Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Essay on The Safely Surrendered Baby Law - 1194 Words

Possible Causes The sole reason for the Safely Surrendered Baby law is to prevent child abandonment in infants, which can usually lead to death. Parents are known to also to commit neonaticide (the killing of a baby on the day of its birth) in other cases. This matter has made itself known through media, which makes it spread like wildfire; but the probable causes are never listed properly. The complexity of the arguments surrounding baby abandonment is also deepened by the multitude of cultures. Recent attention to the problem of abandoned babies, and resulting legislative remedies, are responses to the often-publicized stories of babies left in unsafe public places. Regardless of the lack of a clear classification, this is a†¦show more content†¦In the case of public abandonment, the women are often not mature enough to thoughtfully weigh their options or the consequences of their actions. Reasons for killing and/or discarding infants include extramarital paternity, rape, illegitimacy and perceiving the child as an obstacle to personal achievement.† (Brief Summary, 2000) In the absence of specific statistics, it is important to recognize the network of social influences in which baby abandonment happens. It is an issue that affects and is affected by teenagers, parents, schools, churches, and other community organizations. It also places a toll on all of the social services that exist to look after parents and children, including health care, child welfare, mental health care, and welfare. Parents who abandon babies shortly after birth have fallen through the cracks of all of the mentioned public supports and social systems that exist to protect parents and children. Aside from the typical sex education; school-based services along with community-based services are in place to help young adults make informed decisions about reproductive health. Public and private organizations provide assistance such as counseling to women undergoing unplanned pregnancies. The public child welfare system and private adoption agencies provide parents with an opportuni ty to relinquish their children, in many cases confidentially. Families, schools,Show MoreRelatedEssay about Safe Surrendered Baby Law1319 Words   |  6 PagesThe Safely Surrendered Baby Law has responded to an increasing number of newborn infant deaths due to abandonment in unsafe locations. The Safely Surrendered Baby Law was first established in Jaunary 2001, eventually being signed permanently into state law in January 2006. The law’s objective is to be a safeguard for newborn infants at risk of abandonment by encouraging parents or persons with lawful custody to safely surrender the infant within 72 hours of birth, no questions asked (California DepartmentRead MorePersonal Statement : Health Care Provider1905 Words   |  8 Pagesthe ones educating our patients. The best way to urge a woman to discontinue smoking is to educate them about the risks to themselves and their fetus at the first prenatal visit. March of dimes is an organization aimed at improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. This website has many different links to help mothers learn about health before becoming pregnant, how to have a healthy pregnancy, preparing for birth, caring for a herself andRead More The Alamo Essay2090 Words   |  9 Pagesestablished his settlement. The Mexican government under the urging of President Bustamante made harsh laws against arrival of new immigrants into Texas in 1830. Trade was also restricted with America. All borders were closed to newcomers but the Louisiana border could not be patrolled and settlers continued to arrive in Texas. American settlers were put into jail for the ruckus they caused due to these new laws, among them was Stephen Austin. On July 1833 Austin traveled to Mexico City to plead the causeRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy s President Of The United States1813 Words   |  8 Pagesprevent countries from obtaining nuclear weapons. He envisioned of the test ban as a first step to nuclear disarmament. (Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 2) President Kennedy announced before Congress the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the moon before the end of the decade. (Steve Garber) The overall goal was to be rushing to the moon. Kennedy felt great pressure to have the United States catch up in overtake the Soviet union in the space race. (Steve Garber) his goal wasRead MoreGender and Consumerism in Postwar Canada Essay2341 Words   |  10 Pagesbehind the paradox. Furthermore, mothers and wives were isolated, discriminated against, and reduced to an idealist and traditional view of who they were supposed to be and how they were supposed to act in the postwar period. When the Axis forces surrendered to the Allies in 1945, Canada was under the Liberal leadership of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. Our contemporary understanding of the term â€Å"liberal† should not be confused with Mackenzie King’s and his successor Louis St. Laurent’sRead MoreHistory Grade 10 Exam Review6476 Words   |  26 Pageswill infiltrate or take over the country * Padlock Law * in 1937, the Duplessis government passed the Padlock Law * gave authorities the right to enter public/private buildings in search for communism propaganda * it gave the authorities the right to define communism on their own terms * if propaganda was found, the building would be padlocked until the owner appeared in court for trial * this law silenced political opposition in Quebec and kept labour unionsRead MorePattern of Thesis11382 Words   |  46 Pagesinstead will only be hidden from the system. All information in solved cases will be stored into a back-up database for future references in case that the same person will be lost again. The system will end if the reported missing person is already surrendered to their relatives. Only the IT Department of the Department of Social Welfare Development personnel has the authority of maintaining, changing and improving the system. This will ensure that a high-level security will be implemented. Likewise,Read MoreManagement Challenges for the 21st Century.Pdf60639 Words   |  243 PagesPractitioners will therefore tend to act and to behave as the discipline’s assumptions tell them to. Even more important, the reality of a natural science, the physical universe and its laws, do not change (or if they do only over eons rather than over centuries, let alone over decades). The social universe has no â€Å"natural laws† of this kind. It is thus subject to continuous change. And this means that assumptions that were valid yesterday can become invalid and, indeed, totally misleading in no time at

Monday, December 16, 2019

The Book Gender Free Essays

In chapter six of the book Gender: Ideas, Interactions and Institutions, Lisa Wade and Myra Marx Ferree discuss inequality involving men and masculinities. The reading talks about the concept of â€Å"doing gender†, braking or going by certain gender rules, is performed by everyone in order to fit into society. The concept that there are two genders, otherwise known as gender binary, is hierarchical and places men above women and values masculinity above femininity. We will write a custom essay sample on The Book Gender or any similar topic only for you Order Now (Wade 113). This has bad outcomes for both genders due to the fact that for women, it reduces their social status. For men, it leads them to believe their interests take more priority than women. The chapter then discusses an example of this with cheerleading where in the mid 1800s, cheerleading was an all male sport and it was â€Å"too masculine for women.† When women showed interest in the sport, it changed how people thought of cheerleading. The focus on the chapter is to show the different ways social inequality occurs and gives different examples of situations in which certain traits of masculinity are glorified, allowing certain men to be glorified. The chapter continues through talking about hegemony; a sociological concept used to help us understand this social inequality in our society. Men who fail to embody hegemonic masculinity, otherwise known as being the â€Å"idealized man† are lower on the scale that establishes the hierarchy of man that ranks them from most to least masculine. The traits of a â€Å"higher up man† would include strength, white, athletic and be considered a â€Å"real man.† This is experienced on both the individual and group level, because individual men are viewed as a certain way, but are put into distinct groups because of it. An example of this is men who are physically weak are called â€Å"wimps†, but solely based on their individual traits. Men take many risks in their lives and are shown to be more likely to get into a fight than a woman. (Wade 129). Research was done to show the different arrests based on an individual’s sex. It showed that all crimes were over 50% male with murder, rape and carrying weapons being the greatest percentage over 80%. These rules of masculinity keep men from being able to express certain emotions, even enough to develop intimate friendships. A psychologist named Niobe Way interviewed boys about their friendships, with a 17 year old mind answering that their relationship is mostly â€Å"joking around† and â€Å"not about serious stuff.† This proves the argument that men have to follow the gender rules of masculinity, which is unfair because they feel unable to show emotions while women are more likely to seek help. Men become lonely and are more likely to commit suicide. These aspects of doing gender as a man are called toxic masculinity, because they are bad for other men, women and the individual man himself. These include some of the traits explained above, like suppressing emotion and dangerous actions. The authors were able to prove their argument of certain men being put over others, especially women. Those hegemonic traits allow them to avoid femininity and contribute to the sexist society we are in today. Avoiding acting like a girl is constraining to men, and limit their lives option in order to remain a â€Å"manly man.† There are lots of research involving examples of men giving up all feminine acts or of their masculine traits giving them power over â€Å"weaker† men, but especially women. In preforming in strictly manly activities, men tend to miss out of things they may enjoy just because they are considered more â€Å"feminine.† Men continue this act of masculinity to preserve the privileges and the gender binary that gives hegemonic masculinity its power (Wade 136). They choose to follow the rules, or appear as lower in the hierachy. Wherever they fall though, they all have a fear of joining the men who are disadvantaged and in the lower parts of the hiarchy. Some future studies about this idea of men challenging the gender binary. Few men do, while many women are less afraid to do so. Research could involve what men would be more likely to challenge the gender rules and face falling lower, and how those men would affect our society with them performing more feminine acts. Understanding both men and women’s experiences and perspective can help us better perform gender to where both genders actions aren’t constrained to the binary gender system. How to cite The Book Gender, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Mergers and shareholder wealth

Question: Discuss about the Mergers and shareholder wealth. Answer: Merger A merger is a business scenario where two companies, of the same or different sizes regarding resources and market shares, come together and combine into one company. In some instances, mergers may mean that a big company buys a smaller one. Types of Mergers Horizontal Merger: This is a type of merge that happens between firms or companies within the same line of production or the same industry. This merger is a consolidation made by businesses who are competitors to each other as they tend to offer similar services or goods, companies who operate within the same geographical locality and are in often struggle to get the lions share of the very same market. This type of merger However in most case occurs within industries with a small number of firms. This is because the competition is great and the advantages of a potential gain in the market are much higher after the merge (Brueller et al. 2014). Conglomerate This is a merge that occurs between companies that are totally unrelated when it comes to the products ar services that they offer to their customers. There exist two types of conglomerate mergers, the mixed and the pure one. The mixed conglomerate is the type of merge that is evident in firms that are anticipating for extension of their products and services to the market where the pure conglomerate is a merge that happens where there is nothing in common between the two firms. Market Extension Mergers This is a form of a merger that happens between firms that deal in the production and selling of similar products or services, but they sell them at separately different markets. This alliance aims at ensuring that the emerging company gets access to a larger marketing base and an increase of their client base in these combined markets. Product-Extension Merger This is the type of merger that happens when companies are dealing with the production of related goods and serving the same market joining forces. This kind of merger enables the two firms to group together their products creating a variety hence having access to a larger consumer base with a higher bargaining power and thus earning bigger returns. Vertical Merger This is the type of alliance that happens when two companies producing different services or good for one particular finished good come together. Mostly occurs when companies which operate at different levels in a particular supply chain of an industry merge their operations (Fan Goyal, 2006). The merger between Mitre 9 and Maters Home Improvement is a horizontal merge as they are companies within the same line of production dealing with the sale of their services all over Australia. The horizontal merger also consolidates businesses who are competitors to each other as they tend to offer similar services or goods, companies who operate within the same geographical locality give evidence of the same as the two hardware operate in Australia and offer the same products. The merger, in most instances, is a tool where firms dealing with the production and sale of similar or complementary products identifies a market competition and come together by combining their resources and strengths with the aim of boosting their bargaining power in the market. A merger also helps in cost cutting in various aspects of cut cost leadership, transportation, advertisements, unnecessary competition and the monthly wage bill. Mergers help companies in realizing the long-term expansion of their outbound operations and profitability (DeLong, 2001). Acquisition of the other hand means, a company, in most cases a large company, purchasing a small company with all its resources and labor forces. The acquisition is important and plays a key role in organizational operations, and programming as new talents from the smaller firms are incorporated into the large company to boost its operation (Buono Bowditch, 2003). In mergers and acquisition, the business transaction will take place in the form of large or small means. In the large form, the transaction will transfer significant value in the form of investors and employees. The small form includes the sale of the business (De Man Duysters, 2005). The assumptions that were made as a result of the merger between Mitre 9, a service hardware store, and the Maters Home Improvement, a low-cost hardware store, are; The two corporations have much to gain from the merger; the assumption of globalization and the change of marketing environments has much more to gain from the merger hence more profits for the two companies. The merger will increase the bargaining power of the two hardware; the two companies assumed that through their merge they would be able to kill off unnecessary competition which had earlier made them reduce the prices of their hardware commodities. Through the merge, they will be able to increase the prices of their hardware commodities as they will have eliminated the competition between them hence, even more, profit (Andrade et al. 2001). The merger will improve the market base; through the merge, the two companies will join their resources together and become even more efficient in accessing, even more, market for their customers. They will take advantage of the internet marketing previously used by Maters Home Improvement to achieve these goals and hence improve their market sales (Hijzen et al. 2008). The assumption of equal distribution of power; the merge will result in an equal distribution of power to the various management staff initially present in the two firms. This is to ensure that both parties are equally represented in the newly formed company. The merge will lead to a joint decision making; through the equal distribution of power to management committee in the formed firm, the decision making will be done jointly with no bias to or against any individual firm. The assumption of no negative outcome from the customers or the workers; the merge assumed that there will be no negative effects will arise from customers or workers resulting from the merge and that the two companies will retain its original workers and customers. Management Decisions After The Merge For a successful merger, decisions made and the management technique put in place will determine whether the merger will survive or not. After the merge of Maters Home Improvement and Mitre 9, the management on both sides of the two companies should choose representatives to represent their companys interests in the discussion of the issues that were initially perceived as benefits to be realized after the merge. Strengths and weaknesses should be discussed and analyzed. The management should assess areas like; Mission and vision; Every business enterprise goal and aim is to generate revenue through the provision of services they render or the goods that they produce. As part of the discussion, representatives from Maters Home Improvement and Mitre 9 should address the vision and mission of the newly formed Hardware-Are-Us. The two organizations will try and align their different respective visions and mission to come up with a revised one. This is important as the vision, and the mission state gives a sense of the direction of where the newly born company is heading to. b) Strategy; the newly formed Hardware-Are-Us needs to come up with a unified and common strategy on which they will operate on. The strategy proves crucial as it provides a guide to the way forward with respect the agreed upon mission and the vision statement. Strategy in the large scale planning may prove challenging especially when Hardware-Are-Us is trying to stabilize and channeling most of its activities in the integration activities however efficient strategic processes like the Real Time Strategic Planning could prove very handy and help the staff leaders and the board at large in the process of initiating their strategic plans around the absolute significant opportunities that were seen before they two companies decided to merge and emerging issues that are currently facing Hardware-Are-Us in achieving its goals. Like, for example, the issue of Mitre 9 s outdated system should be complemented and supported by Maters Home Improvements advanced system. The newly formed Hardwar e-r-us company should thus incorporate Maters Home Improvements advanced system of online service booking system for small jobs (Melville et al. 2004). Fiscal/ monetary management: money is a very sensitive factor of production in any organization. It becomes even more sensitive when a merging organization has developed disagreement on the financial contribution and the monitoring process and continued disagreements on the financial grounds between Maters Home Improvement, and Mitre 9 will lead to a break of Hardware-Are-Us. The elected board need to agree on financial grounds like for example the process of financial oversight and the financial percentage contribution of the individual firm in the newly formed Hardware-Are-Us. The assessment of the financial matters will ensure alignment on necessity parts of monetary responsibilities of the board with zero participation of the board in the day-to-day financial management as that is left entirely to the staff. Risk management; the merge to Hardware-Are-Us did create an opportunity for the board to evaluate the risk as part of their management role. This involves processes like the maintenance of insurance policies, determination and monitoring potential risks and ascertaining that the staff is fully equipped with risk management procedures. This proves useful as Hardware-Are-Us may consider expanding through expansion program activities and determination of expansion opportunities which is a good example of risk taking activity by any business organization. Resources acquisition; Maters Home Improvement and Mitre 9 board members had very different experience in their method of acquiring resources and different expectations when involved in fund generation and development. They had a different scenario when it came to planning, investors, and approaches and of course their individual contributions. The process involved in the management and the alignment of these different experiences in Hardware-Are-Us can prove challenging, and the board needs to lay down their methods of resource acquisition and the very best be selected after a joint agreement (Wade Hulland, 2004). Program effectiveness; the process of creating an appropriate program monitor is a crucial part of the board of Hardware-Are-Us. They must create trust and respect for the respective roles so that the board does not find itself engaging in the day-to-day management of staff and programs. The board thus will depend on the staff to deliver a timely report and an effective evaluation of programs in Hardware-Are-Us. The relationship with the CEO; a merger to form Hardware-Are-Us means that if not all then part of the management committee shall be working with a new CEO. This can be problematic if part of the management committee says from the Mitre 9 side feel that their supervisory role has been minimized or may be challenged. Hence to avoid this, the board must ensure that there is a unified expectation when it comes to a relationship with the CEO and that they do not cross their line and start assuming the role of the CEO (Cybo-Ottone Murgia, 2000). Board engagement, culture, and structure; a successful board is the one that is engaged. The successfully engaged board members often find themselves being to creating an efficient and effective board structure. This will become a habit and thus develop a culture and thus success of the merge. Information System And Information Technology An information system is a component set that is integrated together and applicable in areas of data collection, storage and processing to provide the desired information. The information system entails the use of software and a hardware part of an electronic device, mostly a computer to carry out data manipulation process. Information technology entailed the usage of computers in the storage of data and information, networking and an electronic device, infrastructure and all the process that entailed the creation, storage, security and facilitated the exchange of various types of data. The use of information system in the newly formed Hardware-Are-us has an effect on the customer choice, the continued patronage, and brand loyalty in the following ways; The adoption of IT will help Hardware-Are-Us in solving problems; the use of smart applications such as the collaborative programs an example being the Kanban board and the mind mapping programs an example being X mind together with the tangible elements such as the excellent processors and memory will help the organization to conduct market research faster, give a breakdown of the findings and provide a viable scalability on which the business will operate on. This is advantageous as Hardware-Are-Us will receive a continued patronage from its shareholders, investors, and even the consumers. Incorporation of IT will be a certain proper decision making; excellent decision making by any business relies heavily on the market research done by the business. This is very much achievable through video conferencing with clients of their tastes and preferences and the improvements that Hardware-Are-Us should make, review of consumers feedback on media and industrial platforms and the use of online survey on the interest of getting consumers feedback. This can be used to improve the taste and adjust to changes that are considered drawback in their products and services Hardware-Are-Us offer and thus continued patronage and brand loyalty from consumers (Venkatesh et al. 2003). The IT has excellent marketing opportunities; Hardware-Are-Us can embrace internet marketing techniques such as Facebook Ads and SEO. These methods happen to be more efficient compared to the traditional marketing methods as they cover a larger global geographical area hence the target market can be approached from anywhere. The internet can also aid the company in building a marketing campaign through advertising hence increase on customer choice, loyalty and market (Longley et al. 2001). They can support firm's operations by improving on speed; This saves the time required to make a decision, and hence time takes to initiate an action. For example, through the use of information technologies to communicate such as the use of emails allows the management and staff to communicate instantly and initiate actions immediately compare to the traditional means such as speaking in meeting and writing letters. This can be crucial in cases where immediate response are needed to a customer and thus improves on customer trust and confidence to the company. (Hogan et al. 2002). Used to create and enhance new strategies required by the company; like for instance if a companys strategy is to minimize the cost of production, IT can be incorporated to make the overall production cost cheaper and thus the overall products of Hardware-are-us will be cheaper hence attracting more customer and retaining the existing ones. Can be useful in the creation of a competitive advantage; the use of IT by Hardware-Are-Us can be used to creating a unique technology into a product that other companies find difficult to enumerate hence reducing the threat of consumer switching to other competitive products hence ensuring brand loyalty (Laudon Laudon, 2004). How to Attract New Customers Advertisements Advertising is mainly done to create promising leads that a consumer can get for the value of money charged. Advertising creates awareness of a particular product or service that hits the targeted market and also the potential market targets and gives a showcase value that the company is willing to offer to its consumers. Advertisement can be achieved in several forms from media in the form of television and radios to billboards. Referrals and Networking Referrals from networking in addition to the past associates of the individual businesses are not only a cheap way to start the merged company but also a means to attract more consumers in possession of high retention rates (Seybold et al. 2001). Making the Company as The Solution: The hardware-are-us company should avail itself to the consumers by opening up many stalls all over the country with the company's Logo on the front and a brief description of the services they offer. By so doing the company has availed itself and has marketed itself to the people hence attracting more customers (Blattberg Deighton, 1996). Making use of the Internet Since they merged and had taken advantage of Maters Home Improvements internet and online capabilities. Hardware-Are-Us should open a web page of their own to market their products and services. They should encourage subscription through emails and Facebook so that they can send daily updates to their customers and the newly signed customers (O'Brien Marakas, 2005). Conclusion Mergers are being done everywhere as firms have realized the need to put to rest the unnecessary competition, join forces and resources and channel all their expertise to the production of goods and services at a favorable market price. Depends on the outline, vision, mission, strategies to be put in place, risks to be taken and the ones to be avoided and the management committee to be formed under to bias to a particular firm. The main problem of a merger is the dispute that may arise as a result of unequal sharing of either power, expenses, profits or lack of representation of one of the firms. A successful merger is not only profitable to the businesses merging but also to the consumer as it ensures a continued supply of their goods and services. Recommendation Proper guidelines should be laid down in the event before the merge. Factors such as the management committee, decision-making process, financial contribution of each, the workers and employees to be retained and much more should be considered. This will ensure a smooth merging process. After the merger clear guidelines of the mission, vision and goal of the newly formed company should be stipulated and ways and means to attain their realization be clearly laid down, merger can be very profitable when there are proper guidelines and division of roles and duties of each employee but when done carelessly it can lead to huge losses. References Andrade, G., Mitchell, M. L., Stafford, E. (2001). New evidence and perspectives on mergers. Bhattacherjee, A. (2001). Understanding information systems continuance: an expectation-confirmation model. MIS Quarterly, 351-370. Blattberg, R. C., Deighton, J. (1996). Manage marketing by the customer equity test. Harvard business review, 74(4), 136. Brueller, N. N., Carmeli, A., Drori, I. (2014). How do different types of mergers and acquisitions facilitate strategic agility? California Management Review, 56(3), 39-57. Brynjolfsson, E., Hitt, L. M. (2000). Beyond computation: Information technology, organizational transformation, and business performance. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14(4), 23-48. Buono, A. F., Bowditch, J. L. (2003). The human side of mergers and acquisitions: Managing collisions between people, cultures, and organizations. Beard Books. Cybo-Ottone, A., Murgia, M. (2000). Mergers and shareholder wealth in European banking. Journal of Banking Finance, 24(6), 831-859. De Man, A. P., Duysters, G. (2005). Collaboration and innovation: a review of the effects of mergers, acquisitions, and alliances on innovation. Technovation, 25(12), 1377-1387. DeLong, G. L. (2001). Stockholder gains from focusing versus diversifying bank mergers. Journal of Financial Economics, 59(2), 221-252. Dumas, M., Van der Aalst, W. M., Ter Hofstede, A. H. (2005). Process-aware information systems: bridging people and software through process technology. John Wiley Sons. Fan, J. P., Goyal, V. K. (2006). On the patterns and wealth effects of vertical mergers. The Journal of Business, 79(2), 877-902. Hijzen, A., Grg, H., Manchin, M. (2008). Cross-border mergers and acquisitions and the role of trade costs. European Economic Review, 52(5), 849-866. Hogan, J. E., Lemon, K. N., Rust, R. T. (2002). Customer equity management is charting new directions for the future of marketing. Journal of service Research, 5(1), 4-12. Laudon, K. C., Laudon, J. P. (2004). Management information systems: managing the digital firm. New Jersey, 8. Longley, P. A., Goodchild, M. F., Maguire, D. J., Rhind, D. W. (2001). Geographic information systems and science. John Wiley Sons Ltd. Melville, N., Kraemer, K., Gurbaxani, V. (2004). Review: Information technology and organizational performance: An integrative model of IT business value. MIS Quarterly, 28(2), 283-322. O'Brien, J. A., Marakas, G. (2005). Introduction to information systems. McGraw-Hill, Inc. Seybold, P. B., Marshak, R. T., Lewis, J. M. (2001). The customer revolution. New York, NY: Random House. Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 425-478. Wade, M., Hulland, J. (2004). Review: The resource-based view and information systems research: Review, Extension, and suggestions for future research. MIS Quarterly, 28(1), 107-142.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

To Kill A Mockingbird Essays (566 words) - To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird The Maturity Of Scout And Jem In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they do nothing but make music for us to enjoy. This was quoted from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a creative novelist. To Kill a Mockingbird is about a young girl named Jean-Louise Finch, her brother Jeremy Finch and many other characters. Jean- Louise is nick-named Scout and Jeremy is nick-named Jem. Their father Atticus ,who was a lawyer, had been given a case to handle and did not have any choice but to receive it and work his best for his client. The case was about an African man, named Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white woman. Throughout the story the reader sees how Scout and Jem are afraid of Boo because they think he is a monster and try to tease him. They try to play tricks on Boo. Later in the novel they are no longer afraid of him and are no longer interested in teasing him. Another example of their maturity is how they view people. When Scout and Jem see how Tom Robinson is treated just because he is black, they begin to understand the meaning of prejudice. No one comes to help Tom Robinson except their father who defends him when Tom is accused of raping a white woman. Scout watches the trial and believes that he will be found innocent. Instead, Tom Robinson is found guilty. Her disappointment in the verdict makes Scout question the idea of justice. Who in this town did one thing to help Tom Robinson, just who? (215) Scout and Jem had believe that their father was not like any other fathers in school. They see him as an old man who can't do anything. However, when a mad dog appears on the street, Atticus, their farther, kills that dog with one shot. They are surprised to learn that he is the best shot in the town. They're attitude towards their father has changed. This is a sign of maturity. The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brown-and-white heap. He didn't know what hit him. (96) Jem became vaguely articulate, 'you see him, Scout? You see him just stand there? All of a sudden he just relaxed all over. it looked like that gun was a part of him...and he did it so quick, like... I hafta to aim for ten minutes fore I can hit something,...'(97) Another incident which shows Scout's maturing is when she overhears her teacher saying that it is a good thing Tom Robinson was convicted because the black were getting too high and mighty. This disturbs scout very much because the teacher is always telling them about democracy and the persecution of Jews yet it is OK to persecute the blacks. Scout wonder how her teacher could be so contradictory. The last incident which brings Scout to adulthood is when she and Jem are brought safely home from their attacker by boo. She finally has the courage to stand on the Radley porch, and the kids are no longer afraid of Boo Radley. They now understand him. Scout and Jem mature during the duration of the novel by watching the events happen around them. They learn to examine the institutions around them more closely and to accept people as they are. Bibliography Me, Myself, and I Legal Issues

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Discussion on management plan in Song Thanh Nature Reserve, Quangnam province, Vietnam The WritePass Journal

Discussion on management plan in Song Thanh Nature Reserve, Quangnam province, Vietnam Introduction Discussion on management plan in Song Thanh Nature Reserve, Quangnam province, Vietnam Introduction1.  Ã‚  Governance and planning system2.  Threats2.1.  Hunting and fishing2.2.  Logging2.3.  Over-exploitation of non-timber forest products (NTFPs)2.4.  Forest conversion2.5.   Freshwater degradation2.6.  Construction of roads and hydropower dam 3.  Management challenges3.1.  Legislation challenges3.2.  Lack of number and qualified staffs and equipments3.3.  Lack of budget3.4.  Lack of participatory management mechanism and communication with communities in the buffer zone 4.  The issues should be included in the management plan of the nature reserve and recommendations4.1.  Management objectivesLong-term visionObjectivesManagement: Protection: Research and monitoring:Community cooperation and economic development:4.2.  Management ActivitiesManagement activities:Protection activities:Research and monitoring:Community cooperation and economic development:4.3.   Implementation plansManagement:Protection:Research and monitoring:Community co operation and economic development:Boundary demarcationVillage Protection TeamsConservation education4.4.   Monitoring and EvaluationReferencesRelated Introduction 1.  Ã‚  Governance and planning system Song Thanh Nature Reserve is managed by the Management Board with 31 staffs at present. There are one director and two vice directors on the management board. Six staffs are doing administrative work; two staffs belong to the Research and Monitoring unit; remained ones belong to Protection unit. The nature reserve management board is under the direct management of provincial Forest Protection Depatment of Quangnam province. The role of management board is to: i) protect natural resources, landscape and environment; ii) cooperate with universities, research institutes to carry out research on forest and biodiversity conservation; iii) cooperate with other agencies (e.g. NGOs), to carry out awareness raising, community development, ecotourism and staff training activities; iv) monitor and evaluate natural resources. Besides, nature reserve’s staffs are also cooperated with other agencies, such as district forest rangers, policemen and soldiers in protecting natural resources. The joined enforcement campaigns are sometimes launched to stop illegal mining, logging, hunting in the nature reserve; but these events do not happen regularly due to the budget limitation. There are four ethnic groups inhabiting in the buffer zone of the nature reserve. These people are highly dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods and have cultural and spiritual practices based on the forest. However, all the natural forest belongs to government and co-management has not been established in this area yet. According to the current management system in Vietnam, the nature reserve management plan should be made by the Management Development Team of the reserve’s Management Board that may including director and/or vice director, forest protection staffs, enforcement staffs, finance staffs. The management plan must be endorsed by Forest Protection Department and approved by Provincial People Committee for allocating the budget, staffs, etc. before implementing. 2.  Threats Based on an assessment of the threats to Song Thanh Nature Reserve recently, six major threats were identified.   2.1.  Hunting and fishing The majority of threatened species in Song Thanh Nature Reserve are large mammals.   These species is directly targeted for subsistence consumption and for trade as bushmeat, medicine, pets or ornamental use. Some species, especially wild pig, muntjac, macaques, porcupines, civets and rats are seen as serious threats to agriculture and so are trapped to protect crops. Hunting activities have been done not only by local people living surrounding the reserve but also by outsiders. The current intensity of such hunting combined with trade driving hunting results in un-sustainable hunting pressures. Fishing is also been considered as over harvested and exploit environment with bad practices such as the use of explosives, poison and electricity. 2.2.  Logging Although enforcement efforts have been increasing, illegal logging in Song Thanh Nature Reserve still happen. Logging can be conducted by outsiders and local people for trade or for home uses. Logs are removed from the forest either by river or by buffalo. Illegal logging driven by the trade is more serious and can lead to the extirpation of some species from Song Thanh Nature Reserve such as the critically endangered Hopea hiananensis.   . 2.3.  Over-exploitation of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) Harvesting of NTFPs (not including animals or timber) is conducted by a wide range of people for numerous reasons, including local communities and outsiders.   The products harvested are many, but include aquilaria, honey, rattan, ‘uoi’ fruit, fire wood, palm fronds and bamboo shoots. The products harvested are for trade and subsistence uses. Once external forces are involved in harvest, collection rates can increase past sustainable levels and so resources are depleted.   This not only effects biodiversity, but also removes critical resources for local communities, the majority of which are not collecting for trade, but for subsistence. 2.4.  Forest conversion The conversion of forest to agricultural land and Acacia plantation is one of main causes of deforestation and forest degradation in the buffer zone and this may make more pressure to the core zone. This problem has been considered as the effect of population increase and land demand for agriculture and plantation recently. Besides, the upgrading of roads cutting through the core zone of the reserve provides access to forest areas and could result in large scale forest conversion along these roads.   Not only would this effect forest cover, but also could potentially disrupt habitat connectivity, vastly reducing the effectiveness of the reserve as a core area for wide-ranging species such as tiger. 2.5.   Freshwater degradation Freshwater are an important ecosystem both in terms of biodiversity and local community resources.   Water quality and fresh water biodiversity have been seriously affected by illegal gold mining and exploited fishing activities recently. Gold miners use poisonous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide in accelerating process. The issue of poisoning also needs addressing, both from the point of view of biodiversity loss and human health. 2.6.  Construction of roads and hydropower dam Road construction is considered as indirect threat to habitat in the reserve. The continuousness of forest cover is broken within the core zone in two locations and within two corridors in the buffer zone due to road construction. Three hydropower dams are proposed for construction in the buffer zone.   The potential of forest loss and the affects indigenous freshwater biodiversity would be happened.   Although the dams will not be in the core zone, the flooding will extend into these areas.  Ã‚   This is likely to prevent the migration and so breeding of many species. Reservoirs almost without exception are subject to release of non-native fish species.   These can have large effects on indigenous species, often leading to the local extinction. 3.  Management challenges 3.1.  Legislation challenges The boundary of Song Thanh nature reserve is inadequate at some places that have not designed based on biological and social – economic requirements. The boundary demarcations are not clearly known by the management authorities and local residents. The management plan has been prepared but not well implemented 3.2.  Lack of number and qualified staffs and equipments According to the approved investment plan for Song Thanh Nature Reserve, the number of staff should be 92. However, there are only 25 staffs at present in the management board. The guard ratio is about 4,000 hectares/guard. This ratio makes it impossible for a guard to fulfill his job. The capacity of the staffs is also inadequate to carry out their tasks because most of the staffs graduated in silviculture, having little knowledge or experience of conservation. Additional obstacles to the effective functioning of the forest protection staffs are poor living and working conditions, lack of communications, office and technical equipment. 3.3.  Lack of budget Song Thanh nature reserve management board has not been able to carry out many activities, in particularly research and biodiversity monitoring in the reserve due to the lack of funding. The fund for the reserve’s operations is just come from Quangnam province and basically for the staff’s salaries. Other fund sources via the conservation projects funded by NGOs are not continuous and stable. 3.4.  Lack of participatory management mechanism and communication with communities in the buffer zone Song Thanh management board is only given responsibility over core zone. Local communities have some inputs into discussions relating to its management but on direct involvement in decision. The village/community patrol teams, established under conservation projects to protect the forests within and around the villages, and forest protection agreements between communities and the reserve’s management board were recognized as good models in some villages, but those have not worked well recently after the projects finished due to budget constraints. 4.  The issues should be included in the management plan of the nature reserve and recommendations 4.1.  Management objectives The management objectives should be clearly addressed including long-term vision and short-term objectives. Long-term vision The biodiversity and local cultural traditions in and around Song Thanh Nature Reserve, are effectively managed and protected by rangers in partnership with local communities whilst ensuring sustainable development of the buffer zone and, as a core component of the Central Annamites Landscape, ecosystem processes are maintained and enhanced. Objectives Management: Budget and resources are efficiently utilised by trained, motivated and monitored staff to achieve realistic targets towards strategic objectives within the framework of an adaptive management plan Protection: Threats to natural resources across the whole nature reserve are minimised by trained, motivated and equipped rangers and communities in partnership with related departments through a coordinated patrolling and monitoring implementation plan within a law enforcement strategy. Research and monitoring: Forest management, protection and monitoring activities are focused on key areas identified based on priority species by a trained scientific and monitoring unit working towards a strategic plan for area, species, forest cover, priority habitats and freshwater conservation. Community cooperation and economic development: Effective forest protection and resource management is conducted in partnership with empowered and informed communities and other stakeholders in each commune within Song Thanh Nature Reserve, facilitating sustainable economic development in the buffer zone. 4.2.  Management Activities Management actions should be grouped according to the objectives to which they will contribute and the target by which they will be monitored. Management activities: Include management planning, personal management, capacity building and those should be considered as critical priority Protection activities: Should include law enforcement strategy, reduce trapping, gun removal, removal of illegal gold mining, developing informant network; and those should be considered as high priority. Research and monitoring: Should establish the Research and Monitoring unit and carry out biological socio-economic researches; and those should be considered as high priority. Community cooperation and economic development: Should include reserve’s boundary re-design, community co-management, forest land allocation and conservation education. In which, community co-management is considered highest priority. 4.3.   Implementation plans Management: The responsible person, partners, implementing time of each activity should be clearly addressed in the implementation plan. The monitoring plan is also set up together with annual management review. Protection: The duty of Protection unit is to protect the forest and its resources.   This can involve many approaches which in this management plan are lumped into two objectives: protection and community cooperation. Each activity or group of activities of patrol, trap removal campaign, gun removal campaign, gold mining removal, informant network, violation database, etc. should be mentioned in detail in the implementation plan. Research and monitoring: The primary function of this unit is to directly monitor the values of Song Thanh Nature Reserve, using the results to inform and adapt management actions.   The primary values of Song Thanh Nature Reserve are biodiversity and watershed related. The animal abundance would be measured and the threats to biodiversity would also be monitored over time by Research and Monitoring unit with supported from rangers whenever they go to the forest. The science work focussing on identifying the distribution of and key locations for the conservation of the priority values would be done in the Nature Reserve. Where key values are localised such as a population of doucs or a community sacred forest, the Research and Monitoring Unit will be charged with delineating an Intensive Protection Zone in consultation with local communities.   These zones will then have specific management actions designed by the Research and Monitoring Unit in cooperation with the reserve management board and local communities to ensure the persistence of values. Community cooperation and economic development: The development of effective co-management involves many steps as outlined in the actions of the management plan above.   It is impossible to extract one section of the process without the others being hindered. Therefore the process is explained here step-by-step to facilitate its complete implementation. Gaining community consensus on the boundary of the reserve is critical for enforcing the laws of the reserve adequately, ensuring high value forest is protected and not disenfranchising local communities from their resources.   Community consultation on the reserve boundary will therefore be sought and the boundary re-designed and demarcated in the forest. Core Zone delineation and buffer zone land allocation are inseparable activities. Community consultation on land allocation will be conducted by ‘District Allocation Teams’.   The Community Cooperation Unit in partnership with the Director and Section Leaders should ensure that commune rangers are involved with this activity in each commune. Once all communes have agreed to the boundary location a report will be produced by the Community Cooperation Unit and reviewed by Section Heads and the Director. Boundary demarcation Major boundary posts should be placed on forest entry points as well as prominent features such as ridge tops and rivers.   Smaller boundary markers should be placed every 1km around the boundary of the reserve. Defining clear boundaries is one pre-requisite of effective community-based conservation. Village co-management agreements called ‘Huong Uocs’ will be developed in each village.   These form the basis of sustainable forest management in the village including sustainable harvest and resource protection mechanisms. ‘Village Protection Teams’ (community patrol groups) are to be established to enable communities to protect their forest resources.   This permits sustainable harvest mechanisms to be established and assists with protection goals as ‘outsiders’ should be excluded from the core zone of Song Thanh.   Village Protection Teams will consist of two to five members per village who are voted for by the community.   These teams will work together and with commune officials to conduct patrols.   Establishment should follow the working example in Tabhing commune, Nam Giang district. Field demarcation of co-managed zones will require one to two months per commune and involve a lot of field time.   Demarcation will be trialled in Tabhing commune during 2005 with replication in other communes in subsequent years will all communes being completed by the end of 2006. Village Protection Teams Essentially community patrols groups, Village Protection Teams are established to empower communities to protect their natural resources from outsiders so providing a ‘closed access’ system that can be managed and harvest sustainable.   As well as facilitating an increase and stabilisation of natural capital (so acting as one avenue for poverty alleviation) these teams also assist the nature reserve in preventing access to the core zone by outside violators. Conservation education A member of the Community Cooperation Unit will be nominated to develop a conservation education programme for Song Thanh Nature Reserve in partnership with the rest of the unit and the commune rangers. 4.4.   Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring has been intrinsically built into all activities.   Three major steps to be taken to ensure all activities are conducted to the highest standards possible, within the allotted time schedule, by the most appropriate rangers and with full community consensus are: Strategic action planning to achieve realistic, clearly defined targets within the framework of a management plan and operational plans. Strong personnel management to ensure all rangers know what, when and how to conduct tasks.   Monthly, two-way time planning and annual reviews will ensure rangers continue to work towards personnel, departmental, station and reserve goals and annual targets. The creation of the scientific research and monitoring department will ensure an independent monitoring system to each target and facilitate the knowledge required for and the understanding of, the importance of monitoring and evaluation systems. References Nguyen Thi Dao 2002. Co-management of Protected Areas: Finding Solutions for Song Thanh Nature Reserve, Vietnam. Thesis. DICE, University of Kent, UK

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Great Depression Essay †The Worst of Times - BestEssay.education

The Great Depression Essay – The Worst of Times The Great Depression Essay If your grandparents are still alive, they probably lived through the Great Depression – that really dark period in American history, between 1929 and 1941, when life was really horrible for a whole bunch of people. If you have read about it, then you have the basic facts. If you haven’t yet, then you may be asking yourself, â€Å"What is the Great Depression?† Simply put, it was a time in our history when we experienced the worst economic circumstances in all of our history – bank failures, terribly high unemployment, wages that could not support families, and high rate of home foreclosures. Does this sound familiar? It should. A Look at the Causes of the Great Depression The 1920’s came in like a tornado. World War I was over, and people were happy about that. Prohibition was also in effect, and people were not very happy about that. Jazz and the Charleston dance were the rage. Women cut their hair and raised their skirt lengths; men drove flashy convertibles. Life was good. But the warning signs were there. Banks were lending money wildly – to startup businesses, to real estate developers, and to individuals who wanted to buy homes and cars; stock brokerage firms were loaning money to people so they could invest in the Stock Market, and companies that were selling that stock were selling more than their companies were worth. Lots of risks were being taken with no government regulations to curtail them. It was a time of â€Å"do whatever you want.† Unfortunately, that behavior cannot last forever and the cracks began to appear in the summer of 1929. They soon became trenches and, in October of that year, the Stock Market crashed. That was followed by â€Å"runs† on the banks, as people tried to get their money out. The banks did not have the money – they had lent it all out. Banks failed. Companies went bankrupt, and people lost their jobs. So, if you need to write an essay on any of these causes, you can easily compare them t o the â€Å"crash† of 2008 and then explain why were able to avert a depression this time around. The Effects of the Great Depression Many of the effects were outlined for you above – high unemployment, loss of life savings, home foreclosures, and so on. Enter Franklin Roosevelt The short-term effects of the Great Depression were devastating, and in 1932 the country changed course and elected a Democrat to the White House, giving control of Congress to the Democrats as well. Thus began a series of programs, new laws and regulations, and controls on lending institutions that were designed to prevent this from every happening again. And most of those regulations and laws are still in effect today. But monied people and financial institutions have a way of finding methods to â€Å"skirt† the regs, and that is why it all came crashing down again. Essay Topics There are so many possibilities. You can look at a single cause, a single effect; you can look at how society coped; you can look at the fights in Congress as each new relief bill or program was introduced. And, even more interesting, you can compare the causes and effects of the Great Depression with the financial crisis of 2008. The Great Depression was a â€Å"dark† but fascinating piece of American history. We need to study it a bit more as we still seek solutions.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Emerging Piracy Threat off the West African Coast and Somali Piracy Essay

Emerging Piracy Threat off the West African Coast and Somali Piracy - Essay Example One definition, which relies on international law, confines piracy to attacks on the high seas and restricts attacks on state territorial waters. The other definition of piracy is more practical and is used by the international maritime bureau that encompasses both high seas and state territorial attacks. Lack of a common definition of piracy makes piracy a threat to almost all ports. This is because there is no known extent of piracy, no accurate and binding statistics on piracy activities hence inadequate allocation of resources to avert this menace (Great Britain: Parliament, 2006, p.10-11). Generally, piracy involves acts of robbery or criminal violence at sea and those who commit piracy are known as pirates. However, the definition of piracy under the 1992 Special Report on Piracy of the International Maritime Bureau as an act of boarding a vessel with an intention to commit robbery or other criminal activities with an ability to use force in attaining this goal. In the West African Coast and Somali coastline, this includes attacks on the vessel on passage, in port, at anchor, against the cargo, passengers, and crew of the vessel (Beckman, 1994, p.5). It entails simply attacking a ship or facilitating that attack. For a fact, piracy has adverse effects on the daily running of port operations (Talley, 2009, p.34-37), world security, and international business. Indeed, maritime piracy has direct costs on humanitarian assistance, adversely affects maritime economic activities like fishing, oil production and cost of energy, tourism, insurance, and shipping costs (Mbekeani and Ncube, 2011, p. 5). Upon hijacking vessels, the pirates call for ransoms to release the hijacked vessels. In 2011, ransom reached an epitome when Greek owners paid $13.5 million for the release of the Irene, an oil tanker.  Ã‚  

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Elements of Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elements of Design - Research Paper Example Sylbert had a tremendous impact on the film and, along with the art director W. Stewart Campbell, would be nominated for an Academy Award (Eaton). In terms of specific contributions, Sylbert oversaw the costuming which placed strong emphasis on 1930s accuracy. In addition, it was Sylbert’s responsibility to design and structure the facades that would be built as the vintage backdrop (Eaton). In these regards, he constructed bleach-washed facades that were reminiscent of drought-era 1930s Los Angeles. Art Director The film’s production designer was W. Stewart Campbell. W. Stewart Campbell worked directly with Richard Sylbert in envisioning and constructing general mise-en-scene elements. In this specific film Campbell contributed more to the specific mise-en-scene within the context of individual scenes, whereas Sylbert functioned as constructing the overarching production model (Eaton). Ultimately, both individuals would be nominated for Best Art Director. Use of light in the scene Lighting is a highly important element in the scene. Indeed, the neo-noir conventions of the film are such that lighting is one of the most distinguishing features of its aesthetic. In this specific scene this noir lighting is highly evident. In these regards, the scene occurs at night and many of the on-looker’s faces are ensconced in darkness. Even when the film focuses in on Noah Cross he is wearing a hat and his faced remains dark ("It's chinatown," 2011). The obvious implications of this dark lighting are that they indicate an overarching cynical perspective on existence and a morally ambiguous environment. This is also reflected throughout the entire film, as even the supposedly good characters engage in some morally dubious behavior. Setting The setting of the particular scene occurs in an external setting on the street in Los Angeles’ Chinatown. The specific time period is the 1930s. This is significant to the film as it is a formative period in Lo s Angeles development as they were experiencing tremendous water shortages, which would be a motivating element of action in the film. In addition, the specific culture of Chinatown, as evidenced in the scene’s final line ‘It’s Chinatown’ demonstrates a culture of crime. Costuming As noted earlier, rather than implementing a fanciful characterization of 1930s costuming, the production design greatly focused on constructing accurate period clothing. In this specific scene the characters are contained in suits with hats. The similarity of the good character – J.J. Gittes – with the costume of the bad – Noah Cross – demonstrates that one of the film’s underlining themes is moral ambiguity. Still, Noah Cross wears a billed hat that shrouds his eyes in darkness, designating him as an evil force ("It's chinatown," 2011). Furthermore, Katherine is wearing a white dress, greatly contrasting her from the others, and heightening he r sense of innocence and purity ("It's chinatown," 2011). Hairstyle and Makeup In terms of hairstyle, all the characters are wearing hats so this is not a factor in the scene. Makeup, however, plays an important role in the film as J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is featured with a cut nose ("It's chinatown," 2011). While the cut is from earlier in the film, it is prominently witnessed in this scene

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The latter part of Act 3 in his play The Crucible The Crucible Essay Example for Free

The latter part of Act 3 in his play The Crucible The Crucible Essay The Crucible is a very enthralling play to read and especially to watch. The way that Miller is able to build up his characters and put them into such exaggerated situations in The Crucible is breathtaking. He has the ability to illustrate what might naturally happen in situations such as this, showing us periods within the whole scenario where things calm down, or reach a climax. He is a magician of the greatest kind, using words and stage directions to perform his feats of trickery rather than illusion. Act 3 of the play is undoubtedly a climax and the setting of the scene introduces us to a much more sinister turn of events than might be expected in another setting. According to Millers own stage direction the Act is set in the vestry room of the Salem meeting house, described as a solemn and heavy room. Hence the atmosphere and setting are perfect in creating a feeling of extreme McCarthyism, a period where accusations were thrown out left and right in the American government, each participant in the fight not willing to take the punch, but diverting it to another contestant when it gets too close. All this time I think the one controlling it all, the referee of the match, the manager of all the teams if you will, is Abigail. This play is set in Salem, a time in the seventeen or eighteen hundreds, when most racial and religious minorities had moved to the new America. This play in particular focuses in a small Puritan town where religion is held at the forefront of society. In this time acts of God and of the devil were, wholly believed, and in this small town a group of young girls played on this immense superstition for their own gains. That is where the story is set, the girls blamed people they disliked of witchcraft and hundreds of people were burned on false accusations. But this play was in fact written as a reflection of the earlier part of this century, where a senator by the name of Joseph McCarthy played on the American peoples fears of communism to rise to fame. He, like the girls, told the government that he had a list of communists present in the American government, in Hollywood and in most walks of life. He ruined thousands of peoples livelihoods, but never had any evidence against anyone. This terrible time in the 1920s to 40s is what Miller wants to really reflect upon in his play.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Fate in Oedipus the King Fate. Even the word alone is intimidating. I believe I can safely say that everyone at one point in their lives have wondered about fate. "Christian fate" is something that I have never thought of before, though it is something that I believe in with all my heart. I believe that each person has a fate in store for them. Are human lives just a predetermined course of events? The idea of destiny is one that has been written about since the beginning of time. In Sophocles' drama, Oedipus the King, fate seems to have a strong hold during the entire tale. How much of this story truly reflects reality? Where does Christianity fit into the picture of fate? These are the thoughts of the growing world around us. The thought of something predetermined for our lives is a frightening one. Put yourself in Oedipus' position. He was told he would one day kill his father and sleep with his mother. Who wouldn't try and alter their future if told such horrid news? I believe that even though this ending was always going to happen to Oedipus he still had the chance to change the outcome. This same idea is reflected in each one of our lives as well. Oedipus made decisions that led to his sad ending. God knows the ending of our lives. He knows what is in store for us. Does this mean that we have no choice or say in what happens in our lives? In my opinion, it doesn't. God knows what choices we are going to make. Like us, Oedipus had choices to make. Society often blames God for rough times in their lives, but most of the time the rough moments are results from our own bad choices. Sophocles cleverly weaves this idea into his drama. I'm not sure if Oedipus could have changed his future by holding in his temper. Thankfully, our lives are not determined by Greek gods, but by the one true God, who gives us a choice for our future. Christians, like Oedipus, know their fate. We know Jesus is preparing a place for us in heaven.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Bowlby’s Ethological Attachment Theory Essay

Abstract Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory bases its argument on the premise that human individuals, just like animals have a tendency to have a natural inclination to establish and maintain lasting affectionate bonds (attachments) to the familiar and irreplaceable others. Bowlby further asserts that once the attachments are established, the strength, and stability of the links is related the emotional stability and well-being of the individual throughout life. Bowlby proposes that the attachment initially form during infancy and often involve one primary attachment figure (mostly the mother or other primary caregiver). However, growth from childhood to adulthood results in the development of other secondary and multiple attachments which are organized into hierarchies from the most accessible to the least accessible. This forms the lifespan development of an individual as attachment needs for comfort and closeness shift from parents to peers as part of a healthy lifespan development. This paper discusses Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory as a theory of lifespan development. The paper is organized with an introduction which briefly discusses the concept of ethology and its ancestry from the study on the graylag geese by Konrad Lorenz. It further presents the contributions of Bowlby and the applications of the theory on human beings lifespan development and contemporary practice. The paper logically ends with a conclusion. Introduction Ethology emphasizes that human behavior is tied to evolution and biology, and is therefore characterized by critical periods. According to ethnologists, the critical periods are time frames during which the presence of lack of certain experiences exerts long-lasting influence on human individuals. The concept of ethology rose to prominence after a European zoologist (Lorenz) undertook a behavioral study on graylag geese and their behavior of following their mothers immediately after they hatch (Marga, 2011). In his  attempt to study on attachment, Lorenz subdivided the eggs laid by one goose into two groups with one being given to the mother for hatching while the other was hatched in an incubator. The goslings hatched by the mother followed the mother immediately after hatching while those hatched in the incubator followed Lorenz sine he was the one they saw immediately after hatching. Even after marking the goslings and placing them in a box, the goslings run to the mother and Lo renz according immediately after the box was opened (van der Horst & van der Veer, 2009). Lorenz described the process as imprinting. Imprinting refers to the process through which rapid, innate learning takes place and involves the creation of attachment to the first mobile object visible to a newly hatched gosling. John Bowlby took the concept ahead illustrating an application of ethological theory on human behavior and development. In his view, attachment to a caregiver during the first year of a child has significant consequences throughout the individual’s lifespan. In his words, attachment influences human relationships â€Å"from the cradle to the grave† (Pitman & Scharfe, 2010, p. 201). Bowlby argues that if the attachment is both positive and secure, the individual has a high likelihood of developing positively through childhood and into adulthood. On the other side, if the attachment is both negative and insecure, the individual has high chances of not attaining optimal life-span development. It is the concern of human individuals that they reach optimal lifespan development, something that ethological theory partly tries to explain. This paper discusses Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory and its applications in the course of lifespan development. Bowlby’s perspectives on ethological attachment theory From the perspective of ethological theory, babies have an innate biological preparation to participate actively towards the establishment of a bond with caregivers. The ethological theory holds that such an attachment promotes the likelihood that the genes of individuals survive (Makulincer & Shaver, 2012). The theory also posits that the behaviors of children are best understood in the context of their adaptive value hence they seek to fully integrate with the entire organism-environment arrangement. This includes physical, social as well as the cultural aspects an individual is exposed to in the course of life-span development. While Bowlby’s ethological theory  places its emphasis on genetics and biological aspects of development, learning also plays an integral role in life-span development since it facilitates flexibility and adaptation of human behavior. One of Bowlby’s concerns had to do with the ability of children raised in other institutions such as orphanages to form lasting relationships. Bowlby’s proposal was that children who grow up in institutions such as orphanages have difficulties when it comes to love because they never had the opportunity to establish attachments to a mother figure in the early stage of their lives. The attachment, in Bowlby’s view, is an emotional bond established between two people and this attachment is vital in the building of healthy relationships (Makulincer, Shaver & Berant, 2013). He argued that the bonding process starts at birth and runs through to later stages in life. Below six months, the infant is attached to the primary caregiver. Between six to eighteen months, the separation of the child from the attachment figure upsets the child causing frequent cries. Another accompanying behavior at this stage is the fear of strangers. While infants develop a primary attachment to a single caregiver, researchers also argue that other significant attachments also develop. Such attachments include those with siblings, fathers, and other close figures who interact with the child. Mary Ainsworth, an American scholar to study the area of attachment describes the attachments as secondary attachments (Marga, 2011). She further describes secondary attachments as important bonds in the life-span development of an individual. These attachments are vital since the child has to live in world beyond the mother/primary caregiver. Secondary attachments help in the transformation of the child from the comfortable symbiotic relationship that he/she initially forms with the primary caregiver to include others in the society (Makulincer & Shaver, 2012). It is from this development that the child is able to develop age-appropriate independence and autonomy in the course of life-span development. Children imitate their models and the positive interactions with the caregiver promote a sense of identity and attachment. Children also develop multiple attachments as witnessed in Ainsworth’s secondary attachments (Marga, 2011). A father who is warm and affectionate towards the child becomes emotionally involved with the child and establishes attachment. Researchers also find that when sons feel understood by their fathers, they develop attachments towards, their  fathers. On the other side, when sons feel misunderstood by their fathers, they did not only feel afraid of them but also did not want to be like the male parent in the future. The lesson here is that paternal affection and understanding are key components that help in the promotion of positive relationships and attachments between a male parent and the child. According to Sable (2008), Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory is recognized as a lifespan developmental theory. The author further argues that it is relevant in the understanding of how early affection experiences exert influence on emotional and physical well being of an individual both in childhood and adulthood. The author specifically singles the importance of Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory in clinical practice as it helps in understanding clients’ distress and the carrying out of psychotherapy. Contemporary research on neurobiology of attachment extends the basis of Bowlby’s conception of an attachment behavior system and suggests that its functions are executed in the brain’s right hemisphere, specifically the right cortex (Sable, 2008). Just like Bowlby asserts that attachment system evolves on the need for protection from environmental dangers such as predation, the brain is also an evolving organ largely influenced by â€Å"nat ural selection† (Sable, 2008, p. 22) and later shaped by environmental experiences. It is from this realization that knowledge of attachment theories becomes invaluable in psychotherapy. Application of Bowlby’s ethological attachment in lifespan development According to Pitman & Scharfe (2010), the principles of attachment theory are distinctively visible in moments of distress or sickness when the individual feels that their survival is under threat. However, there are many other instances when attachment behaviors are manifest such as children’s first experiences in schools and day care centers. Pitman & Scharfe (2010) observe that during the first day in day care centers, children experience increases in cortisol levels and heart rates. In the course of an individual’s developmental lifespan, other incidences include airport separations when couples display attachment behaviors as well as distress irrespective of their attachment security. Knowledge of attachment is useful in psychotherapy. According to Pitman & Scharfe (2010), individuals with high attachment anxiety and avoidance experience greater physical symptoms in comparison with individuals who have low attachment anxiety and avoidance. The researchers  also report on the existence of an association between attachment anxiety and avoidance on one hand and depression on the other across varying age groups. These range from samples of children and adolescents, emerging adults, married couples, community samples in transition to parenthood, university samples, as well as clinical samples. The results indicate an association between higher attachment anxiety and avoidance with depression (Sable, 2008). The establishment of attachment with the therapists determines the effectiveness of a therapist in giving assistance to a client. Bowlby believes that the development of a new attachment with a therapist enables the therapist to assist the client in revising the story of the client’s life into a more consiste nt narrative. According to Sable (2010), the role of the therapist is to provide a springboard for change and this is possible through joint exploration of the painful feelings and the unhappy events that contribute the current emotional problems of the client. In order to win this trust, the therapist ought to become a relatively secure base where the client experiences safety and support. The therapist has to cultivate for this attachment through calming and soothing interactions although it may take some time before the therapist is accepted and felt as emotionally familiar and affectively accustomed to the client. One of the applications of Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory by clinicians is in the assessment of the client’s attachment style so that the clinician can regulate the therapeutic approach (Sable, 2010). The outcomes of a therapy process reveal that avoidant outpatients show minimal clinical improvements in comparison to the secure and anxious outpatients after individual therapy (Makulincer, Shaver & Berant, 2013). They also report that in a study carried out in a university program training clinic, avoidant attachment had an inverse relationship to psychotherapy outcome. Researchers agree that problems in the working alliance between clients and therapists partially mediate the avoidance-outcome association. In another sample of clients with eating disorders, avoidant-attachment was linked with dropout of group psychotherapy. Another contemporary application of Bowlby’s ethological theory is in the diagnosis of the reactive attachment disorder. Follan & Minnis (2009) investigate the cases of the forty-four juvenile thieves described as affectionless psychopaths. Out of the sampled ‘juvenile thieves,’ 86 percent had undergone through prolonged separation  from primary caregivers in the early stages of their lives apart from being placed under multiple care placements. Follan & Minnis (2009) find out that in their sample, 60 percent of children with reactive attachment disorder had been separated from their homes either resulting from neglect or other types of maltreatment. According to Bowlby, the experience of separation from primary caregivers was a key etiological factor contributing towards the development of difficulties in children. These findings lend credence to Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory in the diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder (RAD). While Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory receives worldwide support, it also faces some criticisms. One such criticism is its reliance on biology and evolution as the basis of development as well as the use of selective observations in naturalistic situations. Marga (2011) presents contradicting reports of a study involving 162 farm children where there was no relation between infant training on one hand and personality development on the other. As a result, the research er implores scientists to â€Å"quit blaming mom† as a dismissal to Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory. While the criticisms are there, Bowlby’s ethological theory receives widespread support and application as it relates to the lifespan development of an individual. Conclusion The behavioral development of a human being begins at birth and occurrences at the formative years determine the personality development of the individual later in adulthood. Many theories such as the behavioral and psychoanalytic theories explain personality development of the human individual. The quality of the entire human life is the accurate measure of effective lifespan development of the individual. Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory argues that human individuals develop attachments to primary caregivers that are affectionate and supportive. As individuals grow, they develop other secondary and multiple attachments with peers in order to get security as they interact with different environments. Bowlby’s perspective has received widespread acceptance although it has also been criticized for placing emphasis on biology and evolution. Nevertheless, the theory receives application in psychotherapy. Researchers report that clients are open up to therapists after they develop a feeling of security and attachment with the therapist. There is evidence that psychotherapy  outcomes also depend on the establishment of attachment between the client and the therapist. There is also a link between avoidant-attachment and dropout of group psychotherapy. The theory specifically helps in understanding the distress of clients in various stages in life and this facilitates positive outcomes during physiotherapy. There is further evidence that Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory also helps in the diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder. As individuals grow from childhood to adulthood, their attachments change due to changes in the environment, making Bowlby’s ethological theory a theory of lifespan development. References Follan, M., & Minnis, H. (2009). Forty-four juvenile thieves revisited: From Bowlby to reactive attachment disorder. Child: care, health and development 36(5): 639-645. Makulincer, M., & Shaver, P.R. (2012). Adult Attachment Orientations and Relationship Processes. Journal of Family Theory & Review 4: 259-274. Makulincer, M., Shaver, P.R., & Berant, E. (2013). An attachment perspective on therapeutic processes and outcomes. Journal of Personality 81(6): 606-616. Marga, V. (2011). The Social Nature of the Mother’s Tie to Her Child: John Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment in Post-war America. British Journal for the History of Science 44(3): 401-426. Pitman, R., & Scharfe, E. (2010).Testing the function of attachment hierarchies during emerging adulthood. Personal Relationships 17(2): 201-216. Sable, P. (2008). What is Adult Attachment? Clinical Social Work Journal 36(1): 21-30. van der Horst, F.C.P., & van der Veer, R. (2009). Separation and divergence: The untold story of Ja mes Robertson’s and John Bowlby’s theoretical dispute on mother-child separation. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences 45(3): 236-252.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Gran Torino Film Review

Gran Torino Gran Torino is an American drama film, released in 2008 film directed and produced by and also starring Clint Eastwood. Set in Detroit, Michigan it was the first mainstream U. S. film to feature Hmong Americans. Gran Torino was a critical and commercial success, grossing nearly $270 million worldwide and is also said to be Clint Eastwood’s most successful film, but as like many films Gran Torino received both praise and criticism. Gran Torino† tells the story of Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), a grizzled Korean War veteran whose wife recently passed away. Walt lives alone with his dog in a Detroit, the neighborhood he’s lived in for well over 30 years in no longer populated as he would say ‘lower middle class white folks’, but has turned into an Asian neighborhood. A Hmong family lives next door, a grandmother, single mother and her two teenagers Thao (Bee Vang) and Sue (Ahney Her).Thao is quiet and intelligent but very shy, where as Sue i s very outgoing and fearless. The local Asian gang led by Thao’s cousin tries to recruit Thao. Thao does not have a choice because you cannot say no to a gang, they talk him into trying to steal Walt’s 1972 Gran Torino, Walt Stops it from happening but Thao gets away unrecognized. Then Thao is forced by his sister and mother to work for Walt in an effort for the attempted to steal his car.The two become very close as Walt see’s the good and potential in Thao and teaches him how to be a man and steer clear of the gang. Walt vows to protect Thao, setting the stage for a showdown with the gang. Clint Eastwood is really great to watch in this movie, his acting throughout Gran Torino really convinces you that he is a retired old war veteran, who has seen it all and is afraid of nothing. The way he confronts trouble throughout the film is impressive especially in the one scene where he comes up against three men harassing Sue on her walk.From my point of view there ar e a few camera angles portrayed throughout the scenes of the film, but there is hardly and visual effects or anything else, I think what makes this movie a good hit is Clint Eastwood’s attitude showed in his acting and the rest of the actors as well, and yes of course during the film Walt is very racists and says lots of different ethnic comments but the point is, well the point that I noticed was that Walt starts to look past and see the people for who they really are not just look at their race or where they come from.This movie is perfect for Clint Eastwood fans or young adults and older, I wouldn’t really say it is for teenagers because they might not fully understand the film and just think that Walt is a grumpy old man who just gets fired up over nothing. I rate it a 4 out of 5.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Temperate Forests Are Mild-Climate Forests

Temperate Forests Are Mild-Climate Forests Temperate forests are forests that grow in temperate regions such as those found in eastern North America, western and central Europe, and northeastern Asia. Temperate forests occur at latitudes between about 25Â ° and 50Â ° in both hemispheres. They have a moderate climate and a growing season that lasts between 140 and 200 days each year. Precipitation in temperate forests is generally distributed evenly throughout the year. The canopy of a temperate forest consists mainly of broad-leaved trees. Toward polar regions, temperate forests give way to boreal forests. Temperate forests first evolved about 65 million years ago during the beginning of the Cenozoic Era. At that time, global temperatures dropped and, in areas further from the equator, cooler and more temperate climates emerged. In these regions, temperatures were not only cooler but were also dryer and showed seasonal variations. The plants in these regions evolved and adapted to the climate changes. Today, the temperate forests that are closer to the tropics (and where the climate changed less dramatically), the tree and other plant species more closely resemble those of the older, tropical regions. In these regions, temperate evergreen forests can be found. In areas where climate changes were more dramatic, deciduous trees evolved (deciduous trees drop their leaves when the weather turns cold each year as an adaptation that enables trees to withstand the seasonal temperature fluctuations in these regions). Where forests became dryer, sclerophyllous trees evolved to cope with periodi c lack of water. Key Characteristics The following are the key characteristics of temperate forests: grow in temperate regions (at latitudes between about 25Â ° and 50Â ° in both hemispheres)experiences distinct seasons, with an annual growing season that lasts between 140 and 200 dayscanopy consists mainly of broadleaf trees Classification Temperate forests are classified within the following habitat hierarchy: Biomes of the World Forest Biome Temperate Forests Temperate forests are divided into the following habitats: Temperate deciduous forests - Temperate deciduous forests occur in eastern North America, central Europe, and parts of Asia. Deciduous forests experience temperatures that range between -30Â ° and 30Â °C throughout the year. They receive between 75 and 150 cm of rainfall each year. The vegetation of temperate deciduous forest includes a variety of broadleaf trees (such as oak, beech, cherry, maple, and hickory) as well as various shrubs, perennial herbs, mosses, and mushrooms. Temperate deciduous forests occur and mid-latitudes, between the polar regions and the tropics.Temperate evergreen forests - Temperate evergreen forests consist mainly of evergreen trees that retain their leaves throughout the year. Temperate evergreen forests occur in eastern North America and in the Mediterranean Basin. They also include subtropical broadleaf evergreen forests of the southeastern United States, southern China, and southeastern Brazil. Animals of Temperate Forests Some of the animals that inhabit temperate forests include: Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) - The eastern chipmunk is a species of chipmunk that lives in the deciduous forests of eastern North America. Easter chipmunks are small rodents that have red-brown fur and dark and light brown stripes that run the length of its back.White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - The white-tailed deer is a species of deer that inhabits the deciduous forests of eastern North America. White-tailed deer have a brown coat and a tail with a distinct white underside that it raises when alarmed.American black bear (Ursus americanus) - American black bears are one of three bear species that live in North America, the other two being the brown bear and the polar bear. Of these bear species, black bears are the smallest and most timid.European robin (Erithacus rebecula) - European robins are shy birds throughout most of their range but in the British Isles, they have acquired a charming tameness and are frequent, honored guests in backyard gardens, and parks. T heir feeding behavior historically involved following foraging animals such as the wild boar as it dug through the soil.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Character Analysis of Lysander From A Midsummer Nights Dream

Character Analysis of Lysander From 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Lysander bravely challenges Egeus over his choice of a suitor for Hermia. Lysander professes his love for Hermia and exposes Demetrius as inconstant, having rejected Helena in favor of her friend. LYSANDERYou have her fathers love, Demetrius;Let me have Hermias: do you marry him.​EGEUSScornful Lysander! true, he hath my love,And what is mine my love shall render him.And she is mine, and all my right of herI do estate unto Demetrius.LYSANDERI am, my lord, as well derived as he,As well possessd; my love is more than his;My fortunes every way as fairly rankd,If not with vantage, as Demetrius;And, which is more than all these boasts can be,I am beloved of beauteous Hermia:Why should not I then prosecute my right?Demetrius, Ill avouch it to his head,Made love to Nedars daughter, Helena,And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,Upon this spotted and inconstant man.(Act 1 Scene 1) Character Motivation Lysander encourages Hermia to run away with him to his aunt’s house so that the pair can be married. When in the forest Lysander tries his luck with Hermia, trying to get her to lay with him but he is unable to convince her. When he wakes, he has been wrongly anointed with the love potion and falls in love with Helena. Lysander decides to leave Hermia unprotected on the ground to pursue Helena. This does not cover him in glory but potentially demonstrates the strength of the potion in that we know how much he loved Hermia, but now the potion has moved him to be so repulsed by her that he is willing to leave her alone. There is an argument, therefore, that we cannot blame him for his actions under the powerful influence of the love potion, because if we could, we may not be happy when he is finally reunited with Hermia, as he has been so horrible to her under Puck’s influence: LYSANDERHang off, thou cat, thou burr! vile thing, let loose,Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent!HERMIAWhy are you grown so rude? what change is this?Sweet love,LYSANDERThy love! out, tawny Tartar, out!Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence!(Act 3 Scene 2) When the love potion is removed, and the couples are discovered, Lysander bravely explains to Hermia’s father and Theseus that he encouraged her to elope. This action is courageous because it enrages Egeus - and Lysander knows that it will. Here, Lysander demonstrates his bravery and determination to stick with Hermia no matter the consequences and this endears him to the audience once more. We know Lysander truly loves Hermia and their ending will be a happy one as Theseus will assuage Egeus’ anger. LYSANDERMy lord, I shall reply amazedly,Half sleep, half waking: but as yet, I swear,I cannot truly say how I came here;But, as I think,for truly would I speak,And now do I bethink me, so it is,I came with Hermia hither: our intentWas to be gone from Athens, where we might,Without the peril of the Athenian law.EGEUSEnough, enough, my lord; you have enough:I beg the law, the law, upon his head.They would have stolen away; they would, Demetrius,Thereby to have defeated you and me,You of your wife and me of my consent,Of my consent that she should be your wife.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Assessment at work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Assessment at work - Essay Example Strengths associated with Abercrombie & Fitch assessment procedures are highlighted as well as recommendations for improvements in the company’s selection process. The use of a single Communications Competence testing instrument is a standardised testing template, regulated by a highly centralised human resources heirarchy. There is no room for flexibility or adaptation of current assessment instruments or policies and the company is routinely audited for compliance to assessment methods. This creates an environment in which the company is using assessment tests that are not congruent to finding the appropriate employee for Abercrombie & Fitch. Abercrombie & Fitch has experienced high levels of negative publicity in recent years for alleged unethical hiring practices related to youth, beauty and exclusivity. However, these corporate beliefs are part of the business’ organisational culture and are the criteria utilised to determine job role candidacy. In a business environment where personality is a key factor in whether a candidate fits the culture, the company requires a reexamination of existing selection efforts. Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is a mid-level clothing retailer which has positioned itself as an upscale fashion house catering to unique perceptions of youth, beauty and exclusivity. The company carries a wide variety of somewhat-provocative fashions, unique, politically incorrect apparel as well as traditional outerwear (Case Study, 2007). The company’s main competitors are other mid-level retailers both domestically and within the company’s international sales divisions such as Burberry or The Gap. The company currently utilises one form of psychometric testing in the firm’s selection processes. A&F maintains one of the most unique HR models in today’s retail as the business’ focus on exclusivity is at the heart of the

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Older People Care (Social Care) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Older People Care (Social Care) - Essay Example According to a survey â€Å"between 1971 and 2009 the proportion of the UK population aged under 16 years decreased from 25.5 percent to 18.7 percent, while the proportion aged 75 and over increased from 4.7 percent to 7.8 percent† (Beaumont 2011). It is expected that in UK, by 2018, citizens above 65 will be more than those in the age group of 16. â€Å" It is estimated that the number of residents aged 90 and over increased by 12 percent between 2002 and 2009, that is from 388,200 to 436,500† (Beaumont 2011). (Measuring National Well-being – Population 2012). The percentage of older women is more in UK than that of men. Due to less number of deaths there is some improvement in the statistics. As women live longer compared to men, the percentage of elderly women is more.† In 2010 there were 2.56 women over the age of 90 for every man of that age† (Population Ageing: Statistics para 2). The chances of elderly women to stay alone are more than that of men. This proportion grows with increasing age. â€Å"Among women aged 75 and over who live in private households in Great Britain, 60 percent live alone compared to 36 percent of men of the same age† (Population Ageing: Statistics 2012). ... Ageism could often have an effect on the options individuals are provided with, this also affect the decisions they take about these options. â€Å"Traditionally, aging has been viewed as a continual process of decline. Unfortunately, this stereotyping results in systematic discrimination that devalues senior citizens and frequently denies them equality. In his review of the attitudes toward aging shown by humor, Pal more (1986) found that elderly people were often portrayed negatively. The humor tended to focus on physical and mental losses, as well as on decreases in sexual attractiveness and drive. Jokes about older women tended to be more negative than those about older men† (Grant para 1996). Confronting the concept of ageism is effectively carried out by the enhancement of positive thinking on the process of aging. A person’s self image depends much on age, the person’s actual age and, the age which the society thinks he or she is and the age which they thi nk they are. But this concept changes when the person reaches the retirement age. When one reaches 65, the society considers the person â€Å"useless† while the person still considers himself or herself an active and responsible member of the society. They tend to behave in a different manner.† These impressions often develop into socially acquired attitudes that affect how we deal with individuals on the basis of their age and in turn affect the stereotyped individual’s self-concept and self –esteem. What changes is not older people’s capacity to be vigorous, productive and creative. Rather, society is unwilling to see seniors as vital and active contributors far beyond traditional retirement age, and many older individuals absorb this concept into own mind sets† (The Effects of