Can Go week 6

Go has moved from a small startup to a recognized growth company having a recent IPO offering. CanGo is currently lacking in a critical area for any business. It needs to focus on Strategic Planning. Strategic Planning will benefit CanGo by allowing it to: 1. Clearly define its goals consistently with its Mission and Vision statement. 2. Communicate effectively its goals to all of the organization. 3. Provide a foundation on which to direct future efforts. CanGo has the layers for a hierarchical organization. CanGo will work well within a matrix management structure.Matrix management pools a group of people together with similar skills to work on different projects. Weights are usually assigned to criteria based on the importance of the criteria to the decision maker, and criteria are rarely of equal importance to a decision maker. The synthesis of an alternative is mainly done on the basis of prioritized objectives. When a suitable process is decided and applied to a problem, rating of the alternatives can be converted into ranks, based basically on the preferences of a decision maker.Once the a list of key features is arrived at, they are ordered from most to least important. Ranking is determined according to: * Personal preferences. * Relationship with disciplinary preferences. * In terms of their meaning. It is also important to identify other features that are used in the decision maker's comprehensive evaluation that aren't being used in his criteria-based evaluation. The list may also be needed to be revised and checked if it suits the decision maker's initial requirements.When this process is completed, the decision maker's assessment should reflect in the rankings given to specific features. When the decision maker has a good sense of the criteria and the overall assessment is well aligned, it ‘s time to assign weights to criteria. Weights are always assigned strictly based on the logic of the decision making authorities, but they are not always assigned keeping Just quantitative results in mind, sometimes, weights can also be assigned to criteria for purely qualitative purposes.

British Airways – a Pr Case Study

INTRODUCTION: It was time when British Airways showed the world the future of travel with the opening of Heathrow Airports spectacular new Terminal 5. Opening on the 27th of March 2008, inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth (the second), the terminal completely failed in the first two weeks of its operation. Insufficient staff training and testing, coupled with a disruption in the Terminals IT systems led to around 500 flights being cancelled. SEGEMENTED ANALYSIS (What went wrong): 1. Logistics and Planning: Rather than properly training the Bag Handlers and staff members, they were simply shown around the whole Terminal.Where in weeks ago before the terminal was inaugurated they should have been trained with trail runs. Due to lack of training they found it difficult to navigate through the Huge building causing inconvenience to the passengers. Duties should have been delegated, and training should have been conducted in a specialized manner with people doing only their assigned tasks. 2. Technical and Human Errors: a. The computer systems didn’t recognize staff ID’s b. Doors meant to be open were locked. c. 17 out of the 18 terminal lifts were jammed d. The transit system meant to move passengers broke down. . Carousels, escalators, walkways and electronic screens all failed. f. Baggage handling system (capable of handling up to 12000 bags an hour) crashed by 11 am All of the above mentioned problems occurred because the whole terminal had never been tested in a â€Å"live† terminal situation. There was lot of miscommunication from one department to another also technicians were not alert as to what were the terminal requirements. 3. Lack of leadership and Hubris: One week before its openings BAA declared â€Å"We have a world class baggage system that is going to run perfectly on day one†.Despite the hitches reported by the baggage staff, the management was complacent and over looked all technical problems. Also the BA office that should have sorted out all such concerns were shut on the last week. The management shouldn’t have been so slug and unnerved about these technical faults. Everybody just seemed jubilant about the opening of the terminal, there by discarding chances of any problems that might occur. In fact the management should have cross-checked and re-run the whole terminal to make sure nothing went wrong specially after making tall claims in Public. 4.Low Morale and Goodwill: Staff complained that morale in the last few months has been very low. Whenever BA got into any mess the people helped out. But with a mistake of such degree even its goodwill evaporated. On the day, disoriented baggage handlers and stressed ground staff became surly and unhelpful as they didn’t know how to handle the situation and the problems kept unfolding. The management shouldn’t have let the problem reach such a level. There was a clear communication and gap and the Staff didn’t know how to react and just gave up under pressure as they didn’t consider it their fault. . Lack of Communication & Crises Management: BA decided to disappear right when the problems were beginning. There was a total breakdown in communication both internally and externally. There was nobody to help with announcement or information, monitors weren’t working, nobody to help with baggage. Only 2 out of the 26 information desks were operational. Passengers arrived but the flights were delayed, others were told their flights were cancelled when they were scheduled. There was chaos all around with nobody knowing what to do. The management at BA should have led by the front on such an occasion.Even if things were going the other way, they should have been there trying to find a solution instead of exiting via the back door, as they were in charge of handling any crises what so ever. This was one of the biggest drawbacks. 1. What advice would you give BA and BAA right now? Shutting T5 for a fe w days and then restoring operations is not an option as the Terminal is running and it would be a major problem, shutting all activities. Thus the management of BA and BAA should collectively stand up and 1stly publicly announce all the faults, so the customers know as to what went wrong.Then section by section they should start rolling work. Which means, shut down a particular section first, fix it up and move on to another. There by not totally shutting operations. The Baggage systems should be fixed first, after which the elevators etc should be fixed. Also they should make sure that they have an active workforce. Information Desks should be restored with people communicating exact details of the situation. The staff should be spoken to by the management themselves. It’s important their morale is boosted. Everybody should be assigned particular tasks and all the queries of the staff should be cleared.Communication both internally and externally have to be clear. Also as t he improvements happen, they should be conveyed to its customers with a due apology and a guarantee that nothing as such would happen again. 2. What do they need to learn from this crises? a. Staff inputs should be taken into consideration, and have to be duly dwelled upon as they are the people who run the terminal. b. The staff has to be informed about everything at all point of time. Internal Communication is very necessary. Also it should always be put across in a very positive and strategized away.Every problem needs to be conveyed, how it is conveyed should be thought about. c. The management should not shy away from its responsibilities. BA has a reputation to live up to. What they communicate and how they communicate is important. They just can hide when a crises rises up. There by next time around, their PR and Communication strategies should be in place to match every problem. d. A check should be kept on operations at all times. Also technicians should be on alert if any system fails. A contingency plan should always be ready with management. e.Also all necessary information should be conveyed to its customers and the media at the right point of time. The information Desk should be active and fully aware of every situation. 3. What do they need to do to restore their reputation and put things right with their customers? The opening of T5 was a huge embarrassment to BA and a Humiliation for BAA. What should have been an opportunity to rehabilitate Heathrow as one of the world’s greatest airports turned into a nightmare of Delays, passenger confusion and chaos. Five days on, 250 flights were cancelled and there was still a backlog of 15,000 baggage’s. a.Firstly, The BA and BAA collectively should face the crises and at the earliest solve all technical and human problems. b. Since everything is already out in the open, they should publicly apologize and count on its built brand name to work for them. It has a reputation and everybody make s mistakes. So rather than shying away, they should openly ask for another chance. c. All its customers should be compensated. Free air tickets, discounts, stay and living vouchers etc should be given to its passengers on case to case basis. d. A whole new PR strategy should be employed, which caters to image building and customer satisfaction. . Communication should be opened, the media and the public should be fully aware of why the crises happened and how they are being corrected to now suiting its customers. f. A whole new Advertising and Marketing strategy should be launched to repair the damaged reputation and attracting its customers back. g. Heathrow Airport is an integral airport, also BA has goodwill. That should be taken into account to re-construct its current mistake. h. Management should publicly and personally apologize to regain customer confidence. This are my findings and interpretations of this particular case study.

Chaucers Justinus and Placebo

Why do you think Chaucer includes Justinus and a placebo? What is the contribution of the latter discussion to the entire story? There are many factors gathered by the readers to keep the readers away from the characters in the story, especially from the complex and ambiguous series of shots they are seeing. They are all smaller or larger types or allegories. Justinus and Placebo are anthropomorphic allegories representing abstract attributes of good proposals and bad suggestions. It is derived from satirical and contemporary recommendations of the courts. There, there is told the recipient, usually the Prince, how to choose good counselors and avoid compelling their motivation as their own progress. In January, Discussion (1474) between two friends, placebo and Justinas announced that he decided to marry his soul (1400-1405). Now, this so-called controversy has brought about a sarcastic existence that existed since marriage debate, but businessmen - and some commentators - did not f ully know this, and he was one of his goals It is one. Basically speaking, there is no discussion about debate about marriage, and hoolynesse or dotage which is a substitute for merchants in this case includes a distinction without distinction. When placebo praised the decision of January (1478 - 1518), Justinus warned him that he should not hurry to do a tough and dangerous deal (1521 - 65), and they correctly won January The concept of marriage was defined. A sanctified way for men to meet (status). Betting is more like steak than old beef (1420) Like Justinus, as I pointed out already, I cite Bath's wife ironically, but Justinus is not worthy to argue against (1655ff.), But readers like Justinus may think unknown. Institution (1685) - 87) In fact, however, the issue of two blessings in January is a true theological problem in the 14th century. Dante discussed this in the fourth article of De Monarchia and Convivio The most authoritative index of the 13th century is the tradition of Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas and of course also included in his two paradises. Medium, the land of Plugatrio and the land next to it. Indeed, from a traditional theologian's point of view, January stated the problem in the wrong way as he began with an irrational premise - Justin tried to destroy him - the marriage is a perfect Earth We guaranteed happiness The manuscript of Diodorus ceased at the end of the 4th century BC and the surviving sources became very fragmented. For a continuous story, we have to go to the epic of Pompeius Trogus by the later Latin writers Justinus, but his explanation is relatively short, contemporary readers tell us the sequence of events he describes It may confuse. In the absence of a satisfactory continuous record Plutarch 's parallel life provides important insights into some of the most influential figures of the era: Dmitryus, Pirhus, Alatus, Ajis and Clemens. Plutarch has often been pointed out as a biographer, not a historian - but when he wrote his life he examined various modern history.

What is the relationship between transcendentalism and individualism Coursework

What is the relationship between transcendentalism and individualism Between transcendentalism and social reform Between transcendentalism and the middle class - Coursework Example People do not need organized society and its various institutions because the self-sufficient person is better off being alone and from this select group of individuals who believe in self-reliance can a true community of men be formed. It is an ideal achievable only if all people try to be self-reliant and form their own minds about matters that affect them the most. This philosophical and cultural movement of transcendentalism has its drawbacks, however. An individualistic attitude can harm society because if all people will become self-reliant, there is no need for a democratic government (Newfield 17). Organized society will cease to exist, including all forms of governance which any civilized society needs for a group of people to survive and live peacefully. Transcendetalism can have an adverse effect as people will strive for personal independence regardless of the needs of a society, to include compliance with social rules and governmental regulations. Rampant and rabid individualism can harm society in the long term (Hankins 38) to the detriment of an organized central authority and the solidarity and spirit of communalism will disappear. But individualism can inspire people to do good too by not waiting for government to do something but just do

BUSCOM wk1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BUSCOM wk1 - Essay Example Workplaces are not the only places that such type of communication can occur. They can also occur in schools, at home with family or even with the most trusted of friends. What communication all comes down to is how it is being done at that particular moment. In the above chart, the sender of the message was ME, while the receiver of the message was the MANAGER. The channel that was used to send the message was verbal communication and it was done while the two were physically present at a given location; which in this case is the office. The misunderstanding that occurred was due to the fact that a firm employee, who happens to be ME, made the mistake of trying to reason with the MANAGER about how his current behavior might lead to the bankruptcy of the firm. This misunderstanding would have been avoided had I not confronted the MANAGER (Ellis, 2009).   From the result of the above conversation, it is safe to say that communication is a key process and a very important aspect in the everyday life of people. Without communication, then there would be the existence of a world where people know nothing about each other. From the above communication, I would say that the message did not get through in the same way that it should have. The main causes of misunderstanding when it comes to communication results from; the type of message that is being passed along: the sender depending on how they are doing the passing on of the message and thirdly the receiver, depending on how they take the message (Ellis,

HDL 660 learder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HDL 660 learder - Essay Example His courage, intelligence, determination, and innovativeness are traits and skills that I admire. President Barrack Obama has been the most influential leader in my life due to his willingness to make hard decisions. He is a credible leader, committed, humorous, influential, and is trusted by many Americans to head the country. The most important trait is his ability to influence the people through his speech and decision making. I apply these lessons by being a committed, credible, available, and trustworthy group leader. Trait Assessment: Articulate= 4; perceptive= 5; Self-confident= 4; self-assured= 5; persistent= 3; determined= 5; trustworthy= 5; dependable= 4; friendly= 5; outgoing=4; conscientious= 3; diligent= 4; sensitive= 5; empathic= 4 (35). Skill Assessment: technical skill= 23; Human skill= 25; conceptual skill= 22 (64). Strong traits such as perception, determination, sensitivity, self-assurance, and trustworthiness are necessary to create a strong friendship with associates. Strong human skills are also necessary for effective interaction with others. These strong traits and skills have enabled me to become an influential and effective group leader. Improving conceptual skills and persistence are the most promising areas of improvement. These strengths will help improve self-expression and self-awareness necessary for authentic

The Russian Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Russian Revolution - Essay Example The Russian revolution can be distributed into two time slots. The first slot covers the timeframe when the Tsars left Russia leaving their autocratic fallacies behind. After the departure of the tsarist power in which the autocratic environment did not allow individuals or organizations to be politically active, the provisional government came into existence in which the DUMA took charge forming the provisional government. The DUMA were the elected middle class that caused the tsar to leave Russia, the tsar were at that time in full control over the bureaucratic setup and the army. The Duma however criticized the tsar’s leadership thus converting the country into a provisional government setup. The formation of the provisional setup was a turnaround for the Russian autocratic setup but this too was coupled with conditions. The ruling out of tsar happened when the tsar left the government in the hands of his wife in order to lead and rally the Russian armies. But rumors, ulter ior motives and mismanagement lead to the departure of tsar, a much appreciated and awaited revolution by all classes of the Russian community. The higher and middle class celebrated as they foresee a more focused and strong war effort; on the other hand the lower class associated good living conditions in the form of better wages and food with the formation of the provisional system. However this form of government was anti-reforms and did not support any political reforms. The continuation of war by Prime Minister Alexander Kennedy was considered a sign of national duty by other socialists as well because it avoided the disintegration of the Russian peasant army. The revolution did not stop at the formation of the provisional government, the parallel ruling of the council of workers worked as the rival of the provisional setup. The Petrograd Soviet or the council of workers and soldiers’ deputies consisted of intellectuals who believed in the revolutionary democracy. They c onsidered themselves the product of the new Russia that is free from the autocratic culture and is democratic in nature. The parallel workings of the national socialists and the provisional government continued but there were many dips in the forms of strikes and protests leading to the second part of the revolution that hit Russia in the month of October 1917. In October, Vladimir Lenin’s Bolshevik party took complete control and all parallel forms of government were removed leaving the socialists in charge of the setup. However this setup too had its ups and downs. The true political revolution requires more than mere changes of the ruling hands and it holds greater benefits than just switching from an autocratic setup to a democratic one. The demands of the political revolution involve formation of the organizations that is revolutionary and different from the workers’ organization. The worker organizations specialize in trade but the revolutionaries take up revolut ion as their profession. Revolutions require a professional setup and people with a professional training into revolutionaries. They are different from the workers in their thought processes, intellect, training, education and in their profession. We have seen that revolutions hit the masses directly who become the parts of it, however, the requirement is of organization who deals with

Phenomenology and Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Phenomenology and Philosophy - Essay Example We may use our senses to make up our minds and pass judgment on certain issues but not to arrive at knowledge as such. Accordingly, and as stated, it is quite safe to say that the primary difficulty that a student faces when reading through Husserl's Phenomenology is that it forwards a different process of knowledge acquisition and the formulation of ideas than we have been conditioned to operate by. Despite the fact that Husserl's philosophy is quite different from the way in which we have been normally trained to think, leading to difficulty in fully understanding him, once we open our minds to his argument and his thoughts and consider them carefully, we are hit by the dawning realization that not only is Husserl's phenomenology directly relevant to the contemporary world but, in a way expressed ideas and conceptualizations of knowledge that exist in most cultures and in many schools of philosophy. This is especially evident in his discussion on "transcendental idealism" (40) and "phenomenological reduction" (41). As defined by G. As defined by G. Boland in "Phenomenology and Philosophy," phenomenology refers to a "20th-century philosophical movement dedicated to describing the structures of experiences as they present themselves to consciousness, without recourse to theory, deduction, or assumption from other disciplines such as the natural sciences." In other words, phenomenology is a school of philosophy which states that knowledge may be, and is, obtained from the senses and by experiences, and not only by the methods of science. Although such a statement on cognitive knowledge appears so obviously true that it requires no philosophical theories to argue on its behalf, the fact is that the growing reliance on scientific knowledge as compared to the decreasing dependence on, and trust in, the types of knowledge sources argued by this philosophy determine its importance and necessity. Not only that, but phenomenology, like other schools of philosophy, does not only state theories as such bu t precisely defines the intent of those theories and the scope which they cover. It is within the context of attempting to define precisely what phenomenology embraces and determine the types of knowledge that it can be cognitively produced, that Husserl undertook his philosophical inquiry and theorization. Husserl, a German philosopher, is considered one of the founders of the phenomenology school of philosophy and, in fact was the first to use the term, "phenomenology" (Bogland). As stated by Bogland, the main aim of Husserl's philosophical writings and studies was to the examination of "the structures of consciousness that enable consciousness to refer to objects outside itself." Doing so determined a complete focus on the human mind itself and the process of idea formation that occur within its limits. This process in which the mind itself, and nothing beyond it is studied, is referred to as "transcendental reduction" (Husserl, 12) and as "phenomenological reduction" (41). One of the interesting aspects of the human mind that Husserl called attention to is the fact that the mind is not only limited in thought and consideration to objects and things that actually do exist, but has

Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Term Paper

Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) - Term Paper Example However, each improvement in the aviation industry has got a ripple effect that brings change all through the industry (Salas and Maurino, 2010). The demands for air travel have continued to grow, resulting to unprecedented growth within the industry. Growth in the aviation industry has resulted to an expanded workforce that has put pressure on aviation companies to reduce training period and quickly train qualified pilots (Salas and Maurino, 2010). At the same time, technological advancement is helping in implementation of highly complex, computerized systems that change the manner pilots and other personnel relate with other aircrafts. Similarly, there have been calls for broad improvements in traffic control system putting more pressure on industry professionals and researchers. All these influences, thus, have had a great impact on the industry and on the human factors. This present paper discusses the impact of NextGen will have on the human factors in the aviation industry. Nex tGen technology Despite program by Next Generation Air Traffic System (NextGen) being merely one of the many vehicles of transformation in aviation industry, presently, it stands for the most remarkable call for transformation in the aviation industry. ... Through the use of this new technology, the NextGen technology is bound to considerably improve service provision. For instance, projections by NextGen estimate that there is the need to reduce clogging in the air transports system of the US (FAA, 2007) NextGen has availed data equipment that has the ability to tap weather sources all over the airspace. This data has also enabled to provide accurate information on what lies ahead for any particular flight. This ability is also remarkably since aircrafts can access timely information from all dimensions (Salas and Maurino, 2010). The human factor through NextGen has totally overhauled earlier and outdated ways used by airspace bodies. This has significantly changed aviation sector since National Airspace System (NAS) of the US has managed to install better traffic loads. Moreover, it has also helped to project better means by reducing gridlock as well as maintaining safety in the aviation department. Essentials and Benefits Fundamenta l measures and improvements that NextGen has applied to refurbish human factor in the aviation sector include the inception of System Wide Information Management, Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, Next Generation Data Communications, Next NAS voice switch and Generation Enabled Weather. Through the use of, Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), NextGen (GPS) satellite signals offer efficient information to air controllers and pilots. Such information is much accurate and has increased aircraft safety through safe navigation in the sky. Besides, ground safety for airplanes has tremendously improved. In addition, NextGen has improved the human factor by fixing airplanes with special transceivers known as

Tv Gives Children Unrealistic Expectations Essay Example for Free

Tv Gives Children Unrealistic Expectations Essay A few months after my friend Angela, who lives in Santo Domingo, acquired access to premium channels such as HBO, Cinemax, etc. her eight years old daughter asked her one night: Mom, are there poor people in the United States? This could have been a Joke if it were not so revealing. My friend realized that the luxurious scenes shown on television were not only giving her daughter a false idea about life in the United States, but they could also be creating unrealistic expectations in the girls mind concerning life in general. The same situation is faced by children and eenagers all over the United Sates. To a childs eyes, television represents a parallel reality with its own rules and laws, a reality in which everything is not only possible and easy, but is obviously more appealing to his/her mind than the sometimes bleak or deprived household in which he or she lives. The problem is real and is not going away. On the contrary, it is only strengthened by the leading role played by television in the upbringing of children, as parents are forced to work long hours and depend more and more on the electronic nanny for the childrens entertainment. Unfortunately, the damage done to the children is serious and has unpredictable consequences in the long run. On the one hand, we have a powerful industry that feeds on audiences regardless of their age, sex or personal characteristics; an industry that harness the imagination of the viewers and, as such, has limitless resources and only one goal: production. On the other hand, we have a defenseless child who spends long hours in front of a TV set, sometimes in the privacy of his own room. Children do not have the ability to analyze or screen the information presented to them. All the images and messages rapped up in the movies, programs or commercials go straight through to the subconscious mind of a child and become the storeroom from which he will draw tomorrow in response to the demands of his environment. Studies performed at MIT have demonstrated that the brain is more active during our sleep than during the times we watch TV. It is precisely that passivity which entraps the child and renders him helpless. Watching TV is not a creative activity. The child does not have to do anything only sit there and absorb the images and the sounds, Just like a plant absorbs the sun. This characteristic makes TV and ideal way o escape reality and go into a world of our own making where everything is possible. Additionally, children can find that TV is a less demanding and more peaceful place to be than their homes, with parents quarreling all the time, when they are present It is in this way that superheroes, gangsters or the latest rock star form a solid bond with our children and it is here they learn to mimic them. We have all learned of cases where children have Jumped from high buildings, expecting to fly or have killed their little sibling Just as seen on their favorite movie. But these are only the most

Anti Oppressive Theory And Practice Social Work Essay

Anti Oppressive Theory And Practice Social Work Essay Anti-oppressive theory and practice in social work seeks first to recognise oppression  in communities, societies, and cultures, and thereafter to eliminate the pressure and undo the sway of such oppression. Anti-oppressive practice is by and large understood to be an omnibus term that includes, but is not limited to, diverse practice approaches like feminist, anti-racist, critical, radical, and structural frameworks. Anti-oppressive social work stands as such for a variety of theories and practices that adopt the perspective of social justice. It should thus more appropriately be considered to be a perspective or stance toward practice rather than a practice approach. Dominelli (1998) perceives anti-oppressive social work to be a type of social work practice that searches for social barriers and structural inequalities in activities that are conducted with service users or workers. Anti-oppressive practice tries to offer more suitable, responsive and perceptive services by reacting to the needs of individuals without considering their social status. Dominelli (1998) feels that it represents a person oriented philosophy and an egalitarian system of values that is concerned with lessening the venomous results of structural inequalities upon the lives of people. It is a methodology that focuses both on processes and on outcomes and is an approach of structuring relationships between persons that strives to empower users by lessening the adverse results of hierarchy during their interaction with each other and the activities they do together. Social workers need to reinforce their abilities and attitudes for the conduct of anti-oppressive practice in many ways. Dalrymple and Burke (1995) state that social workers should obtain knowledge and understanding of their own selves, the majority social systems, different groups and cultures, and of fundamental human rights in order to effectively face issues on personal and structural levels and pursue anti-oppressive practices. This short study takes up the need of social workers to become aware of and familiar with human rights and various cultural issues, especially those relevant to their service users, in order to engage in effective anti-oppressive practice. Special emphasis is given in the study to domestic violence against women of ethnic and immigrant communities in Ireland, many of whom face physical and mental abuse in their households, even as they otherwise suffer from the discriminatory attitudes and behaviour of people of mainstream and dominant communities. Readying Social Workers for Anti-oppressive Practice Oppression is essentially entrenched in society for the maintaining of its unequal status quo. Contemporary social workers are experiencing the unique development of an anti-oppression approach that is gradually replacing long-established social work models of individual rehabilitation and self fulfilment. The verbalisation and mounting sophistication of the anti- oppression approach has been and continues to be considerably influenced by ethnic, feminist, gay and lesbian, disability, and other social movements. The need to challenge inequality is an important driver of anti-oppressive practice, even as it is important to recognise that all challenges may not be successful and furthermore be distressful for the person or group who are challenging and those who are being challenged. Anti-oppressive practice plainly draws from a social model of difference. It builds on social constructionist models of differences, racial, ethnic, gendered, and others, which are created within the conte xt of unequal social power relationships. It thus strongly argues for the development of practice that confronts, challenges, and alters unequal structures at all levels. An important dimension of challenging inequality concerns the building of self-awareness and understanding of how the social location of the social worker influences the communication between the worker and the individuals or groups who are being challenged. The practice of reflecting and thinking is intrinsic to the anti-oppressive way. Dominelli (2002, p 9) argues that knowledge of oneself helps in equipping individuals for undertaking anti-oppressive tasks. Self-knowledge, for Dominelli, is central to the range of skills required of a reflective practitioner. Social workers, to be successful in anti-oppressive practice, should be able to critically reflect on their own selves in practice and on the ways in which their biographies influence their practice relationships. The ability to critically assess the experiences of oppression of service users requires them to examine the ways in which personal, cultural and structural issues and processes fashion the difficulties that service users bring up with service agencies. An understanding of human rights and various cultural issues, experts feel, can also help them significantly in knowing their own selves, realising the impact as well as the reasons for continuance of oppression in modern day society, and in addressing such issues. Human Rights and Cultural Issues Anti-oppressive practice, with its focus on reduction of all forms of social inequality, is closely associated with the bringing about of social justice. Much of modern day oppressive activity goes against the tenets of social justice and concerns the undermining, denying or taking away of fundamental human rights of individuals or groups of people. Human rights constitute the fundamentals on which modern day society has developed in the post Second World War era. Whilst human rights have progressively developed over centuries, widespread awareness about them grew only after the 1940s in the aftermath of the holocaust atrocities and the demise of colonialism. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 by the United Nations was a step taken by the global fraternity to ensure that human rights would not be compromised in future by the actions of people, groups or states. Such rights include the right to life and property, the right of expression, the right to security from discrimination and the right to protection from physical and mental harm. Oppression nevertheless continues to occur in societies across the world, and often with the tacit of overt support of various governments that signed the UN declaration and thereafter legislated to protect human rights in their own countries. Whilst oppression and empowerment in social work practice do relate to bringing about of social justice, they do not specify minimal and fundamental requirements for human existence. This compels social workers to view individuals who have to arrange for themselves when they are denied human rights by dominant powers. Social workers who are familiar with human rights can however readily and effectively apply human rights perspectives to spot violations. They can view situations of oppression and discrimination as circumstances in which various infrastructural and legal resources can be applied for effective elimination of oppression or negation of its impact. The awareness of human rights and adoption of human rights perspectives can help social workers to frame circumstances concerning oppression into those of violations of rights, thereby making governments and citizens accountable for addressing and resolving such violations. Domestic violence, discrimination and inadequate education thus become instances of violation rather than of inadequate satisfaction of needs. Social workers with human rights perspectives can apply greater force to the challenging of unfair resource distribution, inequality and oppression. Awareness about the culture of service users and the differences that exist between the cultures of social workers and different service users can also help social workers on understanding different ways of oppression, especially so in groups like immigrants or ethnic minorities, whose cultures are vastly different from members of the dominant groups. Culture represents the integrated and distinct patterns of behaviours, including thoughts, values, beliefs, customs and actions of racial, religious, ethnic, or social groups. It is considered to be the totality of ways that is passed through generations and includes ways in which individuals with disabilities or persons from different religious or ethnic backgrounds experience their environments. With the main mission of social workers being the enhancement of well-being and helping to satisfy fundamental human needs of persons who are poor, vulnerable, and oppressed, they can improve their practice effectiveness significantly by understanding and becoming sensitive to cultural diversity and uniqueness. The acquisition of such knowledge can help social workers in understanding the essence of social diversity and oppression with regard to race, ethnic background, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation and physical or mental disability. Such knowledge and understanding can help in the achievement of cultural competence and enable them to integrate and transform their knowledge of persons and groups of people into specific attitudes and practices. Whilst the development of cultural competency is important for social workers, the diverse backgrounds of service users, especially in urban locations, make this process difficult and challenging. Oppression and Domestic Violence against Women Domestic violence against women results directly from the inequalities between men and women. It denies women their very basic human rights, i.e. the right to health and undermines the development of communities and societies. General factors like marginalisation and poverty and specific aspects like race or ethnicity, result in some women becoming more vulnerable to domestic violence. Whilst men also face domestic violence, the lower social status of women, especially in certain communities and cultures exposes them to greater risk, even as the number of incidences of domestic violence against women appears to increase at an alarming pace. Domestic Violence refers to the use of physical or emotional force or threat of physical force, including sexual violence; in close adult relationshipsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The term domestic violence goes beyond actual physical violence. It can also involve emotional abuse; the destruction of property; isolation from friends, family and other sources of support; threats to others including children; stalking; and control over access to money, personal items, food, transportation and the telephone. Such violence causes extensive physical, emotional and mental damage to women. It prevents them from participating in society, limits their access to resources and their ability to take part in activities like work, travel and education. Apart from such adverse consequences, domestic violence against women damages the physical, emotional and mental development of children, hurts their performance in school and affects their life chances. Domestic violence also results in economic costs for the individual and for society that arise from missed work, health care costs and costs of social work assessment and intervention for women and other affected family members. Domestic violence against women is a serious problem in Ireland. A 2002 report on Sexual Abuse and Violence revealed that one woman in four in Ireland had faced some sort of sexual abuse during her lifetime and one in five had suffered sexual assault as an adult. Ireland witnessed 109 murders of women between 1996 and 2005, 72 of which occurred in their homes. All the murders were perpetrated men and 50 % of these by partners or ex-partners. Ireland has been experiencing rapid inward migration since the 1990s, a phenomenon that has made one of the most homogenous societies in the EU culturally and ethnically diverse. Whilst domestic violence occurs across race, religion and class, migrant women experiencing violence at home face additional structural barriers on account of immigration status, lack of familiarity with language and racism, which significantly hamper their options for protection and support. A 2008 study by Paula Fagan reveals that migrant women experiencing violence at home face four important barriers, namely (a) immigration legislation, (b) restrictions on usage of public funds, (c) racism from larger society and ostracism from own communities on re[ort of abuse, and (d) cultural differences with, and lack of understanding from, mainstream society, which increase their distress and vulnerability, reduce their options with regard to social security, exacerbate their fear of isolation and create barriers their seeking of assistance and protection. Fagans report reveals that the discretionary character of the countrys immigration system presents unique challenges both for women and social workers in establishing rights, entitlements and protections for migrant women experiencing abuse. With no protections yet in place for women whose status are dependent on their husbands/partners or for those restricted from social welfare payments, options for keeping women safe are severely restricted. A key finding of this report is that, while there needs to be improvements in Irelands domestic violence legislative and policy framework for all women, there are specific failures in this system for migrant women linked to immigration legislation, policy and procedures.

Smoking Cigarettes :: Argumentative Persuasive Example Essays

The governments must ban the sales of tobacco products. There are many consequences to smoking like health, addiction, cessation and economic costs. Second hand smoke is a major problem, since smoking is allowed in alot of public places. Second hand smoke has fifty cancer causing shemicals which are inhaled by non-smokers. Second hand tobacco smoke is also called Environment Tobacco Smoke (ETS). ETS is made up of smoke that comes from the end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar called sidestream smoke. People that are constantly exposed to ETS are at increasing risk for developing health problems related to it. Thirty-three percent of Canadian children under the age of twelve are regularly inhaling ETS. Since children breath faster than adults rhey take in more air, and if there is ETS in the air, the children can develop alot of health problems. ETS can cause problems like bronchitis,pneumonia, middle ear disease and asthma. In the family car many children are exposed to ETS. In a 1995 survey it is found that over half of the smokers, smoke in the car when children are present. Each year in Canada about 3300 people die from heart didease caused by ETS. And this is only second hand smoke. As for smokers themselves, their at higher risk to their health. Smoking causes cancers to the esophagus, lungs, voice box, throat and mouth and helps develop cancers of the bladder, pancreas, cervix and kidneys. It also causes cardiovascular disease like heart disease, stroke and diseases of the blood vessels. Lung cancer was the first cancer to be linked to smoking and is the number one cause of cancer deaths of people, world wide. Eighty to ninety percent of all lung cancer is smoking related, but lung cancer is not the only smoking related cancer, there are eight other cancers linked to smoking. There are over 16,000 cancer deaths in Canada each year, and is caused by smoking. Also smoking causes pulmonary and respiratory diseases. Over 8,000 people die each year from respiratory diseases caused by smoking. And it also causes alot of other diseases that permanently damage the lungs and airways by smokers. Other than cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, smoking can cau se alot of health problems like ulcers and bowel disorders (Crohn's Disease), osteoperosis (decreased bone density), thyroid disease and increased severity of rheumatoid arthritis. Smoking also causes other health problems like cataracts, menstrual disorders, sleep problems, tooth and gum damage and increased injuries.

Video Analysis of Color Adjustment Essays -- Marlon T. Riggs

Marlon T. Riggs’ video, Color Adjustment, offers the viewer an exciting trip though the history of television, focusing on the representation, or lack thereof, of African-Americans. A perfectly chosen combination of television producers, actors, sociologists, and cultural critics join forces to offer insight and professional opinion about the status of African-Americans in television since the inception of television itself. As Color Adjustment traces the history of television shows from Amos n’ Andy and Julia to "ghetto sitcoms" and The Cosby Show, the cast of television professionals and cultural critics discuss the impacts those representations have on both the African-American community and our society as a whole. Color Adjustment continually asks the question: "Are these images positive?" This video raises the viewer’s awareness about issues of positive images for African-Americans on television. I chose this video because it raised my awareness by questioning the difference between positive role models, such as The Cosby Show, and positive images for all African-Americans. The issues discussed and comments made by the cast piqued my interest and helped change my perspective on the history of African-American representation in the media, especially in the realm of television. Color Adjustment contains more than just endless ‘talking heads’ – it has elements of fact, history, and professional opinion all blended together in an engaging format. It was extremely exciting to hear the TV producers like Hal Kanter and David Wolper talk about their own productions in retrospect. Most importantly to me, Color Adjustment changed my perspective on African-American representation in the media by challenging me to think about images... ...writers of all races and every ethnicity could be shown this video to learn about stereotypes to avoid in their screenplays. Television and movie producers could benefit from hearing other producers such as Hal Kanter and David Wolper talk about their experiences with African-American representation in their shows. Viewing Color Adjustment was an informative pleasure. It was a stimulating video that led me on a personal journey of enlightenment. It chronicled African-American trials in television representation and provided me with the knowledge to examine future representations in the media more carefully. This video was a great addition to this class and to me as a person. I hope that there will be a Part 3 to this series that I can show in my own classrooms one day; I also hope with continuing education Parts 3 and 4 will have more "positive" images to discuss.

Frank Lloyd Wright :: essays research papers

" The greatest artist this country has ever produced seems to at last be coming into his own. America’s other great artists—our painters, sculptors, composers—don’t really rank with the tops of all time. They’re not Rembrandt or Michelangelo or Beethoven. Wright alone has that standing." (Robert Campbell) One of America’s most influential and imaginative architects was Frank Lloyd Wright. Throughout his 70 year career, Wright has not only designed nearly a thousand structures, but he has explored the ideas of living space, landscape, and the relationship between architecture and community. Frank Lloyd Wright left behind a legacy of beautiful houses and buildings, an American style of architecture, and an example of what it means to live life based on the way things should be, not the way they are. He created some of the most monumental and intimate spaces in America. He designed everything: banks and resorts, office buildings and churches, a filling station and a synagogue, a beer garden and an art museum. Frank Lloyd Wright’s life truly was a work of art. Wright was born on June 8, 1867, in Richland Center, Wisconsin. His early influences include his clergyman father's playing of Bach and Beethoven and his mother's gift of geometric blocks. Growing up, Wright spent much of his summers at a farm owned by his uncles; here, his favorite pastime was building forts out of hay and mud. In 1882, at the age of 15, he entered the University of Wisconsin as a special student, studying engineering because the school had no course in architecture. Wright left Madison in 1887 to work as a draftsman in Chicago. Wright worked for several architectural offices until he finally found a job with the most skillful architect of the Mid-West, Louis Sullivan, soon becoming Sullivan's chief assistant. Wright was assigned most of the firm's designing of houses, and to pay his many debts he designed for private clients in his spare time. Sullivan disapproved, and Wright set up his own office, which was located in Oak Park. Just before his twenty-second bi rthday, in 1889, Wright married Catherine Lee Tobin, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, and together with Sullivan as his former employer, she gave him the cultural background he lacked; she gave him social polish as well. Now, as an independent architect, Wright became the leader of a style known as the Prairie School, which is described as houses with low-pitched roofs and extended lines that blend into the landscape.

Beowulf and Spider Man Compare and Contrast

Beowulf is an ancient hero who became a king in pursuit of doing his majestic role in protecting the people against monsters that might harm them. On the other hand, Spider Man is a modern day hero, who not more than a newspaper photographer in a person of Peter Parker, who, in performing his goal of saving lives and protecting the people wear a costume in order to hide his real identity. That is not in the case of Beowulf. He does have to wear costume nor hide his real identity.With all his valor, he faces the enemy with courage using his bare hands or classical lethal weapons like sword and shield. The same courage can be found in Spider Man whenever he fights an opponent. But he does not use a sword nor shield to do so.What he is using is his special ability to crawl on walls and buildings like a spider. Within long distances, he is also aided with his highly sophisticated web-shooter that he uses to swing from one building to another. He also uses it to capture or disarm the enem y.Beowulf kills his enemy but Spider Man does not have the intention to do so. As a modern day hero, he tends to be a protector of life, with the desire of only capturing the enemy without killing. What he wants is to stop the enemy from doing troubles and harm to the citizen and to finally deliver the nuisance to the authority.In the case of Beuwolf, since his enemy are not humans, with the real intention of just putting people to death and destruction, that neither human laws nor authority can stop, what he does is to fight them to death.You can imagine the scenario when Spider Man would just capture or disarm an enemy while Beowulf is swinging his sword during his bloody heroic encounters, breaking the monsters limbs, or beheading them.You can find almost the same courage in them, but their fighting principle would just differ in terms of how they treat their opponents. During modern day, it would be more rational to put the social nuisance and the enemy of the citizen in the han d of the police or government.Beowulf would not look for soldiers nor authorities to turnover the capture. He would kill it. The people would be more happy if as a hero they may find him putting an end to the life of those monsters and dragons.That might be the difference why Spider does not decide to kill his opponent’s life. He took the idea of a hero that maintains peace and order, an extended arm of the authority and a helper to the society, without the goal of putting one’s life to death. However, their intention only remains the same, maintenance of peace and order.Regarding personal characteristics and attributes, Beouwulf mingled with people normally first as their hero and later their king whom the people extend awe and respect. Comparatively, Spider Man do not. His normal life lies on the fact that he has to live as an ordinary photographer, a lover Mary Jane, a nephew to his aunt and will soon become a super hero only during times of troubles. People know th at they live with Peter Parker everyday and everynight, but they did not have the slight idea that that clumsy Peter Parker is the ever clever Spider Man.Both of them uses the most advance technology of their time. Sword and shield for Beowulf, scientifically accumulated spider skills and sophisticated webshooter for Spider Man. In comparison, they perform their deeds using the best of their time.In contrast, Beowulf intend the sword and shield to kill the enemy, but Spider Man use his spider senses and webshooter merely to defend himself from the attack and to induce a non-fatal attack against any person that might bring the citizen to unsecured danger.

Graded Unit Essay

As a HNC Health Care student I am required to provide evidence of the following principal aims and objectives: to integrate knowledge, theory and practice, to develop and apply a broad knowledge and skills and to have an individual patient/client focus in my practice. To achieve all of the above I am required to complete project in a form of Graded Unit which consists of three stages: planning, development and evaluation. After consultation with my work experience mentor and lead lecture (appendix 1 and 2) it was agreed, the project will be a nursing activity, weighing a patient , which will be carried out within an ambulatory care settings which is my current placement . This will take place on Monday the 22nd of April. The chosen activity is a part of the patients’ treatment care plan and its aims maintaining patient’s safety related to correct medicine administration as well as to detect potential side effects associated with pharmacological treatment. In accordance with applicable law (Data Protection Act 1998) and to maintain patient confidentiality and privacy the name of the patient has been changed. I will be referring to the patient as Cinderella. The patients’ personal information had been obtained with her consent and knowledge (NMC Code of Conduct 2008). Cinderella is a 26 years old patient attending the Peter Burnt Centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where she has been receiving Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment since November 2012. Cinderella lives alone in high rise block of flats in one of Aberdeen City Council estate. She left school at the age of sixteen with no qualifications and used drugs for several years. She was brought up by single parent – her mother, and has no siblings. With the help from local drug rehabilitation team she managed to stop using drugs for five years. Currently she works as a housekeeper on a part time bases in one of the hotels in the city centre. Recently, she has reduced the number of working hours due to the side effects of medication which make her feel very tired. She also complains of an upset stomach and lack of appetite. After having a chat with Cinderella she has told me that her social life and circle of friends is quite limited as her income is now much lower. She also mentioned that is quie t difficult to make new friends while you have drug use history. When speaking to Cinderella it became evident to me that being HCV positive makes her feels worse than others and reminds her of when she was using drugs. It is well  evidenced that people who have both; history of drug use and disease which can be sexually transmitted such is HCV, are likely to experience stigma and discrimination in their life (Gilman 1999).Stigma and discrimination are socioeconomic factors which have a damaging health, social and financial consequences (Nursing Standard 2008). It is believed that those who are stigmatised and discriminated are more likely to have a lower income and due to this cannot afford to purchase better quality food, better housing, live in safer environments and have worse access to healthcare and education. Cinderella’s low socioeconomic status and negative social attitudes evidently put her physical and mental wellbeing at risk. Stigma and discrimination may relate to Social Symbolic Interaction Theory and in particular to the i dea of labelling and its negative impact on people behaviour and self- concept (Miller J, Gibb S 2007). This would also fit with Carl Rodgers Person- Centred Theory and his idea of self- concept. Self –concept in other words is how we perceive and value our self. Rogers believes that humans need a positive environment to achieve fulfilment in their lives. In Cinderella’s case both her socioeconomic status and unfavorable social attitudes may make her feel negatively about herself and stop her from social integration. I also believe that Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be applied to the patient situation. According to this psychological perspective every person is motivated by their needs and cannot achieve his/he full potential (self-actualization) if some of these are not met. I feel that this may relate to Cinderella’s safety, love and belongings needs. Limited social contacts, stigma and fear caused by her illness may stop her from moving on to the next level personality development. To support people in similar to Cinderella’s circumstances the Scottish Government launched the Hepatitis C Action Plan in 2006. The aim of this policy is to improve health care services for people living with HCV and to tackle HCV- related social stigma, by rising public awareness and changing the way HCV is portrayed in media. I have decided to use Roper Logan and Tierney twelve activities of daily living (A DLs) to asses Cinderella’s needs. The reason for this is that I find it to be the nursing model which is very effective in assessing basic day to day activities which have its own importance to the survival of life;  also it follows the objectives of my graded unit. For the purpose of this project I will focus on maintaining safe environment in relation to Cinderella’s HCV antiviral therapy. Cinderella had been referred to Peter Brunt Centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by her GP due to the result of blood test which revealed Hepatitis C antibodies. After a number of blood tests and liver biopsy Cinderella had been diagnosed with Chronic Hepatitis C with genotype 1 and mild liver damage. HCV is a disease caused by blood – borne virus Hepatitis C, which infects the liver and causes its inflammation (British Liver Trust 2010). The term chronic describes illnesses that last for a lon g period of time (more than six months) or for the whole life. The liver is an organ which is a part of the digestive system and carries out numerous important jobs’ such as; detoxification, aiding digestion or extracting nutrients. These play a vital role in maintenance of equilibrium of the body internal environment, known as a homeostasis. Due to prolonged liver inflammation scaring of liver tissue occurs (fibrosis) and permanent liver damage is likely to occur (cirrhosis, liver cancer). As a result liver work capacity become impaired and the whole body may become poisoned (WHO 2011). There are several effective HCV treatment options available however none of them gives a one hundred percent guarantee. Nevertheless, adequately matched therapy can permanently clear the virus from blood and prevent liver from further damage. Cinderella after consultation with liver specialist doctor and liver specialist liver nurse decided to undergo HCV treatment known as a ‘triple therapy’ which is recommended by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) The effectiveness of treatment among other factors lay in an adequate dosage and duration of medicine intake. Both too low or too high dosage as well as side effects of medication may negatively impact Cinderella’s physical health and put her life at risk. To maintain the patient safety it was agreed that Cinderella will be visiting PBC every Monday for blood tests and weight checks. To ensure Cinderella’s safety I will follow appropriate NHS procedures and policies (NHS Procedure guidelines: Weighing the patient 2008) in line with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). To perform chosen activity I will require specific resources which I listed in Appendix 3 and project timescale (see Appendix 4). I have obtained consent from a different patient who is also visiting PBC this day if for some reason I will not be able to complete it with  Cinderella. References Health Protection Scotland – a division of NHS National Services Scotland. (2009). Blood Borne Viruses & Sexually Transmitted Disease . Available: http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/bbvsti/hepatitisc.aspx. Last accessed 25yh March 2013. The Scottish Government (2011). The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework 2011-15 . Edinburgh: Scottish Government. p31- 42. Grundy G, Beeching N . (2004). Understanding social stigma ii women with hepatitis C. Nursing Standard. 19 (4), 35-39. Gilman S (1999) Disease and stigma. Lancet. 354, Suppl, SIV15. World Health Organization. (2012). Hepatitis C . Available: http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/index.html. Last accessed 5th April 2013. Nicole Cutler. (2007). Breaking the Hepatitis C Social Stigma. Available: http://www.hepatitis-central.com/mt/archives/2007/08/breaking_the_he.html. Last accessed 7th April 2013. British Liver Trust. (2011). Facts and functions of the liver. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/c onditions/in_depth/liver/liver_facts_functions.shtml. Last accessed 11th April 2013. Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper & Row Rogers, Carl. (1951). Client-centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory. London: Constable. Miller,J and Gibb, S (2007). Care in practise for Higher Second Edition. Paisley: Hodder gibson. 202-204. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008). The code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London: NMC. p2- 8. Roper, Logan, Tierney (1980). The elements of nursing. Edinburgh: Churchhill livingstone. 141.

Definition of love Essay

Is there a specific and accurate definition of love? The true meaning of love is very difficult to find for adults. Do adolescents mature enough to manage love? It is too complex to define love in one word. Even though adolescents are physically matured like adults, they still need to develop mentally because they are still insecure. Teenagers are like thin glass cups; their appearance and mind seem clean and transparent, but they are delicate and can be broken easily.. I have observed closely from SAT preparation academy called Honors Review Learning Center in Tenafly, New Jersey. I was in 10th grade geometry class and pre-calculus class to survey, and I also tutor students for extra help. With these I was able to gather that there were seven to eight students in a class room, but they were mostly Asians. There was only one white boy in that class, this was because of the low population of this town; Tenafly has large population of Korean. When I observed geometry class, I was not able to ask questions from each and every one of them, but I noticed that boys tend to seat with boys while girls seat close to one another. They are all from same high school, so during the break time, they will gather and hang out together in a classroom. However, in Pre-calculus class, students are from different school, so they seat together without forming any groups or clique. They tend to do things separately even during the break time, like talking on the cell phone, texting with friends, or doing their works. However, after few days, students get to know one another and they started to seat by genders again. Having noted all this, I decided to focus my observation on gender of adolescents. After two hours of class, I tutored Jason Moon for extra help. I explained the materials that he did not understand in class. Although, I attended this academy during my high school year, it was only for private tutoring. However, the tradition of intense focus on secondary school education continues to be strong and seems to endure more, than my high school years. Jason is fifteen years old and he is a student of Tenafly High school. Jason’s parent work together, therefore he has to remain in this academy until his mother is done with her job. However, after two hours of class, Jason seems to lose concentration when he studies with me, so we spend more time talking to each other than studying. Jason is an Asian American student, but his parents are both Asian Asians. When I told him that I attended New York University, he was more interested in parties and girls in the city, instead of the college life in the city. He has very outspoken personality and likes hanging out with friends. He told me he is in a relationship with two girls, although both relationships are not a serious type. However, one of the girls wants him to be committed. Then, I asked if he had had any sexual relationship with any of them, but he said no. The girl was not born in the United States; she came from Korea several years ago. So, I tried to enlighten him that there are cultural differences in dating. I also told him that Asian women devote themselves to their boyfriends or husbands, and they very serious about commitment issues. However, in America, dating tends to be much less formal. Adolescent boys and girls still go together to events, and they spent more time together informally. The second girl that Jason was dating was born in the United States. She tends to date less formerly than the other girl, so, she does not want to commit herself to Jason. American adolescents begin dating earlier today than before, and their dating behavior tends to follow a sequence. First, same gender looks for place where they can meet other groups of different gender, mixed gender group arranged to go to the same events together, and adolescent couples begin to date as pairs. It has also been noted that biological maturity has slight effects on the timing of dating for different individual. Adolescents date for recreation, companionship, intimacy and courtship, but these reasons change along with people’s age. As emerging adulthood, people tend to seek something different apart from their romantic partners. However, dating is usually and generally related to positive development of adolescents. Robert J. Sternberg, a cognitive psychologist, stated that three fundamental qualities of love are passion, intimacy, and commitment. These can be merged into seven different forms of love, which are liking, infatuation, empty love, romantic love, companionate love, fatuous love, and consummate love. Jason’s relationship with the Asian American girl does not have long term commitment, which means that there are two principal types of love being practice by Jason; infatuation and empty love. However, the first girl was looking for romantic love and companionate love. Feelings of passion appear to be virtually universal characteristic of adolescents’ love, and romantic love is more based on marriage, which is the characteristics of adults, but it is also related to cultural differences of dating behaviors. Jason told me that he feels more comfortable dating the Asian American girl than the other girl. People of all ages tend to have romantic relationships with people who are similar to them. I inquired from Jason if he feels comfortable talking about their sexual relationship, and he told me, he has not have any sexual relationships with of them yet, but he told me that he has practice other sexual behaviors, but not the sexual intercourse. Kissing and necking are the first sexual experiences most adolescents have with their sexual partner. The next sequential step would be petting. Therefore, dating and having sexual relationships would vary based on cultural differences. First, sexual intercourse has shown distinct ethnic differences. Recently, it has been noted that African American adolescents are more likely to move quickly to intercourse while Asian Americans are less likely to engage in sexual activity in their adolescences. It would be more accurate and effective if I was able to ask these kinds of questions from girls, but teenagers seem more comfortable discussing these kinds of information to someone of their gender and age group. I was born in Korea and lived in Korea for more than 15 years; this makes me more conservative about dating and sexual behavior than American students. In South Korea, boys and girls tend to separate themselves more than teenagers in the United States. Basic concepts of having relationship vary from culture to culture. Dating is even less formal in European societies, and also in non-western societies dating is fairly rare. In the United States, hugging and kissing is very common for greeting, but in Korea, the friendliest way of greeting other people is shaking hands. I was extremely surprised when I first came to America; I saw how they were very open-minded in terms of greeting others. Woman sitting on man’s lap in public is easily seen in America, but in Korea or any other Asian countries this is extremely rare. Moreover, the meaning of dating and having relationship varies in different cultures, but due to the development of technology, such as internet and media, the spread of American and European cultures of dating is fast spreading to Asia. Asian people today have become more aggressive and open-minded. There are three types of cultural approaches to adolescent sexuality: these are restrictive, semi restrictive, and permissive. American majority culture is probably best classified as semi restrictive. However this is shaded with ambivalence. For instance, the spread of internet had caused teenagers to adapt pornography earlier than before. Spreading of internet and media helps people to live better and comfortable lives, but it can also cause other teenage problems, such as teenage pregnancy and date rape. Sexual harassment includes mild harassment like name-calling, jokes, while severe harassment involves unwanted touching or sexual contact. Rates of sexual harassment in adolescence are strikingly high and it is often the continuation of patterns of bullying established before adolescence. In addition, females are more likely to be the victims while males are the harassers. Date rape takes place when a person is forced by a romantic partner, date, or has sexual intercourse against the partner’s will. Although there are no such occurrences of these inappropriate sexual conceptions in my observational place, however, it is more common in urban areas. Dating and relationship is constantly or more rapidly changing over time, not only from cultural differences, but also from advancement in technology. However, it is almost impossible to stop those two components. Based on my observation and my personal experience, the best way to lead the teenagers in right and appropriate manners is keep them active, make them do lots of healthy and productive activities. Also, by opening up this kind of conversation in the public, it will reduce teenage pregnancy and date rape. Forcing them and keeping them in-door might help at the initial stage, but it will cause even more terrible situations. If we know that our children will eventually date and have sexual relationship with someone, it would be better to teach them how to have a responsible relationship and safe sex before hand. This will reduce the teenage and unwanted pregnancy in our society. Therefore, we should come up with how to create more interesting and entertaining sex education to enlighten our teenagers in public.

Cybercrime: Crime and Online Protection Act

Therisa Knapp Criminal Justice Week 4 paper November 10, 2012 Cybercrime I feel that cybercrime is any illegal actions using computers. The use of computers is basically a gateway for identity theft in my opinion. By using computers criminals have it easier to pull off scams and schemes to profit off of victims’ hard earned money. Any business transactions being done over the internet is perhaps at risk. After reviewing the slideshow presentation in week fours learning activity I learned that cybercrime is the theft and destruction of information, resources, or funds by way of computers. Siegel, Introduction to Criminal Justice, 2011) There are three types of cybercrimes; cyber theft, cyber vandalism, and cyber welfare. Cybercrime is increasing in the United States. Cyber theft involves the use of computer networks for criminal profit. (Siegel, Introduction to Criminal Justice, 2011) In learning more about cyber theft I was surely surprised of some examples mentioned. Some exa mples of cyber theft are: †¢Computer fraud †¢Pornography and prostitution †¢Denial of service attacks †¢Copyright infringement †¢Identity theft Internet securities fraud (Siegel, Introduction to Criminal Justice, 2011) I had no idea that pornography and prostitution was mentioned along with copyright infringement. The second cybercrime mentioned is cyber vandalism. Cyber vandalism is a malicious attacks, disrupting-defacing, and destroying technology. This crime is motivated by malice not greed. (Siegel, Introduction to Criminal Justice, 2011) Some examples of cyber vandalism are: †¢Virus-worms †¢Trojan horses †¢Web defacement †¢Cyber stalking †¢Cyber bullying Siegel, Introduction to Criminal Justice, 2011) Learning these examples I had never given a thought of cyber stalking and cyber bullying would have been included in vandalism. I would have thought that there was maybe a cyber-harassment for a cybercrime. The final type of cyber crime is the cyber welfare. Cyber welfare is a series of politically motivated attacks designed to compromise the electronic infrastructure of an enemy nation and disrupt its economy. One serious example is hacking sensitive computer networks. (Siegel, Introduction to Criminal Justice, 2011)The extent of cybercrime in the United States is far reaching as coast to coast and border to border. Where ever there are computers, networks, internet, and people; there is a possibility of cybercrime happening to not only private individuals doing business transactions but businesses themselves. I think that one way to control cybercrime is if a person is intent on purchasing items over the internet, then that individual should purchase a Visa/MasterCard and load the money onto it. This way ones bank account would not be affect them. Perhaps the Federal Government should impose a law to use loadable credit cards to control the cybercrimes.I certainly do think enforcement can be effective becau se if the Federal Government imposes the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998, and the Child Online Protection Act, (Siegel, Introduction to Criminal Justice, 2011) then the Federal Government has the power to enforce these acts. The Federal Government needs to let the public be aware of these â€Å"Acts† and the consequences that they bare and strongly enforce them. Cybercrime can defiantly destroy lives. Criminals benefit from pulling off scams and schemes.The three types of cybercrime can be devastating especially in the United States. The economy is in dire straits and Americans’ work hard for their money and cannot afford to have such a crime committed against them. Reference Siegel, W. (2011). Introduction to Criminal Justice. Therisa, I am glad that you made an attempt to complete this assignment. Cybercrime is on the rise in the US and it seems that the criminals have an upp er hand in this activity. You did a good job in this assignment, keep up the good work. You should not being or end a paragraph with a reference.Your first sentence should be your introduction sentence, what is your paragraph going to discuss. Your last sentence should be your conclusion or transition sentence to the next paragraph, all in your own words. You should put the in-text citation after the information you use to signify that the material is from a resource. This was addressed in my written directions and checklist. There is some good APA information under Doc Sharing. If you need any help in your writing there are some resources that the school can offer you. You can also get help from your instructors if you ever have any questions. SCORE: 54/55 Related post: Snatch Theft Essay

World War II and the Arab World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

World War II and the Arab World - Essay Example Then the military campaigns of the period 1939 to 1945 in the Arab world will be detailed. The impact of the post-war settlement in the region will subsequently be considered: Special attention will be paid to the impact and influence of the establishment of the state of Israel. Finally, a concluding section will draw together the various threads of argument and offer overall insights. Throughout the western reaches of the Arab world, along with the north coast of Africa, colonial domination was the norm. The entire southern coast of the Mediterranean consisted of European colonies with the de jure exception of only Egypt. Egypt, while not formally a colony in 1939, was controlled by Great Britain; a grip as tight as Great Britain's reliance on the Suez Canal's priceless access to India. The situation is exemplified by the treaty between the two, formally granting independence to Egypt, that was signed on August 26, 1936. It's formal title is â€Å"Treaty of Alliance between His Majesty, in respect of the United Kingdom, and His Majesty the King of Egypt†: An objective title for an agreement between equals. However, the truth of the matter is revealed in the attachment, a â€Å"Convention concerning the Immunities and Privileges to be enjoyed by the British Force in Egypt†. (UK Government, 1936) It is a list of all the concessions that the Egyptian government grants to the British military to maintain bases, operate in Egyptian air space, deploy forces and remain outside Egyptian civil and criminal law. The list of British privileges and concessions even in Egypt (outside the semi-autonom ous, British administered Suez Canal Zone) was so extensive that Egypt amounted to a British military base in all but name. Map 1: Colonialism in North Africa, 1930 Source: http://www.zum.de/whkmla/histatlas/northafrica/nafrica1930large.gif The eastern Mediterranean was a confusion of mandates and protectorates, an appropriately Byzantine maze of shifting alliances and influences dominated by the European powers – France and Great Britain – that had tried to control the region since the devolution of the Ottoman Empire a generation earlier.

[Australian Undergraduate] Important Finance group project Assignment

[Australian Undergraduate] Important Finance group project - Assignment Example The construction would incur maintenance and utility cost from the drainage and the dike systems, the solid wastes and the recycling of materials that were not used after completion of the construction process. Besides, other cost associated with maintenance and utilities include the sewer system, water supply, operations and maintenance, constructions of the systems that still need polishing up and the salaries and benefits of the employees. The average daily cost is represented in the diagram below for all the utilities. These costs represent estimates computed for the first three months to obtain the daily cost in the first 90 days. However, it is likely that the amount may be slightly higher during the first one month. The values will fall thereafter with the third and fourth months and even subsequent duration recording lower values owing to the decreasing utilities and maintenance requirement. The breakeven analysis helps in the determination of the point at which the management can know whether the business attains a level that it makes neither losses nor profits (Tucker, 1963). It is also the point that the cost of production for the business equals the sales, hence no profit. Although breakeven is a firsthand tool for the assessment of the health status of the business by showing how the uncertainties may be critical for the venture, it does not capture market dynamics. Every market should be considered as dynamic because the trends may vary depending on several conditions. The changing trends dictate pricing and changes in the prices at large. Breakeven analysis does not take into accounts these trends, so it may give a general outlook that has an impact on expectations (Tucker, 1963). Since breakeven analysis involves adjustment of variables so that the values can give a figure of $0 NPV, and that each variable undergoes adjustment one at a time, it does not capture the possible effects that may influence two or more variables together.

Thank you letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Thank you letter - Essay Example y important that leadership should be constantly updated with the issues and problems related to communication across various departments and geographical units. The technically written mails help to provide accurate, concise and grammatically free information so that it not only makes sense but also facilitates the seniors to diagnose and resolve the issue efficiently and timely. The interview has also helped to emphasize that the technical writing is an art, especially in Communication Focal Point. The communication widely differs from person to person. It is full of technicalities with military but straight forward when dealing with civilian side. Indeed, while regular Airmen need to be informed in simple ways, the technical officials require more comprehensive details of the problems. As such, the communication officer needs to highlight technical details which are accurate and clearly written with no ambiguity and grammatical errors. We have also come to understand the interesting difference in the types of awards that a person can be submitted for. Any acronyms can be used for POM or performer of the month provided they are spelled out five spaces below the last sentences as against list of acronyms for base awards! The interview is also explicit in details about the wide-ranging duties of NCOIC and how technical knowledge also involves understanding of the legal documentation and the process of forwarding it. The personal information file and legal documentation etc. become vital aspects of the job profile. Most importantly, our interview has shown that defense personals must be prepared to accept different job profiles as you have done; crossing from missile maintenance to communication. Moreover, the technical writing of the present job profile is quite different to communication in other branches which is straightforward and simpler. Your interview has been very inspiring and shows that individuals should constantly make efforts to learn from their

Education Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education Leadership - Essay Example As much as leaders in the institutions of higher education face and encounter various challenges emanating from differences in expectations of policies, educational leadership has to be accredited the smooth running of the learning institutions and controversial issues resolved amicably. As noted by Hill, educational leadership is of great importance to the institutions of higher learning considering that it is the system that establishes direction and structural functioning of the institutions (28). It has been routine for education leaders to set future visions to be attained to ensure internal and external growth of the parties involved and the society in general. Setting vision by education leadership inspires the entire students’ body and teachers to work harder to ensure maximization of benefits of staying in the institutions of higher learning. Educational leadership further gains support of Hill as she indicates that it has been responsible in aligning people towards the realization of educational objectives (28). After setting visions, education leadership treads ahead to set example while identifying groups with similar goals and objectives and setting them towards attaining their particular goals. Moreover, Hill reckons that educational leadership has been instrumental in motivating and encouraging stakeholders in the field of higher education (28). The encouragement of the stakeholders has enabled participants in the field of higher education to overcome political rifts, unworthy bureaucracies and growth barriers. This has enabled students and other stakeholders in the field of higher education satisfy the basic needs by use of the limited resources and improve social relation and cohesion. In a nutshell, education leadership has led to blossom of respect among the key participants thereby leading to

Impressions of The First Day at a New Job Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Impressions of The First Day at a New Job - Essay Example The receptionist was dressed in a purple suit with purple earrings to fit. I tendered my approved application letter and she directed me to the sales department where I would be working. The receptionist directed me to the fourth floor, which was the sales department. I climbed the stairs to the fourth floor as the company had no elevator. I remember that I saw about twelve persons in the sales department. They were all dressed in black suits with seven females and five males. This gave me the impression that they all had a particular mode of dressing. The office was actually a hall and it was painted with green with about twenty-four rocking chairs and twelve round benches in it. As I got to the office, they were all looking at me like an alien. I felt like the ground should open up and swallow me as the faces were too much on me. However, I summoned courage, walked majestically into the office and asked after the Head of the Sales Department. I was surprised to see that the Head of the Sales Department was some inches shorter than I was. I expected that I would meet a huge man as my boss, but spotting him made me see that there is actually a huge difference between fantasy and reality. The Head of my new department spoke with a thin voice and to ld me to sit down on a black rocking chair which was directly opposite his own. He gave me a description of my job and told me that, they work collectively to achieve the goal of the company. This was actually the way that an organization operates (Jones 18). I was introduced to the other staffs of the Sales Department and my boss told them that, they should accept me as one of them as we shared the same passion and have a common goal. I shook hands with them and exchanged pleasantries with all of them. I settled down fast on that same day and was acquainted with the mode of operation of the sales department.

My Diet Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Diet Analysis - Essay Example Finally, I realized my energy expenditure was significantly more than my calorie intake. This gave me room to enhance my diet to incorporate more food groups. II. Based on my original 5 day food log actual vs. recommended report there were a number of nutrients in my diet that I consumed less than or equal to 75% of the recommended daily intake. Among these nutrients in the calories category included overall calorie consumption (38%), calories from fat (23%), and calories from saturated fat (15%). Other nutrients that fell within this designated range included carbohydrates, sugar, and dietary fiber. In terms of fats there were a number that fell below this recommended range. These included saturated fat, mono fat, and poly fat. Other nutrients included cholesterol, water, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, vitamin D, and vitamin E. In addition to these nutrients below the recommended daily intake, there was one nutrient – sodium – of which I consumed over 125% of my re commended daily intake. There are a number of ways that the foods in which I don’t meet the recommended intake, as well my overconsumption of sodium can adversely affect my health. In terms of my sodium consumption I am at risk of hypertension and heart disease (Farfan). In terms of the foods I am deficient in there are a number of diseases and risks I face. ... In terms of carbohydrates I risk experiencing low energy levels. In terms of fiber deficiency I face digestion problems. Finally, in terms of my fat deficiencies I face the risk of skin, fingernail, and even menstrual problems. III. There were a great many foods in which my recommended daily intake was below. In thinking of three foods that are aimed at fulfilling these needs, I attempted to find foods rich in many of nutrients I was deficient in. As I was deficient in many of the vitamin B categories, I realize that I should add bananas and legumes to my diet as they would improve both vitamin B1 and B6 consumption (Daniellson). In meeting my monosaturated fat intake I could consume more olive oil with my main meals. As the only nutrient that I consumed over the recommended daily intake of was sodium, three foods that I could remove from my diet to lower my sodium intake include crackers, tuna, and hamburgers; in addition I could limit my general use of salt (Iannelli, 2010). IV. Wh en comparing my original food log with my made up menus there were a number of elements I noticed that differed between the two food logs. One of the most pervasive differences I noticed between the two foods logs was that in the made up menu the calorie count was consistently higher in the made up menus. It’s clear this is an element of not being able to maintain a balanced diet because of a variety of factors related to daily commitments. In terms of specific improvements I believe that some of the major improvements noted were the consistency in meals. In these regards, the made up menus more consistently contained foods from the recommended food categories. For instance, these menus consistently contained a

Strategic Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Plan - Research Paper Example As the consumer demands are ever changing, this industry has also constantly evolved over the years. Emergence of new entrants and constant innovation by the existing firms in this industry has induced tough competition. Companies are now planning strategies to increase the sustainability of their organization’s growth. The present report aims to identify the business drivers of Wal-Mart retailer and prepare an effective strategic plan for future growth and development. Company description Wal-Mart is the largest corporation in the world. It is also the biggest private employer in the United States of America (Yoffie & Wang, 2002). However, the company was first established as a self-service discount store by Sam Walton, in the year 1962. At the end of 1993, Wal-Mart was one of the top discount departmental stores in the world. The company is headquartered at Bentonville, Arkansas, United States. The company has established more than 8500 stores across the globe. Product portf olio of the company includes, apparel, warehouse club, footwear specialty, cash & carry, supercenter, superstore, discount store, hypermarket, supermarket. Wal-Mart resource and capabilities The brand name of Wal-Mart has become synonymous to value for money over the course of time. Wal-Mart follows a low cost and leadership strategy (Johnson & Scholes, 1999). Macroscopic view of Wal-Mart’s competitive strategy shows that the company uses resource based model in order to develop a value chain proposition which cannot be matched by competitors. Though Wal-Mart shows little adaptability to its formats in overseas expansions, most of its store operations are leaders in their local areas (Colla & Dupuis, 2002). The fundamental principles followed by the company are providing everyday low prices, commit to customer service and maintain technological superiority and establishing loyalty among suppliers and associates. Supermarkets of Wal-Mart in international location have less fin ancial risk due to bulk sales. About 10 billion dollars are saved by the American customers by shopping at Wal-Mart (Buffet, 2003). Competitive advantage for Wal-Mart lies in its ability of cost differentiation and strong distribution channel across the globe (Van Weele, 2009). Current direction Global economy is decelerating due to various reasons such as Euro zone crisis and economic recession which started in the year 2008. Retailers such as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Target, Wal-Mart, Kohl and others are struggling to maintain sales growth while other retail players such as Nordstrom, Saks and Neiman Marcus have recorded same store sales growth of 12% last year (Arnold, 2002). Global retailers are facing following trends to change the dynamics of business operation. This has compelled organizations like Wal-Mart to make strategic plan in order to remain profitable and competitive in this dynamic market (Simon et al., 2011). The objective of the current strategic direction will be to evaluate the resources and capabilities of the retail gain and make appropriate recommendations for future planning. SWOT Analysis In order to understand the internal and external strengths and weaknesses, a SWOT analysis of Wal-Mart has been done. Strengths With revenue of more than 400 million dollars, Wal-Mart is undoubtedly one of the largest retailers in the world. As a result of large operational scale, the company can exercises strong power on suppliers in order to

Major American Political Ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Major American Political Ideology - Essay Example This paper would explore these two ideologies. Fundamentally, conservatism and liberalism differ in issues of freedom and responsibility. American conservatism is derived from the idea that all human beings share an equal nature, an ability to make decisions based upon a common-sense morality while liberalism, at its core, denies that such a common-sense morality exists and, even is such a morality were to exist, doubts the average person’s ability to understand it. (Janiskee and Masugi p. 30) This difference in ideology is demonstrated in the following analogy: Conservatives in America maintains the position that conserves the tradition of the American founding and the purposes and objectives of the Founding Fathers for the establishment of the country. American liberal takes the opposite direction by asserting that such traditions are restrictive and, therefore, the nation need to be liberated from them. Presently, the two parties that fight each other every four years in the American presidential elections are the Republicans and Democrats. The former is seen to be identified with conservatism while the form with liberalism. The two parties derive their ideologies to two fundamentally different views of human nature that is why each ideology calls for different kinds of government response to different issues. For instance, conservatives are more inclined to be against gun control but favor the death penalty while liberals want the reverse: gun control and no death penalty. An interesting aspect in the dynamics of American conservatism and liberalism is that they could assume an entirely different attitude towards certain issue compared to conservatives and liberals in Europe. A demonstration of this is how the conservatives and liberals in America want to address the question on how far should the free market be left alone: how far

Evaluating the Sustainability of the Eu Policy Essay Example for Free

Evaluating the Sustainability of the Eu Policy Essay

The Concept Of Happiness

The Concept Of Happiness However dull ones life may be there are times when one cannot help but question the meaningfulness of it. The subject of death is often a prime example of how people begin to question the value of life. Death usually brings people down and it makes them wonder if there is a meaning to existence or whether the recently deceased found it. In such situations, most of us turn to questions such as: What am I doing here? Am I happy? Am I doing the right thing? Am I making a difference? Hopefully one does not need to face such extreme events in order to question the meaning of life. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle expresses his opinions about the function of the human being in an attempt to show that the human good is activity in accordance with reason, and in turn this alignment alone is responsible for our happiness which in his view is the highest good, a self sufficient and final goal for any human being. Along the same lines, in The Experience Machine, Robert Nozick is addressing a similar issue, by arguing that pleasure is not the only thing which matters to us and brings to our attention the fact that there are other factors which contribute to our well-being. In this paper I will explain the arguments of both Aristotle and Nozick by exploring the concept of happiness, its role in morality and what I understand through ones function of living a happy and moral life. Soon after reading some Aristotelian material, one cannot help but notice that Aristotle was a man of science, a very analytical man. It seems that he deeply enjoyed putting things into categories of belonging. Things like the four causes, things like his classification of things that are inorganic and living, and the list goes on. The same applies for his work, Nicomachean Ethics, and as the name implies, this is as close as we can get to Aristotles code of moral values. Aristotle felt that virtue and being active were a means to happiness, which he believed to be the universal goal of every human being. However, since we are all different, every person has a unique way of achieving happiness and he starts his argument by bringing this issue into focus. He sets out to investigate what does happiness really mean? Does it mean a warm cup of tea, a healthy family or perhaps a good looking partner? Happiness means many things to many people, and that brings into question the meaning of true happiness and what makes something true happiness. Aristotle says that the good we are looking for is apparently one thing in one action and another thing in another, (NE 106a15-17) thus we have to identify which is the good in each of these cases (1096a17-19). Aristotle uses medicine as an example where the good would be health, or generalship where the good would be victory, but in every action and decision it is the end, since it is for the sake of the end that everyone does the other things (NE 1096a20-22). Some, may find this argument problematic and could say that sometimes we do things without a set goal in mind, and rather do them just for the sheer joy of it, but I disagree. Aristotles point seems to be applicable in every situation, since even if the good is not obtained as a distant goal but rather as an immediate reward, or at the same time as the action is performed, his argument still holds. For example, listening to music or walking my dog results in pleasure form just the activity alone, in the very moment that the action takes place. He then proceeds to explain that the highest good has to be complete and cannot be for the sake of something else as that would imply that the latter would become the highest. Aristotle says that it must be something complete and self-sufficient, since it is the end of the things pursued in action (NE 1097b21-22). This also seems like a very sound point to me. If there is such a thing as a highest good, then we can easily imply that it should be complete and sufficient in itself in order to make a life choiceworthy (NE 1097b15). While reading Nicomachean Ethics, I could not help but wonder if Aristotle ever realized the irony of this vicious circle we seem to be caught in. Most people live life by going from one compensation to another, trying different experiences, looking for a lover, wife or husband, career or money. I strongly believe that one must realize that these are just learned concepts and not something we are born with, and the same applies for our morality. It seems like we have a constant need to fill our lives with content, in order to keep us busy and to give us some sort of identity. Its quite easy to see the cycle that most people constantly go through: One feels empty and suddenly desire arises; soon after compensation comes, boredom sets in and then again one feels empty. I think we should strive to realize that it is not the object acquired that gives satisfaction, but rather that we are satisfied once were at peace, not needing anything. It seems to me that satisfying desire is only a temporary solution and once the initial excitement associated with the new acquisition is fading, the need to acquire arises again and again. This only turns life into an addicting habit, and while I do believe in true happiness I doubt it can be achieved this way. Nozicks philosophy is similar to this analogy, but rather than just arguing his point methodically, Nozick starts off by laying out a thought experiment. This experiment revolves around a hypothetical machine called the experience machine which is supposed to create a stimulated reality for any person that connects to it. The machine will then allow the user to experience various pleasures determined for each person by their own individual desires. In this hypothetical experiment, one would only have to be outside of the machine very briefly, in order to program the desired events and experiences for the next upcoming years of ones life. Another possibility would be for one to map out his entire life in the machine based on a very carefully conducted survey by superduper neuropsychologists which would guarantee a pleasant experience without having to ever leave the machine (EM p.606). Further, Nozick asks us to overlook certain concerns that would arise, such as who would run the machine if everyone would be plugged in, as it would not change the purpose of the experiment. He then asks: if presented with a choice would you choose to plug in? (EM p.606) Nozick opposes the question using a few distinct reasons, namely: we want to do certain things, and not just have the experience of doing them (EM p.606); we want to be a certain sort of person and we dont want to be limited to a man-made reality, to a world no deeper than that which people can construct. (EM p.607) In short, Nozick argues that, if plugging in to the experience machine provides more pleasure, we should simply follow this idea; however that will only happen if pleasure is all that matters to us. Nozicks own reply is that we would not choose to connect to the machine, and thus he concludes that pleasure is not the only thing that matters to us. I believe that, the answer provided by Nozick for his own hypothetical experiment, only sounds like a choice one would make simply because it appeals to the human biases against things which are considered artificial. Simply put, a person will not opt for an artificial reality if given the choice, even if it was an ecstatic experience but that does not mean that one is not seeking pleasure. It may as well be that, the psychological gratification received from knowing that one is living a real life is more rewarding than an artificial but pleasant experience. If we carefully examine the values that people hold we can see how they are just a different form of pleasure. Certain people would easily get pleasure because theyve turned down this machine and feel good because theyve made the right choice. Just because the psychological pleasure one may feel because of the choice made is more subtle than some ecstatic experience, it does not mean that it is not pleasure that one seeks. In my opinion, we are often faced with trials during the course of our lives. These trials sometimes change us and our perception of what life really is, which is what I understand through Aristotles function of a human being. He believes reason is what separates us from plants, animals and just about everything else. He calls the man who only identifies with human enjoyment vulgar, because while pleasure is related to happiness it is not the highest good, since one can feel pleasure but might not be happy. To me, this sounds exactly like Nozicks line of thought, but to be honest I dont think Nozicks experiment proves this argument. I believe his experiment may prove that there are several forms and types of pleasures, of which some are very subtle, but Im not convinced of how his experiment is showing that we choose other things over pleasure itself. At most, I believe it shows that we like the idea of achieving something ourselves rather than it being given to us, but then again, achievement is just another form of pleasure in itself. Aristotles function argument also states that our unique human function is the use of reason. According to him, playing the harp is a harpists function, and is the same as the function of an exceptional harpist. When virtue is expressed and added to the function, the harpists function becomes playing the harp, while the exceptional harpists function is to play the harp well. Each function is not considered complete until it expresses proper virtue and a degree of excellence (1098a11-16). Aristotle says that virtue is acquired through the practice of any given function, and that people are born only with the potential of being virtuous, yet they must act accordingly in order to acquire it. As I see it, Aristotles human function argument is a solid moral code that we should all follow. Given the use of reason is a primary requirement, everything one does needs to be analyzed, needs to make sense and needs to be channeled towards achieving happiness. If everyone strives towards the good with this in mind it is hardly possible to do harm or injustice to someone else for selfish or superficial reasons. I believe this is exactly what Robert Nozick was aiming toward in his work as well. My opinion is that life should be accepted as a gift which was given to us or an opportunity rather than striving to turn it into a race of satisfying desires and fulfilling ideas or concepts. I strongly believe life should be simply lived in harmony with everything around us and I would encourage anyone to consider the idea that life is not happening to us, but rather that we are happening in life.