Parental Involvement in Childs Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Parental Involvement in Childs Education - Essay Example The key findings on the effects of parental involvement are likewise summarized based on a compilation of recent research findings. The quality of education is one of the major social issues all over the world, from developing countries in Africa to highly developed ones like America and Europe. The reason is rather easy to see in a world where natural resources are dwindling and the competition for economic power and a high quality of life is intensifying. Ultimately, the continued economic progress of nations would be determined by the quality of their human resources, which in turn depends on the quality of a nation's educational system (Glatthorn, 1999). In America, for example, a government-led initiative that came to be known as the "No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001" was meant "to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessment" (NCLB, 2002, Section 1001). As the law's main aim was to improve the quality of education, educators have been asking uncomfortable but important questions as to how such a goal could be attained. Among the many proposed measures that could have a lasting and positive effect on improving education quality is one that is based on the hypothesis that a lack of parental involvement is detrimental to a child's education. This paper aims to prove the above hypothesis by using research findings to show that the following proposition is true: that increased parental involvement provides beneficial effects on the child's education. Also discussed would be several findings on the ways parents get involved in the education of their children; which type of involvement works best; the effects of parental involvement on student attitudes, self-concept, classroom behavior, and attendance; and at what levels of the child's education would parental involvement be useful. These findings are then summarized into seven major insights on the effects of parental involvement on their children's learning process and ways to encourage and sustain these based on experiences in the U.S. Parental involvement can be characterized in many ways, but all the literature on the topic agree that it includes various forms by which parents participate in their children's education and with the way education is carried out in schools. The range of parental involvement activities is wide: active tutoring of children at home, helping them with homework, becoming role models of positive behavior by showing eagerness to learn and study, or encouraging their children to learn, providing an appropriate place and time for serious study, and supporting their children's schooling by attending school functions and participating in school obligations (PTA, student plays, parent-child excursions, etc.). Parents can also extend their involvement outside the home-school environment by political lobbying, volunteering for community-based school projects, or getting public or corporate

An audit looking at how many patients are with thyroid dysfunction

An audit looking at how many patients are with thyroid dysfunction What is the function of thyroid gland and thyroid hormones The thyroid gland is located in the anterior part of the neck, attached to the thyroid cartilage. It consists of two lobes, approximately 5 cm each, that lie either side of the trachea joined in the middle by an isthmus. The thyroid gland is responsible for the production of three thyroid hormones: Calcitonin (involved with calcium homeostasis), Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). Everyday, approximately 100  ¿Ã‚ ½g of T3 and T4 are secreted 90% of which are in the form T4. Most of T4 is later converted to T3 in the liver and Kidneys. T3 is 10 times more active than T4. [1] The thyroid hormones are responsible for the control of basal metabolic rate. Expand? How is Thyroid hormone regulated The functional unit of the thyroid is the follicle. A spherical arrangement of secretory epithelial cells around a protein rich colloid. It is at this cell-colloid boundary that thyroid hormones are formed by iodination of thyroglobulin formed from tyrosine.[1] The follicular cells are involved in active absorption of iodine from the plasma which is required for thyroglobulin synthesis. The formed thyroid hormone is stored in the colloid until its secretion is triggered by thyroid stimulating hormone from the anterior pituitary which triggers the degradation of thyroglobulin in the follicular cells to release thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone secretion is under the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The hypothalamus releases Thyrotrophin Releasing Hormone (TRH) which stimulates the anterior pituitary to secrete Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). The TSH reaches the thyroid where it binds to the TSH receptors on the surface of the follicular cell, stimulating it to produce and release thyroid hormones. The homeostasis of thyroid hormone concentration is maintained by a negative feedback loop whereby increased concentration of thyroid hormone inhibits Thyroid Stimulating Hormone release from the anterior pituitary by decreasing the affinity for TRH. This leads to a decrease in TSH causing reduced amount of thyroid hormone to be released by the thyroid gland. This feedback loop enables us to monitor patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy (such as Levothyroxine) by measuring TSH levels. If for instance the prescribed dose is insufficient, it would lead to inadequate inhibition of the pituitar y gland and a raised serum TSH level. The reverse would occur with levothyroxine excess. () This cannot be done in patients with secondary hypothyroidism. So what do we do then? Common pathologies Thyroid disease is the second most common endocrine disorder after diabetes.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is defined as an underactive thyroid gland leading to decreased levels of T3 and T4. The annual incidence of hypothyroidism in the UK is 4 per 1000 in women and 0.6 per 1000 in men.[3] Symptomatic hypothyroidism is known as myxodema. Hypothyroidism is categorised into primary and secondary. Primary hypothyroidism results from disease processes affecting the thyroid gland itself, slowly decreasing thyroid function and thyroid hormone production. Onset of symptoms is therefore gradual, developing over months or even years. Secondary hypothyroidism is relatively uncommon. Secondary hypothyroidism develops when the pituitary is unable to produce enough TSH to induce enough T3 and T4 production from the thyroid gland. The causes of secondary hypothyroidism can include a pituitary tumour. Patients with hypothyroidism could present with a number of signs and symptoms including:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Tiredness  ¿Ã‚ ½ Somnolence  ¿Ã‚ ½ Slow cognition  ¿Ã‚ ½ Cold Intolerance  ¿Ã‚ ½ Depression  ¿Ã‚ ½ Bradycardia  ¿Ã‚ ½ Weight gain  ¿Ã‚ ½ Calf stiffness  ¿Ã‚ ½ Menstrual disturbance  ¿Ã‚ ½ Carpal tunnel syndrome  ¿Ã‚ ½ Hearing impairment  ¿Ã‚ ½ Dry, thin and pale skin  ¿Ã‚ ½ Puffiness below the eyes  ¿Ã‚ ½ Bradycardia The most common cause of primary hypothyroidism in the UK is autoimmune thyroiditis. In Hashimoto ¿Ã‚ ½s thyroiditis autoantibodies are produced against thyroglobulin. This leads to inflammation of the thyroid gland as it is infiltrated by lymphocytes causing goitre formation. Hashimoto ¿Ã‚ ½s thyroiditis is remarkable in this respect that it initially causes hyperthyroidism as inflammation of the thyroid gland releases stored thyroxine. Once this released thyroid hormone is metabolised the patient progresses to normal and then a hypothyroid state. [1] Other notable causes of hypothyroidism include:[4]  ¿Ã‚ ½ Iatrogenic: Radioiodine ablation or thyroidectomy as a treatment for hyperthyroidism  ¿Ã‚ ½ Thyroiditis: Subacute (de Quervain ¿Ã‚ ½s) thyroiditis  ¿Ã‚ ½ Drugs: Lithium, Amiodarone, thalidomide, rifampicin and sutinib as well as drugs used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism  ¿Ã‚ ½ Iodine deficiency: common in some developing countries but very rare in the western world At the opposite end of the spectrum lies Hyperthyroidism where there is increased Free T4 and a reduced level of TSH and has the opposite effect on the body than the one noticed in hypothyroidism e.g. tachycardia, heat intolerance etc. Hyperthyroidism is not covered further as this audit focuses on hypothyroidism. Diagnosis and treatment Symptoms of hypothyroidism are quite non-specific and can commonly occur with other medical conditions not related to the thyroid. Diagnosis of hypothyroidism therefore should not be made on clinical symptoms alone and it is essential to test thyroid function biochemically. This is done by measuring Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and Free Thyroxine (T4) in blood. The normal reference range for TSH is 0.4  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre.[4] A TSH level within the normal reference range has over a 99% predicted value to rule out primary hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.[5] In hypothyroidism the patient would have a high Thyroid Stimulating Hormone level, with or without a low Thyroxine level. Depending on thyroid function tests hypothyroidism is further divided into: a) Overt hypothyroidism: patients with a high Thyroid Stimulating hormone level and a Low serum free Thyroxine (T4) b) Subclinical hypothyroidism: Patients with a high Thyroid Stimulating Hormone but a normal Thyroxine (T4) level Treatment depends on whether the patient has overt or subclinical hypothyroidism. Patients with overt hypothyroidism should be treated with Levothyroxine to render them  ¿Ã‚ ½euthyroid ¿Ã‚ ½.[5] According to NHS statistics 12 million Levothyroxine prescriptions were issued during 2006.[6] The goal of the treatment is to reduce the TSH back to within the reference range. The dose of Levothyroxine is usually titrated up from 25-50  ¿Ã‚ ½g daily however a recent trial has shown that this is unnecessary for most patients.[7] The study recommended that patients with no cardiac symptoms should be started on the full dose of 1.6  ¿Ã‚ ½g/kg. The following figure illustrates the algorithm for treatment of -pregnant adults with primary hypothyroidism:[4] Algorithm for management of non-pregnant adults with primary hypothyroidism [4] It is very important to monitor levothyroxine therapy as over or under prescription can be dangerous. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is the key method of monitoring levothyroxine therapy in patients with primary hypothyroidism. Unlike the thyroid function tests used to diagnose thyroid disease, free T3 and T4 levels are not very useful in monitoring treatment as their levels are influenced by the prescribed dosage of thyroid replacement hormone and are not accurate indicators of the individual ¿Ã‚ ½s requirement. TSH without T3 and T4 is also a cheaper test to carry out in General Practice. Current guidelines state that patients should have their Thyroid Stimulating Hormone level tested eight to twelve weeks after starting levothyroxine.[4] The dose can later be fine tuned accordingly to get the TSH level in the lower half of the reference range.[5] Besides monitoring TSH levels, an assessment of the patient ¿Ã‚ ½s symptoms should also be made as some younger patients may need higher doses to relieve their symptoms in which case it is acceptable to have the TSH between 0.1-0.4 mU/Litre. The Quality and Outomes Framework (QOF) guidance suggests that all Patients on long term thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have their TSH levels tested yearly to make sure their replacement dose remains optimal.[8] Audit 1. Reason for audit move it to the top to include the rest of the study Despite the yearly TSH tests, studies have shown that a considerable number of hypothyroid patients managed in primary care have TSH levels outside of the reference range. Okosieme et al reported that in 2009 data collected from 11 GP practices showed that 37.2% of the 1037 patients on the hypothyroidism register were inadequately managed.[9] When we take into account the high prevalence of hypothyroidism (9.3% in women and 1.3% in men)[3] the results of the Okosieme et al study suggests that the total number of patients with suboptimal thyroid hormone replacement is significantly large. Imperfect thyroid hormone replacement could have damaging repercussions for health. It may adversely affect blood pressure, body weight and lipid profile. Since the basal metabolic rate of the body is controlled by thyroid hormones it is perhaps not surprising that a decrease in thyroid hormone levels leads to a decrease in metabolic rate and thus can cause weight gain. Even in euthyroid subjects there is a negative correlation between free T4 and Body Mass Index (BMI).[10] This suggests that even a small under-prescription of thyroid hormones could, over a period of time, lead to obesity. Reduced Thyroxine levels also cause a dyslipidemia characterised by increased Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) and a decrease in High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) with normal or slightly raised cholesterol levels.[11] Such a lipid profile is associated with a higher risk of atherosclerosis. The thyroid hormones also seem to have a role in blood pressure homeostasis as hypothyroid patients recorded a higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure after stopping thyroid replacement therapy.[12] Thus inadequate replacement may cause hypertension which, together with the dyslipidemia described above adds to the risk of atherosclerosis and its subsequent cardiovascular complications. Conversely, excessive thyroid hormone replacement has its own perils, having enhanced risk of atrial fibrillation, osteoporosis and fractures linked to it. Excessive thyroid hormone increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation especially in older patients. Studies have shown that a low TSH level in patients over 60 years old have a threefold higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation.[13] Patients over treated with levothyroxine also show increased loss of bone mineral putting them at increased risk of osteoporosis.[14] Subsequent studies have shown that patients with a suppressed TSH i.e. = 0.03 mU/Litre also had an increased risk of fractures however this was not observed in patients with low but unsuppressed TSH (0.04  ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.4 mU/Litre).[15] This highlights the need for maintaining optimal thyroid hormone replacement in primary hypothyroid patients in the General Practice setting to reduce the above mentioned risk factors. The 11 GP practices used by Okosieme et al showed that there is significant room for improvement as one third of the patient population on levothyroxine had TSH levels outside the reference range.[0.11] Thus this is a worthwhile area for audit to establish current standards of care in our practice, Dr Dean Partners, Heald Green Health Centre. Since this audit has not been carried out before in the practice it would give an idea of how well the practice manages patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy. The suggestions for improvement would be beneficial to the patients of the practice and might also help with obtaining QOF points. This audit would also be beneficial to me personally introducing me to the concept of audit cycles and giving me the opportunity to conduct my very first audit. It would also help me get a better understanding of management of hypothyroid patients which is the second most common endocrine disease in the UK after diabetes mellitus. 2. Criteria to be measured Serum Thyroid Stimulating Hormone is used as the gold standard for biochemically diagnosing hypothyroidism and monitoring thyroid hormone replacement therapy.[4] The reference range indicating adequate replacement is usually around 0.4  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre.[4, 9] However this figure slightly varies according to local guidelines. For this I have chosen to use TSH between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre as a reference range for adequate thyroid hormone replacement as this is the reference range used by the local Primary Care Trust (Stepping Hill Hospital) and the practice. Patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. 3. Setting standards For setting the standard I have found that there are no specific guidelines stating what proportion of patients should be achieving the above mentioned criteria. There are no NICE guidelines for the treatment of hypothyroidism. The QOF guidance states that patients should have their TSH levels tested yearly but it does not state the standard of care required. Having discussed this with GP at the practice I have decided that a theoretically ideal standard i.e. 100% of patients meeting the above criteria would be very impractical in theory from a resources perspective. Given the fact that suboptimal thyroid hormone replacement could be harmful, it is nonetheless important to achieve a high standard of care. Therefore I have decided on an optimum standard: 90% of patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. 4. Preparation planning Before starting the audit I had a discussion with the GP tutor about worthwhile areas for audit. As I had never conducted an audit before he explained the audit cycle. As thyroid dysfunction was an area of interest for me I suggested undertaking this audit. The GP tutor agreed that this would be a useful area for audit and advised to me to review the literature to find out if it would be an appropriate audit from a clinical point of view and was an area where practice could be improved. After preliminary reading clinical reviews I formulated a step by step template of the things I felt should be covered and got the GP tutor ¿Ã‚ ½s approval to go ahead. The data was collected with the help of the GP tutor. As the practice keeps electronic records of all patients, EMIS Population manger search function. Using the search function we identified all patients who had been prescribed thyroid hormone replacement medication for the past 12 months. We then identified patients who in the past 12 months had had their TSH levels tested. We then selected patients who had a TSH =0.1 mU/Litre and TSH =4. Subtracting the number of patients which meet the TSH search parameters from the total number of patients on thyroid hormone replacement would give us the number of patients who were outside the reference range of TSH. 5. Initial data collection Criterion Number of Patients taking thyroid hormone replacement medication (n) Number of Patients with TSH levels within reference range Standard (%) Patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. 206 167/206 (81%) 90% Discussion Results: what they are. How close to the standard. Are they good enough? (no, didn ¿Ã‚ ½t meet the standards). Why didn ¿Ã‚ ½t they meet the standard? Merge results discussion with limitations discussion The data collected shows that the current practice is 9% below the standard set. The standard required i.e. 90% of patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. However this was the case with only 167 patients (81%). This means that 39 patients (19%) did not meet the standard set. There could be several reasons why the results did not meet the standards set. One factor influencing TSH levels is the use of medicines which interact with thyroid function. Due to the limitations of the software used in data collection (as discussed below) we were unable to exclude patients who were on medication known to interact with thyroid function such as Amiodarone, Lithium, etc. Amiodarone, a fairly commonly prescribed drug to prevent arrhythmias, can cause deranged thyroid function as it contains iodine (37mg of iodine in 100mg of Amiodarone). This can cause a severe iodine overload and can lead to hypothyroidism as well as thyrotoxicosis.[0.16] Inclusion of such patients would bring the percentage down unfairly because management of such patients is a lot more complex and the TSH levels are not always a good indication of the adequacy of their thyroid hormone dosage. Patients with hypothyroidism due to Amiodarone are monitored by their Free T4 levels instead of TSH. [0.16] Another factor which could have contributed to the high number of patients with TSH levels outside those defined in the criteria is the possibility that patients with abnormal TSH levels often don ¿Ã‚ ½t get their levothyroxine dose optimised. A study published in 1995 reported that at one GP practice in Suffolk 71% of patients with abnormal TSH levels did not have their medication dosage change as a result.[17] If patients do not have their thyroid hormone replacement optimised as a result of abnormal TSH not only does it defeat the purpose of carrying out yearly TSH tests, it also means that these patients would continue to have an abnormal TSH when tested again. Currently we do not have the data to find out how many of the patients in our practice with abnormal TSH had not had their dose changed after a previous abnormal TSH in an attempt to bring it within the reference range specified in the criteria. Ranging from poor patient compliance to the way the data has been collected Lack of dose adjustment after abnormal TSH The way results were collected. Limitations of software used. Limitations of the results collected ie things missed: how many patients actually had test done in the last 12 months (QOF points). How many were over and how many were under prescribed. This audit has limitations. The data was collected from electronic records using the EMIS Population Manager. The limited search algorithms of the software meant that we couldn ¿Ã‚ ½t distinguish patients with a TSH below the reference range from those above it. All we were able to obtain was a single figure of how many people were within the reference range. Due to the limitations of the EMIS Population Manager software we were also unable to test how many patients with hypothyroidism had actually had their TSH levels tested in the past 12 months as stated in the QOF guidance  ¿Ã‚ ½ 2004.[8] Thyroid Function Tests are done for a large number of patients whose symptoms are actually caused by a non-thyroid illness. Due to this reason we could not search for people who had their thyroid function tested in the past 12 months as that data would have included a lot of non-hypothyroid patients. Instead we had to search for patients who had been prescribed levothyroxine therapy in the past 12 months. And then further narrow the search parameters TSH levels in the past 12 months to obtain the data. This meant that the people who have not had their thyroid functions tested in the past 12 months were excluded from our data. The positive aspect of only testing people within the last 12 months is that the data reflects current level of care. The data collection software shows patients as being within the normal TSH range if they have had at least one TSH test within the normal range during the last 12 months. If the patient has been started on levothyroxine therapy recently their TSH levels wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t have had enough time to return to normal. However this is likely to be statistically insignificant. The way to get round these limitations of the EMIS Population Manager would have been to study the clinical notes of all patients who were prescribed levothyroxine in the past year. By looking at the notes we would be able to exclude patients who are unsuitable for the purpose of this audit i.e. those patients in whom the TSH level is not a valid indicator of thyroid hormone requirement e.g. those on Amiodarone or lithium or patients with secondary hypothyroidism. Looking at the notes would also allow us to check the number of patients who had not had their TSH levels tested in the past year. Reading through the notes would also allow us to obtain more information such as age gender etc which might be helpful in indentifying some of the factors responsible for suboptimal thyroid hormone replacement. However reading the notes of over 206 patients would have taken a considerable amount of time. Since this was my first audit I decided to avoid gathering qualitative data and decided that the using electronic records would be sufficient for the purposes of this audit. Changes to practice to hit the target. Tietable to implement that change and when to re-audit? Practicality, why change? Positives and negatives of changing. There are a few approaches which could potentially be taken to improve the standard of care. In order to improve the standard of care to meet the goal of 90% all patients on the hypothyroidism register should have yearly or six monthly blood tests to measure their TSH levels. all patients with abnormal TSH levels should be invited for an appointment with the GP and should be considered for a change in their current dosage. This would be a good opportunity to assess why their TSH levels are abnormal and check that the patient is adhering to the prescribed treatment regimen. If the dose remains unchanged the reason should be recorded in the notes so that the information is available for the second cycle of the audit. Doing this will allow us to make sure that patients are kept at the optimum dose of levothyroxine to reduce the risks associated with under or over prescription. Seeing patients like this would however increase the workload placed on the surgery and its resources. However by talking the patients as and when they have their TSH levels tested the strain on the resources would be spread out over a year. Since the current audit identified 39 patients with abnormal TSH levels, this would mean an extra 3-4 patient appointments per month over the period of a 12 months. This should be discussed at the doctors ¿Ã‚ ½ meeting. Twelve months after the implementation of the change of practice a second data collection should be done to complete the audit cycle and evaluate the impact, if any, the change in practice has had on the management of hypothyroid patients. Write to the patients to invite them to come in for a dose adjustment? Consider collecting better data by reading the notes. That would take too long. Consider specialist referral if symptoms persist. What have I learned: 1 about the condition, 2 about auditing. Conducting this audit has given me the chance to take an in-depth look at all aspects of hypothyroidism which has been an area of interest for me for some time. In the course of researching for the audit I have been able to review various guidelines, clinical reviews and other journal articles. Not only has that improved my understanding of the management of thyroid disease in primary care immensely. It has given me a sense of how a condition is followed through in general practice from first presentation to treatment to long term management. I have also realised that management of chronic conditions such as hypothyroidism is an ongoing process as the patients ¿Ã‚ ½ condition and requirements change continuously for instance if their body mass index changes significantly their thyroid hormone requirements would also change and the dose would have to be altered. Also if a patient is planning on or has become pregnant they would need to be referred to specialist endocrinologists. I have been able to review the evidence which forms the basis of current practice. Researching this topic by reading clinical reviews has made me realise the advantages of using original literature and how much beneficial it can be in achieving a comprehensive understanding of a topic. Being involved in a general practice standard-based audit has enabled me to learn about the role and significance of audits in healthcare. I have become familiar with the audit cycle and its different steps. Having conducted an audit myself, I can see the important role audits have in measuring and improving practice. It is a systematic way of monitoring standards of care and is very useful in facilitating change of practice through an evidence based approach. It has also allowed me to learn how to quickly and efficiently find relevant papers using such resources as ISI Web of science and medline. Conclusion and summary Timetable change re-audit 6. Description of change 7. Data collection (2) 8. conclusions be almost impossible to achieve due to variables like poor patient compliance or use of interactive medications e.g. Amiodarone and Lithium. It would also be vastly impractical from a reasources point of view to aim for a 100% standard.

The Lizard King Essay -- Jim Morrison Music Essays

The Lizard King Some may see The Doors front man and offbeat poet extraordinaire Jim Morrison as the epitome of American culture, while countless others may see him as the complete antithesis. Rising to fame as American involvement in the Vietnam War reached a pinnacle, Morrison’s acclaim grew in a time of great American turmoil. The war in Vietnam was held as an issue of high controversy amongst many Americans. Many saw our involvement as utter ludicrousness and did not comprehend the need to send U.S. troops overseas to fight a war they had nothing to do with. As a result, certain Americans began both directly and indirectly rebelling against the beliefs and norms of the time, and thus, the counterculture movement was born. Jim Morrison became an icon of this rebellious revolution against a confused American government. James Douglas Morrison was born on December 8, 1943 in Melbourne, on Florida’s east coast. He was the eldest child of George Stephen and Clara Clark Morrison whose latter two children were Anne and Andrew respectively. By order of his father, a career Navy man, Jim attended naval academy for his elementary and high school years. He later attended St. Petersburg Junior College and Florida State University before finally graduating from UCLA in 1965 as a film major with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. The symbol that was Jim Morrison had been bred completely by the society that he grew up in. Fueled by an era of governmental protest and an emerging counterculture movement, Jim Morrison lashed out in his own way against the injustice he saw in America. The entire concept of being able to speak one’s own mind is a thoroughly American ideal in itself, obviously dating all the way back to the Bill of Rights. H... ...see as wrong. Jim Morrison personifies this ideal. Over the years since his tragic death, Morrison has become somewhat of an American Legend, a myth. His tale seems to exist amongst those of other American legends like Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, and Paul Bunyan. The Jim Morrison story, however, is as real as they come. Many Americans of today look to him as a symbol of rebellion and as a constant reminder that we as a nation and as individuals are free to follow and shape our own destiny. Molded by a culture that often questions authority, Morrison left behind him a legacy of maintaining that ideal. Jim Morrison was and always will be a true American. WORKS CITED Lang, Joe (2001). JimMorrisonBiography. "http://www.hotshotdigital.com/ WellAlwaysRemember/JimMorrisonBio.html" Mr. Mojo Risin’ – Jim Morrison. (2000) "http://www.mojorisin.net/jima1.html"

Economic development programs Essay

One area where African-American churches have largely been on their own is in the area of economic development programs. Reiland relates the tale of a successful grassroots economic development program initiated by the Greater Christ Temple in Meridian, Mississippi. The church started the REACH Program in 1977 in response to high unemployment in the congregation. The program, beginning with sales of peanuts in the church basement, has expanded greatly since these humble beginnings. As Reiland notes, the church’s economic enterprises today include a Christian boarding school, a gas station, motels, restaurants, meat processing plants and several other ventures. The REACH Program hasn’t had the easiest time; differences of opinion within the African-American community, particularly a split with the NAACP, is noted; troubles with formal systems such as the welfare department and the health department are also noted. The REACH Program does not receive any assistance from the government or from philanthropic foundations, and is entirely self-funded, which has occasionally caused problems with the viability of the program. Overall, though, the program has been a success, and the economic health and wellbeing of the congregation has grown tremendously. As Reiland states: A Black bishop who doesn’t look beyond the poor community itself for salvation, who sees potential business success in the faces of his flock, may seem naively out-of-step. To those watching from the ground, a bird that is out of formation risks being seen as misguided. But maybe It is the rest of the flock that is out of step. (Reiland, 7). YOUTH ADVOCACY PROGRAMS Youth advocacy programs and youth ministries have long been a cornerstone of Black church ministry, and have been recognized to decrease youth problems such as crime, premarital sex and pregnancy and truancy and drop out rates in areas with strong church programs. Youth advocacy programs are also one of the main areas where Black churches perform community outreach; many church programs are extended to non-congregation members. Rubin (1994) studied the role of youth advocacy programs within Black churches and their effects on adolescents who participated. Youth advocacy programs are particularly important because, as Rubin states, adolescence is a peculiarly vulnerable time – adolescents are often no longer under the full control of their parents and have adult bodies, but are still lacking in adult psychological qualities like judgment capability, impulse control and the ability to predict the consequences of their actions. Although adolescents are typically physically healthy, they suffer myriad social and psychological ills they are ill-equipped to deal with (Rubin, 252). Rubin notes that the social problems of adolescents range from pregnancy and out-of-wedlock births to emotional and sexual abuse to crime and delinquency. The picture the authors paint is depressing; they note that the highest rate of adolescent pregnancy and out of wedlock birth occurs among poor Black teenagers; that sexually transmitted diseases and premature sexuality are also a concern; that emotional and physical abuse, dysfunctional families, the lack of male role models in the home, and substance abuse are all on the rise; that physical and mental problems like psychosis, accidental injuries, obesity and thyroid problems disproportionately affect Black children and that depression and suicide are common among Black teens (Rubin, 252). Other social problems like crime, delinquency, illiteracy or non-completion of high school, limited career aspirations and lack of opportunity, and behavioral and learning difficulties combine with the above factors to paint a very negative picture of the African-American adolescent (Rubin, 252). Rubin’s study examined the role of the Black church in affecting the lives of Black adolescents to determine how responsive the church is to the needs of its youth. The study, called the Black Church Family Project, examined 635 churches in total across the North Central and Northeastern United States, conducting phone interviews with church leaders in order to determine the degree of youth ministry provided. Out of these churches, 176 reported the existence of at least one program which was open to nonmembers of the church. Most of the programs were targeted at youth from low-income homes (Rubin, 253). The churches who responded to Rubin’s study reported many different types of programs. The most common programs were teen support programs such as counseling, fellowships or ministry, group discussions, seminar and workshops (39%). Sports activities such as athletic camps or martial arts classes were second most popular, at 30% of the responding churches offering. AIDS support and health-related services were offered least commonly, at only 2-3% of responding churches; however, many churches offered general programs for substance abuse counseling. College financial support (16% of the responding churches), parenting and sexuality counseling including pregnancy prevention and teen parenting support programs were offered by 15% of the churches, and 14% of the responding churches offered intervention programs for at-risk youth such as delinquency prevention (Rubin, 254). Other programs included adult role model or mentoring programs, employment training and job readiness, and a category of â€Å"other youth support programs†. The study found a number of different which influenced the potential for a church to host or facilitate a youth outreach ministry: denomination was one such factor, with Methodists being far more likely than other denominations to host such groups, and Baptists least likely; older churches were more likely to host programs, as were churches which were economically more stable. Other factors cited were ownership of church premises and the presence of paid clergy and lay helpers (Rubin, 256). The character and training of the church’s pastor was also seen to be of critical importance when determining the likelihood of a church having youth outreach programs – clergy who were younger, those who were formally trained at a seminar or bible college or those who had advanced degrees were seen as more likely to sponsor youth ministries (Rubin, 257). Rubin’s study highlights some deficiencies in the coverage of youth outreach programs as compared to the problems of modern adolescents. The authors note that health related services and AIDS testing and support programs are very rare; that substance abuse, parenting and sexuality programs are not as prominent as they should be when compared to the size of the problems in the African-American communities overall; and that the bulk of support is aimed at sports and fellowship activities, which can be easily obtained outside the church setting (Rubin, 258). However, Rubin also notes some positive advantages to the involvement of the Black church in adolescent’s lives. The church’s role in family life is one such advantage; the church offers support to parents which reduces their stress and eases the task of socializing their children. Adolescent parents in particular are supported by the Black church, with education of teenage fathers and stress reduction of teenage mothers being primary benefits (Rubin, 260). Black churches have also taken on an increasing burden for sexual education in the wake of federal limits which require abstinence-only programs; life skills, economics and basic prenatal care are also seen as benefits to the church ministry (Rubin, 261). Areas Rubin marks out as having great potential for improvement are in college support (scholarships and tutoring), job training and employment readiness and acknowledging and supporting the difference in adolescent psychology and social support structures between boys and girls (Rubin, 262).

Lesson Plan for Student Centered Learning Strategies

Learning Strategies Lesson Learning Strategies Lesson According to Dr. Deshler, most students begin to experience a performance gap in the fifth grade (Laureate Education, Inc. , 2012a). The bridge to close this gap is built by changing the pedagogy of the teacher and the learning strategies of the students. The learning strategies taught to the students enable them to develop into independent thinkers and learners (Friend & Bursuck, 2009). Student-centered learning incorporates effective learning strategies with the mathematics curriculum and provides students with the means to meet their potential.Every sixth grade student learns to transition from multiplication with numbers to variables. This transition also includes a development from the distributive property of a monomial times a binomial to the product of two binomials. Finding the product of two binomials can be a daunting task, unless students are presented the material in connection with a learning strategy that they are a ble to master. The lesson, found in the appendix, is designed to facilitate the evolution of multiplication of monomials and binomials.It was taught to one struggling seventh grade student who is the product of social passing throughout her mathematical career. The mathematics was written to help the young lady succeed, despite other mathematical shortcoming that could stand in her way. The lesson was designed to begin with a review of mathematical vocabulary and the distributive property. Students learn better when new concepts are anchored to known or familiar ideas. The young lady has a solid understanding of the distributive property, but struggles with vocabulary.The warm-up program and Activity 1 provide the opportunity to align the vocabulary with the process that she has already mastered. This prior knowledge was then completed under a guided practice, with the student summarizing the process in her own words giving her ownership of the concept. The next step in the lesson w as to connect the distributive property to multiplying binomials. Although this is an effective method for simplifying these products, it requires more writing and can be time consuming. With these hindrances in mind, the lesson moved into teaching the multiplication of binomials using the FOIL strategy.FOIL stands for the product of the First terms plus the product of the Outer terms plus the product of the Inner terms plus the product of the Last terms. The lesson connected these products to the corresponding letters of the word. Another method was taught during the FOIL process and this method was the quickest for her to acquire. It entailed drawing the lines to connect the First terms, the Outer terms, the Inner terms and the Last terms. When drawn above and below the binomials, the lemonhead face is formed.After numerous examples of these methods were practiced, the student completed some on her own. At the end of our time together, she went home with 10 problems assigned throu gh our online mathematics program, Digits. Her score showed that she correctly worked 8 out of 10 problems correctly. Upon looking at her mistakes, both were errors in multiplying positive and negative numbers. According to Benson (2012), student-centered learning promotes authentic learning, helps students develop critical thinking skills and increases metacognitive awareness.By working through a well-developed lesson, teachers have the opportunity to teach, model and cue the use of various student-centered learning strategies (Laureate Education, Inc. , 2012 b). Students, with and without special needs, struggle to attain the skills learned throughout their educational careers. By becoming strategic learners, students are able to move past their difficulties through the incorporation of effective learning strategies. References Benson, S. (2012). The Relative Merits of PBL (Problem-Based Learning) in University Education. Online Submission. Retrieved April 2, 2013.Friend, M. , & B ursuck, W. D. (2009). Including students with special needs: A practical guide for classroom teachers (5th Ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012a). Content Enhancements. [Webcast]. Baltimore: Author. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012b). Learning Strategies. [Webcast]. Baltimore: Author. Appendix Lesson Plan- Multiplication of binomials Standard: 6. EE. A. 3 Apply the properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions Warm-Up Problem (WUP) What do the following words mean?Product, sum, difference, binomial, increased by, decreased by Rewrite as 3(1+-2x) Rewrite as 3(1+-2x) Activity 1: Review the Distributive Property Directions: Multiply Ex. 1 4(5x + 7)Ex. 2 3(1 – 2x) 4(5x) + 4(7) 3(1) + 3(-2x) Rewrite as -8(-1+-9x) Rewrite as -8(-1+-9x) 20x + 28 3 + -6x = 3 – 6x Ex. 3 -2(6x + 11)Ex. 4 -8(-1 – 9x) -2(6x) + -2(11) -8(-1) + -8(-9x) -12x + -22 = -12x – 22 8 + 72x Activity 2: Tr y these on your own (OYO)! OYO 1 -5(x – 10)OYO 2 Write a brief summary of -5 (1x + -10)how to use the distributive property. 5(1x) + -5 (-10) -5x + 50 Activity 3: Multiply two binomials using the distributive property Ex. 5 (3x + 4)(x + 5)Ex. 6 (x + 3)(x – 12) 3x(x + 5) + 4(x + 5) x(x – 12) + 3(x – 12) 3Ãâ€"2 + 15x + 4x + 20 x2 – 12x + 3x -36 3Ãâ€"2 + 19x + 20 x2 – 9x – 36 (Continued on next page) Ex. 7 (3 – 2x)(2 – 3x)Ex. 8 (x + 2)(5x – 6) 3(2 + -3x) + -2x(2 + -3x) x(5x + – 6) + 2(5x + -6) 6 + -9x + -4x + 6Ãâ€"2 5Ãâ€"2 +-6x + 10x + -12 6Ãâ€"2 + -13x + 6 5 x2 + 4x – 12Activity 4: Try these on your own (OYO)! OYO 3 (3x -1)(2x + 5)OYO 4 (x + 4)(x – 12) 3x(2x + 5) + -1(2x + 5) x(x + -12) + 4(x + -12) 6Ãâ€"2 + 15x + -2x + -5 x2 + -12x + 4x + -48 6Ãâ€"2 + 13x + -5 x2 + -8x + – 48 Activity 5: Multiply two binomials using FOIL (x + a)(x+b) F multiply the FIRST terms in the parentheses + O multiply the OUTSIDE terms in the parentheses + I multiply the INSIDE terms in the parentheses + L multiply the LAST terms in the parentheses Ex. 9 (3x + 4)(x + 5)Ex. 0 (x + 3)(x – 12) = (x + 3) (x + -12) F + O + I + LF + O + I + L (3x)(x) + (3x)(5) + (4)(x) + (4)(5) (x)(x) + (x)(-12) + (3)(x) + (3)(-12) 3Ãâ€"2 + 15x + 4x + 20 x2 + -12x + 3x + -36 3Ãâ€"2 + 19x + 20 x2 + -9x + -36 Ex. 11 (3 – 2x)(2 – 3x)Ex. 12 (x + 2)(5x – 6) (3 + -2x) (2 + -3x) (x+2)(5x+ -6) F + O + I + LF + O + I + L (3)(2) + (3)(-3x) + (-2x)(2) + (-2x)(-3x) x)(5x) + (x)(-6) + (2)(5x) + (2)(-6) 6 + -9x + -4x + 6Ãâ€"2 5Ãâ€"2 +-6x + 10x + -12 6Ãâ€"2 + -13x + 6 5 x2 + 4x + -12 Activity 6: Try these on your own (OYO)! OYO 5 (3x -1)(2x + 5)OYO 6 (x + 4)(x – 12) (3x + -1)(2x + 5) (x + 4) (x + -12) F + O + I + LF + O + I + L (3x)(2x) + (3x)(5) + (-1)(2x) + (-1)(5) (x)(x) + (x)(-12) + (4)(x) + (4)(-12) 6Ãâ€"2 + 15x + -2x + -5 x2 + -12x + 4x + -48 6Ãâ€"2 + 13x + -5 x2 + -8x + â⠂¬â€œ 48Activity 7: Applications Christina has a square garden. When she increases her garden’s width by 3 meters and decreases its length by 4 meters, the garden’s area is 60 m2. What are the dimensions of the garden before she changed everything? Step 1: Draw a picture and label X+3 X+3 X X X-4 X-4 X X Step 2: Write an equation A = L * W 60 = (x+3)(x-4) Step 3: Guess and Check (answer is 9 m)

Psychological egoism Essay Example

Psychological egoism Essay Example Psychological egoism Paper Psychological egoism Paper Psychological egoism claims that human nature is such that we cannot help but pursue our self-interest, we are biologically and psychologically disposed to behave in this way. It is a fact that we automatically act to promote our own interest and we cannot do otherwise. This theory highlights a strength of egoism as a whole, and it also explains ethical motivation. I act morally because it benefits me, and furthers my own life. It places human actions firmly and consistently within the natural world: like all plants and creatures, we seek or own good. This is a convincing answer to the question why be moral? , and this theory also agreements with the statement expressed in the question. Psychological egoism claims that even if something is morally right, we have no motive to perform it unless it benefits us and furthers our own life. However, it could be argued that being moral simply requires us to conform with moral rules or be a virtuous character and there is nothing to specifically say that following moral rules or being virtuous will not be of benefit for us. An example could be used is the moral rule that it is wrong for us to steal a psychological egoist may claim that it is in our best interest to steal as it enables us to have anything whenever we want, but then it could be said that it is in our interest not to steal (therefore conforming with moral rules) so we do not go to prison if we are caught. As an illustration in relation to being virtuous, imagine a soldier on the front line who gives his life in order to save others although this would be seen by the majority of people as a good or virtuous action, it does not help him to be happy or flourish. In order for psychological egoism to maintain its theory regarding an incident like the soldier, the situation and circumstances would have to be stretched so far as to say in the spur of the moment, the soldier was in fact not thinking about the welfare of others, but instead something along the lines of if I give my life, then I might be in the newspaper tomorrow this is undeniably absurd, why would the soldier even consider what the newspapers might say about him if he would be dead anyway? This is where virtue ethics comes into play, however opponents of virtue ethics may argue that the soldier could have already flourished or reached eudaimonia (a theory made famous by Aristotle, which I will mention later) when he made the decision, although this may also be countered by saying that there is no way of knowing when you have become virtuous, and that all of your choices are moral. On the other hand, it could be said that virtue ethics provides a better and more true-to-life way of looking at the situation of the soldier giving his life for others, and virtue ethics as opposed to egoism disagrees with the statement that is put forward in the question, and famous philosophers like Plato and Aristotle believe that something being morally right does give us motive to perform it. They believe this because virtue ethics claims that our main aim in life is to be truly happy, but we will only be able to do this if we are completely balanced. Our true happiness comes with the conviction that by being moral we will achieve a flouring and fulfilling life, as well as the knowledge that we are contributing to a flourishing community. They believe we are happier around positive and supportive people but an egoist would not be able to do this. For Aristotle, there is an aim (or telos in Greek) for everything that we do. Like by me writing this essay, my telos is that you will gain a clear understanding of whether something being moral gives you a motive to perform it. According to Aristotle, we have two types of aims: superior aims and subordinate aims. An illustration that could be used is that attending my lessons at college (which is my subordinate aim) will get me good A-level results and those results will help me to get into the university of my choice which will help me to be happy, and for Aristotle everyones final, superior aim is happiness. However the word we should use for happiness in Aristotles theory is eudaimonia, which could be described as living well or flourishing, not just for yourself but for society. He also believed in moral virtues such as courage, temperance, ambition, truthfulness and modesty. He believed that for all of these virtues, that if you had too much or too little of them then you had a problem. For example, having too much courage could be linked back to the soldier situation from earlier on although it could be said the soldier had too much courage anyway to join the army, he also had too much courage (therefore being rash) in the situation and did not think before he decided to give his life for others and did not think about what impact it may have on himself or e. . his family. Aristotle uses the term The Golden Mean to suggest the idea we should follow some kind of middle way between too much and too little of the virtues. Aristotle also believes in intellectual virtues, which are: technical skill, scientific knowledge, practical wisdom (how we actually do things), intelligence and wisdom (which is like the finished intellectual virtue where great experience combines with understanding). What he is saying is, if we try to practise the moral virtues and we learn the intellectual virtues, we will become virtuous (good) people who make the right decisions for ourselves and the community that we live in, and we will achieve eudaimonia for ourselves and others in our community, which is why virtue ethics may give a better explanation as to why the soldier may give his life for others, he may truly believe he has become virtuous although again, it could be argued there is no way of truly knowing when you have reached eudaimonia, there is nothing such as a criteria to determine whether you have reached it or not, which is a critique of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics states that we should act morally to balance out or harmonize our inner self, however if you dont have the correct balance of character (such as honesty), arent you just doing things to benefit yourself regardless of any possible benefit to your balance? It could be argued that nothing within virtue ethics can be truly altruistic although it is said being altruistic helps you to balance, surely balancing yourself is benefiting yourself as well? Egoism provides a better theory as to explaining why we are motivated to do things. Although virtue ethics provides a better explanation as to why the soldier may give up his life for others, it seems more plausible that we do things to benefit ourselves as opposed to others in most other situations. It cannot be denied that at that specific moment, the soldier was put in to a position where he could not think properly about the situation and the implications it may have although technically he could have been being virtuous or altruistic, in another way you could say he was not being altruistic at all as his family and friends back home would be affected negatively by the decision he made. It appears that a large majority of people would not act morally just because it is the right thing to do, when put in the situation that the soldier was put in it is most likely that a majority of people who still had something to live for (e. g. family, wealth etc. ) would allow somebody else to give up their life rather than them giving up theirs. As stated earlier, egoism provides a better theory as to explaining why we are motivated to do things) it is human nature that we will do things to benefit ourselves and allow ourselves to carry on living.

Video Games and Violence in Ch essays

Video Games and Violence in Ch essays In todays world childrens choice of entertainment are video games, most of which are violent and involve killing. This raises a big question as to whether or not violent video games cause violence in children. First things first; video games are fantasy and people should be able to tell right from wrong. Video games also have some benefits like stress relief. People should not be blaming violence in children on video games. Violence has been around forever. Video games should not be considered as a major contribution to violence in children. Playing video games are not going to inspire someone to kill; there must be an ambition to kill. Kids cant simply walk down the street find an AK-47 and begin to shoot people. People just dont go up to a random person and try to fight them for no reason. Video games are fantasy; any mentally stable person knows that. People have gotten the wrong impression that video games turn people into violent killing machines. Video games may improve accuracy but they do not give the urge to kill. The reason the army uses the video game Doom II as a training tool is that it improves accuracy, mental alertness and somewhat desensitizes them, but the games however are unrealistic enough for that much of an impact. Video games can also have some beneficial aspects about them. A lot of people find video games as an excellent source of stress relief. Why go out and try to fight someone that has made you really mad, when you could just pick up a controller and take your anger out on some person in a video game. There are also a lot of video games that have a certain educational value to them, even the violent ones. Most games require you to read a lot in some of their manuals, which also adds to the benefits of playing video games. One other benefit of playing video games is that it improves your hand eye coordination and attention to detail. ...

March Madness Bracket Statistics

March Madness Bracket Statistics Every March in the U.S. marks the beginning of the Men’s NCAA Division I basketball tournament. Dubbed March Madness, the modern version of the first round of the tournament consists of 64 teams in a single elimination bracket  format. Office pools and Internet contests challenge fans to correctly guess the outcomes of all 63 games in the tournament. This is no small undertaking. In the first round of the tournament alone there are 232 4,294,967,296 possible brackets that could result. Statistics and probability can be used to knock this number of over four trillion down to a somewhat more manageable size. Each team is assigned a ranking or seed from #1 to #16 based upon a number of criteria. The first round of the tournament always follows the same format, featuring four games each of the following types: #1 seed vs. #16 seed#2 seed vs. #15 seed#3 seed vs. #14 seed#4 seed vs. #13 seed#5 seed vs. #12 seed#6 seed vs. #11 seed#7 seed vs. #10 seed#8 seed vs. #9 seed Making Predictions Predicting the winner of each game is a complicated process that involves comparing several different variables from each team. To simplify matters, results from previous tournaments can be helpful to make predictions for the current year’s tournament bracket. The tournament has had the same 64-team structure since 1985, so there is a wealth of data to analyze. A prediction strategy using this idea looks at all instances where a #1 seed played a #16 seed. The results from these prior outcomes give a probability that can be used to make a prediction in the present tournament. Historical Results Such a strategy of picking the winner based on previous seed results is limited. However, there are some interesting patterns that start to emerge when examining the results from the first round of the tournament. For example, a #1 seed has never lost against a #16 seed. Despite a higher ranking, #8 seeds lose more often than not against #9 seeds. The following percentages are based on 27 years of March Madness with four of the same types of matchups in each tournament. #1 seed vs. #16 seed – The #1 seed has won 100% of the time against the #16 seed.#2 seed vs. #15 seed – The #2 seed has won 96% of the time against the #15 seed.#3 seed vs. #14 seed – The #3 seed has won 85% of the time against the #14 seed.#4 seed vs. #13 seed – The #4 seed has won 79% of the time against the #13 seed.#5 seed vs. #12 seed – The #5 seed has won 67% of the time against the #12 seed.#6 seed vs. #11 seed – The #6 seed has won 67% of the time against the #11 seed.#7 seed vs. #10 seed – The #7 seed has won 60% of the time against the #10 seed.#8 seed vs. #9 seed – The #8 seed has won 47% of the time against the #9 seed. Other Statistics In addition to the above, there are other interesting facts pertaining to the NCAA tournament. Since the 1985 tournament: Only once (4% of the time) has all four #1 seeds made it to the Final Four.Three times (12% of the time) no #1 seeds have made it to the Final Four.14 times (52% of the time) a #1 seed has won the entire tournament.The lowest seed to win the tournament is a #8 seed.The lowest seed to make it to the Final Four is a #11 seed. Use the above statistics at your own discretion. As the saying goes, Past performance is not an indicator of future success. You never know when a #16 team will score an upset.

Character Profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Character Profile - Essay Example These include a diary, three mobile phones, a laptop, spectacles, and an office desk. In addition, the interviewee appears to be working because his eyes are trained on the laptop screen while his right hand appears to be manipulating the mouse. The photograph has been taken from close quarters, clearly depicting the subject’s facial expression and current activity. Viewers can see that the participant is focused on his work and can relate to the themes of employment and directorship. The photograph has been shot wide, meaning that viewers can easily understand the context of the participant (Goc & Tynan 2011: 312). The participant has an office, so the photograph shows typical office materials. The sharpness of the photograph is crucial in accentuating the physical appearance of the subject. In the profile, it is mentioned that the participant is of Asian (South Korean) origin, and the photograph validates this information. As a result, it is safe to say that the photograph meets photojournalistic standards because it tells the same story as the profile (Caple 2013: 28). The profile is based on principles of story-driven (rather than objective) journalism (Goc & Tynan 2011: 316). It is also structured in a narrative format that encourages flowing readership by any news audience. However, the context of the profile is objective because it is relevant to international students, particularly those from Asian countries who wish to live and study in Australia or already live and work there. Since he is of Asian origin, Jason’s story appeals to this category of students, who can easily relate to his experiences. The profile has also been written using a formal journalistic style. In this sense, the paragraphs are well-organised, the punctuation and grammar are accurate, and the language is formal (Goc & Tynan 2011: 318). It is also worth noting that

The role of technology in EFL classroom Literature review

The role of technology in EFL classroom - Literature review Example The students need interactive tools to learn the language properly so that they can apply the principles and rules correctly. Numerous studies have shown that inclusion of technological tools in learning foreign language can significantly improve the learning of foreign language in general and grammar in particular (Cheng, 2003). In order to find out how technology improves the learning of foreign language, Chatel (2002) carried out direct meetings with eight teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL). His research findings show that proper selection of website and software helps students in selecting in their quest of ESL. The use of technological tools is quite efficient in transferring the real essence of language to the students of all ages. It is important to understand the methodology as a teacher for positively imparting the instructions and grammar tools to the students of EFL. These tools must be grabbed with both hands. Nowadays, there is little problem of tools for learning. The computer has revolutionized the world greatly with all kinds of automation in every niche of life. These tools should be utilized positively as much as possible in every aspect. Similar kind of research was conducted by Lasagabaster and Sierra (2003) who conducted interviews with 59 undergraduate students. The research results showed that the students were quite aided by the uses of Computer Aided Instructions (CAI). They seem to learn the foreign language usage and grammar quite easily once they have interactive tools available to them. The students must have computers with them to enhance their learning ESL. They can download various presentations and other type of interactive tools that enhance their learning capabilities. They will get groomed to the language decorum. Once they start feeling about the language as their own, it will be easy for them to make progress. There are many

Personal reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal reflection - Coursework Example Through the lesson, I also learnt how to quantify risk and profitability. I finished the lecture by learning how to mitigate risks, especially the risks associated with projects. In my week five task, I led my group through the group project we are undertaking. My key role at this stage was to allocate task. I assigned Nicole, Emma and Cindy each to design five posters. I allocated Cindy a time schedule to do and write notes about the meeting we had. I assigned to Emma the task of taking photos about the park. I gave Nicole the task of correcting mistakes in the posters and Amber the collection of documents and writing of the final report. Attending the lecture on risks and projects was a new and exciting experience. Since I have never attended a lecture on the topic, I felt a bit nervous and anxious, as I did not have defined expectations and was not sure if I would understand the lecture and grasp the concepts. The lecturer made me feel a bit comfortable at the beginning since he had looked strict and introduced the topic in a manner that made it look very challenging. I was more than curious to know how projects and risk assessment are linked. The leadership role that I took towards our group project in week five made me nervous at the beginning of the week. I did not know how I would relate with my colleagues whom I were very fond of as their leader. The thought of how I would deal with them in incidences of non-compliance made me feel uneasy with the role. As time passed, I became more comfortable with the role because of my groups corporation. The experience was very influential and I was delighted that things turned out successfully. I had a wonderful experience from the lecture on risks and projects. The lecture enabled me to have an understanding of risks and projects. I managed to clearly differentiate between a risk and a hazard. I was in a position to assess the

Methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Methods - Assignment Example There are other scholars with similar contribution (e.g., Fearon 1998; Lake and Rothchild 1996). A contention by (Saun and Tirone 2011) is that democratic transitioning develops an environment that easily encourages the rise of conflicts through the induction of exclusionary polarization and nationalism in the society. Significant exceptions towards the democratization-conflict tendency emerge in such countries as Tanzania, Malawi, Burkina Faso, and Kenya, all having experienced a democratic move within 20 years period without encountering much civil conflict. The authors argue that the key factor that â€Å"shelters† such democratizing states from violence comes from the democratization aid (Saun and Tirone 2011). The proposition by Snyder (2000) regarding instability indicates that in the initial phases of democratization are favored by two conditions via which civil conflict may emerge: there is the exploitation of rising nationalism by political elites, in the name of achieving their selfish ends and, therefore, creating society divisions, and that there is a general weakness on the side of central government in preventing the polarizing tactics of elites. (Saun and Tirone 2011) proposes that the assistance programs of democracy can potentially provide a restrictive force regarding the danger of politically initiated domestic violence; notably, even when a state lacks strong institutions, which would help, manage democratization, democracy aid can potentially provide an external source of stability, strength, and state credibility to ease the transition. The role played by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) when Indonesia underwent the transition. Ideally, Indonesia attained democracy in 1999 from the Suharto’s regime (Saun and Tirone 2011). Some of the specific ideas developed as measurable and testable variables can be identified from the literature

Herodotus Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Herodotus Life - Essay Example The essay "Herodotus Life" tells about the important aspects of Herodotus life such as his impact on Athens where Herodotus went and, therefore, it had a pool of intellectual brains making it have unique galaxy of talent eventually thereby making it grow more powerful. He was born as a Persian subject, and he continued to be so until he was approximately 30 to 35 years. At the time he was being born, Halicarnassus was under the rule of queen Artemisia. He thoroughly got Greek education that made him embrace the three essential subjects to a Greek which include: liberal education, music, gymnastic training, and grammar Herodotus had shown initial acquaintance with the largely Greek prose literature. He later turned to literature where he commenced the course of reading thus rendering him one of the instructive and charming writers of the ancient times. According Goodwin asserts that he traversed the European Greece and the Asia Minor due to his inquiring disposition. His traveling was typically in the period of 464-447 BC. He visited Egypt and the Athenians where he was recognized as a learned Greek. While in Egypt, he saw the Persian skulls that were slain by the Inarus. He resided in Samos for 7-8 years and it was during this time that a tragedy struck in his native town that made him return. The tyranny of Lygdamis went from bad to worse and at last, he was expelled from the foreign land. He went to his native city upon the enjoyment of the free citizen rights unto which every Greek set a very high value. He later went to Athens, which was a center of intellectual life and boasted of a galaxy of talent comprising of Pericles, Euripides, and Sophocles. It was here that he was welcomed but remained an idler, dilettante, and without any political duties. At the age of forty he continued with his journey and it is presumed that he got employed in Crotona or Metapontum. Herodotus was a literary genius as he wrote about the wars between the Greek an d the barbarians, a history of the struggle between Greece and Persia but he omitted the histories of Cathage, Phoenicia, and Etruia. Herodotus was also a great humanist who saw and respected the universe in the experience, actions of human kind, and the underlying idiosyncrasies of the regional beliefs and customs. In a 700 page book Herodotus tried to shows us that a well informed Greek requires to learn about nations, geography, cultures, fauna and flora, and the mythical origins. He died approximately at the age of sixty. The predominant voice of antiquity tells us that he may have died at Thurii where his tomb was shown in the later stages (Abe Books, 2009). The 9 books authored by Herodotus make him to be regarded as very distinguished writer of history. This s because the major themes in Herodotus’ books include: relatedness and unity of historical events over numerous generations; variety and universality of human existence and experience; incomprehensible destiny and interrelationships among different things (Goodwin 1996). Questions 1 The impact of the Persian war was that Athens and Sparta though they were great allies, it caused them to drift further apart. According to the Abe Books (2009) argue that Athens is where Herodotus went and it had a pool of intellectual brains making it to have unique galaxy of talent eventually thereby making it grow more powerful. On the contrary, Sparta grew jealous of Athens because of their lean resources. Herodotus went to Athens to regain his Greek citizenship and political rights that he had lost in Halicarnassus. As a consequence of the war, the government fell, trade dropped as the Scythians obtained their wealth from the slave trade which they controlled from the north of Greece through Cimmerian, Chersoneses, and Gorgippia. Also, it led to the city states to fight against each other. However, irrespective of the war, culture was still very important and creative as it had been insisted by Herodotus to be important to any learned Greek (Souza 2005). Question 2

Philosophy of science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Philosophy of science - Essay Example Such arguments have now resulted in the creation of a philosophical problem, the problem of induction that stands disputed, especially in case of the scientists that are in continuation of using this technique of considering limited number of instances to derive a universal formula. In order to understand the problem of induction, the example of swans will be evident to provide an effective understanding of the issue. By means of induction, it was a universal principle that swans are white, as few centuries ago, people had only seen white swans, and the scientists were inclined to derive the declaration that all swans are white. In this regard, scientists have until today continued to magnify specific observations to create common principles to carry out their planning for prospects of the physical world. However, the major argument of the adversaries of this methodology argues regarding the validity of such suppositions based on only finite observations. Until today, various experts2 have argued over the problem of induction; however, historical evidence indicates that David Hume was the first person to inquire about this issue, and carry out analysis accordingly. During his analysis, he wrapped up by saying that inductive suppositions do not carry any logical explanations, and thus, it is incorrect for scientists to originate universal theories based on such finite observations3. In response, various philosophers endeavored to come up with a solution; however, this problem of induction has remained a major problem in the Western philosophy due to its disputed nature. In this regard, Hume enjoys huge number of advocates until today; however, few of the experts have criticized Hume’s critique on the problem while concluding that although such inferences do not carry justifications4. However, it is erroneous to specify that science depend on the

Herodotus Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Herodotus Life - Essay Example The essay "Herodotus Life" tells about the important aspects of Herodotus life such as his impact on Athens where Herodotus went and, therefore, it had a pool of intellectual brains making it have unique galaxy of talent eventually thereby making it grow more powerful. He was born as a Persian subject, and he continued to be so until he was approximately 30 to 35 years. At the time he was being born, Halicarnassus was under the rule of queen Artemisia. He thoroughly got Greek education that made him embrace the three essential subjects to a Greek which include: liberal education, music, gymnastic training, and grammar Herodotus had shown initial acquaintance with the largely Greek prose literature. He later turned to literature where he commenced the course of reading thus rendering him one of the instructive and charming writers of the ancient times. According Goodwin asserts that he traversed the European Greece and the Asia Minor due to his inquiring disposition. His traveling was typically in the period of 464-447 BC. He visited Egypt and the Athenians where he was recognized as a learned Greek. While in Egypt, he saw the Persian skulls that were slain by the Inarus. He resided in Samos for 7-8 years and it was during this time that a tragedy struck in his native town that made him return. The tyranny of Lygdamis went from bad to worse and at last, he was expelled from the foreign land. He went to his native city upon the enjoyment of the free citizen rights unto which every Greek set a very high value. He later went to Athens, which was a center of intellectual life and boasted of a galaxy of talent comprising of Pericles, Euripides, and Sophocles. It was here that he was welcomed but remained an idler, dilettante, and without any political duties. At the age of forty he continued with his journey and it is presumed that he got employed in Crotona or Metapontum. Herodotus was a literary genius as he wrote about the wars between the Greek an d the barbarians, a history of the struggle between Greece and Persia but he omitted the histories of Cathage, Phoenicia, and Etruia. Herodotus was also a great humanist who saw and respected the universe in the experience, actions of human kind, and the underlying idiosyncrasies of the regional beliefs and customs. In a 700 page book Herodotus tried to shows us that a well informed Greek requires to learn about nations, geography, cultures, fauna and flora, and the mythical origins. He died approximately at the age of sixty. The predominant voice of antiquity tells us that he may have died at Thurii where his tomb was shown in the later stages (Abe Books, 2009). The 9 books authored by Herodotus make him to be regarded as very distinguished writer of history. This s because the major themes in Herodotus’ books include: relatedness and unity of historical events over numerous generations; variety and universality of human existence and experience; incomprehensible destiny and interrelationships among different things (Goodwin 1996). Questions 1 The impact of the Persian war was that Athens and Sparta though they were great allies, it caused them to drift further apart. According to the Abe Books (2009) argue that Athens is where Herodotus went and it had a pool of intellectual brains making it to have unique galaxy of talent eventually thereby making it grow more powerful. On the contrary, Sparta grew jealous of Athens because of their lean resources. Herodotus went to Athens to regain his Greek citizenship and political rights that he had lost in Halicarnassus. As a consequence of the war, the government fell, trade dropped as the Scythians obtained their wealth from the slave trade which they controlled from the north of Greece through Cimmerian, Chersoneses, and Gorgippia. Also, it led to the city states to fight against each other. However, irrespective of the war, culture was still very important and creative as it had been insisted by Herodotus to be important to any learned Greek (Souza 2005). Question 2

The Greatest Show On Earth by Richard Dawkins Essay

The Greatest Show On Earth by Richard Dawkins - Essay Example Dawkins makes the case that every form of life on this planet was created by way of non random natural selection, which in other words is understood as evolution (Ings, 2009). People who believe differently base their decisions on things that cannot be considered as evidence. Dawkins writes that natural selection has undergone different phases of rejection that were followed by acceptance. The author refers to intelligent design in terms of the ways in which every kind of life on Earth is created through some kind of natural selection, which is explained through reference to research on the evolution of bacteria carried out by Lenski. Dawkins has taken pains in claiming that intelligent design is a valid explanation for every aspect of nature, which is supported by the theory of evolution. It is in this context that he writes â€Å"evolution is a fact. Beyond reasonable doubt, beyond serious doubt, beyond sane, informed, intelligent doubt† (Dawkins, 2009, p.12). The primary objective of the author is to provide evidence for people that the theory of evolution is as good as any scientific fact. He states on page 85 of the book that â€Å"evolutionary scientists are in the position of detectives who come late to the scene of crime† (Dawkins, 2009, p.85). In making this statement he means that it becomes difficult to prove the evolutionary process to those that deny or doubt history. He refers to evolution repeatedly in his book and wants readers to understand how natural changes have been brought on the planet through microevolution and macroevolution. In explaining that science determines temporal sequence Dawkins has written that nature has clocks that ascertain the time taken for the effects of evolution to emerge. He means that evolutionary scientists have to make use of such wide range of clocks in terms of the processes available for dating

Ascension Catholic Church Visit

Ascension Catholic Church Visit The Ascension Catholic Church is located in 2950 North Harbor City Blvd Melbourne Florida. The close proximity of the church from my home enabled me make a visit to the church last Sunday for the morning mass at 9.30 am. My neighbor who is a member of the church had earlier invited me to visit the church with him on Wednesday evening. He further informed me of the churchs dressing code and even suggested that I accompany him to the church. However, since I wanted to get more exposure I declined this offer. Instead, we resolved to attend the Sunday service since it had higher attendance from the congregation (Ascension Catholic Community1). The Ascension Catholic Church is a member of the Diocese of Orlando that consists of other churches within Florida. The church is located in a serene environment that makes it an ideal location for worship. The actual church building has a sitting capacity of approximately one thousand two hundred people. On the right at the entrance, I dipped my finger and made a sign of the cross on my forehead in a holy water font. My neighbor friend informed me that the father had blessed the water and this is used as reminder of baptism. It further signifies respect as one enters into the house of God amongst Catholic faithful. The same routine is repeated as faithful exit the church (Ascension Catholic Community1). History of the church and nature of worshippers I was welcomed into the church by members of the welcome team who usher in new parishioners and orient them into the church. This greatly uplifted my spirits and I felt appreciated and recognized by the church. The congregation at Ascension Catholic Church varies widely representing all ethnicities and age groups of the community. The church has therefore created several masses to cater for all groups of the congregation. The church has further created special categories of the congregation ranging from pre- schoolchildren to junior high schools and teenagers. The adult population consists of special interest outreach groups that cater for disadvantaged members of the society such as the deaf (Ascension Catholic Community1). The deaf ministry for instance, holds special meetings with those with hearing impairments to encourage and nurture them spiritually. In addition, the job seeker ministry consoles those who have lost employment while also helping them in searching for other alternative sources of income. The Vietnamese community on the other hand, helps immigrants to settle comfortably in America. There is also a community of Hispanic Americans and a different one for Philippines at the church (Ascension Catholic Community1). The Boy Scout movement however, seeks to develop the physical fitness and moral characters of young men in the congregation. Retirees also have their unique group through which they share ideas and life experiences. Female members of the congregation sponsor days of recollection and other social programs and events that benefit the community. The bereavement ministry helps families cope with death of loved ones while also supporting funeral arrangements. The church also collaborates with the community of hope to provide shelter to the impoverished families to build homes. The church also runs a scholarship fund for bright children and uses volunteers to steer most of its daily activities. This further exemplifies the kind and caring nature of most worshippers at the church. For instance, the transportation ministry transports the sick and elderly to church services and hospital visits (Ascension Catholic Community1). Description of the church and significance of the symbols used At the front of the church at the pulpit, there was the bible. However, my friend corrected me that the pulpit was actually known as a lectern and the lectionary as the Catholics refer to it contains parts of the Bible that the father uses to conduct mass. There were different statues in different positions within the church. These statues represented different saints. Moreover, the saints, believed to be in heaven overlook upon the faithful and guide them in their daily lives. For one to become a saint, they have to live exemplary lives while on earth and present good examples to others. There was also a statue of Mary holding her baby, Jesus Christ (Ascension Catholic Community1). In front of the statue, there were lit candles that are a symbol of prayer. I also noticed 14 pictures all round the walls of the church. These Stations of the Cross tell the story of the suffering and eventual death of Jesus at the hand of Romans. These stations guide Catholic faithful in prayer during the lent period that precedes the Easter festival. At the front of the church, hanging from above there was a cross with a figure on it. This crucifix I was informed represented Jesus crucification on the cross. Some faithful bowed to the crucifix as they entered the church as a sign of respect and adoration for Jesus (Ascension Catholic Community1). At the middle front of the church, an altar covered in cloth with candles around it is the main figure. On the left of the altar, there is a baptismal font where baptismal rites take place on occasional basis. In addition, there was a cabinet containing three vessels of oil. One is for blessing and strengthening those preparing for Baptism, another for the sick and the third is used in giving sacraments to the faithful. The tabernacle is used to keep holy Eucharist used in communion. The lamp hanging above this small place further represents Jesus presence in inside the special house. Therefore, the catholic take the tabernacle to be the holiest place in the church. The Pascal candle is a symbol of Jesus resurrection and is therefore replaced every Easter. Finally, the canopy hanging above the altar represents the time Jewish were wandering in the desert. Moreover, the canopy serves to remind Catholics of their journey with the Lord (Ascension Catholic Community1). The actual service and its significance We all stood up as an introductory song was sung as the priest and ministers entered and proceeded to the altar. The purpose of this opening song was to deepen our unity as the Mass began. After a greeting from the Father in form of a short prayer, we went back to our seats. A group confession of sins followed by singing a hymn before the Father closed the first session with an opening prayer that concludes the introductory rites to every mass(Ascension Catholic Community1). In the liturgy, we celebrated Gods word by listening to his message from the Bible. This celebration is essential to deepen our faith and thank God for the gift of life. A first reading came from the Old Testament to embrace the role of Jesus as a link between the past and present. This was concluded with a reflective psalm that also created an atmosphere of prayer. The second reading came from the book of Mathews to motivate us in facing the challenges of the modern world. The reading reflected our current challenge of electing a new president in the coming weeks and encouraged us to have faith in Gods guidance to make the correct choice (Ascension Catholic Community1). A gospel reading from the book of John formed the gospel reading for the Sunday and marked the climax of the liturgy of the word. The sermon taught us that by proclaiming the gospel, we welcome Christ amongst us. Listening to the Gospel proclaimed further reminded us and identified us with the first faithful who heard these teachings from Jesus himself. At the end of the reading, the father proclaimed the gospel of the lord to which we affirmed. After reciting the Apostles Creed, individuals presented their own prayers to the Lord from the altar (Ascension Catholic Community1). Worshippers then proceeded to give their offerings through a collection basket that went around. All types of gifts were also presented to the altar from a procession that included children. The father blessed these gifts and asked Jesus to accept them on our behalf. The father later conducted a different thanksgiving prayer requesting the Lord through his Holy Spirit to transform the gifts into his body and blood. This epiclesis recalled the last supper when Jesus shared the last meal with his disciples before his eventual betrayal. In a moment of silence, the church remembered the sacrifice of Jesus (Ascension Catholic Community1). The short meditation is crucial to keep his memory by believing in his death, resurrection, and eventual ascension. This memorial further challenges Christians to be ready to make sacrifices as Jesus did while remembering all those who have passed on. Afterwards, church attendants proceed to partake of the holy sacrament that represents Christs body while the wine represents his blood that he spilt to save humanity. Public announcements followed before the priest concluded the service (Ascension Catholic Community1). My experience The service was generally enjoyable except for some of the prayers that I was not accustomed to reciting. The visit was a revelation and I learnt many aspects of the Catholic Church. This has consequently changed my perception on Catholics and the presence of statues in their church. I fully understand the symbolism of these and fully appreciate their beliefs. Furthermore, the priest was lively and used real life experiences in relating the sermon to our daily life experiences. I also found the choir extremely wonderful by the hymns they sung and the dancing by little children from the Sunday school. Moreover, the congregation was friendly and very hospitable to visitors (Ascension Catholic Community1). What needs to be improved The church should expand the sitting capacity to accommodate more faithful. I noticed some worshippers stranded outside because of the limited seats available. The parking lot should also be expanded to accommodate more worshippers cars. However, these seem not to hinder the congregation visiting the church since all masses are always full (Ascension Catholic Community1). Conclusion I really enjoyed my visit to Ascension Catholic Church. Apart from the spiritual nourishment, I gained valuable insight into Catholic history and beliefs. My interaction with the friendly congregation further encouraged me to make regular visits to the church. Finally, I might just make more visits to the church in future to build on this new learning and spiritual experience. This will enable me to break the routine monotony from my church occasionally. Work cited Ascension Catholic Community, 2012. Web. 15th October 2012.

Opposing Forces in Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Darkness essays

Opposing Forces in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad sets up the opposing forces of black and white in order to convey the theme that every man has his own heart of darkness that is simply masked by the superficial light of civilization. The novella focuses primarily on Charlie Marlow's journey into the African Congo, but simultaneously deals with many underlying themes. Marlow understood the basic premises of imperialism, but was unprepared for the world he encountered while in the wilderness. The world of the African jungle does not abide by the same laws with which Marlow had been raised in civilized Europe. There is an inherent savagery in the jungle that Marlow had not previously encountered and therefore for which he was unprepared. This is first apparent when Marlow encounters the shaded death grove early on in his journeys. Marlow witnesses the natives suffering immensely for what seemed to be nothing - their work seemed for naught - but he does not speak up or stop his trek. This is also the first time that the reader gets a glimpse of the underlying oppositions within the text. Marlow glances at one of the dying natives, one with a piece of white European yarn tied around his neck. In the area that is the O... ...Jan. 1996). Online Internet. 3 October 1998. Available: http://www.lawrence.edu/~johnson/heart. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Ed. Robert Kimbrough. 17th ed. New York: Norton, 1988. Levenson, Michael. "The Value of Facts in the Heart of Darkness." Nineteenth-Century Fiction 40 (1985):351-80. Rosmarin, Adena. "Darkening the Reader: Reader Response Criticism and Heart of Darkness." Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness: A Case Study in Contemporary Criticism. Ed. Ross C. Murfin. New York: St. Martin's, 1989. Watt, Ian. Conrad in the Nineteenth Century. San Diego: U. of California P, 1979. 168-200, 249-53.   

Folk Tales :: essays research papers

When you where a kid did your parents ever tell you stories about your culture or about your family’s values? Chances are they where telling you a folk tale. Folk tales are stories passed down usually by word of mouth but often they are written down. Folk tales teach a valuable life lesson while entertaining the reader or in some cases the listener. This essay will give examples of three folk tales and go into depth on how they teach lessons and still remain entertaining for children and even adults.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first of the three folk tales I will be discussing is titled The Sheep of San Cristobal, in which a young woman named Filipa looses her only son. She makes ends meet by growing beans and selling them to the local townspeople, who are very sympathetic to Filipa. When a rich sheep herder named Don Jose starts harassing Filipa because she refuses to marry him She wishes for him to fall off a cliff and break his neck, when her wish comes true she feels very guilty and makes penance by giving away all of Don Jose’s sheep to those poor enough to deserve them. At the end of her penance she finds her son. This story tells allot about Spanish Culture and shows how religious the people are. The second folk tale is titled From things fall apart. It is a story of a greedy manipulative turtle who tricks a flock of birds out of their feast in the sky, but he soon learns his lesson when the birds take away their feathers and he is forced to jump back to earth thus shattering his smooth shell. This story shows that this culture believes that if you do bad things you will eventually get what is coming to you.The third folk tale is called In the Land of the Small Dragon. This story has many similarities with Cinderella. It is the story of a beautiful young girl named Tam who’s beauty reflects her inner kindness and innocence. Her half-sister Cam is ugly, which reflects her bitter, jealous, and lazy personality. Tams stepmother treats her like a slave and lets Cam do whatever she wants. Later in the story Tam is given new clothes and a pair of crystal shoes by some animals. A bird takes on of the shoes and delivers in to the emperors son, who is inspired to find the owner of the shoe and marry her.

Corporate Culture and the Effective Execution of Strategy Essay

What is corporate culture? Corporate culture refers to the character of a company’s internal work climate – as shaped by a system of shared values, beliefs, ethical standards, and traditions that define behavioral norms, ingrained attitudes, accepted work practices, and styles of operating. Every company has its own unique culture. The character of a company’s culture or work climate is a product of the core values and business principles that executives espouse, the standards of what is ethically acceptable and what is not, the work practices and behaviors that define â€Å"how we do thing around here,† its approach to people management and the â€Å"chemistry† and the â€Å"personality† that permeates its work environment. The chief things to look for include the following: 1. The values, business principles, and ethical standards that management preaches and practices. 2. The company’s approach to people management and the official policies, procedures and operating practices that paint the white lines for the behaviour of company personnel 3. The atmosphere and spirit that pervades the work climate. 4. The way managers and employees interact and relate to each other 5. The strength of peer pressure to do things in particular ways and conform to expended norms. 6. The actions and behaviours that are explicitly encouraged and rewarded by management in the form of compensation and promotion. 7. The company’s revered traditions and oft-repeated stories about â€Å"heroic act† and â€Å"how we do things around here†. 8. The manner in which the company deals with external stakeholders Discuss the ways in which corporate culture can either help or hinder effective execution of strategy. Strong culture can help a powerful effect on the strategy execution process. This effect may be positive or negative since a company’s present culture and work climate may or not be compatible with what in needed for effective implementation and execution of the chosen strategy. A culture that is grounded in actions, behaviours, and work practices that are conducive to good strategy implementation assists the strategy execution effort in three ways: 1. A culture that is well matched to the requirements of the strategy execution effort focuses the attention of employees on what is most important to this effort. Moreover, it directs their behaviour and serves as a guide to their decision making. In this manner, it can align the efforts and decisions of employees throughout the firm and minimize the need for direct supervision. 2. Culture-induced peer pressure further induces company personnel to do things in a manner that aids the cause of good strategy execution. The stronger the culture, the more effective peer pressure is in shaping and supporting the strategy execution effort. Research has shown that strong group norms can shape employee behaviour even more powerfully than can financial incentives. 3. A company culture that is consistent with the requirements for good strategy execution can energize employees, deepen their commitment to execute the strategy clearly, and enhance worker productivity in the process. When a company’s culture is grounded in many of the needed strategy –executing work for, and the merits of what the company is trying to accomplish. As a consequence, greater numbers of company personnel exhibit passion in their work and exert their best efforts to execute the strategy and achieve performance targets. In sharp contrast, when a culture is in conflict with what is required to execute the company’s strategy well, a strong culture becomes a hindrance to the success of the implementation effort. Some of the very behaviors needed to execute the strategy successfully run contrary the attitudes, behaviors and operating practices in the culture. Such a real dilemma for company personnel. Culture-bred resistance to the actions and behaviors needed for good strategy execution, particularly if strong and widespread, make a difficult problem that must be cleared for a strategy’s execution to get very far.

Global Business Cultural Analysis: France Essay

This paper will focus on the many elements and dimensions of France and the affect it has on the business that takes place locally and internationally. There will be constant comparisons and contrasts between France and the United States of America taking place throughout this entire research article. I will focus on how the elements and dimensions of the culture separately are adapted by the locals and integrated into everyday life and business. I will also give insight on how to conduct business in France for other countries, mainly the United States, by talking about the countries imports and exports and certain important factors that outside business should know in order to successfully enterprise. The information and suggestions offered in this paper will range from communication and business dress attire, to social structures and Geert Hofstede analysis; all of which should improve the knowledge of foreign businesses and help them adapt in order to maintain and/or obtain success internationally in the country of France.? Global Business Cultural Analysis: France  What is a global business cultural analysis? From looking and several examples and finding information on this country, I have come to the conclusion that it is a description of the country and how its culture contributes to or restricts the business environment. As many of us may already know, culture plays a major part in a lot within a country. For one, culture dictates communication. Culture also the mannerisms of the people that are within the country. So, just to clear up any confusion, culture is a major part of a country and how it conducts itself, especially how it conducts business. It would be only right that if one was trying to conduct business in a country, they would need to understand the culture of the country in order to successfully interact with the people of the country in hopes of promoting and maintaining a highly active and flourishing business. With that being the case, I will focus my attention on the major elements and dimensions of culture in France. I will also describe how these elements and dimensions are integrated by the people of France when conducting business within this nation. Lastly, I will compare and contrast the culture and business of France with the culture and business of the United States and explain what a United States company would have to do in order to conduct business in France successfully. Communication One of the most important elements of culture in any and every country is communication. Communication comes in two different forms, verbal and nonverbal. Of course verbal is talking and actually saying what you mean and non verbal would be things such as hand gestures and body movements. In France, the official language is of course French. According to A Practical Guide to French Business by Alston, Hawthorne, and Saillet, â€Å"The French consider their language a central part of their cultural heritage, their â€Å"patrimoine,† and fluency in French is a major part of how French and non-French are evaluated. It is almost impossible to be fully accepted, or respected, when one does not speak French well† (2003 p. 43). The French appreciate when people not of the nation attempt to speak French but get irritated when it is spoken incorrectly according to Alston et al (2003). I can personally vouch for this because I had a French teacher that became visibly bothered when learned words or phrases were butchered and not used in the correct context. The French language is so important to the people of France, the government does not allow advertisements to be a mixture of languages. For example, if a store decided to display a sign that said, â€Å"Como is life? † it would be illegal and subject to a fine by the French government. The United States differ greatly in this aspect. There are a lot of examples of mixed languages, especially in entertainment such as movies and sitcoms. The French are very unique when it comes to conversation. They have a great appreciation for it, however, they tend to enjoy arguments and disagreements. They look at these things as interesting. They value someone that can argue with great skill. This is a complete contrast of the United States. We tend to try to avoid arguments and look down upon it. We try to be liked and attempt to agree with people that we are trying to build a relationship with or hold a conversation with. The French would rather voice their opinions and appear non-hypocritical than to agree or compromise how they feel. When it comes to interacting with people, France and the United States differ greatly. The people of France tend not to smile or have an expression when meeting new people. In the United States, we tend to smile and greet people as we have known them for a very long time. Edward MacNeal talks about growing up in a bicultural environment and noticing the differences between French and American interactions. He states in his journal French-American Misunderstandings, â€Å"†¦the French don’t smile at people they don’t know. They think it’s hypocritical† (2003). This nature is why many Americans view French people to be rude or snobbish. MacNeal also says that the American assumption is that we are all friends and the French assumption is that we are all strangers. This very assumption could hinder interaction between people of the two nations. So with that being said, when doing business with the French, be sure to address them by Sir or Madame rather than by their names. One should always approach them with no expression because a sign of expression, such as a smile, could be viewed as phony or fake. When communicating with the French, you should be mindful of the volume of your voice and be sure to make eye contact. Americans are known to be a little bit louder than the French would like. We tend to offend them by our loud talking and blaring laughter. The French are seen as very intimidating to Americans because of the intensity and vast amount of eye contact they make. Like I stated earlier, communication can also be non-verbal. Many actions and behaviors are observed by the French as well. Matt Priest (2012) notes that the French are very casual when it comes to punctuality. If you were to show up late to a meeting, you would probably be easily forgiven by many French professionals. Americans value punctuality a lot more than the French. You would mostly likely be the topic of discussion after the meeting. Speaking of conducting business, Mr. Priest also gives us insight by telling us that the French prefer to do business over lunch as opposed to any other meal. The French value privacy. They do not tend to like unannounced visits, so it is very important to let them know if you are planning to visit. Americans and the French have a little in common when it comes to communication. We both greet with a brief handshake, followed by a bit of eye contact. However, according to Matt Priest’s France Business Etiquette, Culture & Manners, French handshakes are not as firm as American handshakes. When conducting business, most people speak English, as English has become the common language within international business. According to Organization Communication in France: An Overview of Current Research, â€Å"†¦English has progressively and irremediably become the de facto Lingua Franca since the end of World War II†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Cooren & Grosjean, 2010). Americans are similar to the French when it comes to business attire. We both recommend dress to be conservative. Bright colors are usually avoided by both counterparts and flashy, overpowering, and glitzy accessories are not encouraged according to the International Business Center (Priest, 2012). Conservative clothing is usually preferred when conducting any kind of business internationally. Religion The dominant religion in France is Roman Catholic. According to the World Factbook of France, about 83-88% of the population of the country is Roman Catholic (2012). Religion plays a major role in the operations and actions of the people of France. The International Business Center tells us that for the countries that have over 50% of the population that practice the Catholic religion, there is a dimension of the Geert Hofstede analysis called the Uncertainty Avoidance that correlates positively with this statistic (2012). The Geert Hofstede analysis will be discussed later on throughout this paper. According to Edward J. Woell, â€Å"Catholic belief and practice continued to shape French national identity throughout the modern era† (2009). The national identity of France was also molded by the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This document is very similar to the United States Constitution and even though both societies say there is a separation of church and state, they were both created and influenced by religious beliefs. This very idea is the justification of many laws implemented in France and the United States together. Back in the nineteenth century, France had a belief of spreading its culture around the world on civilizations that were considered wrong or backwards. They believed their culture was the hands down best and most appropriate way to live and conduct oneself. Since France was rooted in the Catholic religion, that would imply that they were spreading their religious beliefs on other civilizations and people of other areas. As you you will see a little further through this article, France has continued to spread its beliefs on people, especially the people that are occupants of the country. There are several examples that show the influence religion has had on the actions and even laws of the people of France. One of the most recent events that was influenced by religion was the banning of the burqa. A burqa is a full body veil that is worn by Muslim women. The banning of the burqa started with not allowing the burqa to be worn in the schools in France. According to Ellen Wiles’s article Headscarves, Human Rights, and Harmonious Multicultural Society: Implications of the French Ban for Interpretations of Equality, headscarves and any signs or clothing that demonstrate ones religious affiliation (2007). This article also pulls a passage directly from the rule that was passed by legislation on the issue of the schools ban on religious clothing, â€Å"Article L. 41-51 of the French Education Code provides: â€Å"In state primary and secondary schools, the wearing of signs or dress by which pupils overtly manifest a religious affiliation is prohibited. † (Legislation passed on March 15, 2004)† (2007). The French government was not happy there. They passed a law on September 14, 2010, that would ban the wearing of the burqa in public. Right Vision News tells us, â€Å"A woman who repeatedly insists on appearing veiled in public can be fined 150 euros and ordered to attend re-education classes. There are much ore severe penalties for anyone found guilty of forcing someone else to hide his or her face â€Å"through threats, violence, constraint, abuse of authority or power for reason of their gender. â€Å"Clearly aimed at fathers, husbands or religious leaders who force women to wear face-veils, and applicable to offences committed in public or in private, the law imposes a fine of 30,000 euros and a year in jail† (2011). 150 euros equals out to about 200 United States dollars and 30,000 euros is about 40,000 United States dollars. This is a very harsh punishment for something that is considered a part of some people’s custom. People argued that this would infringe on the religious freedom of the individuals in the society; however, since the majority religion is Roman Catholic, this ban fits perfectly into the identity of the people that actively practice the Catholic religion. The government of France, like I stated earlier, was shaped by religious beliefs. The argument of the government of France for banning the burqa was that it hindered inequality and promoted submissive behavior. However, many people question this argument. As we all know, France is very conscientious of their appearance. The burqa does not display the Roman Catholic religion but actually has a negative connotation to other people that still view Muslim as terrorist because of the extremist group called the Taliban. The United States has taken a very different approach. Just recently, a mosque was built near ground zero of the bombing that took place on September 11, 2001. In the United States, the majority religion is Christianity. The idea of the construction of the mosque received lots of opposition but it was ultimately approved for construction by the members of the United States federal government. This was one of the most extreme signs of the support of religious freedom in the country, or better yet, a more absolute signal of separation of church and state. As we all know, the United States pushed their beliefs on people as well, which is very similar to France. We came overseas from Britain and persuaded the Native American people to adapt our ways. We taught them our ways of hunting and even our way of survival. Most importantly, we taught the Natives our religious ways. The same goes for modern day America as well. Though slightly more subtle, we influence people today with our religious beliefs. Christianity is embedded into our culture and is forced upon people through the many rules and amendments. I guess you can say that about just about any country, however, not all countries are backed or rooted in religious beliefs. For instance, the national religion of China is atheist. That is strictly enforced by the government of the country and displays of other religions are subject to punishment. Ethics and Etiquette This section will not just focus on ethics, but more so business ethics. First off, ethics, according to Google’s dictionary, is â€Å"Moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior† (2012). This is the perfect definition for the ethics of a culture because it is the principles that govern the people and it influences the decisions and actions of certain groups of people as well. Business ethics is defined by Chris MacDonald as, â€Å"critical, structured examination of how people & institutions should behave in the world of commerce. In particular, it involves examining appropriate constraints on the pursuit of self-interest, or (for firms) profits, when the actions of individuals or firms affects others† (2012). Business ethics influence how certain companies and businesses interact with one another to conduct business activities. Some of France’s ethics and values were discussed earlier in the article, but let us talk about these set of governing principles in detail to see how they affect interaction between the people of the country. French people value their language as I stated earlier and the history of the country. The French language and its importance was fore mentioned in the communication section, so let us discuss the importance of history on the people of this country. According to The ins and outs of doing business in Europe: Germany, France, Russia, and the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, â€Å"Ignorance of French history, culture, literature, and so on is demonstratively looked down upon† (Gray 2005). The French pride themselves on the long history of their country and the influence they have had on the world throughout the years. They also place importance on inheritance. This value of inheritance goes hand in hand with the importance of social classes in France. Social classes and structures will be discussed later in this article. The French place strong value on friendship. Friendships to the French are very similar to being family related to Americans. We Americans tend to make many friends with moderate devotion or dedication whereas, the French do not make as many friends but build very strong relationships. Mr. Edward MacNeal states on the topic of friendship in both the United States and France, â€Å"Friendship in America may imply nothing beyond a momentary conjunction of place or interest, and even those you consider as your friends probably don’t know your other friends. Friendship in France usually implies a lifelong commitment. One takes on a more active burden of concern for friends in France than most Americans would knowingly accept. Your obligations to a friend in France might be likened to those you would have to a family member that you personally selected. In France, then, one shies from making friends casually and most of one’s friends probably do know each other† (2003). With this in mind, it is beneficial for one to make friends with their employers. True, you do want to become an ally of your boss, but be sure not to try to hard because like I stated before, the French despise phony demeanors and are very critical of hypocritical behavior. The best way to meet someone new in France is to be introduced by a mutual third party. This is true because of the great emphasis that is placed on friendship. Remember, in France, all of your friends will likely know one another. Like MacNeal said, friendships are lifelong commitments; so, once you become friends with your boss, you can expect them to help you in any way they can and the actions should remain mutual. I will now discuss the business etiquette of the French people because this is going to be very important for people of different nations that intend to conduct business with the French. Firstly, when greeting anyone, be sure to address them by Monsieur or Madame, no matter the circumstance. This is considered formal and is regarded as more polite. It is always important to remember to never confuse business with personal in France. France rarely uses humor in the workplace. It is seen as unprofessional. The French value intellect over all. Like I mentioned earlier, the best meal to discuss business is lunch.