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ESSAY: Henry Thoreau: The Concept of the Friendship Research Paper Friendship plays an important role in the life of each person. It is impossible to live and enjoy every day of your life without true friends. Not everyone is lucky to meet a good friend and trust him/her during the whole life. Henry Thoreau was a lucky person, as he had several really good friends that helped him make his life complete. Edward Hoar, Ralph Emerson, Ellery Channing, and Harrison Blake helped Thoreau with either his personal troubles or writing career. The poet created a wonderful work, Friendship , where he perfectly described not only his attitude to friends and friendship in general, but also he made a wonderful attempt to analyze what made perfect friendship. “A man may love the truth and practise it / Beauty he may admire / And goodness not omit / As much as may befit / To reverence” (Thoreau ??) He underlines that friends make a considerably part of our lives, and people cannot but take really good friends for granted. It is impossible to predict whether your best friend may become your true love or not, however, you have such thoughts in your mind. When is understandable that friendship becomes love? Is it, in fact, possible to understand? “I fain would ask my friend how it can be / But when the time arrives / Then Love is more lovely / Than anything to me / And so I’m dumb. (Thoreau ??) This poem tells about how deep friendship can be. A person without friends can be easily lost. Only friends may show the right way, give reliable pieces of advice, and help not to make a mistake. So, it is not odd if your friendship can become something more, love, for example, and people should not be afraid of such changes, just clear up what is happening and why, and what circumstances can be. This is what the writer tried to tell in this poem Friendship , and he did it great. In general, the contribution to the literature made by Henry Thoreau plays a very important role. His rejection of living in society in order to understand the nature deeper is one of the unique approaches chosen by writers. He does not call upon to follow his example; however, he suggests using his experiments and analyzing the results. His works are wonderful and really interesting masterpieces about nature and its impact on humans. Not every person is able to understand the essence of nature, its uniqueness, and importance. In his poems and essays, the reader can find lots of useful information and pieces of advice. The idea of relations between people is another issue discussed by the writer. To my mind, his close connection to nature and a kind of isolation from people helped him to understand deeper the true meaning of friendship, love, and devotion. However, it is necessary to admit that not all his works are dedicated to nature. Lots of his masterpieces have political or even philosophical nature. This is why his poems and essays are interesting to a wide range of people. “To a considerable extent Thoreau needed to define himself in opposition to his audience – whether it was his actual audience or his rhetorically contrasted audience. Yet his ambitions – as a reformer, as a prophet of Transcendentalism, or as a professional writer – demanded that he never simply dismiss or ignore his audience.” (Myerson 89) With the help of his friends, such as Emerson and Channing, the reader gets an opportunity to read and enjoy the works of this great writer nowadays. Works Cited Myerson, Joel. The Cambridge Companion to Henry David Thoreau. Cambridge University Press, 1995. Smith, Bradford. Men of Peace. Lippincott, 1964 Thoreau, Henry, D., Paul S. Thoreau. A Collection of Critical Essays (Twenty Century Views). Prentice Hall Trade, 1962.

ESSAY: Heredity and Natural Selection Exploratory Essay Introduction The major proponents of the theory of natural selection are Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, who were scholars coming from different regions. Wallace (8 January 1823 – 7 November 1913) is said to have been a British scholar known for solely suggesting the evolutionary theory as a result of natural selection. This move motivated Darwin to make his theory known to the public. At the collegiate School located in Leicester Wallace employed to impart knowledge on mapmaking drawing and surveying. Here, could access the library and spend enough time reading. At some point he came across Thomas Malthus essay on the principle of population. Also it is here that he met Henry Bates an entomologist who introduced him to the liking of collecting insects and this interested him much. This went on even when they moved to Brazil. Only this time some of their specimen was sold while the rest was left for investigation purposes. On the other hand, Charles Darwin (1809-1882) a British has made quite some remarkable contribution on the subject. However we can not say he conceived the idea, it was there before he was born. Darwin was sent to Cambridge University after dropping out of his medical studies in Edinburgh, Scotland. Here he enrolled himself to theology and his life took a turn towards his career. He met and developed interest in the ideas of Adam Sedgwick and John Henslow who were geologist and naturalist respectively. He dedicated time to work with them and even began adopting some of their concepts like lack of faith with the theory of biological evolution. These and other events triggered the scholars towards formulation of the model of how and why evolution occurs. Evolution is said to occur through the process of natural selection. This process of natural selection is a process through which organisms possessing certain traits in their gene structure have advantage over other organisms located in the same habitat in their chances of survival as a result of stiff competition for scarce resources. Only those organisms that are best adapted for a particular habitat survive when the prevalent conditions are not favorable. Natural selection takes effect when species possessing different traits regroup into smaller pools of those with similar traits and they separately reproduce causing further drift. Different pools will exhibit differences in reproduction patterns depending on certain factors, e.g. those that are preyed on much are likely to be fewer in numbers as they reproduce at a slower rate. The pools with larger populations are bound to increase more since they reproduce and give rise to species with similar genetic traits. The end result is that the populations that possess gene traits that are advantageous continue to dominate in numbers and eventually as the process selectively favors the population with better traits the other population becomes extinct (Ridley, 2003). However, this theory of evolution by Darwin and Wallace have been borrowed and revised by other scholars to explain some of the basic concepts in modern population genetics. For instance, we can talk of Hardy Weinberg and his equilibrium, microevolution and genetic drift concepts. His argument states that the allele frequencies and genotype frequencies remain unchanged or are at equilibrium and are passed through generation to generation, which in essence implies that evolution doesn’t occur, unless triggered by certain conditions. In small populations for instance the there is random distortion of the allelic frequencies which distorts the equilibrium while large populations do not easily permit exchange of gametes which in turn implies that the equilibrium is maintained even in the course of where natural selection is prevalent. For the equilibrium to maintained, the population must be in isolation from the rest of the gene pools which means there is no gene flow. Mutation should not occur for natural selection not to happen. For the population to remain in isolation for generations there has to be random mating which means the pool doesn’t mate with those that are of distant parenthood. This way the equilibrium is maintained. It requires that natural selection does not prevail which means population wont have differences in traits. Hardy Weinberg’s equilibrium is however difficult to achieve considering the populations are in their natural habitat where these conditions are not controlled. Weinberg understood that for evolution to take place then there has to be occurrences prevalent on a population’s activities to trigger evolution. For this reason he came up with an equation with which he could determine the probability of genotype frequencies in any population and make a follow up of any changes from generation to generation. This equation has earned the name Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation. It can be defined as a state within which evolution does not take place. This happens in the rare occurrence that some five conditions are met. The equilibrium equation has aided geneticist obtain the likelihood of a certain trait occurring in the genes of an offspring with reference to the genes of the parents in their endeavor to survive with the prevalent conditions. This in one way or the other relates to Darwin-Wallace’s model of evolution. It suggests that there are five necessary conditions meant to prevent evolution. However, in the real world for those condition not to occur would be a rare or impossible situation, hence evolution still prevails. The two schools agree on natural selection and mutation of offspring. Besides this they come into agreement when they suggest that evolution is a gradual process across the generations of an organism and never is it at a constant rate. As a result of large population sizes, natural selection occurs separately which means there is high prevalence of speciation with separate species possessing different qualities as those that are distant. Both schools of thought however agree that for these changes to take effect which means evolution occurs, it takes long periods due to the rare nature of environmental changes. The result is that the species remain in the same state for long extended phases and even when the rare change occurs, it is occurs in selected pools due to speciation brought about by large population sizes. This in other word is the punctuated equilibrium. These findings also apply to speciation (Ridley, 2003). In conclusion, Darwin and Wallace’s evolutionary theory play a major role when it comes to modern evolutionary theory. Natural selection is the basis through which nature chooses species that will be faced off the face of the planet and those that will remain and grow strong. Some organisms adapt to the conditions of their environment. For example, some birds change the strength and shape of their beaks to survive other animals like the camel develops draught resistance traits. Reference List Ridley, M. (2003). Evolution. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell Publisher.

ESSAY: Historical Cause and Effects Report Person’s name: Nelson Mandela Person’s name: Commodore Perry Person’s name: Pope Leo X Person’s name: Cortez Combined: Nelson Mandela, Pope Leo X, Commodore Perry, and cortex The prohibition of marriages Act was first passed in South Africa in 1949. This Act prohibits marriages between people of different races. Marriages between people of different races was termed illegal and had to be discouraged through the introduction of the Act. Before the enactment of the Act mixed marriages had already declined to about 0.23% of all the marriages in the country. The Act latter became effective in all African countries which still exist in some countries. After the election of P.W. Botha, as president the Act was repealed (Marryat, 50). Instead of the Act bringing people together, it led to an increase in the levels of discrimination witnessed between the white and other races. The African could be seen as inferior to the whites and were denied equal opportunities as those given to the whites. People lived according to their cultures which they were not ready to let go. This further increased the disparity that existed between races leading to more discrimination. President P.W Both played a crucial role in demolishing the Act. He saw it as a hindrance to economic growth and development since people would find it difficult to work together with people from different races. Today, the Act has lost its significance and people have started intermarrying. This has resulted to a decline in the levels of discrimination which in turn has led to economic development in Africa. People are now free to marry publically from a person of their choice irrespective of their ethnicity or race. Prison on Robben Island in Africa Robben Island has been a home for thousands of people for many years. However, since early seventh century, Robben Island has for most of the time been used as a prison. It is also used as a hospital, and a training station for the defense force. According to Marryat (97), the first people to be imprisoned in Robben Island prison were the first president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe, and other activists. In early 19 th century, Robben Island acted as a hospital since it was seen as a secure place with a good environment for treating diseases. It was used as a hospital for treating leprosy and chronic diseases which was ineffective due to the in availability of cure. It therefore acted as a kind of prison even for the mentally ill and those suffering from leprosy since it would take a very long period of time before they fully recovered. Towards the end of the 20 th century (1997 to be precise) Robben Island was used as a heritage site as well as a museum. Today, the museum takes center stage in the country’s heritage. It has become a tourism site that attracts hundreds of people from all over the world. The fact that, it acted as the prison for most activists including president Nelson Mandela, has made it a dynamic museum where educational programs are run as well as research. It earns the country huge amounts of foreign exchange which have contributed to economic growth and development for the country. The Great Schism in Europe The Great Schism refers to the rift that was formed in the Catholic Church in the 17 th century A.D. This marked the start of the separation that exists between the Roman Catholic and the Greek Catholic. Before the separation, the Catholic Church was ruled by five patriarchs each of the governing a patriarchate. These patriarchates were found in Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria. Those in Rome spoke in Latin whereas the others spoke Greek since they were located in the East. Later the Emperor, Constantine, had the desire of creating an empire and moved the Christian empire to Byzantium. This was the time when the Germanic tribes began their invasion across Europe which plunged Europe into Dark Ages. There was economic, geographical, political interference that eventually resulted into the rift (the Great Schism) between the East and the West. The Western theologians could not speak Greek and therefore they were not able to read the books written by the eastern theologians. They had to write their own books in Latin since majority of the theologians were from the east. The Greek language was more flexible than the Latin which made writing easy and more expressive. Due to the inflexibility of the Latin language, there was a decline in the literacy forcing the clergy to act as the main teaching authority. This resulted into more differences which aggravated the tension between the East and the West. In the west, new Christians had to use Latin as their ecclesiastical language, and look for leadership from Rome (Gstohl 3). On the other hand, new Christians in the East were able to read in their mother language since the missionaries translated the bible into different languages. More churches grew in the East which were independent of their mother church and were administered and governed separately. All clergy in the west were required by Rome to be celibate whereas the East allowed them to marry. The effects of the Great schism are still felt today. It marked the beginning of the Protestant churches which are different from the Roman Catholic Church. Even today, clergy from the Roman church are not allowed to marry whereas the protestant clergy are encouraged to marry. The Reformation in Europe The European reformation occurred in the 16 th century. It can be considered as one of the major historical events to have ever occurred in the world. Through the reformation, the bible was discovered which is now accessible in almost all languages. Before the reformation, there was no freedom regarding principle of religion, the rule of law, liberty, and separation of powers. It was through the European reformation that all these was achieved and continue to be enjoyed today. The early reformers fought for religious principles regarding the scriptures as being the only form of authority, and Christ being the head of the church (Gstohl 2) The reformation was seen as the only way of doing away with the irreligious acts that were practiced by the clergy. The church had become corrupt and allowed worldly practices which were also practiced by the clergy in the name of religion. They had a strong desire to rule the church and all its followers and be seen as men with authority. This disheartened many people who started crying for a reformation. The reformers were determined to change the moral lives of the followers especially the clergy and would not leave any stone unturned. Popes had forgotten their role in church and the only way to get them on tract was through a reformation (Ronald 4) The European reformation freed many governments from the authority laid by the popes and was able to make their own decisions. Peasants were also freed from paying taxes and countries such as England, were able to exercise their authority without the church interfering (Gstohl 3). The European reformation gave birth to the protestant movement which respected the bible and its authority. Church’s authority declined and people were able to live their lives as they pleased. was it not for the reformation, the Roman church would now be a den of robbers with the clergy trying to control everyone for their own benefits but not that of the church. European diseases in the early Americas When Europeans came to North America in the late 16 th and early 17 th centuries, they entered new territory, not only in terms of geography, but also in terms of culture, society, religion, technology and economics. Lacking information, they made a number of critical miscalculations about the New World. Many settlers assumed the climate would be similar to that of Europe at the same latitudes, but the differences between climates and ecologies of New England and Southern France, for instance, became apparent. As it turned out, the harsh winters and hot summers of eastern North America proved to be far more challenging than the early settlers had anticipated (Ronald 4). The footing of Europeans on the new continent was tenuous at first. Some of the European settlers, relying on incomplete, inaccurate or downright false information about the New World, brought with them crops that were difficult or impossible to grow where they landed, a factor that contributed to the high death rate among the early settlers. The Europeans were not able to withstand the harsh weather and as a result, they contacted many diseases among them being typhoid, and malaria. This later spread to the North American especially the ones living in the east where the where there was a bigger population of the Europeans. These diseases spread like fire and consumed a lot of time and money to treat while researchers looked for ways of preventing them. Commodore Perry’s Black Ships in Asia The black ships refer to the Japanese ships that arrived in the 15 th to the 19 th century. Commodore Matthew Perry went on a pilgrimage by ship to Japan in 1853 to introduce the importance of trade to this isolated country of Japan. While Perry explored Japan, realistic paintings were fashioned on canvas showing the American point of view. During the same time period, an unknown Japanese artist sketched his ideas of the events that transpired while the U.S. Navy explored Edo and other sections of Japan. Two artists contributed to the understanding of the epic mission by the U.S. into Japan. The then US leader (Perry) advocated for scientific invention (Ronald 7). In 1954, the treaty between Commodore Mathew C. Perry and the Tokugawa shogunate opened ports in Japan that made trade easy between the Japanese and the U.S. sailors. However, it did not establish permanent residence except the one in Shimoda. United States Imperialism in Latin America At the beginning of the Great Depression, the United States troops were sent to explore Latin American for more than thirty times. These troops used the Roosevelt Corollary to justify their intervention to the Latin Ameriacan because they could not find any other excuse. The United States perceived itself as a civilized nation which had the right to intervene in other western countries for the purpose of stopping wrongdoing. Police power was used among the Latin Americans since they involved themselves in “chronic wrongdoing” which had to be put to an end. The imperialism of the U.S in Latin America changed the political, economic, and social stability of the country. Economic expansion was witnessed in major sectors and this was made easy by the introduction of the policy referred to as “the dollar diplomacy”. Through this policy, businesses in America and in other countries were protected resulting in economic development. Former governor of the Phillippines, William Howard Taft was behind the dollar diplomacy policy which he used to protect the American investments. The U.S imperialism marked the beginning of economic prosperity in the western countries which is still evident today. These countries are the most developed nations in the world both economically and financially. Works Cited Gstohl, Mark. “The Magisterial Reformation”. Theological Perspectives of the Reformation , 2004. Web. Marryat, Frederick. The Mission; or Scenes in Africa, 2001. London: Nick Hodson. Ronald Segal. The Black Diaspora: Five Centuries of the Black Experience outside Africa , 1995. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

ESSAY: History of Children’s Literature in Western Culture Research Paper Plato’s reign (50 B.C.-A.D. 500) Both the Greeks and Romans regarded children as individuals whose sole purpose was to undergo training for adulthood. Plato, one of the most notable rulers of the time, held it that story-telling sessions should take the form of a play and he insisted that professional storytellers and poets be the ones in charge of the story delivery. Plato also played an active role in ensuring that stories meant for children were censored well enough for this purpose. At the time very few stories had been composed specifically at children and various generations of children grew up listening to the very same stories. Stories from this period include the Odyssey and Iliad . The usage of manuscripts in children instruction (500-1500) During this period, children were not given the high value they command today and in a family setting, they were regarded in the same way that the adults were. Parents dedicated a lot of their time trying to establish economic strengths and most of children who hailed from poor backgrounds would spend most of the day working alongside their parents. The levels of literacy were very law and this was made even worse by the unavailability of books (Bingham and Scholt, 1980). It did not make any economic sense to print books for children and so most of the stories in this period were passed on from generation to the next by word of mouth. However, some manuscripts contained information that could appeal to children even though it was all purely for instructive purposes. With every passing generation, the stories would acquire some new twist thanks to the highly active imagination of the adults of the time. Stories from this period include Robin Hood and King Arthur. Invention of the movable type printing press (1500-1650) The most significant invention of this period that genuinely pushed the development of children’s literature was the movable-type printing press. Books could now be produced in bulk and this immensely increased the levels of literacy. The opening of trade routes resulted in the introduction of new stories to the west and with better economic circumstances more children were encouraged to take part in educational activities (Bingham and Scholt 1980). This period marked the beginning of publishing texts specifically aimed at children. However, most of this texts still did not regard childhood as innocently as was required. Consequently, most of the children’s books such as the Book of Martyrs drew directly from real life portraying bloody scenes in times or war (Hunt, 1995). The rise of John Locke’s tabula rasa (Late 1600s) During this period, John Locke’s philosophy of regarding the child’s mind as a blank slate received widespread acclaim. He proposed that children would develop better if they were given easy to read and pleasant literature at that tender age and then gradually learn the harsh realities of life as they grew up. For the first time, childhood was viewed as an innocent period of growth making the children appear like a newly discovered creatures (Hunt, 1994). The birth of the English children’s book and the first novel (Late 1700s) During this period, individuals from the middle class were starting to become more refined and they started treating their children with the innocence they (the children) deserved. It was during this time that the first proper children’s book was published (Townsend, 1996). The first novel featuring a highly creative story was also written during this time. Various authors from this period including John Newbery began to move away from the traditionally uncreative stories and instead focused on more imaginative and pleasant specifically targeted at children. Newberry’s Pretty Pocket Book became the first published book to contain pictures, games and songs (Hunt, 1995). The end of didactic children’s literature (Late 1800s) As the world ushered in the nineteenth century, the world began to appreciate the value of children and the published books aimed for them carried stories that were given more thought as far as the fantasy and imagination aspect were concerned. The writers of the time laid emphasis on the enjoyment rather than on the instructive aspects of the stories and this period saw a lot of experimentation as authors strived to see which barriers could be broken but still produce the desired effect. The stories in this period also created a clear cut distinction between the genders by emphasizing the man’s role as one of establishing dominance over rivals by winning wars and the woman’s role as that of observing subservience to the man and taking care of the home (Hunt, 1995). Stories from this period included Huckleberry Finn and Treasure Island. The development of Multimedia technology (1900s to Today) The 20 th and the 21 st centuries witnessed tremendous changes in the development of children’s stories. Authors and publishers have experimented with a number concepts including books entirely made of pictures to producing internet-based texts. The child in this period became even more protected. Towards the end of the 20 th century, the highly imaginative texts continued to sell but as the 21 st century was coming in, some level of realistic writing began to receive appreciation. The rise of multimedia production and the advent of the internet also served to broaden the ways in which educational material could be presented including the likes of animation and podcasts. One of the most notable publications of this time is the Harry Potter series and its accompanying films. Reference List Bingham, J. & Scholt G. (1980). Fifteen Centuries of Children’s Literature: An Annotated Chronology of British and American Works in Historical Context. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Hunt, P. (1994). An Introduction to Children’s Literature. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Hunt, P. (1995). Children’s Literature: An Illustrated History. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Townsend, J.R. (1996). Written for Children: An Outline of English-Language Children’s Literature. Lanham, MA: Scarecrow Press.

ESSAY: How Did It Feel Being a Governor? Essay Being a governor is not an easy thing for any person: to be in constant touch with country and state affairs, to complete the functions of commander-in-chief of naval and military forces, to take care of numerous healthy services, to issue laws in order to improve current state of affairs, and to be responsible for lives of people, who have already trusted own lives to governor’s hands. This list is certainly not complete, and the duties of the governor as the head of the executive branch require more attention and more time. How did it feel being a governor? This question has to be posed to those people, who have already had this feeling and realized how great this responsibility can be. Arnold Schwarzenegger or Pete Wilson from California, David Paterson or Eliot Spitzer from New York, George W. Bush or Rick Perry – these governors may be very helpful in this little research and may answer all possible questions. But the trouble is that is impossible to interview them right now. Being a governor requires patience, understanding, abilities to control, and efforts to gain respect and recognition from citizens, and such policies like issuing laws or cutting budget should not prevent achieving success in the chosen profession but only promote for demonstration of best qualities and high level of knowledge. Cutting budget is probably one of the most unpleasant tasks that have to be completed by governors. Lower demand for different services, competitions because of price setting, or unusual cost events serve as the most famous and frequent reasons of budget cutting. In order to prevent society of such a dangerous step, a governor has to evaluate the situation, comprehend each of the above-mentioned reasons, and be able to control situation in order to avoid this activity and help citizens. Unfortunately, the abilities of a governor have certain limitations, this is why this step is usually becomes inevitable or obligatory. If we talk about feelings in governing, it is impossible to hold to one concrete feeling. As a rule, cutting budgets usually cause unpleasant feelings, because any governor comprehends that this is the way of how public universities with students suffer and lose the opportunity to get proper education and enjoy their studying processes. Public universities and community colleges expect to receive considerable financial support in order to have chance to improve education, classroom conditions, and availability of material. However, the news that budget is cut, and the numbers are considered to be significant, the dreams of many students just collapse. Cutting budgets may be justified in case people see and realize that the current governor has already tried numerous attempts to prevent this cutting and still take efforts to achieve success. When people can hardly comprehend what is happening and why some public universities cannot get the necessary budget and other communities get such lucky opportunities, it is hard to believe that this situation is created by an ordinary person, a governor, who runs the state. It is always easy to blame someone and believe that a kind of ill fate deprives many students and other organizations to get the desirable budget. Issuing laws is not an easy duty for governors, because the activities of this person are known to and evaluated by public. It is crucially important to weigh all pros and cons in order to offer a law and satisfy the needs of the vast majority of people. Cutting budgets is not an activity, a governor should be proud of, however, it is the activity that may promote a governor to evaluate own actions, improve them, and help other people to enjoy this life and have enough support from the governmental side.

ESSAY: How Judges Think at a Criminal Trial Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Thinking 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Judges play a vital role in the justice system. The way they think during criminal trials has thus been of much interest to everyone who believes that a good justice system is necessary for the development of the society. Thinking is more of a deliberative process than intuitive. As such, this essay will lay more emphasis on the deliberative processes than the intuitive processes. First however, the essay acknowledges the effect of the intuition and the effect it has on decision making in courts. It is no doubt that judges perceive the law as an instrument through which morality and progress can be maintained in the society. More to this, they perceive the law as the instrument for shaping the society. To the society, law is a great equalizer because every one is equal before it and is the last resort where they get justice. The big question to any observer of criminal trials is: how exactly do judges think in criminal trials? There are two models offered by theorists to explain how judges think. The formalist model; which indicates that judges listen to cases and apply the law in a logical, deliberate and often mechanical way to the facts presented before them (Guthrie et al 24). The second model argues that the judge acts like a skilled mechanic, who only applies the law to cases depending on the logical and deductive reasoning presented before the courts. Legal realists on the other hand states that; as human beings, judges use deliberate reasoning and intuition to reach conclusions about criminal cases presented before them. Rather than using judgment to decide the case, legal realists believe that judges rely more on their feelings. Instead of ratiocination, legal realists further believe that judges use “hunches” to decide criminal cases. This argument indicates that it is only later that judges use their deliberative faculties to justify their decisions (Bix 183). However, how judges think cannot be contained in narrow definitions. While some love facts as the basis for their judgments, others simply like gnomic epigrams and abstraction. None of the models that try to explain how judges think at criminal proceedings is satisfying. It is however clear that judges use intuition during criminal trials, yet they also apply the law to facts therefore disapproving any of the theories. As human nature would have it, Judges although usually unaware of it, often rely more on intuition than deliberation (Guthrie et al 27). This however places them at a greater risk of developing hindsight bias where they allow their knowledge to affect their decisions. In this case, the judge may think that something was pretty obvious to the accused, while in reality the opposite might have been true. Louis D Brandeis goes down in history as a high court judge who loved facts, and outspoken about them and in fact stated that no judgment should ever be done without a judge understanding all the issues contained in the trial. His strong regard of the law earned him enemies, who saw him as a radical. His no-nonsense stance on legal issues is equated with Justice Wendell Holmes approach to the same (Melvin 56-105). Unlike Brandeis, Holmes made no secret about his dislike of facts, especially in cases where he was expected to hand the generalizations of the case on the same (Melvin 214). According to (Guthrie et al 27), judges are often affected by the hindsight bias on appeal cases. However, judges resist the bias on “probable cause” cases, since the ruling on such cases is guided by the fourth amendment jurisprudence, which guides the determination of such cases. The fourth amendment signals to the judges that intuition may be inconsistent with the law, and a judge therefore needs to think through the rules carefully before making a judgment. This however does not mean that judges do not need to use intuition; just that they need to be more careful and objective when deciding cases. Thinking In some cases, the law does not offer relevant statutes, contracts, common law or provisions that are adequate to resolve a case. This is normally referred as legal indeterminacy (Modak-Truman 1). Often, when such is is the case, a judge, hard-pressed for answers will rely on his beliefs on what is the proper social order. This in many cases means that the judge relies on his comprehensive conviction. This may include applying his beliefs regarding politics, society, morality and history. Aptly put, the judge relies on extra-legal norms to determine the outcome of the criminal proceedings. Justifying their ruling when using the extra-legal norms is always a hard task for judges who have to clearly explain how the decision was made in written opinions. Such could be equated to the few legal citations that Brandeis made, and backed with studies, statistics, scientific and sociological reports in order to add reality to the arguments of a legal battle (Melvin 138). As a result such arguments are known as Brandeis briefs. Unfortunately, opinion writing is not always a requirement for judges. Brandeis approach was unlike Byron White’s approach, which is described as “narrow and one that avoided doctrinaire opinions” (Hutchinson 34). Both Brandeis and White were however revered judges, often attracting the wrath of the media because of the writings, which resisted the fashionable opinions to give the “hard truths”. Unlike Intuition, thinking during a criminal trial is more complex, effortful and a slow process. It is however more careful, entailed and stands more chances of being accurate. Their thoughts are based on how the accused appears in court, his mannerisms and evidence given in the litigation (Melvin 64). According to (Posner 68), judges are more likely to convict a defendant than a jury because they have come to learn that prosecutors rarely file criminal cases unless the evidence against the accused is overwhelming. This is usually on the assumption that prosecutors have limited resources that allows them to focus on cases that have clear guilt. Preconceptions also determine a judge’s thinking regarding a case as evidence in political judging. Although Judges make all the necessary efforts to be good judges and see to it that justice is committed, (Posner 69) argues that judges suffer unintentional biases in their thinking. This includes conscious falsification, whereby judges report facts in a manner that fits their legal conclusions. Here, a judge may omit facts that he considers irrelevant from his opinions. Judges’ thinking is also shaped by temperament, experience, ideologies and other non legalist factors. These factors are un-eliminable and ubiquitous, since they cannot be ignored by the judge. Ignoring such would be tantamount to trying to think in a vacuum. Past experiences, either as a prosecutor, defense lawyer or in the hands of the police may all come in to play especially if there is conflicting evidence and the judge is not sure what to believe. Judges are human beings, as such; irrelevant reactions to the accused, a lawyer, lifestyle and religion may all play a part in how they think. Fortunately, with proper reasoning, most judges are able to pass rulings without respect to a person, as their oaths direct them to. We cannot however overrule the likelihood that such irrelevant reactions affect the way judges think, and consequently, the nature of the ruling that they make. As overseers of the justice system, it is always in their best interests (career wise and for power reason) and the societies that Judges think objectively in criminal cases. Deciding cases in accordance with the law is always the best bet for most judges. However, seeing that law is not always very definitive in some cases, the judge has to rely on his own legal analysis, personal and social responsibility. This allows him to pass adequate judgment to punish the misconduct by the accused. Here, it is expected that a judge considers the effects that the punishment will have on the defendant. Retribution and rehabilitation are the two main options that judges base their judgments on. Conclusion Legalist thinking indicates that in the presence of facts and all necessary materials in a criminal case, judges’ mode of thinking is almost straightforward; all they do is read the material, see the exhibits and listen to testimonies and then base their ruling on the same. When faced with non-routine cases however, judges are forced to navigate uncharted waters where their emotions, unconscious beliefs and experiences all contribute to the way they perceive the case and eventually the decisions they make regarding the same. The level of freewheeling is however restricted by professional ethics, limitations in law and the opinions from other judges. This means that most judges combine legal pragmatism in reasoning out cases. Works Cited Bix, Brian. Jurisprudence: Theory & Context . 4th ed. Florida: Carolina Academic Press, 1996. Print. Guthrie, Chris, Rachlinski, Jeffrey and Wistrich, Andrew. “Blinking on the Bench: How Judges decide Cases.” Colonel Law Review. Vol . 93(1), (2007) 1-44. Hutchinson, Dennis. The man who once was Whizzer White: a portrait of Justice Byron R. White . Michigan: University of Michigan, 2008. Print. Melvin I, Urofsky. Louis D. Brandeis: A Life. NY: Pantheon, 2009. Print. Modak-Truman, Mark. “Reenacting the Law: The Religious dimension of Judicial Decision making.” Center for Process Studies. January 2005. Posner, Richard. How Judges Think. New York: Harvard University Press, 2008. Print.

ESSAY: How PTSD Affects Veteran Soldiers’ Families Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. PTSD affects on the family 3. OIF/OEF Combat Soldiers 4. Conclusion 5. Works Cited Introduction Military deployments have been known to contribute tremendously to the P.T.S.D effects on the families of the veteran soldiers. This is worse when the families get to watch horrific scenes from the television of areas where their loved ones have been deployed. To the soldier, the effects usually vary depending on a few factors, one of them being the length of the deployment mission. This means that, P.T.S.D effects will be greater depending on the duration of the exposure to such a stressor. The effects are even worse to the partner who is left behind; whether wife or husband because they are required to care for the children and the thought of being the sole bread winner makes the whole situation sad. Children are affected more since they are not able to enjoy the affection of both their parents whom they were used to. Despite such dilemmas, the military leaders have come up with programs which are meant to offer counseling to the soldiers when they return home from such a horrifying mission. More so, the families of such persons are also assured that their loved ones will be allowed a limited duration to such missions since a prolonged stay, say in Iraq or any other place is known to cause P.T.S.D severely. Generally there is hope for the military soldiers and families who are at risk of getting P.T.S.D, now and in the future. PTSD affects on the family According to Moon (63) once the soldier returns home after the mission, the family members will begin to notice certain changes. These changes are contributed to the trauma of war that the veteran had to endure. Changes include nightmares during sleep which could occur on regular basis. The author adds that, the changes could affect the entire family members in a negative manner. This entails the members of the family dedicating their time so as to comfort or offer support to the “soldier”. As a result the members are not able to continue with their normal duties, which was usually the case. This creates disruption in the event whereby, the running of; for example a family business is discontinued so as to cater for that PTSD soldier. Worse still, the children are affected when they notice the weird behavior from say their father and this in turn affects their school performance. Moon still argues that, the family members usually act differently when a loved one is traumatized and a proper intervention is the only solution (12). According to Ursano and Norwood (5) cited that Reuben Hill came up with his first report which enabled him to develop the ABCX model that outlined the PTSD crisis. With this, he was able to discover that there was an increase in somatic distress in wives of the Israeli veterans. Psychiatric distress was also reported among these women hence affecting their lives completely before help was taken. PTSD was mainly vulnerable to a special population class such of single parents’ households and joint service marriages. PTSD effects could also take another shift whereby the family members could begin experiencing nightmares of their loved ones who are out deployed in a mission. In their visions they may picture the person getting injuries or even being killed. Such incidences could make the wife or husband who is left at home; fear the shift of roles whereby he or she may end up acting as the bread winner if such a vision would come true. Ursano and Norwood (9). OIF/OEF Combat Soldiers Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) have become quite important for the after-action review (AAR). The reason for this is that, future operations will have to be based on this when preparation for such missions are to be undertaken. The challenges encountered during the OIF phase are not the same ones with those that happen today. For the soldiers who return in the later phases, a lot of differences are noticed as far as tactics and techniques are concerned. In general, there has been a change in how AAR gives their testimonies to their superiors who are in charge. (Stone 58) In some cases the AARs exercises are not undertaken since they are considered to be painful and tedious. However, the soldiers understand the importance of this task. Opinions and ideas on Global war against terrorism have progressed; therefore the Marines have learned more tactics on how to improve their “game”. With respect to that, leaders of these groups are trying to speak with the soldiers who are returning from the war hoping that they will change their programs and be able to accommodate or match with the current student’s techniques and procedures. In April, the 89 th Military Police Brigade’s deployment was involved with an internal AAR meeting whereby they recorded their work for future reference. According to Stone, the leaders were able to answer all their listeners’ questions, which revolved around their stay in Iraq. The listeners included the soldiers who were deployed in Iraq the previous year. The two experiences were quite different since they happened in different timeline. Many students who were anticipated to leave for Iraq learnt a lot when they were briefed on what to expect once they arrived there. Stone adds that, after the 89 th team left, a team of about six leaders was sent by the 16 th Military. It was organized that the leaders were to meet with some of the group instructors of the known Directorate of Training and Leader Development (DTLD), for the AAR to comment on how the OIF could be shared. This helped for the future improvement of their training programs as included in the AAR comments. The author adds that, the pictures and layouts presentation were used so as to demonstrate a detailed description that was experienced in those events. For the listeners, the experience was quite frightening though educative in the long run. To clear up the happening, it should be noted that the two happenings that is; the 16 th and 89 th Military and Police Brigades were mostly edged on reshaping the canon of the 14 th Military Police Brigade. The author concludes that sharing of such experiences using the appropriate forums was one of the best training in the Military force. Conclusion P.T.S.D is a common occurrence among the families of the military soldiers as described above. Measures of dealing with this kind of problem have been formulated by the government authorities and the most viable one is that the soldiers should be deployed in such areas for a specific duration. The limitation is meant to lower down the chances of getting the P.T.S.D which in the long run can affect the rest of the family. On the other hand, OIF/OEF combat soldiers can proof helpful in future plans. This means that they can help the Military to come up with the ideal tactics and techniques that can be used when a deployment mission is to be undertaken. In general, if this approach is used the military will not experience the challenges that they have had to encounter in the past years. Works Cited Moon, Poppy. Sand Play Therapy with U.S. Soldiers Diagnosed With PTSD And Their Families . Article 13 p 63-66. 1997 Print Stone, Heather. Military police Soldiers share OIF/OEF experiences with the regiment. World Peace Newspaper . July 2005. Web. Ursano, Robert & Norwood, Ann. Emotional Aftermath of the Persian Gulf War: Veterans, families, communities and actions . American Psychiatric Press, Inc. Washington, DC. 1996. Print.

ESSAY: How Serfdom Saved the Woman’s Movement Essay How Serfdom Saved the Woman’s Movement is a masterpiece written by Caitlin Flanagan, an author and an editor. The most outstanding issue in this writing is what happens when a mother works. According to Flanagan, “…because it reveals the unpleasant truth that life presents a series of choices, each of which precludes a host of other attractive possibilities—is that when a mother works, something is lost” (Behrens & Rosen, 309). Flanagan has gone to extend of expounding this and to state exactly what is lost when a mother works. One of the most important things that are lost in this case is the relationship between children and their mother. Flanagan states that, “…small children develop an immediate and consuming passion for the person who feeds and rocks and bathes them every day. It is in the nature of the way, they experience love” (Para. 20). Therefore, as mothers become absentees, children tend to channel their affection to the nannies. Even though some people try to refute these claims, Flanagan states that it is natural that children will try to develop strong chords with the people who take care of their physical needs and spends more time with; talking, laughing and sharing their trial and tribulations. All working mothers lose freedom and they share one thing in common, oppression, regardless of whether they are professional or not. The nannies themselves feel oppressed because they cannot give enough time to their own children, while the working professionals suffer the same brunt of not spending quality life with their children. “All working mothers, let us remember, are oppressed, and the oppression of the wealthiest is somehow more important, more urgent, more remarkable, than the oppression of the poorest” (Flanagan Para. 63). Studies show that some women go to work out of duty, not that they love what they do. In this case, they lose the worth of living. Instead of living, they start surviving. A study carried out to determine to what extent women wanted to work revealed that most of them would really love to stay at home and tend their children. “All three of the factory workers said they’d wanted to stay home with their children when they were small (and one of them, whose teenage daughter became pregnant, fervently wishes she could have been home during the girl’s adolescence). However, perhaps these wish were better left un-granted” (Flanagan Para. 126). Nevertheless, the writer of this article does not totally agree with Flanagan. To some extent, Caitlin Flanagan is right to claim that something is lost when mothers work. However, Flanagan raised some critical issues in this paper, which we cannot look. One of the books quoted by Flanagan states that “Indeed, becoming a mother is the single best way a woman can elevate her risk of living in poverty” (Flanagan Para. 138).This notwithstanding, mothers who work and employ nannies to look after their children are providing a form of employment. Given the current economic situation, for a mother to work is no longer a choice, but a necessity. Studies also show that working part time reduces the stress that comes with motherhood. Therefore, even though Flanagan maybe right in her claims, the writer begs to differ on some matters of principle as mentioned above. After all, working is fun and it is secure to work. Given the fact that under traditional marriage the father takes away all the benefits after divorce, it is advisable for mothers to work especially in these times when divorce has become a common place in our society. Works Cited Behrens, Laurence, & Rosen, Leonard. “Writing and Reading across the Curriculum”. New York: Longman. 6 th Ed. 1996. Flanagan, Caitlin. “How Serfdom Saved the Woman’s Movement.” The Atlantic. 2004. Web. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/03/how-serfdom-saved-the-women-s-movement/302892/

ESSAY: Freud’s Theory of Personality Development and OCD Analytical Essay A number of theories have been advanced to try and explain how an individual’s personality develops. Some of the prominent psychologists who have developed theories that have widely been accepted include; Eric Erikson, Sigmund Freud, and Kohler (Allen, 2003). Moreover, research findings reveal that a significant number of American population experience different types of psychiatric disorders. The essay will discuss Freud’s theory of personality development and then focus on the nature of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as one of the common disorders affecting up to 2% of America’s adult population. Among the various theories put forward to explain personality development, Freud’s psychoanalytic theory can be considered as one of the most comprehensive in explaining the development of human personality. Virtually all the dozen theories of personality development universally agree that personality starts at childhood and develops as the child grows to adulthood. This theory provides a clear and a stage by stage development of personality which I strongly agree with. Freud’s theory argues that personality is shaped by inner tensions and struggles that an individual experiences and must be met sooner or later. He identified three major mental processes that are in constant conflict with each other; the Id, Ego, and the superego (Allen, 2003). The Id involves the inherent biological instincts which are present at birth. It is irrational, impulsive, self-serving, and totally operates unconsciously. The Id is controlled by the pleasure principle but the urges are expressed uncontrollably. The ego, on the other hand, is in the middle and manages both the desires of the Id and those of the superego. The superego is like a censor for actions and thoughts of the ego. Freud, in his theory, points out that an individual’s personality is formed before one is 6 years old by a series of psychosexual stages. He argues that infancy urges for erotic pleasure play a central role in personality development. Four erogenous zones were identified as having the potential of being the source of pleasure, frustration, and self-expression. Unresolved conflicts or emotional hang-ups would manifest themselves later in life as fixations (Allen, 2003). The first is the oral stage. This occurs during the first year of life and the infant derives pleasure from mouth stimulation. Oral traits may be created at this stage if they are overfed or suppressed. Such traits include, gum chewing, smoking, kissing, alcoholism, and nail biting in adulthood. Fixation of oral stage later creates oral-aggressive mature person who argues always. Anal stage occurs between ages 1 and 3. At this stage, the child attention moves to elimination process. When the child is trained on toileting, he may react by approval or express aggression and rebellion. In turn, he “withholds” or “let go.” The type of such training may instill such responses into personality. Traits at adulthood due to this stage include; compulsive cleanliness, orderliness, or disorderliness, destructiveness, or cruelty, for the case of “let go.” When the child is aged 3 and 6, the phallic traits are develops. As a result of enhanced sexual interest, the child is physically attached to the parent of opposite sex albeit causing conflicts which must be dealt with. Phallic personality at adulthood is characterized by exhibitionism, sensitive pride, self-love, and egotism. After age 6, a period of latency ensues. This stage lasts until puberty. At puberty, the adolescent experiences changes in sexual energies which unravel all the unresolved conflicts of childhood. This may result in emotional swings and turmoil. It is resolved by a heterosexual relationship and later leads to adult sexuality. All these characteristics can be clearly seen in day to day life and this theory can provide some guidelines (Corey, 2008). Having discussed one of the theories of personality development, we shall now consider one of the major psychological disorders in the United States of America. Psychological disorders can really interfere with a person’s personality at any given age. Of the many psychological disorders listed, we shall focus on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by obsessions and compulsions of exaggerated magnitudes (NIMH, 2009). This disorder has very clear symptoms since they are not what can be expected of a normal person. The person reports having obsessions which include; persistent thoughts, impulses or images which come uncontrollably into the sufferer’s mind. This results in extreme anxiety and distress. To counter these experiences, the sufferer resorts to compulsive or repetitive actions or thoughts like praying, counting, word repetition, or such behaviors as redoing actions, ordering, cleaning, checking, and or washing hands severally to avoid “contamination.” All these behaviors are such that they are not expected of a normal person. It consumes a lot of time and the sufferer knows that the obsessions and compulsions are senseless and inappropriate only that they find it too difficult to do without. Unfortunately, this disorder has no cure yet apart from some prescribed treatment approaches. The most effective, according to psychiatrists, is the use of the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) through the use of Exposure Response Prevention (EPR) (NIMH, 2009). This is purely non-medical and it involves exposure/conditioning to sources of anxiety. The second treatment alternative is through recommended medication like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). The drugs used regulate the flow of Serotonin in the mind. The essay has discussed in brief Sigmund Freud’s personality development theory. It has described how personality develops from infancy to maturity. The paper has also discussed briefly the OCD and the available treatment approaches. References Allen, B. P. (2003). Theories of personality: development, growth, and diversity. Allyn and Bacon. Corey, G. (2008). Personality: theory and practice of counseling psychotherapy (8 th ed.). Cengage Learning. National Institute of Mental Health-NIMH (2009). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder . Government of the United States of America.

ESSAY: Immaterial Labor: Informational and Cultural Content Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Mass intellectuality 3. Immaterial Labor 4. Conclusion Introduction Immaterial labor refers to the two aspects of labor: informational content and cultural content. Informational content are the skillful changes utilized by workers in the labor processes that occurring in the industrial and tertiary sectors while cultural content refers to all the activities that cannot be categorized normally as work but determines the cultural artistic standards, fashions, tastes and consumer traditions that shape quality of service or product. Mass intellectuality Empirical research and theoretical reflection of the new forms of work organization led to the radical modification of the management, composition and control of the work force that have profoundly influenced the roles of intellectuals within the society. Manual labor has undergone great transformation into intellectual labor due to the demands of capitalists and self-valorization as factors of production. Intellectual labor requires workers to be subjective to the organization as the aim of modern management strategies is to make workers’ soul be part of the organization. The subjectivity of workers to the organization is the basis of achieving quality and quantity immaterial labor in production given that work is the ability to activate and manage a team of workers productively. In addition to subjectivity of workers, activity is another attribute required for optimum productivity in an organization since the heart of productivity is collective learning and innovation of new organizational functions. Subjectivity has a disadvantage of generating conflicts between various social classes within the organization because capitalist demands absolute subjectivity, which is practically impossible in the view of the competencies of the workers. The management concept of subjectivity seems to be an autocratic management as capitalist seeks to have a communicative process that totally involves and emanates from their subjects. Immaterial Labor Immaterial labor activities entail forms of networks and flows characterized by the precariousness, hyper-exploitation, mobility and hierarchy hence its power depends on the professional and management capacities. The challenge of immaterial labor is its interface position between production and consumption, which compels it to promote both productive and social relationship through the process of subjective though it seemed to be autocratic. The big question revolves around the independence and ability of immaterial labor to develop organizational capacities and corporate relationship. According to the economists, industries do not create new power but takes an on-board power by adaption. On contrast, immaterial labor requires new forms of work organization to be innovated through activity. The two differing views arise; one is the neoclassical analysis that tries to redefine the market problem by introducing cooperation and intensity of labor to optimize production. The other view is the system theory that conceives organization factors such as material or immaterial, individual or collective in eliminating market constrains. The immaterial labor leads to the improvement of productive cooperation in aspects of production and reproduction of communication thus enhancing the concept of subjectivity. Integration of consumption into the immaterial cycle by Fordism and subsequent integration of communication disrupts producer-consumer relationship. Conclusion In immaterial labor, informational and cultural content are the aspects that determine productivity in an organization. Harmonization and optimization of the aspects results in the expected quality and quantity of immaterial labor in production. Although immaterial labor is very productive, capitalist’s demands of absolute subjectivity is an autocratic management characterized by the hyper-exploitation and generation of conflicts between different social classes within the organization.

ESSAY: Impact of illegal immigrants on America Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Background information on illegal immigrants 3. Impact of illegal immigrants/findings 4. Implications 5. Conclusion 6. Works Cited Introduction The question of illegal immigrants has been a serious issue for some analysts in the country. While most citizens would see them as dangerous individuals, invading the country to secure jobs from them and control criminal activities, other stakeholder mark their importance in the economy. How they hurt America may take different viewpoints depending on the preceptor and attitudes that one has traditionally believed. Illegal immigrants may be defined differently, depending on their unlawful nature. In as much as a high number of immigrants are in the country, their presence has a significant implication on the population ranging from the economy, politics and societal factors; these factors are often viewed differently by different components of the society. Background information on illegal immigrants Unlawful settlers are essentially people who meet the borders without proper authority, and so their overall impression as criminals. This form of migration goes against national policies and immigration laws (Camarota). There are several types of immigrants who enter the country with different objectives. Some stay permanently, while others cross the border to fulfill interim goals. The largest numbers of immigrants by country of origin come from Mexico. Guatemala, India and china have also reported large numbers. There are three indicators through which a person may be termed as an illegal immigrant; unauthorized crossing of borders, overstaying in a country beyond the legally allowed time, or through desecration of any laws of disclosure (FAIR). They vary, from those who legally cross borders without inspection, to those who get smuggled in containers. Those who overstay their permitted extent are averagely better educated and monetarily secure than those who illegally cross the border. Impact of illegal immigrants/findings Most forbidden immigrants steal jobs or the name of ordinary citizens who are arguably too tired to work. Some companies, operating with judicial employees, are faced with competition from such individuals who run organizations with immigrants, who are commonly underpaid, pay less levies and are comfortable working in appalling states (Camarota). Thousands of prisoners are held captive each year as illegal immigrants, mostly using advanced technology, which is expensive to maintain. Those who are captured while gaining entry into the country have to be accommodated in prison. There are some who access entry in order to gain some illegal objectives (FAIR). Drug and human trafficking are related activities that most barons undertake. Others have a violent nature which may result in violation or kidnap activities. They desire to get a better living, and hence go to any extents, thus may be found guilty of murder. The relationship between illegal immigrants and evil has always been cited. The 9/11 attack has vastly been blamed on these characters. Were there strict measures to curb them from crossing the border, preliminary activities on how they could choose where to foster their subversive activities could have been halted. Thousands of immigrants residing in Las Vegas valley lost their construction jobs due to a dip in the new housing market (Pratt). As a result, they could not distribute money in the local economy as they used to; further, many of them left the area. The effects of their lost wages and their spending on the administration’s income were felt, impairing some of the basic services rendered to legal citizens. The impact of the cost of illegal immigrants to the community has therefore not been clearly comprehended. Illegal immigrants who have been lately integrating with locals are better educated than the previous lot, better equipped with an academy education, and in search of better service opportunities. However, huge bulks of the unauthorized immigrants have lower education levels than the native (Normandi). They work in industries and commercial-related centers, including repair and agriculture. A study covered by the NAS signifies that their excise do not consider the fee of services they entertain. The report further states that Americans cannot be offered superior-quality training, retirement security and appropriate nursing if the country continues to admit underprivileged and inexperienced immigrants. They are also pleased to work for lower wages, hence depressing the salaries of legal citizens (Camarota). Illegal immigration increases the nation’s population, usually inappropriately as some of them may be undocumented. Implications Hosting each of these individuals in prison costs thousands of dollars, which could have been invested elsewhere were there no illegal immigrants. Had there been better control over the borders, such aliens with terrorist mind could not have committed such heinous acts. Their presence in the country is thus seen as a probable peril to the wellbeing of Americans. From the free trade area of view, unrestricted migration and illicit migration lead to increased productivity, increased earnings and consumer spending, and ultimately lowers employment levels (Normandi). If these undocumented immigrants are forced out of the country, the state would lose some jobs and billions in cash (Pratt). The amount of money circulating in the economy would no longer be available, and less money would be transacted in design of consumer spending and overseas transfers. Pratt further elucidates that more than 50% of construction workers and manual laborers in most states are not legal citizens. However, the lack of documentation of these individuals poses a greater harm to the population. Economists and psychoanalysts thus cannot see the risk of losing them (Camarota). Most Americans will also complain about their presence without realizing how the economy may experience a dip without illegal immigrants. According to the findings of the Perryman group, an organization reputable in economic explorations, the state would lose close to 3 million jobs and ½ trillion dollars in circulation without the presence of these characters. These loses would ripple through the economy, as the companies and industries which depend on their services would fail (Pratt). The harm that these aliens cause is mostly felt by poor Americans. Children and minorities will also test the brunt, as they contend for social services. These individuals in vulnerable sectors of the economy feel the impact of dishonest immigrants on local resources (FAIR). An all-inclusive program to control illegal immigration must therefore be formulated. It may require plenty of resources to check their access, but ensuring that they do not falsify documents to obtain employment or operate any public services that tax-payers guarantee (FAIR). Controlling this migration goes further than restricting the volume, but the government substantially involving intelligence capacities to ensure that illegal immigrants do not abuse its citizens. Conclusion It may be argued that it is the individuals hiring the illegal immigrants who are harming America in their desire for cheap labor. Most of these people enter the country in search of opportunities to improve their lives, and in no way do they intend to harm Americans (Camarota). They are usually more hard working than the average citizen who has a university education, because of their desire to succeed and escape poverty. The term ‘illegal’ is what makes these individuals look worthless. While they may disrupt the economy in forms of record keeping and budgetary allocations in the society, they in fact stimulate the economy. Measures to ensure that such individuals enter the country legally, and proper documentation is done must therefore be formulated. Works Cited Camarota, Steven. The high cost of cheap labor: illegal immigration and the federal budget. Center for immigration studies, August, 2004. Web. Available at https://cis.org/Report/High-Cost-Cheap-Labor FAIR. Illegal immigration is a crime . Federation for American immigration reform: issue brief. March 2003. Web. Normandin, Ryan. Opinion: illegal immigration: it’s illegal. The Tech, online edition, January 13, 2010. Web. Available at https://thetech.com/2010/01/13/normandin-v129-n61 Pratt, Timothy. Report: illegal immigrants contribute billions to state. Las Vegas sun: Housing, Jobs. May 23, 2008. Web. Available at https://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/may/23/report-illegal-immigrants-contribute-billions-stat/

ESSAY: Important Characteristics for Effective Teaching Essay Introduction Teaching is very vital in the learning process. The success of effective teaching is greatly dependent on the characteristics possessed by the person providing teaching services. This paper discusses characteristics of learning process and also provides statements of self-evaluation criteria for the characteristics. Characteristics that you feel are most important for effective teaching The first characteristic of effective learning is being able to establish parameters. The teachers define the tasks in a very clear manner and set high levels of anticipations and for students’ behavior and learning. The teachers should be able to set parameters within which students can achieve effective learning, meet set expectations and generate outcome. The established parameters should be measurable; have the ability to be appraised. The self evaluation criteria are by way of measuring how students are performing within the teacher’s set teaching parameters; the performance of students are supposed to be evaluated through assignments and outcomes recorded and compared periodically (Adam & Pierce, 2010). The second characteristic is that the teacher should be able to deal with required changes from a positive standpoint. In this case, essential learning requires hottest feedback that is presented in a positive manner. However, extremely negative feedbacks also need to be communicated, but with the sensitivity of the possible harm they are likely to cause. Teachers should reward good performance by congratulating the performer and at the same time offer ways on which performance can be enhanced or improved. For self evaluation criteria, the teacher should monitor reactions of his or her students after communicating both positive and negative feedbacks to the students; the teacher should record such reactions and compare them over time (Adam & Pierce, 2010). The third characteristic is that the teacher should use student-centered teaching method. This means that while the teacher engages in planning for his or her teaching sessions, he or she should incorporate ways and means through which the students will be fully engaged during the teaching or learning process. This implies that the teachers or instructors should plan their teaching lessons with students in mind. This may involve taking into account the cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds of the students in his or her class. Besides, the instructors should be able to plan according to each student’s personal needs. The self evaluation criteria will be through gauging the level of student participation during lesson periods (Adam & Pierce, 2010). Fourth characteristic is that the teacher should be able to come up with strategies to establish individual investments for each student and help them develop interest in learning. In other words the teacher should be able to cultivate the curiosity for knowledge within students. Some of the strategies may include giving rewards to highly performing students, students who are always active in class and even offering scholarships to outstanding performers. While doing this, it is important for the teacher or instructor to ensure that the students are encouraged to maintain their high achievements and also be able to help low performers to improve their individual performance. The criteria for evaluation should be by looking at how the students are responding to strategies put in place to motivate the students (Adam &Pierce, 2010). The last characteristic is enthusiasm. The teacher can only make students interested in learning when he or she has enthusiasm. The teacher should first show he or she is enthusiastic about the lessons and through contagion, the students too will develop interest and achieve effective learning. The evaluative criteria here should be monitoring how prepared students are for the lesson and how they participate in the learning process (Adam &Pierce, 2010). Conclusion The aforementioned characteristics are not exhaustive but are very vital part of effective learning. They include enthusiasm, student-centered learning, and establishing learning parameters, establishing individual based strategies and dealing with required changes. Reference List Adam, C. & Pierce. (2010). Characteristics of Effective Teacher . Web.

ESSAY: Independent Study Courses for Non-traditional Students Research Paper Introduction Education has for a long time been termed as the universal “key to success”. It is through a good education that we equip ourselves with the best skills both mentally and physically so as to yield positive results in our journey for success. However, education without direction is not effective and as such, it is of equal importance that one understands his/her strengths and weaknesses in order to balance them so as to achieve the best results in all his/her endeavor. The purpose of this proposal shall be to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of independent study courses for Non-Traditional students. The undertaking shall focus on Non-Traditional students who would like to enroll in these programs and analyze the extent to which these independent study courses are applicable and effective in relation to safe guarding the development, performance and survival of the students against the unpredictable employment market trends and competition brought about by the different variables that exist in the world today. The evaluation of these factors shall be done through the use of interviews and questionnaires where various students and educators shall be encouraged to participate in a bid to find the disadvantages and advantages that can be accrued from these courses and how that decision may affect the overall future performance. Thereafter Suitable solutions shall also be addressed as pertaining to the disadvantages and limitations that may arise as a result of pursuing these courses. The study shall utilize the descriptive correlation method of research to effectively provide answers to the following question: what are the advantages and disadvantages of independent study course for Non-Traditional students? An analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) shall be used to evaluate the costs and benefits that are present in these courses and at the same time to pin point the major concerns raised by the participants in regard to the application of these courses in future endeavors. Data collected shall at the end help in establishing the extent to which the decision to enroll in this courses is beneficial or not to the overall performance welfare of the students. Background of the Study There has been an increase in the number of educational institutions offering independent study courses globally. This has been as a result of increased competition, rapid technological advancement and the need to expand the market base by various institutions (Burke & Cummins, 2002). Consequently, these institutions have resulted in offering courses that can be done from any location and at any time without the need for a school setting. Over the years, the issues raised in relations to these courses have always evolved around the quality of education achieved by the students, applicability of the courses in the employment market and the ethical underpinning of such programs (Leh & Jobin, 2003). In addition, Ryan (1999) reiterates that concerns have been raised as regarding to the extent to which they interfere with the set missions, visions and objectives of the educational systems. Consequently, a building interest has been developed by policy makers towards the transformation of the rules and regulations that govern the establishment of educational institutions and their contribution or lack thereof towards the sustenance and protection of quality education within the student community Statement of the Problem Fourie (2002), states that over the past decade investments in the education sector have sky rocketed through out the various sectors, publics and business entities. Consequently, concerns have been raised as regarding to the quality of education offered, relevance of the courses offered in regards to gaining useful employment and the availability of learning resources required by these institutions (Fourie, 2002). Considering the learning environment presented by the independent study courses, the need to evaluate such programs has heightened significantly. This study shall evaluate the extent to which independent study courses are beneficial to non-traditional students. This shall be achieved through the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages that comes from enrolling for such courses. Aim Of The Dissertation Objectives (that achieve the aim) * Discuss with the various participants their overall expectations and views about the independent study courses. * Discuss with educators from selected institutions how these courses are different and/or beneficial to the students as compared to the traditional mode of studying. * Interview the various implementers and policy makers about how the benefits of such courses can be measured or analyzed. * Prepare a report about the findings collected relating to the above objectives. Outcome * What are the benefits of the independent study courses to the non-traditional students? * What factors may make a student choose this mode of learning and what challenges and risks are they bound to encounter? Related Literature Review According to Smith (2001), getting quality education plays a very important role to both the student and the future employers. The authors discuss the benefits that can be acquired from having the necessary skills in the job market. The authors reiterate that proof of educational achievements indicate high performance thereby increasing the likelihood of getting a great job. This they claim is because a learned person attracts more attention from employers because highly skilled personnel improve on the reputation of the organization. This article gives insight on the benefits of acquiring education especially in a world where jobs are scarce and competition for the limited resources is rife. These advantages will be important during my research especially when it comes to formulating solutions and recommendations. In his article, Kirkwood (2003) theorizes the concept of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis as one of the best tool to evaluate the benefit and performance of an endeavor. He claims that with the knowledge collected from the analysis, the student can be able to make crucial decisions with a zero margin for error. This means that the student can find ways to ensure that his/her goals are met all the while maintaining the required standards in all situations. The book will be most helpful especially during the methodology section where the SWOT analysis shall be carried out to evaluate whether enrolling for the independent study courses is a worthwhile investment to non-traditional students. Getting an education is very important in today’s society. According to Washburn & Draper (2005), that does not necessitate the presence of learning institutions. This is because, there are various avenues through which one can get an education. Due to rapid technological advancement worldwide, people can get education from any location through the internet. Independent study courses have utilized this opportunity to ensure that students in their different capacities get the necessary skills they need whenever and at whichever location they may be (Malan & Feller, 1992). Fourie (2002) claims that the information technology sector is constantly faced with changes which render past skills obsolete. As such, practitioners in this sector are constantly forced to get back to school and update their skill level if they wish to remain relevant. However, most of them lack the time to attend such classes mainly due to scheduling and location disparities. The author affirms that these courses offers such individuals a chance to pursue their careers with ease all the while getting the necessary skills needed in this dynamic field. Leh & Jobin (2003) oppose to these independent study courses programs claiming that education is considered useless without proper communication and socialization skills. The authors state that school settings have been very instrumental in ensuring that students get the best skills that can be applied in the current business environment. Schools provide educational programs consisting of subjects that impart general knowledge and development to the students in terms of rational thinking and intellectual capabilities. In as much as independent study courses may seem appealing to many, they do not consider the impact of interaction and competition to the future of the student. School settings are characterized by peer groups, high competition and are very interactive. From these aspects, students are able learn the value of team work, how to cope in competitive times, how to strategize, apply the available resources to the maximum and how to interact (respect and social ethics) with different people. Meeus et al (2008), state that researchers in the field of psychology have developed theories and assumptions on how a human works as per processing information and learning. As a result, these theories have made it possible for teachers to identify and divide students according to their different intellectual capabilities and learning preferences. According to Souto & Turner (2000), people with a fixed mindset often believe in the basic intelligence that they are born with. They often doubt their abilities because their minds cannot perceive beyond what they believe they can manage and as such they lack the motivation to try harder because they are afraid to fail in their endeavors. Methodology The Research Method The most suitable tool to use while evaluating this situation is analyzing the correlations that exist between the costs and benefits of enrolling for independent study courses. As such, this study shall use the descriptive correlation research method. This is because this research methodology seeks to identify the relationship between two variables which in this case are the advantages and disadvantages of the independent study courses to non-traditional students. The data collected will consist of testimonials from some selected students and educators. It shall also include documented reports from various sources related to the ethical policies governing the educational sector. These reports shall be used to evaluate and provide useful insight regarding the perceptions held by these policy makers. The data collected shall then be compared to data generated by other related studies to evaluate the efficacy of performance and applicability as regarding to the independent study courses. This comparison will be based on the credibility of the sources, the strength of the arguments and the perceptions of the different authors. To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of independent study courses for Non-Traditional students, key concerns such as quality of education provided, costs and applicability to the job market shall be established to provide guidelines for the interviews and the criteria to be used in data collection. Data Gathering Procedure Data collection shall be carried out through the following techniques: Primary source of data will include scholarly and peer reviewed articles retrieved from various libraries. According to Kirkwood (2008), this is the best method of acquiring accurate data due to the credibility of the sources and the minimum costs incurred through these techniques. In addition to this, I shall organize appointments with at least four educators from whom I expect to get a brief overview of the independent study course programs and the reasons as to why they are most suitable for non-traditional students. Secondary data shall include internet sources (websites and blogs) related to this topic as well as books used in class. However, since not all sources are credible, a thorough analysis of the data gathered from these sources will be required. This shall be achieved by gathering information about the academic background of the authors as well as the reviews on their works as posted by other scholars. These sources shall be used in order to further support the findings from the primary sources. In addition to this, I shall use the various learning theories covered in class to explain the relationship between these two aspects. This shall be done by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of Independent Study Courses all the while linking them to the assumptions made by the selected theories. An analysis of the strengths weaknesses, opportunities and threats as regarding to these programs for at least two students shall also be carried out in order to gauge the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that may arise from using this system of learning. As per demographics, flow charts, and other graphical representations shall be used to further explain the advantages and disadvantages of independent study courses in different circumstances such as working and non-working class students, distant and close (location from learning institutions) student. Finally, a cost benefit analysis shall be done in order to evaluate the efficiency presented by these programs in terms of overall costs, time management and stress management (for students who are employed). This shall be done in a bid to analyze the factors that would make student choose these programs as well as the risks that they are bound to face in future due to this decision. The cost benefit analysis will help in determining the best course of actions as well as the establishment of recommendations related to this topic (Ryan, 1999). Limitations The first limitation that I foresee will be getting credible data to utilize in this study. Due to the freedom of expression accompanied by internet usage, people may post biased comments as regarding to this topic. This may affect my arguments and consequently; the quality of my research. In addition, getting first hand information from the educators and students involved in these programs may be difficult due to inadequate time and scheduling differences. This means that the selected participants may not give me the support I expect especially in relations to the amount of time I need to carry out the interviews. I may have to schedule the interviews to take place during breaks or after working hours in order to fit in their schedules. Also the time I have very limited free time and as a result, most of my research will be carried out during the holidays, weekends work breaks and leaves. This will be very challenging because I have to make those opportunities count in a bid to provide a well organized and informative research paper. Other foreseeable problems may include changes in the research parameters or even the absence of some key participants in the project. Conclusion Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the independent study course will be very beneficial especially to those students who would like to enroll but lack adequate information pertaining to these courses. In addition, the recommendations made may be useful in the implementation process of measures designed to tackle the disadvantages of these programs. By undertaking this research, I will have played my part in ensuring that students get a chance to learn with a high degree of freedom as regarding to their needs. References Burke, L. A., & Cummins, M. K. (2002). Using Undergraduate Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Projects to Personalize Teaching. College Teaching, 50(4), 129 – 133. Fourie, I. (2002). Using Distance Teaching Methods to Further the Careers of Working Adults. Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 21(2), 29 – 48. Kirkwood, A. (2003). Understanding Independent Learners’ Use of Media Technologies. Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, 18(2), 155 – 175. Leh, A. S., & Jobin, A. (2003). Striving for Quality Control in Distance Education. Computers in the Schools, 19(3), 87 – 102. Malan, R. F., & Feller, S. (1992). Establishing workload equivalence: U.S. independent study courses and college residence classes. American Journal of Distance Education, 6(2), 56 – 63. Meeus, W et al. (2008). Stimulating independent learning: a quasi-experimental study on portfolio. Educational Studies, 34(5), 469 – 481. Ryan, J. H. (1999). Measuring Costs and Benefits of Distance Learning. Journal of Library Administration, 26(1), 235 – 246. Smith, E. S. (2001). Writing web-based distance education courses for adult learners. American Journal of Distance Education, 15(2), 53 – 65. Souto, C., & Turner, K. (2000). The Development of Independent Study and Modern Languages Learning in Non-specialist Degree Courses: A case study. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 24(3), 385 – 395. Washburn, A., & Draper, J. (2005). 80 Miles from the Nearest Library, with a Research Paper Due Monday. Journal of Library Administration, 41(3), 507 – 529.

ESSAY: Influences Of An Adopted Child’s Behavior Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Environmental factor influencing child behavior 3. Comparison between nurture and nature 4. Conclusion 5. References Introduction It is common to find parents who have tried to raise their children to perfection or to acquire values similar to their own but these children end up with strange values and personalities. The question many people have regards the influence the parents have over their children’s personality, character and intelligence. The most probable answer depends with the perspective the researcher takes but in most cases the influence falls on the pre or postnatal care events as opposed to nature thus nurture overrides nature. Diverse studies and research have shown that genetics play an important role over influencing behaviours and personalities in children. There is also a wide agreement regarding the influence by environmental components and activities. This paper addresses the influence of the environment such as family settings made of the biological or foster parent, peer influence and the social style of learning in comparison to natural traits such as genes or inherited persona. Environmental factor influencing child behavior Compared to the various ways of parenting, the human genes have very little effect over the personality of a child and this is why in the modern life, a person may turn out to be good in spite of appalling living conditions. Good parents may also have poor mannered offspring. People have strength to overcome obstacles and this is the main reason why some parents will produce excellent well mannered off spring while others produce the ill-fated individuals. The parenting aspects have great effect over the basic personality of a child. As Miller (1997) explained regarding child development process, there are random components, which influences intelligence, behaviour and personality of a child. One important point that is well known is that parents pass genes to their children in a rather random manner and this is the reason why it is hard to find siblings having similar traits. As much as research has established genes to be an influence to behaviours, researchers agree that the environmental conditions influence the behaviour as well as personality. The environmental influences include the biological or foster parents, peers as well as the social learning traits. (Miller, 1999) According to Schmitz (2003) the issue of family setting or environment background is a key attribute to bringing up the child for instance, the family setting influences the child hyperactivity. There are some factors such as poverty levels, educational levels, the structure of the family and the parenting practices, which are the key determinants of a child’s behaviour and personality. The relationship between the child’s behaviour and the family setup depends upon the parent who ought to be caring. When the environment is stimulating and the techniques used to raise children are consistent, then the probabilities of having a child with good behaviours are high. (Schmit, 2003) One need to weigh problems regarding personality against those of poor communications and relations as attributes of a weak family setting or bond. The antisocial, aggressive, criminal or delinquent behaviours are attributable to the families facing financial strains, those with more children to cater for and those whose parents are not able to administer good disciplined behaviours consistently. Child abuses as well as neglect are some of the most popular investigated arguments as the root cause of antisocial and criminal behaviours especially when the child matures. (Holmes et al, 2001) Considering the comparison between nature or genetic factors and the environmental factors over influence of child’s behaviour and personality, the age is an important issue worth consideration. There are consistent research findings that the heritability influences adult behaviour while the environmental factors mainly affect the behaviours of the children and adolescents. (Rhee and Waldman, 2002) this is because the adult has the ability to logically reason and make decision based on the living standards which positively or negatively influences the personality traits. The child is limited to a certain environment because they do not have the ability to choose or change thus they abide to the existing environmental conditions. According to the writings of Gernefski and Okma (1996), the antisocial or delinquent behaviours of adolescents in a peer group have direct links to problem behaviours especially the aggressive behaviours faced during childhood. The young children show aggressive behaviours. These tendencies grow towards their peer groups and when one fails to curb the act, they emerge to be the outcasts of the society. The emergent of poor peer relationships are regrettable and traceable to allowing children to be with others of similar traits. These are similar tendencies or behaviours natured from childhood through adolescents to adulthood and eventually become the key contributors to bad societal problems or criminal acts. (Holmes et al, 2001) The theory of social learning has influence over child’s growth and behaviour. The theory indicates that the child observes the aggressive behaviour of the parents or other siblings and adopts them. The child learns from imitation, therefore, they take the emulated behaviour as a normal behaviour. They perceive the behaviour as good since there is no harm to acting similar to the parent. (Miles and Carey, 1997) In line with Miles and Carey’s writing (1997), if the levels of aggression by the parents are very high, reinforcement of the same traits might occur to the children. Comparison between nurture and nature The environmental factors are however not the only influential attributes over the child’s behaviour and personality. They coordinate with the genetic factors or catalyze them. According to Eysenck (1996), a personality psychologist, the behaviour of an individual in influenced by three factors concern with psychotic measures, extravert and neurotics in a theory referred to as the “PEN model”. Psychotic measures associates with the personal traits of impersonation, impulsiveness, and anti-social behaviours. In addition, the un-empathetic and cold or criminal behaviours reference the same psychotic traits. The extravert is associated with the social traits, activeness, liveliness, caring, dominance, assertiveness and ability to seek sensation. Lastly, the neuroticism correlates to anxiousness, depression, moodiness, tension emotion and low self-esteem. People can utilize the tree factors in the quest for factors influencing behaviours especially in children. They are factors that assist in picking out the bad behaviours from the good ones were by; one can be in a position to predict the probable behaviours of young children. Some of the factors face inheritance as opposed to environmentally influenced factors thus the probability of the interaction between nature and nature. Traits in children correlate with low levels of brain arousal because of low interest, poor attention, poor observation techniques, and sleepiness. Low extravagance calls for better simulation from external environments factors because the brains lack the stimulants. In line with miles and Carey (1997), children are born with a nervous system that rarely responds to or is aroused by the external stimuli thus the need to adopt more environmental factors or proper stimuli for better arousal. These factors include the high-risk activities but argumentatively not all individuals who have low levels of arousal need the high-risk activities. In line with Jensen (1998), the right mind and environment is what it takes to create a behaviour and personality that lacks antisocial and illegal behaviours. Thus the argument; the influence lies on both the environmental factors as well as inherited genes. Conclusion The child’s behaviours and personalities face moulding when there is lack of proper mechanisms or techniques to foster disciplinary techniques. They are influential in creating good social behaviours, parental aggression and rejection as well as the interactive relationship between the parents or other siblings. Children raised in an antisocial or aggressive home setting are more susceptible to poor parental monitoring, inconsistent punishment administration, rejection, aggression as well as permissiveness. This is an implication that children behaviours and personality traits mainly face the environmental conditions influences over the genetic factors or attributes. (Miles and Carey, 1997) References Eysenck, H. J. 1996. Personality and crime: Where do we stand? Psychology, Crime, & Law, 2, 143-152. Garnefski, N., & Okma, S. 1996. Addiction-risk and aggressive/criminal behavior in Adolescence: Influence of family, school, and peers . Journal of Adolescence, 19, 503-512. Holmes, S. E., Slaughter, J. R., & Kashani, J. 2001. Risk factors in childhood that lead to the development of conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder . Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 31, 183-193. Jensen, Arthur, 1998. The Science of Mental Ability . New York: Greenwood. Miles, D. R., & Carey, G. 1997. Genetic and environmental architecture of human aggression . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 207-217. Miller, Edward M, 1999 Could Non-shared Environmental Variance Have Evolved to Assure Diversification Through Randomness? Evolution and Human Behavior, Vol. 18 No. 3, 195-221. Miller, Edward M, 1999. Intelligence, Income, Inequality , Mankind Quarterly, Vol. 39, (spring) No.3 (forthcoming). Rhee, S. H., & Waldman, I. D. 2002. Genetic and environmental influences on antisocial behavior: A meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies . Psychological Bulletin, 128, 490-529. Schmitz, M. F. 2003. Influences of race and family environment on child hyperactivity and antisocial behavior . Journal of Marriage & the Family, 65, 835-849.

ESSAY: International Search and Rescue Efforts Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 3. British firefighters’ response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake 4. Globalization effects on fire and rescue service 5. Ethical considerations in fire and rescue services 6. Role of fire and rescue services 7. Conclusion 8. Works Cited Introduction In this century, changes due to globalization have resulted in far more interdependence than which existed during the last century when most of the activities in the world were confined within geographical boundaries. Currently, there is free flow of information and resources from one country to another. Similarly, the activities of the fire and rescue services in the United Kingdom have not been limited to the country alone. Occasionally, fire fighters in this country are required to carry out a rescue mission for mitigating emergencies that are rampant in various places around the world, such as the recent Haiti Earthquake. Therefore, it is commendable progress when our Fire authority is considering becoming part of the UK’S International search and rescue team. However, before taking part in such a mission, we need to take into consideration the various legal, ethical, and global issues concerning this initiative. Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 The England and Wales Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 would be applicable in how our Fire authority would carry out its operations. The Act is the first major change in the law concerning the operation of the Fire and Rescue Service since the introduction of the first Act way back in 1947 (Great Britain Parliament, 5). The previous Act limited the functions of the Service to fighting fires hence limited the number of operations it could engage in. However, as a result of passing the new Act, the responsibilities of the Service has transformed a great deal. Consequently, the fire and rescue authorities currently have various statutory obligations appertaining to fire safety, fire fighting, road traffic accidents, and emergencies. Under the new Act, a number of new key provisions are applicable to our fire service in accomplishing its mission abroad (. The act promotes fire safety initiatives among fire and rescue authorities; therefore, underpins the change toward a more prevention-based and risk assessed approach. This is able to assist in preventing more deaths by lowering the number of fires incidences taking place in the first place. This new legislative package establishes a new package of powers and responsibilities for effective and efficient service. The new role is beneficial for the operations of a modern Fire and Rescue Service. The Act authorizes the fire and rescue authorities to take part in rescuing road traffic accidents. In addition, it allows for responsibilities in responding to other emergencies. These may include catastrophic flooding and acts of terrorism. Critically, the legislation provides for amendment in line with how the duties of the Fire and Rescue Service may be defined in the future. Moreover, the Fire and Rescue Service is also endowed with the responsibility of performing other obligations in response to the specific requirements of their communities and the threats they encounter. The new legislative framework achieves this through making sure that the various fire and rescue authorities present in the country can undertake duties that are not particularly outlined in the Act but which will assist them accomplish their statutory obligations as well as allowing the authorities to employ staff and equipment, according to their capacity for any appropriate purpose. Furthermore, the act gives fire and rescue authorities the ability to organize appropriately for the occurrence of other threats to life and the environment. For instance, they can establish local training centres to equipping people with skills necessary for responding to threats of life or the environment in their area. The Act guarantees an effective and efficient service to the public. In both national and international levels, fire and rescue authorities uphold equality, diversity, and fairness in service provision. In addition, they have the skill and adaptability necessary in addressing the present challenges. These factors make it possible for the authorities to fulfill the varied requirements of all diversified communities both locally and abroad. The adoption of ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’ are the two crucial elements of service provision that Fire and Rescue upholds. These elements affirms that the service, which relies totally on the applied statutes, norms, and procedures of the association, must drive towards the plan it gets treated and it must result in effective service provision to all sections of the community. Under what is referred to as mutual assistance, for the first time, the Act allows fire and rescue authorities to enter into reinforcement schemes and to delegate the delivery of functions to other fire services or fire authorities. Concerning information and investigation, the Act takes a new approach by allowing for the entry of an authorized employee of a fire service or fire authority for establishing the cause of the fire. These statutory powers also entail the authority to take samples from the scene of the tragedy. The Act plays key role in assisting fire and rescue authorities in confronting the global challenges of this new millennium. The new framework of powers and responsibilities puts prevention strategies on a similar footing with intervention strategies (Furness and Muckett, 352). It makes it possible for individual fire and rescue authorities to make appropriate decisions after holding discussions with their communities. They can then choose on how and where to channel their resources. The Act therefore takes note of the wider role of the fire and rescue authorities and enables them to act in response to the various risks outlined in their Integrated Risk Management Plans. British firefighters’ response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 would be applicable in the operations of the search and rescue teams when carrying out their duties abroad. For example, during the Haiti earthquake, the UK fire and rescue authorities demonstrated their role in responding to global catastrophes. The earthquake, which had an epicentre near the town of Leogane, took place on January 12, 2010 and affected the lives of about three million people. The country’s authorities estimated that about two hundred and thirty thousand individuals had died, three hundred thousand had been injured and one million made homeless. The earthquake also caused severe damages to the country’s infrastructure. Several nations responded to appeals for humanitarian aid. Besides funds, some of them dispatched their rescue teams to undertake the duty of saving lives. Although the rescue efforts were hampered by the extent of the massive destruction, the efforts started in the immediate aftermath of the quake. The UK search and rescue workers were not left behind in the emergency operation. The International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said, “It is already clear that we are facing a major humanitarian crisis. The most pressing need is for international search and rescue teams – including firefighters from all over Britain – to get on with their work of saving lives” (PSCA International Ltd, para. 7). Consequently, after about forty-eight hours of the quake, UK’s 64 firefighters from Gatwick arrived in the devastated country “to get on with their work of saving lives.” Other firefighters across Britain soon joined them and they worked in six different teams. They realized remarkable success in this mission, rescuing four survivors in ten days. This was achieved despite the limitations they faced on trying to use their heavy equipment. In the international rescue efforts, it is notable that the British search and rescue teams became the first to reach the epicentre of the earthquake, Leogane. They arrived on 17 January. As if referring to the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, Douglas Alexander said: We need to get search and rescue teams on the ground. Every hour matters. There will be humanitarian requirements for food, shelter and sanitation. It is critical to co-ordinate the international effort. We have to work with others to make sure everyone does not turn up with the same equipment. This is a terrible tragedy and we are determined to do what we can to help…We are talking to the USA and UN about mobilizing (PSCA International Ltd, para. 4). As was exemplified by the humanitarian response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Act provided the British firefighters with new framework of powers and duties for confronting the emerging challenges of this century. The British search and rescue teams were able to assist in saving more lives, deliver effective and efficient service, work with appropriate equipment, provide local training centres for the Haiti people, and work with other rescue teams from around the world. If the role of fire service in the UK were still restricted by the previous Act, which did not give the service the powers to respond to other eventualities, the operation in Haiti to save lives would not have realized such success. Globalization effects on fire and rescue service The changes in our world due to globalization affect the legislative and substantive work of those in the fire and rescue service. The forces of globalization have led to significant changes to individual nations. Local and international economies have been unified through trade, labor, foreign direct investment, and the spread of innovative ideas. The drive for globalization has broken down the walls of geographical constraints. Principally, globalization has been driven by the urge to realize a global common market for goods and services. As a result, the international community now has an increased access to the wider varieties of services since services are no longer confined to a particular country. This has been aided by the development of the global market coupled with advance in technology that has improved transactions. Consequently, globalization forces have compelled fire and rescue service to change its legislative and substantive work to take care of this increased need. Because of the need of globalization, fire service and rescue authorities have changed their approach concerning fire prevention and community fire safety. Currently, more initiatives have been channeled to improving fire prevention efforts and educating the public. In addition, organizations and people are being motivated to assume responsibility for providing a risk evaluation of organizations. Historically, fire safety was the responsibility of the British local authorities. However, the passing of the Fire Services Act in 1947 changed this. The Fire Brigades started to assume the role. Currently, the transformation of the United Kingdom fire service to global standards has considered its function concerning fire safety issues. The country’s fire service and rescue authorities have prioritized the issue. Most of them have produced Integrated Management Plans. This initiative takes note of their new role in service provision. They now have well laid down plans for fire safety in the place of work as well as in the community. At present, every brigade in UK has established community-based fire safety units as a proactive strategy for devolving their functions. Ethical considerations in fire and rescue services The fire and rescue services, too, have to deal with ethical considerations, which they have to face on a daily basis, even when on a mission abroad. Fire service and rescue services ethics entail a set of principles and philosophy that are consistent with their key mission of saving lives. Ethics in fire and rescue services entails the area of interpersonal, group, as well as community politics in relation to set values. It is not just what can be accomplished, or how it can be accomplished. However, it is more focused on what should be sought, in the realm of social harmony and fairness. In fact, it is the intricacy of the opposite side of individualism. Ethical considerations in fire and rescue services take note of the fire fighters proper relationship amongst themselves, their duties to the public, locally and internationally. In dealing with ethical dilemmas, fire and rescue services embrace professional integrity and responsiveness to the civil society. The twenty-first century appears to have dawned with a burden of conflicting values and divergent responsibilities for the firefighters. Therefore, to maintain professional integrity in the service, which is fundamental in dealing with ethical issues, the following are done. These are recruitment based on merit and verified by special tests, appropriate disciplinary measures undertaken for promoting corporate spirit, and training and education undertaken occasionally for improving professionalism. In this regard, most firefighters acknowledge that ethical dilemmas are normal and expected aspect of their work. Since firefighters have to sort out complicated (or not so complicated) ethical dilemmas in their daily activities, recognizing this lowers the stress that can impede their self-confidence and ability of tackling these issues efficiently. More so, to tackle ethical dilemmas, firefighters learn to treat such issues like any other business issue, tackle rationalizations head-on, and develop a strong sense of right and wrong. Role of fire and rescue services Once, the role of the fire and rescue services was limited only to putting out fires. However, in this present changing world environment, the fire and rescue services have a wider role to play. They are often called to tackle different emergencies, varying from fighting fires and saving individuals from enflamed buildings to dealing with chemical spillages and road accidents. A firefighter’s problem solving ability and initiative is of essence in bringing a solution to issues swiftly and calmly. Today’s firefighter always upholds a sensitive approach when dealing with people during emergencies since at such times they may be miserable and perplexed. The role of the modern firefighter is always changing to address the increasing requirements of the community. Fire and rescue services work hand in hand with the community in increasing their level of awareness concerning fire safety (Haslam, para. 1). Therefore, this is able to prevent incidents from taking place in the first place. Today’s firefighter delivers efficient services to the members of the public and handles them with dignity and respect, not considering their background or ethnicity. Since it is often a race against time to save lives and calm fire, firefighters know how dangerous fires are; therefore, they make concerted efforts from preventing them from occurring. They achieve this by educating the public through visiting institutions, community centres and homes on how to prevent fires and escape from buildings in case of unfortunate fire incidences. With the aim of saving life, guarding possessions, and providing humanitarian assistance if there is need, the modern firefighters are always prepared to respond to various incidents involving fires, road, air and marine transport accidents, terrorist threats, and trapped individuals and even animals if resources permit. Conclusion The consideration that our brigade is making of becoming part of the International search and rescue team with other UK brigades is achievable. The information provided above will be very much of essence for the success of the mission. The introduction of the fire and rescue services Act 2004 gives fire authorities a new framework of powers and responsibilities for confronting the current global challenges. During the 2010 Haiti earthquake, UK firefighters were able to assist in saving lives in a foreign country. This was possible because the Act recognized the wider role that brigades are undertaking in responding to eventualities because of the effects of globalization. In dealing with ethical considerations, fire and rescue services embrace professionalism and integrity in their work. Works Cited Furness, Andrew, and Muckett, Martin. Introduction to fire safety management. Oxford : Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007. Print. Great Britain Parliament. The Fire and Rescue Service : fourth report of Session 2005- www.fireservice.co.uk/recruitment/ PSCA International Ltd. “Every hour matters’ for survivors of earthquake.” Public Service. 14 Jan. 2010. Web. www.publicservice.co.uk/feature_story.asp?id=13495

ESSAY: Innovation, creativity and design Compare & Contrast Essay Innovation refers to the process of translating a particular idea or invention to a product or service to be paid for by people. This means that innovation involves an economic cost in an effort to satisfy a particular need. For innovation to be effective, a great deal of imagination, creativity and initiative is required in order to derive a high value. According to Rossouw (2009, p.409), innovation is an important avenue through which a business enterprise develop its competitive advantage. Businesses which are not innovative in their operation process experience retarded growth and development. On the other hand, design entails the process of working out the structure of something. In addition, design acts as the plan to be used in the process of developing a product or service. Considering the intensity of competition among businesses, incorporation of the concept of designing is vital. For example, designing helps a business enterprise to differentiate itself from other enterprises in the same industry. As a result, the firm is able to attract and retain a high customer base due to its ability to provide products and services which culminate into utility maximization among customers. Creativity refers to the proficiency of coming up effective ideas and translating them into reality. In business, creativity is the ability to do things differently in an enhanced and inventive manner. It is an essential concept of innovation because it is associated with lateral thinking thus coming up with new ideas. According to Proctor (2005, p.6), entrepreneurs can be able to develop new products and services to address the market needs through creativity. This means that creativity enables enterprises to cope with the dynamic business environment. In addition, creativity enables business to attain an effective market position hence increasing its competitive capacity. Similarities and differences Innovation, design and creativity bear some similarities since the three are concerned with strategic positioning of business enterprises. A business with an appalling blend of the three requisites is described as old-fashioned. Business should continuously innovate, design, and create in order to attract potential customers and retain the existing ones. As a result, a high customer base will be attained. For a business to withstand the mounting competition, it must have a professional team responsible for conducting market research. This will enable the firm to establish viable improvements essential to the business. In addition, the research team collectively with the innovative team should furnish the ways of implementing and managing the desired innovations. Despite the strong link between the three concepts, there are a number of differences which exist between the two. For example, creativity entails the process of generating new ideas or actions. On the other hand, innovation is the process via which creative and new ideas generated are applied. Design is an idea or a product that has been developed from an acknowledged need. In other words, innovation is a brilliant new concept while design refers to the structure of products. In addition, the three influence the performance of business differently. Conclusion Entrepreneurs should consider incorporation of the concepts of innovations, design and creativity in their operation. This is due to the benefits associated with these concepts in ensuring that their businesses succeed in a competitive environment. Many businesses have benchmarked other businesses’ ways of doing business while others have concentrated on perfecting their operations in order to gain improved returns. In order to improve their performance compared to their competitors, firm’s management teams should increase their focus on innovation, design and creativity. Reference List Proctor, T. (2005). Creative problem solving for managers: developing skills for decision making and innovation. London: Routledge. Rossouw, D. (2009). Business management: a contemporary approach. Claremont: Juta and company Limited.

ESSAY: Innovation in History: How Guns Changed the World Research Paper Wondering about the contribution of guns in scientific development? Learn more in the essay below! Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. First Guns and Their Contribution 3. Guns and Violence 4. Gun Control in the World 5. Guns in the USA 6. Guns, Media, and History 7. Conclusion 8. Annotated Bibliography Introduction Our world is changing day by day: lots of scientists try to present numerous innovations, which improve people’s life, make it easier, and finally, help people become more powerful and control other people. Nowadays, the list of innovations, which have changed or are still changing the world and our history, is really long; and guns take not the last place in this list. When we talk about guns, we talk about power, violence, and deaths. It is known that one-third of all Americans have a gun at home, and during 2004, about 30,000 people died because of gunfire (Tonry, 73). Our history is closely connected to the development of guns and their contribution among people. Sometimes, people just cannot find enough powers and time to think about the danger that caused by the use of guns; they only realize that a gun is some kind of power, and they should get this power as soon as possible. During a long period of time, guns have changed the world considerably: they help to defend oneself; they make it easier and faster to kill and injure people, very often, innocent people; and they obliterate the border between life and death, for those, who cannot control own actions, thoughts, and movements. First Guns: Contribution in Scientific Development In fact, it is very difficult to find out when the first gun appeared. That genius, who realized that gunpowder could be propellant and injure, is still unknown. During numerous centuries, people fought against each other with the help of different swords and sabers. However, it was not very easy to use swords during the battles: they were too heavy and rather big. The matchlock is considered to be one of the first useable hand-held guns (History of Guns and Firearms). Soldiers handed their matchlocks on their shoulders, so, it was not difficult for those soldiers to move for long distances. Killing people is not a good thing, however, it is human nature – to kill in order to save own life and win. This is why the contribution of those matchlocks could be regarded as more or less positive aspect: killing people did not take much time, and those, who had to be killed, died in a short period of time and with less suffering. So, one of the first changes of the world, caused by guns, was the ability to kill or injure people within a short period of time. From that period of time, people got less time to think over their actions and the consequences of these actions; they could kill fast and take other person’s life for ever. Guns and Violence It is very difficult to comprehend why so many people know about the negative impact of gun distribution, still continue to sell and promote guns. People realize that the increase of gun prevalence lead to deaths and injuries increasing. However, they do not want to do anything in order to stop creating guns and forbid its using. For so many years, people try to stop violence and provide people with a chance to live safe and sound life. However, the increase of crimes and deaths cannot be stooped till guns are distributed for so many people. “More guns means more crime” (Malcolm, 219). This simple truth should make some people to think that their activities encourage other people to choose wrong ways and make bad actions, crimes, and even kill innocent people. If a person has a gun in his/her hand, he/she feels unbelievable power over other people. Lots of psychological aspects influence the decision to shoot or not to shoot. Even simple hand trembling can make the gun shoot, give a birth to violence, and take someone’s life away. One act of violence leads to another act of violence, so that violence becomes an integral part of this life. With time, gun violence will be a cultural phenomenon, and it will be quite difficult to control people’s actions and save people from themselves. This is another impact of guns on the world and our history – guns promote violence very often. Gun Control in the World Second Amendment Committee, Joint Together, or Violence Policy Center – all these organizations deal with gun control and other activities, which lead to violence decreasing. People need to be encouraged not to use guns and informed about terrible outcomes of gun usage. The above-mentioned and many other organizations create numerous programs, present informative pieces of writing, and establish numerous centers in order to prevent violence and gun use. Some people find the idea of gun control as a kind of human rights’ violation according to the Second Amendment. However, those people, who agree that the huge part of violence is caused by guns use, underline that the necessity of gun control is obvious. Some people just do not understand that so frequent use of guns encourage teenagers to use guns and solve own problems or frighten other people. There are lots of rules and orders, which forbid guns selling and distributing to young people, however, clandestine marketing is developing, and lots of young people have a chance to buy a gun at any age. The only thing required is to know the places and not divulge information. Guns change the world in one more way – people start caring about own and other people’s safety and focusing on the development of gun control organizations, however, clandestine commerce puts under a threat all those attempts. Guns in the USA In fact, it becomes a good American tradition to use guns and other types of firearms as a kind of protection, a sport means, or a hunting tool. It is easy to buy a gun for one purpose, but use it for another purpose. In America, there are lots of guns cultures, which promote a gun as a means of entertaining or protection. “Urban minority street cultures, Civil War reenactors, rural white male deer hunters, and survivalists” (Carter, 246) may serve as good examples of organizations, which find it funny and useful to use guns. The members of such organization should follow certain instructions and use guns only in certain places. However, no one can be sure that a young son or daughter will never find a gun at home and try to use it just because of own interest. One more significant point about guns in the USA is closely connected to the question of race. Race inequality bothers many Americans; as a result of such inequalities, lots of fights and quarrels take place. Very often, to prove own ideas, people can easily use guns. It is very hard to explain, but when a person takes a gun in hands, some unbelievable power seizes him/her, and this person gets the desirable control over people and a chance to introduce own ideas and points of view. Of course, gun violence is not all about race and ethnicity. Those people, who just do not want to search for compromise by means of talks, believe that a gun is the only way to win an opponent. This is why guns have an ability to change people’s mind and people’s ideas on how to solve problems; and such changes in people will certainly lead to considerable changes in the world history. Guns, Media, and History Without any doubts, media is one of the most influential means during all the times. People watch movies and different TV programs, listen to radio shows, and enjoy music – they learn more about this world, its history, and future forecasts this way. This is why guns in media also have a certain impact on the history and people’s attitude to life. Violence in media is one of the hottest discussions during a long period of time. When a young man watches TV and realizes that a gun can make him more powerful, he tries to do everything possible to find out a gun and use it. By means of TV programs, people get to know how terrible accidents with guns changed the history and influenced our present and future. Kennedy assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King’s murder, Merlin Monroe’s death – media concentrates too much attention on these cases. Is it possible that young people watch these informative programs and realized that one murder may become a sensation? According to these programs and movies, it is quite possible. This is why even by means of media, the use of guns becomes more and more popular and influential for the history. Conclusion People always care about own lives; however, they continue distributing guns and other means of violence. Guns have already changed our history and took so many lives. This is why we should stop gun violence and admit that guns should not have such power over people. People have so many chances to make this world safer and live in peace, and even if guns have already changed our past and our history, let us not to provide guns with a chance to influence our present and our future. Annotated Bibliography “A Brief History of Guns.” History of Guns and Firearms. 2009. Web. This web site, one of the primary sources, which present reliable photos of guns and other weapons, is devoted to different kinds of guns, their history, and development. In this piece of work, the history of a matchlock and a flintlock is considered here. Clear paragraphs and simple language provide the reader with a chance to learn how gun makers developed new designs to help people use and carry guns. Malcolm, Joyce, L. Guns and Violence: The English Experience. The United States of America: Harvard University Press, 2002. This book is the primary source, as it describes the English experience concerning the use of guns and its further impact on society.The author of this book investigates the idea of gun control and the factors, which influence the development of debates, which are connected to guns in homes. Lots of people find it very useful to carry the gun at home in order to be safe; this source is a kind of analyzes of why this experience in the United States may cause negative outcomes. Carter, Gregg, L. Guns in American Society : An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture and the Law. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2002. This source is the secondary one, as it presents the results of investigations concerning the matter of how the use of guns influences modern American society. With the help of this book, the reader can learn more about the burning issues about guns and Americans’ attitude to guns and comprehend why so many debates take place around the theme of gun control. Tonry, Michael. The Oxford Handbook of Crime and Public Policy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. In this book, the reader learns more about criminal justice and control policy of crimes. With the help of this secondary source, the reader gets an opportunity to analyze the essence of crime and its outcomes.The fresh perspective, used in this source, allows the reader to get a clear picture concerning the numerous theories about crime and proper justice, why crimes happen and which efforts have to be taken at first in order to prevent these crimes in future.

ESSAY: Innovation Of The Workplace Problem Solution Essay Innovation of the workplace to promote sustainable and productive growth Conflicts arise because people lack immediate clarifications to problems that require solutions. Unlike most of us who are evaders and do not feel comfortable dealing with problems, the organization has problem solving procedures such as rules that make the workplace more user-friendly or conflict-friendly. Conflicts occur every now and then and people ought to consider then as opportunities for improving relationships and systems. They provide the information or the chance to come up with solutions such as rules or regulations that overcome any future possibilities of similar circumstances. In line with Hansen, (2009) the biggest mistake people make is to have the predisposition of coming up with solutions over conflicts immediately other than availing time for better understanding and thus stronger solutions. The first step to solving conflicts is to understand that today; the customer needs the sole power over choice of service and goods. The rule ought to support sustainable productive economic growth. Considering that, the Sprint Store determines the employees’ progress towards achieving certain goals by analysing the total sales, the income produce per employee or their dues ought to be equivalent to the product of labour productivity, intensity and customer satisfaction. The second rule should control the labour productivity. One of the major catalysts for revenue in a company is group work. Considering that the employees of Sprint Store work as a duo, the company should invest the human capital in the same setting by letting the total sales be equitable to both thus the extra remuneration divides equally among them. The aim of the company is to improve performance and reach the targeted sales. The rules and regulations ought to enhance the chances for technological development and promote new modes in the workplace operations. Working as group boosts the knowledge intensity of the workers and production of technological developments. The third rule would entail the source of the economical growth. For such a setting as the Sprint Store, the labour intensity should equate to the product of hours worked by every employee and the share of the employment within the group setting. This ensures that the employee is responsible of their individual performance and that of their group. Under this criterion, the management can still easily know the laxity of one member. This means that the management is in a position to know the productivity of a group and that of an individual and determine who does not fit on a certain group setting. This third recommendation raises the question of one member taking over the other by serving all the customers. A rule or regulation requiring management to perform an analysis of the customers’ response towards services nullifies fears of segregation since no sales man would be in a position of serving all the customers with the aim of denying the counterpart a chance, without messing on delivery. A good sales firm must provide the customers with simple questioners to help in such analysis. Lastly, it is important to value the Quality of the work life by analyzing productivity. In most companies, the relationship between productivity and quality of the working life is a zero rated relationship. The overall sales goals ought to be enhancement of technology for instance upgrading the workplace operations. The shortcoming of the current workforces for instance the conflicts over interests as experienced in the Sprint Store are solvable through ensuring improved operations over the relationship between the labour productivity and quality of the work life. The ultimate recommendation that company should make has to promote the developmental role of the social partners. According to Hansen, (2009) major policy issues are today turning to be heated managerial debates in majority of the companies concerning promotion of innovation. The policies should also encourage individual level decision-making capabilities that relate to development of the workplace. A good sales person has the ability to change personal decision based on the thought of the customer. The choices enable one to not necessary win over everyone or everything but the self-respect that is often over looked by others. (Hansen, 2009) References Hansen, J. (2009, November 15). Sales Tips – 5 Rules of Improve For Sales Success . Retrieved from https://ezinearticles.com/?Sales-Tips—5-Rules-of-Improv-For-Sales-Success&id=3270963

ESSAY: HR Department and Employee Relations Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Employee’s relation 3. Interview findings 4. Comparison with expectations 5. Conclusion 6. Works Cited Introduction The human resource department is one of the most important and fundamental department in any organization. This is because it oversees the work and the welfare of the organization’s most important resource, its workers. In essence, the employees of any organization are the most important resource an organization can have (Bass 25). Most research that has been done since the inception of industrialization has shown the need to invest in a department that manages the human resource (Davis12). The human resource is further subdivided into several departments that deal with different issues in the human management department. Such departments include; employee relations, benefits, compensation, recruitment and organization development among others depending on the organization. These resourcing departments work jointly within the organization in order to ensure employee satisfaction. Workers satisfaction consequently increases the rate of production of the company in general. Psychologically, it has been proved that human beings should be handled with respect and treated fairly in order to ensure that they work optimally and deliver their services even beyond the expectation of the employer (Lawrence 55). If an organization is insensitive to its employees, the rate of production and the overall performance of the company will be adversely affected in the long run. In essence, such organizations don’t last in the market especially considering the ever increasing competition from other firms that invest in its workers (Hurley 43). This paper is therefore going to concentrate in one area of the human resource department which is employee relations. In order to ensure a complete view of the whole resourcing department in general, an interview with one of the resourcing manager in this field was conducted. The objective of the interview was to establish the path that this individual had followed to achieve the current position and probably the responsibilities that surrounds his/her career. These responsibilities are essentially the challenges that the individual has encountered in the path of ensuring that the working conditions of within the organization are suitable and conducive for human development. Employee’s relation Employee relation is one of the major and important departments in the human resource department. It deals with various aspects that entail the daily requirements imperative for the company’s workers to work optimally (Lillian 121). Some of the responsibilities of the employee relation include; enhancing quality and efficiency of all workers in the organization, establishing and maintaining positive relationship between the management and the employees of an organization, handling conflicts and their root causes in the organization and providing equitable and fair services to all employees of an organization among others (Wurgler 590). The interview process that was carried out aimed to establish several facts that surround these responsibilities of the human resource department in employee relation. The objective of the process was thus to link theoretical aspect employed in employee relation and the field experience from a person who has practised in an organization. The relevant questions asked in the research process were as attached in the appendix of the paper. Interview findings The interview was carried out on phone, the person that was chosen for the interview process works for Boise State University in Idaho and her name is Victoria. She was chosen because of her role as an employee relation careers in the University and of course as a result of her collaboration to sacrifice some time for the process. The findings of the interview process as carried out according to the attached questions yielded the following results; Victoria had worked in the department of Human resource for a decade and five years in the employee relation section of the human resource department. According to her, she was has the passion to join the human resource department because of her perspective on the need to psychologically enhance the production of human beings through simple and effective ways of human psychology. She appreciates overseeing challenges that are inevitable in today’s working condition. She achieves quality and efficiency of the employees in the institution by enhancing their ego through proper compensation plan and bonuses for exceptional work in the organization. According to Victoria, positive relationship between the management and the employees is enhanced through frequent meetings and sustainable communication within the institution. Concerning the sensitive issue of conflict management and resolution, Victoria ensures that any conflicts that arise in the organization are handled immediately and the root cause of the conflict established. She further ensures that the process is fair and transparent, a situation that leads to a win/win among the conflicting parties. If the problem escalates and is beyond the control of the institution, she supports the legal process of the country’s judicial system. In order to ensure that justice and fairness is upheld within the institution, she also ensures that employees within the same rank earn equivalent salaries and bonuses, the rise in job groups also goes with addition of certain percentage in the income of the individual. Lastly Victoria ensures that there is a fruitful feedback and appropriate recommendation for the institutions employees a factor that promotes their unity and efficiency. Comparison with expectations Based on research and scientific findings (Simon 22), there is need to enhance employees efficiency and care through alignment of the resourcing departments of the organization. As evident in the findings of this research process, the human resource management of Boise State University in Idaho ensures that this is done. Victoria evidently relays of theoretical training of compensation plan and the need to motivate employees through a well organized and structured platform. Such platform and compensation plan improves the psychological and ego of the employees (Hartman 33), they feel important and appreciated. Boise State University through Victoria and the entire resourcing department have management to maintain a low employee turnover. The sensitive issues of conflict resolution and establishment of the root cause of the problem is well managed in the organization with the help of Victoria, a win/win situation is always created in the institution a factor that is supported theoretically(Lukoff 51). Bell (6) supports the idea of allowing then country’s judicial system to take over matters that are beyond the organization through provision of support by the institution. This is evident in the Boise State University through the help and collaboration of Victoria among other members of the resourcing department in the institution. Considering that an institution should have a well planned and management feedback system (Bass 23), the feedback from the employees of an organization provides the management an idea of the activities and specifically the mindset of the company’s employees at any time. This is an important consideration in an organization that will ensure that there is a minimal if no employee turnover. Boise State University has succeeded in doing so because of the resourcing management professionalism and efficiency spearheaded by Victoria. According to studies and researcher that have been conducted over time, it is clear that employees need to be treated and handled in a human manner in order for them to deliver adequately. Conclusion There is clear evidence provided by the interview process and the theoretical research process that there exist positive relationships between these two factors. Importantly therefore, there is need to maintain a positive relationship between the management or the employer and the company’s employees. This relationship boosts the performance of the company considerably. Ethics also necessitates the need for a balanced working condition among workers. The compensation scheme set by the company’s management should thus promote the efficiency of the employees by being fair and balanced. As evident from both the theory and interview process, it is important to ensure a balanced conflict management and possible resolutions. In cases that exceed the organization, the judicial system should be supported in its efforts to practise judgement over the issue. Lastly, the feedback from the employees is important in ensuring that the expectations and the view of the employees on various issues of the organization are known to the management of the institution. This will aid in reducing the number of employee turnover in the organization and instead improve the company’s productivity and efficiency. Works Cited Bass B and Bass, R. The Bass handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial applications. New York: Free Press. 2008. P 23-34. Bell, Gordon C and Allen N. Human Resource management . New York: McGraw- Hill Book Company, 2004.P.1-7. Davis and Martin . Human Resource Organizational Management . New York: Norton & Company Inc, 2000.P.12-13. Hartman and Laura. Perspectives in Business Ethics . Burr Ridge, IL: McGraw- Hill, 2004. P 23-35. Hurley, Robert F, et al. “Innovation, Market Orientation, and Organizational learning: An Integration and Empirical Examination”. Journal of marketing 6.2 (1998): 42-45. Lawrence, E. Harrison. Culture matters: how values shape human progress. Basic Books, 2002.P 52-56. Lillian Margaret and Simms Sylvia The professional practice of management administration‎ . Cambridge UP, 2004. P.121. Lukoff, Herman. Employee Relation Improvement . Mexico: Robotics Press, 2003.P 45-67. Simon and Herbert. Administrative Behaviour: A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Administrative Organizations. Cambridge: The Free Press. 2003. P 21-34. Wurgler J, Zhuravskaya. “Does the organizational behavior affects the culture?”. Journal of Business 7.5 (2002):583−608.

ESSAY: Investigation of One of the States of the United States. -Iowa Descriptive Essay Tables of contents The report is about the state of Iowa in the United States of America, its altitude, originality and also its climate and effect to human beings. It also focuses on the political state and development together with its economic activities and their contribution to the state. The education system is furthermore discussed together with its growth and entertainment or recreation grounds and the cost of sustaining them. In addition it addresses the natural resources and their effects to the state. The state of Iowa is found in Midwestern United States. On its east is the Mississippi River while on the west is the Big Sioux River and the Missouri River. It is found on latitude; 43 degrees,23 minutes to 43degrees, 30minutes north and latitude; 90degrees, 8minutes to 96degrees, 38minutes west (Whittaker 90). Earlier on, it was part of French colony, but as a result of European exploration the settlers established their settlements and started agriculture in the Corn Belt. As the population increased in into Iowa, people began to consider having a state government, which would have elected officials. In 1840 and 1842 referendums were conducted to decide whether Iowa should become a state but both failed. But in 1844, people finally agreed to form a state and officers were chosen to draw up a constitution of the state to show its boundaries, the officers to be in office and legislations will be made. The delegates drew up the boundaries and presented this to the Congress. Iowa was admitted as a state to the Union in 1846 as the 29th state. Iowa State has been involved in wars and conflicts with its neighboring states in the past severally. The first war occurred in 1812 against the British supported by the Sauk and Ho-Chunk tribes who were against the building of the Ford Madison tower that had been built by the U.S. to control trade and establish their dominance over the state. “The U.S. was overpowered and as a way of re-establishing their control they constructed Fort Armstrong, Fort Snelling in Minnesota and Fort Atkinson at Nebraska. With this various trading points constructed, a lot of pressure was put on the Indians who were to move to other parts not dominated by the U.S.” (Alex, 78) Alex (94) further notes “a treaty thereafter that was signed between William H. Harrison and Quashquame was disputed what led to the Black Hawk War of 1832 as it has placed a bigger part of the Illinois under the U.S. territory.” It led to removal of all the Indians in Iowa State by the year 1846 that included the Sauk and the Meskwaki although they later returned and occupied parts of Tama where they stay to date. This led to the migration of some of the American settlers who had come and settled. Another war erupted in 1861-1865 known as the cold war as a result of Abraham Lincoln’s policy of preserving the Union whereby the Iowa State voted for him. Although they did not participate directly in the war, they supplied food and other amenities to the armies and also contributed a large contingent of men as soldier. This caused conflicts with its neighbors as they were involved in the war indirectly. Agriculture is the main economic activity in the Iowa climate and covers approximately sixty percent of the land. Some of the main crops that are grown include corn, hogs, soya beans, and oats which contribute greatly to the gross domestic product of the state’s economy. Consequently, the growing of these crops has led to the establishment of manufacturing and processing industries like the Archer Daniels Midland and Garst Seed Company that process and produce final products. The state is characterized by humid continental climate and basically has hot summers, cold winters, and wet springs. The most severe season is spring with a number of thunderstorms per year. Animal life is altered during this season as tornadoes are usually common during spring and summer months result in the deaths of several people. Summer seasons are usually hot and humid with temperatures ranging between 32degrees to 38 degrees Celsius during the day. Winters temperature drop below freezing point and the state is very cold during this season. Natural disasters include; “tornadoes (around 46 a year), snowfall (seasonal 32 inches) & flooding (45-65 thunderstorms per year) and precipitation per year average around 34 inches.” The agriculture industry has really helped Iowa directly or indirectly. Iowa is an agricultural state and this industry contributes greatly to the gross national product thus boosting the state’s economy. “The direct production and sale of raw agricultural products contributes approximately 3.5 percent of its gross state product. The indirect role of agriculture in Iowa’s economy can be measured in various ways, but its total impact, including agriculture-affiliated business, has been measured at 16.4 percent in terms of value added and 24.3 percent in terms of total output” (Alex 154). Destinations in Iowa I would like to go: 1. Mid America Museum of Aviation & Transportation: “is located at 2600 Expedition Court on the N.E. corner of Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City IA. On display are classic cars, turn of the century horsedrawn road grader, a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk salvaged from the Florida Everglades, and classic emergency vehicles among others. The museum is open daily except Wednesday with admission fee of $6.00 for adult, $5.00 for seniors and active military and $3.00 for students age 5-14.” 2. The Registered Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa: it is a sporting event held in this state and attracts many participants and also markets farmers. These activities are normally held during warmer months when the weather is favorable to the competitors however, the cost of organizing the events is usually expensive that’s why they are held occasionally. The state has various sport teams in various disciplines that include Iowa State University and University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa, and Drake University that are all college teams and compete in all sports in Division 1. Stadiums have been built where the games are played and a small fee charged for one attending the games. Natural resources like forests have harbored wild animals which act as tourist attraction sites although with the expanding agriculture, most of it has been destroyed (Schwieder et al, 56). The current population of the state stands at 3,002,555 that denote an increase from the previous census. Its capital city is Des Moines which resides majority of the population which has a stable economy. Its revenue is collected from taxes imposed on citizens plus the proceeds from farming. Iowa State has an advanced system of education with several colleges established, both private and public and they include Iowa State University, Ames and Buena Vista University, Storm Lake which are mostly concerned with research work. The board that oversees their operation is appointed by the governor from among volunteers. All these colleges cater for people with different special needs and the two state universities are among the Association of America Universities and are mainly research institutions. Illustrations Locating of Iowa on the US map Monthly Normal Temperatures For Various Iowa Cities (°F) City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Davenport [32] 30/13 36/19 48/29 61/41 72/52 81/63 85/68 83/66 76/57 65/45 48/32 35/20 Des Moines 29/12 35/18 48/29 61/40 72/51 82/61 86/66 84/64 76/54 64/42 47/29 33/17 Dubuque 25/9 31/15 43/26 57/38 69/49 79/58 82/62 80/60 72/52 60/40 44/28 30/15 Sioux City 29/8 35/15 47/26 62/37 73/49 82/58 86/63 84/61 76/50 64/38 45/25 32/13 Waterloo 26/6 32/13 45/25 60/36 72/48 82/58 85/62 83/60 75/50 62/38 45/25 31/12 Works Cited Alex, Lynn M. Iowa’s Archaeological Past . University of Iowa Press, Iowa City: 2000. Print. Schwieder, Elmer and Schwieder Dorothy. A Peculiar People: Iowa’s Old Order Amish. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City: 2009. Print. Whittaker, William E. (editor) Frontier Forts of Iowa: Indians, Traders, and Soldiers, 1682–1862 . Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. 2009. Print

ESSAY: Issue Analysis: Pro-social Behavior Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. Summary 4. Evaluation 5. Opinion and Conclusion 6. Reference Abstract Cultural and religious beliefs have been known to greatly influence the development of virtues embraced by different societies in the world. Social psychologists and philosophers have tried to offer explanations of some behaviors. Of much interest among the researchers is the need to understand the motivations that drive people help others. Contrasting opinions of whether there is true altruism among people have been advanced. Experiments have been designed to investigate and provide empirical explanations of the various perspectives. The research paper provides a summary of what some social psychologists believe concerning the existence of true altruism. The various arguments are evaluated from a personal point of view and the side with which I agree is also presented. It is concluded that extensive research needs to be conducted to establish whether people actually help others for altruistic reasons. Issue Analysis: Pro-social Behavior Introduction Different virtues are taught and encouraged in almost all cultures and religions in the world. Some of these virtues may be peculiar to some cultures while some may have some similarity. In most cases some of the virtues influence the relationships that exist among people in a given society, for instance the treatment of the less fortunate in the society (Palmer, 2009). Psychologists, sociologists and philosophers have conducted various studies to find out and explain the motivation behind the exercise of some of the virtues by different people. Research has found that there are varied opinions and beliefs concerning the motivations which push an individual to behave the way he or she does towards other persons (Davis, 2008). Altruism as a concept, for example, has elicited varied perspectives as far as its existence and exercise in real life is concerned. In its general sense, altruism refers to the selfless concern for the welfare of other people; the unconditional giving to others, for instance the giving of alms to the poor. This research paper provides a summary of what some people believe concerning the existence of true altruism. The various arguments are evaluated from a personal point of view and the side with which I agree is also presented. Summary A number of individuals in different fields of specialization have made attempts to explore the existence of true altruism in ordinary life. Researchers in the fields of philosophy, sociology, psychology, and religion have come up their explanations concerning this issue. Some of them have concluded that true altruism does exist while others have refuted the claim that true altruism exist. According to a study by Daniel Batson and his colleagues, true altruism exists in some instances when people help others (Fiske, 2010). From their social psychologist’s perspective, they were convinced that some individuals help others for purely altruistic reasons. From the study findings, Batson argues that empathy is the major motivator of altruistic tendencies among some people. He provides experimental procedures and outcomes to put his point across. On the other hand, another group of social psychologists led by Robert Cialdini are strongly opposed to the belief that empathy is the major motivator for altruistic behavior. They argue that no single individual helps another out of genuine concern for the person but for their own egoistic satisfaction (Fiske, 2010). They perceive helping as purely motivated by the need to feel better and not for the good of the one being assisted (Davis, 2008). The approach they used to study helping behavior is referred to as Negative State Relief Model. Evaluation The major questions at the center of these two opposing views as far as helping behavior is concerned are crucial to the understanding of altruism. Researchers seek to find out whether people can actually behave selflessly and whether there are other factors of motivation for helping behavior other than selfish concern for oneself. Those who argue that there is no true altruism among people have some convincing explanations of helping behavior (Palmer, 2009). When people help, in their opinion, it is not because they are concerned about the welfare of others but for their own satisfaction (Davis, 2008). When a person helps another, there is more likelihood that the person will feel good for having helped another. This shows that the helping behavior was not genuine but was motivated by other factors other than the concern for the person in need. Even if the act of helping benefits the receiver, it will not be considered truly altruistic since that was not the motivation behind the behavior. These self-centered tendencies/motives are highly cited by those refuting the existence of true altruism. However, those proposing that true altruism exists have advanced their explanations of how they study behavior to investigate the major motivator of helping behavior. These social psychologists argue that people are able to feel for others and hence helping them. The ability to place oneself in the place of the person in need, according to their study findings, motivates an individual to exhibit true altruistic behavior (Fiske, 2010). Despite numerous experiments used by Batson and other social psychologists to explain the existence of true altruism, there is continued debate about this concept to this day. Opinion and Conclusion As much as there are experimental explanations of the existence of altruism, I am not convinced that there is true altruism among human beings. This is because empathy cannot be the only motivator of any given behavior, and particularly helping. I believe there are a number of factors that combine to motivate an individual into behaving in a given manner. In this case, both self-centered motives and some degree of concern for others combine to force a person into helping. This is why I agree with those opposing the existence of helping behavior for purely altruistic reasons. Advanced research approaches should be employed if the opponents of true altruism are to be convinced. Reference Davis, M. H. (2008). Understanding altruism: a social psychological approach (2 nd ed). Westview Press Fiske, S. T. (2010). Social beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology (2nd ed). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Palmer, H. G. (2009). Altruism: its nature and varieties . BiblioBazaar, LLC

ESSAY: Story of Jacob and Esau Essay Isaac, the son of Abraham married Rebecca when he was forty years old and stayed for many years before they were blessed with a child. Isaac prayed to God to bless his wife Rebecca and in deed, God heard their cry because after twenty years, when Jacob was sixty years old, Rebecca became pregnant not just with one child but with twins. Nevertheless, even before the children were born, their mother could feel them fighting and kicking in her womb. When she enquired from God about it, she was told that the two children will be the father of two different nations and the older one will become the servant of the younger. During their birth, the bible records that the first child to be born was a boy, covered with hair and was red in color. The parents named him Esau in relation to the red color. The second born boy was born holding the heel of other and was named Jacob meaning a cheat ( The Holy Bible, Genesis 27. 34-36). This essay shall focus on the story of Jacob and Esau laying more emphasis on the major events that characterizes their life as well as their contradicting characters. As much as the two boy boys were twins, they ended up developing two different character traits. Esau took after his father and developed to become a skillful hunter who loved to eat the world game. On the contrary, Jacob loved to stay indoors and as a result, he learnt to cook and to do other household chores. As a result, Esau was loved by his father Isaac while Jacob was much loved by his mother Rebecca. One day Esau came back home from his hunting trips hungry for he had not been very successful. Coincidentally, Jacob had just made a hot steaming stew and it was impossible for Esau to resist the sweet aroma. Nevertheless, Jacob being the clever one offered his brother a bowl of soup but it was in exchange of his birth right (White). Giving away the birth right may have seemed as a big joke but little did Esau know that it would come to pass. When Isaac was old and ready to die, he called his son Esau and told him to prepare a meal so that he would bless him. Unfortunately, his wife Rebecca overheard the conversation and since he loved Jacob more, he advised his beloved son to lie to his father that he was Esau. Isaac was already blind and could not see and therefore, Jacob prepared a good meal, used hide skins, and presented a delicious meal his father. When Isaac touched him to verify whether it was Esau, he felt the fur and believed that it was his hairy son Esau. He ate the meal and blessed Jacob instead of Esau. Esau came back from hunting ready to prepare his father a meal but it was too late. The father had blessed Jacob with all the blessings that belonged to a first born and there was no blessing left for Esau. Jacob had succeeded lying to his father but all in all, he had to face the consequences of his sins since great enmity developed between the twins. Since Esau had married Canaanite women who were troublesome, Rebecca advised Isaac to send Isaac away to Haran where her brother lived so that he could look for a better wife. Jacob therefore headed to Haran where he was able to work for his uncle for about twenty one years and in return he got two wives, Leah and Rachael as well as with flock. His wives bore him twelve sons representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob then set out to his motherland and since he feared that his brother might be angry with him and kill him together with his household, he prayed to God that they may be protected and then decided to make peace with his brother. He divided his belongings in to two and sent his servants with the gifts to his brother. The same night God appeared to him and he wrestled with him till dawn. However, God blessed him and changed his name from Jacob to Israel meaning ‘I have wrestled with God.’ Esau did not only forgive his brother but, was too glad to meet him after a long time. Although their life from the very beginning was characterized by conflicts, they reconciled and live normally though Jacob paid dearly for his sins. Works Cited The Holy Bible: King James Version . Iowa Falls, IA: World Bible Publishers, 2001. Print. White, Ellen G. Jacob and Esau. 1974. Web.

ESSAY: The Japanese Culture of Ukiyo-e and Ikebana Report Japanese culture is probably one of the most robust cultures of the entire history of human civilization. There are authorities that have surmised that this robust culture is among the greatest contributors to the way Japanese economy is seen. Japanese economy is among the most developed in the 21 st economic dispensation and this has been attributed to the conservative culture that has described the Japanese historical lineage. Among these authorities are those who point to the fact that Japanese culture can be traced from as early as from the antediluvian times of the Jōmon period to the current times where it is considered to comprise of shades borrowed from the Asian, North American and European cultures. This culture is further considered eccentric from the way it can be observed that in its history, there was some sort of isolation from the rest of its world during what was called the Tokugawa Shogunate straight to the times that are referred to as ‘ The arrival of the Black Ships’ otherwise called the Meiji Period. This essay considers some of these authorities that have given incredible insights concerning the Japanese Culture and discusses their perceptions regarding the same. The book that is going to be considered for this write-up is J. Thomas Rimer’s and Van C. Gessel’s, The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, Vol. 1: From Restoration to Occupation, which is an anthology that has different authorities talking about different areas of Japanese Culture and the way it has evolved over time. One of the authorities that I will consider first is Mori Ôgai, the author of The Dancing Girl , who was a Japanese translator, physician, poet and novelist of renowned reputation among his contemporaries. In his book, Mori greatly concentrates on the Meiji period where he wrote critiques that were based on the Karl von Hartmann aesthetic theories. He talks about a channel of Japanese culture that was reserved to the traditional ways of livelihood where the natives heavily dependent on the peculiarities of their culture such as language and artistic work. As an artistic literati, Mori in The Dancing Girl talks about artistic works that are peculiarly specified for the Japanese women that has differentiated them from women from other cultures. This, he achieves by using the girl in the story to who also posses as the main character to discuss his theme. Two areas of the Japanese culture that Mori talks about is Ukiyo-e and Ikebana which are Japanese words that are common to the pre-Meiji artistic works of the Japanese people. Ukiyo-e is a collection of pictures of a ‘floating world’ which are used by the girl in his book to make her outstanding and unique among her contemporaries. The other area that he talks about is the arrangement of flowers which is another area that characterizes Japanese culture. So common is the use of Ikebana among the Japanese natives that it has remained an identity for their culture over time. Natsume Sôseki, in his article The Civilization of Modern-Day Japan’ & ‘My Individualism’ majors on the history of the Japanese governance and human rights activism which is another area of Japanese livelihood that is of great interest to scholars interested in studying this great culture. He discusses the instances of revolts of ordinary people that struggled so much for the freedom of their state in some instances risking their lives. These are the tenets of the Japanese culture that according to him have made this culture such a wonder for many scholars that have been fascinated by its development and establishment over time. Continued struggle for freedom through activism, human rights proponents and such advocates for human freedoms have greatly characterized Sôseki’s work. A term he uses to further this surmise is Nihonjinron which can loosely be translated to mean ‘theories about the Japanese People’ and does so by further discussing issues to do with Japanese sociology, linguistics, psychology and science; tenets that have all along characterized the Japanese Culture . In the same volume The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, Vol. 1: From Restoration to Occupation, Kunikida Doppo talks about Japanese culture as regards its development in a material sense in his article dubbed, Meat and Potatoes . He begins by first surmising that Japan is among the highest in the whole world in terms of the Rational-Secular Values when it comes to the way the natives express themselves with their possessions and artistic work. It is his contention that the Japanese culture is greatly predicated on the conservativeness of its foods, artistic work, among other identifiers he talks about. He further talks about Japanese culinary past where he talks about the robust and refined cuisine that has been with this culture from its inception in the early ages of their development. This culture in Doppo’s eyes is so eccentric that it has been taken up by Western cultures like in the US, Europe where dishes such as tempura, sushi and teriyaki are commonly prepared and enjoyed by these foreign locals. One of the reasons that he gives explaining the probable reason as to why these dishes are opted for by exotic people is the way the diet is associated with the longevity of the people of Japan both in their cultures and livelihoods. In addition to these areas of Japanese culture that are discussed by these different authorities, anthology also talks about specific areas of the culture that are also just as important pointers to their uniqueness. One of these areas of interest is Japanese clothing. This is an area that is probably the most outstanding identifier that makes it so distinctive. From time immemorial, Japanese people have had distinctive clothing that are respective to both men and women separately and there are no garments that are shared by both sexes. Some of these native clothing are kimono, naga-gi which are special clothes that are worn by Japanese natives on special occasions. There are further peculiarities with this culture that may be considered complex and difficult for non-Japanese natives to distinguish. An example here is the Tomesode (which is a kimono that is worn by a woman who is married whereas Furisode is one that is worn by women who are not married. The difference between these garments is very slight; in fact, Mori jokes about it by saying that ‘it is easier to differentiate mansion and a bungalow than it is to differentiate these Japanese garments’. In a word, The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, Vol. 1: From Restoration to Occupation is a great collection of literary works by different authorities on Japanese culture and it is among the best anthologies that make the volume a great read. In addition to these sentiments, it is overtly clear in the volume of the central role that the Japanese culture plaid in the shaping of the livelihood of the people and the entire country’s developmental areas. Viewed in another way, the Japanese society is one that can be considered a closely-knit unit that makes it fabric that has enviable moral code, robust economic culture and superb national heritage. It is in this view therefore that the said authors that have been discussed herein unanimously point to the fact that Japanese culture is one that stands out among the cultures of the East and Central Asia in their its eccentric moral fabric that is favourable for economic development.

ESSAY: Sexual Slavery and Prostitution During WWII and US Occupation in Japan Report Mr. ToshiYuki Tanaka is a professor, currently attached to the Hiroshima Peace Institute. He is the sole author of five titles, all of which are related to wars of the past and crimes against persons committed during the time. He has made editorial contributions to three books, performing translations for two others. It is noteworthy that all these titles are focused on combats and crimes perpetrated in that duration. It should not be forgotten that he has authored electronic publications, book reviews, article critiques and articles in books, all these in addition to giving lectures, in Chicago and Australian universities. This wealth of experience bestows the right credentials on him to handle the subject objectively. He interrogates the genesis of a disjuncture involving moral identity and human response, by arguing that none of the servicemen, both Japanese and foreign received instructions to avail themselves at these bureaus (Tanaka 4). He begins this explanation with the story of a woman who was gang raped by members of the force. She took twelve men in an instant, before a thirty minute break was quickly succeeded by another twelve. She further informs that this was the inclination for her and six other ladies in adjacent rooms (Tanaka 1). During the discourse, personal hygiene was not prioritized, since the unbearable pain could not allow most of the ladies to move their bodies. They also had painstaking schedules, which ensured they were occupied throughout the day up to tardy hours in the late afternoon. He vividly reports of the horrors abused women had to contend with, including abortions, venereal diseases and stigma. He also contends clear of all uncertainty that instances of abuse to civilians prevailed in spite of the availability of these comfort houses ( ianjo ), whose existence was sanctioned by senior officials (Tanaka 24). Questionable methods were employed during the recruitment of ladies to serve in the facilities. Although they were examined on regular occasions for venereal infections, it was challenging to reign in on servicemen and influence them to make use of protective gear during such encounters. A different aspect of the discourse saw successive Japanese regimes try their best to suppress information on this episode of their history. Cites his frustration by the volumes of classified documents he encountered in the course of his research. Tanaka attempts to distance himself from the school of thought denying the existence of institutions perpetrating the advancement of comfort women. He also abstains from tasking the existent regime with culpability for the same, although, it should be noted that he does not explicitly state his chosen viewpoint on the said matter (Tanaka, 120). His attempts to explain the stillness of the global community against these atrocities are evident in the latter sections of the volume. He accurately notes that oversees nations and humanitarian organizations have been conspicuously silent, a factor he interprets as their approval of the happenings. He rightfully points to the lack of edicts against similar happenings, but informs of a decree against forced labor which is what those in positions of power propagated (Tanaka 30). The paucity of legal aspects into the same qualifies this work to be an interrogation into the factors that made the allied nations abandons the war crimes committed. He supports this argument by citing evidence of school going children recruited as volunteers who later ended up as console women after they were orphaned or disillusioned in life (Tanaka 129). Tanaka cites credible evidence by word of mouth from multitudes of ladies who were raped by the forces, but admits to the lack of documented versions of the same (Tanaka 110). He further cites county records, which revealed, daily instances of rape by allied officers (Tanaka 117). In other instances, the management of the associated forces proved they expected similar handling for their troops, although, they did not ask for the favors explicitly. He cites this as the main reason why the global society failed to kick off prosecution. It should be noted that these revelations prove his work is not an attempted act of contrition to the victims and their families, neither is it an attempt to rationalize the irresponsible actions of the servicemen (Tanaka, 6). Summarily, he holds Japanese servicemen and all other allied forces during the confrontation, in addition to health officers and the armed forces hierarchy liable for these occurrences (Tanaka 165). The main strength of the book is Mr. Tanaka’s neutrality. It is a milestone worth mentioning, considering he is Japanese, and the story highlights crimes committed by his nation’s army. He takes a swipe at the international community for their role in the saga, albeit within acceptable bounds. He also avoids trivializing the issues in the course of the narrative. All in all, the fact that he approaches and dissects such a difficult and sensitive topic without fear or bias is another outstanding strength of the publication. The lack of material concerning the milestones achieved by human rights advocates after the Second World War disqualifies the term crimes against humanities as used in this story. He also ignores overlooks literature with options that could be pursued, especially by the international community with regards to this matter. Work Cited Tanaka, Toshiyuki. Japan’s comfort women: sexual slavery and prostitution during World War II and the US occupation . New York: Rutledge Publishers, 2002, 1-165

ESSAY: Journal Entry, Hermaphrodite or Intersex Essay Socialization, as an important aspect of personality formation, enables one to acquire the behaviors, beliefs, and accumulated knowledge of the society. For hermaphrodites or intersex individuals, fitting into the society is usually a difficult task. These individuals have both the male and female sex chromosomes. Therefore, they are not easily distinguishable as either male or female. On looking at the mirror, it is straightforward that we are either male or female; however, there are individuals waling around each day who have the same physical features like us but are hermaphrodites from birth. Intersex people, who do not have a clear-cut difference of their sex, have to live a life of pain and uncertainty as they try to find their right place in the society. Because of this, some of them feel ashamed and hide their real identity to people. Currently, there are thousands of people born with this condition who need our help to be regarded as part of the society. If I found out that one of my family members or close associates is a hermaphrodite or intersex, I would recognize him or her as a fellow human being who is capable of feelings and worthy of respect. I mean it is not right for me to regard the fellow as an outcast simply because s/he is neither a man nor a woman. The society has been shying off from discussing this subject. Most families prefer to keep it a secret when one of their members is suffering from this condition. But one thing is for sure, as much as I can be compelled by my other family members or close associates to keep it a secret, I won’t shy off from sharing with other people on how I can assist him/her so that s/he can not feel left behind in the cultural consciousness. This is because understanding the condition is crucial when one wants to accept them. Moreover, it would remove any fears that I might be having about the hermaphrodites. In the article, The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female and Are Not Enough published in 1983, Anne Fausto-Sterling lays out her vision of sexual multiplicity composed of five different sexes: male, female, merm, ferm, and herm. By her definition, she calls the male pseudohermaphrodites, who have testes and some elements of the female reproductive system, the “merms.” The female pseudohermaphrodites, who have ovaries and some elements of the male reproductive system, she refers to as the “ferms.” And lastly, the “herms” are the true hermaphrodites having a mixture of male and female attributes. She proposes that the three subcategories among “intersex” deserve to be regarded as additional sexes besides male and female since they posses varied characteristics and their inner lives have not been explored by science. This article has failed to affect the view I have about intersex people. This is because she seems not to be considering the interests of intersexual people. The so-called “five sexes” theory fails to assist individuals with intersex conditions since it is not only confusing, but also exoticizes and sensationalizes such individuals. The use of such discrete categories to describe the three subcategories of intersex is very artificial and do not mean anything to the well-being of an individual suffering from such a condition.

ESSAY: The City of Khor Fakkan: History and Tourism Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. History of Khor Fakkan 3. Tourism of the Khor Fakkan 4. Development of the city 5. List of References Introduction The geographical location of Khor fakkan is in the Emirate of Fujairah. It is situated on the east coast of the Unites Arab Emirates on the Gulf of Oman, but it is actually a remote commune, which is the part of the Emirate of Sharjah. It is particularly a shallow port with oil refineries (Luxury Hotels U.A. Emirates, 2009, Para 1). Khorfakkan, one of the most prominent harbors of the UAE, has an extensive history of human arrangement. A research team from the Sharjah Archaeological Museum has found 34 graves and a settlement that seems to be from the period of the early-mid second millennium BC. These are collected on rock protrusions ignoring the harbor (A Walk Through Time, Para 1). History of Khor Fakkan During 1950 a Venetian jeweler Gasparo Balbi observed ‘Chorf’ in some places on the east coast of the UAE, which was called Khor fakkan later. A fort was built by Portuguese at Khor Fakkan but during 1666 it was reduced to rubble. The logbook of the Dutch vessel called as Meerkat talks about this fort and another fort. The book also discusses about ‘Gorfacan’, a place situated on a small bay, which consisted of almost two hundred small houses made of date branches in close proximity to the beach. There is the description about a triangular Portuguese fortress on the Northern side, whose bleak ruins can be observed. It also describes about another fortress on the Southern side of the bay, which has no garrison or artillery on it. This fort is also in ruins. This place has an attractive valley with large number of date trees and fig trees. The wines of melon and watermelon can also be seen there. This vegetation has lots of fresh water wells also which are used for irrigation (A Walk Through Time, Para 2). An Omani Sheikh Mohammad Sohari who was the commander of the Persian navy invaded Khor Fakkan. This can be considered the main reason for the for the ruin condition of the forts of Khor Fakkan. Sheikh Mohammad Sohari mainly invaded the East Coast in 1623, which is now the Emirates. He faced a Portuguese counter attack and pulled out the Portuguese forts, which includes Khor Fakkan. When the Persians were pushed out, the Portuguese commander Ruy Freire asked for the loyalty of people of Khor Fakkan for the Portuguese crown. He also settled a Portuguese custom office. In 1737 after expelling Portuguese from Arabia, the Persians again attacked Khor Fakkan that happened with the help of the Dutch during their involvement in the Omani Civil War (A Walk Through Time, Para 3). According to a Carsten Niebuhr, a German Traveler during 1765 Khor Fakkan belonged to a Sheikh of the Qawasim (A Walk Through Time, Para 3). Archaeology of the Khor Fakkan: in the mountains of Khor Fakkan Rifaisa dam is a place of worth watching. It is said that this dam is built over a village and when the water is at a standstill, one can see the tops of the old houses of the village (Luxury Hotels U.A. Emirates, 2009, Para 7). Tourism of the Khor Fakkan Khor Fakkan is a very famous tourism spot. It has big mountain ranges and attractive beaches. It has a very famous hotel named Oceanic. It has coral projections, which is good for diving and snorkeling. Here the tourism is little affected due to the ban on alcohol in Sharjah. There are different kinds of souq like fish, vegetable and fruit, which are situated at the Southern end of the corniche. Al Wurrayah falls is an attractive place to see that is accessible by four-wheel drive that is at the north of the Oceanic hotel and 4.5 km away from it (Luxury Hotels U.A. Emirates, 2009, Para 1). While approaching Khor Fakkan one passes through the first social housing Dhadnah and the Sandy Beach Motel, then a mosque can be seen that is an adjacent cemetery from the period of the Islamization decline, then one reaches Bidyah where a historical mosque is situated. It is thirty-six km away from the South of Diba that is the wide bay of the two pine trees. It is Sharjah’s historic harbor that has been once the hub of traffic Dhau to Africa and Asia during 16 th and 17 th century. Basically the Oceanic hotel is the entrance of the city. The hotel is the summer palace of the Emir on the hill. An ancient watchtower here reminds the rule of Portuguese over the city. A belt of broad green beach goes from the hotel to the place where one can see new and architecturally beautiful souq. Many local families enjoy its wide and white beaches and spend their weekend over here. The Oceanic hotel has its own diving station and gives a panoramic view from the rooms and restaurants of the hotel (Survival Kit for Khor Fakkan, 2009, Para 1). While visiting Khor Fakkan it comes to our mind what to eat there and what to see there. There are many restaurants in Khor Fakkan. Shabab Al Khor, Tagg Khor Fakkan, Khor Fakkan Café. One can find varieties of food in Shabab Al Khor like machboos, groos, kabees, chicken biryani, eggs, meat, fish, Harriees, seafood, yogurt, rice, pasta, butter, fruit, vegetable, bread, salad, honey, cheese and sweet. Many kinds of drinks are also available here like tea, coffee, milk, orange juice, fruit juice and grape juice (Khor Fakkan City, Nice places, 2005, Para 2). While visiting Khor Fakkan, one can see many places there as mountains, parks, beaches, remains of fort and old buildings. Rifaisa dam is like a water reserve for the town, which controls the flow of floodwater (Khor Fakkan City, Nice places, 2005, Para 3). Development of the city In Khor Fakkan, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) has finished ninety percent of the work on a gas station. Thais project has been developed in five-kilometer area and has completed its first phase to provide natural gas to the Kalba city people in the Eastern region (Sewa completes 90% gas work in Khor Fakkan City, 2009, Para 1-3). The project has to be inaugurated officially to supply natural gas to the consumers of Kalba city. According to Ibrahim Rashid, SEWA’s Deputy Director General, the natural gas project in Sharjah has been very successful and approximately 132000 consumers at industrial, residential and commercial levels will be benefited with this project. According to him the gas installations network in the city has been expanded in more than 1500 km (Sewa completes 90% gas work in Khor Fakkan City, 2009, Para 4). List of References A Walk Through Time, UAE Interact. Khor Fakkan City, Nice Places, 2005. Sewa completes 90% gas work in Khor Fakkan City, 2009. Survival Kit for Khor Fakkan, 2009. Tripwolf.

ESSAY: “Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times” by Morris Rossabi Essay (Book Review) “Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times” was written by Morris Rossabi focusing on the Song and Yuan dynasties that existed in the Eurasian continent in the early centuries during which the Mongols were the rulers. The author, Morris Rossabi, is a professor at Columbia with a specialty in China and Central Asia history, an author of several articles and has had many expeditions in Central Asia and Mongolia. In this book, Rossabi focuses on a man known as Khubilai Khan who “lived during the height of Mongol power” (Rossabi 1) and was perceived by many writers as a mythical and legendary figure who was able to influence greatly the history of China, parts of Asia, and the Europe as well. Khubilai Khan was born on 23 rd September 1215 (Rossabi 13), and his career ignited the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire in early China. It was during his reign that China witnessed the building of its capital city, Shanghai, and the development of a legal code among other developments. He was brought up by his mother, Ogodei. His wish to become a leader and develop his leadership skills started when he was a ruler of a group of Chinese farmers and rose up the leadership ladder to a Mongol. In all his leadership positions, he adopted a “laizzes-faire” kind of leadership and did not discriminate any class of people (Rossabi 14). Though he was a non-Chinese, he was dependent mostly on the Chinese people who acted as his personal advisors. However, when he was young, it was not easy to manipulate him and his leadership and, due to these facts, we are able to learn that for the Chinese, it did not actually matter where the ruler came from to demonstrate his leadership position and change to Chinese. Numerous discussions and wrangles because of leadership took place between Khan and his step brothers. Khan had an advantage considering his expansion of the rule to Northern China and also had his own advisors from other parts. He was termed as the most “typical Confucian ruler” (Rossabi xii), even if he did not know the Confucian language, still, the people who were close to him were of Chinese origin. Khubilai was portrayed as a ruler whom nobody knew, neither his leadership style nor ideas despite the thirty four years he held the rule. He realized that “a good emperor ought, in Chinese eyes, to be a patron of the country’s culture” (Rossabi 163), so, he tried to do everything to meet the necessary standards. The author reveals that despite his empire being marked with frequent wars, he always put up stimulus programs that were meant to boost the social, economic and political structures of the empire. His main concern was on those of the lower class of whom many were the peasants (Rossabi 120); therefore, he developed agriculture and policies that protected their lands from being grabbed and also promoted farm taxes abolishment. In addition, the artisans or craftsmen enjoyed his protection as they were provided with jewellery at the courts, a fact that led to the growth of merchants. There were many different spheres and activities which were properly developed under the Khan’s ruling. For example, medicine was a highly recognized activity that promoted the development of Imperial Academy of Medicine and was appreciated by the medical representatives from India. It was usually favored by the court, and only pragmatic rulers were able to define its benefits in regard to the development of political relations (Rossabi 125). However, it was not the only activity that made Khan recognizable over the whole world. To gain support from the vast majority of people, Khan pardoned his political enemies and established a law that required one to pay a fine in case it was found that committing an offence was more appropriate than being imprisoned in jail. He faced a lot of resistance from his enemies and personal frustrations until his death at the age of eighty while still in power. Through the book, the reader gains knowledge on the importance of recognizing all classes of people who help Khubilai Khan retain power and stay strong during a certain period of time. As it was mentioned before, the peasants appreciated his activities the most, and this group of people was the major one. Another clear point the author opens to the reader is that leadership wrangles always starts with family members who prefer to make and develop coalitions with enemies in order to fight against the leader and dethrone his within a short time. Control of authority was regarded to be a significant part of the leader’s life, and to improve the relations with different people, Khubilai made numerous attempts to solve different problems in different ways as soon as they appeared (Rossabi 185). In general, the book is considered to be an interesting source of information about Khubilai Khan during the times he was empowered, specially the time when he deployed Chinese people to be his personal advisors yet he did not know any Chinese language, and his weird way of leadership was not clear to every member of society. He was a ruler who operated with his conscience: even those people who were close to him could not guess what he was planning to execute, this is why nobody could manipulate him in any way. Maybe, because of such attitude to the people around and to his duties, this person was defined as the Great Khan (Rossabi 53). Though the book does not provide the reader with a clear view of the backgrounds under which Khan lived; a number of interesting facts and passive information about his family, his way to power, and his readiness to resist everyone around help to grasp the main idea of this great ruler’s life. In spite of the fact that not much attention is paid to the political situation in the country, the reader is able to comprehend what made Khan choose particular steps. So, if the reader is able to evaluate the situation through the eyes of Khan and his relatives, it is possible to define the essence of life that was spread over Eurasia before it disintegrated. Works Cited Rossabi, Morris. Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times . New York: University of California Press, 1990. Print.

ESSAY: LA School Uniforms as Mandatory Attire for All Students Research Paper Introduction The question of wearing a school uniform always bothers many students, teachers, and other members of schools’ staff. Students cannot accept an idea that all of them have to wear the same uniform and have no chance to be distinguished from each other. Teachers cannot comprehend why students have such a negative attitude to this idea, and government is just looking for another way to unite children, offer the similar conditions to all students, and not to provide them with an opportunity to be distinguished in comparison to the others. Sophisticated scholars and writers admit that “a standard school uniform is one way to eliminate the possibility of variation; nobody is in fashion or out of fashion” (Milner 185). However, school is the place, where people study how to behave in different situations, how to communicate with people of different groups, and how to express of tastes and interests; and clothes is one of the most powerful means to demonstrate own imagination, character, and abilities. This is why many students argue about the idea to wear a standard school uniform and cannot come to one and the same conclusion whether it has positive or negative impact on students’ education. On the one hand, school uniforms have to be mandatory in all LA schools in order to make students concentrate on their educative processes, and on the other hand, students may feel a kind of limitation of their rights and freedom; so, the analysis of students ideas, their reaction to the obligation to wear a school uniform that may be distinguished only be genders (female and male uniforms), and the identification of pros and cons of school uniforms should certainly help to clarify whether it is necessary to make wearing a school uniform mandatory or not. General state of affairs concerning the matter of school uniforms As many students in Los Angeles as many points; and it does not actually matter what attire means for each student. The point is that it is high time to comprehend whether a standard uniform has to be obligatory at schools, and whether it is possible to explain students the idea of the necessity of these steps. Catholic, public, and other types of schools have their own rules, conditions, problems, and peculiarities. The problems of fragmentation that turns out to be a peculiar feature of Los Angeles schools (Halle 226) divide students and teachers into groups, who support the idea of mandatory school uniform in order to have proper and safer education and who cannot comprehend why uniforms are considered to be the question number one during the debates. Some representatives of Los Angeles schools just make orders of what is allowed to wear and what cannot be allowed at all. Numerous investigations in the field of education and fashion cannot present one clear answer to the question if a standard school uniform has to be mandatory for everyone or it is just a matter of taste and beliefs of a governor: standard school uniforms are still regarded as both a new wave of our prosperous future (Tooms 57) or a concept that makes students sacrifice their interests and preferences. Children have already got used to wear whatever they want and wherever they want: such points like sexuality and beauty become the main attribute of the vast majority of students. By means of media and movies in particular, it is possible to believe that girls pay more attention to the clothes they wear but not to the lessons and material they have to learn. Of course, schools, girls, and tastes differ; but many similar examples may be found in our every day life. If a girl comes to the public place in the same gear next day, the others may ask lots of questions and think that her affairs have gone wrong. Arguments against a standard LA school uniform If a person asks a student (a girl in particular) whether she is for or against a school uniform, the chance to hear a negative answer raises considerably. One of the first reasons of why school uniforms have a few chances to be mandatory is cutting down student individuality ( School Uniform Debate and Poll ). From their childhood, parents and teachers underline that freedom and the right of choice are the two crucial points in the life of each person. Children believe these ideas are really significant in their lives, and sometimes, they try to use these concepts to approve their behavior and to underline how grown ups may be unfair to them. Almost the same happens to school uniforms and students obligation to wear the same clothes day by day. The vast majority of students think that their freedom is under a threat, that their right of choice does not work, and that all their attempts to become elder and more mature are failed. Another captivating and strong reason of why school uniforms should not be mandatory for all students in Los Angeles is connected to students’ tastes and their desire to stand out against the other students. Even more, such prohibition to dress in accordance with personal tastes and preferences may kill students’ creative thinking and abilities to develop new products, new ideas, new approaches to different situations. Our society has to move and to develop; and searching for talents among students is one of the first steps to take. In spite of the fact that sophisticated writers admit that absence of a standard form may be a kind of “the tyranny of fashion” (Craik 70), this tyranny may create another magnificent couturier and present a host of interesting models. This is why it is necessary to take into consideration this fact and think once again whether students have to be deprived of the opportunity to experiment with their styles just in order to follow one more rule. Finally, the idea to dress all students into one and the same uniform may lead to the decreasing of student desire to visit schools and to be an active part of school life. It may happen that a student has bad mood and cannot come out of his/her depression. However, a new dress, a new shirt, or a new hat presented by parents or friends may certain improve the situation and help a child find a desire to go to school and demonstrate this new present. Why not use the ability to dress as students want themselves as a perfect stimulus for them to visit their schools once again. Students cannot even guess that differentiation in their clothes is one of the factors, which make them come to schools. And if school government deprive them of such a genius chance, the results may be disappointing. Arguments for schools uniforms In spite of the fact that the discussion of the problems concerning a standard uniform produces “more questions than answers” (Brunsma xviii), there are many factors, which may prove how beneficial wearing uniform may be. One of the first reasons, which may attract the attention of parents and even students, is that spending of money on clothes, cosmetics, and other things is considerably reduced. Parents have to buy a school uniform, provide a child with a chance to spend money on food, entertaining, and games, and not to care about fashion and the ideas of what has to be wore today. Investigations and analysis of school uniforms by Catholic schools in the middle of 1900s demonstrated how successful and helpful uniforms could be (Mathison and Ross 124). People should not be bothered of how to dress children. It is also necessary to admit that students are at the age, when they continue to develop and grow physically, this is why clothes have to be changed year by year. And a uniform does not cost much, and it is possible to buy it from time to time. So, those, who care about own financial situation and want to save their incomes, have to support the idea of a standard school uniform. The events of the 11 th September may also serve as a strong reason to support the idea of school uniform. Many people can hardly realize why the connection of those terrible terroristic attack and mandatory school uniforms is possible. Well, actually, everything is rather clear. When a person is a part of one organization and his/her clothes is similar to the rest of the group, it is easier to define who does not belong to the group. This is why if a terrorist or an enemy is going to enter the school, the guard has all chances to notice this person (or people) and prevent him/her of doing something harmful for the school and its children and teachers. Some may think that this similarity of clothes may prevent parents against recognizing their children ( School Uniform Debate and Poll ). However, why not believe that children are able to find out their parents successfully and independently. Even more, parents can hardly remember what clothes are wore on their children in the moment of a catastrophe, and this very objection may be minor. So, in order to protect children and be ready to sudden attacks from the enemy’s side, it is possible to use uniform as a kind of mark that makes one concrete school unique, united, and friendly. As it was mentioned above, many children spend much time to pick out necessary clothes and cosmetics in order to go to school and demonstrate a new thing. This is why it is possible to believe that the variety of clothes leads to inability of students concentrate on their education only, when they are at schools. If a student has fewer themes to discuss with friends, he/she has more chances to concentrate on education, on new information, on manners of behavior, and one the rules, which have to be followed. “Wearing school uniforms requires order and ….self-discipline grows from within [and it will be] shape group and strengthen national discipline” (Arthur 209). It is very important to unite children and show how their abilities to gather and think collectively may improve their lives and raise the respect of their traditions by other educational institutions. Such desire to unite, to cooperate, and to be different as a group of society in comparison to other developing institutions is a powerful and justified reason in order to make wearing a standard school uniform mandatory and explain children why this choice should be accepted by all of them. General analysis of ideas concerning the matter of a standard school uniform in Los Angeles Los Angeles is one of the fast developing and rich cities in the whole world. It citizens have access to numerous services, which are available 24/7. Those people, who face financial difficulties, may usually find support by means of social service. Those children, who want to use their skills and knowledge to achieve success and recognition, may get a chance and participate in programs, which help to develop their potential. All this information proves that citizens of Los Angeles are characterized by stable financial position, and parents are able to buy everything important for their children. This is why the idea that less money may be spend in case a school uniform become mandatory should play a crucial role. According to Shafii defines the policy to wear school uniform as “a strategy that prevents students from wearing clothing that indicates gang affiliation, such as trench coats” (259). As it was mentioned above, a uniform may serve as a distinctive mark that forbids visiting the school by people, who do not belong to its students or teachers. Safe control is a powerful point that attracts people to schools, and parents may certainly trust their children to those schools, which promote safe and effective education. Unfortunately, not all students comprehend that proclamation of school uniform is used not in order to deprive them of the opportunity to demonstrate their individuality but to protect them, make them equal to each other, and give them a chance to pay more attention to the educative process but not to creativity’s development. Visitor: Why do you wear school uniform? Pupil: Because I’d get into trouble if I didn’t. Visitor: So it doesn’t make you feel as though you belong. Pupil: Bloody hell no – I hate wearing it. (Watson and Thomson 141) This conversation proves that students’ attitude to uniforms may vary considerably. Even if they accept the rule they cannot be satisfied with this decision. So, the question about the standards for a school uniform remains to be open. Conclusion In general, the idea to use a standard school uniform is great indeed. Parents become less bothered about the financial side of their children education, teachers do not think that some unexpected visitors come to their schools, and students are not worried about the idea of what to wear on in order to correspond to fashion and general taste. Some students think that their creativity and imagination are cut due to these uniforms; however, they may continue developing their abilities and demonstrating their tastes outside the school. People should realize that school is the place, where knowledge and experience take the first place. It is not the time to play with own imagination; it is time to focus of study and support other students to do the same. At schools, it is necessary to forget about inequality, about tastes, and about the desire to distinguish. Being at schools does not take the whole day long, and the rest of the day it is possible to wear everything. This is why, taking into consideration words by sophisticated writers and ordinary students, it is necessary to say that a standard school uniform has to be mandatory for students in order to present effective education processes, protect children against possible dangerous, and help parents think less about their children style and money that are required for meet their demands. Works Cited Arthur, Linda, B. Undressing Religion: Commitment and Conversion from a Cross-Cultural Perspective . New York, NY: Berg, 2000. Brunsma, David, L. The School Uniform Movement and What Tells SU About American Education: A Symbolic Crusade. Lanham, Maryland: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2004. Craik, Jennifer. Uniforms Exposed: From Conformity to Transgression . New York, NY: Berg, 2005. Halle, David. New York & Los Angele: Politics, Society, and Culture: A Comparative View . Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2003. Mathison, Sandra and Ross, Wayne. Battleground: Schools . Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008. Milner, Murray. Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption . New York, NY: Routledge, 2004. School Uniform Debate and Poll . “Would School Uniforms Improve Our Schools?” 17 Dec. 2009. Web. Shafii, Sharon, Lee. School Violence: Assessment, Management, Prevention. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, 2001. Tooms, A. “Thos Kids’ Are Our Kinds.” The American School Board Journal 189 (2002): 56-58. Watson, Brenda and Thomson, Penny. The Effective Teaching of Religious Education. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited., 2007.

ESSAY: Leadership Styles in Organizations with Different Age Groups Essay What is Leadership? Today it is apparent that leaders must embark on the journey of searching for, and understanding true leadership styles due to the current trends of employment in the organizations, that consists of diverse age groups. There is need for finding different styles to fairly deal with this developments in the discipline of management, which seem to be surrendering its role to that of leadership. The style of leadership is a main concern over employees’ and eventually organization’s performance. Every great team such as a winning sports team or a sales team in an organization has a performing leader steering its activities. High performing organization requires an equally performing and strong leadership style. This paper forms a critical analysis of various aspect or styles of leadership through a thorough exploration of the theories and applications utilized in leading diverse groups of personnel especially different age groups. The application includes the characteristics or models used for measuring leadership styles and strategies. Recognizing leadership Leadership is guidance or assistance procedures mainly concern with the way people create rapport, communicate and live by the significances for life (Hargreaves, 2003). According to Hargreaves (2003), for a leadership style to be effective, it is imperative to share those values. The process of leadership in an organization made up of different age groups is considerably complex due to the high expectations people place over the issues concerning their need and the differences in believes, synergy or energy levels, expectations, experiences, and technological advancements among other aspects. The age differences bring about superimposing of the mentally modelled aspects, thus placing very high expectations and challenges to a leadership style. Arguably, the leadership style has a reciprocating nature; where by the leader has needs, and the followers have their own different requirements with the expectation that the leader meets them. In most instances, the leadership style fails because these needs lack measurable elements or factors to meet expectations. The adherents to a chosen style of leadership have a quality control perspective, which makes this aspect of leadership very critical in the organization. Good leadership avails chances of interactive participation of all members in the organization regardless of their age by categorizing issues with respect to matters of concern. According to Miller (2008), this is a healthy leadership approach because it enables the employees and other members of the organization to critic or compels the leaders with competitive views and opinions, of which is important for the organizational goals since they assist in validation and keeping the leader in a lane of reality. In line with MacMillan, (2000) dynamic dialogue cools any conflicting contemplations and maintains the cooperation between the involved parties. Literature review Position of leadership styles in the organization One key factor that is evident today is the need to search for and understand leader. The main reason behind the abolition of the eminent traditional styles of administration concerns presentation. These performance levels are unattainable only when the involved groups lack trust of their leaders. Trust is a pre-requisite aspect of leadership that call for those in charge to portray honesty and show concern or care for their followers’ needs and thoughts, but at the same time make certain that they remain accountable over their deeds (Booyeen, 2008). Secondly, the leader ought to honour commitments and pronouncements. Respect is an inevitable aspect of leadership in which case the leader ought to respect the opinion of others regardless of their age and respond to their requests amicably and respectably owing to the thought that differences of opinion is an eminent sign of progress. Lastly, it is important for the leaders to have a set of values, which their followers can identify with or connect to such as courageousness, reliability, integrity, competence, honesty, altruism, and fairness (MacMillan, 2000). According to Hargreaves (2003), trust is like a pillar that runs through every aspect of leadership thus ensuring its success. People will take a considerable amount of time to trust and thus the leader should have great consistent efforts over honest style of leadership. Distinction between leadership and management Any organization needs both a leader and a manager. The managers dominate most of the governance styles. The main differences lie between various supreme approaches to services. Managers have a value of results while leaders value relationships among members. There is high regards over positions in management while this is not evident in leadership. The leaders take reputed high risks compared to the managers and are personal, caring and avoid copying the rules of others (Heifetz, 2004). On the other hand, the manages will often conform to existing rules and want to ensure protection of the status quo over change, thus making the leaders more innovative and ready to change for the better (Heifetz, 2004). The leaders’ style of guidance is non-functional thus inspiring and motivational compared to the management style of functionally analyzing, evaluating and solving problems from a personal perspective. The leadership hierarchy restrains the flow of unnecessary information, poor policies of the firm, agendas that conflict governance as well as pressures for the need to conform thus making the style incredibly difficulty over the provision of overall directions (Mathias et al, 2007). According to Heifetz (2004), the issues of leadership in organizations have revolutionized due to introduction of different age groups, and therefore the reference of leadership made over the decades concerning the ability to hold top management positions has become obsolete. Today the top management positions and their functions are still in common usage, but current trends indicate that people have discoveries concerning the distinction between managers and leaders. The process of exercising leadership skills, styles and qualities has a different meaning of providing a vision and influence of those led into realization of coexistence and sharing of thoughts. Probably from the analytical or professional point of view, it is possible to define the leadership style of governance in two ways. First is the ability to have considerations of various aspects in the organization such as age, gender, performance, experience and energy differences, characterized by an emphasis over good relations. In this situation, the leader is a good listener who is approachable and friendly. This style entails openness thus enlisting the mental trust among those involved. Secondly is the ability to engage a leadership behaviour that directs an organization and assists in defining goals, structure and style of execution (Hargreaves and Goodson 2004). Functions of leadership A leader is able to perform various functions of the organizational such us selecting people to make up the organizational structure, units or segments that control the flow of information in and out of the organization. It also entails the ability to make ensure certain group participation in a knowledgeable manner. The second function involves the interpersonal characteristics, which create good working morale within the organization. The leader ought to indicate a good degree of concern about humanness and pay attention to the follower’s concerns over the leadership or other organizational aspects. Lastly is the decisional function, that one mainly engages to give the impression of searching for the decisions regarding achievements of goals. According to Pride et al (2009), this is a traditional perspective that is all along associable to leadership and remains utilized to date. These functional points of view define leadership and the most crucial or hard part of leadership. Leadership entails the ability to create a compelling vision and style reshaped by future perspectives. According to Heifetz (2004), the leader does the guidance tasks through the visions or ultimate powers accorded for the processes to be successful. Those involved must also act as a team. The most critical task of a leader is the ability to focus attention. This person is involved too much with the aspects of deciding over a limited period. Every time or day involves a fresh crisis requiring a solution. How the attention is subdivided determines the continuity of the organization. For instance, the leader cannot focus on the current tasks and ignore the future aspects or consequences that can affect the organization. Those problems, concepts, ideas or actions that receive the attention determine the sustainability of the organization. In line with Clack (2008), a good definition of leadership may be the ability to determine the aspects of the organization that receives focus or attention at any given time. Otherwise, one considers the number of concerns receiving the concentration over a specific period. Practical Implications Current trends of leadership styles Today the technological change has made the organizations to become more dynamic and therefore the leadership styles of focusing attention has equally become vibrant, on-going and very important procedures. The leadership style that attracts the attention of others requires the leader to aim at being in focus over other’s attention. The leader’s values must be of substantive worth. It is important for a leader to have good solid knowledge and approaches to combat the organizational differences as well as engage continuous and alternative choices that steers organization forward in terms of development (Hargreaves and Goodson 2003). Arguably, one of the most fundamental issues concerning leadership involves the ability to communicate effectively. A good leader must be in a position of convincing people on how to focus on the ideas perceived to be important and developmental and cater for each group. The methods and styles of communication lack good definition in most organizations. Every leader has a personal way of pronouncement, which varies from formal to casual in both written and spoken forms. The main aim eventually is the consistency and ability to attract attention and peoples’ actions. Today the successful leaders realize that there exists no single method of behaving. The leaders must read a group’s situation and come up with the most appropriate leadership behavioral pattern to combat the situation at hand. This is the only right and most appropriate procedures for the leaders because it enables the groups involved to fit the competency level. Leadership styles have a close connection to behavior. In the assessment of a group’s leadership needs, there is need to translate skills to communicative behavior. For instance, if a leader finds that a certain group needs strong guidance, it is then wise to suggest direction, make different assignments, and possibly vet unrealistic suggestions. Leadership skills calls for one to find and balance the member’s thought, support viable decisions, and give authority to act. All the leadership styles have a strong basis on communication, and not skills, experience, lack or personality. The connection between group members brings about cooperation, and unique leadership styles that solve group problem effectively thus making the group to become more effective (Canzer, 2003). A good or efficient group only requires a small, early but strong guidance to become and remain productive. Relationship between leadership and problem solving The social and scientific definition of leadership is the process that involves interpersonal communication to influence an outcome. According to Barton (2000), leadership is symbolic to the human nature of modifying the attitudes and behaviours of people in order to meet organizational goals and needs. Leadership styles therefore involve acts enacted through persuasion or communication as opposed to force. The leadership influences meant to benefit or unite a certain group of people is the small or special group leadership. How does the leader create the positive influences? The leader must have strategies to influence the behaviours of others through communication. The designated leader is appointed or elected to a position, but she/he need to be an emergent leader because of exerting influences towards achievement of group goals. Every person in a group ought to be an emergent leader especially during various group tasks (Barton, 2000). A designated leader has to be acceptable in the group for better outcomes. The group may have shared leadership among members but eventually it is important to have someone responsible for coordination of communication among the members. Leadership through influence A good leader has influence over other. How does one gain the influence? The designated or emergent leader has the ability or power to known the interpersonal influence. The power can be a reward, punishment, legitimate, referent and expert. Leaders can offer the followers the value for their need for them to exercise reward power. The reward value can be material or intangible such as monetary resources, material goods, favours, acknowledgement, complement and special attention. The administration of punishment power occurs through withholding similar favours. Coercion forces compliance with hostile tactics but in most instances breeds to resentment especially when there are age group differences within the organization. Legitimate power enables the leader to perform certain tasks within the group setting, which other members are not in a position to do such as call for the group meetings, analysis of work by the other group members, or preparation of the agendas. Referent power has its basis on the attractiveness, admirable and respectable the leader is to the group. Admiration brings about influence and charisma as an extreme type of referent power, which instigates a feeling of royalty and devotion from others. The more the admiration and respect for the leader, the more influence on the behaviours and power to influence the group. Leaders experience and expert power, when others or the followers value their guidance or admires the leadership styles. Older group members have experience and therefore are in a position to offer expertise guidance in a different age groups setting. In such a scenario, they posses the expert power to guide others, therefore others will value them and one can easily influence their behaviours or acts because of the respect for the knowledge or experience. Regardless of the age differences, all members of an organization have various abilities to influence others. It is possible to reward others because the leadership expertise does not only emanate from the legitimate power (Daft and Marcic, 2008). A widely age diverse group means that there are diverse sources of leadership influences other then the legitimate power. All the members have some degree of influence over each other and the legitimate leader must make use of all the potentials or capabilities to lead. Types of leadership styles or approaches Originally, there was belief that the leadership skills were in-born. The leaders therefore had special traits or characteristics for instance attractiveness, intelligence or size. Today it is evident that these traits are common among many and thus there exists no special traits for leaders. The leadership styles are mainly the patterns the leaders exhibit in the group setting (Ulrich, 2001). The major styles exhibited for diverse groups include autocratic, democratic or Delegative, Paternalistic, laissez-faire style and free reign styles. The democratic type of leadership encourages members to participate equally on matters concerning the organization such as decision or rule/regulation making procedures. Laissez faire leaders have no initiative to group members and therefore they take no initiative to foster group idea. The autocratic leaders have strict control over group members thus; they require strict follow of the orders to solve problems. Comparing the various styles on current organizational settings, people are more confident in the democratic type of leadership as opposed to autocratic, which bars others from participating. People are better off with a leader who provides solutions to problems as in the autocratic system as opposed to the laissez faire system. In the autocratic groups, members’ performance is excellent when the leader in there, but the member become less aggressive or apathetic when no one is in control. This means that their is a good leadership style for all systems namely democratic because it assists in matching peoples needs and differences to the situation. In line with Ulrich (2001), democracy brings about many changes in the system. Leadership styles in the autocratic and democratic systems Use of Policies and Procedures to Enhance Employee Performance Beside the performance procedures, there are various policies of safeguarding the employees’ presentation, responses and behaviours, such as:- * Determining employment related actions and obligations through evaluation to ensure competence and personal satisfaction over the assigned field. * Having procedures to design, evaluate and administer performance procedures that ensure unity among the group members without a reference to their experience or age differences. * Having rules that enhance integration of employee retreatment programs as a motivational factor and team building procedure * Enhancing ways to monitor and evaluate the conducts and performance of the employees * Enforcing procedures for monitoring employees’ relationships by availing ways of getting feedbacks from them regarding the assigned duties * Availing employees’ consultation programs regarding their performance expectations as a measure of ensuring safety and required collaboration * Ensuring employees’ performance is highly dependent on proper communication and agreements regarding achievements * Enforcement of policies to ensure proper, efficient, secure, flexible and accurate ways of data collection for collaborative discussions * Ensuring existence of rules to govern maintenance of past and present employees’ performance records and relations * Providing regulations that facilitate the employees’ negotiations, transactions, and, compliance with the assigned obligations * Involving some procedures for rewarding and encouraging engagement Precedence in policies and procedures The democratic regulations standard for an organization fosters applicable employees’ self-management procedures. One of the most important procedures regards performance. Rewarding performance in terms of good workmanship or discipline encourage understanding among employees from different age groups because it shows them the importance of unity. The personnel policy and procedures ought to determine eligibility for performance appraisal and rating performance for satisfaction as a way of enhancing unity. Every employee has governing procedures for expectations specified in the job contracts therefore failure to meet demands or to manage the personal duties could have a link to the group performance. Freedom of the employees may facilitate personal definitions and foster team spirit. Insinuations for Capacity planning and control In a combination of democratic and autocratic styles as a way of enhancing team performance from people of different age groups in an organization, the leader can implement capacity planning and control as an essential aspect. It entails the research techniques for addressing the issue of scheduling applications, planning the allocation of resources, controlling performance and, having the problem solving techniques in place (Vollmann, 2005). The planning and controlling approaches include optimization techniques for diminishing or maximizing involved elements, to meet the objectives within the operating environment. Employees are thus encouraged to work as a team to meet certain goals. For instance, a big problem is broken down to ease complexity and thus speeds up computation. Decomposing a problem allow efficiency in and ability to handle the uncertainties adequately. Secondly, dynamic approach allows the management to make decisions sequentially in a multi-stage pattern. A conflict related problem is recursively mirrored to solutions to come up with the most effective conclusion. Teamwork involves decomposition of a complex problem into various sub-problems for individuals to handle and the solutions and eventually enables creation of a sequentially dependent framework indicating the whole problem as one, broken into various parts to enhance unity among employees. Sensitivity analysis The other style of leadership entails sensitivity analysis. The leader has to analyze hypothetically, logically or substantially, the factors that can cause conflicts within the workforce. The definition of this approach is a procedure of examining impacts over changes and their effects as outputs (Dodds, 2008). Leaders have to evaluate reasonable limits for change and the impact on individuals depending on their age differences. This approach determines their viability or validity of an action, thus equally encouraging team performance. Probability and risk analysis The democratic style represents a major departure from the main deterministic view of leaders in earlier styles. The analysis has a subjective basis on judgements on correlations along with uncertainties to gauge impacts of conflicts within the organization. Compared to deterministic or fixed-point approaches, the approach offers additional information of chances to determine and range employees’ sensitivity thus avoiding the probability of conflicts. Effects of democracy on organizational rules and regulations Today the issue of employee performance has a strong basis upon organizational policies and procedures as opposed to only the leadership qualities. The nature of these rules or regulations helps in establishing the significance of a task and the importance of ensuring good results. People are naturally opposed to rules that hinder their freedom and are strenuous during performance. Although an integral to effective part of performance, team leadership may be the root course of conflicts in an organization. As Dodds (, 2008) arguments, the most important element of performance is ability to resolve internal conflicts through the leadership styles because disagreements hugely affects team performance. Leaders have the role of facilitating the behavioural change that assists in moulding individual trails into teams to achieve the set goals. In relation to the writing of Dodds (2008), it is necessary to have necessary mechanisms, information and strategies of handling conflicts in the workforce. Future expectations of leadership There is need to create and manage a leadership style that supports a performance management culture. The main and frequently utilized measure of encouraging a performance culture in an organization entails methodologies to encourage employees question and seek guidance through departmental groups, human resource representatives or management. They should participate in decision-making and policy implementation procedures especially on matters concerning their performance requirements. This helps in avoiding conflicts during performance especially in situations where there are different age groups. Leadership styles and discipline are the key defining elements for creation and management of a performing culture. Organizational culture is the systematic procedures regarding performance of duties. It is the guide of the employees’ thoughts, actions and feelings. Lack of proper leadership and management on this aspects or performance culture among employees’ calls for perplexity or stymies by some bureaucratic processes and eventually causes conflicts. The organization culture has its basis on discipline, which promotes the decision-making and direct accountability over performance. With such discipline, there are clear expectations and commitments. There has to be management proactive measures to block abstractions of performance such as rewards thus the employees are truly engaged in their duties. Today emphasis on discipline has overthrown ancient style of “command and control” to enhance recognition of clear boundaries over the lines of duty, flexibility over performance and therefore foster required partnership (Dodds, 2008). Requirements for a disciplined performance * Openness and reliance: – Existence of a trustworthy environment promotes acceptance, honesty, free interaction, group work, sharing of ideas and comments. This means that the organization is able to derive talents that are more valuable and promote peace and success. * Differences in Leadership styles: – A good working environment addresses conflicts and exposes the unfulfilled commitments. It provides alternatives and encourages sharing of real opinions. * Focus and simplicity: – Good policies and procedures are clear and precise. They define the employees’ requirements and expectations that are result driven. The results are mutually understanding, interdependence and, positive results. * Employees’ strengths: – The leader should know and depend on the effectiveness and talents of the staff and implement methods of peacefully eliciting them. This means that the employees focus more on learning and building on their strengths through interactions. Agility, confidence, speed and simplicity of the employee therefore enable them to blend well with others as well as with the vision and mission of an organization. Summary Leadership is arguably a style that entails a pull rather than a push. The leader must realize their strength; have a good grasp of skills and abilities to convene organizational needs such as cultural or age diversities. The leader ought to be in a position of evoking positive opinions and gunner participation besides gaining credibility from the followers. Qualities of a good leadership style involve aspects of self-management, trust, vision and communication. Everyone must aim at becoming leaders at their own capacities. It only requires one to have the responsibility of facilitating positive changes from the status quo to a better and more purposeful future. In his writing of leadership without easy answers, Heifetz (2004) provides a great insight over the dynamism of leadership styles. He describes leadership as an adoptive process that requires self believes or values and behaviours that require leaders to engage in a continuous learning process to seek new ways of advancement. This advancement need is the most respectable, valuable but challenging aspect of leadership. Heifetz (2004) believes it is a style of adopting whereby; the leader must stay in touch with current aspects to take risks regardless of the involved pressure. References Barton, R.B. (2000). Organizational Goal Setting and Planning. Murray State University, Murray, KY. Web. Booyens, S.W. (2008). Introduction to Health Service Management . Juta and Company Ltd. South Africa. Canzer, B. (2003). E-Business: Strategic Thinking & Practice . Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. Clark, D. R. (2008, August 21). Leadership style . Journal of Social Psychology, April 1982, 116, pp. 221-228. Web. Daft, R.L. and Marcic, D. (2008) Understanding Management . Cengage Learning. Dodds, B. (2008, March 31). Pandemic Planning and Business Continuity . Web. Heifetz R A. (2004). Leadership without Easy Answers . London, Harvard University Press. Hargreaves, A. (2003). Teaching in the Knowledge Society. New York, NY: Teachers’ College Publishes. Hargreaves, A. and Goodson, I. (2004). Change Over Time? A Report of Educational Change over 30 years in Eight U.S. and Canadian Schools., Chicago. MacMillan, R. B. (2000). Leadership succession: Cultures of teaching and educational change . New York, NY: Routledge/Falmer Publishers. Mathis, R, L., Jackson, J. H. and Elliott, T. L. (2007). Human Resource Management. Thomson Southwestern Publishers. Miller, C. (2008, May 30). Cultural Diversity is an Opportunity . Web. Pride, W.M., Hughes, J.M. & Kappor, J.R. (2009). Business . Kentucky: KY Cengage Learning Publishers. Ulrich, D. (2001). From Partners to Players: Extending the HR Playing Field . Human Resource Management. Vollmann, T. E., Berry, W L., & Whybark, Cl. D. (2005). Manufacturing Planning and control systems for supply chain management . New York, NY. McGraw-Hill Publisher/Irwin series.

ESSAY: Situational Leadership Theory & Path-Goal Leadership Theory Essay Path leadership Theory The path-goal leadership theory was developed by Robert House an American psychologist in the year 1971. It offers a very clear prescription on how leaders can influence their followers towards the achievement of the goals set. It is a detailed outline of the effect of the conduct of leadership in improving productivity mainly through constant motivation and satisfaction among the followers. The three main pillars on which the theory is established include the need to make clear the path towards achievement of the goals already determined. Secondly, obstacles hindering performance should be removed and finally, there is the need to offer incentives which facilitate the achievement of these goals. These three pillars have their extremes on the top and the bottom. That is a leader is at liberty to embrace a weak or strong application of approach (Evans, 1970, p280). Clarification of the path gives a definite direction on which the followers are to follow at all times. It entails establishing parameters and the overriding principles which should inform the intricate decisions constantly made by the followers. Here the leader can opt to be absolutely clear in issuing directives or be vague. Clearing obstacles entails acting in a manner which facilitates rather than hindering performance. Reward offering element can be implemented by the leadership in different ways or on the other hand leadership can opt to ignore and remain passive in the function of encouraging. Robert explains that the above elements are implemented through the application of four major leadership styles. The leadership styles are directive leadership, supportive leadership, participative leadership and achievement oriented leadership (House, 1971, p325). Directive leadership entails providing the rules to be followed by the followers as well as continued guidance in areas which present ambiguities. It is most applicable in areas where tasks are not structured and more importantly where the followers have limitations in experience. Here, the leader takes the responsibility of directing the followers on the right path to follow in the execution of the different tasks assigned to them. The role resonates with the element of the theory which requires the leader to clarify the path for the followers. The style entails intensive interaction between the leader and the followers. Participative leadership on the other hand is concerned with engaging followers in decision making processes. This enables them to not only own the tasks but also motivates them. Some of the actions in line with this leadership style entail engaging the subordinates in developing solutions to the problems ahead, consulting with the followers on the suitability of the tasks assigned to them as well as taking time to listen to the views, ideas and suggestions of the followers as opposed to dismissing them as irrelevant. The leadership style resonates with the element of facilitating achievement of the organizational goals by the followers (House & Mitchell, 1974, p85). Supportive leadership involves the promotion of good relations between the leader and the followers thus creating a healthy platform for support as well as being sensitive to their personal needs. Examples of actions in pursuant of the supportive leadership include: maintaining a friendly relationship with the followers, avoiding hurtful statements towards followers and doing things which please and not hurt the followers. Finally, achievement oriented leadership entails taking steps towards measureable improvement of performance at work and also individually. It focuses on availing relevant incentives towards achieving set objectives. Examples of actions exercised by leaders towards this end include: setting of challenging but achievable goals to be achieved by the followers and consistently explaining expectations on each of the tasks being handled by the followers. Blanchard’s situational leadership theory on the other hand stipulates that a leader should be able to adopt varying styles of leadership in relation to the prevailing circumstances. The model developed by Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey in the 1960’s enables the leader to accurately analyze the requirements of the prevailing circumstances in order to implement the correct leadership style. The theory became popular among managers due to ease of understanding and application in real life (Famous Models, 2010, par3). The theory categorized styles of leadership using the intensity of support and direction offered by the leader to his followers. Consequently four major categories of leaders are defined. The first is directing leaders. These leaders clearly define the tasks assigned to their subordinates leaving little space for the follower to maneuver. They also ensure close supervision in addition to the fact that they make decisions with little regard to the views of the followers. Coaching leaders on the other hand offer leadership in the definition of the roles and tasks to be undertaken by the followers but take time to include the input of the followers in terms of their suggestions and ideas. Despite the fact that the leader takes full responsibility for the decisions made, the process of developing decisions for the future is much more interactive compared to the directing leaders. Supporting leaders are involved in making daily decisions such as allocation of tasks as well as different processes involved in executing their roles. The follower is fully responsible for the decisions taken though the input of the leader is important. As can be seen, the role of the leader is to support. Finally delegating leaders are least involved in the decision making process. Much of the involvement of the leader is determined by the follower mainly through consultation. The follower has the greatest room to maneuver and make independent decisions. This style is applicable in cases where the followers are experts. Similarities between the path-goal leadership and the situational theory are immense. First, both theories define several leadership styles which can b applied in different circumstances. The leaders have the choice to apply the principles in accordance with their evaluation of the abilities of the followers. More importantly, the leadership styles under both the theories have very visible similarities. Directive leadership under the situational theory reflects the element of clarification as expressed in the path-goal theory where the leader is expected to fully clarify what the subordinate is to do and how to do it. It is similar in many ways as the directive leadership in the path-goal theory as it stresses on the leaders control over the follower. Secondly, supporting leaders under the situational theory have close similarities to supporting leaders under the path-goal theory as both these leadership style focus on taking to consideration the welfare or views of the followers. It is clear that the two theories share very close semblance in many suggestions but it is also clear that the path-goal theory is more comprehensive and applicable in management. Reference List Evans, M. (1970). The effect of supervisory behavior on the path-goal relationship. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 5, 277-298 Famous Models, 2010. Situational Leadership. Web. House, R.J. (1971). A path-goal theory of leader effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly, 16, 321-339 House, R. & Mitchell, T. (1974). Path-goal theory of leadership. Contemporary Business, 3, Fall, 81-98

ESSAY: Conceptual Approaches to Learning and Performance Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Describe the concept of learning 3. Distinguish between learning and performance 4. Comparing and contrasting the conceptual approaches 5. The Ecological approach to the study of learning 6. Nonecological approach to the study of learning 7. Conclusion 8. References Introduction The concept of learning was extensively discussed by Bruner, a prominent scholar in the psychological field. However, several intellectuals considerably contributed to the subject, by employing several experiments and research projects, thus modifying the concept (Kellogg, 2002). They studied the theories of learning beginning from immaturity stage until the adult periods. Ultimately, they represented their findings in writing, which was later published for other educational purposes. Describe the concept of learning Concept learning begins at a child’s birth and proceeds all through its lifetime period. It is further noted that concept learning only happens in the following ways, i.e., concept formation and assimilation. Concept formation entails how an infant struggles to learn and recognize shapes, color, and names of things. For instance, under normal circumstances, a child should be able to learn all these, by the age of three. Concept acquisition often results from what we bump into such as new words, thus learning them. For instance, one may encounter a new word from a dictionary thus finding out its meaning. There are specific issues associated with concept learning, for instance, determining whether there are single or numerous mechanisms and the problem of determining what was done before an individual attain the knowledge. Concept learning is extensively influenced by certain types of knowledge, i.e., the casual and the schemas (Eysenck & Keane, 2005). Several problems also characterize concept learning; for instance, lack of knowledge theories that may assist in inferring knowledge impacts. Additionally, it is tricky to have an extensive conceptualization of the factors that led to the attainment of knowledge. Distinguish between learning and performance There exist a considerable difference between learning and performance. Learning is influenced by factors such as training, rewards, partial reinforcement, and interstimulus time; whereas, performance is influenced by motivations and individual effort (Benjamin, 2007). Tolman, prominent psychology, contributed to the difference by insisting that learning is unobservable, and it’s exclusively evaluated and deduced by performance. Tolman also mentioned that learning is an internal process; whereas, on the contrary, he regarded performance as a behavior (external). Comparing and contrasting the conceptual approaches There exist two types of theoretical approaches, which noted as ecological and nonecological approaches. These approaches are directly linked to the study of learning, with different extensive explanations from several psychologists. It is noted that these two approaches consist of certain qualities; some of them are common to both methods, while others are not. The Ecological approach to the study of learning An ecological approach is considered as a product of traditional learning theory; in other words, the conventional learning theories played a vital role in developing the approach. However, despite its traditional origin, it is essential to acknowledge that, this theory approaches learning from a nontraditional perspective. The ecological approach also stresses that learning has certain features, which are decided by either two of the following reasons, i.e., previous happenings during the development period or by preontogenic factors that existed in their ancestors. The environment is one of the primary factors considered in defining and explaining the ecological factor. It plays a fundamental role in influencing the investigation and scrutiny of the learning process. Conclusively, the ecological approach connects learning with behavior, which is also extensively influenced by the environment. Nonecological approach to the study of learning The nonecological approach assumes a different position regarding the hitches of environmental explanations. It describes the environment as a collection of several stimuli and reinforcers. The application of stimuli on the approach utterly renders it nonecological, since it is unspecific to a particular person. It is noted that nonecological approach pilots the formation of several theories, although they are exclusively nonecological. Ultimately, it is also imperative, not to forget that tradition plays an extensive role in supporting the nonecological approach. Conclusion Bruner initially discussed the concept of learning, and then followed by several modifications by different scholars. The two concepts, i.e., learning and performance are dissimilar in various capacities, despite the extreme associations between them. There exist two types of conceptual approaches, i.e., concerning learning; therefore, it is extraordinarily significant to understand the dissimilarity and the similarity within the terms, for a compelling understanding of the topic. References Benjamin, T. L. (2007). A brief history of modern psychology . Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Eysenck, W. M. & Keane, M. T. (2005). Cognitive psychology: a student’s handbook. New York: Taylor and Francis. Kellogg, T. R. (2002). Cognitive psychology . California: Sage.

ESSAY: Learning to See & Learning to Listen Compare & Contrast Essay Introduction Learning is a permanent change in behavior of an individual and how he or she responds to the immediate environment. This essay presents a comparison and contrast between learning to listen and see. Thesis statement : learning to listen is easy as compared to learning to see but hard to perfect. Learning to Listen and See In the book “Study is hard work” William (6) established a correlation between listening and fast learning pace. Even though it is the easiest approach to learning, listening remains the hardest skill to perfect as compared to using sight. An indicator of the ability to listen is patience to hear names of persons introduced. Furthermore, if a student captures opening remarks of a teacher then he or she has good level of listening skills. Listening is also measured by examining obsession to doing two things at the same time i.e. listening and speaking. In contrast to listening, Scudder who was among great educators subjected students into minute observation during a learning process with an objective of cultivating ability to see. While introducing a student into an Entomology class, Scudder used a fish to stress on value of using sight to learn. Research conducted by Professor Scudder explicitly demonstrates details that can be obtained from use of sight as opposed to hearing. Before scrutinizing fine points of an object, simple observable characteristics are deduced. While a teacher attempt to nurture learners so as to become good readers, most of the listening skills are self-taught. This is not true for observation skills which are perfected after an external aid i.e. lectures by Professor Scudder. A student will become good listeners after going through a process of active and continuous practice. In his study, Howard explained vividly that most learners tend to hear what they think they will hear. This is likely to bring about misunderstanding while in the process of teaching and learning. It further inhibits the span of attention which William compared it with the ‘mating of a fly’. In the present day society, persons classified as educated makes bad listeners. They are always afraid that if they lend their ears to other party, they are most likely to receive a bad feedback. The book learning to listen describes fully a civilized man who pays attention to other people while in a conversation. It is apparent from the literature that a discussion deficit of listening is likely to plunge into an unpleasant argument with errors. This is contrasted with learning to see where a learner follows instruction given by an instructor to discover hidden details. Before the advent of books, listening was considered the best approach to learning. Compared to reading, writing and thinking, listening is more complex requiring a learner to synchronize mental powers with extrinsic forces i.e. what a student is listening to. This is also inter-linked with the power to exercise control with other body organs. For a learner to become a good listener, free time should be utilized going through topics and analyze it before an address by a speaker. Classroom environment is the best place for a student to learn how to use both eyes and ears in the listening process. Learning is effective when sight is utilized all the time. It is also possible to compare things by just observing carefully what can be seen around. Dissection, preparation and examination of diverse parts of an insect employ use of sight in observation process. This fact led to a positive end result during training process conducted by Professor Scudder. Lessons learnt from eight month training in observation accrued much benefit when compared with benefits from listening. Conclusion We can now conclude that learning to see starts with capturing the most obvious and distinct feature to a detailed analysis of an area of study. All body senses are particularly exploited during a learning experience. On the other hand, learning to listen requires a learner to synchronize mental powers with extrinsic forces. Nevertheless, learning to listen is the easiest skill to learn but hard to perfect compared to learning to see.

ESSAY: Leasing Buildings Advantages and Disadvantages Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Advantages 3. Disadvantages 4. Sale of the Company’s Headquarters Building 5. Reference List Introduction The purpose of this business report is to analyze and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of leasing buildings, medical equipment and office furniture and equipment. This analysis should explain how the company will benefit (or lose) from selling its headquarters and leasing them back from the buyer. It is essential to understand the pros and cons of such an action before embarking on it. Thus a professional investigation should reveal the advantages and disadvantages of selling and then leasing the company’s headquarters as opposed to maintaining them. Through understanding this breakdown, the management will be in a better position to decide whether to sell or maintain them. Advantages Leasing can be defined as the act of obtaining something (for example property, equipment, or building) from another person (the owner) for a specific period of time under a lease agreement and payment of lease charges. One benefit of leasing is that it trims down the cost of ownership of essential assets whose expenditure involves colossal amount of cash. Through leasing, an individual can be able to finance many assets compared to purchasing only one brand new asset. Another advantage of leasing is that, one is relieved off the worry of disposing an asset once it is worn out. All assets (except land) depreciate in value and become obsolete with time (Anon. “ Advantages and disadvantages of lease financing for businesses ”, 2005). The owner has to dispose off the assets that can no longer be used and obtain new ones. However, the person leasing the equipment is under no obligation liable for replacing the assets once they are worn out and leaves them as they are once the lease period is over. Under leasing, one pays a fixed rate every month which is also inflation friendly. That is, as inflation rises the lease rate remains constant over a period of up to five years. Another advantage of leasing is that, one is able to utilize equipments by renting only the necessary equipments. Once a lease period is over, a person can be able to upgrade with technology by leasing new equipments as opposed to owning old and outdated equipments which would be difficult or rather expensive to dispose and buy the new ones. Leasing also has tax benefits that depend on the structure of the lease (Anon. “L easing in Business- advantages and disadvantages”, 2009). Disadvantages Leasing is a form of financing that is preferred by many businesses, although not all. Before leasing, certain things has to be put into consideration such as the type of equipment required, and the kind of business. Also one has to consider the tax implications between leasing and purchasing the equipment. One of the bad things about leasing is that it becomes expensive in the long run as opposed to owning the item. In leasing one can rent an item over long periods of time and will never own the item (Wakelin, et al 2003). If the money spent on leasing can be accumulated it would by far be more than the actual money that would have been spent if the item was bought from the very start. Another disadvantage is that, if the lease agreement is terminated before it expires, mainly because of damage, then the person leasing the item in question will be expected to pay additional charges on top of the lease charge. Not everyone can lease equipment, before being allowed to get any equipment through leasing; one has to prove credit worthiness and good employment history. This becomes an advantage for one who is buying the item since there are no qualifications that have to be met. Sale of the Company’s Headquarters Building One advantage the company stands to benefit from by selling its headquarters building is an increase in its current liquidity status which can be used to expand production. By leasing the building, the company will have to pay a small amount of money every month giving it a chance to expand the business and concentrate on more productive ventures. Another advantage is that it will not have to lease the entire building but can lease some offices and utilize them for maximum production. By leasing, the company is not required to cater for depreciation but will only pay the lease charges as agreed irrespective of the period of time it remains on the leased building (Enterprise Financial solutions, Inc 2002). One disadvantaged of selling the buildings is that, the company will receive a significant less amount of money than it had spent to put up the building or to purchase it when it was still new. By leasing the building, the company will not have equal rights over the building like before and will be expected to maintain it in a good condition. The new owner has a right to terminate the lease agreement if the company messes around with it and will be expected to pay an additional charge to repair the building. In the long run, the company will pay a higher amount of money that the amount obtained at the time of sale (Spiritleo, 2010). I would therefore advice the management of the company not to dispose the building because the long run benefits of maintaining it surpass the proceeds obtained from selling it. The building can also be used as collateral for borrowing loans from financial institutions which would otherwise be difficult if the company has no tangible assets. Reference List Anon. (2005). Advantages and disadvantages of lease financing for businesses. Allbusiness.com . Web. Anon. (2009). Leasing in Business- advantages and disadvantages . Web. Enterprise Financial solutions, Inc (2002). Advantages of leasing . Web. Spiritleo (2010). Advantages and disadvantages of leasing . Web. Wakelin, et al (2003). Leasing equipments for business . Web.

ESSAY: Lectio Divina (Genesis 18: 1- 5) Analytical Essay Interpretation Based On Secondary Sources Abraham is a man who was patiently waiting for God’s promise. The promise of a son is given in genesis 12 and scholars indicate that he had to wait for 25 years before the promise was fulfilled by God. As argued by Brown, Fitzmyer and Murphy (21), the eighteenth chapter marks the beginning of a climax in Abraham’s narrative. Genesis 18: 1-5 is the first section of a broader picture presented in the whole of genesis 18. This first section focuses on Abraham and his encounter with two men while the rest of the chapter focuses Sara’s place in relation to the promise they had been given by God. Although verses 1-5 of Genesis 18 seem to focus on Abraham’s generosity, they have a connection to the larger text. These verses seem to be mere introductions to the bigger story beginning from verse 9 onwards (Montgomery, 15). However, on further reflection on the text, interpreting them merely as stage setting or introductory verses proves limited. The generosity expressed by Abraham is typical of the hospitality norm that pervaded Middle East societies (Montgomery, 15). Although it was cultural to be hospitable, Abraham seems to go overboard in his welcome. The lavish attitude towards strangers portrays a man who is keen on not just being culturally right but a blessing to others. Scholars suggest that this has some touch of the promise by God that he would be a blessing to the nations. The men are three which alludes to the trinity (Montgomery, 9). Whether they are all angels or God is represented in the person of one of them is not clear. What is more crucial to note is that Abraham and Sara do not initially connect the presence of the three men with the presence of God. It is only later that they are able to connect the words of the three men with God. This is a pointer to the larger theological fact that our encounter with God happens in the basic mundane things of daily living. It is in our daily events, activities and encounters that we experience or encounter God. In the context of the promise they had been given by God, they challenge Abraham and Sara faced was how to continue believing and holding to it in their rather ordinary lives (Montgomery, 13). Nothing out of the ordinary was happening yet in the ordinary they had to recognize and acknowledge God’s sustaining presence and unfailing promise. The final element worthy considering is the identity of the three men. It is only later that they are defined as angels (Brown, Fitzmyer and Murphy, 20). When Abraham sees them, they are ordinary men who in a way needed Abraham’s help. This is also a great pointer that others or fellow men are and should be God’s face to us and among us. Fellow men in essence can be rightly referred to as messengers of God. Personal Interpretation Following from my lectio divina exercise and the interpretation given above, it is clear that although the reading falls in the larger picture of the promise to Abraham and how it comes to be fulfilled, the Genesis 18: 1-5 has a lot to teach us about encounter with God. We live in a socio-cultural atmosphere that questions the presence and promises of God. Personally I think Abraham also had such like a struggle. God had promised him a child. God had promised him that he was to be the father of nations, a blessing to many nations. However, the reality he was living was that of ordinariness. The passage states that he was sitting outside on a hot sunny day. This gives a picture of a very rough day. Many people would not find a hot sunny day comfortable. This statement must have an allusion to conditions of living. It is an indicator to some rough conditions of life occasioned by the weather. This is an indicator that Abraham lived the ordinary conditions of living that were characterized by struggles and hardship. Abraham meets three ordinary men and treats them with reverence and honor. Although Abraham treats the men impeccably, this also was an ordinary happening based on generally accepted cultural norms. What is critical is the fact that it is from these ordinary happenings that Abraham experiences an encounter with God. It is, therefore, valid to infer that God comes and has always come to his people in the ordinary happenings or order of daily living. However, to experience and discern God’s presence, one needs a given disposition. The approach of Abraham to the ordinary is characterized respect, humility and honor. He approached the men and with his face touching down welcomed them. Such an approach is only possible or enabled by a given disposition. From the foregoing analysis, it would appear valid to conclude that the major theme of Genesis 18: 1-5 is encountering the mystery of God’s presence in the ordinariness of our lives. Works Cited Brown Raymond Edward, Fitzmyer A. Joseph, Murphy, Roland, Edmund. The New Jerome biblical commentary. 3rd Ed. New York: Prentice Hall, 1999 Catholic Online Bible. New Jerusalem bible. Retrieved from https://www.catholic.org/bible/ Montgomery M. Robert. An introduction to source analysis of the Pentateuch. Montreal: Abingdon Press, 2008

ESSAY: Lecture: Improving Your Confidence as a Speaker Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Enduring Understanding 3. Instructional Procedures 4. Summaries of the Study 5. Works Cited Introduction If you want to become a good speaker, it is necessary to train your skills and improve background knowledge day by day. Sophisticated people admit that “ it’s normal to be nervous” (Beebe and Beebe 13), and public speaking is one of those phobias, which are hard to cope with from the very beginning. The purpose of our lecture is * to help you comprehend that speaking is not the reason to worry about; * to show that you are not alone, and many famous great people faced the same problems but still were able to find the ways and present magnificent speeches; * to explain how to cope with your anxiety during public speaking. If you are not sure that one day you may present the best speech ever, this course is for you. All you need to do is to believe in your powers and in your skills, train a bit to check your reflexes and skills, and be able to find the way out of any situation. Enduring Understanding Concepts that lead student thinking. From the very beginning, any person should realize that he or she is not alone. There is a great variety of people, who become nervous because of speaking in public, and it is very important to comprehend that the concept of anxiety may be and even needs to be evaluated to succeed in public speaking. This is why our lecture should help you define the main reasons of your panic before public speaking and explain how your fear of humiliation, care about personal looks, insecurity, or lack of experience may assist you but not disturb. For example, you are afraid of being humiliated. Stop! What kind of humiliation! You have no right to think about this! You get a good chance to share your thought with other people, you are the only person, who is perfectly aware about the chosen topic, and no one has the right to say or even think about humiliation, because they take lower stage. They come here to listen to YOU. How to make students think deeper . You may think that you and only you cannot cope with your anxiety. Well, do not be so sure about this fact. Do you know that President Kennedy was afraid of public speaking. He needed more than an hour to cope with his own anxiety and speak on public. However, when the time to go outside came, no one could guess that he had some problems or fears. His speeches always sounded confident and interesting. Just think that you are not the President (yet), and your public is not so great as President’s one. But still, you are to perform this speech, and you may take the best qualities and ideas and pull yourself together. Just focus on your message but not on your fears. If you think that your fears and your public prevent you from speaking interesting and informative, you increase the level of your anxiety. However, it is you, who control this anxiety, so, show your leading skills! Instructional Procedures Teaching strategies . First activity. If you want to organize your thoughts and ideas properly, it is not enough to listen to my speeches only. Now, it is time to show how mature you may be and how successfully you may use the material sent. Let us participate in an inquire that helps you define what you may be afraid of the most. Answer the following questions: 1. What can make you start worrying? 2. What are your first thoughts when you start speaking on public? 3. What can make confuse you while speaking? Well, look at your answer. Crumple this sheet of paper and see what may happen to the things, which disturb you from speaking. You may forget them, you may burn them, you may throw it away. Everything is in your hands. Remember about it. Second activity. Any public speaker should know his/her audience; prepare to his/her speech in advance; train his/her speech for several times; choose an interesting and burning topic; structure the whole speech; hide nervous energy by means of moving and gesticulation. Present your ideas in chain on how to organize a successful speech and cope with your personal anxiety. Guided practice . Now, let us divide a class into several groups in order to compete with each other. The desire to win is one of the causes that make you forget about your personal fears and weaknesses. Remember that the winners’ team will be encouraged by me personally. Take this little hint into consideration: your creative thinking is your key to success. Make use of the following examples to complete this task: it may be a speech of one student, where the second student performs the role of a “little devil”, who introduces negative thoughts and the third student represents a “little angel”, who supports the speaker and finds out positive sides of public speaking. The result of the group has to evaluate this speech and introduce their own ideas. Ways to check student understanding . I should also have a chance to check your level of knowledge and understanding of the subject. All I want to ask you to do is to present an essay, where you should focus on the ideas on how to cope with your anxiety and how to train your personal skills for public speaking. Summaries of the Study Remember that you need to know how to cope with personal anxiety. It is necessary for their future life. Like any other form of communication, your public speaking remains to be a process. Any process needs to be planned and organized. As a rule, you have some time to plan your actions and thoughts. Learn more about your audience, train before the mirror and make sure you look great at this position, and finally, think about the examples, which make your speech more illustrative and more interesting. Almost each speaker-beginner feels nervous before a speech. Do not be surprised if your knees start shaking before the process. Just remember that Kennedy and many other speakers have already passed through it with dignity and respect, and now, it is your turn. Those, who are waiting for your speech, know nothing about the topic you are aware completely. So, use this advantage and win the audience! A Quiz: Public Speaking 1. One of the points of a good speech is… A) a boring topic B) constant gesticulation answer C) interesting examples D) prolonged pauses 1. What should you not do before a speech? A) learn as much as possible about your audience B) use your nervous energy C) prepare examples answer D) procrastinate your preparations 1. If you are nervous before your speech, you should better A) forget about your duties and run away answer B) think that you are not alone C) call your mom and ask for advice D) ask everybody to support you and not to laugh aloud Comments: 76-100% You are ready for your first public speech! Congratulations! You get A! 51-75% You know something about public speaking, but not enough. Read more and practice! It is B for today 0-50% Try to improve your awareness about public speaking. You get C only Works Cited Beebe, Steven, A and Beebe, Susan, J. Public Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach 7 th ed . Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2004.

ESSAY: Leon Golub: Historical witness Descriptive Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Leon Golub lived between 1922 and 2004. He was a well known American painter whose paintings and portraits depicted and exposed historical events in Africa and Central America. His paintings were in form of narratives which vividly captured events happening in the real world. The paintings mainly expressed realities of power in terms of the relations between social and political spheres. Most of his portraits were largely featured in the daily newspapers as well as weekly magazines. His paintings were inspired by major faces of individuals whose names were featured in daily news and events. With the help of his paintings, Golub argued that the relationship between identity and masculinity with power and dominance is a direct one (The Irish museum of modern art para.1). In the 1980s, Golub created a Mercenaries Series which portrayed major historical conflicts in power and leadership. This essay entails an analysis of personal views on museum curators exhibited Leon Golub: Historical witness. In addition, essay takes into consideration the mercenaries series in an effort to explore Golub response to the crisis which occurred in Central America and Africa in 1980s. Discussion Golub’s approach to paintings is almost real. Having witnessed the Second World War, his paintings carry with them a historical narration. Bird (16) considers work of art from a classical point of view. He argues that past experiences influence a work of art. Golub’s paintings clearly depict past experiences through conflicts and manly aggression which are compelled in his images. As a historic artist and painter, Golub is intensely alert of the past history to his own descriptions and symbolism (The Irish museum of modern art para.3). Museum curators are selected in Golub’s paintings for exhibition because of their significance throughout history. The paintings are chronologically organized in a special way such that they can be traced to a single point in time making them suitable for the archives. Considering the fact that most of his work revolves around political power along with the habitual exploitation of power through brutality, Golub is able to portray the tyranny and lust for power that took place in the period of neo-colonialism. This is mainly attained via consideration of African history. His paintings were not portrayed as a secluded inhuman phenomenon but rather as an expression of well thought-out, frequently state-sponsored, repression and violence (The Irish museum of modern art para.5). In his series of Vietnam and mercenaries, the contrast in relationship between black and white soldiers is clearly illustrated. It depicts the racial discrimination that took during the civil in the United States. Conclusion The Mercenary Series have had a major significance to the history of the political systems of Africa and Central America at large. Golub’s contribution through artistic paintings provides viable information towards the chronological development of politics in the two continents over the years. Currently, numerous traditional references ranging from the early artistic work resurface throughout paintings of modern days. Other themes which are still prevailing relate to power, position of man in society and mortality. This means that Leon Golub still remains a model in contemporary society in terms of creating a history through painting as well as painting people who feature in the news and events by vividly describing the relationship that exists between them and their political roles. Works Cited Bird, John. Leon Golub: Echoes of the real . London: Reaktion Books Ltd, 2001. Print. The Irish Museum of Modern Art. Leon Golub exhibition at the Irish museum of modern art . 2000. Web.

ESSAY: Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed and My Personal Role in the World Analytical Essay In the amazing world of literature, there are so many works which help to evaluate this life, person’s role in this world, and the principles that are so important for self-improvement. Among the variety of literary works, it is very difficult to define the one that perfectly depicts people’s hopes, dreams, and thoughts which are inherent to every day life with its own rules and demands. In this paper, I want to underline two works: one is written by Philip Hallie Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed: The Story of the Village of the Le Chambon and How Goodness Happened There and another is represented by Hannah Arendt Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil . These authors paid certain attention to the Nazi community and their ideas of how to conquer the world and make the roles of other people less important and less dominant. These two works represent a beautiful and at the same time the most terrible picture of how people may suffer because of violence as they have already chosen non-violent resistance to brutality introduced by the Nazis. In fact, each person is a kind of cog in a certain machine; and I would like to believe that the machine that influences my personal life and depicts my role in it is all about my family and people around. Hallie and Arendt represented an idea according to which people became cogs under a certain pressure from the outside and suffered because of injustice, violence, and power that was a part of the machine in their world. I truly believe that each person makes an attempt to analyze his/her personal life and the results of actions that have been done on purpose or accidentally at least once in his/her life. This is why to achieve better understanding of this life, it is possible to read books that touch upon numerous philosophical and vital issues and make use of information from such books. When I was questioned whether I realized that I was a cog in a certain machine, I could not really comprehend what kind of answer had to be given. I did not want to believe that I was a part of something and even more I was a cog in the machine I knew nothing about. After I read Hallie’s Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed , my understanding of the question had been changed considerably. It becomes clear that each community people live in is already a kind of machine that cannot be destroyed or neglected. There are also a number of machines which try to gain recognition and achieve the desirable purposes and power. My awareness of Nazi’s actions and intentions allows me realize that they made people suffer, they killed innocent, and they never felt sorry about their actions. The Nazi domination over the European countries was indestructible. It was impossible to resist their power and abilities. However, brave people who lived in Le Chambon made a glamorous attempt to say “No” to the Nazis and their superiority and decided to risk their lives in order to save innocent Jews from death. Hallie’s story turns out to be helpful from many perspectives. On the one hand, it describes the historical period of time when the Nazis enthralled and killed people without any reasons. On the other hand, this story helps to build proper characters in people. The concept of morality is usually neglected during the educational processes, this is why it is extremely important to pay attention to such books and learn a lot from them. Though many people regard the Nazis as a strongly negative group of people whose intentions and actions were immoral only, it is possible to admit that their role in the world is still very important. People suffered because of the Nazi’s regime; people tried to fight against their actions; and people developed the most powerful and significant traits of their characters. This development serves a good lesson for future generations and demonstrates how talented and brave people can be in the face of danger or death. Hallie as well as Arendt based their works on the past experience of people who had to face the Nazi’s power and who had to find out more courage to cope with all difficulties. Their works describe the ways of how people should overcome violence and be able to help the others to do the same. Those who want to improve their lives and live in accordance to justice and rules can find many captivating ideas in the works under consideration. Author’s attention to both Nazi’s intentions and Jews’ actions help to comprehend how it is possible to define personal place in this world, not to be subdued by supreme power, and consider personal interests and living principles. Is it possible to define my own role in the machine that is called society and family right now? I think it is. These two books make me believe that each person is a part of a certain community, a certain machine that follows its own rules and meet all the necessary requirements. The machine I belong to is my family with definite religious preferences and views concerning this life. I cannot agree to the idea that I am only a cog in this machine. My role seems to be more crucial and important in everyday life. I have my personal standpoints and I am able to share them with the others. Each person can easily do something to improve this world and become a worthwhile part of it. My role as the role of each human being is to assist, to promote, and to evaluate the constituents of this life. This is why it is not enough to comprehend this fact but accept it as an integral part of my own being. In general, Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed by Hallie and Eichmann in Jerusalem by Arendt are the two literary works that help their readers realize that life and its difficulties are impossible to overcome. It does not matter what challenges are on the way, it is always very important to remember about personal principles and the rights of other people in order to not break any moral rules. And it becomes necessary to find out more powers, more courage, and more ideas on how to become stronger and define personal place in this life and in the chosen machine. The idea of people’s belonging to one concrete machine is captivating indeed. The world may also be regarded as a machine with a complex structure, and its parts have to work properly altogether. Right now I belong to my family machine and play an important role in it.

ESSAY: Lobbying and Bribery: The Fine Line between Legal and Illegal Influence Critical Essay Many arguments have been made whether a difference exists between lobbying and bribery. There are those who feel that lobbying is a form of polished and sophisticated bribery, whereas others are of the view that a clear line of demarcation exists between the two. This essay is going to look at the differences between lobbying and bribery and what legislations in the United States of America treat the two. The story carried by the Washington Post on January 15, 1999, brought to the fore the arguments supporting or refuting the differences between bribery and lobbying. The paper reported that lobbyists of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games have been accused of bribery in their efforts to influence the members of the International Olympics’ Committee (Washington Post, 1999). The story reveals that a fine line which is sometimes blurred separates lobbying from bribery. Lobbying can be conceptualized as efforts to influence politicians and other key individuals to make decisions on ones favor (Atkinson, 2008). On the other hand, bribing is also described as efforts to influence politicians and other key individuals to make decisions on one’s favor. However, the difference between the two is the fact that lobbyists offer no money or gifts. But the main motivator in bribery is the offer or promise of money and property by the individual (United States Department of Justice, 2008). This means that lobbying is legal and is carried out overtly. In contrast, legislations such as Foreign Corrupt Practices Act illegalize and criminalize bribery. Bribery is mainly carried out covertly (Rich & Janos, 2004). The SLOC members may respond to the bribery allegations by maintaining that they were lobbying and were not involved in bribery activities. They can do this by proving that they did not cross the thin line separating lobbying and bribery. This they can do by arguing that the payments they might have made to the IOC officials were not meant to influence the latter to favor their cause (Herz & Larson, 2004). The SLOC lobbyists may use the definition of knowledge as provided for in the 1988 amendments of FCPA. This is by arguing that they were not aware that their conduct may influence the IOC officials to award Salt Lake City the rights to host the games. By proving this, the officials are likely to negate the fact that they were involved in bribery. For example, they may argue that when they offered medical treatment for hepatitis to one of the officials, they were not aware of the fact that the official may vote in their favor and grant Salt Lake City the rights. The question regarding the appropriate punishment for the violation of ethical and legal principles persists. There are those who argue that individuals who have been proved beyond doubt to have violated the principles, but who prove beyond doubt that they had no intentions to do so, should not be punished. However, it is my view that ignorance should never be used as a defense for such violations. The offenders should be dealt with accordingly and in line with the provisions of the particular offence committed. For example, if the individual has violated the FCPA provision attracting a certain amount of fine, they should be appropriately fined. This is to deter future offenders. The remedies for violation of ethical and legal principles should be limited to the expulsion of the members who have violated them. The entire community should be held responsible. This is given the fact that as much as the members may have instigated the violations, they were not in it alone. Many factors led to the violation. For example, if the SLOC members failed to secure the rights to host the Olympics, the whole community would have condemned them. This expectation and pressure from the community may have led to their actions. As such, the whole community is to blame. In conclusion, it is important to note that it is sometimes very hard for the prosecution to prove that an individual accused of bribery did in fact act illegally. This is given the fact that a connection should be made between the individual’s acts and violation of law. Given that many bribery dealings are not recorded, proof may be hard to come by. However, this does not negate the fact that bribery is a violation of a legal and ethical principle in the society. References Atkinson, B. M. (2008). Lobbying and bribery: The fine line between. New York: McGraw-Hill. Herz, P. J., & Larson, R. K. (2004). Keeping bribery at bay: Firms subject to the US FCPA are legally bound to prevent illegal payments. The Internal Auditor, 2(5), 73-78. Rich, B. R., & Janos, L. (2004). Skunk works: A personal memoir of my years at Lockheed. 3 rd Edition. New York: Little Brown & Co. United States Department of Justice. (2008). Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act Washington Post, the. (1999). The big business of the Olympics and bribery. January 15, 1999.

ESSAY: Love is women’s whole existence Research Paper This paper deals with the cultural myth that “Love is women’s whole existence.” Over the years, the society has been made to believe and accept that women live only for love. However, this is not the case; it is a cultural myth whose time to go has come. Love is crucial to women; nevertheless, love is not the only goal or purpose that women live for. Apart from being lovers, women are responsible mothers, sisters, daughters, and workers as well. With changing times, women can now access decent education and jobs; which make them, lead independent lives without men. Nowadays women are living without that ‘love’ and this may explain the up surge in single mothers and single women. This myth of love being the woman’s whole existence usually accompanies the notion that a woman’s place is in the kitchen. Far from it, women are found in every profession be it military, healthcare, judiciary or even in presidency. Nothing can explain a freed woman from this cultural myth than Charlotte Bronte’s works: The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, The Mill on the Floss, and Jane Eyre . Female characters in these works struggle to shake off love and through this; they are in a position to pursue their dreams and gain the much-needed energy to overcome life challenges. For instance, in Jane Eyre, Jane portrays her autonomy and will power to overcome Rochester after realizing he has a wife. Drowned into the myth of ‘love is woman’s whole existence’, Rochester thinks Jane would become his lover and a missus. However, Jane is not set for these illusions; she walks away with only ten pounds, a piece of bread, and the clothes she was wearing. She leaves behind the jewelry and all luxuries that Rochester had brought into her life in name of love (Cadena para. 5). This may be in literature, but it translates and links strongly to what is happening in the contemporary world. Women are no longer tied to this myth and they are rising to claim their autonomy. Single mothers are on the increase and this is a clear indication that this cultural myth is obsolete. If love was the only thing that women lived for, there could not be single mothers in the society today. The word ‘single mother’ here does not refer to single mothers because of spouse’s death; it refers to single motherhood by choice. Interestingly, the current demographics are shocking to those who think that love is the only thing that women live for. For instance, in 2006 alone, 80% of the 12.9 million families headed by single parents were women (Mackay 36). Moreover, in Australia, 31% of babies born since 2001 are from unmarried women (Rickard 29). In the United Kingdom, of the 5.9 million single parents, 64% were single mothers (Bergman 8). This does not leave out South Korea, a rather conservative society. 1.6 million Children were born by single mothers in 2007 (Sang-Hun 9). These statistics shows how misplaced the cultural myth that love is the only thing women live for is. In the wake of these revelations, it is evident that there are other components in a woman’s life, which are of more importance or at least equal importance to love. If love were the only thing women had to live for, then these births by single mothers would never be. These women would have stuck with their spouses in the pursuit of that ‘love’, which matters so much in their lives. Therefore, love is not the only thing that women live; there are other elements like career and autonomy to mention but a few, that matter most or equal love in a woman’s life. Works Cited Bergman, Mike. “Single-Parent Households Showed Little Variation since 1994”. U.S. Census Bureau. 2007. Web. Annotations Cadena, Christine. “Challenging the Cultural Myth that Love is Women’s Whole Existence.” 2006. Web. This is a well-written article on how women have moved with speed to disqualify the notion that they only live for love. The author quotes extensively British writers like Bronte, Eliot, and Welden. It brings into light how these novel writers used their writing skills to portray woman’s potential not governed by love alone. Mackay, Ross. “The Impact of Family Structure and Family Change on Child Outcomes: A Personal Reading of the Research Literature Social Policy. Journal Of New Zealand 2008, 34(3); 36. Ross Mackay in this journal explores family structures and how they have changed over the time. The article gives insights on how single motherhood is rising with time and how these mothers are independent and successful. Sang-Hun, Choe. “ Group Resists Korean Stigma for Unwed Mothers .” The New York Times. 2007. Web. This article explains the stigma that unmarried women go through. In the hands of the conservative Korean society. The statistics given is a clear indication that, single motherhood is not acceptable in Korean society.

ESSAY: The M&M’s Company’s Marketing and Management Strategies Essay Proper marketing strategy is one of the most profitable approaches that can be used by companies. No matter how good products are, there is always the need to ensure that prospective consumers are aware of the existence and goodness of the products. There is also a need to tailor product quality that best suits customers or that attracts greater revenue from the products. The following paragraphs explore the marketing and management strategies used by My M & M’s , a candy manufacturing company. My M & M’s have achieved exemplary success in their application of a variety of marketing and management strategies. Among their most commendable management strategies is their primary focus on marketing specifically the satisfaction of customer preferences in their products. My M & M’s have prioritized customization and personalization of products and thus they have attracted a wider customer base and more revenue with this strategy. For instance, their introduction of the opportunities they give to customers to choose the color that they want their products to possess is a very strategic policy. It has indubitably helped them to expand their market since customers are obviously more satisfied after purchasing M & M products thanks to the color choosing policy. Another strategy that can be viewed as a strong marketing foundation in M & M is the chance that they give their customers to print their preferred images on M & M products. As confessed in their clip, this strategy has helped M & M to win a wide variety of customers. For instance, it has enabled the company to get more corporate consumers since such consumers are able to print their logos on the products and they are also able to print motivational messages meant to encourage their employees. The strategy has also enabled the company to win customers who consume their products in gatherings like parties and special occasions since the products are made specifically for the occasions. As mentioned above, the personalization and customization not only attracts consumers but it also attracts greater revenue. For instance, it is mentioned in the clip that products that have customized messages printed on them sell for more money. Regardless of this, customers are willing to pay for these more expensive products. This undoubtedly gives the company more revenue. The discussed personalization and customization strategies used by M & M’s show a great understanding of the marketing practice. They show a deep understanding of the dynamics of customer attraction and retention as well as the use of marketing to achieve profit maximization. It is no doubt that their customers are more willing to purchase their products after they implemented the aforementioned policies and undoubtedly, the customers are more satisfied after consuming these products. This is because of the suitability of the personalized brands to certain occasions or for passing certain messages to loved ones. It is no wonder that the consumers of these products are always willing to play more for the discussed personalization. Also commendable among their marketing strategies is the tools they use to reach their customers. When the internet gained popularity, they effectively launched their website from which customers could make their orders. The website was also equipped with invaluable information about their products which has been guiding their customers on the varieties of products available at M & M. The most impressive achievement of the website is undoubtedly its use in conjunction with other marketing strategies. For instance, customers use the website to specify the kind of packaging they prefer for their products, the kind of colors and images they want their products to carry and several other product details that they want the company to incorporate. This is a very important part of marketing because it indubitably reduces the amount of returns and thus increases the volume of sales which in turn increases the revenue that the company generates. Also among the means the company uses to reach their customers is the stated partnership that the customer has made with a baseball clubs and other celebrities. This has enabled them to effectively reach fans of such sports and celebrities since products are branded with images representing the stated celebrities and sports. This is a very effective marketing strategy since is shows a good understanding of the intricacies of customer attraction and retention. From the above analysis, it is clear that much of the success that M & M has achieved is due to their expertise in advertisement. The methods that they use to market their products are bound to bring impressive results since their customers are equipped with a lot of options designed to ensure that they get maximum satisfaction from consuming M & M products. The options are also strategically designed to attract more customers to consume M & M products and they are also designed to ensure that the company generates maximum revenue from them. This shows the brilliance of the company as far as advertising is concerned.

ESSAY: Management of Information Systems Report (Assessment) Table of Contents 1. Eats2Go review 2. QuickBiz review 3. It Fits Outfits review 4. Reference List Eats2Go review Now that Eats2Go is a growing business it needs to incorporate a lot of information systems technology to improve its operations. This will ultimately lead to sound working in the organization (Lindsay, 200, p. 12). The owners have realized that they are falling behind (because of paperwork) and they need to do something about these for efficiency. In addition, they need to computerize their operations as these will save a lot of time that they are currently wasting in their daily undertakings. Inputs They first of all need to ensure that the receipts are computer generated instead of them being done manually. This means that the orders/sales need to be entered into the computer for proper recording. Processing After the order/sale has been entered into the computer it needs to be processed and recorded in the system. Output As the data about the order/sale is processed it needs to be printed out (receipts) for the customers to avoid any backlogs in the business. To improve operations the owners need to buy a new computer system that they will use to put all these into practice as most businesses are running away from a lot of paper work. Because of this advancement in operations the system will help to process a lot of receipts in the shortest time possible. On the other hand, the paperwork that is taking a lot of time to be entered will be a thing of the past as it will be readily available for analysis and as a way of improving efficiency in the business. This information will also be used to know the weaknesses that the business has and therefore used to seal loopholes. QuickBiz review QuickBiz has been expanding because of good and quality services. Since the business is expanding to my area which is new to them (than the environment they are used to at Seattle) they need to use a new telecommunication technology for the new office. Telecommunication services will assist in the transmission of signals that will help the company in communication. Because of this importance, there is need to chose the right type of service that will not be hard for the company to adapt to. This service will be provided by the telecommunication providers’ in the area. There are many telecommunications service providers in the area offering various types of services. They range from cable, DSL, satellite, fixed and wireless. For QuickBiz office it will be recommendable for them to use Cable telecommunication services. This is the most reliable service in the area compared to others offered by competing firms (they are not known to be efficient which is vital for such a business that thrives on reliability). Cable telecommunication will work well for the business because it has a high quality broadband at a very low cost (Cable telecoms, 2010, p.5). The other types of services are relatively expensive which is not good for a business that seeks to minimize on high costs. In addition to these, it has an easy and simple understood billing system that won’t give them any problems. On the other hand, firms that have used this service in the area have not encountered any problem which seeks to reinforce the fact that it is the best in the area. Another factor that makes this service more reliable is the use of one point of contact. Through this telecommunication technology, the business will be able to run its operations smoothly in the area and avoid any mishaps that might disadvantage it. Information systems will keep the business more competitive in the market. It Fits Outfits review Advertising is the only way that customers can get to know better about a company and the products and services that they are offering. It Fits Outfits wants to open a website that will cater for the college population. To spread a word about this online site, advertising will be done using banners and search engines. Search engine advertising is one of the best ways to market a company or product on the internet. This is because they have two results; sponsored listings and non sponsored listings. The best search engines to advertise on will be Google and Yahoo because they are the most popular with a lot of users. But on the other hand, Google ranks higher than Yahoo as it is more efficient of the two. This is because it has a higher visibility ranking for all the companies that wish to advertise on it (Paramount web masters, 2010, p.3). In addition to these, with a good website developed the search engine offers a reward by ranking it among the best. This allows it to be visited by a lot of users which will enhance advertising. Google has a site targeted text advertising that will help to reach the right people that the advert was intended for. Because Google has a lot of users, the advert will be accessible to a wide base which is good. Since this advertisement is targeting the college population, it will be good to advertise banners on social networking sites. These sites are very popular among the college population and a good advertisement is likely to attract a lot of users. This is also a cheap way of advertising that will reach a lot of people. A social networking site like Facebook might be more efficient as it is still growing and has many customers. Reference List Cable telecoms. (2010) Why choose cable . Web. Chang, K. (2007) Introduction to Geographic Information System . New York: McGraw Hill. Lance, S. (2002). Honeypots tracking hackers . Massachusetts: Addison Wesley. Lindsay, J. (2000). Information Systems – Fundamentals and Issues . Kingston: Kingston University. Paramount web masters. (2010). Advertising on Google . Web. Sauter, L. (1997). Decision support systems: an applied managerial approach . New York: John Wiley.

ESSAY: Managing Cross-Cultural Staff: Norms for Groups Within the Organization Argumentative Essay Table of Contents 1. Tabular notes 2. Introduction 3. Discussion 4. Conclusion 5. Reference List 6. Self Evaluation Tabular notes Mead, R. and Andrews, T. (2009) International management culture. 4 ed. England: Vecchi, A. and Brennan, L. (2009) Quality management: a cross-cultural perspective, Bibliographic details Murray, S. (2009). Cross-cultural training. sLondon: Financial Times. Available from web. Trompenaars, F. (2003). Business across cultures. England: Capston. J, Campbell. (2005)Business ethics. Oxon: Routledge John Wiley & Sons. International Journal, 16 (2), pp. 149-164. What is an organizational culture? It is the meaning shared amongst members of a given organization, distinct from any other organization. n/a n/a n/a n/a How does culture affect an international business? With every country having its own communication habits and styles, these companies face cultural differences amongst its diverse employees. Cultural barriers affect the business’ bottom line. Culture influences the way an organization responds to its environment, roles, structure, how members communicate, make decisions and also they respond to the organizational structure. By the varying priorities, performances and practices across nations. n/a n/a Causes of cultural differences in international businesses Language barriers, Social norms, total quality management standards. Lack of trainings on management, lack of cultural awareness Factors that contribute in achieving a Total Quality Management n/a n/a Can cross cultural differences be resolved? Yes. Trainings on management, cultural rewarding on individuals. Trainings and cultural awareness Yes. With differences in religion and language, cultural homogeneity may be impossible to achieve in a certain nation n/a n/a Do these factors relate to me? Yes. Creating awareness of cultural differences in a company begins with an individual. Yes. As an individual, cultural misunderstanding could affect you adversely if you lack prior knowledge of other cultures. Yes. To achieve cultural homogeneity, individual should have be flexible and interested. Can they be positively resolved? Yes. By training the workforce. Yes. Through cultural analysis. Yes. Through adopting a variety of cultural practices. Introduction An Organization result into norms that shape the behaviors of both individuals and groups within the organization. With the increased internationalization in today’s business world, most companies are doing business across many nations. With every country having its own communication habits and styles, these companies face cultural differences amongst its diverse employees. According to Murray (2009, para. 11), there is therefore the need to invest on cultural preparedness and trainings on the workforce. Cultural barriers affect the business’ bottom line (Campbell 2005, p. 102). Mead and Andrews (2009, p. 4) argue that culture influences the way an organization responds to its environment, roles, structure, how members communicate, make decisions and also they respond to the organizational structure. The authors indicate that international managers need to determine the amount of weight to exert on culture in relation to other factors while predicting or explain a behavior. They should also be able to determine the amount of weight on culture that can be administered when responding to an action or a behavior. Discussion Cultural Miscommunications causes wastage of time in the process of trying to understand what the other person is saying, the end result is low morale on workers hence the business fails to capitalize on the benefits of having employees from diverse cultures. Language barrier is a major cause of misunderstandings among employees. Related to this is colloquialism, dialects and accents. Cultural awareness is the cure for this barrier. Cultural awareness provides the foundation for intercultural communication sensitivity. Recent research suggests that individuals with such sensitivity tend to do well in intercultural communication settings. Companies should therefore seek to curb this behavior by promoting acceptance of other people’s cultural differences despite the difference in identities. Culture should not define the position that an individual holds in a certain company. Adapting equal opportunities for all is therefore unavoidable for any organization. Another cause of cultural conflicts is the differences that arise from social norms. A person may be treated differently depending on the country that she is doing business in. An example of this is female employees operating in Africa. The social norms of some countries in Africa are different from those of Western Europe. Some African countries view a woman as a person who should always be under someone authority. They do not command authority and therefore expected not head a corporate. If an employee deployed from such a country to work in a community that accepts a woman to command power and hold a managerial position. Then there is likely to emerge cultural misunderstandings while trying to conduct business with such a company (Murray 2009, para.12) According to Murray, (2009, para. 13), there is no single approach to a certain cultural problem. Therefore, one can apply different concepts in different situations at a given time. While extending its operations abroad, an international business must arm its staff with simple cross cultural information to reduce occurrences of cultural barriers. By so doing, the company would be informing its workforce about the common behaviors in workplace that cause misinterpretations among employees. Managing cross-cultural differences in international businesses is not a one day thing. Managers and employees need to learn about cross-cultural skills (Mead & Andrews 2009, p. 4). According to Murray (2009, para. 12), it may involve developing tools for cross- cultural awareness like computer developed programs that thoroughly offers information concerning different time zones and the possible ways of communication while minimizing misunderstanding. The program would also address common cultural attitudes associated with gender. This is a common social issue that cause misunderstanding among diverse teams. Work practices and attitude differences can be disastrous in international business. This is a result of the different ethnic groups involved. It is more effective to practice the solutions in real situations other that just training individuals as formality. Apart from just addressing cultural differences, it is important for international businesses to utilize the benefits that result from cultural differences. Managers operating in such businesses must be able to export ideas and implement the ideas in unique ways to fit their market segment and needs. The increased competition in today’s business world demands that companies adapt to quality practices while at the same time capitalize on the competitive advantage that springs from the probability of traditional or non-traditional concerns. A study on quality management indicates that learning about the diversity of workforce cultures will enable managers acquire similar and effective management practices (Murray 2009, para. 13). Cultural and national boundaries have major roles in Total Quality Management. This is because priorities, performances and practices vary across nations. Some of the factors that affect effective quality practice in an organization or nation may include customer focus, the level of management commitment, training, strategic planning, teamwork, employee’s involvement among others. National culture is an entity while discussing about quality management that cannot be ignored. Research indicates that deeply rooted cultures affect quality approaches that managers take despite having similar challenges to adopt change while operating in different societies. Certain cultures in a nation function best if specific quality programs are executed than others. The implementation of quality management majorly depends on the different issues related to the national culture. Change is the main factor that fosters Quality management. However, research shows that the culture of a nation is resistant to change. The main argument behind the results of such a research is that although the quality practices may go through certain changes, the basic values accompanying those practices are resistant to change. In such a case, global firms must align their quality practices in such a way that the local national culture embraces them. However this does not imply giving in the veracity of the policies governing them. Instead, it is crucial to develop effective programs that match the local culture. In countries like Canada, Belgium and also Israel, different national and ethnic cultures co-exist (Vecchi & Brennan 2009, p.149- 164). With the globalization and human mobility, the result would be intensified national and ethnic co- existences. However, the differences in sub cultures may be heightened due to the differences in religion and language (Trompenaars & Woolliams 2003, p. 38). In such a case, cultural homogeneity may be impossible to achieve in a certain nation. On the basis of the foregoing arguments, it is important to ensure that an organization adopts an effective mode of communication. Therefore I intend to adopt strategic commitment in handling any cultural differences that I encounter within my work place. I also need to accept that an organization is composed of different people from different origins, culture, language, and attitudes. It is important to manage al situations at workplace effectively with the common goal of attaining success and transforming the company into a global business. Culture conflicts may lead to superior, aggressive and hostile attitudes and actions among co- workers. It is therefore imperative for all individuals within an organization to learn about other groups within the company. This is the easiest way to discover that everybody, despite their culture and experiences, has the same high and low points in life as everyone. People should be open to learning experiences through foreign books and newspapers that offer such insights. Managers should encourage programs that foster friendship relationships like team building and cultural clubs. Friendship cuts through many misconceptions because it allows people to see others as individuals rather than a collection of traits. Conclusion With the rapid growth of business world, any organization that wishes to establish a competitive edge in the market needs to adapt a globalization strategy that aims at overcoming cross cultural barriers. Globalization entails total integration of languages, economies, nations, cultures and technologies. Research has shown that customers greatly prefer to buy in their own language. While studies show that there exist a relationship between cultural dimensions and quality management, there is need to reconcile some other limitations. This is because there are possibilities of having different corporate, industrial and sectors coexisting within the same firm yet may conflict and imbalance the national culture. Reference List Campbell, J., 2005, Business Ethics. (1st Ed). Oxon: Routledge Mead, R. & Andrews, T., 2009, International management culture. 4 ed. England: John Wiley & Sons. Murray, S., 2009. Cross-cultural training. London: Financial Times. [On-line]. Trompenaars, F. & Woolliams, P., 2003. Business across cultures. (1 st Ed). England: Capston. Vecchi, A. & Brennan, L., 2009 Quality management: a cross-cultural perspective. International Journal , Vol.16, No. 2, pp. 149-164. Self Evaluation From the experience of doing the above task, I have polished my research skills by utilizing an electronic library. To compile a comprehensive analysis on how organizations should manage the diverse cultures of employees to work for the good of the company, then there was need to research on the subject thoroughly so as get an insight of how different successful global companies manage their employees. These cases would only be found through a wide research. I have also learnt that reading and note taking is a fundamental step when writing about an academic essay. In order to compile an academic essay, a writer should keenly read through the provided or available reading material in library or electronic sources and note down major points from which arguments in the body will be generated. The choice of language determines whether or not I will be able to explain clearly the points generated from the reading materials. I have learnt that to effectively communicate I have to choose the right words and tenses when constructing sentences. This is because an academic essay requires the use of correct grammar. The tutorials helped me ensure to structure the academic essay in a way that ideas progressively follow each other. This is an essential step which I have learnt when writing an academic essay. Construction of arguments is another essential thing that I have learned. I have known that in an argument, you have to show your agreement as well as your disagreement on the topic of discussion. There after, you can give your stand or general opinion concerning the topic in question. I have as well learned that structuring my written work is important since it helps the reader to quickly capture my point of argument. In addition, it gives my work a beautiful look and thus is attractive to the eye making the reader want to read more. I have leaned that organizing my time and especially by using a time schedule helps improves on time management. Similarly, it helps me to spend quality time on my studies as well as leisure. Organizing time also helps avoid last minute rush when it comes to revising for examination as well as handing over assignment. Tutorials play a big role when it comes to handling of topics under different perspectives. Every one approaches issues in different view point depending on what motivates them. Tutorials therefore become an avenue for such disclosures. I have learned that for as long as you are keen on other people’s arguments, you learn to approach issues at a broad perspective. Next time when given an assignment, I will try as much as possible to have different approaches to it. I will also ensure that I organize and structure my work in more presentable way. I feel confident about myself. I feel I can be able to achieve the set goals. However I need to improve on the way I look at things. I need to adopt a broader way of solving and judging certain issues.

ESSAY: Policies and Procedures: Managing Harbor Staff Research Paper Abstract There are considerable amount of pressure in organizations to raise performance and productivity and current trends indicate that the masters need to redesign and reorganize personnel into working groups or teams working towards a common goal rather than the pupils working as individuals. Teamwork assists in reducing cost, improving quality, and increasing productivity and satisfaction. The issue of employee performance has a strong basis upon organizational policies and procedures as opposed to only the leadership qualities. The nature of these rules or regulations helps in establishing the significance of a task and the importance of ensuring good results. Team leadership is integral to effective teamwork. As Addison (1996, 5) arguments, most important element of the team is a leadership role because it hugely affects the team performance. According to Reid (1993, p. 91), leaders have the role of facilitating the behavioural change that assists in moulding individual trails into teams to achieve the set goals. In relation to the writing of Stott and Walker (1995, p. 16) it is necessary for a new senior leader to equip her/himself with necessary mechanisms, information and strategies of handling a new setting. Thesis Statement “Policies and procedures for employee management as opposed to self management” This paper is an analysis of the effect of implementing management policies and the procedures at a harbour, as well as their implication to future performance. It is an analysis of the employee behavioural patterns in relation to the style of management and lastly it analyzes the available perspectives into controlling performance. Objective/significance of the study The main objective of the paper focuses on implementation of Harbour policies and procedures with the aim of enforcing employee performance and it is equally an analysis of the developmental problems associated with this style of management at a harbour. Another significance of the study focuses on the global approach towards harbour management. The paper also forms an analysis over other probable choices in the subject matter. Are masters utilizing the appropriate measures to enhance performance? The analysis of what determines good guidance over customer services. Lastly, the research addresses the issue of utilizing the new professionally suggested measures to enhance employee performance. The procedure of the study The literature reviews will enable better understanding of the topic. Preparation of the research proposal over the chosen topic enhances and quantifies the research as a study topic and prepares for respondents. Information collected tabulates and ranks the findings to broad areas and helps to narrow the scope to the objectives of the study analysis. The analysis then draws the conclusion from generally analyzed data in the literature review. Purpose of the study The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the problem of employee performance to cover all customer needs and offer suggestions from the research on ways of reducing or eliminating this social problem. Literature review Duties of the Harbour Master This is the person responsible for implementation of reasonable and practicable Harbour Board’s policies. She/he participates to preparation of the policies, subject to the employees’ requirements as well as the board of director’s tasks besides ensuring proper follow-up. The master ensures all harbour systems are working properly and enhance the necessary safety standards. The responsibility extends to ensuring all the marine workers understand individual responsibilities for their personal interest and that of the co-workers. She/he ought to ensure systematic and accuracy of records inline with council procedures and this call for a bureaucratic role of encouraging the employees to actively get involved to meet performance requirements. The harbour’s board is responsible of all matters pertaining contracting but the master is in charge of the supervision. As a manager, the master ought to set proper example to the employees on all maters pertaining performance management as a good leader does so by example. She/he is equally entitled to keeping abreast of development of rules, regulations and any legal requirement regarding employees. Beside other major responsibilities, she/he is also in command of regulating marine operations under the Harbour Docks Acts. Policies and Procedures for Enhancing Harbour Employee Management Beside the performance procedures, there are various harbour policies such as those of safeguarding the information of employees, ensuring their safety and privacy. Those governing performance entails: * Ways of determining the employment related actions and obligations through evaluation to ensure competence over the assigned field. * Having procedures to design, evaluate and administer compensatory and other human resource management programs. * The need to have rule that enhance integration of employee upgrading, retraining and evaluation programs * Ways of monitor and evaluate the conducts and performance of the employees * Procedures for keep an eye on customer satisfaction possibly by availing ways of getting feedbacks from the clients regarding services rendered. * Availing customer information, which is equally important for consultation regarding ones performance. This means that there should be measures of ensuring safe and accurate collection of such information. * Ensuring employees’ performance is highly dependent on the working environment and therefore there ought to be policies to enhance security, safety and health of the employees. * Policies to ensure proper, efficient, secure, flexible and accurate ways of data collection for instance availing business information such as those of potential customers, suppliers, contractors details, joint investors or business associates and employees performance details through the web for instance access. * Ensuring existence of rules to govern maintenance of past and present business records regarding joint ventures or partners, suppliers, investors, potential customers, associates and employees * Rules to govern auditing, financial records analysis, accounting and economical growth analysis procedures * Regulations that facilitate the Harbour’s communications, negotiations, transactions, meetings or conferences and compliance with the legal obligations Precedence in policies and procedures Considering that, the regulations are standard and applicable in the case scenario where the new Harbour Master finds employees’ self-management procedures in which case some duties remain unattended, the new manager ought to prioritize the imperative policies or procedures to implement immediately. One of the most important policies regards performance. The increase of salary for the employees ought to be applicable, but the only bargain unit has its basis upon satisfied performance in terms of quality and quantity. The personnel policy and procedure committee determines the placement, eligibility for advancement in performance appraisal and are in charge of rating performance for satisfaction. Every employee is governed by expectations specified in the job contracts thus failure to meet demands or to manage the personal duties automatically is determined and reported as an underperformance. Freedom of the employees does not facilitate personal definition and appointment of duties. Underperformance and negligence of duties assigned ought to suffer from penalties such as deductions of earnings or dismissal depending on the intensity. Proper policies and procedures should support the performance based analysis, which ought to dictate that, if the employee fails to meet the job requirement rating, then the worker should not advance to the next level of career table, until the time they are able to earn the performance appraisal showing the ability to meet job satisfaction. Insinuations for implementing policies and procedures to board and staff Capacity planning and control In employee management, capacity planning and control is an essential aspect. It entails the research techniques for addressing the issue of scheduling business applications, planning the allocation of resources, controlling performance through routing or queuing and having the problem solving techniques in place for various departments. (Vollmann et al, 38) The planning and controlling approaches include optimization techniques. The function in this approach is diminishing or maximization of business elements, to meet the least expenditure objectives within a constrained operating environment. A big problem is broken down to ease complexity and thus speeding up computation. A problem can decompose to allow efficiency in and ability to handle the uncertainties adequately. Secondly, dynamic approach allows the master to make decisions sequentially in a multi-stage pattern. A problem is recursively related to solutions to come up with most effective results or a conclusion. A complex problem can be decomposed to various sub-problems for individual employees to handle and the solution to one problem create a sequentially dependent framework such that the solution of a sub-problem emerges from the preceding solution meaning that the whole problem is one, broken into various parts but the preceding resolutions are independent of each other. Sensitivity analysis The other approach to problem solving entails sensitivity analysis. The master has to analyze hypothetically, logically or substantially, the most important functions of the harbour. This must be the key element of the business that triggers major changes in the business performance and examines the most important factors for the revolution. The definition of this approach is a procedure of examining impacts over changes and their effects as outputs. (Dodds, 2008) One has to evaluate reasonable limits for change or the individual impact on other independent measures of business quality. This approach rarely features independent usage because it has the sole purpose of challenging other business points for optimal performance. Its main usage occurs after other approaches, to determine their viability or validity. Probability and risk analysis Lastly is the probabilistic and risk analysis approach. This represents a major departure from the main deterministic view. The analysis has a subjective basis on judgements made by the experts, business planners or analysts. The consideration entails correlations along with uncertainties to gauge cost and performance. (Carlberg, 24) Compared to deterministic or fixed-point approaches, the probabilistic approach offers additional information of chances and range sensitivity. Professionally suggested measures for enhancing employee performance These approaches entail some common techniques and the harbour master ought to base her/his decisions on the right method to implement, by checking on the primary functionality of optimisation or delineation of the differences in the approaches. They can also support their decisions on simulation based on the systems dynamics, analysis of scenarios, sensitivity and the probability of a risk. The last basis is upon decision analysis using various theoretic techniques. (Whetten, 32) The main aim of these approaches is to analyse uncertainties in the harbour such as risks to develop comprehensive understanding on demands and create awareness within the harbour. Measuring capacity entails finding the distinction between the inputs or output measures of capacity. The best approach therefore finds the real capacity that depends on the exact mix of activities to be undertaken. The effective capacity management is dependent on the disaggregate nature of the demand thus the reason for some adjustments to accommodate detailed planning. Creating and managing a performance management culture The main and frequently utilized measure of encouraging a performance culture in a firm entails methods of encouraging employees to question and seek guidance through departmental manages, workgroup heads human resource representatives or management. They should participate in decision-making and policy implementation procedures especially on matters concern with their performance requirements. Leadership styles and discipline are the key defining elements for creation and management of a performing culture. Organizational culture is the systematic procedures regarding performance of duties. It is the guide of the employees’ thoughts, actions and feelings. Policies and procedures are changes, decisions, agreements, commitments, creative ideas or plans focused upon a certain organization. Lack of proper management on this aspects or performance culture among employees’ means they become perplexed or stymie by some bureaucratic processes. The culture has its basis on discipline, which promotes the decision-making and direct accountability over performance. With such discipline, there are clear expectations and commitments. There has to be management proactive measures to block abstractions of performance such as rewards thus the employees are truly engaged in their duties. Today emphasis on discipline has overthrown ancient style of “command and control” to enhance recognition of clear boundaries over the lines of duty and flexibility over performance. Requirements for a disciplined and performing culture * Openness and reliance: – Existence of a trustworthy environment promotes acceptance, honesty, free interaction, group work, sharing of ideas and comments. This means that the organization is able to derive talents that are more valuable and promote competence or success. * Differences management: – A good working environment addresses conflicts and exposes the unfulfilled commitments. It provides alternatives and real opinions are encouraged. * Focus and simplicity : – Good policies and procedures are clear and precise. They define the requirements and expectations that are result driven. The results are not mutually exclusive but interdependence. In such scenarios, change brings about positive results. * Employees’ strengths: – The master should know and depend on the effectiveness and talents of the staff and has methods of eliciting them. This means that the employees focus more on learning and building on the strengths. Agility, confidence, speed and simplicity of the leader blend well with the technological leadership, financial and marketing ability to support the vision and mission of an organization. Creating a performance management culture in the case scenario is not as important as implementing. When asked what made their competitive advantage, Michael Dell of Dell Inc stated the direct business model but was quick to emphasize on its execution since it existed for years. (Reid & Hubbell, 2005) Most people have the impression that a performing organization has highly hierarchical set of rules but it is not the case. The key determinants are clearly articulated strategies, disciplined personnel and clear core values. In implementing the performance management culture, the harbour master should enforce the following: * Take and manage responsibilities by ensuring accountability of all the contributions by the employees to the success of the business. She/he should build consensus when required. * Continuously and constantly analyzing the needs of the customers, employees and other partners to ensure optimal satisfaction * Negotiating for clear expectations among employees in the aim of providing continuous feedbacks and guidance where required. * Periodically appraising performance where it deserves as a measure to investing in evident talents and plan for required successions. * Be reflective understand ones ambitions in order to guide others towards the same. A good manager seeks guidance over matters that may seem ambiguous or challenging and out of hand from the junior or senior co-workers. * Adopt a leadership system that encourage coaching with the aim of providing support for coherence, collaborations, communication and required change within the organization. * Providing measures that encourage and retains talent such as supportive and healthy cultures that helps to improve productivity, encourage innovation and leverage existing performance spirit. Research indicates that most employees when given the chance would use it to explore better opportunities and demonstrate their competence. They are ready to learn and thus contribute more because they will be focusing on the best performance. They are in need of listening to respecting leader who is ready to support change and an environment that supports service excellence. The degrees of preference for these aspects are quite different among individuals but a common phenomenon among them. A master who is in a position to respond to these needs is able to enhance performance culture among them. The influences of human performance are interdependent and the combination gives the desired performance, therefore creation of a performance culture requires management of knowledge, feedback, motivation, recognition, skills, rewards, accountability and influence in the work environment. The benefits are for the individual, workgroup or the entire enterprise. Conclusion Today integration of various approaches is in use at most harbours with the aim of meeting the unique specification of a certain demand and at the same time integrates all of them to function as a single unit without leaving some tasks unattended. Arguably, the best fitting approach to most harbours would be dynamic approach to solutions incorporated with sensitivity analysis. The objectives of this study were to establish policies and procedures and relate the effects on productivity, performance and interaction. Short term and long-term impact on company survival on all fronts is a likely cause for concern. To establish the most viable alternatives to the harbour performance entails either applying works sharing, communicating to employees about impeding tasks or engaging the employees in various duties without prior information. These are the viable alternatives for a newly appointed harbourmaster. This will help define company strategy and in adopting the most viable methods of either to enhance employees’ performance level or work sharing as the best alternative. However, this research is not without limitations. Key among the limitations is the demographic diversity of employees, and political influences and consideration of environmental factors. In addition, company management may not divulge sensitive information for implementation of the policies. In addition, the likely impact on employees subjected to such kind of changes and the impact on productivity and company good will on a global scale. Works Cited Addison, B. Team dynamics. Melbourne: Nelson. 1996. Carlberg, Conrad. “Business analysis “. (Second Ed) Que-Consumer-Other Series. Que Publishers, 2002. Dodds, B. Pandemic Planning and Business Continuity . 2008, March 31 Retrieved from https://ezinearticles.com/ Reid, Joanne & Hubbell, Victoria, “Creating a performance culture” IVEY Management Services Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services London, Ontario March/April 2005. Reid, H. Managing teams in the workplace. 1993 Retrieved from American Management Association Web site: https://www.amanet.org/ Stott, K. & Walker, A. Teams, teamwork and teambuilding . New York: Prentice Hall. 1995. Vollmann, Thomas. E., Berry, William L., Whybark, Clay. D. Editor. “Manufacturing Planning and control systems for supply chain management” The McGraw-Hill Publisher /Irwin series, 2005. Whetten, Kim. S., “Developing Management Skills” Pearson Education Publishers, 2002.

ESSAY: Marketing environments and their effects on business Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Economic 3. Competitive/geographical 4. Legal/political 5. Technological 6. Conclusion 7. References Introduction The comprehensive hotel business consists of a composite field of opponents within a swiftly changing transnational setting. New hotels are being fashioned daily, while some are intensifying their branches. In this urbane market conditions, marketing consultants are trying to originate strategies that would guarantee they get the apt awareness to draw business (Bensoussan & Fleisher, 2008). One of the organization’s hotels is facing such tests as it struggles to contend in the industry. There are diverse marketing settings which manipulate the operation of hotels, and the management must evidently scrutinize them to establish how to counter their impact. Economic Globalization sways economic conditions of a region, which shape the hotel operations. There is open movement of assets in the society, coupled by fiscal and political assimilation, which are creating new consumer markets. The pressures and prospects presented by these changes in the economy must be anticipated and planned for. Competitive/geographical The competitive environment entails offering matching services as other companies, thus they will be competing to market the same product. This may result in price diminution in services, or employment of superior advertisement stratagem to draw customers (Bensoussan & Fleisher, 2008). Legal/political The legal situation is habitually prejudiced by the politics adjoining the expanse. Rules on how businesses are maneuvered and the new regulations, for example, increase in levies may distress the organization (Gregory, 2000). Customers may litigate the hotel if they face any injuries while being accommodated. Politicians may also stage-manage the products being advertised, for example, a ban on alcohol utilization in businesses. Technological The pervasiveness of more technological innovations adds flexibility in managing and surveying the company’s possessions and allotment channels (Aisbett & Pires, 2003). Marketing channels have been advanced, availing businesses with more channels to reach soon-to-be clients. This also gives clients wide-ranging selections of services, following the superior exposure of presented services. The way consumers interrelate with hotels and their inclination are habitually determined by the efficacy of marketing stratagem. New catering technologies, like kitchenware, which may augment competence in production and storage, are being developed. Economic modifications are typically accompanied by societal and political apprehensions which relate to immigration and strengthening of the workers skills (Bensoussan & Fleisher, 2008). Currency changes need to be screened and the exchange rates monitored in order to apprehend momentous profits. Technological changes might result in cutback of some workers as more cost-effective machinery which can execute more roles is being invented. The company should exploit the available medium to cooperate with consumers and generate more exposure. Inflexible safety procedures must be enhanced to guarantee the protection of clients while in the company to avoid any lawful issues. Acquiescence with the existing regulations is indispensable, besides regular updates on novel guidelines related to hotel running. Products with altered measures must be checked to ensure conformity. Competition would dictate the hotel to watchfully appraise trends and contemplations in the communal and cultural market (Gregory, 2000). All assets in the technological environment must be utilised aptly, and preparations for any geological changes be made. If the competitive setting is not rigorous there is no need to spend on costly machinery or commercials. Conclusion There are a range of preferences existing for the clients, amplified by the numerous marketing strategies hotels use to reach consumers. There are separate departments which subsist in the company, for example, catering and maintenance, and thus each must be extensively specified to ensure overall productivity in the organization (Bensoussan & Fleisher, 2008). How the administration counters the environments troubles surrounding the business would ultimately resolve its success. It is also obligatory to survey the partialities of consumers before making any supervisory verdicts. References Aisbett, J. & Pires, G. (2003). “The relationship between technology adoption and strategy in business-to-business markets: the case of e-commerce”. Science Direct: Industrial marketing management, Vol 32, issue 4, pp. 291-300. Bensoussan, B. & Fleisher, C. (2008). Analysis without paralysis: ten tools to make better strategic decisions . New Jersey: FT press. Gregory, A. (2000). Planning and managing public relations campaigns. Virginia: Kogan Page Publishers

ESSAY: Marketing: Sales Function Problem Solution Essay In order to stimulate buyer’s response towards making a purchase, proper manipulation of the marketing mix is required. The following represents the four elements of marketing mix: product, price, promotion, and place (Kotler, 2003). The sales concept in marketing is essential in the process of availing a product to customers. When a company makes sales it means that its marketing mix is well organized. A good sales strategy requires appropriate combination of the marketing tools. First, the product must have the right features that appeal to customers. Second, the product should be priced in an affordable manner so that consumers can consume it in large numbers. Third, customers need to be informed of the existence of the product through promotional efforts. Lastly, the product must be made available to the targeted group. Sales function also involves the understanding of consumer behavior. Consumer behavior is a study of how consumers make decisions to spend on the resources that they have. These resources include time, money, and the efforts involved in the buying process. A consumer’s buying behavior is driven by social, cultural, psychological, and personal factors (Perner, 2008). Understanding the behaviors of consumers enables all the stakeholders in the market including consumers, marketers, and scholars of human behavior to gain an insight on certain consumption related ways. Therefore, marketers can be able to make the right strategic decisions so as to improve on their organizational performance. As the owner/chef of Personal Touch Catering, selling concept is a major concern in relation to meeting the company’s objective. The business has been experiencing difficulties in satisfying the customers’ needs because of poor selling strategy. In coming up with a marketing plan, sales is important because this is a catering company that is involved in food preparation; an ever demanding service. It would be therefore important to consider the incentive pay plan that can motivate employees who are directly connected to customers during catering. In catering, sales is realized through the food product sold or prepared and thus having appropriate strategy of increasing sales would imply that marketing plans can meet the company’s goals. In setting up sales plans, the marketing mix is to be fully represented in the catering field. The selling effort would include holding promotional activities and insistent advertising. Making sales will be a greater concern and the company might consider the following factors before setting affordable prices for services offered: selecting the price objective in order to increase sales growth, determining the demand in relation to responses and testimonies, estimating the cost involved in catering field, analyzing the competitor’s prices, costs, and offers, and more importantly selecting the pricing method or strategy (Kotler, 2003). Because of poor sales identified, Personal Touch Catering can consider adopting a promotional pricing strategy. Promotional pricing is based on offering products and services at a discounted price in order to penetrate the market. Besides, the company can launch new and improved services to its customers to cater for consumer requirements and outshine competitors. Moreover, marketing and sales process can be developed through improvement of number of orders or contacts of customers and suppliers. Other sales efforts include setting up sales commission program so that employees are motivated to engage in selling process. Customers are to be informed of any upcoming sales promotion in order to maintain them. Again, it would be appropriate to offer free improved catering services to customers because such strategy might lead to customer loyalty hence increased sales (Macintosh, 2010). Having considered the sales efforts, there is need to understand the behaviors of various consumers in different market segments in order to set prices that are inline with the desired quality of the product. Since the company has the capacity to carry out market research, the management should opt to gather information relevant to the consumer perception and try also to educate consumers on various products and services, hence segmenting the market. Other psychological influences such as motives, attitude, personality and self concept, and lifestyle are to be considered in order to set prices that are favorable. References Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing Management . (11th Ed). New York: Prentice Hall. Macintosh, M.H. (2010). Marketing Concepts. “Five tips for integrating marketing and sales”. Web. Perner, L. (2008). Consumer Behavior: The Psychology of marketing. Retrieved from http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/

ESSAY: Marlow in “Heart of Darkness” Essay Heart of Darkness is a novel published in the wake of the twentieth century (1902). It was authored by Joseph Conrad and Charlie Marlow is the main character. The novel is regarded as one of the most important examples of the use of symbolism in modern literature. Its structure is that of a frame tale where a story is told within a story. Marlow, according to the story, was the captain of a ferry-boat in Cong-an African country. The title of the novel carries with it great meaning. It covers the various types of darkness experienced by the main character. First, there is the literal sense which is the darkness of the wilderness in the country. Marlow says, “God-forsaken wilderness” in reference to the African continent (Conrad73). Secondly, the darkness brought about by Europeans who treated the natives with a lot of cruelty-colonization. The third level of darkness that comes out from the novel is that of the tendency of every human being to be evil. The essay discusses what the character Marlow discovered about European presence in Africa as well as what he realized about the potential of human nature. It also focuses on Marlow’s inner being on the journey. Being the main character, the entire story centers on Marlow, and many literary analysts argue that he reflects the feelings, opinions and the experiences of Conrad, the author. Marlow sees a similarity between the experiences of Britain under the rule of the Ancient Roman Empire and its officials. The way the Romans perceived the Europeans is the same way the Europeans were regarding the African natives in the 19 th century. He is annoyed by the cruelty of the Europeans towards Africans. The natives were facing poor treatment and were experiencing forced labor from the whites. Marlow appears to be a man of immense pride and civilization with some sense of compassion. He also emerges to hold very unique values from the rest of his European counterparts, the Belgians. In general, Marlow’s narration emphasizes the fact that there was a trail of darkness for Europeans and they ought not to have colonized the Africans with such cruelty (Conrad 76). Marlow also discovers that the whites were acting contrary to what they claimed to be in the various reports. Instead of bringing civilization to Africa, in Marlow’s opinion, they had turned into oppressors. Marlow learnt a great deal about the potential of human nature. In his opinion, human nature can either be human or humane. Being human implies acting like a primate, having a mind and to be living. To show compassion, be tender, loving, have a kind heart and considerate is to be humane. Marlow learnt during his encounters in Africa that one does not affect or influence the other. They two totally separate qualities of human nature. He discovered that human beings can lack the humane nature when dealing with each other. He saw the Europeans maltreating the Africans as though they were slaves. Marlow says, “I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain whose bights swung between them, rhythmically clinking.” (Conrad 81). This observation made him conclude that human beings are potentially evil, even more than the devil himself. But he believes the evil nature can be overcome when he says, “even apart from the very natural aversion I had to beat that shadow.” (Conrad 142). As Marlow went on in his journey he discovered his own inner being that made him distinct from the rest of Europeans. As he reflected on the Congo River and his life, the desire to find the truth and face reality grew. He acknowledges that the potential of man to act inhumanly towards fellow man was one of the greatest sins. Marlow noted that man can choose to be humane and should be seen in action rather than mere words (Conrad 51). The essay has discussed what Marlow discovered about European presence in Africa as well as what he realized about the potential of human nature. It also focused on Marlow’s realization of his own inner being during the journey through the jungle in Congo. The novel, through Marlow, provides a vivid picture of how the Europeans treated the natives during the colonization period.

ESSAY: Measuring Economic Health Essay Table of Contents 1. The use of Gross Domestic Product to measure the business cycle 2. National fiscal policy 3. Public expenditure policy 4. Taxation policy 5. Public debt policy 6. Deficit financing 7. References The use of Gross Domestic Product to measure the business cycle Gross domestic product (GDP) is the entirety marketplace assessment in dollars, of all the goods and services produced by all citizens in a nation, within the boundaries of that country at a given year. GDP is essentially an assessment of the fiscal output used as an indicator to decide on the status of a fiscal system. There are various factors that establish the escalation of GDP. It does not adjust noticeably each year year. This is because they follow cyclic arrangement or fluctuations known as commerce cycle (Saunders & Gilliard, 2005). This cycle occurs in four states; the peak, recession, trough and recovery states (Saunders & Gilliard, 2005). The effectual use of pecuniary policy speeds up revival of a system and even eliminates depressions that take place in the invention cycle. Amplification in GDP reflects an increase in goods and services produced and also increase in prices of such goods and services. Real GDP is fathomed when GDP is adjusted for price point alteration. Probable GDP of a nation depends on the excellence and measure of natural capital, skills and volume of the work force, eminence and size of its capital supply (Saunders & Gilliard, 2005). Per capita procedures of real GDP are in general compared to assess the presentation of their economies and review the well being of citizens. The limits that come with this advance are that GDP dimensions do not hold in regard the dissimilarities in goods produced or allocation of income. Recession occurs when GDP declines for at least six months. Government reduces the level of business cycle fluctuation by implementing monetary policies that will affect genuine GDP (Saunders & Gilliard, 2005). National fiscal policy National fiscal policy is defined by Arthurs Smithies “as a policy against which a government uses the revenue and expenditure programmes, to come up with desirable effects and do away with undesirable effects on national production, employment and income” (Saunders & Gilliard, 2005). It is noteworthy that monetary strategy is implemented by the management. The tools used during execution of nationwide monetary strategy incorporate: Public expenditure policy Public disbursement affects the wealth of a country on a wider scale. These expenditures can be of two kinds thus developmental and non developmental. It is noteworthy that developmental expenditure is necessary in wealth growth. This requires large resources, which cannot, be raised by the private sector thus; the public disbursement must be amplified. The main constituents of government policy concerning unrestricted expenditure include; “development of public enterprises, infrastructure development, social welfare and private-sector support” (Jain, T, Trehan, M & Trehan, R, 2009). Taxation policy Taxes are the most important basis of revenues to the administration. The taxes are charged either directly or indirectly. Direct taxes are issued in a direct mode to the administration as illustrated by income tax. It is noteworthy that indirect taxes are paid through other means to the government as illustrated by VAT. Direct taxes are progressive, since it amplifies with amplification in proceeds level of income or wealth. This means people with superior proceeds pay elevated rates while those with low returns pay reduced rates. Indirect taxes are not progressive since everyone pays similar rates. Objectives of taxation approach include resource enlistment, endorsement of saving, asset promotion, recognition of fairness between proceeds and capital. Public debt policy Funds for monetary progress can not only be satisfied by taxation method. Thus, the administration resorts to open debt. It is noteworthy that unrestricted debt is obtained from in-house and external liability. Deficit financing This conception is understood as financing of the budget insufficiency. These are the excess of administration expenses over income. Amplification in money supply results in fall in significance. Fall in the worth attached to money leads to amplification in the price level. Thus, scarcity financing should be maintained at significantly low as they may cause escalation in price (Jain et al., 2009). Fiscal procedures or strategies have returns on the economy’s assembly and employment. It leads to principal formation of unrestricted and private sectors. It is noteworthy that these will lead to increased employment opportunities within the nation. Thus, it enhances monetary progress of a country. It also enhances stimulus of the private sector thus; it receives incentives that facilitate them institute industries. These industries make available employment and facilitate profitable improvement. It is notable that fiscal strategies have resulted in resource enlistment. This results in development processes like assembly of infrastructure that enhances economic progress; furthermore, such policies bring incentives for reserves in collaborate sectors and diverse categories of house holds thus development (Jain et al., 2009). Government payments and taxes positively affects the economy’s assembly and employment since spending is directed towards the required aspects like transportation advancements; furthermore, improvements in private sector comes in handy. This will affect the economy negatively especially when the spending is not aptly strategized. When the government collects taxes and channels it to expand the infrastructure, it will result in financial development. When these taxes are misused it will culminate in a poor economy and insufficient pay opportunities. References Jain, T. Trehan, M. & Trehan, R. (2009). Economy in India , New Delhi: VK publications Saunders, P & Gilliard, J, (2005). A framework for teaching basic economic concepts . New York, National Council on Economic Educacion. Web.

ESSAY: Memoirs of a Border Ranger Autobiography Essay My name is John west and I am an American border guard. I have proudly served my country on the American-Mexican border front since 1905. For the better part of the last decade, the border has been fairly tranquil save for the random illegal migrant and drug trafficking cases. However, the past few years have been marked by a rise in tension owing to the threat posed by the Mexican revolution nearby. There is also heightened suspicion that Germany could instigate an uprising by inciting Mexican revolutionaries and disgruntled Americans to annex the southwestern region (Holtby 1). One of the significant aspects of this northern region of our country is that the American border towns have a significantly greater population of Mexicans and Americans of Mexican origin that the Anglo-American population. Being an Anglo-American, our minority status has never been an issue as we have coexisted peacefully with our Mexican and African brothers. However, there are rumors going around town that there is an uprising underway. It is widely assumed that this revolution will be against the white population of the region. Today is the 24th of January 1915 and the arrest of a suspected career revolutionary leader, Mr. McAllen has confirmed our worse fears (Harris & Sadler 276). On searching Mr. Allen’s premises, a document going by the name of “Plan de San Diego” has been revealed. It turns out that this is no ordinary document but rather is a manifesto calling for an uprising against the United States government on the 20th of February this year! Some of the most violent aspects of the plot are the proposed killing of North Americans over the age of sixteen so as to free the Black and Hispanic population from the “Yankee tyranny”. Following this developments, our commander called us for an urgent meeting during which he warned us to be particularly vigilant. He proceeded to give us carte-blanche to deal with the local population. Sadly, I must confess that this has led to some of my colleagues killing Mexicans indiscriminately along the border (Armando, 121). The lack of will by our judicial system to convict rangers for killing Mexicans has led to the prevalence of these atrocities against the Mexican population. As such, the planned revolution has not gone as planned owing to the confiscation of manifesto by state officials and our subsequent preparation for any eventualities. The material day of the revolution therefore came and went by without any major disturbance. However, our troubles are far from over for despite the thwarting of the El Plan San Diego. I have gathered from our intelligence officers that a junta has been formed this July. It is speculated that this group is responsible for the arming and directing of gangs of 25 to 100 members along the border (Armando 120). While this gangs possess limited military equipment and training, their guerrilla styled warfare over the region is proving to be a major headache for us. These gangs have been accused of burning railroad trestles, stopping passenger trains and raiding ranches over the region. As if this were not bad enough for our state stability, there is growing support for this guerilla gangs. Riots have begun to sprout even in the urban areas of the state. During these riots, some of the demonstrators have been heard shouting “kill the Anglos” showing that the Plan of San Diego sentiments still run strong among the population (Harris & Sadler 276). To curb this escalating security problem, the Federal government has been forced to deploy a number of detachments. The military response to this insurgence has been fierce and costly to the Mexican population. Just yesterday, I visited the town center and was shocked to see military personnel beating suspected insurgents almost to their death. There are also gallows and shooting rangers from which as many as three hundred suspected Mexican guerillas have been summarily executed (Armando 120). This reign of terror has turned this tranquil integrated society into a hate filled intolerant valley. The relationship between the Anglo-American and Mexican-American population has declined drastically and suspicion and fear run deep. We are in the year 1919 and the border war which has raged on for the past four years has all but died out. I am still a border ranger, proudly serving my Country. It is estimated that in the cause of the insurrections that followed the El Plan de San Diego, 21 white American’s were killed. On the other hand, it is estimated that about 5000 insurgents of mostly Mexican and Mexican-American origin were killed. While I do concede that a military solution was necessary to curb the rise of the border war, I feel that the cost in human life was too high. It will take many years for the various races in this northern region to have amicable relations with each other due to the suffering that these skirmishes have caused. It is my hope that these events will never be forgotten and that future generations will learn from them. Works Cited Harris, H and Sadler, l. “The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution: The Bloodiest Decade, 1910-1920.” UNM Press, 2007. Print Holtby, D. “World War I and the Federal Presence in New Mexico.” 20 June 2008 Web. https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/crs_nm_statehood/1/ Navarro, A. “Mexicano political experience in occupied Aztlán: struggles and change.” Rowman Altamira, 2005. Print.

ESSAY: Mental Process: Creative Intelligence Styles Analytical Essay Table of Contents 1. Four Styles 2. Five forces influence 3. Limit the decision making process 4. Personally the most used mindset model 5. Reference List Creative thinking is going beyond extremes in relation to what is existent to come up with good and better ideas on how a given situation is supposed to be handled (Rowe, 2004, p. 9). In a broad perspective, creative thinking is the science of consciousness. This means that with creative thinking, an individual can be able to generate innovative solutions to solve problems in an organization or a given scenario that they are faced with at that particular time. Four Styles It means that with creative thinking an organization will be in a good capacity to come up with new ideas that will enhance its sustainability. As a matter of fact, there are various creative intelligence styles that an organization can use in its daily undertakings (Rowe, 2004, p. 11). These include; Intuitive, Innovative, Imaginative, and Inspirational creative intelligence. Intuitive intelligence is characterized by leaders who make decisions out of impossible situations that end up being right. This means that it tends to bridge the realms of imagination and reality. The current economy does demand that leaders should be able to arrive at such decisions for success (Wind et al, 2005, p. 6). Intuitive intelligence has four abilities that make it effective. It has the ability to always figure out things paradoxically and holistically. This means that leaders should lead by influence rather than design and be able to listen and connect to themselves and others. Innovative creative intelligence is majorly concerned with being flexible and strategic to come up with new ideas that can transform an organization (Rowe, 2004, p. 15). This means that organizations have to involve new evolving management models that will enable them to capitalize on the potentialities that every individual has. Innovative intelligence brings the necessary change that is needed through new thinking which will leads to reorganization thereby improving business processes. For organizations to survive in the ever competitive business environment, they have to be highly innovative in all aspects (Wind et al, 2005, p. 15). Imaginative creative intelligence is naturally attributable to the mind of an individual. From here, the mind will be in a good position to generate or come up with a range of attainable possibilities. It means that there should be an array of possible solutions that an organization will have to choose from. Imaginative creative thinking has to be involving for the mind to come up with a good decision that will ultimately suit the organization (Rowe, 2004, p. 18). Inspirational creative intelligence mostly focuses on social changes that are taking place within a given area or organization so that the best outcomes can be arrived at. All this styles are used to make important organizational decisions. This might wholly depend on the combination of styles that an organization will decide to use in order to achieve its intended outcomes (Rowe, 2004, p. 21). Therefore, regardless of the style that an organization uses all of them are tools that guide organizations to end up with the best decisions. In a broad perspective, they help an organization to come up with good decisions and in the process become more efficient. It is through good decision making that an organization can be able to handle all problems that might be manifested (Wind et al, 2005, p. 24). The four styles also contrast in a different way. Intuitive creative intelligence tends to lay its focus on results while relying on the past experiences to come up with a good plan. Innovative creative intelligence on its part lays emphasis on problem solving which is done systematically while relying on data. Imaginative creative intelligence is synonymous with the visualization of opportunities (Rowe, 2004, p. 27). This kind of creative intelligence is distinct in that it is artistic and enjoys writing while thinking out of the box. Inspirational creative intelligence mostly focuses on social changes which are not seen with other types of creative intelligence. Five forces influence These styles influence decision making in that they help to come up with ideas that will serve others well and in the process improve the profits of an organization. An example is the intuitive style. They also influence decision making through research that is done on similar issues (Wind et al, 2005, p. 25). In the process, businesses will be in a better position to correct mistakes and make sound decisions. The five forces influence the mind/model sets. It is from the mind that an individual can be able to make a good decision about a given issue. This is because decisions are formed from the mind and there are various outcomes as a result of decisions that an organization comes up with (Wind et al, 2005, p. 13). Decision making is an important aspect that every organization is supposed to undertake in a bid to ensure that it is moving in the right direction. These forces influence education because it forms the foundation that moulds our minds. It means that from an individual’s educational background one will be in a good position to determine his mental models and mindset. Trainings may in different occasions become a bad influence when individuals do not have the urge to change in relation to changes that are being witnessed allover the world (Rowe, 2004, p. 17). It therefore means that those individuals who do not want to do things outside what they know as their work will have a limited creative intelligence in relation to their thinking. It is quite evident that other people influence our mindset and models. This is because in different occasions individuals are influenced by their surroundings. An individuals intelligence will therefore be limited if they do not want to think beyond what there surroundings have instilled on them (Rowe, 2004, p. 20). In most of the occasions, some mind sets end up being or resulting into rewards and incentives. An incentive can be explained from diverse influences that end up shaping our mental model. This is because it is from personal experiences that an individual will be in a better position to avoid any mistakes in the near future. On the other hand, it is evident that individual’s minds are shaped by the experiences they go through in their lives (Wind et al, 2005, p. 19). Creative intelligence will be limited if the experiences we had in life are always causing fear instead of instilling hope. This limits an individual’s capacity to be creative in any given situation. Limit the decision making process There are various examples on how the mental models/mind sets might limit the decision making process. People keep in their mind facts about some issues and they may end up with problems if it turns otherwise. This is because in the real world it will turn to limit their thoughts about imaginary words which is not good for the decision making process (Rowe, 2004, p. 26). On a different perspective, it will not be easy to make decisions in groups as some situations might demand. This is because decision making in a group involves a lot of aggregating which might not be possible with the individual mind/model sets. Counterfactual thoughts can also help to tell how the mental models/mind sets might limit the decision making process. This is because they can keep in mind true possibilities that are false but on the other hand temporarily supposed to be true in a large way (Wind et al, 2005, p. 32). There are also some limits with the individual’s mental capacity. This means that the mind might not be able to cope with this. On the other hand, it is quite obvious that different group dynamics will always restrict mind set of others. Individual mind sets will limit our decision making because we are supposed to work together. Personally the most used mindset model I commonly use personal experience as a mental model to guide my decision making in my work place. This is because I am able to observe and analyze what has been successful and what has failed over the recent years in a bid to correct those mistakes and make the best decision. On the other hand, I am in a good position to make sound decisions that best suit my daily undertakings based on what I have been doing. Through personal experience I am able to select the best decision among the various alternatives available. Reference List Rowe, A. J. (2004) Creative Intelligence: Discovering the Innovative Potential in Ourselves and Others. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Prentice Hall. Wind, Y., Crook, C., & Gunther, R. (2005). The Power of Impossible Thinking . Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Wharton School Publishing.

ESSAY: Metamorphoses by Ovid: The Character of Phaeton Analytical Essay The Metamorphoses by Ovid is a brilliant collection of the stories that depicts the ways of how the world was developed. The world of mythology would be incomplete without Ovid’s Metamorphoses because each its part represents a unique story with a certain lesson for any person to take into consideration. “The Story of Phaethon” is the first story in the second book of the Metamorphoses . Its main character is Phoebus and Clymene’s son, who gets an opportunity to get anything he may dream about. Phaeton’s demand was really serious and even beyond his father’s powers; he wanted to control the chariot with winged horses for one day. Ovid’s attempt to describe the relations between parents and children and the ways of how parents can follow their promises was successful. His Metamorphoses show how light-mindedness of young people may influence the current state of affairs and the lives of many people. The character of Phaeton represents a perfect collection of different elements like false confidence in personal powers and inability to listen to parents words that are inherent to many young people; Phaeton’s complexities and desire to have more power and abilities lead to a tragic end according to which not only Phaeton loses his life and hope but the other members of his family undergo suffering. The relations between parents and children are considered to be a very important issue in our life. Very often, children face challenges when they fail to comprehend the attempts of their parents. Almost the same picture is described in Ovid’s Story of Phaethon , when a son wants to use his father’s position and prove the rest his power. The father comprehends at once that such power is beyond son’s experience, years, and strengths; but the son is blind in his desires and does not want to hear any pieces of advice. His mother’s words that he has many powers from his birth encourage the boy and nothing can stop him. This is what makes him who he is actually in the poem, a spoiled boy, who gets an access to power due to his birth, but does not get any lesson on how to use this power. The peculiar feature of this character is the possibility to compare our modern situation, when children get their heritage but fail to use it properly. Their failure to use their heritage is the failure of their parents that leads to disappointments, disasters, and deaths. Phaeton as a character demonstrates that his complexities are caused by his mistakes and his constant demands. It is not that important to have much power and use it over people; it is more significant to have solid background knowledge to use it for better and to help the others. The mistake of Phaeton is evident: he is not ready to control the chariot of his father. He burns the Earth, causes numerous discontents of other Gods, and dies. However, the author does not want to end this story by a death only. The Phaeton’s action has considerable outcomes, and his family is also responsible for such stupid attitude to duties. Phaeton’s father, mother, and sisters suffer in their own ways because they realize that their guilt is also present here. In general, the character of Phaeton shows the reader that a family and inherent to family relations, duties, and heritage have unbelievable power. Everyone should appreciate this gift to have a family and respect the roots, memories, and maturity. The major complexity of Phaeton is his inability to control his own demands, to use his position properly, and to consider the hints of his family. So the reader has a good chance to learn on the Phaeton’s mistakes and improve this life using the existed power in accordance with personal age and strengths.

ESSAY: Miami School Negotiations: A Plan for the Mediating Process Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Mediatory Role 3. The dispute 4. Negotiation Grounds 5. Negotiation Strategy 6. Conclusion 7. References Introduction In all aspects of society life, conflicts are bound to occur. These conflicts are normal and may in fact contribute to the health of the community. However, the positive contribution of conflicts greatly hinges on the conflict resolution schemes which are employed. As such, it is imperative that the people involved in the conflict resolve the issues constructively. Key to the constructive resolution of conflicts is the use of negotiation tactics and strategies in the mediation process. Stitt (2004) defines mediation as simply the act of facilitating negotiation activities so as to help the disputants overcome the various obstacles in the negotiation process and therefore get to an agreement. In this paper, a review of a conflict between the Miami School District and the Miami School parents shall be made. An overview of the conflict in this particular case shall then follow with the major parties involved being identified. The negotiation strategy to be used to address the issue will be discussed and the rationale behind it explained. In the end, the paper shall demonstrate the significance of the mediator’s skills in arriving at an agreement that suits parties across both sides of the divide. Mediatory Role Negotiation and mediation are termed as procedures that are utilized in dealing with opposing preferences. Negotiation involves the discussion between the opposing parties with the aim of reaching an agreement. Mediation on the other hand is a form of negotiation involving the presence of one or more outsiders. In the negotiation process, the parties in question may choose to take an approach in which discussions are held concerning their respective interests. On the other hand, mediation is a process that employs a neutral party/parties to facilitate the negotiation process between the opposing members. Shamir (2003) states that “mediation is an assisted and facilitated negotiation carried out by a third party.” Since I have no direct interest in the conflict or its outcome for that matter, my role as a mediator is ideal. Impartiality on my part is an especially crucial consideration since if either party suspects the mediator of being partial or having vested income in the outcome, the process would fail. Poitras (2009) articulates that a mediator who is perceived to be impartial and only out to get a just solution will elicit the trust and confidence of the parties involved. The diplomatic nature of the mediator also increased the chances of achieving positive outcomes by facilitating unanimity. The dispute The school board and the student’s parents have coexisted peacefully over the past many years. The Contention arose following the decision by the school board to redraw the school boundaries resulting in many students not being able to stay at their present school. The main concern of the school board results from the unexpected increases in enrollment. The board feels that school boundaries have to be drawn in order to take into consideration these new realities in Miami. The school board feels that if no intervention is made, overpopulation in schools will occur leading to the overworking of teachers and a decrease in the education quality. As such, the school board feels that redrawing of boundaries is an important step to ensure better services are provided to the students. However, the parents who are the other major stakeholders in this conflict do not share the sentiments held by the school board. The parents are particularly concerned that the proposed plans will lead to a disruption of the student’s school life since many students will not be able to stay at their present school. In addition to this, the parents feel that this move will lead to an increase in student’s travel time are well as have social impacts on the children. Owing to the fact that the children will be transferred to schools that have lower reputations compared to their current school, parents also feel that the quality of education will be degraded. Negotiation Grounds Negotiation involves exchange of proposals and demands so as to reach a solution (Stitt, 2004). This particular case presents well defined goals by both parties involved. A goal is defined as a known or presumed commercial or personal interest of all or some of the parties to the negotiation. The goal of the school board is to proceed unperturbed with its redrawing of school boundaries so as to offer better services to the student population. The goal of the parent’s on the other hand is to preserve the school boundaries so as to ensure continuity and avoid the degenerating effects that the proposed new boundaries are bound to lead to. Despite the presence of these polarized interests between the two sides, there also exist common interests by both the school board and the parents. Both parties are genuinely concerned about the well being of the local community in general and the students in particular. Both parties therefore desire to reach a solution that will not alienate them to each other since the two entities have always coexisted peacefully. These joint interests are very pivotal in the reaching of an agreement. Negotiation Strategy Having established the positions of the various parties and my role as the mediator, the negotiating and meditating process can occur. For the negotiation process to be undertaken a strategy has to be followed. The negotiating strategy that I will follow is the Integrative bargaining. Stitt (2004) affirms that “Integrative bargaining operates under the assumption that there is at least one settlement that results in a win-win situation for the various parties involved in the negotiation process.” Each party will be required to reduce their demands or aspirations so as to accommodate the other party. The key factor that makes me favor this approach is that it tries to resolve the issue in an amicable fashion so as to ensure a health future relationship between the parties. Safeguarding of future the relationship between the parents and the school board is critical in these negotiation efforts. The first step for me as the mediator will be familiarizing myself with the issue. I have therefore examined the background information so as to develop strategies on how to deal with both antagonists. I also intend to hold separate meetings with the concerned parties and clarified my role in the negotiation process. A mediator’s attempt to establish common values and experiences with the negotiating parties may yield to a good rapport with the parties. As a mediator, once the goals and interests of both sides have been laid out on the table, I will be able to begin facilitating the negotiation process. I will begin by helping both parties better understand their interests and priorities. From this, it will be clear that the parents are not so much as opposed to the idea of the school board redrawing the boundaries as to the lack of involvement of parents in the process. The parents view that this would result in crossing cultural and economic boundaries since the students would be placed in poorer districts. This crossing of lines would lead to a tainting of the community’s suburban image. It is therefore possible to appease the parents by having them elect members to be included in the boundary redrawing efforts. This will ensure that some of their interests are taken into consideration in this process. The quality of education is one of the issues that are of high priorities to both parties. The need for redrawing the school boundaries is seen as inevitable by the school board. However, it can be done in such a manner that it does not lead to the high levels of objections. As a mediator, I can look into ways that the school board can undertake this activity while ensuring that the travel time for students is kept to a minimal. The parents will however be willing to deal with the fact that economic boundaries may have to be crossed. Through the course of the negotiation process, I will highlight an impasse created due to the parent’s perception that placing the students in a multicultural setting will result to negative influences. The parents believe that this will have a negative social implication since schools in the other neighborhoods have incidents of violence which the parents perceive to be as a result of culture. By helping the parties to recognize these impasses, they can overcome the culturally-based impasses. Having done all this, it is possible that the two parties will reach an amiable compromise based on reducing their demands and dealing with the issues of high priority. Since there exists goodwill and a desire to avoid dispute by both parties, it can be expected that both parties will fulfill their ends of the bargain therefore leading to a harmonious coexistence. Conclusion This paper set out to demonstrate that mediation can be used in negotiations to help in the timely reaching of an amiable stand by both parties involved. Since there is a desire by both sides to come up with a solution that will be beneficial to the community, both teams are likely to engage in negotiation efforts to constructively resolve the conflicts at hand. Compromises will have to be made and both teams will have to agree on terms that are acceptable to all parties. The role of the mediator is invaluable in that it enables the conflicting parties to better understand their interests and also facilitates the moving forward of the negotiating process according to the needs and pace of the parties. References Poitras, J. (2009). What makes parties trust mediators? Negotiation Journal, Volume 25, Issue 3, Pages 307-325. Shamir, Y. (2003). Alternative Dispute Resolution Approaches and their Application. PCCP Publications. Stitt, A. (2004) Mediation: a Practical Guide . Routledge Cavendish.

ESSAY: The role of morphemes in the English language Essay Every day we use the language in order to express our opinion and in order to understand what we hear from others. The conventional use of language involves the knowledge of grammar, spelling, language in use, etc. However, sometimes the general rules are violated with different purposes. One of the cases is a word play. Word play can often be met in our daily life. For example, in the television show “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, the cartoonist Charlez Schulz presented a scenario, in which Linus tells Charlie Brown: “Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you’re the Charlie Browniest.” This sentence is with no doubt an example of excellent sense of humor. However, what is more obvious, Charlez Schulz is a professional writer, who knows how to use all the tools offered by language to achieve the desired stylistic effects. For instance, in this concrete example the writer used some morphemes in order to make the sentence sound funny. The first proof is the word “Browns”. The author used the morpheme “s”, which in English language is applied to denote the plurality. Despite the fact that the sentence was addressed to a concrete person, and there is no other person similar to the addressee, the writer points to the plurality of the name. Such paradox emphasizes the uniqueness of the person, meaning that there is a little chance for existence of many Charlie Browns in the world. Another unusual use of morphemes is observed in the second mentioning of the name. Charlez Schulz uses the phrase “the Charlie Browniest”. Here the morpheme “est” at the end of the surname is added by the author. This morpheme is traditionally used in the English language in order to show the highest level of comparison. Thus, the message of this morpheme is that the addressee has the most characteristic features and qualities of Charlie Brown. Instead of writing a long explanation, the author preferred to use one morpheme to express this idea. Interestingly, the use of the morpheme “est” plays one more role in this sentence. The personal noun, which denoted the name of a personal, changed its grammatical category into general. Indeed, while “Charlie Brown” is a personal noun, the word phrase “the Charlie Browniest” means that there are other Charlie Brown, or people having more or less qualities of Charlie Brown. This changed “Charlie Brown” into a general notion. Another peculiar detail about using the morpheme “est” in this case is that it is used with a noun. In fact, such use of this morpheme is unacceptable, as far as this morpheme can only be used with adjectives. If so, than what does the word “Charlie Brown” mean? If the author wants us to treat this word combination as an adjective, than what qualities should it represent? In any case, the listeners are left to decide. The author was directed not with the grammar rules but with his own vision of the words and their meaning. As a result, words changed their grammatical categories, subcategories, properties, and changed their lexical meaning. All these transformations helped the cartoonist to achieve the desired effect in the sentence. As we can see, the role of morphemes in the English language cannot be underestimated. Being the smallest part of the spoken and written language, it can have a huge impact on the meaning of the words and sentences, make them either sophisticated or witty, formal or jargon, etc. The example of Charlez Schulz’s scenario proves the stated above information.

ESSAY: Mother Tongue by Amy Tan: What Does Your Language Say about Your Identity? Essay The power of language is really great: lots of people like to judge the others by their pronunciation, language mistakes, wrong stresses, or incorrect use of words. People are full of ambitions, pride, and prejudice because of their origins and social status, and language is one of the factors, which determine people to certain classes. Is it really correct that language is considered to be one of the most powerful means to divide people? In the essay, Mother Tongue, Amy Tan speculates upon the possible variety of one and the same language and the problems, which appear while understanding how this division is possible and what the classifications are. People may come from different countries and choose English or any other language as a native one. However, not all native speakers can accept those aliens and treat them respectively. This very theme is also discussed in many other literature works and movies. One of the movies, which concentrate on the issues of race inequality, ethnicity, and nationality, is In America, a work by the Irish film director, Jim Sheridan. One of the major points of Mother Tongue and In America is the fact that language may say a lot about a person’s identity, however, it does not allow to understand human’s soul and mind. Amy Tan underlines that she is not a scholar but a writer. She does not afraid to tell that English fascinates her a lot as well as influences her life. She says that “language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all – all the Englishes I grew up with.” (Mother Tongue) The point is that she is not a native speaker; her parents came to California from China. In her home, there are several types of English, which she calls the Englishes: simple, broken, and watered down. It is not easy to communicate with people using different styles of language. During some time, Tan was even ashamed because of her mother’s language and her limited perception. In fact, time is the best treatment of many troubles and misunderstandings. After Tan grows up, she comprehends how lucky she is, because she gets a wonderful opportunity to feel how it is to be a native speaker and an alien. Such experience helps her create wonderful stories and be useful to many people. Her awareness of several Englishes make her proud of who she is and where she came from. In America is another source of information about the difficulties American immigrants may face with. When Irish family, the Sullivans, enters America in searching for better life, they cannot even guess how difficult their life may be. “We heard Manhattan before we ever saw it, a thousand strange voices coming from everywhere… We had to go under the water to get to the city. We lost contact with everything; it was like we were on another planet.” (In America) Their admiration of America and desire to live better make them blind for a while. Loss of close people, inability to feel something, vain and rich people – this is what a real America is all about. Native Americans do not want to accept people of other nations. America is divided into several districts: in the places, where rich people live, poor Americans or immigrants cannot appear. Friendship with Mateo, an African painter, and arrival of the baby are the only things, which help the family to enjoy this life, heal all the wounds, and be ready to cope with any difficulties. When you are alone, you can hardly cope with language barriers and existed inequality. Mateo learned how to survive and tried to teach the Sullivans. He did not have enough time to explain them everything as he had AIDS; but he was so in love with this family, who communicated with him without any prejudice and pride, and he was happy. It is not easy for me to comprehend all those troubles, immigrants face day by day. The only language I use is English; however, even for my, English may be of different types. Here are several my Englishes. With my close friends, I use one English that is simple and rather communicative. We have lots of words with different meanings, not comprehensible for other people. Such use of language is fun a bit and makes us differ from other people. With my parents, I use another English and even stresses certain words to underline my respect and love to these people. School English is one more type I also use. Of course, it is easy to divide and associate the language with different people and places. However, my ideas and my thoughts – this is what I am. Neither English nor the change of places makes me different. Language is one of the human identities. If a person can speak and comprehend the words of other people, he/she is already a human. Is it necessary to divide people according to their nations and races? Maybe, it is high time to forget about boundaries and not to be biased in order to enlarge the level of knowledge and enjoy communication with people from different places. Works Cited In America. Dir. Jim Sheridan. Perf. Paddy Considine, Samantha Morton, Sarah Bolger, Emma Bolger, and Djimon Hounsou. Fox Searchlight Pictures. Tan, Amy. Mother Tongue. Web.

ESSAY: My Changing Taste in Music Report (Assessment) One of the invariable realities in our lives as human beings is that we are in a constant state of changing. These changes may be gradual or abrupt and can be as a result of our surroundings, education, peer influence or various other factors. One of the aspects in my life that has undergone radical changes is my taste in music. This change has been gradual and while I cannot with certainty point to a particular instance in which the change occurred, the results are very evident. In this essay, I shall discuss two different types of music so as to exemplify my changing taste in music over the years. I shall examine the various factors that may have led to or positively influenced this change in taste. From my childhood years, I have been exposed to the country genre of music. This was mostly due to my parents who were avid fans of most of the classical country tunes by the likes of Dolly Parton and Don Williams. Despite this early exposure to country music, this music genre never made a lasting impact on me. As soon as I could choose my own music preferences, I withdrew from it until finally it was but a distant memory in my mind. The first genre of music that I can consider my own was Rhythm and Blues (RnB). The core factor that made this genre have such a strong appeal to me was the fact that I did not share it with anyone else in my family. RnB therefore made me feel different from my parents and therefore to some extent special. In my outside world setting, RnB was more of a class status as it marked me off to belong to a certain group in my school. In retrospective, I admit that RnB may never have been me “own genre of music” since my love for it was brought about by the peer influence. Regardless of the primary reasons for my listening to RnB, with time I grew to embrace it and love the genre as only a true fan can. Its lighthearted beats and catchy choruses were a source of joy and I constantly hummed to the latest tunes that were playing on the radio. I can still vividly recall searching for the lyrics to songs by the likes of R. Kelly and chanting them, albeit in the wrong tone and tempo, with my like minded friends. In the last three years, I have noticed that my taste in music has shifted from RnB to Celtic. While this does not mean that I have altogether forsaken it, the Rhythm and Blues genre no longer captivates me and I cannot picture myself dedicated any significant amount of time to it. Ironically, I would not have consciously listened to Celtic music in my earlier years. In the few instances that I chanced to listen to it, I found it awfully dreary and the fact that there lacked a catchy only made the matter worse. The diction of most of the artists in this genre was mostly unclear and as such, there was no motivation for me to pay any attention to this music. However, all this has greatly changed with time. At present, most of the music that I listed to is Celtic and I find myself taking the time to search for the lyrics of my favorite songs so as to better appreciate the music. My discovery of this genre of music was mostly as a result of the experiences in my life. The many activities that I involve myself in resulted in my interacting with a wide variety of people who have differing tastes in almost all aspects of life: from clothes and colors to religion and politics. These people exposed me to different kinds of music that I would otherwise never have cared to listen to. It is from one of these encounters that I discovered the Celtic genre. While discovering the Celtic genre was a function of my experiences, my love for the music can mostly be attributed to my education. From my literature classes, I have gained a deeper appreciation of poetry and folklore. Most of Celtic music as performed by artists such as Enya and Loreena Mckenitt is presented in a poetic manner and the stories told therein have a complex plot that appeals to one’s intellect. This genre therefore ceases to be just bright tunes and catchy phrases but takes on a more intricate role as one gets to appreciate the poetic prowess of the artists. In addition to this, the music contains a wide range of instruments and the rich sound produced is a welcome change from the monotonous RnB sounds. In this paper, I set out to discuss two different types of music that highlight my changing taste through the years. To this end, I have discussed the Rnb and Celtic genre. The reasons for my change have been identified and the changing process showcased. As I stated at the beginning of this paper, the only invariable thing in life is change. As such, I acknowledge that my current taste in music may change over time. However, I am at the moment content with the Celtic genre which I feel is inspiring, entertaining and intellectually stimulating.

ESSAY: Disguise: Does It Reveal More than It Hides? Essay One of the things that make human life intriguing and to some extent captivating is the diversity and variation exhibited by various people as a result of their differing cultures, personalities and physical appearance. However, there are areas in life where being different may lead to some form of discrimination and therefore, disguising yourself to fit in with the rest presents the best chance for coexisting harmoniously with other community members. I have at various times in my life been forced to disguise myself so as to fit into a group. In this essay, I shall examine one such instance and articulate the advantages and disadvantages that spring from disguising myself. This will help me identify if a disguise does indeed reveal more than in hides. I have always viewed myself as a fashion conscious person and my taste in clothes and music attests to this. However, I am afraid of revealing my true personality; afraid to appear special by dressing up in a manner that is different from the other girls. I therefore wear the trendiest t-shirt and jeans or slacks and loafers in conformity with what my peers do. If I were to be true to my nature, I would dress up in fashionable dresses and shoes. However, dressing up like this would definitely make me stand out from the crowd hence having me labeled as a snob or even worse, being shunned by my classmates and friends. Therefore, if only for these reasons, I conform to the dress code of my peers. My disguise presents me with a number of advantages. The most significant benefit to me is that I avoid being stigmatized or bullied by my peers. This saves me from the rude remarks that I could be subjected to as a result of being different. As such, my emotional well being is guaranteed as I do not spend time defending who I am or dealing with the verbal insults from my peers. While this conditional acceptance by my friends is not ideal, I appreciate it as I have witnessed the effects that outright rejection by one’s peers can have on a girl. Despite the advantages that my disguise presents, I sometimes feel like a fraud for conforming to the standards of others. Having being brought up in a family where standing up for my beliefs is important, I feel like a failure for not being able do stand up for what I believe in. The effort that I have to put in as I pretend to actually enjoy the dressing code of my friends is also a lot and sometimes not worth the compensation that I receive in the form of my peer’s acceptance and association While my disguise does serve the primary objective of making me appear to fit in with the other girls, I sometimes get the feeling that my peers are not taken in by my pretense. While I can change my clothes, I can never get to change my attitude to the clothes that I am forced to wear. As such I end up despising the clothes and I cannot bring myself to show the enthusiasm that my peers have when we go for shopping. This has resulted in my peers viewing me with suspicion as they suspect that this is not who I am. My disguise therefore does not fully work since a close look will reveal clearly that I am not what I pretend to be. In this essay, I set out to give a scenario where I disguise whom I am so as to fit in with other society member. I have outlined the advantages that my attempts at fitting in present me with and the disadvantages from the same. From the discussion presented, it is clear that the disguise works but only to some extent. In my case, my disguise does hide more than it reveals but only to the casual observer. A keen observer will see more about me than if I did not bother to disguise myself in the first place.

ESSAY: My life in Western Europe in 600 AD Creative Writing Essay The European Middle Ages, popularly referred to as ‘dark ages’ can only be described by one word, ‘barbaric’. This was after the fall of the Roman Empire that had ruled for almost 500 years. Hooligans, Hans, barbarians and Goths came from all directions, East and North, sweeping down Europe. Many buildings and architectural structures that were used during the reign of Roman Empire were destroyed. The Western half of Europe was now in a state of anarchy but Eastern Europe was still thriving. Power was now decentralized, army was disbanded and the force that upheld Rome collapsed. During this time, there was little education and trade, countries were fragmented into small portions that were now under the control of feudal lords. Barbaric tribes were immense and kings had little power. This means that the Roman army that used to protect the empire was almost powerless and could no longer guarantee security and distance travels became quite risky. I could not even visit my uncle who lived in the neighboring city to have a chat with my cousins and being the only child at home them, life was so boring. I had to stay indoors for most of the days as schooling had also become difficult. My father would leave us home to go look for casual jobs in the agricultural farms as this was the only place that one could secure one. Feudal lords had taken over all the lands and the laws that protected such property were no longer applicable. By now, schools were closed roads were not maintained d and living standards were dismal. Agricultural practices were torn down and the agribusiness that had thrived was now replaced by subsistent farming. The fertile lands in the areas of Iran and Iraq that had flourished in technology collapsed and resulted to use of rough methods of irrigation which had a great effect on rivers Tigris and Euphrates. There were salt sediments along these basins and eventually, they became deserts which are prevalent to date. Misery continued and life became almost unbearable. This was made worse by the emergence of plagues that saw the continued downfall of cities like Persia, Indonesia and Arabia. Northern Greece was also invaded Dorians and this led to the collapse of the famous arts culture and playwrights that had charmed the world. The Mycenaean who were the Greeks in the Bronze Age and popularly referred by Greeks as Ionians fled and settled in Turkey. Today, there is the believe that the Philistines referred to in the bible were the Ionians who settled in Israel. The church conserved ancient and Biblical writings and it helped in bringing people together since it had a centralized authority and was constant. The barbarian kingdoms were always fighting and could not agree with each other. Persian Empire tried to take over Byzantine and this marked the beginning of Byzantine civilization. Later, Persia is overcome by Byzantine forces and the Jerusalem cross taken from the Persians. Later, Arabs conquered Byzantine and when they try to do the same to Constantinople, they fail. For the many years, life here was terrible with no luxuries or riches that were prevalent before the collapse of the Empire. The church continued to unify people in the kingdoms that would later unite to form the present glorious Europe. With the advancement of the middle ages, there was some light at the end of the tunnel and the little that the church had salvaged was used as centers of learning later.

ESSAY: US-China: The Art of Negotiation When negotiations are held, the main intention is to come up with an agreement that will provide a roadmap for an action to be taken (Howard, 1982, p.5). Negotiations have mostly been aimed at ensuring that existing conflicts are resolved amicably. They occur over a wide area and have no restrictions. In addition, negotiations can occur between organizations, businesses, governments and in other personal situations. There are many actual negotiation situations that have occurred in a global context. Examples include between international corporations and organizations, government to government and international acquisition (Howard, 1982, p.15). In international business there have been negotiations between the US and China (in relation to currency). China has been accused of manipulating the value of the Yuan. It has been agued that they have not moved towards a more flexible currency. On the other hand, the US has been accusing China of being a currency manipulator because it has kept the value of its currency unchanged to the dollar for almost two years (Stohr & Mattingly, 2010, p. 7). There has been pressure for a Yuan revelation so as not to put their exports ahead of others like America. Most of the public pressure has come from the US as they have felt more offended than anyone else. Chinas policies and practices have given most exporters an unfair advantage over their US competitors. As a result the US government through its Treasury secretary has been involved in negotiations to resolve this dispute once and for all. Some have been calling for immediate imposition of import duties to the Chinese. This is ultimately a global issue that pits the world’s largest economies against one another. In coming up with negotiations to resolve this dispute some US lawmakers have argued that Chinese leaders are not committed to this issue (Stohr & Mattingly, 2010, p. 3). Of course it is evident that problems between the US and China can be solved through negotiations. There has been a multilateral effort to ensure that this issue is solved through negotiations. Negotiations have been aimed at looking into the relationship between the two countries (that will define how they relate in business). Before these there has been a distributive bargaining where the US has urged China to try and correct the situation for better trade relations between the two countries. To resolve this issue China has been urged to move towards a more flexible currency. As a matter of fact, the Chinese president was able to visit Washington in a bid to ensure that trade ties are not severed. On the other hand, China has put in place good measures that allow for negotiations in an aim to resolve this issue. An involving negotiation process has been called for among the players to reach an amicable solution as this is a global issue. In a broader perspective, to give the negotiation process a professional approach many economic experts have been called in to ensure that the authenticity of the claim has a basis from which it can be well argued on. The process has involved the people who run treasury from the two countries (Stohr & Mattingly, 2010, p. 9). This is because it is an economic dispute that needs a comprehensive solution. Although negotiations are the only way to resolve the dispute; it has not been successful over the years as the Chinese have not been ready (in many occasions) to sit down and commit themselves. The negotiation process is ongoing and will open a window for more issues to be looked into. Reference List Howard, R. (1982). The Art and Science of Negotiation. Harvard : Belknap Press. Stohr, G. & Mattingly, P. (2010). (2010). Geithner Delays Currency Report, Urges Flexible Yuan. Web.

ESSAY: Nelson Mandela “Freedom in Africa” Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Apartheid and Oppression 3. Demonstrations, Detention and Mass Killings 4. Freedom in Africa 5. Conclusion 6. Reference List Introduction It can be difficult to understand the meaning of oppression if at all one has never experienced the struggles coupled with oppressions hence, the desire to liberate from shackles of oppression. However, it is not easy to find the way out of oppression, especially when the oppressors seem to gain much from their egoistic acts. This has been the story in Africa, the story of oppression from the colonial masters. Yes, indeed it is the story of oppression between white settlers and Africans, fighting for resources and power. Nevertheless, in order to gain freedom, individuals or groups of people must have strong determination. On matters of freedom, there are two warring groups fighting to gain something or protect their legacy. Each group has its own demands, of course by realization. Thus, since the disparities between the groups are many, the subjugated group will find it hard to fight for freedom. Nevertheless, if the group remain adamant and plan well, the situation will one day rectify where, the once mighty and feared will turn powerless. (Melber, 2006, 261-278). At some point, the struggle for freedom can include mass killings, detention, rape and racial discriminations. Nevertheless, the two parties receive equal blame for their respective participation for either oppression or freedom. For example, the struggle for freedom in South Africa is one of the best examples of freedom in Africa so far. This incredible enlightenment came from Nelson Mandela who for his quest for African freedom did not lose self-determination to press on until finally declared, first past the post. In the quest of freedom for Africa, Nelson Mandela has been a reference figure to many people who are still fighting for freedom especially in Africa. His enduring in addition, tireless devotion, became an ingredient of downtrodden semantics of the oppressors. South Africans were to fight their enemies and tormenters in order to achieve freedom. On the other hand, the South African apartheid had claimed more from them hence, calming and breaking its foundations was a vision to achieve. Nevertheless, Nelson Mandela is one key inspirational figure in social and political sceneries. This man tirelessly fought for oppression and racial discrimination of South Africans. His participations on the antiapartheid rule in South Africa have won him a Nobel Peace Prize, leave alone being the President of South Africa. The country that was once marked by oppressive tactics is now a figure of freedom in Africa. He led the country to reject colonial rule and one race government, into a rule of the majority and multiracial regime. Tirelessly, Nelson Mandela fought for the respect of human rights and equality whether white or black. (Mandela, 1990, pp. 2-48). Though Nelson Mandela’s journey was marked with setbacks, epic struggles and strange happenings, the spirit and desire to achieve his visions renewed his hope and determinations, leading to his historical triumphant tribulation. Interestingly, Nelson Mandela grew up in an environment full traditions, cultural worships and social African elegancies. However, as he grew up, it came to his realization that, apartheid rule was dominant, representing the most cantankerous and successive system of oppression and discriminations. South Africans had struggled in vain to reject this system. They feared death as anybody who was going contrary to this system, faced dire consequences including death. Thus, South Africans, like any Africans during the period of colonialism, had to fight on notwithstanding of threats, in order to end oppression. The deaths had to cease no matter how long it took, so that Africans create their own administration full of African values, freedoms and tranquility. Apartheid and Oppression Like White people, Africans also needed an environment free of oppression and racial discriminations. Indeed, Nelson Mandela is the founder of freedom in Africa. Over the decades, Africans have been struggling to achieve justice and freedom in all speckles of life. This is the reason why, heroic, self-determined brave men and women who do not fear death through hanging or Police brutality voyaged to hasten and achieve liberation. The pillaging periods of social and national enslavements educated Africans that, they had to fight in order to achieve liberation, and that freedom is necessary for smooth survival and prosperity. However, people can only win the war through visions and formation of peace units. For example, driven by hunger of justice, the South Africans decided to mould machinery called, African National Congress (ANC), which will act as a spear towards freedom. Among its top leaders, was Nelson Mandela who together with other eminent leaders, decided to lead a generational front of achieving freedom. The group would stage protest marches as a way of uniting all those who wanted freedom. The white people oppressed South Africans in an unprecedented scale. For example, in order to rule well, Nelson Mandela realized that, the regime had divided the country along racial and ethnic lines, in what many termed, divide and rule system. A particular grouping represented each race or ethnic group. There groups included, the Colored People’s Congress, Communist Part, people from Dutch descendant fell under Afrikaners, South African Congress, and the African National Congress (ANC). However, these groups thrived under the monarchial White National Party and it actually dictated what these parties did. In addition to social and ethnic segregations, the regime allocated about 87 percent of South African land to white settlers, leaving eight million South Africans to share the remaining 13 percent. In 1912, Mandela joined ANC with a view to quest for freedom. (Richardson, 1978, 185-219). This party led protests and led mischief to the ‘notorious state laws’ which the regime abrogated to a level of deity. In fact, the regime had even enacted an oppression policy with a mission to achieve their demands. Nevertheless, the South Africans under the umbrella of ANC, decided to brawl on clandestinely, up to the time when they could achieve freedom. The ANC had to defend its members from the oppressive apartheid administration. For example, in order to reach out their conquest of freedom, AFC decided to embark in reactionary violence, silent mass mobilizations to gather numbers, and seeking international attention. Later, Nelson Mandela and the larger AFC leadership unveiled the Nation’s Spear, which used as a motto towards liberation. Moreover, the party decided to incorporate African states. Amid danger and consequences Mandela faced, he vowed to defend his people. (Decalo, 1992, pp. 7-35). Unluckily, the apartheid regime arrested Nelson Mandela together with his lieutenants and sentenced them, five years in jail. Up to this far, the apartheid regime though that, it had completely shunned Africans from championing their freedom. All the same, later on, this idea came out to be acme of false tranquility, which only lasted in the twinkling of an eye. At Robben Island where apartheid jailed Mandela and fellow ANC leaders, the leaders were busy developing another plan of action. Although the court found Mandela, the main suspect of leading the quest, contrary to apartheid laws and sentenced him for a longer period, the war on democracy still smelled from far. In the Rivonia Trial Chambers, apartheid characterized oppression and white supremacy as opposed to black South Africans. The war had just begun; the war between white invincibility and freedom in Africa. In jail, Mandela and his fellow detainees continued to write to other interested civilians and international community, pestering them to force apartheid to release the detainees. (Gready, 1993, pp.489-523). Demonstrations, Detention and Mass Killings It has never easy for most African counties to achieve freedom, even today; many countries are still languishing in domestic and international oppressions. Though physical white regimes are no more in Africa, the issues of neo-colonialism still hold many African counties ransom to oppression. Mandela and his fellow ANC leaders were fighting to end white man dependency, which is itself oppression. Freedom in Africa meant that, Africans would wholesomely rely on themselves, economically, socially and politically. Perhaps this is the reason why, apartheid continued to abuse the jailers to stop them from heightening their political insinuations. Interestingly, even some jailed illiterate people, graduated from dungeon cells, ready to defend their rights and freedoms. The student uprising in 1976 climaxed the whole war of freedom in Africa. However, the apartheid tortured civilians and apparently, the voice of the people harkened further and further; no machinery would stop civilian upsurge. Not even, army attacks, repression, sanctions and international seclusion, could stop the militant South Africans whose destination was freedom. On learning how unstoppable civilian had become, apartheid decided to employ dialogue with Mandela. However, Mandela was not ready to accept the demands of apartheid. Instead, he vowed to oust the adversary of African freedom. The white men oppressed Africans on grounds of protecting their bigotry, cultural ambiguities and privileges. (Meredith, 1998, pp. 261-273). The apartheid did not allow Africans to vote nor did they have civic rights. Additionally, the white people regime had deprived them land. On the other hand, if an African passed near a white man, he had to take off his hat besides, not stepping where the white man walked. In order to win this war, Africans had to stop regarding themselves along ethnic lines and form a single unit with similar ambitions. Since the exploitations from apartheid seemed many, the Africans could not bear them any longer. The regime had taken everything helpful in the eyes of an African. Even land, which Africans consider a precious commodity, became rare because; the white settlers occupied the most productive areas leaving unfertile sections to the populous Africans. Poverty administered their lives coupled with inhuman mistreatment from apartheid regime. Freedom in Africa The hard-won freedom is today the paramount thing in freedom for all African states. For example, many countries in Africa conduct elections to choose their leaders. Africans were fighting to have the right to choose their leaders. In Ghana for example, the county went into an election inviting international observers to oversee the whole exercise whether it respond to the rule of majority. Indeed, the outcome of the exercise indicated how Africans have achieved the freedom to choose their leaders not warranted during colonial periods. In many African states, action dominates key institutions due to the realization of rights and freedoms. South Africa being a symbol of freedom in Africa had their laws changed by Congress to represent the ill of the people. During the period in which Mandela spent years in prison, Africa was liberating itself from the shackles of colonialism. Instead of the perceived trivialities within Africans, mutual interdependence took place hence; Africans became more united. Mandela, 1990, pp. 76-106). Nelson Mandela started championing African freedom when he was a young pugilist in 1940’s. Ancient African practices like tribalism, ethnicity and pluralism continued to eat the society slowly. The emergence of the apartheid as the powerful regime in South Africa heightened African differences. However, Africans had to defeat their adversary not as a divided group, but a single entity. Mandela never believed in ethnicity and pluralism to be the drivers of revolution and African democracy hence; freedom in Africa. As a substitute, Mandela believed in equality of people whether Black, White or Negro. Perhaps this is the reason why he fought tirelessly to work with all South Africans irrespective of their ethnic or tribal backgrounds in the African congress structure (ANC). The idea of national liberty exhibited by many African states is a clear indication of freedom in Africa and tribute belongs to Nelson Mandela for this beneficial ideology. Even after becoming President, many people around the world expected him to revenge but instead, Mandela continued to press for equality among every person living in South Africa whether Black, White, Jew, Indian or native. it is this particular sensibility that has made Mandela an international figure respected all over the world. (Meredith, 1998, pp. 8-37). Nelson Mandela championed the freedom of Africans to get sound education. The colonial powers prohibited Africans from attending schools in order to receive education. Moreover, colonial masters denied Africans, the accessibility to information and learning fearing for further opposition of their prejudices and privileges. However, Mandela might have received part of his education during the 27 years he spent in jail. Today, many Africans albeit poverty, attend schools to get education and access information. Additionally, some African governments offer free basic education to its civilians to create awareness within social, economic and political ladders. For years now, education has been a key figure in uniting Africans who fall in ethnic and racial divides. Nevertheless, the learning of one common language like English has made communication among Africans smooth hence, social development. Conclusion Today, African counties experience freedoms ranging from civil to political human rights. Democracy that was once a culture of western counties, currently exhibit in many African countries. Although some sub-Saharan counties experience internecine conflicts over resources, dictatorship and stolen elections, democratization is still taking roots in Africa. Nelson Mandela championed freedoms in Africa because, Africans can understand their own problems hence, solve them amicably without relying on western counties. South Africans fought to obviate oppression hence and instead achieve freedom for all. Nevertheless, African counties need to personify their leadership modalities to avoid domestic feuds like the one experienced in Nigeria and Kenya in the recent times. The road to freedom is not an easy one just like many Africans thought. Just on the way, there are many obstacles like segregation, murder, police extra judicial killings, greed for power and racial segregation. However, with determination, Africans achieved freedom they enjoy today. Reference List Decalo, S. (1992). The Process, Prospects and Constraints of Democratization in Africa. Journal of African Affairs, 91(362), 7–35. Gready, P. (1993). Autobiography and the ‘power of writing’: political prison writing in the apartheid era. Journal of Southern African Studies , 19(3), 489-523. Mandela, N. (1990). No easy walk to freedom . (2 nd ed.). Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers. Melber, H. (2006). Where There’s No Fight for It There’s no Freedom. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 24(2), 261-278. Meredith, M. (1998). Nelson Mandela. A Biography. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Richardson, H. (1978). Self-determination, International Law and the South African Bantustan Policy. Journal of Transnational Law, 17, 185-219.

ESSAY: Neuropsychological Assessment: Individually Administered Intelligence Tests Essay Individually Administered Intelligence Tests Individually administered intelligence tests are considered to be one of the most important staples in psychological, clinical, and counseling fields. (Hogan, 2007) To achieve good results during the communication with a person, it is better to combine these tests with some other activities, which may help to gather more information for analysis. It is necessary to admit that individually administered intelligence tests have lots of common characteristics, which have to be taken into consideration, while creating the test. From the very name of this test, it is obvious that it is individually administered; there should be an examiner, a person, who poses questions and analyzes the results, and an examinee, a person, who answers. It is crucially important that the examinee answer all questions truly to provide the examiner with the chance to present the proper results. Of course, administration of all these tests should be advanced training. One more characteristic of these tests is variety of age and abilities. It is necessary to determine the age of the examinee in order to create appropriate questions and be sure he/she will answer them somehow. Rapport is another characteristic that has to be considered to make the conversation more friendly. The conversation of between the examinee and examiner should pass in the free-response format. It will help the examinee present questions taking into account personal interests and abilities. The examiner should also score all the answers immediately. This very characteristic is closely connected to advanced training, where examiners should improve their abilities while testing. The last but one characteristic lies in time limitations. The test should be about one hour. During this very period of time, it is possible to pose enough questions to get a clear picture about the patient’s condition. Final characteristic, a real advantage of such tests, is the opportunity for observation. This opportunity helps to present a concrete report about the individual. To create a really good individually administered intelligence test, it is also necessary to remember about its trends, like remedial materials, which help to develop individual’s strengths and remediate his/her weaknesses, and attention to test bias that helps to develop the use of the tests because of certain attention to minority groups and people with some disabilities. Neuropsychological Assessment A neuropsychological assessment is a kind of activity that helps to improve the condition of a client, who faces some problems with the nervous system. For example, it may be a student at the age of 12. This assessment may take place in the classroom. Before the very process of interviewing the client, it is better to consult this student’s parents and friends in order to get a clear picture about the person, his/her abilities and reactions and gather some. One of the neuropsychological tests that may be used is checking the client’s memory and the reaction to different situations. It is possible to present several photos with familiar and not familiar pictures of people and places and observe the client’s reaction, and at the end, ask what first picture he/she remembers. Examination of memory’s areas is one of the major steps in the neuropsychological assessment. With the help of the information, gathered from relatives, and analysis of the client’s actions, it is quite possible to start the evaluation of a person and identifying his/her problems. Reference List Hogan, T. P. (2007). Psychological Testing: A Practical Introduction . John Wiley & Sons.

ESSAY: Objective Personality Tests Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) 3. Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) 4. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 5. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) 6. Conclusion 7. References List Introduction Objective personality testing is “use of assessment methods that use a restricted response format (ordinal scale ratings or true/false questions), and which contain extensively tested validity scales to determine whether the person taking the test is responding truthfully” (Hogan, 2007, p. 69). The commonly used objective personality studies include; Beck Depression Inventory, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III , Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory , and Child Behavior Checklist . Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) This is the widely used objective personality test. Subjects under study receive uniform answer sheets, which are filled manually using hands to fill templates that fit on these sheets. However, technology has made it possible to use computer programs to score the sheets. These computer-scoring programs present different scoring profiles. One of the typical scoring profiles is an extended score sheet that scores the newest data at very advanced psychometric scales. According to Kronheim (2007), “the Restructured Clinical Scales, (RC scales)” (p. 13) is the most advanced psychometric scale. One of MMPI advantages is that it incorporates both traditional tests like supplementary scales and modern ones like RC scales. However, this is a costly test, and it draws numerous ethical concerns. Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) MCMI-III is a personality test that gives information about psychopathology. The target group is people above age eighteen with a minimum reading level of eighth grade. This tool can only be used within the clinical practice; it is unsuitable for use in the general population. Unfortunately, some clinicians have been using it within the general population, and it has produced some valid results in some reported cases. This test is “composed of 175 true-false questions that reportedly take 25-30 minutes to complete” (Hogan, 2007, p. 78). According to Hogan (2007), there are four scales in this test viz. 42 Grossman Personality Facet Scales, 5 Correction Scales, 10 Clinical Syndrome Scales, and 14 Personality Disorders Scales (p. 79). There is a comparison between Base Rate and personality indices with a median of sixty. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) This test is used to determine problems in children’s behavior. Teachers or parents carry out these tests because they understand a given child better. There are two types of CBCL viz. the preschool checklist for children between age 18 months and five years and school age checklist for children between age six and eighteen years. The test is simple as it comprises a set of questions on a child’s behavior and the answers are recorded as somewhat true, not true, or very true. These answers are scored on a Likert scale. The person performing this test then groups different answers to identify any syndrome and finally sums up these syndromes to establish whether the results are clinical, borderline or normal. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) DDI is a “21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory , one of the most widely used instruments for measuring the severity of depression ” (Kronheim, 2007, p. 16). It is applicable for people of thirteen years and above whereby; it assesses depression symptoms like irritability, guilt, and fatigue among others. Individuals answer the 21 questions, which are based on how one has been feeling for the last week. The obtained results are then compared to a standard sample to determine the intensity of depression. There are three models of this test; that is, BDI, BDI-IA, and BDI-II; however, they use the same principle for they are a modification of BDI. Conclusion Objective personality tests involve asking questions, and the responses are scored against validity scales, which establish whether one is truthful. There are four types of objective personality tests viz. MMPI, MCMI-III, CBCL, and BDI. These tests use the same principle: asking questions to determine how truthful one is to determine the mental status of an individual depending on the trait under study. References List Hogan, P. (2007). Psychology Testing: A Practical Introduction, 2 nd Ed. New York; John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Kronheim, S. (2007). Clinical Assessment and Evaluation.

ESSAY: Okrent, Daniel. Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. Scribner (May 11, 2010) Essay The author explores the process of prohibition of the production, sale and even transportation of alcohol and any other intoxicating liquor in the United States. He explains how this prohibition came into effect. He says that the prohibition came through the eighteenth amendment to the American constitution whose cause was fueled by several movements among them being the famous anti-immigrant sentiment and temperance movement among others. He breaks down on the politics involved in this prohibition in the year 1919 till the enactment of the prohibition in the year that followed. The author is generally trying to put across the changes that took place after the prohibition was effected both in terms of culture and way of life. He explores the reaction of the ordinary citizens where he asks and provides answers to this social experiment that seems not to be successful due to the outcomes witnessed like rise in gangster era. The author relied on the primary sources to obtain first hand information concerning this scenario. He collected this information from the ordinary American citizens to gauge their perception concerning prohibition that was effected following the eighteenth amendment to the constitution. However he also employed secondary works like the constitution review in explaining the amendments made to the constitution that prohibited any intoxicating liquor in United States. The sources were very appropriate to the main theme that the author was trying to put across following the fact that he wanted to explore the politics of prohibition and the consequences that followed. He had to get the information from the citizens themselves. Being a journalist, the author has demonstrated good skills on the use and analysis of various sources to explore the politics of prohibition. One example demonstrating good use of the sources is where he explores prohibition not only in terms of what was amended in the constitution but also applies this knowledge to relate prohibition to the earliest themes in the 20 th century and traces its roots of emergence from ethnic, religious, social and political backgrounds. According to my own observation of the author’s ideas, I think he demonstrates some form of prejudice and bias. He terms the whole prohibition scenario as a failed social experiment. He says that many ordinary citizens did not respond positively following the enactment of this prohibition. In other words, the ordinary American citizens did not welcome the amendment. As much as the law enforcers expected positive outcomes in terms of culture and way of life, the opposite turned out as the outcome. According to my own assessment, this is a very interesting book in a way that it explores the process of change, enactment of change and the outcomes of change. As much as change is desirable, sometimes the more things are changed, the more they remain the same and this has been well demonstrated in this book where by banning of alcohol did not realize changes expected. Instead, things remained the same as before leading to a failed social experiment. This is a very useful book in this course as it teaches on prohibition and effects of change. In order to be successful in enacting new laws, the ordinary citizens play a vital role since they are the ones that determine the success of the change.

ESSAY: “On Killing” by Dave Grossman Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Men are not Natural Killers 3. Evaluation 4. Conclusion 5. Works Cited Introduction On Killing is well-crafted work by Dave Grossman expounding on humanity versus training on killing. Grossman gives insight to the psychological cost that soldiers have to pay after being trained to kill in boot camps. The deep-set fight that any soldier undergoes in war is to fight his or her human nature that compels him or her not to kill the enemy. On Killing tackles the military travails to kill this resistance, making soldiers natural killers who will not have a second thought when faced by the enemy. Unfortunately, this attempt to eliminate the urge not to kill is spreading fast in societies by use video games that desensitizes teenagers making killing something natural. Grossman theme is to insist that humans are not natural killers for they have a natural urge not to kill fellow humans; however, this urge may fade away through desensitization similar to that happens in boot camps. Ironically, soldiers are trained to kill; that is, silencing the voice against killing in then, yet are expected to resurrect this feeling to live peacefully in society. Men are not Natural Killers Grossman argues that the urge against killing a fellow human being becomes pronounced in close combats and many soldiers will not kill naturally. According to Grossman, killing is very personal and its will have long-lasting effects on the perpetrator. He opens up the book by comparing killing to having sex. “In a way, the study of killing in combat is very much like the study of sex. Killing is a private, intimate occurrence of tremendous intensity, in which the destructive act becomes psychologically very much like the procreative act” (Grossman 16). The problem is that the media tries to paint killing as something normal and the fact is; killing does not come easily. To support the fact that men are not natural killers, Grossman observes that during the Civil War, coached soldiers only pretended to shoot while in reality they were not. If they ever pulled the trigger, then they aimed over the heads of the approaching opposite army. What explains the fact that out of 27,000 muzzle-loaders that were found at Gettysburg, only 10% were used? This is because human beings do not like killing even if their lives are in danger. In World War II, “…the soldiers found themselves to be conscientious objectors who were unable to kill their fellow man” (Grossman 25). To avoid confrontations between soldiers and the commanders, Grossman points out that, “these secrets were kept in a tangled web of individual and cultural forgetfulness, deception and lies tightly woven over thousands of years….the male ego has always justified selective memory, self-deception, and lying [about] two institutions, sex and combat” (Grossman 31). Then the psychological cost and reality of training people to kill sets in. Grossman states that, many U.S soldiers, close to one million, underwent through mental collapse in World War II. Only two percent of all soldiers involved never recorded psychiatric problem; these fall under, “aggressive psychopaths” (Grossman 50). There is evidence that killing will cause greater chances of mental breakdown than the fear of death itself. This is evident because after a series of bombings in German and England, those who survived did not become intimidated; on contrary, they hardened and resolved to carry on with the fight. This underlines the aforementioned observation that death does not cause greater psychiatric problems like killing. Grossman goes on to note that, killing someone from behind is easier that killing from in front. In the chapters dealing with atrocities, he addresses the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). Soldiers will submit to higher authorities, which demand them to kill and this in most cases leads to PSTD. PSTD; results from, “failure to accept and rationalize acts of killing” (Grossman 60). What effect does training have on killing? Before the Vietnam War, soldiers underwent what Grossman calls “desensitization and operant conditioning” training whereby, human silhouettes were used in shooting exercises. This conditioned the mind to imagine that the silhouette was a real person and with repetitions, soldiers became acclimatized to shooting the enemy directly. This led to increased number of shootings in Vietnam. Grossman concludes that people have killing inhibition but this can be overcome through desensitization. Unfortunately, while desensitization occurs in boots camps and soldiers will only shoot in wars, this same desensitization is finding its way to teenagers through violent TV. Evaluation Grossman’s work is true to the point for he supports his case. It is interesting to note that, soldiers operate from directives and they have no freedom to choose their leaders. Their single role is to take and execute orders. Given the fact that many people come to service whilst young in their teenage, their minds are trained to kill easily. However, the bottom line is, people have inhibitory force against killing, and training soldiers entails removing this inhibition. From the examples that Grossman has given, it is clear that there is truth to his claims. The upsurge in the number of shootings in Vietnam War as compared to that of World War II can only be attributed to training to kill. However, Grossman points out that this training comes with its effects. The long-term effect is that people will have nightmares and psychic damages. Many soldiers came back from Vietnam with psychic problems and they still struggle with it even today. Finally, Grossman points out that violent TV is causing desensitization in minds of young people and this is responsible for the increased violence in civil society. Even though this book has some weaknesses like failure to consider other factors that may have caused mental breakdown in soldiers coming back from Vietnam, it has strong points as explained. Conclusion On Killing expounds on the fact that human beings have a natural inhibition to kill fellow human beings. This is true from what Grossman tackles in this text. This inhibition was responsible for the many soldiers who pretended to shoot in the Civil War while in reality they were not shooting. It also accounts for the great number of soldiers who reportedly did not kill a single person in the World War II. However, training through desensitization whereby human silhouettes are used boot camps helps to overcome this inhibition to kill. This is supported by the fact that there was an upsurge in shootings during the Vietnam War compared to World War II. This does not mean that people have changed; no, training has changed them. Nevertheless, Grossman points out that, this training comes with its psychological costs for even to date the people who came back home fro Vietnam are haunted by what happened through what he calls, PSTD. On the other side, video games, Hollywood and violent TV are sowing seeds of killing instincts in society. Many teenagers are undergoing desensitization slowly by slowly creating violent society. The authorities and society will have to pay this price by training people to kill, either in boot camps or in TVs and Hollywood. Works Cited Grossman, Dave. “On Killing the Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill In War and Society.” New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1995.

ESSAY: Oral versus Written Administration of the Geriatric Depression Scale Analytical Essay “Oral versus written administration of the Geriatric Depression Scale” is an article written by B. J. Cannon and T. Thaler and S. Roos in 2002. The article describes the Geriatric Depression Scale as a tool used to determine the level of depression among the elderly people. The authors conducted a survey in a nursing home with the aim of assessing the applicability of oral administration over the written administration of the Geriatric Depression Scale in a nursing home population. The sample was made up of medically hospitalised elderly people with and without cognitive impairment to ascertain the influence of cognitive impairment on test retest reliability. Forty-four female nursing home residents undertook the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) two times, applying oral and written administration plans with a counter balanced presentation. The Mattis Dementia Rating Scale and the Mini Mental Test were applied to all the subjects between the GDS administrations and tested in one session. Test-retest reliability analysis showed a great relationship between oral and written administration for higher cognitive performance subjects, and no correlation for impaired subjects. The outcome showed that patients with more cognitive functioning grasp significantly more things when the GDS is administered in written form than when administered in verbal administration and, oral over the written administration plans were found to be incomparable in the more performing subjects. According to Canon et al, (2002), the most suitable measure to administer GDS is through oral administration to the medical patients. The GDS is useful for depression screening especially for patients suffering from dementia, since the validity of responses by self-administration unlikely to improve when reading the GDS orally to participants who cannot comprehend the implication of the questions. If written format is used, the answer sheet must be printed YES or NO at the end of each question and the subject is supposed to tick the preferred choice. If administered orally, the administrator should repeat the question so as to get a yes or no response. The use of this measure uses individual item analysis shows generally fair consistency in responses. In the low cognition group there is significant correlation between the test scores. Clearly, with this lack of stability in test scores, the validity of GDS results in cognitively impaired patients must be questioned. The inconsistency in responses seen in the cognitively impaired patients may be reflective of anosognosia, or lack of awareness of one’s weaknesses. Some researchers have observed that it is better to administer the oral administration since the findings that written administration results in greater item recognition may reflect a tendency for patients to overcome depressive responses when responding verbally. Written administration is preferred so as to bring out the greatest extent of openness in self-report. Test-retest reliability in the higher cognition group is good with the resulting correlation of r= +0.77 constant with other reports. Although the GDS is widely applied in hospitals and as a research method, administration plan is different across fields. They recommend that informants be consulted about depressive symptoms, rather than relying on patient self-report. The homogeneity of the sample assessed limits the generalizability of these results. The participants are highly educated and a unique group, given their membership in a religious order. Nonetheless, these data represent the . rst empirical assessment of the difference between oral and written GDS administration in a nursing home sample and they provide further argument against the use of the GDS in patients with cognitive impairment (Hogan, 2007). Reference List Cannon, B. J., Thaler, T. & Roos, S. (2002). Aging & Mental Health 2002. Oral versus written administration of the Geriatric Depression Scale. Scranton. Pennsylvania. Taylor & Francis Ltd. Hogan, P. T. (2007). Psychology Testing: A Practical Introduction . Hoboken, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ESSAY: Organizational Behaviour: Leading Human Resources Report Listo Systems, the company under consideration, is aimed at providing customers with different superior graphic design services and other similar products. Proper teamwork and leadership, certain innovations, and state-of-art technologies – this is what will help Listo Systems to take leading positions and be respected by clients and even by its staff. In fact, there are so many competitors in this very sphere for the company: lots of graphic design companies try to offer their services, attracting consumers with the help of cheap prices and quick services. Listo Systems tries to choose another way for success, and be more attentive not only to its customers, but also to its employees. This fully-fledged corporation has already proved its quality and is ready to demonstrate its skills and high tech services to people. Many rapidly developed companies face certain difficulties and problems with their competitors or within a corporation itself. The major problem of Listo System is their blind belief in success and desire to hire as many people as possible. Due to such a quick expansion of staff, Listo Systems cannot provide all its employees with proper training, and this is why addition of new layers causes the decrease of productivity, and increase of turnover. The company has no time and abilities to care about its employees, and training is not that important as it was later, this is why the number of sick days cannot but be increased considerably day by day. In order to make the company profitable, it is necessary to define its problems and find out the decisions. Let us clear up what issues have to be analyzed. First, the problem of rapid hiring of people should be taken into consideration. As lots of people are hired within a short period of time, proper training turns out to be absent. New employees cannot get enough information to start working, and the results are not as successful as should be. Services, provided by Listo Systems, turn out to be of lower quality; this very fact may cause the decrease of customers and loss of leading positions. All these troubles and problems have to be solved in order to return consumers and reprove the quality of the products, presented by Listo Systems. Graphic design is one of the most rapidly developing companies nowadays; people want to have a great variety of services to compare and choose the best ones. This is why Listo System has to analyze its actions and pay much attention to common sense in order to reorganize its strategies, find out some business concepts, and not to lose its leading positions. First of all, it is possible to reorganize the company and make up a clear division of functions. Let it be one layer that will be responsible for training of all staff. One day in a week or at least several hours will be intended to introduce and explain innovations and other important issues to help the employees to present proper and good work. Second, it is also possible to hire several analysts to evaluate the development of the company during several past years, find out what makes the company stronger, and what promotes its growth. The described above actions may help to change the situation, happened within Listo Systems, for better, choose the way for success, and amaze both the customers and competitors with its abilities to recover and present really qualitative services.

ESSAY: Organizing and Leading with RI Strategy Analytical Essay Elements that need to be changed Radical innovation (RI) projects are characterized by high levels of uncertainty. Deducing from the case study, management and people need to change to adapt to new strategic approaches of doing things. Management should educate employees on new approaches of doing things and that should be stated in the organization’s mission and vision statements. Research has shown that management that has factored a culture of innovation in its RI strategy eventually becomes very successful. For the case study, people at different levels of the organization can get motivated and stimulated to be proactively involved in the change process. The organization needs to legitimize these changes so that when people come up with conflicting ideas, these ideas can either be dismissed or incorporated with a lot of care. In addition to that, management has to be fully committed in implementing new changes by presenting a united front in order to avert possible resistance to change particularly from employees. The organization’s strategic approach to RI also needs to be changed. One of these strategic factors includes a tactical approach in introducing the RI strategy. In addition to that, communication is a key component in getting employees to know what their roles and their involvement in introducing change in the organization are. The business structure can not remain the same when change has been introduced in this organization. Therefore, structural factors need to be changed. An organizational structure specifically involves horizontal and vertical hierarchies. A change in structure is indispensable so that the organization and people fit in the new organization. People factors include competence and skills, entrepreneurial approach to doing things, team work, and management’s involvement. On the other hand, external factors envisage the environment and how the organization under study interacts with it. In addition to that, process factors include the organization’s approach to implementing the RI, controls and how these controls are exercised. Technology is another element with a key role in the change process. Newer, cheaper, and cleaner technologies play an important role in product quality. The change agent The change agent in the RI process should be the leadership. Leadership should have the ability to enhance certain practices and destroy those practices that adversely impact on RI. An organization’s existing strengths can be enhanced to put it at a strategic advantage in the market by strong and intelligent executives who operate at different levels of management. In addition to that, the strengths of an organization can take an organization to a completely new direction in the market. Therefore management gains more competence by incorporating new skills, strategies, technologies, and abilities the driving forces behind a successful RI. A change plan for the organization To introduce RI into the organization, a strategic approach based on the model that was settled on is outlined below. Main Activity Activities Time Frame/Months Collecting and evaluating new ideas. Assessing available technical skills, current vision and communicating the new vision to the employees. Experimentation Ingraining the ideas into management 2 Identifying opportunities Coordination within the organization. Introducing structural changes. Improvisation 2 Figuring and evaluating the proposed structure. Assessing an effective implementation strategy. Changing to new ideas and strategies. Transition 4 Ensuring a smooth transition. Searching for organizations that allow employees to volunteer during work hours Technology has become one of the most valuable tools in today’s society for job seekers and companies for accessing information. A lot of information about organizations is available on their websites. In addition to that, an organization’s activities include its approaches in disseminating information about its operations. These two elements play a significant role in providing valuable information about a company and available opportunities. Various approaches involved in determining these companies include identifying an individual’s actual direction and growth opportunities in relation to existing companies. Personal strengths, weaknesses, skills, passion, likes and dislikes, and individual talent contribute immensely to determining the direction to take. With an open minded approach, a scrutiny of individual company websites and news articles in seeking for the most favorable company count as the most appropriate approach in establishing the company of choice. Further to that, a close consideration of the kind of resume that may be required could significantly contribute to the choice of a job. A well tailored resume and cover letter could greatly count in influencing management in considering the application made once the company of choice has been identified. Add to that, a close evaluation of practical experience and job description are important. This could be in line with what a company needs in relation to its area of specialization. Networking is an important resource in identifying a company with such opportunities. Getting actively involved in passing a resume around in addition to calling and contacting friends forms a significant part in networking. An individual’s winning approach includes individual appearance. Dressing in the manner most attractive and tailored to fit the job one is looking for are important elements. At all times, one is required to be professional. This will positively contribute to the way people view an individual, either as a professional or not. A job seeker should be thoroughly knowledgeable about activities companies invest in and available opportunities within that company. This information could help one identify oneself with available volunteer opportunities with special emphasis on one’s abilities. That could imply playing part as a professional in one’s field of training at school. Gradually, realistic expectations should be set by the job seeker by incorporating volunteer opportunities in the organization of interest. In addition to the discouraging element of rejection that may face an individual job seeker should not play part in derailing one from one’s vision and pursuit. Volunteer opportunities These steps help in identifying volunteer opportunities one is passionate about. Evaluating available opportunities and identifying those companies that provide volunteer opportunities at working hours. Once these have been identified, individual skills that match with the identified opportunities should be evaluated and rated. Individual abilities are then evaluated. These include individual skills, personality, kindness, and ability to bond with others. Opportunities to grow should be identified within an organization of interest with a strong sense of commitment. One’s ability to direct an organization in meeting its goals is one of the characteristic identifiers of a volunteer. Organizations that allow volunteer opportunities on company time Many of those organizations that provide volunteer opportunities can be found listed over the internet and their activities identified on their websites. These include the Metropolitan family services company, Oregon mentors, Gatekeeper program, and Adelante Mujeres organizations among others. Organization that provides a march between a and b These include Oregon Mentors and Gatekeeper program. These organizations provide volunteer and growth opportunities among other benefits. Job design Employee motivation plays a key role in organizational performance. Various motivational factors play different roles in employee performance and retention. Based on the above case study, Lisa Black is more inclined to higher job satisfaction based on better interpersonal relationships. Good interpersonal relationships enhance better communication, sharing of ideas, better understanding, and better decision making. It is clear therefore that, for Lisa Black better interpersonal relationships, followed by more pleasant physical surroundings, better job security, better supervision, improved benefits, changes for growth, advancement, higher wages, more responsibility, and improved technology in that order of significance to job satisfaction. On the other hand Juan Esposito values higher wages as the most significant motivational factor. Satisfactory wages place an employee at a position to provide for the essential personal needs in addition to dependants. Esposito’s scale identifies improved technology, chance for growth, advancement, more responsibility, better supervision, physical surroundings, better interpersonal relationships, better job security, and improved benefits to significantly impact on personal motivation in that order. Each scaling speaks clearly of the needs and character of each individual. Black is more concerned about the environment than Esposito. The scale suggests that Esposito places little emphasis on long term benefits that come with employment compared with Black who seems to be more concerned with long term benefits and the working environment. One could conclude that Black is more interested in long term benefits that result in better working conditions while Esposito has significant regard for temporary gain as along as personal interests are satisfied and are given a higher priority. These elements are counterproductive on employee productivity and the quality of work. Designing the job for Lisa and Juan A balance should be struck between the motivational element and organizational needs and strategy. To that end, my approach to job design could involve identifying and categorizing job content’s satisfying and dissatisfying factors. Dissatisfying factors will help maintain the structure and organization of the business while satisfying factors will significantly impact on individual growth and self-actualization. I could proceed to incorporate job enlargement that could factor more tasks into their activities. I could proceed to implement a job rotation for betterment of their skills and knowledge besides erasing boredom, and then proceed to job enrichment to add value to their job gradually simplifying their job. Positions for Juan and Lisa Their positions could vary widely. Lisa could better serve as a human resource person. Descriptive of Lisa’s characteristics include good interpersonal relationships, more pleasant physical environment, and better job security characteristic of this position. Lisa has incorporated the element of corporate social responsibility and concern for the wellbeing of others. On the other hand Juan could better serve and be happy as a financial officer. Juan could significantly contribute to the institutional wellbeing of the financial health of the organization based on the grading of higher wages as the highest motivational element. Lisa could best serve as a manager for the wider concern evident on the scaling, while Juan could be happy serving as a quality control manager for the aspects of technology and wages are identified as highest motivating factors. Ranking the column Factors Lisa Black Juan Esposito Mine Higher wages 8 1 3 Better job security 3 9 1 Improved benefits 5 10 9 Better chance for advancement 7 4 4 Improved Technology 10 2 8 Better supervision 4 6 5 More pleasant physical surroundings 2 7 6 Better chance to grow and develop job skills 6 3 7 More responsibility 9 5 10 Better interpersonal relationships 1 8 2

ESSAY: Othello and Snow Country: Personal Opinion Critical Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Love vs. Passion 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Love and passion have a lot in common; however, there is a thin line separating the two and this distinction only comes out through the actions taken by the involved parties. There has always been a conflict between love and passion because many people do not love; they are only passionate and as the confusion sets in, people become lost and finally despair for they do not get what they expect. The raging conflict between love and passion comes out clearly in Shakespeare’s play; Othello and Yasunari Kawabata’s book; Snow Country. While in these two works there are people who are truly in love, others are just passionate even though they assume or pretend to be in love. This paper explores four characters viz. Othello and Desdemona from Othello, Shinamura, and Komako from Snow Country. Why do these people make decisions that they make? Love vs. Passion In Othello, Othello is passionate about Desdemona whilst she is in love with him. Shakespeare richly explores the conflict between love and passion. As aforementioned, it is hard to differentiate between love and passion as they all come in the name of love. Othello confesses his love for Desdemona while his actions negate these claims. He says, “…I love the gentle Desdemona” (Shakespeare 29). This is only lip service and as the old adage goes, actions are stronger than words; Othello’s actions speak loudly against his words. By virtue of its selfish nature, passion tramples over love and the two cannot coexist. Love is long bearing, patient, and understanding among other virtues. On the other hand, passion mimics love for some time and eventually resorts to its self-seeking nature. After confessing his love for Desdemona, ironically, Othello goes on to kill her. Othello simply married Desdemona to achieve his own good; love seeks for the common good of everyone, not an individual. Othello is passionate with marrying Desdemona because for one; he would brag it to his friends, and satisfy his ego. If only he truly loved Desdemona, he would not even thought of killing her. To show how far love is from Othello, he uses unfounded hearsays to accuse his wife and takes no time to investigate the matter. He hurriedly concludes that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio simply because Lago thinks so. He justifies his claims by saying, “She turned to folly, and she was a whore” (Shakespeare 480). Love is not jealous and it does not accuse the loved especially in absence of substantial evidence. Moreover, even if the loved is surely in the wrong, love brings forgiveness through mutual understanding; it does not bear finger pointing and death. Due to lack of love, inflamed with passion, Othello kills Desdemona. On the other side, Desdemona loves Othello and this is why she marries him and sticks with him even after her father tries to terminate the marriage by contesting it before the Dukes. The conflict between love and passion continues to be manifested in Kawabata’s book, Snow Country. As Shinamura gets to know Komako well, it is evident that he cannot love. He is only passionate, passionate about his personal desires. As the story opens up, the reader learns that Shinamura is a “bored individual who lives a life of idleness” (Kawabata 8). Actually, the reason why he comes to Snow Country is to kill this boredom and rediscover his ‘self.’ Therefore, it follows that he only accepts Komako as a ‘tool’ of satisfaction, not as a loving partner. At one point, he forgets that Komako is a girl and in one moment, he calls her ‘a good girl’ and immediately tells her, “You are a good woman” (Kawabata 21). This is disturbing; Shinamura is only interested in the ‘woman’ in Komako, not anything else, not even a loving relationship. He is only passionate about her to achieve his goal of rediscovering his ‘self’ and killing boredom. This is the reason why when Komako demands to know the meaning of such contrasting titles, he cannot offer a valid answer. Instead, the author notes that, “He had not dreamed that she was a woman who would find it necessary to take offense at such a trivial remark, and that very fact lent her an irresistible sadness” (Kawabata 27). Of course, passion unlike love is not considerate; consequently, Shinamura could never imagine that his insensitive remarks would hurt anyone. On the other hand, Komako is in love with Shinamura and this is why, “she never let him out of sight at the resort…stumbled into his room all the time drunk and mumbling non stop…“ (Kawabata 46 & 49). It is only true love that could labor this much, not passion. Conclusion Love and passion are mutually exclusive; they cannot coexist. In presence of love, passion fades away. On the other side, passion negates any understanding of what true love is. Love runs deep into the soul and berths in the depths of heart; however, passion is superficial and self-seeking, resting on the surface of the heart to satisfy its desires, which in most cases are selfish. Othello does not love Desdemona; if only he loved her, he would never thought of killing her. Nevertheless, because his ‘love’ for her is based on passion, he smothers her to death; this is jealousy and selfishness. His decisions are based on jealousy and indecision, made in haste, because he lacks love. Love is long bearing and does not accuse falsely; on the contrary, passion does this and does it with zeal and precision. Shinamura is another passionate culprit who does not understand what true love is. This may explain why he is bored and ‘lost.’ he is so insensitive to Komako that she wonders what she is not doing right. He does not care and after realizing that Komako is not a professional geisha, he falls for Yuko despite the fact that he tells Komako she is a ‘good’ woman. No one can have both love and passion simultaneously. Where love is, passion melts away and where passion is, true love shy away. Works Cited Kawabata, Yasunari. “Snow Country.” New York; Vintage Publishers, 1996. Shakespeare, William. “Othello.” Furness, Horace. (Ed.). Philadelphia; J.B. Lippincott Company, 2005.

ESSAY: An Overbooking Problem in Calgary Essay Hotel overbooking is not a rare occurrence. The process of ensuring that hotels are fully utilized leads to frequent cases of overbooking. Under normal circumstances, customers will book hotel rooms only to change their mind and leave the room unoccupied. This means that the hotel is not able to fully take advantage of high seasons. As a measure to ensure that the hotel takes full advantage of a high season, there is the need to overbook hotel in anticipation of the guests who do not show up. The overbooking if not done carefully can lead to a larger number of guests being turned back. This can however lead to the loss of reputation for the hotel a situation which reduces popularity among customers. This thus necessitates the need to correct the situation when it happens. In trying to correct the situation at Calgary, I would first engage in a comprehensive quality check. The quality check entails conducting a thorough analysis of the booking process which culminated to the overbooking crisis. The date when the bookings were made is the first to verify. The dates give a clearer picture of the intention of the overbooking. Other elements which need checking include the number of overbooking made in relation to the accommodation available. I would be interested in finding out the various categories of clients overbooked and more importantly the periods over which the clients wished to stay in the hotel (Hadjinicola, and Panayi, para4). The VIP reservations present unique challenges mainly due to the fact that they are highly profitable hence the need to minimize cases of customer frustrations. I would recommend that this category of customers be booked into other hotels of a higher status. This would ensure that the guests do not feel cheated while at the same time maintaining a positive perception of the hotel. Repeat corporate reservations also have to be well handled as they are regular customers who contribute to the hotels revenues even during the off peak season. I would recommend that such customers be given preference together with the VIPs in allocation of the rooms available. Such action would ensure that they are satisfied and are motivated to always continue being royal to the hotel. The fact that they pay for guaranteed no-shows makes them valuable customers. The fact that the high season is nearing means that the hotels will soon be fully booked and it may be impossible to obtain space for the overbooked customers. The fact that the hotels may not be willing to take reservations without guarantees also presents some challenge as issuing guarantees may lead to a rise in the costs for the hotel. The most important element here is speed. I recommend that the hotel staff move swiftly to make reservations for the over booked customers. Guarantees have to be issued for the reservations to be effective. Caution should however be taken to ensure that the number of rooms booked in other hotels do not significantly exceed the number of over bookings as this may leave some hotel rooms unoccupied. The most important point here is to establish a balance between customer satisfaction and ensuring that the hotel takes maximum advantage of the high season while at the same time remains profitable. It is true that some guests may have to be turned back though such cases should always be minimized. The best time to walk the guests should be in the earliest time during the day. Walking guests at night may lead to further inconveniences as they may not manage to secure rooms to spend the night in good time. These guests should be refunded back their money and offered up to 50% as compensation. This will help mitigate the effect on the customer. Works Cited Hadjinicola, George, and Panayi Chryso. “The overbooking problem in hotels with multiple tour-operators”. MCB UP Ltd.1997.

ESSAY: Paragraphs’ Analysis of Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin Analytical Essay Winter’s Tale is a 1983 novel authored by Mark Twain set in a mythic New York City at the turn of the twentieth century. Peter Lake is the main character in the story as the readers follow him from orphan to Bayman, to pickpocket, to housebreaker, to mechanic, and to the allegory of the Jewish Messiah. While on a robbery mission, Peter meets Beverly Penn whom he falls in love with. Although she passed away from a terminal lung disease, she never withdrew from his life. She protected him from Pearly’s men until the very end. If the novel has a weakness, then it is the frequent thievery motif: Peter and Pearly are criminals, as well as the people they meet. Helprin treats the life of being a criminal as if it adds light to the city. However, in truth, it adds only darkness, as with any type of evil. Of course, it’s bad to be a criminal. Everyone knows that, and can swear that it’s true. Criminals mess up the world. But they are, as well, retainers of fluidity. In fact, one might make the case that New York would not have shone without its legions of contrary devils polishing the lights of goodness with their inexplicable opposition and resistance (Helprin, 20). The polishing of the lights that people who practice acts of immorality engage in is with unclean rags, which obscure and block the light. In 1983, the author seemed to be making criminals to be superstars. The practice does not brighten the society, but darkens it with evil behaviors. Maybe, the lionizing of the criminal deeds is of essence for the intention of the book, set in New York City, or it is line with the author’s psyche. In the book, Helprin, by the use of color, metaphor, and inspiration, demonstrates a very brilliant and creative style of writing. A typical lyrical paragraph from the book illustrates this: Mouquin’s moved before Beverly’s eyes in a vision suggesting nothing less than a new world, a mute and snowy Russian Easter compressed within the translucent chamber of an alabaster viewing egg, a sort of miniature paradise which, if entered, might be the scene of miracles. She thought, that dancing at Mouquin’s could drive out the disease…and provide a curtain of time and beauty through which she might pass to another side (135). The words the author uses in this passage, and others within the book, appears to be organic and natural, and as one reads the passage, the creative use of color makes the paragraph itself and the words used therein not to seem as though they are ‘added.’ They appear to be integrally blended to their own meaning, contrary to just illustrating an idea that is insignificant to plot, character, or setting of the story. The voice that the author uses in this paragraph is somehow lyrical, elevated, and dense that points to the rich literary style of the book and shapes up the clarity of the whole piece of writing. The use of throngs of images and stirring rhetoric evident in the book makes the readers to manifest visually the ideas of the author in their head. After being inspired, the readers then get more involved in reading the book. In Winter’s Tale , Athansor, the large white horse, which is pictured at the cover of the book, protects Peter from his enemies. He had extraordinary qualities such as he was able to leap in the air and fly when instructed to do so. He also saved characters in the story from death, for example, he rescued Hardesty and Virginia when they were about to drown in the icy water. The following describes one of those instances in the book: An enormous white horse had come from nowhere, and pulled the mare forward with him as if she were entrapped in a magnetic field. The sleigh hopped onto the ice before Hardesty even knew what was happening, and then they started a wild race. Running in tandem with the stallion, the mare was able to pull the sleigh like a rocket. The Marrattas bent forward into the cold wind as the two horses, almost an illusion of white and black, attained unnatural speed. The horses were going so fast that they seemed close to shattering the sleigh, which vibrated and rattled until Abby was frightened out of her wits (499). This is one of the ways that Helprin makes use of magical realism in the book such that the “real” and the “fantastic” are acceptable by the readers as of the same stream of thought. The author’s imagination in portraying this is profuse and at times verbose. This makes the story to have beauty, warmth, and illustrate its shining moments. As illustrated in the above paragraph, the characters in the book cannot be recognized on the street as they are from a more magical realm as created by the author. There is no end to Helprin’s use of unusual images throughout the novel. He uses beautiful metaphors and similes intended to suspend the reader’s right frame of reference into disbelief. Some examples are given below: All these things were shaken about within Peter like pots and pans banging about the side of a peddler’s swaybacked horse. The new year was rolling at them as wide and full as a tide racing up the bay, sweeping over old water in an endless coil of ermine cuff (174). When Beverly joined Peter Lake, it was as if her presence sent darts into Pearly’s flesh, pacifying him with antivenom. But now they were entombed in a nerve dream. A dentist could have worked his wily and expensive arts on them without eliciting the slightest protest (177). The metaphors and similes are dependant upon context and they relate rightly with the characters, plot, or the setting. Since they are not merely “flowery” or “self-important,” they seem to be referring to something in and of themselves. Therefore, the reader can develop impressive visual images that stir his or her feelings. By drawing the comparisons, Helprin enhances the descriptions that he is giving and thereby leaves no doubt to the reader on what he is trying to convey. Consequently, the use of images makes the narrative to be incomparable, influential, and majestic. Winter’s Tale , regardless of its sheer length, brings pleasure when reading over every of its enlightening image-filled sentences. The story, centered on a mythic depiction of New York as a kind of a “golden city,” is composed of characters that the author makes to appear to have eloquent epiphanies at each stage of change of scenery. Works Cited Helprin, Mark. Winter’s Tale. Orlando: Harcourt, 1983. Print.

ESSAY: Spotlight on Plagiarism Phenomenon Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Policies on plagiarism 2. Violations 3. Consequences of Plagiarism 4. Conclusion 5. Works Cited In the process of learning and creating new ideas in the institutions of learning, knowledge is founded on previous ideas and experiences drawn from other people. When the new ideas we create are written down, people want to differentiate which are your ideas and the building blocks from which they are based. This is done by citing the sources of your building blocks. When this is not done and the student present ideas of others as their own, it is called plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined by the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance section II.B.1. as “the deliberate or reckless representation of another’s words, thoughts, or ideas as one’s own without attribution in connection with submission of academic work, whether graded or otherwise.” (Plagiarism Par 1). This cheating can result to punishment by the school authorities, course failure or suspension. Policies on plagiarism Plagiarism in all its forms is a serious offence in institutions of learning and students should take initiative to educate themselves about it. Any work presented for marking in the institutions is supposed to be checked for plagiarism by the professors and reported if such instances are found and an investigation is launched. A plagiarism policy in the University of Sydney states that “Where an Examiner detects or is made aware of alleged Plagiarism or Academic Dishonesty by a student; the Examiner must report the alleged Plagiarism or Academic Dishonesty to a Nominated Academic” (University of Sydney p. 8). Once found guilty, a record is made in student’s record and the situation may even lead to expulsion. Another rule on plagiarism is that students copying or using another students work. In this case, both students are guilty since no one should make his/her work available to another student unless under instructions to do so by the instructor (Department of Sociology Para 4). Violations Plagiarism occurs in many ways some deliberate and others negligent (University of Sydney p. 4). Plagiarism covers the act of presenting ideas that have been used in previous works regardless of how they are expressed without citing. Failure to cite properly any work copied word to word from works of others whether a few words or segments or paragraphs can result to plagiarism. Nonetheless, extensive copying is unlawful even if cited. In addition, plagiarism results when everything that is not common knowledge is written without acknowledging the author or the original source. Finally, it is a plagiarism crime to copy word to word works obtained from the World Wide Web or even presenting a whole paper from the internet as one’s work. Consequences of Plagiarism There are many consequences of plagiarism depending with the parties involved. For students, plagiarism may result to expulsion from school or temporal suspension. Different colleges and universities have different rules to deal with plagiarism. In some instances the grade of the person is lowered which in other instances, the person is awarded no marks. Whichever the case, the effect of plagiarism on the life of a student cannot be underestimated. It may mean the end of a persons’ career or even cause a delay that may end up having a great effect on someone’s life. In a real life situation, plagiarism may carry different charges. According to INFORMS Guidelines for Copyright & Plagiarism Para 12) an author can be banned from publishing his publication for some time if he is caught with plagiarized material. Similarly, if some a person happens to be an employee in an editorial firm, plagiary can result to a dismissal. However, it is important to note that the ad hoc plagiarism committee has the right to impose any type of sanction depending with the level of plagiarism and the prevailing circumstances. Conclusion Plagiarism is a serious offence and should be taken seriously by every person in the society. It is a real phenomenon and students are affected once they violate the policies as stated “Every year, students are expelled from Rutgers University for committing plagiarism” (Department of Sociology par 1). It is however easy to avoid plagiarism as one only requires to avoid using someone’s ideas as his own. Citing is one perfect example of avoiding the same. Several learning institutions have established policies to help deal with the issue of plagiarism which is a major step because students are taught how to avoid it while in school and in future. Works Cited Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice. Plagiarism Policy . 2007. Web.. INFORMS Guidelines for Copyright & Plagiarism . 2010. Web. Plagiarism. 2007. Web.. University of Sydney. Academic Board Policy: Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism . 2009. Web..

ESSAY: Plants in Lakota Folklore Descriptive Essay For the Lakota people, as for other Native American population groups, plants were seamlessly integrated into the sacredness of every element of the world around them. The well-known Native American view of the universe accorded to each and every created thing, whether mountain, river, animal, plant, weather event, or celestial body, a quality of the holy, simply because it was created. In Lakota mythology, the creator deity, Inyan, brought all things into being and imbued all things with a mysterious power, a sacred essence, called, by the Lakota, Wakan (Bissette, 2010). Their folklore reflects this underlying world view. A variety of the constituents of their surrounding world appear in their folklore, myths, legends and traditional wisdom, either as actors, objects of action, or aids to action. Among these created items which appear in the Lakota tales are the many plants which were indigenous to the geographic regions and ecosystems the Lakota occupied and exploited (Cochran-Dirksen, 2008). What are these stories, and why should the colorful tales of folklore even be a subject of interest? By definition, these are almost never an accurate reflection of either science or history. Folklore, mythology, and legends are all narratives told and re-told, usually orally, over time. This category of narrative, in contrast to the plain vanilla recounting of the day’s activities, for example, can be thought of as gossip on steroids; stories, with varying basis in fact, which keep coming back the way the seasons do, and last forever the way a really tough fruitcake does (The Psychology or Social Significance of Folktales, Myths and Legends, 2010). Folklore among the Lakota serves many of the same purposes that it does among other Native American peoples, and among other indigenous, pre-literate peoples around the world. Lakota folklore and mythology address large themes of creation, origin of group identity, explanation for specific traditional behaviors, and explanation for the natural history of the species and geographic features of the world around them. They may also offer normative directions for correct behavior and values, and help in the preservation of past history, all of which concerns are found in mythology and folktales from many cultures (O’Flaherty). Examples from the Judeo-Christian tradition of plants used in myth, legend, and folklore could include the following, among many others. The first created people, Adam and Eve, are ejected from the Garden of Eden for having disobeyed the specific injunction against eating a particular fruit. The type of fruit is never truly identified in the narrative, but was empowered to give the man and woman the knowledge of good and evil, and Eve and Adam’s disobedience resulted in humankind’s separation from a daily companionship with the divine presence (Genesis 3, 2009). Another appearance of crucial plants is found in the story of the murder by Cain (clearly the agriculturalist) of his brother Abel (just as clearly the hunter and herder). The fruit and grains that Cain offered to his God were less pleasing than the animal sacrifices that his brother brought, and the jealousy engendered by this distinction precipitated the fatal attack. This tale, which could describe innumerable dysfunctional families, explains, for the faithful, the origin of human conflict, the persistent difficulty of eking out a living from the earth, the separation of human populations into different groups with differing relationships to their environment, to their fellows and to their creator, and, as a subtle sub-text, recapitulates neatly the early and continuing friction between the hunter gathering, herding, nomadic life-way, and the life-way of settled farmers (Myths and Legends of the World, 2010), (Genesis), (Genesis 4, 2009). In a more mundane tale, the Israelites complained to Moses in the desert, quite vociferously, that escaping their captivity in Egypt deprived them of the savory condiments and plant foodstuffs such as melons, leeks, onions and garlic which had made their enslavement a more pleasant burden (Numbers 11, 2009). From a very different culture, Greek mythology attributes the recurrence of winter to the consumption of a few pomegranate seeds by Persephone when she was carried off by the dark lord of the underworld; Hades or Pluto. Both the unwillingness of the soil to bring forth food in winter, as well as the dreariness of the world at that season, are explained by Persephone’s mother’s loneliness and grieving for her lost daughter (Atsma). Of course there are a number of other Greek myths in which the world is explained by tales in which humans or demigods are turned into a plant; for example, women or nymphs into trees, or a vain Narcissus into a self-regarding flower (Ovid, Ovid Metamorphoses (3rd Book), translated by Brookes More), or retain some mark of the miraculous, such as the riverside rushes that ever after repeated the servant’s gossip regarding King Midas’ shameful donkey ears (Ovid, Ovid Metamorphoses (11th book), translated by Brookes More). For the Lakota, myths and folktales explain their universe as well. For example, to explicate the problem of evil and hardship in the world, paralleling to some extent the myths noted previously, there were several deity figures that were responsible for many human sorrows and vices. These misfortunes and vices included cheating ( embodied by the figure of Taku Skanskan, or the master of the cardinal points winds), conflict, suicide and homicide (engendered by Tatankan Gnaskiyan, known as Crazy Buffalo), chaos, and perversity (double-faced Heyoka), adverse luck (Yum), and prevarication (the snake figure Zuzeca) (Bissette, 2010). Lakota folklore, mythology and traditional healing practices also include regular references to plant materials; sometimes directly and centrally, and sometimes in casual, glancing fashion. As an instance of how plants are incorporated into Lakota folktales and mythology, one Lakota creation myth recounts how the Creating Power, after a previous world no longer existed, (as a result of misbehavior of the created beings, and intriguingly paralleling the Biblical story of the Flood), first drowned the world with rain from his song. Then he set out to craft a new world with only Kangi (the crow) surviving from among the land animals and people. With the help of underwater-living animals to bring him mud, he built up new dry land and created rivers and lakes with his tears. He re-populated the new earth with creatures taken from his sacred pipe bag, an object which contains a traditionally important plant meant to be smoked. The Creating Power gave to the people he molded out of the sacred colored earths (red, white, black, and yellow) the sacred pipe to live by. He enjoined them to seek to exist in harmony, and avoid the sins of the earlier folk who were destroyed (Native American Legends: Lakota Creation Myth). Notice that the source of the creatures that he placed on the earth is his sacred pipe bag, and the symbol of interpersonal harmony and harmony with all of creation is the sacred pipe. What plant matter is used in this sacred pipe? Tobacco is usually thought of when Native American sacred pipes are discussed. Tobacco is, indeed, indigenous to the North American continent, and is a critical plant material for many North American native peoples. It has been popularly supposed to have been used as a central ceremonial and pharmacological element in discussions, undertakings, deliberations, and negotiations (as in the colloquially, and largely inaccurately termed “peace pipe”) and it also was supposed by Europeans to have served as medicine for physical ills. However, the actual identity of the “tobacco” used in the sacred pipe of the Lakota, specifically, is subject to argument. Some of the Lakota themselves now assert that the plant material smoked in the sacred pipe was the bark of the red willow tree and not tobacco as known commercially today. They mention, as part of their contention that tobacco is not traditional to the Lakota, their observation that tobacco does not grow easily in the Lakota lands of South Dakota. The traditional herb or herbs smoked in the sacred pipe are thought by modern day Lakota people to have been non-addictive, since they are remembered as not causing a pleasurable sensation or addiction in the way that tobacco does (Steen). The sacred pipe was usually smoked not for recreation but in the ratification of critical decisions or agreements or to mark important moments in the life cycle of the individual or community (Nyerges, 2009). The word often used for the sacred tobacco is Kinnikinnik, and this word may be related to an Algonquin word meaning “mixed” (Kinnikinnik, 2010). It may also refer to the Bearberry; Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry, 2010). The specific constituents do not hew to a hard and fast list, and may very well have varied over time and location. Also called Cancasa (sometimes written as Chanshasha), Red Willow Bark is reported to have been used in the sacred pipe, either by itself or blended with other herbs such as Uva-ursi and Mullein leaf ( Verbascum thapsis) . Contemporary smoking mixtures assembled for sale, sometimes with the aim of reducing the negative health impacts on current Native American populations of smoking commercially prepared and processed tobacco, include all or some of the following herbs, all of which are, indeed, indigenous to this continent: Bearberry Leaves ( Arctostaphylus uva-ursi ), Lovage Mint, Red Sumac Bark, Red Willow Bark (Taos Herb Company). One of the ingredients suggested as having been used is Mullein ( Verbascum thapsis) , is described by contemporary smokers, not necessarily Native American ones, however, as mildly euphoric. Other herbs used today in an attempt to reproduce the sacred tobacco mixture of old are Eyebright and Yerba Santa (Traditional Native American Ceremonials). Other ingredients offered as constituents of contemporary commercially available sacred pipe smoking mixtures are Sumac leaves, one or more varieties of Manzanita leaves, Cedar shavings, and White Sage (Nyerges, 2009), as well as Indian Tobacco ( Lobelia inflata ), Hops Flower ( Humulus lupuius ), Passion Flower ( Passiflora incarnate ), Lemon Balm ( Melissa officinalis ), Wild Dagga ( Leonotis leonurus ), Damian ( Turnera diffusa ), Peppermint ( Mentha piperita ), and Spearmint ( Mentha spicata ) (Smoking Blends). The accuracy of these choices in reproducing traditional mixtures cannot be determined in this context. So, did the sacred pipe herbs as used by Lakota in the pre-contact period, indeed, not generate some positive sensation or effect, for example, the relaxation of inhibitions, or a sense of oneness with others and all creation, or a loss of personal boundaries, or increased focus and concentration, or suppression of pain or hunger, or alteration of time perception? Any of these pharmacological results, sometimes sought when ingesting known psychoactive agents, could be very helpful in achieving insights, or reaching group consensus. In the absence of an effect of such altered states of consciousness, it is challenging to visualize what the appeal was of the sacred pipe ingredient(s), and how the plant material used in the pipe furthered the traditionally expressed goals of prayer, healing, reflection, and interpersonal harmony, and thereby retained such a central place in Lakota folkways and folklore. In fact, some of the ingredients listed above can cause what sound like some rather unpleasant effects when smoked. One clue to this puzzle is that it is reported that the sacred pipe smoke was not inhaled in the fashion that addicted modern smokers do, but used almost as an incense censer to create a special atmosphere, set apart from the quotidian. The purpose was to waft the prayers and thoughts of the participants skyward to the spirit world (Native Americans: Lakota: Sage, Sweetgrass, and Tobacco, 2010). It is also tempting to speculate that the active ingredient in the sacred pipe contents was indeed its Wakan, or mysterious sacred essence, and not any chemical constituent intrinsic to the herb or herbs. Perhaps this was an instance of placebo effect on a grand scale. The importance of the sacred pipe, and its herbal contents, constituting together the main fetish object of the Lakota people, is reinforced in another myth that explains the traditional source of the seven rites involving the sacred pipe. This myth involves a culture goddess figure who appears nowhere else; White Buffalo Woman. The tale goes roughly as follows: Tradition holds that an estimated 2000 years ago, she appeared out of nowhere to two Lakota youth in the Black Hills of South Dakota, materializing from a shining cloud that took on the shape of a white buffalo calf. One of the two, an evil minded youth, was consumed by a sort of holy fire for trying to possess her sexually without her consent. This seems like the opposite of the holy flame that burns but does not consume the “burning bush” in the Biblical story of Moses receiving his call to serve God and lead his people out of Egypt (Exodus 33, 2009). The other youth knelt and chanted prayers to her and thereby survived this terrifying contact with immanent divinity. She identified herself as a representative of the Buffalo nation, and therefore of the four legged creatures that constituted the Lakota’s main food source, as they were hunters rather than agriculturalists. She directed the Lakota to gather together in a specially built tipi, in which she addressed them and gave them instruction in the first of the seven (or, later, eight) ceremonial rites which employ the sacred pipe and its herbal contents. White Buffalo Woman enjoined the Lakotas to live in harmony, with the promise that the buffalo would be plentiful if they did so (Eddy, 2009). Tobacco (this is the name often used, whatever the specific plant variety that was actually smoked), as well as sage, and sweet grass appear over and over again in these seven or eight) rites. The rites may be summarized as follows: Nagi Gluhapi – keeping the soul – a funerary rite that releases the spirit of the deceased, as well as the family to transformation and renewal. Inipi – the sweat lodge ceremony, undertaken whenever some portentous action or event is in the offing. It is constructed of willow trees set in a circle with animal hides on top. Hanbehayap – the vision quest, which takes the individual out of the community to seek communion with the spirit world. Wiwanyap Wachipi or sun dance – this dramatic multi-day ceremony is meant to restore harmony to the world. Hunkapi – creating relatives – this ceremony bonds people in the ties of family, no matter their prior relationship. Ishna Ta Awi Cha Lowan – a puberty rite of passage for young girls. Tapa Wanka Yap – a women’s ceremony involving a symbolically decorated ball thrown in the four directions, which reminds participants of the relationship of the creating power and the Lakota. Yuwipi – Healing ceremony In each of these important ceremonies, the sacred pipe is smoked and sage is burnt, as well as sweet grass. The smoke from all three herbs and/or herb mixtures carries the thoughts of the user to the world of the spirit and creates an atmosphere that fosters awareness of the divine. They seem to have somewhat overlapping functions. Their smoke sets a mood, and purifies whatever needs it, whether person or object or activity. Sage (sometimes described as silver leaf, and sometimes as white) gives a bittersweet smoke and is used in the form of smudge sticks. It is credited with keeping evil at bay. During the Sun Dance ceremony (called the Wiwanyap Wachipi), Sage might be chewed by participants to allay thirst and increase endurance of pain and fatigue as the dancers push themselves to the limits of their capacity (White Buffalo Woman Brings the Seven Rites, 2010). Perhaps related to this property of increasing bodily power and endurance is the tale that Tate, a wind deity who is the son of Skan, a sky deity, derives his immense strength from Sage. In South Dakota, there is not much that is stronger than the wind, so this is really quite a recommendation for the powers of the Sage plant (Native Americans: Lakota: Sage, Sweetgrass, and Tobacco, 2010). Sweet grass is also known as Buffalo Grass, Vanilla Grass, Holy Grass, and the hair of Mother Earth (Sweetgrass: the Hair of Mother Earth: Buffalo Spirit, 2010). It was traditionally considered by the Lakota to have been a gift to their people by the south wind, Okaga. It has a very sweet odor when burned. Here is a contemporary summary of the spiritual function of sweet grass: “It is used to honor the Wakan Tanka and bring blessings to those in prayer, while at the same time sending prayers above on the rising smoke, as the Great Spirit understands this language better than words. In addition to prayer it can be used for purification and for healing (Native Americans: Lakota: Sage, Sweetgrass, and Tobacco, 2010). There is another, long, complicated legend of a foundling boy who grows with supernatural swiftness and possesses powers beyond those of mere humans. He is found by an elderly couple lying on red grass, a plant which is described as holy. When he reaches manhood his adoptive grandfather crafts a bow for him from chokecherry, a shrubby tree not prized today commercially for much of anything. After many adventures, and an introduction to the nations of the various bird species, this foundling hero’s own son rescues him using a nest crafted of willow (Deloria). This hero reminds the reader of the hidden heroes of other cultures: King Arthur, Theseus, Moses, and Harry Potter come to mind (Ovid, Ovid, the Life of Theseus, translated by Bernadotte Perrin). Another legend describes the way the gift of corn and the knowledge of an effective way of storing provisions safely were vouchsafed to the indigenous peoples. A Hermit living far from others receives a mysterious invisible visitor who invites him to come to his home. After several attempts to locate the visitor, the Hermit shoots at the spot where the visitor’s arm should be, and thereby punctures a bag of corn, the trail of which leads him to a buried cache of dried turnips, cherries, and corn. The Hermit spreads this useful knowledge of food preservation among his people, thus ensuring their survival when travelling and in lean times (Welker, The Hermit, or the Gift of Corn, 1996-2110) and (Welker, The Lakota Sioux: The Gift of Corn). It is interesting that the three plant foods mentioned nearly exhaust the types of plant foods in their scope. A grain, a root vegetable, and a tree fruit; these represent quite a full range of food sources. The food type that seems to be missing is nuts. Perhaps nuts are too appealing to squirrels to survive even a buried storage spot. Corn was identified with a goddess figure, a maiden or mother, and was critical to survival. This is a Lakota myth regarding the bringing of corn to them: “The Lakota Plains Indians say that a white she-buffalo brought their first corn. A beautiful woman appeared on the plain one day. When hunters approached her, she told them to prepare to welcome her. They built a lodge for the woman and waited for her to reappear. When she came, she gave four drops of her milk and told them to plant them, explaining that they would grow into corn. The woman then changed into a buffalo and disappeared.” (Corn, 2010). There are several things the strike the reader about this. The first is the similarity to the myth of the bringing of the sacred pipe. However, this particular white buffalo woman has no name. The second is that her own breast milk is the source of the corn; suggesting the absolutely primal importance of corn as a food source; literally mother’s milk to the Lakota people. Any mother would know that the very survival of an infant depends on a mother or a wet nurse being available, in a simpler technological society. Corn is thus as precious to the gods as to humans, and is as precious as mother’s nursing her infant. Thirdly, as in the myth of the sacred pipe, the whole community is directed to come together and hear and receive the gift and the instruction. It is so different from the myths of the Bible, wherein Moses receives the tablets of the Ten Commandments all alone on a mountaintop, and then passes this knowledge on to his waiting people (Exodus 33, 2009). It is also very different from the solitary revelations that came to the Buddha, seated in meditation apart from others (Norman). In the Lakota story, the gift of corn is a group revelation, to be heard and shared by all. This difference reflects the way that the Lakota and other Native American peoples publicly aspire to make decisions; communally. There is another legend that asserts that the lowly muskrat led the Lakota to find their useful medicinal plants (Ixtlan: Earth Gift: Hornet Nests and Little-Known Zithers: Earth Gift Evokes Lakota Spirit and America’s Lost Resonances, 2002). A number of these vitally important medicinal plant species were identified by a Fr. Eugene Buechel in the early decades of the 20 th century. More recently, a project is underway at a South Dakota school to build on this earlier research, and test traditionally utilized species for physiologically active chemical constituents, and thereby preserve the traditional knowledge of the Lakota. A number of the species that have been documented are familiar to fans of herbal healing, wild food, or natural cosmetics. These would include such plants as Echinacea, Yucca, and Acorus Calamus (Cochran-Dirksen, 2008). An electronic resource that describes these plants appears to be under development Lakota folktales, legends, myths and traditional wisdom all parallel those of other pre-literate peoples in preserving important knowledge or guidance gained painfully over generations. Plants, whether for food, for fuel, for weapons, for healing or for sacred purposes, appear in many of these tales. Some, like corn, are literally the staff of life. Others, such as sage, sweet grass and tobacco (whatever its specific species or mixture of species) enable the creation of an ambiance that fosters an appreciation of, and communication with, the sacred and the divine, as well as reflection and deliberation by the group. Still others are used as medicine for the body. Others form the weapons that bring in animal foods or defend the groups against others. And finally, there are plants that build homes and carry items in the nomadic life way of the Lakota; fiber and construction materials. All these items appear in folktales, legends, myths, and these tales mirror the espoused values of the Lakota people closely. There is a consistency of perspective among the tales, and the plants fit congruently into them, reflecting the deep respect for the natural world around them, and the Wakan, or sacred essence belonging to every created thing. Reference List Atsma, A. J. Persephone . (A. J. Atsma, Editor) Retrieved from The Theoi Project : Greek Mythology. Web. Bearberry . (2010). (Farlex, Inc.) Web. Bissette, E. (2010). The Lakota Pantheon . (Minerva Webworks) Retrieved from Bella Online: The Voice of Women. Web. Cochran-Dirksen, R. (2008). Medicinal Plants of the Sicangu Lakota . (R. Cochran-Dirksen, Editor, & Tree of Life Productions) Retrieved from Tree of Life. Web. Corn . (2010). (Advameg). Web. Deloria, E. From “Lakota Texts” by Ella Deloria, 1932. Retrieved from The Lodge of Sungmanitu-Isna. Web. Eddy, S. a. (2009). Native American Myths . Retrieved from Living Myths. Web. (2009). Exodus 3. In The English Standard Version Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (2009). Exodus 33. In The English Standard Version Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Genesis . (World ORT) Retrieved from Navigating the Bible II. Web. (2009). Genesis 3. In The English Standard Version Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (2009). Genesis 4. In The English Standard Version Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Herbs for Smoking . Retrieved from Taos Herb Company. Web. Ixtlan: Earth Gift: Hornet Nests and Little-Known Zithers : Earth Gift Evokes Lakota Spirit and America’s Lost Resonances . (2002). Web. Kinnikinnik . (2010). (Farlex, Inc.). Web. Myths and Legends of the World . (2010). (Advameg, Inc.). Web. Native American Legends: Lakota Creation Myth . Retrieved from First People: The Legends. Web. Native Americans: Lakota: Sage, Sweetgrass, and Tobacco . (2010). Web. Norman, J. Buddha’s Search for Enlightenment . Web. (2009). Numbers 11. In The English Standard Version Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nyerges, C. (2009). Indian Calumet : The Pipe of Peace . Web O’Flaherty, W. D. The Uses and Misuses of Folklore . Retrieved from Indian Folklore I. Web. Ovid. Ovid Metamorphoses (11th book), translated by Brookes More . (A. J. Atsma, Editor). The Theoi Project: Greek Mythology. Web. Ovid. Ovid Metamorphoses (3rd Book), translated by Brookes More . (A. J. Atsma, Editor) Retrieved from The Theoi Project: Greek Mythology. Web. Ovid. Ovid, the Life of Theseus, translated by Bernadotte Perrin . (A. J. Atsma, Editor) Retrieved from The Theoi Project: Greek Mythology. Web. Smoking Blends . Web. Steen, J. Tobacco culture not Native . Retrieved from IMDiversity. Web. Sweetgrass: the Hair of Mother Earth: Buffalo Spirit . (2010). (Gale: Cengage Learning) Retrieved from Accessmylibrary. Web. The Psychology or Social Significance of Folktales, Myths and Legends . (2010). Brownielocks and the Three Bears. Web. Traditional Native American Ceremonials . Native American Trade. Web. Welker, G. (Ed.). (1996-2110). The Hermit, or the Gift of Corn . Indigenoua People’s. Web. Welker, G. The Lakota Sioux : The Gift of Corn . (Home Office Mall). Web. White Buffalo Woman Brings the Seven Rites . (2010). (Akta Lakota Cultural Museum) Retrieved from Akta Lakota Cultural Museum. Web.

ESSAY: The Types of Plate Tectonics Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Types of Plate Tectonics 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Plate tectonics refers to movements on Earth’s surface, that is, the lithosphere. This is a theory in science explaining such movements. The lithosphere is made up of large broken rock masses also referred as tectonic plates (Oreskes 424). These tectonic plates are suspended on molten layer of Earth’s crust that comes immediately below the lithosphere; this layer is called asthenosphere. Given that the asthenosphere is molten, these plates move on it with ease. The movement occurs at boundaries namely; transform boundaries, divergent and convergent boundaries (Oreskes 16). These three different boundaries give rise to the different forms of plate tectonics known today. Types of Plate Tectonics According to United States Geological Survey (USGS), there are three different types of plate movements; that is, divergent, convergent, and lateral plate slipping resulting from the three different plate boundaries that exist. Divergent plate movements occur when two oceanic plate move away from each other to form new oceanic crust at a zone of divergence. The zone of divergence results as the Earth’s crust separates (Earth Science). The separation results from hot magma arising from the magma in the continental mantle. This magma has large pressure that causes the crust to crack and separate. Convergent plate movements are the opposite of divergent and it occurs when two oceanic plates collide leading to loss of crust at a convergent point. Convergent movements involve collision between two plates and these two plates may be either continental or oceanic (USGS). Convergent plate movements come after divergent plate movements because after the plates break up in the latter, they meet at another point and collide hence the subduction. On the other hand, lateral slipping occurs when two plates move in opposite direction slipping over each other at a transform boundary. The two plates eventually jerk apart due to pressure that mounts up in the mantle and this causes earthquakes (USGS). The movement of these plates is facilitated by the fact that they float on the Earth’s molten magma on the region called asthenosphere, which lies, below lithosphere. As aforementioned, lithosphere is the outermost Earth’s crust that human beings can reach. Actually, lithosphere makes the tectonic plates (Rychert and Shearer 496). The molten magma heats up as the core of the Earth heats up which causes convectional currents within the molten magma. As the earth core cools, the molten magma cools and sinks and in the process, it pulls the plates attached to it hence the plate movement. Earthquakes results from these plate tectonic movements along fault lines. Fault lines are cracks on lithosphere. As tectonic plates move, there is building up of pressure along the fault lines, and when this pressure exceeds the strength of lithosphere, earthquakes result to relieve the pressure mounting in the lithosphere. According to Rychert and Shearer, the lateral plate slipping form of movement is the one that causes many earthquakes around the world (498). Conclusion Plate tectonics describes the movement of fragments formed from broken lithosphere. These fragments are suspended on the asthenosphere, which is molten hence offering good medium of movement. There are three different types of plate tectonics, that is, convergent, divergent, and lateral slipping. These movements cause earthquakes as the lithosphere releases mount up pressure in the Earth’s mantle. Earthquakes result mainly from lateral slipping moving and this occurs along fault lines, which are weak points on the lithosphere. Works Cited Earth Science. “Plate Tectonics.” Moorland School. N.d. Web. https://moorlandschool.co.uk/ Oreskes, Naomi. “Plate Tectonics: An Insider’s History of the Modern Theory of the Earth.” California: Westview Press, 2003. Rychert, Catherine, & Shearer, Peter. “A Global View of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary.” Science Journals. 324(5):5926. 2009. United States Geological Survey. “Understanding Plate Motions.” 1999. Web. https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html

ESSAY: Plato’s Theory of Forms: Summary Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Plato’s Theory of Forms: Summary 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction In the world of philosophy, Plato is one of the most celebrated and studied philosophers. One of his major works is elucidation of ‘Forms’ which he describes them as supra-sensible entities. According to him, ‘Forms’ or ‘ideas’ are none mental entities and do not depend upon human mind. Plato’s main point on the ‘Forms’ is that it is only by studying them genuine knowledge can be obtained. His major work on the Forms came about in his attempt to come up with a concrete solution to world\s problems (Dancy, pp11). Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to discuss theory of Forms as one of the main contributions of Plato. Plato’s Theory of Forms: Summary To grasp what is all about the theory of forms, he explains various qualities possessed by the forms. Transcendence is one of the characteristics possessed by forms. They are inherently in the nature and they are not limited to space and time. Due to the fact that forms epitomize a single property they are said to be pure. Material objects are impure simply because they combine more than one property such as hardness, redness and circularity just to mention but a few. Another attribute of forms is that they are archetypes. By this it means that they are perfect examples of that which they stand for He further maintains that all material objects as reflection of forms because forms are ultimate real entities and reality of object forms is derived from the forms themselves. Another characteristic of forms is that they are causes of all things in that they are real source of the being of all things in the world. Lastly, Plato maintains that there is systematical interconnectedness in forms as seen in dialectic process that we acquire from knowledge of forms (Dancy, pp 299). Plato formulated the theory of forms as a result of major problems in the world which he attempted to solve. The first problem which he attempted to solve was ethical problem. Before then, it was not clear how possible it was for humans to lead a fulfilling life in yet changing world in which those things they attach to them can be deprived from them. The second problem was the problem of permanence and change. Solution to this problem sought to address the question on how it is possible that the world appear to be both changing and permanent. As he attempted to provide solution to these grand problems, he first broke up the existence into two realms namely: material realm and transcendent realm of forms. Plato maintains that human beings are able to access the realm of forms by use of their mind through reasoning. By so doing, this facilitates to have access to unchanging world that is free from pain and changes that are witnessed in material world. However, it calls for detachment of an individual from the material world and from the body as one gets more concerned with forms. He affirms that only through this way we find a value that is neither subject to disintegration nor change (Dancy, pp314). Similarly, by breaking up existence up into two realms it helps to provide an answer to problem of permanence and change. In regard to this problem, through our mind we perceive a different world which has different objects. This is possible through our senses. However, material world is always changing but the realms of form which are perceived though mind there are permanent. He declares that it is this world which is real and that the world of change is just but imperfect reflection of real world. Conclusion Therefore, in regard to Plato’s theory of Forms, human beings are prone to deception from their senses on how they discern the world around them. Importantly, objects that they perceive using their senses are just but images or even experiences from their mind. So, the more the object is objective, the more the real the object that is being described becomes. Works Cited Dancy, M. Russell. Plato’s introduction of forms. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.

ESSAY: The Articles of Confederation. Nullification and Secession Essay The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation (also known as the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union) was the first constitutional document of the United States, adopted in 1777. However, all thirteen states ratified those Articles only in 1781. According to the Articles of Confederation, each state had the right to retain its freedom and independence. One representative from each state was chosen to create a committee, the Congress that would be responsible for army, navy, foreign relations, and declarations of war/peace. However, the Congress had no right to gather taxes and control the commerce between the states. Also, the Congress could not adopt laws. Such shortcomings were one of the first reasons for discontents between the members of the Congress. In spite of the fact that the Articles of Confederations defined the Congress as a national legislature, the states governments had more power. There was a burning need for the government that would be stronger. The weakness of the republic government and its limited powers led to one more Constitutional Convention that took place in 1787, The Congress suggested revising the Articles of Confederation. First, it was suggested to make several amendments to improve the Articles of Confederation. However, the delegates realized that it would not be enough, and they started to create a new constitutional document. Today, it is known as the Constitution of the United States of America. It was signed by 39 representatives (42 were present) on September 17, 1787. On May 29, 1790, the last delegate, Rhode Island, ratified the Constitution. This document strengthened the government by providing a new system, the major purpose of which was to find a kind of balance between the federal government, each state, and people. The Theories of Nullification and Secession The theory of nullification is a legal theory according to which any U. S. State has the right to invalidate any federal law. This theory allows the U. S. State, as a sovereign Union, to nullify any law, if the state finds some law unconstitutional. According to this theory, States are the last and the most important branch that may interpret the actions of the government. Another theory that underlines the sovereignty of each U. S. State is the theory of secession. According to this very theory, the state has the right to terminate its membership within the Union. In 1799, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions asserted the correctness of the nullification theory according to the Constitution of the United States of America. The actions of john C. Calhoun reinforced the ideas of these two theories. However, not every political figure was for the theories of nullification and secession. For example, President Jackson argued against the right of nullification and secession and asked the U. S. Senate to provide him with the right to use arm forces in order to execute federal laws. It was the period when a force bill was introduced. However, that step caused numerous misunderstandings from several states. The election of Abraham Lincoln played a very important role for the development of the theory of nullification and the theory of secession. During Lincoln’s first inaugural, he proclaimed against the right of nullification and referred to Jackson’s Proclamation Regarding Nullification . In 1861, the attempt to achieve the secession by means of force of arms was failed. The consequence of that attempt is also known as the American Civil War. In 2008, one American politician, John Zogby, was not afraid to mention that more than 70% of Americans knew that even if each U. S. State had the right to nullify federal laws, it was not able to become an independent state and go against the Congress.

ESSAY: How to Prevent School Violence Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Selected Solutions to school violence 3. Conclusion 4. References Introduction Today no special mechanism is standard for preventing school violence due to diversity in social status, economical status, and location. Schools implement various measures to prevent violence such as warning signals, checklists and, policies for zero tolerance but the dangers still persists, because some of these measures end up exacerbating the issue. Hypothetically, the school-based violence has a close link to poverty, which is the key factor for discontent and frustration and consequently the anger especially in developing nation. Other cases have a close link to the experiences and development. The domestic violence also has a close link to behavioural and learning problems. During development, a child may feel the need for retaliation. Other possible sources may include discrimination, the societal background, the common school drug related problems, cultural imagery on the television and audio shows, materialism, competitiveness and lack of identity. A good example of the school violence is the April 16, 2007 tragedy at Virginia Tech University, which remains a big sear for the hearts of those who were directly involved as well as those affected such as the victims’ families or friends. On that terrible day, the struggling loss of lives due to one disturbed young man make many people ask what made Cho to act in a beastly manner like he did, and likewise, what can be done to prevent such kind of massacre form happening again. According to Hauser of “The New York Times” newspaper on the day of the tragedy, thirty-three people were involved in a mass murder at the university after one of the student: Cho went round the bend to a shooting rampage, in a close link to the reports made by federal law enforcement officials at the site. Many of the victims were students shot in classrooms and dorms. In a close link to Feldman (2009), we can only stop inquiring ways of preventing such scenarios or why they occur if we realize that all the requirements for prevention are within reach. There is need for commitment over the facts and full transparency concerning logical understanding. The universities need to be on the forefront in ensuring they are well equipped with required facilities to handle health related matters. This may include the student’s counselling centres, mental health programs or support groups, procedures for making referrals and, emergency psychiatric services to encourage students to seek and share feelings before they are out of hand. Selected Solutions to school violence There is an urgent need for the educators and parents to have the initiatives of pursuing this issue through a coordinated procedure. It is possible to implement the violence prevention programs based on the specific school setups through solicited funds and, the government or sponsors grants. Secondly, it is promising to utilize the intelligent and well-planned campaigns to stop the violence issue and thus the need for proper and critical considerations over such crusades. This is an awareness program to fight violence especially among the teenagers. Teachers need to consider the strategy of enhancing the responsibility aspects in the minds of the learners in the effort of making them understand the importance of stopping the violence at all costs. The learners should know that the act is illegal and immoral. Today the youth have tightly embraced the extremely dynamic and advancing technology. This means that the “websites, television and radio programs, public service announcements are some vital aspects the campaigns against violence in schools ought to focus” (Prinstein and Dodge, 2008). The government/sponsors also need to tighten use of technology as a teaching aid through ample sponsorship since the youth are today highly conversant with technology. Learning programs or curriculums should avail access to information on bullying prevention and support implementation of activities that support unity at school or community level. Conclusion Violence in schools is an act that erodes the learning atmosphere by impairing the teaching and learning processes. The act is very tactless to individual inner being or conscious and thus often lead to short-term and long-term consequences such as suicide and homicide as experienced at the Virginia Tech a couple of years back. For this reason, it is the responsibility of every person to work aggressively to reduce the wicked act. According to Webb and Terr (2007), healthy and productive education process cannot occur in an environment full of fear. All students have a right to a safe learning environment without the worry of attendance for the fear of unfriendly treatments or worst still abusive acts. The educators cannot fully depend on the government to solve all the cases or provide full protection. It would therefore be wise for everyone in the society to take initiative and commit to the issue. This can highly reduce or better still demise of the offense and the schools will thus be safe and enjoyable for everyone. References Feldman, R.S. (2009) Discovering the Life Span . (First Ed). Pearson/Prentice Hall Publishers Hauser, Christine. (2007, April 16). Virginia Tech Shooting . The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/us/16cnd-shooting.html?_r=1 Prinstein M and Dodge K, (2008), Understanding Peer Influence in Children and Adolescents. Guilford Press publishers, P. 239 Webb N and Terr L, (2007), Play Therapy with Children in Crisis: Individual, Group, and Family Treatment. Guilford Press publishers, P. 251

ESSAY: Principle of Observation Problem Solution Essay The principle of observation can be defined as the art of passing knowledge or ideas by viewing the actions of a model from which one imitates (Bandura, 1962). This method of learning is also referred to as the social learning theory. Observational learning is very effective to all humans regardless of their age. Children for instance, are socialized into their personality through imitating their parents’ or other siblings’ actions. They learn the basics in life to the very complex of actions. In work places on the other hand, the same technique is often utilized during trainings. For instance, new members of staff learn a lot more through observation than is the case with learning through reading or other learning methods. A recruit could be assigned a workmate who has more experience in that particular field, and is expected to acquire skills. The first proponent of this principle of observation learning was Albert Bandura, who was a Canadian by nationality. Bandura (1977) has it that “Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action.” (p22). Observation learning engages four main ideas for it to be most effective. These ideas include; attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. A learner ought to engage all of his/her undivided attention to the process of observation. This ensures every detail of the actions is well captured for imitation to be successful. Once the action is done, the learner should retain a clear mental image of the details in the act. This mental image should aid the learner to reproduce the action along with all its complexity. All in all, it would be difficult for a learner to appreciate a certain action which he/she has no interest in. Therefore, there should be some source of motivation to build up his/her interest level. For example, a promotion would work well at the work place (1962). The following is a description of the structure to put in place for employees to appreciate putting away or leaving work materials/ equipment in the best condition for another person to use. First and fore most, call an early morning meeting to bring to the employees’ attention the tendency to leave equipments in bad states has been noted. Show them evidences of what you are talking about, for example dirty tools, broken down equipments etc. Let them know the problem associated with the condition of the equipments, like wastage of time in trying to clear previous day’s messes. Secondly, provide solutions to the problem. This can be done by providing ideas on the easiest and most effective ways of cleaning the equipment in the case of dirty tools. Incase of equipments, show easy ways of maintenance or way to prevent damage while using the equipment. Ensure that you demonstrate each detail by action to show them that what they might have perceived as impossible is actually possible. Also, ensure that they do it themselves so as to retain the concept in their minds. Appoint some of the employees to ensure that this becomes a daily routine along with normal practices of the organization. This ensures that this becomes the responsibility of each worker to see to it that he/she returns equipment in a better condition than he/she found it. Moreover, ensure that once in a while equipments are inspected by those in authority. This should see to it that employees avoid misusing equipment as there are charges incase of a damage associated to maliciousness. Last but not least, it is important to motivate the workers towards good equipment maintenance practices. Motivation could come through promoting those that adhere to the new rules of engagement, or just by complementing the workers efforts. Alternatively, workers could be charged for any losses to the organization as a result of misuse or mismanagement of equipment. Observation learning has quite a number of strengths, especially due to the fact that it is responsible for socializing children to have a personality. This method covers quite a number of explanations which would otherwise take a lot of effort to put across by text. The method uses more than one mode of learning. It addresses the issue at hand from a wide range of perceptions since it involves all the five senses. Thus, it is easier for a learner to capture an idea hence less effort for the teacher (Akers, 1977). Further, observation learning is effective because making the learner motivated simply comes by complementing his/ her efforts to imitate the master model. Sooner rather than later, the learner develops a high degree of expertise that he/she no longer requires to observe his/her master. He/she becomes a force to recon. Besides text, other resources on observational learning include images on power point presentations. This could be used to explain details besides what is written. Also, the teacher could use models, which could be experts in particular fields. Their time and effort are resources. Reference List Akers, R. (1977). Deviant Behavior: A Social Learning Approach . Belmont Mass, Wadsworth: NY. Bandura, A. (1962). Social Learning through Imitation . University of Nebraska Press: Lincoln, NE.

ESSAY: Process Improvements in Operations Descriptive Essay For a business to remain relevant in today’s changing environment and achieve profitability, the business operations have to undergo continuous improvements to ensure the goals for profitability and relevance are achieved. Process improvements to operations are the techniques that are used by a business to enable it achieve optimized results in its core activities. Companies that are involved in improvement activities have to first define their goals and objectives as well as their visions and mission in the market place. After which the processes that are in need of improvements or changes are identified. Process improvement in an organization’s business operations is an important concept as it allows for the organizations functional activities to be effectively managed. It also improves the performance of the business in terms of its operations and employee performance. The need to improve process operations comes about because business operations are seen to be important for ensuring that an organization achieves profitability and maintains its competitiveness within the market. Google decided to perform process improvement operations on its Google Search engine by introducing Google Instant despite the website performing beyond expectations. The improvement saw the Google feature becoming not only just a search tool but also as a process that allows the user to refine their search questions without touching the search button on Google’s webpage. Basically the website predicts the search terms that the user is going to type. The term instant was used for the new improvements so as to make the search process much faster. Google statistics show that it takes an average person using the search engine more than 9 seconds to type in a search word. It takes the Google search engine 300 milliseconds to respond to the search query typed in by the user. With the Google instant search, the company will expect the amount of time people search for results to be reduced to 3.5 billion seconds (Copeland, 2010). The reason for the improvements has mostly been to deal with competitors such as Yahoo and Microsoft who are also reinventing themselves to meet the increasing search process industry. The improvements were also necessary to fasten the search process for the user thereby saving sometime. Google Instant has combined the use of interface designs and background processes so as to keep the webpage relevant to users and advertisers. The Instant feature is not meant to change anything for the advertisers as the method of ranking ads in the website has not been changed. What will change however is the number of searches Google users get to perform in a limited amount of time (Copeland, 2010). According to the Google designers and management, the websites new improvements have received positive responses with users ranking the Google Instant Search engine as the number one search tool in the Internet. Users have found typing only one letter of what they are looking for as a much faster techniques than typing the whole word or sentence. While the searching software has undergone some changes, the ranking process of the Google results still remains the same. This has enabled the company achieve its vision of ensuring the instant approach is something that the general population who seek information cannot do without (Copeland, 2010). Toyota’s Georgetown car facility based in Kentucky is where all of the carmaker’s models come for paintwork before being returned to the assembly line to have their engines installed as well as receive interior accessories. The facility handles 2,000 different Toyota car models every day that are in need of paintwork. The machinery that operates the paint sprays is mostly controlled by programmed robots. The facility however faced some overcrowding issues at some point because of the number of cars it handled in a day. This forced the car manufacturer to clear a whole floor of space to reduce the overcrowding factor in the Georgetown facility. Two areas were cleared by dismantling equipment and having excess inventory and raw materials removed. This created a whole floor space that was clear, the size of a whole basketball pitch. The story of how Toyota was able to achieve this extensive clearing and elimination of unwanted material made it reshape itself in the U.S. car market industry (Fishman, 2006). According to the plant manager, the Georgetown facility spent up to ten hours in body painting for the 2,000 cars brought to the facility before the clean up exercise was done. The programmed robots did most of the work in the paint shop as they oversaw paint being channeled through long hoses connected to paint reservoirs. Car painting had to be done according to color batches where cars of the same color had to be painted together. If the system was to paint cars of a different color, then the paint had to be flushed after the painting was completed for one car and reloaded with another color for the next car. The exercise of flushing out the paint meant that the unused paint went to waste. The Georgetown facility basically wasted 30 percent of the car paint it used when the machines had to be flushed out and the supply hoses had to be cleaned. The car paint was also very expensive which meant that it lost a lot of money when it disposed of the paint (Fishman, 2006). However, the Georgetown facility underwent some process improvements in its operations which saw the percentage of paint being wasted go down considerably. The new improvements saw each robot painting eight cars by selecting a paint cylinder. A whirling disk that was placed at the bottom of the robot’s arm was used to spray paint the cars with a top layer of paint. After the robot painted the car a few seconds, it would put down the used paint cartridge and select a new one. This eliminated the process of flushing out the supply hoses, thereby reducing the amount of paint that was washed out of the paint pipes and also it eliminated the aspect of cleaning the hoses between car paintings (Fishman, 2006). As Fishman (2006) indicates, “instead of using hoses to paint the cars, the plant resorted to the use of paint cartridges that could be refilled automatically from the paint reservoirs”. Also cars were not batched according to the color they were going to be painted with which eliminated any delays in painting the cars. With the process improvements, cars spent eight hours in the process line being painted instead of the previous ten hours. The paint shop was bale to hold 25 percent fewer cars than it originally used to before the cleaning exercise was done. The amount of wasted paint also went down. The previous painting exercise required 100 gallons of paint per car before the improvements were effected. The amount went down to 70 gallons of paint which also reduced the amount of money used to purchase paint. Other benefits that came about from process improvements were reduction in cleaning solvent usage and an increased efficiency in the car wash paint booths from 33 to 50 cars in an hour (Fishman, 2006). References Copeland, M.V. (2010). Google Instant: the search leader unveils what it hopes is a fundamental change to how we search online. Fortune Online Magazine . Retrieved: https://fortune.com/2010/09/08/google-instant/ Fishman, C. (2006). No satisfaction at Toyota. Fast Company . Retrieved from: https://www.fastcompany.com/58345/no-satisfaction-toyota

ESSAY: Professional Issues For Child And Youth Care Practitioners In School Based Settings Analytical Essay Introduction Many questions inquiring on the education system of the youth and children care come by, but one major query is whether the professions are in a poison to meet the education demands today. Beside effectiveness, the credibility of professionals in a school setting is the key factors contributing to child and youth development within the current educational debate. This paper addresses the major professional issues in the discipline of child and youth care practices especially in Canada but in comparison to other countries worldwide. The Professional Ethics for Canadian Child and Youth Care According to Ungar (2009), the major professional issues in the discipline of child and youth, care practices include the programs models that are in use within the learning setting, the preparation procedures concerning educator’s role, functions and instructive researches. There is also need to consider the profile and the image of the professionals. Involvement of the Child and Youth Care Practitioners The child and youth care practitioners mainly the teachers and workers are involved widely in a variety of ways within the education sector. The Canadian educational system has a variety of program models, functions and roles required for accountability, referral, and initiation of the system. (Garfat, 2004) The approaches these professionals use in combating the issues related to the youth and children is unique and in some cases require therapeutically related approaches. Considering the Canadian school-based system of child and youth care, myriad school governance programs may be in use to solve individual historically related cases. (Garfat, 2004) The school administrative framework supports a variety of therapeutically and educationally specialized departments with emphasis on structural educational environments for problem solving processes. The involvement of the professionals indicates that today’s experience is eminent, with great demand on special centres catering for troubled youth or children with special needs. The program also involves other part-time special workshops to address these special needs. Challenges facing development of child and youth care There are many challenges regarding the care, but the implication befalls the professionals in the educations sector and they way they address them. The impacts of the challenges are both short-term and long-term and thus the eminent need to address them soonest before any future predicaments. In line with Bodilly, (2005) the advantage of solving the school related cases is their close references especially the youth related issues. One major problem at a certain institute may already have solutions at another. This makes the professionals or communities to be in a position of borrowing a leaf for better and tested solutions. First is the challenge of professional roles, functions and preparations. The children and youth based care centre professionals are committed, innovative and proactive. Relating to the Child Care Association (CCA) (2004) and MaCable, (2006) the amount of payment they receive is mostly little and not any close comparison to the amount of tasks they undertake. The main task of a professional in the Canadian child and youth education centres involves promotion of behaviour and personality growth to ease tension or difficulties in coping with the environment. The child’s problems are due to the common social, emotional and physical confrontations. (Fulcher and Ainsworth, 2006) The profession requires one to be in a poison of implementing non-academic training in the aim of informal skills development. The child or teenager also need special skills to enable them be in a position to integrate at the family level. Secondly, there is a huge challenge concerning the program representations within the school setting. The programs involving the youth and childcare practitioners must assist learners to cope with the transitional and social problems. These are young people attracted by the street life and this means that if the education programs are less attractive over other options, then the system may fail to succeed. According to Leach, (2009) today proper school based program models lack proper financing by the government. There is also the need for the community groups to establish and lobby for funding for the institutions especially those concerns with special education. The issue of programming also arises whereby the educator or child and youth care educators requires collecting of data and providing it for analysis with the aim of program effectiveness. The challenge entails the procedure to use for effective monitoring of the student’s progress and the standards governing the various perspectives for better understanding of growth and change. Today the various programs in use over monitoring have different emphasis. (Bailey, 2004) Lastly, some systems such as the Canadian educational settings provide very little or no assistance for the government to provide official recognition as an integral part of the ‘training and educational in child and youth care’ management system. The basic perspective remains to be that the “child and youth care is supplementary to the instructional component”. (Bailey, 2004)The main aim of all other related services is to support educational service delivery. Other recognizable challenges entail the “increasing emergence of seriously disruptive in-school behaviours by youths who openly use weapons, are verbally and physically aggressive, and conduct extortion, prostitution, and drug businesses during the school day”. (Bailey, 2004) He emphasizes that removal of a student from the school setting because of misconduct solves the problem for that particular time, but fails to address the issue permanently thus causing a long term impact to the community. Today the is a considerable change on the type of programs in use in the education system especially regarding the setting, financial supports, populace and professional harmony. Most of the programs that exist fit the description of insignificant institutions. (Ungar, 2009) Issues with respect to boundaries, values and ethics According to Leach, (2009) when the behavioural needs of a child facade some good enhancements in the early ages, the child’s ability to acquire the educational skills is highly enhanced. The early learning prepares the child or the youth to meet any future challenges. The professions have to ensure they instil proper theoretical and conception skills. The benefit of a thorough early life pragmatic understanding of concepts makes the young person strong enough to face the future systems that influence their career growth and family lives. There is eminent need for the practitioners in this field to move beyond the stipulated boundaries of government educational ministries for the support of all round growth. This is a separate and special supportive role beyond educational or professional level, which calls for extra abilities. Issues with respect to the training and pre-service qualification Research and analysis of various job descriptions and requirements especially in the Canadian setups indicates lack of performance on all the listed functions among the educationalists. (McCable, 2006) The education professionals seem to concentrate on just part of the requirements. The professional teacher must be in a position to provide wide range of functions with respect to the school, individual students, related groups, families and communities. General school related functions include the ability to enhance working within a classroom setup with the aim of enhancing behavioural change. Professionals ought to be in a position of moulding social skills of individual students within a class setting. They should also assist fellow teachers in recommending individuals, families or even conferences. The teacher is supposed to collect information regarding the school or class environmental setup as well as the students’ population. They need to be in a position of promoting coordination and consultation among the teams. Lastly is the issue of participating in school-related meetings. (Bailey, 2004) The minimum requirement for employment of professionals at the school setting entails the three-year diploma course. The requirements are however becoming stronger due to competition and need for better services. Today the ideal candidate for the teaching profession would be a “bachelor’s degree in Child and Youth Care, psychology or education”. (Leach, 2009) The Masters Degree and supervised practice is more preferred. The additional skills required for these professionals entail life saving skills to cater for the children and youth concerning “recreational activities, counselling, and assessment skills in areas concerning drug abuse, pregnancy, suicide, career education and learning difficulties.” (Bailey, 2004) The educators also need to have special positive views over the learning settings and have the sustainability of other professionals especially in the same field with the aim of promoting the learning process. Professional relationships required for CYC professionals There is eminent need for group relationships and intervention functions, which include preparing and assessing students. Professionals dealing with teenagers and children need to work as a group for better work force. These are delicate people in a serious stage of development and thus combined efforts are required. It is easy to identify, prepare, intervene and evaluate students for short and long-term group counselling to ensure proper developed social skills. The grouping of the professional can be across the social-work boundaries or even over the country confines. The initiated groups are also involved in recreational activities as well as social and cultural developmental activities. As a way is responding to the special needs of children, special programs are also required. Professional communication Communication entails the personal interactions involving students and educators. According to Leach’s writing, (2009) today the demand for competence on the line of duty is very high. This requires the use of social opportunities to build rapport with the aim of gaining educationally. Professions ought to schedule others in their routines for positive criticism as well as the third party professional opinion over a work related challenge. Well-developed communication styles and skills are crucial for professionals. This entails both the written and verbally presented work. Proper communication is important in the school setting and its enhancement it achievable through planned schedules such as meetings and discussion groups or programs. Conclusion The work of an educationalist remains flaunted with daily new and unique demands. This is a call for implementation of international standards to combat the challenges. There is an eminent demand for teamwork to enhance proper grades. Professional in the education sector musts keep to date with current affairs. They should also be in a position to provide proper summaries or articles of innovation in the sector or upgrades of the existing systems to new systems in close relation to their expertise and experiences. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) reports, approximately 10% of all children are handicapped. Furthermore, the estimates show that at least five percent (5%) of these children in regular school have some special education needs. This is about one in every 1,000 children. This means that in the views of this research, all stakeholders should be involved in assisting the learners to achieve their education in less straining conditions. Recommendation This research paper recommends further research with respect to strategies that enhance commitment and involvement. Special total commitment and emotional, physical, spiritual or economical support by the educators and stakeholders for the child and youth care setting especially the needy is important for growth. The voice and presence of everyone can make a big difference in the education sector. References Bailey, C.T. (2004). “ The 2004 National Survey of Child Development Associates (CDAs) ”. The Council for Professional Recognition. Bodilly, S. and Beckett, M. (2005). “ Making out-of-school time matter: Evidence for An action agenda . Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Child Care Services Association. (2005). “ Child Care Wage$ Project Selected Results: Fiscal Year 2004-05” . Chapel Hill, NC: Author. Child Care Services Association. Accessed from https://www.childcareservices.org/ Fulcher, L.C. and Ainsworth, F. (2006). “ Group care practice with children and young People” , Routledge publishers Garfat, T. (2004). “ Child and youth care approach to working with families ”. Child & Youth services, v. 25, no.1-2. Routledge publishers Leach, P. (2009), “Child Care Today: Getting It Right for Everyone”. Alfred A. Knopf Publishers McCable, L.A. & Cochran, M. (2006). “ The New York States School Age Credential Evaluation: Preliminary Findings”. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, Cornell Early Childhood Program, Department of Human Development. Ungar, M. (2009). “ Handbook for working with children and youth: pathways to Resilience across cultures and contexts ”. Hawker Brownlow Education publishers

ESSAY: Types, Causes and Theories of the Psychiatric Disorders Essay Mankind has experienced a number of psychological disorders and diseases for a long period of time. Most of these diseases and disorders affect the normal functioning of the human body system especially the brain (Robins & Regier, 1999). Their impacts can be manifested either through one’s behavior or mental symptoms. Psychiatric disorders can be defined as any behavioral or mental symptoms that make an individual very much distressed, paralyses the victims in one way or another and hence make them exposed to pain, disability, or even death (Salters-Pedneault, 2009). Such manifestations, however, must be experienced over a period of more than two weeks in order to be considered a psychiatric disorder. Mental symptoms such as grief following the loss of a close relative or friend cannot be considered psychiatric in nature. This essay seeks to discuss the psychological disorders and diseases which include; schizophrenia, depression, mania, anxiety disorder, and Tourette syndrome. The theories behind them will also be discussed. Schizophrenia is one of the common psychological disorders especially in the United States. It is a chronic, harsh, and a brain-paralyzing disorder. It is usually characterized by improper perception of what is otherwise real. The individual suffering from schizophrenia usually experiences auditory delusions, haphazard way of thinking and talking, and other forms of hallucinations (Salters-Pedneault, 2009). Moreover, the patient exhibits cognitive deficits, asocial tendencies, and flat affect. The manifestations of initial stages of schizophrenia commonly start at early adulthood. Notably, this disorder can only be diagnosed using the person’s personal experiences and overt behavior since its laboratory test is yet to be established. Many theories concerning schizophrenia have been proposed. Some of the factors associated with the development of schizophrenia include the individual’s genetic orientation and the environment that one is exposed to at the earlier stages of development (Robins & Regier, 1999). Furthermore, neurobiology which concerns the study of the nervous system as well as the social and mental processes has been identified as playing a role in the development of schizophrenic conditions. The root causes of schizophrenia, however, have not been fully established but a sense of hope exists as far as its treatment is concerned. Current antipsychotic medications seek to eliminate the symptoms associated to the disorder and allow the patient to live a normal life in the society. Although the older types of anti-psychotics are still being used, most current ones which include clozapine are very effective in treating the acute symptoms (Salters-Pedneault, 2009). For persons who are genetically prone to schizophrenia, the use of some medicinal drugs or those meant for recreational purposes may also cause or enhance the rate of being schizophrenic. For instance, clozapine reduces the number of white blood cells in the body hence increasing the risk of infections. The side effects of using antipsychotic medication include improper vision, rashes on the skin, increased heartbeat, and can affect women’s monthly periods. Psychosocial modes of treatment have been devised to deal with those who have become resistant to antipsychotic medication (Robins & Regier, 1999). Depression, on the other hand, is a psychological disorder that manifests itself both physically and emotionally over prolonged period of time (Salters-Pedneault, 2009). This disorder is characterized by a sense of guilt, worthless feelings and suicidal tendencies, loss of the ability to make decisions, and varying levels of poverty. Despite the many perspectives of looking at the disorder, depression has been clinically regarded as being caused by genetic, biological, and psychological factors. Stressful situations in life have been identified to play a role in the onset of depression among those who are genetically prone. Also, fluctuating levels of hormones contribute to the increased levels of neurotransmitters in the brain leading to the development of depressive symptoms. Psychiatrists have also established the role of structural psychological changes in the onset of major depression. Besides these western theories on depression, cultural perspectives also have their own way of explaining depression. Persons identified with depression can be treated although the diagnosis part is the most difficult since the symptoms can be confused with the normal illness. Research has established clinical depression as being mental in nature (Salters-Pedneault, 2009). The two major approaches that can be used are psychotherapy and clinical medication. The use of antidepressants can simplify the use of the counseling approach. It is important to note that psychotherapeutic medications serve to relief symptoms but not curing depression. These medications may have some side effects though it depends on so many factors like the body size, age, sex of the patient, body chemical composition, diet, and habits like smoking. The mentioned factors determine the dosage given to the depressed. Some of the antidepressants include; tricyclic which is an antidepressant, and monoamine oxidase which act an inhibitor. Recent antidepressants are commonly referred to as “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors” (SSRIs). Some of the side effects of antidepressants include; drowsiness, anxiety, heart problems, digestive problems, weight gain, muscle twitches, and general weakness (Robins & Regier, 1999). The extents of these side effects greatly depend on the type of antidepressant used and the individual responses. The third disorder in our discussion is the manic disorder, currently referred to as bipolar disorder. Just like depression, it is a mood disorder and is uniquely characterized by some manic episodes. A manic episode involves the expression of euphoric states or ‘emotional highs’ by the patient (Torrey & Knable, 2005). Manic depression possesses symptoms of major depression. Recent research has established that most theories point a strong conviction on the genetic orientation of the patient. The manic-depressive patient is fortunate since the disorder is easily treatable. “Mood stabilizers” are the commonly used medications and examples include, but not limited to; lithium, and anticonvulsants like cabamazepine, and valproate. All serve the purpose of stabilizing the moods of the patient. However, just like other terminal illnesses, manic-depressive disorder remains with the patient forever and can be managed through constant medication (Torrey & Knable, 2005). Due to improved research into the treatment of bipolar disorders, there are fewer side effects although it greatly depends on individual reaction to the medication. Most of the side effects, if any, are similar to those of depression discussed above. Moreover, anxiety disorder refers to the extreme and excessive levels of fear and worry about day to day life without any apparent reason (Salters-Pedneault, 2009). Such fears can be prolonged over a period of six months which can only get worse if not diagnosed and treated in good time. Anxiety disorders comprises of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). These varied types of anxiety disorders have one thing in common; they all involve irrational fear and dread. Medication is used in the treatment of anxiety disorders although sometimes psychotherapeutic measures can be effective. In most instances, anxiety may co-exist with other conditions and illness and this calls for proper diagnosis by the psychiatrist. Medication, just like the treatment of the above disorders, will serve to put the anxiety disorder under control but not curing it. The common medication include; antidepressants, beta-blockers, and anti-anxiety drugs. SSRIs are the newest in the medical field (Salters-Pedneault, 2009). Psychotherapy is also the second alternative when it comes to the treatment of anxiety disorders. The side effects from taking the medication are as explained earlier in the case of depression disorder. The last disorder is the Tourette syndrome which is characterized by both physical (tics) and oral speech problems. It is unique in that its manifestation occurs during early childhood (Walkup, Mink & Hollenbeck, 2006). Tourette’s disorder is believed to be a genetic and mental disorder and is also influenced by the surrounding though its real cause is yet to be established. Surprisingly, this disorder has no genuine medication unless strictly recommended by a psychiatrist. Psychotherapy is the only best approach for handling persons with Tourette which involves counseling and giving assurances. In the case of children, taking them to school will help alleviate the disorder. The essay has attempted to discuss the various psychological disorders/diseases. Although the disorders are numerous, the paper has evaluated schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and Tourette syndrome. The drugs used for treating them as well as the side effects of the medication where applicable have been discussed. References Robins, L.N, Regier DA, eds. (1999). Psychiatric Disorders in America: the Epidemiologic Perspective Area Study. New York: The Free Press. Salters-Pedneault, K. (2009). Psychiatric Disorders. American Medical Journal, 7 (12), 9-67. Torrey, E. F. & Knable, M. B. (2005). Manic-depressive illness: a guide on bipolar treatment. Basic Books. Walkup, J. T, Mink, J. W, & Hollenbeck, P. J. (2006). Tourette syndrome. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

ESSAY: Psychodynamic Approach Survey Analytical Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion 4. Reference List Introduction There are many different ways of how a person can check his/her personal abilities to define what kind of job may be closer and more appropriate for him/her. This time, I make use of the psychodynamic approach offered in the book by Northouse and participate in the survey in order to define what kind of person I am and what qualities should perform the leading role in my life. When I answered the questions in the survey, there were no difficulties to score the results and gain clear understanding of what had to be done and why. However, when I had to combine the scores of questions and unite them with such items like extravert, introvert, feller, thinker, etc, I was a bit surprised because I discovered many captivating things about my personality. The psychodynamic approach helps to identify personal characteristics and clear up what activities are available and more successful for me; a definite comparison of leader and follower’s qualities provide me with a chance to realize that there are still some issues I have to work on and improve all the time in order to achieve the best results and become what I want to be. Discussion To comprehend what qualities should be regarded as my personal strengths and weaknesses, it is necessary to answer each question thoroughly and evaluate my attitude to each point and situation. The results of the survey show that I have more qualities which are inherent to Extraverts; it means that I prefer the outside world to my inside world, like to share my personal ideas with the others, and can thrive on communications on different levels. I discover that I am an Intuitive who always wants to evaluate the impact of each thought and action before in order to be ready for the results expected. The qualities of Feeler make me take many things as referring to myself and suffer from them sometimes; however, at the same time, I, as a Feeler, am “very focused on the compassionate side of practice” (Ackerman, 2006, p. 16). And, finally, it was interesting to realize that I am a Perceiver, a person who cannot make decisions independently all the time but still wants to have as many things at hand as possible. In general, the results of the survey underline that I may have all the necessary qualities of the leader however, I need to work more on the improvement of decision-making process and train myself to solve problems and organize the work more effectively and in accordance to the order required. Kouzes and Posner (2007) admit that any leader has to posses the following qualities: to be honest, to be competent in different situations, to be inspired in order to inspire other people, and, of course, to be credible. With the help of the survey, I am able to identify both, my strengths and weaknesses as a team leader. According to Hill’s model for team leadership, there are a number of tasks and functions that promote effective leadership and success of the work. Such duties like clarification of goals, proper training, establishment of structure (Northouse, 2006) have to be performed by any leader in accordance with the order and requirements settled. This model also defines two types of leadership functions that take place on internal and external levels. The results of the survey prove that I am able to perform the functions on both levels, however, it is not always possible to promise the high quality of each function performed. This is why it is very important to improve the already gained strengths and clear up how to compensate the weakness which are still inherent to me due to lack of experience and knowledge. One of the main purposes of the psychodynamic approach is “to encourage leaders and followers to become aware of their own personality types” (Northouse, 2006, p. 263). The point is that this awareness provides each person with a chance to evaluate personal qualities and take the necessary steps to improve everything. Right now, I have to think about the ways of how I can improve my strengths, make use of them all the time, and be sure about their reliability. First, it is necessary to continue education and analyze what types of communications are possible between people who take different positions. In order to become a good leader, it is very important to define what kind of conversation is possible between the people with the same ranks and with different ranks. Communication between leaders and employers has its own peculiarities, and each leader has to know about these differences and follow the standards to gain recognition and respect. Second, any leader has to evaluate not only the current situation and possible results of the actions but also be ready to forecast the outcomes of his/her own thoughts and plans. It is not enough to think about present but it is more important to evaluate past, consider present, and think about future all the time to achieve the desirable purposes. However, it is also necessary to admit that the results of this survey show that my qualities are not as strong as any leader should have, this is why some improvements and compensations of personal weaknesses has to be admitted. Hill’s team leadership model shows that there are three types of functions any leader has to perform, and I am good only at some of them. However, such duties like decision making, networking, and training are my weak point, and I have to train myself more to achieve better results. It is possible to use some historical archives to observe how other people made decisions and were able to train people around and give necessary pieces of advice. Smart ideas, different experiences, and possibilities to change the situation – all this may be used to improve personal reputation and become better leader. It is also possible to consider the mistakes of other people and try not to repeat them in future. Of course, personal experience is the best practice in this life, and this is why it is also better to remember that personal interests and desire to be involved into practices may become the only way out. Conclusion In general, the results of the survey and the evaluation of personal strong and weak points to become a team leader help me comprehend that many things depend on person’s attitude to the situation and desire to cope with the challenges. The role of leaders is not that easy, and when a person makes a decision to become a leader and organize other people’s work, this decision has to be properly grounded and thoughtful. This survey may be used as one of the first steps which have to be taken by future leaders in order to find out their strengths that have to be improved all the time and weakness that have to be compensated by means of other qualities inherent to people. Reference List Ackerman, L. J. (2006). Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Practice Management Consult. Ames: Wiley-Blackwell. Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The Leadership Challenge . San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons. Northouse, P.G. (2006). Leadership: Theory and Practice . Thousand Oaks: SAGE.

ESSAY: Public Health Communication: Quit Smoking Essay Smoking is considered to be one of the most burning problems of modern society. Cigarettes kill so many people each year that it turns out to be very difficult to present concrete numbers concerning how many Americans die because of smoking. People know a lot about the risk of dying because of lung cancer, caused by smoking, however, they still continue smoking and do not pay attention to really useful information and warnings. To my mind, observing the effects of smoking by means of pictures should help to evaluate how dangerous smoking could be and what should be done to prevent deaths because of smoking. Picture #1 The approaches, I choose to evaluate the problem of smoking, present a clear picture of smoking and its effects on people. A smoldering cigarette (Picture # 1) does not present certain danger; and even when a person smokes (Picture # 2), people do not feel any fear or loathing. However, when we see an embryo with a cigarette (Picture # 3) and comprehend how smoking is dangerous to unborn children, some terrible emotions appear, and smoking does not seem so simple and harmless. This is why the only thing people should do is to quit smoking and start smiling (Picture # 4). Picture #2 A smoker promotes own life’s end; this person does not have a face or even gender (Picture # 2). Smoking is dangerous to people and deprives them from a chance to live long and happy. The tone of my message by means of these photos is not about fear, but about the reality that is around people. It is about smoking as something integral to this life, as something that has a certain impact even on not yet born people. This is why, in order to prevent a disaster, we should quit smoking, become healthy, and start smiling. These photos create a kind of emotional imagery that demonstrates how influential smoking can be. Picture #3 The audience for these photos may be rather different: teenagers, who find smoking not dangerous; mothers, who should care about their future and current children; old people, who should serve as good examples and promote young people to drop this terrible habit. In fact, these pictures can be interesting and useful to everyone from different places, who are just interested in making this world healthier and safer. Smoking is a disaster, and people should be ready to fight against it. Picture #4 The Pictures # 2 and 4 are taken from the Internet; the Picture # 3 is from one scientific web-article that tells how smoking is dangerous to kinds. The Picture # 1 is taken from a local campaign. The person, who smokes this cigarette, does not want to be recognized, because he is not proud of what he is doing and thinks how to drop this bad habit soon.

ESSAY: Public Speaking in a Democracy Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Democracy is considered to be one of the forms of political government, where the role of people is crucial indeed. The majority becomes the ruling power that supports individual freedom and equality before the law. Public speaking is regarded as one of the most effective ways to attract voters’ attention and make them believe that democratic actions are worth attention and recognition. This is why if public speaking is poor or boring for the audience, the ideas of democracy may still be unheard. It will be very difficult to improve the situation and take into consideration the demands and requirements of ordinary people. Public speaking actually matters for a democracy, because it is a good and sometimes the only chance to save democracy that is eroding now, to improve communicative skills, and to underline the problems that prevent people from happiness and well-being and need to be solved within a short period of time. Discussion Public speaking as the way to save democracy from eroding . A team of sophisticated journalists and writers admit that “democracy is eroding and that there is no need for rhetoric. Yet, if some effort is not made to help young people understand democracy and the role of public speaking in this form of government, all will truly be lost” (Evans et al., 325). Democracy is that golden middle in governmental forms that cannot be controlled too much but still serve as an example of working and organized group. This is why in order to create a proper government, it is necessary to consider the needs and interests of people and take the necessary steps to meet these demands. However, if these needs are not spoken aloud, they can be hardly recognized, let alone that they can be hardly met. Public speaking may become a powerful mean to inform people, to persuade the government to define the problems and work on them, to think about the possible improving ways, or at least to entertain people and give them a hope that everything will be better. Democracy needs to train public speaking skills . There are certain rules that need to be followed to present effective public speaking and be able to achieve positive results of these speeches. The role of public speaking is crucial indeed, this is why it is better for a democracy to train their skills as frequent as possible. First, it is obligatory to plan your speech before speaking: a speaker should clearly define a topic, purpose, and audience. Second, if there is a chance, it is better to train a speech for several times: to talk slowly, provide examples, divide the text into several meaningful parts, and leave some time for questions. Third, public speaking will be effective for a democracy in case examples, reliable facts, and evidences are given. The audience should have a chance to comprehend why a point is important and what makes its urgent. If a democracy wants to be heard, it should plan each step and each word carefully. Public speaking may improve general state of affairs from a democratic perspective. A democracy would like to support and improve a variety of tenets, and one of them is a free educational system (Evans et al., 328). People have to get a chance and study free. If citizens are not educative, they do not have enough opportunities to make decisions, introduce their thoughts, and ask for support. Public speaking should help them prove that education needs to be free. With the help of educative and informative speeches, the supporters of democracy are able to introduce their thoughts, their demands, and the ways of how to achieve all these demands. Letters and protests lost their effectiveness nowadays, this is why public speaking is one of the final attempts to achieve justice and comprehension. “Free elections are necessary in democracy” (Evans et al., 326), and people are deprived of the opportunity to vote and introduce own ideas for free. This is why it is high time to remember about public speaking and use it to its full extent. Conclusion In general, public speaking is integral for a democracy. For the government, it is very difficult to listen to every citizen and take into account the demands of each person. This is why it become more effective and more helpful to unite ideas, organize them in a logical way, and speak clearly and confident. If it is necessary to give one clear answer why public speaking matters for a democracy, it should sound like this: a democracy is a kind of voice of citizens, and public speaking is a means to make this voice audible to the ruling top. If this means is broken, citizens are not heard, and their demands are not taken into consideration. Ordinary people lose their chance to improve their lives, and general state of affairs worsens considerably. This is why people should save their positions, should care about their interests, and should make their speaking being noticeable. Public speaking is obligatory for a democracy, because its absence may lead to total collapse of successful society. Works Cited Evans, A.L, Evans, V., Lami Kanra, A. M., and Jones, O.S.L. “Public Speaking in a Democracy.” Journal of Institutional Psychology 31.4 (Dec. 2004): 325-329.

ESSAY: Punctuality at Work: Examples & Analysis Searching for punctuality examples? Look no further! This essay explains the importance of discipline and reliability at school and in the workplace. It also provides punctuality at work examples. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Examples 3. Ways to Promote Punctuality 4. Conclusion 5. Works Cited Introduction The term punctual refers to appearing at the regular appointed place at the specific time while punctuality refers to the attribute of being able to finish a requisite duty prior to the allocated time. According to Brooke and Price (140), some of the reasons as to why there is lack of punctuality among employees include; different work attitudes of job satisfaction, job involvement and organizational commitment. Webb (46) argues that a positive attitude towards ones work can help foresee if the employee will be punctual during their work term and also deadlines affect the completion of the tasks given to employees. Wardy (105) study found out that the three main reasons as to why employees are not punctual at the workplace are; lack of respect, lack of accountability and lack of organization. Lack of respect is whereby the employees who running late do not inform or call prior to inform the respective people of their delay this results in time wastage for their fellow co-workers and loss of money for the company. Examples of Punctuality at Work Lack of accountability is when employees arrive late at work, for a meeting or submitting work late. Employees should be held liable and they should be able to effectively give answers and explain their mishaps. If the managers themselves are punctual and include punctuality as part and parcel of deadlines and yearly evaluations, the employees will in turn be punctual as they will be expected to do so. Lack of organization is when employees do not manage their time or they do not effectively plan their time and the tasks they are supposed to finish at an allocated time period. Therefore these employees end up with a lot of things to do and with no time to finish their tasks resulting in lateness. Most employees are usually not punctual to the work place at the beginning of the week, because during the weekend most people tend to relax and enjoy the free days as much as possible. As the week progresses employees are more punctual to work as they have gotten used to the idea of waking up early heading to work. Other days when employees are more frequently not to be punctual are the days when it rains, or snows heavily in the mornings these natural weather patterns seem to cause snarl ups of traffic jams therefore affecting the punctuality of employees and also employers. At the time Wardy was conducting his research; he was an employee at different American organizations and observed his findings from a natural setting. In his findings, he made the conclusion that not even once did the employees or the supervisors apologize for being late. On the other hand while he was an employee at Panasonic, a Japanese company, his superior profusely apologized for coming into a meeting late although he could not help it as an emergency had caused the delay. These two similar situations show how different people react to punctuality and how if they are running companies how the employees would react differently to their supervisors. Promoting Punctuality: Examples & Ways Webb and Chapman (78) suggested the following ways in which employees can improve their punctuality records at the workplace; 1. Ask the employees to envisage every appointment as an interview and make sure you arrive at the designated area earlier than the actual time stated. This will give one ample time to relax and compose one self for whatever is coming afterwards. Also budget in emergencies or unplanned mishaps like mechanical difficulties with the car or traffic delays so that you can arrive before the time agreed upon. If all employees would imagine that every day they are going to work, they are attending an important interview that they cannot afford to miss, they would always be punctual for work and lateness would be a thing of the past. Soon they would have formed the habit of getting to work early and starting their work on time hence maximizing profits for the company and minimizing on loses. 2. Request the employees to imagine that they own the company or they are shareholders in the company and how they would feel if they were always counting losses because of lack of punctuality from employees. This will give employees a feel of what the employers go through when they come into work late and may make them change their behavior of arriving late for work and wasting valuable company time while catching up with their colleagues. 3. With the employees empathizing with their colleagues who are punctual at the work place and getting their work done on time, may make the employees change their behavior for the better. Most employees get angry at their colleagues who constantly keep arriving at the workplace late as they feel their time is not being respected and constantly being wasted and therefore creating a hostile working environment whereby work can not be carried out effectively. A hostile working environment will make employees antagonistic affecting their productivity to the company. 4. An employer should expect each employee to make a verbal commitment to being punctual during the tenure employment and they should be held legally responsible to their word. This will make the employees feel as if they are going back on their word and cheating themselves hence prompting them to be punctual to their places of work and in doing their work. 5. Modesty should also be put in practice at the work place this will ensure respect of everyone in the work place whether junior or senior in position. Employees and employers should also get into the habit of apologizing when they arrive late for work or hand in late reports or delay in passing of some information. Employees should also take responsibility for their actions at the work place and not let their colleagues suffer unnecessarily because of their mistakes or short comings. However, a study done by Buehler, Dale and Michael (128), reveals that when men and women are compared at the workplace in terms of their punctuality, no specific gender seemed to be more punctual than the other. Although women seem to be more absent from work than men due to unavoidable circumstances like maternity leave, while men walk into work late and waste a lot of time reading the newspapers during company time. In conclusion punctuality in the workplace depends on the company values, time allocated for the completion of each task as well as the individuals themselves. Employees with a longer deadline are most likely to finish their tasks later than those with a shorter deadline due to procrastination. Conclusion Employees should strive to be punctual at the work place and in their work so that they can not only improve the quality of their work and the image of the company. However, there are more ways of promoting employee punctuality in the workplace other than the ways suggested and discussed in this paper. Depending on the nature of the work and the locality of the place of work, an employer should be able to identify and focus on how he or she can promote the virtue of punctuality among its/his employees. In addition, the employers should give more incentives to encourage employees to be punctual and they should also take note of employees who alack in punctuality and act upon it, hence measures to promote and check on employee punctuality should be put in place. Works Cited Brooke, Russell & Price, Johnson. “Discriminant validation of measures of job satisfaction, job involvement and organizational commitment.” Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 73 (2) (1988): pp 139-145. Print. Buehler, Roger, Dale. Griffin and Michael Ross. “Exploring the “planning fallacy”: why people underestimate their task completion times. ” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Vol 67, no 3, (1994): pp. 366-38. Print Wardy, Joseph. Why Punctuality gains respect in the workplace. Andover, MA: Helium Inc, 2010. Print. Webb, Allan and Chapman Hall. “Managing Innovative Projects.” International Journal of Production Economics Vol. 35 no1-3 (1994): pp 45-406. Print.

ESSAY: Pursuit of Happiness by Women in Modern Day America Descriptive Essay Table of Contents 1. Civil Rights in the United States 2. Women’s Role in the Civil Rights Movement 3. The Pursuit of Happiness 4. Works Cited Civil Rights in the United States Civil rights are what citizens in a democratic country are entitled to and they include rights such as the right to vote, right to equal treatment and opportunities, the right to life and the right to protection from any harm or violence. Civil rights are designed to guarantee the freedom of a country’s citizens, allowing them to speak, think and act without any fear of reprisals. It is the government’s duty and responsibility to create an effective legal framework that will see these rights being enjoyed by every citizen (Paterson et al. 5). Women’s Role in the Civil Rights Movement The movement of civil rights in the United States was founded with the main aim of ensuring that the necessary legislation was formulated that would enable American citizens enjoy the civil rights. Past literature that focused on the civil rights movement has shown that women had multiple roles in the movement, the same as their male counterparts. Majority of the women involved in this movement were of black origin while the rest formed part of the minority groups in America (Crawford et al . xviii). These women were fighting for their freedom from slavery and also from being colonized by the whites in a country that was believed to have exercised freedom during a period of instability around the world .A conference for women involved in the civil rights movement were convened in Atlanta, Georgia in the year 1945 to 1965. The conference brought together women activists and scholars who were fighting for the equal rights of women in America. The main objective of the conference was to acknowledge individuals and groups of women who had actively protested and campaigned for reforms in the civil rights. These women were united with the main purpose of gaining the pursuit of happiness that was included in the Declaration of Independence (Crawford et al. xvii). The Pursuit of Happiness The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was seen to be a first step towards creating a more liberal and democratic America. The pursuit of happiness is an important part of the Civil Rights Act that stipulates American citizens have the right to pursue lawful business in a manner that is not inconsistent and disruptive to the equality rights of other American citizens. The pursuit of happiness is meant to increase a citizen’s prosperity and enjoyment in their life or business endeavors (Licht 98). The practice of pursuit of happiness is basically the pursuit of property even though property is deemed to be less valuable than the freedom or life of an individual citizen. Individuals view having property as having security which allows them to be free from any interference by the government or other people. The pursuit of happiness stipulates that having secure property is having secure liberty which is viewed to be a sign of security (Licht 98). The pursuit of happiness for women today is viewed as an important right in America as more women today are fighting to be empowered and gain equality in all aspects of their lives. Women everywhere in America be they in a minority group are seeking the right to feel secure and go about their daily lives without the fear of being attacked or having their right to liberty and freedom being infringed upon. Works Cited Crawford, Vicki. Jacqueline, Rouse and Barbara Woods (Eds). Women in civil rights movement: trailblazers and torchbearers, 1941-1965 , Bloomington, USA: Indiana University Press, P.xviii, 1990, Licht, Robert. Old rights and new . Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute. P.98. 1993 Paterson, D., Richard Griffiths and Susan Willoughby. Civil rights in the USA, 1863-1980 . Oxford, London: Heinemann Educational Publishers. P. 5, 2001

ESSAY: Quality Management for Organizational Excellence Definition Essay Quality management is a continuous organizational process which is aimed at meeting and exceeding the customers’ requirements through specific processes and an organization wide participation in planning and implementation. The elements of quality management include focus on the customer, strategy, teamwork, continual commitment and a scientific approach. Other elements are continuous improvement, training and education, control and obsession with quality (Hakes, 1991). The customer is the most important aspect of an organization because all activities that the firm conducts are geared toward the supply of goods or services to the customer. The internal customer is just as important as the external customer. The internal customer refers to individuals that are members of an organization who contribute to the final product that is offered to the customer. Since processes are what determine the end product, it is necessary to continually improve them. When set objects are met, new objectives should be set for great levels of quality. Organizations that practice quality management are strategic in that they aim to be in line with set organizational objectives (Hakes, 1991). Quality management also takes into consideration the future of the organization and activities of competitors. The organization is obsessed with meeting the quality standards that are required by the customers. In this way, the employees desire to do their best all the time. The focus on quality is not just for the short term but for the long run as well. In order for the entire organization to be one-minded in quality, all employees have to be trained and educated on quality management. The quality management process requires that there be adequate control from top management, although autonomy is encouraged. A scientific approach is used in setting targets, benchmarking and performance appraisal (Hakes, 1991). Kaoru Ishikawa was a pioneer in the subject of quality management. He emphasized on the quality management elements of customer focus and education of employees. His doctrine pointed to employee training as the basis for the commencement and maintenance of quality management in an organization. He came up with quality circles which enable employees to be involved in problem solving while increasing their ability to identify opportunities for growth (Hakes, 1991). The development of these elements made Kaoru Ishikawa successful because organizations have been able to increase revenue and deal with competition in the market. Quality management is very useful in today’s market environment. Competition is one of the biggest challenges facing firms. Market leader should employ quality market so as to maintain there position in terms of market share and profits. On the other hand, small organizations that are growing or trying to penetrate the market, would benefit greatly from quality management. Customers in the current market are very complex and knowledgeable. They know what they want and expect companies to provide goods and services which meet certain standards. Quality management would enable a firm to meet the customers’ needs thus ensuring that there will be repeat purchases and loyalty to the brand. The quality management field is likely to grow in future. More efficient and effective system will be developed so as to improve the position of the firm in the future market. The focus may be on external factors in the market such as changes in technology, globalization and environmental concerns. Reference List Hakes, C. (1991). Total quality management: the key to business improvement: a Pera International executive briefing. London: Springer.

ESSAY: Racial and Ethnic Inequality Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Article Summary 3. Article Analysis 4. Conclusion 5. Works Cited Introduction This essay examines racial and ethnic inequality based on an article by Erlanger Steven. The article indicates that racial profiling by the police in Paris is still a sticky issue that has to be addressed. Basing on different sociological perspectives, the article is analyzed towards understanding the phenomenon and recommending a policy framework. Good policy and grounded initiatives are the only sure way of dealing with racial and ethnic inequality. Article Summary An article by Erlanger reports that police in Paris harass black and Arab men more than their white counterparts. A research done by the “open society justice Initiative” on “ethnic Profiling in Paris” indicates that police in Paris stop and do identity checks on black and Arab men more prevalently than is the case for white Paris men. This study confirms the wide spread accusations or racial profiling leveled against the police. For one white man checked, at least six blacks and 7 Arabs are checked. Secondly, the study also established that clothing was a major factor used in profiling individuals. Out of the total population checked, those found wearing cloth that is representative of French youth culture formed 47% (Erlanger 1). Thirdly, out of those stopped, blacks and Arabs were more susceptible to police frisking and detention. From interviewees in the study, it is clear that police target youths on a purely racial line. Article Analysis Racial and ethnic inequality has been a big challenge or stumbling block in the way people interact around the world. Different sociological perspectives have been proffered to explain the phenomenon of racial and ethnic inequality or discrimination. There are four main sociological schools of thought i.e. the functional theorists, the conflict school, the interactional theorists and the labeling school of thought (Arrighi 105). The functional perspective focuses on how ethnic and racial inequality advances the interests of different groups in society (Arrighi 107). Theorists in this school of thought although acknowledging the fact that racism or ethnic discrimination cannot be admired, they point out that this phenomenon is sustained by the function it plays (Schaefer 253). In most cases, racial or ethnic discrimination is sustained by the purpose or role it fulfills especially for the dominant group. In the case of Paris, as presented in the article, discrimination against minority blacks and Arabs serves as a way of asserting dominance of the white majority in society. Secondly, through discrimination, the dominant group manages to keep the minority checked i.e. it denies them the freedom necessary for self actualization and enjoyment of life in Paris. Largely, discrimination gives the discriminating group a good feeling or airs. The airs that come with understanding the perceived competitor is subdued sustains racial and ethnic inequality and discrimination. On the other hand, functional theorist points out that racial and ethnic discrimination makes society dysfunctional in many ways (Schaefer 253). The only way of ending racial and ethnic inequality and discrimination is to help people realize how dysfunctional such attitudes and dispositions are. For example, police in Paris belief that much crime is committed by black and Arab youths. This may be true; however, the major reason why these minority groups resort to crime or delinquency is the frustration from not being able to live in peace like the majority. As the frustration due to denied opportunities and harassment increases, phenomenon like the violent riots that were witnessed in Paris in 2005 cannot be avoided. The second sociological perspective on ethnic and racial inequality is the conflict perspective. Conflict theorists look into the phenomenon of racial and ethnic inequality in terms of conflict between different classes in society. In line with Marxist thinking, the economically dominant do not want the less privileged to become empowered (Schaefer 253). The bourgeois cannot allow the enlightenment and empowerment of the proletariat. According to the exploitation theory, proffered by conflict theorists, economic competition and related conflict is the major explanation as to why discrimination persists. The herd mentality and close identification with race or ethnic group results from a self preservation instinct. In the mind of many in society, the other poses an economic threat. In the case of Paris, many Arabs and blacks are considered largely as unwanted aliens on sorts. As indicated in the article, those perceived as immigrants especially from Africa are targeted most. One reason why they are targeted would be to ensure they do not assimilate and rise within the economic echelons (Arrighi 110). As the conflict theorists explain, racial discrimination does not serve society. It basically leads to acrimony and dissatisfaction in society. The actions of police make Arabs and blacks see them as enemies. As a result, the two groups cannot work harmoniously for the good of society. The blacks and Arabs continue seeing whites as oppressors while the whites see the others as unwanted and unworthy competition of sorts. Such like conflicts have precipitated into xenophobic attacks. However, racial and ethnic discrimination can not conclusively be explained by the conflict perspective. The exploitation and minority is not entirely about them being an economic threat. The findings presented in the article point more towards a labeling perspective or explanation of ethnic and racial discrimination. The blacks and Arabs are not discriminated because they are a threat to the economic well being of the whites but rather because they have been labeled as more likely to do criminal acts. The authorities, after following historical data, are convinced of prevalence of crime or given characteristics among a given group. This then becomes the label and all members of the group become suspects of sorts. As the study presented in the article indicates, labeling does not help much as it only creates an angry lot. Many black and young Arabs are angry because they feel targeted on the basis of color. The final perspective on racial and ethnic inequality is the interactional view. Interactional theorists indicate that level of interaction and mode of interaction either fuels or stops racial and ethnic discrimination. As reported by (254), the contact hypothesis, proffered by interactional theorists posits that racial discrimination is lowered by increased interaction between people of different racial groups that are of relatively equal social or economic status. Interaction with others helps individuals to appreciate that beyond the color difference, human beings are largely the same or similar. Race or ethnicity is a mere accident. As people interact, they are able to challenge their own leaned stereotypes and prejudices leading to acceptance of others. Conclusion In conclusion, authorities have to look at the issue of racial and ethnic discrimination a little more carefully. If it is not checked, it leads to conflicts that can turn violent as witnessed in Paris in 2005. Policy guiding police interaction with populace has to be geared towards fairness in the way the treat all citizens. As an official indicated in the report, training can play an important way in changing outlook. Police and other citizens have to be helped to understand how other groups are functionally important, how the groups contribute in the economy, why the labels against them are prejudicial and stereotypical. Finally, forums and ways of facilitating interaction between police and Arab or black youths can help dissipate the prejudices. Works Cited Arrighi, Barbara, A., Understanding Inequality: the Intersection of Race/Ethnicity, Class, and Gender . Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Erlanger, Steven. Study Says Blacks and Arabs Face Bias from Paris Police. New York Times. 29 th June, 2009. 17 th April, 2010. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/world/europe/30france.html?_r=2&scp=30&sq=US%20racial%20inequality&st=cse Schaefer, Richard, T. Sociology. 12 th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009.

ESSAY: Reading Incentive Program from a Goal Orientation Perspective Analytical Essay Introduction Incentives are rewards that motivate a particular course of action. They encourage people to behave in a particular way. The aim of writing this essay is to discuss issues in the Reading Incentive Program and analyze it from a goal orientation perspective, highlight the problems with this type of incentives program and provide ideas for it that does not undermine students’ motivation to read. Issues in the Reading Incentive Program In this case, a teacher was concerned about her students who never liked reading. The issue was that some students were not exposed to reading outside school and this was because of the poor economy. Second, most of the students never liked reading during their free time at school. This was the reason why the teacher was concerned knowing that reading skills are important to the success of the students and the school in future. An analysis of the case from a goal orientation perspective The aim of the case of the Reading Incentive Program was to encourage students to read more. It was also a way of motivating them to read outside school and during their free time. The teacher developed the incentive program by placing a chart on the classroom wall to check the students’ progress, and each time one reads a book, he or she should report to the teacher then she will indicate on the chart by putting a star. She promised prizes to the student who read more books and this motivated the students to read more. Students were very excited on hearing about the program. It was conducted for one month and by the end of the program, every student was reading too much and was to receive prizes because of the hard work. Once the incentive program was dropped, she noticed very few students are reading during their free time. Such motivation should be done frequently, so that it can be a habit to the students because if they are not monitored, they reduce the level of reading thus leading to failure. Problems identified with this type of incentive program Rewards destroy relationships in organizations, when people are forced to compete for rewards or recognition it destroys cooperation. Relationships at the work place deteriorate between supervisors and those they manage. This is because they work for rewards and this creates competition among the workers that later develops into hatred for each other (Kohn, 1993, para. 5). It is a form of punishment because some people work for money and they do not like the job. This is because they are promised rewards after and so even if one does not enjoy what he or she is doing, the prizes motivate them (Kohn, 1993, para. 5) but does not do the work willingly. Incentives do not change the attitudes that influence our behaviors. Once the rewards are not provided, we go back to our old behaviors thus no lasting change in our attitudes and behavior. People are not committed to what they do because they lack endurance and motivators to perform their duties wholeheartedly and the organizations collapse due to lack of cooperation. Ideas for an incentive program that does not undermine students’ motivation to read Developing reward programs. Students should be given prizes to motivate those who do not like reading and it will improve their performance in class. For example a student, can be given scholarship when he or she performs well in the exams. They can be given novels as a reward to improve on their literature and grammar. These rewards motivate the students to read more and it even becomes a hobby such that they read during their free time. Developing communicating and testing criteria in terms of grades provides competition among the students although they are not necessary in motivating them. Grading is used to determine the performance students in school and this helps them to identify where one belongs in terms of class performance. It encourages those that have performed poorly in their exams to put more effort next time since no one would like to be the last in class. An academic subject that can be enhanced through technology Geography is the study of the human and natural elements on earth. The study of the relationship between man and earth is enhanced by using the latest and most reliable geographic information available through technology. The opportunities by students and geographers to observe and present data from satellites and local observation represent processes that are adding value to a wide range of studies in the21st century. Geography’s major contribution for 21 st century can be viewed through the way it provides information about earth and its systems reflect the concerns of relationship between people and the environment, and responding to challenges of global changes in climate, population changes, land use and population changes ( 21 st Century Skills Map, 2009, p. 8). Description on how to use technology to support student understanding of geography In order to access information effectively and efficiently, students should understand the legal issues surrounding the access and use of information. Use web-based access to print information, maps and graphics and they should provide accurate citations and references to the information they use from the electronic and print sources. Evaluate the information retrieved critically by comparing and contrasting it from the different sources you have. This helps to assess the information effectively and efficiently for the problem at hand. Students should also evaluate with the use of satellite images to collect data of Earths surface. It is important to discuss the authenticity and reliability of data that you have obtained from the various sources, such as how the information is collected, stored used and its accuracy. Make sure that you read geography content based literature about a topic written by different authors, compare, and contrast the perspectives on the topic you are doing. Ensure that you access information on the internet regarding the environmental issues at stake. This will help understand the different positions and perspectives by different groups. Identify the position of each group or person, then compare, and contrast the positions on the issues, considering the interest that a particular group may represent by researching the information available through web database sources. Work appropriately and productively with others. By doing this, you share ideas with other members on what they have researched and discuss how these issues affect the local and global community. Use inter-personal and problem solving skills to influence and guide others towards a goal. Conclusion In conclusion, incentives influence people’s behavior such that they perform certain acts because there are rewards but if they are not given any reward they cease doing what they are assigned to do because they are not working for any reward. Reference List Kohn, A. (1993). Why Incentive Plans Cannot Work. Harvard Business Review. Web. 21 st Century Skills Map. (2009). Geography . Web.

ESSAY: Recreational Shark Fishing Research Paper Fishing, especially recreational fishing, is considered to be one of the most famous activities all over the world: people like to spend the vast majority of their time in order to use their imagination, attract the attention of other people, and catch as much fish as possible. There are lots of techniques, which may be used during fishing; however, it is crucially important to decide what fish you are going to catch in order to choose the best tool to achieve the positive results only. For example, when we talk about shark finishing, people have to think about proper techniques in order not only to catch a shark but also to hold it for a long period of time. It is necessary to admit that recreational shark fishing has its own pros and cons, which have to be mentioned and discussed. People satisfaction after a shark is caught is good indeed, however, recreational shark finishing has lots of negative outcomes for both, sharks and humans: people are not always ready to catch a shark and take the necessary steps to protect themselves from sharks’ reaction of being caught, and sharks, even being the most terrible predators in water, still carry out significant functions, and their disappearance causes numerous changes within underwater life. In fact, recreational shark fishing was not that popular until 1975. People did not find this very activity rather safe and significant in their lives, and preferred to catch some smaller fish in order to feed and entertain. However, the movie Jaws , directed by Steven Spielberg in 1975, attracted the attention of numerous fishers and those people, who liked extreme and danger. The story of one huge white shark amazes lots of people, lots of professional fishermen wanted to catch one of those sharks, which were presented on the screen in order to save their families and not to be afraid to spend some time in water. Of course, Jaws played a significant role in the development of recreational shark fishing; however, it was not the only one. The point is that people may catch a shark without a boat and use rods or reels, settled on a bridge or dock. So, if you want to feel something really exciting and unusual, you are welcome to buy all the necessary equipment and visit one of the nearest beaches in order to try own luck. But still, people should take into consideration certain facts concerning sharks in order to comprehend how much harm they can do by such frequent recreational shark fishing. Lots of researches prove that more than 100 million sharks are caught and killed every year. In other words, 11 000 sharks are killed by people every hour. (Bryant, n.d.) It is necessary to mention that these numbers are all about both commercial and recreational shark fishing. If we talk about recreational shark fishing only, it is better to use the facts, offered by the US National Marine Fisheries Service: they admit that more than 12 million sharks and skates were killed during the year of 2004, however, lots of recreational shark fishers prefer to release caught sharks back to the ocean. (Bryant, n.d.) Sharks face too many problems while reproducing: they cannot find a proper sexual partner during a long period of time; they spend much energy to give a birth to one pup and should have a rest; they do not reproduce too many pups in one time (from 2 to 20); and, finally, they reproduce only one time in a year. (Berman 26) So, if people do not stop recreational fishing, it is quite possible that with time, there will be no shark to catch at all. There are so many fishing tournaments, which require senseless killing of sharks in order people may tickle own and someone’s vanity. These tournaments bring much money for people with different social status, the only thing that is required is proper equipment and certain sum of money to become a participant of the tournament and demonstrate the others that you are ready and have enough financial support to start your affair. Of course, money will be always a good reason to participate in such tournaments, however, it is impossible to buy everything, and proper condition of ocean is something that turns out to be rather significant to the lives of any being in this world. This is why people should not destroy their environment in order to win more money or prove someone that they are the best in something. “Sharks are more vulnerable to extinction than most other fish. For many, recovery may take decades after fishing pressure is reduced.” (Chivian, 267) Well, we have already proved why recreational shark fishing is dangerous for sharks and causes bad outcomes. However, to demonstrate that shark fishing is not the best kind of entertainment, it is better to talk about human victims and injuries. The major point is that sharks’ behavior is very hard to predict; sharks’ reactions to human actions. There are more than 370 kinds of sharks in this world (Richardson & Schaefer 5) and it is impossible to investigate the behavior of each shark even for the most sophisticated scientists. This kind of behavior remains one of the most mysterious ones in this world. Shark’s attacks and attitude to other fish in the ocean have rather different character. So, recreational shark fishing is considered to be one of the most dangerous kinds of sport even for the most desperate people and adrenaline lovers. It may happen that sharks eat people, of course, it happens rather rarely, but still, it may happen. Sometimes, many sharks’ fishers return to their homes with numerous injuries of different levels. This is one more reason to think thoroughly whether shark fishing is worth or not. Many people still think that great white shark is the most terrible and the biggest shark in the world. However, researches demonstrate that a basking shark and a whale shark turn out to be bigger; their length is about 12 – 15 meters. (Cerullo et al., 2006) Have you ever met a fish that is longer than a school bus? Hardly, this is why it is better to be rather careful while shark fishing and be sure about own courage and skills to start fishing. In general, fishing may be regarded as both good and bad activity of people. First of all, it is necessary to take into consideration that shark fishing requires certain equipment and skills. Without both of them, recreational shark fishing may become rather frustrating for people and bring not quite positive results. Also, people should remember that sharks are significant elements of our every day life: oceans and all creatures inside cannot exist without sharks’. If something happen to oceans, people will also feel certain changes and face numerous troubles. I find this reason as one of the strongest. It is better to observe sharks as a good source for the necessary treatment, as sharks have some substances, which turn out to be rather useful for people. Of course, shark fishing is bad because it may cause sudden death of the fishers. The behavior of sharks is hard to predict, this is why lots of people faces numerous problems being too close to sharks. Some people still find money as a good reason to start their fishing on sharks. Of course, shark fishing tournaments present great opportunities to people to earn more money, however, they are not sure that their money may be spend on medical treatment that will be necessary after such kind of fishing. So, it is possible to fish and catch sharks, grounding on commercial or medical purposes, or, finally, to save own life; however, recreational shark fishing has more negative sides than positive, and we should keep it in mind. Works Cited Berman, Ruth. Sharks. Lerner Publications, 2009. Bryant, Charles, W. How Many Sharks Are Killed Recreationally Each Year – and Why? 2009. Chivian, Eric, Bernstein, Aaron, Wilson, Edward, O. Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. Oxford University Press, 2008. Cerullo, Mary, M., Rotman, Jeffrey, L., and Wertz, Michael. The Truth about Great White Sharks. Chronicle Books, 2006. Richardson, Adele, D. and Schaefer, Lola, M. Sharks: Hunters of the Deep. Capstone Press, 2001.

ESSAY: Maternal Mortality: Situations, Policies and Programs Essay Table of Contents 1. Scenario Differences 2. Policies that could Hinder EmOC 3. Design of Effective Programs 4. Works Cited Scenario Differences Maternal mortality is responsible for over 514,000 women’s lives every year. Almost all of these lives can be saved in case an affordable, high quality obstetrics care is made available 24 hours a day, every week. Most of these deaths are as a result of hemorrhages, sepsis (infection), eclampsia, obstructed labor, and unsafe abortion (Lobis, Fry & Paxton 204). There are also other indirect causes of deaths which included anemia, malaria and even HIV. For this reason, there is the need to have a system that can address these issues. There are basic EmOC facilities that perform critical services to clients without the need for operations. They offer intra venous antibiotics, IV and IM oxytoxis, anticonvulsants, assisted delivery, cleaning of retained products and removal of the placenta (Lobis et al 204). The recommendations of the UN and World Health Organization are that there should be at least four basic facilities for 500,000 people and at least one comprehensive Emergency Obstetric care (EmOC) for the same population size. The comprehensive EmOC is a facility that needs an operating theatre and this is basically done in major district hospitals (Lobis et al 204). EmOC is described as a set of health services that are lifesaving and needs to be available in health facilities to react to emergencies that come about during pregnancy, time of delivery an even at the period of postpartum (Nirupam & Yuster 79).. The situation in Palmatia is almost similar to that in my home country, the United States. However, this seems to have very little facilities for the population in question. There are process indicators that are used for assessing the EmOC, especially the maternal mortality. These indicators are critical for planning and there needs to be actions taken to enable reduction of maternal deaths (Lobis et al 204). Palmatia in scenario 3 is a good choice as it highlights the situation that can be compared to the position in the United States. The process indicators as set by the United States are that; Availability of EmOC show that there are 3003 comprehensive EmOC facilities and that the basic EmOC form 92.2% (Nirupam & Yuster 79). The United States has a population of over 291 million inhabitants and according to the UN standards the country is doing better as it has over 3000 basic facilities against the required 2259. It should also have at least over 568 comprehensive emergency obstetric services. That number is far much higher than the recommended number (Lobis et al 205). On the other hand, the Palmatia statistics basic care for the emergency case of delivery for a population of 950,000 people. This is above the recommended four facilities for 500,000 people. There are three comprehensive EmOC facilities for the 950,000 people which are a greater progress against the recommended one facility for 500,000 people (Nirupam and Yuster 79). On strict investigation, research has shown that the United States does not meet the required standards or number of facilities that can be categorized as basic EmOC. This is because according to the above functions. Many of the so called basics EmOC facilities do not actually offer all of the six services identified above. Most of the birth centers handle the normal maternal services like normal deliveries and most of the complications that need specialized services are usually referred to major hospitals (Bailey and Paxton 300). By reconfiguring the statistics of basic and emergency EmOC centers, the US has at least 10% more maternal care facilities than the recommendations by the UN. Whereas, the US has enough EmOC facilities in general, the position is so different at the state level (Bailey and Paxton 300). It’s estimated that about thirty one percent of these individual states including the District of Columbia do not meet the required minimum number of the EmOC facilities as recommended by the UN standards. However, there are cases of very larger hospitals that serve even more women that two smaller obstetrics centers (Bailey & Paxton 300). It is expected that 92.2 percent of the births in the US are expected to be in the EmOC facilities while the rest only take place in freestanding birth centers, in doctors’ offices and also at home (Lobis et al 206). The meet need for the emergency obstetric care unlike Palmatia which is at 65%, the US has about 98.8%, almost every woman are expected to suffer some form of complication in obstetrics. The most common type of complication that is usually treated includes obstructed labor, prolonged pains and excessive bleeding. It’s also estimated that about 21 women have caesarian section and this is beyond the usually range of 5 to 15 % of the expected deliveries (Bailey and Paxton 301). The deaths as a result of direct obstetric complication are about 0.06% in the facilities. This is at least lower than the acceptable mortalities of 1% as recommended by the UN guidelines. The common cause of the deaths is chiefly in puerperium and then followed by complicated conditions of eclampsia (Nirupam and Yuster 83). The United Nations indicators are used for examining the availability, usability and the quality of the emergency obstetrics services in developing nations where maternal deaths are very high. Studies have shown that the counties that have less coverage of the emergency obstetrics services also have very poor maternal care (Nirupam and Yuster 83). However for Palmatia in scenario three of module two and home country, the US, this situation is better addressed as the EmOC facilities are above the recommended number by the UN. Access to emergency services is excellent in the US and a greater Majority of women give birth in well equipped hospitals where they receive the best obstetrics treatment (Nirupam and Yuster 843). However, getting the statistics on the real people who can access the EmOC could be very hard. For instance, women living in the rural areas could find access limited. Insurance can also affect access though it is should not (Bailey and Paxton 302). Another critical data is the conservative delivery culture that has developed in America is the increasing cesarean section delivery. Several groups have expressed their concern for this. Palmatia has about 12% while the US has 21%. This difference can be attributed to cultural difference. Policies that could Hinder EmOC If the EmOC can be able to reduce deaths due to pregnancy complications and delivery at a substantial amount, then women that need prompt medical access due to the complications need to be able to access EmOC (Bailey and Paxton 303). In order to reduce the maternal deaths in this manner, the US government placed much emphasis on the implementation of care for women so that they can access the best quality of EmOC (Bailey and Paxton 305). This includes upgrading health facilities to offer basic care and also the comprehensive obstetric care. Renovations and maintenance of the facilities and also supplying equipment is greatly supported. The government also offer training to practitioners on how to manage complicated cases of maternal conditions (Callaghan and Berg 132). However despite the efforts of government to have the best services, there are some policies that are hindering access to EmOC. Considering that there is greater understanding of the need for preventing maternal mortality, it’s critical to address the policies that hinder this access (Callaghan and Berg 132). There are some health policies that are a barrier to the access and they include the following: Obstetrics done only by obstetricians: only the postgraduate obstetricians are allowed carry out the caesarean section or some abdominal surgical processes. Basic doctors are not usually allowed to do offer such services even in emergency cases. In the states where the EmOC does not meet the recommend numbers, it is very hard to offer these services when much the population is very high (Callaghan and Berg 135). Anesthesia conducted only by Anesthetists : there are few anesthetists in some states especially those that do not meet UN standards of EmOC. This therefore means that the populations in such areas will only have about 1 to 5 qualified practitioners in anesthesia. The anesthesia policy that nurses cannot be anesthetists and only doctors are allowed, though lately there is some training for the nurses to become nurse anesthetists (Callaghan and Berg 135). This has brought fears on the quality of care that can be accessed. At some point, there can be doctors and surgeons but no qualified anesthetist hence major surgeries will have to be referred to other higher level hospitals (Callaghan and Berg 136). Giving anesthesia has very restrictive policy just for the sake of safety of the patient. Recognition of Specialist : some US individual states have some criteria of acknowledging medical experts (Nirupam and Yuster 82). Some require that the medical practitioners have to have worked for at least 5 to 10 years to be recognized as specialists in various fields. Due to such regulations, doctors with qualifications as specialists can only work in some district hospitals but not to offer specialist services (Callaghan & Berg 137). Access to Blood : anemia is a very common symptom in pregnant women and about 52% of the women suffer anemia. From the statistics about maternal deaths, it has been found that anemia was responsible for about 14 – 24% mortalities while excessive bleeding is responsible for 16 – 26%. Access to blood becomes a problem because of the blood banking mistakes. There is also a problem of screening the blood and the government has in place utopian regulations to license blood banks (Callaghan and Berg 138). Though this was done to safeguard the interests of the public, screening for hepatitis or HIV has been already addressed well enough. It has been stated in the US that the reason why such polices exists is mainly because of the fact that the policy makers are in most cases nontechnical people, hence cannot address the matters of emergency care in a proper manner as it happens in real practice (Callaghan and Berg 138). Design of Effective Programs There are currently set programs that are devoted to taking care of the emergency situations on obstetrics. The community is expected to be in an state of preparedness so that they can provide better EmOC (Nirupam and Yuster 85). There are an increasing number of these types of programs founded on the three Delays Model. The three delays model is a construct that helps to explain the way the social factors bring about maternal mortalities. This helps in policy making and to target the resources and intervention and stoppage maternal deaths (Nirupam and Yuster 87). In some cases, mothers who die during child delivery are said to have gone through the following delays; 1. Delayed decision on seeking care (UNFPA 9) 2. Delayed access to adequate care (UNFPA 9) 3. Delayed receipt of care at the healthcare facilities Deciding to seek for medical care when one is experiencing an complicated obstetric problem can be delayed and this has been a very big problem in offering obstetric services (UNFPA 9). There are several reasons why this takes place, including fear of the expenses, fear of the healthcare facilities process, poor decision making ability, and late realization of the problem (UNFPA 9). The government should set polices that communicate to the people concerning the need to seek assistance early enough in case they observe some unusually symptoms. The cost should be subsidized for obstetrics. Delay to reach the facility : after a decision is made, reaching the births center or hospital can be a problem. Transport is usually a factor due to traffic of lack of ambulance to fetch patients (UNFPA 10). Some communities have tried to deal with this including organizing prepaid transport or community transport to healthcare facilities. The policies makers should design a system to have ambulance services on call to help fetch patient and offer first aid assistance before specialist can do their job (UNFPA 10). Delay to get proper services: this is considered the most tragic incidence of maternal deaths incidences. In most cases, women will wait for long hours for specialist services because of staff problems and issues, prepayment policies or hardships in finding blood, proper equipment or a surgical theater (UNFPA 10). In designing a better system of care, this is the easiest huddle to deal with since most of the social, cultural and economical obstacles have been faced and done with (UNFPA 10). Therefore equipping heath facilities is of major importance and designing polices to address the first two delays would make no sense if the medical facilities are not adequately equipped. Works Cited Bailey, Partrick, and Paxton, Arnold. Program Note: Using UN Process Indicators To Assess Needs In Emergency Obstetric Services. Int J Gynecol Obstet , 2.76(2002): 299—305. Callaghan, Martin and Berg, Jerrad. Maternal Mortality Surveillance In The United States: Moving Into The Twenty-First Century. JAMWA, 57.3(2002): 131—5. Lobis, Smith, Fry, Dendan and Paxton, Arnold. Program Note: Applying the UN Process Indicators for Emergency Obstetric Care to the United States. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 88(2005): 203 – 207. Nirupam, Sikhlar and Yuster, Ashvin. Emergency obstetric care: Measuring availability and monitoring progress. In: International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 50. 2(1995): 79- 88. UNFPA. Maternal Mortality Update 2002: A Focus on Emergency Obstetric Care, 2002: 23 -36.

ESSAY: The Major Medical Causes of Maternal Deaths and Ways to Reduce It Essay The world health organization estimates that half a million women die each year due to complications arising during pregnancy or birth. In Indonesia alone the Center for Health Research at the University of Indonesia estimates that 400 maternal deaths occur in every 100,000 live births in the country (Meiwita, Hull and utomo). Maternal death is defined by the World Health Organization as “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration or site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental causes”(Hunt and Mesquita). Emergency Obstetric Care, which includes treating symptoms of “shock,” giving antibiotics and sedatives through injections, executing manual extraction of the placenta and basic curettage is vital to the reduction of maternal deaths accompanied by other lifesaving skills. There are two major causes of maternal deaths according to DFID: complications arising directly from pregnancy, delivery or postpartum duration and is also known as direct obstetric death, or due to an existing medical condition aggravated by pregnancy or delivery such as rheumatic heart disease, hepatitis, HIV-AIDS, anemia or malaria. These are known as indirect obstetric deaths. According to the above report by Center for Health Research at the University of Indonesia, direct obstetric deaths account for 75% of maternal deaths and include five major medical causes which are hemorrhage, complications of unsafe labor, eclampsia, obstructed labor and infection. All these can be treated before they become emergencies. Even as emergencies, Emergency Obstetric Care can save all these conditions since they require no complex technology and are inexpensive. These include blood transfusions, antibiotics and other drugs, safe abortion procedures and caesarian sections. Prediction and prevention of obstetric complications is a good way of preventing maternal deaths. Pregnant women should regularly visit a doctor or a clinic throughout their pregnancy where an obstetric complication can be identified early and treated or managed before it becomes a problem. For example minor bleeding can be detected and dealt with during these visits or cases of hypertension and could also be indicators that major bleeding both during and after birth could still occur and therefore emergency obstetric care is needed such as emergency surgery. However, some conditions appear without warning as research by center for Health Research at the University of Indonesia has indicated. Eclampsia cases can occur without prior indication of happening both during and after delivery but enough time is available to administer emergency obstetric care. The question is whether the facilities and skills to do so are available (Meiwita, Hull and utomo). In developing nations, the distribution and availability of health facilities and the necessary skills are major challenges especially in rural areas according to World Health Organization (Hunt and Mesquita). This means that pregnant women can not be able to make more frequent visits to a doctor or a clinic as they travel long distances to access them and some of the facilities required are not available. In some cases as researchers found out in Indonesia that women can not access medical professionals or adequate care during emergencies because they cannot afford the costs (Meiwita, Hull and utomo). These women are left in the hands of community health workers, midwives and other poorly trained practitioners. Emergency obstetric care is not a complex matter, midwifes, community health workers and paramedics likely to attend in births in such areas can be trained on these skills and lives would be saved (DFID). Witnesses to birth experiences such as village officials, community health workers, traditional birth attendants, neighbors and health care personnel and women themselves have their own interpretation of emergencies according to (DFID). They view these emergencies differently which may have a bearing on how they are handled. They may for example dismiss a case of postpartum hemorrhaging as normal which delays its management and subsequently lead to death. They can also handle a delivery unhygiencally leading to infection. Furthermore, a woman or her family or those attending her may fail to recognize the symptoms of eclampsia until it gets out of control. This is why community based initiatives such as training make Emergency obstetric care very necessary in reducing maternal death. Works Cited DFID. Reducing Maternal Deaths: Evidence and Action: Astrategy for DFID . London: Department for International Development, 2004. Hunt, Paul and Judith Mesquita. Reducing Maternal mortality: the contribution of the highest attainable standard of health. United Kingdom: university of essex, 2007. Meiwita, iskandar, et al. Unraveling the mysteries of maternal death in West Java : reexamining the witnesses . Jarkata: Centre for health Research,Research Health, University of Indonesia, 1996.

ESSAY: “Power, Privilege, and Difference” a Book by Allan G. Johnson Essay Allan G. Johnson, the author of the book, Power, Privilege, and Difference , provides vital information about the concept of the systems of power and privilege as applied in societies. In this book, Allan explores how the society preserves privilege, how it interacts with power, and how it can create a difference by interacting with the systems. In chapter one, he identifies the common problem and posits that all people contribute towards them. I concur with him not only on this opinion, but also on others, as pointed out in chapters two and three. Allan’s argument that all people are responsible for any problem facing the society is true and to the point. It holds that any change, constructive or destructive must originate from the people. For instance, race-related problems, sex, and gender are the major problems encountered in every society. They have become part of our daily life such that we hardly realise our connections with them. Basing my argument on how people intermingle with these fields on a day-to-day manner, it stands out that any inconvenience affecting these among other areas must result from the people. Though Allan focuses his views on the American society, I extend this by treating America as an illustration of a society. This comes from his implication of privilege and power in chapter two. He considers these two as the pillars upon which the entire societal conflicts are built because people have acquired title and given the mandate to handle things they have not worked for. This is true because these favour some on the expense of others. Not all can be powerful neither can all be privileged. When one has one or both, the rest feel lower-ranked and begin yearning for equality. By so doing, troubles arise affecting the whole society. A way out of this quagmire is people’s cooperation regardless of ranks to influence their society for the better. Neglecting the negative implications of the two words as seen by the society, they ought to bring a change enjoyable by all members of the social system. In chapter three, the issue of capitalism is brought forward. Every social organization has its own reliable resources, which ought to be distributed uniformly to all the members. Allan points out the problem that is born when this is not the case as capitalism. From my experience, this holds everywhere. This brings his issue of difference. The society views it as imbalance and rejects it since it seems to be advantageous to some while it is an expense to others. According to it, all social units should be equal. The powerful should ensure that powers are not only felt by some but all in the society. Everyone needs not to treat himself or herself as favoured rather than similar to any other member. From all the categories of problems faced by the society, man will always play a major part to cause them in as much as he/she lives. From my view, he acts as the force or power behind every activity that happens whether good or bad. He/she is also liable of changing the situation by participating in solving the problems since he/she is able to. People only need to change their mindsets pertaining to the existence of privileges and power. They need to join hands in discussing these issues openly neglecting the shame-blame notions portrayed by many. To pose a suggestion, they need to look at the present state of the society, identify the prevailing problems, think of their relevant solutions, and then cooperate to implement them. All these calls for people’s involvement and thus Allan’s opinion that people contribute towards a problem is true though it needs to be broadened to include them as part of the solution.

ESSAY: Religious Convictions: Varied Views of Sayyid Qutb, Abd al Wahhab and John Wesley Report (Assessment) Throughout the course of history, some individuals have actively engaged in doing things that have made a huge impact to our collective human history. From Jesus Christ to Adolf Hitler, these individuals have inspired the thoughts of many, leaving an indelible mark on the world stage. Undoubtedly, these individuals have utilized all kinds of means – good or bad – in their pursuit to influence the masses and transform their way of thinking (Farrell, 2001 p. 32). It is the purpose of this essay to critically analyze Sayyid Qutb, Mohammed ibn Abd al Wahhab and John Wesley in the context of reformers, revolutionaries and reactionaries. Sayyid Qutb represent the most mistaken and evil position. Due to his fundamentalism, Qutb can easily pass as “the ideological grandfather of Osama bin Laden and other extremists who surround him” (Cline, 2009 p. 1). Indeed, many analysts believe that Qutb’s works and teachings as a poet, author and educator helped shape terrorist organizations such as the Taliban and Al Qaeda. These networks have continued to destabilize the world peace to date. Although Sayyid’s political views seems rather mature, his philosophy and radicalism is largely responsible for espousing the concept of Jihad and the enactment of Sharia law that is viewed as dictatorial. Indeed, he is to blame for contemporary offensive jihad. He wanted to revolutionalize Islam by incorporating every aspect of life into the religion (Cline, 2009 p. 2). Each of the three men cherished different hopes for the future. Clearly a fundamentalist, Sayyid Qutb would have cherished to see a world where there were no governments or secular laws since they interfered with the sovereignty of God (Cline, 2009 p. 2). In short, he cherished a world where Sharia law will guide every single aspect of life of Muslims. He was anti-modernist and anti-reformist, and detested democracy despite its mention and practice in the Quranic institution. Mohammed ibn Abd al Wahhab, considered by many as the chief architect of Wahhabism, would have cherished to purify Islam by leading the Muslim faithful towards the original principles and doctrines of Islam (HIF, n.d. para. 12). He propagated reformist ideas, but disliked Muslims who practiced innovation in Islam. In short, Abd al Wahhab would have cherished to see a Muslim society that is free of corrupt beliefs, and that engages in practices which reflects the true fundamentals of Islam. John Wesley, a Christian theologian and the founder of the Methodist movement, would have cherished to see a Christian society where all faithful possess Christian perfection, signifying the holiness of both heart and life (Tomkins, 2003 p. 32). He wanted to see a Christian community that held the love of God in high esteem. Wesley would also have cherished a just society judging by the fact that he fought for the rights of gays and prisoners. Of the three men, only John Wesley contributed to the emergence of democracy. Sayyid Qutb propagated dictatorial orientations, and even advocated for the dissolution of governments (Cline, 2009 p. 1). He was a religious fundamentalist who wanted to tie every single aspect of life of individuals to religion through strict Sharia laws. Indeed, he was finally executed by the Egyptian government due to his hard-line stance on religious and secular matters, and could not stand the secular lifestyle practiced in western countries. Although Abd al Wahhab was a reformist, his democratic orientation was not any different. He could not stand the sight of his Muslim brothers who chose to practice an alternative form of Islam known as innovative Islam, preferring to call them infidels (HIF, n.d. para. 15). However, John Wesley clearly contributed to the emergence of democracy. First, he was viewed as controversial when he went public advocating for the rights of gay members of society (Tomkins, 2003 p. 34). Although homosexual behavior is largely viewed as unchristian, the Anglican cleric went ahead to advocate for their rights in accordance to democratic principles. He went further to advocate for prison reforms in the United Kingdom. John Wesley was a true champion of the rights and freedoms of the people as he went further to advocate for the rights of abolitionism movements (Tomkins, 2003 p. 39). Contextually, Wesley did not despise sinners or unbelievers the way Qutb and Abd al Wahhab did, but welcomed them into the kingdom of God with open arms. John Wesley’s contribution to democracy was unintended in as far as the available literature seems to suggest. His was a spiritual vocation that was practiced in a democratic and open approach rather than a democratic calling practiced in a spiritual approach. Wesley greatly assisted in the formation and organization of Christian communities in the UK for evangelical and discipleship purposes (Tomkins, 2003 p. 23). However, according to available literature, the Anglican cleric was a greatly gifted individual who advocated for equal rights of all people, including gays. Democratic principles advocates for the guaranteeing of the rights of majority while ensuring that the rights of the minority are safeguarded (Chalfant, 1997 p. 128). This is what the cleric did albeit unknowingly. All in all, the three men had their personal and religious convictions, beliefs and philosophies that galvanized them to their followers. The impact of their religious teachings is still felt today, with Jihads and terrorist networks clearly following the teachings of Sayyid Qutb and contemporary Methodists following the teachings and religious doctrines of John Wesley. Wahabism is also a way of life for many Muslims around the world today. However, only John Wesley practiced and contributed to the emergence of democracy. List of References Chalfant, J. (1997) Abandonment Theology . Hartline Marketing. ISBN: 0965607402 Cline, A. (2009) Sayyid Qutb: Father of Modern Islamic Extremism . Viewed https://www.learnreligions.com/sayyid-qutb-modern-islamic-extremism-250229 [5 December 2009] Farrell, W. (2001) The Myth of Male Power . Berkley Trade. ISBN: 9780425181447 Hidaayah Islamic Foundation. (n.d.) Wahabism Exposed: Sheikh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al Wahhab . Viewed http://www.sultan.org/articles/wahabism.html [5 December 2009] Tomkins, S. (2003) John Wesley: A Biography . Michigan: WM. B. Eardmans Publishing. ISBN: 0802824994

ESSAY: Repairing Donated Children Books Report The Children’s Book Bank is an organization that aims to improve children’s literacy, especially, it concerns the children whose family have low income and less possibilities to enlarge knowledge and personal skills. This Bank provides children with books before they go to kindergartens. In order to present reliable and good books to children, the members and activists of the Children’s Book Bank collect, donate, repair books, and make them available to families absolutely free. I had a wonderful opportunity to participate in these activities and help the members of the Children’s Book Bank to repair donated books; it was a great experience where I could not only contact with new people and improve my personal skills, but also help lots of children and make them really happy. I have already participated in numerous activities: group researches, interviews, experiments at labs, etc. However, this activity, repairing books for children who cannot allow having any book they want, made me feel really great. The feeling that my work will help someone else motivated me a lot. I could not but think that one day a little girl or boy would read this or that book, repaired by me, and would be happy. I did not care about payment or some other award for my work. The only thought that I had in mind during the whole work was that such a work could make someone else happier, even happier than me. On my opinion, this is the best award anyone can ever get. Not long time ago, I have watched a movie by Warner Brothers, You’ve Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. In this movie, the main characters owned bookshops with plenty of different books for children. Observing how happy the children who come to these shops are, I realized that I also want to and can do something for them absolutely free. During constant course readings and discussions, students realize more and more that not every child have an opportunity to have any book or another thing he/she wants. So, I have got to know about the Children’s Book Bank and decided that such activity is just what I needed. I had too many ideas in order to implement them with the help of such banks. One of the last projects at the Children’s Book Bank was to provide children with an opportunity to read any book right in the bank in comfortable chairs under control of sophisticated people. To my mind, it is also possible to allow parents read books to children in the bank as well. Parents may also have low level of literacy, and such way can help them not only improve their reading skills but also spend more time with their children. In fact, civic involvement into such activities as donating and repairing books for children who have families with low income is good indeed. It is not similar to any other activity I have ever participated. Well-disposed people who care about the others, desire to help, and make other people happier – this is exactly what I like in this activity. The major point is that such kind of work is helpful not only to other people, but also to me. I have learnt that good actions that do not really matter for even me at first, may be crucially important to some other people with time.

ESSAY: Report of an Orchestra Concert Essay The orchestra concert I have to evaluate and discuss is exciting and unique because it represents a beautiful combination of the works by such great composers like Strauss and Tchaikovsky, Schoenberg and Barber. Their compositions are magnificent indeed and make their listeners enjoy each sound and each instrument. Richard Strauss’ Serenade in Eb for Winds, Op. 7 is a generous combination of 13 winds: flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, and one contrabassoon. The genre of chamber music that is inherent to this very composition provides the listener with a chance to be involved in a new world, full of emotions and feelings. This serenade is performed in major, and the use of compound meter makes it possible to hear polyphonic motives, which cannot leave indifferent any person, however also prove Straus’ lack of experience with the use of double bass that has to support the final accord. While listening this composition, I imagine that I open a door and enter a new world, where nature fights with people and tries to persuade that it is essential to respect each living being in this world, and at the end, a kind of alternative is achieved, where people start enjoying and respecting nature and the world they live in. Samuel Barber’ Violin Concerto, Op. 14 is one of the greatest compositions, created at the end of the 1930s. The whole composition lasts 22 minutes and is divided into three amazing movements, characterized by different forms: Allegro molto moderato, Andante sostenuto, and Perpetuum mobile. The first movement introduces the violin solo in the sonata form, and the piano background serves as an appropriate addition to the story, offered by the violin. Fantastic tone and captivating intonation learn how it is necessary to be consistent with each move and with each breath. Although the movement is lyrical and minor, it properly follows each concerto tradition and represents a monophonic motive that captures ear and mind. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 by Peter Tchaikovsky is unique dues to its composer’s unbelievable approach to its creation. Two versions of this composition were offered by Peter Tchaikovsky: one for cello and orchestra of 18 instruments, and another for cello and piano. I got a chance to listen to the second version and be amazed by its structure, form, and motive. The major key, moderate tempo, and homophonic motives make this composition pleasant to listen and analyze. This version is quicker and faster than the version for cello and orchestra; the sequence of variations is changed, and the structures are alerted. The motives remind me of a kind of play between a cat and a mouse, where the result of this game is hard to predict. Arnold Schoenberg created a wonderful composition Verklarte Nacht in 1899, basing on Richard Dehmenl’s work of the same name. It was for violas, violins, and cellos. However, with time it was revised for string orchestra, and in 1943, a new version of composition Verklarte Nacht: String Orchestra Version appeared. This arrangement for string orchestra consists of four movements: grave, pocco adagio, adagio, and motto tranquillo. The genre of classical music opens for me in a new world, because its forms and motive provoke the most unexpected feelings. A major key and dynamics of composition underline the use of compound meter and the cooperation of several violins and cellos.

ESSAY: Review of Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy Essay In 1888, the reader saw Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy for the first time. This utopia novel was considered as one of the most remarkable pieces of writing created by American writers. It was a real world sensation, where the author made a wonderful attempt to represent his personal standpoints concerning economic and even social reforms. The major point about this novel is that Looking Backward: 2000-1887 may be considered as both a fictional utopia and a historical document that helps the reader to pay attention to past events and their impact on future development of society. Edward Bellamy tried to reflect the ideas that could be inherent to the 19 th century, and focused on such issues like inequality and the difficulties lots of industrial workers may face with. To my mind, one of the major goals, which Bellamy wanted to achieve is to provide the reader with an opportunity to see one of the possible variants of our future and underline the fact that our present even not significant steps could considerably influence certain future events. When we talk about the work by Edward Bellamy, we cannot but mention such notions like utopia. Thomas More was the first philosopher, who presented the utopian society to his readers; there were so many followers, who also wanted to present their own ideas how social conflict may be overcome in future and what economic reforms may safe our world from total destruction. The attempt of Bellamy is really worthy of attention. Julian West is the major character of this story, who falls into a hypnotic dream and finds himself in future, in the year 2000. Now, the country West lived in turns out to be a socialist utopia with its advantages and disadvantages. Bellamy’s description of the socialistic utopia is one of the most expressive ones, which describe how social progress influences the lives of many people. Now, it is not some kind of isolated republic; it is a great industrialized world that is created on social cooperation. As any work of fiction, Looking Backward: 2000-1887 presents one concrete world with its own rules and peculiarities. The conditions of people of future utopia are higher than of the people from the 19 th century. “The author has sought to alleviate the instructive quality of the book by casting it in the form of romantic narrative, which he would be glad to fancy not wholly devoid of interest on its own account.” (Bellamy, 2003) This is why the image of a young rich man, who has personal troubles and doubts attract the readers and provide them with an opportunity to enjoy the events, inherent to any person in this real life. Looking Backward: 2000-1887 may be also regarded as a captivating historical document that introduces captivating facts about future. It is a kind of forecast, those creator tries to take into account certain evolution principles and possible industry development. In order to create more or less proper historical document, the author does not want to give concrete numbers and details from the life of each person of the world. He admits that the life turns out to be safer and better; people get an opportunity to have credits in order to be able to buy something; nature is still able to cooperate with technologies. Such ideas are really too much kind for the future that can be changed by means of social reforms. The world, described by Bellamy, turns out to be a real industrial paradise: “every worker is allowed…to volunteer for another industry which he thinks would suit him better than his first choice….obtain a transfer to an establishment of the same industry in another part of the country.” (Bellamy, 2003) This is why the difficulties, which any industrial worker could face in this Bellamy’s utopia, is the disability to enter the necessary circle in order to start personal growth and development. With the help of this book, modern people can easily find out how other people from our past wanted to see our future. This fiction helps to compare the abilities of our grand parents and their expectations. Every person has his/her own ideas as for our future, and only several authors are able to share this information in a comprehensible for lots of people ways. This is why Looking Backward: 2000-1887 has all rights to be one of the most captivating stories, where the author from the 19 th century introduces the picture of the 20 th century and guesses lots of facts. Our 20 th century finds a kind of reflection in this work, and we should be proud of the fact that Edward Bellamy was our past, who considerably influenced our future. Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward: 2000-1887 is a great work indeed: it is a captivating fiction story and a reliable historical document, where past economical system and the influence of social reforms are taken into consideration. The description of utopian communities and the conditions, created for industrial workers – this is what the work is about. The authors had a look at own future, and did it really great and deserving. Reference List Bellamy, E. MacDonald, A. (2003). Looking Backward: 2000-1887 . Broadview Press.

ESSAY: Rhetorical Analysis of the Article Structure Firstly, we have to mention that the distinction between structural and stylistic peculiarities of persuasive essay writing have to be taken into consideration. It is commonly preferred to analyze the structure of the essay at first, looking for the author’s methods of achieving his/her purpose of persuading the audience. Hence, at the beginning of the peace of writing under the name ‘Black Widows Recruited for Terrorism in Russia’, a reader can already observe the author’s attitude towards the issue or a problem. The very first sentence of the essay’s introduction provides the contrast in generalizing information, which indicates importance of this picture changing the hundreds of people’s way of thinking. Generally, the author’s task at the beginning of persuasive piece of writing was to attract the readers’ attention. As a matter of fact, the writer has accomplished this task by choosing the technique of opening with a strong statement with slight exaggeration. Having further introduced the main thesis of the essay and having given some background information, the writer moves smoothly to the body of the piece. In the main part of the essay the author represents his main arguments and reasons, which confirm his thesis statement. Briefly, the first body paragraph offers a distinct case of an act of terror realized by women. The author empathizes further the distortion of a perception of woman’s function in the society. The second paragraph describes the phenomena of ‘Black Widows’, who being in a flow of revenge were committing crimes. All the proceeding paragraphs are aimed at backing the points stated above. These paragraphs have purpose to explain and give reasons for a phenomenon, woman terrorism in particular. However, we have to point out, that the author did not use the technique of including a fully distinguished rebuttal section into the main body of the essay. Instead, the writer has directly come to conclusion, which was an appeal to certain people, in particular legislative establishments, which can work on the ways of improving the situation of ‘Black Widow Terrorism’. Style Factual Information Facts are one of the most powerful means of persuasion. The author in his article has used a considerable amount of facts, which one can be checked on veracity. Introducing factual information was a reasonable way of supporting one’s point and offering the issue for further discussion; Appeal to Authority (Quoting) It is always highly desirable to back u your opinion with particular thoughts of experts, which are already professionals in their field and can offer a reader security and sure about the words they say or prove. For example, in the current article a reader may observe the following personalities as Speckhard and Yulia Yuzik. Appeal to Examples A variety of examples, which have been used in the article, are quite an effective mean of persuasion. Audience On the whole, the article ‘Black Widows Recruited for Terrorism in Russia’ is aimed not only at the legislation establishments, who are empowered to change the increasing processes of woman terrorism, but also at an educated general public. The issue of woman terrorism and its reasons may be a topic of consideration for psychologists, sociologists and representatives of other social studies, who are willing to join to finding the solution to this problem. Rhetorical Strategies Appeal to Reason The author has developed his arguments being guided by motives and reasons. He bases his conclusions only with reference to authoritative people and facts. Appeal to Ethos The latter implies credibility and reliability of the author. The writer of this particular essay is considered to apply this rhetorical strategy successfully, while using only credible sources to develop an argument. Further, the writer sets a common point through admitting beliefs of the opposite sides of an argument. Last, but not least, the author has organized his article in an easy to follow pattern. Appeal to Emotions Appeal to emotions is one of the key points in persuasive essay. As far as our mind is inclined to visualization and sensual perception on the whole, this technique may appear a useful tool for persuading. We can state, that the author of the article has managed to achieve expected results through appeal to audience’s emotions. The writer uses emotionally colored language, which induces the reader to react correspondingly. E.g. a cherubic teenager smirking as she waves a pistol in the air In general, the author of the article has achieved the result in arguing over the question of woman terrorism, its reasons and appealing to the legislative bodies and all people on the whole to contribute to solving this problem. Works Cited 1. Lunsford, Andrea “Everything’s an argument” Bedford/St. Martin’s; Fourth Edition edition. (December 2007): 123-134 2. Schuster, Simon „Russia’s‚ Black Widows‘: Terrorism or Revenge?“ (Wednesday, Apr. 07, 2010) http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1978178,00.html

ESSAY: Rise of Christianity in Europe and Islam in the Middle East Essay Table of Contents 1. Similarities in their growth 2. Difference in their growth 3. Common factor about Islam and Christianity 4. Reference Materials, ideas and religion were commonly traded along Silk Road. Compared with other religions, Buddhism was the most outstanding religion in this trade route (Baumer, 2000). Christianity appeared on Silk Road at around 432 AD. This was a time when the Roman Catholic Church prohibited the Christian group of Nestorians in Europe. The effect of the prohibition was that Nestorians fled to the Eastern side. Traders in the Silk Road acted as agents of Christianity and by 638 A.D the earliest Nestorian church was built in Changan. One of the historic evidence of the existence of Nestorians was the writings found on the cave temples at Dunhuang. Other branches of Christianity which emerged in later years were: ‘‘Roman Catholic Church, protestant churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church’’ (Baumer, 2000). The beginning of 8 th century marked the start of conversions into Islamic religion. Destruction of symbols such as wall paintings, prolific artwork, monasteries and stupas was meant to convert people into Islamic religion. It is also important to note that Islam condemned the use of symbols. Temples and stupas which belonged to Buddhist were left and buried under the sand. Largest part of central Asia had been transformed into Islam by the period 15 th century. There are a number of factors that contributed to spread of Islam in the central Asia. In the first instance politics, which is an agent of change, brought about the spread of Islam. The fact that government of central Asia supported Islam was a reason for people’s acceptance of the religion. A common observation is that people accepts rules made a government. This is why the spread of Islam was fast. Another critical factor to the spread of Islam was trade. At that time, businessmen favored trading with Muslim contrary to Buddhist since they were given better treatment. Moreover, assimilation was an additional element for switching into Islam. It was easier for people to corporate with government’s demand rather than risk being killed or hurt for flouting rules and regulations. As Islam expanded, more mosques were built along Silk Road which replaced monasteries and stupas. Similarities in their growth From the literature above, both Christian and Islam religion grew due to intense trade and its conditions along Silk Road. People accepted Islam religion since it was easier to conduct trade with Islam than Buddhist. Disseminating Christian ideology of equality in the afterlife was the main factor which led to acceptance and ultimately growth of Christianity. Difference in their growth While growth of Islam was due to political force where government supported Islamic religion, Christianity gained its fame by spreading the gospel of good hope for tomorrow. Christian beliefs in incarnation, atonement and trinity were a reason for its acceptance and spread. On the other hand, Islam belief lies on pillars. Baumer (2000) identifies these pillars as ‘‘prayer, charity, observance of Ramadan and pilgrimage to Mecca’’. It is also evident that traders were forced to accept Islam due to excellent trading conditions as compared to Buddhist. Common factor about Islam and Christianity One of the common factors about Christianity and Islamic religion is their belief in existence of supernatural power. Christians hold that God created the universe and all of its contents. This is similar to Islam who belief that God is Allah who created the world and its elements. Furthermore, the two regions maintain prayer as means of communicating with God. The holy bible and Koran were written by people who were inspired by God. These are the common facts about Christian and Islam religion. Reference Baumer, C. (2000). Southern Silk Road: In the Footsteps of Sir Aurel and Sven Hedin . Bangkok: Orchid Press.

ESSAY: Role of Technology in Business and Advertising Essay Introduction Today’s technology has advanced to a point where the graphical user and three-dimensional are on use. Unlike the earlier when people had to produce everything practically, the computation skills have amazingly incorporated the touch, voice or click commands. The main aim of most companies is to embrace technological skills, to make the human tasks easier. Arguably, today’s technology requires inventiveness and resourcefulness especially in the advertisement sectors such as use of internet enables resourceful communication and sharing of information. Advancement engagements are however appreciative due to the quality and quantity of output. General Overview of the Company Star Marketing Agency is an advertising agency with a primary base of business dealings within the Los Angeles County or Orange County Advertising platform. It has a specialty on creation of affordable marketing and advertising campaigns for other growing companies. Most of its capabilities revolve about “branding, web designing, advertisements, and public relations.” The company has capability to check on strategic plans and build a platform of marketing strategies, come up with approaches for negotiating media contracts and recommend sales support efforts for other companies. “The aim is to eventually create a consistent corporate identity across multiple media platforms” (Jin, 2005). Overview of the Report This paper forms an analysis of technological effects on Star Marketing and advertisements business dealings. What are the main situational affects of computer technology on business production especially its impact on the marketing and advertising sectors. The analysis also focuses on the intellectual behaviour of people regarding the effects of technological changes to the business settings. Star Marketing and Advertisement company deals with marketing of businesses through evaluation of developmental problems associated with the business setting. It offers the global approach towards products and services awareness over the usage of computer systems and mobile telephony. What determines business marketing and advertising actions? The company dealings address the issue of utilizing the new and anticipated computerized knowledge or electronic skills in advertising. The use of Internet for Business Information Management/Systems Star Marketing and Advertising Agency focuses on the issues of technology in businesses and advertising. According to Kalakota and Robinson’s definition (2002), “advertising is distribution of any kind of message or promotion that adds value to the customer, while enhancing revenue for the firm.” The electronic advertisement entails advertising through electronic billboards as a way of ensuring clients know existence of the business and its seriousness. Electronic billboards have great impact and the message rarely fails to address the intended meaning. The other method is the mobile advertisement that is at its vast edges of growth among many users. The use of Business Information Management/System In a close link to Star Marketing Agency, the right marketing occurs in the presence of passion, experience, knowledge, vision and curiosity. As a firm that is concern with raising other firms to a competitive level by marketing and enhancing promotion of the products, the company is not the typical business-advertising agency that fits the needs of a specific company. The transactions styles enhances capabilities to approach the marketing challenges from different point of views and employ a wide range of disciplines such as branding, print advertising, promotions, and building collaterals among others. According to Jin (2005), today it is not wise to confine marketing strategies to the television, radio or print media, the options are quite diverse. The biggest question many people ask regards the effect of technology on advertising especially for the already known products. How would technology enhance advertising when there are already millions of personal views, pod casts and wide direct connections with production companies? Knowledge Management Systems One prominent impact of the internet technology is on the creation of a democratic media. The broadcast is international and free, and according to Jin (2005), the highly recognized advertisement sites need to allow personal perspectives and make the aspect of internet publishing easy and accessible to majority without the need for technical knowledge. The available tools ought to promote democracy for the macro-media such as web-blogs, video casts, wikis and pod casts. The universal knowledge behind the current technological tools enhances knowledge transmission by allowing direct and literal subscription of contents such as the Rich Site Summary (RSS) feed facility, which allows automatic syndication of text, audio or visual data to subscribers. Most of these adopted RSS allow people to publish and update news feeds on the internet. In a close link to Jin’s writing (2005), today people are no longer mare consumers but producers as well because of the ability to produce and share data. Risk Management Influences of the social aspects on advertising The word of mouth especially from someone who is known or trustworthy remains as the best style of advertisement since time in memorial. Compensating the comments by use of advertisements is almost impossible. This form of advertising has come back in form of the internet-based forums on the sites that allow users to place personal comments or requests. Just like the earlier tittle-tattle conversations, the web sites enjoy incorporation into the databases of common search engines like Google thus becoming recognizable as important sources of information. Many of these real-time comments posted by consumers are enough evidence that the word of mouth is back on a supercharged format. Professionals would argue that the greatest influence to buying patterns fall upon the brand of the product but the impact of the real-time comments is higher. Majority of the conceivable customers like to base their decisions on the rational world. Internet advertising means that every strength and flaw is available, for instance, if one wanted to acquire a car, it is possible to find some models, their reviews, pricing and the comments some people have over the car. A willing buyer would want to know what the other person who has experience of the product has to say and pessimistic comments would definitely affect negatively on the sales. Brand building is not the only big influence in today’s advertising territory, as experts would claim. The comments do not create the brand but have great damages in this hyperactively connected world. The hyperactive connected world phenomenon might be quite new in the advertising industry, but evidently as Star Marketing Agency indicates, the errors committed by companies or its representatives get instant communication today among consumers and may have huge impacts to the business. This is an indication of the power of the electronic billboards, search engines and thus the need for information technology in the advertisement industries. Today the companies can be able to use the comment related sites to feature available goods or services, find and resolve problems involving common sales. Before embracement of technology, the foundations for most advertisement were supporting ‘information asymmetry’ phenomenon (Levitt and Dubner, 2006). Most company fails to reveal truthful information because of aims for easy influences to target groups or change on negative public perception as a strategy of influencing the market. The companies whose products experienced market inferiority complex utilize the strategy as well. The effect of such advertisement campaign on the hyperactive connected markets would face zero-rating by the fact that the consumers have knowledge and expertise to tap information from the huge base of consumer comments. The clients have the ability to know any inferiority complexes facing some products in the market even in good time. The connecting technologies have enhanced information symmetries. In line with Levitt and Dubner (2006), the connected clients do not face high advertisements influences in comparison to their unconnected counterparts. Technology leaves no room for advertisement lies thus promoting fair transparent communication. There is enough information access and thus consumers can enjoy fair judgement over advertisement campaigns and invalidate the questionable ones whenever they find the need to (Levitt and Dubner, 2006). The new advertisement language The commercial massages are no longer in use today, in a close link to Star Marketing Agencies, clients want the great life comments from experiences that fellow consumers have had with particular services or goods. They prefer reading information from the company’s site as opposed to basing their judgements on commercial advertisements through the media. The mobile technology enables the client to connect at free will and reach out for third person’s opinion or find some technical information to make good decisions. Customers wish to talk to the companies other than getting information through the traditional advertisements thus the need to adopt a technologically based language. This calls for the need to use advertising as a tool for conversing with the micro targets as opposed to the large target groups. The consumer/company relationship overrules the possibility of faking the information regarding advertisements. With this kind of system, it is also easy to identify faking of comments posted among internet users. Personification cannot workout in the new advertising mechanisms of “blogging”. Arguably, the internet commenting technology takes the natural human tone of communication. Detection of fraudsters by users can easily occur owing to the concept in unique styles of the chat rooms. Systems Developments The mobile telephony industry is under constant and effective growth to enable clients to have their personal opinions. It utilizes transmission of audio data, short messaging texts (SMS), e-mails, the multimedia messages texts, picture messages and broadcasting services (Tahtinen and Salo, 2004). Mobile governance in businesses involves the extension of concepts of governing to deliverance of information, goods or services to the clients in a civilized and personalised manner (Tahtinen and Salo, 2004). The advancement of technology influences the way information is accessible as well as the point of origin. The mobile commerce is a concept that has improved widely in reference to distribution of text or multimedia messages in the aim of enhancing business activities (Barnes and Scornavacca, 2004). The cell phones industry currently takes control of the information transfer field with ease because of the low and fundamental initial setup costs involved. The user experience and business models especially in developing countries remain a big hindrance to its full adoption. The various methods of mobile advertising such as the “WAP banners and the event oriented” texts fail to meet the satisfaction because they lack enough advertisers confidence as well as the creativity required to capture client’s attention. The unyielding problems relates to usability, dissatisfaction of the consumer and lack of flexibility or longevity in usage of wireless data advertisement. The technology thus only captures certain corporate users or market niche such as the high-income earners and mobile technology professional with the ability to meet the premium fees (Barnes and Scornavacca, 2004). Risk Management With regard to the above-mentioned perceptions, the new and advanced electronic communication styles of advertising in the business industries have huge and negative influences to the older generations mainly due to the generation differences. There has been so much revolution on the way communication is today. It is under high performance to a point that the youth have the ability to consume news twice as fast as the creating or publishing speed. Although the older generations are regaining their long lost trust over the use of the web for advertising at a remarkable speed in the aim of catching up with the rest, most of them are not yet able to get closest to the current internet bubble. Determinants of business marketing and advertising actions The talks about brands and products mean that companies ought to participate through partnership with the advertisement industries. The conversations are the today’s determinants of sales, thus the need for the companies to engage in these procedures of incorporating the micro media in the marketing plans. Most companies are able to monitor the customers’ comments and requests though the search engines (Barnes and Scornavacca, 2004). The technology offers a system where a customer’s complain gets a solution from the company through a response in real time before the issue gets out of hand. Such interaction enables brand relations between the micro media enterprises and the company due to the connections by the advertising agencies. Useful insights are also achievable to offer the real-time feedback over a product and its reputation in the market. The advertising agents can then be in a position to know where products transformations or requirements are important. They offer advice over the issues of decision making over active or passive participation in advertising. If taken in the right procedure, “Blogging” is an interesting part of advertising because it assists the company to create a closer relationship with the consumer thus has a better understanding of the needs and requirements (Levitt and Dubner, 2006). It offers the client the opportunity to build a rapport with the company and enhances transparency and honesty. The action a business decides to take requires influence of the agent, who must have studied the consumer comments in adherence to technology. Change Management Instead of the earlier conception of trying to find ways of expanding business via the internet with the sole aim of making profit, business are now engaging the popular styles of utilizing agencies to share information and connect potential clients. The business ideas are now more eminent as opposed to business models. The internet has now become a social facility where people can read, add, write, change and even consult the web page authors. The search of any micro media information is equally a common and efficient scenario. A huge group of people are virtually able to work together. This are the system that support the users view over the use of information and how it helps to review and rate information in order to be in a position of making proper decisions. Utilizing the future expectations The future of electronic advertising has its basis on the broadband of the mobile devices, such as phones. This is an opposition to the current static web technology on the mobile devices such as laptops or palmtops. The aim is to make the geographical contextual information easy and possible through the mobile advertising that covers a wider geographical context. The level of delivery also changes to a point of an online delivery where the users have access to most recent news. Advertising depends on the public driven macro media. Summary Although dependent on the political decisions regarding privacy issues, the advertising industries anticipate a state where, the future advertisements will have a strong geographical and technological awareness. Today it is eminent that the role of computers has a huge impact on every person. Computerisation has taken over majority of the societal roles and has greatly improved lives. The most advanced machines include the intelligent systems that have the ability to control other manual machines. Today the manufacture industries use computer procedures and information fed to the processing systems to give out the desired output. The battle with technology is dynamic and a continuous process expected to bring about new challenges every day. This mainly influences on the marketing and advertising department is very vibrant due to the stable anticipated creativity. The society is dependent of technology today and having the computers in the workplace, homes and at hand enables effectiveness, and efficiency required for better and all round businesses. The computers cuts down on the production costs and time since there References Barnes, S.J, and Scornavacca E. (2004). Mobile marketing: the role of permission and Acceptance . International Journal of Mobile Communication. Vol. 2. No. 2, 128-139. New Zealand: Inderscience Publishers Jin, Z. (2005). Global technological change: From hard technology to soft technology. Bristol, United Kingdom, UK: Intellect Books publishers Kalakota, R. and Robinson M. (2002). M-business: The Race to Mobility , New York. NY: McGraw-Hill. Levitt, S. D. and Dubner, S. J. (2006) Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything . New York, NY: HarperLargePrint Publishers. Tahtinen, J. and Salo, J. (2004). Special features of Mobile Advertising and their Utilization . University of Murcia, Spain: Proceedings of the 33rd EMAC Conference.

ESSAY: Roman Civilization: Senate and Augustan Regime Exploratory Essay The Roman republic which was characterized by Republican form of government is known to have lasted a period of more than 400 years after it started by overthrowing the Roman monarchy. The Roman Republic was controlled by a special group of people who emanated from high class families whose history could be traced back to ancient kingdoms. It is this domination that led to the emergence of the constitution as other talented Romans not from famous families struggled with the aristocrats to have the ruling power. They pushed for laws that allowed individuals to rule not from their family popularity and dominance, but from the current structure of the society. The Roman senate was a political institution that survived most chronological events in the Roman history. Founded in early days, it survived events such as the split of the Roman Empire, the fall of the Roman republic and the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Though the senate was politically weak during the early regime as it was overruled by powerful executive magistrates, it had several roles in the Roman Republic (McManus). The senate was responsible for passing of decrees that were known as senatus consultum in ancient Roman Republic whose main composition was advices to the Roman magistrates from the senate. Though those advices from the senate did not hold any legal force they were followed in practice. These decrees too served in interpretation of the law although in instances where there were clashes between the two, the law overrode the decrees. In cases of conflicts especially military conflicts, the senate was useful in provision of key advices to the chief magistrates known as Roman Consuls. The senate helped manage and run the civil government as it had massive power over it. The senate was key in management of state finances and had the authority to disburse government funding to other projects. Administration of provinces in the Roman republic was done by consuls and praetors. The senate was also responsible for the supervision of the administration in all the provinces and was instrumental in determination and distribution of magistrates amongst the provinces (Brunt, 423-444). Augustus Caesar is known for being the first ruler of the Roman Empire whose rule altered several aspects of the senate and governance. His governance was the Principate where he restored the republic and went to own the two most formidable republican powers, the consular imperium and tribunican veto. Through his rule, Augustus altered the balance of power in the Roman system. Augustus granted himself tribunician powers where he had the traditional tribune power to introduce legislations, force citizens to obey his orders among many other things. Senatorial provinces that were under the control of the senate still fell under the sole control of Augustus as they fell under imperial provinces controlled fully by him. He included many members of his own family in key administrative positions in the public domain. Augustus regime saw him strip the senate most of its powers as he was keen to remain dominant and a sole decision maker in governance issues thereby outranking other senators in the state (Lacey, 176-184). For instance, the senate held the responsibility of running the civil government and had the power to authorize fund disbursement to government projects. It also supervised administration of all provinces. In Augustus rule, he altered all these by being the sole administrator of all aspects governance. Works Cited Brunt, Peter. “The Role of the Senate in the Augustan Regime” The Classical Quarterly 34.2 (1984): 423-444. Lacey, Kirkpatrick. “Octavian in the Senate, January 27 B. C.” Journal of Roman Studies 64 (1974): 176-184. McManus, Barbara. Augustus and Tiberius: Historical Background. 4 April 2010. http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/augustus2.html

ESSAY: Royal Dutch Shell Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Political risks 3. Stakeholders 4. Needs of the Locals 5. Code of conduct 6. Reference List Introduction Royal Dutch Shell is the largest oil producer company in Europe whose origin can be traced in Netherlands and Great Britain. The firm’s corporate headquarters are located in Hague, Netherlands while its registered office is in London, United Kingdom. The energy and petrochemical giant is listed in Amsterdam’s Euronext and London Stock Exchange. According to Fortune Global 500, Royal Dutch Shell ranks as the second largest multinational company with Wal-Mart being the number one. With a massive $285,129,000 in revenues, $12,518,000 after-tax profits and $292,181,000 assets in according to its 2010 financial statements, Shell overtook global giant Exxon Mobil to be the market leader within the petroleum refining industry. The firm’s incumbent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Peter R. Voser. Shell has a human resource base of 102,000 employees and operates in more than 90countries. Its biggest operations are in United States and it operates as Shell Oil Company with its corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas. Other major countries where the firm operates include Japan, Nigeria, Qatar, and Australia and so on. Political risks There are a number of political risks affecting the firm’s operations in its international operation. Nigeria has one of the biggest oil and natural reserves in the world estimated to last at least forty years. Shell is facing unending crisis of militants in the Niger Delta. Niger Delta, the largest producer of oil and natural gas in Africa has been facing attacks from armed militia men leading to the company losing millions of dollars (Frynas, 1998, pp.457-478). Kidnapping and ransom is rampant in this volatile region, forcing shell and other oil and petroleum multinationals such as Agip, Total, Chevron and ExxonMobil to spend millions of dollars in beefing up security. For instance from 2005, Shell Nigeria reported bombings of major pipelines followed by pockets of attacks on the installations and facilities. The people being targeted are mainly the contractors and the staff. Demands for monster share of oil revenues from the region and release of militants arrested by government authorities are Main reasons for the sporadic attacks (Shell report, 2005). However in 2009, amnesty program was introduced to encourage ceasefire and make the militants to voluntarily surrender the weapons (Tatersall, 2010, para. 2). Another factor affecting the firm’s operations in Nigeria relates to the upcoming general elections. With the next presidential elections scheduled to be held in April 2011, the country is bound experience intense political tension. This would negatively impact the operations of oil conglomerates in the region. It is unknown if the current head of state, President Goodluck Jonathan, will run for the top seat. Considering that he hails from Niger Delta, his supporters expect him to contest for the race. Elections have had effect on Shells operations. Nigerian Government struck a deal with the armed militants in the Niger Delta to stop sabotage against pipelines belonging to Shell, but there are reports that the militants are not satisfied with government promises of jobs and other financial aids. Therefore, there is a high probability that the militants will be used by the politicians for intimidation purposes. As a political consultant for Shell Company with regard to its operation in Nigeria, the company in conjunction with the government should increase monetary rewards to the militants in addition to creating more employment opportunities for the locals. This will have an effect of reducing poverty by providing steady income to the people of Niger delta. Stakeholders Royal Dutch Shell has various stakeholders. A stakeholder refers to a party with a vested interest in a firm’s course of operation. The stakeholder can be either an internal such as the shareholders and the employees or external such as the customers and local communities (Docstoc, 2010, pp.4-13). Other stakeholders include oil producing countries. Satisfying the needs of all stakeholders is not an easy task as simple as it appears. For example, setting the pricing of fuel has been challenging for the company. Natural gas and crude petroleum prices have been rising steadily leading to an increase in profits from the company (Press TV, 2010). Such price increases affects the demand of petroleum by motorists. This arises from the fact that local gas stations hike gas prices. Needs of the Locals Shell must also satisfy the needs of the local communities. However it comes at a cost. For instance in Nigeria, Shell has been forced to embark on environmental rehabilitation occasioned by oil spills. Clean ups and remediation is costing the company million of dollars (Shell report, 2005, pp.29). These cleanups are meant to restore the land which has been polluted heavily by decade of oil spills. The government and Shell have been forced to pay people of Niger Delta $1.5 million for causing environmental damage. Code of conduct The Shell code of conduct clearly stipulates the beliefs and values which are applied in the daily operation of the company . The general business principles are eight and they include principle of economics, principles of competition, principle of business integrity, principle of political activities of companies and of employees, principle of health, safety, security and environment, principle of local communities, principle of communication and engagement, and principle of compliance (Shell international limited, 2006, pp. 15-16). It’s mandatory for Royal Dutch Shell to follow the code of conduct when operating in the foreign countries. For instance, it must comply with laws of the foreign country it operates otherwise it risks facing legal actions. It must pay corporation tax as expected by the governments, and also abide to environmental laws existing in the countries. Shell BP has many social programs in the countries of operations. For example in Nigeria, Shell is tackling issue s related to corruption (Shell report, 2005, pp. 28). In addition, the company has embarked on serious anti corruption campaigns in Nigeria to sensitize the people on the need to eradicate the vice. In the recent past, Shell has investigated its contractors and consequently interdicted those found guilty. Royal Dutch Shell management team must monitor politics and economic performance so as to make effective operational decisions. Reference List Docstoc. (2010). Balancing stakeholders needs @ shell-Business Ethics . Web. Frynas, J. (1998). Political Instability and business: Focus on Shell in Nigeria . Third World Quarterly. Volume 19, Issue 3. New York: Butterworth. Press TV. (2010). Shell profits hike 50% on oil price. Web. Shell. (2005). The Shell sustainability report 2005 . Web. Shell International Company. (2010 ). Shell code of conduct: How to live by the Shell General Business principles . London: St lves Westertham Press. Tatersall, N. (2010). Factbox- Key political risks to watch in Nigeria. Web.

ESSAY: Running head: Environmental Studies Essay Introduction This paper presents a summary of land ethic as an approach to conserve the environment. According to Leopold, land ethic serves to change people’s perception of their relationship with biotic community from being “conquerors” to being “plain member and citizens of it”. Leopold contends that land ethic hasn’t been developed or achieved by the American environmentalists. If it is developed and embraced faster, success in conservation of the environment will be realized. He suggests that proper education based on the right content, that seek to create obligation on the part of the human community and the devaluation of the primacy given to economic determinism are the ultimate gate-passes to the realization of the land ethic. The proposal can be used to develop land ethic that supports economic relations with the biosphere. In this case, a cognitive picture of land as a “biotic mechanism” is developed. There is also a need to adopt “biotic pyramid” image instead of the “balance of nature” view which according to him did not capture accurately the little we understand about the soil, waters, fauna and flora. Leopold’s view of humans and of biotic communities According to Leopold, man is part of an interdependent community whose actions have ramifying effects on biotic community. He is contended with the fact that man is self-centered/selfish and is only motivated by economic gains. He adopts a pessimistic view of human being and regards them as being deficient of the requisite social conscience necessary for the formation of land ethic, and therefore man appropriates land on the basis of benefits to be accrued regardless of biotic community. The result is a conflict of interest where human being strives to maximize economic gains while the biotic community fights to perpetuate their species albeit being on the losing end. The biotic community, Leopold asserts, is dependent upon interdependence with humans. Leopold held that the biotic community is not passive in the perpetuation of the community life though he reckons that such biotic mechanisms were so intricate that their workings were never fully discernible. He believes that the biotic community was dependent upon the integrity of their human counterparts for continuance. None is more important than the other. How to resolve the conflict Education for conservation is recommended to solve conflict in the eco-system. Conservationists and government agencies concerned with conservation issues should design sound education that has content on conservation. The training will seek to create obligation on the part of the humans to ‘love, respect, and admire the land’. Include conservation issues into the mainstream development e.g. in road construction. Environmental impact assessment needs to be done and findings respected and followed to the latter. Develop a system of conservation devoid of economic self interest in order to preserve those species that have no economic value. Strengths and Weaknesses of Leopold’s view Strengths Interdependence of parts seeks to create an awareness of how human community in the absence of biotic community is incomplete and therefore the need to coexist. Secondly, education should precede rules, while content should seek first to create obligation towards biotic community by capturing the need to revise the approach to education for conservation. The idea that the government, private and corporate entities ought to partake in conservation measures is a strong point held by Leopold. Furthermore, Leopold does believe that obligations are meaningless in the absence of conscience. He calls for the strengthening of conscience-building approaches based on intellect and emotions. A position that human history is pegged on environment (biotic) highlights the fact that the future is much a product of what we do now with our land. Weaknesses While painting a gloom picture of the present and the past, he succeeds in painting a deem future. This is a pessimistic view and is a strong de-motivating factor. The government should be in forefront in conservation issues but Leopold talks of it as having been overburdened. Two fundamental claims of the American conservation movement No land ethic yet –He says that it has failed to create ideal sense of obligation on the part of the humans, since even though we proclaim our ‘love for and obligation to the land’, its surely not the soil, waters, plants nor animals that we cherish as we continue to plough down- slope leading to soil erosion and water pollution not to mention the wanton extermination of fauna and flora a due to our self-centered economic orientations. It presupposes that land ethic shapes human orientation from conqueror to being member and part of the biotic community. Lack of this ethic has made it hard to move away from economic determinism. Wrong approach and Lack of uniformity among the conservationists – the education content did not succeed in establishing that sense of obligation and respect for the biotic community. Also the various groups have divergent views as to what really constitutes the biotic community and therefore scattered policies. In trying to make the conservation subject simple, it has trivialized it. Has American environmentalism moved in the direction Leopold advocated? No. Leopold faults the conservationists for not being serious on rules they formulate. For example, the 1933 case where the offer was “widely accepted” but the practices were “widely forgotten”. This shows the negligence and lack of seriousness on the part of conservationists as no follow-up was ever made to ensure full implementation. Also, he contends that much burden has been given to the government as private farmers fail to perform. And government contributes to extermination of some species in stead of protecting them.