The Mahabharata: a Brahminical Struggle for Power

The Mahabharata: A Brahminical Struggle for Power The desire for power has always been an issue throughout the ages. As foreign ideas and invaders became a threatening situation, the Brahmin caste during time of the Mahabharata responded by stressing the importance of dharma in society. The writers of the Mahabharata's twelfth book, The Book of Peace, place extra emphasis on dharma to not only maintain order within the kingdom, but also to preserve the social status of Brahmins and dissuade other castes from converting to new and foreign influences in the Mahabharata.To better understand why such an act was needed, this paper will discuss the Brahminical social status relative to other castes, the importance of dharma in society to Brahmins, the growing influence of the Buddhism in India, and lastly the presence of Jainism in society and it’s minor effect. During the period the Mahabharata was written, there was a clear defined four-tiered caste system consisting of the Sudras , Vaishyas, Kshatriya, and Brahmins. These classes were meant to maintain order by stressing that each class must to adhere to its proper dharma. The Sudras were the lowest level of the caste system.Known typically as slaves and workers, their dharma was to do be slaves or do hard labor. They held no power although they represented a large portion of society. They were owned by the Kshatriya, but they were considered â€Å"untouchable† by both Brahmins and Kshatriyas because of the impure stigma placed upon the class by the Brahmins. This idea of impurity of the Sudras pervaded even throughout the class itself, and at the pinnacle of the caste system, there were divisions within the Sudra class The Vaisyas were placed below the Kshatriya and Brahmins and â€Å"slightly above the Sudras† in the caste system.This class’s main focus was agriculture and livestock. Scholars such as Richard Fick state that, â€Å"Originally in the oldest Vedic age Vaiyas was a name o f the class of cattle-breeding and land-cultivating Aryan settlers, it later served the purpose of the theorizing Brahmins to bind together the unlimited number of social groups. † They were unable to receive education in Vedic traditions. Since they were the closest to Sudras in class, these two groups occasionally formed distinct classes referred to as â€Å"Gahapatis and Kutumbika†The Kshatriya class was known to consist of the warriors and kings of the caste system. They maintained a symbiotic relationship with the Brahmins. The Kshatriyas depended on the Brahmins to perform detailed rituals since they were the only ones who knew the knowledge to perform them. The Brahmins depended on the Kshatriyas for protection and sustenance. Although the Brahmins had the knowledge the Kshatriyas needed, this did not last. As the Kshatriyas gained access to Vedic literature, they demonstrated equal dedication to the texts as the Brahmins did .This access to Vedic literature prom pted the Kshatriyas to begin to question brahminical ways. As the Kshatryias became more educated, â€Å"kings were not happy with the parasitical life led by the brahminical class. † This questioning and dissatisfaction aided the development of new ideas and influences. The Brahmin class focused on performing rituals and the Vedic texts. They put new meaning to the saying, â€Å"knowledge is power. † Through their knowledge on how to perform complicated rituals and â€Å"special† mystical power, they were able to persuade all the other classes to give to them.Bhishma in the Mahabharata, â€Å"tells Yudhisthiria that priest of the sacrifice (rtvij), a family priest (purohita), a teacher, a disciple, relatives and kinsmen can be considered worthy of worship and honour if they are furnished with learning and virtue (Srutavrttopasamhita). † Essentially describing the Brahmins, Bhisma tells Yudhisthiria and all other classes to give to Brahmins since they ful fill the required criteria on who to give to. The Brahmins were the most organized class of the time, and this allowed them to declare their broad rule.It did not matter if the Kshatriyas had the thrown; the power over the thrown essentially made them the ruler of the land. Excess power corrupts, and the Brahmins were clearly overstepping their bounds. Kings began to see their relationship with Brahmins as parasitic rather than symbiotic. One of the most famous Kshatriya, Siddhartha Gautama, was raised with this mentality, and would use this as a base for Buddhism. However, Brahmins were still kept in high regard. In the Mahabharata, The Book of Peace is essentially a long argument in favor of Brahmins. It looked upon them as walking gods on earth who should be obeyed and honored. † Though this is the case, scholars such as V. S Sukthankar believe that â€Å"the tradition which revised and recast the epic according to the Vaishnava and brahmana need was the Brighu tradition. † One of these instances can be seen in â€Å"Top of the list of Bhargavas second only to Bhrgu himself, is Rama Jamadagnya, the militant brahmin hero responsible for the destruction of the ksatriyas, whether this story is intended to as a military or a literary victory. If Sukthankar’s theory is correct, the Brahminization of the Mahabharata exemplifies the power the Brahmins had in their era. They not only had the ability to influence public policy in the Vedic era, but also how they are portrayed in religious texts that transcend both borders and time. Braminization was not only a way to maintain power at the time, but ensure that their power be maintained for future Brahmins as well. Compared to all other classes, the brahminical class best understood the political and social needs of the time.This allowed them to gain increasing power and respect not only in their era, but future periods to come. Dharma was the way of life in the Vedic society. Adharmic acts are n ot taken lightly as seen in the Mahabharata when Yudhisthria’s chariot falls after half-lying about Asvattamma’s death. The idea of dharma can be traced back to the Vedic period when the concept of dharma was represented as the word rita . In Book 12, Bhisma defines dharma as, â€Å"it helps acquisition and preservation of wealth. The sages have declared that dharma restricts and limits all evil acts of men.All creatures prosper by the growth of dharma and deteriorate with its decay. † (12. 91, 14-15) Bhisma goes on to discuss how dharma is important in all parts of the caste or varna system. A majority of The Book of Peace is describing how a king should act, what should a kingdom provide, and how dharma needs to be followed (unless during special situations such as war), however, Bhisma spends time to educate what dharma means for those not in the position of king. Not only does Bhisma specify what type of lives Sudras, Vaishyas, Kshatriya, and Brahmins should live, but also how to live one’s life at specific ages.There are four modes of life that Bhisma reveals in The Book of Peace. The first is Brahmacharya Ashrama which instructs one to â€Å"lead a life of celibacy and obey the order of preceptor† (12. 168. 8. 10) . This time lasts from age 12 when a child goes to a preceptor and ends at the age of 25 when he returns. The next role is Grihastha Ashrama where Bhisma instructs one to â€Å"enjoy life, gratify his senses, follow all ethical sanctions enshrined in the Samayadarma and help people who were in distress† (12. 186. 11. 16) One should get married at the age of 25 and remain in this mode until 50 years old.At the age of 50, one enters Vanprastha Ashrama where he can accept the life of a hermit. At the late age of 75, one can enter Sanyasa Ashrama, where a hermit can detach himself further from the world and become an ascetic. These modes of life are directed towards the Bhramins, however, Kshatriyas can tak e on these roles, â€Å"after duly observing his caste duties, in his old age, could accept the hermit’s and ascetics mode of life† (12. 63. 16. 21) and â€Å"an aged Vaishya, after virtuously performing his duty and serving the king might adopt other modes of life with the king’s permission† (12. 3. 15) The class structures which include age are extremely structured. This is so because, â€Å"the social mechanism of dharma was a clear attempt to moderate class struggle and competition with the help of the varna system. † The caste system worked because of the wide understanding of dharma among its many followers. With the Braminzation Theory in mind, it is entirely possible that the Brahmins, through Bhisma’s voice, were the true advocates for dharmic living. The idea of dharma was to maintain the stability and the status quo of the time .The highly structured design acted as an instrument to fulfill the Brahmins desires. The importance of class structure focuses on maintaining the power of the Brahmins which is why it was alarming to witness Brahmins acting like Kshatriyas and vice versa. One of the developing influences during the Vedic period was Buddhism. Mentioned earlier, Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born into the Kshatriya caste. This provided him with a primary bias against them, but his reasons for going against the brahminical caste were much deeper than an underlying bias.The Buddha was disgusted by the animal sacrifices to the Gods, along with the hypocritical and lying nature of the Brahmins. He was also â€Å"critical to their advice to kings† and â€Å"opposed to the Brahmin claim over the Kshatriyas. † To gain followers, the Buddha took advantage of the ailing brahminical caste. He showed support for the sudras by â€Å"speaking against the caste and admitting the sudra castes into the snagha . † The Buddha convinced the Kshatriyas to convert by using his family roots, and stressing his supremacy thus implicitly stating that Kshatryas were supreme.After gaining the Kshatriyas on his side, the Buddha moved on to the Vaisya class lending them money at an interest, and since the Vaisya class focused on livestock, Buddha’s rejection of animal sacrifices only added more reason for the Vaisya to join his snagha. Buddhism even managed to recruit â€Å"a significant part of their elite from good Brahmin families and which scattered the countryside with shrines and monasteries. † Furthermore, Buddhism gained strong support by Asoka the Great, an Indian emperor, who converted to Buddhism. Asoka did not reject the entire brahminical tradition.He also strongly desired for his people to be dharmic. His strong adherence to dharma rivals that of the Brahmins. The danger of Buddhism was not only the converts it was amassing, but the stressing of equality across all caste and the ridding of the caste system all together. Since much of the Bra hmin’s power was a result from the strict caste system, it was in their best interest to preserve it any way they could. In response the surge of Buddhism, the Mahabharata was released to counter the threat of outside invaders and new influences.This new text served to learn from the mistakes of past mistakes of the overextended Brahmin caste. â€Å"But the text does not resemble the hymns of the Veda at all; it is a narrative text which is replete with all manner of didactic wisdom. And it is a text which has, in its intention, and in fact, moved away from the social exclusivism and esotericism of the Vedic Brahmin tradition. † The act of adaptation of the Brahminical tradition is impressive because it maintains the same concepts conveyed through the first four Vedas while presenting it in a new fashion that speaks to the audience of that era.Although a remarkable cause, Buddhism waned in India because â€Å"the Kshatriyas were afraid of Buddhism because it threatene d the very foundation of their existence as a class as oppressed people encouraged by its equality preaching were trying to rise† In response to this rising issue, the Brahmins and Kshatriyas formed a new alliance to reestablish the caste system , and as a result, Buddhism slowly faded in India. An additional threat to the Brahmins at the time was Jainism.Lead by Mahavira, a born and raised Kshatriya who renounced his caste, Jainism became an increasing threat to the Brahmins. â€Å"In this remarkable spiritual exploration of Mahavira, there was a break with traditionalism, the response and challenge to the orthodoxy of the Brahmins. † Although Jainism is not a considered a â€Å"revolt† against Brahmanism since it some of the tenets find roots in Vedic ideas , many of the ideas were alarming to the Brahmins. Mahavira did not think of the Vedas as authority and did not believe that the Brahmins â€Å"were the bearers of spiritual truth .He also viewed animal sac rifices as wrong and rejected the animal ritual sacrifices such as the Horse Sacrifice popular in Vedic Brahmanism. â€Å"There is no doubt that the emphasis on ahimsa, non-killing was a reaction against the Brahminic sacrifices which required sacrifices of live animals† Although alarming to the Brahmins, Jainism had unattractive qualities which dissuaded many from converting to the lifestyle. Since â€Å"Jainism was less of an anti-caste than anti-Brahmin movement† , those angry with the current caste system did not find much reason to convert.Kshatriyas found this new ideology unappealing because it asked them to forego their warrior and bloody lifestyle to one that had no blood or violence. Despite these unappealing qualities, Jainism still managed to amass a group a followers particularly from the Vaiysa caste which sought to increase their status and distinguish themselves from the Sudras. Although a smaller influential group, Jainism still was a threat to the Bra hmin way of life which demanded addressing. The ultimate goal of politics transcends time. In today’s society, politics emains the same – a constant battle for power. Through analyzing the Bhraminical social status relative to other castes, the importance of dharma in society, the growing influence of the Buddhism in India, and the presence of invaders during the time of the Mahabharata, it is apparent that they were on the top of the caste system and were reluctant to move from that position even when many pressures were apparent. It is quite remarkable how the Mahabharata not only serves as present day religion text, but also as a response to the growing influences of Buddhism and Jainism.It is further exemplified that dharma is used as a tool to maintain order within the kingdom and attempt to preserve the social status of the Brahmins. Although the brahminical power eventually ended, their epic passion and zeal to maintain their status is not only inspiring, but al so deserves some reorganization in the Indian Epic, the Mahabharata. Works Cited Ahir, D. C. Asoka the Great. Delhi: B. R. Pub. Corp. , 1995. 9-137. Brekke, Torkel. â€Å"Contradiction and the Merit of Giving in Indian Religions. † International Review for the History of Religions 45 (1998): 302.Chousalkar, Ashok S. â€Å"Social and Political Implications of Concept of Dharma. † Social and Political Implications of Concepts of Justice & Dharma. Delhi: Mittal Publications, 1986. 55-112. Fitzgerald, James L. â€Å"Journal of the American Academy of Religion. † The Great Epic of India as Religious Rhetoric: A Fresh Look at the â€Å"Mahabharata 51 (1983): 611-30. Fitzgerald, James L. The Mahabharata: 11. the Book of the Women, 12. the Book of Peace, Part One. Vol. 7. Chicago, Ill. ; London: University of Chicago P, 2004. 79-124. Gandhi, Raj S. The Rise of Jainism and its Adoption by the Vaishyas of India : a Case Study in Sanskritisation and Status Mobility. † Social Compass 24 (1977): 247-60. Hiltebeitel, Alf. â€Å"Empire, Invasion, and India's National Epics. † International Journal of Hindu Studies 2 (1998): 387-421. Ilaiah, Kancha. â€Å"Pre-Buddhist Society. † God as Political Philosopher: Buddha's Challenge to Brahminism. Kolkata: Mandira Sen for Samya, 2001. 27-43. Leslie, Julia. â€Å"Identifying â€Å"Valmiki in the Early Sanskrit Text. † Authority and Meaning in Indian Religions: Hinduism and the Case of Valmiki. Aldershot, Hants, Engand: Ashgate, 2003. 83.

Principles of Conditioning

Needs and drives, what exactly are they and what do they have to do with dogs/dog training? A need or drive is a type of motivation that describes the behaviors dogs show during training. Needs can be something as obvious as water or food, all the way to behaviors that serve no clear physical need at all (ex play behavior). Dog training is all about arranging matters so the dog’s yearnings are met when they perform the desired action. Before any of this can take place you must ensure all of the dog’s primary needs are met. The dog needs to be in a healthy state, be happy, and have a good emotional connection to the trainer, also known as rapport. There are two types of drives, primary and secondary. Primary drives are the drives that are a necessity for ensuring your dog stays alive and healthy (i. e. thirst and hunger). If these drives are not met it can lead to injury or death. Secondary drives include all of the motivations that make a dog behave the way it does. They are not as necessary for the life and health of a dog, but are still very important. 1) Primary drives: ) Oxygen: i) Quite simply, the dog needs oxygen to survive. Many things your dog does increase the oxygen that they consume, which results in panting. Panting is also a way that your dog expels excess heat. Heavy panting can interfere with the sense of smell (olfactory). b) Thirst: ii) The need for water. It’s important to maintain your dog’s hydration level so it does not interfere with training. Also water cannot be u sed as a reward for the dog. c) Hunger: iii) Just like oxygen and water, food is also a very important part in keeping your dog happy and healthy. Though, unlike water food can be used as a reward, normally in the form of a treat. The dog should not eat if it has recently been doing intense physical activity, particularly in hot conditions. d) Drive to avoid pain and discomfort: iv) Dogs are a very intelligent species and learn very quickly, especially when there is a pain factor involved. They will avoid performing actions that they have learned cause them pain. Thus why handlers will inflict a type of discomfort when the dog disobeys or performs an action incorrectly. I. e. f you command the dog to sit but they ignore, or perform an incorrect action the handler will give a physical correction (command avoidance) that inflict pain upon the dog. In this process the dog is learning that if it does not sit like it has been taught it will be corrected (punished). Before you can use this type of training you must ensure that the dog knows the desired response. 2) Secondary drives: e) Socialization: v) This is basically the same as the dogs pack drive. One of the dog’s strongest drives is to have a social relationship with other dogs or humans. It needs to be a stable relationship in which the dog trusts or has affection for it’s companion. Though this is not an instantly created bond, it is extremely important for the handler to build rapport with the dog. Walking, feeding, grooming, or just playing with the dog for a period of time can build this relationship. Building rapport is very important to the successfulness of the team. Socialization is made up of two sub-types, alpha and beta. (1) Alpha is what the dog initially wants to be. It’s instinct for dogs to want to have supremacy or dominance in a relationship. 2) Beta is when the dog is submissive, and allows others to be in control and dominant. This is what you want your dog to be as a handler. This is because the dog will show willingness or motivation to please the handler by completing actions that the handler commands. f) Play socialization: vi) Play socialization does not clearly serve any important needs, but it is important to incorporate fun pl ay into the relationship between handler and dog. g) Prey drive: vii) This is the dog’s natural instinct to attack, bite, and carry anything the dog sees as prey. This can be another animal or object. What a dog would do to a rabbit, can be initiated by throwing a ball in most circumstances. This predatory instinct is very important in dog training, especially in controlled aggression. h) Aggression: viii) This includes any behaviors such as biting, growling, and fighting when used to compete with others for resources (food/water) or to protect them selves when felt threatened. Dominant, defensive, and pain-elicited aggression are all a vital role in motivating dogs in patrol training or rewarding them with a bite.

Chapter 5 Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes

Harry spun faster and faster, elbows tucked tightly to his sides, blurred fireplaces flashing past him, until he started to feel sick and closed his eyes. Then, when at last he felt himself slowing down, he threw out his hands and came to a halt in time to prevent himself from falling face forward out of the Weasleys' kitchen fire. â€Å"Did he eat it?† said Fred excitedly, holding out a hand to pull Harry to his feet. â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry, straightening up. â€Å"What was it?† â€Å"Ton-Tongue Toffee,† said Fred brightly. â€Å"George and I invented them, and we've been looking for someone to test them on all summer†¦.† The tiny kitchen exploded with laughter; Harry looked around and saw that Ron and George were sitting at the scrubbed wooden table with two red-haired people Harry had never seen before, though he knew immediately who they must be: Bill and Charlie, the two eldest Weasley brothers. â€Å"How're you doing, Harry?† said the nearer of the two, grinning at him and holding out a large hand, which Harry shook, feeling calluses and blisters under his fingers. This had to be Charlie, who worked with dragons in Romania. Charlie was built like the twins, shorter and stockier than Percy and Ron, who were both long and lanky. He had a broad, good-natured face, which was weather-beaten and so freckly that he looked almost tanned; his arms were muscular, and one of them had a large, shiny burn on it. Bill got to his feet, smiling, and also shook Harry's hand. Bill came as something of a surprise. Harry knew that he worked for the wizarding bank, Gringotts, and that Bill had been Head Boy at Hogwarts; Harry had always imagined Bill to be an older version of Percy: fussy about rule-breaking and fond of bossing everyone around. However, Bill was – there was no other word for it – cool. He was tall, with long hair that he had tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing an earring with what looked like a fang dangling from it. Bill's clothes would not have looked out of place at a rock concert, except that Harry recognized his boots to be made, not of leather, but of dragon hide. Before any of them could say anything else, there was a faint popping noise, and Mr. Weasley appeared out of thin air at George's shoulder. He was looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him. â€Å"That wasn't funny Fred!† he shouted. â€Å"What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?† â€Å"I didn't give him anything,† said Fred, with another evil grin. I just dropped it†¦.It was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to.† â€Å"You dropped it on purpose!† roared Mr. Weasley. â€Å"You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet -â€Å" â€Å"How big did his tongue get?† George asked eagerly. â€Å"It was four feet long before his parents would let me shrink it!† Harry and the Weasleys roared with laughter again. â€Å"It isn't funny!† Mr. Weasley shouted. â€Å"That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard-Muggle relations! I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons â€Å"We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!† said Fred indignantly. â€Å"No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git,† said George. â€Å"Isn't he, Harry?† â€Å"Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley,† said Harry earnestly. â€Å"That's not the point!† raged Mr. Weasley. â€Å"You wait until I tell your mother -â€Å" â€Å"Tell me what?† said a voice behind them. Mrs. Weasley had just entered the kitchen. She was a short, plump woman with a very kind face, though her eyes were presently narrowed with suspicion. â€Å"Oh hello, Harry, dear,† she said, spotting him and smiling. Then her eyes snapped back to her husband. â€Å"Tell me what, Arthur?† Mr. Weasley hesitated. Harry could tell that, however angry he was with Fred and George, he hadn't really intended to tell Mrs. Weasley what had happened. There was a silence, while Mr. Weasley eyed his wife nervously. Then two girls appeared in the kitchen doorway behind Mrs. Weasley. One, with very bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth, was Harry's and Ron's friend, Hermione Granger. The other, who was small and red-haired, was Ron's younger sister, Ginny. Both of them smiled at Harry, who grinned back, which made Ginny go scarlet – she had been very taken with Harry ever since his first visit to the Burrow. â€Å"Tell me what, Arthur?† Mrs. Weasley repeated, in a dangerous sort of voice. â€Å"It's nothing, Molly,† mumbled Mr. Weasley, â€Å"Fred and George just – but I've had words with them -â€Å" â€Å"What have they done this time?† said Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"If it's got anything to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes -â€Å" â€Å"Why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping, Ron?† said Hermione from the doorway. â€Å"He knows where he's sleeping,† said Ron, â€Å"in my room, he slept there last -â€Å" â€Å"We can all go,† said Hermione pointedly. â€Å"Oh,† said Ron, cottoning on. â€Å"Right.† â€Å"Yeah, we'll come too,† said George. â€Å"You stay where you are!† snarled Mrs. Weasley. Harry and Ron edged out of the kitchen, and they, Hermione, and Ginny set off along the narrow hallway and up the rickety staircase that zigzagged through the house to the upper stories. â€Å"What are Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?† Harry asked as they climbed. Ron and Ginny both laughed, although Hermione didn't. â€Å"Mum found this stack of order forms when she was cleaning Fred and George's room,† said Ron quietly. â€Å"Great long price lists for stuff they've invented. Joke stuff, you know. Fake wands and trick sweets, loads of stuff. It was brilliant, I never knew they'd been inventing all that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We've been hearing explosions out of their room for ages, but we never thought they were actually making things,† said Ginny. â€Å"We thought they just liked the noise.† â€Å"Only, most of the stuff – well, all of it, really – was a bit dangerous,† said Ron, â€Å"and, you know, they were planning to sell it at Hogwarts to make some money, and Mum went mad at them. Told them they weren't allowed to make any more of it, and burned all the order forms†¦.She's furious at them anyway. They didn't get as many O.W.L.s as she expected.† O.W.L.s were Ordinary Wizarding Levels, the examinations Hogwarts students took at the age of fifteen. â€Å"And then there was this big row,† Ginny said, â€Å"because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic like Dad, and they told her all they want to do is open a joke shop.† Just then a door on the second landing opened, and a face poked out wearing horn-rimmed glasses and a very annoyed expression. â€Å"Hi, Percy,† said Harry. â€Å"Oh hello, Harry,† said Percy. â€Å"I was wondering who was making all the noise. I'm trying to work in here, you know I've got a report to finish for the office – and it's rather difficult to concentrate when people keep thundering up and down the stairs.† â€Å"We're not thundering, â€Å"said Ron irritably. â€Å"We're walking. Sorry if we've disturbed the top-secret workings of the Ministry of Magic.† â€Å"What are you working on?† said Harry. â€Å"A report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation,† said Percy smugly. â€Å"We're trying to standardize cauldron thickness. Some of these foreign imports are just a shade too thin – leakages have been increasing at a rate of almost three percent a year -â€Å" â€Å"That'll change the world, that report will,† said Ron. â€Å"Front page of the Daily Prophet, I expect, cauldron leaks.† Percy went slightly pink. â€Å"You might sneer, Ron,† he said heatedly, â€Å"but unless some sort of international law is imposed we might well find the market flooded with flimsy, shallow-bottomed products that seriously endanger -â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, yeah, all right,† said Ron, and he started off upstairs again. Percy slammed his bedroom door shut. As Harry, Hermione, and Ginny followed Ron up three more flights of stairs, shouts from the kitchen below echoed up to them. It sounded as though Mr. Weasley had told Mrs. Weasley about the toffees. The room at the top of the house where Ron slept looked much as it had the last time that Harry had come to stay: the same posters of Ron's favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons, were whirling and waving on the walls and sloping ceiling, and the fish tank on the windowsill, which had previously held frog spawn, now contained one extremely large frog. Ron's old rat, Scabbers, was here no more, but instead there was the tiny gray owl that had delivered Ron's letter to Harry in Privet Drive. It was hopping up and down in a small cage and twittering madly. â€Å"Shut up, Pig,† said Ron, edging his way between two of the four beds that had been squeezed into the room. â€Å"Fred and George are in here with us, because Bill and Charlie are in their room,† he told Harry. â€Å"Percy gets to keep his room all to himself because he's got to work.† â€Å"Er – why are you calling that owl Pig?† Harry asked Ron. â€Å"Because he's being stupid,† said Ginny, â€Å"Its proper name is Pigwidgeon.† â€Å"Yeah, and that's not a stupid name at all,† said Ron sarcastically. â€Å"Ginny named him,† he explained to Harry. â€Å"She reckons it's sweet. And I tried to change it, but it was too late, he won't answer to anything else. So now he's Pig. I've got to keep him up here because he annoys Errol and Hermes. He annoys me too, come to that. Pigwidgeon zoomed happily around his cage, hooting shrilly. Harry knew Ron too well to take him seriously. He had moaned continually about his old rat, Scabbers, but had been most upset when Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, appeared to have eaten him. â€Å"Where's Crookshanks?† Harry asked Hermione now. â€Å"Out in the garden, I expect,† she said. â€Å"He likes chasing gnomes. He's never seen any before.† â€Å"Percy's enjoying work, then?† said Harry, sitting down on one of the beds and watching the Chudley Cannons zooming in and out of the posters on the ceiling. â€Å"Enjoying it?† said Ron darkly. â€Å"I don't reckon he'd come home if Dad didn't make him. He's obsessed. Just don't get him onto the subject of his boss. According to Mr. Crouch†¦as I was saying to Mr. Crouch†¦ Mr. Crouch is of the opinion†¦Mr. Crouch was telling me†¦They'll be announcing their engagement any day now.† â€Å"Have you had a good summer, Harry?† said Hermione. â€Å"Did you get our food parcels and everything?† â€Å"Yeah, thanks a lot,† said Harry. â€Å"They saved my life, those cakes.† â€Å"And have you heard from -?† Ron began, but at a look from Hermione he fell silent. Harry knew Ron had been about to ask about Sirius. Ron and Hermione had been so deeply involved in helping Sirius escape from the Ministry of Magic that they were almost as concerned about Harry's godfather as he was. However, discussing him in front of Ginny was a bad idea. Nobody but themselves and Professor Dumbledore knew about how Sirius had escaped, or believed in his innocence. â€Å"I think they've stopped arguing,† said Hermione, to cover the awkward moment, because Ginny was looking curiously from Ron to Harry. â€Å"Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?† â€Å"Yeah, all right,† said Ron. The four of them left Ron's room and went back downstairs to find Mrs. Weasley alone in the kitchen, looking extremely bad-tempered. â€Å"We're eating out in the garden,† she said when they came in. â€Å"There's just not room for eleven people in here. Could you take the plates outside, girls? Bill and Charlie are setting up the tables. Knives and forks, please, you two,† she said to Ron and Harry, pointing her wand a little more vigorously than she had intended at a pile of potatoes in the sink, which shot out of their skins so fast that they ricocheted off the walls and ceiling. â€Å"Oh for heaven's sake,† she snapped, now directing her wand at a dustpan, which hopped off the sideboard and started skating across the floor, scooping up the potatoes. â€Å"Those two!† she burst out savagely, now pulling pots and pans out of a cupboard, and Harry knew she meant Fred and George. I don't know what's going to happen to them, I really don't. No ambition, unless you count making as much trouble as they possibly can†¦.† Mrs. Weasley slammed a large copper saucepan down on the kitchen table and began to wave her wand around inside it. A creamy sauce poured from the wand tip as she stirred. â€Å"It's not as though they haven't got brains, she continued irritably, taking the saucepan over to the stove and lighting it with a further poke of her wand, â€Å"but they're wasting them, and unless they pull themselves together soon, they'll be in real trouble. I've had more owls from Hogwarts about them than the rest put together. If they carry on the way they're going, they'll end up in front of the Improper Use of Magic Office.† Mrs. Weasley jabbed her wand at the cutlery drawer, which shot open. Harry and Ron both jumped out of the way as several knives soared out of it, flew across the kitchen, and began chopping the potatoes, which had just been tipped back into the sink by the dustpan. â€Å"I don't know where we went wrong with them,† said Mrs. Weasley, putting down her wand and starting to pull out still more saucepans. â€Å"It's been the same for years, one thing after another, and they won't listen to – OH NOT AGAIN!† She had picked up her wand from the table, and it had emitted a loud squeak and turned into a giant rubber mouse. â€Å"One of their fake wands again!† she shouted. â€Å"How many times have I told them not to leave them lying around?† She grabbed her real wand and turned around to find that the sauce on the stove was smoking. â€Å"C'mon,† Ron said hurriedly to Harry, seizing a handful of cutlery from the open drawer, â€Å"let's go and help Bill and Charlie.† They left Mrs. Weasley and headed out the back door into the yard. They had only gone a few paces when Hermione's bandy-legged ginger cat, Crookshanks, came pelting out of the garden, bottle-brush tail held high in the air, chasing what looked like a muddy potato on legs. Harry recognized it instantly as a gnome. Barely ten inches high, its horny little feet pattered very fast as it sprinted across the yard and dived headlong into one of the Wellington boots that lay scattered around the door. Harry could hear the gnome giggling madly as Crookshanks inserted a paw into the boot, trying to reach it. Meanwhile, a very loud crashing noise was coming from the other side of the house. The source of the commotion was revealed as they entered the garden, and saw that Bill and Charlie both had their wands out, and were making two battered old tables fly high above the lawn, smashing into each other, each attempting to knock the other's out of the air. Fred and George were cheering, Ginny was laughing, and Hermione was hovering near the hedge, apparently tor n between amusement and anxiety. Bill's table caught Charlie's with a huge bang and knocked one of its legs off. There was a clatter from overhead, and they all looked up to see Percy's head poking out of a window on the second floor. â€Å"Will you keep it down?!† he bellowed. â€Å"Sorry, Perce,† said Bill, grinning. â€Å"How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?† â€Å"Very badly,† said Percy peevishly, and he slammed the window shut. Chuckling, Bill and Charlie directed the tables safely onto the grass, end to end, and then, with a flick of his wand, Bill reattached the table leg and conjured tablecloths from nowhere. By seven o'clock, the two tables were groaning under dishes and dishes of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking, and the nine Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were settling themselves down to eat beneath a clear, deep-blue sky. To somebody who had been living on meals of increasingly stale cake all summer, this was paradise, and at first, Harry listened rather than talked as he helped himself to chicken and ham pie, boiled potatoes, and salad. At the far end of the table, Percy was telling his father all about his report on cauldron bottoms. â€Å"I've told Mr. Crouch that I'll have it ready by Tuesday,† Percy was saying pompously. â€Å"That's a bit sooner than he expected it, but I like to keep on top of things. I think he'll be grateful I've done it in good time, I mean, its extremely busy in our department just now, what with all the arrangements for the World Cup. We're just not getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Ludo Bagman -â€Å" â€Å"I like Ludo,† said Mr. Weasley mildly. â€Å"He was the one who got us such good tickets for the Cup. I did him a bit of a favor: His brother, Otto, got into a spot of trouble – a lawnmower with unnatural powers – I smoothed the whole thing over.† â€Å"Oh Bagman's likable enough, of course,† said Percy dismissively, â€Å"but how he ever got to be Head of Department†¦when I compare him to Mr. Crouch! I can't see Mr. Crouch losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. You realize Bertha Jorkins has been missing for over a month now? Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?† â€Å"Yes, I was asking Ludo about that,† said Mr. Weasley, frowning. â€Å"He says Bertha's gotten lost plenty of times before now – though must say, if it was someone in my department, I'd be worried†¦.† â€Å"Oh Bertha's hopeless, all right,† said Percy. â€Å"I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years, much more trouble than she's worth†¦but all the same, Bagman ought to be trying to find her. Mr. Crouch has been taking a personal interest, she worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her – but Bagman just keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended up in Australia instead of Albania. However† – Percy heaved an impressive sigh and took a deep swig of elderflower wine – â€Å"we've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Cooperation without trying to find members of other departments too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup.† Percy cleared his throat significantly and looked down toward the end of the table where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting. â€Å"You know the one I'm talking about, Father.† He raised his voice slightly. â€Å"The top-secret one.† Ron rolled his eyes and muttered to Harry and Hermione, â€Å"He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work. Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons.† In the middle of the table, Mrs. Weasley was arguing with Bill about his earring, which seemed to be a recent acquisition. â€Å"†¦with a horrible great fang on it. Really, Bill, what do they say at the bank?† â€Å"Mum, no one at the bank gives a damn how I dress as long as I bring home plenty of treasure,† said Bill patiently. â€Å"And your hair's getting silly, dear,† said Mrs. Weasley, fingering her wand lovingly.† I wish you'd let me give it a trim†¦.† â€Å"I like it,† said Ginny, who was sitting beside Bill. â€Å"You're so old-fashioned, Mum. Anyway, it's nowhere near as long as Professor Dumbledore's†¦.† Next to Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, and Charlie were all talking spiritedly about the World Cup. â€Å"It's got to be Ireland,† said Charlie thickly, through a mouthful of potato. â€Å"They flattened Peru in the semifinals.† â€Å"Bulgaria has got Viktor Krum, though,† said Fred. â€Å"Krum's one decent player, Ireland has got seven,† said Charlie shortly. â€Å"I wish England had got through. That was embarrassing, that was.† â€Å"What happened?† said Harry eagerly, regretting more than ever his isolation from the wizarding world when he was stuck on Privet Drive. â€Å"Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten,† said Charlie gloomily. â€Å"Shocking performance. And Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg.† Harry had been on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team ever since his first year at Hogwarts and owned one of the best racing brooms in the world, a Firebolt. Flying came more naturally to Harry than anything else in the magical world, and he played in the position of Seeker on the Gryffindor House team. Mr. Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their homemade strawberry ice cream, and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table, and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle. Harry was feeling extremely well fed and at peace with the world as he watched several gnomes sprinting through the rosebushes, laughing madly and closely pursued by Crookshanks. Ron looked carefully up the table to check that the rest of the family were all busy talking, then he said very quietly to Harry, â€Å"So – have you heard from Sirius lately?† Hermione looked around, listening closely. â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry softly, â€Å"twice. He sounds okay. I wrote to him yesterday. He might write back while I'm here.† He suddenly remembered the reason he had written to Sirius, and for a moment was on the verge of telling Ron and Hermione about his scar hurting again, and about the dream that had awoken him†¦but he really didn't want to worry them just now, not when he himself was feeling so happy and peaceful. â€Å"Look at the time,† Mrs. Weasley said suddenly, checking her wristwatch. â€Å"You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup. Harry, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time.† â€Å"Wow – hope it does this time!† said Harry enthusiastically. â€Å"Well, I certainly don't,† said Percy sanctimoniously. â€Å"I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days.† â€Å"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?† said Fred. â€Å"That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!† said Percy, going very red in the face. â€Å"It was nothing personal!† â€Å"It was,† Fred whispered to Harry as they got up from the table. â€Å"We sent it.†

Chapter 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Chapter 2 - Essay Example Sticking to the goals is one of the fundamental aspects of success. Indeed, we live and work for a purpose of achieving our targets. As such, keeping ones focus is a responsibility that should remain supreme. For example, I had always wanted to score top grades in my studies though initially I was not good in classwork and discussions. I faced many challenges including financial constraints, low self-esteem, difficulties in learning, peer pressure, and lack of moral support. However, I kept the focus by initiating personal engagements with my tutors, visiting the library, increasing my input in discussions, and attending all lectures. I made a personal commitment to take my studies seriously with an aim of attaining high marks. As a result, my grades are now on an upward trend. Most importantly, I had to maintain consistency in my quest to attain my targets. Therefore, I made my commitment in education a norm and habit that I followed at all times. Had I not being constant, I would h ave fallen out and would hence not achieve my purpose. There are benefits of using this point in that it teaches me on the need to establish a target and work towards it. Having a purpose in life allows one to concentrate their efforts to something of interest to them and hence high chances of success. Additionally, the point teaches me on the need to observe consistency in seeking to achieve one’s goals. Indeed, without consistency, ones concentration on the set goals would vary thus affecting the probability of succeeding. Furthermore, one cannot claim to have focused when he is doing his things haphazardly with no uniformity. Actually, the use of this point helps in understanding that consistency leads to the adoption of a code of conduct and a code of ethics that facilitate the realization of goals, minimizes mistakes and variations. In fact, it is focus to the set goals and consistency in working towards them that ensures Total Quality

Discrimination and Prejudice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Discrimination and Prejudice - Essay Example These are mammoth challenges for the specialist communities, inclusive of social scientists, policy makers, governmental units, students of society, and members of minority and dominant groups. This situation urges for all these people, to contrive a way through which everybody can surface as a human being, and not as a specific color, class or creed. Where the social scientists need to develop ways and means which suit the humans of current times, the policy makers need to establish laws and regulations that are followed in letter and spirit. The students also need to play and instrumental role, as they are the grass-roots which shall develop or destruct the prejudice system in the next decades. Bias always in embedded in the foundations of a society, and needs to be tackled at that very level. As Chen clearly specifies through the example of what happened with Eboni. Discrimination of black children not being allowed to play simply because the place 'looks bad' is a horrendous representation of a society that preaches democracy and freedom to the rest of the world. Subsequently, the battle for the house acquisition goes on, not only with this family, but with many others, who keep on getting rejections because they are not visually and conceptually acceptable. Further, as is elucidated in the environment-based discrimination case as well, there is a colossal prejudice according to demographic data in the facilities and general well-being available to the minorities in the Los Angeles County. The fact of the matter is that ever since man has entered civilization, he has ceased to be 'civilized' in the context of equality. In most recent times, especially in the context of the US, this discrimination has been from the onset of colonization, and has turn a multitude of economic, political and social turns to take its shape as it is today. As a claimant of 'the land of opportunity', the country was eager to allow more and more people coming in, from all cultures, religions and background. And while the economic opportunity was there, there was a dearth of social acceptance and tolerance. Nonetheless, as the facts suggest, the minorities have also stayed on the threshold of economic independence, some thing which has lead to a major societal and class difference in a capitalist society. Resultantly, the minorities in the form of race and ethnic groups were segregated behind many glass walls and ceilings. Herein another problem can be highlighted as well. Though people with a strong willpower may well be able to deal with situations in a different manner, but everyday social psychology purports that people living in minority groups are likely to have low self-esteems. This is simply because they are being looked down upon, merely because of their lack of strength. And a lack of anything is likely to generate a challenge for the self-esteem of the individual. Self-esteem is a very integral personality concern, but issues of discrimination generate self-esteem challenges on a collective and communal level. Where this may also provide within the group, this also highlights the injustice being done at a wider scale, which affects a whole host of people. The Evolution of Ethnicity on the Social Map The land of opportunity as it was and is, has constantly witnessed the influx of people from all nationalities, religions, races and ethnic groups entering its

The aim of this assignment is to develop your planning and analytical Essay

The aim of this assignment is to develop your planning and analytical skills in the context of a complex project orientated environment. (MS project software required) - Essay Example EVM is one of the widely used techniques by project managers in order to analyse and keep an eye on the status of the project. EVM can be used by the project manager to analyse the project’s progress. There are three important factors that are used in measuring the performance of the project and EVM analyses the performance of the project on these three basis: So, using EVM a project manager is able to track the performance and make sure whether project is going in the right direction or not and whether the project will be completed within the deadline and within the cost. If the project is right on track then the project manager needs to make sure that same pattern is continued or followed so that it is completed appropriately. If the project is not on the right track, then he needs to analyse the problems and take corrective actions. The project in this report has been evaluated using EMV and PERT analysis techniques. EMV tool has been used by project managers in order to evaluate the progress of the project on the basis of time, cost and scope or quality. EMV has been an important tool for the project managers in not only analysing and identifying the project progress (Hamilton, 2004) but it is also an important for the project manager in order to evaluate the cost that has already been incurred in the project and thus, the project managers can also evaluate the cost that has already been incurred and the cost that would be incurred even in between the project duration. Before EMV, project managers used to face many problems in analyzing the progress of the projects however the problem has been solved to a great extent with the introduction of EMV. On the other hand, PERT analysis is the other technique that has been used. The word PERT is the abbreviation of Program Evaluation and Review Technique and this tool

The effect of advertisement on consumer behaviour Research Paper

The effect of advertisement on consumer behaviour - Research Paper Example Literature Review The review of literature of the effects of consumer behavior on advertisements have been done with the review of the several factors that guides the consumer behavior and the influence of advertisements in catalyzing those factor that stimulate consumer behavior and decision making for purchase of products and services. The aspect of consumer behavior encompasses the response of the customers from the point of viewing the product to the point of making decision for purchasing it and then going beyond to value the experience after purchase to decide on the acceptability of the product in the long term. The decision making aspect is the most important part of consumer behavior which is influenced by the advertisers through their attempt for promotion of the product and service in the market (Hutt and  Speh 67). The first step that the consumers go through after seeing the product and the service is the recognition of need of the product for use in future. Once the c onsumer has recognized the need of the product, it is considered by them for the purpose of evaluation. In this stage the consumer studies the various options available and the substitutes of the product in the market. In order to judge the aspect of the value for money, the consumer behavior takes into account the relative cost and benefits of the purchase. By comparing the competitor products and the substitutes, the consumers decide to purchase the product based on the several characteristic features which are unique to different age groups of the consumers. These features of the products that influence the consumer behavior and the decision making for purchase are the quality, price, durability, guarantee, discounts, post-sale service... This "The effect of advertisement on consumer behavior" essay outlines how advertisements have influenced the consumer behavior of the young population of Qatar. The consumer behavior of the age group of 18-26 years in Qatar and the effects of advertisements on the consumer behavior of the said age group has been analyzed as follows. Qatar has attracted international investments in the various sectors of the economy and the top retail chains in Qatar have identified this opportunity to set up establishments and expand their business in Qatar. The big names that have tapped the potential consumer demands in Qatar are Carrefour, Marks and Spencer, etc. In this highly competitive market, advertisements by these companies have played a crucial role in influencing the consumer behavior in Qatar. The analysis of the consumers of Qatar in the age group of 18-26 years reveal that this target customer segment is young and energetic which follows the latest changes in the technological advance ments and is aware of the value for money spent for purchase of products. The analysis of the sample questionnaires reveal that the consumers of the age group of 18-26 years in Qatar closely follow the advertisements of the products that they use. These consumers in the Qatari market prefer to socialize with the products by identifying as the best possible option that would satisfy their needs. These consumers are updated with the happenings of the market and even follow the advertisements of the products that they do not use (Kozami 94).

A Speech About Tennis Shoes or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A About Tennis Shoes - Speech or Presentation Example A major distinction could be made between the tennis shoes based on the material used to make them. Generally, there are three different types of tennis shoes made up of canvas, leather and vinyl. Shoes made of canvas provide comfort to the feet since it is the most breathing material and the one which keep the feet without sweating. On the other hand, leather shoes provide better stability and the material is much comfortable for the feet even if it breathe less. Shoes made of vinyl are the most comfortable choice for the feet but possess the disadvantage of making the feet hot and sweat even though vinyl is able to absorb water from the wet surroundings. You should also realize that tennis shoes vary according to the nature of the court. Specially designed shoes are available for hard courts, clay courts and grass courts and players could choose their shoes accordingly. Shoes which have added tread and soft sole are suitable for hard tennis courts and you can go for flexible and so ft souls if you are going to play on soft courts (Brown xvi). The sole of the shoe is considered to be an important part and different types of rubber components are used to increase the durability of shoes.

10 page Term Paper of an amendment to the United States Constitution

10 page of an amendment to the United States Constitution - Term Paper Example The legislative branch (Congress) which has the powers to make laws, the executive branch (which is represented by president, as well as his advisors,) of which has the power to apply the laws, and lastly the judiciary branch (i.e. the supreme as well as other federal courts) which has the power to reverse or dismiss laws that it decides are unconstitutional. Immediately after America won independence from Great Britain with its victory in 1783, during the American Revolution, it became evident that the newly formed nation was in need of a strong central government to remain stable. In 1786, a lawyer as well as a politician from New York by the names of Alexander Hamilton called for a discussion on the matter of a constitutional convention. In February 1787, the legislative body of the confederation supported the idea and invited all the 13 states to have their delegates meet in Philadelphia (A&E, 2014, 1). However, after the creation of the new constitution, it remained vague because that was the main intention of the constitution, so that with time the constitution would grow which in turn would solve many of United States’ current problems that the forefathers could not predict. The constitution’s first ten amendments are collectively referred to as the Bill of rights. The bill of rights ranks alongside the declaration of Independence as well as the constitution as one of America’s most treasured documents. The bill of rights was projected in order to appease the fears of the anti-federalists who opposed the constitutional approval. The bill of rights was fashioned exclusively to guarantee the individual rights and freedoms of citizens under the constitution of which included the first 10 amendments. The bill of rights was also reserved for definite powers to the states and the public, and limited the governments authority in judicial and other proceedings (Carey, 2003, 1). In addition, while the amendments were only initially

Islamic banking system study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Islamic banking system study - Essay Example Britain is a country with an important position in the global market; in accordance with a recent report – based on the data available on the British economy – the British economy is considered to be the ‘the seventh largest economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $30,900 in 2005’ (Forex Market resources, 2010). The development of the British economy is monitored by the country’s government but also by the Bank of England which ‘was founded in 1694, nationalized in 1946, and gained independence in 1997; the Bank of England is the central bank of the U.K.’ (Forex Market resources, 2010). The banking market in Britain has a decisive role in the development of the country’s economy – a phenomenon common in all countries internationally. Recently, in 2004, the country’s existing banking system – which can be characterized as Western – has been alternated; the main feature of this change has been the establishment in Britain of the Islamic Bank of Britain, the first bank of this type established in a Western country; the change of the characteristics of the British banking market was completed with the introduction of another bank that is based on the Sharia law, the European Islamic Investment Bank. Current paper focuses on the examination of the key features of Islamic banking business in Britain; the country’s banking market has been examined and the major competitors of this market are presented; at the next level, the key operational characteristics and the performance of Islamic banks in Britain are identified and critically analyzed. Islamic banking is reviewing and evaluated as a common form of banking in modern Britain – taking into consideration the fact that Islamic banking products are available also by British banks – referring to those banks based on the Western mode of banking. It is concluded that Islamic banking in Britain has many chances to achieve a further growth but it is necessary that measures are taken

Business Communication 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Communication 4 - Assignment Example 7 2.5 TEAM WORK 2.5.1 Team work and synergy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 2.5.2 Relationship of team members †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.7 2.5.3 Conflict/problems in teams†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 3.2 Informal communication networks †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 3.3 ACTIVE LISTENING †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 3.4 INTERVIEWING †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 3.5 TEAM WORK †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 1.1 Terms of reference This report was requested to gauge individual and team understanding on how communication affects organizational performance. It is also meant to determine how interpersonal communication skills can be applied in business situations. This will be done in consideration of the circumstances presented by the Hall Furniture study. The understanding and consequent reporting will be done as part of a group project to be submitted on Frida y 31 May, 2013 by 4 pm. 1.2 Procedure The information to be employed in completion of this report will be gathered from: The provided Hall Furniture case study Journals on organization communication and interpersonal communication Past case studies, evaluations and manuals on interpersonal communication 2.2 Informal communication networks 2.2.1 An informal communication pattern/networks An example of an informal communication pattern is one adopted by the accounting department in Hall furniture. The informal communication pattern was adopted as a result of the frustrating formal structure through which formal requests took a long time to process (Krizan, 2006). This translated to frustrated employees as they could not get things done fast enough. As a way to ensure fast responses they established a random means of communication. They would arbitrarily tell one person who would get the message to another party and this way the information would travel faster ensuring easier and faste r feedback thus improved productivity. This form of informal communication, also called â€Å"Grapevine† allows for rumor dispersion and it is often a risky approach once it is the preferred means of communication as objectivity is lost (Krizan, 2006). 2.2.2 Problems with informal communication networks Informal communication networks have a great potential to cause problems within an organization such as Furniture Hall. These problems result because informal communication allows for information distortion. Distortion is most common as this means of communication does not follow any defined rules or channels (Guffey & Loewy, 2013). This means that they can be a means of transmitting any form of information and to any person irrespective of whom without respect or fear. This method also lacks confidentiality; this is because everyone can freely interrelate as there are no restrictions (Krizan, 2006). Any secret is likely to come to the fore with little thought or hesitation. A nother major

Sterling 1973 Article Summary Essay Example for Free

Sterling 1973 Article Summary Essay During the opening of the article the author Robert Sterling declares the purpose of discussing the inconsistencies between research accounting, educational accounting, and professional practicing accounting. The reason being for these differences between the major arenas of accounting is the isolation of research results from both practice and education. However, the absence of conflicts between education and practice is due to the harmony between educators preparing students to operate for the practitioners or employers. The author continues by discussing historical publications about the problems with valuation especially in the subject of valuation of marketable securities. Sterling believes that on good grounds marketable securities ought to be valued at market. He observes the disconnect between the education system and the valuation of marketable securities pointing out the main educational accounting theory derives from the intermediate course texts, which raise the question of valuing marketable securities, however does not present the results of research contradicted in education and practice. This as an example to illustrate the larger point that the accounting profession wrongly passes down principles as a tradition not based on best practice, therefore teach research results. The suggestions being teach research results as the desired state, and teach accepted practices as the current state. Questions regarding this article are the following: Do you believe research results need to be incorporated into today’s accounting education? How should the detriment of management be dealt with to implement research results? How could the three arenas of accounting be best connected (research, education, and practice)?

The Effective Learning Strategy In English

The Effective Learning Strategy In English Speaking is considered to be one of the most difficult skills in English learning. As one of the receptive skills, speaking is the foundation to develop other language skills. For a long period of time, the teaching of English in China has mainly focused on the teaching of reading and writing in the early stage of learning and neglected the teaching of listening and speaking. Many teachers are puzzled at the situation in the English class: though many students can get a good mark in English test, not all of them can perform well in listening and speaking. But the primary function of language is for interaction and communication. So how to improve learners oral communicative competence is a significant problem that each language teacher has to face, especially for the 12 to 15-year-old junior middle school students. But as their teachers, their oral English is very important. In China, oral English learning has been the weak point. It is of necessity to investigate factors which may o bstruct or enhance oral English acquisition. They reflect on what was wrong with the teaching and try to find out the solutions to these problems. And it is obvious that the learners do not have enough and effective listening and speaking practice in a scientific way. Through our research, we know that the students are mainly influenced by the affective learning strategies. This article starts from the affective learning strategies, analyses the relations between the learners oral English ability and the affective learning strategies. At last, this article also gives some suggestions for the English learners in junior middle school. 1 Introduction With the rapid development of the society, frequent communication among different nations and the rapid development of the international trade, more and more English majors will be needed. So to teach the students to be excellent English talents is an important and difficult task. In recent years, more and more scholars and researchers have paid much attention to the learning methods in order to improve their learning ability and achievement. In my own school and university experience, I found that students learning ability and achievement has much to do with the language learning strategies, especially the affective learning strategies. As we know, language learning strategies are what the teachers and students should know in their teaching and studying. In my middle school time, it reminds me that most of my English teachers did not view learning strategies as a priority and even the few who did care about them knew little or nothing to apply them to their teaching or to help the s tudents to learn English. Due to this fact, I set down to do some researches and write an article to make a study of the learning strategies. 1.1 Problems In the past decadesà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’much progress has been made in English teaching in China, but there are still some problems that we have to face .One of them is that in spite of consistent practice and hard workà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’many junior high school students can t use English properly after three years of learning, especially their oral English is very poor. They still use the old learning methodsà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’and are passive in English learning. Although teachers always make their students change learning strategiesà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’they cant yet change this kind of embarrassing situation . And there is another phenomenon, many a students can do well in reading and the examinations, but when they are called to give a speech or do some oral exercises, they just can not open their mouth. It seems that there are something stuck in their throat. Both the teachers and students do not know how to solve this problem, so they dont know how to improve their speaking ability. 1.2 Theoretical significance This article mainly discusses the influences of the affective learning strategies on English speaking. So, before we start those points, let us know something about the theoretical significance of studying the learning strategies and oral communication. 1.2.1 The importance of studying the learning strategies It is meaningful and important for us to learn how to employ efficient ways in English learning. Firstà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’autonomous learning is the ultimate goal for English teaching. And one of the most important ways to achieve this is to motivate students to develop their own thinking strategies and learning strategies. In junior high schoolsà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’because of the traditional teaching methodsà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’students cannot develop their own learning strategies .Therefore, it is becoming more and more important to study how to help students develop and use efficient learning strategies. An old proverb tells us what to do in English teaching .It goes Give a man a fish and he will eat it up for a day à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’but teach him how to fish and he will have fish to eat. So to help students to develop their own affective learning strategies is just like teaching them how to fish. So in English teaching it is very important to teach students how to develop learning strategies .If they master the ways to develop learning strategies and use them freely and correctly ,students can not only improve their English fastà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’but also enhance their sense of responsibility in learning English . 1.2.2 The importance of oral communication In peoples daily lives most of them speak more than they write, so speaking is fundamental to human communication. Many students equate being able to speak a language as knowing the language and therefore view learning the language as learning how to speak the language, or as Noonan (1991) wrote, success is measured in terms of the ability to carry out a conversation in the target language. Therefore, if the students do not learn how to speak or do not get any opportunity to speak in classroom they may soon get de-motivated and lose interest in learning. With Chinas entry into WTO and successful bidding for holding 2010 EXPO in Shanghai, the need for proficient English speakers is surely increasing, which means more opportunities for those who can speak fluent English in their own fields. In order to meet this challenge and seize the opportunity, the students not only want to have profound knowledge for English reading and writing, but also need the ability to have oral communication with foreigners in English. So to improve the students ability of oral English is becoming an important task. 2. A General Review of Affective Learning Strategies In the September of 2000, the new English Course Standard for the Basic Education Stage was issued and tried out. Its greatly different from the past syllabus. The teaching contents and goal of the course standard includes skills, knowledge, culture, affective strategies and so on. Both The Syllabus for Junior Middle School English Course of the Nine year Fulltime Compulsory Education (Revised) and The Syllabus for Full-time Senior Middle School English Course mentioned To help the students develop the effective English learning strategies as the teaching goal. The problem here is that we failed to get proper affective learning strategies organized in teaching and learning practice. So the brief review of the foreign and Chinese applied linguists researches about the affective learning strategies in the latest years should be taken at first. And it starts from the following aspects: 2.1 The definition of affective learning strategies Affective strategies concern the ways in which learners interact with other learners and native speakers or take control of ones own feelings on language learning. Examples of such strategies are cooperation and question for clarification. The term affective refers to emotions, attitudes, motivations, and values. It is impossible to overstate the importance of the affective factors influencing language learning. Language learners can gain control over these factors through affective strategies. The affective domain is impossible to describe within definable limits, according to H.Douglas Brown. It spreads out like a fine-spun net, encompassing such concepts as self-esteem, attitudes, motivation, anxiety, culture shock, inhibition, risk taking, and tolerance for ambiguity. The affective side of the learner is probably one of the very biggest influences on language learning success or failure. Good language learners are often those who know how to control their emotions and attitudes about learning. Negative feelings can stunt progress, even for the rare learner who fully understands all the technical aspects of how to learn a new language. On the other hand, positive emotions and attitudes can make language learning far more effective and enjoyable. Teachers can exert a tremendous influence over the emotional atmosphere of the classroom in three different ways: by changing the social structure of the classroom to give students more responsibility, by providing increased amou nts of naturalistic communication, and by teaching learners to use affective strategies. Self-esteem is one of the primary affective elements. It is a self-judgment of worth or value, based on a feeling of efficacy-a sense of interacting effectively with ones own environment. Low self-esteem can be detected through negative self-talk, like boy, am I a blockhead! I embarrassed myself again in front of the class. The three affective strategies related to self-encouragement help learners to counter such negativity. A mount of anxiety sometimes helps learners to reach their peak performance levels, but too much anxiety blocks language learning. Harmful anxiety presents itself in many guises: worry, self-doubt, frustration, helplessness, insecurity, fear, and physical symptoms. Tolerance of ambiguitythat is the acceptance of confusing situations-may be related to willingness to take risks (and also reduction of both inhibition and anxiety). Moderate tolerance for ambiguity, like moderate risk taking, is probably the most desirable situation. Learners who are moderately tolerant of ambiguity tend to be open-minded in dealing with confusing facts and events, which are part of learning a new language. In contrast, low ambiguity-tolerant learners, wanting to categorize and compartmentalize too soon, have a hard time dealing with unclear facts. Again, self-encouragement and anxiety-reducing strategies help learners cope with ambiguity in language learning. 2.2 Classification of affective learning strategies There are two kinds of classifications: Chamot and OMalleys and Oxfords a: Chamot and OMalley (1990) recognized three affective/social strategies: cooperation, questions for clarification, and self-talks. b: Oxford (1990), otherwise, gave some more detailed items: lowering your anxiety, encouraging yourself, and taking your emotional temperature for affective strategies; and asking question, cooperating with others, and empathizing with others for social strategies. In this paper, I mainly talk about Oxfords classification of the affective strategies. As shown in Figure 1 A. Lowering your anxiety (Using progressive relaxation, deep breathing, or meditation, Using music, Using laughter) Affective strategies B. Encouraging yourself(Making positive statements, Taking risk wisely, Rewarding yourself) C. Taking your emotional temperature(Listening to your body, Using a checklist, Writing a language learning diary) 2.2.1 Lowering your anxiety Three anxiety-reducing strategies are listed here. Each has a physical component and a mental component. Firstly, using Progressive Relaxation, Deep Breathing, or Meditation: Use the technique of alternately tensing and relaxing all of the major muscle groups in the body, as well as the muscles in the neck and face, in order to relax; or the technique of breathing deeply from the diaphragm; or the technique of meditating by focusing on a mental image or sound. Secondly, using Music: Listen to soothing music, such as a classical concert, as a way to relax. Thirdly, using Laughter: Use laughter to relax by watching a funny movie, reading a humorous book, listening to jokes, and so on. 2.2.2 Encouraging yourself This set of three strategies is often forgotten by language learners, especially those who expect encouragement mainly from other people and do not realize they can provide their own. However, the most potent encouragementand the only available encouragement in many independent language learning situationsmay come from inside the learner. Self-encouragement includes saying supportive things, providing oneself to take risks wisely, and providing rewards. Making Positive Statements: Say or write positive statements to oneself in order to feel more confident in learning the new language. Taking Risks Wisely: Push oneself to take risks in a language learning situations, even though there is such a chance of making a mistake or looking foolish. Risks must be tempered with good judgment. Rewarding Yourself: Give oneself a valuable reward for a particularly good performance in the new language. 2.2.3 Taking your emotional temperature The four strategies in this set help learners to assess their feelings, motivations, and attitudes, in many cases, to relate them to language tasks. Unless learners know how they are feeling and why they are feeling that way, they are less able to control their affective side. The strategies in this set are particularly helpful for discerning negative attitudes and emotions that impede language learning progress. Listening to Your Body: Paying attention to signals given by the body. These signals may be negative, reflecting stress, tension, worry, fear, and anger; or they may be positive, indicating happiness, interest, calmness, and pleasure. Using a Checklist: Use a checklist to discover feeling, attitudes, and motivations concerning language learning in general, as well as concerning specific language tasks. Writing a Language Learning Diary: Writing a diary or journal to keep track of events and feeling in the process of learning a new language. Discussing Your Feeling with Someone Else: Talking with another person (teacher, friend, relative) to discover and express feelings about language learning. 3. The Influence of Affective Learning Strategies on Speaking This article focuses on discussing about the influences of the affective learning strategies on oral English for junior high school students, which is also the researching point. We want to find out how does them influence the junior high school students oral English, and then according to what we found we can make some suggestions. The following paragraphs will talk about the influences of three different affective strategies on speaking in detail. 3.1 The influence of lowering your anxiety As we all know in recent years, more and more foreign language researchers have taken learner variables, especially affective factors into consideration. Among the affective factors influencing language learning, especially oral English speaking, anxiety ranks high. Psychologically speaking, anxiety refers to the intense and enduring negative feeling caused by vague and dangerous stimuli from the outside as well as the unpleasant emotional experience involved, such as anticipation, irritation and fear. While language anxiety is the fear or apprehension occurring when a learner is expected to perform in the second language learning, it is associated with feeling such as uneasiness, frustration, self-doubt, apprehension and tension. In my own experience, I and also my friends and classmates have anxiety problems, when we participate in the English corner or give a speech; they impede us to carry on. There are many other similar cases can be found. So lowering your anxiety becomes very important. Lowering your anxiety can help you accomplish your learning tasks more peacefully and more efficiently. 3.2 The influence of encouraging yourself Confidence, also called as self-confidence, is a kind of optimistic emotion that language learners firmly believe they can overcome troubles to gain success. It is also a kind of active and upward emotional inclination that their real values can be respected by other people, collective, and society. Confidence is an important quality formed in the process of peoples growth and success, and was built on the basis of their right cognition. Setting confidence is to evaluate correctly himself, look for his merits, and affirm his capability. People often say that it is important for them to know themselves wisely. This wisdom embodies in not only seeing their merits, but also in analyzing their shortcoming. In fact, everyone owns great potentials, and everyone possesses his advantages and strong points. If we can objectively evaluate ourselves and on the basis of knowing our disadvantages and weak points to encourage ourselves, our strong sense of self-esteem and confidence can be stimula ted. Confidence is to be a kind of active affective factor. As for foreign language learners, if you want to succeed, you should possess the major quality confidence. It often plays a decisive role in foreign language learning. Confidence is just like catalyst of foreign language learners competence and can make all potentials be transferred, and let their potentials bring into play. However, foreign language learners who are lacking in confidence often hold suspicion on their competence. They often embody negative weakness, or lack stability and initiative. They should change their attitudes on the foreign language learning, build enough confidence. As a matter of fact, encouraging yourself is a very important way to gain confidence. So we can know how significant role does encouraging yourself play in improving the learners speaking ability. 3.3 The influence of taking your emotional temperature Emotion, as we know plays a very important role in our life as well as in our language learning. Good emotions can help you lead a happy life and it also can help you do an excellent job when you are communicating with the others or making a speech to the public. On the contrary, bad emotions can help you nothing but ruin you instead. This strategy taking your emotional temperature helps learners to assess their feelings, motivations, and attitudes and, in many cases, to relate them to language tasks. Unless learners know how they are feeling and why they are feeling that way, they are less able to control their affective side. The strategies in this set are particularly helpful for discerning negative attitudes and emotions that impede language learning progress, and especially oral English learning progress. Through this set of strategies, the English learners can improve their speaking ability in a short time. 4. Findings and Analysis In order to make this article more persuadable and authoritative, I made a questionnaire and also make an analysis. The aim of making findings and analysis is also to find the factors which impede the junior school students oral English ability, and then according to what we have found we can give some useful and effective suggestions to them. 4.1 Data collection 30 questionnaires were distributed and 27 were returned. All incomplete questionnaires were discarded because the results could not be described and analyzed unless all items were answered. In total, the data from 27 fully completed questionnaires were analyzed. All the questions are designed according to the affective strategies I mentioned in this thesis. 4.2 Data analysis According to the questionnaires, I made a date analysis. I analyzed the proportion of students, who choose these options. And also I analyzed the proportion of them who had the speaking obstacles and who failed to adopt the useful ways to help them to train their affective strategies. These will be shown in the following two tables. 4.2.1 Application of affective learning strategies in a junior middle school The table below shows that in general students sometimes use the affective strategies, although the level of use by strategy category differs in one way or another. The capitalized letter A, B, C, D, E orderly meansà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¡I never or almost not do that, I usually dont do that, I sometimes do that, I usually do that and I always or almost always do that. The items from 6 to 16 refer to the questions about the affective strategies. The figures in the blanks are the percent of how many students choose the items A, B, C, D, and E. The appendix at the end of this article will give you a more detailed explanation. From the table, a conclusion can be drawn that almost half of the students feel nervous or shy when they speak English, and the most important thing is that 51.9% of them cannot get rid of being nervous and 85.2 of them face the affective factors by themselves. They seldom talk about these things with others. And 70.4% of the students do not use music to lower their anxiety before they give a speech, when it refers to writing English diaries, it is even more serious. In all, the reason why this phenomenon occurs is that the students have a short cognition on the affective learning strategies. If they wanted to improve their speaking ability, the teachers should help them to have a comprehensive knowledge about them and help them apply them to their study. So the affective strategies should be paid attention to. 5 Suggestions From the above analysis, besides the learners specific difference, social condition and learning task also greatly influence and restrict the students learning motivation and their learning strategy applications. The middle school students in our country need a better condition for their foreign language learning, which includes the richer understandable language input, especially the oral input; they also need more chance for practicing and using the foreign language. An ancient proverb says: Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish and he eats for a life-time. I think that guiding the students to improve some effective English learning strategies is a kind of approach to give a man a fish in order to expect him to eat for a life-time. So it is very important to teach the students the learning approaches and the learning strategies in order to develop their foreign language learning ability. If the students master the strategy knowledge and use the strategies f reely and correctly, they can not only accelerate the foreign language learning, but also strengthen their learning sense of responsibility, autonomy, independence, and self-guiding and self- efficiency. Then the students inner learning motivation is aroused, so they can elaborate the facial role in the learning process, accelerate the English acquisition. Based on the above analysis and discussion, I want to give the following suggestions: 5.1 Improving speaking ability This article has just presented the definition and the classification of the affective strategies in the first few parts. We know the functions of these affective strategies, but that is not enough. If we want to improve our speaking ability, we should know how to apply them to speaking. The following parts will talk about it in detail. a). As it mentioned above, anxiety is a big negative factor which impede the English learners speaking. So we must lower our anxiety before we make a conversation. And there are some ways to help us to do that. Use progressive relaxation, deep breathing, or meditation, music, and laughter. When we are going to make a speech or do some oral exercises we can use these strategies. b). Encourage yourself is also a very important strategy to help you to improve your speaking ability. And there are also three ways to encourage yourself. When we are studying, we can make some positive statements to remind us that we can do it, we can accomplish the tasks successfully. Here are some examples: I understand a lot more of what is said to me now. I am confident and secure about my progress. I can get the general meaning without knowing every word. And also when we train our speaking, we can take some risks wisely. May be we are always do the easy speaking tasks which may not be effective to us anymore, so we can challenge ourselves and do some difficult ones. The last way is that give yourself a reward when you gain something. But you should remember the rewards need not be tangible or visible. They can also come from the very act of doing a good job. Students can learn to relish their own good performance. c). Taking your emotional temperature is one of the affective strategies. This set of strategies for affective self-assessment involves getting in touch with feelings, attitudes, and motivations through a variety of means. Language learners need to be touch with these affective aspects, so that they can begin to exert some control over them. The strategies described here enable learners to notice their emotions, avert negative ones, and make the most of positive ones. When the learners use this set of strategies they should take the following aspects into consideration. First, they should listen to their body. One of the simplest but most often ignored strategies for emotional self-assessment is paying attention to what the body says. Second, use a checklist. A checklist helps learners in a more structured way to ask themselves questions about their own emotional state, both in general and in regard to specific language tasks and skills. Third, discuss your feeling with someone else. 5.2 Training affective learning strategies At the first of this article, it mentions the importance of studying affective learning strategies. According to that, we know it is important and necessary to study them. So the training of affective learning strategies is a must. 5.2.1 Goals of learning strategy training The goal of strategy training is to teach students how, when and why strategies can be used to facilitate their efforts at learning and using a foreign language. By teaching students how to develop their own individualized strategy systems, strategy training is intended to help students explore ways that they can learn the target language more effectively, as well as to encourage students to self-evaluate and self-direct their learning. The first step is to help learners recognize which strategies theyve already used, and then to develop a wide range of strategies, so that they can select appropriate and effective strategies within the context of particular tasks. Carrell (1983) emphasizes that teachers need to be explicit about what the strategy consists of, how, when, why it might be used, and how its effectiveness can be evaluated. A further goal of strategy training is to promote learners autonomy and learners self-direction by allowing students to choose their own strategies, without continued prompting from the language teacher. Learners should be able to monitor and evaluate the relative effectiveness of their strategy use, and more fully develop their problem-solving skills. Strategy training can thus be used to help learners achieve learning autonomy as well as linguistic autonomy. Students need to know what their abilities are, how much progress they are making and what they can do with the skills they have acquired. Without such knowledge, it will not be easy for them to learn efficiently. The strategy training is predicted on the assumption that if learners are conscious about and become responsible for the selection, use and evaluation of their learning strategies, they will become more successful language learners by improving their use of classroom time, completing homework assignments and in-class language tasks more efficiently, become more aware of their individual learning needs, taking more responsibility for their own language learning, and enhancing their use of the target language out of class. In other words, the ultimate goal of strategy training is to empower students by allowing them to take control of the language learning process. 5.2.2 Models for affective learning strategy training Before talking about the models for affective learning strategies, I want to emphasize that learning environment is very important for training strategies. When the students meet some difficult problems, they should turn to advanced teaching facilities. It is not just a good way to study but also a very good learning strategy. So the school should take it into consideration. By now, at least three different instructional frameworks have been identified. They are Pearson and Dole model, Oxford model, and Chamot and OMalley model. They have been designed to raise student awareness to the purpose and rationale of affective learning strategy use, to give students opportunities to practice the strategies that they are being taught, and to help them understand how to use the strategies in new learning contexts. Each of the three approaches contains the necessary components of explicit strategy training: it emphasizes discussions about the use and value of strategies, encourages conscious and purposeful strategy use and transfer of those strategies to other contexts, and allows students to monitor their performance and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies they are using. (1) Pearson and Dole model The first approach to strategy training has been suggested by Pearson and Dole (1987) with reference to first language, but it can also be applied to the study of second and foreign languages as well. This model targets isolated strategies by including explicit modeling and explanation of the benefits of applying affective , extensive functional practice with the strategy, and then an opportunity for transfer of the strategy to new learning contexts. Students may better understand the applications of the various strategies if they at first modeled by the teacher and then practiced individually. After a range or a set of affective strategies have been introduced and practiced, the teacher can further encourage independent strategy use and promote learners autonomy by encouraging learners to take responsibility for the selection, use, and evaluation of the affective strategies that they have been taught. Pearson and Doles sequence includes: 1. Initial modeling of the strategy by the teacher, with direct explanation of the strategys use and importance; 2. Guided practice with the strategy; 3. Consolidation , teachers help students identifiy the strategy and decide when it might be used; 4. Independent practice with the strategy; and 5. Application of the strategy to new tasks. (2) Oxford model As for the second approach to strategy training, Oxford et al. (1990) outline a useful sequence for the introduction of the affective strategies that emphasizes explicit strategy awareness, discussion of the benefits of strategy use, functional and contextualized practice with the strategies. This sequence is not prescriptive regarding strategies that the learners are supposed to use, but rather descriptive of the various strategies that they could use for a broad range of learning tasks. The sequence they is the following: 1. Ask learners to do a language activity without any strategy training; 2. Have them discuss how they did it, praise any useful strategy and self-directed attitudes that they mention, and ask them to reflect on how the strategies they selected may have facilitated the learning process; 3. Suggest and demonstrate other helpful strategies, mentioni

The Data Inscription Standard Computer Science Essay

The Data Inscription Standard Computer Science Essay Whenever data is exchanged electronically many times the privacy of the data is a required. Encryption is used to restrict unintended recipients from viewing the data, which are deemed confidential and potentially dangerous if made known to irresponsible parties. In other word, encryption is the procedure of transforming plain text data that can be read by anyone to cipher text data that can only be read by someone with a secret decryption key.A message before being changed in any way is called plain text. Plain text messages are converted to ciphertext via some encryption method. An enryption method is called a cryptosystem. In 1972, the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, initiated a program to develop standards for the protection of computer data. The Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology (ICST), one of the major operating units of the National Bureau of Standards, had been recently established in response to a 1965 federal law known as the Brooks Act (PL89-306) that required new standards for improving utilization of computers by the federal government. Computer security had been identified by an ICST study as one of the high-priority areas requiring standards if computers were to be effectively used. A set of guidelines and standards were defined by the ICST that were to be developed as resources became available in computer security. The guidelines were to include areas such as physical security, risk management, contingency planning, and security auditing. Guidelines were adequate in areas not requiring interoperability among various computers. St andards were required in areas such as encryption, personal authentication, access control, secure data stor-age, and transmission because they could affect interoperability. Standards can be divided into different sections: basic, interoperability, interface, and implementation. 1. Basic standards (also called 4standards of good practice) are used to specify generic functions (services, methods, results) required to achieve a certain set of common goals. Examples include standards for purity of chemicals, contents of food products, and in the computer field, structured programming practices. 2. Interoperability standards specify functions and formats so that data transmitted from one computer can be properly acted on when received by another computer.The implementation (hardware, firmware, software) or structure (integrated, isolated, interfaced layers) need not be specified in interoperability standards, since there is no intent of replacing one implementation or structure within a system with another. 3. Interface standards specify not only the function and format of data crossing the interface, but also include physical, electrical, and logical specifications sufficient to replace one implementation (device, program, component) on either side of the interface with another. 4. Implementation standards not only specify the interfaces, functions, and formats, but also the structure and the method of implementation. These may be necessary to assure that secondary characteristics such as speed, reliability, physical security, etc. also meet certain needs. Such standards are often used to permit component replacement in an overall system. Services or Applications The basic DES algorithm can be used for both data encryption and data authentication. 1. Data Encryption: It is easy to see how the DES may be used to encrypt a 64-bit plaintext input to a 64-bit cipher text output, but data are seldom limited to 64 bits. In order to use DES in a variety of cryptographic applications, four modes of operation were developed: electronic codebook (ECB); cipher feedback (CFB); cipher block chaining (CBC); and output feedback (OFB) [26] (Figs. 1-4). Each mode has its advantages and disadvantages. ECB is excellent for encrypting keys; CFB is typically used for encrypting individual characters; and OFB is often used for encrypting satellite communications. Both CBC and CFB can be used to authenticate data. These modes of operation permit the use of DES for interactive terminal to host encryption, crypto-graphic key encryption for automated key management applications, file encryption, mail encryption, satellite data encryption, and other applications. In fact, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find a cryptographic application where the DES cannot be applied. Figure 1: Electronic codebook (ECB) mode. Figure2: Cipher block chaining (CBC) mode. History of encryption In its earliest form, people have been attempting to conceal certain information that they wanted to keep to their own possession by substituting parts of the information with symbols, numbers and pictures. Ancient Babylonian merchants used intaglio, a piece of flat stone carved into a collage of images and some writing to identify themselves in trading transactions. Using this mechanism, they are producing what today we know as digital signature. The public knew that a particular signature belonged to this trader, but only he had the intaglio to produce that signature. Of course, technology today has evolved at such rapid pace that the need to protect information grows with the lessening reliability of older encryption techniques. Basic modern encryption is not much different from the ancient civilisations substitution using symbols. Translation table, lends itself very well in making a piece of data generally unreadable. However computers today are much too advanced that translation table is easily broken and thus no longer viable. Instead encryption today has grown into such specialised field that involve mathematical, non-linear cryptosystem that even a relatively powerful computers take months or even years to break the ciphertext. The origins of DES go back to the early 1970s. In 1972, after concluding a study on the US governments computer security needs, the US standards body NBS (National Bureau of Standards) now named NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) identified a need for a government-wide standard for encrypting unclassified, sensitive information.[1] Accordingly, on 15 May 1973, after consulting with the NSA, NBS solicited proposals for a cipher that would meet rigorous design criteria. None of the submissions, however, turned out to be suitable. A second request was issued on 27 August 1974. This time, IBM submitted a candidate which was deemed acceptable a cipher developed during the period 1973-1974 based on an earlier algorithm, Horst Feistels Lucifer cipher. The team at IBM involved in cipher design and analysis included Feistel, Walter Tuchman, Don Coppersmith, Alan Konheim, Carl Meyer, Mike Matyas, Roy Adler, Edna Grossman, Bill Notz, Lynn Smith, and Bryant Tuckerman. NSAs involvement in the design On 17 March 1975, the proposed DES was published in the Federal Register. Public comments were requested, and in the following year two open workshops were held to discuss the proposed standard. There was some criticism from various parties, including from public-key cryptography pioneers Martin Hellman and Whitfield Diffie, citing a shortened key length and the mysterious S-boxes as evidence of improper interference from the NSA. The suspicion was that the algorithm had been covertly weakened by the intelligence agency so that they but no-one else could easily read encrypted messages.[2] Alan Konheim (one of the designers of DES) commented, We sent the S-boxes off to Washington. They came back and were all different.[3] The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reviewed the NSAs actions to determine whether there had been any improper involvement. In the unclassified summary of their findings, published in 1978, the Committee wrote: In the development of DES, NSA convinced IBM that a reduced key size was sufficient; indirectly assisted in the development of the S-box structures; and certified that the final DES algorithm was, to the best of their knowledge, free from any statistical or mathematical weakness.[4] However, it also found that NSA did not tamper with the design of the algorithm in any way. IBM invented and designed the algorithm, made all pertinent decisions regarding it, and concurred that the agreed upon key size was more than adequate for all commercial applications for which the DES was intended.[5] Another member of the DES team, Walter Tuchman, stated We developed the DES algorithm entirely within IBM using IBMers. The NSA did not dictate a single wire![6] In contrast, a declassified NSA book on cryptologic history states: In 1973 NBS solicited private industry for a data encryption standard (DES). The first offerings were disappointing, so NSA began working on its own algorithm. Then Howard Rosenblum, deputy director for research and engineering, discovered that Walter Tuchman of IBM was working on a modification to Lucifer for general use. NSA gave Tuchman a clearance and brought him in to work jointly with the Agency on his Lucifer modification.[7]and NSA worked closely with IBM to strengthen the algorithm against all except brute force attacks and to strengthen substitution tables, called S-boxes. Conversely, NSA tried to convince IBM to reduce the length of the key from 64 to 48 bits. Ultimately they compromised on a 56-bit key.[8] Some of the suspicions about hidden weaknesses in the S-boxes were allayed in 1990, with the independent discovery and open publication by Eli Biham and Adi Shamir of differential cryptanalysis, a general method for breaking block ciphers. The S-boxes of DES were much more resistant to the attack than if they had been chosen at random, strongly suggesting that IBM knew about the technique in the 1970s. This was indeed the case; in 1994, Don Coppersmith published some of the original design criteria for the S-boxes.[9] According to Steven Levy, IBM Watson researchers discovered differential cryptanalytic attacks in 1974 and were asked by the NSA to keep the technique secret.[10] Coppersmith explains IBMs secrecy decision by saying, that was because [differential cryptanalysis] can be a very powerful tool, used against many schemes, and there was concern that such information in the public domain could adversely affect national security. Levy quotes Walter Tuchman: [t]he asked us to st amp all our documents confidential We actually put a number on each one and locked them up in safes, because they were considered U.S. government classified. They said do it. So I did it. Bruce Schneier observed that It took the academic community two decades to figure out that the NSA tweaks actually improved the security of DES. Encryption Now a Days Industrial espionage among highly competitive businesses often requires that extensive security measures be put into place. And, those who wish to exercise their personal freedom, outside of the oppressive nature of governments, may also wish to encrypt certain information to avoid legalities that entailed possession of such. With respect to the Internet, there are many types of data and messages that people would want to be kept secret. Now that commercial trading on the Net is a reality, one of the main targets of data encryption is credit card numbers. Other information that could otherwise benefit or educate a group or individual can also be used against such groups or individuals. Security Problems That Encryption Does Not Solve While there are many good reasons to encrypt data, there are many reasons not to encrypt data. Encryption does not solve all security problems, and may make some problems worse. The following sections describe some misconceptions about encryption of stored data: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Principle 1: Encryption Does Not Solve Access Control Problems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Principle 2: Encryption Does Not Protect Against a Malicious Database Administrator à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Principle 3: Encrypting Everything Does Not Make Data Secure Principle 1: Encryption Does Not Solve Access Control Problems Most organizations must limit data access to users who must see this data. For example, a human resources system may limit employees to viewing only their own employment records, while allowing managers of employees to see the employment records of subordinates. Human resource specialists may also need to see employee records for multiple employees. Typically, you can use access control mechanisms to address security policies that limit data access to those with a need to see it. Oracle Database has provided strong, independently evaluated access control mechanisms for many years. It enables access control enforcement to a fine level of granularity through Virtual Private Database. Because human resource records are considered sensitive information, it is tempting to think that all information should be encrypted for better security. However, encryption cannot enforce granular access control, and it may hinder data access. For example, an employee, his manager, and a human resources clerk may all need to access an employee record. If all employee data is encrypted, then all three must be able to access the data in unencrypted form. Therefore, the employee, the manager and the human resources clerk would have to share the same encryption key to decrypt the data. Encryption would, therefore, not provide any additional security in the sense of better access control, and the encryption might hinder the proper or efficient functioning of the application. An additional issue is that it is difficult to securely transmit and share encryption keys among multiple users of a system. A basic principle behind encrypting stored data is that it must not interfere with access control. For example, a user who has the SELECT privilege on emp should not be limited by the encryption mechanism from seeing all the data he is otherwise allowed to see. Similarly, there is little benefit to encrypting part of a table with one key and part of a table with another key if users must see all encrypted data in the table. In this case, encryption adds to the overhead of decrypting the data before users can read it. If access controls are implemented well, then encryption adds little additional security within the database itself. A user who has privileges to access data within the database has no more nor any less privileges as a result of encryption. Therefore, you should never use encryption to solve access control problems. Principle 2: Encryption Does Not Protect Against a Malicious Database Administrator Some organizations, concerned that a malicious user might gain elevated (database administrator) privileges by guessing a password, like the idea of encrypting stored data to protect against this threat. However, the correct solution to this problem is to protect the database administrator account, and to change default passwords for other privileged accounts. The easiest way to break into a database is by using a default password for a privileged account that an administrator allowed to remain unchanged. One example is SYS/CHANGE_ON_INSTALL. While there are many destructive things a malicious user can do to a database after gaining the DBA privilege, encryption will not protect against many of them. Examples include corrupting or deleting data, exporting user data to the file system to e-mail the data back to himself to run a password cracker on it, and so on. Some organizations are concerned that database administrators, typically having all privileges, are able to see all data in the database. These organizations feel that the database administrators should administer the database, but should not be able to see the data that the database contains. Some organizations are also concerned about concentrating so much privilege in one person, and would prefer to partition the DBA function, or enforce two-person access rules. It is tempting to think that encrypting all data (or significant amounts of data) will solve these problems, but there are better ways to protect against these threats. For example, Oracle Database supports limited partitioning of DBA privileges. Oracle Database provides native support for SYSDBA and SYSOPER users. SYSDBA has all privileges, but SYSOPER has a limited privilege set (such as startup and shutdown of the database). Furthermore, you can create smaller roles encompassing several system privileges. A jr_dba role might not include all system privileges, but only those appropriate to a junior database administrator (such as CREATE TABLE, CREATE USER, and so on). Oracle Database also enables auditing the actions taken by SYS (or SYS-privileged users) and storing that audit trail in a secure operating system location. Using this model, a separate auditor who has root privileges on the operating system can audit all actions by SYS, enabling the auditor to hold all database administrators accountable for their actions. See Auditing SYS Administrative Users for information about ways to audit database administrators. You can also fine-tune the access and control that database administrators have by using Oracle Database Vault. See Oracle Database Vault Administrators Guide for more information. The database administrator function is a trusted position. Even organizations with the most sensitive data, such as intelligence agencies, do not typically partition the database administrator function. Instead, they manage their database administrators strongly, because it is a position of trust. Periodic auditing can help to uncover inappropriate activities. Encryption of stored data must not interfere with the administration of the database, because otherwise, larger security issues can result. For example, if by encrypting data you corrupt the data, then you create a security problem, the data itself cannot be interpreted, and it may not be recoverable. You can use encryption to limit the ability of a database administrator or other privileged user to see data in the database. However, it is not a substitute for managing the database administrator privileges properly, or for controlling the use of powerful system privileges. If untrustworthy users have significant privileges, then they can pose multiple threats to an organization, some of them far more significant than viewing unencrypted credit card numbers. Principle 3: Encrypting Everything Does Not Make Data Secure A common error is to think that if encrypting some data strengthens security, then encrypting everything makes all data secure. As the discussion of the previous two principles illustrates, encryption does not address access control issues well, and it is important that encryption not interfere with normal access controls. Furthermore, encrypting an entire production database means that all data must be decrypted to be read, updated, or deleted. Encryption is inherently a performance-intensive operation; encrypting all data will significantly affect performance. Availability is a key aspect of security. If encrypting data makes data unavailable, or adversely affects availability by reducing performance, then encrypting everything will create a new security problem. Availability is also adversely affected by the database being inaccessible when encryption keys are changed, as good security practices require on a regular basis. When the keys are to be changed, the database is inaccessible while data is decrypted and re-encrypted with a new key or keys. There may be advantages to encrypting data stored off-line. For example, an organization may store backups for a period of 6 months to a year off-line, in a remote location. Of course, the first line of protection is to secure the facility storing the data, by establishing physical access controls. Encrypting this data before it is stored may provide additional benefits. Because it is not being accessed on-line, performance need not be a consideration. While an Oracle database does not provide this capability, there are vendors who provide encryption services. Before embarking on large-scale encryption of backup data, organizations considering this approach should thoroughly test the process. It is essential to verify that data encrypted before off-line storage can be decrypted and re-imported successfully. Advantages EFS technology makes it so that files encrypted by one user cannot be opened by another user if the latter does not possess appropriate permissions. After encryption is activated, the file remains encrypted in any storage location on the disk, regardless of where it is moved. Encryption is can be used on any files, including executables. The user with permission to decrypt a file is able to work with the file like with any other, without experiencing any restrictions or difficulties. Meanwhile, other users receive a restricted access notification when they attempt to access the EFS encrypted file. This approach is definitely very convenient. The user gets the opportunity to reliably and quickly (using standard means) limit access to confidential information for other household members or colleagues who also use the computer. EFS seems like an all-around winning tool, but this is not the case. Data encrypted using this technology can be entirely lost, for example during operating system reinstallation. We should remember that the files on disk are encrypted using the FEK (File Encryption Key), which is stored in their attributes. FEK is encrypted using the master key, which in turn is encrypted using the respective keys of the system users with access to the file. The user keys themselves are encrypted with the users password hashes, and the password hashes use the SYSKEY security feature. This chain of encryption, according to EFS developers, should reliably protect data, but in practice, as explained below, the protection can be ultimately reduced to the good old login-pass-word combination. Thanks to this encryption chain, if the password is lost or reset, or if the operating system fails or is reinstalled, it becomes impossible to gain access to the EFS-encrypted files on the drive. In fact, access can be lost irreversibly. Regular users do not fully understand how EFS works and often pay for it when they lose their data. Microsoft has issued EFS documentation that explains how it works and the main issues that may be encountered when encrypting, but these are difficult for regular users to understand, and few read the documentation before starting to work. Data Encryption Challenges In cases where encryption can provide additional security, there are some associated technical challenges, as described in the following sections: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Encrypting Indexed Data à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Generating Encryption Keys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Transmitting Encryption Keys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Storing Encryption Keys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Changing Encryption Keys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Encrypting Binary Large Objects Encrypting Indexed Data Special difficulties arise when encrypted data is indexed. For example, suppose a company uses a national identity number, such as the U.S. Social Security number (SSN), as the employee number for its employees. The company considers employee numbers to be sensitive data, and, therefore, wants to encrypt data in the employee_number column of the employees table. Because employee_number contains unique values, the database designers want to have an index on it for better performance. However, if DBMS_CRYPTO or the DBMS_OBFUSCATION_TOOLKIT (or another mechanism) is used to encrypt data in a column, then an index on that column will also contain encrypted values. Although an index can be used for equality checking (for example, SELECT * FROM emp WHERE employee_number = 987654321), if the index on that column contains encrypted values, then the index is essentially unusable for any other purpose. You should not encrypt indexed data. Oracle recommends that you do not use national identity numbers as unique IDs. Instead, use the CREATE SEQUENCE statement to generate unique identity numbers. Reasons to avoid using national identity numbers are as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ There are privacy issues associated with overuse of national identity numbers (for example, identity theft). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sometimes national identity numbers can have duplicates, as with U.S. Social Security numbers. Generating Encryption Keys Encrypted data is only as secure as the key used for encrypting it. An encryption key must be securely generated using secure cryptographic key generation. Oracle Database provides support for secure random number generation, with the RANDOMBYTES function of DBMS_CRYPTO. (This function replaces the capabilities provided by the GetKey procedure of the earlier DBMS_OBFUSCATION_TOOLKIT.) DBMS_CRYPTO calls the secure random number generator (RNG) previously certified by RSA Security. Note: Do not use the DBMS_RANDOM package. The DBMS_RANDOM package generates pseudo-random numbers, which, as Randomness Recommendations for Security (RFC-1750) states that using pseudo-random processes to generate secret quantities can result in pseudo-security. Be sure to provide the correct number of bytes when you encrypt a key value. For example, you must provide a 16-byte key for the ENCRYPT_AES128 encryption algorithm. Transmitting Encryption Keys If the encryption key is to be passed by the application to the database, then you must encrypt it. Otherwise, an intruder could get access to the key as it is being transmitted. Network encryption, such as that provided by Oracle Advanced Security, protects all data in transit from modification or interception, including cryptographic keys. Storing Encryption Keys Storing encryption keys is one of the most important, yet difficult, aspects of encryption. To recover data encrypted with a symmetric key, the key must be accessible to an authorized application or user seeking to decrypt the data. At the same time, the key must be inaccessible to someone who is maliciously trying to access encrypted data that he is not supposed to see. The options available to a developer are: Storing the Encryption Keys in the Database Storing the Encryption Keys in the Operating System Users Managing Their Own Encryption Keys Using Transparent Database Encryption and Table space Encryption Storing the Encryption Keys in the Database Storing the keys in the database cannot always provide infallible security if you are trying to protect against the database administrator accessing encrypted data. An all-privileged database administrator could still access tables containing encryption keys. However, it can often provide good security against the casual curious user or against someone compromising the database file on the operating system. As a trivial example, suppose you create a table (EMP) that contains employee data. You want to encrypt the employee Social Security number (SSN) stored in one of the columns. You could encrypt employee SSN using a key that is stored in a separate column. However, anyone with SELECT access on the entire table could retrieve the encryption key and decrypt the matching SSN. While this encryption scheme seems easily defeated, with a little more effort you can create a solution that is much harder to break. For example, you could encrypt the SSN using a technique that performs some additional data transformation on the employee_number before using it to encrypt the SSN. This technique might be as simple as using an XOR operation on the employee_number and the birth date of the employee to determine the validity of the values. As additional protection, PL/SQL source code performing encryption can be wrapped, (using the WRAP utility) which obfuscates (scrambles) the code. The WRAP utility processes an input SQL file and obfuscates the PL/SQL units in it. For example, the following command uses the keymanage.sql file as the input: wrap iname=/mydir/keymanage.sql A developer can subsequently have a function in the package call the DBMS_OBFUSCATION_TOOLKIT with the key contained in the wrapped package. Oracle Database enables you to obfuscate dynamically generated PL/SQL code. The DBMS_DDL package contains two subprograms that allow you to obfuscate dynamically generated PL/SQL program units. For example, the following block uses the DBMS_DDL.CREATE_WRAPPED procedure to wrap dynamically generated PL/SQL code. BEGIN SYS.DBMS_DDL.CREATE_WRAPPED (function_returning_PLSQL_code()); END; While wrapping is not unbreakable, it makes it harder for an intruder to get access to the encryption key. Even in cases where a different key is supplied for each encrypted data value, you should not embed the key value within a package. Instead, wrap the package that performs the key management (that is, data transformation or padding). An alternative to wrapping the data is to have a separate table in which to store the encryption key and to envelope the call to the keys table with a procedure. The key table can be joined to the data table using a primary key to foreign key relationship. For example, employee_number is the primary key in the employees table that stores employee information and the encrypted SSN. The employee_number column is a foreign key to the ssn_keys table that stores the encryption keys for the employee SSN. The key stored in the ssn_keys table can also be transformed before use (by using an XOR operation), so the key itself is not stored unencrypted. If you wrap the procedure, then that can hide the way in which the keys are transformed before use. The strengths of this approach are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Users who have direct table access cannot see the sensitive data unencrypted, nor can they retrieve the keys to decrypt the data. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Access to decrypted data can be controlled through a procedure that selects the encrypted data, retrieves the decryption key from the key table, and transforms it before it can be used to decrypt the data. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The data transformation algorithm is hidden from casual snooping by wrapping the procedure, which obfuscates the procedure code. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ SELECT access to both the data table and the keys table does not guarantee that the user with this access can decrypt the data, because the key is transformed before use. The weakness to this approach is that a user who has SELECT access to both the key table and the data table, and who can derive the key transformation algorithm, can break the encryption scheme. The preceding approach is not infallible, but it is adequate to protect against easy retrieval of sensitive information stored in clear text. Storing the Encryption Keys in the Operating System Storing keys in a flat file in the operating system is another option. Oracle Database enables you to make callouts from PL/SQL, which you could use to retrieve encryption keys. However, if you store keys in the operating system and make callouts to it, then your data is only as secure as the protection on the operating system. If your primary security concern is that the database can be broken into from the operating system, then storing the keys in the operating system makes it easier for an intruder to retrieve encrypted data than storing the keys in the database itself. Users Managing Their Own Encryption Keys Using Transparent Database Encryption and Table space Encryption Transparent database encryption and table space encryption provide secu