Management Skills in Human Resource Development Essay

Technical skills encompass the ability to apply specialized knowledge or expertise. When you think of the skills held by professionals such as civil or oral surgeons, you typically focus on their technical skills .Through extensive formal education, they have learned the special knowledge and practices of their field. Of course ,professionals donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have a monopoly on technical skills ,and not all technical skills ,have to be learned in schools or formal training programs .All jobs require some specialized expertise ,and many people develop their technical skills on the job. Human Skills The ability to work with ,understand ,and motivate other people ,both individually and in groups ,describes ,human skills many people are technically proficient but interpersonally incompetent. They might be poor listeners ,unable to understand the needs of others, or have difficulty managing conflicts .Since managers get things done through other people ,they must have good human skills to communicate ,motivate, and delegate. Conceptual Skills Managers must have the mental ability to analyze and diagnose complex situations. These tasks require conceptual skills. Decision making, for instance, requires managers to spot problems, identify alternatives that can correct them, evaluate those alternatives ,and select the best one .Managers can be technically and interpersonally competent yet still fail because of an inability to rationally process and interpret information Effective vs. Successful Managerial activities Fred Luthans and his associates looked at the issue of what managers do from a somewhat different perspective. They asked the question : Do managers who move up most quickly in an organization do the same activities and with the same emphasis as managers who do the best job? You would tend to think that the managers who were the most effective in their jobs would also be the ones who were promoted fastest .But thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not what appears to happen. Luthans and his associates studied more than 450 managers .What they found was that these managers all engaged in four managerial activities : Traditional Management. Decision making ,planning, and controlling. Communication. Exchanging routine information and processing paperwork.

The Dominican Republic’s Expression

Abstract Merengue is the national music and dance of the Dominican Republic. Both tourists and locals enjoy partying to the sound of the merengue inside the bars and outside in the streets. Two major festivals with a merengue theme are celebrated in a year. This depicts the merengue as a critical part of the lives of the Dominicans. Merengue was even able to reach out overseas and be accepted by other countries like the USA and Puerto Rico. However, merengue had gone through a lot of trials before it got its distinction. It was initially rejected by the Dominicans because of its link to African music and because of its vulgar lyrics and taboo subjects. Widespread acceptance occurred only when the Americans came and became a cultural threat and when the dictator Rafael Trujillo declared the merengue as the national symbol. Since then, armed with its traditional instruments, the merengue became the soundtrack of the lives of the Dominicans. Merengue: The Dominican Republic’s Expression I.Introduction II.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Merengue History III. Merengue Instruments IV. Merengue Music V.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Merengue Dance VI. Conclusion Merengue: The Dominican Republic’s Expression People say that music is the universal language of mankind. However, in the case of the people of the Dominican Republic, it is not just a language; it is an expression and a way of life. Walking through their streets, one would notice that music coming from houses, vehicles, stores and restaurants serves as the country’s soundtrack. And soon after sunset, the air would be filled with life from the pulsing beats from the clubs that invites both locals and tourists to their dance floors. For the Dominicans, dancing is a practiced art and it is a pleasure for them to share their native dances to those willing to learn (Dominican Republic, 2005 and Hispaniola, 2008). Merengue is Dominican Republic’s most popular music and dance and is considered as the country’s national dance. The sound of the merengue is a combination of European, African and Eastern Cuban elements. It has a signature beat pattern that easily identifies it and requires the dancers to swing their hips in quick but fluid motion (Hispaniola, 2008). The Dominicans celebrate two merengue festivals, namely, the Santo Domingo Merengue Festival which is a seaside musical festival and the Puerto Plata Merengue Festival which is a festival in outdoor bars and in streets (Dominican Republic, 2005). The arrival of the merengue to the American soils was attributed to the Dominican immigrants to the country. And merengue became a worldwide phenomenon due to the increasing number of countries accepting it. It was even able to outsell salsa in the Latin America. This is the reason why I chose to write on the topic; I want to explore merengue to know why it has become a worldwide trend. Merengue History The roots of merengue are quite unclear and several theories are proposed. One theory is that a soldier, Tomas Torres, developed the music after the Dominican’s victory at the Talanquera battle. Another theory is that it came from upa, a Cuban music, wherein one part was called merengue (Tambora y Gà ¼ira, 1995). Even the roots of the name are still uncertain. Some say that the name came from the Haitian mereng, which developed from the music of the African slaves. Some even say that it came from the way the merengue was danced, such that the swirling and rapid crisscrossing steps reminded them of the beating of the eggs in making the meringue dessert (Highbeam Research, Inc., 2008). Wherever merengue came from, one thing is sure, that it evolved from something and became an integral part of the lives of the Dominicans. Merengue had gone through many problems before it was generally accepted as the national dance of the Dominican Republic. During the early 1900’s, the public was reluctant to accept it because of its nature; it has close links to African music and the lyrics were themed on sexual encounters and other socially taboo issues. It was only accepted by the masses after two important events. The first was during the American soldiers’ stay at the country from 1916 to 1924; the Dominicans slightly reduced the merengue’s tempo to allow the visitors to keep-up with the dance while maintaining their cultural identity. The second event was the former president Rafael Trujillo’s acceptance of merengue as the national symbol. This was due to the fact that Trujillo was born of a poor family and was prohibited from attending upper-class clubs, thus making merengue the status symbol of their class (Dominican Republic, 2005 and Salsa and Merengue Society, 1999). However, the vulgarity and sexual explicitness of the lyrics still produced oppositions until composer Luis Alberti was able to write a merengue with good lyrics entitled Compadre Pedro Juan which became identified as the merengue’s archetype. Since then, merengue has spread overseas through radio broadcasts and music recordings (Highbeam Research, Inc., 2008). Merengue Instruments The traditional merengue is composed of a three-piece band that includes a melodeon, an accordion-like instrument, a guira, a scraped cheese grater-looking percussion, and a tambora, a double-headed drum (Dominican Republic, 2005). The tambora is played by placing it horizontally across the thighs and hitting the right end with a stick and the left end with an open palm (Highbeam Research, Inc., 2008). However, the melodeon is not the initial instrument used for the harmony and melody; Dominican bandurrias, guitars, tres, cuatro and marimba, a wooden box with four to eight metal tongs that are plucked, are the ones initially used since they are the instruments owned by the common people (Tambora y Gà ¼ira, 1995). It is only when the Germans began to trade their accordions with the Dominicans’ tobacco that the accordion became a part of the merengue (IASO Records, Inc., 2008). It blended naturally with the merengue music and was helpful in making the sound cope up with the increasing audience size. Nevertheless, the one-row accordions of the Germans were later replaced by the saxophone due to the former’s inability to play sufficient major keys. The accordion was only able to come back when the two-row accordions were introduced (Salsa and Merengue Society, 1999). Up to the present, the music continues to evolve and adapt to the changes. Different instruments like trumpets, violin, flute, piano, electric and bass guitars, and bass drums are being used by different merengue musicians (Dominican Republic, 2005). Merengue Music There are several kinds of merengue music formed in the Dominican Republic and they differ only in their instrumentation. The most famous of which is the Merengue Cibaeà ±o, also known as Perico Ripiao and Merengue Tipico. It came from the El Cibao region of the country where merengue was first accepted and it is now considered as the â€Å"The cradle of merengue† (IASO Records, Inc., 2008). The name Perico Ripiao, which literally means ‘ripped parrot’, was derived from the wild country parties wherein, in the absence of other poultry birds, the parrot serves as the main dish. The local musicians who play at the said parties named their music after the dish (Grupofantasia). Merengue Cibaeà ±o’s musical structure has either two beats (2/4) or four beats (4/4) to the bar and uses the three traditional instruments in a manner wherein the tambora calls and the other two responds. This gives the merengue its signature and characteristic drive (Salsa and Merengue Society, 1999). The songs are normally composed in two sections. The first part is with a simple rhythm used to introduce the song’s lyrical and melodic content wherein the verses are just sung and improvisations are heard just at the end of the song lines. The second part is composed primarily of instrument improvisations wherein they play catchy riffs that help inspire and excite the dancers. Rhythms of the tipico merengue include the merengue derecho or the straight-ahead merengue which is the fast-paced merengue. The second rhythm is the pambiche or merengue apambichao which is slower and characterized by the dual strike rhythm of the tambora. The third rhythm is the guinchao which is a combination of the first two (IASO Records, Inc, 2008). Merengue Dance The merengue is a very easy dance and anybody, even with little training, could instantly dance it since the steps are made to be less complicated for beginners. Couples dancing the merengue vary from being too close such that only simple steps are done to being far apart such that there is space for turning combinations. It was said that the Dominicans prefer dancing further apart since they like to brag their fancy footwork. In addition, close body contact, for the Dominicans, are considered as pornographic and vulgar dance making them prefer dancing with a distance (Salsa and Merengue Society, 1999). The merengue dance is divided into three sections. The first is the paseo or promenade wherein couples walk slowly and talk with each other or with nearby couples. The second is the merengue which is first danceable part and is comprised of 16 or 32 repeated measures. The last is the jaleo which has four of eight measures and has a refrain that is repeated many tines. This is also the last danceable part of the music (Highbeam Research, Inc., 2008). Conclusion Merengue has been an integral part of the lives of the Dominicans. This could be attributed to the struggles of the merengue before it was fully accepted by the people. This made merengue more than their national dance, but also a way of expressing themselves. This attitude towards merengue made it appealing to other countries and enabled it to be accepted by them as another form of music and dance. The addiction with merengue was caught by other countries making merengue an international phenomenon. References Dominican Republic. (2005, October). Dominican Republic Music and Dance. Retrieved April 25, 2008 Grupofantasia. Merengue. Retrieved April 25, 2008 Highbeam Research, Inc. (2008). The infectious merengue.(history and influences of merengue music and dance). Retrieved April 25, 2008 Hispaniola. (2008). Music and Dance in the Dominican Republic. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from http://www.hispaniola.com/dominican_republic/info/society_music.php IASO Records, Inc. (2008). Merengue: Popular Music of the Dominican Republic. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from http://www.iasorecords.com/merengue.cfm National Geographic Society. (2008). Dominican Republic. Retrieved April 25, 2008, Salsa and Merengue Society. (1999). Merengue: The Dance. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/revealit/dancemer.html Salsa and Merengue Society. (1999). Merengue: The Music. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/revealit/musicmer.html Tambora y Gà ¼ira. (1995, June ). Merengue History. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from http://www.mindspring.com/~adiascar/musica/merhst-e.htm

Argentina Economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argentina Economy - Research Paper Example GDP Per Capita Source: (tradingeconomics.com; Argentina GDP Per Capita; Retrieved: 2nd April 2012) Analyzing the ten years, we clearly see that the overall trend of per capita GDP has been rising. The per capita GDP has approximately doubled in the last ten years from $6300 to around $10,800 in 2011. We do see that the economic slow down had an effect on Argentina since its growth stagnated between 2009-2010 but has risen considerably since. The overall outlook for 2012 is also very positive. Inflation Rate: Source: (tradingeconomics.com; Argentina Inflation Rate; Retrieved: 2nd April 2012) Argentina has always been ridden with high inflation issues. Specially at the start of the millenium the CPI figures were sky high around 40% .The dramatic decrease in CPI was because of devaluation of its currency. Since then various measures have been underway to keep the inflation rate in and around 10%. Although some unofficial figures state that inflation is twice as much, around 25%. The inf lation issue continues to be a main concern for the country and measures are to be taken with repect to this to ensure any further growth in the country. UnEmployment Rate: Source: ( tradingeconomics.com; Argentina Unemployement Rate; Retrieved: 2nd April 2012) The overall umployement figures for Argentina have been impressive. Unemployement was very high in 2002 around 21%. Since then, there has been a steady decline in unemployement rate to around 7% in 2012. The unemployement numbers have decreased which certainly is a positive sign for the country which is because of the growing demand for argentinian products and growing local demand. With growing domestic as well as international demand the country is creating jobs for its citizens and the figures may get better in 2012. Source: (Indexmundi.com; Argentina Poverty Rate; Retrieved: 2nd April 2012) The poverty rate for Argentina has declined since 2003 from a staggering 48% to around 12% in 2010. The decrease in employment has la rgely been due to the strenghtening economy and higher opportunities for growth in manufacturing and agriculture.Argentina has now a very high Human Development Index and is now in an upper middle income economy in the world. The poverty rate does seem to be getting higher and measures need to be taken to address this issue.Population being below the poverty line was estimated at around 10% in the CIA factbook, however the figure is still alarming. Democracy Index and Level Of Corruption: A research study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit compiled a list of 167 democracies around the world to identify their level of democrarcy based on a number of factors most notably; political participation,civil liberties,and functioning of the government. In this survey Argentina was placed at number 51 of the 167 countries with an index of 6.84 which translated to flawed democracy. 10 being the highest, full democracy and 0 being authoritarion regimes. ( (Kekic) The country has democ ratically elected governement although there are some flaws in the system that have made its democracy level go down a bit. The transparency International conducted a study to identify corrupt and non corrupt nations by providing an index

God, the Great Chasm, and the Building of Bridges Assignment

God, the Great Chasm, and the Building of Bridges - Assignment Example Mentioning that the Muslims are serving a violent God because of their vicious approach towards other religions which is said to be a result of the violent nature of their God, the open letter counters that their God is also known as the Merciful, Just, Seeing, Loving and Gentle. This statement implies that the Pope should look at the Muslim God in the entirety of His character and not concentrate on just one aspect. Volf thinks that the open letter expressed a revolutionary idea when it mentioned loving God and loving your neighbors because Muslims were commonly viewed as hostile. In trying to identify with the Christian doctrine of loving God and loving one’s neighbor, the authors of the open letter who are Muslims, are saying that instead of finding the differences between the two religions, they should strengthen their similarities to bond themselves instead. In Pope Benedict’s subsequent comment about Islam, he backpedaled a bit from the position he took at Resensburg when he claimed that Christiand and Muslims alike are serving the same God. However, he also made clear his statements by reiterating the importance of loving God and loving one’s neighbor instead of resorting to

Satisfaction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Satisfaction - Research Paper Example â€Å"The workforce in the health sector has specific features that cannot be ignored and motivation can play an integral role in many of the compelling challenges facing healthcare today† (Lambrou, Kontodimopoulos, and Niakas, 2010). The manager of the hospital or the health care center assumes the prime responsibility for keeping the nurses satisfied, because the performance of the organization as a whole is directly linked with the individualistic and collective performance of the nurses. This research was conducted with an intention of identifying ways to satisfy the nurses. Patient care is one of the most sensitive tasks that need to be dealt with immense delicacy and prudence because it not only involves dealing with people’s emotions along with taking care of their health but also has the potential to affect the public image of the hospital or the health care center for better or worse depending upon the quality of patient care delivered in it. Among the issues a manager of a hospital or a health care center is exposed to, two of the prime issues include late arrival of nurses, and shortage of nurses when they are needed on urgent basis. The patient care is scheduled and everything works according to a plan. In such circumstances, late arrival of nurses disturbs the schedule which causes the issues of time management to surface. At the end of the day, this behavior of nurses incurs the hospital many indirect costs, which reduce the profitability of business. On the other hand, shortage of nurses when they are needed on urgent basis is very dep ressing for the managers and administrators and it also brings a bad name to the organization. Rewarding the employees is fundamental to help them maintain a high self-esteem at the work place and keep their motivation for work high, and the same rule applies on the nurses. Nurses need to be rewarded in order to be satisfied enough to deliver their best

Tips for Effective Oral Presentations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tips for Effective Oral Presentations - Essay Example In this easy, some tips on how to make an effective presentation are discussed. The issue of stage fright, which is a major hindrance to making an effective oral presentation and how to manage it, is also discussed. At the end of this discussion, there should be clarity on how one can make an effective oral presentation. Keywords: Oral Presentation, Effective, Stage Fright Introduction When making an oral presentation, it is very important for one to be able to present thoughts and ideas effectively. Oral presentations are usually very popular in job interviews, and especially when one starts working (Gupta, 2008). So everyone is encouraged to practice oral presentation even before friends and family so as to perfect the skill before the very important time. Ones ability in this area can either make or break his or her career. This is because a person can be very hard working in the job he or she is doing, but if he or she does not have good skills in oral presentation, his or her gr owth will not be seen (Aquino, 2008). There are people who have a certain potential for communication, but this does not mean that they are good at oral presentation. The techniques involved would be very beneficial to such people, to sharpen up their skills more. Effective oral presentation skills make a person more popular among colleagues, for example, a manager who has good skills in oral presentation is likely to be popular among his juniors (Gupta, 2008). What is Oral Presentation? Most of the time, people tend to confuse oral communication with oral presentation, but the two are totally different. According to Gupta, â€Å"oral communication is an interactive process of sharing information† (2008, p. 91) with people. Oral presentation on the other hand refers to a proper way of transmitting messages to an audience. It is important to note that effective oral presentations are important for the growth of a company or organization one is working for, especially when the partners or donors of the funds are present. Characteristics of an Effective Oral Presentation Purposeful: When being composed, an oral presentation should be directed to a definite purpose and one that is clear, because it is aimed at conveying a message to the audience (Rizvi, 2005). Interactive: Any oral presentation should involve the speaker, as well as the audience (Rizvi, 2005). Formal: This is what differentiates oral presentation from other forms of presentations. As said earlier, it is usually emphasized during job interviews. Thus, it is usually used in formal situations. Audience Oriented: This means that the topic has to be dealt with from the perspective of the audience (Rizvi, 2005). Importance of an Effective Oral Presentation Employers usually put great emphasis on oral presentation skills, than in any other form of communication skills. Gupta asserts that an oral presentation has the potential to educate, inspire and persuade more effectively than any other individ ual mode of communication (2008). At some point in ones career, he or she may be asked to make a presentation, and this is the reason why most of the business people rank oral presentation skills as among the most important factors responsible for their success. A good oral presentation can work wonders for any person who is looking for lucrative job offer from a company he or she has dreamt of working with

International business Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International business - Case Study Example In this mode, the statement reporting books are translated so as the proceeding activity will be taken over by the legal bodies. The importance of this type of translation is it makes sense to the financial statements and to show the position of the company’s date of home currency. It forms the simplest currency exposure that can be understood by the ordinary learners. It pertains the duration of the exposure while taking place and it involves a foreign exchange in the business. It also targets the monetary process for the profit generation. The management can initiate some strategies to control these exposures. The use of money markets, foreign exchange derivative such as future contracts and forward contracts (Levi 24). The opted strategy is the company carefully selection of production sites with the aim of reducing cost. The businesses that rely on the domestic market vary from because the profit produced by the dependent firms is high. The policies that have been implemented by the IMF will not work well with the developing countries having a young economy. The policy states that, â€Å"Since the debt crisis of 1980’s, the IMF has assumed the role of bailing out countries in case of the financial crisis. (caused in a large part by the currency speculation in the global casino economy). With the emergency loan packages tied to certain conditions, often referred to as structure adjustment policies† (Levi 24). From these policies, IMF was opposed because of some reasons. Among the reason was that from the structured adjustment policies, IMF created an immoral system of modern day colonialism. The collaboration of IMF with World Bank and WTO, it exposed the economy to inequality and destruction of the environment. Cutting expenditure on health and educations was their advice to countries so that they can pay their debt. When this is performed, elimination of necessary food and putting aside, transportation

The Essentiality of Open-Minded Discourse by Christine Smith Essay

The Essentiality of Open-Minded Discourse by Christine Smith - Essay Example I would first raise this issue in the class discussing the form of the letter's arguments and, next, with the letter's author, my friend. I would then reflect on whether I indeed practice the principles of tolerance that I preach to others. My initial response to the letter in question and the particular discussion in my class characterizing the letter as an example of bad argumentation would be to acknowledge that, yes, the letter presents immature and imprudent arguments against homosexuality. To do otherwise would ignore the obvious. I would then attempt to prevent the class from estimating the quality of my friend from the quality of his arguments, as a good person can have misguided opinions and make flawed arguments. And, equally abhorrent to arguments based on biases and prejudices is passing judgment on a person before taking the time to understand his or her many facets. Indeed, it is precisely this sentiment that I would then carry to my friend, the author of the letter. Since he is my friend, and has been for quite some time, I naturally care about him, his feelings, his perception of the world, and other's perceptions of him. I would advise him that, regardless of his personal opinion of homosexuality, his method of presenting his views was harsh and injudicious, passing rash judgment on homosexuals and on those readers who do not agree with his perspective. I would endeavor to be understanding and patient with my friend, attempting to convey to him the benefit of healthy discourse rather than mere blind contentions about controversial issues. Finally, after having discussed with my classmates and with my friend the advantages of healthy argument and open-mindedness, I would spend some time quietly and sincerely reflecting on whether I practice those qualities myself. I would like to think that I am tolerant and nonjudgmental, and that I was indeed in a moral position to discuss the value of forbearance and open discourse. To be sure, I would re-read my friend's letter, evaluate my initial reaction to it, ponder on whether and how I would write it differently if I felt the need to express my opinion on the subject of homosexuality, and consider whether the entire incident had changed my feelings for my friend or for my classmates. It is through this type of self-reflective process that I can be satisfied that my response to my friend's letter was honest. In sum, one cannot minimize the importance of open dialogue to flesh out the many perspectives our society maintains. Some arguments are better presented than others and, by definition, no one's opinion, though perhaps misguided, can be wrong. Indeed, critical to wise discourse is the ability to express one's opinions and listen to those of others openly and without bias. With hope, then, maybe one person who would otherwise belligerently convey preconceived, negative and baseless opinions will reflect and, instead, embrace a wise and healthy method of expression. Topic Outline I. Introduction A. Acceptance and tolerance lead to healthier expression and debate B. First, discuss the form of the letter's arguments with classmates C. Second, discuss the form of the letter's arguments with friend D. Third, reflect on whether I am tolerant and

Business Law - Evaluation of Labor and Employment Law for a Company Essay

Business Law - Evaluation of Labor and Employment Law for a Company - Essay Example This proposal was put in use on 5th February, 1993 by President Bill Clinton in his first term of service and after six months, it was implemented. The Act requires employers to have an equal weight in family issues, work, obligations and protection to its workers (United States Department of Labor 5th February 1993). An estimation of 94.4 of 141.7 million workers in United States worked at Family and medical leave act work places with only 76.1 million employees allowed for the leave in year 2007. In year 2008, the proportion of small employers and large employers offering Family and Medical Act coverage was 79% and 82% respectively. Therefore, there was no statistical difference between the employers. For an employee to qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act mandate, he or she must have worked for that the employer for more than twelve months and a minimum of 1250 hours within the period. The worker should also have worked for a business with not less than 50 employees and within the worksite, a radius of 75 miles. He or she could also be considered if he worked public agency. The family and medical leave act mandate unpaid leave to employees to care for a new child, whether born or adopted or even placement of a child in foster care. In our case, company x has more than 75 employees and Family and Medical Leave Act requires a minimum of 50 employees. The first situation, the employees are given 11 months leaved by the employer and after the period he asks for his return. This is what is mandated by the Family and Medical Leave Act. The Manager is decidedly right to return him to the previous job at the previous rate of pay because the worker has been an employee in the company for two years. He is also right to deny him the 11 months salary as per the Act. Older workers have problems in retaining their job due to rising productivity and affluence when

Status of Women and Marriage Change Essay Example for Free

Status of Women and Marriage Change Essay The Medieval approach to the subject of marriage was entirely distinct and unlike our own. It is difficult to understand their view on married life, as it appears to us, in the modern day to be much more of a contract for the consolidation of estates and monetary gain rather than the love of two people. However the view of women in general was very  unlike the outlook of our contemporary society and to understand their view of marriage we must first understand the outlook of women in the Middle Ages.   Women are first mentioned in The Bible in Genesis 2:21-3. It is described how woman is created from the rib of man and how the man said  This at last is bone of my bones  and flesh of my flesh;  she shall be called Woman,   because she was taken out of man1. The following passages in The Bible describe the fall of Eve and the temptation of Adam. From the very first literature, women are depicted with less moral standing than men and are seen as the downfall of all good, honest Christians. Apostles such as St Paul and St Augustine are also seen to have a grave role in the shaping of the view of women in the Middle Ages. However condemnation of females was not only confined to the Christian Church, as we know it today. Constantine, who established the progressive Christainisation of the empire, discovered small yet troubled heresies among which was one called Gnostics. They believed that the created world was inferior to the spiritual one and as women are the creators in our world they were therefore automatically lesser in the eyes of the lord. Many Gnostic sets wished to discard the reproducing purposes of women and also believed that marriage was sent from the Devil. They are quoted as declaring Marrying and reproducing are said to be instigated by Satan However they did not just believe in this without any cause. Gnostics thought that if women abandoned their duty to procreate they would be worthy to preach, baptise and prophesy alongside men. There were already many prior instances of women taking on such roles within The Bible. However, most surprisingly was the vision of the female Christ. This was maintained by Montanist liturgies that had great worship for Eve as her first sin brought about the miracle of incarnation. So it is easy to see that womens role within this society was a perplexed and confused issue. There were so many different views from many different sects of Christianity, however what I am going to concentrate on is the view of the laywomen in the Middle Ages by the Christian church.  All women were expected to be married, even Nuns were the brides of Christ. Although it was expected, marriage was not the ideal state for a woman. The perfect form was virginity. Those women who preserved their virginity were exalted among others as they had not given in to temptation and from the stories of Eve its in the female nature to be tempted. Puritans wrote  Per mulierem culpa successit,  Per virginem salus evenit  Sin came from women,  But salvation through a virgin2  However even virginity could not bring a woman to the higher state that a man holds within the Christian Church of the early Middle Ages. Cyprian, a third century writer made virginity the distinguishing and unique mark of Christianity, which in turn made virginity a public affair as opposed to a private virtue. Cyprians later contemporary; Ambrose conceived the idea that there were only two types of women in the world. Those who led normal married lives which were tarnished by sexual intercourse and those who stood out from the rest, exceptional women who remained virgins. St Augustine held up the celibate marriage of the Virgin Mary as an ideal for all. Unfortunately pureness would be impossible for the masses. Interestingly, it was only female virginity that held such high esteem. Origen a second century monk castrated himself out of dedication to sexual purity and was punished by the church and excluded from priesthood as he was no longer whole. Female virginity was held in high reverence throughout the Middle Ages however this did change somewhat towards the latter part of this era. With the emergence of characters such as Alysoun in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales there was born a women who could play men at their own game. She could quote the Holy Scriptures, making them state that her way of life was viable. She in effect could turn around any criticism of her manner by means reserved only for men of the cloth. There was also an ideal of mutual freedom in marriage, which was conceived, in the late Middle Ages that would not have been imagined any earlier. Women were seen to take control of the household and hold an equal share of the responsibility within the home. Although their aging husbands may have to show them how to run their household, it was down to the lady to see that everything gets done. The man would provide his young bride with a conduct book explaining what she should do if he were to die suddenly, whether he thought it appropriate for her to re-marry. In addition to house rules and his preferences in the way his household was run.

Observation of Child Play

Observation of Child Play Using observations of children at play in your setting, evaluate how you would scaffold the children’s learning in the future and improve the quality of play. Using a range of fully completed observations from placements (six in total), evaluate how you would improve the children’s learning experiences. Refer to expected â€Å"norms† of development (fully referenced) and explain how your knowledge of theories of child development would give you an understanding of how you might scaffold their learning. It is recognised that play is a valuable and effective way of learning within the early years. The experiences children have within their early years settings work towards promoting their development, learning and their overall outlook on life. Throughout my time in placement settings, I have observed a wide range of children from the age of 3 months to 11 years old. Within this text, I shall be outlining six of the observations I have conducted over the past two years and explain the child in terms of their development, identifying areas where there are deviations of the expected â€Å"norms† of development. Where appropriate, I will also explain my role of scaffolding these children. Scaffolding is defined by Read, C (2005) as the â€Å"metaphorical concept used to describe the interactive verbal support provided by adults to guide a child through the ZPD and enable them to carry out a task that they would be unable to do without help†. The area in which the child can perform an action or task, provided that a more skilled or knowledgeable person is available to help, Vygotsky termed the ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD). Scaffolding is temporary and can be put in place, strengthened, taken down piece by piece or taken away completely, as the child develops knowledge and skills and is increasingly able to act competently and independently. My role of scaffolding is to be the â€Å"more knowledgeable other† Vygotsky explained, as I provide the child was minimal assistance that they require to achieve and understand a concept. Scaffolding refers to the particular kind of help, assistance and support that enables a child to do a task wh ich they cannot quite manage on their own and which brings them closer to a state of competence that will enable them to carry out other similar tasks. Child One (0-3 Years) CONGITIVE Time Observation 09:30am Child A had pointed to the snack table and said â€Å"food† – I told child A â€Å"not now, but later† and child A was able to understand these simple time concepts and continued to play. 09:40am Child A had lifted one of the staff members’ observation book, Child A was told to â€Å"put the book back on the table† in which they completed this action, showing understanding of this sentence. 09:50am Child A was asked if they needed their nappy changed, Child A responded by nodding for yes. 10:00am Child A was given a sorting toy which had spaces to place different shaped objects. Child A was able to complete this task by placing the correct shapes in the corresponding spaces. 10:10am Child A continued to play with this sorting toy, Child A used the attached phone to pretend to speak to â€Å"mummy† on the phone. 10:20am Child A was able to point out a cat, a dog and a fish from a storybook I was reading. 10:30am At snack time, Child A was able to choose a fork rather than a spoon to use to eat chicken curry. For this observation, I used a time sampling method over a time period of one hour to observe a 2 year old during free flow play in a day care. From this observation, I was able to understand that Child A was developing normally as she was able to accomplish and show many areas of cognitive development of an average two year old child. Child A showed the capability of the usual cognitive milestones usually shown by a two year old child and has a wide understanding of words and phrases when spoken to. I do not believe there are any deviations of the norms of cognitive development and that no concerns are in place for this child. To help scaffold this child in the future, I can ensure the child is provided with more appropriate provision or her level of learning, such as more advanced reading books that are still age appropriate, but also capability appropriate to the child as to ensure continuous learning. Child Two (0-3) Years LANGUAGE Tries to copy your sounds Understands many more words than he can say Understands simple directions and questions such as Where is your nose? Get the ball. Demonstrates some pretend play with toys like give the teddy bear a drink Makes at least four consonant sounds from p,b,m,n,d,t,w,h Identifies pictures in a book when asked such as â€Å"Show me the baby. Enjoys being read to and looking at books Understands the concepts of in and out, off and on Points to three body parts when asked Says No Asks for something by pointing and using sounds or words Imitates animal noises Tries to get attention by calling out, repeating words and pointing For this next observation, I carried out a longitudinal study on a child aged 18 months. Over the period of around one month, I was able to identify that Child Two is developing extremely rapidly and accordingly with reference to general norms and milestones of children aged 12 to 18 months. Child Two’s language development appears to be flourishing every day and should not be a cause for concern. By reading new books and introducing new words to the child, I can scaffold their learning in the future to ensure the child’s development and learning is still continuing as normal. Child Three (0-3 Years) LANGUAGE Milestones for 2 to 3 Year Olds Achieved? Yes/No Pays increasing attention to speech No Responds to simple verbal requests No Responds to â€Å"no† Yes Uses simple gestures Yes Babbles with inflection (changes in tone) Yes Says â€Å"dada† and â€Å"mama† No Tries to imitate words Yes Points to objects or picture when it’s named for him Yes Recognizes names of familiar people, objects, and body parts No Says several single words No Uses simple phrases No Uses 2-to-4 word sentences No Follows simple instructions Yes Repeats words overheard in conversation No Child Three is 30 months old, (2 Years, 6 Months) and was observed in a Day Care setting. This observation was carried out over a period of one week and by using a Checklist method. Throughout this observation, I witnessed that Child Three’s attitudes towards language are not of the expected norms, as unlike the other children around the similar age were shouting words, able to point to areas on the face when named, saying â€Å"mama† and â€Å"dada† and in some cases, a variety of other two syllable words. Throughout the target week, Child Three did not speak a single word, which is rather worrying for his age range. Child Three does however, point and make grunting noises when he requires help, attention or is pointing to something he wants. These characteristics witnesses are more around the birth to 12 month area of language development and can suggest that Child Three’s language development is progressing, but at an extremely slow rate compared to other children within the setting within this age range. Child Three does not try to say words but continues to murmur and grunt and does not interact with words with other children, which has shown an impact upon his social development as no children approach Child Three physically or verbally, leaving him to play alone, which does not provide a positive influence to promote language development to Child Three. A further observation was that Child Three tends to dribble a great deal whilst making noises, eating and in general, which may show signs of further teething that has continued and may impact Child Three’s speech as he may refuse to speak as his mouth is in pain, which may be a suggestion to make to Child Three’s parents to get checked by their GP. Child Three’s overall language development appears to vary from the traditional norms as many of the milestones that are assumed of Child Three’s age are not achieved and may produce worrying results which need to be explained to the child’s parents In order for them to seek further professional advice, possibly from a speech and language therapist in order to determine if there are any underlying issues which are affecting Child Three’s language development. It could also be argued that these results are not a full representation of Child Three’s language development as they were only conducted within the time period of one week, however I believe this is long enough to uncover any varying characteristics which affect development. The child was familiar with myself and other’s present and I had been present within that setting for a number of months, so this would not produce any factors which may change Child Three’s attitudes, which therefore might have affected his attitude, impacting the results of his development, ruling out this potential impacting factor. Child A (3+) SENSORY/COGNITIVE Vocabulary increasing significantly with words such as Composing sentences of 5 or more words, and with all parts of speech Identifying coins Counting to 10 and above Properly naming the primary colours and secondary Questioning more deeply, addressing meaning and purpose Responding to why questions Behaving more responsibly and apologizing for mistakes Accepting other points of view (but may not understand them) Demonstrating increased mathematical skill Questioning others, including parents and teachers Strongly identifying with the parent of the same sex Having a group of friends Engaging in imaginative play For Child A, I was able to carry out a longitudinal study over a time period of 5 months. Over these five months, I was able to establish a great understanding of Child A’s cognitive and sensory development. At the age of 5, I believe Child A is developing extremely well in terms of cognitive and sensory progress and appears to show no deviations of cognitive or sensory norms. Child A’s parents should be informed (if not already) that their child’s progress is flourishing well and that if they are encouraging this at home, they should continue to do so and this may have been an influential factor for her rapid progress in these developmental areas. Child B (3+) LANGUAGE Narrative Interpretation Child B talked about being a Bridesmaid. Described her dress as being â€Å"beautiful† and that she was in a â€Å"Limousine†. She also discussed the weather during that day. Child B drew a paper plate face and was able to add features independently, using correct colours and names. Child was able to retell a story I had read to class the previous day. Child B used identified a â€Å"Magnifying glass† and used this to â€Å"investigate acorns†. Child B was able to identify her name from a story book. Child B was able to concentrate for 5 minutes to complete a 24 piece jigsaw. Child B talked about the animals from the jigsaw and stated that a â€Å"baby sheep is called a lamb†. Child B prefers to use her right hand, and is able to write correctly using the tripod grip. Child B writes her name with recognizable letters and in correct formation. Child B talked about her experience at the hospital. â€Å"I got my blood pressure taken, it went really tight but I didn’t cry†. Child B was able to retell the story of the Three Little Pigs during an arts activity, using her own words and from memory. Child B was able to talk in length and in great detail about her experience, using more advanced vocabulary such as â€Å"Limousine† which expressed her capability of understanding more words, phrases and sentences. This good recollection of experiences and ability to retell a story to myself showed significant language development through taking part in conversations with adults. The ability to draw herself using correct colours – such as identifying her own hair colour and eye colour and naming facial features independently shows recognizable progress within language development. Good use of story language was evident and signs of progress as Child B was able to recollect the story from previous day. Further vocabulary advancements observed as child identified â€Å"magnifying glass† and was â€Å"investigating†. The ability to recognize and spell her own name is another step within language development. Further intellectual sentences are observed, using correct terminology of â€Å"lamb†. By selecting a preferring hand to write with and by using the appropriate grip, this shows further advances within language development milestones. Child was able to form an intellectual sentence consisting of her own personal experience, from memory and by using appropriate terminology, â€Å"blood pressure†. Another observation of the ability to use her memory to retell a story. This observation was carried out within a Nursery school environment and the target child was 3 years old throughout the duration of this observation. Child B was observed over a period of 5 months playing within this environment, within the format I used to observe the child, I have added my thoughts and evaluation within the â€Å"Interpretation† column. The child appears to be within an advanced area with her language development, as I observed her capability to recognize and spell her own name, which a large amount of other 3 year olds within the class cannot grasp. Child B was also very confident in retelling many personal experiences to both adults and her peers, along with the ability to retell stories from memory and through the use of pictures, such as drawing out the â€Å"Three Little Pigs† story from memory during the Nursery Rhyme topic and by using pictures taken from the storybook â€Å"The Crunching, Munching Caterpillar† to retell the story to me correctly and in her own words. I can state positively that Child B shows the signs of a confident child that is able to fulfil a variety of expectations of language development milestones within this age group, and I believe strongly that this child is developing appropriately according to the norms observed of children within this age group, and that there are no abnormalities or characteristics that need to be addressed. Child C (3+) LANGUAGE Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about it YES NO Hears and understands most of what is said at school YES NO Uses sentences that give many details YES NO Tells stories that stay on topic YES NO Communicates easily with other children and adults YES NO Says most sounds correctly except for a few (l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, and th) YES NO Uses rhyming words YES NO Names some letters and numbers YES NO Uses adult grammar YES NO The final observation was also carried out within a Nursery setting and Child C is 4 years old. From this observation, I was able to notice varied aspects of Child C’s development. In many cases, according to the developmental milestones checklist for language development of children aged 3 to 4, Child C was only able to fulfil 3 of the 9 areas for observation. In general, I have noticed that Child C does not talk, and when he does, it is quiet mutters of words. From this observation however, Child C was not able to use sentences, but instead mumbled quiet words which in many cases were unrecognizable. From what characteristics Child C was able to show, such as being able to pay attention to short stories and answer simple questions about them (usually yes or no answers), hear and understand most of what is said in class and also being able to name a short range of numbers and letters, I can suggest that these are the easier targets to fulfil, and may suggest that there are gr eat deviations of the norms of children this age. I would recommend a speech therapist or a general consultation from the child’s GP to his parents as the child does not make much of an attempt to speak to others and contribute, which is strange for a child who is of the age of exploration and interaction with others. References: Berk, L et al (1995) Scaffolding Children’s learning: Vygotsky and Early Childhood Education. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Frick, P et al (2009) Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Personality and Behaviour. Springer. Herr, J et al (2002) Creative Resources for Infants and Toddlers. Cengage Learning. Justice, L et al (2013) Engaging Children with Print: Building Early Literacy Skills through Quality Read-Alouds. Guilford Publications. Leech-Riddall, S (2005) How to Observe Children. Heinemann. Read, C (2005) Scaffolding Children’s Talk and Learning. Available: http://carolread.com/articles/s%20talk%20and%20learning.pdf Smith, V et al (2009) Norms in Human Development. Cambridge University Press. Courtney Hill

Introducting the Characters and Themes in Educating Rita Essay

Introducting the Characters and Themes in Educating Rita GCSE Coursework: In what ways is Act 1 Scene 1 of â€Å"Educating Rita† a good introduction to the play’s main characters and themes? Do you think Willy Russell has made his opening dramatic and entertaining? â€Å"I’m coming in aren’t I? It’s that stupid bleedin’ handle on the door!† is not the way in which we would expect a new university student to talk to a lecture she had never meet before, but as we later find out, Rita, is not a stereotypical student and her lecture, Frank, is not a stereotypical lecture. The play â€Å"Educating Rita† is based on an out going character, who has decided her working class lifestyle, does not fit who she is anymore. She believes she can change her life by achieving a higher education, to â€Å"fit in† with everyone else around her. Changing her name from Susan to Rita is her first step, she had now begun the great leap from the 26year old hairdresser, to a well spoken and well educated higher classed human being. This 1970’s play displays the struggle and frustration of a woman, caught in the working class. Willy Russell uses wit, humour and his knowledge of that time period to create and develop his two characters as they travel through substantial changes in their lives. Willy Russell uses two very different styles of writing for each of his characters, the introduction to his play begins with a conversation between lecture Frank and his wife. â€Å"Look if you’re trying to induce some feeling of guilt in me over the prospect of a burnt dinner you should have prepared something other than lamb and ratatouille†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Russell was determined to show Frank’s striking upper class exterior, with the usage of such formal and polite languag... ...appy with life until Rita was able to show him his true colours. Using the snappy, chatty atmosphere so early on in the play, Willy Russell was able to keep his fairly long opening; dramatic, entertaining and enjoyable to watch. Willy Russell’s choice to uses such different characters to base his piece around, made one hundred percent sure that his audiences anxiety levels would have been raised as they became more and more intrigued, to find out if the characters would clash or get on like a house on fire. But I believe it was Willy Russell’s pure talent that enabled him to places to different characters in the same scene and make it work. Using the two different styles of writing and such different character personalities creating an opening, which was not only dramatic and entertaining but will be remembered in history as the starting point for woman.

The VCR: The DVD Player of the Early 1980’s Essay -- History Technolog

The VCR: The DVD Player of the Early 1980’s The rate at which technology advances, even by today’s standards, continues to amaze and astonish people. Even the simplest of daily tasks are influenced and molded by the increasingly original inventions that continue to explode into the public’s eye. One’s everyday life is constantly updated, reinvented, and (if you will) reprogrammed in order to adapt to the new ways of technology. Yet this phenomenon is not unique to this decade alone. As modern and as fast-paced as things may seem now, people in 1984 were going through very similar circumstances. The invention of the VCR was quickly becoming an obviously important product, while advertisers, media executives, and the average consumer were all trying to determine how to interpret this invention. Although the VCR was first released to the public in 1974, it wasn’t until the early 1980’s that the public began catching on to this new invention. Still, the VCR was the most quickly adopted device of its time. In just three years, the sales of VCR’s jumped from 1.3 million units in 1981 to nearly 8 million units in 1984. The popularity of the household device was quite obvious, but the success of the VCR did not come so easily. Three years earlier, in October of 1981, after some struggle, the US court finally ruled that the home taping of broadcast signals was not an infringement. After that, the VCR quickly became a popular household device across the country (Winston 126-129). â€Å"The most common use of the VCR’s is to record TV programs fro viewing at a later date† (â€Å"VCR’s† 42). This so called â€Å"time shifting† was the foundation for the VCR’s success. Aside from its obvious TV connection, the VCR also provided a whole n... ...is not starting from scratch; consumers must now decide between two mediums. Whether or not one chooses VHS or DVD, it is clear that both industries have/will made/make an everlasting impression on society. Works Cited Evans, Ian. â€Å"Supporting player: with sales in decline, is there still a role for the humble VCR? (VCR).† ERT Weekly 23 May 2002. FindArticles.Com. 1-5. 23 Sept. 2003 â€Å"Ultimate VCR Replacement From Pioneer Offers Recording to Hard Drive or DVD- R/W.† PR Newswire 8 Jan. 2003. FindArticles.Com. 1-3. 23 Sept. 2003 . â€Å"VCR’s.† Broadcasting 20 Aug. 1984: 42-50. Winston Brian. Media Technology and Society; A History: From the Telegraph to the Internet. New York: Routledge, 1998.

Expanding the FMLA in CAlifornia Essay -- essays research papers

Problem Identification Every day in California, working men and women face conflicts between their work responsibilities and their families. In order to work they must make arrangements for their children and elderly family members who need assistance. They address these conflicts through a variety of child-care, after-school, and eldercare arrangements. But sometimes when a child is seriously ill, an aging parent’s health deteriorates suddenly, or a baby is born or adopted, these daily arrangements are no longer adequate. At such times of family need, an employee simply must take time off from work because no alternative care arrangements will do. That is why in 1993, Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which was the first national policy designed to help working people balance their work and family responsibilities. It guarantees that people who work for companies with more than 50 employees can take up to 12 weeks’ unpaid leave a year to care for a newborn or newly-ado pted child or for certain seriously ill family members, or to recover from their own serious health conditions. Unfortunately, taking unpaid family leave is a luxury most Californians can not afford, so new mandates must be instituted to help insure that our state’s families can have a healthy and affordable balance between work and family responsibilities. Many groups have different views on how this issue should be resolved and that is why I have chosen to use the group theory to explain this problem. There are three workable resolutions that I have chosen to discuss; expanding the FMLA to cover businesses with 25-49 employees, expanding the use of sick leave, and expanding the State Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) Program to provide partial wage replacement to employees who are on parental leave. Search For Solutions The first possible solution was formed when it came to public attention that many caregivers couldn’t afford to take unpaid family leave due to the laws restrictions. In a national survey it was discovered that nearly two-thirds of employees who needed but did not take family or medical leave because they could not afford it. In addition, almost one in ten FMLA leave-takers was forced to turn to public assistance to help cover the wages they lost as a result of taking family or medical leave. As if the unpaid restrictions weren’t enough, it tu... ...on(actual 1990 expenditure) Number of Employees Covered by TDI  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  11.1 million (1989) Eligibility Requirements for New Benefits  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Employees must be eligible for state disability insurance Length of Absence Covered  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12 weeks Purposes of Absence Covered  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ · Care for newborn or newly adopted children · Care for ill parents, children or spouses Estimated Number of Leave-takers Likely to Use New Benefits  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  619,250 Average Weekly Benefit  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $102.82-193.57 Estimated Length of Leave  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5-10 weeks Estimated Total Annual Cost of Expanding TDI to Include Family Leave  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $835 million New Cost as a Percentage of Total Program  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  34 percent Average Cost Per Covered Worker  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $6.27 / month$1.45 / week   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So by reviewing the data it seems probable that expanding the SDI to include family leave would be a feasible and logical solution that most Californians and politicians would stand behind and implement.

Defining Team Members’ Roles

What are team members’ roles? Why are they necessary to the team? After defining each person’s role on a team, what are their responsibilities? Can a team have dual roles and responsibilities? Does your personality have to match your role on the team? What are the benefits and advantages in working within a team? These are all questions that are not clearly defined in the beginning. This causing the overall scope of the project to be difficult, lack of communication between team members and team members often to have conflict. As members are placed, the first task is to determine the overall mission of the team. Each member should feel comfortable to voice his/her strategies for the overall purpose. Members must have equal say on the scope and consideration of their ideas toward the success of the project. After defining the overall objectives, the team must decide on the implementation of shared responsibilities. Shared responsibilities of the team would include scheduling project meeting times, determining when to meet, how often to meet, where to meet, who will be responsible for scheduling meeting request(s), who will be responsible for preparing and sending out agendas routinely, who will be responsible for taking and publishing minutes, and status updates for in-between the scheduled meetings. The team could also focus on document review deadlines and approvals for the project. There are various roles a team must outline inside of a team for the success in completing a project. According to the required reading this week, there can be several role descriptions for a team, they are as follows: Coach – one who tries to create harmony by creating a positive atmosphere, motivate everyone else on the team and building a great rapport Champion – one who brings ideas and thoughts to the team. This person often bring out the priorities and focus of the team Explorer – one who uncovers better ways of doing things; an improvement. Innovator – one who uses their imagination to dream up new concepts Sculptor – one who brings things about to get to the goal of the team. Curator – one who brings clarity, ask questions to get a full understanding of what the goals and scope of the team project. Conductor – one who organizes things into a systematic structure Scientist – one who analyize and give explanation of the team’s goals or projects. Usually a team member may already perform some of these roles defined above, but may perform more of one role verses another. Members may also have what is known today as a dual role. A dual role means taking on two roles at the same time. Based on the roles defined above, the coach and champion can be the same individuals based upon the coach’s life experience most likely contribute to his role as a team player or champion. For example: Being a champion and having a passion for what you love, after your career in a particular team setting is over, you are wanting to go forward and teach others what you know. This would go into the coaching aspect of the role. In every champion there is a future coach, and in every future coach there is a champion. After determining the roles that exist for each team member, the team must decide which member’s personality matches a particular role. If you take an individual’s personality that is warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative; want harmony in their environment, work with determination to establish it; Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time; Loyal, follow through even in small matters; Notice what others need in their day-by-day lives and try to provide it; Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute. Myers Briggs). This personality type would be a great coach. Once the roles and responsibilities of each team have been defined, there are several advantages and disadvantages for working on a team. Some of the advantages would be cross-training, greater cooperation and new approaches to a particular task maybe discovered. Some of the disadvantages for working on team would be time management issues, members’ may think it is less motivating or may not be conducive with various roles within a team. Since I am a team leader in the Order of Eastern Stars, there are many members under my leadership. These members entrust my judgment, integrity, fairness, and knowledge. My primary duties are to protect the interest of each team member and the overall chapter. The advantages for my position is to assist and aid each member, help the overall community and being a strong driving force for humanity. Some of the disadvantages as being viewed as a leader comes with a heavy burden. Being known as the fixer, taking on all individuals’ pumultuous issues and trying to come up with the best solution regarding the problem at hand. The greatest burden would not be able to separate other people’s issues and problems as my own. References Myers, Isabel Briggs with Peter B. Myers (1980, 1995). Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type. Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing. ISBN 0-89106-074-X.

Comparing Poems Essay

Identity is different for every person, it is what separates us all and makes us unique. Identity can be split into many categories. In the poem ‘Nothing’s Changed’, segregation is used to show us the poets feelings whereas ‘Half-Caste’ is mainly focused on racial equality.  Each of the poets structure their poems in ways that express their feelings and ideas about identity; the differences in each vary. ‘Half-Caste’ consists of 4 stanzas, written with a lack of punctuation and in patois dialect that allows the reader the freedom to express the poem in a way that they wish. Also, the haphazard, informal way that the poem is written suggests it should be read aloud. This reflects John Agard’s strive for freedom. The phrase, ‘Explain yuself/wha yu mean/when yu say half-caste’, is a refrain. This refrain is repeated throughout the poem to question the reader. It is an aggressive confrontation between the reader and the poet that elicits an answer from the reader. ‘Nothing’s Changed’ is written formally so that the poet can express a controlled anger. Segregation is used to show the separate identities of blacks and whites. It is set out in 7 stanzas. The formal punctuation and structure is very organised which makes the poem seem like a story. Language is used to a dramatic effect in both poems, it reveals the poet’s ideas about identity. Firstly, in ‘Half-Caste’ there is a pun of the half-caste weather, ‘yu mean when light an shadow/mix in de sky/is a half-caste weather/’, this play on words mocks the phrase ‘half-caste’ which emphasises the poets feelings about a half-caste identity. In ‘Nothing’s Changed’, throughout the first stanza there is a series of onomatopoeias that give the reader the image of a man walking in a baron place. The mood of the poet is very much reflected in the language of ‘Half-Caste’ and portrays the image of anger, confusion and annoyance. An example of this language is: ‘Ah listening to yu wid de keen/half of mih ear†¦why I offer yu half-a-hand’. This gives the reader the representation of a ridiculous happening, which is disrespectful to the opposing person. ‘Nothing’s Changed’ also shares a similar mood of anger and frustration. The poet writes:  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœand the skin about my bones/and  the soft labouring of my lungs,  /and the hot, white, inwards  turning/anger of my eyes.’  This includes within it repetition, powerful, angry words and references to body parts that identify the person’s feeling of a painful anger. The poets use language to reveal their feelings about identity in both similar and different ways. They both project anger and confusion about the attitude of today’s society knowing that equality is not present. In ‘Nothing’s Changed’ the poet writes:  Ã¢â‚¬ËœHands burn/for a stone, a bomb,  /to shiver down the glass. /  Nothing’s Changed.’  This begins with a metaphor; ‘Hands burn’ which shows the person is feeling angry. The words ‘a bomb,/to shiver down the glass.’ Are extremely effective as the glass acts as a symbolic barrier between colours and to ‘shiver down’ this glass would be to break the differences/barriers between people of different colours. The poem ends with ‘Nothing’s Changed’, which basically sums the whole theory up: there always has been and always will be inequality within the world. This is similar to ‘Half-Caste’ because throughout this poem John Agard is saying that people have no respect for each other and never will. He hopes though by saying ‘but yu must come back tomorrow†¦de other half/of my story’ that one day the prejudice might be put aside and people will come back with a better attitude towards each other. The identities that both poets show to reveal their feelings are similar because they both feel as though they have been victimized. The similarity is that in ‘Half-Caste’ the man emphasises his thoughts by expanding things out of proportion to prove a point: ‘Ah listening to yu wid de keen/half of mih ear†¦why I offer yu half-a-hand’, and in ‘Nothing’s Changed’ the person also takes things and changes them into something worse. An example of this is when it says ‘whites only inn/No sign says it is:/but we know where we belong.’ This is saying that the restaurant is only for rich, white people even though he knows there isn’t a sign saying so (He knows that if he goes in he will be laughed at). Both poems are similar also because they are based on black people being discriminated against by white. Both of these poems were very interesting and presented me with a question, which was how could I break down the barriers people have to make them better people? The poem I favoured was ‘Nothing’s Changed’ because it was easier to picture as a story and I feel that the majority of people have felt like an outsider at least once in their life. ‘Half-Caste’ did bring a strong point across but I believe that it was brought across in a bizarre and confusing way whereas ‘Nothing’s Changed ‘ was easier to relate to from a past event.

Building a New Supply Chain

The background of the case is that a company performs garbage pickup from construction sites. Often the construction site wants them to leave a bin there or sometimes they simply pile up the garbage and the company's employees load the material into the garbage truck. Typically a truck full of garbage at the depot costs $200 per truck to empty. The company charges $350 per load, so there is little profit especially when taking overhead into account (labor and the cost of the truck).The owner wonders how other companies seem to be making so much money. One day he owner finds a lot of old refrigerators and metal fencing at one of the pickup locations. He has heard that there are some companies that pick this up for free and resell the material to companies looking for scrap metal. Being entrepreneurial and worried about his business, he investigates. He finds that he is able to make an additional $200 per shipment of scrap metal, making his new profit $550 per load!He gets excited and starts to think about what other opportunities may be out there with similar reverse supply chains. Some additional problems that this company have are elated to what its profit really is for each of its transactions, what challenges this company would have to look at alternative materials and markets and what the current competition is for his company's type of business and lastly what approaches this company should take to ensure it was successful.Cause – The main cause behind many of these questions the company is asking itself and problems that it is currently having with profitability lay in the appearance that the company has not built itself a good business plan for any step of the company. A business plan helps outline what you need to start a business, but it also helps you prepare for your future and any issues along the way. Your business plan should clarify why you exist, who your customers are, what products or services you provide, how you plan to create and del iver your products or services, and where your business is going.It looks like the owner has started the company with only a small idea of what is possible within their industry scope and has not thought through all the steps that they should take on in order to be a marketable, profitable and long lasting company. Little thought has gone into who the customers are, what equipment is required, what process would be the most profitable and how to market themselves to the correct customer base. The whole business is based on a reverse logistics model and inserting themselves into this construction supply chain as the provider of reverse logistics systems to their construction customers.It is astounding to see that the owner has not fully considered how to best provide benefit to their clients and maximize their profitability through these services. To hear that the owner has heard that some companies† pick up materials for free and resell them clearly shows that the company has not identified the biggest opportunity for profitability in this type of business. Stating that their new profit could also be $550 per load is also strange in that there appears to be very little understanding of accounting related to determining profitability and cost of overheads.Based on the example provided, any revenues would have expenses of the cost of the truck (including initial purchase, fuel and any maintenance), the cost of the person driving the truck, the cost of the arson piling the garbage into the truck (if this service is required) and the cost paid at the depot for disposal. There can be further costs related to equipment or training required for their people to be on a construction site including Personnel Protective Equipment and any certifications required to handle waste.Many of these elements would be considered if the company took the time to consider what the actual business plan for the company is and whether this would lead to a profitable organization. Analysis – When looking at the market space that this company is attempting to play in, the following information shows that there indeed is a market for these services. Within the industry there is a name for the materials that are left over at a construction, renovation of demolition site. These items are called construction & demolition materials (C&D).The most common materials are concrete, wood, drywall, asphalt shingles, asphalt pavement, metal and cardboard. These materials typically make up 70 to 95 percent of the discarded material at a residential or commercial site. In the past these items were often discarded but are actually liable commodities that can be recycled into new products or used in many new ways. When perceived as waste, disposal of C&D materials is often viewed as simply part of the cost of doing business, and recycling and reusing these materials are sometimes overlooked as management options.Recycling can benefit a construction business's bottom lin e, it benefits the environment and a construction company's recycle policy can be a contributing factor to them being awarded a project. Concrete can be recycled into many markets that currently use crushed stone. Because concrete is commonly recycled, numerous concrete recycling facilities exist across the country. Asphalt pavement is heavily recycled currently and is commonly crushed and recycled back into asphalt, either in-place or at a hot-mix asphalt plant.Asphalt shingles can also be ground and recycled into hot-mix asphalt. Clean, untreated wood can be re-milled into lumber or chipped or ground and used to make engineered board, boiler fuel and mulch. Common metals found at a construction, demolition or renovation site include steel, aluminum, and copper. Construction sites frequently generate large amounts of cardboard waste when new appliances and materials are delivered to the site in cardboard boxes. Markets are well-established for metals and cardboard.Local metal scrap yards or recyclers that accept these materials are likely easily accessible. Gypsum in drywall can be removed and recycled into many markets that commonly use gypsum, including new drywall manufacture, cement manufacture and agriculture. All of these items should be materials the owner should investigate as to whether the local construction sites are enervating these materials and whether there are local resources available to buy and recycle these materials from construction companies or the pickup company.Another factor to review is whether recyclers accept mixed loads of materials, or if it is more profitable to separate the materials, which can be done onsite by placing the materials in separate boxes or piles. When developing a business plan, an important first step is to look for the local resources currently available. Contact local and provincial waste regulators and learn what is and is not permissible to recycle. Many rabbinical or local officials have lists of local recy clers and their locations that they can share with you.These local recyclers should be contacted to determine what they take and what these conditions of payment are. They may also be able to share guidance for best recycling practices in your area. It is also possible to research local waste haulers through this method to better determine the level of competition there is for the types of garbage pickup services that they provide. One key factor within the market space for recycling materials is the importance of these recycling orgasm to today's construction environment.There is increased interest in constructing green buildings and this has generated more interest in recycling C materials. Providing knowledge of how to recycle C materials can make a company a vital asset to a green building project. The most common method of green building certification in North America is through the Green Building Council. The Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LED) certif ication process requires that the building attain points for various green attributes, including energy savings, trials usage, indoor environmental quality and efficient water usage.Certification is granted during the construction phase. Points are given for reusing materials, using materials with recycled content and recycling the waste that is produced at the construction site. Different levels of certification can be attained depending on the number of points the building gains. Even if LED certification is not the goal of the building owner, committing to recycling a certain percentage of the materials generated at a Jobless can be a great marketing tool and can give a construction company an edge over its competition.Since green building certification grants points based on recycled amounts, implementing a tracking system will aid companies in attaining LED points for recycling. Some contractors have their waste haulers report the amount of material that is currently disposed a nd recycled from their construction sites. That way, contractors can evaluate how they can increase the amount of material that is recycled from each site.Another example of how a company can differentiate themselves in this space is by providing services that eliminate the need for transporting and disposing of materials by recycling onsite. For example, waste concrete can be ground and used as fill, and clean wood, drywall, and cardboard can be ground and used onsite as a soil amendment. New, smaller, portable grinders can be relatively inexpensive and safe to use at Jobless. Some of these machines can be hitched to pickup trucks, while others are attachments for excavators.Some challenges when looking at all of these options are related to having the appropriate equipment for providing the potential services demanded by the customer base. There can be significant overhead costs attached to these equipment purchases. Availability and cost of labor will also be a key factor in deci sions. If the appropriate research is not done up front, including discussions with the potential customer base, investments can be made in equipment and people that does not drive the revenue to cover the costs.Before Jumping into a specific market area or activity, the owner must ensure that the demand is there. Solution – The owner of this garbage pickup company needs to wake up and do his research with a goal to developing a complete business plan. Currently the owner is thinking of only kicking up garbage from construction sites and disposing them, which does indeed save the construction company these reverse logistics efforts, but clearly misses out on the big picture of what is possible in this service space.The customer base which is construction companies, are being driven very heavily toward recycling their materials for various reasons. They can reduce their hauling and disposal costs by keeping valuable C&D materials out of landfills. The substitution of recycled C&D materials in place of virgin materials in new products and processes results in substantial energy savings and greenhouse gas reduction. Recycling C&D materials equates to green building points.As green building becomes increasingly popular, proven knowledge about the benefits of green building-?and green building practices-?is likely to boost construction business, since many customers are now looking for this service. Using recycled materials in new structures and recycling C&D materials produced during construction can help you achieve the LED certification that construction company customers want. All of this leads to a very strong potential market for the services that a garbage pickup company can provide.The company can offer sorting of the products on the site, the company could offer onsite recycling, the company can ensure that they track the materials so that their customers can obtain the maximum lead points and market themselves as a green construction company. The p ickup company can also very finely determine what their charge should be to the construction company based on their knowledge of what the recycling company will pay for materials. This can allow them to maximize profit while remaining at an appropriate marketable cost to the construction companies.They could provide flexible, scalable services at the appropriate cost. The owner needs to talk to the customer base and find the niches that will allow them to compete. Work through the business plan, identify what they can afford to invest in, develop the relationships with customers and clients, market themselves appropriately and then work the plan. There is little question that reverse logistics is a growing concern in the construction industry when it comes to C&D materials. The market is there for garbage pickup companies who can show the greatest value.

The Effects of HIV on the Body

HIV is a fascinating disease because of the fact that you do not actually die from the disease itself; you die from another, potentially harmless, disease, which your body cannot protect against due to its weakened immune system. In order to understand this better, it is important to understand how HIV affects the body. HIV weakens the body’s immune system by attacking T4 lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. These T4 helper cells are called this because they have a receptor molecule on their surface called, CD4. The T4 cells don’t create antibody but they are responsible for chemically communicating, using chemokine, with other white blood cells in order to â€Å"launch an attack† on a virus. The HIV cells contain two viral proteins that are directly involved in the process of infecting someone, these proteins are called gp41 and gp120. The â€Å"CD4 on the surface of the T cell allows for the docking of gp120; once docked, the gp120 changes its shape so that it can bind to the chemokine receptor (called CCR5), and fusion and entry of HIV take place after binding. Sherman p. 178)† It is not known exactly how the viral proteins deplete T4 cells but it is believed to â€Å"involve a depression in the ability to expand their numbers. (Sherman p. 178)† Once the T4 cells reach 400 to 800 cells/mm^3, as opposed to the healthy 1,000 or more T4 cells/mm^3, the first opportunistic infections can arise. This refers to infections that would normally not cause a disease, or a t least nothing life threatening, but given the bodies weakened immune system begins to cause serious health problems for the individual. After this point things become dangerous, but can still be turned around, however if a persons T4 count reaches 200, they officially have AIDS. Once someone has gotten AIDS, there is little to nothing a doctor can do because their immune system is so damaged that they can barely fight off a cold. At this point the person’s immune system is so damaged that they could very easily die from something like pneumonia or meningitis. As the infected decline further they become more and more susceptible to disease and even something like herpes, which is almost always not fatal, can cause death. Once a person reaches the 100 T4 cells/mm^3 mark there is no telling what could kill them, it could even be something as simple as a cold or influenza. The good news is that, although there are no cures for AIDS, there are some options for controlling HIV before it reaches the AIDS state. The first AIDS treatment, which is still used today, is an antitumor compound called azidothymidine (AZT). AZT was developed in 1964 by a pair of chemists-pharmacologists named George Hitchings and Gertrude Elion who had created several other antitumor drugs. AZT works by delaying â€Å"the onset of AIDS by inhibiting viral multiplication†¦AZT jam’s the cell’s copier and, in do doing, blocks the synthesis of new virus particles. (Sherman p. 184)† There are several other drugs called nucleoside analogs that also block the synthesis of viral nucleic acids, and are generally used along with AZT to make the famous â€Å"drug cocktail. † Another treatment option is a combination of protease inhibitors and reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The protease inhibitors work by preventing the viral enzyme, protease, from cutting viral proteins into shorter pieces. If short viral proteins cannot be produced then a complete virus cannot be assembled. The reverse transcriptase inhibitors work by blocking viral replication. This combination of drugs is able to significantly reduce virus production, up to 90-99%. The only problem with these treatments is that they are expensive and need to be taken daily. Although there is no cure for HIV/AIDS there is constant research being done on the possibility of creating some sort of vaccine that would be able to prevent HIV and, at least, slow the development of new HIV cell in those who are already infected. So far there have been some advancements but nothing has been created that would be effective or stable enough. That being said, the continuing efforts of the medical field and breakthroughs in treatment, we are moving closer and closer to the possibility of having some kind of vaccine and maybe someday a cure.

Letter to the editor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Letter to the editor - Essay Example The students are up in arms because they claim the university president’s position suggests that deaf individuals â€Å"need to be fixed† and are in some way deficient, inferior, or second-class to other students. The university president’s position, on the contrary, is that all individuals should have access to any avenue of coping with deafness; she claims that the university should endorse freedom of choice with regard to cochlear implants. She states that no one option or approach with regard to surviving as a deaf student should be mandated universally by the university. My own opinion on this issue is that the deaf students protesting at Gallaudet are wrong and that they are trying to impose one perspective: deafness is a personal identity similar to sexual orientation, for example. I believe the students’ position is restrictive, defensive, and inappropriate for a university to uphold. The students’ position is restrictive of personal freedom in that it seeks to limit the choices that a deaf student and his/her family face with regard to the student’s coping strategies. The Gallaudet protestors claim that there is only one righteous way to manage deafness, namely by accepting one’s deafness and committing to living with the disability as a kind of personal destiny. While I am totally supportive of any pride that deaf individuals may feel about their strengths and virtues in managing the disability while living in a deaf community, attending a deaf university, and communicating in American Sign Language at high levels of proficiency, I find their attempt to force all deaf persons to follow a similar path highly dogmatic and obstructive. Vermeulen, Bon, Schreuder, Knoors, and Snik completed a study on reading comprehension with two groups of 16 children. Pre-lingual deaf children with cochlear implants were

Report about Greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report about Greece - Essay Example This has been the state of affairs affecting Greece. This paper looks at the turnaround experienced by Greece through analysis of the country’s GDP growth and its economic performance of the region. The GDP of Greece since 2008 has been on the rocks according to statistics provided by the World Bank (2014). The nation has experienced a mere 0.46 percent growth since this time with a low of -2.80 percent in 2010 (Tradingecomomics, 2014). Based on this, it is clear that the nation is facing an economic crisis. Despite this there is, the nation is forecasted to do better as it is now picking up from the low it experienced as shown in the graph below. From the above, one can see that the GDP of the state has been taking a downward trend, but has picked up in the last few years. This can be attributed to the reforms placed in the employment sector. According to BBC’s Mark Lowen (2014), through the job cuts and firm restructures, the rate of unemployment has reached an all time high of 28 percent and contrasts the turnaround experienced by the nation in terms of economic growth. Before, at least 50,000 jobs a year were made available to the citizens of the nation and the economy was growing at 5 percent annually. After the crash, the inverse was experienced with the rate of growth plummeting and the unemployment rate increasing rapidly. In accordance with Herbert Grubel (2013), the problem resulted from the instability of prices. That is to say inflation caused by those in government. The problem began when wages were reduced, resulting in the leaders increasing the nominal wages in the public sector. The higher wager resulted in the printing of more money, increasing the deficit experienced by the nation. All this resulted in inflation in the region and led to the collapse of the Greece economy and thus the increased rate of unemployment and the fall in the growth of the GDP. According to N. Roubini (As cited by George Alogoskoufis, 2012),

How does ideology shape the way we think Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How does ideology shape the way we think - Essay Example Adorno was a formidable and shrewd dialectician. A considerable amount of his hypothetical work centered on and emphasized the manifest tensions that exist intrinsically within dealings between opposites (Horkheimer and Adorno 2007). In Adornos comprehensive idea of a premise of the social, these dialectical associations function on different levels, and also with each other. Adorno’s Views on Capitalism. Adorno stated that capitalism provided people with the goods from a culture industry, which he viewed as being the opposite of proper art, to keep them passively contented and politically lethargic. Adorno observed that capitalism had not become more unstable or come close to collapsing, as Marx had forecasted. Rather, it had apparently grown to be more well-established. Where Marx had concentrated on economics Adorno stressed on the function of culture in preserving the status quo. Adorno stated that culture industries are constantly providing an artificial collection of sentimental and unsophisticated products that then substitute the more intricate and significant art forms which have the capacity to compel people to actually challenge the existing social life (Horkheimer and Adorno 2007). The desire for false, artificial, or unimportant needs is nurtured in people by most culture industries. These are wants and requirements that can be realized by the capitalist structure, and which substitute peoples real desires such as authentic creative happiness, freedom, and the uninhibited expression of human creativity and potential. Commodity fetishism, Adorno stressed, is encouraged by media and advertising enterprises. They are the existing proof that cultural experiences as well as social relations have been objectified for the sake of realizing profits. Consumers today measure the value of a product or service by their cost. Music products as well as popular media are also typified by pseudo-individualisation and

Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Midterm - Essay Example Muslim piracy was also reduced, and economic activities revived along the western Mediterranean coast of the Christians (Crouzet 9-12). In addition, the western and central Europe was free from invasions by the nomads from central Asia that were dangerous to the survival of Europe's economy. Between the years 1236-1242, the Mongols raid of Europe brought destructions to economies in Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Silesia and most parts of the Balkans. In 1242, the Mongols extended eastwards and conquered China (Crouzet 9-12). The other factor that affected the European economy was the rise of feudalism, which was subsequently followed by feudal anarchy. There were frequent wars among the rivalry feudal leaders in Europe, which caused the destruction of European economy. Between the years 950-970, many fortifications were constructed to enhance the security of kingdoms under feudal leaders. Within the same years, the church contributed a lot to the safety of Europe through their peace move ments (Crouzet 9-12). Another factor that was crucial to the development of European economy was the rapid growth of the population since the thirteen century. This was caused by improvements in technology and increased agricultural productivity. The population growth acted as a crucial factor in spurring the commercial and urban revolutions in the 18th centuries. The population increase had considerable influence in Northern Europe. The population growth caused changes in the prices of commodities, which lead to the development of institutions for innovations (Crouzet 9-102). #2 The population of Europe increased tremendously between the years 1000-2000 because the rate fertility was higher than that of mortality. This resulted net population growth, in Europe. Population increased constantly and would only reduce drastically incase of catastrophes such as disease epidemics. The invasions on Europe had also ceased, and security prevailed in most regions of Europe. Also, between the 8th and 14th centuries, European epidemics had decreased and a warm climate prevailed in Europe, particularly the Alps region. The favorable climate improved agriculture activities, which led to better nutrition and improved standards of living (Crouzet 9-12). In the Carolingian times, the western Christendom developed values and a model of its population. In the whole of Europe, polygamy, the use of contraceptives, abortion, desertion of children and infanticide were abolished. The church supported monogamous marriage and enforced strict rules on polygamous marriage. The nuclear family in most nations grew stronger and became dominant with the exception of the Slavic people. The system of monogamous family encouraged acceptance of children and procreation. This system also regulated procreation before marriage. The effects were increased fertility rates and reduced death rates. However, the rate of infanticides and Juvenile mortality remained high though out Europe (Crouzet 9-12). The historical records show that the population in Europe increased from 1.1-1.2 million between years 1066-1086, 3.4-4.5 million people in 1340. However, France, Europe had a population of 15 million people in 950. In 1300, the population in Europe doubled. The population continued to increased but never exploded like that in third world countries in the late 20th century. The population in E