Different Views on Ethical Perspectives Essay

We, as human beings are more often aware of our actions. Before we make decisions critical analysis comes with a great consideration. We are able to analyze these things because are considered as rational beings and we have the ability to think to the highest level we can. We opt to consider whether these things are good or not, if it’s right or wrong and if it’s really needed or not; this we often consider as ethics. Ethics is an issue of morality. There are things that we do that others consider wrong, but others may consider righteous. According to the society we should act as what it considers right; norms are one of the foundations of ethics and we should act accordingly. Norms can be a basis of what is morally right or wrong. There are four perspectives to be discussed in this paper, each of them having their own characteristics and each of them having their strong points and their weaknesses. The perspectives are universally known as the character or virtue, deontology or the perspective of obligation, the theory of utilitarianism and the equity or principle of relativism. The theory of utilitarianism points out two things; one thing is better than the other if we could gain more pleasure from it, and the other thing is not that good, or better yet to say evil, if we could only gain pain from it. This theory also states that we do things voluntarily, that one is considered as the pilot of his own decisions and that such consequences could have not taken place if only he did or did not do such actions. The amount or quantity of pleasure or pain takes into a great consideration in the concept of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is better understood as having the maximization quantity of benefit and less quantity of bad or the pain it can cause. A person would have two distinct choices, the first one is that if he does the action he would gain more pleasure or shall I say he can maximize the benefits of the action; the other is that if he does the action he would have to gain more risks and consequences. The first choice would be most favored because we, as human beings would not want to suffer from the choices we make, we do not want to be suffering from the consequences of our actions so what we do is do the thing that would give us the most favorable and maximum quantity of pleasure (Moore, 1912). Virtue is an ethical perspective that tackles about the actions that we make and the ideals we have in life that we should strive for and that these ideals help us in developing our highest potentials as human beings. This focuses on the traits or character that one has, the dispositions in life and the attitudes whether be it bad or good. Virtues are acquired through doing it everyday, they become a person’s characteristic when they are practiced for the longer time. There are a lot of characteristics and virtues a person can have; truthfulness, patience, honesty, and courteous are some of these. Virtue would help us in pursuing the ideals that we have in life (C. A. Manuel Velasquez, Thomas Shanks, S. J. , and Michael J. Meyer 1996). The theory of ethical relativism states that morality is based on the culture of a society. It singles out that one can either be wrong or right, bad or evil depending on the society the person belongs to; the society is the one concerned in creating its own culture. This theory is basically called relativism because being good or bad is relative of the kind of society a person belongs to; the society dictates whatever thing is perceived as good or bad. Every single society shares a common culture, this culture defines good and bad and the people should act with accordance to the standards of the society they belong. This theory is often argued because of the fact that every single society has its own culture and therefore has its own perception of bad or good. However, this theory is useful in exploring the reasons behind the differentiation of culture among societies (C. A. Manuel Velasquez, Thomas Shanks, S. J. , and Michael J. Meyer, 1992). Obligation perspective holds the golden rule â€Å"do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you†. It simply states that we should do what is only right and not what is wrong. It holds the principle of doing what is good because of the obligation. Say for example, a person should tell the truth because that person is bound to have an obligation to tell the truth because he doesn’t want other people not to trust him and because he upholds the value of truthfulness. This perspective is sometimes being pertained to utilitarianism, but it is totally different. While obligation is obligatory, utilitarianism is a voluntary act. After taking the ethical awareness test, I have known that what ethic perspective dominates in me is the obligation or the deontology. My perspective is based on my obligation or duty to do what is morally right. With this, I am to consider a thing as ethical if I choose how I act and what rules I am willing to oblige. It is also stated in my ethical perspective that the people should not be treated as a means to justify an end, simply stating â€Å"the end does not justify the means†. I also believe that every single individual should be given the respect that any man should have and therefore I won’t be able to comply with the policies and social traditions aimed at the best interest of the society as a whole. However, my approach to ethics requires legal and humane limits, I simply believe that people should be allowed to make their own choices and I advocate policies that have the intention to ensure equal opportunities for all as well as equal respect. My ethical perspective upholds the principle of doing things in accordance with the standards of right and wrong. However, though my ethical perspective aims to do what is morally right I am faced with numbers of dilemmas with regards to work. These problems would somehow cause me frustrations and may lead to a more devastated life in the future for it is not only concerned in the present but it also pertains to the future. One of the problems I am going to face with this perspective is that the people I work with might argue that some people within a society are not able to act in their own best interests. I may find this a fallacy because it was once used in the denying of the equitable treatment to women and the minorities. This somehow would result to frustration. The second problem I am to face with this perspective is that what I perceived to be morally right may not benefit most of the people. It doesn’t necessarily mean that if I have perceived a thing to be morally right it would maximize the good or pleasure. This would cause me another frustration because if I had made a decision which I perceived to be right and it didn’t work to be beneficial I may have doubts when I make a decision again. It might cause greater problems in the future. Another dilemma I am to face with this perspective is that defending this may end up in economic hardship; in worst cases I can be terminated. Say for example, in a working place several employees should be terminated because the company is having low production because these people are handicapped or they are simply not productive, the best action would be to terminate them but I, as a moralist would say that they should not be terminated because they have children. In the long run, if these people would be in the company and the company has still a low productivity the company would have losses and it may lead to closure because of the losses. Having things perceived as morally right may not be totally right; some may be beneficial but some can create more problems. We as human beings should act accordingly to whatever it is that we perceive because these choices are free of charge, because God created us with the opportunity of having what we call free will and should be practiced. We should not depend on what others may in making our decisions but we should also be ready for the consequences that accompany our decisions. Whatever action we do we should think of it twice, we should think that there are always two sides of a story. We should not be bounded by obligations because this might cause us greater frustrations in the future and this may lead to a very low self-esteem. We don’t want these to happen that’s why we should think critically and make decisions wisely because we are the pilot of our own lives.

Assignment- Final Paper Essay

These last five weeks in EXP 105 has really helped me learn a lot about learning in general, and also it has helped me to understand myself as a learner. If I had to explain the concept of learning to someone who has not yet taken this class, I would tell them that it is simply knowing who you are as learner and knowing what are your intentions are when it comes to learning. Intentions alone play a big part in learning because that is the ultimate goal; becoming an intentional learner. An intentional learner knows how to approach learning by developing skills to read, write, and think critically. I always felt that learning itself was a full time job, but this class changed that view by teaching me how to learn, and also what my weak and strong points were. This helps you to manage time, and learning no longer feels like it takes forever. In this class we were given a learning connections inventory (LCI). It was a short survey to help us identify our learning patterns. My LCI scores were as follows: Sequence 27, Precision 28. Technical Reasoning 20, and Confluence 17. Sequence and precision are my two use first learning patterns. I use these patterns on the regular. I am a very organized person and I like to make sure that I have all the information that is necessary before I perform a task. I use technical reasoning as needed, and then I avoid Confluence. Confluence requires a lot of creativity and that is the area I lack in the most so I try to stay away from it as much as I can. No matter how we use our learning patterns though, it always comes a time where we must use them all whether we realize it or not. Sometimes it is necessary to combine all of the learning patterns to get a full understanding of what is happening, or supposed to happen. The benefits of knowing your unique learning patterns are for one you already know how you should approach different tasks to get them done. It takes the guesswork out and saves you time to go back and finish something you did not  understand later. While learning patterns are strong tools to have in your tool box by themselves, sometimes it is necessary to have strategies to go along with them. When it comes to sequence I do not always think that a strategy is necessary because it is always important for things to be organized for them to look neat and flow smoothly when it comes too writing at least, and that is how I tried to think about every learning pattern and assignment in this class. My strategy for mu use first precision is to keep it at a minimum without being boring, less really is more sometimes. Technical reasoning will remain as it is since it is use as needed. I definitely know that my strategy for confluence was to intensify it a little more so that I can try to warm up to it and try to incorporate it into more of my assignments. The way that I took advantage of my strengths in this course was actually using them when I was completing assignments. The biggest challenge of my learning patterns was figuring out when and how to use them. It gradually got better once we discussed FITing and decoding assignments. It did not take long for me to grasp those concepts and after that everything became clear and it all made sense on hoe it all fit together. That solved the problem of the learning patterns being hard to understand when it came to using them to complete assignments in the course. I didn’t get to use the FITing concept until the end, but I wish I would have known about it earlier. I definitely plan to use it in my future courses because it makes everything easier to understand and I enjoyed doing it. I didn’t think of it as extra unnecessary work. It was more like a map to me to tell me what I should do. In the future I will also use more of the library and student resources to help me with FITing. The thing that I enjoyed the most about this class w being given the opportunity to learn about myself and who I am as a learner. I definitely feel different about learning and I plan to use everything I learned in this course in future courses. My favorite assignments to do in this class were the LCI and then the FITing and decoding assignment. To make the class a little better and more fun I think at least another variation of the LCI should be included. I had taken online courses before so all of my expectations were met. I enjoyed this class overall.

Cultural Competence and Clinical Expertise

To identify the link between cultural competence and clinical expertise, their meanings should first be defined. Cultural competence is defined by the US Department of Health and Human Services, as â€Å"the level of knowledge based skills required to provide effective clinical care to patients from a particular ethnic or racial group†. Furthermore, it has been qualified and classified as: â€Å"†¦behaviors, attitudes, and policies that can come together on a continuum: that will ensure that a system, agency, program, or individual can function effectively and appropriately in diverse cultural interaction and settings†¦.† (US Department of Health and Human Services website). Although there has not been one single exact definition of cultural competence in the practice of medicine in general, each institution that has sought to define it did so within the premise of identifying ethnic differences in the general population that the medical community seeks to ser ve.The growing ethnic diversity in the US population now currently at 15% averages in major urban centers (Elliott) and by 2050, at least a quarter of the elderly population (Elliott), the importance of cultural competence as it relates to clinical expertise and medical service efficiency cannot be denied. As such, if a health professional is not well versed in communicating or interpreting reactions of the patient (either the patient is the one belonging to the minority group or vice versa), the impact on diagnosis and prognosis could be substantial enough to affect the outcome of medical service provision.Different ethnic groups have their varying interpretation with regards their interpretation of certain illnesses or diseases and how it impacts their family and well being. Thus, if a health professional aims to be well rounded and claim to be efficient in clinical applications, a degree of understanding all the varied cultural differences among his/her patient population should be reached. 2. Discuss a difficult interaction you have experienced or observed that may have resulted from intercultural differences (consider that every form of interaction between 2 people can be considered intercultural in some sense of the word).Define the interaction and an optimal approach to resolve it. One particular experience that I can easily recall is an encounter with an elderly Filipino couple while on duty at the local community clinic. I wasn’t privy or aware of Filipino customs and traditions with regards to care for the elderly in general but I assumed that like most of Caucasian elderly or senior communities, anybody 65 and above would be living in a senior community, or at least living independently of their adult children.When discussing the prognosis for the care of the husband’s post operative needs (he had colorectal cancer) and early symptoms of dementia, I assumed that he would be place in an elderly care skilled nursing facility. The couple, particularly the wife was livid even at the suggestion (or assumption) that her husband would be put away in a facility. After a lengthy discussion with the wife, and a succeeding session with an adult daughter, it was only then that I came to know that Filipinos are like most South East Asians. They have an extended family household setting.They take care of their elderly at home and expect everybody to participate in the care of the elderly. They cannot fathom or even begin to think of putting one of their elders in a group home or skilled nursing facility no matter how difficult the post operative care requirement is. The encounter with the Filipino couple and their extended family was an eye opener for me. When I made the assumption that the husband will presumably be transferred from the hospital after corrective surgery, I just assumed wrong and simply offended the sensibilities of the wife and even the daughter.It is a lesson that I will not make again in the future. I shoul d have put into consideration their profile more closely rather than just go over the clinical and medical aspects of the patient’s profile. In conclusion, because of our growing diversity in the US, clinicians should not only be aware of one or two ethno-cultural group but be more â€Å"culturally competent† in dealing with each minority culture’s differences and how they would possibly interpret certain prognosis and care for each patient in the family. References: Cultural Competence in Action: Retrieved on May 28, 2007 from: http://convention. asha.org/2006/handouts/855_1440Mahendra_Nidhi_091029_101806104800. pdf â€Å"Cultural Competence†. (2001). Mental Health Information. Friday's Progress Notes – March 16, 2001. Vol. 5 Issue 6. Retrieved on May 28, 2007 from: http://www. athealth. com/practitioner/newsletter/FPN_5_6. html Elliott, V. S. (2001). Cultural competency critical in elder care. Health & Science. AMNews. Retrieved on May 28, 2007 f rom: http://www. ama-assn. org/amednews/2001/08/06/hll20806. htm US Department of Health and Human Services website (1994): HRSA, Bureau of Health Professions. Retrieved on May 28, 2007 from: http://bhpr. hrsa. gov/diversity/cultcomp. htm

Virtual Classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Virtual Classroom - Essay Example dvisory Group behind the Crick Report was originally formed in 1997: â€Å"To provide advice on effective education for citizenship in schools – to include the nature and practices of participation in democracy; the duties, responsibilities and rights of individuals as citizens; and the value to individuals and society of community activity† (Crick Report, 1998: 4). As these observations and examinations into the National Curriculum were being made, advances in technology were also having an effect on the means by which this type of instruction, as with many other topics, could be transmitted. Technology is having an electric effect upon the way in which pupils learn and the ways in which teachers instruct, reducing the time teachers spend on mundane paperwork tasks and bringing students experiences in ways that have never before been possible while also attempting to bridge, to some extent, the so-called digital divide. Whether this is ultimately more or less effective than traditional methods of instruction alone will depend to a large degree on the way in which lessons are approached and how technology is used to enhance education rather than simply providing entertainment. To understand the ways in which Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can be used to enhance inclusion and citizenship instruction to students, this paper will examine current practices by examining the ways in which ICT has been used thus far and discussing whether these uses have been effective educational tools. In making their recommendations for the revision of the National Curriculum, the National Union of Teachers (2005) cited the National Foundation for Educational Research: â€Å"from the pupil’s point of view, the curriculum should be ‘fun’ and ‘interesting’ †¦ it should be kept practical and challenging †¦ pupils should be given responsibility for their own work and a chance to work independently †¦ above all, pupils want greater connection of the

Pathophysiology and Pharmacology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Pathophysiology and Pharmacology - Essay Example Whenever there is left sided heart failure the blood accumulates in the lungs first and then the pulmonary arteries and then right sided heart failure occurs. But, in this case, the patient suffers from right sided heart failure which means there would first be accumulation of blood in the right ventricle and then the right atrium. This accumulation of blood in the right atrium would lead a decreased venous return. This decreased venous return would then cause the accumulation of blood in the peripheral veins. The veins most affected are the veins in the leg. The gravitational force leads to the accumulation of blood in these veins. Accumulation of blood increases the hydrostatic pressure in these veins leading to the disturbance of starling’s forces and movement of fluid outside these vessels causing pretibial and ankle edema. The cause behind irregular pulse can be simply identified by the atrial fibrillation. In atrial fibrillation, there is abnormal transmission of pulses from the transmitters from the atria into the purkinjee fibres of the ventricles. This abnormal transmission of impulses leads to abnormal patterns of contractions of ventricular muscles causing an irregular contraction and relaxation pattern and an abnormal cardiac cycle (Cotran, 1999). This abnoarmal cardiac cycle due to irregular transmission of impulses is what causes an irregular pulse. Ramipril is a carboxylic derivative and belongs to a class of drugs known as ACE inhibitors. Ace inhibitors are those drugs that inhibit an enzyme Angiotensin converting enzyme. The major function of this enzyme is to convert angiotensin 1 to angiotensin 2. The converted angiotensin 2 helps increase the blood pressure by several mechanisms. Some of these are: secretion of aldosterone which acts on the DCT in the kidney to increase the absorption of sodium and water, also the secretion of ADH which by its name the Anti Diuretic Hormone,

Law and the Media Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law and the Media - Case Study Example The reason that was given for this was that it seemed that these file-sharing companies were not innocent by reason of lack of knowledge as they had, The court unanimously agreed that "distributors of technology that enables copyright infringement can be found liable for their users' actions, but only if a plaintiff can point to evidence that the distributor took "affirmative steps" to foster infringement."4 The court also said that actual knowledge was required to prove that these ISPs (Internet Service Providers) were liable for the copyright infringement. It is misleading to call this case "Grokster" because this company and the other jointly accused companies opted for an out of court settlement with the plaintiffs and Steam Cast was the only company that decided to go on to contest the case. This company then moved for a summary judgement at the US District Court for the Central District of California, and was not allowed to keep its communications and business plans privileged and confidential. It was found that Stream Cast was guilty of devising the Morpheus software and the Open Nap network to find itself the same consumer base as Napster. Its open advertising to promote its business and blatantly allowed its users to infringe copyrights of Music companies and was even guilty of encouraging and assisting them in such means. The whole business model was based on copyright infringement according to the presiding Judge Wilson5 .The Company was freely distributing this software and relying on sponsor revenues. The fact that it took no "meaningful" steps to halt its activities or prevent its customers from doing so . The only flimsy excuse that the company had was that it had given a warning to its customers in its user-agreement, yet it did little to enforce this agreement. Judge Wilson said in his concluding speech that, "This court finds that no reasonable fact finder can conclude that Stream Cast provided Open Nap services and distributed Morpheus [software] without the intent to induce infringement".6 Legal issues and academic opinion arising from the case The age of information technology has made the internet the copyright infringer's playground. The convenience and low cost at which this has been done has prompted the law enforcement authorities to stand up to the challenges of the protection of intellectual property rights .This problem arose in the case of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing. This judgement has given a new dimension to the law of Copyright.

China Unicom's entrance in Brazil for mobile network Essay

China Unicom's entrance in Brazil for mobile network - Essay Example China Unicom’s Entry Strategic Plan 12 5.1 Product Segmentation 12 5.2 Customer Behaviour 13 5.3 Distribution Channel 13 5.4 Risk Mitigation 14 5.5 Political Implementation 14 6. Conclusion and Recommendations 16 References 17 1. Introduction 1.1 Background In relation to the recent phenomenon of the unconventional business environment, organisations are often recognised to expand their business subsidiaries across different foreign business markets. Moreover, the rapid pace in economic stabilisation of the global countries has long been witnessed to motivate the global marketers for implementing aggressive expansion strategy in order to strengthen their global presence and sustainability in any business industry. In this similar context, Brazil can be duly considered as one of the major and highly preferred business locations for the global marketers while intending to expand their respective business subsidiaries (Rugraff & Hansen, 2011). According to the present day context , Brazil has been identified to attain greater interests of the global marketers to extend their business locations. ... Aims and Objectives Emphasising the increased level in business expansion by the international marketers, the essay intends to critically understand the rising opportunity and develop an effective country analysis for China United Network Communications Group Co. Ltd (China Unicom) in the Brazilian telecom business industry. In this regard, the aims and objectives of this research are to analyse the economic environment and also the current trend of the telecom industry prevailing in the respective business location. Moreover, the identification of certain specific issues along with challenges persisting in the respective industry as well as in the country or the business market is also the other aim and objective of this research. Moreover, the essay would also focus on demonstrating the current political environment of Brazil and prepare a relevant entry strategy for China Unicom. 2. China Unicom 2.1 Introduction Officially established in the year 2009, China United Network Communi cations Group Co. Ltd (China Unicom) is regarded as one of the leading and dominant telecom service providers across the globe. The organisation is recognised as the merger of the leading telecom service provider of China Netcom and previously developed China Unicom. The organisation is widely renowned as one of the dominant telecom service providers in terms of providing an extensive fixed-line network across its widely accessed global subsidiaries. Moreover, China Unicom is also observed in offering its range of high-speed along with higher-capacity based transmission networks to its global customers. During the year 2008, the company was able to gain its assets beyond 5 hundred billion Yuan and also recorded to incorporate in excess of 460,000 global employees across its different

Malpractices during Elections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Malpractices during Elections - Essay Example Hans Von Spakovsky argues that in order to ensure a democratic election process, the election board and authorities should ensure safety and security just before elections, during the election and after the election. He argues that this encompasses preparations made before voting that include ensuring that there is a credible voters register, ensuring that during voting process all legible people are allowed to vote peacefully and ensuring that the vote counting is conducted with a lot of integrity. Hans acknowledges that the use of IDs by voters can help in curbing election irregularities that may occur as a result election malpractices. He points out that use of IDs can to a certain extent deter people from impersonating other voters, prevent illegible people from voting and prevent people from casting their votes in more than one state or region. Hans argues that unless the use of voters IDs is launched then it will be futile trying to charge those caught in voters’ fraud. This is because of lack of sufficient proof to charge those caught committing election crimes. Hans further argues that fears by a section of the public that use of IDs would result in lower voter turnout are baseless. He justifies his sentiments by arguing that almost all American adults have IDs and those without can easily acquire them with ease. He backs up his sentiments by pointing out that during the 2008 presidential primary elections, Georgia one of the states in the USA with existing strict voter ID laws registered the highest of voters (Louis 407). Therefore Hans concludes by stating that voter identification is one logical way that can be employed in the USA to prevent election irregularities and hence ensuring a democratic election process that most Americans deserve. Contrary to arguments put forward by Hans that voter fraud is real in the USA and voters IDs can be used to curb down on these irregularities, Chandler Davidson argues that identification cards cannot elim inate fraud if at all exists. He instead argues that trying to impose the use of IDs is discriminative and would result in lower voter turnout because minority groups such as the elderly might not take part in the elections. Edward Foley, on the other hand, argues that both arguments presented by conservatives and liberals are logical and therefore should be addressed cautiously. He asserts that identification of voters can be discriminative to a certain degree and therefore may have an influence on the voter turnout and at the same time it can be used to a certain extent to address issues related with voters’ fraud. He instead proposes that a more valid and logical way that can be used to ensure democracy in elections is by employing the use of digital technology. Ha argues that voters should be allowed to present digitized photos of themselves at the voting venue. This he argues can be used to confirm the true identity of the voters. He argues that a digital photo can easil y be obtained therefore fears that use of drivers license, passports or other forms of IDs could be a burden to some people won’t arise. He further proposes that for absentee voters they could email a copy of their digitized photo alongside their ballot to help in confirming identity. This could help in eradicating fraud among the citizens who may not personally go to the polling stations (Louis 413).  

Business Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Integration - Essay Example Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung is a multinational corporation based in Germany that specialises in the development of business software solutions. The company name translates to Systems, functions, and commodities in Data Processing to highlight company products and services whose target is business enterprises. The products and services are geared towards the management of business operations and customer relations, which enhances productivity (Oslon and Kesharwani 2010). SAP is among the largest software companies globally known to provide products such as enterprise resource planning application (ERP), SAP business warehouse among others. A group of former IBM engineers started the company in 1972 in an effort to develop a software package that incorporated a company’s diversity with regard to supporting departments (Anderson 2011). This would see companies replace numerous business applications within the departments with a single integrated ent erprise system. The vision sought to minimise the enormous complexity and bulk associated with existing applications, and provide the businesses with real-time computing capabilities. Presently, the company continues to offer products and services beyond the initial vision owing to advances in the technology and globalisation. Moreover, SAP products have found home in millions of businesses serving thousands of customers in more than 100 countries. The proliferation in various business industries is aided through partnerships with various support partners such as Microsoft and other developers. Although SAP and its enterprise competitors are distinctly different from one another, each competitor actively participates to sustain the company. For instance, Microsoft provides the operating systems while Oracle serves as the largest database vendor. Among the benefits realised in such associations is innovation, which has seen the integration networking capabilities in SAP’s prod ucts and services. This is essential in the management of large corporations that have various departments concurrently running to fulfil company mandate. Over the years, SAP has receives awards and accolades for their contribution in business management and to the economy. The company boasts of more 60,000 employees who help generate about â‚ ¬16 billion in revenue and â‚ ¬2 billion in profits in the financial year ending 2012. As a software company, SAP commits its resources towards creative solutions for business management. Among the bestselling products is the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), a system consisting of configurable packages presented as software that integrates the best practices while conducting business. The information within the software framework is custom built to meet the needs of the organisation of interest; the packages include information ranging from business practice to academic theory to facilitate the smooth flow of information between vario us departments. This is the highlight of SAP ERP systems, which aims at improving the productivity through enhancing efficiency within the organisation. Organisations seek ERP systems for various reasons and among them are the desires to adopt better business practices, globalisation, increase flexibility, and centralise information among others (Hallikainen, n.d.). The software infrastructure also presents an opportunity for the business to sustain a competitive advantage in the evolving world of information technology in business. This is achieved by ensuring cooperation and integration of various departments in an organisation and is in line with information technology, a key aspect in relation to effective management (Bernroider & Koch, 2003). There are various applications offered by ERP system depending on the needs of the organisation, which include supply-chain management, human resource management, customer relationship manager, and accounting applications. Various applicat ions

Myth as one of the concept of understanding the reality Essay

Myth as one of the concept of understanding the reality - Essay Example Whereas men have always relied on concrete objects and the environment to understand themselves, they now also realized the power of intangible and abstract beliefs and concepts in their pursuit of enlightenment. As explained in Bruno Bettelheim’s, â€Å"The Child’s Need for Magic†, the answers given by myths are definite. He compared myths to children’s fairy tales. He tells us that fairy tales are suggestive. Its messages may imply solutions, but it never spells them out. However, he believes that fairy tales are effective in the formation of truth in the eyes of children. It leave to the child’s fantasizing whether and how to apply to himself what the story reveals about life and human nature. As young people inclined to their imaginations instead of cold, hard facts, children usually interpret their daily experiences with what they see in fairy tales. Now we are quite knowledgeable of the fact that in fairy tales, everything has a soul. But this becomes all the more real for children. They take on what Bettleheim calls an â€Å"animistic† view. Associating their own lives to what they see in the fairy tales, children believe that everything is alive and has soul. For example, children have the notion that animals, in real life, have the abilities to guide us in our journeys. This is for the reason that in fairy tales these animals roam freely and widely in the world to guide the hero to his quests. In thinking animistically, everything acquires human characteristics. In the mind of a child, not only animals feel and think as we do, but even stones are alive. By the same reasoning, it is entirely believable for children that objects talk, give advice, and join the hero on his wanderings. Author Conrad Phillip Kottack has also shared some similar views. In his article entitled, â€Å"Disney Myth and Ritual†, myths are said to be often used as mediating figures to resolve oppositions. Kottack (1974) illustrated that animals, are given human abilities, thus bridging the opposition between culture and nature. In Genesis, a humanlike animal (a bipedal, talking, lying snake) brings culture and nature closer together. In the beginning, Adam and Eve are innocent parts of nature, yet they are unique because of their creation in God's image. The snake encourages Original Sin, which keeps humans unique, but in a far less exalted way. The punishment for eating forbidden fruit is a destiny of physical labor, a struggle with nature. That humans are a part of nature while also being different from other animals is explained by the serpent-mediator's role in the Fall. The fall of humanity is paralleled in the fall of the serpent—from culture-bearing creature to belly-crawling animal. Obviously, this myth is of significant stature as it is one of the most popular stories in the Bible. Now we don’t question the authenticity of such stories in the bible. However it may be largely perceived th at the particular story is indeed but a figment of our ancestor’s imagination, subject to our different interpretations. This kind of belief in the myths takes on a powerful impact on one’s way of viewing life. It absorbs and encompasses one’s faith and religion, thus becoming an important instrument of enlightenment to men. Further explained by Kottack (1974), one creator and myth maker for so many Americans is Walt Disney. In many cultures, religion focuses on sacred sites. Disney’s works, in the level of magnitude of how it created an impact to Americans’

Steroids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Steroids - Essay Example In terms of the categories, ergogenic aids can be seen as distributed in terms of mechanical aids, pharmacological aids, physiological aids, nutritional aids and psychological aids (Sports Coach, 1997). All of these categories actually illustrate the fact that the ergogenic aids can be specifically tailored in view of the particular aspect of the being that needs to be enhanced. The most commonly used ergogenic supplements are protein supplements, energy boosters, weight loss agents and anabolic agents etc (Bonci, 2010). It is this category of anabolic agents in which the stubject matter of steroids falls. Steroids constitute two categories namely anabolic and corticosteroids (Dowshen, 2010). Anabolic steroids are the synthetic derivatives of testosterone and are synthetic hormones that boost the muscle production in the body and their strength. While the corticosteroids are drugs that doctors specifically prescribe to control inflammation (Dowshen, 2010). The usage of such steroids is mostly for the purpose of enhancing one’s abilities in the strength dependent sports. Anabolic steroids are the ones that trigger the release of the endogenous growth hormone and induce protein synthesis in the muscle cells whose psychological influence can enhance a more intense and sustained workout. While the complete effectiveness of them in enhancing strength and other factors that influence their effects still have some ambiguity in terms of understanding and cannot even be seen in a proper documented form. The effects of such steroids have not yet been determined correctly with full consensus based on the differences in the approaches being taken for their usage (Mac & Silver, 2001). With the advent of steroids as energy boosters in the sports category, there has always been a question of their effectiveness in terms of athletic

20th century innovators of theatre Essay Example for Free

20th century innovators of theatre Essay In this essay I will contrast and explore the key innovations and methodologies of the director/practitioner Peter Brook, and the Polish director/practitioner Wlodzimierz Staniewski and the workings of his theatre company, Gardzienice. One of Peter Brooks methodologies that I feel is key is his use of site specific work. Peter Brook felt a need to try and create theatre outside of traditional theatres. So in the early 1970s he started the experimentation of acting in the street, in hospitals, carparks, anywhere there was a space big enough to hold a production. In the early seventies we began doing experiments outside what was regarded as theatre. For the first three years we played hundreds of times in streets, in cafes, in hospitals, in the ancient ruins of Persepolis, in African villages, in American garages, in barracks, between concrete benches in urban parks. We learned a lot, and the major experience for the actor was playing to an audience they could see, as opposed to the invisible audience to which they were accustomed. This key innovation has helped both directors and actors all over the world, especially actors in third world/war torn countries who either dont have access to theatre buildings due to financial constraints, or who have no theatre buildings due to bombings. Peter Brook encountered a theatre director from Soweto in Africa. This African director explained that his theatre company had been helped greatly by Peter Brooks book The Empty Space, when Peter Brook asked how? the African director replied The first sentence, which is, I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all I need for an act of theatre to be engaged. Peter Brook felt that the newfound relationship between actor/audience would create a new and different dynamic for the actors involved, mainly due to the proximity (closeness) of the actors and audience. One of the actors main defences previously in conventional theatre was not being able to see the audiences faces. With this new site-specific theatre this defence was shattered. Peter Brook felt that this newly created relationship between actor/audience was key in the shared experience of the theatrical performance, so rather than the audience being alienated by the space, the audience sharing the auditorium and the actors the stage, suddenly both parties were sharing exactly the same space. Another aspect of the empty space is that the emptiness is shared: its the same space for everyone who is present. He also felt that there was no need for an elaborate set, lighting and the comfort of a theatre to produce living theatre, he felt that this so called living theatre was not linked to external conditions. I wish to compare what can occur only on a regular stage, with set and lighting, with what can take place only without lighting, without scenery, out of doors, in order to demonstrate that the phenomenon of a living theatre is not linked to external conditions. Gardzienice also used site specific work within their company, but what made their use of site-specific work different to Peter Brooks form was the way in which they executed it. Firstly they would interconnect their form of site-specific work and interculterallism. The Theatre Company would travel to a village and set up for a performance, this would be done in full view of the villages inhabitants so to insure a large turnout. A small group of performers would then walk between the houses either engaging in short performances in front of or inside the houses. They did this to make the villages feel like part of their performances rather than outside of them, this method connects to Peter Brooks method of actor/audience sharing the same space rather than feeling alienated, just spectators. The difference with Gardzienices performance/gatherings is that they actively encourage the villagers to participate/share in the performances. You may rehearse with local musicians, and if there are storytellers you try and include them as well, if not in the performance scenario then in the gatherings. So the preparations should animate the local community as much as possible. Gardzienice created these gatherings in order to share their work with agrarian communities and also give members of these communities a chance to share lifelong skills, in any performance-related art with them. If you present your skills, they will respond with their highest abilities. This method is used not only to share artistic forms, it is also used as a refining vehicle, because the responses of these villagers are so unblemished by society as we know it, Gardzienice felt that the responses of the villagers would be completely primitive and instinctive. The expedition tests and proves the strength and the causing effect of the performance, of the scenes, of acting, of timing-all the aspects which indicate whether it is alive or not. It is a very good camp for refining your craft. The use of the gatherings/performances changed the theatre of its time, as did the use of site-specific spaces for Brook. These gatherings created a whole newworld of what was seen as theatre. In the 1970s theatre was seen as a performance of a play in a conventional theatre space to a paying audience. Gardzienice changed this by using the natural environment of the village as the theatre. He also had no set play, the drama would unfold in an organic completely natural way, and this also reflected upon the environment in which it was set. I am of the opinion that gathering is a moment of theatre born of itself. The traditional gathering has, Within it, the fundamental structure and principles of drama. It has an enormous theatricality and dynamism. If you observe the traditional gatherings in the villages where the people meet to sing, play their music and tell their stories, you will see that they are richer and more developed than many dramas on the stage. Gardzienice also created this innovation of gathering/performance to truly allow their audience to be an integral part of the performance. For without them the performance is not actually possible. The real performance, the real event is the gathering. Staniewskis company wished to change the passive audience into the active one through the constant evoking of their senses. He did this through his deeply moving performances, which involved music and song, this musical song was used in a very ritualistic way. This performance type has elements of religious ritual and the natural environment, which usually connects greatly with these villages, as most of their lives are rooted in tradition and religious activity and their constant connection with the land. The performance demonstration is very important because it allows you to identify your work. The village is never passive during the performance because this sort of society still has liveliness, an immediate reaction to an action, a picture, to events, happenings. But the gathering is much more significant because you are changing the passive audience into the active one. In both Staniewskis and Brooks work they share a common interest in the role of the spectator. Brooks methodologies are such that the audience must be an alert energy whilst speculating. Within Brooks work he is aware that the audience should be alert to the action but not directly involved. He sees the audience as active through the channelling of their positive energy onto the actors; they have an awakened presence that manifests itself onto the energy of the performers. The eye of the audience is the first element, which helps. If one feels this scrutiny as a true expectation, which demands at every moment that nothing be gratuitous, that nothing can come from limpness, but all from alertness, one understands then that the audience does not have a fully passive function. It does not need to intervene or manifest itself in order to participate. It is a constant participant through its wakened precence. On the contrary Staniewski encourages the spectator to become an integral part of the performance process (within gatherings), sometimes even encouraging the audience to actively taking part in the creation of the action. Gardzienice display their skills, to which the villagers then respond with skills of their own. You must demonstrate your own abilities as perfectly as possible. If you present your skills, they will respond with their highest abilitys. Another very important innovation of Peter Brooks is interculterallism. He is very interested in the idea of sharing forms. Especially those that come from a long line of tradition, forms that were inbred into a people, rather than learnt/acquired as forms are usually learnt in the western world. When talking about a Taazieh performance that he saw in Iran he said about the performer It was although we heard his fathers voice, and his fathers fathers, and so on back. Although Peter Brook admires the greatness of these age-old plays/rituals/ceremonies, he also discusses the way in which these forms can become out of touch with society. Peter Brook believes in taking a form from another culture and adapting it. He believes that trying to create an exact representation of a form so alien to an outsider, yet that comes so naturally to its inhabitant is useless. Peter Brook felt that once a form was formed it was rigidly stuck and unable to progress. He said, Generally speaking, we can conclude that tradition, in the sense of the word, means frozen. It is a frozen form more or less obsolete, reproduced through automatism. He feels that forms are just like any natural cycle within our universe that everyone must accept, everything is born and everything must die. He believes that only the constant re-evaluation and adaptation of a form will keep it alive. There is no form beginning with ourselves that is not subject to the fundamental law of the universe: that of disappearance. All religion, all understanding, all tradition, all wisdom accepts birth and death. In 1968 he met a Japanese actor named Yoshi Oida who was trained in No theatre. He believed that although his training was beneficial to him, it wasnt truly in touch with the world around him. Peter Brook agreed with this actors outlook, he felt that it was important to assess the context in which you are producing/performing the form in, and inevitably its connection with an audience. A magnificent form is not necessarily the appropriate vehicle to carry a living experience once the historical context changes. So in Peter Brooks productions he takes elements of ritualistic traditions/forms that he has encountered by indigenous people, and he adapts them to suit western actors/audiences. For Peter Brooks production of The Conference of the Birds, he brought in a Balinese actor with a vast experience in the use of traditional Balinese masks, to work with his actors. Although the acting company was in awe of what they saw him do with these masks, they knew that it would be almost impossible to recreate. He used the mask as a Balinese tradition, with a thousand years of ritual behind it. It would have been ridiculous for us to try to be what we were not. Finally we asked him what it was possible for him to do. Gardzienice has a similar methodology with regards to interculterallism but rather then heavily reforming the customs the Theatre Company try to translate the nature of the form that is shared with them whether in song or dance. Staniewski and his collaborators in Gardzienice translate what they explore and discover in their expeditions into their own highly complex and innovative theatre language. Gardzienice take the use of interculterallism to a completely new level through their use of the Gathering. This event not only involves sharing of cultural forms, it also takes the reactions of the spectators, or the sounds of the natural environment during a performance, and adds this to its theatre language, so it can be recreated in later rehearsals/performances. This innovation Staniewski calls interference in dialogue For example, an actor speaks a monologue and a voice from the crowd is constantly adding something. This is when they interject with material belonging to their own lives. So Gardzienice not only share and receive songs and rituals with these villagers, crossing the boundaries of culture, they also apply their natural reactions to aid the growth of their material. This innovation again bears similarities to Peter Brooks methodologies, although Brook does not directly involve the spectators in the action. Although he believes that the actors and the audience have a link through their imagination, he doesnt want them too directly participate as in the gatherings of Gardzienice. In the sixties we dreamed of an audience participating. Nai vely, we thought that participating meant demonstrating with ones body, jumping onto the stage, running around and being part of the group of actors. The participation that Brook talks of is more of a silent participation, not in the sense of conventional theatre where the audiences are there to just watch. They must finely tune their energies into the energies of the actors in order to create an extra daily atmosphere/energy. The audience does not need to intervene or manifest itself in order to participate. It is a constant participant through its awakened presence. De-urbanisation is a key innovation shared by both practitioners. This de-urbanisation was thought to have helped cleanse the acting company of the pollutions of city life. It also helped them to get more accustomed to the natural world. De-urbinisation is a recognizable process in the history of twentieth-century actor training. Stanislavski, Vakhtangov, Brook and Copeau have, at some point, sought rural retreats for their work. The differences in their use of de-urbinisation being that Brook retreated to country retreats whilst being involved in certain rehearsals, but Gardzienice has a permanent residence in rural Poland. Brook and Staniewski believe that urban life warps our bodies. Staniewski holds the same view he said in an interview Habitants brought from the city slowly die out the defensive attitude (necessary there), the dullness of the senses, and the indifference. Gradually we become sensitive to one another, we feel our constant, tangible, warm presence. Another of Staniewskis key methodologies is incorporating religious/ritualistic ceremonies into nearly all of their performances. This is not a new innovation as theatre was born originally out of religion, but it is a key factor within Garzienices theatre practices. His theatre is a spiritual theatre that encompasses outside factors and digests them in order to externalize them whenever necessary. Staniewski expects greatness in his performances not only through the actors transmission of the material gathered over the long rehearsal period, but also with regards to the reaction of the audience. I think that Staniewski wishes the reaction of the audience (and to some extent the actor) to be similar to the transcendence that some religious ceremonies awake in people. Should one expect miracles from a performance? Yes. You have to know how to prepare the ingredients, ignite the fire under the crucible, and then the actors can transmute their material into gold. Peter Brook believes that the religious/ritualistic ceremony/performance can be completely lost once taken out of its natural environment. In the community where the ritual originates from religious sense usually pervades everything. A western audience may not understand or want to understand the importance of the religious element/indigenous peoples way of life with regards to the context of this ritual, therefore something in the spectators reaction will be lost. Brook gave an example of a performance by the Bengal Chauu a group of villagers who act out battle, moving forward in little jumps. In India Bengal Chauu are greatly received, a big excitement for the villagers. But when the same performance was performed in front of a British audience Peter Brook felt that there was no energy left within it. The spirit was no longer present, nothing was left but a show, a show with nothing to show. Another key innovation that Staniewski discovered was that of musicality. It not only involves Music in its true sense through the use of choral work, but also musicality created through the body (rhythms). This form is seen to have a direct connection with the earth, Staniewski believes that every natural element contains musicality within it. I am utterly convinced that the earth is musical, that it has musicality and that every part of nature can be musical He believes that musical composition can be composed in a totally new way to its traditional form of writing a score. He feels that the western music is in some way inhibited by its strictness in form. Thats why our western music, codified since the middle ages, is sometimes refereed to as reduced. Through the use of breath, animal sounds that occur through our connection with the earth (such as stamping), using these sounds can help to create a musical composition, full of the earths richness. The entire world is filled with sound. But natural sounds represent a rich world of music. In dogs barking in the village and birds singing at my window, I hear musical compositions, which inspire me. These innovations have revolutionized the way in which theatre is produced today. In the 1970s when these forms were first discovered music would only appear within theatrical performances in the traditional musical theatre setting, or to increase tension, or as background music. Peter Brook uses music to create dramatic tension. He sees music as accompanying the action, rather then as in Gardzienices work music being a through line during all performances. He sees music as a complimentary tool that can help develop the energies of the actor. In contrast to Staniewski He imagines this music to be outside of the actor, composed, rather then created by the performers. The simple present of a pulse or a throb is already a tightening the action and a sharpening of the interest. Then other instruments enter to play a role-always in relation to the action. But feels that this music must contain a unified language with relation to the performance, and cant contain a language of its own language, whereas Staniewski combines the two to create a newer more innovative language. Staniewski connects musicality to spirituality, although he believes that the church has had a negative influence in the codification of music. The churchs influence on Western music is a well-known story. Dissonance was regarded as a sin. Ornamentation is not only an expression of emotion but also an intellectual statement-the Church found it too dangerous and reduced it. The connection and utter concentration of the senses that musicality techniques arouse can awake the inner senses making it an almost religious experience. Codified music is usually in the background of this musicality, creating a great juxtaposition in the finished performances. He sees the music as framing the musicality. My performances incorporate music and musicality. You have to form your artistic proposal and frame it. Once you repeat this framed work, you are developing a uniform structure of sound. Musicality is like a rough diamond, which is perfectly framed by the gold of the codified music. Song is also an important aspect of Garzienices musicality; singing/choral work is incorporated in some way into every one of their performances. Song is not used in a traditional sense within their practices. The act of singing is seen as something sacred, like sharing something with you audience. It is not about communicating a skill or ability as in the conventional meaning. It must not just involve your head your whole body must become consumed by the song. Song is a being; it is not just a composition or melody which must simply be sung. Nor is it a pretext for an actor to express his or her ability as an actor. Song is not illustration; Most of the songs that are used within Gardzienices performances are strongly linked to a given community or tradition (as with all of his work). The creative potential of this way of perceiving performance has received further confirmation through Staniewskis discovery of related techniques found in native cultures. He feels that the song in its natural tradition is sung from deep within and that is what he wants his actors to recreate. They take the song and then deconstruct it using varying words, harmonies and tempos etc. You have to penetrate the song through experimentation: through making different combinations of voices and harmonies. You explore different musical ideas, which will suddenly show you different plants within the organism of the song. Gardzienice have explored harmony, polyphony and dissonance rhythm and counterpoint. This way of singing is seen to produce an almost cathartic effect, through the deep training and the actors real sincerity in giving the song through humbleness rather than through self and ego. I am an idealist. I always believe that there must be a final destination within a song, a way of singing it, which explains everything, bringing a sort of catharses. In conclusion I have compared the methodologies of two key 20th century innovators of theatre. I started off talking about Peter Brooks use of site-specific spaces. I feel that this has been a key and revolutionary innovation in terms of the freedom it has given actors/theatre companies. It has in a way broken a barrier between the classes. Poorer companies of actors may not have been able to afford to hire out large theatre spaces. It has also encouraged the actors to be more creativity within the context of performance. Gardzienices methodology is similar to Brooks in relation to using a non-theatrical space as a setting for a performance. But they take it one step further with the involvement of the people of the village within their performances also talked about actor/audience relationship and audience participation. Peter Brook believes that the spectators are active through their silent energies. Gardzienice wants the audience to directly participate in the action. With regards to inter/cross culturalism Gardzienice embraces other cultures forms and incorporates many of them into their unique theatre language. Peter Brook also embraces other cultures forms, but he constantly evolves them, retaining little of their original substance. Both Peter Brook and Staniewski have embraced de-urbanisation. Peter Brook during some of his rehearsal periods. Gardzienice indefinitely. Both practitioners were interested in ritual. Peter Brook felt that something is lost when these rituals are performed out of their original contexts. Gardzienice have a great respect for other cultures rituals, they rehearse these songs/dances so much that they become a part of them, thus becoming re-contextualised. The last topic discussed was music/musicality/song. Gardzienice have revolutionised the process of creating music within a performance. A new non-codified type of music has arisen that can work alongside the codified form. Peter Brookes music as a background element in a performance to at times highlights the action. In my estimation all of these innovations have been important in the development of theatre, as we know it. But I believe that Garzienice on every level have taken Peter Brooks methodologies one step further.

Crime Prevention Programs Children And Young People Essay

Crime Prevention Programs Children And Young People Essay Currently we suffer from overpopulation in our prisons today. One of the main reasons is due to a constant increasing flow of non-violent drug offenders being sentenced to serve time. Drugs are a major problem in our country, so we must be proactive in our efforts and try to come up with programs that would steer youth away from initial drug use that would potentially lead to future incarceration. There are many programs that try to do just that. These programs focus on the youth to try and keep them captivated in healthier venues as opposed to starting drug use or a life of crime. These programs have seen much success in the areas that they are in by means of crime prevention. This paper will discuss the programs and how they actually help in crime prevention by helping the youth within those communities. Adult-supervised, youth-development afterschool prevention programs reduce the onset or intensity of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. These programs serve many important purposes including: Positive interaction with and supervision by adults Enrichment programs and activities help youth develop drug/alcohol free hobbies Occupying free time with positive choices in a supervised element Helps create a service ethic through community service Development of social skills and the keys to just say no to drugs and alcohol The programs with the most positive results tend to be those that combine fun with structure and teach prevention through activities. When afterschool prevention programs, run by Boys and Girls Clubs, were started in selected public housing developments in New York, drug use, presence of crack cocaine use, police reports of drug activity all decreased significantly. Drug activity decreased 22%, juvenile arrests dropped 13%, and vandalism in the public housing developments decreased 12.5%, and parental involvement increased, compared with public housing developments that were not selected to implement the afterschool programs. The program included structured, adult-supervised recreation and youth development activities combined with a focused prevention activity, Smart Moves, developed by the Boys Girls Clubs specifically for non-classroom settings (Bailey, 1998). Worldwide over the past couple of decades, we have seen an increase in the amount of recreational organizations being created. Recognizing the increasing jail and prison populations, these places were constructed to benefit the entire community in the long run. These facilities have many things that lured youth in such as batting cages, pools, tracks to run, basketball, weight rooms, a healthy and productive alternative to running around on the streets. Programs that engage the youth while keeping them on a straightened path is what will really make the difference in a community. One organization that incorporates healthy alternatives to substance abuse and criminal activity in youths is The Boys Girls Clubs of America. This organization is among the top of the lists of facilities to aid in crime prevention in youths. Their programs are nationally recognized as well as tested and proved effective in addressing problems that modern day youths face as well as showing them tools to make them successful throughout their lives. Programs are available nationwide and focus on areas such as alcohol and drug prevention, various areas of education, gang prevention, pregnancy prevention, athletics, the environment and leadership development. The Boys Girls Clubs of America commend accomplishments while also adding an extra goal for young adults to aspire for, such as the opportunity to meet important role models on a global scale; these actions have led to a high success rate within the organization. One of the ways that the Boys Girls Clubs of America commend accomp lishments through their organization is through their own Youth of the Year awards. These awards are given out to those who show outstanding contributions to the Club, family, and community as well. Each state produces a winner and the winners from each state then compete for the title of National Youth of the Year; with the ultimate Youth of the Year being recognized by the President of the United States, which is the ultimate honor (Boys Girls Clubs of America, 2007). The hopes of this competition is to instill in these young adults that they can accomplish any dream if the put their mind to it and stay away from drugs and alcohol or resorting to violence. There are over 2,000 YMCAs worldwide, which makes it the largest not-for-profit community service organization in America working to meet the health and human service needs of 20.2 million men, women and children in 10,000 communities in the United States. YMCAs are at the heart of community life across the country: 42 million families and 72 million households are located within three miles of a YMCA (YMCA, 2007). Because of their non-profit services and unique locations around the world, 20.1 million members have joined these clubs, 9.5 million of which are under the age of 18. Thousands of Ys work with local elementary, middle, and high schools, hospitals, and churches to promote child care and teen leadership and provides services that they may need. So many kids today are starting down the wrong paths in life at earlier ages. The fact the children are being left alone and unattended at their homes between the hours that they get out of school until their parents get home is not helping the matter. Kids are often taking advantage of the situation and doing whatever they want. If this continues to happen for some time before they get caught, they might not stop when asked to. Lucky for us, YMCAs is the largest providers of childcare in the United States, operating nearly 10,000 childcare sites throughout the United States providing affordable and high quality care to more than a half million children. The YMCA does also serve nearly 10 million children under the age of 18 through activities such as camping, sports, and afterschool programs. YMCAs are the largest employers of teenagers in the country (YMCA, 2007). YMCAs nationwide even offer an After School Program. It is a safe and caring environment in your childs own school that is offered at school dismissal (including scheduled half days) until 6:00 PM and before school care begins at 7:00 AM until school begins. You can choose between 2-5 days a week and they also offer childcare on holidays and snow days. During this time your children participate in arts and crafts, games, gym activities, group activities, special events, and trips. Homework time and help is also provided, as well as an afternoon snack. And you dont have to worry about the type of people that are watching your kids because they are just as much qualified to work with children as are teachers. Our staff members are selected from a wide range of applicants who undergo strict background checks, most of whom have been with us for several years (YMCA, 2007). This next organization is about taking the next step and preparing youth for their future involvement in the workforce. The Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) was created in 1996 in order to consolidate resources and provide the City of New York with higher-quality, more efficient youth and family programming. Our central task is administering available city, state, and federal funds to strong and effective community-based organizations (NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, 2007). DYCD funds a wide range of innovative, practical and quality programs that positively impact youth and communities. These programs include but are not limited to: Runaway and Homeless Youth Outreach, Youth Workforce Development, Corporate Internships for Youth, Summer Youth Employment Program, and the nations largest municipally funded Out-of-School Time initiative. It is programs like these that we need to see more of, programs that prepare young teens for success, sending t hem off on internships to meet well-known successful people. We need to raise their hopes and help them realize that their dreams can become reality. Like the YMCA, the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) also has after school programs. With the increased number of parents entering the workforce, the need for expanded quality after-school services to support young people and their families is a must. The DYCD supports two major after-school initiatives: the Out-of-School Time Program and the Beacon Program. As previously stated, the Out-of-School Time (OST) Program is the largest after-school program throughout the nation. The programs offered are free of charge and offer an equal balance between recreational activities, the arts, sports, and academic tutoring and support for elementary school students throughout high school. OST programs operate on most school holidays to meet the needs of working parents (NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, 2007). The Beacon Program is slightly different in that it was designed for kids ages 16-21. In this program, young adults are offered the experience of academ ic support and college preparatory, sports such as basketball and martial arts, as well as art infused themes such as photography. These centers operate six days and 42 hours a week in the afternoons and evenings, and on weekends. Weve explored the opportunities of childcare and support during the day and after school hours, but what are these children to do at night? Is this not the most popular time for individuals go out, cause mischief, and commit crimes? What can be done to attempt to suppress this? Seattle Parks and Recreations new Late Night Program could very well be the answer. The Late Night Recreation Program is a fun, safe environment for high-risk Seattle youth. Our goal is to save the lives of our youth, create opportunities for success and provide positive alternatives to drugs, gangs, and other undesirable activities, stated Betty Jean Brooks the Interim Superintendent. The Late Night Recreation Program targets youths most prone to harmful behavior and shows them the possibility of having a positive future. It offers a variety of activities: educational services such as tutoring, computer and teen parenting programs, inter-cultural activities such as ethnic dance and bead-making and athletic ac tivities such as basketball, volleyball, martial arts and other sports. According to the Seattle Police Department, crime has been reduced an average of 30 percent near the Late Night centers. A new program has also come about in Vancouver and Richmond called Night Hoops: Nocturnal Basketball. Night Hoops is a late night basketball program for youth 13-18 yrs. of age. Its goal is to use basketball as a vehicle to promote asset development in a supported environment. Night Hoops offers youths the opportunity to experience the thrill of playing on an organized basketball team. The youth really benefits from having something as fun and positive as this. Those who need an alternative to where they spend their Friday and Saturday nights dont have to look far. Youth who are experiencing difficulties at home, in school, and would benefit from physical activity and being around positive role models would be perfect candidates. Religious Youth Group organizations put on by local churches is also an option. Along with religious education classes for children, these groups offer programs for youth age 12 19. The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio has created two different groups: Club M2U and YRUU. Club M2U is for Middle School students (grades 6 8). Focus is on having fun, making friends, and doing projects together. Some of their recent activities have been ice skating, collecting school supplies for hurricane victims, and planning an Animal Dedication service for the entire church. The YRUU serves youth from 14-19 years old. Guided by national goals and purposes, each local group determines its own vision. The five components of balanced youth programming are Worship, Community Building, Social Action, Learning, and Leadership. Youth in this program have many opportunities to grow into leadership at group, congregational, district, and continental levels. There is a youth group similar to this where I live. It is held on Friday nights from 8-midnight. There is a lesson service for each group of kids (10-14 and 15-21) in the beginning and then the last 2 hours we are free to partake in recreational activities such as basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, Frisbee, football, etc. And what I thought was great was to see all these other kids from other towns coming over to be a part of this event. It is really quite impressive for a word of mouth establishment. With all the opportunities the youths have within their reach it is still beyond me why so many become involved in breaking the law. The continuation of education these young minds of how bad gangs and drugs and violence are is most important, and not only after school but in school as well. The G.R.E.A.T. Program (Gang Resistance Education and Training) is a school-based, law enforcement officer-instructed classroom curriculum that is intended as an immunization against delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership. G.R.E.A.T. lessons focus on providing life skills to students to help them avoid using delinquent behavior and violence to solve problems. Because this is a four-component program (elementary school, middle school, high school, and summer classes) it is not something that is easily forgotten. It would be a major problem and of no significance if they only taught it to you in one of those sections. If you were taught it at a young age, you might not understand and ofte n forget and if you were taught it in high school you might laugh at the program and not pay attention at all. The thoroughness throughout the years is the most effective form of education. The other program that is offered to you through school is the D.A.R.E. program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). This is one of the highly acclaimed programs that give kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence. This is a series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. Because this is a police officer led discussion, I feel that with the powerful authority figure you can get more across to the kids and they are more apt to listen to what he/she is saying. Once the students understand and commit to memory what it is the officer is saying they can then precede through life not having to worry about falling victim to the perils of crime. As you can see, there are countless organizations that are trying harder and harder every day to grow and promote their establishments so that there will be less crime. We cant expect the children to make all the decisions and to know that all these programs are out there either. Parents need to look into these types of organizations around their area for their children and suggest them. The children are not going to know about them without the parents help. Maybe a late night basketball program is exactly what your son/daughter wants and you just didnt know because you never brought it to their attention. Youth groups are a great way to meet new people in a safe and friendly environment. If they still seem uninterested there is still the trial and error approach. Tell them that you and he/she will go once, just to see if they like it or if there is anything there that they are interested in. YMCAs and the Boys Girls Clubs have almost anything you could possible want to do. You cant go wrong here so use it as a reserve option. The effort is being made to help, but this isnt a one-way street. Parents, let your children know about the opportunities they are missing out on that will help keep them out of living a life of crime.

Qualities of a Good Parent

Qualities of a Good Parent What does it take to be a good parent? Being a parent is one of the most fulfilling experiences a person can have. There is a natural instinct that seems to come to a new parent, but there are bits of advice that can help when you are challenged in the growing up years. The most important thing however, that any parent can give their child, is a sense of being loved. A gentle cuddle, a little encouragement, appreciation, approval or even a smile can go a long way to boost the confidence and well-being of your children. Respect their privacy as you would want them to respect yours; for example, if you teach your child that your room is out of boundaries to them, respect the same with their room. Allow them to feel that once they enter their room they can know that no one will look through their drawers, or read their diary. Dont argue with your spouse in front of the children. If they are sleeping, argue quietly. Modern divorce rates have children feeling insecure and fearful when they hear parents bickering. In addition, children will learn to argue with each other the same way they hear their parents argue with each other. Show them that when people disagree, they can discuss their differences peacefully Give up your vices: gambling, alcohol and drugs can jeopardize your childs financial security. Smoking almost always introduces health hazards to your childs environment. Second-hand smoke has been linked to several respiratory ailments in children. It could also contribute to the early death of a parent. Alcohol and drugs might also introduce health hazards or violence to your childs environment. With a little patience and self-motivation you can be a great parent. Another quality making a good parent is being able to provide for the family with safety. This encompasses physical safety of the shelter, the financial safety of being able to meet the family’s financial needs and other forms of psychological safety. Most families in the global sense demand high degree of security and safety due to the uncertainties in the world. Financial security to prepare the family members for their future especially for the kids education is a crucial role that is a compliment for every parent. Another quality of a good parent is being able to listen to the voice of the family members and reacting effectively to their demands. Considering that nobody is perfect, when parents makes mistakes, they need to accept and correct their mistakes on good time and in good faith for the better of the family and society at large. Through this, a parent will be able to be a role model to the family. Though each social cultural setting has what the qualities of a good parent, a parent needs to realize that there is no parent who can be exclusively perfect. This therefore calls for parents to change some approaches while providing the best for the family. In every society, this list is endless; however, love, security and safety are among the best amenities that a good parent must provide for the family. By provision of these needs to the family members, a parent will be respected by the family members and the society while the parent will be able to control the whole family. The 9/11 Attacks:  My Splendor I awoke the morning of September 11th like any other day. Comfortably lying in my bed, warm and snug. I was dreaming and at total peace, oblivious to the world around me. Suddenly, I sprang up to the blaring sound of my pulsating alarm clock. The sun was up and shining into my bed room window. I got up, looked around, and observed the horizon with a disgruntled look on my face; admiring its beauty. I did not know it that chilly morning, when I turned my Tv to watch my favorite show Despierta America (Wake Up America) in English. And an a second all my splendor went down, it changed my perception about fear, my awareness about the national issues, and my view on the preciousness of life. The first, resolution the President George W. Bush made; was to respond to the attacks by sending troops to Irak and Afghanistan. A war was the decision that the President took as a defense to our nation. Was a fatal decision after we were suffering the loss of many innocent friends and families. And another hand a war it is always an extreme cost to the taxpayers. Are billions and billions of dollars which people is always going to opposed to this horrible decision. The second, effect of 9/11 attacks the government added new laws. All airports security around the nation are tighter then before. As well as governments buildings and colleges, also immigration laws had changed more then it was. A lot of us feel uncomfortable to travel because, they have to check from your luggage till your whole body and that is very uncomfortable. And sometimes I asked myself: Are we secure enough? The last of this fatal event leads to a down economy, that affects every one of us. Since those horrible attacks of 9/11, United States of America lost a lot of money and is an extreme debt. After that the prices of everything went higher, many people lost their jobs as a result of the economy, because of this many businesses are closing out and what is worst is the people who are losing their houses. In conclusion, the impact of 9/11 changed the United States of America in number of ways. Despite the horrific act of the 9/11 attacks, overall the United States has proven to be quite resilient as it has in the past in the wake of crises. Will the attacks happen again? if so where? Do you feel more secure? Is the nation safer today then September 11, 2011? 4. Qualities of a Good Parent Parenting can be joyous, but it can be challenging also. Many have the privilege of being parents and some Godparents. That is my situation. I cannot have children of my own but I have a Goddaughter, and if she had anything to say about me, she would say that I am a good Godparent. First, she would say â€Å"ma† (that is what Jasmine calls me) is a very good Godmother. She steps in just like a mother. I can remember one time we were having a very interesting conversation on boys and ma said, that you have to be careful with boys these days Jasmine, they out for one thing only child, and that’s sex! I gave her situations about my own life that she could relate to, now that she is in high school, she tells me, that she remembers the conversation on boys and that keeps her from having pre-marital sex. Second, she would tell people about my nieces and nephews, which I spend time with every chance I get. I also let them know in order to be something in life you have to make sacrifices. Never allow anyone to say you cannot accomplish things. Spending time with them is like a having children of my own. I discipline them also. You cannot be a good parent without some form of discipline. The bible say, â€Å"You spare the rod, you will spoil the child†. I believe that saying, not that you beat your children, but give some form of punishment; like timeout, taking their games, chores, and no TV. In order to show them that what they did was wrong. Some people however, do use physical punishment. Sometimes I wonder, is that good for the parent to give them whooping’s. My parent has only whooped us when we did very bad things, and all of us grew up to be good children. Third, Jasmine would tell others that I have a sense of humor underneath all that toughness. I love joking around with them and going on what we call adventure’s with â€Å"ma†. You never know where you will end up at on one of these trips, but you had better believe you would learn something from them. I remember taking them to the west side of Montgomery one time and they were so scared. This was to teach them to appreciate where you leave and what happens when you settle for less in life. Fourth, she would say that I am a good support person. She is at every game screaming out our name or giving shout out on Facebook to her Goddaughter, nieces, and nephews. She is there when we have fundraisers, needs a chaperone for a field trip, and however she can help, ma is there. You can say I have what it takes to be a good parent just ask my Goddaughter, nieces, or nephews. They all would agree. Just because you do not have children of your own you can no whether or not you will be a good parent. Parenting is something that you love being, and I love being a God mom and auntie, it is just like being a parent. Word Count: 543 Being Good Parents Being a good parent starts with having both a mother and a father; it takes two parents to have a child, so it takes two parents to raise a child. Being a good parent is to always love your kids unconditionally. Understanding your child is very helpful in being a good parent as well. Two parent households that have total involvement in a childs life, is the key to becoming a good parent. The start of good parenting begins with having both mother and father in the household. Raising a child is hard work, it’s even harder if you don’t have consistent help. Moms and dad raising children together make this job a little easier. There is always someone with the child, who is familiar with the child and has a familial bond with the child as well. A child having both parents in the household give the child structure and stability. Kids function well when they have a consistent place to stay, have one set of rules and understand that their parents love and support them. Part of being a good parent is to love your kids unconditionally. To love someone unconditionally is to love them regardless of what they do. Most kids do and say things that can break a parents heart. Whether it be lying, stealing or misbehaving in school, children can (and will) do many things to make parents not like them at the moment. Good parenting involves letting a child know that they are displeased with their actions, but still showing them love throughout the disciplinary process. Having both parents, disciplining, while showing their kids compassion is an essential part of being a good parent. Understanding your child can be a great help to good parenting. Knowing your child’s strengths and weaknesses will make parenting easier, through setting realistic goals for your children. If you as a parent have a quick temper and you see that your child displays the same characteristics, you can explain and teach them self control. If you know your child doesn’t like to be around crowds, then you can better help them by not going to the circus. Understanding who they are, a parent can put their children in better situations, so they can flourish into great adults. Oftentimes, parents who focus on a child’s strengths and helps them where they are weak, produce children parents are proud of. Being a good parent isn’t something that just happens. It takes work and dedication, trial and error. Good parents make mistakes and fall short of the mark as well. Good parents understand they need both parents there to effectively love and understand their children. Being totally involved in your child’s life is the sign of good parenting and good parent. What it takes to be a good parent? Someone once told me that it takes a village to raise a child. After having four of my own children I have found this statement to be very true. Raising a child is without a doubt one of the most difficult jobs that a person can be responsible for. While there are many components that make up a good parent I believe love, patience, and stability are the most important. Love is a symbol of a bond between a parent and child that forms when the baby is an embryo. It is an emotion that shows true affection for one another. Children are very alert in their young ages and can pick up on signals well. A child can sense when they are loved and also when they are being neglected. Love could possibly determine the path children will take. A child who is praised and comforted can cause them to excel in school because of the support system they have at home. On the other hand, a neglected child’s results may have the opposite affect. It may be harder for them to excel in school if they do not have the positive reinforcement at home. Behavior, too, may have the same effects on a loved versus neglected child. It is important to maintain equality between children no matter the age because kids can pick up on this easier than a parent. Patience is another hey factor in being a good parent. It is not always pleasant when dealing with children, especially through the toddler stage. As a mother of four I have learned that my children respond better when I am calm and relaxed rather than mad and aggressive. Parents, too, must understand that they are the one’s shaping their child’s life. Children imitate what they see other’s do and if patience is not practiced in the household, there is a good possibility that the child will not be patient. I try to talk to my kids’ everyday to build a good relationship. Helping with homework, asking how there day was, and what they learned builds our parent-child relationship. The environment that surrounds children plays a major part in a child’s life. I feel that stability in the home can make or break you. There are several cases where kids do overcome obstacles in the home and become very successful in the future but for the most part stability makes it easier. Stability to me is not necessarily having both parents present or possession of a lot of money. A single mother or father who adequately provides the necessities for their family is considered stable in my opinion. Again, raising a child is one of the most difficult jobs a parent is responsible for. Its like an investment, it requires many deposits before you can see a profit. Having love, patience, and stability can help make a better parent as well as a better child.

A Brief History of Personal Computers :: essays research papers

A Brief History of Personal Computers The electronic computer is a relatively modern invention; the first fully operable computer was developed about 50 years ago, at the end of World War II, by a team at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Engineering. This team was headed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, who named the new machine ENIAC, for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator. ENIAC was hardly a personal computer, occupying a large room and weighing about 33 tons. By today's standards, ENIAC was extremely slow, unreliable, and expensive to operate. In 1945, on the other hand, it was considered a marvel. Over the next 30 years, computers became smaller, faster, and less expensive. However, most of these machines remained isolated in their own air-conditioned rooms, tended by specially trained personnel. By 1975, computers were in great demand at universities, government agencies, and large businesses, but relatively few people had ever come face-to-face with an actual computer. This all began to change in the late 1970s. To understand why, let's take a closer look at the early computers. ENIAC and its immediate successors were large, slow, and unreliable primarily because they used thousands of large, slow, and unreliable vacuum tubes in their electronic circuits. The vacuum tubes were glass cylinders, typically about four inches high and an inch in diameter, which generated a lot of heat and thus could not be placed too close together. Then, in 1947, a momentous event occurred at Bell Labs - William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain announced the invention of the transistor. Only about an inch long and a quarter inch across, a transistor produced very little heat, and did the same job as a vacuum tube. The downsizing of computers began in the 1950s as transistors replaced vacuum tubes, and continued into the 1960s with the introduction of the integrated circuit (IC) - an ice cube-sized package containing hundreds of transistors. By the late 1960s, microchips, consisting of thousands of electronic components residing on a piece of silicon the size of a postage stamp, had begun to replace ICs. At this time, some minicomputers occupied a space no larger than a small filing cabinet and cost less than $25,000. Then, in 1970, Marcian Hoff, Jr., working at Intel Corporation, invented the microprocessor, a central processing unit on a chip. The technological world was now ready for the personal computer. The First Personal Computer A Brief History of Personal Computers :: essays research papers A Brief History of Personal Computers The electronic computer is a relatively modern invention; the first fully operable computer was developed about 50 years ago, at the end of World War II, by a team at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Engineering. This team was headed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, who named the new machine ENIAC, for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator. ENIAC was hardly a personal computer, occupying a large room and weighing about 33 tons. By today's standards, ENIAC was extremely slow, unreliable, and expensive to operate. In 1945, on the other hand, it was considered a marvel. Over the next 30 years, computers became smaller, faster, and less expensive. However, most of these machines remained isolated in their own air-conditioned rooms, tended by specially trained personnel. By 1975, computers were in great demand at universities, government agencies, and large businesses, but relatively few people had ever come face-to-face with an actual computer. This all began to change in the late 1970s. To understand why, let's take a closer look at the early computers. ENIAC and its immediate successors were large, slow, and unreliable primarily because they used thousands of large, slow, and unreliable vacuum tubes in their electronic circuits. The vacuum tubes were glass cylinders, typically about four inches high and an inch in diameter, which generated a lot of heat and thus could not be placed too close together. Then, in 1947, a momentous event occurred at Bell Labs - William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain announced the invention of the transistor. Only about an inch long and a quarter inch across, a transistor produced very little heat, and did the same job as a vacuum tube. The downsizing of computers began in the 1950s as transistors replaced vacuum tubes, and continued into the 1960s with the introduction of the integrated circuit (IC) - an ice cube-sized package containing hundreds of transistors. By the late 1960s, microchips, consisting of thousands of electronic components residing on a piece of silicon the size of a postage stamp, had begun to replace ICs. At this time, some minicomputers occupied a space no larger than a small filing cabinet and cost less than $25,000. Then, in 1970, Marcian Hoff, Jr., working at Intel Corporation, invented the microprocessor, a central processing unit on a chip. The technological world was now ready for the personal computer. The First Personal Computer