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College Motivation Letter... MountainHiker, you still on here?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:33:51 GMT

Hi all! I have written this to the best of my ability. I'm pretty secure about the language part, as I'm bilingual, but it's the culture part that I want to check works. Some stuff I need to put in there, like the reason for the GPA - it's part letter, part appeal. But, this is my question, does it come off as too smarmy, too corny, too vague, disorganized, paragraphs need switching around? I just really liked what Hiker said to some other people n here - I have tried to follow the question checklists s/he posted "(Introduction (very quick points) 1a) Who you are 1b) What you want to do 1c) Why do you want to do it 1d) What do you want from them 2) Detailed background 2a) Expand on who you are 3) Detailed background 3a) Expand on what you want to do and why you want to do it 4) Summary 4a) Summarize what you have told them 4b) Thank them for considering your application" and the list for another poster "1) You have a Communication Science degree 2) You want to obtain a Masters Degree in European Comparative Public Policy 3) You want to study at University of Essex 4) You have a passion for European Comparative Public Policy 5) You want to do what or influence what once you are done?" This is an online... ookay, off to edit *edits* *returns* ...online college offering a Liberal Arts MA. Fort Hays State University. And this is my letter: As an immigrant from Egypt with a BA in English literature, including comparative and cultural studies, a background in consciousness-raising work and gender activism, and a lifelong dream of a career conveying these concepts to others and inspiring them to make a difference, I respectfully seek acceptance at your Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. Culture, critical thinking, history, and social analysis have been the most important fields of study (formal and otherwise) in my life for as long as I can remember. My mission since graduation has been to analyze and question accepted ways of doing things, including sexuality, the monolithic nature of official discourse, and the mainstreaming of the Arabic language and Islam while eroding indigenous tongues and other religions in my native Egypt. As an aficionado of historical narrative, especially that of my native region, the Middle East, and a keen observer of the unseen social currents of religious and gender politics, and cultural norms, mores and values, I have devoted myself to exploring what lies beneath the surface and is visible through the 'iceberg' model of culture. To this end, I have read over 150 books on history, culture, religion, politics and sexuality, among others, mostly about Arab culture. I already am teaching Middle Eastern culture and history at a small language school. The reaction I have received has made me eager to become qualified for a better teaching position in the field of culture/comparative studies. There is so much work to be done in this area to make people truly aware! However, I sense that before being qualified to do this, I am in need of a more thorough academic grounding in epistemology, anthropology and the science of critical thinking skills, as well as in the broader areas of culture and human knowledge, including cross-disciplinary studies and research on cultures outside the mainstream. I am confident that these fields are jut what I need to formalize the learning imparted by my sometimes tumultuous social-political personal experience. While the English Department of Cairo University, where I earned my BA, was a liberal oasis (my majors included Comparative Literature, Civilization and feminist criticism), I later found many of my fellow-Arabs were resistant to a liberal outlook. At that time, the newspapers were abuzz with news of the 'Satanist cult': trumped-up charges (later dismissed by judges as a total fabrication) brought by powerful police officials against American University boys and girls, arrested for wearing black and listening to heavy metal, tortured into confessing crimes they never committed. I became more and more frustrated as people kept telling me, "The newspapers say it; it must be true." For these people, the appearance of difference, and condemnation by the mainstream media, was enough to condemn these unfortunate young people whose only crime had been to assert some individuality and deviate from social norms. The issue became even more complicated and interesting when a number of Europeans I worked with, in a well-intentioned quest for 'cultural sensitivity', ended up with a prescriptive and restrictive definition of Middle Eastern culture: "No, no, boys shouldn't take Home Economics classes. We understand your culture." I preferred to view norms, mores, and values as separate entities and not succumb to the Orientalist view that, lumped together, unchanging and unchangeable, they constituted a monolithic 'culture'. Some of the other questions I asked myself were: What is collective memory? Can one find a descriptive, rather than prescriptive, model of culture? How far does respect for difference erode the rights of the dissenting individual in a collective culture? These are questions whose answers I hope to seek in your program. In 2001, my interest in sexual/religious difference took on a more overtly political nature with the Queen Boat case, where 52 gay men were arrested on trumped-up charges of, yes, Satanism. Unable to stand it any longer, I started a campaign to pressure legal organizations to give them representation in court ("But they're fags! Why represent them?") and alert international human rights organizations to the issue. This had some success; however, it became clear that I was next in line for arrest, and finally I sought political asylum in the U.S. Since coming here, I have studied cinema (earning an associate degree with a 3.8 GPA) made a film on the subject, and am currently preparing a documentary on the veil. In addition to your academic program, which seems to offer a roadmap to the answers for many of my questions, your university is ideal for me in that you offer a course to be taken completely online. This is beyond convenient for me, as I am busy with work and have found that commuting time cuts into my study hours; I would also find it impossible to relocate to Kansas at this time. Also, in an age where education can be, literally, a forbidding expense, my gratitude knows no bounds for your efforts to provide a quality education at a price I can actually afford. I feel it is pertinent here to mention that, just before the exams of my last year at university, I was among a group of students who were holding a peaceful demonstration against the interference of the secret police in student affairs, including sabotaging student union elections. The secret police pelted us with tear gas grenades and rubber bullets; I was unlucky, and had to be carried out of the university with a broken nose and upper respiratory inflammation. When exam time came round, I was not yet recovered (Egyptian universities base the entire grade on one final exam, not on coursework) but made an effort to come to exams and ultimately managed to pass all my tests. However, while my GPA in previous years was significantly higher, as you can see from my transcript, I was unable to make the minimum 2.5 GPA required for the last 60 hours of undergraduate study. This rather lengthy and tedious explanation precedes, as you may be expecting, an urgent and very heartfelt plea that you not allow this unfortunate occurrence to stand in the way of my chances for learning and the ultimate fulfillment of my life's dream. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your university represents a dream to me, not least thanks to the convenience and cost, which means that the dream is finally within my grasp. It is my dearest hope to become a student at the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program, thereby gaining an invaluable academic grounding and ideological framework and positively influencing others thereby. If accepted, I pledge to apply myself to my studies diligently, and never give you cause to doubt the wisdom if your decision. Allow me to thank you, again, for considering my application. Yours sincerely

PleasePlease proofread my report

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 03:49:29 GMT

Hey, sorry to repost, but the other came out really difficult to read so i have delete tables etc. Could someone please proof-read my work. I am dyslexia and find proof-checking my work near impossible. It is long but will probably only be stupid mistakes.

***

Introduction

Due to social and media pressures the ideal body shape is becoming thinner and this contributes to eating disorders in both males and females Harrison & Cantor (1997).

Anorexia nervosa is defined by the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) as being 15% under recommended weight for height, age and gender. The patient also has to have a distorted body view and a drive to become thin.

Gordon, (2000) states the ratio of females suffering from an eating disorder compared to males at 9-1. He recognises a gender difference in eating disorders but urges people to acknowledge the existence of the male sufferers. He describes a male patient had visiting a doctor, who had replied to the patients anorexia as âa problem that only happens to girlsâ. He claims that being labelled as suffering with a âfemaleâ disorder can lead to the male feeling ashamed and emasculated and therefore more hesitant to get help, and for this reason some believe that male anorexia is largely unreported. Gordon claims this feeling of shame is enhanced when even female anorexics are judgemental at group therapy.

This negative attitude towards male anorexia causes health risks. It may result in professionals and the males themselves not recognising their early symptoms and therefore may develop chronic anorexia nervosa before they are diagnosed. (Margo, 1987, cited in BMA publication 2000)

Whitney et al (2005) studies individual experiences of people who carers of anorexic people. The femalesâ reports were more emotional than the males who appeared to be less attached with a less sympathetic viewpoint, suggesting males have a more negative attitude towards anorexia nervosa than females do.

Support that males have unhealthy eating patterns in addition to females comes from Forman-Hoffman (2004) who conducted a study involving 9,118 adolescents, 7.3% of females and 3.1% of males reported unhealthy eating patterns over the previous week.

However, theory correlates with the attitudes as many eating disorder theories are specific to women. For example some psychoanalysists argue that anorexia nervosa is developed during whilst females experience separation anxiety from their mothers. (Darvell, BMA, 2000)

Literature on male anorexia nervosa is limited and there does not appear to be any prior research into the difference between attitudes towards male anorexia nervosa and gender. Furthermore, there appears to be a fair amount of ignorance when it comes to male anorexia nervosa, present in medical professionals as well as psychological theories not even accepting its existence might be suggesting that additional education about male anorexia needs to be put into place.

To clarify an attitude is a negative, positive or neural feeling towards an âattitude objectâ, which does not have to be a physical object; it could be an event for example. Attitudes are formed by affective and cognitive responses and behavioural intentions. The following study only examines explicit attitudes, which are attitudes which are self-reported, which can be easily measured on a likert scale.

The aim of this study is to investigate the different attitudes towards male anorexia nervosa between males and females by use of a questionnaire will remain reliable over time.

The hypothesis for this study is gender will affect attitudes towards males suffering from anorexia nervosa.

Method

50 male and 50 female students were selected by opportunity sampling to be participants for the study. Each participant was asked to fill out two questionnaires a week apart. The males were either part of a university football club or an engineering society, while the females were psychology students.

A 5-point likert scale was used.. The questionnaire used 18 affective, 18 behavioural and 14 cognitive. 25 of the questions were testing for a negative attitude, and 25 for a positive attitude.

The first questionnaire conducted had 50 questions but after the analysis had been carried out questions were removed from the questionnaire. Below is a table showing the removed items and why they were removed.

The overall design was a survey. The independent variables (IVs) of this study were gender of the participant and which questionnaire was completed. Gender is a between subjects IV, which has two levels; male and female. Which questionnaire completed is within subject IV, as each participant completed both questionnaires. This IV has two levels, the first questionnaire and the second questionnaire. The dependent variable (DV) is the scores on the questionnaire. The predictor variable (PV) in this study was the scores of the first questionnaire, while the criterion variable (CV) in this study was the scores of the second questionnaire.

The participantsâ details were anonymous and were only identified by their mothersâ maiden name and consent was gained from all participants involved who were briefed beforehand and understood that they could withdraw at any time.

First a questionnaire was constructed by brainstorming statements indicated positive and negative attitudes towards male anorexia nervosa and a mixture of affective, behavioural and cognitive, (18,18,14 respectively) with 25 negative attitude questions and 25 positive attitude was deliberately used. Then the questionnaire was typed up with a 5-point likert scale, with the options of â1. Strongly Disagreeâ, â2. Disagreeâ, â3. Neither Agree Nor Disagreeâ â4. Agreeâ â5. Strongly Agreeâ beneath each question. A brief and a form of keeping the participants details anonymous by using their motherâs maiden name, was also constructed and then potential participants were approached and asked to partake in the study. Once 50 male students and 50 female students had completed the questionnaire the results were coded into numbers as shown above. Then the negative attitude questions were recoded so that 5=1, 4=2, 3=3, 2=4 and 1=5, and then the questionnaires were both qualitatively and quantitatively analysed.

Qualitative analysis was done by looking at the questionnairesâ results and seeing if there was any reason why any particular question shouldnât be there. For example, if most people selected âneither agree nor disagreeâ then the question clearly did not serve its purpose. Quantitative analysis involved looking at the mean, and deleting any items which lay considerably outside 2.5-3.5 margins. Any items with a significantly larger standard deviation or lower correlation figures were also deleted. Then with the questions deleted new quantitative analysis was conducted to check that the results were significant. Then the questionnaire was handed out to the same participants to complete. The second set of data was then reanalysed and a t-test was carried out to compare the totals of each participant for either questionnaire to check the questionnaire was reliable over time, and Leveneâs test was perform to check for a homogeneity of variance. None of the participants where told we were comparing male and female attitudes until after the questionnaires were completed at which point they could disagree for their data to be used.

Results

The item means statistics are as would be expected when testing two opposing attitudes on a 5-point likert scale. From table 2 it is clear that all the means and standard deviations are similar. With the standard deviation being around 1. The item means are as they should be, with the mean around 3, (M = 3.137) with a few deviations, (Range = 1.290, Variance = 0.124,) no items having a mean of much less than 2.5, (Min = 2.470), or much higher than three point five, (Max = 3.760). The item variance is fairly low (M=1.011) and deviates little (Range = 0.634, Variance = 0.33)

These show similar results to those found in the 1^st questionnaire. Standard deviation are around 1. Means are around 3, (M = 3.128) with a few deviations, (Range = 1.320, Variance = 0.136,) These very similar results would suggest that the questionnaire had consistency over time; however this is tested for and discussed further later.

Reliability analysis of 1^st and 2^nd questionnaires

A reliability analysis of the items of the first questionnaire was performed to explore to what extent the scale was internally consistent. The results showed strong internal consistency in both questionnaires (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.891). The result suggest that the scale is not unidimensional (Inter-Item Correlation = 0.289) Similar findings were found with the reliability analysis of the second questionnaire, there was a similar strong internal consistency (Cronbrachâs Alpha = 0.882) and the scale still appeared to be multidimensional (Inter-Item Correlation = 0.270)

Test-Retest Reliability

The results above show that both tests are internally consistent but to discover if the test was consistent over time a test-retest correlational analysis was conducted, scores from the same individuals, on the same items on both questionnaires should be similar to indicate reliability over time. Each participantsâ total score was calculated for questionnaire one and questionnaire two and then the relationship between the two variables was examined. A significant strong correlation between scores on the two questionnaires was found (R = 0.949, p = 0.001). These results indicate that the test was reliable over time. The strong correlation between the two tests is illustrated below in a scatter-graph.

The hypothesis for this study was 1-tailed. The females scored a mean of 70.04 while males scored a mean of 55.06. An independent t-test was conducted to explore the influence gender had on attitudes towards male anorexia. A Leveneâs test of homogeneity of variance was carried out and found to be non-significant (p = 0.183) and therefore it can be assumed that there are no significant differences between variances. Gender was shown to have a significant effect on attitudes towards male anorexia, (df = 98, t = 8.045, p = 0.001).

Discussion

To summarize the results, internal consistency and consistency over time were present in the questionnaires; homogeneity of variance was assumed an independent t-test yielded significant results indicating that there is a difference between male and female attitudes towards male anorexia with males holding the negative viewpoint, while the average female has a more positive attitude towards male anorexics. This is supports the hypothesis that gender affects attitudes towards male anorexic.

Although these findings are highly significant it would be beneficial to conduct research where the scale was unidimensional as opposed to multidimensional.

These results support that Gordonâs viewpoint (2000) was correct that males suffering with anorexia nervosa are stigmatised, however Gordon also expected females to have negative attitudes towards anorexic males which this study does not find supportive evidence for. To ensure that it is not just female anorexics that stigmatise male anorexics a study could be conducted to investigate the difference between female who are suffering with anorexia nervosa and females who are not.

Negative attitudes towards male anorexia may be due to males being undereducated about anorexia as the condition is mainly associated with females. These results could be the consequence of a lack of media coverage. Female bias in academic publications about male anorexia may also contribute (Darvell, 2000). According to Margo, (1987) this will indirectly cause anorexic males health to become worse.

All the participants where students, with no mature students included, which served as a control, however further research to see if the results can be generalised would be worthwhile.

All the participants completed the questionnaires in similar conditions and the use of a questionnaire meant all the questions were standardised. Opportunity sampling was a suitable method for this study due to limitations on time, and the results were highly significant, but if a random sampling method was used for similar research in the future it would reduce possible criticisms. Because none of the participants where told we were comparing male and female attitudes until after the questionnaires were completed, the likelihood of demand characteristics was minimised.

To conclude, the results show a significant difference between male and female attitudes towards anorexia. Males showed a more negative attitude. The questionnaires internal consistency and reliability over time, along with homogeneity of variance of the results can all be assumed. The negative attitudes theorists suggest could be affecting the sufferersâ physical and mental health (Margo, 1980; Gordon, 2000) so it is a vitally important area of study to as evidence will in itself raise awareness and encourage other means of doing so

Please proof read my report

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 03:40:06 GMT

I am dyslexic and find proof-reading really hard. Please proof-read my work. I know that its kind of long, but its all in 3rd person and under the right headings etc. its only the prose and silly spelling mistakes I am conserned with which would be obvious to others. Thankyou so much. Obviously the stats arent relevent at all but thought that it might be really annoying reading something so out of context.

Introduction

Due to social and media pressures the ideal body shape is becoming thinner and this contributes to eating disorders in both males and females Harrison & Cantor (1997).

The aim of this study is to investigate the different attitudes towards male anorexia nervosa between males and females by use of a questionnaire will remain reliable over time.

The hypothesis for this study is gender will affect attitudes towards males suffering from anorexia nervosa.

Method

A 5-point likert scale was used.. The questionnaire used 18 affective, 18 behavioural and 14 cognitive. 25 of the questions were testing for a negative attitude, and 25 for a positive attitude.

Item Number deleted

Item Question

Exclusion Method

I would not find it odd if a straight male told me he longed to have the body shape of another male.

I believe any man with an eating disorder is not a âreal manâ.

3,4

It would not affect me if I heard a close male friend had dealt with anorexia alone

If a male told me he desired to be a underweight body size it would be fine with me.

1,3

I would be more worried about a female who was not eating than I would a male.

1,3

I would feel more uncomfortable discussing a maleâs body shape with himself than I would a femaleâs body shape with herself.

I would be equally worried about a male who wasnât eating just as much as I would a female.

1,3

I would feel unsympathetic to a male with anorexia.

1,3

The gender of a person would not affect how much I would intervene if they were suffering with anorexia.

I believe males who suffer from anorexia are effeminate.

I believe all males with anorexia are attention seeking.

I would actively try to discourage a male friend that I was worried was anorexic.

I would be equally likely to assume a male had an eating disorder than a female.

1,3

I would be just as likely call a female friend âfatâ as I would a male friend.

1,3

I would try to be supportive to any friend or family member with anorexia.

I would reassure a female friend that she is not overweight just as much as I would a male.

I would feel ill at ease if a male told me he desired to be a worryingly underweight weight.

1,3

I believe only homosexual males suffer from anorexia.

I would not be supportive to any friend or family member with anorexia.

1,3

I believe it is unlikely that a male that suffers with anorexia would be good at football.

1,3

I would spend as much time with a clinically underweight male as I would with a male of normal weight.

I would feel upset if I felt a close male friend or family member had suffered from anorexia alone.

I believe anorexic males should be treated differently than anorexic females.

I would reassure an insecure average/ underweight male that he is not overweight as much as I would a female.

2,3

I do not believe male anorexic is related to testosterone levels.

I would be more likely to call a male friend âfatâ in a jokey manner.

I would be faster to assume an underweight female has an eating disorder than I would a male.

1,2,3

I believe anorexic males should be treated the same as anorexic females.

It is just as normal for a male to suffer with anorexia as it is a female.

I believe it is weirder for a male to suffer from anorexia than it is for a female.

1, 3

Table 1 â A table showing the deleted items and reason for exclusion, 1 = Excluded due to mean, 2=Excluded due to standard deviation 3=Excluded due to item total correlation, 4= Other reasons, mainly qualitative (ie: Participants commented question was unclear or did not appear attitudes towards anorexia well)

Results

Descriptive Statistics from 1^st Questionnaire after items removed

Item

Mean

Std. Deviation

item4

3.57

1.07

item6

3.76

1.00

item8

3.35

0.98

item14

3.41

1.03

item21

3.33

1.00

item22

3.25

0.86

item27

3.15

1.09

item28

3.45

1.13

item30

2.95

1.11

item31

2.92

0.99

item32

3.03

1.13

item33

3.43

1.07

item36

2.96

1.03

item41

2.47

0.94

item42

3.38

0.81

item43

2.65

0.99

item44

3.39

1.03

item46

2.73

0.96

item47

2.97

1.01

item48

2.59

0.81

Table 2 â A table showing the descriptive statistics for each item of the first questionnaires after items removed (to 2dp.)

Mean

Minimum

Maximum

Range

Maximum / Minimum

Variance

N of Items

Item Means

3.137

2.470

3.760

1.290

1.522

.124

Item Variances

1.011

.648

1.282

.634

1.977

.033

Table 3 â A table summarising the descriptive statistics for 1^st questionnaire.

Descriptive Statistics from the 2^nd Questionnaire

Item

Mean

Std. Deviation

t2item4

3.60

1.082

t2item6

3.75

1.029

t2item8

3.36

1.020

t2item14

3.40

1.110

t2item21

3.33

1.045

t2item22

3.22

0.894

t2item27

3.20

1.110

t2item28

3.46

1.141

t2item30

2.96

1.127

t2item31

2.91

1.036

t2item32

3.00

1.181

t2item33

3.43

1.057

t2item36

2.94

1.127

t2item41

2.43

0.987

t2item42

3.38

0.862

t2item43

2.61

1.043

t2item44

3.38

1.033

t2item46

2.68

1.062

t2item47

2.97

1.029

t2item48

2.54

0.904

Table 4 â A table showing the descriptive statistics obtained by the 2^nd questionnaire (to 2dp.)

Summary Item Statistics

Mean

Minimum

Maximum

Range

Maximum / Minimum

Variance

N of Items

Item Means

3.128

2.430

3.750

1.320

1.543

.136

Item Variances

1.096

.743

1.394

.651

1.876

.029

Inter-Item Correlations

.270

-.164

.750

.914

-4.576

.028

Table 5 â A table summarising the descriptive statistics for 2^nd questionnaire

Reliability analysis of 1^st and 2^nd questionnaires

Test-Retest Reliability

Criterion Statistics

Gender

Mean

Std. Deviation

Std. Error Mean

TOTAL2

55.06

10.25

1.45

70.04

7.34

1.04

Discussion

Although these findings are highly significant it would be beneficial to conduct research where the scale was unidimensional as opposed to multidimensional.

All the participants where students, with no mature students included, which served as a control, however further research to see if the results can be generalised would be worthwhile.

Re: word test

Clive — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 00:05:34 GMT

Hi,

Many more eighteenth-century novels were
written by women than by men, but this
dominance has, until very recently, been
regarded merely as ------- fact, a bit of arcane
knowledge noted only by bibliographers.

(A) a controversial
(B) a statistical
(C) an analytical
(D) an explicit
(E) an unimpeachable

A? I don't agree with A. The point of the sentence is that, until recently, this was regarded as an unimportant fact. That's why the words 'merely' and 'arcane' are used.

I would expect the writer to continue by saying that nowadays people attach more significance to such gender-based information. Feminist academics, in particular, are concerned with refuting what they see as the unfair perception that men dominate much of literature.

So, you need a word that conveys the until-recently uncontroversial nature of the fact. I'd choose B. ie It was seen for a long time as a mere statistic.

Best wishes, Clive

Student - need help on a paper

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 10:24:05 GMT

I am a student of English and I have to write a diploma paper, 60 pages long, about Virginia Woolf and her gender-focused approach to literature. Does anyone know (preferably a teacher of English) what major points or subjects should I tackle and how should I structure it? What should I use as study material? Do you have any book title or internet site that I can use in my research? Thanks in advance.

Re: Problem with a sentence

khoff — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:38:19 GMT

Maybe it's because "as a youth" in the original sentence sounds "male" to me --or maybe it's just a reflection of the amount of gender-bending literature that finds its way through my house. Who knows.