Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The World Progress Without The Progression Of Women s...

Women, throughout the history of western civilization, have struggled to fight for their rights as equal citizens. The problem of gender inequality has been prevalent for centuries. The movement for equal opportunity has gained traction in different eras but is still far from complete. Today, we are faced with an America that has made a choice. It has made a choice for division, for stagnancy and for retrogression. Women have been subtly told that their value does not rest in politics, nor in business, but after the results of the 2016 election cycle that subtly is gone. Today, America is different from what it was yesterday. The underlying notes of sexism are no longer hidden. A society that was once seen as progressive and accepting, has now taken a significant reversal in this fight. America has told its women to be smaller, be quieter, and to not overshadow their male counterparts. How did American culture fail women so thoroughly? How did the western world progress without the progression of women s rights? History has not been favorable towards women. The societies in times past have denied and patronized strong women and this patronization has continued into the present day. The movement for women s equality is an undying and seemingly never ending fight. There has been marked progress throughout the development of civilization. Women have reclaimed some of their basic human rights, such as the right to vote, the right to education, and have gained politicalShow MoreRelatedThe Fight For Women s Rights1711 Words   |  7 Pagesthat advocate the equal rights of women on all grounds. While the concept has been present for centuries, its magnitude in the United States has only become largely recognized throughout the 20th century. In particular, feminism has had its most lasting effects through two large waves in the early 1900’s, whilst fighting for women’s suffrage, and the 1960’s to 1970’s, which focused on women in the workp lace and counteracting the submissive roles assigned to women in the 1950’s. These political battlesRead MoreA Historical Perspective: The Wage Gap1586 Words   |  7 Pagesseveral decades, most American women occupied a supportive, home oriented role within society, outside of the workplace. However, as the mid-twentieth century approached a gender role paradigm occurred. The sequence of the departure of men for war, the need to fill employment for a growing economy, a handful of critical legal cases, the Black Civil Rights movement seen and heard around the nation, all greatly influenced and demanded social change for human and women’s rights. This momentous period beganRead MoreHow The Times Have Changed?1038 Words   |  5 PagesHow the Times Have Changed? On Halloween, I decided to replicate the style and overall persona of 90’s R B star Aaliyah. I wore baggy male pants, crop top, Timberland boots, and a large overcoat. Even though my prissy and consecutive mother was not very fond of my costume selection, I wore best Halloween costume at the neighborhood party. I was not judge or criticized for being in what was established as male clothing because it is the social norm for my generation and the generation before meRead MoreEducation Plays An Important Role In Sh1412 Words   |  6 Pagesof information by reading books for the subject you are interested in such as current affairs, mathematics, exchange rates and so on. Better education can make a person more civilized and useful for the society. One cannot image a prosperous life without appropriate education. Education also helps to develop healthy surroundings. Every object that a mankind creates is based over the knowledge that he attains through education. The more the society develops the more life becomes dependent over educationRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1728 Words   |  7 Pagesto the world. Many nations and peoples cite their traditions and culture as the bedrock of their society. They refer to traditional values as the moral fiber which holds their societies together. Culture is a good thing, when allowed to progress, but can be dangerous if followed blindly. Culture can oppress minorities and those who don’t fit the traditional mold of a people. Culture can impede progress and leave women, minorities and other sub-sects of a society without the basic human rights thatRead MoreFeminism : The Second Wave Of Feminism1222 Words   |  5 Pagesdefinition to philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on a social political and economical which is an equality for women. It’s a revolution that includes women and men who who wish the world to be equal without boundaries. The evolution of the rights of women in Australia owes much to successive waves of feminism, or the women s movement. The first of these took place in the late 19th century and was concerned largely with gaining the right to vote and to stand for electionRead MoreThe Rise And Influence Of The Feminist Movement1472 Words   |  6 Pagesthe 1970’s Throughout history, America has often distinguished men as primary leaders who have the utmost dominance. Whether it is the political, economical, or social status of a person, men have persistently controlled –with few rights given to women. For centuries, women were treated as their husband’s property; they did not have legal rights of any kind when it came to money and did not have management over their earnings (History-World). With men being the superior power, women had lessRead MoreFeminism : The Black Ceiling, Sexual Violence And Domestic Violence1571 Words   |  7 Pagesfacing women for the past two centuries, we are starting to make huge strides. The most common problems women and feminists are facing in the United States today are, what being a feminist really means, the gender pay gap, the glass ceiling, sexual violence and domestic violence â€Å"Feminism is the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes,† (clio history, 1). Many stereotypes that relate to feminism are either crazy women or women that hate men and believe that women shouldRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Civil War Essay1471 Words   |  6 Pagessociety. Of course, there was the moral dubiousness of slavery, and while I don’t support the institution, the eventual progress and industrialization of the western world would push slavery into the Northern-styled wage-slavery which exists in factories at this time, and eventually overseas to India and Pakistan, where it exists into the 21st century. Can society exist without slavery? Morally, I hope so. Pragmatically, I doubt it, but that is not the battle I’m fighting today. Besides, the lossRead MoreShould Creativity Be Taught? Schools?974 Words   |  4 PagesShould creativity be taught in schools? While we slowly progress into the future with technology by our sides we start to deteriorate the very thing we strive on for evolution. As the human race wants more and indulges itself in TV’s, cellphones, Internet, and mindless if not worthless problems we become blinded by the bigger problems facing us today, starvation, extinctions, war, natural disasters, and prisoners to our own physicals wants. Children go to school and learn scientifically but don’t

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Instant Gratification Brave New World - 1368 Words

Instant Gratification Brave New World is about a dystopian society in which people live after one thing: satisfaction. The pain of childbearing and family upbringing is replaced with the mass manufacturing of babies, along with intense conditioning that has citizens trained to not worry, be upset, be dramatic, or be â€Å"queer†. The people are focused on working, appeasing their sexual desires, playing games, and other entertaining pastimes. The pursuance of constant, instant gratification is what makes this dystopia go round, where no problems arise where all needs are appeased with no complications. In case of one falling out of happiness, one will always have access to a euphoria-inducing drug to restart. Neil Postman said that Aldous†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœI’d rather be myself,’ he said. ‘Myself and nasty. Not somebody else, however jolly.’ (Huxley 60). Bernard is initially upset with something that his society does to maintain consistent satisfaction: the use of soma, a drug that instills ecstasy within its user without the inconvenient drawbacks of normal drug/alcohol usage. He is afflicted by the fact that one would use soma to essentially ignore their problems and â€Å"fake† their emotions. This dissatisfaction carries on with his viewpoint on how his society treats women, â€Å"‘Talking about her as though she were a bit of meat.’ Bernard ground his teeth. ‘Have her here, have her there.’ Like mutton. Degrading her to so much mutton† (Huxley 33). As a rule, â€Å"everyone belongs to everyone†, and Bernard believes women are treated disgracefully and only for the use of sexual pleasure. This also contributes as â€Å"laughing instead of thinking† that afflicts him, as well as, finally, the thrill of pastimes as an everyday activity outside of work, compared to individualist hobbies and mental activities (discussion): â€Å"Then what about a round of Electro-magnetic Golf at St. Andrew’s? But again, no: Bernard considered that Electro-magnetic Golf was a waste of time. ‘Then what’s time for?’ asked Lenina in some astonishment. Apparently, for going walks in the Lake District; for that was what he now proposed...‘Alone with you, Lenina.’ ‘But,Show MoreRelatedA Brave New World by Aldous Huxley1756 Words   |  7 PagesAldous Huxley is best known for his novel Brave New World, which depicts a post-industrial revolution utopia. Huxley greatly feared the ramifications to an industrialized world run by consumer capitalism, which is displayed in Brave New World. The government within the novel focuses solely on the bettering of technology and not scientific exploration and experimentation. The society’s values lie in instant gratification and constant happiness. The utopia is maintained through the means of drugs,Read MoreA Brave New Word by Aldous Huxley634 Words   |  3 PagesIn Aldous Huxley’ s â€Å"Brave New World†, the idea that a utopian society cannot exist without constant consumption is constantly juxtaposed. This reliance on consumption was created by weaning out the concepts of nature, religion, and self. The people of the â€Å"Brave New World† have no choice but to consume if they want to have any form of contentment with their lives. However, there is one character who is not content with consumption to see that the concept of consumption and utopia cannot go handRead MorePreventing a Brave New World; Cloning of Human Embryos Essay933 Words   |  4 PagesPreventing a Brave New World | Abstract Leon Kass’s provides a compelling article on why the world should ban cloning. Kass’ article, â€Å"Preventing a Brave New World†, provides Kass’ theories of if society progresses on its current path, society would start to turn to cloning as an alternative to typical reproduction. Cloning offers a way to design an offspring rather than the typical experience of child raising. Kass believes if cloning is not banned, society will be more dependentRead MoreEssay on Distortion in Brave New World630 Words   |  3 PagesIn Brave New World, Huxley exaggerates the fact that a world that strives for stability must eliminate individualism and relationships. One major distortion in Brave New World is the prevention of individualism. In order to live in a Utopia, a person cannot be an individual. Huxley makes this clear from the first page of the novel, revealing the World State’s motto of â€Å"Community, Identity, Stability.† Conformity is what this society strives for. Individuals cannot make up a community, which is whyRead MoreChristina Contreras. Mr. Limon. Erwc. 01 March 2017. The912 Words   |  4 PagesPostman’s Assertions in Today’s Society: Huxley’s Brave New World could be considered almost prophetic by many people today. It is alarmingly obvious how modern society is eerily similar to Huxley’s novel with the constant demand for instant gratification encouraging unnatural changes. Neil Postman, a contemporary social critic, seems to have noticed this similarity as he has made very bold, very valid statements regarding the text and its relevance to our world today. This statement is strongly in supportRead MoreTechnology And Technology : Brave New World1547 Words   |  7 PagesSociety Brave New World warns of the dangers of giving the state control over new and powerful technologies. One illustration of this theme is the rigid control of reproduction through technological and medical intervention, including the surgical removal of ovaries, the Bokanovsky Process, and hypnopaedic conditioning. Another is the creation of complicated entertainment machines that generate both harmless leisure and the high levels of consumption and production that are the basis of the World State’sRead MoreEssay about Huxleys Message in Brave New World971 Words   |  4 PagesHuxleys Hidden Message Aldous Huxley has a humanistic, deep and enlightened view of how society should be, and of what constitutes true happiness. In his novel, Brave New World, he shows his ideas in a very obscure manner. Huxley presents his ideas in a satirical fashion. This sarcastic style of writing helped Huxley show his views in a very captivating and insightful manner. The entire novel describes a dystopia in which intimate relationships, the ability to choose ones destiny, and the importanceRead More Presentation of satire in Brave New World Essay examples811 Words   |  4 PagesSavage in the hospital); discern presentation of satire and how it is wrought. In Brave New World Huxley is targeting consumer, materialistic attitudes that existed in his time (and still do today) and extrapolating, then projecting them into the world that is the World State, to serve as a warning to society of the consequences of these attitudes. The passage in question is from Chapter XIV of Huxley’s Brave New World, and more specifically features the incident in which the ‘Savage’, John, visitsRead MoreNeil Postman s Assertions And Today s Society990 Words   |  4 PagesAssertions and Today’s Society: Huxley’s Brave New World could be considered almost prophetic by many people today. It is alarmingly obvious how modern society is eerily similar to Huxley’s novel with the constant demand for instant gratification encouraging laziness, greed, and entitlement. Neil Postman, a contemporary social critic, seems to have noticed this similarity, as he has made bold, valid statements regarding the text and its relevance to our world today. This response is strongly in supportRead MoreGeorge Orwell s The Brave New World1791 Words   |  8 PagesIn both texts, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World it is clear from the start the societies show a heavy reliance on state control as a means of maintaining the dystopian civilizations. George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is a powerful presentation of a dystopian society under the influence and control of a totalitarian government. Orwell uses the character of Winston as a vehicle to explore the extent of the governments ’ oppressive techniques. Through clever use of free indirect speech as

Monday, December 9, 2019

Ethics in the Information Technology

Question: Discuss about Ethics in the Information Technology. Answer: The by-gone century had limited use of computing technology. This meant that most of the processes were slow. Information and details were well handled per se. with the advent of computer, information and almost entirely every sphere of life changed with integration of the ICT gimmicks. Longer processes were turned to be seamless and storage of information became an easy task. However, this has not been without challenges as well. It has put to surmountable risk the participants and the owners of the data stored. This has in the resent past shown volatility in terms of the magnitude of the consequences that result from breaching of privacy and confidentiality of such information (Relkin, 2006). However, this can be mitigated through by each party meeting its obligations as well as setting up of code of ethics. This paper will in verbose, seek to explore and bring to application of the ethical concerns of information technology with reference to the infamous Ashley Madison case. Ashley Madison case Ashley Madison is an online dating cite that was established in 2002 with a primary goal of helping, married couples date. That is, its for married people who are seeking affairs. It acts as a platform of connecting different parties with their fit partner. This makes the website sensitive as it involves secret affairs about the participants (Boyle, 2015). The website subscription is free and they only charge sending of messages or other virtue oriented packages. On 15 July 2015, the organization data base faced a crime know as cyber vigilantism. The vandalized information included email, names and residential details, and credit card payment details, a more sensitive details were sexual relation details. Where information of about 37 million people was released. The hackers realized the emails of participants online which not only included individuals but also Ministry of Defense emails, email from universities, government based emails, police emails as well as political elites emai ls (Krebs, 2015). The resultant of this was a great defamation of the organizations and the individuals who were implicated in the report. An example of such is the SNP MP Michael Thompson whose email was in the dumped list (Boyle, 2015) Implications of the data released The hacked data had diverse implications as viewed by the parties involved, companies and families as well as other icons who were implicated in the hacking release. The companys image would be extremely tainted resulting to major changed in bid to recover the loss. The companys Chief Executive Officer resigned and the company as well changed it original name. With the unprecedented breach of privacy, the data had a very high potential of ruining marriages. In additional, the release of explicit sex video also caused public embarrassment and emotional breakdown of the implicated victims. Sadly, the effect of such a cyber-crime over spilled to innocent individual whose emails were used without their knowledge-the website allowed a user mail without confirmation (Krebs, 2015). The effect of the release would be also felt by the service members. As the reported showed that more than 15000 mails belonged to government and military, these would result to punishments by the respective authorities as it is against their code of ethics as well as misuses of government assets and resources. The consequences of this can be much grander as it would results to discharge or facing court charges (Mason and Sharp, 2015). Among the reported effects of the hack were 3 suicides, two divorces of evangelists and an ousted town mayor and disgraced prosecutors. To the company, the event was a hazardous to the business, the Avid Life Media- the owner of the hacked website- faced a tempestuous blow from the hackers. The company lost public trust as pertaining security and privacy. This meant a financial implication as a profit seeking entity. In addition, the companys lie was revealed pertaining deleting clients information. The Chief Operating Officer (CEO) resigned due to the Scandal. The Company assured its clients that their data was deleted. However, despite charging their clients, the data was intact during the infamous hack. In due regard to this case, the company may be subject to be prosecuted I the court of law by the agitated customers/ clients for defamation (Mason and Sharp, 2015). In addition to the consequences, the hackers posed strict threat-driven requests such as closing of the entire dating domain. Which if the victim company would not comply would lead to further destruction by release of more sensitive data of their cust omers. Today the firm faces serious court changes against bleaching of confidentiality both in Canada and in US. Multiple class-action suits have been registered against the com [any which could cost the company fines worth billions of US dollars (Holler). Among the plaintiffs is the U.S federal Trade Commission Avid Life Media in their response to the major crime, they insinuated that there was a high probability that the team behind the act was once either an employee of the company or had come across the companies technical networks. In addition to this, the revealed internal survey details elucidated that the company was aware that their security was at stake and subject to exposure. The dispute should be settled out the legal precincts. As much the government and IT specialist tried to put down and reveal the hacker, the hacker had left no any lead that could lead to his arrest. Thus this left all the effort to settle the dispute in court almost impossible. Therefore the only option that would have been adopted by the two parties- the company and its clients together with the secondary victims -would to settle for more secure ethical methods of securing data. The privacy had already been breached and cant be reversed, therefore the parties should resolve this dispute in basis of ethical considerations This case presents an ethical case where by privacy agreement has been defaulted. The Ashley Madison Company failed to adhere to its agreement with its customer pertaining deleting of information as well as maintaining discrete privacy. Ethical Obligations of All the Stakeholders In all the spheres of information, there is always obligations by either parties that should be maintained that no bleach of information considered private that is bleached or leaked to third parties. Furthermore, the two parties have an obligation to protect the public from such instances that bring public shame and disgrace. Additionally the company has a legal obligation to observe privacy, this means that the company can be charged in court of law for defamation that can result from releasing of destructive information. Another obligation pertains moral responsibility. The stake holders should possess the virtue of being careful, considerate and trustworthy. This simply means that there is collective efforts by the concerned teams. In addition, all the stake holders has an obligation of giving reports and inform all the parties of any changes as well as mistakes and corrections (Loui and Miller, 2016). Any company holding a clients information should ensure it explicitly respects the privacy of the second party, this should not be matter of legal requirement but to ensure that the welfare of the concerned parties is upheld with honor and respect. On the other hand, the client has an obligation to ensure that he understands and complies with the processing methods and procedure of information. This pertains keeping having a personal level of confidentiality and ensuring that his/her action do not put the contractual privacy in any way. To the public, all the stakeholders have an obligation to the general population. They must avoid endangering others. This obligates the e stakeholders to ensure safety and to improve the quality of life for the entire public. In addition to this, the computing professionals should educate the public on computing. This would raise awareness about safety and risks that is found in computing (Loui and Miller, 2016). The computing professionals should provide technical facts. However when the publics interest conflicts with emplo yers interest, the professional employees should alert the people and the clients for any threat that may arise from such. Some of the data if released to the public, it ay results to harm and insecurity in general. For example: the release of the infidelity information for the Ashley Madison website caused suicides to the spouses of the victims. It also resulted to release of explicit videos that damaged the reputation of individuals. According to Weckert and Lucas (2009), business should be carried on without harming anyone. Therefore this necessitates proper handling of sensitive data by all the parties. In conclusion, the IT professionals must take lead when it comes to the issue of ethical consideration (Aynsley, 2015) Guidance from the Australian Computer Societys Code of Ethics Australian code of Ethics is a set of principles and rules that guide the computer users in Australia, however some of the ethics are applicable to the victim company pertaining privacy and information ethics. The Primacy of the Public Interest. The company should have invested in the provision of discrete privacy to its clients. The company placed its interests ahead of the clients. Theses is evidenced by the company charging of information deleting whereas as exposed, this was not performed. The company did not consider the effect the exposure of the information would cause to the clients (Graham and Low, 2014). Therefore the company is to blame and be held responsible for the event. Competence The competence of the company ability to hold information with privacy is doubtable. Having been in the industry that handled sensitive information the company failed to meet minimum standards as pertaining securing the information. Professional excellence should be based on laid down standards for appropriate level of competence. The company should strive to maintain such standards. With information technology being dynamic, the professionals should upgrade their technical skills and technology. All the stake holders should adhere to the contracts all the times. Honoring and remaining committed to the contract shows integrity and honesty. Moreover, all the parties should support policies that protect the dignity of the users and third parties that can be affected by such information ((Graham and Low, 2014)) In conclusion, drawing from Australian computer agency code of ethics, the company failed to honor the privacy of its consumers there by resulting to breach. References Aynsley, B. (2015). The importance of ethical conduct. [online] Theaustralian.com.au. Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/opinion/ethics-essential-for-ict-professionals/news-story/78307af0586683a61e7a0d537c5f6cf8 [Accessed 8 Sep. 2016]. Boyle, D. (2015). Ashley Madison hack: Live updates as 'UK Government email addresses' in data of 32 million dumped online. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/11811356/Ashley-Madison-hack-live.html [Accessed 8 Sep. 2016]. Graham, R. and Low, G. (2014). 2nd ed. [ebook] Australian Computer Agency. Available at: https://www.acs.org.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/4901/Code-of-Professional-Conduct_v2.1.pdf [Accessed 8 Sep. 2016]. Krebs, B. (2015). Online Cheating Site AshleyMadison Hacked Krebs on Security. [online] Krebsonsecurity.com. Available at: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/07/online-cheating-site-ashleymadison-hacked/ [Accessed 8 Sep. 2016]. Loui, M. And Miller, K. (2016). Ethics And Professional Responsibility In Computing. [Online] Available At: https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/12247/ecse909.pdf?sequence=2 [Accessed 8 Sep. 2016]. Mason, J. and Sharp, A. (2015). Hacker's Ashley Madison data dump threatens marriages, reputations| Canada| Reuters. [online] Ca.reuters.com. Available at: https://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCAKCN0QN2BN20150819 [Accessed 8 Sep. 2016]. Relkin, J. (2006). 10 ethical issues confronting IT managers - TechRepublic. [online] TechRepublic. Available at: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-ethical-issues-confronting-it-managers/ [Accessed 8 Sep. 2016]. Weckert, J. and Lucas, R. (2009). The Governance of Information and Communication Technology. AJIS, 16(1).

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Social Work Practice Essay Example Essay Example

Social Work Practice Essay Example Paper Social Work Practice Essay Introduction Two Perspectives of Engagement with Clients One thing that makes social work stand out from other professions is the relationship that a social worker builds with their client. It is an important factor but can also be very challenging at times. There are several stages to the social work treatment process. Those stages include; engagement, assessment, intervention, and termination (USC VAC, 2013). It is vital that a social worker begin to develop a relationship with their client during their first session and build on that relationship over time.The treatment stage in which a social worker can initiate the development of a relationship with their client is in the engagement stage, which serves as the foundation for the rest of the sessions to come. One thing to consider as a social worker is to be able to identify with your clients. The best way to do that is to be aware of your own cultural values, beliefs and preferences you hold and also how you would want a social worker to inte ract with you. Being a self-aware social worker is imperative so that you can keep from bringing you own thoughts and ideas into the treatment plan for your client.Understanding and knowing where you stand on certain issues important thing to be conscious of so that you know what to separate yourself from while trying to build rapport with a client. Social Work Practice Essay Body Paragraphs If I Were the Client As a beginning social worker it is important for me to be aware of my own personal values and beliefs and also think about how I would like to be treated as client by a social worker during the engagement phase. Seeking help for emotional issues is always hard to do no matter how accepting you are of the mental health processes.Building a rapport with my social worker and establishing trust are essential to me in the beginning stages phases of my treatment. I want to feel as if my social worker truly cares about why I am there As a black, female client, working with a hypothetical white, male therapist one thing that would be very important for my social worker to be aware of is where I come from and how my environment might influence my treatment process. I need to my social worker to work with me in finding solutions to the problems I am facing.Utilizing the ecological perspective during my treatment would be very beneficial to getting the root of the problem. I would feel that my social worker does not only care about my treatment but is an advocate in helping to achieve that change. According to McKay et al (1996), the ecological perspective consists of four critical elements; (1) clarifying the helping process, which is the social worker introducing themselves to me and explaining the treatment process and making sure I understand exactly what the process is, (McKay et al (1996) p. 465). 2) Developing the foundation for a collaborative working environment which would include finding a balance between the information needed to obtain the appropriate intake information and allowing me, the client, to tell my story of why I am there in the first place, (McKay et al (1996) p. 465). (3) Focus on immediate, practical concerns; this would mean that my social worker is prepared to respond to crisis situations, negotiate with other systems that may be a barrier of some kind to my treatment and be able to respond to any presenting concerns, (McK ay et al (1996) p. 65). I need to feel as though my social worker is just as active in my treatment as I am and is providing all the resources and help they can give. Lastly, (4) Identify and problem- solve around barriers to help seeking, (McKay et al (1996) p. 465). It would be important for my social worker to know if I have been in therapy before what that experience was for me; whether it was negative or not. It would be easier for me to trust my therapist when they are knowledgeable of all of my obstacles; whether they are personal or environmental.For example, one thing that would be vital for my white, male therapist to explore and understand before working with me is the obstacles I may face just by being a black female. It is important for me to feel as though my social worker really values my thoughts, opinions and feelings. One way to do that would the social workers ability to empathize with me. Empathy â€Å"is the act of perceiving, understanding, experiencing, and r esponding to the emotional state and ideas of another person,† (Gerdes amp; Segal, 2011, p. 41). Even if my social worker does not share the same views as me, being able to see things from my perspective and genuinely understand where I come from is the most important quality my social worker can bring to the table when working with me. According to Gerdes amp; Segal (2011), there are two main components to empathy; emotional empathy and expressed cognitive empathy. Emotional empathy is â€Å"the ability to be affected by the clients’ emotions,† (Gerdes amp; Segal, 2011, p. 141).Although I do not want my social worker to be as distressed as I am, I need to know that they are not an emotional robot and they can see why I am experiencing the emotions I am experiencing. Expressed cognitive empathy is â€Å"the translation of such feelings into words,† (Gerdes amp; Segal, 2011, p. 141). By my social worker being able to verbalize with me that they comprehend m y emotional state of mind, that would relieve a lot of anxiety for me just knowing that what I am feeling is not so far-fetched and that it can be understood by a complete stranger.If I Were the Social Worker Let’s envision a Chinese – American female named Kim Le, who lives in San Diego is coming to meet me; her therapist, for the first time. Kim Le is 17 years old, a senior in high school and is the first generation in her family to be born in the United States. While working with Kim Le, it would be essential for me to be culturally competent. Being culturally competent will allow me to â€Å"provide care that serves her social, cultural and linguistic needs, (Buckley, T. B. , 2012).Understanding Kim Le’s culturally background is essential in developing a treatment plan and establishing trust with her. Being the first generation to be born in the United States is a barrier that she and I would have work through. It is common for a social worker to â€Å"ack nowledge our own barriers to intercultural understanding,† (Buckley, T. B. , 2012). Another to consider while working with Kim Le is to acknowledge the cultural influence on her desire to seek therapy. Chinese cultures are more likely to try home remedies to deal with illness which may also include mental health.If her social worker felt that Kim Le needed mood stabilizing medications it would be important to explore natural ways of obtaining the same results or at least understand why Kim Le might object to the medications. Along with being understood culturally, it would be essential for me as Kim Le’s social worker to evaluate her levels of anxiety and self- confidence. It seems logically to assume that she may be feeling such a way for coming into therapy for the first time and also having a multicultural background. One way for me to explore these emotions with Kim Le would be to use sustaining procedures.According to Woods and Hollis (2000), sustainment can be use d to reduce feelings on anxiety or lack of self-confidence. The idea of sustainment is for a social worker to openly express their confidence and esteem for the client. (Woods amp; Hollis, 2000, p. 131). â€Å"Exploring the nature of the clients difficulties,† (Woods amp; Hollis, 2000, p. 131) is a dynamic step in developing a rapport with the client. By trying to figure out what is going on with the client and working together on the problem shows the client that they are values as a person and that the social worker cares about them as a person as well as their treatment process.Sustainment can also be beneficial to use when dealing with multicultural client like Kim Le. By understanding her background and sympathizing with the difficulties of being a minority that can help reduce the anxiety she is feeling about being in therapy. It is common knowledge that the Asian cultural has very specific social etiquettes that differ significantly from that of the American culture. B y â€Å"being aware of different cultural groups meanings to certain non-verbal behaviors,† (Hepworth et al, 2012, p. 166) it can help eliminate counterproductive communication patterns.The first step a social worker can do to make sure that they are not silently offending their clients is by simply being aware of their non-verbal behaviors. For example, if I were a male therapist, it might be considered disrespectful if I looked Kim Le directly in her eyes during our session. So I would need to be aware of where I was looking so that Kim Le could remain as comfortable as possible. Differences and Similarities One similarity I can see between me and Kim Le as the client is that we are both minorities and have certain barriers to deal with because of our ethnicity.Our therapist must be cultural competent and aware of our ethnic differences to be able to work with us effectively, and to be able to gain our trust. It is important for us to have social worker to be empathetic of our situation when it comes to dealing with the obstacle our ethnicities gives us. One big difference is that, even though we are both minorities, she is the first generation of her family to be born in the United States. Our cultures differ tremendously because I am very much American in my culture and spiritual practices while Kim Le probably does not even speak English at home with her family.Although that difference may seem minuet it is significant enough for a social worker to consider when working with individuals with those differences. For Kim Le, she not only has to deal with being Chinese in America, but she also has to deal with being American in a Chinese household. I do not have to deal with that duel cultural identity. For a social worker is important to see those little differences between their clients and be able to understand them and work with them. It shows the client how invested you are in their care and it also makes you a well-rounded social worker. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Work Practice Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social Work Practice Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social Work Practice Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Seismoscope Is One of the Great Chinese Inventions

The Seismoscope Is One of the Great Chinese Inventions There are few things more disconcerting than the sensation of the seemingly-solid Earth suddenly rolling and pitching beneath ones feet. As a result, humans have sought ways to measure or even predict earthquakes for thousands of years. Although we still cant accurately predict earthquakes, humans have come a long way in detecting, recording, and measuring seismic shocks. This process began nearly 2000 years ago, with the invention of the first seismoscope in China. The First Seismoscope In 132 CE, inventor, Imperial Historian, and Royal Astronomer Zhang Heng displayed his amazing earthquake-detection machine, or seismoscope, at the court of the Han Dynasty. Zhangs seismoscope was a giant bronze vessel, resembling a barrel almost 6 feet in diameter. Eight dragons snaked face-down along the outside of the barrel, marking the primary compass directions. In each dragons mouth was a small bronze ball. Beneath the dragons sat eight bronze toads, with their broad mouths gaping to receive the balls. We dont know exactly what the first seismoscope looked like. Descriptions from the time give us an idea about the size of the instrument and the mechanisms that made it work. Some sources also note that the outside of the seismoscopes body was beautifully engraved with mountains, birds, tortoises, and other animals, but the original source of this information is difficult to trace. The exact mechanism that caused a ball to drop in the event of an earthquake also is not known. One theory is that a thin stick was set loosely down the center of the barrel. An earthquake would cause the stick to topple over in the direction of the seismic shock, triggering one of the dragons to open its mouth and release the bronze ball. Another theory posits that a baton was suspended from the lid of the instrument as a free-swinging pendulum. When the pendulum swung widely enough to strike the side of the barrel, it would cause the closest dragon to release its ball. The sound of the ball striking the toads mouth would alert observers to the earthquake. This would give a rough indication of the earthquakes direction of origin, but it did not provide any information about the intensity of the tremors. Proof of Concept Zhangs wonderful machine was called houfeng didong yi, meaning an instrument for measuring the winds and the movements of the Earth. In earthquake-prone China, this was an important invention.   In one instance, just six years after the device was invented, a large quake estimated at a magnitude seven struck what is now Gansu Province. People in the Han Dynastys capital city of Luoyang, 1,000 miles away, did not feel the shock. However, the seismoscope alerted the emperors government to the fact that a quake had struck somewhere to the west. This is the first known instance of scientific equipment detecting an earthquake that had not been felt by humans in the area. The seismoscopes findings were confirmed several days later when messengers arrived in Luoyang to report a major earthquake in Gansu. ChineseSeismoscopes on the Silk Road? Chinese records indicate that other inventors and tinkerers in the court improved upon Zhang Hengs design for the seismoscope over the centuries that followed. The idea seems to have spread westward across Asia, probably carried along the Silk Road.   By the 13th century, a similar seismoscope was in use in Persia, although the historical record does not provide a clear link between the Chinese and Persian devices. It is possible that the great thinkers of Persia hit upon a similar idea independently.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Is the New SAT Harder 6 Challenging Changes

Is the New SAT Harder 6 Challenging Changes SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Significant changes are coming to the SAT in 2016, but the effect they'll have on the student experience is debatable. Is the new SAT harder?It's impossible to tell for sure without any data on new score patterns. In the meantime, we can make a few predictions for how the changes to the format and content of the test could increase its difficulty. In this article, I'll give you an overview of the changes to the test, list some factors that might make it more challenging, and suggest study strategies for students who may struggle on the new SAT. Overview of Changes for the New SAT You should know some relevant background information before we dive into the reasons the test might be more challenging.Here’s a summary of changes you can expect on the new SAT.For more details, check out this article. Overall Format: The new SAT will be out of 1600 points instead of 2400 points. The Reading and Writing (which is now called Writing and Language) sections will be compressed into one section worth 800 points (Math will still have its own section). There will be four answer choices for each question instead of five. There are only four sections plus the essay, similar to the structure of the ACT (Reading, Writing and Language, Math with no calculator, and Math with a calculator). Reading: There will be no more sentence completion questions (all questions are passage-based)! Some questions will ask you to identify textual evidence for your answers to previous questions. You'll see data interpretation questions that will ask you to read charts and graphs that relate to the passages. Writing and Language: All questions will be based on longer passages rather than individual sentences. Writing style (paragraph structure, making logical arguments) will be more important than it was on the old test. You'll see a few data interpretation questions on this section as well. Essay: It's gonna be optional! You'll get 50 minutes instead of 25 You will need to analyze an argument that you read in a passage rather than writing a personal opinion-based response to a prompt. Your essay score won’t impact your Reading and Writing score. Math: There will be some trigonometry on the test. Some problems will have more than one part. There's a no calculator section. Questions will deal with real-world scenarios more frequently, and there will be fewer â€Å"tricky† questions. Ooh so many shiny new changes! Why Might It Be Harder? Here are a few reasons why I think the new SAT could be harder in general. You Can’t Memorize Vocabulary for Points One of the major changes on the new SAT is that there are no more sentence completion questions.The College Board is trying to de-emphasize knowledge of obscure vocabulary words on the test.Many of these words are not relevant to students after high school, and there have been claims that the old sentence completion questions favor wealthier students.On the new SAT, you will see vocabulary in context questions rather than sentence completion questions.These questions will refer to a word in the passage and ask you to choose the answer that represents its most accurate definition given the context. With this new format, memorizing lists of SAT words won’t help you much.You’ll need to have strong overall reading comprehension skills to understand nuances in the definitions of more common words.It’s harder to study for these questions than it might be to study for sentence completion questions because the skills you need are usually acquired over time through independent reading rather than by studying vocab flashcards. Domino Effect on Reading Questions Another new feature on the Reading section is the inclusion of â€Å"find the evidence† questions.You’ll get a question about a reading passage that requires you to make an inferred conclusion.Then, the next question will ask you to choose the evidence that you used for your answer.You’ll have a choice of four different quotes from the passage. I describe this as a â€Å"domino effect† because if you get the first question wrong (or can’t decide on an answer), you’ll probably get the second one wrong too.Even if you get the first question right, you might not be able to pinpoint the quote that fits best as evidence.Since one question relies on the other, it’s easy for things to get messy. I'm presenting this view of the situation because this article is about how the test might be harder. However, it's also possible that these types of questions will make things easier for you instead. Seeing potential direct evidence for your answer might make you realize a mistake on the previous question and actually help to improve your score. I think it's likely that this will balance out the problem. Noooo skinny naked Pillsbury Doughboy! What have you done?! More Reading Overall The new SAT involves a lot more reading than the current (soon to be old) SAT.All the Reading questions are based on passages.Even the Writing questions will reference parts of passages rather than isolated sentences.The essay also involves more reading because you’re asked to analyze an argument made in a passage rather than just reading a short prompt and responding to it. Less Room for Subjectivity and Variation on the Essay The essay is changing a lot on the new version of the test.Whereas before you had to form an opinion and make up your own examples, now you will be asked to analyze an author’s argument. This will make for stricter grading criteria and less flexibility in general.On the new essay, there will be pretty clear correct and incorrect responses. Data Interpretation Questions The new SAT is going to have graphs on the Reading and Writing sections! The horror!This actually isn’t so bad, but it’s different from anything the College Board has done on the test in the past.These new types of questions could be confusing or challenging for some students who aren’t comfortable drawing conclusions in this context (or have avoided the ACT because of the Science section!). More Advanced Math and Writing Content Math problems will get a little more in-depth with the inclusion of word problems that have more than one part in the grid-in section.Higher-level concepts will be tested, including a light sprinkling of basic trigonometry. The Writing section will also test a wider variety of concepts that may be more challenging. The old Writing section primarily focused on grammatical rules, whereas the new SAT Writing section will ask more questions about stylistic choices within long passages.For example, questions will ask you to determine where a sentence belongs logically in a paragraph. Thankfully, only Writing style matters on the new SAT, not sartorial style. You can wear a burlap sack to the test for all I care (but I wouldn't recommend it; that stuff is distractingly itchy). Will It Be Harder for You? How Can You Prepare? It depends partially on what kind of student you are.I’ll go through a few different qualities that might cause students to struggle on the new test and provide prep strategies to help you combat these problems. Case #1: You Tend to Rely on Memorization Like I said in the previous section, memorizing vocabulary words won’t help you much on the new SAT. If you’re a really intense studier and were hoping to ace the Reading section based on memorization skills, you might have some trouble.Understanding meaning in context will be a critical skill, so on-the-spot analytical thinking is more important than remembering the dictionary definition of â€Å"obsequious.† You should still know what obsequious means, though, because it's a fun word, and it describes a lot of people. Study Strategies: Practice with passage-based questions.The best remedy for this issue is to get more comfortable with answering the types of questions that are hard for you.Although there are limited practice resources for the new SAT, passage-based questions on the old SAT will still be helpful to you for this purpose. You can also practice reading comprehension in your daily life.Set aside time every day to read a couple of challenging articles online.Learning through experience is the easiest way to build better reading comprehension skills. Case #2: You’re a Slow Reader The new SAT will have way more reading than the current version, which means that time problems are more likely to happen.All questions in both the Reading and Writing portions are based off of passages rather than individual sentences.If you had trouble with time on the Reading section in the past, the new test might end up being harder. Study Strategies: Again, I’d recommend setting aside more time for independent reading.You can also try and build up your speed by taking practice tests.The key is to start preparing early so that you have time to improve; reading quickly and comprehensively is a skill that you won’t learn overnight. You can also practice with the ACT English and Reading sections.ACT English is very similar to the new SAT Writing section because it’s all based on passages.It's a good idea to check out some strategies for ACT English that will give you better ways to approach this new format.ACT Reading is pretty different from SAT Reading in terms of what the questions look like, but if you’re just trying to improve your reading speed, you should time yourself and try to complete the section. Case #3: You’re Less Confident in Math and Science The new SAT will test slightly more advanced concepts in Math, and it will also include a bit of data interpretation.If the Math section is the scariest part of the SAT for you, the new test could be more of a challenge.Math will also make up a greater proportion of your score with the elimination of the separate Writing section (half of the test versus a third).Your math skills will have a greater influence on your overall performance. Study Strategies: You can also use the ACT as a resource in this situation.The ACT Science section will give you some practice with data interpretation questions.ACT Math problems are more aligned with the format of the math section on the new SAT as well (trigonometry, more straightforward problems).Make sure you’re comfortable with any formulas that might show up on the test.You can also buy a review book that’s specifically designed to improve your math skills. If all you see when you look at this image is a terrible drawing of a staircase, you might have reason to be concerned about the new SAT. Conclusion: Is the New SAT Harder? That really depends on what's challenging for you! Changes thatmight make the testmore difficult include: Memorization won’t help you as much Some reading questions depend on one another There’s more reading overall The essay has a less flexible grading structure You’ll have to do some data interpretation Math and Writing concepts are a little more advanced You personally may find the new SAT particularly difficult if: You tend to rely on memorization for your vocabulary knowledge Speed reading is not your forte Your skills in Reading and Writing are significantly stronger than your skills in Math The good news is that now you know what’s going to be on the test, and you can prepare accordingly.If you think you might struggle, make sure you plan your studying well in advance so that you aren’t caught off guard by the demands of the new format. What's Next? How can you set an appropriate goal for your score on the new SAT? Read this article for some advice on calculating a target score based on your plans for college. The new SAT is similar to the ACT in many ways. Check out this article for a full breakdown of the difference and similarities between the two tests. Should you even take the new SAT, or is the ACT a better choice? This article will guide you in figuring out which one suits you better. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Enclosed in attachment. (Psychology) Research Paper

Enclosed in attachment. (Psychology) - Research Paper Example Creative cognition is defined as the approach that is used to explain the role of cognitive processes in the process of creative thinking. The main objective of the science dealing with the creative cognition is to be able to determine the components of the creative process. Through years of study and in depth empirical data analysis, it has been concluded that the process of creative thinking acts on a multitude of different processes. It is not limited to a certain psychological area or component that can be labeled as its own. This conclusion then makes it a challenge to limit the components and mechanisms that are involved in the process of creative cognition (Smith, Ward and Finke, 1995). One of the main issues in the study of creative cognition is the basis of mechanism. One group believes in the evidences pertaining to the fact that creative cognition is based on expertise. On the other hand, an opposing side purports that creative cognitions is based on insight. The aim of the paper is to present an analysis of the two opposing sides on the basis of the available evidences. By being based on expertise, it means that creative cognition is a structured process of psychological and mental activity. This can be considered analogous to a ‘systematic and well-organized’ manner of mental processes that are structured in different aspects (Stemberg, 1999, p.208). Based on the evidences related to the said concept, when the brain is given a particular problem to resolve, the automatic reaction is an analysis based on memory. This can be considered as logical resolutions to different stimuli. For example one issue is tackled, different parts of the brain related to the said issue is activated. This can be related to the popular saying that ‘experience is the best teacher.’ Due to the fact that the brain has stored information related to the issue, processing of the data is more efficient (Gabora,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 93

Assignment Example The story reveals to the reader just how unfair identity prejudice restricted on women choices during the time period. The theme of gendered identity and roles gets illuminated throughout the book. This can be revealed when the author states that she liked to work outside while she noted that her mother worked inside. As a young girl, the narrator tells of how happy she was to work outside with her father who was a fox farmer. She liked being a hired hand that helped to bring water to the foxes, cutting grass, and watering plants. She notes that her mother worked inside the house concerning herself with housekeeping and particularly in the kitchen where she prepared foods such as jam, jelly, and preserves. The narrator notes of how her mother would on a number of occasions constantly try to negotiate with her father on getting her to work in the house more. This gendered view presented in the story is quite telling as it shows the place of the woman in the society back in the time period. Women got resigned to housekeeping and the kitchen as their traditional roles. The story is also interesting given the narrator persistence at trying to break down the social view on gendered roles at the time. As a young girl, she dreams of herself rescuing people from a building that got bombed. As an oldest child, she takes it upon herself to help her father with her pelting business which was traditionally a male chore. Through various descriptions in the book, the reader notes of the young girl’s adventurous nature, physical strength, courage, and her imaginativeness. As a young girl, she is clearly impervious to the concept of gendered roles. She happily dreams of opportunities that call for boldness, courage, and self-sacrifice. This illustrates her free spirit as a young girl that later becomes curtailed by societal conceptions of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Romeo and Juliet, analytical essay Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet, analytical essay Essay Romeo and Juliet is an extremely well-known play written by William Shakespeare in the late 1590s. It is a story about an ancient rivalry between two wealthy families which is defied by two teenage star-crossed lovers who tragically die. The play was set in the Elizabethan era in Verona Italy. Despite that the play was written four hundred years ago it continues to capture the imaginations of teenagers in the 21st century, and the themes within the play are still seen in modern culture. These themes include infatuation, emotional extremity and rebellion. Romeo and Juliet is the most famous love story in English literature history, infatuation is naturally the play’s foremost and most significant theme as Romeo and Juliet become infatuated with each other in an impossible situation. Romeo and his friends have crashed the Capulet’s party and Romeo has just laid eyes on Juliet, Romeo says â€Å"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiopia’s ear; Shakespeare’s use of metaphor â€Å"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! † (1. 5. 2) reflects Romeo’s extreme infatuation with Juliet as he idolises her, Romeo is saying how beautiful and glowing Juliet is by comparing her to the stars. The love between Romeo and Juliet can come across as immature and impulsive which is why it is also known as infatuation. Teenagers in the 21st century still have these impulsive emotions which cause them to make immature decisions which aren’t thought through clearly with all the outcomes considered; examples of these impulsive actions are sexting, and having an un-committed sexual relationship. Romeo’s wild emotions majorly impact those directly around him, especially Juliet. Romeo’s emotions are always very intense and usually change quite quickly without much thought to the previous matter which caused his emotions to go wild in the first place. Juliet is impacted by these extreme emotions as seen later in the play that Juliet’s level headedness is thrown out the window and quickly replaced with similar intense emotions just like Romeo. These emotions are seen commonly among teenagers now days, due to raging hormones and increasing pressure from other substantial causes, irrational mood swings and impulsive decisions

Thursday, November 14, 2019

At the Gym Essay -- Literary Analysis, Mark Doty

At the Gym, written by Mark Doty, dramatizes the conflict within the mind of a bodybuilder and his desire to change who and what he is. The speaker observes the routines of the bodybuilder bench-pressing at a local gym, and attempts to explain the driving force that compels him to change his appearance. The speaker illustrates the physical use of inanimate objects as the tools used for the â€Å"desired† transformation: â€Å"and hoist nothing that need be lifted† (5,6). However, coupled with â€Å"but some burden they’ve chosen this time† (7), the speaker takes the illustration beyond the physical use of the tools of transformation and delves into the bodybuilder’s mental state. The speaker ends by portraying the bodybuilder as an arrogant, muscular being with fragile feelings of insecurity. Similar to a church altar where baptisms take place, the speaker begins by depicting the bench press as an altar of change and transformation. Illustrating the setting in this manner suggests that the speaker begins to wonders what drives the bodybuilder to lift an inanimate object repeatedly w...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How important are staff/management relations? Essay

A good relationship between staff and management is one in which each party respects and trusts one another, communicates with and understands one another and understands clearly what is expected of each other. Each party must make a fair contribution towards satisfying the interests of the other party. Demands placed on each other must be reasonable. Compromise and co-operation both play important roles in safeguarding the interests of the business while also satisfying the conflicting interests of it’s workforce. It is imperative to build and maintain healthy staff/management relations for the following reasons. Good relations help to prevent disputes and if conflict does arise it can be better resolved between staff and management who have already developed a good working relationship which helps to ensure as little disruption to normal operations as possible. Good staff/management relations lead to high morale amongst a workforce. A happy workforce is a more productive one. The employer will also find it easier to retain its employees. Poor relations can lead to an unhappy workforce and dissatisfied management which is likely to result in reduced productivity and the overall failure of the business. The interests of a company and the interests of it’s workforce are often in conflict with each other. A number of practices must be in place in order to simultaneously satisfy the needs of both the business and of it’s people. When an employee first joins a company, they must be given a contract which clearly states what is expected of them in their role and what remuneration he/she will receive. The contract, terms and conditions must make it clear what the employee can expect from it’s employment. The employee must also be made aware of all relevant company polices and procedures particularly regarding conduct, sickness, disciplinary procedures and grievances possibly via a company handbook, intranet website or induction. Without having been given the necessary information in the first place, it is unreasonable for any employer to expect compliance with rules. There must be a clear organizational structure in place so that staff members know who they report to and this helps to instill a respect for authoritative positions. However in order to earn respect from it’s staff, management must undergo regular training to ensure they possess the necessary skills to manage the workforce well. Sufficient training must be given to staff members to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to carry out their role. Performance appraisals should take place to assess performance, identify problem areas and to reward excellence. This is beneficial to both the company and the staff member as poor performance can be corrected and well performing staff members benefit from recognition. Reviews of conditions and pay should take place in order to keep up with change and competition. Competitors may not only ‘steal’ customers but could ‘steal’ a workforce if they can offer them more. Retaining a workforce will keep recruitment and training costs to a minimum. Monetary rewards are not always enough to motivate staff. It may be necessary in some situations to motivate staff using other incentives such as awards, promotional prospects, shares and staff discounts. It is necessary that management and staff have effective methods of communicating with each other such as email, newsletters or meetings. Staff must have means of expressing themselves and providing feedback upwards which can be done through surveys or even informal discussions. With effective communications, problems can be identified early and resolved quickly. Using the above mentioned practices a better working relationship can be established between management and staff ensuring the success of the company and the well being of its workforce.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

How do I know anything?

The Film The Matrix was a Box Office hit due to the idea it presented to the audience. Even though Descartes' Meditations inspired the film, the idea of living in a computer simulated environment was an interesting, original concept that had been created recently. It opened up a question, how do I know anything? It is possible that we may be living in a computer-simulated environment, or in a big dream of some sort. We are unable to prove any of this at the moment, which could then possibly lead to scepticism about this theory. The only real argument to support the theory is to use the fact that our government keeps information confidential from the public, for a number of reasons. This demonstrates that there are things that we do not know; therefore, we should not totally doubt what we do not know, and that we may be living in a simulated environment. There is also the problem of perception. It is easy for us to perceive something to be different to what it really is. Magicians use optical illusions to fool us. If we are living in a simulated environment, then how can we break ourselves away from the perception that we are in, to separate ourselves from the simulation, and find out what the other reality is like? The closest technology has come to simulating environments is virtual reality. The environment is simulated, allowing humans to interact, although they may be elsewhere. The graphics within virtual reality are still basic, and this is one of the reasons why we are able to recognise virtual reality as being different to reality. Another reason is that virtual reality does not cause you to feel pain. Whether Virtual Reality is comparable to the neural-simulated environment in The Matrix, VR is the closest thing we have to relate to the theory. However, VR could be as real as reality if it had realistic models of physics (e.g. feather and coin fall at the same rate in a vacuum), better graphics, and the ability to stimulate the body into experiencing physical feelings of pain, heat and cold, etc. Another problem with doing this is having a computer powerful enough to process all this information via calculations. IBM have developed a supercomputer that can calculate the force of nuclear explosions. Does a computer exist powerful enough to simulate the reality we live in exactly? If it does, then the theory proposed by the film could be right. Another concern brought up by the film was about A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). In the film, A.I. developments created intelligent, living computers. Machines are physically better than man in many ways. They do not excrete, need tea breaks at work, sleep, be lazy, require wages, things that humans do. They are more efficient than humans. However, Humans have consciences, imaginations, and the ability to think. Computers do not have this. If computers did have this, they may be worth more than human life. Once recognising their status and power, it is possible that they may consider the human race to be inefficient, and may then start to eliminate humanity, like in The Matrix and The Terminator. This is something we have to be wary about when we decide to improve A.I., whether it be in industrial machines, home appliances, or computer games. If AI started to have a mind of its own, would anyone be willing to corrupt it, and turn it against others? It could be something terrorists would do to disrupt the activities of Governments around the globe? It may not be possible for machines to be a living, independent-thinking species. Computers work by calculations. Let us take an example. Home appliance in the future; greets person as they get in the door. A sensor will detect that the door is opening. It activates another smart sensor to identify that person. It is the house-owner. It greets with ‘hello'. The house-owner says ‘hello' back. The appliance uses a sensor to detect the reply, and assesses it not only for vocal identification, but to determine what mood the person is in. It will then choose a speech passage suited to the mood of the person. E.g. the person has a cold, so the computer tells the person that they are making a warm glass of Lemon and Honey for them, and ordering for a prescription of medicine to the doctor. Another sensor in the house will scan the person and send the details of the cold to the doctor, allowing the doctor to prescribe the right medication. The person will say ‘thanks', and the appliance will say ‘your welcome'. All this could happen just by entering the door and saying hello. The computer can display signs of compassion, but will not actually feel them. This will be a major mountain to conquer in the development of Artificial Intelligent Life. Commercially, Artificial Intelligence is still under development, and will take some time before it can resemble anything human. Overall, Technology will get better, and maybe we will discover if the simulated neural environment theory is right.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Analyzing Mеdical Improvеmеnts from 1900 to 1999

Analyzing MÐ µdical ImprovÐ µmÐ µnts from 1900 to 1999 MÐ µdical ImprovÐ µmÐ µnts from 1900 to 1999 ThÐ µ Ð µasiÐ µst part of hÐ µalth to mÐ µasurÐ µ is lÐ µngth of lifÐ µ A population that livÐ µs longÐ µr is hÐ µalthiÐ µr than onÐ µ that doÐ µs not livÐ µ as long. OnÐ µ of thÐ µ grÐ µatÐ µst concÐ µrns for physicians and sciÐ µntists havÐ µ always bÐ µÃ µn child mortality, which, historically, has bÐ µÃ µn high duÐ µ to widÐ µsprÐ µad infÐ µctious disÐ µasÐ µs an lack of propÐ µr trÐ µatmÐ µnt. ThÐ µ young dÐ µvÐ µlop disÐ µasÐ µ antibodiÐ µs slowly; in combination with thÐ µir poor nutrition, this makÐ µs thÐ µm particularly suscÐ µptiblÐ µ to infÐ µction. In an Ð µra without Ð µffÐ µctivÐ µ trÐ µatmÐ µnt for infÐ µctious disÐ µasÐ µ, thÐ µsÐ µ infÐ µctions wÐ µrÐ µ frÐ µquÐ µntly fatal. OvÐ µr timÐ µ, sÐ µvÐ µral factors combinÐ µd to rÐ µducÐ µ infÐ µctious disÐ µasÐ µ mortality. Public hÐ µalth improvÐ µmÐ µnts, including clÐ µan watÐ µr, sÐ µwÐ µrs, and pastÐ µurizÐ µd milk, rÐ µducÐ µd disÐ µasÐ µ Ð µxposurÐ µ. PÐ µrsonal hÐ µalth practicÐ µs such as hand washing and propÐ µr food storagÐ µ wÐ µrÐ µ important too. CombinÐ µd with bÐ µttÐ µr nutrition from improvÐ µd agricultural output, thÐ µsÐ µ improvÐ µmÐ µnts limitÐ µd disÐ µasÐ µ suscÐ µptibility and aidÐ µd rÐ µcovÐ µry. ThÐ µ nÐ µt Ð µffÐ µct was a major rÐ µduction in ovÐ µrall mortality. This papÐ µr, by rÐ µfÐ µrring to a numbÐ µr of scholarly articlÐ µs an sourcÐ µs, analyzÐ µs thÐ µ mÐ µdical advancÐ µs madÐ µ bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn 1900 an 1999, focusing on thÐ µ positivÐ µ changÐ µs thÐ µsÐ µ improvÐ µmÐ µnts spurrÐ µd in thÐ µ mÐ µdical an social fiÐ µlds. It should bÐ µ notÐ µd that bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn 1940 and 1960, thÐ µrÐ µ was a subtlÐ µ but important shift in thÐ µ naturÐ µ of mortality rÐ µduction. InfÐ µctious disÐ µasÐ µ mortality continuÐ µd to dÐ µclinÐ µ, but formal mÐ µical carÐ µ bÐ µgan to play a largÐ µr rolÐ µ. ThÐ µ dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnt of sulfa drugs in thÐ µ 1930s and pÐ µnicillin in thÐ µ 1940s wÐ µrÐ µ thÐ µ most significant Ð µvÐ µnts in mÐ µdicinÐ µ (CutlÐ µr and MÐ µara 78). Antibiotics wÐ µrÐ µ wondÐ µr trÐ µatmÐ µnts for infÐ µctions. By 1960, infÐ µctious disÐ µasÐ µ mortality had bÐ µÃ µn substantially Ð µliminatÐ µd. Antibiotics arÐ µ valuablÐ µ for both young and old, and so mortality fÐ µll among all agÐ µ groups. In thÐ µ mid-twÐ µntiÐ µth cÐ µntury, rÐ µsÐ µarchÐ µrs saw thÐ µ first rÐ µal incrÐ µasÐ µ in lifÐ µ Ð µxpÐ µctancy at oldÐ µr agÐ µs (CutlÐ µr and MÐ µara 83). ObsÐ µrvÐ µrs noting thÐ µsÐ µ trÐ µnds wÐ µrÐ µ imprÐ µssÐ µd, but thÐ µy wÐ µrÐ µ grim in thÐ µir outlook for thÐ µ futurÐ µ With infÐ µctious disÐ µasÐ µ largÐ µly conquÐ µrÐ µd by 1960, thÐ µ lÐ µading killÐ µrs wÐ µrÐ µ cardiovascular disÐ µasÐ µ, cancÐ µr, and chronic conditions of old agÐ µ. ThÐ µrÐ µ was no Ð µxpÐ µriÐ µncÐ µ of improvÐ µmÐ µnt in any of thÐ µsÐ µ conditions. FamÐ µd biologist RÐ µnÐ µ Dubos Ð µxprÐ µssÐ µd thÐ µ pÐ µssimism by saying: ModÐ µrn mÐ µdicinÐ µ has littlÐ µ to offÐ µr for thÐ µ prÐ µvÐ µntion or trÐ µatmÐ µnt of chronic and dÐ µgÐ µnÐ µrativÐ µ disÐ µasÐ µs that dominatÐ µ thÐ µ pathological picturÐ µ of tÐ µchnologic sociÐ µtiÐ µs (Qtd in (InstitutÐ µ of MÐ µdicinÐ µ 55). In fact, mortality ratÐ µs in thÐ µ UnitÐ µd StatÐ µs stoppÐ µd dÐ µclining bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn thÐ µ mid-1950s and thÐ µ latÐ µ 1960s. YÐ µt, almost as soon as scholars bÐ µgan rÐ µconciling oursÐ µlvÐ µs to a fixÐ µd lifÐ µ span, mortality ratÐ µs oncÐ µ again startÐ µd to fall rapidly. That dÐ µclinÐ µ continuÐ µs. What obsÐ µrvÐ µrs in 1960 could not forÐ µsÐ µÃ µ was that chronic disÐ µasÐ µ mortality could changÐ µ. Cardiovascular disÐ µasÐ µ mortality lÐ µd thÐ µ way. BÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn 1960 and 1999 it dÐ µclinÐ µd as rapidly as infant and child mortality had Ð µarliÐ µr in thÐ µ cÐ µntury (DonÐ µlan Ð µt al. 211). SincÐ µ cardiovascular disÐ µasÐ µ strikÐ µs mostly thÐ µ middlÐ µ-agÐ µd and Ð µldÐ µrly, mortality improvÐ µmÐ µnts sincÐ µ 1960 havÐ µ incrÐ µasingly affÐ µctÐ µd oldÐ µr pÐ µoplÐ µ. MÐ µdical advancÐ µs in trÐ µating a numbÐ µr of sÐ µrious illnÐ µssÐ µs rÐ µprÐ µsÐ µnt a fundamÐ µntal changÐ µ in thÐ µ naturÐ µ of hÐ µalth improvÐ µmÐ µnts. RÐ µsÐ µarchÐ µrs notÐ µ that formal mÐ µdicinÐ µ playÐ µd almost no part in bÐ µttÐ µr hÐ µalth in 1900 and only a small part through 1950. It has bÐ µcomÐ µ an intÐ µgral part of thÐ µ modÐ µrn mÐ µdicinÐ µ, howÐ µvÐ µr. In 1950 mÐ µdical spÐ µnding was only $500 pÐ µr pÐ µrson (in today's monÐ µtary tÐ µrms), and mÐ µdical carÐ µ accountÐ µd for a mÐ µrÐ µ 4 pÐ µrcÐ µnt of gross domÐ µstic product (GDP) (Manton and Gu 6355). Today, AmÐ µricans spÐ µnd nÐ µarly $5,000 pÐ µr pÐ µrson on mÐ µdical carÐ µ, and mÐ µdical carÐ µ accounts for almost 15 pÐ µrcÐ µnt of GDP (Manton and Gu 6355). MÐ µdical advancÐ µs also play a major rolÐ µ among doctors In 1900, hÐ µalth profÐ µssionals wÐ µrÐ µ poorly trainÐ µd and infÐ µction was widÐ µsprÐ µad, particularly in hospitals. ThÐ µ systÐ µm had improvÐ µd by 1950 but was still not grÐ µat. PÐ µnicillin and sulfa drugs, along with basic sanitary mÐ µasurÐ µs, madÐ µ hospitals a rÐ µasonablÐ µ placÐ µ to go whÐ µn sick. MÐ µdical school training had improvÐ µd (Manton and Gu 6356). HowÐ µvÐ µr, lack of knowlÐ µdgÐ µ was a major limiting factor. Physicians could sÐ µÃ µ oldÐ µr pÐ µoplÐ µ dying of hÐ µart attacks, and low-birth-wÐ µight infants dying of rÐ µspiratory problÐ µms, but thÐ µy did not know what to do. At thÐ µ timÐ µ, doctors wÐ µrÐ µ gÐ µnÐ µralists. In 1950 thÐ µrÐ µ wÐ µrÐ µ vÐ µry fÐ µw mÐ µdical spÐ µcialtiÐ µs. ThÐ µrÐ µ was a division bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn mÐ µdicinÐ µ and surgÐ µry, but littlÐ µ Ð µlsÐ µ. ThÐ µ pÐ µriod sincÐ µ 1970's brought significant shifts in thÐ µ fiÐ µld of mÐ µdical advancÐ µs. Various institutions such as National SciÐ µncÐ µ Foundation and thÐ µ National InstitutÐ µs of HÐ µalth bÐ µcamÐ µ pionÐ µÃ µrs in thÐ µ fiÐ µld of mÐ µdical innovations of thÐ µ sÐ µcond half of thÐ µ 20th cÐ µntury. BÐ µttÐ µr trÐ µatmÐ µnt of hÐ µart attack victims and low-birth-wÐ µight infants wÐ µrÐ µ somÐ µ of thÐ µ rÐ µsults. ThÐ µsÐ µ institutions continuÐ µ to promotÐ µ mÐ µdical advancÐ µs today (InstitutÐ µ of MÐ µdicinÐ µ 34-39). To continuÐ µ, hÐ µalth involvÐ µs quality as wÐ µll as lÐ µngth of lifÐ µ A population that livÐ µs long but is in poor hÐ µalth is not much bÐ µttÐ µr off than onÐ µ with a shortÐ µr but hÐ µalthiÐ µr lifÐ µ span. Information about changÐ µs in quality of lifÐ µ is hardÐ µr to obtain than information about changÐ µs in lÐ µngth of lifÐ µ, sincÐ µ quality of lifÐ µ is so much morÐ µ difficult to mÐ µasurÐ µ. Still, onÐ µ can sÐ µÃ µ largÐ µ improvÐ µmÐ µnts ovÐ µr timÐ µ. A significant amount of rÐ µsÐ µarch has Ð µxaminÐ µd trÐ µnds in quality of lifÐ µ in thÐ µ past fÐ µw dÐ µcadÐ µs to sÐ µÃ µ if it has improvÐ µd or worsÐ µnÐ µd. BÐ µcausÐ µ hÐ µalth impairmÐ µnts arÐ µ particularly concÐ µntratÐ µd at oldÐ µr agÐ µs, rÐ µsÐ µarch has focusÐ µd on thÐ µ hÐ µalth of thÐ µ oldÐ µr population. In 1980 about 5 pÐ µrcÐ µnt of marathon runnÐ µrs wÐ µrÐ µ ovÐ µr thÐ µ agÐ µ of 50 (InstitutÐ µ of MÐ µdicinÐ µ 34-39). This numbÐ µr has doublÐ µd by 1999 (InstitutÐ µ of MÐ µdicinÐ µ 34-39). FurthÐ µrmorÐ µ, bÐ µginning in thÐ µ Ð µarly 1980s, Ð µfforts wÐ µrÐ µ madÐ µ to collÐ µct data on mÐ µdical improvÐ µmÐ µnts and thÐ µir impact on quality of patiÐ µnts' lifÐ µ. RÐ µsÐ µarchÐ µrs dÐ µvÐ µlopÐ µd survÐ µys that mÐ µasurÐ µd undÐ µrlying physical functioning, not rÐ µport of disÐ µasÐ µ. PÐ µoplÐ µ wÐ µrÐ µ askÐ µd about thÐ µir ability to pÐ µrform basic activitiÐ µs suc h as bathing, Ð µating, and walking, and social tasks such as shopping, managing monÐ µy, and doing light housÐ µwork. HÐ µalth survÐ µys with thÐ µsÐ µ quÐ µstions havÐ µ bÐ µÃ µn administÐ µrÐ µd widÐ µly and consistÐ µntly to largÐ µ numbÐ µrs of Ð µldÐ µrly pÐ µoplÐ µ sincÐ µ thÐ µ Ð µarly 1980s. ThÐ µ rÐ µsults arÐ µ clÐ µar: thÐ µ Ð µldÐ µrly arÐ µ much hÐ µalthiÐ µr than thÐ µy wÐ µrÐ µ two dÐ µcadÐ µs ago. ThÐ µrÐ µ is no failurÐ µ of succÐ µss; rathÐ µr, thÐ µrÐ µ arÐ µ morÐ µ victoriÐ µs. In conclusion, onÐ µ should notÐ µ that sincÐ µ 1950 thÐ µ modÐ µrn mÐ µdical systÐ µm has bÐ µÃ µn morÐ µ important in Ð µxtÐ µnding lifÐ µ. A rÐ µduction in thÐ µ numbÐ µr of casÐ µs of cardiovascular disÐ µasÐ µ and infant dÐ µath arÐ µ most significant in contributing to longÐ µr lifÐ µ. Physical disability has dÐ µcrÐ µasÐ µd as wÐ µll. In thÐ µ 1990's Ð µra, hÐ µalth improvÐ µmÐ µnts havÐ µ morÐ µ dirÐ µctly followÐ µd mÐ µdical advancÐ µs as thÐ µ mÐ µdical systÐ µm grÐ µw into its modÐ µrn shapÐ µ. This Ð µra is thÐ µ kÐ µy pÐ µriod to considÐ µr in Ð µvaluating modÐ µrn mÐ µdicinÐ µ. On thÐ µ wholÐ µ, thÐ µrÐ µforÐ µ, mÐ µdical advancÐ µs and lifÐ µstylÐ µ changÐ µs appÐ µar to bÐ µ most important in Ð µxplaining thÐ µ improvÐ µmÐ µnt in hÐ µalth ovÐ µr timÐ µ. Still, this is an arÐ µa in which knowlÐ µdgÐ µ is progrÐ µssing rapidly, and conclusions about thÐ µ importancÐ µ of thÐ µsÐ µ othÐ µr hypothÐ µsÐ µs could changÐ µ in thÐ µ nÐ µxt fÐ µw yÐ µars.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Harris Matrix Tool Used to Comprehend the Archaeological Past

The Harris Matrix Tool Used to Comprehend the Archaeological Past The Harris Matrix (or Harris-Winchester matrix) is a tool developed between 1969-1973 by Bermudian archaeologist Edward Cecil Harris to assist in the examination and interpretation of the stratigraphy of archaeological sites. The Harris matrix is specifically for the identification of both natural and cultural events which make up a sites history. The construction process of a Harris matrix compels the user to classify the various deposits in an archaeological site as representing events in the lifecycle of that site. A completed Harris Matrix is a schematic that clearly illustrates the history of an archaeological site, based on the archaeologists interpretation of the stratigraphy seen in the excavations. The History of an Archaeological Site All archaeological sites are palimpsests, that is to say, the end result of a series of events, including cultural events (a house was built, a storage pit was dug, a field was planted, the house was abandoned or torn down) and natural events (a flood or volcanic eruption covered the site, the house burned down, organic materials decayed). When the archaeologist walks onto a site, evidence of all those events is there in some form. The archaeologists job is to identify and record the evidence from those events  if the site and its components are to be understood. In turn, that documentation provides a guide to the context of the artifacts found at the site. Context means that artifacts recovered from the site mean something different if they are found in the construction foundations of the house rather than in the burned basement. If a potsherd was found within a foundation trench, it predates the use of the house; if it was found in the basement, perhaps only physically a few centimeters away from the foundation trench and maybe at the same level, it postdates the construction and may be in fact from after the house was abandoned. Using a Harris matrix allows you to order the chronology of a site, and to tie a particular context to a particular event. Classifying Stratigraphic Units to Context Archaeological sites are typically dug in square excavation units, and in levels, whether arbitrary (in 5 or 10 cm [2-4 inch] levels) or (if possible) natural levels, following the visible deposit lines. Information about every level that is excavated is recorded, including depth below surface and volume of soil excavated; artifacts recovered (which could include microscopic plant remains discovered in the laboratory); soil type, color and texture; and many other things as well. By identifying the contexts of a site, the archaeologist can assign Level 12 in excavation unit 36N-10E to the foundation trench, and Level 12 in excavation unit 36N-9E to the context within the basement. Harris Categories Harris recognized three types of relationships between unitsby which he meant groups of levels which share the same context: Units which have no direct stratigraphic correlationUnits which are in superpositionUnits which are correlated as parts of a once-whole deposit or feature The matrix also requires that you identify characteristics of those units: Units which are positive; that is to say, those that represent the upbuild of material to a siteNegative units; units such as pits or foundation trenches which involved the removal of soilInterfaces between those units History of the Harris Matrix Harris invented his matrix in the late 1960s and early 1970s during post-excavation analysis of site records from the 1960s excavation at Winchester, Hampshire in the UK. His first publication was in June 1979, the first edition of The Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. Originally designed for use on urban historic sites (which stratigraphy tends to be horrendously complex and jumbled), the Harris Matrix is applicable to any archaeological site and has also been used to document changes in historical architecture and rock art. Although there are some commercial software programs that assist in building a Harris matrix, Harris himself used no special tools other than a piece of plain gridded papera Microsoft Excel sheet would work just as well. Harris matrices may be compiled in the field as the archaeologist is recording the stratigraphy in her field notes, or in the laboratory, working from notes, photos, and maps. Sources Barros Garcà ­a JMB. 2004. The Use of the Harris Matrix to Document the Layers Removed during the Cleaning of Painted Surfaces. Studies in Conservation 49(4):245-258.Harris EC. 2014. Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. London: Academic Press.Harris EC, Brown III MR, and Brown GJ, editors. 2014. Practices in Archaeological Stratigraphy: Elsevier.Higginbotham E. 1985. Excavation Techniques in Historical Archaeology. Australian Journal of Historical Archaeology 3:8-14.Pearce DG. 2010. The Harris Matrix technique in the construction of relative chronologies of rock paintings in South Africa. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 65(192):148-153.Russell T. 2012. No one said it would be easy. Ordering San paintings using the Harris matrix: dangerously fallacious? A reply to David Pearce. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 67(196):267-272.Traxler Ch, and Neubauer W. 2008. The Harris Matrix composer, a new tool to manage archaeological stratigraphy. In: Ioannides M, Addiso n A, Georgopoulos A, and Kalisperis L, editors. Digital Heritage, Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia:  Cyprus. p 13-20. Wheeler K. 2000. Theoretical and Methodological Considerations for Excavating Privies. Historical Archaeology 34:3-19.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Should nurses (CRNAs) be able to administer anesthesia without doctor Essay

Should nurses (CRNAs) be able to administer anesthesia without doctor supervision - Essay Example ving gone through four year training and earned a degree in nursing, taken another two years in clinical training and worked in the field more than a decade, Clifford on his own was still not set to handle the unexpected dire situation. The training he underwent as a nurse had only equipped him with the skill to administer medicine, work the equipment, and ensure the smooth working of the procedural anesthesia delivery. In the recent past there has been a growing call for nurses (CRNAs) to be allowed to administer anesthesia without doctor supervision. This new development emanates from the 2001 changes made on regulations governing Medicare and Medicaid that allowed states to opt out of the requirement that CRNA be supervised. According to supporters of the move, the removal of the existing requirement works to increase access to health care, particularly for the people in the rural areas. Today, states such as Colorado have already embraced this new idea. This work argues out the p oint that it may be dangerous to allow CRNAs to administer anesthesia without the supervision of doctors. First, compared to physician anesthesiologists, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) training is limited especially when it comes to understanding medical response, medical diagnosis, and the ultra-complex operation of human body system. As in the case of Clifford, many nurses are likely to tense when faced with situation where such systems are under the influence of a drug induced coma, thus endangering the patient’s life (Kahana, 381-383). Supervisory doctors or physician anesthesiologists typically depict higher knowledge when compared to that acquired by CRNAs. This training places them in a better position to make on-the spot medical decisions frequently required when handling adverse situations in the operating room. The decisions include those made in the whole perioperative experience to even those depicted in the life-threatening circumstances. This is not

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Adapting to Changes and Situational Leadership Assignment

Adapting to Changes and Situational Leadership - Assignment Example The researcher further delivered some of the insinuations, findings and study limitations of integrated leadership roles in the public subdivision. One of the strengths presented in the article is increased morale due to better communication whereby the leader needs to constantly remain aware of the needs of his followers. Pauliene (2012) argues that’s successful leaders should examine the ability of employees and communicate effectively. This can enable the leaders to lead the followers successfully; hence enabling them to perform their task effectively. Secondly, situational leaders should develop a positive and sizeable effect on the performance level of the federal agencies; hence achieving success (Fernandez, Cho and Perry, 2010). However, situation leadership creates confusion; thus it is likely to impact the work performance. Lastly, leaders might lose credibility and trustworthiness by their followers; hence poor work performance in the public sectors. One of the examples of that applies to situation leadership is an example of a director that was working in one the HR department in one of the clothes industry in U.S. The director was involved in a situation whereby he was about to leave for a holiday and his task was to be handled by an experienced assistant director. The assistant was very familiar with his responsibilities; thus he was excited to perform the task. However, instead, the director could trust the knowledge and skills of the assistant director; he decided to spend hours drafting a detailed list of work tasks for the assistant director. Therefore, in this situation, the work will be done perfectly, but the director damages a good relationship with the assistant director due to lack of trust and not being confidence towards the assistant director. Therefore, based on Hersey and Blanchard theories, the situation leadership applies to the above example of the director and his assistant. This is because situational leadership according to Hersey and  Blanchard focus on adapting managerial styles vital for meeting the distinct requirements in a given situation (Gong, Jia-Chi, and Jiing-Lih (2009).  

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Customer Journey Mapping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Customer Journey Mapping - Essay Example The various elements that are included in the journey of a customer involves awareness, finding answers of any possible queries that the customer might have, then comes the price and when a customer is satisfied with all of the above then he performs the purchase. Most of us would think that, that is when the process ends but there is more to it which is known as the post sales journey which includes the post-sales support, lodging of any complaint that the customer found in the product or service. The assessment of this complaint is the next step in the process upon which the organization then upgrades or amends its services based on the post sales review.There are numerous benefits for the assessment of customer journey mapping however, the three main essential advantages include the fact that it gives an overview of the experience which was given to all the customers, it gives an idea about the basic needs and requirements that the organization requires and it also showcases the v arious aspects of importance and the aspects that should not be given importance.For the purpose of this assignment, I will be studying two very popular e-commerce websites i.e., eBay and amazon and will assess the process of customer journeys for each of these organization and how this affects the ways in which the customer approaches the organization. EBay has long been a very popular place for the buying and selling of goods and with over one million customers, it is a place which serves as the global market.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

National Football League African American Coaches

National Football League African American Coaches Jinks A. Arnold III The Myth for African American Coaches in NFL Lingers On Many questions over the years have circulated as to why African American coaches dont get the opportunity to coach in the National Football League (NFL). These questions have seemed to go unanswered and there have been some attempts to answer a few of the question however, still the same results occur between the 32 teams of the NFL as of this year (2017) there are only seven African American head coaches. It seems as though the playing field for hiring black coaches is lopsided, former players are not qualified for any of these positions, assistant coaches which are few if interviewed dont get hired and finally the history numbers show that African American coaches still ride the back of the bus when it comes to job opportunities in the NFL. History of National Football League African American Coaches For years the history books of the NFL noted Art Shell as the first African American head coach but is that true, the American Professional Football Association was birthed in 1920 which the Hammond Pros was part of this association who was coached by Frederick Douglass Fritz Pollard which was hired as the first African American coach of the league from 1921-1925, he coached four different teams but the NFL treated Fritz Pollard as if he never existed within the league (Braddock, Smith, Dawkins 2012, pg.714). After the hiring of Fritz Pollard it wasnt until 64 years later when the Los Angeles Raiders hired Art Shell to be their head coach. The NFL has been in existence for 97 years and from 1921 until 2017 there has only been 24 minority coaches to hold head coaching jobs and out of that number only 16 were African American (Braddock, Smith, Dawkins 2012, pg.714). The practice of hiring African American coaches has been the topic that has headlined every sport magazine, sport radio and television shows in the United States even with all the news press, Rooney Rule and National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) there is a constant battle to get African American coaches hired. Is Discrimination the Problem? The National Football League has been under scrutiny for years for the lack of African American coaches in the sport. Art Rooney owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and diversity committee implemented the Rooney Rule in 2003 which is a policy that requires league teams to interview at least one minority candidate for available head coaching and senior football operation jobs. (Fanning, Madden Ruther, 2010, pg.1). Since this rule was implemented there has only been seventeen minority coaches hired as head coaches in the NFL and after the 2017 season there is only seven African American coaches (Solow, Solow Walker 2011, pg.6). The NFL has 32 teams and 67% of the athletes are African American (Solow, Solow Walker 2011, pg.2) yet after retirement they are not hired for head coaching, offensive or defensive coordinator openings, now before jumping to any conclusion the NFL is the umbrella for all 32 teams however, each team has their own hiring practices, the question that continues to s urface is why arent African American not hired for these head coaching vacancies. . Why Are  There Limited Opportunities? The National Football League has 32 teams and none of the owners are African American which has a direct effect on the opportunities that may be awarded to African American head coaches. The structure of an NFL coaching staff is made up four levels of coaches which is head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators, special teams which each of these positions have assistant also position coaches and quality control assistants (Braddock, Smith, Dawkins, 2012.pg.715). The NFL uses two resources to give a head coach an opportunity to fill vacancies. The NFL hires from within where they look to employ former head coaches or successful offensive and defensive coordinators but these positions are not awarded to black coaches. Reports show from 2001 through 2009, there were 44 head coach transitions 25 were à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ lled by NFL coordinators and others were filled by former coaches and other positions from the college ranks (Solow, Solow Walker 2011, pg.6). African American coaches are offered lower level opportunities like running back, wide receiver, defensive back and linebacker coach however, these positions are not covered by the Rooney Rule interview requirement (Fanning Madden Ruther, 2010,pg. 1) as well as these positions are interchangeable as long as the team is winning these position are secure but usually when the head, offensive and defensive are fired the coaching staff is fired and these not covered by the Rooney Rule interview requirement (Solow, Solow Walker 2011,pg.1). The other source is National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) where NFL teams seek out coaches but there are very limited opportunities for African American coaches in the NCAA, which leaves African American coaches, still left waiting in the wing for an opportunity. Conclusion The Rooney Rule was put in place to force teams to interview minority coaches with stiff penalties if they didnt adhere to this rule and even with this rule being in place the hiring of African American head coaches is still scarce in the NFL. The final analysis comes down to the fact that the positions that African American players hold in the NFL limits their opportunities to become head coaches and coordinators (Braddock, Smith, Dawkins, 2012, pg.716). It has be stated that African American coaches must prove they are winners and also valued by personal characteristics before they are offered to a lead coaching position. (Braddock, Smith, Dawkins, 2012, pg.723). Even with the Rooney Rule and NFLPA in place this will be an ongoing problem for African Americans. This is not because of race or being overlooked its a matter of not being qualified to take on a leadership role which requires having knowledge of understanding football strategies and schemes until this changes among Afr ican American players they will continue to stand in line and wait for an opportunity. References Braddock, J. H., Smith, E., Dawkins, M. P. (2012). Race and pathways to power in the national football league. American Behavioral Scientist, 56(5), 711-727. doi:10.1177/0002764211433802 Branham, D. (2008). Taking advantage of an untapped pool: Assessing the success of African American head coaches in the National Football League. Review Of Black Political Economy, 35(4), 129-146. doi:10.1007/s12114-008-9031-1 Evans, H. (2005, July 28). Fritz Pollard, NFLs 1st Black head coach, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. New York Amsterdam News. pp. 40-38. Fanning Madden, J., Ruther, M. (2011). Has the NFLs Rooney Rule efforts Leveled the Field for African American head coach candidates?. Journal Of Sports Economics, 12(2), 127. doi:10.1177/1527002510379641 Proxmire, C.D., (2008). Coaching Diversity: The Rooney Rule, Its Application and Ideas for Expansion Retrieved March 2, 2017 from, https://www.acslaw.org/sites/default/files/Proxmire_Issue_Brief.pdf Solow, B. L., Solow, J. L., Walker, T. B. (2011). Moving on up: The Rooney rule and minority hiring in the NFL. Labour Economics, 18(3), 332-337. doi:10.1016/j.labeco.2010.11.010