Business Schools and Responsibility for Preventing Financial Crisis Essay

Business Schools and Responsibility for Preventing Financial Crisis - Essay Example are currently facing. But it has been argued by several observers that the business schools have failed to provide preventive measures for current global financial crises. These observers have argued that lack of relevance of these business schools, showing unethical behaviour of these business schools and creating negative impacts on the people and firms or business organisations are creating barriers for providing preventive measures in favour of prevention of current financial crises. Many observers have argued that managers after getting passed out from the best business schools do the same job in banking sectors or in the share markets which can be done by people having no background of studying in business schools (Canals, 2009, pp.42-43). These managers are adding nothing new in these sectors. Business schools bear a certain responsibility for (not preventing) the current financial crisis. Nature of current financial crises: Almost all the economies of the world are facing pro blems in regard to their economic growth process due to the prevalence of financial crises that these economies are facing mainly since 2006-07. ... These are resulting in further decline in global income and hence decline in people’s purchasing power. According to many researchers, including Noble laureate Paul Krugman, these global financial crises are results of poor and ineffective banking and financial system of the developed economies of the world like European economies and mainly American economy. According to Paul Krugman the banking and financial system of these economies has been largely dependent upon the free market forces. These banking and financial systems had no control over the funds or assets which are circulating in the global economy. They became more and more concerned about creating new funds and hence they have started to provide more and more loans to people and business organisations. But when one defaulter defaults to pay his loan, the entire system collapsed due to the fact that the structure of providing loans was dependent on multiple layers. When one lower level of layer collapsed, the entire structure first became unstable and then it collapsed. But the most notable impact has been realised when there occurred a significant reduction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the major global economies of the world, mainly in the European countries. Between 2009 and 2010 rate of fall of GDP in the countries of the European Union has been estimated as 4%. This high rate of fall of GDP forces many countries of the European Union, such as Greece, Portugal, Italy and Spain, to take loans from International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. These nations are also forced by these international organisations to curb down their public spending on different goods and services, including production and consumption expenditures. In this context these countries cut down

Response to Intervention-RTI Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Response to Intervention-RTI - Research Paper Example In 2004, Learning Disabilities (LD) Roundtable partnership was formed by various learning national organizations such as the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities and allied organizations and they defined the critical features of RTI process (Klotz, 2007). The roundtable asserted that instructional and behavioral support offered in general education must always be based on high-quality research. RTI process also calls for universal behavior and academic screening of all students to allow for identification of the students that require enhanced interventions and closer monitoring. An effective RTI process should also be implemented in a tiered approach informed by scientific research to meet the needs of each individual student. The other feature of RTI is that it relies on the collaboration of the staff at the school to develop, implement and monitor the intervention process (Suckla et al., 2008). The Learning Disabilities Roundtable also explained that monitoring of the progress of a student under intervention must be carried out continuously and objectively to assess whether the student is able to meet the defined goals (Suckla et al., 2008). RTI process must also allow for carrying out follow-ups to ensure that the intervention is implemented properly and in accordance to the required consistency. Furthermore, RTI process must allow for the documentation of the parent involvement and adherence to special education assessment criteria as outlined in the IDEIA 2004 and other state regulations. (Suckla et al., 2008). Universal screening which is recommended in RTI and should be undertaken by school staff as an academic year begins to identify students who are not likely to meet the state grade level or the ones having emotional and behavioral problems which can negatively learning (Klotz, 2007). Universal screening is accomplished by either reviewing the current state test results or by giving academic and behavioral screening tests to students with a given grade. The students who score marks below a certain level are categorized as requiring specialized behavioral and academic interventions. According to Fletcher, Lyon, Fuchs and Barnes (2007), scientific and research-based instruction refer to particular curriculum and education intervention which have been identified as being effective, that is, it has been reported in

The Equal Opportunity Policy

The Equal Opportunity Policy Equality of Opportunity is put into place to safeguard everyone. An important aspect of the Equal Opportunity Policy is that it protects vulnerable adults in care. The Equal Opportunity Policy specifies that all clients will be given equal and impartial treatment regardless of their gender, age, disability, ethnic origin and race. It is important that all employees working within the care field comply with the Equal Opportunities Policy so that all clients are free from prejudice and are protected (Care Quality Commission: 2011). When concerned with the care of vulnerable adults, key legislations are put in place. These include laws, policies and strategies. All social care services are governed by legislation and government guidance which must be followed accordingly (www.legislation.gov.uk). Some Acts which are relevant to the case study include the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), the Care Standards Act (2000), the Race Relations Act (2000), the Human Rights Act (1998) and th e Community Care Act (2003). The purpose of these Acts is to ensure that there are high standards set which health authorities and local authorities can follow to regulate care (Nazarko: 2002). The Afan Nedd care study explains that the residential home cares for vulnerable adults. When concerned with those most vulnerable it is important that each service user is treated fairly and equally with their human rights taken into consideration at all times. The Afan Nedd case study shows that these basic requirements are not always met. The article states that the care home is being run by trained nurses and unqualified care assistants. In April 2002, the legislation that all residential homes in the UK must meet in order to stay registered changed. The Registered Homes Act of 1984 was replaced by the Care Standards Act (CSA) (2000). The CSA regulates and inspects all local authorities, establishes a General Social Care Council in England and a Care Council in Wales and it makes provision for the registration, regulation and training of social care workers (Nazarko:2002). The CSA ensures that the regulation of care workers is monitored closely. The Act also states that social ca re workers must be registered with the English or Welsh Council where each Council is required to ensure high standards of practice and training are being used at all times. It is important that Registered Social Care Workers (RSCWS) must abide by a strict code of conduct; any employees who breach this code of conduct will be called in for a disciplinary hearing which could result in suspension or being removed from the care register. In Wales, the Care Council approve courses and make allowances and grants for training to ensure that care homes care run properly (Nazarko: 2002). Afan Nedd care home is regulated by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW), they encourage the improvement of social care, early years and social services in Wales (www.wales.gov.uk). CSSIW works in conjunction with the Welsh Assembly Government; they inspect local authority social services and regulate and inspect social care environments (www.wales.gov.uk). The CSSIW regulations include registration, inspection, complaints and enforcement in order to protect vulnerable adults. It appears that Afan Nedd care home does not comply with the CSSIW policies as it does not have qualified care assistants. To resolve this issue, a possible solution is that the care home should provide training for all employees to ensure the safeguard of vulnerable adults and to provide the highest standard of practice to service users. When caring for vulnerable adults it is extremely important that their care is main priority. All care homes are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which is responsible for monitoring the standards of care services (www.direct.gov.uk). The CQC is in place to ensure good work practice for professionals and to improve the standard of living of the service user. All care homes must follow the Care Value Base; in nursing theory this is an ethical code which sets out rules which carers must follow within their social care setting which ensures that the carer is not discriminating the service user and are not violating their rights (Moonie: 2005). These values also include the promotion of equality and diversity and to have the ability to challenge discrimination. In 2002, the General Social Care Council (GSCC) published a code of practice for both employees and employers which explains the promotion of these values along with confidentiality and other rights and responsibiliti es. (Moonie: 2005). The case study explains how John Davies, a registered general nurse, has been verbally abusing some of the clients. This should be a major concern for Afan Nedd nursing home as the service user is not receiving the correct care. The case study also explains that John Davies appears to be experienced and is very popular with the matron. This can then cause problems within the care home as issues such as discrimination and prejudice may arise. It can be said that any type of institutional abuse is completely illegal and unprofessional. Verbal abuse within the care home cannot be tolerated as those who are physically and mentally frail are most at risk (www.direct.gov.uk). The Equality Act 2010 is a key piece of legislation which must be followed within every social care environment. The Act provides a modern and accessible framework of discrimination law which protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a fair and more equal society (www.equalities.gov.uk). Every health care professional must know all key pieces of legislation before they undertake any social care and must implement the rules throughout their health care career. By law each service user has the right to be treated with respect and dignity. The Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) scheme was launched by the Department of Health which provides a list of care workers who have harmed vulnerable adults in their care. It is now a statutory requirem ent for managers to use when appointing individuals to work with vulnerable adults (www.criminalrecordscheck.co.uk). This could mean that John Davies may have had a history of verbal abuse to service users and this may have not been checked prior to being employed as the case study explains he is an agency worker. As mentioned earlier, John Davies appears to be popular with the matron which may cause problems if another social care worker wanted to report his verbal abuse to the service users. It could also mean that the service users do not feel confident enough to report the abuse to the matron as they feel that they may be discriminated against or they may not have the mental capacity to report this issue. Since 2006, the social services complaints procedure has changed in Wales. The CCSIW are legally obliged to have their own written complaints procedures. It is important to stress that all complaints must be kept confidential along with following the CCSIW complaints procedure (Department of Constitutional Affairs: 2007). Another issue that may arise from the fact that John Davies is popular with the matron is other employees of the nursing home may not want to be seen as a whistle blower if they wanted to repot abuse within the care home. Knights and Willmott (2006) believe that whistle blowers tend to be well respected and conscientious employees. They tend to believe that once they have informed the appropriate managerial authority of these illegal or unethical acts the organisation will take the appropriate measures to change its behaviour. However, it appears that many whistle-blowers feel that management do not see whistle blowing as an act of good organisational citizenship, instead management see this as trouble making. In many cases, the whistle blower may be victimised or even disciplined, making other employees stay silent in reporting any further discrimination or abuse within the care home. The Older Peoples Commissioner for Wales, created a policy where the commissioner is contacted by an employee from another organisation who is worried about unethical acts in their place of work and want to report it (www.powysweb3.ruralwales.net). The Public Interest Disclosure Act, (PIDA) protects employees who blow the whistle about wrong doing within the nursing home, providing that they do so in the ways set out by PIDA. Any employee who is victimised by their employees for blowing the whistle has the right to take their employer to a tribunal. The Commissioner recognises that employees are often the first to realise that there may be something wrong within their organisation and therefore encourages all individuals to raise genuine concerns about wrongdoing at the earliest possible stage (www.powysweb3.ruralwales.net). This policy relates back to the Afan Nedd nursing home as the policy will protect them if they wanted to report the John Davies for abusing the service user. The Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) believe that it is important to establish a comprehensive vulnerable adult protection and safeguarding service to ensure good leadership and performance management, however, it appears that such arrangements are not consistently found across social services (www.nmc-uk.gov). Albert and Gladys Griffiths have recently arrived at Afan Nedd nursing home, the case study states that Albert is mentally alert however his wife Gladys have early onset Alzheimers. The reader learns that Gladys becomes easily confused and disorientated but is usually calmed by Alberts presence; however they do not have a double room in the nursing home. As the couple does not have a double room this can be seen as discrimination and a violation of their human rights. It can be said that to maximise Albert and Gladys quality of life, they have the right to a double room as they have never spent a night apart. Quality of life refers to the total living experience, which results in overall satisfaction with ones quality of life. Quality of life is a multi-faceted concept that recognises at least five factors; lifestyle pursuits, living environment, clinical palliation, human factors and personal choices (Singh: 2009). It can be said that quality of life can be improved by bringing in t hese five factors into the delivery of care. It appears that the Human Rights Act (1998) has been breached as Gladys and her husband are not able to share a room together. The Act states that these rights not only impact matters of life and death, they also affect the rights you have in your everyday life: what you can say and do, your beliefs, your right to a fair trial and other similar basic entitlements. When working in a social care environment, it is the responsibility of the health care professional to respect the rights of the service user. Learning that Gladys has early onset Alzheimers, this could mean that she does not have the mental capacity to address her human rights within the nursing home. The Mental Capacity Act (2005), safeguards those with mental illness and it is also a stepping stone for those most vulnerable to receive treatment in a nursing home to improve their quality of life (Department of Health 2005). The Mental Capacity Act (2005) is designed for those who are unable to make decisions for themselve s or lack the mental capacity to do so. It can be said that under the Mental Capacity Act, any person is presumed to make their own decisions unless all practical steps to help him or her to make a decision have been taken without success, (www.nhs.uk). It is important to remember that a change of routine can affect behavioral problems with someone suffering with Alzheimers which can cause them to lash out of feel uneasy. It is said that Alzheimers do not do well to change as change causes anxiety and stress, therefore changing Gladys normal routine is not in her best interests when settling into a new environment (Gale: 2010). All service users of nursing homes have the right of privacy. The right of privacy is a fundamental basic right that must always be met. Each service user has the right to live in a friendly, homely and caring environment, where the care assistant always delivers the level of care that is appropriate to each individual. Each person has the right to be treated as an individual, with respect and dignity, as well as having a right to privacy and to choice; it is the duty of the management and staff to safeguard these rights and to help the service user exercise them correctly (Ford: 2005). The case study explains how Musad Mohammed is a Pakistani Muslim who is a resident at Afan Nedd nursing home. Musad Mohammed is finding life in the nursing home strange as he has no immediate family living in the UK; the food is an issue for him, having a female carer and the lack of privacy at prayer times. Being a Muslim man, resourcing halal food for Mr Mohammed should not be an issue as it is easily sourced in the UK (Q News: 1999). The Race Relations Act 1976 states that no person should be discriminated against on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin in the fields of employment, the provision of goods and services, education and public functions (www.legislation.gov.uk). From the information on the case study, it is clear to see that Mr Mohammed is being discriminated against as his needs are not being met. However, this type of discrimination tends to be indirect discrimination. It can be said that indirect discrimination is when a condition or rule within the workplace disadvantages one group of people more than another (www.direct.gov.uk). This applies to the case study as Mr Mohammed is being cared for by female care assistants which is against a Muslim mans beliefs. This is also a breach of his human rights which could affect Mr Mohammeds quality of life. It is important to understand that each service user of the nursing home is entitled to privacy and an independent living. It is also important that the right of every individual to select independently from a range of options, incorporating, choice of meal, bed times and taking part in activities/ entertainment (Rose and McCarthy: 2010). These basic needs are not being met for Mr Mohammed as he feels he has a lack of privacy at prayer times. For a Muslim man prayers play an important role in his faith and his care values are not being met. Every individual has the right to be treated as unique regardless of their beliefs and should be treated with respect at all time s (Rose and McCarthy: 2010). It appears that the employees at Afan Nedd are not educated in a Muslims faith; a possible solution for this is that the staff could take part in discrimination training and multicultural awareness training. Dilys Watkins enjoys staying up to watch the television at the nursing home, however the staff at the nursing home does not allow her to do this as it is said to interfere with the rota as everyone needs to be in bed before the night shift commences. This can be seen as a breach of her human rights and independence as Dilys says she is able to put herself to bed after her programmes have finished. It is important to avoid stereotyping an elderly person in care, mainly with regard to their own independence. This is because negative images of independence can become self fulfilling. This can cause an elderly person to have low expectations of their abilities and performance (Beaulieu: 2002). However, the case study does not state Mrs Watkins mental awareness, and the care assistants may feel that it is not in her best interest to stay up on her own and put herself to bed as she may fall and hurt herself. This is a possible reason as to why the Mental Capacity Act (2005) is put into pla ce at nursing homes as the Act sets out a checklist of things to consider when deciding what is best for the service user. Another possible argument is the idea of empowerment in nursing homes. The idea of empowerment is that those who have little or no influence, such as Dilys Watkins are able to acquire the capacity to have informed opinions, to take initiatives, make independent choices and influence change. It also means that those with influence actively change their attitudes and rules and change the way decisions are made through engaging with excluded people (www.equal.ecotec.co.uk). It can be said that the staff at Afan Nedd must show service users such as Dilys Watkins respect and dignity and must always follow the correct codes of practice; Processional Codes of Conduct are put into place to avoid discrimination and to improve the quality of life for residents at the Afan Nedd nursing home (www.npc-uk.org). It is clear to see that Afan Nedd nursing home is beset by a number of problems where the relevant policies and legislations are not being followed correctly. The Care Council for Wales is the social care workforce regulator in Wales responsible for promoting and securing high standards within nursing homes to protect and safeguard vulnerable adults; these regulations are not being followed by Afan Nedd nursing home. There are many key issues identified in the case study such as discrimination, lack of staff training, verbal abuse, lack of privacy and poor professional practice. It is important to address these issues straight away to improve the quality of life to all service users. All social care workers are expected to meet the code of conduct set by the Care Council and serious failure to do so can result in the closure of the nursing home and suspension and the removal of employees from the Register. Nursing homes care for the highly dependent and vulnerable people. Many of the m have many nursing needs that require a high level of professional knowledge and understanding. It is therefore important to ensure that all staff working at nursing homes takes part in any opportunities for improving and updating their skills along with organising educational and training days. Afan Nedd nursing home could promote and support research into the efficiency of diverse approaches to caring for the elder and those with mental disabilities.  Ã‚  

A Review of Eaters of the Dead :: Free Essay Writer

Eaters of the Dead Almost everybody recognizes Michael Crichton as the author of books such as Jurassic Park, Disclosure, and Congo. Considering he is one of the hottest authors in Hollywood, how could you not. The book reviewed here, however, is none of the above; it is a more or less forgotten book called Eaters of the Dead. As with all of his older books, it has been reprinted recently so it is easy to find. This book is written more like a scholarly work rather than like a novel, yet it definitely tells a story, one which many of the readers will recognize as Beowulf. It is told from the point of view of Ibn Fadlon, a representative of the Caliph of Baghdad. He then gets caught up with a band of northmen. The band, led by one Buliwyf, is on a mission to help defend King Rothgar from some evil which is spreading across his land. Doesn=t that sound compelling? What makes this book so different is the way in which the tale is offered. Ibn Fadlan is a Muslim and gives the distinct impression that he does not approve of the lifestyle of the Northmen, yet he tells his story (actually he is giving a report to the Caliph) with great detail. He tells of the Northmen's ways, relating what impresses him as well as what disgusts him. His very first impression of the Norsemen comes as he observes how they deal with a newly dead king. His description of the mourning period and funeral provices the reader his first experience with the Northmen's way of life. How wonderful! Throughout the book, Crichton uses footnotes to help the reader understand what is going on, and to give the impression that this a paper rather than a novel. As mentioned above, the story is a familiar one but told in such a different way as to make it a much more interesting story then the original. This book may be different and original which helps but, it is absolutely HORRIFIC! I had no idea what was happening.

Comparative essay describing the ethics of Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and Emmanuel Levinas Essay

Philosophers live and encourage others to live according to the rules of practical wisdom. Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and Emmanuel Levinas were three philosophers who sorted out various ethical approaches. They investigated complex human actions and theorized what is the ethical thing to do. For instance, Aristotle contemplated the aim of human life, Kant observed duty and obligation from respect for the law, and Levinas examined one’s responsibility to the Other. These unique points of view offer different answers regarding the search for the good. In addition to their differences, these philosophers are bound together by similar ideas. For example, each of the philosophers believed in optimism– they thought that all humans are naturally ethical. In addition, each of the philosophers believed in using reason to be ethical. They emphasized the concept of living well and acting well by using virtuous habits and good character to reach the â€Å"good†. Furthermore, they all believed in self actualization– in other words, ethically being the best one can be. They all thought an ethical person must be rational and responsible for their actions. They proposed that each person has a duty towards others and society. Aristotle lived during the B. C. era and established the concept of teleological ethics. This means that ethics has a purpose or a reason. He stressed the concept of doctrine of the mean– maintaining balance in one’s actions. Additionally, he theorized the idea of developing virtuous habits to build good character as well as that happiness is the main goal of all human beings. He explained how reaching one’s potential by living well and acting well will ultimately lead to happiness. Moreover, he stated one should base one’s actions on reason and he introduced the concept that reason controls desire. Immanuel Kant was a philosopher who lived the majority his life in the 1700’s. He believed that an individual should use God, freedom, and immortality to be able to pursue and attain the supreme good. He also believed in deontological ethics, meaning it is one’s obligation and duty to do what is right. Kant said that an individual must use intellect, free will, and reason to carry out this duty. He is similar to Aristotle because likewise, he believed that it is ideal for all people to act in an ethical manner by using reason. However, unlike Aristotle, Kant believed one must act ethically as an individual autonomy for the good of society. He said that one must use reason and free will to carry out one’s duty and moral obligation to do good. He stressed the concept of not expecting to gain anything in return while performing ethical tasks– even though one might not like it– one should act ethically out of the goodness in one’s heart. On the other hand, Aristotle believed one should act ethically as part of a community– based on politics. He also expected a benefit in return, contrary to Kant. Aristotle said that it is ideal to achieve a reasonable means in ethics, and he expected to gain something– like happiness for instance– in return. Also, contrary to Aristotle’s theory, Kant’s theory proposes that it is not very possible to achieve the supreme good in one’s lifetime. He suggested that humans must achieve this good in a life after death. This proves that their theories regarding how to achieve the supreme good differ considerably. Emmanuel Levinas was a Jewish philosopher of the 20th century. He observed that the West focused on the Unity of Beings, not the Hebrew infinity. The Hebrew Infinity focuses on uniqueness and singularity of things which gives them identity. Levinas based his ethics on this concept. Levinas believed one encounters the good or God in all individuals or in creation. He said one needs to recognize these traces, accept them, and respond to them. He talked about the thrill of astonishment, which is a face to face experience that touches one deeply. Additionally, he suggested that the face of the stranger (the Other) demands that you recognize it and provide it hospitality. Thus, the face becomes ethical. He had this whole idea of promoting freedom rather than limiting it. He believed that the face is a â€Å"trace of God† that refuses to use power. Instead, the face calls one to be responsible by humbly beckoning those that passes by. Kant also had similar theories as Levinas because both of them emphasized that God is necessary for a person to act ethically. In other words, they included God in their search for the good. Kant believed one cannot do this without God, whereas Levinas believed humans are motivated by God to do good. With the concept of the Other, Levinas suggested that humans have a responsibility to respond with caring and compassion. Similarly, Kant also believed in caring and compassion because he believed in the Universal Law– if it is an act that is good for everyone, then it is good for an individual. It is evident that Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and Emmanuel Levinas were three philosophers who sorted out various ethical approaches that aided them in their search for the good. Despite the fact that they have several similar theories, each philosopher has many unique theories that will continue to help future generations learn to live ethically and to ultimately achieve the greater good.

Personality Profile of Barrack Obama

Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America on the 20th January of the year 2009 (Rollason, 2010). It was undoubtedly a monumental moment as he was the first African American president in the history of America. President Obama, in many ways, has been relatively compared so frequently to prestigiously remembered figure; Martin Luther King Jr (Abramsky, 2009). Critics and supporters alike have labeled Obama as being the once-in-a-lifetime charismatic leader (Abramsky, 2009).While some extremist critics was convinced that he could be a Manchurian candidate in a covert mission to sabotage the American way of life (Abramsky, 2009), most are unable to deny that he exudes the characteristic of leader, profoundly shifting the American psyche and minds alike and shining a beacon of hope to a society that much needed to believe in the American’s dream. Obama displayed the intellects of his genetics’ makeup; his mother and father whom both studied in Ha waii University. He possesses the profiles of his father; ambitiousness, articulateness and also the self confidence in the way he project himself to the world.Wayne (2010) elaborated on the social consciousness which is evidently inherited from his mother, Ann Dunham, as Obama has occasionally demonstrate that he is a listener, consistently seeking common grounds, showed his willingness to compromise, his marked adaptability and flexibility to changes which contribute significantly thereby earning him a place to where he is right now; a stark difference to his father, Barrack Obama Sr. , who was always quoted to be a bossy and possessing an unrelenting personality. In all of the political settings, Obama is quick to master the rules of the game (Abramsky, 2009).He understood the importance of the creation of close-knit group within the high echelons. His comprising manner and cool temperament image often exceeded him; he is cautious to rein in his anger when opponents pressed him, capable of masking his emotions thereby gaining a chance to regroup himself and very much aware and in control of his body language (Wayne, 2010: Abramsky, 2009: Winter, 2011). His most distinct trait was his unmistaken calmness which quickly garnered him the â€Å"No Drama Obama† tittle (Winter, 2011).Winter (2011) later suggested that Obama could be high on the emotional stability. Greenstein (2009) and Renshon (2008) mentioned Obama’s openness to the view of others; getting counsel from former opponents and allies before reaching to a decision, affirming the evidence that he is high to openness to experience (McCrae & Costa, 2008; Wiggins, 1996). Openness to experience is one of the five major clusters of traits or the â€Å"big five† model which also consist of agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability (Winter, 2011).Obama is also prudent in planning and when he set a course, he methodically and systematically follows through it (Abramsky, 200 9). His elaborate and time consuming process in decision-making point that Obama is rather high on conscientiousness (Wayne, 2010: Winter, 2011). The tricky part will be distinguishing the agreeableness and extraversion. Though one might agree, having his life exposed in the world certainly merit him to a certain degree of extraversion but on a contrary, Obama still exudes a certain level of enigma and mystery.Some observers cited him as being â€Å"cold† (Dowling & Warner, 2010). Interestingly, Wayne (2010) describes that as part of Obama’s â€Å"mystic† (p. 11). Overall, Abramsky (2009) stated that Obama’s presidency is no ordinary presidency. Due to the nature of his virtue, personality and historical legacy created by his campaign and his election, it has monolithically change the paradigms of how America view itself and the expectations of the future in its view of restructuring America in events of an economy collapse. Abramsky (2009) further stress ed that overwhelmingly, voters trusted Obama.Wayne (2010) however has a rather encompassing perspective. Wayne (2010) questioned readers whether Obama is a philosopher king; due to the fact that he is politically liberal, possess a distinctive cognitive style and eloquence in delivering speech; or is he simply a polarizing politician judging by the fact that he garners support specifically due to his complexity of his race and the prejudice that surround it. As Max Weber (2009) concluded in his book, â€Å"It takes both passion (polarizing politician) and perspective (philosopher-king)† (p. 28) to be able to ride the waves of a political settings. References: Abramsky, S. (2009): Inside Obama’s Brain, Penguin Group, United States of America: Penguin Books Ltd. Dowling, S. , & Warner, M. B. (2010, November 4). Obama comes across as cold, arrogant, and elitist. Spiegel Online. http://www. spiegel. de/international/world/the-world-from-berlin-obama-comes-a cross-as-cold-a rrogant-and-elitist-a-727235-druck. html [3 March 2013] Greenstein, F. I. (2009). The presidential difference: Leadership style from FDR to Barack Obama (3rd Ed. . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Renshon, S. A. (2008). Psychological reflections on Barack Obama and John McCain: Assessing the contours of a new presidential administration. Political Science Quarterly, 123(3), 391–433. Rollason, J. (2010): Barack Obama, Scholastic Ltd, London: Euston House. McCrae, R. R. , & Costa, P. T. , Jr. 2008. The five-factor theory of personality. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin (Eds. ), Handbook of personality theory and research (3rd Ed. , pp. 114–158).New York: Guilford. Wayne, S. J. 2010. The Impact of Personality on Performance: Barack Obama in Presidency. The American University, http://www. american. edu/spa/ccps/upload/AUS-Wayne-paper. pdf [3 Mar 2013]. Weber, M. (2009): Essays in sociology (pp. 77–128). New York: 2009. Wiggins, J. S. (Ed. ). (1 996). The five-factor model of personality: Theoretical perspectives. New York: Guilford. Winter, D. G. (2011): ‘Philosopher-King or Polarizing Politician? : A Personality Profile of Barack Obama’, Political Psychology, 32: 1059-81.

GDP Measure essays

GDP Measure essays The GDP is not a sufficient gauge of how the nation's economy is doing. The GDP is a sum of the monetary value of what has been produced in the nation in the past year. The formula for calculating the GDP ignores a large percentage of the activities that transpire in the nation's economy. The formula ignores several things as work done in the home and activities in the underground economy. In general, the GDP includes several items that in reality do not indicate the nation's economic level while excluding a large proportion of the activities of the nation. The GDP does not include several things that greatly affect the nation's economic standings. The formula does not consider these things simply because they cannot be measured with any accuracy. The work done in the home affects the welfare of the economy because it takes time to care for a house, time that an individual could be working. So in essence, an individual pays himself or herself to for housework. Also, the underground economy encompasses a considerable amount of the transactions in the economy. This underground economy consists of illicit transactions and the legal ones that cannot be traced. GDP does not include the ecological damage rendered every day by humanity. The pollution caused by everyday life such as trash and the pollution caused by factories and such all dampers the economic standings of a nation. While several immeasurable items are left out of the calculation of GDP, a few things are included that do not necessarily need top be. When a disaster strikes a co mmunity, the costs of rebuilding are counted in the GDP. They should be counted because it causes work for some but it also is hurting others. In summation, GDP is not a competent ranking of the nation's economic standings. In the determine of GDP, there are too many items left out of the formula and one too many to give a accurate description of the economy's well-being. ...

Uranium in a Nutshell

Uranium in a Nutshell Uranium is an extremely heavy metal, but instead of sinking into the Earths core it is concentrated on the surface. Uranium is found almost exclusively in the Earths continental crust, because its atoms dont fit in the crystal structure of the minerals of the mantle. Geochemists consider uranium one of the incompatible elements, more specifically a member of the large-ion lithophile element or LILE group. Its average abundance, over the whole continental crust, is a bit less than 3 parts per million. Uranium never occurs as bare metal; rather, it most often occurs in oxides as the minerals uraninite (UO2) or pitchblende (partially oxidized uraninite, conventionally given as U3O8). In solution, uranium travels in molecular complexes with carbonate, sulfate and chloride as long as the chemical conditions are oxidizing. But under reducing conditions, uranium drops out of solution as oxide minerals. This behavior is the key to uranium prospecting. Uranium deposits mainly occur in two geologic settings, a relatively cool one in sedimentary rocks and a hot one in granites. Sedimentary Uranium Deposits Because uranium moves in solution under oxidizing conditions and drops out under reducing conditions, it tends to gather where oxygen is absent, such as in black shales and other rocks rich in organic material. If oxidizing fluids move in, they mobilize the uranium and concentrate it along the front of the moving fluid. The famous roll-front uranium deposits of the Colorado Plateau are of this type, dating from the last few hundred million years. The uranium concentrations are not very high, but they are easy to mine and process. The great uranium deposits of northern Saskatchewan, in Canada, are also of sedimentary origin but with a different scenario of much greater age. There an ancient continent was deeply eroded during the Early Proterozoic Era some 2 billion years ago, then was covered by deep layers of sedimentary rock. The unconformity between the eroded basement rocks and overlying sedimentary basin rocks is where chemical activity and fluid flows concentrated uranium into orebodies reaching 70 percent purity. The Geological Association of Canada has published a thorough exploration of these unconformity-associated uranium deposits with full details of this still-mysterious process. At roughly the same time in geologic history, a sedimentary uranium deposit in present-day Africa actually grew concentrated enough that it ignited a natural nuclear reactor, one of Earths neatest tricks. Granitic Uranium Deposits As large bodies of granite solidify, the trace amounts of uranium become concentrated in the last bits of fluid left. Especially at shallow levels, these may fracture and invade surrounding rocks with metal-bearing fluids, leaving veins of ore. More episodes of tectonic activity can concentrate these further, and the worlds largest uranium deposit is one of these, a hematite breccia complex at Olympic Dam in South Australia. Good specimens of uranium minerals are found in the final stage of granite solidification- the veins of large crystals and unusual minerals called pegmatites. There may be found cubic crystals of uraninite, black crusts of pitchblende and plates of uranium-phosphate minerals such as torbernite (Cu(UO2)(PO4)2Â ·8–12H2O). Silver, vanadium and arsenic minerals are also common where uranium is found. Pegmatite uranium is not worth mining today, because the ore deposits are small. But they are where the good mineral specimens are found. The radioactivity of uranium affects the minerals around it. If you are examining a pegmatite, these signs of uranium include blackened fluorite, blue celestite, smoky quartz, golden beryl and red-stained feldspars. Also, chalcedony that contains uranium is intensely fluorescent with a yellow-green color. Uranium in Commerce Uranium is prized for its enormous energy content, which can be harnessed to generate heat in nuclear reactors or unleashed in nuclear explosives. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and other international agreements govern traffic in uranium to ensure that it is used only for civilian purposes. World trade in uranium amounts to more than 60,000 metric tons, all of it accounted for under international protocols. The largest producers of uranium are Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan. The price of uranium has fluctuated with the fortunes of the nuclear power industry and the military needs of various countries. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, large stores of enriched uranium have been diluted and sold as nuclear fuel under the Highly Enriched Uranium Purchase Agreement, which kept prices low through the 1990s. As of about 2005, however, prices have been climbing and prospectors are out in the field again for the first time in a generation. And with renewed attention on nuclear power as a zero-carbon energy source in the context of global warming, it is time to become familiar again with uranium.

Activism and Change for New South Wales Prison in Australia

The proportion of the assaults in overcrowded New South Wales has soared up to 37 percent. Between the 20 th and 21 st centuries, the imprisonment rate in NSW rose by 20 percent. In 2008, the capital expenditure and net recurrent on the Australian’ prisons were noted exceeding over $2.6 billion per year (Butler & Kariminia, 2010, p. 19). The strategies to reduce imprisonment was not being successful. In the same time, the rate of indigenous imprisonment rose by percentage of 41. More than 27,000 people were held in the prison where it could cost the prison $200 daily to keep that particular person in the prison. Back two decades, Territory governments and the states have come up with alternatives in prisoning the criminals. This assisted in curbing the growth of the numbers in the prisons as well as correctional outlays. It is evidenced that these sprouting alternatives are effective in reducing imprisonment which is quite costly. Due to the current developments in Australia, the rate of crime has reduced. The political shift has contributed to escalating rates of imprisonment and introduction of justice in criminal strategy in reliance on crime response (Preen, 2011, p. 66).In the NSW there was the introduction of justice reinvestment. The movement is gaining a lot of traction in Australia. Justice reinvestment is concerned with the advancement of fiscally-sound, the criminal justice and data-driven policies in breaking the recidivism, make the safety of the communities and avert the prison's expenditure (Krieg, 2007, p. 532). The aim of the strategy is to quantify subsequent reinvestments and savings in the high-stakes of the neighborhoods in which majority of the people who are released from the jails and the prisons return. For example; abandoned housing, redeveloping and the better coordinating of services which include; treatment of the mental health, substance abuse, education and job training. In Austr alia, the justice reinvestments strategies have started to gain political traction in the aid of pressure-groups work; for instance, Sydney-based Crime and the Justice Reform Committees (CJRC) which was established by Hal Sperling QC, the retired judge of the Supreme Court in NSW. Eventually, the dominant factors of reducing the rate of property crime appeared to be justice reinvestment, reduction of heroin use, managing the long terms unemployment and the rising of weekly earnings. Due to the rapidly increasing population in the NSW prisons, the stakeholders came up with some ways to reduce this population growth in the prisons. Some of the ways to reduce Aboriginal incarceration rate include; Empowering the communities was one of the best ways of reducing the Aboriginal rates  (Baldwin & Leete, 2012). The empowerment will make the people not to engage in offensive behaviors to meet their needs. Provision of loans to the Aboriginal people made it possible to reduce the crime rates which in turn reduce the populations in the prisons. Aboriginal leadership and Employment are crucial ways for successful reduction of the population in the NSW prisons  (Butler & Kariminia, 2010). There was a strong Aboriginal women group who held a position on the committees who worked as liaison officers. They dealt with the offenders when the police officers were not around.   The youths were trained in horticulture and tourism jobs. These programs assist in reducing the domestic violence rates. When the population of the young offenders was noticed being high in the prisons, the government introduce some passages of their mentoring program and imaginations which include, sport, IT and music. In NSW, the prisoners were given a chance to go for boxing training 3 times weekly  (Krieg, 2007). The trainers were mentoring these young people because they were elder. This changed the attitudes of the offenders and could not engage in crime because they feared being jailed. The Australian state copied Canadian model known as healing lodges. The lodges are set according to the Aboriginal culture where the Aboriginal staff was the majority  (Maplestone, 2006). In the healing lodges, there was a therapeutic treatment which assisted the residents to overcome the driving force to offending. There were also programs for spiritual healing. The spiritual programs assisted the offenders by drawing attention to the Aboriginal ancestors who could bring the connections with the land, culture, and family leading to population reduction in the prisons. To achieve the national agenda reform, the government propose some reforms which will move the mere concept of justice reinvestment leading to the measurable and tangible national reforms agenda. For the government to succeed, it established sites for local implementation (Weatherburn & Corben, 2009, p. 6). The government has set some goals which would help in creating justice in the NSW. Goal 1. Improvement of all the Australian systems of justice in order to deliver justice needs comprehensively of the Torres’ Strait Islander and Aboriginal people in a very equitable and fair manner. Goal 2. Reduction of Torres Straits Islander and Aboriginal offenders, victims, and defenders in the systems of criminal justice. Goal 3. Making sure that the people feel safe in the places of residence. Goal 4.   Safety increment and offending reduction within the indigenous communities through addressing of alcohol and the substance abuse. The NSW correction systems contain two main components. There are about 13,000 inmates on prison side (Hew & Simba, 2013, p. 20). There are around 60 offices on community side and around the estate. The aim was to supervise the offenders in the community serving the court orders from the community services orders to parole. Its main goal is the preservation of the community’s safety through keeping the inmates secure, reducing reoffending and supervision of the community’s offenders.   The corrective Services' need is the provision of education to the inmates, vocational training and coming up with programs of addressing the behavior offending (Kilroy, 2016, p. 8). Corrections system has undergone a significant change because there are government investments over extra programs and dozen current prisons in reducing reoffending and raising standards. There are complex needs for women prisoners. The women's needs are vulnerable and complex in high population prisons. The complex connections between the economic, social, gathered issues and health are brought to greater focus during the process of looking disadvantaged group, for instance, Aboriginal women (Maplestone, 2006, p. 10). Indigenous women are making a high population percentage in the NWS imprisoned women. Some qualitative studies were conducted to learn the needs and experiences of the indigenous women are involved in the criminal justice systems. It was thought that the indigenous women are overrepresented because of the over policing in the Aboriginal community. The sentence lengths were reduced by the license release systems.   There was the conviction of corruption in the imprisonment in the conjunction of the scheme. Due to lack of transparency in the prisons, the National Reform found it challenging in controlling the criminal offenses in the NSW prisons. The Government has set recommendations in advancing the justice issues in the prisons. The government has come up with the establishment of; Rehabilitation centers: It is an essential element of providing safety in the community in delivering an effective response in promoting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. It has been a key consideration for framing the deliberations of the panel in its reviews of availability of rehabilitation evidence in the current practice. One of the ways to safeguard a community is by imprisoning the offenders. The community as well can be protected by minimizing offensive likelihood after the release. The protective factors when emphasized can help in reducing the population in the prisons. The individual risk involves one avoiding such experiences which trigger in committing a crime. These factors include; peers, family ties, life experiences and the community environment. Risk factors may include; criminal behavior, family breakdown, living conditions and poor health. The government has emphasized more on meeting the basic needs and self-actualization. It was realized that by the government that offending it is not criminal and legal justice problem, offending is also a social problem which has effects and social causes (Vienna, 2014, p. 124). There are some social factors that contribute to the likelihood of criminal behavior. International research has shown that there are strong links between social factors, individual and predisposition in reoffending.   The government has come up with workshops which help in reorganizing one’s behavior and ceasing the injustice ways. Baldwin, J., & Leete, J. (2012). the challenge of an aging prison population. Behind bars, 1, 16-20. Butler, T., & Kariminia, A. (2010). Perspectives and epidemiology. Prison violence, 17, 17-20. Hew, R., & Simba, T. (2013). Barriers to Parole for Aboriginal and Torres Strait. Prisoners' legal service, 10, 1-26. Kilroy, D. (2016). Women in Prison in Australia. Current Issues in Sentencing, 2, 1-12. Krieg, A. S. (2007). health and social impacts. Aboriginal incarceration, 184, 534-536. Maplestone, P. (2006). Ex-Prisoners, Homelessness and the State in Australia. Prison, 39, 1-14. Osborn, M. (2013). New South Wales, Australia. Oral health status of prison inmates, 40, 34-38. Preen, D. B. (2011). estimating the number of deaths among. Counting the cost:, 195, 64-68. Vienna. (2014). Women and Imprisonment. UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION. Weatherburn, D., & Corben, S. (2009). Crime and Justice, 138, 1-12

UNIT6 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UNIT6 - Research Paper Example Bussard v. Minimed, Inc. 105 Cal.App.4th 798 (2003). This is covered under the theory of respondeat superior. Id. In Bussard, the employee inhaled fumes while at work and decided to leave work. Id. On her way back from work, she got into a car accident and sued her employer for vicarious liability. Id. Here, the Court used the foreseeability analysis which examines whether the employee’s conduct and whether it is so surprising that it cannot be fairly attached to the employer. Id. In O’Shea v. Welch, the Court found that vicarious liability is limited to injuries caused within the scope of the employer’s employment. O’Shea v. Welch, 350 F.3d 1101 (2003). This may extend to injuries that are reasonable incidental to that employment. Id. This would be interpreted as the employer reasonably being able to foresee these injuries as a result of the employer’s acts. Id. In O’Shea, a store manager drove from his store toward the district office of the company he worked for. During the drive, the store manager decided to turn his car into the service station. Id. At that time, he got into a car accident and as a result, the plaintiff sued both the driver and his employer for negligence and vicarious liability under the theory of respondeat superior. Id. In our case pattern, John was performing his duties as an employer by driving to the manufacturing facility for the dealership that he works for. Therefore, he was acting within the scope of his employment. However, even though his boss was with him, John’s side frolic to go to his cousin’s house for dinner is not foreseeable in the work that needed to be performed. It was not a detour in the road that John needed to take because of construction on the road that lead him to the accident. John himself decided to go on a frolic to his cousin’s house that was not reasonably foreseeable by the employer. Under the theory of respondeat superior, an employer is responsible for his employer’s actions

Applied Analysis of the Carbon Price Mechanism in Australia Essay

Applied Analysis of the Carbon Price Mechanism in Australia - Essay Example The new Carbon Price Mechanism to be announced by Australian government will impact the social well-being of the consumers and will also affect the household budgets. However, the compensations proposed to be made by the government will reduce the adverse effects that these higher prices would have, otherwise, on the energy consumption patterns of the consumers. These effects may be well described with the help of Consumer choice theory. A basic assumption of Consumer choice theory is that the consumer wishes to maximize the utility. In other words, their decision making is rational. However, it is also assumed that the income available to a consumer to be spent is also limited. Subject to such available budget, the consumer seeks to maximize the total utility gained from consumption of goods and services. 1. EFFECT OF RISING PRICES ON ECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF CONSUMERS: As explained earlier, consumers have limited incomes. With these incomes, they wish to maximize their satisfaction. This satisfaction is gained through consuming goods and services. However, with limited incomes, there is a limitation on the consumption of goods. Where the consumer has equal preference for two goods, he is said to be indifferent between these two goods. The income of an individual consumer is shown in the diagram below. It is assumed that this income is divided by the consumer for the consumption of two products, one of which is the energy source shown along the X-axis. The economic well-being of the consumer is in that he uses both the goods to his entire satisfaction with his limited income. To explain the effect of rising prices on economic well-being of households, assume that the consumer has a limited income which is represented by Budget line BC1. This budget line in the graph shows that the consumer can divide his income between the energy source and other goods by such income. The indifference curve IC1 shows different consumption options available to the consumer for co nsumption generate equal utility to the consumer. But all the points situated on IC1 are located above the budget line except Point A. so, the consumer will get maximum satisfaction by utilizing X1 units of energy source and Y1 units of good Y. With corresponding increase in the price of energy source, the units which may be consumed by the consumer become less. So, the budget line is rotated inwards. New budget line obtained is BC2. The new indifference curve obtained after rising the price of energy source is IC2 and the new equilibrium point which generates maximum satisfaction for the consumers is B. at this point, the consumer will get maximum satisfaction by consuming X2 units of energy source and Y2 units of product Y. It is to be noted that due to rise of price of energy source, the consumption of both the products has been reduced. Thus, this will adversely affect the well-being of the consumer as the consumer will have to sacrifice the units of both the goods in order to a ttain equilibrium for the consumption of both the units. EFFECT OF RISING PRICES ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION PATTERNS OF HOUSEHOLDS: The rising prices will also affect the energy consumption patterns of the households. It will specially affect the consumption patterns if the consumers have an alternative source of energy. In case of rising prices, the consumer consumption pattern will be tilted towards that alternative source of energy. The budget line is BC1 before the price change and the IC will show the

Cross -Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cross -Culture - Essay Example Managers therefore have to understand the cultural differences in order to operate effectively in the tough business environment. Managers are required to motivate their employees and they can only do that if they know the differences between cultures of employees. Awareness of cultural differences is a must in order to manage employees from different background. For example Japanese and Indian working together will have different needs like in Japan lunch is the main meal of the day while in India dinner is the main meal. Now a manager has to decide upon the lunch timings so that both the needs of Japanese and Indian employees can be satisfied. This is why cross cultural training is important both for employees and for managers. Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory gives six dimensions of values across which people differ with each other. One of those dimensions is the Power Distance Index or PDI. Power distance is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. PDI represents inequality in an organization or in a country. Culture that has low PDI is more democratic and people are considered equal. Culture that has high PDI is autocratic and people accept inequality. Brazil has a 69 on PDI which is very high. The world average on PDI is 55 which mean that Brazil has higher PDI as compared to the average. This means that Brazil is a relatively autocratic society with greater inequalities. Brazil’s PDI is very similar to Latin American countries. In Brazil people accept that organizational hierarchies exist and also accept lower pays relative to supervisors. A tradition of giving in to the authority exists in the country. Another dimension of Hofstede’s theory is individuality versus collectivism. It is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. In

Analyze the behavior style of the participants in both group and Term Paper

Analyze the behavior style of the participants in both group and individual situations.(CBS reality show Survivor) - Term Paper Example It is the most commonly used test for personality worldwide. It classifies individuals according to four dichotomies i.e. extroverts vs. introverts, sensing vs. intuitive, thinking vs. feeling and judging vs. perceiving (McShane & Von Glinow, 2015). Shirin can be described as an extrovert because she is very social. In an interview, she admits that she prefers making relationships based on friendship (Holmes, 2015). Shirin is also a sensitive person. Her background career as a product manager shows that she prefers having practical solutions rather than relying on intuition. Her character in the reality show also echoes the same about her. She can also be classified as a thinking rather than feeling person. People who fit into the feeling character are usually guided by their emotions rather than logic and reason. Being emotional is a character that she evidently thinks is not suitable for anyone with a role in the show (Holmes, 2015). However, she can be classified as a perceiving person. Perceiving people are spontaneous and easily adapt to change. Her personality as seen in the show as well as her character outside the show portrays her as a person who is flexible enough to make changes when necessary. The model proposes that human personality can be classified broadly into five dimensions. A lot of research has also showed that the model is effective in predicting the performance of an individual in the workplace (Barrick & Mount, 1991). The five factors are openness, emotional stability, extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Under each factor is a list of related behavior and qualities that can describe the person. In the case of Shirin Oskool, we can conclude that personality fits in the extroversion category. Extroverts are usually outgoing people and mostly derive their energy from external sources (Laney, 2002). Also, they tend to be enthusiastic, energy-oriented, and possess high group visibility and like to talk.

Library Search Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Library Search - Assignment Example The authors carried out a study through administration of questionnaires to measure the extent of leader-worker exchange and collaboration of nurse-physician analysis. The analysis took place at group level while turnover intention and effective commitment analyzed at individual level. The study took place in five Italian hospitals. The outcome of the study showed that when effective commitment occurs at individual level, then there is a complete mediation of relationship. The relationship exists between leader-member commutation at nursing turnover intention and group level. In addition, the article also revealed that there is great significance in cross-level interaction. Nurses who had high levels of individual effective commitment at individual level revealed reduced level of turnover intention. Increased collaboration at group level makes the relationship stronger between nurse and physician. The article outlines need for organizations to apply management practices leading to promotion of both nurse-physician relationships and high quality nurse supervisor. Furthermore, to retain workforce, the article maintains that organizations should promote individual commitment as well as quality relationship between that exists among staff members. The information I have learnt from this article will be of great significance for me as a nurse in my future practice. For instance, I will constantly use effective interaction with my colleagues at the workplace environment for quality working relationships. A hospital unit is an environment where nurses work and interact on daily basis. I, being a nurse who will work in the nursing industry, must therefore apply interactive characteristics and attributes with supervisors and physicians. I will also try to minimize rate of turnover to promote team cohesion as well as

Cross -Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cross -Culture - Essay Example Managers therefore have to understand the cultural differences in order to operate effectively in the tough business environment. Managers are required to motivate their employees and they can only do that if they know the differences between cultures of employees. Awareness of cultural differences is a must in order to manage employees from different background. For example Japanese and Indian working together will have different needs like in Japan lunch is the main meal of the day while in India dinner is the main meal. Now a manager has to decide upon the lunch timings so that both the needs of Japanese and Indian employees can be satisfied. This is why cross cultural training is important both for employees and for managers. Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory gives six dimensions of values across which people differ with each other. One of those dimensions is the Power Distance Index or PDI. Power distance is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. PDI represents inequality in an organization or in a country. Culture that has low PDI is more democratic and people are considered equal. Culture that has high PDI is autocratic and people accept inequality. Brazil has a 69 on PDI which is very high. The world average on PDI is 55 which mean that Brazil has higher PDI as compared to the average. This means that Brazil is a relatively autocratic society with greater inequalities. Brazil’s PDI is very similar to Latin American countries. In Brazil people accept that organizational hierarchies exist and also accept lower pays relative to supervisors. A tradition of giving in to the authority exists in the country. Another dimension of Hofstede’s theory is individuality versus collectivism. It is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. In

Library Search Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Library Search - Assignment Example The authors carried out a study through administration of questionnaires to measure the extent of leader-worker exchange and collaboration of nurse-physician analysis. The analysis took place at group level while turnover intention and effective commitment analyzed at individual level. The study took place in five Italian hospitals. The outcome of the study showed that when effective commitment occurs at individual level, then there is a complete mediation of relationship. The relationship exists between leader-member commutation at nursing turnover intention and group level. In addition, the article also revealed that there is great significance in cross-level interaction. Nurses who had high levels of individual effective commitment at individual level revealed reduced level of turnover intention. Increased collaboration at group level makes the relationship stronger between nurse and physician. The article outlines need for organizations to apply management practices leading to promotion of both nurse-physician relationships and high quality nurse supervisor. Furthermore, to retain workforce, the article maintains that organizations should promote individual commitment as well as quality relationship between that exists among staff members. The information I have learnt from this article will be of great significance for me as a nurse in my future practice. For instance, I will constantly use effective interaction with my colleagues at the workplace environment for quality working relationships. A hospital unit is an environment where nurses work and interact on daily basis. I, being a nurse who will work in the nursing industry, must therefore apply interactive characteristics and attributes with supervisors and physicians. I will also try to minimize rate of turnover to promote team cohesion as well as

Drink - Coffee Essay Example for Free

Drink Coffee Essay Zagu Pearl Shake is a food stall business that offers cool flavored drink mixed with dark, spherical, chewy balls made from yam and tapioca called Pearls. Zagu was the first to introduce the â€Å"Pearl Drink† to the Philippine market. The First Zagu store was launched in April 1999. Zagu was pioneered by a young enterprising lady with a degree in Food Science from University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Now, ZAGU has grown from a tiny kiosk to a current network of over 290 outlets nationwide. Zagu has also gained recognition locally through awards such as the National Choice Awards, and International recognition through our partner in Sydney, Australia. Zagu foods can be found in malls, supermarkets and roadside locations. Behind the success of every Zagu store is their professional management team and dedicated employees committed to putting the customers first and achieving excellence in everything. MISSION To provide the best quality, most innovative and reasonably priced products in the beverage industry. To be the leader in our industry attained by a well-planned expansion through retail outlets and wide product distribution. To continuously generate awareness, interest and desire for our products resulting in frequent / repeat purchases. To establish Zagu as a highly regarded international brand name.. VISION Our Company bears the vision of providing fun, deliciously appetizing, uniquely enchanting Food and beverage products while maintaining our commitment to uncompromised quality At economical rates with the heartening purpose to cater to society’s needs, tastes And preferences; rather than simply convincing our customers to try and like whatever products we Develop. What your will have as an authorized dealer? Instant market Additional source of income Proprietary recipes, ingredients and procedures Discount on purchases Ongoing training and operational support Marketing and advertising support Exclusive product distribution Contemporary design and decor package Assistance with site selection Customized operational system. What are the features of authorized dealership? P270, 000 to 350,000 approximate investment package, and business will be fully operational No franchise fee and no royalty fee Will carry the well-established ZAGU trademark and logo Special discounted price for purchases exclusive for authorized dealers only Continuous marketing support through event participation, sponsorship and other marketing approach High profile national presence No defined territory. Participation in events Zagu standard uniform Service crew training What exactly does ZAGU looks for in a business partner? Dedicated Hard working Competent Customer oriented What is the process involved in the application? It starts with completion of the initial questionnaire then followed by interviews, meeting, payment of deposit, filing-up of application form, submission of requirements, payment of package, signing of agreement, and lastly training. The â€Å"time frame† depends upon the mutual commitment and projected schedule of both parties. Approximately 45-60 days from the date of completion of requirements. To learn the steps in applying for ZAGU authorized dealership and their international business offers, please visit their official website at www. zagushakes. com. To contact ZAGU Foods Corporation – Sales Department, their telephone numbers are (632) 687-0140 / 687-4403 local 113-114.

Cytotoxic Activities and Synthesis of Plumbagin

Cytotoxic Activities and Synthesis of Plumbagin 3.1  Introduction Plants produce a large number of diverse natural products or secondary metabolites which are involved in the normal cell growth, development or reproduction of organisms. Some of these compounds offer protection against herbivores and microbial pathogens, while others are involved in defense against abiotic stress, such as UV-B exposure Many of the secondary metabolites have interesting biological properties, which make them desirable candidates for optimization of drug discovery and development processes. The quinonic moiety is considered by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as an important biologically scaffold for the development of new bioactive compounds with good levels of cytotoxicity. Clinically important several well-known antitumoral drugs containing a quinone moiety such as anthracyclines, doxorubicin, mitomycin and mitoxantrones and saintopin which are possess a quinonoid structure. These compounds have also been identified as privileged structures due to their biological activity and structural properties that have been linked to the stimulation of oxidative stress and alkylation of cellular nucleophiles in cancer cells. A representative group of quinonoid compounds of naphthoquinones (1,4-naphthoquinones) constitute one of the largest and diverse groups of plant secondary metabolites which are widely distributed in nature with a wide range of important pharmacological activities 3,4 that include antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifeedent, antiinflammatory, anticancer, and allelopathic activity. Some examples of antitumoral naphthoquinones are plumbagin, juglone, b-lapachol and rhinacanthone. Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-napthoquinone, Fig.la) is a medicinal plant-derived naphthoquinone , which is one of the simplest plant secondary metabolite of three major phylogenic families viz. Plumbaginaceae, Droseraceae, and Ebenceae. Plumbagin is also present in black walnut and other various medicinal plants. It was isolated from the roots of the medicinal plant Plumbag0 zeylanica 1. (also known as Chitrak); The roots of Plumbag0 zeylanica have been used in Indian medicine for more than 2,500 years for treatments of various ailments and which exhibits highly potent biological activities, including antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. Plumbagin are found in plants as they are thought to be present as a defense mechanism due to their cytotoxicity. It is also used extensively in studies investigating oxidative stress. plumbagin has been shown to exert anticancer and antiproliferative activities in animal models and in cell culture. The mechanism of anti-cancer activity of Plumbagin is reportedly by induction of mammalian topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage.4 Plumbagin has been reported to intercalate into the DNA. It induces higher levels of p21 and thereby inhibits long patch base pair excision repairs leading to apoptosis . Hybrid drug molecules of plumbagin by combining plumbagin with other appropriate anticancer agents may lead to the generation of novel and potent anticancer drugs with pleiotropic action against human cancers. 2.2  Present work our group has been engaged in the design and synthesis of more potent, less toxic, and more selective analogues, through chemical modification of lead compounds isolated from the active extracts. In the course of such studies, we have undertaken the plumbago zeylanica, a well-known medicinal plant. The major quantity coupled with the biological profile of plumbagin (1) prompted us to continue our studies. Thus, present work was undertaken to synthesize a library of plumbagin derivatives to study their anti-cancer properties. We here in report the synthesis, cytotoxic activities and their preliminary structure-activity relationship studies. to the best of our knowledge no semi-synthetic derivatives of plumbagin derivaties and test for their till date were reported. (Figure 1). Figure 1: Structure of Plumbagin (1). We focused on the synthesis of new of Plumbagin analogues by following routes. As shown in scheme-1, Piperazines and substituted piperazines are most useful pharmacophores that can be found in many marketed drugs, such as the piperazinyl- linked ciprofloxacin dimmers reported as potent antibacterial agents against resistant strains,15 Merck HIV protease inhibitor Crixivan,16 and drugs under development. A novel class of mixed D2/D4 receptor antagonists, dual calcium antagonist, anti malarial agents and potential antipsychotic agents. Recently piperazine derivatives containing tetrazole nucleus have been reported as an antifungal agent and phytochemists had prepared the derivatives of isolated natural products, which are coupling with piperzenes. This piperzene containing natural products enhance the activity than the parent compound. For designing the analogues of plumbagin a substituted piperzines was introduced at the third position of Plumbagin. This was achieved by the Michael addition of plumbagin with secondary amines and a series of Plumbagin derivatives with the Michael adduct were synthesized. plumbagin (1) was subjected to Michel addition of substituted piperzines with K2C03 in EtoH solvent under roomtemparature conditions for 8 h to yield corresponding substituted piperzine plumbagin analogues (scheme 3.1) in 85 to 95% yield. scheme 3.1 Introduction of propargyl group into hydroxy position of plumbagin scheme 3.2 Preparation of oxime derivatives of plumbagin by substituted acids and substituted piperzines. As shown in scheme 3.3 plumbagin (1) was first subjected to methylation on 0H group of plumbagin and then 9 is treated with NH30H.C1, CH3C0ona in EtoH solvent under room temparature conditions for 6 h to yield corresponding to oxime of 5-0-methyl Plumbagin(lo), it was planned to prepare the new ester derivatives of oxime of 5-0-methyl Plumbagin with various aromatic substituted aromatic carboxylic acids by using standard esterification strategies viz: DDC/DAMP, EDCI/DAMP. Despite the considerable experimentation, however, ester derivatives were never being obtained and moreover, in all cases starting material was completely recovered. In view of these discouraging results, we decided to implement the Yamaguchi esterification protocol (2, 4, 6-trichlorobenz0yl chloride, Et3N, THF, DMAP, toluene) to access ester derivatives. to our delight, the reactions proceeded smoothly to yield the target compounds in moderate to good yields. The structures and yields of all synthesized compounds ( ll21) and the yields were in the range of 80 to 95%. scheme 3.3 oxime of 5-0-methyl Plumbagin(lo) treated with propargyl bromide in presence of K2C03 in acetone solvent under roomtemparature conditions for 8 h to yield corresponding propargyl oxime of 5-0-methyl Plumbagin (22) in 90% yield. According to mannich reaction 22 was treated with secondary amines as substituted piperzines in presence of formaldehyde in ethanol solvent under roomtemparature conditions for lo h to yield corresponding propargyl oximes of 5-0-methyl substituted piperzine plumbagin analogues (23-26) (scheme 3.4) in 85 to 90% yield. All the compounds were synthesized for the first time and well characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and ESI HRMS. biological activity: a). Evaluation of the anti-proliferative activity against Hela, PANC1, MDAMB-231, IMR32, HepG2and SKNSH cell lines: Cancer is one of the most serious threats on human health in the wor1d. The mortality and morbidity of cancer patients is the second highest among all diseases in the wor1d, after heart disease. over the past few decades, extensive research has led to the development of a plethora of chemotherapeutic agents; however, none of these agents are capable of completely eliminating cancer. The limitations of current anticancer drugs, increased incidence and rapid development of drug resistance have highlighted the need for the discovery of new anticancer agents, preferably with novel mechanisms of action. to identify new chemical entities for a more effective treatment of cancer, drug designers can follow many strategies, but the crucial decision is always the selection of a suitable starting point from the vast chemical space . In this respect, natural products can be viewed as evolved privileged structures and biologically pre validated leads, in other words, as molecules that have probably evolved evolutionarily to exert highly specialized functions. Recent review pointed out that, about 74% of anticancer compounds being either natural or natural product-derived products, indicating potency of these scaffolds29. Hence, libraries designed and synthesized around the basic structure of such compounds have better chance of displaying desirable biological and pharmacological properties. As a primary screen for cytotoxic activity, cancer cell growth inhibitory properties of plumbagin derivatives along with parent compound were examined using SKNSH, Hela, HepG2 pancreatic carcinoma cell line (PANC 1), breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB 231), neuroblastoma cell line(IMR-32), by MTT assay. doxorubicin was used as the reference drug and the results are summarized in Table-1. The results revealed that some of the synthetic analogues were exhibited promising anticancer activity when compared their parent isolated compounds. Among the tested all derivatives, compounds 9,12, and 16 showed more potent active against HePG2 cell line with an GI50 value of 0.02 ±0.ol, 0.03 ±0.ol, 0.06 ±0.03  µM respectively and Compounds 3, 5, 24, 25 and 26 manifested potent activity against PANC 1 with an GI50 value of 0.4 ±0.03, 0.ol ±0.ol, 0.3 ±0.03, 0.2 ±0.ol, 0.1 ±0.ol,  µM respectively. While remaining all compounds showed moderate activities on all cell lines. Through it is difficult to discuss the structure activity relationship criteria responsible for the cytotoxic activities in this set of compounds from these results, it can be concluded that me, bis(4-fluorophenyl, 4-ethylpiperazin-1-yl on N in piperezens increase the activity and 0-C1, p-methyl, p-no2 on benzene increase the activity. Table 1: Anti-proliferative activity of plumbagin analogues Table- 3.1: biological activities of Plumbagin analogues (1-26). Sample Hela PANC 1 HepG2 SKNSH MDA-MB-231 IMR32 GI50 GI50 GI50 GI50 GI50 GI50 3.6 ±0.2 2.3 ±0.3 0.7 ±0.1 1.1 ±0.2 8.7 ±0.62 >lo0 14.8 ±0.9 2.9 ±0.7 49.9 ±0.6 4.0 ±0.6 4.3 ±0.65 >lo0 8.4 ±0.7 0.4 ±0.03 >lo0 0.4 ±0.05 2.7 ±0.82 >lo0 2.0 ±0.6 0.9 ±0.6 2.8 ±0.3 0.6 ±0.ol 0.97 ±0.78 0.13 ±0.02 4.1 ±0.9 0.ol ±0.ol >lo0 lo.0 ±0.6 2.3 ±0.7 0.ll ±0.06 4.0 ±3.1 0.5 ±0.07 6.1 ±0.3 3.1 ±0.1 >lo0 >lo0 14.1 ±0.8 2.6 ±1.8 1.7 ±0.2 14.9 ±0.7 0.35 ±0.03 >lo0 19.9 ±1.7 5.5 ±0.4 >lo0 >lo0 0.4 ±0.02 0.17 ±0.08 9.2 ±1.3 6.4 ±0.5 0.02 ±0.ol 1.3 ±0.6 >lo0 >lo0 12.3 ±6.6 0.8 ±0.09 0.5 ±0.06 35.1 ±0.9 6.8 ±0.6 0.046 ±0.ol 6.5 ±1.6 0.9 ±0.06 >lo0 0.9 ±0.09 >lo0 21.5 ±0.5 2.6 ±1.7 1.8 ±0.1 0.03 ±0.ol 1.0 ±0.06 0.79 ±0.07 0.13 ±0.02 3.8 ±1.0 0.4 ±0.1 0.3 ±0.03 0.16 ±0.03 >lo0 0.6 ±0.06 2.3 ±1.2 90.0 ±1.0 12.4 ±1.7 >lo0 5.2 ±0.3 >lo0 16.2 ±0.9 26.4 ±0.9 2.9 ±0.2 4.3 ±0.7 >lo0 >lo0 7.8 ±2.9 24.4 ±6.1 0.06 ±0.03 >lo0 26.2 ±0.63 1.7 ±0.2 8.6 ±1.5 22.2 ±0.7 2.5 ±0.3 >lo0 0.06 >lo0 13.8 ±0.1 25.9 ±0.4 0.2 ±0.04 >lo0 >lo0 >lo0 7.6 ±3.7 18.8 ±1.3 2.0 ±0.9 >lo0 >lo0 0.ll ±0.02 4.1 ±0.3 14.7 ±0.9 0.3 ±0.05 20.5 ±2.2 >lo0 0.34 ±0.07 7.4 ±1.2 16.0 ±1.0 3.5 ±0.4 >lo0 1.8 ±0.6 51.3 ±0.4 5.7 ±0.3 >lo0 34.2 ±2.6 >lo0 1.8 ±0.8 0.32 ±0.05 2.2 ±1.0 0.6 ±0.04 57.0 ±0.7 22.4 ±1.1 5.8 ±0.4 >lo0 1.1 ±0.06 0.3 ±0.03 3.5 ±0.4 >lo0 3.5 ±0.5 >lo0 1.3 ±0.1 0.2 ±0.ol 1.2 ±0.7 12.6 ±3.3 >lo0 19.8 ±0.8 5.2 ±0.4 0.1 ±0.ol 2.0 ±0.2 >lo0 4.7 ±0.78 >lo0 doxorubicin Cytotoxic assy : All cell lines (SIHA, PANC 1, MDA MB -231, IMR -32, DU-145 and A549) used in this study were purchased from the American Type Culture The cell lines (ATCC), United States. The synthesized test compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anti proliferative activity in these six different human cancer cell lines. A protocol of 48 h continuous drug exposure was used, and a SRB cell proliferation assay was used to estimate cell viability or growth. All the cell lines were grown in Dulbecc0s modified Eagles medium (containing lo% FBS in a humidified atmosphere of 5% C02 at 37  °C). Cells were trypsinized when sub-confluent from T25 flasks/60 mm dishes and seeded in 96-well plates in lo0ÃŽ ¼1 aliquots at plating densities depending on the doubling time of individual cell lines. The microliter plates were incubated at 37  °C, 5% C02, 95% air, and lo0% relative humidity for 24 h prior to addition of experimental drugs and were incubated for 48 hrs with different doses (0.ol, 0.1, 1, lo, ,lo0 µM) of prepared derivatives. After 48 hours incubation at 37  °C, cell monolayers were fixed by the addition of lo% (wt/vol) cold trichloroacetic acid and incubated at 4  °C for 1h and were then stained with 0.057% SRB dissolved in 1% acetic acid for 30 min at room temperature. Unbound SRB was washed with 1% acetic acid. The protein –bound dye was dissolved in lomM Tris base solution for 0D determination at 5lo nm using a microplate reader (Enspire, Perkin elmer, USA). Using the seven absorbance measurements [time zero, (Tz), control growth, (C), and test growth in the presence of drug at the five concentration levels (Ti)], the percentage growth was calculated at each of the drug concentrations levels. Percentage growth inhibition was calculated as: [(Ti-Tz)/(C-Tz)] x lo0 for concentrations for which Ti>/=Tz [(Ti-Tz)/Tz] x lo0 for concentrations for which Ti Three dose response parameters were calculated for each experimental agent. Growth inhibition of 50 % (GI50) was calculated from [(Ti-Tz)/(C-Tz)] x lo0 = 50, which is the drug concentration resulting in a 50% reduction in the net protein increase (as measured by SRB staining) in control cells during the drug incubation. The drug concentration resulting in total growth inhibition (TGI) was calculated from Ti = Tz. The 1C50 (concentration of drug resulting in a 50% reduction in the measured protein at the end of the drug treatment as compared to that at the beginning) indicating a net loss of cells following treatment was calculated from [(Ti-Tz)/Tz] x lo0 = -50. Values were calculated for each of these three parameters if the level of activity is reached; however, if the effect is not reached or is exceeded, the value for that parameter was expressed as greater or less than the maximum or minimum concentration tested. 3.4  Conclusion In conclusion, we have successfully synthesized thirty one analogues of Plumbagin (1) and these analogues were evaluated for their anti-cancer activities. Majority of the compounds exhibited significant anti-cancer activity than the parent compound Plumbagin (1) and this study also provides an initial structure–activity data, based on derivatives of Plumbagin (1). The results are an indicative of the fact that the compound 5 proved to be the best analogue with GI50 of 12 proved to be the best analogue with GI50 of invivo studies need to be carried out for revealing the exact mechanism of action and will be taken up in the future in our laboratory. 3.5  Experimental Section Plant material : Plumbag0zeylanica was collected from Tirumala forest, Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh, India, in August 2007. The plant material was identified by Dr. K. Madhav Chetty, Botany Department, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi. A voucher of the plant was deposited in the Herbarium of the Botany Department. Extaction and isolation: The shade-dried roots of Plumbag0 zeylanica were powdered in a pulvarizer (lo kg) and extracted with chloroform/methanol, 1:1 followed by the concentration under reduced pressure. The resulting extract was (70 g) chromatographed over silica gel (60–120 mesh) and eluted with n-hexane/ethyl acetate combinations of increasing polarity. Plumbagin (12 g) was obtained by elution with n-hexane/ethyl acetate, 99:1. General procedure for the synthesis of piperzene (Secondary amine) derivatives (2-7): to a solution of the Compound 1(leq) in ethanol (3m1) in presence of potassium carbonate as a catalyst was added secondry amine (piperzene) stirred at room temperature for 8 h. The reaction mixture was diluted with Ethyl acetate (lo m1), washed with c0oled ice and brine solution. The organic layer was dried over Na2so4, filtered, and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by column chromatography using the mobile phase Acetone in Hexane afforded secondary amine (piperzene) derivatives.

Parents Pay For Crimes :: essays research papers

Where Will I End Up? Where will I end up? That was the question that ran through my head as a high school student athlete at least a hundred times a day. I knew and was told that I had the natural talent and the work ethic to get to the college level, to play football. It all started my freshmen year, my first year organized football at my high school Grosse Pointe North. Where I was just messing around one day before practice kicking the football around. The kicking coach had taken notice and told me that I had the natural talent and leg strength to become a solid and well-developed place kicker. I had then earned the starting job by my first ever career football game, and have made a great career out of it so far, and hope to keep it going. I never thought that I would become a kicker I thought that was the pretty boy position on the football team, little did I know that was my ticket to a college football career. I had an average freshmen season, but what do you expect from a freshmen kicker? Most teams at the freshmen level don’t even have a guy that can kick at all. I thought that I was the â€Å"man.† By the time that my sophomore football season rolled around I was a much-improved kicker, I worked out mostly everyday all summer long with my cousin who was a pro recruit at the time, he was the one who really taught me what you really needed to know about kicking. All summer we worked on my technique and accuracy. The first week of my sophomore football season the coaches took immediate notice to my improvement, I was then offered the opportunity to try out for the varsity by the head coach. I was very excited but also nervous at the same time, this was like a dream come true. My high school has a very rich tradition for football, and for a sophomore to play at the varsity level is rare. So the following week I worked out with the varsity and made the team. I was pumped I was looked at differently by everyone some in a good way but also a lot in a bad way, the bad way was that a lot of my friends were jealous of the opportunity that I had and this brought me down a little.

Analysis of Hazlitts Article on Travel :: Literary Analysis Travel Essays Papers

Analysis of Hazlitt's Article on Travel Hazlitt's article on travel advocates the benefits of solo travel within one's own country. His affection for travel is strong. He calls going on a journey "one of the pleasantest things in the world". Hazlitt stresses that solitude while on a journey is a must, saying "nature is company enough for me", and "I am never less alone than when alone". Hazlitt insists that sharing in the experience of nature with a companion takes away from the sensory experience of it. He asserts bluntly: "I cannot see the wit of walking and talking at the same time". He believes conversation distracts from the scenery, and that nature does not need to be discussed, only experienced. To tale about the scene while experiencing it diminishes it and takes away from its immediate beauty. Scenery is not to be negotiated. Everyone will have their own unique experience of nature, and since each experience is personal it is futile to compare experiences. Hazlitt says: "The continual comparing of notes interferes with the involuntary impression of things upon the mind, and hurts the sentiment". His view opposes that of Alphonse Frankenstein, who urges Victor to take a family tour of the Chamounix, insisting that companionship in the experience compounds its remedial value. But Hazlitt seeks freedom from fellow men when he journeys. He says "the soul of a j ourney is liberty...to think, feel, do, just as one pleases". When experiencing nature in solitude, Hazlitt is able to appreciate it to its full extent by becoming one with nature. He says "when i am in the country i wish to vegetate like the country". A journey should be a time of freedom and peace, away from all things associated with city life. When travelling alone you are " a creature of the moment...free of all ties". A journey can provide "a little breathing space" to refresh and revitalize a person. When on a journey, Hazlitt says he begins "to feel, think and be myself again". He finds joy in living while in nature: "Give me the clear blue sky over my head, and the green turf beneath my feet...I laugh, I run, I leap, I sing for joy". Hazlitt's language describes the experience as being cathartic, like a return to the innocence of childhood. Hazlitt says the freedom found in nature comes from being away from people, and allowing the mind to rest.

Conceptual Framework Essay

The crossing of genders has been a hurdle that society has stumbled to accept since the beginning of time. Early hypotheses about the so-called cause of homosexuality originated from the psychodynamic perspective that men became gay because of a dysfunctional family system in which they were emotionally enmeshed with their mothers and had a distant relationship with their father. As a result, the thought of changing one’s sex immediately becomes a staple of criticism, despite the psychological effect it could have on the individual. Yet, Imani, a man who lives life as a woman, successfully copes with work, intimate relationships, family and peer relationships, and has developed a positive assessment of self. Imani is a resilient, creative, and resourceful individual, who has overcome societal myths that a transgender cannot function normally in society. Thus, this essay will attempt to outline Imani’s life journey and compare it to Hutchinson’s (2008) common risk and protective factors, while revealing how she copes with personal and professional relationships according to Werner and Smith (2001) ratings of the quality of adult adaptation and what she attributes her success. Six Criteria of Coping Understanding and coping with cultural differences becomes crucial when attempting to come out about gender or sexual identity. Social constructionist perspective suggests that â€Å"sexual orientation unfolds within a context of environmental or social influences† (Morrow & Messinger, 2006, pp. 61). Growing up poverty stricken, Imani learned to cope at an early age. The eldest of six, Imani grew up without a positive male role model and poor, while dealing with sexual desires for the same sex. â€Å"I use to pretend like I was attracted to girls because that was the normal thing, but since I was twelve, I had sexual desires for other boys† (Imani, personal communication, February 6 2009). Therefore, recognizing her gender identity at an early age, but able to cope with the stigmas of society involved Imani’s ability to reconcile competing demands from the dominant society. In addition, feelings for the opposite sex thwarted Imani from forming peer groups at an early stage in her life. â€Å"Many gay men do not accomplish normal development tasks of adolescence, such as forming a peer group†¦therefore, when experiencing some of the emotionality of teenagers as adults in their twenties or older, there is dissonance between chronological age and developmental tasks they may be struggling with† (Mallon, 2008, pp. 150). Normally, this would have had an unfavorable effect, but, it had a favorable effect on Imani’s life. For example, Imani is a leader in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. She mentors young individuals that are dealing with gender identity issues. Imani has also been in a long term intimate relationship for fifteen years; which induces her happiness. â€Å"When I was growing up, being gay was taboo, but, today you can speak out about who you are and feel comfortable, so I’m taking full advantage of every opportunity and helping others who may feel isolated as well† (Imani, personal communication, February 6, 2009). Even in analyzing her relationship with her siblings, Imani is respected and accepted wholeheartedly by her entire family. This could be attributed to two major reasons. Firstly, Imani was a defiant child, but, she also helped rear her brothers and sisters, which established a sense of respect from them early on. She also was defiant and never conformed to the norm when instructed to complete a task. For example, if her mother instructed her to go right, she would go left. Secondly, unlike people in a cohort group born in the eighties, which are more adept to come out sooner rather than later, Imani made her decision to transform at age thirty-eight. â€Å"Coming out is a critical issue in the process of identifying, some people do not go through this process early in life† (Kane-DeMaios & Bullough, 2006, pp. 10). For this reason, when Imani revealed her decision to become a woman, she perhaps displayed a defiant attitude, not to mention that her mother was supportive of her decision, likely instilled strength, support and understanding from her siblings as well. As a result, Imani shares a strong and supportive bond with her brother and sisters. Although Imani has been resilient in gaining acceptance from peers and family, her professional success is equally astonishing. Imani’s was employed with Phillip Morris, Inc, when she decided to transform. However, her employers were not accepting of her identity change, so, they increased her workload and refused to give her a stable schedule. To combat this deliberate injustice, she filed a grievance, several weeks later she was laid off. Werner and Smith (2001) noted that one of the main qualities of adult adaptation is work. â€Å"The individual is employed and†¦ satisfied with work† (pp. 36). â€Å"My former job was horrible at accepting me for who I was, so I decided to make a move and find employment elsewhere; where the people would make me feel comfortable and I would enjoy what I was doing. (Imani, personal communication, February 6, 2009). Imani is now gainfully employed as a supervisor with a prominent Medicaid service provider. Imani states, â€Å"There’s good energy at work. My colleagues respect me to the upmost and I enjoy helping clients. † Clearly, Imani’s ability to get past the ridicule of a former employee and successfully find employment without becoming discouraged about her gender identity is another emphasis of her resiliency. However, Imani contributes her success to having the courage to live as a transgender to education. Enrolling in VCU’s fine art program during the 70’s broadened my mindset about the world around me and myself, which has helped me become who I am today† (Imani, personal communication, February 6, 2009). Without question, academia can enhance an individual’s perception about the world around them, but, â€Å"the concept of accommodation is an important one in understanding the adaptation of transgender people† (American, 2009,  ¶ 3). Consequently, with Imani having the accommodation of a close knit, supportive family and long term partner has definitely added to her success. Therefore, it is should be pointed out that some risk and protective factors are inherent in the nature of resilient people. Risk and Protective Factors Werner and Smith (2001) noted that even in infancy there was something different about the high-risk children who never developed serious problems. They were active, affectionate, good-natured infants, alert and autonomous toddlers. One protective factor associated with Imani’s success was her development of advanced self help skills, which she acquired early in her life course. For instance, Imani learned early to cope with gender identity issues, despite being reared during a time when homosexuality and cross dressing were deemed taboo. In addition, coping with putting her childhood on hold while helping her mother take care of her siblings, Imani developed an identity of a leader. Evidently, this created strength of mind, which more than likely had an influence on the way Imani set out to accomplish goals or agendas. People who are heterosexual in orientation do not have to ponder on how to develop a heterosexual identity. In contrast, transgender people have as their task the â€Å"development of an identity that runs counter to the heterocentric culture in which they are socialized. † They must â€Å"come to terms with having a sexual orientation that is socially ridiculed, and they must formulate a sense of identity as a transgender person† (Morrow & Messinger 2006, pp. 85). Although Imani’s early development of advanced self-help skills has played a pivotal role in her success during her life course, she still faced the risk factor of growing up in poverty. Coincidentally, this did not have a negative effect on her schooling or personal accomplishments. Hutchison (2008) suggest, â€Å"†¦ poverty alone is much less of a risk than extended poverty. Imani’s life serves as a perfect example for this suggestion. For example, Imani did not continue the family trend of living in poverty. Determined to set the pace for the rest f her siblings, she rose above the line of poverty in her early twenties. She graduated from high school and successfully obtained a college degree. One could raise the question, if her role as the older sibling, which induced a sense of responsibility, while trying to understand her identity issues, kept her from being vulnerable to the risk of falling off track, because she was preoccupied with the task of taking care of her brother and sisters, rather than the poverty situation in front of her. Undoubtedly, it is apparent that Imani’s deprivations growing up did not lead to a trajectory of failure. Hutchison (2008) points out that positive impact of historical events can reverse disadvantages in a person’s life trajectories. Therefore, being torn between the role of patriarch and matriarch at an early age, clearly, had a positive effect on Imani’s life. Conclusively, Imani’s life has been filled with many extenuating effects of internal oppression at an early age, which she was able to overcome at a later stage in her life cycle. The major turning point in her life was enrolling in college; which has made her a resilient, creative, and resourceful individual who possess much strength. Yet, born during a time when social reform was at its peak, Imani serves as a perfect example of resiliency, success and normalcy.