Legal Foundations of Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Foundations of Health Care - Essay Example Progress in health care facilities was also significant and began immediately into the century. The developments began in the year 1903 with Willem’s invention of electrocardiograph, a development that facilitated diagnosis and therapies. The â€Å"first basal metabolism apparatus† in 1906 was another development in the industry (Pozgar, 2012, p. 9). The â€Å"Wassermann test† followed this in the same year before invention of the â€Å"fluoroscopic screen† two years later. Tests on functionality of the pancreas were also developed by the year 1906. The progression in facilities also included equipments for taking blood based tests and tests on other body fluids as well as development of health care laboratories (Pozgar, 2012). Developments was further realized in establishment of training facilities for health care personnel, as was the case of the Foundation of the American College of Surgeons, in the year 1913. Progress in health care facilities however slugged after the year 1929 because of effects of the First World War and the Great Depression but was later facilitated by profit-oriented ventures in the health care sector. Computerization was another development in the period and was realized towards the end of the 20th century. Its features were vested in healthcare technology such as â€Å"computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography† (Pozgar, 2012, p. 10). These developments in medical technologies have also been the major identified elements of progression in the 21st century. The progression has adopted the developed trend in towards the end of the 20th century when care providers sought to resolve existing and emerging problems in the society and to a ttain efficiencies in their operations. Other developments in healthcare facilities in the period include development of antibiotics and equipments for managing infections, development of pharmaceutical products, establishment and

Modern public life Essay Example for Free

Modern public life Essay Modern Public life could not exist or function properly without the Media In this essay I will be discussing the above statement and arguing that without Media, modern public life could not exist. I will first explain some key terms to help in the argument including explaining the meaning of the term Public Life. According to the Collins Dictionary The Public is people in general or the people of a particular place. Public is used to talk about the feelings and behaviours of people in general. If someone is a public figure or is in public life, they are well known. Public is used to talk about things being said or done so that everyone can hear them or see them. What is meant by the term Public Life is a space where a body of people can come together to discuss issues relating to their group. These groups can be very small like a book club or large like the United Nations and they can discuss anything from the latest Bryce Courtney novel to world peace. Geoffrey Craig in his book The Media Politics and Public Life explains the concept of public life as: .. A body of people within a society and a domain within which debate about that society occurs The public is also a subject, and people come together as a public in modern times when they engage in readings of the events, the stories and the debates that circulate in the society. (2002. P49) Public life occurs where private issues are brought to the attention of the general public through the use of the media. Without out the media it would be private life, not public life. Media, as defined by the Collins dictionary is the plural of medium which is a means of communicating or teaching something. When we talk about the media we do not just use traditional forms of media like newspapers, television and radio but we also use other forms of media like movies, the internet, transnationals companies and communication technologies. All of these forms of media are sites where the meanings of public life are played out, debated and evaluated. Our everyday lives could not function properly without the media. Media is a drug that we cannot live in a democratic society without. We listen to the radio on the way to work to hear the traffic reports and to know where the multi-novas are hidden. When election time comes, we cant invite John Howard round for dinner to discuss his policies so we rely on the media to show us them through television radio and newspapers. When a cyclone is coming our way, how do we know to lock up the house or leave town? The media inform us. Even the very early smoke signals were a form of media, a form of communication. It is important to stress here that there is no way that public life could function without the use of the media as the understandings of our society, the norms and values of the world in which we live are the products of living in a mediated world. We as a public only ever see the representations of a breaking story through the television or in the paper. We rely on the media to tell us breaking stories that are happening around the world because of our geographical locations. John Hartley (1992 P1) has noted: while [the public domain and the public] dont exist as spaces and assemblies, the public realm and the public are still to be found, large as life in the media. Television, popular newspapers, magazines and photography, the popular media of the modern period, are the public domain, the place where and the means by which the public is crated and has its being. In talking about public life we must clarify the notion of having a public sphere. By public sphere we mean any activities that occur in the public eye or that is brought to the attention of the public through the media. Habermas argues that the original public spheres originated with the early Bourgeois movement in the tea houses, libraries and reading societies in England. It was here where people gathered to discuss issues concerning their lives and the society in which they lived. What made this a public sphere was that the people were all gathered in one place discussing issues that were relevant to them. Although this was regarded as one of the original democracies that were a voice for the people, Habermas also understood that the early tea house publics were not totally representative of the communities for which they were fighting for. In the early days women were not included in the tea house discussions, also, only a certain class of people were allowed to enter the tea houses and those that could not read would not need to go to reading houses or libraries. Of course those that could not travel to these public events had no said either. This limited the voice of the people to only those that were upper-class, well educated men that could travel. This was not representative of the wider communities. The next stage in the evolution of public life was when the printing presses made literature available to the mass public. This literature was free from state control and was the newest site for public life to be played out on. Of course if you were illiterate the medium was useless but for those that could read and had access to the literature a new public was formed. The reading public was not tied by geographical restrictions. The development of film was again a new medium that with it brought a new public. By now we have to understand that there are a huge amount of publics that all have their own issues to debate. A person can be part of a number of publics at one time. She may be a single mother, working at the supermarket, she is part of the conservative party, is a part of a sci-fi reading club, she buys Thai cooking books, buys red wine and goers to wineries, is part of a mothers group at day care, has a network of other single friends on the internet and is part of a union at work. All of these publics want very specific things and all lobby for different things, the private issues become public when they are played out through the different types of media. Without the media the issues would not be brought into the public spotlight and would likely not be resolved. It is essential to point out that modern public life is played out through our media consumption and not through our everyday experiences. We collectively watched the September 11 attacks through our televisions, listened to the disaster unfold on our radios and read about and saw the pictures of the devastation in newspapers. Without these sites we would not have experienced it at all. This highlights the fact that we rely on the media to get information that would not readily be available to us. Peter Dahlgren argues that the public sphere is not just a marketplace for ideas or an information exchange depot but also a major societal mechanism for the production and circulation of culture. This idea of the media framing culture is very important because it gives the media great power to give meaning to our identities. Culture, which consist of ideas, customs, norms, values and attitudes are shared by the people of a particular country. Campaigns that promote a type of culture are often produced by government and portrayed through various media outlets. Popular campaigns that frame our culture are the domestic violence ad Australia says NO to domestic violence and the drink driving campaign, that enforce that fact that those things are going against our culture and that that type of behaviours is not accepted. These campaigns are dependant on the media getting the message out there. The main media technologies that are responsible for the communication of public news are television, radio and print and these all function as journalism. These are seen as the most trustworthy sources of information as they are governed by laws that protect privacy, defamation and the use of misleading information. Journalisms main role is to seek the truth and tell the masses. Although these forms of media are self regulated (to be free of outside influence) their guidelines that journalists have to abide by are strict to keep the freedom to self regulate. Television is the most powerful mass medium and is an absolute must in every household. In my house alone there are four televisions and there are only 2 people living there. A productivity commission report found that Australias spend over 20 hours per week or 36% of their leisure time watching television(Productivity Commission 200, P62). The ability to actually see an event or person and hear them speak makes television the most trustworthy of the media outlets. Politicians often measure the success of a campaign on the presentation of their image/policy/media events. Although television has taken over from the print media as the most popular type of news media, many argue that the print media are the most influential mass medium for political debate. Agenda setting for the day is mostly done by the quality morning newspapers. Newspapers are often more detailed in their dissemination of public life because they are not restricted by the time factor that is TV. Radio is the secret weapon in the fight for a public life. The radio doesnt have the ability to show the audience an event or doesnt even give them a chance to read about an issue but it is the most pervasive forms of media as it can be listened to whilst driving or doing the housework. Politicians often use talkback radio as a direct link to the public. It is often the closet the general public will get to speaking with high profile players. Because the media is the chief agency to communicate public life and the world that we know is based on the representations of the media, there is much scrutiny placed on the authenticity of the stories that are shown to us. In Australia there are laws that ensure that one source does not have monopoly over the content of our media, Australias former prime minister Paul Keating put it best when he said that the cross ownership laws meant you could be a prince of print or a queen of screen but not both. This means that one person will not be in control of all of the media of our country and so a true representation of societys issues would be presented by the media. Again without the media, Australia would not be able to be a democratic society and have a public life. Through many different sites issues and events are played out and become open to the scrutiny of the general public. These different issues and events create discussion between the people that read or hear about them and this is what is meant by a public life. People that are hundreds of miles away from each other can be discussing the same issues without even having to talk to one another. These systems of communication enable us to live in a democratic society, a society where we can chose who leads us in government and we can discuss issues relating to our society. This would not happen if wasnt for the role of the media. Without the media to portray issues and events we would never hear about a sale on in the city or about governmental policy that is set to affect us all. Public life as we know it would not be able to function properly without the media. References Craig, Geoffrey. Chapter 1, 2 and 3. The Media, Politics and Public Life. Victoria: Allen and Unwin, 2004. Cunningham, Stuart and Graeme Turner. The Media and Communications in Australia. St Leonards, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2002. Dahlgren, Peter. Television and the Public Sphere: Citizenship, Democracy and the Media. London: Sage, 1995 Grossberg, Lawrence, Ellen Wartella and D. Charles Whitney. The Media and the Public. Media Making: Mass Media in a Popular Culture. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage, 1998. 357-374 Habermas, Jurgen. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into the Category of Bourgeois Society. Trans, T. Burger. Cambridge: Polity, 1992. Scannell, Paddy. Public service broadcasting and modern public life Media, Culture and Society. 11(1989):135-166. Thompson, John. The Media and the Development of the Modern Societies The Media and Modernity. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1995. 44-69 Wark, McKenzie. Celebrities, culture and cyberspace: the light on the hill in a post-modern world. Sydney: Pluto Press, 1999. 128-136 http://malagigi. cddc. vt. edu/pipermail/icernet/2004-January/002743. html http://www. zip. com. au/~athornto/thesis2. htm http://www. gseis. ucla. edu/faculty/kellner/kellner. html.

Career Development For Special Populations: Asperger Syndrome

Career Development For Special Populations: Asperger Syndrome To begin, I became very interested in Asperger Syndrome when I was teaching high school. One of my students had been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and had major issues with socialization and communication. Since this was his last year of High School, I wondered what his next step would be after graduation and what guidance (if any) he was getting from the school Guidance Counsellor in regards to career development. Asperger Syndrome is classified as an invisible disability and grouped under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorders. This research paper will be a compilation of characteristics of Asperger Syndrome, how this impacts the workforce, relationship to career theorists, and the importance of job coaches/career counsellors. INTRODUCTION: Asperger syndrome (AS) is defined as a developmental disorder that involves how the information is processed in the brain. It is often called high-functioning autism, and it is one of five pervasive developmental disorders known as the Autism Spectrum Disorders (NIMH, 2006). According to the Autism Society of Canada, approximately 15 in 10,000 Canadians have AS and it is the fastest growing developmental disorder in North America. Asperger syndrome can also be classified as a hidden disability in that it is impossible to tell that someone has the condition from their appearances alone. Compared to other types of autism, people with Asperger Syndrome have average or above average intelligence. It can also be argued that with the right amount of encouragement and proper support systems, adults with Asperger syndrome can live very meaningful, independent lives (National Autistic Society, 2009). People with Asperger Syndrome typically have extreme social deficits (Klin et al., 2000). Quite often, an individual with AS can show a wide range of behaviours and social skills, but common characteristics include difficulty in expressing feelings or emotions, developing friendships, and an inability to understand social rules and body language. Individuals with Asperger Syndrome are occasionally self-described outsider who may be unable to participate in normal social interactions because they simply lack the skills needed. Though companionship is wanted, frustration can often occur when trying to build relationships, likely because of failed attempts in the past (Klin et al., 2000). Also, gross motor skills, including posture and gait, and fine motor skills such as manual dexterity may be under-developed, making people with Asperger Syndrome seem clumsy or physically awkward (Klin et al., 2000). While there is substantial variation across individuals with regard to degree of impai rment in these areas, even slight deficits can have a significant impact on psychosocial development (K.K Higgins et al, 2008). In regards to career development, the social and communication problems inherent in Aspergers create challenges in job hunting and in sustaining long-term employment. Common social and communication problems experienced by an individual with AS include: difficulty maintaining conversations, inability to understand simple instructions and a need for a structured routine. Also, they may experience problems understanding the emotions of co-workers, and as a result, may react inappropriately. Some of these symptoms may create misunderstandings with co-workers and make it difficult for employees with AS to fit into the workplace environment. However, with this being said, people with Aspergers Syndrome can contribute greatly to their jobs and careers. Individuals with AS are often very smart, but they lack the skills required to hold a job. (K.K, Higgins et al., 2008). Many AS adults have an average to above average intelligence and because of this they are more than capable of being beneficial to the working environment. They may not be able to express themselves verbally as well as others, and may struggle with the social aspect, but much recognition can be given to their effort and work. Their precision and diligence lends itself to getting the job done right and allowing for hardly any mistakes. (K.K Higgins et al, 2008). SOCIAL SKILLS DEFICITS SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING (SST): In the article School-to-work transition and Aspergers Syndrome, Hendricks and Wehman (2009) detail how Asperger Syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by mainly of underdeveloped social and communication skills. As mentioned in this article, Asperger Syndrome affects the social development of a person. An indivual was AS can find it difficult to maintain proper eye contact with another individual(s) during conversation. It can be very difficult for them to distinguish between sarcasm and regular speaking, and reading nonverbal cues given off by others can be a challenge. Another characteristic of Asperger syndrome is the intense focus that people with the syndrome can bring to very specific interests or topics. This can even be accompanied by continuous talking on s particular subject without even noticing the other persons boredom or need to go somewhere. All these characteristics can make an individual feel uncomfortable in social situations, as well as make it extremely difficult to socialize within the workplace (Hendricks and Wehman, 2009). For an individual with AS, learning a new job in the work force is not the problem; relating to others is the real issue. Because of these debilitating social skills deficits; they are unable to manoeuvre social situations or understand theory of mind (Hendricks and Wehman, 2009). The social communication impairments can interfere with both job attainment and job retention. For example, most employment settings require an interview prior to being hired for employment, and this task alone involves these critical skills. Without the needed non-verbal and verbal social communication skills to appropriately interview for a job, individuals with AS will be unlikely to secure employment (Hendricks and Wehman, 2009). As mentioned above, impaired social skills are a core feature of Asperger Syndrome and while individuals with AS have preserved cognitive functioning; their social difficulties have an effect on all areas of academic, emotional and social development (Rao et al., 2008). The need for social skills training (SST) intervention is certainly warranted for individuals with AS. The following two articles take a closer look at the SST interventions available for individuals with AS: Social Skills Intervention for Children with Asperger Syndrome or High Functioning Autism: A Review and Recommendations by Rao et al. (2008) and Social Skills Training for Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism by Tse et al. (2007). These SST interventions should be reviewed and taken into account by career counsellors/job coaches when helping individuals with Asperger Syndrome. A shared belief by both authors, that SST interventions are essential and worthwhile for individuals with AS, represents a shared theoretical perspective on successful human development. Both authors realize the importance of social skills for individuals with AS because without it they will struggle in all facets of life. Although these authors are not addressing SST interventions for the purpose of career development and success specifically, their work does lend itself to the topic. Persons with disabilities are typically confronted with a host of career development issues (Nyles Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005). One such issue is the development of social/interpersonal skills, which evidently relates to individuals with AS. This issue, like the others, requires specific career development interventions to facilitate the career development of individuals with disabilities (Nyles Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005). These SST interventions mentioned in the above articles are imperative because they sho w how SST interventions can help individuals with AS to change their self-concepts and challenge their emotional intelligence (EQ). Most importantly, the articles mentioned above validate the belief that social skills are crucial for life as well as career success. TRANSITIONS TO THE WORKFORCE: Individuals with Asperger Syndrome can find it very difficult transitioning from school to the workforce and because of that the quality of life for young adults with Asperger syndrome can quickly diminish. Leaving school and possibly their homes, tends to lead to the abrupt end of normalcy and words and employment problems can be created before the individual has even entered the workplace for the first time. With this in mind, job training and life skills programs designed for people with Asperger Syndrome are excellent ways to help a person transition from school to work and independent living. These programs address specific skills that are required for work, create job environment interaction, and provide strategies on how to deal with common workplace challenges. Some of the programs require the person to live on the premises and gradually adjust to independent living and employment. Hendricks and Wehmans (2009) article School-to-work transition and Asperger Syndrome emphasise how the transition from school services to adulthood can be particularly difficult for many adolescence with autism disorders. Although some individuals with AS are able to successfully transition, most are faced with significant obstacles in multiple areas as they attempt to negotiate their way into college, work, community participations and independent living, Hendricks and Wehmans (2009) article also contains a review of research related to the transition from school to adulthood for youth with AS in the areas of educations, employment, community living and community integration. They state that it is these key areas of the transition process that are crucial for success in adulthood (Hendricks Wehman., 2009). Community participation is also a critical component of the transition planning process. They discuss how planning must involve the entire community in which the person wishes to take part after high school and might include numerous activities, organizations, agencies an d institutions. Finally, Hendricks and Wehman (2009) detail the relation between community participation and reduction of social skills deficits. They state that community participation and includes productive engagement in these activities but, more importantly, encompasses the desired goal of integration into social networks and relationship development (Hendricks Wehman., 2009, p. 82). WORKPLACE DIFFICULTIES: In 2004, only ten years after Asperger Syndrome became recognised as its own separate disorder in the DSM, Karen Hurlbutt and Lynn Chalmers published an article titled, Employment and Adults with Asperger. In this article, Hurlbutt and Chalmers (2004) conducted a study to determine if there were certain overlapping factors which influenced adults with AS in the workplace. They concluded that individuals with Asperger could find employment but had a hard time staying employed. Often, employment is terminated due to communication problems between the employer or coworkers and the employee. Adults with AS often have a difficult time understanding social cues and non-verbal language we well as interpreting other peoples feelings. Also theory of mind is a huge problem for these individuals since there is a block which does not allow them to understand other peoples perspectives. Clearly, research as shown that the greatest difficulties faced by individuals with AS in the workplace seem to emerge from the deficits in social and communication skills. These social communication impairments can interfere with both job attainment and job retention. For example, most employment settings require an interview prior to being hired for employment, and this task alone could be very challenging for the individual with AS. Without the needed non-verbal and verbal social communication skills to appropriately interview for a job, individuals with AS will be unlikely to secure employment (K.K. Higgins et al., 2008). Hurlbutt and Chalmers (2004) indicated that frequent unemployment rates of individuals with AS arise from difficulties in the social aspect of employment but not with actual job duties (p. 218). Therefore, even when an individual with AS has the requisite job skills, is able to successfully complete a job interview, and enters the workforce, the social interacti on aspects of employment often create barriers to job retention and career advancement. Deficits in these areas can also undermine the individuals ability to adhere to workplaces rules/standards, work effectively with colleagues/supervisors, and respond appropriately to feedback. Many individuals with AS also face challenges in the workplace because of the shame associated with their disability and the associated negative perceptions of their co-workers and superiors. Problems that are likely to occur in the working environment include higher than usual tendency for the employee with Asperger syndrome to lose his or her temper, to be viewed by colleagues as arrogant, have difficulties asking for help and being assertive. In addition, many individuals with Asperger syndrome have a sensory system that makes it difficult to cope with everyday workplace sensations, such as office chatter or flickering ceiling lights (Meyer, 2001). Furthermore, the odd behaviours of a co-worker with AS can be perceived as a threat to the social climate of the workplace. For example, co-workers may feel uncomfortable if the individual with AS violates their personal space or work area and supervisors may lose their patience with the employee because he or she seems to lack understanding about common social expectations in the workplace. These reactions are likely to create a work environment where the individual with AS does not feel welcome or, in the extreme circumstances, feels unsafe (Meyer, 2001). Symptoms of depression and anxiety can be an especially concerning outcome of such negative experiences on the job (Hurlbutt and Chalmers, 2004). Undoubtedly, these workplace difficulties need to be addressed, and supports should be put into place to help aid both the AS individual and their co-workers. Compassion, understanding and being knowledgeable about this disability is key to success in the workplace. VOCATIONAL SUCCESS: To begin, in 1951, Donald Super defined vocational guidance as the process of helping a person to develop and accept an integrated and adequate picture of himself and of his role in the world of work, to test this concept against reality and to convert it into reality, with satisfaction to himself and society (Herr, Cramer, Niles, 2004). His assumption that both personal needs, values and intelligence as well as socio economic  and cultural variables (economy, family, school, community, labour market) help an individual to develop both an occupational and self. Relating vocational success to individuals with AS, their lack of social competence and self-esteem may also become a barrier to vocational opportunities (Tse et al., 2007). Individuals living with Asperger Syndrome face a number of unique challenges when it comes to their vocational success. Because this developmental disability is characterized by social and communicative deficits including problems interpreting social cue s, inflexibility and discomfort with change, and difficulty adapting to new tasks and routines (Muller et al., 2003), the social implications of the job site place great demands on individuals with Asperger Syndrome, and can be a heavy determinant of on-going or future employment. Historically, it seems that there has been a great deal research surrounding educational support needs of children with Asperger Syndrome; however, few studies have focused on the vocational characteristics of emerging adults with AS and the skills they need to thrive in the workplace. Meeting the Vocational Support Needs of Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and Other Autism Spectrum Disabilities by Muller et al. (2003) researched the perspectives of individuals with AS, and sought strategies for improving vocational placement and job-retention services for individuals in this demographic. Primarily the researchers aimed to gather information regarding the real-world employment experiences of individuals with AS; their findings were divided into three major categories including the overview of positive and negative experiences, major obstacles for successful employment, and recommendations for appropriate supports. One very useful section described ASD-specific supports, especially the need for properly educated Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellors. The participants identified four major expectations from these professionals; assistance with the job search process, on-site job-coaching, facilitation of social interactions, and mentoring services (Muller et al. 2003, p.170). Considering the vocational difficulties experienced by individuals living with AS, their overall career development is greatly impacted. As a persons career pattern is influenced by decision making style, values, life-roles and self-concepts; the social and communicative characteristics of AS are also grand indicators. Resultant dissatisfaction and perceived failure in the form of job loss and un-employment can cause great amounts of stress. The type of work in which we engage is a determinant of self-image, and when uncontrollable psychological factors influence work-success regardless of credentials and work ethic, the results can be devastating, hence the importance of vocational support and research in the area. (K.K. Higgins et al., 291). JOB COACHES CAREER COUNSELLORS: It is estimated that only 10 per cent of adults with Asperger syndrome receive support at the interview stage and around 20 per cent receive some sort of specialist support when in employment (Beardon and Edmonds, 2007). In general, it tends to be the case that adults with Asperger syndrome suffer from a lack of understanding, support, respect and appropriate services in the employment domain (Beardon and Edmonds, 2007). It is important the career counsellors understand the role of a job coach- as it may be a viable option for many individuals with AS. Also, a job coach should work very closely with career counsellors to ensure optimal success in the workplace. Communication Supports by Job Coaches of People with Developmental Disabilities is a research study completed in connection to job supports for individuals with AS. DAgostino and Cascella (2008) considered job coaches knowledge base with regards to quality communication indicators. The participant base for this study consisted of thirty-six job coaches whom were employed among older adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities (including Autism Spectrum Disorders and AS). Specifically, the researchers used a questionnaire that would identify job coaches knowledge and experience with communication supports and assessment tools. The information collected during this study revealed a number of major findings. Job coaches reported a high-degree of prior training in specific communication interventions, they could accurately define many concepts and terms associated with communication support, and were overall knowledgeable about communication and communication supports (DAgosti no and Cascella 2008). This article showed that job coaches were very successful with communication interventions and supports given to individuals with disabilities lead to a great chance of success. Career counselling and guidance can move with the changes to make a greater difference in peoples life by helping them to connect with the parts of their own lives and connect with others in community for the common good (Hansen, 2001). With this in mind, a job coach can be especially helpful to the individual with AS with identifying and remedying problematic behaviours associated with the disorder such as interacting inappropriately with co-workers, misinterpreting and responding to social cues, responding to supervision in an unacceptable manner, inability to conduct adequate self assessments of ones job performance and unintentionally violating unspoken work norms and rules (K.K. Higgins et al., 296). Also, the idea of a job coach could be very beneficial because they could support the individual with AS until the employee begins to develop natural skills on the job on their own. Like job coaches, career counselors [also] have a responsibility to help clients free themselves from negative attitudes, irrational beliefs, information deficits and low self-esteem (Herr, Cramer, Niles, 2004). It goes without saying that competent career counsellors must be good listeners, understanding, empathic towards their client and willing and able to develop trusting relationships. It is important for career counsellors to remember that one of the defining characteristics of AS is the presence of marked deficiencies in social interactions, communication, and behaviours and because of this characteristic, individuals with AS are often viewed by others as odd, or peculiar. While individuals with AS may be physically indistinguishable from their peers and have similar intellectual capabilities, deficits in social interaction, behaviour, and communication often result in the perceptions that these individuals are loners. This is why it is extremely imperative for career counsel lors to be patient and understanding of this disability. Also, Prager Freeman (1979) explain that level of aspiration is also frequently related to self-esteem, with persons of higher aspiration also persons of higher self-esteem (Herr et al., 2004, p. 177). Consequently, many youths with AS have few, if any, meaningful peer relationships which may affect self-concept and esteem. Again, it is vital to reiterate the importance for career counsellors to be patient, understanding, and accepting with their AS client while trying to raise the individuals self esteem. Without a doubt, the ability to understand why others do what they do and think the way they do is undoubtedly one of, if not the most, important traits a career counsellor should possess when working with an individual with AS. Given the right support and encouragement from a career counsellor, it is believed that individuals with Asperger syndrome are capable of negotiating key employment-related social situations, such as job interviews, team working, and the broader social con ventions of work organisations (Attwood, 2007). Essential to a process that integrates career and personal counselling is the ability to assess clients differing psychological needs and to understand how specific occupations and roles fulfill or frustrate various needs (Manuele-Adkins, 1992). Helping an individual with Asperger Syndrome involves working on their particular interests, strengths and skills, while possibly avoiding jobs that involve major quantities of social interaction. Notably, career counsellors should realize that one of the best ways for job seekers with the condition to increase their chances for successful employment is to prepare for work and to look for jobs with employers that are educated about Asperger Syndrome. Autism and Asperger support organizations can help job seekers prepare for work life and find employers who are sensitive to their needs. Career counsellors can work with these organizations if they need extra supports or resources on this disability. RELATION TO CAREER DEVELOPMENT THEORIES: Overall, the majority of influential career development theories acknowledge the massive role that social and self awareness play for successful career development. The following section will discuss how Hollands and Gottfredsons theories apply to individuals with AS. HOLLANDS THEORY: Hollands theory (as cited in Herr, Cramer Niles, 2004, p. 212) contends that individual behaviour is a function of the interaction between ones personality and environment and that choice behaviour is an expression of personality. Hollands theory of Person-Environment Interactions is also applicable to individual with AS, specifically the consideration of The Social Environment. In many regards the components of the social environment, especially the activities that inform, develop, and enlighten should be explored by support workers and employers allowing them to better accommodate workers with AS. As individuals with AS aspire to succeed vocationally in both work-skill and social-skill; awareness, tolerance, and support must be present to aid their vocational endeavours. This paired with on-going support will increase employment rates, and career satisfaction for individuals with AS (Herr, Cramer Niles, 2004). To achieve congruence in future employment, according to Holland individuals must use self-reflection to understand their personality type so that they can make an informed decision about which type of environment they feel would be best suited to them. Holland bases his theory on two beliefs. To begin he believes that individuals search for careers that will allow them to use their skills and abilities. It is known that individuals with AS are very capable employees when their skills are matched up to their employment. Second in Hollands theory is that there is a strong interaction between personality and environment which in turn affects behaviour. This must be considered for individuals with AS since they must consider employment opportunities in which they will not be forced to socialize on a regular basis. It is very important for counsellors to be aware of the importance of congruence between the environment and the personality of the AS individual in an effort to minimize any problems which may arise in work environments (Herr, Cramer Niles, 2004). GOTTFREDSONS THEORY: One of the major findings in the article Employment and Adults with Asperger Syndrome by Karen Hurlbutt and Lynn Chalmers (2004) was that AS individuals had difficulty finding work in their area of speciality and are therefore typically underemployed. This can be linked to Gottfredsons theory of compromise in that individuals were compromising on their goals and settling for occupations for which they were over-qualified. Gottfredson believes that it is important for people to understand their abilities and to be aware that they have many options and that they should not have to compromise. Individuals with AS have a great amount of self-awareness in regards of the supports they require. However, in association to theories suggested by Gottfredson these individuals may succumb to circumscription and illegitimate comprise based upon supportable vocational difficulties. These two factors occur naturally throughout career development, but for someone with AS, having to avoid a particul ar field or dream job may be a result of social pressures and expectations rather than a lack of potential, intelligence, or situational realities (Herr, Cramer Niles, 2004). CONCLUSION: The challenges faced by individuals living with AS can be staggering, but as time passes awareness is grows and support become more effective. Of course, studies will differ in perspective and depth, but the overall process is a step towards essential accommodation. At a time when career development researchers pay little attention to the career experiences of persons with disabilities (Niles Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005), the work of researchers mentioned in this paper is crucial. Considering that 18.7% of Americans between the ages of 15-64 have a disability (Nile Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005), the work of these individuals is not only crucial for people with AS but for the future of our workforce. People with Aspergers Syndrome have every right to equal treatment in the workplace. They cannot be discriminated against because of their differences. With continued hard work and help from competent job coaches/career counsellors, a person with AS can lead a highly successful life. The bottom line is that Asperger Syndrome is a condition that should not be a barrier to having a good career. Hopefully with future exploration of past and present research, supports will develop and be applied so that individuals living with AS will fulfill their vocational potential.

Arab-israeli Conflict Essay -- essays research papers fc

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted to divide the Middle Eastern land called Palestine into two independent nations, one Arab and one Jewish. On May 14, 1948, a new nation was born: Israel. The Jews of Israel and the world celebrated with joy and gladness, because for over two thousand years, they had hoped to return to the land of their heritage. (Silverman, 1) However with Jews from all around the world returning to Israel, the Arabs residing in this land were forced into exile. The rebirth of Israel marked the beginning of conflict, violence, and peace treaties between the Arabs and the Jews of the Middle East. Tensions between Jews and Arabs have been present since biblical times in the Middle East. In 132 AD, when Israel was under Roman rule, the Jews revolted and fought for independence. In 135 AD the Romans crushed the Jewish revolt and expelled nearly all of the Jews of Israel. The Romans then renamed Israel-Palestine, so as to remove any connection between the land and the Jewish people. (Tessler, 12) The Jews never forgot their homeland, and prayed three times a day to return to Israel and to the holy city of Jerusalem. In the 7th century, a new religion, Islam, arose in the Middle East. The Muslim Arabs conquered Palestine from the Byzantines and began to settle the land. They built the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aksa mosque in Jerusalem, where they believed Prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven to receive parts of the Qur’an. (Goldschmidt, 46) During the early 1500’s, Palestine was captured and put under Turkish rule. During the First World War, the Turkish government placed severe restrictions on Jewish daily life, because the Turks believed that the Jews were plotting with their enemies. In December of 1917, the British army under the command of General Edmund Allenby defeated the Turks and captured Palestine. Four hundred years of Turkish rule had ended. Just six weeks before the annex of Turkey and Palestine, the Jews had learned of a British document called the Balfour Declaration. It was one of the most important documents ever written concerning the Holy Land. It announced th at the British government favored the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people and would do all it could to make it happen. Meanwhile throughout the world, but especially in Europe, Jews were persecuted and murdered. In the ... ...b-Israeli conflict. Both sides feel that Israel/Palestine belongs to them. Since the United Nations partition of Palestine in 1947 and the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948, there have been four major Arab-Israeli wars (1947-49, 1956, 1967, and 1973) and numerous intermittent battles. (Goldschmidt, 280) The Arabs still thirst for revenge, which is denied as the Israelis prevail once again. These issues still rage today and have fueled many armed conflicts between the two developing nations. WORKS CITED: Benvenisti, Meron. INTIMATE ENEMIES. Jews and Arabs in a Shared Land. United States of America: University Of California Press, 1995. Cozic, Charles, P. ISRAEL: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1994. Goldschmidt, Arthur, Jr. A concise History of the MIDDLE EAST. United States of America: Westview Press, 1999. Hiro, Dilip. Sharing The Promised Land: A Tale of Israelis and Palestinians. Canada: Olive Branch Press, 1999. Silverman, Maida. ISRAEL: The Founding Of A Modern Nation. New York, NY: Dial Books of Young Readers, 1998. Tessler, Mark. A HISTORY of the ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT. United States of America: Indiana University Press, 1994.

Developing an English Language Curriculum Essay

The problem at hand involves developing a curriculum for English language that is suited for all people, coming from all over the country; even those without the basic knowledge of the language. The problem entails finding out the basis of developing such a curriculum, analyzing the content and coverage of such a curriculum, testing the suitability of it to the users, outlining a sample curriculum and finding out the possible outcome of such a curriculum. The problem will also discuss the likelihood of making compromises, possible compromises, the groups affected and how to counteract the effects of such compromises. Theoretical Background and Analysis Curriculum development for languages has for a good length of time been based on; developing language responsiveness, developing confidence and competence in the use of English language, trying to instil into the learners the cognitive capability, training learners to develop language imaginative and emotional skills via oral, reading and writing skills. In trying to develop any teaching curriculum, one can focus on the above as guideline. Traditionally, the curriculum activities have been determined by use of a particular set of goals needed to be achieved. Hence one would sit down and analyze the particular things he wanted to achieve then go ahead and develop a systematic way to end up with the desired results. Failure to achieve these results would be followed by corrective measures to the curriculum. However, further developments to this has led to another way of developing a curriculum based on the path or route used to achieving desired results other than the one based on developing a curriculum on goal basis. A curriculum can be developed on the basis of tasks (Nunan, 1998). One approach focuses on analyzing the psycholinguistics involved in the acquisition of a second language and activation of such in a classroom. The other approach basically focuses on the purpose the learners need the language for. Nunan and Lockwood (1991) have come up with a model to implement the latter approach. This involves allowing learners develop the skills of the language, offer a chance to analyze and listen on how sample tasks are solved, giving a grammatically instructed guidance for performance of various tasks, and stimulating them to develop skills that are emerging in them via rehearsal. We must however put into consideration the problem at hand; that the students will be expected to learn a second language, in this case English. Much as they will try to be given the above guidelines we can also be guided by a model suited for them. Two models can be focused as a basis for this: (a) The rehearsal rationale path which focuses on what they will be intending to do with the language they are learning. (b) Psycholinguistic model which answers the question on the required mechanisms to acquire a second language. I do therefore propose that such a curriculum would entail courses that will make the learners be assimilated into a culture of having a positive response to using the English language as pertaining communication on a daily basis, training them how to communicate, write, think critically and solve problems using the language. Basically, since the language entails being able to read, write (which would demand knowledge on the grammar, use the language mechanics, penmanship and spelling), to listen and speak all these would be part and passel of the curriculum. Arising Effects and Addressing the Problem It is hard to develop a compromise curriculum for everyone. While some would view such changes as only a waste of time and derailing their time in school since they know the basics, the learners would find an opportunity to assimilate what is necessary to give them an easier time in school. A compromise must however reduce the likelihood of going into what the newcomers can found out for themselves. Since they already have come to study various courses in the institution, it can be assumed as well that most of them will be aware of the challenges involved. Instead of say establishing a separate academic year to go through the curriculum, the curriculum can be made to fit into their program as they go through other courses of their study. One can therefore fit in two courses of studying English in their first year of study. The first course, for example can contain courses for the students to learn communication, writing and reading skills, while in the subsequent term, the second course can entail courses challenging students to thinking critically, analytical skills, interpretation skills, and using the language to formulate ideas. It must be considered that students will have to be exposed to acquiring a second language by presenting one which is a bit more complex that which they have and they will gain maximally. This was a belief in input hypothesis by Krashen (1981, 1982) which has acted on for many researches. The next step would entail finding out what majority of the learners will be, their background languages and how the curriculum can be suited to favour them. A research will need to be conducted to establish what the current situation is on the ground, necessity of having such a curriculum, its implications to the students already in the institution and how they think they can be helped. It would be of little need to establish a curriculum that only duplicates work and overloads the students. In deed, this can be solved by carrying out an extensive research on the need for it, even before it is designed. Once there is enough evidence that such a curriculum is of necessity, one can go ahead and design it. It would be better to incorporate the views of the intended beneficiaries to this project. The curriculum should be geared towards making sure that the students also benefit in usage of the language in other disciplines other than English itself. Therefore, a good connectivity between English language skills should be ensured by the curriculum being implemented. Implementation and Review Once the program has been implemented, there is need to keep on acquiring the feed back from the beneficiaries pertaining various courses, their benefits and what they think can be done to improve on the arising difficulties, analyzing the elements of the feed back and carrying out the corrective measures as pertaining course improvement. Conclusion In the above analysis, I have provided a basis model which can be used in developing an English language curriculum, and sort to solve problems related to its introduction in any learning environment. The implementation and review section seeks to give an outline how one can put into action such a curriculum and review it. Remember that a good curriculum is the one that accomplishes its intended purpose satisfactorily. It does not mean that it is free from difficulties, but these must be dealt with. Reference NCCA (2008): Curriculum Online. Retrieved from, http://82. 195. 132. 34/index. asp?locID=399&docID=-1, on September 10, 2008 Krashen, S. (1981). Second language acquisition and second language learning. Oxford: Pergamon Press. Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press. Nunan D. (1998). Communicative Tasks and the Language Curriculum. Macquarie University Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois. Retrieved from http://www. iei. uiuc. edu/TESOLOnline/texts/nunan/index. html on September 10, 2008. Nunan, D. , & Lockwood, J. (1991). The Australian English course: Task based English for post-beginners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

What Are AP Exams and Tests

What Are AP Exams and Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips AP Tests may seem like intimidating obstacles, but if you’ve done well in the corresponding AP classes, you shouldn’t have too much trouble earning a high score. Good AP Test scores can help you in the college admissions process and may evenearn you college credits. In this article, I’ll give you an overview of what AP exams are, why they matter, and how scoring works across a variety of different tests and subject areas. What Are AP Tests? What’s the Point of Taking Them? AP Tests take place at the end of AP classes, and they’re used as a means of assessing how much you learned in the class and whether your experience merits college credit. You can also prepare for AP Tests independently outside of the course if you don't feel totally comfortable with the material after going over it in class. Essentially, AP Tests are a standardized way of validating your course record.They’re a measure used to control for poorly taught AP classes where students earn As but don’t actually know the material. Although AP curriculum is supposed to be consistent at every school, teachers have a lot of freedom in how they teach the subject and grade the class.AP Tests help to ensure that students have actually learned and absorbed the information and deserve the appropriate credit. You can earn college creditsfor high AP Test scores at most schools, and your scores may also help you to place out of introductory classes.Doing well on AP tests can mean finishing college early or avoiding college classes in subjects that are repetitive for you.In the next section, I’ll get into more specifics about the grading scale for AP tests and how some of the most popular tests are structured. Ugh, I wish I could skip Coloring 101. I already know all of this stuff, and I haven't even thought about eating any of the crayons. What Does the Grading Scale and Format Look Like on Different AP Exams? There are some consistencies in scoring and format throughout all AP exams, but there are also big differences in the times and score percentages devoted to certain types of questions across different tests.I’ll give you some overall information about the grading scale and then provide details about the specific formats of tests in various subject areas. Overall Facts AP exams are scored on a scale from 1 to 5, 5 being the highest score and 1 being the lowest.This is how the College Board defines each score: 5 = extremely well qualified 4 = well qualified3 = qualified2 = possibly qualified1 = no recommendation â€Å"Qualified† indicates that you’re capable of doing the equivalent of the work required for a college-level introductory course in the AP subject.Most colleges will give credit for students scoring a 4s or 5s on AP tests, and some will even give credit for 3s. This can vary depending on the test. On an AP test that's considered more difficult, you might get credit for a 3. On a less challenging test, you might need to score a 5 to earn college credit. Every AP exam has a multiple choice section, which is scored by computer, and a free response or essay section, which is scored by college professors and AP teachers.On multiple choice, there are no point deductions for incorrect answers. (This is a recent policy change in line with the new SAT, which has also done away with point deductions.) Scores on the two sections of AP Tests are combined to form your composite score on a scale of 1 to 5. One thing you should keep in mind about AP test scores is that you don’t need to get everything right on the test to get a 5 or a â€Å"perfect† score.It’s not like the SAT, where messing up on one question can crush your dreams of an 800.Scaling is different for each exam, but in general even if you only get 70% of the questions correct, you can still end up with a 5.Read more details about how AP tests are scored here. Next, I’ll give you an idea of the specific structures of AP exams in different subjects so that you’ll know what to expect. Your pencil will be thrilled to spend more time with you on the free response sections of AP Tests. It doesn't know that its feelings may not be reciprocated. Science and Math APs AP Biology The AP Biology exam is three hours long in total.It is also divided into two sections, the first of which consists of a multiple choice portion and a very short grid-in portion.You will have to answer 63 multiple choice questions and six grid-in questions in 90 minutes.The grid-in questions are essentially short answer math and science problems; you will need to calculate the answers and enter them into a grid on your answer sheet. The second section of the test is also 90 minutes long and consists of eight open response questions (six short response and two long response).Each section on the AP Biology exam is worth 50% of your score. AP Chemistry The AP Chemistry exam is three hours and 15 minutes long.The multiple choice section has 60 questions and is 90 minutes long.The free response section has seven questions, four short response and three long response, and it is an hour and 45 minutes long. Like on AP Biology, each section is worth 50% of your score. AP Calculus BC The AP Calculus BC exam is three hours and 15 minutes long. The multiple choice section consists of 45 questions divided into calculator and no calculator sections that last an hour and 45 minutes total. The free response section consists of six questions lasting an hour and 30 minutes, also divided into calculator and no calculator sections. Your calculator won't be there to support you on every section of the AP Calculus exam. But don't worry, it always has you in its thoughts. Social Studies APs AP Psychology The AP Psychology exam is a bit shorter than most of the other AP Tests, clocking in at just two hours total.The multiple choice section consists of 100 questions answered over the course of 70 minutes. This section makes up two thirds of your score.The free response section consists of two questions to be answered in 50 minutes. This section makes up the remaining third of your score. AP US History The AP US History exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long in total.It is divided into two sections, the first of which consists of a multiple choice portion and a short answer portion.The multiple choice portion contains 55 questions and is 55 minutes long. This is worth 40% of your total score.The short answer portion contains four questions and is 50 minutes long. This is worth 20% of your total score. The second section of the test consists of two longer open response questions.First is the document-based question (so called because your answer will require you to consult a certain primary source document) for which you are given 55 minutes. This is worth 25% of your total score.You will also have to answer one of two long essay questions for which you are given 35 minutes. This question is worth 15% of your total score. The AP US History exam will take you on a wild ride through the meandering underground streets of this country's past. If you're a thrill seeker, oh boy, look forward to this one! Language and Literature APs AP English Literature and Composition The AP English test is three hours long. The multiple choice section has 55 questions and lasts an hour. The free response section has three questions and lasts for two hours. The multiple choice section of the test is worth 45% of your score, and the free response section is worth 55% of your score. AP Spanish Language and Culture This exam is three hours long. The multiple choice section consists of two parts and is 95 minutes long. You'll answer questions about Spanish texts on the first part and audio recordings on the second part. The free response consists of four parts and is 85 minutes long. You will be asked to write an email reply and a persuasive essay. You will also have to respond to conversational prompts in Spanish and do a mini-presentation on a cultural topic in Spanish. The multiple choice and free response sections are each worth 50% of your score. That's right, for language AP tests you'll have to actually speak the language. I was shocked as well. Art APs AP Music Theory The AP Music Theory test is two hours and 40 minutes long. The multiple choice section consists of 75 questions divided into two sections, one of which relies on auditory cues and one that is non-auditory. The whole section is 80 minutes long and makes up 45% of your score. The free response section consists of seven written exercises (70 minutes total) and two sight-singing exercises (10 minutes total). These two sections make up the other 55% of your score. AP Art History This exam is three hours long in total. The multiple choice section is an hour long and has 80 questions. The free response section takes up the remaining two hours. It has two 30-minute essay questions and four 15-minute essay questions. The multiple choice and free response sections each make up 50% of your score. I don't understand how people made incredibly complex sculptures like this, but if you take AP Art History, you might find out. Conclusion So what are AP exams, overall? AP examsassess your knowledge of AP course material and determine whether you are qualified to test out of similar introductory courses in college.A high score on an AP Test indicates that you are capable of working at the college level in the subject.The highest score you can earn on an AP Test is a 5, and the lowest is a 1; most schools will accept 4s and 5s (sometimes even 3s) as scores worthy of college credit.All AP Tests have both multiple choice and free response sections, but they are structured differently and may be different lengths depending on the subject. Keep in mind that AP Tests and classes may or may not be good choices for you based on your academic track record in high school and goals for college. You can read more about which AP classes (if any) you should take in this article.Your ideal AP courses and exams will vary depending on the type of student you are. You shouldn't force yourself to take classes that will drag down your GPA or that don't interest you just for the sake of earning more AP credit. If you know you'll be taking some AP courses, try to familiarize yourself with the format and timing of the corresponding tests before the end of the school year.Taking practice tests and doing sample questions will help you get accustomed to the way the tests work and enable you to earn college credit! What's Next? You may be wondering when the AP Tests are offered so that you can plan ahead. Here's a list of AP Test dates for 2016. Which AP Tests are more difficult? That can depend on your strengths as a student, but there are certain tests that are notorious for being especially cahllengin. Read more about the hardest AP Tests here. Does your school offer AP and IB? Are you curious about the differences between the two? Take a look at this article to learn whether AP or IB will be a better fit for your needs. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

12 Words with -join

12 Words with -join 12 Words with -join 12 Words with -join By Mark Nichol The root word join is the basis of a small group of words with some sense pertaining to unity, though many originally had a legal connotation (and some still do). Here are those words and their definitions. Join itself stems from the Latin word iungere, meaning â€Å"join together,† â€Å"unite,† or â€Å"yoke.† (In Latin, i could be pronounced as a vowel or a consonant; the latter sound was equivalent to y, which came to be pronounced like j in English.) Joint originally referred to a part of the body where two bones meet; this sense was later extended to any connecting point and to a cut of meat. Joint, as a slang term for a marijuana cigarette, might derive from the fact that it is often shared, but alternatively, it may be borrowed from earlier use of the term to describe a drug syringe, though the origin of that usage is obscure. The meaning of joint as a physical location where people met, initially in the sense of a disreputable establishment, probably derived from the idea of a smaller chamber adjoining a main room, where secret meetings, perhaps involving illegal activity, could be held. (This illicit sense probably inspired the use of joint as slang for jail or prison.) The adjectival sense of joint, meaning â€Å"sharing† or â€Å"united,† developed from the noun. Something disjointed lacks order and organization; the verb form disjoint is obsolete except in the mathematical sense of having no elements in common. A joiner is a carpenter who specializes in intricate woodworking, often involving joining pieces of wood to create boxes or furniture. The word also denotes someone with a proclivity for becoming a member of clubs or other organizations. Joinder is a word essentially confined to legal usage to refer to an act of joining together; it is also a rarely used synonym for the grammatical term conjunction. However, rejoinder, originally referring to a defendant’s answer to a charge, acquired a broader sense of a response, with the connotation of an angry reply to a critical comment. (Rejoin itself, which now means â€Å"reunite,† originally connoted a response in legal proceedings.) The similar-sounding jointure refers to a joint or an act of joining, although it is mostly used in the legal sense of settlement of an estate. Adjoin originally meant â€Å"ally† or â€Å"unite,† but the later sense of â€Å"be adjacent to† became predominant; the adjectival form is adjoining. To enjoin, usually used in a legal context, is to require or prohibit. Conjoin, meaning â€Å"come together,† is most frequently seen in its adjectival form in the phrase â€Å"conjoined twins,† referring to twins whose bodies are partially combined; conjoint is the basic adjectival form. Subjoin, meanwhile, means â€Å"add† or â€Å"append.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:5 Uses of InfinitivesHomogeneous vs. HeterogeneousEach vs. Both

Early civilizations essays

Early civilizations essays Native American civilizations thrived in the Western Hemisphere before Europeans discovered the New World. These civilizations had many similarities and contributed much to the development of the Latin American culture today. Each civilization was a part from each other, however they had accomplished almost the something and had ideas that were alike but they were so far apart its a astounding of what they came up with. The environment is very important to a civilization. The Mayas lived in a tropical rain forest where they were surrounded by plant life and tree. The Incas however lived in a more dry, grassy, mountainous environment. But the Aztecs settled in a watery area, actually their center town, to which al of their road went, was in the middle of a lake. Even thought these civilizations are so far apart they have created things that are similar, and they have done such fascinating things with such little technology. For example the Maya were ahead of their time they had clocks, they could tell time, predict eclipse, they had a calendar, and a number system of zero. The Aztecs were also remarkable they had pyramids, math, language, herbs and medicine, and a calendar. Their religious practices were also similar. The Mayas believed in human sacrifices, burial chambers, and they had special pyramids that were like temples. These temples would be very high, because I think they thought that the higher the pyramid the closer to god they are. The Aztecs were very gruesome people they are sort of like the, Spartans, they believed in war and killing. When they won a war they would take prisoners. And they would ripe the hearts out when they were still beating! They too believed in human sacrifice. However on the other hand the Incas were more peaceful people they were polytheistic all of the civilizations were, but the Incas really believed in human labor, they believed in forces of nature, and in fes ...

Not June Cleaver Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Not June Cleaver - Essay Example This paper explores women experiences and their contributions in the post-war American society by reviewing I Wanted the Whole World to See written by Ruth Feldstein and The Sexualized Woman written by Donna Penn. I Wanted the Whole World to See Ruth Feldstein tells the story of a young teenager who came face to face with the seriousness of racial segregation in Mississippi, in August 1955. Emmett Till was a bright and bold 14-year-old boy who met his death for flirting with a white woman, Carolyn Bryant. Although the boy and his peers seemed to care about the likely repercussions of flirting with a white woman, they immediately forgot about it, at least before his assailants caught up with him. Roy Bryant and John William Milam approached the boy in the company of Mose Wright and drove off with him. Three days later, the badly disfigured body of Emmett Till was found dumped in the Tallahatchie River.1 At first, the community was united, despite racial differences in expressing shock and condemned the heinous murder of the young boy. Bryant and Milam were apprehended for kidnapping soon after they drove away with the boy. In the verdict, it was argued that identity of the corpse could not be identified. Bryant and Milam also claimed that they had let Emmet Till free and did not kill him. Feldstein through this essay shows the challenges that women faced, especially African Americans. Emmett’s mother, Mamie Bradley, sought to nationalize her grief and therefore generally the challenges facing the African American women in the country. She did this by first making Till’s funeral service public. The service was conducted with an open casket shown. In this manner the world was able to see what had happened and equally significant the pain that African Americans experienced in Mississippi. The action of making the funeral service public and specifically the bold step of letting the casket remain open in the course of the funeral service had far reachin g effect – it helped to tell the world, in the most powerful and persuasive way, the evils that were taking place in Mississippi against African Americans. Feldstein described the scenes of the savage repression of women, especially African American women, by the media. The story covered various scenes of pain and suffering that the boy and his mother went through as well as the shock and disbelief expressed by members of the society. Mourners from African descent saw the badly mutilated body of Emmett Till, and quickly recounted brutal repression which they had went through in the past.2 Additionally, it was evident from the story that many more African American women within the society had not yet come across such incidents or heard of them at all for that matter, because some of the regions in the United States like Chicago were more liberal compared to Mississippi.3 The discourse in the essay draw many similarities from June Cleaver’s scenario: for example, the suf fering of black females as was the case for Mamie Bradley points to the fact that many African American women suffered in silence. The publication of pictures depicting various scenes in the murder of Emmett Till and his funeral touched the hearts of almost all members. Additionally, like the June Cleaver’s experiences, women still faced monumental resistance from men and agents of the status quo, despite a significant role of the media in highlighting the scenes of

Vietnam War and the History of the Globe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vietnam War and the History of the Globe - Essay Example The same state of affairs had been undergone by the American soldiers and military officers during the Vietnam War fought between the USA and Vietnam for two long decades from 1955 to 1975, leaving heavy losses in men and material. Though Vietnam experienced massive devastation in all parts of the country, yet the brave Vietnamese fought tooth and nail to protect their geographical boundaries. Thus, every going year aggravated the problems of the USA, and not only increased their losses, but also accelerated the pace of her forces’ disappointment. â€Å"Almost 3 million US men and women were sent thousands of miles to fight for what was a questionable cause. In total, it is estimated that over 2.5 million people on both sides were killed.† (Quoted in Vietnampix.com) The history also reveals that the majority of the US youth appeared to be standing against the war designs, and viewed it to be unproductive, futile and useless; the same was the case with the present day wr iter and journalist James Fallows. Being the undergraduate student at world reputed Harvard University, Fallows considered war as the wastage of time, energies and resources. He was of the opinion that there existed several other fields and departments, rendering services for those could be more beneficial and fruitful for the country, nation and humanity at large. If someone fights from his country’s side and dies at a young age, his services would remain confined to battlefield only. Hence, he would not be able to utilize his gifted capabilities in multiple fields particularly during his mature years and later part of life. Similarly, he would be deprived of all the blessings life offers to man in the form of a settled and peaceful professional, domestic and matrimonial life. If critically analyzed with historical facts and figures, the points raised by Fallows certainly carry weight on a logical basis.  The chronicle of world events proves that humanity has always made rapid developments in the days of pea ce in all fields of life including science, technology, medicine, astronomy, law, social sciences and much more.  

The corporate history of Canadian Tire Corporation Case Study

The corporate history of Canadian Tire Corporation - Case Study Example In relation to the study the company which has been selected is the Canadian Tire Corporation. Canadian Tire’s extensive range of products and services reached each and every house in Canada over the last two decades and the company made every Canadian life easier. The firm operates an interconnected business network including petroleum and apparel products, financial services, hard goods, and automotive services. The corporation’s retail operations include Canadian Tire, Canadian Tire Petroleum, Mark’s Work Wearhouse, PartSource, and FGL. The firm is well known for its creative advertising and acquisitions and partnerships. The organization’s corporate history indicates that nearly 85% of the Canadian population lived within a 15 minute drive of their local Canadian Tire store by the end of the 20th century. The company has been introducing timely business changes and new customer service facilities since 1922 and this innovativeness assisted the company to complete 89 years of successful Canadian market operations. Canadian Tire Corporation is a family oriented business organization and the firm serves its customers with flexible business hours and a range of other benefits. Recently, the company has introduced MasterCard facilities and other banking facilities in order to assist customers to make their purchases more convenient. The company offers extensive retail offerings including automotive, sports and leisure, and home products under one roof, and hence the Canadian Tire management provides better shopping experiences to its customers. The Canadian Tire possesses a large group of dedicated and efficient employees from different parts of the country and this workforce aids the company to make sure that its products and services are accessible to everyone. Canadian Tire’s corporate information shows that it gives extensive employment opportunities in every region of the country and provides the Canadian society with a ra nge of welfare programs. Therefore, the organization benefits the nation as a whole by offering cheap and quality products to Canadian population and by contributing to the economy’s overall GDP growth. However, like any other leading organization, the Canadian Tire Corporation has some pitfalls and disadvantages for its customers, employees, and society. The company has been often criticized for its service issues. Majority

Quality Management principals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quality Management principals - Essay Example The backbone of an organization is its clients or customers because of the mutual independence and this forces the organization to strive to meet and exceed the customer expectations. Customers will stick to an organization that upgrade its services and develops new products that are genuine. A leader should always ensure that there is unity and purpose for the internal environment of the organization that he or she guides. Leaders must be people whose intelligence quotient is very steady and high in order to make wise decisions. This means that a leader should clear visualize the mission and vision of the organization in the future (Robbins & Coulter, 2012). Leaders should develop a participative environment through the formation of partnerships. Other important principles that a leader should consider are encouraging innovation, change and operating in a secure environment. Individuals at all points are the core of the firm and their proper participation makes their ideas to be an important factor for the firm’s benefits. Workers will also perform perfectly in their areas of specialization when the appropriate work tools are available. Goals set for the employees must be realistic and empowerment of the various cultures of employees should be empowered and this will facilitate the idea of group work (Robbins & Coulter, 2012). Processes in an organization should satisfy customer needs. If they don’t then they are not the required processes. Processes are always flowing and focus on creating the appropriate methods for converting products into finished goods and services. Effectiveness and efficiency of an organization is done through identifying, understanding, and managing a system of interrelated process to a given objective. Since a system is identifying all interrelated processes and their interdependence then they should be properly managed. There are three factors to consider in order for

Evaluation of Service Quality Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Evaluation of Service Quality Strategy - Essay Example Service quality refers to an attitude formed by a long-term overall evaluation of a firm’s performance. Customer satisfaction and service quality are closely related. It can be said that satisfaction assists consumers in formulating a revised opinion about their service quality perception. The logic for this may be the following : Consumer perceptions of the service quality of a firm with which he has no prior experiences are based on the consumer’s expectations. Subsequent encounters with the firm lead the consumer through the disconfirmation process and revise perceptions of service quality. Each additional encounter with the firm further revises or reinforces service quality perceptions; revised service quality perceptions modify future consumer purchase intentions towards the firm. High quality satisfying service requires that a firm understand the consumer needs in detail as also the operational constraints. It reminds the service provider to focus on quality, and the process should be designed to support this system by proper control and delivery. Service quality can be a way of achieving success among competing services. This can be particularly so when the competing service firms provide identical services and are located in a small area. Examples could be many bank branches in the same area in a city. Under such circumstances, service quality happens to be the only way of differentiating the different service providers.

Public sector management and governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Public sector management and governance - Essay Example For example market-type mechanisms like contract giving. New public management also includes high emphasis on performance, maximization of outputs and great level of customer orientation. New public management developments include several economic, political, social and technological factors. Countries that adopt new public management are found to be witnessing fiscal and economic crises. This has resulted in the attempts to increase efficiency and reduce the cost of providing public services. The crisis encountered by the welfare state created several doubts about the role and institutional nature of the state. In many developing countries, developments in public administration and management have been accelerated by external pressures. Moreover, these reforms have happened in the background of structural adjustment programs. Other factors of new public management developments include pre-eminence of neoliberal ideas that existed in the late 1970s and the deployment of efficient int ernational management advisors and consultants on various reforms. Other factors in new public management include the development of information technology. For developing countries, new public management developments include great emphasis on proper governance and lending conditions. Earlier, new public management was considered as a phenomenon of developed countries, typically Anglo-Saxon, phenomenon. In the 1990s we have seen applications of different alternative of new public management practices in few developing economies and transitional economies. Downsizing and user fees are introduced in several countries, for example African countries. These activities are related to different structural adjustment works. Autonomous agencies included in the public sector are formed in certain countries. For example, the autonomous hospitals in Sri Lanka, Ghana and Zimbabwe. In Uganda and Ghana we found the hiving-off of excise and customs and revenue divisions to create executive agencies . Performance contracting as well as contracting out have been the major policy options in different crisis states. Contracting out has been considered as a tool to develop SOEs, state-owned enterprises. This provided more operational freedom to SOE managers while making them responsible for the performance of the enterprises. Grants, sanctions and rewards are implemented for the performance enhancement of enterprises. Performance contracts are introduced in different sectors like agriculture, transport and telecommunication. Countries like India, Bolivia and Ghana have implemented this. Contracting out is put into practice in the various sectors. Delivery of public services including road maintenance, waste management, laundry services, catering services, health services and other urban services are contracted out. In Zimbabwe we find the contracting out of different public services. Even though the adoption of new public management practices appear to be beneficial in certain case s, they have certain limitations to be applied in come crisis states. In Brazil and few other African countries new public management have brought cost savings while contracting out public works like road maintenance. However these techniques bring certain limitations in few states. The inefficiency of new public management in such countries reveals that there are institutional problems and other issues that

Quality Management principals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quality Management principals - Essay Example The backbone of an organization is its clients or customers because of the mutual independence and this forces the organization to strive to meet and exceed the customer expectations. Customers will stick to an organization that upgrade its services and develops new products that are genuine. A leader should always ensure that there is unity and purpose for the internal environment of the organization that he or she guides. Leaders must be people whose intelligence quotient is very steady and high in order to make wise decisions. This means that a leader should clear visualize the mission and vision of the organization in the future (Robbins & Coulter, 2012). Leaders should develop a participative environment through the formation of partnerships. Other important principles that a leader should consider are encouraging innovation, change and operating in a secure environment. Individuals at all points are the core of the firm and their proper participation makes their ideas to be an important factor for the firm’s benefits. Workers will also perform perfectly in their areas of specialization when the appropriate work tools are available. Goals set for the employees must be realistic and empowerment of the various cultures of employees should be empowered and this will facilitate the idea of group work (Robbins & Coulter, 2012). Processes in an organization should satisfy customer needs. If they don’t then they are not the required processes. Processes are always flowing and focus on creating the appropriate methods for converting products into finished goods and services. Effectiveness and efficiency of an organization is done through identifying, understanding, and managing a system of interrelated process to a given objective. Since a system is identifying all interrelated processes and their interdependence then they should be properly managed. There are three factors to consider in order for

Public sector management and governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Public sector management and governance - Essay Example For example market-type mechanisms like contract giving. New public management also includes high emphasis on performance, maximization of outputs and great level of customer orientation. New public management developments include several economic, political, social and technological factors. Countries that adopt new public management are found to be witnessing fiscal and economic crises. This has resulted in the attempts to increase efficiency and reduce the cost of providing public services. The crisis encountered by the welfare state created several doubts about the role and institutional nature of the state. In many developing countries, developments in public administration and management have been accelerated by external pressures. Moreover, these reforms have happened in the background of structural adjustment programs. Other factors of new public management developments include pre-eminence of neoliberal ideas that existed in the late 1970s and the deployment of efficient int ernational management advisors and consultants on various reforms. Other factors in new public management include the development of information technology. For developing countries, new public management developments include great emphasis on proper governance and lending conditions. Earlier, new public management was considered as a phenomenon of developed countries, typically Anglo-Saxon, phenomenon. In the 1990s we have seen applications of different alternative of new public management practices in few developing economies and transitional economies. Downsizing and user fees are introduced in several countries, for example African countries. These activities are related to different structural adjustment works. Autonomous agencies included in the public sector are formed in certain countries. For example, the autonomous hospitals in Sri Lanka, Ghana and Zimbabwe. In Uganda and Ghana we found the hiving-off of excise and customs and revenue divisions to create executive agencies . Performance contracting as well as contracting out have been the major policy options in different crisis states. Contracting out has been considered as a tool to develop SOEs, state-owned enterprises. This provided more operational freedom to SOE managers while making them responsible for the performance of the enterprises. Grants, sanctions and rewards are implemented for the performance enhancement of enterprises. Performance contracts are introduced in different sectors like agriculture, transport and telecommunication. Countries like India, Bolivia and Ghana have implemented this. Contracting out is put into practice in the various sectors. Delivery of public services including road maintenance, waste management, laundry services, catering services, health services and other urban services are contracted out. In Zimbabwe we find the contracting out of different public services. Even though the adoption of new public management practices appear to be beneficial in certain case s, they have certain limitations to be applied in come crisis states. In Brazil and few other African countries new public management have brought cost savings while contracting out public works like road maintenance. However these techniques bring certain limitations in few states. The inefficiency of new public management in such countries reveals that there are institutional problems and other issues that

Make Better Decision Essay Example for Free

Make Better Decision Essay That the current era of economic uncertainty may have been ushered in through a series of poor government and corporate decisions is implied through the rear view mirror. Could some of the events that shaped todays crises have been avoided through better decision making processes? Thomas Davenport (2009, p. 117) presents examples of â€Å"decision making disorder† evident in both the public and private sectors and offers a framework to guide managers in making better decisions in the future. His premise lies in the ineffectiveness of the individual decision-making process resulting in dire consequences for the organization. Davenport provides a framework to guide managers in adopting a more analytical and systematic approach, resulting in greater effectiveness. He posits that the use of data, especially analytics embedded in automated systems can be powerful tools when balanced with informed human judgment. Davenport presents no new information entailing the decision making process. He does, however, raise the question of why the majority of organizations continue to rely on intuition and ignore proven tools and methods without regard for the evidence pointing to their effectiveness. The author warns that without proper prioritization and systematic review of the decision making process, success remains a gamble. Article Highlights According to Davenport (2009), allowing individual managers to make decisions without a systematic analysis has severe consequences that result in languishing profit margins. In spite of the resources available, most organizations fail to implement the recommendations that would help managers employ better decision making processes. The author notes that while these processes do not guarantee better outcomes, they certainly increase the potential (p. 118). Davenport (2009) outlines a four-step process to improve managerial decisions, the components of which are identification, inventory, intervention and institutionalization. He suggests mangers begin by prioritizing the top decisions required to achieve a goal. He states: â€Å"without some prioritization all decisions are treated as equal, which probably means that the important ones won’t be analyzed with sufficient care† (p. 118). He goes on to stress the importance of identifying key decisions in in order to examine all variables through an inventory process to determine effectiveness and lay the groundwork for organizational communication. Subsequent to identification and taking inventory, considering all parameters of the decision, the appropriate intervention should rise to the surface. The final step is the institutionalization of the decision making process, for which Davenport (2009, p. 119) recommends hiring â€Å"decision experts† in guiding managers through the process. Davenport (2009, p. 119-122) cites two examples of organizations who improved the decision making process: Educational Testing Service (ETS) and The Stanley Works. Meeting with great success, ETS has expanded the new processes to evaluate and prioritize all product changes as well as apply the methodology to handle new prospects. A center of excellence was developed at The Stanley Works that created an analytical tool for sales data and new potential sales opportunities. According to the author, due to automated decision processes created by the center of excellence, the company realized a 6% growth in gross margin. Although highly in favor of analytical tools, Davenport (2009) warns of reliance solely on automation, and cautions managers to use their expert human insight to monitor how well analytical tools are working. The decision making process should always be a human endeavor with analytics only a part of the overall toolbox. Significance of the article Davenport (2009) raises a universal concern encompassing the impact of poorly thought out organizational as well as individual decisions. The decisions of today are the realities of tomorrow, and in spite of the myriad of excellent resources available, â€Å"few organizations have reengineered their decisions† (p. 117). The author presents an excellent argument for the necessity of a systematic decision making process as well as the use of analytical tools to provide reliable information in order to make sound decisions. Corporate CEO’s exist that agree with the concepts and actively ngage in systematic decision-making processes. Donna Thompson, CEO of Access Community Health Network in the Chicago area is one example. She shares her ritual of going through the same decision-making process before taking any action, and offers â€Å"good decision making isn’t as much about having all the right answers as is using a process to ask all the right questions† (Reed-Woodard, M. A. 2006p. 164). Gully, Stainer and Stainer (2006), in their study on moral decisions within organizations, have also found a systematic process to yield the best decisions. The authors describe an organized â€Å"balance sheet† designed to prevent disordered thinking as a model of cooperative business behavior. Their findings include the need for systematic decision-making and state â€Å"the moral decision making maze needs ordered steps of asking questions and providing answers that can readily be applied to solving problems and dilemmas in business† (p. 194). Davenport’s (2009) article continues with accolades for analytical tools within automated systems as long as managers thoroughly understand the models. Jim Ciampaglio CEO of NeoSpire exuberantly claims the success of an analytical sales tool used to manage leads and store sales information and states this tool â€Å"helped us change who we are as a sales organization† (McKay, L. 2010). Executive decisions lay the foundation for business strategy: poorly thought out decisions lead to less than optimal results and systematic decision making takes the emotionality out and puts the issue in an objective framework, leading to better outcomes. Organizations integrating this type of framework reduce the risk of moving ahead with a faulty plan. Davenport (2009) states while managers are buying and most likely reading resource material providing the basis for better decision making, few actually adopt the recommendations (p. 118). Conjecture rather than interviews with key decision makers is offered to support this particular viewpoint with the implication that this may be due to the failure to connect bad outcomes to faulty decision making Conclusion Davenport (2009) does an excellent job of tying the process of decision-making to an organization’s ultimate failure or success. His thought provoking discussion as to what exactly transpires during the individual decision making process and why organizations need to gain some control over this process makes intuitive sense. The success of the author’s suggested framework for making decisions is well supported by the organizations cited in his work, with confirmations easily found in other studies such as Gully et al (2006). Further research is recommended examining the decision making processes generally employed by organizations before conclusions that support Davenport’s (2009) negative assumptions can be drawn. The author does not support his claim that only a few companies employ a systematic process and is biased in his perception of the† poor calls made in both the public and private sectors† in recent years. Overall, Making Better Decisions provides food for thought and raises the question that if Davenport’s (2009) assumptions are in fact correct, why is it that corporations continue to allow managers to use more intuition than systematic processes to arrive at decisions that impact the organization’s bottom line?