Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Family - Essay Example As an institution for socialization, a family provides the necessary knowledge to the growing individuals in the family to help them to understand their social and physical environments. Other roles of the family are to provide security to the individuals as well as to ensure that they provide the needs of each of its member to enhance their life (Brownfield, 2010). One of the conceptual frameworks for the family assessment is the Neuman’s systems model, which is used as a guide to assessment and intervention of a dysfunctional family and help in streamlining the conditions that are failing in a society and that need attention for proper functioning of the whole unit. This helps to implement a therapy that is focused on all the family members to ensure that the intervention program is successful in the society in curbing an issue that arises at the family level. This model incorporates all the members of the family in the implementation in order to ensure that it achieves the best results in the society to address an occurrence that can be perceived harmful the people (Parker & Smith, 2010). In the society, there are usually community-based services that are aimed at promoting the health of individuals in that particular society and ensure smooth running of the society. Some of these services serve the community by preventing disease and injuries, improving the health status of the society and also they enhance the quality of life of people (Gregitis et al, 2010). These services include such like coordinated school health program which facilitate health for different members of the school as well as the child and adolescent mental health program that help to address issues of children and youth mental health stability (Baggett et al 2010), In US, the Child and adolescent mental health is a popular community-based program that runs in the society and which has helped

Adventure Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Adventure Tourism - Essay Example In this context, tourism offered by the state is really important for people of ‘weak’ financial status, whereas tourism products that are designed specifically for people with a strong financial background, can be just a part of daily life without a significant value for the people involved (in terms of expectancy). However, in terms of pleasure tourism products are welcomed by people of all social levels around the world. It has to be noticed that tourism has been developed a lot especially the last decade where a series of tourism products have appeared and are offered to the public (or to a more limited part of the population). Under these terms, the adventure tourism products have expanded internationally and keep on gaining the preference of people in the global community. The types of these products are many, however because they have common characteristics they can all be evaluated simultaneously with just slight differentiations referring mostly to their ‘ structure’ and the facilities used for their ‘realization’. The development of tourism around the world has been in accordance with the potentials of each particular geographical area (in terms of landscapes and facilities provided) as well as the preferences of tourists as they are expressed through the tourism products chosen worldwide. In this context, it has been stated by Werner (2003, 141) that ‘within the past century, international tourists have increasingly sought exotic destinations in their pursuit of relaxation, escape, and adventure; recognizing the opportunity to earn valuable foreign currency, developing countries have catered to these desires by encouraging tourism development’. The types of tourism products offered by each country are depended on a series of parameters with most important its ability to respond to the requirements set by these products from a financial and environmental aspect as already expected above. For this reason, it is hardly

A Report on the Balanced Scorecard for Yunnan Lucky Air

A Report on the Balanced Scorecard for Yunnan Lucky Air The Chinese airline industry is a heavily regulated industry which provides limiting flexibility to both new as well as growing airlines. In the recent years many low-cost airlines have mushroomed, Lucky Air being one of them. Lucky Air was founded in July 2004 with an initial capitalisation of US$2.2 million. The ownership of the airline is with Hainan Airlines, Shanxi Airlines and Yunnan Shilin Tourism Aviation.The airline exists in a crowded field of around 15 low-cost Chinese airlines. The airline, though growing, anticipates a potential squeeze in its business. The management of Yunnan Lucky Air, hereinafter referred to as Lucky Air, approached us to advice them on monitoring their performance closely so as to achieve their organisational mission and objectives. After initial discussions with the management of the airlines, my team has recommended the use of a Balanced Scorecard to monitor its performance. I present in this report a Balanced Scorecard for Lucky Air that translat es the airlines mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures. Recent Trends in Lucky Air Lucky Air is currently based in Kunming in Peoples Republic of China. The airline has its main base in Dali airport and runs its flights between Dali to Kunming and Xishuangbanna. The routes in this region have greatly contributed to most of its profits. It is slowly reaching out to other regions in China. The overall growth of the airline has been facilitated by the limited route licensing policy of the Chinese government that has given Lucky Air a near monopoly status within Yunnan. The number of passengers carried by the airline has grown from 500,000 passengers over 5,746 flight hours in 2006 to 1.2 million over 17,875 total flight hours. During the same period, its operating revenue tripled from US$31.2 million to US$104.3 million. Over the recent years, Lucky Air has also grown in terms of flights to and from destinations outside the Yunnan province. As in early 2008, the additional routes represented almost 87 of its 150 weekly flights by the airline. Lucky Air Strategy Lucky Air operates as a low-cost, high-efficiency airline. This is the basis of its key strategy. The low-cost and high efficiency is maintained through: Using single type of aircraft leading to reduced maintenance and operational costs. Having only one category of seat class, thereby simplifying pricing. Having no seat assignments or in-flight entertainment. Increasing on-time departure and arrival by having short haul point-to-point routes. Operating mostly in secondary cities to avoid congestion and reduce landing costs. As a part of its expansion strategy, in recent times Lucky Air has tried to build its competitive advantage by focusing on e-commerce. Customers can buy and refund tickets online by paying 5% to 20% less than anywhere else. The airline has created an online community for its passengers and hopes to reach more customers directly via its website and build more brand recognition and a loyal customer base. In addition, Lucky Air has invested in own call centres to facilitate ticket booking. Balance Scorecard for Lucky Air Lucky Airs strategy rests around it being a low-cost, high-efficiency airline. A scorecard can measure the airlines performance across four different but linked perspectives that are derived from its vision, strategy and objectives. These perspectives include: Financial, Customer, Internal and Learning Growth. The left-hand side of the diagram represents the cause-and-effect relationships across the four perspectives that describe low cost and high-efficiency strategy. (Refer Appendix A for an explanation of the Lucky Air Scorecard and Appendix B for Cause and Relationship between perspectives) Benefits and Limitations of the Scorecard Like any other performance measurement tool, a Balanced Scorecard is not foolproof. Before the scorecard that has been designed for Lucky Air is implemented, the benefits and limitations of the scorecard need to be examined and understood. Benefits of Lucky Air Scorecard Balance Scorecard has led companies to develop a variety of corporate scorecards suggesting a process approach to innovations in performance measurements. (Source: Epstein and Birchard, 2000 and Hoque and James 1997). The benefits that can be obtained from a Balanced Scorecard depend on not just its design but also what it is used for and how it is applied. In general, a Balanced Scorecard will help Lucky Air: Enhance traditional financial accounting measures of Lucky Air by including certain non-financial measures. Thus, Lucky Air, through a Balanced Scorecard, can examine the drivers of financial performance by focusing at least three other perspectives: customers, internal business processes, and learning and growth. (Source: Kaplan and Norton, 1992, 1996). Acquire an effective means for clearly translating a firms vision and strategy into tool for communicating the firms strategy to the various sections of the organisation. In the case of Lucky Air, the Balanced Scorecard can show how focusing on the customer and the services can lead to increased profits. (Source: Chow, 1997; Source: Kaplan, 1992) Motivate performance against established strategic goals. A handful of critical measures have been identified for each perspective and the corresponding targets have been defined. The performance measures force managers to focus on the measures that are most critical. The targets provide managers with a framework to manage the various activities in line with the corporate objectives. For example, a manager can clearly see that managing on ground time is critical and it needs to be kept below 20 minutes. Ensure that its employees understand the long-term strategy of the organisation and also the association between the employees actions and the chosen strategic goals. It can provide strategic feedback and promote learning within the airline through the monitoring of short-term strategic results. Allocate resources and set priorities based on the initiatives contribution to long-term strategic objectives. (Source: Kaplan and Norton, 1996). Evaluate and judge the decisions, policies, plans of the airline. For example, the success or otherwise of the decision of adopting e-commerce as an expansion strategy by Lucky Air can be examined in terms of the four perspectives and its impact on the profitability of the airline. Fosters organisational learning and continual improvement when it is used as a strategic management tool. Limitations of Lucky Air Scorecard Though Balanced Scorecard may be an effective tool for many organisations, it may not help in improvement of performance of all organisations. A Balanced Scorecard is only a tool and the deployment of the tool rests with the airline itself. It is not easy to provide practical guidance for deployment of the scorecard. Some of the key limitations that can cause a Balanced Scorecard initiative at Lucky Air to fail are as follows: Effectiveness of a balanced scorecard depends on a well defined strategy and an understanding of the linkages between strategic objectives and metrics. (Source: Howard Rohm pp.4). If this is lacking its deployment will be unsuccessful. The biggest limitation of the Lucky Air scorecard is that it has been designed by an external team of consultants who have been in discussion with some key players in the airline. It did not involve a cross-section of the airline in developing the system. Thus if the scorecard of Lucky Air fails to link the correct drivers in the internal and learning and growth perspective to the desired outcomes in the financial and customer perspectives, it will not be effective. A scorecard may not be effective if it includes a few measures for each perspective. For example, success of Lucky Air is not only a result of the training and motivation of the ground crew but the entire staff. Thus a scorecard with too few measures may not depict enough of Lucky Airs strategy and does not represent a balance between desired outcomes and performance drivers of the outcomes. Likewise if too many measures are included, the managers attention may get so diffused that he may pay insufficient attention to those measures that can make the maximum impact. No balanced scorecard can be flawless with respect to its design. The Lucky Air scorecard too may have certain design flaws which may not be visible now. These will only be detected when the scorecard is implemented. It is only over a period of time that a company will learn about the effective drivers of performance. (Source: Norreklit, 2000) The scorecard on its own will not be effective if Lucky Airs top management is not committed to it. The top executives may end up looking at Balanced scorecard as a quick fix that can easily be installed in the airline. The scorecard may have its limitations if the top management simply uses it as a checklist for operational improvements or to expand the compensation system to include non-financial measures. (Source: Atkinson, A. et al, 2004) The scorecard seems to have too much internal focus. The scorecard is only depicting incentives for desired behaviour changes in the ground crew and not focusing on other employees. Conclusion and Recommendation A scorecard balances traditional financial measures of success such as profits and return on capital with non-financial measures of the drivers of future financial performance. It can prove to be an effective tool for Lucky Air if it is appropriately deployed by the airline. Appropriate deployment will require complete commitment from all levels in the organisation by making its implementation everyones job. Moreover, the initial Balanced Scorecard should only be taken as a starting point and needs to be looked upon on an ongoing basis. Frequent reviews of the scorecard are required and new performance measures identified as a Balanced Scorecard evolves over a period of time. Data on various measures or metrics needs to be collected on a regular basis and the targets of the metrics should be sufficiently linked to rewards and incentives to motivate their accomplishment. APPENDIX Appendix A: Explanation of the Lucky Air Scorecard The classes which can be formed and the parameters which may be put in the balance scorecard are: Financial: How is success measured by Lucky Airs owners, namely, Hainan Airlines, Shanxi Airlines and Yunnan Shilin Tourism Aviation? The financial parameter can be evaluated by assigning values to parameters like total revenue or increase in revenue from tickets, total amount refunded due to cancelled tickets etc. It is also measured in changes in the plane leasing costs, maintaining and operating costs etc. Customers: This is the customer perspective. It focuses on how the airline creates value for the customers. Customer perspective provides an insight into the perceptions customers hold for Lucky Air. Internal: What internal processes should Lucky Air excel in to satisfy customers and shareholders? Internal Processes can be known from turnaround time, on-ground time, arrival and departure delays, number of ticketing errors, customer care services etc. This would help in attaining an idea of the operations of the organization in question. Learning and growth: What employee capabilities, information systems and Lucky Airs climate does the airline need to continually improve its internal processes and customer relationships? It focuses on the motivation and training of the crew members. Starting at the bottom of the diagram, the strategy has a learning and growth objective to train and motivate ground crew with the expectation that this will lead to better improved ground turnarounds, from arrivals to subsequent departures, for its planes. This internal objective enables Lucky Air to have its planes depart on time and to get better utilisation of its airplanes and flight crews, further enabling it to earn profits even at prices that are lowest in the industry. It also focuses on improvement of internal processes to realise bigger revenue opportunities. The low prices and on-time departures attract more customers, improve customer loyalty and lead to a growth in revenues. The combination of revenue growth and low costs finally results in high profits and high return on assets. The strategy is clearer through the cause and effect relationships among objectives in each of the four balanced scorecard perspectives. These can be stated as follows: Increase revenues through increased sales to existing and new customers (financial) Grow to be service oriented ( customer perspective) Excel in providing services through continuous process improvements ( internal) Bring into line employee incentives and rewards with the strategy (learning and growth)

Chocolate Chip Cookies :: essays research papers

Chocolate Chip Cookies Roy McKenzie L.A. 6 ° February 26 1997   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whoever in here likes chocolate chip cookies STAND UP! Well, I like them too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of the Chocolate chip cookie is really an interesting one. In fact, did you know that the invention itself was really an accident? Nope, well, I didn't think so. Let me tell you a little about it. Have you ever wondered how the chocolate chip cookie came to be? Have you ever wondered who brought this American tradition into our homes? Do you know how they became so popular?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well, it all started one day with a young lady named Ruth Wakefield. One day she was making some cookies for her guests. They were called Butter Drop Do's. This cookie required semisweet chocolate pieces to be melted in the batter. Well she was in a hurry, she had beds to make and drapes to clean so, instead of melting the chocolate pieces in the batter she just chopped them up in the batter, thinking they would melt during the cooking process. To her surprise they stayed very much intact See what happens when you do not follow the directions?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well, never the less everyone at the Toll House Inn simply loved them. In fact, they became so popular the recipe was published in the Boston Newspaper. The recipe was named the Toll House Cookie. One day Nestlà © was going over their reports and they found that sales for chocolate bars rose rapidly in the Boston area. This was because the chocolate bars were the primary ingredient in the Toll House Cookies. When Nestlà © found out what was up they started making their chocolate bars with score lines on them for easier breaking. This was ok but still not easy enough. So to solve this problem they made morsels (miniature chocolate kisses)and bought the Toll House name. With that they called them Nestlà © Toll House Morsels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Did you also know that the chocolate chip cookie is the most popular cookie in America? The Toll House produces thirty-three thousand cookies each

Angels Demons Chapter 28-31

28 Secretary Sylvie Baudeloque was now in a panic. She paced outside the director's empty office. Where the hell is he? What do I do? It had been a bizarre day. Of course, any day working for Maximilian Kohler had the potential to be strange, but Kohler had been in rare form today. â€Å"Find me Leonardo Vetra!† he had demanded when Sylvie arrived this morning. Dutifully, Sylvie paged, phoned, and E-mailed Leonardo Vetra. Nothing. So Kohler had left in a huff, apparently to go find Vetra himself. When he rolled back in a few hours later, Kohler looked decidedly not well†¦ not that he ever actually looked well, but he looked worse than usual. He locked himself in his office, and she could hear him on his modem, his phone, faxing, talking. Then Kohler rolled out again. He hadn't been back since. Sylvie had decided to ignore the antics as yet another Kohlerian melodrama, but she began to get concerned when Kohler failed to return at the proper time for his daily injections; the director's physical condition required regular treatment, and when he decided to push his luck, the results were never pretty – respiratory shock, coughing fits, and a mad dash by the infirmary personnel. Sometimes Sylvie thought Maximilian Kohler had a death wish. She considered paging him to remind him, but she'd learned charity was something Kohlers's pride despised. Last week, he had become so enraged with a visiting scientist who had shown him undue pity that Kohler clambered to his feet and threw a clipboard at the man's head. King Kohler could be surprisingly agile when he was pisse. At the moment, however, Sylvie's concern for the director's health was taking a back burner†¦ replaced by a much more pressing dilemma. The CERN switchboard had phoned five minutes ago in a frenzy to say they had an urgent call for the director. â€Å"He's not available,† Sylvie had said. Then the CERN operator told her who was calling. Sylvie half laughed aloud. â€Å"You're kidding, right?† She listened, and her face clouded with disbelief. â€Å"And your caller ID confirms – † Sylvie was frowning. â€Å"I see. Okay. Can you ask what the – † She sighed. â€Å"No. That's fine. Tell him to hold. I'll locate the director right away. Yes, I understand. I'll hurry.† But Sylvie had not been able to find the director. She had called his cell line three times and each time gotten the same message: â€Å"The mobile customer you are trying to reach is out of range.† Out of range? How far could he go? So Sylvie had dialed Kohler's beeper. Twice. No response. Most unlike him. She'd even E-mailed his mobile computer. Nothing. It was like the man had disappeared off the face of the earth. So what do I do? she now wondered. Short of searching CERN's entire complex herself, Sylvie knew there was only one other way to get the director's attention. He would not be pleased, but the man on the phone was not someone the director should keep waiting. Nor did it sound like the caller was in any mood to be told the director was unavailable. Startled with her own boldness, Sylvie made her decision. She walked into Kohler's office and went to the metal box on his wall behind his desk. She opened the cover, stared at the controls, and found the correct button. Then she took a deep breath and grabbed the microphone. 29 Vittoria did not remember how they had gotten to the main elevator, but they were there. Ascending. Kohler was behind her, his breathing labored now. Langdon's concerned gaze passed through her like a ghost. He had taken the fax from her hand and slipped it in his jacket pocket away from her sight, but the image was still burned into her memory. As the elevator climbed, Vittoria's world swirled into darkness. Papa! In her mind she reached for him. For just a moment, in the oasis of her memory, Vittoria was with him. She was nine years old, rolling down hills of edelweiss flowers, the Swiss sky spinning overhead. Papa! Papa! Leonardo Vetra was laughing beside her, beaming. â€Å"What is it, angel?† â€Å"Papa!† she giggled, nuzzling close to him. â€Å"Ask me what's the matter!† â€Å"But you look happy, sweetie. Why would I ask you what's the matter?† â€Å"Just ask me.† He shrugged. â€Å"What's the matter?† She immediately started laughing. â€Å"What's the matter? Everything is the matter! Rocks! Trees! Atoms! Even anteaters! Everything is the matter!† He laughed. â€Å"Did you make that up?† â€Å"Pretty smart, huh?† â€Å"My little Einstein.† She frowned. â€Å"He has stupid hair. I saw his picture.† â€Å"He's got a smart head, though. I told you what he proved, right?† Her eyes widened with dread. â€Å"Dad! No! You promised!† â€Å"E=MC2!† He tickled her playfully. â€Å"E=MC2!† â€Å"No math! I told you! I hate it!† â€Å"I'm glad you hate it. Because girls aren't even allowed to do math.† Vittoria stopped short. â€Å"They aren't?† â€Å"Of course not. Everyone knows that. Girls play with dollies. Boys do math. No math for girls. I'm not even permitted to talk to little girls about math.† â€Å"What! But that's not fair!† â€Å"Rules are rules. Absolutely no math for little girls.† Vittoria looked horrified. â€Å"But dolls are boring!† â€Å"I'm sorry,† her father said. â€Å"I could tell you about math, but if I got caught†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked nervously around the deserted hills. Vittoria followed his gaze. â€Å"Okay,† she whispered, â€Å"just tell me quietly.† The motion of the elevator startled her. Vittoria opened her eyes. He was gone. Reality rushed in, wrapping a frosty grip around her. She looked to Langdon. The earnest concern in his gaze felt like the warmth of a guardian angel, especially in the aura of Kohler's chill. A single sentient thought began pounding at Vittoria with unrelenting force. Where is the antimatter? The horrifying answer was only a moment away. 30 â€Å"Maximilian Kohler. Kindly call your office immediately.† Blazing sunbeams flooded Langdon's eyes as the elevator doors opened into the main atrium. Before the echo of the announcement on the intercom overhead faded, every electronic device on Kohler's wheelchair started beeping and buzzing simultaneously. His pager. His phone. His E-mail. Kohler glanced down at the blinking lights in apparent bewilderment. The director had resurfaced, and he was back in range. â€Å"Director Kohler. Please call your office.† The sound of his name on the PA seemed to startle Kohler. He glanced up, looking angered and then almost immediately concerned. Langdon's eyes met his, and Vittoria's too. The three of them were motionless a moment, as if all the tension between them had been erased and replaced by a single, unifying foreboding. Kohler took his cell phone from the armrest. He dialed an extension and fought off another coughing fit. Vittoria and Langdon waited. â€Å"This is†¦ Director Kohler,† he said, wheezing. â€Å"Yes? I was subterranean, out of range.† He listened, his gray eyes widening. â€Å"Who? Yes, patch it through.† There was a pause. â€Å"Hello? This is Maximilian Kohler. I am the director of CERN. With whom am I speaking?† Vittoria and Langdon watched in silence as Kohler listened. â€Å"It would be unwise,† Kohler finally said, â€Å"to speak of this by phone. I will be there immediately.† He was coughing again. â€Å"Meet me†¦ at Leonardo da Vinci Airport. Forty minutes.† Kohler's breath seemed to be failing him now. He descended into a fit of coughing and barely managed to choke out the words, â€Å"Locate the canister immediately†¦ I am coming.† Then he clicked off his phone. Vittoria ran to Kohler's side, but Kohler could no longer speak. Langdon watched as Vittoria pulled out her cell phone and paged CERN's infirmary. Langdon felt like a ship on the periphery of a storm†¦ tossed but detached. Meet me at Leonardo da Vinci Airport. Kohler's words echoed. The uncertain shadows that had fogged Langdon's mind all morning, in a single instant, solidified into a vivid image. As he stood there in the swirl of confusion, he felt a door inside him open†¦ as if some mystic threshold had just been breached. The ambigram. The murdered priest/scientist. The antimatter. And now†¦ the target. Leonardo da Vinci Airport could only mean one thing. In a moment of stark realization, Langdon knew he had just crossed over. He had become a believer. Five kilotons. Let there be light. Two paramedics materialized, racing across the atrium in white smocks. They knelt by Kohler, putting an oxygen mask on his face. Scientists in the hall stopped and stood back. Kohler took two long pulls, pushed the mask aside, and still gasping for air, looked up at Vittoria and Langdon. â€Å"Rome.† â€Å"Rome?† Vittoria demanded. â€Å"The antimatter is in Rome? Who called?† Kohler's face was twisted, his gray eyes watering. â€Å"The Swiss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He choked on the words, and the paramedics put the mask back over his face. As they prepared to take him away, Kohler reached up and grabbed Langdon's arm. Langdon nodded. He knew. â€Å"Go†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kohler wheezed beneath his mask. â€Å"Go†¦ call me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then the paramedics were rolling him away. Vittoria stood riveted to the floor, watching him go. Then she turned to Langdon. â€Å"Rome? But†¦ what was that about the Swiss?† Langdon put a hand on her shoulder, barely whispering the words. â€Å"The Swiss Guard,† he said. â€Å"The sworn sentinels of Vatican City.† 31 The X-33 space plane roared into the sky and arched south toward Rome. On board, Langdon sat in silence. The last fifteen minutes had been a blur. Now that he had finished briefing Vittoria on the Illuminati and their covenant against the Vatican, the scope of this situation was starting to sink in. What the hell am I doing? Langdon wondered. I should have gone home when I had the chance! Deep down, though, he knew he'd never had the chance. Langdon's better judgment had screamed at him to return to Boston. Nonetheless, academic astonishment had somehow vetoed prudence. Everything he had ever believed about the demise of the Illuminati was suddenly looking like a brilliant sham. Part of him craved proof. Confirmation. There was also a question of conscience. With Kohler ailing and Vittoria on her own, Langdon knew that if his knowledge of the Illuminati could assist in any way, he had a moral obligation to be here. There was more, though. Although Langdon was ashamed to admit it, his initial horror on hearing about the antimatter's location was not only the danger to human life in Vatican City, but for something else as well. Art. The world's largest art collection was now sitting on a time bomb. The Vatican Museum housed over 60,000 priceless pieces in 1,407 rooms – Michelangelo, da Vinci, Bernini, Botticelli. Langdon wondered if all of the art could possibly be evacuated if necessary. He knew it was impossible. Many of the pieces were sculptures weighing tons. Not to mention, the greatest treasures were architectural – the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, Michelangelo's famed spiral staircase leading to the Museo Vaticano – priceless testaments to man's creative genius. Langdon wondered how much time was left on the canister. â€Å"Thanks for coming,† Vittoria said, her voice quiet. Langdon emerged from his daydream and looked up. Vittoria was sitting across the aisle. Even in the stark fluorescent light of the cabin, there was an aura of composure about her – an almost magnetic radiance of wholeness. Her breathing seemed deeper now, as if a spark of self-preservation had ignited within her†¦ a craving for justice and retribution, fueled by a daughter's love. Vittoria had not had time to change from her shorts and sleeveless top, and her tawny legs were now goose-bumped in the cold of the plane. Instinctively Langdon removed his jacket and offered it to her. â€Å"American chivalry?† She accepted, her eyes thanking him silently. The plane jostled across some turbulence, and Langdon felt a surge of danger. The windowless cabin felt cramped again, and he tried to imagine himself in an open field. The notion, he realized, was ironic. He had been in an open field when it had happened. Crushing darkness. He pushed the memory from his mind. Ancient history. Vittoria was watching him. â€Å"Do you believe in God, Mr. Langdon?† The question startled him. The earnestness in Vittoria's voice was even more disarming than the inquiry. Do I believe in God? He had hoped for a lighter topic of conversation to pass the trip. A spiritual conundrum, Langdon thought. That's what my friends call me. Although he studied religion for years, Langdon was not a religious man. He respected the power of faith, the benevolence of churches, the strength religion gave to many people†¦ and yet, for him, the intellectual suspension of disbelief that was imperative if one were truly going to â€Å"believe† had always proved too big an obstacle for his academic mind. â€Å"I want to believe,† he heard himself say. Vittoria's reply carried no judgment or challenge. â€Å"So why don't you?† He chuckled. â€Å"Well, it's not that easy. Having faith requires leaps of faith, cerebral acceptance of miracles – immaculate conceptions and divine interventions. And then there are the codes of conduct. The Bible, the Koran, Buddhist scripture†¦ they all carry similar requirements – and similar penalties. They claim that if I don't live by a specific code I will go to hell. I can't imagine a God who would rule that way.† â€Å"I hope you don't let your students dodge questions that shamelessly.† The comment caught him off guard. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Mr. Langdon, I did not ask if you believe what man says about God. I asked if you believed in God. There is a difference. Holy scripture is stories†¦ legends and history of man's quest to understand his own need for meaning. I am not asking you to pass judgment on literature. I am asking if you believe in God. When you lie out under the stars, do you sense the divine? Do you feel in your gut that you are staring up at the work of God's hand?† Langdon took a long moment to consider it. â€Å"I'm prying,† Vittoria apologized. â€Å"No, I just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Certainly you must debate issues of faith with your classes.† â€Å"Endlessly.† â€Å"And you play devil's advocate, I imagine. Always fueling the debate.† Langdon smiled. â€Å"You must be a teacher too.† â€Å"No, but I learned from a master. My father could argue two sides of a Mobius Strip.† Langdon laughed, picturing the artful crafting of a Mobius Strip – a twisted ring of paper, which technically possessed only one side. Langdon had first seen the single-sided shape in the artwork of M. C. Escher. â€Å"May I ask you a question, Ms. Vetra?† â€Å"Call me Vittoria. Ms. Vetra makes me feel old.† He sighed inwardly, suddenly sensing his own age. â€Å"Vittoria, I'm Robert.† â€Å"You had a question.† â€Å"Yes. As a scientist and the daughter of a Catholic priest, what do you think of religion?† Vittoria paused, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes. â€Å"Religion is like language or dress. We gravitate toward the practices with which we were raised. In the end, though, we are all proclaiming the same thing. That life has meaning. That we are grateful for the power that created us.† Langdon was intrigued. â€Å"So you're saying that whether you are a Christian or a Muslim simply depends on where you were born?† â€Å"Isn't it obvious? Look at the diffusion of religion around the globe.† â€Å"So faith is random?† â€Å"Hardly. Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. In the end we are all just searching for truth, that which is greater than ourselves.† Langdon wished his students could express themselves so clearly. Hell, he wished he could express himself so clearly. â€Å"And God?† he asked. â€Å"Do you believe in God?† Vittoria was silent for a long time. â€Å"Science tells me God must exist. My mind tells me I will never understand God. And my heart tells me I am not meant to.† How's that for concise, he thought. â€Å"So you believe God is fact, but we will never understand Him.† â€Å"Her,† she said with a smile. â€Å"Your Native Americans had it right.† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"Mother Earth.† â€Å"Gaea. The planet is an organism. All of us are cells with different purposes. And yet we are intertwined. Serving each other. Serving the whole.† Looking at her, Langdon felt something stir within him that he had not felt in a long time. There was a bewitching clarity in her eyes†¦ a purity in her voice. He felt drawn. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, let me ask you another question.† â€Å"Robert,† he said. Mr. Langdon makes me feel old. I am old! â€Å"If you don't mind my asking, Robert, how did you get involved with the Illuminati?† Langdon thought back. â€Å"Actually, it was money.† Vittoria looked disappointed. â€Å"Money? Consulting, you mean?† Langdon laughed, realizing how it must have sounded. â€Å"No. Money as in currency.† He reached in his pants pocket and pulled out some money. He found a one-dollar bill. â€Å"I became fascinated with the cult when I first learned that U.S. currency is covered with Illuminati symbology.† Vittoria's eyes narrowed, apparently not knowing whether or not to take him seriously. Langdon handed her the bill. â€Å"Look at the back. See the Great Seal on the left?† Vittoria turned the one-dollar bill over. â€Å"You mean the pyramid?† â€Å"The pyramid. Do you know what pyramids have to do with U.S. history?† Vittoria shrugged. â€Å"Exactly,† Langdon said. â€Å"Absolutely nothing.† Vittoria frowned. â€Å"So why is it the central symbol of your Great Seal?† â€Å"An eerie bit of history,† Langdon said. â€Å"The pyramid is an occult symbol representing a convergence upward, toward the ultimate source of Illumination. See what's above it?† Vittoria studied the bill. â€Å"An eye inside a triangle.† â€Å"It's called the trinacria. Have you ever seen that eye in a triangle anywhere else?† Vittoria was silent a moment. â€Å"Actually, yes, but I'm not sure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's emblazoned on Masonic lodges around the world.† â€Å"The symbol is Masonic?† â€Å"Actually, no. It's Illuminati. They called it their ‘shining delta.' A call for enlightened change. The eye signifies the Illuminati's ability to infiltrate and watch all things. The shining triangle represents enlightenment. And the triangle is also the Greek letter delta, which is the mathematical symbol for – â€Å" â€Å"Change. Transition.† Langdon smiled. â€Å"I forgot I was talking to a scientist.† â€Å"So you're saying the U.S. Great Seal is a call for enlightened, all-seeing change?† â€Å"Some would call it a New World Order.† Vittoria seemed startled. She glanced down at the bill again. â€Å"The writing under the pyramid says Novus†¦ Ordo†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Novus Ordo Seculorum,† Langdon said. â€Å"It means New Secular Order.† â€Å"Secular as in non religious?† â€Å"Nonreligious. The phrase not only clearly states the Illuminati objective, but it also blatantly contradicts the phrase beside it. In God We Trust.† Vittoria seemed troubled. â€Å"But how could all this symbology end up on the most powerful currency in the world?† â€Å"Most academics believe it was through Vice President Henry Wallace. He was an upper echelon Mason and certainly had ties to the Illuminati. Whether it was as a member or innocently under their influence, nobody knows. But it was Wallace who sold the design of the Great Seal to the president.† â€Å"How? Why would the president have agreed to – â€Å" â€Å"The president was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Wallace simply told him Novus Ordo Seculorum meant New Deal.† Vittoria seemed skeptical. â€Å"And Roosevelt didn't have anyone else look at the symbol before telling the Treasury to print it?† â€Å"No need. He and Wallace were like brothers.† â€Å"Brothers?† â€Å"Check your history books,† Langdon said with a smile. â€Å"Franklin D. Roosevelt was a well-known Mason.†

Caring for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease does not form part of the common ageing process but a higher risk of experiencing this disease is more prevalent in the older population. Alzheimer’s disease emerged as a term when Dr. Alois Alzheimer reported in 1906 the condition of a fifty-five year-old woman suffering from the effects of progressive dementia, a condition that is strongly linked to old age. Edwards et al.Due to the progressive nature of the disease, the individual with Alzheimer’s disease together with the community within which the individual belongs also becomes affected. In the latter stages of the disease, the individual may suffer dementia manifested in the disorientation of surroundings, inability to recognize family members, and lack of awareness of daily needs and wants.Mahoney (2003) states that around four million of the American population is already suffering from Alzheimer’s disease with the number expected to multiply three-fold in 2050. The effects of the disease together with the expected increase in the population of people with Alzheimer’s disease has given importance to the enhancement of knowledge and practical experience on the part of caregivers with family members suffering from Alzheimer’s disease stressing on vigilance as a standard of care.Family Caregivers of Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease has been the subject of many studies covering its various areas from the determination of the causes and effects of this disease to the access and availability of healthcare for people with Alzheimer’s disease and then to the focus on caregivers and care giving standards.Some studies on caregivers are continuing because of the need to collect and collate information on the importance of families caring for members with Alzheimer’s disease together with the concurrent important role of nurses and other healthcare professionals in providing family caregivers with the informative and other forms of support they need to take on the task of dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Mahoney (2003) explains that caregiver burden emerged in studies on the caregivers of family members with Alzheimer’s disease to describe the aggregate demands and issues faced by the caregivers.These cover the financial burden incurred by the family in caring for their family member with Alzheimer’s disease from seeking professional healthcare to continuing care at home as well as the emotional and social burdens of seeing or experiencing the symptoms of dementia such as the inability of the individual with Alzheimer’s to recognize family members or frequent disorientation. The failure of family caregivers to understand and effectively deal with these demands and issues could lead to fatigue and stress or even to psychological problems on the part of family caregivers.This means that apart from studying the cause, effect and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, there is also need to focus on providing multi-faceted support to family caregivers based on the underlying principle that family caregivers also need care. This implies the important role of health professionals, especially nurses that constantly deal with family caregivers to extent care to family caregivers. Care Issues of Family CaregiversWith the expected increase in the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease in the succeeding decades, it is then important to make sure of the proper care not only for the patients but for their caregivers as well. As individuals depend on them for optimum care so that keeping abreast with current care giving trends and applications covering patient care and keeping themselves less stressed and fatigued are imperative. This ensures the caregiver’s health and competence in handling Alzheimer’s disease cases and patients.Sufficient and relevant data exist that prove the increased probability of caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease to experience symptoms related to depression. The financial burden, coupled by the physical and emotional turmoil of caring for elderly with Alzheimer’s may be some reasons for the increased risk of depression and health problems of caregivers. Wykle (1996) conducted an earlier study on family caregivers and recognized the extent that the Alzheimer’s disease takes its toll on the families caring for their members suffering from this disease.While studies on the cause and cure of Alzheimer’s disease are ongoing, there is also need to conduct parallel studies on alleviating the stress and pressure on families caring for their members with Alzheimer’s disease. Based on the recognition of the increases responsibility of families in caring for members with Alzheimer’s disease, these families are calling for appropriate and effective interventions in reducing family stress and supporting caregivers man aging the manifestations of dementia. After almost a decade, studies on caring for family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease continue to advance.Vitaliano, Katon and Unutzer (2005) studied caregiver health in the context of geriatric psychiatry in the five areas of: 1) caregiver outcomes in relation to the manifestations of the link between caregiver distress and physical indices in order to determine the intervention to caregivers; 2) assessing caregiver status and condition; 3) relationship between the caregiver and the recipient of care; 4) future studies; and 5) important areas to consider in applying interventions to family caregivers.These constitute important considerations for nurses providing support and care to family caregivers. Nursing Support for Family Caregivers Roper, Logan and Tierney (2001) developed a model for nursing care that incorporates a consideration of five factors, which are:1) activities of living,2) lifespan,3) continuous relationshi p of dependence and independence,4) factors affecting activities of living,5) individuality in living experiences.This means that throughout a person’s lifetime, a number of biological, psychological and environmental factors experienced by individuals either improve or threaten the physical, mental and emotions well-being of individuals. To prevent the threats, individuals engage in preventive activities such as being in a safe environment, communication, and having a healthy lifestyle. People go through these activities with other people, such as other family members, other families and healthcare professional, creating a continuous relationship of dependence and independence with the dependenceIn relation to nursing support for family caregivers, this model suggests that nurses play the important role of supporting family caregivers especially in the stages of dependence. This means that importance of determining when the dependence stages occur, the extent of support need ed by family caregivers, and the appropriate intervention to apply. To assist nurses in this task, Mahoney (2003) discuss the model of vigilance that applies to the relationship between the family caregiver and care recipient and the nurse’s relationship with the caregiver and care recipient.By applying the concepts of watchful supervision, protective intervening, anticipating, being on duty, and being there, patients with Alzheimer’s disease will be effectively cared for by family caregivers in the same way that family caregivers will be supported by nurses and other healthcare professionals. Salient Learning on Family Caregivers of Person’s with Alzheimer’s Disease Proper orientation prior to taking on the job of caring for family members with Alzheimer’s disease is important, so is periodic evaluation and assessment of the patient’s condition and the degree of influence it has over the caregiver.Caregivers must also allow sufficient time for leisure activities, rest and relaxation. It is also important for caregivers to be aware of the symptoms which may lead to their stress and fatigue. The symptoms they must look out for include denial, short and hot temper, anger (which may be prolonged or manifested in spurts), withdrawal from family members, friends and activities which were enjoyed previously, anxiety and agitation, sleeplessness, irritability, and exhaustion.These symptoms, if undetected, may give rise to serious health problems or even depression later on. Nurses play an important role in facilitating understanding and stress alleviation. Important Topics for Continuous Learning Although many studies have directed focus on diagnosing and treating family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, there are still areas that need further investigations and learning.On the part of nurses providing support to family caregivers, the existence of healthcare infrastructures to support the recognition of the importance of supporting family caregivers through the sharing of knowledge and experience to family caregivers constitutes one important topic for learning. This is because it is common for hospitals and nursing homes not to have their own Alzheimer’s disease care unit. Nurses and other healthcare providers may be commonly assigned from one station or area to the next which may limit the expertise gained if the said people concentrate only on a particular area.The lack of an Alzheimer’s disease unit may be due to lack of funds, hospital space, facilities, and different priorities. A possible area of learning could be the viability of establishing Alzheimer’s disease units in hospitals or nursing homes or stationing nurses in the care of Alzheimer’s patients to allow nurses to develop learning and best practices not only in treating patient’s with Alzheimer’s disease that they can use in understanding the issues of family caregivers and they can share as practical lessons to family caregivers.Another possible area of learning could be the differences in the experiences of family caregivers, caring for family members with varying manifestations of dementia, in terms of the degree of stress and fatigue and ways they apply in care giving. Concurrently, effective practical means that caregivers apply to alleviate care giving burden such as relaxation and leisure or group support become equally important. These areas of learning constitute important consideration in the orientation, evaluation, training and development of nursing care to family caregivers to assure the best care possible given to and extended to care recipients.Pertinent Actual and Potential Nursing Diagnoses of Family Caregivers Enough relevant and significant data are available that discusses the high risk of clinical depression and anxiety in family caregivers. The said depression and anxiety may be a result of the demanding physical and emotional w ork that caregivers who take care of patients with Alzheimer’s disease experience daily as part of their care routine. This may give rise to certain conditions that afflict the caregiver him/herself.â€Å"Hidden† patient is the term used to describe nurses or caregivers who suffer from anxiety and clinical depression, coupled with health problems (Parks and Novielli, 2003). Hidden in a sense that their despair and symptoms are commonly denied, not given attention to, or altogether ignored, which may give rise to graver threats later on. Caregiver depression is a condition that family caregivers may experience. These include persistent and untreatable pains and aches, irritability, weight loss and loss of appetite, exhaustion and lack of energy, insomnia and feelings of guilt and anxiety (Vitaliano, Katon, & Unutzer, 2005).Thus, nurses supporting caregivers should be well aware of the symptoms that may lead caregiver depression. Conclusion Due to the extent of the impac t of Alzheimer’s disease to the various people, including the family of the individual suffering from the disease, other people comprising the social network of the patient, and healthcare professionals, there is need to apply collaborative learning and information sharing in order to derive optimum and comprehensive understanding of best practices on the alleviation of the care giving burden of family caregivers.This is important since family caregivers able to handle and adjust to the care giving burden would lead to effective care outcomes for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.References Edwards, J. , Handy, R. , Lancaster, M. , & Turnbull, J. (Eds. ) (1998).Alzheimer's Disease: A Handbook for Caregivers. St. Louis, M. O. : Mosby. Mahoney, D. F. (2003).Vigilance: Evolution and Definition for Caregivers of Family Members with Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 29, 24-30 Parks, S. M. , & Novielli, K. D. (2003).Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers : Hidden Patients. Clinical Geriatrics, 11(5), 14-16. Roper, N. , Logan, W. , & Tierney, A. (2001).Roper-Logan-Tierney Model of Nursing: Based on Activities of the Living. London: Churchill Livingston. Vitaliano, P. P. , Katon, W. , & Unutzer, J. (2005).Making the Case for Caregiver Research in Geriatric Psychiatry. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 13, 834-843. Wykle, M. L. (1996).Interventions for Family Management of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. International Psychogeriatrics, 8, 109-111.

Beach ErosionA Problem for All essays

Beach ErosionA Problem for All essays Living only a few miles from the great Atlantic Ocean, the beach is a place where I have spent many days of my life. I have watched tremendous storms with powerful surf and fierce winds eat away the shoreline. But, to society there is no cost comparable to beachs pleasures. It seems in the 1990s everyone wants that exclusive ocean view, but few realize the potential costs in lives, money, and property. And the ultimate cost of such coastal development, experts say, is the beach itself. (Warren, 1999, p.1) Many lives have been lost to erosion. From houses lost in the surf to giant waves crashing through town. A tragedy like this happened in Galveston, Texas. A hurricane hit this small town in 1990 and killed 6,000 people; a massive sea wall was then constructed to help prevent another tragedy like that from happening again (Nash, 1996, p.18). Erosion causes a higher percentage of damage to society then one might think, because nearly half of the countrys 238 million people live on only 11 percent of the nations landthe land in coastal counties (Nash, 1996, p.18). Erosion is very costly, do to efforts trying to prevent and or fix erosion. On the other hand, the beach also generates money from tourists. Contributing about 170 billion annually to the economy society can afford to fix the problem of erosion. In New Jersey the Department of Environmental Services installed the STABLERTM Disc Erosion Control System. Resembling a flexible chain of large concrete discs it has helped the erosion crisis in New Jersey (Public Works, 1997, p. 39). But, before long in New Jersey the state and all federal taxpayers will soon be shelling out $9 billion to pump sand from offshore areas onto 127 miles of sand-starved beaches (Warren, ...

Free Essays on Amish

â€Å"Amish Culture† All aspects of Amish life are established by written or oral rules, known as Ordnung. The Ordnung defines what it means to be Amish. It dictates their lifestyles, ranging from dress to hair length to buggy or farming style. The Ordnung varies in different communities. This is why one may see Amish in one part of the country riding in automobiles or using electricity. The most important social unit in the Amish culture is family. Amish marry only Amish; intermarriage is forbidden. Large families with up to ten children are very common. The father is the head of the household. He, along with his sons, are responsible for the farm work. The wife does the cleaning and cooking. The conveniences of modern technology are not encouraged or accepted in most Amish communities, known as the Old Order Amish. Most Amish cultivate their fields with horse-drawn machinery, travel in horse-drawn buggies, and live in homes without electricity. A telephone is a common use, yet they are not allowed inside the home. These conveniences are believed to weaken the family structure. The Old Order Amish use little modern technology, while the New Order Amish are permitted to use electricity, own vehicles and other conveniences. The Amish style of dress is very simple. It represents their separation from other cultures and their faith. Clothing is made of primarily dark, plain fabrics. Amish women generally wear long sleeve dresses with a full skirt. They are not allowed to wear patterned clothing or jewelry. They also never cut their hair, and wear it in a braid or a bun concealed by a small bonnet. Amish men typically wear straight-cut suits without collars or pockets. Young men are to be clean shaved, while married men are to allow their beards to grow. Mustaches are forbidden. The Ordnung of each community specifies their own dress code along with other aspects of life.... Free Essays on Amish Free Essays on Amish â€Å"Amish Culture† All aspects of Amish life are established by written or oral rules, known as Ordnung. The Ordnung defines what it means to be Amish. It dictates their lifestyles, ranging from dress to hair length to buggy or farming style. The Ordnung varies in different communities. This is why one may see Amish in one part of the country riding in automobiles or using electricity. The most important social unit in the Amish culture is family. Amish marry only Amish; intermarriage is forbidden. Large families with up to ten children are very common. The father is the head of the household. He, along with his sons, are responsible for the farm work. The wife does the cleaning and cooking. The conveniences of modern technology are not encouraged or accepted in most Amish communities, known as the Old Order Amish. Most Amish cultivate their fields with horse-drawn machinery, travel in horse-drawn buggies, and live in homes without electricity. A telephone is a common use, yet they are not allowed inside the home. These conveniences are believed to weaken the family structure. The Old Order Amish use little modern technology, while the New Order Amish are permitted to use electricity, own vehicles and other conveniences. The Amish style of dress is very simple. It represents their separation from other cultures and their faith. Clothing is made of primarily dark, plain fabrics. Amish women generally wear long sleeve dresses with a full skirt. They are not allowed to wear patterned clothing or jewelry. They also never cut their hair, and wear it in a braid or a bun concealed by a small bonnet. Amish men typically wear straight-cut suits without collars or pockets. Young men are to be clean shaved, while married men are to allow their beards to grow. Mustaches are forbidden. The Ordnung of each community specifies their own dress code along with other aspects of life.... Free Essays on Amish â€Å"Amish mount rare petition drive to keep horses on property.† By Dan Lewerenz I chose this article for chapter four to fit under Cultural Diversity. The article discusses a situation involving two Amish men who received fines for having horses on their property without the adequate amount of land required by law. One of the men challenged the zone ordinance on religious freedom grounds and the district postponed the hearing for procedural reasons. The Amish are a very good example that we can relate to due to the fact that they are like neighbors to us. We can see the cultural differences in reality on a day to day basis because they are a part of our society. We see how they differ from our own culture by the Gesellschaft society and the Gemeinschaft community. Although the Amish are a subculture and usually looked at in that perspective, this article shows us that there are circumstances that we find the reactions shocking. In this article, an Amish man receives a fine, starts a petition, goes to court and fights the fine that he receives instead of laying low and accepting it like we would all expect. It is very rare to see this happen in the Amish community. The Amish are very culturally diverse in various ways but this article also shows us an example of cultural diffusion. Years ago, a person belonging to the Amish community wouldn’t dare to fight the law. Times sure are changing along with the Amish com munity....

Culture Jamming - Definition and Examples

Culture Jamming s Culture jamming is the practice of disrupting the mundane nature of everyday life and the status quo with surprising, often comical or satirical acts or artworks. The practice was popularized by the anti-consumerist organization Adbusters, which often uses it to force those who encounter their work to question the presence and influence of advertising and consumerism in our lives. In particular, culture jamming often asks us to reflect on the pace and volume at which we consume and the unquestioned role that the consumption of goods plays in our lives, despite the many human and environmental costs of global mass production. Key Takeaways: Culture Jamming Culture jamming refers to the creation of images or practices that force viewers to question the status quo.Culture jamming disrupts social norms and is often used as a tool for social change. Activists have used culture jamming to raise awareness of issues including sweatshop labor, sexual assault on college campuses, and police brutality. The Critical Theory Behind Culture Jamming Culture jamming often involves the use of a meme that revises or plays off of a commonly recognized symbol of a corporate brand (such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike, and Apple, to name just a few). The meme is typically designed to call into question the brand image and values attached to the corporate logo, to question the consumer relationship to the brand, and to illuminate harmful actions on the part of the corporation. For example, when Apple launched the iPhone 6 in 2014, the Hong Kong-based Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) staged a protest at a Hong Kong Apple Store where they unfurled a large banner that featured the image of the new device sandwiched between the words, iSlave. Harsher than harsher. Still made in sweatshops. The practice of culture jamming is inspired by the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, which focused on the power of mass media and advertising to shape and direct our norms, values, expectations, and behavior  through unconscious and subconscious tactics. By subverting the image and values attached to a corporate brand, the memes deployed in culture jamming aim to produce feelings of shock, shame, fear, and ultimately anger in the viewer, because it is these emotions that lead to social change and political action. Sometimes, culture jamming uses a meme or a public performance to critique the norms and practices of social institutions or to question political assumptions that lead to inequality or injustice. The artist Banksy is a notable example of this type of culture jamming. Here, well examine some recent cases that do the same. Emma Sulkowicz and Rape Culture Emma Sulkowicz launched her performance piece and senior thesis project Mattress Performance: Carry That Weight at Columbia University in New York City  in September  2014, as a way to draw critical attention to the universitys mishandling of disciplinary proceedings for her alleged rapist, and its mishandling of sexual assault cases in general. Speaking about her performance and her experience of rape, Emma told the Columbia Spectator that the piece is designed to take her private experience of rape and shame in the aftermath of her attack into the public sphere and  to physically evoke the psychological weight she has carried since the alleged attack.  Emma vowed to carry the weight in public until her alleged rapist was expelled or left campus. This never happened, so Emma and supporters of the cause carried her mattress throughout her graduation ceremony. Emmas daily performance not only brought  her alleged assault  into the public sphere, it also jammed the notion  that sexual assault and its consequences are private matters, and illuminated the reality that they are often  hidden from view by the shame and fear that survivors experience. Refusing to suffer in silence and in private, Emma made  her fellow students, faculty, administrators, and staff at Columbia face the reality of sexual assault on college campuses by making the matter visible with her performance. In sociological terms, Emmas performance served to vanish the taboo on acknowledging and discussing the widespread problem of sexual violence by disrupting the social norms of daily campus behavior. She brought rape culture into sharp focus on Columbias campus, and in society in general. Emma received a heap of media coverage for her culture jamming performance piece, and fellow students and alumni of Columbia joined her in carrying the weight on a daily basis. Of the social and political power of her work and the widespread media attention it received, Ben Davis of ArtNet, the leader in global news about the art world, wrote, I can hardly think of an artwork in recent memory that justifies the belief that art can still help  lead a conversation  in quite the way  Mattress Performance  already has. Black Lives Matter and Justice for Michael Brown At the same time that Emma was carrying that weight around Columbias campus, halfway across the country in St. Louis, Missouri, protesters creatively demanded  justice for 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed Black man  who was killed by a Ferguson, MO police officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014. Wilson had at that point yet to be charged with a crime, and since the killing occurred, Ferguson, a predominantly Black city  with a predominantly white police force and a history of police harassment and brutality,  had been raked by daily and nightly protests. Just as intermission concluded during a performance of  Requiem  by Johannes Brahms by the St. Louis Symphony on October 4, a racially diverse group of singers stood from their seats, one by one, singing the classic Civil Rights anthem, Which Side Are You On? In a beautiful and haunting performance, protesters addressed the predominantly white audience with the songs titular question, and implored, Justice for Mike Brown is justice for us all. In a recorded video of the event, some audience members look on disapprovingly while many clapped for the singers. Protesters dropped banners  from the balcony commemorating Michael Browns life  during the performance  and chanted Black lives matter! as they peacefully exited the symphony hall at the conclusion of the song. The surprising, creative, and beautiful nature of this culture jamming protest made it particularly effective. The protesters capitalized on the presence of a quiet and attentive audience to disrupt the norm of audience  silence and stillness  and instead made  the audience the site of a politically engaged performance. When social norms are disrupted in spaces in which they are usually strictly obeyed, we tend to quickly take notice and focus on the disruption, which makes this form of culture jamming successful. Further, this performance disrupts the privileged comfort that members of a symphony audience enjoy, given that they are primarily white and wealthy, or at least middle class. The performance was an effective way of reminding people who are not burdened by racism that the community in which they live is currently under assault by it in physical, institutional, and ideological ways  and that, as members of that community, they have a responsibility to fight those for ces. Both of these performances, by Emma Sulkowicz and the St. Louis protesters, are examples of culture jamming at its best. They surprise those who bear witness to them with their disruption of social norms, and in doing so, call those very norms, and the validity of the institutions that organize them  into question. Each offers a timely and deeply important  commentary on troubling social problems  and forces us to confront that which is more conveniently swept aside. This matters because viscerally confronting the social problems of our day is an important step in the direction of meaningful social change.

IT Security Policy Framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IT Security Policy Framework - Essay Example Recommended sound security controls practices (e.g., people, process, technology). A guide to help reconcile the framework to common and different aspects of generally adopted standards (e.g., COBIT, HIPAA, etc.). An analysis of risk or implications for each component of the framework. A guide of acceptable options or alternatives and criteria, to aid in tailoring to an organizations operating environment. A guide for implementation and monitoring. Toolset for organizations to test compliance against the framework (HITRUST). A complete security framework comes down to three well-known basic components: people, technology, and procedures. When these three elements are correctly assembles such as, the people, technology, and process fundamentals of information security program that works together in order to secure the environment and stay consistent with organization’s objectives. Diagram 1.1 shows the idea of people, process and technology. Figure 1.1 The policies and the prac tices in any organization is established by the Information Security framework. ... tics of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act are: Creation of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) It is a five member board that is established by The Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the purpose of controlling the auditing profession. The PCAOB locates and impose auditing, quality control, ethics, independence and other related audit reports. New rules for auditors Significant information to the organization’s audit committee must be provided by the auditors. This includes critical accounting policies and practices, alternative GAAP treatments and auditor-management disagreements. The CPA Auditors are forbidden from performing certain non-audit services for example book keeping, information systems design and implementation, internal audit outsourcing services, management functions, and human resource services for audit customers. Services are not offered to the publicly held companies by the audit firms. New roles for audit committees Audit committee members must be listed on the organization’s board of directors and be independent of the company. However, At least one member of the audit committee must be a financial expert. The audit committee appoints, compensates, and supervises the auditors, who report directly to them. New internal control requirements Section 404 of SOX needs visibly held companies to issue a report associated with the financial statements that reveals management is responsibilities for establishing and maintaining an enough internal control structure and appropriate control procedures. The report must also enclose management’s assessment of internal controls. Question 3 The challenges are alarming for management in providing information security. In fact, information system assets are substantial even for small organizations including data

First Fundamental Theorem of Welfare Economics Essay

First Fundamental Theorem of Welfare Economics - Essay Example The third condition for competitive equilibrium is that the allocation maximizes the profit of each firm at the given price system. A simple proof of the theorem is shown in the following notation. Proof of the first fundamental theorem of welfare economics Let [(x0i), (y0j), (Ð ¤)] be a competitive equilibrium, and under the condition of non-satiation, for each: i, ui(x) = ui (x0i)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ eqn. 1 implies Ð ¤ (x) ? Ð ¤ (x0i). Instead, if we denote this as: ui(x) = ui (x0i), and Ð ¤ (x) ui(x)= ui (x0i), 1, 2, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Since Ð ¤ is continuous, this condition implies that, for a big n, Ð ¤ (xn) ui (x0i), implies that Ð ¤ (xn)>Ð ¤ (x0i). Therefore, the contradiction implies that eqn. 1 is true. Using this contradiction, we can suppose that the initial allocation [(x0i), (y0j), (Ð ¤)] is not Pareto optimal, which implies that there is another allocation of resources [(x’i), (y’j)] such that ui(x’i) > ui (x0i). this condition holds for all i with strict inequality for some i. Employing the second condition in the definition of competitive equilibrium, gives that for some instances of i, ui(x’i) > ui (x0i) gives the implication that Ð ¤ (x’i)> Ð ¤ (x0i). From eqn. 1 and the linearity of Ð ¤, it can be seen that k?i, where ui(x’k) > uk (x0k), ?k Ð ¤(x’k) k Ð ¤(x0i). For l?k, where ul(x’l)> ul(x0l), ?l Ð ¤(x)> ?l Ð ¤(x0i). Finding the sum of the equations across all i; , which contradicts the third condition of competitive equilibrium. 2. The theorem proved above is mathematically true; however, some drawbacks are associated with it, for example, when public goods and externalities are introduced. This is because the theorem assumes that in the economy, there are no public goods or externalities (Jehle and Reny, 2001). This means that the theorem will not hold in an exchange economy where an individual’s utility depends on another individual’s consumption as well a s the original individual’s consumption. Also, the theorem does not hold if the production possibility set of one firm in an exchange economy depends on the production set of another firm in the same economy. The presence of externalities and public good sin the market will cause market failure iof they are not corrected, since there are no markets for these goods. 3. The above proposition can be proved by the following example, where externalities and public goods are introduced into an economy. In this case, an externality is used to mean the situation where the actions of an individual or firm affects the actions of another individual or firm other than through the effect on prices (Jehle and Reny, 2001). For example, one production firm could be increasing the costs of production for another firm by the production of smoke, which forces the other firm to increase costs. One factory could be producing electronic gadgets, a process which requires the emission of smoke. The factory could be located upwind, meaning that the smoke emitted harm another

Paths of Glory (1957 film) Thesis Paper Movie Review

Paths of Glory (1957 film) Thesis Paper - Movie Review Example Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory is a unique film, not only in terms of the strong anti-war message, but also in the manner in which it was conveyed. Based on a novel by Humphrey Cobb of the same name, the film is set during the First World War and stars Kirk Douglas (Colonel Dax) in the lead role. The heroic authorial stance of the film is unconventional in that it perceives of glory in a radically different way. Taken from Thomas Grey’s famous lines of poem that goes †¦Ã¢â‚¬ the paths of glory lead but to the grave†, author Humphrey Cobb takes up Paths of Glory for the title with implied irony. Kirk Douglass give an excellent performance in translating and presenting the spirit of the story onscreen. (Kane, 1988, p.90) In conventional Hollywood of the time, any glorification in relation to war came via acts of courage and sacrifice, even if it proved fatal. But Paths of Glory spun around this idea and projected glory in an altogether new light. Here, glory would represent the refusal to act on official orders, and instead act on moral convictions. (Stam, 2000, p.14) This message is not easy for the audience to digest, for America’s participation in the Great War was seen as an act of moral responsibility by a majority of its citizens. (Belton, 1994, p.170) Moreover, the film captures the conflicting interests of the officers and the soldiers in real battle situations. Behind the facade of unity (as most war propaganda would have people believe) officers can at times deliberately put the lives of their subordinates at jeopardy. This is evident in the film, as French General Mireau (played by George Macready), orders his division to embark upon a suicidal mission to capture a strongly en-forted German position. As this move would earn Mireau a promotion, he was bent on acting solely for self gain, as against the spirit of unity that is expected in military divisions. (Suid, 2002, p.748) The film will have to be lauded for showin g these bitter internal political realities within a major national institution such as a military in the backdrop of the heat, chaos and intrigue of war. The director pulls off this feat as realistically as possible. Where other movies would evade or underplay such uncomforting truths, Paths of Glory bravely took on a commitment to ground realities. (Altman, 1999, p.14) Colonel Dax (played by Kirk Douglas) is the hero of the film, as he sees to protecting soldiers under his charge from the selfish designs of General Mireau. As a way of deflecting blame from himself, Mireau orders the Court Martial of 100 of his soldiers (later reduced to 3) for cowardice and refusal to obey orders. It is at this juncture that the denouement of the film unfolds, as Colonel Dax (who served as a civilian lawyer prior to his military engagement) takes up the cause of the hapless soldiers and defends their case. Director Stanley Kubrick makes yet another bold statement via his realistic portrayal of the dynamics of power. Although Court Martial are supposed to conform to commonly accepted principles of jurisprudence, fairness, justice and due process of law, in the case the three unfortunate soldiers who are sentenced to death (essentially summarily after the farcical ‘trial’). (Clarke, 2006, p.112) Hence, in conclusion, Paths of Glory is satisfactory in terms of aesthetics, screenplay, dialogue and

Mandated Curriculum vs. Developmentally Appropriate Practices Essay

Mandated Curriculum vs. Developmentally Appropriate Practices - Essay Example While DAP allows children to solve their own problems as they are encouraged to engage themselves, it also helps in reducing learning gaps (Gestwicki 32). The processing capabilities of the children’s minds are also improved because they are encouraged to engage in the areas that they are most comfortable with thus improving creativity (Shipley). For the level of kindergarten, I feel that using textbook-based curriculum is not necessary. This is because textbook-based curriculum is restricted on the topics and areas that should be learnt. This therefore limits the scope of learning denying the children an opportunity to experiment, which is very important especially during the developmental stage. In addition, this mode does not favor the literacy skills of the gifted children because they are steered to a different direction away from their areas of expertise. As a recommendation, the mode of learning that encourages literacy development is the eclectic homeschooling (Bess). A schooling environment that provides an opportunity to teach is very important since the parent gets to pick the approaches to use when teaching the child. Bess, Beth W. "What Kind of Curriculum Should You Use? | Home Educators Association of Virginia." Home Educators Association of Virginia. n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2014. http://heav.org/basic-info/gifted/what-kind-of-curriculum-should-you-use/ "Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)† National Association for the Education of Young Children NAEYC. n.d. Web. 08 Aug. 2014. http://www.naeyc.org/DAP Shipley, Tisha. "Early Childhood Education: Implementing Developmentally Appropriate Practices into Literacy Instruction - Whole Child Education." Whole Child Education. 22 Jan 2014. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.

Rousseau, Marx and the Critique of Classical Liberalism Essay

Rousseau, Marx and the Critique of Classical Liberalism - Essay Example Rousseau on the other hand, emphasizes on democratic political interdependence and economic self-sufficiency whereby all human beings are free and also tries to explain the origin of inequalities and how to resolve them. Just like Rousseau, Marx hates inequalities hence much of his work is criticism of the capitalist state and goes beyond political democracy to emancipation of the human race. The paper will discuss Rousseau and Marx approaches to critique of classical liberalism. Classical liberalism puts emphasis on securing the freedom of individual by limiting the power of the state and this freedom is referred as liberty. In this case, ownership of private property is encouraged and protected by the law and exchange of the property with a willing buyer is voluntary. It also advocates for the need to separate the church from the state hence freedom of religion and also free trade. This is in the belief that people have inalienable rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness a nd the role of the state is to safeguard these rights (Fremont-Barnes, 225). It is also based on the idea that people aim at maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain and that people engage in labor voluntarily to get a reward or due to fear of hunger. Much emphasis is placed on the individual since the society is a sum of individual members thus discourages formation of unions or group associations (Epstein, 1-12). Contrary to classical liberalism which emphasizes negative freedom whereby others should refrain from interfering with other’s rights, Rousseau views freedom as positive whereby individuals are enabled to realize higher goods. On the discourse on the origin and basis of inequality (1755), Rousseau acknowledges the existence of primitive societies who lived under the natural state and directed to act by their passions and desire. Under the natural state, all men are equal and inequality is brought about by men through civilization (Rousseau 1987, 26). Each society me mber has a task to perform and no one is forced to share tasks with others and the sovereign and the people have same interests. Contrary to classical liberalism, under this democratic government no one is above the law and if a government proves not fit for the society, the society has the right to overthrow it and form a new government. Such was the case with the French revolution which led to overthrow of the monarch. The government envisioned by Rousseau is a direct and not representative democracy where the people are sovereign with a general will and legislative power with the government being distinct from the sovereign (Rousseau 2008, 25). The government neither engages in conquest of its neighbors since it is self-sufficient nor expects to be conquered but instead it expects the neighbors to be of assistance in time of need hence political interdependence (Rousseau 1987, 27). On his second discourse, Rousseau points out two types of inequalities; natural inequality such as age, health and bodily strength; Moral or political inequality which is consented by men such as being more powerful, richer and more honored. He argues that the development of inequalities was as a result of evolution from natural to moral inequality. The formation of language was important in the evolution as it enabled the ideas to be spread widely otherwise in the state of nature, any

Legal theory- law is, by its nature, a moral enterprise discuss Essay

Legal theory- law is, by its nature, a moral enterprise discuss - Essay Example The value system their codes represent, although enforced by the elite or recognised by the mainstream, are all quite frequently untruthful.2 We thus admire individuals who, for the sake of morality, have endangered their lives in defiance. Inopportunely, a good deal of what they declare in their own justification is difficult to believe. The idea of Aquinas of higher law can function as a point of comparison. He argued that the process of promulgation is fundamental to law, that a law not disseminated by a source is impossible.3 This means that a higher law has a source, which is its promulgator. This particular promulgator cannot be simply a mortal—not if the law under consideration is better and greater than all codes transmitted by humans.4 God is the promulgator, the law He disseminates perpetual. The natural law, which takes part in the timeless law, is a thing that can be understood by mortals naturally.5Therefore, law is naturally moral. When laws bestow guardianship of minor children to the parent who shows the most potential to further the wellbeing and security of the child, extradite those accused of moral turpitude, they obviously oblige judges to resolve cases morally throughout their legal decision makings.6 Similarly, when constitutions oblige judges to re-examine laws to discern whether they give the procedure that is due individuals, respect the rights of citizens to free speech, freedom from unjustified searches and arrests, freedom to exercise any religion, and others, they oblige judges to make legal decisions founded on moral codes.7 Likewise, once the common law raises tort accountability on whether a person behaved rationally, or once law defends what would otherwise be unlawful behaviour by symmetry of evils justification, judges should resolve cases morally in order to reach legal resolutions.8 Such clear integration of morality by the evident law raises issues for some

Rousseau, Marx and the Critique of Classical Liberalism Essay

Rousseau, Marx and the Critique of Classical Liberalism - Essay Example Rousseau on the other hand, emphasizes on democratic political interdependence and economic self-sufficiency whereby all human beings are free and also tries to explain the origin of inequalities and how to resolve them. Just like Rousseau, Marx hates inequalities hence much of his work is criticism of the capitalist state and goes beyond political democracy to emancipation of the human race. The paper will discuss Rousseau and Marx approaches to critique of classical liberalism. Classical liberalism puts emphasis on securing the freedom of individual by limiting the power of the state and this freedom is referred as liberty. In this case, ownership of private property is encouraged and protected by the law and exchange of the property with a willing buyer is voluntary. It also advocates for the need to separate the church from the state hence freedom of religion and also free trade. This is in the belief that people have inalienable rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness a nd the role of the state is to safeguard these rights (Fremont-Barnes, 225). It is also based on the idea that people aim at maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain and that people engage in labor voluntarily to get a reward or due to fear of hunger. Much emphasis is placed on the individual since the society is a sum of individual members thus discourages formation of unions or group associations (Epstein, 1-12). Contrary to classical liberalism which emphasizes negative freedom whereby others should refrain from interfering with other’s rights, Rousseau views freedom as positive whereby individuals are enabled to realize higher goods. On the discourse on the origin and basis of inequality (1755), Rousseau acknowledges the existence of primitive societies who lived under the natural state and directed to act by their passions and desire. Under the natural state, all men are equal and inequality is brought about by men through civilization (Rousseau 1987, 26). Each society me mber has a task to perform and no one is forced to share tasks with others and the sovereign and the people have same interests. Contrary to classical liberalism, under this democratic government no one is above the law and if a government proves not fit for the society, the society has the right to overthrow it and form a new government. Such was the case with the French revolution which led to overthrow of the monarch. The government envisioned by Rousseau is a direct and not representative democracy where the people are sovereign with a general will and legislative power with the government being distinct from the sovereign (Rousseau 2008, 25). The government neither engages in conquest of its neighbors since it is self-sufficient nor expects to be conquered but instead it expects the neighbors to be of assistance in time of need hence political interdependence (Rousseau 1987, 27). On his second discourse, Rousseau points out two types of inequalities; natural inequality such as age, health and bodily strength; Moral or political inequality which is consented by men such as being more powerful, richer and more honored. He argues that the development of inequalities was as a result of evolution from natural to moral inequality. The formation of language was important in the evolution as it enabled the ideas to be spread widely otherwise in the state of nature, any

Mass Media and Violent Behavior among Adolescents Essay Example for Free

Mass Media and Violent Behavior among Adolescents Essay Violent scenes have become extremely commonplace among different forms of mass media that is available to the public. However, the rise of many heinous crimes committed by individuals who have been reported to patronize different mass media which contain excessive violence have made many behavioral psychologists and other researchers to see if there is a direct relationship between the extensive exposure of violence in different types of mass media and the development of violent behavior among adolescents. This paper aims to provide relevant information that while there is a direct relationship between the exposure of violent scenes in mass media and the development of violent behavior among adolescents, there are a number of other factors which need to be present in order for exposure to violent scenes in mass media to cause an adolescent to exemplify violent behavioral patterns. The paper would present a brief overview of the growth of popularity of violent scenes in different types of mass media. It would then provide factual incidences which have caused behavioral psychologists and other researchers to search for the relationship of increased exposure to violence in mass media and the development of violent behavior among adolescents as well as the different factors that an adolescent must already possess in order for such a direct relationship to occur. Violence as Entertainment Since the ancient times, violence has proven to be a popular form of entertainment in almost every culture in the world. These violent forms of entertainment range from viewing animals engaging in combat with each other, to various forms of entertainment where two individuals would need to physically compete and defeat the other in order to be claimed as the winner. Over the centuries, violence has remained a popular form of entertainment to the masses. It is presently used in computer video games, movies and television (Felson 1996). Crimes Linked to Violent Forms of Mass Media Recently, there has been a rise of a number of various heinous crimes committed by various individuals who have been noted to have become frequently exposed to various kinds of mass media which have been known to contain excessively graphic violent scenes. In 1993, two 11-year old boys where charged for the murder of a two-year old toddler named James Bulger by beating the young toddler to death along a railway track. This resulted to a number of various journalists to speculate that the violent nature of the crime and the violent behavior inert of these young boys were a result of them watching Child’s Play III, a horror film which was released during this time (Holland 2001). Perhaps the most popular case where behavioral psychologists and other researchers have theorized that violent scenes from different types of mass media leads to violent behavior, especially among adolescents, was on April 20, 1999. On this day, two teenagers who have been known to be fans of various violent video games and films which have been eventually discovered in the rooms of the two teenagers who had committed the crime before killing themselves with self-inflicted gunshots (Roy 2002). This was led to a number of research studies to be conducted in relation to the influence of violent scenes found in different forms of mass media and the development of violent behavior, particularly among the youth. The results of these research studies were then published in numerous peer-viewed journals and newspapers in order to make the public aware of the direct relationship between heavy exposures to violent scenes found in different forms of media have caused many adolescent to exemplify and exhibit violent forms of behavior towards each other (Gauntlett 2001). Contention to the Study Over the past few years, many research studies have been published which actually contend the belief that extreme exposure of violent scenes in different forms of mass media to have a direct influence to the development of violent behavior among adolescents. While these research studies do not disregard exposure to violent scenes in mass media can induce the development of violent behavior among adolescents, research studies have stipulated that there are other factors that contribute to this. One is the exposure of the adolescents to other acts of violence that have not been viewed through mass media. An adolescent, according to these research studies, can also develop violent acts of behavior by being exposed to various acts of violence that occur within the community the adolescent belongs. Among these are exposure to domestic violence and gang violence, which commonly occur within communities which have a low income socio-economic status (Jipguep Sanders-Phillips 2003). Another is the presence of psychological distress. Adolescents who have been diagnosed or exhibit symptoms of anxiety and depression brought about by acts of alienation and other forms of victimization brought about by their peers and other individuals would also induce violent behavior to be exhibited by these adolescents. This was the case of the two Columbine High School shooters who have been subjected to alienation and acts of bullying from their fellow classmates (Jipguep Sanders-Phillips 2003; Roy 2002). Conclusion Aggression and other forms of violent behavior may be triggered by violent scenes found in different types of mass media adolescents are able to access today. However, it has been determined that an adolescent must possess other characteristics and traits for violent scenes from mass-media to trigger violence among adolescents. Some of these include and adolescent’s exposure to acts of violence at home or within his or her community as well as oppressive acts towards these adolescents by their peers. It is for this reason that researchers and medical professionals are now able to explain why exposure to violent scenes in mass media does not affect all adolescents in terms of triggering violence. References Felson, R. B. (1996). Mass media effects on violent behavior. Annual review of sociology, 22, 103-28. Gauntlett, D. (2001). The worrying influence of ‘media effects’ studies. In M. Barker (Ed. ), Ill effects: the media/violence debate (pp. 47-62). New York: Routledge. Holland, P. (2001). Living for libido; or ‘child’s play IV’: the imagery of childhood and the call for censorship. In M. Barker (Ed. ), Ill effects: the media/violence debate (pp. 78- 86). New York: Routledge. Jipguep, M. C. Sanders-Phillips, K. (2003). The context of violence for children of color: violence in the community and in the media. The journal of Negro education, 72(4), 379-95. Roy, J. M. (2002). Love to hate: America’s obsession with hatred and violence. New York: Columbia University Press.

Psychology in Films: Shawshank Redemption Personality Theory

Psychology in Films: Shawshank Redemption Personality Theory Eleanor Rutherford Engler (2013) describes â€Å"personality as an organised and dynamic set of characteristics, that an individual possesses, which influences their cognition,emotions, behaviour, motivations andenvironment. Krauskopf (1999) provides a wider definition in that â€Å"personality† refers to the patterns of thoughts, feelings, behaviours and social adjustments, which are consistently exhibited over time that intensely influences the expectations, self-perceptions, values, and attitudes of the individual. It can also predict an individual’s reactions to problems, stress and other people. There are many theories which aim to understand and explain personality; these include trait, perspective, psychodynamic, humanistic, biological, behaviourist, evolutionary and social learning (Maltby, Day Macaskill, 2010). This essay will examine, using the Five Factor model trait theory (Costa McCrae,1995) and Carl Rogers (1957) humanistic theory, the character of Andy Dufresne in the film† The Shawshank Redemption† (Marvin Darabont, 1994) and evaluate which provides the best account of his behaviour. The Big Five personality traits are the five wide-ranging domains that are used to describe personality. Previously other trait theorist had suggested various numbers of possible traits, these included Allports4,000 personality traits, Cattells 16 personality factors and Eysencks three-factor. However, many viewed Cattells theory as too complex and Eysencks in contrast was too limited. As a result of this, the five-factor theory emerged which describes the basic traits employed as the building blocks of personality. These factors are extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Each consists of more specific primary factors; for example, extraversion includes warmth, activity, excitement-seeking, positive emotions, gregariousness and assertiveness. The Big Five model accounts for different personality traits without overlapping. Research demonstrates that the Big Five are consistent in observations, interviews and self-descriptions. Additionally, the fiv e-factor structure appears throughout a widespread range of participants of different cultures and age groups (Maltby et al., 2010). Rogers’ theory suggests that people have an actualising propensity, or desire to achieve their full potential, referred to as self-actualisation. Rogers stated that a fully-functioning person is someone who is perpetually striving toward becoming self-actualized. This person has been the recipient of unconditional positive regard from others, places no conditions on their own worth, capably expressing feelings, and is open to the many experiences offered by life. Upon self-actualisation they would become a fully functioning person living what he referred to as the good life. Which means the person would maintain a healthy psychological outlook, trust their feelings and there would be congruence in their lives between experience and self. Rogers believed that people are aware of what is causing the psychological imbalance in their lives and that deep down inside they know which actions are required to fully functioning people. Rogers maintained that humans are born with a desir e to be the best they can. Self-actualisation is the motivating force to achieving their full potential. As infants the main goal towards self-actualisation is to have basic needs met such as being arm and fed (Maltby et al., 2010). The â€Å"Shawshank Redemption† depicts the experiences of Andy Dufresne, who is wrongfully convicted of killing his wife and her illicit lover. He is handed down two life sentences and subsequently incarcerated in the notorious Shawshank Prison. Andy is initially portrayed as extremely quiet with other prisoners describing him as a â€Å"cold fish†. One of the major personality traits identified in the Big Five is Introversion. People who are introverted, that is to say low scoring on the Extraversion continuum, tend to beinward turning, or focused more on internal thoughts. This is demonstrated clearly on Andy’s first day of incarceration where he makes little eye contact, keeps his head down and does not respond to the taunting other prisoners. Viewed from a Rogerian perspective it could be said that Andy’s drive will be focused on the most basic of needs such as water, food sleep and safety (Maltby et al., 2010). A significant change from Andy’s initial introverted state is seen when during work on a rooftop, Andy boldly manages to persuade the toughest guard there to allow him to assist with his taxes. Viewed from the Big Five perspective this would seem to be large swing from one end of the Extraversion scale to the other. Going from barely making eye contact and being compliant to risking being thrown from the prison roof are worlds apart. Given that that traits are assumed to be relatively stable this gives rise to the question of whether Andy truly in introverted or whether the sock of incarceration affected his normally more extrovert self. However, from a Rogerian perspective this would appear to be the beginning of Andy attempting to meet his innate need to self-actualise. As his basic needs are being met in the form of shelter, food etc. the desire to develop his potential appears to grow. Using his numerical skills will allow him to flourish (Maltby et al., 2010). The rooftop incident leads to Andy becoming a trustee in the prison library and returning, outwardly at least, to his more introverted traits. He demonstrates from this point a further Big Five trait of Agreeableness. His compliance in assisting the prison officers with their taxes and personal finances demonstrate this. He also gets involved in building a new library for the benefit of his fellow inmates, a clear act of altruism, another sub category of Agreeableness. This continues until donations of books and records arrive at the prison and Andy discovers a copy of Mozarts The Marriage of Figaro record. In another swing of personality, or perhaps a revalation of his true nature before incarceration, he locks the guard assigned to the wardens office in the toilets and plays the record over the prisons PA system for his own, and his fellow inmates pleasure. Again this seems in opposition to his mainly introverted outward behaviour as it an assertive act of defiance against both the warden and guards. Simultaneously it could be seen as both Agreeable and Extraverted behaviour. Agreeable in that it is an altruistic act of providing pleasure for all of the inmates knowing they will face no punishment and Extraverted in that is both assertive and clearly excitement seeking behaviour. Rogerian theory may account for this episode as an attempt to bring Andy’s real self closer to his conceptual self. Andy clearly finds a great deal of pleasure and fulfilment in listening to music but prison life blocks that from happening. Andy knew there would be a price to pay, in this case solitary confinement, but was driven to do it anyway (Maltby et al., 2010). The true nature of Andy’s character unfolds as detail of his daring escape from prison come to light. The length of time that he had been working on his escape plan and the masterful way in which it was planned and executed demonstrated a high level of the trait Conscientiousness. Andy’s self-discipline was incredible, he not only was able to escape but he managed to acquire the finances required to do so and end the corruption within Shawshank whilst doing so . When viewed longitudinally Andy’s story seems to be a clear path to self-actualisation as theorised by Rogers. Rogers highlights the uniqueness of the individual and that they themselves are capable of working out their own solutions, in this case an escape plan and end to corruption. Additionally, he stated that people have a natural tendency toward self-actualisation and growth, an innate drive to realise their potential (Maltby et al., 2010). Although some of Andy’s basic needs were met within the confines of Shawshank such as water, food and sleep the psychological needs were not. Andy appeared to be reaching to meet these needs by rock carving and building the library but it was clear that he needed more. His entire escape plan seemed to be driven not just by the injustice of being wrongfully imprisoned but by the drive develop his potential and qualities that would make him a worthwhile person. Roger’s theory does appear to provide a good account of people’s behaviour in this case when compared to The Big Five. However although Rogers approach allows for variation it fails to identify enough constant variables in order to be researched accurately. Additionally the assertion the individuals intuitively seek positive goals, does not explain the presence of deviancy or evil within normal, functioning personalities such as Andy’s fellow inmates or the corrupt prison staff Maltby et al., 2010). References: Costa Jr, P. T., McCrae, R. R. (1995). Domains and facets: Hierarchical personality assessment using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory.Journal of personality assessment,64(1), 21-50. Engler, B. (2013).  Personality theories. Cengage Learning. Krauskopf, C. J. (1999). The personality assessment system: A radical hypothesis.Applied and Preventive Psychology,7(4), 235-245. Maltby, J., Day, L., Macaskill, A. (2010).  Personality, individual differences and intelligence. Pearson Education. Marvin, N. (Producer), Darabont, F. (Director). (1994). The Shawshank Redemption [Motion picture]. United States: Castle Rock Entertainment. Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change.Journal of consulting psychology,21(2), 95. Changes in the Business Environment: Why change management is important Changes in the Business Environment: Why change management is important Introduction Change is an inevitable part of life. Change is also an important part of a business life; it allows a business to adapt to its environment and to improve its market position. Change signifies the willingness of the affected parties to embrace and function in a newly established order and their commitment to effect and implement the changes (Armstrong, 2004). The generic definition of change as defined by Hughes (2006) is any alteration in the status quo. Changes within an organisation may take place for many reasons. It is sometimes done in order to introduce a new more efficient way of working or producing a product. It is sometimes done to re-organise the organizations work force. Organisations will evolve and change within the course of their lives. Change management is referred to as the process of which change is executed and developed within the organization. Change is something that affects all business and therefore all business managers must prepare their personnel and proc esses for change. Theories of Change Management Changes in the business environment are happening all the time and organisations must change the way they operate to compete effectively in their market. In order to change organisations must adopt change theories and approaches however with so many different approaches available an organisation must choose an approach that best suits its needs. Different managers will have different theories as to how change should be implemented and executed. Kurt Lewin is considered the forefather of planned approaches to change. Kurt Lewins Freeze Phases [Source: Higgs Rowland, 2005] Lewins model shows that change involves a move from one static state via a state of activity to another static state. Beers Model Change is more complex than the Lewin model and requires a more in-depth look at the process of change. Beers model focuses on a six-step process to achieve effective change, these steps concentrate on task alignment whereby employees roles, responsibilities, and relationships are seen as the main component to bringing about effective change. The stages are: Mobilise commitment to change through joint diagnosis. Develop a shared vision of how to organise. Foster consensus, competence and commitment to shared vision. Spread the word about the change. Institutionalise the change through formal policies Kotter Model Kotter developed what he believed to be the eight critical steps to the successful implementation of change these steps are: Establish a sense of urgency Examining market and competitive realities and identifying and discussing crises, potential crises and opportunities. Form a powerful, guiding coalition Assembling enough people with the enough power to lead the change. Create a vision Create a vision to help direct the change and develop strategies for achieving the vision Communicate the vision Use every medium possible to communicate the vision and strategies to be implemented Empower others to act on the vision Get rid of obstacles to change and encourage risk taking and non-traditional ideas. Plan and create short term wins Plan for visible performance results and recognise and reward employees who are involved in the improvements Consolidate improvements and produce still more change Hiring, promoting and developing employees who can implement the vision. Institutionalising New Approaches Develop the means to ensure leadership development and succession. Impact and Barriers If change is not implemented in the correct manner, the impact upon the business can be devastating. Some of the workforce may decide to leave as they do not agree with what is be implemented and that leaves managers trying to fulfil orders or provide services with half a workforce which puts pressure on the rest of the workforce. Communication is key to help reduce barriers, for any change strategy to achieve its goal every member of staff within the organisation must be constantly communicating with executive managers. If staff members ask, Why do we need to do this? a manager must be able to give them a valid answer. Change normally affects both a businesss internal and external environments. Internally staff may feel that they have been left out of the loop and are just being told that they must accept the change or the reverse may happen the staff may be contributing heavily to the change and helping to direct the new vision. Externally an organisation may make an impact on thei r market by promoting a new service or product. There are a number of barriers to successful change both in terms of actually implementing the change and sustaining it. Employees must be able to flourish within an every changing environment to allow them to contribute to an organisations success. Lisette Howlett, (2009) states the 10 main barriers to successful change these are listed below: Not enough understanding about the change itself Lack of leadership Lack of focus and strong project management of the change No engagement and/or buy-in of key stakeholders No clear process for managing endings and beginnings, and co-ordinating the change process Successes are not recognised, communicated Progress is not measured and the learning is not reviewed Change is very tiring and is often something that requires extra effort people need to see that this effort is paying off and their contribution is valued All of these barriers can be overcome if the correct procedures are put in place and communication is constant throughout the process. Employees need to feel that they are major contributors to a companys success and will sometimes feel undervalued if they are not involved in the process of change this can lead to hostility amongst the workers and feelings of anger towards the management this in turn leads to barriers being erected due to the fear of change. Conclusion Change must be managed, implemented, and executed in such a way that there is always communication between staff and managers. This allows for equilibrium and encourages growth and innovation within a company. Each change management theory has its strengths and weaknesses and each can be adapted to an organisations needs but I believe that managers must invite all staff to offer ideas on a creating a new vision for the company and thus driving the company forward as a whole. References Hughes, M. (2006). Change Management: A Critical Perspective. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. ISBN: 1-84398-070-3. Armstrong, M (2004). Managing Organizational Change in Nigeria Manufacturing Enterprises: Lessons from the Unilever Nigeria Plc. AC Associated Content. Retrieved from http://www.medwelljournals.com/fulltext/?doi=ibm.2009.15.21 Syque. (2007). Lewins Freeze Phases. Changing Minds. Retrieved from Higgs, Malcolm, and John Wren. The Leadership of Change: a Study of Change Leadership within the UK Royal Air Force. Henley-on-Thames: Henley Management College, 2005. Print Howlett, Lisette. 10 Common Barriers to Successful Change. MLH Consulting. 15 Sept. 2009. Web. .