Keeping school safe Essay

Keeping the Same School Schedule Everything in life is a chain reaction. An event happen because of a certain event. The New york City Department of Education want to change the schedule of the school. Instead of having 8 hours of school we student would be having an extra 2 to 3 hours of school. The positive part is having a friday as a weekend but this plan is not a 100% plan proof because we can’t tell the future of all the good and bad that will happen because of this event. Although we can predict the event with the evidence that is there. Why change something that is plan proof?We live using this schedule for decades. Why change that now? If we change the schedule of the school day, students would travel late makes it the most critical problem to having the schedules change. Traveling late leads to traveling in the dangers darkness.As students it would be harder to see so it makesit harder for us students to watch our waysand watch where are we stepping In some case people are too lazy to pick up and clean their dog poop and we the accidental steppin it.In this case your child will come home with a dirty smelly shoe everyday.In another case murderers would camouflage them self.this way they are ready to attack a child while the child will be the victims without knowing. This child could be yours . Statistics show 414 homicides happen in New york city in 2012.If you think you’re safe just because the average of homicides decreased by 20% from 2011,then your wrong.According to New York Times we are the third largest homicide city out of the selected 6 cities. This is not good because your child could be the next victim.The younger ones are more vulnerable. Your child could be the next victims and you woud be weeping for your child to come back in to your arm but hopes are lost.Also school time occur throughout winter and fall.These season are the coldest seasons.So student will get sick more easily because we taveling at night time which is more colder.It more worst for student who hve the school near a bay,river or oceanic land mass.Also imagine your child coming home freezing to death with froz bite. This lead to student be absent more and having medical notes increasing.with the amount of increasing medical notes the child will be missing out on at least twice as much as we are learn because of the longer  day(which equal to more information learned). We will face hunger as another of our big problems. Hunger lead to giant gap of opportunities to eat since the earliest lunch period is third which we call breakfast but some calls it b ranch. Already students are complaining about the lack of food they eat and being hungry all the time in school just because they don’t want to eat the nasty and grossing school lunch food. This is a problem because student will be missing out on nutritional value. Missing out on nutritional value leads to malnutrition. Not only student are hungry teacher are human being too. Teacher will get cranky if the don’t eat .They will most likely intend to eat in class. This makes student more hungry and can make some students cranky too.As for the elementary school kids like kindergraten and first grades will nagg and win to get food from the teachers.Some student may be violent and will fight for food.This is the idea of Surival of the fittest created by Charles Darwin. Lasty imagine a chid passing out in class due to lack of food being eaten.Also you child would not learn anything because the will fall a sleep in class and will not focus because they are too weak too put their mind to work.In addiction to that when human are hungry we will get sleepy to replace the hungerness because your bodyis too weak and will shut down to save energy. All in total of these factor lead to the the stress level on children increases.Which make adults nervous.The factors increase stress level is overload in work due to the extra classes or longer period of class because of more lessons being done in class.This lead to less work time at night and more homework.Which lead to to lack of sleep.This lead to children unable to pay attention because they are sleepy and will fall asleep in class.If the student don’t sleep the student will pass out and go into a coma.Also college resume would not look good without after school activities which we student don’t have time for. This will have an increasing amount of children have panic attack and nervous breakdown and high school students unable to continue to a go college and get scholarship. In conclusion,all the possibilities will happen just because of this change will happen.There will be other negative unknown happening coming along the way. LIke without after school activities the obesity level will increase.obesity Is one of America’s biggest concern.It one of the top concern in New york City.Along with the stress level on childrens increases which leads.This will have an increasing amount of children have panic attack and nervous breakdown. Also facing hunger will be a large problem because we are starving our children of the future. and Traveling late leads to traveling in the dangers darkness lead â€Å"accidents†.

My Nursing Philosophy

As I sit here pondering how I would communicate my values and beliefs, I think of my current job as a personal trainer, similar to nursing, on a daily basis I help individuals with their personal health both inside and out. In my job there is no room for my values or beliefs, just facts, education and being a good listener. I believe the day I become a nurse the only â€Å"values and beliefs† that I will need are those contained in the oath I take the day I become a nurse, and those legally expressed in my Nurse Practice Act. Injecting my beliefs into my practice as a nurse will most likely violate my oath and responsibilities to my patientsMy Nursing Philosophy By Christina Rivera Professional Issues NU 116 Maria Prior As I sit here pondering how I would communicate my values and beliefs, I think of my current job as a personal trainer, similar to nursing, on a daily basis I help individuals with their personal health both inside and out. In my job there is no room for my val ues or beliefs, just facts, education and being a good listener. I believe the day I become a nurse the only â€Å"values and beliefs† that I will need are those contained in the oath I take the day I become a nurse, and those legally expressed in my Nurse Practice Act.Injecting my beliefs into my practice as a nurse will most likely violate my oath and responsibilities to my patients. While I hold true to my values and beliefs when it comes to nursing, I strongly believe that putting peoples basic needs at the top the priority list when it comes to nursing is what separates good nurses from great nurses. I believe that a nurse should always act in a professional manner and act in accordance within the scope of practice. Nurses should possess qualities such as; Empathy and being able to identify with others; be caring, compassionate and committed. A urse should be ethical and non-judgmental, be honest, confident and trustworthy. Being physically fit is important, as the job i s very demanding. Last but not least a good nurse should also be an advocate for their patients and have their best interests at heart, be a good listener and communicator. My personal definitions of client, health, environment and nursing are: A client is a person with needs, whether it is medical, physical, psychological, or self-esteem. It is a nurse’s duty to make sure each person feels they have received the best health care and feel like a human being.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the definition of health â€Å" is a state of complete physical, social and mental well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity†. To me health is all relative to the well being of the body. This not only includes the physical but the mental as well. Health is not only when you are sick, but also having your physical and mental health being is a good stable condition. My definition of environment does not just describe the physical area where a perso n lives; it also includes the individual emotions and thoughts.It will be my duty as a nurse to be positive with all services, and to include family and friends whom are close to the individual regarding their health. Nursing is someone who cares for people who are sick in every way and sometimes all a person needs is someone to talk to. A nurse does not only help individuals, they also help families achieve health and prevent disease. A scientific definition of nursing is â€Å"observes, assesses, and records symptoms, reactions and progress of patients†. My personal nursing philosophy is I believe it is beneficial to the patient to be treated as an uman being rather than just another patient. Allowing the patient to feel that the nurse really care about their feelings and overall health. People are at their most vulnerable state when in a hospital or nursing home, this is the time for the nurse to be reassuring and make the individual feel as comfortable as possible is one the most important aspects of nursing. References Definition of World Health Organization, Retrieved Feb 06, 2012 from http://apps. who. int/aboutwho/en/definition. html. Scientific definition of Nursing from Wiki pedia, Retrieved Feb 06, 2012 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/nursing

Advance Diploma Hospitality of Management

The budget analysis of the hotel is based on existing budget report and the proposed budgets for improvement are shown below as follows: The present budget estimation has total expenditure of $67000. The cost of the various item such as Accommodation, Equipment, Food/Catering, Recreational Hall, Round tables with chairs, Lights on the last day for music carnival, Small stage for speeches and individual performance, small bouquets and transportation facilities provide to the customers comprises of the various costing components in the financial budgeting procedure. It has been observed that the rooms with single bed will cost $200 per night. The total cost for the required 30 beds have been observed as $16000. The equipments required such as projectors, microphones and sound system has further requirements of $2800. The food and catering cost is $19000. These costs include the food which is given in the menu list, dietary requirements and room service related costs. The recreation hall further needs an accommodation capacity of 200 people. This cost has been estimated to be $ 9000. The cost related to the tables and chairs has been estimated to be $ 10000.These items include 15 tables, consisting of 11 table and ten chairs. The expenses of the lighting charges for the purpose of last day celebration on the occasion of carnival and musical night are estimated to be $ 6950. The small stage setup for the purpose of speech and performance of the individual members has been observed as $1900. This particular cost is based on the area of the stage wh ich is 5x7 meters. The cost for the purpose of floral decoration has been observed AS $1700. The several cost components for this purpose includes entry decoration, stage decoration and decoration in the centers and buffet. The costs for 28 small bouquets have been observed as $1850. This component includes selection of the bouquets of orange, red and white color of flowers. The transport of the passengers of the cost has been estimated as $ 49000. This cost includes the cost involved in taking the guest for the purpose of sightseeing. The cost for the aforementioned items has been observed as $57000. This shows that as the budget of the company is $67000 the company will earn a profit of $ 10,000.  Ã‚   The recommended budget has been suggested to the International Hotel Group for the purpose of improving the present budget activities and increasing the profit aspect of the company. According to the revised budget the accommodation charges for the rooms with single beds has been estimated to be $ 9000 as the cost 30 bed has been considered as $300 per night. The equipment charges related to the projectors, microphones and sound system has been reduced to $ 1000. Based on the revised budget the cost related to the food and catering business has been reduced to $ 5040. The cost of the recreation hall has been observed as $8570. The costs related to the round tables with chairs have been further reduced to $1050. The cost of the small stage for the purpose of speech and individual performance has been reduced to $ 580. The cost associated with the floral decorations has been reduced to $640. The cost of the 28 small bouquets of various colors has been further reduced down from $ 1850 t o $ 560. The transportation cost of the passengers has been brought down from $ 4900 to $ 550. Based on the above discussed cases it has been observes that the present cost of the related items of the Hotel is $30010. Based on the estimated total budget aspect the total profit after the revised budget report has been observed as $ 36990. This shows an increase of more than $ 26000 than the existing budget. The various cost drivers associated has been changed on the basis of prioritizing the importance of the cost component based on the individual activities. For example previous provision of the deluxe rooms in the expected budget has been reduced by providing standard rooms. The cost of the flower decoration has been reduced from the previous estimation of $ 1700 to $ 640. This reduction has been done by considering inferior quality of flowering rather than including superior set of flower in the previous set of budget report. Due to the similar reason the price the small bouquets has also been reduced in compare to the existing budget.   It can observe that of the recrear5ion hall has been reduced to a great extent as the charge of recreational hall is more or less fixed in nature. The comparison of the budget report shows that the cost of $ 9000 has been reduced to only $ 8570 in the new budget proposal. Hence we can see that on the basis of new budget, the company is able to increase the profit amount by more than 40%.  Ã‚   Fatahi, S., Nozari, S.M. and Nejad, M.J., 2014. An investigation of the Impact of Performance Audit on Improving the Productivity of (Financial and Budget) Public Sector Capital Resources. Advances in Environmental Biology, pp.512-522. Keating, S.B., 2014. Financial Support and Budget planning for Curriculum Development or Revision. Curriculum Development and Evaluation in Nursing, p.169. SHAN, B. and CAI, J., 2013. Development of Executive Control System of Financial Budget Based on Web in Vocational Colleges [J]. Journal of Tianjin Vocational Institutes, 4, p.022.   Wei, F., 2015. Research on Financial Budget Performance Audit Platform Construction By Information System.

Business Plan for a Startup Business Research Proposal

Business Plan for a Startup Business - Research Proposal Example Planning facilitates him to identify problems that require outside sources of information and help. The nature of markets and customer needs alter rapidly. Planning cannot forecast alteration but it helps an individual to identify it and map his business policy accordingly. Small businesses tend to either cultivate too rapidly for their capital base or too sluggishly to sustain cash flow. Planned growth facilitates him to plan his capital requirements in advance and to guarantee that funds are accessible when one needs them. A detailed Business Plan allows one to scrutinize his results against a prearranged set of objectives and performance principles (Business Planning, n.d.; Business Plan for a Startup Business, n.d.). The rationale behind forming a business plan is that one can expect problems that are likely to take place and decide how they should be dealt with in advance. For instance, a lot of small business proprietors spend so much time ‘putting out the fires’. A business plan often helps an individual to justify his deeds. Often, one chooses to do something because it ‘sounds’ or ‘feels’ right. Preparing a Business Plan compels one to confirm the validity, or at least consider the logic behind one’s plans. Business proposal implies one’s capability and commitment. It is a remarkable document if it is well prepared. It helps us to convince the outsiders, for example, lenders and suppliers that one comprehends the business. It is a long-standing management tool by which decisions can be taken for the future that best suit the intentions of the business. The business proposal helps in scrutinizing and assessing the new business opportunities , proposes a case for finance, and portrays a lucid picture of the business and its prospect.

Peer Pressure on Teenagers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Peer Pressure on Teenagers - Essay Example Indeed, peer pressure is closely linked to human behavior that tries to rationalize the factors that have significant impact on the human psyche which promotes the process of rational or irrational thinking. The impact of peer pressure is critical to the overall development of an adolescent and the paper would be discussing its pros and con. Peer pressure can broadly be defined as the influence of friends, acquaintances, elders and other on the behavioral pattern of the people, especially adolescent children and teenagers. Peer pressure is a specific instance of social influence, which typically produces conformity to a particular way of acting or thinking (Csikszentmihalyi & Larson, 1984). It tends to change the attitude, behavior and moral actions of the person as per the diktats of the peer group. Peer pressure is a common factor amongst the people in general and everyone, at some time or other is influenced to some extent by the people or group to which he or she may belong. Indeed, construction of social identities is often influenced by hordes of issues, which are defined by individual ideology, group representation, professional competencies, intercultural compulsions etc. They facilitate better understanding and access to networking with organizations and groups in order to avail the emerging opportunities for t heir vested interests and boosting of self esteem. Peer pressure in the recent times has catapulted into serious concern for the parents as it adversely impacts the personality traits and behavior of children. It often adversely influences the psyche of the adolescents when they fail to see the long term consequences of their actions and behavior. It may also become detrimental to the overall development of the children and make them irresponsible. Their foray into drug abuse, smoking, sex, violence etc. are few of the areas which are highly damaging and therefore, require careful guidance and intervention during growing up period of

Service Management 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service Management 1 - Essay Example Due to the holistic nature of a project brief, following the brief assures the client of the project meeting his vision. Additionally, as the brief deals with the process as well as the product, adherence by all participants during the construction process prevents deviation of the project in terms of either methodology or specification. Adherence to brief also allows benchmarking for the project, and sets higher standards for all contractors involved. Prestige: The prestige and pride associated with a project has to inculcated by the project management team to motivate all actors to perform at their optimum during the process. A high level of personal pride translates to a better site, with a multi-disciplinary non-adversarial approach to problem solving and work completion. Such an atmosphere reflects positively on the project, and assures the client throughout the project of the competence and motivation of the team on site. Profitability: The objective of profitability of the project is a cornerstone of a successful project, and the client's needs can be met only if at every stage of the project, every possible method to value-engineer the project is used to cut costs and increase profitably for the client. Constant monitoring of these methods and their quantifiable results should be presented to the clients, so as to assure him of the teams' endeavor towards meeting project goals and deliverables. Expectations: At the onset, every client has certain expectation from the project in terms of process and product. These expectations should be crystallized by the project management team during the design and planning stages so as to meet actual possible execution targets. The contractors and consultants should also be made aware of what the client expects from them so that they can streamline project procedures and operations to meet the client's expectations. Quality: The first step towards assurance of quality is an objective assessment of the competence of the contractor and the CDM coordinator. All stakeholders in the project need to decide the specifications of all deliverables in the project and make sure that standards are met. When the client is confident of the quality of his team's work, he is able to perform his duties better and contractors have relatively lower number of problems with payments and external interference during work. Time: All projects are economically and functionally viable only if

Pirated Software Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pirated Software - Essay Example In fact, it is estimated that 36% of all the software currently used is stolen (Journal of Business 2004). Instead of benefiting consumers, pirated software adds to consumer burden because the profit loss from the sales of this software is being passed on also to them by manufacturers in terms of higher prices (Piracy 2007). Software piracy is defined by Microsoft as the "mislicensing, unauthorized reproduction and illegal distribution of software, whether for personal or business use" (Protect yourself from piracy 2007). It should be noted that once an individual purchase a software from the copyright holder, the package include an end user license agreement (EULA) which provides the software a protection against copyright infringement. It is understood that once a consumer open the software and install it in his/her computer, he will adhere to the EULA. In the common knowledge, pirated software is often understood as counterfeit software which is bought from an illegal seller which reproduced it. This practice is very common in Mexico and China where software is reproduced and packaged in CD cases featuring the original design from the copyright holder. In countries where copyright infringement is often overlooked, pirated software are sold openly in markets. However, pirated software goes beyond purchasing from an illegal seller who reproduced it for a profit.

Inventor Nikola Tesla Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Inventor Nikola Tesla - Essay Example Nikola Tesla was born in Croatia in 1856 to an orthodox Serbian family. His father was a clergyman. After his initial education at Croatia, he studied at the Polytechnic School at Austria and at the University of Prague. After immigrating to the USA in 1884, he was employed briefly by Thomas Edison at the Edison Machine Works, New Jersey. He left the job to fully devote his time for research works and inventions. He became a naturalized American citizen in 1891 and spent the creative period of his life at Manhattan where he died in 1943. He suffered bankruptcy and died destitute. Tesla did most of his experiments at his laboratory in New York City. The patent right of his system of getting electric power from AC was purchased by George Westinghouse, an American inventor. Of this inventive genius, John J. O'Neill says "This spark of intellectual incandescence, in the form of a rare creative genius, shot like a meteor into the midst of human society". Mechanical engineer by training, most of his inventions related to electrical field. The world believed that Marconi was the inventor of radio till the US Supreme Court resolved the dispute in favor of Tesla in 1944 after his death.

Bureaucracy and administration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bureaucracy and administration - Assignment Example Woodrow Wilson, the founder of the American public administration was a public bureaucrat who stated that the English have studied well the art of doing away with executive powers. This motivated the Native Americans and the English to set their governing tones. According to Henry (118), the English and the Indians motivation for bureaucracy were as the result of the satisfaction they got for working for the public and serving the society to bind them closer. Hamilton is another public bureaucrat as well as one of the first public administrators who worked as the treasurer of the bureaucratic system. He was interested in administrative apparatus and contemplated to make investigations of the science and history of civil government. According to Henry, â€Å"Hamilton displayed a strong interest in understanding the administrative apparatus of the state†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p.9). He was determined to write a book on public administration that would make modifications which would give humank ind freedom and happiness. He believed that heads should be well paid as they had more power than those who appointed them and the congress to his recommendations. According to Henry (116), Hamilton’s motivation was to make a difference to society. To him, doing good to the public was far more important than doing well for one self. Another motivator was his personal characteristics. Hamilton had the energy and strong interest to understand administration in different perspective and convince people on importance of bureaucracy to the society. He also argued that money does not necessary make the world go round but the happiness of the public and their freedom is what should matter most in public administration. The behavioral bureaucratic proposition dictates that organizational people differ in various ways (Henry 117). There is the administrative man who is defined by rationality, emotional needs and tricks. Economists use models to be able to understand the changes in eco nomy with the change in behavior of men and their activities. Rational men are motivated by their own self interest like making massive profits and will use all resources available to fulfill that. Administrative men understand the behavior of the organization as well as the mission and their interest to the society. According to Henry, â€Å"Administrative man has all the unique idiosyncrasies, blind spots, and limited power of psychological man, but, like economic man, also understands the mission and behavior of the organization†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p.117) Henry (118) also explains unsatisfied bureaucrats who are not impressed by the work they do and demand variation of themes from public administrators. A fraction of the public demand to have job satisfaction, including the people who do not have the intelligence to manage the moods of others as well as not having the ability to comprehend what is required in their jobs. Their motivation, according to Henry (119), is the federal sati sfaction which stated that majority of employees were satisfied with their jobs and the left percentage would be rewarded with jobs that met their satisfaction as long the changes did not have negative effects to the organization. According to Henry (119), there are also the frustrated bureaucrats who do not appreciate the way they are treated in their organization. They

A Personality Development Theory Applied in Choosing Career Essay Example for Free

A Personality Development Theory Applied in Choosing Career Essay This paper attempts to look at the Big Five, a personality development theory that is used in studying the dimension of one’s personality. The Big Five model is a product of empirical research and at present, the most accepted approach among psychologists in studying personality traits. 1 The five factors are known as OCEAN- openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. 2 It is said that theses possession of these traits may be stable for over 45 years that can start from early adulthood. 3 Parts and portion of traits are also heritable genetically. In addition, the traits are result of adaptation to the environment. Generally, these factors are viewed as universal and have been found in languages of different nations. Knowing where one’s place in the dimension can be very useful for one’s improvement and realization of skills, talents and abilities. The Case Dave has long been dreaming of putting up his own business. After several years of working in the job which he definitely did not like, he finally decided to pursue his dream. At this point in time, Dave was not sure of what enterprise will best fit his personality. Applying the Big Five Personality Development Theory, we carefully examine Dave’s personality in order to see what are his dominant traits and characteristics, his weaknesses and   1Buss, D. M. (1996). Social adaptation and five major factors of personality. In J. S. Wiggins (Ed. ), The five-factor model of personality: Theoretical perspectives (pp. 180-207). New York: 2Guilford. Soldz, S. , Vaillant, G. E. (1999). The Big Five personality traits and the life course: A 45-year longitudinal study. Journal of Research in Personality, 33, 208-232 3Buss, D. M. (1996). Social adaptation and five major factors of personality. In J. S. Wiggins (Ed. ), The five-factor model of personality: Theoretical perspectives (pp. 180-207). New York: unleashed talents if ever to be able to fit it with the kind of business that will best suit him. This is for the purpose of finding the better enterprise that will complement to his overall personality. This is important because the idea of putting up a business is much of a risk to take and Dave cannot afford not to be successful in his new chosen field after leaving his long time job. This is somehow a prelude to the future of his business because as the business and manger and owner to be, he will direct the efficiency and effectiveness of his business. To start with, traits and characters must be identified. In this case Dave provided us with some of his characteristics that are assumed to be relevant in helping him determine the best business for him. Dave mentioned that he was previously a paralegal and he had worked with attorneys and several clients in their law firm. He claimed that he often acts as a leader and in fact he formerly managed a staff. He added that he posses various leadership qualities though if given a choice, he would rather work alone. Applying the Big Five Personality Earlier, it has been mentioned that Dave, if given the chance will rather work alone, hence, we can conclude that he is an introvert. But since, he had longed desire to have his own business, it is inevitable to work with other person or to a group of person. By the word business, he is going to put up an organization. Building an organization means continuous interaction with other people and all the accompanied activities will operate in a relational or in a dynamic manner. Example of introversion is being independent and often being quiet. Introvert people prefer to do things by themselves and refuses to be helped by others and also disregard group activities because they see themselves more productive if they are alone. They are also the type who minimizes social involvement, in other words they prefer less socialization. Some of them are deliberately shy and some extreme cases found depression. Given that Dave wanted to put up his business and he also wanted to be alone if possible, I think the best business that will suit him is a coffee shop. Maintaining a coffee shop is not that difficult. Three to four people can be able to organize the business accordingly. If he will put up a coffee shop, he can be the one at the counter or he can hire another person to do that and all he needs to do is to supervise. Unlike his previous job wherein he had staff to lead to and attorneys and clients to deal with, a coffee shop business will put him in less trouble. If he has a passion in bartending, he can be the one to do it and all he needs to face is the waiter who will be passing the orders to him. As for agreeableness, undoubtedly, Dave has established leadership qualities necessary to operate a business. It will not be hard for him to deal with his employees to be, since he had his fair share on this matter on his preceding occupation. On the other hand, Dave showed did not mention about openness but I think it is safe to say that he is an open person because even if he has introvert qualities he bear with his colleagues for a long period of time and he tried to be a good leader and showed exceptional qualities of leadership in the law firm. Another proof of his openness is his likeness to have his own business. This means that he is open for new changes in his life to happen. Meanwhile, Dave has finally become assertive departing from his old reticent way. This is because at last he had the courage to left his job and starts a new with a business. Lastly, after evaluating the four factors of the Big Five, we can conclude that Dave is in the mid of imaginative and conventional dimension since he had let several years to past before actually realizing his wants, nevertheless he also posters creativity side as he was able to think of another form of occupation. In this activity, I learned the importance of knowing your personal traits and characteristics. Being familiar with your limitations and advantages may help you in various ways, likewise, it can help you understand others as well as to deal with them accordingly. Being acquainted with these traits will improve your relationship to other people and most of all it will contribute a lot in realizing your own potential and developing you as a person. References About. com Website (2008). The â€Å"Big Five Personality Model. Retrieved on January 17, 2008 from http://psychology. about. com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/bigfive. htm Buss, D. M. (1996). Social adaptation and five major factors of personality. In J. S. Wiggins (Ed. ), The five-factor model of personality: Theoretical perspectives (pp. 180-207). New York: Guilford. Soldz, S. , Vaillant, G. E. (1999). The Big Five personality traits and the life course: A 45-year longitudinal study. Journal of Research in Personality, 33, 208-232

Health Essays Binge Drinking Alcohol

Health Essays Binge Drinking Alcohol Binge Drinking Alcohol Question: With evidence for a new ‘culture of intoxication’, what are the current attitudes on binge drinking in UK society, and what are the possible causes for the current alcohol consumption patterns in contemporary society? Introduction The aim of this thesis is to answer the question: ‘With evidence for a new ‘culture of intoxication’, what are the current attitudes on binge drinking in UK society, and what are the possible causes for the current alcohol consumption patterns in contemporary society?’ This has been done by carrying out primary research in the form of a questionnaire in order to gain an insight into individuals’ drinking behaviours, and their attitudes towards binge drinking in western society. This piece of work primarily focuses on different drinking patterns and attitudes amongst different social groups in society, and reasons behind these differences. Although social policy is touched upon during the thesis, this is primarily to put the thoughts and behaviours of the sample group into context, and the primary focus is on sociological factors behind the participants’ reactions to alcohol and binge drinking. In recent years there has been an increasing public awareness and concern regarding binge drinking culture in the UK. Alcohol Concern (2003) stated that their research found that 40% of all male alcohol consumption takes the form of binge drinking sessions, while female binge drinking has increased significantly over the last decade. The 1995 Government report, ‘Sensible Drinking’ altered the recommended drinking allowance for males and females from a weekly amount to a daily amount, resulting from concern over the UK binge drinking culture and the worry that ‘weekly consumption can have little relation to single drinking episodes and may indeed mask short term episodes which†¦often correlate strongly with both medical and social harm’. (Sensible Drinking, 1995 cited in Alcohol Concern, 2003) Gofton (1990 cited in Measham Brain, 2005; 264) comments that socio economic restructuring during the 1980s has lead to changes in patterns of consumption, and the development of the British ‘lager lout’. Traditionally, drinking has been a male dominated, community based event but the decline in mixed age groups of male workers has meant that landlords cannot afford to rely on their traditional customer base and as a result drinking has developed into a pastime for both mixed and single sex groups; often age specific, participating in heavy sessional drinking during their free time at evenings and weekends. (Mintel, 1998 cited in Measham Brain, 2005; 265) Measham and Brain (2005) argue that there have been four key transformations that have led to the recommodification of alcohol and the significant rise in sessional drinking. Firstly, a much wider range of alcoholic beverages have been produced in the last decade, to suit all tastes and budgets. There has also been an introduction of high strength alcoholic products, as well as increased strength of traditional alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine, by up to 50%. Thirdly, there has been an increase in marketing and advertising of alcohol products to promote a culture of consumption and the need to purchase alcohol as a lifestyle marker and status symbol. The recent image overhaul of drinking establishments as trendy places, with drinks promotions to encourage greater alcohol consumption has also aided the transition towards a binge drinking culture. The Government Licensing Act and other related policies have aimed to promote civilised drinking by addressing drunkenness and anti social behaviour related to drinking with harsher penalties against offenders and by introducing more liberal 24 hour licensing laws with the aim that having extended hours will encourage a more relaxed approach towards drinking as people will not rush to drink as much as they can before the 11 pm curfew. Further sanctions have been placed on drinking establishments in an attempt to combat drink related disorder at the source by placing responsibility on licensed establishments to maintain order on their premises, to check for underage drinkers and to refuse to serve those who are already highly intoxicated. (Measham Brain, 2005; 263) A recent review of the licensing laws saw that overall, alcohol related crime rates had reduced as a more relaxed drinking climate has resulted from the introduction of 24 hour licensing laws. Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham commented, ‘Our main conclusion is that people are using the freedoms but people are not sufficiently using the considerable powers granted by the Act to tackle problems’. (Burnham, 2008 cited in Donaldson Vina, 2008) It would therefore appear that although a more positive image of alcohol consumption is being created in the UK, problems associated with binge drinking still exist and have not necessarily been addressed effectively through the change in licensing laws. Alcohol Concern (2003) has noted that people in the UK have yet to understand fully the dangers of binge drinking. The majority view it as having a good time, a social norm and part of growing up. In the 1993 survey, findings showed that 42% of those who regularly binge drank recognised that it was harmful to their health but only 24% males and 31% females were motivated to change their drinking habits to improve their health. Further to this the recent GENACIS study of gender and drinking found that the majority of individuals were willing to accept the negative experiences that sometimes occurred as a result of binge drinking in order to enjoy the mainly positive experiences of drunkenness. To summarise, ‘drinking and drugs can be seen as indicators of socio economic and cultural change in the relationship between work, leisure and consumption. Not only do young people form their identities through consumption but the psychology of consumption is centred on the search for gratification, integration and identity formation’. (Measham Brain, 2005; 276) As such, it is understandable if binge drinking has developed as the latest moral panic based on established ideas about binge drinking and social disorder. It is therefore the aim of this study to uncover the attitudes and beliefs of those in current UK society regarding binge drinking and related drinking habits. This piece of research into the attitudes and beliefs of people in the UK takes on an interpretive social perspective whereby studying a subject from a sociological perspective, it is important to consider that people are ‘active conscious beings’ (McNeill Chapman, 2005; 19) and it is necessary to take into account how people’s thoughts and beliefs influence their decisions of how they act as autonomous individuals interpreting the social world around them. Weber believed that external causes on their own are not adequate explanations for people’s actions and that it is necessary to understand individual’s motivations and how they interpret the situation in order to fully understand social actions. (McNeill Chapman, 2005; 19) As noted by Carey (2001), using the term binge drinking can cause some confusion as there are a number of definitions, largely based around amounts of alcohol consumed, which can cause the connotation of binge drinking to vary. For use in this survey, ‘binge drinking’ refers to excessive sessional consumption, which can lead to feelings of intoxication and drunkenness, whether intentional or unintentional. A qualitative definition of binge drinking has been used for this research as the disadvantages of allocating a certain quantitative unit of alcohol to the definition means that binge drinking becomes associated with levels of drinking dangerous to health and negative consequences. It also fails to address that, although binge drinking frequently or over long periods of time can lead to a greater likelihood of problems or negative consequences as a result, that this is not always the case and that many people enjoy and have experienced positive effects from occasional binge drinking. (Weschler et al, 2000 cited in Carey, 2001; 285) By allocating quantitative measures it fails to address that binge drinking and drunkenness are subjective as different amounts of alcohol affect individuals at different levels, and perceived behavioural control is a primary influencing factor where alcohol consumption is concerned. Research Methods For this study, a combination of descriptive and explanatory primary research was carried out, in order to create an overview of people’s attitudes towards binge drinking, and individual drinking habits, as well as attempting to produce an explanation as to why people binge drink and why this is perceived as a social problem in society. (McNeill Chapman, 2005; 7) A self completion questionnaire was decided upon as the most appropriate method of research as it was the most time and labour effective method of data collection. It is possible to obtain relatively extensive data from a large sample over a short time span using a questionnaire, which can increase the representativeness of the results making them more generalisable. (McNeill Chapman, 2005; 10) After deciding on the issue of binge drinking, a limited literature review was carried out to ensure the subject to be studied was viable, and also in order to identify common themes and key questions to ask candidates. Literature included journal articles by Measham and Brain (2005), Ajzen and Madden (1986), and Johnston and White (2002). A hypothesis was not developed as the research aimed to look for any general patterns in binge drinking behaviour and underlying reasons for the behaviour, and it was therefore felt that to create any specific hypotheses would create too much of a reductionist viewpoint from which to start the investigation. As previously mentioned, a limited literature review was carried out in order to identify key issues that had occurred in previous research to develop an idea of significant areas to be covered in the questionnaire, but overall the aim was to maintain a broad perspective based around an interpretive reflection of findings and attempt at a causal analysis. The aim of the survey was to cover a variety of age groups with different socio economic circumstances, and different gender groups, to see if this affected attitudes towards binge drinking. Approaching people directly and e-mailing copies of the questionnaire out to individuals developed a snowball sample whereby the questionnaire was passed on to others by initial participants and so the sample ‘snowballed’. Due to the vast number of people who use e-mail in contemporary society, and the convenience of using this medium of communication, it meant that e-mail was an especially viable method of contacting potential participants. (Sheehan Hoy, 1999 in Seale, 2004; 107) An initial draft questionnaire was developed using a variety of open and closed questions, primarily using closed questions to establish simple answers such as age, gender, income, etc with open questions primarily used as follow up to the closed questions to find out more detail and reason behind the answers selected in the closed questions. Some Likert scales were used to enable participants to express strength of opinion, which could be compared with other participants’ answers. The advantage of closed questions is that they could easily be pre coded to enter directly onto the SPSS software programme to be analysed, while it can be difficult to organise answers of open questions into categories for post coding and comparing participants’ answers. (Moser Kalton, 1971 in Seale, 2004; 83) While closed questions can verify their meaning by giving participants a selection of answers to choose from, and makes the survey easier for respondents to complete, it also results in a loss of spontaneity and detail in answers, and subjects may find that there is not always a category suitable for the answer they wish to give. In contrast, although open questions are more time consuming to complete, they allow for more detailed and unusual answers to be given, as well as reducing demand characteristics enabling participants to give more open and less influenced answers. (Bryman, 2004; 147) For this reason, combinations of the two sorts of questions were used in order to enhance the effectiveness of the survey. After a pilot run of the questionnaire that identified any faults, improvements were made and the final complete questionnaire was distributed amongst individuals with a range of ages. The disadvantage of snowball sampling is that it is much less systematic than other forms of sampling as it is based on the presumption that by selecting key individuals, other similar individuals will come forward who would make the sample representative, but this may not necessarily be the case. On this occasion, gathering a sample based on this premise proved successful as no one age category had a significantly higher number of participants than any other. The overall constituency of the sample consisted of 14.3% Under 18s, 24.7% 18-30s, 19.5% 31-45s, 22.1% 46-60s, and 19.5% 61 and over. In order to analyse the data the closed questions were pre coded and the open questions divided into common themes and post coded, then entered onto the SPSS software system in the form of figures and symbols which could be counted and added up, in order for the data to be analysed using a variety of statistical analysis techniques; primarily cross tabulation tables. (McNeill Chapman, 2005; 52) After producing cross tabulation tables from the data collected, it was found that many of the supporting Chi Square Test results produced values bigger than 0.05, suggesting no significant relationships between the variables. This could have occurred for a number of reasons; the sample may not have been big enough, or large tables with many cells may not have had enough cases in each cell to generalise from even where the differences in percentages on the table appear to have quite a large difference. In these cases, patterns could often be identified visually from looking at the tables based on the premise that a significant relationship could have been found if a larger sample had been used. However, caution in generalising these findings had to be taken based on the Chi Square results. Secondary data in the form of literature reviews and statistics collected by others were also used to develop ideas, and also to verify findings from the primary research; more than one source of data is used to cross check findings and verify their validity. (Bryman, 2004; 545) The reliability of the research is considerably higher than other methods that could have been used as questionnaires can be replicated with the exact questions and phrasing as many times as needed. However, with regard to the nature of some of the questions asked for this particular questionnaire about drinking habits which involve memory, reliability may be affected as people’s memories may not be accurate or may base their answers on their most recent drinking activity, so if asked another time may produce different answers. (Moser Kalton, 1971 in Seale, 2004; 81) The validity of this research could be considered to build a relatively realistic picture of what is being studied as the validity of people’s answers could be checked by comparing what they say their attitudes towards alcohol consumption is, with their actual reported drinking behaviours. A person is more likely to be open about their opinions and behaviours in writing than if asked to talk about them due to dissociation with the response. However, questionnaires can be affected by demand characteristics, particularly with closed questions, and people may pick what they believe to be the most socially acceptable rather than what they actually believe. (Moser Kalton, 1971 in Seale, 2004; 75) A further problem experienced with this questionnaire was that a number of questions were not completed on some questionnaires. It is not possible to know whether this is because participants accidentally missed the questions, or did not wish to disclose particular information. Further to this, some answers for questions such as asking people to select socially acceptable places to consume alcohol, it is possible that they selected those which reflected their own drinking habits, rather than what they thought the majority of society would view as socially acceptable. This may affect the validity of the final results. This appears to be an ethically sound piece of research as all the participants were informed of the purpose of the research and what the disclosed information would be used for. It was made clear that their participation was voluntary, and they were therefore giving informed consent. In an attempt to safeguard the privacy of research subjects, especially as the questionnaire required some personal information to be disclosed, all participants remained anonymous so that the information they disclosed remained confidential and could not be traced back to the individual. (McNeill Chapman, 2005; 13) It could be viewed as a concern that Under 18s were not asked to provide parental consent before completing the questionnaire, but due to the anonymity of the survey it was felt that it was unnecessary providing the participant themselves gave informed consent. One way the overall research process could have been improved would have been to carry out more in depth preparatory investigations such as focus groups to discuss the issue with individuals and gain a deeper understanding of their perspective on the situation, and what they thought the key issues related to binge drinking were. A focus group could have helped create clearer guidelines for research and possibly aided the development of a hypothesis to create a more focused piece of research. (McNeill Chapman, 2005; 32) Alternative or additional methods of research could have been used to investigate the binge drinking culture in the UK. One option could have been to carry out an ethnography. This would allow the researcher to witness participant behaviour in their natural setting, without demand characteristics affecting the situation. However, for the purposes of this investigation it would have affected the representativeness of the population as certain places attract certain types of people. Also, people will act differently in different situations and may be less likely to binge drink when at home than when out, but it would not be possible to observe this using an ethnography based in a single social setting. A further problem with ethnographies is that they can be the subjects of experimenter bias, as the experimenter must interpret the situation they are observing which is based on a subjective understanding of the situation. (Hammersley, 1991 in Seale, 2004; 243) A further alternative method could have been to interview participants rather than using a questionnaire. This method could have collected factual and attitudinal data in greater depth than a questionnaire. However, interviewing is more time consuming as it involves recording and transcribing the conversations before it can be coded and analysed. There is also the problem of interview bias, whereby the interviewee attempts to interpret what the interviewer wants from the situation based on their response to certain answers and the leading questions they ask. As mentioned before, the reduced anonymity of interviewing as a result of having to speak to someone face to face may affect the openness of the answers that participants give, and they may be less truthful or disclose less accurate information. (Bryman, 2004; 338) Overall, it was felt that a questionnaire was the most appropriate method of data collection for this piece of research, providing the most effective means of collecting relevant data. Culture of Consumption ‘Culture’ in this context is referring to the workings of society, from policy relating to the selling and consumption of alcohol, through to market influences and post traditional lifestyles and relationships which are leading to shared beliefs and values regarding binge drinking in contemporary society. Culture is important as it is through exposure to it within specific societal contexts that people develop their own thoughts and values regarding certain behaviours and what is socially acceptable. According to the relevant Chi Square Test results, none of the Charts 1-4 in Appendix A showed a significant or reliable relationship between the variables. However, observations can be made from all the charts produced. Chart 1 which demonstrates the frequency of alcohol consumption of women with different levels of disposable income, shows that regardless of disposable income levels, the majority of women for each income category reported consuming alcohol more than once a week; 80% of those with a disposable income of less than  £100 reported doing so, 100% of the  £101- £400 per week doing so, and 66.7% of the over  £400 per week. This could suggest that although disposable income may restrict the frequency of alcohol consumption to some extent, overall a culture has developed whereby alcohol consumption is viewed as an important aspect of socialising, relaxation and leisure time. Chart 3 showing frequency of alcohol consumption for the total sample with different levels of disposable income, also supports these findings. Interestingly, the  £101- £400 per week disposable income group appears to consume alcohol the most frequently. This could be as a result of having a higher disposable income to spend on alcohol, yet more leisure time than those who earn more – who possibly work longer hours in which to drink it. From observing Chart 2 which shows the frequency of alcohol consumption of women with different sources of income, it can be seen that although the Chi Square has not shown a significant relationship between the two variables it would appear that whether income is earned – suggesting employment participation – seems to influence the frequency of alcohol consumption in women. 92.3% of those women who received income from employment consumed alcohol more than once a week, compared with 61.1% of those with an unearned income. Reasons for this could be that women who work tend to drink more to reduce stress levels and as a method of relaxation, or it could be that those with an unearned income may have a lower disposable income to spend on alcohol, or that they feel the money is not theirs to spend on such luxuries so freely. Alcohol related attitudes and behaviours which have been discussed so far in this study highlight changes which have occurred over time, not in isolation, but against a backdrop of economic, social and cultural change in transition from an industrial to a post industrial consumer society, and a ‘culture of consumption’. (Measham Brain, 2005; 275) In relation to alcohol Measham and Brain (2005) argue that the economy in the UK relies on the exploitation of hedonism. The UK nighttime economy, which has developed extensively over the last decade, thrives on the promotion of consumer excess and intoxication. Daniel Bell (1975, cited in Measham Brain, 2005; 275) argues that in contemporary society individuals have lost the influence of the traditional sources of structuring such as occupation and family, and as a result new sources of collective identity have been formed, based around the market and in terms of alcohol, around the night time hedonistic culture of consumption; individuals seek to construct their identity through consumer products. This transition has facilitated greater opportunities for individuals to engage in hedonistic consumption, along with the decline in traditional norms and values that limited excessive consumption of alcohol. Cofield and Gofton (1994, cited in Measham Brain, 2005; 275) argue that amongst this hedonistic economy, drinking is no longer viewed only as a form of social integration, but more emphasis is placed on relaxation through the purchase of consumer products such as alcohol. This idea is supported by James (Cited in Wessely, 1998) who views contemporary society as a ‘low serotonin society’ and claims that individuals in society are more depressed than ever before, and that the increased pace and competition of life has led to family breakdown and higher stress levels. James concludes that people in contemporary society are self obsessed and overly concerned with their emotional well being; as a result of this people are looking for methods of relaxation and escapism, alcohol of which is one, which in turn has lead to social changes and a culture of consumption in the pursuit of happiness. (Wessely, 1998) This could be seen to support observations in chart 2 as those whose incomes come from paid employment drink more frequently, which is likely to be as a result of the stresses and strains of everyday life. Further to this it could be argued that the reason there is only a marginal difference between income and frequency of consumption is that it relates more to individual life circumstances and the stress levels in individuals’ lives rather than money available to spend on alcoholic products. Chart 4, which shows differences in preferred alcohol beverage by different disposable income groups shows that no significant relationship exists between disposable income and preferred alcoholic beverage. However, it can be noted that overall the most popular alcohol beverage was wine/champagne, with 52.8% of the total sample selecting this as their preferred beverage. A reason for this may be that there are such a wide range of wines available to suit all tastes and budgets. 100% of those who had a disposable income of more than  £400 per week chose wine/champagne as their preferred beverage. This may be because expensive wine/champagne can be bought as a symbol of status in society, particularly if consuming in public places such as restaurants or high status bars. It can also be noted that 100% of those who selected alcopops as their preferred beverage were in the  £100 per week or less disposable income category. This may be because generally alcopops are popular with younger drinkers, who are also likely to be those with a lower disposable income available to spend on alcohol. The popular demand for wine as an alcoholic beverage is supported by Duffy’s research (1981; 200) which found that the consumption of alcohol products almost doubled between 1963 1979, particularly wine and spirits. He also comments that a reason for this is that the relative price of drink has declined which has enabled consumers to purchase alcohol in larger quantities. The British Medical Association has argued that raising the price of alcohol beyond inflation levels would aid the control of the problem of binge drinking, and that this could be achieved by introducing minimum prices for each type of alcoholic drink. (Louth, 2008) However, it has been argued that increasing prices will not deter those who feel a ‘need’ for alcohol, just as increasing the prices of cigarettes has not stopped smokers buying them. It is an issue of personal demand over anything else. (Louth, 2008) Further to this, there are so many alcoholic drinks marketed by different producers that it would require an entirely new governmental system to control restrictions on the price and marketing of alcoholic beverages. Duffy (1981; 202) investigated whether advertising and/or taxation contribute in any way to official alcohol control policy. The income elasticities were found to be 0.8 for beer, 1.7 for spirits and 2.2 for wine – these figures show the elasticity of demand in relation to income. These estimates of elasticity appear to correspond with the findings of chart 4, which suggests that wine is one of the luxury products which people tend to consume more of, especially in the privacy of their own homes, particularly as their disposable income increases. The findings of Duffy’s research also suggest market demand for wine has increased at a greater rate than other alcoholic beverages, with consumption of wine increasing at a faster rate than the consumers’ relative income. (Duffy, 1981; 204) In 1970, on average individuals drank approximately seven litres a year of pure alcohol compared with an average of nine litres a year in contemporary society. Whereas the consumption of beer and spirits has remained relatively stable over a long period of time, the consumption of wine increased dramatically, representing over 80% of total alcohol consumption. This would also suggest that increases in alcohol consumption cannot be directly related to anti social behaviour as many of those middle class individuals, reflected in the findings relating to income and preferred alcoholic beverage, will not be seen creating disturbances and expressing anti social behaviour in public spaces. Many prefer to consume alcohol within the privacy of their own homes. (Louth, 2008) Yet Government statistics for middle class individuals who participate in habitual wine drinking show that they are consuming enough alcohol to cause considerable damage to their health, and government research has suggested this hidden drinking culture is also problematic in terms of putting pressure on the NHS through alcohol related hospital admissions, but largely ignored as it occurs behind closed doors. The Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo commented ‘Most of these (admissions) are not young people; they are ‘everyday’ drinkers who have drunk too much for too long.’ (Primarolo, 2007 cited in Boseley, 2007) Duffy also found that the estimated elasticities for advertising of all alcoholic beverages were low, especially for wine. The assumption here is that there are so many adverts for other alcohol products competing against each other and against other products in general, that they cancel each other out and have relatively little impact upon the consumer. However, their continuous presence is likely to contribute to the popular cultural belief of alcohol consumption as an integral part of social life in western society. (Duffy, 1981; 205) It can also be noted that the shots category was not selected by anyone as a preferred beverage and as such is not shown on the chart. However, this may be because shots are not drunk as a primary beverage on a night out but as a supplement, or as a chaser, in order to catalyse the development into a state of drunkenness. Measham and Brain’s research (2005) found that although shots and shooters were not considered a primary product to consume on a night out drinking, they were becoming an established part of a night out binge drinking. They were mainly drunk as a cheap addition to a night’s alcohol consumption with 40-60% of participants in the study reporting consuming at least one shot on a night out. (Measham Brain, 2005; 270) The main reasons found for consumers purchasing shots were to quicken the process of achieving drunkenness, and as a cheap way of making an inexpensive gesture towards friends by buying them shots too – they are cheaper than a typical round of drinks for those who cannot afford to pay out more. The increasing popularity of ‘doing’ shots has created concerns regarding issues of responsible drinking patterns. By consuming shots alongside long drinks it increases the speed and quantity of alcohol consumed as shots tend to be ‘downed in one’ as well as encouraging people to mix their drinks, which can heighten the state of intoxication. Drinking patterns such as these can be seen to hav

The Truth About White Supremacy: American History X :: essays research papers

The Truth About White Supremacy: American History X   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a Hispanic, I suppose I should expect or, be prepared, rather, for racism and discrimination. Thankfully, I have not experienced either.. yet. Our world is not perfect; things take place that we rather not know about, but ignoring the problem seems to only make matters worse. The movie American History X, is an admirable attempt to inform us about these types of malicious ignorance that plague our society. The impeccable acting, artistic cinematography, occasional adrenaline-pumping score, and slightly faulted, though award-worthy script, all combine to create an overall exceptional film. American History X should not be immediately dismissed as an archetypal account of a controversial issue, it provides much more than what an audience would expect from a movie of this nature; it is an innovative drama about the unfortunate consequences of racism in a family that is surprisingly yet, frighteningly realistic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The dynamic that greatly contributes to the efficiency of American History X, is the illustrious acting. Edward Norton flawlessly plays Derek Vinyard, the main character in American History X, who is angered by the murder of his father by two African-American persons who then, therefore, turns to the world of Neo-Nazism searching for comfort toward his father’s death and for further justification for the hatred he has towards the murderers. After being released from prison for serving a three-year sentence of manslaughter after brutally murdering two black individuals, Derek comes out a changed man who no longer persecutes blacks and other minority figures for invading and tragically altering the life of â€Å"true† Americans. Edward Norton is more than perfect for this role. In his â€Å"Believe Me† film review site, Jeffery Huston explains, â€Å"With this performance, Norton emerges as one of the very best actors working in film today.â₠¬  Norton’s performance was indeed electrifying. One particular scene in the film that shows the phenomenal talent he possesses, is the incident that shows us what his character was incarcerated for. After brutally murdering two black victims, police quickly arrive and begin to place Derek under arrest. Norton shines as his character is being seized; as he sets his hands on his head and slowly turns, he meets eyes with his horrified brother, Danny, who witnessed everything, and triumphantly smirks as the sinister expression in his glistening eyes reveals unsettling satisfaction, then smugly raises his eyebrows as if asking his younger brother if he is impressed.

The Needle Treatment Essay examples -- Biology Essays Research Papers

The Needle Treatment Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of "encouraging the body to promote natural healing and improve bodily function" (1) that dates back as far as 4,700 years ago. Now for the past 25 years it has appeared in the U.S. as a popular form of alternative medicine, and it is "a licensed and regulated HealthCare profession in about half the states in the U.S." (3). It is most often called upon for problems such as lower back pain, migraines, arthritis, and additional non-fatal aches and pains. Some people say it works, others are still skeptical. Since this method does not seem to be based on "actual science", is it merely a placebo effect? Can a medical practice dated nearly five millenniums ago still prove to be valid? When acupuncture was created, some of the medical concepts it employed were relatively new; there were not many falsified stories for it to build off from. In fact, "acupuncture is said to have been theorized... by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese medicine, who also documented his theories on the heart, circulation, and pulse over 400 years before Europeans had any concept about them" (1). Since then, Europeans and Asians alike have encountered centuries of medical dilemmas and successes. Over time, hypotheses emerge and are either disproved or continue to live on as part of scientific discourse and medical practice. For this reason, most old-fashioned treatments no longer hold true when compared to methods cultivated within the great wealth of knowledge attributed to medicine today – not because we are smarter now or are more civilized, but because the field of medicine has accumulated so much more experience and has improved methods to be "less wrong" countless times. So, wh y has acup... ...l position in the womb" (4). Altogether, acupuncture has withstood the test of time; not necessarily the test of criticism. The procedure seems to work sometimes, and so it has not been falsified. It seems very beautiful, ancient and creative, and so it is left alone as a non-conventional medical alternative. But there should be more studies done on the subject, especially to prevent people from depending on it because of a desire to be all-natural. This is not reason enough to abandon centuries of experience and of scientists getting it "less wrong". Acupuncture is a possible treatment – but not a perfect one. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.cdc-cdh.edu/hospital/cardio/art16.html 2) http://www.acupuncture.edu/laymans/index.htm 3) http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/991233942.html 4) http://www.tamu.edu/univrel/aggiedaily/news/stories/00/112900-3.html The Needle Treatment Essay examples -- Biology Essays Research Papers The Needle Treatment Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of "encouraging the body to promote natural healing and improve bodily function" (1) that dates back as far as 4,700 years ago. Now for the past 25 years it has appeared in the U.S. as a popular form of alternative medicine, and it is "a licensed and regulated HealthCare profession in about half the states in the U.S." (3). It is most often called upon for problems such as lower back pain, migraines, arthritis, and additional non-fatal aches and pains. Some people say it works, others are still skeptical. Since this method does not seem to be based on "actual science", is it merely a placebo effect? Can a medical practice dated nearly five millenniums ago still prove to be valid? When acupuncture was created, some of the medical concepts it employed were relatively new; there were not many falsified stories for it to build off from. In fact, "acupuncture is said to have been theorized... by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese medicine, who also documented his theories on the heart, circulation, and pulse over 400 years before Europeans had any concept about them" (1). Since then, Europeans and Asians alike have encountered centuries of medical dilemmas and successes. Over time, hypotheses emerge and are either disproved or continue to live on as part of scientific discourse and medical practice. For this reason, most old-fashioned treatments no longer hold true when compared to methods cultivated within the great wealth of knowledge attributed to medicine today – not because we are smarter now or are more civilized, but because the field of medicine has accumulated so much more experience and has improved methods to be "less wrong" countless times. So, wh y has acup... ...l position in the womb" (4). Altogether, acupuncture has withstood the test of time; not necessarily the test of criticism. The procedure seems to work sometimes, and so it has not been falsified. It seems very beautiful, ancient and creative, and so it is left alone as a non-conventional medical alternative. But there should be more studies done on the subject, especially to prevent people from depending on it because of a desire to be all-natural. This is not reason enough to abandon centuries of experience and of scientists getting it "less wrong". Acupuncture is a possible treatment – but not a perfect one. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.cdc-cdh.edu/hospital/cardio/art16.html 2) http://www.acupuncture.edu/laymans/index.htm 3) http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/991233942.html 4) http://www.tamu.edu/univrel/aggiedaily/news/stories/00/112900-3.html

White Man’s Prejudice against Native Americans in the Film, Dances With Wolves :: Movie Film Essays

White Man’s Prejudice against Native Americans in the Film, Dances With Wolves The Movie "Dances With Wolves" shows the stereotypical view of American Indians as uncivilized savages who murder innocent settlers, but most Indians are kind, caring people who were driven from their homes and land as discovered by John Dunbar, the film's main character. John Dunbar was stationed at a small abandoned fort located in the Great Plains where he was to monitor the activity of wildlife and Indians. He first encountered the Indians attempting to steal his horse while he was bathing, and then later again that evening. But gradually over time he had meetings with the Indians where they tried to learn ways to communicate with each other. After countless gatherings and a successful buffalo hunt John is accepted into the Indian tribe. He learns that the Indians are more caring and dedicated to their family than the whites he called friends. Eventually he lives with Indians after marrying "Stands with a Fist," a white woman taken in by the tribe when she was very young. At first John had thought these people to be different then he was but not savage murderers. He thought that Indians were thieves who sacked the fort before his arrival, so he kept his guard up for any strange sounds. One night while he was sleeping he heard some children trying to steal his horse. He promptly sat up and smashed his head on the wooden frame of his cabin, which knocked him out cold. This confirmed his belief that they were merely thieves. Then a party was sent to scare him off but he simply held his ground and the Indians left. These first introductions lead John to believe that they were not thieves or murderers but people who had a different purpose. The Indians were only trying to scare him off to protect their homelands from the invasion of the white people. If the whites had not been so judgmental of the Indians, a people which they knew so little about, then friendships might have been formed and a common ground established. The Indians openly accepted John as a friend after he embraced the ideas and traditions of the Indian tribe. An example of this is after John reports that the buffalo are near and he joins in the hunting party they welcome him into their village to the victory festivities where many times he tells his story of the great hunt.

Benefits of Kids Playing Outdoors Essay

1. Introduction The modern day definition of playing for many children these days are stuck in front of the laptop, television, game console or tablet devices. Game consoles more generally refer to video games that required connecting to the television. Examples of game consoles are Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii. While there is doubted those tech gadgets can help young children in terms of their mental development and dexterity, getting kids playing outdoors is beneficial too. A gadget is a small technological object that has a certain function, but often thought of as unique. Examples of tech gadgets are smartphone, iPod, Samsung Galaxy Tab, PlayStation and many more. Playing outdoors is a form of exercise that encourages kids be well-being and healthy physical development. Play outdoors can let them explore their environment, improve their muscle strength, and organization, and also improves self-confidence. Playing vigorously outdoors also will increase flexibility, development of an extensive collection of physical skills, as well as involved themselves in sports. Outdoor play should not become too academic and too teachers and parents controlled. 2. Background Information The growing of kids nowadays and back then is different. Kids nowadays spend indoors that wired to technology while kids back then spend their time outside enjoying the nature. The huge majority of today’s kid only stays indoors use a computer, watch TV, online or play video games on a daily basis. However, only about 10 per cent of kids spend their time outdoors every day, according to a new nationwide poll from The Nature Conservancy. About 80 per cent of kids said that it is uncomfortable to play outdoors due to thing like bugs, mosquitoes, and also the heat outside. Then about 70 per cent of them said that they do not have transportation to go outdoors like natural areas. Lastly about 63 per cent said there were no natural areas or nice places for them to play outdoors that near to their houses. These days parents are so busy with their work and they do not have time to accompany or bring their children go out and play. Our culture is taking outdoor play away from young children through excessive of TV and computer use, unsafe neighbourhoods, busy parents, elimination of school recess and academic  standards nowadays that push more and more developmentally inappropriate academics into our early childhood programs, thus taking away their time to play and relax. 3. Benefits of Kids Playing Outdoors 3.1 Physical Benefits Obesity is getting more and more these days because most of them are lazy to do exercise and spend time outside, they prefer watching television, playing video games and online at home for the whole day. Outdoor play also enables children to enjoy the natural environment and learn how to seek out exercise, and fresh air. Children who learn to enjoy the outdoors activities have a much higher likelihood of becoming adults who like to hiking, bicycling, mountain climbing and many more. This is dangerous as obesity becomes an ever-greater national fear and as we must all learn to care and protect the environment. By spending time in the sunshine playing, it can help their bodies to get vitamin D to develop healthier bones and can reduce risk such as heart disease or high blood pressure. 3.2 Mental and Emotional Benefits Children these days have busy schedules with school and extracurricular activities and they may experience stress and suffer from conditions like depression. Physical activities outdoors can definitely help kids to reduce their stress and also can improve their mood. When kids are playing outside, they are most likely running, jumping, yelling and laughing. Take a break to let kids playing outside can increase focus of children while they are in the classroom. 3.3 Promotes leadership skills and encourage cooperative play In the environment where children create the fun, natural leaders will arise. One child will need to explain how to play the game, while another may enjoy setting up the physical challenge of an outdoor obstacle course. While in a setting where there aren’t clear winners or losers, children work together to meet a goal. The way they cooperate or work together to meet a desired result helps them to increase their relationship. They may also learn how to share foods, toys and so on. 3.4 Cognitive Benefits Playing can develops kid’s memory, thinking skills and ability to study. According to The National Centre for physical development, playing can develop children’s gross motor skills, which increases their ability to remember new information. Spending time outside can benefits children to determine new things and make sense of the world around them when they are outside. 3.5 Social Benefits When kids are playing outdoors with other kids, they are learning about relationships and how to behave as a member of a group. Spending time outside can allow children to make new friends, resolve conflict and express their feelings. They also will learn how to follow the rules and gain self-control skills. For example, pushing each other on the swing, playing together in the sand, jumping rope together and so on can develop social skills. Physical play, constructive play can also involve in social play if it encourages the commitment of more than one child. 3.6 Natural Experience Playing outside is vital to a child’s growth and their mental and physical development. When playing outdoors, they can interact with the environment, the nature by climbing trees, lying on the grass, digging in the sands, or play with the butterflies. By interact with the nature and also with the other kids outside, it helps to motivate the curiosity and creativity of children and they also can learn new thing of being outdoors. When they are playing outside, they can hear the sound of birds’ tweets, the bees breezing, the sound of the dried leaves and many more. Therefore, they also can learn and know about how do caterpillar become butterflies, how do plants grow, how does mud feel and smell like and so on. 4. Conclusion Providing for the outdoor play needs of children is a complex and challenging task. Parents should take some times to bring their children go out to enjoy the environment not just stuck in the house playing games or watching TV. As  a part of being child, they must have the chances of playing outdoors. So that they can be healthier, become smarter, can enjoy the environment and have memorable memories when they grow up.

Eng Comparing and Contrasting Literary Forms Essay

Poetry, drama and short story are literary forms that provide readers with entertainment, insight, pleasure, escape and sometimes information. Readers can find satisfaction in any of the three genres because the styles, variations, language and themes cater to everyone’s preference: tragedy, comedy, profanity or just for pleasure. There is a piece of literary work to suit every taste. Poetry, when performed live, gives the words rhythm, music and life. John Updike in his poem Dog’s Death in lines one to sixteen, the rhythm and pattern are not as distinct as in lines seventeen to twenty; where the beats are strong and there is a certain level of intensity leading up to the finale†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Good Dog.† â€Å"Back home, we found that in the night her frame, Drawing near to dissolution, had endured the shame Of diarrhea and had dragged across the floor To a newspaper carelessly left there. Good dog.† (Clugston, 2010) Usually one performer presents a poem to t he audience whereas in drama there are many actors, stage settings and music that combine to create a complete stage production. Drama is written for theatre production. Actors impersonate the characters by reciting the words that are written in the play. For example, Maurya the main character in the play Riders to the Sea, says the closing words to her son before he left home: â€Å"You’d do right to leave that rope, Bartley, hanging by the boards†¦for it’s a deep grave we’ll make him by the grace of God.† The actors must also follow the author’s directions. She kneels down and the curtain falls slowly. (Clugston, 2010) Drama and play are written for specific purposes. The poem, when it is performed, is similar to an actor doing a soliloquy in a play. For example Macbeth’s speech: â€Å"I have lived long enough: my way of life Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow; And that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not.† (Clugston, 2010) This speech is poetry within a play unlike the short story. The author of a short story on the other hand, depends on imagery, symbolism, similes and other literary devices to awaken the reader’s imagination, create the big picture and to pull him/her into that place. Unlike poetry and drama, the short story is not written for performance but for the reader’s pleasure and escape. The plot, setting, theme, point of view, characters, style, the actual story line and the ending of a short story all combine to give the reader a slice of the experience of the specified era. Alice Walker in the â€Å" Welcome Table,† paints a picture of racial segregation in the church in the state of Georgia. She wrote about a black old woman who entered a whites-only church. â€Å"The reverend of the church stopped her pleasantly as she stepped into the vestibule†¦..†Aunty, you know this is not your church?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Inside the church she sat on the very first bench from the back.† (Clugston, 2010) This picture is of the old woman/main character sitting at the back of the church and the reverend reminding her that she is in the wrong place. In other words she is out of place. Short stories appeal more to the reader’s imagination and senses and are not usually performed unless they are adapted for stage. Reference Clugston, W. R., (2010). Journey Into Literature, San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education Inc.

Noir of Chinatown Essay

Film noir is generally associated with a ‘dark’ type of film in the era following WWII. Film’s that are categorized in this genre are marked by a style that generally contains certain distinguishing elements – dark rooms with Venetian blinds, dark alleys, rain-slicked streets, dark offices and low key lighting. The plot usually deals with the dark aspects of humanity-greed, murder, deceit and paranoia. There are also distinguishing characters, the main character a detective or an investigator usually portrayed as a loner; a beautiful sensual femme-fatale who will use and eventually destroy the main character seducing him into crime. Although classic film noir generally is in reference to a style of film from the 40’s and 50’s, film noir form and style can be found in some contemporary films. One of those being Roman Polanski’s Chinatown. Although Chinatown breaks certain rules of film noir – it was filmed in 1974 and is in COLOR (black and white film is a traditional element of Film Noir) it models itself with formal elements of Film Noir genre including the sexy femme-fatale (with a twist), a protagonist main character seeking truth, and the plot laced with deceit, murder and greed. The film uses many shadows and dark and light contrasts. The low key soft lighting keeps the scenes dark and gloomy and projects the air of suspense. The viewer is told the story through the central character, Gittes, a hard-nosed detective in 1930’s LA, after he takes a case investigating adultery gets caught up in the middle of murder, lies and conspiracy- entangled into the dark side of humanity. When he meets the ‘real’ Evelyn, who comes across as mysterious, sensual and troubled, Gittes falls further into this web of corruption and complication as well as falling for Evelyn. The films keep the rhythm and pace slow seducing the viewer deep into the story. As in classic film noir Chinatown has a confrontational ending but with Chinatown there are surprising twists. We find the femme fatale has been a victim and is again a victim as she is shot. Gittes revelation that he has been wrong about Evelyn’s deceit also loses ending up with nothing. He loses the girl, and the crimes go unpunished. As the movie referenced

Moliere the Misanthrope

The Misanthrope Moliere’s play The Misanthrope is a comedy that represents social satire, satirizing the conventions of the society which Moliere lived in and observed. Perhaps the character of Alceste best demonstrates the elements of comedy and tragedy that co-exist in Moliere’s play. Alceste, after all, realizes his jealous nature makes him a comic figure. In fact, humankind’s tragedy as expressed by Moliere is that it cannot admit how funny, hypocritical, and ironic most of its actions and views are.Because of this, Moliere’s play is much more comedy than tragedy. Alceste represents an â€Å"everyman† of his social milieu and culture in Moliere’s perception. He would like to be honest but knows he lives in a social system that is dishonest. Alceste chastises Philinte because of his hypocritical behavior toward strangers, who he hugs and professes great love for but then reverses his position the minute they are gone. As Alceste tells him, â€Å"Once the man’s back is turned, you cease to love him, / And speak with absolute indifference of him! By God, I say it’s base and scandalous / To falsify the heart’s affections thus; / If I caught myself behaving in such a way, / I’d hang myself for shame, without delay† (Moliere 17). While the above treatment of one’s fellow man may seem tragic, Moliere seems to be suggesting in a humorous way that all humans are often guilty of such behavior. In fact, it is Alceste’s failures to recognize his own foibles that makes him so comical and his reaction to others hypocritical. Alceste is indignant and humorless with others like Oronte, who writes a poem about his beloved Celimene.He fails to realize his jealousy makes him just as guilty of treating others poorly as does Philinte’s hypocrisy. He is a jealous lover. He is a jealous friend. And he is hard on all those around him but himself. Moliere is maintaining this lack of se lf-perception may be man’s tragedy but from it springs much of the humor and comedy in life. We see this humor when Alceste maintains he would get rid of all those who wooed Celimene were he his beloved, â€Å"Were I this lady, I would soon get rid / Of lovers who approved of all I did, / And by their slack indulgence and applause / Endorsed my follies and excused my flaws† (Moliere 68).In essence, Alceste endorses his own follies and excuses his own flaws. In conclusion, though there are definitely tragic elements that co-exist with the satire and comedy in Moliere’s The Misanthrope, overall the play is much more of a humorous and funny comedy than it is tragic. Though lack of insight and self-perception may be a tragic condition of humankind, Moliere sees much more humor and comedy stemming from it.Work Cited Moliere, Jean Baptiste. The Misanthrope and Tartuffe. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1965.

Different Models of English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Different Models of English - Essay Example English has become the second language in most part of the world with an increasing interest to learn it by masses. Currently, a large number of the users and speakers of the English language are located globally, outside the main heartland where the language originated and flourished. People use the language for variety of purposes such as tourism, business, finance, entertainment, academic and interpersonal relationships and that is the only media of communication which is understood by most of the people to a certain extent. In the above perspective, the paper attempts to study the various available linguistic models for the learning of English with a special reference to Lingua Franca as the suitable model for the English learners in the China. Native-Speaker Model Kachru (2005) propounded his Three Circles Model for English learning. What he described as Inner- Circle that comprises of the countries, which are native developers of the English language such as Britain, U.S., Aust ralia and Canada. Countries such as China, Japan who according to Kachru (2005) fall under Expanding – Circle do not have matured version of their own English obviously look at native speakers for their English language programs unlike the Outer-Circle countries. Kirkpatrick (2007) is of the view that Inner-Circle norms are not necessary for countries like China and they need not follow the pattern of pronunciation prevailing in Inner-Circle countries. He is of the clear view that the distinction between native and nativised varieties of English can easily be questioned. American English is a nativised version when compared to British English because some other languages were spoken there before English from Britain arrived there. So taking the grasp of local cultures of America, English got nativised in the American context. Same is also true for Australian English which got nativised through the influence of local cultures. Kirkpatrick (2007) is of the view that all languag es routinely influence each other and evolve. Even current native English language is a mixture of so many other languages such as Greek, Latin, Germanic, French, and other Anglo-Saxon forms. Thus, it is difficult to classify any form of English as native version rather it is easy to classify them as nativised. Nativised Model Roger Anderson (1983) propounded the theory of nativization of language. According to him, the learner of a second language (English) nativises the language input in reference to their first language norm. Learners of the second language failing to identify them with the culture of the target language reject its linguistic norms and tend to nativise it. This has been confirmed by Kachru (2005) when he classifies his theory about The Outer-Circle. He classifies those countries in Outer-Circle, which have been either British or U.S colonies in the past such as India, Kenya, Africa, Pakistan, Singapore, Philippines, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. These countries have su ccessfully developed and adopted to own version of pronunciation of English depending upon their culture and linguistic style and most of them have culminated into mature varieties as described in detail by Schneider (2007). Globish Model Globish is a simple form of English devised by Jean Paul Nerriere, an Ex-vice president of IBM. It has short sentences, no idiomatic expressions and uses basic syntax. It has vocabulary of 1500 words. This was devised by Nerriere to help non-English speakers so that

Comparing Of The Main Heroes Of Driving Miss Daisy Essay

Comparing Of The Main Heroes Of Driving Miss Daisy - Essay Example Colburn comes to the light as Daisy’s chauffeur following a driving mishap that renders her an inadmissible client to insurance companies as noted by Hoke: â€Å"The truth is, you just cost the insurance company $2,700. You're a terrible risk. Nobody's gonna issue you a policy after this† (Backrags par 6; Uhry 3). Although hesitant to get herself driven by a chauffeur, Daisy gradually accepts Boogie in his capacity as a chauffeur. The story of Daisy, her small family, and her chauffeur is punctuated with a lot of similarities and contrast in so far as the characters and their traits are concerned. The two main characters in the plot Daisy and Colburn, particularly display a lot of contrast and similarities. The paper will focus on the two characters considering the central role that they play in the development of the plot. Character Backgrounds Mrs. Daisy Werthan is presented as a retired schoolteacher â€Å"I taught some of the stupidest children God ever put on the face of this earth, and all of them could read well enough to find a name on a tombstone† (BookRags par 13). Having been a school teacher, Daisy is presented as a knowledgeable woman -someone who ought to be respectable in society. Hoke Colburn, on the other hand, comes to the scene as an African American who is illiterate deserving of a lowly life after his career as a driver for a local judge ends. After meeting Daisy, Hoke gets to learn from the old Widow how to read at the age of 60. While Daisy is an old Jewish widow as can be seen from Hoke’s statement â€Å"Yassum. Mist’ Sig’s grave mighty well tended. I believe you the best window in the state of Georgia† (Fulton Theatre 4), Hoke is of African antecedent and no so less of an old man. The story presents, therefore, two characters from different worlds in terms of cultural backgrounds although having a common point in that they are both old. Being non-whites at a time when racial segregation i s rife in the setting, the two characters witness a lot of discrimination as they go about their activities. This is practically seen at the point in the plot where highway patrolmen comment loudly referring to them as Old Jew Woman (for Daisy) and old Nigger (for Hoke) â€Å"[watching Daisy and Hoke leave after checking them out] An old nigger and an old Jew woman takin' off down the road together... that is one sorry sight!† (BookRags par 3). Perceptions In a society dominated by whites, Daisy and Hoke are presented as outsiders in the society. Hoke cannot understand why her employer is so backward as not to understand the changes that are sweeping the social setting at the time. Mrs. Daisy, on the other hand, fails to appreciate the reason why Hoke’s people are so resentful. Only when they are separated by circumstances do the two characters truly appreciate that they are pals and longtime kindred spirits. In particular, this is seen when Daisy finds herself confine d to a home for the old while Hoke retires from his work. Hoke is a person who is patient, caring, dignified and tolerant as can be seen from the way he treats his employer, Daisy. He does not fear to air out his views respectfully and in a calm way whenever he has a point to state. Furthermore, He stands for his rights whenever he feels that his rights are at stake. On the other hand, Daisy is clearly prejudicial, although this comes to change with time as she continues to interact with Hoke.