Literature Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Literature Review - Research Paper Example A majority of practitioner also do not use the recommended thiazide for managing hypertension (Deshpande, Patel, Godbole, Champaneri, & Patell, 2014; Drawz, et al., 2009). The non-adherence by physicians could explain patents’ lack of knowledge of non-adherence to treatment (Chiazor & Oparah, 2012). Non-adherence to guidelines could be a factor of years of practice and specialty area (Axon, et al., 2010). Educational programs, however, helps physicians to manage barriers to practice, improves their knowledge and confidence in approaches to care, and can therefore improve their adherence to recommendations towards better outcomes (Dacey, Arnstein, Kennedy, Wolfe, & Phillips, 2013). Evidence suggests that practitioners do not implement available guidelines in managing hypertension and this could be a factor to high incidence and prevalence of the condition. Identified effects of continued education, such as awareness of existing and new guidelines can improve outcomes and the current study seeks to ascertain possible effects of awareness initiatives. Framework/Theory: measurement of blood pressure, â€Å"diagnosis of prehypertension and hypertension,† new cases of hypertension, non-pharmacological approaches to treatment, threshold blood pressure level for treatment, and use of antihypertensive agents are the concepts that formed the study’s framework (p. 5). Concepts: blood pressure, â€Å"diagnosis of pre-hypertension and hypertension,† new cases of hypertension, non-pharmacological approaches to treatment, threshold blood pressure level for treatment, and use of antihypertensive agents Dependent Variable: blood pressure, â€Å"diagnosis of pre-hypertension and hypertension,† new cases of hypertension, non-pharmacological approaches to treatment, threshold blood pressure level for treatment, and use of antihypertensive agents A significant percentage of the

People Have Become More Overly Dependent On Technology Essay

People Have Become More Overly Dependent On Technology - Essay Example â€Å"The technologies that started out as aides to our existence have become vital to our everyday lives† (Digitaltrends, 20003). The use of technology has become an integral part of a person’s life. It all starts in the morning. A lot of working adults rely on the use of an alarm clock to get up in the morning. A house needs electricity to run the different electrical devices that people have in their homes. Electricity and water are the two most utilities. Other important technological services that people rely on as part of their everyday lives are cable or satellite television, telephones, and the internet. Television has been engrained into American society since its introduction in the U.S. marketplace. Today there are approximately 115 million households that view television programming which account for 292 million people above the age of two (Nielsen, 2009). Technology has been ingrained deeply into our society. The most important technology that transformed the lives of people in the 20th century was access to reliable electricity. Electricity is needed to run most electrical appliances and gadgets. The majority of electricity in the United States comes from fossil fuels. The demand for crude oil has been on the rise during the last couple of decades which has spiral its price upward. Access to electricity is extremely important for our everyday lives. Most kitchen appliances such as ovens, microwaves, stoves, and can openers are run by either electricity or propane gas. The use of technology is imperative for people to able to cook food. A technological advancement that changed the behavior of businesses and people was the computer. The first home computer was introduced into the marketplace in 1975 by Ed Roberts (Computerhope, 2012). The computer became extremely popular during the 1990s, an era often referred to as the computer age. The reason that the

Application of Virtual Reality Technology

Application of Virtual Reality Technology Week 2 1. Attach a video of a technology https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49vZHEIhp_8 Examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmeR-u-DioE (Virtual reality used at Ford) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYfNzhLXYGc (Introducing HTC Vive- a virtual reality headset with 3D controllers) 2. Key business benefits. It is evident that the main function of virtual reality is to create a virtual environment that resembles the real world. From business perspective, enterpries can take advantage of this outstanding ability to facilitate their activities. First of all, virtual reality is an essential equipment in training. Trainees will deal with real cases while interacting with the virtual world, leading to improvements in both their experience and skills. Firms can still ensure the efficiency of the course without spending too much on training stuffs. According to Sentient Computing in Western Australia, virtual training is able to reduce budget dramatically as well as cut down approximately 70 percent of the time. Secondly, this emerging technology is also decreses commuting costs by connecting people into one space, despite of the geographical distance. An actual face-to-face meeting is now possible by 3D interactions between managers and staffs. For example, the join.me app offers a virtual meeting space, in which users can share files using Mobile Whiteboard or organizing audio conferences. Another interesting scenerio is virtual interviews. Personnel departments can go through the recruitment procedure with candidates in a virtual conference room. Finally, virtual reality is a method of saving manufacturing costs by rendering virtual samples to replace real products in testings. Engineers and scientists can perform actions on 3D prototypes to tailor and fix mistakes with the products before manufacturing for commercial uses. Ford, for instance, are using a package from virtual reality specialists ICIDO to produce virtual copies of the vehicles. 3. The applicability of this technology in one industry sector (health) Although virtual reality is mostly used in game, it has various applications in other fields as well. This essay will give an insight about its functions in health. To start with, virtual reality is opening opportunities for patients with psychological disorders. In dealing with phobias, it provides a controlled environment in which patients will confront with their fears and learn how to overcome them. In one example, psychiatrists at the University of Louisville use virtual reality to assist patients in coping with fears of things such as flying and claustrophobia. Similarly, virtual reality is considered as a treatment for autism. Patients are able to improve social skills by facing with daily situations in the virtual world. In a study, professors at the University of Texas developed a program to help autistic kids with reading social cues and performing proper behaviours. After finishing it, participantsbrain scan indicated increased activity in the areas of the brain related to social understanding. Another branch of health is applying this technology is medical training. In surgery, virtual reality offers a way of practicing without harming the patients. The method is more appropriate to amatuers, as mistakes is acceptable. Students can learn from them to acquire skills for real operations. From 2002, Stanford University had a surgery stimulator using CT scans to create 3D models for practicing. Furthermore, it also plays a key role in dentistry. A programme called HapTEL, for instance, relies on haptics to train new dentists. This virtual dental chair provides a 3D set of teeth for learners to work on. 4. Describing the impact of the adoption of this technology at an organization using the Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) PET is a theory stated that in the evolution process of each species, there a sudden revolutionary change took place after a long period of stablization. Although it is a biological theory, it can be used in technology, with innovations made a great impact on an organisation. To clarify the theory, lets take a look at Thomas Cook- an English-based travel company with more than 170 years of experiece. During the past, the agent advertises their services thourgh brochures and website. In other words, these two are the main information sources that customers can refer to before booking a trip. However, that habit has changed since 2014, when Thomas Cook applyed virtual reality. The new technology made a huge impact on their marketing strategies. They cooperated with Visualise to produce a range of 360 virtual reality films. After deciding the itinerary for the roll out, a small team went to Egypt, Cyprus, Singarpore, Greece and New York to capture the required content. The videos will be uploaded to a virtual reality store, instead of posting on the Internet. The new commercial plan resulted in a dramatic boost in the profit. The enterprise earned a staggering  £12000 from hotel and flights bookings in the Uk and Germany as well as a 40% return on investment. New York market also witnessed an 180% uplift in the excursions revenue.    Overall, it can be concluded that the equilibrium of using brochures and website of Thomas Cook has been distracted by the introduction of Virtual Reality. This adoption has affected the agent by creating major changes in marketing strategies. References: Andrienne, B. (2017). Punctuated Equilibrium: Definition, Theory Examples | Study.com. [online] Study.com. Available at: http://study.com/academy/lesson/punctuated-equilibrium-definition-theory-examples.html [Accessed 12 Mar. 2017]. Carson, E. (2017). 10 ways virtual reality is revolutionizing medicine and healthcare TechRepublic. [online] TechRepublic. Available at: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-ways-virtual-reality-is-revolutionizing-medicine-and-healthcare [Accessed 11 Mar. 2017]. David, G. (2017). Ford Uses Virtual Reality to Reduce Costs | Automation World. [online] Automationworld.com. Available at: https://www.automationworld.com/simulation-amp-modeling/ford-uses-virtual-reality-reduce-costs [Accessed 12 Mar. 2017]. Jonha, R. (2017). How Can Businesses Benefit From Virtual Reality?. [online] The Huffington Post. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonha-revesencio/how-can-businesses-benefi_b_7751958.html [Accessed 11 Mar. 2017]. Jonha, R. (2017). 5 apps to help you manage your work on the road. [online] Business Insider. Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/sc/5-apps-for-work-travel-2015-6 [Accessed 11 Mar. 2017]. Julia, H. (2017). How Virtual Reality is Gaining Traction in Healthcare. [online] Healthline. Available at: http://www.healthline.com/health-news/virtual-reality-gaining-traction-in-healthcare [Accessed 11 Mar. 2017]. Kandalaft, M., Didehbani, N., Krawczyk, D., Allen, T. and Chapman, S. (2012). Virtual Reality Social Cognition Training for Young Adults with High-Functioning Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(1), pp.34-44. Mandelbaum, A. (2017). 2 travel agencies already using virtual reality . [online] Hypergridbusiness.com. Available at: http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2015/07/2-travel-agencies-already-using-virtual-reality/   [Accessed 12 Mar. 2017]. Sean, O. (2017). Thomas Cook tests virtual reality holidays, thanks to Oculus Tnooz. [online] Tnooz. Available at: https://www.tnooz.com/article/thomas-cook-tests-virtual-reality-holidays-high-street/ [Accessed 12 Mar. 2017]. Virtual Reality Society, T. (2017). Advantages of virtual reality in medicine Virtual Reality. [online] Virtual Reality. Available at: https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-healthcare/advantages.html [Accessed 11 Mar. 2017]. Visualise, T. (2017). Thomas Cook Try Before You Fly | Virtual Reality Holiday | VR Case Study | Visualise. [online] VISUALISE. Available at: http://visualise.com/case-study/thomas-cook-virtual-holiday   [Accessed 12 Mar. 2017]. Week 3 1. Identify a business process within the organization and provide a brief overview of the business process Nowadays, Wal-mart Stores (or Walmart) is undoubtedly one of the largest multinational retailing firm in the world. The company has maintained the top position for decades, partly thanks to the advanced home delivery process. This process can be executed via Walmarts official website. First of all, customers need to register into the system. First-timers are required to create an account to continue shopping. The system will then introduce a variety of items that are categorized into departments according to their purposes. Selected goods will be added to a basket- the button located at the top right corner of the screen. Having checked the basket, customers will make a payment, which is the final step. Walmart online system accepts numerous payment method, for instance credit and debit cards, Paypal, etc. A notice containing an receipt will pop up to confirm the order. Staffs will check all the details once again prior to sending customers a confimation email. Overall, the process i s accomplished entirely through the internet within a few clicks, saving a considerable amount of time and money for shoppers. 2. Inputs, processing, and outputs of the business process After rolling through the process, it can be clearly seen that this consists of 3 main components: input, process and output. Inputs include customers accounts (name, birth, email, phone number) as well as the choosen item list (Good number, quantity, price). For customers who pay by card, there will be also cards details such as card number or expire date. In case of evoucher or gift card, additional input will be its code. All of the provided information will be processed by RealLink computer system and stored in the form of data. Having accomplised processing the input, the system will return the output a successful notification and later on, a comfirmation email containing a receipt . 3. Technologies are used by the organization and their relation to the organizations business strategy. Walmart has adopted a wide range of technologies in order to maximize their profit. These technologies play an important role in their business strategies. The retailer has been using RDIF (Radio-Frequency Identification) technology for around a decade. The initial function of the technology was to track the location of commodities travelling along its supply chain, including at warehouses. In 2007, it was upgraded by reducing approximately one-third of excess inventory volume in the supply chain as well as 16% of out-of-stock situations. Another advancement took place 3 years later, with the appearace of RDIF tags on individual garments, which are usually from two to four square inches in size. Inside each tag is a silicon chip containing a number string to represent a specific good. There is also an antenna to transmit the details in the tag to a separate RDIF reader. RDIF tag is much more advantageous than conventional barcode, as it mitigates the need for a scanner by using the reader. These continuous innovations help the company achieve its business strategy of streamling the supply chain while decreasing cost. Another outstanding technology applied at Walmart chain stores is virtual assistant in order to enhacing clients satisfaction. This application was developed by a group of hacker during a hackathon funded by the corporation. By interactions with the assistant via texting, customers can tailor answers to simple questions and locate items in the store. Once typing hi to the posted number in store, shoppers will receive a message back from a store associated with assistance, for example instructions to a certain corner of the store. In case of overcomplicated problems, customers will be guided to a nearby staff for extra help. 4. Strategic business objectives addressed by the organizations information systems. *Improved decision making: In early 1990s, Walmart adopted Retail Link-an interorganisation Decision Support System(DSS) and a sale figure warehouse. Data of stores are gathered from warehouse and sent to Retail Link for analyzing to make a weekly report., which will be sent to suppliers. The report contains all the sale data by Stock-Keeping Unit(SKU), by hour, by store; gross machine achieved, inventory returns, in-stock percentage, and most important, weekly forecasting information. To develop decision making quality, Walmart made a variety of technological advancement afterwards. In 1997, the retailer expanded the size and information analysis capabilities of of the data warehouse. According to Randy Mott senior vice president and chief information officer of Walmart, Every cost, every line item is carefully categorized, enabling better merchandising decisions to be made on a daily basis.. The following year also witnessed an innovation, when Walmart and Warner-Lambert applied internet to communicate abou t sales forecast, which resulted in about a reduction of 2,5 weeks in the time items in the supply chain and a million dollars in inventory. *Operational Excellence: Walmart use Transaction Process System (TPS) to automate daily business activities, which play a key role in organizational operation like Point-of-Sale, preparing a payroll and billing clients. Raw data will be summarized, recored and merged to create a report. With Point-of-Sale, for instance, when customer check-out the items at the supermarket, the clerk has to scan the bar code -the input of system. Walmart developed a universal product code (UPC) system in order to ensure exact price, decrease shrinkage as well as enhance communication. TPS will then calculate the total amount of money by multiplying the quantity with the price of each product prior to printing a receipt. Electronic Scanning of uniform product code -UPC- *Competitive advantage: Retail Link system uses a satellite system to create a competitive advantage. The corporartion introduced the 24 million dollar system in 1987, which consist of 6 components- Becon activation, GPS Satellite Relay, MEOLUT, Mission Control Center, Rescue Coordination Center, Rescue. Here is a diagram describing the merchanism of the system: With this system, data and voice transmission can be sent at 56 kilobits per second, much faster than 12 and 24 kilobits via telephone lines. Another benefit is the ability to lower telephone costs by 20 to 30%, while facilitating high speed communication. On 17 November, 1999, Walmart broadcasted a Grath Brooks concert via this system into all of its stores, leading to a remarkable rise in sale data: 5.What would happen if your organizations information systems were not available? Without information system, Walmart could face a variety of difficulties. First, the company will need to recruit more staffs to gather data from stores. The number of additional employees will be huge to keep up with sales figure from 11695 stores and clubs worldwide. Recruting new members will lead to a surge in the operation cost, as more money is spent on staffssalary. Even meeting the need of human resources, each of the process is still disaggregated, due to inconsistency performance of human. Furthermore, lack of information system also delay forecasting and planning process. Because Walmart is a multinational corporation, it is essential to have a business plan that are suitable with each countrys legislation system and customs. This process is going to be more time-comsuming, since consultants have to deal with raw data instead of processed data. However, the disappearance of information system does not affect only the retailer, but also its suppliers. When the automatic link to warehouses is cut, the sales representative will have to contact warehouse staffs by phone to gather inventory statistics. Consequently, suppliers will have to wait longer for the data, obstructing them to keeping up with the demand. References: Bisk, (2017). RFID Technology Boosts Walmarts Supply Chain Management. [online] Usanfranonline.com. Available at: https://www.usanfranonline.com/resources/supply-chain-management/rfid-technology-boosts-walmarts-supply-chain-management/#.WM0nnR-g_IU [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017]. Chris, P. (2017). Walmarts secret sauce: How the largest survives and thrives. [online] www.retailcustomerexperience.com. Available at: https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/blogs/walmarts-secret-sauce-how-the-largest-survives-and-thrives/ [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017]. Kline, D. (2017). 2 Ways Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Is Using Technology to Improve Its Shopping Experience The Motley Fool. [online] The Motley Fool. Available at: https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/11/10/2-ways-wal-mart-stores-inc-is-using-technology-to.aspx [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017]. MISgroup, T. (2017). Information Systems. [online] Wal-m.blogspot.com.au. Available at: http://wal-m.blogspot.com.au/p/information-systems.html [Accessed 19 Mar. 2017]. Simkiss, G., Simkiss, G. and profile, V. (2017). Wal-Mart Satellite Communication System. [online] Emergingtechnologiesis.blogspot.com.au. Available at: http://emergingtechnologiesis.blogspot.com.au/2007/10/wal-mart-satellite-communication-system.html [Accessed 19 Mar. 2017].

Living at Treasure Island :: Descriptive Essay Examples

Living at Treasure Island Just imagine that you are sitting on the beach, smelling the salt air, and feeling the cool breeze. The sun is slowly melting into the ocean and the sky is the shade of bright purple that can only be seen at dusk. It has been a long, hot day in the s un, and it feels nice to finally let it end. This is what living in Treasure Island, Florida is all about. Treasure Island is a small community inside St. Petersburg, Florida. The island is only seven miles long and a half-mile wide. It is directly in between St. Pete Beach and Madiera Beach. There are not very many full-time residents on the island beca use there are so many hotels. Tourism is the business in Treasure Island, because the weather is warm all year. During the winter months, elderly people come from the cooler states to escape the cold weather. The Florida natives call these tourists "Snowbird" or "blue-hairs." Th ese tourists really do earn these unsavory titles because they all drive five miles an hour. This makes the locals crazy. After the snowbirds leave, all of the summer tourists arrive. These are usually families driving mini-vans with ten bratty kids wh o are all out of school for the summer. Despite the fact that these tourists are a pain, life in Treasure Island is wonderful. Everyone who lives on the island is very friendly and extremely easy going. This type of person seems to be bred at the beach. It seems as if no one really has an y worries or complaints when they live at the beach. For example, people who attend church at the beach do not even bother to dress up. Churchgoers wear shorts, tennis shoes, and a sun hat. Their attitude is very different from that of an urban area. Native born beachers seem to look at life from a practical point of view. I believe that they do this because of the heat. It is not uncommon for the temperature to hit 101 degrees in the shade on Treasure Island. The ocean breeze is nice, but is do es not always help. For example, my mother once left a cassette tape in the back window of her car and when she returned two hours later, is was liquid plastic.

Employment and Interviewer Essay

Ask a random selection of people for a listing of their least favorite activities, and right up there with â€Å"getting my teeth drilled† is likely to be â€Å"going to a job interview.† The job interview is often regarded as a confusing, humiliating, and nerve-racking experience. First of all, you have to wait for your appointment in an outer room, often trapped there with other people applying for the same job. You sit nervously, trying not to think about the fact that only one of you may be hired. Then you are called into the interviewer’s office. Faced with a complete stranger, you have to try to act both cool and friendly as you are asked all sorts of questions. Some questions are personal: â€Å"What is your greatest weakness?† Others are confusing: â€Å"Why should we hire you?† The interview probably takes about twenty minutes but seems like two hours. Finally, you go home and wait for days and even weeks. If you get the job, great. But if you don’t, you’re rarely given any reason why. 2 The job-interview â€Å"game† may not be much fun, but it is a game you can win if you play it right. The name of the game is standing out of the crowd—in a positive way. If you go to the interview in a Bozo the Clown suit, you’ll stand out of the crowd, all right, but not in a way that is likely to get you hired. 3 Here are guidelines to help you play the interview game to win: 4 Present yourself as a winner. Instantly, the way you dress, speak, and move gives the interviewer more information about you than you would think possible. You doubt that this is true? Consider this: a professional job recruiter, meeting a series of job applicants, was asked to signal the moment he decided not to hire each applicant. The thumbs-down decision was often made in less than forty-five seconds—even before the applicant thought the interview had begun. 5 How can you keep from becoming a victim of an instant â€Å"no† decision? * Dress appropriately. This means business clothing: usually a suit and tie or a conservative dress or skirt suit. Don’t wear casual student clothing. On the other hand, don’t overdress: you’re going to a job interview, not a party. If you’re not sure what’s considered appropriate business attire, do some spying before the interview. Walk past your prospective place of employment at lunch or quitting time and check out how the employees are dressed. Your goal is to look as though you would fit in with that group of people. * Pay attention to your grooming. Untidy hair, body odor, dandruff, unshined shoes, a hanging hem, stains on your tie, excessive makeup or cologne, a sloppy job of shaving—if the interviewer notices any of these, your prospect of being hired takes a probably fatal hit. * Look alert, poised, and friendly. When that interviewer looks into the waiting room and calls your name, he or she is getting a first impression of your behavior. If you’re slouched in your chair, dozing or lost in the pages of a magazine; if you look up with an annoyed â€Å"Huh?†; if you get up slowly and wander over with your hands in your pockets, he or she will not be favorably impressed. What will earn you points is rising promptly and walking briskly toward the interviewer. Smiling and looking directly at that person, extend your hand to shake his or hers, saying, â€Å"I’m Lesley Brown. Thank you for seeing me today.† * Expect to make a little small talk. This is not a waste of time; it is the interviewer’s way of checking your ability to be politely sociable, and it is your opportunity to cement the good impression you’ve already made. The key is to follow the interviewer’s lead. If he or she wants to chat about the weather for a few minutes, do so. But don’t drag it out; as soon as you get a signal that it’s time to talk about the job, be ready to get down to business. Be ready for the interviewer’s questions. The same questions come up again and again in many job interviews. You should plan ahead for all these questions! Think carefully about each question, outline your answer, and memorize each outline. Then practice reciting the answers to yourself. Only in this way are you going to be prepared. Here are common questions, what they really mean, and how to answer them: * â€Å"Tell me about yourself.† This question is raised to see how organized you are. The wrong way to answer it is to launch into a wandering, disjointed response or—worse yet—to demand defensively, â€Å"What do you want to know?† or â€Å"What do you mean?† When this question comes up, you should be prepared to give a brief summary of your life and work experience—where you grew up, where your family lives now, where you went to school, what jobs you’ve had, and how you happen to be here now looking for the challenge of a new job. * â€Å"What are your strengths and weaknesses?† In talking about your strong points, mention traits that will serve you well in this particular job. If you are well organized, a creative problem-solver, a good team member, or a quick learner, be ready to describe specific ways those strengths have served you in the past. Don’t make the mistake of saying, â€Å"I don’t have any real weaknesses.† You’ll come across as more believable if you admit a flaw—but make it one that an employer might actually like. For instance, admit that you are a workaholic or a perfectionist. * â€Å"Why should we hire you?† Remember that it is up to you to convince the interviewer that you’re the man or woman for this job. If you just sit there and hope that the interviewer will magically discern your good qualities, you are likely to be disappointed. Don’t be afraid to sell yourself. Tell the recruiter that from your research you have learned that the interviewer’s company is one you would like to work for, and that you believe the company’s needs and your skills are a great match. * â€Å"Why did you leave your last job?† This may seem like a great opportunity to cry on the interviewer’s shoulder about what a jerk your last boss was or how unappreciated you were. It is not. The experts agree: never bad-mouth anyone when you are asked this question. Say that you left in order to seek greater responsibilities or challenges. Be positive, not negative. No matter how justified you may feel about hating your last job or boss, if you give voice to those feelings in an interview, you’re going to make the interviewer suspect that you’re a whiner and hard to work with. * â€Å"Do you have any questions?† This is the time to stress one last time how interested you are in this particular job. Ask a question or two about specific aspects of the job, pointing out again how well your talents and the company’s needs are matched. Even if you’re dying to know how much the job pays and how much vacation you get, don’t ask. There will be time enough to cover those questions after you’ve been offered the job. Today, your task is to demonstrate what a good employee you would be. 7 Send a thank-you note. Once you’ve gotten past the interview, there is one more chance for you to make a fine impression. As soon as you can—certainly no more than one or two days after the interview—write a note of thanks to your interviewer. In it, briefly remind him or her of when you came in and what job you applied for. As well as thanking the interviewer for seeing you, reaffirm your interest in the job and mention again why you think you are the best candidate for it. Make the note courteous, businesslike, and brief—just a paragraph or two. If the interviewer is wavering between several equally qualified candidates, such a note could tip the scales in your favor. No amount of preparation is going to make interviewing for a job your favorite activity. But if you go in well-prepared and with a positive attitude, your potential employer can’t help thinking highly of you. And the day will come when you are the one who wins the job.

Liberal Democracy vs Social Democracy Essay

Abstract The essay to follow will discuss what is meant by liberal democracy. The term will be defined and further discussed. In addition, it will be contrasted with that of a socialist democracy. This democratic system will be defined in political terms with reference to valid examples as too will liberal democracy. The following essay is based on a contrast between liberal and socialist democracy from a political perspective. An analysis of the terms, concepts and the question will then follow. In addition, reference will be made to current examples such as that of the USA, Great Britain, and Chile as evidence for each type of democracy that is being examined. Furthermore, key issues that will be discussed in this paper consist of democracy as a whole, negative and positive freedom within a liberal democracy, and the failure of socialism in the third world. Furthermore this essay will prove that Sweden is not a socialist democracy. In order to contrast liberal and socialist democracy one must first hold an understanding of what each term means. In order to go about understanding these terms, it is important to first understand what democracy. In simple terms, democracy can be defined as the rule of the people. A democracy is about the people who come together to decide on laws. And according to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address of 1863, democracy links government to the people as he stated that democracy is a â€Å"government of the people, by the people, and for the people† (Heywood, 2014). Universal suffrage plays a role in deciding these laws. This term is understood as the right of almost all adults to vote in political elections. Depending on the country, there are different requirements which have to be fulfilled. In the Philippines, citizens have to be at least eighteen years of age, and have to have resided in the Philippines for at least one year and in the region wherein they wish to vote, for at least six months prior to the election (Castillo, 2011). There is not always collective decision-making within every democracy. Zimbabwe for one claims to be a â€Å"democracy† based on the will of the people with a leader who claims to a monopoly of ideological wisdom but there isn’t collective decision making. Whereas it really is a totalitarian democracy in which there is absolute dictatorship that pretends to be a democracy. Also here, which is a republic version of democracy, where you elect representatives to make decisions on your behalf. The scope of a democracy defines what should fall under the sovereignty of life, and divides the liberals from the socialists. Heywood (2013) states that liberalism is â€Å"the ideology of the industrialized West†. By this Heywood means that liberalism is a classical ideology that supports social progression and the changing of laws through reform rather than through a revolution. The individual is the primary focus of liberalism, not of revolution. Consequently we can understand liberal democracy as a modern form of governance that denies that popular rule is the ultimate political rule. Leaders are elected by the collective to govern the entity on behalf of the community. In South Africa not all leaders declare voted for by the collective due to the fact that there are provisional elections that are only open to those citizens residing in that province, such as you could not vote in Cape Town if you live in Gauteng. But you choose to vote for an overall party during the ele ctions based on the rule of the law and therefore the election is free and fair (Yufo, 2008). Great Britain is an example of a state which has a liberal democracy even though it is also a monarchy (Evolution News, 2014). It is considered a laissez-faire liberalism in that the Government are free to do as they choose for up to 5 years before the next free and fair democratic election The British declaration political settlement of 1688 is evidence that Great Britain became the first liberal state in 1614. Another liberal democratic state is the United States of America according to the American Declaration of Independence of 1776 as freedoms such as that of thought, speech, association and religion are all basic liberties that take priority over popular rule (Gutmann, 1993). Liberal freedom within this democracy is a characteristic of negative freedom as individuals are equally free and protected from collective decisions. Negative freedom has no external constraints on the individual or the collective due to the freedoms available to them and the fact that there is no interference in decision-making and a lack of forces which prevent individuals from doing as they please. Although in South Africa, government has implemented the â€Å"Secrecy Bill†. This bill is somewhat a farewell to democracy, as the freedom of speech is no longer a right, as both citizens and the media have been censored by government. The purpose of the secrecy bill is to protect state information (SABC, 2013) and many people would argue that this silencing is due to the self-interest of politicians that are involved in activities such as corruption. Laws such as this contradict democratic freedoms such as that of speech. Positive freedom can be defined as having some control over your decisions. This is an autonomous state which gives you as the individual an education for example in order for you to reach your full potential. The government also provides grants and subsidies to assist individuals in achieving this potential. The formation of free and compulsory education, public health systems limit the freedom of the capitalists to exploit workers, but give worker the opp ortunity to develop as human beings. Positive freedom has been built up due to the struggle of the working class which in which the legislation limited the hours of work per day, per person and abolished child labor (Marxist, 2014). In the words of J.S Mill â€Å"the only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way† and this is exactly what Liberal democracy aims at achieving as American and Great Britain citizens have individual and property rights which are both a principle of classical liberalism (Heywood, 2014, p32). Socialist democracy in essence is a modern version of socialism. All these notions were integrated but there are small distinctions between them. Social democracy takes some of its principles from socialism such as free enterprise and the focus on societal framework. Whereas capitalism, private enterprise and maximization of life opportunities are more democracy than socialism. In theory South Africa is an example of democracy as the constitution states that RDP housing is provided by government (Rabbani, 1994), due to the fact that government provide grants and education in order to correct the ills of Apartheid. Socialism, by definition, is a system marked by the â€Å"common ownership of the means of production (Legon, 2013). Having said so, we can simply understand it is a democracy that uses socialist reforms in their referendum. It is pivotal to make this distinction between socialism and socialist democracy as they are not the same concept and often the two terms are confused. A social democracy is a government that uses democratic process but also consists of characteristics that resemble those of a socialist society as mentioned in the above. Social democrats generally are committed to acting for the common good. In a government that is a social democracy, the government plays an active role in regulating certain political and economic conditions (Jablonsky, 2014). A socialist democracy is a Marxist organisation which believes that the poverty and misery and the oppression and exploitation that marks their society is the result of control of the world’s wealth and productive resources by a tiny class that exploits the vast majority of society. This leads to humanity crippled by the reality an d ideology of capitalist society. In the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam and Eastern Europe socialist democracy is the dominant system. The trouble of the people in liberal democratic countries is not as wretched as it is in socialist countries, due to the fact that in communist countries, political and economic system are imposed on society by party officials therefore resulting in untold human suffering and severe psycho-economic exploitation. Both liberal democracy and socialist democracy may be considered forms of political democracy because these systems are based on economic and political centralization (Evolution news, 2014). Many would argue that socialism has failed and that the Cuban economy is a disaster and when Cuba found itself caught in disagreement therefore facing both the merciless US blockade and enduring the suspension of all trade with the former members of the socialist bloc–, leaders of the Cuban revolution told the people: â€Å"either we stand our ground or we lose everything we have ach ieved under socialism† (Legon, 2013). This brings us to discuss the failure of socialist democracy in third world countries. This democracy promised prosperity, equality and security. Yet it is evident that it rather delivered poverty, misery and autocracy. Equality was achieved only in the sense that everyone was equal in his or her misery. Socialism is now a bankrupt, discredited, and flawed nineteenth century theory that has failed miserably in countries around the world (Perry, 2014). We can agree that Socialism has collapsed because of its failure to operate under a competitive, profit- and-loss system of bookkeeping. A profit system is a very effective monitoring tool which frequently assesses the economic performance of every enterprise (Perry, 2014). The firms that are the most efficient and most successful at serving the public interest are rewarded with profits. Evidence of a socialist democracy can be seen in Chile as their changeover to democracy has still not been achieved. After a decade of non-combatant rule, the state remains under the military dictatorship’s 1980 constitution. According to the writings of Alejandro Reuss â€Å"The president has made sure to not aggravate the still-powerful Armed Forces. He has insisted that his relations with the Armed Forces are â€Å"excellent and that they can work together for Chile†. The Chilean Socialist leader Ricardo Lagos has declared that Chileans should stop worrying about the past, concentra ting instead on their future together (Reuss, 2001). The above clearly proves that socialism has failed in the third world. The question of whether Sweden is or is not a socialist democracy has risen many times before in the past within the left internationally, with regards to the politics and economy of the Nordic state or if Sweden is an alternative to neo-liberal capitalism (Olsson, 2009). Sweden has never been a socialist society as it is based merely on public ownership of production, workers’ control and management, social equality and a democratic plan of production which are characteristics of a socialist entity according to Olsson (2009). Neither has Sweden been a ‘mixed economy’. In fact it is one of the most well off country’s to date. It is evident that the social democrats and the trade union movement in Sweden are â€Å"facing a historic crisis as they have lost roots, influence and support, with no prospect of regaining their old ground as their policy and methods mean further attacks on what is left of the general welfare system. The social democratic party has become an empty shell† (Olsson, 2009) but that doesn’t change the fact that Sweden is not a socialist democracy. In conclusion, there is a major contrast between liberal democracy and social democracy. Evidently a liberalist democracy is built on the foundations of organic social solidarity with private ownership of production, empirical (demonstrable, verifiable reasoning), scientific, reflective and constructivism. The pursuit of the greatest possible welfare for all is a major view of liberal democracy. It considers the State as an association like any other, generally managed no better and no more efficient than others and wishes the abolition of all monopolies as well as the disappearance of classes and that there should be no more proletariats (Lesigne, 1887). Liberals wish to leave each in possession of its own and desires everybody to be a proprietor. The latter promises liberty and makes the State the employee of the citizen. Whereas socialist democracy is based on collective ownership of the means of production, political restrictions, and is dogmatic, meaning that the government is i nclined to lay down principles as undeniably true as well as being destructive. Socialist democracy wishes for the governed class to become the governing class and that that there should be none but proletariats. The most obvious distinction is that socialist democracy wishes to take everything and all positions away from everyone and impound them (Lesigne, 1887). The greatest contrast between both democracies is that liberal democracy is the future, while socialist democracy is the past. Bibliography 1.Gutmann, A (1993). a companion to contemporary political philosophy. 2nd ed. Australia: Blackwell Publishing. p413. 2.Heywood, A. (2013). Political Ideas and Ideologies. In: Heywood, A Politics. 4th ed. United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. 31, 32. 3.Kuttner,R. (2005). Liberalism, Socialism, and Democracy. Available: http://prospect.org/article/liberalism-socialism-and-democracy. Last accessed 13 March 2014. 4.Legon E D. (2013). Cuba and the Alleged Failure of Socialism. Available: http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=99148. Last accessed 17 March 2014. 5.Lesigne, E (1887). Liberty V. p5. 6.Olsson, P. (2009). Sweden Is Sweden Socialist?. Available: http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/3752. Last accessed 15 March 2014. 7.Perry, M. (2014). Why Socialism Failed. Available: http://spruce.flint.umich.edu/~mjperry/socialism.htm. Last accessed 15 March 2014. 8.Rabbani, F. (1994). SA: ANC’S RECONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT PLAN. Available: http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Govern_Political/ANC_Recon.html. Last accessed 16 March 2014. 9.Reuss, A. (2001). Thirty Years of Chilean Socialism. Available: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/South_America/30Years_ChileanSocialism.html. Last accessed 15 March 2014. 10.SABC. (2013). National Assembly approves Info Bill. Available: http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/8612bb8041cd7c3e8bd9cb5393638296/National-Assembly-approves-Info-Bill-20131211. Last accessed 16 March 2014. 11.Unknown. (2009). Political Liberalism. Available: http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=74492. Last accessed 13 March 2014. 12.Unknown. (2014). Liberal Democracy. Available: http://evolutionnews.co.nz/liberal-democracy/. Last accessed 16 March 2014. Unknown. (1688). Bill of Rights [1688]. Available: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/WillandMarSess2/1/2/introduction. Last accessed 17 March 2014. 13.Unknown. (1776). The Declaration of Independence. Available: http://www.ushistory.org/DECLARATION/DOCUMENT/index.htm. Last accessed 17 March 2014 14.Unknown. (2014). Glossary of terms : FR. Available: http://www.marxists.org/glossary/terms/f/r.htm. Last accessed 16 March 2014. 15.Yufo. (2008). http://www.studymode.com/essays/Liberal-Democracy-140567.html?utm_campaign=transactionalEmail&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email. Available: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Liberal-Democracy-140567.html?utm_campaign=transactionalEmail&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email. Last accessed 17 March 2014.

How to Become a Critical Reader

How to Become a Critical Reader Whether you are reading for pleasure or for school, its important to understand basic structural and content elements about the text you are studying. These questions and idea generators should help you to become a more critical reader. Understand and retain what you read!   Steps to Becoming a Critical Reader Determine your purpose for reading. Are you gathering information for a writing assignment? Are you determining whether a source will be useful for your paper? Are you preparing for a class discussion?Consider the title. What does it tell you about what the book, essay, or ​literary work is about?Think about what you already know about the topic of the book, essay, or play. Do you already have preconceived notions of what to expect? What are you expecting? Do you hope to learn something, enjoy yourself, be bored?Look at how the text is structured. Are there subdivisions, chapters, books, acts, scenes? Read over the titles of the chapters or sections? What do the headings tell you?Skim the opening sentence of each paragraph (or lines) under the headings. Do these first words of the sections give you any hints?Read carefully, marking or highlighting places that are confusing (or so wonderful that you want to re-read). Be careful to keep a dictionary close at hand. Looking up a w ord can be an excellent way to enlighten your reading. Identify key issues or arguments the author/writer makes, along with important terms, recurring images and interesting ideas.You may want to make notes in the margin, highlight those points, take notes on a separate sheet of paper or notecard, etc.Question the sources that the author/writer might have used: personal experience, research, imagination, popular culture of the time, historical study, etc.Did the author effectively use these sources to develop a believable work of literature?What is one question you would like to ask the author/writer?Think about the work as a whole. What did you like best about it? What puzzled, confused, angered, or irritated you?Did you get what you expected out of the work, or were you disappointed? Additional Tips The process of reading critically can help you with many literary and academic situations, including studying for a test, preparing for a discussion, and more.If you have questions about the text, be sure to ask your professor; or discuss the text with others.Consider keeping a reading log to help you to track your perceptions about reading.

French Compound Tenses and Moods

French Compound Tenses and Moods Conjugations for the different French verb tenses and moods can be divided into two categories: simple and compound. Simple tenses and moods have only one part (e.g., je vais) whereas compound tenses and moods have two (je suis allà ©). This lesson will explain everything you need to know about the more complicated compound conjugations.But first, a chart: the simple tense or mood on the left is used to conjugate the auxiliary verb for the compound tense or mood on the right, as demonstrated with the verb avoir (to have). Simple Compound Present tu as (you have) Pass compos tu as eu (you have had) Imperfect tu avais (you were having) Pluperfect tu avais eu (you had had) Pass simple tu eus (you had) Past anterior tu eus eu (you had had) Future tu auras (you will have) Future perfect tu auras eu (you will have had) Conditional tu aurais (you would have) Conditional perfect tu aurais eu (you would have had) Subjunctive tu aies (you have) Past subjunctive tu aies eu (you had) Imperfect subjunctive tu eusses (you were having) Pluperfect subjunctive tu eusses eu (you had had) Imperative (tu) aie ([you] have) Past imperative (tu) aie eu ([you] have had) Present participle ayant (having) Perfect participle ayant eu (having had) Infinitive avoir (to have) Past infinitive avoir eu (to have had) Please note that I have provided (English translations) to give you an idea about the differences in meaning, but there may be other possibilities. For detailed information about each tense and mood, click the links to read the lesson. You might also find this lesson helpful:  Translating French verbs into English. See other  French verbs  conjugated into all the tenses and moods: Simple Compound aller aller avoir avoir tre tre prendre prendre There are four things you need to know about French compound tenses and moods in order to conjugate and use them correctly. 1. Two-part conjugations Compound tenses/moods are always made up of two parts: the conjugated  auxiliary verb  (either  avoir  or  Ãƒ ªtre) and the  past participle. French verbs are classified by their auxiliary verb, and use it for all compound moods/tenses. That is,  avoir  verbs use  avoir  in all of the compound tenses/moods, and  Ãƒ ªtre  verbs use  Ãƒ ªtre  in all the compound tenses/moods.In the chart on page 1, the tense/mood in the first column is the conjugation used for the auxiliary verb of the compound tense/mood listed in the second column.For example,  aller  is an  Ãƒ ªtre  verb. So the present tense of  Ãƒ ªtre,  Il est, is the conjugation used for the passà © composà © of  aller:  Il est allà ©Ã‚  (He went).Manger  is an  avoir  verb. The future of  avoir,  Nous aurons, is the conjugation for the future perfect,  Nous aurons mangà ©Ã‚  (We will have eaten).   2. Agreement There are two different types of agreement with compound tenses and moods, depending on whether youre dealing with  Ãƒ ªtre  verbs or  avoir  verbs.Être verbs:  In all compound tenses/moods, the past participle of  Ãƒ ªtre  verbs  has to agree with the subject of the sentence in gender and number.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Il est allà ©.  Ã‚  Ã‚  He went.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elle à ©tait allà ©e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  She had gone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ils seront allà ©s.  Ã‚  Ã‚  They will have gone.  Ã‚  Ã‚  ...quelles soient allà ©es.  Ã‚  Ã‚  ...that they went.Avoir verbs:  The past participle of  avoir  verbs that are  preceded by a  direct object  must agree with the direct object*  Ã‚  Ã‚  Les livres que tu as commandà ©s sont ici.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The books that you ordered are here.  Ã‚  Ã‚  La pomme ? Je laurai mangà ©e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The apple? I will have eaten it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Mes sÅ“urs... vous les aviez vues ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  My sisters... had you seen them?*Except for  ve rbs of perception  and the  causative.When the  direct object follows  the  avoir  verb, there is no agreement.  Ã‚  Ã‚  As-tu commandà © des livres  ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Did you order some books?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jaurai mangà © la pomme.  Ã‚  Ã‚  I will have eaten the apple.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Aviez-vous vu mes sÅ“urs ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Had you seen my sisters?There is  no agreement with  indirect objects.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je leur ai parlà ©.  Ã‚  Ã‚  I talked to them.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Il nous a tà ©là ©phonà ©.  Ã‚  Ã‚  He called us.Learn more about agreement   3. Word order: Pronouns Object, reflexive, and adverbial pronouns  always precede the auxiliary verb in compound tenses/moods:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Je te lai donnà ©.  Ã‚  Ã‚  I gave it to you.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Il lavait fait.  Ã‚  Ã‚  He had done it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Nous y serons allà ©s.  Ã‚  Ã‚  We will have gone there.   4. Word order: Negation Negative structures  almost always surround the auxiliary verb**   Ã‚  Ã‚  Je nai pas à ©tudià ©.  Ã‚  Ã‚  I didnt study.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nous naurions jamais su.  Ã‚  Ã‚  We would have never known.**Exceptions:  Ã‚  Ã‚  a)  In the  past infinitive, both parts of the negation precede the auxiliary verb:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jespà ¨re ne pas avoir perdu.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I hope I didnt lose.  Ã‚  Ã‚  b)  Personne,  aucun, and  nulle part  follow the past participle:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je nai vu personne.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I didnt see anyone.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je ne lai trouvà © nulle part.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I couldnt find it anywhere.   34. Word order with pronouns and negation When the sentence includes a pronoun and negation, the pronoun is placed in front of the auxiliary verb, and then the negative structure surrounds that pair:Subject   ne   pronoun(s) auxiliary verb negative word past participle.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nous ny serions jamais allà ©s.  Ã‚  Ã‚  We would never have gone there.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je ne te lai pas donnà ©.  Ã‚  Ã‚  I didnt give it to you.For detailed information about the conjugations and uses of the individual compound tenses/moods, follow the links in the summary table on page 1. Other two-verb constructions In addition to compound conjugations (auxiliary verb past participle), French has other two-verb forms, what I call dual-verb constructions. These consist of a semi-auxiliary verb plus an infinitive, and the rules regarding agreement and word order are somewhat different -  learn more. For more information about how all the different French tenses and moods fit together, take a look at our  French verb timeline.

A Killer At Thurston High

It is not a far reach to speculate that he may have felt that, ultimately, his parents were to blame for his problems.   Had it not been for them, he would never have been born. This theory is supported by his written confession, which he left at the scene of his parents’ murder, in which he stated â€Å"I wish I had been aborted.†Ã‚   In this same letter, he states that he loved his mom and dad â€Å"so much† (Frontline).   This further lends credibility to the idea that while he felt love for his parents outwardly, he subconsciously harbored blame towards them because they were, essentially, the source of his suffering because they were the responsible for his existence.   Unfortunately, his inner turmoil manifested itself in a violent explosion of emotions, and he committed murders for reasons that even he could not explain. Another common theory that one could consider is that to some extent, Kinkel’s behavior can be attributed to peer influence, which would fall under the category of behavior modeling.   According to the chronological time table provided on the PBS Frontline website, Kinkel had no obvious behavioral problems during his elementary school years. Although he struggled greatly in school, several sources stated that he worked very hard to attempt to keep up with his classmates.   It would seem that once he entered middle school, he began to associate with young people who were less than upstanding citizens.   It is possible that by acting out, he was gaining acceptance from his peers, as opposed to feeling inferior because of his learning disability.   It is important to note that many of his offenses, particularly during his middle school years, involved friends.   Judging from his behavior, one can easily infer that Kinkel is not a leader, but a follower. It is likely that, at least in the beginning, he very seldom initiated criminal behavior, but rather blindly followed his friends down whatever path they chose. This may have likely set the stage for further misbehavior.   While his friends were not found to have any involvement in the murder of Kinkel’s parents or classmates, they did attribute to his delinquent attitude and fostered his fascination with guns and other deadly weapons.   So, in his attempt to conform to his friends’ ideas and behavior, he himself adopted their ways. His delinquent behavior evolved from so called â€Å"victimless† crimes, for instance, the ordering of mail order bomb books, shoplifting, etc, to increasingly violent acts.   As the chronological timeline found on the Frontline website clearly illustrates, it was not until after the relatively minor incidents occurred that his crimes became violent.   Throwing rocks off of the highway overpass, though it could have potentially caused great injury, was not a blatantly violent crime.   However, approximately three months later he was suspended from school for violent assaults against his classmates. One of the biggest controversies surrounding cases of teenage violence in America is deciding to whom the blame belongs.   Some may posit that the child’s parents are to blame; after all, they are the ones ultimately responsible for their children.   Others may blame the advent of violent video games, citing that young minds do not possess the discernment to know the difference between reality and fantasy. Still others will claim that the media is responsible; given that most young adults have unlimited access to television, explicit CD’s and internet websites, they are likely over stimulated with inappropriate material.   From a psychological viewpoint, we would define the aforementioned opinions as a tendency toward cognitive heuristics, more specifically, the principle of availability.   That is to say, Kinkel may have drawn on scenarios that he had either witnessed or heard about in order to rationalize his behavior. It is also possible that the idea to open fire on his classmates was in some way influenced by the influx of school shootings around the nation.   In theory, the fact that his solution to his problem was to go on a murderous rampage so shortly after other school shootings, lends credence to the idea that he was influenced by coverage of other shootings. Judging from Kinkel’s actions, writings, and confessional utterances, he suffered from a very low self-esteem.   Although some people naturally have a healthier self-image than others, a humanistic view of psychology dictates that negative experiences can contribute to a person’s low self-worth.   As described on the Frontline website, Kinkel struggled with school from the very beginning.   Because he started school in Spain, and spoke only English, he was at a great disadvantage. Not only did he miss out on an academic level, but also on a social level.   Even after returning to the United States, he continued to struggle in many areas of schooling.   Having to repeat the first grade likely affected his self-esteem.   Also, by all accounts, he continued to struggle with language problems.   In an interview, his sister admits to teasing him about his deficiency. It is likely that his classmates may have done the same.   Once he was diagnosed with a learning disability, and given the appropriate help, he apparently began to improve academically.   However, one can conclude that his feelings of low self-worth did not completely dissipate.   This may explain why he chose the friends that he did, which ultimately lead to participating in criminal activities. It has become a commonly accepted notion in the United States that puberty is the cause of many abnormal behaviors in young people.   To some extent, it is a reasonable claim; as a child matures into a teenager, they will likely push for more independence and individuality.   Changing hormones can attribute to some peculiar behavior, but in itself is not an excuse for even minor criminal behavior, let alone murdering ones parents and classmates.   However, as Frontline reports, Dr. Orin Bolstad, a psychologist who specializes in juvenile killers, stated that Kinkel’s behavior is consistent with an early onset of schizophrenia. This form of schizophrenia manifested itself through several delusional beliefs, as well as the apparent voices that told Kinkel to commit the murders.   It is also important to note that the theory that his violent behavior was caused by a biological factor, in this case a chemical imbalance, is substantiated by the fact that the use of Prozac seemed to calm some of his erratic behavior.   One can even tie the biological aspect of his illness to the humanistic aspect by recognizing that the voices that Kinkel claimed to hear, voices that may have been his subconscious thoughts manifested, were dangerous to his self-image.   According to Kinkel, the voices told him he was worthless, which would be consistent with his low self-esteem. Of all the psychological aspects that can be used to analyze Kinkel’s behavior, perhaps the hardest to address is society’s role.   Are young people being desensitized to gun use through culturally accepted displays of violence?   Are guns too readily available to young people?   In Kinkel’s situation, the answer is obviously that yes, guns were made way too available.   Although his father apparently took great care in trying to teach him that guns are a responsibility, he did allow the teenager to purchase a firearm. This likely sent a message to the young man that it is ok to own a gun.   In fact, it was after his father allowed him to purchase a firearm that he continued to buy more from friends.   Once he was caught with possession of a firearm on school property, he claims he did not want his parents to have to be ashamed.   So, in an attempt to solve this problem, he decided to kill his parents.   His solution to the problem is not unlike the plots of many action-adventure movies, thus lending credibility to the culturally inspired aspect of his crime. In conclusion, it is impossible to know exactly what caused Kip Kinkel to murder his parents in cold blood.   Nor is there any real explanation as to why he would then drive to school and open fire on an entire cafeteria of students.   Although modern psychology can, to some extent, offer a glimpse into the diseased mind, it can not afford us a clear and scientific answer as to why people do the things they do.   One thing is certain in Kinkel’s case: he is a deeply disturbed individual. When the judge handed down the one- hundred-eleven year sentence, he confirmed what many psychologists already knew: there is no hope of rehabilitation for a young man who committed such heinous crimes.   Even if medication and therapy could alleviate the symptoms of his disease, the knowledge of the pain that he caused will be with him until the day he dies.   Such is the tragic ending of a very tragic situation. Works Cited â€Å"The Killer At Thurston High.† PBS: Frontline. (January 2000). 20 November 2006.    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kinkel/ A Killer At Thurston High It is not a far reach to speculate that he may have felt that, ultimately, his parents were to blame for his problems.   Had it not been for them, he would never have been born. This theory is supported by his written confession, which he left at the scene of his parents’ murder, in which he stated â€Å"I wish I had been aborted.†Ã‚   In this same letter, he states that he loved his mom and dad â€Å"so much† (Frontline).   This further lends credibility to the idea that while he felt love for his parents outwardly, he subconsciously harbored blame towards them because they were, essentially, the source of his suffering because they were the responsible for his existence.   Unfortunately, his inner turmoil manifested itself in a violent explosion of emotions, and he committed murders for reasons that even he could not explain. Another common theory that one could consider is that to some extent, Kinkel’s behavior can be attributed to peer influence, which would fall under the category of behavior modeling.   According to the chronological time table provided on the PBS Frontline website, Kinkel had no obvious behavioral problems during his elementary school years. Although he struggled greatly in school, several sources stated that he worked very hard to attempt to keep up with his classmates.   It would seem that once he entered middle school, he began to associate with young people who were less than upstanding citizens.   It is possible that by acting out, he was gaining acceptance from his peers, as opposed to feeling inferior because of his learning disability.   It is important to note that many of his offenses, particularly during his middle school years, involved friends.   Judging from his behavior, one can easily infer that Kinkel is not a leader, but a follower. It is likely that, at least in the beginning, he very seldom initiated criminal behavior, but rather blindly followed his friends down whatever path they chose. This may have likely set the stage for further misbehavior.   While his friends were not found to have any involvement in the murder of Kinkel’s parents or classmates, they did attribute to his delinquent attitude and fostered his fascination with guns and other deadly weapons.   So, in his attempt to conform to his friends’ ideas and behavior, he himself adopted their ways. His delinquent behavior evolved from so called â€Å"victimless† crimes, for instance, the ordering of mail order bomb books, shoplifting, etc, to increasingly violent acts.   As the chronological timeline found on the Frontline website clearly illustrates, it was not until after the relatively minor incidents occurred that his crimes became violent.   Throwing rocks off of the highway overpass, though it could have potentially caused great injury, was not a blatantly violent crime.   However, approximately three months later he was suspended from school for violent assaults against his classmates. One of the biggest controversies surrounding cases of teenage violence in America is deciding to whom the blame belongs.   Some may posit that the child’s parents are to blame; after all, they are the ones ultimately responsible for their children.   Others may blame the advent of violent video games, citing that young minds do not possess the discernment to know the difference between reality and fantasy. Still others will claim that the media is responsible; given that most young adults have unlimited access to television, explicit CD’s and internet websites, they are likely over stimulated with inappropriate material.   From a psychological viewpoint, we would define the aforementioned opinions as a tendency toward cognitive heuristics, more specifically, the principle of availability.   That is to say, Kinkel may have drawn on scenarios that he had either witnessed or heard about in order to rationalize his behavior. It is also possible that the idea to open fire on his classmates was in some way influenced by the influx of school shootings around the nation.   In theory, the fact that his solution to his problem was to go on a murderous rampage so shortly after other school shootings, lends credence to the idea that he was influenced by coverage of other shootings. Judging from Kinkel’s actions, writings, and confessional utterances, he suffered from a very low self-esteem.   Although some people naturally have a healthier self-image than others, a humanistic view of psychology dictates that negative experiences can contribute to a person’s low self-worth.   As described on the Frontline website, Kinkel struggled with school from the very beginning.   Because he started school in Spain, and spoke only English, he was at a great disadvantage. Not only did he miss out on an academic level, but also on a social level.   Even after returning to the United States, he continued to struggle in many areas of schooling.   Having to repeat the first grade likely affected his self-esteem.   Also, by all accounts, he continued to struggle with language problems.   In an interview, his sister admits to teasing him about his deficiency. It is likely that his classmates may have done the same.   Once he was diagnosed with a learning disability, and given the appropriate help, he apparently began to improve academically.   However, one can conclude that his feelings of low self-worth did not completely dissipate.   This may explain why he chose the friends that he did, which ultimately lead to participating in criminal activities. It has become a commonly accepted notion in the United States that puberty is the cause of many abnormal behaviors in young people.   To some extent, it is a reasonable claim; as a child matures into a teenager, they will likely push for more independence and individuality.   Changing hormones can attribute to some peculiar behavior, but in itself is not an excuse for even minor criminal behavior, let alone murdering ones parents and classmates.   However, as Frontline reports, Dr. Orin Bolstad, a psychologist who specializes in juvenile killers, stated that Kinkel’s behavior is consistent with an early onset of schizophrenia. This form of schizophrenia manifested itself through several delusional beliefs, as well as the apparent voices that told Kinkel to commit the murders.   It is also important to note that the theory that his violent behavior was caused by a biological factor, in this case a chemical imbalance, is substantiated by the fact that the use of Prozac seemed to calm some of his erratic behavior.   One can even tie the biological aspect of his illness to the humanistic aspect by recognizing that the voices that Kinkel claimed to hear, voices that may have been his subconscious thoughts manifested, were dangerous to his self-image.   According to Kinkel, the voices told him he was worthless, which would be consistent with his low self-esteem. Of all the psychological aspects that can be used to analyze Kinkel’s behavior, perhaps the hardest to address is society’s role.   Are young people being desensitized to gun use through culturally accepted displays of violence?   Are guns too readily available to young people?   In Kinkel’s situation, the answer is obviously that yes, guns were made way too available.   Although his father apparently took great care in trying to teach him that guns are a responsibility, he did allow the teenager to purchase a firearm. This likely sent a message to the young man that it is ok to own a gun.   In fact, it was after his father allowed him to purchase a firearm that he continued to buy more from friends.   Once he was caught with possession of a firearm on school property, he claims he did not want his parents to have to be ashamed.   So, in an attempt to solve this problem, he decided to kill his parents.   His solution to the problem is not unlike the plots of many action-adventure movies, thus lending credibility to the culturally inspired aspect of his crime. In conclusion, it is impossible to know exactly what caused Kip Kinkel to murder his parents in cold blood.   Nor is there any real explanation as to why he would then drive to school and open fire on an entire cafeteria of students.   Although modern psychology can, to some extent, offer a glimpse into the diseased mind, it can not afford us a clear and scientific answer as to why people do the things they do.   One thing is certain in Kinkel’s case: he is a deeply disturbed individual. When the judge handed down the one- hundred-eleven year sentence, he confirmed what many psychologists already knew: there is no hope of rehabilitation for a young man who committed such heinous crimes.   Even if medication and therapy could alleviate the symptoms of his disease, the knowledge of the pain that he caused will be with him until the day he dies.   Such is the tragic ending of a very tragic situation. Works Cited â€Å"The Killer At Thurston High.† PBS: Frontline. (January 2000). 20 November 2006.    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kinkel/

Answer some questions to some short stories Essay

Answer some questions to some short stories - Essay Example 3. Yes, John is the villain in the story. She is against the empowerment and wellbeing of his wife. There other people falling in this category, but he emerges the epitome and fits the description of villain in the story. This is because, the narrator is his own wife and any reader would expect him to treat her in the right and humane manner contrary to what he does. 4. The color of the wallpaper is yellow. Yellow is next brightest and most visible color after white. On the paper are sub-patterns of desperate women. The patterns are clear to the narrator. The paper is a representation of medicine, family, as well as tradition which the narrator has found herself entangled in. The color shows that the oppressive practices of men are clear to the eyes of the victims, women. 5. (Q9). The roles of women in the story are facilitation and enhancement of themes such as love, death, and enabler. The author, O’Brien, uses the existing love between Lt. Jimmy Cross and Martha to show the trend between the separation created during the war and the soldiers. The relationship between the two was not that hopped for in the first place. Cross is obsessed with Martha and this leads to the death of Ted Lavender. Similarly soldier’s love and patriotism for their country makes them kill opponents. Kathleen, O’ Brien’s daughter acts as the enabler for untrue stories he writes. Linda acts as a symbol that the dead can be immortalized (O’Brien 18). 6. (Q11) War is a representation or metaphor of human life. People like Perish because of love. The soldiers fight and some of them die because of their love for their people. There are also loneliness and isolation in the story. O’Brien affirms that loneliness in Vietnam is destructive forces like any other type of ammunition. 7. (Q12) If the US instituted the law today, I will definitely go and serve my country in Vietnam. There are challenges as revealed in the book by Tim challenges

Personal statement for graduate school Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

For graduate school - Personal Statement Example Data Technology is consistently developing at an un-recordable rate, and that makes PC machines the most significant devices in our lives, they are our present and future. As I would like to think, nothing on the planet can measure the exponential development and fervor in the computing business. Murphy (1995) once highlighted that PC Machines and their technology influence every single one of us. Therefore, the interest for individuals with significant ICT information is substantially developing. Murphy (1995) stated that the beginning of innovative data administration innovation would altogether enhance the operational productivity in many nations. For work experience, I have been working in the IT office for Abu Dhabi Police for more than 3 years managing technology advancement on a daily basis, and overseeing Windows 2003 environment and Exchange. In addition, I was included in numerous operations, delicate assessment and my deliberations prompted an exceptionally dynamic IT foundation in Abu Dhabi police (Murphy, 1995). Lastly, I had the accompanying Achievement amid this term with the association: I consider myself generally well equipped for your highly respected system. Separated from the sound scholastic establishment I have laid in my field, I am most glad for my viable capability to perform particular projects. Notwithstanding my fine- received performance in the task outlines in such courses as Database management, program upgrade Tools and Computer Networking and appliance, I additionally took an interest in managing the storage system and checking the development of information and the storage system at Abu Dhabi police. For this significant assistance, I got warm acclaims from the organization and my working mates. My individual attributes incorporate initiative and creativity and systematic and critical thinking abilities, work powerfully in groups, great time administration, meeting deadlines, dependability

HW Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HW - Assignment Example Kodak has a legal obligation to sue companies that infringe on its patents. Kodak is among the oldest companies in the market that is slowly dying. Patents give the company to exclusively benefit from its innovations. Kodak sues the companies’ infringing on its patents to be compensated for its products. The company has to sue to deter other companies from infringing on its patents. Kodak has an exclusive right to produce the product for 20 years before other companies can duplicate. The company sues to ensure that it retains this right. Kodak can market its products in the market to gain market dominance before its patents expire. The company should invest in market penetration to ensure that it attains a loyal client base before the 20-year patent period. The company can also diversify it product range to compete with other players in the market. Positioning is key for the company, the management should ensure that the company is well positioned in the

Economics (Micro And Macro) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics (Micro And Macro) - Essay Example The BA’s main reason for participating in this alliance is the possibility to reduce the ticket prices on air transportation due to the bigger amount of profit. Despite the fact that anti-monopolistic committee allowed the partnership, the airline company Virgin Atlantic sets protests against it. The merge of two big companies will make them monopolists in their service sphere. As mentioned above the bigger profit allows the owners to provide better services, to have upgraded planes, to set lower prices on the tickets and what is even more important – to provide the better level of security. The company with average profits will be driven off the market. To fight this injustice they even applied the anti-advertising technique by putting the following message on their airplanes â€Å"No way to BA/AA. The headquarter of a new alliance will be located in London since the controlling interest belongs to BA. Analyzing this article it is necessary to point out several issues that are to be considered in details. The first notion is monopoly since the new alliance represents the monopolistic leader in Europe. Though at the same time considering the whole world where BA+AA will have the third place in volume of passengers transportation, it is necessary to point out that in the scale of the world competition we can observe the monopolistic competition. The second notion that is to be analyzed is merge and strategic alliance in order to identify the type that BA and AA has. In books on economics one can find the following definition of monopoly as: â€Å"If a certain firm is the only one that can produce a certain good, it has a monopoly in the market for that good (Samuelson & Marks, 2003). When studying monopoly in theory it is usually accepted that only one company operates in its industry - it produces and sells the whole volume of products. Though, in life monopoly is represented by a big company that controls the biggest part of

Leadership comentary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership comentary - Essay Example In this essay, I will discuss on understanding empathy, which is the leadership skill that I have obtained during my practice. In this discussion, I will use a reflective model to show how understanding empathy is achieved during my practice. Gibbs reflective model is what I will use (Gibbs, 1988). This reflection model has six stages: description of the events, expressing feelings, evaluating the value and ability, analysis of how bad or good the situation is, conclusion on the findings, and lastly making an action plan (Gibbs, 1988). In this essay, I will apply Gibbs reflective model to help in relating theory and critical thought to nursing practice as it may allow. Leadership role and the evidence base for the leadership skill will be included in the discussion. I will then give a conclusion to the essay that will talk about my reflection skills, recognize my qualification and present both my personal and professional development (Fradd, 2004). Understanding empathy is the skill of leadership which I have chosen to deal with in this essay. I have chosen this as it is one of the quality that is needed in this field. In my first placement, I got myself to a situation where empathy was really needed. Understanding others in the personal level that is ‘being in their shoes’ was really needed in my first placement. This gave me a sense of curiosity and I wanted to learn and know more about empathy. At this point, I started researching on the skill and my knowledge developed. Power, influence and authority are basic for leadership. However,  competent leaders ought to use less power and authority and rather use more influence.   Furthermore, motivation, appreciation and persuasion are more important than a simple show of power. Nurse leaders should employ three main influence categories in creating a supportive care environment.  These include mentoring by instruction, modeling by example and building caring relationships (Chin, 2008). Descript ion of events is the initial stage of Gibbs (1988) model. I had to look after a 60 year old male patient with primary diagnosis Cancer Rectum day 14 post-op in a surgical ward. The patient had difficulties with his speaking but could understand little English. I have learned that even when under pressure, l don’t have to rush through the patient (l had to look after 3 other patients). Misunderstanding and miscommunication result in not giving effective care to patients. I used eye contact and body language in order to meet his needs. The patient was friendly and responded well, which boosted my confidence especially on mobilizing him using therapeutic communication skills. In order to communicate effectively with the patient, I had to be patient and learn new communication skills that are; gestures and body language (D'Antonio, 2010; Marquis & Huston, 2009). The second stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection involves discussion about feelings and thoughts. I was aware that I had to do a good job and that the patients were my responsibility. Therefore, the difficulty in communication got me nervous and worried. This made me feel a lot of pressure, as I did not want the patient to know that I had difficulties in communicating with him. This got me worried about how the nursing training programme can incorporate such lessons. The friendly and respo

The Value of Yield Curve to Predict Recessions Coursework

The Value of Yield Curve to Predict Recessions - Coursework Example The same can be affirmative for other measures which contribute to the difference between short and long term interest rates. The term spread is a significant part of various indices of prominent indicators, some of which are inclusive of the Conference Board and the leading index and recession index of Stock and Watson (1989, 1993). Since, the yield curve is cited as flat in current period, the issue is quite contemporary, as the yield curve as modestly inverted as well. Term spreads play a significant role as a leading indicator because under the expectations attribution, neglecting the term premiums primarily, they measure the difference between the current short-term interest rates and the average of the expected future short-term interest rates over a long and new field of vision. In other words, a term spread is the measure of the pose of the monetary policy in relation with the long-run expectations. With increment in the term spread, current monetary policy becomes even more restrictive, thereby, giving rise to a recession over the subsequent quarters. With such a rationale detesting the term premiums, it is not legible to necessarily capture all the information in the yield curve about the liability of a recession by the spread of short-term interest rates over the yield on a long-term bond. The rise in the gradation of current short-term interest rates has no reason for them having identical predictive content for the liabilities of a recession as degradation in the average anticipated future nominal interest rates over, such as for the upcoming decade. However, the usage of the term spread as an overall explanatory constraint has such a connotation. Furthermore, since, it is quite clear from the existence of term premiums, which are time-varying and contribute to typically incrementing in the bond maturity, thereby, complicating the interpretation of spreads between the short- and long-term Treasury yields, the detestation of term premiums seems to be inappropriate. World prominent scholars like Hamilton and Kim, and Ang, Piazze si and Wei, have made an argument regarding the term premium and anticipations hypothesis constituents of the term spread, as they possess contrasting statistical correlations with the future growth (2002, 2006). A decline in the term premium, derived extrinsically, is theoretically sensible to some extent, since it makes financial conditions more coordinative, thereby, stimulating growth while flattening the yield curve. A measure of the pose of monetary policy which is less intricate as a result of the effects of term premiums, is referred to as the federal funds rate. The shape of yield curve is inclusive of

Leadership comentary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership comentary - Essay Example In this essay, I will discuss on understanding empathy, which is the leadership skill that I have obtained during my practice. In this discussion, I will use a reflective model to show how understanding empathy is achieved during my practice. Gibbs reflective model is what I will use (Gibbs, 1988). This reflection model has six stages: description of the events, expressing feelings, evaluating the value and ability, analysis of how bad or good the situation is, conclusion on the findings, and lastly making an action plan (Gibbs, 1988). In this essay, I will apply Gibbs reflective model to help in relating theory and critical thought to nursing practice as it may allow. Leadership role and the evidence base for the leadership skill will be included in the discussion. I will then give a conclusion to the essay that will talk about my reflection skills, recognize my qualification and present both my personal and professional development (Fradd, 2004). Understanding empathy is the skill of leadership which I have chosen to deal with in this essay. I have chosen this as it is one of the quality that is needed in this field. In my first placement, I got myself to a situation where empathy was really needed. Understanding others in the personal level that is ‘being in their shoes’ was really needed in my first placement. This gave me a sense of curiosity and I wanted to learn and know more about empathy. At this point, I started researching on the skill and my knowledge developed. Power, influence and authority are basic for leadership. However,  competent leaders ought to use less power and authority and rather use more influence.   Furthermore, motivation, appreciation and persuasion are more important than a simple show of power. Nurse leaders should employ three main influence categories in creating a supportive care environment.  These include mentoring by instruction, modeling by example and building caring relationships (Chin, 2008). Descript ion of events is the initial stage of Gibbs (1988) model. I had to look after a 60 year old male patient with primary diagnosis Cancer Rectum day 14 post-op in a surgical ward. The patient had difficulties with his speaking but could understand little English. I have learned that even when under pressure, l don’t have to rush through the patient (l had to look after 3 other patients). Misunderstanding and miscommunication result in not giving effective care to patients. I used eye contact and body language in order to meet his needs. The patient was friendly and responded well, which boosted my confidence especially on mobilizing him using therapeutic communication skills. In order to communicate effectively with the patient, I had to be patient and learn new communication skills that are; gestures and body language (D'Antonio, 2010; Marquis & Huston, 2009). The second stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection involves discussion about feelings and thoughts. I was aware that I had to do a good job and that the patients were my responsibility. Therefore, the difficulty in communication got me nervous and worried. This made me feel a lot of pressure, as I did not want the patient to know that I had difficulties in communicating with him. This got me worried about how the nursing training programme can incorporate such lessons. The friendly and respo

Discuss evolutionary explanations of intelligence Essay Example for Free

Discuss evolutionary explanations of intelligence Essay Intelligence has been considered a unique feature of human beings as it gives us the ability to devise elaborate strategies for solving problems. There are three key evolutionary explanations of intelligence, which are, foraging/ecological, social and sexual selection.  Foraging is when animals learn food preferences from others. This ability has clear survival advantages because the animal can learn from others rather than using trial and error process to identify which foods are harmful. The larger the range of food required, the larger the foraging area must be and the greater the requirement for more complex abilities. Many primates have to balance their diet by selective eating through successful hunting, which requires forethought, planning, cunning and the ability to coordinate the actions of a number of individuals. Finding food over a particular area may require a cognitive map (memorized spatial knowledge).Obtaining the food requires tool use and hunting techniques, which is another indication of intelligence in both human and non-human species. Visalberghi and Trinca (1987) did a study to look at the effects of tool use. Capuchin monkeys were given task of pushing peanut butter out of a tube. They found that the monkeys were quick at finding a suitable stick but tried out many unsuitable ones first. This suggests no understanding of causal relationships and that many animals develop the skill through trial and error rather than insight. Only the great apes show the sophisticated understanding of cause and effect so this supports the link between tool use and intelligence. The association between the growth of hunting and intelligence shows that more intelligent individuals are more intelligent than less intelligent. However many species with very successful hunting techniques are not very intelligent and therefore it is unlikely that the benefits of hunting would account for human levels of intelligence. The efficiency in foraging of a particular animal has been shown by various psychologists. Galef (1988) did a study in which a rat was allowed to eat food with a distinctive flavour, with cocoa or cinnamon. A test rat was then put in with the demonstrator for 30 minutes, but with no food present. This test rat then had to choose between cocoa-flavoured and cinnamon-flavoured food. It was found that the test rats preferred food of the same flavour as that eaten by the demonstrator. This was still the case 4 hours after the demonstrator had eaten and when 12 hours had elapsed before the test rat made its choice. Therefore it can be concluded that interacting with a rat after it has eaten creates a particular preference for that food. These results could be interpreted in a number of ways, in terms of the rats been neophobic, meaning unwilling to try anything new. The test rat could have picked up on the smell of the particular food on the breath of the demonstrator and will have been choosing between what was familiar and unfamiliar rather than been influenced directly by the demonstrator actually eating the food. However despite this Galef also found similar results even when the test rats were familiar with both cocoa and cinnamon flavoured food. The social theory says that interactions with other members of a social group present an intellectual challenge and primate intelligence has been evolved in response to this challenge. It has been suggested that intelligence is an evolutionary adaptation for solving social problems. The most intelligent species are the social animals, which are bees, parrots, dolphins, elephants, wolves, monkeys, etc. The group living could have set the stage for the evolution of intelligence in two ways; sociality which increases the value of having better information, because information is one commodity that that can be given away and kept at the same time. For example a more intelligent animal within a group has the benefit of knowledge and what it can get in exchange for the knowledge. Secondly group living itself has new cognitive challenges. Social animals send and receive signals to coordinate predation, defence, and foraging and sexual behaviour. They exchange favours, repay and enforce debts, punish cheaters and join coalitions. Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis came from various related hypotheses, which Bryne and Whiten (1988) brought together. This suggests that deceiving and detecting deception are the primary reason for the evolution of intelligence. Evidence supports this, as Bryne and Whiten (1992) have shown that there is a strong positive correlation between neocortex ratio and the prevalence of tactical deception in various primates and this implies that there is a clear relationship between social manipulation and intelligence.

Sexual Harassment In Egypt Sociology Essay

Sexual Harassment In Egypt Sociology Essay Society incessantly undertakes transformations as it develops and grows with time. Social conflict and self-interest appear to be the essence of the way life goes. From my personal perspective, people only act accordingly to the rules and norms when and only when there is either a consequence or a reward; be it materialistic or intangible. The strive for power, social standing and self-fulfillment is what pushes people to make their decisions and take on these paths. The patriarchal Egyptian culture exemplifies the simplest theory; the conflict theory between men and women. Egypt has been changing drastically over the past thirty years and especially since the 25th of January revolution, the people have witnessed many changes in the political ruling system of the country and the frequent migrations to the city of Cairo. It has also seen increasing religious imposition, expanding poverty, pollution and inhabitants boost. One of the major changes is the westernization of Egypt. The country became more westernized due to interactions of Egypt with the West politically, economically, and socially (Homa Hoodfar and Diane Singerman). Our daily clothes, the movies we watch, the music we listen to, its all proof of the clear westernization that our culture is going through. In addition, traditionally Egyptian women often were the ones that stayed at home to raise-up the children while the men of the families were the ones out on the streets working (Nicholas S. Hopkins and Ibrahim Saad Eddin). But over the years, the traditional woman stereotype changed. Women started receiving full education of high level and getting jobs that only men had right to before. And with those huge transformational events taking places in our country and this new status that the women earned, the natural turn of events to expect is that the Egyptian women start earning more respect, at least as equal as the mens. But unfortunately this is not what is happening. Instead many men easily prove to us that our society is still years and years behind and that we are in no way even comparable to the developed countries. Not only the women are not as equally respected, in fact they are disrespected, mistreated and simply put, in a constant battle for their rights. And one example of the many abuses that women are forced to put up with each and every day is sexual harassment. To clarify what exactly is sexual harassment, it is the unwanted physical contact, remark, or attention which is often inappropriate and offensive and results in fear or embarrassment. Of course it is also frequent in many other countries, but in Egypt specifically, this social cancer is spreading at an alarmingly rapid rate. The Egyptian Center for Womens Rights (ECWR) did a survey proving that 83% of Egyptian women and 98% of foreign women in Egypt have been sexually harassed before (Komsan). Despite the fast and continuous changes that Egypt goes through, it still stays a very religious country especially compared to the developed countries of the West. This means that they heavily rely on Islam upon any rule or decision making. So how is it that such a religious country is so profoundly neglectful of the matter, whilst countries that take religion lightly such as America absolutely refuse to accept such behavior? And why is it that despite all of the changes, this behavior still remains unchanged? Although Islam is one of the oldest advocates of womens rights, Egypt lacks laws that protect its women from many important concerns including sexual harassment. Indeed, the regular and extreme occurrence of this phenomenon can be explained by the absence of laws that punish those who harass women. And the rates are increasing because these harassers know that they will get away with whatever they do and that they will just go unpunished. This attitude has been triggered or encouraged by social, financial, cultural, religious or psychological difficulties that men face as a result to the countrys changes. For instance, the societys hierarchical separation keeps getting more and more obvious not only between social classes but between genders as well. The Egyptian culture absolutely confirms the conflict between genders where women dont enjoy equal rights as men. While some patriarchal societies work perfectly, in Egypt men abuse the position that they have. Several psychologists believe that men who harass women do so because subconsciously they attempt to exert power over women (Florence L. Denmark and Michele A. Paludi). This could explain the fact that it has been projected to society that the males are superior and dominant. They believe it, take advantage of it and use it to make women feel inferior by harassing them and more. If women were given equal rights as men, they would contribute and be proactive members of society hence improve our way of life. But when it comes to Egypt, there isnt enough statistical evidence to either agree with or disclaim the fact that psychological factors contribute to the occurrence of sexual harassment. So, we could relate Egypts situation to another country where psychology of men has proven to be of importance to the issue of harassment, like the United States for example (Baker). Another key reason behind why men harass women is the economical and political situation of Egypt. Many sources including El Ahram Weekly and Europe News, write that since a huge percentage of the Egyptian population is under or just above the poverty line, lots of men cannot find jobs, cannot afford to start families because they cannot afford to get married, and just simply cannot afford decent lives. Both sources wrap up by explaining that the economic powerlessness of those men clearly shows itself in the form of repressed sexuality. And this male rage leaves them preying on women. The sources also add that due to the fact Egypt is a male central society and men are counted on to sustain their families financially; men feel powerless in a society when they cannot do that. And as a consequence of their economic incapacity, they resort to sexual harassment to empower themselves. In other words, Egyptian men harass women because it is ego enhancing for them; they feel that they have the power that way (Alison M. Thomas and Celia Kitzinger). Ahmed Salah, founder of the Respect Yourself campaign that addresses sexual harassers in Cairo writes, sexual harassment is a form of violence and anger at the current economic and political conditions that men bring against what they perceive as a weaker creature. (Diab). Since men in Egypt sometimes reach their late 30s without possessing an apartment nor a car, and without having a well paying job, they try to substitute their complete financial weakness in society together with their inhibited sexuality by their male powers that are manifested in their sexual actions towards women. But do men of upper social class harass women? Yes, but not nearly as often as men of lower social classes do. War Zone, a documentary by Maggie Hadleigh, followed an ordinary woman down the streets of New York and documented the incidents of sexual harassment that she experienced (Hadleigh-West). It was concluded that yes some poor or middle class men harassed the lady, but so did other wealthy ones in expensive suites and having prestigious jobs; however, the ratio of harassment of a poor man harassing a woman verses a wealthy man was about three to one. And therefore, this could apply to sexual harassment in Egypt. Another factor that has a great effect on the sexual harassment rate in Egypt is its political situation. The idea of democracy in Egypt has been a theory spoken of only and hardly ever applied. Due to the fact that there is no democracy in Egypt, Egyptians, especially those in the low social class, cannot contribute to the decisions being made in the country (Nicholas S. Hopkins and Ibrahim Saad Eddin). And even though a revolution occurred on the 25th of January 2011, the feelings havent change much because this event has just led to more confusion, more societal division and even less empowerment. As a result of the lack of proper democracy that represents all citizens and not just one party, Egyptians lack total political power (Saadawi). These men are aware that they, both politically and economically, are powerless. And in an attempt to seek out any form of power, they sexually harass women who come into sight to them as the weaker being. Wrapping up, economic and political sit uations of men are probably major triggers behind their sexual harassment of women. Nonetheless, the most frequent excuse that men use to justify this intolerable and offensive manner is that since Egypt is a Muslim country, premarital sex is strongly condemned. It is religiously banned. In other words, men harass women because men are sexually repressed. And as previously mentioned, the financial difficulties that they are facing make the idea and plan of marriage very unfeasible. Even if they do get married, they live in poverty where big families are located in tight quarters, so no one has any personal space. This financial powerlessness leads to a sexual frustration that materializes in the form of harassment. It makes them feel more authoritative. But there are many other poor Muslim countries that live and survive in very bad conditions, like Libya for example, but they do not have the quantity of sexual harassment that is at hand in Egypt. So it is not about economic or religious complications. Each reason used by the men is just an excuse for their unaccept able and improper attitude. Sexual harassment in Egypt has been said to be the product of the fact that Egypt is a Middle Eastern Islamic country, and therefore is conservative, and when women dress modernly and European-like, they are harassed by those men who are overwhelmed by how different they look from other ordinary Muslim women (Alison M. Thomas and Celia Kitzinger). So what they are actually saying is that women are the ones to be blamed and that they bring it upon themselves by wearing tight provocative clothes. According to the fact that Muslim women should be conservatively dressed, men from upper Egypt, for instance, who come to Cairo and find women walking down the street in revealing clothes (according to those men) start to harass women. But those men who once lived in a small village then moved to the city arent representative of all Egyptian men. Also, many of those conservative men have been living in Cairo for several years, so the idea of women walking down the street, leaving their houses, and dressing provocatively, isnt new to them anymore; and yet they continue to harass women. Another theory implies that due to the fact that rural to urban migrations in Egypt have been increasing lately; about 18 million Egyptians have migrated over the past 5 years; sexual harassment by those new to the city life occurs (Nicholas S. Hopkins and Ibrahim Saad Eddin). And therefore, sexual harassment cannot be the result of how Western-like women are starting to dress, and not about how conservative men from small villages are amazed by what they see every day. And as a result, that is not a key element that contributes to why Egyptian men harass women. Sexual harassment is assumed to be based upon sexual triggers by definition. A theory supporting that belief says that, the more provocatively a woman is dressed, the more likely she is to sexually arouse men, and therefore, the more likely she is to be sexually harassed (Tarrant). However, survey by the ECWR (Egyptian Center for Womens Rights) concluded that the majority of women who said to have been harassed in Egypt were not dressed provocatively when harassed; and also, several women wearing the Nikab were harassed too (Komsan). So, is it possible that a man would find a woman who is literally covered from head to toe in black sexually attractive? Well, to clarify the image of those women wearing the Nikab in Egypt, they are often low or middle class women, probably married with a few children and often neither in great shape nor health due to the fact that they are relatively poor (Atassi). So no, it is highly unlikely that such women be harassed on the streets. And would a man find a native, 6-months pregnant, veiled woman sexually attractive too? After the incident in 2005 in which a group of young Egyptian men harassed a pregnant woman, the answer to this question is unknown (Saadawi). The problem of sexual harassment has evolved into a strange problem. In other words, sexual harassment been going on so often that men do not harass women who are sexually appealing to them anymore, they just harass any and every woman by in order to let out any boredom, anger, frustration or just to feel superior. (Leila). Also, if men harass women they are sexually attracted to, they would be more likely to harass women of the same age, race, or social class (Florence L. Denmark and Michele A. Paludi). To sum up, sexual harassment used to be triggered by sexual interests, but these days and in Egypt specifically, it has become a habit since the offenders see sexual harassment as an act of conforming to society in a way. And not only does that result in frequently occur ring harassment, it also became strange behavior manifested in the actions of young boys (under the age of 12) as well as of teenagers and middle aged men. To elaborate, a foreign woman was grabbed while walking down the street by an 8 year old in 2006 (Atassi). That young boy must have seen other men do that to women, and thought that he is becoming more of a man by conforming to their actions. The most probable theory is that it has nothing to do with their academic or social level because men from all different backgrounds harass women. It has to do with the parents education to their child. Are they good role models for their children? Do they teach them to respect women and have moral values? These young boys are imitating what theyve seen older men including their fathers do. They are following the people they admire and want to be like when they grow up. They want to feel integrated in the society as well and feel like powerful men. Although sexual harassment is mainly trigge red by sexual thoughts, nowadays, it seems to be triggered by assimilation and conformity rather than sexuality. In conclusion, all the reasons mentioned above that try to explain why does sexual harassment occur have one thing in common: Power. Men try to enforce power over women because they are economically or politically powerless in a male dominant society- one where men are expected to have the power. In a psychological attempt to feel powerful, men harass women because women are perceived by men as a weak creature; and therefore, harassment is an effortless way for men to feel better about themselves. So, according to my findings, the excessive sexual harassment in Egypt can be traced back to the need of men to feel the power that is lacked elsewhere- economically, politically, or socially. The unfortunate news is that women have actually accepted and confirmed their supposed inferiority through their silence. Some women just do not want to speak up for themselves in order to keep the social stability, in respect of their husbands, in habit of the way the society works or because they just think that there is no hope and that any objection is a lost cause. Also, the reason that women rarely come forward and press charges against that sort of assault is that they are aware of the lack of concern among the police. The policemen participate sometimes in the harassment. They can say comments while women are crossing streets, for example. So it is natural that women do not feel comfortable in taking proper action against the harassment since the people that are supposed to protect them from that kind of abuse are already taking part in it. So in order to represent these women and encourage them to speak up and take action, many groups try to launch awareness campaigns in different kinds and forms. For example, the Egyptian Initiatives group has launched a Stop Sexual Harassment in Egypt campaign. They organize events that inform people about the situation, explain to women how to defend themselves and encourage the women to speak up. Another campaign that is even more successful is the Banat Masr Khat Ahmar campaign (Egypts Women are a Red Line, e.g. a line in the sand) was launched this year to raise awareness on the problem  through communicating with people in the streets (Samir). We neither argue with the harassers nor lecture them. We simply talk with them in their own language, Dina Farid the founder of the Banat Masr Khat Ahmar movement said, explaining that her personal participation in the revolution taught her how to build a movement (Samir). During the Eid Al-Fitr holiday that wraps up the holy fasting mon th of Ramadan, the movement focused on downtown and the Nile Corniche area. Also, the dream of Welad El Balad (The Countrys Sons) an Alexandria-based initiative founded by Karim Mahrous in 2011 to clean Alexandria of sexual harassment. To reach this dream, Welad El Balad also organized street-level awareness campaigns (Samir). Before engaging with people, the initiatives volunteers first get trained. They learn of the legal aspects, including the constitutions articles that affect sexual harassment and they also focus on the psychological aspect of the problem, including the different kinds of harassers and how to address them (Samir). We explain to women that the law is on their side and that they should not tolerate sexual harassment. We also educate men on the serious consequences of this act, Zeinab Ayoub, Welad El Balad campaign coordinator noted (Samir). Estargel (Behave like a Man) was also launched two months ago to stop the rising problem of men riding in the women-only car riage in the Cairo underground metro which also leads to sexual harassment, says founder, Sherine Badr. Estargel launched door-knocking campaigns in downtown Cairo to stir discussion on sexual harassment (Samir). The fact that society has started to realize the problem and talk about is in itself a good milestone, Badr explained. Welad El Balad have partnered with certain neighborhoods in Alexandria, where they have shops there hanging their posters and cooperating with them to stop harassment and make their areas safe territories (Samir). Also Banat Masr Khat Ahmar has managed to secure the support of street venders in some areas in Cairo who help them fight the problem and intervene in case of any harassment happening in the area. Another way to raise awareness is through social media, art and cinema. Many Youtube and Facebook groups were created. These groups not only encourage women to speak up and empower them, it also allows them to post any images or videos the harasser so they will be found by others and dealt with. That not only helps the women psychologically but it also threatens these harassers. And regarding the arts and cinema, in 2010  an Egyptian film entitled 678 brought the issue to public attention (Ibrahim). The film told the stories of three women from different social classes who were all victims of harassment one way or another. It shows how they dealt with it and how at the end all they had to do is speak up and be strong united women. Other than the awareness that has been growing in different types, the government and some NGOs have been trying to take actions instead of just awareness against the issue. But, in my opinion, none of them have succeeded so far. For example, the government has started new method for fighting sexual harassment in Cairo via the Web. It is called Harassmap. They locate where the incident took place and try to track the man down. It also calculates the amount of sexual harassment in each area so before going out of her home, a women can check out the map and see which area had the most sexual harassment complaints and opts to take another road. In my personal opinion, this project is a complete failure because these men dont just stand there. They move. So the number of complaints by area is not really an indicator. I also dont see how they could be tracked down. Besides, this project has been up and running only for a few months now. Therefore, its efficiency is still uncertain. But two issues arise as we look at the solution the government provided the women. Not all women have a way to the Internet. In particular the poor ones are those who need it the most since they are most likely to get harassed in the po orer neighborhoods with less security. And even for those who do get to have access to the Internet, only a very few know about the project. It is not well marketed, therefore only some women know about it and use it. Another major initiative that took place but also failed is parliament representative Amr Hamzawys. Hamzawy tried  to pass a law against harassment when he was an MP but faced resistance from Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Al-Nour Party, run by Salafists; as he explains: I tried during the period of the parliament to push for proposing tougher sanctions to ensure law amendments to some articles in the penal code, but the majority from both of FJP and Al-Nour parties overturned it and emptied its content. It exceeds personal bitterness to grieve what Egyptian women have to face daily and around the clock from the systematic violation of their dignity, and the male enforced twist of the catastrophe by a very bad vindicatory speech. (Hashim). After a profound analysis of the issue, even though some of the initiatives werent very successful, we can see that the country is progressing in the right direction. Many support groups and measures have been initiated in order to make the women feel powerful, protected and secure. The most significant battle to be done right now is for the women to express their will to have equal rights and respect that they have so rightfully earned and merited. The more economically developed a country is, the more opportunities women have to attain their rights; countries that are more critical of injustice towards women are actually improving their societies because they provide it with more productive members that are involved in advancing it. The stereotypical stance on women being inferior to men must be erased from society; the notion that females are incompetent merely because they are female is a sign of intense sexism and discrimination. Men try to assert their power and gain respect as alpha males by suppressing the women around them; this fractures our society. Instead of using these differences to discriminate, we ought to use them to balance out society and benefit it. The feminist conflict theory advocates for equality of basic human rights, it depicts why gender roles are planted within us and explains how all this is backfiring on society as a whole. It is not easy to change norms and status quos that have been carved so deeply into our minds, but we must acknowledge that change is not a spectator sport. By understand the role that gender plays in controlling society, we can understand it better and do more to improve it. So by uniting and coming together, they might finally balance the society and make it function more like it should be.