incarcerated and unable to commit more crimes that there was a drop in criminal activity between the ages of 17 and 19 (Waldfogel, 2007). Conclusion There are too many factors, which may cause a person to commit an armed robbery, to believe that simply lengthening the prison term will be effective. If a person is biologically inclined toward criminal activity, longer sentences will not be sufficient to override his or her biological ‘programming’. If they have inferior cognitive abilities, because of underdeveloped brains, they will be unable to comprehend the significance of a longer sentence; a longer sentence would have no more significance to them than a shorter sentence. If the person has endured frustration long enough that they feel his or her only choice it to take what they want by force, they are unlikely to consider the prison sentence before they commit the act. Or they may determine that even if they are caught, at least they will have a roof over their heads, food on their plate, and clothes on their back, if they are sent to prison. For some criminals this may, in fact, be an inducement to commit the crime. If a person has become psychologically ‘warped’ by social media, they may have lost the capability to judge right and wrong, thereby losing the capability to consider the consequences of his or her actions; a longer sentence would not be sufficient deterrence. Finally, if the person has made the choice, of his or her own free will, to commit an armed robbery, even after weighing the pros and cons, doubling his or her sentence is going to have very little deterrent effect. Many criminals believe that they will not be apprehended; or they believe they will be able to reduce their sentence through a plea bargain. When a criminal chooses to commit a crime, they are also choosing to accept the penalty should they be caught. Of the three theories, I believe that a criminal who falls under the rational choice theory has the best chance of being deterred. This criminal is the one who is most likely to understand the significance of a longer sentence. However, as the Italian and Florida studies indicated, imposing longer sentences did little to deter violent criminals. As violent crime is not, in my opinion, a rational act, it is unlikely that armed robbers would fall under the rational choice theory; hence, they are unlikely to be deterred by doubling their prison sentence. My Recommendation While I do not believe that doubling the prison sentences of armed robbers will have a significant deterrent effect on armed robbers, I do believe that it will have an effect on the crime rate. If the criminal is incarcerated for a long period, they are unable to commit further armed robberies. They will be segregated from society, and will be unable to further victimize society. Society will also receive psychological benefits from the new law; they will feel comforted by the fact that the individual is no longer able to victimize society. As the bill has popular support, from both the legislature and the public, I recommend that Senator McKenzie vote to pass the bill, when it comes up for a vote in September 2011. References CriminalDefenseLawyer. com. (2011). Armed Robbery. Retrieved 10 January 2011, from http://www. criminaldefenselawyer. com/crime-penalties/federal/Armed-Robbery. htm Law Library: Free Legal Encyclopedia. (2011). Classical School of Criminology. Retrieved 30 January 2011, from http://law. jrank. org/pages/14359/classical-school-criminology. html Schmalleger, F. (2009). Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction, Fifth Edition. Retrieved 30 January 2011, from CJA 314. University of Chicago Press Journals (2009). Potential Criminals Can Be Deterred By Longer Sentences, Study Suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved 30 January 2011, from http://www. sciencedaily. com /releases/2009/05/090518111726. htm Waldfogel, J. (2007). The Irrational 18-Year-Old Criminal. Slate. Retrieved 30 January 2011, from http://www. slate. com/id/2158317/

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The Importance of Religious Dialogue - Essay Example Beverslius’ Sourcebook of the World's Religions: An Interfaith Guide to Religion and Spirituality, is a text that evaluates the search to engage in good dialogue between religions.   Beverslius’ Sourcebook of the World's Religions: An Interfaith Guide to Religion and Spirituality, is a text that evaluates the search to engage in good dialogue between religions.   It is clear that a community is centered on the commitment to individual faiths and ideologies; however there is a social need to build relationships by expressing mutual human care and searching for mutual human understanding.    Therefore, through the practicality of mutual concerns for political, social and ecological situations, there is a strong need for dialogue in order to live together and strive for mutual goals. Similarly, there is a form of dialogue that is designed to break down barriers of  prejudice, distrust and hatred in the religious world.   As stated in Netland’s Dissonant Vo ices: Religious Pluralism & the Question of Truth, â€Å"No religious tradition can claim to be free of religious prejudice or bigotry.†    I strongly believe that this statement is accurate, as the history of religions provides ample evidence of mutual â€Å"suspicion, hatred and ill will between religious traditions.†      There are two basic and important forms of dialogue that must take place in order to create this utopia that I firmly believe may be achieved.    The first form is based on understanding and appreciation with others that can contribute to a more accurate understanding of followers of other religions. Yet, there is also a kind of dialogue that has its objective in the "mutual comprehension of conflicting truth claims." 7 I find that there is an importance here to commit oneself to a more clear and accurate understanding of the basic beliefs of the other party and of course, clarification is essential in any similarities and differences betwe en beliefs. I find my beliefs to coincide with Julius Lipner, who states: "the purpose of dialogue today seems to me best fulfilled when participants redefine the limits and areas of facticity in their traditional truth claims: on the one hand, clearing away as lucidly as possible the tangled undergrowth of hitherto sacrosanct and

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Creating a PR Plan for Marcos Ambrose's Race Team - Essay Example He does this by setting a Motorsport to field Late Model stock cars in the UARA Starts Touring Series. There are several assumptions in regards to the PR outline. These include the size of the Marcos Ambrose’s Race Team and its operations. The PR plan’s foundation lie in an appreciation of Public Relation theory, that ranges from systems management to the global dialectics of international PR. In this regard, I will define PR as the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill between an organization and its stakeholders. This PR plan is aimed at building a strategic media and public relation plan which will continue the success of Marcos Ambrose teams in the major sponsorship within V8 supercars Championship. The recommended plan is based upon 12 month plan with three phases namely: pre-launch; integrated communications and the follow-up to maintain momentum. The following stakeholders have been identified to be important in the implementation of PR plan. Intensive, integrated communications in October and November 2014 focusing all the activities undertaken by the Marcos Ambrose’s Race Team apart from the field activities. This mainly focuses on the various primary and secondary stakeholders of the motorsport

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Textual Analysis - Essay Example Mill’s theory as demonstrated in the book is not a social contract theory, and Mill has no hypothesis about the state of natural rights and nature (Mill 1978, 23-34). On the contrary, he states that his theory is justified by his moral theory and utilitarianism. Mill’s own political writings justify his belief that interaction with conflicting ideas and opinions is important to any comprehensive knowledge and to liberty itself. In fact, as revealed by Elizabeth Rapaport, one of the most prominent themes in the book is the significance of allowing unorthodox thought, to act as one of the guarantors necessary for freedom (Rapaport 1978, 9-12). According to Rapaport, John Stuart Mill calls the silencing of expression a weird evil, and demands that everybody should be allowed to speak and think freely, even if those in power do not agree with them (Mill 2008, 56-66). The words† political liberation† have been used mostly in the recent times by politicians, histo rians, philosophers and many others. The core principle of political liberalism was largely made current by Locke’s â€Å"Second treatise of Government† (1690) (Locke 2010, 12-15). The rule of law, individual liberty, the right to private property and government by consent of the people are just some of the issues taken for granted as fundamental to the human condition in the current world. As a source of their ideas, most liberal theorists today base their arguments on Locke’s concepts of governance (Locke 2010, 78-80). To some; post modernism, religious fundamentalism and socialism remain the ideological threats to liberalism. If this stands out to be a fact, then these ideologies attacks on the ideas that Locke, compared to any other, was influential in making the universal vocabulary of political discourse (Locke 2010, 132-150). The ideas of Locke and Mill with regards to political governance are quite similar. It is therefore a right argument that in his bo ok â€Å"The Second Treatise of Government† Locke supported the idea of political liberty as indicated on Mill’s book â€Å"On Liberty†. John Locke sets out to explain how political society emerged, how political society emerged, how the government or state has both the legitimacy and limits to political society, and how natural rights is a common reality to everyone (Locke 2010, 39-56). Locke starts by focusing on the idea that at the beginning, human being lived in perfect liberty, an anarchistic and stateless society. According to him, everybody enjoyed the full advantage of liberty during that time. However, this extensive liberty resulted to others abusing the liberty of others. For this reason, he argues that people came together to form a state and therefore the state was formed under social contract having specific obligations (Locke 2010, 156-169). If the state exceeds those obligations, and becomes an institution that oppresses the natural rights of in dividuals, then its authenticity is definitely lost, and can be rightly removed from power, so that the social contract can be established. The book, The Second Treatise of Government has been of great influential since its publication. It has been a foundation for social contract theory which outlines the legitimacy and the limits of governance in regards to individual liberty (Locke 2010, 67-78). On his part, Mill claims that most of humankind is mediocre. Therefore, everyone should be encouraged to grow and develop his mind because the progress of humanity is

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What Are Some Obstacles You May Face as a Teacher Essay Example for Free

What Are Some Obstacles You May Face as a Teacher Essay What are some obstacles you may face as a teacher, and according to the context in this unit, how can you overcome these? Throughout their careers, teachers face many obstacles in their classroom that may hinder their teaching. These obstacles come in many different shapes and sizes. It is the effective and successful teacher who is able to overcome these obstacles while maintaining a happy, positive and joyful attitude. A teacher must remember that it is not the information they possess along with various skills that affects teaching, rather it the ability to overcome challenges in a positive manner that impacts on learning. Some of the many obstacles a teacher may face are; engaging unmotivated children in the classroom, promoting positive conditioning and reinforcement and accommodating those with development disabilities (Symonds, 1941). 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Teachers often implement this strategy in their class sessions by offering them incentives to finish a certain task. In addition to the above positive reinforcement strategies, positive reinforcement also occurs through a teachers behaviour (Eggen Kauchak, 2010). When students are engaged in a lesson and indicate through their actions that they are involved in the lesson, then they are called on by the teacher to give their opinion on the topic as it is evident that they are fully aware of what is being discussed. Teachers who are able to implement positive reinforcement in their classrooms will ultimately get more out of their students than those who implement negative reinforcement . Another major obstacle teachers may face in the classroom is accommodating those students with development disabilities . Every individual being develops at a different rate and this is not any different for students. Students, regardless of being the same age or in the same year level tend to develop at different rates to each other. A common form of disability that is found in many classrooms today is intellectual disability . According to Fuchs, 2006; Nokelainen Flint, 2002, as cited in Eggen Kauchak (2010, p. 142), â€Å"intellectual disability is either caused by genetic factors, such as down syndrome, or brain damage to the fetus during pregnancy†. In order for teachers to be able to accommodate students with this disability they need to be aware of the characteristics of it as some of these characteristics tend to affect learning directly. These characteristics include but are not limited to; weak motor skills, underdeveloped interpersonal skills, poor memory, weak reading and language skills and little knowledge of the outside world (Eggen Kauchak, 2010). The theory relating to teachers overcoming the obstacle of having intellectually disabled students in their class is to include these students in the mainstream sessions conducted where instruction is modified to meet the needs of these students and help their social development (Eggen Kauchak, 2010). Case study shows and proves that students with intellectual disabilities want to participate in the same activities, be given the same reading material, handed out the same homework, issued the same judging criteria and be able to join in the same activities as their classmates. The same study showed that the peers of those with intellectual disabilities agreed with this as every child should be given a fair chance (Klingner Vaughn, 1999). Also, in order to ensure ease for teachers teaching those with intellectual disability and to ensure those students that have development disabilities receive the education they re entitled to, the federal government has set requirements that educators who teach students with disabilities must guarantee a free and suitable public education, instruct children in the least constricting setting, protect against bias in testing, include parents in developing each child’s learning program and develop an individually tailored education program of education for each student (Eggen Kauchak, 2010, p. 133). Teachers who adhere to these guidelines and take heed of the advice given and implement the findings of the case study will find that teaching those with development disabilities will no longer remain an obstacle. Rather it will become an educative and joyful experience . In conclusion there are many obstacles that a teacher will face in their teaching career. Their success will not be determined through avoidance of these obstacles but rather it will be determined through overcoming these obstacles in the most positive manner they can. Teachers who are able to develop motivation, promote positive conditioning and reinforcement and accommodate those with learning disabilities while keeping students successfully engaged and absorbed have indeed overcome some of the most difficult hurdles faced in their teaching career.

Religious Right in US Politics

Religious Right in US Politics Examine and assess the political impact of the religious Right on US politics under the presidencies of George W. Bush. The political impact of the religious Right throughout the George W. Bush Presidency was powerful and multi faceted. This essay will outline the religious milieu from which George W. Bush emerged, as well as assess those who reinforced and strengthened religious perspectives and influences within the Executive throughout this period. In addition to this specific assessment, this essay will examine the remarkable influence religion had in Bush’s campaign. It will argue that the Bush Administration used political techniques in order to pass largely religious platforms without the controversial labels, thus minimizing opposition. After having lived a life marked by substance abuse George W. Bush believes he had a deep religious conversion. As a result, he would refer to God in public addresses, and openly stated a number of times that he sought guidance from god during his presidency. With statements like these, it is inaccurate to state that George W. Bush and his administration were a completely secular body. Furthermore, we must address the fact that his major appointees were also highly religious. This specifically relates to a number of key positions held by men such as Dick Cheney Vice President, Michael Gerson, appointed Chief Speech Writer, John Ashcroft, Attorney General, and Jerry Boykin appointed Deputy Under Secretary of Defence for Intelligence. All of these roles are profoundly influential and were all given to Evangelists.[1] The rhetoric of George W. Bush and his administration was undeniably religiously influenced. The notion that the State and the Church is entirely separate was not present in this presidency. However, due to ambiguity, political jargon, exaggeration, and a plethora of other political techniques, the true religious foundations, that inspired, decisions, discourse, policies and platforms, were somewhat avoided and concealed. An example of this is George W. Bush’s comments in relation to Gay Marriage. Unlike the Evangelicals who simply state that they oppose it on the grounds that ‘it was against God’s Will,’[2] the President stated that he opposed it because ‘marriage is an institution so fundamental to society that it should not be changed.’[3] This example outlines that the President, although opposed the view, did not clearly refer to any religious standings. However, due to the fact that he was openly religious, it is almost impossible to beli eve whether the view he publically offers, is not at all swayed by religious reasoning and rationale. The Bush Administration was fundamentally religious. It was based on these set of principles, and as a result, were largely supported by those who shared the same belief. This claims do not stand alone, over the years there has been a very large number of critics, all of which hold the same view that the Bush Administration was led by a body who rejects the separation of church and state. Labelled a ‘messianic militarist,’[4] George W. Bush, and the religious Right brought forward many faith based policies, which had considerable effects on the American population. The religious right of the Bush Administration is considered to have changed or attempted to change many aspects of American life. This neo-conservative, ultra religious body within the Bush executive hold a specific set of principles and beliefs, all of which considerably blur the lines of separation between Church and State. A significant and highly controversial example of this is the ‘concerted efforts to teach creationism or its more presentable replacement â€Å"Intelligent Design† in public schools.’[5] However, the examples don’t just relate to education, there are a number of aspects whereby the religious Right of the Bush Administration promote their Evangelist perspectives. Probably the most controversial, was the topic of abortion, to which President Bush, ‘wholeheartedly opposed.’ [6] The religious undertones of the Bush Administration were forefront and obvious. Members of the cabinet ‘spoke of overturning the Supreme Court decision in Roe V Wade which made abortion legal in 1973.’[7] This just highlights that not only was the Bush Administration open in presenting their controversial, and highly religious perspectives, but that they significantly contradicted the very foundations upon which the American model of democracy was based. The American Government as a democracy, prides itself on the notion of equality, freedom and accountability. If a Government acts solely on a religious, somewhat personal agenda and thus unable to remain impartial, how can they regard themselves as a democracy? The fact is, the Bush Administration did cross the line between Church and State, and the religious Right within the Administration was almost entirely responsible. In order to truly highlight the perspective of the religious Right, and thus outline the political impact they had during this period, the perspectives that surfaced post 9/11, when the so called ‘War on Terror’ was in full motion, must be analysed. The American religious Right, were anti-Islam. They voiced this openly and proudly. These opinions – whether valid or not – were present throughout the entire executive. They believed that ‘Christ is the response to evil in all societies,’[8] and therefore, when this war on terror was declared, they viewed their fight as one based upon spiritual foundations. On these grounds, the Christian Right approved of torture, and grave violations of human rights. Men of great power in the American Political sphere, such as General Jerry Boykin, justified anti-Islamic thoughts and actions. He along with many other Evangelists and Neo-Conservatives held the belief that George W. Bush was put in the White House by God for the sole purpose of reaching victory in a ‘battle against idolatrous Muslims.’[9] These opinions were supported by millions of American evangelicals, thus highlighting the impact the Christian Right had within this period of time. Their views, no matter how controversial, were always supported by a large number of American citizens, thus allowing the Bush Administration to continue to act in an anti-secularist manner. The next aspect of the Bush Administration that must be examined is what is referred to as the ‘Faith Based Initiative.’ This initiative aimed at giving public funds to religious institutions to provide social services. The Bush Administration placed this ‘Faith Based Initiative’ as a top priority of domestic policy. However, even prior to taking office, as the Governor of Texas, Bush promoted this notion. It was later created through a series of executive orders, however under the name of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, so named because the state can’t legally discriminate between secular and religious charities.[10] The Faith Based Initiative reinforces this papers contention, that the Bush Administration acted anti-secularist, and based decisions and policy platforms upon religious foundations. The Bush Administration can be considered to have acted unconstitutionally, as the Faith Based Initiative somewhat infringes on the First Amendment, that is ‘The Establishment Clause’ which states; government shall make â€Å"no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.†[11] Essentially, no American should be compelled through taxation to subsidize any religion. By blurring the lines of separation between Church and State, the government is not allowing Americans the right to make their own decisions in relation to religion and matters of faith. In order to examine and assess the influence the Religious right had within the Bush Presidency, we must look at the influences within the administration, and the viewpoint of the religious right in the time of campaigning. Ever since the early days of his campaign, when he declared in the primaries that his ‘favourite philosopher was Jesus Christ,’[12] his support was high amongst the Evangelical Christians. He was considered by this large constituency to be on a ‘divine plan,’[13] and is branded by many, including journalists, supporters and even non-supporters, as the ‘leader of the Religious Right.’ In order to fully illustrate the presence of faith within this election campaign the group, formed by Televangelist; Pat Robertson, known as the Christian Coalition must be discussed. Firstly, in 2000, Bush’s campaign was publicly endorsed by Robertson and his Christian Coalition. This was a largely influential group that this essay conten ds, was a driving force that lead to Bush being inaugurated. The Christian Coalition openly opposed John McCain, stating that they would go to all measures to prevent him from becoming the Republican party nominee. In fact, Robertson stated on record that; ‘if he [John McCain] became the nominee of the Republican Party, the Christian Coalition, which is a voluntary organization, would not put out 75 million voter guides and would not urge its membership to vote for anybody in the general election.’ This highlights the power of this Christian Coalition at that time, and the power Robertson possessed. It also illustrates that Bush’s campaign was heavily influenced by the Religious right. In fact, his campaign advisor, Ralph Reed, was the Executive Director of the Christian Coalition. These claims of religious connotations and underlying notions of faith not only confirm the religious sway of this administration, but the complete lack of secularity within this time in American political history. Despite the United States being based on foundations of freedom, there was obviously a contradiction and an infringement on these rights. The scope and impact this Christian Coalition had within the United States was extraordinary. Robertson and his Christian Coalition used a variety of methods to deliver their message. He voiced his opinions on his national TV program to influence voters, issued out flyers and publicly spoke about Bush’s views on topics such as Abortion, Gay Marriage and condom distribution. The power and influence the Conservative Christians had in this election was colossal, although four million religious conservatives did not vote, there was still fifteen million religious conservatives who did. This just reinforces the fact that the religious aspect played a major role in the 2000 election. However, the methods employed to garner votes was where the true influence was shown. Their strategies were incredibly sophisticated. Rather than creating a completely Right wing perspective of Bush, which would only appeal to those following the Christian Coalition, Robertson urged his supporters not t o ‘force Bush too far to the right’ as this would not appeal to a larger majority of American Citizens. He knew that once he was elected, Bush’s platform would be completely in line with his own perspectives, and as this essay will continue demonstrate, ultimately he was correct. The policy direction of the Bush Presidency was largely influenced by the Christian right. Behind a series of platforms was underlying tones of Religious extremism, and Conservative Christianity. An example of this is the enforcement of the ‘Global Gag Rule,’ also referred to as the ‘Mexico City Policy.’ This policy places heavy constraints on foreign nongovernmental organizations that receive U.S. family planning funds. The constraints and restrictions included those F.N.G.O’s that ‘provided legal abortion services, lobbied their own governments for abortion law reform, or even provide accurate medical counselling or referrals regarding abortion.’[14] This policy, which was reimposed on January 22, 2001, which was Bush’s first business day in office and ironically ‘the 28th Anniversary of Roe V Wade the landmark U.S Supreme Court Abortion Case,’ is entirely influenced by the Religious Right. It is fundamentalist in al l aspects, and an illustrious example, of how influential this religious presence was within the Bush Administration. The influence the religious Right had within U.S politics under the George W. Bush Presidency was profound. As this essay has illustrated, the presence of this religious body was evident in all stages of the Bush Presidency. They were a driving force in the campaign stages, securing George W. Bush’s position as President, and were largely influential within the policy direction taken by this administration. On review, it is accurate to state that the U.S Government during the George W. Bush Presidency definitely did blur the lines between state and religion. There was a contradiction of constitutional rights, and an anti-secularist presence throughout the entire administration. References Barker, David C., Jon Hurwitz, and Traci L. Nelson. 2008. Of Crusades and Culture Wars: Messianic Militarism and Political Conflict in the United States. Journal Of Politics 70, no. 2: 307-322. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed May 27, 2014). George, Susan. ‘Hijacking America: How the religious and secular Right changed what Americans think.’ Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA : Polity. 2008. Pg 28. Kaplan, Ester. ‘With God on their side: how Christian fundamentalists trampled science, policy, and democracy in George W. Bush’s White House.’ New York : New Press: Distributed by Norton. 2004. Page 39. Kenneth D. Wald Allison Calhoun-Brown. ‘Religion and Politics in the United States.’ Lanham, Md. Rowman Littlefield Publishers, 2007 Priscilla Smith, Kathy Hall Martinez and Tzili Mor. ‘The Global Gag Rule: A Violation of the Right to Free Speech and Democratic Participation.’ Human Rights, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Summer 2002), pp. 12. Ribuffo, Leo P. George W. Bush, the faith-based presidency, and the latest evangelical menace. Journal of American and Canadian Studies 24 (2006): 17+. Academic OneFile. Web. 27 May 2014. Page 17 The Economist. â€Å"A hot line to heaven; George Bush and God. 18 Dec. 2004: 39(US). Academic OneFile. Web. 26 May 2014 The Constitution of the United States, Amendments, Amendment 1, ‘The Establishment Clause.’ Julian E. Zelizer, ‘The Presidency of George W. Bush: A First Historical Assessment.’ Princeton University Press (September 13, 2010) Page: 229 Bush has new role: de facto leader of the religious right. (People Events). Church State 55.2 (2002): 15. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 26 May 2014. [1] Ribuffo, Leo P. George W. Bush, the faith-based presidency, and the latest evangelical menace. Journal of American and Canadian Studies 24 (2006): 17+. Academic OneFile. Web. 27 May 2014. Page 17 [2] A hot line to heaven; George Bush and God. The Economist 18 Dec. 2004: 39(US). Academic OneFile. Web. 26 May 2014. [3] Ibid. [4] Barker, David C., Jon Hurwitz, and Traci L. Nelson. 2008. Of Crusades and Culture Wars: Messianic Militarism and Political Conflict in the United States. Journal Of Politics 70, no. 2: 307-322. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed May 27, 2014). [5] George, Susan. ‘Hijacking America: How the religious and secular Right changed what Americans think.’ Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA : Polity. 2008. Pg 28. [6] Kenneth D. Wald Allison Calhoun-Brown. ‘Religion and Politics in the United States.’ Lanham, Md. Rowman Littlefield Publishers, 2007 [7] George, Susan. ‘Hijacking America: How the religious and secular Right changed what Americans think.’ Page 58 [8] Ibid. Page 134 [9] Ibid. Page 136 [10] Ester Kaplan. ‘With God on their side: how Christian fundamentalists trampled science, policy, and democracy in George W. Bush’s White House.’ New York : New Press: Distributed by Norton. 2004. Page 39. [11] The Constitution of the United States, Amendments, Amendment 1, ‘The Establishment Clause.’ [12] Julian E. Zelizer, ‘The Presidency of George W. Bush: A First Historical Assessment.’ Princeton University Press (September 13, 2010) Page: 229 [13] Bush has new role: de facto leader of the religious right. (People Events). Church State 55.2 (2002): 15. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 26 May 2014. [14] Priscilla Smith, Kathy Hall Martinez and Tzili Mor. ‘The Global Gag Rule: A Violation of the Right to Free Speech and Democratic Participation.’ Human Rights, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Summer 2002), pp. 12.

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Essay -- Environmental Global

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect, in environmental science, is a popular term for the effect that certain variable constituents of the Earth's lower atmosphere have on surface temperatures. It has been known since 1896 that Earth has been warmed by a blanket of gasses (This is called the "greenhouse effect."). The gases--water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4)--keep ground temperatures at a global average of about 15 degrees C (60 degrees F). Without them the average would be below the freezing point of water. The gases have this effect because as incoming solar radiation strikes the surface, the surface gives off infrared radiation, or heat, that the gases trap and keep near ground level. The effect is comparable to the way in which a greenhouse traps heat, hence the term. Environmental scientists are concerned that changes in the variable contents of the atmosphere--particularly changes caused by human activities--could cause the Earth's surface to warm up to a dangerous de gree. Since 1850 there has been a mean rise in global temperature of approximately 1? C (approximately 1.8? F). Even a limited rise in average surface temperature might lead to at least partial melting of the polar icecaps and hence a major rise in sea level, along with other severe environmental disturbances. An example of a runaway greenhouse effect is Earth's near-twin planetary neighbor Venus. Because of Venus's thick CO2 atmosphere, the planet's clo...

Distractions In Life :: essays research papers

Distractions In Life " I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. Perhaps, it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any time for that one." -Henry David Thoreau Many times I would find myself in a state of mass confusion. It was as if I had no perception of where I would go with my life. I was trapped in a realm of things which were unfamiliar to me. When I tried to experience these new adventures I ended up back where I started in a slow state of death and decay. New ideas and thoughts seemed impossible for me to grasp. It seemed that anything that was new to me was too much of a hassle. How could I move on in a positive manner in this state. All that I wanted to do was the same old thing over and over like a broken record repeating itself over and over until it wore itself out. I finally, wore myself out. I started to feel as if I was the worn out record player and that I would be dropped into the trash when I stopped working the way I was supposed to. After a short while I found some inspiration from an unknown point. I had realized I would not succeed in this battle called life without serious work. The only one who could help me was me. I knew that I wasn't meant to do the exact same thing for the rest of my life. I had to escape this bottomless pit and move on to the next adventure. "I had several more lives to live and could not spare any time for that one." I moved on to another life. My "new" life was very hard to get used to, but was well worth the trouble. I began trying new things and actually enjoyed it. I realize now that I only have a short time in my life and I have to make a

Coming to Age in Eudora Welty’s The Little Store :: Eudora Welty The Little Store

Coming to Age in Eudora Welty’s The Little Store Eudora Welty is one of the leading American writers of the twentieth century. In her work â€Å"The Little Store,† Welty recollects from her memories of growing up. She humbly admitted that she lived a â€Å"sheltered life† growing up in the South as a woman. From this perspective, Eudora writes her short story as a means to tell her passage into adulthood. Growing up in the capital of Mississippi, Eudora lives only a few blocks from the capitol. She remembers from many different trips to the Little Store various moments of her childhood and compiles them into one trip. She encourages the reader by bringing realism to the work through the use of sensory writing. During each leg of her travel, some object creates a tangent in her mind of other memories. Although the story begins from a child’s perspective, there are hints of maturity arriving. The maturity provides â€Å"facts of life and death† (Welty 82) to Eudora. Eudora is very talented with the use of sensory imagery. She describes her mother and household in terms of foods that have strong tastes, such as blackberries and lemons, which have distinctive aromas. When Eudora arrives at the store later in the work, she is overwhelmed by her grandiose surroundings. She knows she can have whatever she would like, from sodas, to fireworks, to sweets galore. She is enticed to the point where the readers become involved by thinking of what it is they would choose themselves. She uses senses to pull the reader into her story and it makes the story more realistic. However, in the end, this is a fact of life for Eudora: she cannot always have everything she wants. She must choose wisely or face the consequences. After pulling the reader into the story, Eudora makes an attempt to relate to her audience. She would â€Å"bet that nickel that would be left over that all over the country †¦ the neighborhood grocery played a similar part in growing up† (79). Coming to Age in Eudora Welty’s The Little Store :: Eudora Welty The Little Store Coming to Age in Eudora Welty’s The Little Store Eudora Welty is one of the leading American writers of the twentieth century. In her work â€Å"The Little Store,† Welty recollects from her memories of growing up. She humbly admitted that she lived a â€Å"sheltered life† growing up in the South as a woman. From this perspective, Eudora writes her short story as a means to tell her passage into adulthood. Growing up in the capital of Mississippi, Eudora lives only a few blocks from the capitol. She remembers from many different trips to the Little Store various moments of her childhood and compiles them into one trip. She encourages the reader by bringing realism to the work through the use of sensory writing. During each leg of her travel, some object creates a tangent in her mind of other memories. Although the story begins from a child’s perspective, there are hints of maturity arriving. The maturity provides â€Å"facts of life and death† (Welty 82) to Eudora. Eudora is very talented with the use of sensory imagery. She describes her mother and household in terms of foods that have strong tastes, such as blackberries and lemons, which have distinctive aromas. When Eudora arrives at the store later in the work, she is overwhelmed by her grandiose surroundings. She knows she can have whatever she would like, from sodas, to fireworks, to sweets galore. She is enticed to the point where the readers become involved by thinking of what it is they would choose themselves. She uses senses to pull the reader into her story and it makes the story more realistic. However, in the end, this is a fact of life for Eudora: she cannot always have everything she wants. She must choose wisely or face the consequences. After pulling the reader into the story, Eudora makes an attempt to relate to her audience. She would â€Å"bet that nickel that would be left over that all over the country †¦ the neighborhood grocery played a similar part in growing up† (79).

Teacher Motivation and Its Effect on the Academic Achievement

Fall 2011 Gender differences on Intrinsic Motivation in Hong Kong Higher Education Hon Keung Yau Man Shan Kan City University of Hong Kong Alison Lai Fong Cheng Abstract The purpose of this paper is to investigate if there are different levels of intrinsic motivation towards study, curiosity and external regulation among males and females. This study focuses are attained by conducting a survey (137 students) among a local university in Hong Kong. Results show that among all students, no matter males or females, their levels of intrinsic motivation towards study, curiosity and external are the same.Burger, Dahlgren, and MacDonald (2006) found that male have higher intrinsic motivation to gamble when compared with female. Another study shows that masculine students have higher intrinsic motivation than feminine students when responding to competition (Conti, Collins, & Picariello, 2001). However, when talking about intrinsic motivation to study, will the result of comparing males and f emales still be the same? Most Hong Kong people spend more than twenty years to learn as much knowledge as they can to get high academic qualifications.Among all students, there is a question of how students can gain more than others when learning in the same learning environment, and whether either one gender has higher intrinsic motivation towards learning. Motivation is an essential element to directly affect students’ learning and performances. Some students may feel that they are not active but under obligation to learn. It is due to lack of motivation in learning, which would not result in good performance. According to Olsson (2008, p. 7), motivation is a reason or set or reasons for engaging in a specific activity, especially human behavior.The reasons can be basic needs, an object or a goal. Self-determination theory (SDT) by Deci and Ryan (1985, 1991) is currently the most comprehensive theories of motivation with empirical support. According to SDT, intrinsic motiv ation is defined as the doing of an activity for its inherent satisfactions rather than for some separable consequence (Xie, Debacker, & Ferguson, 2006). It is the degree to which an individual chooses to accomplish an activity for pleasure and enjoyment (Olsson, 2008, p. 2). e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 3 Fall 2011 This type of motivation is known as the most optimal kind of motivation as being entirely autonomous (Noel, Clement, & Pelletier, 2001; Remedios, & Lieberman, 2008; Gao, 2008). Students with intrinsic motivation complete tasks for fun or challenge instead of external stimuli, pressures, or rewards. They often have more interest, confidence and excitement in doing the task. According to Brophy (2010), intrinsic motivation emphasizes on motivation as selfdetermination of goals and self-regulation of actions rather than motivation as response to felt pressures.In view of this emphasis of intrinsic motivation, this project tries to i nvestigate different aspects affecting students’ learning so that their self-regulation of actions can be improved and learn without pressure. With this improvement, their academic performance can be enhanced at the same time. As few studies have focus of gender difference on intrinsic motivation for Hong Kong students, this study conducted in a local university in Hong Kong tries to investigate if either one gender possesses higher level of intrinsic motivation.According to Narayanan, Rajasekaran, and Iyyappan (2007), females have higher intrinsic motivation in learning English than males among engineering university students. Meanwhile, another research by Shang (1998), it was found that females have lower intrinsic motivation in physical education classes than males. A study by Schatt in 2011 focusing on subject of music found that female students have higher instrumental musical practice rate than males while the amount of time spent on practice correlated significantly w ith intrinsic motivational beliefs.It raises a question whether females possess higher intrinsic motivation, which is investigated in this paper. In view that Ning and Downing (2010) have conducted a research study among 581 university students in Hong Kong and found that student motivation is the strongest predictor to their academic performance while few attempts to investigate more specific factors such as curiosity and external regulation that whether they affect intrinsic motivation among university students in Hong Kong, the relationship between these factors and intrinsic motivation are deeply investigated so as to improve student intrinsic motivation.Also, whether males or females would have higher level of intrinsic motivation is also studied. These serve as the purpose of this paper. We attempt to fill the research gap by asking the following research questions: 64 e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 Fall 2011 (1) Is there any difference in the level of intrinsic motivation towards learning between males and females for Hong Kong university students? (2) Is there any difference in the level of curiosity between males and females for Hong Kong university students? 3) Is there any difference in the level of external regulation between males and females for Hong Kong university students? These questions are answered by conducting a quantitative survey among a local university in Hong Kong. The result indicates that there is no difference in the level of curiosity, external regulation or intrinsic motivation towards learning between males and females. The result implies that students, no matter males or females, their likeliness to be motivated to work tend to be the same.Theory Background and Hypothesis Gender affects the skills or traits people find fascinating or personally relevant (Sansone & Harackiewicz, 2003). It implies that different genders tend to have different perception and thoughts. Different gender may t hus be destined to have different level of intrinsic motivation. In this fast-paced society, people need to have high competitiveness, wide range of knowledge and high capabilities in order to achieve eminent performance. Students having good academic performance were found to have higher intrinsic motivation.In this research, the focus is to find out if there is any difference regarding the level of curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation between males and females. Students in a local Hong Kong university are the targeted group. Differences in Gender Most of the previous researches are apt to suggest that female have higher motivation and more desirable learning than male students. Narayanan, Rajasekaran, & Iyyappan (2007) found that female university students studying Engineering or Technology have higher motivation in learning English than males.It was concluded that female students studying learn English better than male students (Narayanan, Rajasekaran, & Iyyapp an, 2007). Further to the explanation provided by Narayanan, Rajasekaran, and Iyyappan (2007), female have better listening skills, more concerned with input, i. e. listening, and tend to have better attitudes towards learning. Contrarily, male are less sensitive, more concerned with output, i. e. talking, and think in a more analytical way than female.These may be reasons explaining e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 65 Fall 2011 why females perform better in learning. It should be noted that the above research is for university students learning English. There is a research focusing on another subject, music, conducted by Schatt (2011). The study showed that female students have higher instrumental musical practice rate than males while the amount of time spent on practice correlated significantly with intrinsic motivational beliefs.Motivational beliefs are guides of students’ thinking, feelings and actions in learning some subject areas and they can lead to success in learning (Boekaerts, 2002; Clayton, Blumberg & Auld, 2010). Another research focusing on subject of physical education, the result is different. One study by Shang (1998) in Taiwan focusing on physical education classes in high and also junior high school, it was found that female students have lower intrinsic motivation which is relevant to their interest or enjoyment and perceived competence than male students in most of the sub-scale of the study, but have higher effort put into the learning tasks.It not only proves that learning environment is different for male and female students, but it also emphasizes that males perceive the learning environment as more challenging and competitive while females perceive higher threat than males in physical education classes (Shang, 1998). From several researchers investigating the levels of intrinsic motivation of students on different subjects, it resulted in different genders having higher intrinsic motivati on towards various subjects. Therefore, it should not have any conclusion saying that a particular gender is inclined to have higher motivation on all subjects.Based on the above evidence, the study hypothesized: Hypothesis 1 (H1): There should have no difference between males and females on the level of intrinsic motivation. Curiosity Curiosity is defined as the intrinsic desire to know, to see, or to experience that motivates information seeking behavior (Zelick, 2007, p. 147). Acquiring knowledge out of curiosity is considered to be intrinsically rewarding and highly pleasurable since it eliminates states of ignorance and uncertainty (Litman, 2005). There are not so many literature reviews regarding gender difference in the level of curiosity.In a previous study, it was found that males possess higher level of curiosity than females. This study was conducted among Israeli college students while there is no significant e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 66 Fall 2011 difference for the level of curiosity among American college student (Ben-Zur, & Zeidner, 1988). According to another study by Engelhard and Monsaas (1988), it shows that no significant gender difference was found among the urban elementary school students.It was also discovered by Sanders, Driscoll, Dixon, Pendergrass and Scales (2004) that there is no significant gender difference among middle school students either. From the above evidence, it is believed that there should be no gender difference in the level of curiosity among the Hong Kong university students. As a result of the literature review elaborated above, the second hypothesis was: Hypothesis 2 (H2): Both genders possess equal level of curiosity. External Regulation External regulation is the most pressured and controlled type of motivation (Vansteenkiste, Sierens, Soenens, Luyckx, & Lens, 2009; Olsson, 2008, p. 47). Externally regulated students study for avoiding punishment, to obtain rewards or to meet external expectations (Vansteenkiste, Sierens, Soenens, Luyckx, & Lens, 2009; Xie, Debacker, & Ferguson, 2006; Olsson, 2008, p. 147). They feel that they are obliged to study. With the external pressured contingencies, they are mentally pushed to put effort into their studies. It is also indicated by Bowman (2007) that rewards and incentives provided by teachers can be used as tools to motivate students in their learning and achieve their goals.For the wording of external to describe the external regulation, its source can still be internal. For instance, students can push themselves by studying with feelings of guilt, shame and anxiety. It can also be positive feelings of pride and ego enhancement. When students are externally regulated through some internal sources, this type of external regulation is labeled to be introjected regulation. Another research by Olsson (2008) stated that externally regulated people carry out internalization and integration of their behavior. It will form introjected regulation.He also agreed that their behavior is related to or enforced by the expectations of self-approval or avoiding guilt and anxiety. This type of behavior has external locus of causality. With the internalization and integration of behavior becoming more advanced, it will shift to identified regulation and people will have perception of internal locus of causality. There is limited literature reviews regarding the gender difference on the level of external e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 67 Fall 2011 regulation.One study by Agina, Kommers, Steehouder (2011) discovered that gender has no effect on the level of external regulation one possesses. That means there is no particular gender possessing higher level of external regulation. Another study by Balaguer, Castillo and Duda (2007) focusing on sport motivation found that female athletes have lower level of external regulation. Since the latter one pertains to lea rning and doing sport while the former one pertains to the targeted students’ external regulation in learning, it is believed that there is no gender difference in the level of external regulation among Hong Kong university students.Based on the above evidence, the third proposed hypothesis was: Hypothesis 3 (H3): Both genders possess equal level of external regulation. In this study, three elements were analyzed. They are curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation. Their levels within both genders are investigated. Hong Kong Learning Environment and Education System Students in Hong Kong need to study with intense academic competition owing to the commercialization of education and rapid expansion of tertiary education (Gao, 2008).Although the increased number of universities may ease the academic competition for higher education places. The number of unemployed university graduate is also increased. Students in Hong Kong learn in a highly competitive, examinati on oriented and large classes with excessive amount of homework (Moneta & Siu, 2002). Moreover, English is widely regularly promoted to be essential for individuals’ social and career development (Gao, 2008; Davison & Lai, 2007). English is the medium of instruction among all universities in Hong Kong.These are the characteristics of Hong Kong education system, which tends to requires students remembering all knowledge and apply all the knowledge on the paper for the examination. Hong Kong Students may always have surface learning that they will engage in the shortcuts allowed in some courses and attain till the end without deeper understanding (Moneta, & Siu, 2002). There are eight universities in Hong Kong governed by the University Grants Council (UGC), which has an international membership.UGC has been assigned to ensure all standards and maintain the independence of Hong Kong universities after the handover to China (Kember & Leung, 2011). All universities were founded w hile Hong Kong was a British colony. They e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 68 Fall 2011 are consistent with UK standards and practices. Also, owing to the importance of globalization and student exchange among the education, some top Hong Kong universities have been highly international in the outlook and can be compared with any other good universities in other countries.For Hong Kong education system, most university students are Chinese and aged from 18 to 22. Positive Relationship between Intrinsic motivation and Academic Performance According to a study conducted by Ning and Downing (2010) in Hong Kong focusing on investigating the relationship between intrinsic motivation and academic performance among university students, it was found that the relationship is positive. Also, another research by Afzal, Ali, Khan, and Hamid (2010) among 342 university students in Pakistan generates the same findings that intrinsic motivation can promote mor e optimal learning and better academic performance.In view of these result, intrinsic motivation should be promoted for the sake of student academic performance. Research Methods Survey research among university students is used in this study to test the hypotheses stated above since questionnaire as an instrument for studying research problems is a survey tool for collecting data from people about themselves such as attitudes, thoughts, behaviors; or concerning a social unit such as a school (Lanthier, 2002; Siniscalco, & Auriat, 2005). The research was completed in three universities in Hong Kong.Before the survey is mass produced and used to gather real data, pilot study was carried out to disclose problems and refine the wording, ordering, etc (Litwin, 1995; Hoinville, Jowell & Associates, 1978). Ten of my friends are asked to complete the questionnaires and give feedback independently about the questionnaires. The survey was then conducted by distributing questionnaires with co vering letter explaining the purpose of the research to the university students individually. The questionnaire was averagely completed within 10 minutes.Subsequently, 200 questionnaires were given out to undergraduates from various universities in Hong Kong. A total of 137 responses (with a return rate of 68. 5 per cent) were achieved, and the usability rate was 100 per cent since no incomplete questionnaires were found. There are nine statements (Table 1) for three variables: curiosity (Mot_3, Mot_5, Mot_6, e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 69 Fall 2011 Mot_7 and Mot_8), external regulation (Mot_1 and Mot_2) and intrinsic motivation (Motivator_3 and Motivator_4).Those statements were taken from three questionnaires from three journals (Albrecht, Haapanen, Hall, & Mantonya, 2009; Vansteenkiste, Sierens, Soenens, Luyckx, & Lens, 2009; Lepper, Corpus, & Iyengar, 2005). 4-point Likert-type scale which is common rating format especially for educatio nal survey research was assigned to all statements (Siniscalco, & Auriat, 2005; Allen, & Seaman, 2007). Removing mid-point category from Likert scale can reduce social desirability bias arising from respondents (Garland, 1991). Statements in questionnaire were ranked at (1) Very True, (2) Sort of True, (3) Not Very True and (4) Not At All True.Table 1. Statements for Three Variables Variables Curiosity Statements Mot_3 – I work hard in some courses because this represents a meaning choice for me. Mot_5 – I work hard in some courses because I think I can apply what I learn to my future career. Mot_6 – I work hard in some courses because I want to learn new things. Mot_7 – I work hard in some courses because good results in school can help me get a better career. Mot_8 – I work hard in some courses because this is an important life goal for me. Mot_1 – I work hard in some courses because that’s what others (parents, friends, etc. expect me to do. Mot_2 – I work hard in some courses because that’s what others (parents, friends, etc. ) force me to do. Motivator_3 – I work harder when I like the teacher. Motivator_4 – I work harder when the subject is interesting and useful. Data Analysis The purpose of this study is to test the gender difference on level of curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation. SPSS Version 17 is used to analyze the data in this study. This is sophisticated software for many scientists and other professionals to analyze statistics.Data analysis including frequency distribution is used to analyze the personal data of respondents. After that, mean and standard deviation are used to study the perception of curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation different genders possess. Independente-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 70 External Regulation Intrinsic Motivation Fall 2011 samples t test is then used to test all three hypotheses to see if there is any difference between males and females on the level of the three elements.Before the analysis, the collected data was examined to ensure that it is valid and reliable. It involves checking the usability and the validity of the responses on the questionnaires collected. Subsequently, reliability analysis using Cronbach alpha, which is a measure of internal consistency about how close elements are related to each other, is carried out to test the reliability of the variables (Nunnally, 1978; Prater and Ghosh, 2006). The test means the freedom from random error (Alreck, & Settle, 1985). The Cronbach alpha values (Table 2) of curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation are 0. 57, 0. 622 and 0. 685 respectively. A value of 0. 60 is also used as the practical lower bound (Narasimhan & Jayaram, 1998). Therefore, reliability figures in this study, which exceed the value of 0. 60, can be perceived as acceptable. This study can be conside red as reliable. Apart from reliability testing, factor analysis was also utilized to establish construct validity. Results of factor analysis can be used to ensure that questionnaire used in this study is valid (Field, 2005). Factor loading is used to analyze the validity of measurement scales with general value of acceptance as 0. 0 (Anderson, & Gerbing, 1998; Fornell, & Larcker, 1981). The variable of curiosity includes five items. A factor analysis for those items was conducted for the five items. Factor loadings ranged from 0. 542 to 0. 783. The variable of external regulation includes two items. Factor loadings are 0. 852 for both items in the factor analysis. The variable of intrinsic motivation includes two items. Both factor loadings are 0. 872. All values of factor loadings in the questionnaire are greater than 0. 3. Hence, this scale is retained.As a result, it can be concluded that the measurement scale is valid and reliable. Table 2. Mean, Standard Deviation, and Cronba ch Alphas of Three Variables Items Curiosity External Regulation Intrinsic Motivation Note: n = 137 Mean 2. 0569 2. 8139 2. 0255 Standard Deviation . 51732 . 62722 . 61334 Cronbach alpha 0. 757 0. 622 0. 685 71 Findings The demographic statistics of the respondents were analyzed. Table 3 shows the background e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 Fall 2011 of totally 137 respondents, in which 65. % are males. 99. 3% are between 21 and 25 years old. All of them are studying Engineering in a local university in Hong Kong. More than half of them are year 2 university students. With 56. 9% promote to university through Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS), it indicated that they have been studying and encountering different level of motivation in learning for at least 18 years for education system in Hong Kong. Table 3. Descriptive Statistics of Personal Data of Respondents Minimu Std. N m Maximum Deviation 13 1. 00 2. 0 . 47648 7 Cumulat ive Frequency Percent 72 Gender Male Female Age Below 21 Between 21 and 25 Above 25 Year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Promotion JUPAS NON-JUPAS 90 47 13 7 1. 00 3. 00 . 50523 55 81 1 13 7 1. 00 5. 00 . 61495 14 79 44 13 7 1. 00 2. 00 . 49699 78 59 65. 7 100 40. 1 99. 3 100 10. 2 67. 9 100 56. 9 100 Valid N (listwise) 13 7 All respondents completed a questionnaire asking their reasons of study in terms of whether they perceive the specific statement as â€Å"Very True† (1), â€Å"Sort of True† (2), â€Å"Not Very True† (3) or â€Å"Not at all True† (4).The reasons in the questionnaire pertain to the three variables (curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation) investigated in this study. e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 Fall 2011 Mean and standard deviation were used to examine the level of their perception of the variables. The values of mean, standard deviation and Cronbach alpha are shown in Table II. Results sh ow that university students have slight perception towards having curiosity and intrinsic motivation, but not external regulation. It is indicated by the mean score of 2. 569 for curiosity, 2. 8139 for external regulation and 2. 0255 for intrinsic motivation. Independent sample t-test was used subsequently to test if there is any different in the level of curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation between males and females. H1: This hypothesis predicting that there is no significant difference on the level of intrinsic motivation between males and females was supported since the t value is 0. 498 and the significant value is 0. 620, which is higher than 0. 05. With the mean difference of only 0. 05508, it shows no significant difference between both genders.H2: This hypothesis predicting that there is no significant difference on the level of curiosity between males and females was supported since the t value is -0. 112 and the significant value is 0. 911, which is high er than 0. 05. With the mean difference of only 0. 01050, it shows no significant difference between both genders. H3: This hypothesis predicting that there is no significant difference on the level of external regulation between males and females was supported since the t value is 1. 222 and the significant value is 0. 224, which is higher than 0. 05. With the mean difference of only 0. 3771, it shows no significant difference between both genders. To conclude, all three hypotheses are supported via the above results. It shows that both genders possess equal level of curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation. Discussion and Implications Results indicate that the levels of curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation for university students in Hong Kong are nearly the same among different genders. It can be interpreted by the same education environment for both genders. Students in Hong Kong receive education under the same educational systems and approaches among different genders.Therefore, it contributes to both genders having the same level of characteristics affecting their learning and also intrinsic motivation. Moreover, there is a part of university students in Hong Kong, no matter males or females, studying subjects that they are not interested in owing to the emphasis of education e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 73 Fall 2011 qualification for students’ future careers in Hong Kong society. As a consequence, the education they are receiving cannot make a difference of various perspectives affecting learning on different genders.That is why there is no difference for males and females on the three factors that is supposed to students’ learning. Difference on Level of Intrinsic Motivation between Males and Females Supported by several researchers with this result, Narayanan, Rajasekaran, & Iyyappan (2007) concluded that female students studying Engineering or Technology learn E nglish better than male students. Meanwhile, from a research of Shang (1998) in Taiwan focusing on physical education classes, it was found that female have lower intrinsic motivation than males but with higher effort put into the learning tasks.Another research conducting by Schatt (2011) focusing on subject of music found that female students have higher instrumental musical practice rate than males while the amount of time spent on practice correlated significantly with intrinsic motivational beliefs. Therefore, it should not have any conclusion saying that a particular gender is inclined to have higher motivation on all subjects since university students always involves studying English, Chinese culture and their major altogether.The result of this research study showing that there is no difference between males and females on the level of intrinsic motivation support the hypothesis 1 (H1). Difference on Level of Curiosity between Males and Females Supported by several researche rs with this result, Engelhard and Monsaas (1988) concluded that there is no significant gender difference on the level of curiosity among urban elementary school students. Moreover, same study outcome was resulted in a study by Ben-Zur and Zeidner (1988) focusing on American college students.Therefore, there should be no significant gender difference on the level of curiosity among university students in Hong Kong. The result of this research study showing that there is no difference between males and females on the level of curiosity support the hypothesis 2 (H2). Difference on Level of External Regulation between Males and Females Supported by several researchers with this result, Agina, Kommers, Steehouder (2011) found that gender has no effect on the level of external regulation one possesses.Although Balaguer, Castillo and Duda (2007) focusing on sport motivation found that female athletes have lower e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 74 Fal l 2011 level of external regulation, this study concentrated on students’ sport motivation and the study of 2011 as mentioned pertains to students’ learning. As a consequence, there should be no significant gender difference on the level of external regulation among university students in Hong Kong.The result of this research study showing that there is no difference between males and females on the level of external regulation support the hypothesis 3 (H3). Implication for Practice The implication for practice in this study is to let universities identify if one of the genders possess higher level of curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation so as to bring the awareness of universities and students about their ways of teaching and it offers more information for lecturers and professors to implement different practical methods to improve students’ learning performance.Furthermore, this study can let universities know if they need to focus on one pa rticular gender when teaching due to the different level of learning characteristics or intrinsic motivation. It can help schools develop deeper understanding among students. Limitations and future opportunities There are mainly two limitations in this project. Firstly, the sample size of some subgroups is not even. The sample size of males is 90 while that of females is 47. The significant level may be influenced owing to unbalanced distribution of sample size.Also, the investigated school is only one local university in Hong Kong, the survey result may not be representative to the general situations of university students in Hong Kong. The second limitation of this study is that the sample size is not large. Less than 200 samples were collected. It may make the survey result not representative enough to show the general learning environment for university students in Hong Kong. Apart from the limitations, there are several future research opportunities from this study.The first is to extend this current study to a larger sample size among Hong Kong university students to get a more representative result. Secondly, since there is limited literature review investigating the gender difference in curiosity, external regulation and also intrinsic motivation, which is what this project focuses e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 75 Fall 2011 on, it is suggested to apply this type of research to similar research study in primary schools, secondary schools, overseas schools, or among students studying associate degree in Hong Kong.The result may be different. This research study also lacks deep investigation. This study is empirical that involves only quantitative research. The survey was conducted in form of questionnaires and without faceto-face interview. The focus of the investigations in this study is on the existence of the relationships. Further research can be done concentrating on deeply investigating why there is no signi ficant gender difference on the level of intrinsic motivation, external regulation and curiosity. Thereby, all these can be a further research for future development of education.Conclusion Throughout the study, there is investigation of the existence of gender difference on the level of curiosity, external regulation and intrinsic motivation among the targeted group of university students in Hong Kong. This study was conducted in a local university in Hong Kong. The survey result supports all three hypotheses defined in this research study. It shows that there is no significant gender difference on the level of intrinsic motivation, curiosity and external regulation (H1, H2 and H3 respectively). References Afzal, H. , Ali, I. , Khan, M. A. , & Hamid, K. (2010).A Study of University Students’ Motivation and Its Relationship with Their Academic Performance. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(4), 80-88. Agina, A. M. , Kommers, P. A. M. , Steehouder, M. M. (2011 ). 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An Analysis of the Relationships between Goal Perspectives, Perceived Learning Environment, and Intrinsic Motivation by Skill Levels and Gender in Adolescent Boys a nd Girls in Taiwan, Republic of China.Applied Image Inc. : New York. Siniscalco, M. T. , & Auriat, N. (2005). Questionnaire design. Quantitative research methods in educational planning. International Institute for Educational Planning/UNESCO: Paris. Vansteenkiste, M. , Sierens, E. , Soenens, B. , Luyckx, K. , & Lens, W. (2009). Motivational Profiles From a Self-Determination Perspective: The Quality of Motivation Matters. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 671-688. Vansteenkiste, M. , Zhou, M. , Lens, W. , & Soenens, B. (2005).Experiences of Autonomy and Control Among Chinese Learners: Vitalizing or Immobilizing?. Journal of Educational e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2 79 Fall 2011 Psychology, 97(3), 468–483. Xie, K. , Debacker, T. K. , & Ferguson, C. (2006). Extending the Traditional Classroom through Online Discussion: The Role of Student Motivation. J. Educational Computing Research, 34(1), 67-89. Zelick, P. R. (2007). Issues in The Psychology of Motivation. Nova Science Publishers: New York. 80 e-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership Volume 9, Number 2