Assisted suicide Essay

Assisted Suicide In the 1990s, ‘Doctor Death’ Jack Kevorkian invented the first assisted suicide machine  in the world. He was then thrown into prison for 7 years (Pickert). This caught people’s attention  and made them question whether it should be legal to request physician assisted suicide, which is  when someone asks a physician to help him or her terminate his or her life. This topic became  one of the most popular discussions in recent years, but the truth is that it has actually been a  centuries- old debate. For both logical and humanitarian reasons, assisted suicide is not right and  should not be legalize. Is it right for a nation founded on Christianity to allow citizens to choose assisted  suicide? Can a decision that is made by a mentally ill person be treated as a rational decision? Is  the prevention of pain an acceptable circumstance in which to end a life? People still do not have  a widely accepted answer. It is not clear whether physician assisted suicide  is right or wrong. Assisted suicide should not be viewed solely as affecting one life, but should be viewed as a  decision that affects many.  The declaration of independence states that everyone has the right to pursue happiness  In whatever way they choose. Many argue that a decision to kill oneself is a private choice, that  society should not be, and has no right to be concerned. America believes that with its freedom,  people can do almost everything based on their own choices. Physician assisted suicide is also  one of the choices that they can decide. The common argument is that these people are adults  who can make rational and reasonable choices, however many people who request physician  assisted suicide are mentally ill. Of those who attempt suicide but were unsuccessful, less than 4  percent go on to kill themselves in the future, which means that most people changed their mind  after a period of recovery. Psychological evidence shows that those who ask for physician   assisted suicide in order to avoid pain are normally ambivalent, and they  usually attempt to end  their life for other reasons than a settled desire to die. Since assisted suicide has already become  a popular way to end suffering and pain, people who were in the status might feel it is necessary  for them to kill themselves since they have in their mind become a burden to their family and  society. Some would say it is wrong for such an impression to have the power to persuade a  personto end their life due to their weakness and disability. As a Christian nation, America wants a positive and happy image for the country.  American people value the meaning of life, and According to what most of the Christians  believe, God is the one who created life. Then how can people have the right to end something  that they did not even create in the first place? American society does not think assisted suicide  is good as a whole, because assisted suicide is still a self-caused death, which is equal to suicide.  Although there is always a vague line drawn between assisted suicide and attempted  murder. Assisted suicide is the opposite of happiness because it demonstrates  utter depression. It  is clear that American society sees assisted suicide as wrong, because there is a suicide watch  team among the police and counselors at schools who are trained to help and avert suicide. Asking for assisted suicide as a form of pain relief and signing a release form is not acceptable  either. People cannot solve problems by trying to get rid of them. People who stand against  physician-assisted suicide believe that suffering is just a stage of life. And lots of people who  were prevented from assisted suicide will tell you that they all passed that stage successfully,  and they are appreciative that they were stopped from asking for physician-assisted suicide. Assisted suicide also hurts the people who care about those who were asking for a  physician assisted suicide. Patients might get relived from their long suffering and pain but their  family will be hurt from one’s immature decision. The person only thought of their own  feelings and never considered others who are around them and how they feel. Families and loved  ones will be upset about their decision to take their lives in a selfish act. Other evidence that  shows assisted suicide is wrong is the fact that there are always suicide prevention billboards in  communities. This should show the government that people do not want those around them to  commit suicide. People who fight for the right to have physician-assisted suicide argue that assisted  suicide can bring benefits to both patients and society. They believe that people who  choose assisted suicide will die with dignity rather than suffer the pain of illness( O’Steen,  Burke). That they will not let their family and friends suffer anymore by showing their weakness  and sickness. By choosing assisted suicide, patients can also reduce a huge amount of medical  expenses that insurance does not cover. To benefit society, their organs can be donated to save  people’s lives (Humphrey). Doctors and nurses can spend more time on recovering patients  rather than waste time on patients who are assured death, and of course, they still think it is a part  of one’s freedom to be able to choose for himself whether to live or die. Whether it is one’s  rational decision to chose to end their life has always been the center of this debate. Because  with out arguing about one’s free right, those who favor assisted suicide will lose an important  statement. Although there is a ton of evidence showing that physician assisted suicide is not right,  it is a fact that so many people are still in favor to legalize assisted suicide. They believe that  rather than give people hope to live, telling them the truth and offering them an option is more  reasonable. They argued that in some ways, it is humane to give dying people assisted suicide;  society is okay with people helping a sick or dying animal yet people are not okay with letting a  sick and dying patient go. It was said that humans are too selfish to let their loved ones go, even  if death would be a comfort. People who think it is illegal for a physician to offer assisted suicide  are accused of wanting to control other people’s lives. People think that one has his/her own will  about their life that no one is suppose to tell them what they should do and should not do. Especially when their faith to live is completely gone. It was understood as a merciful behavior  for a physician to offer help to end one’s life. A new statement was also brought up to argue in  the favor of legalize assisted suicide. It is that if one can reject medical treatment to prolong life  then why can’t one request treatment to end it? Many people found this statement be reasonable  and useful to support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide.  After centuries’ debating, there is still no certain answer for those questions that are  brought up by the topic of assisted suicide. Two sides are still debating about the benefits and  negative effects of assisted suicide. Still to this day no one is able to convince the either group to  change their views on this topic. In 2006, the US Supreme Court ruled that legalizing assisted  suicide is to be the responsibility of each state respectively. No one can yet predict how long this   topic will still be an argumentative topic for debate, And no one can predict how this issue will  effect human life in the future. But overall, do people really possess the right to kill a life that  was not created by them? It is still a big question that no one has yet given an answer that can  satisfy everyone. Maybe one-day people will find out the right answer and that assisted suicide  will be a new thing that brings benefits to the world. Physician suicide should be banned due to  its negative cause and impaction to society. People who think assisted suicide should be  illegalized because of the value of life to a society is still the majority; ending a life is  not so simple that people should decide to do so on their own. Work cited Pickert, Kate. â€Å"A brief history of assisted suicide.† a brief history of assisted suicide. N.p., 3 Mar. 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. . Humphry, Derek. â€Å"Liberty and Death: A manifesto concerning an individual’s right to choose to die.† Assisted Suicide – Information on right-to-die and euthanasia laws and history. N.p., 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. â€Å"Declaration of Independence – Text Transcript.† National Archives and Records Administration. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. O’Steen, David N. , and Burke J. Balch. â€Å"Why We Should Not Legalize Assisted Suicide | New York State Right to Life.† Welcome | New York State Right to Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. Information on right-to-die and euthanasia laws and history. N.p., 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Sept.2013. .

Personal Development Plan Essay

I have always been interested in the financial and investment sector. The movements of the stock market and the forces driving the stock values hold considerable degree of interest. I realize that a stockbroker needs to add value to financial information in order to satisfy the customer queries and investigative requirements of the companies being dealt. The consumers today have easy access to a vast range of financial knowledge and data available on the Internet coupled with company specific details that provides extensive information on the current and projected financial trends. The stock broker under such circumstances needs to be highly alert and aware of the market trends and fluctuating stock values in order to meet the needs of an increasingly knowledgeable customer. (Asia One Business Article, Sep 2007) A career as a stock broker requires a complete understanding of the financial markets and environmental forces that drive the stock trading market. A stock broker is an individual responsible for a business deal on a stock exchange. This primarily involves buying and selling of securities on behalf of people and institutions. Usually, a negotiation is made between two authorised members of the exchange. (Eduquity.com) For the purposes of convenience, an ordinary person is no longer needed to walk into the premises of any institution, for instance, the New York Stock Exchange, to enquire on the trade stock. This exchange is done through a broker. However, a stock broker is not just confined in such plain participation in a transaction as there are other stock broking opportunities such as execution-only, advisory dealing, and discretionary dealing, and other related services. Execution-only stock broker involves the implementation of the client’s instructions to buy or sell. A stock broker who focuses on advisory dealing informs and gives important information to the client on which shares to buy and sell, but leaves the task of final decision-making to the jurisdiction of the investor. Meanwhile, a stock broker who is in-charge with discretionary dealing determines the client’s investment intentions and serves as the mainly involved person in all transactions and decision-making functions done on the client’s behalf. In general, stock brokers provide relevant and useful information on trading stocks, for instance on the cases of which stocks or mutual funds to be bought. (estockwise.com) Keeping in mind these specific requirements and my interest in the financial market I aspire to be a stock broker. In order for me to be a full-pledged stock broker, I must be involved in activities and related opportunities that will increase my competencies, particularly those that I need to be a successful stock broker. Of course, it is necessary to finish my studies first. I will begin by providing assistance to a certified stock broker. This is my short term aspiration. By being an associate, I will have direct exposure to the business transactions that my employer deals with. Gaining experience is my key motivation. My medium aspiration is to get promoted or trusted with bigger responsibilities. For example, my employer will ask me to do things that are similar to his/her functions, allow me to decide on important things, expect me to be reliant to classified tasks, and the likes. After staying on this position for a significant period of time, I will try to evaluate myself if I am already capable of entering my long term aspiration – that is – being a stock broker. This can be achieved once I qualify the preconditions to obtaining a stock broker license. I will immediately take up the needed examinations and eligibility requirements. My career goal is to provide my clients with the necessary guidance and direction towards investments that meet their specific needs and requirements. (estockwise.com) Skills Required For the Chosen Role A stockbroker can offer three types of services depending on their individual capabilities and interest.  · Discretionary stock broking service constitutes management of client investments and making financial decisions on their behalf. This type of service requires building of huge trust and confidence within the customer.  · Advisory stock broking service that involves advising the clients on various investment options available and the desirable course of action with predictive impacts on finance. The client needs to decide on the action or alternative that suits his needs best.  · Executing stock broking service where the stock broker is only involved in buying and selling of stocks as per client’s instructions. In this case the advice or knowledge of market expertise is not required. He merely acts as per the client’s instructions. The basic essential job responsibilities of a stock broker are –  · Managing and reviewing investment portfolios for their clients  · Research the financial market with the cooperation of investment analysts who can provide actual and factual information on the performance of companies and markets  · Provide accurate information on stock market performance and stock values to the customers  · Provide various advisory and specialized services to the clients In view of the type of service and role specific needs of the stock broker the skills or competencies required to fulfill their responsibilities have been identified as follows:  · excellent oral communication  · self-confidence and decision making ability  · Persuasive nature  · Professional approach  · Numeric ability  · Logical reasoning  · In-depth market knowledge and attention to detail  · knowledge of current socio, political, and economic trends  · good judgment of risks  · honesty and a trustworthy attitude In addition to the above mentioned competencies an individual aspiring to be a stock broker needs to keep his cool and have the ability to work under pressure. The drive and urge to succeed and excel in their work is a primary requisite to achieve career objectives as a stock broker. (www.Learndirect-advice.co.uk) Personal Strengths A review of my personal strengths and abilities reveal communication as one of the strongest points that can work to my advantage in career management. Petit, Goris and Vaught (1997) noted communication’s function is essential for cases like allowing employees to conduct meetings, make memos, provide feedback and share corporate-wide information. I believed that the previous exposures and experiences that I gained has greatly assisted me in acquiring this core competency. Good communication skill was gained from giving presentations at seminars, supplier and customer service transactions (e.g. issuing clear and concise instructions, advising and assisting customers, etc). I am also used at working on team projects particularly during my course. As a member of the team projects I have proved my abilities as a good and empathetic listener that has enabled me to judge the situation and present effective solutions to the issues in hand. My team leader noticed my natural sense of persuading others in the team to coordinate and cooperate better and agree to the objectives and milestones that were vital for the success of the project. This particular observation was quite helpful since I was given the team coordinator responsibilities in the subsequent projects. My involvement in the capacity of a team coordinator greatly improved my skills of communication and persuasion. Considering the significant role of communication in stock broking, coordinating is among the basic ingredients of my professional success. I also believed to the spill over effects of effective coordinating function like the development of teamwork and successful working relationship. Teamwork is also attributed to the positive effects upon the psychological health and well-being of organisations member (Carter and West 1999). Through effective communication, people are motivated to work in unity and towards the achievement of individual and organisational goals alike. Personal Weakness In my previous job I had landed into an argument with my team member while discussing the feasible alternative that can be adopted to complete the task objectives nullifying the associated risks. The heated argument was not seen in a favorable light by my managers. Indulging in the process of self introspection I realized that I tend to be quite dictating and adopt a more commanding tone while communicating with other people. Though I can persuade and coax people into agreeing to my views and observations the commanding tone that I use to communicate the message is not liked by most people. This is not a favorable attitude and causes problems in development of harmonious relationships with fellow colleagues. This weakness is more a form of autocratic leadership that has become outdated and irrelevant in today’s business world. People and institutions do not favor this style of leadership anymore and this can pose serious limitations to career growth and development prospects. The current management style prefers a softer approach to people in order to develop a productive and effective team. As stated by a few authors (e.g. Cohen and Brand 1993; Hyde 1992), management requires leader’s full participation and involvement instead of designating individual groups who will shoulder all the responsibilities. Furthermore, this also helps in creating a sense of commitment and loyalty (Hill 1991). In the business point of view, good leadership proves to be quite beneficial as aids in effectively meeting job-related demands, creating higher-performing teams, fostering renewed loyalty and commitment, increasing motivational level, and reducing absenteeism and turnover of employees (Drucker 1995).   I presumed that I am the opposite of a favoured leader. I am autocratic which means I tend to be overly manipulative and domineering. This attitude hinders the development of harmonious relationship or esprit de corps among colleagues and most importantly on the part of potential clients. I recognised the need to learn a leadership style that will be instrumental on the achievement of my intended career role as well as the development of other important values useful in my future as stock broker and person as whole.

A passage to India †Symbolism Essay

Analyse the symbol of the mosque to bring out the complex picture of Islam in the novel A Passage to India. Mosque is the holy place for all Mohammedans, and in the Novel ‘A Passage to India’ it has a greater significance. The first part of the novel is named as Mosque. E M Foster has a unique technique to use symbolism to convey the way society, religion, caste and treatment of different class of people. Foster uses mysticism and complexity throughout the novel, yet he also has real interpretation of the journey the characters take from beginning till the end. Similarly, he brings out the qualities which transpire â€Å"what Islam is, and what it means to Aziz?† using mosque as the symbolism. For this purpose, Mosque is not just portrayed as a religious building but also the significance it has to Islam. As a religion which is against iconography, Mosque is unlike the place of worship compared to Christians or Hindus, where there is a painting or idol is present for worship. Instead, in a mausoleum there is none and just a courtyard that points towards Medina. The Mosque and Muslim faith point out that â€Å"There is no God but God†. The complexities build further when Foster writes about Aziz and his attachment to the Mosque in the beginning of the story. When we read that Aziz is walking down the lane towards the Mosque and is thinking of the place, and in his mind the attachment what it bring to him. The Mosque serves as a place in his heart which no one can take it, the place where his mind and soul can rest and be at ease. With all tensions with British in India and the way the religions were colliding leading to multiple ideas, the educated were starting to question the olden ways of the religion. Here the attachment to Mosque and its symbolism provided not only a sense of how the religion stood in current world of Aziz, but it also provided happiness. The Islamic doctrine dictated equality towards all worshippers under God. There was no priesthood hierarchy in the Mosque, but rather the place provided each person with one’s own way of worship. The house of God also designates an unreachable friendship with the God with every follower of Islam. Foster describes using Aziz, as the mosque has indeterminate sentiments towards the faith.

Can Agros enter the chinese market -An investigation about chinese Essay

Can Agros enter the chinese market -An investigation about chinese consumers' attitudes towards the Argos business modle - Essay Example plishment can be attributed to the increase in the purchasing power of the Chinese people due to the corresponding increase in their disposable income. The research paper will attempt to investigate the attitude of the Chinese customers towards Argos business model. Argos, owned by Home Retail Group, is a major retailer group in UK offering consumer durable and fast moving consumer goods. It has a unique recognition in UK as a multi-channel retailer and serves its customers with 700 retail stores in UK and Ireland. 26% of its total retail sales come from online and home delivery services. It has developed a unique style whereby it receives orders online and through telephone and delivers them at the customers’ home. Around 18 million of UK households are using products under Argos’ catalogue (Argos, 2010). The research will aim to find out whether Argos business model is compatible in the Chinese retail industry. A research will be conducted for this purpose. A brief literature review will be discussed in the very beginning to analyse the present situation of the Chinese retail market. This will be followed by a comprehensive analysis of the objective and requirements of this research paper. The section allotted to research design will discuss on the research methodology and will select the most suited one. The collected data will then be analysed to generate the findings of this research. The concluding section will not only deal with the inferences arrived at but also the limitations that have restricted the findings. The literature review is a very important section as it helps to develop a theoretical framework for the research topic. This part also prepares the base of the research topic by identifying supporting studies related to Chinese retail market and consumer behaviour. Political and social development of China was accompanied with economic growth. It is primarily seen as the fruit of industrialization that reduced poverty and increased the

Machinery and Integrated Cropping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Machinery and Integrated Cropping - Essay Example Potato residues are in small amounts, and add very little organic matter in the soils. However, sweet corn adds more refuse that is decomposed by the forage. It also consumes phenoxy herbicides and act as a pest control measure. The rotation provided uses crops with a different nutrient portion to maintain fertility and recovery. Rotation schemes should factor in the cost of production, economic gains and long-term disease and pest control measures to manage potato production. Rotation farming in large tracks of land requires adequate and modern equipment to reduce the cost of labor cost and time. Due to the intense and time-consuming procedures involved, it is important to use zero-tillage. Specifically, this entails the use of 45hp tractor that cultivates at a rate of 1 acre/hr. (Nutbey, 2010, p 26). Notably, the purpose of this machine is to pull equipment such as Rotavators, planters, cultivators, digger elevators and harrows. However, the farmer must decide whether to buy or hire the 45hp tractor. The net present value method of analysis helps the farmer to determine whether to buy or hire this equipment. Net Present Value is a method of analysis that gives an answer to this dilemma. Precisely, it adopts the dollar as the base of this calculation and assumes the formula {PVF= 1/ (1+i) n}, where ‘i’ is the rate of discount and ‘n’ is the number of years (Gollier, 2010, p 17). The data represent the monetary pros and cons of hiring and purchasing, and shows buying as the best option. The purchase Net Present Value is $10,696 less than the annual hire Net Present Value. Therefore, it is profitable to buy than to hire the tractor. Drought resistant crops are grown in arable lands. For this reason, the 200ha arable land can be used to grow wheat, barley, sugar beet, and the grass under rotational farming. Wheat farming will serve as animal feed and human food. I thus recommend

Ecnomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ecnomics - Essay Example This universal phenomenon leads to the definition of economics as the science of allocation of scarce resources." To understand more clearly, lets understand that we have three factors of resources that are necessary to for production process as described in (Sloman: 2006, p. 4): Human resources: labor. The labor force is limited both in number and in skills. Natural resources: land and raw materials. The world’s land area is limited, as are its resources. Manufactured resources or capital. Capital consists of all those inputs that have themselves been produced in the first place. The world has a limited stock of capital: a limited supply of factories, machines, transportation and other equipment. The productivity of capital is limited by the state of technology. Hence, scarcity arises due to comparative unlimited human wants in the limited set of available resources to satisfy these wants. In other words, in free market economy scarcity occurs either because of increase in de mand or decrease in supply. Economics, deals with issues arises due to ‘scarcity’; distribution of resources and products among individuals or societies, regions or countries of the world. Investorwords (2011) defines â€Å"Free market system† as a system in which, â€Å"Business governed by the laws of supply and demand, not restrained by government interference, regulation or subsidy†, or â€Å"a foreign exchange market that is not controlled by the government†. Also known as pure capitalist system; where individuals are free to make their demand decisions. The decisions of consumers and firms pertaining to the demand and supply of goods are transmitted to each one of them via the effect of these decisions on prices. This in turn, sets the equilibrium price level in the economy. Hence, prices are set via free interaction of demand and supply of goods and services, in a market where consumers are free to make their own choices according to their ow n income levels, firms are free to supply what they decide according to their own investment. The present world markets are likely to be known as mixed economies where minimal government interference to run the economic system exists with the help of businesses. United States, however, is a good example of free market system where government intervention is minimal and mostly prices are determined through market forces of demand and supply. Command system or planned economy is defined in investorwoods (2011) as: â€Å"an economy where supply and price are regulated by the government rather than market forces. Government planners decide which goods and services are produced and how they are distributed. The former Soviet Union was an example of a command economy†. Command economies are usually recognizable in places where the presence of socialist or communist systems of economy exists. It is in these economic systems that land and capital are collectively owned. State is the sole decision maker. It decides how to allocate resources for the future trends and also for the current ongoing requirements of the economic system. The State also governs the generation and distribution between customers of output from each industry and firm. In these centrally planned economies, the government could achieve high growth rates by allocating resources into investments; and could minimize unemployment levels by critically planning the allocation of labor according to the production levels and labor skill levels,

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 3 SLP Essay

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 3 SLP - Essay Example One major implication of health care fraud and abuse is the monetary loss due to e improper activities which endanger patient safety. The United States Attorneys' offices (USAOs) are held responsible for the civil and criminal prosecution of health care providers, professionals, and other specialized business agencies who engage with health care fraud and abuse. The US government has appropriated certain amount (DOJ, 2000) from the United States Treasury general fund and they in turn must appropriate the Account for transfer some to the federal Bureau of Investigation in order to carry out the purpose and processes as described in above statements. Another implication is the intensification of health care fraud enforcement. This can never be achieved without the cooperation of other stakeholders. In fact, the FBI is one organization involved in the said cooperative effort. Federal agencies needs to collaborate with health care fraud working groups, have a liaison program among organizations and attend trainings as well as conferences. New statutory tools are believed to support ad be provided in order to combat health care fraud. Although Around $451,000 was budgeted to HCFA ($395,500) as well as the ASMB or Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget at the end of 2000 for the formal risk management operations.

Writing a policy about Human Resources Security Assignment

Writing a policy about Human Resources Security - Assignment Example Cloud computing is today becoming business modernization’s fresh standards (Alali & Chia-Lun, 2012). The goal of the policy on external computing services is to secure human resources information. The policy also seeks to provide many enticing opportunities in the technology industry with several technology solutions being offered at very low costs. The policy on external cloud computing services will also make the foundation of pivotal improvements in the human resource information technology effectiveness. Given external cloud computing services are significant for human resource security (CHOI, 2013). The policy on external services is significant to the organization in terms of securing human resources information. It will assist in backing up confidential information from hackers and other unauthorized users. Retrieving information will also be easy as a result of implementing this policy. The objective of this policy is gain from external cloud computing services in terms of flexibility, efficiency, flexibility, and reduction in cost currently (Cross, 2012). As models of businesses change to be at par with the advancement in technology as well as the associated market shifts, organizations strive to build their strategies of cloud computing out of flexible components requiring interoperability among vendors (Cross, 2012). Another objective of the policy on external cloud computing services is to open opportunities by making technology and applications more accessible and minimizes the risk of having a significant data breach. Cloud computing is vital in safeguarding information. Many institutions have contributed to the marketing and development of platforms based on external cloud computing services policy. Some of the organizations already using external cloud computing services include Verizon, Oracle, Apple, VMWare, IBM, Google, Sony, Amazon, NetSuite, and Microsoft. Many other organizations are establishing all forms of

A case brief of the Scottish decision in Robertson v Anderson [2002] Essay

A case brief of the Scottish decision in Robertson v Anderson [2002] ScotCS 312 - Essay Example The trial court found in favour of the pursuer. In the Court of Session held that there was no argument related to an intention to effect legal relations. It was argued that a promise or agreement would be binding only if the promisor intended to enter into a legally enforceable agreement. The Court of Session considered the critical issue to be ‘Whether the talk between the parties amounted to an agreement with binding effect or a ‘statement of future intention of a non-binding character?’ The decision of the Court of Session was that there was a special agreement as to the national prize on previous occasions, and that this pointed to a conclusion that such agreement was seriously intended. It was also held that the defender’s conduct suggested that she considered the agreement to share the prize and that the parties intended the game to be an informal joint venture which doubled their chances of winning the

The racist media of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The racist media of America - Essay Example This is really a big problem not only for the society but also for its future because racism affects every aspects of life. To understand why media always portray African Americans unfairly it is important to understand where this racism came from in the media. Live shows were very popular in American entertainment when there was no film and television long back ago. In 1920s stage shows was the main source of entertainment in America. During that period comedy shows are very popular and mockery of other races by the stage actors is very popular among the white audiences. Generally the white stage performers make the African Americans victims of their degrading jokes. During that period the most famous comedy show was the minstrel show. The minstrel show was started by in 1830s by the white actor, Thomas Dartmouth Rice. He copied the song-and-dance idea from the young African Americans artists who used to perform on the street. In this show the lead actor used to perform the role of "Daddy Rice" after blackened his face with burnt cork. He used to perform "Jump Jim Crow" while wearing tattered clothes. After few years, Edwin P. Christie, a white businessman, marketed the entire show which made the minstrel show more famous. After the laws were changed, the African Americans also performed in the show, but they too had to paint their face black for the show. There were several titles for minstrel shows. These shows are completely based on the stereotypes of African American cultures. Generally these shows are based on lazy African Americans who used to spoke poor English. Often white actors used to perform in a stupid way and audience used to laug h at them. The motion picture was started after the Thomas Edison invented the Kinetoscope 1889 and after the invention of cinema whites again started portraying the African Americans unfairly for their entertainment. The first full length feature film "The Epic Birth of a Nation" was released in America in 1915 in which Klu Klux Klan was portrayed as true American hero whereas blacks were portrayed as inferior and brutal to whites. In this way, the first movie which was made in America shows the brutal racism against the African Americans. In the early days of Hollywood there were many African American actors but almost all of them are portrayed as inferior and stupid servants with low level of intelligence. The minstrel image from the early days of the film and television of America still continue to haunt the media of this country. Men in Black and Rush Hour are the highest grossing films starring African American actors. In the movie Rush Hour Chris Tucker acts as an incompetent joker from the beginning till the end. Chris Tucker is now the highest paid African American actor in Hollywood. He collects over $20 million a movie. In Hollywood there are also serious actors such as Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington who do not perform minstrel roles like Chris Tucker, and both Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington are not highly paid as him. In Men in Black, Wills Smith had performed weird minstrel role and acted like a joker in the whole movie and handles the tiny gun incompetently. In America media plays an important role to guide the thoughts and mind of the people.

Causes of autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Causes of autism - Essay Example Early diagnosis of autism is very important to adjust the methods of child rearing and to facilitate their social adaptation. It is believed that autism is not a mental illness, but a developmental disorder. It is thought that it cannot be cured completely, but therapy at an early stage will help the child overcome some limitations. Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man has little to do with the lives of people with autism. They usually attract attention to their unusual behavior. Our brain reacts to the stimuli and processes information through the biological process of connecting, pairing and organizing the neurons. These neurons have thread extensions through which electrical discharge travels. Neurons thus conduct these electrical impulses. Autism changes how these nerve cells function, though it is not quite known how this occurs. Since their brain cannot function properly, people affected with autism have problems in their daily life tasks including problems in interacting soc ially, communicating non-verbally and other activities that involve give-and-take, humor and adroitness. The clinical picture of autism: a number of psychomotor, speech and behavioral disorders, with different combinations of symptoms and signs of developmental delay. Early childhood autism can be detected at as early an age as three years. Such children are weak and have poor facial expressions. They are not capable of non-verbal interactions with their mother or other people – they do not look in your eyes, do not respond to their own name, do not take toys when someone gives them. You may have to line up their pencils before they can pay attention, or say the same phrase over and over to calm down. They may flap their arms to indicate they are happy, or hurting to show that they are not. Some people with autism never learn to speak. Most of the autistic children carry out repetitive movements for instance they rock and twirl, or they abuse their own selves by biting and he ad banging. Such children start talking after the normal ones and rather than calling themselves by I or me they take their name. Autistic children are not able to play with others like normal ones and some even talk in sing-song voice. They do not care for what the other person thinks or is interested in and they themselves have few favorite topics. Autistic children appear to be having an increased risk of having particular comorbid conditions, which includes fragile X syndrome (that leads to mental retardation), tuberous sclerosis (wherein tumors develop in the brain), epileptic seizures, Tourette syndrome, learning disorders and deficit disorder attention. Almost 20-30% of autistic children also develop epilepsy by the time they become adults. Although there are certain schizophrenic people who might also exhibit behavior of autism, their symptoms normally are not visible till almost adulthood is reached. A lot of schizophrenic people may also be having hallucinations and delusi ons that is not a sign of autism. As the child grows, the symptoms of autism increase. He falls into the strong disorder due to the change in the familiar environment, loud noises, bright lights or strong odors. Worst of all, the child feels alone and avoids any physical contact with parents and peers. Emotional reciprocity and

Parents separating Essay Example for Free

Parents separating Essay Third-person objective narration in Raymond Carver’s short story â€Å"Popular Mechanics† gives the reader distance from the characters and allows the reader’s imagination to shine through. The story itself provides little detail and ambiguity between dialogue and action, thereby demonstrating the lack of identity of the characters and the universality of the story. Indeed, the complete lack of exposition or setting-up of the plot leaves the reader in the middle of the story when it starts – actually, all of â€Å"Popular Mechanics† is action with no before or after. Not only does this show the commonality of the experiences in the short story, but the action of the story also shows how difficult it is for people to go through a divorce, and also how separating parents often use their children as ammunition against one another during times in which they are going through relationship drama. Since the story is so broad, it shows that fights in relationships, some of which can be both physical and verbal and often dependent on using children as weapons, are common and can occur among anyone. Primarily, the narrator gives little to no detail about anything throughout â€Å"Popular Mechanics,† allowing the story to be more universal and showcase the troubles of parental fights on children as it occurs across the country. In fact, the greatest detail is in the first paragraph when the narrator describes the weather. Not only is this not a terribly significant place to provide detail, especially in a story that has a plot that revolves around a tragic relationship and a violent struggle over a young child, but the weather also sets the tone for the rest of the story. Indeed, the weather heavily foreshadows the rest of the story when Carver writes, â€Å"But it was getting dark on the inside too. † Not only is this about as specific as this story gets, but it also alludes to the coming challenges in the relationships between the two unnamed characters over their relationship and their child. Nothing else is said about the setting of the story, thereby forcing the reader to place the coming conflict in a location and time period: indeed, this story could take place anywhere in the world and at any time. Because of this, there is an element of universality to this story – because of the lack of detail and the broad generality of the subject matter, there is nothing tying this story to any specifics or concrete ideas. Because of this, the reader understands that these types of situations are pervasive in relationships, and that the generality of the fight and struggle in â€Å"Popular Mechanics† is applicable to many relationships in the world, especially in the violent uses of children in the story. Further, because there is no exposition or context for this story, even less can be attributed to its characters, thereby allowing the child abuse to be even more attributable to universal characteristics. Generally, stories have a set-up – you receive information in some form or the other in order to understand the situation before the primary plot action occurs. Here, though, that is not the case. The closest thing to a set-up of this story is â€Å"He was in the bedroom pushing clothes into a suitcase when she came to the door. Im glad youre leaving! Im glad youre leaving! she said. Do you hear? † which is an extremely quick introduction to the conflict of the story. Indeed, neither the man’s nor the woman’s names are given, and their beginning in this story is a fight. The reader never sees what leads up to the fight, what their lives were like before the fight ever occurred, or who is right in the situation. Actually, either the man or the woman could have more justification for their actions in this story, but the reader cannot know that. Because of this, the reader must form arbitrary associations and opinions about these people they actually know nothing about. Through this, we see that conflicts in relationships and the use of children in these conflicts can be associated with many different couples. Another way that Carver forces his readers to create their own visions of the story is through his lack of descriptions for the characters that actually use their child as a weapon. Nothing is known about either of them: not only do they not have names, but they have no understandable characteristics or personality qualities. However, they each take enough action that a reader could identify with one character more than the other, or could view a certain character in a particular way. Indeed, the male desperately wants to get control of the baby, and even goes as far as when â€Å"He crowded her into the wall then, trying to break her grip. He held on to the baby and pushed with all his weight. † We have no information about what the conflict over this child is exactly, but by seeing the man physically exert tremendous force on the woman in order to secure the child for himself certainly makes him seem less sympathetic. Still, the story does not condemn either the male or the female, especially as the woman attempts to physically gain control over the child at the end as well. Instead, it indicts both for the terror in their relationship, especially as it exists toward their child. Finally, the high drama of the situation forces the reader to have some investment in the story and realize how terrible the situation is that the child is in. As previously stated, there is little to no context of this story, thereby making it impossible for the reader to fully understand the situation. However, because there is so much at stake in this story, the reader becomes invested in a different manner. Not only is this couple splitting up in a clearly difficult and emotional way, but there is a child involved, and clearly nothing has been decided for the most positive scenarios of any of the people in any of the situations. In fact, the situation is cleared up because of physical force between the two people, and the story ends with the phrase â€Å"In this manner, the issue was decided. † The issue is decided because of the violence directed toward the child, and that the two people in the relationship use their child as a weapon makes the situation incredibly dramatic, forcing the reader to be invested in the child’s life and the relationship between the two protagonists. Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Popular Mechanics† is vague and has little to no detail, but this allows the reader to become invested in a particular manner and demonstrates the abuse that children go through because of parents separating. Because of the lack of detail and information regarding the characters, the reader is forced to imagine and place their own experiences inside the story more than they otherwise would, making the story more universally applicable than a story with vastly more detail. Indeed, it shows that domestic violence and conflict exists in many different types of situations and among different types of people. Further, the lack of exposition further reduces the reader’s accurate knowledge of the situation while the extreme drama of the story causes the reader to become more invested and judge the actions of the characters in the story more deeply. All of this together provides a story that provides the minimum amount of information that a story can have to still be a story, but also provides unique relationships between characters and readers, and shows how pervasive, widespread, common, and problematic domestic conflict between men and women can be, and primarily how this conflict uses and abuses children as a weapon in these conflicts.

Aspects of Indian Health Policy

Aspects of Indian Health Policy 1.23 HEALTH POLICY Health approach could be characterized as the choices, plans, and activities that are embraced to accomplish particular health care objectives inside a social order. According to the World Health Organization, an express health arrangement can attain some things: it characterizes a dream for whats to come; it diagrams necessities and the normal parts of diverse gatherings; and it constructs accord and advises individuals. There are numerous classes of health arrangements, incorporating individual health care strategy, pharmaceutical arrangement, and approaches identified with open health, for example, immunization approach, tobacco control arrangement or breastfeeding advancement arrangement. They may blanket subjects of financing and conveyance of health care, access to care, nature of care, and health value. There are additionally numerous points in the legislative issues and confirmation that can impact the choice of a legislature, private segment business or other assembly to embrace a particular arrangement. Different nations have an express strategy to guarantee and help access for every last bit of its natives, to store health research, and to anticipate sufficient numbers, dispersion and nature of health specialists to meet health care objectives. Numerous governments far and wide have built general health care, which takes the trouble of health care liabilities off of private organizations or people through pooling of budgetary danger. There are a mixed bag of contentions for and against general health care and related health arrangements. Health care is a critical a piece of health frameworks and hence it frequently represents one of the biggest territories of using for both governments and people everywhere throughout the world. 1.24 PERSONAL HEALTH CARE POLICY 1.241 Philosophy: right to health Many countries and jurisdictions integrate a human rights philosophy in directing their health care policies. The World Health Organization reports that every country in the world is party to at least one human rights treaty that addresses health-related rights, including the right to health as well as other rights that relate to conditions necessary for good health.[3] The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) asserts that medical care is a right of all people: 1.242 Economics: health care financing Many types of health policies exist focusing on the financing of health care services to spread the economic risks of ill health. These include publicly funded health care (through taxation or insurance, also known as single-payer systems), mandatory or voluntary private health insurance, and complete capitalization of personal health care services through private companies, among others. The debate is ongoing on which type of health financing policy results in better or worse quality of health care services provided, and how to ensure allocated funds are used effectively, efficiently and equitably. 1.243 Other health policy options Health strategy alternatives amplify past the financing and conveyance of individual health care, to dominions, for example, restorative exploration and health workforce arranging, both locally and universally. 1.25 Medical research policy Medical research might be both the groundwork for characterizing confirmation based health arrangement, and the subject of health approach itself, especially regarding its wellsprings of financing. Those energetic about government approaches for freely financed medical research set that uprooting benefit as a rationale will expand the rate of medical improvement. Those contradicted contend that it will do the inverse, since evacuating the motivating force of benefit evacuates motivations to enhance and restrains new innovations from being produced and used. Health workforce policy A few nations and purviews have an unequivocal strategy or technique to anticipate sufficient numbers, appropriation and nature of health specialists to meet human services objectives, for example, to address medical practitioner and nursing deficiencies. Somewhere else, health workforce arranging is conveyed around labour market members as an indifference methodology to health arrangement. Confirmation based approaches for health workforce improvement are ordinarily dependent upon discoveries from health administrations research. Promoting health in lower income countries has been seen as instrumental to achieve other goals on the global agenda, including: Promoting global security Promoting economic development Promoting social justice 1.26 GLOBAL HEALTH POLICY Global health policy encompasses the global governance structures that create the policies underlying public health throughout the world. In addressing global health, global health policy implies consideration of the health needs of the people of the whole planet above the concerns of particular nations. Distinguished from both international health policy (agreements among sovereign states) and comparative health policy (analysis of health policy across states), global health policy institutions consist of the actors and norms that frame the global health response. 1.274 MEDICAL TOURISM A few key patterns are offering driving force to the development of Indias healthcare segment. Of these, restorative city is generally another notion that offers enormous development chances, notwithstanding the therapeutic tourism. India is additionally viewed as the most intense goal with focal points of more level cost and refined medicines. Because of such guaranteeing components, the restorative tourism has incredible potential in the nation. Apollo Hospitals has six tele-prescription (through motion picture conferencing framework) centres in the East and North East India. Arrangements are forthcoming to include an alternate 24 through the following couple of years. 1.28 GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES The Government of India has chosen to expand health use to 2.5 for every penny of terrible provincial item (GDP) toward the conclusion of the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17). Dr Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India, additionally emphasised the requirement for expanded cost to health division throughout the Twelfth Five Year Plan. Also, 100 for every penny FDI is allowed for health and medicinal administrations under the immediate way. A few highlights of the Union Budget 2013-14 introduced by Mr P Chidambaram, Minister of Finance, Government of India, for the healthcare are as takes after: †¢Health for all remains one of the necessity segments for the Government †¢The Ministry of Health Family Welfare has been designated Rs 37,330 crore (Us$ 5.87 billion). Of this, the new National Health Mission that joins the rustic mission and the proposed urban mission will get Rs 21,239 crore (Us$ 3.35 billion), an increment of 24.3 for every penny over the Revised Estimates (RE) †¢ Rs 4,727 crore (Us$ 744.41 million) for restorative training, preparing and exploration In addition, contributions made to schemes of Central and State Governments similar to Central Government Health Scheme, eligible for section 80D of the Income Tax Act. 1.29 CHALLENGES 1.291 HIGH CAPITAL COSTS Contingent upon the district and land takes, a normal healing facility obliges capital implantation of Rs 40 lakhs to a crore for every couch ( much more). Industry assessments propose that any clinic with capital expenses of more than 50 lakhs for every cot has high development period and even may be unviable. Land and building together record for very nearly 40 for every penny of the sum task cost and influences the practicality relying upon the ensuing for every cot cost. 1.292 MEDICAL EQUIPMENT Helping very nearly 40 for every penny requires in a tertiary setup, the medicinal supplies however front line around then of procurement represents the risk of unavoidable outdated nature inside five to seven years of setup. This issue is intensified by the certainty the greater part of such gear is transported in and not many neighbourhood presumed makers exist. This will prompt distributing to higher medication expenses and will further prompt lesser intense edges and low utilisation rates bringing about an undesired working edges. 1.293 HUMAN RESOURCES: As Dr Prathap Reddy puts it, the biggest challenge for him and Apollo is filling the void of human resources. The quick growing household healthcare industry is the third biggest management, yet is intensely short of labour, as per him. According to service of health, there is a lack of pretty nearly half a million specialists, a million attendants and the shortage necessities to be filled in the following five years. Such deficiency will prompt exponential pay climb requests, and further prompt high patient care costs. 1.294 CONVENTIONAL MODELS OF BUSINESS Just about 90 for every penny of private division in India is run under the unorganised part. The clinical stronghold bill likewise has confronted colossal restriction and an expert healthcare consultancy firm guided healthcare business is not still seen oftentimes. The ordinary model of healthcare business might need to change to acquire untapped chances, operational efficiencies and better productivity. This might likewise pull in better private value which is presently redirected to additional lucrative businesses. In general society healthcare division the foundation is furnished dependent upon the measure of the populace rather than epidemiological profile. This numerous time brings about under-utilisation of framework, and at last not taking care of the requests of the nearby populace and waste. 1.295 OPPORTUNITIES 1.2951 POPULATION Numerous might consider that the enormous populace of India might be a bane. Be that as it may it has ended up being a monstrous business chance crosswise over businesses like telecom, telecast and healthcare.

Analysis of Computer Use in Developing Country Education

Analysis of Computer Use in Developing Country Education Abstract This study identified the extent to which Iranian secondary school principals used computers and explored the relationship between a numbers of variables related to ICT use. These factors included high level of computer access, strong perceptions of the attributes of ICT, high level of computer competence, as well as the high level of transformational leadership behaviours, all contributed significantly to the level of computer use by principals. All four constructs are equally important but have varying impact on computer use. Therefore, all four constructs should be viewed in an integrated manner in accordance to the conceptual model proposed in this study. Keywords: ICT, Secondary school principals, Computer use Introduction One developing country that is currently pursuing the technological track in education is Iran. Irans National philosophy of Education calls for developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally balanced and harmonious. The catalyst for this massive transformation will be technology which will improve how the educational system achieves the National Philosophy of Education, while fostering the development of a work force prepared to meet the challenges of the next century. With respect to this vision, Ministry of Education provided ICT related workshops and courses for principals and teachers. The plan emphasized that they should acquire seven fundamental digital computing skills (Kousha Abdoli, 2004). Although several institutions have completed the training programmes of their staff, research studies have not been done on the efficiency of this plan, knowledge, skills, and attitude that principals and teachers acquire during these courses. In fact, national programmes in developing countries are not based on research. Hence, successes of these programmes are limited (Albirini, 2006a). In addition, the Ministry of Education in Iran has invested much more fund to facilitate integration of ICT in schools. In spite of this large expenditure of funds, the potential for ICT to alter how principals use computers for instructional and administrative purposes, how teachers teach and how children learn in Iranian schools has not been fully realized since many Iranian schools do not use ICT in their teaching and learning and administrative purposes (Jahangard, 2003). It displays that computer was provided with no supplementary measures to enable principals and teachers to develop positive attitudes toward ICT in education and to use them. Also, in exploring the literature about the implementation of ICT in schools, an area which is noticeably absent in research on ICT implementation and integration is the role of the school principals as technology leaders. Although, some research studies have demonstrated that ICT has a huge impact on the ways in which principals work (Yuen , Law Wong, 2003; Schiller, 2003), the ICT research literature has tended to overlook the role of the principal as technology leaders (Schiller, 2003; Michael, 1998; Riffel Levin, 1997). This gap in the research literature is rather strange because there is considerable literature relating to school effectiveness, school improvement and change which identifies the school principal as a key factor in bringing about successful change in schools (e.g. Hall Hord, 2001; Fullan, 2002). According to Schiller (2003), school leaders are key factors in implementation ICT in schools. They have a main responsibility for creating school change through use of ICT and facilitate complex decisions about integration of ICT into learning and teaching. Although the role of the principal in supporting technology integration is very important there are little Iranian researches on the role of the principal in the implementation of ICT. Also, little is known about the use of ICT by principals and factors that are related to their level of computer use. This article will report on these issues from an analysis of data gathered from secondary school principals in Tehran, Iran. Review of the literature Effective leadership is an important element in the success of schools seeking to implement change (Calabrese, 2002). Anderson and Dexter (2005) reported on the analysis of data from the 1998 Teaching, Learning, and Computing survey of more than 800 schools in the USA and concluded that although technology infrastructure is important, for educational technology to become an integral part of a school, technology leadership is even more necessary (p. 74). Without the support of school leaders the educational potential of information and communications technology may not be realized. They play various roles such as change agent, lifelong learner, main supporter, and resource provider in relation to ICT implementation in schools (Han, 2002). If principals want to lead effectively their school in technology integration, they should embrace technology and realize the role that technology can play in the teaching-learning process. In fact, it is difficult to imagine a leader who does not us e technology trying to convince teachers that it is important (Cafolla Knee, 1995, P.3). Therefore, principals need to understand the capacities of the new technologies, to have a personal proficiency in their use, and be able to promote a school culture which encourages exploration of new techniques in teaching, learning and management (Schiller, 2003). According to Albirini (2006a), access to computer resources has often been one of the most important barriers for the integration of technology in both developed and developing countries. Norris, Sullivan, Poirot and Soloway (2003) reported on the analysis of data from the snapshot survey of more than 4,000 K-12 schools in the USA and concluded that there was a significant and substantive correlation between level of access to computer and level of computer use. Also, Rogers (2003) stated that the perceived attributes of an innovation are one of the important factors in explaining the rate of adoption of an innovation. A large amount of the variance in the rate of adoption of innovations, from 49 to 87 percent, is explained by five attributes: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability (Rogers, 2003). The five attributes refer respectively to: (1) the degree to which an innovation is perceived as better than the idea it supersedes; (2) the extent t o which an innovation is perceived as consistent with the existing values, past experience, and needs of potential adopters; (3) the degree to which an innovation is perceived as relatively difficult to understand and use; (4) the extent to which the results of an innovation are visible to others; and (5) the degree to which an innovation is experimented with on a limited basis. Regarding the relationship between perceived innovation characteristics and computer technology adoption, Al-Gahtani (2003) conducted a quantitative research in Saudi Arabia and found that relative advantage, compatability and observability were positively related to the adoption of technology, whereas complexity was negatively correlated. Hence, innovations that are perceived by individuals as having greater relative advantage, compatability, observability, and less complexity will be adopted more rapidly than other innovations (Rogers, 2003). Principals attitudes toward ICT have been recognized as an important factor for the success of technology integration in education (Han, 2002; Mooij Smeets, 2001; Rogers, 2003). Attitude is defined as a positive or a negative feeling associated with performing a specific behaviour (Ajzen Fishbein, 2005). In fact, an individual will have a favorable attitude if he or she believes that the performance of the behaviour will lead to mostly positive results and vice-versa (Ajzen Fishbein, 2005). Ajzen and Fishbein (2005) indicated that attitudes consist of three elements: affect, cognition, and behaviour. The affective element refers to the individuals emotional feelings or liking of a person or an object. The cognitive element refers to the persons knowledge about a person or an object. The behavioural element refers to the persons overt behaviour towards a person or an object. A complete description of attitude requires that all three components be assess by obtaining measures of all the three response classes (Ajzen Fishbein, 2005). Han (2002) conducted a case study on pre-school leaders practices in the use of ICT and found that principals who have positive attitudes toward technology are very helpful and supportive in introducing these new technologies into the school. For example, they encourage their colleagues to have ICT training, equip the school with sufficient computers and ensure staff has access to relevant technology. Apart from that, Liaw (2002) stated that no matter how capable the technology is, the effective implementation of technology depends upon users positive attitudes towards the technology. According to Noraini Idris et al. (2007), individuals with positive attitudes will have positive feelings about people and situations; have a sense of purpose, excitement, and passion; approach problems in a creative manner; make the best out of every situation; realize that attitude is a choice; feel that they have control of their thoughts; and feel that they are making a contribution through their wo rk. Therefore, principals who have positive attitudes toward ICT feel more contented using it and regularly incorporate it into their tasks (Kersaint, Horton, Stohl Garofalo, 2003). According to Rogers (2003), innovation-decision process consists of five steps which are knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation. These five steps usually follow each other in a time-ordered manner. Knowledge is the first stage of the successful adoption of computer technologies and it is essential for other steps in the innovation-decision process. If principals do not have enough competent in computer use, they cannot be expected to adopt computer technologies into their instructional and administrative tasks. Without the knowledge and skill of computer technology, principals might have a high level of uncertainty that influence their opinions and beliefs about the innovation (Rogers, 2003). In line with this idea, Felton (2006) stated that competence is a key to the use of computers by principals on a daily basis. In fact, competence in operating a computer and in utilizing software may improve the quality and efficiency of administrative performance in s chools. Improved quality could lead to improved decision-making. In order to achieve high levels of principals competence in ICT, there is a need to provide training, and perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a great deal of literature evidence to suggest that effective training is crucial if principals are to use ICT effectively in their work (Kirkwood, 2000). If training is inadequate or inappropriate, then principals will not be sufficiently prepared, and perhaps not sufficiently confident, to make full use of technology. Hence, lack of principals competence and lack of quality training for principals can be barriers to principals use of ICT. Many technology experts have indicated that the integration of ICT in education should occur in the light of the cultural conditions of the country and the prevailing school culture (Albirini, 2006b; Govender Govender, 2009). In fact, cultural barriers, either societal or organizational, are very important among the barriers to the adoption of technology. Societies and organizations can overcome most of the technical barriers through different means of support, but cultural barriers are harder to deal with. It is widely accepted that culture, within a society or an organization, shapes individuals perceptions of innovations. In the field of education, it has been noticed that principals reactions to technology innovations are mediated by their cultural perceptions (Felton, 2006). According to Rogers (2003), a cultural perception is a very general idea of social system norms. Also, it refers to the cultural suitability of computers (Thomas, 1987). Furthermore, Albirini (2006a) carrie d out a study examining the factors relating to the teachers attitudes toward ICT. He collected evidence from high school English teachers about their perceptions of computer attributes, cultural perceptions, computer competence, and computer access. The sample consisted of 63 male and 251 female teachers. The results showed that computer attributes, cultural perceptions, and computer competence are factors that explain the greatest amount of variance in computer attitudes. Also, he stated that cultural perceptions toward different computer-related technologies are key factors related to both the initial acceptance of these technologies as well as future behaviour regarding their usage. Similarly, Lee, Choi, Kim and Hong, (2007) conducted a study on the relationship between users cultural profiles and technology adoption in the context of the mobile Internet. Their findings of large-scale on-line surveys in Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan indicate that cultural factors have a significa nt influence on users adoption perceptions of mobile Internet services. So, they concluded that cultural differences are a contributing factor in the adoption of technology, particularly in third world countries. According to Flanagan and Jacobsen (2003), leadership plays a key role in the success of technology utilization in education. Thomas (2001) stated that there is a strong link between educational technology and school leadership. Leadership style is exhibited by the leader could help or hinder technology infusion (Flanagan Jacobsen, 2003; Thomas, 2001). One of the best styles of leadership that can change and transform individuals is transformational leadership (Northouse, 2001). Transformational leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality (Bass Riggio, 2006). In other words, transformational leadership is a process that both the manager and followers should change themselves (Northouse, 2001). Although the transformational leader plays an essential role in precipitating change, followers and leaders are inextricably bound together in the transformation process (N orthouse, 2001). This type of leadership is becoming more and more important to organizations, as workforces become more diverse, technology improves and international competition heightens. Transformational leadership is comprised of four distinct dimensions: charismatic leadership or idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration (Bass Riggio, 2006). Idealized influence (attributed) demonstrates attributes of principals that motivate respect and pride and display a sense of power and confidence; idealized influence (behaviour) refers to the principals behaviour to communicate values, purpose, and importance of mission; inspirational motivation refers to leaders that motivate and inspire others by challenging them to exert effort; Intellectual stimulation stimulates followers efforts to be innovative and creative by questioning assumptions, reframing problems, and approaching old situations in new ways; and individualized consideration focuses on development and mentoring of followers and attends to individual needs(Bass Riggio, 2006). Beatty and Lee (1992, as cited in Thite, 2000) conducted several case studies of the implementation of CAD/CAM systems in numerous British and Canadian companies in an effort to investigate the linkage between leadership and technological change in organizations. Through semistructured interviews and using a critical incident approach to assessing leadership abilities, the researchers tracked managerial involvement throughout the implementation process. The outcome of their qualitative research suggests that a transformational approach to leadership is likely to be more effective in overcoming barriers to change than a transactional leadership approach that concentrates on technical problem solving to the neglect of people and organizational issues. According to Burns (2003), transactional leadership involves exchanging one thing for another. In fact, the effective transactional leaders are expert in giving and taking. This style is useful for stable situations but is less useful for organizations that are faced to environmental turbulence or rapid change (Kirkbride, 2006). Transactional leadership was measured by contingent reward and management-by-exception ­ (active and passive). Contingent reward leaders explain the expectations of followers and the compensation they will receive if they meet their performance expectations. Management-by-exception-active leaders attend to followers mistakes and failures to meet standards and management-by-exception-passive leaders react to correct action after problems become serious enough (Bass Riggio, 2006). Regarding the importance of transformational leadership as an influence on principals use of technology, Christopher (2003) conducted a study at the University of Virginia. A self-designed instrument was used in this study. Leadership items were taken from Bass and Avolios Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Leader Form. Surveys were sent to a random sample of 397 principals throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, and 185 principals participated in the survey. Her analysis indicated that the overall extent that principals used decision support technologies was significantly correlated with their perceptions of all four transformational leadership behaviors (individual influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration). Also, she suggested that educational leadership programs should be provided to train principals to use technology as a management tool. If principals do not use technology on a consistent basis; the principal should not expec t the faculty to use technology regularly. Modeling the use of technology provides an affective method for exposing teachers to new strategies and demonstrating to the staff that it is acceptable to take risks and make mistakes, without the fear of retribution (Dawon Rakes, 2003) The study The purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which secondary school principals use computers in Tehran (a large province in Iran) and to explore factors related to level of computer use by principals. Selected factors used in this study were based on Rogers (2003) diffusion theory, Technology Acceptance Model, and previous researchs which include perceived computer attributes; computer competence; computer access; principals attitude toward computers; leadership style of principals; and cultural perceptions. Principals profiles (gender, age, and administrative experience, type of school, and academic degree, as well as information regarding background in computer training) were also included in order to ensure maximum possible control of extraneous variables by building them into the design of the study (Gay Airasian, 2000). More specifically, this study addresses the following questions: What is the level of computer use by secondary school principals? What are the principals attitudes toward computers? What are the principals perceptions of: Computer attributes? Their level of computer competence? Cultural relevance of computers to Iranian society and schools? Their level of access to computers? What is the leadership style (transformational and transactional leadership) of principals? What is the relationship between the level of computer use by secondary school principals and their perceptions of each of the above variables? What is the proportion of the variance in the level of computer use by secondary school principals that can be explained by the selected independent variables and the relative significance of each independent variable in explaining the dependent variable? Methodology This was a descriptive study of an exploratory nature. Creswell (2003) stated that exploratory studies are most advantageous when not much has been written about the topic or the population being studied (p. 30).The target population in this study was Iranian secondary school principals in the province of Tehran during the 2007-2008 school years. The list of principals was based on the secondary principals Directory. The Directory is maintained and updated on a quarterly basis by Tehran Department of Education. The total number of secondary school principals was 1312 in the Directory of the Department of Education in Tehran. Furthermore, a set of questionnaire was used to obtain the required data for this study. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. Part A measured the perceived level of computer use by principals. Factors that were related to it were measured in part B. Questionnaires were distributed to 320 sample principals selected randomly from the population. In this study, stratified sampling was used because Tehran is one of the biggest cities in Iran and consists of 19 educational areas. Also, the population to be sampled was not homogeneous but, in essence, consisted of several subpopulations (Wiersma, 1995). When sub-populations vary significantly, it is advantageous to sample each subpopulation (stratum) independently. Researcher used this stratified sampling method to have less variability in selection. Two indispensable characteristics of measurement that must be considered in establishing the appropriateness and usefulness of measurement instrument are reliability and validity. Although theses instruments were valid, face and content validity of these instruments were established again by a panel of expert. To ensure that Iranian secondary school principals had a complete comprehension of the instrument used in the study, the survey was translated from English into Persian using the double back translation method to ensure the accuracy of the Persian version. Furthermore, Cronbachs alpha was used to measure internal consistency and calculated via the SPSS 15 statistical package. Cronbach alpha is the most common form of internal consistency reliability coefficient. The Cronbachs alpha coefficients for these scales were: Computer Access Scale=0.867, Computer Attributes Scale =0.909, Attitude toward ICT Scale =0.92, Computer Competence Scale=0.97, Cultural Perceptions Scale=0.611, Transformational leadership style Scale=0.812, Transactional leadership style Scale=0.596 and Level of computer use Scale=0.917. To carry out this study, first, approval was obtained from the Ministry of Education and also contact was made with the research department of Tehrans Ministry of Education A meeting was arranged to discuss the proposed study. Furthermore, a letter of introduction and a questionnaire packet were delivered to the superintendent in the research department for review. Finally, approval was received from the superintendent and permitted the researcher to attend the principals meeting in each educational area of the Ministry of Education. A total of 350 pockets were distributed among all members of the sample in these sessions. In the packet, there were materials. These materials include a cover letter, the questionnaire, and a stamped, addressed return envelope was enclosed for some respondents convenience in returning the completed questionnaires. The completed questionnaires were collected at the end of these sessions. Principals who could not fill their questionnaires completely were given approximately three weeks from that date to return the questionnaires by mail. In all, 350 surveys were distributed, 320 were returned, resulting in a return rate of 91.4%. All of the returned surveys, a total of 320, were used in the analysis. In this study descriptive statistics were used to describe and summarize the properties of the mass of data collected from the respondents (Gay Airasian, 2000). Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between each of the independent variables and the level of computer use by secondary school principals in Tehran. Furthermore, multiple regression was used to measure the degree to which the independent variables would explain the proportion of variance in the dependent variables and to identify the relative significance of each independent variable in explaining the dependent variable. By convention, an a level of 0.05 was established a priori for determining statistical significance. Findings and Discussion The findings indicated that about 51.6% of the respondents were males and more than half of the respondents (50.3%) were within the 45-54 age range. About 44.7% of the respondents had 21 or more years of experience. More than half of the respondents (53.1%) worked in private schools, and approximately 60.3% of the respondents held bachelors degrees. Moreover, the majority of the participants (95.5%) reported that they had computer training, and 83.8% of them had more than 60 hours training. In terms of the type of training, more than half of the principals participating in the study (52.8%) reported that they received their training through in-service training. Computer Use by Principals The dependent variable, level of computer use, was quantified by the score of 39 items using a five-point Likert scale. Each item was rated by respondents from 1 (Never use) to 5 (use daily). This scale was developed by Felton (2006). According to this questionnaire, four domains of computer use such as Internet use, hardware and software use, instructional use, and administrative use were measured. Table 1 Distribution of Mean Scores on the Computer Use Scale According to Table 1, the principals perceptions of the level of computer use were moderate; with an overall mean score of 3.32 (SD= 0.76). Also, findings indicated that principals spent a few times a week working on their computers. It would seem that Iranian principals need effective and extensive trainings to raise their proficiency in computer use and integrate technology into their schools. Moreover, analysis of collected data on the computer use scale showed that among the subscales of the level of computer use, Internet use had the highest mean (M = 3.49). Also, findings showed that nearly all the respondents used the Internet at home and at school , and the most frequent use of Internet was for sending and receiving e-mail (46.9% 2 or 3 times a week). It would seem that e-mail was the most accepted application among principals who were surveyed. In fact, there may be several reasons for this—e-mail is efficient, widely available, and effective. Thus, it is not surprising that email was accepted and used far more by the sample population of this study. Principals can increase their professional knowledge in the form of knowing current research, new technologies, and best teaching practices through the use of the Internet. Findings of this study showed that most of the respondents used a web browser a few times a week to explore professional and educational resources. Three reasons may underline the obtained results. The first possible reason is that low telecommunication density and very low bandwidth during peak hours sometimes makes it impossible to download files or software. Furthermore, most of the principals have little Internet experience; it was not comfortable for them to spend time on uses other than e-mail or some sort of urgent browsing. Lastly lack of knowledge and skill for searching and downloading the valuable professional and educational resources also limit the use of the Interne. In fact, the Internet can be an avenue for researching information and data. It helps principals to find information regarding their pr ofession and educational subjects in order to develop processes for effective decision-making and problem solving which result in better accountability (Felton, 2006). Therefore, trainings should be provided for principals to learn all possible Internet resources with underlying techniques of strategic browsing to enhance their Internet literacy (Atkinson Kydd, 1997). As for the hardware and software use subscale, the main use for computers was in word processing, whereas construction of spreadsheets, databases and presentations (such as Powerpoint) was used never or a few times a month. Only 2.5 percent of principals stated that they read spreadsheets daily at work with 20.0 percent indicating use 2 or 3 times a week, while 56.9 percent indicated that they had read never or a few times a month a spreadsheet. These results are consistent with Schillers (2003) study. He found that the word processing was the most frequently utilized software among the principals and they used it to create documents and slides. Regarding the instructional use domain, the majority of participants indicated that they two or three times a week used computers for recording observation; monitoring student achievement for specific objectives and grades; creating master schedules; recording discipline referrals; writing up classroom observations; monitoring achievement test data; locating curriculum resources; developing or write curriculum; and creating graphs and charts. Plomp and Pelgrum (1992) stated that one way in which computers might work their way into the school is through administrative use and that this might lead to the use of computers in instruction. An examination of data showed that mean score of the administrative use subscale was lower than another subscales, and computer use for instructional purposes was generally ahead of administrative uses. Moreover, findings indicated that within the area of administrative uses, communicating with staff, and members of the wider school, initiating and sust aining collaborative activities with colleagues within and outside their school were the areas of greatest use, while financial matters, maintaining of administrative records about students, using a programme to analyze information for solving problems, using technology to support levels of professional collaboration, and using technology to participate new kinds of professional development were the areas of least use. Therefore, the early assumption that the introduction of computers into schools for administrative purposes would spread to their use for instructional purposes was not supported by the data. Principals Attitudes toward ICT in Education Attitude scale contained 23 items that asked respondents to describe their attitudes towards ICT. This scale was developed by Albirini in 2006a and comprised of three subscales: affective domain; cognitive domain, and behavioral domain. Respondents attitudes were measured on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicated positive attitudes towards ICT while lower scores indicated less positive attitudes. Table 2 Distribution of Mean Scores on the Attitude toward ICT Scale As Table 2 illustrates, principals attitudes towards ICT were positive, with an overall mean of 4.05 and a standard deviation of 0.44. Principals positive attitudes towards ICT exhibit their initiation into the innovation-decision process (Rogers, 2003). It seems that Iranian principals have already gone through the Knowledge and Persuasion stages (Rogers, 2003) and are probably proceeding to the Decision phase. As many theorists have indicated, attitudes can often foretell future behaviours (Ajzen Fishbein, 2005). Thus, it can be concluded that principals who have positive attitudes towards ICT in education, use computer in their administrative and instructional tasks once computers become more available to them. At this stage, principals exp

Aaron Feuerstein Essay -- Essays Papers

Aaron Feuerstein In this paper I will discuss Aaron Feuerstein, the third-generation president and CEO of Malden Mills Industries, Inc., who leads the Lawrence, Massachusetts business with his father’s and grandfather’s values: kindness, justice and charity. He does this through his charismatic leadership and vision, which binds his employees together into realizing and achieving the same goal. I will show exactly what makes him a leader in the modern business setting and explain why a leader’s vision is important in defining a true innovator, effective manager and charismatic leader. Feuerstein and Malden Mills had a history of taking care of its employees. Workers’ salaries average $12.50 an hour compared with the textile industry’s average of $9.50. And in the 1950s, when other New England textile manufacturers fled to the South for cheaper labor, Malden Mills stayed. Although Feuerstein’s hands-on management style has always been admired by his employees, what set him apart as a true leader was a near disaster in the winter of 1996. While celebrating his 70th birthday, Feuerstein received word that his 130 year old family owned textile company in Lawrence, Massachusetts was burning to the ground. Three of its manufacturing factories that produce the popular high-end outdoor apparel knits, Polartec ® and Polarfleece ®, were reduced to charred metal and brick. While watching the fire, Feuerstein decided that he must come up with a plan to not only save his company from financial ruin, but decide the fate of over 3,100 employees th at would soon be without a job. He chose to rebuild the plant in Lawrence. He also decided that if he was to continue providing a quality product to consumers, he would have to take care of the skilled laborers who made the product. Feuerstein kept more than 1,000 jobless employees at full pay and medical benefits for three months until the factories were up and running again. What kept Feuerstein’s company at the top was his strong managing skills. A top management position requires motivation to achieve, but this motivation may be directed to achieving personal, rather than organization goals. Feuerstein believed the role to top management should be to â€Å"manage† and the most important resource they must manage is the people that work at all levels of an organization. Their role should not be "to rule", but "... .... Reduced to its essence, that means superior technology and superior employees. Reduced still further, as Aaron Feuerstein can tell you, it means superior employees. Feuerstein has laid off people for the reasons stated above, but all of these employees have been given generous severance packages that included three months of paid medical benefits as well as job training Feuerstein admits that, as owner, he has a great advantage over leaders of public firms because he answers only to himself. "But I would like to think," he says, "that the average CEO - even though they're reporting to the public and the so-called shareholder -also feels that there's a moral imperative that they must answer to as well." Bibliography: The Christian Science Monitor, ‘Corporate Decency’ Prevails at Malden Mills, Shelly Donald Coolidge, March 28, 1996 Parade, by Michael Ryan, September 6, 1996, p.4-5 Life Magazine, Josh Simon, May 5, 1997 L. Larwood, C. M. Falke, M.P. Kriger, and P. Miesing. Structure and meaning of organizational vision. Academy of Management Journal, 39, 1995, pp.740-769 Fortune, Not a Fool, Not a Saint, Thomas Teal, November 11, 1996, p.201

The Stimulus and Rhythms of Atalanta :: Atalanta Gymnastics Dance Dancing Essays

The Stimulus and Rhythms of Atalanta The stimulus which, I thought would be most thought provoking and appealing was Atalanta. I found the idea of characterising a dynamic, strong vivacious woman appealing due to my strong background in theatre and acting. This enabled me to perceive hidden depths of Atalanta's character, which were not evident at first sight. Therefore, I chose this stimulus because I believed that Atalanta would be an interesting and challenging character to portray through the medium of dance. Another reason why I chose this stimulus, was the use of the cloth and costume to portray "how rhythms can be created by repeating and opposing shapes" and how "certain lines indicate motion". Due to my previous experience as a rhythmic gymnast, I was able develop original and unusual movements, because I was used to using cloth and ribbons as a means for demonstrating highly complex physical movements After receiving the stimulus, I first of all researched Atalanta. Using a variety of resources such as and the Internet, I found that Atalanta derived from Greek legend, and was a strong athletic competitor, whom no man could beat at running. This was emphasised in my dance through the use of sustained running movements and the use of pauses to emphasis the importance of the poses. This also helped to reflect the stillness of the wooden sculpture. Analysis and further research led me to conclude that the pose and expression of the sculpture Atlanta are portraying her determination and power. This was evident in the strong and dynamic movements of my dance, as well as the use of facial expressions, bodily expressions and focus. My bodily expressions were natural, controlled with an upright posture, thus helping to portray her purpose as an athlete in a race. The facial expressions portrayed her determination, thus demonstrating her strong and vivacious character, and the embodiment of power, which Atalanta represents. The combination of body and facial gestures shared in the mood and theme of both the dance and the music. Focus aided my facial expressions. It was important for the focus to be strong, not looking at the floor at any time, but either looking out into the space such as when doing an arabesque but also facing inwards to concentrate on a move, for example the running movements from the pictures. Through the use of Stanslavki's 'method-acting' I used my research to characterise a strong female woman, which was then transposed into movements. To achieve the dimensions of Atalanta's character, I profiled her, so that when I was dancing, I would embody the character, this enabled me to access her personality quickly.

Case Study: Shutterfly

Its as easy as a snap shot. Shutterfly has made great marketing decisions through-out the years. No matter the year they were always moving ahead of the technology of their time. With not many digital cameras flouting around and internet at slow dial-up connections, Shutterfly were allowing the upload of â€Å"digital images to order prints from a web-based company. † This was new to people even with rabbit speed broadband. Always looking forward, Shutterfly now have become a â€Å"major force in the online photo-printing industry. † Shutterfly has put considerable effort into keeping quality in focus. Investing in certain business aids, the photo processing company has created a name for themselves and improved service quality. To showcase their quality they â€Å"invested in special printing equipment† so they could control the â€Å"clear, crisp and colorful† picture quality instead of relaying on orders from an outside photo processing firm that may not perform to Shutterfly’s standard. This maintained Shutterfly’s quality as reliable with very little to no variation of quality. The new special printing equipment also included â€Å"photo enhancement functions† to provide customers with helpful photo improvements, like red-eye effect, to ensure their satisfaction. Furthermore, they distinguished themselves from other photo companies by giving costumers the option to upload and store their photos on Shutterfly’s website. They even â€Å"promised never to delete any photos† which provideds great customer contact and is highly valued by their costumer base. In all, Shutterfly has managed the challenges of heterogeneity very well and have created a reliable, quality photo processing company. Going through ups and downs throughout the years, Shutterfly has used marketing to draw customers to their product. Early on, they encouraged adoption through offering free photo printing. They gave away more than 80 percent of the prints in the first six months. Although after intense competition in 2003, Shutterfly needed to try something different. In 2005, CEO, Jeff Housenbold, launched â€Å"a next generation personal publishing platform† that would let costumers â€Å"take, use, and share photos† at their own home. But before the launch of this new platform they surveyed customers to gain better knowledge of customers needs and preferences. This platform provided customers with company search qualities where they could experience Shutterfly prior to purchase. In addition the company â€Å"negotiated to license well known characters† such as Clifford and SpongeBob Squarepants for â€Å"personalized photo greeting cards, photo albums, and other products. † To introduce these new offerings Shutterfly used â€Å"print ads in various parenting magazines and woman’s magazines and commercials on the Home Shopping Network. † Shutterfly has shown their dedication to customers satisfaction by adding supplemental features as well as symbolic and experiential benefits to their offerings. The CEO notes that â€Å"people have an intrinsic desire for social expression† and that prints are a great way to tell a story, however, he believes in telling the story through other ways. Widening their product mix, Shutterfly has provided T-shirts, jewelry boxes and tote bags that help satisfy that desire for social expression. â€Å"You will see a lot more of that† says a senior vice president. Additionally, licensing well-known Nickelodeon characters on greeting cards provides excellent symbolic benefits of playfulness and even fulfills peoples creativity. In other words, â€Å"it tells a story. They even offer online interaction so that customers can share their stories quick and hassle free. Through considerable effort and strong customer contact, Shutterfly has provided offerings and major benefits to those offerings. Their are multiple reasons why Shutterfly would license Nickelodeon characters for personalized photo products. One reason is that the well-known characters create a popular product line that customers can utilize to share their â€Å"stories. † It gives the customers a networking platform to start from and it is playful and fun. Also it provides wider options for customized photos. For example, if a customer wanted to provide a frame on the picture then they could use one of these characters to do so. Lastly and most crucially, these characters are geared more towards children and as a photo company many of the processed photos tend to be memories of peoples children or past childhood. Providing these Nickelodeon characters is a great way to draw in customers and maybe even make a larger profit. They have sold 400 million prints, storing at least 1 billion images for its customers and have increased sales by a impressive 670 percent in the â€Å"last five years to nearly $100 million. It is without question that Shutterfly is closely associated with quality and responsive service. They have maintained a excellent customer retention rate and are still expanding to this very day. Through ups and downs and hard competition they enable people to convey the strong emotion in their photos with ease. People want â€Å"to capture and share their experiences, to relive special moments, to communicate their memories,† and Shutterfly provides the best service to do so; the best service to tell a story.